#a couple days late for MerMay but oh well

[mephsation]

THANK YOU, @soft-cryptids!!! I seriously can't stop looking at it. It's perfect.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2024 Day One Lights in the Sky

Knock knock knock. “Uh, hello?”

Anti started awake, instinctively zapping out a pulse of electricity. His eyes darted around the darkness of the room in the shipwreck. Nothing in sight. Because... of course there wasn’t. This was his... home. It was strange to think that still.

“Hello? Anti?”

Oh. Of course. It was Jack. That fool had been stopping by a lot. But Anti found that he didn’t mind it. That he... even enjoyed him swimming by from time to time. He was never sure what to say, but Jack talked enough for the both of them.

Anti uncurled his tail. The small room was cluttered with human junk he’d found on the ocean floor. He hit various items as he stretched, and quickly turned to right them all, putting them back in place. Then he peeked out through the makeshift curtain he’d put up in front of the doorway. It was a bunch of these long metal things that Jack told him were called ‘wires,’ nailed in place to hang from the metal doorframe. They tended to drift in the water, but he liked how he looked.

He swam out through the deck of the ship, down a set of... what was the word? Right, ‘Stairs.’ Down a set of stairs and out through a hole torn in the bottom of the ship’s hull—which was now the side entrance, with how the ship was tilted sideways. He peeked his head out... and saw Jack peering back into the shadowy interior or the ship. “Anti!” Jack grinned.

“...What’s it now?” Anti asked slowly. “You don’t usually show up this late.” It was clearly night outside, the water inky black.

“You don’t remember?” Jack blinked. “I told you about it last week. There’s something happening up on the surface!” His tail swished excitedly.

“Oh.” Anti searched his memories. Yes, Jack did mention something like that. “Something... rare, right?”

“Very rare!” Jack nodded. “I only know about it because I found some old star charts. I’m guessing that this is something that happens every few decades in this area. So I don’t want you to miss it by hiding out in your ship all night.” Sam peeked out of his bag, staring at him with her big fish eyes. “See? Even Sam wants you to come!”

Anti thought about it. Did he want to go somewhere with Jack? Up to the surface, where there could be humans waiting to pounce? This could be a trap... but by now, he should know that Jack wasn’t the type to trap him. He was... foolishly open. And... kind. He wouldn’t do something like that. So Anti took a deep breath, gills fluttering, and swam out into the open.

Jack did a couple somersaults in the water. “Let’s go let’s go let’s go!” He started swimming up to the surface, Anti following him silently.

They broke out from the water, and Anti looked up into the night sky. He didn’t often come up to the surface. But he’d never forget those tiny dots of light in the black expanse. The stars. They looked like... well, he didn’t have any words to describe what they looked like. They... glimmered.

As Anti stared up at the sky, he saw a bit of light shoot across its expanse. He blinked in surprise. “What was that? Did you see that?”

“Yes yes yes!” Jack looked at him, eyes wide enough to reflect the stars above. “That’s it! The sky streaks!”

“Sky streaks?” Anti stared up at the sky again. He saw more lights dart past. “I-it’s like... like the stars are falling.” His eyes widened. “Are they falling?! Are they going to hit us?!”

“No, they’re not,” Jack explained. “I’ve found records of things falling from the sky in old cities in the deeps, but not linked to these sky streaks. They’re just lights.” He stared up at the sky, smiling. “Look, there are more and more showing up!”

Anti looked up again. Indeed, more and more of the sky streaks were appearing, lines of bright light against the darkness. He tried to track them with his eyes but they were too fast, so he gave up and just watched, his jaw slightly open in awe. Unbeknownst to him, Jack was turned towards him, his head tilted thoughtfully to the side. These sky streaks were amazing, but Anti was staring at the sky like he’d never seen it before. “It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Jack said softly.

“Incredible,” Anti agreed. “It... doesn’t hurt.”

“Doesn’t hurt?” Jack repeated in confusion.

Anti stiffened. “Shut up. Forget it.”

“I-I can’t, really,” Jack said. “Do you... mean that... the sky hurts you?”

Anti didn’t answer for a moment, head still tilted upwards, though he kept an eye on Jack out of the corner of his vision. “Light... is not... good for my eyes,” he finally said. “It... hurts them.”

“...oh.” Jack looked back up as well. “That explains why you don’t come up to the surface as much. It’s always darker underwater.”

“...yes.” Anti nodded. “But... I like coming up here for this. This is... this is... I-I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Me neither.”

The sky streaks continued for a couple more minutes. Jack lifted up his bag, water inside, so that Sam could see, too. None of them said anything. They just watched as the streaks grew in number, bright lines of white and yellow across the black. Then they thinned out again, slowly, until there were only a few passing by every couple minutes. And then nothing.

“Is it over?” Anti asked.

“I think so.” Jack nodded.

Without another word, Anti ducked back underwater.

Jack started in surprise, then dove under as well. “Um... did you like it?” he asked, hesitantly.

Anti paused. Then he looked back over his shoulder and nodded. “Yes. I... I did.” Another pause. “I... like that you... told me about this. And... came to get me.”

Jack smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“...maybe,” Anti said. “I might not head out. But... you can... talk nearby. And I’ll listen.”

“You always do.” Jack turned and waved. “See you then!”

Anti ducked back into the shipwreck, heading back to his room. That was... that was really good. He didn’t mind that Jack kept showing up. In fact, he looked forward to it. This was a new feeling. But one he was coming to enjoy.

[faithfulcat111]

16, 25, and 30!

My bed. 90% of my writing gets done right there in the comfy bed.

Oh boy, do I! I post a whole-ton of edits, mainly photo editing, but I also video edit. I crochet, knit, cross-stitch. I used to draw and paint, but not so much lately. I also play a lot of video games. Read where I can, build lego sets. Cosplay, although that has fallen to the side in the last year. Mainly just use it for Ren Faire's when I can. I've dabbled in about a million other things, but those are what I've mainly done in the last couple of years.

My weirdest hobby, probably, is just building lists/spreadsheets/family trees. I do a lot of genealogical research which is wild trip. Let me tell ya, it is interesting when you can't find record of one of your grandmother's or any of her siblings existing (even though half of them are still alive), but can trace a particular line on another grandmother's side all the way back to the First Cruscade. One of these days I'm actually gonna info-dump about all the weird shit I've found so far in my family tree.

If I Fail You One More Time...

Actually gonna share a TUA fic instead of Stranger Things. Says a lot that I can still look back on this story with pride. I wrote it for the TUA Mermay event three years ago now, determined to make each chapter fit a day over an actual plot. It worked pretty well, I only missed a few days near the end. Still proud of it, I will say.

More Writer Asks

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing 23-29 May 2021

I’m so on the ball with this lately... >_> Sorry. Here’s this week’s roundup! May 23rd - 29th!

Remember to give your content creators some love! Be sure to join in on the events at the bottom! And remember to send in any new works you see or make next week!

~Mod Hel

Fanfiction/Snippets/AU Ideas:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb

The Preventer Calendar https://archiveofourown.org/works/31561295

Gen, Reader, Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner, Chang Wufei, Zechs Merquise, OC - Character

Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, Humor, Partial Nudity, Reader-Insert, Nudity, A teeny hint of TrowaxReader, Rating because of some gratuitous nudity on Trowa's side

Twelve models, twelve shoots, twelve different locations in the Ardennes, and all of it in two fucking days. Because Preventer couldn’t spare you their agents any longer than that.

Why had you agreed to do this project again?

It's all for the arts.

boxofhatebrains

Helping Hand https://archiveofourown.org/works/31620146

M/M, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, Light Angst, Comfort/Angst, Minor Injuries, Implied/Referenced Blow Jobs, Not Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop Compliant, after series, Flirting, Not Beta Read, slight reference to Episode Zero, Swearing

Duo realizes that Heero comes around whenever he damn well feels like it. They’ve been in contact for the last seven years after the Mariemaia incident, but generally at Heero’s own whim. Duo stays in the same place, it’s Heero who gravitates.

This time is no different.

@duointherain

Silent Menace https://duointherain.tumblr.com/post/652120818915115009/fic-silent-menace-11

1x2x1

Warnings: Mute Duo. Drugged and injured Heero.

Une always had the dark side of the job. She’d let others give out goodness, but bad news she owned herself. Duo had come to the conclusion that she was trying to take responsibility, trying to be a decent person. He could vibe with that.

@lifeaftermeteor

Touched by the Stars (Ch. 7) https://archiveofourown.org/works/26314657/chapters/77885468

M/M, Chang Wufei/Duo Maxwell, Chang Wufei/Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton/Chang Wufei, Chang Wufei/Quatre Raberba Winner

Explicit, Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, thar be porn, Dubious Consent, Aliens, Alien Abduction, Alternate Universe, mention of MPREG, everyone takes a turn with Wufei, alien anatomy and interesting dicks, Tentacles, Monster Boys, Slime, Double Cocks, Cum Inflation, Knotting, Oral, multiple dicks, Xeno, Spitroasting, Oviposition, Body Modification, Polyamory, Unbirthing, Triple Penetration, Cervical Penetration

University instructor Chang Wufei didn't even believe in aliens, much less intentionally attract their attention. But that doesn't mean much when they decided he'd be the ideal final mate for their group and scoop him off of the planet to take home to their queen. Enjoying him on the trip there, of course. 

@noirangetrois

Of the Sea (Ch. 10) https://archiveofourown.org/works/12749670/chapters/78205124

M/M, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, fairytale my way, Meroctopus!Dorothy, Slow Burn, Multi POV, POV Third Person Limited, merman au, MerMay, Fantasy Politics, mentions of abuse, Unnatural November

Heero Yuy will soon be reaching the age of majority, at which time he will ascend the throne of Wingaria. Before such time, he must needs choose a bride. But what if there are no good choices? What if someone else has captured his heart?

The Story of Wrong (Ch. 8) https://archiveofourown.org/works/13849020/chapters/77856332

M/M, Duo Maxwell/Heero Yuy

Explicit, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Duo POV, Angst, Drama, Tragedy, Spoilers, very dark, Heero and Duo don’t die, I promise, Yaoi, slowburn, Mental Instability, Mental Health Issues, Mental Breakdown, If those are in any way an issue for you then go ahead and skip this, Eventual Smut, VERY eventual, this is mostly canon-compliant but I’ve changed a couple things here and there

Duo recounts his experiences during the war in order to explain… well, why he was wrong.

simulacraryn

love me like (tomorrow we’re) stardust https://archiveofourown.org/works/31458119/chapters/77811359

M/F, Treize Khushrenada/Lady Une

Treize Khushrenada, Lady Une, Original Characters, Hot Dog (gundam wing)

Explicit, Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Angst, Near Death Experiences, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, unredeemable villain, Sex, Smut, consent is fucking sexy, Spoiler: He wore the Astro Suit at last!, Newtypes (Gundam Wing), no predators or prey here, intact brains

The World Nation would face off against the White Fang to bring about an end to all conflict between the Colonies and Earth. The plan had called for the bitter end of the last bastion of the old regime, Treize Khushrenada. However, as with every play on the stage of war, the actors have chosen to adlib. Effectively throwing the course of history off the rails, the director finds himself faced with a new road to choose.

@zaganthi

Jiu Jie https://archiveofourown.org/works/31413956

M/M, M/F, Duo Maxwell/Quatre Raberba Winner; Treize Khushrenada/Quatre Raberba Winner; Treize Khushrenada/Duo Maxwell; Duo Maxwell/Hilde Schbeiker

Explicit, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Relationship Negotiation; Polyamorous Character; Quatre Raberba’s Uchuu no Kokoro | Space Heart; Aged-Up Character(s); Newtypes (Gundam Wing); Past Relationship(s); Jealousy; Awkward Flirting; Bathing/Washing; Cuddling & Snuggling; Museums; talking about feelings; Psychic Bond; Dealing with exes; Ex Sex; Colonists exploring earth

Hilde waved goodbye as she left and Duo went to look for Treize and Quatre. What the hell was wrong with him. His body seemed to be saying yes but his mind was definitely not in that space at all. What the everlasting hell was going on. He wanted to see her again but why?

Treize passed him a picture of tree frogs, apparently feeling the confusion as Duo half jogged through the aquarium to catch back up. What the hell. Just what the hell.

It took him a while to get there, but the moment he got close, Quatre saw him, beamed a happy smile and the link opened up with a rush and he was surrounded again in emotional warmth. It was addictive and a relief, and there wasn’t, there wasn’t any recrimination from either of them. Just run off and see an old flame, it’s cool, we’ll be here when you get back vibes.

