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Chip and Tail | Aventurine X mer! Reader

Warnings: characters may be ooc, blood, body disfigurement(kinda?), implied killing, mention of Jade(who is a warning in and of herself), weapons,wounds, may contain grammar mistakes, use of it/it’s for living being(reader) leave if you don’t like or are uncomfortable with it, implied slavery, implied wars

Read at your own risk!

Despite use of it/it’s and they/their pronouns used for mer reader is whatever gender you wish

Mermaid, siren, and sea-daughter are seen as gender neutral terms—not gender specific in this story

The Showman swayed with the waves, creaking and groaning as foam crashed against the hull. The crew shifted restlessly, bodies tense as they shuffled around deck, waiting for even a word from within the Captain’s quarters. Never before had they stayed in one place on the ocean surface for so long, the pause casting unease within their ranks.

Gulls cried as they circled overhead, uncaring for what was going on within the heart of the ship.

“Did you shoot down an albatross or are you simply very unlucky?” Aventurine cooed as he shuffled his deck. Rings of gold and silver lined every other finger, shining haughtily underneath the sunlight as his black silk gloved hands shuffled the deck for the final round.

The captain of The Showman, a wiry and tall man with a full black beard seethed from on his plush velvet seat, face red with rage. “I ain’t unlucky. Yr’ just a cheater! Trying to trick me inta repayin’ my debt! I repaid you blithering sea-snakes ages ago!” He thundered, furiously slamming a scarred hand on the wooden table. Trinkets and pearly jewelry in the place of betting chips laid on the table trembled at the crash, falling to the floorboards miserably.

Aventurine gave no reaction to the man’s whining, smile only widening as he eyed the dark green coat his pirate opponent had obviously stolen from some unfortunate noble. “I’m afraid that’s where you are wrong. You simply think you repaid us.” Aventurine started with a casual shrug of his shoulders “Two years ago, you reached out to us—The Medusa, claiming you had enough money to rid you of your debt. A colleague of mine agreed to meet you at Sargentine’s one and only port city casino, yet when she got there…you were drunk beyond comprehension. You had gambled all of your savings away, just months before your payment was due. So close to freedom, too.” Aventurine gave the quaking captain a faux sympathetic look, tutting like a disappointed parent while dealing cards with practiced ease.

“Blasphemy! I worked my crew half to death getting all that precious cargo—I wouldn’t let it all go t’ some silly landfolk game!” He shrieked. The grip on his cards was paper white.

“You were quite drunk, I heard. Spent too much time at the brothel, perhaps?” Aventurine said with a chuckle. “But let’s get back to the point. I’m here because no matter how you spin it, you have payments to us that are overdue.” He straightened in his chair, smoothing out his perfectly pressed white silk shirt as the air grew thick with tension. “Now, you can try your hand at a game with higher stakes than your stolen jewelry and attempt to win your freedom, or I can simply evict you here and now for the murder of Cassidy White: late father of the Prince of Sargentine.”

The captain paled at Aventurine’s words, the hand of cards falling from his grasp in a shower of inked paper. His brown leather eyes widened with fear, staring down at him in shock.

Aventurine laughed heartily at the stupefied look, head thrown back from laughter as his eyes crinkled with mirth. “You think I didn’t recognize the embroidery on your fancy jacket? Cassidy White was a lover of the sea before he settled and married the current Queen of Sargentine. He had that coat custom made and wouldn’t go anywhere without it. It’s a shame you killed him on his ship, he sounded like the kind of guy I could talk with. Oh well, no crying over spilled milk I suppose.”

The captain paled even further if possible, gripping at his coat’s cuffs like a lifeline as realization dawned on him. The coat was a brilliant dark greenish-black color with blue leather cuffs and lapels patterned with golden ripples like the sea. Fancy gold trimming accompanied by a single thick rope covered the shoulder pads. Within the collar of the coat was the cursive signature of Cassidy White with the royal insignia of Sargentine emblazoned next to it. Aventurine would have had to be a complete fool to not recognize it immediately.

“Fortunately, you ended up with me: the Aventurine stoneheart to the Medusa. The Monetary Evaluation Department Underseers of Seaside Altercations if you didn’t know. I would say I’m a very generous man, so I will repeat to you your two options.” Aventurine raised a single finger “One, you win my game of Roulette and drop this sorry betting game with cards,” he raised another “Two, I kill you now and throw your entire crew into company custody for first degree murder on multiple occasions while on a ship given to you by Medusa. Taking all possessions to repay your debt. What do you say, captain?”

The boat groaned, singing with the waves as it swayed in place, the sound filling the vast room stuffed with stolen goods and currencies like music. Aventurine waited silently with a smile, one hand on the holster of his gun as the wiry man contemplated his choices.

That was the wonderful thing about the mother ocean. A man could only run the length of his ship before he could be caught. No land to hide behind, no trees or buildings to protect him. Only the vast ocean filled with more horrors than any sane man or pirate would dare to take a chance against. Trapping him with his own monsters until he touched earth.

After another moment of thinking, The Showman’s captain looked Aventurine in his glaring pink and blue eyes with steeled nerves and gave a grim nod. “One. I’ll win yer’ damn game.” He growled.

Grinning, Aventurine couldn’t help but disagree. “We’ll see about that. Fate works in mysterious ways.”

Taking his silver revolver from its holster, Aventurine loaded three bullets into the chambers before spinning the cylinder round and round until there was no possible way to know what it would shoot. “Any last words before we begin?”

The man spat at Aventurine’s face, a scowl forming on his dry lips. “Yeah. B’fore the loser dies, they reveal valuable information no one knows but themselves to the other. One less secret for you t’ take to yer grave when I shoot you where ya sit.”

“I can agree with that. But I highly doubt you’ve got a secret I think is good enough to spill on your deathbed.” The stoneheart said nonchalantly, twirling the gun in his hands with unnecessary flare before gripping it tight.

The captain, topped with the iconic pirate hat and a gnarly scar running down half of his bearded face stared at the gun as if his life depended on it. Because it did.

