Back in Atlantica; Friday Evening [ 05/07 ].
King Triton was flustered; he was upset and distraught, but that was never really nothing new when it came to dealing with the youngest of his seven daughters. He heaved a heavy sigh. “I just don’t know what we’re going to do with you, young lady!”
“Daddy!” Ariel rushed in, hoping to hedge the rant before it really began, but she knew it was too late. “I’m sorry! I just forgot! I-“
“As a result,” Triton cut her off, and she deflated sheepishly, “of your careless behavour-“
“Careless and reckless behavior!” Sebastian added importantly, peeking up from behind the points of Triton’s crown with an accusing claw extended.
“The entire celebration was-“
“Well, it was ruined!” Somehow, Sebastian had made it down to Triton’s long white beard, parting it as he swam out in a tirade. “That’s all! Completely destroyed! This concert was to be….the pinnacle of my distinguished career! Now tanks to you,” the claw went out jabbing the air, punctuating each word, “I am the laughing stock of this entire kingdom!”
“But it wasn’t her fault!” In a sudden burst of courage that he then didn’t know what to do with, Flounder swam forward and then flinched at Triton’s immediate glare. Unable to take it back, he struggled to continue. “Uh, well…well, first, uh, this shark chased us!” Words went faster than his brain, fins and body trying to narrate the spots his mouth couldn’t keep up with. “Yeah, yeah! And we tried to….but we couldn’t…and he….grrrarrrrr…and…and…we…whoaaaaaa….and,” sigh, “ then we were safe! But then this seagull came, and he was all, ‘this is this, and this is that and--’”
Triton’s interest piqued in terror. “Seagull?”
Gasping and realizing his mistake, Flouder covered his mouth with his fins, much too late.
“What?”
Floundered scurried behind Ariel’s hair, hiding from the building anger, and the princess cast a disgruntled, disappointed glance toward her fish friend. She had only a second, though, before her father’s wrath was upon her.
“Oh! You went up to the surface again?” Triton accused, moving from his throne. “Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”
“Nothing happened!” said Ariel, knowing it was futile, shrugging with hands held helpless.
Royally, Triton facepalmed. “Oh, Ariel; how many times must we go through this? You could have been seen by one of those barbarians, by one of those…one of those humans.”
“Daddy, they’re not barbarians!” Ariel insisted. “They-“
“They are dangerous! Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fisheater’s hook?”
Hopefully, almost desperately, he reached out to brush his hand underneath Ariel’s chin, but she pulled away, furious. “I’m sixteen years old!” she informed him. “I’m not a child anymore!”
Such simple words, and Triton exploded. “Don’t you take that tone of voice with me, young lady!”
“Well-“
“ As long as you live under my ocean,”
“If-“
“You obey my rules!”
“But if you would just listen--!”
“NOT ANOTHER WORD! And I am never, never to hear of you going to the surface again, is that clear?”
Ariel swelled, steeling herself to rebuke the reprimand, but all that came out was a wilting, heartbreaking sigh as she turned around and swam out of the room. Triton slumped back, miserably, into his throne, feeling the weight of responsibility in having to be so firm with his unruly daughter.
“Hmph!” Sebastian commented. “Teeeenagers. Hmph, they think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you.”
“Do you,” asked Triton, worriedly, “uh, do you think I was…I was too hard on her?”
“Definitely not!” Sebastian nodded firmly. “Why, if Ariel was my daughter, I’d show her who was boss! None of this….flipping to the surface and other such nonsense! No, sir! I’d keep her under tight control!”
The words came to Triton like an epiphany. “You’re absolutely right, Sebastian!”
“Of course!”
“Ariel needs constant supervision!”
"Constant!"
"Someone to watch over her; to keep her out of trouble."
"All the time!"
"And you," he gave Sebastian a hearty poke in the stomach, "are just the crab to do it!"
[[ still shamelessly transcribed from the film; part 4/5 ]]
“Daddy!” Ariel rushed in, hoping to hedge the rant before it really began, but she knew it was too late. “I’m sorry! I just forgot! I-“
“As a result,” Triton cut her off, and she deflated sheepishly, “of your careless behavour-“
“Careless and reckless behavior!” Sebastian added importantly, peeking up from behind the points of Triton’s crown with an accusing claw extended.
“The entire celebration was-“
“Well, it was ruined!” Somehow, Sebastian had made it down to Triton’s long white beard, parting it as he swam out in a tirade. “That’s all! Completely destroyed! This concert was to be….the pinnacle of my distinguished career! Now tanks to you,” the claw went out jabbing the air, punctuating each word, “I am the laughing stock of this entire kingdom!”
“But it wasn’t her fault!” In a sudden burst of courage that he then didn’t know what to do with, Flounder swam forward and then flinched at Triton’s immediate glare. Unable to take it back, he struggled to continue. “Uh, well…well, first, uh, this shark chased us!” Words went faster than his brain, fins and body trying to narrate the spots his mouth couldn’t keep up with. “Yeah, yeah! And we tried to….but we couldn’t…and he….grrrarrrrr…and…and…we…whoaaaaaa….and,” sigh, “ then we were safe! But then this seagull came, and he was all, ‘this is this, and this is that and--’”
Triton’s interest piqued in terror. “Seagull?”
Gasping and realizing his mistake, Flouder covered his mouth with his fins, much too late.
“What?”
Floundered scurried behind Ariel’s hair, hiding from the building anger, and the princess cast a disgruntled, disappointed glance toward her fish friend. She had only a second, though, before her father’s wrath was upon her.
“Oh! You went up to the surface again?” Triton accused, moving from his throne. “Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”
“Nothing happened!” said Ariel, knowing it was futile, shrugging with hands held helpless.
Royally, Triton facepalmed. “Oh, Ariel; how many times must we go through this? You could have been seen by one of those barbarians, by one of those…one of those humans.”
“Daddy, they’re not barbarians!” Ariel insisted. “They-“
“They are dangerous! Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fisheater’s hook?”
Hopefully, almost desperately, he reached out to brush his hand underneath Ariel’s chin, but she pulled away, furious. “I’m sixteen years old!” she informed him. “I’m not a child anymore!”
Such simple words, and Triton exploded. “Don’t you take that tone of voice with me, young lady!”
“Well-“
“ As long as you live under my ocean,”
“If-“
“You obey my rules!”
“But if you would just listen--!”
“NOT ANOTHER WORD! And I am never, never to hear of you going to the surface again, is that clear?”
Ariel swelled, steeling herself to rebuke the reprimand, but all that came out was a wilting, heartbreaking sigh as she turned around and swam out of the room. Triton slumped back, miserably, into his throne, feeling the weight of responsibility in having to be so firm with his unruly daughter.
“Hmph!” Sebastian commented. “Teeeenagers. Hmph, they think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you.”
“Do you,” asked Triton, worriedly, “uh, do you think I was…I was too hard on her?”
“Definitely not!” Sebastian nodded firmly. “Why, if Ariel was my daughter, I’d show her who was boss! None of this….flipping to the surface and other such nonsense! No, sir! I’d keep her under tight control!”
The words came to Triton like an epiphany. “You’re absolutely right, Sebastian!”
“Of course!”
“Ariel needs constant supervision!”
"Constant!"
"Someone to watch over her; to keep her out of trouble."
"All the time!"
"And you," he gave Sebastian a hearty poke in the stomach, "are just the crab to do it!"
[[ still shamelessly transcribed from the film; part 4/5 ]]