MERMAIDS - Yoyo-Jan-Yoshii

Sophia swam as swiftly through to chill water as she could. She was heading toward her best friend's home. While that in itself was exciting, it was not her only source of excitement. Today was the day they were going to explore the recent shipwreck nearby. They had been planning this adventure for a week, and today was finally the day to implement their plans. She had a small pack of supplies thrown over her shoulder, slowing her only the smallest bit.

Finally, she saw her friend's home. Excitement surged through her, spurring her along faster. She surged forward, planning to burst through the door without pausing.

Mika made a check list of the things she and her best friend needed for their new adventure. She looked at the packed snacks of clam muffins and pearl tarts and placed them inside neatly in her clam-designed satchel. And just to be on the safe side, she also brought healing salves of moss, and seaweed bandages and tucked them neatly in.

Mika grinned to herself, excited at what awaited them for the day. She normally wouldn't be up very early, but today was special. And all she needed to start it was Sophia, her partner-in-crime.

"So, this is the Harvey Kone, eh?" Orianna says to herself, gazing at the dilapidated ship lodged snugly in the Riptide Rift. Honestly, she's surprised the strong currents of the Rift hasn't carried it off yet - tough vessel.

According to some records from the historians in town, pretty rich Landwalkers populated it until a wicked tidal wave capsized the whole thing and drowned the remaining survivors - hence the leftover evidence.

Even though it's not smart to go off hunches, there might be some priceless items laying on board...

"Well, those Landwalkers won't be missing it. So, I think I'll just help myself," Orianna smirks to herself, swimming towards the forgotten vessel.

Sophia burst through the entrance to Mika's home, pausing only long enough to avoid causing any lasting damage. She dropped her small canvas pack--salvaged during one of her slightly less dangerous solo adventures--and sped toward where she could hear her friend in the other room.

"Miiiiiiikaaaaaa!" she bellowed, using it as a sort of warcry before flinging herself at her friend. She engulfed the girl in a hug. Without missing a beat, she, without releasing her friend, attempted to swim back out the door, Mika in tow.

"It's time for us to goooo!"

"Sophiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Mika grinned and braced herself, knowing that the moment she heard someone passed through her home's entrance, she was going to be engulfed by her lovely friend. Not surprised of her friend who was more than excited to go, she was glad she already placed everything in her satchel and let her friend drag her out and grabbed the familiar canvas pack of her friend as they left her home. "Yuppo! Let's go!"

They swam through the waters, excitedly chattering about the trip. "This is going to be a bit dangerous, isn't it?" Mika grinned, turning to Sophia. "Do you think we'll find Jellyfishes and Swordfishes? I'd love to make some Jelly-Cakes!"

"Holy crap!" Orianna yelps out, dodging a sharp scrap of steel jutting out. "This place is almost a death zone," the looter sighs to herself, looking around the current room she is in.

A gaping hole is present on the deck, a clear entrance that doesn't guarantee injury. Seems like most of the vessel collapsed in overtime after the initial capsizing. Huge and curved slopes, decked out in muted-red carpet and algae-covered floors, are just ways to get up the other levels of the ship.

Orianna's eyes catches something glimmering, a smirk blooming on her face. "Bingo~"

Sophia dragged Mika a good ways from her house before finally releasing her. They chatted glibly about what they hoped would happen on their adventure as they swam through the water.

"Then we'll throw the villain into the da--There it is!" Sophia squealed with delight, pointing at the corpse of the ship ahead of them. "I'll race you there!"

She knew it was an unfair race, but she sped ahead anyway, ignoring anything Mika might have said in response. She was just too excited. She was going to start at the top-most part of the ship and work her way down. There was what appeared to be a flag at the top, and that washer target in that moment.

Mika swam as hard as she could, yelling at Sophia. Of course, she'd lose in a race with Sophia but she'd try anyway. When she reached the sunken ship, Sophia was already speeding upwards to the flag. But as she saw it too, she felt giddy and swam as speedily as she could, grasping her satchel in excitement.

It was a black flag with with markings she was not familiar with, but all the more reason, Mika thought, to try and take it. The first treasure to be taken! When she finally reached Sophia, she started swimming around the flag, engrossed at how "pretty" it was, even though it was partially torn with a hole here and there. "Look! Look! Oh gosh, it's so nice! Can we take it? Let's take it!"

"Oooh, this has to be real gold... and is that a diamond I see?" Orianna says to herself, practically tingling from her giddiness. These dead Landwalkers are packing all sorts of treasure!

Dangling things from their ears, rings, necklaces, rare fabrics. It's heaven! The money she can sweep in with all this!

