#ask unknown octopus

[poptropi-caw]

I just realized this is your poptropica blog I am so sorry 😭 I thought you and your main AND your art account were three different people

i am a man of many names what can i say KEVIESGWIWF but ya people can get… me mixed up with myself a lot.

[lynnie-ee]

Day 5; Gloves.

╰┈➤"Holding hands comes naturally in a relationship, is what you'd expect. Until you realise, Azul has never removed his gloves, hasn't he?"

╰►Gender neutral reader, oneshot, 1k words.

╰► Character: Azul Ashengrotto, pre-established relationship.

╰►Note: The prompts are based on words I found interesting and then I put them on a roulette to decide when I would write about them, lol. English is not my first language, so please let me know if there are any grammatical mistakes <3. Not proof read, I haven't written in a long time, so I apologise if anything is out of character.

╰►Masterlist / Inktober Masterlist.

⤿

⤿

“Azul?”

“Yes, angelfish?”

“How come I’ve never held your hand?”

“We’ve held hands dear, multiple time already.”

“Of course, but I mean, without your gloves on.”

“Oh…”

(Y/n) laid on one of the sofas of Mostro Lounge’s VIP room, a book on their hands that they were supposed to read for their History of Magic, which was now left behind as they were more interested in Azul’s answer. As usual, the housewarden was on his desk, working on some contracts, promptly leaving his pen down to focus his attention on the magicless student.

The couple had been together for a few weeks now; enough time for Azul to get used to sharing his time, but not enough to openly speak his mind without filter.

“Well…I guess we’ve never had the opportunity to do so.” He replied after thinking about it for about seconds.

“How about now?” The Prefect asked, leaving their book on a table nearby, resting their elbows on the armrest of the sofa to look at housewarden more properly, being able to observe the delicate reddish tone that made its way to adorn his cheeks.

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying?”

“And you’re supposed to be working, yet you’re indulging me, so don’t make excuses.” They chuckled softly, observing Azul for a moment, before frowning slightly. “Perhaps I didn’t consider that you may be uncomfortable by the sensation of someone touching your skin. Do you have hands, when you’re on your octopus form?” The Prefect asked genuinely.

“Of course, I do! Why are you even asking that?” Azul answered immediately, his voice an octave higher due to how absurd their question seemed to be.

“Because I’ve never seen your octopus form and I’m not even from this world, there’s no way for me to know.” They explained nonchalantly. “The Coral Sea culture is as unknown for me as the land culture was for you at first.”

“I’ll let you know that I’m very knowledgeable in land culture, dear.” The Octavinelle second-year defended himself, a slight frown on his face.

“Last time we went into town we saw a bunny and you asked me if it was a dog. You may be smart, but you don’t know everything.” They laughed, this time a bit louder, offending Azul even more. “But we weren’t talking about that. So, if you have hands in your merman form, is it because mermen don’t usually hold hands directly? Or is it that you aren’t used to the sensation of something touching your skin?”

“No, they do hold hands in the same way humans do.” The second year explained. “And I’ve been on land for a while, now, so I’m very accustomed to the sensation of touching things directly without gloves.” He answered their second question.

“Then why don’t you want to hold hands now?”

“Well, that’s….” Azul mumbled, fixing his glasses as a way to partially cover his face to prevent the Prefect from being able to see the embarrassment on his expression. This only increased (Y/n)’s curiosity, making them wonder of the reasons, until something popped up on their mean.

“You…you’ve never had someone hold your hand before, haven’t you?”

“Nonsense! I…”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The Ramshackle student declared, Azul’s face being enough evidence for them. They got up from the sofa to take a seat on the chair in front of Azul’s desk, finding the merman avoiding eye contact with them. “It’s okay if you haven’t, you know?”

“As far as I’m concerned, people around my age should be expected to have more experience at this, so forgive me for my lack of it.”

“I don’t care about that; I hope you know it.” (Y/n) answered tenderly, extending their arm to softly angle Azul’s face so they could look at them. “Besides, it would be nice to do it for the first time, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess you’re right…”

“Can I?” They questioned, this time signalizing his hand, as he nodded. Then, the Prefect gently took his hand, one of their own delicately holding his wrist as the other removed the glove carefully with a slow pace, occasionally glancing at him.

If there was anything (Y/n) had learned about Azul in the past weeks, it was that he was far more delicate than he let others see, his vulnerable side being more difficult for him to expose, even in front of them, as it was too early. Perhaps, in a year or two, they would talk casually about more intimate matters, but for now, this was enough, one step at a time.

“Well, this is rather nice.” Azul mumbled, and the Prefect could only chuckle softly, lightly squeezing his hand as an answer.

“Your hands seemed to be very soft-Oh!” (Y/n) started calmly, trying not to rush Azul, getting surprised when he was the one who actually took their hand as soon as they removed the glove. His fingers laced their own fingers gently but quickly, as he was expectant to experience the sensation.

“Is it like you expected?”

“I’d say it’s better than I thought.” He answered. “Now I understand why so many couples seemed to have their hands glued to each other when they walked together, back in the town…”

“Yeah, maybe we could try that.” They suggested, promptly raising both of their hands a bit higher, so they could place a kiss upon the back of his hand, watching the housewarden blushing immediately. “Too much?”

“No…But I’m considering that perhaps, I should wear my gloves less when you’re around.”

“You have such nice ideas sometimes.”

They stayed in the same position for a few moments, changing the topic of conversation, as (Y/n) occasionally caressed the side of his hand with their thumb, Azul eventually relaxing at the contact, his paperwork next to him being left on the past, his attention solely focused on his loving partner.

“The next step maybe could be you showing me your octopus form?”

“Absolutely no.”

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⤿

[dilatorywriting]

Hi hi! So this is a request for the 4k followers thing and if it sounds like word vomit I apologize cuz I have no idea how to word this. Could I ask for prompt 10 ("I think we should go to dinner first.") with mc x azul? The scenario here is like that one twitter post that was going around awhile ago about how a falls first but b falls harder, with a being azul and how once he realizes his feelings he resigns himself to forever pining from afar bc he's convinced himself that any relationship between them would be doomed to failure since mc is from another world and would have to go home someday. But while mc is a bit dense when it comes to their own romantic feelings they've always been an upfront person and as soon as they realize they like him they kinda just,,,, barge into his office and say so, and I feel like the sentence prompt would be said by azul after a pretty intense make out session (maybe nothing spicy spicy but yeah) where at the end oh yeah he remembers he's a gentleman

Also after a bit of searching I found the twitter post I was talking about

Gender Neutral Reader x Azul Ashengrotto Word Count: 1.5k

Prompt 10: "I-I think we should go for dinner first."

[EVENT MASTERLIST]

Azul had been avoiding you.

Which was so strange and wholly out of character that the first few days of it went by in a weird sort of fugue. You hadn’t even noticed an entire week had passed in blissful, mafioso-free silence until you were heading to your Friday night shift at the Lounge and realized you hadn’t seen your favorite octopus even once. Normally the House Warden was fluttering around you like a scam artist to an old folks’ home. Poking, and prodding, and ‘ah, Prefect, I know you weren’t a fan of the last contract, but perhaps this one would suffice, hmm?’

And when you arrived in the little, employee-only locker room—still fully unbothered and not offered even a single opportunity to sell your soul—you wondered if maybe he’d gotten sick.

You were in the middle of taking some Savanaclaw student’s order when you finally saw him at all. Just a quick glance out of the corner of your eye to catch his shining, silver head of hair popping into his office. You smiled brightly and offered a wave. But Azul only went stiff and closed the door with a bang.

Which was…

Huh.

“Is Azul feeling okay?” you asked Jade between running an armload of drinks to a table of Pomefiore students.

The eel hummed and gave you one of those smiles that never really looked like it was meant to be a smile. “Our fearless leader is clinically sound.”

You frowned. Because that felt like one of the Vice Warden’s non-answers that he’d throw your way sometimes like a taller, meaner older sibling holding your favorite toy just out of reach.

“So he’s alright?” you pressed, hesitant.

“Oh, I never said that,” he chirped pleasantly, before ducking off to go catch the stack of plates that Floyd was in the process of juggling through the kitchen.

The bubbling panic popping in your gut was the worst sort of tummy ache. The kind that spread its miserable pain until it’d left your chest hurting, and head spinning, and something deeply wrong throbbing at the heart of you. Because Azul, despite his inherent tendencies to treat you like a particularly stupid pack mule, was still your best friend. The person you cared about most in all the world! Sure, he enjoyed bamboozling you and your fellow students, but, like he hadn’t done anything genuinely malicious in ages now! Like a paid hitman retiring into selling seedy vacation timeshares.

The idea of him just—just not wanting you anymore struck something horrible in you. Of finally realizing that the silly little human from worlds unknown wasn’t worth the wobbly pair of legs you were standing on. And it left you feeling small, and afraid, and—and—

“Oh? Are you feeling unwell, Prefect?” Jade called from somewhere behind you.

“Does Azul hate me?” you blurted out before you could help yourself.

The eel blinked his bi-colored eyes at you—slow and unbothered. Perhaps a bit surprised, if you had to put a name to the expression. Jade’s face was like that sometimes. An enigma. Like someone had wired him up just slightly wrong when putting it all together. On any other living creature, that sap-slow nonchalance would have certainly bordered on outright boredom, but you knew him well enough to know there was at least something else going on there.

“Why would he hate you?” he asked, equally dripping and slug slow.

“Because—!” you squawked, and waved your hands around your head. “Because!”

“I see,” he nodded. And then latched a gloved hand onto your shoulder and steered you back towards his boss’s office. He didn’t even bother to knock before wrenching the door open and shoving you inside.

Azul looked up with a start, eyes gone wide behind his glasses and jaw slack.

“What’s going—”

“The Prefect is on the verge of psychotic break,” Jade chirped helpfully, with a closed-eyed smile. “Please be delicate with them, hmm?”

And then slammed the door shut all over again. Leaving you alone with the guy who might have only very recently started to hate your guts. Or—or maybe he always had! And maybe you’d just been really, really dumb about picking it up! You wanted to scream. Or hide away forever. Azul looked like the latter was an exceptionally tempting idea, and you could see his blue eyes flicker around the room like he was looking for an escape route.

But the idea of him running away from you, that you’d never see him again—that he didn’t want to ever see you again—had something horribly enlightening clicking into place in your brain.

“Are you okay!” you asked, so loud it nearly rattled the furniture. And Azul flinched in surprise. “Did I do something wrong!”

“What?” he blinked, startled. “Of… Of course not.” He cleared his throat and stood carefully, making his way towards you in the manner one may approach a rabid racoon hiding under their porch. “Perhaps you should take a seat—”

“I can’t!” you cried, frantic. “Not if you’re upset!”

Another of those owlish, outright consternated bouts of blinking. “You can’t sit?”

“No!” you wailed. That prickling, hot, tight feeling nearly overflowing out of you. “Not if it’s my fault!”

His expression twisted up into something mulish and embarrassed, and he reached up to push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose with a soft huff.

“…it’s hardly your fault,” he said, sounding so stupidly sad that you just wanted to—to—

“How can I fix it?” you tried, panicked. Because he didn’t want to be around you anymore, and you couldn’t lose him. You couldn’t!

Azul sighed, gaze shifting away yet again. He offered you a tight, little smile that felt like all sorts of lies. “It’s alright, Prefect. Truly. It’s just something…” he trailed off, that forced smirk twitching off his lips like he couldn’t help it. “Something I’m learning to live with, hmm? Nothing terrible, I promise.”

“You shouldn’t have to live with something that’s bothering you,” you argued, firm. “You’re the king of fixing other people’s problems. You’re more than allowed to use all those connections and stuff to fix your own!”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t really work like that,” he tried, awkward, and you steamrolled on.

“Why not?! You’re amazing! And fantastic! And I love you so much, and you should never have to be upset about anything. And if you’re not in my life for the rest of my life, I’d rather die!” you wailed, and gasped—clapping your hands together like the idea that had just blossomed in your skull was just beyond brilliant. “We should get married!” And then, to sweeten the deal, “Think of the tax benefits!”

“I—” Azul choked, going as red as a tomato. “Y-You—”

“—love you very much!” you finished helpfully.

He ducked his face into his hands, like he could scrub the blush right off his cheeks if he tried hard enough.

“Y-You can’t—” he spluttered into his gloves. “You can’t just say things like that.”

“Why not?” you demanded. “It’s true!”

Azul’s shoulders hunched up like he was trying make himself very, very small. And then after a long moment of near hyperventilating into his palms, he finally looked back over at you from behind the shield of his fingers.

“You…” he swallowed. “You love me?”

You nodded, certain. Becauese what else could that warm, bright, all-consuming thing be in your chest be but that?

“You,” he said again. “Love me?”

“Yes,” you agreed, never more sure of anything than that. “And we should get married.”

Azul choked again and went back to hiding behind his fingers.

“Unless…” you started, trailing off as something horrible and unsure squirmed through your chest. “Unless you don’t want to, of course. It should be your choice too. Just because I love you, doesn’t mean you have to love me, y’know?”

“That’s not what I said!” he squawked, head snapping back up so fast he nearly knocked the glasses off his face. And then he went red all over again, all the way to the tips of his ears, and he was reaching up to pull the rim of his hat down over his eyes with a curse. “I just…” he began, muffled behind the fabric of his overcoat. “Maybe… dinner first?” he choked. “Before the proposal.”

“Oh,” you blinked, startled. “Of course. That makes sense.”

“That makes sense,” Azul echoed, sounding like you’d come up from behind him and walloped him with a baseball bat rather than just suggested a completely rational and beneficial mutual engagement. “I… I don’t know why I’m surprised at all.”

