#(selkies kind of know another selkie when they see them)

[i3utterflyeffect]

hey what if selkie Alan goes missing and ends up with amnesia.

i somehow feel like amnesia!alan and selkie sticks is not a very sustainable au--

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct- (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 4

(Since my computer died, I will use some of the other monster AU art I haven't used in a chapter yet instead. Hopefully I can rustle up another computer soon or get Ol' Peepaw Sammy (my 10+ year old laptop) to run my drawing software without having a heart-attack.)

Warnings: collaring, aggressive kindness, yanderes are rampant in this story, invasion of privacy, romantic yanderes, platonic yanderes, monster AU, some history for the monster AU, mention of Humans being eaten, Teachers and Crowley are going to have a ROUGH time, more characters being introduced, reader insert, fem reader, Driders, Crows, Minotaurs, Shadow-men, Selkies, Dragons, Fae, Bats, Harpies, Unicorns, Nemean Lions, Grim is less boisterous/confident in this AU given his rough life but he is still the sassy and clueless kitty-creature we all love, reader is called several affectionate pet names by platonic yanderes (Pup/Cub/Chick)

~~~~~~~~

"So... What happened here?"

You cuddled your new monster friend close to you as you looked upon the building you had been carried to by Rook. He had been swift to return you and the cat-monster you befriended to the building the supposed teachers had been leading you towards. Even as you sat on the large spider's back and stared up at the building, you could see the apparent change that had overcome it.

It mostly looked the same as it had when you had run away from it, but there were several improvements and adjustments that had been made in the short time you were away. Where the windows had been boarded up, they were now all clean and fixed. Where the siding of the building had been in obvious disrepair and even falling off in some places, it now looked like it had received a needed bit of care and reconstruction.

"I can answer that!"

You let out a yelp at the sudden interjection, unconsciously reaching out to Rook's torso and clinging to the spider-man in fear. The way you yelped made your sudden visitor giggle in amusement at your behavior. Hanging from what appeared to be a dead tree branch above you was that same pink and black haired guy that had been in the Dragon's nest with you. He had an impish smile as he regarded you, that smile slipping ever so slightly as his eyes flicked over you and how tightly you held to Rook.

Rook was actually both amused and felt endeared by the fact that you grabbed onto him in a bid for protection from the Drider. It was so very sweet to him to see he had earned some goodwill and trust from you by rescuing you from the Undying Ursus Minor. Even when you relaxed upon realizing who was speaking, you very clearly held tightly to your soft companion, Grim.

"Oh? Did you make a friend out in the forest?"

The Bat Fae dropped from the branch, righting himself before he even hit the ground as he approached your little group. He took a long moment to look at Grim before he gained a kind of impish smile.

"I'll have to inform Malleus about your new charge. We wouldn't want this little one getting burned to a crisp by Malleus. Besides, I know how protective and adoring Children of Man can be when it comes to their cherished companions. The last human I met died for their companions."

Grim seemed unsettled by the Bat's presence and you could feel the way his torn wings seemed to pull closer to his body. Maybe it was the fact that the Bat had wings that were a lot like Grim's, and maybe it was the fact that this newcomer had been so keen to startle you. Regardless, you felt a strong need to protect your new friend as he was the only one who didn't seem to have some kind of twisted agenda planned for you.

"Anyway, Malleus and the other Housewardens showed up after you ran away- not a wise move, might I add- so several of them decided you should be somewhere safer than an old run-down building. Malleus did most of the fixing, but it seemed even Schoenheit was keen to make several additions to your accommodations. They're still mostly here, Malleus went back to his nest to give you some space."

You carefully slid off of the back of the large Spider man, noticing the unusual softness of his fur along the back of his Spider body. There was a kind of intimidation you felt now that you were back on level ground, as the height of Rook's Spider back did make you feel somewhat safer. Now you were on level ground and felt very small next to the blond who towered over you.

In some ways, you wanted to question the unusual Bat, but it quickly became clear you were not going to get that chance as the more adult-appearing men approached. The Crow was in the lead and was flanked by four others that seemed to be older than the monster men you had encountered en masse when you first entered this twisted nightmare land. Two of the men you recognized as the two who came with the Crow to retrieve you from the odd Dragon that had claimed you. The other two were unfamiliar to you, but no less beastly than the first.

One of them seemed to be an older man somewhere in his fifties with gray hair and clear creases along his brow and mouth. Attached where his lower half should have been was the body of some kind of big cat, a pair of oddly large wings sprouted along the shoulders of the cat body and the lower back of the man. He almost seemed to walk with a slight limp as his back leg had clearly suffered some kind of damage in the past.

The second newcomer was a man that seemed to be wreathed in shadows. All you could really make out from the darkness was the skeletal white mask adorning his face, lining up on the same place his own skull would be. His bright purple eyes pierced through the darkness and gleamed like gemstones beneath the brim of his top hat. He seemed younger than the others, but you found it difficult to accurately gauge his age due to the shadows that wrapped around him.

"Now that you're done racing off with no regard to your own health, foolish little chick, it seems I must have a lengthy conversation with you regarding the dangers that are ever present to someone as magically lacking as you."

~~~~~~~~

Several Housewardens and even a few Vice-Housewardens gathered nearby the Ramshackle building and watched the interaction curiously. It was true many had all pitched in to make the decrepit building a bit more liveable for you, but it was nowhere near the level of quality they believed an extinct species should have. They did what they could in the short amount of time they had, busying themselves with the project instead of charging headlong into the forest like many wanted to.

Rook and Lilia had excused themselves from the stern lecture the Crow was giving, opting instead to retreat to the nearby group. Many of those present took interest in Rook, as they could detect the scent he now carried due to carrying the fragile Human back to the safety of campus. A few even tried to take a subtle sniff of the Drider in an attempt to catch more of that uniquely Human smell.

"Roi du Poison, your faithful Huntsman has returned victorious with the little Human completely safe and sound!"

Rook was quick to take his place next to the peacock Harpy, practically beaming from the joy of another successful hunt. For all the beautiful muses Rook had claimed, he was closest with his muse Vil Schoenheit as the peacock Harpy had been one of the primary driving forces in Rook's life. From learning to care for his own appearance to taking care of Vil's pin feathers, he had few he could thank half as much as Vil.

Vil gave the slightest of smiles at having his second in command back by his side, his feathers ever so slightly rousing and fluffing out to show the Harpy was pleased. For all the eccentric behavior his Vice-Housewarden showed, Rook was nigh irreplaceable to Vil. Just knowing Rook had been the one to rescue the little Human was also another source of pride for Vil as it was another source of envy from the others.

"At least Rook can be trusted to bring the Human back promptly. I doubt the same would have been said of you, Leona."

The Nemian Lion was standing away from the group, but the clear way his ears angled back showed he was annoyed. Leona knew he wasn't trusted around the Human without supervision. He and anyone else from Sunset Savana would have to prove themselves 'domestic' to even be considered.

It was Sunset Savana that continued to eat Humans the longest and thus had been branded by the other Kingdoms and Queendoms as barbaric monsters. Leona didn't often pay attention in class- especially boring ass History- but even he knew the way Humans had been adored by so many others. Riddle went as far as not letting Leona out of his sight the second they arrived at the rundown excuse of a dorm. He knew the others wouldn't trust him around that fragile Human even with supervision.

"Piss off, Birdy."

Rook was not thrown by Vil's casual sniping towards Leona, the two proud Housewardens always seeming to be at odds. Instead, the Drider turned to the red-haired Unicorn with a pleasant smile.

"Roi du Règles, you will be pleased to know mon Trickster is Mademoiselle Trickster. You mentioned earlier you could sense her purity, non? That would make her a Human Maiden; the ideal boon companion for a Unicorn such as yourself!"

"Is she? Then it seems I must endeavor to even greater heights to protect her. No doubt the common rabble here will be eager to get at the only Human and only female on campus."

