A Sea Tail

[Calyxxx]

Merfolk: Widely regarded as myth and fairytale, mermaids and mermen have existed for centuries. Many stories have been told of the half-human, half-fish creatures that live under the sea. Some contain wisps of truth, others are complete fiction.

The truth is, merfolk do exist. With the head, torso and arms of a human, and the tail of a fish, a mermaid does not grant wishes, does not strangle swimmers, or lure sailors into the treacherous reef, and is not to be confused with a siren or succubus. A mermaid can lay herself down to dry in the sun on a rock or a beach before standing herself up and walking away. She will maintain legs until she wets her feet, at which point she will regain her tail. As even approaching a shore or allowing one's self to dry is considered a social and spiritual taboo, it is very rare a mermaid ventures to land.

This story follows the tale of a particularly curious young mermaid and the things she discovers and learns when she does wander beyond the sea.


Nerina was anything but a normal, 20 year old female. There were things about her that set her apart. It was not because of her long, thick sheet of dark black, almost violet hair. It was not because her eyes were the purest, deepest of blue anyone had ever seen. Nor was it because she had the prettiest smile, or the most envied of figures. It wasn't her creamy, porcelain colored skin with the softness of liquid silk. It wasn't even because of her pristinely maintained jade and lavender colored pearlescent scales.

It was because among all the merfolk in the sea, she was the only one to have seen a real, live human. It was a secret that Nerina had kept for almost a week. A vivid, waking dream she played over and over in her head since she first saw him.

An exploration of a coral reef had accidentally led her close to shore, a blunder she swore then and there to never tell another soul about. To stray so close was unthinkable. He was sitting on a pier, facing, luckily, away from her, but still, Nerina knew what she saw.

He was beautiful. He was more than the stories had ever described, and not nearly horrible as her nannies had warned her as child.

As quick as she had seen him, she left. Nerina was curious, but not by any means stupid. The penalties she would have to face if she had been caught were too severe to risk. So, with the images in her head, she swam home.

Still, there was this itching, at the back of her brain. A thought that made every scale on her tail tingle when she allowed herself the moment to indulge. She had to find him again. To see him, to have him see her......

-----------------
OOC:
Male role filled! Thanks for the interest in the thread, and be sure to keep reading!

 

[poohlive]

There was no luck out in the pier, and everyone knew it. People hadn't fished there for years now. Grandparents told their kids of old tales, how one day all they had to do was hold out their hands, and the fish would just leap into their arms. The Pier used to be the place to fish.

But, like all hot spots, it was fished too much and too often, and now it was barren. People hadn't fished in it for a long time.

Leo had gone out there mostly to waste the day. He hadn't dreamed of actually catching anything. He sat there, his pole in the water, dreaming about life as a pirate or a knight or many other tales of heroism and bravery.

He would sometimes put his pole out of the water, and fight pretend bad guys who had stolen some fair maiden. He would capture rare artifacts from an evil band of cuthroats, to return it to its rightful owners.

Here he was though, sitting out at the pier once again, his line in the water. Nothing bit at it, nothing had bit at it for hours... not even a snag of something on the bottom.

The reason he came out here wasn't for the peace and quiet though... no, it was for the mysterious stranger.

He had seen her, for it must be a her, with the long hair and sparkly eyes. He only caught a glimpse of her, once... as she dove into the water. But a glimpse was all he needed. He knew this was real, not one of his imaginations running away from him.

Since no one visited the pier anymore, he was all along. No one here to bother him...

So, he pretended to fish, his eyes scanning the water, wondering, hoping... praying his friend would return.

Leo was fishing... but not for fish.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina resisted the urge as long as she could. For six days she busied herself, keeping her thoughts of the human she had seen to herself. For six days she went to the fields with her family, harvesting kelp and sea cucumbers. For six days she wandered listlessly through the village she had lived in her entire life. For six days she kept her secret, until it became too much.

After six days of denying them, her thoughts burst free to the front of her mind, forcing themselves to the surface, screaming at her to pursue them. She caved. Much easier than she had expected too and it almost frightened her. After all, to stray near to shore was a serious offense to her people. One that quite often had resulted in expulsion from society. Yet, the desire to see the human again was too strong. And so, Nerina again found herself in the coral reef, staring up at the pier.

