Chapter Text
Sun danced around, listening to some generic pop music from his little radio. He has been fishing for around an hour to catch mackerel to sell at their shared local business with their companion Moon. The simple task had proven to be quite difficult, only catching small fish from migrations or larger fish hunting the smaller schools. He applied a piece of bait to his hook, fixing his line as he made it to the side of the boat.
The sounds of seagulls flying over and waves crashing against the hull was peaceful to Sun. The radio acted as background noise to the scenery in front of him, keeping him company as he fished.
He yanked his reel back then swung it, releasing the spool under his thumb. He watched as the line plopped into the water, more line was swallowed up by the waves as the sinker brought it deeper into the sea.
He whistled as he flipped the bail over, stopping any more spool from being used. He let the waves push the line, he used his thumb on the line to feel for any nibbles. He stood pleasantly alone as time went on, humming away as he patiently waited. He can’t rush anything, it won’t get him anywhere. He nodded to himself at the thought, it was good to keep things tranquil.
He smelled the salty breeze as wind picked up speed, the birds above dove down into the water then popping up seconds later with a fish in their beak. Sun always admired the wonders of sea life, observing them in their natural habitat without being disrupted. He wished he could live like that.
Sun closed his eyes, taking in the sounds and smells, neglecting his purpose for fishing, occupied in enjoying the calmness of it all. He could just be here forever.
Then there was a sharp weight on the line, he rushed to crank the handle as quick as he could while using his whole body to pull the fish up. The fish fought back, furiously, Sun’s shoes slid against the deck as the fish practically forced him to follow it. He followed the line, keeping it from going under the boat, moving from starboard to the stern.
He thrashed the reel side to side, fatiguing the fish from the fight. It still managed to give him a hell of a time, almost making Sun lose his balance a couple times. He still fought back with determination running through his veins, he had finally done it! His patience worked off!
He could see a slight sliver of shining scales in reflection of the glistening sunlight. A verge of hope struck through Sun, sending him into a state of fast yanking and cranking.
He yanked back once more, he used his weight to help bring the fish closer to the surface, the tug of war fight was balanced enough he was leaning backwards. His reel bent forward so much it was folded in half, he was surprised it hadn’t snapped under pressure. He kept at it, step by step now leaning against the controls. He couldn't believe the fish was still on the hook. This back and forth lasted for what seemed like hours, Sun could only hope that it would stop.
Finally, something happened.
All the weight that was placed onto the rod disappeared, Sun crashed backwards, hitting his back and releasing the pole. He hissed in pain, rubbing his back as he tried to shake off the shock and stinging pain. The sounds of creaking wood, similar to animalistic whine, brought his attention to a halt, the boat's weight became unbalanced as a mass pushed down on the stern. Sun's hands scrambled to grab onto the captain's seat while his eyes widened at the sight in front of him.
The stern was now occupied by a monstrous beast, its scarred body clung onto the boat as blood seeped from its split lip. His hook pierced its fleshy-scaly skin, its black slitted eyes peered down in exhausted agony. It looked similar to a human but way larger with scales decorating its entire body which morphed into various colors to express it was in pain. Its neck was covered in finned gills that scaled all the way to its collar bone. The fins fluttered unevenly as it tried to breathe, the gills now accommodating the fruitful air. Its back was riddled in fins, fluctuating to be alert then relaxed. His eyes traveled down its torso, there were pelvic fins around the waist which then fused into one limb, a tail. He couldn’t fully see the rest of the body but could easily visualize what the monster was.
Sun's mind came to the realization that the thing before him was a merperson. That means they exist and he caught one. He harmed one. He started to shiver as his legs dangled beneath him, he was hopeless right now and only closed his eyes as he thought of the worst.
Merfolk legends illustrated if you ever met such a beast you would be brought pain just like you had brought pain upon it. The only way sailors provoked such creatures was when they tried to hunt for a big bounty. Villagers collectively believed the beasts’ purpose was to punish humans for their greed of purging the ocean of its beloved sea life.