It was then a certain displeased yell split the air, originating from the Human in question. The shout unsettled the various students present and even managed to make Riddle almost rear from the sudden interjection.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

~~~~~~~~

You stared incredulously at Crowley, your hands resting over the collar that now sat securely on your neck. Despite how you pulled and groped at the material, you couldn't find a way to unlock it and free yourself from the new and rather dehumanizing feeling of being collared. Even Grim got himself a matching Collar, though his looked more like a pristine bow. Both his collar and your collar had a little device hanging where the tags would be on a dog's collar.

"You've made it more than abundantly clear that you will wander away to areas that can be dangerous to your health if you are allowed to freely roam. I can't have you ending your life prematurely simply because you didn't have the sense to stay away from something dangerous. That collar of yours will make it much easier to dissuade you from going places you shouldn't."

Grim was still trying to wriggle out of his collar while you glared angrily at the overgrown Crow who put it there. You eventually had to stop Grim as the little cat-creature was beginning to thrash and could hurt himself if he wasn't careful. Luckily, the little beast soothed with your touch and stared up at you through his mismatched and scarred eyes. Even though you wanted to lay into Crowley for daring to put a collar on the two of you like you were some kind of pet, the man who had introduced himself as Divus Crewel spoke up.

"I know you don't like the collar, but try to think of it from our perspective, sweet pup. You aren't a normal sight here or anywhere in our world. If certain ne're-do-wells caught wind of a Human living on our campus, they may try to poach you if given the chance. We don't want to give them the chance."

You frowned angrily at the men but also somewhat understood where they were coming from on the matter. Though you really couldn't grasp the concept of Humans being extinct- given the fact you came from a world where Humans were the only truly sentient species- you did somewhat understand where they were coming from. Classifying an animal as endangered only made an increase in the demand for pieces of said animal. They were certain Humans were extinct, so you were more than just a prized commodity to collectors and hunters alike.

"How does the collar help against poaching? If someone wanted to get me with an arrow or a knife, a collar doesn't do anything to stop that."

"That is true in most cases, but your collar is enchanted. The collar keeps track of your location and will alert us as well as the Housewardens if anything does try to harm you. It can't stop a full attack, but it can deflect minor magic."

"Why did Grim get collared too?"

"Because, though I am loathe to let a beast of the forest stay with you, it is better you have some kind of magical protection with you. His skills are subpar compared to a Housewarden, but it is still more skill and magic than you have available to you. Best to keep track of the both of you."

Grim didn't fight his collar anymore, but he certainly didn't look happy as his little torn wings drooped and his ears angled downwards. He was clearly quite displeased but didn't seem too upset despite the fact he did not sign up for this kind of treatment. Once he resigned himself to the collar, he slightly perked up and raised his lopsided gaze to meet that of Crewel.

"Hey, seal-guy, does this mean I have to go to classes with my Hench-Hooman like a student and stuff?"

"It would be ideal to have (Y/n) attend classes, if only to keep her around professors and prevent the loneliness from negatively impacting her health. Humans were known to be a social creature, after all, and with no other Humans around the other students would be the next best thing."

"... So does that mean I can actually be a fancy-pants student and become the greatest mage to ever live?"

"Whatever keeps you by (Y/n)'s side. Though it may behoove us to enlist the aid of other students as well... They will have to prove themselves first, of course."

Crowley nodded along to Crewel's words as if they were the most obvious thing and you vaguely got the impression that the Crow really didn't realize what he was agreeing to. Though he was the Headmage- which to you meant he was the head of the school- he seemed far less aware of the situation as a whole and leaned on the other professors for that information. Something about him made you wonder why he was so eager to keep you on school grounds. It made you think back to his comment about the last human he met and you wondered if that had anything to do with how keen he was to keep you yet seemed keen to let the others take point in explaining things to you.

It was during this thought that the older looking man spoke, his voice aged and almost fatherly in how he spoke to you.

"Naturally, you are still the only true expert on Humans, being one yourself, so we will have to ultimately trust your judgement. I am of a mind with Divus that we should not be allowing a forest beast unrestricted access to you, but you seem to trust this Grim. Should you need something, you have but to ask us one of us. I also feel Mr. Rosehearts, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Draconia, and perhaps even a number of others would be keen to aid you. Don't ever go to Savanaclaw for aid. Though it may have been several hundred years ago, many of those from Sunset Savana and those of specific beastman lineages were instrumental in the extinction of Humans. Better to be safe than sorry with your safety."

He had been introduced to you as Mozus Trein, the History professor. Though you were curious as to why he seemed so fond of you, you figured it had something to do with you being Human and his natural love and fascination with history. You had to admit, it was nice that he didn't talk to or about you like you were a pet or some kind of exotic toy- an exotic animal, maybe, but not a pet. Most of the professors seemed to be of a similar mind- minus the Crow- and that somewhat helped put you at ease with them.

"So, does that mean it will only be Grim and I in here? No one else?"

"Well, the ghosts may pay you a visit and check in on you. Would you like someone to spend the evening here as well? I understand this is a new place and some company may put you at ease. It is my understanding that Mr. Draconia has already made a secondary nest in this dorm for you to use at your leisure, no doubt the others added beds or various furniture as well."

"No, I kind of like the fact that it's just me and Grim, I was just wondering because all of them are here," you gestured to the group of Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens nearby, "so I didn't know if they were staying or not. It is getting super late at night..."

"They should be returning to their dorms soon, though Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens are not bound by the same curfew as the other students."

He glanced at the others before back at you, a serious look of concern painting his features.

"Are you certain you would rather be alone tonight? Some wayward fools may try to enter the dorm when we leave."

The genuine concern in his expression and tone made you seriously consider his words. It was true that you didn't really feel very safe with anyone other than your small companion Grim, but the wizend professor did have a point. His prompting paired with the fact that you had made many poor choices for yourself this night did more to sway you than expected. You looked at the several monsters waiting nearby and had to conceed that someone keeping an eye out was not a bad idea given the already rocky start to your time in such a world.

"... I think you might have a point, actually..."

"How about this; you choose from the Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens who helped fix up this old dorm for you. Clearly they have at least shown they care for your wellbeing enough to put in an effort to make it livable. I will say now- however- should you choose Leona, I will choose someone else for you. I would love to say all our students are safe, but that just isn't the case and we can't take chances with you."

"That seems fair... But how do I know which one Leona is?"

"Leona is the Nemean Lion- ah, but I forget, you don't have Nemean Lions where you're from, do you?"

You shook your head. You could recall that there were Greek myths of Heraclies slaying a golden lion known as the Nemean Lion, but nothing like the monster men you have met.

"I will point him out when you decide who you feel is safest to stay with you."

"Okay. Grim, want to help me choose?"

The stout creature smiled eagerly in response to your question, holding up his front legs for you to pick him up. He was not like a cat in the sense that he was thrilled when you held him, but he did seem to enjoy your warmth and the fact he didn't have to walk when you carried him. As you cuddled Grim, professor Trein began to lead you to the group.

It was easy to feel somewhat safe with the older man and you kept close to his side as you two approached the group of fellow students. They all looked curious at the fact that you and the professor had approached them first. Perhaps you were going to thank them or ask them for something else to help you settle in.

"Listen up, you lot. I would hope others have enough common sense to leave (Y/n) here alone, but we all know that isn't going to happen. Since you are the ones that actually showed up to ensure our only Human is safe, it is safe to assume you care what happens to (Y/n). We feel it would be best to have either a Housewarden or a Vice-housewarden remain here for the evening in the event someone tries their luck."

Professor Trein then glanced back at you, nodding his head towards the group in clear invitation to approach. As you drew close, you couldn't help but take note of how all eyes quickly fell on you. Some of the people there were familiar to you, and some were not.

Rook was among the familiar, same with the Harpy that stood next to him. The only one whose name you recognized was Rook's as he had been the only one to actually introduce himself to you.

"... Can I choose Rook? He's the only name I know..."

"I would happily accept, Mademoiselle Trickster, but there is one far fairer and better than I at all but hunting. I suggest you choose Roi du Poison, the beautiful Vil Schoenheit."

The spider man made a sweeping arm motion to his side towards the Harpy, as if he were presenting the bird-man to you. The bird in question seemed surprised by the sudden introduction but took it in stride and instead turned his purple eyes to you. As you locked eyes with him, something odd happened. His feathers seemed to quiver before the feathers atop his head raised, his tail feathers doing the same to create an almost dazzling display of iridescent colors. He was clearly a peacock bird-man, but what didn't make much sense to you was why he was showing off for you. You didn't think you were really worth showing those feathers to since you weren't a bird like him.

"You are welcome to choose one as fair as me, little Human. I will ensure your safety to the furthest of my capabilities."

It almost seemed like the peacock were trying to make himself seem like the best choice, showing off colors and strength in an effort to have you choose him. If anything, you weren't the only one who was surprised at seeing such a display from the peacock. The others seemed almost shocked by this showing of feathers but someone was clearly far less than pleased upon seeing Vil posturing for you.

"Absolutely not! I refuse to allow anyone who does any kind of display dance for her to be permitted anywhere near her. I would have your head if you weren't my senior, Vil! Such a maiden should not be accosted by eager men who only see her as a breeding toy. Professor, I demand you override this choice and select me to guard this Human. I shall uphold every rule the Queen has set and I will not allow such tomfoolery to burden this Human."

Vil seemed angered by this as his feathers ruffled and stood on end, eyes glaring angrily at the offending Unicorn man. The wickedly sharp tallons on the ends of the bird's fingers seemed to only be sharper when displayed with such clear disdain for the Unicorn. It seemed like a fight was on the verge of erupting before Grim's voice interrupted them.

"I don't like any of them! Maybe the spider-drider-guy, but this is my Hooman which means I should choose who protects us!"

"Are you-? What the hell is a 'Hooman'? She is a Human, not 'Hooman' and I don't appreciate your casual disrespect for her species-!"

It was during the Unicorn's rant that you interrupted, feeling angry that the man would dare talk to Grim like that. Sure, you found it odd that the cat creature called you Hooman, but you certainly didn't mind it either. Even above all of that, Grim was your friend and these men were not.

"And who said it was your place to correct him? I know what I am and I think it's cute he calls me Hooman. What I don't appreciate is how you think you can yell at him! He can call me Hooman if he wants, you are not afforded the same privilege! And I have a name. It's (Y/n) (L/n), so don't you dare ever call me anything else."

Your sudden snapping at the Unicorn clearly surprised and unsettled him as he took several steps back, almost seeming like he was about to rear from your yelling. Even though his blue eyes stared in absolute surprise, you felt no need to back down and if anything you wanted to chase off the delicate Unicorn for daring to raise his voice at Grim. A light chuckle met your ears and drew your ire away from the Unicorn and to another familiar grinning face. It was the pink and black haired Bat.

"Keeheehee, seems she doesn't like you very much Riddle. Or, it could be that Humans are traditionally a pack-bonding species and little Grim is now her pack. Clearly Riddle isn't your choice, so who actually will be?"

You frowned at this question and went back to looking at the group, Grim seemed to be doing the same as he purred and snuggled down into your arms. From those you now knew, you still figured either the Bat or Rook would be best. It was then someone else caught your eye bringing you to a halt as you stared at them.

He had sun kissed skin and dark mahogany hair. Even as he stood in the light of the moon, he almost seemed to have a golden glow that wrapped around his scowling figure. When he noticed you looking at him, his bright green eyes narrowed ever so slightly before looking away from you. His actions were as if he were trying to dissuade you from picking him despite the fact he was among the group. You vaguely recognized him from the many who you first saw when you came tumbling out of the coffin.

"Choose someone else, Mousey. They won't let you pick me, I might gobble you up."

"I'm not a-"

"Yes, you are. You are a little Mousey herbivore of the only sentient species Nemean Lions dared to feast upon."

"Nemean...? You're Leona?"

"I'm surprised you even care enough to know my name. Leona Kingscholar, second prince of Sunset Savana and Housewarden of Savanaclaw. Careful, Mousey, you aren't safe around me. I may not have tasted Human before, but I'm willing to break several laws to give it a try."

He almost seemed like he was trying to actually get you away from him, a look of vague sadness hiding behind his smouldering emerald eyes even as he glared at you. There was more to this tale than he was telling but you knew he wasn't going to give you the information you wanted. With another long look at the golden Lion, you turned you gaze back to the group as a whole.

"I guess... Since the Dragon- Malleus, if I'm remembering properly- isn't here, I'll pick the Bat."

"Aww, I'll be sure to let Malleus know you wanted to pick him. I'm sure he'll be pleased. I can keep an eye on you and make sure those other whippersnappers don't come sniffing around. Keeheehee, cute that you call me Bat, but I also have a name if you feel like using it. Lilia Vanrouge, at your esteemed service, (Y/n). Malleus is my primary ward, but he certainly wouldn't be too displeased if I kept an eye on his hoard as well."

You nodded, wondering just why the Dragon decided you were one of his but not willing to question Lilia as to the true motives just yet. It almost seemed like those present fixed Lilia with a jealous sneer as the Bat happily joined your side. Trein simply nodded, accepting your choice as it was not Leona- whom he planned to berate for threatening you- and was a fairly safe choice. Lilia was of the few who had encountered a Human before in his many centuries, so no doubt he would be safe around you.

"It is decided then. I shall see you in my class tomorrow, (Y/n). Do not hesitate to reach out to me should you need anything. Your other professors and I will be working on getting you a phone to communicate with us faster. For now, sleep well, little cub."

[gabessquishytum]

Hi Gabe and welcome back 💖💖 I’ve got a particularly delicious ask for you hehe

So TJ-Dragonblade and Delta-Pavonis both wrote incredible fics on the concept of immortal gigolo to the supernatural, Hob Gadling, and Dream finding out about said occupation in modern day.

But what if Hob had the opportunity to service Dream in 1389? Then 1489, and 1589…you get the gist. 

Maybe Hob is the token mortal at the agency who happens to become immortal because Dream just finds him so irresistible and he wants to fuck this mortal way past his normal lifespan. Or maybe Hob’s already met Death and gotten immortality another way from her, and now he’s heard all about Dream and is eager to please.  

Maybe they both think at first this is just a nice arrangement, a good way to get a mindblowing orgasm once a century but oops, Hob’s caught feels! And Dream has too but he’ll be the last to admit that.

Anyways, how do you think their 1789 meeting REALLY went in this scenario? 😏😏😏

Hey beloved seiya!!! Thank you for this ask - I have been thinking about immortal gigolo Hob SO MUCH. My brain immediately went to 'Hob started the agency and is like the brothel madame and only very occasionally takes on special clients'. The idea of Hob as a somewhat morally grey person who takes in supernatural waifs and strays and kind of grooms them into the perfect escorts really tickles my brain. Of course when he sees Dream, Hob immediately calls dibs on him because he's so fucking pretty no one else is allowed to have him.

As for their 1789 meeting, I have so many thoughts about Hob getting dressed up beforehand. I mean it in the nicest possible way but he looks like such a tart at that meeting (in all fairness so does Dream) so I can't help but imagine all the other employees helping Hob get ready for his big date - he's got a selkie coiffuring his hair, a couple of ghouls helping him with his garters, a werewolf giving him a manicure. It's like cinderella getting ready for the ball. Hob books the private room for them to have their little tete a tete... and of course he doesn't forget to specify that he wants a bedroom.

How can Dream resist this particularly tasty morsel? Hob looks better than ever in 1789, he's really made a go of it in the business world... Dream may disapprove, but he appreciates the results. Add the fact that Hob is so eager for him, so clearly prepared and thrilled to be fucked by his mysterious stranger... well, Dream has an ego. He's only too happy to sprawl back against the mattress and allow Hob to suck him off - not once, but twice. His hair comes lose from his pretty ribbon and Hob doesn't look so different from 1389, long haired and dishevelled and grinning. Dream is about 30 seconds from taking him off to the dreaming forever. Why limit himself to once a century, when he could have this every night?

Alas, they are interrupted.

Instead of accusing Hob of being the Wandering Jew, Lady Constantine calls him the Devil's Whore. She's not exactly far off. Lucifer is a client of the agency, but Hob never serves them personally. In fact, Hob only serves Dream. But Dream doesn't need to know that. He believes that Hob spends his immortal days in the debauched company of many, many beings. Believing anything else would be admission of something special between them, and Dream can't allow that...

Not for another 250 years or so, anyway!

[allio-corporations]

Another Hannibal (Hannigram) AU:

This time a G/t au! Or more correctly, a plethora of supernatural (monster/magic) g/t AUs and just plain g/t AUs!

This is a comp of a few avenues of g/t Hannibal.

- Supernatural AU! -

This AU has supernatural creatures, and mixing of different creatures leads to some going underground/traits not present unless something triggers their dna to do so

Will has empathy based psychic abilities, along with some lineage(s) that may explain what happens to him in this AU. One of them being part Veela (think Harry Potter type lore for that creature)

Hannibal has heightened senses, more so due to his bloodlines. A lineage of Wendigo that reappears in the family when he’s forced to eat Mischa. The wendigo traits are able to maintained and keep him civil due to his diet and other lineages. Lastly, he has a third line of inhuman species, called Nephilim - meaning giants but also in some interpretations of the Bible and Torah, it means children of (likely fallen) angels + humans. - It’s giants that are born of angels and humans, but some of the traits go quiet for many generations at a time and can only be triggered in someone due to certain circumstances. It explains the success and power the Lecters had in their lives, both sides, and essentially ensured their nobility (also Nephilim were seen to use magic to change or use abilities other creatures had, but every magic comes with a price of course).

Other lineages types include:

Jack - some type of griffin-human

Bella - siren, think fish type that can go on land and into water whenever

Alana - Selkie (mostly human)

Beverly - Wraith

Jimmy Price - vampire

Brian Zeller - human

Freddie - nymph + banshee (fire based)

Chilton - goblin + fae

Francis (red dragon) - obviously a dragon hybrid (maybe one that’s not seen as very powerful but he’s able to essentially become more feral with each kill)

Abigail - Wendigo

GJH - Wendigo

Randal Tierr - werewolf-esq hybrid (wolf-bear hybrid)

Mason - shape shifter + pig-hybrid

Margot - shape shifter (did not get the expressed pig gene)

Peter - human (with strong abilities to work well with animals)

I’ll think up more of them later, or would welcome any alternative ideas for the side characters aka ones besides the murder husbands

