Quite Literally Rolling In The Deep

[Dip]

He played with the Sealions when he was born. It was only ethical to name him Leomaris. It means 'Lion Of The Sea' , and he might as well be a lion. What, with his creativity and free-spiritedness.

We could hardly keep him contained as a child, he would always go off and play with the fish, and we simply told him, ' if you're not careful, you'll be sleeping with them soon! '

That's what they all said to him. That's what they said all his life! But did Leomaris listen? No, he simply pushed it to the limit with how creative and- sometimes- dangerous, he could be.

" I'm going to swim with the people on land! " He would repeatedly tell his friends, and family. " I'm going to teach them how to swim with the fish and play with the Sealions! "

Leomaris, or more known as simply Maris, soon gave up on his dream of meeting the people on land, but he would always wonder about them. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he would see a fishing boat. Sometimes, he would see the men and women aboard those vessels.

Sometimes he would hear their conversations, and how interesting they would sound. Sometimes, if he was lucky, they would drop things into the water. One time, a man who called himself Carl dropped an entire bag into the water!

The bag had odd things in it. Books, which held very odd sayings in them. And a wallet, with some more sheets that came from books. But this time, the paper was green, with numbers on it!

Everything that people would drop, Maris would keep it in his own treasure trove. It wasn't long till he completely ran out of space, and he needed to find some more.

He soon ventured out, to find some materials in order to make more space! He needed drift wood, and something to hold it together... It wasn't a long journey, but he did find some things that he needed. And some other things! He even found something to wrap the wood in!

It was a detached net. Probably from the fishing boat that he would occasionally see. His friends, and family would often tell him that he should never ever go near one, but this one seemed harmless! Maris swam towards it, and took it in his grasp.

He poked and prodded at it, till, to his surprise, his hand got stuck! He tried to get it out, but his other hand got tangled, as well! He fought and fought with the web, but he soon struggled for too long. He was entirely trapped in the net, and he was losing air fast.

Maris swam the best he could to the surface, but he only swam diagonally; to a sand bar. He was warned to never go near them, but it was a life or death situation he was faced with.

He soon reached it, and beached himself on to the land. He took in some air, but, he took in too much. He was so far from the water, that he soon wobbling helplessly towards it, almost like a fish.

Maris was sure he would die there. Well, until he saw a strange figure block out the blinding heat, of what he thought was the sun.

Who was that?

 

[Dumbledora]

Name: Mariana (Miri) Brooks
Age: 24
Personality: Moira is a hands-on kind of girl, she likes to be outside, in the field, getting her hands dirty or her feet wet. She's a humanitarian; the kind of person who graduated from school and went onto college thinking they could save the world. However, reality had different plans and she soon came to the realization that that wasn't how it works. Still, she does what she can to make a difference in small, but important ways such as monitoring the ocean's ecosystem. When something of crisis happens, Miri will bury herself in work. Even though she prefers being outdoors, she'll hole up in the lab of the marine institute where she works if she needs to do research and get things done. She's efficient though, and honest. Though she's also nosy, butting into people's business and trying to help in situations that usually don't involve her. She does it for honest reasons, but it's angered a few of her peers in the past, and is likely to do so in the future. Despite that, she's very smart, but also very unaware of her surroundings. Whether it's because she doesn't care or is simply that oblivious to those around her, she doesn't pay attention to how others perceive her because she can be too busy "saving the world." She often doesn't think about how her words or actions can affect others unless it pertains directly to her work. Because of this lack of nurture in her relationships, Moira isn't very close to others outside her family. She's not selfish, by far, but any effort to stay in contact with people never comes from her. She's just bad at maintaining relationships - friends and otherwise.

