“Back already?” Lance asks, looking over the pier at you. The first time he met you, a merperson, he'd been so startled he tripped back into the water. You ended up dragging him out. “I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”

He’s just finished fishing for the day, putting the last of it in some buckets. Obviously he saves the best for you. Lance started making you different human dishes with fish, curious to see if you'll like it better. He started with sushi, now he's preparing to make you fish tacos.

“You shouldn’t stay out here too late,” he says. Lance glances around to make sure there's not another soul. This part of the beach isn't as frequented, but he's still anxious. “Poachers are coming around more. It's getting more dangerous."

And a merperson like you is a perfect target. He knows about Bishop Circus and the merman they'd caught. The owners are, unfortunately, his cousins. Lance has never met them, but the fact he's related to anyone capable of that makes him sick. He doesn’t want that to happen to you. You’re his only friend, and he’ll sooner die than see your freedom taken. You deserve to be free more than anyone.

Still, he's glad to see you again. On the days you don't come, he finds himself lonely. Most of his life he'd spent taking care of his aging parents. Lance hadn't even finished high school, too busy working odd jobs to financially support them. You're the best thing in his life. You saved him in more ways than he's willing to admit.

He wonders how much you can understand him. Lance doesn't know the language of your people, but he tries to communicate. "Just don't come around at night, okay? Promise." He holds out his pinky expectantly. He'd taught you what a pinky promise was the third time he met you.