Alright, so some head canons or background situations, and a few different timeline/alteration ideas (I’ll try to make sure I mark ideas for when I write for different jumping off points!)

G/t AU 1: Divergent point from the second half of season 2 (the cases are the same, but Will is convinced to drop accusing Hannibal entirely, and Jack/Fbi stops suspecting him, but don’t think Will was to blame either, they just think the encephalitis confused Will).

- so Will is genuinely connecting with Hannibal, but is still debating on if he’s going to try and take him out on his own or give in to his own wants.

- obviously some aspects of the supernatural exist in this AU

- we’re skipping over their development to this point bc maybe I’ll cover it later. But by now they’re on good grounds (honest with each other, Abigail is alive and they make it seem like the ripper or copycat (who the fbi doesn’t know) let her go similar to Miriam Lass). So the three get a murder family that isn’t fleeing the country yet.

- Beverly is also alive. She didn’t go to Hannibal’s house, and girlie is thriving. (She doesn’t fully suspect Hannibal, but isn’t as social with him now.)

- Hannibal still helps consult on occasion, Will is still helping Jack, but in his own terms now

- After Abgail goes off to college (girlie wanted to go abroad to escape this mess and good for her, we’ll see her later), there’s a new normal. Will is over more often, the dogs usually join him now, the two are kind of together. Others don’t know if they’re properly together, but they essentially are - even if they are still learning to communicate and work around/with each other.

Now we go to the case that starts the shit show;

During one case, one not shown in the series, making one up - Will is pursuing the suspect. Jack got his leg hurt and Will is just going for it bc doing bad things to bad people feels good (he’s being honest with himself and Hannibal, or trying to be, it’s progress).

During the pursuit, Hannibal is slightly behind Will, because of course Hannibal would rather see Will go feral/see what Will does to a suspect.

Perp is some type of fae, so enjoys causing issues and it killing people or greatly changes them. Has bags of powder, think like the Love god episode of gravity falls. But not for love, for chaos and making people be honest/situations kind of like jigsaw.

Perp can tell that Will and Hannibal are kind of together but yknow, they’re them, so he hits each of them with a powder during the pursuit. (Powder’s actions essentially can trigger dormant traits/lineages in person). So it acts the same but the outcomes depend on the person. And while creatures and such are accepted and fairly common, some lines and traits aren’t and haven’t been present since the beginning of recorded history essentially.

Will starts choking from it, Hannibal stops bc if he can’t watch Will further his becoming, and he’s actively in distress, why pursue the fae? So the beloved sassy science squad (this time Beverly), comes in with a great shot, and stops the threat. Doesn’t kill the fae, but he is apprehended properly.

Since both got that powder on them, medical checks out Hannibal and Will, doesn’t know what it is. They take samples, do some tests. Besides higher BP and fatigue the two are fine. So, the two head back to Baltimore until the next case or whenever Will would need something from wolftrap. They think this case is done. They were very wrong.

At home, the two are making dinner and discussing the case. Hannibal is cooking a roast of loin and rump (from a very vocal pig who unapologetically spilled a hot cup of coffee on Will during a previous case). While Hannibal is down in the cellar picking out a wine, he hears a clatter, crash, and yelp from upstairs.

Hannibal, who chided himself on letting Will sous chef while not feeling well, turns the corner, and can’t find Will. He knows he couldn’t have left, and there’s no one else there. No blood, no sign of struggle beyond a knocked over pot and two lids on the ground. The pot had been empty as well when he went downstairs, not even on the stove yet.

After a few more moments of investigating, and calling out for Will, he hears a response - muffled and soft but definitely something or someone calling out his name (though likely he wouldn’t have been able to hear it if he was human). The even odder thing is that the sound came from the pot on the island.

Hannibal lifts the pot, finding what he had hoped wasn’t true: Will, under the pot, on the island, barely more than 3.5 inches tall. Safe to say, Hannibal is amused, and slightly concerned, though has a good theory of what happened.

Realizing that he was right in his assumption on what could make up Will’s lineage, and the fact the powder probably caused this, Hannibal realized that he should start monitoring any changes in himself as well.

Will, on the other hand, is not having a good time. He’s already knows this wasn’t Hannibal, that it was the damn fae who did this, but can’t help the anxiety that is coursing through his veins. Despite being pretty sure that Hannibal wouldn’t harm him - at least to a point he can’t fix - his nerves were still fried due to sensory overload and giant cannibal whose pot he is under at the moment. Likely thinking back to the damn endangered songbirds Hannibal had drowned, plucked, cooked, and ate whole. The only solace Will has from the powder is that his clothes were also affected, preserving his dignity, at least for a time.

Cutting back to Hannibal, he too is remembering the songbirds they had eaten not too long ago. But, he quickly concludes that he prefers Will not on a plate (at least now).

Hannibal has also decided that if there’s anyway he could find that fae, once they figure out the powder composition, he’s definitely stealing his pancreas and lungs.

When the two of them come out from their mind palaces/mind scapes, they work on finding a way to communicate easily without Will going deaf or sensory overload occurring. But before Will gets a word in, Hannibal decides it’s time to relive his days in the medical field, which Will is not happy about. It occurs without real incident once Will just goes with it, knowing it’d be faster than mildly inconveniencing Hannibal’s speed.

The two decide on a mix of whispering and writing things down, with some universal signs or part asl to help as well.

While Will is still partly anxious about Hannibal finding the thrill of the chase when Will inevitably freaks out, Hannibal doesn’t have much of a bloodlust of thrill of the chase when the target can’t escape an area without help, that he is always in arms reach of (at least most of the time).

One aspect that worsens is the amount of cannibal puns and jokes Hannibal makes on a daily basis. (As in his mongoose has turned into a morsel for the snake(s)). Will is not amused.

Will is also not a fan of how cold everything is now. While he didn’t enjoy the night terrors and waking up drowning in his own sweat, being constantly cold if left without a heat source within his personal space definitely was a downgrade in a lot of ways. (Though he didn’t hate the fact that he got to spend more time with Hannibal.)

Jack and the gang do in fact get told a little later about Will’s condition. The pair had been laying low for about 2-3 weeks, trying to play by ear, and take this time to actually work through things, but Jack got nosey, and the cat was out of the bag (more so, Will was out of the pocket).

During those few weeks of working things out, the two actually start communicating like adults when it matters, and learn to work with each other in more domestic settings. (Though domestic, it’s not normal).

Hannibal does essentially spoil Will - new clothes (too many in Will’s opinion), rigs and set ups to move around more efficiently, more warm blankets/articles and heaters around the house to keep Will’s body temp safer, even getting custom made pieces of furniture and appliances, even custom dishware and tools. Because while Hannibal enjoys having Will rely on him, he knows Will and that eventually he’d go stir crazy.

So, to make Will not lose his patience, plus the amusing nature of the situation, Will tags along to Hannibal’s therapy sessions with patients (asleep/listening while in his desk or where his handkerchief resides). Then, Hannibal attends the opera a bit, slightly less than usual, during that time period, reserving out and entire higher up booth to him and Will, as to better enjoy the opera but also be able to communicate with Will when/if necessary. In return he concedes in secretly taking Will to a scene with him, Jack not knowing what’s going on in the slightest. The two do get to hear about updates on what the powder was. (Midwest in origin, a mix of different magic/properties. Definitely needs more time to study and interrogate the fae before Hannibal can throw another proper dinner party).

Hannibal over time does become more unrested, irritable with anyone besides Will. Will finds it endearing but slightly worrisome. It at least keep Jack off his back, to the point where he sends Hannibal footage and pictures for Will rather than try to force Will out there (lessening the chance of Hannibal losing it on Jack).

When the rest of group finds out about Will, they all take it differently. Jack is still too loud, overbearing, and rough (causing a nasty set of bruises on Will’s rib cage once), and it takes Will pleading with Hannibal to not kill and cook Jack by flaying his skin to stop Hannibal from dropping the mask when he found out. Jimmy and Brian are a bit better, too inclined to stare at Will like a lab rat, which isn’t horrible since both are fond of animals, but just feels demeaning. Alana overcompensates trying to act normal and overprotective, so careful to the point of forgetting Will’s still himself. Beverly acts pretty normal, enjoys joking and is more careful, but can read a room better than apparently a psychiatrist (Alana) and the head of the BSU. Will ends up enjoying Hannibal and Beverly’s company the most to no one’s surprise.

Since Will was past his encephalitis, and decided to not turn in Hannibal/accepted his growing becoming, it’s easier to look. But, he doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. Jack can’t come and force him to do so, thanks to Hannibal. (If Will tells Jack he’s not feeling up to going/not feeling well, Hannibal takes his word for it and doesn’t take him to the scene. The crew won’t show up to try and convince Will, because Hannibal just won’t answer/repeats what Will said and excuses them out. Jack can’t even get them to budge.)

Though they two do visit the lab a fair bit to hear updates on the samples from the fae’s powder that hit them. Plus, do a basic physical and bloodwork once a week, usually if they’re already in the lab for a case. Will only lets Hannibal do his bloodwork, because of his surgical precision and as a form of trust. (Bc they are in the equivalent of a post fall communication era, but hiding in plain sight).

They find the powder isn’t entirely of fae origin, something from the Midwest, and a bit from the north east. Both of their vitals are steady. Will’s vitals come back faster, similar to small mammal’s in metabolism, need for heat, and just a faster heartbeat. Hannibal’s remains very similar to his base vitals, but they do notice while Hannibal’s vitals are normal and Will’s are faster, they’re still in sync with each other. (As in every fourth beat from Will, he and Hannibal sync up. Like a snare roll matching up and beating at the same time a timpani beats. Which I based off the study that couples who are shown to be in love/have high present levels of love hormones end up with matching heart beats/in sync with their partner). The science team find it endearing, Jack not so much, him and Alana are a bit unnerved.

Back to the boys: during the time Hannibal and Will are the only two (along with Abigail to an extent), know about Will’s condition, the two definitely learn to communicate. Because the first week consists of a lot of writing and whispering on Hannibal’s end.

During these early stages Hannibal takes it upon himself to get Will plenty of tools and day to day items. (Lots of clothes, with an accompanying wardrobe, his own bed which honestly doesn’t end up getting much use, small fashionable blankets to put around the house bc Will should not get cold when in this state, plenty of small appliances for hygiene and self care.) (Utensils, plates, kitchenware, furniture that matches the room’s aesthetic while still being comfortable, attachments to help Will get between rooms or on surfaces if need be, etc. But Hannibal still loves carrying Will around/having him within arms reach, and Will doesn’t complain much when Hannibal or eventually Winston carry him around. He hates being grabbed by essentially anyone or anything else though; enjoys being carried around by Winston but not the other dogs. Loves Hannibal carrying him around/Hannibal being the only person Will actively enjoys and seeks out to have physical contact with. He is okay with Abigail or Beverly helping him, but doesn’t like being held by them for long periods of time. Dislikes but tolerates Price (Jimmy) or Alana helping him out if needed. He actively avoids being touched or helped by Zeller or Jack, has risked falling multiple times just to avoid them bc his other options were not in the room or didn’t hear him. And the one time either of the Freddies, Lounds and Chilton, tried to be within a few inches of him, he nearly bit them before threatening to take a finger if they tried anything. Hannibal is was incredibly amused for the rest of the case.)

Hannibal doesn’t mind cooking the extra meals for Will, he enjoys being such a large part of Will’s day, especially considering the meals are just portioned smaller and last longer over time. Though he does let Will pick options more now bc not only is it their communicating + compromising era, but Hannibal is obviously simping for the Graham cracker.

First day, or partial day of this has Will trying to not retreat into himself. With Hannibal genuinely unsure of what do exactly do, because while he could never entirely predict Will, this is on another level.

Will, instead of running warm like he used to, now gets cold easily, so he’s essentially glued to either a heat source or Hannibal, usually the latter. And due to this, the first night, Will ends up sleeping with Hannibal (which would have been like normal for them, but due to circumstances, they had to rearrange). Pillow on Will’s side is swapped for a smaller pillow that won’t cause Will to easily roll off. Then temporarily until Hannibal can start spoiling Will, pocket squares and cuts of old fleece material (that had been packed away for Will to use to mend some of his fishing/outdoor gear) act as blankets. The pillow is set up near Hannibal’s head, and everything goes off without issue. Hannibal also turns up the heating in the house for him.

Even when Will gets proper bedding that is on Hannibal’s nightstand, Will ends up either in his old spot or on Hannibal (with Will refusing to move)

Should also bring back up the lineage stuff - Hannibal’s traits are usually muted, horns and such in one of his forms aren’t often present and usually Will is the only one to detect them, except for his eyes going red. Then he has the original wendigo shape of being longer and emaciated, which was what Will saw when he was sick in S1. Lastly there’s the incomprehensible form of being part nephilim, Will able to detect parts but doesn’t look at it fully, despite seeing Hannibal behind the human veil quite a lot. While Will’s eyes have a slight blue glow to them while he’s using his empathy in a controlled manner.

Hannibal ends up not being the only one with a slight thrill of the chase when Will darts around too quickly (Hannibal has enough self restraint and frontal lobe activity, unlike some, to not act on such impulses 99.99% of the time, at least not without thinking them through first). Jack ends up swiping at Will in the lab. Will had been pacing on one of the examination tables, doing his job. He had gotten lost in thought, and had begun to pace faster and look around the body more before he could zone in and “look”. As he’s turning to look the body in the face, Will sees something in the reflection of the table and a very quick shadow coming his way. Will scurried out of the way, ducking under the partially posed and elevated neck of the body he has been examining. As Will dove to hide, loud squeaks of shoes on the floor, and nearly incoherent rumbling from the others caused him to curl up and begin to lose himself/retreat inward. (Which wasn’t good considering he was just beginning to properly “look” at the situation for this case.)

Thankfully before the hand can reach where he has just been, a faster hand which had been the other mass in the table reflection grabbed the first wrist, twisting it sharply and efficiently. Jack had reached for Will, knocking over tools in the lab, unaware of his own actions/impulse. It wasn’t until Hannibal had quietly, near silent, grabbed his wrist, putting his body between Jack and Will, that Jack had snapped out of it. The rest of the crew were shocked, and a bit worried, not only for Will’s safety but also shocked by the actions of both Hannibal and Jack.

Once the commotion settled down, only then did Will even dare to look out, seeing Hannibal’s back to him, acting as a shield from the entire group. Jack not even being allowed to explain really. Will just quietly asking if everyone but Hannibal leave the room so he could focus, then he’d send over a report later. The team obviously complying, likely due to not wanting to further the situation, they waited outside in the hall.

When Hannibal walked out of the lab, the others noticed Will wasn’t in Hannibal’s hands or in his shoulder. They each had their own guess to what happened. Will hadn’t wanted to see or feel everyone’s eyes on him, especially Jack due to feeling fidgety still. So, he ended up hiding in Hannibal’s inner chest pocket of his suit, allowing him cover and not end up freezing.

Hannibal hadn’t let Jack even stop him as he walked out, knowing it may be rude, but nearly attacking an (unofficial but technical) employee was worse, he thought it fair to walk off, telling Jack he’d get the report and hear from himself or one of the others what the plan was going forward.

While it had been stressful, the two realized fairly quickly they’d both had such a strong reaction to Jack because not only is it a naturally stressful experience (mainly for Will) but also because it’s Jack. This being made more apparent when Beverly had suddenly moved to keep Will from falling off a counter in the lab a few weeks later - Will needing to just catch his breath due to nearly falling. Hannibal had still had a notable reaction though (shoulders slightly raised, more blunt in his tone at first, and moving closer to Will/acting as a barrier more so implicitly). Yet they didn’t leave suddenly and Will had continued his work that day fairly normally, with Hannibal remaining nearby, so not as nearly as strong of a reaction compared to Jack earlier.

This was further proven when Will decided that during a day in - more mundane and no cases, which was rare - that he’d get Hannibal to finally chase him. Will had been bored, unable to work on new lures, the dogs being in and out and besides Winston were too rowdy to safely deal with, and not much else to do. Will began to run around surfaces as Hannibal was reading. Thanks to the add ons Hannibal got so Will could move about easier, and using the coffee table, backs of furniture, etc. he was able to get Hannibal to silently set his book down. Hannibal could tell Will was enticing him, wanting to have a more physical recreation of their old “cat and mouse chase.” Which, who was he to turn down yet another surprise from Will?

Will would swear that if Hannibal had a tail it would have been swinging like a house cat tracking something, his eyes becoming an even more bloody shade of red. Once Will knew he had his attention, he took off towards the floor, where he knew he could get under furniture to prolong the chase. Hannibal, not immediately jumping up, rather watching to see his plan first, had toed off his shoes to be faster, then began the chase.

The chase and stalking lasted for about 15 minutes. During which Hannibal’s antlers had began to be visible, limbs looking more emaciated and longer, revealing that Hannibal was either not focused on maintaining his appearance during the chase or was shedding his human veil for the purpose of seeming more monstrous (possibly to make Will slip up). Didn’t matter which one it was, only that it was just them. Eventually, Will had given away his position on a bookshelf, and had no plan of escape. Will came out from behind the small stag sculpture on the shelf, allowing himself to get quickly swept up. By the time he was caught, Hannibal’s eyes were blood red, antlers longer than Hannibal’s forearms, and his limbs extended + emaciated, with his teeth sharpest they’d been in months. With a slight fuzziness around Hannibal, meaning he really hadn’t been keeping a lid on his veil or himself in check beyond his own nature.

Despite what should be terrifying, astronomically more dangerous than Jack’s mere swipe, Will wasn’t worried, wind slightly knocked out of him by the sudden grab yes, but not fearful. Once grabbed, Will saw Hannibal’s features spike then slowly fade back to what he looked like normally with his human veil tightly sewn on. Hannibal, surprised by how long the chase had been, remained somewhat hopeful that it wouldn’t be a one off thing.

The two going back to relaxing, this time in Hannibal’s study/library. Will going between curling up on the desk, next to Hannibal’s empty hand and book from earlier - Hannibal carefully helping Will relax by massaging the knots and kinks out of Will’s back to the point of him being putty. To then scurry to in crook of Hannibal’s neck & collar bone to lounge. Will moving around periodically to keep himself entertained until Hannibal was heading to cook dinner, once again one of Will’s favorites.

Of course their chases didn’t stop there, Will periodically deciding on days when they usually had little to do, he’d suddenly dash away, and their game would continue until one of them, almost always Will, got tired, or if Will reached a dead end. Then they would go back to what they were doing.

This was somewhat inconvenient at times. Especially when Will decided to run around Hannibal’s office shortly before a patient came in, Mason Verger.

