Geography was a mind-blowing topic. They ended up discussing hypothetical travel plans after Dawn showed Aqua the map of the world. The world was much bigger than Aqua thought it was. She knew that the stars in the skies were endless, like the depths of the ocean. However, she had no idea it would be this huge.
“Humans are amazing! How did they draw all the land that they’ve been on? How many people had to draw this? Also, how do they know how vast the ocean is?”That was a fair point. Dawn had never questioned it before, so they ended up searching the internet for answers. The phone assistant, Seeree, answered Aqua’s questions patiently, and after watching Dawn talk to her a few times, Aqua learned how to do it.However, there was one small problem.“We need to set up a voice assistant when your phone arrives so you can talk to it. This phone is mine. It wouldn’t work with your voice.”Nodding, Aqua was about to askThe phone arrived a few hours after lunch, and it was the huge distraction that Dawn needed. After learning about Ricardo’s coup d'état and not seeing any good entry points in the stock market for a trade, the former mafia boss needed a break.Aqua was sleeping in the bed without gurgling noises. Dawn didn’t know if it was due to Aqua’s sharp sense of hearing or the lack of gurgling indicating a lighter sleep that woke the mermaid up when the doorbell rang. Like a conditioned pet, she woke up sleepily and crawled over to where Dawn was in the living room, rolling into position to look at the new parcel.“What’s that?” she asked. “Is it food?”Sighing with fondness, Dawn poked her on the forehead.“Is that all you can think about?” he asked teasingly. “Sorry to disappoint, but it’s not edible.”Pouting, Aqua propped herself up on the side of the sofa using her arms and pulled
Instead of turning into a bubbling mess from nervousness, Aqua rejoiced at the opportunity to talk to other humans. Apparently, the smart mermaid learned how to use Seeree to learn more about food. It started with cooking basics but quickly turned into a gastronomic adventure. Now, she couldn’t wait to try shrimp wontons.“Remember to request the chilli sauce separately,” Dawn reminded her after rehearsing how to order. “Get me twenty fried dumplings with extra vinegar dip. Do you know how to forward the order confirmation to my phone?”…After listening to Aqua’s blubbering, Dawn decided to head over to see her instead. It might be risky, but he wanted to link his credit card to her phone so she could use it to make purchases. He could call the bank to set a credit limit later for that card and request a different one for his personal use.Heading downstairs, the former mafia boss found his mermaid in the living room wi
When was the last time Dawn lost track of his time? Living in the world that he did, the former mafia boss was trained to be time-conscious even without a watch. Time was crucial for anyone working in a high-risk environment. Knowing how much time has passed could result in a life-and-death situation, especially when blindfolded and kidnapped.Aqua finally made progress and stood without holding onto any support for a minute before she grew tired. Kicking her legs helped to build muscles, and holding onto the walls helped her to get used to the balance. She said the new limbs felt heavier than her tail, even if she weighed more as a mermaid. They spent more time practising balancing and walking after dinner at her insistence and took a shower after the sweaty workout.By the time she was ready to relax for the evening, many hours had passed.On the bright side, Jericho was definitely up by this hour and busy opening his bar. Dawn decided to call his best friend and fi
It did not take Dawn long to learn what motivated Aqua. The mermaid was making good progress with walking when he was around. However, she wasn’t diligent enough to prioritise walking over watching documentaries. It took the casual reminder of a commercial on the television to remind Aqua about the Taco Bell promise to motivate her completely.“Don!” Aqua exclaimed when she saw him emerging from his home office to get the food delivered at the door. “Taco Bell’s spicy tacos will be finished in three days!”It took the former mafia boss some time to recall why that was important. Aqua’s panic was evident, and the teacher in him decided to use this as an opportunity to see how far Aqua would go for something she wanted.“I guess we’ll just have to miss on this promotion then,” he told her, keeping his expression neutral. “We can’t go until you can walk without help every two steps. Normal humans don
Dawn couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. Had he ever played to his heart’s content and acted in such a silly manner before? He couldn’t remember. Sure, he had his reckless moments, but this was different. With Aqua, he felt as if he had regressed into a boy. She was an expert in bringing out the missing part of his childhood whenever they were together.By the time Dawn finished his shower, Aqua was already asleep at the bottom of the jacuzzi, gurgling away. No matter how often she transformed into a mermaid, the sight was still bizarre. Aqua was curled up in a fetal position hugging her tail on her side as she slept underwater. Without thinking, the former mafia boss whipped out his phone and snapped a photo of the sleeping mermaid. He looked at the picture guiltily, feeling slightly crept out by his behaviour. Yet, who would ever find out? Shoving the guilt aside for acting in such a creepy manner, Dawn saved it as his phone’s wallpaper
Bleary-eyed, Aqua woke up and realised how much her legs were aching from all that walking yesterday. Little dark patches could be seen on her skin where she had fallen yesterday, and they were painful to touch. Aqua wondered what that was. Maybe Dawn could explain it to her.Draining the jacuzzi tub as she had seen Dawn doing, Aqua scrub it well so that she could use it again tonight. Then, she hugged the edges of the wall and made baby steps all the way to the showering stall, where she leaned against the cold wall tiles in an attempt to balance on two feet while doing other things.Living as a human was a lot easier than living as a mermaid, even if there were many things to do apart from hunting, swimming, eating and sleeping. Compared to her life in the ocean, Aqua slept worry-free and did not need to worry about not having anything to hunt for her next meal. The water was always warm, and the only thing Dawn asked of her was to master the use of her legs. Aqua
There were only a few things that Aqua would prioritise over her grumbling stomach. Saving Dawn was one of them, and comforting Dawn was another. Dawn seemed to be the only exception to the rules of survival her mother taught her.As they lay on Dawn’s bed, huddled with rumbling stomachs, Aqua listened carefully to the hushed troubles Dawn shared in little pieces. She couldn’t fully grasp Dawn’s situation, but she knew how much he was hurting from the people he had lost.“They must be dear to you,” she concluded. “You must have been family to them as well.”Dawn didn’t reply. He cried too much to have any tears left, even if his heart was still hurting. Aqua’s warmth by his side was the only reason why he wasn’t drinking and chain smoking to numb it. Every single name and memory he shared with her about those who laid down their lives for him became more vivid in the darkness. Once he started talking, he coul
The drive to Taco Bell took about fifteen minutes at best because there wasn’t much traffic at this hour. Dawn parked his car in the closest lot to the restaurant because he didn’t want Aqua to walk too much and risk falling over. After all, she was wearing sneakers for the very first time.Walking over to open Aqua’s side of the door like a gentleman, Dawn carefully escorted Aqua to the fast food restaurant like he was taught to treat all ladies. From an outsider’s point of view, they looked like an odd couple, with Aqua toddling unsteadily and Dawn behaving like a prince in street fashion. Neither of their demeanour matched their appearance.“Hi, welcome to Taco Bell. How can I help you?” the teenage girl at the cashier greeted lazily.It was late in the afternoon before the dinner crowd and there was nothing to do. She took orders on autopilot and only looked up from her order kiosk when there wasn’t an instant reply.