Under the Water

The warm waters of the ocean were silent and peaceful around an abandoned sunken ship, worn with age; the wood had been overcome with algae and kelp had overgrown in the wake of the scenery, fish going to and fro through the cracks and the windows of the ship. The glass once blocking off the portholes had been broken, either cracked or busted into by something, the shattered contents lying on the sea floor not too far from the wreck. Winding up the half-standing mast of the ship was a tattered flag, emblazoned with a ruined insignia that was no longer readable or discernible from being torn and eroded from the ocean current.

A shadow crept across one of the walls of the ship, before pausing and darting out of sight. From behind a slab of broken wood, a single pair of eyes peeked between the cracks, looking around cautiously. Before long, the figure emerged from the debris, long orange hair flowing behind them, accented with marks of orange and black on their porcelain skin.

Kas let out a grunt before slinging a large sack over his shoulder, which had been filled with items found in the wreck. Another good haul today- maybe he'd add more of these things from the upper world to his collection. Of course, that's what he always did... He mumbled something under his breath about the bag being heavy before beginning to drag it away, encumbered by its weight.

Irritated, he sank to the sea floor, faceplanting in the sand tiredly. All he wanted to do was get home and organize the contents of his findings, but laziness was kicking in. Maybe I'll just lie here for a few minutes, then I'll regain my energy and go home. Yeah. That's it. No big deal, right? He tried to reassure himself with positive thoughts. Whether or not they were working, he wasn't sure himself. He groaned and rolled over in the sand, long hair hovering about his face and shoulders from the movement of the water. He blinked, shielding his eyes from the sun momentarily before crossing his arms over his face. I'm going to end up falling asleep here if I don't mo- oh whatever.

Before he knew it, he'd drifted off into a light slumber, snoring, his hair fluttering with each breath.

Calder had been swimming around in the ocean aimlessly for awhile when he'd found the sunken ship. He'd explored it and realized that it was pretty well abandoned, so he'd decided to stay in it. While he was out getting food, it seemed that Kas had decided to raid some of the treasure that was laying about. This didn't bother Calder at all, he had no use for such things and humans frightened him. This all would have gone entirely unnoticed, had Kas not fallen asleep only a few yards away from the ship. His tail made him easy to spot, and Calder just watched him for a moment, hidden in some seaweed.

He was soon slowly swimming closer....and closer....and closer...until he could reach out and poke Kas. Then he turned and swam away as fast as his tail would take him, hiding in the seaweed once more. Had that even been enough to wake the other merman? Calder hadn't stuck around long enough to find out!

Kas was dreaming peacefully while face-down in the sand- at least, until he felt something poke him. He jumped awake, flipping over and flailing this way and that (mostly out of being startled), until he bumped his head into a nearby anchor. Hissing, the koi gripped his head, sinking back down to the sea floor. His tail twitched from the pain, having hit the metal object quite hard. He noticed he'd left his bag of treasures behind, forgetting all pain and rushing over to grab it.

For some reason the bag felt heavier than before- so heavy that Kas couldn't even lift it. He checked inside to see if someone had replaced it with rocks, but that didn't seem to be the case. Grunting, he attempted to drag the sack away from the shipwreck, leaving a trail in the sand as he struggled. It was all for naught, his muscles bulging before he flopped on the ground and let out an exasperated groan.

"Gods, how am I ever going to get this home? I don't want to have to take two trips." He thought out loud, peeking into the bag. Picture frames, forks and spoons, an empty revolver, and other things were packed inside. Kas had always found an interest in these sort of things, but he was collecting them for another purpose, and was determined to take them back from where he came.

Calder would watch from the seaweed, hopefully hidden from view as Kas tried to drag the bag away. It was obvious that it was too much for him, and he'd slowly come out from his hiding spot, drifting closer to Kas so they could speak. Calder had a green tail and very delicate fins. So delicate in fact, that they were almost see through. He seemed shy, and he swayed with the current, "Need some help?" He was sure he could out swim Kas if he had to, but he was hoping that other mer people didn't take slaves the way that the land folk did.

At the sound of a voice, he wheeled around, his long hair flowing in a mess around him. He looked alarmed, mostly, and clung to the bag he was holding out of instinct. When he saw that the other creature speaking to him wasn't really a threat, his stiff muscles relaxed, and he raised an eyebrow, eyeing Calder up and down. Smaller. Possibly weaker. How was he surviving out here in this shipwreck, if that was where he was?

"I guess." Kas replied boredly, swishing his tail for a moment before trying to drag the bag away again.

