Long, long ago, there was an animated short film of a lonely student who- during a class trip to the sea -found a lonely merman who had no one to help him get back to the sea. The student and a concerned teacher found the boy and wanted to help, but something about him looked as though he didn't want to go back.

So they instead gave him a wheelchair to join the land students. One mean-looking principal stops the two lonely friends for a moment, and it seems like they were in trouble, but- as the principal returns to her office and kicks off her boots to stretch her octopus legs -it's more like she just needed to know she wasn't alone either.

I don't know what it was called, and it's likely it doesn't exist on YouTube anymore, but that short really resonated with me, and I just felt compelled to draw my own wheelchair mermaid.

Tsu(nami) escaped from the sea to get some space from her oppressive father, and found herself in the care of Fraser, a homeless chef whose reputation was ruined via lie. She heard of no such rumors, however, so she could easily ask for his help in exploring the land. One medieval wheelchair later, and they go on regular, casual, leisurely walks around town.

Tsu will go back home in due time. Just not now.