Lebensmüde https://archiveofourown.org/works/31413278

M/M, Duo Maxwell/Quatre Raberba Winner; Treize Khushrenada/Quatre Raberba Winner; Treize Khushrenada/Duo Maxwell

Explicit, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Aged-Up Character(s); Quatre Raberba’s Uchuu no Kokoro | Space Heart; Newtypes (Gundam Wing); Preventers (Gundam Wing); Cameos; Therapy; Aftermath of Torture; Aftermath of Violence; Rape Aftermath; Physical Disability; Gratuitous Smut; Psychic Bond; Psychic Abilities; Domestic; Injury Recovery

Treize remembered the discussion of gunpowder residue on his head; it was one of the things John had been livid about after everything, and unable to explain any more than Treize had at the time. Seeing it written down… was something else. Treize closed the book over his finger, gently tapping it on his thigh as he looked up at Quatre.

“The first hot chocolate of the season,” Quatre said sitting down next to him, comfort flowing over the link. “I really wanted something sweet.” He paused. “I can feel something is…oh.” He noticed the book in Treize’s hand.

“Adding to the list of things we need to probably talk about,” he said quietly, contemplating it as he reached with his other hand to take the cocoa. “Have you written everything up?”

Fanart/Crafts/Photo Manips:

@2pcbart

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31618103

Recollect - Trowa/WuFei, comic style

@alphaikaros

https://alphaikaros.tumblr.com/post/651358650733150208/little-angry-boi

WuFei Chang, fanart

@bettertasting

https://bettertasting.tumblr.com/post/652303436314017792/something-spicy-for-the-dash-im-really-digging

Heero/Duo, fanart, nsfw

@bobo-is-tha-bomb

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/652089738925359104/%F0%9D%98%9B%F0%9D%98%A9%F0%9D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%B4-%F0%9D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%B4-%F0%9D%98%97%F0%9D%98%B3%F0%9D%98%A6%F0%9D%98%B7%F0%9D%98%A6%F0%9D%98%AF%F0%9D%98%B5%F0%9D%98%A6%F0%9D%98%B3-%F0%9D%98%9E%F0%9D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%AF%F0%9D%98%A5-%F0%9D%98%A4%F0%9D%98%A2%F0%9D%98%AD%F0%9D%98%AD%F0%9D%98%AA%F0%9D%98%AF%F0%9D%98%A8-zechs-merquise

Tallgeese, gunpla

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/652448694036316160/sd-wing-gundam-ew

Wing, gunpla

@judaru

https://judaru.tumblr.com/post/651257960922857472/im-20-years-late-but-ive-been-reading-a-lot-of

Duo Maxwell, fanart

@keiko1183

https://keiko1183.tumblr.com/post/652327422940807168/completed-with-pencils-might-be-doing-the-acrylics

Trowa/Quatre, fanart

@not-so-dead-fandoms

https://not-so-dead-fandoms.tumblr.com/post/651085636504272896/mermay-01

Heero Yuy, fanart

https://not-so-dead-fandoms.tumblr.com/post/651494132071661568/mermay-02-duo-as-a-betta-fish-merlad

Duo Maxwell, fanart

https://not-so-dead-fandoms.tumblr.com/post/652283083819810816/mermay-03-of-course-i-made-trowa-a-clownfish

Trowa Barton, fanart

@pineappleglazedham

https://pineappleglazedham.tumblr.com/post/651759824584966144

Trieze/Une, fanart, fanfiction, playlist

Photosets/Gifsets/Screenshots/Manga Pages:

@clair-audients

https://clair-audients.tumblr.com/post/652114120696594432

Wing & Altron, gif

@disturbed02girl

https://disturbed02girl.tumblr.com/post/617456995130294273/thoughtful-quatre-thursday

Quatre, manga page

@meggie-stardust

https://meggie-stardust.tumblr.com/post/652350439669547008/same-energy

Epyon is an icon.

Fandom Discourse:

@bobo-is-tha-bomb

https://bobo-is-tha-bomb.tumblr.com/post/651423437954433024/a-homage-to-the-reader-insert

Reader Insert Homage

@cuteciboulette

https://cuteciboulette.tumblr.com/post/652076342033170432/shinigamis-coming-to-town-d-duo-just

Duo Maxwell, doujinshi

Quotes:

@incorrectgundamwingquotes

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/652102805897805825/in-the-groupchat-trowa-why-tf-do-we-have-20

Trowa & WuFei

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/652356366558806016/heero-yeah-but-as-far-as-plans-go-this-is-not-a

Heero & Quatre

https://incorrectgundamwingquotes.tumblr.com/post/651830976331251712/duo-gesturing-to-heero-dont-worry-weve-got-an

Duo, Heero, & WuFei

Calendar Events:

@gundamzine

Rhythm Generation 2021

Meet the Mods: https://gundamzine.tumblr.com/post/636708854145613824/come-on-over-a-meet-your-2021-zine-mod-team-head

Check out the blog for the Zine schedule!

@gundam-wing-pride

Gundam Wing Pride 2k21 https://gundam-wing-pride.tumblr.com/post/648237909672083456/incoming-transmission-faq

A Beautiful Rainbow of Prompts https://gundam-wing-pride.tumblr.com/post/649898271517573120/a-beautiful-rainbow-of-prompts

@gwartserver

Month of WuFei https://gwartserver.tumblr.com/post/649995521569767424/month-of-wufei

Shooting Stars (online convention) https://gwartserver.tumblr.com/post/650013463432888320/once-upon-a-time-lifeaftermeteor-and-myself

@gwcocktailfriday

Cocktail Fridays!

Post responses on Friday, during Happy Hour between 3 & 5 pm in your own timezone.

Here’s the prompt for Friday, !

In need of Summer/Fall(Autumn) prompts!

(I’ll um... fix these when I have time to find more prompts.)

@gwlemonyshenanigans

May 23rd’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/651999227800600576/may-23rd-submission

May 24th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652131130827571200/may-24th-submissions

May 25th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652252350922342400/may-25th-submissions

May 26th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652312096032342016/may-26th-submissions

May 27th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652433653693136896/may-27th-submissions

May 28th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652434486286548992/may-28th-submission

May 29th’s Submissions https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652648408588353536/may-29th-submissions

Friday Spotlight! https://gwlemonyshenanigans.tumblr.com/post/652439213602684928/the-lastspotlight-friday

@oztober-rust

Welcome to Oztober Rust

We’re an up and coming Gundam Wing event with a slight twist! This page is still a work in progress, but you’re welcome to join us over on discord and get a feel for the event.

Have discord, will fan. https://oztober-rust.tumblr.com/post/647568110262566912/i-see-a-nice-and-steady-following-we-do-have-a

@seasons-of-gundamwing

Summer Event Voting https://seasons-of-gundamwing.tumblr.com/post/646220556727877633/seasons-of-gundamwing-okay-wingers-its-time-to

@thisweekingundamevents

Events Calendar https://thisweekingundamevents.tumblr.com/post/644080386309275648/events-calendar-update

If you are hosting an event currently, or are planning on one, hit us up with links and dates! We’ll add them to the Calendar and reblog your notices to get the word out!

[the-pav-archive]

Magicae Aqua- Magic User!Male Reader X Merman!Tomura Shigaraki

I know I’m a few weeks late for Mermay, but I wanted to get something done- Anyways, enjoy this little bit! It doesn’t make a ton of sense, but oh well Word Count: 3,043

Tomura Shigaraki hated the humans.

He hated that they took his family away from him. He hated that they so carelessly dumped things into his waters. He hated that they took all of his things.

And he hated that they were so easy to fall for.

Every few decades, a human would pique his interest. They’d have that spark that drew him in like crustaceans to an angler fishes lure. He’d invest his whole heart in them, and then they’d vanish just like that- Off with some other human, or too involved in themselves to even pay him any mind.

So he decided that he’d refuse to love them any more.

If he found a human that he had taken a liking to, he’d kill them.

And with tentacles as dangerous as he had, it was easy. He’d just have to pull them into the water, wrap one around their neck, and let his toxins do the rest. They’d be gone within a minute- Left to the scavengers and other creatures of the sea. He could take his time to admire the body if he really wanted to. Building the reputation of a killer amongst those in your environment helped sometimes.

It was a particularly bright night when he spotted his next target through the murky waters. They left a stream of bubbles behind them as they sunk into the water, swimming downwards too fast for him to take note of what they looked like for the moment. His tentacles undulated as he silently approached the figure, just barely floating above a rock as he observed them.

His clothing floated around him a bit, occasionally exposing smooth (S/C) skin as he rooted around in the water a bit. (E/C) eyes held a look of focus in them as he worked, and an excited gleam filled them when he seemed to have found what he was looking for. His legs kicked as he went a little bit deeper in the water, and he reached one hand up briefly to sweep his (H/C) hair back. Trails of bubbles left his lips, and he briefly looked around for a moment, eyes widening to an almost dramatic point when he noticed the jellyfish that was watching him. Almost immediately he ‘dropped’ what was in his other hand- several smooth, round rocks- taking just a brief moment to just observe before he did some kind of intricate hand movement, glowing lines crossing and swirling around his body as his lips moved. And just seconds later, he shot straight up through the water.

And thus began the game of pursuit. Tomura’s eyes lit up with an almost cruel light as he shot upwards as well, laughs leaving his lips and creating a tiny stream of bubbles.

The chase was always the fun part. Watching the fear in his target’s eyes as they try to get away, the horror in their expression when those tentacles wrap around their neck…..

It was glorious.

The surface was fast approaching, waves crashing up above and creating a spectacle of dark and light above. Tomura was within an arm’s reach of the man he was pursuing, and his grin grew even wider as he surged forwards, wrapping his hand around the man’s ankle and pulling tightly. The glowing lines surrounding the man abruptly disappeared, and he looked down, eyes widening. A stream of bubbles escaped his lips in a scream, and he spoke, voice able to be heard as clear as day. “Get the hell off of me!” His foot kicked, and he pushed upwards with his arms, fighting to get lose. The merman was taken aback by this a bit, and his grip loosened just enough for the man to be able to escape. And within seconds he was gone and out of the water. A low growl of sorts seemed to rumble in the back of Tomura’s throat, and he approached the surface, looking upwards.

The man that had escaped his grasp looked down at him from a rock ledge that hung over the water, panting heavily as he watched the merman in the water. He even backed up a bit, back resting against the rock face as he steadied himself a bit.

“Who are you to think that you can come into my waters and take whatever you want?” Tomura asked, eyes narrowing as that raspy voice left his lips. It had been a while since he had spoken above the surface of the water, and he realized another reason why he hated the humans so much- They had to breath this toxic air to even talk.

“And who are you to think that you own the entire ocean?” The man replied, frown gracing his lips as he gripped the rock ledge. “The waters are a place for everyone, sir.” There was a bit of a sarcastic bite in his voice as he continued to speak, reaching one hand up to run through his hair.

Tomura seemed taken aback by this response as well, and that growl rumbled in his throat once again. “I’ll tear your throat out if you step into these waters again.”

“Well, then you’d be killing one of the only things keeping you and your environment in the state it is right now.” The man sneered in reply. “So if you want the other humans to kill you and your domain off, then go right ahead, Jelly boy.”

Deep red eyes narrowing again, Tomura’s expression was still rather suspicious. He brought one hand up to scratch slightly at the skin on his neck, feeling that it had already begun to dry out a bit. “Don’t call me Jelly boy. I have a proper name.”

“And what is that? Jelly man? Water bitch?” The man replied snarkily, slight smirk gracing his lips. A look of smug amusement graced his features, one brow quirking upwards slightly.

“Tomura Shigaraki.” He stated bluntly, diving under the water for a brief moment before resurfacing. “I expect you to share your name as well. It’s only fair, since you’ve wasted part of my night.” “Your night? Most of my night’s now ruined because you had to fuckin’ chase me!” The man practically shouted, his own anger showing easily. He took in a deep breath, though, speaking again a moment later. “I’m (Y/N) (L/N).”

“Well then, (Y/N). Prove that you weren’t just taking my things.” Tomura said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Prove that you’re actually protecting my waters instead of just intruding.”

“They’re not just your waters……” (Y/N) muttered under his breath, brows furrowing in thought for a moment. When he finally decided on what he’d do he held up his hands, fingers curling as he began to mutter something. “Expugnando aquas maris creaturam tuam da mihi aequare!”

