"I'll ask her..." Kiwi turned to her. "Mermaid. It means a girl who lives in the sea, and has a fish-like tail. Like you did, when I first found you. Your kind is supposed to be mythical...er. Just a story. Not real. Then again, I guess we humans don't see you guys often enough to list you as real."

He nodded to himself, thinking that was a good explanation. He cleared his throat, preparing to address his other issue. "My friends here aren't believing my story. They want to see you swim in the ocean, like you normally do. Can you show them?

Deckle grinned. "As am I."

Meriel paused, realizing she'd risk endangering herself and her kind by showing them, hence why she usually hid when human-watching. "W-will they....show others? tell friends?" she asked, wanting to be careful.

Gavin actually looked flustered for a moment, shaking it off quickly as he smiled happily. She liked him too! "I'm glad to hear that beautiful." Hearing the girl's worries, Gavin looked gentle, understanding. "You don't gotta show us, but I really really wanna see. I won't tell, promise."

He reassured her with a half-hug, a gentle one. "You don't have to worry. I won't let them tell anyone else," he assured her. "They're good people."

Deckle's grin didn't fade a bit, and she rested her head on his shoulder, monitoring the situation. She seemed interested in the prospect of seeing Meriel swim.

"Ok...um....go to Kiwi's home...er...room." she corrected herself, nodding to the other two.

Gavin smiled, nodding to Meriel as Kiwi reassured her. "We sure are, right Beautiful Deckle?"

Deckle chuckled, beginning to scoot out of the booth so Gavin could get out on her side. "Sure are."

Kiwi did the same, scooting out of the area so Meriel could make her way out.

"See? Nothing to worry about missy." he said with a smile, offerring his arm to Deckle as he slid out of the booth.

Meriel slid out, ready to follow Kiwi since she forgot where his room was.

Deckle gladly took his arm, grin still in place.

Kiwi led the way back down to his room, taking the stairs this time. He hated elevators and only took them when he was feeling lazy. Right now, though, he felt slightly hyper.

Being able to tell the truth about Meriel to someone trustworthy took a giant load of...stuff...off his chest, and he felt better now.

He finally made his way down to his room, opening the room and shuffling inside. He went over to the window and opened it, waiting for everyone to get inside and settled.

"Allrighty, so we're all here, door is locked. Let's get the party started." Gavin declared, smiling and nodding to the others. As he watched and waited, the man found Deckle's hair with his hands, playing with the silky locks.

Meriel took off the clothes Kiwi had given her before sitting on the edge of the window. Smiling at Kiwi, she jumped into the cool water below, her fins, tail coming back. The irridescent violet and maroon scales shimmered in the light as the female swam alongside the window.

Kiwi watched her, finding the sight quite magical and beautiful. "See? I told you."

Surprisingly, Deckle seemed more focused on Gavin's petting than the sight of the mermaid before her, though she paid close attention. She leaned into the touch.

"Fascinating! My sister once claimed she saw a merman. She said he accused her of eye-raping him, threw a shell at her, and disappeared into the water." This story amused her.

"Well I'll be damned, so she is mate." Gavin practically glowed at the attention he was getting from Deckle, estatic she seemed to appreciate and enjoy his company. Upoon hearing her merfolk story, Gavin laughed heartily. "Now that's something I'd love to see! A pissed off merman chucking shells at people."

He would soon have his wish, for in the water was a disturbance, a larger creature swimming to the surface. Meriel seemed to not notice, smiling and waving at Kiwi.

Kiwi noticed, though--he was keeping watch. He pointed to the area where the disturbance was.

Deckle also seemed to notice. "Uh-oh."

Meriel looked over in confusion before squeeking in surprise. A dark brown haired male merman emerged from the water, and he was considerably larger than Meriel.
Gavin was about to ask what they should do to help Meriel when the girl changed from fear to excitement. "Father!" she chimed, swimming to him.

"Uh oh..this ain't gonna be good mate..." muttered Gavin.

The male creature frowned at Meriel. "So, someone has been teaching you the human tongue?" he stated more than asked, glaring at the three humans. "Father knows English?" "Yes, I have for a long time, since before you were born."
"D-Did father learn from Kiwi as well?"
"No. Now, we shall settle things."

Swimming over to the window, Meriel's father scowled irritably up at the three. "Who up there is Kiwi?" he fairly boomed. Meriel waved from behind her dad, until she shuddered at his irritation.

Kiwi, surprisingly, didn't seem too afraid. He stepped forward.

"That would be me. And before you curse me and damn me to underwater hell or something, I'd appreciate it if you heard the whole story...of how I found her and how..." he motioned around, "...this...came to be."

