[Closed to disassembling MERTRASH

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He wasn't supposed to be out so soon during the aftermath of a storm, especially one that was as big as a hurricane. Especially not one of this magnitude. But his body, after the series of treatments containing nasty tasting potions as concocted by Erskine had worked, was strong and new to him, and he loved doing all the things that his weak and sick body couldn't do before.

One of those things were riding the still-strong waves in search of interesting human artifacts to bring back to the clan. There was always more floating around after a storm, especially the bigger pieces, from shipwrecks and things that humans have left carelessly unsecured on their ships when a storm hit. Now he's actually strong enough to bring the bigger pieces home and could go further than he could before. Some of the more interesting pieces he will keep for himself but other would be given to friends or traded for other things.

In the far distance under the sunshine that was starting to peak out from the clearing storm clouds, he spotted the glint of metal and started to swim towards it, eager to find out what his first find of the day would be.

Comments

[disassembling]

Hurricanes were the best times to move about in the waters, able to move in and out of territory without people or devices monitoring his movements. He had been sent for an item lost for years but recently found for his masters, and the storm had been the perfect opportunity to retrieve the device in its sealed case. Only the size of a small briefcase, he had brought it back with the full brunt of the hurricane overhead, pulling at the sea.

He had taken refuge in an old rotting fisherman's vessel long downed to wait out the violent sea. It would be easy to walk around with the case with so many people gathering lost items after all, but the storm had other ideas as debris struck and damaged the refuge he had taken, collapsing the structure. Normally old wood wouldn't be a problem, but a metal beam had fallen on him as he dozed, pinning him to the seafloor across his shoulders.

Unable to claw his way out or thrash backwards, he lay trapped as the storm was in its last throes, his metal arm glinting at the bottom. He hissed and thrashed, his dark tail flicking back and forth in a renewed attempt to break free. It would be dangerous for predators to find him like this. It would be dangerous for anyone but his own kind or his masters to find him like this.

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He liked storms, both for watching the scenery above and below the waters, and for riding the strong undersea currents the wind above affected even below the water. He had heard that a long time ago, it was possible for their kind to ride the waves on top as well, but nowadays humans and their devices were everywhere and it wasn't all that safe to do that any longer in most places. And now that his body could take the strong waves and winds, he went out as much as possible. 'Danger junkie', his friends had rolled his eyes at him, but Steve was enjoying himself too much to care.

Steve was careful otherwise, he didn't go out every storm. The last one had been a particularly violent one and the debris at the ocean floor had been stirred up more than usual. It would make good pickings afterwards but right now his eye was on the glint of metal he'd spotted from far off. As he swam closer, his eyes could see it was a fellow mer that had been pinned down by a metal beam. Steve swam faster then; who knows how long the poor mer had been pinned like that, and it was a wonder none of the larger predators like sharks had found him yet.

"Hold still until I can get it off of you!" He called out as he circled to a stop. The metal beam was a large one and with the way it had fallen he could see why the other mer couldn't shove it off of him. His old body wouldn't have been able to move it either but Steve knew he could do it now with now issues.

[disassembling]

He thrashed despite exhaustion of trying for the last hours to remove himself from the current predicament. He had stirred up more than enough sand around him but still remained trapped even as he clawed with his metal hand at anything that might prove leverage. Nothing ever did, yet his head jerked up at the call of a voice in the waters.

Another mer was approaching, one he didn't recognize. He shouldn't be seen, but there was little choice in the matter. He needed assistance to escape, and only that thought alone settled him to peer at the approaching merman. He looked up and gave one more thrash even as his flesh hand kept its death grip on the briefcase.

"What do I owe this kindness?"

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The strange mer looked wild and feral even without the metal arm. His eyes couldn't help be drawn to it; he has never seen anything like it before in his life, even with all the odd human things he's found floating around all these years of scavenging. Steve took note of the briefcase being clutched so tightly, then paid it no mind as he circled around the pinned mer, thinking about the best way to move it off of the damaged mer without causing any further damage.

Steve paused in his circling, eyes blinking in surprise at the question. "Nothing." He blurted out. "You don't owe me anything for helping you." He settled on an angle and begins to wiggle his fingers underneath the metal as to get a firm grip on it. "And don't move, alright? I don't want to accidentally drop this on your head. You're very lucky this didn't do that in the first place."

[disassembling]

There was no act of kindness without repayment. That had been drilled into him for as long as he remembered; it was what kept him only focusing on missions. He did not spend time with his own kind much save those under experimentation, generally for translation of their singing calls. He settled as he was circled, having to lift and turn his head to watch the other mer closely for signs of treachery.

"Hurry up," he demanded, going very still so as not to impede the efforts here. He watched carefully what the other mer was doing, ready and willing to move suddenly to avoid being crushed or damaged further. His metal shoulder was the only thing that had saved him previously.

