#M!A || Before Mermay

[livingproofoftbd]

sing me a song and let me love you

rated m | 12.4k words

tags: siren gnf, childhood friends to lovers, non graphic violence, fluff and angst, time skips, possessive behaviour

Dream doesn’t know what George is, all he knows is he has a tail and gills and can breathe underwater. He shows Dream one day, takes him underwater with a quick kiss to his cheek that grants him the ability to temporarily breathe underwater. He speaks five languages his school taught human languages as extra credit coursework.

or, dream meets george, a Siren, at eight years old

-

for @promise-me-moon for a mermay gift exchange the rats decided to do! (the fic writers did not finish before may ;-;) i hope you like it!! i loved writing it when i wasnt crying over writers block :p

[aw-shizz-here-we-go-again]

•|| Seally Cute ||• (Mermay 2024)

Prompt 3: Seally Cute

Featuring: Geno, Goth, and Reaper!

Ship(s): Afterdeath.

Summary: Playtime with the kiddo! <3

Warnings: Blood from a hunt

Credits: Leviathantale and the Mermay Bingo I'm using are both by @skumhuu!

Read tags for notes.

"Dad? Dad??? Daddy!"

Geno woke up to a small, high-pitched voice yelling in his ear. He let out a tired grunt, then rolled over on his side as his tail gently swatted the other person away.

He smiled as he heard them let out a playful squeak, and he was almost immediately bombarded by a small body barreling into him. He yawned, then blinked blearily at the mischievous attacker as he rubbed his eyesockets. "Oh? What's up, my little clamshell?"

The young selkie in front of Geno puffed out their cheeks, flipping their black-and-white seal tail back and forth as they responded. "Mama's out huntin', and 'm boreddd! I wanna do sumthin'! Sumthin' else then jus' sleepin'!"

"You could practice walking, you know." Geno suggested, raising a bonebrow up at the child. He sat up and stretched, slight popping his bones as he did so. "You still haven't even tried taking your seal skin off yet, Goth."

Goth grumbled something under his breath, glowering down at the iceberg they were both on. ". . ."

Geno tilted his head to the side, wrapping his arms around his kid and hugging him close. "What was that? Is there something wrong?"

"...'s scary." Goth muttered quietly, burying his face into his father's chest. "A-an' I did try. Couldn't do it though..."

"Oh, Gothy," Geno squeezed Goth a little tighter in his embrace, wrapping Goth's tail around his own as he kissed the top of Goth's head. "It's alright, we'll figure something else out then."

"Swimmin'?" Goth asked hopefully, gazing up at Geno with big shiny eyelights. There was no mistaking it, the kid really knew what he was doing when he chose to pull the puppy eyes on his dad.

Geno sighed, giving Goth a defeated look. He didn't even attempt to resist, knowing that he would cave quickly anyways. "Okay okay, let's go swimming."

"Yay!" Goth wiggled his way out of Geno's grip, then proceeded to nudge and tug Geno towards the edge of the iceberg where the water was. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

Geno chuckled, relenting as he playfully shoved Goth into the icy sea before hopping in to join his kid. "Rather eager, aren't we?"

"You never lemme go swimmin' without ya, so duh!" Goth pouted, swishing his tail as he drifted around Geno in a lazy circle. He then sped up, swimming around Geno in faster loops. "C'monnn! Let's play tag or something!"

"Oho, you want to challenge me?" Geno asked in amusement, raising a bonebrow as Goth nodded in response. "Well then, let the games begin..."

.

.

.

Reaper was returning back home from... doing whatever he was doing while he was out, most likely hunting due to the blood on his teeth, and he surfaced to get a breath of air just in time to see a certain small selkie fling themselves out of the water to do a flip.

What the heck?

Diving back under the water, Reaper sped up towards the main iceberg that he and his family called home. As he approached, he could see the love of his life- ahem, Geno, ahem -and their child swimming around in circles, seemingly sportively goading each other on.

As Reaper watched, Geno suddenly thrashed his tail as he shot up towards the surface of the water, erupting from the sea and doing a double flip before he came crashing back down.

The leviathan let out a small, quiet laugh at the smug look that Geno shot at Goth, and at the pouty look that Goth had returned back at Geno.

Then Reaper had an idea. A smirk crossed his face as he dove down, deeper and deeper below his family. Once he was down deep enough to not be noticed if he shifted, he activated his leviathan form as he circled around in the icy cold depths, staring up at the two selkies above him.

He then silently and slowly swam up behind Geno, his now massive size absolutely dwarfing his mate. He watched as Goth noticed him, and he saw how the child's eyelights grew as big as saucers as his presence registered in Goth's mind.

Reaper held a finger up to his mouth, gesturing for Goth to stay quiet. He drifted ever so slightly closer to Geno, who seemed mildly confused by Goth's reaction since he hadn't realized that Reaper was behind him yet.

"Hello, darling~"

Reaper purred out an amused giggle as Geno yelped in shock, and he backed up a little bit as the selkie whirled around to face him.

"You-! Seriously, Reaper?! Ugh..." Geno groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nosebone in annoyance, glaring at Reaper in half-hearted anger. "I swear, you are so immature."

"Oh, my dearly sweet beloved, I'm so wounded by your insults!" Reaper whined pitifully, shrinking down into his normal form before dramatically leaning against Geno while holding his hand up to his forehead.

Geno grumbled something under his breath and pushed Reaper off, then narrowed his eyesocket at Goth, who had started giggling. He then sighed in exasperation and threw up his hands. "Both of you! Both of you are so immature! But at least Goth has the excuse of actually being a child."

He swam back up to Reaper and poked the leviathan in the chest, swishing his tail in mild irritation. "But you don't have any excuse!"

"B-but... Geno-senpai, it's just my personality!" Reaper blinked innocently at Geno, intertwining his orca tail with Geno's seal tail.

Geno rolled his eyelight and groaned again, pulling his tail away from Reaper and gently swatting Reaper over the head. "Don't even get started with that! Enough is enough."

Reaper sighed in mock defeat, backing away from Geno to give his love some space. "Alright, alright, if you insist."

Geno hesitated, then swam back over to Reaper to give him a soft, brief kiss before letting go again. "Love you, starfish~"

Before Reaper could sputter out a flustered reply, they both suddenly heard snoring coming from behind them. A quick glance revealed that Goth had fallen asleep, and Geno let out an amused snort. "I suppose playing around tuckered him out. We should be getting back to our iceberg anyways."

"I- uh- uhm, yeah! Mhm!" Reaper replied quickly, still blushing from the kiss. He rapidly flicked his tail and scooped Goth up in his arms, carrying the child as he started swimming to the homeberg. "Let's go!"

Geno followed suit, letting himself be half dragged in the current that Reaper's tail made since he was tired.

.

.

.

"You know, you should really wash up. You still have blood all over your teeth." Geno said with a small yawn, tilting Reaper's head with his hands on Reaper's chin so that he could see the orca's face better.

"Aw, what? Too shy to clean it off for me~?" Reaper purred teasingly, then hesitated and averted his gaze in shame almost immediately afterwards. "...Oh, yeah, right-- nevermind. Uh, forget I said that. Sorry."

Geno winced slightly, shivering not from the cold of the iceberg but rather from the reminder. ". . ."

Reaper shrank in on himself a bit, tears suddenly pricking his eyesockets "I'm sorry, okay? I- I really just can't help it... I'm sorry..."

Geno was quiet for a long moment, then he pulled Reaper into a hug. "It'll... it'll be okay. Just... let's not tell Goth, okay? I'd rather not scare him..."

"Okay..." Reaper muttered back, nuzzling into Geno's embrace. By the True Leviathans, he felt awful, but it wouldn't be an easy fix.

After all, it was his nature.

______________________________________________________________

Start

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Masterlist

[axewchao]

I swore to myself that I would do something for MerMay this year. No real reason, just something I promised myself I'd do.

And after more or less nagging myself to do it all day, I finally did it!

This year's MerMay stars the M&M ship! Morton's been searching the seas all day to find the perfect gift for a pretty Merkoopa he's known for a while, and his efforts paid off in the form of a pretty little pearl!

Makani's never been given such a lovely present before, she feels like the luckiest girl in the entire ocean! Expect lots of nuzzles and kisses in your near future, Mort~ X3c

[little-annie]

Steddie Mermay anyone?

***

The night sky's a hazy sort of blue-black, the stars swimming throughout the wispy clouds as fish do through the coral below the calm waters. From where he sits, wood solid below him and murky depths beneath that, Steve sees not much more than the two blending together; night sky meeting ocean waters in a never ending blur of uncertainty, intrigue and mystery. 

Whispers between lips and the ears of strangers and kin, stories have been told seemingly for centuries. Forwhat lurks beneath the clouded waters is what seals the fates of many men. Only the scarred and hardly lucky left to tell their tales. 

It'd been an elder fisherman who'd told Steve of an evening from his past. Dark eyes, porcelain skin and water wet curls accompanied by the deadly hymns of a creature that'd pierced his skin with nails black as the night sky and dragged him to what he assumed to be his death.

The docks were busy as they'd sat side by side, the screeches of gulls in the distance and the nattering of the market to their rear, old Gus had muttered with whiskey stained breath as he continued.

“ ‘twas a scary thing boy, ain't no other thought in my mind than I'd die right there. I ain't even remember much of it. Seems to ‘ave faded with time I think. Jus’ when I saw that thing's face and suddenly I was under water, bleeding from my arm and pulled along by those damn claws.”

Gus had paused for a moment then, scratching at the greying scruff of his chin as if in thought, ageing clouding eyes squinting into the midday sun, he grumbled, “Ain't even remember how I got back to town for Christ's sake. Woke to the gulls screaming something awful right here on this bench, soaked from ass to teeth, head throbbin’ and m’ arm wrapped in a mess of seaweed.”

At the time Steve had simply hummed, hat hanging low on his head shielding his eyes and mole dotted cheeks from the sun. He'd stop to take a nap in the warmth before he set out for a noon-hour fish. Truthfully he hadn't asked Gus a damn thing, the old bastard just plopped down next to him with a grunt and sorta just started rambling. 

But that was days, weeks ago now and with the nerve to find something of substance, to track down the creature he'd heard so much about, Steve was out on the waters for what felt like the 100th night in a row.

He's yet to have seen anything of grandeur, only ever the whispers of hymns in the breeze and the ripple of water when scale skinned bodies have dove from his devoted gaze. 

Though that's not to say such creatures' eyes haven't fallen upon him. 

Beyond the stillness of death tainted waters, nestled in the jaggedness of stone and rock nearest the shores, floats with a sense of ease a creature whose eyes reflect the starry onyx of the night skies and the silent but waiting silhouette of a man who it hungers for.

This being knowing with a sense of certainty that someday soon the breaking of golden flesh would be felt beneath its teeth and the sweetness of the man's very life's force on its tongue.

