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[eloquencejones]

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[utilitybelted]

Kaldur and Wally already turned around, faces red, the second she dropped her towel. Dick looks desperately at M'gann, appealing for her help. He reaches out to catch Ariel as she stumbles closer to him, glad she's at least partly clothed because he can't help but look in her direction, and wow she looks really cute with his shirt on. He blushes and pushes her gently towards M'gann.

"That's a skirt, like this," M'gann tugs at her own skirt, stepping forward "Here, let me help you." she sorts through the pile of clothing Wally brought, explaining what each thing was and helping Ariel pick what to wear while Dick turns away and tries not to think about how she'd wear those seashells and how nice she might look in them.

"So if you could tell us everything you know about this guy, we can try and find him," he says while he's waiting.

[partofurworld]

Ariel's mouth opens into a little "oh!" of silent surprise when Megan explains. It looks so different on Megan than it does without a body to cover; the shape is all different. That's amazing, she thinks, as Megan helps her sort through the clothes — not towels — explaining what each article is before helping her get herself into a pair of what Megan calls "underwear" and then "shorts" on top of those. Humans wear a lot of clothes... she thinks without realizing that she's also projecting it.

Once dressed, Ariel takes a deep breath. Everything she knows about Eric...isn't much. His name is Eric and he's a prince. He lives in a castle. He has a...fluffy, hairy, gray and white...uh... Ariel pauses, gesturing a hand down around her knee to indicate the height of the little beast he'd been dancing on the ship with, friend? That he calls Max.

She looks hopeful then, even though she's literally just told them everything she knows about this guy which is...damn near nothing.

[utilitybelted]

"I know, right?" M'gann cheerfully agrees with the clothing assessment, Dick doesn't dare look round because he really isn't sure if he wants to laugh or turn red and this whole situation went from heroic to super awkward. He's really glad when she's successfully dressed and then can get back to the helping her find this... Eric. Whoever Eric was.

"You're looking fora Prince Eric.. who has a... dog? Called Max. Right." That shouldn't be... completely impossible, right? Just very, very hard. "Prince in a castle probably means Europe, so we just need to look up European royalty until we find an Eric... is that everything you know? Where did you meet? This castle, is it near the shore?" he asks, trying to think of other ways they could narrow down their search criteria.

[partofurworld]

Ariel's cheeks turn pink at Megan's response to her thought and she at least has the grace to look apologetic.

Right. Dog? What a funny word! Huh. Oh! Yes! Where is Europe? Is it far?

Her eyes avert downwards when Dick asks where they met. That's...sort of the thing… Um...well...I rescued him when his ship hit a bad storm. ...but he never technically met me…

Her face goes red with the confession. This all seemed like such a good idea at the time. She had made the mistake of underestimating how difficult Ursula was going to make this for her. She made the mistake of being naive enough to believe that they would both be playing fair, not just Ariel. Her expression falls.

He's never going to have time to fall in love with me by the time we find him...is he?

That thought comes out loud and clear because she wants them all to know it's less a thought to herself and more a question; a reality check.

[utilitybelted]

"It's pretty far, but we can get there, don't worry about that," they had plenty of ways to make high-speed intercontinental trips, that was really the least of their problems, they just had to...oh. Her confession has them all exchanging concerned glances again, they're not sure how they're supposed to find a prince that she's only met once and didn't actually technically meet. This is getting more complicated by the second.

"I...don't know..." Dick admits after a long pause where they all try and find something to say "It seems kind of a long shot... but... maybe we can find another way to help?"

[partofurworld]

Ariel doesn't like the answer that she gets, but she expects it all the same. It's good to know that at least they can get her to Europe, if that's where Eric is, but she wishes that Dick had a more hopeful response than "I don't know" and "it seems like kind of a long shot." The worst part is that in retrospect, she knows he's right. She's never going to get him to fall in love with her in time and she's going to end up in Ursula's crutches for the rest of her life. This is what she gets for being so impulsive.

Visibly, she deflates, looking down and shrugging. They must all think she's so stupid...

I signed a magical contract. If I can't get true love's kiss in three days, then unless someone overwrites my signature and sacrifices themselves, there's no way out of it. ...I should've known better. I should've known she'd make a dirty deal, but I was just so excited to come on land... Her thoughts trail off. She was just so excited to come on land that she hadn't thought it through or read the contract in full at all; she'd just taken Ursula at her word. For all Ariel knew, being relocated well out of the way of Eric's castle was the least of her troubles...

[utilitybelted]

Dick feels terrible at how disappointed she looks, he really wanted to be able to tell her everything was going to be okay, but he also knew she'd be even more disappointed if it didn't turn out that way, and people just didn't fall in love that quickly, did they?

"Hey," he steps forward, reaching gently to lift her chin so he could meet her gaze, however ineffective it was through the sunglasses "I promise you we'll do everything we can to help, okay? We're not going to let you get tricked by this witch." he'd scour the whole of europe himself if he had to.