At first, nothing happened. But then those glowing marks ran up (Y/N)’s arms, and the water around Tomura shook a bit more violently. He was then lifted into the air, water surrounding his lower half as he was seemingly lifted to the same level as (Y/N). With an unamused expression on his face, Tomura’s head tilted to the side slightly. “And what does this prove?” “God, do I have to do something bigger to prove it to you?” (Y/N) grumbled, annoyed tone in his voice. He lowered Tomura back into the water, pressing his hands together in front of him as he squatted slightly. Those glowing marks crept up his arms again, and the (E/C) spoke again, voice holding a powerful tone in it this time. “Persona ostende te, abscondere. Pulchra tibi custodiam alterius diei!”

This time, the water began to shake more violently, turning darker. It also clouded up a bit, and what appeared to be old trash floated on the surface of part of the water. “This is how I make the water look to the people that come here. It looks undesirable. But if you go under, it looks just as it did before.” (Y/N) paused briefly, giving an almost expectant look to Tomura. “Go on. Look.”

Almost glad for the opportunity to dive back under the water, Tomura did as he was directed to do, diving under the surface of the water. The moonlight pierced through it, and he could see everything just as clearly as he had before. When he resurfaced, he looked up to (Y/N), brows furrowing slightly. “Alright. So, you can do magic to mask things. Why did you need those rocks that you were going to get before?”

“I require items from the ocean to do my work for it.” (Y/N) started, scooting to the edge of the rock ledge he was on and dangling his legs over the side. “Every so often, I go out and gather the supplies that I need. I do it at night, mostly, because people would know I did magic if they saw. And nowadays, most folks don’t take kindly to it.” He paused briefly, letting out a sigh. “I heard that there was a burning a few weeks ago just a few towns over. It’s like the Witch Trials all over again…..”

“Witch Trials?” Tomura asked, head cocking to the side in a confused manner.

“The Salem Witch Trials. Long ago, people would put people through terrible trials because someone accused them of doing magic. They’d be burnt at the stake, a lot of the time.” (Y/N) said, tracing his fingers through a little puddle of water on the rock ledge. He went silent for a short while, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks filling the void for a moment before he spoke again. “Anyways, I should return back to my home. The sun will be rising in a couple of hours, and I walked a long distance.” Standing up on the ledge, he turned to the cliff wall, grabbing onto a couple of small pieces of rock and preparing to hoist himself up as he looked back at Tomura. “I will return tomorrow night to get my supplies.” He paused briefly, beginning his climb upwards. “Goodbye, Tomura.” Tomura simply sat there as he watched the man climb up, sinking underneath the water moments later. He’d be there the next night, too- to watch the man and ask some questions.

Almost too soon, the next night came.

Tomura awaited the stream of bubbles that would signal (Y/N)’s arrival, eyes watching the calmly rolling waves above him.

Within a little while more of waiting, that stream of bubbles showed up, (Y/N)’s form entering the water. He seemed to look around for a moment, gaze catching Tomura’s. He visibly tensed for a moment before relaxing a bit, swimming to the same spot he had been searching the night before. Those glowing marks on his arms seemed to pulse, glow coming from them changing from bright to dark as he began to work on picking up the smooth, round stones.

The merman approached (Y/N) again, head tilting to the side curiously as he spoke. “What do you use those particular stones for?” “I enchant them and place them in the water near the shoreline of all of the beaches in town. When someone walks past them, it makes it harder for them to go further out in the water.” (Y/N) stated, putting several of the smooth stones into a container he had brought with him.

“Ah, so they’re a water barrier.” Tomura said, lips remaining in a slightly parted ‘o’ shape.

“Mhm.” (Y/N) muttered, nodding slightly. “They’re very useful. I have another variation of the same spell around my home.”

“Well, wouldn’t it make it harder for you to get into your home?” The merman asks, brows furrowing.

“No, it doesn’t.” (Y/N) answered simply, turning his head to look at Tomura. “As the spellcaster, it makes it easier for me to get into my home, actually.”

“I see.” Tomura states bluntly, backing up a bit so that his tentacles didn’t drift and hit (Y/N) while he was getting his stones. “How many more do you need?” “For the beach on the far side of town, I’ve got to get at least 12 more.”

“And right now you have….?” “7.” (Y/N) states bluntly, looking over to the merman briefly. He looks back down, moving a larger rock out of the way and grinning a bit when he found more of the small, round stones. “And there’s the rest of them!” Almost eagerly he picked them up, putting them in his container and sealing it shut. Turning to Tomura, he gave him a slight little smile. “That’s all I need for now. I’ll probably come back in a couple of days to get some more stuff.” He then gave an awkward little laugh, looking upwards. “Thanks for not trying to kill me this time.”

Tomura nodded slightly, brows furrowing a little as he spoke. “You’re welcome?”

(Y/N) simply let out a little giggle, looking back upwards. His fingers curled, and he began to perform the same spell of sorts that he had the night before, rocketing up and out of the water in a flash.

And so this process repeated for quite a while.

Every few nights or so, (Y/N) would return to gather materials and talk to Tomura.

And despite the fact that Tomura said that he wouldn’t fall for a human ever again…..

He did.

He had fallen hard.

Tomura waited patiently in the water at the base of that little rocky cliff, watching the moon as it rose overhead. And almost like clockwork, he saw (Y/N) appear at the top of the cliff. But instead of diving into the water like he usually did, he began to make his way down the cliff face, moving to sit cross-legged on one of the wider outcroppings of rock.

“Hey, Tomura.” (Y/N) called, a look of deep thought gracing his features.

The merman swam a little bit closer so that neither of them were totally shouting at each other, and his brows furrowed. “What’s wrong, (Y/N)?”

“I think they’ve caught on to me.” (Y/N) said, a frown gracing his lips. “Everyone in town has been giving me weird looks recently. And I think someone caught me placing some of the barrier rocks in the water the other day.” His fingers ran backwards through his hair, and he let out a sigh. “I’m going to have to do something. If I hide it all…..” “You could just curse them.” Tomura stated bluntly, moving to rest his elbow on a rock. He then rested his chin on his palm, head tilting to the side slightly. “I know you’re powerful enough to do it.” “But then that would give them even more reason to burn me.”

“Or you could come and live in the water.”

“The spell would wear off after a while.” (Y/N) stated, sighing again. Just as he was about to speak again he paused, tapping his finger on his chin. “I could try…. No, that would be way too risky…..” “Try what?” Tomura asked, eyes widening slightly as he looked up at (Y/N). “I could try a transformation spell. Turn myself into someone like you.” He said, gesturing to Tomura’s lower half. “But it’s too high risk of a spell. So many people have died trying to cast it before…..” Flopping onto his back, (Y/N) looked up at the night sky with a frown. “Well, casting it and trying would be better than just letting yourself die, right?” Tomura asked, seemingly straightening his posture a bit. “True….” (Y/N) stated, going silent a few moments later. After a short while of just listening to the waves crashing against the rocks, he sat up, looking down to Tomura. “It’ll be scary as all hell to try, but I’ll give it a shot. Being burnt alive doesn’t sound all too pleasant to me.” Upon hearing those words leaving his companion’s lips, Tomura’s eyes lit up. He’d finally have someone to talk to if it worked! His heart could’ve beat out of his chest in that moment- Had it not been for the fear that set in a moment later. What if the transformation didn’t work? What if the people got to (Y/N) before he could complete the transformation? Before he could let those thoughts run rampant, he took in a deep breath, looking back up to (Y/N). “Well, if you need anything in particular, let me know. I can find it for you.”

“I most certainly will.” (Y/N) stated, leaning over the edge of the rock ledge and looking down at Tomura. He took in a deep breath of his own, lips pursing in a straight line. “I better get going, then. I’ve got to prepare everything.”

“I wish you luck.” Tomura stated, giving a curt nod to (Y/N).

The thing that woke Tomura up wasn’t the light of the moon rising overhead. Nor was it some unsuspecting creature that had swam into his tentacles and woke him up with its thrashing. It was the sound of police sirens and shouting.

The merman shot up from where he had been laying on the ocean’s floor, and within seconds, his head breached the surface of the water.

Up on the top of the cliff, he could see the ever familiar form of (Y/N), and he watched as he flipped backwards into the water. Once in, a bright light flashed- And when (Y/N) resurfaced, he looked very different. On his back was a dorsal fin, and his teeth were like daggers in his mouth. And when he leapt above the surface of the water for a moment, a powerful tail was revealed.

He couldn’t help but grin brightly as he dove under the water, and he held his arms open wide as (Y/N) came swimming at him. He captured the other man in his embrace, bright grin on his lips. “Let’s get going, (Y/N).” He was so glad that he finally had him in his embrace.

And if anyone- or anything- got in the way of that?

He’d be killing again.

[parttimespellbinder]

Mermay day 6 ( for me) Best Buddy

So, i didn't upload yesterday cause i just wasn't feeling it but I'm back with today's prompt. So... here we go!!

Trident in hand, Dison made his way towards the surface, Syph and Cam following closely behind him. As his parents had been relatively calm for the past few days, it promised to be a fine day for sunning themselves. Though, ever the pessimist, Cam had opposing thoughts. “What if someone sees us, though?”

Syph scoffed at him. “That’s half the fun, Cam! The risk of being seen! Imagine! Seeing a real human? Or something else!”

“D-don’t other creatures...eat merfolk?” Cam asked.

Dison fell back and grabbed Cam around the waist. Cam responded immediately, wrapping his seahorse tail around Dison’s fins. “Hey, don’t worry about anything Cam. No matter what happens, Syph and I are here to protect you. And you brought your shield with you,” he noted, knocking on the large round turtle shell shield on Cam’s back. “In fact, that’s the only reason my parents have opened the lagoon up again. Everyone comes armed, just in case.”

“Of course, no matter how many armed merfolk there are, we might not be any match for what dwells on the surface,” Syph said softly into Cam’s ear. “It’s said that they’ve got powerful magic to counter ours, you know?”

“No way!” Cam said! “In my Human Studies class, they said that humans are incapable of using magic!”

Syph blew out a stream of bubbles. “I know you’re not used to being very fast, Cam,” he said motioning at his tail. “But don’t if you were any slower, you’d be netted. Humans not being able to use magic is the biggest lie under the sea! Everyone knows that!”

“Guess not since they’re still teaching it in some lesson,” Dison said. “My tutors always said that even if they can use magic, that’s not what makes them dangerous.”

“What could be more dangerous?” Cam asked.

Both Dison and Syph looked at each other and decided to drop the conversation. Realising that he wasn’t going to get his answer, Cam allowed Dison to carry him towards their destination. It was a secluded lagoon, where they already saw some other merfolk laid out on rocks, the sand or grass nearby, all of them enjoying the sunshine. Upon seeing Dison rise out of the water, there were many deep bows and greetings which made him blush but put a smile on Syph’s face. “My, my, ever popular as ever aren’t we Majesty?”

Dison punched Syph gently. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”

“Oh! That looks like a good spot,” Syph said pointing at a small island in the middle of the lagoon and going for it as fast as he could. At least that’s what Dison and Cam thought initially before Syph grabbed onto a large urn floating near the island and placed his entire body into it, saving his arms and head. He had a joyously relaxed expression on his face, as the urn floated off and he began making conversation with those he floated by. Dison shook his head as he and Cam made their way to the island. Dison took control of the waves so that he and Cam were swept right up against the lone tree on the island. There they sat all afternoon, with Syph or the other merfolk occasionally joining them to bask in the warmth of the sun and the company of the youngest prince.

“Hey...Dison?”

“Yeah? What is it Cam?”

“W-what would you do...if you ever met...a-a human?”

Dison didn’t take long to answer. After a couple seconds pondering he smiled and said, “I think i’d try to befriend them.”

“Why?” Cam asked. “No one ever says anything good about them. And all they do is compete with us for food and dump things into the ocean. Why befriend them?”

“Well, they can’t all be bad,” Dison said. “Besides, part of being a prince is doing things for the good of the kingdom, right? What if we could forge an alliance with them? We could teach them about the ocean and magic and in turn they could teach us about the rest of the world above the ocean! Think about all that they could teach us!”

Cam looked for a moment like he actually was trying to imagine it. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it might be like to really interact with a human being but the only thing that came to mind was himself being laid out on a large plate. “Uggh, no way!”

Dison laughed, knowing exactly what scene played in his friend’s mind. “I’m sure that wouldn’t happen to you, Cam.”