"I can practically feel it raining down," she sighs to herself, stuffing some more jewelry into her bag. Her euphoria is interrupted as she catches sight of something gleaming bright in the darkness.

However, the glow seems familiar... there's no sunlight coming in to reflect off any golden trinkets. Even if there was, it's shine is not this intense. So what could it be?

"Oooooh, take it! We can hang it on a wall somewhere in commemoration of our adventure!" Sophia said, swimming circles around her friend, too excited to stop moving for more than an instant. She did, though, looking at the ship below her. "Oh, what's that?"

Sophia rocketed down toward the deck. There was something shiny in a hole leading into the hull of the ship. She picked the object up to examine it. It was a picture frame with a photo of a lovely woman with long golden hair. Sophia absently set the frame back on a table as she looked around the room. It looked to be an office of sorts. The door had fallen from its hinges, leading into a hallway. Forgetting to wait for her friend, Sophia slipped through the opening and into the hall.

"Oh boy oh boy oh boy!"

Mika hastily but carefully took down the flag and folded it, placing it neatly in her satchel. She was giddy, and as she was going to announce she was done perfectly, she noticed she was alone.

"AH! She left me, AGAIN!" And in an instant, she swam downwards, into the wrecked ship. Seeing no visible sign of Sophia, she entered through one of the numerous cracks, feeling uneasy for some reason. It was quite dim, but she could still see, and while going alone does not make very much sense to her, she had to go find her friend. "She better be okay till I find her!" Mika shook her head. "Or me, I better be okay, too, until I find her!"

Orianna continues towards the eerie glow, only to be met with a snap of sharp- toothed jaws. The scavenger doubles back from the ghastly face of the Angler beast, who waves its bright lure triumphantly. It has secured a prey.

Orianna narrows her eyes, particularly in annoyance. "I'm no one's prey," she growls at the Angler, drawing out her swordfish-prey.

The Angler, taking up Orianna's challenge, swims forward to try and chomp down on the girl's arm. The scavenger dodges out of the way of the bite, swimming to a more open area to do battle with this creature.

The quicker she ends this, the faster she can get back to looting this graveyard. She observed the Angler for some time as it follows after her, accidentally bumping into something.

"Ahh!" Orianna yelps out, looking up at a black and white mermaid before her. What the hell is she doing here?

"Oh, crap, get out the way!!" Orianna pulls the orca-girl out of the way of the Angler's sharp chomp.

Sophia swam into yet another vacant room. She was becoming increasingly disappointed in the lack of interesting objects to be found. She seemed to have ended up in a vacant part of the ship. There weren't even interesting pictures to look at here.

Somewhere behind her, she heard a shout and a general commotion. It was only then that she realized she had been abandoned by her friend. "She's having fun without me!" she whined, surging forward, trying to find her way to the source of the noise. "That's just not fair."

She heard creaking, and felt something. But before she could react, she was suddenly pulled away. Mika turned and saw a mermaid she's never seen before - but then, while she didn't expect it, it wasn't impossible someone else was there too.

But more than anything, she stared at the Angler and turned to the mermaid again.

She dodged the strike of the giant fish, and scolded herself for not learning more about their language. But then again, Anglers probably would not care for their reasons. She pushed the fierce-looking mermaid away, to dodge another. She'd fight back, she really would, but Mika knew better than to fight alone. And she had no idea if she could fight with coordination with this mermaid. "What'd you do? Why'd you anger it? But never mind that," Mika looked around. "Can you fight?"

"Yeah, don't you see this sword on me?" Orianna exclaims, brandishing her swordfish-blade towards the Angler. "Unless you can help me in some way, you ought to stay back!"

Orianna swims in to swing her blade at the Angler, the creature catching it with its large maw. The mermaid's eyes widen as it throws her aside with astounding force.

Turning on the black-and-white mermaid, the Angler grins at its potential meal before rushing forward at Mika.

There was something happening, Sophia could feel it. Disregarding anything remotely interesting, she swam through the wreckage until it suddenly opened up into a wide open area. She spotted Mika right away. Putting on as much speed as she could, she darted toward her friend.

She crashed into the girl with a hug, allowing her momentum to carry them where it would. She shifted to holding Mika by the shoulders to scold her for leaving her, but a glow over her shoulder stopped her.

"Mika, did you make an Angler angry?" she whispered as she reached for her bag. She had dropped it somewhere along the way, leaving her weaponless.

Mika stared at her friend, feeling a wash of relief over her. Sophia didn't seem to realize her arrival was just perfect, by way of saving her. Mika pulled her friend away, just enough time to not be Angler food, and pulled out her dagger. "No," she answered and pointed to the mermaid with the swordfish weapon. "She angered it, not me!"

