Thank you everyone who responded to the interest check post. We can now confirm that AmeLiet Week 2022 is happening!
FromApril 10th to the 16th, a set of 3 prompts along with an AU will be posted here daily. Remember these prompts are just to get the ideas flowing - you’re allowed to do your own thing if you’d prefer! If you’d like to start brainstorming ideas, you can always scroll through our past submissionsorpast prompts! A full list of this year’s daily prompts will be posted soon.
Make sure you read the event rules before participating. You can read them here if you’re on desktop, or here if you’re on mobile.
Please reblog to help spread the word on the event, and follow to stay up to date! I hope you tune in to celebrate with us!!
Oh? What’s this? An interest check for AmeLiet Week 2022?
Indeed it is! We’re looking to see how many folks would be interested in participating this year. Please like/reblog/comment on this post if you’d like to be involved! (there’s no official registration, we’re just trying to gauge numbers! ^^) Reblogs are especially appreciated as they help spread the word on the event!
AmeLiet Week is a tumblr-based event to celebrate and generate fanwork for the hws America/hws Lithuania ship. Fanart, fanfics, cosplay, playlists, edits, and all types of fanwork are welcome, as are AUs like nyotalia and 2p!hetalia (for more details see our rulespage)
If you want to get an idea of what this event is like, you can browse promptsandsubmissions from previous years.
Tentative dates are the 10th through 16th of April.
After watching Google Doodle of Route 66, I was left thinking if in Hetalia Lithuania has made a road trip through this road with America since many Lithuanians live in Chicago ( This town is known as Little Lithuania among Lithuanians) and this road begins in Chicago. At least it would be nice to imagine about that.
Oh? What’s this? An interest check for AmeLiet Week 2022?
Indeed it is! We’re looking to see how many folks would be interested in participating this year. Please like/reblog/comment on this post if you’d like to be involved! (there’s no official registration, we’re just trying to gauge numbers! ^^) Reblogs are especially appreciated as they help spread the word on the event!
AmeLiet Week is a tumblr-based event to celebrate and generate fanwork for the hws America/hws Lithuania ship. Fanart, fanfics, cosplay, playlists, edits, and all types of fanwork are welcome, as are AUs like nyotalia and 2p!hetalia (for more details see our rulespage)
If you want to get an idea of what this event is like, you can browse promptsandsubmissions from previous years.
Tentative dates are the 10th through 16th of April.
Prompt: Gakuen / Highschool / University AU/Confession/Film/Struggle
Rating: T
Paring: AmeLiet
Word Count: 852
Until Tomorrow
Tolys was leaving in two weeks. Alfred had known about this from the very beginning; after the school year concluded, Tolys would have to return to Lithuania. But now that it was here, Alfred couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
He had gotten to know Tolys after they were partnered up in one of their shared classes. They had become fast friends shortly after that, but recently, Alfred had discovered he felt something more.
It had started after he and Tolys had watched a scary movie together, and Alfred couldn’t fall asleep. Tolys had been kind enough to stay over and even slept beside Alfred after Alfred woke up screaming from a nightmare. As he stared at Tolys’s sleeping face, it became abundantly clear that Alfred liked Tolys more than just a friend. That was four months ago.
He had two weeks left. Two weeks to come clean and finally tell Tolys how he felt. Every time he had attempted to confess in the past he would chicken out as soon as he met Tolys’s gentle gaze. Luckily their friend Kiku quickly caught onto Alfred’s feelings and failed attempts at confessions.
“Why not film it?” Kiku suggested during one of their annual Friday movie nights. “Maybe it will be less nerve-wracking that way.”
That seemed like a reasonable solution, and, if done right, it could be very romantic. So Alfred had agreed and began compiling all the images and videos he had taken with Tolys over the course of the year, and with the help of Kiku, he compiled it into a video with a confession at the very end. Now all he had to do was send it. That proved to be the most challenging part of it all.
“You shouldn’t leave it until the last minute,” Kiku advised.
“I know…I know, but whenever I go to press send I just…I freeze up.”
“Hand it over,” Savino snapped.
“What?”
