Safety in the Seafoam (DNF + Karlnap)

Chapter 80: Wild

Sorry about late upload, lol
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Dream POV.

Mermaids are unpredictable creatures. That is what all of the legends from sailors, settlers, and indigenous groups show us. Sometimes they are kind and merciful, sheltering and providing guidance for the lost. Other times, they lure them to their watery graves under the sea where they won't be found.

The reason that they are so believable and beloved, at least in my mind, is because they are so possible by the rules of science and truth. At the same time, they are so foreign and magical that they would never have had a purpose when designed by a universe or some divine creator.

A human-like being that happened to have a tail instead of legs; who swam instead of walked, was something that could be real. In the same way that Unicorns could be real as a horse with a horn, and a dragon could be real as a lizard with wings. There was more to them than that, but it was a believable origin.

I had never been a firm believer in the existence of these creatures, more a justifier or a logicer, saying that they could exist. The And I had been proven right, since they did in fact exist. Even though they were more normal than fantastical; no ocean magic, no siren song, they were just normal, basically humans.

Despite the fact that they were basically humans, they were incredibly desirable to the rest of the ship, which was shown with our poker game. People were willing to do anything for the chance to be around these two, treating them as though they were objects with no thoughts or feelings in response.

And the fact that they were basically human made them worrying. They were so much more interesting then us, even without all of the magic and powers that came from legends. Yet they still seemed to have something in common with humans, a quality that I would have never expected the pair of them to have after seeing their etherealness.

That was the ferociousness of a human. People could be cruel, which I had known based on the way people like Schlatt and the doctors had regarded and treated the mermaids. A passion came from this, as they were determined to shepherd a major scientific discovery that could shape the entirety of the world.

Mermaid ferociousness was more physical, a willingness to attack. Although they had the intelligence of humans, their minds were wired to hunt for their dinner and fight their rivals, just as any wild animal would.

That was clear as we watched George inside of the tank. He seemed completely annoyed at something that involved myself and Sapnap, based on the way that he was looking towards us. Just like a lion he stalked the things in the tank, both the salmon and the plate (even if they weren’t alive and didn’t require hunting).

His pupils were pinpricks in his eyes, hands curled into claws and mouth parted to snatch something in his jaws. He was like a perfect predator; able to easily kill with any part of his body, using precision in his movements from his slashing claws and thrashing tail. I wondered how efficient he would be in an actual ocean.

We watched as the pair communicated from through the glass for a moment, with George seeming to be irritated before swimming up towards the surface of the tank. He still seemed almost like a wild animal, with his eyes narrowed and his quick movements.

“Are you going to say something to him?” Sapnap asked me, both of us feeling concerned as we watched him circling like a shark near the surface of the water.
“I don’t know what I can say to him.” I responded honestly. My brows furrowed as I looked up at him, his figure basically a silhouette under the light.

He seemed as though he wasn’t in his usual state of mind. Even if I was up there to talk with him, I was not sure as to what I would say that he would listen to. I didn’t even know what it was that he wanted to hear, making me basically useless in the situation. All that I could do was stand here and look up at him.

Plus, it seemed as though he was tense, and therefore not in the mood to talk to me or anyone at this point in time. Even Karl seemed to shy away under the surface with a tentative gaze. “I think that maybe we should just let him have some space…” I muttered. “He can come to me if he wants to talk about anything… such as last night.”

Since he hadn’t even talked to me about that yet… causing me to start thinking that maybe George didn’t want me around him, hands down. I had said something that got him to stop talking to me, and now as he circled in a predatory manner he kept looking down at me with anger or perhaps even spite. Both were clear signs of hatred directed towards me.

“He wants to talk to you. He told us that he does, but he is just unsure of what you or him should say.” Sapnap responded, attempting a look of reassurance which I didn’t completely believe. I just kept looking between him and George, then I also spared a glance down at the plate nestled in the sand that had been shattered by the brunette.

Truly it was impressive and terrifying how strong the creatures of the deep were, since it seemed in the more ‘hunter mindset’ he had barely used a finger to smash it. I wondered how much strength he would have if he went after something living instead, and if his body had not been mutilated weeks ago to the point of weakening agony.

Another thing that caught our attention was Karl, who slowly swam himself up to the edge of the tank, with George in his sight the entire time. He muttered something inaudible to the brunette but received no response, and then moved to lean over the tank, turning his attention to us. He didn’t say anything, only cocking his head in an attempt to communicate.

“What do you suppose that means?” I questioned, my voice quiet. Although it was unclear who he was looking at, Karl usually communicated with Sapnap and so I assumed he’d understand this silent behavioural pattern.
“No clue.” Was all that I got in response.

“So should one of us go up there and talk to him? Perhaps it is something about George…” I continued, trailing off after saying his name. The other mermaid still seemed to be in an agitated mood, lurking behind Karl, not saying anything as he peered down at us.
“Then you should talk to him, since you’ve been making out with George casually for days…”

I shot a glance at Sapnap, who was grinning in an attempt to make light of this situation, one where George had apparently turned to the wildness of the ocean. After a moment of quiet deliberation we both decided to climb the ladder.
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1219 words

Once again apologies for late upload.

And voting results will be posted in the next chapter.