Julian crouched down and tapped the merman's shoulder firmly with his open hand. "Yeah right. Have you heard yourself around me? Scaring me seems like the least of your thoughts when it comes to me. You even told me not to go buying expensive fishies for you. Sounds more like you're concerned for me, then wanting to scare me away." Smiling, he bent down to brush his fingers through Meison's odd seaweedy hair. It was strange to say the least, but not entirely unpleasant.

"Your crotchety attitude makes the nice moments all the sweeter, you know." He was tempted to lean down and press his lips against that scaly skin, but he didn't think the gesture would be welcome. No, well meaning as it would have been, the thought of another outburst outweighed any other possibility.

Was Meison comfortable, lying like that against the cement? Unthinkingly, Julian moved and tried to move the merman so that he was being used as a human pillow. Cement wasn't at all like sand, giving way to the body and making a comfortable resting place. Nor was the cement like rock, which in its own way could be comfortable given its shape. Surely, the action would be accepted ... Wouldn't it?

Meison twitched, trying slightly to get away but not forcing anything for worry of slicing the human's finger, or scraping his arm or leg. This was so strange. He wasn't used to it---to any kind of closeness, not even before his curse, so he didn't quite know what to do. So he looked up. "It's not right." He muttered. "I don't know... how it is. It's strange. Being... close. No one's ever really touched me. Never hugged me or tried to do anything more than... admire me from afar, I suppose. Maybe they were afraid." He closed his eyes to the rising sun and enjoyed it while he could---someone close to him. So close he could feel their body heat, and hear their heartbeat if he tried hard enough.

He had been so lonely... Even before the transformation. Only the constant attention and compliments had kept his mind off that fact. The solitude had been tempered by their sickly sweet words of envy, but now the harsh reality had settled in his bones.

He'd been worried Meison would pull away, but it had been a needless thought. Once the merman had settled comfortably on his lap, the human brushed his fingers through Meison's hair again. The motion was meant to be a soothing one, to chase away lonely thoughts and negative feelings. "I wonder what they were afraid of? You don't seem so frightening to me." The words had Julian laughing slightly, thinking of how others might disagree with such a notion.

Meison did indeed cut a frightening figure, if you didn't take the time to know him. "What was your life like? You tell me, and I tell you all 'bout mine." His life was rather ordinary, with few moments of brilliance shooting through the dullness.

Meison shrugged a little, resting his head on the human's leg for a moment. "I suppose it's... not harming anything." He said. "As long as you tell me yours too." He reiterated.

"I'm the oldest son of the king and queen of Atlantis---Alexander, the king, and Calliope, the queen. Of their four totaled children I was considered the most beautiful, because of my angelic qualities of color. the others were toned in red and yellow and green, as coral, which is common. They thought me so beautiful they didn't allow anyone to near me, and when I was old enough, I was to be escorted everywhere so no one dared deface my scales or touch my hair, or leave a lasting mark on my skin. I became... proud." He sighed. "I thought I was the only true treasure of Atlantis, the way my parents put me up on a pedestal and everyone gasped and awed at me, and I... grew short-sighted."

He could feel his eyes leaking tears now. "I didn't let anyone be my friend because I thought they were all lower than I was. I shunned them and turned my nose up and never gave anyone a chance. Because 'they aren't as beautiful as me'. And when this happened... I was in such denial. I tried to leave. I got out of the city and got reckless, and hid from everyone and everything that I thought could possibly form an opinion on me. I hid in rocks and ate whatever was smaller than me. And when I saw a large tuna lying on a stone, I was just... thrilled, because it was subdued so I could catch it without too much trouble. But that'd been a trap. I was caught in a cage." He shook his head, and chuckled bitterly. "That was... stupid of me."

Julian's eyes widened slightly at Meison's revelation. A prince? This just makes what I'm starting to feel even more laughable and impossible, thought the human ruefully. Still, he listened and ran his hand through the merman's hair, letting his fingers massage Meison's scalp. When the tears began to fall, Julian sighed and leaned down to kiss them away without a thought. Rough scales, what an interesting texture. Lifting his head, he smiled slightly. "Look at the bright side. You can go and teach your kind about what humans are like when you get back, stop them from falling into other traps. And ... and meeting me, isn't such a bad thing, right?"

