#Merman Zen

[echantedtoon]

Ocean Deep Ch16 Miscommunications And Escape Plans

(Warnings: Mentioning of Yn's wounds and Koyuki's illness.

I bring food to all you Tengen simps. Also a quick recap of the Mers fish tails because someone asked me to add them as they forgot. I also included the other boys so everyone's caught up.

Kyojuro is a lionfish mer such as the one drawn by yuki2sksksk linked below.

Tengen would be a white butterfly koi fish mer.

Makio is a Golden Dragon Koi mer

Suma is a (all blue) Halfmoon Betta Fish mer

Hinatsuru is a Strawberry Peacock Cichlid mer

Giyuu is a Demanson's Cichlid mer purely because I think the colors match him perfectly.

Sanemi and his family are bullshark mers and look like the link below. Same artist who drew the Mer Kyojuro.

Akaza is a Betta Fish mer also by the same artist linked below.

And Finally Obanai is a Coral Reef Snake mer specially the black and white version.

taglist: @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan @camilo-uwu @hopefulworld1

@shadyd3ar @amypop122 @azuredragonstrike

@mimisweetz @chaoticoperatorduckhairdo @staarflowerr @aleee-386 @summrwalkr

@nicora04 @miniverse-zen

Remember if you want to be added to the tag list lemme know.

Your eyes widened. 

A pair of puckered lips came at you-

And warmth hot your face as your hands quickly covered your mouth and Tengen ended up kissing the back of your hands. The feeling of something that wasn't your lips caused him to blink his eyes back open and blinked just inches away from your wife eyed red face.

He blinked before pulling away and giving you an annoyed pout. "Hey! What gives?! I caught you fair n's square!"

You could only stare up red faced and blushing. "W-What the heck is wrong with you?!" You stuttered out muffled by your hands still firmly clasped over your mouth. 

"Me? You're the one who decided to tease me and ran away! Now I caught you and now you I kiss you then you chase me..Or I can just chase you again if you prefer.~" You did NOT find the playful smirk he wore handsome and you did not squeak when he growled out. Rubbing his nose into your hands and letting out a content sigh. 

In the distance behind you somewhere, there was a loud splash like someone hit the water in anger before cursing. "FOR FUCKS SAKE!! FIRST THE BETTA THEN THE FLASHY FUCKER!! HOW THE HELL ARE THEY HAVING MORE LUCK THAN I AM?!"

You could barely make out the angry shouting. You couldn't see anything past the giant torso- HOLY SHIT HIS MUSCLES WERE HUGE!! You were terrified of his size and build before because of all the damage he proved he could do but now-

"My eyes are up here, Darling.~ My chest doesn't talk..Well not in same way my mouth does.~" You could've fainted right then and there when he intentionally made his muscles flex.

She gave the most attractive squeak as a strong hand found itself suddenly holding her hand, strong enough to pull it was Your mouth as his other arm had no problem holding you bridal style against him. A deep hum escaped the man as he pressed a closed eyed kiss to the delicate skin. Strong calloused fingers slipping between smaller delicate ones. Warm breath sending goosebumps along the soft flesh giving way to a shiver as he smiled wider against the flesh. Again. Again. His lips were pressed against the hand until eyes opened and found himself sighing in content. Goosebumps spread under his touch as a hand gently placed itself under her chin, claws gently dragging along the skin as he directed her head too him. A shiver from her body, warmth caressing her face as orbs shrouded by deepened desire and half lidded by a want. 

Warmth spread across her face and a moment later lips melted into a kiss. He made no comment back. Embracing the woman against his chest tightly and deepening the kiss, his embrace increasing slightly. Smaller hands found themselves gripping the front of his haori. Everything blurring and unimportant, the only thing that mattered was this woman in his grip. Her everything. His everything.

T H E I R    E V E R Y T H I N G.

Suma's. Hinatsuru's. Makio's. Kyojuro's. All thiers. Her sweet lips. Her beautiful smile. Her shining eyes. Her soft touch- A shiver ran through her under his hands when one hand found the side of her cheek, a rumble from his chest showed amusement much to her embarrassment. He had her right where she was supposed to be, in his arms and his own-

Until a distant woman's scream sounded out.

"UZUI!!"

You turned away from the warmth slightly to peer up startled at the surroundings although that didn't deter the merman who continued trailing kisses from the corner of your lips to the bottom of your left cheek, white hair tickling the left side of your face. The form of a highly concerned pink eyed woman rushing towards you both.

"K-Kanae-"

"Eh. Ignore her."  A hand gently tugged your face back towards him and once again your lips met-

Until another scream pierced the air making you turn away from him again as he trailed after you but stopped when you placed a hand over his mouth. "S-S-STOP!!"

He blinked as you pushed his head away from his own flushed worse than a school girl getting kissed by her crush for the very first time. ..Until his free hand reached out to gently touch yours and kissed the inside of your palm gently. Making you jump.

"TENGEN, PUT HER DOWN!!", Kanae shouted almost panicked as she rushed over towards you both. Picking up the hem of her dress and kicking up sand as she skidded to a stop in front of you both. "BAD MERMAID!! PUT HER DOWN!!" 

You squeaked out loudly when you were suddenly grabbed by Kanae and yanked free from Tengen's grasp and you stumbled onto your feet, nearly falling over on your stomach if Kanae hadn't pulled you back upright. Her face twisted to an angry scowl to Tengen before snapping a concerned look at you.

"Y/n, are you alright?," she asked as you clutched at your chest.

Your heart was hammering like a herd of wild horses stampeding, and your face burnt like a fire was lit under your skin. And you were pretty sure you were shaking because your legs felt like jelly you canned. "....I t-think m-m-my life flashed before my eyes."

"Ah! I'd expect nothing but that kinda reaction from my flamboyant kisses." Kanae shot the merman another scowl as he winked. "I'm a very well experienced lover- HEY!!" He sputtered and leaned back down on his belly to avoid the wave of sand cascading over his head from a woman's foot. "What gives?!"

"SHOO!! ALL OF YOU GET!!" Kanae shooed her arms at Tengen giving him another kick of sand when he didn't get moving. "Go on! You scared her half to death chasing her down the beach like that! Shoo!"

He gave a small cat like hiss when the sand hit his scales. "Hey! Lay off! She initiated courtship first- AH! ALRIGHT WOMAN!! You sure enjoy taking the fun outta love y'know that?"

Tengen gave another puppy dog kicked look at you..but turned and started dragging himself back across the sand and towards the water. She held her annoyed frown watching him until he slipped into the water his tail giving a few snacks to the surface before her gaze then turned towards the left and narrowed at the other mers around her.

"That goes for the rest of you too! I won't have anymore trouble from you today." More shooing motions from her hands were made towards. "Go on. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Back to the ocean with you."

You shakily looked up from where you stood, and froze as at least three other mers besides Tengen were staring at you all. THERE WAS MORE OF THEM!? You jumped as the long snake creature hisses lowly but turned and disappeared slithering behind the large rocks he laid on. The second one who had white hair and large pointed ears gave her a look of pure hurt, as if he actually was physically hurt by her words.

"But..Kanae, I-"

"Sanemi, just-..!" Her head turned away from him and her eyes closed refusing to look at him. "Just go home! Go away and leave me alone already! Y-You've done enough!"

There was a silence as the mer in the Water's eyes widened and.. became slightly watery. Before he let out a growl and with a loud THUNK disappeared back under the blue surface. You could vaguely make out his greyish form quickly swimming away towards the south before he vanished completely. Another splash made you look further away and saw Shinobu waving a hand at the water as ripples temporarily distorted the rolling waves. There was nothing but silence for a moment until something suddenly appeared in front of you making you jump as Kanae's frowning face appeared before you annoyed.

"Where were you this morning?", she demanded in a tone harsher than her soft face executed,arms crossed. "You worried Koyuki sick with pulling a stunt like that! It's very dangerous here if you aren't careful!" She gazed over your nightgown as you still clutched it. "And you're all soaked! Did Tengen do this?"

"N-No!" You quickly held up your hands in the merman's defense. "I fell in myself. I-It's a long story. A-Actually he's the one who helped me get back up. "

"Well don't you run off again! You're in enough trouble as it is-" She stopped noticing a familiar white haired jewel covered head bobbing in the water suddenly being joined by a head of firey hair and three ladies.. She grabbed you hand with a jump and pulled you quickly towards the large house. "Inside quickly."

"Y/N'S BETTER!! LOOK!! Y/N! Y/N! Y/N!," You heard Suma's unmistakable voice calling behind you but surprisingly Kanae was quite strong for a petite girl.

You were quickly pulled across the beach, up the few steps, and straight through the open door by Kanae as her sister calmly followed behind you both much slower. You were stopped only when you were pulled into the room Koyuki was still in, only this time Mitsuri and Kanao was there too. By their position you guessed they were watching the skirmish outside from the window. 

"This is serious." Kanae let go of your hand matching back into the hallway muttering to herself as Shinobu finally walked in with her slow pace. Watching calmly as her sister walked by and stuck her head out the door to make sure no one was there before sliding the door back shut licking it in the process. "At this rate none of us will be able to go home, and all of our hard work will be jeopardized."

Her footfalls came back up towards the hallway and once again reappeared. Everyone watched as she stepped to the window and locked it as well before drawing the curtains dosing most of the light just as Shinobu walked in too.

"Kanae, calm yourself."

"I am calm. I'm also just really worried!", she frowned at Shinobu who hummed before looking towards you.

Her eyes looked you up and down raising a brow at how soaked and covered in sand you were. "Let me guess. She tried running off the island."

You blinked. "How'd you know?"

"We did that the first day we were brought here." Another hum. "..I think we should explain it to her. It's obvious she's involved like us so it'd save everyone else the headaches."

Kanae slowly sighed and nodded in agreement. "You're right but first let us get her cleaned up and into some warm clothes."

Twenty minutes later you were happily seated in a circle on the floor, in a normal dress, and had your hair wrapped up in a towel as everyone else sat still. Mitsuri was nice enough to make everyone some tea and handed you a cup after Shinobu looked over your wounds again to make sure you were still alright.

"Thank you." She smiled at you brightly as you took the cup of green tea from her. "I didn't know that tea leaves grew on the island." 

"They don't. We just found a few sealed tins of it in the back," Mitsuri clarified.

"Well we should be getting back on topic." Kanae gave a glance from where she stood out into the hallway. It must've been noon by now. She closed the door and locked it too, nevermind the front door was also locked and turned back towards you all. "Alright. Straight to business then." Her look could cut diamonds as she looked at you. "How'd you come to be here?"

You blinked. "Didn't they already tell you? I was attacked by a crazy stalker and they apparently brought me here. I don't even know exactly where here is from the coast still."

"How'd you meet those mers out there?," she pressed harder.

You frowned now. Didn't they tell them that too? Maybe they just told Tengen? "I found them by accident in someone's barn except for Kyojuro. I found him washed up along the river while fishing."

Shinobu turned to her sister with a smile. "That matches up with what we were told. She's alright to talk to."

Kanae nodded still not looking away from you. Instead she slowly sat down by Kanao. "That's good. Then we won't bother you with anymore unnecessary questions." Thank goodness for that at least. "Y/n what happened between you and Tengen while you were gone?"

You paused raising the warm cup to your lips to blink at her. "Oh that?" You shrugged. "To be honest I don't exactly know. He kinda just went crazy and started chasing me down the beach like I was a full course meal or something! By the way-" You pointed at her giving a deadpanned look. "-nothing with a fish tail should be allowed to crawl that fast on land. It's a freak of nature!" Mitsuri giggled at your response and you shot her a frown.

