Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was always something exciting about moving. There were exciting experiences in store, fresh faces to meet, a refreshing atmosphere. And of course, it was easy to forget the ghosts of bad memories left behind. A fresh start as people often said.

That must have been why Vash moved around so often. It had been so hard to stay in one place when there was a whole world to explore.

He opened the door and walked out onto the front deck of the barge ferry. Immediately, his nose was bombarded with the salty, metallic air. There was something rotting behind the salt that made Vash nauseous.

He glanced over to the rusty truck parked in the middle of the deck. Inside was another man with short cropped hair a shade lighter than his own, sleeping fitfully. The back of the truck was full of cardboard boxes and duffle bags. Most of them were Knives’, taken from an old university apartment. Vash traveled light for most of his life, content with whatever he could toss in a duffel bag and backpack.

Vash let his mind wander as he watched the scenery. Everything around him was swathed in dark green. Even the water was a deep viridian. There were tall moss covered cliffs on either side of the boat, so close Vash was tempted to swim over. Massive evergreens and bright deciduous trees blanketed the landscape.

Just a week before, Vash was in a city, getting ready for the cross country move. The five day drive from Knives’ home in Woods Hole was excruciating. Knives refused to talk apart from the required monosyllabic answers, leaving Vash to stew in uncomfortable anxiety as they passed through Canada and back into the States.

But now that he was on the ferry, Vash felt the tension ease just a little bit.

He looked over his shoulder when another passenger came up next to him. The passenger, a rough looking kid who couldn’t have been more than nineteen, rested his elbows on the railing and glared at Vash.

“Can… can I help you?”

“Yeah. You wouldn’t happen to have a lighter would you?”

Vash perked. Maybe this kid wasn’t as angry as he initially thought. He rooted around in his jacket pockets, “One moment. I swear I have one… Will a match do?”

“That’s fine,” the kid chuckled as he lit a fresh cigarette. He tossed the matchbook back and was about to head to the other side of the deck when Vash stopped him.

“Hey, so I heard that there’s mermaids that live around here.”

With a groan, the kid’s expression fell and he took a long drag off the cigarette. “It’s a little early for tourist season. There’s still fucking snow off the ground.”

Vash was about to correct him but the kid was already gone. He went back to scanning the water. For a moment, Vash was convinced he saw a multicolor figure just under the waves. He was disappointed to learn it was only a piece of decaying bull kelp.

Vash stayed at the railing for another hour or so before the town came into view.

The town of Jeneora Rock sat nestled between the aptly named Jeneora Bay and a towering mountain. Rain clouds obscured the top and moved down to cover the town like a blanket. Boats, massive and loaded with all sorts of fishing gear, lined the harbor and docks. Just outside of the town proper was an old church on a cliff. The steeple rose high in the air like a beacon.

The captain blew a horn just as he came astride the ferry dock. Vash sighed and went back to the truck. He knocked sharply on the window. Knives woke up with a sputter and for a moment Vash thought his brother looked terrified. Vash tried to hide a smirk as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

“We’ve finally arrived?”

Vash beamed, “Yep! Just about home.”

Knives stared out the window, but his face was twisted, “This isn’t home.”

Vash pretended to not hear his brother and fished the keys from out of his pocket. The ferry lurched as it hit the docks. Deckhands wasted no time throwing lines to dock workers. It wasn’t long before Vash received the okay to drive off the ferry.

He was amazed at just how tiny Jeneora Rock seemed now that Vash had landed. There were no traffic lights or buildings taller than two stories in sight. The front street was halfway decorated with empty flower pots, still waiting for the summer season to start. The only remotely busy place was the front harbor, stretching almost ten blocks wide and filled to the brim with small personal craft and a few of the larger fishing vessels Vash spotted on his way in.

Vash narrowed his eyes and forward in the driver’s seat until he found empty street parking. This caught Knives’ attention. “What the hell have we stopped for?” he asked, lips drawn back in a scowl. “This isn’t the cabin!”

“We need groceries. Unless you plan on catching dinner with the very real, very not made up fishing pole we have. You should come with.”

Knives leaned against the headrest, making a point to avoid Vash.

“Welp! I guess I’ll get whatever I want!”

Vash slammed the door shut when Knives finally slithered out of the car. “I refuse to eat any more junk food for the rest of the week,” Knives explained. “I didn’t go two months in the high arctic just so my own brother could murder me with scurvy.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Vash whined as they entered the supermarket. Lights buzzed above them as Vash grabbed a basket.

From the corner of his eye, Vash caught sight of two other figures in the store. A man nearly a head taller than Vash with what was probably the strangest tattoo he’d ever seen plastered on the left side of his face carried countless bundles of hotdogs under one arm. The second man was much shorter with short black hair and a poorly tailored, grimy suit. They bickered back and forth not unlike Vash and Knives. But with Knives, there was always some hint of dismissive animosity.

Speaking of Knives, Vash lost him the minute they entered the store. Vash couldn’t bring himself to care all that much. Knives would be okay for a few minutes.

Vash aimlessly wandered to the back few aisles where the shelves were no more a few feet apart and packed with a ragtag selection of items. A wave of excitement came over him when Vash caught sight of the packaging. In the far reaches of the shelf was a package of donuts, lightly dusted with powdered sugar and jelly filled.

Knives would yell at him if Vash brought another donut into the truck. But Knives never had to know.

 …

It wasn’t hard to find the road that snaked around the head of the bay and down the side opposite of the town. Trees surrounded the road on either side of the dirt road. Vash tried to ease off the gas, terrified the pot holes would tear the wheels from the truck.

Vash found Knives waiting outside of the truck after he paid for the donuts. The groceries, mostly staples like rice, bread, and milk with some veggies thrown in, were tucked safely away in the truck bed. Knives didn’t say anything per usual, but Vash saw the look in his eyes that may as well have admonished him for being even a second late.

Again, Vash pretended to ignore it.

Knives was going through some things and never really had a great capacity for handling his turbulent emotions. Vash wasn’t any better but at least he tried.

Their final destination was a rundown cabin on the far side of Jeneora Bay, tucked away into a little cove. The cabin itself sat perched on a cliff with a wooden set of stairs leading to a rocky beach. From the height they were at, Vash could see almost the entire bay if it weren’t for the beehive islands that dotted the entrance. Vash sighed dreamily as he stared out over the water, itching to dig out his sketchbook and some watercolors.

“Vash!”

Looking over his shoulder, Vash noticed his brother leaning against the door with his arms crossed. “What is it this time?”

Knives rolled his eyes, a well practiced gesture at this point. “Elendira gave the keys to you. So, are you going to have us freeze tonight or can we go in?”

“Hold your horses,” Vash muttered with a lazy grin. The front door popped open with a high-pitched squeal that made Vash’s ears bleed. He and Knives stood in the doorway dumb founded.

He didn’t really know what to expect. Maybe that’s why Vash was so shocked. The cabin had apparently been in the family for generations, though Vash hadn’t really understood why in the first place. Especially since the cabin was in the middle of nowhere across the literal country. Well, Alaska may have been its own country with how far removed it was, but that was neither here nor there. Thinking back to his childhood home, everything had been crisp and clean, sterilized with nothing out of place. This place was the exact opposite, as unbelievable as it was.

The inside of the cabin looked as though nobody touched it for centuries. It consisted mostly of a single room, a few storage closets, and a loft. The cupboards in the kitchen were full of dusty pans and mouse droppings. Vash ran the water out of the sink for a moment, relieved when the water ran hot and fresh. At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about.

“We should have picked up some mouse traps when we were still in town. I found droppings in the kitchen.”

Knives grimaced when he opened the linen closet, filling the enclosed space with a musty smell. “They got in here too. Fucks sake. This place is disgusting.”

Vash mustered up a grin. “It’ll be fine. A little bit of elbow grease and it’ll be just like home.”

“Then obviously you haven’t visited home any time recently. Our mother never let it get anything remotely like this. I certainly wouldn't in any case.”

When Knives mentioned family, Vash couldn’t help but cringe and his stomach churned.

The ladder up to the loft creaked under Knives’ weight when he went to check on the sleeping arrangements. Vash looked over his shoulder when he heard Knives mutter under his breath.

“What is it this time?”

“Twin bed.”

“Perfect, we can both fit!”

Knives whipped his head back to Vash, scowling, “One more fucking pun, and I’m tossing you off the cliff.”

“Fine, fine,” Vash relented. He pushed his way up the ladder and took a look. The mattress looked like it hadn’t been touched since the seventies. But Knives was right, there was no way both of them were going to fit. And there didn’t seem to be any usable sheets or blankets either. “Tell you what, I’ll help clean the place out for a little bit, leave you with the sleeping bag, and find another place to sleep tonight.”

“In town?”

Vash stifled a chuckle, “Where else am I gonna go? It's not as though I could just hop on the I-5 and cruise down to California for a day or two.” Knives narrowed his eyes. Vash huffed, “I’m not just gonna abandon you. That’s not what I promised.

“So, you say,” Knives muttered to himself, unaware that Vash was still listening.

Vash clambered up the rest of the way to the loft and tossed the mattress down with a loud. Knives hissed when he was almost crushed, “Watch what you’re doing, dip shit!”

“I am, I am. Now don’t be such a big baby and help me carry that out. May as well get it aired out as much as we can.”

Knives shook his head but did as Vash had asked anyway. Vash watched with a slight smile on his face. At least Knives was distracted. He dug his phone from out of his pocket and flipped through a few messages before finding the right chat near the bottom of the list.

Hey!! just mad eit to the cabin ;333

Vash was about to put the phone back into his pocket when he heard the familiar ping of a new message. His cousin’s profile picture caught his attention. He could imagine Elendira rolling her eyes at his atrocious grammar.

This chat is for emergencies only Please contact me directly if you have concerns or questions. All expenses may be put through on the card I provided last we spoke. – Elendira

A small part of Vash had hoped more of his relatives might have answered. But at least Elendira still liked them, as stuck up as she usually was.

“Hey!”

Vash discreetly slid the phone back into his pocket and looked over the side of the loft. Knives glared at him, cleaner and a roll of paper towels. Vash sighed and started to go through the linen closet while Knives began to clean the pots and pans out. Silently, Vash put on some earbuds, listening to an upbeat instrumental playlist.

It was going to be a long afternoon.                                                                

…

Vash and Knives pushed through well into the night to get the cabin livable. Being the neat freak that he was, Knives scrubbed every available surface at least three times. Vash would have been fine with two, but it wasn’t Vash’s cabin. There was no space and Vash knew he wouldn’t be able to survive Knives’ incessant bad mood. The drive over was long beyond belief and Knives needed the space.

With a promise to return at some point the next day, Vash drove back into town. It was already nine p.m.. He needed a drink and some food.

The only place open was a seedy dive bar two minutes away from the harbor parking lot. At least Vash could get as wasted as he wanted without having to worry about the drive back to home.

Most of the patrons were scuzzy fishermen, conglomerated around scuffed tables and ancient pool tables. None of them paid any attention to the newcomer. Which was fine. Just fine.

Vash liked talking to people usually. People had stories to tell. But no one seemed to be in a talking mood.

He was about to order a drink when a somewhat familiar figure saddled up to the bar next to him. A dark hooked nose peeked out of a wide brim hat as the man leaned heavily on the bar top. His suit was grimy and unbuttoned enough that Vash swore the man’s tits were about to spill out. Whoever he was, the man wasn’t another fisherman. Vash watched the man’s mouth twist into a lopsided grin as he called the barkeep over.

“Rosa, darlin?”

“Flattery ain’t going to get you any free drinks, father.”

The man shrugged, “Never hurts to try. Whiskey off the rocks if you please.”

The woman tending the bar rolled her eyes, “I’ll leave the bottle for you and your friend.”

“Friend?”

Vash smiled nervously when the man finally looked over his shoulder. He looked less than impressed at the gangly man next to him wearing an obnoxious red rain coat. Vash’s smile grew the longer the man regarded him.

“Yeah, fine. Whatever.”

The barkeep left them a half full bottle of amber whiskey and two shot glasses. Vash watched the man pour two glasses. He slid one over to and held up his own, waiting for Vash to toast. For a moment, Vash could only stare dumbfoundedly.

“You going to leave me hanging?”

“What? Oh, uh, no.” Vash clinked the glasses and threw the shot back in one gulp. The alcohol burned just a little bit. But the burn was welcome. The man next to him chuckled and poured Vash another shot. Despite the smile on his face, Vash reluctantly accepted the drink.

The man arched his brow, “So you stop at two, huh?”

“Well, no. It’d be nice to know who I’m drinking with at least,” Vash explained. He held out his hand in offering, making sure his face was as open as possible, “Vash Saverem. Just moved into town!”

The man glanced between Vash’s face and hand, confused. Finally, he relented, giving Vash the same lopsided smirk, he gave the barkeep. “Nicolas D. Wolfwood at your service. But only regarding your eternal soul and all that bullshit. You can call me Wolfwood.”

Vash laughed, “What are you? A priest?”

Wolfwood downed the shot in his hand. “Only one for at least seventy five miles in any damn direction. Damn town needs it to.”

“You don’t look like a priest,” Vash mused half to himself.

Wolfwood cackled, “Rude fucker, aren’t you?” His face softened when he noticed the scandalized look on Vash’s face. “So, you’re new huh? The hell did you come here for?”

Vash’s brow knitted together in thought. “A lot of stuff. My brother moved into that cabin in the cove down the way.”

“Oh, damn,” Wolfwood muttered. “He’s gotta be batshit crazy to move out there. The place has been abandoned for so long the mermaids began to move in.”

“Mermaids?” Vash peeped.

Wolfwood’s smile disappeared, “I wouldn’t get too excited. We don’t have many around and they stay away from people for the most part. And when they do show up, they’re usually pretty bitchy.”

Vash poured the next round of drinks, disappointment weighing over him like a wet blanket. He mumbled weakly, “Should have figured…”

“So, your brother is a weirdo—”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Wolfwood waved Vash off dismissively, “Fine, fine. But what are you here for? You don’t look like a regular deckhand.”

“Hmm,” Vash started, looking down at his coat. “I suppose I don’t. I’m actually an artist. Travel around here and there, painting whatever catches my attention.”

“Oh? Are you any good?”

“Who’s to say?” Vash laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Wolfwood narrowed his eyes, “Right, because there’s nothing more original than an artist with a distinct lack of confidence.” The priest tilted his head in contemplation. Vash heard the phone in his pocket ping. He paid it no mind and refilled the shot glass. Knives could wait. Wolfwood’s husky voice brought Vash out of his reverie. “Hey. Are you any good with heavy work? Or do you have those delicate artist’s hands I keep hearing about?”

Vash held out his palm for his new friend to inspect, covered in scars and calluses. “I take on a lot of odd jobs when the art isn’t paying the bills,” he explained.

“Sort of a jack of all trades then?”

“Yep!”

Wolfwood beamed, though Vash noticed an evil gleam in his eyes, “Safe to assume you’ve got all the free time in the world?”

Vash’s stomach knotted. “At the moment, yeah. What am I being roped into?”

It was Wolfwood’s turn to look scandalized. “Ah! You’d just assume that I’d force some random schmuck into unpaid labor? I’m wounded, good friend!”

“Actually… Yes. It feels like the right thing to assume that. But at the same time, I really am not doing anything.”

The priest slapped Vash hard on the back, “Wonderful. You’re helping me get rid of an owl that started nesting in the church rafters.” Vash opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words stuck in his throat. Wolfwood continued, “They were fine before, but then a kid got attacked last Sunday. Usually, I’d just have my cousin help me out, but he’s getting his boat ready for the season. So, obviously, I’ll take whatever help I can get.”

“I’m getting compensated at least?”

Wolfwood draped his arm around Vash’s shoulders. He was so close that Vash noticed the dark pink hue on his cheeks and the tiny moles on his neck. Damn, Vash was drunk.

“Yeah, yeah. We can figure out the finer details tomorrow. I need a fucking cigarette.”

Vash and Wolfwood sauntered out of the overheated bar and out the front door. The freezing breeze bit at Vash’s cheeks. He leaned against the wall and brought his collar closer around his neck while Wolfwood lit his cigarette. The priest’s smile returned after taking the first drag. Wordlessly, Wolfwood offered the pack to Vash.

“I’m good, thanks. I might actually head to bed,” Vash said with a yawn.

Wolfwood shrugged and let Vash walk off. He knew Wolfwood continued to watch him intently as he crossed the road to the harbor parking lot where he left the truck. Before he unlocked the truck, Vash caught sight of the harbor.

The moonlight and spot lamps reflected off the glassy, black surface of the water like diamonds. The sight almost didn’t look real. But then something broke the surface, scattering the reflected light. He ran over to the railing and craned his neck to get a better look.  Bright reflective eyes shone through the darkness to scan their surroundings. The creature and Vash locked eyes for only an instant before whatever it dove beneath the water.

…

Finding the church was easy enough. There was only one road, shoved right up against the cliffside that led up to the tall white building. From the ferry, the church looked flawless. But upon closer inspection, paint was peeling from the sides and the stain glass windows hadn’t been cleaned in a few decades.

Wolfwood waited for him on the steps, smoking a crumpled cigarette and wearing another ill fitting suit.

“You look like shit,” the priest mumbled when Vash finally plodded his way over to the front steps. “I don’t remember you drinking all that much last night.”

“Nah. Just a rough night. Got a bad crick in my neck is all. A bit of coffee and I’ll be as good as new.”

The priest stared at him incredulously before opening the front door. The inside was much neater than the exterior, all gleaming dark wood and heavily decorated candlesticks. The place smelled like mothballs and musk. Vash could count on one hand the times he stepped into a church, so he had no idea if the smell was normal or not.

“You were sleeping in that old beater right? By the docks?”

Vash’s eyes went wide. “How did you know?”

“I watched you get in and brush your teeth. Also, my cousin lives on the boat now so I asked if he saw you or not.”

For a moment, Vash was taken aback. Neither Knives nor Elendira had checked in with him since the day before and wasn’t likely to for a while.

“In any case, you might want to find another place to camp out. The harbor police fines anybody who spends more than two nights in their car over there.”

Vash hummed and looked up to the rafters when heard the sound of talons scrambling around on wood. Lo and behold there was a massive owl perched in the rafters, staring down at him and Wolfwood. Why in the world didn’t this guy call animal control?

Wait, was animal control even a thing in this town?

“Hey! You listening?”

Turning his head, Vash saw the priest glaring at him, cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Wolfwood let out a world weary sigh. “All right so, I’ve got a ladder. But I’ve gotta hold onto the bottom so you don’t fall over.”

“It’s not a step ladder?”

“No.”

Vash’s stomach fell. “So, uh, what then?”

Wolfwood shrugged, “Grab it? We just need to get the owl out.”

“Aren’t they just going to come back?”

“Well then I guess you’ll just have to come back too.”

Wolfwood disappeared into the back while Vash stared up at the owl. The bird had no idea what was going on. Vash had no idea what was going on. He’d never considered himself an exterminator before. But this was a week of many firsts. Wolfwood came back with a ladder that was a foot too short to reach the owl.

Still, Vash didn’t hesitate to climb the ladder. He’d done crazier shit and what was the worst that could happen?

Vash was about all the way up to the top of the ladder when he heard Wolfwood start talking again, “So your brother has the cabin and you’re sleeping in the truck.”

“Mmm hmm”

Wolfwood puffed on the cigarette and his tightened grip on the ladder. “Just a little strange is all. Like I get not wanting to live with family but to make your own brother sleep in a parking lot… Bat shit crazy if you ask me.”

“Not the worst I’ve done. Besides Knives is sort slogging through some shit, so he needs a bit of space.” Vash huffed as he made it to the final rung. The owl immediately puffed up when Vash peaked over the support beam. “And there’s not really any room for more than one person.”

“So, you’re planning on living in your truck for the rest of time?”

Vash laughed but didn’t take his eyes off the increasingly angry bird. “Why? Do you know someone who’s renting?”

“Depends. Can you make rent or are you one of those starving artists?”

“Rent isn’t an issue.”

Slowly, Vash leaned his back against the beam and wrapped his arm up in the raincoat for whatever protection he could muster. Grasping tightly onto the beam, Vash reached his arm out towards the owl

“You know. My cousin just moved onto the boat for the season and I’ve got a room for anyone who cover the rent. Won’t ask questions as long as they pay up and don’t complain about the smoke smell.”

Vash finally looked away from the owl and to Wolfwood. The priest looked up to him expectantly. “Are… Are you for real right now?” Vash stammered.

Wolfwood shrugged, “I’m kinda desperate right now. Livio left sort of a whole as far as the financials go.”

Before he could answer, Vash felt Wolfwood fumble with his end of the ladder. Immediately, Vash lost his balance and was sent flying backwards. In his panic, Vash screamed and gripped onto the shocked owl for dear life. All Vash got was a bad scratch along his unprotected arm and he landed hard on top of Wolfwood in the middle aisle.

The priest groaned and roughly pushed Vash off with a grumbled. He was about to start yelling when he looked up to the ceiling. The owl screeched and flew in haphazard circles before making a beeline for door.

Wolfwood jumped to his feet, forgetting about the dazed man next to him. “Yes! Yes! Fuck yes! I could kiss you!”

A lazy smile grew on Vash’s face as his eyes flitted over to Wolfwood. “So, I got rid of the owl. Does this mean I still have to put down a deposit?”

The priest rolled his eyes, but Vash knew amusement when he saw it. He offered Vash a hand up.

“Nah. You may be an idiot, but none else was gonna help me that stupid owl. You’ve done more than enough. Fuck it, I’ll help you move in right now. Then we should probably get you a rabies shot or something.”

With a grunt, Vash took the offered hand and rose to his feet. And for the first time in weeks, Vash felt a little bit of tension that haunted him dissipate just a little. 

This was, as the lanky man hoped, a very fresh start.

Chapter Text

The inside of the cabin was always humid whenever Knives woke up at the crack of dawn. He was used to early mornings. Most of his life, Knives was required to wake up as early as possible. It had been enjoyable while he was working on the research vessel he’d been on all through undergrad and through, well… Knives’ ultimate fuck up. 

The incident had only been a momentary lapse of judgment. And now Knives would never recover. Only his dimwitted twin was willing to talk to him anymore and that was a bad sign.

Still, there was something calming about waking up to the sound of waves crashing on rocks and the smell of the sea. Knives knew full well that Vash couldn’t stand the smell. But he never forced Vash to come with him. 

Knives pounded a window open, a dust plume blowing back in his face when the panel finally came free. The sun was poking through the thick cloud cover. In a few minutes, the sun would burn away the fog and Knives would be able to see the entirety of Jeneroa Bay from the cabin. And again, Knives would be left disappointed. This bay was only a bad facsimile of high arctic fjords he would have paid anything to return to. 

For a moment, Knives swore he heard Vash prattling on behind him about how good change was. But what did Vash know? Knives knew for a fact he was still sleeping wherever he found a place to spend the night.

Desperately, Knives put his brother out of his mind and started making breakfast. It was a meager meal of scrambled eggs and toast. Knives didn’t have the energy to make anything fancier. His ingredients were limited in any case. 

