Kelpie froze. His water droplets stopped falling. His eyes went wide.
"Don't move," Vlad Jr. whispered.
Kelpie's voice came out strangled. "I'm not moving."
"Don't breathe," Vlad Jr. added.
Kelpie took a loud, shaky breath. "I'm breathing."
Vlad Jr. winced. "Don't breathe so loud."
The bird tilted its head and looked at Kelpie's face. Then it pecked his cheek, gently like a kiss.
Kelpie's face turned the color of the bird's feathers.
Drake squinted at him. "It likes you."
Kelpie shrieked, "It's trying to eat me!"
Drake crossed his arms. "Birds eat fish. You're fish-adjacent."
Kelpie sputtered. "I am not fish-adjacent!"
"Your mom and dad are sea creatures," Drake pointed out, counting on his fingers. "You live in water. You have water droplets following you everywhere like lost puppies. Face it, Kelpie. You're basically a very pretty fish."
Kelpie looked genuinely offended. "That's not the same thing!"
Boo floated upside down above them. "Now you have a pet."
