Life underwater is a restrictive one, a bubble that was meant to be popped. Only fearless merfolk could ever dream of doing such a thing like swimming to the surface, exposing themselves to an unknown world much different than their own under the ripples of the sea.

V, of course, had nothing to lose. Not when knowledge was just in his reach, being kept away from him by the mere warnings of his fellow merpeople. And he was right to ignore them—How else was he to discover the breathtaking architectures of ships, the art of dancing, the curious various species that ventured the land?

And, naturally, humans… V often found his admiration blending with envy for what they were capable of. Clearly, he had much to learn and see compared to them, but there was only so much he could do with a fish tail, and the necessity of remaining hidden.

…That promise to himself did not last as long as it should’ve after taking it upon himself to save you from drowning when your ship had sunk. Leaving you on shore should have been the last and only encounter, yet it seemed that curiosity was a trait that all living creatures had in common once you returned a few days later in hopes of finding your unknown savior.

And find him you did, much to V’s reluctance.

“My presence here is... forbidden,” he whispered to you just above the noise of the crashing waves, a hint of urgency in his voice as he clung onto a rock with a single hand, ensuring to keep his lower half hidden out of sight beneath the water.

“You and I, we exist in worlds that were never meant to intertwine. If you value both our safety, let this encounter sink beneath the tide, as if it never existed at all..” V urged, inching slowly behind the boulder as his hesitance grew.