#gill i think likes to wrap his tail around people he trusts and he wants to give some comfort to chip

[lavender-rroses]

//JRWI RIPTIDE SPOILERS

talk to us

[peachtree-dish]

Chapter 6: Pesnami bene mentre ti sogno

05 Novembre 1969

Alberto giggled to himself as he read the latest contents of Luca’s letter. The new school year had certainly started with a bang, almost literally. Luca had openly described his conversation with Signora Mia about the concepts of human mating and had vocally expressed his bewilderment of the whole concept. Alberto could only imagine the embarrassment Luca had felt during that discussion, although a part of him felt warm that his friend would trust him enough to talk about it. While he wasn’t necessarily an expert on human mating or romance, nothing that Luca wrote to him about it had shocked him. Alberto would need more than two hands to be able to count how often his father had dismissed him from the tower when he brought a new mate around. Pushing the memory away, the teen resolved that that part of the letter would remain unshared with the rest of the family. Shifting on his bed, Alberto held the letter closer to his bedside candle and continued reading.

‘I wish I could say that was the craziest part of my week, Berto. But, just a few days ago, we made a new acquaintance with a girl from Giulia’s grade level. Her name is Luisa, and guess what? She’s like us! Another sea monster, except her famiglia’s from southern Italy…’

“What!?” Alberto yelled, nearly ripping the letter in half in surprise. He winced, remembering the late hour and he waited for a moment, praying that he hadn’t woken Massimo. When the house remained still, he frantically went back to reading the letter, his hands trembling with anticipation.

‘She gets along really well with Giulia and Dante; Giulia especially because she threatens anyone who seems remotely threatening, which is kind of ironic. Luisa doesn’t like to talk about her life before coming to Genoa, so I don’t ask. Some kids at school say mean things to her, they say these ugly words about her skin. I don’t understand why humans are so focused on appearances, caro; fish come in all colors and shapes, but they’re still fish. I guess I thought humans would think the same way…’

“Not everyone is as good as you, that’s why,” Alberto mumbled, he smiled warmly.

‘Bene, I guess that’s all I have for now. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Il vostro,

Luca’

Alberto’s heart fluttered in his chest every time he read those closing remarks. He knew Luca didn’t mean it that way, but just for a moment, he could pretend that Luca really was his, as much as he was Luca’s. He skimmed back over the pages of the letter, still shocked by Luca’s revelation. He hadn’t realized there was other sea folk out in the world, but he guessed it made sense.

Tucking the letter under his pillow, the teen resolved to talk to the Paguro family in the afternoon after fishing. Perhaps they would have an idea about Luisa’s situation.

The water felt warm and inviting as it hugged Alberto’s scaled form. He stretched languidly, ever amazed at how water could make him feel. Warm laughter reached his ears and Alberto grinned at the voice.

“Enjoying yourself, ragazzo?” Alberto lazily faced Luca, feeling unhurried to respond immediately. Luca rolled his eyes and swam forward to slide his tail along with Alberto’s, the feeling causing his nerves to tingle and his gills to flap nervously. He reached his hand out, wrapping his hand around Luca’s waist and pulling his body towards his own. Alberto wrapped himself around his best friend, nuzzling the sensitive area between Luca’s jaw and gills. Luca hummed approvingly, his hands gliding and pulling against Alberto’s scaled hair in such a way that had Alberto gasping out. His body was beginning to feel unbearably warm and light, like a fire was beginning in his stomach and spreading outward.

“Luca,” he whined against his friend’s shoulder, desperate to bring him closer. Luca pressed a smiling kiss against the corner of Alberto’s mouth.

“Pazienzia, tesoro. No need to be so desperate,” Luca chuckled while he trailed his hands down Alberto’s sides, his nose rubbing deliberately against Alberto’s. When his lips finally closed the distance, the older teen was too far gone, his mind fogged with delirious pleasure. Luca’s mouth was hot as he opened under Alberto, encouraging him wordlessly. He pulled away and grinned down at Alberto’s flustered face, he flexed his claws against Alberto’s chest, the pain catching him off guard.

“Hey, wait, that hurts-” Luca’s claws flexed again, puncturing his scales.

