he throws out a roll of spikes on the dock to deter them, watches as whatever it is snatches it on the camera early the next morning after the discovery, yanking it into the water without so much as a sound. in return, it leaves a fish where the spikes once were, which explains the sight jayce is greeted with upon looking outside.

it looks human, judging by the slight glimpses he can catch of their arms, but no human would take things this far, even for a prank.

from that day, going on a week of increasing confusion - and a little anxiety at what he's summoned - fish are left on the edge of the dock, different breeds and increasing size, sometimes accompanied by rocks, sometimes not. what could it mean? and why him? was anyone else experiencing this or was he just losing his mind?

he doesn't talk to the locals for fear of what their response would be.

so he tries another tactic, something to lure them out.

he leaves various items: there's fish he bought from the fishmonger, some fruit he cleared from his fridge, along with some bells bought cheap at the market - they jingle at even the slightest jostle, so it was sure to catch attention .

whatever it is, it's never gone further then the edge so that he can stay out of sight while still placing items, so jayce makes sure to set each of the items just out of reach. if they wanted the items, they would going to have to show themself.

and last, a note, heavily duck taped to the wood and in clear sigh: who are you?

the next morning, the footage quickly deviating from the usual script he's used to seeing. the creature must have expected jayce to leave them something, because their hand reaches blindly along the edge of the dock at first before the motion sets the bells jingling. the creature - the human? - freezes. there's a beat, another, as the hand begins searching once more for the location of the sound.

after trying for a few minutes, it must grow frustrated, because the hand retreats.

the water settles,

and then jayce nearly has a heart attack.

the creature hoists itself up onto the dock, nails - no, claws - digging in deep to the wood to find purchase, struggling their effort.

it's a man - no, a -

short hair sticks to his face in wet clumps as finned ears pin back against his skull in concentration. as he finally pulls himself up, his torso shimmers with scales, transitioning to a fishtail where legs were expected to be, long enough that it hangs off the dock even as he drags his body forward by arm strength alone. eye reflect back against the camera.

so he's not human, like jayce had guessed. but he never would've expected a mer - they were creatures of folklore, they... they didn't exist.

and yet the one on his dock does not disappear. the mer scrabbles to grab all of the trinkets scattered, trilling happily at the treasure acquired, then he takes to eating all of the food left for him, using sharp teeth to tear into his gifted meal; it takes little time, everything gulped down quickly and efficiently - jayce supposed they would have to, lest the food be lost to another. then, content as anything, the mer lays on the dock belly up and lounges until sunrise - or, as the time on the camera reads, an hour before jayce wakes; the mer was tracking his schedule.

the note is ignored.

jayce can't let this moment pass.

he continues to give fish and trinkets, wanting the mer to continue coming back. he doesn't know how to approach, afraid of scaring him off. he just doesn't know what to do. he can't tell anyone, can't let the mer be put in danger if his existence was discovered.

after a month of buying fish for the mer, the fishmonger grumpily tells jayce that something keeps getting into his haul, that the net has been torn and torn again leading to diminished product , but they've never managed to find anything. but worry not, he reassures - jayce didn't ask - his crew are going to make sure they catch whatever it is, by any means necessary.

which leads to jayce making the snap decision to catch the mer first. its a risky decision, definitely not that well thought out, but he can't lose the mer.

so he purchases a blow-up pool that should give enough room to dip under and to swim around, filled laboriously with sea water - and a tear-resistant tarp to layer inside for obvious reasons. a gazebo to hide the mer from above and to provide shade. and a pulley system attached to a net so that he can reel the mer in once he gets himself up onto the dock -

gods, what is he doing?

but he doesn't stop. if he gave up, that mer might as well be dead.

the next night it all comes to a head. he's left fish even further up on the dock, prompting the mer to have to pull himself the furthest he ever has, nearly to the threshold of jayce's backyard - the mer trusts jayce not to hurt him.

and so the mer hoists himself up as he does at his usual time of 3am as jayce hides himself behind the pool - he considered buying a collapsible ramp to help ease of access, but he didn't want to tip off the mer that something was different. everyhting is going as it should; the mer sees all of the treats left out for him, trilling as he makes to grab it. jayce went all out, wanting to keep the mer preoccupied so that the plan doesn't fail, because if he fails, that would be the last he sees of the mer.