"Well what were you doing before he did that? What did he say? It's important."

You hummed slowly removing your stink eye from Mitsuri who still looked amused. "Well, I fell in the water and he was nice enough to get me out. And then we mostly talked. He's very braggy that one."

"That definitely sounds like the fish. All glitter no brains."

You resisted laughing at Shinobu's description of Tengen and just nodded. "Yep. That's him. He said he just wanted to apologize and make sure I wasn't dead and thank me for helping them." You shrugged again making sure to take a long sip of your drink before continuing. "Oh. I also got him to promise not to sink anymore ships so that's something."

"What happened just before he started chasing you?" Shinobu rose a brow. "You must've done something to get him excited."

You thought about it for a long moment. "...Nothing really. He joked about me using CPR as kissing so I told him I'd never kiss him if he was going to be like that but im different words." It was then the five other girls gave each other wide eyed looks. "...What?"

"Y/n. Did you tell him that in a normal way ..or were you teasing him?"

You blinked. "We were joking around. He's the one that got in over his head."

"Oh..Ooh no."

"Oh no what? What's going on?"

They slowly looked at one another before Shinobu inhaled. "I'll just come right out and break the ice!" She clasped her hands and turned back to you with a strained smile. "Y/n. Mermaids play chase with each other when they're romantically interested."

There was silence in the air as everyone looked between Shinobu and you.

You stared widely. "...What?"

"And his teasing you was in actuality his way of flirting with you. In his point of view you were totally flirting back."

"WHAT?!" The cup nearly tumbled from your hands.

"Did any of the others try any certain behaviors when they were with you?" Shinobu continued casually as if you weren't in total shock. "Grooming behaviors such as combing hair? Or maybe they tried to feed you something?"

"I-...W-Wait! What the heck was that last bit you dumped on me?!"

"Answer the questions please."

"Y-Yeah..All of that actually but what has that have to do with me?!" 

"Did any of them try giving you anything? Like maybe seashells or fish or even something valuable?"

"I-"...You paused. Eyes going wide when you remembered a certain fire haired merman and his ring. "Oh gods... Kyojuro tried proposing to me- B-BUT I GAVE HIM BACK THE RING AND TOLD HIM NO!!"

"Well good news! They don't think you're married! However they probably think you're most definitely interested."

"What? But how?! I clearly didn't want anything and I told them that!"

"You see that's the problem. They don't have the same understanding as we do. I think you should take a look at the book we found. It explains everything!"

"Book? What? You were so confused right now. First you were talking about Mermaid coupling and now a book?

You didn't get much of a say before you were just handed over a book. A blue covered book by Koyuki who practically waved it in front of your face. You blinked before leaning back to take in the faded words carved and then inked into the cover. ..'A Researcher's Guide To Magical Creatures And How To Avoid Them Vol. 1.' ... You rose a brow and turned to Koyuki and then back to the two sisters.

"We found it on one of the shelves while we were looking around. We think a researcher left it here on the island while studying them. It's been really helpful in guiding us around this trouble. Opening it to chapter five."

You still didn't know what to think about this, but decided that you had nothing to lose, so the half empty cup was slowly placed down onto the floor next to you and your hands slowly took the book from Koyuki giving her a small thanks. ..F/c eyes looked at the book, then at the girls, then back to the book.. Before hands slowly opened it and started flipping through the pages. Chapter one centaurs. Chapter two elves. Wow. This was a pretty thick book. Every chapter must've been at last a thousand pages each. Chapter three- Ah. Here we go. Mermaids and Sirens. Apparently there was a difference??

"Skip to like fifty pages in." Koyuki pointed out to you.

..Ok. If it'll get you answers faster. You flipped through about that much until bold words on top of one page in particular caught your eye. 'Courtships And Pod Units.' You gave another glance at Koyuki to confirm this was the page she wanted you to read, and began reading once her smile confirmed it.

'In all my years of studying these water dwelling beings and their habits and habitats, it was very difficult to study something that lived somewhere where no human could really go. Luckily the individuals of this isle were able to trade certain items for certain favors from the local population. Intrigued by this strange ordeal, I traveled to the smallest of these isles and brought gifts of simple jewelry and exotic foods such as jerkied elk meat and raw steak that usually they are unable to get their hands on.

I was extremely lucky and found a rather unpleasant large great white mer and his eight wives. Two of which seemed to be koi fish in origin with their tails while the others varied from other shark based mers to more tropical colorful coral reef fish. The male seemed rather hostile to me at first and refused contact until I offered the gifts in trade for info.

It seems like the rarity of the meats intrigued him enough to change his mind and agreed to answer some of my more difficulty answered questioned.'

EIGHT WIVES?! Wow. And you thought Uzui had a lot of partners. You briefly wondered if this merman was the one Tengen was referring to when he mentioned taking over this territory before reading more.

'While he himself was unpleasant, his wives were all very polite and sweet women who gladly answered my various inquiries while trying on the simple bronze jewelry and passed around the meat. I've noticed first in behavior between pods are different. The last pod I interacted with was a small pod of two husband and their wife whom was the pod leader and had at least two children present.

The female accepted my last gift of delicious ribs in exchange for a few of their lose scales to study. The order she fed her family was her children first, her husbands second, and then herself as leader last. I thought this order applied to all pods until I met this unpleasant fellow. Instead of feeding his wives first, he snapped and hugged most of it to himself. Gluttonous man to say the least. So it seems while the heirchy system is the same, not all pod leaders are generous to their spouses.'

Talk about rude and selfish!

'While not in depth I've managed to get a very good chunk of information that I'm sure will help future generations navigate the waters surrounding these fantastic creatures. The main bulletins are certainly good to keep in mind especially for wondering maidens getting close to the shoreline.

-If a mermaid/merman wishes to court another then they usually do things to show their worth. Example being bringing back big game like a seal or shark to prove they can provide food or gifts of polished shells or jewelry to show off wealth. Sometimes they'll even spare with a love interests' family member to show off strength.

-The type of courting habits depends on the type of mer or water creature they are. For example:

Seal mers, or selkies as they're called, will offer their potential partner an opportunity to touch their seal skin while in human form as a sign of trust and interest.

Shark mers will often show off scars and bring back large prey to present to a potential mate to show how fiercely they can protect.

Crustacean mers will offer dances being crab/lobster mers.

Sea dragons might offer a piece of their treasure hoard or recite poetry or knowledge.

However the most common signs of courting is offering valuable resources/objects. But again it varies from water creature to mer.

-Mers don't really have a concept of monogamy or polygamy. Some just prefer one life partner while others sometimes have multiple partners. It's not uncommon for them to have more than one partner. To them it's really just normal.'

Well that explains a lot about Tengen and his family of mers. And why Rengoku tried giving you a ring. And why Suma tried feeding you that catfish a long time ago.

'-It's more common for the women to take the last name of the males but again this isn't always the case.

-Pods are usually categorized by two: Family Pods and Neutral Pods.

FAMILY PODS: Usually the most common and very big varying on the mers. These are usually made up of just family members. Usually a pair of parents and their partners, and their children. Sometimes a family pod will be very big with grandparents, along with uncles and aunts and the main partners' siblings but it's less common.

-There is always one leader in every family pod, usually it's the father of the children. They are in charge of leading the pod and have the final say on things.

-The children are referred to as guppies or pups.

-Ever heard of sharks having a nursery for their pups? Well mers have a nursery for their children too. It's usually hidden and guarded to avoid predators or hostile mers.

-Usually a mer doesn't leave on their own until they're anywhere about sixteen to twenty years old.

NEUTRAL PODS: These are just pods made up of three or more random mers. Sometimes it's a trio or more of romantic partners but most commonly it's just a group of random mers. Neutral Pods can be made up of family members but more often than not it's just random mers who decided they liked each other enough to hunt together, partners without children, or they're made up of mers who just decided to hunt together as they live in the same area.

-If you encounter a neutral pod made up of romantic partners it'll be very easy to tell who's the leader of said partners. The leader will be decorated in the most jewelry. Usually this jewelry is made of home made seashells and stolen trinkets. However if they're in contact with a lot of valuables like gold, jewels, etc then they will have most of it decorating their body however they will also adore their partners in said jewelry as a form of wealthy status and it's sort of like their version of a wedding ring.

-The main leader of said partners is usually the one that gives out the jewelry or gifts amongst his or her partners.

-a neutral pod isn't considered a family pod unless made up of family members or if a neutral pod of partners has children.'

Actually...That explains why Tengen is absolutely covered in jewels and jewelry. WAY more than Kyojuro or the girls. Does that mean that Tengen was the one who gifted them all of that stuff?

'-Mers are highly territorial. Not that an area can't be shared by multiple mers but usually a lone mer or pod has a specific amount of territory they own over.

-Because of their highly territorial nature, male mers will often be covered in scars from fights over territory, fights over a mate, or fights over treasure. LOTS of times fights between them often result in scars, severe injuries, and even death.

-Physical grooming like combing each other's hair, helping to remove loose scales, or just physical touch in general is seen as an intimate act on the same level of a romantic kiss on the cheek so usually it's only reserved for romantic partners or family members.'

A very large glass sound went off in your mind. Eyes going wide open like an owl. ...Say what?

'-Mermaids mate for life like swans do. Unless the other partners/partner dies then they won't really take on another partner.

-THIS is why humans must be very careful when interacting with mermaids/men of any kind. If you do encounter one the following rules Must be kept in mind.

1. If you encounter one of these fantastic creatures be sure to mention a present partner casually. Even if you do not have a significant other, the mere mentions of a partner will detour most interest from yourself.  

2. Keep your interactions platonic. You must never insinuate romantic interest to one. Even the slightest hint of possible interest will make them pursue.

3. Avoid talking about romance or future goals outside of mentioning your partner. Never mention children to them. Talking about children with them insinuates the interest of finding them potential parents to have children with.

4. Keep your distance. Allowing touch is a huge sign of trust and interest of physical contact. Keep as physical far away as possible if you can and do not allow contact to be initiated.

5. Absolutely above all else NEVER accept gifts. Gifts are usually only given out as a proposal of interest. If accepted then consider yourself doomed because any outside romantic interest will result in retaliation and usually does not end well. 

-Mers who're able to keep a human partner are usually seen in higher regard as not everyone can keep one. This is why steps must be taken to ensure the human doesn't end up in hot water. And why many young mers are attracted to the aspects of having a human spouse, not really taking into consideration the blatant difficulties of a relationship like this.

-Mers will also play chase and fight with each other as a display of playful behavior. Reminds me of behavior I've also encountered when I spoke to the Beastmen tribe of the Southern Kokkori Forest. They display a similar playful behavior with their own mates and children.

All the information I gathered was limited but very useful! I'll try bringing back some gold and silver coins and more meats in two weeks time to see if I can get a better description of their underwater homes.'

The book was quickly closed with a loud thud sound and you just stared at nothing really. There was quiet for a long while before Shinobu bluntly asked-

"So how much did you mess up?" Both her sisters shot her a look but you groaned raising the book to your head.

"A lot! Kyojuro asked me about having kids once!" You felt so embarrassed pressing your blushing face deeper into the book. "How was I supposed to know that letting them brush my hair was flirting?!"

"Yep. She's screwed."

"You're not helping any!"

"Let's not argue right now." Kanae gave a worrying glance at the window looking for movement..but sighed when she saw nothing. "There's more serious matters to be dealt with right now. Like getting home."