Julian didn't wait overlong before launching into his own story. "I'm the eldest of three. Went through college, that's someplace to learn things and specialize in a profession, and kind of flopped after that. Probably because I thought I'd fallen in love with someone, and then they went and made it clear they'd just been using me." Julian shrugged, half closing his eyes as he remembered the devastating feeling which had filled his heart then, and had never quite left. "So since then I've been taking on odd jobs here and there, was looking for a new when I met you. That was a good bit of luck for me." He was so glad he'd taken the time to get to know the merman, and so grateful he could take care of Meison now. Someday soon, Julian was going to help the merman escape.

Meison didn't say anything as Julian spoke of his story. What would he say? How could he react? He'd never dealt with rejection or pain or suffering before, at least, not when it wasn't self-inflicted. The thought of heartbreak was difficult to understand. But then, the thought of love was an enigma to him as well. "I'm... sorry you were used." He muttered. "You don't deserve such things. You're too... nice." Who would use someone like Julian? Someone so kind and friendly and accepting of even the most hideous of creature? "They shouldn't hurt you." He said sternly, and lifted himself back into the water. What could he do? He was stuck here. Stuck in this difficult body.

And Meison knew what college was---Atlantis had two. They taught a variety of things---reading, writing, mathematics, art, music, weapon and jewelry craft, painting---which was difficult underwater. He'd decided against mentioning that, however, to Julian. Maybe someday he could show him...

The young man sighed, missing the feel of the merman resting against him already. Julian shrugged at the mention of his past, pushing it aside with more ease then he'd thought possible. It helped that Meison's words made a grin break out, chasing away some of the human's melancholy.

"Meison it almost sounds like you'd jump in to protect me if someone tried that again!" He hoped that was the case. Julian shifted about to lay on his stomach, face close to the pool of water and his friend. "I read somewhere that merpeople can walk around on two legs if they want, is that true?" Curiosity peppered the question, along with a little piece of hope. It if was true, then breaking Meison out would be so much easier and though he would miss the merman's company, Julian knew it was for the best.

Meison's face was out of the water halfway, as he drifted slightly at the top of the water entirely. "It is true." He admitted, raising himself as he spoke so the words weren't muffled. "One needs a good amount of power to achieve such a thing, though. It's hard, almost impossible to do on your own. And it's dreadfully painful, I hear. There are so many horror stories of merfolk managing to change, to split their tail into legs, but they go into shock or bleed so much it attracts sharks. It... scares most curious away, but there are some that have preferred living on land." He drifted aside, brushing against the cement. "They have to go back to the water after a time, though, because people become... suspicious when they don't age."

He'd never even considered it. Life under the water, in his beautiful city, was all he knew, all he thought he'd ever wanted to know. But not so much anymore. Perhaps it would be nice to walk about land, or spend more time with Julian. He'd been the only one who ever showed him kindness. Looked below the surface.

It sounded like such a painful process, and yet it was the only sure way Julian could see for the merman to escape. Yes, Meison would be back in the situation he'd been in before, but the man's attitude had changed. Surely, that would be enough to change the merman's life when he returned to his watery home ...

"Have you ever tried it? If you can ... I could take you back to the sea with no one the wiser." It could mean his job if he was found out, but then again he could easily argue in court that the merman overpowered him into it and then walked away. Meison had a clear will all his own, and a jury would have to be swayed by that unless a board of fools was chosen.

Another thought flitted through the man's mind, clenching his heart tight. "I'll miss you, but it'd be for the best. You're miserable here." He'd never forget Meison, or the fact that he felt more attracted to the merman by the second.

Meison immediately jumped to attention, darting to Julian and shaking his head. The very thought! Why would he leave now? "I... can't." He said forcefully. "I can't go back there! I could never go back without... s-someone like you." He gritted his teeth, which curiously moved about a little freely instead of fitting into one another. "No one else has ever seen me for... something worth spending time with. And people used to admire me but never approach me for anything else. I was like a painting, to be admired for a bit and passed on. And now that it was all taken away I didn't think anyone would even begin to consider... the same state of mind. Look beyond." Who cared what he had to say? What he liked or disliked? He was pretty on the eyes, was there anything else? No, it hadn't appeared that way, not even to his parents. They had no idea what he was like. What he liked. How he crafted and stole away in the night to practice with a spear.