And by the time he was finished washing the dishes, the fog was gone. Knives slipped on the pale brown muck boots and descended the stairs to the small dock and beach. It was low tide. The man expertly navigated his way around jagged mussel and barnacle covered rocks. The rocks near the tree line settled back into soot colored sand dotted with flat smooth stones. For a moment, Knives looked up, noticing the seagulls and ravens above him.

No one really cared about seagulls, but in truth each species was easy to tell apart. And the seagulls here were much larger and obnoxious than the ones back home. Another disappointment.

Knives walked for a few hours down the beach, passing by abandoned octopus burrows and massive washed up logs. Unlike the inky depths his Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay, this little line of beach was quaint. Pausing at the end of the beach where the cliffs stood right at the water line, Knives knelt down and flipped a rock. Underneath was a writhing mass of snails and hermit crabs, scattering in the sudden light. Knives’ stomach turned at the sight. He set the rock back in place and made his way back home.

He was about to start his ascent back to the cabin when Knives glanced over his shoulder. A tall rock tapered out into a flat ledge about a hundred feet off the dock. He hadn’t paid it any mind before.

But now, there was a figure lounging against the spire. Where legs should have been was a tapering pearlescent tail tipped with flowing fins. The figure was trying to cut their raven colored hair with a rusty knife.

Knives’ heart stopped as panic cemented itself in the pit of his stomachs. What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? Everyone said the local mermaids didn’t come close to town.

What the fuck was one doing next to his fucking dock?

Memories of anguilliform, translucent deep sea mermaids passing by the ROV cameras and baring needle like teeth as they devoured whatever they could get their hands on resurfaced and made Knives sick. Knives had nightmares for weeks after the first time he’d seen their uncanny faces.

And now here one was, vastly more human in appearance. Too human. And they had a rusty knife to boot.

Knives tossed a rock as far as he could in the mermaid’s direction. It landed at their tail with a crash, snapping the creature’s attention onto him.

“Hey, get the fuck out of here! You’re not wanted! Now fuck off.”

The mermaid paused their haircut as their previously calm expression soured. “A rock? Really? Do you really think you’re the only one who can throw rocks at innocent bystanders? I was here first!”

For a moment Knives was shocked. They spoke. The mermaid spoke. This was the worst that could happen. Terrified, he ran to the safety of the porch. Knives narrowed his eyes and looked back to the mermaid. They watched him cower at the top of the stairs and shook their head with heavy exasperation.

“This isn’t over!” Knives screamed before he ran for the door. He slammed and locked it behind him for good measure.

Suddenly exhausted, Knives slid down against the door. Just when he thought life couldn’t get any worse, it did. First exile from the university, then the family. And now mermaids, who were more than likely going to try to drown and eat him.

Knives would have to ask Vash to pick up some sort of protection the next time he showed up

…

Vash was beyond grateful to Wolfwood for letting him rent out the spare room in the back of the priest’s tiny home. The house was placed at the far end of town away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, where tall evergreen trees surrounded Vash on every side. And his room had a tall window that let him catch a glimpse of the ocean through the tree line.

But the forest on the other side was what may have intrigued Vash more. Who was to say what was deep beyond those trees? At night the woods were eerily silent. He’d camped in the woods plenty of times and there were always birds or insects buzzing around. But not here.

Living with Wolfwood was easy enough. The priest was quiet apart from the occasional string of curses that came from here and there and the constant smell of cigarette smoke. The house itself was a little run down but there wasn’t anything Vash couldn’t fix.

After a few days of hanging around the house, Vash woke up earlier than usual and started the truck. The drive to the harbor wouldn’t have been long, but Vash stopped to help one of the locals change a flat tire. Before he knew it, Vash was back in the familiar parking lot, seagulls already circling the truck for scraps. Most of the larger fishing boats were fully loaded or gone by now, leaving the smaller pleasure craft alone in the slips. That was fine. Boats were boats and Vash hadn’t drawn boats before.

Well.. that wasn’t the only reason why he was back at the harbor.

He could still clearly remember those bright green eyes staring back at him.

Vash knew full well that it could have just been a seal or a sea lion. But there was a slim chance that it could have been a mermaid.

Honestly, Vash couldn’t begin to tell anyone why he’d been so obsessed. The mers were something he’d heard about as a kid through stories and occasional documentaries. They seemed… magical. Divine almost. But then, Knives went into marine biology or ecology or oceanography or whatever the fuck and kept sending Vash videos and articles detailing just how monstrous they were. The propaganda did nothing to dampen his spirits.

Vash fished his sketchbook and charcoals out of the front passenger seat and didn’t bother to unlock the door and left. The metal gangway was still icy in some spots and Vash nearly tripped several times. Only keeping his hand in a vice-like grip on the railing and scuttling sideways like a crab seemed to keep Vash from falling on his face.

He was amazed at just how much some of these smaller boats towered over his gangly frame. They’d seemed so tiny from the shore!

Vash spent half an hour just wandering. A passing sea lion made him jump when it surfaced and snorted. Finally, he came to the end of one of the docks and upon finding that he could see the bay, Vash plopped down on an upturned bucket and got to work.

The first few sketches were unbelievably disappointing. Vash grumbled to himself, flipping over to a fresh page every few minutes. There was something about the water that he couldn’t quite capture.

“Hello?”

The deep voice pulled Vash out of his head. He looked over his shoulder to the boat next to him to see a familiar man with a spidery tattoo on his face. The man stared at him through narrowed eyes with his mouth agape.

Vash panicked and waved, mouth twisting into a bright grin, “Hello there! Didn’t mean to disturb you!”

“What the fuck are ya doin out here?”

“Uh… just looking at the scenery,” Vash explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

The man grumbled for a moment. Vash hadn’t lied but it was hardly the full truth. “Well, that’s all fine. Gonna need my bucket back.”

Vash reluctantly rose and tossed the bucket back to the man. With that Vash sat back down, crossing his legs to hold the sketchbook relatively flat. He heard the fisherman shuffle around on deck. An old milk crate smacked hard into Vash’s side and made him scratch the charcoal across the page.

Vash craned his head over the side of the boat. “Is this yours?”

The man hummed from under a bundle of fishing gear. “So your ass doesn’t get wet.”

“Oh thanks!” Vash beamed. He watched his new friend move gear back and forth on the boat. He’d pause every few minutes to zip tie some of the gear back together. “Are those nets?”

For a long moment, the man stared at him incredulously once again. Vash deflated on the inside. Then the man went back to work, speaking with his distinct southern drawl all the while. “They’re slinky pots for black cod. Fish goes in one end, get stuck, and then I get to gut ‘em and bring ‘em in.”

“I thought fish pots were supposed to be those big, heavy, square things you see on the tv.”

The man shrugged. He tossed the repaired pots behind him in a haphazard pile. “Just a different kinda pot. Punisher here doesn’t have that sort of equipment and I work by myself. So slinky pots it is.”

“The more you know I guess.”

“And there’s not much that’ll get into the pots. The whales haven’t figured it out yet so that’s a load off my mind.”

Vash was more than half tempted to ask about the mermaids, but with how many glares he’d received since he moved into town, he thought better of it. He was pretty sure that this man over her could crack him like a toothpick if he wanted to. So, Vash just started sketching the deck space instead of the harbor.

“The fuck are you doing?”

“Just noodling around,” Vash hummed. The sketches were suddenly much more put together. Vast, unfocused landscapes really weren’t his thing.

“Didn’t really think what I was doing was all that interestin’…”

“Eh, not really. But nothing else is really working out. Figured this would be easy to draw.”

After a moment, the man looked up from his repairs and paled. He was about to say something when another set of footsteps joined them. Immediately, Vash recognized the smell of cigarette smoke. He looked up and beamed.

Wolfwood’s face was twisted with slight confusion as he glanced between the gangly blonde and the man in the boat.

“I see you two finally met.”

The man didn’t stop working, “Not really. Didn’t even exchange names. Why? You know this guy?”

Wolfwood tapped the crate Vash was sitting on twice and folded his arms over, “Yeah, this is the bleeding heart fool I’m replacing you with.”

“Hey!” Vash protested. Wolfwood and his friend glanced over. “I’m not a bleeding heart.”

“Stop kidding yourself, spikey. I’ve known you for less than a week and that was the first thing I learned about you.”

“Spikey?” Vash muttered to himself. By now his companions had already forgotten about him.

Wolfwood titled his head, flicking his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, “So, Livio… You gonna let me on board or not?”

“May as well get this over with. And I guess you two’ll want lunch or some shit too.”

Reluctantly Wolfwood clambered onto the boat. He nearly tripped on an unwound bit of rope and Vash and Livio stifled a couple of chuckles. Wolfwood glowered up at them. With an air of self importance, Wolfwood straightened the clerical suit wore and produced a flask from a pocket.

Vash furrowed his brow. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

Wolfwood uncorked the flask and sprinkled some of the contents onto the deck. Then he waved around some dusty orange prayer beads, muttering to himself. “Uh… So, in the name of father, son, and holy spirit, I bless this vessel with fair winds and sunny weather and I guess… fish? Livio would probably appreciate some fish.”

“Hell yeah I would. Can I ask God to let me get back before anyone else? I don’t wanna be stuck waiting for the processor all fuckin’ day.”

“Anything for you, buddy!” Wolfwood exclaimed, pointing dramatically at Livio. “And, Livio would also appreciate getting back to town first for some sort of weird pissing contest all the fishermen have.”

“That’s not what that is…”

“Shhh. Don’t worry about it. Ask and  you shall receive!” the priest proclaimed before making a haphazard cross gesture.

Vash had watched the whole exchange with disbelief, laughing all the while. “Are you sure you’re really a priest?”

Wolfwood groaned, “Look, I’ve done ten other blessings today. There’s a lot of rigmarole, but it doesn’t sit well with me when I let any vessel go without it, especially considering how many of our guys don’t come back at the end of the season. But Livio is the only one I get to let loose with. Makes the gig a little more lighthearted in this backwards town.”

Resting his chin on his hand, Vash glanced between Wolfwood and Livio, “Must be nice playing favorites.”

“We’re cousins,” Livio said flatly. He tossed the last repaired pot back onto the pile and looked over to Vash, “Like barely though.”

Wolfwood ruffled Livio’s hair with a grin. “We grew up together in Texas before Livio was gifted the boat. Then by Lord’s bat shit crazy plan, I got sent up here on assignment,” the priest explained. “And that was two, maybe three, years ago.”

“So, like me and Knives then!”

Wolfwood’s easy expression turned to horror, “Fuck no! The way you describe your brother gives me chills. Livio’s rough around the edges but he isn’t a straight up asshole.”

Finally, Livio perked up, “I thought you were bunking with Nic.”

“Yeah, no, I am. Knives is living at the family cabin in the cove across the way.”

“Thought that place was abandoned…”

Vash laughed nervously. “Not anymore.”

“Oh, Meryl’s gonna hate that.”

Vash was about to ask who Meryl was when a tiny boat sped by them, creating large swells that made the dock sway. Vash didn’t mind but Wolfwood cursed as he gripped the side of Livio’s boat for dear life. When the swaying was over, Wolfwood scrambled back up to the dock and began to leg it back to the parking lot.

Livio called out behind him, “Too stormy there for ya?”

“Shut the fuck up! It’s no laughing matter.”

When Wolfwood was out of earshot, Vash turned to Livio. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh, Nic? Dumb idiot doesn’t know how to swim.”

Vash snorted. He put on his friendliest smile and turned it towards Livio. “You mentioned lunch?”

With a heavy sigh, Livio gestured for Vash to board. He opened the cabin door and went inside to turn on the stove, “Hope you like hotdogs cause that’s all I’ve got.”

…

Perhaps staying away from the cabin for four days was a bad idea.

Knives was fine for the most part, if a little annoyed that Vash hadn’t kept his promise to return earlier. But he hadn’t contacted Vash either. So, Vash entered the cabin with a bright grin, holding a bag of groceries high in the air. “Hey! I’m back!” he shouted.

Knives didn’t look up from a microscope he stole from the university, but his voice was tinged with frustration, “Took you long enough. Also, I would appreciate it if you didn’t just barge in.”

Vash leaned heavily on the back of Knives’ chair, “Why? Am I going to scare off the little critters you’re looking at?”

“They’re not little critters. I’m looking at phytoplankton.”

“Oh! Can I take a look?” Vash eagerly pushed Knives out of the way. He was about to look through the microscope when he heard a crack. Vash looked down to see the glass slide cracked and leaking water over the plate. “Oh, shit.”

Knives annoyed glare twisted into a deep scowl. “Oh, shit? That’s all you have to say?” he paused and rose out of the seat, towering over Vash. “That was my last slide! My last fucking slide! Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through to get those slides?”

“Didn’t you steal those before you left?”

Thick tension hung in the air as they stared at each other. In another moment, Vash broke out into peals of laughter. Knives rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed and crossed the room to inspect the fresh groceries. He perked when he saw the fresh halibut wrapped up at the bottom.

“Oh right,” Vash started as he took the desk chair. “I found a place to stay at for now. The priest in town—”

“Ew.”

“No, no, no. Wolfwood’s cool. I swear. But he had a spare room. And I didn’t have to put down a deposit since I got rid of the owl.”

Knives whipped his head back to Vash. “What owl?”

“The one terrorizing the church.” Vash held up his right arm and pulled down his shirt sleeve to show off the long gash the owl left him with. “I’ve got a battle scar to prove it.”

“Deplorable. I was under the impression Elendira gave you a credit card for expenses. Why not just get a hotel room?”

Vash rested his chin on the back of the chair, pondering for a moment. He sighed, “Hell if I know. Getting a hotel room feels too impermanent. And we’re going to be here for a while. Besides, I can just use the money to order more of those slides I broke.”

“I need harpoon parts as well if you’re going to be buying essentials,” Knives muttered. Vash arched his brow, prompting Kives to gesture towards the door. Vash saw an old rusted gun propped up against the wall.

“Since when did we have a spear gun?”

“Harpoon gun,” Knives corrected. He turned the stove on and seasoned the halibut filet while the pan heated to the correct temperature. “In one of the closets.”

“Didn’t realize grandpa was a whaler.”

“He wasn’t.

Knives went still for a while and all Vash heard was his heavy breathing. He gulped, placed the halibut into the pan. The fish sizzled and soon the cabin was full of the smell of food. Vash’s stomach grumbled.

He laughed despite the knot in his stomach, “So are you going to tell me why you need a harpoon gun?”

“It’s for the mermaids.”

“Folks keep telling me the mermaids don’t mess with people though.”

The deep scowl on Knives’ face was suddenly tinged with fear. “They’re prowling the cove. I need to make sure I can scare them off.”

“So,” Vash droned, looking back at the harpoon gun, “You’re going to use a tool meant to kill whales to scare off a few mermaids. Seems a bit excessive.”

“Don’t fucking judge me, Vash. Mermaids are no laughing matter.

Vash said nothing as he let his mind wander. Knives was silent as well as he let the filet cook up in the pan and chopped some vegetables. The rhythmic sound of the knife was threatening to put him to sleep. He wanted to ask Knives more about the mermaid, but given how on edge his brother already was, Vash knew better.

He could almost imagine the mermaid swimming around in his head as he sat. Maybe if he bothered Knives enough, he’d finally get to see them.

Chapter Text

It had been three lousy years since Wolfwood was sent on this assignment. This god forsaken little town had a priest at one point, well before Wolfwood was even a thought. He’d been the youngest graduate from his seminary class. So, in the church council’s all knowing wisdom, they sent him to the worst place they could think of; Jeneroa Rock, Alaska. Because of course the youngest person would be able to deal with the most shit! 

They weren’t wrong, but it would have been nice to have a choice.

The first thing Wolfwood did after rolling out of bed that morning was light a cigarette. Sweet, heavenly nicotine took off the edge of a long night. Rent was due.

Unfortunately, it was Sunday and Wolfwood had mass all day. He had to get gussied up for work as Livio said many times before. If it were up to him, Wolfwood would leave the top few buttons of the uniform undone to let his neck breathe. But he had to wear the clerical collar. The older folks of the town would have been scandalized otherwise.

Wolfwood sat on the edge of his bed, puffing on the cigarette, while his mind spun. He’d forgotten to prepare the sermon. This wasn’t new, but it wasn’t great either.

He could almost hear Livio chiding him for drinking so much on a work night.

With a groan, the priest rose from the bed and made his way to the front part of the house, stepping over old beer cans, half filled ashtrays, and dirty clothes. Vash was already in the kitchenette, using the stove to cook up something that made Wolfwood’s mouth water. He couldn’t remember the last time somebody used the stove. But Vash had been using it since he cleared out a small spot in the kitchen for cooking. Wolfwood poured himself a bowl of cereal, meager in comparison to Vash’s fried eggs. He checked the fridge before tossing out the empty milk carton.The last of the eggs were all in Vash’s frying pan now.

It was going to be a long day.

Wolfwood glanced at the living room. Vash set up an old easel a few days before, weighed down with a mostly empty canvas in front of a window. Several of Vash’s sketches were tacked up on the wall just in front. Vash used a pencil to mark up shapes but that had been nearly a week ago.

He tilted his head in the easel’s direction, “You gonna finish that up anytime soon?

Vash took his seat at the table with a dismissive shrug, “Who’s to say? Haven’t felt the right vibes since I put it up.”

“Right vibes?” Wolfwood muttered to himself. Finally, he noticed the official looking letter with his landlord’s name. Good lord, he sent an invoice. Wolfwood rolled his eyes and tossed the unopened letter back onto the table. Mood spoiled, he stared pointedly at Vash, who was oblivious to Wolfwood’s struggles. Or maybe he wasn’t? It was hard to tell with this jokester.

With a sigh, Wolfwood started in on breakfast and continued to puff on the cigarette. If he could at least finish one, then morning mass would pass by considerably easier.

“How much do you think you could charge for that painting?”

“I haven’t even started it yet!” Vash whined. “Like I said, the vibes are all wrong. So, I gotta wait for them to come back. Otherwise, it won’t look right.”

“Hypothetically though?”

Vash narrowed his eyes, studying Wolfwood’s features. It was as though Vash was looking right through him and left Wolfwood feeling naked and deeply unsettled. In the next moment, Vash was bashfully rubbing the back of his neck, almost a completely different person. “Who knows? Maybe two hundred, two fifty? Depends on how nice it looks,” Vash explained.

Well, that didn’t answer the question at all.

But Wolfwood was too fucking tired to even ask further. If this dingus couldn’t pay his share of the rent, the boot he got. Saying nothing, Wolfwood dumped the empty cereal bowl in the sink and ran some water over it. He’d do the dishes when he got back that afternoon. Or maybe tomorrow. Who knew?

“You coming to mass today?” Wolfwood asked as he laced up the polished loafers near the door.

“Nope! I’ve got plans today.”

Wolfwood paused, “Since when? Didn’t you just get here?”

Vash hummed and glanced up to the ceiling, “Just helping a few folks around town. Cleaning gutters and that sort of stuff. Nothing special.”

“Well, you’re missing out. But have fun with old rotten leaves and twigs I guess.”

Wolfwood shut the front door behind him and sauntered past the garage where Vash’s beater truck was parked outside. His gorgeous ride, a gleaming black motorbike he named Punisher, was still out of commission until his parts arrived. He didn’t miss Texas much these days, but there was something to be said about same day delivery that he liked. Waiting at least three weeks for a small package was making him go insane.

And now Wolfwood had to walk to work.. At least it looked like it wasn’t going to rain for a while. That was something at least.

It took him nearly an hour to make it to the harbor. From there on, the road followed close to the water’s edge, affording him a good view of the bay. Wolfwood paused a moment and lit another cigarette. He was making good time.

Then Wolfwood was reminded why he didn’t stop on his way to the church this early in the morning.

Just in front of him in the water was a familiar figure poking her head out of the water. She stared up at him with large indigo eyes framed with shaggy black hair. Wolfwood groaned, “Great… you’re back.”

The mermaid narrowed her eyes, “You know how much those cigarettes stink, right?”

Wolfwood took a long drag and smirked when he blew smoke, “Yeah, but they taste pretty good. Besides, you can just swim away. Got the whole bay to yourself, Meryl.”

He nearly laughed when he watched Meryl’s face twist into a deep scowl. “I’m fucking tired of you people telling me to just go away! I was here first. That has to count for something. But no.”

“What’s got your fins in a twist?”

“What’s it to you?” Meryl spat. “Are you going to try to get me to confess just so you have blackmail material or something?”

Wolfwood burst out laughing. “Who told you about confession?”

“You did. Still makes no sense to me. How do you live with yourself knowing everyone’s deepest insecurities like that?”

The sharp edge of Meryl’s joke wasn’t lost on him. The insinuation made Wolfwood want to bite back. “I’m not the thought police, you oversized goldfish. They tell me stuff and it's my sworn duty to just forget all of it. In one ear and out the other. Keeps me sane.”

“Right… Who’s ever heard of a sane priest?”

“And who’s ever heard of a mermaid with a degree in theology?”

Meryl smiled devilishly, revealing nearly imperceptible canines that were so close to human. Wolfwood felt chills run down his spine.  Mermaids weren’t demonic hell spawn, that much was clear. But Meryl came real close sometimes.

“No one! Because your fucking religions make no sense to me! Like why would some guy in the sky care if someone decided to go out in a bad storm and crack his boat on the rocks? That's not his problem that someone decided to be an idiot. It’s a cruel world; shit happens!”

“Ha! That’s the point! Even I can’t understand it most of the time.”

“Then why bother figuring it out at all? Why would humans even care?” Meryl yelled, scratching at her temples.

“Because I need a job!” Wolfwood yelled back, grinning fiendishly. That seemed to shut Meryl up as she grumbled incoherently into the water. Wolfwood took his chance to escape, running up the hill with his cigarette dangling precariously out of the corner of his mouth.

He hated to smell like cigarettes more than usual for mass on Sundays. But it had been a busy morning.

Congregants, mostly wives, girlfriends, and children left behind on shore, waited for him in the yard. Wolfwood waved off a few angry stares from old ladies as he unlocked the door. They were filtering in when Wolfwood caught sight of the rafters.

The owl wasn’t there anymore thanks to Vash. But in its place were three rough looking ravens, missing toes and feathers. How the hell did they get inside? Weren’t ravens bad omens or some shit? If that was true, then fucked up looking ravens probably portended doom. Not that Wolfwood put any stock into omens, good or bad.

The congregation took their seats while Wolfwood scrambled for anything he could base a sermon off of. Maybe there were notes in the back office he could use. Right, that’d save him. It wasn’t as though half these people really listened to what he was saying on a good day.

…

By the time Wolfwood called it and canceled the afternoon mass, he was exhausted. Most of the notes he found in the office made no sense and he ended up winging it anyway. And then the damn ravens decided to croak nonstop for almost five minutes right in the middle. Wolfwood laughed right along with them just from the sheer absurdity of it all. And then mass was over before it started.

Wolfwood was smoking on the front steps of the church when a slick black Cadillac pulled up next to the gate. Immediately Wolfwood wanted to yell. But that wasn’t the christian thing to do so he kept silent. Wolfwood did not however hide his disdainful glare as two people wearing sleek business attire and carrying several large binders and clipboards glided out of the car.

