Once again, Aqua proved to be a quick learner. Even if she was unfamiliar with the concept of gravity and balance on land, the mermaid soon found a way to walk with her legs. It still looked awkward and highly unnatural, but her independence gave Dawn some reassurance knowing how independent Aqua was.
Dawn had a late night, but when he woke, he learned that Aqua had already taken a shower and drained the jacuzzi herself. She even mastered the art of cleaning the bathroom and floors using sponges, brushes, and towels. However, the mermaid was still clumsy around the house, leaving towels strewn all over the floor after she dried it. Dawn didn’t mind. He simply bent down to pick up the wet towels and headed downstairs.At the bottom of the stairs, Dawn spotted more towels. Aqua might have used up his entire towel supply in just one night. If he knew this was going to happen, he would have added more towels to the shopping cart yesterday.The towel was tied to theDawn didn’t think there would be a lady in this world who would be unashamed to eat more than a man. While he ate two cups of instant ramen for breakfast, something he didn’t usually do because true mafiosi only drank black coffee, Aqua had three cups of instant noodles. Hence, they were officially out of survival rations after a single meal.To prevent Aqua from panicking, Dawn quickly reassured the mermaid that they wouldn’t die simply because they ran out of survival rations. All they had to do was buy more. However, she grew concerned when Aqua learned what was needed to buy food.“How will we get money?” the mermaid asked.Although she did not know much about the human world, money was the one thing she knew was precious to humans. Many would fight over it, and things often did not end well when money was involved. Was Dawn in trouble because of money as well?“Did you get pushed off the bridge because of a mon
Don Daniels was a man who liked to surround himself with classy and sophisticated women. Dawn had only known the polished and vicious side of women growing up all his life. They might be soft and demure on the outside, but there were also thorns or poisoned barbs behind those pretty smiles. One could never be too careful around women as they have the ability to disarm a man.“Behind every successful man is a successful woman. Without women, men are useless,” Dawn’s father used to say. It was a lesson beaten into him from a young age. No matter how awful a lady was, no true-blooded mafiosi would ever lay their hands on her. Even Ricardo, the slimy bastard, respected this rule. They still followed a code of chivalry in the modern era, and Dawn questioned it.Looking at the mermaid before him, Dawn wondered what his father would say about this imperfect lady. She was very different from the women he knew. Yet, Dawn liked how rough around the edges she was, l
Nervously, Aqua stared at the phone on the table. Dawn told her to put her newly learned etiquette to use and order then lunch. It was the same sushi place that they stopped by in the car, and Aqua’s stomach overpowered her fear of talking to other humans.“I’ll be right here,” Dawn reassured the jittery mermaid. “Just tap me if you need help. The menu is here. We’ve already rehearsed what to say. You’ll be alright.”True. Aqua and Dawn rehearsed what to say when answering the phone. The mafia boss was very thorough with the scenario, and Aqua remembered all the etiquette she needed to use.According to Dawn, there were three stages of ordering food. The first was a greeting, the second was an order placement, and the third was order confirmation. Dawn would handle the payment part when money was transferred, so Aqua only had to tell the dutiful sushi chef what she wanted to eat.As the phone rang, Aqua mental
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 ask
The 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
“So you’re telling me that she isn’t human and you knew about it?!”Nobody spoke. There were two patients in the room and a storm outside that rivalled Jericho’s rage.After discovering the crazy scene, Jericho dragged and tossed Ricardo’s body over the cliff while his dhampir boyfriend prevented Dawn from hurting anyone else. The gills grew on the side of Dawn’s neck and the bullet wound started closing up, so Melvin dug his nails in to remove the bullet.According to the legends, mermaid flesh was able to grant semi-immortality due to its rapid regeneration abilities. Many merfolks were hunted in the past for their flesh by humans who kept them as pets. As a result, merfolks chose to live in deeper waters, concealing their presence from everyone until they were merely a myth. Only those who lived long enough to remember those times knew about merfolks. Melvin was saved by one of Aqua’s kind long ago and knew a few secrets. Imagine his surprise when he learned how a
The crimson liquid oozed out of his hand, and colour left his face with his brows knitted in agony. Dawn could faintly hear Aqua running over. He made sure to shoot Ricardo somewhere vital when he saw the man look to the side. He knew he was losing blood too fast, even if the bullet missed a vital organ. The closest hospital was about an hour away from this resort. He wouldn't make it even if Jericho arrived within the next minute.“Dawn!” Aqua collapsed beside Dawn, scrapping her knees on the stony ground, but she couldn’t feel the pain.Supporting the man and bringing him away from the dangerous cliff edge, Aqua cried under the waxing moon. Why wasn’t it a new moon? She could be saving him with these tears that fell endlessly.Lying on Aqua’s lap, Dawn studied his beautiful saviour. Now that Ricardo was dead, he was finally a free man. They had to remove the evidence and body before the authorities arrived. It sucked to leave everything