Cam started to draw little circles in the sand. “How do you know?”

Dison smiled. “Cam, I’ve known you my whole life! You’re my best friend, and you really think I’m gonna let anything happen to you? Anyone tries to eat you, and they're gonna get everything I’ve got to throw at them!”

Cam looked like he was about to start crying to which Dison said, “Please don’t.” But it was too late. Cam had already started blubbering and crying as he reached out towards his oldest friend. Dison accepted the hug, pulling Cam into a tight embrace and watching the setting sun.

[caylinnightengale]

https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/05/22/over-the-top-top/My First Knit Sweater KAL Week 1

Arriving fashionably late to the party, I’m joining this KAL! When your not on the up and up on the knitting community things like this can slip by as they often do. Not this one!

Oh, and hi! I have a new laptop! At last! 

I’m sorry! Laptops and phone plans are expensive and I’m poor. I’ve missed being on here. But let’s put that behind us.

I’ve been catching up on my Youtube feeds and this was among them: MarlyBird’s My First Sweater. Now this isn’t my first sweater but it is different from the other four I’ve knitted. There’s no evidence of the first two and that’s a good thing believe me.

So the Hygge Charm yarn this sweater is made with is being processed and should be here the beginning of next week. Fashionably late, I may have mentioned. SO, I’ll be cramming two weeks into one to catch up to this KAL but no biggie.

Marly Bird has more info on her blog here: https://marlybird.com/announcing-the-2019-spring-kal-with-marly-bird-and-red-heart/

I’m so excited!

Also, I know I promised pictures of what I had been making since a while ago and I’ve got them!

Ok first up, This little bunny is made of felt and I made up the pattern myself. She still needs eyes and I think I’ll have to make them from felt also, I tried buttons they weren’t working out.

Now these two are also from felt and cloth. I got the pattern from Purl Soho here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2009/04/08/mimi-kirchners-hand-sewn-felt-doll/

The faces are blank on purpose. Maybe future dolls will speak to me.

Here’s a little scarecrow shelf ami from Allaboutami: https://www.allaboutami.com/scarecrowpattern/

Her’s is super cute but I was feeling the Batman villain Scarecrow vibe in the Fall as I was making him and leaned a bit that way. The pig ami is also my own pattern which I didn’t write down I just realized. Still unfinished, but it’s a nice blank.

The blanket is from my crochet stitches book and the yarn is acrylic and hemp from Hobby Lobby. At first I thought it was good enough for a home decor kind of yarn, but after washing it and snuggling on the couch with it, I think it would be a decent sweater yarn too. The hemp bits give a rustic look but they’re not prickly or rough as I had first thought they would I was working on the blanket.

It’s actually quite soft.

That is a spring/summer top I’m working on with Fresh Haven (also Hobby Lobby) from Purl Soho’s Over-the-top Top: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/05/22/over-the-top-top/

I’ve been learning all kinds of new techniques these last couple of months and I’m very happy with the projects that I’ve been able to make.

Isn’t she cute?! Foxes were such a Fall staple that I couldn’t not make one myself. I even made her a jacket with a fun and cute monogram!

I’ve been getting an inkling to make a bear amigurumi next. We’ll see.

The hat and fingerless glove set are from a Noro issue I can’t find--it’s from last year Fall or Winter. The gloves were inspired by the hat and I used Lion Brand Landscapes in a now discontinued colorway. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on them but BUT the yarn isn’t great. It feathers...not quite a pill but a pulling and it wears out quickly. Makes me sad.

The dragon is from Once Upon a Crochet Ever After that I borrowed from my library but didn’t finish before the book was due. ( It was Christmas and I had other projects too!)This little guy needs his horns and wings and a button. Why a button? Because he’s a neck warmer! 

(ba-dum tss! I am not funny).

Moving on.

A hat and scarf set. The pattern is from men’s crochet winter set that I borrowed to make the hat have texture and the scarf is all chains. Just a long, long, long, long chain. And pom poms!

The scarf is also LB Landscapes and also feathers but less than its black and white counter part. The snowflake hat was fun and I finished it in a day. The pattern is also from Crochet Ever After and is also made with the same yarn I used for my rustic blanket (Yarn Bee Rustic Romantic). Also comfy. The rainbow hat is a 2019 is a stash buster using Purl Soho’s Classic Cuffed Hat sans pom pom: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/22/classic-cuffed-hat/

This is my second to latest 2019 project (the newest is in progress on the blanket I showed you, the hat was in between). It needs to be blocked but otherwise it’s done! It is my first top-down sweater using the Brick pattern by Clare Lee on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/brick-2

I went for a V-neck and quarter sleeves as well as a stagard break line from one solor to the other. It was quick and fun. I think it took about two weeks give or take a day that I didn’t work on it. One of my fastest projects yet. Winter is not wanting to let us go here in the south so I used the weather to my advantage and cranked this one out. Yay!

However, I’m tired of grey even though I didn’t make any grey things but this and I blame the weather. Oh, wait. I actually harvested this yarn from a sweater I was making in November 2018 but didn’t swatch (that’s a no-no) and it was so many sizes bigger on me. I was too stubborn to frog it when I had the chance and finished the body when reality Gibbs-smacked me upside the head and...

<__<;    >___>        Look a DIY!

Another 2019 project: I took a pair of jeans I ruined in a painting experiment and finally did up-cycled them! I have been watching a couple of sewists? seamstresses? on Youtube and got my courage and a free day and went to work on it. It took most of the day but I’m proud of how this turned out. I just need the weather to cooperate so I can wear it outside.

Also this 2019 (in February), this lovely sweater in acrylic and alpaca.

I learned the “tubular” cast on for this one!

...

(Still not funny. Never mind.)  It’s my first raglan sweater that I also had to remake because the first one was too short and since it was made from the bottom up...At least the sleeves and the hem were done so it was another quick do-over.

Aaaand that covers it. Whew! You made it this far so give yourself a pat on the back and get a treat. 

I’ve picked up a little bit of sewing to add to my crafty repertoire and I like it. I don’t see it becoming a constant like crochet and sewing but it’s definitely more fun than I remember it being in Home Ec class back in the day.

Besides the spring top I’m working on and the arrival of yarn for the Marly Bird KAL, I’m brainstorming something for Mermay...We’ll see how much I can handle, though by then the KAL should be over. 

[kazeharuhime]

Mermay #14 - Blue Ribbon Eel Mer Sooo I really went all out with this one. I think I shopped it too much even... XD But uh. Yeah. And I decided too to upload a bunch of other junk with it. Like a process gif (seen those here on tumblr and thought it was a great idea XD), a line, color and final version of it kinda show the progression better. Was thinking about how portfolio people like to see your process and I thought maybe tumblr people might like to see my process too so... why not? XD So yeah I usually don’t edit this much in Photoshop when I’m working traditional but I got carried away and really rendered this one out XD; It’s still got heavy traces of the traditional like that tail bit I forgot to fill in... looked nice on paper but horrible in digital. XD But what was I going to say... Right blue ribbon eels are fun. Did the generator again and after a couple dozen tries it gave me ribbon eel and though I’d sworn off eels after it gave me three in a row, the blue ribbon eel mer was way too cool to pass up. I had to change up the tail from the very early WIP (yeah, the blurry photo that’ll take you almost a minute to see for 5 seconds in the process gif if you missed it) because the way it was configured had it backwards, but I managed to get it so I could keep the pose and not have the tail be as weird... Frankly it still looks kinda wonky if I compare it to the first WIP picture and I do like the silhouette just a little bit better from that one. Was clearer and more fluid and a little less squashed-looking at the bottom. But what was I gonna say... Oh yeah and I apologize if some of the process shots in the gif are kinda blinding... I really pumped up the colors way too much at first and kept trying to downplay it. Even now it looks tolerable but before yeah it was kinda blinding XD; Anyways uh yeah. Sooo that’s the deal. I think I was going to say something else but I don’t remember and it’s late. I think I’m just gonna submit this and call it good... I think I was going to try to explain my process more instead of just babbling on... Don’t know if I accomplished that, but I guess it’s pretty straightforward. Sketch, line with pencil, sometimes I render it a bit with pencil too, then I color it which can be more finished and polished from traditional or less so like in this one where it’s nearly a flat color. Then I use photoshop to adjust colors, fix mistakes, erase smudges or color bleeds from previous pages, maybe fix spacing issues with the eyes, etc etc and to heighten the contrast between my light and shadow areas. Usually it’s minor if I’ve already rendered it out well traditionally, but this time I was pretty heavy-handed with PS because I don’t trust my blue markers that much to give me the right color... My baby blue copic is sometimes the only one that works reliably, so I worked exclusively with my baby blue copic and a cheap crayola yellow marker to produce the traditional color draft. I started out small working in photoshop, just darkening my shadows and lightening my highlights, but then I got carried away because it didn’t look like the proper shade of blue... And that’s when chaos ensued. XD It took me practically the whole day to do this pic and hours in photoshop to get the final product. I would have worked longer on it probably too if it wasn’t super late. But anyways. Sooo that’s the deal. I could probably go into more detail about the use of color balance, adjustments, brush settings and yada yada yada but it’s really late and I keep rambling. So before I type anything else that probably won’t even be read by the casual tumblr scroller I’m just gonna submit this already, put in my tags and get it over with. Or well tags first, then the submitting... You get the point. XP

[k1m-bail3y]

Mermay prompt 5: "Young Mermaid"

I wrote this while battling a migraine that has resisted all medication and sleep I give it. This is inspired, in part by asahinoboru’s “A Mermaid after school” on DeviantArt and childhood vacations:

It took about two days for the novelty of spending the “summer” with his aunt, uncle and cousins at their Toco house to wear off. For one, Zee’s oldest cousin was ten and he fourteen. The only thing they had in common was that they were both male, for the others were all girls who still played with dolls. For another, the beach was not as close to the house as Zee would have liked. The walk was admittedly short, fifteen minutes at most, but the road was usually deserted, the grass on either side taller than him, and his aunt absolutely forbade him from going alone. Instead of the advertised two glorious months of swimming, fishing and maybe hiking, late nights playing games of various kinds, and just lazing about, it looked as if Zee was going to play babysitter while his aunt and uncle worked. If Toco wasn’t so far away from St Augustine, he would have taken a taxi and gone home himself.

The houses around Zee’s aunt and uncle’s place provided no escape either. The house on their left was rented out on the weekends and locked up during the week. The other on the right had an elderly couple who sat staring at him from the front porch whenever he decided to take a walk to escape the chaos, no matter the time of day. The next few houses were more rentals and all empty. Wasn’t this how horror movies started?

Zee could not understand how his aunt and uncle survived with no wifi and the Spanish-filled DirecTV channels. Worse, despite claims to the contrary, he was lucky to get two bars of cell service on a clear day. His many texts from and to friends took forever or not at all. He would hate if his last message to friends was: Dog, this place is Trinidad’s Silent Hill yes.

He had not received an answer to that either.

Somehow he made it to the end of the week and on Saturday morning, his aunt, perhaps taking pity on him, said, “There’s a shop on the main road, not far from here. Your uncle has a bike he doesn’t ride. You could take it and get some snacks.”

“Really?” he’d asked, too stunned by this news to sound less enthusiastic about leaving them.

His aunt smiled, nodded and said, “Just be careful with the brakes. They’re not that great. Your uncle went over the handles the last time after a dog rushed him.”

Zee only half-heard her, already on his way into the garage. The bike had been left leaning against the back wall behind a tool cabinet. Apart from some dust, it did not look too badly damaged by his uncle’s mishap. Zee rolled it out into driveway, and after a quick inspection to check the tyres, gears and chain, deemed it roadworthy and took off.

Zee had not ridden a bike in years, not since a near fatal mishap with a speeding driver in front of his home, so it was a wobbly start. For once he was grateful for the lack of cars on the road or neighbours around. He would have certainly died of embarrassment if anyone had seen that spill into the grass after he skidded on some loose gravel trying to avoid a pothole.

The main road on a Saturday afternoon was abuzz with activity, which is to say, there were actually cars and people about. Zee kept a slow pace to soak up the sounds of civilization as he made his way to the shop, and that was when he nearly rode into her.

The girl looked around his age, of average height, slim and light brown to his tall, dark, fat build. She had just stepped out of the shop, carrying a one gallon bottle of water in one hand and a snack-filled black plastic bag in the other, when he came to a skidding stop.

"Whoa, hey, watch where you’re going!” she scolded.

