"What's that? It looks like the gross, dirty water, but a nicer color than the other gross dirty water that came in a plastic cup."
Finch sighed as she held on tight to her mug and spoon, making sure Hester's rambunctiousness didn't knock over the hot beverage.
"Well, this isn't the other 'gross dirty water,' and that one's not gross, it's black coffee and it's great."
Finch took her spoon out and set it aside, now drinking from the warm mug, Hester beginning to complain.
"Hey! You didn't answer my question! I want to try some of that!"
Hester reached towards Finch's mug, trying to take it as she held it away from him.
"I was going to answer you, I just wanted to have some myself. This is called hot chocolate, a popular beverage around the winter months. Some people call it hot cocoa."
"But isn't chocolate that sweet thing that comes in bars?"
"Yeah, but this is a little different. I just have the cheap powdered kind you add hot water to and stir. Some people add marshmallows or peppermint or other stuff to give it more flavor, but i'm fine just having it like this."
"Can I try?" Hester asked again, reaching for the mug of hot chocolate, reaching back and blowing on his fingers with a scream once he touched the ceramic.
"It's hot!" He weeped, dunking his fingers into the cooler water of the pool he was in.
"Where did you think the 'hot' in the name came from, doofus?" Finch said.
"Still," Hester replied, ignoring the comment on his smarts, "I want to try it! Once it cools down a little more, of course."
"I...don't know if that's a great idea, Hest. Why do you think I've given the other bettas hot chocolate?"
"They should try it, too!" Hester exclaimed, swishing his tail eagerly in the water and starting to reach for Finch's mug again.
"No, they shouldn't, because they're fish. I'm not a marine biologist, but I'm pretty sure fish aren't supposed to have chocolate."
"But I'm only part fish technically!" Hester protested, tracing his fingers along his fins. He huffed as readjusted some of his bandages, and twirled a strand of emerald hair.
"Part fish or not, I don't want to be responsible for dragging out a dead merman of my apartment," Finch asserted, putting her mug down and taking off her glasses to clear the fog that had formed on them.
"Please, can't I have some? It smells so good, unlike that black coffee stuff you usually drink!"
Hester's impatientness made him swish his tail around furiously in the kiddie pool, and he started splashing water onto the floor, his long, flowy red fins dripping water onto the carpet.
"I will get you some, just please stop spilling water onto the carpet, it's hard to clean! Again, sorry I couldn't get you anything bigger than this kiddie pool for you to stay in."
Finch got up to go heat water in the kitchen, briefly turning her back to make sure of something.
"Oh and don't you dare drink out of my mug while I'm gone, that's mine. I'll get you your own."
The merman nodded, eagerly clapping his hands together with a bright look on his face. He settled back calmly into the pool, waiting happily for the sweet new beverage he was about to try.
Finch came back a few minutes later with another mug, and a napkin wrapped around the mug, carefully approaching Hester with it.
"It's hot, be careful. Don't spill it on yourself cause it'll burn really badly. Also added some milk since I thought you might like it a little sweeter."
Hester beamed at Finch in gratitude, watching the steam rising off the beverage in wonder after saying a brief "Thank you!"
He blew carefully on the beverage, hoping it cooled down a little more. Carefully, he then pressed the mug to his lips and took a sip.
Eyes wide, he pulled the mug away and stared into it.
"Burn your tongue?" Finch asked
"No!" Hester refuted. "It's just...this is so GOOD!"
He immediately proceeded to down the whole mug in gulps, breathing heavily as he finished.
"More...please?"
"Whoa-a, calm yourself down! I still don't think you should be drinking so much of it, I don't know what it can do to you."
"Please!" Hester begged, grabbing Finch's hand and staring at her with vulnerable eyes. "It's so good and it's been missing from my whole life until now!! Just let me have some more, it's all I'm asking for!"
Finch reluctantly sighed, leaving and heading to the kitchen. The sounds of tearing paper and pouring water were heard. She then came back with an entire pitcher full of hot chocolate, pouring some into her mug and then handing the pitcher off to Hester.
"If you get sick, it's your fault."
Hester eagerly took the pitcher, plucking the lid off and throwing it aside to drink the entire contents.
"Can I have more?" he asked, wiping off some chocolate on his lip.
"You still want more?!" Finch exclaimed in disbelief. "I used up all the hot chocolate packets! I can't give you more, not only 'cause I really don't feel like going to the store in this weather--"
Finch gestured to the window, where a light flurry of snow was descending as trees were trembling in the strong winds.
"--and because I'm not going to risk killing you with hot chocolate! I should've just looked up if chocolate was bad for fish or not."
"It's not a big deal," Hester huffed, "I'll probably be fine, I just wanted some more hot chocolate, what harm could it have done to me?"
__________
About an hour of subtle whining later, Hester then was clutching his arms around himself, curled up in a corner of the kiddie pool.
"Ugh, nooo, why did I think that was a good idea?"
"Maybe 'cause you though it was "not a big deal?'" Finch said as she was feeding flakes to another betta fish in a tank. "Not to be one of those 'I told you so' jerks but..."
"Yeah, yeah, you told me so and I didn't listen," Hester groaned, propping his head up on a side of the pool. "It was still super delicious though, I just wish it didn't come with all this pain afterwards..."
"Well, if you want a bright side, you're one of the few fish to eat chocolate and survive," Finch joked. "You've had more variety right now than the standard flakes, pellets, shrimp, and occasional vegetables most bettas get."
Hester fiddled with his bandages to get away from the subject.
"How long do I have to keep wearing these, again?" he asked.
"Until the cuts from your first irresponsible day here heal," Finch replied, putting her book down. "Now that you've reminded me though, we should probably change them."
Hester recoiled in fear. "You're not going to bring out that rubbing alcohol liquid thing our again, are you?"
"I have to. Can't risk your cuts getting infected."
"Come on! First the hot chocolate upsetting my stomach, and now I have to deal with that?"
"Well, they're both technically your fault."
"Why am I so dumb like this, then?! Why do you keep allowing me to be dumb, Finch?"
"You're just like that, I guess. Can't stop you from being you."
"Hey!"
Finch laughed quietly as she smoothed out her onyx hair out of her face, getting up to go get the bandages, cotton balls, and rubbing alcohol from the bathroom.
"You know, once holiday season is over, the hot chocolate will be on sale," she called out.
"Come on, don't tempt me like that! Don't do that to me!" Hester retorted, provoking laughter from the bathroom.
~ :coffee: ~
Hey!! I know I've been ultra dead on here, mainly cause I've had no time to write lately AND been super unmotivated to write in general. But I saw the new Christmas Event this Amino was holding, and while I usually don't write holiday things, the prompts seemed really interesting to me :eyes: plus I got a cool idea so!! I decided to go for it!
This might've been kinda rushed and bad since I barely edited it and wanted to get it done before today was over, since I missed yesterday's prompt T v T and all the prompts before that, but I promise I'll make them up soon!
This was meant to be a silly little thing lmao, a break from more other serious/edgy writings i have haha
I know since I have to include a betta fish in each one I might've had to include a picture? But I'm really tired rn writing this so sorry I didn't include one ; w ; I hope Hester counts though since he is supposed to be a betta fish merman, along with the multiple regular betta fishes in tanks that Finch owns.
Y'all might see more of those two soon!! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
And yeah I know the pictures look more like fall aesthetics than winter aesthetics but, shhh
Also the formatting's ass but also, shhhhhhhh that one is cause im really tired
DON'T GIVE UR FISH CHOCOLATE Y'ALL, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM
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