Aventurine never let his eyes leave the pirate, staring into the damned man’s soul for what would probably be the last time.

Bowing dramatically, one hand behind his back and the other cradling the gun, Aventurine rose and said “Got a coin we could flip? Winner shoots first.”

The ocean hissed at the pensive crew, water dark and stormy brewing. Twitching with unused power, the pirates grew antsy as time passed overhead, their leader yet to return or give them a single word of new news.

Paul, a stout man with one eye and a torn lip leaned against the heavy oak door. Ear pressed against the wood, he strained to hear anything through the door. He waited and waited for any sound, but it was dead silent on the other side.

Paul was ready to push away from the door when there was a muffled bang that echoed through the wood. A gunshot. It had to be. Paul knew that sound by heart.

Heart light, a grin broke out on his face as he turned to his crew mates. Jamming a thumb behind him, Paul mimed a gun firing with his other hand.

Hobbling away from the door, Paul snickered to himself as smiles and proud sneers broke out on everybody’s faces. Some even managed to let out chortles or snorts of sadistic laughter. The tension broke like a fickle stick to be added to the fire.

The captain of The Showman was not to be messed with. They had plundered and pillaged hundreds of ships and towns, a single man was nowhere near enough to stop him.

“Well, I’m glad that’s over.”

The crew froze, smiles shifting to frowns as they all stared in confusion at the blond man before them.

Aventurine gave a languid smile, waving a gloved hand covered in jingling bracelets and rings in greetings as he casually carried a long greenish-black coat over his shoulder.

“You’re not the captain.” Paul spat venomously, staring at the coat in Aventurine’s possession with disdain. The other crew members grumbled and hissed in agreement behind him, hands inching for their weapons.

“No, but his ship is mine now. And you lucky lot are under arrest. My sincerest apologies.” Aventurine said, unaffected by the crew drawing their swords and guns. Shoving a hand in a black pocket stitched into his pants, he withdrew a small pile of silvery blue dust.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The blond warned.

The rebellious crew froze immediately at the sight of the powder: Ground siren’s scales. A single sniff could knock a grown man out for weeks, and could even cause death and permanent paralysis in more serious cases. Aventurine had enough dust in his hand to kill the entire crew and then some.

The ocean crashed violently against the ship, as if sensing the presence of one of its lost children. Sea froth stained the floor of the vessel as it rocked back and forth violently. Aventurine adjusted his stance with ease while the seasoned crew struggled to gain their footing. The sea longed for the dust, calling for it desperately.

“Now, if you don’t want to end up with immovable limbs for the rest of your lives I suggest you stop resisting. The ocean is the perfect place to dump bodies and I’d prefer it if you didn’t make more work for me. Though if you’d like to jump now I’ll allow it, the ocean seems pretty finicky today. Maybe a nice snack will calm her.” Aventurine warned, holding the ground scales closer to the ocean and causing the ship to lurch so hard half of the crew fell onto their backs.

The few that remained standing sheathed their weapons, knowing well when they were outsmarted. Aventurine grinned, pocketing a good portion of the dust before reaching for the flare gun strapped to his right leg. With a single click, the flare sailed into the air for as long as it possibly could.

Like a cheetah suddenly leaping from the grassy savanna, a ship so large it made The Showman look miniature appeared in the distance. It fought against the crashing waves as it slowly approached, growing larger and larger the closer it came. The crew watched with slack jaws as the grandiose ship neared.

“Ah! There she is! The mighty Sigonius, my favorite ship.” Aventurine crowed, chest puffing with pride like a peacock flaunting it’s feathers. “Be thankful that you get to board the Sigonius before you are thrown in jail, ladies and gentlemen. It is a privilege indeed.”

The crew felt both annoyed and awed at Aventurine’s words. Annoyed at his flaunting, and dumbstruck that he could ever captain such a large ship. The Sigonius approached much faster than one would expect of a ship of such large size. Slowing to a stop, the gargantuan teal ship sent out a large metal bridge to connect both sea vessels together.

“Sorry, but lowly scum like yourselves aren’t allowed to see the insides of Medusa ships.” Taking his chance, Aventurine blew the dust straight into the heart of the Showman crew. One by one, they all crumpled to the deck like puppets freed of their strings.

In perfectly aligned rows, troops marched down the bridge and began casing the groaning ship. Weapons were confiscated and jewelry was gathered into crates labeled “perishables”. The workers swarmed the smaller ship like bees drawn to flowers, buzzing with activity wherever they went.

Deciding that his job was finished, Aventurine started to make his way to the bridge when the ship shook violently.

Dulled by the wood, a horrific spine crawling sound echoed from beneath the floorboards of The Showman. Workers paused to listen to the wail-like scream, stunned with shock and hit with unease as the sound continued.

Aventurine frowned, hairs standing on end and goosebumps rising along his arms. His heartbeat spiked the more the sound continued.

Suddenly it stopped, as if it had never happened in the first place.

Was that part of the secret the now deceased captain had told him about?

Turning to the nearest worker, Aventurine flashed a charming smile barbed with tebsion. “Take a team below deck and find out what made that noise, okay?”

“Yes sir.” The soldier nodded, saluting before marching off to rally a team.

With nothing left for him on the ship, Aventurine stepped foot on the Sigonius once again, heading straight for his private sleeping quarters. The ocean continued to riot against the small Showman, pummeling its sides and swaying it violently. At that rate, the ship only had a few hours until the tides capsized it. Hopefully the ship could be cleaned out before then.

As Aventurine was about to open the door to the hall, a keen shrill broke through the air and made the sailors cover their ears in pain. Quick to cover his own ringing ears, Aventurine staggered over to the railing of the ship—desperate to find out what was making the horrid noise. Even with both hands clamped tightly to the side of his head, his ears still dribbled with blood from the nauseating noise.

