#and also the light difference between her gill colors!!!!!

[ditzyclown]

cool oc, draws it

I WAS LOOKING AWAY WHILE MY INBOX WAS LOADING AND I LOOK UP AND-

ZOO I LITERALLY HAD TO PHSIICALLY RECOVER OMG I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS- 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[luxudus]

The Six Lords of Ko-ve-dor, and an introduction to my friend's project Star Odyssey

One last art piece to end the year on a high note. It's an entry @jennywolfgal's sophont in her sci-fi / spec-evo / worldbuilding project Star odyssey. A far future where humanity and a few other advanced species help to found a Galactic Coalition of Worlds spanning half the galaxy. Everyone go follow her and check out her project!

I genuinley consider this atm my magnum opus in every aspect, Linework, Texturing, Coloring, Composition, and ESPECIALLY rendering.

    The Commonality of Ko-ve-dor is an alliance between multiple sophont species evolving side by side on the same planet. All working together towards the prosperity for all denizens of the known galaxy.

     Planet Ko-ve-dor, also known as Kepler-442 B, is a super earth in a 3 planet star system all orbiting a K-Type main sequence star known as O-uosa. Ko-Ve-Dor’s higher mass, larger magnetosphere, denser atmosphere, 3 moons, larger continents and O-uosa’s longer lifespan make Ko-ve-dor a superhabitable world. Capable of hosting more biodiversity than our own earth for a far longer time.

    Plantlife on Ko-Ve-Dor is just as complex as it’s animal life and it shows. Most terrestrial flora possess a segmented exoskeleton that vary in shape and size akin to an insect. Most forms of plantlife exhibit both radial and bilateral symmetry in their overall body plan. Some species of Ko-ve-dor plantlife can even take in their surroundings with special segments that act as one big sensory organ.     And aside from some greenish phytoplankton, most flora on this world take on a red pigmentation to make the most out of its star’s dimmer light.

Not only is Ko-ve-dor more biodiverse than earth. But it’s greater abundance of life and more surface area means there's far more consumable biomass too. Allowing it’s animal life to reach greater heights and the option for greater brainpower. This paired with evolution’s trend towards more socialization. Means that sapient life has developed not once, or twice. But six times, all within a similar enough time frame for them to all interact with one another.      As each sophont species is a good representative of Ko-ve-dor’s kingdom of life. We will be skipping over the planet’s animal life to discuss their biology.     The Dor-Eø are the largest of the six sophonts and represent the planet’s many soft-bodied invertebrates. They take on a body plan very similar to earth’s flatworms. And being filter-feeders, they fill a niche not too different from whales. Their large carpet-like fins are actually enlarged partially external gills to aid in respiration. And they manipulate their environment with their two mitten shaped mandibles and opposable tusk thumbs.     They live in tight-knit nomadic pods where they ride the waves in search of plankton. They hunt said plankton like dolphins, continuously switching roles to either shepard the plankton and strike the condensed schools. And as they achieved sapience they’ve built nets to catch more plankton and dorsal fin flags to distinguish which pod they’re apart of.     The Dor-Ssri’ii represent a sapient species of aquatic, radially symmetrical fish analogs. They possess twelve eyes, with three on each side, a four sided jaw, and eight fins, four anterior fins and four posterior fins. Their intricate color palette helps them blend in with the yellow and red reefs.      They live in borderline eusocial schools where they manipulate their environment through their mouth like a tuskfish

    The Ko-Ka’Kta are terrestrial relatives of the Dor-Ssri’cai, these are a sapient species of para-reptilian pack hunters native to the deserts and shrublands of Ko-ve-dor. They retain their radial symmetry and are quite basal compared to their relatives. Their forearms have atrophied into small rudders used by females to attract mates and live in matriarchal packs.     And they manipulate their environment with four highly specialized tongues. Their lack of claws or fangs pushed them to crafting an array of weapons to hunt. That and their hierarchical pack structure paved way for sapience    The Ko-A’atur represent the most derived group of Ko-ve-dor’s Vertebrates. Descending from a group that forgone their radial symmetry and became secondarily bilateral. Their heads hyper-elongated to the point where it’s now two separate body parts all together. Their lips have pulled back and became large flaps to cool off and express emotions.     Of all the sophonts they live the least socially, They forage and occasionally hunt in groups of 3-5 individuals. But the social bonds formed are so tight and complex that it managed to bring them up to sapience.     Onto life in the sky. The Ve-Huik are one of two representatives of Ko-ve-dor’s aerial invertebrates. They are a species of hexapodal invertebrate flyers protected by a sturdy exoskeleton. They fill a niche similar to parrots,  capable of crushing nuts and fruits with their large mandibles that clench together like a fist. They live in small flocks and communicate by short whistles and hums. And they manipulate their environment with their remarkably dexterous six legs.    

    And lastly the Ve-Z’qi, a Is a seafaring relative to the Ve-huik, they are a sapient species of flying arthropod analogs native to the many coastlines of Dorveko. They live in nomadic flocks, hopping from island to island. They hunt their aquatic prey by looking for disturbances in the water before diving in to catch their target     Their history is one defined by sheer first contact and a long road to equality. The Dor-Eø and the Ve-Z'qi,a were the pioneers of exploration due in part of their nomadic lifestyles giving them a global range to freely explore. Slowly each species would suddenly learn the existence of their contemporaries and how to work with them.     Their society is egalitarian and very xenophilic, each species is born with full citizenship and everyone regardless of origin and identity are treated truly equally. yet their government is surprisingly autocratic. Each planet is ruled by a handfull of philosopher kings and queens who come from all walks of life. And are chosen by the state based on their view of life and understanding of the humanities. All to improve the lives of their people. They are also very welcoming towards outsiders, and have made themselves a beacon of liberty and safety for the galaxy's downtrodded.     With so many different sapient minds at work in a society that promotes harmony and teamwork. The Ko-ve-dor Commonality has advanced rapidly, being able to become a spacefaring civilization a thousand years before mankind. Their architecture and spaceships are large and bulbous, containing vast aquariums and spacious domes to accommodate all the different lifestyles. And have become one of the Galactic Coalition of Worlds' most important members.     Depicted here is a human diplomat posing with a friend group eager to take a photo with an unfamiliar face.

I'm happy i managed to get this out before 2024, though there still maybe work to be done, mainly to expand on their worldbuilding, and i hope everyone else has a happy new year!

[tineymang]

i finished doing an updated reference of my explorers of sky team!! these guys live rent free in my head i like them a lot (some fun facts under the cut because i have too much to say about them)

circuit

was found by mello passed out on the beach, with no memories other than their name, and the fact they were once human…

had the scars on their horn and fin from the moment they woke up on the beach, and never figured out why they had them until they went to dark crater

the main navigator and also the cartographer of the group! they carry the wonder map with them, along with a feather pen and paper for mapping out the floors of mystery dungeons

was originally always the leader, but often now they will switch between themselves and mello depending on the situation

came up with the team name! they think it is very cool and nobody else except for mello agrees.

has a habit of rushing into fights without thinking, so they often need to duck behind mello for cover when things get dicey

only stores light things in their bag, like their paper and a few healing items in case of an emergency. they will also often hold onto items that need to be delivered to clients so they don't get mixed up with other equipment

they offered to carry mello's bag once and were immediately squished by it, and now they are permanently banned from carrying anything heavy.

mello

formed a team with circuit after the two joined wigglytuff's guild together

a lighter color than most mudkip! the 'splotchy' or spotty patterns she has are also a common trait of water types, possibly because it helps them blend into the water more

her gills are curved and her head fin is longer than normal, which causes it to fold over because of the extra weight. these are only aesthetic differences, and don't affect anything about their functionality!

keeps track of the job requests, usually has a bulleted list she keeps on her. likewise she also keeps an eye out for the items and/or pokemon they need to find in dungeons

has a fascination with all things ancient and mysterious. she has a growing collection of aged books, even in subjects she doesn't have much interest in.

also enjoys collecting various odd objects, and souvenirs from the places she's been! she decorates sharpedo bluff with them.

originally carried the bulk of items they found in dungeons, but after luna joined mello now only carries equipment (orbs, scarves, etc.), while luna carries treasure (boxes, poke, etc.)

one of her favorite hobbies is reading, she finds it's a good way to wind down after an exploration. recently, she has taken up journaling as well.

stripe

met circuit and mello when they explored sky peak together, and she joined the team soon after!

grew up in a colder climate, hence their extra fur

trained at marowak dojo following her joining the team, in an attempt to match the levels of circuit and mello. her brown bow is from marowak!

handles inventory management, took over for circuit who did it prior. she insists she doesn't mind, she finds it satisfying to do.

doesn't speak very often, except to people that they're comfortable with. because of her easygoing nature, she's often the first one other members of the team come to for advice!

has their own home where they live by themselves, but they stay at sharpedo bluff enough that they consider it their second home

one of her favorite spots is spinda's cafe, they enjoy sitting down and crowd watching. mello likes to join her sometimes!

stripe exclusively holds onto healing items like reviver seeds, so they're able to quickly grab one if someone is in a pinch.

mana

joined the team after they came to sharpedo bluff to return to the place they hatched!

has the same kind of splotchy patterning as mello! this is only by pure coincidence, though.

circuit and mello are very protective of mana following their illness when they were young, but they insist they are able to handle themselves.

has the occasional mischievous streak in which they find it entertaining to intentionally scare their parents. i wonder who they get that from…

being the most recent recruit to team epic squad, mana is still figuring out exactly where their specialties lie. but that doesn't mean they're not trying their best!

never quite figured out who exactly it was that left mana's egg alone in the middle of the ocean. circuit has some strongly worded things to say to them if they ever encountered them.

they view mello and circuit as their parents, and walrein is more like an uncle to them. they still see walrein on occasion when he comes to visit treasure town!

carries no bag, only their defense scarf. circuit and mello worry about them straining themselves, so they will usually not bring any items with them.

luna

joined the team after the fight at dark crater!

really not a fan of the team name, but also trying really hard not to be rude about it. she will often refer to it as 'team epic' for short.

not used to having casual conversations with pokemon, so she often will come across as stilted when speaking. instead of names she will default to referring to a pokemon by their position (ie the kecleon brothers are shopkeeps, chatot is head of intelligence, etc)

because of how long she's been around, she has a knack for spotting rare or unusual items! she is not particularly good at estimating monetary value, however.

having trouble figuring out how to relax now that she doesn't have to focus on thwarting any world-ending plots. the rest of the team has gradually been working on getting her to loosen up more

enjoys the company of the future trio, celebi in particular. they like to discuss "legendary pokemon things", as celebi puts it.

has reasons for joining the team beyond finding the work of exploration teams fascinating. she has not told anyone what those reasons are, though.

carries all the various treasure the team finds! she has a liking for any especially shiny objects.

also as a bonus for making it thru the fun facts heres the old reference i did of team epic squad (around 2021 i think??) which this one was a redraw of! (and i also added luna)

[haruniki]

Mermaid Ei HCs

both romance and general hc

a/n: i at one point was going to expand this into a fully fledge Au but haven't quite gotten the chance too. I decided to a big hc type thing. I will eventually add more characters to this idea. The next character i will most likely be adding is Yoimiya or Shenhe, i will also be adding other characters as humans or another type of mermaid mythical(i hope that makes sense xP), gonna try to add to this as i make more fics for Mermaid! Ei

Cw?? slight nsfw?? putting this here just in case tho it might not contain it but just to be safe

General Headcanon

Ei is still the leader of Inazuma, none of the puppets (Scara and The Shogun) exist in this AU (scara does exist but only as the Wanderer or whatever you wanna call him, name suggestions for him is welcomed🫶)

Inazuma is separated from the other regions via dense and extremely tall seaweed

Ei is a very large mermaid, from head to tail she is an estimate of 8-9 feet long/tall

Her tail has finds of the side with slight tears and the flippers (end of tail fins) are rather long with tear as well

Ei tail is a deep shade of purple with light purple accent/fins, her tail shimmer a dark pink color in light

Her upper body has scars and she has a purple cloth piece wrapped around her chest and a necklace is strung around her neck

Ei's hair is relatively in the same style and she also has the same hair piece. The only difference is that she has more of the light purple streak that's in her hair throughout her hair

Ei's personality is pretty much the same with her just being a bit more curious

Neck gills!!