You quirked a brow. “Were you… expecting me to say that?” you asked confused.

This time he did look back up at you fully. Hands lowered, and the shield of his collar gone and all. The smile he sent you was small but so, heartachingly warm that it had butterflies dancing in your stomach.

“No,” he hummed, sounding impossibly pleased. “I really, really wasn’t.”

.

.

[blouisparadise]

Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of May. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) My Heart's In Overdrive, And You're Behind The Steering Wheel | Explicit | 1,649 words

Being late to class means Harry and Louis have to pose together for figure drawings. That being said, the hate each other, but maybe they don't?

2) It's A Question Of Lust, It's A Question Of Trust | Explicit | 2,258 words

Louis is shaken up after being assaulted at the barricade in Panama City and feels guilty, he can't get it out of his head. Harry knows what he needs to escape the worry. Harry steps over, speaking quietly into his ear. "Good boy, doing as I asked." He looks beautiful, his skin golden, dark nipples puckered, his cock starting to get hard. His breath already ragged. "Not that you always do, eh?" "Sir?" His blue eyes stare at Harry, nervous, uncertain. "Letting those tarts fondle and grope you after each show. When you know you belong to me."

3) If Walls Could Talk | Explicit | 2,394 words

Louis is waiting backstage for Harry after his second show in Coventry. It's their last night together before Louis leaves for his own tour. Harry's mission for the evening is to worship Louis' body and make him see himself through Harry's eyes.

4) In An Octopus's Garden With You | General Audiances | 4,682 words

Autistic alpha Harry, a teacher, spends an overwhelming day on a field trip to the aquarium. Luckily, his omega, Louis, knows just what he needs.

5) I Didn't Have To Search Cuz I Still Know Your Number| Explicit | 5,161 words

As Louis approaches the front of the old flat he sees a light on upstairs in what used to be their master bedroom. A memory flicks through Louis’ mind of Louis spread open on the duvet with Harry between his legs nipping and sucking on his hole while Louis whimpered and writhed, clutching the sheets and moaning out Harry’s name. Louis looks down to see his dick at half mass and sighs. Louis flicks the butt of the cigarette to the ground and pulls his phone back out of his pocket. He exits the Uber app and pulls up his contacts, scrolling down to the H’s until he lands upon Harry’s name in his phone. He pulls up their messages and sees the last time they talked was right after the break up all those years ago. Louis begins to type out a message to Harry, hoping he hasn't changed his number. Louis: U up? (sent at 1:14am)

6) You Have Me | Not Rated | 5,529 words

Louis is escaping his mundane reality, avoiding his fiancée, and going to an anonymous hook up party in the woods. When the mysterious stranger who has been eyeing him all night asks him to come back to his tent, Louis is game for anything. He doesn’t know that he’s going to get an offer he can’t refuse.

7) All My Life | Not Rated | 5,553 words

The four times Harry tries to propose and the one time he gets it right (or does he?)

8) Limping In The Limelight | Explicit | 5,832 words

Harry breaks his accessory navicular during a concert in Birmingham in 2015.

9) I Like to Watch | Explicit | 9,287 words

If there’s one thing Harry loves, it’s watching his husband Louis get fucked by other men. After picking up a lad called Zayn who is baffled by this concept, the three men are in for a wild night.

10) House Husband | Mature | 11,853 words

Louis and Harry are happily married with two beautiful kids. Harry is a lawyer who provides for his family and Louis is his sassy house husband. This is a week in their life.

11) For A Sushi Restaurant | Explicit | 13,345 words

And yet, in the depth of the sea, where water started to go from that sky blue to the dark petrol blue, almost black, of the unknown, creatures moved, ready to attack at a moment’s notice, sleek tails and pale, blueish skin helping them with mimesis. Or, cecaelia Harry and human Louis.

12) Peaches And Soft Myth | Explicit | 36,192 words

“Greta kissed me,” he said at last. It wasn’t the main issue, but it was a start. Louis’ smile was radiant. Eyes sparkling with genuine happiness. Harry’s stomach felt a little funny, wishing he could feel as happy as the cheerleader. "Oh, my god? We did it! I’m a genius ! Was it long? Slow and sensual, full of lust and passion, tongues intertwined—" he gasped. “Did she tremble in your arms?” He hugged himself. “That’s not—” “No one believes me when I say I am a good matchmaker. They are always like, ‘Oh Louis, you have the worst eye for couples and men. You always miss the real connections.’ Who missed now? Not me. Nuh-hu, I saw the potential. Your grumpy attitude did not deter me. I'm probably the greatest matchmaker on campus. Don’t you think?” Louis’ smile faltered. “Wait… why do you look as if you were about to throw up?” “She told me her roommate leaves for a few days after spring break. She invited me to her dorm room.” “Okay?” Louis said slowly. “Am I missing something? Is it about clothes? Because I can totally find something—” Harry scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s not about that.” “Then what?” “I…” Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m a virgin.”

13) The Maddest Obsession | Explicit | 100,974 words

One fears the dark. One rules it. Harry Styles, the dangerous mob enforcer, finds himself entangled with Louis, the strong-willed mafia-princess. As they navigate the treacherous underworld of New York, their forbidden love sparks a deadly game of loyalty, betrayal, and passion. Will their devotion to each other overcome the chaos surrounding them, or will their love be their downfall?

14) At Our Seams | Explicit | 185,290 words

Newly mated and happily engaged Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, are moving into a new phase of their lives. Together, their world felt complete. However, the world beyond their bubble has been strung into chaos. Political strife is raiding the streets and oppressive policies are being enacted everyday. Louis is desperate for something to change, to finally set the record straight for omegas and non-soulmate children everywhere. Harry is determined to keep his mate safe, even if it goes against Louis’ wishes. Unfortunately, he can’t control everything, and things quickly fall out of his hands. Who’s this new alpha who’s entered the beloved couple’s life, giving Louis another purpose Harry hadn’t been expecting? What happens when the soulmates don’t exactly see eye to eye? Will the protective alpha get his wishes, or will he concede to his cherished but oh, so stubborn omega? How strong are the seams that bind? Only time will tell.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

[yanderecrazysie]

Tentalophobia (Yandere Azul)

Please don’t request any phobias. I just felt like making this for fun.

Be kind to me, I'm still not good at writing NSFW

Title: Tentalophobia

Pairings: Azul Ashengrotto x Reader

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, Azul in octopus form, tentacles, degradation, NSFW, NON-CON, mindbreak, choking

Phobia: The fear of tentacles

“Don’t swim out too far, you two!” One of your friends called out. You rolled your eyes- you were a professional swimmer on your way to the olympics. This was a piece of cake.

You swam around a large rock, obscured from your friends’ view. You were more concerned with finding a super cool cave than drowning.

You heard someone splashing up behind you and you turned to look. When you saw the person who followed you, you rolled your eyes again.

“What do you want, Azul?”

Azul Ashengrotto was your ex-boyfriend. He had been too harsh, too cold for you and you had dumped him about a month ago because of his personality.

“I just wanted to be near you,” Azul said. His eyes were dark with some emotion you couldn’t read. It was strange for him to be so straightforward with his intentions, as he was normally so manipulative and secretive. That was some of the other reasons you had broken up with him.

“Well I don’t want to be near you. Fuck off,” You snapped.

His frown faltered before it slid into a deranged smile. You had seen him like this only once before, when he had overblotted, causing him to go nearly insane.

Suddenly, you felt something brush against your leg. You jerked your leg away from whatever it was, assuming it was seaweed. At least, until it wrapped around your ankle and harshly pulled you toward Azul.

“What the fuck?” You kicked your foot, trying to get your ankle free. Then, the same unknown object wrapped itself around your waist, dragging you forward until you were even closer to Azul.

You looked down through the clear water and saw what was holding your body in place. It took you a second to realize that it wasn’t some huge black snake, but a tentacle. Your eyes traced back to where it ended and, to your horror, you saw that it was connected to Azul’s lower half.

Azul’s crazed smile only grew wider, his pupils becoming pinpricks, “Will you take me back if I can make you feel good? Better than any normal human could ever make you feel?”

Another one of his tentacles slid under your shirt, its suction cups attaching themselves to the fabric and ripping it off.

“What are you doing?” You asked, fear starting to take hold of your body, “What kind of sick joke is this?”

“It’s not a joke,” Azul replied softly, “I loved you and you broke my heart. Now, I’m here to make sure you won’t want any man as much as you want me.”

You couldn’t understand what he meant, your brain not comprehending the situation you had been put in. But once he pulled off your pants and underwear the same way he had torn off your shirt, you began to put two and two together.

Azul was about to rape you.

You began to kick and scream, hoping to land a solid hit to his chest as you fought against the tentacles. The one holding your waist tightened its hold, but that didn’t stop your hysterical fighting. The tentacle that made its way up to your neck and cut off your air supply, however, did.

Azul’s horrifying expression melted away, leaving him as his normal, stoic self. “Stop fighting,” he commanded.

You tried to keep kicking your legs at him, but the tentacle around your neck started to squeeze. It didn’t take long for your vision to start to go dark around the edges. Finally, you let your legs and arms relax, no longer lashing out at him.

Thankfully, as soon as you stopped, Azul released your neck, leaving you gasping for precious air. You lifted a hand to massage your throat, sure that you had bruises where he had squeezed.

You felt something creeping up your thigh and it finally hit you that you were naked and helpless in Azul’s grasp. 

The tip of one of his tentacles slid down your stomach before it teasingly ran along your entrance. For one horrifying moment, you were sure it was about to plunge inside of you, but it instead searched up a little higher. A moment later, you realized it was aiming for something potentially worse.

It found your clit and you jerked in his grasp, trying not to give into your instinct to punch Azul in his smug face. The tip of his tentacle circled around your clit, teasing you, before it began to rub at your pearl. You squirmed in his hold, gasping, but Azul only held you tighter until it started to hurt.

Hot pleasure started to spread up your body and you bit your lip, trying not to moan out loud. Azul’s eyes shone as he began to rub faster, until a borderline pornographic moan slipped through your lips.

“Give me every sound you make,” Azul purred, “I want to hear just how good I’m making you feel.”

You felt guilt twist your stomach along with the pleasure. You knew you couldn’t help your pleasure, that it was a natural reaction, but it still felt like an arrow to the heart. You had never expected to be in this position. You had thought Azul didn’t care about you, but you were clearly wrong.

The pleasure built up until you felt that familiar knot in your stomach. “Stop!” You tried, “Please, stop!”

Azul just grinned, the tip of his tentacle working harder at your clit. 

The knot in your stomach snapped and you screamed out your pleasure as you came.

“What a good little slut,” Azul laughed, “You even squirted for me. Has anyone else made you do that? I bet they haven’t.”

The water had gotten a little cloudy from your cum and you felt your face heat up at the realization. To tell the truth, no one had ever made you squirt before, but you’d never tell him that.

“Let’s go another round,” Azul said cruelly, continuing his ministrations. 

You were oversensitive, trying fruitlessly to squirm away from his tentacle as it began rubbing at your clit once more. You wailed out as you felt yourself begin to approach your second orgasm much quicker than the first.

You could no longer hold back, moaning like a bitch in heat. Your hips bucked against the tip, silently begging for more.

Azul laughed, “Don’t worry, little slut, I’ve got more in store for you.”

Suddenly, you felt something at your entrance. You didn’t have to look down to know it was another tentacle. You shivered in anticipation, wondering if it was possible to feel even more pleasure.

The tentacle slid into your cunt at top speed, slamming into your cervix in one go. You squealed as it rammed home, surprised at how deep it was inside you. 

It was different from a cock in many ways, but the most noticeable was the fact that the tip was the smallest part, with the tentacle becoming more girthy the farther up it you went. your entrance struggled to stretch around the top part of the tentacle while your cervix had to deal with the tip searching for an entrance.

The tentacle pulled out just to slam home again. Another tentacle still played with your clit, making the girth much easier to take with how wet you had become. 

You bucked your hips, throwing your head back as your mind went blank with another orgasm. 

You could hear the smirk in Azul’s voice, “My little slut wants more, right? Well, I’ve got more to give you.”

He pulled halfway out, letting the tip search for something. You moaned loudly when the tip bumped against your g-spot. Grinning that horrifying grin once more, Azul slammed his tentacle back in, aiming for the spot that made you see stars.

It didn’t take long for you to cum, screaming your lungs out. All you knew was pleasure, you could barely take it. 

Azul stopped moving his tentacles and you tried to grind against them.

“Tell me what you want?”

“More… please, Azul, more, more,” you whined.

“Alright, my little slut, I’ll give you more,” Azul said, “If you tell me you love me.”

“I love you, I love you,” you wailed, “I love you so much. Just give me more!”

Azul’s insane grin grew, “Tell me I’m the only one that can make you feel this good.”

“You’re the only one,” you cried out, “I love you, Azul, just give me more.”

Azul let one of his tentacles wrap around your breasts and laughed. “Gladly.”

[risafeywritesdrarry]

Hello! I wonder if you have a HC about Draco's Patronus. I know a lot of Drarry fans think it'd be a stag because of Harry (which makes sense), but I'm torn between that and preferring he had a thing of his own. What thing, though?

If you pointed a gun to my head and I had to blurt something, I'd say a hippogriff because of their temperament (being proud and easily offended), and also because of his history with Buckbeak. We don't know the Buckbeak incident from an omniscient or Draco's perspective, but I do think he had an internal struggle about it that we don't know about.

My thoughts on that: I don't think Draco was trying to provoke Buckbeak in class. He was just being an idiot about Hagrid and wasn't paying attention to the lesson. I imagine he was okay with Buckbeak being killed if Buckbeak's execution hurt Hagrid. But I also think that he later felt remorse as he grew up for a majestic creature like that almost being killed due to his own stupidity, which would be difficult for him to admit to.

