Kiache was already there, "Ripley!" She mentally bellowed, and despite be fact that emotions didn't convey over the telepathy, her voice was overflowing with happiness. Kiache could sense they were rocketing down the hall, and went to the archway.

Ripley swam down the hallways and headed for Kiache. Their heart pumping blood through their body ever so quickly. The red scales that normally stayed in one place during the day were everywhere. Their eye then their arm then their stomach.

Kiache yelped out an 'Oof' into the water, and bubbles escaped past her lips as the air was knocked out of her. That didn't stop Kiache, though, and she wrapped both her tail and arms around the other Mer.

Ripley hugged Kiache with their tail and was kind of startled when Kiache's arms wrapped around them. That didn't matter though, Kiache was back! They were really back! "I'm so happy you're back. I've missed you." Red tears leaked out of Ripley's eyes. But they were smiling.

Kiache held Ripley tight for a long while, before inching back to take in their face, "Gosh... Everyone's grown up so much. And... and I really missed you too." Red was spilling into the water, and Kiache gave a watery laugh, "I haven't cried this much in ages..."

Ripley's lean form took in Kiache again and the red tears pooled around them. Red scales darting from place to place on their body. Scars crisscrossed on their arms. "Look at you! A bit longer but not too much. Still rather short huh? Where has all your weight gone? Are you okay?" Ripley looked worried, their eyes running along Kiache's body. They looked relatively fine, but they were so skinny and their claws weren't very sharp anymore.

Kiache laugher again, though this time it was grim and heavy with sorrow, "Well, after being a humans pet for a few years, and not eating correctly..."

The other Mer smiled, razor sharp teeth on display. "Well good! You are safe now, and back to the sea. I hope that it helps. I can't believe those stupid humans did that to you. That's so...so horrible. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help get you out of that situation, I'm so so sorry." Ripley had lost their whole family to the humans, along with the few friends they had. And it made them extremely disappointed in themself when everyone they'd loved had been taken from them.

"Oh! These are my friends; they helped me escape the humans! This is Jack and Quinn. They've never really been around large amounts of Mer before," Kiache introduced, gesturing towards to two. She remembered well that Ripley hated humans. It probably wasn't best to begin introductions with the fact that they were what Ripley hated oh so much.

Ripley's hair floated around their shoulders, red scales appearing and disappearing on their arms. Unlike most Mer, they covered their chest with shark skin armor. So that's what they currently had on. One eventually would get used to the sensation of the armor. It just took a bit compared to the normal freedom.