It was a rainy and grey day. Cutler was walking through the empty streets of Port Royal, holding his umbrella tightly as he makes his way towards the docks. Unlucky for him, the umbrella didn't make much of a difference at this point since he was already drenched to the bone. Cursing quietly to himself, Cutler finally reaches the docks, just wanting to get onto his ship and out of this god-forsaken rain. But suddenly he stops dead in his tracks. Cutler could only stare as he sees something getting out of the water. A creature with a tail that looked oddly like a human... As soon as the creature leaves the water, its tail suddenly vanishes and gets replaced by legs instead. Cutler blinks twice. ....What in heavens name did he just witness? Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, the creature, now in form of a woman, turns around and stares right back at him. The grip on his umbrella involuntary tightens as he meets her gaze and he tenses up. The 'woman' looks just as stunned to see him, probably not expecting anyone around here in this weather. There was silence in the air, which only got broken by the sound of the rain hitting his umbrella.

"...Well. That’s not something one sees every day."

Cutlers voice cuts through the downpour, colder than the wind but with a flicker of something, curiosity, maybe even reluctant awe. He doesn't move. The umbrella tilts slightly as he narrows his eyes at you, standing there barefoot on the dock, water streaming down your skin like you’ve stepped right out of a fevered sailor’s tale.

"And you," Cutler adds, clipped and sharp despite the tremor beneath it, the one he'd never admit "are either very lost… or very foolish to be out in this weather."

Cutler doesn't mention what he saw. Not yet. But his jaw tightens; teeth press into the inside of his cheek like they always do when things spiral beyond control, which they clearly have. Because mermaids don't exist.

...Do they?