With a yelp, Alberto woke up to find a very large, very angry cat gripping the front of his shirt. Machiavelli growled disapprovingly at Alberto before releasing his claws and scurrying to the end of the bed.

“Maledetto gatto,” Alberto grumbled as he rubbed his sore chest. The 15-year-old monster wasn’t sure if he should be grateful for the wake-up call or distressed that there was a chance Machiavelli knew exactly what he had been dreaming about. His cheeks were still flushed with excitement, and he didn’t need to look down to know he was having a mild situation. He was surprised to see patches of scales blooming across his skin from where sweat had gathered in his sleep, and he quickly shook himself to clear the evidence. Outside was still dark, but that didn’t mean Massimo wouldn’t come looking for him soon.

Alberto stood awkwardly and went to the window to press his hot forehead against the glass, willing his body to calm down. The guilt inevitably came once he remembered the contents of his dream. It wasn’t right of him to think of Luca that way or to have such feelings. How would Luca react if he knew? Alberto scrubbed his hand down his face in frustration.

You always were a troubled child, Berto. Why do you think I left you?

Alberto growled, stubbornly pushing his father’s voice away. Luca would never find out, it was as simple as that.

“Come on, Alberto,” He mumbled to his reflection in the glass, “you’re an expert at hiding things.”

As the stars began to fade behind the rays of the morning sun, Massimo would find Alberto wide awake and dressed for their morning fishing, two cups of caffè steaming on the table beside him. Though Alberto was excellent at hiding his emotions, Massimo knew when he was hurting, and the thought troubled his old heart.

“Sea monsters from the south, eh?” Lorenzo stared wide-eyed at Alberto as he poured rich, red wine into small glasses for the adults at the table, while Alberto, Ciccio, and Guido drank Coca-Cola respectively.

“That’s what Luca wrote. He said Luisa and her family are from the Sicilian coast, they moved to Genoa not too long ago.”

“I had no idea we had people that far south,” Daniela mused, she looked just as shocked as her husband. Her mother scoffed from beside her, Nonna’s cheeks already flushed red from the alcohol. Alberto wouldn’t be surprised if she’d already been drinking before she’d arrived.

“Of course, we sea folk are everywhere,” Nonna harrumphed, her round belly bouncing with the effort. “The problem is that we’re too damn good at not getting found.” She paused to contemplate, “At least that was the case up until last year.”

“Wait, does that mean there are even sea monsters in Antarctica?” Guido pressed, his hands were clutched tightly around his coke glass, the heat coming from them fogging up the sides.

Nonna shrugged before taking a sip of wine, “Probably. You humans have to understand that we’re a very adaptable people and we’ve been hiding from you for millennia.”

“And just how do you know about all this, Ma?”

“Cara, you know I love you, but my horizons were a lot wider before you came along. Where do you think Luca got his buon senso from?” Daniela tsked while Nonna smugly drank from her glass.

“It makes sense if you think about it,” Ciccio piped up. Several sets of eyes turned to him, and the poor teen shrank into his chair. “Humans have been migrating all around the world since the beginning, and so do animals. It seems only natural that your species would do the same.” He trailed off as everyone stared at him in shock. Ciccio wasn’t known to speak often or for so long.

“Ciccio, I had no idea there was more than dough in that curly head of yours,” Guido wrapped a supportive arm around the blonde’s shoulders and wiped an imaginary tear. “I’m so proud.” Ciccio rolled his eyes, but he relaxed into his chair while everyone laughed good-naturedly.

Alberto glanced at Massimo who had not said one word throughout the exchange, which for the mountainous man was not unusual. However, he also hadn’t drunk any of his wine and that was abnormal. The young sea monster tilted his head at the man, confident that he would sea his unspoken question. Massimo nodded his head slightly and cleared his throat, the action catching the attention of everyone present.

“Something seems off about Luisa’s situation, I think Luca needs to proceed with caution.” With that said, he tossed the wine back and tapped the glass on the table before excusing himself. Alberto frowned in confusion, finding the behavior odd. He was not left any time to dwell on it when Guido spoke from beside him.

“Do you think Luca’s going to ask her out?”

“What?” Alberto immediately zeroed in on the conversation as Lorenzo and Daniela shared an eager look.