It took Zee a few seconds to get his tongue working and when it did he stammered, “Y-yes, s-sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Hi!”

The girl gave him a blank look and then walked past him and continued on her way. Zee watched her go until the shopkeeper said, “Aye, take care fly go in your mouth.”

That snapped Zee out of his gaping and he tried to remember what he had come here for. As he dismounted the bike though, he looked out to see where the girl had gone just as she walked into the road leading to his aunt and uncle’s house.

Zee forced himself to pay attention to his snack choices—he had no idea if his aunt was going to let him go out with the bike again during the week—but the shopkeeper kept laughing at him.

"Don’t worry, small man. She does come up here every holiday, she will probably still be here tomorrow. Take your time.”

But what if she left? Zee had not seen anyone in any of the weekend rentals on his way to the shop so he needed to find out which house she went to. The shopkeeper had no idea how Zee had spent his first week. There was—and Zee could not quite believe it himself—only so much tv that he could look at without going crazy. Zee needed to know this girl’s name and location immediately.

Zee did not bother to count his change before he was back on his uncle’s bike and racing to catch up with the girl. He slowed before every house along the way, then passed his aunt and uncle’s house as far as he dared. Nothing. The girl had definitely walked into this street but there was no sign of her now. When he finally turned back to go home it was if his legs were filled with lead.

"Hey, saw you pass the house? What’s going on?” asked his aunt as he rode into the yard.

Zee considered a lie but asked, “Hey, do you know any families that come here every year with a girl around my age?”

His aunt lifted both eyebrows, then a mischievous grin formed and Zee realized his mistake. His aunt spent the rest of the day reading him incessantly, then told his uncle who joined in and Zee retired to bed early to escape them. He would have to find the girl himself.

Zee was forced to accompany his relatives to church the next day, and the afternoon was spent at home being bored nearly to tears. The one bright spot was that his cousins were to start attending Vacation Bible School from that Monday and so, apart from picking them up in the afternoons, Zee would have the day to himself. Even better, his aunt told him that he could take the bike out, though he was still not allowed to go down to the beach or out on the main road beyond the shop. Zee could have kissed her for happiness.

The next day, Zee barely waited until his cousins were safely settled in the church, before he was off for home to start searching for the girl. He decided to continue on from where he stopped the day before, past his aunt and uncle’s house. He was barely past the front gate when he saw her walking up the road. For a moment, Zee had no idea what to do. He had been hoping to find the girl, he had no plans on what to say to her. What did one say to a girl one hoped to befriend for the holiday so that one did not die of boredom?

In the end, he reversed to the front gate, hopped off the bike and pretended to check the chain until she came up to him. Then he popped up and said, “Hello.”

The girl looked over at him but did not stop. He noticed then that she was slightly wet, her two long braids dripped water down her dress, which was also damp and clinging, and her slippers squelched under her feet. Had she been swimming in all her clothes? She certainly smelled of seawater from where he stood.

He gave up on pretending to check his bike, turned it around and pushed it along to catch up with her. She did not slow down but she did not speed up to escape him either, so he tried again.

"My name is Zion. I’m staying with my aunt and uncle for the holidays. I heard that you come up here every holiday too. Did you come from the beach?”

The girl glanced over at him at that, then replied in a low voice, “Yes.”

It wasn’t much but this was already going better than Zee had expected. He asked, “What’s your name? Are you staying here with relatives too? My parents sent me so I would be home and bored in St Augustine. Where are you from?”

Again the girl glanced him, eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion, but she replied, “Nerissa. I’m from Grande Rivière.”

That was much further west than here. Her parents had not sent her far. But compared to what he had heard of the place, it must have been like going to St Augustine to her. He said, “Oh, that sounds so far from here.”

Nerissa snorted at that and said, “To you maybe, but look where you from.”

Zee nodded at that and said, “Yeah, up here is much further than St Augustine. Here doesn’t even have wifi. How do you manage?”

Nerissa gaze him a puzzled look but asked, “I haven’t seen you at the beach.”

At that, Zee had to look away, a little ashamed. Though he was sure that Nerissa was subject to rules as well, he could not bring himself to tell her that he had been banned. Instead he said, “Actually, I was thinking about going there today. I have nothing else to do until time to pick up my cousins at VBS. Are you at the beach with your family?”

Nerissa shook her head and said, “Just me. I’m thinking about swimming to Tobago. It’s not that far from here.”

Zee’s eyes went wide and he said, “You can’t swim to Tobago from here! There’s sharks in the water.”

This time, Nerissa gave him a look that said “so?” Aloud, she said, “I’m going to have to do it eventually. Want to come practice with me.”

Zee was too happy to have been invited to wonder what Nerissa could possibly mean by that. His summer had just been saved.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2024 Day Twelve Going Through a Tunnel

Jameson knocked on the inside wall of the tunnel, peering down it into Schneep’s cave. He whistled and it echoed down, down, down. But there was no response. Jameson frowned, a bit worried. The two of them met up at this time every couple weeks. Just to catch up and talk. Schneep had never been late.

The tunnel was small. Jameson hesitated. He still didn’t like small spaces. But... Schneep might be in trouble. He knocked on the stone a couple more times, and whistled as loud as his crushed voice box would let him. But there still wasn’t a response. His gills fluttered as nerves danced in his stomach. He took a deep breath, then swam into the tunnel entrance.

The rough stone scraped the edges of his wings. He pulled them close to his torso, slowing his swimming speed as a result. His tail smacked against the walls. Everything was fine. There would be an opening. He wasn’t trapped he wasn’t trapped he wasn’t trapped—

And then the tunnel opened up into Schneep’s cave. Jameson let out a breath, gills fluttering further, and spread out his arms and wings. This was still a small space, but he could deal with this. He looked around the room—

Whoa! What is that?

Jameson swam up to one of the cave walls, staring at it. It was covered in notes. Both stained directly onto the wall and written on dried kelp pinned to the stone with sea stars. He scanned the words... everything was about TridentCorp. This wasn’t surprising... but it was... a lot. 

Something scraped against the stone, and Jameson whirled to the side. His eyes landed on a stone ledge. A woven kelp blanket—dyed blue—fell from it, drifting down the ground. “Jameson?” Schneep mumbled, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

Schneep? Jameson said. He slumped with relief at first, then swam over. Why are you sleeping? It’s the middle of the day, and we were supposed to meet up.

“Huh?” Schneep blinked. He looked around the room, eyes landing on a glowing plant in the corner. That must’ve meant something, because his eyes widened. “Oh no! Jameson, I-I am so sorry!” He sat up, stretching his arms overhead. His tentacles also stretched, fully extending into a star shape before Schneep pulled them back together. “I-I was—I could not get to sleep last night. I must have fallen off eventually and—and continued to sleep. To compensate.”

Does that have anything to do with this? Jameson pointed at the wall.

“...ah.” Schneep stared at the wall. “It is... related. A-as you can see, I was checking TridentCorp. And I... started thinking about them...” He trailed off. “They are getting close to me. I-I just know it. They might find me.”

Jameson’s expression softened. He swam over, landing on the ledge next to Schneep. It’s scary, isn’t it? he says.

Schneep nodded. “I-I know I—I know fear does not help anyone. Or at least, not as helpful as rest would be when it is late at night. But... I cannot help it.”

Maybe I can help, then, Jameson said. We can talk about something else. Anything else.

“Like what?”

Jameson glances around. Like... where did you get that blanket?

Schneep laughed dryly. “From Vea. My nearest neighbor.”

Jameson raised an eyebrow. Alright. Tell me about this Vea, then. Isn’t that the octo who was upsetting you? When did you two get close enough that she’d make you a blanket?

“She dropped it off recently,” Schneep said. “We have been... meeting up.”

Jameson grinned. Oh?

Schneep nudged him with his shoulder. “Do not be like that. You and Jack too.”

Well, it’s distracting, isn’t it? Jameson said, smirking. Tell me more about her. What have you two been talking about?

“Hmm... Well, it is nice to have another octo nearby, but she is a different type of octo from the tropics, it is a very different environment...”

The two of them talked for a while. Jameson occasionally prompted Schneep for more information, until, finally, Schneep seemed fully relaxed. Then the two of them headed out of the cave. Jameson found the tunnel less tight now that he had a friend behind him.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2024 Day Four Hello Again Neighbor

Schneep swam lazily through the water, taking his time. He’d been feeling on edge lately, but he’d gone out to gather some materials for healing. Plucking plants, hunting down some fish, and scavenging things from a few well-known shipwrecks he’d found (though by now he’d managed to find almost everything useful from there.) Right now, he’d forgotten what he was so upset about...

And the moment he became aware of that, he remembered. TridentCorp.

He stopped right where he was, tentacles shifting to an anxious green. There was no way that TridentCorp could find his reef. He had never, not once, seen humans nearby. There was no precedent that TridentCorp would find him again in this vast, vast ocean. But when he thought about it, it seemed almost like a certainty, like it was only a matter of time.

“Um...?”

Schneep jumped, spinning around towards the sound, tentacles flaring out. He didn’t see anything at first... but then the colors shifted, and someone appeared. Vea Mira, the octo merm who lived nearby to him. “Wh-what are you doing here?” he asked. “A-are you sick?”

“No... I just, uh... wanted to visit,” Vea said slowly. She inched closer through the water, her tentacles opening and closing. “It’s... been a while since I’ve seen you. I was wondering what you were up to.”

“Oh.” Schneep blinked. “Well, I uh... I am... out gathering materials. For medicine and such.”

“I, uh... I see.” Vea nodded. “If you ever find really tough reeds and kelp, you can bring them to me. They’re useful for weaving.” She plucked the shirt she was wearing, a green one that blends into the surroundings.

“I see,” Schneep said slowly. “So... um, why were you in camouflage?”

“It’s good for travel,” Vea said. “I’m not all that strong, you know, and not all that fast. If some sharks come around or something I need to hide before doing anything else.”

Schneep chuckled. “I understand.” The two of them floated there for an awkward moment. A fish swam in between their faces, and Vea waved it away. “So, ah... anything you... want?”

“No, not really.” Vea shook her head. “But... is everything... alright with you?”

Schneep stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“You just... stopped swimming,” Vea said slowly. “And you looked... scared. So... is everything alright?”

“Why do you care?” Schneep snapped.

“Whoa, hey!” Vea backed up, holding her hands up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The very first time we met, you insisted on moving in despite me being very polite about not wanting you here!”

“You’re still going on about that?” Vea said. “That was ages ago! And I was really sorry! I... I am really sorry.” She took a deep breath, gills widening and closing again. “I... really want you to... be alright. You’re a good guy. I’ve been giving you your space, as you wanted, but...” She gave him a small smile. “I think... if you ever need anything... I could help. I’m nearby, after all.”

Schneep stared at her. She stared back. And then Schneep turned around and started swimming again.

“Hey!” Vea hurried after him. She swam up above him, hanging upside down as she looked at his face. “I’m serious! You can’t just swim away!”

“I’m not—I do not mean to be rude,” Schneep said. “I simply... I-I need to think.” Despite his and Vea’s rough start, he had grown to like her whenever she visited. But... something in him was recoiling. Not because it was her specifically. Because it was someone asking to come into the space he considered his home on a regular basis. Not just for a visit to a healer. “I... My friends that I already have, I... was like this when first getting to know them, too. Do not take it personally.”

“Your friends like that guardian, Jackie?” Vea asked. 

“Yes. And others.”

“I’ve seen him a couple times. He really likes that hooded shirt I gave him.” Vea grinned proudly.

“The red one? Yes, he wears it all the time now.”

“Some of my best work! The dye hasn’t faded at all since I first made it.” Vea smiled, puffing her chest out a little bit.

Schneep shook his head. “I could not imagine sitting down to weave something. The same motion over and over... you must be very patient.”

“Aw, I mean... you have to be patient, too,” Vea said. “To sit down and do all your healing stuff.”

“It does not require so much patience as knowledge. I do not make the medicines myself. Most of the time. I suppose I have to occasionally mash something up into a paste. But I cannot do anything as intense as making clothes.”

“It is not as difficult as it seems, really.”

“Really?” Schneep blinked. “What is the most difficult thing you have ever woven?”

The two of them continued to talk as they swam across the reef, staying low to the ground, tentacles occasionally brushing the tips of the coral. Until Schneep realized that they were getting close to his cave. He slowly swam down. “Ah... I did not realize how close we were.” He adjusted the strap of his bag.