Romance Headcanons (Human)

The only way that you could even possibly meet is if you decided to be bold enough to swim through seaweed or if you dived in from a dock or a boat.

The way i use for how you both met is as follows : you didn't make it to the surface in time and she had to save you from drowning

With that, Ei was most likely stalking you and was able to quickly notice that humans can't breath underwater

Luckily Inazuma has plenty of caves with air pockets

Ei stayed to help you find your way home and you both now have scheduled visits

Brings you many, many items that either she or another found. Mostly for explanation but also because she loves your voice

Tries to get you to eat raw fish and other raw seafood

Likes when you bring human food for her to try, especially the sweet items.

Also like that you bring her new tops for her to wear

however she doesn't understand why you can't swim with casual/non swimsuit clothes on, also doesn't really get why you get flustered from her trying to help you out of your clothes.

Has a slight obsession with your legs and touches them when she can

Also gets touch with your legs when kissing. She personally thinks they get in the way, but she likes the way you wrap them around her.

Ei is very interested in human anatomy and is more than willing to let you conduct exploration of her anatomy in return that she can learn more about yours.

Loves being bigger than you, likes the slightly power indifference between you both. Also likes how flustered you get when she teases you in just the right way

Romance Headcanons (mermaid)

Your most likely either one of her subjects, servant, or someone in her court

Whatever the case, she'll most likely get to meet you way easier but it'll be harder to catch her interest.

Does however like the size comparison between the you both, you'll most likely still be smaller than her due to the difference in mermaid species(i can't remember all the mermaid species rn will update when i do)

adores when you bring her different things human drop

Ei also loves when you try to theorize what they could've been used for

tries to find matching items for you both, but humans just aren't dropping enough matching couples items

protects you quite well thought she does teach you how to protect yourself because she doesn't want to be out exploring and you get into trouble

allows you to undo her braids and comb it, absolutely hates doing it by her self

loves examining your tail! it's so much different than hers, and shinier!

Also checks your neck gills often and cleans them

Doesn't let you anywhere near the seaweed, it's too dangerous or so she says

is able to give whatever resources she can for you to learn more about the surface, though it might be limited. Information regarding other areas outside of Inazuma is also limited, but at least you can now get more information than every other mermaid in Inazuma!

[spoiledleaff]

leaaaaffffyyy !! it’s taken me much too long to decide on a prompt to send you, but i think i’ve finally decided on one !!

so, if you’re still writing for the inexperienced smut prompts, may i please request a little something with prompts 24 and 29 for dew/mist ? (i’ve become borderline addicted to the way you write their dynamic)

-💙💍

feliiiiiiiiix, my little british texan beloved, haha!! >:3c oh my goodness, of course i'd love to write some more dew/mist?? i adore them also, it's always lovely to be reminded i'm not the only water ghoul slut, haha! 💚

explicit ✿ cw ; mentions of tentacle dicks ✿ ftm he/him dew + intersex she/her mist ✿ wc ; 1.3k. terminology for dew includes ; clit + pussy/cunt + folds ✿ terminology for mist is honestly just a little bit of everything. dewdrop has a pre-transition body.

Despite the way that Mist is circling his defenseless form — naked and chilled from where he's left kneeling on the slab of altar, the only thing protecting his most intimate parts from the unwanted eye being a thin black sheet: satin — Dewdrop doesn't feel like prey.

There's determination coursing through his veins, hot and heavy in a way that makes the younger ghoul break out into a cold sweat; he wants to see this through.

"Take my virginity," he had asked, steeling himself in an effort to seem strong and more confident than he felt, "make me yours. Please."

To his childish glee — to his deep surprise — Mist had agreed with a cock of her head, a sharp-toothed grin, and a comment about how polite the little sin was and how adorable he looks begging.

(And how much cuter he'd be dropped to his knees.)

Now, on his knees and bare on some older altar that Mist had cornered the smaller ghoul against Lucifer knows how long ago, Dewdrop still doesn't feel like prey. The sharp barbs that decorate Mist's long tail flutter as she continues to circle him.

They're poisonous, Dewdrop knows, but they also glow softly in the dim light of the godforsaken ritual room they've found themselves in; it's a softly yellow glow, reflecting orange against the red and darker red colored furniture and objects. Dewdrop thinks it's cute despite it all.

Mist pauses, cocks her head again and laughs. Dewdrop realizes he must've said that aloud.

(He's still getting used to these new human vocal chords. They chime in at the strangest of moments.)

"You're adorable," Mist purrs, choosing that moment to slink her way on to Dewdrop's little altar slab.

Dewdrop chirps as he watches the way Mist's fins and gills flutter against the force of invisible wind. They're a beautiful color: partially transparent and sheer from where the membranes are loosely stretched between those predatory barbs of her. Her short hair tickles Dewdrop's nose, moon kissed curls kissing the outer curves of Dewdrop's nostrils. He thinks he might sneeze, realizes how unsexy that must be, holds it in before sneezing anyways. The sound echoes loudly against the low ceiling, but Mist's eyes twinkle fondly at Dewdrop's look of sheer confusion as to how his vessel could betray him at such a time.

"Sorry." Dewdrop shrinks into himself, his own vibrantly colored fins shudder with his embarrassment.

"Don't be." Mist sighs, dipping her head to nuzzle her tall horns against Dewdrop's. They rub together harshly, but, unlike Dewdrop's sneeze, the sound doesn't grate against his ears. "I never knew you could make such cute little noises."

"Me neither." Dewdrop pouts, turns away but ends up knocking his horns against Mist's, keeping them close. "Do all human bodies make such weird noises?"

"Well..." Mist chuckles quietly underneath her breath, taking a moment to untangle the curves of their respective horns from each other. "Everyone sneezes, but it's all a different sound depending on the vessel. Your's just so happens to sound like a newborn kitten."

(Mist places her hand over the clammy meat of Dewdrop's thigh, and the younger sin has to suppress another equally embarrassing noise at the cold touch.)

"A-ah." Shit. That's not exactly the voice of a ghoul who's more than proud in their current levels of confidence.

Mist's purr grows deeper — more mischievous — as those painted nails trace symbols through Dewdrop's skin, growing closer and closer to where those thighs are squeezed together tight.

"My naïve little pearl," Mist smiles and Dewdrop's never noticed that charming yellow tint to her fangs before, "oh, how you make me feel young again."

The safety blanket that was once the thin satin draped across Dewdrop's lap is delicately tugged away by pretty hands. Dewdrop can smell the musk of Mist's arousal, wants to somehow tattoo it into his nostrils, his lungs. The older ghoul hoists herself forward, her naked form now lays beside him, and Dewdrop can see the heavy weight of her cock trapped between her beautifully slick thighs.

(Idly, Dewdrop wonders if her slick is poisonous — if her scent is an aphrodisiac — because he suddenly wants to drown in her presence and her love. And what water ghoul wishes to drown?)

He gulps, and Dewdrop wonders if that sound too echoes off the basement walls. Mist's eyelashes flutter against the high arches of her cheeks, small bioluminescent freckles decorating the dark skin. She's flowing — she's fucking glowing — and Dewdrop wonders if it's a sign of beloved blasphemy or deceiving divinity. Quickly, he decides he doesn't care.

"Can't wait to make you mine, little droplet." She sighs against his temple, the curves of her breasts brush against Dewdrop's clavicle. The weight of her palm pushes against his hipbone; her touch is cold, and Dewdrop would rather freeze than be apart from the sin laid bare before him.

Mist uncrosses her legs and moves to straddle Dewdrop's knees, her nipples brushing over his cheek as she moves. Her flushed erection bounces free from the confines of her thighs, and Dewdrop just barely manages to catch a glimpse of the meat of her folds from behind the sheath of her cock. It curves deliciously towards her pierced naval, the veins are engorged along the underside of the tentacle. Her cock is flushed a deep purple, the skin of her sheath wrinkles slightly around the opening, stretching to accommodate the sheer mass of her erection.

Dewdrop's drooling; he can feel the way his clit throbs at the sight of Mist's dick, the way his virgin pussy clenches around nothing.

"Is that for me?" He finds the courage to ask, wide eyes staring at the dark, sticky fluid leaking from the tip of Mist's tentacle. His thighs squeeze tighter, and Mist notices with a soft smile.

"Of course, sweetheart." She purrs, smooth as wine down Dewdrop's throat. Her free hand reaches up to grope gently at Dewdrop's breasts, squeezing at his nipples and pulling mercifully. The younger ghoul melts in her cold touch, keening softly at the way she loves him. "I'm going to slide my cock inside that tight, aching cunt of yours, and I'm going to love you thoroughly from the inside out."

Dewdrop shudders, his chest bouncing softly in Mist's palm. She finds it cute, she tells him with that charming smile.

"Oh, fuck." Dewdrop shifts his weight, parting his thighs just enough for Mist's hand to slip in, touches him.

"That's the plan, Dewey." Mist chirps, and Dewdrop finds enough sass in his brain to tap his forehead against hers; he watches as Mist's cock bounces against her stomach, inky black smearing over the aquamarine jewels of her piercing. "I'm going to ruin your vessel's virginity, and I'm not going to stop until I've ravaged you with my love and worship."

"W-worship?" Dewdrop mewls as Mist's fingers tug on his clit, spreading his folds despite the semi-awkward angle. She leans in, kisses his cheek.

"Worship." She repeats with another smile, and the younger sin can feel the grooves of her teeth against his skin. "There's a reason I trapped you against an altar, little pearl."

Dewdrop groans, leans away from Mist's touch before gently pushing his palms to her sternum and chest, pushing her and guiding her down. They switch positions — Mist allows it with half lidded eyes and a crooked grin — and Dewdrop wastes no time in straddling her lap, eyeing the sight of her flushed tentacle with glazed eyes. He leans forward, and Mist's reach up to gently grip at the little ghoul's waist. Dewdrop's pushing fingers into his own sopping wet cunt without much thought, his hand roughly sliding over Mist's sternum to grip at her breast. Her cock now trapped inside the junction of Dewdrop's thigh, the tapered head grazing Dewdrop's heavy shaft.