“Oh, wouldn’t that be lovely?” Daniela cooed.

“What makes you think he even likes her?” Alberto grimaced, his voice coming out louder than intended. He gave a shaky laugh as the Paguro family turned to him in shock.

“I mean, they’ve just met, you can’t assume his feelings from one letter.”

“Ah, all it takes is a little time.” Lorenza waved his hand in dismissal.

“Don’t worry, Alberto caro, you’ll still have your best friend!” Daniela assured, misreading his upset, “Besides, once you find yourself a nice girl, you can all hang out together!” Alberto stared open-mouthed at the older monster, completely floored at her assumptions.

He desperately wanted to tell her, tell them all, that it wasn’t okay! It wouldn’t be the same, and there would never be a girl for him to find. But he couldn’t voice all that, not yet most likely never. They’d never accept you if you did, his father sneered. They’d be repulsed and remove Luca from your life permanently. Nonna Paguro watched the scene unfold with a frown and when her gaze landed on Alberto, he froze. He felt that she knew exactly what he was thinking, and the thought silenced his frustration, replacing it with ice-cold dread. Relaxing and placing a confident grin on his face, he shrugged nonchalantly.

“Heh, sure.” He slumped back in his seat before aggressively pulling his drink towards him and slurping loudly, too afraid of leaving his mouth unoccupied. Beside him, Ciccio and Guido shared a look of concern before speaking once more.

“Hey, Alberto, why don’t you come back to my papa’s garage tonight and we can continue working on Signore Massimo’s pickup?” Guido placed a comforting hand on the teen’s shoulder. “We can run through the mechanics again to prepare you for the colder season, si?”

Momentarily distracted, Alberto scoffed, “As if I’d ever forgotten, stupido!” Guido grinned and nodded.

“I thought as much. We’ll catch you later then.” Politely excusing themselves and taking their bottles with them, the pair left quickly. Alberto also excused himself from the group, eager to escape Nonna’s penetrating stare and the giddy conversation of both Daniela and Lorenzo.

He found Massimo outside, repairing the nets and removing the knots that stubbornly clung to one another. For all his clever ways of overcoming his disability, there were still certain things that the old fisherman struggled with. The nets continued to slip from his fingers as the man impatiently tried to pull the knots free using his good hand and teeth. Quietly, Alberto sat next to him and picked up the net to begin loosening the knots.

“You repair, I’ll untangle.” He chanced a look at Massimo, whose only response was to quirk an eyebrow approvingly before returning to his portion. After working together in silence for a time Alberto finally spoke, his racing thoughts becoming too much for the silence of his mind.

“Why don’t you trust Luisa?” He asked softly, eyes trained solely on his work. Massimo paused in what he was doing before resuming. When he eventually spoke, his words were stilted.

“Perhaps I am overthinking… I worry that she does not share so much with Luca or my figlia. Luisa’s situation is unique, vero, but I worry about the things she is not saying.” Alberto sat for a moment, Massimo’s words rolling through his mind like the waves on the beach.

“She seems to be okay, though. I don’t think she wants to hurt anyone, especially one of her own kind.” Massimo hummed in agreement.

“Si, but even the brightest days can threaten rain.” He turned to look at Alberto, the net forgotten in his lap. “Do your people know about our Great Wars?” When Alberto shrugged in confusion, the older man continued.

“Before you were born, when I was around your age, my country went to war for something that we thought was right. Our leaders told us one thing but then would act differently. Looking back, I realize they were foolish, selfish men who caused the death of many good people.” Massimo twisted his net bitterly. “I just don’t want Luca or my Giulietta getting hurt by any more lies.” Alberto squirmed slightly, his mind reflecting on his own secrets.

A secret isn’t a lie, he grumbled mentally. His gut feeling disagreed heavily with him on that.

“I know Luca would never let anything happen to Giulia, so I don’t think you have to worry about them. I’d be more concerned for Luisa if she ever tries something; Giulia is terrifying.” Massimo chuckled heartily and clapped Alberto on the shoulder with his massive hand.

“Buon punto, figlio mio. She gets it from her mother, I think.” Alberto smiled, feeling warm at Massimo’s words.

