It wasn't the norm for Tyler to talk as much as he did; usually, he went off of whatever a person said to him. In a way, he was like his sister, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, depending on who he was talking to. But right now? He felt more like his youngest sister, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. Where Victoria listened, Rosalie would yap, and Tyler? He was always somewhere in the middle. He honestly didn't mind since Dolphin listened to every word he said and replied via the notes app. In the back of his mind, he would make it a plan to help her learn how to speak. Part of his lingo came from the music he listened to and the people he spent time with. Then, of course, when he was angry, his accent would slip. From what he was told, Tyler sounded like a New Yorker or someone from the East Coast. Maybe it was because of his Godfather, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, and how much time he spent with him as a boy, the accent just stuck. Hopefully, if and most likely when Dolphin saw him angry (knowing him, it was bound to happen), she might get a kick out of how his words could change in how they sounded.ย
For right now, he tried to use less slang and keep this formal, like he would whenever he had to play CEO for Victoria whenever she wanted to play shopkeeper for her flower store. That was the only time he had to put on the monkey suit and not shorten his words so the bigwigs could understand him.ย
Watching Dolphin take the phone with confidence this time, Tyler couldn't help but chuckle in endearment. Maybe it was the question he asked, but he had a feeling that talking about her home would be a lot easier than small talk. Waiting for her to type, he found himself watching her, and boy oh boy was he mesmerized by her. Something about the way the light hit her hair, how cute she was sitting on his lap as she belonged there; it made his heart flutter, and his body warm up. Doing his best to rein it in, he simply sat in silence. Every so often, he'd look around them; no one was really paying attention to them. They were going about their business, so he took it upon himself to press small kisses against her shoulder. He was always an affectionate person. Tyler Anthony Atlas was the type to always show his affection in simple and small ways, whether with friends and partners, and right now? He wanted Dolphin to be his, but he didn't mind taking it slow for her sake. She was new to land after all.ย
Once Dolphin was done typing, his expression brightened as he saw how much she typed at a glance. โ Oh, sweet, getting some Dolphin Lore as my little sister would say, let's see what you got here. โ Tyler said, gently taking the device from her, allowing his fingers to gently brush against hers before he began to read. A smile began to grow as Tyler read her words about his family and friends. โ Oh, don't worry, you will meet the whole family, I'll make it happen. โ At this point, Tyler was reacting to Dolphin's words as he read. He took a mental note of the boats and would plan to take her on a ferry boat ride when he'd take her back home to Washington.ย
When reading the paragraph about her parents, the smile dropped for a moment, to not remember her parents must have agonized. Even though he butted heads with his old man, he still couldn't imagine what it'd be like not having him in his life. Let alone, not remembering his mother. Yeah, that idea stung. However, he'd keep reading and try to envision the Kingdom of Atlantis. The fact that there was a kingdom in the depths of the ocean was astonishing. And if anything, he felt grateful that the people there were able to take her in. Maybe it was selfish to think about, but without them, he'd never have her in this moment. Even if it was because of unfortunate circumstances. โ My sister is kinda like you in that regard, โ Tyler began to say before pausing in his reading. โ Victoria had something happen to her when she was little that caused her to move in with us, so she wasn't always an Atlas. She didn't speak for months until she felt comfortable enough, and even to this day, she doesn't speak much at all unless she is spoken to. But don't worry too much about speaking right now. We have a way to communicate, and in my head, you sound like a famous actress. I'll have to show you a clip after I read the rest of what you wrote. โย
Looking back down at the device, Tyler continued to read the second paragraph and took in the information. I let the sea do what it wanted to me. Something about that sentence had Tyler raise his brows and mouth the word Wow in response. Another fear unlocked, Jesus fuck. The sea had a mind of its own now? What would happen to Tyler if he got thrown into it? Honestly, he didn't want to find out, but it meant seeing the people who took care of Dolphin. He would overcome that fear for her. As he continued to read, he couldn't help but say, โ I love the lights you make; it's cute. โ Tyler said softly, just enough for her ears to hear. Rolling his eyes at Most Atlanteans look down on ones that mutated, he gave a shake of his head, โ Honestly, it's no better up here. That's a whole can of worms I can get into it if you're curious, but it might make you mad. โ The idea of anyone looking at any person differently, or looking down at them as if they were less, always made his blood boil. Then again, people just find any excuse to hate, and Tyler's rap music told him that.ย
Upon reading about this Arthur guy, Tyler smiled once again. Taking a quick break from reading, he turned his head to place another kiss on her cheek. โ Shout out to Arthur for taking care of my girl. โ He said his words quickly, before he went back to reading. Seeing that she was able to get his kingdom under control and that she became his personal confidante, Tyler whistled. โ Well, hot damn, Dol. Didn't know I was talking to a king's right hand. I'm impressed, very impressed. โ Tyler said, handing back the device to her so he could speak and she could type as she pleased in response to whatever he said.ย
โ I really appreciate you sharing this with me, Dol. It means a lot to hear about where you come from and how you're here, and my only hope is that I make you feel welcomed on land as Arthur made you feel in Atlantis. โ Tyler reaches for her hand to hold, but instead of holding it, he lets his fingers interweave between hers. โ Part of me wants to keep you here on land, but you have an important role to play under the sea. โ The Little Mermaid reference made him cringe, but he still continued to speak. โ So, I hope we find a way to make it work between here and down there, so if you ever want to go back, I won't stop you. I might just follow you if I'm being honest, but I do hope you like it up here, and I make you feel welcome. โ Tyler finally finished speaking before bringing up her hand to place a soft kiss against her skin as his eyes flicked to her, holding her gaze. โ Just say the word, I'll go wherever you go. โ