Has Sun done that? Was he going to be punished? Moon was right, he should've stayed with him at the shop. Moon was most likely busy selling fish, unaware of the situation his friend was in. Lost at sea, his disappearance would be shrouded in mystery, pulled into the waves to never be seen or heard ever again. Just because he was fishing…
The boat tipped more as the beast moved, struggling to stay still as its slippery body made it difficult to keep a grip on the boat. The beast groaned in a pained response as the hook in its mouth was tugged again. The beast lost its grip, sliding backwards until it firmly clutched each side tightly, the boat rocked as it somewhat regained balance.
Sun nervously opened one of his eyes, seeing a mixture of lines entwined in the beast's fins.
A lightbulb figuratively appeared above Sun. If he helped relieve the beast of its pain then maybe it would forgive him!
Sun went immediately into action, he released his grip from the chair then landed on a slanted cushion. The beast heard him and stared daggers into him. Its fins stood alert, causing more pain to surge through its body as it fixated its sight on its soon-to-be killer.
You pushed through the pain, gritting your teeth, feeling the sharp thing in your mouth make your skin burn more. You heavily heaved the intoxicating air in as the entity before you looked back. Their expression was strange, as if they were planning to do something… like lurch forward to attack you. They're going to kill you, aren't they?
You tried to get away but the fresh cuts from earlier stopped you in your tracks, the aches only made you more tired and frail. You bothered not to move, only to think, there wasn't much to help you now. If you tried to dive back down you’d further entwine yourself in the line, possibly scraping off scales and revealing your vulnerable flesh underneath which could attract unwanted predators and other Mers.
You were at a standstill with the creature, a human, you were going to die by a human. How shameful, how weak of that to happen to the brute like yourself. That thought only angered you, you flared your fins again, breathing getting rapid as your eyes dilated to show aggression. You maneuvered, revealing your side as it changed into warning colors.
The human only tilted its head in confusion, it wasn’t looking at you but at your body, it moved one of its limbs, grabbing something sharp, similar to a claw. So it was choosing to attack, so be it. Seeing you were going to die, you accepted your fate, at least someone would be fed and others would be spared.
Sun noticed the beast’s eyes focused on his knife, he easily connected that the knife was making it distressed. He got onto his knees, holding out the knife and throwing it off board. He didn’t want to do it, polluting the ocean was the worst but if he dropped it in your direction who knows how’d you react.
Your eyes turned into slits, following as the claw fell into the ocean, you felt a little safer, turning back to the entity to inspect its next move.
Sun held out both of his arms, lowering his head as if he was submitting to you. He tried to speak but only a squeak came out of him.
You perked your head at the sound, it sounded… apologetic? Sad? Upset? Hurt? Was it trying to show mercy? It was slightly amusing as it attempted to bow down to you, your finned ears lowered in reaction. You communicated back, questioning it with a click of the tongue, though it came out as a painful squeal.
The human looked back at you, its face showed surprise but sympathy. Then its eyes widened as if a harpoon barely missed its head, terrified that it almost was killed.
Sun softly spoke back, hopeful. “Can you understand me?”
Whatever it had said, its tone of voice seemed questioning, was it asking for something? Concerned at your inaudible sound? Your fins flattened down in content, seeing that the human wasn’t a threat at the moment you didn’t need blood rushing into your scales, the scales changed back into their usual color, allowing you to save up some energy.
“You probably can’t.” Sun muttered to himself, placing a hand on his chin to figure out a way to communicate with you. Though now that he thinks of it, you seem to understand squeaks and tones used in his voice. Could he use his tone of voice to talk with you? Maybe even use his hands to motion to convey things.
Sun whistled, bringing your attention back to him. It was time for you to tilt your head in curiosity as the human pointed to its mouth.
“I. Can.” He pulled his hands away from his mouth, repeating the action twice. “Remove. The. Hook.” He then pointed at the hook in your mouth.
The human sounded like a male, must be a boy being, not aggressive as others you’ve unfortunately swam into, you're grateful for that. The reminder of the object in your mouth, now called a hoki? Huk? Hook? Could be removed, or what you decipher from his motions, brought you great joy. You’d do anything to relieve the pain in your jaw, the taste of blood was growing more bitter by the second.