Looking down into the whirlpools beneath, Dawn stopped. He ran to a place without witnesses in the area deliberately. It was only a matter of time before Ricardo caught up with him, and thankfully, Aqua wasn’t around. She would have jumped off the cliff and taken their chances with the deep blue sea instead of giving him a chance with the devil.Now that his heart was out of the picture, Dawn pulled out that pistol he always hid with him. It was a customised pistol made from printed plastic that could only hold one bullet. However, that was enough. After all, there was only one man he wanted to kill. Judgement day came at the wrong time, but it might be for the best. Dawn could only truly live his life like a civilian with Aqua once Ricardo was dead.For the longest time, Dawn waited for this day. He never skipped a day at the gym and continued to polish his martial arts skills because he knew that while Jim was satisfied with the raid, Ricardo was never confirmed de
“Stay close to me,” Dawn commanded, grabbing Aqua’s hand tightly. “We’ll make it out of here alive.”The commotion below died in a few minutes, and Dawn peeked at the lobby. Apart from the establishment staff lying on the ground with their hands behind their head, most customers fled the restaurant. It was unlikely that this was a robbery. A resort with such luxuries must also have a great security system. It would only be a matter of time before the security arrived. All Dawn had to do was buy time. The shooter came alone. He could take that person down with force if needed.“Where is he?!” the crazed gunner yelled at the head waiter. “I know he’s in here somewhere!”When they heard the voice, Dawn turned to Aqua immediately. For some reason, he knew that voice. Although it sounded much more unhinged than the refined, sleazy confidence in his memories, there was no mistaking who the shooter was.R
The sun and beach were not for everyone. Dawn and Melvin learnt that the hard way when they accompanied their overly enthusiastic lovers for a day out in the sand. While Aqua enjoyed the sun through her golden locks and seawater on her skin, Dawn suffered from heatstroke and a terrible sunburn that caused his skin to turn red, peeling in a few days. Likewise, Melvin spent most of his time under a shelter, wearing a copious amount of sunblock. The pale man was often sluggish, even when he hid under his umbrella. According to Jericho, the big man had some sort of allergy to the sun and heat.While the two men spent most of the day indoors, Aqua and Jericho had a blast at the beach. Thanks to the hectic and physically demanding nature of their work in the service line, they had no problems picking up physically challenging sports like jet skiing or scuba diving. Aqua was a natural, and Jericho picked up the skills quickly. They spent a lot of time surfing and eating street food to
Although it wasn’t Aqua’s first time travelling to an ocean, it was her first time travelling to a beach that had sand. She was thrilled when Dawn told her about the holiday idea to travel with Jericho and Melvin. After finding out where it would be, the mermaid started marking her calendar and counting the days. It would be their one-year anniversary as a couple, making this trip more meaningful than all their other vacations.The weeks rolled by as Dawn and Jericho finalised their preparations for the holiday and proposal. Aqua remained blissfully oblivious to her boyfriend’s shifting mood as work occupied her. They had less physical contact during the period, which bothered the mermaid a little. However, Dawn prepared sweet surprises for her regularly, whether showing up during her work, sending her flowers or buying her little gifts. The colleagues around Aqua swooned with envy at the romantic gestures. Even after nearly a year together, the mermaid still
It was nearing a year since Aqua and Dawn officially became lovers. More surprisingly, Jericho snagged himself a cute boyfriend a few months ago. Nobody knew where the bar owner picked his lover from. However, that man was rather odd. Jericho was surprisingly secretive about him as well. All they knew from the gay bartender was his name.“Melvin said this restaurant by the cliffside is famous for its seafood. Aqua likes escargots, so you should book a reservation in advance if you plan to propose. Do you need help with the rings?”Shaking his head, Dawn looked at Jericho’s tall but pale-looking boyfriend. Melvin’s hazel eyes darted to the side as he slouched a little under the ex-criminal’s gaze. It was still difficult to believe Jericho was dating such a wimpy man. Apart from his good looks, Melvin resembled a scared puppy whenever they met up. The two men had been dating for a few months now. However, Melvin had never spoken with anyone else
Dawn had finished about half the bottle of aged whisky that Jericho had brought in. However, the nerves did not disappear, and he was still very sober. Time passed very slowly when he was alone, and the tempo of the music playing did not match his heartbeat.Two almost inaudible knocks were at the door, but Dawn heard it in his hyper-vigilant state. The CEO glanced at his watch and noticed it was about time. Straightening himself, he stood up and opened the door.“Hey,” he greeted, turning into putty when he saw Aqua holding the bouquet he bought. “Did you like the flowers?”Blushing hotly, Aqua nodded. She rushed to get dressed and braided her hair for the date after the accident in the kitchen. Jericho had so many fragrances to borrow from, and Aqua picked something that smelled like flowers. It wasn’t the most original choice, but it was the safest. After all, it was probably better to choose ‘Floral Fantasy’ over ‘Bl
Staring at the two words in Dawn’s chicken scrawl, Jericho inhaled deeply. He didn’t know if he should dropkick his dumb friend or strangle the life out of him. Either way, it was good that Dawn came to him before he could present this bouquet of unique flowers to Aqua.“Have you completely lost all your brain cells?” the gay man hissed. “Be mine? You couldn’t come up with better words? Are you a Neanderthal?! You’re so lucky you showed me this before giving it to Aqua. This is no way to confess to a lady!”As expected, Dawn received an earful from Jericho, who looked like he was an inch away from jumping over that counter and stabbing him with an ice pick. However, the millionaire refused to believe reciting Shakespeare’s poetry would impress the mermaid, who had just finished learning long division.“Then what else would you have me write? She can barely do elementary Math. Her reading skills are slightly a