"Wanna- I wanna touch you too," he gasps, breathless as he drowns, "wanna show you how I worship, Mist."

[frostybearpaws]

okay biology time!!!

Vanthion (Shaya’s species) biology

Vanthions are facultative carnivores meaning they eat a mostly meat diet but can survive (though they do not thrive) on a solely plant diet.

Vanthion incisors look at bit like dunkleosteus teeth while their molars are sharp and built for further cutting of flesh. There is a gap between the cutting teeth and the chewing teeth. (It’s not something you want to put your fingers in)

Vanthions breathe from gill shaped structures located along their back. These organs have a flap which can open and close as well as tube structures hidden inside which sometimes extend themselves in times of stress or emotional excitement. Instead of having two pairs of lungs, Vanthion have several respiratory sacks connected to one another and to each breathing slit. If one is damaged however, it can be sealed off and prevent the others from collapsing. (Fun fact: this complex system allows for a very unique for if communication, Vanthions tend to speak to one another in rhythms and notes which sounds similar to earths western forms of music and can often be translated as such, when Vanthions speak they do not do it one at a time but instead speak all at once, you know when a conversation is going somewhere when it sounds like a symphony is playing thirty feet away)

Scientists once believed that vanthions were also able to breathe through their noses this however was a misconception. While a Vanthion can take air in through the nose, the air enters a chamber which has olfactory receptors built to identify hundreds of thousand of different smells. Air goes in through a set of nostrils near her eyes, then is sent out through a pair located where nostrils are typically found on humans.

Vanthions have blue blood which is teaming with microbes implanted some time long ago by an extinct race of aliens known for technology and gene modification. These micro bots are like mitochondria located in every sell. These microbots allow for frightening levels of regeneration. (Fun fact: Vanthion blood also glows and this is used in communication, in the chest and face there are patches which have more blood vessels during time of heightened emotion these places will light up.)

Vanthions lack brains: instead they have neurons located all around the body, there are higher neuron counts in certain places such as more in the fingers/toes and face than the torso however there is no part of her that is without neurons.

Vanthion skin tone ranges from various shades of gray and eyes tend to be pigmented black, however colors such as purple and maroon have also been spotted. Hair color ranges which white to purple to blue, but sometimes can show up as various shades of magenta as well.

Vanthions tend to be naturally strong and often have well defined muscles. While this species experiences some sexual dimorphism it is not as drastic as some. Males and females tend to be the same size and strength.

[sea-owl]

i think it would be more interesting if the spouses were from different planets, as you said in groups.

So maybe 3 of them are from a planet, 2 from another, 1 is from somewhere else ecc…

Yeah that would also probably work better as well so instead of 8 different species I only have to come up with somewhere between3 and 5.

For groups I'm thinking Michael, Phillip, and Penelope as a trio. Simon and Gareth are from the same planet. Sophie and Lucy from the same planet. Kate will be fine, she's got Edwina to fuss over.

MPP: For them I'm kind imagining a species that's almost fey like but instead of plants they're connected to stars. Their eyes are just pure shades of blues, reds, yellows, whites, and on the rare occasion green. On top of their heads are a pair of horns that curve inward that are hallow and pick up sound like echolocation. Their hair floats around them almost like the gas clouds in space and typically has the coloring of a galaxy. On their skin they have markings that appear dark in light but glow in darkness. They are sensitive to electric, and magnetic fields, along with the 4th dimension.

SL: They are a semiaquatic species, being able to survive on land and in water. Their skin is smooth like a whale's and alongside their necks are gills that open up when submerged in water. They also have bioluminescent markings that they have used when exploring dark parts of their home's ocean. Their coloring depends on where they were born on the planet. Sophie was born in colder climates so she has more whites and grays in her coloring while Lucy was born in a tropical climate, so her colors are brighter like coral. Their hands and feet are webbed, and their legs can fuse together in water for better swimming. Along their waists are fins Instead of hair they have a long fin similar to the ones you see on the end of mermaid tails or long tentacles like a jellyfish. Their teeth are sharper due to them being a mostly hunter species. They also have a familiarity with echolocation due to that's how they communicate in the water.

SG: They are the biggest and physically strongest of their friends. Standing at at least seven feet, their species have four arms, their legs shaped like a lion's back legs, and they got tail. They actually grow hair unlike the rest of their friends, on their heads and on the ends of their tails. Pointed ears that they can fold over itself, usually to show annoyance or an attempt to protect their hearing from loud noises.

K: Her species is a mixture between bird and reptilian. The lower half of her body is a snake tail covered in iridescent scales. Her upper body is humanoid in shape but instead of skin she has scales. On her back is six feathered wings and a mane of feathers replaces hair. She's from a tropical world which reflects in her iridescent scales and rich purple feathers. She's very agile and there's rumors that she's venomous, not that Kate will every say.

Do I know anything about their cultures? Nope, but we gonna figure it out as we go.

[adw520]

Better Dylan Info Post (aka Dylan Lore Dump 1)

because I realized in the light of day that my last post was not very well organized or worded (I was very tired)

First off have another picrew. Baydews' character creator is my favorite one out there. Djarn's comes in close second, but I haven't made Dylan there yet.

☆ Her full name is Dylan Strand. For etymology nerds like me, Dylan is from the Welsh prefix 'dy', meaning to/towards, and word 'llanw', meaning tide/flow. Strand is from the Old Norse word for beach. Assuming the site I used to get this information is accurate, anyway.

☆ On a slightly related note, apparently Dylan isn't really used for girls outside the US? I wasn't aware it was such a unique thing.

☆ Her birthday is Summer 21. I used a random date generator and converted it to Stardew time. I think I still have the calculations somewhere in my phone's notes.

☆ She's 5'10", which is a little on the tall side. She has her mom to thank for that.

☆ Blue Moon Farm is on the forest map, which is without a doubt my favorite farm map.

☆ Dylan's mom lives off the east coast of the Ferngill Republic. Dylan and her dad moved to Zuzu City when she was about 6 to be closer to her grandpa, but returned to visit every year for Dylan's birthday. Her grandpa loved to talk about Blue Moon Farm and show her pictures from its heyday. He passed the year she graduated high school.

☆ She loves to fish and can rival Willy in skill. Some might think it's magic, but she's actually just had a lot of practice.

☆ While she generally follows the universal gifts, she loves Golden Coconut, Dragon Tooth, and Seafoam Pudding. She likes all kinds of fish as well as Sea Urchins. She's neutral about all Tackle, Bait, and Monster Loot, as well as Fairy Dust and the Tea Set. She only dislikes Joja Cola, but she hates Qi Fruit.

☆ She likes bright colors. Her favorite is yellow.

☆ I mentioned before that Dylan has trouble localizing sounds. In humans, the shape of our outer ears plays a big part in localizing sound. Dylan has no real outer ears, and her inner ears are structured a little differently to help with hearing underwater. If she were to keep her fins out, they'd do a fairly decent job of helping to localize sounds. However, they're more effective for that purpose underwater than on land, and they're not much help at all held flat against her head and hidden by her hair.

☆ Her fins are pierced! She normally wears a pair of large gold hoops, but she owns a few different pairs of studs for times where there's a risk of the hoops getting yanked out. She also likes necklaces, but isn't a fan of bracelets or rings.

☆ The effect of the full moon isn't entirely because of her heritage. There's a psychological aspect to it as well. The spring tides from a full and new moon have equal pull on her, but because new moons lack the light of a full moon, she doesn't have that visual indicator. With a full moon, it becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. She's so worried about giving into the pull that it happens. Her umbrella is a visible barrier between herself and the moon to help put her mind at ease and keep from working herself up into an unplanned nighttime swim.

☆ I'm putting the Stardew lunar cycle at 20 days. It's a lot longer than a direct conversion would have it, but 9 days seemed a bit short for my liking. I'm also aware that spring tides are technically the high tides the night after a full or new moon, but I'm choosing to ignore that. My made-up lore, my rules.

☆ She has some small scales scattered around with her freckles. She also has gills hidden under her jaw. They seal themselves when she's above water, and open when she submerges.

☆ The forest magic the wizard gave her almost made her sick enough to go to the clinic. Fortunately, her body adjusted to it before it could get that bad. A full ocean spirit wouldn't have been so lucky.

[seeasunset]

[ Biology ] !!

Worldbuilding!

❖

➤ And on today's topic is the sirens!

The sirens are one of the focused species in my book's universes. Not only because they are featured a lot, but also because the protagonist is a siren. So, what makes her, well, her is the species she belongs to.

Anyways, by no means am I great with this subject. Science never been a great subject for me, especially in school. Everyone says it's math, but to me, it's science. I did more well in math than I did with science.

I. Origins: Sirens' evolution over the centuries and centuries of living on the planet is quite strange. If you can call it as such. They never started out as a nautical species. They actually started off as a avian species. Looooong ago, they were described to be half bird, half person, flocking around the ocean and luring their targets to them by their vocal sounds. Of course, much like any other species on the planet, sirens evolved to be more in the sea than having a short-period of flight. They took more on an appearance of those dwelling in the sea, taking on a tail and other structures that requires them to function within the water. Their wings becoming more like arms.

In the modern era, you may find a few sirens with feather-like features around their tail and their arms. This includes the protagonist who has said features.

Much like how their appearance evolved, so did their structure, including their vocal structure. This went from vocals similar to birds to actual singing.

II. Outside appearance: Modern day sirens looks like what we think of mermaids, which a lot of people often mistaken the two together. While sirens do have human-like features (nose, eyes, five fingers, the placement, etc), they also take on appearances of the sea life within the waters. They are described to be more terrifying-looking yet in a beautiful way. Black eyes with different variety of colors for their pupils, long nails, gills on the side of their neck, sharp teeth, and depending on where you go, you may some having transparent skin. Others has a large range of colorful appearance. For example, the protagonist of my book has bright pink and blue color scheme, which makes up majority of her body. In-between these colors is a blueish-grayish skin.

It honestly depends on where you go in the world, what animal they take after, and what kind of weather they live in. Not all sirens has a colorful appearance like our protagonist. Some sirens do live in the deep sea and take on the life around them. Others may have to adapt to the colder waters and weather. Going into any great details varies from siren to siren. Their location and their family. So, some sirens can be tall in height because they may take on the appearance of a whale while others may have horns because of a narwhal. Others may have scales because of a fish they take after or tentacles because they may want to look like a squid or an octopus.

In the society of certain locations, the more colorful a siren look, the more dangerous they can be. Likewise to deep-sea sirens.

III. Other features: Other features also has a twist as well and the environment and the family has a major role into these kind of things. Sometimes their occupation. If a siren hauls from a military occupation, of course, they may look more tougher because of the training they have been through. All compare to someone who may be your average siren, who works a 9 to 5 job.

As mentioned before, it also depends on the environment a siren lives in and an animal they may take after. A siren can look similar to a whale while others looks like an anglerfish with a small part on their head to light up a dark area. Deep-sea sirens may be blind because they don't have enough light to use their eyes and rely on other senses to help them out.