Thankfully, Mason is too self absorbed to notice Will beyond asking Hannibal about his food preferences when he’d possibly picked up on a specific smell (which Hannibal thought he wouldn’t bc again it’s Mason, but because of his piggish nature, smell for him is increased significantly, nowhere near Hannibal’s but enough to smell Will and his, Hannibal approved aftershave/cologne). But beyond the rude remarks, he didn’t see Will quickly retreat to where Hannibal was, across the room. Both slightly tense, but unnoticeable to the untrained eye, until Will was again in Hannibal’s inner handkerchief pocket. With the appointment going the same as usual, Mason being insufferable for an hour.

All of this ends up paying off later during a case though - Jack insisting they join for the arrest, and Will feeling up to it putting them in that situation. In an old warehouse, with unsecured rooms, the assailant, a serial killer, another fae, using different people of different lineages to try and make…. Something. During the arrest, the two had walked in and the perpetrator lunged at Hannibal, causing Will to nearly fall off Hannibal, being placed down quickly as the attacker broke free from his cuffs to try and seemingly steal at least one of Hannibal’s eyes. Will had quickly gotten distance, knowing that he couldn’t fight back. But that mad dash took the assailant’s attention, causing an unprompted chase around the room. While it lasting for less than a minute, the moment the man had nearly grabbed Will before Hannibal had broken the man’s arm - from the bones near his second knuckle to the shoulder joint - and proceeded in dragging him away from Will had been tense.

The two left silently once they saw the man get loaded into an ambulance due to Hannibal’s interference.

Hannibal got a lot more…. Protective (well, possessive) over Will by that point, which didn’t seem to surprise the sassy science trio (more so Jack and Alana were surprised and off put to varying degrees).

They kind of settle into a new normal at this point. Well, normal for them, similar dynamic, but slowly becoming domestic bc it would be really not opportune to remove the scales from the other’s eyes about their nature at this point. So, focusing on finding out what happened/what the two were hit with, is the main focus while working with each other/learning how to be with one another.

Eventually, after enough tests are run and they’re waiting it to hear more news about what is found in the mixture, Hannibal is able to plan a trip to Europe, specifically Florence, with Will obviously accompanying him. While Beverly and Alan take turns watching the dogs. And on their trip, they plan to visit Abigail (she’s been let in on the situation but hasn’t seen the full on perspective).

They obviously travel private, thanks to Hannibal’s connections, and off the two went for a few weeks. And while doing tableau wasn’t out of the question, Hannibal having a set of drawings ready, they’d obviously have to be careful and not do an exact Ripper MO, but they both hoped that maybe this would help them clear their minds before anything else changed, since it seemed no new information would be found for a while.

(And while neither Hannibal or Will would admit it, at least not for a long while out loud, they were enjoying the situation to an extent, Hannibal more so than Will, and hoped that if they figured out what exactly this was, that they’d be able to find a way to control or at least use it again, if Will ever did return to his original state).

That is what I have for now, will definitely update this later. Let me know if yall got any ideas or suggestions to change some details or questions about plot points. This is mainly weeks of sleep deprivation in random bursts mixed with a few of my hyperfixations. I would love to hear some feedback! Thanks for reading.

[obsessedwrhys]

Hello !! I was wondering if I could request a selkie! Reader x Raiden, where they are allies, but raiden doesn't know that the reader is a selkie and while training together and Raiden finds the readers seal skin and the reader tried to seduce him to get it back. Raiden has feelings for the reader and falls into it and ends up confessing to the reader, who then explain the situation??

The Ocean's Tale

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ fluff, cursing, some angst? Sorry this request was done slow cause I have like a lot of drafts to clear out. Reader is fem (written according to a selkie's personality)!! Didnt proof read sorry im having a bad day 😔

ᯓ★

On the sandy shore near the ocean, you laid on your back as you inhaled the salty scent of the air. Despite just coming out of the water after a long swim, your body was longing for another dive.

Everybody around you knew you had a thing for the ocean.

But they never thought this little interest had a different reason to it.

You were a selkie.

A creature that was just a myth to others... and you'd rather have it stay that way. For your safety and everybody's...

"Now what are you doing out here all by yourself?" A gentle voice spoke from behind you.

You were quick to sit up and once you turned to see it was just Raiden, you relaxed. The presence of him made your face light up. He was a kind man. At first you were sceptical of Liu Kang's choice of choosing him as Earthrealm's champion due to his soft personality, but after the events that has happened, he had proven himself to be worthy of the title.

"I was simply just enjoying the ocean" You said, curling your legs up onto your chest as he sat beside you.

"I see..." He nods, his eyes examining every detail of the ocean view in front of you.

"Were you looking for me?" You teased which easily made him chuckle.

"Would it be bad if I said yes? I was hoping you could train with me" He asked, his focus now settled on you.

"Train with you? What about the others?"

"They've been dragged to this party Johnny was excited about. I just happen to be gone when it happened... but now I need a new training partner" He said and his question had you chew on the inside of your cheek as you thought over his request.

"Mmm... since you asked so nicely... then I'll help you with your training" You said willingly.

Just like that, you walked alongside him on the way to the outdoor training area. It was a large circle that provided just enough space for anyone when in use. A few feet away were a group of beautiful trees that you've ever seen on land. As you stood opposite of Raiden, you watched as he began to warm up his body.

"You seem serious about this" You said, pointing out the obvious.

"How could I not? You are a close friend of Liu Kang's. Even when I got here, all I've heard were praises of you. Every one of them saying how you were a strong opponent, elegant yet so efficient" He said, his words easily making you feel flattered.

"Well then, I hope I do meet your expectations. Shall we brawl?" You said with a playful glint in your eyes which he happily return with a grin and a confident nod.

In a swift move, you charged at him and he was quick to get in a defensive position, readying for your attack. As you closed in the distance between you two, you changed the route of your direction as you elegantly twirl around him to kick him at the back of his leg, which causes him to fall on his left knee. However, what you didn't expect next was for him to counter your punch before switching up to grab you by the arm. In an attempt to pin you to the ground, he began to drag you but you were able to duck down and elbow him on the side.

The fight went on, neither of you backing down. Despite the urge to win, you could see through the way he fought that he was still holding back, not willing to harm you. Which was a stupid yet considerate move because it was this mistake that lead you to your victory. With him on his back, he chuckles to himself as he stares at the way you were towering over him. A proud look on your face.

"I have to admit. You're quite the opponent, Earthrealm's champion" You teased, once again.

"It's an honour that you think so high of me" He said. Traces of sweat already appearing on his body.

You then offered him your hand and he takes it without a second thought. After helping him get on his feet, you decided to go take a seat by the table nearby to rest. It was completely made out of smooth stone to match the beauty of nature. You've always enjoyed the view of the forest... but it doesn't speak to you as the ocean does.

"Uh excuse me but I'm gonna go wash my face. I'll be back" He said and you couldn't help but giggle a bit to yourself as you watch him run off.

"Don't take too long...!" You told him which he shouts back with a simple okay.

Even with him gone, a smile still remained on your face. Not only do you find the way he treats you to be respectful but you also found it adorable. You weren't even his teacher when he was first sent here to train. You were simply just someone who stuck around or watched when you were bored and seeking for entertainment.

You had to admit, out of all the people chosen. He easily caught your attention. Not only was it for his good looks but his smile was radiant. You've never seen such a person before. It was like a breath of fresh air from the amount of men you've met throughout your lifetime.

Putting all these thoughts together now makes it seem like you were admiring him too much.

Guess that make it even between you both.

"I'm back... I happen to find this near the well" Raiden spoke, his hand holding up what appears to be your seal skin.

Your throat went dry when you saw it in his grasp. Fuck... you were sure you hid it perfectly near the forgotten well. How did he even know about that well? It had to be Liu Kang who told him. You watched him sit beside you, clearly not aware of the effect this was having on you.

"The fur is soft... I wonder what it is..." He said, running his hand across the skin. His action causing your breath to hitch as if it was your own skin he was touching.

This is just how the tale goes. A man, a selfish one would steal the skin of a selkie in order to have her betrothed to her. To bear his children.

But this wasn't a selfish man in front of you.

He was kind. He was anything but selfish.

But still, he is a man.

"Do you happen to know what this is?" He asks, tilting his head slightly to the side. You look at him as you try to think the right thing to say.

Soon an idea pops in your head.

As if a light bulb had been turned on.

"Well..." You place your hand on his.

"Does it matter? If it was left there then it was probably unimportant... so why don't you focus on me instead?" You spoke. Your fingers drawing cirlces on the back of his hand.

"Oh... uhm..." He clears his throat, seeming to get flustered from your touch.

"Yes... you always seem to have a thing for me. I'd like to hear your perspective on that" You leaned in, using your other hand to support the weight of your head. He blushes as he chuckles softly to himself.

"Ah... was I too obvious? I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable"

"Uncomfortable? Oh you haven't done that. Now tell me your story hm?" You said which made him look at you with a shy smile, at the same time your hand was slowly inching closer to your seal skin as subtly as you could to try to take it back.

"Since you asked... I guess it was your grace that I was attracted to. You must get this from a lot of guys but you are undeniably beautiful. We may not talk all the time but I always find myself enjoying all of our little conversations" He said. You nod, acting as though you were giving him your 100% attention but your mind was set on one goal. To get your skin back.

"You have a certain charm to you. I uh... I actually find it one of the reasons I enjoy all of my time with you. Seems like you never fail to make me laugh"

Almost... almost... just a bit...

Your fingers were inches apart from the edge of the skin for you to just pull it back but suddenly Raiden grabbed you by your other hand which made your body jerk slightly. At first you were afraid he had caught you in your act and has grown suspicious but the heart eyes he was giving you was telling another story.

"I hope it's not too much that I ask for more of those moments. More of us talking. More of your constant jokes... I'm guessing what I'm saying is that I'm in love with you" His words leaving your lips parted in shock.

This wasn't what you had expected to happen.

"I'm in love with everything about you... and I understand if you find me silly to develop these feelings even from the lack of understanding we have of each other... but I'm willing to change that. I'd love to learn more about you, what you like, what you enjoy doing—"

"Ho-Hold on..." You said, your hand abandoning the grip on the seal skin so that you could place your palms on his chest.

"I'm still processing this..."

"Of course, take your time" His concern growing when he sees the visible confusion on your expression. Did you not feel the same?

Was he a fool for confessing so soon?

"I uh... ah... I don't know to explain this" You said and he seemed utterly lost in the situation.

"What are you referring to?"

"Raiden... forgive me but I didn't mean to come off as though I was trying to flirt... I was simply trying to distract you in order to get this back" You said, nodding at the seal skin placed on the table.

"This?" He gently holds it up.

"Is it something of yours?" He wonders, still struggling to paint the picture of what's happening.

"If I told you, would you promise not to tell a soul?" You asked and he nods almost immediately.

"You will not hear a word from me about your secret" He reassured. You reconsider, thinking of the possible consequences before finally choosing to open your mouth to speak.

"Do you know what's a selkie?"

"A what?"

"A selkie. They are a creature, a myth, cursed with the body of a seal. But every once a year, they are able to transform back into their human form... if they wished to return to the sea, they would need to put on what's called a seal skin, its so that they could turn back into their cursed form" You explained as best as you could.

Judging from how his brows raised out of shock, you weren't sure if he would still keep his promise of not telling your secret.

"Is... are you..." He was stumbling over his words. Though you nodded as you knew exactly what he was trying to ask.

"Then this must be yours. I apologise, I must have caused you to worry" He kindly returned your seal skin back to you which you accepted with a relieved smile.

"It's alright... I'm just glad nothing escalated from there" You said.

But something did escalated from there.

He just confessed to you!!

How could you have forgotten?

From your dry throat, you couldn't help but take a long sip of your water. It wasn't just you who felt awkward. You could sense it from Raiden as well just from notising how his eyes were shifting around the garden. He doesn't know what to say. He's probably afraid that he just ruined this friendship between you two.

"About what I said—" "What you said just now—" The two of you spoke at the same time and it made the situation worse.

Man you're both are hopeless.

"Um... sorry, what is it that you wanted to say?" He asks after the moment of silence. You smiled slightly at him for his kind gesture.

"What you said... about how you wanted to know me more... that you've fallen in love for me..." You said, trying to repeat the few words you remembered being uttered out of his mouth. Somehow you saying it made him feel embarrassed but he tried his hardest to hide that.

"Are you sure that's what you want? I'm a wild catch" You grinned. Even though you were testing him, he didn't seem fazed by it, it was as though he was up for the challenge.

"I understand what I want. I also understand that to have your love was never easy. If it were, my opportunity would have been missed" He then leaned his body closer to yours. For the first time you felt intimidated by his confidence.

"Just give me a chance... I promise it'll be worth your every second" He said. From the way he was looking at you, how could you say no?

"... you have my attention" Your response making him smiling joyfully. This moment marking a start to something pleasant between you both...

[thezombieprostitute]

Mace + 38?

...because they're running out of time.

Ask is based on this post.

A/N: My brain went a little weird on this one. I've never written this kind of fantasy setting before. Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Word Count: < 1k

Warnings: Mild violence. Please let me know if I missed any!

Mace was always a bit of an oddball in his village. While his people were naturally afraid of the rough seas and violent tides, he found them calming. When others had the sense of mind to stay away from the shores and piers, he was walking along them, breathing deep and enjoying sounds, smells, feel of the wind and sea creating their chaos.

He couldn't explain why enjoyed it so he never bothered to try. Some people would whisper that there was selkie blood in his family history. That his great-grandfather had caught himself a selkie and Mace had inherited some of her wild nature. Mace never cared for those rumors. Every selkie story he'd ever heard involved a poor soul being trapped by a human and never allowed freedom. His memories of his great-grandparents were scarce but by all accounts they had a happy marriage.

So he refused to give them credence, refused to let the rumors get to him, and just let himself enjoy the things he enjoyed. No need to overthink it or let others affect the calm he felt during these times.

One evening Mace went walking further than usual. He'd gotten into an argument with the town elders, trying to convince them of the need to incorporate greenhouses to keep a steady food supply for their growing village. They kept arguing that current preparation and reliance on fishing was enough. When they refused to listen to the data he'd collected he lost his temper and ended up punching one of them.

Thankfully the walk and the waves were helping. And then he heard the giggling, laughing screams. Mace knew there were no other villages nearby and no one else in his own village would be out here. Curious, he walked carefully towards the sounds.

That's how he found the three women, naked, swimming in the rough waters and laughing. As his shock fades, he finds himself smiling, mesmerized by the women and their laughter. It takes a while for him to realize his presence might scare them so he turns to walk away but trips over something.

He looks at his feet and is dumbfounded to see three sealskins. Certain that it couldn't be what he thought, Mace ran and hid. He needed to make sure. He watched and waited for the women to leave, to not grab the sealskins. So as not to be caught, he hid himself behind the trees so he would only be able to hear them. Occasionally peeking out to see confirm they were still swimming.

As the sun was reaching the horizon, he heard footsteps approaching. Carefully peering out from behind the tree he saw Harvey, another man from his village who was a strong candidate for leadership in the village. Thinking he was looking for him, Mace headed towards Harvey but stopped short when he saw Harvey pick up one of the sealskins and grin.

“Harvey? What are you doing?”

The other man turned in surprise and tried to run but Mace was too fast. He caught him and pulled him into a hold.

“Again, what are you doing, Harvey?”

“They're selkies,” Harvey confessed. “My grandfather told me about this beach. Said it's how he got himself a wife. Figured I'd do the same.”

“You can't be serious,” Mace scoffed.

“It's true! I know it sounds crazy but they're actually selkies!”

“No,” Mace scolded. “You can't seriously expect me to believe this is how you want to get yourself a wife!”

“What? It's not like they're real people,” Harvey scoffed. “Are you upset because you're one of them? Well guess what, I'm descended from them, too! It's okay!”

Mace adjusts his hold so that he's choking Harvey. “Drop the sealskin. Go home. And never come to this beach again.”

“You don't have the right! I've got the pull of the entire village. If I tell them you've threatened me, you'll be kicked out.”

“At least I won't be a monster,” Mace growled. He tightened his grip until Harvey finally dropped the skin. When he did, Mace practically threw the man in the direction of the village. “I'll be watching you,” he vowed, his voice tight with menace. Harvey gave him a sneer but ran back to the village.

Behind him he hears, “well that was very brave of you.” He turns around and sees one of the women he'd been watching. As a show of good faith he steps away from the sealskin. She quickly grabs it up, “I only have a minute to get this on before the sun goes down.” Grabbing the front of Mace's shirt she pulls him towards her and gives him a deep kiss. “Next time we'll talk.”

She turns and runs back to the water, joining the other two and quickly putting on her sealskin. The three seals swim away from the beach as the sun sets and Mace knows his life has changed forever.

Tagging @alicedopey; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @ronearoundblindly

[camlannpod]

Character Playlist: Peredur Green

Happy off-week! We'll all pretend this one was on time. If you're new, hi! Since Camlann releases every two weeks, on the off weeks I'm posting these breakdowns of the character playlists. You can find Morgan's here and Dai's here.

This week it's time for our favourite knight, Peredur!

Brother by The Brilliance

When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother

Perry's big problem is that they're a knight. And they love the other knights. They feel a siblinghood with them which is incredibly hard for them to ignore. The knights are their family, their home, their story - the place they're meant to be. But it's a family that won't accept them as they are. Perry so badly wants the knights to change their mind.

2. Battle Cry by The Family Crest

Oh, my love, my heart don't cry We were born to die But for this moment, for all time Oh, I will fight for you I will die for you

Perry's a knight! They very much see it as their duty to fight and die to protect the people they love. Right now, that especially means Morgan and Dai, who they've been travelling with since their escape from the Knights. Perry will risk life and limb to keep them safe. (This song is also about Dai. A lot of these songs are about how Perry feels about Dai)

3. Cypress Queen by The Last Bison

On and over the northwest river We go trusting in the Cypress Queen She'll keep us afloat We retreat into our fortress gold To a sanctuary in the trees That i call home

I'm 90% sure this song is about a boat? But I took it literally - this is Perry's feelings about Guinevere, or Shújūn - a woman who they certainly do not trust for us, but to whom they are drawn by their story and with whom they, deep down, have a lot of sympathy. Perry knows exactly what it's like to have a major role in someone else's narrative.

4. See You Through My Eyes by The Head and The Heart

Until you learn to love yourself The door is locked to someone else I'm just as damaged as you are

