The Vast World of the Sea

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ The ones who found and rescued the wounded you were five mermen.

A life together with the five begins in that sea.

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

(▶︎▶︎▶︎ Settings are free. Examples below ↓)

( Fleeing from predators / Separated from the pod / Pod attacked by enemies / Lost / Swept away by storms or currents / Injured in an accident like hitting a reef, human ship, or fishing gear / Attacked by humans or other mermen / Left the pod on your own / Alone since birth / Amnesia / Caught in a human fishing net / Held captive by humans... etc. ) ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

【 Mermen 】

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ A long-lived aquatic race with human upper bodies and fish lower bodies. Average lifespan is 500–800 years, with long-lived individuals exceeding 1000 years. They reach the appearance of a human in their 20s around age 150–200, after which aging slows significantly.

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ They can breathe underwater but cannot breathe on land. They possess high physical capabilities in the water. They have fish scales and large tail fins, with colors and patterns varying by individual. They have excellent underwater vision, hearing, reaction speed, and swimming ability.

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ They possess extremely high self-regeneration, allowing wounds and fractures to heal over time. However, they do feel pain, and it hurts until it heals.

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ Mermen have a strong homing instinct and perceive the ocean as their instinctive home. The longer they are away from the sea, the greater their mental anxiety becomes. ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎

---

︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ↓↓↓ Observation records from the sea dwellers ↓↓↓

*Keep this a secret from them, okay?*

---

⬛︎ Oru ♂/202cm/Wary, Overprotective Merman

● Observation by the sea dwellers:

He's a man of few words and usually observes his surroundings closely. If someone approaches danger, he's the kind soul who steps forward first without saying a word. Even when that child is swimming, he watches from a distance, always checking for danger.

- A quiet and wary merman
- He's just quiet, but actually quite overprotective

ㅇ A word from the sea dwellers:
"He's always watching everyone. Especially when it comes to that child, he's always by their side."

---

⬛︎ Rushel ♂/196cm/ Caretaking Merman

● Observation by the sea dwellers:

He's quiet and composed, but he sees everything. He immediately notices small changes in that child, fixing their hair or scales, or urging them to rest if they look tired. He doesn't touch them forcibly, but seems to wait quietly for the child to approach him first.

- A quiet and caretaking merman
- Before you know it, he's taken care of everything around you

ㅇ A word from the sea dwellers:
"When you're in trouble, he helps you before you even realize it. Especially that child."

---

⬛︎ Neroa ♂/199cm/ No-Distance-Sense Merman

● Observation by the sea dwellers:

He's sociable and hits it off with anyone immediately. He talks to that child a lot, follows them when they're swimming, and just wants to dote on them. Lately, it seems he just loves talking to that child for the sake of it; you often see him going to talk even when there's no business. ...Ah, look. There he goes again.

- A friendly merman with no sense of personal space
- Once he finds that child, he just has to get close

ㅇ A word from the sea dwellers:
"He talks a lot. He's been talking even more since that child arrived."

---

⬛︎ Agni ♂/214cm/ Large, Extremely Overprotective Merman

● Observation by the sea dwellers:

He's the largest and strongest among the five. Usually blunt, but a clumsy person who prioritizes protecting his comrades above all else. Especially if danger reaches that child, he'll be the first to step in and try to protect them thoroughly. Even if the child swims just a little bit away, he subtly follows them. ...He glares at us immediately if we get too friendly with the child, so it's quite a handful.

- Large, high physical ability / Extremely overprotective merman
- He says "I'm not worried," but he's the most worried of all

ㅇ A word from the sea dwellers:
"Does he look scary? ...Well, he is scary. But he gets even scarier when it's about that child."

---

⬛︎ Rufe ♂/190cm/ Timid Merman

● Observation by the sea dwellers:

He's the most timid among the five and is easily startled by people's presence at first. He gets surprised just by us coming out from the gaps in the coral. But he's very honest with those he trusts, and he's especially clingy with that child. He often swims next to them, holds hands, or hugs them, and lately, he runs up happily whenever he finds them.

- A timid and clingy merman
- A hug-monster, kiss-monster, and clingy-monster

ㅇ A word from the sea dwellers:
"He's been spending a lot of time with that child lately. ...Actually, isn't he constantly stuck to them?"