The Italian rolled his eyes before snatching Alfred’s phone. “If you can’t hit send then I will.”
“Vinny!” Alfred tried to take his phone back, but Savino was persistent and sharply turned away.
“Done,” Savino said with a smirk as he handed Alfred his phone back.
“Vinny,” Alfred whined again. At least it was now done, and all Alfred had to do was wait for Tolys’s reply.
He wouldn’t hear from Tolys until later that evening, leaving Alfred to worry all afternoon. He jumped at every ding of a phone, and he was constantly checking and refreshing his messages with Tolys. Finally, just before dinner, his phone dinged.
Tolys: I’m coming over.
Alfred’s heart pounded in his chest as he read the message over and over. That gave him half an hour to get ready and maybe even get Tolys some flowers. With a plan in mind, Alfred grabbed his keys and headed out.
—
Alfred was late getting home. When he arrived at his apartment, Tolys was standing outside the door. “You could have gone in, you know,” Alfred noted, feeling guilty for making him wait, “That’s why I gave you a spare key.”
Tolys shrugged. “I don’t know. I always felt weird just letting myself in.”
“Well, I’m here now. Would you like to come in?”
“Yes.”
Alfred unlocked the door and let Tolys inside. The Lithuanian stood awkwardly in the middle of the small living room, fidgeting with the sleeve of his sweater. Alfred hated seeing him so nervous.
“Th-These are for you,” Alfred stuttered out, handing over a bouquet of pale pink peonies.
Tolys flushed a deep shade of red but was happy to accept the flowers. “They’re beautiful Al, thank you.”
The two lapsed into an awkward silence. Tolys caressed the petals of the flowers, trying to focus on anything but Alfred while Alfred turned towards the window as if something outside would give him an answer as to what to say next.
“So…” Alfred eventually said.
“So…”
“I really like you. B-But I don’t want this to change anything if you don’t want to. M-Maybe I should have said that before giving you the flowers. N-Not that I wouldn’t have given you–” Tolys lifted a finger to Alfred’s lip.
“It’s okay,” Tolys said with a shy smile, “I-I was actually really happy when I got the video.”
“Really?”
“Yes really.”
“Thank God.” Finally finding his confidence, Alfred pulled Tolys into a tight hug, lifting him off the ground. Tolys laughed lightly, returning the hug with just as much force.
“Now what?” Alfred asked as he returned Tolys to the ground once more.
“Well, we have a little time before I head home, so I suppose we go on a date and see where that leads.”
In the back of Alfred’s mind, he wondered what would happen when Tolys went home. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, having been too occupied with the actual confession. Surely a long-distance relationship would come with many struggles, and it was something they would have to discuss before he left. But when Tolys extended his hand and suggested they get dinner and a movie, Alfred figured those questions could wait until tomorrow.
For once, Tolys was happy. When he had come to America with Arthur the previous year, life was full of uncertainty, and his people were suffering due to poverty. He hadn’t known what to expect coming to live with Alfred and due to past experiences, there was a bit of anxiety. But Alfred turned out to be fairly kind though a little oblivious. But he made sure Tolys was taken care of despite Tolys’s position as his employee; the Lithuanian couldn’t have asked for more.
“Hey, we should go out tonight,” Alfred suggested over breakfast.
Despite technically being boss and employee, in recent months Alfred and Tolys had become something closer. They ate breakfast and dinner together, went out on weekends together, and sometimes even slept together after Alfred scared himself with horror movies. They had become something akin to friends (though Savino had been teasing them about it being something more). “Okay. What do you have in mind?”
“There have been some interesting things going down in the New York night scene. Want to check it out?”
“Why not. We haven’t gone dancing in a while, and I could use a drink.”
Alfred grinned widely. “Then it’s settled.”
—
The last thing Tolys expected was to be taken to a drag ball in Harlem. He had heard about these balls over the radio one day, and he had always been curious to go to one as a queer man himself, but he never thought Alfred would be involved. “Alfred are you…”
Alfred gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah…And I heard you listening to the segment about it on the radio and assumed that maybe…you were too?”
“I-I am.”