Your body stiffened before you slowly looked up from the book to poke at eye at her. "Wait. You've actually been trying to get back?"

Kanae nodded. "For nearly the entire time we've been here. You see we weren't the first ones here." Kanae turned to the girl right next to you. "Koyuki was actually here the longest. Kanao was taken here as they've seen her gathering common healing herbs. When she couldn't help her, we were next."

"But why would they need three healers?"

"I get sick often." Koyuki looked embarrassed and shameful almost looking away from the others around her, shuffling deeper into the blanket around her shoulders. "That's why they're here."

"They promised they'd let us go once Koyuki's condition got better, but.."

"Let me guess. Those other mermen got attached and decided to change their minds?"

Kanae sighed. "Yes. Exactly. Unfortunately the only one who seems to understand that we don't want anything to do with them is Giyuu."

"Giyuu?"

"The merman you saw with Shinobu earlier. He's actually very understanding and let's my sister study him without trying to court her. He's the one who's tail looks like a demanson's cichlid fish. Unfortunately he's still unwilling to help Shinobu or ourselves off the isle."

"But if you two two can't leave-" You glanced at Kanao who blinked at you. "-then why hasn't she gone home? She doesn't have anything to do with them, and Mitsuri doesn't either."

"Because if she went back then she could just tell someone where we are, and unfortunately its Obanai who likes her. He's the sea snake you saw." Kanae shook her head. "But we've been coming up with an idea. You just happened to arrive just in time too."

You blinked and looked over at her. "You mean an escape plan?" She nodded. "What kind of plan?" 

Before she even said a word, she made a 'shush' motion with her finger to her lips before getting up. Going to the already closed window to pull the curtains back just enough to peek out, sighing when she saw nothing. Then going to the door to quietly open it before peeking into the stil locked home before quietly closing and locking the door back.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure Obanai wasn't inside with us, or Tengen was still lurking about." She half whispered turning back to you. "Obanai can go on land and actually lives on the island with us, and Tengen has incredible hearing even more powerful than a normal mer's. Sometimes Obanai will come inside without telling us just to talk to Mitsuri."

"I don't mean to put out plans in trouble!," Mitsuri shuffled still holding onto the tray she brought the cups on. "H-He just likes to talk I-Is all."

"We're not taking any chances after what happened last time."

"Last time?" There was a last time? What happened last time?

"There's an old shed that was attached to one of the damaged homes that's still hear. Kanao found a boat that we could've used to escape with, but Obanai caught us talking about it. The boat not escaping with it." Her expression saddened. "The next night when we went to get it, we found it smashed to nothing but splinters." Your eyes widened. He smashed a whole boat to keep them here?! No wonder they were taking precautions. "But we have a plan! Can we trust you to help us?"

You blinked but nodded. "Anything! I want to go home too!"

She smiled widely. "There's a full moon at the end of the week. Every full moon there's a rapid power of a current right near where we currently are. It brings up a bunch of fish and so they all either go out hunting or sleep. If we can get a boat to that current, it'll take us near a piece of land we can leave through within a few hours."

"Uh. There's a problem. I thought you said the boat was destroyed."

She smiled wider. "It was but we found another perfectly usable under some old debry. It's big enough for all of us if we squeeze in. So what do you say? Will you help us?"

You nodded. "I'm in!"

She nodded. "Alright good. Here's what we still need. I found about three oars but we need to see if we can find some more, and a good bucket in case there's a sudden leak. Until then everyone needs to act as they usually do and don't mention anything about-"

"KANAE!!"

All six of you jumped up as a rather gruff and powerful voice called out the name of one of you. What was-?

"KOYUKI!! I'VE RETURNED! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" A different but still loud male voice called out to another one of you.

What the-?

"Y/N!!" "MITSURI!!" "SHINOBU!!"

What in the world?!

A whole chorus of voices were calling your names minus Kanao who got up and went to the very large window. Throwing the curtain open, unlocking it, and pushing it open to peer out. 

"Kanao! Hey! Can you tell the girls to come out? By the way, have you met my brother?! He thinks you're really cute!!"

"SANEMI DON'T SAY STUFF LIKE THAT!!"

"It's true!" 

"NO IT'S NOT!!"

You all looked at one another.. before slowly getting up and walking to the window too. The book forgotten about as you helped Koyuki up and along with everyone else gathered by the window. It was large enough for all six of you to stand there and look out only to pause at what you saw.

They were back! 

All of the mermen you previously saw plus your friends and two new ones. One was right next to the shark mer. They looked similar enough to be related only his hair was more black and he looked young, around the same age as Kanao. He took one look at all the pretty ladies looking out- His face turned an immediate red before he dunked his head back underwater. Aw. He was actually adorable! The other one though-

Whoa.

He was actually very colorful and unusual looking compared to the others. Pink hair. Greyish skin. Weird blue stripes. He was certainly a strange looking one. He brightly absolutely happy at Koyuki and raised a hand to wave at her.

"Koyuki, we're all gonna practice spare! I'm so happy to see you again!," he called out making the girl pushed the bottom half of her face into the blanket.

"KANAE, WATCH ME KICK THIS LOSER'S ASS!! YOU'LL LOVE THIS MORE THAN THE JEWELS!!"

You all turned to Kanae who turned red and turned her head away from your prying eyes. You guessed that one was Sanemi. 

"GO TENGEN!! GO KYOJURO!! GO TENGEN!! GO KYOJURO!!"

Hey. That voice you definitely knew! You leaned out more and looked up the beach towards the right. A cluster of rocks was there sticking out of the water and on those rocks were three female mermaids you knew all too well. Sitting aside and happily watching the spectacle their husbands made towards the pumped up males. Suma loudly waving and cheering on the two men sitting there. 

"Been a while, Akaza! I thought you were never going to come visit again!," Kyojuro greeted the man before him. 

"HA! You wish! Like I'd let you think I'd let you claim my winning streak!"

"Never the less, suggesting we all spare is a great idea! It's been so long since I tussled!"

A loud smack noise sounded off next to Kyojuro as Tengen smacked his fist into his other hand. "Kyo and I verses you and Obanai?! HA! Neither of you two stand a chance!"

 Obanai hissed in response and Akaza shot an annoyed look at Tengen. "Big talk for a guy who can only fight puny humans and their ships!"

"Ooh! I'm so scared. You're still butthurt over Kyojuro rejecting your flirting to get with me instead. And can you blame him? Look at me!~" His muscles tensed making them flex and his wives give off a few loud squeals. Kyojuro not to subtly also turned his head toward his torso. "Who could resist this flamboyant body?~ Can't cry because my chest is bigger than yours.~"

"OH YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

You stared as Tengen sent a wink at you- Only to get tackled backwards onto the water by a pink blur and a loud splash. ....Well, no one could be more embarrassed that Tengen right now. 

"Giyuu, don't be so mean to him!"

You looked over. A black haired merman was laying on top of the shark Merman, holding him in a choke hold while his upper half was under water. The shark guy thrashed about flailing his arms to try and get a hold on the one on top of him, bubbles cascading up around his head as it was held underneath the water screaming profanities you were sure shouldn't be said around Kanao.

"...Whelp. I stand corrected."

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

hey! this is chance & here’s week 3’s prompt. share an excerpt that you’re very proud of from any of your wips.

(I'm a little late to the party but shhhh—) (maybe this will help me actually finish the wip—)

@gloomiermood-so tagging u since I know you really enjoyed the mermaid!au before :3

. . .

Cole’s life is hilariously ironic.

He knows down to his very soul that he's a man of the earth through and through. He loves the feel of a cliff against his palms while climbing mountains, the crunch of dirt beneath him as he hikes along a trail, and even finds himself enthralled whenever there’s a quake rippling through the ground. Regardless, it’s easy for him to understand why his mother had been so drawn to it all as well.

And yet, he was still inexplicably drawn to the sea.

He uses the excuse that the sea is his muse: he does his best thinking here, gets inspired for new setlists for his nightclub DJ gigs, finds a renewed motivation to draw whenever he gazes into the mysteries of the waves…but, while all of that is true, he knows the real truth.

Normally, he’d put his headphones on while he draws, to really zen out while getting lost in his sea of creativity. But lately…there’s a certain subject of the sea that he can’t help but have his eye on.

...and also an ear.

Cole's gaze falls shut, letting his hearing become the dominant sense. It takes a few minutes, but Cole catches it—mellifluous notes born from a voice of velvet, copying the ocean waves as they both crash against the shoreline. Though no words are formed within the melody, there's still a...beckoning sort of quality to it, one that has pulled Cole's attention since the very first time he'd been privy to it.

And with a song that magical, it could only be conjured up by a creature both musician and magician in equal parts.

Hoisting his bag closer to his body, Cole moves stealthily down to the rocks beneath the pier, down to a secret spot he's been visiting frequently for the last few days.

From this vantage point, he can see—the mermaid that sings the song of sirens.

In a rather cliché fashion—if Cole does think so himself—the lithe merman lies himself upon his favorite rock at the crack of noon, basking in the unmarred rays of the sun. The scattering light makes the pink scales of his tail glitter like the stars of a late evening sky. The tip of his translucent tail-fin traces absent circles in the water, in time with the beat of the ethereal notes tumbling from his lips. The song floats along the sea breeze, capable of fishing in boats just as boats fish in...well, fish.

A lesser human, certainly, would fall victim to those dulcet tones in a heartbeat. Cole would claim he is not a lesser man, but…not even he is immune to the charm.

Still, the merman seems to only sing for his own pleasure and amusement; the notes aren’t loud nor intense enough to truly drag a sailor into the depths. No, Cole can tell—the creature’s only singing for the joy of it…and when fueled by the pure act of creation, that’s when the most memorable art is made.

Perched upon his own rock, though one bathed in cool shadows as opposed to the welcoming sun, Cole sketches the scene before him–the latest in his growing batch of mermaid illustrations. He's a bit upset that he can’t capture the song itself in strokes of charcoal, but he does his best to put the rest of the mer’s striking features to paper—the silly swoop of his pink-tipped burgundy hair, each fishy prong of his extra little fins, the delicate droplets that cascade down the expanse of his back, the way the scales of his tail fade into smooth sun-kissed skin, and those iridescent fuchsia eyes…

For lack of an actual name, Cole decides to nickname this mystery mer Fuchsia.

Cole never makes a move to draw the mer’s attention, nor ever get any closer. The days when he catches even a glimpse of Fuchsia are rare—as the merman is a rather jumpy one, and flees at the first sign of potential trouble—but the potency of his music keeps the pencil gliding across Cole’s page anyway. Even without his so-called muse sitting directly before him, Fuchsia still manages to inspire Cole.

The thought makes a certain warmth bloom in Cole’s chest, but he crumples it into a ball and stamps it down. Alluring, mystifying, and pretty though the mer may be, there’s no way he’d want anything to do with Cole, especially if the siren song isn’t being used to lure anyone in. Fuchsia's got his own world to live in, just as Cole has his.

Yet...a certain amount of longing remains present in the notes. For what reasons, however, Cole can't place.

It's simply a feeling that resonates in his heart...and, if Cole could, is a tune he'd like to resonate back.

A boat honks in the distance, cutting Fuchsia's song short. He flails in a startled panic and immediately dives—well, tumbles—back in the water with a resounding splash, while Cole sighs with disappointment. But, he's still faintly amused at how skittish his little mermaid muse is. It’s endearing.