Searching with pain filled eyes, Aventurine scanned the waters between the ship for signs of monstrous life. Instead of finding a six headed beast or a pack of agitated Cyclas, Aventurine spotted a sizable hole torn through the wooden side of The Showman’s hull. Wood splinters drifted in the raging ocean along with thick fisherman netting twined with red string. An incredibly bad omen.

Oily black liquid stained the surface of deep blue sea, spreading out from the hole now starting to fill with sea water. The liquid dripped from the hull like wet paint, giving off such an intoxicating smell Aventurine was ready to believe that The Showman had raided a perfume store.

Holding his breath, Aventurine waited for the wail to sound out once again. Like clockwork, the piercing shriek pounded away at his ears determined to turn him deaf. Mind racing, Aventurine carded through his internal library of sea creatures at lightning speed.

Ink black liquid, enchanting smell, angry ocean, horrific screams, enough strength to bust through the hull of a Medusa ship, red string intertwined with fisherman netting: it was a mermaid. Possibly even a siren.

As if confirming his suspicion, another sorrowful scream shook the ocean and rocked even the mighty Sigonius. The netting Aventurine had thought to be simply drifting in the water now thrashed violently, the thick rope was black with the same oil colored liquid in the ocean. Furious waves crashed against both ships as the black substance continued to increase with each jerk of the hook and seal infested netting.

Blood. It was all blood.

“I want all men off The Showman immediately! There is a breach in the hull!” Aventurine roared when the scream trembled to a long whale like whine. “And get that mermaid out of the damn netting! They’ll drown us all if they don’t stop!”

Men still aboard the Showman scrambled to cross the shaking bridge while Aventurine ran for the lifeboat closest to the blood stained water. With no patience to wait for fellow sailors, he dropped the boat into the thrashing sea. It was never a good idea to stay between two large ships that could knock together and crush you at any time, but Aventurine was willing to take the risk if it meant stopping the siren from killing them all by accident.

Letting the water bring him closer to the net, Aventurine reached out and began to draw in the bloody rope as he sawed away with his hunting knife bit by bit. It tugged and jerked in his hands, threatening to send him beneath the waves multiple times, but Aventurine sat firm in the small boat.

The nets were endless as they were large, Aventurine cut as much as he could but more net seemed to replace it each time. Either this was a siren, or Aventurine was dealing with a very young and unhappy whale.

Sailors grouped in the other boats dropped into the sea around him, grabbing at the net and heaving with all their might. It was no use trying to cut the sea creature free, there was simply too much net to get through before the sea creature drowned them in a tidal wave.

They had to bring it aboard the ship.

The ocean raged endlessly, transpiring with the ravenous storm from above. Together both elements made even the Sigonius ship feel like it was capable of tipping.

To take a sea-daughter away from the water invoked the mother’s most powerful protective measures to ensure its child’s safe return.

The only way to calm the mother ocean was to return its daughter back to water. Every sailor and pirate worth their salt knew that one thing before agreeing to a life on the ocean. Himself included.

Aventurine only had one problem: there was no place to set the net swaddled mermaid on the Sigonius. Not naturally, at least.

Riffling through the previously locked drawers of the dresser planted against the wall of his sleeping quarters, Aventurine searched for his Favour. A magical sand-dollar that would build you a single non-living object if you set the evil or troublesome soul trapped inside of it free. Aventurine had come across it while strolling through the port market in a different country. A lucky find.

Since that day, he had kept the Favour tucked away for a moment like this one.

Having finally found the pitch black sand dollar, Aventurine made his way through the groaning ship to his office. A group of ten men kneeled before the mass of red twined netting covering the deck, wax muffles stuffed deep in their ears as the beast let out softer yet still ear rupturing cries. The group worked tirelessly to slice through the thick hook infested ropes, trying their best to not accidentally stab the hidden siren with their knives or dig the arsenal of hooks into its skin.

Aventurine paused, his head aching from the pain of the continuous crying. Raising his voice as loud as it could go, Aventurine yelled “Have the mer brought to my office when most of the nets are gone! I will take it from there.”

Only two men seemed to realize he had spoken over the shrill whale like noise the mer let out when a stray hook supposedly caught onto its body. They nodded, squinting at his lips but giving him two thumbs up before returning to their work. With the hope that the crew mates actually knew what Aventurine asked of them, he made his way to the office reserved for the captain of The Sigonius.

Pushing the heavy furniture around until it all stood grouped together in the middle of the room, Aventurine crushed the Favour without hesitation as the Sigonius rocked uncomfortably.

Red mist arose from the sand dollar, curling in the air like incense before it transformed into a giant angry cloud that whirled around the room. It writhed and shrieked, the horrifically deformed finned face pressing against the cloud harmonizing with the beast outside before coating the entire room in a thick scarlet mist.

Aventurine held his breath, elbow over his face as the red filling his vision deepened to a color reminiscent of dried blood.

The spirit gave a final wail from within the mist before throwing itself through the wooden walls to the ocean outside. A siren’s soul had been trapped inside, now free to drown sailors from beyond the grave of it so wished. Though Aventurine saw the trade as necessity as he stared at the object before him.

In place of the mist was a great tank that nearly reached the roof of the room, a rolling ladder made of iron connected to black railings attached along the outermost glass wall. The entire tank spanned three of the four walls, edges perfectly curved and inside wide enough for Aventurine to lay flat on his back and still not touch the walls. A kind of cement or rubber like object protected the wooden floorboards beneath, capable of protecting the room from leaks. Water a perfect blue hue filled the dull and empty tank, saving Aventurine a great deal of time.

With the addition of the tank using up a chunk of the office, Aventurine got to rearranging his desk and other equipment out of the way to the ladder before opening the door and waiting for the sailors to arrive.

It seemed like his words hadn’t been lost to the crew mates, now dragging a still entangled mermaid behind them. It’s screeching was like metal grating against clay, thrashing weakly as hooks poked through the now few layers of netting encasing it.

Aventurine nodded at the exhausted crew members. “Good. Help me get it in the tank, and then you’re free to rest.”

“Of course, captain.” One of the sailors agreed, bowing their head.

