Looking at the mermaid before him, Emerson didn't believe he was on Earth for a single moment of time. Her eyes glistened like the ocean on a sunny day, and her hair was long and voluminous, not even wet after being in the water. He didn't want to stop looking at her or he'd be afraid that she was only a dream. He was completely entranced by her unfathomable beauty, and she had the sweetest voice hes ever in his life. He then realized she looked more terrified than he expected, and when he tried to reach out to her, she swam back from him behind the rock. "WAIT!", he cried out, hoping not lose her, she peeked out once more to look at him, afraid he might hurt her. "Please don't go", he begged as he slowly tried to swim closer to her, making sure she was okay with him doing so, "I have no intention of hurting you, I'm not like other men who might harm you. My name is Emerson Barrett, I was a sailor on the S.S. VOID, and I was only on it because I wanted to try to find this medicinal herb to try to save my brother, Sebastian. You see, he's on his deathbed and I can't stand to see him die in front of me and our other brother, Remington, because...he's like our father and I don't want him to die."
Her eyes softened and she seemed to find the courage to let go of the rock and swim a little closer to Emerson, whose heart was beating fast to see the beautiful creature coming closer to him and looking deeply in his eyes. She brought a hand up and laid it gently on his cheek, he caught his breath at the simple contact and watched as she inspected his face and his eyes, before she spoke again to his delight, "I saw you in the water and you looked like you were about to die. You looked too young to die, I couldn't let those monsters of my sisters kill you. You deserved a chance to live." She pulled her hand back - Emerson was missing her soft touch - and her eyes turned fearful again as she added, "But now that I've committed the crime of sparing a human", she started to tear up as she covered her mouth with her hands, "I can't ever go back to my kind or they'll kill me. I don't know what to do now." It broke Emerson's heart to see the mermaid so frightened and slowly pulled her closer to wrap his arms around her gently and hold her close to help comfort her.
The gesture was unfamiliar to the mermaid, but she felt herself feel more secure and safe as she leaned more into the sailor's touch. She cried on his shoulder and he caressed her back to soothe her as well as cradle her head with his other hand. "Its okay", he said in a calm and quiet voice, "I'll keep you safe, no matter what. You saved my life, so I'll dedicate mine to keep you alive." She pulled away to look into his eyes again and for the first time, she smiled at him, his heart was soaring to witness such a glorious sight as a mermaid's smile. "Nerida", she said, he looked confused and then she clarified, "That's my name. I'm honored to meet you, Emerson Barrett." He smiled back at her voice saying his name and told her with a joyous grin, "And I as well, Nerida." He sighed in awe of her, "Nerida, what a beautiful name. And, please, call me Emerson." A while later, Emerson is back sitting on the shore of the cove while he talks more to Nerida who rest close to the water and learns more about the young sailor who she saved in pure selflessness. They both realize they are unlike their own kind, but are just as unique in their own way.
"Hey, Nerida?", he asks her, trying not to get lost in her eyes that resemble the ocean, she nods to hear his question, "Were you always so...sympathetic towards humans?" Nerida is surprised by Emerson's question and takes a moment to think about it bwfore finally answering, "Well, if I had to explain, I'd start from when I was much younger a hundred years ago and I was all alone in the sea. I traveled the waters alone and with no one to protect me and I've faced death more than I believe I should. But there were times I witnessed humans with their own families and just being caring creatures that work hard and commit to others when all mermaids do is take from them and each other. Those mermaids who attacked your ship aren't even my real sisters, they made me call them that when they took me in hoping I would be a monstrous creature like them. But I can't find it in me to eat a human even if I died not doing so. It just doesn't seem right. They value life as much as we do, so what right do we have to take it away from them? I just wish I never joined their murderous horde and infect the waters with their bloodshed."
As Emerson took in everything she revealed about her past, he felt a sense of sympathy and sorrow for Nerida thinking of how lonely she must have been to never have a proper home. "I'm sorry, Nerida, I didn't mean to make you feel bad or anything", he said to her feeling guilty, but he felt his heart jump to feel her hand holding his as she said to him, "It's okay, Emerson. I'm happy I told someone who wouldn't judge me. You're just like how I imagined humans would be: caring and sensible and I admire that more than you might believe." Emerson felt himself blush at her words and had to turn away to hide his face turning red, "Hey, what's wrong with your cheeks?", she asked innocently, he stammered, "Um, I, uh... got hot because of the Sun. It happens sometimes to my face, not a huge deal." He scratched his head in embarrassment and it made the mermaid giggle to herself to see a human so flustered by whatever it could be.
She then asked him, "So, uh, you said you were looking for an herb to help cure your brother?" He cleared his throat before speaking again, "Y-Yes, I am." "Could they happen to be called 'Seeds of Amphitrite'?" His eyes perked up at her knowledge of the plant, "Yeah...how did you know?" "Amphitrite is the Greek goddess of the ocean and the Queen of the Mermaids. She's known as our spiritual mother and her only gift to the mortal Earth were her seeds that were infinite to cure anything mortals might undergo." He stood up and asked in anticipation, "So, then you know where the island is where they're found?" She nodded looking up at him, "Yes." "Okay, where?" She didn't say anything but her silence answered his question. He stared in shock and awe as he turned behind him and realized he was on the very island that held the cure to help save his brother. "Jesus Christ, I'm here", he commented, "I can still save Sebastian. I have to try to find where it will be, but...how? Nerida, do you know anything about where the Seeds may be or not?" When she didn't answer, he turned and gasped at the sight of the mermaid previously with a fishtail in the water...now out of the water as the fishtail had been replaced with a pair of legs under a sequined skirt, "No, but I will help you find them."
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Solivagant (Palaye Mermaid AU)
Fanfiction"Will you tell me the tale of the mermaid and the pirate?" "Again?" "Please? It's my favorite and I can't go to sleep if I don't hear it." "Oh, alright. It's the legend of the pirate who valued the lives of those he loved more than his own and the m...
