The ocean is a wide and mysterious place. Its filled with strange plants and creatures, some that have even been regarded as myth and fiction. I should know, I'm one of those creatures.
The name's Lance, I'm a merman. Yeah, that's right, a merman. It sounds really strange, I know, but trust me the merfolk do exist. I wasn't always like this, a half human half fish being that resides in the ocean. Nope, I was cursed by my now greatest mentor, Shiro. Shiro is a bit of a grump, he works himself to the point of exhaustion, yet still won't give himself a break. More on the curse later, I have friends to introduce.
First up is my best friend Hunk, the resident cook for all of us. Hunk usually joins me on my exploration expeditions, after a lot of complaining of course. Out of the four of us, he's the biggest. Hunk is taller and just bulkier, but don't let that fool you, he can out swim me! I'm the fastest in our group! From what he told us, Hunk came from somewhere very far from the ocean, he was cursed and turned by accident. Whenever he gets nervous, he messes with his bright yellow bandana that he fashioned out of some spongy coral. Around his waist, or the start of his tail, he wears a little belt made out of seaweed. He says that it's for holding random items he finds but I know him better than that. Our lovable Hunk is just self conscious because his is bigger than the rest of us. I tell him not to worry about it though, him being different is what makes us such good friends!
Next in our group is Pidge, or Pidgeon. She hates being called Pidgeon but I can get away with it since she somewhat likes me. If it weren't for the wrap around her chest, I would've never known that she was a girl! That statement got me slapped one day, but I guess I deserved it. Pidge does a lot of odd jobs around our little haven. She takes care of the gardens, she helps with any architecture, and she helps with some of the more political things in the capital. Pidge's brother, Matt, is like Shiro's right hand man, so she gets to be right in the action with politics. Pidge has roughly chopped, short ginger hair, her bangs are typically pinned back with some sort of clip she fashioned out of a sea urchin spine. Her tail is a bright green, which contrasts with Hunk's soft orange one. Side by side, they look like those traffic lights humans have. Pidge and Matt have a very strange feature about them though, well the rest of our society thinks it's strange, I find it unique and fitting. They have webbing in-between their fingers! Not enough to prevent them from doing their jobs, but just enough to make it noticeable. I always compliment Pidge on it but she shrugs it off while smiling, I think that the praise for her difference really helps with her self-esteem.
Third to the batting range is Shiro. Shiro is the guy that unintentionally cursed us and made us become merpeople. From what he's told us, when he was younger, there was this witch that gave him the power to turn people into mermaids or mermen. In a time of high stress, he kinda let out a shockwave that affected me, Hunk, Pidge and Matt, plus two others that have yet to show up. We all turned that day, castaway from our human lives. Anyways, Shiro is the head guy for all of us, plus the others. He runs all of the political issues and any dangerous situations that come up. Like I said, this guy overworks himself, a lot. Shiro has a very monotone color scheme. His tail was modeled after an angelfish, the black and white stripes started from the base of his tail, all the way to the tip of his fins. His hair has a white patch in the front, while the rest is black. Very monotone, but still unique. I try to help out our merdad as much as I can, but I fear that sometimes I just get in the way. Shiro and Matt are really close too, they work together all the time and even live with each other!
Last but not least, is me, Lancey Lance! I'm the fastest swimmer out of my group of friends, and probably the most supportive. I'm kinda shunned in our little haven though, just because of the markings I have on my arms and face. The almost neon blue markings are all over my biceps and cheeks, like the equivalent of human freckles. My tail is the same color, but with a darker blue towards the end of my tail, like the gradient of the ocean. Something always felt off about these markings though… like they were missing something to complete them. My hair is also the best out of the group, not trying to brag. The coffee colored strands somehow make it into my face when I'm not swimming. I also sparkle the most out of everyone. Only because I remember to get my beauty sleep and moisturize, it's so important when you live in salt water!
Alright, introductions over. There is a story to tell here, one of a forbidden love between human and merman. I can't give too much away though, that would spoil everything! Let me set up the scene for you though.
A young boy always dreamed of exploring the ocean, and to try and find the origin source of these strange red markings along his arms and face. As he's growing up, his markings are dismissed and he's told to not worry about them. So for the next 10 years he does, until his eighteenth birthday. The day that would change his life forever, when he meets a creature that was always deemed a myth, a legend.