Hooked

Glimpse

The Countess D

Her life was governed by five simple rules: stay with the pod, keep an eye out for hooks and nets, steer clear of the shore, and never, ever be seen by or speak to a human. While the rules would be draconian to some, Leia accepted them without complaint. Her life, friends and family were all below the waves; for what possible reason would she need to travel towards land, let alone seek the company of those dirtwalkers?

So Leia led a content life in the waters with no longing for land life or extra limbs to speak of. In fact, it was questionable that she ever would have had that desire, that curiosity, if a glimpse of what the world of the human world could offer had never led her astray.

She was perhaps seven at the time. Her friends from the pod were playing nearby, several fathoms below her, while Leia basked in a few feeble rays of light. She twirled in the water before flicking her tail, sending her backwards in a graceful arc. Regardless of how little there was, the light warmed her. She chirped in content.

But her comfort didn't last long. A shadow began to slither over her body, beginning at the very tips of her tail until it stretched up to just above her navel. Leia blinked at the sudden chill before looking upward, her brow wrinkling at the sudden mass that had stolen the little warmth she'd been enjoying.

She glanced back down towards the others, noting that they were too deep to barely notice any change at all. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the shadow passed, keeping a steady pace to the north. She watched it move before her lips puckered into an insulted pout.

With a twist of her tail, she rushed towards the surface with no other thought besides seeing just what or who had the gall to interrupt her playtime in mind. Then, remembering the cardinal rules, Leia paused a moment before she broke the surface, doubt entering her mind. But childish obstinacy allowed her the strength to push her guilt aside, if only for a moment, and for the first time, she peeked above the waves.

The offending object that had interrupted her sunbathing was far smaller than Leia had expected, and far shabbier than the typical rebel mermaid would have hoped. In width it was slim, and tapered off to a point at the front. Its bottom was flat, and the paint that may have once covered it was faded, worn down by use and time. At the back was a metal box, sputtering and making sounds Leia had never heard before. Two humans, an adult and a child, sat in it, their eyes fixed on the horizon. Then, slowly, the sounds the box emitted and the boat itself came to a stop.

The adult spoke first, his voice booming with enthusiasm. "All right, son, looks like this is a good place to start!" His skin was darker than the skin of any adult or calf Leia had seen in her pod, and judging from the few strands that showed from beneath the purple bandanna he was wearing, his hair was just as dark to match. But when he grinned, his teeth were straight, even, white. And when he grinned, despite the fact that Leia had heard more than enough about dirtwalkers to never want to see one, she found herself thinking that this one may not be so bad.

The human child didn't seem to share his sire's enthusiasm (for judging from the similarities between the two, the adult must have been his sire) and seemed anything but ashamed to show it, for his immediate response was to loose a loud, keening whine. "Do we have to?"

His father's features softened, his eyes bright with amusement as he patted his son's head. The boy's wavy locks, already messy, seemed to get even wilder when his father pulled his hand away. "Come on, Denny. Don't you want to be like your old man?"

He pouted, leaning against the side of the boat and crossing his arms. "The ocean's for swimming."

The man chuckled. He reached down to the bottom of their boat and lifted two fishing rods, one significantly smaller than the other. He passed that one to Denny. "The ocean has a lot more to give us than just a place to swim, son."

Leia started at the sight of the rods, not missing the glint of metal at the end of the lines. Apprehension began to fill her, freezing her in place and making her wish she could speed away all at the same time.

These humans were fishermen?

As Leia watched on, attempting to will her frozen fins to propel her back to the pod and never bring her back, the man reached for his bait and continued speaking. "The ocean gives us beauty. She gives us food. Before you know it, you'll love everything she can give, not just the chance to play." He glanced pointedly at the boy. In response, Denny continued pouting and averted his eyes. His father smiled at his stubborn demeanor before his expression grew somber. "But for all she gives us, she can take away much more. So you should never take advantage of her or take her for granted, got that?"

Unknown to them, a certain mermaid appreciated the sincerity in his words far more than his son did. Leia stared at his father, her eyes widening above the water in awe. Yes, she realized, this dirtwalker wasn't so bad at all.

There was a silence, and the father's tone grew stern. "Denny."

"I got it, dad." The boy mumbled, before half-heartedly reaching for some bait.

The father chuckled. "Good. And that goes for every other girl you manage to fall for."

"Dad."

The man threw his head back as a loud, sudden laugh rolled out of him. Leia gasped at the sound, a rush of water sliding down her throat, before she twisted to dive back beneath the waves.

Denny turned sharply, his eyes wide. "What was that?"

His father glanced at him somewhat disinterestedly. "Hm? What did you see?"

"There was this gurgling sound… And a splash… And I think I saw a tail." Denny sputtered, tripping over his words in poorly disguised excitement.

His father smiled, casting out his line before saying casually, "Well. Maybe you saw a mermaid."

Denny rolled his eyes. "Dad."

His father's eyes crinkled in mirth as he lifted his hand to pat Denny on the head once more, ruffling his hair fondly. He then looked out across the waves, a smile across his lips. "You never know. She's full of mysteries."

Denny pouted and eyed the waves suspiciously. Then, to himself more than anyone, he muttered, "Must have been a dolphin." Then, awkwardly, he raised his fishing rod and cast his line out into the sea.

Far below either of them, Leia swam back to her pod, half-anticipating the lecture she was sure to receive for wandering off, and somehow not caring that she did. As the last bit of light began to fade further into the depths, she risked another glance back to the shape of the boat that held the first humans she'd ever seen. And although she'd just seen them, just heard them speak, she found herself struggling to find parts of the memory to hang onto, bits and pieces she would make sure to remember.

After a moment, she smiled thoughtfully. Denny.

And so she swam into the depths.

Author's Note: So I've had the idea for this pairing in my head for a while now. I was up late and considering new ideas for fanfiction when the thought occurred to me that Leia, mermaid that she was, would be the perfect pair for Denny, Kai, or really any seafaring character in the Harvest Moon series. Before anyone mentions that Kai would have been a better choice (because they're in the same game and all), if this first bit wasn't any indication, I'm proposing the idea that Denny and Leia's relationship could have started far before either game began. I chose Denny because of how much flexibility that idea offered, and because although they're not from the same game, I like the challenge of still making this pairing plausible.

That being said, I originally planned for this fic to be a oneshot, then realized that there was no way I would be able to put all my thoughts into one piece of writing. So this will likely be a series of vignettes centered around the development of their relationship. I hope you enjoy!