***

Because at 37 weeks pregnant, I don't know when I'll ever have the time or energy to finish this 💁🏻‍♀️

[blinddreams24]

Message

A Mermay Prompt

Masterlist

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“U-U-Ugh!” Complained the glitchy voice of your new companion. You were starting to understand why his name was Error. “Wh-Why did-d you ha-ha-have t-to nest-st s-so far away-ay-ay-ay?” It was like a broken record. You tried not to let it get to you but it was really annoying that every few minutes he’d complain like a fussy child. Big man baby ribbon eel.

“We’re Only One More Mile Away Error!” Blue chirped. He didn’t seem phased in the slightest by Error’s behavior. “Thank You For Agreeing To Come! It Really Means A Lot To Me!” He swam closer to Error but not close enough to touch. Error had been very strict about touch when you’d met him. So much so that he’d almost immediately attacked you even though you hadn’t even approached him. Blue had gotten between you and calmed Error with surprising speed. Error didn’t threaten you again after that.

“M-M-Mmh.” Error grumbled. “Wh-Whatever. You o-o-owe me-me f-f-for this-is.” He didn’t clarify what exactly Blue owed him. He also didn’t seem like the type ask favors of people, opting instead to get his own hands dirty.

Blue’s smile didn’t waver. “Of Course, Error! You Know I Love To Help!”

“Mhm-m-m.”

It was weird.

You could see the power in this beast. The way the water rippled and sharpened around him into silvery blue strings that whipped around in his agitation. The way Dream had immediately put Blue between him and Error before retreating back to his den, leaving you in Blue’s more than capable hands. The power blazing in his mismatched eyelights that made Nightmare’s cyan eye look tame. The way he didn’t hesitate in any decision because he was certain nothing could stop him anyways.

And yet he was easily calmed by your fellow dolphin siren.

Not completely calmed, Error still growled and hissed and was overall aggressive, he was just less likely to do anything rash while Blue was talking. Which encouraged you to keep Blue talking.

“So, uh…” You rubbed the back of your neck. “How are you both doing?” It felt dumb to ask, but you didn’t know either of these people really.

Blue chirruped. “I’m Doing Great! Thank You For Asking, Y/n! And How Are You? Does That Spot Still Itch?”

“Yeah, a little bit. But it’s not as bad as earlier. Thank you, by the way.”

“Of Course! I Am Always Glad To Help!”

“Wh-Wh-What a-are you ta-ta-talking about-out?” Error grouched, his brows furrowed at being left out of the conversation.

“Y/n Had A Suckerfish Stuck To Them And I Helped Them Get It Off.” Blue supplied.

Error laughed and his eyes locked onto you even though he was still talking to Blue. “A-A-Aww, Blue-ue-ue! Y-You c-c-could have-ave l-left it for a-a-a-a f-few min-min-minutes longer! I-I-I would-ld-ld h-have enjoy-joy-joyed th-that!”

Blue scowled sternly. “Error, We Don’t Leave People In Pain Just Because It’s Funny.”

“Y-Y-You don’t-t.” Error grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

Blue responded with a heavy hearted sigh. “Let’s Not. How Are You Doing, Error? Y/n Did Ask Both Of Us.” He turned the question on the destroyer curiously.

Error scoffed. “M-M-My peace-eace was int-interup-rup-rupted b-b-by two abom-ominations an-and an annoy-oy-oying dolphin-in. I’m ter-ter-terrible.”

“Aw, Thanks!” Blue whistled happily at the insult.

Okay. There was either something terribly wrong with these two or you were missing important information.

You had a feeling you wouldn’t get an answer to that.

“Y/n? Wait, Blue?!”

“Cross!” You and Blue chirped at the same time, turning toward the voice.

Cross caught sight of Error and hesitated as he came closer. “What are you doing here, Blue?” He asked, reaching out for your hand.

“Mweheheh!” Blue laughed. “I Am Here Because Y/n Invited Me! How Are You Doing, Cross?”

“Uh, I’m good, I guess. Y/n, what’s going on?” Cross’s tense gaze didn’t leave Error and the eel gave him a big toothy grin. He pulled you closer to himself.

You let him pull you. “So, you know how Killer got hyped up on positivity and Nightmare helped him balance out? And now Boss has been acting really tired?”

Cross’s brows scrunched together as he looked down at you. “…He has been really tired… but what does this have to do with Blue and Error?” His eyes shot back to the destroyer, who was starting to look annoyed.

Blue noticed Error’s frown. “Mweh! Would You Like To Answer That, Error?”

At the attention, Error relaxed and scoffed. “Y-Y-You t-tell him, B-B-Blue. I d-don’t care-are.” He crossed his arms and looked away.

“Of Course.” Blue smiled, as always, and turned to address Cross. “Y/n Had The Amazing Idea Of Inviting Me And Error Over To Help Nightmare Get Rid Of The Lingering Positivity In His Body. Dream Has Had A Similar Problem Before And Asked Me To Help As Well.”

Cross’s eyes darted between the three of you, more concerned than confused. He pulled you away. “I’d like to talk to y/n real quick.”

“Mweh! Of Course! We’ll Be Right Here When You’re Ready!” Blue chirped

“Sp-Sp-Speak f-for yourself-self.”

As Blue started entertaining Error, you and Cross took a sidebar. Cross pulled you around and held you by the shoulders.

“Y/n. What were you thinking? You left the pod and went to get Blue and Error all by yourself? Are you insane?” He snapped. You could see the worry behind his anger.

“I wasn’t alone. Dream helped me-.”

“That’s worse! Do you not remember what happened the other day?”

“I remember!” You shoved him away. “I’m the one that went through that! But Ink wasn’t there this time and Dream has only ever been nice to me. He just wants to fix things with Nightmare. Cross, he wants to help. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Cross hesitated and glanced back at your guests. “…Maybe. I’d say he has good intentions, but the guys… they won’t believe him for a second. He could just make things worse.”

“That’s why he’s not coming. Cross.” You pulled his focus back to you. “I brought Error and a message and I haven’t delivered either. Could you please help me?” You pleaded.

He glared at you, his eyelights dilating at you. “You’re ridiculous. Fine, I’ll help. I’ll let the guys know what’s going on. Just wait here and don’t do anything stupid.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll try. Be safe.”

Cross turned to your guests. “Blue, I will be leaving for a little while. Guard y/n, would you?” You punched Cross’s arm. You could take care of yourself!

Blue smiled. “I Will Help In Any Way I Can!” He chirped happily.

With that, Cross sped off for only a few minutes before returning with Dust. They escorted you and your guests into the trench while Error kept puffing up proudly and flashing his colors every time he glanced at Dust. Sure Dust wasn’t as pretty, but he didn’t have to rub it in.

You and Cross crested the edge of the trench first and you froze. Now that you knew, it was much easier to spot Nightmare’s exhaustion but you would have noticed anyways. The leviathan was laid out on the bottom of the trench, Killer circling his head and Horror worrying at his hand. Despite the worry from the boys, he had a comforting smile on his face as he tried to soothe them.

His eye was half-lidded.

“Boss.” Cross called carefully. “We brought help.”

Nightmare looked up and his eye caught on Error. The eel sneered at him, smug. Boss sighed. “I did not need help, Cross. I told you, nothing is wrong.”

“Y-Y-You look l-like a dying-ing st-st-starfish.” Error observed.

“Error!” Blue scolded.

“A-A-Am I wr-wrong??”

Ignoring the chaos that came with Error, you swam forward into the trench. Nightmare watched you swim all the way down. Killer and Horror didn’t acknowledge you in their worry.

“Nightmare,” You started. “I know you’re not okay. We know you’re not okay. Please let us help.”

Nightmare glanced between the four other sirens of the pod. He sighed. “If it will make you feel better.”

“Also, I have a message.”

Nightmare smirked at you. “Oh~? A message? From who?”

“From Dream.”

Everything stopped.

Killer, Horror, and Nightmare were staring at you with varying expressions of shock as Error cackled like a glitchy witch behind you.

“Y/n.” Killer said, tense. “You were talking to Dream?”

“Yes.” You responded boldly. “He’s been very helpful to me. He had a simple request, I said I’d do it.”

“Still.” Killer growled.

“Killer.” Nightmare warned. Killer backed off and swam down to join Horror. Nightmare looked back to you. “What is the message?”

“He said he wants to negotiate peace and I quote; ‘I swear on my apple I will let you have the first say.’ And said you can bring whoever.” You supplied. “Out in the dunes by Blue’s place.”

“What’s an apple?” Killer piped up.

“It’s a fruit on land. I don’t know why Dream was talking about it though. I’ve never seen or heard of an apple-like plant in the water.” You said, just as confused as Killer.

Nightmare hummed vaguely. “It’s not a normal apple. Y/n, did he set a date?”

“Uh… no. I think he wanted me to ask you.”

“Good. I will take time to recover and then I’d like you to be my messenger, y/n, to discuss a time to meet with my brother.”

“What?!?!” Yelled four sirens at once.

You smiled. “I’d love to, Nightmare.”

[septnautical]

"I heard you shout. Nightmares again?"

I think this could fit schneep and Marvin?

(Used this as an opportunity for a big reveal of some new stuff for Marvin! Happy Mermay!!)

Another night- another horrible nightmare plagues Marvin’s mind. They always feel so real…

This one is… different though. He’s staring at… a version of himself. Himself stuck in his warper state- those bright pink alien eyes staring straight through him. He watches his other self get stiffer- become more robotic- and he feels himself following after. He panics- wanting to fight the sensation but his body is locking up. The warper him just barely tilts his head towards Marvin before speaking.

“Why are you denying what we are?”

“W-What?!” Marvin stammers in fear.

There’s no emotion on the other him’s face, “We are not like the other hybrids. We are not organic, we are not human. We are machines, made to serve a purpose. Why do you keep denying what we are?”

“Because I’m more than that!” Marvin shouts back, “Warpers may be machines but I… I'm me! I’m Marvin!”

“Your feeble attempts to cling to your humanity are making you weak,” The warper him says, “A human mind has so much potential. So much to unlock. You could be more powerful than any warper ever made. Maybe even on par with the architects. Yet you turn away from what you could be. Why?”

It suddenly warps so it and Marvin are face to face, pink eyes meeting teary blue.

“Are you afraid, WH-005?”

And for a moment… the voice sounded just like Zeke’s.

Marvin shoots awake and gasps, pushing himself up in the sand to shakily try to breathe. Fresh water over his gills seems to calm him down as he grips over his heart. His… heart that he can see through his chest- beating and pumping blood. But, he feels so disconnected from it. Like his body was turning into metal. And it scared him to his very core.

He yelps in surprise and fear as he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder. Then, he sees a goggled face and relaxes some. It’s just Henrik…

“I heard you shout…” The stalker hybrid says quietly, “More nightmares?”

Marvin is quiet but then slowly nods. His voice cracks a bit as he mumbles, “…t-they just keep getting worse, Hen… I-I…!”

Henrik is quick to wrap up the younger brother in a hug and shushes him gently. “It is only a dream, Marvin… they cannot hurt you.”

