Origins Chapter 5: Deep-Sea Dates

Aria and Fiamma are together at work, starting their shifts in the evening as they usually do. Typically, this is the busiest time of day for the two girls, but the Flying Chicken has been in a slump in sales recently. The outdated, white, and blue dining area contains a sparse number of customers, around seven at the tables.

While in their drought of customers, Aria initiates a conversation with her brunette-haired friend. “You know, I wonder how many things I can do as Royal Air?” Aria asks Fiamma, pointing out her magical form under the worker's shirt she is wearing. “Heh, imagine what crazy things I can get away with!”

“Yeah,” Fiamma replies to Aria, zoning out for a moment in the kitchen. “God, I wish I had your powers.”

“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” Aria teases.

“Can you blame me? Who wouldn’t want to fly or shoot lightning and shit?” Fiamma justifies herself.

“Yep, I’m a royal rarity!” Aria replies, nodding and making her long ponytail swing.

“You could say that again. I’m pretty sure you’re the only person I know of that can do the stuff you can do.”

“I know, right? If someone like me came in right now, I’d be shocked!”

The doorbell rings through the Flying Chicken as a familiar face enters the eatery. Marina, in her azure dress and yellow crown dotted with blue gems, gathers the attention of everyone in the building, including Fiamma and Aria.

“What the hell?!” Aria and Fiamma say simultaneously. The two workers are in shock at Marina’s new dress.

“Marina, is that you?” Fiamma asks the black-haired lady.

“H-hey…” Marina greets Fiamma, her high anxiety from not only her recent transformation but also the eyes of many on her. “A-aria, what happened to me? I look like a waterfall!”

“Why are you asking me?” Aria answers, confused. “How did you get that dress, Marina?”

“Well, uh-”

Marina gazes at the people in the fast food place who are staring at her. Her embarrassment is prevalent thanks to the extra people who are looking. “Oh geez, everyone’s staring at me…” Marina says under her breath while cringing.

Marina speaks up to her buddies, attempting to ignore the bystanders. “A-anyway, yesterday I was out fishing, and I caught this really weird fish. I-it was really freaky; it could speak human words!”

Fiamma raises an eyebrow in disbelief, while Aria’s eyes widen. “So… it was like that creepy, talking bird I met once?” Aria mentions.

“I-I guess?” Marina answers, recalling the fact that Aria mentioned a talking bird to her while she visited her. “After encountering it, I f-found a weird bracelet. I put it on since I thought it was pretty, b-but suddenly, while wearing it, it transformed me into whatever I’m wearing now!”

“That sounds exactly like what happened to me!” Aria continues. “I wonder if you and I somehow got into the same situation?”

“I don’t kn-know.”

Aria gasps, realizing something spectacular. “Wait, hold on, if you’re just like me, Marina, that must mean you can use magic powers, too!”

“R-r-really?” Marina asks, surprised at Aria’s conclusion.

“Yeah! Did you remember what was on that bracelet?”

Marina ponders Aria’s question, thinking of the bracelet. “Well, u-uh… it was blue, a-and it had a gem on it… I think it said ‘Royal Water’ or something like that.”

“Siiick, that probably means you have water magic!” Fiamma speaks up with an impressed tone. “You gotta show us your powers, Marina!”

“Or perhaps we should call her ‘Royal Water’ now?” Aria adds, glancing at her coworker.

Meanwhile, Marina hesitates at the idea of being able to use magical abilities similar to Aria's. Could she really be capable of such a thing? And even then, should Marina show that power while she has an audience near her? After a moment, Marina replies. “I should try using my powers? I-In front of these people?”

“I’m sure they won’t mind,” Aria brushes off, before addressing the people at the tables. “What do you think, everyone?”

Marina listens to the people eating at the Flying Chicken. Ranging from a little girl loving her appearance to a man morbidly curious about what he’s even witnessing, the group almost unanimously agrees with Marina showing off her powers. Marina sighs, silently, yet reluctantly agreeing with the customers.

“Uhm, l-let me see what I can d-do,” Marina says, breaking the silence as she holds up her hand. She attempts to focus, even though Marina isn’t fully sure how to focus her magic. “I g-guess I just hold out my hand, a-and-”

Seemingly out of nowhere, the black-haired woman senses her energy coalesce in her hand and summons a splash of water. The water flies toward Fiamma, hitting her right in the face! The maroon-haired worker flinches and yelps.

“Ah shit, I’m so sorry, Fiamma!” Marina shouts, panicking from accidentally hitting her friend.

“Hah, that was awesome!” Fiamma replies with a grin, wiping some water off her side bang. She takes a look at her soaked body for a moment before continuing to speak. “You should be more careful next time. I’m gonna need to make up some explanation for my boss.”

“Uh, o-okay…” Marina answers before she gazes at the customers again.

