Chapter Text
“You look lost, dear sailor.”
There was a strange voice that carried on the wine, reaching his ears despite how quiet it really was. When he turned, there was a dazzling display of lights in the distance, spirals and stripes that pulled him closer to its center.
“A-Ah, me? No, I meant to come this way! The marine life around here hasn't been documented yet! I wonder why…”
“Such a curious soul~” The lights vanished into the water, almost disappearing entirely before they reappeared right in front of him. “I admire that about you already.”
“...What are you?”
“My name is Mirage Vanilla.” He felt like he could barely focus on anything else other than the strange creature's presence. “You've certainly traveled far away from your home, hm? All to satisfy your curiosity, no less.”
“Well, you certainly are…” The creature docked himself on the side of his boat, holding his face closer to him. “...v-very close already! However, I must be getting back! It's almost sundown, and-”
“Aw, leaving so soon~?” Mirage Vanilla forced him to look at him with nothing but his words. There was a strange hypnotism going on, but he couldn't think about it too much when he was carefully being dragged into the water. “Don't worry, I'll take good care of you for a little while longer~”
He couldn't fight back. He was going to drown, but his mind swarmed with pleasant memories and thoughts that would only become reality if he just went under the water with this creature. But, shockingly, he pulled himself together enough to slap himself in the face. Harder than intended, but enough for him to wake up and bolt away from Mirage Vanilla.
“Look, I got somewhere to be!” His nerves were on fire from fear. He had heard stories of mers before, but none had such powers like this one. “Nice talking! Bye!”
He started the boat and zoomed off as soon as he could, weaving around the rocks as best as he could before he was in the clear. However, as he threw a glance behind him, he realized that the strange creature hadn't followed him. Instead, it stayed rooted right where it was, watching him with an expression too far away to read.
Meanwhile, Mirage Vanilla watched the researcher go, deep in thought. “Hm. No one has ever escaped me before.” The hypnotic lull in his voice was gone now that he had no one to sing it to. However, a smile began to grow in his face as his fins lapped the water in anticipation.
“Oh, I simply must know more about him! Maybe I'll split his skull open to see what makes him so much better than the other sailors I've greeted~!”
He giggled to himself as he plunged into the water, following the faint wave currents that his sailor's boat made in the water to follow him all the way home. He had nothing better to do, after all, and drowning cookies into the murky depths and feasting on their desires was starting to get stale.
This was going to be so much fun~!