Calder was definitely afraid of Kas, but out here at the abandoned ship, there wasn't much by way of threats to worry about. His tail swished calmly in the water, and he looked at Kas waiting for a reply. He's told that help is required, and he slowly swims a bit closer, and he'll help lift up a corner of the bag....

and he'd promptly almost sink with it! "What did you take from the ship? Lots of rocks?" At least, that's what it felt like! He'd get a better grip on the bag, and he'd wait for Kas to start swimming forward. He wasn't one for conversation, so while they swim, he's keeping really quiet.

Kas looked at the smaller merfolk for a moment. If it were possible, the expression Kas showed would prove he was staring into the very depths of his soul. What to say? He didn't want to risk getting in a fight over his collected treasures. Not that he was worried...

"Uh, yeah. Rocks. Just rocks. Totally useless, they'd have no meaning otherwise. My... tribe... needs them because we're building a barricade to ward off... eels?" It was obvious that Kas was bad at lying, and he was very bad at covering his tracks. "...No, I'm kidding," He said, trying to brush it off like it was nothing and save himself some embarrassment. "I collect junk from shipwrecks." With Calder's help he was surprised to see that the bag was floating and they were moving much faster. After that, Kas wasn't very talkative either, but he posed one question.

"You don't even know me. Why in Poseidon's name are you helping me out?"

Calder didn't really care about the human stuff in the ship, Kas needn't worry. Poor dumb Calder didn't seem to realize at first that Kas wasn't serious, "Oh wow, eels are scary. I'm glad you have a barricade!" Though soon Kas was admitting that it was just a joke, and Calder's face fell, "Oh..." He had his hopes that merfolk weren't as cruel as humans, but that seemed to be rapidly fading.

"There's lots of stuff on that ship, help yourself to whatever you want. I don't need any of it." He's still swimming along, only stopping when Kas asks why he's helping. "Um...because we're both merfolk. Why wouldn't I?" He seems honestly confused by the question, "Don't all merfolk get along?" Poor Calder, he was probably new here.

Cosmas, the little goat fish, had been lurking in the seaweed for quite some time. And by lurking, he does mean grazing because seaweed was the grass of his little aquatic world. The sound of Calder's voice however, did catch some attention in his tiny juvenile mind.

While still chewing a piece of seaweed he swam as fast as his little fish tail would take him, which probably made the adorably awkward creature look even more awkward as he swished his hooved forelegs from side to side against his furry chest and his tail beat rapidly like a fleeing fish. The little goat creature had tiny baby horns and a piece of seaweed slapping him in the cheek. But he swam up to Calder regardless and lightly headbutted him while never missing a beat with his chewing.

Kas couldn't help but roll his eyes. "No, not all merfolk get along. If you were in my position, you'd understand." He almost shuddered but stopped himself from doing so. Expectations this, etiquette that... Kas hated it. He often wandered away from his home to get away from the boring formalities that his family often practiced. It wouldn't be long before he exploded on them and stated his true feelings, but for now he bit his tongue. Looking at Calder, he blinked, surprised that he had no need for any of the items in his ship.

"Well. If you say so." He said quietly, looking back at the shipwreck for just a moment's glance. "I may return to pick up more things, then. I don't see why you wouldn't need it. Some of the things and material possessions humans have are really intriguing."

Kas looked over his shoulder to see the small goatfish and jumped, almost dropping everything he had. He'd never seen such a thing before. "Uh. Hey. Behind you. Is that a pet of yours?"

((Sorry it's taken me so long to reply My subscribed topics is all messed up))

Calder's face fell even more when Kas told him about the Merfolk, "They don't?" He looked like a little kid who'd just had their favorite toy taken away. As for the human things on the ship, "You can have them all. I've had enough of humans to last me this lifetime and then some..." He seemed wilted now, and his tail swished slowly, maybe he should just leave Kas to his treasures and go hide out.

He's only stopped from doing this when he's headbutted by his only companion. "Cosmas! There you are you silly boy." He'd gather the goatfish in his arms and he'd give him a little squeeze, "Where have you been? Eating seaweed again?" He'd look back to Kas, "This is Cosmas. He's my friend." Maybe this merdude had a few screws loose? Who knew.

((it's ok I've been busy anyway, sorry I took so long too!))

Kas shrugged. "Not really... Well, not in my tribe, anyway. Some of the other fishfolk can be sorta rude." He said this with complete honesty and sincerity, and it was easy to detect in his voice. "What about the humans? They didn't hurt you, did they?" He'd never run into any humans himself, but he had heard his fair share of horror stories about them- and how he would end up as their dinner if he so much as looked one in the eye.

When the little goatfish swam up and Calder introduced him, Kas looked confused. "Oh, I see. Friend, not a pet. I don't have one of those. There's a nice green eel that lives around my cave and he likes it when I feed him, and I've got a dolphin that likes to hang around too- but they can't talk. I call them companions and pets more than friends, but they're still special to me just as a friend would be."