The first man clicked the car locked and shouted at Wolfwood from across the fence, “Is the father around?”

“Fuck if I know. You got an appointment?”

The couple exchanged a harried glance before the man continued, “I tried to look this place up on Yelp and there was no website. How were we supposed to make an appointment?”

Wolfwood stared at them. Yelp? Did they really try to look up a church in the middle of nowhere that had a congregation of seventy five people at most on Yelp?

“Could we still talk to the father anyways?”

At this point the spectacle was more funny than annoying, though that feeling was teetering. Wolfwood rose from the steps but stopped a few feet away from the gate. “You’re talking to him now."

The first man shot Wolfwood a pointed glare for a moment before his compatriot spoke up, much friendlier, “We’re here on behalf of our employer, Mr. Chadwick Smith/”

“So what?”

“He and his fiance will be arriving in the bay area next month and are hoping to get married here.”

Wolfwood took a long drag off his cigarette and blew that smoke right into the first man’s face. “Well, congrats. But I don’t work for free, especially if it’s for tourists.”

The first man spat, “Aren’t you a priest?”

“Yeah, gotta keep the lights on somehow,” Wolfwood retorted. There were a few choice words he wanted to add, but if he could finagle this just right…

“Given our employer’s status, we can pay any price. They’re coming all the way from Napa for this trip.” Wolfwood waited for the second man to continue. “They’re renting a boat we’d like you to perform the ceremony on, just inside the bay. We’ve been given permission to spare no expense.”

“Three thousand.”

The men’s faces visibly paled. Wolfwood tried to keep his smirk in place even though the thought of heading out on a boat made him beyond anxious. Nobody needed to know that. Wolfwood spoke with as much confidence as he could muster.“I have to get liability insurance if you want a boat ceremony. And then there is a flat fee for the ceremony. And a required donation to the church itself for general upkeep and services.”

The first man could barely contain his frustration, “And you call yourself a priest.”

Wolfwood shrugged and turned on his heel, gesturing in the air dramatically, “Take it or leave it. I have some repairs to start on. This place certainly is falling apart. Apparently that’s not any of your concern is it? But hey! Good luck finding another priest in these parts!”

“Wait, wait, wait!” the second man called, finally coming through the gate to stop Wolfwood. “We can pay. Have no doubts about that! Our employers will be here in a month for the ceremony.” He held a thin slip of paper out for Wolfwood to take. “This is our contact information. We’ll be in touch regarding the finer details. Thank you, father. God bless!”

With that, the black Cadillac peeled down the road with a screech. Wolfwood placed the card in his breast pocket and snuffed the cigarette stub with his foot. Well, that took care of next month’s rent. But it didn't make Wolfwood feel any better.

In moments like this Wolfwood would walk down to the harbor to vent to Livio. Last Wolfwood heard, Livio was planning a ten day trip to see if the previous year’s spots were any good. Honestly, Wolfwood had no idea why Meryl hadn’t gone with him. Usually at the beginning of the season, the mermaids joined Livio to make sure he had a good sense of where the fish was. Maybe they were going to join him later?

All of Wolfwood’s hopes were dashed when he saw Meryl in the distance. She was surfacing and diving in quick order. Then another figure, long and slate brown, emerged. Water cascaded down their back like rain over plastic. Then Wolfwood noticed arms and a torso.

Shit! There was another one.

Oh, wait… Didn’t Livio work with a second mermaid sometimes? Wolfwood was hardly sure.

Knowing Meryl, Wolfwood would have bet money that this new aquatic resident was just as prickly as she was. Even though his stomach was knotting again, Wolfwood was a little excited. He knew exactly which buttons to press to push Meryl over the edge. This new mermaid was going to be a challenge.

Wolfwood watched them for a little bit and let his mind forget about the upcoming rent and the growing pile of dishes. The mermaid’s finally surfaced. The priest squinted to get a better look at the new mermaid but to no avail.

The mermaids seemed unbothered and Wolfwood couldn’t remember ever seeing Meryl smile, let alone laugh. But what intrigued him most was the bell-like giggles from her friend. But then the scene was shattered as Meryl caught sight of the priest. Her smile was quickly replaced with a deep set scowl and she held him in a threatening glare. The message was crystal clear.

And after the whirlwind day, Wolfwood started home. And it was only three in the fucking afternoon.

…

Vash was loading brown paper bags in the truck bed by the time Wolfwood made it home. He waved Wolfwood over enthusiastically. The priest sighed when he met Vash at the truck door. Vash took one look at him and his mood deflated. Good. Wolfwood wasn’t sure if he could stand the golden retriever energy anymore.

“So, uh who was your day?” Vash asked tentatively. He tried to smile wider when Wolfwood didn’t answer. “Hey, so I gotta do a grocery run over to Knives. I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come along. Get some air? Maybe finally meet this brother you keep hearing about?”

Wolfwood glanced between Vash and the truck. His mouth tasted sour suddenly. But Vash looked so pleading. And he was curious about the brother. What sort of person just kicked out their flesh and blood like that?

Wolfwood clambered into the front passenger seat. Vash could only stare back at him with his mouth agape. The priest slammed the side of the door. “Well, are we going or not, spikey?”

Vash broke out into another grin as he hopped into the driver’s side and gunned it out of the gravel driveway. Little rocks and a cloud of dust followed behind the pickup. The groceries in the truck bed bounced wildly. Wolfwood was sure that at this speed, they would be lost by the time Vash made it to the cove.

The priest leaned his arm against the window and watched the scenery pass by absent mindedly. He didn’t realize just how wooded this road was, but then again he’d never been out this way. They climbed up and up and until the trees thinned out. And then Vash parked in front of a weathered one story cabin with whitened wooden walls and a red roof growing moss.

Just outside was a man leaning against the walls, wearing an exasperated frown. Wolfwood did a double take. At first glance it looked like Vash on a bad day. But no. Not quite. This unfamiliar man had lighter hair cropped short against his head. The mole was on the right side of his face. His eyes were icy as he regarded the world. Something about him made Wolfwood’s neck break into goosebumps.

Vash took a deep breath in before leaving the relative safety of the truck. Wolfwood didn’t miss the moment of hesitation. He didn’t move his head but still Wolfwood’s gaze didn’t leave Vash as he gathered the groceries and appraoched Knives.

Knives barely reacted when he noticed Wolfwood. The attention sent shivers down Wolfwood’s spine. He didn’t dare leave the truck until Vash came back from the cabin.

Sticking next to the truck gave Wolfwood a sense of protection as Vash introduced them. “Okay, so Knives, this is the guy I’m living with.”

“The deceiver of the masses”

Vash’s mouth quivered into a barely perceivable frown. But it was gone as soon as it came and Vash continued, “Anyways, this is my brother Knives.”

Wolfwood looked Knives up and down. He was much more toned and broader than Vash was at second glance. He huffed, “Who in the world names their kid Knives?”

“It’s just a nickname,” Vash explained, hands held up in concession.

Knives leaned forward, mouth held in a smug smirk, “So how long does it usually take for you to start proselytizing? Five, ten, minutes?”

Suddenly, the priest wanted to punch this guy in the nose

“For you?” Wolfwood started, rubbing his chin in thought, “I can start right now! From what Vash has told me, you may need a full on exorcism.”

“What the fuck are you insinuating?” Knives yelled, balling his hands into tight fists and face turning as red as Vash’s raincoat.

Wolfwood tensed as Knives took a step forward. Then before anything could happen, Vash rushed between them, pushing Knives back by the shoulders. He was chuckling nervously, trying to hide just how uncomfortable he was. But it wasn’t lost on Wolfwood.

“All right! All right! Maybe this visit has gone on too long! I’ll be back next week!”

Vash ushered Wolfwood back to the truck. The gangly blonde tried not to look rushed as he turned the truck on. He waved through the window, voice raising a pitch or two as he pulled out, “Bye bye, Knives! Please don’t murder anything while I’m away.”

The truck was eerily silent as Vash drove back to town. Wolfwood tried not to stare. He really did. But, there was something tragic just behind Vash’s optimistic mask. “So,” Wolfwood started,” I was right about Knives.”

“He’s not usually like that,” Vash started. “He’s just going through some–”

“Some shit. You keep telling me that.” Wolfwood sighed. He didn’t believe Vash for a second. “What exactly happened?”

For a long few minutes, Vash was silent. His lips were pulled back in a thin lipped frown as he focused on the road. Suddenly he was driving perfectly safely. Then Vash’s voice came as a whisper. “He was in some sort of fancy PhD program out of Woods Hole. Really competitive and all that. It’s not really my place to talk about it, but he was kicked out.”

“Dramatic bitch. Getting kicked out of school doesn’t mean you have to move across the country,” Wolfwood muttered.

“It’s… more complicated than that,” Vash said. “Again, it’s not really something I should be talking about. But it was just a straw that broke the camel’s back sort of situation.”

Wolfwood gave Vash a sidelong glance with an arched brow, “And what about you?”

Again, it looked as though Vash was struggling for words. “I… I couldn’t just leave him. I mean, he’s family.”

Again, the truck was filled with a thick, tense silence. Vash slowly pulled into the driveway and into his space. He waited patiently for Wolfwood to fish out the keys. Wolfwood groaned when he finally propped the front door open.

The house smelled like lemon scented cleaner. That was… unexpected. Sauntering into the kitchen, Wolfwood saw that Vash had finished cleaning it thoroughly. Even the fridge had been restocked. Eggs, milk, deli meat for sandwiches, and some various vegetables in the bottom drawers. There was even a case of beer on the bottom shelf.  And then there was a check on the fridge with the lanky man’s messy handwriting. Wolfwood stared at it with disbelief for a long moment.

Wolfwood poked his head into his general direction. Vash was flopped onto the couch, eyes closed and limbs dangling at odd angles.

But what really caught Wolfwood’s eye was the easel in the corner. That morning it had been snow white. But, now there were broad strokes of dark greens and turquoises with cool browns etched in between. He could make out the beginning shapes of leaves and pine boughs. But in the middle was a massive white spot, left empty.

“Huh… When you said you were an artist, I didn’t take you seriously at first. This looks good.”

Vash cracked an eye open. “It’s not done.”

Wolfwood chuffed, “I can tell. What’s supposed to be in the middle?”

“Don’t know yet. It’s supposed to be the woods out back of the house. Feels like there’s supposed to be something there, but I haven’t seen it yet. Like—”

“There’s someone out there?” Wolfwood interrupted. He looked over his shoulder back to Vash, who was still focused on the painting. “Just be careful. You never know exactly what’s out there. Could be an ax murderer or something. Might not come back.”

Vash smiled lazily, “I think I’ll be fine. Thanks though.”

“You’re not going to take my advice at all! Anyways, you want dinner?”

The man on the threadbare couch perked, “Hell yeah I do!”

Chapter Text

Nicolas D. Wolfwood found many things fun.

Drinking. Smoking. Cooking up a good meal. Lots of little things. Wolfwood was easily entertained. It never took much for Wolfwood to have fun.

Today, however, was not fun

Nicolas D. Wolfwood found many things fun.

Drinking. Smoking. Cooking up a good meal. Lots of little things. Wolfwood was easily entertained. It never took much for Wolfwood to have fun.

Today, however, was not fun.

This was the opposite of fun.

Firstly, Wolfwood was stuck officiating a gaudiest wedding he’d ever been a part of. The couple had too much money to know what to do with. And the groom was somehow more smug than the local nut who lived in the cove. And that was saying something because Knives was going through some shit as Vash kept assuring. The couple, or rather the groom, kept making ridiculous demands.

Wolfwood had to be dressed in a cassock. Wolfwood wasn’t even sure where the clerical clothes were kept until the night before. And now on the day of the ceremony, Wolfwood felt like someone was strangling him. And to top it off, he wore a heavy, ornate cross around his neck to sell the whole look. Vash burst out laughing when he saw Wolfwood that morning.

And Vash was nearly the strangled one.

The locals of Jeneora Rock knew better than to expect the priest to uphold such obsolete customs. If the fishermen came mass covered in slime, blood, and guts, then Wolfwood had the right to dress down as much as he wanted, tits out and all.

Unfortunately, Wolfwood had a paycheck on the line. So, through the hoops he jumped.

Secondly, the wedding was taking place on a boat. Well, it was more of a luxury day yacht. There were three decks and a hot tub for the guests to enjoy. And like most weddings, there was an open bar. Which didn’t seem smart. Inebriated fools with no sense of consequences didn’t mix well with open water. The couple’s actual boat was anchored just outside of the bay where the local peasants wouldn’t bother them. Whatever. Wolfwood didn’t care.

It wasn’t necessarily the boat that was the problem. It was the fact that Wolfwood hated being on the water at all. Over and over again, Livio tried to convince the priest to try his hand at fishing every once in a while. But Wolfwood hated the water. He hated going out onto the bay where the murky depths threatened to drag him down and hold him at the bottom.

There were wily mermaids and God knew what else down there!

Well, also, Wolfwood didn’t know how to swim. He grew up in a desert where the open ocean was a myth. A legend. Tir na Nog. Avalon. So, Wolfwood just never got around to it.

And when the Church of Saint Michael shipped him up to the bay, Wolfwood decided he wasn’t going to learn out of spite. Livio rolled his eyes when he heard. The fisherman got his cousin a neon orange life jacket as a housewarming gift. The message was loud and clear.

But that morning, Wolfwood donned the long cassock and heavy gilded cross and boarded the boat. Three thousand dollars would cover one month’s rent and groceries for a while. Stomach in knots, he stuck to the lower deck, nervously pulling at the tight collar. Oh Jesus, he was going crazy. Wolfwood paced around the deck, weaving around drunk guests.

Wolfwood needed a smoke.

He escaped to the third deck, which Wolfwood thought was empty. At the railing facing the town was a familiar lanky figure. Though today he was missing his signature red raincoat and his hair was brushed back rather than up. Vash was dressed in the sleek uniforms all the catering staff wore. For the first time since they’d met, Vash didn’t look like a sentient fire hydrant.

Wolfwood sauntered over to his side and slapped Vash hard against the bicep. He laughed when Vash jumped, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“They were short staffed today and I wasn’t doing anything!” Vash explained. He watched as Wolfwood dug around in one of his pockets for the much needed cigarette. Sweet relief was so close. Then the taste of the tobacco soured when Vash laughed. “You didn’t put on a life vest?”

Wolfwood’s brow knitted, “What that fuck?”

“Livio said you didn’t know how to swim!”

Face flushed, Wolfwood smacked his friend hard across the back of the head, “And you’re not supposed to tell anyone either!”

Vash hissed as he felt how prominent the growing bump was. “That’s just dangerous, man. What if you go overboard?”

“I won’t,” Wolfwood insisted. He took a long drag off the cigarette then gripped the railing tight enough that his knuckles turned white. Vash stared at him with an unbelieving look. “Don’t jinx it for me.”

“All right. All right. All right.”

Wordlessly, Vash stole Wolfwood’s lit cigarette out of his mouth and stuck it in his own. He smiled as he blew a smoke ring. Wolfwood would have been impressed if he wasn’t so peeved that his cigarette was gone. “The fuck, man?”

“Don’t you have a whole pack on you?”

“It's the principle of it, you asshole.”

Wolfwood waited for Vash to answer but the lanky blonde was suddenly preoccupied, staring at something in the water. His eyes were wide and his mouth was barely parted. Vash wasn’t quite shocked. But… Wait. Was he blushing? It looked like Vash was blushing.

Curiosity got the better of Wolfwood and he followed Vash’s gaze. On a rock not more than one hundred feet away from the boat was a familiar figure. Wolfwood’s stomach dropped.

Meryl sat near the back of the rock, watching the boat with exasperation. Her tail laid swishing in water shallow enough that her scales still reflected the sunlight. Her fins made the water look like it was slicked over with oil with the way the sun shone through the membrane. At least she hadn’t noticed him yet.

As if this day couldn’t get any worse, Wolfwood thought to himself. He couldn’t light a new cigarette faster.

Vash couldn’t peel his gaze away. His voice was a reverent whisper, “Who is she? She’s… she’s gorgeous.”

“Trust me, Spikey. She’s not worth it.”

“I don’t believe that,” Vash retorted softly. Then his face twisted with a cringe, “How in the world did she get all the way out here though? I don’t see another boat anywhere near here. Is she one of the guests?”

Wolfwood started his friend with concern. Had Vash not seen the tail? No? Not at all? She was still mostly submerged, but not that much. Vash couldn’t have been that oblivious. Wolfwood chuckled nervously, “You're kidding right?”

“No!” Vash stated with all the seriousness in the world. Then he looked back at Meryl with dreamy eyes.

This time Wolfwood’s laugh was genuine, “Don’t worry too much. That one has a tendency to yell at people. And… Actually, you know what? You’ll figure it out eventually.”

“What was that, Wolfwood?”

The priest waved Vash off dismissively as he walked away. He called over his shoulder, “Nothing, Vash. Don’t worry about it.”

For a moment, Wolfwood stood at another section railing as he fumbled with the cigarette. He perked when he heard something big break the surface of the water. Whatever it was dove back under by the time he looked over. Off in the distance, Wolfwood was sure he saw something ovular circling the boat. Was it a seal? Maybe a sea lion?

Wolfwood honestly didn’t care. He had bigger fish to fry.

…

Meryl lived by one general rule after living this long.

Don’t get close to boats you’re not familiar with.

It was after a close call with a trawl net that Meryl swore she wouldn’t mess with the big draggers anymore. If it wasn’t for Milly, Meryl would have died. Longline fishing equipment, with those hook lined ropes shot terror through Meryl. She’d seen massive sleeper sharks get tangled up in the gear, plaguing her with nightmares for weeks. So away from the fishing boats she stayed.

The Punisher was a different story. Livio worked with those tiny pots and he was nice enough to let her and Milly eat some of his bycatch. In return the mermaids helped him find good spots to fish.

For a long time after the trawl accident, Livio was the only human Meryl interacted with. And that was only because of Milly’s gentle encouragement.

Milly was a seal mermaid who’d left her colony to find her own place in the world. Though the seal colony was only a week away, close enough for the both of them to visit. Milly grew up disentangling seals from ghost gear and imprinted on the first panicked mer she found. And then they both found a protected grotto in Jeneora bay and that’s where they made their home. The rest was history as the humans said.

Meryl was still asleep when Milly came rushing into the grotto. It was too early for Meryl to really channel all of Milly’s excess energy, so she let her friend drag her to the harbor. Every few days, some fool would drop something into the water and if it caught their fancy, they’d take it back with them.

This time though, Meryl was too tired to really look. Especially since she hadn’t eaten yet. She was roused from her drowsy haze when Milly didn’t come back down after surfacing for air. Meryl came next to her side and followed her friend’s gaze.

Almost taking up a whole dock was an ostentatious white yacht. Meryl hadn’t seen one of those in years, and definitely not in this area. But that wasn’t what Milly was transfixed by.

Boarding the yacht was a familiar priest. He wore a long, black dress and a heavy necklace around his neck. That was strange, even for him. But the look of complete apprehension on Wolfwood’s face made Meryl smirk. It was nice to see him play the fool every once in a while.

But Milly stared at him like... like she was enamored with him. Meryl was about to go back under the water when Milly grabbed ahold of Meryl’s arm.

“Oh my, Meryl,” Milly whispered tentatively. “I can’t believe this.”

“Believe what?”

Milly’s eyes sparkled, “It’s a penguin.”

For a long moment, Meryl was speechless. Then she barked out a laugh, “Excuse me?”

“A penguin! I never thought I’d ever see one!”

Meryl followed Milly’s line of sight. Yep. She was definitely watching Wolfwood. Meryl had to agree; he was dressed in a similar fashion to the birds from a literal world away. But barely.

“Okay. So what about it?”

Milly bit her lower lip and drooled. “I’ve always wanted to eat a penguin.”

“Don’t you eat fish though?”

“I’ve eaten a puffin once. And a few ducks. They were pretty good, if a little tough. But my cousin—”

“The pathological liar.”

“Oh hush! But he said he had a penguin once and it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.”

Meryl frowned as she looked back to Wolfwood. Her feelings were… mixed. “This is a bad idea, Milly. I know who that is and it's just some guy. Penguins don’t even come this far north.”

The smile on Milly’s face widened as her eyes narrowed fiendishly. By now the priest was at the back of the boat, gripping the rail tightly and taking deep, quick breaths. Wolfwood had never looked so pathetic. “This is a great idea, Meryl!” Milly exclaimed. “Besides, how would I know if I never try?”

And that was how Meryl found herself following an unfamiliar boat to the middle of the bay. She hung out on a nearby rock, watching the party, while Milly circled. The seal’s stomach rumbled louder and louder as the anticipation mounted. Wolfwood was nowhere to be seen. That was probably for the best. Soon enough, Milly would lose interest and Meryl could go back to her day

It wasn’t long before one of the passengers on the third deck, a gangly man with a cheery smile and hair the color of the sun, took notice of her. Meryl glanced up at him for an instant and her skin crawled.

At least he wasn’t pointing a camera in her direction.

Meryl craned her head to search for Milly, trying to forget the man. And then he opened his mouth, “Hey, angel! What’s your name? Do you need help getting back on board? I can throw you a life preserver!”

Without warning, Meryl bared her fangs and flipped this stranger her middle finger. He barely flinched, but the stupid grin never left his face. After a moment, he rested his chin on his hand and continued to watch her. Meryl did her best to just push him out of her mind.

Milly resurfaced just in front of her.

“Time to go? Meryl asked, beaming.

“Nope!”

The seal licked her lips. And then Meryl caught sight of Wolfwood at the back of the boat, standing ramrod straight and carrying his story book in his hands. The priest was just within Milly’s reach now.

Meryl sighed. She could warn him. But by the time the thought passed her mind, Milly was gone.

Oh well.

…

Wolfwood nearly forgot he was even on a boat during the ceremony. The bride's enormous dress pushed him nearly to the edge and right next to the water. But the yacht was anchored and he wasn't going to be standing there for more than half an hour. The couple had taken mercy and decided not to include a mass.

Lucky him. But while Wolfwood was still in danger, it wasn’t imminent danger.

So far, he’d gone through the script with few mishaps. There would have been no mishaps if Vash hadn’t flashed him a toothy grin and thumbs up. The groom, an imposing man who looked like a retired drill sergeant, shot him a nasty glance when that happened.

Fucking Vash…

But now, Wolfwood was so close to the end! So close he could almost taste the afternoon cigarette he was going to light immediately after.

Wolfwood kept his voice even and emotionless as he spoke. He didn’t want the happy couple to realize how much he wanted to get this over with. “Do you, Chadwick Smith, take Sarah Whitney as your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold; from this day forward to cherish and love forever; through rich and through poor; through sickness and through health?”

“I do.”

He repeated the words to the bride, who was still oblivious to the fact that he was now rushing through the rest of the ceremony. She was about to say I do when something wet and cold snatched Wolfwood’s ankle. He fell flat on his stomach and the bride’s voluminous skirt before she ran away screaming.