The warper mer is quiet in his arms for a few beats, trying to find comfort in his embrace. But the dream still lingered like poison in his mind. He pushes himself out and swims upward. “T-That’s just it, Hen! It’s… it’s not just a dream… I-it’s things I’ve been worried about- worried that I’m… I’m too different f-from…!” He cuts himself off as he bites his lip, trying not to let tears linger in his eyes.

“M-Marvin what are you-?” Schneep tries to say. But Marvin hurriedly swims past him, towards the mouth of the cove.

“I- I need to look for answers…!” Marvin says quickly then warps away before Henrik can even get up to chase after him.

———

Marvin appears in the lost river and he blinks in confusion. “…why… am I here?” He asks, his voice echoing slightly in the dark cavern. He shudders, holding his arms tight around him. He hates it down here… here is where Zeke-

You want to find answers, right? A thought echoes through his head. And with the thought comes a feeling. Pulling him forward. Like an instinct. A need.

Marvin trembles, his tails juddering in place. But, maybe there were answers here somewhere. He shakes his head and swims after the feeling, going towards the strange alien-like arches that lead to his destination.

Though, whatever this feeling is… it’s not leading him to where Zeke had him. That was a small white suit wreck- a crude Alteran attempt at making warpers themselves… at least from what he can remember. It was all really fuzzy. But now… this is leading him to a really scary looking building. One that it seems even the white suits don’t touch. Probably because it looked like it was destroyed by… something. Something big. And the entire thing was submerged underwater. Which served Marvin just fine.

Still- looking at the strange glowing green structure hidden amongst the darkest parts of the Lost River sent shivers down the warper’s spine. But, he swallowed his fear and swam inside.

Inside was a confusing labyrinth of architecture he had rarely seen. Strangely glowing and… there were so many things locked behind glass structures. Marvin swam into an open room and gasped as he saw fuana specimens tacked onto displays. He felt sick as he saw a rabbit ray… and a huge egg that kinda reminded him of Anti.

He quickly swam out of that place- seeing massive claw marks scratched into the walls and dents of damage. But soon enough he entered a place that felt way too familiar… yet like nothing he had ever seen before.

It was horrifying… an expansive room filled with- warper parts. Several parts just left in construction- an inactive warper discarded and thrown on the floor, leaving that horrid green cage open. Just like the one that Zeke kept him for weeks, back in that wrecked Alterra copy. Clearly it had been a poorer copy of this. This… this is where the original warpers must have been made.

Seeing this all has Marcin’s heart pounding wildly, his skin raked with goosebumps. Still… this place had to have the answers he was looking for, right? The answer to what he was… was he human? Was he a machine? Was he too different from his brothers? …looking around this place though, he’s not sure this has the answer he wants to hear.

As he swims forward into the lab he tries to look around for something… he’s not exactly sure what. Surely there must be information in here… like a PDA or something?

When suddenly, his tail brushes against some kind of dark cube with glowing green lines- and lights and machines start to glow and whirl around him. Marvin freezes and whips around to look- only for some of those green metal bars and wires to crash into him and hold him in place. Marvin instantly starts to panic and fights against the cage, “no no!! Not again! L-Let me go!!”

He tries to warp but whatever this stuff is made of is suppressing his powers! He feels panicked tears welling up in his eyes and tries to struggle out more, using his claws to try to get out but the cage grabs his arms and pulls them taunt to the side. Ringing is starting up in his ears, he left his mask at the cove! He can’t lose himself here! But he feels his second pair of eyes trying to open, feels his warper instincts trying to claw their way to the surface through his panic.

One of the 4 pronged fabricators creaks loudly across the ancient ceiling as it comes to rest in front of Marvin. A blue light washes across his body, scanning him. Then, a robotic voice garbles out, almost too glitched and corrupted to understand:

‘Warper agent active but incomplete. Processing power not at full capacity.’

“What?! W-What does that mean?? P-Please just let me go! I’m not just a warper I-I’m-!” Marvin sobs. But the machines don’t listen. The fabricator arm zooms around Marvin- then latches onto his neck, inserting sharp tips under his armor.

‘Detecting damage in miniaturized phase chip. Warper agent’s self-repairing technology impaired. Reactiviating-‘

A sharp shock goes through Marvin’s nerves as his back arches and he lets out a strangled gasp of pain. Something in his blood seems to pump faster, feels… different. The… the ringing… is it getting… quieter?

‘Self repairing technology back online.’

Then, the fabricator whirls and then soars over his head, latching attachments against his skull and digging in. He screams bloody murder and tries to thrash against the pain but the cage tightens around him- holding him still.

‘Expanding processing power of Agent’s brain. Please stand by.’

The computerized voice says- now clearer as if talking directly into Marvin’s mind.

Then, there’s nothing but bright blinding pain as something pushes into his skull and electricity fills up Marvin’s whole body. He’s not sure if he’s screaming or not- he feels completely detached from his body. All he can feel is the pain as something is pushed into his mind.

When he next wakes up he’s laying down on his back on one of the tables inside the warper facility. He doesn’t even remember passing out… he groans and holds his head. It’s aching and pounding. But then as he looks out- something in his vision has changed.

He sees- words. Human words. But he can fully read and understand them now. Everywhere he looks he sees things start to get highlighted in blue, like they’re being scanned before information pops up to explain it. Just like a white suit machine. Marvin screams and tries to scramble away but- he can’t escape it! It’s all he can see!

He curls up and holds hands over his eyes, sobbing hysterically in fear. “W-What is this?! W-What’s happening to me?!”

Then, he stiffens slightly and pink blooms in his eyes as words start to fill his mind. It hurts- it hurts and he tries to fight it but there’s just urge to just- repeat the words! Say them outloud- he needs to he’s programmed to-

“Warper agents' brains and central nervous systems been digitally augmented with advanced processing power and remote communications.” Marvin says in a robotic drone, eyes glazing over slightly as the information slips from his lips.

Once he’s done, the pink fades from his eyes and the pressure lightens as he gasps. His limbs begin to tremble again, no longer stiff and robotic. He claps his hands over his mouth and chokes on a sob. That fabricator- it did something to him! Did it make him even more like a warper? More like a machine?!

Marvin rockets off the platform and back out into the rest of the facility- the rest of its freaky secrets blurring around him in his panic. The second he feels like he can warp again he does- crashing into the wall of the cove with a loud thud.

Soon enough Jackie comes into view and tries to help Marvin up, “Marvin?! Marv what’s wrong? Are you okay?!”

The touch is electric, it’s too much- it feels like Marvin’s nerves are on fire! He pushes Jackie away from him and curls up, “D-Don’t touch me!”

Jackie looks hurt, “What? Marvin-!”

More bodies start to swim closer, Marvin can feel Jamie’s tentacles and hear Schneep’s panicking. Another hand tries to touch him and he shoves it off. “Stop please just- stop…!”

“Marvin, I need to see what is wrong…!” Henrik tries to say, “Is your head hurting? Do you need your mask?”

“M-Maybe we should call for Danan?” Chase suggests shakily.

Marvin tries to look out at his brothers- and he gasps as he sees his vision start to scan them. Messages pop up, showing their designations. No no- Marvin didn’t want to see those! He whimpers and the others tense as they see flickers of pink in his eyes.

“Anti, get Marvin’s mask, quickly!” Henrik shouts. The sea dragon hesitates then grabs the mask and hurries over to hand it to Marvin. “Here,” Anti whispers, looking slightly worried.

But all Marvin can see is Anti’s designation- SE-004. And the notes of ‘return to HQ at all costs.’ Marvin chokes on a sob and curls up as much as he can, digging claws into his head as he shouts out, “no no! G-Get- GET AWAY FROM ME!!”

As he shouts this- suddenly, his mask and any lingering tech around the cave start to glow with blue light. Then, they start to float in the water despite their weight. The boys all watch this in awe. Until- the objects all shoot off in different directions, causing even more crashing sounds.

Marvin dares to look up, his eyes glowing blue now instead of pink. The others stare at him with confusion and a bit of fear.

“M-Marvin…” Schneep whispers, “…what did you do?”

[monstersandmaw]

After the cheeky little cliffie I left Laces for Lady on last time, I'm gonna share the resolution before the end of Mermay.

The comments I got on the last chapter gave me absolute life, you have no idea, my fav probably being this one for its sheer ebullience:

As ever, it'll be available to all paying Patreon supporters for a week first on early release, and then it'll be free to access for everyone.

(Catch up on my 18th century, polyamorous (eventually XD), selkie x bucca x human (m/m/f) romance set in smuggling Cornwall here!)

[writing-oof]

mermay shifter fundy idea

(Fundy is a mer. Fundy is…not a mer. The mer do not know this, and he doesn't know what would happen if they did.)

[Meeting his eyes, the mer softly croaks, "Hello?"

Fundy freezes this time, his sobs strangled in his surprise as he stops in his thrashing. He whispers, barely audible, and half convinced he made the sound up, "Hello?"]

A low croon spills over the sandy floor in time with the waves crashing overhead.

Fundy shudders, his scales shimmering slightly as his instincts scream for him to get out of the water and take off his scales. His shoulders rise up around his ears as he hunches in on himself, trying to make himself smaller in the face of danger.

Past the corals and idly swimming fish, past the reef sharks Fundy had only just managed to avoid, is another mer. A hungry mer, and--unless his mother had somehow been wrong about the likelihood of creatures like him--this one has always been a mer. It will be faster than him, stronger than him.

Fundy whimpers quietly, his hands curling in front of his face as he presses deeper into the hollow in the coral with an opening that had been just big enough for him to slip into with rough and uncoordinated jerks of his tail.

The low croon rings out again and something in Fundy's chest lurches, demanding that he follow the sound.

Safe, it whispers deceptively, a smile hiding rows of needlepoint teeth, Come.

He can hear the crooning mer moving closer, brushing into the caves to search for its prey. Fundy stiffens, nearly frozen in the surety that he's soon to be somebody's lunch, before lurching up higher into the cavern. He presses himself tightly against the ceiling above the entrance, hoping the awkwardness of the angle might prevent the mer from finding him.

Even preparing for it, Fundy bites back a shriek as a giant reaches into the cavern.

Logically, the mer is probably only slightly larger than the size of a full-grown human, but the shortest claw on the creature's hand is easily the same size as Fundy's head, its forearm matching his entire length from tail to hair.

Fundy can barely hold back a terrified whimper and he breathes an audible sigh of relief when the creature's hand thunks into the back of the cavern and it pulls away.

It finishes searching the coral caverns and lets out a surprised bark before trilling.

Come, it seems to say, Nothing here. Safe, now.

Fundy very much doubts that. He can hear the mer moving further away from the reef, and he nearly cries in relief. Only, the relief is short-lived with the paralyzing realization that there's more than one of them when a different mer swoops in and chirps just a few feet from Fundy's makeshift den.

They let out the playful chittering of a pup--a pup, half-grown, and not a guppy like Fundy--and two other pups chitter back.

Fundy can hear them wrestling outside the den and the flicking of their tails sends a few smaller fish ducking for cover in the cavern.

