Requested by a lovely user!!

(intro:)

The aquarium was supposed to be a nice, calm, educational outing. A chance for the water ghouls to connect with their element in a controlled environment. A team-building exercise, Sister Imperator had said, her smile thin and sharp. A way to get them out of the Ministry for a few hours.

She had not anticipated the dolphins.

Rain had been the first to notice them—the sleek, grey shapes gliding through the water behind the glass. He had pressed his palm against the tank, his cloudy white eyes wide, and the dolphins had stopped. They had turned. They had looked at him.

And then they had started talking.

Not in words. In clicks. In whistles. In the kind of language that only water ghouls could understand. Rain had responded without thinking, a series of soft, echoing sounds that made the glass vibrate. The dolphins had responded in kind. The conversation had been going on for fifteen minutes.

Mist had wandered off toward the shark tank. She was now engaged in a staring contest with a great white. The shark was winning. Mist did not blink. Her iridescent horns were pressed against the glass, her tail flicking with competitive fury.

Delta had found the octopus. He had also found the "do not tap on the glass" sign. He had ignored it. The octopus had not appreciated this. It had inked the tank, leaving an impenetrable cloud in it's presence.

River and Lake had disappeared into the touch tank. The last anyone had seen, they were arguing about whether a starfish was a fish or not. It was not going well. A small child had started crying in their presence.

And Chain?

Chain had somehow ended up in the penguin enclosure.

No one knew how. The door was locked. The penguins were confused. Chain was sitting on a rock, surrounded by curious birds, his hat pulled low over his face, pretending he was not there.

The aquarium staff had been summoned. They were not amused.

The ghouls were having the time of their lives.