That headcanon about his character arc/growth reinforces my belief that his Patronus would be a hippogriff, since it'd be meaningful and unique, and I can picture a hippogriff trotting alongside a stag if I want to fit it into a Drarry lens. They might make an unlikely pair, but so do Harry and Draco. (Unlikely, but deeply meaningful.)

On the other hand, if I had to choose a nonmagical animal, I'd look towards the ocean and sea for animals that suit his nature or temperament. An octopus (being intelligent, inquisitive, and resourceful), or a manta ray, which is intelligent, and grand and majestic in its own right, while also being surprisingly nonviolent.

I'd pick the ocean and sea because I see Draco as largely being misunderstood, and deep waters represent the unknown. Draco may be an insufferable git as far as we know, but I think there's way more unknown about his personality and character than we realize because of the books' limited POV.

Trying to picture an octopus or manta ray through a Drarry lens is more difficult. But then I'd imagine Harry and Draco having a relationship conflict over exactly that, since others' Patronuses match. It'd be an opportunity for them to explore how genuine their love really is despite how it might look. They are like two completely unique/opposite animals themselves, and yet somehow it works.

That was probably more than you asked for. I've thought about it a lot, and probably overthought it. :) In my opinion, a stag is too on the nose and erases the uniqueness of his character, so I'm personally not convinced but can understand why people go with it.

[the-broken-truth]

Okay hear me out- after seeing that ask about reader dying and where venom was ripped off her and she fell to her death? It made me remember a scene: when Gwen Stacy fell to her death and Peter (Andrew Garfield) saved her a tad too late :(

So! What if when Venom was ripped from Miguel’s daughter, Miguel tries to save her, shooting a web as he digs his claws into the building to please please PLEASE save her in time, he has so much things to say to her-

But he hears a thud and that’s it. He jumps to the ground and cradles her in his arms, begging for her to look at him and not at the sky. Then it clicks… she never not once looked at him, even when he did his very best to save her. She didn’t reach out for HIM… it was Venom she reached and cried out for, where her eyes went to to save her, not her own father… that’s right… he heard that symbiote scream her name as she fell…

And once did she ever look at her father…

Through travel data found in a Gizmo you left behind, Miguel discovered that you had relocated to a parallel Earth where neither you nor Venom existed. In order to ensure that he would never have to interfere with your life on this new Earth, you had conducted thorough research and planned accordingly. However, Miguel was in need of a daughter, having lost his alternate daughter, and felt compelled to bring you back to his world to provide you with the love you had longed for. Despite his apologies for abandoning you, he set a course toward your Earth filled with concern for the little girl he had left behind. The portal opened before him and he jumped inside, ready to get back what he lost - he was going to find you and make you understand that you were his sunshine and he was never going to cloud your light again.

After stepping out of the portal, Miguel surveyed his surroundings. It appeared to be a typical city, but he knew from his research that there was no Spider-Person to protect this world. He assumed that you and Venom would take on those duties, at least until he found you in this vast place. While swinging around, he noticed several police cars with their sirens blaring, heading towards an unknown location. Miguel followed them and eventually arrived at a battleground where he saw you in your symbiote suit, engaged in a fight with a female version of Doctor Octopus. She had you in her grasp and was using supersonic sounds - Venom's weakness - to weaken you. Miguel rushed to your aid, but unfortunately, the symbiote was stripped away from you, leaving you defenseless. The villain secured Venom in a glass tank and tossed you aside, causing you to fall to the concrete.

He called out for you as he clawed into the wall of one of the buildings to anchor himself and shot a red web for your hand as you fell but then he looked at you - you weren't looking at him. You didn't answer his call. You were looking at the glass container in Doctor Octopus' grasp with tears in your eyes and then he heard it - a pleading voice calling for the symbiote. "VENOM!". He felt his heart breaking - all you cared about was Venom, you didn't even look at him but then he noticed you were still falling and the web missed you by an inch and soon your body collided with the ground with a sickening crack and you just looked at the sky with a blank expression as blood leaked from your mouth. Miguel cried and jumped down to the ground and cradled your broken bloody body in his arms, shaking you, begging you to look at him but it was too late. Your life had left your body and the last thing your father heard you call for was a parasite that convinced you to leave him alone in the world.

Miguel held your body and cried as some of the police officers walked over to him with their guns drawn, demanding him to step away from your body but you threw a trap web at them, took your body, and shot his way up to the roof. He placed you down and caressed your cheek before closing your eyes and wiping the blood from your lips. He looked at Doctor Octopus and charged at her - if Venom mattered that much to you, he was going to keep him safe for as long as he could. He would be the new host and together, they were going to avenge your death.

[airandyeah]

By The Beach Merman Nanami X Reader pt.3

Part one: Here , Part two: Here Warnings: Mentions of sea witches, not-okay deals, coral reef village, MERMAN GOJO SATORU AND TOJI!!!, princess and the frog song quotes, uh, yeah. :) lemme know if I missed anything I should add <3

Nanami's pov: Third Person- Once he arrived home, he immediately sought treatment and afterwards was sent to see the king and elders. They chastised him... He had gone too far away from their living space, and that's why he got hurt. He told them of that... Woman. Yes, the.... pretty woman. She freed him, but in turn she made him feel like he was on fire, it burned so badly. That was all weeks ago now. He was sat in the small, and only bar they had here. There was a beautiful merwoman playing a song she had picked up from her grandmother, another merwoman who would always get too close to shore, but she learned the humans music that way. He thought about the woman from that day. Her pretty H/C hair, with those soft E/C eyes.... She seemed so upset. He wanted to see her again. She did save him... But how would he do that? He remembered tales of a man around here... a witch. He used to associate with far-away sirens, made friends with murderous merfolk, and finally settled here... Maybe he could make a deal to meet that woman again. Before he could get up to act on his thoughts, he suddenly heard that annoying, no good, motherfu- "Hey, Nanamin!!!", The voice cuts through. Nanami looks up and is met with white hair and the bluest of blue eyes.... Gojo Satoru. The most annoying, no good, mother- "Say Nanamin, you got a lady yet? The lil lady over there', he points in some unknown direction, 'was wonderin' if you were single. She thinks you're pretty... attractive, y'know?", Gojo asks him with that grin of his that Nanami just wanted to punch so badly a tooth or two fell out... "I'm single, but tell her I'm not interested...", Nanami told him. Gojo walks off to leave him alone. And he leaves. ~~~ A few days later he was knocking on the sea witches door. He needed to see that woman. Needed to thank her... in some way. A man answers the door... the witch. He wasn't expecting what he saw... A buffed up man, and where Nanami would normally find a tail, there sat inky black octopus tentacles. The man had black hair, black eyes, and he had a scar run along his lip. He also had a very... odd looking purple eel wrapped around his body. The witch smirks at Nanami and open the door wider to allow him in. Nanami tells the witch about the woman, and how he wants to be a part of the world she lives in... He wants.... Legs. The sea witch told him that he could do it. On the condition that he could make the woman fall in love with him within 2 months, he could keep the legs and stay with the woman. Nanami laughed. This man was joking right? There's no way he could 1. actually give him legs, or 2. expect him to make her fall in love when he can't even speak the same language. "Don't you disrespect me, little man.", The sea witch told him with a growl. "I can make the impossible happen, I promise ya, You're in my world now not your world and I got friends on the other side!", The water stirred around them, it felt dangerous. But Nanami was willing. Nanami nods at the man and he continues "Then sit down at my table, put your mind at ease, If you relax it will enable me to do anything I please", He did as the man instructed and sat at the small table. The witch goes on about the terms of the deal as he writes the terms down he continues talking.... In but a few moments, Nanami signed the papers and the man reached out his scarred hand "Shake my hand, come on boy, won't you shake the poor sinner's hand?", Nanami reached out his hand and clasped it with the witches. The water stirred more violently now, the man was cackling and Nanami felt he might throw up... "You're changin', You're changin', You're changin', all right! I hope you're satisfied, but if you ain't don't blame me!! You can blame my friends on the other side!", The man says, before Nanami's whole world goes black... ~~~ Thoughts????

[snicketstrange]

The Great Unknown Theory (4.1)

I truly believe that Daniel Handler's original intention in TGG was that the submarine that Captain W fears is not actually shaped like a question mark. When Captain W explained what it could be, he compared it to a shadow. If we think about it more literally, when a shadow is projected against a wall, what we see is a two-dimensional projection of something three-dimensional. Sonar basically shows this two-dimensional projection on its display. Proof of this is the submarine Carmelita itself. On sonar, the two-dimensional projection is in the shape of an eye. It is true that many believe that this "eye" is the symbol for VFD, but this is not the case. This is just a coincidence.

The "eye" shape is due to the projection of the submarine's tentacles that make the two-dimensional projection look like an oval surrounded by eyelashes, and this resembles the shape of an eye.

Look:

Chapter 4 TGG:

"What was that third shape?” Violet asked. The captain shook his head again. “Something very bad,” he said. “Even worse than Olaf, probably. I told you Baudelaires that there is evil you cannot even imagine.” “We don’t have to imagine it,” Klaus said. “We saw it there on the screen.” "That screen is nothing,” the captain said. “It’s just a piece of equipment, aye? There was a philosopher who said that all of life is just shadows. He said that people were just sitting in a cave, watching shadows on the cave wall. Aye—shadows of something much bigger and grander than themselves. Well, that sonar detector is like our cave wall, showing us the shape of things much more powerful and terrifying.”

•••

The second submarine was in the shape of a giant octopus, with an enormous metal dome for a head and two wide portholes for eyes. A real octopus, of course, has eight legs, but this submarine had many more. What had appeared to be eyelashes on the sonar screen were really small metal tubes, protruding from the body of the octopus and circling in the water, making thousands of bubbles that hurried toward the surface as if they were frightened of the underwater craft.

Chapter 5

Think of the crafts we saw on the sonar screen! Think of Count Olaf’s enormous submarine, and the even more enormous one that chased it away! Aye! There’s always something more enormous and more terrifying on our tails!

So, it is clear how the sonar display works. The display shows a two-dimensional projection, and Captain W, when comparing it to the shadow of a wall, was talking about this. So, the submarine that appears on the sonar as a question mark does not have the three-dimensional shape of a question mark, and that is what the captain meant. The real shape is much more frightening. The sea serpent BB, when seen on a sonar, may or may not appear in this shape, depending on its relative position. In any case, the Baudelaires had partial visual contact with the creature: they saw the silhouette of a sea serpent. So, what was near the submarine near the end of TGG was the serpent. Captain W himself also had visual contact with the serpent at the end of TE. Kit herself also saw and described it as having the shape of a question mark. So, these visual contacts were certainly with the sea serpent BB and not with the submarine. Which is surprisingly good news. The hostile entity is the submarine, not the serpent.

After all, the sea serpent maintained visual contact with the Q submarine, but did not attack it. (Probably the fact that the children remained quiet did not scare the sea monster).

Who was chasing the submarine Carmelita at the beginning of the TGG story? It is not possible to know for sure, but both Olaf and Captain W believed it was the submarine and not the monster. Both showed fear of someone worse than Olaf and more powerful than Olaf.Of course, in my headcanon this person would be Eligtin Feint. But, that's just my fan heart speaking louder.

[poptropi-caw]

WE’RE SO BACK. GAY PEOPLE WILL BE REAL IN ACT 5 OF A.U.O BY THE WAY

[deusvervewrites]

Just read the menagerie Sero ask and, yeah, fair.

I know I was one of the spider suggestions. I wasn0t that happy with it either but I didn't want repeats and I couldn't remember which animals were already taken.

Just to keep track, can you send a list of special course students and their species?

Aizawa: Cat

Aoyama: Transformed Human (Unspecified)

Ashido: Moth

Asui: Human bonded to Quirked Frog

Iida: Horse

Uraraka: Flying Squirrel

Ojiro: Lion

Kaminari: Electric Eel

Kirishima: Armadillo

Koda: Human

Sato: Bear

Shoji: Transformed Human (Octopus)

Jiro: Bat

Sero: Spider monkey

Tokoyami: Crow

Todoroki: Spliced Human (Komodo Dragon)

Hagakure: Chameleon

Bakugou: Transformed Human (Hyena)

Midoriya: Shapeshifter, species unknown

Himiko: Transformed Human (Rat/Cat/Tanuki/Dog/Bird/Lizard/Rabbit)

Yaoyorozu: Magpie

[merverse-utmv-mermaid]

Intro!

Based on my love for Mermay~! And inspired by Leviathantale

~Monsters! (Rulers of certain areas of the ocean)~

-Ink: Squid, Monster of the Coral Reefs

-Error: Electric Eel, Monster of the Caves

-Nightmare: Goldfish + Octopus, Monster of the Deep

-Dream: Goldfish, Monster of the High

-Reaper: Orca, Monster of Atlantis, Marina Trench & Bermuda triangle

~God~

-Yusebi: God of everything, but focuses on the sea, his favorite creation is Reaper

~Head Researcher~

-Unknown Source: Maker of the files, leads the research team

More roles will be added as more characters are added and uncovered! Milestones will be unknown for now!

~Beginning Links~

-Files from Unknown Source

-Information from God

-Storybook Pages from "Moonlight"

-Asks sent to characters

[phoenix-manga]

Cerule Oceana

CV: Tadakoro Azusa

Biographical Information

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: October 8

Starsign: Libra

Height: 178 cm

Eye Color: Cerise Red

Hair Color: White Rock & Coral Red

Professional Status

Dorm: Coquille

School Year: 2nd Year

Class: 2-A | Student no. 7

Occupation: Student | Dorm Leader

Club: Roleplay Game Club

Best Subject: Music

Fun Facts

Favorite Food: Ocean candy & milk

Least Favorite Food: Caviar & meat

Dislikes: Being kept limited

Hobby: Exciting dares

Talents: Quick crafting

Idol Stats

Performance: Able to sing really high notes with a chance of accidentally summoning a whirlpool.