[windowbuster]

"Have and be kind." Steve mother had told him often and Steve had tried his best to follow it. It had earned him friends and admiration aplenty in his community. He saw no reason not to help now, even if the person he was helping didn't seem particularly grateful. Then again, the other mer might just be in a bad mood from being trapped like that. He dug his fingers in until he felt he had a good grip, then heaved it up and away from the strange mer.

"There we go." He said cheerfully as he let the metal beam drop away from the two of them. "You alright? Nothing broken or hurt?"

[disassembling]

The Soldier squirmed and thrashed out from under the beam as soon as it was lifted enough for him to move, and he threw up sand from the bottom he had been trapped upon as he righted himself. He still had the briefcase clutched in his hand but the other was probing at his shoulders to make certain that the damage was not anything that would require immediate attention. Bruising, significant amounts of it and some scrapes, but otherwise, he could carry on with the mission.

He shook himself off in the water and looked at the cheerful blond that had come to his rescue. He owed that one, didn't he? "Nothing I can't handle." He cleared his gills and blew a few bubbles before adding softly, "thanks for helping me."

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Of course this one couldn't wait until he had the beam completely free and clear but as he was half expecting it, Steve wasn't thrown by the sand that was thrown up. Steve's eyes flickered to the briefcase again and wondered just what was so important in it that the other mer hadn't let go of it, not even for a moment.

"Are you sure you're alright? That looks painful...I know a healer who can look a it?" The beam was heavy and big, if it was him even in this stronger body he'd be in pain for at least a day or so. Steve smiled broadly at the softly added thanks and trilled back a gentle 'your welcome.'

[disassembling]

"No, I will be healed when I finish my mission," he replied and then found himself momentarily stunned by the radiance of that smile. No one smiled at him like that, and he stared at the blond as if uncertain what to do with the expression aimed at him. "Should you be out in the disturbed waters? Most of our kind take refuge."

Was this one alone? Family units and clans tended to stay together in upset seas like this.

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"Mission?" Steve asked in spite of himself. He leaned forward as the other mer stared at him, until they were so close their noses are almost touching. He was tempted to wave a hand in front of the other mer's eyes but was then distracted by the question. "Oh, I'm fine. I like it right now, right after a storm. It's fun and there's all sorts of interesting new things to find," Steve answered cheerfully. The clan was used to his antics by now and didn't have too much to say in admonition, only a reminder here and there to be careful.

"What about you? If I shouldn't be out, neither should you."

[disassembling]

His mission was no one's business but between himself and his masters. He frowned at the question and slowly began to move in the water to stretch out his shoulders, but the pain in them was increasing and numbing his fingers. He would need care sooner than later, but he was reluctant to leave the other mer so quickly after meeting for some reason. "So you're here to treasure hunt all the items drawn into the sea?""

He bristled at the insinuation that another mer could tell him what to do. "I was deployed. Shouldn't you mind yourself?" Perhaps a little rudeness would drive the smiling trilling blond off?

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"Sometimes." Steve answered cheerfully, undaunted by the rude behaviour from the other mer. "Other times it's just to ride the currents and the waves." He'd gotten good at it and the few times the currents were strong enough to overwhelm him and taken him to new places he'd always been able to find his way back without too much trouble.

Steve was concerned about the stiffness the other mer was showing though by the way he was rolling his shoulders. The word 'deployed' was also setting off warning bells inside his head. He ignored the suggestion he should mind himself; nosiness has always been his weakness, though he'd call it curiosity instead. "Do you want to come back with me? I know someone who can take a look at your injuries."

[disassembling]

He was far more used to people and mers alike fearing him or at least giving him a wide respectful berth in all things. He stared at the blond who seemed intent to have some kind of conversation with him as to the reason to be out in the currents. "I shouldn't keep you from that then," he remarked pointedly.

He undulated his tail and began to move out into the strong currents slowly, his shoulders making the motions stiff. He couldn't remember when he had associated with a group of his own kind. "I have a package to drop off." That being the briefcase still in his deathgrip. He swam slowly, making little progress but using it as an excuse as a 'warm up' for more aggressive swimming.

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Others might be afraid or at the very least wary at the sight of the wild looking mer with the metal arm, but not Steve. Instead he was fascinated, never having met anyone like the other mer before. "Don't worry you're not." He answered cheerfully, with a cheeky look in his eyes. "I can swim and talk at the same time just fine."

He wasn't really all THAT curious about the briefcase, or so he told himself. HE WAS. He was more worried that the other mer will collapse someplace. The currents were still stronger than usual thanks to the storm that had only passed a an hour or two earlier and progress that slow will not get him moving anywhere soon. Steve swam a bit ahead easily before rolling so that he was facing the other mer, his motions smooth and elegant compared to the stiff movements the other mer was displaying. "Also not stopping you."

[disassembling]

This was a persistence merman, clearly willing to follow him as he struggled against the constantly changing currents that were responding to the wind that still raged above them at the surface. He had no choice but to follow in the blond's wake, Steve's body cutting through the water and providing him a slightly easier time as he forced his body to endure.