Many sirens are built to be strong, regardless of their height and weight, especially surface-level sirens. Surface-level sirens are built more stronger than their deep-sea counterparts because surface-levels are required to latch onto their target and drag them into the waters. This doesn't include human beings, but other species like orcs or ogres. Food is food for the sirens and they'll take anyone if one isn't careful enough around the ocean. Deep sea sirens don't require these types of strength because they don't go to the surface for food.

IV. Fun fact: Unlike their mermaid/merman counterparts, sirens, in fact, are capable of walking on land. They have three forms. One to swim properly in the sea, semi-human form (they still look like a siren but with legs), and their human form (looks exactly like a human). Splashing or throwing a siren in water will not make them transform back into their original form. This has been proven false time after time and only works with the mermaids/mermans. Sirens can and will transform on their own free will. The only times you may be able to get a siren to transform back by force is if by either magic or a magical artifact designed specifically for the siren.

[rxttenfish]

Merfolk Anatomy: Part 1, Head

So, I have... a lot of ideas on how merfolk anatomy works. Unfortunately, it’s a bit hard to get across all of the various moving parts in artwork, especially if they’re covered up in clothes, or the giant earfins, or just the pose doesn’t comply with me. 

For my own help, and for the help of anyone I commission in the future, I’m going to be making a few of these posts detailing what’s going on under the hood, and to hopefully make my process more clear for people in the future! There should be a few of these (I have a lot of thoughts on merfolk anatomy), so hopefully I should be adding onto this post in the future!

Disclaimer: Here, I’ll mostly be referencing Miranda and her anatomy. Miranda is an abyssal merfolk. There are several different species of merfolk, so the proportions might change with different characters and different species. Doing one merfolk species is more feasible right now than attempting all of them.

Profile:

Abyssals have a “blocky” head shape. They’re exceptionally strong biters, so not only does the extra muscle round out their features, but their bones are also thickened and strengthened to prevent them from breaking their own faces when they bite. 

Head is long, like all merfolk. Approximately halfway between the tip and the end of the skull is where the eye is located, and between the eye and the tip is where the salt organ ends. Placed directly above the salt organ are the first pair of nostrils, in a short “crest”. There is a small eyebrow ridge, but skull profile transitions smoothly from the top of the head to the tip. Skull extends well past the bottom jaw to fit a large brain.

Third eye is located between the two other eyes, and appears as little more than a slightly off-color scale.

The upper and lower jaws are roughly equal in dimensions, with large, triangular teeth in a single row. The upper jaw can appear larger, due to the overhang of the lips, which entirely cover all teeth and obscure the size of their bottom jaw. Like all merfolk, their lips dip upwards at the very center, to produce a “:3″ shape. Lips are flexible, and cheeks are best compared to dog cheeks, able to be pulled forward or back, but are more open than human cheeks.

The jaw does not and cannot open all the way back to the joint. The gape of the jaw is larger than that in humans.

The ear is located on top of the joint that controls the jaw. This is where the earfins connect to the skull. Gills are directly under lower jaw, and open directly into the throat. Abyssal merfolk have three pairs of gills.

Large neck muscles connect to the back of the skull. The spine connects to the back of the skull - not straight down, like in humans. To have the skull and the spine at a right angle to each other would be painful in the short term and injurious in the long term. Anything further is impossible without injury. Ideally, the skull should be flush and straight against the spine.

Neck should be just as large as the skull, with a smooth transition between them.

(Note: I haven’t fully decided on what merfolk vertebrae look like yet, so consider this a placeholder.)

Eyes:

Pupils are slit in Abyssals, and can adjust their size. Bright light (such as daylight) or being upset will make the pupils shrink. Low light or interest will cause the pupils to dilate and lose their slit shape, able to nearly cover the entirety of the visible eye.

Merfolk have no visible whites to their eyes. Miranda’s iris is blue.

Tapetum lucidum reflects in electric blue when light is shone on the eyes. They cannot provide light of their own, and can only reflect back what is already present.

Nictitating membrane/third eyelid moves in from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner. It is semi-translucent, and up close the eye itself can still be seen, although covered in a blue-grey film. From afar, details vanish.

Salt organ begins at the inner corner of the eye and extends outwards. Flesh of the salt organ is the same greyish-purple as the gums/tongue/mouth.

Eyelids are pink, and become a yellow-cream where the skin is thinnest, such as around the eye itself.

Merfolk have poor eyesight, and can see in darkness much better than they can perceive color.

Ear Fins:

Ear Fins are a structure composed of the “stem” or “shaft”, the “frills” or “feathering”, and the “fluff” or base. The structure is repeated three times on either side of the head, leaving a total of six “shafts”

Shafts are composed of cartilage, muscle, skin, flesh, and some scales. They are the hardiest part of the fin, and the least sensitive. Most of the control in moving and adjusting the size and shape of fins are directed by the shafts, which have large masses of fine muscle at their bases. They can swivel, tilt forward, tilt backwards, flatten down, flare outwards, flick, flutter, and relax against the neck.

From each shaft is where the feathering connects. Contrary to the name, all frills are long, thin extensions of delicate skin, full of nerve endings and able to extract oxygen from the water. Each frill connects back to the shaft, and have microscopic “barbs” on their surface. These barbs not only increase surface area to extract more oxygen, but they also hold each frill together, producing a single consistent shape for each fin. They do not always connect properly at the edges, so the edges of the fin will appear “fluffy”.

Because all frills are delicate skin, merfolk can feel through their fins, as well as breathe and somewhat smell through them. They are soft in texture, but due to how sensitive and delicate they are, merfolk will refrain from touching the fins of anyone they aren’t close to.

The fins are actually the exact same structure as the external gills in axolotls, with the feathering migrated entirely to the bottom, increased in number, and reinforced and modified from there.

The base of the fins and the back of the cheeks are covered in “fluff”. Structurally, fluff is the same thing as feathering, but not connecting to the shaft. Fluff is smaller and shorter than the frills too, smoothing out the transition between fins and face, but they are even more delicate because of this. Fluff obscures the base of the fins from the front. Only from the back can the connection of all shafts to a singular point, just above the jaw’s joint, be seen.

Each fin forms a single “swooping” diamond shape.

Merfolk’s internal gills are structurally the same as their earfins. The shaft forms a single, interior gill arch for each gill, keeping its shape and allowing merfolk to open and close their gills. The feathering becomes gill rakers, and are exceptionally prominent on abyssals, where they poke out of the gill covers. 

[faraway-wanderer]

BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS MASTERLIST #stopasianhate

In light of recent events and the growing anti- Asian hate in the US and UK over the course of the pandemic I wanted to put together a masterlist of books by Asian authors. Obviously, it’s not extensive and there are HUNDREDS out there, but supporting art by Asian creators is a way of showing support; read their stories, educate ourselves. It goes without saying that we should all be putting effort into reading stories of POC and by POC because even through fiction we’re learning about different cultures, countries and heritages. So here’s some books to start with by Asian authors!

Here is a link also for resources to educate and petitions to sign (especially if you don’t read haha). It’s important that we educate ourselves and uplift Asian voices right now. Your anti-racism has to include every minority that faces it.

https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

for UK peeps, this is a good read: We may not hear about the anti Asian racism happening here, but it is definitely happening. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a35692226/its-time-we-stopped-downplaying-the-uks-anti-asian-racism/

 THE BOOKS:

·         War Cross- Marie Lu ( the worldbuilding in this is IMMENSE.)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. 

·         Star Daughter- Shveta Thakrar

A beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!

·         These Violent Delights- Chloe Gong (I told my little sister to read this book yesterday bc she has a thing for a Leo as Romeo- so if you want deadly good looking Romeos, badass Juliet’s and to learn about 1920s Shanghai- this is for you.)

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. A Romeo and Juliet retelling.

·         The Poppy War- R.F Kuang (My fave fantasy series just fyi- it’s soul crushing in the best way. Rebecca Kuang is a god of an author).

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

·         Loveboat Taipei-  Abigail Hing Wen  (Really heartwarming and insightful!)

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

·         Sorcerer to the Crown- Zen Cho (if anyone is looking for another Howl’s Moving Castle, look no further than this book)

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

·         Emergency Contact- Mary H.K. Choi (very wholesome and fun rom-com!)

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. When she heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

 ·         Jade City- Fonda Lee (I am reading this currently and can I just say- I think everyone who loves fantasy and blood feuds in a story should read this.)

JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu. The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

��·         A Pho Love Story- Loan Le

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.

·         Rebelwing- Andrea Tang

Business is booming for Prudence Wu. A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants.

·         Wings of the Locust- Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Tuan escapes his mundane and mediocre existence when he is apprenticed to Muhen, a charming barangay wiseman. But, as he delves deeper into the craft of a mambabarang and its applications in espionage, sabotage and assassination, the young apprentice is overcome by conflicting emotions that cause him to question his new life.

 ·         The Travelling Cat Chronicles- Hiro Arikawa

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. 

 ·         Super Fake Love Song- David Yoon

From the bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a contemporary YA rom-com where a case of mistaken identity kicks off a string of (fake) events that just may lead to (real) love.

  ·         Parachutes- Kelly Yang

Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.

·         The Grace of Kings- Ken Liu ( One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time!)

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

·         Wicked Fox- Kat Cho

A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

 ·         Descendant of the Crane- Joan He

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

 ·         Pachinko- Min Jin Lee

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

·         America is in the Heart- Carlos Bulosan

First published in 1946, this autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant laborer following the harvest trail in the rural West.

 ·         Days of Distraction- Alexandra Chang

A wry, tender portrait of a young woman — finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely—from a captivating new literary voice.

·         The Astonishing Colour of After Emily X.R Pan

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. 

·         The Gilded Wolves- Roshani Chokshi

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

·         When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

·         On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong

Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

·         Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

 BOOKS BEING RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR TO PREORDER:

·         Counting down with you- Tashie Bhuiyan- 4th May

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.

How do you make one month last a lifetime?

·         Gearbreakers- Zoe Hana Mikuta- June 29th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

·         XOXO- Axie Oh- 13th July

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

·         She who became the sun- Shelley Parker-Chan- 20th July

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

·         Jade Fire Gold- June C.L Tan- October 12th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

  Keep sharing, signing petitions and donating where you can. The more people who are actively anti-racist, the better. And if your anti-racism doesn’t include the Asian community then go and educate yourself! BLM wasn’t a trend and neither is this. We have to stand up against white supremacy, and racism and stereotypes and we have to support the communities that need our support. Part of that can include cultivating your reading so you’re reading more diversely and challenging any stereotypes western society may have given you.

 Feel free to reblog and add any more recommendations and resources of course!

[imperiuswrecked]

                               ATLANTEAN PANTHEON

Long before Atlantis sank into the sea it was Golden City and an Empire that stretched across the world. This is the History of Atlantis, before and after, the Cataclysm which sank it beneath the waves.

Namor Week - Day 3 - Mythology

This is a worldbuilding fic and a it is canon and headcanon based. This lists out all the known details of the History of Marvel's Atlantis, and includes Neptune & Cleito, as well as their children who are all original characters of mine. I tired to use as much known lore as possible when writing this. 