Biography: Moira was always a non-conformist type of person. She always had a talent in science and wanted to change the world, so she worked hard through school and went to a school for marine sciences. She grew up in a pretty regular home in a coastal city, divorce parents, and her father lives far away, but her two siblings and mother live close to the cheap, one-room apartment she currently lives in. She's been working for a marine institute/aquarium and has been monitoring the ecosystem of the ocean to make sure that the water is healthy and the pollution is to a minimum, as well as going out and helping to rescue animals injured by fishermen and tourist boats.




Moira wasn't technically supposed to be at the beach today, but her recent data had concluded that there has been an increase in the water temperature that has been killing off the local macroinvertebrates who haven't been able to adapt to the temperature change. She was glad to say the change is only along the shore, so it wasn't anything due to weather patterns or the jet stream, but this also meant that one of the local corporations that generated electricity along the river that ran into the ocean was most likely dumping runoff water back into the river before giving it a chance to cool. Which is incredibly illegal and has been killing off the animal life. This, along with litter and pollution have made a mess of the local ecosystem.

So here she was, collecting water samples after the low tide to see what else may have washed up on the beach. At one point, she had stepped on broken glass and cut her foot, but simply soaked it in the water before moving on. "I swear, some people," she muttered to herself exasperatedly. She was walking along the sandbar that usually was only visible during the lowtide when she spotted a figure that looked like -- a person? Laying in the sand.

"Oh holy shit!" She yelled. Moira took off, automatically assuming the worst. It was early morning so there was barely anyone on the beach, so who knew how long this person has been here. And how much longer they would have lied there if she hadn't been there. "Shit, please tell me you didn't drown," she murmured as she got closer to the figure. Only, as she approached it, she noticed something off. They were tangled in what appeared to be a fishermen's net, and well, those weren't exactly all human features she was looking at.

Moira blinked twice, but no, the lying, gasping figure didn't change. Hesitantly, she reached out to the net, all the while questioning her sanity. Her rational mind was telling her that she was just seeing things because of the trauma that someone drowning had washed up on shore, but this person seemed like he wanted to get back into the water, not fear of it. So Moira, trying not to look because she was afraid she may just pass out, pulled out her swiss army knife and began to cut the net that was tangled in this... creature.

 

[Dip]

Maris saw the women. She was beautiful in her own way, and he almost trusted her at first look. He stopped struggling for a moment, but only flinched when he saw her reach out to the net. She turned away. Why for? Hasn't she seen a fish before?

Marius only struggled further as he saw her take something out- a knife, possibly? He has read a little bit about those, from the books and magazines that were tossed overboard. They were used to hurt people, and kill things. He read in a book, that people would use those sharp-bladed things to kill people, and hunt animals with. And he REALLY didn't want that. " No! " He rasped, using his fin to kick up some sand at the women. " Bad! " He struggled to say, wriggling away from the women and trying oh so desperately to get to the sea. " Water!! " He rasped loudly, trying to wriggle out of the net.

He only managed to make it even more tangled than before. Maris needed water badly, and he knew that death was no option. He had things to do, and people to help! He had so many people to take care of, if he were to die, who would they depend on? Marius' struggle soon slowed and slowed, as he found it hard to breath. He was so close! He wouldn't let this women kill him right then and there!

" Water... " He managed to whimper, as he was simply mere feet from the liquid. He soon gave up, with his limbs screaming out in pain and the hot hot sun burning his very flesh. As if it was cooking him alive! He could smell the water from his position, and that salt burnt his very nostrils. How cruel of a death.

 

[Dumbledora]

Moira froze as the being began to struggle and try to move away from her. He -- it- it speaks? She didn't quite know what to make of that, to be perfectly honest, but one thing was for sure, he was panicking, and Moira has had plenty of practice in her field of marine sciences dealing with cornered animals.

"Hold-- urg -- still!" she said, trying to restrain him before he hurt himself even more. "I'm trying to help you!" Yet he continued to struggle towards the water. But if he went into the water the way he was now, surely he would drown. Could they drown? Did they have gills? How did he breathe?