"You talk a lot," he remarked with a growl. He was still thrown around a bit in the water, but he was starting to make head way towards the shoreline, which was many miles off. He narrowed his eyes and huffed, ducking his head and pushing through the water. "You don't have to follow me either."

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Stubborn was his other name, according to friends. Steve told himself it was justifiable concern for the other mer, seeing him struggling in the currents that he himself was having no problems with, and was sure that normally would be no problems for the other mer had he hadn't been injured by the fallen beam. So he had every reason to hang around some more, no matter how growly the other mer was being. It was kind of cute actually.

"Not especially. Maybe it's just you who brings it out?" He responded cheekily, doing another unnecessary twirl in the water. "And have you considered I might just be going in the same direction as you are? A happy coincidence?" Steve WAS wondering where the other mer was going. There wasn't any other mer clans in that direction, so far as Steve was aware. Only humans in their dwellings on land close to the shore.

[disassembling]

There was no pausing in completing a mission, even if he was grossly delayed because of being trapped. It still meant that he had to show up, to hand off the necessary items and accepting punishment for his tardiness, even if it was beyond his control. He struggled through the currents still, single-minded in his intensity to push through the pain he was in, putting more effort in.

"I have my doubts you are going to land-based civilization," he replied, glancing suspiciously at the blond. It seemed highly unlikely, given that what he remembered was that the clans avoided detection as much as possible. "Go back looking for treasure."

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"Of course not. Humans are..." Steve's answer was derailed as his mind caught up to the implications of what the other mer had just said. "But you are. You're going to humans to..." His eyes flickered to the briefcase still tightly clutched in the other mer's hands. "That briefcase is for them. You work with humans?!?" Steve's voice sounded like a mixture of horror and shock. He couldn't imagine any clan allowing this, not even his own, and his clan was considered one of the more open ones. It was just too dangerous; there have always been stories of humans doing awful things to mers they've caught.

He certainly can't go back to looking for treasure NOW.

[disassembling]

He watched the other mer as he struggled against the mixed currents, heading towards the shoreline without caring how it might appear. He curled a lip, exposing a hint of sharp teeth at the accusation, even if it was plainly true. His masters demanded that he bring this treasure to them, and he performed on their order.

"You should get well away from me. They won't hesitate with good fortune should another of my kind were to surface with me."

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Steve kept up easily with the other mer, his body moving on automatic even as his thoughts swirled around his mind frantically. He ignored the bared teeth even as his flared instinctively in response. "But why?" He demanded, baffled at why would any mer would work willingly with humans, especially since these ones don't seem like the type to treat one well. "You don't have to go back. You can stay here, out of reach." Human couldn't reach them easily so far down in the deep after all, not often and not with the aid of machines or clumsy gear.

[disassembling]

This mer was annoyingly persistent when he had made all of his warnings and intentions clear. The flare was as good as a reaction he had managed, and he glared as he tried to put some distance between them, but the other could keep up with him easily.

"No, I can't. I have to go back," he replied coldly, shifting his grip on the briefcase and pulling it closer to his body in an attempt to stream line his form. "I don't expect you to understand. Now go away. You following me will only end in pain for you."

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Steve was well aware he was being pest but this was just to wrong for him to let go. Just what was in the briefcase that the other mer was retrieving for humans didn't matter any more, just that he was doing it. And all the warnings about pain being in store for him if he followed only convinced Steve that whoever these humans were, they're not treating the dark haired mer well.

"Well, since you're not explaining anything, I don't see how I could understand. I can be very very stubborn." Stranger or not, Steve wasn't the type to let anything he sees walk willingly into pain and suffering for no reason.

[disassembling]

"I work for them," he finally clarified, which was the simplest explanation and also the least confusing. It wasn't entirely the truth either, but he could see no other way to convince the other mer to leave him to his mission. He was not about the risk another of his kind to be captured and enslaved, even if it was difficult to mentally call himself that.

"I'm not in physical condition to fight you or drive you off, so I expect you to be gone before we hit the shallows of your own volition."

[windowbuster]

That really didn't clarify much for Steve; he already guessed he other mer worked for humans. What he wanted was details, the whys and the hows. Maybe then he could understand and make his arguments on why the other mer should get himself away as far and quick as possible.

"That doesn't explain anything at all." Steve complained even as he continued to swim, matching the other mer's slower pace. "I know how to hide from humans, thank you very much."

[disassembling]

He turned his head to regard the other mer still diligently keeping up with him, and even with his continual struggling, he had to admire some of that tenacity. It annoyed him too but he respected it too. Chasing off this particular specimen was going spectacularly. Normally it only took saying that he worked for humans to get a snub and a hiss of insult for his apparent life choices.

"And they know how to catch merfolk," he replied coldly. "I have a time limit; if I haven't made contact at that limit, they will come to find me after paralyzing me. If they don't come fast enough, I drown." There was way more to it than that, but it was the basics.