74 - Grumpy Little One

  Nexha watched the newborn baby with a mix of fascination and despair. The tiny triton, still wet from the eggshell, blinked his green eyes in irritation, as if outraged at being ripped from the comfort of his egg into this loud and bright world.

  For a while, the baby remained still, absorbing his new existence. Then, he started moving. First, his tiny fingers twitched. Then, his trembling tail stirred slightly, as if testing his own muscles.

  And then, without warning, he simply threw himself into the water.

  — "Hey, hey! Take it easy! Slow down!" — Nexha tried to grab him, but the baby slipped through his hands like a slippery fish and sank straight down.

  SPLASH.

  For a second, Nexha froze. But then, bubbles started rising, followed by a sharp, furious sound underwater.

  He wanted to swim.

  The problem? He had absolutely no idea how.

  Every time he kicked his tail, he spun out of control, sank, or at best, propelled himself forward just to faceplant into the sandy bottom. And each failure only made him more frustrated.

  Nexha held back a laugh.

  The baby huffed and tried again. His scrunched-up, irritated little face was hilarious. He clenched his fists and used all his strength to swim. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to make it…

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  And then he spun like a dizzy fish and belly-flopped.

  Silence.

  The tiny triton lay still. Thinking. Processing.

  Then he let out a furious little squeak and smacked his tail against the sand.

  — "Relax!" — Nexha tried to stifle his laughter. — "You just hatched! Give yourself a break!"

  The baby had no interest in excuses. He wanted to swim. Now.

  He kept trying. Each failure only made him grumpier. His expression quickly shifted from determined to downright furious after every attempt. When Nexha tried to help, gently holding him for support, the baby reacted in the only way he knew how:

  HE BIT HIM. AGAIN.

  — "WHAT THE—?!" — Nexha’s eyes widened as he stared at the little one latched onto his arm like a mini shark. — "This is becoming a serious problem!"

  The baby finally let go and crossed his tiny arms, pouting.

  — "Hah… you’re really a feisty brat, huh? You don’t look like a clownfish from the movies at all."

  The baby just stared at him, clearly judging his existence.

  That’s when Nexha realized something. He couldn’t keep calling him “baby” forever. He needed a name.

  Scratching his head, he thought. Naming a child wasn’t exactly on his list of skills.

  — "Hmm… how about… Nemo?"

  The baby blinked. Blank stare.

  — "Didn’t like it? Okay, what about… Marlin?"

  The baby’s green eyes narrowed so much that Nexha swore he was about to be obliterated by that glare.

  He sighed.

  — "Little grumpy biter?"

  The baby let out a low growl.

  — "Alright, alright! No offense!"

  Nexha looked at the tiny one, searching for inspiration. His tail was a vibrant orange with white stripes, just like a classic clownfish. His eyes were as green as fresh seaweed. Something about him felt like a strong, stubborn, and unpredictable current.

  Then, a memory surfaced from a show he used to like.

  — "How about Jasper?"

  The baby blinked slowly. His tail flicked, thoughtful. Then, he let out a curious sound.

  — "You like that one, huh? Jasper?"

  The tiny triton seemed to consider it. To Nexha’s surprise, he poked his arm — and didn’t bite.

  — "Jasper, then." — Nexha smiled. — "Welcome to the chaos, kid. Just don’t go chasing after Lapis Lazuli or Pink Diamond."

  Jasper, of course, didn’t get the joke. He just huffed, crossing his little arms again. But Nexha swore he saw a glimmer of approval in his eyes.

  Now that he had a name, everything felt more real.

  And somehow, that made it all even more terrifying.