Wolfwood clawed for anything to hold onto to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vash fighting the crowd to get to him. But he was too late. With a scream that tore at his throat, the thing grabbing him gave a sharp tug and over the side he went.

His eyes closed as he was plunged into the cold, murky water.  His cassock billowed around him and it was so hard to move.

Wolfwood’s eyes shot open as he tried to parse out what was happening. Everything was fuzzy and his lungs began to hurt. He needed to breathe. He needed air. He needed to move.

Then, Wolfwood saw her.

Through the darkness came a woman. Her face and shoulders were framed with flowing golden hair. She had a beautiful, glowing smile, soft lips pulled back just enough to reveal ivory white canines. Her rosy cheeks were covered in a smattering of constellation-like freckles. And her eyes… How could Wolfwood even begin to describe them? There were no words in either English or Spanish he could use to describe how marvelous her big, blue eyes were. They seemed to shine in the dark, demanding Wolfwood’s full attention.

His eyes drifted lazily down her length, soft and chubby. But her lower half was velvety and streamlined. It tapered off into a pair of fuzzy flippers. That was odd. But that didn’t matter. Not to Wolfwood.

This woman was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Wolfwood was about to open his mouth to ask for her name and declare his unwavering, undying love for her when the woman’s smile turned sweetly evil. She grabbed onto his leg with an iron grip before biting onto the meaty part of his calf. Wolfwood screamed into the void and inhaled a lungful of seawater. The bite stung like hell in the salt.

No, it didn’t sting. The bite was aflame.  

The last thing Wolfwood saw was dark clouds of blood in the water while the woman’s scowled and spat out a ripped piece of the cassock. Her lovely eyes were scrunched together with disgust. She opened her mouth to say something, but the scowl continued to mar her face.

Wolfwood was going to die. He was sure of it. And now his only regret was making his tormentor frown like that.

And then Wolfwood blacked out.

…

Wolfwood woke up violently, flat on his back. He was completely soaked through and coughing up gallons of water. Wolfwood gulped air like the world was ending. The priest halfway expected to see the mystery woman next to him, smiling sweetly with those baby blues. Instead, Wolfwood was beyond disappointed to see Vash kneeling next to him. His hands were poised to start resuscitations at a moment’s notice. Most of the wedding party gathered around while the photographer snapped pictures.

With a surprising amount of strength, Wolfwood shoved Vash away. He tried to sit up but only flopped onto his back with a thud. The bite on his leg burned like hell fire and it was all Wolfwood could focus on. Oh God! His mouth tasted salty.

“What the fuck happened?” Wolfwood stammered.

“Some sort of seal nabbed you,” Vash explained excitedly. “I had no idea they even did that!”

With a sigh, Wolfwood rummaged in the pocket of the ruined cassock for the cigarette pack. All of them were ruined. Wolfwood pounded his hand into the deck with desperation. He was about to start crying.

“It was a woman, spikey. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Vash blanched in horror, “Do you have a concussion? Wolfwood! What day is it?”

“Saturday, you fucking dolt!” I don’t have a concussion! My leg’s fucking bleeding. She tried to take a chunk out of me!”

Vash stared at him with confusion. Finally, Vash shook his head and rushed away to grab the first aid kit. The groom, understandably angry, finally showed his face, “So are you going to finish the ceremony or what?”

Wolfwood rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I pronounce thee wed and all that bullshit. I was attacked. I almost died!” Wolfwood paused and considered the situation. “If you could pay for my hospital bill, that’d be great,” he added with a healthy amount of sarcasm.

The groom walked away with a huff, leaving Wolfwood alone on the deck. And all he could think of was that beautiful face in the gloom. With a sigh, Wolfwood rubbed the seawater out of his eyes. He had to see that face again, even if it meant having to drown in the sea.

Wolfwood would do anything to see her face again.

…

Meryl swam over to her friend bobbing on the surface. Milly was crying, clutching at a piece of black fabric that had been torn to shreds. She rested an arm over Milly’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Milly. I tried to warn you.”

“Meryl! He tasted so bad! And he was so bony!” Milly brought the piece of fabric to her face and continued to weep. “Who knew fabric tasted so bad?” Suddenly, Milly met Meryl’s gaze. Her expression was so heartbroken it made Meryl shiver. “Why couldn’t he have been a penguin?” Milly cried.

“Because he’s a human. Just a human who likes to make fun of people for sport and smells like cigarette smoke. And that burns.”

Milly stared forlornly at the fabric scrap. “And all I wanted was a penguin. Was that too much to ask for?”

Meryl sighed, “Unfortunately, yes. Here, let’s go take your mind off of Wolfwood.”

“Wolfwood?” Milly asked distractedly. “He has a name?”

Oh, this was bad; really bad. Meryl saw that hopeful gleam in Milly’s worried eyes that meant she was going to be thinking about the priest for weeks to come. Meryl couldn’t bring herself to answer and swam away. Milly smiled softly and followed Meryl, still holding onto the fabric. She whispered that word over and over again.

“Wolfwood… What a silly thing to call yourself!”

This was the opposite of fun.

Firstly, Wolfwood was stuck officiating a gaudiest wedding he’d ever been a part of. The couple had too much money to know what to do with. And the groom was somehow more smug than the local nut who lived in the cove. And that was saying something because Knives was going through some shit as Vash kept assuring. The couple, or rather the groom, kept making ridiculous demands.

Wolfwood had to be dressed in a cassock. Wolfwood wasn’t even sure where the clerical clothes were kept until the night before. And now on the day of the ceremony, Wolfwood felt like someone was strangling him. And to top it off, he wore a heavy, ornate cross around his neck to sell the whole look. Vash burst out laughing when he saw Wolfwood that morning.

And Vash was nearly the strangled one.

The locals of Jeneora Rock knew better than to expect the priest to uphold such obsolete customs. If the fishermen came mass covered in slime, blood, and guts, then Wolfwood had the right to dress down as much as he wanted, tits out and all.

Unfortunately, Wolfwood had a paycheck on the line. So, through the hoops he jumped.

Secondly, the wedding was taking place on a boat. Well, it was more of a luxury day yacht. There were three decks and a hot tub for the guests to enjoy. And like most weddings, there was an open bar. Which didn’t seem smart. Inebriated fools with no sense of consequences didn’t mix well with open water. The couple’s actual boat was anchored just outside of the bay where the local peasants wouldn’t bother them. Whatever. Wolfwood didn’t care.

It wasn’t necessarily the boat that was the problem. It was the fact that Wolfwood hated being on the water at all. Over and over again, Livio tried to convince the priest to try his hand at fishing every once in a while. But Wolfwood hated the water. He hated going out onto the bay where the murky depths threatened to drag him down and hold him at the bottom.

There were wily mermaids and God knew what else down there!

Well, also, Wolfwood didn’t know how to swim. He grew up in a desert where the open ocean was a myth. A legend. Tir na Nog. Avalon. So, Wolfwood just never got around to it.

And when the Church of Saint Michael shipped him up to the bay, Wolfwood decided he wasn’t going to learn out of spite. Livio rolled his eyes when he heard. The fisherman got his cousin a neon orange life jacket as a housewarming gift. The message was loud and clear.

But that morning, Wolfwood donned the long cassock and heavy gilded cross and boarded the boat. Three thousand dollars would cover one month’s rent and groceries for a while. Stomach in knots, he stuck to the lower deck, nervously pulling at the tight collar. Oh Jesus, he was going crazy. Wolfwood paced around the deck, weaving around drunk guests.

Wolfwood needed a smoke.

He escaped to the third deck, which Wolfwood thought was empty. At the railing facing the town was a familiar lanky figure. Though today he was missing his signature red raincoat and his hair was brushed back rather than up. Vash was dressed in the sleek uniforms all the catering staff wore. For the first time since they’d met, Vash didn’t look like a sentient fire hydrant.

Wolfwood sauntered over to his side and slapped Vash hard against the bicep. He laughed when Vash jumped, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“They were short staffed today and I wasn’t doing anything!” Vash explained. He watched as Wolfwood dug around in one of his pockets for the much needed cigarette. Sweet relief was so close. Then the taste of the tobacco soured when Vash laughed. “You didn’t put on a life vest?”

Wolfwood’s brow knitted, “What that fuck?”

“Livio said you didn’t know how to swim!”

Face flushed, Wolfwood smacked his friend hard across the back of the head, “And you’re not supposed to tell anyone either!”

Vash hissed as he felt how prominent the growing bump was. “That’s just dangerous, man. What if you go overboard?”

“I won’t,” Wolfwood insisted. He took a long drag off the cigarette then gripped the railing tight enough that his knuckles turned white. Vash stared at him with an unbelieving look. “Don’t jinx it for me.”

“All right. All right. All right.”

Wordlessly, Vash stole Wolfwood’s lit cigarette out of his mouth and stuck it in his own. He smiled as he blew a smoke ring. Wolfwood would have been impressed if he wasn’t so peeved that his cigarette was gone. “The fuck, man?”

“Don’t you have a whole pack on you?”

“It's the principle of it, you asshole.”

Wolfwood waited for Vash to answer but the lanky blonde was suddenly preoccupied, staring at something in the water. His eyes were wide and his mouth was barely parted. Vash wasn’t quite shocked. But… Wait. Was he blushing? It looked like Vash was blushing.

Curiosity got the better of Wolfwood and he followed Vash’s gaze. On a rock not more than one hundred feet away from the boat was a familiar figure. Wolfwood’s stomach dropped.

Meryl sat near the back of the rock, watching the boat with exasperation. Her tail laid swishing in water shallow enough that her scales still reflected the sunlight. Her fins made the water look like it was slicked over with oil with the way the sun shone through the membrane. At least she hadn’t noticed him yet.

As if this day couldn’t get any worse, Wolfwood thought to himself. He couldn’t light a new cigarette faster.

Vash couldn’t peel his gaze away. His voice was a reverent whisper, “Who is she? She’s… she’s gorgeous.”

“Trust me, Spikey. She’s not worth it.”

“I don’t believe that,” Vash retorted softly. Then his face twisted with a cringe, “How in the world did she get all the way out here though? I don’t see another boat anywhere near here. Is she one of the guests?”

Wolfwood started his friend with concern. Had Vash not seen the tail? No? Not at all? She was still mostly submerged, but not that much. Vash couldn’t have been that oblivious. Wolfwood chuckled nervously, “You're kidding right?”

“No!” Vash stated with all the seriousness in the world. Then he looked back at Meryl with dreamy eyes.

This time Wolfwood’s laugh was genuine, “Don’t worry too much. That one has a tendency to yell at people. And… Actually, you know what? You’ll figure it out eventually.”

“What was that, Wolfwood?”

The priest waved Vash off dismissively as he walked away. He called over his shoulder, “Nothing, Vash. Don’t worry about it.”

For a moment, Wolfwood stood at another section railing as he fumbled with the cigarette. He perked when he heard something big break the surface of the water. Whatever it was dove back under by the time he looked over. Off in the distance, Wolfwood was sure he saw something ovular circling the boat. Was it a seal? Maybe a sea lion?

Wolfwood honestly didn’t care. He had bigger fish to fry.

…

Meryl lived by one general rule after living this long.

Don’t get close to boats you’re not familiar with.

It was after a close call with a trawl net that Meryl swore she wouldn’t mess with the big draggers anymore. If it wasn’t for Milly, Meryl would have died. Longline fishing equipment, with those hook lined ropes shot terror through Meryl. She’d seen massive sleeper sharks get tangled up in the gear, plaguing her with nightmares for weeks. So away from the fishing boats she stayed.

The Punisher was a different story. Livio worked with those tiny pots and he was nice enough to let her and Milly eat some of his bycatch. In return the mermaids helped him find good spots to fish.

For a long time after the trawl accident, Livio was the only human Meryl interacted with. And that was only because of Milly’s gentle encouragement.

Milly was a seal mermaid who’d left her colony to find her own place in the world. Though the seal colony was only a week away, close enough for the both of them to visit. Milly grew up disentangling seals from ghost gear and imprinted on the first panicked mer she found. And then they both found a protected grotto in Jeneora bay and that’s where they made their home. The rest was history as the humans said.

Meryl was still asleep when Milly came rushing into the grotto. It was too early for Meryl to really channel all of Milly’s excess energy, so she let her friend drag her to the harbor. Every few days, some fool would drop something into the water and if it caught their fancy, they’d take it back with them.

This time though, Meryl was too tired to really look. Especially since she hadn’t eaten yet. She was roused from her drowsy haze when Milly didn’t come back down after surfacing for air. Meryl came next to her side and followed her friend’s gaze.

Almost taking up a whole dock was an ostentatious white yacht. Meryl hadn’t seen one of those in years, and definitely not in this area. But that wasn’t what Milly was transfixed by.

Boarding the yacht was a familiar priest. He wore a long, black dress and a heavy necklace around his neck. That was strange, even for him. But the look of complete apprehension on Wolfwood’s face made Meryl smirk. It was nice to see him play the fool every once in a while.

But Milly stared at him like... like she was enamored with him. Meryl was about to go back under the water when Milly grabbed ahold of Meryl’s arm.

“Oh my, Meryl,” Milly whispered tentatively. “I can’t believe this.”

“Believe what?”

Milly’s eyes sparkled, “It’s a penguin.”

For a long moment, Meryl was speechless. Then she barked out a laugh, “Excuse me?”

“A penguin! I never thought I’d ever see one!”

Meryl followed Milly’s line of sight. Yep. She was definitely watching Wolfwood. Meryl had to agree; he was dressed in a similar fashion to the birds from a literal world away. But barely.

“Okay. So what about it?”

Milly bit her lower lip and drooled. “I’ve always wanted to eat a penguin.”

“Don’t you eat fish though?”

“I’ve eaten a puffin once. And a few ducks. They were pretty good, if a little tough. But my cousin—”

“The pathological liar.”

“Oh hush! But he said he had a penguin once and it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.”

Meryl frowned as she looked back to Wolfwood. Her feelings were… mixed. “This is a bad idea, Milly. I know who that is and it's just some guy. Penguins don’t even come this far north.”

The smile on Milly’s face widened as her eyes narrowed fiendishly. By now the priest was at the back of the boat, gripping the rail tightly and taking deep, quick breaths. Wolfwood had never looked so pathetic. “This is a great idea, Meryl!” Milly exclaimed. “Besides, how would I know if I never try?”

And that was how Meryl found herself following an unfamiliar boat to the middle of the bay. She hung out on a nearby rock, watching the party, while Milly circled. The seal’s stomach rumbled louder and louder as the anticipation mounted. Wolfwood was nowhere to be seen. That was probably for the best. Soon enough, Milly would lose interest and Meryl could go back to her day

It wasn’t long before one of the passengers on the third deck, a gangly man with a cheery smile and hair the color of the sun, took notice of her. Meryl glanced up at him for an instant and her skin crawled.

At least he wasn’t pointing a camera in her direction.

Meryl craned her head to search for Milly, trying to forget the man. And then he opened his mouth, “Hey, angel! What’s your name? Do you need help getting back on board? I can throw you a life preserver!”

Without warning, Meryl bared her fangs and flipped this stranger her middle finger. He barely flinched, but the stupid grin never left his face. After a moment, he rested his chin on his hand and continued to watch her. Meryl did her best to just push him out of her mind.

Milly resurfaced just in front of her.

“Time to go? Meryl asked, beaming.

“Nope!”

The seal licked her lips. And then Meryl caught sight of Wolfwood at the back of the boat, standing ramrod straight and carrying his story book in his hands. The priest was just within Milly’s reach now.

Meryl sighed. She could warn him. But by the time the thought passed her mind, Milly was gone.

Oh well.

…

Wolfwood nearly forgot he was even on a boat during the ceremony. The bride's enormous dress pushed him nearly to the edge and right next to the water. But the yacht was anchored and he wasn't going to be standing there for more than half an hour. The couple had taken mercy and decided not to include a mass.

Lucky him. But while Wolfwood was still in danger, it wasn’t imminent danger.

So far, he’d gone through the script with few mishaps. There would have been no mishaps if Vash hadn’t flashed him a toothy grin and thumbs up. The groom, an imposing man who looked like a retired drill sergeant, shot him a nasty glance when that happened.

Fucking Vash…

But now, Wolfwood was so close to the end! So close he could almost taste the afternoon cigarette he was going to light immediately after.

Wolfwood kept his voice even and emotionless as he spoke. He didn’t want the happy couple to realize how much he wanted to get this over with. “Do you, Chadwick Smith, take Sarah Whitney as your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold; from this day forward to cherish and love forever; through rich and through poor; through sickness and through health?”

“I do.”

He repeated the words to the bride, who was still oblivious to the fact that he was now rushing through the rest of the ceremony. She was about to say I do when something wet and cold snatched Wolfwood’s ankle. He fell flat on his stomach and the bride’s voluminous skirt before she ran away screaming.

Wolfwood clawed for anything to hold onto to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vash fighting the crowd to get to him. But he was too late. With a scream that tore at his throat, the thing grabbing him gave a sharp tug and over the side he went.

His eyes closed as he was plunged into the cold, murky water.  His cassock billowed around him and it was so hard to move.

Wolfwood’s eyes shot open as he tried to parse out what was happening. Everything was fuzzy and his lungs began to hurt. He needed to breathe. He needed air. He needed to move.

Then, Wolfwood saw her.

Through the darkness came a woman. Her face and shoulders were framed with flowing golden hair. She had a beautiful, glowing smile, soft lips pulled back just enough to reveal ivory white canines. Her rosy cheeks were covered in a smattering of constellation-like freckles. And her eyes… How could Wolfwood even begin to describe them? There were no words in either English or Spanish he could use to describe how marvelous her big, blue eyes were. They seemed to shine in the dark, demanding Wolfwood’s full attention.

His eyes drifted lazily down her length, soft and chubby. But her lower half was velvety and streamlined. It tapered off into a pair of fuzzy flippers. That was odd. But that didn’t matter. Not to Wolfwood.

This woman was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Wolfwood was about to open his mouth to ask for her name and declare his unwavering, undying love for her when the woman’s smile turned sweetly evil. She grabbed onto his leg with an iron grip before biting onto the meaty part of his calf. Wolfwood screamed into the void and inhaled a lungful of seawater. The bite stung like hell in the salt.

No, it didn’t sting. The bite was aflame.  

The last thing Wolfwood saw was dark clouds of blood in the water while the woman’s scowled and spat out a ripped piece of the cassock. Her lovely eyes were scrunched together with disgust. She opened her mouth to say something, but the scowl continued to mar her face.

Wolfwood was going to die. He was sure of it. And now his only regret was making his tormentor frown like that.

And then Wolfwood blacked out.

…

Wolfwood woke up violently, flat on his back. He was completely soaked through and coughing up gallons of water. Wolfwood gulped air like the world was ending. The priest halfway expected to see the mystery woman next to him, smiling sweetly with those baby blues. Instead, Wolfwood was beyond disappointed to see Vash kneeling next to him. His hands were poised to start resuscitations at a moment’s notice. Most of the wedding party gathered around while the photographer snapped pictures.

With a surprising amount of strength, Wolfwood shoved Vash away. He tried to sit up but only flopped onto his back with a thud. The bite on his leg burned like hell fire and it was all Wolfwood could focus on. Oh God! His mouth tasted salty.

“What the fuck happened?” Wolfwood stammered.

“Some sort of seal nabbed you,” Vash explained excitedly. “I had no idea they even did that!”

With a sigh, Wolfwood rummaged in the pocket of the ruined cassock for the cigarette pack. All of them were ruined. Wolfwood pounded his hand into the deck with desperation. He was about to start crying.

“It was a woman, spikey. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Vash blanched in horror, “Do you have a concussion? Wolfwood! What day is it?”

“Saturday, you fucking dolt!” I don’t have a concussion! My leg’s fucking bleeding. She tried to take a chunk out of me!”

Vash stared at him with confusion. Finally, Vash shook his head and rushed away to grab the first aid kit. The groom, understandably angry, finally showed his face, “So are you going to finish the ceremony or what?”

Wolfwood rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I pronounce thee wed and all that bullshit. I was attacked. I almost died!” Wolfwood paused and considered the situation. “If you could pay for my hospital bill, that’d be great,” he added with a healthy amount of sarcasm.

The groom walked away with a huff, leaving Wolfwood alone on the deck. And all he could think of was that beautiful face in the gloom. With a sigh, Wolfwood rubbed the seawater out of his eyes. He had to see that face again, even if it meant having to drown in the sea.

Wolfwood would do anything to see her face again.

…

Meryl swam over to her friend bobbing on the surface. Milly was crying, clutching at a piece of black fabric that had been torn to shreds. She rested an arm over Milly’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m so sorry, Milly. I tried to warn you.”

“Meryl! He tasted so bad! And he was so bony!” Milly brought the piece of fabric to her face and continued to weep. “Who knew fabric tasted so bad?” Suddenly, Milly met Meryl’s gaze. Her expression was so heartbroken it made Meryl shiver. “Why couldn’t he have been a penguin?” Milly cried.

“Because he’s a human. Just a human who likes to make fun of people for sport and smells like cigarette smoke. And that burns.”

Milly stared forlornly at the fabric scrap. “And all I wanted was a penguin. Was that too much to ask for?”

Meryl sighed, “Unfortunately, yes. Here, let’s go take your mind off of Wolfwood.”

“Wolfwood?” Milly asked distractedly. “He has a name?”

Oh, this was bad; really bad. Meryl saw that hopeful gleam in Milly’s worried eyes that meant she was going to be thinking about the priest for weeks to come. Meryl couldn’t bring herself to answer and swam away. Milly smiled softly and followed Meryl, still holding onto the fabric. She whispered that word over and over again.

“Wolfwood… What a silly thing to call yourself!”

Chapter Text

Jeneora Bay was a long strip of seawater filled with green laden islets. Livio said the deepest point of the bay was almost 161 fathoms deep, but most of it was only 23 fathoms deep. Those numbers didn’t mean much to neither Meryl nor Milly. Livio was always a little annoyed since it meant harder piloting but by now he was an expert.

The shallow depth, especially at the head of the bay, allowed for ample sunlight for kelp forests to thrive. And with the kelp forests came the otters and fish and crabs.

Meryl liked the kelp forests.

They weren’t nearly as common in her place of origin across the Pacific. The massive blades of green made for good cover when Meryl had none of her own. A vast majority of mers were equipped with camouflage, like sculpins and flounders. Most mammal mers were close enough in appearance to their equivalent species, it made sense for them to slot right into pods and colonies. And better yet, some mers had teeth and claws and spines to fight off anything that’d mess with them.

Meryl had none of that.

While not as flashy as her dad, Meryl’s pearlescent tail reflected any and all light like a torch. And her fins were flowy and massive. It made it hard to move sometimes. And being inconspicuous in the open water was impossible.

Meryl had a foggy memory of her dad saying something about being a part of the lineage of diadromous bettas, chased from their original freshwater home. That’s why they were so much flashier than their marine neighbors. But that didn’t account for the rest of Meryl. According to her dad, Meryl’s mother was a flying fish mer who meant to pass through but stayed much longer than planned. But, not long enough. The mer was gone before Meryl could even remember her face. Her dad fondly told her that Meryl’s personality was just like her mother’s.