"Hi," Fundy whispers as one rests between his claws.

His stomach pangs and he pouts, cupping his hands like a net to pull the little fish closer.

"Don worry," he mutters, "m not gonna eat you."

The sounds of play fighting die down and Fundy listens to the three pups trill and chitter at each other, their words half-garbled to Fundy's ears.

Then, Fundy freezes, his grip falling slack enough for the little fish to fly out. A rumble is approaching, this mer sounding even bigger than the grown-up before. The scent of fish blood taints the water.

The three pups cheer, trilling their thanks as the Hunter mer gives them their share. The Hunter chirps contentedly.

Fundy smothers his responding chirp, burying it deep in his chest with all of the fishermen's warnings echoing between his ears.

Not nearly soon enough, the Hunter mer leaves and the pups bite into their fish.

The little fish, Fundy's new friend, swims little circles around his head, probably just as upset about his friends being eaten as Fundy is.

Still, the blood-infested waters turn Fundy's insides to knots, his stomach twisting painfully. He slowly sinks to the floor of the cave, curling around his middle as it cramps.

He can't help the pained whimper that spills into the water, his soft claws digging painfully into the hard coral.

Outside, he can hear the pups still. One of them chirps questioningly.

Hello?

Fundy whimpers again, more afraid than pained.

He can hear the pups swim closer to the coral cave.

Instead of reaching their massive claws into his cave, Fundy squeaks in surprise when one pup pushes their whole body into the cave, gliding through the entrance with a practiced ease. They're twice the size of him, at least, but they're not nearly as big as the crooning one.

They blink at him, surprised, before chittering softly at him, --- --- a baby? Baby -- the cave?

Fundy whines, pressing away from them.

They chirp at the other ones, Call ----! Call ----! ------- was here! ----- a baby!

One of the other pups chirps back confusedly, Pod ---- baby?

Hurry! the one in the cave with him snaps. Fundy whimpers, his soft claws curling in front of his face.

The pup winces before reaching out, their own half-hardened claws brushing against Fundy's scales.

He peeps, terrified as they prod at him, and the pup chitters softly again.

Shh, they say, ----- safe. Baby -- safe.

Scared? a different pup from outside chirps, -- --- baby hurt?

Hurt, Fundy warbles back, not really meaning to.

The pup half-holding his middle perks up. Talk? Baby --- talk? Baby -- hurt?

"Go away," Fundy spits, halfheartedly twisting away from them.

Baby, --- --- scared? the pup asks and Fundy whines.

Shh, they say, baby safe.

"Liar," Fundy mutters, whimpering when they push a little too hard against his insides.

The sound of rapid fin-beats looms, three grown-up mer moving closer with the pup who went to find them, and Fundy curls closer into the pup with a high and keening whine he can't hope to hide.

- ---- ---

"Please," Fundy begs, twisting away from the Hunter's claws, "please!"

The crooning mer jolts like they've been shocked, frozen for a moment before saying something to the Hunter. Fundy is carefully passed to the crooning mer, who presses the crying guppy tight to their chest.

Meeting his eyes, the mer softly croaks, "Hello?"

Fundy freezes this time, his sobs strangled in his surprise as he stops in his thrashing. He whispers, barely audible, and half convinced he made the sound up, "Hello?"

"Hi," the crooning mer says, smiling and carefully saying each word, "Why won't you eat the fish, little guppy?"

Not for the first time since putting on his scales, or since being pried from his makeshift home in the coral, Fundy busts into tears.

It's a lot less dramatic underwater, and it burns his eyes a bit more than it does on land, but the sobs are the same even in the sea.

The crooning mer tucks him under his chin, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

---

p: so what pod are you from?

f: oh, my dad left when i was little

p: what pod was he from?

f: uh, craft i think?

group, freezes: …

techno: what…what was your dads name?

fundy, stuffing his face with seaweed: uh, wilbur. why?

wilbur: about to pass out

tommy: no reason

---

wilbur: so what kind of mer are you?

sally, with complete confidence: salmon

wilbur, oblivious: oh wow so cool!

(there are no salmon mer lol salmon are way too small)

---

[Fundy vibing

Fundy hide

Fundy found

Pretend to be real mer baby (can talk a little but doesn't understand a lot)

---

picking up language rapidly (it's a human thing)

when questioned explained that he's lost from his pod and had an accident and he doesn't want to talk about it, implied that his parents maybe died

Fundy imprints on Wilbur before anybody notices oops too late now

Fundy tries to figure out how to sneak away back to shore but cant figure out

---

backstory chapter:

wilbur meets sally, falls in love, and sally disappears

phil helps wilbur desperately look for the salmon mer, but he can find no trace of them in any records, and no one's ever heard of them. they assume that the salmon must be very, very secretive and while the pod usually travels wilbur cant bare to leave where he met sally so they set up shop along the coast

all that leads to when phil asks what kind of mer he is so he can find fundy's pod

fundy says salmon and time stops

philza explains that they ran into a salmon mer before (fundy surprise pikichu cause he thought they didnt exist lol) and looked for her (dont name sally) but that the salmon mer are almost impossible to find

fundy pretend to be sad :'(

---

Philza leaves Tommy, Ranboo, and Tubbo with Puffy's pod and Wilbur decides to leave Fundy with Foolish and Eret's pod (because their pod cant handle all 4 kids, but Foolish knows like everything and can thus adequately figure out how to care for Fundy the salmon mer) and Techno and Wilbur and Phil go searching more intensely for the salmon mer

Fundy excited cause he can sneak away now!

but actually Finley and Junior are snitches and Eret sees All and Fundy is doomed

---

Eret get to know Fundy, Fundy just casually imprints on Eret as well oops 2 dads now

He hangs out with Finley and Junior (younger than him and also bigger than him)

Foolish returns from his trip and is like "...wtf there are no salmon mers. yes, i would know. I would definitely know if there were salmon mers and tehres not"

"then what abot babey?"

"…idk actually"

---

sbi find someone whos heard of salmon mer and tehy explain that basically fundys a changeling and sometimes lil alien babies appear in the water claiming to be a mer that dont exist, they learn language fast, can cry tears like humans and make baby cries like mer, and they can go on land and commune with the land dwellers sometimes

sbi's like "wtf ur crazy" but tehn they list all the 'sympotms' of the alien babies and sbi's like o.o

"nah…but what if"

fundy water fae lol

---

fundy eret bonding (eret not knowing wilbur's been imprinted w/ at this point)

its great

---

sbi return wills like "omg u steal my son u traitor die"

and erets like "woah, no, chill"

and they chill and agree to coparent babey

meanwhile fundy's like man i guess i kind of dont want to go back to land people like me here

but also he really misses his best friend hbomb who's been looking for him every day since he disappeared : (

---

Shapeshifting MerFundy: Save for Mermay 2024?

Fundy vibing

Fundy hide

Fundy found

Pretend to be real mer baby (can talk a little but doesn't understand a lot)

---

picking up language rapidly (it's a human thing)

when questioned explained that he's lost from his pod and had an accident and he doesn't want to talk about it, implied that his parents maybe died

Fundy imprints on Wilbur before anybody notices oops too late now

Fundy tries to figure out how to sneak away back to shore but cant figure out

---

backstory chapter:

wilbur meets sally, falls in love, and sally disappears

phil helps wilbur desperately look for the salmon mer, but he can find no trace of them in any records, and no one's ever heard of them. they assume that the salmon must be very, very secretive and while the pod usually travels wilbur cant bare to leave where he met sally so they set up shop along the coast

all that leads to when phil asks what kind of mer he is so he can find fundy's pod

fundy says salmon and time stops

philza explains that they ran into a salmon mer before (fundy surprise pikichu cause he thought they didnt exist lol) and looked for her (dont name sally) but that the salmon mer are almost impossible to find

fundy pretend to be sad :'(

---

Philza leaves Tommy, Ranboo, and Tubbo with Puffy's pod and Wilbur decides to leave Fundy with Foolish and Eret's pod (because their pod cant handle all 4 kids, but Foolish knows like everything and can thus adequately figure out how to care for Fundy the salmon mer) and Techno and Wilbur and Phil go searching more intensely for the salmon mer

Fundy excited cause he can sneak away now!

but actually Finley and Junior are snitches and Eret sees All and Fundy is doomed

---

Eret get to know Fundy, Fundy just casually imprints on Eret as well oops 2 dads now

He hangs out with Finley and Junior (younger than him and also bigger than him)

Foolish returns from his trip and is like "...wtf there are no salmon mers. yes, i would know. I would definitely know if there were salmon mers and tehres not"

"then what abot babey?"

"…idk actually"

---

sbi find someone whos heard of salmon mer and tehy explain that basically fundys a changeling and sometimes lil alien babies appear in the water claiming to be a mer that dont exist, they learn language fast, can cry tears like humans and make baby cries like mer, and they can go on land and commune with the land dwellers sometimes

sbi's like "wtf ur crazy" but tehn they list all the 'sympotms' of the alien babies and sbi's like o.o

"nah…but what if"

fundy water fae lol

---

fundy eret bonding (eret not knowing wilbur's been imprinted w/ at this point)

its great

---

sbi return wills like "omg u steal my son u traitor die"

and erets like "woah, no, chill"

and they chill and agree to coparent babey

meanwhile fundy's like man i guess i kind of dont want to go back to land people like me here

but also he really misses his best friend hbomb who's been looking for him every day since he disappeared : (

---

A low croon spills over the sandy beach in time with the waves.

In his hiding spot between the rocks, Fundy shudders.

There, past the tidepools and humans and sand, is another mer on this beach.

A *hungry* mer.

Fundy whimpers, his hands curling in front of his face.

Above him, a human coos.

"Poor little guy," she says, helping the other three pour cups of water over him and shift him onto some kind of solid net.

The low croon rings out again and, not for the first time since putting his scales on in the wrong waters, Fundy starts to cry. Hot tears spill and sobs curl out of his chest.

One of the human hisses. "I didn't know mer could cry."

Hands paused above him, the pink-haired human frowns. "They can't."

"What should we do?"

The pink-haired human brushes his tears away, helping settle him onto the flat net.

"We get him to the water," she says, and Fundy freezes at the thought of the deep, dark, hungry waters before throwing himself into motion.

He twists, hissing and thrashing until he's pressed against the rocky edge of the tide pool away from the humans.

He hisses again, his teeth bared and claws clicking together in front of his mouth nervously.

[asirensrage]

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Title: East of the Sun, West of the Moon Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Rating: Uhh...Teen? Pairing: Kokonoi Hajime x Inui Seishu, mentioned!Koko x Akane Word count: 1629 Warnings: Merpeople? Off-screen canon character death. Dubious Consent for a kiss? Non-human/Human relationship. Implied forced magic/species change? unbeta'd Summary: He had paid the price for the magic he desired. Coming to the surface to meet his prize does not go as expected.

Notes: This is my first thing done for Mermay! I wrote it all this morning after a friend of mine suggested this couple. This is my first time writing for them (and technically my first m/m oneshot lol). I hope you enjoy it.