Atlantean Pantheon

Neptune - God of the Sea, God of Waters, Lord of Horses, Father Ocean, Old Man of the Sea, Lord of all Things Below, King of the Deep

Neptune has blue skin and white hair with black eyes that cover his sclera and irises, he has gills on his neck and pointed ears. He wears a white toga and a golden circlet on his brow. He wields Neptune's trident. He is solidly built in form and his cape is a fish net. His white hair is a tangled mess and he has a long white beard.

He is as terrifying as the sea and just as unpredictable. He rules over all the oceans and sea life that inhabit it. He derives strength from prayers sent to him by the Atlantean people as well as humans who know of him, often in modern times Sea Faring people such as human fishermen and sailors also send him prayers.

Neptune is closely tied to the physical world, especially that of the sea. The oceans being hurt, harms him and over the centuries with constant pollution he has a shadow of his former strength. Which is why he does not often appear to help Atlanteans, often needing to conserve his strength lest he fades away into the awning black Ether of the Forgotten Realm where Chaos resides.

Cleito - Mother of All Things, Goddess of Fertility & Childbirth, Lady of Undying Things, Embodiment of Illusions, Maker of Dreams, Mistress of the Shroud, Keeper of the Nexus Fragment, Moon Mother, Queen of the Golden City

Cleito has golden skin and amber eyes, her hair is tree branches that grow pretty flower blossoms, all of different types. Depending on her mood the flowers are either in full bloom or decaying. She has pointed ears and her fingernails are like black claws, she has fangs.

She is wrapped in her black Shroud which is dotted with different colored gems, which are the souls of dead Atlanteans of the past waiting for her to pluck them from the shroud and send them into their next reincarnation cycle. The Shroud looks like the night sky and the gems are like Stars.

She is the Weaver of Dreams and Illusions and gives hope to her children. Often appearing in the visage of the Moon she watches over her descendants and those who pray to her. Her place of power is the Golden City which was once the capital of the Empire of Atlantis, however it now resides decaying beneath the waves in a forgotten place. Cleito often sleeps in her palace tomb to conserve her energy since she lost much power during the Cataclysm when she used her abilities to change her children’s people into permanent water breathers. It is guarded by her father Evenor who is a sea dragon spirit. She awakens very rarely before returning to her healing sleep.

Unlike Neptune, Cleito is not closely tied to reality of the world but rather to an embodiment of ideas and dreams, she works her magic and powers through the Nether Realms.

She is the Keeper of the Nexus Fragment; Long ago the Nexus connected all realities but it was fragmented due to a power struggle for control of it, its pieces fell into different realities. Some were absorbed by the souls of people and they became Nexus beings, able to use the power of the Nexus to alter realities or create pathways between worlds. Other fragments became glowing orbs of light which were collected by beings of power to protect them or lay in long forgotten places, waiting to be found. Only beings of divine power (or touched/blessed by a divine power) can contain a Nexus without injury and only they can pass a fragment onto others.

Evenor - Sea Dragon Spirit, With a face like a seahorse and a body of a long snake like dragon he most closely resembles dragon figures of the Eastern surface world. His scales are grey and white and he has a mustache like white hair from his nostrils as well as ridges down his back and long sharp white claws on his hands and feet. His eyes swirl like an ocean whirlpool, to look in them is to be lost. He travels between the spirit world and the real world.

He dedicates his time to protecting his daughter Cleito. He can turn corporal in his dragon form if he desires. He has untold strength and abilities as he is very mysterious and keeps his secrets close. Atlanteans pray to Evenor for protection against bad spirits.

History of Atlantis before the Cataclysm

Neptune was the sea, formed within its roiling waters he manifested physical form, with hair and beard as white as sea foam, skin as blue as the water, and eyes as dark as the black depths beneath the waves. He carries with him, his magical Trident which controls the waters. He has complete mastery over the oceans and all those who dwell within it. His favor is as fickle as the sea, his personality is as ever changing as the ocean. He grants favors to those he sees fit to receive them.

Cleito was born of her father and her human mother, spirit and reality came together in her form and she walked between both worlds as a child before choosing to dwell in the spirit world of her father, she learned all there was to know of places outside of reality. She is the pure embodiment of Illusions and is a being of great power. While Neptune may be more well known Cleito dwells in the worlds behind worlds and watches over her people, only stepping in in dire circumstances.

While Neptune ruled the Seas, she was Queen of the Golden City which was once the hub and center of the Empire of Atlantis.

Neptune and Cleito had children, five sets of twins, who became the Ten Kings and Queens of the Atlantean Empire. To celebrate their children the God & Goddess gave them land to care for, it’s people looked to them not only as their deities but also their rulers.

The Ten, as they would later be remembered, were; Vyncia & Kysine, Ozak & Otia, Sevgi & Rejuat, Teinbo & Zarusal, Mverix & Narxis. They would go on to have children of their own who were part water breathers, and part air breathers. With one human parent any descendant of Neptune and Cleito’s blood were blessed with abilities.  The Atlantean Empire and most especially the Golden City thrived with technology and innovation, peace and prosperity, and all the knowledge they could record for future generations. The most advanced of their time they were a powerful nation. Much of the knowledge is lost after the Great Cataclysm.

Vyncia & Kysine - Daughters, Twins, Goddesses of Fresh Waters

African Models should be pictured for these characters

Vyncia - Goddess of Surging Waters, Lady of Streams & Rivers

Kysine - Goddess of Tranquil Waters, Lady of the Lake

Ozak & Otia - Twins - Brother & Sister

East Asian models should be pictured for these characters

Ozak - God of Deep Waters, Drowning, Death

Otia - Goddess of Tide Pools, Tides, & Unexpected Fortune

Sevgi & Rejuat - Twins - Sister & Brother

Caucasian/Nordic/Irish/Scottish models should be pictured for these characters

Sevgi - Goddess of Dew & Mist, Marsh Maiden

Rejuat - God of Bogs & Marshes, Trickster

Teinbo & Zarusal - Twins - Brother & Sister

Middle Eastern/Indian models should be pictured for these models

Teinbo - God of Hot Springs & Healing, Wisdom

Zarusal - Goddess of Rain, Rainbows, & Rainstorms, Monsoon Bringer

Mverix & Narxis - Sons, Brothers - Twins, Gods of Salt Water

Pacific Islander/Native models should be pictured for these characters

Mverix - God of Sea Storms, Sea Foam & Sea Farers

Narxis - God of Sea Creatures, Sea Life & Plants

History of Atlantis during & after the Cataclysm

Set the Evil Serpent God, and his devoted followers, The Lemurians, waged war on the Atlantean Empire, Neptune & Cleito in order to gain control of the Nexus Fragment. Cleito lead many of the fights and was badly injured due to Set’s trickery however during an earth shattering battle with the Gods, Neptune was imprisoned in a wall of everlasting fire and forced to watch as Set attempted to rip the Nexus Fragment from Cleito’s heart, their Ten Children came from all over the Empire to fight Set and they sacrificed their lives to save their mother. Set enraged at their daring and attempts to defeat him, orders his people to slay the remaining descendants of the Ten. The Lemurians follow Set’s orders with Suma-Ket and Artys-Gran leading them. Killing all direct blood descendants and using their blood to fuel Set with more dark power.

Neptune and Cleito attempt to regain their strength however Neptune, upon learning his children are dead, snaps and gathers every reserve of water, every drop that he could command and begins to drown the world. Gaia the Earth Goddess, upset from all the turmoil awakens and causes huge earthquakes to break Atlantis’s Golden CIty away from the mainland separating it from the rest of the Empire. Neptune drowns much of the Earth and the entire nation of Lemuria, his fury is uncontainable and his tidal wave sweeps towards Atlantis.

Cleito seeing last of her children’s descendants in danger, (many of them demi-gods/goddesses due to them having one human parent) uses a huge quantity of her reserve magic to give them aid and protect them from the destruction; Cleito sinks the now isolated Island of Atlantis beneath the waves. Only those with the capabilities to breath beneath the water survived, they would go on to evolve and become better adapted to their new underwater home. Thus they are now only known as Atlanteans, the last people splinter over time and make their homes all over the oceans.

Set engaged Cleito and Neptune in battle for the last time. All the death of the descendants of Neptune fuels the blood magic that gives Set even more strength and he begins to overpower Neptune and Cleito. Seeing that Set was not satisfied with all the death and that he still wished to carve out Cleito’s heart and gain control of the Nexus Fragment, convinces Cleito to use the last remaining power within her and she banished Set and his highest ranking followers, Suma-Ket & Artys-Gran into the Ether. The underwater portal to their prison was sealed with a door that could only be opened by one who has the Royal Blood of Neptune. Cleito, exhausted beyond all measure, succumbs to a deep healing sleep, and her father Evenor takes her below the seas to her sunken temple, its whereabouts now lost to time, to be protected forever more. Neptune recedes beneath the waves to rejuvenate and neither are seen for centuries before they are awakened by their youngest descendant, Namor the First of Atlantis.

Those Lemurians who followed Set and were left behind used dark magic to transform themselves into water breathers in order to search for a way to bring their master back to them, they spend several thousands of years combing the ocean floor for the location of the Blood Gate, and Cleito, so they may gain the Nexus Fragment and find a means to bring Set back to Earth. Since the great Cataclysm the Atlanteans and Lemurians have been at war. While Lemuria languished in dreams of the past, Atlantis looked towards the future and the preservation of their people.

[sugarmaplewings-fics]

Deep Blue Fantasy Part One

Pairing: Merman!Tamaki x fem reader

Warnings: None

{Pt. 1}  {Pt. 2}  {Pt. 3}  {Pt. 4}  {Pt. 5}  {Pt. 6}  {Pt. 7}

Author's Note:

It’s here! Finally! An AU by me! Yay! This is just part one of a little mini-series I decided to do. I had a lot of fun writing this and exploring the concept! I played around with different ideas and I think I might do another mermaid/man AU with a different character (because I like recycling ideas). Feel free to leave your own ideas, requests, and suggestions!

Btw, this whole story is going to be x fem!reader.

Also, after much thought I decided NOT to make Tamaki half-octopus (even though I thought about it and I love that idea).

I would like you to know that my friend calls him Tomato.

Enjoy some fun times with Mermaki and Merio!

-Sugar

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

You inhaled deeply, the sea breeze perfectly filling your lungs. Salty water sprayed itself over your bare legs, droplets collecting and running down in cool rivulets that tickled the surface of your skin.

Every morning you came out on the beach, watching the tumultuous waves crash over each other in the distance. Every day it was different. The sky might be a deep gray, reflecting upon the sea, turning her waters a mysterious black. Others the sky was clear and blue, and the ocean looked bright and inviting. But you knew her secrets. The ocean was one to be respected. No one dared enter her. The people of your island only looked on, scanning her depths. She was never benevolent.

You couldn't help but be drawn to her, however. The breeze flooded your senses, the sounds of the waves calmed you, and her sight hurled you into an almost poetic state. You began to hum, the music intertwining with the curls of deep green water. The form of a bird caught your attention, and you watched it catch the cool updrafts of the ocean breeze.

While you stood there, distractedly humming, something else was watching you. Someone.

Pale arms hugged a black rock protruding out of the water as the dark-haired figure watched your form, skirt fluttering in the breeze. He sighed, watching you, your gentle voice carrying over the water into his pointed awaiting ears. Tamaki Amajiki had a morning routine of his own, and that was watching you follow yours. Every day he would show up early to wait for you by the rocks, watching your angelic form as you gazed out wistfully at the sea.

