kai hated to admit that it felt nice to spend so much time in the water again. he knew it was more a necessity now and he should be worried, but it was awfully hard to be once in there, body having been yearning for it all day. of course, it came with its pitfalls, always a constant reminder when there. it might have been hours, the merman isn't sure, but he can smell her as he nears the surface. his senses are still in tact while having not transformed back yet and still feeling invigorated by the water. he also picks up a hint of dinner that's waiting for him. the merman is quiet as he showers off salty water, changes, and heats up dinner — which aeri always makes vegetarian for him, something that still makes kai smile. a singular lamp lights where he sits, eats, and draws at the same time. every once in a while he catches a glimpse of the sleeping oracle, making sure he doesn't bother her. two a.m. flashes on an analog clock he has and kai finally makes his way to the bed, aeri stirring besides him when he picks up her arm and puts it around his waist. ❝ sorry. i thought i was being careful. ❞ a kiss is placed on her forehead before laying back, keeping her arm firmly in it's place. ❝ what time did you get here tonight? i didn't mean to be so long. ❞ his head turns to face her. ❝ thanks for dinner. ❞

it was odd for kai to not be sticking to his normal routine. it wasn't like he was a creature of habit, but not having the energy to workout, something he enjoyed, was bringing down his usual cheery mood. he tries to go for a run, but twenty minutes in and he's already winded, stopping to take a breath. a shadow brings his gaze upwards, forcing a smile when he sees the mermaid. ❝ i know, i know. ❞ this was probably the longest its been that he missed gym days. ❝ it's whatever is going on. i can't be out of the water for too long. ❞

unable to sleep, the merman needed to get his energy somewhere. the water was home. it was supposed to bring comfort. but nothing can make his skin stop crawling, as if something was behind him or something bad was going to happen. he's mostly dressed, just pulling a shirt one when noticing he's not alone. ❝ i don't usually expect people out here when its cold. ❞ no matter the temperature, jumping into the water always felt refreshing to kai. until lately, that is. ❝ you shouldn't be walking around alone. ❞

too many years had gone by for kai to still be afraid to confront the ghosts of his past — but he was. it was just something he wanted to forget. what was the point of dwelling on something he couldn't change? what was the point of putting himself through that pain? looking at aeri was like staring that ghost in the face. or, maybe it was for her. either way, kai avoided the oracle, afraid of whatever she used to see when they used to spend time together. he was going to pay eloise a quick visit on his way into work but is stopped when he sees aeri about to walk in as well. whatever banter he has for the witch can wait, he thinks, not wanting to be forced to deal with the guilt of just cutting her off. giving aeri a quick smile and nod, kai begins to walk by but stops, rolling his eyes at his inability to avoid the pang in his gut. ❝ are you staying in portum for the holidays?, ❞ he turns to her and asks, a pathetic breaking of spun out silence.

its been hard to keep up at the coffee shop, but kai was managing. as best he could, at least. everyone was having a rough go so the merman wasn't being too hard on himself. he sits with kareem on a quiet morning, having just gotten out of the water before meeting the witch so he had some energy. it almost felt normal to be catching up with a friend. and while he was at it, maybe talk to someone who grew up in portum. ❝ how's your magic been since all this? at this point, whoever comes in to work, comes in. ❞ whoever wasn't having destructive issues. ❝ we've lost some good mugs. ❞ said with a gentle laugh.

while usually a social butterfly, one to be seen throughout town because he just couldn't be home; these days the merman just didn't have the energy for it. the ocean called to him and when he was out of the water, everything felt ... more difficult. his energy spent today was going on meena. it'd been days since he saw the vampire, no returned texts, not at work. now, the anxiety built too much. he wasn't going to just leave her like ... kai doesn't spend too much time knocking, using his spare key, only to be stopped by the chain on the door. ❝ are you fucking serious? ❞ he pushes, to no avail, annoyed at the lack of strength. but gives another, harder push, knocking the lock off. ❝ meena? ❞ there's a change in his voice, heart starting to race with fear and anxiety. a deep breath and head tries to shake off the feeling, but there's a quiver in his hands while he walks around. ❝ meena, ❞ a bit sing song-y, like a child playing hide and seek. he knocks on her bedroom door when he gets there, letting himself sink to the floor to catch his breath and try to think of anything other than the worst possible scenario. ❝ i don't have anything to do today so i'll be out here. and i'm giving you twenty minutes before i go in there to make sure you're alive. ❞ a truth not well hidden in a joke. ❝ just warning you. ❞

kai recognized the dancer's bag sitting alone at one of the tables. her sister wasn't working or he'd give it to her, and figuring she might need it, the merman set off to find the werewolf. it wasn't very hard though. in the short time she'd been in portum, kai almost always found her coming from or going to the performing arts center. that's where he goes first, asking someone if amelia is there when he walks in and after some basic direction, walks through to find the other. ❝ did you notice you were missing something? ❞ he softly chuckles, holding the bag out for her.

adjusting to a new place was stressful. adjusting while the town was in a panic over a recent murder was a whole different kind of stressful. it was good his recent employee seemed to have a few close to her in town. ❝ how's training going? ❞ kai needed a distraction from more death talk and work was perfect for that. not the type to coddle his manager or employees, it was good to get an update on eliana's progress since she started.