"Don't... make me leave... I don't want to go. I won't have anyone..." He slipped back underwater to hide the way his eyes watered, darting across the pool to curl around and stare at himself in the reflection. Ugly...?

He dove without a thought. Maybe Julian had been too enthusiastic in his haste to reach Meison, to comfort the merman and try to reason with him. It wasn't healthy for someone so used to the ocean to be cooped up and stared at all day by unfriendly faces.

The thoughts flitted away like minnows as he began to float. Had he hit his head? Bubbles, they were so very pretty and the sun seen through water .. How it shimmered, twisting this way and that through the liquid medium. Beautiful. It was nearly as beautiful as dangerous looking, kind and warm, yellow eyes.

Multi-toned haired waved in the water, weaving with the near non existent current. He felt so lethargic, so sleepy ...

He was so focused... So focused on the reflective wall that he saw Julian try to follow him. But an odd... flip had him hit the water rather hard, and suddenly he wasn't moving. It didn't look like he was playing, either. Meison gasped, spinning around and darting forward, grabbing the young man and lifting him up and out of the water. It was hard to do, lifting a human out of still water when they weren't helping. But concern had Meison's heart pumping, and a burst of energy had him hauling Julian out and onto the cement, and he followed quickly, sitting beside the human with his tail under him.

"Julian...?" He pressed a hand to his chest, could feel his heart beating. "Julian, a-are... you okay?" He leaned forward, over the human. "Please wake up, wake up...! Julian! H-help! Hey! Is someone around!?" His voice broke, echoing in empty stone benches and plastic seats, bouncing off the water. They were alone and Meison had no idea what to do. Julian might be dying... He grasped the human's hands, pressing them to his forehead in a silent prayer, rocking back and forth slightly in confused fear. At this point, he didn't even feel his tail growing or his skin softening, losing their ugly scales, his hair softening as it grew thicker and longer, and paler. "Julian, Julian... Please wake up..."

He was dazed, confused ... But his lungs demanded air, and so he gasped, spluttered and breathed in what he needed before he knew it was what he'd been missing. Julian's eyes were unfocused, and so he missed the changed at first. All that mattered was trying to reassure Meison anyway, to push away the worry so obvious in the merman's bell-like voice. ".. F-fine.. Meison, I'll ... just confused." He coughed and spluttered, trying to rid his lungs of water still.

It took a few moments for him to realize that the palms holding his hands, the skin his fingers brushed against, they were different then what he expected. Julian's fingers twitched. He forced his green eyes open, and gasped at what he saw. This wasn't the Meison he knew, the merman people expected when they walked into the marine park. "What the hell happened to you?" Shock laced through his voice, resonating through the air more harshly then he'd wanted. Julian sighed and forced himself to sit up, gently taking his hands once again as he stared. "You're different ... " Now that the barriers to his return were gone, would Meison leave? The sting of expected separation made Julian's eyes water.

Meison snatched his hand back at the rough words---what did that mean...? Different? He supposed that was true... but what did it mean to strike such a reaction? He glanced down at Julian's hand, holding onto his---his hand. A real hand, not a claw! A lightly tanned hand with gentle, curved nails, and he pulled his hand away to inspect the rest of him---a chest that was no longer hard as a shell... a long, sweeping, snake-like tail set with shining, beautiful scales and a fan-like tail, soft dorsal fin and flowing tendrils. Hair that streamed from his head and onto the concrete, then into the water. He was truly back, even as he felt his nose, feeling it was there as it used to be.

"I'm... different..." he muttered, running his tongue along his teeth. "Back." He should have felt thrilled, over the moon---and indeed he was happy, more than he should have been, but Julian's tone was so flat... As if he were waiting for something bad to happen. Meison looked back at him, and put both soft hands on his face. "Are you sure you're all right? You may have an injury... A concussion! You should... get to the hospital..." He didn't want to go feeling about his head for a bump or cut. He'd have sensed the blood in the water, if it were a cut.

Julian forced himself to nod and smile, lifting his hands to cover Meison's. "I'm fine, just need a little rest is all. What about you?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes traveling down long locks of hair. A flash of pearlescent scales in the sunlight made the human lean forward slightly. No wonder people had admired Meison so for his beauty, but it had wrought such horrible things on his personality.