Her heart sank. Empty. Not a soul in sight as she bobbed in the shallow water. She pouted silently to herself, disappointment heavy on her shoulders. She turned to leave, giving a forlorn look backwards, when a small 'plunk' caught her attention. Whirling back around, there he was, with the same wooden pole he had before. How could she have missed him? Sitting where he had been almost a week earlier, feet swinging from the pier.

He was magnificent. Nernia felt her heart quicken its flutter in her chest and she swam closer. She wanted to speak, to have him notice her, but something held her back. She felt a small lump forming in her throat, growing each time she attempted to swallow it away. A small kick of her tail sent her silently floating under the pier, and she gazed upward through the cracks in the weathered boards. They creaked slightly under his weight and with the movement from his legs. She was awestruck. She could almost smell him she was so close.

Nerina watched him silently for a moment, relishing their closeness. No one else could say they had been so near a human, let alone so near a pier! Steeling herself, she told herself she would not allow an opportunity slip past her as before. Floating on her back, she lifted her tail, scales sending reflective sparkles along the underside of the wood, and let it down hard, sending a splash up through the cracks.

 

[poohlive]

His entire backside swam in water. He jumped surprised, his pole leaping out from his grasp and plunging helplessly into the water. Turning around, he almost expected to see some kid holding an empty pail of water, but there was no one.

The water dripped from the pier boards underneath, and he looked down through the planks. Each one had a small gap, just enough for him to see below. Purple radiance met him, sparkling, reflective. He gasped, trying to see more, define the shape underneath.

He could see eyes, he could see a womanly shape. He thought he could see more, but he was unsure.

"Hello?" He ran to the side of the pier, his head popping down, looking at the underside. The pier looked even more warped and disfigured here. The water had taken its toll, fungus and barnacles covering nearly everything, and the shadows cast by the pier sent out pools of black void which he could not penetrate.

There was nothing. No girl, no one...

Someone had splashed him! He was sure of it, someone made him drop his pole, and someone had stared at him for just a moment before disappearing. Was she under the water, just beyond his sight?

Could she hold her water for so long?

No, she must be hiding behind the large pylons of wood, plenty of room for just a head to bob up and down.

"My dream girl," He spoke, clearly, smiling as he did, "Why would you splash me so? I have sitten out here every day for a week, waiting for you? And you would just splash me... do I at least get to see my dream girl before she goes?"

He thought he saw something, a sparkle of purple, or the wave of hair. He looked closer, hearing the creak of the boards underneath him.

And then they gave way. He cried out, as he fell into the water, swimming to the surface. He broke, laughing as he did, knowing there could be no other way than to embarass himself like that.

"Well, I am here," He said, still searching for her, "Where are you?"

 

[Calyxxx]

She watched him, from the sandy bottom, his water-filtered figure fluid above her head. She grinned to herself, heart leaping, 'He noticed me!' and flicked her tail in excitement. She heard his voice, garbled in her water-filled ears, and squinted to make out the shape of his head as he peered over the edge.

Suddenly, the pier gave way and he tumbled down, close enough Nerina could have touched him. She watched him kick his legs, and he sore upwards. Funny, she thought, humans must not be able to breath underwater as well as above. Poor creatures.

He spoke again, this time she understood it. 'Where are you?' he asked. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating wildly. She savored the moment for a time before she giggled and kicked her tail, sending her upwards herself. She wrapped her tail around a barnacle covered post, that until moments ago, had supported the pier. Peeking around it, head just above water, Nerina came face to face with her human.

He was spectacular. More so now than she had remembered. His eyes looking at hers, his face just in front of hers, her arms, close enough to reach out to feel him. She felt the waves on her tail that his feet created as he kicked them to stay afloat, and smiled softly, watching a bead of water drip from his nose.

Nerina bit her lip and hugged the post, shrugging up her shoulders, and with a single finger, sheepishly waved at him.

