Aquarium

Tokyo Skytree, Sumida City, Tokyo

Today was the first day of the summer vacation, almost a month and a half without classes, without Haru, without Sakura, it was the time to take a deserved rest of all that finally. Since I wanted to take advantage of the free time immediately I decided to do something, since Levia came with us she only spent it in our house or in the cafeteria, for what I asked permission from Tifa so that the following girl with whom I had a date was Levia in her place, she agreed in exchange for another chocolate. But now the question was what to do with the mermaid, where could I take her that would be fun but also easily accessible for the wheelchair? I must admit that the answer was not easy and I had to do some research, but after searching the best I could find was the Sumida aquarium, which was just below the Tokyo Skytree, so it was close to home, I could just walk out of the house and push the wheelchair there.

Levia was quite nervous for being the first time she was going far away from home, she was quite terrified to think what would happen if they found out she was a mermaid, but I mentioned to her that as long as she didn't wag her tail too much everything would be fine. All the way there she was paying a lot of attention to the people around us, seeing how many people lived in a human city. And I think she was right, although she was at sea she had lived in the same country as me, where a metropolis like Tokyo with millions of inhabitants was new to her.

When we finally arrived at the place Levia saw what our appointment was about and maybe she got a little upset about it.

"Are you really going to take a mermaid that has lived all her life under the sea to an aquarium?"
"To observe fish?"

"Well I was thinking about a trampoline hall but I remembered that you don't like jumping on the ground"
"Why not the aquarium?"
"It'll be fun, I'm sure there's a lot you don't know"

"I don't know, maybe it would feel the same if you visited a museum about Atlantis?"

"But that doesn't mean it won't be fun"
"Come on, we're here anyway"
"...."
"Damn, I think I just acted like my dad"

After paying the entrance fees we went to the first room, where there were three large decorated fish tanks. They were quite ornate with plants and tree trunks, and the fish in them were quite small. The idea of these tanks was freshwater fish, so in a way it was something new for Levia.

"So this is what the bottom of a freshwater river would look like. it looks like they don't have a lot of room and it's full of stuff"
"It also looks like they can't be very big either"
"They sure wouldn't last a day in the ocean"

"Is this discrimination against freshwater fish?"
"Fish tank mermaid?"

"What?"
"No, I was just thinking out loud"
"What strikes me the most is the amount of vegetation along the rivers"
"They look a bit like seagrass meadows"
"...."
"You know, I think it's funny when you first brought me to the surface I was struck by the fact that plants also live up here"
"...."
"But I still thought that was just because we were near the beach"
"And when we went further inland I was amazed at how many different plants live inland"
"The sheer number of them, and each and every one of them seemed alien to me"
"It was fun those days"

"Well, if it makes you feel better, it also happens on the other side"
"For us to see that plants live in the ocean is also surprising"
"And yes, seeing the ocean seems like an alien world to us too."
"That's why we build places like this one."
"To appreciate it and learn more about it"
"It may not look like much now but you should look at the rest of the place"

"Well, if that's the case then I'd like to see how much appreciation humans have for the sea"

We continued walking inside the aquarium until we reached a new room. It was quite dark, but there was a tank with lights that changed color from where the illumination came from, inside it thousands of jellyfish were floating around, dyeing themselves with the same colors of the lights, making it a great visual stimulation. On the other hand, Levia didn't look very cheerful, she shrank from them and didn't want to be near them.

"Why do they have painful jellies here?"
"And why so many!?"

"Painful jellies?"

"Those things over there!"
"Don't you know them?"
"Those damn things hurt enough just by touching them!"
"They don't taste that good either"
"I don't understand why humans would like to have a fish tank full of those creatures"

"Well, because they look beautiful"
"Especially how they move"
"Look, look!"
"Like making little jumps"
"They look funny and strange to people who live on the ground"

"Well, I don't see what's so funny"
"They are quite dangerous in the sea"
"I would never swim near a place with so many painful jellies"
"Even if I got a prize for it"

"Well, don't worry, no one will ask you for something like that"
"Besides, you're safe here"
"There's a big glass that separates us from them"
"Look, you could even touch it and nothing would happen to you"

"And how about that guard and the sign that says do not touch?"

