|
Looking at the bandage going around her hand, the female attempted to stop him and pll at it to play, but quickly understood it was to be left on. licking the bandage gingerly as if she were a cat, she looked up at the man who helped her. "Kii!!" she cheered happily, noticing she was feeling better already, all because of this nice human. Swimming around the small boat, the creature watched him curiously before swimming back, trying to grab his foot again.
Smiling, she poked at his foot and tried to inspect it. Facinating! She'd always been curious about the lower anatomy of the land beings. Gingerly, she attempted to nibble at the end of the leather covering for his foot, pulling away at the taste. "Iiikii!" |
Kiwi chuckled, quite amused, and sat down in the boat for a moment. He fiddled with one of his shoes, untying it.
Once he had it removed, he sat up near the front of the boat and let that leg dangle over the edge of it, toes just barely touching the water. "There, since you seem so curious. Don't try to taste that," he warned her, sticking his tongue out in a facial facade of 'eww' and pointing at his foot, to show that it definitely did not taste any better than the shoe did. |
Blinking up at him, a bright grin appeared on her face as she saw him offer his foot to play with. "Kii!!" she clapped her hands together delightedly. Gently, she reached out and took his foot in both hands, lifting it and looking under it, above it, and tilting it a bit. Taking her fingers, she ran them along the underside of the flat bottom of his foot before trailing a hand up his leg.
"Kii?" she took the hand not running up the inside of his pants leg and pointed it at the young man, studying his face. |
Kiwi had never been ticklish...on his feet, anyway. His sides were his weak spots.
Surprisingly, he only shifted slightly when she started running her hand up his leg. Having four rowdy sisters and three even more rowdy male cousins that lived with him, personal space wasn't something Kiwi was used to, so it didn't really bother him all that much. They'd often run around the house as small children, playing keep-away with each others' belongings. Sometimes that included clothes, and he remembered that his mother had always been more amused than anything else by their antics as long as they stayed inside. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by the pointing at him and eyeing his face, but he leaned forward a bit, curiously, but not too much. Perhaps she wanted to touch his face or something? |
The creature touched his hair and lifted it to see both eyes, smiling happily at the sight. "Iii!" Returning her attention to his lower half, she pulled her hand out from under his pants leg once she could reach no further. Instead, she looked at his waist, poking at the buttons and zippers of his pants. Tugging at the fabric by his waist and hips, the female looked at the area her tail would start on her own body.
Leaning over the edge of his small craft, the mermaid looked around inside and grew closer to the young man. |
Kiwi blinked at his hair being brushed out of his face. Oh. She wanted to see both of his eyes--that was it? He often forgot that he kept one eye covered. It gave him a sense of security, knowing that there was one thing others couldn't see about him. This girl seemed innocent, though, so he didn't mind.
He minded a bit when she started poking around more...sensitive...areas. But, mostly, not because of the touch itself. More so because someone could peer over the edge and see at any moment. An audience was something he didn't particularly want... |
"kii kii!" she chirped, hugging his leg affectionately and in delight. Smiling up at the man, she looked at her tail and then at his legs. Her bright and happy expression faded a bit as she slowly flicked her tail, wishing she could try having feet, legs. For a mermaid, this was almost impossible.
Swimming around him, the girl tried to decide what to do. By all means, most of her kind would either carry him down to keep if they thought he seemed like something they want, or try to talk. She was young, and was not one of the merfolk who had somehow learned the human tongue well enough to speak. |
Kiwi watched her. He noticed her face falling, but he didn't ask what was wrong.
Instead, he stayed put, eyes vigilant, as always. |
Suddenly, the girl looked a bit thoughtful, an idea coming to her. Squeeking happily, she held up a finger as if to say 'wait one moment.' Smiling at the human man, she dove down into the ocean. After a few minutes, she popped back out of the water, holding something in her hands. Unclasping her fingers, she held them out as if they were an offering. She collected random things that she found, especially things from the humans.
In her palms was an oyster, known by her to have a large black pearl on the inside of it. beside it, a small but undamaged shell rested, the inner mother-of-pearl shimmering in the late afternoon sun. |
Kiwi examined it for a moment before carefully reaching out and taking it, holding it up in the air and turning it over a few times. Its glint was pretty in the afternoon sun.
He smiled and nodded his thanks to her. |
"Kii!" she seemed happy as he took the gifts, swimming around in circles like a puppy chasing it's tail.
The sun was slowly starting to move across the sky and set within the next hour. Looking up with her big, inquisitive blue-green eyes, the mermaiden lingered beside the young sailor, hoping he'd speak to her so she could try and imitate him. She didn't pay much attention to waht she must look like, strange, unreal, fish tail, and bare chest. |
Kiwi sighed quietly, stretching a bit. He pointed at himself.
"Kiwi." He said this slowly, enunciating each syllable. He hoped she would understand that this was his name. |
Blinking, the girl's face brightened. Thinking for a moment, she smiled in realization and pointed to him.