 

[poohlive]

"I knew it was you!" He said, at once coming closer to her. She looked so beautiful, so angelic, near perfect in the water. Her hair felt at home here, dark enough to shine, almost a purple color. It draped around her pale skin, the water covering up anything underneath.

Oh, but his eyes did try to stare.

"What are you doing down here? Swimming at the pier... I saw you before, didn't I? I remember seeing just a sparkly of purple in the water, I tried to get your attention, but I..."

His hand came out to her, touching her cheek, smiling, knowing she was real. Here she was, real, right next to him.

She was perfect.

"My name is Leo."

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina felt herself instantly blush at his touch, and she smiled widely before hiding her head behind the post. He spoke to her. He spoke to her!! He told her his name!

Her heart instantly began racing, so fast she could almost feel the blood pumping through her veins. She peeked her head back around the post to meet his gaze.

"Leo." She repeated. She knew his name. "Leo." Nerina smiled and reached her own hand out to touch his cheek as he had done to her. It felt rough. Well, rougher than her skin, but still nice.

She giggled and unwrapped herself from the post, swimming closer to him. She could smell him. He smelled of things she had never smelled before. Earthy and clean. Her hand trailed down his cheek to his neck, and to his shoulder.

"Hi," She spoke softly, "Leo. I'm Nerina."

 

[poohlive]

"Nerina," He tried the name on his lips, like trying a new exotic taste in his mouth. It felt good, rolling off the tongue. She was indeed some sort of vision walking right out of his dream and into the water.

Her hands touching, soft and gentle caresses. It felt surreal, despite being in the water they were as smooth as silk. He felt a gentle shudder under her touch.

"I've never seen you before, Nerina. You are not one of the village girls."

She looked so excited! Was she giggling? Giggling just about his name? Oh, this felt so wonderful. Like looking at a new person, from some far away land. Everything about her was exotic, her hair, her eyes, her skin...

He moved in closer, smelling her, taking in her scent. Yes, indeed everything.

"You're like no one I've ever seen before," He bent in, slowly, cautiously, his lips quivering as they pressed against hers. A small kiss, the kind of kisses that boys stole from girls, their very first crush. Even her taste was so foreign, sweet and salty.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina jumped slightly as he moved towards her, pressing his lips to hers. Her stomach did a flip inside her, the heat from his body hitting her. Her eyes wide, she quickly kissed him back before kicking her tail out, pushing herself backwards. She felt it brush against his leg as he tread water and she grinned at him, putting a few feet of distance between them.

The thoughts of the law came swimming back into her brain and Nerina pouted. She shouldn't be here. With a human, or near a pier, or at the surface. She shouldn't be anywhere near here. She panicked a moment, and quickly dove under water, tail sparkling in the sunlight before disappearing below.

'Wait!' She thought to herself, wrinkling her nose. She couldn't just leave, not now. There were too many questions! Too much to learn. He was too beautiful not to explore. She stopped her downward swim and turned herself around, hair swirling around her body, and peeked her head through the surface and smiled, looking back at her human.

 

[poohlive]

"Is that a..."

No, it could not be. He tried to reach for her, grab her, pull her closer to him, but like every dream she was just out of reach. Barely beyond his fingertips, desperately seeking to touch her one final time.

He dove down after her, watching her swim away. He saw it now, more clearly, more pronounced. She had a tail, it brillowed out from her like her hair, soft sparkles of scales sending tiny beams of light everywhere. He could see it so clearly.

She was a mermaid.

He had heard of such mythical creatures, tales coming in from some raggedy old seaman who had one too many bottles of beer in their system. But, this girl... this girl gave faith to so many of their stories. The monsters and women, the merfolk who lived in castles under the sea.

How was this possible?

He swam down to her, watching her move away. With that tail, she moved with such ease under the water. He could barely even keep up with his eyes, much less his body.

But she did stop, and looked back at him. He swam, once more desperate to get close, hoping she would not run away again.

His hands ran up her fin, past her tail. It felt so smooth, so soft under his touch. He smiled, laughing if he could under the water.

He was in her territory now, and he was hers... if she would have him.

