Julian ate quickly then rushed to his room to get changed into the black dress pants and sea green shirt that were the marine park's uniform, for the employees. The young man made sure to grab a few oranges on his way out and tucked them into a bag carefully. He hoped Meison would like the treat, even if the other delicacies the merman liked weren't available.

The drive to the park was an interesting one, with thunder and lightning driving people to remain home instead of chancing the roads. He rather reveled in the storm, loving the way sheets of rain poured down and lightning painted the sky with flashes of blue white light. It almost made him want to linger outside when he stepped from his car in the park parking lot, but he raced into the building where he would work.

Meison needed to eat after all and he was the one responsible for that now. So off he went, into the bowels of the building to grab a pail of fish. He then walked into the hidden part of the building, the walkways above the aquariums, and made his way to the merman's. Once there, the youth crouched down and let an orange slip from his hand into the water. He'd kept them in a bag, slung over his shoulder, during his mad rush around the building.

Merfolk were athletic creatures. Living in the ocean, fighting currents and ships and exploring new and constantly-changing lands and making journeys over thousands of miles, they had to be athletic, quick, moving. This tank didn't allow for a vast array of movements, and had he been in his original form, it would have offered even less room. He was making circles now, slower than he'd done yesterday in a rage, until the shudder of metal being walked on rumbled through the water and made him stop. Meison looked up, finding a pair of shoes on the scaffold, and something round and orange and familiar float into the water. What was this? A fruit? Had Julian misheard him when he said Orange Roughy? A rather ugly but delicious fish that resembled an overgrown goldfish? It was hard to get clear conversation through water and glass, though Meison had never eaten an actual orange before.

Sliding upward, he grabbed it and flitted downward again, using his claw to poke through the hard outer shell---or peel, as the humans called it?---and bit into the softer inside. A strange, acidic juice exploded in his mouth, widening his eyes. He'd seen plenty of these off the beaches, in trees in rows, and people picking them. But he'd never tried one before. It was so different! But the peel... Horrible, bitter. No wonder the humans didn't eat that part... He looked around. It seemed people were beginning to wander in. Some had braved the weather to visit the place, and tended to stop for a while in front of his tank.

Maybe he'd made a mistake, hearing something wrong when the merman had been talking about what food he liked. Meison certainly didn't seem like he'd ever had an orange before. "So, how're you today? Got any more complaints?" Julian glanced down, his eyes catching on a piece of paper plastered on the tank. He'd noticed it this morning, seen it proclaiming that no flash photography was allowed. Hopefully that little bit of change would help Meison feel more comfortable in a necessarily uncomfortable situation.

"Hey, maybe I could try talking them into letting you swim in one of the big pools sometime... Let you stretch out a bit." The exercise seemed like it would do Meison good. It really was imperative that he find out everything he could about the park so he could break out the merman as soon as possible. No matter what, Meison belonged in the sea, not in some cramped tank .

Meison surfaced after a while, to hear what Julian had to say. It was a little hard to catch it underneath the water, with the waves that constantly distorted the words. "A bigger pool?" He repeated. "There are bigger ones? How big? Are they near the ocean? Outsde?" Suddenly he was glad, glad that someone had taken his state into consideration. Maybe this one wasn't so bad... "You'll be there, right? I can't tell you how different you are from the others." He shifted his tail, keeping himself upright and above the water. "How different. But it's a good thing. You're a strange thing to me." Strange, yes, but so interesting. His hair, a strange type of cut up, uneven, sharp at the ends. colored light and dark at once. Was it natural? And his eyes. Green, like certain areas of the ocean. Beautiful. He shook his head and backed away slightly. How stupid of him, thinking such things! And in such a state, too.

He smiled, grinned really, glad that he had thought of the idea. It was nice seeing Meison so enthusiastic for once. "Oh, big enough for you to swim around a lot more then you can here. No decorations though, but there is one close to the sea, out in the open air." It was where they had shows sometimes, but he'd heard that since they were trying to work through some snags in the programming there wouldn't be anything going on there for a while.

"Course I'll be there! Taking care of you is now my job, and I'm sure glad about it." Julian's smile turned sour when he noticed Meison's unexplained retreat. "Hey, why are you doing that? I didn't do anything wrong did I?" Surely the merman would know what 'that' he was referring to.

Meison shook his head hard. "No. Nothing you've done." He muttered. "It was just... My... No, I..." He shook his head. "Never mind." He dove back down and shook his head hard, staring at those present as they watched him and took pictures without flashing. He was so stupid. The human had never seen him for what he was, never saw what he could be, only saw the 'dangerous' side of him. The cursed side. That woman... Her horrible words rang in his head, in his dreams. And now what was he thinking? Ridiculous things about Julian's eyes. About his hair. Soon he might try to think about his skin, the soft and clear complexion and how such a deeply tan it was, like he saw the sun so often, each day, and it only did better and better work.

