It was a terrifying, pure evil, it’s unblinking eyes pierced through the barrier between them. He could see the thing planning, calculating, it’s next move to surely end Kaito. Kaito could feel the sweat dripping from the edge of his hairline and down his face and the force of air pushing in and out of his lungs, but the humid air had a salty burn that coated his airways and he could feel a panic rushing through his veins. The creature made a movement and Kaito’s vision faded in and out, his heart was beating really hard or was that just a projection of his russing mind? His chest and stomach twisted and while part of him felt hot his fingers were freezing.

There faint words in his ears, but it wasn’t processing like when someone talks to creature or other human that speaks another language, they hear you but don’t understand. Someone pulled him into another room and pushed him into a sitting position and rubbed his back, soon he understood the man and was able to finally calm down. The man left a while later and Kaito sat in what looked like the lobby of the place that luckily only had carvings of the things in the wall and were fairly unnoticeable. Kaito was rubbing at his face, he felt embarrassed but wouldn't let it show, always keep your poker face his father would tell him although he didn’t think his father meant it like this, to cover the embarrassment of have an attack in the Aquarium. But it wasn’t his fault, he was ichthyophobic and he didn’t want to come here, but his friend had such a happy look on her face that he couldn’t bare to tell her of his phobia and when they ran into a friend, cough totally her boyfriend cough, he ended up alone.

Wandering around as he made his way to the exit Kaito was trying to avoid the areas with the big tanks of fish, but accidently went into one of the rooms. He made a small shriek, but everyone just glared at him and that's when his panic attack came in. Luckily there was that man who went into action and now here Kaito was, unsure of what to do. He could go home, but what if his friend got mad as she did a lot or did she forget him? He continued to ponder as he looked dowards.

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• Word Count: 409

Aquariums. A dilemma. On one side they offered a magnificent view of the underwater life that few people would be able to perceive, on the other it sentenced that same wildlife to a life living in a glass cage. For fish, it probably mattered little as their sentience and brain were too small to even realise they were alive, but to sharks, dolphins and orcas... That was a different story. Alexa couldn't help it though. She felt a need to be around water and the beauty it held. Chances were big she'd return home saddened after seeing such inspirational marvels, but she would go nonetheless. Dressed like a privateer, with a tricorne and the long leather coat partially covering her black and red sailor's uniform, she'd march forward. A colourful parrot sad on her shoulder, nibbling contently on a couple of biscuits he had received just so it would keep quiet for a change.

Bottle of rum in hand, Alexa wandered through the hallways created by the giant aquariums. She had almost needed to fight just to keep her bottle at hand, people annoyed at the presence of alcohol. She had assured them the fishes weren't getting any, the bottle being just for herself. Neither would she be a danger to the fishes since she was a sailor and loved them. Silly people. Just thinking about it made her thirsty. Taking a swig of the bottle, the people passing by would throw her the strangest looks. Maybe it was the parrot. Maybe the bottle. She didn't care either way, land lubbers being of a lesser sort than the brave and bold sailors weathering the wily sea every day again.

Her attention would be pulled by one such land lubber. He looked pale stumbling about and seemingly in blind panic as he shrieked. People glared, Alexa raised an eyebrow. Did this man... just get scared... from fishes? Then why was he here anyway? A guy would come to his rescue, the boy now as limp as cooked spaghetti as he tried to regain his comfort. Strutting over to the boy, not sure yet if she came to mock him or felt like empathising - ...nah - the young sailor would tap her hat and shove her bottle of rum in his hands.

"You'd make a 'orrible sailor, mate. Drink dis, it'll give you sum courage."

Her red matte eyes betrayed her Hyuga heritage, shifting away to watches the fishes in the distant aquariums. Seriously. Those wee ones weren't terrifying in the slightest. Had he been scared of his own reflection?

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436

Kaito sorrowfully looked up at the sound of steps in his direction and noticed the pirate looking woman in front of him. With a tilt of her hat a bottle of what he can only assume is rum, would go with the theme she had going, into his hands and Kaito glanced at it before giving the lady a grin. “Thank you for the offer, but my fear of the fish isn’t the only thing that will make me a horrible sailor.” He held the drink out to the woman with his grin tuning down into a smile. All the while he took the lady’s appearance and she was a beaut with the way her hair made way around her clothing and the distinct Hyuga eyes in a unique red.