Moira shook her head, there would be time for wondering later, but right now, the creature-man-humanoid-thing was panicking. "Please," she pleaded with it, trying to calm it down and getting it to look at her. "I'm not going to hurt you," she managed far more calmly. "I'm going to get you out of the net, if you can relax for a few more moments. Then you can go back into the water," she explained, trying to keep her steely blue gaze level on him. She brushed a few strands of choppy brown hair behind her ear. Luckily her hair was cropped pretty short and wasn't getting in her face as she got to work. Slowly, so the creature could see, she reached her knife down and began cutting more of the net quickly but efficiently. "Be still," she murmured, "just for a moment."

 

[Dip]

Leomaris was completely and utterly still. He wasn't dead, oh no, he was just laying still so that way he could keep as much water inside his lungs as possible. His lings were now burning, screaming for the sweet rush of water that never seemed to come.​

​

Maris often bellowed deep, shuddering breaths. He knew from past experiences that he needed water supplied towards his gills to breath, but if his legs were bone dry, the scales there would soon splinter off and hide deep under his skin, soon changing into real human legs.​

​

The process was painful, with each scale that split off, opened a new patch of skin. With each time that it went under the new skin, it would leave marks. Marks like alligator skin, all bumpy and full of stretches.​

​

As soon as the fair haired women gave way to the last bunch, Maris instantly crawled into the water as quickly as he could. As soon as he was in the water, he was flapping his tail like crazy to submerge his entire body.​

​

He took in mouthful after mouthful of water, and soon swam full speed in the other direction. Wow, he avoided that like a champ! Just to think, he was so near death... He couldn't be any prouder of himself! But...​

​

Maris stopped for a moment, and poked his head out of the water. She was still there. Why had she helped him, anyway? Maris, probably still a little dazed from the sunlight and the heat, slowly- cautiously, swam back to the sand bar.​

​

He was close enough to be within earshot, to be so that if anyone was looking, he simply looked like a sickly-colored beach goer. Also close enough, so that way he won't get suck again.​

​

Maris looked over the women for a long time, before he spoke. "...Thank you. " That was the least he could say, right? She DID save his life.​

 

[Dumbledora]

Moira was quickly finished with cutting the man free of the net, and just in time too, because it seemed like he would have soon ran out of air. She watched as he struggled into the water, and before she could offer to help, he was already in the water and swimming away. And yes, that was definitely a tail she had seen.

However, when he came back and spoke to her, she was at a loss of what to do. "I -- uh -- you're welcome," she said. She couldn't really form a coherent sentence right now, so she started with the easiest first. "Um.. what are you?" she blurted before she could chicken out or before he could swim away again.

With the panic gone, her curiosity overtook her and she couldn't help but ask. She stared at him while trying to keep the wind from whipping her short, choppy brown hair out of her face so she could get a good look at him to make sure she wasn't just seeing all of this.

 

[Dip]

Maris was slightly confused, and slightly scared. It was obvious that these humans were nothing like in the books he has read. In the books, these people would be dancing and singing wherever they went! They were kind, and patient, and balanced and fine. He really couldn't classify this person right then, but he had a feeling he could probably trust them. They did save him!

Maris scanned her over with his eyes. She seemed balanced by the way she brought herself up. Well, she sure looked balanced. She didn't freak out when she saw him, so she must know something of him.

" A fish. " He finally spoke, quite ready to duck under the waves and swim off. He simply wandered closer. Why was she so interested in him? Surely they would have books on mermen. They have been in legends for millions of years! The great Poseidon, the even greater Neptune. The Boto of the Amazon River!! Why was she so interested in him?

" I'm a fish. "

 

[Dumbledora]

Moira blinked once, then twice. Did she hear him correctly. A fish? She highly doubted that most fish could speak in the way he was to her. "A fish? No, no no nononono," she said, her voice raising in pitch as she began to feel hysterical. That was it, she was batshit crazy, wasn't she?