Choreography: Able to memorize footwork despite being a mermaid. Cannot copy if done too fast.

Styling Jewel Outfits: Cute | Cool | Quirky

She a free-spirited mermaid who likes to learn more about people and worlds that are unknown to her. She won’t be afraid to ask questions and show her curiosity, in fact, she’s more daring and would not care about her surroundings which can be bad when she’s in an unsafe place in the ocean.

Cerule is unable to do well in mundane things that bore her, prompting her to run off and go do something fun. Even if it means she’d be scolded by her father.

Though she is classified as an herbivore serpent, closer to her mother’s side, she is still raised on the behavior of a carnivore serpent like her father. Which makes her a wildcard but unlike a certain eel that looks menacing from the starts, Cerule looks almost harmless. Though her feral behavior is reserved for those who truly test her patience. Not a lot of students know but her close friends have seen her literally growl at people who push her limits.

Despite being able to fight well as a serpent, she is quite clumsy with her long tail which makes her flustered often than she would like. The twins wouldn’t let her live it down if they ever see her bump into things.

Cerule would always try to understand new slangs in the human world though she mixes them up a lot, she still tries to keep up with the trends.

She absolutely adores cute things, she would drop what she was doing to just squish what she deemed “cute”. You would have to bargain hard to get her to let go.

She has the habit of humming when she’s transfixed on something, it would unintentionally put someone in a daze due to her powers as a serpent. Though as beautiful her singing voice is, she can’t stand to perform all by herself.

Cerule has a stubborn personality like her father which tends to clash as the two would argue about certain perspectives while her mother has to play peacemaker between the two.

Hometown: Serpent Sea

Family Life

Cerule’s home is known as the “Serpent Sea”, it is located in a deep trench where the light doesn’t reach. Going past the trench leads to a cave system that is difficult to maneuver around if one isn’t familiar with the area.

Many merfolk who have heard of the Serpent Sea know rumors and even legends about how the serpent merfolk were beings of power, and this leads to many being intimidated whenever there was a meeting that needed the leaders to meet up for discussions.

She was the only egg to be born between the royal serpent couple which was unusual as there should be multiple eggs. Hence why her father became overprotective to the point of it becoming overbearing. Her mother was thankfully not too overprotective unlike the father.

But life in the Serpent Sea was dangerous because of the rogue serpents who don’t ally themselves with the royals. There would be violent battles to either prove one’s strength or claim territory.

Cerule grew up mostly restricted to explore the sea outside her home which made her fussy and bored. So, she developed a habit of sneaking out without anyone noticing most of the time. It was only until she was at middle school age that her mother finally convinced her father to at least take her to see the area outside.

That decision was how she met and became friends with a certain octopus and the twin eels. She continued to visit them now that she has her first friends that aren’t hesitant to hang out with her because of her father’s reputation. She can’t recall how many times her father has accidentally or purposely intimidated other serpent children who tried to befriend her.

Childhood Memories

Cerule’s mother can remember that she almost lost her precious baby when a rogue serpent snuck in and tried to take the egg. Thankfully her husband was able to fend off the thief and retrieve the egg that suffered only a mere crack on the surface. But this was enough to put the two on high alert even after she was born. Hence why her father is always looming over Cerule even if he was being too much.

The first time she went out was to escort her father to see a different area of the sea which she marveled so much that she got carried away in doing something exciting before she goes back home. This led her to the event where she became friends with Azul and the Leech twins. She would willingly get him the ingredients that can only be found in her home or in dangerous waters. Thanks to her serpent heritage, she is strong enough to hold her own against plenty of aggressive sea creatures.

When Cerule was summoned to attend DCA, she had to beg her mother to try her best to convince her father to let her attend. Not like he could say no to the queen, this was a good opportunity for Cerule to be able to perform her duties as the next ruler better. Although her father was adamant on not having his precious daughter outside of the sea, he had no choice but to begrudgingly agree with his wife’s argument.

Thus she was given a special necklace that allowed her to transform from human to mermaid. This is a national treasure, much like Kalim’s magic carpet. Her father always spams her with letters to make sure she’s okay whenever she’s at school.

Cerule can recall the first time she brought over potential friends in the Serpent Sea, to her place only to flee at the sight of her father’s “grin”. Those sharp teeth don’t really look welcoming and it scared off any young serpent that Cerule wanted to be friends with.

There was one time when Azul saw Cerule’s feral side, it was when he was confronted by his middle school bullies when he was in his octopus pot. They tugged at his tentacles roughly that he can’t help but cry out. The bullies were then smacked a few feet away when Cerule slammed her tail onto them. She drops her joyful attitude as she snarled at them.

Azul thought that she was easy to manipulate during their first meeting but it was this event that made him think that he should consider her to be on the same level of respect as the Leech twins. The sight of her glowing red eyes as she squeezed his tormentors until they fled, was a constant reminder of her status as the serpent’s daughter.

He was smart enough not to incur the wrath of the serpent king as well.

Cerule is a 2nd Year Coquille student and is the current dorm leader.

She got way too excited when she was chosen to attend DCA that she had to be knocked out with a sleeping spell because she wriggled around so much that the carriage shook on the way.

Cerule was quite clumsy at first since she had to get used to legs, but as she practiced using her newly transformed libs it felt like she was more nimble on land than in water. Though she doesn’t want to give up her strong tail entirely, she still would choose to live in the sea.

Not to mention that she has no knowledge of the education that humans often go through on a daily basis. She felt stress for the first time in her life when she had no idea about math or human history. She struggled a lot back then but thankfully the staff were able to sort out her problem to get accustomed to human culture and subjects.

She was always dazed due to how many things were so new to her everywhere she went, she was almost as bad as Allison when it comes to being curious. Though after a year studying in DCA she’s toned down a bit though she still gets excited over new trends.

Though the fuzzy and feathery land animals are interesting, Cerule still prefers the sea creatures in the school. Mainly because she’s discovered the magical method of “Searching the Internet” that she found out about the dark biology behind those cute faces.

But when told that sea creatures are the same, Cerule argues that the sea creatures that have dangerous biology is clear as day unlike the platypus and ducks.

Cerule is very active in PE, while she has decent grades on other subjects that don’t involve using magic. She found them mundane and therefore lacking a bit of motivation to give it her all. Asking her to take notes for tests feels taxing as she’d rather look for sunken treasure instead.

School Relationships

Cerule was curious about humans and would want to be included in these strange human activities to experience something new. She’s made a new friends that can show her exciting things and always include her in their fun. These friends are, Allison, Perrine, Ella, Jinlong, and Vidya.

Allison and Perrine have opened her eyes to human cuisine which she became addicted to, they just tasted so delicious and the way the girls decorated the food reminded her of the colorful shells back in the sea. Though when they tried to get her to cook, she failed miserably, Cerule stuck to microwaves which sparked the argument between the three how microwaving food is not a form of cooking.

Jinlong and Cerule were at odds at first, mainly because Jinlong thought she wasn’t taking things seriously. But it took a match between their dorms for her to realize that Cerule just found fun in what she does but can also be serious. From then on the two became friendly rivals.

Ella looked like a seal to Cerule with how big and sparkly her eyes were. Not to mention she has a lot of pretty, shiny objects that pique her intrigue. They remind her of sea glass but they were shinier and quite heavy. She didn’t mind being Ella’s model from time to time but she preferred loose, flowing dresses as opposed to those dreadful “corsets” and “crinolines” that she tried out one time. It felt like she put herself in a net.

Vidya was very interesting because Cerule felt as if her gaze was like an alpha on guard. Which would make sense considering Vidya’s circumstance. Many thought that Vidya won’t let her guard down around Cerule so easily but surprisingly, the two got along well. Maybe because of Cerule’s happy-go-lucky personality reminded her of Kalim.

Cerule was also impressed when Vidya showed her a variety of plants that grew on land, they were more colorful than the corals and smelled nice. Her favorite plants were the fruits.

Marina’s form is from Cerule’s desire to seek out the unknown and discover new wonders. Hence why Marina is so open to exploration and always sings such interesting stories from time to time. Cerule also enjoys Marina’s company, she doesn’t keep her still for long.

Though Marina does warn Cerule in case of any danger, she still has to protect her charge after all. Cerule takes heed every time the fairy sings in a low tune.

Bobble

Cerule has a pet ringed seal named, “Bobble”, because of how he tends to bounce while trying to maneuver on land. She encountered a poor baby seal trapped on a floating iceberg, clearly it was separated from his mama. But what was worse was that orcas were waiting to pounce on the poor thing.

Cerule fought against the orcas valiantly and though she got injured, she managed to chase them away. The seal was starving and she offered to take care of him until he can find his mama. But it would seem that the seal prefers to stick with her instead.

Due to her home being too deep even for a seal, she kept Bobble at a grotto that happened to house several treasures she managed to find.

Bobble is just as curious as Cerule and would follow her orders without question. He has a keen eye for anything shiny, which means more treasures to hoard. Though he is a bit of a coward, he would hide behind Cerule and quiver.

Her unique magic is called, “Tears of the Sea”. She can willingly turn her tears into pearls that can be crushed into powder. Applying it to the injury or ailment would heal it instantly, the more pearls are used the better the effect. Cerule often keeps a bottle of it or makes them into bracelets for emergencies.

Cerule’s lineage as a serpent gave her the ability to serenade people into a trance-like state, though she can’t control this yet.

She can also manipulate water but doing so would exhaust her a lot. And she doesn’t exactly have complete control over it unless she’s singing. If she loses focus during a song, the water would burst and create a splash zone.

Charbyss Oceana

Cerule’s father and the serpent king. He is a 50 ft long serpent classified as carnivore with an intimidating appearance. His jaw resembles an anglerfish and he possess large horns that vaguely resemble a crown.

His body is very wide with scales that are dark blue with bioluminescent patterns on his back that begins to glow if he feels aggressive.

He is able to command storms and summon whirlpools with a mighty roar. Though he rarely causes trouble in the surface because they now live peacefully in the depths.

In his more human-looking merform, his size is the same as an adult orca. He has a buff build and the bioluminescent markings appear on his arms and chest as tattoos.

Despite his intimidating appearance, he is a noble and loyal ruler who looks after his people and his family well. His people have nothing to fear when he’s guarding their territory, because he would violently fight off any intruders and leave them for dead.

Such is the rule of the Serpent Sea. In fact, fights among serpents are said to cause underwater quakes from time to time.

He still has his fears of Cerule getting injured and no matter what his daughter or his wife says, he can’t let go of that memory which haunts him. This is also why he was against Cerule attending DCA.

Caeta Oceana

Cerule’s mother and the serpent queen. She is a 30 ft long serpent classified as an herbivore with a more elegant appearance. Her head resembles a porpoise and she has fins that flow behind her like a veil, with spines that vaguely form a tiara. These fins and spines glow with bioluminescence.

Her body is slender than her husband’s and her scales shine like silver in contrast to Charbyss. She also has bioluminescent patterns.

She has the ability to sing songs that can lure ships to her, it was once rumored that the legend of the siren began when serpents like her sunk a thousand ships.

As an herbivore, one would think twice about messing with her, though she doesn’t possess the feral instinct like her husband does, she still has abilities that render opponents unable to fight.

Such as being able to use her glowing fins to make anyone dizzy if they gaze for too long before paralyzing them with a venomous sting from her spines.

In her more human-looking merform, her size is slightly shorter than her husband’s. She has a slender build with long flowing hair, the markings also become tattoos on her body.

She is gentle and the voice of reason between her husband and her daughter. Understanding of what Cerule needs to grow up to be proper ruler as well as possess the right morals to rule. She had been sick when she was carrying eggs that led to her only being able to lay one healthy egg while the rest were not able to be born.

The character’s name, “Cerule” is derived from the color Cerulean, while her last name, “Oceana” is just the word ocean with a few more letters.

Her fist concept was the typical mermaid with the usual fish tail until it was changed to be an oarfish. To make it more unique, the serpent sea was created as Cerule’s character was built.

Instead of the Disney mermaid, Cerule’s mermaid concept is based on the siren mixed with the legends of sea serpents. This was also because the artist wants Cerule to be represented as the lair that served as the shelter of the Sea Witch (which happens to be a large sea monster).

In a sense, Cerule has closer ties with the Octavinelle Trio rather than be considered adversaries to one another like in the Disney film.

Cerule dislikes tight spaces for too long due to how suffocating it feels.

Cerule is a vegetarian, she is alright with dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. But eggs are not included in her diet on the surface. In the sea, she eats mostly seaweed and kelp among other underwater vegetation.

[dp-marvel94]

Seafoam Sky -Chapter 3

Summary: Danny has dreamed of glowing lights for as long as he can remember. When he almost dies pursuing them, an unknown powerful entity saves him. Now the entity is calling him too, though Danny can’t tell if it’s for good or for ill. He hopes the memories and dreams of being lovingly cradled under the stars are real. But with his parents’ stories about wind spirits that lure mer to the surface and steal their souls… how can he trust his mysterious savior?

Word Count: 5,436

Previous Chapter

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Danny pulled apart. And yet, like before, he still existed. 

His friends screamed and cried, eyes frantically searching. 

“He’s… he’s fine. That was just a prank. A sick prank. He’ll….” 

Their words drifted away from him, simple vibrations in the water. 

Still he wanted to reach out to them, to tell them he was still here, that he would be okay. His molecules drifted, ebbing and flowing. Farther apart and closer. 