As a team, the tall and hulking sailors hoisted the mermaid, now limp from exhaustion or merely accepting its fate, into the water with a loud splash. Aventurine waved for the crew to leave from his position on the ladder, watching as the sea creature within started to squirm the moment it hit water. The ocean outside immediately started to calm, the rocking waves growing weaker by the minute.

The door closed with a satisfactory click as the last of the group left the room now colored in a blue light from the water blocking the stained glass window. The sun, now peeking out from the dying storm started to fall below the horizon.

Aventurine stared, waiting with bated breath for the creature to reveal itself. Tendrils of black blood spreading in the once pristine seawater thanks to its wounds. Except, there was no further movement. The mer did not slip out from the nets in a dramatic reveal of beauty like Aventurine thought it might. Nor did it leap out from the tank and tear his throat out in the span of a few seconds. It laid hidden within the blankets of bloody black fishnets, unmoving aside from the small rise and fall of (supposedly) its chest.

The mer had fallen asleep. Or was dying slowly from blood loss.

Either way, it would be pointless staying up to watch the (hopefully)sleeping mermaid. Aventurine had a ship to captain and a meeting to attend on land. Letting out a sigh, Aventurine left the messily arranged office locked behind him as he started a search for the night crew.

The Sigonius was now docked at a port owned by Medusa in the land of Pleyr-Tor. A merchant hub where only the wealthiest families of all species thrived. The ship was silent save for the grumbling crew as they heaved heavy boxes of food up the bridge and repaired injuries sustained by the Sigonius on their voyage.

Three days had passed since Aventurine stepped on solid land for the first time in four months. The sun was readying to descend when the captain finally returned to his ship.

Crew members watched silently as Aventurine stalked up the bridge with a lax smile, knowing full well what would happen if they disturbed him. Sailors parted like the blond was radioactive, forming a path for Aventurine to walk through all the way to the thick wooden door protecting the Captain’s office. The door opened and closed with a normal click that might as well have been a slam to the oldest members of the crew. If there were seasoned crew members left, that is. All had been lost to sea or let go to some other ship before they could ever form true bonds with their captain.

Locking the door behind him, Aventurine sank into his overly comfortable desk chair. The cedar wood table was littered with betting chips and papers for navigation and myths, debts to collect and which land to “assist” next. A single oil lamp placed in the top left corner, his only source of light on late nights. It needed replacing soon as it was having trouble lighting for the past few days. Aventurine made a note to himself to buy a better oil lamp while in Pleyr-Tor.

Hours passed in the blink of an eye as Aventurine worked away at the papers on his desk. His head ached from the constant smell of seawater, distracting him from any further work. Breathing out a sigh, Aventurine turned his chair around until it faced the large tank holding his underwater guest.

Madam Jade’s words rang in his ears, increasing the pain of his headache tenfold and causing the grip on his chair to increase.

Everything had a cost. Even freedom. No matter the race or situation. All debts must be repaid. Accidental or not.

Aventurine was not allowed to let the mermaid go.

Staring through the crystal clear glass, Aventurine watched as the sun slowly inched away from its low post in the sky. Down and down it went, painting the sky in yellows and pinks. Closing his eyes and letting himself soak in the fading sunlight until the sky turned a gentle purple, Aventurine did not catch when the once still mess of nets moved just slightly to the left.

“What should I do…” Aventurine muttered into his hand, glancing at the hidden mer within the still empty tank.

Perhaps that would soon change. If the mer lived, maybe sand and rocks of every color would brighten the dull cage. Seaweed could be taken from the ocean and planted for the slightest increase in privacy. Small fish to fill the void. Would the mermaid eat the fish? Hmm, maybe the fish could wait. Would the mer care if Aventurine added incense burners in the room to get rid of the seawater smell?

The nets, only two or four left, started to move. Aventurine snapped to attention, pushing away all his thoughts of decorating as he stood from his chair, knocking it over with a crash.

The ink black nets, large enough to easily capture Killer Whales, were jerked and pulled in every direction. Ropes started snapping one by one. Red twine floated in the water like bloody seaweed as the frayed strings broke apart.

Aventurine saw a faint flash of scales and a shadow of a hand slicing through rope from within. The creature, now awake and furious writhed underneath the netting. Blood matching the color of the night sky graced the dark blue water once again as hooks dug into flesh and scales. Water leapt out from the tank and onto the creaking floorboards below, staining them a dark brown.

The final rays of sunlight flickered below the window line and engulfed the room in almost total darkness. Slowly, Aventurine’s eyes adjusted to the dim setting. Blinking rapidly, Aventurine never let his gaze wander from the cloak of blood crusted fisherman netting even as his largest source of light sank beyond his vision.

There came a skin crawling trill from within the tank. It was clearer this time, the mer’s disorienting melodic voice humming with the water instead of its painful cries when above water. Goosebumps arose on his flesh in waves, hair standing on end the longer the call continued. The air, once warm and comforting was now colder than the winter ocean.

A clawed hand broke free from the nets.

Backing away on shaky feet, Aventurine turned to snatch the oil lamp from his desk while his heart started to beat louder than a drum in his ears. There was the muffled sound of nets continuing to snap and break from behind, the being writhing just beneath the surface. Water stained black fell to the floor around him, no less different than human blood when drying into wood.

Aventurine fumbled to light the lamp, pausing when there was a flash of blue light from behind. His heart went still and his mind raced, wondering if he truly had brought a killer siren onto his ship.

Face instinctually morphing into a calm smile, Aventurine turned around, lamp forgotten.

Eyes deeper than the midnight zone stared into his soul with pupils blown so wide the irises were barely visible. Fins flared with a rattling quiver as their lower body looped and coiled throughout the enclosure that almost seemed too small to fit their massive size. Lights flashed continuously along their skin and long, flowing tail. Aventurine couldn’t tell where one bioluminescent fin ended and another began in the darkness filled only by the light of the mer.

Claws sharp enough to pierce bone reached up and up and up until they touched the edge of the glass tank, unblinking eyes never leaving his form for even a moment.

