A Real Mermaid! {Andrina, Morgan}

[Barley Lightfoot]

For someone not even used to the culture of the world they currently found themselves in, Barley wasn't sure if he would even detect the change if he came across one of these portals some of the other "Special Guests" talked about. Ones that took you to other locations owned by this Disney Corporation, but essentially just to a wider swatch of park, since you still couldn't leave.

Yet everyone suddenly speaking a different language was a big clue in!

Barley ordered a snack he still didn't know the name of, but was still confident in his choice as he strolled along, glancing around him at the unique architecture. As a history buff of back home, he supposed the history of this world was worth learning...maybe...depending on how long he and Ian were here.

Thinking like he might some day go home (and hopefully with his brother if at all) was comforting in a way, though the one first hand experience he had with the occurrence, searching Main Street for Ian's friend, Sadalia, right after finding her and trying to help her find hotels, had been one of the most nerve wracking things ever!

In the end, he hadn't even mentioned to Ian that he'd seen her, because what good would that do? Though he kept questioning the decision.

Tossing the wrapper of--again whatever he'd ordered--into a nearby trashcan (and making the shot!) Barley then walked along the nearby sea coast. It was quite nice, and he was after all a "Take More Detours" proponent. This time, as he spotted a familiar species (if not person) he didn't glance over it without realizing, but instead glanced sharply over the moment he saw her.

Was that...yes it was! A mermaid!

Thinking someone else from home was stuck here (and taking the risk from last time...) Barley made his way over, but soon looked perplexed the closer he got. Her hair was done up enough for him to be able to tell she was missing the gills where her ears were supposed to be. In fact, she looked sort of just like a Bean with a tail, though Beans already looked pretty similar to that, legs and tails aside, he supposed.

Still, he had never been one to hold back thoughts, even when he didn't mean to address them directly to people. "Oh...you're not a mermaid, or...not really", he spoke, partly to himself, and partly to her.

[Andrina]

Tokyo Sea was still about the best one to be found within the parks, and one of the few actual connections with the ocean in which to splash about once more. As a mermaid again anyway. Since it had to be salt water for the transformation; and not that exploring the water parks still as a human wasn't its own form of fun!

Two dolphins had swum by earlier, but had since left, and Andrina was still able to amuse herself even afterwards. Swimming down, she then charged up towards the surface, and to clear the water as far as she could, before gracefully swooping back down, in a manner similar to the dolphins she loved so much (it was hard to say which species had learned it from which), and which left minimal splash even on her reentry into the water.

Grinning at her success, though it was a well practiced stunt by now, Andrina splashed more leisurely toward shore once more, and had just pulled herself to a rock when she heard the audacious voice!

"Oh...you're not a mermaid, or...not really"

She glanced over, and was surprised the speaker made such remarks, give how odd he looked, though now that she thought of it, one of the other memebers of the scavenger hunt might have looked like him also. But that one hadn't insulted her by saying she wasn't a mermaid! Like he'd know!

Andrina could handle nosy busybodies and know-it-alls though.

"Oh and you're the expert Mr. Whatever you are?", she challenged.

[Deleted]

It was the worst thing in the world for Morgan to have stepped onto that invisible portal, for the poor little First Grader never felt so lost in a sea of people that spoke a different language - and that was saying something considering that Morgan was used to walking in a sea of people in New York, which was a melting pot of different languages.

The only comforting sight that Morgan found, aside from holding her Jessie doll that is, was the blue elf that the fairytale dreamer instantly spotted walking around. Recalling that she had met Ian, Morgan was even more intrigued to see if they knew each other. Maybe they were friends? Morgan desperately wanted to know, especially if it would lead her back home, but she was so shy to initiate conversations. It was one of the reasons why she barely had any friends back home. Maybe it was because this elf was wearing clothing that seemed intimidating to Morgan, but Morgan didn't want to call him out to stop and talk to him. So, instead, Morgan quietly walked a short distance behind him, hoping that he would stop enough to come up with a chance to ask him.

