#AND LETTIE as the local witch has to deal with them

[jutenium]

Justiman mermaid!au (syren!au??)

Some lor explained below the cut:

Imagine Justin, who has just had a fight with his brother and is pacing back and forth along the coast in a lump of anger and impulsiveness, rubbing his hair with both hands in frustration and muttering something very unhappy

And Ben, AS IT HAPPENED, at that moment was watching him (not for the first time) from behind the water column (insidiously close to its surface)

Justin is a genius who, during his brain storm, decided that water as a bastion of calm should actually calm him down, and so without any warning, he just dove into the fucking sea (or whatever it is) right next to where Ben was

AND JUST THESE TWO PAIRS OF FRIGHTENED EYES LOOKING AT EACH OTHER

Ben experiences death and birth and death again, Justin experiences "WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART??? WHO ARE YOU AN UNKNOWN, MOST LIKELY PREDATORY AND DEADLY CREATURE FROM THE DEPTH OF THE WATER??? LET'S BE FRIENDS" (the diplomatic instinct of the prince mode on)

(he didn't want to become friends so much as he came to the conclusion that when you are in the territory of an unfamiliar creature that hasn't yet eaten you, it is best to show loyalty and establish friendly relations)

They quickly become friends (yeah, it's actually happening) because Ben listens very sincerely to the prince's troubles and has a damn good voice when he tells about his nerdy sea stuff, something new and unusual that Justin, with his restlessness, really misses in his life

Justin is someone who unironically would like to go swimming with Ben so that he can see all these amazingly beautiful things Ben talks about