Cosmas wiggled his little body and made a sound that sounded like, "Naaaahhhhglllllubbbbb." There were bubbles that spouted out around him and he wiggled his little fin to snuggle against Calder even more.

The little goatfish didn't do much if any talking but he grinned showing teeth and letting more bubbles slip out, he liked to blow bubbles quite regularly actually, when Calder asked about him eating seaweed.

Kas was talking at him and he lifted a little leg to shake is hoof in the water, that's how he's supposed to greet mer-people right?

Calder cuddled his goatfish friend, and he'd watch Kas, his tail still swishing lazily back and forth. "You have a whole tribe?" His eyes went a bit wide, and he seemed interested, but then Kas brought up humans. Calder seemed to wilt then, and he held onto Cosmas a little tighter. "They used to keep me in a big tank. I spent most of my life there, I don't even really remember my parents." He's tail would swish a bit harder, "They thought I bought them good luck." He wasn't a fan of humans, at all.

"Cosmas is my friend even if we can't talk." It was likely the only friend this loopy merman had, he seemed a bit spacey. "You've never been around any humans? They're awful. You should be thankful."

Kas frowned. That definitely sounded like an awful life to live, and his interest in humans suddenly faltered. Thinking of being kept in a tank like that, he shuddered, patting the top of the goatfish's head. "Well, I'm really sorry that happened to you. Tanks aren't good for mer-folk, you know... we need that wide open space." He looked a little upset, eyeing the bag he was carrying. "And to think, such savage creatures make such interesting things. Everyone else in my tribe thought it's useless junk, but I know it's worth something, somewhere..." His voice trailed off.

"But yes, the tribe is fairly large- fifty or so of them. Only the higher-ups have the orange markings like me, though..." He rolled his eyes. "It's some stupid sign of nobility. I don't believe in that. I... well." He paused. "To be honest, I left. Yesterday." His eyes fell to the sea floor, his face flushing. "I just... hated living there."

Cosmas was happy to just hang around in Calder's arms, kicking his little hoofed forelegs and thrashing his tail around. He may not speak but he definitely looked happy!

Then his little horns are getting rubbed by Kas and he "Naaagggluuubbbb!" He liked it! The little goatfish liked it! He kicked and flailed and naaahhhglubbed some more until he settled back into Calder's arms all nice and calm like.

Calder blinked, "I think their things are kind of strange." As for his tank, he'd look sad. "It wasn't a nice place. When the old man that kept me died the tank got very dirty. It was most unpleasant." His tail would swish again, "But if it makes you happy to keep their things, then you should." He just didn't find any value in them.

"Nobility? What's that?" He really didn't have a clue about merfolk customs or anything like that. He'd spent his life in a hidden basement. He'd give Cosmas another squeeze, and his expression would light up, "We could be a tribe!" Yeah, because they totally looked related! "We can live in the ship and you can keep your things there!" His tail swished back and forth quickly, and he looked like an excited child. "You like human things so you'll like living here!" He'd pat Cosmas, "Won't it be nice to have another friend?" Yes, he was talking to the overexcited goatfish. He really was crazy!

Zap had stopped following the sea elf, instead wandering off to... well, that direction. She kept glancing over her shoulder, trying to tell if he was following behind or not. She felt like he might make a good friend. She let out a little sigh as she came across the ship, seeing the others there. She hung back, but watched them, unsure of going forward or not.

"Nobility is-" Then a pause.

Kas tensed, hesitating for a moment at the smaller merfolk's final suggestion. Another tribe? No. He was not looking for that, nothing of the sort. While the added company was nice, he didn't expect it- or want it- to be permanent.
"Nobility is some dumb idea that some people are better than others just because they're born in a different family. Anyone can be a leader if they try hard enough. They wanted me to be the leader, but everyone there annoyed me- so. I'd rather not." He looked away, slightly, noticing a figure out of the corner of his eye. "Sorry about the whole... human thing, though."

Cosmas was getting loved on by Calder and it made his little fins twitch, he loved attention and that was obvious. Calder is talking about becoming a tribe and the goatfish tilted his head and twitched his tail. Sure Calder, lets be one happy tribe! Or at least that's what it seemed Cosmas had meant right?

Then he's as about having friends and Cosmas twitched even more! "NAAAAHHHHHHHGLUB!" Oh...apparently he liked that!

But something got his attention and he shifted out of Calder's grasp, which was easy because he was a little bit fishy. He'd twist and tap his hoof against Calder's hand before taking off in a quick burst of speed. His hooves swayed back and forth with the rapid timing of his tail and he was moving so fast that he left a bubble trail behind him. But he had seen something off in the distance that intrigued him and so off he went in search of new seaweed! Oh, he meant friends!