Jaki's World
                                                                             Chapter Five: A New Friend?
                                                                                                                                                                                by Naia Zifu

Jaki was in a bit of a staring contest.  The blue lizard had come back, and had refused to leave no matter how much Jaki flared his frilly black and gold fins or charged the side of the tank.  So Jaki locked his unblinking eyes with those of the reptile in hopes that might intimidate it enough to leave, but the lizard seemed only too happy to play such a fun game.  Despite the apparent advantage of having no eyelids with which to blink, Jaki was unable to out-stare the lizard, much to his own annoyance-- he had to swim to the surface of his tank and grab a gulp of air.  The lizard inclined its frilled head at him as he swam back down, as if asking whether he wanted to play again.  If looks could kill, that reptile woudn't have stood a chance.

Just then, the woman came into the room.  Her dress was simple-- low-cut, thin straps, clingy, in a white that gradiated to a soft yellow as it passed her knees.  Her thick gold and red waves of hair, still damp from her bath, fell in a heavy curtain all around her slender form as she padded barefoot over to the table on which Jaki's tank sat.

"What's this?"

Jaki looked on smugly as the woman leaned in to get a better look at the lizard.  Now that stupid little reptile was really gonna get it!

"Looks like you have a visitor," she said, picking it up.  "And what might your name be?"

If it were possible for a fish to facefault, Jaki would've done so right then and there.  Did she not understand that thing was his nemesis?

The woman seemed to be listening to the lizard for a moment before she said, "Eri?  That's a lovely name."

Could it be she really understood the animal?  Or had she just thought up that name on her own?

"Eri, this is Jaki," she introduced the two, "and my name is Galaxia."

Galaxia?  So that's what the woman was called.  That was a nice name, Jaki thought.  Wait a minute, how come she'd never once introduced herself to him like that?  He'd been living with her almost a whole month without knowing her name!

She held the lizard up to the tank to greet him, but Jaki turned and swam away in a huff.  How dare she make friends with an annoying intruder like that?  And then to expect him to as well?  Well, he wasn't gonna, and she couldn't make him.

"I'm sure you're hungry, aren't you?  Let me see what I have that a lizard like you might enjoy."

Jaki turned around and flared at her.  No, that thing was not staying.  This was his home just as much as hers, and he would not allow it!  But rather than listening to his opinion on the matter, she set the lizard down on the table and left the room.  As soon as she was gone, Jaki made his feelings about this arrangement vividly clear to Eri by charging the side of the tank at full flare.  Eri seemed to think this was another game, however; she flared the blue frill on her neck, got up on her hind legs, and charged towards the tank in imitation.  Jaki, however, was smart enough to stop before he ran into the side wall.  The lizard crashed right into it, and fell back with a dazed expression.  How stupid could one animal be?  Jaki turned and swam away, smug in his own superiority, as he headed for his beloved rocket ship.  Why waste any more time on a lizard who was dumb enough to run into walls when he could be off exploring all those wonderful places Galaxia was always telling him about?  Er, imaginary explorations, since his rocket was still apparently broken and wouldn't lift off for real.

But as he settled in for his adventure, he took one last look out the porthole.  There was Eri, sitting by the side of the tank, looking terribly forlorn.  Okay, maybe it wouldn't hurt to bring a passenger along on his imaginary trip just this once.  She could be the one who pushed buttons and worked thingamajigs, since his own fins didn't seem well-suited to that kind of task.

Galaxia returned to the room and set a few small bits of chopped-up fruit in front of the lizard.  Apparently Eri was a vegetarian, as she excitedly began to wolf down the offering.

"You're welcome to visit whenever you like, for as long as you like," she told the lizard.  "I'm away a lot during the day, and I'm sure Jaki would like to have a friend over sometimes to keep him from getting too lonesome. . . right, Jaki?"

Reluctantly he began to swim in circles, showing only grudging consent.  It was true, he did get lonesome when she was outside all day taking care of her world.  Though he could certainly think of better company to spend his time with (the thought of a female fish sprang to mind), he supposed he could try to have fun with this lizard.

As though she'd understood his response, Eri licked the side of the tank with her purple forked tongue.

At least the portholes and windshield of the rocket would always be clean.



©2008 Naia Zifu ([email protected]), all rights reserved.
Galaxia is a SM character I don't own rights to.  Jaki is a black and gold halfmoon betta fish given to Galaxia by Neo Queen Serenity while she was guest-starring in a holiday special over on Court Intrigue.  Eri is entirely of my own creation.  As always, I'm not trying to make money off anyone else's ideas.
Jaki's World started out as a way to amuse myself while waiting for actual gaming to begin on This Chaotic Universe (http://chaoticuniverse.proboards105.com), and meant to take place during that version of reality.  I'll likely do some fic along a similar line, however, which these should just as easily fit into.