That was to say restless, angry, and willful.

He didn’t question it when Meryl left. His home was too loud and busy for Meryl to thrive in. And while slim, there was a chance that she’d find another flying fish out there.

At first, she stuck close to the coast going north. Meryl dodged into streams and rivers where marine mers were too aggressive for normal passage. The change in salinity was a violent shock to most mers, but Meryl could stand it for much longer periods of time. It stung, but her life was worth it. Every single time, Meryl had to thank her dad’s side of the family for that little superpower.

Regardless, Meryl nearly died out in the open. It wasn’t until she hitched a ride with Roberto that she was able to take a breather. The ornery old whale called her newbie and while Meryl wished desperately that he’d use her name, she really was a newbie. After a few months, Roberto deposited her in the channels of what he referred to as the northern islands. He showed her the ropes before his migration back south.

It wasn’t until her fateful encounter with Milly that Meryl really stopped wandering. At least not as far as she once had.

On days that Meryl was by herself while Milly ran off to play with the seals, she found herself exploring the kelp forests at the head of the bay and the abandoned cove. It was amazing just how much stuff would get washed away and settle on the bottom. Meryl was sure some of it was worth quite a bit too.

Brightly colored rockfish and skittish little greenlings darted to safety as Meryl wove to and fro through the thick blades of kelp. With each movement, little schools of silver bait fish scattered. Crabs and starfish scuttled at the bottom, in search for drifting bits of food. Black and white murres and puffins dove like torpedoes to pick off whatever tasty morsel they could find.

An octopus, smooth and pale, floated past Meryl, grabbing at the stipes with muscular arms.

Meryl knew to keep her distance from octopuses if she could help it. Milly came back to the grotto with scuff marks from tussles more times than they could count over the years. They looked painful and Meryl always made sure to make sure Milly was gentle with herself afterwards.

Which was a near impossible task given Milly’s boundless amounts of energy. Milly knew how to be gentle with others but sometimes she was a bit of a klutz.

This octopus though seemed to be okay and kept its distance away from Meryl. Which was for the best. She’d lost her knife somewhere near the cove. That was her best knife too. Meryl really, really wanted it back. It was the best for cutting through the thick line she sometimes got tangled in at the bottom and was scary enough to scare off critters with nasty intentions

But that psycho with the rocks moved in right when Meryl was sure the place was abandoned. So now Meryl wasn’t entirely comfortable going back.

That really was her favorite knife though.

Putting the thought out of her mind, Meryl sank a few feet lower to where the kelp was attached to the bottom substrate. The bottom was littered with rusted fishing hooks and knotted line. Those were a hazard. With an internal sigh, Meryl carefully gathered each hook she came across. She tossed them in a small pouch she kept on her whenever she came this way. Livio would be able to get rid of them next time he came into the bay.

After almost an hour of scouring the bottom, Meryl spotted an object glinting in the gravel. Excitement rising in her chest, Meryl rushed over and wiped the gravel away. Her newfound treasure was gilded gold, the same color as her earrings. And in a few minutes, Meryl saw the telltale shape of an ornate cross.

She was about to uncover exactly the object when Meryl felt something nearby. The current changed just so slightly and the hairs on her arms stood up.

Reluctantly, Meryl looked over her shoulder to see the octopus from before. Only this time, the octopus was an angry maroon and bristled beyond belief. She was about to turn around when she heard a soft, high pitch voice through the water.

Meryl narrowed her eyes and took another look at the octopus. There was something odd curled inside a few arms. Something rainbow colored and striped. Meryl almost thought it was a shrimp. But it was too big to be a spot shrimp.

Another shrill scream echoed through the water, forcing Meryl to take action.

She crashed into the octopus and fought off sticky arms as she tried to pry the strange creature away from the death grip. Shrimp legs scuttled furiously in the struggle as they tried to escape. After a moment, the octopus’ attention was on Meryl. Suckers stuck to Meryl’s skin and pulled and Meryl swore she felt the sharp beak tearing at her ribs. She really wished she hadn’t lost her knife. This octopus deserved to get stabbed.

With a yell, Meryl grabbed a handful of fish hooks and jammed them into one of the octopus’ arms. That seemed to shock it enough to loosen its grip and Meryl took her chance to escape.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Meryl fled the kelp forest and went to lay on a flat rock nearby. The pouch at her side was lighter than before. If Milly knew the reason why, she would have cried.

Meryl’s gills flared out of the operculum on her neck as she tried to regain her energy. It would have been easier to swim to the surface to catch her breath, but Meryl couldn’t be bothered. She was still laying still when she felt something tickle her arm. By the time Meryl looked over, it was gone. Then the sensation repeated on her back. Meryl’s tail flicked violently at the sensation, but again, there was nothing there.

Peeved, Meryl sat up and scanned her surroundings for whatever was messing with her. She felt another brush just under the left side of her jaw. With a snarl she snapped her head in that direction to find nothing. In the next instant, there was a sharp tug at the fins on her upper jaw.

Hand snapping to attention, Meryl grabbed her tormentor and bolted for the surface. When she broke the water, Meryl held the rainbow shrimp creature she saved in both hands as tight as she could. “Okay, what are you doing?” Meryl shouted.

If shrimp could emote, then this one was wearing a shit eating grin. That only pissed Meryl off further.

“I’ll ask one more time. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

The shrimp laughed, high pitched and grating.

Meryl’s brow furrowed when the shrimp refused to answer. “I know you’re not a normal shrimp, you asshole.”

The shrimp’s claws waved around in their air listlessly. Then the shrimp’s head tilted slightly in amusement. “Those dangly things are awfully pretty…” the shrimp purred. They tried to reach for Meryl’s earring but she held him at arm’s length. Meryl didn’t want that gnarly looking claw anyway near her fins. “I swear I won’t steal it,” the shrimp reassured.

“The fuck you aren’t,” Meryl grumbled mostly to herself. The rainbow shrimp wiggled excitedly in her hands as it tried to reach for her earring once more. Meryl had half a mind to toss them. She scowled, “Look, you at least owe me something for saving you.”

“Debt doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Nope, nope, nope. Meryl should have just handed the shrimp back to the octopus. She was wrong! She made a mistake! Frustration peeked and Meryl screeched into the air.

“You’re insufferable! Do you know that?”

The shrimp giggled, “I’ve never met a funnier creature! I think I’ll watch you for a bit.”

That was the last straw.

Meryl threw her arm behind her in a swift motion and was about to complete the toss when the shrimp screamed. It was worse in the air than it was in the water! Shocked, Meryl tossed the shrimp harder than she meant to and watched with horror as the rainbow shrimp flew through the air. They landed with a hard kersploosh almost fifty feet away.

All Meryl could do was bob up and down in the water, head empty. Taking a deep breath in, she dove back down and retrieved whatever fish hooks she lost in the octopus fight and swam away.

Good riddance.

…

The encounter with the shrimp left Meryl feeling uneasier than usual.

They could talk and the coloration was all off. And what sort of shrimp in these parts had that same type of crushing claw? Nothing normal that Meryl knew of. While she didn’t mean to throw with that much strength, Meryl knew the shrimp was more than likely fine.

Not that it exactly mattered. Meryl was covered in cuts and scrapes and sore bruises from the octopus. If she had that knife she left in the cove…

And so later that afternoon, Meryl found herself slinking back into the protection of the shallow cove. The man living there cleaned the place up in her absence. Meryl was a little amazed, especially since the building had been in such bad shape. And now she heard the grainy sound of a record player from the open window. A curious looking Stellar’s jay landed on the eve just above the door and cackled.

She was curious about what the inside looked like as she stared up. What did humans even keep in their homes?

Meryl would more than likely never know.

Then out of the corner of her eye, Meryl spotted her knife, sitting exactly where she left it above the high tide line. The blade glinted in the sunlight. Meryl smiled for a moment before realizing her knife was on the dock side of the rock.

Blazes!

The mer heard the door squeal open and footsteps. The pale man went to the railing, set something heavy and awkward against the ground, and stared out of the cove. He scribbled something on a clipboard and checked some sort of little meter. He hadn’t noticed her yet.

With a mad dash just under the surface of the water, Meryl reached the side of the rock. She reached her arm as far as she could. Her fingers grazed the smooth wooden handle. And just like that, the knife was suddenly out of her reach.

Meryl cursed herself under her breath.

And despite the knots in her stomach, Meryl broke the surface of the water and tossed her torso up onto the rock. The splash was louder than expected and sent her heart racing.

“Hey! I told you to leave me the fuck alone!”

Looking up, Meryl saw the man pointing some sort of weapon in her direction as he ran down the stairs. The spear tip was barbed and hooked. The man’s face twisted with rage as he yelled obscenities.

Meryl didn’t listen to him as she made one final push. Her heart leapt as she grabbed the handle tightly in her hand. Her fingers slotted into well worn grooves after years of use.

She wasted no time jumping back into the water and swam away as fast as she could muster. And soon enough, the yells of the stranger and the cackling jay were left far behind.

…

Meryl often didn’t really pay much attention to the humans; mostly because they always took that as an open invitation to mess with her.

But there was something familiar about the man who stood on the docks. He wore a coat so bright red it hurt Meryl’s eyes to look at. He stood behind an easel, working on a messy looking canvas. The paint pallet he held in his hand was covered in dry mottled paint. That wasn’t what Meryl was so interested in. There was something oddly calculating in those soft eyes and he was deliberately gentle with each movement. He looked… peaceful

She was sure she’d seen this person before, but Meryl couldn’t place him for the life of her.

So, Meryl bobbed up and down in the harbor, staring at him. She’d lost track of just how much time had passed. But he hadn’t noticed her. And that was for the best.

Meryl jumped when Milly surfaced right next to her. Milly took one look at the man on the dock and shot Meryl a questioning smile. Meryl sighed wearily and turned to leave. “He’s just another human. Nothing interesting about him.”

“I suppose,” Milly answered. She didn’t believe Meryl for a second. “Anyways, Liv’s back!”

Meryl perked up. “Is that so? How was his catch?”

Milly frowned, “He didn’t want to talk about it.”

“That bad, huh?”

They didn’t say anything further as they approached the Punisher across the harbor. Meryl could still see the painting man if she looked over her shoulder. But, now wasn’t the time. Livio waved at them from the deck, a lazy smile on his face. He maneuvered to sit on the edge of the boat, feet dangling in the water. His smile melted into exasperation as his gaze landed on Meryl.

“Y’all should’ve come out there with me,” Livio said flatly.

“Is that so?” Meryl started, smirking, “Why? Did you get snails in your pots? Maybe some starfish? I can’t imagine any of the others found anything else either.”

Livio hummed in agreement, “Yeah, still a little early. We usually never find anything until right before Whaleberto comes up anyways.”

Milly’s brow furrowed and she whispered under breath, “Whaleberto?”

“Roberto,” Meryl offered with a chuckle. “He’s talking about Roberto.”

Milly nodded, still unsure, and said nothing more. 

She’d only met Roberto a handful of times in the last few years. Meryl had been excited to introduce them, but Milly was terrified of the much larger mer and Roberto laughed at the prospect of Meryl showing the ropes to someone this time around. And then Roberto went back to wandering the islands, only to stop to say goodbye for the winter.

Meryl still cringed when she thought about how much shit Roberto gave her. Apparently Meryl was never going to have enough experience to take care of herself according to him.

But Roberto was a forty year old humpback. What did he know?

He knew a lot. Without Roberto, Meryl would have died already.

“Well, in case it’d be nice to see that old lug again,” Livio muttered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mermaid smoke before I met him.”

“Or drink,” Milly added.

The trio sat silently for a moment, contemplating the mess that Roberto was. With a heavy sigh, Livio lit his own cigarette. Immediately, Meryl’s nostrils burned with the acrid smell. Milly didn’t seem to mind.

“What was so important that you two couldn’t come anyway?”

Meryl removed her pouch of fish hooks and line and shoved it into Livio’s hands. He looked at it with a raised eyebrow as it dripped into his lap. Glancing inside, he nodded his head knowingly. The bag was tossed to the deck behind him.

“Where was most of it this time?” Livio asked offhandedly.

“All over the place,” Milly said with a tilt of her head. “You guys are getting sloppy these days! I can’t begin to tell you how many birds I’ve had to untangle so far this year, Liv.”

Livio couldn’t make eye contact. Milly looked positively bright saying that. Even Meryl paled. But the truth of the matter was that Milly was right. They were getting sloppy. And with sloppy, came dangerous.

“Well, keep it up girls,” Livio chuckled.

“Hey, Liv,” Milly started, swimming close enough to grip onto the side of the boat. “Who’s he?”

“Who’s who?”

 Milly gestured to the walking red flag on the docks. Meryl looked over her shoulder to the man she’d spent most of her will power trying to forget. Her heart raced just thinking about him. Meryl chalked it up to the frustrating confusion of trying to remember where she’d seen him before.

“Oh, Vash?”

Vash, huh? What a dumb name. Meryl sank just a touch deeper to hide her flushed cheeks.

Livio continued, oblivious to Meryl. “He lives with Wolfwood.”

At that name, Milly perked.

“Honestly, I have no idea what the fuck he does. No idea what he’s here for either.”

“Do you know anything about him?” Milly prodded. By now she was swimming in circles. The seal mer shot her friend a blush inducing smile.

Now, Livio noticed the rave colored head sinking slowly into the water. He smirked, “Why? Does Meryl want to know?”

“Yes!”

“No!” Meryl shouted back. Livio rolled his eyes. Meryl sighed with a scowl, “I don’t know. He looks more drownable than other humans. Like he just… sinks.”

The fisherman hummed and looked over to Vash. “I suppose. Wolfwood pushed ‘im into the harbor once as a joke and he floated for the most part. Vash is cool though. Brought me some groceries when I got back to port this morning. Helps out people around town too from what I hear. A real stand up fucker. He’d probably be nice to y’all too if ya ever get the courage to go say hi.”

“He’s not anything like Wolfwood?” Meryl asked disbelievingly.

“Nah,” Livio shook his head. “Pretty much the opposite. Again, if ya really want to know, ya should go say hi.” Livio looked pointedly at Meryl. His message was loud and clear but that didn’t mean that Meryl had to agree. She looked back over her shoulder to Vash and sighed.

Right. There was no reason to go out of her way to interact with him.

Meryl felt something tickle the crook of her neck. Absentmindedly, her fingers came into contact with something smooth and hard.

“I told you I’d watch you,” a shrill voice whispered.

In a flash, Meryl grabbed the shrimp from their perch and tossed them onto the deck of the Punisher. Livio retrieved the shrimp and gingerly put them on the railing next to him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Meryl yelled without hesitation. “How long have you been following me? Wasn’t tossing you back once enough?”

“Meryl?”

Shaking her head, Meryl breathed sharply through her nose. Milly placed a calming hand on Meryl’s shoulder. She tilted her head to get a better look at them. “What is that?”

Livio pulled out his phone, “I’ll look it up.”

“They’re some uppity mer I saved from an octopus earlier. They’ve been harassing me since! And they don’t even have the decency to tell me their name!” Meryl’s voice rose. No one said anything as Meryl waited for an answer.

Milly giggled nervously, “Meryl, I don’t think that’s a mer. I think that’s just… a shrimp? They’re awfully cute though.” Milly beamed and cooed when the shrimp waved their claws in the air.  Meryl groaned.

She stopped just in front of the shrimp and narrowed her eyes, “So it's going to be like that, you little shit? You literally just spoke!”

“Oh!” Livio exclaimed. He held the phone for Meryl and Milly to see. There was a picture of the same shrimp on the screen. “It’s a mantis shrimp. Have no idea what the fuck its doin’ all the way over here though.” The fisherman continued to scroll through the device.

Milly patted the mantis shrimp on the top of their head, “Well, whatever they are, I’m gonna call them Zazie. Welcome to the family, Zazie!”

Suddenly exhausted, Meryl turned around and called over her shoulder, “I’ve had a long day. I’m heading home.”

“Oh? Okay! I’ll see you there.”

Meryl waved back to Milly and Livio. She stuck close to the edge of the harbor as she made her way to the rest of the bay. Before she left, Meryl stole one last glance at the man in the blinding red coat. He wore a look of well earned pride.

And that expression, awe inspiring and beautiful, made Meryl's heart stop for a moment.

Meryl took a deep breath in, pretended she didn’t see it, and swam off for home.

Chapter Text

Vash was running a shipment of fresh fish up to some of the older residents in town when he saw something strange in the water. He was used to sea lions breaking the surface of the water right next to him, snorting and bellowing making him jump. One time, Vash nearly leapt into the water next to the sea lion. That would have been bad. Sea lions were terrifying.

But, this wasn’t a sea lion.

Vash did a double take, stepping back a couple of feet to get a better look at the strange creature smiling up at him. He dropped the crate of fish and rushed to the edge of the dock.

Staring back at Vash was the round face of a woman framed with wet, wavy hair and covered in a smattering of freckles. Vash’s eyes followed the rest of her down to see not legs, but a velvety tail ending in flippers.

The lanky blonde gaped as he fought to think of anything at all.

It was… This was a…

“Holy shit! It’s a selkie,” Vash shouted. He dropped to his knees and continued to stare. The creature swam over to meet him, her smile never wavering.

“What’s a selkie?”

Vash shouted before he could think, “You can talk?”

The mermaid laughed like this was the most mundane thing in the world. “Well, of course I can, silly! All mers can talk.”

“Oh,” Vash mumbled, suddenly self-conscious. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and laughed, “I’ve never seen a mermaid before. I was hoping I would but, like, I still gotta make a good impression. I guess I didn’t think of a plan after seeing you guys.”

“You’re Mr. Vash, right?”

“The one and only,” Vash stated as he slapped his chest in a show of feigned confidence. He paused. The mermaid knew his name. The mermaid knew his name! His eyes snapped open as wide as they could go. “How do you know who I am?”

The mermaid shrugged, spinning back and forth in the water, “Liv told me!”

Vash’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the space in front of him. How long had it been since he talked to Livio? He could remember Livio briefly mentioning mermaids a few times. Something about them helping him fish. Or something like that… Then a name surfaced to the front of his mind.

Jumping, Vash excitedly pointed to the mermaid, “Meryl?”

Suddenly, the mermaid’s cheery smile disappeared. She could only stare at him with a mix of disappointment and befuddlement. The silence hung heavy on both of them for what felt like an eternity.

“Uh… No. I’m Milly.” Milly tilted her head as her smile returned as a sly grin. “You’re friends with Wolfwood, right?”

The tension melted away as Vash tilted his head, “Yeah. I’d say we’re friends. He calls it a business arrangement though. Why?”

Milly hummed for a moment then tapped her finger to her chin. “Curiosity. I thought he was a penguin and tried to eat him a while ago.”

“Wait… that was you?” Vash muttered. Milly nodded her head, smiling all the while. Vash had no idea whether he should be amused or horrified. He narrowed his eyes and whispered, “Huh… What’d he taste like?”

“Really bad! And bony,” Milly stated with all the seriousness in the world. “I won’t be doing that again.”

Vash’s brow furrowed, “So, let me get this straight… You showed up to the boat, thought some guy was a bird that lives in Antarctica, decided that sounded tasty, took a bite, and decided it wasn’t for you?” Vash and Milly stared at each other for a long moment before Vash shrugged, “That checks out. Speaking of mermaids though, is there another one of you? Or did I just hear your name wrong?”

“Nope! Meryl’s my best friend! Do you want to meet her?”

Vash hummed and tapped his chin. So, there definitely were two of them. Milly seemed nice enough. Who was to say Meryl wasn’t nice too?

With a vigorous nod of his head, Vash answered, “Yes! Absolutely I want to meet Meryl!” He paused and scanned his immediate surroundings. “Is she nearby? How long do I have to wait?”

“Oh! Meryl is busy today. So, it’ll have to be another time.” Milly noticed Vash deflate at the news. “But we live in the bay, so we’re always sort of around. Don’t worry about it, Mr. Vash. I’ll make sure you meet Meryl!”

Vash felt better knowing that. He pulled the crate of fish closer. “Hey, do you eat fish?”

“Yes! Though, frankly, I eat most anything I can get my hands on. Fish, birds, crabs. One time Liv gave me a hotdog. That was pretty tasty,” Milly rambled. She beamed when Vash tossed her a flounder. “Thanks, Mr. Vash!”

Hefting the crate onto his hip, Vash waved to Milly, “It’s the least I can do. I finally met a mermaid! And you’re way nicer than Knives tries to tell me. So, this was great. Bring Meryl next time. I really want to meet her. Have a good day!”

Vash left Milly where she was and loaded the crate into the bed of his pickup. All the while, Vash couldn’t stop smiling.

…

“Hey! Wolfwood! I met that seal that tried to murder you!”

Vash barged into the kitchen to see Wolfwood in a pair of ancient pajamas, eating a bowl of cold spaghetti o’s over the sink. He took another bite and stared at Vash with an incredulous glare, “No kidding? You sure it wasn’t another sea lion?”

“Uh, no. It was a mermaid. Or maybe a selkie? Like a seal mermaid. She was super nice though.”

Wolfwood stared into the midstance as he thought back to the incident. His expression slowly morphed into something dreamy before he snapped back to attention. “So, it was another mermaid, yeah? Not Meryl?”

Scratching his head, Vash tilted his head and directed his eyes to the floor. “I still don’t know who Meryl is. This one called herself Milly.”

“Milly,” Wolfwood whispered as though he was tasting something perfectly sweet. He took another bite of the cold spaghetti o’s and cringed. He set the bowl on the counter with a hard slam, sending the spoon to the floor. Both Vash and Wolfwood stared at it in disappointed silence.

“So, uh, she thought you were a penguin,” Vash started, depositing the wayward spoon into the sink next to other dirty dishes. “Always wanted to eat one or something like that. That’s why she tried to drown you.” Vash paused for a moment and stared at Wolfwood, who was dreamily staring at the floor again. “I thought you’d be mad or something.”

“Why the fuck would I be?” the priest retorted. Wolfwood looked outright scandalized with the way his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

Vash’s brow furrowed, “Because she tried to kill you? Eating something usually involves death.”

“Gimme a sec,” Wolfwood muttered under his breath. He paced around the counter, walking in circles around Vash and the red sauce stain on the tiles. Vash swiveled his head to keep up with him. Then suddenly, Wolfwood halted, face lighting up. He grabbed Vash roughly by the shoulders, “She only took me because I was a bird right?”

“Yeah?”

“Right, so if you go out there dressed as a bird, then I can see her again!”

Vash tensed, “Excuse me?”

Wolfwood’s lips pulled back into a sleazy grin, “Well it can’t be me out there. I can’t swim. But if it's you, you can just scamper off while I talk to her. You’ll be perfectly safe. I promise on the life of my parents.”

“Aren’t they dead?”

The priest shrugged dismissively, “All’s well that ends well according to the Lord’s plan.”

“So, I’m just bait?”

“Yes! Weren’t you just listening to anything I said?” Wolfwood muttered, voice thick with annoyance. “It’s a foolproof plan, spikey!”