And the strange loops here and there. They looked painful, through his nose, his tongue. He'd never seen if they were through his ears or not, the hair was over them too often. Again he shook his head, and drifted along the bottom of the tank, his movement kicking the remnants of the orange peel up a little at a time.

A sigh escaped the man as he made himself stand. Julian let the fish drop into the tank, then walked away. It didn't seem like Meison wanted his company, and there were so many things he needed to take care, like learning about his strange friend's habitat. He needed to make sure Meison was safe where he was, needed to know how to take care of him and that entailed a lot of learning.

The young man sat through a demonstration and explanation of such things by one of the other employees, hearing how the plants inside the tank helped give oxygen to the salty water inside. When Julian mentioned moving the merman to another pool, one of the large ones by the sea usually used for the shows, temporarily to give him exercise, he was glad to hear the notion would be considered. Meison had seemed so excited at the prospect, Julian could only hope it would come into play.

Meanwhile time had flown by, and it was time for that weekly check of the tank now that the visitors had drifted away. It was later, much later then Julian had expected. Gearing up and making his way to the tank had taken longer then expected, and now he was dropping in with a loud splash. Stray hair floated in the water, He should have been wearing a wet suit, but he only had the tank and it's equipment plus swim trunks on. He trusted that Meison would help him if something went wrong, and hoped that feeling wasn't misplaced as he dove down to peer at the plants. Their health was important for Meison's health, and in the process Julian picked up the orange peels. It wouldn't do to leave those lying around.

Deliberately, he didn't seek the merman out. Let Meison come and explain himself, if he so wished.

Since it was raining so much today, there weren't quite as many people, and even fewer children. That left the tank relatively quiet, and he did well to move by a time or two. Since he couldn't hide, what was the point in trying to do so with only failure to show for it? He might as well show the others what they were gawking at. He twisted a little, turned a bit, even brushed the glass a time or two, until the bell rang and everyone started dispersing.

Then came the human. Julian, the human, that was his name. He only wore half of what the others did when coming to inspect his tank, and they had only done that twice recently. He knew they tended to wear black suits that covered their bodies as if afraid of the water, or him. Probably him. But not this one, not Julian. Was he not afraid of him? Meison backed away as he dove in, the tank on his back, the tank of air to help him breathe. While Meison was unaware of most of the human's technology, he knew enough with a little watching. A little documenting. As he went around to inspect the area, the plants and the stones, Meison approached to get his attention.

His voice would carry and echo a little to the human, but he had to say what was on his mind. "I do... apologize. My actions before were unfounded and I understand your... confusion. But I must admit, that you're simply... intoxicating. It's rare to see a human of your unique beauty." He bowed quickly and flitted away, dodging into the already-inspected seaweed. It was so hard to compliment someone... So hard. Even when they deserved it.

Something made him look up, and he was glad for the mask covering part of his face when he did. Meison's words sent a shock through him, undeniably flattering, but so undeserved. It must have taken the merman a lot to speak up as he had, when there was so much about himself that he found unsuitable and ugly. That made the compliments all the dearer, though why he was thinking like that, Julian wasn't sure.

The young man followed the last echoes of the enchanting voice, and regretted the fact that he couldn't smile or speak because of the contraption in his mouth. Instead, he shot a glance out the glass window, and up onto the pathways, before moving to wrap an arm gently around the merman's shoulders to show his gratitude. He squeezed gently, unsure of how else he could express himself when he needed the tube to breathe.

What was he doing? Julian would cut himself on one of the sharp points on Meison's back if he kept that up. Shrugging, he wiggled himself deeper into the seaweed and shook his head. Couldn't he just take it and leave? It was hard enough saying it! "I wouldn't put too much into it." He snapped. "I felt... bad for having confused you, simply that." He shrugged away and curled up. What a lie. A lie! Julian was simply a unique amazement, a beautiful human, and he was nicer than the others. He asked what Meison liked. He asked how he was. He didn't jeer and point and scowl. Meison was such a handful, yet he took it all in stride.

He sighed, shaking his head and averted his eyes to hide the unexpected hurt in them. The harsh voice Meison had used matched the merman's outward appearance far too much for the human's liking. Gently, he retreated and continued the rest of his work, then swam up to the surface. It took a few tries, but Julian managed to hoist himself out of the tank with a rueful smile. It was a little much to expect kindness from Meison, who couldn't even accept himself ... Let alone anyone else.

