“It is nice to meet you, Cora.” Xuan said moving back to where he had been before shuffling through Mimi’s basket. 

“She is a part of the community, Luna,” Xuan said. “We take care of our own. Everyone is commissioned to help one another that is our way. Surely, you are not being selective, Luna? What if some day you are in a state of distress and no one helps you because of something you cannot help?” He shook his head. “There is nothing more important than family or community. Nothing. Without it there is only chaos.” 

“She is a little strange,” Mimi whispered. “And she is grabby.” 

Xuan faced Cora, not familiar with the language she had used. “Mr? Is that a title of some sort? There is no reason to be formal or anything here. You are a guest and family while you are in our home. Don’t feel awkward or shy. Mother will have you with a list of chores soon enough.” 

“Yea, there is always something to do here with the brood.” Mimi snorted.

He shrugged a shoulder surprised she hadn’t been taught about the layers of their world. He was curious just who her family was and what they taught in their lessons. He had heard that some communities didn’t offer that knowledge to their broods, thinking it wasn’t important. Hunting, gathering and other necessary tasks were put in front of such things. “There are five regions or layers to the ocean,” he held up his hand, lifting his tail and easing it down moving forward toward her. 

“The No Light,” Mimi said and pointed to the floor. “Very cold and really very little life except for prawns and nasty fish that like to bite.”

“We live in the Dark Layer about in the middle of it, above that is the Midnight layer, it is a little lighter than this one.”

“Yea and warmer, but no glow worms.” Mimi piped up. “Strong currents also, so you always have to keep out an eye for the rip currents or you will be moved very fast and very far away before you can untangle from it. That is what happened to Peith.”

“Above that is the Twilight Layer, which has even more bright than the Midnight when the sun is out then the Shine Layer.”

“We never go there, it is rough water and very bright. Many stories of merfolk going missing and never returning. We stay safely down here where we belong,” Mimi said finishing the loop around the metal disk. She held it up for their inspection. “One like this came from above and knocked Sandy on the head, he was not happy. We took it to Peith and she said it was human money. Whatever that is.”

“She would,” Xuan said. 

“She kept the one I showed her, luckily there were more for my jewelry.”

“I wonder if you had been carried by the rip current,” Xuan wondered out loud. “You were just floating a little above where we killed the tuna.”

“What were you doing?” Mimi asked anxiously. “Hunting starfish? I like starfish, I had to have my brother take mine back because it needed the Twilight layer to survive. Those rip currents are tricky things, they shift and will swallow a merperson if they are not careful.”

“Tell us of your family and community, perhaps we can figure out where you come from.”