"Kiwi!" she exclaimed delightedly, pointing at him. Liking the name, she chanted it softly. "Kiwi..Kiwi..Kiwi!" |
Kiwi nodded, content. He then happened to glance at his watch, and he chewed his lip, thinking of how to say he had to get back to work.
He pointed at his watch, then at himself, and then at the ship. He motioned taking plates and clearing them off of a table, which was what he was going to be doing tonight. He was nearly late... |
After looking confused for a few moments, the mermaid kept looking blissfully ignorant before realizing he was referring to the ship and what he did. That meant...he was going back up! Fins drooping and smile vanishing, the female looked up into the green eyes of his. Sadness reflected in her eyes as she sighed. "Kiiii.....Kiwi..." she murmured softly, hugging his hand for a moment.
"Oy, you still down there? if you aren't done I can tell the boss you're taking care of a mess?" called out the other fisherman, carrying his bucket of fish and his line from the other side of the boat. |
He patted her head gently, and then glanced up the side of the ship.
"I'll be up in a moment! He won't accept any excuses from me, I don't think! He never did like me anymore after I accidentally hit on his daughter in front of him!" He patted her head a final time and thought of how to say he'd be coming back. He motioned the pulling of the dinner bell and whistled slightly to try and imitate it. The dinner bell always had a different tone than the other two bells. He was basically attempting to say that he would be back around dinner time tomorrow, as well as when dinner ended today. |
"Allright, see you there Kiwi. Watch out for girls, man!" chuckled his coworker as he went off to deliver the fresh caught fish to the chefs.
Watching his every move intently, the creature did her best to understand. As he immitated the whistle she heard earlier, she blinked, putting the pieces together. That bell chimed before he came and she saw him. and, it would happen again! So, whenever it happened, she'd have to wait and see what would come the next time she heard the sound. Pleased with her self for understanding, she smiled once more, nodding in acknowledgement. "Kiwi..!" she chimed before sounding the whistle he made, connecting the two. |
Kiwi nodded cheerily, triumphant that he'd gotten across to her. He patted her head once more, put his shoe back on, and fished for the oars of the boat.
Once he found them, he slowly paddled away, waving goodbye to her. He hated paddling boats--always had. Once he reached the still-down pulleys, he reattached them to the ends of the boat and carefully began to lift himself and the boat back up to the ship. It was a chore, but he eventually managed to reach the ship. Precariously, he hopped over the side of the lifeboat, brushed himself off, and headed into the dining hall. |
With a smile, she waved back enthusiastically as he departed. "Kiwi!" she said softly, deciding that was her favorite word.
Swimming along the front of the boat, the strange female smiled in excitement. She'd follow the ship. When that bell chimed she'd be ready and waiting for the kind human. She liked him, he didn't chase her away or freak out as she'd see them do to other see creatures. Once inside the dining hall, the head of the staff scowled at the blonde boy. "You were almost late Kiwi. Don't push it, and mind your manners around the girls!" he barked irritably. |
Kiwi scratched his head sheepishly.
"I was helping my fellow co-worker fish. His line got tangled in a big bunch of plastic. So, I took a life boat down and untangled it. And I'll behave around the ladies, sir. As long as they follow the rules of the ship." He seemed amused by the man's annoyance towards him, but he was careful not to let that show in his expression or voice. |
"Don't patronize me boy. hmph, well, quit dinking around. Clean yourself up and get to work!" he snapped, scowling in dislike at Kiwi. With that said, he walked off to scold some other poor unsuspecting worker.
Coming out from the kitchen, the other employee, Gavin, smiled as he saw Kiwi. "Hey, the old scroodge give you a lecture?" he asked good naturedly. "Have any trouble with the tangle or the boat?" |
"He sure did," Kiwi chuckled, getting an apron in case food scraps from plates fell on him and putting it on. "And nah. It was fine. I got it untangled, so you can go out for it later. Man, I hate finding giant things of plastic like that in the ocean. Kills sea birds and everything..." He checked his watch sheepishly.
"I better get to work. I'll see you later..." With that, he headed out into the dining hall to start collecting plates. It was menial work, but at least it wasn't cleaning. Oh, how he hated cleaning. How very typically male of him. |
"Well, at least you can feel better knowing you helped yes?" Gavin reasoned, clapping the young man on the back before going into the kitchen to wash dishes. Damn, how did he always get stuck with the dishes?!
The female swam lazilly around the large cruiseliner, wishing the bell would come soon. She looked up at the decks occassionally, hoping to catch sight of the kind human. |
Kiwi did his work diligently, if not a bit unwillingly. Dinner only lasted for an hour or so more, so he didn't have to work for too long.
As soon as the kitchen stopped serving food, Kiwi was able to get the last plate at the last table, sighing heavily. He really needed some rest. He took the last plate back into the kitchen and happily got rid of the apron. |
Tossing aside his apron as well, Gavin grinned at Kiwi before nudging him. Making sure no one was around, he whispered to his companion. "So...who were you talking to?"
|
| All times are GMT. The time now is 02:20 PM. |