"You're back to normal, I'm sure you must want to go back now that you know you'll be welcomed with open arms Meison" If the scientific community found out about Meison now, there was no telling what could happen. They'd probably kill him and dissect him, keep him locked up and throw away the key ... Each thought was more terrifying then the last, even worse then the thought of never seeing the merman again. "It isn't safe here for you anymore ...."

Meison's bright, gem-like lavender eyes widened quickly. "L-leave...?" The prospect, now? It was unthinkable... "I can't just leave now! No matter how unsafe... You don't know, Julian... They think I'm dead, I'm sure of it. No doubt searches have been called off long ago. No doubt they... aren't waiting for me to come back. After all, I was just a pretty little thing to look at. They probably never thought I'd be able to lead the city." He laughed bitterly, and grasped both of Julian's hands tightly. "Even if they were still looking for me, I don't think I'd be able to go back. I know now... They didn't really care about me, only that I made the city a little nicer to look at. And I couldn't go now. You're the... kindest... sweetest person I've ever met..." He shook his head.

"Besides... why would there be more danger? Wouldn't everyone be glad to see a nice-looking captive? A-and it would let me stay here. With... you." To be honest, he'd never felt this way about anyone. He was kind, and sweet, and friendly, and considerate. Julian was beautiful, yes, but not just on the outside. He didn't want to leave now.

His hands tightened around Meison's convulsively. Julian leaned forward to press a kiss to the other man's cheek quickly, then pulled away with a worried smile. "Now they'll know you really are a merman, a mythical being that shouldn't exist. Once the word spreads, scientist will come here and no matter what anyone says someone will try to cut you up into little pieces just so they can look at your insides for some useless research." He couldn't help it, now that he could Julian leaned over again and pressed his lips softly against Meison's.

"We can still see each other if you stay near the sea, by the city. I promise I'll go visit the ocean everyday. We can still be together, Meison and you'd be so much safer." The merman didn't know how dangerous humans could be, how unthinkingly cruel. He needed to help the merman escape that very day.

Meison had had it firmly in his mind that the first time he'd be kissed would be in a loveless arranged marriage, when he would be pawned off to the highest bidder that stood up to his parents' scrutiny. Julian would never have stood up to it had he existed under the waves. He seemed too... free, not quite grounded enough. But he gladly leaned in to return it, feeling a bit warm despite the cool breeze that cut through the sunlight's rays. He almost forgot the intensity of the human's words before. Would they really cut him open? Look at his insides? "Why would they do that...?" He asked quietly. "As far as they know I'm the only one of my kind. They wouldn't..." He'd been around enough humans to know how cruel they were, though. They poked stranded jellyfish on the sand instead of helping them, collected starfish to dry under hot lamps. He was sure they suffered before dying. They fished so much some undersea creatures were completely eradicated, as if the humans couldn't stand to let them go to waste somehow. They hurt underwater life with their disgusting waste and oil spills---some of those had even killed a few of his own.

"But you're so busy." He muttered. "You have things to do here... And if I get away they'll blame you. You're my keeper, they trust you with me. Wouldn't you go to prison...? What are human prisons like...?" If they were anything like the subterranean prisons in Atlantis, or at least, outside Atlantis, they were cold, lonely, and maddening.

Julian recognized the warm swelling in his heart, like a balloon being filled to the bursting point with hot air. Bitter sweet feelings rushed around all others, making him want to pull away to untangle them all. Instead, the human brushed his fingers through long silky hair and found himself missing the seaweedy locks from before. The odd thought had laughter leaping from Julian before he knew it, despite the seriousness of what they discussed.

"Oh Meison, I'll be fine. They won't catch me, there's already been a few attempted break ins to take you so it'd be easy to fob it off on someone else." He paused, taking a moment to breathe quietly and savor the moment and the tinge of the words he was about to say. Julian hadn't expected this feeling ever to come again. "Busy? I don't think I'll ever be too busy for you."