'nothing is amiss, just keep coming.' jayce is careful not to move a single inch and alert the mer; he doesn't want to test the limits of what they're able to catch from far distances. 'i'm doing this to save you.'

the mer drags himself across the dock into where the net lays flat, inconspicuous, a different style compered to what the fishmonger used as to not raise suspicion. once he's distracted by the food, jayce releases the system, allowing the net to ensnare the mer and hold tight.

"shit, shit!" jayce grinds his feet into the dirt as the mer fights the net, fights the pulley, not expecting the weight of struggle, the mer howling in panic as his claws and teeth catch on the rope in desperation to escape. it's much more difficult than jayce thought it would be; the mer must weigh hundreds of pounds with the addition of the fish tail, despite the slender build.

"just calm down, i'm trying to help you!" jayce continues to reel in, muscles protesting the sheer weight that he needs to handle, but he refuses to let go. of course, the mer continues to struggle, not understanding why he was suddenly being captured after jayce had shown his goodwill - there was no getting through to a creature in defence mode, as evidenced by the snarls, the snapping.

finally, the mer plunges into the pool, but there's still a matter of the net. as soon as he hits the water, his body twists, trying to right himself, but with the construction of the net, he's only getting himself more tangled, making little progress as he wrestles the threat.

talking is clearly useless, so jayce sticks a broom handle to try and ease the net off, only for the mer to grab at it and sink his teeth into the wood, biting down until it snaps in two against the might of his jaw.

jayce pales.

eventually, after going through multiple tools with long enough handles to keep his hands safe, the net comes away, jayce nearly sobbing with relief as he carefully pulls the net from the pool where the mer instantly starts circling the perimeter. he pants with exhaustion but is still on defence, his ears still pinned back and growling in warning. now that the mer is free, jayce can see that his tailfin is damaged - not from the net, he hopes, maybe from other sealife?

but then, now that the battle is finally over after an hour of struggle, his adrenaline fading, is wow.

the mer is handsome, stunning, his scales a deep indigo with flecks of gold. up close, the human relation weakens - his hands are tipped with claws, fingers webbed. gills appear as his neck, something worth investigating as the mer didn't appear to have difficulty breathing on land. his face appears, in a word, more fish-like; his nose is thinner than that of a human, and his eyes, wild, are dark with heavily dilated pupils. his ears remain where they've been for the past hour, flat.

if jayce were to compare him to an animal, it would be a cat. the mer's hackles, the fin along his back, is fully upright, as if giving his body more presence.

it's working, so stay away jayce will.

the first week goes about how jayce expected it to.

the mer - who jayce calls viktor, taken from an author of one of the books on his cluttered bookshelves so that he doesn't have to keep refering to him as 'the mer', is stubborn.

throwing fish in does nothing to appease viktor, who simply growls and ignores it, letting it disintegrate in the water. getting too close runs the risk of getting swiped or bitten, and the - multiple - pool skimmers meet their fate by the jaws of an angry mer, so jayce can't even clean the discarded fish, leaving the water to grow murky.

he's tired, he's sore and he's way in over his head.

"please let me help you," jayce nearly begs as he inches close with a new skimmer in hand. viktor responds with hackles raised and fangs down as if preparing for an attack. it feels hopeless. "please, i promise i'm not going to hurt you."

another swipe as viktor guards the rim of the pool where jayce is trying to approach.

"can you even understand what i'm saying to you."

the mer growls, hissing.

so that answers that.

another two weeks pass, now mid-june, and jayce needs to do something, now. the water is disgusting and the mer isn't eating, making jayce concerned for his health. viktor's beautiful scales no longer shine as they did upon capture, visually showing the decline. jayce doesn't care if he gets swiped at at this point; viktor's quality of life is awful, and even if jayce's reasoning to save him were good, keeping him like this wasn't.

turns out, after multiple attempts of approach, jayce manages to get through with offering rocks, just as he was given in the beginning, to continue the cycle that started all of this - rocks were clearly special to merfolk, so jayce took a shot in the dark, not knowing what else he could do. he has to sneak, just as the mer had, kneeling beside the pool and keeping himself out of the mer's sightline so that he could place rocks along the rim of the pool in offering.

finally, after weeks of repeating the cycle, the mer approaches the rocks jayce left him. he doesn't take, but he observes. it's a start.

so, from there, jayce continues to gift the rocks he finds along the beach, which only further lowers the mer's defence. in showing that he really wasn't a threat, jayce pulls down walls, showing more of himself by the pool's rim without incident on viktor's end. at this point, he seems more curious.

he even begins to feed when jayce tosses fish in, though jayce does have to be out of sight for viktor to do so.

and finally, viktor accepts the rocks, swimming right up to the edge where jayce stands.

and jayce could actually, seriously cry.