The gaggle of people is conversing with themselves about Marina’s water stunt. Some are impressed, some are shocked, some think that Marina is a witch. The same guy who can’t tolerate what’s going on is beginning to freak out.

Starting to feel like she’s in an abyss of anxiety, Marina starts to play with her hair to try and calm herself down. Her worries make Marian realize why she even came here. “Oh, jeez… A-a-aria, how do I change back to normal?!” Marina finally asks. “I’m h-here to ask you that…”

Letting out a pitiful laugh, Aria replies with a simple yet horrific answer. “Heh… about that. You can’t turn back.”

“What?!” Marina shouts, her level of worry spiking even further. “Are you serious?!”

“Yeaaaah, I’m serious,” Aria confirms. “Trust me, you’re in that dress forever. I’m literally just wearing my worker outfit under my magic dress.”

Marina is doing as much as she cannot to have a panic attack at this rate, potentially causing even more embarrassment between her and the public. Despite this, she can’t control her breathing. “Oh nooooo!!!” Marina wails. “How am I gonna go on my date now?!”

“You’re going on a date?!” Aria says, surprised.

“Didn’t know you got yourself a boyfriend,” Fiamma smirks.

“Y-yeah, but I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have one with this stuck on me!” Marina shouts.

“Heh, I’m kinda envious now,” Fiamma answers while crossing her arms.

“The hell am I gonna do now that I’m stuck like this?!” Marina asks panickedly. “Do you have any ideas?”

Aria ponders for a second. “I’d just try to stay calm if I were you,” she concludes. “Just don’t panic or show your powers.”

“I-I’ll try,” Marina replies, practicing by taking deep breaths to at least calm her heartbeat.

“Honestly? You’re overreacting, Marina,” Fiamma blurts. “That dress of yours is more than enough for a date.”

Marina tilts her head. “I mean… it wasn’t the dress I wanted to wear.”

“I’m telling you, Marina, you basically won the lottery for your permanent dress in this situation!” Fiamma tries to convince her black-haired friend. “At the very least, it makes you look more like you’re twenty-three and not forty-three with your usual style.”

Hesitating out of a special kind of shock, one that makes Marrina offended yet humiliated, all she can do to respond is with a quiet, stuttery message. “I, u-uh, a-appreciate your honesty, Fi-Fiamma.”

“Yeah, you’re pretty!” Aria compliments her friend. “As I said, just stay calm and don’t scare off your boyfriend with your water magic.”

Nodding, Marina continues to speak. “I’m gonna go. I’m just g-gonna hope that things go well.”

“Good luck!” Aria said goodbye to Marina as she walked out of the Flying Chicken.

Now having no choice to go in the condition that she’s in, Marina drives off to the Savory Steakhouse. She isn’t sure about the time, but Marina isn’t really caring about whether or not she’ll be late at this time. She just wants to have her date and hope it won’t crash and burn.

A large restaurant made of rough, red bricks stands tall in another part of Ayers City. A large black and neon sign stands above the entrance and windows of the Savory Steakhouse.

Against the wall, a man with hazel eyes and brown hair that sways to the right side of his face is leaning against it with his arms and legs crossed. He wears a black tuxedo shirt that’s partially unbuttoned at the chest, revealing a white shirt underneath. His pants and shoes are the same inky color as his tuxedo.

The man checks his phone, giving him the time of 7:09 PM. The person he is going to eat with is supposed to be here by now. His patience is satiated when he glances up, noticing a blue car drive up to him. When it's parked, the car bursts open, letting Marina out.

The man’s eyes widen, gazing at Marina’s regal, watery appearance. He lifts himself from the wall and approaches the woman. “Marina, is that you?” He asks the black-haired lady.

“H-hi, F-fisher. Y-yeah, it’s me,” Marina answers anxiously, having trouble looking at her boyfriend. “S-sorry if the dress is a bit w-weird.”

Fisher raises an eyebrow. “Weird? You don’t look weird. If anything, I wasn’t expecting you to look so… gorgeous.”

Marina’s cheeks glow red. He thinks I’m gorgeous?!

“You look just like a pretty princess,” Fisher continues. “Though, you didn’t have to go above and beyond with the crown and gloves.”

“Th-thank you!” Marina lets out with a grin, before realizing she has to make up an excuse with the stranger parts of her new look. “Uh, uhm… er… th-this outfit comes from a… c-cosplay is all. It… uh… wouldn’t be complete without the g-gloves and crown.”

Fisher continues to look at Marina. “Didn’t know you did cosplay, Marina. You’ve made an amazing costume.”

Marina grins, the redness in her face spreading. Thank god he bought it.

“So, how about we head inside, your highness?” Fisher asks Marina, partially teasing her girlfriend.

“S-sure!”

