They’re here again…and surrounded.

Remaining hidden on the far side of the tank, Havrin watched as you took up your usual spot next to the glass. Even though he had wanted to greet you immediately, the other airfaces trailing into the space behind you gave him pause—he wasn’t keen on being seen by other airfaces that weren’t you.

Blowing out a column of bubbles as he sighed, Havrin thought back to your first visit.

The gaggle you were with was…unpleasant to say the least. Loud and obnoxious, they banged on the aquarium glass and whined amongst themselves with voices like seashells being scrapped against obsidian. If he wasn’t so busy glaring at every single airface and plotting how many scratches each would get, Havrin was sure he would’ve missed you. You stood out amongst the group, alone and quietly conversing with an older male airface he’s grown to tolerate.

Havrin learned to like—even enjoy your presence once you were left alone by his tank. Unlike the others, your voice was pleasing on the ears, and the large scar you had reminded him of the many littering his own body. As for the other airfaces that had originally been with you, Havrin liked them even less after an incident in which one of the uglier airfaces tried to pull rank on you. He scared them off of course, but since then, he's been on the lookout for them whenever you were around.

Waiting until the area was empty save for you, Havrin swam forward to greet you.

Pressing up against the glass, he blew out a couple bubbles to catch your attention. When you noticed him and grinned, Havrin’s fins twitched happily as he grinned back in response, showing off a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Familiar with the path by now, you walked towards the back of the tank while Havrin swam alongside you.

Speeding up, Havrin reached the locked staff door before you did. In the dim blue light of the aquarium, the red glow of the keep out sign warned of danger like freshly spilled blood. Havrin focused on the control panel next to the door, face scrunching in concentration before the buttons buzzed to life and died out with a pathetic fizzle of electricity.

You reached the door just as the light turned green, inviting you into the restricted staff area.

Excited, the photophores scattered across Havrin’s body grew brighter as he swam forward to catch up with you in the staff area.

Taking care of a few security cameras along the way, they were all left to splutter and flicker out once he broke past the water’s surface. Then, Havrin’s tail sliced shallowly through the water, splashing you with the tank’s cold water. Amused by his own antics, he leaned against the edge of the tank to watch as you attempted to dry yourself off.

Laughing when you spoke in the same unintelligible language that airfaces use, tone too sharp to be anything but a curse, Havrin splashed you again.