Upon arriving to the sea coast, Morgan stopped a few feet shortly upon noticing that the blue elf had. She blinked down at her Jessie doll with a shy smile, realizing that she would have to try to initiate a conversation with the elf now that they stopped. Of course, her shyness instantly disappeared upon hearing a splash, then looked up to see a mermaid doing some jumps into the air, just like a dolphin would! "Wow! A real life mermaid!" Morgan's hazel eyes were so wide, just as grand as the smile on her face. She couldn't believe this was really happening! "I knew they were real!" She exclaimed in happiness, hugging her Jessie doll happily. "She's so pretty!" She commented to her Jessie doll, not realizing that the mermaid could understand their language given that they were in a land where a lot of people spoke in a different language. Morgan was feeling shy to go up to the mermaid now perched on the rock, but she was also afraid that the mermaid would disappear before she'd miss her chance to see one up close. That was, until Morgan heard the elf muttering something to her, which made her realize that this was her chance to talk to her and maybe have her understand! The little girl slowly walked over to the rock, hoping not to scare her, but also with a slight eager step just in time to hear the mermaid saying something about being an expert but not knowing what the elf was! Morgan loved being a little helper, so of course she was going to try to help the mermaid in understanding about what an elf was! 

"He's an elf!" Morgan of course withdrew with a shy smile upon saying that, now knowing that she probably got the attention of the elf she had been secretly following and now the mermaid. "They like to make shoes and toys," She explained with a smile, basing her knowledge on the stories she had read. "Hi.. I like your hair... that shell is really pretty!" The New Yorker believed she had a good sense of taste if she did say so herself. 

[Barley Lightfoot]

"Oh and you're the expert Mr. Whatever you are?"

Not put out by her challenge, nor aware he might have crossed a line, challenging her species identity like that, Barley gave a good-natured laugh and prepared to answer when a voice interrupted.

"He's an elf! They like to make shoes and toys,"

Glancing down, Barley saw a young Bean, who went on to address the mermaid. The Elf smiled at the interaction, but, given he was not shy about correcting based off of his own knowledge, he of course had to correct based off personal knowledge. "Uh...while I'm sure an Elf works at a shoe store somewhere, that's...not really true...", he began, but didn't push the issue, chalking it up to her being young and so not knowing.

"We make good Wizards, though, along with other Races, or my brother does; I'd be happy to share all the true tales sometime", he still smiled kindly to the little girl. "Oh and I suppose with that offer I should introduce myself, name's Barley Lightfoot", he nodded to both before addressing the mermaid again.

"And to answer your question, yes, I happen to know all about the historical happenings back home, ancient Magical Spells included", Barley smiled. While he prided himself on his knowledge, he at least didn't sound haughty when still correcting others' false assumptions. It was more lack of tact that anything.

"Saved quite a few landmarks from being destroyed", he went on. And thankfully for him and Ian!

[Andrina]

A small human child came to her 'rescue', and while Andrina didn't exactly need such, she would still take it! Especially when it was so amusing!

"He's an elf! They like to make shoes and toys,"
"Uh...while I'm sure an Elf works at a shoe store somewhere, that's...not really true..."

"What's the matter?", Andrina grinned, "Can't take it as well as you can dish it out?". Her own response was good humored though. She let the comment about Wizards go for the moment as Mr. Know-It-All Elf went on to introduce himself.

"Andrina", the mermaid added her own introductions to that, "Sixth daughter of King Triton of Atlantica". Ok maybe she was flaunting the princess thing in further getting back at him! And impressing the young human, though it hardly seemed like she needed to try.

"Hi.. I like your hair... that shell is really pretty!"

"Well thank-you!", Andrina smiled to her, "I like your princess crown on your shirt", she indicated what the girl was wearing

"And to answer your question, yes, I happen to know all about the historical happenings back home, ancient Magical Spells included. Saved quite a few landmarks from being destroyed"

Alright, so maybe he didn't intend the kind of trouble he seemed to. "Well, I would guess this place works differently than your home", Andrina still pointed out.

[Deleted]

"Uh...while I'm sure an Elf works at a shoe store somewhere, that's...not really true..."

"Really?" The timid Morgan asked, more intrigued than insulted. "I don't really remember stories of elves doing anything else.." Her honest words may have unintentionally been more ammo in favor of the mermaid going against the elf, but a sheepish smile drew across her chubby cheeks as she lowered her head to indicate her innocence behind her honesty; the imaginative girl that was a lover of fantasy was truly a little embarrassed that she didn't know more stories about them. She recalled Giselle gave her a different version of Red Riding Hood than she was used to in the stories though. Morgan remembered Giselle said it was because Red Riding Hood tells it differently. Maybe the same thing happened for the elves in the stories. In the end, it was easily acceptable for the 6 year old to believe in the new changes, given that she was open-minded to fantasy.