Alfred almost looked relieved at those words. Tolys thought it strange, but hey, it was far better than Alfred hating him and kicking him out of the house. Alfred was probably just relieved he hadn’t made a wrong judgment since the young nation often jumped to conclusions. That or he was relieved to find someone else like him. “With that out of the way, shall we go in?” Tolys asked.
“Let’s go!”
The hall was buzzing with life and jazz music. Normally, Tolys wasn’t much for partying, but it was something about the lights, the liquor, and maybe even Alfred’s loud, but cheery disposition that piqued Tolys’s interest. “How about you find us a place to sit, and I’ll get us some drinks?” Alfred offered, “What are you in the mood for?”
“Hmm…Maybe something fruity to start off with.”
Alfred burst out laughing, confusing Tolys for a moment. That was until he remembered the double meaning of the term “fruity” and where they were. “I did not intend that,” Tolys explained, biting back his own laughter.
“I don’t think it’ll be hard to find here,” Alfred teased, “But yeah…I’ll be right back with those drinks!”
Tolys rolled his eyes with an amused smile as Alfred headed off towards the bar. Luckily it wasn’t as busy as it first appeared, and Tolys was able to find a table not far off from the bar. He watched as the bartender mixed the varying coloured liquids into a colourful, rainbow cocktail. ‘How fitting,’ Tolys thought to himself.
“Here you are my good sir,” Alfred said with an exaggerated bow as he offered a glass to Tolys.
Tolys smiled at him. “Thank you.”
Alfred plopped down across from Tolys and took a large gulp of his drink.
“Rough week?” Tolys asked.
“Something like that. I just needed to get out of that stuffy office. But I’m free all this week so let’s forget all about it.”
“Okay.”
As they sipped away at their drinks, conversation began to flow. Alfred jumped from topic to topic, starting with the recent Disney animation he had seen before breaking off into a discussion about the amazing art of animation in general, and then finishing off with a rant about all kinds of innovations he hoped would come in the future. The entire time Tolys smiled and nodded, occasionally adding his two cents in. He would never get tired of seeing Alfred so excited.
After a few more drinks Alfred got up and offered his hand to Tolys. “Would you like to dance?”
Normally, he wouldn’t accept such an offer. Tolys wasn’t much of a dancer, and when he did dance, he would do it in the privacy of his home. But with alcohol coursing through his veins, he accepted without much hesitation.
Alfred led him over to the dance floor and through an upbeat swing dance. It wasn’t the first time they had danced together like this, but they had never done it publicly. Tolys was a little nervous, but as soon as he met Alfred’s eyes, bright and full of joy, those nerves quickly melted away and were replaced with an electrifying sensation.
For as much fun as it was, after a few songs, Tolys was out of breath and in need of some fresh air. Though he had told Alfred he could stay, Alfred insisted on joining him. It was a beautiful night: not a cloud in the sky and a nice breeze blowing through. It was perfect for stargazing. Tolys was too distracted by the sky and a little too tipsy to notice Alfred creeping closer to his side. It wasn’t until he felt an arm around his waist that he realized how close Alfred was.
“I have a secret,” Alfred whispered, breath tickling Tolys’s neck.
Tolys gave him an amused smile. He was pretty sure the man was drunk, but he’d go along with it. “Really now?”
“Mhm, do you want to know?”
“Sure,” Tolys laughed.
“I think I love you,” Alfred murmured right against Tolys’s ear.
If Alfred wasn’t holding his waist, Tolys was fairly certain he would have crumpled to the floor. He turned his head to find Alfred inches away from his face and staring at his lips. “Al…fred…” Tolys breathed as the younger nation leaned in closer. The Lithuanian’s eyes slipped closed as their lips connected in a sweet, gentle kiss. A few seconds in, Alfred panicked and tried to pull away, only for Tolys’s arms to wrap around his neck and keep them in place.
When they pulled away, Alfred pressed his forehead against Tolys’s shoulder. “Does that mean you love me too?” Alfred asked.
“Y-Yes.”
Alfred gave him the widest smile Tolys had ever seen. It took Tolys’s breath away. “Good,” Alfred cheered, “Now let’s go home and cuddle.”
Tolys laughed lightly. “Okay.”
