Sushi Bites 🍣🔱

Festival Preparations

“Even the tip of my tail is tired,” Mermaid Calypso muttered under her breath, her scales salty from the exertions of the day. Nonetheless, it was a satisfactory one.

Summer hadn’t started yet, but there was still so much to do in its preparation. Tonight was the Festival of Fire, and she had been so busy helping the Maritimers with their woes and wishes for the season that she hadn’t yet had time to prepare anything for her contributions–no outfit or a proper meal. However, a Guardian’s duties are never over, even when they are caught in the off-season.

“Hold that thought…” she whispered to herself. She was so accustomed to her own company that she would often be caught speaking to her inner thoughts as if they were her wards. She strained her ears and let her hands wander into the water, her teal fingertips glowing faintly as she picked up the vibrations in the waves—a distress call.

She glanced toward the direction of her cave, aching for the chance to get started on preparations, but that would have to wait until the ocean was still. Instead, she secured her trident on her hip to free up her hand and took a deep breath, watching the bubbles float up on the exhale before tuning in to the sounds of distress. She’d learned from the dolphins how to follow the vibrations, and from the eels how to weave through the ocean's currents like a lure on a line.

As she swam, she deepened into an increasingly thick forest of seaweed until running into a Water Nymph in riding gear right in the heart of the vegetation, calling for help.

“Oh, Guardian!” she cried. “I thought nobody would be able to hear me through this thick wall of sea green.”

“I’m here. What’s wrong?” Calypso asked.

“It’s my water horse!” she exclaimed. “He’s caught in the seaweed and I have nothing sharp to cut it and get him out—lest I nick him instead.”

Calypso came closer, peering into the tall weeds to discover a distressed little water horse almost completely obscured by the wall of seaweed.

“Oh, you poor thing.” She consoled, “This shouldn’t take long, don’t worry.”

At first, she tried to approach with her trident, cutting away the seaweed that was between her and the horse. Upon closer inspection, she could see what the Water Nymph meant. Seaweed had bound so tightly around the horse’s two front legs while also wrapping around his tail with a grasp that would be hard to cut, especially with such a large and sharp trident.

This requires a bit of mermaid magic. Luckily, she had many tricks up her fin, stocked up from the seasons of rest.

Calypso glided back far enough where she could see the length of his body and the whole of the seaweed from root to stem.

She wrapped her fingers tightly around each other, watching the teal tips glow faintly, connecting to the water floating in between the knots and gaps of each twist and turn in the bramble.

With closed eyes, she became the current, focusing on pushing gently away from the horse, creating space between his hard, rocky skin and the smooth and slippery weeds.

She opened her eyes quickly and pulled her fingers apart in a burst, a pocket of space opening up around every loop that was once tightly coiled around the horse.

Seizing his chance, he freed himself, braying in delight, proceeding to tackle her playfully and gently. This embrace was joined by his handler, whom he galloped around, creating a mini whirlpool of bubbles, relief clear on his face.

“Thank you so much, Guardian! That was beautiful,” the Nymph exclaimed.

“You can just call me Calypso. And I’m just doing what the ocean needs of me. I’m happy to help.”

“Calypso. Well… even still, please take this. I have plenty more on my wagon.”

The Nymph presented fresh and sparkling starry flounder in perfect condition. Calypso smiled, looking around at the fresh cuts of now enchanted seaweed floating around them.

“Thank you for this. It looks like I’m not the only one saving the day.”

The Festival of Fire went on without a hitch, and Calypso’s sushi bites were the talk of the Maritimers when it came time to feast—perfectly savory and sparkly because of the starry flounder and enchanted seaweed, and the salt of a Guardian’s job well done.

They sang, danced, and the merriment went well into the morning… cries of laughter nearly masking cries just beyond the water’s edge.

Sushi Bites 🍣🔱

Bonus: Sushi Bake!

Recipe

Recipe Information

Total Time: ~30–40 minutes
Skill Level: Intermediate
Category: Bites – Appetizers & Small Bites

🥗 Dietary Information
✅ Can be made Dairy-Free
✅ Can be made Gluten-Free (with GF hoisin and soy sauces)
⚠ Contains Fish (tuna, imitation crab)
⚠ Contains Seaweed (nori)
⚠ Contains Spices and Potential Allergens (mayo, hoisin, furikake)

Ingredients

🌊 Nori sheets, cut to fit in muffin tins – For protection, boundaries, and oceanic strength
🍚 Sushi rice, cooked – For grounding, care, and devotion to the process
🦀 Imitation crab, diced – For abundance and versatility
🐟 Tuna packet (or other fish of choice) – For transformation and adaptability
🥄 Mayonnaise – To bind and soften, bringing richness and union
🌶️ Spices of choice, hot sauce – For fire, energy, and forward momentum
🍯 Hoisin sauce – For sweetness, depth, and harmony
✨ Furikake – For umami magic, sprinkle of sea and sesame

Instructions

1. Prepare the Nori & Rice
   Cut nori into squares and crisscross 2–3 pieces in each section of a muffin tin to cover the base and sides.
   Cook sushi rice until sticky and fragrant.
   Spoon rice into the nori-lined tins. Treat it like a spell—press intention into every grain.
2. Make the Toppings
   – Crab Mix: Dice imitation crab, mix with mayo, hoisin, spices, and hot sauce.
   – Tuna Mix: Mix tuna packet with mayo and sushi-friendly seasonings.
   Spoon a bit of each mixture onto different rice bases to create two kinds of bites.
3. Bake Lightly
   Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 5–10 minutes. Just enough to help the nori grab the rice and firm the base.
4. Finish with Flair
   Top each bite with your favorite sauces (hoisin, sriracha, spicy mayo) and a generous sprinkle of furikake.

✨ Best Enjoyed…

• As part of a shared spread, with hands reaching and laughter blooming
• When you want sushi but need it to feel homemade, bite-sized, and warm
• With a dipping bowl of soy sauce and a soft breeze from the window
• In celebration of everyday magic, intention folded into each savory bite

Bonus Recipe: Sushi Bake

Total Time: ~30 minutes
Skill Level: Beginner-Friendly
Category: Bites – Appetizers & Small Bites

Ingredients

🍚 Extra sushi rice – Your soft, steady base
🌊 Nori sheets – For layering magic and sea-salt strength
🦀🐟 Prepared crab mix and tuna mix (from above)
🌿 Chopped green onions – For clarity and fresh insight
✨ Furikake – Sprinkled spells of flavor and finish

Assembly

1. In a small oven-safe dish, press a layer of sushi rice across the bottom.
2. Place a layer of nori on top of the rice.
3. Spread one type of fish mixture across the nori.
4. Add another layer of nori, then the second fish mixture.
5. Top with green onions and a generous sprinkle of furikake.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes, or until warmed through and fragrant.

Serve warm and scoopable, like a casserole made of stardust and seaside dreams.