Cole lingers, waiting for the boat to pass and waiting to see if Fuchsia will return for an encore. But Fuchsia appears to have had his fill of singing for the day, and Cole catches no glint of shimmering scales beneath the waters.

That’s fine, though. Cole’s seen and heard plenty enough today to work with…and daydream about.

...and besides, he likes to think he’s very good at keeping a seaborn secret.

[natasha-in-space]

What are your Headcanons for the rfa if they were fairytale characters?

This ask has certainly reawaken my childhood interest in fairytales and mythical creatures! It's always fun to play around with magical au's, so I had a lot of fun pondering over each respective character, and what role would they play in a fairytale setting. Btw, feel free to shoot me another ask if you were referring to actual characters from various fairytales, 'cause I have ideas on that front as well!

Yoosung

Unicorn. Now, this may seem like a very odd choice for him, but there's actually some reasoning behind it! Unicorns are often depicted as skittish creatures, who are actually very fierce at heart. I can't help but compare them to Yoosung in that regard, as he's often viewed as somebody who's a bit of a scaredy cat when, in reality, he is a person with a heart of gold who will fight tooth and nail for something he knows is right. Kind of like unicorns sometimes serve as protectors of nature and its many creatures in need of care. They are also deeply intertwined with healing properties, which fits right in with our boy Yoosung. Do I imagine him as a star-themed unicorn? Yes. Yes, I do.

Zen

Merfolk. Well, that was an easy pick! What could be more fitting for our darling star of the RFA than these beautiful and mystical creatures of the sea? Merfolk often symbolize individuality and independence, and those traits are very prevalent in Zen's life story. Be it through the tale of Ariel rebelling against her controlling father, or the tales of the sirens (which are different from mermaids but are worth mentioning regardless since they're often intertwined with one another) luring those unlucky enough to disturb their home waters to their demise, merfolk are mysterious and freedom-loving creatures. I can imagine Zen struggling to make a life for himself, as every human he meets falls for his beautiful voice and mesmerizing beauty... But, all he wants is to be seen for his skills and passions. There could be a very intriguing love story to be written about a merman Zen falling for a runaway sailor MC!

Jaehee

Faun. While fauns are creatures who are only depicted as men, we can bend the rules a little! This one's more of a biased choice of mine since I have a soft spot for fauns and their gentle nature. Fauns, similarly to satyrs, are half-human half-goat creatures, but they serve a distinctly different role from the aforementioned satyrs. While fauns are known for their occasional mischief, they are a symbol of harmony and balance between human existence and nature, and serve as protectors of the countryside and shepherds. There's something very sweet about imagining Jaehee as a reserved loyal faun slowly learning to accept that gentle loving part of herself and finding her own little community. I want her to create many delicious foods for the village she chooses to make her home and keep everyone's livelihoods safe and happy. (With occasional mischief of course!)

Jumin

Wizard. More specifically, dark magic wizard. It is simply way too fitting for his canonical fascination with the occult for me to overlook! Though, despite his affinity with dark magic, Jumin would use his powers strictly for necessary and good use. I could also see him being one of the most powerful mages in all the land, which is why he's also responsible for keeping the peace between every individual magic user. Could you imagine the damage a powerful witch or wizard could do if there were no regulations put in place? I see him also studying alchemy and potion-making in his free time. He is a responsible and wise wizard who's very in tune with his magic, but his status and power also keep him alienated from the rest of the world. Maybe a certain curious MC could help him with that? And yes, Elizabeth is his familiar.

Saeyoung

Dragon. This is another biased choice of mine because I just know for a fact Saeyoung is a huge nerd for dragons and has a dragon OC he loves with all his heart. To be fair, in some folktales, dragons do play the role of fierce protectors, loyal to those they hold dear and vicious to those who dare lay a hand on their treasure, be it in the form of literal gold or people they swore to defend. Either way, dragons are a force to be reckoned with, and it does describe our lovable but unforgiving redheaded on a pretty good level. Can you imagine? Him having to use his strength for horrible things, if only this meant his precious brother would be protected and happy? A lot of story potential for sure. I'd also like to imagine him having glowing dots on the underside of his wings that form various constellations. A reminder of his true gentler nature beneath all the blazing fire.

Jihyun

Phoenix. What could be more fitting for Jihyun's self-destructive devotion than a creature that literally sets itself on fire, only to be reborn again to repeat that very same cycle again? Not to mention the fact that fire brings a ton of very painful memories for him? He probably sees only the destruction his fire brings, overlooking the true beauty of it. Jihyun spends a lifetime neglecting himself and burning brightly for other people in his life instead of valuing his own tender heart. And, in the end, that's the exact reason why his fire hurt so many, despite his good intentions. But, phoenix's story is not one of loss and despair, it's a story of hope and renewal. I'm sure Jihyun will find his true strength eventually, and once he does, he will come out of the ashes shining brighter than ever before. Not for anyone else's gain but his own.

Rika

Faye. I quite like the idea of Rika being a faye with genuinely good intentions who was met with nothing but fear and loathing just because of who she is. See, fayes are known for their malice and the danger they entail for humans, especially children. It would certainly be hard to convince a bunch of paranoid and scared folks that you mean no harm. And, paradoxically, that's exactly what pushes Rika to eventually become the very same malicious and cruel faye everyone in her village claimed her to be. She abducts those she views as outcasts and brings them to her kingdom - a place where everyone can live in peace and harmony without fearing rejection or hatred. While faye can't lie... However, Rika is known for her extraordinary charisma and her elegant way with words. She can convince anyone to come to her side with one wave of her hand and just a tiny sprinkle of magic.

[gahlahadttv]

I wanna show my current plays OCs. This is Tyler and Holden Cockswallow. Yes. Cockswallow. The twins come from a long line of spellcasters, and attend the prestigious Cockswallower Academy, an occults only High School next to their house, founded by their grandparents.

Tyler Cockswallow is a fuck boy, he's an outgoing jock type, charming and friendly. He doesn't take much seriously. He never practices his spellcasting, he doesn't dislike magic, but he has more important things going on, like woohoo with whichever classmate catches his eye.

There's a cute merman he's into at his school, but then there's this really pretty Vampire who he would let take a bite out of him. Maybe it's some kind of narcissism, but there is also something about his own brother that he can't get out of his mind.

Holden Cockswallow is the Zen Guru of the family. He found that tools like meditation and yoga helps him connect to his spellcaster legacy on a deeper level. He owns and operates his own occult shop after school, and frequents the yoga studio in the middle of the night. When people ask how he is never tired, he always attributes it to his meditation and being truly grounded, he does however not disclose that he goes through a dozen Potions of Plentiful Needs a day.

Holden is more of a free spirit, going with the flow and seizing opportunities that present themselves. He doesn't care what people think about him, he just wants to make the most out of life and won't let peoples judgements stop him.

[voidishsims]

up-to-date post for all sims in my Byoga Legacy, their relations and characteristics! ♡

GEN 1

🪦 Ichika Byoga, she/her | legacy founder | neat, gentle, city native

🪦 Kate Byoga, she/her 🏳️‍⚧️ | Ichika's wife | vegetarian, determined, homebody, master mixologist

Rae Seong, she/her 🏳️‍⚧️ | Ichika's godmother | loves outdoors, loner, creative, freelance botanist | vampire

GEN 2

Taro Byoga-Ito, he/him | Ichika's first child | vegetarian, loner, perfectionist, zen guru | merman

Luiza Byoga-Hecking, she/her | Ichika's second child | vegetarian, child of the islands, hot-headed, beach life

Alexandria Hecking-Byoga, she/her 🏳️‍⚧️ | Luiza's wife, adopted daughter of Brant and Brent | animal enthusiast, daydreamer, diffident, soulmate

Kiyoshi Ito-Byoga, he/him | Taro's husband | adventurous, romantic, arrogant, extreme sports enthusiast he's an npc from snowy escape, i dont think i changed anything about him but the looks

Koji Byoga, he/they | Ichika's third child overall, the first child she had with Kate | high-spirited, music lover, mean, platinum artist

Lucy Hecking, she/her | Koji's fiancé and Alexandria's adopted sister | lactose intolerant, socially awkward, melancholic, painter extraordinaire

Joaquin Byoga, they/them 🏳️‍⚧️ | Ichika's fourth child overall, the second child she had with Kate | music lover, reserved, inner peace

GEN 3

Gabriel Byoga, he/him 🏳️‍⚧️ | Luiza's and Alexandria's son | animal enthusiast, overachiever, nerdy, mt. komorebi sightseer

Jacob Byoga, any pronouns | Gabriel's spouse | maker, family-oriented, determined, lord of the knits

GEN 4

Kailyn Byoga, she/her | Gabriel's and Jacob's adopted daughter | squeamish, romantic

[coolkat122]

The Boy From Before: Merman Zen x Reader Part 2

The Boy From Before: Merman Zen x Reader Part 2

Fandom: Mystic Messenger

Character: Zen

Setting: AU

Requested?: Well, part 2 kinda was if you want to count people asking for one as a request?

_____

"It's you, you finally returned"~

He said that with a relieved smile and sincere eyes which was creeping me out, why was some random stranger so happy to see me? Why does he act as he knows me?

These were the questions running through my mind and more as I studied the man before me, taking in every detail in hopes that it might help me figure out why he was so happy to see me...and why he was so familiar looking?...

Long silver hair that stopped around his mid-back, crimson red eyes, these were all things that seemed very familiar, I've seen them somewhere before...

Oh my god! How did I not realize it sooner!

Overwhelmed with joy among other emotions upon seeing him again after so long, I jumped him and pulled him into a hug as I cried.

Upon touching him I felt this weird feeling surging through me, I don't quite know how to explain it but things became clear and the pain I've been feeling for so many years just kinda faded away.

It felt nice.

"I'm so happy to see you!" He wrapped his arms around me returning the embrace and for someone that was just in the cold water with me, he was surprisingly warm and.... naked.

Why was he naked? Like I get probably not wearing a shirt cause beach, not many do but he's not wearing ANYTHING! He's stark naked.

And I can um, I can feel his friend touching me.... I pulled out from the embrace and backed away blushing as I tried to ask him why he was... naked.

"Huh?" He looked confused before coming to some kind of realization, "oh, I..it's a long story" he clearly didn't want to talk about it so I dropped it for now (but I'm sure it's something I will be bringing up again sometime in the near future). 

"Alright...then answer me this..where have you been all this time?" His face changed, it held guilt and sadness, his eyes shifted away from mine.

"My family moved... it was all so sudden so I didn't get the chance to say anything...I resented that I didn't get to say goodbye to you,but" They moved? Why did his family move so suddenly?

"The first chance I got, I came back here in hopes to find you, I come here every day and night till I could finally see you again" I felt weird hearing that he really returned here just to see me again.

Though it was a good kind of weird, it felt like I mattered to someone like really mattered to them and that feeling was nice if still not a little weird from it being such a long time since I last felt that way.

"I'm happy that I got to see you again..." Shit, I can't remember his name, ugh damn it. I feel like such shit forgetting his name like this.

"It's Zen," Zen said smiling, I mentally repeated it nodding my head before saying mine.

"I know, I never forgot it" His eyes shone brightly, "I never could nor did I ever want to" I must have at some point became easy to drive to tears. 

Because hearing that Zen never forgot my name on top of waiting all this time just to see me was getting me all emotional, for so long ever since my Dad got Alzheimer's and I had to stay with my Aunt. 

I started feeling like no one cared, my Dad was forgetting me, my Aunt wouldn't let me see him anymore, my last memory of him was when I last saw him at that place. 

