Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 2)

(141) WA: The Bird's Poem

The Atlantica Memorial Museum wasn't too crowded in the morning. The sea was also colder in December, which made the ticket line wasn't as long as usual. Azul took these as advantages. The only bad side was he was pretty noticeable in the small crowd of merfolks, but he preferred being in his human form rather than octopus form.

"Human's body isn't as strong as merfolks," his father said when he was about to go out, "Wouldn't be better to leave with your tail?"

"I drank potions," Azul said, "I want to test my durability in human form."

Azul's father is a lawyer. He knows when someone telling the truth or lie. Azul didn't want to tell him just yet of the horrible few seconds of freezing before drinking the resistant potion or how he had trouble breathing after he drank the mix of legs-transformation and underwater-breathing potions (he definitely didn't want to tell about the guilt and dreadful realization that Jonah also felt the same thing multiple time).

If his father knew that he was lying, he didn't say anything.

"Azul~!" Azul turned around to the twins swimming toward him. Floyd eyed him curiously, circling him with his tail tickling Azul's shoeless ones. "Why are you in your human form?"

"It's too risky if I want to put back the picture," Azul said, his hands brushed against his jacket pocket where the photo was hidden, "I wouldn't want to attract unpleasant attention."

"You don't have to be so worried." Jade swam behind him. "I'm pretty sure no one would even notice you're the merman in the photo."

Azul huffed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Please leave me to my own devices."

Jade backed away, raising both hands but still smiling without any offends. "There's no need to be defensive."

Azul pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The corner of his lips tugged up slightly. "Come on, you two. Tickets are on me."

None of the twins complain but Azul honestly didn't mind paying for them. It was the least he could do. Entering the museum, was the same as he could remember even after years of not going here. Few brave humans were visiting the place today, which made Azul didn't feel out of place too much. "Both of you cover me," Azul whispered to the twins. It was an easy job for them. As Azul swam toward the wall of pictures, Jade and Floyd caught some visitors who were about to get close in a conversation.

Azul quickly spotted an empty frame. It was a gamble whether it was the correct place or not. But considering there wasn't any picture theft news all these times, Azul considered it would be fine. He took out his picture. There were some wrinkles from him holding it too hard, but it was easy to smooth it up. Quickly and carefully, he took the empty frame, slid the picture in it, and placed it back before anyone noticed.

He swam back. The picture looked like it hadn't been stolen in the first place. He let out a relieved sigh. He did it. He returned the picture.

And he didn't even make a single edit at it.

"Good job, Azul." He felt Jade pat his shoulder, his eyes looking at the kindergarten picture. "Nobody would notice the difference."

"Yeah." Azul pushed his glasses again. "Well, our job is done here."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Floyd asked.

Azul didn't look at either of them. His eyes still aimed at the photo he just returned. He shrugged. "If you want to look around, go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Jade asked. The hand on his shoulder squeezed a bit.

Azul patted the hand, sliding it off his shoulder. "I'll be fine."