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being held by just after boarding the . Note the tail and 'ear' fin structures.

Kemmy being held by Tokushima just after boarding the Kitashio. Note the tail and 'ear' fin structures.

Aqua are a species of aquatic humanoid native to the seas of the Special Region. They are similar to Mermaids in appearance.

Description

Female Aqua look similar to fantasy Mermaids in that they appear mostly human from the waist up, and mostly fishlike from the waist down. They have two pectoral fins, and their primary fluke is angled horizontally like a dolphin or whale rather than vertically like a shark or most other fish. They also have a pair of finlike appendages in place of ears. Since they tend to live or pass through dark environments, Aqua eyes are adapted to have strong night vision. Female Aqua all have long hair that they wrap around their chests for bust support.

Male Aqua, on the other hand, are functionally indistinguishable from humans aside from the ability to breathe underwater.

Despite being saltwater creatures they regularly drink freshwater and subsist on a diet of mostly fish. They have some degree of growth acceleration, with a 4 year old Aqua having the appearance of a 10 year old.

Behavior

They are just as intelligent as Humans for capable of speech and tool usage, but haven't figured out the idea of statehood to create particularly large civilizations. Traditionally Aqua built their towns underwater, which means they wouldn't have access to fire or industry. As contact increased with other species, they built small above-water villages out of woven seaweed, but these weren't powerful nor sturdy structures and the Aqua solution to storms was typically to drag all the structures underwater and rebuild after the storm had passed...again wiping out their access to fire and industry.

Aqua aren't particularly aggressive, which can lead to them being easier targets for predators like Armored Whales and Paranida.

History

Aquas usually don't go North of the Glass Peninsula, and so the JSDF hasn't become aware of them until Itami and Pina wind up adrift while en-route to Tyumalen, in hopes of halting the brewing conflict with Elbe. The wandering group of Aqua that encounters them chastises the pair for being adrift without proper survival equipment, and offers to trade rescue for anything on the boat. Itami offers a large aluminum keg of whiskey, not knowing that Hamilton had spiked it with a powerful aphrodisiac in hopes of getting Itami and the Princess together. While Itami and Pina avoid getting caught up in the resulting 'revelry', Kemmy and the others are distraught when the drug wears off and, unsure who's now carrying what from who, elect to set up a group marriage between the twelve Aqua involved.

Rather than going straight for the nearest port, the two humans decided to detour to the Aqua's Pido village and are horrified to find it sacked in their absence. They count the bodies and realize that many of the female Aqua are missing, and may have been kidnapped with intent to sell into slavery. Pina and Itami proceed to the town of Seamist in hopes of intercepting the bandits and are caught by another local team under the suspicion of being bandits themselves, resulting in Pina being captured by the rescued Aqua and being mistaken for a pirate.

While Itami works to rescue Pina, he encounters another set of Aqua led by Mito and running a maid cafe in the town of Seamist. Mito is able to connect Itami with the other set of rescuers and clear up the confusion, resulting in Pina's rescue.

Concurrently, multiple expeditions were sent from Alnus to try and locate the missing princess, including a team of elves from Tuka's father's original village. These arrive back at Pido at roughly the same time as the rescued females from the original raid, and as a group they berate Kemmy and her "family" for their unusual and irresponsible marriage decision. Kemmy's family responds by giving them the rest of the whiskey. By the next morning the rest of the tribe and visitors agree that polyamory is the only solution they can think of, and from then on Pido villiage Aqua present themselves to outsiders like this has always been the case.

While the long term future of the villiage is secured, the problem of sustaining the new and forthcoming residents comes up. Itami's initial suggestion of different seafood offerings works as a stopgap measure, but ultimately Kemmy realizes that there is more money to be made contracting the tribe out to the JMSDF directly. Members from the village assist with the dredging of channels and construction of the new JMSDF naval base at Vaasa. Later, Kemmy's group acts as harbor pilots directing the submarine Kitashio through the shallows of East Redoubt Reef towards Tinae and later directing the submarine through the North and South Coral passages in a shortcut to save the ailing Odette. Their prior work at the reef also becomes invaluable in the successful escape of Primera from pirate forces during the Battle of East Redoubt Reef.

List of Known Examples

Pido Village Aqua:

--Lemuria family:

--Others at Pido

Seamist Aqua:

Gallery

Trivia