He thought of that as he removed the tank. It was a relief, not having its weight on his back. The flippers followed, and instead of leaving right away the young man let his feet dangle in the water.

After a short time Meison looked up. He could see the feet in the water, and hear them as they splashed a little. Lifting himself, he studied them. He could go bite the toes... Shaking his head, Meison left the seaweed and slowly circled his way up. That would be done completely out of spite, which was entirely unfounded here. He breached the water and lurked there for a moment, halfway out, as if he were hiding beneath it. "The dark outside the window tells me it's late." He said. "Why are you still here? Surely there are other things you might find interest in." Anything, really. Something not muddy and spiked stunted in growth. Like a slimy hagfish.

It seemed if he waited long enough, Meison was sure to make an appearance. "Are you kidding? Nah, I'm fine here. It's really nice, just sitting with my feet in the water like this .... Kind of was lonely without company though." Julian glanced at the merman, eyes roving over the spikes on his back. They were dangerous those things, and yet he hadn't even thought of them when he reached out to hug Meison. The gesture hadn't made the impression Julian had wanted though, and that was rather disappointing.

Meison tilted his head. "Company...? Surely there are the other...?" He looked down, through the water and to the hallway below. He felt like a confused child---of course Julian meant his company! Or it seemed obvious, the way he just sat there and looked at Meison pointedly. But he was a human. He did have a home away from here. "But why?" He asked at last. "Why? Before they caught me.... No one had laid eyes on me for a few years. I didn't go near anyone. I thought I was safe. And now I can't get away. This isn't the kind of attention I'm used to." His tone dropped, taking on a forlorn manner. It had been lonely. He'd hidden away outside the city while guards searched for him, parties went out to look for him. They never thought to look just a few meters away.

Meison was such an odd person. Julian shifted, letting himself fall into the water with an audible splash so he could swim closer to the merman. He wanted to make sure his words were heard, and more... Lifting a hand, he let it trail down the other man's rough skinned shoulder. "Because you look like someone who needs the company, and you're real fun to talk to Meison." Should he say what else he thought?

It only seemed fair, seeing how honest the merman had been with Julian earlier. "My attention is not like theirs. It's ... " He had an inkling of what it might mean, but Julian just couldn't speak it then. Meison couldn't even accept himself; accepting someone else as well was impossible for the merman.

Meison backed away slightly, but had otherwise nowhere to go when the human lowered himself into the water without breathing equipment. "What, then?" He asked, drifting about Julian in a circle. "If it's not a morbid fascination that keeps you around, what is it? I don't see how it can be any more than that." He'd shrugged off the odd touch. It'd been too long since someone touched him and he just didn't know what to do. Not in this state, especially. Before this when people touched him, he was accepting of it, glad for it. Glad for their being there, mostly to admire his beauty. Now what would they do if they saw him? Scream, perhaps. No mermaid, no merman, looked like he did. They had evolved for swiftness and appealing looks, to blend in with humans when they walked among them on two legs. What would Meison look like on two legs? Perhaps even greater a monstrosity than he was now...

Julian hated being put on the spot like that, faced with admitting budding feelings he was only beginning to accept. Meison had admitted his attraction, admitting his own seemed misplaced somehow despite that. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Meison." The other man hated how he looked, but that wasn't what had wrought these feelings from Julian. The human didn't think he would be able to convince the merman of that though. It was best to evade Meison's questions, for now.

So he watched the merman, turning this way and that to always keep his emerald eyes upon him.

Meison breathed in quickly, and shook his head. This human... He didn't speak too much, or too little. Didn't bring one of those cameras to flash pictures of him like he was some kind of priceless treasure. Lovely in many ways, namely in look, but he wouldn't say what he meant and that frustrated Meison. "Very well. I'll be back when you wish to tell me." He dove down, relishing the cool water that washed over his drying... scales. Scales! Where skin should be. Hard, tough, difficult to move in. Why? Why had she come to him? Why had she taken everything away from him? Why was he here now? Why?

Meison curled up on the taller rock, and buried his flat face in his arms and cried. The noise was low and soft, quiet, echoing moans that might resemble a forlorn whalesong. He hated this. Hated himself! Could even hate Julian, if he tried. And he didn't want to right now.

Sounds wrought from sorrow after the merman's escape made Julian relent. Taking a deep breath he dove down below, emerald eyes wide open, and searched for Meison. He needed to surface again and take another lungful of air before plunging down below like an arrow and reaching out desperately as his lungs burned for need of air to brush his fingers against the merman's skin for attention.