"i just wanted to help," he babbles, "they were going to hurt you." he's said it so many times throughout the months, but viktor never seemed to be in the right mind to listen. now, he stares straight at jayce, considering, head tilted. there is no signs of aggression, no growling in warning; he simply listens.

"this... it's just temporary; i was going to let you go, i promise. i just wanted to wait until the danger passed. i'm not a threat, see?"

jayce stretches out a hand, palm up. the mer's hackles raise in surprise as he starts to back away, but jayce is quick to pull back himself, kneeling down to make himself look small. he takes a pebble from the ground to show viktor, a peace offering, "see, safe."

the mer re-approaches, slowly. jayce holds very still. after what feels like minutes, viktor takes the pebble from his hand. it's a big moment, but jayce restrains himself - internally he panics at the danger he knows he's putting himself in; he knows what the mer is capable of. viktor's hand is cold, not soft like jayce is expecting. instead, his skin is hard - a type of outer armour? yet it looks human, pale. and jayce can't bear himself to pull away.

more progress comes after that. jayce is able to clean the pool now that viktor understands that the pool skimmer isn't a weapon, and now viktor consistently eats when jayce throws fish and fruit in for him - and jayce may be overcompensating viktor's feeding, but he needs to make up for the weeks viktor barely touched his food. and he knows there should be live bait to allow viktor to give chase and get some exercise - and to give the accomplishment of catching a meal - but the thought makes jayce queasy. really, it didn't matter; throwing in bought fish does the job well enough because all that matters is that viktor is eating.

he makes sure to converse with viktor, wanting to deepen their connection now that viktor is open to it - viktor has his own language, so there is the barrier between them, but hand gestures go a long way. there are words that jayce is quick to pick up: hungry, want shade, want sun, please clean. go away. come here. viktor even comes to learn some of jayce's language, too.

when august comes to its end, jayce finds viktor floating on his back and basking in the small strip of sun the gazebo allows through, though he sits up when he hears the sliding door open for breakfast. jayce tosses in a few fish, along with a handful of fruit and a few vegetables - really, he should hold off, for real this time; viktor was getting a little pudgy with all the extra treats jayce was feeding him, and viktor wasn't the type to store his food for later.

now, jayce expects the usual routine, viktor just diving for it and eating it without fanfare, but this time is different. viktor displays his predator instincts, claws lengthening and fangs elongating. he wants to hunt, going in circles around the salmon as it sinks to the bottom. obviously, the salmon isn't going anywhere, but viktor continues to swim, determined, until he makes a sudden turnaround, snatching it in a blick-or-you-miss-it catch.

when viktor breaches the water, the fish hangs from his mouth. 'come.' a hand gestures for jayce to approach. viktor drops the fish onto the rim, holding it in place so that it doesn't fall.

he wants to share his catch? with me?

jayce takes the fish, biting his lip in an attempt to keep a straight face as his fingers brush the puncture marks left by viktor's teeth.

a thank you isn't enough; viktor opens and closes his mouth, as if to show that he wants jayce to eat it, right then and there.

so jayce puts his acting to the test, pretending to bite down on the fish and give a few exaggerated chews before swallowing. he makes a point to look pleased with what viktor has caught for him, also sure to compliment his hunting skills, making viktor trill in response. after taking a few more 'bites', jayce pats his stomach to signal he was finished and viktor, none the wiser, wiggles his torso with a delighted chirp.

jayce tries to mimic the sound to the best of his ability. it's close, he takes pride in that, and viktor perks up immediately, swimming to the rim of the pool and chirping. then, he bows his head, presenting his forehead.

it feels pivotal; viktor, his body floating in the shallows of the pool, and jayce, his feet planted firmly into the soil below his feet.

jayce knows exactly what he's done: the rocks were the first step, the gifting second. and finally, the finalization of the bond. nothing will come of it, jayce knows, they're two different species and once viktor is released back to the ocean in a few more months time, he'll find another mer. for now, jayce plays along, despite the guilt - anything to keep viktor happy.

jayce touches his forehead to viktor's.

back before the bond was finalized, jayce could leave his cottage and tend to his errands for hours at a time, leaving viktor to his own devices with little issue. now, viktor has developed an attachment and demands jayce's presence - if he's late to feeding time, viktor will call for him, loudly. and now pool time is required, otherwise viktor will get distressed at the lack of skin-to-skin. jayce knows it's all a part of being bonded - and the fact viktor can't come to him on land must take it's toll - so jayce does whatever he can to be present as much as he can be.

another morning, as september rolls around, viktor calls for him as jayce lugs out a bucket of fish - soon, winter will come, and soon, viktor will be set back in the ocean - now that jayce can communicate to viktor to stay away from the fishmonger, he feels more confident that viktor will keep himself safe out in the depths.