Lips parting to let out a deep warble, Aventurine saw two sets of razor sharp canines peeking past their lips. The creature lifted itself up with only its arms until it reached out of the tank. Tail still curling in an endless spiral in the water as their upper half touched the wooden floorboards.

Instead of backing away for showing fear, Aventurine gave his best smile as he stepped forward, watching at their water logged hair splayed on the ground around them. “Y’know, you caused a lot of trouble for me. Sinking a ship I just finished taking over and having me loose valuable artifacts was quite rude of you. I deserve an apology, don’t you think?”

Their lips pulled back further than should be possible for a human, the flesh of their cheeks tearing in bloody strips until their rows upon rows of pointed teeth were revealed. Torn frills all along their body quivered angrily. Scales flashed in warning, a clear message to stay away or risk death. Letting out a chitter-like sound, the mermaid’s eyes narrowed as they continued to stare at Aventurine.

In the dark of night, Aventurine only had the dim glow of the mer’s scales to make out their towering figure. His mind more than happy to fill in the details he could not see.

He stepped closer, hands stuffed in his new coat pockets. Aventurine never was one to play safe. “Breaking through the hull of a ship like that must have caused some serious damage. I’m surprised you’re even standing right now. Tough cookie, aren’t you?” He said, tilting his head to the side as he willed his eyes to adjust better to the lack of light.

“You are quite the beauty, as well! What’s your secret? Let me guess…the flesh of sailors?” While laughing at his own joke, the mer continued to watch him with their hundred yard stare. The fins in place of human ears flicked at the sound of his voice, trembling softly.

“Oh it’s nothing, just an old pirate joke. You really are lucky that I was the one who came across that ship you were in and not one of the other Stonehearts. I doubt Topaz would find you cute enough to rescue.” Aventurine hummed, watching as the mer drew more of its body from the water. The sea-daughter was long—so long Aventurine couldn’t tell the length of their tail with how it had to circle around the entire tank and then some just to fit. Definitely more than a meter or two, that he was sure.

The mermaid’s clawed hand twitched as their smile widened. Tilting their own head to the side as their large eyes bored into Aventurine’s soul, a pale film covered them for a brief second as they blinked without proper eyelids. A clicking sound reminiscent of dolphins left their mouth instead of the horrific screech Aventurine was haunted by on the day he saved its life. Dagger sharp nails tapped against the bloodied and groaning wood rhythmically as the raspy clicking continued.

Aventurine paused as he listened to the mer’s clicks and taps, watching as they repeated the action over and over again. Clearly, they had yet to murder him via siren song or rip his arm off and use it as a snack to munch on after showing how easy it was to lift their own body over the glass wall like it was nothing.

What were they trying to say? Or were they saying anything at all?

“Can you even understand me?” Aventurine questioned, shifting on his feet. The mermaid, to its credit, looked thoroughly confused on it’s part. They let out a growlish “Buwerr?” And tilted their head further than should be safe for something that looked so human.

“I’ll take that as a no. A language barrier, huh? This is going to be interesting.” Aventurine muttered to himself, though he was sure the mermaid heard with how it’s fins twitched. It had good hearing.

The mer towered over Aventurine, face still broken and showing a concerning number of teeth with eyes eclipsed to a near completely black state. It was incredibly unnerving, especially since the only light was from their fluorescent fins and blinking scales. Not to mention they were covered in their own blood.

“Let’s get you cleaned up. All that dried blood can’t be comfortable, can it? We can discuss other matters later,” Aventurine said with a grin. His body easily fell into its masked routine, hiding the fear and uncertainty he felt and replacing it with confidence.

Fins flicking and scales blinking, Aventurine’s newest bet nodded. The mer shifted, jaw re-hinging and skin weaving back together over their cheeks until their face looked exactly like a human. Blinking with those filmy white eyelids, their pupils shrank and morphed into perfect replicas of human eyes—no, Aventurine’s eyes. He shivered involuntarily at the sight of eyes that mirrored his own as the mermaid changed itself to look like a deity among men for his own comfort. Or for it’s own comfort, which is more likely.

The mermaid chittered in a chipper tone, lips curling into a toothy smile. It had horrifyingly sharp teeth.

Yep, still a mermaid.

Holding out a now dainty hand the same colors as the sand, the mer waited with an expectant look. It’s tail swayed playfully in the water, sloshing seawater over the edge and onto the already soaked floor. When Aventurine did not take their hand, the mer made a tutting noise and retracted their arm back to their side. Their frills trembled and glowing scales blinked to a deep green before shifting to scarlet red, and finally a bright fuchsia.

They made a strangled animal sound, like an elk with a frog in its throat. Their lips obviously weren’t used to moving properly. They paused, scowling and fluttering their fins moodily before letting out an unidentifiable sound.

“Gr….grr..greetings.” Aventurine’s own distorted voice echoed back at him from the mermaid’s mouth. It huffed with pride, fins flicking in waves.

Ah, so it could mimic as well. How dandy.

Holding its hand out once again, the mermaid repeated the word twice over with lips un-synced from Aventurine’s copied voice.

Ah, so it wanted a handshake.

Chuckling, Aventurine said “Ah, I suppose we did skip over pleasantries,” he cleared his throat “I am Aventurine, a stoneheart of Medusa. Pleased to meet you. Use me as you wish, you can even stab me in the back if you want to—but I don’t make bets that don’t pay off.” Reaching out, Aventurine twined his fingers together with the mermaid’s. Hands palm to palm.

The mer stared down at him, gazing at their intertwined hand as their webbed ears twitched and titled, finely tuned to the pitch and exact tone of his words to break the barrier between their languages.

Shaking their held hand, the mermaid nodded with a smile.

Clicking and trilling, the mer drew words from the air to repeat a word still unintelligible to Aventurine even with the mimicry of his voice.

“Ah, the language barrier strikes again. How about I just give you a nickname instead? Just until we can find a middle ground.” Aventurine suggested with a shake of his head. His conscience weighing too heavily on his shoulders to handle a shrug.