Then he was pushing himself from the aquarium floor and taking in great gasps of air. It felt so good to breathe again, but the water cradling him gently felt good too. But the water could kill him, and the air here couldn't ... save perhaps with its lack.

What was he doing? Kept coming down, into the water, moving about. Why did he want to stay around? Just go away, leave me alone. I don't care to know, don't care to know what you have to say, want to do, leave me be! "Leave me alone!" He yelled, finally voicing his thoughts, loud enough for anyone within a few feet of the tank to hear. "Please, just leave me! I want to be alone! I hate it! I hate everything! I can't see the sky, I can't feel the wind, or see the land, I can't understand it!" He grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled, as if the physical pain would make it better.

And somehow, it did. Julian wasn't there anymore, not to him. He was in a tide pool, at least, in his mind. It let him silence himself, and close his eyes for a while, as if no one were near.

Disappointed, hurt, Julian heaved himself from the pool. "Goodnight, Meison." With that he left, cleaning himself in the showers and getting dressed. He glanced at the tank before leaving, wanting to speak his mind now that he'd seen how his lack of explanation had hurt the other man. If only he could go back in time and change that small moment, but it was done now... Immutable as the past always was.

The night was a long one as Julian read in his apartment. He was researching all he could of myths and legends about the sea folk. He couldn't get Meison from his mind. The next day when he arrived, he held some of the rare fish the merman had requested a few days ago as way of apology. It had cost him to buy the pretty like angelfish, and it was a little saddening to know how it would end ... But hopefully it would help soothe Meison somewhat, at least until he could convince the people taking care of the pools to allow Meison into one of them for a few hours. It would do the merman a world of good.

That was why he stood on the metal walkway hanging and let the fish drop, this one alive among so many others simply floating and waiting to be eaten.

When the little window lightened, now clear of clouds it seemed, Meison didn't feel quite as horrible now. Though he still hated the way he looked, the way he was, a little fast-paced swimming and screaming his heart out in the night had left his throat raw, but relieved. And when the lights in the tanks brightened and those out in the halls turned on, he was calmer and could think a little easier. Staring around, he watched the employees come in, stare at him, and go to change into their identical clothes and start feeding the marine life and disinfecting tanks, checking filters and rotations. Then he saw Julian, and Meison felt a bit dejected.

Maybe he hurt the human before... He'd been so tired. Sliding through the water, he watched the human approach and was desperate to say something---something not about him this time.

The merman's form, slicing through the water,held a dangerous kind of beauty. It reminded him of sharks, and other deadly kinds of sea life Julian had only ever seen on a television screen. Meison wouldn't believe him, if Julian started speaking of such things. It didn't matter anyway, since the merman obviously hated him... All that despite how hard the human had tried to win his friendship.

Should he just leave without a word? No, even if Meison wanted no more to do with him, Julian was still the only person who tried to speak with him. Perhaps the merman didn't understand, but being completely alone in the world was probably the worst curse of all, and Julian refused to allow that to happen. "I brought an angelfish today." There was none of the usual playful excitement in his voice, and the lack was apparent even to Julian. He hadn't expected to feel so down after being spoken to so harshly by the merman, someone he barely knew

Meison lowered himself onto the sand in front of Julian, and sat on his tail as if folding legs under him in a manner a human would. He eyed the clear bag of fish. One was pale white, another, white and black striped. A couple were a light orange-pink tone, which Meison knew was rare to find, at least for a human. But what was wrong with him? Julian didn't seem right, though Meison only knew him for a while. This wasn't normal of him. "I... thank you." He said simply enough, nodding, and then continuing rather haltingly: "I... might have been a... a little... short with you. Yesterday." Now he just felt like a fool---Julian had probably gone to great lengths to get these fish for him, for him! And Meison was only repaying him with snide remarks and bitter stubbornness. The only one that had ever shown him any form of kindness...

"It... It's not my fault!" He defended automatically, though it certainly was and he just didn't want to admit it. "I, ah... I hope, perhaps, we might begin on the right foot again? Or however you might refer to it as." He lowered his head slightly.

A derisive snort left his lips before he could stop it. "A little?" That was an understatement, but at least Meison was making an effort to recognize that his words had been harsh. Pursing his lips, the young man knelt down and carefully released the fish he'd brought into the tank. They were so beautiful, and yet they were going to die and by his fault. It was the natural way of things, but it was brutal in a way Julian wasn't used to.

"So ... you don't hate me then, Meison?" It was the impression he'd gotten the day before. Uncertainty made Julian hesitate to jump eagerly over the slender reconciliation the merman offered. He glanced at the glass, at the people walking past, and sighed. Was there no moment when they could speak alone, without others observing them?