Perry is just as traumatised by the apocalypse as everyone else, they're just better at hiding it. In general their approach toward their emotions is to pack them up tightly in a box and pretend they're not happening, which is obviously wildly unhealthy. Perry spends so much of their time inspired by and loving their friends, especially Morgan and Dai, but they never open up when they need to and trust them with the more 'difficult' parts of themself.

5. Carry by Branches

I'm feeling like Moses and my arms are getting heavy Brother, would you come and lift them up for me?

Perry has been single handedly carrying Morgan and Dai through the apocalypse. They would never admit it, but this is exhausting, and they desperately need a break. Unfortunately for them, they live in a riddle-twisted landscape full of magic and monsters, so they can never truly relax. They need to stop and they can't, and sometimes they think hey, if they lost the next battle at least they wouldn't have to get up and fight another one.

6. House a Habit by We Are The Guests

Let's make this house a habit Let's make the sun shine

Partly because Perry is Permanently Exhausted, they very badly want to turn the cottage into a real, meaningful home base that feels safe. Perry has always been the kind of person to put down roots, and the last six months of trekking back and forth across Britain has really worn them down. They desperately want this place to be a real home.

7. Selkie-Boy by Spell Songs, Julie Fowlis

Go now, Selkie-Boy, swim from the shore Rinse your ears clean of human chatter And empty your bones of heather and moor And your mind of human matter

Honestly, Dai fascinates Perry. He is completely unlike them in almost every way and they find that beautiful and addictive. They've always felt that there was something ethereal about him and his ability to find hope and love in even the darkest places. Perry would follow Dai anywhere.

8. Church Key by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Have you gone farther looking in the dark For a fire that can keep you warm Wander off the trail, lose track of all the details Till we make it to our door, where we can sleep

Oh Perry wants answers. The Cataclysm is an apocalypse of contradictions and mysteries and Perry so very badly wants to untangle the cat's cradle of stories in which they are caught. They are also exactly the kind of obsessive academic who will wear themself thin looking for the information they seek. Eventually, they just need to rest.

9. We Will All Be Changed by Seryn

We can write with ink and pen But we will sew with seeds instead Starting with words we've said And we will all be changed

The song on every main character playlist! For Perry, the apocalypse is a lesson in moving from theory to applied learning - from writing about flowers to planting seeds in the soil. It's fieldwork! In more ways than one, and in more ways than one, it's good for them, despite everything.

[dragoncat223]

Ok, I know the aus I post on here are always kind of a mess, and no one ever really takes an interest, but I’m going to try again.

So, I came up with an Andreil Selkie au. Andrew, met Aaron when they were 14 when Luther insisted Tilda let Andrew come home. Tilda died 4 months later. A month after that Betsy Dobson adopts them and moves them out to Selkie Bay. Once Nicky is able, Nicky moves to Selkie Bay for school.

Betsy lives next door to David Wymack and his son, Kevin. They’d been friends for years and thought it might be a good idea to introduce their kids, hopefully give them some friends. Kevin walks away from the first meeting with a black eye and a new friend.

They share a love for the ocean. Kevin is obsessed with it. Swimming, surfing, sailing, if it has something to do with the ocean, Kevin is there. Andrew will deny it to his dying breath, but the ocean helps calm him. The ocean doesn’t care who he is or what he does. It will be there today, it will be there tomorrow, it will be there when he dies.

Stuart and Neil move to town the year Andrew and Aaron start college. Andrew first sees Neil on the beach. You see, he and Kevin are childhood friends, reconnecting after thinking they’d never see each other again.

Neil’s mother was a Selkie, a classic tale of a cruel man stealing a Selkie’s coat and forcing her to marry him. It takes years, but she’s able to escape him, with Neil. He’s half Selkie. Nathan was able to get his hands in Mary because Kengo, his boss, worked in trafficking Selkies. Riko was gifted Kevin, another Selkie, as a birthday present.

Mary dies and Neil was captured. He was only able to escape with Stuart’s help. Stuart capsized the boat Neil was being held on and Nathan drowns. Stuart is now trying to help Neil heal in a place with a nice, welcoming Selkie population, though that part’s not really public knowledge.

All Andrew knows is that the new guy is unfairly pretty and is increasingly protective of his brown hoodie. Andrew’s never seen him without it, unless he’s in the water.

Sometimes Andrew will paddle board on calm days. One day, a small, friendly seal starts swimming along with him. It becomes a regular thing, hanging out with the seal. On days when it doesn’t show, Andrew misses it for some reason.

I can’t decide if I want to have some kevaaron in this au or if I want Kevin/Aaron/Katelyn, and then Katelyn would be a mermaid or a siren.

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mysticstarlightduck and @happypup-kitcat24!

Character Profile Tag

Now, I know I just did a popularity poll for the ghosts, so you might think I'd go with the winner of that so I can hype that cast up a little more. You'd be wrong, though! I'm gonna go with the loser of that poll and hopefully let you guys get to know her a little better :)

Name:

Kaulakri Ondohuroata

Nickname:

Kri (only Nyda calls her this)

Kind of being:

Halawemavish selkie. In her aquatic form, she resembles a leopard seal mermaid creature. On land, she's more humanoid, with triangular ears, gray spotted skin covered by fine fur, and pointed teeth.

Age:

31 when she died, so chronologically... 32. Yeah, she just got here.

Gender:

Cis woman

Appearance:

Kaulakri stands at about 5'3" and is slightly overweight, with sleek dark gray hair she keeps tied back and and a generally dour expression. Her hooded eyes are a brown so dark as to appear black and surrounded by leopard seal spots. She appears as she did on the day she died, so she is dressed in warm traveling gear with a sealskin cloak over top. Her eyes are bloodshot, and her skin is clammy as a result of the illness that took her life.

Occupation:

Cartographer and ecological historian for the Yunin College of Natrual Philosophy

Family members:

Selkies don't care much for parents, instead placing far more value onto teachers. Kaulakri apprenticed to her enclave shaman when she was young and even though she decided not to follow that path in the end, she still thinks of Lishvan as how a human would think of a father.

Pets:

None, but she kept lots of plants when she was alive.

Describe their room:

Neater than you could ever imagine. Her faculty quarters at YCNP are small, but classy. The floors are spotless and the bed is perfectly made. Miniature trees and hothouse orchids line one shelf, while perhaps a full hundred books on mapmaking line another. Indeed, maps hung with an eye for precision decorate the walls. Old maps, new maps, ocean maps, and star maps. They are pops of color in an otherwise neutrally toned place. The only piece not matching with the clean, soft aesthetic is a small mantlepiece alter made from bone and leather - a reminder of another place and another life below the waves.

Way of speaking:

Very direct, very blunt. Kaulakri is polite but she doesn't mince words. She also tend to go on long tangents the moment anything to do with cartography is brought up.

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitudes):

She's not a touchy person at all, and will indeed go out of her way to avoid contact. She's very mindful of safety precautions, so she'll always keep one hand on a stair railing, or wait for a cup of tea to cool before picking it up. She also has an utterly terrible case of RBF.

Hobbies:

Cartography! Not only does she love making maps, but she loves to explore new lands too, and catalog what flora and fauna she finds there. She reads about the history of the trade in her spare time and researches the new Illari field of evolution. Her other hobby is horticulture, and she has quite the green thumb.

Favorite sports:

Most people would assume that Kaulakri hates sports due to her persnickity nature, but she actually grew up doing a lot of whale racing as a kid and still enjoys it as an adult. This halawemavish sport is pretty self-explanatory - you grab a whale by the fin and hang on for as long as you can, with extra points for maneuvering them into doing tricks.

Abilities/talents/powers:

Like most scientists of her day, Kaulakri knows a few runes, but they aren't her specialty. Her only innate magic is the ability to shift from an aquatic to a land form.

Relationships (interaction with others):

Faalgun (Respects him for his experience. Sees him as a sense of order within the crew and looks to him for orders, which she follows obediently.)

Nyda (Understands that she's a brilliant scientist and wants to learn from her, but she just makes Kaulakri so incredibly angry by sheer force of shitty personality. Also, Kaulakri still hasn't forgiven her for not publishing the notes for the Burningrock Method.)

Pash (Sees him as older than he probably is and tends to judge his selfishness more harshly than the others, which is what he needs sometimes. She does enjoy his music though.)

Anarac (Not sure what to make of him, really. He gives her the creeps.)

Fears:

Kaulakri has a thing about rats. They freak her out, they're unhygienic, and they eat her notes. If she sees a rat, she'll kill it on sight. She's also not overly fond of heights. This is a more nebulous one, but Kaulakri is especially afraid of situations where she doesn't know what's going on. If she knows she doesn't have context or the whole picture, her mind gets stuck on that unknown and can't move on until it's revealed.

Faults:

She can be very judgy and unshakable in her conclusions about people. People in general, she's just not very good with. She's overly concerned with small details and can miss the big picture problems. Emotions she's basically blind to and will often assume that people can always see a situation as objectively as she can.

Good points:

While her detail oriented mind can be a detriment in some places, it's a boon in others. Kaulakri never forgets a thing, be it a birthday or a crucial detail about an enemy. She's undeniably intelligent and though she can come across as callous, all of her actions suggest a deep compassion for the world around her. Her bravery is obvious when she's able to be excited about the adventure of almost any bad situation, and out of the whole crew, her pursuit of their goal is the most selfless. She wants to map the solar wheel not for fame or redemption, but to expand the knowledge of the world for no other sake expanding knowledge for all.

What they want more than anything else:

To map that goddamn solar wheel. The rest of the crew might be fighting to get into heaven, but Kaulakri and her cartographer's heart are already there.

I'll tag @mk-writes-stuff @eternalwritingstudent @imsoveryveryconfusedatlife @wolfsbaneandotherfunactivities and anyone else who wants in :)

[fallennike07]

Recently, Nike and I have been taken by @aerkame’s Finfolk AU of Welcome home. Seeing as we’ve also been taken by the Welcome Home on its own completely, we’ve decided to take a writing venture and create an AU heavily based on @aerkame’s but with a slightly different twist.

If you are unfamiliar with @aerkame’s au I suggest you guys go check it out on their blog! It’s fantastic! But to sum it up, it’s one in which the neighbors are all finfolk/sea creatures and Home serves as a magical island that is hidden from normal puppets and is where the neighbors live. (Normal puppets take the place of humans and humans don’t exist in this AU)

So our modifications to the AU:

The reader isn’t a selkie, but a talented human sailor instead. Reader was raised on an island in the pacific with the sailing skills of Pacific Islanders, so she has exceptional sailing and navigation skills (especially to stay afloat during storms which serves as a plot point later). She sails between many islands, exploring the Ocean and also to gather resources, but she’d much prefer to be on the water than on land. Reader also goes out of her way to help sea critters, partially because that’s her job, and also because that’s her passion. We based her on Moana and wanted to include their culture with Reader.**

We still have several parts we want to solidify, but below is a rough idea of the timeline and events of this AU:

———————————————————————

Barnaby

The first neighbor the reader encounters is Barnaby.

~

While traveling along a relatively peaceful sea, reader comes across him in his shark form tangled in a net/buoy/sea pollution. Being kind to ocean creatures as she is, the reader goes to untangle Barnaby.

Naturally, Barnaby is hostile at first because he doesn’t know the reader. Reader uses a fish to feed and earn Barnaby’s trust so he’s calm enough to allow her to free him from the net.

Although free, the net has cut Barnaby some. Reader gives him another fish which keeps him there as she patches up the cuts. Once she finally finishes, Barnaby leaves quickly.

Because she had thought Barnaby was just a shark, Barnaby didn’t mention the encounter.

~

Julie

Julie is the second neighbor to encounter the reader.

~

During a particular violent storm Julie got caught in, she was severely weakened and injured. As she floated through the waves, helpless to flee to deeper waters, she passed out.

The reader, also caught in the same storm, saw Julie’s body limply floating. Like with Barnaby, she goes to rescue Julie, although surprised by the mermaid. Undeterred though, she makes sure that Julie is safely to the boat and begins patching her up when the storm subsides.

Julie awakes to the reader gently treating her wounds or something. She’s too weak to do anything more than pull away, but once the reader showed that she was helping her, Julie stopped and allowed herself to be taken care of, seeing it as a tactical advantage.

As the days pass, the reader provides food and medication to nurse Julie back to her full health. They also embark on a few journeys together, causing Julie to build a strong respect for the reader when she sees her in action.

~

Sally

The third neighbor encountered is Sally

~

After being missing for a few days, Julie’s disappearance is concerning to others. Especially since Sally is close to her, she goes searching for Julie.

When she finds Julie on the boat, Sally is very relieved. She tries to take her home, but she’s still too injured. When the reader appears, Sally threatens to attack them, but Julie intervenes since the reader is still in the process of healing her.

Sally stays and helps Julie recover until she can leave, also making friends with the reader and growing to respect the reader as an equal and not a plaything.

Barnaby V.2

Something, something, adventure or other, they encounter Barnaby again and have a little adventure or something. Julie and Sally let Barnaby know that readers is healing Julie, so he doesn’t kill her…yet.

~

Eddie

Eddie is the fourth neighbor to encounter the reader.

~

When Sally and Julie return, they report that a human had seen them. Even though reader saved Julie, their existence is still in danger because the reader knows they exist. After a meeting with all the neighbors, they send Eddie to sink the reader’s ship in a storm.

As Eddie approaches, he sends countless storms to overturn the boat, but reader manages to keep it afloat amidst the waves. Eddie tries a different tactic of forcing the boat to rocky waters, but once again the reader escapes unscathed.

~

Frank

Frank is the fifth neighbor to encounter the reader.

~

Eddie recruits Frank to help him by getting him to spy on the reader by pretending to be a shipwrecked castaway. When the reader encounters him, she naturally helps him all that she can by offering passage to the mainland.

As they travel, Frank is impressed by the reader's knowledge of the sea and boats. His disdain turns to begrudging respect and he finds himself turning from wanting to kill the reader to wanting to keep her due to her exceptional abilities. However, he continues his spying and attempts to kill the reader several times, only to be evaded each time.

After being dropped off on the mainland, Frank waits until the reader disappears before meeting with Eddie again. He reports as his mission was to, but he also adds that the reader is quite an impressive human they may want to keep.

Eddie uses the intel from Frank to attack the ship, but again is thwarted. Frustrated now, Eddie returns to report his failure. The neighbors gain a new kind of respect for the reader because it’s not often that a human can out maneuver a magic storm created by one of the most potent storm creators among them. Wally is the only one more powerful than Eddie at that.

Julie and Sally, Barnaby

Julie and Sally are sent to try and get rid of the reader again. But, because of their previous friendship with the reader, they can’t bring themselves to and instead get the reader to swear that they won’t say anything about it.

Barnaby tries to get rid of them too and fails also because of the reader's sweetness towards him and the ocean.

Wally at this point is frustrated because what should be a simple mission is now incredibly difficult. Reader has become a slight obsession to him at this point.

Since the reader can’t be killed, there’s a suggestion that they capture her. Wally is annoyed at this because she’s supposed to die, but doesn’t outright reject it, rather saying that he’ll need to see her personally before making a decision. He eventually decides that if the reader is as great as the others have claimed, it may be to their advantage to keep her.

Wally and Howdy

Wally is the sixth neighbor and Howdy is the seventh.

~

Wally stages a plan to go meet the reader himself after months of evasion. When he plans to go however, there’s a fleet of ships that run the risk of finding their island. So instead, Wally, Barnaby, Howdy, and Eddie go out to deal with the intruders.

In an unexpected twist of events, the reader also gets caught up in the crossfire as she tries to get the ships to go away because they’re endangering the wildlife. While Wally is fighting alone, he almost gets hit by a bullet, but the reader puts herself in front of him to protect him.

Although stunned by the person’s beauty and flattered at her protection of him, he doesn’t care that much at first, because he doesn’t know that it’s the elusive reader, so he leaves her where she fell although pondering how she’s dressed differently than the other crew members.

When meeting up with the others though, Barnaby and Eddie report that they saw the reader's ship broken into pieces in the area, therefore meaning that she was also there. Wally freezes, thinking about the girl wearing different clothes that protected him. Barnaby and Eddie split up to find the reader while Wally and Howdy clean up the mess.

Just as Wally thought, the strange, beautiful girl that protected him turned out to be the human he had been obsessing to kill. They take her back with them for Poppy to heal her.

Now that he’s seen her face, Wally’s obsession turns from one of just getting rid of her to one with more romantic undertones. But he doesn’t quite realize that at first, he just noticed that the reader is pretty and visually appealing.

Howdy, for his part, recognizes the reader as being one of his best customers on the mainland.

Poppy

Poppy is the eighth neighbor the reader meets.

~

When Wally and the others come back from their mission, Wally brings the reader straight to Poppy since she’s the most knowledgeable in the healing arts and will probably be able to be the most comforting to the reader once she wakes up. At first, Poppy is confused because wasn’t this the human they needed to kill? But she takes the reader in and treats her wounds anyway.

Word quickly spreads to the other neighbors and Sally and Julie come to visit the reader while she’s recovering. Frank and Barnaby, who had also made friends with the reader, visited. Wally also came and visited during the time when the reader was unconscious. He mostly would just watch her though.

Sometimes, in the dead of the night, Wally would sit and watch her, ghosting his fingers over her face or hold her hand and wonder.

After the reader woke up, she got to meet Poppy and Howdy formally. She also was reunited with Sally and Julie and Barnaby. Reader was also shocked to learn that Frank lives on this island and felt betrayed, but after some explaining, Reader begrudgingly accepts it. Reader also gets to meet Eddie formally, with Eddie admitting that he was the one trying to kill her with storms and asking what finally broke her boat when he couldn’t.

Wally is the last one Reader finally meets, coming to her in the light of the setting sun, after all the others had left. Wally smoothly introduces himself but is blunt about the reader's purpose on the island, although in his mind, he’s transfixed by her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, as deep as the sea that he could get lost in all day… and then he leaves.

Then reader is at least able to sleep after a hectic day of revelations with a lot to think about in her plate:

Where was she?

Can she ever learn to trust Frank again?

How she should feel about being saved by the very people who wanted to kill her?

How would she deal with the threat of death or entrapment?

And who exactly is the mysterious Wally Darling?

End of Act I

Current Relationships

Wally: Wary of

Julie: Bestie

Sally: Bestie

Barnaby: Friend?

Eddie: Distrustful

Frank: distrustful/betrayed

Poppy: Respects and grateful to

Howdy: Wary/no opinion

*Home: ???

~

The neighbors hold another meeting now that they’ve all formally met the reader about what to do with her. The neighbors who had built friendships with the reader thought it would be better to keep her while the ones who hadn’t were more in favor of killing her or wiping her memory. Eventually, they decided to see if the reader had the potential of being an asset before deciding her ultimate fate.