The spectacle attracted mers. Students gawked, teachers asking what was wrong. A current flared, streaming through the courtyard. It hardly fazed the gathering crowd, but…

No! Danny wanted to scream.

The  water ripped the boy away. He swirled down the street, between the houses and shops. The world turned. It spun, flashes of color and movement. People passing by. Fish and tiny crustaceans. Stone and sand. Pieces of driftwood. A glimpse of a street sign. He was near his house…

The current shifted sharply, pushing him in another direction.

Different colors now. Pinks and reds. White and yellow and pale blue. A bumbly branching mass clicked into focus for a moment, rippled away the next. Coral? He was in the coral park.

Movement. Creatures darted through him. A clown fish. Blue Tang. Two-spot Octopus. He sensed more than saw.

A glow, waving feathers. Hope sparked. Abba? 

A snap of clarity. No. His star-fishy companion. 

Danny twirled for seconds, minutes, hours. He couldn’t tell long. Color and movement streamed passed him, through him.

Flashes of green. So much green. The kelp forest? He’d never been here. The fronds tickled his insides. There was so much to see! Crabs fighting. A fish guarding its eggs. Sea horses nibbling at the leaves…

No. He needed to focus. Needed to pull himself together. 

Danny strained, feeling all of his spread-out self. He was big, at least as big as a pod of whales. A whale! Its song tickled his edge. Maybe he could reach it! He spread farther, branching passed the forest.

No. No. He needed to coalesce. Focus on coming together. At this kelp stalk, centered here. He drew in. Or… was it this one? 

Oh! This stalk had some jellyfish. A bird! A bird just dived into his water!

Danny spread. Or maybe he grew. His consciousness darted, place to place. Ebbing, flowing, dividing, multiplying, coming together. Sight, sound, and touch magnified and melded. 

His curiosity sang, delighted with all he could witness. And relief, relief from his worried friends, nosy sister, inattentive parents. No one could see him, bother him. No one could find out what a freak he was. But…

Fear lingered in a small part. He couldn’t… It was too… too much. Everything assaulted his senses, overwhelming. He had to pull himself together. He couldn’t pull himself together. He needed to…

Danny extended once more, finally reaching that distant whale. She had a calf! That was-

Having grown too large, his awareness snapped. One final burst of terror. Danny lost consciousness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danny hung in darkness. It suffocated him, heavy and oppressive. And the silence… it ate at him, stealing even his breath, his very heart beat. 

He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t feel. He wanted to cry. He would cry but he had no voice. Fear gave way to despair. He was nothing, no one. Utterly helpless, alone.

But…

Light sparked, a far away star in the eternal night. Hope flickered. Danny reached, the dim outline of a hand almost visible…

A soft breeze, immaterial feathers, the warmth of that single distant star caressed his fingers. 

“My foolish child.” The Voice - worried, tender, real - rang out. “Why have you been running?” An unseen hand found his in the darkness. 

And Danny found his voice. “I…I don’t understand.”

“Come home, Danny.” A gentle plea. “Come home.”

Despite expecting never to wake again, Danny awoke. In the middle of the kelp forest, he floated as indistinct as a cloud. Fuzzily aware, he observed. Silver light wafted through the green fronds, turning the world blue-green. A spark of awe. This was… real. He was here.

His diffuse body swirled, parts knitting together. Serenely, he coalesced. His heart beat, returning to life. Gills fluttered, taking in breath. His shoulders, his arms…. His fingers reformed and Danny stared with newly made eyes. His white hair glowed in the dim light, his head no longer imaginary but material. 

His hands clenched and unclenched, testing out the muscles. He… he existed again. He hadn’t disappeared forever. 

Numb belief bled into excitement. He was back! He was okay! Everything would be-

Pain! Danny hunched over, a pain sparking in his tail. Straight down the middle, it ached. Looking down… 

He was glowing, tiny jellyfish drifting around his re-materializing waist. Pale skin returned, his belly button visible. And directly below… his stomach churned with dread. No line of scales appeared at the top of his flank, just more skin. And that wasn’t all…

His tail continued reforming, from the bend in the middle to his dorsal fin but… it was wrong.

Instead of one muscular, scaly appendage, there were two. Each was the pale cream color of his arms and covered in tiny hairs. The boy kicked both, gently rising in the water, and let out a gasp. Knobby joints in the middle bent. 

Another kick. He rose higher but also… dropped, the dorsal part of his tail impacting the sand. The limb, or rather limbs, collapsed. Danny landed, bouncing on his back side. 

Blinking up at the surface for a moment, he sat up. He studied the end of his former tail. Each tapered into a long, flat part, pointing up towards the surface. They ended in five knobby digits, complete with nails. He flexed the nubs, head tilted. They were like his fingers but shorter and blockier. 

Danny stared for a long moment, inspecting his new limbs. Then…

His lower half prickled. The hairs stood on end, skin wavering and translucent. His eyes widened, alarmed. No, he.. He couldn’t be disappearing again. 

But still, the limbs defused, tiny bubbles rising. But a second later…

A snap, like air and water rushing back to him. His blue-scaled tail popped back into existence. Danny flexed the end, as easy and effortless as ever.

His heart quaked, so many feelings rushing back. Surprise, confusion, guilt, unease, relief, fear. It all swirled in him, messy and overwhelming. But paramount…

Danny sighed. He was tired. Tired of the confusion, of the fear. Tired of feeling pulled in two. Tired… of pushing away the longing in his heart.

Desperately, he looked up, pleading at the surface. “What’s happening to me?” 

Around him, the fronds of the kelp ruffled in a sudden current. The jellyfish tumbled, bobbing around him. And…

A light appeared, tracing lines in the sand. They curved, elegant letters taking shape. Danny held his breath…

Come find me.

The words repeated in his head, almost audible as the Voice of the one who had spoken them. 

Danny’s heart shook. Dread and awe. 

The note, found in his room, his safe and private space. 

Not a day has passed and yet I long to see you, precious one. Meet me where the lower water mets the air and we will fly together under the stars. Love, your Abba.

His dreams, visions, memories…

A hand finding his in the darkness. The light of a distant star. “Come home.”

A tired hope dawned…. 

Danny pushed himself off of the ocean floor. He swam for the surface.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before he had time to doubt, Danny breached. Water and air clashed at their intersection and he broke through, tiny drops of water flinging from his hair. 

The boy blinked, blurry eyes struggling to adjust. Darkness and light interplayed, above and around him as he bobbed. The rush of approaching water… a wave, just starting to foam, washed over him, pushing him under. 

The mer rose again, breaking the surface with a gasp. But… the swish of incoming waves, again. His eyes slowly adjusted, reflected light visible on the crest. This time, Danny dove under the wave. 

The boy surfaced again. He kept swimming, away from the rough waves. His gaze flitted, searching. There. A tall shape, dark with tiny spots of luminescence green, rose out of the water, strake against the horizon. 

Danny swam for it. As he approached, his eyes widened, realizing. It was a cluster of rocks, dotted with glowing algae. A wave washed over him in his distraction, luckily pushing him towards his destination instead of away. 

Moments later, he arrived, hands reaching out to cling to the stones. Stable, he finally let himself look around. There was… water, as far as the eye could see. A reality he was used to, one he’d experienced as long as he could remember. But up here… the water lapped, calm and measured in intermediate waves. Light sparked off their crests, countless tiny reflections leading him to…

Danny looked up, eyes widened. The stars…..they were here. They were real, floating above. His breath stilled. They were real and they shone above him. Brighter, more vibrant, more real than he’d ever imagined, ever dreamed. 

His heart stirred, overwhelmed. He needed to get closer. All else forgotten, the mer-boy pulled himself onto the rocks. Arms and tail strained, slowly, slowly coming free of the water. Higher. Closer. Hand over hand, he climbed. The stars sparkled. They sang, calling him to come. 

And Danny answered. Reaching the pinnacle, he laid on his back, head turned to the sky. He  stared up. They were so beautiful…

The boy breathed slowly, lured into contentment. The air… so calm and still. So light, now that he was out of the water. He hadn’t even realized before, the weight that had barred down on him until now. Those tons and tons of water, an impossible mass, pressing down on him from the moment of his birth.

But now, his chest rose and fell effortlessly, somehow a thousand times easier than breathing water. His skin tingled, hypersensitive to the air’s feather light touches. 

And still, he stared at the beautiful stars. Names and stories, half remembered from dreams played in his head. Polaris and Cassiopeia… 

A subtle itch started in his dorsal fin.

Deneb and Sirius…

The middle joint of his tail, his fingers prickled.

Mars. Gemini…. 

His elbows, the scales lining his hips… 

Jupiter. The Big Dipper….

They started to burn. Danny gasped, pulled away from the stars. 

His skin itched, dry and his heart skipped a beat. Water dripped off, pooling under him. It wafted, trickling into the air and leaving him bare. 

Danny paled. It… it couldn’t be.

An electric tingle, the whiff of ozone. An ache bloomed in his limbs. A fizzling pop.

His eyes popped, dread surging. 

No. The boy rocked his hips. If he could just roll onto his stomach.... But his body failed him, refusing to even twitch. He…he couldn’t move.

His fingers felt light, sharp bubbles tickling his skin. No. No. No! Tucker’s words seeped into his brain. 

“You dry up and suffocate if you go to the surface! You’ll turn into sea foam.”

His mind screamed. The surface. The surface. He’d willingly gone to the surface and… his body was parched. The foam ate at him. He was.. He was dying again.

His chest spasmed, part cry, part scream. He was an idiot. The stupidest mer to ever live. He’d… he’d done this on purpose and now he couldn’t move. His body burned, a thousand needles through his skin. He was turning into seafoam. 

His eyes darted up. The stars… the stupid stars he’d dreamed off since he was little. They’d started this, luring him to that ravine in the first place. And now… they had the audacity to twinkle brighter than ever. They flickered as though seen through a mirage. A flash of blinding light consumed the world. 

Danny screamed.

Hanging above him… feathers. White feathers. Colossal wings stretched across the sky. Thousands, millions of eyes stared down at him.

Panic. Terror. His dream. This was his.. his dream. Fire, burning. Uncaring eyes turning away, his soul ravaged. He was dead. He was an idiot. He fell for the trap. He was going to die.

And yet…

“Help me!” He cried.

Why was he begging? The Voice of the wind didn’t save. It condemned. It tricked. It consumed-

A song answered, beautiful, ethereal. The wind blew, ruffling the feather. Feathers that were reaching for him…

The boy recoiled, shaking with fear. But strong wings bolstered him, drawing him into the sky. He dangled, blood rushing through his ears. His eyes pinched closed. He… he couldn’t bear to look. He couldn’t. He was going to be dropped, dashed against the rocks. Crushed to death, eatened. His heart spasmed, straining against his sternum as if…. the thin gossamer of his soul, his very existence were hooked through and pulled from above.

His… his parents were right about wind spirits. And his friends…. he should have listened. He should have stayed away from the surface. 

But now… now he was going to die and… and he never got to apologize to his friends for avoiding them. He never got to make up with his parents. Never got to tell Mom and Dad, Sam and Tucker, Jazz how much he loved-

Do not be afraid. 

The Voice spoke and his fear died. 

Slowly, Danny’s eyes opened. The light spilled in and he saw.

Do not be afraid, my child. Let yourself be re-made.

A tightness within the boy loosened and the hard barrier around his heart shattered. Something in him bloomed. 

His self unwound, pieces pulled apart. He swirled, stretched so much wider and longer than before. And yet… still tiny in vast hands. 

In a blink, Danny re-coalesced as something different. White feathers draped down his back, brushing against his clothing. He looked down. He hadn’t been wearing a shirt just a second ago. But… black fabric enrobed him, speckled with glowing silver dots. Stars…

From the end of his robe, knobby digits poked out. A sense of deja vu washing over him, the boy wiggled them. Like before, his tail was gone, replaced with two foreign limbs.

Legs. The Voice supplied. They are called legs. Though you don’t have much need for them now. A humored lithe.

Danny looked up, head tilted in question.

Unseen fingers brushed his feather, coaxing his wings to spread. New muscles in his back flexed. A breathy gasp caught in his throat as the new limbs unfurled to their full length. 

His head turned to inspect, curious hand caressing his own feathers. They were soft, softener than his hair. And long. Each wing stretched far past the tip of his fingers, at least as long as he was tall.

Gentle hands brushed his wings again. Give them a try. 

His dreams…. Flying above the clouds. It felt impossible. But… his wings beat gently at first, wind stirring. The movement felt surprisingly natural. 

He flapped, wider, more energetic. Slowly, his form lifted, growing lighter.

He was doing it! He was flying! Danny spun in the air, grinning. He rose higher, gaze set on the clouds, on reaching closer. 

The boy paused. He bit his lip, eyeing the Spirit. Not fearful or distrusting. But… a child, hesitant to leave his parents’ side and take wobbling first steps.

Go. Fly. I will be here.

With that calm reassurance, Danny nodded. He spread his wings and ascended. Rising rapidly, he left the surface behind. In moments, the cluster of rocks was a dim spot in the vast ocean. 

Higher. Danny’s hesitant smile grew. He spun, first one loop. Then another and another and another, until he was laughing with glee. 

“Wah who!” Danny found his voice. It carried on the wind, seeming to almost bounce off the sky. 

And that sky… the stars hung above. Their melody sang through his veins louder than ever before. Lifting him higher and higher, his wings beat. His heart did too, light and free. The stars grew closer. 

For an unknowable time span, Danny ascended. Spinning, swirling, twirling. He laughed, shouted, screamed for joy. His soul sang.

