KongArt Week Stories

Fishy Fishy! - Part One

Day Three - Merfolk AU

Warnings and Author's Note: 

This is a crackfic, nuff said. It will be strange as hell. Let's have some blind, fluffy fun!

~***~

"Kooooong..." Arthit whined, flopping himself dramatically across his table. "School sucked. Big time." He huffed, turning his head to face the fishbowl. Tapping on it lightly with his finger, he grumbled, "you're so lucky you're a fish."

His little black moor goldfish quickly swam up the side of the bowl his finger was on, booping it gently as it stared back at Arthit.

"We got reminded again that we have the camp upcoming this weekend," Arthit groaned. "The camp I begged Mae to pull me out of."

Standing, he put on the best imitation of his mother that he could in a high pitched voice. "Oon, you're a high school senior! What kind of teenager doesn't have friends? You need to go make some."

Throwing himself back down into the chair to collapse onto the table again, he mumbled to himself. "I would have had friends if I wasn't forced to move here. Kong, what do you think? Do you think I'd be able to sneak you along for camp? Then I'd have a friend."

Kong - short for King Kong, because Arthit was in the phase of 'King Kong was the coolest' and well, he had specifically targeted a black goldfish during the Kingyo-sukui (goldfish scooping) game at the fair because it reminded him of it. King Kong must have been meant for him because the little goldfish had hopped itself right onto his paper scoop as though he had wanted to go home with him. The rest of it was history. King Kong quickly grew from his initial tiny size to his current large black plump state and had been with Arthit for the last ten years.

Everyone around him couldn't understand his obsession with his fish who was basically stuck in a bowl but Arthit knew King Kong understood him more than anyone else. Call him crazy but his little goldfish responded to him, always. And ever since Arthit had brought him back home ten years ago, he always had peaceful sleep each night, curling up warm and content as King Kong's bowl was placed on his bedside.

Arthit made a mental note to check out the local fish shop that was nearby to see if they had little carrier tanks. He had every intention to bring King Kong along with him. If he was going to be alone and treated like a weirdo, he might as well truly be one. With Kong by his side, he'd at least feel less lonely.

Settling into bed for the night, Arthit wrapped himself up with his blanket and sighed for one last time before letting himself drift off to sleep. He was exhausted worrying about the upcoming trip that he really didn't want to be on and fell asleep fairly quickly.

Being quite the heavy sleeper, he didn't hear the little splash and 'thump' on both his table and floor, just as he hadn't for the past ten years. A figure emerged from the darkness and nimbly slipped on a shirt and shorts from Arthit's wardrobe.

Lifting the blankets, he slipped himself next to the sleeping boy and slid an arm under his neck. Like a cat, Arthit immediately turned to cuddle up to the new found warmth. "Don't wanna.." Arthit mumbled as he rubbed his face against his chest.

Stroking the other's hair, Kong smiled as he nuzzled into the soft head of hair. "Don't worry. I won't let you be alone. You'll never be lonely with me around," he whispered to the boy who was fast asleep. Then like he had for the last ten years, he wrapped his arms around Arthit and hummed a small lullaby, luring the both of them into deep sleep.

~***~

"Mae! Mae!" Arthit came scampering down the stairs yelling, face flushed and flustered. "Did you see Kong, Mae?"

"Your goldfish? Isn't his bowl in your room?" She answered nonchalantly as she continued to prepare breakfast.

"He isn't there Mae! He's gone!" The boy exclaimed anxiously, looking around the area, hoping to catch sight of his precious black fish.

"What do you mean gone? I watched you bring the bowl up last night."

"He's gone!" Arthit burst into tears, bawling. "His bowl was empty! I- I looked everywhere in my room. He's not there!"

Arthit's mother stopped busying around the kitchen and came to pull Arthit into her arms. "Oon, if he's gone, he's probably dead by now. A fish can't stay out of water for that long."

"No! NO! He can't be gone, Mae! He- he can't! He has to go with me on the trip! I- I was going to get him a travel tank! Mae!" Arthit stammered through his tears and sniffling, unwilling to accept the fact that Kong was gone.

"Oon, you must have left the window open when you were sleeping. You know the neighbour's cat wanders around at night. It must have.."

Arthit looked up at his mother in horror before trying to make a dash for the door.

"Oon! Don't you do anything! Your Kong's gone! He's had a long life as a fish. Look, just prepare for school and we can go get you another one when you're back. Hmm?" Arthit's mother attempted to placate her son. There was no proof that the neighbour's cat had eaten the black goldfish either, there was absolutely nothing they could do.

Arthit shook his head, refusing to calm down. He couldn't believe it. His Kong, his precious Kong, his only friend in this horrendous place was gone. What was he going to do now? He continued crying as his mother sat him down at the dining table and placed his favourite french toast in front of him. He knew she was right, that a fish couldn't live out of water and the odds of Kong being alive even if he had found him, was basically none. But it didn't make it any easier to accept. He'd been afraid for the last few years, as his fish grew older with him.

He knew that fish had a different life expectancy. Of course he did. But it didn't make him any less hopeful that he would be able to keep Kong for as long as he could. He did everything by the books, from Kong's diet to the temperature and pH balance of Kong's water. He tried his hardest to keep the fish healthy. This was not the way he had expected to lose his pet and dear friend. Not one bit.

After finally calming down and numbly agreeing to his mother's promise that they could get another fish for him after school, Arthit dragged both his heart and feet out the door. It felt like nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Sitting himself down in class, he leaned his head sideways on his arms, facing away from the rest of the class out the window. Having been a transfer student, he was seated alone at the back of the class away from the rest, his classmates chattering and bustling around him. On normal days, Arthit tried to catch bits of the conversations that went on around him, in hopes that he would have the chance to join in on a topic and make some friends.

But today, today he couldn't care less with what anyone was talking about. Everything around him had faded into a mere buzz. All he could think of was his little buggy eyed goldfish who was no longer waiting for him in his bowl at home. His best friend who would no longer boop his face against the side of his bowl when he tapped at it for attention. A small tear escaped his eye once again as Arthit sniffled, rubbing his face on his sleeve.

"Alright, everyone settle down now!" Their teacher hollered as she stepped into class. Arthit merely shifted the position of his head so that he was now facing the front of the class, eyes still puffy and red from the crying.

"We have another transfer student here today with us, let's all welcome him!"

Soft murmurs spread around the classroom and a few quiet squeals could be heard from some of the girls. A tanned skin boy stepped into class, smiling brilliantly as he stopped right next to their teacher and politely gave a wai to the rest of the class.

"Hello, I'm Kongpob Sutthiluck." He introduced himself, looking around the classroom before finally landing his eyes on Arthit. "And you can call me Kong."