"Let's head back inside, we can start looking for Eric, and," he glances over at Kaldur "Could you go find out what you can about this sea witch? Anything we can do to stop her?" the Atlantean nods, already moving away to do just that.

[partofurworld]

Ariel looks up when Dick lifts her chin and it's hard to meet his eyes when she can only barely see them beneath the sunglasses he's wearing, but she tries anyway. Her eyes shift slightly as she studies his face and she takes a deep breath before giving him a weak smile that she tries to make look more genuine. She does truly appreciate his insistence that they'll do everything they can to help.

Finally, she nods her head. I trust you. That's probably incredibly naive of her, but it's just who Ariel is.

She hangs close to Dick, feeling bad that she's apparently ruined their day at the beach. Ariel holds onto his arm with both hands as they walk, stumbling on occasion because she's still getting used to her new legs, but managing to keep upright by using him as a crutch. Once they've gotten inside, Ariel touches Dick's shoulder when he starts to move away, in order to get his attention. She clutches at her heart with both hands and gives him another little smile, this one more genuine. Thank you, she says silently, forming the words on her lips rather than thinking them for everyone to hear. That sentiment is just for him.

[utilitybelted]

Dick is happy to let her lean on him as they head back to base, and that might have something to do with her being a pretty redhead with big wide eyes, and okay, he couldn't deny he had a bit of a hero complex and the damsel in distress routine certainly helped, but it wasn't just that.

The thank you almost melts his heart, and he turns a little red, running an awkward hand through his hair.

"It's...it's no problem. I'm happy to help, really, I couldn't just leave you there..." he feels like he's babbling, but it's true, he wouldn't leave anyone in distress if he could do anything about it. "So let's see if we can find your Prince Charming, shall we?"

[partofurworld]

Ariel smiles a little, ducking her head slightly as her own cheeks turn pink. The thing is...no one would probably have faulted him for ignoring her; she could've been anyone.

Yes you could have. But you didn't, she points out, lifting her eyebrows for emphasis at the thought.

Her expression falters with confusion. Maybe she's just being stupid, but...

Okay. Um...but his name is Eric, not Charming. Remember? It's kind of an important distinction as far as she knows. They'll never find him if they're looking for the wrong prince, after all.

[utilitybelted]

Dick tries not to laugh, he doesn't want to be mean, but he can't help the little chuckle that escapes him. He shakes his head slightly.

"Sorry, I mean Eric, Prince Charming is just... he's a fairytale character? And your story sounds kind of like a fairytale, that's all." he explains, his smile fond.

He leads her over to where the computer is, grabbing another seat for her and dragging it over.

"The computer's pretty smart, so it's going to take a lot of the trouble out of searching, though it might still take a while," he explains as he starts building the search parameters, fingers dancing across the keys.

[partofurworld]

At first, Ariel isn't really sure how to take that laughter. It isn't much and he's been kind so far, so she doesn't think he's making fun of her or anything, but...she looks a little uncomfortable all the same.

But then he explains and when he smiles it isn't a smirk or a grin that says he thinks he's smarter than her; it's like he's endeared by her confusion. Ariel's mouth opens in a little silent "ohhh" in response to his explanation and she relaxes.


Letting him lead her around, Ariel settles in the offered seat and watches in awe as he works the thingamabob — computer — like a pro.

How are you doing that? How does it work? Oh! What's that?

The words are excitable and curious bouncing around in their heads as she points to different things happening on the screen, beaming over at Dick like he's performing the most incredible magic she's ever seen. That's probably because that's exactly what he's doing, as far as she's concerned.

He leads her over to where the computer is, grabbing another seat for her and dragging it over.

[utilitybelted]

"oh, well, I type things here and they go into the computer," he explains patiently "I can explain how it works, sort of, but it might be a bit complicated, I don't know if you want me to talking that much," he laughs "but if you want to know I can explain while the computer's searching?" he enjoys computers and tech so he's actually pretty happy to explain it to her, but he also doesn't want to bore her with it if she was just being polite.

[partofurworld]

I like hearing you talk, she counters, smiling back at him. Probably a little too much, she thinks but didn't actually mean to add to her previous statement. Her face goes red and her eyes shift quickly back to the computer screen.

Teach me, she says, getting herself back on track. I want to know everything! I want to learn everything. There's so many things I want to understand.

[utilitybelted]

Dick's face was flushing pretty red itself, but he clears his throat and focuses on the screen for a minute to get himself under control. Once he's a little calmer, he nods slightly.

"Ok then, so..." he begins, launching into a fairly lengthy description of the computer and how it worked and what he was asking it to do, a little way into his speech he'd finished the search algorithm so he leaned back in his chair and let the computer start looking, continuing his explanation while it worked. He tried to be as evenly-paced and straightforward as he could, glancing her way regularly to make sure she was following, repeating anything she seemed to have problems with.

[partofurworld]

Ariel is...mostly listening. She finds herself, belatedly, too busy admiring Dick to actually absorb most of what he's saying. Occasionally, she'll parrot something back at him when asked if she understands so that he doesn't feel inclined to repeat himself too often, but Ariel's actual focus is elsewhere.

