Mermen in Melbourne

The Attack

It was becoming obvious to everyone that Wyatt was sad. Like, really sad. He wouldn't even come to the table to eat anymore, which to Austin seemed like a mandatory thing. He just stayed cooped up in his room, staring blankly at walls and muttering only a word or two. It seemed like Tanner, Mason, and Ian cared the most about this; at least one of them was in his room at all times. Austin didn't know what to do- he'd only spoke to Wyatt four or five times, he's never stepped foot in the guy's bedroom... it almost seemed like he wouldn't be of any comfort at all.

Two months after the not-so-attack, the six remaining mermen sat around the Table, eating silently. They still hadn't broken their vegetarian diet- maybe the cook was still hoping that Trent would come back, secretly. Now that he thought about it, Austin wasn't really certain which of the mermen prepared the food. He knew which signs hunted (Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius, Libra and Scorpio, if he remembers correctly,) which signs recruited (Leo and Virgo) and those which train people (Aries and Aquarius), but who was the cook? Well, Austin thought, the only way to answer a question is to ask it.

"Russell," Austin said, breaking the silence, "who is it that prepares the food? Like, cooks it and stuff," Austin said, and the group all turned their eyes on him. He smiled tightly.

"The job of the Pisces is to harvest small food and plants, but also to serve it. Seeing our Teach is lacking, as per usual, Ian most often takes the burden," Russell said. Ian gave a small nod of recognition.

"You have to try Pisces cooking. I mean, my old Teach, hell they were, were basically all Pisces, and their food? Delicious. I mean, I do not really need to eat, but I still did for their food. And I mean, their defense was awful and they were just generally lazy, but what more can you expect from a Pisces really?" Isaac said.

"Pisces are amazing, excuse you," came a call from Tanner, crossing his arms grumpily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry that your precious little Oliver bit the dust, Tan, but it was what? Five years ago? Hate to break it to you, but you need to move on," Isaac said, rolling his eyes. Austin turned to face Tanner, still curious about his thickly veiled past. So this Oliver guy was a Pisces, huh? Austin thought, before returning his attention to Isaac, who was glaring at Tanner. Tanner stood up with a start, and the little table rocked. "I'm not hungry," he muttered, swimming back to the general direction of his room.

Austin sighed, watching him leave.

"You are absolutely smitten," Austin heard Mason say. Austin squeezed his eyes shut, turning to face Mason.

"What? No.  I just really want to know his life story, that's all. But like, at the same time, I want him to be the one to tell it to me- I just want his trust," Austin said, and though he hadn't realised it until he said it out loud, he knew it was true.

"You know what? You really are smitten. And to think I was joking earlier," Mason said, a grin breaking out over his face. "I'm happy for you two."

"Mason, shut up," Austin laughed, grabbing another piece of kelp from the center. He really found himself growing partial to the stuff. In fact, he was growing partial to the whole thing- Mason's ridiculous sense of humor, Russell's know-it-all persona, Isaac's blunt nature, Ian's silence... Tanner. Everything seemed to be looking up. Hell, Austin was starting to think that he could spend the rest of his life with the people across from him. This could really be it. He was happy.

That's when a scream was heard from the chambers.

Austin stood up with a jolt, his tail not falling out from under him for once. He raced around the corner and towards the bedrooms, and he didn't have to turn around to tell that the others were right there behind him. "Tanner! Wyatt!" he shouted down the corridor, before veering into Wyatt's room.