She looked around, trying to see if there was anything they could use to turn the tables around. The Angler was huge, much bigger than normally. And it was not normal for it to be in a wrecked ship, when it was usually found deeper down in the ocean. There must be something. She tried to think about it, but it was hard, given she had to focus on not being eaten either.

Looking around, she found some chains hanging here and there. "Maybe..." she thought. "Heeey, mermaid with the sword! I have another fighter here!" and she pointed to Sophia. "She's really good. Please work well together and let's survive! I have an idea!"

When Orianna gathered herself, she glares at the Angler as it goes in for the orca girl. Swimming in, she spotted a shark mermaid pulling the orca away from the Angler's attack - a perfect opportunity.

Orianna positions her blade, darting in with speed similar to that of the shark girl's and lances the Angler through one of its fins. She aimed for the side, but the Angler sensed the danger and allowed its tail fin to get ripped apart.

Orianna curses under her breath as she backs up, looking to the orca girl shouting instructions.

"Heeey, mermaid with the sword! I have another fighter here! She's really good. Please work well together and let's survive! I have an idea!"

"You better say it quick; this thing isn't going to wait on us!" Orianna retorts, swimming out of the way of the Angler's bite.

"Who are you talking to--Oh, hi! I'm Sophia! But I suppose we should focus on this fishie Mika angered."

As she spoke, Sophia grabbed the nearest chain and swam above the angler, hoping against hope that it would not see her. She proceeded to follow the fish around and begin looping chains around the angry fish, attempting to ensnare it. Its damaged tail seemed to be causing it some trouble, making it easier to capture the thing.

"Maybe we could tame it!" Sophia wondered aloud to the strange mermaid.  She was impressed with the new girl's speed. "Finally someone I might be able to race against!"

"I didn't anger it!" Mika huffed, and crossed her arms, watching as Sophia scuttled about. "And you're stealing my idea! Don't sync in with me!" She grinned.

As they thought about the prospect of taming it, the Angler was able to somehow get out of its entanglement and swam after Sophia. Mika turned to the other mermaid. "This time, I'll get to weaving the chains right! Please help divert the Angler away from me and the chains and then on my signal, bring it over! Is that good?"

Mika didn't wait for a reply before swim-dashing towards the chains and started to check and weave the chains.

"Damn, whatever! You girls are confusing!" Orianna huffed as she lances her blade at the Angler, eliciting another snap from the beast.

The scavenger darts around the vast area of the ship as the Angler continues its rampage to catch her. Luckily, the Angler's rage made it oblivious to the chains being weaved around its damaged fin.

If Orianna knows one thing, they better not keep this thing as a pet...

Sophia kept a firm grasp on her single chain with one hand, still attempting to use it as a sort of lasso on the angler. When that plan did not work - how was that even a plan to begin with? - she changed tactics. She wrapped her length of chain over her should and reached instead for Mika's chain net.

The new girl's attacks were incredibly useful; the angler had no idea what was about to happen. With a grunt, she hefted the chains on top of the angler. The number of chains woven together made the net incredibly heavy. It landed on the angler with an audible thunk and began to drag the thing down away from them.

"Heck yes! Check out that teamwork!" Sophia shouted as the very angry fish sank away from them, unable to escape the net. She excitedly swam around Mika, then swam toward the new girl. "Good job, person!"

Mika swam idly and watched as the Angler dropped down, down, down below. Then she cheered happily, and turned her attention to the other mermaid whom Sophia seems to be enchanted with.

"Finally!" Mika grinned. "There's that. So we can attend to more important matters! Who are you, person? Why did you anger the Angler?" she squinted at Sophia, silently telling her that it was the new mermaid, not her who angered it.

Orianna stopped swimming the moment, she stopped hearing the snapping of teeth. Looking back, she watches as the Angler descends into the deepest parts of the ship, angry and locked up.

"Heh, serves it right," Orianna scoffs at the sinking beast, looking to the goofy mermaids that swam over. The Shark congratulated her with odd glee while Orca girl inquires about why she made the Angler upset.

"First off, I didn't anger that beast. It just happened to be there while I was looting. Speaking off which..." Orianna swims down to the mossy skeletons, not waiting for an answer. She grabs the rest of the jewelry off the corpses, carefully placing it in her bag.

Sophia gasped at the sight of the jewelry.

"Oh my gosh, that is so pretty. Do you think there might be more somewhere? Oh, I'd love something pretty like that, wouldn't you Mika?" She looked about for similar treasures as she said this, darting to and fro without pausing to actually look particularly closely. She returned to the new mermaid with the same enthusiasm. "Have you find a lot of it? Is there more? Can I see? Where did you find it?"