“I’ll head out, then,” Vea said. “I won’t bother you here again without reason.”

“Well, ah... i-it was nice talking to you,” Schneep said. He was surprised at how easy it was. “You can... I mean, a reason could be to just... talk. But, ah, do not actually come into my cave unless you are hurt or sick.”

Vea grinned. It was a bit crooked, the left corner tilted higher than the right. Schneep couldn’t help but smile back. “I’ll keep that in mind. See you again later then, Schneep. Maybe in a couple days.”

“Yes, thank you for letting me know.” Schneep nodded.

“Bye, then!” Vea gave a little salute and spun around. Her tentacles began to shift color, and then the color drifted up to her upper body’s skin and hair. Soon, Schneep lost track of her entirely.

A couple days, then, huh? Schneep could look forward to that. A little. Maybe.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2023 Day Ten Stagnant Water

Jackie saw Schneep coming from a long way away. He’d made his home in the open ocean, where there was nothing for miles except sand, and the only identifiable feature was the sloping hole where he usually slept. And that was there because he’d made it himself. So when Jackie recognized him in the distance, he decided to swim out to meet him halfway.

“Hey, Schneep,” he said, flashing a grin. “You don’t usually make the trip out here. What’s up?”

Schneep’s expression was drawn and worried, and Jackie’s grin slowly faded. “Jackie... have you seen Chase lately?”

“Well, I last saw him, uh... it’s been a while,” Jackie admitted.

“I last saw him five days ago,” Schneep said. “Have you seen him since then?”

“Oh, definitely not.” Jackie was actually starting to think about visiting Chase. Or maybe Jack. Or Schneep himself. But he’d been so busy lately with protector duties. “The last time I saw anyone else, it was Jameson and Marvin, about... four days ago? I went up to check on them. I would’ve gone to see the rest of you guys, but I got caught up in stuff.” He was talking a lot, but that was to avoid the next obvious question, which he wasn’t sure he wanted an answer to. “Why are you asking?”

“He isn’t home,” Schneep explained. “I know he does not spend all his time at his anemone, but I waited for a long time, and he did not show up.” Despite the steadiness of his voice, his tentacles were a nervous green.

“Is there anywhere he could be?” Jackie asked.

“Yesterday he was going to meet up with Stacy and their fries,” Schneep recalled. “So I suppose he could be with them. But—but it has been a day, a-and I am sure he would find a way to tell the rest of us—or perhaps he wouldn’t, he is his own self, he has no obligation to—”

“Schneep, calm down.” Jackie swam closer, grabbing Schneep by the shoulders. “You’re starting to panic.”

Schneep breathed in deeply. “I am sorry,” he said quietly. “It is just... I am worried. When I last saw him, he said there was a boat that sailed over his anemone recently. And I-I keep thinking that it was... them.” TridentCorp. “And that they came back for him.”

“That’s... possible,” Jackie grudgingly admitted. But then Schneep immediately tensed, and he regretted saying that. “But it’s not likely! It probably has something to do with Stacy and the pups. Do you think Chase has a communication stone on him? I know Marvin’s been trying to get us to keep those on us.”

“Do you have a stone on you?” Schneep asked.

“...no.”

“Then I doubt Chase would. You, at least, have somewhere to keep it, now that you wear that hood everywhere. I can see the pocket on the side. Chase has no pockets.”

“Okay, that seems bad, but I’m sure there’s some way to reach him,” Jackie said. “We can go talk to Marvin and Jameson. Maybe they have magic that can help.”

That seemed to reassure Schneep. He relaxed slightly, tentacles shifting to a more normal color. A couple curled around Jackie’s tail, but he didn’t mind. He knew contact was reassuring for Schneep. “Right. Yes. We can go talk to them. Do you think we can do that now?”

“We’re a bit far, but if we go now, we should be able to reach them before the waters get dark,” Jackie said. “It’ll be faster if just I go, but do you want to come?”

“Of course.” Schneep nodded.

“Alright.” Jackie let go of Schneep’s shoulders and grabbed his hand instead. “Hold on, then. I don’t want to lose you.” They both knew Jackie could easily outswim Schneep, and he probably would, too spurred on by energy to think about what he was doing.

“Holding on.” Schneep squeezed Jackie’s hand. “Let’s go. Quickly. If something has happened, we must act soon.”

The two of them swam off as fast as they could, crossing the open ocean towards land. Even though Jackie told himself that they were probably getting worried for nothing, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that things were about to go wrong.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2022 Day Nine Eyes on the Back of Your Neck

Jameson glanced up towards the surface. The sunlight coming through the water had faded; it must have been nearing evening. He’d been waiting out here for ages but Schneep showed no signs of coming. Had something...happened? Should he go check on him?

Nervous, he got up from where he was lying next to a rock, ready to head over to Schneep’s cave. But as he did, he caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eyes. His head immediately whipped towards the motion, but there was nothing there. Just another large rock. He stared at it, waiting for something to happen. Maybe that movement was just some fish. Or maybe it was something worse. Like a predator, or Anti, or humans, or—

“Jameson!”

He spun back around. Schneep was waving at him, a fair distance away but quickly swimming closer. Jameson waved back. Once he did, Schneep picked up the pace, soon closing the distance.

“I-I am sorry to be late,” Schneep said, setting his bag down on the rock. “I-I lost track of time. Where is Marvin?”

He was busy, Jameson said. But he said he didn’t want to disappoint you with this trading thing so I should come instead.

“Oh.” Schneep settled down on the ocean floor. His tentacles shifted color to a moodier, darker turquoise. “Well, it is not just business, you know. We spend a lot of time talking and such. I’m...sorry to hear he couldn’t come.”

I know. He really wanted to. Jameson leaned over and grabbed his own bag—merm-made instead of human-made like Schneep’s—and set it on top of the rock.

“What is he working on?” Schneep asked.

He’s trying to get in contact with his mentor, Jameson said. Her name’s Aribelle.

“Ahhhh. Okay, I see. He has mentioned her a couple times.” Schneep nodded, satisfied. “Well. Shall we get started? What have you two found?”

They spent a few minutes comparing various goods and lost human items they’d found in the past couple weeks. But as time went on, Jameson’s attention drifted outwards, his eyes constantly darting about their open surroundings. He hadn’t imagined that movement earlier. And while there were a lot of fish in the area, he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever he saw had been quite a bit bigger. Was it another merm? A human diver? Were they still here, or had they left?

“JJ, focus!” Schneep leaned over and waved his hand in front of Jameson’s eyes. “What are you even looking at?!”

Jameson shook his head. Sorry. I didn’t mean...He trailed off, glancing around again. That big rock was still concerning to him. What if there was something behind it?

“Where are you going?” Schneep asked, annoyed.

Jameson hadn’t realized he’d started to swim towards the rock until Schneep said that. Sorry, he said again. I just...I feel like we’re being watched. And I don’t...I don’t like being watched.

Schneep’s mood immediately shifted. He straightened, looking around just like Jameson had been. “I don’t see anything,” he said slowly. “Where is this coming from?”

I thought there was something over there. Jameson pointed towards the large rock.

“Hmm.” Schneep pursed his lips. “Alright. We go see together, then?”

Jameson hesitated, then nodded. I think I won’t be able to focus until I’m sure there’s nothing there. He paused. I’m sorry, I know it’s strange.

“No no no, is not strange at all.” Schneep took Jameson’s hand as the two of them swam over to the rock. “I think it is reasonable, actually, considering past...events. I am sometimes the same.”

The two of them went quiet as they approached the boulder. Jameson flicked his tail, instinctively getting ready to sting anything he saw. In unison, they peered around the edge of the rock...and saw nothing. They looked at each other. Then circled around the boulder a couple times just to be sure. Once they had absolutely confirmed there was nothing strange, they stopped. Schneep leaned back against the rock while Jameson draped himself across the top of it. And then they both started laughing.

“The—the rock is actually an illusion,” Schneep chuckled. “It is hiding a swarm of barracudas!”

It’s going to open up and reveal that it was actually the mouth of a giant squid the whole time! Jameson wheezed. We’re doomed!

“Ah, the old ‘pirate ship disguised as a rock’ trick, I cannot believe we fell for it!” Schneep laughed.

It took them a solid five minutes to calm down, after which they fell into a comfortable sort of silence. Neither of them moved. Until Schneep suddenly spoke. “Jameson. I...I should say something.” His voice was much more serious than it was moments before. “The...the human organization. The ones who took Jack and are likely looking for us...They are the same ones I...encountered. All those years ago.”

Jameson’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. He slumped down from the rock, landing on the ocean floor next to Schneep.

“I have been...trying to remember things about them, but...it was a long time ago.” Schneep’s tentacles curled in on himself. “I...did not want to leave my reef. That is why I was late today, I-I was trying to—to gather my nerve, a-and—”

Henrik. Jameson rested a hand on his shoulder. You didn’t have to come.

Schneep shook his head. “No, we cannot hide forever. I will not let them take all my chances for happiness away. If I want to meet up with a friend, I will, to the depths with those humans.”

Silence. Then, Jameson gave Schneep a quick hug. You’re very brave, he said. I don’t think I would be able to go anywhere if I knew the same humans were looking for me. He shuddered.

“Thank you,” Schneep said quietly. “But I think you should give yourself more credit.”

Jameson nodded silently. Well...should we finish up, or is this a good time to call it?

“Well I do not know about you, but I had more stuff that Marvin might’ve been interested in,” Schneep said. “So, back we go, I suppose.”

The two of them retreated back to their original rock and continued to pour over the acquired items they’d brought for trade. Soon, they had completely forgotten about the other boulder.

The moment the two of them were gone, disappeared into the distant waters and out of sight, the ground shifted. Clouds of particles swirled into the air as a figure crawled out of the mound of sand he had been buried in. He shook his head, regretting the decision to hide in the sand once he realized the two other merms were coming close to his first hiding space.

He thought about what he’d overheard. Then, after a moment, shook his head. Why did it seem so...important to him? Why did he feel his chest ache when he thought about it?

Deciding to ignore this, he swam off. Maybe he would find them again. Maybe he would figure out why eventually.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2022 Day Thirteen Check Up

“Hello?” Schneep leaned through the gap in the rocks, looking around Jack’s home for any sign of him. “Jack? Are you here? It’s—gah!” He jerked back as a flash of bright green suddenly filled his vision. “Ah, yes, hello Sam. Good to see you.” Sam bumped against his forehead, making Schneep chuckle. “Is Jack here? He is supposed to be, we planned for today.”

“I’m here, Schneep, don’t worry.”

Schneep turned around. Jack swam towards him, skimming over the sandy floor of the lagoon. His bag was slung over his shoulder, full of rolls of kelp. “Sorry, I didn’t think you’d be here so early,” Jack said, coming to a stop next to Schneep. “I went to talk to Lydia. You know, the historian? Wanted to see if she’d found any new places to explore, also I dropped off some stuff I got from some ruins—”

“Yes, very exciting,” Schneep cut him off. He sank down to the ground, tentacles fanning out around him as he started looking through his own bag. “You can tell me all about it as we do this.”

Jack groaned. “Schneep, do we really have to do this?” He leaned backwards, floating horizontally in the water. “You’ve already looked me over, like, every week since I got back.”

“You know what they say about safe and sorry,” Schneep replied. “You were asleep for months, and then stuck with those TridentCorp researchers. Who knows how that has affected your body?”

“Actually, we do know.” Jack rolled over, now floating face-down. “Because we’ve done this every week.”

“Oh, come on, I have not stopped by that often.” Schneep pulled several things out of his bag: a small stone hammer, a human heart-listening device, some hollow shells, and a length of sturdy bandages, among other things. “Besides, we know there is an effect. Your muscles—”

“God, if you talk about disuse of muscles one more time, I’m gonna beach myself,” Jack rolled his eyes. “I get it. You don’t think I’ve noticed that I couldn’t swim as fast or carry as many things? But you know what? I’ve gotten better. I’m basically back to normal now. So this is all really kinda useless.”

“Jack.” Schneep looked up at him. “I...I would like to be sure.” He paused. “I...worry...about things.”

Jack looked at him, remaining silent. Sam swam over and circled around his head a couple times before nuzzling against his collarbone. He couldn’t help but smile at that. “Heh. Everyone’s worried. Sam’s always worried, too.” He patted her side before turning his attention back to Schneep. “Alright, you can look me over. But I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so’ when you don’t find anything wrong.”

“I expect nothing less,” Schneep said, trying to hide the way his shoulders slumped in relief.