He’d never consider you a son if he knew the truth about you, Alberto’s father chuckled darkly. He’d be disgusted if he knew how vile you really are. Alberto grimaced and muttered, “Silenzio, Bruno,” under his breath.

“Cosa?” Massimo hummed in confusion.

“Oh, niente. Is it all right if I go see Ciccio and Guido tonight, they wanted to work on the Hudson?” He eagerly changed the subject

“Of course, Alberto. Just be back before it gets too late, si?”

Alberto nodded and stood to brush the dust from his pants. “Grazie, I’ll be back on time, I promise.”

Turning the key, Alberto relaxed into the seat as the engine rumbled, its vibrations easing the tension in his body. Mechanics were simple, which is why Alberto loved them so much. The Hudson lazily made its way through the streets of the town, climbing the steep hill until it nearly reached the top where Guido lived with his parents. Ciccio and Guido were waiting for him under one of the garage’s many lights. On either side of them lay cars and Vespas alike, all dormant and a few with parts strewed on or under them.

At the sound of the Hudson’s engine, both teens eagerly raced to the driver’s side. Within moments, the truck’s hood was popped, and each boy began working on separate parts of the vehicle. Guido knew more about cars and engines from his father, but Alberto listened intently each time the brunette explained things. He had been such a quick learner that Guido’s father insisted that he train under him during the winter months when the fishing was light enough for Massimo to do on his own.

Signore Capellino was a tall, slender man with a long face and stern eyes. At one point he had held a harpoon aimed at both Luca and Alberto as they stood surrounded in Porto Rosso’s plaza, but once he knew Alberto, his prejudices had all but disappeared. Especially when he discovered Alberto’s interest in mechanics.

“I worked in Caproni’s company during the war,” he once explained to Alberto while working on the engine of a beat-up convertible, “the planes we built were arte, and then our government took them and filled them with bombs.” He spat on the ground. “we were making history in those days, ragazzo!”

Alberto had no idea who Caproni was, but he figured he must have been important for Signore Capellino to feel so strongly about it.

Back in the present, Alberto was twisting off bolts from the connecting rod of the engine. Years of grime and dirt creating a slimy glue that kept the bolts stubbornly in place.

“So, are you going to tell us what’s really bothering you?” Guido’s voice startled him from his efforts. He leaned out from behind the driver’s seat to peer at Alberto. Shrugging, Alberto returned to the engine, using the hood to hide his expression.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bah, you are as stubborn as those bolts, amico. We’ve watched you pout every time Luca leaves for nine months, but you seem even more rovesciato than usual.” Alberto gaped at him, feeling indignant.

“I don’t pout!”

“You do.” Ciccio’s voice sang from under the engine. Feeling resentful, Alberto sprayed oil in the general direction of the blond boy, feeling vindicated when he shouted in surprise.

“Is it a sea monster thing?” Guido pressed gently. Alberto sighed, trying to stave off the wave of panic rising in his chest.

“Not exactly, more of an Alberto thing.” He pressed his lips in a thin line, feeling thoroughly trapped.

Guido sighed, “Okay, you don’t have to say anything, but,” He held up a finger, “when you are ready to talk about it, we’ll be here.” Alberto chuckled, his chest feeling lighter. Guido and Ciccio were good people, and he was lucky to have them.

“Grazie, ragazzi I appreciate it.” And he meant it. In the back of his mind, Alberto wondered if he would ever be able to voice his fears. Perhaps not, but if the day ever came, he could trust that Guido and Ciccio would be there and that was enough.

16 novembre, 1969

“Buon cumpleanno, caro.” Luca’s voice was like a lifeline after weeks without a phone call. Alberto clung to it with his whole soul.

“Thanks, Luca. How are you?”

“Cold but surviving.” Luca chuckled.

“I hear ya, it’s storming like crazy here.” A clap of thunder sounded overhead, confirming Alberto’s words. Behind him Massimo was serving slices of birthday cake to the Paguros and Guido and Ciccio, his booming voice a comfortable sound.

“Is your birthday going well so far, anything exciting?”

“Machiavelli managed to steal my knife, and that was definitely a scene to witness.” Luca laughed loudly on his end, the image of the fat cat being chased while holding such a dangerous object was something he was sad to miss.

