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Oz supressed his blush before it got too red.

"Hehe, yeah. I have a big tummy so it talks really loud," he smiled, starting to fidget a little, straightening his back against the wall.

He almost feared going to get food from the cafeteria, in case he should run into a violent or predatory Islander. Plus add to the fact he didn't know exactly where it was. But he was starting to feel hungry.

"I think I just need something small and a cup of tea to calm my nerves," he smiled. "Do you want to come with me?"

That might solve two problems - Sayuri wasn't left alone, and Oz might have a guide.

"Alright, I understand. You have been through a lot," he said with a soft smile, as if to reassure her he wouldn't press the matter further.

He didn't want to move either, he felt so comfortable like this. Just imagine, a mermaid curled up beside him. And yes, that is what Oz was now referring to Sayuri as. It sounded so much nicer than genetic experiment. But eventually, and reluctantly, he shuffled from beneath Sayuri. He wandered over to his bed and pulled the duvet and pillows off, laying them beside Sayuri so she had something to rest against whilst he was gone.

"I won't be long, if I don't get lost that is," he smiled and tried to reassure her.

But truth be told, he just didn't know how he could return to this situation. Something in his mind told him Sayuri was still human. She talked, she could think, she could feel. But that grappled with the part of him that was terrified of just exactly WHAT she was becoming.

He left the duplex quietly, closing the door to but leaving it unlocked. He descended the stairs and was struck with a sense of de-ja-vu once more. He guessed that any cafeteria might be central to the duplexes, but where was central from here?

Oz just began walking.

Sayuri made a good point - you could get lost and still find the cafeteria eventually. Which is what Oz did. Without a watch, he had no idea how long he'd spent wandering, maybe wishing he had actually been gone a while.

His pit-stop at the cafeteria was quick and, thankfully, uneventful. Maybe because of the party last night, many were battling hangovers and bruised feelings, thus avoiding social contact and food. Oz did actually waste a bit of time in the cafeteria, as his mind tried to work through what had happened and whether he could physically return to the 'mermaid.' He couldn't just leave her in his room though. Not when she appeared to trust him.

It took him two bagels, three cups of tea and a banana for him to finally get the courage to go back. He grabbed another two apples, a muffin, and a bottle of water to take back with him. Sayuri might finally feel like eating.

Oz know looked about the village with a new perspective. Every rustle, every strange noise and a plethora of evil creatures popped into his head. Sayuri's transformation was actually quite pretty, and very fairytale. But what of others? He couldn't put animals to faces of the party guests, since he'd assumed thery were just costumes.

And what of himself? What might he become?

He re-entered his duplex, half-awake and lost in thought. The sight of Sayuri wrapped up in that duvet was enough to jsut break that gloomy expression and produce a small smile.

BANG!

His door slammed shut behind him by accident. Oz cringed.

"Umm...yeah, I got lost at first," he smiled awkwardly, a little ashamed to say it. Men were supposed to have good direction.

"And yeah, the cafeteria is quite good. I brought something back, just in case you were hungry," he said, brandishing the bottle of water and placing the muffin and apples on his bedside cabinet right next to Sayuri.

This was starting to feel really, strangely awkward, almost like the morning after a one-night stand. Not quite sure what to do next, or what to say. Oz sat himself back down next to Sayuri, resting his lower arms on his knees whilst fidgeting his hands restlessly.

She'd taken her kimono off! His eyes flashed between the neatly folded kimono and her now partly covered figure. He watched her unashamedly as she reached for the bottle of water, but as soon as she had returned to his side, he feigned innocence and looked away briefly, pretending that he'd been looking at...his chest of drawers...all the time.

That cheeky smirk wouldn't disappear though. How could he think about that at a time like this! Hormones, they never work when you need them, and always get in the way when you don't.

"Umm...yes, I'm fine. Its...a lot to think about," he replied slowly, as though the words themselves were hard to think about.

Oz really didn't want to dwell on the Island's true horror, no matter how many times an awkward question came to his mind but died at his lips. He had to change the subject.

"So...tell me more...about you. Why did you want to be a Geisha...?" the question seemed a little forced, but he did genuinely want to know more. Culture barriers had to be broken.

"Ah, so its a family tradition," he replied, nodding his head. He knew this all too well. "My dad is a surgeon, so his standards for his offspring, aka me, my brother and my sister, were very high. Too high for me, I guess."

Oz sighed also at this point. He could normally take his family flaws with a pinch of salt, and even had them to thank for his stubborn-ness, in a weird sort of way.

"Well...sounds to me like your mom was making you nervous," he said, trying to cheer her up a bit. That kind of pressure must be awful.

Oz laughed. He really shouldn't have, but he couldn't help it.

"Someone called you melon-head?" he chuckled. "Awww, I don't think you have a melon-head. You'v got a nice shaped head, more like a slim peach."

He continued to laugh and giggle, tracing out the shape of Sayuri's head using his hands. Then he compared it to his own head, making the shape of a square with his hands.

"You've got an advantage over me, I'm a block-head."

As Sayuri cuddled in a little closer, Oz wrapped his arm about her again. Was he trying to reassure her, or himself?

It is some small freedome here

He'd never thought about it like that before. It defintiely seemed like Sayuri could escape a fate she might not have wanted by being here, even if it meant she was turning into something else. Oz sighed.

"So, if you feel a bit more free here, do you still want to be a Geisha?"

It was then that Oz really looked at Sayuri. Beyond the fact she was trapped on this hell-hole and was slowly turning into an actual mermaid, she had been taken away from her culture, her family and her way of life. Just like everyone else, but whilst some could be united by hobbies, by personality, by anything, Sayuri seemed a bit like a loose end.

"Well, why don't you stop being a Geisha and just be yourself. Or, try to find something else you're good at and enjoy. If you're stuck here, you might as well enjoy something about it," he suggested, but felt almost like he'd turned into a therapist.

"And as far as love goes, you don't need to rush into it. With a mug like that, you're probably fighting the guys off left, right and centre," he smiled at her, gently squeezing her in a one-armed hug.