Tamaki had decided that what he was doing was not spying, or at least, he detested thinking of it as such. He just . . . enjoyed watching you. He had no ill intentions behind it. He simply found you to be the most wonderful and interesting thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

There was only one problem. Well, maybe two.

One. He was shy. Even amongst peers that he didn't idolize as much as he did you, he often found himself struggling to speak. He had no idea how to approach you. What if you didn't like him back? What if you weren't interested in being friends? What if you thought the two of you were too different?

His second problem: he was a merman. You were a human. How could that even work out? The existence of his kind was one of the most closely guarded secrets of the ocean. He wasn't even supposed to be this close to shore.

Tamaki had always had a fascination with humans. He knew his part of the empire was close to a human settlement, but it had taken him up until a few months ago to work up the courage to go take a glimpse of the island's shore for himself. That was when he had spotted you, and upon cautiously swimming closer, heard your voice.

Ever since, he'd come back every day, just to see you, to hear you. He longed to speak to you, to learn more about you and your kind, but he simply wasn't ready yet.

He watched your chest rise and fall as you heaved in a final sigh of sea air. Tamaki pushed himself further down into the crashing waves and longingly watched you turn and go. What he would give to be able to follow you where he could not.

Once you were gone, he never lingered. As the sight of your (H/L) (H/C) hair disappeared over the crest of the hill, he would depart, not wanting to be spotted by another member of your species. With a few flicks of his powerful deep indigo-black tail, he was once again under the waves, alone in the comforting cold wetness. He sped through the water, making his way home.

Just as he saw the soft glow of the little town he'd grown up in, he was jolted to the side, being grabbed by a pair of strong arms. Tamaki made a little squeaking noise in his throat in surprise, squeezing his eyes shut.

Bubbles tickled his cheeks as they marched across his face, desperate to reach the surface. He opened his eyes again to be met with clear blue ones, still crinkled in the aftermaths of laughter.

"Got you!" Tamaki's best friend, Mirio, signed to him.

Tamaki rolled his eyes, relaxing his shoulders slightly. He had thought he had been discovered by one of the town leaders. He tried to make his visits to the surface as discreet as possible, but someone had to question his routine absence each morning eventually.

"I guess you did," Tamaki signed back.

The merpeople communicated in a combination of sign language and high pitched squeaks and clicks, much like dolphins. While their voice boxes had difficulties speaking like we humans do, they could manipulate them to create an eerie, haunting music, just as the ancient legends of sailors described.

"Where were you?" Mirio asked, his face changing from bright and humorous to nigh concerned.

Tamaki faltered slightly, trying to think of how to answer. "Just looking for shells for my collection," he lied.

Mirio looked down at his empty arms. "Didn't find any?"

"Nope."

He looked into Tamaki's face again, suspicion settling over his features. The two had been friends since they were very young, and Mirio had learned Tamaki's ways better than even his own parents.

"Do you want help finding some?" he asked, wiping the expression off his face and changing it to a more cheerful one. He'd let it slide, just this once.

"No, thank you," Tamaki responded. "I think I'll just head home."

"Okay." The blond merman watched his friend swim off. Something wasn't right, and he knew it was up to him to find out what it was that his friend was up to.

✤✤✤✤✤

The next morning, Mirio went straight to Tamaki's house. The blond was used to waking up early, but he usually spent his mornings with himself; working out or some other such self-improvement he allowed himself to indulge in in order to make himself the strong, cheery merperson he was. Today, however, he decided to check up on his friend.

Sure enough, just as he was approaching the mound of stones and sea mud that was the home of his best friend, Mirio saw the retreating dark purplish-blue tail of Tamaki. He subtly began to follow him, keeping a distance just enough so he would still be able to see the flashing of his friend's tail ahead of him. After about ten minutes, Mirio began to suspect where they were going.

Isn't that island in this direction? What are you doing over here, Tamaki? he wondered to himself.

Another fifteen minutes or so later, the water became more shallow and littered with black rocks. Mirio sped up, occasionally utilizing the new terrain to hide from his unsuspecting friend. Now that they were so far away, Tamaki had completely stopped checking behind him, and Mirio watched as he hoisted his waist out of the water, pulling himself up above the crashing waves.

Mirio stared at him, confused for a few minutes as his friend propped himself against the rock, clearly watching for something. He suddenly noticed him stiffen, now clearly more alert. It appeared as though whatever he had been waiting for had arrived. But what was it?

Mirio couldn't take it anymore. He swam the few lengths of distance that he had kept between them and popped his own head out of the water beside Tamaki.

His black-haired friend jumped at his sudden appearance.

"What are you doing?" Mirio signed.

Tamaki fearfully glanced toward shore before tackling Mirio, pushing him back underwater.

"What are you doing?" Tamaki frantically signed back.

"I wanted to know what you were doing."

Tamaki glanced up towards the surface, unsure of what to do.

"What's on the beach?" Mirio asked. "That's what you were looking at, right?"

Tamaki suddenly felt his cheeks begin to warm, color flooding his pale skin. "There's a human over there," he finally signed, deciding to tell his best friend everything.

Mirio stiffened, now uneasy. "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"You know how dangerous they are, right? They're stupid but they'll kill you if you get too close. It hasn't seen you, has it?"

"No no." Tamaki shook his head, an uncomfortable feeling of annoyance settling in his chest. "I just stay over here and watch. Besides, I don't think she'd hurt anything."

"She?" Mirio asked, incredulous.

"Do you want to see for yourself?" Tamaki asked. "She should still be there."

Mirio narrowed his eyes warily.

"She hasn't noticed me yet," Tamaki went on, trying to soothe his friend. "I've been coming here for a while now. If you just make sure you're behind one of these rocks, it's like you're invisible."

Mirio slowly flared his gills in the merperson version of a sigh. Of course Tamaki would figure out how to be invisible.

Tamaki turned and hoisted himself out of the water again and Mirio did the same, pulling himself against a bigger rock a length away from his friend. He spotted you immediately, the light fabrics of your clothing contrasting the black sand beach. The two mermen watched as you gazed up at the sky, studying the white puffy shapes of the clouds above, being quickly blown about by the wind.

Mirio had only been to the surface a few times, and each occasion he was startled by how different the air was from the water, yet somehow almost the same. He knew that wind was the same as currents, birds an equivalent to fish, but clouds always amazed him. He liked their shapes and colors, each one decorating the atmosphere in its own unique way.

He found himself looking up too, and soon he spotted a cloud whose shape reminded him of a conch shell. He looked to Tamaki, prepared to point it out when he saw the expression on his friend's face.

He had never seen such a look of soft love swimming in his dark eyes. A small wistful smile had spread across his lips, and a light shade of pink dusted over his cheeks.

Beginning to catch on, Mirio looked from him to you and then back to his friend. He liked you, that much was blatantly clear. A grin of his own rose to Mirio's features, his sharp teeth flashing in the morning sun. He leaned over to Tamaki and nudged him, giving him a knowing look.

"You like her." Mirio signed, stating the obvious.

Tamaki blushed further, shrugging.

Mirio opened his mouth to click something, but Tamaki halted him by shoving a finger over his lips.

"Wait," he signed, pointing back to you.

As if on cue, music began to float over the water, carried by the breeze. They were lucky that the wind blew so, although it was still a bit of a strain to hear your voice.

Tamaki melted back against the rock, closing his eyes to fully take in the sound of your aubade.

Mirio watched him pityingly. His friend was hopelessly in love with a human; the most dangerous species on the planet. How had Tamaki, the cautious, sweet, shy boy he was, taken such an interest into something like a human?

It was no secret that the vast majority of the mer population had at minimum a mild interest in humans. There was an odd kinship in the blatant similarities between them, so there was an undoubtable draw to their kind. Merpeople also knew, however, of the dangers humans held. Ships, plastics, fishing nets, things called labs and circuses; each one posed its own horror story against the species, driving merpeople further away from the shores.

"I wish I could talk to her," Tamaki said, his fingers softly forming meaning with their nimble gestures. He finally turned to Mirio. "You haven't seen what I have. She's kind and smart and pretty. Maybe some humans are no good, but I'm sure she is."

Mirio pushed his lips to the side, torn and thinking. "Why don't you just go up to her, then?"

Tamaki almost fell back underwater. "I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Well, first of all, I can't even speak Human."

Mirio glanced over at you, then back to Tamaki. "If she's so smart, she should be able to figure out something."

Tamaki slumped. "Yeah . . . ."

"So just go then! Say hi!"

Tamaki looked back at Mirio, horrified. "But that's so against the rules! Besides, weren't you saying how awful humans are a minute ago? What made you change your mind?"

"How you look at her," Mirio stated simply, causing Tamaki to blush all over again. "Just kill a fish or something and swim up and present it to her. How different can she be from the mermaids back home?"

Tamaki had never really flirted with any girls, primarily keeping to himself and hanging around Mirio. It was completely foreign territory to him, and the fact that you were a human only made it worse.

"She wouldn't even like me—"

"Nonsense!" Mirio countered, now beginning to grow frustrated with his friend. He knew Tamaki struggled with anxiety, but sometimes he simply couldn't understand why his friend couldn't just go out and take what he wanted.

The boys noticed that the music had stopped. They turned back to shore, watching as you stood and brushed yourself off. You left the beach, taking one final look at the waves before disappearing onto land.

Mirio slumped back in the water. "Now she's gone. You said she comes here every day?"

Tamaki hesitantly answered. "Yes."

"Well, come back tomorrow and confess your love!"

"I don't love—" Tamaki faltered, realization flooding his being. He did love you. Or, at least, he admired you. He wanted to get to know you enough to eventually love you. "How do I even have a chance?" he clicked sadly. "We're so different—"

Mirio put a hand on Tamaki's shoulder. "Love finds a way," he said. "I'm going to help you."

"You will?"

"Of course. What are best friends for?"

Tamaki allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks, Mirio."

Mirio gave his back a firm pat. "No problem. Now come on, let's go home and plan."

Apprehension welled in Tamaki's chest. What had he gotten himself into?

...

The two had found themselves at the library, digging through scrolls to find as much information as they could on the landwalkers. Most of it was fiction and unhelpful; children's stories warning against getting too close to boats and land.

They found a few history texts about human alliances with the merpeople, most of them occurring thousands of years ago.

"What happened?" Tamaki quietly clicked, running his fingers over artwork of the deity Poseidon.

Mirio shrugged, glancing at it over his shoulder. He picked up another scroll, this one newer. He unrolled it to find a little leaf of seaweed paper, text scrawled on its surface.

"Tamaki, look at this." Mirio nudged his friend, gesturing towards his discovery.

The Sea Witch, Tamaki read. Ancient artifacts to make your dreams come true!

"Want to give her a try?" Mirio asked. "She only lives a few leagues away."

"That's still a lot of swimming," Tamaki said, his fingers hesitant.

"It's for love," Mirio countered, waggling his eyebrows.

Tamaki bit his lip. "Okay. I guess it's worth a try."

Mirio pumped his fist in the water. "We're going on an adventure!"