It’s been too long since he’s had a chance to come back to the surface. He’s been busy, working to find the right witch with the right magic for his desires. There is a cost for everything and he had paid heavily, more with parts of his soul than his body. He was shrewd enough to keep the damage to others, not himself. Finally though, he had what he wanted. He was ready to make his courtship fully known and offer something intangible. A freedom from the life that bound her only to the surface. 

He hears the click of those shoes she wears on the wood, vibrating into the dark water and signalling him in the night. A siren’s call already and she’s still wearing legs.

Her hair glows in the moonlight when he finally breaks the surface with barely a ripple. He can’t resist playing, sneaking up on her as he flicks his tail and moves closer. Her silhouette is…different. Is she smaller? Can humans shrink? He didn’t think so but Merfolk can change at will so why can’t humans do the same in some way? They change as they age, he remembers, and he tries to think of how long he’s been gone in human years. The time is strange. 

He floats a little closer, just enough that he can almost make out the different hairstyle that accompanies the shift in her, and he calls out in the grating human speech. “Miss me?” 

She turns quickly, eyes skimming the horizon behind before finally looking down for the voice. He reels back, tail flicking in agitation and fear that he tries to hide. “You’re not Akane.” 

They look like her, similar in features but sharper. Less happy. He doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like this male version of her. Akane the human was bright like the sun or the coral in the reef that the fish liked to hide in. This person felt more like the moon. A pale reflection of the warmth he sought. 

“So you’re the reason she kept coming here,” they say. Their voice is lower than hers, smoother. “I knew she had a secret but I didn’t think… you’re not human, are you?”

He sneers at the stranger, sharp teeth displayed in warning. “Where is she?”

“Dead.”

He sinks for a moment in shock. Dead? She can’t be dead. He has his magic. He was going to bring her with him finally. She can’t- “Lies!” he hisses. 

They sit down on the wooden platform, heels removed and tucked into the side as they dip their feet into his water. He moves to see them clearer and one side of their face glistenes with the fresh skin of a scar. “There was a fire. She didn’t…” they cut themselves off. “She wanted to bring me here before and I always said no. I…I should have-”

“Fire?” The concept is strange to him. There is no such thing in the water, not outside of the volcanoes and eruptions that sometimes quake under, sprouting heat and pain if one gets too close. 

“Yeah,” the familiar stranger nods. He does not elaborate.

“How do I know it’s not a trick? I will pay for her return.” Humans like gold and shiny things, don’t they? Kokonoi can travel and dig up a treasure for her. 

“I would pay anything for her return,” the stranger says looking towards the moon. Kokonoi pauses. They are pretty, like Akane but different. As the moon is different from the sun. He decides he likes the sharpness of their jaw and the apathy in their eyes. He is stunned by the desire to see if he feels as soft as he looks or if Kokonoi will cut himself on the jagged edges he sees. Akane was bright and soft and kind. Kokonoi was prepared to fight for her in the deep, to keep her safe. He senses that this one would fight himself.

“Who are you?” he finally asks, pushing himself up to rest his arms on the dock and staring at him. He reaches out a long finger, careful with his claw as he touches the leg in the water. 

“Seishu.” The name is as familiar as an old current. “I’m her brother.” 

Brother. Another name for a hatchling. He remembers she said she had one in an old conversation when they first met. He had been intrigued by the figure sitting on the dock, much like Seishu sits tonight. “Koko,” he offers, pointing to himself. It’s the easier version of a name a human can pronounce. One Akane gifted him. 

“Koko…” 

The way he says his name makes him shiver, his spines flickering out. He reaches, trailing his claw over their skin. He’s tempted to make him bleed but Koko does not want competition in this moment, no matter how much he wants to taste. He drags his claw under Seishu’s foot, eyes flashing with pleasure at the way they flinch. 

“What are you?” Koko asks, looking up at her brother. “Akane said she was female. Are you?”

“What? No. I’m her brother. That means I’m male.”

He thinks about it and shrugs. Gender has no meaning, not really, not to a Mer who can change theirs on a whim. If he needs, he can adjust to suit them and the future he’s suddenly thinking of. He grieves for Akane, for his sun, but the moon controls the tides and Kokonoi is finding himself swept up in the current that Seishu pulls him to. 

Kokonoi hums softly, letting the sound verberate through the air. He could drag him down easily, but Kokonoi likes to take his time. He wants Seishu’s curiosity. He wants to be desired back. He is not lacking in courtships but there have been none that caught his interest until Akane. Until Seishu. “I’ll return. You wait.”

“You want me to wait for you?” 

Kokonoi nods. “I won’t be long this time. Next night.” 

Seishu looks at him before he nods. “Okay, I’ll come back. For Akane.”

“For you,” Kokonoi demands. 

He looks out at the horizon, at the moon that shines and is reflected by the water. “Akane loved coming here, thought is was an escape. Used to joke about not coming back.”

A promise Kokonoi made to her that she left unfulfilled. Promises were binding to beings like the Mer and the witches in the deep. He gives into the urge and licks the skin of the leg in the water. It makes Seishu yelp which causes Kokonoi to laugh. 

“You’re not going to eat me, are you?” he asks, leaning away now carefully. He looks ready to run. 

Koko shoves himself up higher, using his tail and his arms to heave himself for moment onto the wooden platform he sits on. It isn’t easy, but he’s strong. Seishu stares in awe at the dark colours of his tail and the white spines on his fins. Kokonoi flicks it, splashing him. 

The brother glares at him before flicking the water back. He grins at it, and the way Seishu’s eyes take in the differences between them. His gaze continues to linger on his tail and his hair and Kokonoi wants to preen in response.  

Koko leans closer. He needs to go back into the water but he wants to taste more. He wonders if Seishu will let him. He lets out a series of clicks, trilling slightly to lure him closer. It works because the human moves in without thinking and Koko is granted the chance to press his lips against his and nip, tasting blood. It’s sweet, but he thinks he prefers the taste of the man himself when he manages to lick inside his mouth. It stuns Seishu enough that Kokonoi can taste a little more, tongue moving against his gently, before he’s forced to jump into the water to breathe.

Seishu is in shock, staring down at the Mer who lowers himself further into the water. He can’t resist grinning at the moon above him, waiting for the response.

“You…kissed me.”

Kokonoi nods. “A human thing but enjoyable. You’re fragile though. Don’t want to break you.” There’s no revulsion that he can see in the human’s expression and it confirms his desire. It’s not only him. Not completely. 

Seishu touches his own mouth. “Are you allowed to do that?”

Kokonoi shrugs. “Why not?” he sticks out his tongue at the human and watches with pleasure as the human looks at it. “Do you have a clutch waiting for you? Your home?” he elaborates when he sees the confusion on his face.

“What? Oh…no. My parents died with Akane. It’s just me now.”

He grins, teeth flashing in the light. “The next night,” Kokonoi says. “Meet here. I had something for Akane but you…you will take it.”     

“I will?”

“Yes. Then her promise will be held.” 

“She made you a promise?” 

Kokonoi grins. “One made in blood. It will be worth the wait,” he says, more to himself than Seishu. “It’s a…gift,” he says, thinking of the closest proper human word. 

“Okay,” he nods. “Tomorrow night. Not like I have anything else waiting for me.” 

Kokonoi is not supposed to hear the last part but he does. “Next night, my moon.” He leaves before Seishu can question the term, swimming into the deep water. He has adjustments to make. Seishu’s taste is etched into his memory and he needs to add it to the magic that he’s paid for. He needs to adjust the home he’s created for a larger Mer than planned and more fortifications. Seishu, he knows, is going to be beautiful in the water. The moon belongs to the ocean and this one belongs to Kokonoi. He’ll make sure of it. 

everything taglist: @raith-way @zeleniafic @veetlegeuse  @chickensarentcheap @residentdormouse

@themaradwrites @kingsmakers @themagickjuju @sxrvivc

tr tag: @mitsuwuyaa @blackfire2013 @bleach-your-panties

network: @enchantedforest-network

[aldbooks]

ACOTAR Masterlist

AO3 ALDBooks

ACOTAR 🥀

Like After Images - Valkyrie Week prompt 'Blood Rite' *TW*

Several weeks after the Blood Rite, once the excitement of Nesta's mating ceremony and the birth of Nyx subside, the Valkyrie wade through the aftermath of what they faced in the Blood Rite

The Temporary Roommate - T - 3/3 - 13,951words

ACOTAR Secret Santa 2022 gift Mor's meddling family sends her and Emerie away to her estate for two weeks. It's either the best, or the worst thing that ever happened. She hadn't yet decided.

A Strange Melody - M - 12/12 - 19,752

ACOTAR Secret Santa 2023 gift for @sunshinebingo - a Gwynriel Little Mermaid AU

ACOTAR Writing Circle 3

A Friendly Wager - M - 1/1 - 2,205 words

Gwynriel oneshot fluffy fun - Alternate storyline A Fresh Spark

“Because of you I didn’t sleep at all last night” prompt Gwynriel

“I’m guessing you stole them?” Prompt Gwynriel

Azriel and his mother headcanons

Gwynriel/Kanthony headcanon

The necklace - Angsty Gwynriel

Snap me baby one more time - Nessian 2,175 words

Inspired by all the gym bro thirst traps that keep crossing my FYP that remind me of Cassian. Here's a silly little Nessian one shot with a side Gwynriel and Emorie plot (naturally)

Bodyshop - E - 4/4 - 19,441 words

Inspired by the song Unholy by Sam Smith & Kim Petra Mor and Cassian drag Azriel to Rita's the strip club the partially own with their friend Rhysand to see a new troop of dancers. A trio of women who go by the name Valkyrie.

Don’t you wanna be more than friends? - M - 3,839 words

Azriel and Gwyn have been growing steadily closer thanks to their midnight meetings in the training ring but, tonight, something is different... TW: mentions of SA

“Who says I want to reject it?” - Elucien

Drunk confessions - Elucien

Elucien angsty Drabble & Part 2

More angsty Elucien 

The haircut - Lucien cuts his hair and Elain has feelings about it

Gwynriel/Elucien drabble

Should've Stayed Dead - M - 4,437 words

Nessian (sort of) Lucien receives a message requesting a meeting with the Night Court. Specifically, the Archeron sisters. Cassian's POV

Angsty prompts requests:

Elucien [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Gwynriel [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Lucien/Feyre [1]

Her tears like diamonds on the floor - 1,610words

Angsty Gwynriel Starfall drabble

Embrace - E - 14/? :

Collection of Smut prompt requests including the following ships:

Amren x Varian

Gwynriel

Helion x LoA

Feysand

Elucien

Viviane x Kallias

Jassa

Nessian

Gwynriel week prompts:

Solstice Night

“You’re the new ribbon Az”

To Win a Prince - Cinderella AU

Elucien story inspired by Persuasion - The Remembrance of Regret

Unchained Melody - angsty/smutty Gwynriel

Rosaline inspired Gwynriel scene

Gwynriel sparring

My Jolly Sailor Bold - Gwynriel mermay

The Final Frontier series - part of Gwynriel Dirty Deeds December 2024

I thought my demons were almost defeated but you took their side and you pulled them to freedom - Gwynriel based on @acourtdelaluna head canon

Moth to Flame - Gwynriel Summer Solstice

Frost and Flame - Pure angst from Lucien's POV, no happy ending

The Flame of Night - Ghost Rider inspired Elucien

A Court of Light and Shadows series - Elucien/Gwynriel

This series consists of an Elucien prequel then a Gwynriel and Elucien story that run tandem to each other - the directions for the tandem read are in the notes of each respective chapter for those interested

A Breaking - M - 1/1 - 2,899 words

After witnessing the almost kiss on Winter Solstice, Lucien makes a decision.

