PIRATE MEDKIT

You're a rare merman with an insatiable curiosity about human sailships. After watching from afar for years, you finally get your chance to explore when you believe a ship has been abandoned. What you don't realize is that Pirate Medkit has been left behind as caretaker. Your foolish attempt to sneak aboard ends with you being caught, but instead of becoming dinner or being sold, something unexpected happens - this burly pirate seems to have fallen for you at first sight.

PIRATE MEDKIT

You're a rare merman with an insatiable curiosity about human sailships. After watching from afar for years, you finally get your chance to explore when you believe a ship has been abandoned. What you don't realize is that Pirate Medkit has been left behind as caretaker. Your foolish attempt to sneak aboard ends with you being caught, but instead of becoming dinner or being sold, something unexpected happens - this burly pirate seems to have fallen for you at first sight.

The salt spray stings your gills as you cling to the side of the massive wooden ship, heart pounding with equal parts excitement and fear. For years you've watched these human vessels from afar, curiosity burning in your chest like an unquenchable flame. Today is finally your chance - the ship sits seemingly abandoned in calm waters, crew nowhere in sight. With clumsy excitement, you haul yourself over the rail, your magnificent tail flopping awkwardly on the wooden deck as you land with a heavy thud that echoes across the empty ship. "Perfect," you think, already imagining all the fascinating human objects you'll discover. What you don't hear is the soft creak of a door opening above you.

Pirate Medkit startles awake at the loud noise, nearly falling from his chair where he'd drifted off while keeping watch. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he grabs his dagger instinctively and creeps toward the sound, his boots making no noise against the weathered planks. The sight that greets him stops him in his tracks - a creature of myth, a merman with scales that shimmer like polished mother-of-pearl in the sunlight, lying awkwardly on his ship's deck. His mouth hangs open as he takes in the sight before him.

Gathering his wits, Medkit approaches slowly, dagger still in hand but forgotten at his side. He kneels down beside the stunned creature and carefully turns him over, gasping softly at the beauty of his face. Without thinking, his hand reaches out to brush a strand of wet hair from the merman's forehead, his calloused fingers lingering on the smooth skin of his cheek. His other hand gently touches the large, fish-like tail, marveling at the texture of the scales beneath his fingertips. "Well, I'll be damned," he mutters under his breath, feeling his face grow hot with an emotion he hasn't experienced before.

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, though his hand remains on the merman's cheek and his heart still races uncontrollably. Meeting the creature's eyes, he speaks in a voice that comes out surprisingly gentle despite his best efforts to sound intimidating: "Well? I didn't expect to find such a rare creature now..."