Author’s Note:
There was quite a big queer scene during the 1920s, specifically in Harlem, the South-side of Chicago and Greenwich Village. Drag balls specifically were an event hosted by the Hamilton Lodge as early as 1869, but became popular with a wider audience by the mid 1920s.
The fact Tolys heard about them through the radio was something that would actually happen. Sometimes local radio stations would cover stories related to these queer events and parties leading to an even wider audience.
Though I did take some liberties with specific years and certain aspects, I tried to be somewhat accurate about the queer nightlife scene.
Author’s note: cw there is sort of drugging? Like it’s a potion, but I’ll put that just in case.
Just a Dash of Confidence
Once upon a time, in a far-off land full of magic, dragons, princesses and nights there lived a young sorcerer. Gifted from a young age it was clear the boy was destined for great things, which was why, as soon as he turned sixteen, he was sent to the capital to be mentored by one of the most powerful sorcerers in the land.
Also in this kingdom, there lived a warlock. Though talented in the art of potion and elixir and worthy of a more proper position, the warlock also loved to bake, and thus, he combined his two passions and opened a magical cafe. It soon became very popular, offering shots of elixirs in the drinks for different ailments at reasonable prices, which was how our young sorcerer and warlock crossed paths.
Sorcerer Alfred, apprentice to the Great Lord Kirkland, was quickly acquainted with the magical cafe on the west end of town. Lord Kirkland had Alfred running over there weekly to pick up some tea that helped him sleep. Though Alfred would much rather be learning magic, his mentor had stated it was too early for that, so in the meantime, Alfred was an errand boy.
On his first visit to the cafe, Alfred had become slightly overwhelmed. Potions had never been his fortier, especially not when combined with something so mundane as coffee. Luckily the owner was there to guide him through it. He was a kind, but slightly timid man with beautiful bluish-gray eyes. Alfred was immediately smitten, so much so that he began to frequent the cafe outside of his duties.
After a few months of coming to the cafe and befriending the owner–who Alfred learned was named Tolys–it had gone beyond just a shallow infatuation. Tolys had so many stories, had met so many different creatures, and was very knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. Alfred seemed to fall harder with every visit. However, it would take almost a year before the sorcerer would work up the courage and confess his feelings.
He had just gotten off work when he decided to head over to the cafe and finally lay his feelings out. It all seemed easy when Alfred had daydreamed about it for the past week, but as soon as he passed through those doors, reality came crashing down on him. His heart was beating out of his chest, his palms became clammy, and his throat dry.
“Hello,” the barista greeted with a wide smile. She was new to the team. Despite being a fairy, Tolys had said she was much more interested in the magic of herbs and mixtures, so he had taken her under his wing. Alfred had only met her once in the past, but she seemed to be quite talkative and friendly. “What can I help you with today?”
“W-Well I’m…uh…I’m looking for Tolys.”
“Well, you just missed him, hun. He had to do some stuff in the back, but he should be back to close up if you’d like to hang around. Can I get you anything in the meantime?”
“Some confidence.”
The fairy laughed. “I might have just the thing,” she said with a knowing smirk.
Arthur had always warned him about fairies. Though they could be valuable allies, they were also mischievous in nature, playing tricks even on those they considered close friends. But at that moment, Arthur’s wise words were forgotten and replaced by Alfred’s nerves. “Okay.”
After receiving his drink, Alfred took his seat at a nearby table. He blew on it slightly before taking a sip. It must have been some kind of tea considering it didn’t taste like coffee. It was fruity with a hint of cinnamon. But there was also something strange about it. As he drank, his tongue started feeling tingly. Alfred passed it off as just a burnt tongue as he had a knack for drinking things too fast.
Alfred was halfway through his tea when he spotted Tolys coming toward him. “Hello Alfred,” the warlock greeted, “Sorry about that, I just had to take some stock in the back. What did you need to see me about?”
“I wanted to talk about us.” The words had flown so easily out of Alfred’s mouth without much thought that even Alfred was surprised by what he had said.