The two head into the Savory Steakhouse. Unlike its rough exterior, the inside walls of the steakhouse are a lovely shade of burgundy with brown. Elegant tables with orange flowers on top of them are spread across the building. Some of these tables have couples and families conversing and eating, filling the steakhouse with the sounds of dishes and talking.

After getting a table for themselves, Marina and Fisher sit on opposite sides of a table, each with a menu for the Savory Steakhouse. Fisher speaks to Marina again. “So, Marina, this is our second time meeting in real life, huh?”

Marina giggles a bit, knowing that she mostly knows Fisher in the form of text messages, phone calls, and the occasional video call. “Yeah, we need to meet each other more often,” Marina says back to Fisher, forgetting her worries for now.

“I know, right? I’d love to change that,” Fisher agrees, before looking into the menu of the restaurant. “So, what are you going to have to drink?”

Marina reads the cream-colored menu in her hands. At the bottom right corner, the drinks are listed. Marina whispers the drinks to herself. “Camel Cola… Royal Fountain… Wicked Water…”

“Royal Water? What’s that?” Fisher asks with a tilted head, mishearing Marina.

Jolting in fear, Marina gasps. “How did you find out?!”

“What are you talking about?” Fisher replies in confusion. “Did you mean to say Royal Fountain?”

“Uh…” Marina hesitates. “Yeah! That’s all I meant. I’ll have that drink.”

“Alright.”

Marina sighs in relief. Looks like her boyfriend didn’t catch her slip-up. While waiting for the waiter, the two lovers talk to one another for a while, getting updated on what they've been doing.

“So… I went fishing a couple of days ago. It was p-pretty weird, since I met a talking fish,” Marina explains.

Fisher’s eyes grow big. “A fish that can talk?”

“Y-yeah. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I was just hallucinating or not.”

“Well… hey, that’s not even the weirdest thing I’ve heard someone catch,” Fisher jokes. “Heard somebody caught a mermaid once.”

Marina responds with a giggle. “Okay, now that’s something you don’t hear every day. Anyway, uh, the fish had a brace-”

Marina stops herself before she finishes that sentence. Mentioning that bracelet might reveal her new form to Fisher. “The fish had what?” Fisher asks.

Marina pauses, unsure how to get herself out of this one. However, a balding man in a black suit with a fine, black mustache on his face walks up to the table, distracting Marina and Fisher. “Hello, what can I get you two today?” The man asks the two.

“Ah, the waiter,” Marina says, looking at the man. “I’ll take a medium sirloin with a side of mac and cheese with some Royal Fountain to drink.”

“Will you have your cut of meat from the finest cow, your highness?” The waiter teases Marina, gazing at her regal looks.

Marina’s brain stops for a moment, only able to respond in an unintelligible stammer. “Hey, I’m just joking! You look very pretty,” the Waiter compliments Marina.

“Hah… I know. T-thanks,” Marina replies, scratching the back of her head.

“Uh, I’ll take a T-bone with broccoli and Camel Cola, medium well,” Fisher says, breaking the awkward tension.

The waiter scribbles the two orders down. “Alrighty, we’ll get that for you two,” He says before walking away.

Fisher and Marina continue their small talk for the next several minutes as they get their drinks. Now with their drinks in tow, Fisher sips his cola. Meanwhile, Marina chugs down her soda out of anxiety, replacing it with water generated by her hand after the first drink. 

The conversation the two are having rotates from recent life events to hobbies. “You know, my dad was a real pro at fishing,” Fisher mentions. “As a matter of fact, that’s where I got my name from.”

“Hah… how peculiar…” Marina replies nervously, spraying another cup of water for herself under the table.

Fisher blinks, having heard the spray of water despite not seeing it. “Okay, am I going crazy, or did I hear a faucet again?” Fisher questions.

Marina freezes again, realizing what Fisher is noticing. “W-water spraying again? M-maybe the kitchen sink is really loud.”

“But, it sounds really close by,” Fisher mentions. “It’s almost like it’s right under the table.”

Unsure of how to continue the ruse, Marina gazes silently, trying to grasp at any idea of an excuse in her mind. Despite the issue, Marina doesn’t have to worry for much longer, as the waiter returns holding her and Fisher’s food. “Here are your steaks, you two.” The waiter says, placing Marina and Fisher’s respective plates on each side.

“Ah, th-thank you!” Marina shakily replies. Maybe I can just try and have him forget by being distracted by the food.

Fisher can’t help but dig into his food now that he has it. “You know, it’s impressive how well Inn Island’s comfort can be,” Fisher mentions after swallowing his first bite.

“Heh, we try our best to keep the place nice and tidy,” Marina responds. “Though I just check in people, not clean up the place.”

“The only issue with the other Inn Islands is that they don’t have you,” Fisher compliments.