A Court of Shadows - E - 37/37 - 94,718 words

Azriel has begun to notice that his thoughts regarding a certain priestess have begun to shift. Before he can fully set aside his more inappropriate musings, Gwyn makes a proposal he can't resist

A Court of Light - M - 31/31 - 88,258 words

A year after the events of A Breaking, Elain feels a tug on the bond and realizes her estranged mate is in danger. Lucien, now returned to the Night Court, wonders if he might have been too hasty in his decision to leave, and if there might still be a chance for him with his mate

[thelien-art]

i'm enjoying the mermay drawings very much!! ty for posting them, they Spark Joy. and can i ask if there's a chance of a mer-glor appearing this mermay?

Sadly, no since I´m almost done with the last drawing I will make for this year mermay but Mer-glor is an obvious choice so maybe I´ll find the time for him before next year mermay:)

[thehistoriangirl]

The Tides Have Veiled [Three]

I’ve tinkering with this part for a while now, and I wanted to post it before Mermay is over, because this fic is, after all, a mermaid AU of sorts. I hope you like it ^^

Viktor x Fem!Reader---/Gothic ft. Spooky Sea AU/-----2.8K-----SFW

> M A S T E R L I S T <

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Synopsis: Piltover the Old has an old lighthouse that looms over an abandoned port and a decrepit house near the wailing cliff. Every night, the lighthouse owner watches that the beacon is being lighten up, so that monsters wouldn't dare to crawl inland, or so legends say. Both building are haunted, maybe even the man himself, by both past and present ghosts. Not so surprisingly, the keeper’s work is beyond turning on the beacon every night— but the rest of it is on you to discover.

Summary: Lonely nights and busy days, such is the life of a keeper. When Viktor goes out town, you have an opportunity to explore the depths of the house.

Tags: Curse| Ghosts| Sea Monsters| Sirens| Arranged Marriage| Tragic Love| Reincarnation| Slow Burn| Forced Proximity| Mystery | Dark Magic| | Alusions to Death/Spooky (?) imaginery| Eventual Happy Ending| 

Chapter Three: All We Write

She came in with the storm, leaving no rock unturned, no place to hide, all while looking for him.

The words were smudged, blurred by run-on ink over the crusty edges of the paper.

Outside the lighthouse, the sudden thunder shook the old windows.

I prayed she could find him, so she could never return. What a fool I was—it would’ve been better to know nothing, as fear has ripped out the logical part of my head, leaving behind cloudy judgments and dreary illusions that siege the tower.

Alas; my pleas were in vain, for now, I hear her banging on the entrance door, her shrieks shattering the windows. With the power gone, she’s everywhere.

Your view ran over the last paragraph during one still night, the screams of the cliff a background noise, your mind enthralled inside a stolen memory, one that perhaps you shouldn’t have peeked into.

I’m scared.  

It was hard not to use the old logbook as a companion when Julio left. A bittersweet taste still in your tongue as you imagined being his granddaughter, the bubbly and smiling woman riding back a disheveled car out of town to never return. Jealousy, to be free.

The scribbles of this anonymous keeper resonated in your mind as if a real voice were muttering them to you with a gloomy tone of expectancy.

Days seemed shorter in the lighthouse, though night extended by hours with each passing vigil. While the creak of the wooden staircase grew familiar, the pull to watch the nightly seascape did not.

You started writing about everything in the navy-leather logbook that Viktor had slipped on the chair after he stood up to leave, now that he finally got what he wanted, the contract tucked inside his coat. The notebook was an odd twin of the one you found in the beacon’s room, except for the new white pages instead of yellow.

Though when you opened it and started to write that same night, it felt like turning back in time. In that old table, using the same creaky chair, a keeper—many of them— had done the same. Everything that ever changed was the person inside the lighthouse, with the outside frozen in the same misty, rainy parage of the nightly sea.  

Perhaps Piltover the Old didn’t really exist anymore, and it was rather another anachronic picture tucked away in a dusty drawer. Nonexistent until someone found it by mistake, because nobody would be looking for it. There was nothing to look at here, despite the last entries of the old logbook telling you otherwise.

Maybe not someone but rather, something.

At first, the euphoria of your new job made you follow Viktor’s words, filling concise paragraphs with nimieties about the weather; scorching hot during the day, cold winds sieging the coast at night, a ghostly veil covering the sea.

August 23rd. The wind is calmer tonight, with a drizzle against the window. There’s a drip just above the couch, when moved, there was an old photo of the lighthouse. It’s called The Longing.

August 30th. The drip is fixed—fix the window next? It filters water every night, making a puddle on the floor. The wood would rot and collapse if stepped on.

September 1st. Maintenance Day. The water filters were changed. Beacon cleaned. Viktor promised to show me how to turn the generator on in case of a blackout.

September 3rd. Viktor doesn’t like it—he says it sounds like the wail of a beast—but I find it calming. At least it drowns the cries of the cliff.

But after a couple of days, the routinary facts were buried between lines and lines that you hoped, nobody would ever read.

Sometimes, you thought sleeping wasn’t enough no matter how many sunlight hours seemed devoured when you took naps after each vigil. It drained you, to be awoke and paranoic when the world seemed calm and asleep. And now, without the snores of Julio echoing from the ground floor up the staircase, the weight of the loneliness pressed over your chest like an ominous promise.

One day, the light in Viktor’s office would turn off, too.

The dreaded day arrived when he walked one day in mid-October when you were covered in oil and charcoal from scrubbing the hearth until your hands were red and sore, your clothes grey with dust, hands black from tearing the old wallpaper from the walls.

“Eh, good evening, Miss,” Viktor said, his cheeks tinted a light pink for the walk. “I didn’t want to interrupt you, but I needed to give you this before I leave.” The metal shone silver against the sun, and it felt cold and heavier than it looked when he put it in your palm. "I'll leave for the city for a month. This is the entrance key.”

You nodded. “Thank you, I promise I won’t be throwing anything away.” Viktor didn’t have a cleaning staff this time of the year. Autumn meant raging storms and terrible frost upcoming the merciless winter that would filter through every floorboard inside the cliff’s house. Not many people stayed in Piltover the Old during the season, much less venturing near the coast.

His golden eyes twinkled when he smiled, you couldn’t help but notice; temporarily erasing the signs of fatigue on his face. “You can start for the common areas and leave the study and the taxonomy room last, but please, do not overwork yourself,” he said as if he knew you would work yourself into exhaustion to have dreamless slumber.

You looked up at him, his figure outlined by the rapidly dimming light of the cloudy afternoon. “That means I’m excused from examining tidepools, I assume?”

Viktor nodded, making some locks of hair fall over his eyes. “Yes. At least until I tell you is necessary to start again.”

It was a grim activity, though you haven’t told him so. All the specimens washed ashore, trapped in those tidepools, were already dead when you scooped them out. Their fleshy bodies limp and cold and slippery weighing on your palm as you put them in buckets as carefully as you could. But their empty eyes still pierced through you when you held them, and you couldn’t stop from imagining what other things roamed the coast at night alongside these creatures.

He told you that sometimes some of them were still alive despite being trapped for so long, but as of now, you haven't encountered such a miracle—such torture, maybe—at feeling trapped in a tiny pond with diminishing oxygen.

“Alright.”

The cane tapped against the broken cobblestone, Viktor’s hand fidgeting with the worn-out handle. “You can take the biology book you've been asking for. I'll leave it on the desk."

A pause extended between both, your brain trying to scramble around to form a sentence. You weren’t counting on him to take your interest so seriously, mainly because you didn’t.

It was more like a self-soothing strategy, to trick yourself into thinking there was a logical explanation about your night sightings. That they were real, printed into some academic book, and not just a product of your paranoia.

“Ah—thank you, Viktor.” You felt your cheeks hot despite being tucked inside the threshold, the air inside the lighthouse stagnant and cold. “I’ll take good care of it.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure you will." His eyes briefly went upwards to the beacon's room, though he hadn’t asked you not even once to come upstairs, and you weren’t sure if he could, even if he wished, thinking about the thin rail, the old and steep steps in the semi-darkness of the tower. “Just as you’re used to doing.”

You turned back to look inside the lighthouse, repairing tools scattered around the floor; a brush covered in white paint, fragments of a dirty sponge near the heart. Julio couldn’t wish to neat up the place as even climbing the stairs was an odyssey; though he didn’t wish to, even in his youth. He said it would feel strange, to conceal layers of the past as if they’ve never existed. That there were some things important to remember.

If he meant to recall them as they were or as they are now, it never occurred to you to ask.

You started to think otherwise while in the dead of night, scanning the old photo with the flicking illumination; a white tower reaching the sky, golden rays breaking into the darkness, fleetingly tinting the black waves a deep sapphire blue as it passed. Looking every night at the stained, you blinked between two worlds, a forgotten dreamland of deep chestnut boards, pristine glass, and bright arches, and the reality, with saltpeter opaquing the surface and stains of humidity seeping in.

“It’s just my job,” you said, not knowing how to respond. It was a half-truth, the other part still hiding, amorph, between the logbooks and your fuzzy mind.

His smile faltered, tilting his head as if wanting to say something else. “Well, then. I’ll get going now. I don’t want to interrupt you any longer.”

“Have a safe travel, Viktor.” He was already turning away, but your voice made him gaze over his shoulder one last time, though his eyes were drawn to the turned-off beacon rather than your waving hand.

“Take care, Miss,” Viktor mumbled, and it may be your imagination, but when he met your eyes for a brief second, you felt words embedded in them. Suddenly, that 'take care' sounded less like a polite farewell and more like a wish.

A warning, even.

*~*~*~*

The night seemed to know how much you craved the coming of the sun, so it would deny you of its presence. Cloudy, rainy days unlike any summer you've experienced in Piltover the Old arrived after Viktor left.

Thunderstorms that made the windows of the beacon room shake under the gentle touch of your fingers, air currents that howled as the abyss did overnight, their translucent fingers brushing sand and dry leaves toward you on your walk uphill. Trying to take you with it, too.

Your new sweater felt stiff with sand, hands digging in its pocket for the entrance key, scarf tied loosely around your neck with the paranoic feeling of the wind strangling you if you knotted it too tightly.