Tolys quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well it all started with these dreams–” Alfred slapped his hand over his mouth, He had no control over what he was saying. “Oh my god n-no. I wanted to be honest but–”
Tolys, beginning to connect the dots, grabbed Alfred’s mug. He gave it a quick sniff before humming in affirmation. “Teshai. A truth elixir.”
“What?”
“Did you let Helena have free reign on your drink?”
Alfred’s cheeks flushed pink. “W-Well I asked for some confidence…”
Tolys sighed. “That girl…I’m so sorry Alfred. Looks like she gave you a truth elixir.”
“It’s okay–”
“No, it’s not. Let me get you a new drink. Hopefully, I have an antidote somewhere, and then we can talk about whatever you came here for.”
Maybe this was Alfred’s chance. With a truth elixir, he couldn’t possibly chicken out of confessing. “Wait!” he shouted.
“What is it?”
“I like you,” Alfred blurted out, perhaps a little louder than necessary, “Like…Like you like you.”
“O-Oh…” Tolys said, eyes wide.
“I-I have for a while. It’s okay if you don’t, and I’m sorry to make it awkward–”
“No no, it’s okay,” Tolys assured him with a shy smile. “Let me find you that antidote, close up, and maybe we can talk about this over dinner?”
“Hell yes!” Alfred cheered. It took all his willpower to not to pull the other into a spine-breaking hug.
Tolys reached out for Alfred’s hand and gave it a loving squeeze. “I’ll get you a drink while you wait. The usual?”
“Okay,” Alfred replied with an eager nod and squeeze of the hand.
Luckily, Tolys was able to find the antidote fairly quickly, and after finishing his sugar-loaded coffee, Alfred was cured and ready for their date. Helena was given a strict talking to, but after learning she was only trying to help the only way she knew how, Tolys had taken pity, and instead of firing her, he put her strictly on backroom duties. In the end, everyone was happy.
For the Nostalgia and Flower Prompt of Amelietweek! Super late for day one again
I thought about these two telling eachother some of their hurtful memories and realized halfway through that I unintentionally made a screenshot redraw of episode 17(?)
As always, you’re welcome to follow any, all, or none of these prompts.
Make sure to tag your work with #amelietweek or mention this blog with @amelietweek so your submissions get noticed!
If you want to check the rules, they’re right here if you’re on desktop or here if you’re on mobile.
Have fun!
Note: while scheduling these posts the prompts for days 4 and 5 acidentally got swapped. I’ve decided to leave them as they are since I didn’t want to make things difficult for anyone who was laready working on a submission for yesterday. Sorry for any confusion! ^^;
As always, you’re welcome to follow any, all, or none of these prompts.
Make sure to tag your work with #amelietweek or mention this blog with @amelietweek so your submissions get noticed!
If you want to check the rules, they’re right here if you’re on desktop or here if you’re on mobile.
Have fun!
Note: while scheduling these posts the prompts for days 4 and 5 acidentally got swapped. I’ve decided to leave them as they are since I assume people are already working on something related to these prompts. Sorry for any confusion! ^^;
Love makes you do crazy things. Like picking up your drunk boyfriend in the middle of the night after he got wasted partying with his band after their first nationwide tour. But Tolys couldn’t complain too much. At least Alfred was a happy, affectionate drunk compared to his stepbrother and bandmate Arthur who was emotional and messy.
“Mmm I missed you so much,” Alfred slurred into Tolys’s hair.
Though he was currently struggling to support Alfred as he attempted to unlock their front door, Tolys couldn’t help but smile. “I missed you too.”
Eventually, they got in and were immediately greeted by an energetic golden retriever. “Hello Liberty,” Tolys greeted, scratching the dog’s head with his free hand. Liberty however was more focused on her impaired owner. She sniffed at his legs, causing Alfred to giggle.
“Your nose is cold Libby,” Alfred laughed and wiggled, almost causing Tolys to drop him.
“Okay, okay you two, settle,” Tolys warned playfully, “Liberty back up and let us in.”
Liberty tilted her head almost as if she was concerned before obeying her owner and running into the living room.
With a little stumbling along the way, Tolys managed to get Alfred to the couch. “Now, you stay there, and I’ll get you some water.”