Finally…. at the top of the world. The boy spread his arms, head lifted. The wind streamed through his feathers and hair in a gentle familiar embrace. He bathed in the star's light. They shone, impossibly brighter, more vibrant, more real than he'd ever dreamed. Danny shone with them. 

Slowly, his heart beat calmed, serene, at peace. His awed eyes fluttered closed, drinking in the feeling, the sound. And after a small eternity…

Danny exhaled, eyes opening. He looked down. The sea stretched far below him as far as the eye could see. Even with the supreme peace, the reality struck him. He was actually flying up here in the air. His chest rose and fell, no familiar flutter of gills but… something in his chest. Lungs, his mind supplied. He really could breathe the air. 

He stared at his hands, a glow wafting around them. The feathers at the edge of his vision. Even the new familiar legs under him… 

He was something different, something new. 

His gaze flickered below. A white winged form hovered over the sea. Somehow he could tell… eyes fixed on him, patiently waiting for his return.

A hint of renewed worry stirred in his gut but with a sigh, Danny dove. Down to the One who had answers.

Between one blink and the next, feathers encapsulated his vision. 

The boy pulled up short. He swallowed, voice stuttering. “Who… who are you? What are you?”

I am the Light of the sun, moon, and stars. The Voice of the wind. The Lines between the stars which mark the passage of Time. And I am the One who rescued you, who adopted you. Your Father, your Abba.

So many words, ideas… they clashed, wrapping around him. Danny’s mind swam, the edge of overwhelmed. “But… what are you?” 

A hint of a chuckle sounded. Your mer parents would call me a wind spirit, though that is a very small, ill-fitting label for me, I think.

“You can say that again.” Danny muttered. Then he winced, half-ashamed to interrupt. “Sorry.”

But no reprimand came. Instead, the Voice softened. There is no need to apologize. I understand you are ill at ease. And I anticipate your next question. You wonder what you are. 

Numbly, the boy nodded. 

Well my child, simply, you are like me. Though lesser in magnitude, of course. You were born mortal after all. 

Danny’s heart almost quaked. He’d already suspected it. Earlier he’d feared it but… “I'm a wind spirit.”

That you are. The Voice said kindly. 

The boy’s fingers nervously ran through his hair. It was true. He was a spirit. A creature of myth and legend. His parents' obsession. “But… why? Why did you change me into… this?” He spread his arms, motioning to his wings. “Was this the price?” He swallowed.

In a way.The thing surrendered really was a portion of your mortality.

Danny blinked. “I don’t understand.”

One can not take spectral form while fully alive. And a spirit cannot be crushed by the depths. I simply hastened your transformation.

“Okay, so that's how you saved me from dying. But-” He cut himself off, eyes widening. “Wait, hastened? You said hastened.” Danny paled. “So this was always going to happen?”

It was always a large possibility. The Voice said. 

The boy shook his head, heart aching. “You… you were always going to turn me into the thing my parents hate. Why? Why would you do that?”

I already said. It was to save your life. Wings reached forward to embrace him again.

Danny flinched back. “But… why were you there? Why… why me?”

The feathers retreated and somehow the tone softened even more. Allow me to reassure you. I will explain.

The light flared, great wings fluttering. Slowly the Spirit transformed. The shape changed as sky-wide wings lessened, reduced, shrank. Feathers dwindled, eyes closing and blinking away. The form became less gargantuan, less mind-boggling. It shifted into something familiar….

The boy blinked. “I…I’ve met you before.”

A figure suspended in the air in front of him. A blue-skinned man, red-eyed with tattooed lines. 

Danny stared. “When I was a fry. You stayed with me until my mom found me.” He shook his head. “Why?” 

The man smiled warmly, eyes soft. “You were a lost child. Of course I came to your aid.” 

“I don't understand.” Danny paced the sky, part of him comforted by the reassurance but the rest… his brain anxiously churned with information. “I met you when I was little. And those dreams I've always had about the stars like… like..” “ His eyes widened, tracing the painted lines on the man's skin. “The marks on your skin.” He stopped abruptly. “It was you. All those dreams before.. you led me there. You were there in the ravine with me. I…. I was dying. But…” His brow furrowed. “You saved me. You keep calling me your child.” So much love communicated with every proclamation…. his insides almost melted at the word. “And you've still been talking to me through those dreams. But….” His heart hurt. “There was the one where I… I dissolved.” 

“Your mind has been clouded with fear, Danny.” A comforting hand reached for him. “And fear is a powerful force. It quiets my Voice and brings doubt. It shields the truth, even warping it.” 

Just moments earlier, Danny might have pulled away but… “And that truth is?” He relaxed at the gentle touch. “You picked me? Because you met me on the street as a child?” Not hostility, not accusation but… a wide eyed plea for understanding.

“I did. I chose you.” The Spirit nodded. “And I have chosen, am choosing, and will choose many more. I see the great wheel of Time and how it turns with the motions of the stars. And your kind, the mer, are precious to me among all things created.” 

“Chosen?” Danny’s brow furrowed. “Chosen for what?” 

“Life after dissolution. You came from the sea foam, the churning where the water and air collide. And so, you pass back into the air when your time comes.” 

“So… everyone becomes spirits?”

“No, not everyone.” The man looked down, almost despondent. “Life is free to all but many refuse. They are too proud to be rescued by another’s power. Or too afraid to lose control and embrace the unknown.” 

Danny blinked, yet another startling revelation hitting him. He still didn't understand, so many emotions and ideas swimming in his head. “Then…” This was all too much for him. “I'm not special.” Of all the questions to ask…

“I have said no such thing.” Finally, the Spirit drifted forward, his arms spread wide. “You are incredibly precious to me, my son.” Those arms wrapped around him. 

Danny accepted the hug, head buried in his Abba’s embrace. “I still don’t get it.”

“You do not have to.” The Voice reassured. “Time and Existence are full of mysteries and you are still young.” Tone softening. “It is enough to trust in my care for now.”

Trust. The word repeated in Danny’s mind. Trust versus fear. Doubt versus belief. For so long, he had been pulled in two directions. The fear of the unknown, of the changes ravaging his body, of his mysterious, powerful savior… They warred with a desperate hope for something real. The light of the stars, the freedom of the wind, the love of a parent. He wanted to believe. He wanted to trust so badly.

Danny’s voice trembled, one last hint of fear. “You really… really love me?”

The hug tightened. “Yes, Danny. I love you.”

Yes. The boy’s eyes watered, overwhelmed. For a long time, he clung on, the watering escalating into tears. They streamed down his face, his body shaking. 

Abba held Danny close to his chest, a hand cradling his head. The man gently shushed him, whispering sweet comforts. 

Finally…. A wet, bubbling sound from below interrupted the moment. Slowly, reluctantly, Danny pulled away. 

He looked down, brow wrinkling. “What was… that?” His eyes widened. Below, feather-like appendages waved out of the water. “My star-fishy buddy!”

Abba laughed. “They’re called a feathered star.” He waved a hand over the water, lines of light spirling from his fingers. As the tendrils stretched, they brush the surface. They twirled around the feathered-star, pulling it out of the water.

“What are you-” Danny started.

Then the light flashed and the creature changed. In a blink, a vague shape floated in front of the two. A glowing blue ball of light, blob-like with a fringed head and slender neck. It flew forward, nuzzling into Danny’s neck. A smooth, rounded bill peaked at his robe. 

The boy laughed, rubbing the creature down the approximation of its back. “Well… I’m even more confused now.” 

“I think it will become a sea duck, given time.” The Spirit smiled. 

The animal settled onto Danny’s shoulder, purring softly. Abba held out an arm, drawing the boy back to his side.

“Would you like to continue our lesson?” The Spirit asked.

The boy nodded eagerly. “Yes!”

A hand guided his chin. “Again, that is the North Star, Polaris.” A blue finger pointed. “And this one…”

For minutes, hours, the sky turned. Pin-pricks of light, shooting stars, streamed across every so often as the position of the crescent moon shifted. Danny’s eyes followed each movement, wide with awe. His Father’s hand pointed to each star, painting the lines between them.

“These groups of stars which form different shapes in the sky, we call constellations.” The man explained. Stories rolled off of his tongue, perforating Danny’s brain. 

The boy’s gaze traced the lines on his Abba’s skin. They were a symbol of those stories in the sky and their use to tell the progression of the seasons. The warmth in his chest buzzed pleasantly, pleased to finally understand. He snuggled into his parent’s side.

The sky lightened from dark, vivid blue to gray, the stars blinking out. Danny’s heart sank, for a moment disappointed. Then… the horizon changed. It shimmered, pastel orange and pink. Clouds drifted, reflecting the light. 

The boy’s breath caught. The colors shifted, painting the sky. They melded, darkened, intensified. Slowly, a tiny sliver of gold breached the horizon. Danny’s heart stirred, taken by the scene. The sliver rose, growing into a circle of light. 

Finally, the boy breathed out. His eyes fixed on the sunrise. It shone blindingly, golden tendrils touching every part of the world. All the while, Danny’s Abba held him.

An unknowable time later, the arms around him squeezed. “You should return home, little fledgling.” 

The boy looked up. Home. Returning to the ocean floor hadn’t even crossed his mind but now… his heart throbbed. “I… I want to stay with you.”

Hands gently ruffled his hair. “It is not your time to dwell in the world above yet.”

“But….” The argument danced on his lips. How could he go back after all he’d seen, all he’d learned? His wings twitched, longing to spread. Abba released him. “I found you. You called me here. Home, to you. And I’m here. I found you. I..I can’t go back now, not after everything.”

“Seeing you here, at my side brings me such joy.” A hand cupping his face. “But below is still your home as well. Your friends and mer family need you.”

His wind spirit obsessed  parents who ignore him? His nosy sister, too distracted fighting with their parents to notice him literally fading away? Danny shook his head. How could they need him?

And his friends? When he’d told them about Abba saving him, about the note and feather, they hadn’t understood, skeptical and mistrusting. No, more than that. They had been downright hostile. They’d stomped all over his burgeoning hope, the trust he was starting to place in the Voice who saved him. 

And… the looks of terror on their faces. They’d seen him fading away, watched as he literally dissolved. And after-

Danny’s eyes popped widened. “Sam and Tucker… they saw me unravel. And… they told everyone. They must have. All the teachers and other kids saw them freaking out.” He paled. “They… what did they tell Mom and Dad?”

“You will not know unless you return.” Abba said. 

The boy’s stomach twisted, dread rising. His parents faces’ flashed in his mind. Hard and angry, wielding harsh weapons and shouting about the dastardly spirit which stole their son. No spirit is going to touch my baby. The hatred in the words…. And now he was the very thing his parents despised.

Head down, the question came out painfully quiet. “Not knowing… Would that really be so bad?”

 His Father’s voice rang with compassion. “That is not a question I can answer for you.” 

Danny frowned, heart sinking. If Abba didn’t even know that answer, then what hope was there…

But the Spirit continued gently. “But consider those who love you. If you fail to return, they will also never know what became of you.”

The boy winced; he couldn’t help but imagine…. His mom on her knees, weeping into his favorite blanket. His dad and sister, packing up his belongings, expressions painfully tight, fighting to keep it together. His friends, huddled in a corner, trading harsh whispers and blaming themselves. All his loved ones, gathered around a stone, a memorial for him

That would be the reality, if he never came back. Grief and confusion. Unanswered questions and pain. His heart throbbed with guilt. How could he do that to them? And… 

Those who love you. The words struck him. Mom and Dad, Jazz, Sam and Tucker- all his loved ones…. And those who loved him.  The past bloomed in his mind's-eye. His sister asking if he was alright, gaze full of concern. His friends, though their eyes blown wide with fear, reaching for him as he dissolved. And… His parents. His mom’s voice trembling, full of tears. His dad’s arms, wrapped strongly around him, as if he would disappear. 

Pain, an old bitterness, began to wane. “They all do love me. Mom and Dad really do care about me. But…” The boy bit his lip. Was that love enough?

It was as if Abba read his mind. “There is hope for your parents yet.”

Danny looked up, meeting reassuring eyes. The confidence in those words…. In his heart, that very hope flickered anew. The tension in his shoulders eased. He would never know if he didn’t return.

“Will I see you again?” Danny finally asked.

“Of course.” His Abba smiled, red eyes crinkling with the twitch of his lips. “You can fly with me whenever you wish.” The man leaned forward, “I am always only a shout, or a whisper, away.” A kiss planted on the boy’s forehead.

The younger spirit's heart squeezed. “I'll see you later then.” One last hug. “Love you, Abba.” 

“And I you, my son.” 

With that, the two parted. A few flaps and Danny drifted just above the surface. Wings folded and he dropped. 

The ocean swallowed him. His feathers melted away, legging melding together and scales resurfacing in a familiar tingling pop. 

Now a mer again, Danny  sank below the surface. Tiny bubbles rose passed him. The blue sky shimmered, just visible through the water.  Golden light perforated the depths. And directly above…

The flap of wings, first small and distant, grew louder. Light shone from the floating figure, swelling brighter, radiating, spreading pasted the mer-sized form.

Danny’s breath held, eyes widening. Great white wings, his own only a pale reflection, unfurled, stretching across the entire sky. Sparkling like stars in the night sky, countless eyes opened.

 Above him, limited form gave way to majesty. Danny’s heart pounded, overcome. He felt small with such an immense gaze fixed on him, seeing all of him. And yet… 

The Voice reverberated, singing over him. Every note rang of peace, reassurance, love. 

The warmth in Danny’s chest echoed back, singing its own song of awe. There were no words for the feeling, for its magnitude, its depth. His Abba was so great and he was so small. And yet he was cared for so greatly. 

Light flashed above the water, endless feathers disappearing in a cacophonous blast of wind. Only the sun hung in the sky. But still… Danny felt the kind smile, the gentle gaze fixed on him. 

