(Lucca)
Our trip to the city was a rare one that's for sure.
My father never enjoyed stepping off of the ship and venturing his way into a much crowded area, especially one with such tall buildings new and improved technology.
He has always been an oldie, one who would much rather do things the hard way than have it be given to him. However, it was important for us to gather everything we needed for our journey. Food, water, blankets, matches for the lights, medicine, and even stuff to trade and sell.
"Let's make this a fast trip alright? Everyone break off into group of two or three, get all that you need and report back here by sundown. Anyone later than that will be left here." My father announces, standing on the peak of the deck to stare down at us all below him.
His dark grey hair is slicked back on his head, he has a beard that he hasn't tended to in weeks, and his stature is tall, matching well with his surprisingly muscular frame. He has dark brown eyes unlike my hazel ones. His olive skin is tanned due to the sun we stay out in on a daily basis.
Leonel stands by my side with empty bags around his wrist, and I can tell he's secretly excited to go wandering throughout the city. Since he rarely speaks of himself, It's all I really know about him and his past.
Unlike myself, Leonel is a quiet one, but he's completely fascinated by the new upheaval of technology. He tends to study these books that have been by his side ever since we met, and he almost never allows me to see them.
Usually, when I get the occasional glance at the spine of the book, it has to deal with some sort of magical being or science theme. It's hard for me to take any of that seriously considering I've never seen any kind of magical person before.
No witch, no kitsune, no dragon, and definitely no mermaid. I can't deny the fact that any of those exist. With the way my father talks about them, it's as if he's been living amongst them for years.
For me, in my years of living, I've never seen anything like it, and at this point, I don't think I will. I've lived at sea since I was a child. If mermaids were real, I would've seen one by now.
"Alright Leo, stay close and don't talk to anyone but me. I don't want you getting lost. You manage to do that every trip because you wander off to God knows where."
He says nothing but with the look on his face I can tell he's holding back a smartass comment.
"Shut up." I tell him as we climb our way down the ship and onto the dock.
He didn't have to say it, but I'm sure he believes that, just because he's older than me, he can do whatever he'd like. The downside? He can, and my father won't get upset with him for any of it. Me however, he'll unleash hell when it comes to me.
I hear him mumble something along the lines of, 'Didn't say anything' before we finally make it to the ground and disperse from the group.
"What do you want to get first? You seem like you know what you're doing." Leonel glances around at the tall buildings and hands me a list of items my father previously told us to get.
We pace down the street, him leading the way as I sluggishly follow behind. These little stops could be fun if we weren't only walking around and buying stuff. It's like we're going grocery shopping.
I understand that buying and selling these items are important, but so is loosening up once we get off the ship. Going insane because of being at sea for too long is not really what I had planned.
"You can wipe the grumpy look from your face. We're at our last stop." Leonel voices, breaking my inner complaints as we walk up to a large, brick walled building. On the front in large white letters, outlined in red, it reads Charles' meat market.
My father likes to buy meat before the cold weather starts to hit. Usually he puts chicken, cow, pig, and even fish on the list. He'll freeze it until it's needed, and that way we won't have to make anymore stops just so we can get meat.
"Couldn't we just have bought some packaged meat at the store? Why go through all the trouble..."
He shoots me an amused smile and leads me through the doors of the huge factory, aweing at the size while I cringe at the smell.
"Your father likes everything fresh and new, you know this. A meat market has much more devine and unique meats than a store that ships old meat from another city or town." Leonel explains, though I still don't understand.
We're pirates, why was he expecting the best of the best? We're not exactly high quality ourselves.
"Let's make this quick, yeah? If we hurry, we'll have enough time to fuck around and actually do something fun."
As Leonel gives me a scolding look for my language, a boy with bright blue eyes, and platinum blond hair walks out from the back and rushes over to offer us assistance, but he doesn't say anything.
"Hey, we don't have much time so could you hurry up?" I request rudely, growing impatient with the way we all just stand there staring at one another.
Instead of replying, he holds up his hands and moves them in different, yet repetitive ways as if he's trying to say something.
It doesn't take me long to realize that he's either deaf or mute, but either way, Leonel and I can't read sign language. "Look man, I have no idea what you're saying-"
He blushes and smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck before holding up one finger to tell us to give him a moment. He rushes back behind the counter and grabs something from the cabinet underneath the register before returning with a note pad and a pen.
He smiles at me once more and writes something quickly, holding it up for me to read. "How can I help you today?"
I glance over to Leonel expectantly, only to be disappointed when I see him staring curiously at the boy in front of us. It's not like I blame him for doing so.
The boy has fairly pale skin, striking blue eyes and a smile that most would fall for, however, I'm not in the mood for any of it. He has a pretty face, so what?
After giving him a few seconds to process himself, I snatch the list of meats from his hand and give it to the blue eyed boy. "One of each of those, as fresh as you can get it."