"Wow!" Upon hearing that they make good wizards, Morgan raised her eyebrows with her lips parting in amazement that there were more tales about them. "They can do more?!" She unconsciously neared him as she whispered in excitement, so eager to hear more stories about elves. She was curious if Ian was the brother that Barley was referring to, but she wasn't sure if it was right to ask, feeling intimidated that she was already wrong about elves before.

The little girl wearing the princess shirt smiled warmly at the elf introducing himself with his cute name and then turned her attention to the mermaid after hearing her introduction, parting her lips to let out a gasp in surprise upon finding out that the mermaid, named Andrina, was the daughter of a king. "You're a mermaid princess!" Her hazel green eyes dazzled in awe. Morgan was more than a fascinated by Andrina, amazed that she finally was able to see a mermaid for herself! Not just any mermaid; a mermaid princess! She couldn't wait to tell Dashiell!

Thousands of questions flooded her mind. "Is Atlantica where all the mermaids live?" Morgan asked curiously, wondering if it was like Andalasia where all the princesses, including Little Red Riding Hood, seemed to live.  "Wow..thanks!" A bright smile spread across her cheeks upon hearing her compliment her shirt! Wow! A mermaid princess actually liked her shirt?! She never felt so flattered in her life! "Do you shop for your things, too? Do you use sand dollars to buy stuff?" The imaginative girl began to ask Andrina questions about all of her imaginative theories, particularly about sand dollars ever since she found out about them during her pirate scavenger hunt adventure with Dashiell. "I have to show you the best places to shop for bathing suits," She added, thinking that it would be such a great idea to take a mermaid's opinion about bathing suit shopping in magazines!   

"And to answer your question, yes, I happen to know all about the historical happenings back home, ancient Magical Spells included"

"I read a story about elves that live in the North Pole.. but Ian said that he's from the United.. Realms? Is that where your home is?" Morgan asked Barley with a curious smile, wondering if all elves lived there or if they lived in other places, too, kind of like people. As far as where they lived being the North Pole, she chalked it up to the Christmas stories she knew about.  "Do you know Ian, too?" The shy girl finally asked what she had been wanting to know for a while, hoping that wasn't insulting to say.  

"Saved quite a few landmarks from being destroyed"

"Wow, Barley, you're a hero!" Morgan was impressed with how he saved a few landmarks from being destroyed. She only pictured landmarks that she knew, kind of like the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, and she was left awestruck that one person could save giant landmarks like that! It was rather empowering and inspiring to the timid little girl.  Morgan thought for a moment about elves being good at wizards, like he mentioned his brother was, then thought of what that meant for Barley. "Are you a knight?" She asked with a curious tilt of her head. Humans didn't have those kinds of jobs, but she remembered reading about knights in the princess stories. "I think you make a pretty good one!" She added with a shy smile. 

[Barley Lightfoot]

"Really? I don't really remember stories of elves doing anything else.."

Rather than make him mad, this comment made Barley grin. Perhaps for not having grown-up fully himself, as well as having watched out for Ian all those years, even if they were closer in age, Barley genuinely liked kids for the most part, and especially well behaved ones like this little Bean girl seemed (questioning was not misbehaving). "What? Then you just don't have the right stories, oh yes we can do all sorts of things and have gone on grand adventures", he answered to her other questions, "I'll have to update you on all the stories".

"What's the matter? Can't take it as well as you can dish it out?"

Ok, Barley supposed the whole situation was a bit ironic, and now being told by a Bean Girl that he wasn't a proper Elf. Though the girl didn't say as much. Add to that, he'd apparently insulted royalty...

"Andrina. Sixth daughter of King Triton of Atlantica"

Barley had the good sense to look a bit sheepish...

Before looking stunned. While the United Realms had differing tales, as he was slowly learning there as a general familiarity still, around the differing particulars, and...it might have been called something different or still worked a bit differently but Atlantica rung a vague sort of bell.

...and unfortunately still validated Barley, though he tried to behave.

"Well, I would guess this place works differently than your home"

Barley nodded, "Yes, I believe it does, and especially since...", No no no, Barley, don't sound like you're saying she's old...