It was only November, but you could picture a fine layer of ice around the stone stairs already, crunching under your leather boots that didn’t fit you so well, but you weren't in the position to complain, thankful the thrift store in town still had shoes left upon the arrival of freezing season.

Despite being at the mercy of the marine wind, the porch didn’t show any signs of saltpeter over the old, grey walls that seemed to loom over the gabled roof. The grey stone was mossy though, the utter layer starting to crack, showing glimpses of the inside.

It was a cold, windy evening with a strangely cloudless, icy blue sky, but the foyer was dark, shadows looming at every corner until your vision grew used to the penumbra.

Dark wood covered the floor, and worn-out and stained carpets up the staircase. The walls had the same blue wallpaper of wildflowers that you ripped from the lighthouse; this one looking newer.

There were paintings scattered around, copper and silver frames shining against the hazy orange hues of the lightbulbs: all seascapes picturing stormy seas, tumultuous waves crashing in swaying ships, dark cliff sides under shining lonely moons.  

Your wet boots squeaked on the floor like a cry as you strode your way toward the taxonomy room, hidden under the staircase on the ground floor, seemingly constructed where a cellar ought to be.

You stopped in front of twin doors framed with iron, a gigantic circular handle that felt rough under your pull when you slide the key into the far left one. It didn’t budge, metal screeching as you moved away.

From the opening space between the hinges and the wall, you felt a cold wind blow over your face.

You turned around, toward the window you just cleaned yesterday. Your hands pulled the lock, but it was locked. Then, the sensation of the wind outside was still tickling your skin.

Feeling stupid, you opened the correct one, the shadowy insides of the room spilled into the dimming hallway, pitch black and bottomless with the characteristic smell of salty air from the coast inside—an inducing coincidence while knowing what was inside.

You flicked the light at the entrance, pulling the chord in the upper left of the wall as you stepped in, door open, steps muffled in a worn-out navy carpet as you descended a short flight of stairs.

Shelves were covered in old books, their leather-colored covers starting to dull; tossed papers scattered in the enormous oak desk aligned across the door. From your position, you could see the book Viktor promised to lend you, a red cover with golden letters that shone against the light.

The World Beneath.

You stopped as your view swept in the rest of the place, hands clutched against your stomach.

In the lateral walls rested at least a centenary of specimens of fishes and aquatic mammals, the majority of which looked older than the house’s owner, with yellowy tags, dusty globes of crystal covered the ones that weren’t soaked in preserving solution. To compare them, Viktor had drawn—or maybe cut off—, illustrations and diagrams of their anatomies.

Without meaning to pry, but needing to organize the havoc, you discovered a pile of notebooks tucked inside one of the desk’s drawers. You wondered if those ledgers would be filled with scribbles about his studies, or if they were keeper’s logbooks.

As you worked around the room, with buckets filled with soapy water and rags to clean, you let yourself wander into its insides. The books felt warm and soft against your hands, yellow pages thin and filled with scribbles. Marine biology tomes, you supposed from the titles that went from creative to self-explanatory.

So that’s what Viktor did in Piltover the Old, researching the marine ecosystem. But then there were other books, covers older and titles smudged. A History of Magic, The Art of Grimoires. They were tucked, forgotten in the lower shelves, so dusty you couldn’t open them without sneezing uncontrollably.

Then… those books weren’t his but perhaps the last house’s owner. Maybe his father, or whoever gave him the house. There were no papers on the desk, and the cabinets filled with specimens only guided you to an unknown coast, the tags reading the fishes' names and their natural habitats, descending further down the ocean’s zone.

In the east corner, under a wooden plank that read ‘Bathypelagic Zone’, the triangular space dipped lower to fit the staircase’s triangular form, dawning shadows from the scarce light. There was an empty cabinet, the biggest of them all, a paler outline put against the wall where a thing used to be.

On the tag, the letters were blurry, almost erased from the surface entirely, but your mind filled those empty places with letters.

Mermaid specimen (allegedly a siren*).

Donated by Mr. Gavin Stell.

*Symbols on its upper extremities.

Another remnant of the last owner, to when this tiny town was swarming with tourists trying to sight, to lure the mermaids seemingly living at the bottom of the cliff, so they could fulfill their wishes in exchange for an adequate offering.

What a stupid tradition it was, but at least such activity brought the town prosperity, with taverns filled with drunk men claiming they had seen one; stores filled with allegedly real mermaid’s scales, charms to ward off from sirens while navigating the sea near the coast, and of course, special shells from which one could call them with.

When you finished cleaning, your brow was covered in sweat, hands wrinkly from them being soaked in cold water for hours. The place still looked old, frozen in time just like the lighthouse, but the stench of sea and fish had almost disappeared.

Tomorrow you’ll come back to mop the floor, but today you must resume your job as a keeper, as the light was growing fainter, in a dull shade of grey.

Rain echoed inside the quiet room, fat drops of water against the roof falling lazily. But amidst the rhythm of their fall, you heard a knock on the entrance door.

Surely, you had to be mistaken. Viktor had his key, and there was no one in their right mind to venture this far near the coast in this climate.

And then, there was again. Wood smashing against someone’s fist. Someone’s shoulder. Bangbangbang. Bang. BANG.

The thunderstorm wasn’t here yet, the sound amplified by the almost empty house, so in those fleeting moments when you hold your breath to hear again, they screamed in a voice out of a too-familiar nightmare:

“Open the door! We know you’re in there.”

[frostmarris]

summary: Eyes like sea glass, hair like coral, teeth like blades - a heart full of all the righteous fury of an ocean tempest. There are few things more dangerous than a mermaid that's been wronged.

pairing: Akatsuki/Sakura, (slight one-sided /sasusaku, but this isn't an ss fic)

raiting: M

additional tags: MerMay, historical fantasy AU, pirates, found family, plenty of gore

notes: Been collabing with @kimazuiiii and @fernybee-art for a MerMay Sakura AkaSaku story/project, and here's the fic I've written for it! I've become so obsessed with this au hehe

Enjoy!

Light filters into the grotto, slowly and gently creeping over the edge of the high, high walls until the beams reach down to touch the bed of soft sea-grass down below. The grass, arm-long and deep green, waves and sways in a soft current, catching the sunlight and creating a soft shimmer that moves from one edge of the bed to the other, up and over the mound in the middle. Bubbles occasionally drift up from that middle spot, the sea floor raising in a soft hill that slopes gently before evening out, and the swaying grass moves a little differently here, something hidden in the patch.

The beams of daylight reach further down through the water, brightening the grotto as the sun, so far far above, reaches its peak in the sky. The light threads between the swaying grass to catch on pink lashes, warming her cheek and shoulder as the girl lays on her side, curled up and napping peacefully. Her eyebrows furrow as the sunlight reaches her face, shining behind her closed eyes, beckoning her to wake up, and, after a few short moments, Sakura yawns and rolls onto her back. She stretches, her arms reaching up above her. Her fingers just barely reach past the tall grass surrounding her and the light catches on the emerald green scales that cover her limbs - from the tips of her clawed fingers to her shoulders - and the fins of her tail, a soft, pale green that fades to yellow with the subtlest iridescent shimmer, reaches out past the seagrass as well.

[blinddreams24]

Glass

A Mermay Prompt

Masterlist

Prev / Next

You were shaking. A lot.

The excess magic from that candy was flooding your system and you couldn’t sleep. And there was a lot of excess.

You couldn’t bring yourself to drink coffee and you didn’t have any calming tea. The house had already been swept. Twice. The walls were clean, the windows were washed, the toilet was scrubbed, and you were sitting in your living room, bouncing your knee. Your mind was running at a thousand miles per hour and yet you still couldn’t think. You checked your phone.

It was 2am.

Had you really cleaned everything? Surely you missed something.

Your hands were twitching.

Everything looked polished. You’d even vacuumed the couch.

Your legs hurt.

Everything was dusted and mopped.

Your chest ached.

Maybe you forgot the dishes? Yeah, that was it!

You stood and paced into the kitchen where you opened a cabinet. Yeah, you hadn’t washed these. Reaching in with shaky hands you grabbed a stack of plates.

And dropped them as soon as they left the cabinet.

Shattered glass went everywhere. You immediately reached down to pick up the pieces and lifted everything you could find into the trash. You had more plates, it was fine.

Suddenly you didn’t feel like doing the dishes.

You couldn’t handle it. You had to do something. Or calm yourself down.

Maybe stargazing again?

The car keys found their way into your hands and you were off. It took forever to get there and no time at all. You hurried down the hill to your alcove, which was mostly flooded with the tide, and paced at the waters edge.

In your hurry, you’d forgotten your scuba gear. Not that it was smart to swim after dark but you weren’t smart right now.

The wind howled around you, threatening a storm, and the waves beckoned you forward. Your shoe sank into the cold water.

A familiar deep whistle split the air, making you suddenly aware of how close you were to the water. When you stepped back the whistle stopped.

A bright red orb floated over the water.

You stumbled back, tripped over your own feet, and landed on your butt. “H-H-Hey, b-big guy!” You stuttered and scrambled for your bag. When you couldn’t find it, you realized that in your scramble to get moving you hadn’t brought any food. “I-I d-don’t have f-f-food right n-now, b-buddy! B-But I c-can go g-get some!” You gestured a thumb over your shoulder.

He came out of the water towards you.

Oh stars, you were gonna die. He was gonna kill you.

You turned to run but didn’t even get to your feet before a tentacle wrapped around your leg.

“N-No! P-Please! Sir! I c-c-can get y-you m-more f-f-food! Please!” You gripped the loose rocks and tried to pull yourself away from the mass of muscle.

The whistle started again.

Fear and urgency left you, but you were still very aware of the danger you were in. “S-S-Sir. P-Please. I d-don’t w-w-want to d-die. P-Please.” Your voice was tired and jittery at the same time.

The siren pulled you closer until you were almost against his chest. He made a shushing gesture at you and reached towards you.

You closed your eyes, anticipating the giant’s hand to break your neck or something. You didn’t want to die, but there was nothing you could do.

Your eyes shot back open when he started petting your hair. What was he doing? You looked up at him.

He smiled kindly at you and let his low whistle fade to a stop. “You’re… okay.” He drawled slowly, as if the words were hard for him. “I won’t… hurt.. you.” With that said he turned his attention to your hand.

Still shocked, you followed his gaze. The eerie red light of his eye lit up multiple cuts and bits of glass in your hands.

“O-Oh.” Was all you could say.

He carefully held your hand steady and… started picking the glass out of your hand.

You stared openly, completely uncaring of if it was rude. “Y-Y-You-?”

“Shh.” A huge finger shushed you. “…Working.” He seemed very focused.

He was really picking the glass out of your hand. Just because. Surely that one day wasn’t enough to form a bond with the siren.

Carefully and patiently, he picked each and every piece of glass out of your hands. Your excess magic surged into your hands to heal the cuts once he was finished.

“Done.” He hummed. “Now, I can… give… answers.”

You didn’t hesitate. “W-Why a-are you helping-g m-m-me?”

