Ah....sweet rain.

Well, it was more of a light misting, but to a certain fish man with a PhD, it was enough to make him grin, which...given his facial features, wasn't very noticeable, but that really didn't matter. Who cared if anyone saw that Manfish was happy? What mattered was that he was at this moment...well, content. Not happy happy, but it was close enough. 

He stood outside the aquarium in his black, shorty-style wet-suit with red pinstripes, a backpack slung over one shoulder. He'd just finished his lunch (in solitude, where no one could see him. The world was welcome) after his volunteer-shift at the aquarium, and now he was just enjoying the weather and the solitude. 

"Hey look at the giant fish! Maybe we should introduce him to a giant cat and see what happens!"

The nineties called; they want their joke back. Actually nevermind. The jokes were much more creative when I was in high school. The lab rats we dissected back then could have thought of a better line. But it was no matter, the punk teenager who'd made the crack was long gone.

These days, kids didn't even have the guts to stay to see the reaction to their crappy one-liners. Granted, he knew he was a formidable opponent in a battle of wits or strength, so...he really couldn't blame the little dilenquent. Ah, it was really no matter. He had the whole day ahead of him, and such. Besides, the day was actually going well.

He turned to make his way down the sidewalk, to find somewhere to go and enjoy this light--oh there we go. The misting had worked its way to a drizzle, which quickly became a light rain. Perfect. Well, for him, anyway.

That is until a rock hit him square in between the eyes. It hurt, but thankfully he had a thick skull like most catfish. He bared his sharp, piranha-like teeth, and the kid paled before running. 

"Reprobates...what can ya do?" he murmured with a light chuckle as he continued about his way. Truth be told, his mood was starting to damper a bit, but...hey. That was life.[/i]

Quacey had been to the aquarium before, but that had been several months ago and he didn’t really remember a lot from that trip. So, since had been bored, he had decided to go there, just to look. He doubted he would have the time to walk about in the city once he went to the mansion, and figured he might as well go.

The aquarium was bigger than he remembered and he had a lot of fun trying to see if he could recall the names of any of the fish he saw. Turned out he only remembered a few of them, mostly the basic ones, but it was just for fun so it didn’t matter. Besides, there were some real strange fish with some of the weirdest names that he couldn’t even pronounce, nor wanted to. He would just butcher the names anyways.

Being in the aquarium had been a fun little excursion, but it was nearing lunchtime and he was getting hungry. It also started to rain, though not much, just a light drizzle. Quacey wasn’t really bothered by it as he wore his rainwear; a yellow raincoat coupled with a hat, brown waterproof pants and yellow boots that reached just below his knees. The sky had been cloudy and the air moist for days now, so he knew it would start raining sooner or later.

Making his way to the exit, he sipped on a strawberry smoothie he had bought in the aquarium store. He could hear his stomach growl and was eager to get home to his mother’s delicious bacon and cheese sandwiches.

Just as he exited the aquarium and turned the corner, he spotted some kids throwing a rock at a man. Quacey stopped in his tracks and observed as the thrower ran away scared, presumably of the man. Puzzled, he inched forward to get a better look at the man. To his surprise and wonderment, the man wasn’t a man, but rather a large fish-like creature, a mishmash of aquatic species, such as sharks, catfish and even piranhas. Fascinating!

“You alright Mister? That looked like it hurt”, he approached the man-fish and looked at him with slight concern. The guy had muttered something, but Quacey had been too far away to hear. “Why did those kids throw a rock at you? Is it merely because you look different?”, Quacey asked, more out of politeness than a need to know. He figured that had to be the reason; it is easy to pick on those different from you after all. Quacey was certain he would have been picked on, had he gone to public school. Bright purple eyes with the symbol of a Gordian knot for pupils weren’t exactly normal. Still, he was one of the lucky ones as he could easily hide his eyes. This man was clearly not as lucky.

Not long after the ordeal, another teenager came up to him. This one younger, and...polite. It made a soft smile come to the older man's face, though given his face, all smiles looked weirder than they did anything else.

"It is fine," he replied, swallowing most of his anger at the juvenile who was now long gone. "I've got a thick skull. Literally," he added softly, then shrugged at the question.

"From what I gather, it is because I'm different, but such is the world we live in. People like that are going to come along, no matter who you are. But, all things considered, I probably catch more of them than the average person. But, as long as you know who you are, it really doesn't matter what anyone else says," he replied, deciding to use his experience as a teaching tool for the younger mutant.

"As long as everyone is different, there are going to be those who ridicule others for it, not realizing that they too, are as different as everyone else."

The man smiled, his face contorting in a strange manner. "It is fine,", he said, "I've got a thick skull. Literally". 


"From what I gather, it is because I'm different, but such is the world we live in. People like that are going to come along, no matter who you are. But, all things considered, I probably catch more of them than the average person. But, as long as you know who you are, it really doesn't matter what anyone else says," 

"As long as everyone is different, there are going to be those who ridicule others for it, not realizing that they too, are as different as everyone else."