"Silence boy. I am not here to deal with you. I am simply bringing my daughter back home where she belongs."
"No!"
silence
"No?" questioned her father, turning and facing his child. "What are you saying child? You know how I feel about you getting close to these humans. Why do you think no one would teach you the human tongue? You always were too curious for your own good, too intrigued by them. They are predators to us. If we interact at all we drown them or save them, but they usually don't survive our efforts either way. Now stop this foolishness and come back down."
"No!" Meriel repeated, swimming away from the older merfolk. "I stay. I like Kiwi! I have a name."
Meriel swam closer to the window, looking unhappy with her father as she repeatedly shook her head.

Kiwi shifted a bit.

He wasn't quite sure he wanted to get in the middle of this. But, it was Meriel's choice. He would help her if her father tried to force her back under, without hesitation.

The older of the two growled, grabbing his daughter firmly by the arm. "Enough of this! I've been lenient with you my child, but it's time you stop daydreaming and watching the humans as a hobby, time to come back to your kind." Meriel obviously disliked this. "No! I want to stay, I want to stay!"

Kiwi gritted his teeth a bit and took a deep breath. Before the merman could notice, he wiggled himself out onto his windowsill and jumped in, clothes on and all.

He could swim fairly well, but he was no Olympic diver, that's for sure. He came up gasping for air and paddled awkwardly over, grabbing the merman's arm and trying to force him to let go.

"She said no! Let her go!"

Meriel was no less surprised than her father who let go. "You are determined to help her and keep her from her father at her request?" he asked, swimming closer to glare at Kiwi, tail flicking in agitation.
Meriel hid behind Kiwi, holding him up. She was careful though, for she knew most mermaids who tried to rescue sailors held on too tight, almost always suffocatting the human they carried.

Kiwi's resolve didn't waver.

"If that is what she wants, then yes," he replied firmly, glancing back at her. He kicked his legs a bit so she didn't have to hold him up too much.

"Is that what you want?"

Meriel nodded enthusiastically, no doubt in her mind.

Glaring at the two for a few moments, the male sighed irritably.

"I don't see why she fancies you so much boy, but I am not a cruel man, so you can stay with her. I would have preferred she stay down in her home and choose one of our own as a mate, but she has rejected every single one. My daughter, I know you wished to learn the human tongue, and I am sorry I never let ou learn, though I don't regret trying to keep you safe." Meriel peeked out and her father akwardly hugged her. "Go now then, if that is your wish, and come back at any time, if you find the human world too perilous for you. I warn you to be careful."

Gaze fixing once more at Kiwi, the merman frowned slightly, but nodded. "Consider yourself fortunate I am not one of her other relatives. You said you'd help her if she so wished, and you did so. Take care of her boy, she is no toy to be thrown around. I'll trust her to your care. However...if I EVER find out you brought her to harm, I will personally see to it that the sea and the creatures in it swallow you alive."

Kiwi grinned a bit, scratching his head. He kept kicking his feet, though he was growing tired.

"You don't have to worry about me. I may not be the most incredible, wonderful human there is, but I'm a good guy. I'll take care of her."

He seemed relieved that there wasn't too much drama going on. He hated drama. However, he looked pleased that Meriel could stay with him...

Though, he'd heard the word 'mate' thrown around. He'd suspected she felt that way about him, of course, but he hadn't asked her about it...he'd planned on waiting, but...it seemed to be confirmed now. Of course, he'd wait for both her consent and her request before he tried anything.

"So you shall. She has not had a friend before, besides the animals and her family. Stay safe my daughter, and call if you need us." With this, the merman swam down back into the dark watery depths.

Waving goodbye, Meriel looked somewhat sad, but was smiling at the same time, knowing she was sure she didn't want to stay a child all her life as some chose to. She wanted to try and have her own adventures. Smiling at Kiwi, she swam under the young man and pushed him up. "Kiwi!" she cheered happily to the other two, announcing he was being put back on dry ground.

Kiwi wobbled a bit, hopping back up onto dry land. He was dripping wet, and his hair was hanging in his face. He looked like a wreck.

Nonetheless, he leaned over the edge of the window to help her back up, in a gentlemanly way.

Gavin went into the bathroom to pull out two towels for Kiwi and Meriel.

"Have fun meeting daddy?" Gavin teased Kiwi once Meriel was pulled in.

Kiwi smacked Gavin across the head with the towel as soon as he gave it to him, and then proceeded to dry off his hair.

"Oh, shut up..."

Deckle hadn't spoken a word throughout this entire...she-bang, but she looked quite amused.