I take note that since he was able to understand what I said, he must just be mute. Being mute isn't very common so I can't help but to wonder why.
He nods quickly and starts to walk towards the back, but he stops abruptly and turns back to us, gesturing for one of us to follow him. I'm not surprised. It's a lot of meat for someone so tiny to carry.
"I'll go." Leonel insist, leaving me to gesture for him to go ahead while I make my way back outside.
I wanted to say a smart comment about how we're looking for fresh meat to eat and not to fuck, but I'm sure Leonel wouldn't appreciate me being crude in front of his little crush.
I'm sure it's going to take forever for them to come back out with what we need. Leonel seemed curious, and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll ask the boy a list of questions and try to find out as much about him as he can.
I don't see what was so special about him. Maybe there was something that caught his eye, or maybe he just wants to see if he can get this guy as more than a friend. Either way, we'll be leaving the city, and the blue eyed blondie will still be in the city.
Sooner or later, the doors to the building slide open and Leonel comes walking out with more than a few packages of meat with the smaller boy following quickly behind.
"Christ, Leonel. We only needed one of each." I mumble, grabbing the meat from the smaller male, who seemed to be struggling a bit, and easily carrying it in my arms. "What took you so long anyways?"
"We were just talking... well, I was talking, he was writing stuff down. His name is Tristan, and had a few comments about you as well, however I don't think he'd share them with you now." He admits, glancing over to Tristan with a charming smile.
Tristan blushes brightly and smiles at me awkwardly, sending Leonel a glance that begs for him not to say anything.
I look Tristan up and down with a raised brow, my gaze landing at his pale blue eyes. Our stare lingers longer than I expect it to until I finally break away and turn to head back towards the ship.
"Whatever, let's get going. It's almost sundown and I don't feel like staying here any longer." I mutter in response, heading off towards the ship without waiting for him to follow along.
I hear him say a few more words to the boy until he comes jogging up beside me with a satisfied look across his face. This is the most talkative he's been for awhile, and it doesn't surprise me that it was with someone else.
"You know that boy was quite interesting. Didn't you see it?" I scoff and tug the packages up higher over my shoulder.
"See what? He was short, had blonde hair, blue eyes, nothing special." Leonel hums to himself, the corner of his lips curling up in a smirk.
"Never mind then," He mumbles, pushing the meat further up his chest so he doesn't drop it. "You're right... nothing special."
(Tristan)
I'm not exactly sure what it means, but there's no way that it's just a coincidence, right?
Two pirates show up in town right as I start to miss home. It's been a few days since they came in, but I still see their ship at the port. My friend Alyssa also said that she saw some unfamiliar people as well.
I wanted something spontaneous, and now I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It would be dangerous to stay near their ship, and It would be bad for me to just fall off the grid... I just want more. Maybe if I can find a way to go with them.
One of them seemed very happy to be in town. The other seemed so grumpy for someone so young. I can't imagine that there's really many reasons for him to be upset.
His friend, Leonel, is much happier and observant. He must know a lot about non-humans. I'm almost positive that he knows what I am. He was asking questions about my eyes and if my hair is naturally this white, but as soon as he accidentally touched my hand, he knew for certain.
No human could have a body temperature as low as mine without dying.
It's obvious to him that I'm not a human, and if he knows as much as I think he does, it wouldn't be too hard for him to put the pieces together.
After I eat again, I gather my things up and close up the shop before starting my walk home.
I don't like running into people, so I take the short way which is straight through the dark, vacant alleys. I'm easily frightened by things, but I'd much rather be a little scared of small noises than have to walk past intimidating people, hoping that they don't look at me.
At first, I hated that I didn't have my tail. It felt emasculating to be a merman with no tail, and it was even more difficult to figure out how to use my new... parts. I couldn't swim everywhere, and that was hard for me too.
It's hard to learn new things, and I really hate that I wanted to give up. I felt so out of place with the people on land. I felt like a misfit, and I really hated learning to deal with it.
After about a month of practice and persistence, walking became more like a second nature. I love my legs now. It feels like a privilege... a reward because I was curious enough to explore what I wanted to know.
Now I can walk, and the rest of my tribe is stuck with only their tails. I'm special, and I like that.
As I walk home from work, I hear what sounds like an argument between a male and female voice. However, it's hard to hear them very well.
I continue walking past the smaller ally until I see a little bit of fiery red from the corner of my eye. When I see that color, there's only one person that comes to mind.
I turn quickly and notice Alyssa arguing with a tall, dark haired man. I tilt my head curiously and start walking towards them silently. I get closer and start to walk past the guy towards Alyssa, but before I can get to her, the big man grabs the back of my sweater and yanks me back. I stumble back and fall on my butt right in front of him.
"What did you hear?" He demands with a voice that obviously expects an answer.
Great... this is exactly what I need. A gigantic guy asking me questions that I can't answer. "Well are you going to say something?"