The check-up went quickly; as Jack said, there was nothing really wrong with him. But it gave Schneep some peace of mind to know there were no permanent problems from Jack’s long sleep.

“See? I told you so.” Jack smiled triumphantly, stretching his arms and tail. “One hundred percent fine. You may not like it, but this is the peak merm condition right here.”

“Oh, come on.” Schneep, putting all his supplies back in his bag, swatted Jack with one of his tentacles. “Don’t lie to yourself, you may swim a lot but you are no athlete.”

“I’m no Jackie, that’s for sure,” Jack laughed. Then his expression grew serious. “Hey, uh...have you talked to Jackie recently?”

“Hmm. Not that much, I admit,” Schneep said. “Why?”

“Well, he’s just been pretty busy lately. Last week I took him to a rest-reef and he fell asleep pretty much immediately,” Jack recalled. “I thought shark merms didn’t sleep.”

“No, no, they do, they just need less, and it is not as deep,” Schneep explained.

“This was a pretty deep sleep,” Jack said. “Like a log. Like a rock. I was just thinking, uh, if you could see if he’s alright? Health-wise. I don’t...I-I don’t want him to work himself to death.”

“What is he doing that is so exhausting?” Schneep wondered. “His protector duties cannot be that much.”

Jack shrugged. “He’s spending all his free time looking for Anti. But, like, it’s the ocean. I don’t think he’s going to find him if Anti fled as far as possible. And I know, you’re probably going to say something like ‘Anti vould not go zat far, he vants to stay cloze by so he can attack us!’ but...I don’t know if he would? That’s just a feeling, but...I don’t know.”

Schneep scowled. “I do not sound like that.”

Jack nudged him. “Not entirely.”

“I do not!” Schneep sighed. “Well...perhaps you are right. Anti ran away as soon as he could. If he wanted to attack us, he has had many opportunities since then.” He paused. “I will talk to Jackie. See how he is doing.”

“Great. Thanks.” Jack patted Schneep on the back. “Hey, do you want to stay for lunch? I have some food stored.”

“Hmm...alright. But just for a little bit.”

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2022 Day Thirty-One Bioluminescence

It was late when Jack returned to the lagoon, almost late enough to be early. The group had spent a long time listening to Stacy, Ollie, and the kids explain what happened at the TridentCorp complex, which they now knew was called the C-SAHL. Then afterwards Ollie had insisted they all have a celebration, or that he should at the very least be allowed to buy them food. A couple hours later, the kids had fallen asleep, the merms had tried various kinds of human foods that could be bought at the boardwalk, and Stacy announced it was time to wrap things up. They had all gone their separate ways after that.

Jack swam into the small side pool he called his home. Looking into his bag, he saw Sam asleep as well. Smiling to himself, he put the bag on a rocky shelf and let her sleep. But he himself wasn’t feeling tired at the moment. He swam back out into the lagoon proper.

Glowing phytoplankton lit up the water. Jack laid down on the sand, covered in a ridged pattern due to the frequent waves. He stared at the glowing dots for a while, admiring how they clustered together into a solid mass of blue-green light towards the edges of the waves.

But something was different tonight. As he watched the water, he noticed two small specks that were much more green than blue. No, they weren’t small. They were far away. He turned his attention to the green glows, and saw a figure crouched against a dark spot in the sand. He gasped. “Anti!”

The green glows widened and the figure turned and swam away. “No wait!” Jack hurried after Anti. “I’m not going to hurt you! O-or ask for you to do something! Or whatever you think! Please!”

A moment later, Anti slowed and stopped, letting Jack catch up to him. His dark tail flicked nervously, and Jack noticed the way his eyes darted towards Jack’s hands, as if expecting a weapon of some sort. “What do you want?” Anti growled.

“Just...what are you doing here?” Jack asked.

“I told you, I—I watch you guys. All of you...you foolish, foolish merms.” Anti laughed. “You’re going to get yourselves killed one day, and I want to see it.”

“Right.” Jack nodded. “Of course. Hey, uh, I heard that electric eels are freshwater.”

Anti tensed. “And? So what?”

“Well, the water in this lagoon is a bit less salty than the rest of the ocean,” Jack said casually. “I’ve never been sure why, maybe because of the plankton or something. So, if...like, a freshie merm was out in the ocean, a place like this might be...good. It’s also quite nice to look at, if I do say so myself.” He grinned.

Anti stayed silent. He glanced upwards towards the glowing waves, and around at the glowing specks surrounding them. “I could kill you now, you know,” he blurted out. “Or hypnotize you again.”

“No, you can’t hypnotize me again, not without that siren stone,” Jack said, folding his arms. “And I don’t know where Marvin is keeping that now.”

“...could still kill you,” Anti muttered.

“So could a giant squid. So could a dolphin. So could a very dedicated sea bass.” Jack laughed. “You’re not special, you know. Danger is always around. But...I feel like you know that already.” He spread his arms wide. “So...are you going to kill me?”

Anti didn’t move. “...no,” he admitted.

Jack nodded. He settled back down on the sandy floor. “Do you want to lay down or something? Must’ve been a very long day for you.”

Slowly, Anti lowered himself down to the ground as well. He looked up at the glowing waves, and relaxed. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.

“Do you...” Jack cleared his throat. “Do you want to talk about—”

“No.”

“Oh. Okay.” Jack nodded. “But, like, if you ever do want to...you can come back. You clearly know how to get here.”

Anti glanced at Jack and narrowed his eyes. “What if I come back and decide to—”

“Kill me? Gods, you gotta get a better line than that,” Jack laughed. “But...I don’t know, I just can’t picture you doing that. And I’m not going to let that possibility ruin my day. You could also decide to...talk. That’s also a possibility.”

“...hmm.” Anti looked back at the waves. “I don’t...understand you.”

“Maybe you will one day,” Jack said quietly, also looking upwards. “I’ll be glad to show you how to get there.”

Anti didn’t respond. Jack turned, and saw that he’d fallen asleep, lying on his stomach with his head drooping forward. He laughed a little. “Good night, then,” he whispered.

And he turned around and swam back to his rock pool, falling asleep himself.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2022 Day Twenty-Nine Scared Stowaway

(Warning: this one is really long. Like, 3800 words long. Be prepared.)

They’d been out at sea for a couple hours now, and Sereia was starting to cramp up from hiding in the boat’s small closet in the cabin. From what she could see in the dim lighting, Muirin was feeling the same way, too. He glanced at the closet door, gesturing with his head. Sereia shook her head in response. Sure, by now it was probably too late for their mom and the other guy to take them home, but if they revealed themselves now, they wouldn’t be able to help with the rescue.

Stacy hadn’t meant to tell the kids about the rescue operation. Muirin happened to see one of her emails with that Ollie guy, and from there she’d been forced to tell them. But she forbid them from coming. The kids’ grandparents had come over to the house to babysit them, but they were easy to sneak away from. All they had to do was tell them they were going to spend all day in their room. It helped that they were starting to get a hold of their magic talismans. Sereia wished for them to be able to sneak onto the rescue mission with no one noticing, and magically, Stacy hadn’t given them a second glance as Sereia and Muirin hurried outside and jumped into the backseat of the car.

But after a few hours of hiding, the kids were starting to get nervous. Was this really going to work? Maybe there was a reason their mom hadn’t let them come? Sereia looked at Muirin, her worries evident on her face even in the shadows of the closet. Muirin gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand. She nodded, and the two of them shifted position as best they could, sitting down on the floor of the closet.

Next thing they knew, they were falling out onto the floor, along with all the various boat supplies that had been stored in the closet with them. “Ow!” Sereia gasped. “Muirin, your elbow is in my back!”

“Your back is under my elbow!” Muirin rebutted. The two of them squabbled a bit, untangling their limbs. Then, in unison, they looked up and saw Stacy glaring down at them, hands on hips.

The Ollie guy—who apparently owned the boat—was also there. “I—I swear I had no idea there were kids here,” he said, looking at Stacy. “I don’t know how they got in, maybe I left the cabin door unlocked, uh—I-I can call their parents—”

“Thanks, but there’s no need,” Stacy said, continuing to stare at the kids as they slowly climbed to their feet. “They’re mine.”

“Oh...yeah, you mentioned that in an email,” Ollie said. “I can see the resemblance now. Yo, uh, little dudes. What’re you doing here?”

“We’re here to help!” Sereia immediately said. “We’re very skilled—Mom can tell you! And hey, we managed to get into here without you guys noticing, we’d be great at sneaking into a secret facility!”

“Ser,” Muirin said in a low voice. He elbowed her. “I don’t think Mom’s gonna let this slide.”

“I most certainly am not!” Stacy leaned down. “It’s bad enough that you managed to take the bus out to see your dad, now you had to get involved in this?! Can’t I trust you two to stay home where it’s safe? This is no place for children, Sereia, Muirin. You could get hurt, you could get left behind, or worse! I know you want to help, but really, there are no other kids in this complex, so you’re just going to stand out more and get caught. The best thing to do would have been to listen and stay behind.”

The kids shrank back as Stacy continued along this line for a solid couple minutes, expressing her disappointment. Once she was finished, neither of them could look her in the eyes. “We’re sorry,” they said in unison. Sereia fiddled with the edge of her shirt. Muirin traced a circle on the carpet with the tip of his sandal.

Stacy sighed. “Well, you’re just going to have to stay on the boat and wait for us, okay? We’ll talk more about this on the way home.” She turned to Ollie. “I am so sorry about them.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Ollie hurried to say. “Uh...it just means we’ll have to hurry.” He leaned down and picked up some of the closet supplies—a pair of long blue jackets. “Here,” he said, handing one to Stacy. “No time like the present.”

“You’re right.” Stacy looked back at the kids. “Promise me you’ll stay here.” The two of them muttered promises, and she turned away again, taking the jacket Ollie was offering. “Okay. We’ll be back soon.”

After Stacy and Ollie left the boat, the kids crowded around the cabin portholes to see where they’d ended up. The boat had docked at a long pier, connected to a curved, sandy island. The island had no interesting features by itself, but the large white-and-chrome complex on its shore commanded attention. The kids were stunned to silence at how huge the building was. They looked at each other.

“Should we...really be here?” Sereia asked.

“You’re backing down?” Muirin said, surprised. “I thought you’d be all excited about stuff like this.”

“I mean...it’s just really really big, and look!” Sereia pointed out the window. “There’s so many people. They’re gonna notice us.”

“Well, what if we wish that they won’t?” Muirin reached into his pocket and took out his small, dark stone talisman. “Just like getting here.”

Sereia looked at it, and nodded, her eyes sparking to life. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Even with the magic in place, walking out of the boat and onto the island shore was nerve-wracking. The kids stuck to the edges of paths as much as they could. They got into the main complex by following one of the staff members inside, ducking through the door behind him after he scanned his keycard to open it. Once inside, they continued to stay close to the walls, hurrying everywhere in a half-run and keeping their heads down. Muirin kept doing it in case there were cameras that could see them, but about halfway into the building, Sereia just got really into the sneaking business, feeling like a spy.

“So how do we get to the merm they’re holding captive?” Sereia asked, edging around a corner with her back pressed to it.

Muirin blinked. “Uh...We can...find them eventually. Just...look for signs or something.”

But there were no signs to be found, except for ones on doors reading ‘Storage’ or ‘Data Analysis.’ Nothing pointing out where to go. The kids wandered for what felt like an hour, but what was probably much shorter. Until they turned a corner and Muirin ran smack-dab into someone.

“Ah! Es tut mir so leid, dass ich...nicht...” The woman looked down at the two of them, blinking in confusion. She was wearing a blue jacket, identical to the ones Stacy and Ollie had put on, and had blonde hair pulled back in a small bun. “Kinder? Was tun Sie hier?” When the kids didn’t respond, she said, “Sprichst du Deutsch? Ou...français? Or English?”

“Yeah, u-uh...we speak English,” Muirin said. Sereia grabbed his arm, shaking it urgently. He looked over at her and noticed her wide-eyed expression, but shook his head, not knowing what she meant.

“Ah. Well, I apologize, I was not looking where I was going.” The woman paused. “You seem familiar. Have we met? Do I know your parents?”

“Our dad works here!” Sereia blurted out. “And—and he couldn’t get a babysitter today, so he brought us here!”

“I see.” The woman nodded. “Do you need help finding him?”

“Um...actually, we heard about the mermaid, and we...wanted to go see it,” Muirin said, thinking fast. “But we got lost.”