He sat up and adjusted his own black kimono as do to his friend not really knowing about that side of him. The kimono crossed right under his collar bone and ended at his ankles that showed of plain sandals, although very comfortable. “I know it’s silly, I've been told that having a fear of fish is silly among other things.” Kaito sighs, “I just wish I told my friend about it, but I don’t want her to well…” He blew at his bangs and gave a grin.

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• Word Count: 218

G-gasp! This man... refused to drink rum? Alexa couldn't believe it, blinking in disbelieve when he passed to take a sip and thanked her. She'd raise the bottle, eyes looking at the label telling her that this was indeed, 'Captain Jack's Finest', before she raised an eyebrow to look at him like he was not from this world. Eventually shrugging her shoulders, she'd take a swig of the bottle in his stead before putting the cork on it again, listening to how his fear of fish would not be the only thing that would make him a horrible sailor. She didn't quite get it. Was he implying drinking rum made one a horrible sailor? That man was clearly ignorant about the wonders of rum...

He'd mumble on about fear of fish again and not having told his friend. She guessed he was right to fear the reaction of another when it came to such a dumb phobia but there was little to be done about it, was there? Instead, she'd give him a piece of advice. Or something.

"You know them be great frien's when they laugh themselves a stupor an' still stick 'round after you tol' 'em. 'Tis secrets like that which builds bonds, y'know."

She'd eye the pallid, clammy guy in the black kimono. Whoever his friends was, she couldn't say and neither did she see anyone around him remotely interested in laughing or scolding him. Maybe the guy got so scared he start seeing ghosts? Plausible, but somewhere Alexa doubted that. He probably lost his friend somewhere in the hallways when his phobia struck him.

"Why you wanderin' 'ere when you fear them feeshies anyway? Tryin' to get over it?"

Better throw him in a barrel with herrings if that was the case...

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Total: 744

Kaito gave a smile at the girls advice and a small chuckle, he supposed that was true, but then again this was a girl who threw a desk at him just cause she thought he was being perverted when he gave another girl a flower since the girl looked sad. He mentally snorted at the thought (“Taking advantage” my ass.) and tuned in to the rest of the girls words as his more somber thoughts became more light hearted. Came here to get over his fear, eh? He hoped, but it wasn’t his intention to do so as he mainly wanted to stay in the vender area where live, or dead, fishes weren’t in sight as Aoko looked at the fish and pet some, enjoying herself. Her happiness registered higher than his in his eyes, after all the hurt he's caused her he wants to make sure she is never sad and that whomever she chooses is the best for her.

With a chuckle Kaito addressed the woman, “I only came here to make my friend happy, her happiness is all that matters, and I lied to her and that hurt her so I want to make that up by doing things even though they hurt me… mentally. She probably wanted to help me getting over my fear, but her boyfriend swooped in and she wanted to walk me out, but eh...that didn’t happen.” Kaito shrugged as he wasn’t that bothered anymore although he is a little salty at that Hakubastard for taking Aoko away. “What brings you here by the way?”

Boy trying to make it up for a girl, only to see the other dawg walk away with the lady. A love thing? How cheesy and romantic. Alexa assessed the guy. He was a bit too fancily dressed to her tastes but that wasn't so much of an issue if he was in for some ol' jealousy plays. He looked about her age. All it would take was her fawning over him, perhaps sharing a kiss, and they'd trigger the girl. If she actually liked him to that point. An unlikely case if the girl already had a boyfriend. And a risk that could pretty much bite her rather than him. So... maybe not that good of an idea, after all.

"Yer bein' too kind.", she'd eventually state. It's true that most boys were taught to be nice to girls. It could be endearing to be charmed the whole time but eventually such things grew old as most boys ultimately inclined towards dependency rather than affectionate care. It mattered none to the sailor before the dashingly dressed guy though. She'd shrug her shoulders shortly after her comment before she picked up on a question of his own.

"Feeshies bring me 'ere.", she'd say with a grin at the irony of the situation. "Am a sailor. The sea is me mistress, the feeshies are me frien's."

Most fishes ended in nets though. Such was the life of a sailor. Fish got caught, killed, cleaned and sold on the market. The occasional dolphin got trapped in the nets too but the kunoichi freed those as soon as she could when she noticed such unfortunate accidents. Not that she often succeeded, considering the way net-fishing went.

"Why, wan' to join me?", Alexa asked, pretty certain of his answer on that matter. She couldn't let it be though. Poking some fun was nothing too bad, after all.

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322
Total: 1066