So I have a question about Arlo’s powers that you might have the answer to
Do you know what the bleeding is all about? Like when he starts coughing up blood after his barrier breaks. Does he just like straight up start bleeding internally or something?
Anyway I love this blog sm you are giving me the unO content I crave
Ah, thank you! Yes, I absolutely have the answer. In fact, I’m going to take this opportunity to make a post that was already floating in my head.
Arlo and Recoil Damage
First, to answer your question in a literal sense, yes. It’s definitely internal bleeding. Specifically, damage to his lungs.
It’s also not at all unprecedented for a person to be wounded like this. Every person with a conjuring type ability takes damage when their conjures are damaged.
(Rein in ch. 16)
(Cecile attacking Arlo, ch. 109)
The difference with Arlo, is that his damage happens below the skin. Here’s where it gets juicy.
Symbolism
Arlo’s ability is very symbolic, possibly the most so of anyone in the series. His nigh unbreakable barrier he puts around himself represents his metaphorical walls, and how he keeps everyone at a distance. His passive makes him invulnerable— he gets punched in the face, clawed at, stabbed at, etc, and doesn’t even blink. The only way to hurt Arlo is to break through his barrier. And when his walls are broken down, there’s a wound in his chest. It’s not literal enough to be his heart that bleeds, but it’s very close.
There’s also something that’s been kicking around in my head for awhile—
“You’re the strongest one out of all of us here right now. You can try to brush this whole thing off... but to the rest of us, it’s still scary. If even you can’t protect yourself, what can the rest of us do?” — Remi, Ep. 61.
I remembered the line being “When people as strong as you show fear, it scares the rest of us.” However, that must have come from a different scene and I won’t track it down.
It’s plain and simple: High tiers have been taught their whole lives to bottle things up.
This is also seen reflected in Seraphina—
(ep. 20)
Granted, the circumstances here are very different, but it’s a similar idea. High tiers showing emotions scares people.
So they bottle them up...
… until they explode.
(Ep. 106)
The judgment Arlo and Seraphina face is very similar. Seraphina rejects these expectations before the story starts, but Arlo has yet to do so. He is very much like the Seraphina we see in flashbacks.
All of this is to say: it is significant that his barrier wounds are internal. The little bit of blood we can see is mainly there so the audience knows he’s injured— but otherwise? Barrier cracks aren’t an injury that people can really see. Recoil damage is typically reflected as scratches, so his internal wounds are both unique, and symbolic of the way he hides his feelings.
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What would happen if
Azul sees a mershrimp!mc
This is your fault :D
Warning(s): manipulation, yandere-ish & animalistic Azul, biting, there's a predator/prey dynamic, Azul's just a teeny bit sadistic in this one ;)
Octopi eat shrimp. That is a well-known fact.
So when you, a shrimp mer, found out that Azul Ashengrotto was in fact an octopus, well... you were even more cautious around him than you were before.
But of course word gets out eventually. You can't hide your true form forever. And eventually, as all information around the school does, the info that you were a shrimp mer made its way to Azul.
"Ah, hello (Y/N)! Would you like to join me for lunch?" Azul asked you one day. Knowing Azul, this wasn't a question, it was more of a demand.
When you two got your lunch, he made a real show of describing the shrimp pasta he ordered. The texture, the quality, the taste of the shrimp... you knew what he was doing, what he was setting up.
This can't be good...
One day, the Leech twins showed up at your door.
"G'morning, Shrimpy~!"
"Azul wants to speak with you."
The pair of twins escorted you to Octavinelle, to the Mostro Lounge, and into the VIP room, where Azul was waiting for you.
He had a shrimp cocktail on his desk.
"Hello there, (Y/N). So glad you could meet me. Come, sit down." He smiled. "I see you eyeing the shrimp cocktail... it's for the both of us, you know. You can have some if you want, I don't mind~"
"No... no thanks." You said.
"More for me, I suppose." He shrugged, before eating one of the shrimp. That made you wince slightly. You knew the shrimp was dead, but it still didn't feel right to watch. "Now (Y/N), I have a wonderful deal for you! I'm sure you'll agree to it!"
"What makes you so sure I will?" You asked.
"Because you will severly regret it if you don't." Azul simply responded. "Well, actually... I'm not that cruel. I'll give you the grace of not being alive when I do that..." He smirked evilly to himself. "But the point is, you really don't want to decline this offer, (Y/N)."
You read over the details of the contract as Azul continued making a show of how much he enjoyed the shrimp cocktail...