“Aw, thanks,” Marina says after letting out a small giggle thanks to the butterflies in her stomach.

Marina’s confidence is starting to lift since she’s starting to believe that the rest of the date will go smoothly. But Marina’s hopes shatter when she grabs her spoon and has the bottom of her palm touch the hot bowl of macaroni and cheese by accident.

“OWWW!!!”

Marina shrieks in pain, her hand held out and blasting a jet of water by accident, with her spoon hitting the ground with a metallic ‘plonk’. Fisher looks at the water flying across the restaurant and hitting the wall, only able to reply by saying “The fuck?!”.

Marina puts her hands on her mouth, realizing that she just showed her new powers off to Fisher by accident. There’s a level of awkward silence as both try to process what just happened. There’s only one word that’s filling Marina’s mind now that the cat’s out of the bag.

Shit.

Fisher slowly turns back to his girlfriend. “Marina, what the hell was that?!” He asks her.

“I…” Marina’s eyes shrink as she realizes she’s now being interrogated. “Uh… I c-can explain…”

“Was that a jet of water that came out of your hand?!”

“Y-yes… I-I…”

Fisher’s eyes look like those of a fish. “H-how?! How did you manage to use magic?!”

“W-well… I don’t r-really…”

Groaning, Marina realizes that her secret is out, and she has no choice but to explain. “I… I’m sorry, Fisher… I… I lied to you about this outfit.”

Fisher raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Is the outfit fake, or something?”

Marina tries to summarize her recent events. “N-no, I got this strange outfit because of a bracelet lately. And the bracelet a-also gave me water magic.”

“Ah, so it’s a magical outfit, not some cosplay you came up with?” Fisher responds, before looking away for a moment to process what he was just told. He looks back at Marina. “Man, is this reality?”

The expression on Marina’s face is colored with shame. “Let me guess… y-you think I’m some scary witch now, do you?”

“What? No, of course not.” Fisher reassures. “You aren't a witch, at least in the negative connotations. Your water powers are actually pretty sick.”

Marina’s worries flare down. “Wait, you think my powers a-are sick?”

“Yeah, you don’t get a magical girlfriend very often. And, hey, I’m into magical people.”

The black-haired woman looks at Fisher with a strange expression. “Now, not in that way,” Fisher clarifies.

A second later, Marina’s face shifts to a surprised grin. “I’m a bit s-surprised you’re so chill with these powers,” Marina says with a shaky voice.

“Hey, it’s awesome to me, not terrifying,” Fisher reassures Marina. “Magic isn’t exactly common these days, after all. I almost don’t blame you for trying to hide your powers.”

Fisher leans a bit into the table. “I’d love to learn more about your abilities.”

Marina chuckles again. “I honestly barely know anything. I just know I can shoot water.”

“Hey, maybe I can help you learn. At the very least, I can give you some ideas on what to do.”

“S-sure. Let’s do that at my home,” Marina answers, before diverting her attention to her spoon that’s on the floor. “I’m gonna need a new spoon.”

Marina and Fisher finish up their date, mostly discussing Marina’s water magic on top of the topics they were previously discussing. The food was great, too. The date was great for Marina, and she and Fisher are continuing their time together at her home.

Fisher and Marina are sitting on Marina’s blue couch as Marina experiments with her powers. Above her hand is a ball of water, which looks like a giant, transparent, bumpy ball. 

“Man, this looks so weird, yet so pretty at the same time,” Fisher expresses, as he and Marina blankly stare at the water orb.

“Y-yeah…” Marina replies, sounding unattentive. “I’m starting to find this magical form a lot more amazing…”

“Agreed.”

Fisher suddenly snaps out of his daze when he notices Catfish at his water bowl. But, instead of drinking it like a normal cat, he’s sitting inside the water bowl, getting his paws soaked. “Uh, what’s your cat doing?” Fisher asks, weirded out.

“Oh, that?” Marina begins, making the ball of water disappear. “S-sorry, my cat likes doing that for some reason. Catfish, out!”

Catfish leaps out of the bowl of water and prances away, leaving behind a few drops of water on the floor. “My cat likes water. That’s why I call him Catfish,” Marina mentions. “He’s quirky, yet adorable.”

“Quirky and adorable, just like you,” Fisher compliments, wrapping his arm behind Marina.

“Awww, thanks, Fisher!”

Marina returns the hug, expressing her joy. A part of Marina is starting to think that things are going too well for her. Will things just keep going smoothly like this for me?

There’s something else that Marina thinks as she finishes up her hug with Fisher. What if there are more magical users out there? Aria can use air magic after all. Could there be someone who can use another element?

Marina eventually brushes off the idea as she continues enjoying her time with Fisher. It’s probably something she should wonder about another time. Perhaps I’ll find another magic user later. Marina thinks to herself as she gives her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

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