He came closer, looking at her, holding her hand, letting her guide him. He wanted to know more, he wanted to know everything.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina smiled watching her human, Leo...his name was Leo, swimming towards her. She watched his eyes taking in her form, hand sliding upwards from her tail. He must have been as curious about her tail as she was about his kicking legs.

He reached for her hand and she held it, happy for the contact, heart soaring in her chest. Laughing she swam downward, pulling him with her.

Wait. Humans cannot breath underwater? She stopped her descent and turned to him, smiling at his face, cheeks puffed out to hold in a breath, small bubbles escaping around the corners of his mouth and nose.

"Breath out." She instructed him, voice melodic as it was carried to him through the water. She released his hand and moved hers to his face, holding it softly between them. She pulled herself closer to him, tail brushing against his feet, and pressed her lips to his, breathing softly into his mouth, feeling his chest puff up against her breasts as his lungs filled.

Nerina was friends with a particularly mischievous dolphin who often found himself low on air. She had blown her breath into the hole on the top of his head many times for him, and assumed this too, was what Leo would be needing. When he ran low, her dolphin would nudge her hand with his snout.

"When you are in need of another breath, squeeze my hand." She smiled at him before gripping his hand, and again began a downward swim.

 

[poohlive]

She led him by the hand to another world. He couldn't not stop now, even if he wanted to. The fire in his lungs was relentless, but he held it because of the new sights, the new sensations he was allowed to feel.

She solved his own problem of breathing for him, stopping to kiss him, and shove lungfuls of air into his system. It felt wonderful, the kiss and the air. His hands went up to her hair, as the tendrils circled around his curious fingers.

Were he not soo interested in what she had to show him, he would have constantly been squeezing her hand in order to get more of her delightful kisses of air.

Still, she brought him passed his own world, long drowning out the surface of the water, diving in deeper now, unfolding the secrets of the deep that man had never seen before.

"It's amazing," He tried to say, trying to speak like she had, but he could not. It came out a series of strangled bubbles. He squeezed her hand for anothe lungful, another kiss.

A small whisper of how amazing things were, as he brushed his fingers along her back.

She was his guide to this world, and he held her hand warm and welcomely, eager to see just about anything.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina swam quickly, body as fluid as the water, into the black below. Her eyes easily adjusted to the dark, but knew Leo's probably wouldn't. As she approached the sea floor, however, her tail began to glow. A warm, glow of purple and teal filtered through the water, illuminating the sand and rocks, scattering flecks of light into the darkness.

Feeling a squeeze on her hand, Nerina turned to breath air into her human's lungs again. She giggled against his lips, small bubbles filtering between them and rushing upwards. Her heart fluttered against her chest, sending waves of excitement through her veins. As her lungs emptied, she felt his inflate against her, and she pulled away to look at him.

"Almost there." Her liquid words flowed into his ears and she again grabbed his hand. They swam towards what looked to be a big, onyx colored wall, their forms casting shadows against it as they closed in, and Nerina ducked lower, hair and tail brushing against the sandy bottom as she slipped into a cave hidden to the side of the rocks.

Soon she stopped swimming, and pointed Leo upwards, to where a pocket of air was trapped within the rock walls. She followed him up, head breaking the surface before she reached up with her hands and pulled herself onto a ledge.

"This is my favorite spot in the whole sea." She spoke softly to Leo, eyes on her wringing hands. "It's nice because I can sit here," She motioned to the large flat expanse of rock ledge, large enough to sit ten people. "and pretend that I'm not underwater. I don't know how this air got in, but it's stuck here."

Smiling again, she pulled her tail up onto the ledge and lay herself backwards, stretching her back against the cool moisture of the rock.

 

[poohlive]

"It looks beautiful," But he wasn't noticing the sea cave around him, even though it had these gorgeous contours and subtle imbedded lines. It was a miracle of nature, truly a miracle.

He was still in the water, watching as she laid herself out. That purple fin, her tail where legs should be took most of hit interest. He ran his hand up it, sliding over the scales. It felt good... soft. His hand crept up to her waist, where scale and her skin met.

"You're a real mermaid," He let his hand rest where her thigh would be, rubbing it back and forth.