I shake my head slowly making him growl and take a threatening step towards me. However, before he can get any further, Alyssa steps in front of me and glares at him.
"Don't touch him! He didn't hear anything, and this is between us. Just leave him alone." She insists.
It's not surprising that she's confident enough to stand up to him despite how intimidating he looks. Alyssa is very strong, and she's always calling the shots.
"Move." He rolls his eyes at her actions and then sighs in annoyance when she continues to stand her ground.
I slowly stand up from the ground behind her before dusting my clothes off. I didn't mean to seem rude or anything, but I can't really answer his questions.
He waits a moment longer before getting annoyed and growling at her. He steps forward threateningly before shoving her to the side and making her fall on the ground like I did.
I know that Alyssa can handle herself, and I don't get angry often, but seeing him treat her like that definitely makes me mad.
I never fight. Sure, I'm capable, but I'd rather solve problems than start new ones. I don't argue with people, and I certainly don't hit people... mainly because I hate violence of any kind.
The only time that I ever hurt another creature is when I hunt for food, and even then I try to make it as painless as possible. Hunting for food is completely different than hurting a person just because of a disagreement.
My species is quite obviously the most physically strong, but it's rare for us to ever use that power unless it's necessary. However this is a situation that I have to make an acception for. If Alyssa can get hurt by me doing nothing, then what other choice do I have?
Suddenly I notice his hand shoot out to grab me again, but this time, I step back quickly and ball my hands into fists, hoping to show him that I'd fight him if I needed to.
He barks out a laugh and snorts as he looks at me. "Am I supposed to be scared of a little twig who can't fight? How sweet of you to protect your little girlfriend."
I put my fists down and shake my head quickly, trying to explain to him that Alyssa and I aren't dating. Alyssa, on the other hand just watches us closely from the ground.
The guy glares at me once more and swings his fist at me. I jump back and ball my hand into a fist again before sending it flying into his face.
After I hit him with all of my strength, he stumbles back and falls to the ground while clutching his nose. I instantly smell the blood as I help Alyssa stand up.
We step over him quickly and rush through the back of my apartment building. I feel bad for hurting him, but at least it was to help someone else.
We continue walking up the stairs to my apartment. I notice Alyssa's heels clicking behind me which means that she's probably going to follow me all the way to my room. It's not surprising that she doesn't want to be anywhere near the guy that I punched.
When we arrive at my room, I unlock the door and step aside to allow Alyssa to step in first. By the time I walk in, close the door, and lock it, Alyssa is already sitting on the couch flipping through the channels quickly.
She sits back on my couch casually, and folds one leg over the other with a comfortable smile. She always seem so comfortable wherever she goes. I could never imagine going into someone else's house and being this comfortable, but I'm also not nearly as confident as she is.
I grab a blue pen and a notebook before walking over to sit on the couch next to her.
"God... I feel like I haven't been here in forever. I see that you're decorating more."
I look around at my walls before nodding. I've been making and buying decorations that remind me of the sea. There's some shells and a little anchor too as well as framed quotes about the sea. I scribble down my answer on the page before handing it to her.
She doesn't know sign language and she doesn't want to learn either. It's easy to just write instead of playing charades. She finally clicks on the cooking show that she likes to watch before reading my note. "Thank you."
"No problem kiddo. You're too close though... scoot over. Ugh... you smell like fish." She teases before faking a gag.
I roll my eyes and glare at her before quickly writing my response. I hold the paper up to her face and snort as she reads it. "And you smell like a campfire, but I didn't say anything about that."
"Well, you didn't exactly say anything." She laughs before grinning over at me. I give her a disgusted face because of her joke before letting her continue. "It's because I'm a dragon... duh."
My eyes widen instantly when she tells me. I shake my head in disbelief and give her a confused look. I've known her for about a week now... I would've known if she were a dragon.
That doesn't even make sense! Dragons don't exist... but I guess mermaids don't either. How can she be so calm? The number one rule to being a supernatural creature is that we don't tell humans. Why would she tell me... unless she knows that I'm like her.
"You don't look surprised." She teases, smirking at me with a little laugh.
I shake my head yet again before writing another answer. "I am." I reply.
She gives me a look of disbelief, but shrugs off my answer anyways. "What kind of merman doesn't know that dragons are real?"
I shake my head yet again and start to write again as fast as I can. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
I try to keep a confused expression and act oblivious, but I've always been a terrible liar. Everyone can see through my lies, but I haven't had this issue before. It's not every day that someone asks me if I'm a merman... well, assumes that I am.
Once I lie to hide something, it only becomes more obvious than before. There's no way that she knows, right? How could she?
She snatches my hand up and holds it tightly, letting me feel her warmth. She's as hot as fire and I'm as cold as ice.
I stare at our hands for a moment as steam starts to rise off of them. The sight is mesmerizing and beautiful in every way. "This doesn't happen between humans."