He looked so lost and scared, that was the first time I've ever seen him scared in my entire life, he was always such a strong man even when he found out he had Alzheimer's, he still kept on the act that he wasn't scared, I remember that it pissed me off that he was doing that because it made me think he wasn't taking it seriously. 

It had never occurred to me that he was just trying not to worry us and that it did frighten him more than he was letting one, again I could only think about how I felt and how I thought he should be going about things, I was so selfish, I think I only got worse when my Aunt took me to see my Dad and he didn't even recognize me, his Alzheimer had gotten that bad.

After that day she stopped taking us to see Dad, she saw how badly it affected me that he had gotten to the point of not even remembering us, that she feared it might hurt me even more if we continued. 

I'm only now coming to realize all of this or at least considering that maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought I was but why now am I thinking like this?

I don't know why my way of seeing things changed so suddenly but I'm glad it did even though with this nice view comes with a new realization on just how terrible I've been.

This is a much worse feeling, realizing how you've been shutting people who only wanted to help you, out of your life, and blaming them for things that weren't any fault of theirs. 

I can't believe I was like that and I can only imagine how my Brothers must have felt, they didn't just lose a dad but their sister as well.

As I thought more and more about how awful I've been, and how I could make it better, I felt Zen's warm hand on mine and felt that weird feeling from before and I started feeling better again, I wanted to feel this way all of the time and never wanted it to go away.

"Are you okay" I nodded my head in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I better get back home soon" I can't make things better if I'm here and not there, where they are. 

"What! Why?" Zen's eyes became sad and I was hit with another wave of emotions, though this time it wasn't those positive ones but sadness. 

"I have to get back to my family, I've got a lot to apologize for...I've been a real B-word to them Zen" That felt like an understatement to me, I was worse than just a B-word, I was practically hell to them.

Making things harder for everyone then they had to be and I wasn't one just to my family but to my poor friend Yoosung who let me live with him and was so kind to me...even when I didn't deserve it. 

"Even to Yoosung who has been nothing but a good friend, I don't know why he even let me stay with him" I don't think I would have put up with me the way Yoosung has, I doubt anyone in this world would have either.

"I see..." Zen looked upset but the emotion didn't stay long, it was soon replaced with a hopeful and cheerful light in his eyes as he suggested an idea. 

"I could come with you! It would be nice for me to see more places" I wasn't sure what to say, should I say no? He's a grown man I can't tell him where he can and can't go but I don't think bringing him back is the best idea.

Where would he stay? I don't own the place, Yoosung does, it's his apartment and there's barely any room for the two of us! to bring Zen there, I just... I just don't see where he's going to stay.

"Zen... I'm sorry... you can't but now that I know that you moved back here I can come to visit when I can and if you give me your number I can call you" The hope and cheer left as the saddening look return but this time with confusion as a company. 

"I...I don't have a number"  Zen struggled to say. 

"Oh.. well then I'll just visit when I can" I stood up and quickly averted my gaze to keep from looking at his bottom half. 

"O-okay..when do you think you'll be visiting?" I shrugged, I don't know when I'll have the time to, it's not like it cost much to travel here but that's not the problem. 

Me finding the time is, I didn't even have time for today but that didn't matter since....well just since, and let's let that sentence remain unfinished, I'm sure it's clear where I was going with that anyway.

"I'm sorry Zen but I don't know, hopefully not long, I really would like to see you again soon" I used my left hand to rub my right elbow, sighing. 

"I really do need to go back and apologize for my behavior, see if I can fix things and try to be better" Zen rose up and stepped toward me a tiny bit.

"I don't see why that means I can't come?"  He sounded confused like he honestly didn't understand.

"Well there wouldn't be any place for you to stay and I have to leave as soon as possible if I want any chance of getting back before I miss work" Even then my chances of getting there on time are slim but with a little luck it probably won't be too late.

"Which speaking of I should go now, it was nice seeing you again Zen, I'll try to be back soon" I gave him a quick hug before rushing off for a payphone.

My cell is definitely a no go after the stunt I just pulled.

🌊🌊🌊🌊

Well, I didn't find a payphone (honestly what did I expect?) but I was fortunate enough to come across someone who lent me theirs, I called Yoosung and told him where I was. 

He, of course, was wondering why was I back in my old hometown and why hadn't I said anything about going but I told him, I'd explain everything once he picked me up.

With how terrible of a friend I was, I was surprised he agreed to do it, I honestly called him in hopes he'd do it but didn't expect that he would.

I was filled with relief when he said he'd be on his way, I gave the phone back to the person and went to the place I told Yoosung to pick me up from.

It was going to be a while so I ended up falling asleep as I was waiting.

The dreams I was having as I slept was very weird, it was tonight's events but it was slightly different, as I was drowning, feeling helpless, and having last-minute regrets. 

I saw Zen swimming towards me but that's not what was weird it was that he had a fishtail like a mermaid or something, why would I dream that he was a merman?

I've never really given any thought to mermaids or the likes before in my life and I don't see how what happened tonight would influence my dreams like this, but yet here I was dreaming about Merman Zen and receiving CPR from him...what a weird dream to have...

[arielle0808]

Songs of the Shore

Here comes the second chapter of the the merman Zen AU :3

I really hope you like this one. You can also read it on AO3.

Thank you for reading <3

As expected, they were already waiting for me and urged me to get ready as quickly as possible to go to the dinner. Jumin Han had prepared a too-lovely grey dress for me, shoes, and even a necklace, pendants and a suggestion for my hair. I frowned. I had a shower and went out of the room with my average and comfortable jeans and hoodie, but the two men made me change again and put on the clothes Jumin Han had bought. I wanted to kill them both, but obliged. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to walk with the high heels, but I managed, somehow. I looked at myself at the mirror and blushed. Wow. I guess I was kind of pretty. I put on my lenses, but didn’t make up, I wasn’t going to go through that. Besides, I would lie if I said I had brought some with me. I went down stairs and they looked at me, widening their eyes at how I looked. I sighed.

“Happy?” I asked.

Jumin Han offered me a hand and helped me down the last steps.

“You look splendid, Yuuki.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Why are we making such a fuss of a dinner?”

I looked at them. They were wearing expensive suits and by the way their hair looked I guessed they had spent more time in front of the mirror than I have my whole life.

“We want you to meet someone, little flower,” the painter told me.

I wanted to cry. I was not ready to meet other human beings during dinner. I pouted.

“You should have told me first!”

“I beg your pardon, Yuuki, but I think you should meet her,” Jumin Han insisted.

I kept on whining and complaining as they got me into the car, but got to silence me feeding me chocolates. Seriously, I looked like their pet.

We arrived to a fancy restaurant with fancy waiters and fancy people. I was surrounded by fancy men and pretended to be fancy too, but stepped and would have fallen on the floor if Jumin Han wasn’t a man of quick reaction.

“Are the shoes uncomfortable?” he asked.

“It’s not the shoes, it’s me,” I confessed, sighing.

We sat on a table and a beautiful woman in a red dress appeared in front of us. They introduced her to me and I felt like dying right there and then. She turned out to be the director of the most famous music magazine in the country, which had the best and most serious reviews and for which the best critics wrote. I felt my mouth opening and falling and didn’t know what to say. Ultimately, I freaked out when Jumin Han took out of his bag one of my essays and gave it to her.

I kept on speechless the rest of the dinner. On the one hand, I wanted to cry from embarrassment. I don’t usually like showing my work to people I’m not acquainted with without preparing myself first and reviewing the article a thousand times. On the other hand, it was an unbelievable opportunity to work for the best magazine in the country if that woman liked the best essay of my short career. But I couldn’t help being somehow angry at the two of them. They should have told me first.

I nodded at every single word the woman said to me before handing the paper beck to me and OBVIOUSLY saying that they couldn’t publish this review. Nevertheless, she told me it was surprisingly good for a girl who had just finished her first year in the degree and she couldn’t wait to read my work after finishing it. Thus, the dinner ended and I didn’t even enjoy a single bite of the fancy delicious food of the fancy restaurant.

I spent the way back to the house in silence, holding back tears of embarrassment. Jumin Han and the painter kept on talking all the time, pointing out what a great success the dinner had been and asking me why I was so quiet. I rushed out of the car when we arrived and took off the shoes, feeling my feet singing Hallelujah.

“May I ask you why you seen so unsatisfied?” Jumin asked.

I looked at him, angry.

“It was the most embarrassing thing ever!” I yelled at him, taking off the necklace and the earrings.

“You didn’t expect she was going to publish your article, did you?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I couldn’t expect anything!” I exclaimed, leaving the jewellery on the table. “Because I hadn’t been informed of the fact that you had got one of my essays and that you were going to give it to one of the most important people of the field!”

“I thought it was going to be a pleasant surprise,” Jumin Han said, confused.

“Well, you were wrong,” I replied, feeling my eyes watery.

Jumin Han widened his eyes in surprise.

“I...”

“I need to go for a walk,” I interrupted him, going out of the building lifting my dress, which touched the floor without the high heels.

I went to the spot in which I had met the merman that afternoon, yelling at the rocks on the way because I had been so clever as to go out barefooted.

“Damn rock, damn dress, damn me, damn Jumin Han!” I exclaimed.

“Wow, princess, you seem stressed.”

“Zen!” I exclaimed, surprised to see the merman there.

I let my dress fall and if it hadn’t been dark already I would have noticed the merman bushing lightly.

“Wow, you look beautiful in that dress,” he said.

“I know, right?” I replied sarcastically, sitting on the shore and embracing my legs, burying my face between them.

I had wanted to be alone, but surprisingly enough I didn’t mind Zen’s company. He seemed to have noticed my mood, so was quieter than that morning. He approached me and touched my hand, hesitantly. I looked at him and intertwined my fingers with his, making him blush in surprise. I don’t know if it was his natural beauty, the moonshine in his silver hair, the way his scarlet eyes looked at me, or the cup of wine I had had during the dinner, but I thought I had never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

“Can I ask you why you look so down?” he said.

I told him what had happened at the dinner and he seemed to understand.

“He was an asshole,” he concluded.

I sighed.

“Actually, he was not, he just made a mistake not telling me in advance.”

“No, he was a jerk and you should never see him again.”

“Zen, calm down your tail,” I replied.

“What kind of relationship do you two have anyway?”

“Jumin Han and I?” I asked, surprised. “He’s my friend.”

“Yah, sure, does he think the same?”

“Of course he does. Why do you ask?”

He snorted.

“Because I know you humans are not like mermen who find a mate and love them forever, but have different relationships and even have sex with people you are not compromised with, so maybe that human wants something like that,” he crossed his arms on his chest.

“And how do you know all that?” I asked, raising my two eyebrows because I don’t know how to raise only one.

“Because I’ve been in those kinds of relationships with other human women,” he replied, blushing, annoyed.

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Of course, babe, every time a woman saw me, she inevitably fell for me.”

“And if you’ve done that why does it bother you that Jumin Han wants to do the same thing to me?” I asked, really puzzled.

He startled.

“Well, you didn’t fall for me when you saw me,” he replied somehow annoyed. “So I guess you’re a girl who is more attracted to personality that physic and that’s why I don’t want a jerk to take advantage of you.”

“That’s right, I don’t care about looks,” I replied, surprised at his logic. “But still, Jumin Han doesn’t want anything like that with me, as well as I don’t with him.”

“You say that, but all men are sharks.”

“That’s silly. I’m living alone with two men right now and I feel save.”

“You’re living alone with two men!?!” he exclaimed.

