Todd was smiling coming closer to the pool. Kat, Rachel and Susan watched from close to the edge of the pool, hoping that he would come close enough that they would be able to jump him and take the wand from him. Dan swam to the middle of the pool and watched Todd wearily.
Todd stopped when he reached the paving around the pool. Looking at the four mermaids smiling lecherously. Then he smirks and says: "I am not dumb enough to walk any closer girls."
Rachel and Susan frown at him. Kat continues watching him, weary.
"Yeesh, one grows thirsty when they make a good deal. Ya know." says Todd and starts walking towards the poolside table. He walks by the boxes of fishing gear and other props Kat and Susan brought for the photoshoot. Reaching the table he picks up a jug with lemonade and fills a glass for himself. Then he takes a drink. Holding the wand with one hand the whole time.
"Let's see what you've brought here girls. Maybe I will be able to get some pocketchange for it." He turns around and starts rummaging through the props.
Rachel and Susan watch him incredulously. "Really Todd, can't you fall any deeper or are you just that petty?" said dryly Rachel. "What are you going to do next? Go to my roon and steal money out of my piggybank?"
Todd did not react. He picked up can of worms Kat and Susan used during the photoshoot and looked at it with an incredulous smile. "Worms, really?" Dan quickly sunk to the bottom of the pool while Kat's expression grew stony. Susan cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Well, we used some of them for the photoshoot idiot." Susan snarked at Todd. "But hey, I am sure that someone with peasized brain like you wouldn't really get it." She smiled at him and continued. "Does little boy need mommy to explain everything to him?" Rachel turned to Susan looking at her as if she hit her head.
Todd suddenly turned around, scowling at Susan. "You think you can talk to me like this?" he said angrilly, swinging the can of worms around. Kat started blanched her golden fluke twitching nervously. "Really, you dumb fish. I am looking forward to selling all of ya. We will see what you will be saying when you have to lay on your back and take it whole day." Susan scowled at him and Rachel looked at him in shock. After calming himself down he gave the trio of mermaids a sickly smile. "You know. You all are just fish with breasts. Here, have something to eat. I am sure you've all grown hungry."
He took a worm out of the can and dangled it between his fingers. The trio's eyes immediately zeroed in on the worm. Todd paused. He moved his hand with the worm above the pool. Kat, Rachel and Susan quickly swam closer, still looking at the worm. Before any of them could react Dan broke the surface, jumped up and quickly gulped the worm down while beaching herself on the side of the pool.
Todd jumped back and dropped the wand. Few worms got spilled out of the can. The mermaids completely ignored the wand and concentrated on the worms wriggling on the poolside. Dan quickly crawled closer to Todd and snatched up one of them and ate it. Kat, Rachel and Susan crawled out of the pool towards Dan and the worms.
Todd quickly picked the wand up and took several more steps away. Though, he didn't need to in the end as the mermaids completely concentrated on the wriggling worms. He watched them intrigued.
When all the worms were eaten the mermaids stopped looking around in mild confusion. "What was that?" questioned Rachel. Kat looked at her two friends guiltily while Dan quickly started pulling herself away from Todd.
"That didn't taste so bad..." trailed off Susan then her eyes widened and she turned furiously towards Kat.
Todd was thinking. This situation needed some testing in his opinion. He put the wand into his pocket, quickly took a worm out of the can, closed it and then called to the mermaids: "Fishes! Are you interested some worms?" They stopped what they were doing and immediatelly turned to him, again focused on the worm he held in his hand. He moved the worm from side to side and they followed it with their gazes. "Well, you can come and get it you dumb fish." he muttered under his voice. The group nevertheless immediatelly started crawling towards him. They reached him before he could propperly react. They started to trying to climb him and fighting among themselves to reach the worm. During the fighting he unballanced and fell still holding onto the worm.
"Stop!" he called out trying to get away from them and the girls immediately did so. They were breathing heavily from all the exertion. He looked at each of them. They were all concentrating on his hand though they were taking quick looks towards his face. He stood up, keeping the worm in sight of the group.
"Yeesh, you are some crazy broads. Really all this for a piece of bait." he said. They listened to what he told them to do when he held onto the worm. He could use this.
"Do the dumb little fishes want this?" he asked them. All four of them started eagerly nodding their heads. "Are you lot too dumb to talk?" They looked at him for a while then Kat answered.
"No. Can I have the worm?" Which lead to Dan, Rachel and Susan starting to argue with her about who of them should get the worm. He smiled. This had it's uses and it may help him get an in with the buyer.
"Now, now fishes. There is no need to argue." They quieted down and turned to him. "I will be asking some questions and the one who answers gets a little morsel. What do you say?" They all quickly and eagerly agreed.
"So, the first question. What all are you fishes willing to do for one of these?" he waved the worm around. Dan, Rachel and Susan started thinking.
"Oh, we will do anything that does not directly harm us." volunteered Kat happily. The other three frowned at her. Dan started muttering insults at her for being so quick with her answer.
"Is that so?" smiled Todd. "Hmm, and just for these worms in this can or would you do the same for any other?"
"Well, any bait worms and also gummi worms." the gold scaled mermaid answered. "Please, you promised."
"Oh, ok you dumb little fish." He picked out one more worm from the can and threw it to Kat. Who quickly snatched it and ate it. The others eagerly awaited his questions.
"So..." started Todd.