Vash grumbled deep in his chest as Wolfwood held him in his stare. The priest almost looked pleading. Almost… lovesick. Wolfwood’s grip on Vash’s shoulders tightened just enough for the caught man to notice. 

“Fine,” Vash relented finally, “You owe me one for this though.”

…

It was a week later that Vash found himself sitting in the docks in a cheap penguin onesie. Wolfwood was excited when he pulled it out of the battered shipping box. At first, the sight of the garment made Vash’s stomach knot. Now that he was sitting in the cold wind despite the sun, Vash was really glad just how cozy it was. And Vash felt cute to boot.

Maybe Wolfwood was right. Maybe this would work out.

Vash looked over his shoulder to see Wolfwood crouched behind another boat. At his feet was a bucket of fresh herring, a gift to put him in Milly’s good graces. The priest shot him a confident grin, teeth flashing in the sun.

An unfamiliar deckhand walked past, grumbling when they saw the two idiots standing in the way. Wolfwood cursed after him but Vash suddenly felt like this was a bad idea.

Wolfwood had never told Vash exactly what he’d do if Milly actually tried to attack him. Images from the videos Knives sent him of mermaids attacking people bubbled up to the forefront of Vash’s mind. He was about to get up and leave when Vash heard the surface of the water break. Milly wore the same sunny smile she did last time.

“I didn’t expect you to be here, Mr. Vash!”

“I, uh… had land stuff to do?” Vash stammered. “Actually, I’m here on business. Sort of.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Do you see that guy back there?” Vash said as he pointed to Wolfwood. He heard the priest curse under his breath. “That’s Wolfwood, the penguin guy. He’s got something to give you. And head’s up, I’m pretty sure he thinks you're cute. But he’s an idiot who doesn’t like talking about his feelings!” Vash made sure his voice was just loud enough for Wolfwood to hear.

Vash and Milly laughed for a long moment. Vash’s phone beeped loudly.

What the fuck is going on?? Why are you two laughing?? SPIKEY???

With a roll of his eyes, Vash put his phone back in his pocket and pushed the onesie hood off his head. Milly’s laughter died off. They exchanged a glance before Milly sharply tugged Vash into the water. With a scream, Vash’s arms windmilled in the air as he reached for anything solid. But Milly’s hold around Vash’s waist was iron tight. Wolfwood scrambled behind him.

Vash yelled at the top of his lungs, “Help! Anybody! Help me!”

“Calm down, Mr. Vash! I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You tried to eat Wolfwood!”

The mermaid clicked her tongue, “And I learned my lesson! Don’t think about it too much!”

Wolfwood very quickly became a bot on the horizon as Milly left the safety of the harbor. Salt water splashed in Vash’s face, making his mouth go dry and eyes water.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was how he was going to die. He was going to be fish food and his skeleton was going to lay at the bottom of the bay.

Before Vash’s mind spun further, Milly plopped him on a rock close enough he could still clearly see the shore. Vash shivered as he scrambled to get away from Milly and onto the dry part of the rock. Glancing over his shoulder, Vash saw a set of long canines in Milly’s mouth. That was more chilling than his drenched clothes.

“See, Mr. Vash? I’m not going to hurt you. Now, stay here!”

With that the mermaid swam away at a lazy pace.

Vash panicked, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. He was fucking cold. “Wait! Wait! Don’t just leave me here!”

Milly flashed him a thumbs up, “Don’t worry too much! Now I have to go talk to Wolfwood!”

Vash was left all alone. He stared at the shore with longing, too tired to swim. He undressed to boxer shorts and laid his clothes out to dry. Vash knew there were societal norms about public nudity but these were outstanding circumstances and no one was around. Besides, did it count as nudity if he was wearing underwear?

Pulling his phone out of the penguin onesie, Vash was relieved to see the waterproof case he used actually worked. He clicked on the text chat he had with Wolfwood.

HELP!!!!!!!!

Hope rang true when the priest responded in the next moment.

Busy ;)

Or maybe hope didn’t ring true. Vash reluctantly texted Knives next.

Can ouy pick meup?

Where are you?

Vash sent Knives a dropped pin. For a long moment, all he saw were the flashing three dots. The wait made Vash’s anxiety spike.

How????

Mermaids

The phone rang and Knives’ angry face took up the screen. Reluctantly, Vash picked up. “Knives?”

“You idiot!” Knives yelled from the other side of the line. “How many times did I tell you not to mess with mermaids? And do you ever listen? Oh my god. I’ve told you over and over just how much you can’t trust them! They're the smartest things in the ocean, but they still live in the ocean, Vash! Apex predators! They’ll eat anything they can get their teeth around. And did I mention that some species play with their food? Vash? Vash, I swear, to god. Was it the one that keeps showing up at my fucking door step?”

Knives didn’t stop. Vash held the phone away from his ear and he could hear Knives yelling. He hung the phone up with a weepy sigh. It was only one in the afternoon. His only avenue of help was busy flirting with a mermaid and Vash had no idea how long that was going to take.

And Wolfwood said he would be safe!

…

Meryl was going about her business, swimming to the harbor to meet Milly, when she heard pitiful whining nearby. She paused, torn between wanting to help and just minding her own business.

The last time Meryl heard whining and helped, she was stuck with the world’s most annoying barnacle.

But something deep in her chest told Meryl she had to do something.

Tentatively, Meryl swam closer to the source of the noise. On a nearby rock sat a familiar man, dressed in nothing but some very small shorts. He kept his knees close to his chest and sobbed into them. Meryl paused, eyes narrowed. Wasn’t… Wasn’t that Vash?

What in the world was he doing out here?

Glancing between the rock and the beach, Meryl tried to find anything else amiss. There was nothing new as far as she saw. The sound of Vash blowing his nose brought Meryl’s attention back to the problem at hand. She really, really didn’t want to get involved if she could help it.

Then the memory of the content look on his face from the last time she saw him bubbled to the surface and Meryl’s heart wrenched.

They couldn’t have been the same person.

In any case, Meryl found herself diving to avoid the chop. Underwater, Meryl saw the rock Vash was stuck on was connected to a shallow set of rocks that led directly to the beach. In a couple of hours, low tide would come and he’d be free to walk back to town. What was this guy so upset about? He wasn’t in any danger at all.

Meryl surfaced just in front of the crying man without warning, gulping air as soon as she could. The man screamed and clambered back. Meryl grimaced and nearly dove again; Vash’s shrill, raw voice made her blood boil. It was almost as bad as Zazie's.

She glared at him, “Could you stop that? Or at least not be that loud?”

The man stared back at her with wide, aqua blue eyes, trying desperately to catch his breath. His mouth opened and closed like fish as he fought to find the words. Meryl stared back at him, unimpressed. Maybe this was a bad idea…

“You’re the lady from the wedding!” Vash finally choked out, pointing at Meryl.

And this time, Meryl was the one fighting for words. “What wedding? What makes you think I’d ever get invited to a wedding?”

“No, no, no! You were out there on the rocks! Like swimming.”

Meryl was more confused than ever. Was this guy drunk? That would explain a few things.

Vash continued, “I was the guy who tried to offer you a life ring. On the third deck? I was part of the catering crew.”

Meryl’s heart sank when she finally put two and two together. She could still clearly see that stupid shit eating grin as he called her angel like he meant it. Her cheeks flushed furiously when Meryl thought about it for more than three seconds. Meryl backed up a few feet as she tried to recompose herself.

The worst part of that whole interaction was the fact that Vash thought she needed to be saved.

From the water.

The only place she could feasibly be at any time.

That was it. Meryl took back every positive thought she had about him when Livio told her who she was. She wasted no time in turning around and swimming away.

“Wait, please don’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone!’

With a huff, Meryl looked over her shoulder. Vash looked so desperate as he reached out for her. The pathetic expression on his face pulled at her heart strings. Meryl stopped and glared at him, thought she was sure it wasn’t nearly as sharp as she would have liked. “Why should I stay? You’re a demeaning asshole! Did you think calling strangers pet names will make them like you better? Do you always put on a front for every girl you see?”

Vash’s face turned almost as red as his missing coat. He glanced at his knees and twiddled his thumbs, mumbling so quiet Meryl could barely hear him.

“No… Just, uh… just the special ones. Like you.”

Meryl’s heart nearly stopped as she did a double take. Just the special ones. How was she supposed to react to those words? She had no idea.

“Why were you out there? That day at the wedding?” Vash asked. A hint of the blush was still present, contrasting with his eyes in a way that caught Meryl’s attention. She tried to push down the shock of Vash’s rambles only to have more anger replace it.

“I’m a mer! That’s why I was out there!” Meryl hissed. “Where else would I be? In the sky?”

Vash slumped in on himself, wearing the most tragic frown Meryl had seen. His mouth clamped in a thin line as he listened to her yell. Meryl’s heart sank. With a sigh, she gestured to her tail and fins and kept her voice soft, “See?”

The man’s eye flitted to Meryl’s lower half. His frown was replaced with momentary surprise when he saw the massive, flowing fins that seemed to envelope Meryl. The operculum on Meryl’s neck flared slightly, allowing Vash to get a glimpse of the maroon red gills underneath.

He glanced between Meryl’s eyes and tail momentarily. Recognition slowly dawned on his face. “You’re Meryl!”

Again, Meryl was shocked. Her blood ran cold. “Who told you?” she asked shakily.

“Uh… Livio mentioned that you help him out here and there. And then Milly mentioned you too. Just… uh… Wow,” Vash finally finished. He continued to watch her with absolute awe.

“Is something wrong?”

Vash shook his head, “No. I just… uh. I don’t know what to say now. I’ve always wanted to meet a mermaid and now—”

“Well don’t get too excited,” Meryl said. “This will probably be the only time we’re going to see each other. In any case, do you need help or are you good?”

Vash looked at the shoreline and paled, “A little help might be nice.”

Meryl sighed and smirked, “Well, lucky for you there’s a path that comes up during low tide. It will lead you right back to shore. Not in any danger at all unless you slip.”

“Oh…” Vash rubbed the back of his head. “I still have to wait for my clothes to dry.”

Meryl snorted into her hands, “So that’s why you’re naked.”

Vash’s face flushed again and his voice rose two pitches higher, “Hey! I’m wearing boxers! It doesn’t count. Besides, you’re just all tits out! Worse than Wolfwood.”

“Who expects a mer to wear clothes? They get in the way!”

Vash scowled. Meryl smirked, her point made. Sure that Vash was going to be fine, Meryl made to leave. He stood up to watch her. Meryl’s eyes followed the length of his legs, long and skinny. Her heart sank again when she saw how scarred he was.

How sad. She’d seen ancient whales covered in entanglement and battle scars that looked better.

Vash’s full attention was on Meryl, hurt to see her leave. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. His voice, tinged with something Meryl thought was hope, carried over the air clear as a bell. “My name is Vash!”

Meryl paused, and bobbed up and down in the waves. She smiled softly as she called back before diving, “I know!”

…

Wolfwood came home to find Vash napping on the couch, wearing a dry penguin onesie. The smell of weed permeated through the room. Seemed like he had a good time after the disaster that afternoon.

The priest was a bit regretful that he ignored him, but Milly was just as wonderful as he thought she was. Even without the herring bribe, they hit it off right away. The mermaid apologized profusely for the accident and Wolfwood had to admit that the validation was nice. Beyond that, something about the way Milly wasn’t jaded by the world was refreshing. How long had it been since Wolfwood felt like that?

Paper was thrown around the floor like a typhoon ran through their living room. He picked one of the papers up and scanned the scribbles.

Haphazard sketches of mermaids littered all free space available.

Wolfwood looked closer. He recognized the subject immediately, with short dark hair and flowing fins. He stole another glance at Vash on the couch and chuckled.

Seemed like Vash had a hell of a day too.

Chapter Text

Dark. Dark and wet. And green. Choked with green. Other colors drowned away in the moss. The moss swallowed everything. Or was that the water that enveloped the empty spaces? The only light to see by was the highlights of waves from high above. But the trees grew so high, their tops couldn’t be perceived.

Vash felt all warmth drain from his bones as he picked his way through the forest. His fingers sunk into the drenched moss that threatened to devour him. In the shadows of the trees, he saw the shapes of bodies consumed.

Goosebumps rose on Vash’s skin as he hurried faster on. This was not a place to linger in. But there was no forest’s edge to find.

The longer Vash stayed, the heavier he felt and the harder it was to breathe.

Panic rising in his already full chest, Vash tripped on a root. He yelled as he went sprawling. His head collided with another root. It felt as though his brain fell out of his head. 

Wait, no… That actually happened.

Vash’s brain, covered in thick slime and bright red veins, was plopped onto the forest floor. His mind was unbelievably fuzzy as he stared at the mass of meat on the ground. He didn’t really need it, did he?

No, Vash didn’t. He needed to find the exit and that didn’t require a brain. Little fish flocked and started pecking at the dislodged brain as Vash walked away. The edges of his vision were going hazy in this strange, dark underwater world. Vash could hardly see anything five feet in front of him on all sides. Maybe there was no exit. Maybe he was just stuck here?

With a heavy gasp, he sat down on a stump and rested his forearms on his knees. His lungs heaved as Vash fought for air.

The shadows of leviathans and krakens and mermaids passed and wove through the trees. For a moment, Vash swore he saw the flowing fins of and dangling earrings of a familiar figure. But he blinked and they were gone.

In their stead was another one, framed with flowing black hair like ink and a bright, blood red tail. She swam in the water around Vash, eyeing him with curiosity.  Then her dark brown eyes scrunched in a smile, “You’re new here! Just who are you, human?”

Vash tried to answer but salt water filled his mouth. He jumped and covered his mouth with his hands but that didn’t stop the water from trickling inside.

The siren stopped just in front of him and settled on the forest floor. She looked up at him though her smile was replaced with something more serious. “What’s keeping you anchored down here all alone?”

The taste of metallic decay and salt overwhelmed Vash. Out of reflex he coughed and then he couldn’t help but swallow. His lungs burned with sea water.

“Is it your family? Friends perhaps? Ego? Hopes and dreams? You don’t have to have an answer yet. We can find out together.”

But Vash thought he had an answer. Maybe not a good one. But an answer nonetheless. And Vash wanted nothing more than to answer the siren. But his lungs were full already. And his vision was nearly black. Vash saw nothing but the siren.

Red streaked across Vash’s line of sight a final time as the burning came to a crescendo and Vash collapsed onto the mossy forest floor.

…

Vash woke up yelling and flailing around in a cold sweat. His sheets were tangled around his legs, making it impossible for Vash to comfortably sit up right. He fought to catch his breath. Staring up at the ceiling, Vash had to tell himself that he was safe. The forest was outside and he was safe in his own home.

Mind calmed, Vash took stock of the dream before it disappeared.

A drowned unending forest and a blood red siren with the kindest eyes he’d ever seen.

Vash rubbed his eyes hard with his palm and sighed. It felt like he didn’t sleep at all. He groaned and turned onto his side. Outside of the window, Vash saw torrential rain. Rivulets ran down the window pain, turning the world outside into an expressionist painting. Colors melded into broad paint strokes that moved Vash’s eyes from the bottom of the windowsill to the tops of the trees far off in the distance.

Just like the way the top moss covered forest disappeared into the darkness.

Vash held in a breath as he waited for fishy monsters to float by the window.

Disappointment loomed in the back of his head, so Vash put the thought out of his mind and finally got up. The hardwood floor sent shivers up Vash’s spine, paralyzing him on the edge of the bed. It would be so easy to just snuggle up in the blankets and go back to bed.

Wolfwood cursed from somewhere else in the house, but it sounded more like an agitated hiss. Vash slipped on a pair of torn slippers and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. He found his roommate in the kitchen, messing with the coffee pot. Spilled coffee sat steaming on the counter and floor and stained the front of Wolfwood’s shirt.

Vash yawned and sat down at the table while Wolfwood floundered. Next to Vash was a crate of old candles, matches, and extra batteries. In the background, Vash heard a man talking over the radio. Something about emergency muster points and high winds.

“What’s going on?”

“Storm’s a brewin’,” Wolfwood muttered as he dumped the entire pot of coffee into a thermos. He added a generous glug of creamer. “Came right out of nowhere. I’ve got a list for everyone who didn’t come to the confessional and I’m going to hunt them down.”

Vash looked over to the living room window. The trees shook in the blustering wind but the scenery was obscured with running water. Chills ran up and down Vash’s arms. He turned back to Wolfwood and chuckled nervously, “You’re not actually going to do that, right?”

Wolfwood didn’t answer.

“Right?”

The priest shrugged, “Now that you put it that way, no. But I have to go check on the church and Livio. He was supposed to head out today. And we need gas for the generator. Powers probably going to cut out at some point.”

Vash’s brow knitted together, “On the bike? Didn’t you just get that fixed?”

“Actually, can I borrow your truck?”

“Go for it. The keys should be by the door.”

Wolfwood slipped on a dark raincoat and a wide brim hat. He flashed Vash a sly grin before opening the door, “Don’t go outside if you can help it, dumbass!”

Glancing out the window, Vash jumped when he saw the size of the waves cracking up on the shore. He really wished he hadn’t. Visions of fish bashed against the rocks flooded his mind. With the way the ocean moved, he couldn’t imagine it would have been easy to swim in the current. Weren’t some storms strong enough to wash up massive trees? 

Were Meryl and Milly going to be okay? Did they have a place to wait this out? 

Images of broken mermaids washing up on the beach seemed to be the only thing Vash could think of.

“Hey!” Wolfwood called again. “Vash, fucking listen!”

Vash grimaced, “I know, I know, I know.”

Wolfwood rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut. And then Vash was alone once again.

…

The small pot vessel was in the slip where it usually sat when Livio was in town. Wolfwood breathed a sigh of relief.  He made sure the tarp above the gas canisters in the bed of the truck was secured for the thirtieth time that day before making his way down the slick steps to the docks.

Faking confidence, Wolfwood tried not to think of the way the wind tried to buffet him off the dock. Everything was eerily dark and still. All except for the Punisher.

Livio was busy trying to tie down his gear and empty fish crates. He wore nothing more than a t- shirt. Rain pelted his back, drenching him beyond belief. The priest whistled sharply to grab his attention. Livio looked over his shoulder for only a moment before going back to the rigging. His voice was gruff and thick with annoyance as he spoke, “What are ya doin’ here?”

Wolfwood’s mouth pulled back into a scowl, “Checking on you. You’re not planning on going out are you?”

“Ya know,” Livio started, placing his hands on his hips, “I’ve got two sets of thirty pots I’ve been soakin’ for two days.”

“And?”

“I’m not goin’ out. Meryl and Milly already came to check up.” Livio laughed when he saw the put out look on his cousin’s face. “You’re not the only one who cares. But, I’m pretty sure my pots are gonna be all dead.

“I’d rather you get a dead catch than not come back to port,” Wolfwood nearly shouted. He didn’t enjoy Livio's blasé attitude. “You know for a fact this ain’t a normal storm.”

“What is it this time around?”

“Not a clue. But it’s been ramping up for a while. Since Andrew’s funeral. Just like the time before that too.” Wolfwood tensed when Livio just stared at him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Nah, not really.”

“I swear to God, Liv! There’s a pattern and no one else cares!”

Livio cringed. Wolfwood knew that Livio didn’t appreciate the priest’s apocalyptic ramblings. But Wolfwood knew what he felt. He knew that seeing was believing, and well… he saw a lot in this town. The priest’s expression softened after a few minutes as he looked at Livio, who was tightening the moorings. “Just watch out, right?”

With a silent nod, Livio acknowledged Wolfwood’s pleas. The fisherman had been here long enough to know that while the stuff about God forsaking the bay was a little on the nose, he did believe that something was wrong.

Satisfied he’d made his point, Wolfwood turned on his heel and crawled his way back to the truck.

…

The overpaid meteorologists had done a real great job predicting the storm. Knives had heard about it a few days before and was able to prepare for it. He absolutely had a working generator. He absolutely had time to make sure the roof wasn’t leaking

The first few hours of the storm were unbearable.

The power went out and the window blew open with a sharp gust of wind, soaking the inside of the cabin. Knives had to secure the window with an extra board and some shoddy nails. And eventually, Knives was able to replace the worn down spark plug and the power came right back on.

And then Knives made himself a pot of coffee and watched the storm.

Dark hazy clouds enveloped the bay as waves broke against the shore and cliffs. Something about the sight made Knives feel calm in comparison.

The night was storming like this, rocking the massive research vessel he took shelter in, when Knives finally snapped.

He could clearly remember the feeling of the steak knife in his hand as he screamed at the stately man he’d thought he could trust with everything his life was supposed to culminate to. He could clearly remember the way the knife felt as it stabbed into soft flesh.

He could clearly remember watching the warped, demonic shadows on the walls of the tiny crew cabin they confined him in. Knives saw the same shadows now. 

And just outside of the door, Knives heard the dry cackles of a jay.

…

Meryl’s heart raced as she swam back to the grotto from the harbor. The water tasted sour in her mouth and stung her skin. She stayed a good way away from the shore where she could take shelter in the waves.

Meryl didn’t remember seeing any storm clouds the last few days. And up until a few hours ago, Livio was planning to go out. Livio making such a short notice change was usually a bad sign.

Wolfwood called instances like this omens.

Meryl didn’t believe in omens. The world was simply too random for that.

The mer broke the surface of the water for barely a moment when she saw something strange on the beach. Meryl narrowed her eyes to get a better look at the figure in… bright red. Meryl’s stomach sank as she watched Vash run back and forth with the crashing waves. Gale force wind and torrential rain whipped at his clothes and hair, completely soaking his jacket through. Vash held his hands to his mouth and yelled. Meryl struggled to hear him over the rain and waves.

“Meryl? Milly? Where are you two? Meryl!”

Guilt swelled in Meryl’s chest as she watched Vash pace. A part of her wanted to swim away. He’d forget all about her and Milly and go home, safe and sound.

Another part of her…

With a deep breath, Meryl made her way to the shore. When she called back, Vash nearly fell backwards, for a moment, Vash searched the waves and his face fell into relief when he saw her. He rushed to the water’s side. Salt water sloshed over the side of his red boots. Meryl couldn’t imagine that it was comfortable. But Vash didn’t seem to care.

“Oh, my god… Meryl! You’re all right!”

For a split second, Meryl fought for words. Vash looked so… thankful. Her words came out as angry yells, “What are you doing out here, you doofus?”

Vash gulped, “Looking for you! I was…” The man trailed off momentarily. Then he regained a bit of his confidence, “I was worried about you two!”

“Why?” Meryl screeched. “Milly and I live out here. A little storm won’t do anything to us.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Vash whined.

“Common sense!”

“What makes you think that’s my strong suit? What if you get caught in the current?”

Meryl paused. Vash had a good point. But that only made her tense further. “We both know better. Only idiots do something that dangerous. People die in weather like this!”

“I know!” Vash retorted. “But, I couldn’t do anything until I knew you were both safe. It was just eating me up and up and up.”