"Oh damm"
"We'd better continue"

I quickly grabbed the wheelchair and pushed it to get out of there as fast as I could before I was scolded and so we moved on to the next exhibit. This time there were several water tanks filled with fish and corals from the ocean. When Levia saw them, she got so excited that she almost jumped out of her chair, so I went faster so she could see them up close.

"I can't believe they have corals in a place so far from the sea!"
"Look I know exactly how it should be!"
"It's so alive!"
"Do humans really care about things like this?"
"Even when they are not so difficult to see"

"That's because you saw them every day"
"For city people, it's quite strange to see these things."
"Some can only meet them in places like this."

"Although it's also a little strange for me"
"Normally these little fish would hide when they see me at all"
"Yet here they are so calm even surrounded by humans"
"I'm sure they are mistaking me for a human"

"Well, that's the idea"
"These fish are also living in these tanks without predators in their waters, so they have learned to live quietly"
"Their tanks are always cared for, they are fed regularly and even have keepers in case they get sick"

"So these fish have learned to appreciate humans?"
"In that case, it's no wonder they don't mind having us so close."
"I'm sure they are even grateful to have a peaceful home."

"Hey look at these things here"
"They're like worms in the sand"
"They come out to look every time I go near them"
"They're so funny"

"Oh look at those little long fish!"
"I didn't think I would ever see them again!"
"Look, they are waving at me!"

"Here they say they are called spotted garden eel"
"they say they are shy and hide in the sand from predators"

"Really?"
"We used to call them shy rays"
"It was fun to swim close to them and see how they would quickly hide until the whole place was empty"
"Although we played so many times in that place that sometime later it was the other way around"
"They would come out of their hiding places to greet us when we swam near them at full speed"

"I'm sure it's the same here"
"They are happily greeting everyone who comes to visit them"

"I'm sure they do"
"I am also happy when people come to greet me in the cafeteria"
"It's fun to see how people smile when they see me"

We continued on our way, after going down a very big ramp we found the main attraction of the whole aquarium, a tank full of penguins, which were standing on a stone looking and greeting everyone who passed by. When Levia saw them she screamed with excitement at their appearance.

"Wow! what are those cute things!"
"I've never seen anything like that before!"
"Do they live in the sea too?"

"These?"
"They are penguins, they are birds that live and spend a lot of time in the water"
"They usually live in the South Pole, in the Antarctic"
"Such a cold place where there is snow all year round"

"Are they birds?"
"They don't look like they can fly"
"But they are so cute!"
"Look, that one is looking in our direction!"

"Well, if they are birds that traded their wings for fins"
"They are excellent swimmers and love fish"
"Look at this sign, each one of them has a name and mate"

"Did they really lose their ability to fly in exchange for swim"
"...."
"So that means we're not so different."
"Right, Pen Pen"

"I think that one is called Tera"
"Look at the color of the band"
"It says here that she broke up with six boyfriends last year before finally staying with the seventh"
"Pen Pen was one of her victims"

"No Pen Pen!"
"He deserved better!"

A group of keepers entered the penguins' enclosure with several buckets full of fish. When the tender birds saw them, they began to swim back to land to approach them in a pack.

"Oh look, it's time to feed them!"

"Wow, it was true that they like fish."
"...."
"Just look how happy they are to see the humans who take care of them coming to feed them"
"That one over there even stands by their feet to cuddle them"
"They are so pretty"

We spent a long time watching how they were feeding the penguins. Levia was delighted with them, she was trying to learn to identify them but she was having a hard time. A keeper noticed this and tried to help her learn to differentiate them, but the mermaid was even more confused than he was if she was able to recognize each one by sight alone. She was really enchanted by the cute animals and it was by far the longest time we spent with them. At one point she even mentioned that she would like to swim with them for a while, but I warned her not to for obvious reasons.

Walking a little further we came across the largest fish tank in the place, the Water's Blessing. The theme was to represent the seabed of Japan, with all kinds of fish, small and big, there were even manta rays and sharks swimming in it. When Levia saw it she got excited again and urged me to go faster to the place.

