Humans, Johnny thought distastefully, walking around like it's no big deal! For the record, it was the biggest of deals. Eventually he'd figure it out, eventually he'd grow legs and a mouth to breathe with. Because perhaps his mouth was just wrong, perhaps he needed a special human-mouth. The merman lazily swam along the bright teal waters of the Ahi Coast, his fins peeking from the surface of water. He dove down when there was a dip in depth, a webbed hand dragging along the soft, wet sand.
A seagull mindlessly bobbed, not too far from Locke. It watched the man eat his food, its yellow eyes greedy and wanting. Then the seagull shrieked, a claw reached up from the depths and pulled it under. The teal water grew red.
Johnny's head popped from the surface, his expression growing big and friendly when he saw the human. "HEY!" he called, snakily swimming up to the man. A trill rumbled in the back of the merman's throat, his eyes focused on the strange thing that the man was eating. Johnny lifted an arm, revealing a mostly-dead seagull. Blood dripped from his grasp, droplets of red mixing into the water only to dissipate from a small wave.
"Trade?"
The merman's eyes lit up when Locke just decided to offer the whatever-it-was to him. So he got dinner and a cool human-snack? Truly, a beautiful day, a win-win by his standards. Her cheerfully trilled, reaching out for the snack with his free hand. But then it just... disappears. The merman stared at his hand, he turned his hand over, shock, disappointment, hurt. He felt all of those things! A small orb of light escaped his mouth and shot up into the sky.
The human was running away. Why was he running away? Johnny easily slid through the water, his tail snaking along and propelling him forward. He stopped in front of the human, his long, serpentine-like tail half curling around Locke. Johnny offered his hand, now empty and human-snack-less. "Excuse me," his voice was still friendly, his eyes wide and curious, "Your human snack is gone. I don't understand. I'd like a new one, please." Again, he offered the seagull, "We can still trade. Seagulls are very tasty merfolk food."