Mouth clamping into a thin line, Meryl could do nothing but stare back at this man. Whatever he was thinking was lost on her, but Meryl knew he was genuinely worried. Meryl softened. “Look, I’m fine. This is hardly the worst storm I’ve been through.” Meryl paused to inch closer to Vash. She held him in a serious glare. “Now, go home before you get hurt!”

“What? No! I’ll be fine! I just to make sure that you’re--”

Meryl hissed, “If something happens to you, there is literally nothing I can do to help! And if you don’t get dry soon, you’ll get sick.”

Vash was about to respond when they heard something crack against some rocks down the beach. Their attention snapped in the sound’s direction and Meryl saw something vaguely humanoid in shape caught in the waves. Vash wasted no time in breaking into a sprint, leaving heavy boot prints in the sand.

Meryl found them first. She froze when she found the body, still clinging onto the last dredges of life but broken beyond repair. A scream escaped her throat before Meryl could stop it.

Vash must have heard her and clambered as quickly as he could over the rocks. He slipped at the last second, and tumbled backwards into an overfilled tide pool with a shout.

Panicked, Meryl hauled herself onto the rock next to the gangly man. He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. Without hesitation, Meryl grabbed tightly onto one of his hands and pulled him up to a sitting position.

His hands were so much bigger than hers.

“I told you this would happen!”

Vash shot her apologetic look that made her heart wrench. He looked half out of it and the back of his head was bleeding. Then Vash caught sight of the broken body on the rocks. His skin paled to a ghostly white and Meryl swore she saw his hands shaking.

He pulled the body to a flat part of the beach and gingerly laid them down. 

“They’re still alive! They’re still alive! Oh my god… Can you hear me? You’re going to be okay!”

Vash pressed his hand to a large gash on the man’s neck in a futile attempt to staunch the blood. Meryl’s stomach turned when she saw splintered bones poking out of flesh.

“Vash? I… I don’t think he’s going to make it.”

Vash looked over his shoulder. Meryl saw him crying, almost imperceivable in the rain.

“No, no, no. I can do something. I have to do something!” He turned back to the man, growing bluer and colder, and pushed even further into the wound on their neck. Soon enough, the blood stopped pooling at Vash’s knees. He placed a finger to their wrist and his face fell. Vash’s voice came out a choked whisper, “Help.”

Gulping, Meryl hesitated. Vash’s back heaved with sobs. Slowly to not spook him, Meryl hauled herself up on the beach. She came up next to him, wrapping her tail under her. His sobs intensified as Meryl took his right hand. There was a gash on his palm that bled uncontrollably, covered with a barely attached flap of skin.

When he regained a little bit of composure, Vash called the police. Meryl listened to their mumbles on the other side of the phone. Not once did she let go of Vash’s hand.

“You’re hurt,” she whispered finally.

After a few moments, Vash rubbed the tears and rain out of his eyes. “Does it matter? They’re dead. They’re dead and I couldn't do anything…”

Meryl tightened her grip on Vash’s hand. “You found them. Does that count as something?”

She gave Vash a sidelong glance. His attention was still on the man, expression blank. The dead man’s eyes, glassy and bloody, stared back at the dark clouds overhead. Meryl reached over and closed them. It was the only thing she knew would help. 

And ever so slowly, the rain began to abate.

…

Three days after the storm, Vash stood at the back of a crowd, dressed in black and hands shoved in his pockets. A good portion of the town was gathered behind the church, in the little cemetery Wolfwood kept. The priest stood at the head of the congregation, dressed in a repaired cassock and held a heavy bible in his hands.

Vash didn’t know the man he found on the beach that day. All he learned was from whispers here and there.

Something about sudden depression. The third suicide in almost five years. For such a small town, a loss like this was incredible but normal. They were all so used to death and now Vash was very aware of that fact. Vash didn’t like thinking about it

Wolfwood urged Vash to stay home that day. The funeral would have been too much for his already frayed emotions.

And Vash didn’t listen.

He played with the bandages on his palm as he stood. Meryl did her best to stop the bleeding when she found the gash. He’d been too shocked to take care of it. Another scar didn’t amount to much anymore anyway. The mermaid stayed with him, leaning into his shoulder to ground him, until the sound of emergency sirens came from above on the road.

They said nothing the entire time they sat in the rain.

Vash wanted to tell her he appreciated the company, but he hadn’t seen Meryl since.

Wolfwood’s voice was like a heavy beacon in the Vash’s spinning thoughts.

“We pray for Alex Folias, who has passed on. May the Lord welcome him into his heavenly home, a place of rest and forgiveness; free from the dredges and waves of our tumultuous lives.”

The priest paused as the congregation answered in unison, “Lord hear us.” Vash just stared at the ground numbly.

“The family and friends of Alex Folias who seek consolation and comfort. Heal their pain and dispel the darkness and doubt that follows in the wake of grief. Reassure us that in the Lord’s heavenly home, our dearly departed has found solace at long last. Amen”

Then the grave congregation watched as the grave was filled in. Vash’s chest tightened. It was over almost as quickly as it started.

But the nagging feeling in the back of his mind continued to eat at him.

What would have happened if he had gotten to the beach earlier. What if he hadn’t been arguing with Meryl? Would he have been able to find the man in the casket? Would he still be alive? Would he even be able to help?

What would happen if—

Vash was brought out of his reverie by a heavy hand on his shoulder. Wolfwood stared at him from under black ringed eyes. “Hey, needle noggin. I’ve got some things to finish up here then I’ll meet you at home, yeah?”

Silently, Vash nodded and started off down the hill towards home. He paused when he passed the beach. Sitting nestled in the rocks where he found the dead man was a woman with long dark hair and a tail the color of fresh blood. Something deep in his guts told Vash to leave well enough alone. But then again, who was he to not help someone obviously going through something?

“Hello?” Vash called out as he approached.

The mermaid looked over her shoulder with kind dark eyes. Her face was puffy and tear stained and all Vash wanted to do was stay close. He sat next to her on the rocks with a grunt and rested his arms on his knees before giving the mermaid a sidelong glance.

He hadn’t known there was a third one living in the bay. Did Meryl and Milly know her?

“I’m Vash,” the lanky man said with a gulp. “Are you okay?”

The mermaid furiously wiped away tears with the back of her hand and chuckled to herself, “That’s kind of a rude question to ask a stranger.”

“I introduced myself. I just wanted to know if I could help.”

Surprise melted away as a slight smile came to the mermaid’s face. “People call me Rem. I think I'll be okay. It’s just… I lost someone again. Someone I really cared about this time.”

Vash’s heart stopped. He was about to start unraveling again. 

Rem must have noticed and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be sad. None of my woes are your fault. People come and go whether we like it or not. We’re lucky we get to know some people at all.”

“Then why does it hurt so much when I try to hang on so tightly too? Why do both options have to be so bad?”

Eyes going wide, Vash’ covered his mouth with his hands. What was he thinking? Was he even thinking? This mermaid was obviously going through it and here Vash was, waxing poetic about his own issues.

But there was something about Rem’s deep, dark eyes and inviting expression that made her so easy to talk to.

Not like Knives of Elendira or Wolfwood even. Not like Meryl.

Vash relented with a sigh and leaned further into himself. It had been a long few days. “What were they like?” Vash finally asked.

Rem tapped a finger to her nose and pondered for a moment. Her eyes sparkled as she thought about them. Her voice was still tinged with sorrow, but at least she was distracted, “He was kind and selfless. Kind of a perfectionist and had told the worst puns. But, I think what really made him special was that he was always there for me.”

Vash’s heart sank when he noticed Rem crying again. He scooted closer to her and said nothing. Anything would have been too frivolous. Vash could stay with her for as long as she needed. Besides, it was his fault that Alex would never get the help he needed.

…

It wasn’t until later that Vash woke up on the outcropping of rocks alone. The tide was coming and salt water soaked his shoes and pants.

Vash checked his phone to see a litany of angry texts and voicemails from Wolfwood.

It was time to head home. But Vash scanned the waves a final time before walking back. There was no sign of Rem anywhere. Vash’s blood went cold.

Maybe she was all just a dream?

Chapter Text

The grotto was more of a cave in the cliffs a few miles south of Jeneora Rock. Meryl and Milly entered through a series of underwater passageways with countless dead ends. In the beginning Milly kept getting lost. One time the seal almost ran out of breath before finding her way to the end. Meryl liked the extra security the maze-like passages provided. Any unwanted visitors would easily get turned around and give up their pursuit.

In the inner section of the cave was where the two mers made their home. The underwater passages steadily rose until they entered into a massive cavern where pools rose and fell with tides. Sponges, algae, and barnacles were the only things that seemed to thrive year round. On days when the sea rose higher than usual, Meryl saw the occasional crab or sculpin pass through. High above, the ceiling of the cave had been chipped away by the elements, allowing for light to pour in. Near the back of the cave was where the mers kept their tools and treasures.

A rusted typewriter and a delicate crucifix pendant sat on a pedestal like outcropping in the wall. Meryl knew how the typewriter worked after countless days of prodding at the mechanisms. And the mer knew how to read for the most part, so hypothetically she could write something. Now if only Meryl could get a hold of the materials so actually see if she repaired it correctly.

But that was a sweet dream for another day. Always fleeting. And for now, that was okay.

Out of the far back wall of the cavern was a dark tunnel that Meryl knew logically led somewhere into the cliffs. But that was all speculation since the path was landlocked. Meryl tried to put the obvious safety risk out of her mind. She tried to convince herself it was fine. There was a chance that it didn’t lead anywhere.

Milly paced the front pool in their cavern as Meryl finally surfaced. The seal’s face was a mix of relief and exasperation as she glomped onto Meryl.

The smaller mer grumbled but didn’t try to move Milly. No one stopped a Milly hug.

“Oh, you’re fine! I started to think the worst happened when Zazie came back without you! What happened?”

Meryl went glassy eyed.

She could still feel Vash’s hand bleeding into her’s. She could still see the way tears rolled listlessly down his cheeks as they sat next to the dead man. She could still feel the way her chest tightened when she tried to stay close to Vash.

She could still feel the way she didn’t want to leave when the police came rushing down the rocks to find Vash.

Meryl panicked and fled back to the waves. Vash finally perked, looking around him for the sudden weight lifted from his side. His expression turned to crestfallen desperation when he didn’t find her. And Meryl knew that was for the best.

And so, Meryl went home.

Vash was going to be okay without her.

“Meryl? Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt out there did you?”

Meryl pulled back from Milly and mustered a smile, “I’m fine. I got busy with something. Lost track of time.”

Milly’s brows raised ever so slightly, “In the storm?”

“The rain’s pretty much gone. Don’t worry about me, Milly. I can take care of myself.”

“That won’t stop me from worrying,” Milly muttered under her breath. “Well at least you’re here now and we’re all together now!”

Meryl cocked an eyebrow as she hauled herself up on the edge of the pool. “What do you mean we? It’s just the two of us here, right?”

Milly must not have heard her and swam away, in her own little world. Meryl craned her neck to see what Milly was doing when she felt something scratch at her arm. Meryl didn’t have to look to know it was Zazie. The shrimp poked her earring and chuckled. Oh, Meryl was never going to get used to that sound.

“Mery,” Zazie trailed off, “You collect a lot of junk. I was right to think that those dangly bits were the only things worth anything.” The shrimp paused to draw a long breath in. “Are you desperate to learn about humans?”

The mer didn’t answer, staring at the mid-distance. If she opened her mouth now, Meryl was going to lose it.

“You should talk to them. It would be easier than collecting junk. Or are you a coward?”

Without hesitation, Meryl flicked the mantis shrimp off her shoulder and into a tidepool.

Milly noticed when she heard the splash and pouted in Meryl’s direction. “You should really be nicer to them, Meryl!”

“Fine, fine!”  Meryl rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “It’s not as though they’ve annoyed the shit out of you though…”

Meryl made her way to her favorite of her tide pool and flopped unceremoniously into the water. The mats of algae made the rocks smooth and soft. The perfect nest. And the water was just deep enough for Meryl to lay comfortably while still covering her gills to breathe easy

After the day she had, Meryl was glad to finally take some time to rest. Or at least try to.

The image of Vash kneeling on the beach, soaked to the bone and as pale as bleached coral, never seemed to leave the back of her mind.

Then Meryl heard the familiar scuttling of Zazie just above her. She shot them a tired glare and they halted their approach. “If I catch you coming anywhere near me while I’m asleep, I’m going to throw you out.”

“Aw, you really wouldn’t do that.”

“Try me,” Meryl growled.

With that, Zazie backed off. Meryl breathed a sigh of relief when she watched their head disappear over the side of the tidepool. And with that, Meryl sank into a restless sleep.

…

It had been almost a week and Meryl still hadn’t seen Vash. Though despite the curiosity that seemed to cement itself in her gut, Meryl hadn’t been looking all that hard. Did he want space after what happened? Probably.

But then Meryl saw him trapped on the rock outside of the harbor. Vash had his legs close to his chest as he stared out over the bay. At least his clothes were mostly dry this time. How long had Vash been sitting there?

Meryl sighed.

Did she want to know? Probably not. Did he look like he was crying? It was hard to tell.

With a sharp kick of her tail, Meryl changed course.

Vash screamed when Meryl popped up next to him. She stared at him with a thin lipped frown as he garbled out a string of curses. With a roll of her eyes, Meryl started regretting even coming over. “Are you going to let me speak? Or should I go?”

Vash placed a hand to his chest as he caught his, “No, no, no. I’m all good now. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again.”

Meryl suddenly felt very offended despite herself.

“I was kind of a mess last time,” Vash laughed. He was wearing an apologetic smile. That was annoying. “Anyways, I’m sorry you had to sit there with me. I can’t imagine a dead body isn’t something pleasant to be around for you.”

“But it is for you?” Meryl retorted.

Vash stared at the rocks for a moment, voice twisting into a strained whisper, “It was the right thing to do…”

Meryl regarded the lanky blonde for a moment. He was starting to shake a little. Biting the inside of her cheeks, Meryl backtracked, “How’s your hand?”

“Oh!” Vash jumped. He held up the appendage in question. The bandages were clean and well dressed. At least he was taken care of. “All good!” Vash said.

“It’s going to scar, isn't it?”

Once again, Vash’s expression fell. “Well, yeah. But I’m not too concerned. I’m a bit of a klutz, so ya know… Bruise like a banana!” He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. The idiot was deflecting again. And Vash was blushing, turning the tips of his ears bright pink. Was he embarrassed about the scars?

Meryl’s stomach knotted.

Had he forgotten that she’d seen them?

The mer couldn’t know for certain. And that wasn’t something she was in the position of asking.

“Well, just take care of yourself, I suppose.” She was about to leave when Meryl caught sight of Vash smiling sheepishly from the rock. The mer arched a brow, “Yes?”

“Nothing really,” Vash finally said. “I was hoping to see you again.”

Meryl tensed. There was something soft and fuzzy about the way he said those words that made her nauseous. At least for a moment. The nausea melted away into something akin to confusion. Or maybe that was curiosity. All Meryl knew was that her cheeks felt warm to the touch. 

That was different. 

Vash didn’t seem to notice Meryl’s momentary lapse of control. “Especially since you said that we probably weren’t ever going to see each other again.”

“I really meant it at the time too,” Meryl grumbled. “It’s not as though you’re a fisherman or anything. And obviously I can’t go onto land. So, the chances of us running into each other are pretty low.”

“But never zero!” Vash declared with a grin. 

“What?”

Vash shrugged, “It’s just something my brother says. He’s a scientist. Or was a scientist? It's complicated. But he’s into logic puzzles and all that stuff. So, while the chances of something–”

“I know what the saying means,” Meryl interrupted. “I’ve lived it before.”

“Oh?” 

Vash’s eyes sparkled as he waited for Meryl to continue. He rested his chin on his plans, ready to listen with rapt attention. Meryl thought for a moment. What was the harm in telling this human a few stories? 

A lot. 

What business did he have knowing anything about her? 

He could tell people about her and Milly and then they’d have to pack up and move. Humans had the potential to be terrifying. Especially if they were in the presence of something they didn’t completely understand. Which would be a tragedy since this was the safest place Meryl found after so many years of wandering. 

But there Vash was, staring at her with as much wonder as he could muster. And Meryl couldn’t bring herself to disappoint him. 

The mer lifted herself onto the rock. She nearly slipped back into the water when Vash caught a hold of her wrists. At first, his fingers felt like an iron vice, making Meryl grimace for only an instant. But before she knew it, Vash loosened his grip and gently brought her next to him on the rock. The last time they were evenly this remotely close, Vash was being torn in two.

Today though, he sat next to her in the sun, listening to her stories, never happier.

Meryl didn’t exactly know what to make of this situation. She cleared her throat and tried to put on airs of seriousness. “It’s going to be easier on my neck if I’m not staring up at you,” the mer explained. Then Meryl paused, narrowing her eyes. “Though I guess that point is moot…”

She didn’t realize how much taller Vash still was, even when they were sitting down. 

“Aw, that’s because you’re so tiny!” Vash laughed. “Tiny and–”

Meryl didn’t hesitate to smack him upside the head. His silly orange glasses fell to the rocks and into a pool of water. Vash only laughed harder.

“I was going to say tiny and cute,” he finally said.

“I am not cute!” Meryl shouted. She crossed her arms and huffed, “I’m terrifying, thank you very much.”

Vash tilted his head and arched a brow, “Are you?”

“Yes! Do you want to hear the story or not?”

The man’s silly grin was replaced with a serious stare while Meryl rested her hands on her tail, curling the long appendage in front of her. 

“About ten years ago, after I left home, I wandered for a long time. There’s a vast open space between my old home, so I ended up spending a lot of time by myself.”

Vash raised his hand, prompting Meryl to stop. “Where’s home?” he asked.

Meryl quirked the corner of her lips into an exasperated frown. “I’ll take questions at the end! Now where was I?” Meryl perked before continuing, “Right! I really don’t know where I was. It was so hard to keep track back then. One thing I really hated was the there was nowhere to sleep in the open ocean.”

“So, what did you do?”

“Depended.” Meryl stared glassy eyed at the tip of her tail in front of her. “Sometimes I’d find something floating on the surface of the water and I’d curl up next to that. Other times, I’d wait for night to fall and take my chances. It was a dumb thing to do and frankly I shouldn't have been out there alone in the first place.”

Meryl’s lips curled into a slight smile. “One night though, I saw the weirdest thing. I didn’t even notice it at first until it was right up on me. But the entire ocean glowed blue. It was so bright it looked almost like daylight.

The mer paused and stole a glance at Vash across from her. The man sat forward almost so his face was right in front of her’s, mouth just barely parted as he listened. Meryl’s heart skipped a beat.

She leaned back against the rock and recomposed herself enough to continue. 

“The glow went on as far as I could see. And when I moved, the glow rippled black. Like I was floating in stars. I’ve never seen anything quite like it since.”

Vash was about to say something when Meryl stopped him. “I’m not finished. Things usually rise shallower during the night. Plankton and jellies and little fish.”

“Oh! My brother told me a little bit about that.”

“You know that it happens every day and night then. So, I was just there, by my lonesome when I felt something coming up just under me. I panicked and got out of the way–”

Vash shouted, eyes suddenly wide and scared, making Meryl jump, “What was it?”

The mermaid placed a hand on her chest as she took a deep breath in, “Nothing dangerous. At least not then. But right next to me, just at the surface, was a shark. It was massive, but thin. Eel like with flowing fins. Its eyes glowed green in the light. The weirdest thing about them was the way the gills poked out of the slits, just like a frilly collar I’ve seen some humans wear.”

“It didn’t attack you did you, did it?”

Meryl laughed, “No. I remember bobbing up and down in the water while this shark circled me for a few minutes. Then out of nowhere, they nudged me in the side. I thought I was going to die!”

Vash visibly paled as he sat on the edge of the rock. 

“But instead, the shark wrapped around me ever so slightly, nudged me again, and left.. And that was that. I was so shocked, I just floated there until morning.”

For a moment, Vash stared at Meryl. Then he threw his head back in laughter. Vash wiped a tear away from the corner of his eye, “You’re right! That does sound pretty impossible.”

“Wow,” Meryl started “I tell you about the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me and that’s the reaction I get?”

“No, no, no! I do believe you!” Vash glanced over to the open bay with wonder. “It’s just hard to imagine. I’ve never seen anything like it before. But I was in the desert for a long time.”

“Well, I’ll never see a desert. What is it like?”

Vash cupped his cheek and hummed. His eyes flitted to the sky as he pondered. Then a lazy grin grew on his face. 

“I traveled around quite a bit, so I got to see a little bit of everything. Mostly it’s hot and dry. Lots of sand everywhere. And everything is yellow and orange. But the best part was when the sun would go down, and the sky turned bright red. And as quickly as it started, everything would turn pitch black. There was something amazing about it that I think I’ll always miss. It would be nice to see it again in the future.”

Meryl gulped as she noticed the content look on Vash’s face. 

Her voice was sharp as she spoke without thinking, “Why come here? It sounds so different.”

“I’m an artist technically, so really I can live anywhere as long as I get to create stuff. So, I move around a lot because of that. Needed a change I suppose! There’s a lot of little reasons. But this time, I’m just following my brother around for a little bit.”

“You’re awfully positive about the whole thing,” Meryl mumbled. If Vash heard her, he didn’t show it.

“Why did you leave your home? Where was it?”

Vash’s line of questioning caught Meryl off guard. She bristled and stared at Vash. Again, there wasn’t a hint of malice in his inquiry. Meryl had already told him about herself. May as well continue.

“Way on the other side of the ocean, near the coast of Southeast Asia. Livio showed me a map at one point so I could show him exactly where it was. But it’s been so long, it’s probably not accurate. My dad might still be there. But there’s no way to know that unless I go back.”

“Have you ever thought about it?”

“Going back?” Meryl questioned. Vash nodded his head, the brushed up spikes of his hair wiggling with the gesture. Meryl nearly laughed. “It wasn’t really for me. So, I sort of… left. I didn’t even think to come this far north until I met Roberto.”

“Who’s Roberto?” Vash asked, grimacing. 

“Oh, he’s some old ornery whale. He stops by here every summer.”

Vash jumped forward, grabbing onto Meryl’s shoulder. “Another mermaid?” he yelled. 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Meryl droned, as she pushed Vash off of her. “He’s… Roberto is kind of a grouchy old man. Also, he drinks. And smokes…”

The excitement only grew on Vash’s face. He reminded Meryl of one of the seals in Milly’s original colony. 

“Roberto’s really not all that special.”

The smile on Vash’s face morphed into a pout, “So says the mermaid… You and Milly are the first mermaids I've met. And you two are amazing.”

Meryl flinched then smirked, “And you’re one of the only humans I’ve actually talked to. So that’s… something ”

Vash hummed, eyes scrunching at the edges as he smiled for a moment. Then he straightened, “Hey speaking of, do you know Rem at all?”

“Rem?”

“Yeah! Another mermaid. Long black hair. Red tail. I met her the other day. I was wondering if you or Milly knew her at all.”

Meryl didn’t have to think to know that she’d never seen this Rem person in her life. She knew for a fact that she and Milly were the only two resident mers in the bay. Who in the world was Vash talking to? 