...

To be continued . . . .

[Part Two]

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

Taglist: @inumorph​ @engel-hageshii​​ @basicaegyo​ @iiminibattlehero​ @pyrofanatic​ @sokkasangel​​ @xoxopam4​​ @kingtamakimurder​​

[rosepetalwings]

Oh I'm More Than Glad To Talk About Deeprune

ok so lets run through the au in sections

DEEPRUNE

Story:

The cast are now all mythological mermaid/siren creatures.

The Light World is the epipelagic zone (and upper half of mesopelagic zone) of the ocean and live in ignorance of the strange creatures that look as they do in the twilight below...

Dark World is mid-mesopelagic and below, full of frightening sea creatures those so blessed to live in sea reef coral homes could never hope to fathom... and should never hope to meet.

One day, one of the 4 kings of the ocean basins drew help from a powerful, unknown force and imprisoned his peers at the bottom of the deep sea trenches... And to this day, he rules his little area, biding his time for the day the Dark can take over the Light.

That is, of course, unless a very human looking siren, a sea crocodile tough girl, a bioluminscent jellyfish(?) fluffy boy, and a villainous... cloaked hybrid thing can fulfill a very familiar prophecy...

Locations:

Light Zone

Hometown - A bright and cheerful coral reef with a good amount of merfolk in the community.

School ‐ Building constructed out of stone and hidden amongst normal marine foliage and coral. Normal congregations of school akin to what the land-dwellers (or terrans, as the merfolk might call them) do for their own children.

Hospital ‐ Made in the same way as the school and serves the same function as its land counterpart. The hospital does have different instruments to serve its marine patients, however.

QC's diner - Hidden under a rock shelf and is more of an open seating arrangement. Fan coral serves as a sort of decorative barrier to keep the seating plan from being too open.

ICEE's p"e"zzeria - Incredibly conspicuous and placed between the brightest coral on the reef for the attention-grabbing colors. High visibility means free advertising, no?

The Graveyard - In a clearing among the kelp forest, there lies a set of engraved stones covered in algae. It's especially quiet there. Peaceful when you focus on the sunlight filtering in through the kelp stalks.

The bunker - Placed just before the continental shelf begins to fall off into complete and utter darkness. The merfolk in town warn their children to never near that area.

Dark Zone

????? - A craggy mess of rocks on the outskirts of the continental shelf. The light begins to grow strange here for whatever reason...

Castle Town - A shipwreck amongst the craggy rocks in the dark where a strangely kind shadowy figure lives.

Field - A seemingly endless stretch of ocean in which a Lightner's vision alone cannot be used to find one's way in the dark, lest they be horribly lost until the end of time. Or lest they stray further down, where it grows darker, yet darker...

The Scarlet Forest - Not really a forest, per se. More a jestful remark over the collection of sea creatures that have evolved to have a red tone to their skin as camouflage in the watery depths. The creatures are so very frightening and strange with their sharp-toothed open maws and flashy photophores. Strange to think how normal this all is down in the depths...

Great Board - The inlets and caves that checker the continental slope and house very many deep sea merfolk. Very many large tunnels dug out to house many of the population and keep them interconnected as a society. Alas, this stationary grouping also makes them vulnerable to the power of kingly apex predators.

The Castle - Hidden within the depths of the Mariana Trench. None of the Board have seen the castle in such grave depths and lived to tell the tale. None but a strange barreleye and his hyper young ward...

Characters:

Lightners

Kris - A mostly human-shaped siren, save for fishy bits, including but not limited to, gills and an iridescent shine to their hair. Always sneaking off to play tricks on unsuspecting beach goers. Kind of a quiet kid but their mischievous grin says it all for them.

Susie - A rude, rough-and-tumble kind of sea crocodile gill girl that does not appreciate nautical wordplay. She will appreciate your lunch money, though.

Noelle - The most nervous kelpie you'll ever meet. Easily provoked but she's very sweet and intelligent and perhaps she's a shade dorky, but it's through that dorkiness she'll find a way to make you smile.

Asriel - Sweet and effortlessly loveable and smart and talented capricorn brother to Kris who's just gone off to do independent study in a different sea basin! He's coming back to town next week; Kris seems a little downcast as of late, though...

Alphys - Marine iguana teacher at the reef's local school. Please don't ask her for her reviews on neat human media she's managed to salvage, we'll be here all week.

Undyne - The undying undine on everyone's minds! ...Because she's likely tried to tackle you for minor offenses like littering or jay-swimming in the humdrum life of this little reef town. She's somewhat of a vigilante, working by her own judicial metrics and warning the reef of any terran sightings or other such troubles. Not much to report on though, these days...

Toriel & Asgore - The capricorn divorcees. Haven't you heard; the news has spread all over the place! What a shame too, they looked just like the perfect reef family...

Sans and Papyrus - The strange brothers that just moved into the reef... Coelacanth merfolk with mottled, skeletal appearances. The shorter brother "runs" the reef market. ...If you can get a fin in the door, anyway. The taller one hasn't made much of a public appearance in town yet; hard to comment on him.

Darkners

Ralsei - The prince of the prophesy, as well as the bringer of Light to the Dark, as symbolized through his charmed hat and cloak, to make him appear as though he is but a jellyfish that sways with the currents. Seems to be as soft in personality as a jellyfish's bell though.

Lancer - A hooded, mischievous figure that's always up to no good. It's kind of hard to tell what he is, with his short, stubby tentacles and furry, webbed paws, but he's kind of too adorable and personable to care much about it. Popular vote's on dumbo octopus though.

Rouxls - A vigilant barreleye with his haunting eyes always to the sky in search of tributes to pay his king or danger from which to protect the child of a royal bloodline he's been entrusted to care for. He's ditzy and kind of an asshole, but deep down, he's got a good SOUL... that glows through his transparent chest.

Seam - Ah? Looking for wares? Seam's will definitely have something to cure what ails you. The old anglerfish sits behind the shop counter, items lit only by the faint light of small jellies and the wisened shopkeep's lantern-like forehead protrusion. Go for the low prices and stay for the enchanting tales.

Jevil - A laugh sounds in the dark before you could ever approach his cell. He's nothing but needle teeth smiles when he explains to you the nature of the game. Numbers game. Must be a couple of sharks to have gotten down there in the first place. And this freed jester wouldn't have it any other way - sharks to goblin shark.

King - He is, by all accounts, imperceivable. He is larger than life and covered in shifting, writhing appendages that do not keep the shape you once thought them to be, no matter how hard you attempt to keep your focus on any point of his form. He is Leviathan, and the fact that you are before him means that you are incredibly fucked.

Knight - [REDACTED]

PREVIOUS DRAWINGS

Rouxls and a mysterious man

Unmasked Lancer

okay... i think that's about it! don't be afraid to ask for more clarification on anything, i know i gave general overview/musing blurb of... kind of everything i could think to describe! hope this is fine!

or ask me to infodump on another of my AUs! ;3c

[landofspaceandrainbows]

First Draft / Notes 

Twelve Shattered Shards of Light: The Hemospectrum 

.... And Panopticons, Light and Void

- When you pass light through a prism you get it broken into a rainbow of colors

- Karkat wearing gray has big “no pronouns in bio” energy, which in his case is badass as heck. aka “am i a girl on the interwebs? wouldn’t you like to know!”

- Like, from wearing their symbols to typing in their hemo color, troll society is set up on the trolls constantly stating their blood status.

- Which tbh is kind of necessary to help the empire run, like in the sense of how do you even begin to treat trolls differently in the absence of this info?

- Which ties into the idea of the Panopticon, which if you have any familiarity with sociology or lgbtQ stuff is already familiar to you so i won’t go over it in detail AGAIN.

- ( No, i should make you listen to the troll romance section back to back to back / joking)

- But like a lot relies on being able to see and “correct” people, in terms of how prisons are designed, before prisons were a thing criminals were sometimes branded, and the french penal system (made famous in les mis) gave ppl different color clothes to make sure people saw the convicts as a different sort of people from them, it was called “social death”.

- Anyway, light carries information, and Light * is * information and knowlege.

- But what happens when you can’t see? when knowlege is lost or not passed through?

- A thing about Equius is he values, or thinks he values, the hemospectrum above all else.  but when he reaches out to touch it it just seems to fall apart on him.

- And he can “see” or “unsee” different things that don’t add up

- Despite what he should “see” and “know” from gamzee’s sign, he can see a whole other set of information, as if from another sense.  he can sense someone who maybe shouldn’t be obeyed, who maybe doesn’t want to be obeyed.  and who has very low class hobbies.  Likewise in aradia he can see someone worthy of respect and leadership.  despite what he thinks his eyes “should” be telling him.

- Also, the specific circumstances are tied up in what are potentially really bad motivations and a lot of really bad stereotypes, but he does, with aradia, take someone from the rust to the blue caste.  seriously, after she has her new robo body, she even has blue blood and there’s literally no way anyone could tell and make it stick that she was born rust.

- And i really prefer to minimize the physical differences between blood castes as a personal preference, but the way hussie has it written, there are small but significant physical differences between castes.

-` And once the social order changes from being So Godsdamn Awful that issues of being a “class traitor” are bigger than most other things. (and that change will happen).  That kind of physical difference plus social significance is he exact fucking sort of thing that makes cross category movement and identification happen.  There’s probably going to be people that really like the water, and they say “oh, zie’s basically a sea dweller but zie just wasn’t born with the gills and has green blood” 

- And so you get this inner battle where you have this one troll who talks about the hemospectrum constantly, and yet also is maybe the first to look at a rust girl and say “yes she can wear a sign in blue”

`- And who knows he might not be happy untill he merges with a sweaty guy who loves horses  types in red.

-  ( And also until he can ( no matter what his color is atm ) kneel in front of an olive friend and ask for forgiveness. )

- ( seriously, spectra are used in chemistry, astronomy, and physics to tell what something’s made of, and that’s cool and interesting as hell.  )

- ( but what if what it’s saying is wrong or sucks? )

( the local hero of heart might be picking something up, bro )

[austarus]

Mermay Headcanon: The Mermaid (You) and The Pirate Gentleman (HR Wells)

**A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me.

*My little and late contribution to MerMay month. @crazythoughtsandlove​ and I were talking about mermaid and pirate ideas lol. I tried, I really tried to do something. Honestly, this is probably shit and I can’t say anything other than I’m sorry I tried to make it funny and slow-burn-y and cute and I don’t know what happened. Anyway, this was the little Easter Egg that I had dropped in my HR x Reader fic Hidden Among The Fairy Lights. Obviously this is in headcanon form rather than a full fic because I’m too mentally exhausted from everything in my life. Anyway, enjoy? Remember to reblog and comment to support content creators.

Word Count: 2568

The fates seemed to have decided to toy with me today, HR thought as he ran through the streets of the Brazeeno Market Place

He dodged left and right, ducking past people and through alleys

The Pirate (Gentleman) as he likes to add on was on the run from a couple of ruffians who he maybe sorta accidentally provoked and got into a skirmish with

HR did it for a rock

Yes, you read that correctly. A rOcK.