"You see, (Y/N), I've taken quite the interest in you recently." Azul told you as you continued reading. "If you simply sign the contract and allow me to do whatever I want to you with a few exceptions... then I will grant you protection from everyone in the school who may want to... take advantage of your mer form~" He explained. "A wonderful deal, is it not?"
"...and what if I don't sign this?" You cautiously asked.
"Oh! Is it not clear to you yet?" He asked with a slight chuckle. "You may not have noticed it, but... I quite like the taste of shrimp. It's one of my favourite foods, in fact! And well, if you sign this contract... then I will consider not ripping your tail from your body, frying it up in the kitchen, and then eating it."
You just sat there in shock for a moment after hearing him say that.
"But of course, no pressure (Y/N)!" Azul smiled innocently. "Sign the contract or don't! I'm fine with whichever option you choose~"
Oh, well that's just great. Your options here are either to let Azul do whatever he wants to you, or literally die.
You sighed, and then signed your name upon Azul's golden contract scroll.
"Why thank you, (Y/N)."
Tomorrow was when everything began to go wrong.
Octopi eat shrimp. You know that, Azul knows that... he used that fact to his advantage. Whenever he needed to threaten you he would talk about cooking you up in a skillet, which always successfully quieted you down. He used the fact that he was one of your natural predators to his advantage whenever he could.
Sometimes he'd even talk about forcing you back into your mer form and boiling you alive if you broke contract... jeez, talk about harsh.
Azul was very unforgiving. Whenever you did something he didn't want you to, he immediately resorted to threatening you with death... whenever he saw your scared face, oh how it satisfied him. It gave him a rush. It just felt so amazing to know you were completely at his mercy.
He also made sure to order food that involved shrimp whenever you ate lunch with him. Seeing your uncomfortable face whenever he took a took a juicy bite of the shrimp was so fun! Sometimes he would ask you "Did you know this one?" in a taunting manner before eating another shrimp.
And as if everything else didn't make you feel uncomfortable enough, every now and again Azul would refer to you as prey or meat, always with a malicious grin on his face.
You had thought you could deal with this just for a day.
It's only for a day, right?
Oh, if only you knew how wrong you were.
This would be your life for the next few months, much to your displeasure...
One night, Azul invited you to his room.
You knew you weren't allowed to decline, so you reluctantly made your way over.
When you entered his room, he was already undressing.
"Hello there, (Y/N)." He said, not even looking back. "Close the door and get on the bed, please~"
You did as he asked, and you saw Azul slowly transforming back into his true self as he got onto the bed and pinned you down.
"(Y/N)... may I have... a bite...?" Azul asked, breathing heavily. "Just a small one, dearest... I just want to see... if you taste like a shrimp in this form..."
Before you could respond, Azul took a chunk out of your bicep. The wound was quickly numbed before you had the chance to feel any pain.
You could tell Azul was enjoying himself. He savoured the taste of your flesh in his mouth. He had a terrible smile on his face as he swallowed.
"You don't taste like shrimp, but... I'll take it~" He said. He wrapped one of his tentacles tightly around your wound to prevent the bleeding. "You should feel lucky you'e not in your true form right now. With your tiny size, even a single bite would've killed you. My venom is nearly harmless to humans, but... it would kill a shrimp like you immediately."
His teeth (beak?) were stained with blood... your blood....
And when you saw that, that was when you really started to panic.
"Oh... my little helpless prey... you delicious piece of meat... I'd just love to see your eyes well up with tears as I cruelly eat other shrimp merfolk just like you... I'd adore seeing your horrified face as the blood leaks out from my lips, letting the thought stew in your head that soon enough it'll be your turn~" Azul confessed.
"Get off of me...!" You demanded, trying to push him away. But every time you tried you push Azul off of you, his grip on you just got stronger.
"Ah, struggling, are we~?" Azul asked, licking his lips. "It won't do you any good. The ones who struggle always taste the best, it's like you want me to eat you alive! Everytime I look at your scared face, every little movement you make... oh, it just makes my mouth water darling~"
Azul's tentacles wrapped around your legs and slipped under your shirt.
"Every little movement you make just makes me hungrier." His warm saliva dripped down onto your chest as he spoke. "Luckily for you though, according to our contract, I can't kill you. I just thought it would be fun if I... teased you for a bit. It seems I was right!"
He collapsed onto you. He rubbed his face against yours, and whispered in your ear.
"I won't do anything to you, I promise. Now go to sleep, my cute shrimp~"
How Azul expected you to peacefully sleep after all that, you had no idea.
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