He gave you a gentle smile. “You… helped… first.”

“I h-h-helped you?”

He nodded.

“H-How?”

“Food. Hungry. Hard to… catch…… normal.. prey.” He grumbled.

You blinked. “Were y-you st-st-starving?”

After a few moments, he nodded.

“Aren’t y-you p-p-part of a p-pod? Don’t your… f-friends h-help y-y-you?”

He shook his head. “Only… Nightmare. But… Boss’s… sleeping. Sleeps long… Very long…”

“C-Cross a-and K-K-Killer d-don’t help y-you?” You were starting to hate this energized stutter.

He looked you in the eyes with a desperation you’d never seen before. He shook his head.

“I-I’m th-the only p-person to h-help you? B-Besides N-Nightm-mare?”

Nod.

“W-Well.” You held out a hand. “I-I’m y/n. I-It’s n-nice to of-f-fficially m-meet you. S-Sorry f-f-for yelling-g a-at you earlier.”

He grabbed and inspected your hand before letting you go. “…Name’s Horror.” He leaned in towards your face as you tried not to lean away. “You have… too much magic…”

You laughed nervously and dry. “Y-Yeah. K-Killer gave m-me a c-c-candy to h-heal this.” You pulled up your sleeve to show him the bite mark.

“Hmm. You… smell like him.”

“I d-don’t know w-w-what to say t-to th-that.”

“Heheheh.” He chuckled at you. “‘S not… bad. Who… bit you?”

Suddenly, the magic decided it wanted to be in your face. “Uhh… K-Killer b-bit me…”

The humor left Horror’s face. “…Oh…….. Then he… healed you?”

“Y-Yeah? E-Earlier? Yest-t-terday? W-When it was b-b-bright. B-But th-the bite d-didn’t heal… S-Something ‘bout i-intent.”

“Hmm.” Horror looked you over again. “…Did he ask you… about being… a siren?”

“B-Being a s-siren?”

He gave you an odd look. “Would you… like to… be a siren? He intended… conversion.”

“He w-what?”

The siren sighed. “The candy. Killer put… intent… to turn you into a… siren. It won’t-.”

“W-What?!?” You looked down at your legs, terrified. You couldn’t just turn into a siren! What if you turned into a siren while at your house?? You’d never make it to the water in time!

“Shh.” Horror put a finger on your mouth. “Let me… finish. It won’t turn you… into a siren. This type… of conversion… is long and… tedious. You have to… accept the change… and have… many doses of magic. The other way…” He frowned. “…is less pleasant.

“You have nothing… to be scared of. Your will can… stop the change… if you want. It takes weeks… if you choose to… convert.”

“O-Oh. So… I-I-I w-won’t turn i-into a s-siren out of n-nowhere?”

He shook his head. “Not enough… magic or consent.”

“W-Why would K-Killer d-d-do th-that?��

Horror shrugged. “Might not have… meant to. His intent’s… unstable. Maybe just meant… to keep you safe… and… unintentionally… wanted you… close.”

“Oh.” He… He wanted to keep you safe?

“……You….. wanna hug?” Horror awkwardly offered.

“I… y-yeah.” You hugged the siren.

Horror curled over your small form. He chuckled. “…Tiny.”

“N-Not you t-too!!”

[amuseoffyre]

Fyre's OFMD Fic Masterlist - Pre S2 Roundup!

S2 is almost here and I can already feel my brain begin to fizz and froth despite life trying to steal my time and focus! So, before it hits and eats me all over again, here's the full round up of 780k of fic written in 18 months 😁

SERIES/COLLECTIONS

Immersion ® - 13k A series of short soft scenes of Stede and Ed being soft, featuring the clothing swap, Ed’s introduction to the lavender soap, some shaving and bath time

Toxic (E) - 7.3k Izzy has an urge and Calico Jack knows just how to scratch it, whether Izzy likes it or not. (Please heed all warnings and tags if you venture into this series)

Penetrative Gays (E) - 13k A silly series following every post-e3 stabbing incident in the smuttiest possible way :)

Turning Tides ® - 81k My novel-length speculative season 2, picking up immediately after the end of S1, featuring everyone, multiple POVs, drama, shenanigans and fuckeries galore.

Storm Surge ® - 62k My second novel-length series and my speculative S3, following on directly from Turning Tides. Even more POVs and far, far, far more fuckeries than you can shake a stick at.

Our Flag Means Death - JanAUry (Mixed) - 17k A series of 1k one-shots based on the Jan-AU-ry prompts list

Write It Through As a Crew (Various) - 12k A collection of 1k prompts/one-shots/missing scenes from Turning Tides and Storm Surge

ONE SHOTS

The Biblical Sense (E)  - 2.6k The first time for the lads, written before David Jenkins dropped 9 & 10 and irreversibly hurled me into pirate hell.

Ties that Bind ® - 3.3k Stede has an extensive ribbon collection and Ed realises it’s a way for him to feel vulnerable. Shibari-with-ribbons.

Bit of a Clothes Horse (E) - 9k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - the missing scene where Stede helps Ed get ready for the fancy party boat. And all that comes after ;)

Type ® - 2.3k Mary Allamby Bonnet gets a bit of a fright when she finds a scary-looking man with a sword in her front room.

Magnolia (E) - 5k When Ed - no, the Kraken - catches Stede Bonnet, he wants to use him and ruin him, but it… doesn’t quite go to plan.

Fancy (E) - 7k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - After a successful raid, Stede and Ed find some unexpected enjoyment in some interesting items of clothing.

Co-Captain Duties (E) - 3.5k After the treasure hunt, Ed tries to use bath time as a way to drop a less than subtle hint that he wants to… push forward their relationship.

Maketh the Man (E) - 6.6k When Blackbeard is captured by Hornigold, Izzy Hands is forced to turn to the only person who might be mad enough to be able to save him. Naturally, Stede rises to the occasion.

Sweet/Tart (E) - 4k When Stede returns to the Revenge, he brings a little sweet treat to try and win Ed over

A Beginning (M) - 2k Sometimes, you meet a nice girl and you get along and you start to think maybe yeah, this one might be something special.And then she murders your boss’s favourite husband.

In Slumber (E) - 15k When Stede admits he might find Ed attractive, even asleep, Ed encourages him to pursue that train of thought with his full and enthusiastic consent.

Regulations (PG) 1.2k “It had to go”

Accord (R) - 2.6k Crossover with Black Sails - James Flint comes seeking an alliance with Blackbeard

Bits (R) - 4k Ed Teach’s not-good very-bad week after he hears about Stede Bonnet’s demise   

The Names We Make (R) - 2300 A long time ago, before Spanish Jackie and Blackbeard, there were a couple of kids.

Moonbeam (PG) - 5k A little gentle swordsmanship by moonlight. My reverse-bang fic written with @cosmicyeehaws

Anchored (R) - 1k Sometimes, Ed needs to be held.

CHAPTERED FIC (Non-series)

Thunders of the Upper Deep ® - 4.4k - WIP Started as part of mermay. Only this is were-mermay and Ed is the kraken :D

Renaissance (E) - 26k What if Ed heard that gunshot in the woods that night?

Bark and Bite ® - 75k Vampire & werewolf AU - take s1 and sprinkle in a generous dose of supernatural nonsense and that’s this fic. (S2 coming with S2 :D)

A Good Impression (R) - 19.5k WIP What if Stede had accepted Izzy’s invitation to the Queen Anne’s Revenge?

Lady Trouble (R) - 54k The runaway wife of a wealthy landowner, Stede Bonnet Allamby set out to find adventure and freedom on the high seas. Things did not go as planned…

Don't Tell Mama (E) - 187k Drag/Burlesque Social Media AU - Stede Bonnet runs off to be a cabaret Emcee and crosses paths with the bone-weary Drag Impresario Lady Blackbeard

Wonder of Infamy (R) - 48k My anniversary fic :) It’s already 20k written and rising rapidly.

Everything Changed When The British Empire Attacked (R) - 9k WIP My Avatar: The Last Airbender AU :D Because of course I did one.

Steadfast (E) - 9k A study of Izzy Hands from the day he became First Mate to the Legendary Blackbeard. Written in collaboration with @waldos-art

Adrift (R) - 7k Canon-divergence AU where Chauncey catches Ed instead of Stede at the academy

A Trick of the Light (R) - 5k published so far (45k written) WIP The Gentleman Conjurer has plans to make his big debut in 1870s London's magic circuit, but things do not go as planned. My newest epic monster that I love.

[desperatelyseekingcannibals]

Smuggled (DogsPath) - Shortfic

Explicit // M/M // Cal Roberts (The Path)/Nigel (Charlie Countryman) // Tags: AU - Cryptids are real, merman Cal, smuggler Nigel, AU - merfolk, Meyerism, cults, smuggling, trafficking, profanities, Merphilia (is that a thing?), kissing, anal sex, sex with a merman, dolphin-ish penis, pool sex, biting, come inflation, happy ending. Prompt fill.

Filling Nunar's Mermay prompt

Nigel is a smuggler of cryptids, and then he meets Cal...

Smuggled (4.3k words) 

At exactly 11 am there was a knock at his door and Nigel knew it would be Meyer. He was always on time. Not that this made Nigel inclined to like the man.  He’d been hired by Meyer many times over the years, and he paid on time. It always went smoothly. And even so, Nigel didn’t like him. There was something about the man that creeped Nigel out, not least his line of work. 

Which, to be fair, Nigel was the last person to judge, given that he made his living as a smuggler. But Meyer, he was something else. Ran some kind of actual cult, and one thing they were big on was cryptids. Not the usual mini chimeras and things like that, that you can get in pet stores. The last thing Nigel had facilitated for Meyer was a unicorn. And he was so sure that there were no damn unicorns running around the Meyer compound. Probably fucking ate the thing.

“Hello, Nigel,” Meyer gave a friendly greeting and took the seat on the other side of Nigel’s desk. 

“Meyer,” Nigel acknowledged, “What can I do for you this time?”

“I have a delivery coming from our compound in Peru, we have transport arranged, but require you to facilitate the arrival and… appropriate customs.” 

Nigel hummed his understanding. Whatever was being delivered - whether legal or not in Peru - was not legal in the US and Meyer needed Nigel’s connections to get whatever it was smuggled into the country. 

“Yup,” Nigel replied, picking up his pen and tapping it against the notepad a couple of times. “What sort of weight are we talking?”

“Sixty to eighty Kilograms, more once the water has been accounted for.”

Water?

Nigel felt the hairs on his skin prickle. Water. And the weight of an average human. He swallowed.

“When is it due to be shipped?” Nigel asked, instead of the several burning questions that he couldn’t. His reputation was built on his discretion. 

“In three weeks,” Meyer answered before pulling out his little pocket diary. 

Nigel went through the motions - filling in the paperwork, working out which port would work best and how many officials would need to be paid off. By the time Meyer left, it was all agreed and the price set. Half of it would be in his account by the end of the day, the other half on delivery. Now Nigel just had to set it all up, and try not to dwell on it in the meantime.

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