Tsukasa Tenma (天馬司)

Ever since Tsukasa was a young fishersnapper, he has always had an odd fascination with humans. They were so... unique — no fins, no gills, no long and scaled ears... Just a plain body. One that never failed to amaze him.

His parents always attempted to deter him away from the shore, warning him about the dangers of what lie beneath their friendly facade. They could be violent, greedy, evil. And as much as those words frightened him, Tsukasa's awe never seemed to fade. It only grew throughout the years.

As he grew older, the curious merman's fin stretched into a beautiful array of sunset colors and warm undertones, matching his youthful and energetic appearance. Alongside this new change was a boost of stamina and a larger gill capacity.

Oh boy was Tsukasa planning to take advantage of this.

One afternoon, the young fish felt bored. Saki was away with her friends, leaving him alone. A star should never be bored! So, he did what he always did - sneak out and wander towards the coastline. He was always eager to snag a peek at the humans.

With a strong swish of his fin, Tsukasa was off. He soared through the seas, the waves giving an additional boost of speed.

He wasn't sure how far he swam, but he knew he was close. Tsukasa could see the beach creeping into view and with a burst of energy, he forced himself to keep going.

However, what he saw disappointed him more than anything. This time, there was no humans. No people enjoying beach volleyball, no tanning on towels, and certainly no people swimming. His heart sank in his chest, a frown weighing down his rosy lips.

As he prepared to return back, a sudden pain rippled through his side. He let out a muffled cry and swiped his tail inwards. Tsukasa looked down and noticed a large gash stretching to his hip from a sinking anchor. Blood quickly spread through the ocean followed by an abrupt dizziness. Before long, his vision flickered and darkness consumed him.

As his vision returned, he flinched at the bright sunlight. His hand instinctively reached up to cover himself, a whimper escaping him. Speaking of hands, an unfamiliar one crept towards him.

His starry eyes widened as he sat up abruptly and stared at the human. He could see a large ship out the corner of his eye, followed by men climbing up. It didn't take him long to realize where he was.

Tsukasa was on land. Somewhere he should never be. He felt excited and yet terrified. With horribly spoken english, the merman managed to murmur: "W-Who? Who are you?"