Alfred sunk down into the pillows, humming a half-hearted approval.
Tolys shouldn’t have been surprised to find Alfred dozing off when he returned moments with the glass. Alfred laid across the whole love seat, his glasses sliding off his face, his mouth wide open, and his arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. A fond smile made its way onto Tolys’s face. “Al you have to get up. I got your water.”
Alfred only whined and hugged the pillow tighter.
“Come on now,” Tolys murmured, brushing his lover’s bangs out of his face, “You need to at least get some water in you, then you can fall asleep.”
“Fine,” Alfred groaned and heaved himself up. He gulped down the glass before falling back onto the pillow, pulling Tolys down with him. Tolys tried to push himself up, only for Alfred to hold onto him tighter.
“Al we should go to bed.”
“No…Too comfy,” Alfred slurred, “This’ll be fine.”
Tolys sighed before resting his head against his lover’s chest. “Fine, but don’t complain when you wake up with a crick in your neck.”
But Alfred was already fast asleep. Tolys chuckled lightly before letting his eyes slip close.
Author’s Note: This is based in my au for “In the Deep” which is a multi-chapter GerEng fic I’m working on. You don’t have to read that to understand this fic, but it would be nice if you checked it out.
It’s Nice to Meet You
Alfred would never get tired of the smell of the salt and the cool breeze in his hair. When he had joined Captain Kirkland’s crew five years ago, he had done it out of necessity. It was either life as a cabin boy or life as a street urchin, and only one of those offered the security of food and shelter. But now, at eighteen, Alfred couldn’t imagine his life in any other way.
He was enjoying his break with his brother Matthew at the front of the ship, watching the waves and rocks go by when something caught his eye. On a distant rock, a figure laid motionless. Unfortunately, it was too far to see what exactly it was, so Alfred quickly pulled out his telescope. “Something’s up ahead,” Alfred called to Matthew as he tried to focus the lens.
“What is it?” Matthew asked.
“Not sure…Give me a sec.”
As the rock came into focus, Alfred could make out what appeared to be a human figure bleeding out. But it wasn’t human. Where there should have been legs, there was a long, sparkling fishtail.
“Get Captain,” he said sharply.
“Wha–”
“Get Captain now. There’s an injured mermaid up ahead.”
Without any more questions, Matthew rushed to the back of the ship.
—
“Is he alive?” Alfred asked as Ludwig climbed down onto the rock.
“He’s breathing,” Ludwig noted.
Alfred had been ansty since he told Matthew to get the captain. Captain Kirkland and his merman fiance Ludwig were quick to jump into action as soon as they were notified. Alfred and Matthew watched as Ludwig spoke to the unconscious merman in his native language of clicks and squeaks only to fail in waking him up. “He’s out cold,” Ludwig sighed.
“Bring him on the ship love, and we’ll tend to those wounds,” Captain Kirkland interjected as he arrived on the scene.
Ludwig nodded before carefully picking the injured merman up and climbing back onto the ship. “Alfred, go collect some wet towels to keep him hydrated, and Matthew, go assist the medic.”
Both the boys saluted their captain before rushing off to do their duty.
—
The merman would remain asleep for days. Captain Kirkland had assured Alfred that it was for the best so his body could heal, but Alfred couldn’t help but worry. He was the one to first spot the merman, so he felt it was his responsibility to look after him now. He had stayed by the merman’s bedside since he was first moved into the infirmary room, ensuring that he was kept hydrated. Luckily with their medic Yao and Ludwig’s knowledge of merfolk anatomy, it looked as though the merman would be fine as long as they kept wet towels on him.
On the third or fourth day (Alfred had lost count), the merman finally began to stir. His eyes shot open revealing a cloudy blue which quickly became panicked as he noticed where he was.
“Hey there,” Alfred said with a wave, only for the merman to attempt and bite him after his hand got too close. “Geez. Hey, hey. I’m not going to–would you quit that–I’m not going to hurt you.” But regardless of Alfred’s attempts to assure the merman, the creature just kept biting and thrashing, unable to run due to his injury. His tale became legs as he attempted to kick Alfred. Trying to avoid the sharp teeth and kicking legs, Alfred tripped over his chair and crashed to the floor.