You let out a flurry of clicks and squeaks as you lowered your head, now resting your upper body on the floating thing, boat, that the human controlled. The boat barely budged as your large claws kept it in place, your long tail made it easier to keep things balanced and afloat, the tide was no match to you or the boat in your grasp.
Sun was taken aback by your abrupt change in nature, as he scooted off the cushion to get closer to you he noticed more things about you. Your eyes were larger than he imagined, as big as a cat’s bowl. Your body was twice the size of his, he was tempted to place his hand next to yours to compare. Your claws were just like a knifes’, you could easily slice him up but chose not to do so. He should treat your act of mercy like a blessing, he’d soon get to helping … But having you right in front of him was captivating.
Your gills filtered out air, a waft of gusting salty air made his hair flutter momentarily until his bangs returned to cover his forehead. His gray eyes surveyed your face, scars adorned you, you must be territorial then. He continued to examine everything about you, your teeth were sharp and jagged, you were definitely carnivorous and ate large prey. You could easily swallow him whole if he wasn’t careful.
Your nose scrunched up until it exhaled in his direction, catching him off guard and bringing his focus back to you. He gave you an embarrassed expression then took out a pair of claws, to him it was a pair of pliers, from his other opening, a pocket. You grimaced at the weapon but the pain in your mouth returned, you opened your jaw, hoping he’ll get the object out as soon as possible.
The human winced, putting up his limbs in defense. Your ears flopped, showing that you were sorry for scaring him as a low grumble escaped your throat.
Sun looked back, seeing the pain in your eyes as you nudged closer with your open mouth aiming at him. He got into his knees and sat down, he brought the claws close to you in which you closed your eyes. You felt a little tug as he snapped the object in two, quickly throwing the hook behind him.
You thought he was finished but he zipped around you, too fast to keep track, removing the line that was tangled in your hair to your long dorsal fin. You rested your cheek on the damped floor, pleased with the pain feelings being taken care of. He was like a cleaner wrasse but way bigger and did his job more efficiently, you didn’t mind if the human did this more often.
He stepped back with a nest of netting in his arms, he looked down at the mess then up.
You were gone.
You were gone, you were gone. He slipped on the slippery deck as confusion ran through his nerves, he couldn’t believe it. He was just visited- scratch that caught a merperson. Now that he thinks of it, you looked more like a merman and not a mermaid, could you be a guy? Yeah, it fits, saying merman is easier to pronounce and fascinating to observe.
Oh! He should write down his observations! He scurried up to the cockpit and took out a small note pad from one of the many cabinets. He sat down in the captain’s seat and wrote away everything he noted about you, even sketching a small version of yourself on the corner of the page.
He was pushed off his seat when something shook the boat, he slowly got onto his hands and knees as he looked up to see what happened. You were back, mouth filled to the brim with something, you looked like a squirrel, he giggled. He soon regretted that decision as you dragged yourself onto the boat and spat out a school of fish right on top of him. He screamed being caught off guard, jumping onto the captain’s seat as a cluster of fish hopped around on deck.
You took amusement out of the chaos happening before you, as he panicked you picked away the smallest of the guppies and placed them back in the ocean. Once he got his bearings handled he got on his feet and grabbed a bucket filled with ice, he snagged the biggest of the fish, placing them in the bucket to take back home. You speared the largest of the bunch with your nails and handed it to him, whatever he was trying to say seemed to show he was happy.
You were pleased that you got to reward the human for their kindness, hopefully he’d be willing to clean you again. After he got the last fish in the bucket you told him to wait, since he didn’t understand you he stood still. It was good enough.
You opened your mouth, he didn’t run away this time, your tongue unwrapped to reveal the claw he dropped. His expression changed from shock to happiness, he took the claw back into his pocket then blindly patted your snout. You enjoyed his touch, leaning in for more, he freezed.