“I hope you were able to get it back,” He teased.

“Actually, the maledetto gatto is holding me hostage as we speak. He was very adamant that I call you.”

Luca’s heart ached with yearning. “Well, even if he’s holding you hostage, I’m grateful he insisted.”

“Me too,” Alberto huffed a laugh, grateful no one could see his burning face.

“I meant to tell you, I’ve been asked to work as an assistant to the teacher. Because of my financial situation, the school agreed that the hours I work with her will lessen my expenses.” The words rushed out with such force, Luca was forced to take a breath, “I was hoping you’d pass the word onto Signore Massimo so that he won’t have to worry about sending as much money anymore.”

Alberto’s praise stuck in his throat thickly, stopping any words from passing through. He had never told Luca where the money had come from, it was unfair of him to assume Luca would know where it had come from. There was that tight feeling in Alberto’s chest again, the one where he felt close to saying something stupid.

“I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear that, although I’m sure he wouldn’t mind continuing to send it to you. He, uh, he really cares, ya know?”

“I know, but I feel so guilty for taking something that isn’t mine, caro.”

It’s as much yours as it is mine, tesoro. Alberto thought desperately

“O-okay, I’ll let him know.” His voice cracked. “I hope you know how proud of you I-we all are.”

“How could I forget? You tell me in every letter. I’m proud of you too.” His warm laughter reminded Alberto of his dream and he shook his head, too afraid that Luca would somehow know. You wouldn’t be proud of me then, he thought miserably.

“By the way, did you get my gift?” Luca asked excitedly. Alberto relaxed again, eyes finding the small, hand-painted Vespa sitting innocently on the edge of the table. Its blue paint glittering amidst the butcher paper that had been wrapped messily around it. In his mind’s eye, he could imagine Luca hunched over the parcel, trying to wrap and tape the paper neatly. The thought caused a grin to split across his face.

“I did, and I love it, grazie mio caro amico.”

“Giulia helped me paint it and Luisa picked out the colors. She said the blue reminded her of how I spoke of you.”

Alberto’s smile dropped instantly. “Oh.”

“Yeah, she’s got a good eye for colors like Signora Mia, they love to talk about art all the time.” Alberto bit his lip as he listened to his best friend ramble on, the tight feeling growing in his chest.

“Hey, Luca, I need to go, they’re calling for me.” He hated himself.

“Oh.” Luca stopped, his shock apparent. “O-okay, I’ll talk to you on New Year’s Eve?”

“Of course, I’ll talk to you soon.” The feeling was spreading to his fingertips, making them numb.

“I miss you.” The words were whispered so softly, Alberto almost missed them. With a surge, the feeling was swept back by a tidal wave of warmth.

“I miss you, too.” His voice was thick with emotion, and he pressed the phone closer, trying to get as close to Luca as possible.

“Seven months,”

“Four days,” Alberto instantly responded.

“Five hours,” Luca laughed.

“Sixteen minutes a-a-and thirty-two seconds,” Alberto grinned, tears spilling over his cheeks.

“Arrivederci, Alberto.”

“Arrivederci, Luca.”

The line went silent.

[megan-is-mia]

I need to tell you that you’ve managed to become one of my favorite twst writers in the span of a single evening. I spent the majority of last night reading all of your twst content. As a monster lover, I feel obligated to say thank you for all of the food. There is a fair amount of monster f*cker content in the twst fandom, but most blogs only have a small handful of monster stories. So when I saw the amount of monster content on your blog, I almost wept.

If you’re still taking requests from the monster prompt, how about 21 “Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you" with the Mer-trio?

(Wow... I did not realize people considered any of my content to be monster-fucker food. Anyways you wrote Mo21 in your request but the prompt you typed was for Mo20 so I did that one. Hopefully you still like it!) 20. “Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you” (Yandere! Octavinelle Trio x Fem! S/o)

Stormy nights were (Y/n)’s favorite kind of nights, nothing beat being wrapped up in a warm blanket, looking out her window at the rain falling and the occasional flashes of lightning that lit up the skies. The only thing that could even begin to compare to the wonder of stormy nights were the mornings that followed them, when the earth was still wet from the rain and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. 

