#I guess it's marginally better than having a whole entire lion/cheetah/tiger as a pet

[corolune]

Also, if you're still doing the wip ask game, I'd love to hear about the Silkie story and sci-fi mermaids!

yes, I am absolutely still doing the WIP one, thank you for the ask!!

selkie story is my big WIP that I'm currently sharing on ao3, it's been ages since I last updated but I am still working on it and have the next few chapters all plotted out! It is basically an Alex Rider AU where Alex is a selkie (a mythical creature that can transform from a seal into a human and back by taking off/putting on its sealskin/fur coat). I don't even remember how I came up with this idea, but I love seals and selkies and folklore and it turned out to be a perfect analogy for how Alex doesn't fit in anywhere — he can't connect with normal school kids anymore (also probably never really could really fit with them to begin with since he's not only an orphan, but also Ian was a really weird parent), and he doesn't fit in the world of espionage (since he's still a kid), and he struggles to carve a space of his own. So this story became an interesting way to explore that. (plus seals are adorable 🦭)

sci-fi mermaids is an original story idea I had! I was envisioning a middle grade graphic novel when I first thought of this but I think it would work well as a normal fiction novel too. The premise is that mermaids, once thriving in wild oceans, have dwindled in number due to an exotic “pet” trade. In the name of conservation, many mermaids are kept in sanctuaries where scientists study their strange abilities and strive to create the "perfect" breed of mermaid through genetic engineering.

The main story centres around a young mermaid adopted into a wealthy family, whose children are obsessed with them. She often wonders about the ocean, and what it must be like to live with other mermaids. But she feels ungrateful to think of a life away from her family, who've given her a massive tank, and several natural ponds, and let her watch whatever she wants on tv, and spend so much time taking care of her and entertaining her and including her as part of the family. Especially when she's seen on the news of how badly some pet mermaids are kept...I'm still working out the actual plot but I have so much research and sketches of the characters and settings! Maybe I'll dig some of those up and share them on here someday.