But not just any rock, it was a cinnabar-fluorite-infused stone that was essential to his journey

His twin brother, Harry, who’s also a pirate, needed HR to fetch it while he retrieved the map for the Kjarni Flower

Both men were skilled in swordsmanship as well as improvising on hand in a fight

Harry: Go in, get it, and leave. Here’s the coins. Don’t start anything and don’t get distracted

HR: I’ll be in and out before you know it. I won’t start anything, scout’s honor

Harry: You’re not a scout

HR: Doesn’t mean I can’t use the saying

Harry: Yes, it does, you idiot

The crew just sheepishly looked at their two captains that argued like children

Anyway, back to HR who’s been cornered on the creaky and old harbor with vacant ships while you, the reader, were reading the background on him and Harry prior to this chase scene

HR held his ground, sword out and the stone safely tucked away in his pocket

A smirk on his face as he tried to play it cool, but inwardly he was panicked since there were no ships around at all

Reggie (Ruffian #1): End of the line, scum

Remy (Ruffian #2): Hand over the stone, moron

Roma (Ruffian #3): And pray to the gods that your spirit passes on to the other side safely

Now that’s a little harsh, isn’t it?

They took a step forward and HR took a step back, his foot slightly slipping back from the wet boards of the pier

Before any of them do anything, a wet yet firm hand had latched onto HR’s ankle, pulling the pirate off with great force

The dark-haired man kicked and tried to keep his eyes open as the undersea force dragged him away from the surface

HR’s eyes widened when he saw you under the salty sea, a mermaid with gleaming skin and seashells threaded in her hair

He saw the concern flood over your face, the gentleness within your dazzling eyes that he’d never heard of

Stories of mythical ravenous monsters under the sea that eat people of the land in a bloodthirsty rage

But the spectacle in front of him seemed anything but that

Still HR remained cautious, a hand over his pocketed knife as he eyed your colored tail

You put a hand to your lips, taking his hand gingerly instead of his ankle to bring him up to the surface

HR coughed out water and cursed at the saltiness of the sea, gathering his bearings before turning to you

You watched him with curious eyes as he shook his hair from the water before running his hands through his wet hair

Secretly you had always been intrigued by the land dwellers and their peculiar way of life

Even if the merpeople believed any interaction with humans to be forbidden by execution

You had overheard the exchange with the other humans and weighed in your thoughts before intervening at the most convenient moment

HR: Y-you’re beautiful- I mean a mermaid

He watched your cheeks darken at his words

You: *whispers bashfully* N-no’s really said that to me before. I’m not that pretty

HR: But you’re utterly breath-taking *shakes head and is astonished, blinking a few times* Wait, you can talk?

You: *cocks a confused eyebrow* of course I can, why wouldn’t I? I’m not some sort of animal that lives in the ocean

HR: I-I don’t know, the stories-

You: Stories?

HR explained to you the legends and stories, which you helped clarify the essence of the Merpeople

In return, HR did the same as he spoke of the human world and his adventures as a pirate

He oddly found himself confiding in you about the Kjarni Flower and its mystical powers to creating an elixir

You expressed the Merpeople’s legends regarding it, which provided to be beneficial to HR

The Pirate noticed your sparkling eyes in the midday sunlight, intrigued by every word you spoke

It particularly struck his heart when you expressed that your interest in the land-dwellers world

HR: Why are you telling me this? I’m a pirate, I could hurt you when you least expect it

You: I don’t know, I feel like I could trust you not to harm me

I don’t think I can to such a kind spirit, HR thought

Silence had filled the serene atmosphere between the two of you, waves rocking you and HR back and forth

HR noticed that the two of you weren’t so different, unlike the legends of the Pirate’s Guild

Everything down to your navel was regularly human. No webbed hands or fins for ears. The only exception was the gills on your neck and your majestic tail

The two of you remained there, floating in the sea before HR began to cough

You: I should get you back to land, you need to go back to your people

HR: Wait, before you do. My name is HR. HR Wells, the Pirate Gentleman

You: Gentleman, huh? Well, my name is (Y/N), Mermaid of Uquilnoah

You brought him back to shore behind some rocks, to which HR spotted his ship and his brother on deck with his back turned to him

The sun had fallen, expressing the evening time before night took its shift

You: I guess this is goodbye

HR: Why do you want to come to the human side? It’s corrupt and foul.

You looked down before gazing off to the laughter and lights and people on shore

You: I-I want to swim and walk. I want to go on adventures and explore what the sea cannot give me. I want to share experiences with others, a part of their stories and lives

HR: Come with me then. My troublesome hard hat of a brother and I go on adventures every day. We’d be more than honored to have you.

You: I-I’d like that, but how? I don’t have legs

HR pursed his lips in thought as he glanced back to his brother’s ship

HR: Stay here, I’ll be back. Here *hands you his knife* keep this until I get back

You took his knife, watching him swim to shore as your cheeks dusted pink at his words

No man or merman had ever expressed such interest in your or your thoughts

It was always someone else, some other beauty that held the center stage

You ended up being more of a background person

A hand ran over the faint scars over your body, trying to push away the hurt you had attained from others over the years

I just wanted to matter. I’ve always wanted my existence to mean something. Maybe in the human world, I can find that in my journeys away from Uquilnoah

HR hurried onto the shore and hurried onto his ship with his wet clothes chilling him as the wind blew

Harry shot his brother an incredulous look as HR ran onto the deck out of breath and speaking rapidly like a mad man

The twin dark-haired man stared at his brother before getting his attention

Harry: So, let me get this straight. You got the stone, ran into trouble, met a mermaid- who surprisingly didn’t bite your head off and now she’s waiting by the alcove shores for you because you promised her to be back?

HR: *catches his breath and smiles innocently* Yes :D

Harry: *facepalms* Are you fucking stupid or are you fucking stupid? That mermaid’s probably baiting you to sink this entire ship. We need to go. Now.

HR: She’s not lying to me!

Harry: How do you know that?!

HR: Because she told me about the Merpeople and their legends of the Kjarni Flower. She told me how she yearns for an adventure like never before, with people like us

Harry purses his lips and sighs roughly, rubbing his face harshly with calloused hands

HR: Don’t you see, Harr, she’s willing to come with us. Hell, she can even help us if we encounter something along the way.

Harry: Fine, but how are you going to get her to walk?

HR: Easy. Caitlin should have a potion or magic object.

Caitlin/Frost was the crews brilliant Ice-Witchdoctor, terrifying in batter but had sufficient magical abilities when it came to healing

Barry was the First Mate when both HR and Harry were off deck, quick on his feet for solo stealth missions

Cisco was the Quartermaster, distributing items such as a variety of guns/weapons, ammunition as well as coming up with the plans with the rest of the crew

Jesse was the pilot, manning where the ship sails because Harry doesn’t want his daughter doing anything dangerous, but she’s a badass gunner when it comes down to it.

Iris and Wally are the main Gunners for the group, their marksmanship impeccable through the harsh training they received from their father, Joe

Cecile and Joe typically fill in any role that needs to be filled depending on the situation that this crew runs into

Anyway, Caitlin manages to whip something up in which she’s enchants a necklace with the power to give you your legs and the ability to remain on land for long periods of time

However-yes, there’s a however, duh- there is a time limit

Every midnight strike, you fatigue and must recharge in the ocean overnight in order to not die from water deprivation

HR grinned widely head back to the covered alcove and waving you to come as close as possible

Explaining everything to you, the Pirate Gentleman handed you the enchanted necklace that held a single Golden Star Sapphire gemstone

Right as you pulled it on your tail transformed into legs in a blink of an eye, but… you were naked

HR had immediately turned around right when that happened, his cheeks flaring up as well as yours

You facepalmed before covering yourself, stuttering out that you’d need some clothes

HR went silent shedding his jacket off as well of his linen shirt and handed them to you with his eyes averted

You: Okay, I’ve put them on

HR moved around in time to see you stumble on your legs, leaning forward to catch you

The Wells twin couldn’t help himself as his eyes ran over your figure in his arms, his heart thumping louder than ever in his chest

HR: Come on, the crew’s waiting to meet you

You and HR returned to the ship, nervously giggling at each other while you got used to walking.

You: How did you learn to swim?

HR: By struggling. And a lot. You make it look so easy

You: Well you make walking look so easy

HR: Think about it this way, doll, now you’re ambidextrous for land and sea

You met the crew and got along with them nicely, with the exception of HR’s prickly brother

HR told you not to worry about him with a cheeky wink

You were mesmerized by the sights and sounds and colors of the world above the sea

HR guided you every step of the way

The fates pulling your heartstrings even closer together

Harry later secretly gave you his blessings and told you to watch out for his dorky brother who can’t seem to stop having heart eyes for you whenever you’re on the deck

Jesse was actually the first one to approach you, asking so many questions about the sea

She became your best friend from then on as you entertained her with stories of life under the ocean

Jesse and the other see what’s happening as HR beats around the bush with you, but obviously doing it in the name of friendship and Pirate-Mermaid truce

And they groan at the lingering gazes and soft exchanges between you and HR

Many times, Cisco has groaned “The thirst is real”

And many times, Iris and Barry have had to dial Cisco back to let you and HR to read the atmosphere

One night while hanging out with HR in his room

He was showing you how to read a map and use the items on board to read the stars

You ended up coughing

And coughing

And coughing

And coughing and gasping for air

Before HR realized that its time for you to hibernate in the water for the night

So, what did HR do?

Like the dork that he is, he picked you up and hurried to the main deck before throwing you off the ship

Yes, you read that right

The man panicked, ok? What should he have done, thrown a jar of water on you? That still wouldn’t help the problem

HR leaned over the wooden railing of the docked ship, watching aurora-like light emanate from the sea

Before you popped up from the water, breathing nicely and looking all refreshed

The puppy boy apologized to you so many times for losing track of time

But you waved it off

That night, HR stayed up with you as he lowered himself on a spare rowboat to be at the same level with you on the ocean water

You: HR you need to go to bed

HR: No I *yawns* don’t.

You: Uh huh *smirks*

HR: I like your company so I’m staying

You: I like your company too, but Harry’s gonna roast your ass if you’re not fully awake tomorrow morning

HR: Screw him, he can do it without me

You: You’re an idiot

HR: You wound me

That following morning, Harry did roast his ass when he found his brother sleeping outside in a boat on deck when the two of you finally bid each other goodnight

Frequently nightly swims with each other

Gentle laughs under the shining moonlight as the sea creatures rest

Getting so close to kissing one another

But pulling away because you both are just friends

After all, mermaids and humans can’t really be together because of the barrier of survival styles

Bottom line, because I’m running out of things to say and its 2 AM, you and HR slowly fell in love with one another as you journeyed with him to find the mystical Kjarni Flower

Unraveling its secrets with the crew you’ve grown so close to

Calling them family

Perils falling into every step of the way, elongating the pining the burned between the two of you who come from two different worlds

You had charmed your way into his heart and he in yours

The Pirate Gentleman taught his lovely Mermaid self-defense as well as the simple things in life to enjoy

You encouraged his secret talent for writing, something he hid from everyone

It’s no surprise that HR ended using his part of the elixir from the Kjarni flower to enable you to be on land without a time restraint

To be by his side all night as the days went on

Especially when there was a child on the way

But neither of you know that right now 😉