With his own smile, the mer-boy turned, swimming for the ocean floor. And in his heart, he knew; Everything was going to be alright.

[spaceshipsoutthepool]

Octopus up

Somethings bugging Marina.

Ao3 link https://archiveofourown.org/works/53580643

Oneshot. Inspired by ‘The Mouse’ by AquaMarina (LittlePandemonium ). Full story under the cut.

Tap tap tap.

"Hmm? Oh, hey Marina.” Troy said.  Stingray’s tailless mermaid was hovering in the doorway to the standby lounge. “How’d the meeting go?" 

 Crab. UP. Surface immediately.

"…pardon?"

Crab, Marina 'said' again. Then, something Troy wasn’t sure quite what sign she was making.  Surface immediately. UP. Look.

The unknown sign again.

UP. Crab. up. Crab up. Not crab crab.

The unknown sign again.

 Up.

Captain or not, Troy was still confused. They'd taught Marina some of the WASP international diving symbols, to try and better understand her. It hadn't worked on land so far. Or so Troy had thought.

 UP UP UP, Marina signed, more urgently. Look.

He looked up. But he couldn’t see anything.

"What goes on, Marina?" Troy said. Then turned to the lieutenants for an answer. By now Atlanta, also on break, had also looked up from her magazine. And with a nudge, Phone's lifted his cap from over his eyes where he'd been dozing. Marina repeated what she’d said. But the NCOs both were as baffled as Troy.

“I thought Marina was supposed to be in a meeting with the commander? And the barrier reef preservation guy?” Phones said.

"I guess it’s finished early. But what did she say?" Troy asked. "That was 'crab', right? Any idea what she means?"

Atlanta and Phone exchanged just as confused looks.

“Crab. And squid?” Atlanta suggested. “I think it was squid.”

Marina hesitated. Made a so-so gesture. Then repeated, Squid. Squid UP. Crab. up. Crab up. Squid. UP. Look. Surface.

"Yeah, that’s squid, just the wrong hand. Squid, up?" Phones agreed. Marina nodded.

Atlanta asked, "Marina honey, what do you mean?"

Marina frowned. Thought about it. Then tried again, chucking in some charades and mines in.

"Looks like crab. Up?" Phones said. "You don’t mean Up like ‘foods up’? Crabsticks?”

Marina shook her head.

“Why would it be that?” Troy laughed.

“I thought Marina might have just seen what’s on the diner menu for today is all.” Phones defended. “You got any idea's skipper?"

Troy had to admit he didn’t.

UP. Look. Marina pointed again. When they looked there still wasn’t anything there. The guessing game continued.

“Err. Okay there’s an old movie called Up. Is that what you’re talking about? No, no not that.”

"Up. On the roof?”

"Or the sky? Something up in the sky?"

“Maybe it’s a cloud? Or a weird helicopter?”

Marina shook her head. Paused. This time when she said Up again, she raised her other hand. She looked at them. Looked at her hand. And put her hand flat above her head.

“Roof?”

“You said that ready. Upstairs?”

"Ceiling? Ceiling!”

“There’s a squid crab, on the ceiling?” Troy guessed.

Marina nodded relieved. Then frowned when Troy continued, "Marina, we don’t get squids on the ceiling. Or Crabs."

"We don’t. But they might." Phones quipped. "We don’t know what underwater pest control have to deal with!"

 Atlanta swatted at him with her magazine on the foot for that. (He shouldn’t have been propped up on the coffee table anyway.)

“Ow!”

Ceiling. Squid. Up. Marina insisted. Look!

“We’re not under the sea. There’s nothing there Marina. And we don’t need to worry about getting crabs. On the ceiling I mean.” Troy dismissed. Followed by a, "Hey!"

Marina had given up pointing and miming. And started pulling at Troy by the elbow, beckoning. They knew from experience she would give up that routine until followed.

"Okay, Okay I'm coming." Troy sighed, putting down his own magazine and grabbing his cap. Marina let go to allow him to get up then seized him again by his sleeve cuff.  "This better be something urgent though, Marina.”

The other two followed curiosity.

"So much for some quiet down time before the next patrols!" Phones chucked.

"Well, it has to be something.” Atlanta puzzled. “It’s not like Marina to make up stories, is it?"

“No, you’re right there, Atlanta.” Troy agreed.

“I believe her.” Phones nodded. “If Marina saw a squid or a crab, well then I guess we've a squid or crab in the building."

Up. Marina nodded. Squid Crab.

"Okay, I guess it may be worth investigating.” Troy said to the lieutenants. And to Marina still pulling him along at the wrist. “But I still don’t get what you mean by that. Slow down, you’re going to trip.”

“Or rip your shirt.” Atlanta sniffed.

But Marina hurried on. They were getting quite a few curious glances passing a few more offices and the other standby lounges.

“Anyone else feel kinda silly?” Troy grumbled as she took them down the stairs and through another corridor followed by more funny looks.

“I think we look like we’re going on a bear hunt.” Phones agreed. “Or a scooby doo bit.”

“At least it’s not a spooky ghost hunt then.” Atlanta replied.

“Maybe someone’s got a toy mascot on their desk or door. Is that it?” Troy guessed aloud. Marina shook her head.

“A poster?”  “One of the info videos?”  “Why would she be this worked up about those?”

“Where in the heck are you three trapsing off too?” someone else asked.

The gang paused. The guff tuff Commander Sam Shore had come out of a conference room they’d just passed. And was scowling up at them.

“To find a squid crab apparently, Sir.” Troy told him nonchalantly.

“Yeah. On the ceiling!” Phones added.

“What?” Sam said. 

Then leaning back in his chair, the Commander saw Marina was with them.

"Oh that! Marina, I told you not to worry about it.” the Commander dismissed. “Let housekeeping or a cleaner deal with it.”

Marina huffed. And even went so far as to scuff a webbed foot against the carpet, like someone might stomp their feet.

Not. No worries. Still there. Squid. Up. Look.

Troy Phones and Atlanta looked from one to another, and between Marina and the Commander, even more baffled.

“Why? Father, what is it?” Atlanta asked.

The commander only chuckled and turned back to his report.

“Go see what she’s found.” He said and waved them off. They didn’t get a chance to ask any further questions. Fisher came along to give the commander an urgent message. They went one way off together and Marina led them off the other other way, down another corridor.

“Alright so Marina was down here earlier in that conference room?” Troy said.

“I guess she and father would have come this way earlier rather than the stairs.” Atlanta agreed.

“Hence the roundabout route.”

“And then she saw a ‘crab’ or something.” Phones said. “And the commander saw it too?” Troy nodded, turning back to him.

“But the commander didn’t think much of it diDOFTH-!”

Marina suddenly skidded to a halt. She’d stopped in the hallway, between an auto-serve, the elevators, a row of plastic chairs and a water cooler. Very suddenly stopped. Causing the other three to also stop suddenly and sent them almost Bumping into one another.

“Ow. Again!”

“Sink me, you’ve both got sharp elbows!”

“A little warning would have been nice!”

Marina ignored them. She looked about and repeated her "Crab Squid" Routine. Then pressed the button to call the elevator to take them up, despite Phones pointing out they’d just come down the stairs. Troy folded his arms unimpressed now. And aware they might be blocking up the corridor.

“Marina what is this about? There’s nothing here!”

No Up! Look! Marina demanded. And this time pointed.

Troy rolled his eyes and glanced up at the ceiling.“Okay okaYAGH No no! Jumping Catfish nope!" Troy swore and leapt back aghast. Atlanta and Phones looked at him, very taken aback. And looked to where Marina was pointing. Then both Phones and Atlanta tried very hard not to laugh.

Squid. Up. Ceiling. look. Yes?

“Yes Marina. That’s, that’s up alright.” Atlanta tittered.

“Okay but That’s not a squid!” Troy scowled at her.

"No, It’s a spider Troy. Abie a big one." Phones said, helpfully.

"I know that! And Big? Look at the size of it Phones, its huge!”

"Nah, it's only a big as a house spider. I've seen bigger."

"Spoken like a true hick." Atlanta teased.

Crab? Not. Squid.

“No, not a squid.” Troy said. “Spider. SPI-DER.”

Marina looked at him blankly.

“Right. Of course, spelling it out to you is no good.” Troy face-palmed his own daft idea. “No wonder Marina was making no sense back there, huh?”

“Well now we’ve seen what she meant; I can sort of get where Marina was coming from?” Atlanta put in, miming with her fingers. “I mean spiders scuttle like crabs do. Just forward.”

“Ain’t they related anyway?” Phones asked.

“Probably.” Atlanta agreed. “Evolution wise it always comes back to crabs.”

Land Squid. Land crab.

“Yes, something like that Marina.”

 Up. ceiling look.

“We are looking.” Troy complained. “Marina, why'd you bring us out to see a darn spider?!”

Marina frowned, worried. Okay, Troy felt a bit bad for that.

“It didn’t bite you, did it?” he checked. Marina shook her head. “Well, I'm glad you’re okay then. But what gives?”

No. Squid. Not squid. Land. crab. Marina signed again. And pointed at her own feet and then held up her fingers.

“Eight feet?” Troy exchanged a look with Phones. “Or are you trying to say Eight legs?”

Land squid. Marina nodded, holding up eight fingers again. Eight legs. Squid Crab Up.

Atlanta frowned “but Marina honey you know squid have ten tentacles. and Crabs only have six legs-? OH! Wait.”

"I think we've had our signs mixed up.” Phones said catching on. “Earlier when we weren’t sure about the sign, did you mean ‘octopus’, Marina? Not squid?"

Marina nodded. Then signed Squid again but shaking her head.

Not Squid.

“Oh.”

“Eight legs, spider, octopus.”

“That makes more sense.” Phones said. The others agreed.

“They're the same sign but Octopus is like this,” Troy explained. “Use both hands. Grab your wrist with the other hand.”

Marina did as he demonstrated and nodded.

Octopus up ceiling look. she said, correcting herself. Not squid up.

“Octopus up.” Atlanta echoed.

Phones grinned. "Guess it’s a land- octopus then with its eight legs!"

“Four more than anything needs.” Troy complained.

“Aquanaut of the year and he’s scared of a little spider?" Phones mocked.

"It’s not little! And I’m not scared!” Troy insisted. Folding his arms he muttered. “They just give me the creeps, that’s all."

“Creeps!? you have a fake taxidermy angel fish mounted in our hallway as lamp!” Phones complained. “Creeps. That thing terrifies most people. and you’re nervous of this here itsy wincey octopus!”

“And After all the teasing you gave me for being scared of mice too!" Atlanta giggled. "Have you really not seen a spider before, Marina? You’ve been here a while now."

Marina nodded then shook her head. And after another round of charades:

"Not like that?" Phones guessed.  "Ah, not upside down or on ceilings. Just outside. And you’ve only seen little ones. Not Big."

"See?" Troy said. "Marina agrees it's huge!"

"I said she said big!” Phones translated at Marina's frown. “Besides, big furry ones like tarantulas are harmless.”

“Those are even worse!” Troy snapped. “And that-!” he pointed at the spider. “That's not furry. Look, Phones just get rid of it, would you?”

“Why me?” Phones complained. “It’s not doing any harm.”

“It could be poisonous!” Troy reasoned. Both lieutenants raised their eyebrows at him. “What? It could be. We’re not far from the California desert?”

Maria looked worried at that. Jellyfish. She signed.

“Ah no not jellyfish.” Phones said. “Troy, you’ll scare her!”

“Me?” Troy asked. “What did I do?”

“Well Marina’s walking around in bare feet and you just said it was poisonous.” Atlanta frowned.

“I said it Could be. It’s fine Marina. You’re down here and it’s up there. Just stay away.”

“We'll just leave it alone then?” Phones suggested.

“What and let someone else be possibly bitten?”

“Ah.”

Atlanta rolled her eyes and looked back up to the spider. “It could be, I suppose although it is rare. Is it brown or black? I can’t quite see it in this light.”

“I’m not sure.” Troy frowned up at it, then gave his best friend a nudge, “go on Phones.”

“Me? You’re the action hero!”

“I ain’t touching it!”

“Wimps.” Atlanta declared. She turned and pulled the chair over to underneath the spider. Then using the boys to balance Atlanta climbed up on the chair. The ceiling was in near touching distance if she put her arms up.

“Hand me a cup out that would you." She said. Marina did so, grabbing one from the water cooler, “We’ll just put it outside- Oh. Huh.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Atlanta frowned. But her voice wobbled just the teeeeensiest bit. She looked from the cup to the spider and back again. “It’s … actually quite big now I'm up here. Bigger then a house spider.”

“See, what did I say!?”

“Let the lady get the bug in peace, skipper.”

“It’s an arachnid. Look I’ll get it. but then one of you two can deal with it.” Atlanta said and then turned back to them. “Oh, shoot actually, has someone got a piece of paper?”

There was a flurry of checking pockets. and both fellas pulled out their id cards.

“Here you go honey,” Troy said.  “Marina what is it?”

Marina shook her head. And was pointing up again. The others, Atlanta included, followed.

“Oh. Huh.” Phones echoed.

“Hey!”

“Where’d it go?”

In the split second where not one person had eyes on the spider, it had gone.

“Did anyone see Where it went?” Atlanta asked slowly. Troy shook his head.

“Atlanta? Get down real slowly.”

“It’s not on me, is it?!” Atlanta squawked. And twisted around so fast the chair wobbled. All three of the Stingray crew grabbed it steady.

“I thought you didn’t mind bugs?” Phones frowned.

“Yes, but not on me!”

Troy thankfully helped Atlanta down off the chair before either of them started to panic.