Quacey didn't interrupt the man as he spoke, such would be rude. Instead, he cocked his head and listened to his words. Once he was done speaking, Quacey smiled and nodded , "I can imagine. Catfish have rather thick skin if I remember correctly, though I cannot be quite certain of that". He took a sip of the smoothie, "Father always says that war and conflict stems from the differences between men. Religion, background and ethnicity. All of it. Thus true peace will never come to be, we are all simply too different; always have been, always will", another sip and slight tilt of the head. "Say, Mister, you do not happen to work at the aquarium do you?".

"Yeah. I like to think when it comes to fish and humans, I got the best of both worlds. But sadly, others fail to see it that way." He let out a disgruntled sigh, looking around a bit, mostly studying the faces of people who let their eyes meet his as they passed by. Some were in awe, some intrigued, some didn't seem to care, and others looked at him with utter disgust. And all he'd done was stand there. It was intriguing and infuriating wrapped up into one volatile package.

He smiled, looking at the boy when he asked about the aquarium. "Actually, yes I do. I volunteer my time at least one day a week, helping take care of the fish, feeding the dolphins, and that sort of thing. I worked there when I was in college, and after I moved on to other things with better pay, I signed on to work for free, I love it there so much."

He paused a moment, then added. "You can call me Manfish. Or, if you want to be more professional, Dr. Fishman."

Quacey noticed the many looks that were sent their way, most of them filled with disgust, awe or outright fear. It irked him that the majority of the looks were directed at Dr. Fishman, but there was little he could do about that.



He took a sip of his smoothie and noticed it was empty. Glancing around, he spotted a trash can and made his way toward it. He still payed attention to what Dr. Fishman said as he threw the smoothie and nodded as he made to stand beside him. “I see. Well, you should consider yourself one of the lucky. Many obvious mutants are unable to get a job or attend public school. I, for one, could not, but it bothers me little. It was for the best after all”. He adjusted his hat as the light drizzle turned into mild, tapping rain. “What do you plan to make of your mutation Dr. Fishman?”, it was a question Quacey had been burning to ask someone, anyone, for a long time. This was his first real encounter with another mutant up close, having only seen them from afar. He himself wanted to know what others like him did with their powers, so that perhaps he would figure out what he should do with his. His parents were sending him to the Mansion and while he was indeed excited, he was also skeptical. Quacey had his doubts if it would work well, he had never been to a public school before. He worried he might not fit in and besides, he didn't even know if he wanted to be at the Mansion. He had only agreed to go because his parents so badly wanted him to. Understandable, they of course wanted him to have a future, though Quacey didn't really see how going to the Mansion would give him that.

He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I wouldn't say lucky. It took a ton of hard work and even more patience. The aquarium wasn't that hard, for obvious reasons. As far as college goes, well...they don't ask for pictures on the college applications. All they saw were my scores. So by the time I showed up for class, it was too late."

He sighed. "It shouldn't be this way; where it takes those like us more work to make it just because we look different. Which is why I've taken a stand. Whenever I can, I speak to crowds of humans and mutants alike, visible and non-visible. I try to show them that we're different on the outside, but we're still breathing, living individuals, with feelings."

He gave an educated nod as he finished his sentence.

Dr. Fishman's words rang true. Quacey knew all too well that the way mutants were treated was wrong. While he had not personally experienced it, he had seen many who had, Dr. Fishman included. And no one seemed to do anything about it, at least not much. There was always the X-men, mutants who fought for the benefit of their kind and humanity. The problem was that there were mutants out there who did nothing but wreak havoc, thus ruining any chance the mutants may have at getting a better public image. It was all so disheartening for there were always someone destroying what others had worked so hard for, and not only among mutant kind, it happened with humans as well.



That was why Quacey found Dr. Fishman's dedication to be admirable. The fact that this man wanted to take a stand and actually did it was well and truly nothing short of commendable. If more were willing to do as he, maybe things would improve, though Quacey wasn't sure. A lot of people, mutant and human alike, had tried to better their bonds and make others see past the differences, but no one succeeded.



“I do sincerely hope you manage to convince some people. The fear and disgust toward our kind can sometimes go too far. And while you might not think yourself lucky, I do think you are. Even if it took a lot of hard work, you have been able to create a life for yourself, something of which many a mutant struggles with”, Quacey paused for a bit to formulate his next words, “I do not know what I would want to do with my powers, but perhaps when I get older I might be able to do some good with them. Hopefully”.

"Movements such as mine take time," he explained. "Sometimes, no, oftentimes, the person known for ushering in a change in society, or how we see people is not the first to have taken this public stance. Even if I do not usher in the age where all humans and mutants live peacefully together, then I will happily take my place outside of the history books as an unsung forerunner. As long as change happens for the better, I don't care whose name is on the movement."

