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[eloquencejones]

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[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."

[partofurworld]

It feels like forever before she's exhausted herself in his arms, having no more energy for the sobs to go with the steady stream of tears and her mind has gone completely blank with the numb feeling of resignation that settles over her body. Ariel's always been a fighter, but this feels like the odds way too far against her and she doesn't think she can do it.

She almost clings harder when she feels Dick starting to move, but instead, she takes in a shaking breath when he starts to wipe away her tears. She'd assumed she would be with Eric by now. She assumed that she'd already have been welcomed into his arms and his castle and his heart and now she doesn't know what's going to happen to her. Dick says they're not going to let Ursula take her but Ariel isn't so sure there's anything that they can do to stop it.

What am I supposed to do now...? I don't have anywhere to go, I don't... her voice trails off in the psychic link and her head tilts down as she wills herself not to start crying all over again.

[utilitybelted]

He isn't sure what to do next, all he knows is he wants to see her smiling again, seeing her so upset was almost heartbreaking.

"We'll see what Kaldur says when he gets back, he'll have more answers for us," he explains, though he can understand that waiting might not be the best thing for her right now, especially with her three day deadline.

"While we wait, why don't we go somewhere? You've never been on land before, have you? Do you want to see more of it?"

[partofurworld]

When the only real advice Dick seems able to offer is basically to sit tight, Ariel looks even more concerned and uncomfortable. She's certainly not going to find someone to fall in love with her by sitting around waiting for news that could potentially be useless information.

She shakes her head at his question, because no, she never has. The idea of a distraction is more than a little welcome because maybe then she can't dwell on resigning herself to the awful inevitable. A weak smile that falls short of her eyes tugs at the corners of her mouth, though; she's trying.

I think that would be really nice. ...you'll come with me…?

[utilitybelted]

It's pretty obvious that his suggestion of distraction is not quite as effective as he'd like it to be, but he can hardly expect her to leap at the idea when she's just received such a bombshell - at least she was willing to try it at all, instead of just moping, that was good to see.

"Of course I'll come with you, I won't leave your side until we have this figured out, I promise," and that is a promise he can keep, they haven't got any missions due in the next few days and even if one came up, he was sure the league would understand his reason for not going "oh.... except for at night, that's probably, uh, improper or something. But I'll still be close by!"

[partofurworld]

Relief, although fleeting, washes over her when Dick says that he'll be right with her. She gets the reference as far as him not being able to spend nights with her, but she appreciates that he'll stay with her in the day time, helping her at least live the last couple of days of her free life to the fullest. Ariel isn't in any way convinced that this is going to be a thing they can fix, so she's just going to try to grin and bear it and soak up as much of the experience on the surface as she can. Maybe it'll help her get through the rest of her miserable life if she's got something beautiful like this to draw on when she's having an especially hard time dealing with the consequences of her thoughtless actions.

Thank you, she thinks and gives him another small smile. She's getting there. Still a little short of meeting her eyes because there's still sadness and resignation hiding there, but she is trying and she is making progress. That's got to mean something.

Ariel looks around the room. Where are we going? she wonders, looking back at him with big, blue, curious eyes.

[utilitybelted]

"Well... I was thinking we could head into the city? Gotham city, it's where I'm from so I know it, and there's lots to see." Sure it was occasionally a little...uh... dangerous, but Dick knew all the good places to be and all the best places to avoid, he also had the advantage of knowing exactly where every access point was to get them back to the base as soon as they heard from Kaldur, so there would be no unnecessary delays.

He holds a hand out to her so he can help her if she stumbles again "We have this special transport that gets us there pretty much instantly, come on, I'll show you it."

[partofurworld]

The idea of being able to see where he's from is appealing because she thinks that probably means he'll know all the best places to take her. This time when she smiles, it finally looks completely genuine.

I think that sounds really nice.

Ariel takes his hand and draws herself up to get feet again looking curious and excited all at once when he says they're taking a special mode of transportation. She wonders how come Scuttle's never told her about instant transportation for humans; that would've made a really great story, after all.

[utilitybelted]

Dick takes her hand and he can't help but notice how soft and warm it is against his own, how sweet her smile is when she really means it. Eric would be a lucky guy, maybe he still will be - if she could come forward in time maybe they could send her back and she'd still have her chance.

"It's over here, come on," he tells her, pushing aside those thoughts, at least until they know what Kaldur has to say. Somehow it's easy to not think about when she'll have to leave them. He leads her over to the Zeta tubes "We just walk in and it takes us where we need to go. You ready?"

[partofurworld]

She likes the feel of his hand around hers; Ariel decides she instantly likes hand-holding a lot more when it's not one of her sisters or her father. She gives him another shy smile, ducking her head, before he starts to draw her nearer to a large contraption she's never seen before this place and she stares back at it in awe.

I'm so ready, she thinks gleefully, looking up at him with a bright smile. Hey, she might be doomed to a life of servitude that starts in a few days, but for now, she's more interested in focusing on the fact that Dick is nice and she likes him and he's going to show her as much of the surface as he can before she has to go.