"I've heard of the ancient city of mermaids, you're from...the old tales and times, when magic was more prevalent, well that make sense!". Barley grinned, sort of glad he hadn't been as wrong as he had begun to fear he might have been. Yet he then frowned, realizing he'd still insulted a princess, and an ancient princess at that! Tied to a powerful sea king if he recalled correctly, and apparently he did, he just hadn't recalled the name. Triton. Barley filed it away in his historical knowledge, choosing to believe it was still consistent with the United Realms.

Yet, ancient royalty aside, it was good manners and reverence more than fear that made him go on.

"Still that almost makes what I said worse...so sorry, Your Highness", Barley nodded in a sort of half bow (and thankfully for him not a full one) before enjoying listening as Morgan asked after the old tales as well. And until she turned her attention to him.

"Do you know Ian, too?"

Barley smiled back over to the girl, "He's my younger brother", he said, and with a great deal of pride in the fact.

"I read a story about elves that live in the North Pole.. but Ian said that he's from the United.. Realms? Is that where your home is?"

Barley laughed, but not unkindly, "I haven't heard about this North Pole, maybe you can tell me what you've heard?" he said before going on to nod, "Yes, the United Realms and, more specifically, the city of New Mushroomton".

"Wow, Barley, you're a hero!"

If she was trying to get on his and Andrina's good side, she was doing a fine job of it, though Barley read only genuineness from the little Bean girl. "Well thankyou", he commented, "You know I've been trying to get the local police force to see it that way for years". Even after the Curse and with Colt a bit more on their side, Barley had found himself shooed away from landmarks.

"Are you a knight? I think you make a pretty good one!"

"Hmm...not officially, more like a Knowledge Keeper, but I like the idea!".

[Andrina]

Barley was...trying. Andrina would give him points for that; and truth be told she could already tell her own time period might have been behind this one. The shorts and cute shirt she wore here looked nothing like the dresses Ariel had had back on land back home. Still, she wasn't sure about Ancient, but...why split seaweed at this point?

"Still that almost makes what I said worse...so sorry, Your Highness"

"Well...I suppose I could not call my father's wrath upon you this one time...", Andrina said with a smirk. Never-mind Triton wasn't in the Parks to do such...and Andrina really shouldn't even joke about such things, since ships had been known to sink as collateral at times when Triton was particularly mad.

Mermaid.
Princess.
Ariel's Sister.

The little girls around this place didn't seem too picky about which fact brought out their awe, and Morgan seemed no different. Andrina smiled.

"Is Atlantica where all the mermaids live?"

"For the most part, and it makes more sense than trying to live in the colder regions. I know there are merfolk more spread out, but living near the king is also just more convenient in times of trouble". Of course...it could be argued some of the princesses were why most of the trouble occurred at times...even Andrina knew she wasn't exempt and couldn't say it had all be Ariel.

"Do you shop for your things, too? Do you use sand dollars to buy stuff? I have to show you the best places to shop for bathing suits,"

The girl was just too cute! Andrina found she was impressed by the logic of paying with sand dollars and giving a mermaid a bathing suit, even if the first was wrong and others might criticize the latter.

"No, though I have been known to use them as a toy, a Frisbee up here on land I think it is", the mermaid princess commented on the topic of sand dollars, "And it's a deal! Let's go right now, we can drag the Elf along, oh excuse me, Barley Knowledge Keeper", she smirked, not done with teasing him just yet.

Andrina stepped from the water enough for her purple shorts and cute t-shirt with shell design to come back. She'd left some sandals she'd bought nearby and quickly slipped them back on before facing Morgan again, and asking about these bathing suits, some of which she'd before seen on sale.

"They make bathing suits without my sister on them, right?", she asked, even if Morgan might not know what she was talking about, but if she was so knowledgeable on mermaids, maybe she would. Most girls here who were seemed to already know about Ariel.

[Deleted]

"Well...I suppose I could not call my father's wrath upon you this one time...",

Admittedly, the first grader was confused about the whole ordeal of Barley calling the mermaid princess ancient. She didn't understand what ancient meant, but before she could part her lips to ask, Barley instantly apologized for it. Immediately, she didn't think that was a good thing to say. She was still learning about the right things to say and the wrong things to say, just like the rules on wearing too much making, which thankfully she learned from girly magazines. Either way, the six year old girl didn't know what wrath was, so she didn't say anything. She didn't think it was a bad thing though since Andrina smiled while she said it, so the little girl smiled too, albeit quizzically. Morgan didn't understand sarcasm or common phrases either way, much like the common phrases that Nancy used to say. 