“Yes…yes!” They sang, pulling Aventurine close to their chest as they circled around him like a boa. The mer nodded merrily, lights flaring to a rosy pink. Aventurine pulled his hand away, adjusting his glove as he pondered.

“Well, it has to be fitting—but not too odd. Since we’ll be together for quite a while it should have some kind of meaning behind it, don’t you think?” Aventurine went on as he craned his head upwards to look into the mermaid’s curious eyes. They nodded sagely, fins attentive as they licked their salty lips.

Aventurine slowly listed name after name, watching for a change in the mer’s expression. Eventually the mermaid returned to the water from pure disinterest in the names, holding him steady as they forced him to sit on the highest stair of the ladder.

The mer looked ready to drift underneath the water by the time Aventurine was starting to run out of names. Grasping at his last few ideas, Aventurine hesitantly listed the last name that came to mind. Your name.

Erupting from the water, your hands grabbed at Aventurine’s shoulders as you both fell back into the water like whales breaking from the ocean for air.

“Perfect!….YES! YES!NAME! YES, NAME!” You shrieked joyfully, tail crashing in the water as you literally lit up with glee. “MY NAME NOW! EVER!”

“Alright! Alright! That’s your name now! Glad you like it.” Aventurine sputtered, dragging his soppy wet blond hair away from his wide eyes as he floated in your tank. You circled around him in a never ending spiral, chittering and trilling with a smile so large Aventurine thought your mouth might just split open again.

Swimming to the edge, Aventurine stared into your bright eyes when you met him at the rim.

You reminded him a lot of himself when he was young. Aventurine didn’t know how much he liked that fact as he watched you twirl in the water without a care in the world.

Aventurine called your name and you paused, eyes a carbon copy of his own staring back into his soul and touching something he thought was buried the day he lost his family during the tribal wars. “…Don’t ever let Medusa tie you down, okay? This stupid organization doesn’t need to ruin any more races.”

Your fins twitched at his words, blinking to a deep blue lighting. “Stoneheart…Medusa,” You parroted with worry. “Aventurine…tie..”

“Hmm, no—forget I said anything. We can talk about all that later. If you’ve already forgotten, you are still pretty injured. So let’s focus on you getting better for now. We’ll have all the time in the world to talk later.” Aventurine huffed, patting your head with a bare hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Neither are you, is what Aventurine chose to leave unsaid.

@idkfitememate merry Christmas!! 🎁🎄 here’s your present!

@kaitsawamura made the scale divider! Thank you!!

#deer anon #🦌deer anon <3 #aventurine #hsr aventurine #aventurine honkai star rail #mermaid #merfolk #mer person #siren #pirates #honkai star rail #hsr posting #reader #X reader #hsr x reader #merry christmas

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deeranon · 2 months ago

Text

Whatever You Wish

Twisted Wonderland X Furina |

Summary: After Leona’s overblot, he is still avoidant of his family yet not as much as before. Perhaps he is willing to extend his perception of the word “family”.

Leona did not care for shopping. Shopping was Ruggie’s job. It was supposed to be, at least.

How did he find himself in the town at the bottom of the mountain? It’s simple: Ruggie was slacking off somewhere(he was working a shift at the Mostro Lounge). And Leona didn’t have time nor the patience to wait for the foolish hyena.

Why not just go to Sam’s store, then? A stupid question. If Leona was caught buying what he needed, he’d never hear the end of it from other students who clearly wanted a pummeling. Not that he really cared, but I’d be a thorn in his side.

Leona was buying gifts for his family in Sunset Savannah. Not out of kindness, no—and ew.

He had promised to come visit during a break, but was a no show once again. It wouldn’t have been a problem if it was just Farena and Cheka, but Farena’s wife knew of the supposed-to-be visit as well. Leona didn’t feel like getting on the Queen’s bad side, not to mention she was a warrior of Sunset Savanna.

Luckily Leona was always one step ahead, making the excuse of a Magift game being on the same day he was supposed to set off from the Dark Mirror. His family couldn’t argue against him being there for his team during a game. The gifts Leona planned to send were merely a formality: a way to sweeten the deal.

The townspeople at the bottom of the mountain crowded the streets, filling the cold air with such laughter and joy that Leona almost wanted to rip off his ears.

With only two more shops to go, and Leona’s good mood dead and buried twenty feet under, the man almost didn’t notice the fluff of unnatural white hair amidst the crowd of people on the other side of the street. But he did.

Standing before a shop window was Furina. Her tussled snow white hair streaked with baby blue was impossible to miss even in the largest seas of people. Her clothes were mundane compared to her natural beauty, they were monochromatic and boring—not to mention overly large. Vil was sure to have a fit if he ever saw Furina wearing the gaudy pieces of clothing, Leona surmised with a smirk.

The woman held multiple bags in her hands. Leona noted that many were from the grocery stores in town, a select few had clothing brand names on their bags. Furina stood beside a window for only a few seconds, head barely tilted enough to stare inside. Then, she continued on her way, pace quicker than needed.

When Furina was out of sight, Leona walked across the bustling street and sauntered up to the display to see just what the Ramshackle resident had been staring at. What he saw confused him.

A mannequin the size of a young adult was adorned with a plain wig, the hair covered in a rainbow of plastic ornaments and accessories. It wore a gentle white sundress that reached just below the knees and hugged the waist with a pearl colored ribbon tied into a bow at the back. The outfit was what Furina had to have been staring at, with rolls of imported silk fabric the only other thing on display, it wasn’t very hard to figure out. Looking up at the sign gave Leona all the information he needed. It was a boutique catered towards the younger generation and tourists. The prices were nothing to Leona, but they were the kind that Ruggie was sure to complain about more than he usually would.

Leona knew that Furina was practically on her own in Ramshackle, no other dorm members or people to watch out for her. She was strong in that regard. Self sufficient and incredibly smart. Otherwise Furina wouldn’t have outsmarted him before his overblot. Leona respected her for it. Though he would never admit the truth out loud.