"Wow, look at this! It's amazing!"
"It's like actually swimming underwater again!"
"Look at this spot here is where those long fish usually hide"
"And this one here is throwing sand on itself to hide"
"Probably from that flatfish right there"
"There and look, they also have these yellow fish!"
"I know them quite well, they are always together with more of them to protect themselves"

"How interesting"
"What about this one? Do you know it?"
"The one full of dots"

"Oh the wire-netted?"
"They are quite solitary, they spend most of their lives on the rocks or coral without moving"
"Oh and look at this Morena! it looks exactly like the one that usually lives at home"
"Did you know that it has two pairs of teeth"

"Morena is the name it has in Costa Rica, in English it is called moray eel"
"What about the shark? Aren't you afraid of it?"

"Why should I be afraid of him?"
"My tail alone is twice as big as him"
"The one who would be terrified to see me would be him, I bet if I went swimming there he would be the one hiding among the rocks"

"Really?"

"Sharks are actually idiot bullies"
"They appear to be quite strong and fearsome"
"But they are the first to run away when they see something bigger than them"
"I once saw one trying to eat and when he saw me he stopped immediately and turned so fast he hit a rock and was knocked unconscious"

"It's quite nice"
"Was it a place like this where you used to be most of the time?"

"Yes, when I had nothing to do on the surface and didn't want to go back to my room I spent quite a bit of time in places like this"
"It's quite nice to see it again so far away from home and to see that so many people like it too"
"Looks like it was true in the end, humans like the sea too"
"I'm glad they made places like this so they can experience it too even a little in a way"
"....."
"Hey, couldn't you take a picture of the two of us with this view in the background?"
"As if we were both underwater"

"Yes, of course, no problem."
"Let me ask that guard if he could help us"

After taking our picture we stayed a while longer in silence looking at the fish tank. It seems that the mermaid felt quite familiar with the view and wanted to appreciate it a little more, contemplating it for herself, I stayed by her side without saying anything, waiting for her to tell me when to go on, because for sure there were several emotions inside her at the same time.

Almost at the end of the trip, we found a small area called Aqua Base, which was a place with different small fish tanks. According to the information it said that this was where they prepared the different foods that were given to the fish of the whole place. At the counter there were several caretakers preparing everything carefully, making sure that everything was in order and answering any questions the visitors had. Levia was curious about what was being prepared there.

"Wow, do the fish eat well here."
"It all looks pretty tasty, actually"
"Hey, do you think they'll let me try some?"

"????"
"Are you serious?"
"That weird thing looks tasty to you?"
"You're not serious, are you?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha"
"Of course not"
"I'm just kidding"
"...."
"Actually, if there's one thing I don't miss from before, it's food"
"I much prefer human food and by far"
"I don't think I could ever go back to eating what I used to"
"I'd rather starve to death"
"This is all your fault for bringing me to live on the surface"

"So what you like most about living here is the food"
"That explains why that huge tail has started to get thicker"

"You never say that to a lady !"
"...."
"But it's not the only thing that keeps me up here either"
"You know, the truth is, I've never been around people as much as I am now"
"And every day is new and different"
"The world up here is so strange and different and fun"
"But at the same time I'm not afraid of anything because I'm always surrounded by people who love me and care about me"
"...."
"Especially you, who brought me up here to this place because you think about me"
"In trying to help me and make me feel accepted in spite of what has happened and how hard it is to take care of me"
"...."
"Seriously, I am so happy and grateful to have you in my life, Darling"

Levia stretched her arms around my neck to force me closer and then kissed me.

We didn't stay there long after that, we continued on our way to the exit. Before we left, though, we passed by the souvenir store. It was full of beautiful and curious objects. There were decorations for fish tanks, cleaning machines for them, and even a strange jellyfish tea that was blue in color, there were also a few sweets and candies.

We browsed around a bit, until I found a section full of stuffed animals of marine animals. But above all, there was a cute big penguin stuffed animal that I knew Levia would love, so I secretly bought it and gave it to her when we left on our way home. She hugged it all the way back.