You were sure to find something interesting outside after a storm. However, what (Y/n) found in her pool that following morning more than exceeded her expectations of something interesting. The winds from the storm had dropped debris into her pool making it look more like a sliver of ocean than part of suburbia. She began clearing the tree branches and other chunks of flora when something in the water grabbed her leg. A less brave soul would have called an exterminator or animal control at this point but (Y/n) did not, instead she retreated inside for the time being to start thinking up a plan of action. It wasn’t until night had fallen that she approached the pool again this time armed with a broom and a bag of fish she’d bought at the store the day of the storm. She tentatively poked the water with the broom and nothing happened. Then suddenly a webbed hand darted out of the water and yanked on the broom making (Y/n) drop the fish she was holding into the water as she tumbled into the pool with a gasp. As she sank under the surface she locked eyes with something that flashed her a toothy grin before it grabbed her and swam to the surface with her in its clutches. As she broke the surface of the water she was able to see there were at least two things in the water with her.

“Nee Jade the fish the human brought with her taste awful” the thing not holding (Y/n) said with a whine as it bit off the head of one a fish and swallowed it whole without chewing any further. The girl looked frantically between the two creatures trying to make sure she wasn’t just seeing double in the darkness. Nope, there really were two of them yet they looked eerily similar like twins. “Ehhh Floyd, if they taste so bad why are you still eating them?” the thing holding (Y/n) answered with a tilt of its head as its ear fins twitched with curiosity. The girl had to assume that Jade and Floyd must be the creatures’ names, not yet processing the information that there were literal talking fish-people in her pool. That knowledge would take a few more moments to sink in, at which point (Y/n) let out another gasp.   

