View source for A Mermaid's Tail-Tale (Yuuto Shiraishi)

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2024/02/06
|Location=Yuuto's Dorm Room
|Synopsis=Yuuto completes part of the statue he is creating for Art Club and Coco Kiumi. He has a disturbing dream in the aftermath.
|Cast of Characters=215
}}
<DICE ROLLER> Yuuto Shiraishi rolled 1d20 <20> + 0 = 20

It had been a late night session. But finally, finally he had finished his sculpting of the tail for Coco's mermaid statue. As he took it in, he was pleased with the final product. There had been a couple of needs to reshape, but as he had worked through the issues, he finally felt that he had captured the South Pacific Princess in proper detail. The fins were fanned out in mid motion, the ends of the captured as if preparing to propel her forward, the tail curled in a way that it gave her the appearance that she had been sitting placidly, but was ready to spring. 

That had been the hardest part. And now that it was completed, he had plenty of photos and memories of what Coco looked like in her head and upper torso that the rest of the smaller figurine that would be used to create the larger sculpture would have an excellent reference point. Setting aside the modeling clay for the night, Yuuto had a short exchange of good nights with Coco via text before going to sleep. 

And as he dreamed, he felt the warmth of the ocean water tickled at Yuuto's sides as easily as if it felt like Coco's touch. They had talked about the idea of him undergoing the process of becoming a merman, to be part of her life. And as he drifted across the water, he could feel the freedom of that water as it flowed over his ... tail? Confusion touched Yuuto's mind as he looked down. It was not his lower body it saw. It was molded, ribbed steel, plates folded one over another in the shape of a tail. The banded tail flickered and moved like a real tail, but it wasn't one. It was some kind of steampunk contraption that Tinker had dreamed up. 

And it was failing. Why was it failing? He didn't know. Then he saw the reason - tendrils, black as night were wrapping around his lower body, gumming up the gears, slowing the swish of his tail as he struggled and fought against the pull as it started to drag him down. 

Frantically, he looked around for Coco, but she was nowhere to be found. Tinker wasn't with him, he was here, in the fading light of the ocean current as it pulled him lower, deeper, further into the darkness. 

He could hear the laughter. A feminine voice that cackled, telling him that he would be the bait - that the Yellow Pearl would finally be in her grasp. His protests were for naught, even as he emptied the Propel Blaster into the darkness, it was as if the blasts were simply absorbed, pulled deeper. 

The pressure increased on his body, even as the tendrils crawled higher up his body. How deep could a merkind go before it was crushed? He hadn't asked Coco - but then again, as the steel started to warp and crush, he wasn't a merman, was he? He was just a human that had tried to reach for a Princess and now all he was... was the cheese in the trap. 

A scream ripped from his lungs, forcing out the remainder of the air he had held, and as water crushed into his lungs, he felt it filling him, his vision fading, grasping at a speck of gold that was too far away to hold. And then... 

"No!" Sitting up in his bed suddenly, Yuuto moved, but his legs were trapped which caused him to scream louder as he fell out of the bed and onto the floor. His legs were wrapped up in the covers, immobilized, unable to move. Tinker was floating over him, concern in his voice as he tried to get the wide emerald eyes of the Steam Sentinel to calm. Yuuto could only pull himself to the floor and curl up until the fear passed, his eyes locked on the intricate mermaid's tail he had created.