After the meeting, Sally, Julie, and Frank have their own meeting about the reader. Frank points out that although the others are calm about the reader, it’s because she’s trapped now and no longer poses a threat to them. But if the reader is to enjoy her stay and they are to convince her to stay permanently on good terms, she’ll need to build positive relationships with them—especially those like himself who had threatened her life. Sally and Julie realize the truth of his words and therefore begin hatching plans to build their friendship.

While theoretically they could just use a trust potion or something, those also have a tendency to hide the person’s true character, it might destroy the reasoning of keeping the reader in the first place and they want her to remain herself. (Plus, they’d have to ask to help get ingredients for that and the other neighbors that might not like the reader as much and say it would be better to kill her.)

This leads to the weeks of the reader’s recovery being filled with friendship building attempts.

Friendship Plan #1

Repair Frank’s and Reader’s relationship with a picnic.

~

Julie, Sally, and Frank all have a picnic together. They do it under the idea that since Frank is the most knowledgeable, he’ll be the one to answer the reader's questions. Reader is at first skeptical, but slowly grows comfortable with him; the presence of her friends will keep her safe if Frank tries to attack.

They continue having these picnics as a group and the reader slowly grows back trust for Frank, realizing why he did what he did.

Friendship plan #2

Poppy bonding time

~

Since the reader already has to stay in Poppy’s house, she gets to spend a lot of time and quickly grows to trust her caring nature. Also because Poppy cares for the reader, she is often the one reader talks to about her frustrations.

Friendship plan #3

Barnaby

~

After the initial picnic with Frank, Barnaby joins in sometimes, also bringing the quiet Wally at times. Once the reader is able to walk more, she gets into the habit of taking strolls through the jungle. Barnaby may encounter her during these strolls and joins her, chatting about anything at all. Reader tells him about her backstory as a protector of sea creatures.

Friendship Plan #4

Eddie and, kind of, Barnaby

~

At some picnics, Eddie will also hang out and also expresses his deep respect for the reader's seamanship. Reader is a bit more forgiving, since after spending time with Frank, she grows to understand the motives of the neighbors.

Eddie also brings back some of the pieces of the reader's boat to her. Reader’s boat was very precious due to its origin and so she cried over it. This also allows Eddie to see the more human side of Reader.

When the reader is able to walk, she begins working in rebuilding her boat and goes to Eddie first for help with that. Barnaby helps her collect materials too.

Wally being Wally

Wally joins on picnics and other activities too. It isn’t a conscious plan to build friendship, but just he happens to be there.

He doesn’t necessarily say anything important, but he does join in on the conversations. He usually sits next to the reader or with her in sight. From this, the reader grows to not be wary of Wally and more or less accept him as friendly.

Wally obsesses less about killing the reader and more about keeping her as he learns more about her personality. (The way she laughs, how she cares about everyone even if she’s scared, the crinkle in her eye when she finds something funny, the slight twitch of her lips when she teases…)

He may be slowly falling for her…

Friendship Plan #5

Howdy

~

As the reader is collecting pieces to build a boat, she often needs things that can’t be found on the island. Howdy on occasion has something she needs, so the reader comes by his shop to ask for it. After finding that he is quite gentlemanly and kind, the reader also comes to his shop just to talk with him in general. She gets interested in the potions he makes so he tells her about his potion making hobbies and in return, she tells him about her peoples’ customs which involve similar rituals to marking potions sometimes.

Wally being Wally

Again, not an intentional friendship plan on the part of Julie, Sally, and Frank

~

As it is raining one night, the reader goes out to bask in the rain. Rain is one of her favorite things because of the important symbology it had in her culture and also because it feels so nice anyways. Most everyone is asleep by this point, so the reader is supposedly alone, under the moonlight, dancing in the rain.

Wally is the only one not asleep. He too enjoys feeling the rain on his skin, that one moment where the water is everywhere and land isn’t an obstacle as it is a means, and so he is walking outside as well.

The clearing that the reader found to dance in was one that he made specifically for this purpose, so as he goes there, Wally hears the reader’s singing and sees her dancing. At first, he’s stunned and not entirely sure what to do, but eventually his presence is made known to the reader. She freezes immediately to see him there.

For a moment, there is panic on her face, only for a moment, and they stare. Reader looks like she was about to bolt, but Wally stopped her by asking about what she was doing. Seeing as the reader was already somewhat comfortable with his presence, the reader relaxed and began to tell him about it. When he asks to learn, the reader and him spend a good portion of the night dancing in the rain together.

As the sun is rising, they’re sitting and watching it. Reader falls asleep against Wally from the exhaustion of staying up all night and Wally watches her wondering if he should stay still or move her somewhere comfortable. Wally also comes to the conclusion that this human is one they simply must keep.

Friendship plan #6

Eddie again

~

This is officially where Sally and Julie work to get reader and Eddie to like each other as friends, by having them play games along with Frank, themselves, and Wally. The other neighbors eventually join in as well.

Friendship plan #7

This is the last friendship plan the Sally and Julie have, seeing as the reader is on such good friends with most everyone now.

~

They all decide to go on a swimming trip in a lagoon. Reader is, of course, unable to breathe water, but no one thinks about this until they’re talking about taking the reader to see the coral reef nearby. The reader reminds them she wouldn’t be able to breathe that long and some of the neighbors begin brainstorming water breathing potions that they could give the reader, but all of them would take a while to get the ingredients. Wally offers a different solution: A merman’s kiss will grant the ability to breathe underwater, although temporary. But now the reader is blushing and they all decide to do something else.

End of Act II

Current Relationships

Wally: friend, may or may not be developing a crush on

Julie: Bestie

Sally: Bestie

Barnaby: Bestie

Eddie: friend, talks about sailing with

Frank: friend, goes to for knowledge about sea animals and stuff

Poppy: Respects and grateful to, thinks of as a mother

Howdy: respects, thinks of as a distant father

*Home: ???

~

So after their little rain ‘date’, Wally has stopped being cold to her and instead is good friends now. He also acts like a gentleman to her and is occasionally flirtatious, but in a way that the reader can’t tell if it’s a game or just his natural way of being. At picnics he always sits beside her, they frequently touch, and he always seems to gravitate towards her. The Reader also notices how charming he is to her and she starts developing a crush on him and wonders about love.

~

At this point, we’re not entirely sure about how the plot progresses, but there are certainly a few moments we want to happen.

~

Underwater kiss

For some reason, the reader is trapped underwater and Wally is the only one around to help. She only has two minutes maximum before fainting and there’s no way to get air to her before then. Wally looks at her and only one thing comes to his mind: a merman’s kiss.

“Don't’ hate me for what I’m about to do” he whispers a bit insecure, the reader looks at him confused before he presses a kiss to her lips and her eyes widen.

When he pulls away, Wally looks at her concerned. “What.” Is the only thing the reader says and he laughs in relief that she wouldn’t be drowning today. They explore underwater for a bit before going back to the surface.

Love potion stunt

Wally has most definitely decided that he wants to keep the reader and he is infatuated with her. But he also wants her to love him back the same way. So he makes her a love potion and drugs her with it during a time when they hang out together. But the love potion sapped all the personality she had that he was obsessed with and he quickly realized that wasn’t what he wanted and had to, very frustratingly, wait out her demands to kiss him until the potion wore off and she fell asleep to be her normal self. He also slipped her something to forget the evening so she woke, she would just think she drank too much or something.

He was also trying to figure out how to propose that she be turned to a finfolk and scheming how to get her to love him.

Sailing the new boat

After finally, finally, finally finishing building the new boat, the reader took it out to test its seaworthiness. Her friends swam alongside her, testing out the boat's durability as she sailed it around them and through their waves. Even Wally got involved, although careful not to destroy the boat with a storm. After they return to land though, he’s struck by how she could leave them, leave him, now if she wanted, and he’s struck with the desire to destroy that boat, but then reader is hugging him and thanking him and all the neighbors for all that they’ve done and she’s so happy to have found a family and she loved it here, and Wally saw an opportunity.

Meeting

That night, the neighbors all discussed what they wanted to do with the reader now. All of them voted in favor of turning her to a finsfolk so she would stay and be part of them forever, Wally enthusiastically so. After Home gave the final yes vote, they began to hatch a plan about it.

Tag

Reader and the neighbors were playing a game of tag through the trees when reader accidentally slipped and was about to fall if Wally hadn't caught her. Giggling at her clumsiness as Wally scolded her, the reader relaxed into his arms saying something about being so content right here. Wally could hear his heart beat in his ears.

Stay forever, please.

Reader is talked to about the idea of becoming a finfolk and staying with her friends forever by Julie and Sally. Reader is blown away by the proposition: “really? I get to choose? By my own free will if I can stay? You all wouldn’t mind?” Of course, her choice is an illusion, to make her more favorable towards them, but what the reader didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

She told them that she wanted to think about it first. She went to where she considered a good thinking spot, the edge of a cliff. And she sat there and thought. She eventually decided that yes, she could stay here with her new family, and her friends talked like she would still be able to do what she did before, just with travel buddies.

There’s a tension in the days following the proposition as the neighbors wait for reader to make her decision.

The turning

Wally turns her, and when he sees her gorgeous scales, he can’t help but confess “you’re beautiful”. Seeing her turn made him fall even more in love with her and he wanted to confess it dearly, but he was interrupted by the others. The other neighbors were quick to celebrate the reader's joining of them.

Blank space

Before the next snippet, some activities go on as the reader learns more about her new form and what it’s like and also Wally getting teased for now obviously being head over heels in love. We haven’t thought out those yet.

Relearning how to function and needed to be helped

Sailing on the boat now

Wally asking for advice to ‘woo’ the reader but being told that he didn’t need to do anything and not understanding why.

Swimming underwater

Being able to touch Howdy?

Getting their own house to live in (though that may not be permanent)

Reader’s shell

In the clearing where reader and Wally first danced in the rain, they stand now. Through the past couple of weeks, reader and Wally have grown even closer, with Wally being reader’s primary teacher. That being said, the reader's feelings for Wally have grown even more and so has Wally’s. So much so that Wally has spent full nights searching for a special shell for the reader.

And in the clearing that night, under a full moon and the gentle pitter patter of rain, Wally gave that shell to the reader as a marriage proposal. And she accepted.

Shells are special for the neighbors. They represent a promise to be there, no matter what, and to never leave. As the reader held the shell, she may not have known at first the true depths of its value in her life, but she knew that she would spend the rest of her life here with these folks and Wally, her Darling.

…and then everyone tumbled out of the bushes because they were totally spying and placing bets on how this would go down.

End of Act III***

———————————————————————

Final notes

*We’re thinking Home might play a strong role in Reader getting to interact with the neighbors. Home might be like a god who happens to be manipulating certain situations to get the reader to become a new neighbor, for whatever reasons Home has.

**We haven’t completely decided/done the research on the culture, so we may wind up changing this. The reader may instead be a huge fan of sea folklore in general. Or maybe both. We just don’t want to make rude assumptions or stereotypes of the culture.

***We also haven’t thought ahead this far and if this is the ending we want. Nike doesn’t like writing angst, but we may want to include some given how ruthless finfolk can be. As of now, this is a really fluffy story.

And that’s our AU thus far! Again, all credit to @aerkame for allowing us to use their AU!

[aerkame]

Keep Me Anchored Part 1

An Ankor x selkie reader because I feel like this is a fun way to explain why he collects selkie coats and how he goes about it. There will be a little bit of x Barnaby as well, but mostly Ankor.

TW: Implied deaths, implied past kidnappings, violence, slight blood.

__________________________________________________________

Ankor never took himself as the kind to act this way, but could it be helped? Anyone would have done the same thing if it were them, right? Maybe he was just making excuses to satisfy his own bloodlust.

A loud thud echoed in the abandoned factory, blood and stuffing mixed as a large figure stepped over the pile of mangled bodies, bodies of what were once ordinary puppets.

Crates were knocked over and shipping boxes torn open by massive claws. He still couldn't find it.

Taking in a deep breath, the shark-dog sniffed, and sniffed, until he finally caught onto the scent he thought he'd lost. There, tucked away under various items was what Ankor came for. He reached in carefully handling the soft item, a selkie's coat...a fresh one. The poor thing.

He nuzzled his snout into it, giving a deep inhale. Male, around his early 20s, probably from the Pacific area judging by the smell. "A shame really...looks like they've been targeting victims more younger now. They must really be running out of supply at this rate." Ankor bit onto his nail in thought.

If he's lucky, the selkie can be easily tracked down since not many of them exist anymore, very unique scents, if not...hopefully one of his fin friends can help with that, they were always better at tracking than him. Besides, he had a concert in about a week or two.

A groan caught his attention.

His tongue lolled outside of the mouth, showing off the many sharp teeth underneath. Looks like he had some cleaning up to do.

__________________________________________________________

Letting your overly excited friend drag you to a concert to listen to a singer you didn't even know seemed like a good idea at first. But now? You have many regrets.

Gripping onto your jacket tightly, you looked to the left, then right, searching for any spot that had at least a tad bit more room.

The entire place was packed full of screaming fangirls and whooping fanboys, all mixes of different puppets, creatures, and beings. The crowd was lively and everything was just too much all at once. Short remora dogs were seen around the stage in front of the crowded guardrails passing out souvenirs. They were kinda cute, you watched as one walked over to your area offering up a shark tooth necklace and a shell necklace, both of which you declined. Your friend eagerly took both. "My sister is going to be so jealous when I get back." she giggled to herself.

"You do you I guess..." you gave a small smile, happy to just be there and make your friend happy. You were pretty curious to see what all the fuss was about, having seen all kinds of products and artwork made by this Ankor Awespire guy.

The lights suddenly dimmed to hot pinks and cyan blues, the crowd got louder.

The crackle of a mic turning on gathered everyone's attention as a smooth and deep voice echoed out "So I heard you came for me... well I'll be sure not to disappoint!" A bright burst of light appeared on the stage and a tall Shark-dog dressed to the 70s stepped out into the sparkling lights and light fog. Talk about making an entrance. You guessed this was another future funk/disco artist based on the attire. Not a bad choice really.

Your thoughts were interrupted as the rowdy crowd grew louder than ever, you were considering on just leaving at this point. Strangers kept touching your coat or brushing past the soft fur, it was uncomfortable to say the least. Maybe you should have left it at home and just hid it somewhere...

Suddenly your friend started screaming, startling you.

"He's coming over here!" She started waving her hands wildly to grab his attention amongst the ever growing crowd. You looked up to the stage to see the man sniffing the air seemingly, before his head turned towards your general direction.

"He's looking at me!" "Over here!" "Ankooor!"

Fans screamed behind you and in front of you making you wince and curl in at the sudden loudness. Your friend stopped yelling upon noticing your shrinking form. "Hey, you alright?"

You nodded "It's so loud..."Hugging you closely, she made sure to tuck most of the fur inside your hoodie and patted your back. "It's alright."

You peeked up looking at your friend's face before your attention was drawn to the stage again.

He was staring straight at you.

Your eyes locked with each other's until the star suddenly made a move to bend down and give something to a nearby remora dog, saying something that could not be heard over the loudness of the crowd. He pointed at you in the sea of people and said something else, everyone was growing quiet wondering what was going on.

The remora dog pushed their way through the crowd until they were at your side, handing you a card. "Please visit Mr.Awespire after the show. It's urgent." The small remora dog swiftly retreated back behind the guardrails. Everyone around you was staring now.

"Ladies and gents, I believe we have our winner for the back stage tour!" Back on the stage was Ankor, who was now pointing at you, a big smile on his face. "As for the next show, please make sure to enter again for another chance at an all exclusive tour." The crowd was back to cheering and yelling,

He twirled his finger, pivoting around to face the back of the stage. "Now for the show you've all come for!"

[theoceanoasis]

Could I ask for a Part II of the Soundwave saving selkie!Hot Rod when his skin got stolen? Would love for the two to get together proper and be happy!

Ever since the human had given him back his skin. He found himself unable to forget about him.

Growing up he heard all kinds of horror stories of what happens to selkies when humans take their skins.

When the same thing almost happened to him. He'd been terrified. Even now he had nightmares of being taken care from his home never to see the ocean again, as he was forced to be the humans mate.

Then another human saved him and gave him back his coat. Something most wouldn't have done. The human was special and even though he tried forgetting about him, he knew he couldn't. He wanted to mate with him.

Finally making a decision, he swam to the surface. Unable to ignore the pulling sensation anymore. His instincts screaming at him to mate with the human.

He didn't get out of the water. Only stuck his head up as he looked around trying to spot the human.

He circled the island looking around. A little reluctant to go back on land after what happened. When he finally found the human he sighed in relief. Watching him leave what must be his home.

He swam closer observing him as he worked on cleaning the beach. His heart pounding in his chest as he watched him work.

He dove back underwater and looked around for a beautiful rock. He then placed it on Soundwave's porch in the middle of the night. Telling him that he was interested in courting him.

After that he began leaving him little gifts. Always at night in fear that someone would see him and try to take him away.

One night he was delivering some metal he'd found at a shipwreck. When the door suddenly opened revealing Soundwave. He squeaked almost falling in surprise. When he felt strong arms wrap around his waist bringing him close.

The two stared at each other for a long moment and he thrust the gift into his hands, before running off. The human followed after him wanting to know why he was leaving him gifts. Feeling embarrassed, he looked down as he admitted his feelings for the human and wanting to court him.

The human was surprised and seemed unsure at first. Wanting to get to know him before courting. He assumed it was part of human courting ritual's and felt guilty for not thinking of them.

The human who he learned was named Soundwave. Asked him out on a date. Which was part of the humans courting ritual. He immediately agreed wanting to spend more time with him.

During their first date he had a lot of fun. Although he was nervous about being on land for so long and around so many humans. Worried about humans taking his coat. However he also knew Soundwave would defend him just like he defended him before which reassured him.

Soundwave took him to a restaurant where humans eat food. It was really good and he was surprised to learn they cook their fish.

He then took him to a magic place where they showed people trapped in magic screen. Soundwave called it a movie and reassured him they weren't actually trapped. It was so cool and he wanted to see more.

Their date was a lot of fun and he couldn't wait to go on more. Soundwave also seemed eager because he invited him on another date right after. Where the two of them were going to a festival hosted by the town.