"I've never seen a real mermaid before. I don't think anyone has. We have some stories, legends really, but never, anything like this. Never anything so beautiful."

He looked up at her for the first time, biting his lower lip.

"Why did you come and get me?"

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina felt her face getting hot, the pinkness of blush creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks. His hand felt amazing on her scales, soft and strong at the same time.

"I'm not supposed to be at the surface." She told him sheepishly. The truth was not only that, but the cave was where Nerina felt most comfortable and was a place no one else would come. She was free to ask her human questions, without breaking too many laws. "But if you want to go back, we can. I just didn't know where else to go."

Nerina's eyes fell to Leo's feet. She giggled and stared at them. So odd looking, so different from her tail. Nerina had tried lying on the rock ledge to dry out before, to see what feet would look like, but had always chickened out before she got too dry. It took forever to dry off in such a damp cave. She reached a slender finger out and touched a toe, running it down the side of it.

 

[poohlive]

It felt weird, but wonderful, to have them both touching each other like this. She was fascinated by his feet, and he admiring the fin at the end of her torso.

"People said that merfolk weren't allowed to talk with humans. That's why we never see you. To us, you are nothing more than fish stories that old drunken men talk to each other about. No one thinks you are real..."

It was hard not to say they were real though, with her right here before him, his own hand running along her smooth skin and then scales. They almost matched her hair perfectly, and were he not in the ocean already, he could have easily drowned in her eyes.

"Are all mermaids so beautiful? No wonder you stay away from us. If a man ever saw a girl like you, they would scoop you out of the water and keep them for themselves. I know I would."

 

[Calyxxx]

Her blush deepened at his words. He was not at all like the stories her nannies had told her.

"When I was little, I was told humans liked to eat Mer flesh. That you all carried big knives and nets with you to catch us and slice us open. I have not seen a knife or a net with you yet. Maybe the stories were to help prevent Mer children from swimming to the surface." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him, finger tracing between his toes.

"I've always been curious about feet. I've never actually been brave enough to try them myself." Nerina wrinkled up her nose and cocked her head to the side.

"You have five toes!" She laughed loudly, a happy song echoing off the cave walls. "I was told there were only three!"

 

[poohlive]

"Some of us do carry knifes and nets, but just for food. We eat fish, and lots of other things from the sea. We haven't really eaten mermeat, because we don't catch any of you. Although, we woudn't. It would be like you eating us... weird."

She seemed to be right though. If people knew, they would catch them and study them and disect them in the name of science. Maybe it was wise for the merfolk not to interact with the humans.

Something struck him as odd though. She said she always wanted to try human legs.

"Try them, what do you mean try them?" He heard her laughing, wiggling at his toes, but his stare was mildly confusing.

"I want to know everything about you. Tell me. Start from the beginning, leave nothing out."

 

[Calyxxx]

"Well," Nerina put his foot down and curled her tail up underneath herself. "It's told to young Merfolk when they start getting curious about life out of the sea. It's meant to terrify them into staying, but to me, it just made me want to try it."

Nerina put her hand on Leo's knee, squeezing it gently and feeling the hard bones underneath.

"If a mermaid or man were to go to the surface and get out of the water, and let themselves dry off, our scales will disappear under our skin and our tail will split in half, giving us human legs. The moment our feet get wet though, we will lose our legs and our tail will be back."

Her hand ran from his knee down to his ankle and back again, eyes staring dreamily at his leg.

"I've always wondered what it would be like."

 

[poohlive]

"You can grow legs?" Ideas suddenly popped into his head. Maybe he had seem merpeople after all, they had walked upon shore and bought things at the local market, or passed him by on the street.

It didn't seem likely since the way she spoke of the fears of humans, but it was possible. So long as the person didn't get wet. She had rules which she needed to follow for this to work.

"Why haven't you ever done it before then? You've always wanted to, and you seem to be more than interested," He grinned, looking at her delicate fingers trailed his legs.

"If you grow legs, you could come and see my place, my own home, and I'll show you all about my life, and how people really are."