"Fish don't like like that. They don't look like you," she began speaking very quickly. "You're clearly a mer- a mer--" Moira couldn't even get the word out. "You're not supposed to be real!" she yelled at no one in particular. "I-it's not possible! A myth, a legend, a crappy SyFy movie!" She threw her hands up in the air and closed her eyes, but it was to no avail since the figure was still there and as fish-like as ever.

Moira fell back onto the sand before picking herself up. "How?" she finally managed to ask.

 

[Dip]

Maris watched as the entire scene unfolded. Did all humans act like that? Sea-People certainly didn't act like it. It was odd, watching her flail about like that. Almost like what he was doing previously. But she had plenty of air! Why was she acting like a beached whale? Well, in hindsight, Maris did bring this upon himself. He really wasn't a fish, but he really wasn't a human, either.

" Alright, alright... " He started, bringing his hands upward, as if he was trying to calm her down from his position. " I'm exactly a fish. I'm guessing you've read those books about sea monsters and myths, so you might know what I am. " He paused. She was catching on. Alright. " I'm... Well, I'm a Nereid, or an Oceanid, or a kelpie..... " He paused. " Or, a limniad, mermaid , naiad, nix, ocean nymph, river nymph, sea nymph, water elf, water sprite... All of those. But I'm also a fish. "

That MUST answer her question.

 

[Dumbledora]

Moira sat there dumbly, trying to let the information sink in. "Wha-what?" she managed to get out. The names he spoke out to her were all familiar, childhood stories and fairytales. But that's what they were, stories. Not reality.

And yet... her mind started but she cut it off, knowing the rest of the thought. And yet here was one of those legends right in front of her. She still didn't understand how, and she had a billion questions just bursting. She was beginning to be excited and scared as well now that the shock is wearing off finally. "How is that possible?" she asked, finally able to coherent. "To us- to humans," she couldn't believe she was saying this, talking to a mermaid! "You're legends! Stories my mom and dad used to tell me before bed. Not real." She went on rambling, her mind frantically wanting to seek the answers that she was so curious to know.

 

[Dip]

Maris was confused. Legends? Stories? How?! He looked at his hand, and then back to the women. He showed her his hand from a distance, and told her, " I think I'm real. " He put his hand back down, and looked about the waves. " Well, to us- to mermen, " He started, almost mockingly. Oh, should he really be talking this long? What if he was spotted by someone less friendly? What if he was killed? Hurt? Tortured? Eaten?!

" You're monsters. People who walk on two legs and poison our waters- our homes! You run into my friends with large machines that try to act like fish, but they don't really do the job. The stories that I've read have all been tales of humans hunting us! You hunt us, and take our fins and tails, and you mount us to the front of your ships! " Maris was thinking more and more about leaving. Was she going to do all of that to him?

 

[Dumbledora]

Moira looked ashamed for the moment. Here she was acting accusing and denying the fact that this man existed when to him, humans were the scary monsters their parents told their children at night. She listened to him go on, wanting to say something to defend her race, but it was all true.

She flopped down onto the sand on the sandbar, the water lapping up to wet her legs and her satchel full of water samples collected in glass vials clanked together. "I-" she began, but trailed off, not knowing what to say. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously and looked at the merman before taking a deep breath and speaking. "What you say is true, unfortunately," she admitted. "Though I don't know about hunting merpeople and mounting them, humans are responsible for harming your home... And that's why I'm here actually.

"See, I'm a marine biologist. My job is to make sure that humans don't do any more harm to the water because doing so hurts us as much as it hurts your people." She bit her lip, she didn't want to leave the merman in front of her with a bad impression of humans, but she could only do so much to defend her people who are doing harm to all environments, not just the oceans. "I- I'm only one person, so I can't save the world," she said, "But I've been doing my part to stop the people here from doing more damage." Yet even that was limited. All Moira had the power to do is bust people if they harm the ocean more than was legally allowed. Anything harm done under the legal amount and she was powerless to stop them.