Unless you are Mira-Charma13 or SailorMoon, no touchie!


Trapped Merman x Aquarium Visitor


Name: Léandre Arcturus Skelter
Age: Seventeen
Appearance:

Name: Artemis Rae Cross
Age: 15
Picture: (Will have to come later, I can't get the dang code thingy from Photobucket. In the meantime.... She has a pale skintone, her eyes are blue, and her hair is silver..... Again- I'm really sorry! DX I'll get the url thingamajiggy as soon as I can!)

((It's okay, take your time. ^^ Since we should have the first day be the opening day for my boy's exhibit, you should probably start with your arrival. :boogie: I'm kind of stuck in a tank until I'm revealed. D: ))

((LOL That's true. XD))

Artemis looked around at all of the fish as she walked into the aquarium with her mom and little brother.

"Arty, isn't it beautiful?" asked her little brother Tristan.

"It is... But we'd better hurry if we want to make it to the new exhibit on time," Artemis replied, taking her distracted 6 year old brother by the hand. "So come on!"

After walking a little more, they entered the room where the new exhibit was supposed to be. It was a large crowd, but Artemis and Tristan found their way to the front while their mom stayed back to take pictures.

"When are they gonna take off the big blanket Arty?" Tristan asked.

"Soon, Tristan. They'll take it off very soon."

The crowd quieted when a tall man dressed in a well-cut blue tuxedo stepped up behind the podium positioned in front of the tank. He gave a long, droning speech about how this new exhibit wouldn't have been possible without the help of some kind fishermen in the Bering Sea, who had donated the new creature to their aquarium.

"Now, without further ado..."

The man stepped back, and his bodyguards--big, buff, intimidating-looking men, slowly pulled the curtain away. Behind it was...

...an empty tank?

There were expensive decorations lining the sides and bottoms, real aquatic plants and fancy, decorative rocks. It was a designed to look like a small coral reef.

The man peered inside. "Well...it looks like he's a little shy. How about this! The customer that can bring him out from his hiding place will have a chance to go up top, above the tank, and feed him? Free of charge!"

Tristan grinned. "How about you try Arty?" he asked.

"Tristan, if he doesn't want to come out-"

"Please Arty??" Tristan begged, using his all-powerful puppy-dog eyes.

"Ah...Well... Oh, OK fine!" Artemis said, giving up. She sighed. "But you're coming with me," she said, taking his hand and walking up to the man. "I'd like to try, sir," she said, smiling at him. She thought she saw something move in the tank, but she dismissed it quickly, deciding she was imagining things.

The man nodded, smiling. "Go on, then. See if you can get him out. Some sound, if it's loud enough, should be able to breach the glass of the tank."

He shooed his guards away, and they stepped away from the tank to give her room.

The tank still looked eerily empty, and it was quiet, as well.

Artemis nodded, stepping over to the tank. Maybe it's just a hoax, and there's nothing in there, she thought, silent for a few moments before getting an idea. Maybe if I sing..... he'll come out!

So she took a deep breath, and started to sing, "The Only Exception," by Paramore. Her voice was soft and sweet, matching the notes without too much difficulty. She stopped halfway through, feeling stupid for trying to lure a fish out with a song.

"Arty, don't stop. That was beautiful!" Tristan told her. "Please finish it?"

"O....Ok," Artemis said softly, and she finished the song, smiling a little when it was over. Placing a hand on the glass, she said, "Look, I don't know if you can understand this, but.... I really want to meet you, and so does my little brother. So.... could you please come out? I'll sing some more if you'd like," she said, the last sentence barely audible.

There was nothing for a few long moments. It was starting to look like there really was nothing in the tank and it was all a big hoax.

Then...

As soon as she stopped speaking, a light bluish-purple fin poked out from underneath one of the larger rocks. It was followed by a tail of the same color, which was followed by...

A human torso. And then a human head! A merman...

He alighted himself on the top of that particular rock, ice blue eyes stony and untrusting. It didn't appear, at that distance, that there was anything fake about him...he seemed real.

Artemis smiled softly at him, and Tristan waved to the merman. When people started to take pictures all at once, Artemis yelled, "HEY!!! He's probably scared to death right now, and all those flashing lights aren't gonna help!" Everyone glared at her, some voiced their opinion with... colorful language, but a select few turned the flash off and got pictures of the merman- at least the room was well lighted! Artemis smiled gently at the merman. "I'll come back tomorrow if you'd like. Someone needs to make sure that they're being nice to you." Then the flashes went off, and Artemis glared at them. "YOu got enough pictures! Be happy with what you have!" she yelled, and the flashes were turned off.

The merman pulled his arms up over his head, annoyed by the excited rambling of the crowd and the yelling of everyone in it. His tail swished back and forth at a quick pace...