He was so excited and couldn't wait to go. Even if he was a little nervous and being around so many humans.

[allisonreader]

I honestly hadn't expected to actually get anything done for the four loves challenge this year. But a few days ago something just clicked about The Little Mermaid part of The Selkie Story that I had started and this is what I have for that. It's short. It's vague. There's no names used in it at all. There's zero to a quick run through for editing. This has been another one of those fairly quick written stories where if I look at it for another second, I just can't. I might go back at a later date and properly edit, but not now. I can't currently. I don't even know how well this part even works as a Little Mermaid retelling. Anyways, here it is @inklings-challenge my Selkie Story - The Little Mermaid Part, for the four loves challenge.

He had always found stories of the human world to be fascinating. Enough so that he eagerly awaited the day that he could go ashore and explore.

He was the youngest of his siblings though, so he had a long wait.

His sisters' stories always enthralled him, hearing of their adventures and sometimes close calls with humans and their coats. How there had been a couple of times where a couple of them hadn’t been as cautious as they should be and nearly had their coats stolen or taken.

He longed for the day where he could go up and see the human world outside of the form of a seal.

He wasted little time in going ashore when it was finally his day. There was so much that he wanted to do. So much that he wanted to see.

What ended up happening was that he befriended a prince, who had been swept out to sea. He had saved the young man who was about his age. The prince was so grateful that the prince invited him back to the castle with him.

It was a great adventure and he ended up meeting another Selkie on land. She didn’t seem to fully understand her heritage though and was trying to find where her coat had gone. Something that he had found only after she had left. It was also something he had hoped to keep from the prince. Though he had been there when they found the small trunk it was in.

The prince didn’t know what it was, but he did instinctively. He just knew it was her coat and that she’d need it back.

He ran into her a few times after that initial encounter. Not always when he was with the prince either.

He liked her a lot. She was smart, kind and knew so much about this world, as she had grown up in it as much as the prince had.

She knew little about the Selkie world though. If only he could tell her outright about everything that he knew. But if he was wrong about her… it was too dangerous. He needed to wait. For now he would continue to meet with her and get to know her. Especially as the prince became more busy with preparations for something called a ball.

He’d never been to anything like that. He was excited to see what it was. When the day came, he learned that a ball was a large formal party and that this one had the intention of trying to help the prince find a bride.

He was pretty lucky that with being the prince's best friend, that he got to remain close to him and see everything from the prince's perspective. So he saw when the possible Selkie girl who was missing her coat came in. She was enthralled by everything as much as he was. It was good to know that this was different to her as well.

He managed to get one dance in with her, before the prince whisked her away for the rest of the evening. He was left to handle the rest of the girls who weren’t here to see him, the prince's strange friend.

He didn’t see either the prince or the Selkie girl until she was rushing through the ball, running like her coat was in danger. The prince following after. No one able to get her to stop.

The ball took on a very different feeling after that. The prince was listless and wouldn’t pay attention to anyone, and wouldn’t even talk to him.

All of the girls had completely lost interest in him now that the prince was available again, though he was ignoring all of them. Instead he was talking to the guards about finding the girl who ran.

Over the next few hours he was left in the dark. Those hours turned into the next couple of days. The prince had no time for him and the Selkie girl hadn’t been around either. There was only so much he was willing to explore on his own.

Then finally, the prince was back… with the Selkie girl. The pair of them were claiming that they were going to get married. He was rather stunned by this revelation.

He and the Selkie girl had more in common than the prince had with her. But as he watched the two of them prepare for their wedding over the next few weeks he realized that they really did care about each other. In a way that he didn’t necessarily understand. She had an interest in the prince that she had never shown him.

So he knew that he would be returning to the sea once the pair married. It wouldn’t be fair to them for him to remain and pine after someone who wouldn’t return his affection.

He left the night of their wedding heavy hearted.

His siblings welcomed him home with open arms, having worried that his coat had been stolen and had been prepared to try and search for it. Even though it meant risking their coats again.

[16woodsequ]

Fic ask game: 3, 4, 19, & 20!

From this ask game! Thank you! ♥

3. What is your absolute favorite kind of fic to write?

Another type of fic I love to write is when I can show off some of the research I've done. It is immensely satisfying to me to finish a fic and feel that it is at least somewhat close to accurate. I know I can never know everything and the past is so variable, but I love providing snap shots of it using what I've learned.

4. Are there any other fic writers you admire? If so, who and why?

Oh gosh. I really admire @jinxquickfoot. Her weakness series is such amazing whump! If I had more time I'd write so much whump. I think it's really impressive how broad of a character range she writes in that series. She writes all sorts of characters which is an amazing skill.

19. Why did you start writing?

Because I had thoughts and feelings about characters and I needed other people to see the character as I did! Basically I realised no one could know or even consider my headcanons unless I shared them and that basically lead to a 'in this essay i will' type mindset for fic writing XD

20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of

The other day I started a Selkie Steve Rogers fic that I am now obsessed with. It's not done yet, but here's a sneak peek at four lines from it:

“Never let anyone know what that pelt means to you,” Sarah warns him, a hint of bitterness in her voice as she lays him in bed to sleep next to the stove, watching as he buries his face into the fur next to his pillow. “Never give your pelt to anyone, dear. Do you understand me?” The first time Joe takes his pelt and hides it as punishment for some slight, Steve understands.  A deep ache opens up in his chest, and he suffers his first of what doctors call asthma attacks.

[theladyheroine]

Softer Werewolf Headcanons 🌙

❥ Hey everyone! So I know that I should be working on my Bad Batch one shots for the time being, I promise I am, but recently I’ve hit a bit of a stump? So I’m trying to get my creativity out with these little posts. I might make another small one about my crossover just to get some ideas too. But all these fall writing prompts are so cool & fun, I’ve been wanting to give it a try for awhile!

❥ Plus werewolves are one of my favorite creatures, I wanted to try writing about them! It’s also because super gorey or gothic vibes just aren’t entirely my thing, no offense do anyone that likes that genre, but I wanted to do something different! Thank you & I hope you enjoy! 🙏🙌✨

They don’t fight each other to see who’s in charge, it’s more like a sense of already knowing. Someone who already “commands” a presence or behaves more responsibly is gonna be the leader. But if there’s really a big opinion about it, they’ll just arm wrestle.

Make sure you write your name on leftovers!! Or they’ll be gone by morning, even the veggies aren’t safe…

The whole shifting during nighttime is more of an urban legend that human folk made up. However, it’s become more of a scary campfire stories werewolves use to get kids to go to bed on time. 😅 Kind of as a more spooky “If you keep making that face it’ll get stuck like that” vibe?

Werewolves can change form any time they want, but there are rare occasions they get “stuck.” This can last from 15 minutes up to a whole day.

Daily hangouts!! If a werewolf lives near a forest or near vegetation, morning hikes & walks are a must. But if a werewolf happens to live in a city or anything similar, a nice nap in the park or even breakfast on a balcony is just as good!

Dogs LOVE them!! Usually all animals do but it’s mainly dogs, even unruly or grumpy dogs will be on their best behavior! They make for good trainers if you just need a helping hand.

Regardless of appearance, werewolves are definitely stronger than the average human. While it’s not always obvious, even a scrawny guy or gal without any workout experience can lift a 30lb weight easy.

Okay these next couple points I was inspired by Cartoon Saloon animation studio, and their film Wolfwalkers. I love the interpretation Irish folklore has with werewolves!! It’s not this super eerie or gross transformation or anything, but it’s just beautiful and maybe a bit simple. The characters look completely normal in human form too! There’s nothing too odd or bizarre about them either, they’re just normal people with incredible powers! Plus the aesthetic is so beautiful and woodsy and vibrant, this is what I wanna see in werewolf movies. 🙌✨

In all honesty, when I think of werewolf vibes or even just wolves in general, I think of like an earthy colored version of fairycore. 😅 Which is also my favorite, but anyways, Wolfwalkers is literally the perfect werewolf movie I honestly can’t believe how good it is! Plus wolves are my favorite animal anyways lol so this made me happy to see.

Anywho! This next idea was inspired by the studio’s Song of the Sea and selkie mythology. I’ve always thought the idea of a magical animal cloak in mythology is sooooooo amazing! I know tales about swan maidens and other animals are a thing, but a magic fur coat is most popular with selkies. But it would be cool to have this for werewolves too! Like imagine a fluffy fur coat and when you put it on you’re a wolf!

I do like this idea better than some transformations I’ve seen. 😅 Plus, I’ve always found it strange that werewolves are sometimes “super hairy” or they’re a bit aggressive personality wise? Idk, that just doesn’t sound very nice to me. 😅

[thunderstroked]

A Selkie and a Gumiho Walk Into a... || Mona & Marcus

TIMING: current-ish. LOCATION: harborside, near marcus's lighthouse. PARTIES: @thenavysealkie & @thunderstroked SUMMARY: marcus sees something suspicious. mona is just trying to eat her fries. CONTENT: none!

Maybe Harborside wasn’t the best place for an electrically charged fox, but that didn’t stop her from visiting the coast. Growing up in Busan, and then later on moving to Dublin, Mona had become used to the water. The ocean had a calming aspect to it– one that, at most times, felt more welcoming than the dense copse of trees falling on the side of a highway, or up a mountain pass. She wasn’t naive enough to believe it could be her permanent reality given what she was capable of, but it didn’t stop her from admiring the way that the waves rolled over the shoreline. Today, however, she found regret in her adventure. 

The chips she held onto tightly were being terrorized by the seagulls flying above her head. When one would dive, another would swoop, and she would hover over the styrofoam box, swatting above her head, hopeful that the birds would leave her alone. To no avail, they continued their attacks. They were normal seagulls as far as she could tell– nothing too odd about them. But they wanted her fries, and that was enough to piss her off. “Can you just fuck off?!” She swatted her hand again, catching the leg of one of the gulls, sending it in an awkward spin towards the ground, but it caught itself at the last moment, circling back around to try and grab at the paper lining. “Enough!” Mona shouted, a blue orb materializing out of thin air from her opened hand. It shot across the short distance to the bird, making it fall into the ground in a heap of charred feathers. She stared down at it, wrinkling her nose. It took her a moment to realize she was not alone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, and not the foamy kind. 

It was mid afternoon and Marcus was doing his usual rounds. As the weather grew colder, there was less foot traffic on the beaches and therefore less litter. However, he still remained vigilant, not wanting even a single marine creature to be harmed by any garbage he could have picked up. After all, he knew first hand how terrifying it was to swim head first into a massive garbage pit. 

He saw a group of gulls circling overhead, and wondered what they must all be convening by. Then he heard it, a woman’s voice. And she didn’t seem particularly pleased with the birds circling overhead, either. He heard her shout as multiple seagulls started dive bombing her. As he got closer, he saw that she was holding what he presumed to be a bag of chips or fries. He knew firsthand how relentless they could be once they spotted some food, and he hoped she could make it inside somewhere without too much more harassment from the birds. 

Then…the unexpected happened. 

A crack of lightning, and the smell of burning soon filled the air. One of the birds lay in a pile of burned plumage in the sand, as if some sort of vengeful god had smited the creature right out of the sky. But Marcus didn’t believe in that sort of thing, the reality he knew to be true was already far too strange. He moved closer and shifted his eyes over to the woman. 

“Well uh…that’s one way to get the gulls to back off” he said awkwardly, knowing he had been spotted.

Mona nearly jumped out of her skin as the voice came near. She turned around, sizing up her company. They were significantly taller than herself, but that didn’t matter much. She wasn’t a fight first kind of girl, and she hoped she could maintain some kind of composure regarding the situation, or at least fake it. 

“I’m not a killer, but he was asking for it.” She looked down at the charred bird and frowned. “Circle of life, right?” Not so much, Monathought, but she felt confident in her decision to strike the bird down. Maybe it’d teach its friends to not fuck around and find out. 

Inhaling sharply, she popped another fry into her mouth and began to chew thoughtfully as she looked the person across from her up and down. “Where did you come from?” Water droplets formed on his arms and face, and behind him she could see something odd– like a heap of clothing, but it wasn’t clothing at all. It wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before. 

“The water?” She sniffed at the air, the smell of salt water and brine filling her nose. 

Marcus didn’t especially appreciate this woman’s blatant disregard for life. After all, how would she feel if someone came up and zapped her just for trying to eat? But he had to sympathize at least a little bit, those damn birds could get real annoying real fast. 

“Not like you killed a person, I’m more concerned about the murder weapon though” he said, pointing to the woman’s hand. “Circle of life…” Marcus pondered, “I’m guessing that means you intend to eat the bird? Seems a bit burnt to me, but to each their own”. Much of this town was beyond what any person would deem normal. A person shooting lightning out of their hands didn’t even crack the top 10 of weirdest shit he’s witnessed. But that did mean the woman had some degree of magic, which he was hoping to possibly subtly sap away if he got the chance. 

“I was just out for my morning swim,” Marcus said, taking an immediately more defensive tone. She seemed a bit suspicious of him, but figured she couldn’t come to any supernatural conclusion yet. After all, it’s not like she watched him change forms. It certainly wasn’t as if she saw actual lightning fly out of his hand, like what he witnessed with her. 

She was eyeing his pelt. Did she know what it was? Maybe she’d think it was just some weird looking swimsuit? He didn’t know whether to hide it or act nonchalant, he definitely didn’t want to make her think it was anything out of the ordinary. But it looked exactly like what it was, a seal pelt. How many people casually carried those around at the beach?

“Let’s get off of what I’m doing here, though. Do you want to explain the little lightshow you just put on?”

Mona quirked a brow at his words. She wasn’t sure why it mattered. Weren’t seagulls an invasive species? Wasn’t she helping the community? The earth? Probably not. She really didn’t know, and she really didn’t care. It was a bird, and there’d be dozens more where it came from. She looked down at the charred gull, considering what it’d taste like. She’d figure that out later, if her company really insisted upon it. 

“Not so much a murder weapon as it is a form of protection.” There was something off about the person standing across from her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. “But to each their own.” Mona mirrored his words, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. 

She looked past him to the water. The temperature had dropped considerably over the weeks, and she could only imagine the freezing quality of the water. “In October? You’re not doing… what do they call it– the polar plunge?” She had a friend in Dublin who had participated in something like that in the middle of November. It was odd to watch. 

He looked behind him towards something– the something on the ground. So it was important. She didn’t really care, not really. Mostly, she was annoyed that she’d been stopped. The question popped up again – 

Do you want to explain the little lightshow you just put on?

Mona shrugged. The foxfire was a part of her, it was easy to explain, but to somebody who seemed a little too interested– that could mean danger. 

“Static electricity?” Mona offered with a coy smile, popping another fry into her mouth. She wiped her hand off on the side of her pants. “Why does it matter? What would you want with it?” Because that was the angle here, wasn’t it? 

As the woman in front of him explained her powers were only for protection, Marcus gave a slow nod. “Those beaks can be pretty sharp, I can see why you found it necessary to protect yourself.” he remarked, a bit condescendingly. 

“Just don’t see that kind of thing every day, that’s all. I actually think it’s pretty cool, being able to bend lightning completely at will like that”, he offered, daring her to say outright that she had lightning powers. 

“You’ve never heard of cold water swims?” He offered weakly, knowing no human would have the layer of protection his blubber offered him to keep them warm or even alive for long in freezing waters. He’d have to be a bit more careful about timing his swims in the future so nobody would catch him coming back from the water. And randomly approaching lightning benders probably didn’t help keep things low key, either. He took a step to the side, using his body to block the woman’s view a little more.

While Marcus didn’t particularly relish in his need to sap magic, William was no longer recharging the pelt for him. He had to find his own victims, as much as he disliked causing any harm to people. He thought back to what the woman had said just a few moments ago. Circle of life. He supposed he was no different after all. 

“If you could come a little closer, maybe you could display your gifts a little more in detail for me. After all, it’s not every day you get a performance that’s so electrifying”. 

He had to admit, he sucked at this whole “lying” thing. He’d have to get better, for his own sake. In the meantime, he hoped his natural charm and good looks would compensate for the actual words that left his mouth.  

Mona rolled her eyes at his comment. “I was protecting my food.” She thought about bringing up the invasive species bit again, but what if this guy was some kind of science geek? Then she’d have to explain she was stupid, and she refused to do that. For right now, at least. Maybe she’d play the dumb girl card if she needed to. 

As he spoke, Mona felt discomfort shoot through the scarring that elongated from her neck down her arm and shoulder. “It’s a little different than that.” Wasn’t so much lightning as it was something within her– a power she held and that was deeply rooted to her core. She didn’t expect this person to understand, especially if they were human. So far, there wasn’t anything indicating that they weren’t. 

“So it is like the polar plunge, then.” She nodded as if it made the most sense in the world. Of course people would do something as stupid as that. She didn’t understand why somebody would want to be uncomfortable. She wasn’t lavish by any means, but she sure as hell didn’t go out of her way to crawl into tight spaces for the sake of some record. Mona barely noticed the side-step he made in an effort to block her view. She was too concerned with what he had seen and what he thought of it. 

She wasn’t sure what he was trying to benefit from in seeing her abilities. She’d meant to send out an orb, but her abilities had their own way and sent a zap instead. It’d been her fault and she knew that, using them where others could have seen, but she hadn’t seen him. That was the problem. Mona ate another fry. “Is that some kind of…” Her brows furrowed as she tried to remember the term, “are you hitting on me? I am trying to enjoy my fries, and I’m sorry, but you’re not my type. I’m incredibly gay. Do you have a sister? Maybe we could hit it off and she could tell you what she saw and relay it back to you.” She popped another fry into her mouth. 

This woman was hiding something, Marcus was sure of that. And it was something more than just her strange lightning power. He found it awfully bold of her to be playing coy after he literally saw lightning shoot from her hand like she was fucking Raiden from Mortal Kombat. Then again, it wasn’t as if he was trying to play the whole “out of sight out of mind” game with his pelt, so he had a bit of secretiveness of his own. 

“A little different? I’d love for you to explain it then.” He was genuinely curious how the abilities worked, as he felt he never stopped seeing new things in this town. He had met all sorts of creatures, but a real life lightning bender was something different entirely. If it wasn’t the type of magic he could steal, he could at least walk away from the encounter with a very interesting story to tell. Not that he was low on stories from this town. 

