Marvin (Marvin Brown)

"Did you think this through?!"

Marvin was donated to an aquarium at a very young age - for reasons he never found out. Around age 6 was when the biologists began putting him in a public tank for people to watch - he was initially very shy, and onlookers would make a game of trying to spot him amongst the reeds, while he played the game of don’t get seen!!
Slowly, with time, he got more used to being watched, slowly learning to venture out and interact with the others looking into his tank. While he may have been getting used to it - he never really liked it, and the aquarium wound up finding 2 other mermaids to do shows for visiting guests - beautiful women who soaked up the attention of everyone who encountered them.
Marvin was happy to stick to his tank, hiding in the reeds, occasionally poking out and staring at the visitors. Many were enthralled by his vibrant oranges and detached appearance, and there were a few regulars who would sit by his tank with their lunches in tow.
During the off hours, Marvin would leave his tank, sliding into a wheelchair and helping himself to the books around the aquarium. He didn’t really enjoy being on land, but it was mitigated by his love of reading. The biologists noticed his love of books and began bringing him library books to binge and return, letting him make requests on what sort he’d like to read. The books taught him so much about a big world he had never seen before, and he’d lean back and dream about exploring it. Wouldn’t it be amazing…
Turns out, you should always be careful what you wish for. He hadn’t thought much about the snake who would visit and stare at him - who didn’t? - until the snake had crashed into his tank. Before Marvin could say anything, he’d been hauled out - his tank rapidly vanishing behind him as the snake took off down the hall.
For the first time, he was outside the aquarium.
In the beginning, he did his best to escape. It was difficult, considering he couldn’t walk on land, and despite missing a leg, the snake - whose name turned out to be Kyle - was stronger than him, and without the proper aids, it was fairly easy to trap him inside. Marvin took to pouting in Kyle’s bathtub, wasting all his hot water, and occasionally screaming as Kyle climbed in to take a shower.
After a while, with the manhunt for the missing mermaid calming down, Marvin began to grow a little curious, peering out of the windows. The world outside the aquarium was terrifying, yet endlessly intriguing - he wanted to see it. Kyle himself was also slowly endearing to Marvin, no less than the result of something akin to stockholm syndrome - he was unbelievably dense, yet kind, constantly bringing Marvin bizarre gifts, such as a seashell from a dollar store, or a hole punch, all stolen. After stealing him a wheelchair, Kyle slowly began bringing the mermaid out into the real world - Marvin clinging to him all the while.
With Marvin’s booksmarts, and Kyle’s street smarts, surely they can keep the fish out of the aquarium, and the snake out of jail?

• cannot walk on land - uses a wheelchair
• has fins along his spine in mermaid form
• still trying to get the hang of normal interaction - tends to ignore people a lot as he's used to being stared at, not talked to.
• slightly agoraphobic
• if you bring him to the ocean you'll never see him again