Leona still remembered how Furina had taken control during the overblot. Vivid memories paired with the remembrance from the harsh sting of his cheek when she slapped him. Leona’s cheek had remained bruised for two entire weeks afterwards.

The day Leona met her in the garden, he didn’t think Furina was the type to not indulge herself when she wanted something.

Perhaps other views of her were only shallow at best.

Furina was long gone by the time Leona pushed away the familiar thoughts and walked away from the tourist trap to Rouge, a store brimming with makeup and homemade jewelry. Some pompous Pomefiore students had been going on and on about it after school while working on their science club experiment. Leona just so happened to overhear. Maybe he could find decent apology gifts that didn’t scream ‘I tried too hard, I’m insincere’ or ‘I didn’t try at all, sucks to be you’ in there.

With thoughts of his own past buried to deal with later, Leona opened the glass door and stepped inside the store. Bell singing gently as it closed. The shop, actually the first floor of the owner’s house, expanded into a decently sized wooden floored living room refurbished to fit rows of glass boxes filled with exquisite gem encrusted items on shelves. Polished wood tables held racks of mascara and a plethora of lipstick in so many colors Leona’s head hurt. The cashier, a child of the shop owner, greeted him with a minimal effort “welcome” before turning back to their book.

Leona lazily browsed the selection of warm colored lipsticks, walking at a snail’s pace as his mind attempted to comprehend the names of each red lipstick that looked exactly the same as the last. He was in no rush to grab something and leave, half-pleased at the thought of his dorm members losing their minds over the disappearance of their dorm leader on a weekend.

Finding nothing of particular interest with the lipstick he had picked up, it’s color dubbed “eternally young” according to the sticker taped to the table, Leona started for the eyeliner section on a different table when a light caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

Leona turned to the source with the barest hint of interest. It was a set of gem inlaid hair accessories paired with two hair combs, all arranged in a plush black velvet box under the light of a window. Walking closer, Leona saw the laminated note explaining what was within the protective box and promptly ignored it.

Seven rose gold hair accessories held flowers crafted from pink tourmaline in their grasp, proudly shining in the sunlight like contented house cats.

Pearls shaped into teardrops hung from two rosy metal hair sticks shaped into sakura blossom branches in perfect bloom, rose chains weaving around the black velvet folds.

Three large tourmaline flower clips laid next to the sticks, white beads attached to golden wire shaped to imitate leaves. The three clips all had different flowers carved out. The first was a branch of the iconic sakura flower almost identical to the hair picks. The second a mix of small but intricate delphinium and lavender made of a gentle purple tourmaline swaying in an imaginary breeze. The third an imitation of freesia dotted with webs of small opal beads with the occasional yarrow flower.

Then, there was the rosy colored bobby pin with a single lily flower attached by four small claws between the petals.

Finally, there was the hair chain. It wasn’t decorated with flower shaped gems like the other items, only a branch of leaves on each clip with a singular tear shaped tourmaline hanging between the chains.

Along with the accessories came two wooden combs made from dark oak, one a wide-tooth while the other was a rake. Both had painted golden vines creeping along the handles, coiling like snakes steadily choking their prey. They were nowhere near as extravagant as the hair pieces, yet they were just as useful.

The items all came in a set, and the note went on and on in a monologue about the sentimental value as the maker carved the brushes and assembled the clips, then imbuing the accessories with a protective charm that would keep them from breaking or being too heavy. Leona skipped through it all until he found the price tag at the bottom on a smaller sticker.

10,894.99

It was dirt cheap.

After mulling over whether the accessories would seem sincere enough, Leona shrugged and called the cashier over. The person seemed surprised at actually being needed, jumping in place before looking down mournfully at their book before stepping away with a set of keys in hand. Leona walked back as they sorted through the keys one by one at a sloth’s pace.

“Gettin’ these for a lover?”

A voice broke the silence, making Leona internally groan. It was the cashier, fishing for small talk. This could not be any worse.

“Sister in law, actually.” They hummed faintly at the response, returning focus to their endeavor of finding the right key.

“Hmm. Then it wouldn’t hurt to tell you that the set is actually made for two people. Cuz’ of the two brushes,” Leona couldn’t care less. “Some of the accessories are for someone with long hair, the others made specifically for a short haired person.” Yes, Leona knew how accessories worked, please stop talking.

“If ya plan to buy all of it, you might want to save some for a later date—or a different person. Ya have any other sisters? Older, younger? You could give ‘em to her.”

That made Leona pause. He didn’t want to go through the hassle of splitting the uneven amount of accessories into ‘buy’ or ‘don’t buy’ categories, that was too much effort for something so little as this. Leona would buy the complete set, yet what would he do with the remaining accessories? They certainly weren’t his style.

Actually, he didn’t care about what happened to the unused pieces. Ruggie would take them off his hands at some point.

Yet the cashier’s last words rang in his head. “Any other sisters? You could give ‘em to her.” ….A younger Sister. Someone else who would use them.

A loud click brought Leona out of his thoughts. The employee had finally found the correct key and had already started to lift the velvet box from the case. Shaking his head to clear it of strange thoughts, Leona pulled out his wallet to grab a handful of bills as they approached the counter. The cash register chirped as the cashier typed away, scanning the code at the bottom of the box and placing it in a supposed-to-be fancy looking bag before pausing to look up at Leona with a plastic smile.

“Cash or card?”

Instead of deeming them with an actual answer Leona said “Keep the change.” then tossed the money at the cashier, taking the bag from the counter and beelining for the front door.

Leona was already out the door and starting for his final stop, unable to hear or perhaps uncaring about the cashier’s cry of “Wait, you overpaid!” from inside.

Walking down the street, Leona found himself walking past the same tourist trap Furina had been glancing at as he headed for the port market. The dress, unchanging since the last hour and a half, still stood smugly within its sill. He ignored it, taking a sharp turn to the left so that the store would be out of sight. He had a fake apology to finish.