“Marina did you see where it went?” Phones tried. “Like on the floor? Or inside the auto serve?”

“If it did, I’m never getting coffee out of one of those things ever again!” Troy huffed.

Marina shook her head and shrugged at Phones.

But she pointed to the elevator doors.

Octopus Up.

“Yeah. Let’s go back upstairs.” Troy agreed. “I’ve had enough.”

“But the spider-?” Phones started.

“The commander's right. Let housekeeping or a cleaner deal with it.” Troy said. He had called the elevator and was holding the doors for his friends. Atlanta went in and pressed the floor number.  Marina hesitated then crossed the doorway. Followed by the guys.

Octopus Up.

“Yes, I get it.” Troy said. “What a day.”

“What a break time.” Atlanta complained, checking her watch and pressed the top floor button as well. “I better head straight to control. At least you three are still on standby.”

Octopus Up.

“Yeah, I know Marina.” Troy said exasperated as he followed. and the door closed. The system hummed and started to move. “We get the picture-!”

 Then Troy froze.

“Skipper?”

“Troy?”

The sound Troy made in response was unpleasant and slightly strangled. Troy had also gone very white. And quickly backed away from the middle of the elevator till he was right against the wall. Reaching past Atlanta, he then started Hammering the open-door button.

“Troy are you alright?”

“What goes?”

Octopus Up. Marina said again calmly.

Again, Phones and Atlanta looked where Marina pointed. The elevator maintenance hatch was ajar slightly. And beyond that covered in a crisscross of webs. Above their head, and much much closer this time, hanging from silk netting, something crawled out of the hatch. Several something’s. Several, eight legged somethings.

“That’s a lot of octopuses.” Phones agreed a tad more urgently.

“Octopi.” Atlanta corrected; her voice slightly strained. “I guess father didn’t see those ones earlier.”

“Did you Marina? Was that what you’ve been trying to tell us?”

Marina nodded.

octopus up ceiling up. Not. No worries. Still here. She said. Then jumped a good foot in the air as an alarm went off.

Well, they all did. Troy had hit the elevators stop button and was now forcing the doors apart.

“Troy! That’s for emergencies only!” Atlanta said.

“It’s only another floor up!”  Phones scolded.

“Nope! Not a chance. Suddenly I feel like another walk!” Troy insisted. “Box of spiders, give me a Mechanical fish any day!”

Marina stood confused looking between Troy and the spiders. Some even started crawling out of the hatch and along the ceiling like the first creature had. Or hanging upside down on strings of silvery threads. One dangled from a long web, quickly creeping and a crawling closer until it had dropped to be level with eyes. Marina put her hand out towards it, curious…Only to be pulled away by her more terrain wise friends.

“No, leave it Marina! We don’t know what species they are.” Phones said. “Come on, let's go. We’ll be stuck in here all day otherwise.”

Atlanta agreed, even if it was a stupid thing to do.

Troy jumped down out of the evaluator. Because of course he did. Then practically manhandled his team out of the box as they hurried out the elevator behind him. It was very lucky that the lifts were notoriously slow. Some design flaw that seemed to counterbalance the injector tubes breakneck speed. The elevator hadn’t gone far, only five feet or so. Climbing down wasn’t a big challenge, bar the indignity of sitting on the and shuffling down feet first through the gap to safely drop down.

Phones had the decency to stop and explain to a very confused ensign what was up with the elevator. Troy however practically bolted his way back up the stairs. While Atlanta went off to inform the commander about the infestation that had appeared right above their heads, the shipmates followed Troy. Troy had made it to the safety of the standby lounge and grabbed the radio.

“Hello maintenance? Security?” he said and was making demands down the line. “I don’t know, the cleaners. Well then who do I call about a swarm of huge spiders in the tower, International Rescue!?”

“Guess we’re getting pest control after all!” Phones joked to Marina. Followed by an “ow!” Troy had hit him with a rolled-up magazine.

“Hey now, that does it. Busting elevators, wanderings, bugs and now swattin’ me!? I'm going outside for a smoke!” Phones complained. He went on to the balcony and called back over his shoulder, “At least the spiders out here are naturally occurring!”

Troy made to flip him off. Then thought better of it. He didn’t want to be responsible for their mermaid learning the rude one-fingered gesture that defiantly wasn’t one of WASP international diving symbols.

“Marina, go give Atlanta her magazine, would you please?” Troy asked, pushing his weapon into her hands. Discarded his cap on the chair. “Hello operator- no I'm already holding. I'm trying to report a problem with the entire building!”

Marina nodded and went to leave. Then hesitated. She tap tap tapped her fingers on the door frame to get Troy’s attention again. When he glanced up at her Marina waved and then signed:

Down.

“What?”

 Down, she started. Octopus down. Not up. Surface immediately. Octopus down.

“Marina.” Troy interrupted. “Not to be rude, but I do not want to go and see any more spiders! Or land crabs, squids or otherwise thanks!”

Marina winced but sympathised. He seemed real upset. So, she agreed. Troy turned back to the radio.

And Marina left, deciding Troy wouldn’t want to hear about the octopus on his cap then.

[tanadrin]

The Frontier Shapeshifter Classification and Threat Response Scheme

"Shapeshifters? That kind of science fiction nonsense isn't real. Pull yourself together, Lieutenant!" --Captain Abrido Xem of the Helvetosian light frigate Kamar's Dawn, thirteen seconds before xir execution by a Varyassid infiltrator

"Shapeshifter" is the common term for a number of different species which exhibit similar natural adaptations and/or technologically-augmented abilities that enable them to take on the guise of other species, of specific individuals, or, in extremely unusual cases, diverse nonliving physical objects in their surrounding environment. Shapeshifting can be a tool for avoiding harm, for peacefully gathering information, or even for facilitating first contact, but it can also be used for hostile infiltration, assassination, and war. Many interstellar polities and organizations are therefore wary of shapeshifters, if not outright hostile. Frontier policy (and that of the Foundation in general) is one of gradual, cautious friendliness in all first contact situations; this applies no less to shapeshifting individuals or clades than it does to any other newly-encountered lifeform. Hostile shapeshifters have been encountered, however, and the following general policies have been developed for use in situations where an encounter is suspected or confirmed.

General principles

Frontier ships operate at the limits of Foundation knowledge, and it is not unusual for two alien species (say, a Foundation member and an unknown non-member) to have such wide cognitive, communicative, or conceptual gaps between them that creative means must be found to establish first contact, or even to make one's presence known to the other. Thus, the surprise presence of an alien lifeform aboard a Foundation ship should not be taken as in itself proof of a hostile invasion situation, but should put the crew on high alert. General procedures when discovering an alien presence or influence that has made its way onto the ship unnoticed is to immediately report the presence to command staff, and to implement Alert Protocol F-4 ("The Buddy System (Infiltration)"). If hostile intent is suspected, but not confirmed, Alert Protocol F-5 may be implemented ("Active Containment"). For permanent installations, protocol F-5B should be used ("Foothold: Condition Orange"). In cases of confirmed hostile intent, more serious protocols should be enacted, but the exact protocol depends on the nature of the infiltration: F-7 ("Passphrase Protocol"), F-8 ("Stun First, Ask Questions Later"), F-12 ("In Case of Brain Slugs, Break Glass"), or even F-13 ("Shipwide Purge"). Commanders of key installations may, in extreme circumstances, order the implementation of Protocol F-13C ("Foothold: Condition Red"), but certain safeguards must be observed to prevent infiltrators or enemy agents from simply using this protocol to wipe out key bases (see Command Briefing RX-11 for details).

Major classes

Class ANAMORPH - ANAMORPH-type shapeshifters are sometimes not considered true shapeshifters at all; they are "amorphous" lifeforms that can change their physical shape, but within fairly limited parameters, and without especially unusual adaptations beyond the changing of integument color or texture that let them mimic other species. A common example might be the Earth octopus, which uses its ability to hide from marine predators, but which would not fool even the most basic bioscanner (or a zoologist giving one a cursory physical examination).

Class WEREWOLF - WEREWOLF-type shapeshifters are among the most common, and refer simply to lifeforms that have two or more (though almost always it is only two) highly specific morphs which they can alternate between at will, and within a relatively short period of time (at most a few days; sometimes as little as a few minutes, but more usually on the order of hours). The danger of WEREWOLFs comes primarily from unfamiliarity--e.g., disturbing the sessile and apparently inanimate forms of Khuryans during their aestivation, or not noticing the presence of Farosian flesh-burrowers because their locomotive form is far more commonly depicted in pop culture than their nesting sac. Some WEREWOLFs have developed their alternate morphs as camouflage, which may be technologically enhanced in ways which render them difficult to find even when searching for them with advanced technology. Frontier ships are equipped with sensor suites sensitive to all known WEREWOLF camouflage techniques, but of course when seeking out strange new forms of life, explorers should expect the unexpected.

Class SELKIE - SELKIE-type shapeshifters specifically emulate members of other species. Of especial interest are those that imitate members of sapient species. Most are themselves sapient, but not all--notably, the Ormovan organ-stealer is such an adroit mimic that it can get close enough to unwary humans to complete its feeding cycle despite having an extremely primitive nervous system and very little native intelligence. SELKIEs do not imitate specific sapient individuals, often require a great deal of observation or preparation to learn to mimic a new species, and are detectable to most remote scans. Most sapient SELKIEs make no effort to hide their ability, and use it primarily to facilitate communication and trade.

Class PUCA - PUCA-type shapeshifters primarily use their shapeshifting abilities for concealment, and their ability relies to some extent (whether technological or biological) on subverting the senses or cognition of other lifeforms. Since there are no adaptations which are generally effective in subverting the perception of all sentient species, PUCAs often are vulnerable to detection by new species or by unfamiliar sensor technologies, though sapient PUCA exhibit a great deal of adaptability in dealing with these situations. PUCA are typically quite harmless, and most only want to be left alone. Confirmed PUCA, like the "Fairies of F3X-449" or the Julaya Freehold, are subject to a general noninterference order.

Class CHANGELING - CHANGELING-type shapeshifters, like PUCA, are reliant to some degree on subverting the perceptions of other lifeforms; unlike PUCA, they exhibit more flexible, generalist abilities, sometimes including the ability to mimic specific other sapients. Like PUCA, their weakness is often new species or new sensor technologies which they have not yet been able to develop countermeasures for. However, since CHANGELINGs' abilities are not aimed primarily at concealment, they may be more bold about actively infiltrating alien ships or installations, or even planets, for both benign and malicious purposes.

Class ETIAINEN - ETIAINEN-type shapeshifters are among the most dangerous, when their intent is hostile. They exhibit the ability to mimic not only specific sapient species, but specific sapient individuals, and to do so in ways that allow them to acquire at least partial knowledge, memory, and/or skills of the individual in question; sometimes they may even be unaware of their status as a shapeshifter, allowing them to act as long-term deep-cover agents. There are few true ETIAINEN species; most known ETIAINEN are small clades within larger species-groups, or the result of specific military-intelligence projects. Known ETIAINEN include the Varyassid assassins (who must partially consume their target), Ghoshani mimics (must maintain prolonged physical contact with their target to acquire information from them, typically isolating them in a remote location), Turei doppelgangers (they usually physically infest and gradually replace the host body), and Chaulan scanners (who allegedly need only momentary contact with the person they intend to replace).

Minor classes

Class ASWANG - ASWANGs are not true shapeshifters in the sense that they may imitate or acquire attributes of species, but do so in a piecemeal fashion, often appearing chimeric as a result. They are also overwhelmingly predators, some of especially keen intelligence. Fortunately, they are rare, but the suspected presence of an ASWANG aboard a Frontier vessel is a TYRANT-grade emergency.

Class CUCKOO - CUCKOOs are brood parasites who find ways of inserting their young into alien populations. Sometimes this is a way of learning about them, with the young later returning as adults to CUCKOO worlds; for other species, this seems simply to be such a natural part of their existence they continue it without questioning it very much. Most CUCKOOS target oviparous species for obvious reasons, but this is perhaps not always so: there are reports that a case of apparent triplets born aboard the FSEV Beagle proved, on genetic testing, to actually consist of one human baby and two nanotech-engineered replicants, though as the mother was reported to have had a threesome with a fellow crewmember and a Harusian artificial lifeform nine months prior, this may technically be classified not so much as a case of brood parasitism as simply a cross-species polyandrous multiple birth.

Class TIYANAK - TIYANAKs are "reverse shapeshifters:" species which reproduce by infecting other, physically compatible species, which they then subvert and frequently genetically alter, or which they use as a kind of permanent parasitic host. Due to the physiological difficulties in such a life cycle, TIYANAKs are in fact quite rare, and the handful of known examples are arguably more likely to be (essentially) ancient bioweapons or computer viruses gone astray than natural occurrences. Nonetheless, TIYANAKs are considered extremely dangerous. "Classic" TIYANAKs resemble the Pavrian Rakshasas, which infect their hosts and gradually replace all their biological tissue with new Pavrian tissue, starting with the central nervous system. "Parasite"-types like the Edrian skullburrower may keep the host body alive and largely intact, using it for locomotion and sustenance. There are also ambiguous "hybrid" types which seem to alternate modes as circumstances require: during the F96-A4A Incident, Captain Havar of the FSEV Orreiska noted that the infectious vector produced a variety of ambulant "parasite"-types, alongside sessile "broodmother" types. Since the human and Chalawani crew was immune to infection, a great deal of data could be gathered during the course of the outbreak (though sadly it could not in the end be stopped), and of dozens of the broodmother types examined, not one, after reaching maturity, contained any genetic or physical trace of the original host.

(Excerpted from Karel Mora's An Introduction to Xenology for Starship Officers, 3rd. edition)