He was agitated, and furious. He'd been plucked from his home after all, and then taken away from it. All he wanted to do was go back home, where he belonged.

The flashes of the camera terrified him, driving him back under the rocks for a moment before he hesitantly came back out. It seemed he was under the impression that the flashes were weapons.

It wasn't clear whether or not he heard Artemis over the rabble, but he did look at her, eyes wild with fear and fury alike.

Artemis glared at the crowd. "It's like they have no common sense whatsoever," she muttered under her breath. "Look, if you haven't figured it out by now, he's scared of the freaking camera flashes! So cut it out!" she exclaimed. "Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourselves." She then turned to the merman, but she was now scared when she saw the way he was looking at her. Surprised at his anger, she fell backwards, landing on her butt. She took a deep breath, sttod up, and walked back up to the tank. "Please don't be scared of me... I won't hurt you, I promise," she told him.

Surprisingly, the merman's mood seemed to change for a second when she fell. A smirk made its way onto his face, and his tail slowed down. He was wickedly amused. Then, like nothing had happened, his tail sped up just a bit again, and he frowned at her, like he didn't believe her.

The man, who appeared to a manager here, stepped back up. "Well...you win, young lady. Would you like to go up and feed him? He, erm...will only eat live fish, so you will have to take a bucket of live fish in for him."

"I promise, I won't let anything happen to you," she repeated. "I swear, I'm not lying." Then she turned to the manager. "Sure," she said. She didn't mind the live fish... but what if it got on her dress? Hopefully it doesn't, or I'll be teased even more than usual, she thought bitterly. Everyone teased Artemis because of her haircolor. It used to be a beautiful honey blonde, but Artemis got sick, and her hair slowly turned silver. Now everyone called her names such as "grandma", "geezer" and "freak". Her long silver hair almost reached her waist, so it was hard to hide it.... She was also teased because of her name, even though it was the name of a GREEK GODDESS!

The man nodded to one of his bodyguards. The big man nodded back and walked a little down the hall, beckoning for Artemis to follow. He led her into one of the EMPLOYEES ONLY doors. Behind the door was a small hallway, and a small room...next to the room was a flight of stairs that led to a metal walkway above the merman's tank.

The man stopped Artemis near the stairs and popped into the small room for a moment. He returned with a bucket full of clear water and many live, wriggling fish. He held it out to her. "Be careful not to fall on the walkway."

"Does he eat the whole bucket?" she asked, her skin crawling as she looked at all of the fish flopping about.

ooc: Sorry this is so late!!! I'm drowning in Rp's again!

I guess my RP buddies only come out at night.... XD

((It's okay! ^^))

"You can pour the whole bucket in there, or try to hand-feed him one at a time...but, yes. He can eat the entire bucket," the man affirmed. "I'll wait by the door. If you need help, just holler.

The man turned and left, to go and stand by the door.

Artemis nodded before turning to face the water. She cautiously picked a fish up, but then put it back. "Hey! Are you hungry?" she asked, looking down into the tank. "I have some fish up here in case you are hungry."

At the mention of food--it seemed he understood English, at least a little bit--the merman looked up. But, he recoiled a bit and lowered himself onto the rock he was alighted on, staring up at her with wary eyes.

He was hungry. But he didn't want to get too close to her. Not yet...he hated humans.

"So you are hungry? Ok, then, I'll get the bucket," Artemis said cheerfully, getting the bucket and tossing down the first fish. She didn't want to leave him until she was positive that he would be OK.

The merman, who had been still and slow since his unveiling, sprung up from his place on the rock and chased after the terrified fish. He captured it with his hands and, with a dull, but sickening, crack, snapped its spine. He brought it up to his mouth and nibbled on it absently.

The crack made Artemis's skin crawl, but she stayed still even though she was terrified. He must be really strong... she thought, scared yet amazed at the same time. She sat down, waiting patiently for him to finish.

Despite how ravenous he was, the merman ate the fish slowly, politely. He dropped the bones on the rock below him, since he couldn't really eat them, and glanced up at Artemis, tail swishing back and forth eagerly.

Artemis smiled at him. "Ok, I'll send another fish down," she told him, getting another fish and dropping it into the water. She was starting to like the merman. Even though he couldn't talk, she thought the crazy emotions that passed through his eyes were kind of cute. And he seemed to trust her, so she needed to make sure that no one would hurt him.... even if that meant sneaking in and camping out next to his "home". She felt sad that the merman had to be shipped here for other people's enjoyment instead of releasing him so he could go home.

The merman chased after this fish, as well. He captured it with his mouth this time, and once again snapped its spine before starting on it. He was unaware of Artemis' intentions. He wasn't fond of humans, but if he wanted to get out, he would have to rely on them.

Oh, how he hated that...he'd never been fond of humans. He had never had a good experience with a human, in all his life...