"Wow.." The little girl absorbed everything she learned from Andrina about the mermaid world, even nodding how it made sense to be living close to the mermaid king during times of trouble. "I knew they went shopping!" The mermaid princess could have easily lied to the little girl about her location and Morgan wouldn't even be able to tell, easily believing it all to heart. Morgan smiled all the more though, especially in relief, upon hearing Barley confirm that she knew Ian. He was Ian's older brother! It was truly a relief to hear, given that she had been following him in hopes of returning home after stepping into the invisible portal and finding herself lost in this place. "Oh.." Morgan thought about what Barley said about being a Knowledge Keeper instead of a Knight. She had heard that word before in school, but she didn't really understand what it meant enough to understand the context. "..What does knowledge mean again?" The First Grader asked with a sheepish smile. "Okay!" Morgan agreed with a bright smile up at Barley when he was curious to know more about the North Pole story. She liked hearing stories, but she never really shared stories before! 

"Right now? Okay, um.." Caught off guard that Princess Andrina agreed to look at swim suits now, but of course willing to comply with whatever the mermaid princess wanted to do, Morgan glimpsed around for any newsstand; she was set on finding a swim suit magazine to show the mermaid princess swimsuits. Suddenly, when the honey brown haired girl glimpsed back at Andrina, her mouth parted widely in amazement upon seeing the mermaid magically change her tail into legs, and she was wearing shorts as if she were just like everyone else at the beach! "Wowww! Mermaids are magical!" Morgan breathed in admiration, completely enthralled by the magic that she had just witnessed. Magic was what that was, there was no doubt in her mind about it. 

Once again, Morgan didn't really understand sarcasm, so she didn't feel comfortable with the concept of literally dragging Barley along. Her daddy did that by holding her hand when she wasn't allowed to go somewhere, so she decided to obey the mermaid princess and take Barley's hand instead. Instead of dragging though, she decided to ask Barley if he could in hopes to convince him to come. "Couldn't you come, too, Barley? I don't really know how to get back home.." The shy girl admitted wish a sheepish smile, depending on the fact that Barley would know how to get back home from here. "Besides, we still have a lot to talk about elves," The way Morgan spoke about it, it sounded like a pretty important discussion, and it was!  

"They make bathing suits without my sister on them, right?"

"Um.. I think so!" Morgan responded a little insecurely, recalling bathing suits that didn't have a mermaid on them. She was probably one of the rare few people that did not know the famous little mermaid, given that she was from another world. "Why? Who is your sister?" She asked with interest in her expression as she neared closer to Andrina out of curiosity. Given that she was an only child, it was interesting to her to learn more about brothers and sisters and how they were like. Ian seemed different than Barley, so she was curious if Andrina's sister was different than Andrina. 

[Barley Lightfoot]

The mermaid princess was...probably kidding about her father's wrath...maybe. Barley gave an unsure smile.

He did still listen intently as Andrina answered Morgan's questions. Ah, so...their worlds could even still perhaps be connected without their knowing it! Maybe some of her mermaids had traveled so far as New Mushroomton, or the lands it had been before the modern city, and...

Ok there was still the lack of fins but it was still a maybe!

"Right, that makes sense", he nodded to the staying near the king logic.

He answered what Morgan asked about knowledge, "Oh, uh, the facts about things. Not everything", he admitted, "But stories and stuff I usually know how it went or magic spells".

He scratched his head under his cap as Andrina was able to just magically transform when coming on land, "Though the mermaids back home don't do that", he admitted.

Shopping was not all that grand of a Quest but...it was clearly important to Morgan and nice as Andrina seemed, it still wouldn't do to send the girl off with a just met acquaintance. "Happy to be of service, Miladies", he bowed.

[Andrina]

Andrina laughed, not unkindly, as Morgan said she was just sure mermaids went shopping. Humans could be so silly (and kids usually smarter in that area) thinking they didn't do normal things like that. "Of course, it's how we get all the best stuff".

She was sure Barley's knight-in-shining-scales attitude was because of what she'd said about being a princess, and unaware he was just like that. "Well then let's go find a shop that sells some!", she started off up the beach, but was open to if either Barley or Morgan wanted to turn in another direction.

"Why? Who is your sister?"

"Oh, so sorry", Andrina said, "I'm used to little girls around here somehow just knowing. My sister's Ariel, she's my only youngest sister, all the rest are older".