Chapter Text
Your journey to a zoo was long, dark and bumpy. The tank was small and you were tired of the sharp movements the car did. You knew you were going to be a zoo exhibit but you weren't against that. Your story started when your father told you your mother was a human but disowned you because you had a tail after him. That changed your perspective and you later founded out you can change the form at will. You tested it on the land with humans and tried to live with them but it was not an easy task. No money, friends, family, and work made it impossible to survive on land so you came back to your father telling him everything and even teaching him some human language that you already understood. You lived with him for few more years until a fatal accident and he was bitten by an aggressive gang of mermen and later died leaving you alone in this world. Helpless, alone and scared you got yourself caught by fishermen who sold you to a zoo for a big amount of money. You knew they will feed you so you didn't fight while being put in a moving tank. That's the story how you got here.
The car abruptly stopped lunching you into the cold glass, you winced in pain. That hurt a lot but not as much as the pulling on your skin. Humans were dragging you to a smaller moving cart with some water in it. They pulled on your tail and skin making it sensitive and leaving red scratch marks on your body.
"Hey, hey no need to be this rough with her." Some humans voice was very calming and they started to be a little gentler. Pushed in a cart by the same human who protected you from many more scratches, he talked a lot... apparently he is a doctor/scientist in this zoo and because you are the first mermaid in this place he will concentrate only on you for next few months. He told you also his name and smile at you sweetly. "My dear, I will do my best to make your stay here almost heavenly so if there is anything bugging you I will gladly listen." His hands suddenly wrapped around your wet skin. He was holding you princess style without any hesitation, walking to a huge tank you eyed for some time when he talked. Scared, you hold onto his neck damping his dark hair a little. "I'm scared." You chocked our worried what is in the tank and what temperature will be the water. "No need, my lovely, everything is prepared specially for you and if you dislike anything in there I will order to change it." He smiled at you gripping your body tighter for safety. "Can I trust you Karamatsu?" You look at him with anxiously. "Trust me wholeheartedly and never fear, you are the pearl of this whole building. Everyone is willing to do anything for you." He was standing on the edge of the tank, kneeling to delicately put you in the water, you shivered when your tail touched the perfect temperature water. You still held his neck as you were getting accustomed to the feeling and he didn't leave you either, drawing comforting circles on your back. "On the bottom are few puzzles and some things to do, just in case you ever get bored. We will start lessons in reading the writing and speaking when you feel comfortable with the surroundings, alright?" You untangled your fingers and submerge into the water, nodding to him as an answer. "If you need anything from me there is a button right here, it's connected to my phone and I will come immediately so please don't play any pranks on me I still need to do reports, promise?" He sticks out his pinky finger. You look at him confused, is that some kind of human ritual? "Give me your pinky and we will entangle them to seal a promise that you won't overuse the button." You give him your hand and he helps you to make the promise.
He walks out waving to you and you shyly wave back. This human sounds and acts different from others you met. It was the time you explored your new home.