On his lips when they're moving as he speaks. On his face, even though his eyes are skewed from her view. On the dark hair which had so attracted her to Eric initially; that contrast against pale skin having caught her eye with him and still now with Dick.

You're so smart... she thinks with a contented sort of sigh, smiling at him as she lifts a hand to rest her chin on, her elbows already against the corner of his desk.

[utilitybelted]

"Uh, thanks," he blushes, ducking his head and running his hand through his hair. The computer beeps at him to signal it was done with its search and he looks away from her quickly, a little bit glad of the distraction because there's something about her that makes him feel butterflies in his stomach and she's looking for her true love, butterflies are a bad idea.

"Oh, hey, it looks like it has a possible match," he says with slightly forced enthusiasm, pulling up the portrait that the computer had found "Is this your Eric?"

[partofurworld]

Ariel just assumes that the weird bubbly-sort-of-tingly feeling in her stomach she'd gotten on the beach when he'd lifted her chin to look her in the eye is just a human thing, because she'd never felt it before that. It doesn't occur to her at all that there's any significance to it.

She's pulled out of her thoughts — and her staring; she can't help it — at his announcement and Ariel sits up straighter, looking at the screen. She looks surprised and her eyes widen a little.

That's him!

And yet...she doesn't feel as excited as she thinks she should...

You found him, that's amazing. You're amazing!

[utilitybelted]

"Hey, I'm just trying to help, I- oh." his enthusiasm, however forced, deflates immediately as he looks up the details "Ariel...I..."

How did he explain this to her? That Ursula had plonked her not just half a world away from her apparently Danish prince, but also a good twenty years after the portrait had been painted and a few years after another unfortunate storm had hit a ship he was sailing on, this time without a handy mermaid around to save him.

"There's something wrong..."

[partofurworld]

The way that his expression and, really, his entire body — oohhh, so that's what body language means... — sort of deflates a moment later has her stomach twisting itself into uncomfortable knots.

...what's wrong...? she asks telepathetically and the second the thought crops up, she almost regrets it, because it requires an answer she's pretty certain she isn't going to want to hear.

[utilitybelted]

"I don't know how to tell you this..." he says softly, and even though he knows he has to he's terribly reluctant, he doesn't want to give her the news that she's made a terrible mistake, that she's been tricked by the sea witch and there's no hope of her finding her true love, but he can't keep it from her, he can't give her a false hope.

"The witch... she's sent you... forward in time, it looks like, Eric is...he's.. not around any more... " he gives her a few seconds for that to sink in before pressing on quickly "But we can still figure this out, Kaldur will find out what he can about the sea witch and there'll be a way to get you out of that contract, she cheated, it isn't fair, we'll fix this I promise."

[partofurworld]

Her heart is racing, it feels like it's going to pound right out of her chest, she thinks, at Dick's preface and Ariel's breath hitches with worry. Brow creased with concern, she looks back at him, waiting for whatever this bad news is and hoping he's overreacting.

It takes her brain a moment to truly process the statement when Dick gives it. That could mean a lot of things, after all, but when coupled with his tone and that look on his face...Ariel's naive, but she knows. She knows.

Even as he barrels on in an attempt to smooth over the awful news, Ariel's not really listening. Her heartbeat is thumping loudly in her ears and her stomach turns over with nausea. Tears are driving her eyes. Sebastian was right, just like he always is, and now she's been duped into belonging to the sea witch...without, ironically, a leg to stand on. She hadn't actually read the contract before she signed it. All of this could be in there and she'd never know it because she'd taken Ursula's word for it like a stupid child.

His voice is a dull buzz and she's already crying silent tears, wracked with silent, heaving sobs because she's doomed. There's nothing she can do and she's got no one to blame but herself.

[utilitybelted]

He knows there's nothing else he could have done, that the kindest course of action was telling her, but he still feels awful for making her cry.

He drags his chair closer to her and hesitantly wraps his arm around her shoulders. It doesn't seem enough, and he wraps his other arm around her as well, drawing her into a hug.

"We'll figure it out, I promise,"

[partofurworld]

Sniffing and trembling with her upset, Ariel immediately accepts Dick's comfort, wrapping her arms around him, too, and burying her face against his chest. How could she let this happen? How could she be so stupid?

Dick is saying that they'll figure it out and Ariel's shaking her head against his chest, because what is there to figure out? Eric is dead. She's never going to find true love's kiss in what's left of her three days, and that means she turns back into a mermaid on the third sunset and belongs to the sea witch forever. There's nothing they can do, she's sure of it. She doesn't realize that she's thought all of that "aloud" for the rest of the team to hear as she drowns in the misery of those thoughts.

[utilitybelted]

Dick just lets her cry against his chest, knowing there's no point in trying to stop her too soon, instead he just allows her to cry it out, rubbing her back soothingly.

Eventually, once her mental recriminations die down, he draws away and reaches out to gently wipe away her tears.

"I know it seems hopeless, but we're not going to let her take you."