At that moment, I heard Jumin Han’s voice calling me.

“I should go,” Zen said. “I shouldn’t be seen by humans.”

“I’m a human,” I replied, raising my hand, but at that moment, the merman disappeared in the water.

“Yuuki, here you are,” Jumin appeared in the cave.

“Hi, Jumin Han,” I said, almost forgetting that I had been mad at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, reminding me I had been mad at him.

He sat next to me and I looked at him.

“It’s okay, I understand you didn’t have bad intentions. I just hope you realise I’m quite introverted.”

“I do now, I’m sorry.”

“I say it’s fine now,” I insisted, lying on the sand.

He looked at me, still unsure.

“Can I do something to compensate?” he asked.

“There’s no need.”

“But I feel I need to compensate.”

I looked at him.

“Then ask your super chef to prepare a nice chocolate dessert tomorrow.”

He smiled.

“As you wish,” he replied and I yawned. “We should go back now. You must be extremely tired.”

“I am.”

He stood up and offered me his hand to help me stand up too. I held up our hands and looked at them, surprised at the fact that I didn’t feel the warm sensation I had felt when I had held the merman’s.

“Is anything the matter?” he asked.

“Oh, not at all,” I replied, letting go off his hand and thinking it must have been a human-mermaid thing. We started walking towards the house and then I realised how happy I felt. “Hey, Jumin Han,” I called him, and he turned to look at me. “I’m happy we are friends.”

He smiled.

“Me too.”

[avistellart]

Merman!Zen

[lucienchol]

It's been a long time since I've drawn siren Zen, it's still really hard to draw anything human with watercolors (outside of just faces) but it was still fun practice.

[mermanthommy]

Caption this photo!!! I can’t think of anything this morning lol!!! - @mermanthommy Tail by: @mertailor @mertailormen - #temple #byodointemple #zen #relax #meditation #calm #peaceful #merman #mermen #mermaid #mermaids #flower #tropical #travel #hawaii #oahu #islandlife #beachbody #beachbum #gay #gaymen #gayman #gayfitness #model #mymertailor #buddha #buddhism #vacation #me #ootd (at Byodo-In Temple) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByK1WTZHD6K/?igshid=1n68dini7d6iu

[noelshipschunjoe]

@juminzenweek

. .

. Other than the fact i used lipstick to color zen’s eyes , it’s funny how I like the fish the most lol

[echantedtoon]

Ocean Deep Ch19 If You Love Something Then Let It Go

(Warnings: Mentions of Y/ns injuries and Koyuki's condition. Tengen has a nightmare in the beginning.

This is it folks. After this it's one more chapter until the story ends.)

taglist: @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan @camilo-uwu @hopefulworld1

@shadyd3ar @amypop122 @azuredragonstrike

@mimisweetz @chaoticoperatorduckhairdo @staarflowerr @aleee-386 @summrwalkr

@nicora04 @miniverse-zen @heijihattorisgf

@lavender-moony

Remember if you want to be added to the tag list lemme know.

The  feeling of a long day despite it only being about noon was not uncommon but it did feel rather surreal as you sat there comforting the distressed merman wrapped around your waist and resting his head in your lap fast asleep. 

"You know he hasn't slept in over a week." Kyojuro explained to you as he laid on his back, his head using Tengen's back as a pillow. 

Hinatsuru and Makio combing along his tail and pulling at loose bright red and orange scales before tossing them onto the sand around you all. Unlike Sanemi who kept his promise to leave Kanae alone and left, the five lovers refused to let you go so easily. Following you and calling you back to join them until you relented and sat down on the beach allowing them to climb up around you and start huddling up. Tengen wrapped around your middle soaking your dress once again but at this point you were used to it by now. He fell asleep awfully fast as soon as Kanae entered the house with arms full of coconuts for Mitsuri. 

However Kyojuro's voice did have you looking at him in surprise. But it was a bit difficult to turn your head to look at him when Suma was grabbing at your hair carefully detailing it strand by strand in a similar way you've seen them do multiple times before. She gave an annoyed whine when you fully turned to Kyojuro whom looked up at you, the scars from when you found him still displayed across his body. 

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Tengen has been having trouble sleeping lately but lately he's been getting better."

"I suppose my yelling at everyone didn't help him."

"On the contrary you and those ladies did have a genuine right to be angry." He jumped as Makio just yanked out an ingrown scale that had been causing him annoyance for a while before scrunching her face at it and just throwing it somewhere behind her. "Hhhhaaa." He sighed in relief melting into the sand below him. "Thank you, Sweetheart. That's been jabbing me forever."

You could only hum running your fingers down Tengen's hair as he gave a high pitched whine in his sleep and tightened his grip on your waist. He was still effected huh? You didn't blame him really. Not after everything that he was made to endure. He switched a worried brow in his sleep. A jolt making his tail curl a foot that caused most of you to look over at, especially when his sudden twist pushed Kyojuro suddenly off him and onto the beach sand with a soft thud. Twisting and thrashing became a new position for him as you were nearly knocked back when he rammed up into your torso but didn't thanks to Suma's hands grabbing your shoulders, but the sudden solidness being collided with him must've jolted something in his mind.

And two eyes of magenta opened wide. Pupils dialated. Sand sprayed when hands slammed into the ground and a creature of the waves rose with the speed of lightning.

"NNNNOOOO!!"

Voices echoed throughout the waters and bounced off rolling waves as it screeched it's pain. Lungs heaving for air from the sudden adrenaline pumping through his veins. Heart beating hard in his chest. Hands clutched onto grains of sand so hand it cracked into smaller pieces. Pupils blown wide in panic.

Where was he? He wasn't home. Home's not land! Where?...Where?..Where are-

"HINATSURU!?" 

Clouded  mind. Fogged by fear and panic.

"MAKIO?! SUMA?! KYO-OH?!"

Head turned on a swivel. Hands slipping on the sand and crashing face first half into your lap and half into the sand that caused his downfall. More grains being kicked out from where his body crashed into the ground. Loud coughs hacked out as he sat back up coughing and spat out foul tasting dirt from his mouth.

"Tengen?"

He jolted. Jumped hard and whirled around wide eyed. Five pairs of eyes stared down at him. Five pairs of very familiar eyes from five pairs of very familiar people. Still there. Still around him staring at him.

"Are you alright, Honey?"

The eyes stared widely silent at the spectators. Before his bottom lip trembled as tears weld up in his eyes and a choke escaped from his mouth that wasn't because of the sand. You blinked as Tengen automatically sought out the nearest source of comfort, which again was you as he once again wrapped himself tightly around you, burying his face into your chest, and the first sounds of muffled crying started. You all stared at him watching the powerful man shake in sobs wrapped up around you like you'd disappear any moment before your hands slowly found themselves placed on his back lightly rubbing his skin in comfort.

Nightmares.

That's what Kyojuro meant. Tengen was having nightmares. Night ares fueled by the traumatic experience they had all been put into. 

"Kanae, you're still planning on that escape the day after tomorrow right?"

You had been staring at the delicious smelling pie that Mitsuri had so nicely cut a piece out of and given to you for nearly ten minutes now. Long after Tengen had calmed down enough to let you go. Kyojuro thought it'd be better if they took him back home and made him sleep in for the rest of the day. It gave you a chance to change your clothes and get some food but for some reason you couldn't get yourself to eat. Only stare at the delicious smelling raspberry and coconut filled crust. 

"Shh." The woman in question put a finger to her lips and nodded. "Yes. My sisters checked on the boat earlier to be sure it was still there. I think we might actually make it out of here this time."

"Do you think this entire thing is still necessary? Sanemi was pretty honest with you and he did seem remorseful."

"Even if that's true, who's to say he won't change his mind again? Not to mention that we haven't seen any signs of any of the others since you told them off. Even if your friends are remorseful and Sanemi MIGHT keep his word, they might still be unwilling to let the others go. Let my sisters go." Her face turned to a small sad frown glancing at Kanao who Mitsuri was currently gifting another pie piece to. "Even if I cannot see our parents again, I will ensure my sisters will."

Even if you hated to admit it, she had a lot of good points again. If Sanemi could change his mind once then he could do it again. Not to mention all these girls had a right to go home. To go back to their families. They've been apart for so long. It wasn't right. Even if things between everyone got better, they still might be trapped here.

And as hurt as it made you considering, you still didn't want to live on an island like this either however you were unsure if your friends would be willing to let you go, especially Tengen in his state. So. You continued on with the plan as usual. Just two more days until you all would be able to hopefully go home. Hopefully be able to get back. 

The very next day you saw them all again early in the morning. Tengen especially looked brighter and happier than the exhausted and later frightened man you saw yesterday. He actually looked very beautiful. Laying there sunbathing on the rocks, and smiling half lidded at you from where his arms rested his head, Makio having yanked his bejeweled headband off to comb at his hair.

"Hmm. So my flashy wife decided she couldn't resist me any longer? I knew it was inevitable for you to resist our beauty for long," he flirted as you approached making you roll your eyes.

"No. I was actually wondering how everyone was doing. I just kinda feel bad for yelling at everyone." No you weren't. You were only feeling lightly guilty for yelling at your friends, not at Mr. Snake Leather Boots or the others for how they treated them. You were only asking about them to figure out where they were so Kanae's plan didn't have any problems. "So I wanted to apologize."

"Oh that." Tengen shrugged from where Makio roughly pushed him back down to hold still as she worked not that it phased her husband. Meanwhile Kyojuro had grabbed your hand and started pulling you towards him. "Giyuu was here a little bit ago but he left before everyone woke up. I have no idea where Obanai is but he was around here yesterday hunting or that pink haired battle obsessed asshole. He leaves for days at a time especially after I kick his ass."

"Honey, that's rude."

"What's ride is him giving my husband googoo eyes whenever he sees him!," Tengen barked annoyed. "He's got his own wife so he needs to leave Kyojuro alone!"

"Tengen, you know it's not like that! He just likes sparing together is all!" You were held close against Kyojuro's chest in a cuddling hug like it was just a casual thing. You let him not feeling like fighting him. "Besides you very well known that he isn't my type."

"Yeah? Well if he dates to stare at you one more time-!"

"So where's Sanemi?", you interrupted before he could start a long rant about how annoyed he was. 

"AH YES!! HE LEFT TO GO HELP HIS MOTHER!!," Kyojuro announced making you wince at the loud volume right above you. "With six siblings to feed, he left to go help their mother feed them all from the fish migration! But not to worry! He's due back next week after he makes sure his family's taken cared for! You can express your apologies to him then!"

You winced rubbing at your ears. Ouch. You'd never get used to that. "Fish migration?"

He nodded. "Indeed. It happens every time a full moon comes along. The waters shift and the fish are attracted to the tides. It's a good time to go hunt! I'm getting Senjuro some of his favorite bass tomorrow night."

"Oh." You pretended to be surprised by it before quickly changing the topic to avoid any suspicion. "Kyojuro, you told me you had a little brother. What's he like?"

He blinked surprised at you. "You'd like to hear about my family?"

"Sure. I might meet them someday so tell me about them."

He lit up brighter than the sun. "GLADLY!! My mother's name is Ruka and my father is Shinjuro! They live just the next island over!"

Well that was a long time listening to him spout on about his family, but you didn't mind. He looked cute talking about his family and seemed so excited that you thought about wanting to meet them one day. You did mean it a bit. You would like to meet them one day, but under different circumstances. 