His hand reached out to hers, as touched briefly atop of it, his fingers trailing over hers as she touched him. She had the kindest touch, halfway between a lover and a friend. All together intimate... very intimate for the space they shared, right next to each other.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina shook her head as he spoke.

"No, it is strictly forbidden to come to shore, let alone get out, dry off and walk around. If someone was caught they would be shunned. Forced from the community and made to live alone. It is a terrible fate."

She gave him a pitiful look, eyes staring up at him through strands of black hair. She smiled at his hand, running along hers and she curled her fingers around his.

"I'd love to see your home though what it's like to live on land. I'd love to dance, or to run! or even just to stand on legs. Oh, what fun it would be." Nerina's head danced with images of herself with human legs, running along the shore, sitting with her knees up against her chest, and of dancing.

"If I were careful to not be seen....and I made sure it would be safe....Do you think I could try it?" She became excited instantly, a wide smile plastered across her eager face. "Would you show me the human world on land?" She inched closer to Leo, hands clasping his.

 

[poohlive]

"I would show you anything you wanted, Nerina. You could see such sights, sounds, delights. Everything we have to offer. We can dance to some slow melody playing inside the room, close together, cheek to cheek. We could run hand in hand down the beach, laughing and trying to catch one another."

Everything he always imagined doing with another. Everything he himself had always wanted to do. His hand closed around hers, and his smile was slow, subtle when he looked at her.

"We can be careful, and no one will know you are with us and the humans. When you're done, you'll just come back here, back down in the water with your kind. There's nothing wrong with that. If no one else goes up to see the humans, how could they ever catch you?"

She seemed so frightened of her own kind. Was there some sort of punishment for talking with a human, interacting with one? He hoped not. Leo just couldn't imagine himself as the bad guy, some dark demonic presence to another kind. It was unheard of.

"I want to show you so many things. Oh, you haven't even begun to imagine..." His hand across her cheek, dancing, fleeting along her skin.

"So many things," He reached in, touching those perfect lips, kissing her. A soft gentle kiss, one he had wanted to give her since he first set eyes on her. Those lips pressing against him, her taste sending shivers down his entire body. He curled his toes at the excitement.

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina returned his kiss happily, closing her eyes and grinning against his lips. She raised a hand to rest on his cheek and felt the flip flops in her stomach start back up again. Her grin slowly bubbled into a laugh and she smiled widely at him and pulled away.

"OK, let's go then!" She propped her hands on the smooth rocky ledge, and hopped down, back into the water.

"Let's see if this will actually work or not!"

Before he could take a breath to respond, Nerina pulled Leo down the ledge by his foot, laughing as the water splashed onto her face. She took him by the hand and led him from the cave.

 

[poohlive]

On their way back, he made sure to stop as often as he could. He didn't need breath, but he wanted it. He kissed her each time she pulled into him, pressing her lips to his mouth. His tongue came out, touching against hers, playing.

If he could actually giggle underwater, he would have.

They were back at the pier soon enough, Leo coming out first. No one was there, just as he thought. No one is ever down at the pier. He swam to the shallow sandy beach, motioning for her to follow.

"Ok," He said, looking around, unsure, "No one ever comes up here, so this will be perfect. Do you need anything? I can stand watch to make sure it goes ok... then... then you can come and see all of our wonderous sights. It will be perfect."

 

[Calyxxx]

Nerina was nervous, and she hugged herself, arms wrapped around her chest. She looked up and down the beach and up on the pier, watching for people. When she saw none, she swam as far in to shore as she could, waited for a larger wave, and rode it in to the sand. Using her hands, she pulled herself up further, away from the water.

"Wow, my tail seems much heavier out of the water than it does in the water." She pouted and reached down to brush sand from her sparkling scales. Almost instantly Nerina felt dry, yet water dripped from her fin and her skin. How strange a feeling it was to be out of the water. No longer could she feel the constant sway of a current at her back, or the comforting constant temperature on her skin.

The wind blew over her skin, raising goosebumps and hardening her nipples. Her damp hair did nothing to blanket the cold and her teeth began to chatter.

"Is... is it always so c..cold up here?" She curled her tail up against her body and hugged herself tightly. Eyes staring pitifuly up at Leo.