“You could call it…something like that. It helps open up your pores, it’s supposed to keep your skin from wrinkling. Gotta keep up these looks somehow”, he finished with an awkward shrug. He decided not to try and make up any further explanation, figuring the less he said the better off he would be. 

The woman’s rejection was actually a bit welcome for Marcus, even though he was still a bit offended by it. Normally he was used to women throwing themselves at him and he would always have to be the one to drop the “I’m gay” bomb. This was a refreshing change of pace for him. 

He chuckled a bit and said “No, not a come on at all. In fact, I’m also incredibly gay. And while I’d love to tell you I have a sister to set you up with, sadly I’m an only child. But maybe you have a brother?” he added, with a raised eyebrow. At this point, he was getting a tad sidetracked from the woman’s magic, but was starting to genuinely enjoy the company. He was also starting to relax a bit to the point where he stepped to the side a bit, enough to where his pelt came back into the woman’s line of sight. 

The smell of the sea was too strong to discern any other scents. Mona did her best to appear unbothered by his request, but there were some faults in her expression as she ate another fry. Soon enough, they’d be gone and she’d actually need to speak. “What kind of explanation do you want? You believe in what you saw then, right?” She tilted her head to the side, gaze fixed on the space just behind him. Maybe he was hiding something from her. What could he possibly be hiding? Her mind ran through the possibilities. 

As he explained the benefits of icy baths, Mona hummed under her breath. She knew some of those things to be true, but whether or not he was being truthful in telling her about them was a whole other thing. “That’s funny. It comes easy to me.” The being beautiful part, she didn’t bother to add. He’d figure it out, or he wouldn’t. It wasn’t her problem. 

Mona picked up a fry, jutting it through the air at him. An expression of understanding peeled across her features as she nodded. “This somehow makes more sense.” It was a wonder he hadn’t tried to use his looks in order to get more information out of her on what he’d seen. Instead, he was asking bluntly. She scrunched up her nose. “I do, but I’m afraid they’re miles away from here, and we’re not really speaking at the moment.” Another fry into her mouth and she was closing the lid on the styrofoam box. He took a step to the side and on the ground was the unmistakable heap of something. It wasn’t like anything she’d ever seen before, but at the same time, it was familiar. She couldn’t put a finger on it. 

It was clear he was trying to hide it from her. She pointed at it. “I’ll tell you my lightning stuff if you tell me what you’re hiding.” 

Marcus had to admit, this woman was very confident. Even more so than he was, and that was saying something. Although he did have to admit, her habit of popping a seemingly endless supply of fries into her mouth while she spoke to him was starting to grate on his nerves a bit. Hadn’t anyone taught this young lady any manners? 

“I believe in what I saw, yes. What I saw defies standard ‘logic’.”

“A pity, then. Maybe a decent looking cousin? Honestly I’m not too picky”, he added. While he longed for a companion that actually cared for him, long distance just wasn’t something that could work out. His many attempts during his service years were a testament to this. 

With a sigh, he looked down at his pelt, now revealed to the woman’s line of sight. He had let his guard down again, something he was wont to do when he was engaged in a good conversation. Had it been intentional? Or was it merely a byproduct of a genuine conversation between two curious minds. Marcus decided to reveal who he was, hoping honesty would be met with honesty. After all, there weren’t many rangers in the world with lightning powers, so he figured his life would be safe. Besides, any hunter worth their salt would have immediately recognized his pelt and flash fried him by now. 

“I think it’s clear both of us are more than what we seem. I’ll tell you what this is, but you have to promise not to tell another soul about it. There are some baaaad people in this town that can hurt me if they find out what I really am.”

Without speaking any further, Marcus took a deep breath, walked to the ocean’s edge and donned his pelt. Instantly, he could feel his body contour and bloat out. His now sausage shaped body flopped along the sand before reaching the water. He chanced a curious look back at the woman to try and gauge her reaction

Mona scrunched her nose. She had to admit, his humor was decidedly less on the side of annoying, and more something she could fill her day with– the back and forth banter, for one, was something she always enjoyed, especially with people whose names she didn’t know. “No cousins, but I’ve made a few friends who might seem your type.” She crossed her arms over her chest, gaze wandering to the heap behind him again. It was an odd thing, and it was out of place, she realized. She couldn’t quite place it, but it seemed like he cared about it, or at least cared about keeping it out of view. 

He continued speaking, and the word promise hung in the air. She narrowed her eyes. He didn’t give off fae, but that didn’t mean anything to her, especially considering she couldn’t sense them in the slightest. He could be a nereid for all she knew. “And you don’t think they could hurt me, too? We’re on the same team here.” For now, at least, she didn’t bother to amend. 

Before she could say much else, he was retreating to the heap of – what was it, a jacket? Mona watched in astonishment as the man pulled the fabric over his body, and before her very eyes, the human in front of her was replaced by a… seal? She stared at him, mouth slightly ajar, before she was lifting the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing at them. “I’m sorry, what?” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. He had disappeared and been replaced by what, a seal? Could nereids do that? She wasn’t so sure. From her understanding, they only took some likeness from their cause, not full fledged identities. 

“So you’re….” She didn’t know the name, “what are you?” 

As the question was posed, Marcus could only bark in response, lifting his body upwards in the process. He made his way back to land and shifted back into his human form, assuming he had gotten his point across. 

“Selkie. Seal man. People have a few different names for us. The long and short of it is, I’m a shapeshifter. This pelt,” he gestured, holding his pelt up for Mona to finally get a better look at “allows me to change into my seal form. My true form.” 

He allowed a moment to pass for her to absorb his words. Even other people familiar with the supernatural had rarely heard of selkies before, so he figured it’d be best to give a more basic explanation. 

“The pelts themselves…” he began, but decided against discussing the value of his pelts. Even if she wasn’t a hunter, she may know one that she could work with “they make me a target for some of the more…seedier people in town. So I don’t like revealing myself to everyone. But anyway, that’s my secret. Any particular reason you can toss around lightning like a Greek god?” 

Mona couldn’t help but laugh at his explanation. “A– you’re a what?” It seemed silly, for a kitsune to mock that of another shifter’s existence, but it wasn’t so much mocking as it was just pure disbelief. She wasn’t sure what a selkie was, even if she had heard of them. Most of the time, she waved off the explanation. How did it make sense that a person could put something on, like a costume, and exist in that form? Everything else– there was a means of changing your body for it. Though, she supposed in the way that he had done so, there was truth to that, even if it wasn’t… as it was with her, or other shifters. 

She looked towards the pelt in his hand, brows furrowed. She had questions, even if she wasn’t quite sure she believed what she was seeing. 

He was talking about his pelt and how it made him a target and she couldn’t begin to wonder why he would carry it around so freely. Was it a connection to the water? She didn’t know of shifters having any special connection to anything like that. Even with her fire and lightning abilities, she didn’t feel particularly in tune with it, not in the way that a fae might describe. 

Inhaling sharply, Mona kept her gaze on the pelt. “Uh, yeah, I’m a kitsune– wait, so you just put that on? Were you born in it? Did you like, come out of it like a cocoon?” She looked up to meet his gaze. “Can I touch it?” 

The mention of kitsune piqued Marcus’s curiosity. He had seen sirens, at least the aggressively territorial ones from back home. He had also seen werewolves and encountered pretty much every type of fae under the sun. However, he had only heard of kitsune in passing. Truthfully, he knew essentially nothing about them other than that they were described as “fox people”. 

“Kitsune, huh? Can’t say I’ve ever met anybody of your kind. It’s nice to meet you”, he said, trying to keep his calm. He had no knowledge if kitsune and selkies were, historically speaking, on good terms with one another. Of course, he knew that didn’t mean much. He had fought with the sirens his kind were supposedly allied with, and he had also befriended werewolves and even some fae, who his kind are supposed to be at odds with. 

“I was technically born with this,” he began, holding up his pelt for Mona to see. “But I couldn’t use it right away. I had to grow up and mature to learn how to use it. Most of my early childhood I was raised as just a regular human being. Once I was ready, I needed to learn how to charge the pelt with magic so that it would allow me to “merge” with it, if that makes sense. See, the pelt kinda works like a second skin almost. Only, instead of skin, it’s my entire body that changes to fit the pelt.” 

He had always been raised to be fiercely protective of his pelt, and he had only recently gotten shared custody of his pelt back after having it stolen already. While he wanted to build good will with his new friend, he didn’t want to risk losing it again. He knew now not to let his guard down again. 

“You can look, but it’s probably best if you don’t touch it. There’s a lot of energy running through here and I don’t know if it’ll react and hurt you if you’re not its usual owner. These things almost seem to have a mind of their own, sometimes.”

He then held the pelt out further and moved closer to Mona so that she could get a better look. He kept his grip tight, not wanting her to make a quick grab and run off with it. 

“No, my name is Mona.” It occurred to her then that he was talking about what she was– she was far too distracted by the pelt in front of her to put much thought into their actual conversation now. Mona cleared her throat, gaze leveling with his. “But sure, it’s nice to meet you too, Selkie.” The name was reminiscent of something she’d definitely heard in passing, but not something she ever thought twice of. She thought they were something of folklore, but others would say the same of her, so who was she to minimize this person’s existence? 

As he explained what the pelt did, or rather– how he used it, Monafound herself way more confused. It still made no sense, how somebody could be born something and have to learn how to use it. It wasn’t like her fox fire or lightning– this was very different. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. Half of what he spoke of seemed like lies, and most of it was so outlandish that Mona decided it had to be true. “So you weren’t born as that, and you had to use magic– you have magic?” The world was full of surprises. She arched a brow, gaze locked on the pelt, as if she were to look away, it might vanish into thin air. 

Mona frowned slightly as he told her she couldn’t touch it. Then again, how would she feel if he tried to make off with her hoshi no tama? She could relate, in a sense. The pelt was important to him, even if she couldn’t quite understand how it worked. “Did you always know you were a selkie, then? Did your parents just spring it on you?” She’d always known she was a gumiho, she’d been raised as such, so the idea that this person might not know they were a shifter until they were ready was so confusing. “I don’t really understand it, if I’m being honest, but that doesn’t mean I’m doubting you.” Okay, so maybe a little bit. Mona crossed her arms over her chest and continued staring at the pelt, “can anyone be a selkie? Or is it just specific people? Could a human use this?” Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his for verification of her question.

“My apologies, Mona. Very rude that I didn’t even introduce myself properly. My name is Marcus, not selkie.” 

He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to her next question. The pelt had magic, certainly. It just wasn’t his magic, per se. “I always knew I came from a long line of seal people. My mother taught me early on how she manages her powers and cared for her pelt and that I would have to do the same one day. My first time transforming was…difficult. But the body gets used to it after so many times. As for the magic…” He took a pause. Clearly the woman he was speaking to had some degree of magic, and may not be keen on him having to steal magic to keep his pelt charged. She may even be fearful that he’d try to steal magic from her. Of course, that was originally the idea he had in approaching her, but she didn’t need to know that. “It’s borrowed from other sources. A little bit from a meddlesome fae playing tricks on people or a spellcaster setting fires serves to feed my pelt and keep the town safe all at the same time.” 

While he did try to steal from those who deserved it, he did end up stealing from the innocent and unsuspecting more often than not. Those who were more mischievous and threatening with their powers tended to guard their magic much more effectively. 

“Others can steal the pelt and drain its magic, which is part of why they fetch a high price. Some can even use it to restore the powers to a magic user who had theirs stolen before. But only another selkie can wear the pelt and transform into a seal. Well, you can also turn into something similar like a sea lion or walrus, but the seal appearance is the more “traditional” appearance.” He thought back on William and how desperate he must have been to track him down and steal his pelt just to restore his own powers. Marcus also remembered how desperate he was when he was without his pelt for nearly 3 months. 

“The highest profits come from other selkies, actually. Those who have lost their pelts or had theirs stolen. Those who are in the peak of their withdrawals. You see, our seal form is almost like our true selves. And without it, there are a lot of physical and mental drawbacks. We can even die if left without our pelts for too long. Unfortunately, thefts and damages to pelts from hunters has lead to a great deal of infighting and mistrust amongst other selkies. Not enough pelts to keep everyone alive, basically.” 

He had probably gone a bit too in depth, but if Mona wanted information he figured he may as well give it to her. He also wanted to keep talking so that they could skirt over the “stealing magic” topic as smoothly as possible. 

“Mona and Marcus, M&M, we could be best pals, you know.” Besties, if Monabelieved any of what he was actually saying. She still couldn’t believe it, but the proof was right in front of her, and she knew she had to believe it because a shifter was a shifter, no matter how you spun it. Even if lamias were created out of a curse in their bloodline, at the very least they didn’t have to put something on. It still felt like a mockery, and Mona wasn’t sure how to feel about it. 

Marcus continued to explain and Mona stayed silent, doing her best to piece it all together. She couldn’t remember her parents ever discussing selkies, but then again, they hadn’t had much to discuss with her anyway. Her friends back in Ireland, however– they seemed far more knowledgeable with this stuff. Mona wondered if Inge knew what selkies were and made a mental note to ask. Maybe Felix knew a thing or two, as well. She could ask them questions instead of being invasive. Then again, that never really stopped her from asking the questions she had. 

Though, the mention of magic seemed to put Marcus on pause. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was a sacred thing, something like her hoshi no tama. But then he was explaining he didn’t have magic, and that it was both fae or spellcaster magic that kept his pelt charged? It was all so weird. In her seventy something years, she’d never heard anything like it. It wasn’t like she was refusing the story or the history that Marcus brought to the table, but she was having a hard time digesting the idea that somebody could just try something on and recharge it with magic that wasn’t even theirs to begin with. 

She had so many questions, but she tried to do her best to let Marcus speak. What was the use in interrupting him? Especially when she had no idea on where to start and with what questions. “So it’s… gatekeeping you, sort of.” She wasn’t sure if that was the right word, but she had heard it used a time or two, “or gaslighting–?” A puzzled expression peeled over her features and she shook her head, tucking her hair behind both her ears before her hands came to rest around either side of her neck. “I believe you and I don’t, but only because it’s so different than anything… and the magic bit, the part where you siphon it, that…” It left her uneasy to say the least, “I’m not really sure I understand that at all.” At least she was in the clear– her powers weren’t really magic, they just were. 

“Like, I just eat ghosts to sustain myself, but I don’t– I mean, I eat other things. I really like tacos.” She scrunched her nose before letting out a breath. “Okay, Marcus. Let’s say I believe you and your little pelt story.” She’d seen it with her own eyes, but she still felt like there was something missing, “I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine, obviously.” She extended a hand, eyes narrowed with faux suspicion. He had a lot to lose, and it was obvious. She hadn’t divulged nearly as much as he had. 

M & M, Marcus didn’t exactly hate the sound of it. After all, in a town like this, friends were very valuable resources. Yet this friend didn’t seem all too familiar with how her abilities worked, and also didn’t seem to show much interest in figuring it out. 

“Hmmm, I guess gatekeeping would be a decent way of putting it. Can’t have my powers unless the pelt wants to cooperate with me. Sometimes, if you’re pelt isn’t charged and you can’t use it for a long time, it feels like when people get withdrawals from coming off some kind of vice. Except, instead of the symptoms getting better over time, they continue getting worse. So you could say it’s kind of essential for everyone to keep a hold of.”

“Basically, the pelt uses magic to mold itself and transform. But there’s no inherent magic in the pelt itself. So it has to come from somewhere, you know?” 

Sometimes when he spoke of selkie pelts he felt as if he were attributing to them a mind of their own. And sometimes, it felt as though they had a mind of their own too. 

“You…eat ghosts?” Marcus asked incredulously. He had only dealt with the ghost of the old man in the lighthouse previously, he didn’t know they could be eaten. Couldn’t they phase through shit? Wouldn’t they be able to just…walk out of her? 

“Glad to hear my secret’s safe with you…but for real you eat ghosts? Because that could be really useful down the line some time. There’s a lot of spooky things hanging around here and not all of them can be handled with a knife.” 

“Your secret is, of course, safe with me. Folks like you and me have to stick together and look out for each other after all. I’d keep a low profile if I were you though, which means cool it with the light shows” he said, gesturing back up at the sky. 

The explanation that Marcus put into his pelt should have reassured Mona that she wasn’t being fucked with, but there was still something strange. “In a way, I can understand that.” It was the closest she’d get to admitting that there was something she was guarding, too. There was no use in going into the details, especially considering how she wasn’t sure where to start. Besides, she was sure if he really wanted to do more, he could research it himself. 

Marcus went on further and Mona’s brows furrowed. She tried to align everything, tried to make it perfect and pretty– to make it make sense, but she still wasn’t quite sure how something without magic could need magic, especially a shifter. Mona decided silently that she’d do her own research. “Your pelt is magic, got it.” She wasn’t sure that’s what he was trying to say, but it was what she landed on anyway. 

At his question, she nodded. “Only the non-aggressive ones, and not like, poltergeists.” She shivered, thinking about the number of spirits she’d left in her wake after realizing they were a little too big for her appetite. “I eat ghosts, I eat fries, I like to eat fish, too. You’re a seal, you can understand that.” At least she was agreeing that he was a seal– that was a good start. 

Mona smiled at his extension of understanding and nodded. “I’m glad that we met, even if I’m not sure I believe you.” So much for giving in to the reality of their situation, “but I’m sure I will overtime. Do you do tricks, like at the circus? Is that rude?” She paused, face relaxing slightly, “how about we talk more about it over fries? I’ll get you your own.” 

“Well Mona,” said Marcus, “at least we’re a little bit closer to an understanding. It isn’t magic itself, but it uses it.” 

Marcus pondered, if she didn’t eat dangerous ghosts did she just eat the poor souls who were stuck here without a way to be laid to rest. Furthermore, what happened to a ghost that was eaten? Is it fully conscious inside her stomach, do they pass on to whatever afterlife there is, or do they just cease to exist completely? He didn’t want to think on it too long. Those types of thoughts always filled him with existential dread. 

“I do like fish, although when I’m not in the water I do prefer them cooked. But eating a scallop or oyster fresh from the seafloor is an experience most people can only dream of. I mean, talk about a fresh catch”. 

“Can’t say I’ve ever tried doing tricks”, he laughed at the question. He wasn’t offended, more amused at the idea of balancing a ball on his nose while a bunch of onlookers surrounded him, enjoying the show. “But yes, I’d love to talk with you more about it. And I just so happen to know a really good spot to go for fries, too!”