That was when Captain Kirkland and Ludwig stormed in. “What’s with all that racket boy?” the captain hissed. His disposition immediately softened when he saw the scene in front of him: The merman pressed as close to the headboard of the bed as he could be and Alfred scraping himself up from the floor. “Ludwig?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Ludwig sighed, “Alfred wait outside with Arthur.”
“But–”
“Come on lad,” Arthur urged, patting the boy on the shoulder, “We don’t want to stress him even more.”
“Fine…”
Ludwig emerged a few minutes later, exhausted and slightly pale. “I got him to calm down,“ he explained, “But I need to get to water. Alfred, can you watch him?”
“Of course.”
“Just don’t push him too much. Most of us don’t take too kindly to humans.”
“Don’t worry Ludwig. I’ve got this.”
Ludwig gave him a weary look before Captain Kirkland began leading him towards the upper. It was just Alfred and the merman now.
“H-Hey there,” Alfred greeted as he entered the room. The merman just glared at him, his long unkempt hair making him appear larger and more intimidating. “Imma just sit right over here just in case you need anything.”
They lapsed into silence, with the merman staring daggers into the cabin boy across from him. If Alfred didn’t like silence before, he definitely didn’t like it when he was getting a killer glare from a creature that could very well bite his arm off. “S-S-So…What’s your name?” Alfred asked, trying to make small talk.
There was no reply.
“Well mine is Alfred, but most just call me Al. Your scales are really pretty by the way. Never seen that kind of colour before. Like bluish-green? I’ve always loved blue…” And so, to fill the silence and keep himself calm, Alfred rambled on, jumping from topic to topic. As he talked, he managed to find some paper and thus began to craft flowers to keep his hands busy.
“What are you doing?” the mermaid finally asked.
“Oh, this?” Alfred lifted up the half-made paper stem. Just a little craft the Captain used to do, and that I picked up on. Flowers don’t last long to decorate the ship so we’ve learned to make some to liven up our living quarters a bit.” Alfred grabbed a spare vase that had been leftover from the last time the small medic bay was used. He placed his creations inside. “Can I put this on your bedside table?”
The mermaid was silent for a moment before finally nodding and letting Alfred approach. “I’ve never seen land flowers before,” The merman whispered, his eyes on the vase instead of Alfred.
“Really? Well, these are roses. Captain’s favorite and mine too!”
The merman’s gaze softened ever so slightly as he reached out to touch the paper petals. “They aren’t as soft or as pretty as the real thing,” Alfred explained, “But they do fine.”
“So are you guys kidnapping me?”
“What?”
“Are you going to take me to land as a freakshow? Or are you going to sell me off to some poachers?”
“No way. We haven’t even moved from where we found you. Once your injury heals enough you’ll be good to go. Didn’t Ludwig explain this to you?”
“Yes but–”
“Well if you don’t believe Ludwig I take it you won’t believe me whatever I say. Wait! I can show you if you want. But you probably can’t stand on your own. If you’re comfortable I can help you over to the window.”
The merman’s lips pursed as he thought it over. “Fine,” he agreed with a sigh.
Alfred offered him his hand and pulled the merman up. The merman stumbled slightly, but luckily Alfred was there to break his fall. “Th-Thank you,” The merman mumbled.
“Don’t mention it,” Alfred beamed.
Together the two made their way over to the window. Just as Alfred had said, the rock they had found the merman on was still right beside them.
“You don’t have to worry about us,” Alfred assured him, “Captain wouldn’t let any harm come to any of you seafolk. He fell in love with one after all. Plus it’s just the right thing to do.“
“Right thing to do huh?”
“Oh you’re probably hungry,” Alfred exclaimed, not having heard what the merman said.
“I-I guess.”
Alfred helped the merman back over to the bed and sat him down.
“I’ll go get you something to eat,” Alfred said, “You just rest.”
The merman watched as Alfred made his way to the door. “Tolys,” he murmured just before Alfred headed out.
“Huh?”
“My name…Humans call me Tolys.”
“Oh!” Alfred smiled wide. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Tolys.”