Meison closed his eyes at the touch. It felt so much better to be out of that hard, tough body. It was slow and clunky, and it couldn't quite feel as well as this one. Maybe he had a point. If he were so sought-after, it was easy to say that he'd simply been fished out of the pool when he was gone. It wouldn't put blame on Julian. But the ocean seemed so much bigger now. And so full of threats. He couldn't go back home, but if he could find a comfortable cove near that secluded beach, which was surrounded by foliage and trees and hidden away. It was too small for people to really enjoy in bulk, so it was always empty. He could meet Julian there each day.

He shook his head, coming back to reality and smiling in a way that looked a a little sad, a little pleased. "But... how do I get out of here? I can't exactly... walk anywhere." He flipped the end of his tail in the water. Its wing-like fins fluttered in the water and rippled lightly.

Julian pursed his lips, letting out a sigh. "Can't you grow legs? That's why I was asking earlier ..." He knew it was a great risk for the merman, but to Julian's mind the risk was worth it. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone going after Meison, for any reason. "If you grow legs today, I'll ... I'll ... grow a tail the moment it's possible!" The exclamation was made with an incredulous laugh. The human didn't think such a thing was possible, then again there he was falling more and more for a merman.

"Anyway, after I could drive you to the beach then and we could just walk out. I have extra clothes. You look so different now, no one would believe you were the merman in the tank." To deal with that long hair of Meison's though ... It would needed to be braided, otherwise it would get all dirty and in the way of walking about.

Meison chuckled, shaking his head. "No... I did say it was possible, but I need at least two others to lend their power. Or if otherwise, I'd have to go find a specific stone that's mined from the earth around Atlantis. It's a silver stone that's meant to enhance one's power, it would magnify mine enough to allow myself legs." He halted, words shaking in his throat. It would cause a great amount of pain as well. He wasn't used to pain. But it would only be temporary, and the aftermath would be worth it.

He glanced around, over Julian's head. "There's a... a cart." He said, suddenly. "They used it to wheel my cage around inside so they didn't have to carry it. Last time they used it they put me here, and it's still right inside. Maybe you could use that...?" Meison was trying to be as helpful as he could, but it didn't seem to be that useful. He felt as though he were once again a useless, shiny bauble.

The human turned around, eyes falling on the cart in question. That would work, it would work perfectly. "But what about water? Can you survive without it for a while?" The transportation from land to sea would take at least a half hour, probably more if the traffic in town was bad.. And it was most days.

Worry tinged the words, and a little guilt at having asked Meison to contemplate something he knew so painful. "Two hours at most," added Julian to be sure. It really wasn't that far, but there was no telling what might happen. Another problem surfaced in his mind. How was he going to lift Meison into the cart and put water in it? The merman looked kind of heavy, long tail and human torso and all.

Meison nodded quickly. "Two hours is plenty of time." He assured the human. "I'll help how I can... I know it's a little hard to carry me around with this..." He ran a hand over the drying scales below his waist. It was hard for him to move about on land, what with the flopping about and desperate pulling with his arms. But it was better than nothing---Julian didn't look quite as strong as some of the ones that had carried his cage.

At the prospect of being out of the water for at least two hours, Meison slid back into the pool and drifted. It felt like a new kind of freedom to be back in the body he was so used to, had been used to for several hundred years. His skin was no longer hard or rubbery or constrained beneath tough scales, his long tail flipped effortlessly, and his hair lightly tickled his back as he went along. At the center of the pool he surfaced again, brushing back his hair. "Whenever you feel ready, let me know! I'll do whatever necessary." To take off as much strain as he could for Julius, Meison would do everything possible. And suddenly he felt so eager. Perhaps he could show Julian a deeper view of the world he was from.

Julian let out a sigh of relief, two hours was the most he wanted to risk. It wouldn't come to that though, he was sure. As for any awkward questions people might ask, he had answers already in mind. Such thoughts flitted about within the human as he eclipsed himself for a few moments to pull the large crate along. He then bent down, holding out his arms to help pluck the merman from his watery element. With much grunting and heaving, the young man somehow managed to hoist Meison into the container. On impulse, he grabbed his shirt and plunged it into the water, then placed it carefully over part of the merman's tail. "This'll help, right?"

He didn't wait for much of an answer, but rolled the merman away quickly. For some reason no one noticed what was happening. It was a relief when they were at Julian's car, though now another problem posed itself. "Darn it, you aren't going to be comfortable..."