You reported your findings back to Kanae. Tengen and his partners were planning on going out hunting, Akaza and Sanemi were going to be gone for a few days, and Giyuu and Obanai were still around but considering they haven't been around yet it's safe to say they'd continue to keep their distance and probably go out hunting too.

Everything was set in motion. However you weren't really expecting something Kanae hadn't mentioned but something she had planned anyways.

"You want all of us to do what?"

You all had just gotten up and most hadn't even fully woken up yet. Mitsuri hadn't even braided her hair yet and Shinobu tiredly blinked like her brain wasn't processing yet what was going on. Kanae however had gotten up bright and early and stood before you all, behind her on and leaning against the table was brooms, mops, and other cleaning supplies taken out from closets and pantries. 

"We're going to deep clean, reorganize, and rearrange everything in the house today?"

....

Everyone stared at her in some tired stare until Koyuki slowly blinked. "Um.. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought you said you were going to initiate the first part of your plan."

She nodded happily. "I am! This is a very important part of it!"

Kanao blinked as her older sister just turned around and shoved a broom into both hers and yours arms and you fumbled to catch it before you could drop it.

"Um..No offense, Kanae, but how is spring cleaning going to help us get back home? Are we supposed to just wipe out way over there?"

"Just trust me please. All of you!" She begged with pleading eyes. "I really thought this all through and I know this will help."

Everyone still stared at her longer until eventually Shinobu sighed. "Alright, Sis. I can't see how but if you think this'll help then we don't have any other choice then to trust you."

Kanae perked right up. "Perfect! Now then here's what I need all of you to do."

For the life of you, you could NOT see how deep cleaning and reorganizing anything and everything in the small house would get you all back home but you went along with it and went to help Mitsuri with the massive pile of laundry. And she did mean MASSIVE!! Kanae had Mitsuri being the one who carried out everything for a reason. She literally threw out every piece of fabric out of the house except for the clothes on your backs whether they were clean or dirty. Clothes, tablecloths, towels, whole pillows and futons, even what little curtains were still inside. Granted the house didn't have a lot of furniture inside to begin with so it would make deep cleaning the entire place a lot easier but still-

But you weren't expecting to be stomping around in a giant outside tub of soapy water with Mitsuri. Even though the house wasn't big with all the clothes Mitsuri suggested you all just throw everything into a giant wooden tub she dragged over from no where and then wash it all together. Sounded good to you. It'd be way faster. So here you both were. Sleeves and dresses rolled up high as you stomped around soapy water in the grassy area. Kicking up and stomping down blankets and washcloths and literally everything else fabric from the house. From the back door you could see Kanao literally wiping down walls...

Yes. That's right. WALLS of all things. And the ceilings as Kanae happily scrubbed down the floors on hands and knees humming a tune too herself only taking time out to turn back around and dunk the scrub brush back into the soapy bucket of water next to her before continuing. From what you knew, she was also having Shinobu wipe out the inside of all the cabinets and pantry as Koyuki was rewashing all the dishes before they put them back into said cabinets when Shinobu was done cleaning them out. 

You didn't know what Kanae was planning involving literally cleaning up the entire house from (literally considering that Kanao was now standing on a chair to reach the ceilings and wiping them down with a damp cloth and a second bucket of soapy water-) top to bottom. The only thing you could think of was possibly making it look like all of you weren't doing anything suspicious?? But you all were acting normal pretty much anyways so why the sudden neat freak level on cleanliness??

"What are you all doing?"

You jumped as a voice asked out and both you and Mitsuri turned to see a..Black and white stripped torso?? You both quickly looked up. There standing a few yards away from you both was Obanai. Ah. So the snake finally bothered showing up. He slowly blinked staring at the both of you as you stood there knees deep in soapy water and laundry. He didn't look angry or annoyed like every other time you've seen him, he looked more confused than anything really the longer he stared.

"We're deep cleaning today!," Mitsuri answered as cheerfully and smiley as ever. At least that was normal. 

"I see that," he commented leaning sideways to look past you both and into the house raising a brow. "Why?"

"Kanae says that it's better for Koyuki's health if she had a cleaner environment," you calmly answered repeating the excuse Kanae told you to repeat if anyone asked. "Right now we're trying to get all this laundry done."

Again Obanai blinked staring at the women working in front of him, tilting his head curiously like a puppy but still not angry. "Oh."

"Well if you don't need anything else, we better get back to work. After this is all done we need to go clean up the fireplace and...and other stuff." 

He continued to watch for another minute watching between the girls inside and back at you (Mitsuri) doing laundry. He didn't look suspicious or anything. He actually looked curious. Guess mers didn't really have to clean their homes if it was underwater so it might've been just a culture difference. Eventually he seemed to get bored enough to go crawl further up the beach and disappear again. 

Huh..I guess in some aspects her plan actually worked.

"Y/n!! Come play with us!"

"Can't! I'm helping to hang up these things."

 It was nearly afternoon now. You and Mitsuri had finished the whole wash and rinse and wrung out parts of the laundry, leaving your entire arms and legs tired and hand begun hanging up the various items up on the low branches of the trees behind the house. With the breeze and sunlight they all should be dry by the end of the day. However a familiar voice called out to you and a familiar pod of merfolk were waiting for you expectantly.

"AAAAWWWW!! CAN YOU PLAY WHEN YOU'RE DONE!?," Suma called back loudly to you looking like a kid who always got told no. 

You shook your head. "Sorry. I promised everyone I'd help them clean today." Before you threw up a blacket over a longer branch smoothing it out. 

"Why? That house is in perfect condition! I should know. I own only the best islands." Ah. And there was the infamous Tengen bragging you were missing.

You rolled your eyes. "Kanae says it'll be better for Koyuki's health if the house was cleaner," you repeated the excuse, "I promised to help so I can't play today. Maybe later."

There was some more whining from Suma and complaining from Tengen about how his house was 'in perfect condition' and didn't need cleaning, but eventually they too went away to let you work. Well you weren't done with your tasks because as soon as you both were finished with the laundry Kanae handed you both sponges and asked you both to start cleaning up the windows because she was too busy deep cleaning the upstairs with Kanao, Shinobu could be heard cussing up a storm cleaning out the fireplace, and Koyuki needed to let her body have a break. Ok. More work for your sore limbs but you trusted Kanae's confusing plan.

You decided to take care of the outside halves while Mitsuri cleaned the insides. There really wasn't many windows, just about four or five so it wouldn't be long before you finished up and could finally rest. However you did spot a familiar black haired man bobbing in the water. Giyuu looked at the house then at you...You shook your head no. And then Giyuu promptly dunked his head back underwater and disappeared once again. Huh. That worked out you guessed. By the time all of the buckets of water were dumped out and you could FINALLY go have a rest inside, it was early evening. And you had to sit on the stairs because the two sisters and Mitsuri were taking all the furniture and counters to wipe them down so you could forget about a chair.

THUD!!

Shinobu cursed loudly from the kitchen area hitting her head on the top of the oven, busying herself by cleaning the inside of it as she was literally the only one small enough to fit inside to clean it out. ..You couldn't help but snicker a little at it.

"DON'T THINK I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!," her voice called back slightly muffled from being inside the stove. "SO HELP ME I'LL STUFF YOU IN HERE MYSELF!!"

"Give me a break, Shinobu. We've all been on our feet all day cleaning up a stupid house." You leaned back against the uncomfortable but very unusually clean stairs. Koyuki blinking and giving you a slightly worried look. "Kanae...Why did you subject us to this torture again? My feet are literally killing me. I scrubbed enough stuff to shave off a layer of skin."

SOMEHOW she was still smiling and happily wiped off a random vase only to place it back on the table she also thoroughly wiped down entirely. Thank the gods this place barely had any furniture. Most of the long cleaning process was just wiping down all the walls and ceiling for some unforseen reasons no sane person would do normally.

"Are you tired?"

"Exhausted!"

"Good! That was the entire idea!"

....Koyuki jumped as your head snapped up with a scowl the same speed as a striking snake. "WHAT?!" You pointed a hand at her. "Are you saying that you had us do this whole circus act just to make us tired?!"

"Yes!," she said still smiling. "Because if we're tired from cleaning all day, we'll have no choice but to go sleep and no one will want to bother us."

"Oh I get it! They'll not want to disturb us and think we're so tired we just fell asleep!," Mitsuri gushed. "You're so smart, Kanae!"

"You couldn't have just told us that beforehand?!"

"Where would the fun in that be?"

"Ok. Now I can definitely see how you and Shinobu are related!"

She only chuckled before gesturing towards the outside. "Why don't all of you help me bring in the laundry while my sister finishes in the kitchen? Everything should be dry by now and we'll be needing our futons for tonight."

Yeah. For the dummies you all were going to stuff under the blankets, in case Obanai got it into his head to peek in the windows or come outside. It'd buy you all a little bit more time and better safe than sorry as they say. And to be fair it was getting to be pretty late. Sunset has just started so soon the moon would rise and the tides would shift. Shift in the direction back home. Hopefully this would work. You hoped it did and yet-

You couldn't help but feel guilty about it. 

Everyone made remarks while gathering up the clothes from the branches fake yawning and saying-

"It's been such a long day. I'm tired."

"Let's all just go to sleep as soon as we're done putting away this laundry."

"Good idea, Kanao. I'm so tired I could hibernate until next winter."

"It's getting late anyways."

Didn't see anyone but you never know who was listening or if Tengen was nearby. Stage One of the plan was completed as soon as you all stepped back into the now unusually clean house. Stage Two involved dragging the futons and blankets back into place and then stuffing pillows, and whatever everyone could find under the sheets to at least look like the shapes of sleeping bodies. Stage Three was more complicated. You all would have to hide until the moon rose a little higher in the sky. And that was when the time to strike would be.

The set slowly set on the horizon allowing his sister the moon to arise and rule the skies in his place with her army of stars. Marching around her like some great guard battalion to protect her glow. The dark night settled all creatures to sleep whether it was the birds or tiny insects. Nothing but the soft breeze rustling through the trees and the sloshing of the lazy waves against the beach could be heard in the silent night.

Until the soft creak of a window slowly opening rang out.

The window creaked as it slowly swung open with a small pale hand pushing it out before quickly retreating back inside. Two lavender eyes peeked out into the deep wilderness darkness in front of her before slowly looking left and then slowly looking right. Disappearing back into the darkness of the house. 

"Psst! It's clear! Let's go!"

A pantry door slowly pushed open with a creak as both yourself and Kanao peered out from your hiding place just as Shinobu was starting to quietly climb out of the window facing away from the beach. A soft thud sound went off as Mitsuri dropped from the rafter she was clinging to and Kanae was already helping Koyuki out from under the table they were both hiding under. So far so good. Stage Three was getting out the window and sneaking to the boat. So far so good.

"Come on!," Shinobu whispered to Kanao gesturing for her to come here. 

You shooed the young girl forward. Helping to boost her up onto the windowsill as her sister grabbed her by the arms and literally dragged her out.

"Quiet now. We don't want to attract attention," Kanae insisted.

Kanao was the second one out being dragged out by her sister. Followed by you sneaking out the same way you did back at the Henya's barn, then Koyuki after all you helped her out carefully (Shinobu kept looking around wildly in case someone showed up), Mitsuri, and then finally Kanae bringing up the rear softly closing the window behind her to erase any evidence of you all exiting. 

The woman's pink eyes glared hard into the darkness surrounding them all. The abyss was dark, easily hiding a large creature in the night. However there was no creature to behold in the woods in front of them. Footsteps lightly made their way just to the edge of the wall protecting them from sight on the beach, peeking around just enough to glance at the silent waves and beach lit up by the moonlight.