—

Leona would never admit it, but it brought him closure when Furina came around to visit Savanaclaw regularly. In a school full of boys, Furina had higher odds of gaining unwanted attention. Ever since his overblot, Furina occasionally tread the line of danger and reluctance to check up on him. What started out as cautious check ins steeped in distrust had turned into a weekly routine Leona almost looked forward to. Almost.

Once or twice every other day or so, Furina wandered through the dorm mirror to spend at least an hour in Leona’s presence. The other dorm members didn’t even blink or raise complaints when she appeared, not anymore. Leona had silenced them all

The chill of October had stretched into November, and Furina’s visits were growing more and more common. In the time they spent together, Leona learned things about Furina just as Furina learned about Leona. Chess was a common game the two played, though Leona had yet to beat her. Other times they simply soaked in each other’s presence. Each visit was random, yet the time spent together was precious in a way.

When Furina appeared in the middle of November, gently knocking on his door in the dead of night, Leona snapped to attention. The moment Leona wrenched his door open and let her inside, she spilled everything with a smile on her face. If Leona hadn’t known Furina for so long, he would have thought she was delirious for smiling joyfully while explaining her bet against the scamming cephalopod. Fortunately, Leona knew Furina better than that.

The smile on her face marked her fear. Furina was terrified of losing the deal. She staked not only Ramshackle, but a great deal of mora—whatever that was—and her freedom on the contract. In any other situation or if it were any other person, Leona would have called them an idiot and kicked them out after making such a deal. Not Furina, though. Never Furina.

Furina had serious problems, always raising the stakes to a dramatic level. Leona had thought the motto “high risk high reward” described her once, yet he knew there was more to her than that. In her obsession for make it or break her deals was a deeply rooted desire to prove herself better or smarter than her opponent. A need for perfection, for total control.

A mask of faked superiority.

Leona also knew Furina was desperate to break the bad habit, to stop putting so much at risk and finally let old habits die. Yet her mouth ran with the mask before her mind could catch up.

Perhaps that was a part of why Furina never let herself indulge in her own wants.

Leona wasn’t good with comforting words. Never was, never will be. Watching as Furina almost imperceptibly shook, body barely containing her stress as she sat at on the edge of the wide bed with his blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Leona knew he should do something.

Heaving a heavy breath, Leona silently stalked over to his desk scattered with hoards of jewelry. Carding through the mess, Leona opened a drawer and slid out a velvet black box. Stealthily as he could, Leona opened the box to check its contents. The hair picks along with the wide comb and sakura flower clip had been mailed to the Sunset Savannah Queen along with the other gifts. The lily bobby pin was missing from the remainder of the set(thanks, Ruggie) yet Leona was more focused on the other items. Making sure they were all accounted for, Leona closed the box and quietly wandered to his closet where a large white box lay hidden.

Inside the box was a dress. The one with the silver bow and the same color as Furina’s short snowy hair.

Taking the box from the closet, Leona turned to make sure Furina hadn’t seen him leave her side before tip toeing his way back to his bed. Furina was unresponsive even when the mattress dipped from Leona’s weight, too deep in thought to notice anything going on around her.

“Oi, listen to me.” Leona called, snapping his fingers in front of Furina’s face as her eyes glazed over and her mind ate itself with regret. “You gotta snap out of it.”

Furina recoiled slightly at the sudden sight of Leona’s hand before her face, blinking repeatedly as her trance broke. Furina looked up at Leona with confusion, moth opening to question him when he pushed two boxes into her trembling hands.

“Just open them, would you?” He interrupted, poking a single finger against her forehead. Furina paused, brain slowly calming as she registered Leona’s touch. Nodding absently, Furina looked down at the two boxes with thinly veiled curiosity.

As if she were handling a fragile porcelain teacup, Furina gently opened the long black box. Her eyes went wide as she stared at the contents inside. Two expensive looking hair charms along with a thick comb and almost necklace-like chain and leaf accessory sat inside the plush velvet box. They all shone with a proud glimmer underneath the moonlight, looking more expensive than what Furina would ever allow herself to own with her minimalistic budget.

Furina’s hands, blue as both the midnight and morning sky, shook for an entirely different reason than fear as she opened the second box.

It was the dress Furina had wanted from the store in town last week. Folded perfectly to fit in the box, the dress felt unreal even as Furina reached out to pick it up, azure and pale blue thumbs feeling the soft fabric of the long moon white sleeves shift underneath her touch.

“I-I don’t understand.” Furina stumbled, eyes filling with tears. She didn’t understand why Leona would give her such beautiful things, especially after what she has done.

“What’s there to not understand? I got these for you because you don’t have to put up a mask around me,” Leona reached out, taking a flower clip and catching the hair blocking Furina’s right eye before he locked it in place above her ear. “Whatever you desire, you can get. No one is watching you here. You’re safe, Furina.” Thinking for only a moment, Leona tilted forward, resting his chin against the crown of her tangled hair in what was possibly the most intimate act he had ever initiated.

Furina stared up at him, eyes wide from shock as she processed his words. Tears started to fall from her eyes in a steady river. Leona shifted the boxes away from Furina’s lap as her once contained shaking broke loose, entire body quaking as she cried into Leona’s chest. Her hands gripped at his clothes, wrinkling the expensive fabric and dampening it with her tears, yet he didn’t care. Leona’s toned arms wrapped around Furina’s shoulders in a protective hold, keeping her safe in his arms as he closed his eyes listened to her weep.

Leona was bad at comforting others, so perhaps silence was the best medicine.

—

Yarrow- healing and love

Freesia-innocence and friendship

Delphinium-new life

Lavender- calm, purity, devotion

Sakura-life, death, renewal

Pink Lily-admiration

Saltwater Pearl-purity, wisdom, enduring elegance, often associated with the moon

Opal-good luck,an October birth stone

Pink tourmaline-love, compassion, an October birth stone

@idkfitememate here’s the birthday special! Also no, I can’t write anything without sprinkling angst in.