He was smiling inside; this young man was very deep and insightful for his age. At least on this issue, it seemed. "Luck is one of those funny things, isn't it? You can have all the skills, all the odds in your favor, and yet...one unforeseen variable can toss all of this on its head and you're back at square one. Rather annoying, really." 

His eyes perked up behind his goggle-glasses as the boy mentioned mutation. "Well, that is something you will discover in time. After all, who would guess that looking like a giant mix-match of fish could have its benefits? But it does. Life is a giant jigsaw puzzle, and we as individuals represent but one little piece. Don't waste your life trying to fit. Just live life, do whatever it is you like to do, and pursue your passions. Then, your place in the puzzle will come to you." 

Quacey nodded at Dr. Fishman. The man had the right idea of his own movement and while Quacey knew that he would not bring about any revolutionary change, he would at least make people aware and perhaps pass on the torch for others to carry. Quacey found that this man he had come to know was wise in his own ways and seemed to truly believe in what he spoke of.



“Luck is a fickle thing and should not be relied on. Unless you have powers revolving around that”, Quacey smiled as he remembered a story he had read on the internet. It had been about this little girl who could make others lucky or unlucky. Of course, he figured there was more to it than that, but the article he had read hadn't said much else.



“Jigsaw puzzle...”, he mumbled to himself, a frown upon his face. “I do believe it is more complicated than that. Puzzles are easy to understand; all you have to do is figure out where to put the pieces. Life isn't that simple, at least not the way we have made it. We cannot only think of our own future and place in life, but also that of others and how ours fit with theirs. What others are shape us, regardless if we want it or not and the puzzle pieces are constantly changing. I, as a person who knows much of puzzles, knows that there is no definite answer to the puzzle of life. What you once were might change for better or worse, and what you once wanted could become undesirable. Unlike a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces are all set in stone, those that fit, fit and those that don't, don't; life has many pieces that doesn't fit yet still go together. Conflicting pieces that wouldn't fit in a jigsaw puzzle because the motif is different or the shape is wrong; all come together to form a conundrum that no one can truly make sense of until the time of their death”.

He nodded, pondering over what the boy was saying. "Well allow me to buy you a 5000 piece, 3 dimensional puzzle, then I'll dump it on the table and throw away the box without letting you see it. This, is the closest I can get you to the jigsaw puzzle known as life," he said with a chuckle.

"My point is, we're all part of the same structure known as life. Some pieces we interact with more, some we only interact with less. And still most of them, we'll never even see. But it's our job as living, breathing, sentient individuals to coexist on this earth with one another, regardless of our difference. Something we haven't figured out over the course of thousands of years." His voice grew somewhat sadder as he spoke.

"One can only hope that eventually, we'll get it."

Quacey nodded and slowly rolled his shoulders. “I doubt we will ever learn to accept our differences and be able to coexist. As a wise woman once said; People are pretty much alike. It's only that our differences are more susceptible to definition than our similarities”. His aunt's favorite quote, one she would often tell and question him of it's meaning. He hadn't understood it the first time, but after she explained it, it had sorta just stuck with him. Perhaps it was because the quote were meaningful to him, or simply just because it was the truth. Either way, it was a quote he was sure he wouldn't forget anytime soon.



As they stood there, some large teens came walking toward them. They pointed at the two mutants and whispered amongst themselves until they stopped few meters away. “Yo, Fish-thing! Stay away from the kid, we don't want your contagious sickness to infect normal people!”, one of the kids half-laughed, half-yelled. “Things like you shouldn't be walking around in a public place. You'll scare everyone else and spread your disgusting disease around! If you don't leave within the minute, we'll make you!”.



Quacey could tell they were serious and he knew that they would follow up on their threat. He noticed they hadn't commented on his eyes, meaning they hadn't seen them yet. Turning his eyes discreetly away and out of view from them, not out of fear, but more so out of necessity, he looked at Dr. Fishman with worry in his eyes. What now?

"And this," Manfish began, his tone as if he were teaching a lesson, and in a sense, he was, "Is exactly what I was talking to you about earlier. See, adults usually show disdain for what they do not understand, but punks like this," he motioned to the crowd of teens, clearing his throat. "Teenagers can get so wrapped up in their insecurities, that they have to lash out at the nearest being that they can to make themselves feel more powerful."

His black eyes focused on the crowd, though he was talking to the lad. "Why can't I land a date? Well, that's obvious, I look like a fish, and for the record, not a lot of girls are into that. Why can't they? Well, that's something they can't quite figure out, so to forget about it, they pick on the fish man. And, they threaten to sound tougher, even though were this a game of chess, or a fight, I have the upper hand." He then smiled, showing his toothy grin to the punks.

"Now, boys...for the record, these teeth are not for eating vegetables. And if I were to eat humans...well, you handful would be quite more filling, don't you think?" His voice was dark. Was he bluffing? Only time would tell...