The waters were empty.

Pink eyes exchanged looks with lavender eyes who nodded back to her. Pink and green braids swayed as Mitsuri knelt, allowing Koyuki to climb up securely onto her back, her legs tightly held by Mitsuri's arms. It'd be faster if they just had the strongest of them carry her. She took Kanao's hand firmly in her own, tightly so the youngest of them wouldn't fall behind. Casting one last look behind her at the other five women.

"Everyone stay together. Move as quietly as you can and keep up because we have to be quick. There's only a limited amount of time for us to accomplish this, and whatever you do don't make a sound."

Off into the woods you all went. Kanae in the lead, keeping a firm grip on her baby sister and Mitsuri carrying Koyuki like it was nothing right behind you bringing up the rear as the lot of you breached the treeline and began to run on your tiptoes through the woods. Animals sounded off all around you as braches creaked from your group pushing them out of the way, leaves crunched and sticks snapped under your feet, and you prayed that the night creatures would be loud enough to cover up your noises. Far away what sounded like an owl hooted out loudly just as a leafy branch smacked the side of your head. But the sting of that didn't stop you from keeping up with the three sisters in front of you, still running to keep up with their strides. Running and running and running for what felt like forever in the scary night, your heart pumping with each step after the other.

Until the sisters stopped suddenly. 

You ended up ramming into Shinobu's back causing both of you to fall over but thankfully no one else fell but Kanae gave you both a harsh look.

"Shush! We're almost there. It's just up ahead."

You both pushed yourself up off the ground and slowly approached the way Kanae walked. Approaching, approaching, approaching the treeline where the sights of more beach and ocean greeted you all. She stopped just right before the treeline, taking shelter right behind a big tree. Pink eyes narrowed as she scanned hard over the silent waters before poking out furthermore to scan up and down the beaches. Before she sent a nod back towards the lot of you and again you all moved. Now into the open where you could get a good look around the stretch of beach. The sand and nearby woods were littered in more old buildings. Some were collapsed in and gave the spooky impression of a ghost town. A shiver went down your spine at the moment it reminded you of the man destroyed boats back along the beach. Kanae finally released Kanao and rushed over to a certain old buildings side immediately starting to pull planks of wood and tossing them aside. Her smile lighting up the moment her hand yanked back a seaweed disguise. 

"It's still here!"

You watched wide eyed as she revealed the very tip of a lifeboat. All of you descended upon it like desperate trapped animals. Pulling away seaweed and garbage piled on top of it to hide it from view, and flipped the boat on it's side back onto it's bottom with a thud. It was a boat.

IT WAS A REAL GENUINE LIFEBOAT!!

A few oars rattled inside and cracked against one another as you all stared in awe. It was kinda smallish so it'd be a tight fit, but you all could definitely use it to get away from here.

"Well what are we waiting? Grab on."

It was heavier than it looked. The lot of you grunting and trying to keep quiet as you literally dragged it across the sandy beach and into the first few waves sloshing around your ankles. Two of you continuing to push it from behind against the waves and into the water further as everyone began hopping in, grabbing the oars and beginning to paddle against the current further into the ocean until the last of you jumped in and those who didn't have an oar reached over the sides and began using your hands to get you further away from the beach. Stopping when the naturally pull of the current started pulling the boat further and further away from the beach.

"We're going home! We're really going home!"

Kanae gave Mitsuri a look that said to quiet down. "Yes but we're not there yet. There's still a long way to go before we can be home free." She carefully placed the oar beside her as she looked out into the waters. "For now everyone keep quiet and keep your eyes and ears open."

She had a point. None of you were home free yet. It'd take hours to really get back to land so there was nothing else you all could do but sit there and wait as the tides pulled the boat farther out of the Islands view and into the night. The waters were calm and beautiful like the night stars as you all floated along the currents. It was oddly peaceful and you had a hard time keeping your eyes open eventually giving in to the calls from sandman and allowing yourself to fall fast asleep. 

"LAND!! I SEE HOME!! Y/N!! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!!"

You snorted being jostled awake by someone shaking your shoulders harshly. "WHAT?! WHAT?! I'M UP!"

Mitsuri grabbed your cheeks squishing them together before pushing your head to the side. "LOOK!!" 

You didn't process what everyone else around you was cheering about. Your eyes blinked in the darkness as your mind slowly processed what you were seeing... Slowly f/c eyes widened upon realization. Your eyes adjusting to the moonlight and darkness and seeing the approaching sight of-

"LAND!! IT WORKED! IT WORKED!! IT REALLY WORKED!!"

"Home? HOME! WE'RE HOME!!" Your voice shrieked out shaking yourself from Mitsuri's grip.

"Well don't just sit there! Everyone row!"

Like the eager land starved animals you all were, you obeyed Shinobu's orders. Oars slapped against waves and kicked up water as they were used to pushed you all further towards the nearest spot of land which was a line of flat rocks that lead to the shoreline. You could just hop on that and walk across from there easily. You were one of the ones who didn't have an oar but desperately used your hands to push yourself every further.

Hopes were high the closer and closer you all came.

You didn't notice the white mass fast approaching.

Your boat was about to collide with the rocks.

No one noticed the hands rising up to grab the boat.

Koyuki was the closest one. Crying happily being the longest gone and now finally being the first one to touch freedom after so long.

Until the boat lurched to a stop just a yard out of reach.

Everyone was lurched forward a moment gasping or yelling out at the sudden stop. Kanao nearly falling overboard into the water. What the heck was THAT?! Did you all hit a rock or something?! Heads peered over the sides but it was too dark. No one could see anything under the water. 

"What the actual fuck do you all think you're doing out here by yourselves?!

Everyone whipped around wide eyed at the raged filled voice and even more at the death glare that wine red eyes gave you all.

"T-Tengen?!"

[caldatelier]

Pufferfish's Zen Garden

I came around to find so fantastic thing about Japanese pufferfish lately. It can create sand circle crop for courtship so the partner will notice its kind of art and become attractive to them. In fact, Japanese Zen Garden is almost similar to pufferfish that it can rake the sand into the design.

[paixarina]

≡;- ꒰ 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 ꒱

“Gonna show you the Dope World.”

༊*·˚ BAE

≡;- ꒰ ALLEN SUGASANO ꒱

: ̗̀➛ groceries

: ̗̀➛ connect

: ̗̀➛ case 143

≡;- ꒰ YEON HAJUN ꒱

: ̗̀➛ are we unwanted?

: ̗̀➛ groceries

: ̗̀➛ masquerade

: ̗̀➛ case 143

≡;- ꒰ ANNE FAULKNER ꒱

: ̗̀➛ culinary chaos

: ̗̀➛ afterglow

: ̗̀➛ groceries

: ̗̀➛ case 143

༊*·˚ The Cat's Whiskers

≡;- ꒰ NAOAKIRA SAIMON ꒱

≡;- ꒰ YOHEI KANBAYASHI ꒱

≡;- ꒰ RYU NATSUME ꒱

: ̗̀➛ camaraderie

: ̗̀➛ into the milky way

: ̗̀➛ let it snow

≡;- ꒰ SHIKI ANDO ꒱

: ̗̀➛ bloom of sunflowers

: ̗̀➛ let it snow

༊*·˚ cozmez

≡;- ꒰ KANATA YATONOKAMI ꒱

: ̗̀➛ swiss roll

: ̗̀➛ love letter

: ̗̀➛ gifts for you

: ̗̀➛ black rose

: ̗̀➛ married life with him

: ̗̀➛ hoppin'

: ̗̀➛ only you

: ̗̀➛ kabedon

: ̗̀➛ your voice

: ̗̀➛ let it snow

≡;- ꒰ NAYUTA YATONOKAMI ꒱

: ̗̀➛ under the rain

: ̗̀➛ sharing a cupcake

: ̗̀➛ warm embrace

: ̗̀➛ merman's only friend

: ̗̀➛ gifts for you

: ̗̀➛ dearly morning

: ̗̀➛ hoppin'

: ̗̀➛ sick day

: ̗̀➛ sweet indulgence

: ̗̀➛ let it snow

༊*·˚ AKYR

≡;- ꒰ IORI SUISEKI ꒱

≡;- ꒰ ZEN GAHO ꒱

≡;- ꒰ HOKUSAI MASAKI ꒱

: ̗̀➛ purrfect birthday

: ̗̀➛ my sweet kitty maid

≡;- ꒰ SATSUKI ITO ꒱

≡;- ꒰ REO MARUYAMA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ squishy!

༊*·˚ Buraikan

≡;- ꒰ CHISEI KUZURYU ꒱

: ̗̀➛ solstice

≡;- ꒰ HARUOMI SHINGU ꒱

༊*·˚ VISTY

≡;- ꒰ SHOGO YAMATO ꒱

: ̗̀➛ shiny bouquet

: ̗̀➛ odd sweets

≡;- ꒰ TOMA HIKAGE ꒱

: ̗̀➛ maquillage

: ̗̀➛ ice cream

≡;- ꒰ AOI KUREHA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ shining star

≡;- ꒰ KANTARO MISUJI ꒱

: ̗̀➛ heartfelt

: ̗̀➛ valentine's birthday

: ̗̀➛ squishy!

༊*·˚ AMPRULE

≡;- ꒰ YEON DONGHA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ are we unwanted?

: ̗̀➛ obedience

: ̗̀➛ bittersweet

≡;- ꒰ BAEK CHUNGSUNG ꒱

: ̗̀➛ obedience

: ̗̀➛ treat you with care

: ̗̀➛ the mini plush

༊*·˚ 1NM8

≡;- ꒰ KEI MIYAMA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ a calm date

: ̗̀➛ coruscate

: ̗̀➛ closer with you

≡;- ꒰ ITSUKI ꒱

: ̗̀➛ hidden pure heart

: ̗̀➛ athenaeum

: ̗̀➛ closer with you

≡;- ꒰ ROKUTA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ just one bite

: ̗̀➛ closer with you

༊*·˚ GokuLuck

≡;- ꒰ YUTO INUKAI ꒱

≡;- ꒰ HANCHO ꒱

≡;- ꒰ RYOGA TOSA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ promise

≡;- ꒰ SHION KAIDA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ between us

: ̗̀➛ pet me, sweetie

≡;- ꒰ KENTA MIKOSHIBA ꒱

: ̗̀➛ i got it

[cactoons-blog]

“Merman master zen” the mandala I steal it from google images, I'm sad to admit that I'm not good at drawing mandalas 🤷🏽‍♂️💔😅 . . . . . . . . #art #cartoon #drawing #doodle #dibujo #caricatura #sketchbook #illustration #ilustración #arte #boceto #wacom #digitalart #merman #photoshop #seamonster #monster #traditionalart #sharpie #fish #zen #master #mandala (en Veracruz)

[shizy-chan]

Hello, yes, it's me! It's been a while uh? I'm sorry about that :( I still don't know how to do digital art (art in general) but here I am D: hahaa aanddd since is mermay I offer you mermaid (merman?) Zen :D wich obviously had to become tanzen. Yes, yes.

Actually, the two first drawings are 1+ year old, and were inspired in a fanfic called "The most expressive part" by lilypond8. It's unfinished and hasn't been updated in a long time, but I like it a lot :)

I really wanted to do a comic, but don't have a concrete idea so migght do a bunch of sketches about this and throw them to you (?) I hope you like it :)!

I'm also on Twitter at @ shizychan!!!!

Have a nice day :3