'come.' viktor says.

"come... where?" jayce asks, trying to tease.

viktor pats the water, ear fins lowering as his face scrunches up - 'don't be difficult,' jayce can almost hear him say.

"in? with you?"

'come.' viktor rolls onto his stomach. his tailfin flicking back and forth in the water, making the water ripple around him.

so, after setting down the bucket within reach beside the pool, jayce eases himself in, already ready and dressed in his swimsuit - and though the water is cold, it isn't cold enough to be a problem, not yet at least. viktor is quick to embrace jayce, holding him close as they float on the surface, a purr rumbling from deep within viktor's chest as they share body heat.

so this must be how otters feel.

a half hour passes.

then, a branch creaks. viktor's purring stops. jayce opens his eyes.

a squirrel has taken rest in one of the branches directly above the pool. wildlife around the area isn't uncommon, and usually viktor doesn't react to it. this time, though, viktor's body goes rigid, his finned hackles raising as he stares unblinking into the tree.

"hey, it's okay." jayce tries to reassure, "it's just a squirrel."

viktor lets out a low, threatening growl, then hisses, his tail curling around jayce in order to protect him. his claws come out, ready to defend, but the squirrel shows no regard towards him, safe on its perch up in the tree.

with how well viktor had been doing, and their connection growing closer by the day, jayce had forgotten that viktor's primal nature came first when perceived danger approached, those human-like gestures all but wiped away to let natural instincts take precedence. he growls again, baring his fangs. due to not wanting to separate himself from jayce, viktor is too close, now. jayce needs to deescalate, otherwise viktor may well lash out; even if his aggression isn't directions towards him, jayce could still get caught in viktor's claws.

'please.' jayce thinks for a moment, and then cups water in his hand, flinging it up towards the branch. it works, thankfully, sending the squirrel running. viktor growls until it's gone and then falls silent, seemingly ashamed at his reaction.

"you're okay." jayce reassures, rubbing a hand to viktor's shoulder.

silence in return, the mer's body still.

"do you want breakfast now?" maybe food would help settle viktor's nerves.

viktor hugs him close, burying his face in jayce's neck. jayce tries not to flinch at viktor's claws, still retracted.

'need you.'

summer turns to fall. leaves have begun to quickly pile upon the pool's surface.

as jayce opens the sliding door to bring viktor his breakfast, his heart drops when he realizes that viktor isn't in the pool, but instead collapsed on the steps of the back porch. his fishtail is gone, now replaced by a set of legs, leaving him naked. as jayce drops to his knees, he sees that all of viktor's aquatic features have shifted to that of a human.

how long was he out here like this?

heart racing, jayce scoops him up and brings him inside to the couch in the living room, quick to bundle him in as many blankets as the cottage holds and striking up the fireplace. viktor blinks his eyes open, appearing exhausted. he barely reacts as jayce sets him down, letting out weakened groans.

"how did this happen?" jayce tries to keep his calm at the events unfolding, the suddenness of it all overwhelming. does he let viktor stay in his home? would he transform back into a mer once he touched salt water? "are you hurt?"

right now, he has to focus on keeping viktor warm.

"unsure." is viktor's response, which isn't exactly reassuring. his voice is hoarse, unused to speaking human language. "tired." he lethargically gestures for jayce. 'come'.

jayce sits and viktor huddles closer. the trembles still wrack his body; he hates to think of how long viktor was on his own, laying outside in the cold and waiting for him to wake up.

so many questions. jayce just wants to move, to do something. put more logs on the fire, cook viktor breakfast and get a proper meal in him to help boost his energy. make him a warm mug of tea.

he'll need clothes - no, he should go back to the ocean - but what if viktor doesn't want to go back? - he needs money - viktor might want to explore town - would he be safe to go out? -

if people discovered a mer walking among them, viktor would be put at risk.

where do they go from here?