“When did you meet her?”

“Uh… A few days ago. After Alex’s funeral. Apparently they knew each other.”

The small hairs on the back of Meryl’s neck rose as her stomach churned. Rem. Rem. Rem. Meryl stared at the water for what felt like a long time. Then she snapped her attention back to Vash, “Hey, I know I can’t tell you what to do. But maybe be careful who you talk to. There’s a lot of strange things out there.”

Vash chuckled under his breath, “Aw, are you worried about me? That’s so sweet of you!”

Meryl’s brow knitted together, “No, I’m not worried. I’m just warning you.”

“That sounds like you’re worried!”

Cheeks flushing, Meryl jumped into the water. Vash was splashed with salt water as she began to leave. But then she heard Vash whine behind her. He really was a seal! Meryl surfaced with a huff.

“Would it be okay for you to maybe get a boat or something? I don’t really want to be stuck here for too much longer. Last time, Wolfwood blew up my phone.”

“How in the world did you get stuck out here a second time?”

“Milly.”

“Oh… huh? Really? Did she have a reason?”

Vash shook his head. The mer would have to ask Milly about it later. Meryl glanced over to the harbor.

“Is there even a boat?” Vash asked, suddenly unsure.

“Yeah, give me a minute. I’ll be right back,” she relented after a moment. “Just as long as you return it back where I found it.”

“Thanks, Meryl! You’re the best!”

…

Meryl found a small rowboat tied up to a mostly empty dock in the harbor. The oars were a little bent out of shape, but they’d do. She tossed a few pretty rocks and shells onto the dock before untying the boat

It took her almost twenty minutes to haul the rowboat back to Vash. 

The first thing she noticed was Vash’s clear tenor laugh. The mer slowly rounded the corner to see Vash talking to a small rainbow shrimp sitting next to him.

Meryl almost let the boat go adrift and turn around. 

Instead, she steeled herself for the grating interaction, pulling the boat behind her. Vash beamed when he saw Meryl. Or actually, he was probably just elated to see the boat. He picked Zazie up, eliciting a high pitched squeal from the shrimp. 

“Meryl! Look at this little guy! Aren’t they neat?”

Meryl glared at the shrimp wriggling in Vash’s hand. Zazie shot Meryl a pleading look. For all Meryl cared, Zazie could stay there for another moment. With a world weary sigh, Meryl tied the boat to a spire of rock and made eye contact with Zazie.

She could have sworn she saw them smirking. Sleazy bug.

Vash continued, unaware of the silent argument his two companions were having, “I was just telling them all about you just now.”

A strangled screech left Meryl’s throat. “Why? Why would you do that?”

Vash turned Zazie to face him, eyes following the rhythmic movement of their legs. “They’re just a little lobster! No harm, right?”

“No, it’s not a harmless little lobster! Zazie’s been harassing me for weeks now! Always trying to steal my things. And I swear they can talk, but they never talk when anyone else is around. Milly thinks I’m nuts!”

Meryl stopped her tirade when noticed both Vash and Zazie staring at her. She snapped her mouth shut to keep from saying anything crazier.

Vash set Zazie down gently on the rock next to him. “So… They’re named Zazie?”

The mer shrugged. “Yeah, Milly named them. And I don’t care enough to refute it. So, Zazie it is.”

“Kind of a cute name,” Vash remarked.

The man stretched his arms high above his head until he heard a click. He breathed easily as his arms fell back to his side. Tossing his boots into the boat, Vash gingerly stepped over the rim and plopped down onto the seat.

“Do you know how to steer this thing?” Meryl asked, forgetting about the shrimp behind her.

Vash took the oars into his hands. Confidence, or perhaps something closer to hubris, was plastered on his face in a catty smirk. “I think I can figure it out. Thanks though.”

Meryl hauled herself back onto the rock so that Vash wouldn’t accidentally run into her. She laced her hands underneath her tail as she slouched forwards. Vash huffed as he placed the oars into the water.

Then Vash turned his full attention back to Meryl. His eyes were clear for the first time since the storm. Now, they looked like the clear, warm water of her first home. Meryl felt tension release from her shoulders she hadn’t even known she’d been holding onto.

“I wanted to thank you, actually.”

“What for?” Meryl laughed. “I don’t remember doing anything.”

Vash rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His cheeks were tinged with a light pink as he glanced back at Meryl. For some reason that seemed to make Meryl’s chest constrict in a way that confused her beyond belief.

Was she getting sick?

“Well… I dunno. I’ve been having a bit of a rough week. But, uh, you really helped me through it.”

“Did I?”

Vash hummed, “Yeah. Like today! You just stayed and told me stories. You asked how I was too. That means a lot, you know?”

Meryl’s heart stopped.

Vash was beaming now. A smile made the corners of his eyes crinkle ever so slightly.

She wanted to say something but Meryl couldn’t think of the words. Anything would have fallen flat, wiping that gorgeous smile off his face.

Wait, wait, wait, Meryl stopped herself. This was just some guy!

And before she knew it, Meryl watched Vash start to row away. He called out to her before he was out of earshot, still grinning, “I’ll see you later! Remember the chances are low, but never zero.”

Meryl let her lips curl into a soft smile and waved back to him as Vash disappeared around the corner.

“So, you aren’t a coward after all.”

The mer jumped with a squeal. Zazie laughed, loud and grating. And Meryl had been in such a good mood too. Oh well.

“What does that mean?”

Zazie ran around in bored circles next to Meryl. The silence was maddening.

Meryl rested her head on her palm and sighed. “You’re the worst. Did you know that?”

“You tell me that often, Mery.”

Her eyes went wide as Meryl paused. She turned to look at Zazie, who was now pulling at barnacles. Their front little legs were quickly getting tangled in the kelp.

“What did you just call me?”

“Mery? Is that not your name?”

Meryl wasted no time jumping back into the water. The day had been long and evening was starting to fall. Meryl wanted to be home before it got too dark otherwise Milly would worry. And that was the last thing Meryl wanted.

Chapter Text

Milly was well aware of what everyone thought of her.

That she was kind, reliable, and steadfast. That she was silly, overeager, and naive.

One thing Milly noticed about how others perceived her was that she could be either one or the other. Never both. And they thought she was naïve! How strange, Milly always thought to herself. But then again, most people didn’t bother to really know the people around them, and they often left as quickly as they came. So, Milly tried not to hold it against them.

Even Meryl and Livio had thought of Milly that way when they first met. And that was fine. After a while they learned that Milly was a multifaceted person with strengths and weaknesses.

If people didn’t see that, then that wasn’t her problem. And Milly tried not to feel hurt.

…

The colony where her family lived was a three day journey from Jeneora Bay. Milly made the journey every few months. She knew the path like the back of her hand; every rock, every cove, every weird eddy and reef.

There was always danger around. That’s just how their life was. But Milly felt more than comfortable going by herself. The first few times, Meryl joined her. The older mer was reluctant to see her friend go, terrified that something horrendous would happen. And given Meryl’s experiences, Milly didn’t blame her. Meryl was cautious with everything, but eventually Meryl stopped coming.

She knew better than to coddle Milly. Milly was more than capable of taking care of herself and had done so time and time again

Milly’s family, at least those that stayed with the colony, were always happy to see her. Milly was the youngest of seven siblings and a mess of countless cousins all over the area. Her mother did everything she could to keep her little pup at home.

Only her father and biggest sister seemed to understand what Milly felt.

Milly knew from early on that she wasn’t meant for the colony. Not that she didn’t love it. But shepherding seals and birds for the rest of her life wasn’t what she was meant to do. But Milly made sure to return home every once in a while to keep her family from worrying.

This time Milly turned the last bend of coast before the outcroppings of rocks protected the long stretch of beach where the seals hauled out. There was an open air cave at the far end where the family of mers gathered during the night.

Milly had fond memories of snuggling up to her family on long winter nights.

A gaggle of three young mers with familiar sandy hair played with a group of energetic seals ahead of Milly. She didn’t make it another few feet before they took notice of her, pausing as they tried to figure out just who was approaching. Then their eyes went wide when Milly waved at them. The seals spooked when the three mers sped off to greet their visitor.

Milly caught at least two of them in a crushing hug. The sudden weight pushed Milly backwards in the water. Running out of air, Milly dragged her two charges to the surface of the water. The third mer, a girl a few years older than the boys in Milly’s arms, broke the surface next to Milly. She smiled broadly as Milly buried her nose into her nephews’ hair.

“Aunt Milly! You’re late!” one of the boy’s shouted, freeing himself from his aunt’s embrace.

The older mer was about to answer when the second boy, smaller and leaner than his brother, continued the tirade, “You were supposed to be here last week! And you were supposed to bring presents!”

“Now, now,” Milly started, wagging her finger. “I’m only late because I had some things to take care of at home! Besides, I’m here now and that’s what matters.”

The boys shared an annoyed glance before they sped off back to the colony, waving Milly and their sister to trail behind.

“Don’t mind them too much,” Milly’s niece said with an apologetic smile. “They just really missed you. We all did.”

Milly stared forlornly at the water for a moment, then looked up with a confident grin, “I know, I know. I missed you all too!”

The two mers swam at a languid pace as Milly’s niece told her about what she’d missed in the last few months since Milly’s previous visit.

The colony was already abuzz by the time the beach came into view. Even the seals, sleepy and lazy in the afternoon sun, were getting up to greet Milly. And before she knew it, Milly was surrounded on all sides. Family came over to greet her, bringing her in a series of warm embraces. The young mers yelled and laughed at ear splitting volumes while Milly’s siblings gave their baby sister gentle ribbings and jokes at her expense. Milly took it all in stride.

Then the conversation quieted a notch as the matriarch of the family parted the crowd.

Milly’s mother, a mer that held herself with the poise and confidence of a mer who’d seen more of the world than all of her children in their combined lifetimes. She was her youngest daughter’s spitting image, only decades older.

She was close to tears as she cupped Milly’s cheek lightly. Her mother searched Milly’s face for any sign of harm. Milly’s face morphed into a sunny smile.

Then her mother hugged tightly around Milly’s shoulders. She cried into the crook of her daughter’s neck, forgoing any and all of her carefully crafted façade. “You’re late, little pup! Absolutely late!”

“Aw, mama! Don’t worry. I’m here now. And look, I’m still hale and hearty!”

“I can see that now!” Milly’s mother grabbed onto her daughter’s hand and dragged her down the beach. Her siblings took the cue and went back to their work. “Now, come along, little pup. I’ve got some work you can help me with.”

Milly groaned internally. Her mother always had work for her to do. And as much as Milly didn’t want to do anything but catch up with her siblings, saying no to her mother usually meant a stern talking to.

They stopped just outside of the cave, where few seals had been herded by their caretakers to be looked after with a more discerning eye. Milly followed her mother up the beach, but halted in her path when she saw a hulking, bearded mer wearing a tool belt and tending to an entangled seal.

“Daddy!” Milly shouted. She galumphed quickly over to her father and knocked him into the sand in a tight embrace.

“Milly, my girl!” Milly’s father ruffled a hand through her hair as he picked them up from the sand. He placed Milly next to him and looked her up and down. Satisfied he crossed his arms. “You look like you’re doing just fine. How was the trip?”

Milly was about to answer when she saw red on her father’s tail. She stared long and hard, face twisting into a sad frown. There was a large bite mark on the left side, still raw and red. The shallower teeth wounds were beginning to scab over. But the deeper ones…

“What happened?” Milly cried, her hands went to the wounds for further inspection.

Milly’s father laughed her off, taking her hands gently in his. “Oh, you know how things go out here!”

“He had a run in with an orca,” Milly’s mother stated, voice thick with annoyance.

Eyebrows shooting up to her hairline, Milly glanced bewilderedly between her father’s face and the gnarly bite mark on his tail. The seal who was patiently waiting to get free of the old ghost line snorted, grabbing the attention of the three mers crowding around him.

Milly’s father went back to cutting the line free while Milly absentmindedly wound and collected the strands. She would have to take what she found back to Livio so he could properly dispose of the trash.

“Jacob and Sandra are out on lookout duty right now,” Milly’s mother continued. “To make sure we're not being stalked by the pod.”

“That explains why I didn’t see them then. Scary!”

The trio stayed silent for a long moment. When they finished freeing the seal, Milly gave him a loving pat and let him slump back into the water.

“You didn’t see anything strange on your way home, did you?”

Milly’s face twisted into a thoughtful pout. Her mother and father waited patiently, but Milly knew her mother was growing anxious. Finally, she smiled and chuckled to herself, “Nope, nothing! Certainly not any orcas.”

Drumming her fingers against her cheeks, Milly’s mother let go of a strangled sigh. “I always felt better when Meryl made these trips with you…”

“Speaking of,” Milly’s father started, “Where is Meryl? How is she doing?”

Finally, something other than blind panic!

“Peachy keen! Meryl found some sort of strange shrimp to take care of. Oh, and I think she’s finally making friends with some of the humans.”

“Oh? Good for her!”

Milly’s mother slapped her father hard against the shoulder. “Stop encouraging that, Lyle! We all know that humans are dangerous! Who knows what could happen? And Meryl used to be such a smart girl.”

For a long moment, Milly stayed silent as her parents argued behind her. She approached another seal with a large, rusty circle hook in its rear flipper. Milly’s heart sank seeing it. Gently Milly whispered soothing words under her breath. She made long languid strokes down their back as she positioned herself behind them. Milly easily removed the long tail of the fishing line but the hook was going to require some more work.

“Daddy? Do you have some pliers? I need to snap the hook.”

Milly’s father looked relieved that Milly had interrupted his discussion with his partner. He tossed over a rusty pair of pliers and Milly went straight to work snapping the hook in half. After a full minute, the pliers ate through the hook with a loud crack. The seal jumped with a noise, almost slapping Milly in the face. With a gentle pat, the mer stroked them until they laid back down.

“Milly, little pup, you should really move back here. It would be much safer.”

The young mer didn’t answer as she finished pulling the two halves of the hook out of the seal’s flippers. Then when the hook was free, Milly looked over her shoulder to her mother.

“You wouldn’t have to worry about being by yourself. Maybe settle down and all of that. Jacob knows a few seals from another colony nearby.”

The smile never left Milly’s face, but she was steadily becoming frustrated. “Mom, believe it or not, I’m really happy where I’m at. I’ve got people who count on me in Jeneora bay! And I can count on them too.”

Right. She had Meryl and Livio. And Wolfwood if he wanted it. Milly wouldn’t leave them for the world.

“Emma, Milly’s old enough to make her own decisions,” Milly’s father muttered. Milly was sure she wasn’t supposed to hear that, but the words made Milly feel a little better. Her mother stayed quiet as the three of them got to work.

…

And Milly’s week long trip came and went in a blink of an eye.

There were no more orca sightings in the area and the entire colony settled down. The tension in the air only rose whenever her mother tried to introduce her little pup to available seals in the area. Milly knew what she was doing and wasn’t having any of it. Milly very quickly made it clear that she wasn’t interested in anything but friends. And for the most part it worked.

And so, Milly was left alone to help her siblings with babysitting and shepherding duties. That meant a lot of chasing down seals and baby mers underwater. And that was all Milly really wanted to do.

Milly had a late start leaving the colony. Her goodbyes were always teary and overdrawn. Milly’s mother almost didn’t let her leave. Eventually her father had to create a distraction so that Milly could make her escape. And then she was on her way home!

Milly crossed the mouth of Jeneora bay as night was falling. The sun was already gone and Milly was having difficulty seeing. She stuck close to the surface, whistling a tune into the night air.

She didn’t notice the black dorsal fins stalking up behind her until she felt the water rush as a jaw opened up behind her.

Milly bolted into a blind panic.

When she was sure she had a little bit of a head start, Milly looked behind her.

Out of the gloom came three black and white heads. And they were gaining on her. Their maws opened and closed, clicking with elation as they chased the lone mer.

Milly had to come up for air. Her speed slowed considerably as she opened her mouth too early and gulped a lungful of seawater. She went into a sputtering cough as she tried to remember how to breathe.

The grotto was across the bay and cutting across the open water would put her at a disadvantage. And Milly knew that as soon as she went inside, the orcas would just post up at the entrance, devouring anything that tried to cross.

Meryl could get hurt.

So, Milly continued to swim parallel to the shore.

Her muscles burned as she pushed herself further and further. Rocks scraped at her tail, cutting into velvety fur.

But it didn’t matter.

All Milly had to do was keep going until the orcas—

She felt the front flipper of one of the orcas brush against her as they came up in front of her and suddenly there was nowhere left to go.

Milly was about to start crying when she heard someone whistle from the shore.

“Milly! Come this way!”

…

Wolfwood was finishing up a late night at the church. Usually, the priest would've been home or at Rosa’s bar by now. But the paperwork the Church of Saint Michael had kept him up well into the night. The pile of paperwork had to be shipped up since the only fax machine in town was at public works and those guys were prickly cheapskates.

Taking a break to rest his eyes, Wolfwood leaned against the pulpit downstairs and lit a fresh cigarette. The smell of the rolled tobacco was a welcome companion this time of night. And the robins.

About a month prior, Wolfwood had Vash remove the scraggly ravens from the rafters. Rather than repeating the precarious balancing act they used to scare off the owl, Vash came armed with an airhorn. Wolfwood took one look and left. The cacophony of blaring and angry caws lasted for no more than twenty minutes before Wolfwood saw the ravens fly out. They were quickly replaced with a gaggle of robins. But they were mostly well behaved, so Wolfwood let them stay.

For now.

The priest took two drags off the cigarette when he decided to forget the paperwork and head home. He started up the bike parked in the front courtyard and drove down the hill back to town. Out of the corner of his eye, Wolfwood saw three tall dorsal fins splicing through the water, chasing after something.

That something surfaced and drank a tubful of water in a panic.

Wolfwood narrowed his eyes for a better look.

His heart dropped when he recognized the prey.

The motorbike clattered to the road as Wolfwood ran down the rocky hill to the beach. Oh, shit, oh shit, oh shit. If he was too late, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Wolfwood sprinted to the water line and whistled as loudly as he could.

“Milly! Come this way!”

Sea water soaked his trousers as he waded into the water. It was so cold but Wolfwood didn’t notice. All he could focus on was the fright on Milly’s face as she sped towards him. The trio of orcas changed course in a matter of moments, cornering Milly on all sides.

Wolfwood’s heart stopped when the orca in front of Milly opened its mouth, a row of spikey teeth glinting in the moonlight.

And then a torpedo jumped out of the water and hit him straight in the chest. The wind was knocked out of his lungs as he landed ass first in the water. His cigarette tumbled out of his mouth.

The world went black and all Wolfwood felt was soft velvety fur in his arms as he grasped Milly tightly. Her arms snaked her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He scrambled backwards out of the water before the orcas could toss themselves further into the beach. The mermaid shook uncontrollably in his arms. The orcas backed off for a moment, attention still on Milly, clicking and squealing in disappointment.

Wolfwood snarled as he stared back at the orcas. They seemed to get the message and left.

Wolfwood took a deep breath in as he loosened his grip on Milly. She didn’t let go of him and stared wide eyed at the water.

“Milly?”

The mermaid didn’t answer.

The priest craned his head so he could get a better look at Milly’s face. He saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes as she was still entranced by the waves. In the distance, they watched the tall dorsal fins disappear into the darkness.

“Hey, Milly?”

“Yes?” Her voice shook.

“Are you okay?” Wolfwood stopped and smacked himself in the forehead. He muttered to himself, “Of course you aren’t, darlin’.”

Milly rested her head against his shoulder, still sitting in his lap. She didn’t really react when Wolfwood moved under her.

“Didn’t realize killer whales were such pricks. Do you think you’ll be able to get home all right?”

“I think I’ll be okay. Just need to wait a little while to make sure they’ve lost interest,” Milly explained. Her voice was muffled in his jacket.

The mermaid stirred slightly. Her right hand grasped onto his lapel, staring up at him with gorgeous baby blues. Wolfwood let out a heavy sigh and lifted her with him.

“No, no, no,” Wolfwood exclaimed. His feet carried the both of them back up to the road. He placed Milly onto the seat of the motor bike. “You are not going to be spending the night on the beach by yourself so you can get eaten up by some oversized dolphins.”

“Excuse me?”

The bike started without a hassle and Wolfwood drove back up to the church. All the while Milly buried her face into his chest and screamed. Right, she’d probably never seen a motorcycle before, let alone get this close.

She still clung to him as the priest carried her into the back of the church.

The previous priest had a small tub installed for quick baptisms and the like. And that’s where Wolfwood gently placed Milly. She looked at him with shock as he started to fill the tub. “How warm should this be?” Wolfwood asked calmly.

Milly glanced between him and the faucet, apprehension obvious. Then she gulped and felt the temperature. “A little colder please.”

“Really?”

Milly nodded and rested her head on the side of the tub. Her voice was still quiet, but she’d calmed down considerably. “Am I allowed to be here?”

“It’s my church. So, yeah. I want you to be here.”

Milly’s lips spread into a sleepy smile that made Wolfwood’s heart skip a beat. “Thank you.”

“Any time, darlin’.” Wolfwood sat next to the tub, legs splayed out in front of him and knees knocking into the side. His suit was still soaked. Normally he would have just peeled his clothes off. But stripping in front of Milly made him anxious. “So… You’ve been missing for a while. Have the killer whales been chasing you the whole time?”

“What?” Milly’s eyes went adorably wide. “Oh, no. I was just visiting my family. The orcas only spotted me right before you brought me up here.”

Tension Wolfwood didn’t even know he was holding onto seeped out from his shoulders.

“Family, huh?” Wolfwood grinned, “Are they all seals too?”

“Yeah. All seals. They live with a colony of real seals. That’s where I grew up. My family taught me how to take care of the colony. Like how to help the pups learn to hunt and how to ward off predators. And how to get the seals and birds out of fishing gear. Like a shepherd!”

Milly was all smiles now. That was a good sign.

“Like me…”

“Really? What sort of colony do you look after?”

Wolfwood’s gaze dropped to his lap and he yawned. “This town. I look after them a little bit. Make sure they’re going to be safe from whatever threats I can. Most of them are more abstract than anything. But I’m not doing a great job these days.”

Suddenly, Milly grabbed the priest’s hand and interlaced her fingers between his.

“You’re doing a great job! You just saved me, didn’t you?”

Wolfwood chuckled under his breath. “How could I not?”

This time, Milly was the one who was shocked. The pink tint on her cheeks made Wolfwood want to brush them. But he didn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to accidentally mar her.

“Wolfwood?”

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“You’re not alone, are you?”

Wolfwood couldn't help but grimace. He fought to find the meaning in Milly’s question. When he couldn’t determine a second meaning, Wolfwood answered as honestly as he could because that’s what Milly deserved.

“Well, no. I’ve got Liv. And Spikey is living me I guess. So, I’ve got kin for the most part.”

Milly closed her eyes and the smile on her face grew with relief. Her hand didn’t let go of his.

“Good, then I won’t have to worry as much…”

The mermaid quickly fell asleep after that. She snored lightly next to Wolfwood, who didn’t have the heart to move. And very soon, he too was asleep. Their hands never let go through the night.