Shamir and Manuela and "grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something" for MerMay? (If it's too unhinged of a rarepair feel free to disregard!)
No such thing as too unhinged, my good friend!
[other mermay prompts]
--
"... and after all that, he had the nerve to tell me I was 'easy on the eyes but a pain on the ears'! Can you imagine? Me? The Siren of the South Seas, the star of the Musselfrank Opera, a pain on the ears?! He swam away after that and I'll be damned if I'm going to be the one to contact him first." Manuela punctuated this declaration with an agitated flick of her tail.
The exploits of Manuela's failed dates never interested Shamir. It was only a baseline level of professionalism that stopped Shamir putting her fingers in her ears. As it was, Shamir swam expressionless alongside Manuela, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand.
Seteth had assigned them the mission of dismantling a bunch of nets humans had left behind in the Cove of Serios' hunting grounds. Normally such a thing wouldn't take two merfolk-- especially one like Shamir who was more used to doing the hunting herself-- but the increase in human activity lately had put the Cove on edge. Seteth had told Shamir that she was to keep Manuela safe. Making this, effectively, babysitting.
Except Shamir was beginning to think that a child would have more interesting stories.
"Why is it so difficult?" Manuela went on. "All I ask of a partner is someone nice, who doesn't mind a bit of mess, treats me with respect, maybe someone who can cook, someone nice to look at would be good too--"
Shamir rolled her eyes. She truly couldn't understand why Manuela was so desperate to be in a relationship. But she supposed she could understand the frustration. With her sandy-yellow tail that turned white towards her fins, her healing expertise, her love for poetry and song-- the fact that so many mermen passed Manuela up was a bit of a pity.
"Perhaps I should try chatting up mermaids again. It's been some time. At least a lady might understand how not to end a date. There was this one mermaid in the seas of Brigid that-- What was that?"
Surely Shamir hadn't caught that correctly. Manuela was open to the company of female merfolk? For all Manuela's prattling, Shamir couldn't recall if she'd even mentioned that before.
"Shamir? Do you see that shadow up there?"
And even if that were true, so what? Manuela was more suited to pretty, delicate mermaids who would laugh politely at her tall tales and blush on cue. Not mermaids with scars on their tails and no tolerance for small talk.
"I think that's one of the boats Seteth warned us-- Shamir!"
Manuela grabbed Shamir's hand and pulled her backward. A flash of silver streaked by, exactly where Shamir had been swimming. Sand flew in all directions as it hit the ocean floor. Shamir reflectively put herself between Manuela and the threat, their hands still clasped.
The cloud of sand settled to reveal an anchor. It was almost the size of Shamir herself, sunk partway in the ground. Shamir followed its chain to a boat floating high above them. "I told you to was a boat!" Manuela snapped.
Shamir swallowed. "I wasn't... I didn't hear you."
"Evidently not!" Manuela swam around to face Shamir, eyes narrowed. "Are you alright? You've hardly said a word this whole time. I've had to make all the conversation."
"Uh, sorry." Shamir pulled Manuela around the anchor. "We should keep going. I'll be more careful from now on."
Manuela squeezed her hand. "I'll make sure of that." Grip firm, Manuela lead the way forward.
They didn't speak for a long moment. Manuela's obvious irritation filled the silence, and Shamir felt awkwardness creeping in. "Thanks," Shamir said after some thought. "For watching my back."
Manuela glanced at her sidelong. "You're welcome." Her tone was as frigid as the Faerghus sea.
"You were saying something about Brigid before?"
"I was." Shamir gestured with her free hand for Manuela to go on. "Well, if you insist. She was just lovely, although her wife took exception to my hanging around. I didn't know she had a wife at the time, mind you! I'm no coral wrecker!"
Rambling as they were, Shamir made herself pay attention to Manuela's exploits this time. Manuela let go of Shamir's hand at some point and Shamir had to resist the temptation to grab it back. No matter. Hopefully the next time they had cause to touch each other, it would be in less life-threatening circumstances.