Sun couldn't- well he did believe it, he was patting a merman! He froze for a moment, taking in what he was doing then continued to do it. A soft purr erupted out of your gills, showing that you enjoyed what he was doing. Soon enough he was rubbing your tough shoulder blades, the stress melted away as his soft hands massaged your body.
He looked down at his palms, small scales had been rubbed off and now was all over him. He stopped to examine one of the scales.
With him being distracted you took this chance to return to the ocean, seeing he had good intentions you wanted to treat him more. He seemed to like the food you gave him so why not give him more that are bigger?
You used your scales to catch the sunlight, mimicking a school of fish, bigger fish soon arrived in which you quickly caught many. Your jaw was able to stretch because you didn’t have tough bones, replaced by ligaments which made it easier to catch and eat food.
You returned with five tuna stuffed in your maw, the fishes' tails hung out as you presented your catch to the human. He seemed to be stunned at how many you caught in such little time, he handled the fish delicately as he stuffed them in the boat’s crevices.
You felt very proud, finally able to show someone your skills without being in a contest or fighting tooth and nail for survival. The human treated you back as well, a good relationship that helped each other in their times of need. You would like for this to continue.
The human seemed to think the same, saying something then patted your snout once more, you let out a pleased hum as he let out his own pleased nosies. This carried on for a few hours, both enjoying each other’s presence, the human doing something on an object then petting you. You even mustered up enough confidence to lick his hair, he sat still as you tidied him up. He reacted with a giggle, saying something in good manner, his tone was filled with joy which made you feel joy as well.
Sun felt like the luckiest man alive, he met a merman and befriended it! Oh goody! He’ll have to tell Moon about it and come back tomorrow to see you again! On top of that he has enough fish to take back along with a nice hairdo, a little slobbery but he didn’t mind.
The sound of flip flops smacking the boardwalk increased in sound as Sun heaved out a pale filled with fish.
“Uncle Sun!” A brown haired boy shouted as he made his way over to his uncle, Sun looked up from his position on the boat to the boy on the pier.
“Can I help?” The boy asked, always so eager to help and ‘be mature’ from what he told Sun.
“Of course Gregory! I got a big bounty today, you wouldn’t believe what I saw!” Sun commented as he handed the boy his fishing rod, Gregory placed it aside, already ready to be handed another item.
“What didja see? Dolphins? Manta Rays? Sharks?” With each animal Gregory listed he became louder and excited. Sun shook his head, a smile widening on his face.
Gregory gave him a skeptical look, confused but intrigued at what Sun was hiding. Sun handed Gregory a tuna, as the boy held it, he noticed something.
"Why does the fish have a big bite mark on it? Don't sharks tear their prey to shreds?" Gregory asked, observing the fish closer.
“It’s not a shark.” Sun mused, giving Gregory a mischievous side eye.
“Then what is it!? Tell me!” Gregory groaned, placing the fish down then throwing his hands up in frustration as anticipation rose.
“I saw-” Sun twirled then posed. “A merman!”
Gregory watched on, unimpressed then laughing at his uncle’s tomfoolery. He held onto his stomach, lungs aching with how many giggles were drawn out of him.
“REALLY!? I’m not a little kid anymore! Merfolk don’t exist! Unless you got hit in the head by a fish then I'd maybe believe you." Gregory said back, another giggle emerging right after.
Sun could only shake his head at the boy’s foolishness, he’d just have to bring him with him next time.
The two bickered back and forth until another figure joined the convo.
“What did I hear about Merfolk? You aren’t leaning into those tales, are you?” Moon asked, looking at the fish Sun held in his hand which suspiciously had a large bite mark in it. Nothing that Moon could recognize off the top of his head.
“Of course not. Lying is bad! See! Look at my hair! It’s merman slobber!” Sun pointed at his head as the other two could only look on as if Sun was crazy.
“Whatever. Let's get going before it gets too dark.” Moon noted, grabbing two of the buckets then walking away.
Gregory joined Moon’s side as he held onto one of the many tuna that the supposed merman caught.
Sun let out a huff, Merfolks were truly legends huh? Not to him, he knew what he saw and he’ll see you again. That’s a promise!