“I understand, it can be difficult to navigate.” The woman smiled. “Here, keep going down this hall, then take a right at the branch. Go down there until you see a metal door, go through that, and climb all the way up the stairs to the top balcony. And do not let the...ah, ‘mermaid’ scare you. It cannot hurt you, and is just scared.”

“Thanks,” Muirin said politely. He took Sereia’s hand and walked calmly around the woman. Sereia followed, but occasionally glanced over her shoulder at the woman.

Once they were out of sight, Sereia leaned close to Muirin and said, “That’s the same doctor lady who visited the Institute! She took away Uncle Jack!”

“Really? But she seemed really nice,” Muirin said.

“Yeah, it’s different from how she was before.” Sereia looked back, narrowing her eyes. “Suspicious.”

“Well, I’m more worried why she noticed us when the magic should be working.” Muirin pulled out his talisman. It had been glowing purple when they first set out from the boat, but now it was faded. “Maybe...because I bumped into her, I dispelled the spell?”

“Let’s hurry, then.” Sereia sped up into a run, grabbing Muirin’s hand to pull him along.

Following the woman’s directions, they found the metal door easily, walking into a huge circular hall with a gigantic tank in the middle. Muirin gasped and stopped walking upon seeing how big it was, but Sereia continued to pull him towards a set of stairs. They climbed up all five flights, passing different environments inside the tank, until they reached the top. Once there, they had to stop for a break. “Curse our...small legs,” Sereia panted, leaning on the stairs’ banister. “I wish...puberty would come...so we can walk...faster.”

“I don’t...don’t wish that,” Muirin said, sitting on the top step. “You know...what happens during...that? Not to mention...we probably have...mer-puberty, too.”

They took a few minutes to recover, then stood up straight and headed up to the large tank. “Hmm.” Sereia hummed. “I don’t see—”

Something big whacked against the glass wall. The kids instinctively yelled and jumped backwards, only for the merm inside to also back up. “Wait, Ser,” Muirin gasped. “Isn’t that...the same one that...?”

Sereia nodded silently. It was Anti, the eel merm who had kidnapped them last summer. Their dad and the others had managed to get them back, and they hadn’t been hurt, but the memory was still vivid in their minds. Anti also recognized them, and looked extremely shocked to see them here. He glanced down at their legs, then back to their faces. The kids saw his mouth move, but heard nothing.

“What do we...do?” Muirin whispered.

“Well...we came here to help, and these guys are bad news anyway.” Sereia shrugged. “So...I guess we just need to get to the top where there’s a lid or something. Oh, but I want to do this really quick.” She planted her feet apart and pointed right at Anti. “Ha-ha-ha! How’s it feeeeeeel?! Yeah, that’s right! You jerk!” She laughed some more. Anti, though not able to hear what she was saying, got the point. He folded his arms and scowled. “Ah. Alright, let’s look around.”

The kids circled around the tank, looking for some way to get even higher. But there were no stairs or ladder to be found. Anti watched them walk away, then eventually started swimming alongside them, watching them. Sereia glared at him and stepped in between him and Muirin, but Anti didn’t look angry. Just confused.

Eventually, they ended up where they started. “Well...that was useless,” Muirin muttered. “There has to be—”

“Mãe de Deus, are you two serious?!”

The kids tensed at the sound of the familiar voice, and slowly turned around to see...their mom, rapidly approaching. Sereia hid behind Muirin, who then circled around and hid behind her. “Did you not understand me when I said to wait in the boat?” Stacy said, stopping right in front of them. “What is the problem? No, really, tell me! Tell me what you don’t understand, because there has to be something missing here!”

“Uh...Stacy, can we save the scolding for after we’re away?” Ollie was standing a little behind her, pushing a trolley with a big plastic box and a collapsible ladder. “Kind of...important matters to deal with.”

Stacy took a deep breath. “Right. Right.” She turned to look at the big tank, where Anti was watching them. “Hello. Remember me?”

Anti glared at her, and immediately darted away, settling behind a rock near the middle of the tank.

“Uh...well.” Ollie sighed. “Let’s get things set up.”

“Right.” Stacy pointed at the kids. “You two. Don’t go anywhere.” They nodded silently.

The kids watched as Stacy and Ollie set up the ladder next to the tank, and the plastic box—which turned out to be full of water—next to it. “This would’ve been faster if we didn’t have to find a container that could fit him,” Ollie said to himself. “Or find a place to fill it up. Or find a ladder to reach the hatch. Or steal the—”

“I know, Ollie, I was there,” Stacy said. “What’s your point?”

“My point is we’re running out of time before we start looking suspicious,” Ollie said.

Once the ladder was up, the kids looked towards the top of the tank and noticed something they hadn’t before. Just above the water level there was a hatch. It was almost invisible, being made entirely out of glass, with just a small metal lock to give away it was there. Ollie pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the hatch, ducking under it as it swung outward. The glass door was big, a rectangle with a six feet square area. Ollie leaned through it into the tank. “Uh...merman? Guy? We’re here to get you out!” 

Anti remained where he was: a fair distance away.

“Let me try,” Stacy said. Ollie climbed down the ladder and she took his place, halfway into the tank. “Hello? It’s me, I helped you before? Do you remember me? I’m here to help you again.” After a moment, she leaned back out. “Nothing. He’s just sparking with electricity.”

“Um...” Muirin, standing with Sereia nearby, raised his hand. “Maybe he can’t...understand you?”

Stacy frowned. “What do you mean, sweets? The others can understand us.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean all merms speak English,” Muirin said. “Like...just because there’s a class in school where kids speak Spanish, it doesn’t mean all the kids in school take that class and know Spanish.”

Sereia perked up. “Mom! I got it! I know we can help with this!” She ran up to the base of the ladder. “Me and Muirin can speak merm, remember? We can talk to him!”

Stacy was hesitant. “Well...um, how do you know you speak the same merm language?”

��Because there’s only one! Dad told us about—”

“Okay, okay, I understand.” Stacy glanced over at Ollie, who was watching the conversation with confusion. “I...He’s electric, Reia. You could get hurt.”

“I don’t think he’ll shock us,” Muirin said, walking up next to Sereia. “He didn’t back when—”

“Yes, I know about that,” Stacy hurried to say. Ollie only looked more baffled, realizing he was missing something.

“Mom...please let us help,” Sereia said quietly. “This is—this is about us, too. We’re...if people find out about merms, we’ll be...” She took a deep breath. “You know it’ll be bad. So...we need to help.” Muirin nodded in support, grabbing Sereia’s hand and squeezing tightly.

Stacy stared down at the two of them. She sighed. “Alright. But only one of you on this ladder at a time, okay?”

Sereia nodded. She looked at Muirin, who gestured for her to go ahead. Grinning, she hurried over to the ladder and climbed up. “Mom, make sure I don’t fall in,” she said, and Stacy climbed up behind her, steadying her by holding her waist. Then she leaned through the hatch, angling downward until her head was in the water.

She blinked for a moment to let her eyes adjust. By now, she was used to breathing water as easily as she could breathe air, so she didn’t hold her breath. She looked towards Anti, who was staring up at her with wide eyes. “Uh...hi!” Anti was a fair distance away, so she shouted. “You, uh, kidnapped me and my twin once, remember?”

Anti jumped when he heard her speaking merm. He looked at her legs once again. “You’re a halfling?!” he said. “A fucking halfling?! The clownfish married a human?!”

“Yeah, this is my mom.” Sereia awkwardly gestured at Stacy behind her. “She told me that she and Dad rescued you from a place like this before. Along with Uncle Jack. Well, now she and this other guy are here to get you out again!”

“...why?” Anti asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“Uh...cause this place sucks?” Sereia said. “I mean, look at this. Sure, it’s a huge tank, but you’re used to living in the ocean where there’s even more space. And I don’t know what these guys are gonna do to you, but it can’t be good.”

“It’s fucking weird, I’ll tell you that,” Anti muttered, barely loud enough for Sereia to hear him. “I don’t know what the mirror was about, or the thing with the shapes and holes, or these weird boxes that smell like fish...” Anti went silent for a minute, then shook his head. “Look, tell your human...mom...that I’m not going anywhere.”

“Huh? Why not?” Sereia asked.

“Because—because she—I might—there could—” Anti stammered. His tail curled around himself. “I don’t need to explain to an elver like you!”

“...oh. You’re scared, huh?” Sereia said.

“I’m not scared!” Anti growled.

“You’re making yourself small, people do that when they’re scared,” Sereia said. Immediately, Anti uncurled, as if just now aware of what he was doing. “I mean, I get it. You don’t know my mom and you think she might be angry at you ‘cause you kidnapped us. She probably is. But like...that’s not gonna stop her from helping you. What these guys are doing is messed up, they shouldn’t be allowed to kidnap merms. And...and she’s too good to let any personal feelings get in the way of stopping them from doing that.” She nodded definitively. “So—so you can stay if you want, but if you ever want to get out of here, this is your best chance. I promise nothing will happen.”

Anti stared at her for a long time. He looked down, unconsciously reaching up to grab his throat. “The world doesn’t keep its promises, elver,” he said, so quietly that she had to strain to hear. “But...I guess I’d like to be outside more than I’d like to be in here.” He looked back up. “Alright. I’ll come with you.”

“Great!” Sereia smiled. “We’re going to have to carry you out of here in a box, and you might be stuck in there for a few hours as we get away from this place, but I promise it’ll be fine. Just don’t shock us when we pull you out of here.”

“A few hours?!” Anti gasped. Unfortunately, Sereia was already lifting her head out of the water and couldn’t respond to him before Stacy was pulling her backwards.

“He’s all good now,” Sereia said, pushing wet hair out of her eyes. “He’ll come with us.”

“You have some crazy lungs, kid!” Ollie said, giving her a thumbs-up. “Nice job.”

“Haha, yeah—cause she was holding her breath,” Muirin laughed nervously.

Anti slowly swam over to the side of the tank. He looked up at the hatch and hesitated. Stacy looked down at him and smiled. He flinched, but after a moment, swam upwards until he breached the surface of the water.

Some complex rearranging of people later, Anti was curled up in the plastic box of water, glancing back and forth between Stacy, Ollie, and the kids. “Oh, uh...Mr. Anti?” Muirin said slowly. “Thanks for...not electrocuting Mom. And, uh, we’re gonna need to put the lid on that box so no one sees you.”

“Of course you will,” Anti muttered, sinking below the water. “...let me out again. Please.”

“We will, don’t worry,” Sereia reassured him. Anti nodded slowly, then closed his eyes and covered his head.

Ollie shook his head. “Can’t believe you guys can understand that,” he said quietly, putting the plastic lid on the box. “It’s all dolphin noises and vowel sounds.”

Stacy laughed. “Well...my kids are gifted. Personally, I’ve picked up on some repeated phrases, but there’s no way I could ever speak it.”

“I think it’d be cool to learn someday,” Ollie said to himself. He started putting away the ladder. “Now we really gotta hurry out of here. Stealth be damned.”

It took less time to get out of the complex than it did to get in. This was partially because the grown-ups knew where they were going, partially because the kids were riding on the trolley to avoid slowing anyone down, and partially because everyone was almost running to get out. A few staff members in the halls gave the group weird looks, but they went fast enough to avoid being stopped with questions.

The group burst from a side entrance and hurried along the sandy paths, leaving footprints and wheel marks behind as they headed towards the boat. They dashed up the pier and onto the deck of the familiar white boat. Ollie brought the whole trolley, ladder included, just to save them time. Then he and Stacy sped through the casting-off procedure. 

Just in time, as well. A few people in black security uniforms had taken notice of the boat and were approaching. When they saw the boat drifting off to sea, they broke into a run. Ollie started up the motor, then headed for the wheel and turned them away from the dock. The boat pulled away just in time, leaving the complex and the island behind it.

The kids started to relax, but the adults were still tense. “Do you think they’ll send people after us?” Stacy asked.

“I don’t know. Probably. But, luckily, the ocean is easy to get lost in,” Ollie said. “Keep an eye out.”

Sereia and Muirin sat down on the trolley, next to the plastic box. The box shifted a little, and Muirin lifted up one end of the lid. A hand inside reached up to push the lid further. Glowing green eyes looked at the kids from inside.

“It’ll be fine,” Sereia said, smiling. “We just need to get farther away. It might take a while.”

“Yeah,” Muirin added. “We’re gonna take you back to familiar waters.”

The eyes blinked, and then disappeared back into the box.