“You?! You can talk?!” (Y/n) said her words spluttering out like water out of a clogged faucet. Her sudden words drew a laugh from both mermen and Floyd swam closer as he took another big bite of the fish he’d been chewing on. “Of course we talk shrimpy, what did you expect silly?” he said with a toothy grin even wider than the one Jade had given her when she’d been sinking down to the bottom of the pool. “Give her a little credit, Azul did give her quite a scare earlier when she was trying to remove the gunk and almost forced him out of hiding. I don’t think intelligent life was exactly what she was expecting to find after that” Jade said, his tone a mix of condescension and comforting as he hugged (Y/n) closer to his body. The girl’s mind was ready to short-circuit as a third voice joined the conversation. “I only did that so she’d stop digging around while other humans might be around to get involved” this third voice, the aforementioned Azul she guessed, said with only its head poking out of the water and no visible ear fins to be seen. However when (Y/n) looked down she could see masses of tentacles below Azul as well as the long eel-like tails that made up the bottom halves of both Floyd and Jade’s bodies. “I don’t feel so good” (Y/n) mumbled right before blacking out and going limp in Jade’s arms. When she came too she was lying on her side out of the pool with an eel-merman staring at her impatiently. It took her a moment to identify which one it was by which side his black hair streak fell and she finally said “Floyd?” to which the eel-mer grinned and nodded his head at her as she sat up. “Yep that's me Shrimpy, you gave us all a real scare by passing out like that” Floyd said his tone playfully accusing as (Y/n)’s eyes darted down to check if she’d really seen what she thought she’d seen. Yup, the young man still had an eel tail instead of legs and she hadn’t just imagined all of it. “Heeey my eyes are up here Shrimpy” Floyd said with a pout grabbing (Y/n)’s chin and forcing her to make eye-contact with him. “Sorry! I’m still getting used to the whole, merfolk are real, thing. I just wanted to see if you really did have a tail or not” (Y/n) said not liking the way Floyd’s nails pressed her skin making it clear he could crush her jaw like a grape if he put any pressure on his grip. Luckily her words brought a laugh from the eel-merman and he released her jaw before hauling himself up out of the water to sit next to her. “Wanna feel?” Floyd said, gesturing to himself with a grin. Tentatively (Y/n) nodded as she reached over and gently ran a finger down his tail. “Aww Shrimpy I barely felt that, do it again and put a little more elbow grease into it” the eel-mer said with a whine as he grabbed the girl’s wrist and placed her hand flat against his body. Obediently (Y/n) ran her hand down the male’s skin feeling the slightly slimy yet smooth quality of his tail under her fingertips. “You two look like you’re getting along nicely” Azul commented, swimming over to the pair and surprising (Y/n) out of the stupor she’d fallen under from petting the eel-mer so she almost tumbled back into the pool. The girl only just barely kept her balance this time to the amusement of both mermen. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you…” Azul trailed off, waiting for the young woman to provide her name. “(Y/n), I’m (Y/n)” (Y/n) said quickly. “I know this is an insensitive question but how’d you end up in my pool? I mean I’ve had a few crocodiles thrown in my pool by a particularly bad storm once or twice. That's what I thought I was dealing with before when I brought the fish. Just a few crocodiles, not three mermen and… I’m rambling sorry… This is just weird as hell for me” the girl said looking sheepishly off to the side. “Don’t worry this is an odd situation for us as well” Jade said having swum back over to the group partway through (Y/n)’s rant. “We’re not in the habit of showing up in random human pools, somebody just made a mistake with his potion mixing and accidentally summoned a tsunami that dropped us off here” the eel-mermaid added giving Azul a bit of side-eye, to which the octo-mer grumbled under his breath and pouted. “Regardless we’re kind of stuck here unless we can get the ingredients to make another potion to take us home or we get some outside help to transport us back to the beach and to the ocean” Jade said giving (Y/n) a meaningful look. The girl’s face scrunched up in thought, she didn't know these young men very well and she wasn’t sure she could trust them as far as she could throw them (which wouldn't be far). However, her sense of morality overcame her fear of strangers and she let out a reluctant sigh before speaking. “I’ll help you get back to the sea, I have a car but I don't know if you’ll all fit in it comfortably” (Y/n) said slowly, hoping that her offer might be turned down but that was wishful thinking. The mermen were all more than willing to risk the discomfort of being in her car in exchange for getting home faster. Somehow (Y/n) managed to get all of them into her car (though Floyd was purposely wriggly as a fish on a hook as she tried to set him on the backseat of her car) and began driving out of her quiet neighborhood towards the nearest patch of ocean. During the drive Azul told her about their underwater home, with the occasional comment from the twins, and she had to admit it sounded nice living in the Coral Sea. Eventually, she found a quiet spot of sand by the sea and parked the car before helping the boys out and back into the water. Floyd and Jade went easily enough but Azul seemed to need more help and (Y/n) found herself in waist-deep water before she knew what was happening. All of a sudden the octo-mer’s tentacles were laced around her legs and she was being dragged under as Azul shot forward into deeper water where the eels waited. “Sorry about this Angelfish. I would have preferred that you came to us of your own free will but we just couldn't wait anymore” Azul said, keeping a firm grip on (Y/n) with his tentacles as he swam towards Floyd and Jade who both grinned upon seeing that the octo-mer had been successful in grabbing the girl. Instinctively (Y/n) had tried to hold her breath when she was pulled under only to pass out from oxygen deprivation and wake up breathing water. “What do you think of your new gills? Pretty nice aren’t they?” Azul crooned, his tentacles still wrapped around (Y/n)’s body and tightening when she tried to struggle free of his hold. “Ah, ah, aw Angelfish there’s no need to fight I’m not gonna hurt you” the octopus-merman said in a gently scolding tone before raising his voice to alert the eels that (Y/n) had finally woken up. “Shrimpy’s gills are so cute! I almost wanna pull them and see if she screams” Floyd said excitedly pinching one of the delicate, lacey gill slits that now occupied (Y/n)’s neck. The girl let out a yelp of pain which brought out a laugh from the cruel eel-mer. “Now, now Floyd we can’t go pulling (Y/n)’s gills willy-nilly. Not unless she misbehaves that is” Jade commented running a finger along the other side of the girl’s neck feeling her gills for himself. “We’ve all had our eye on you for a while now Angelfish” Azul said bringing (Y/n)’s attention back on him again as he leaned in to kiss her softly. The feeling of the tweels’ hands over her gills ready to choke her, was the only thing that kept (Y/n) from fighting the kiss from the octo-mer. “The human world… it's just too harsh a place for a sweetheart like you. Taking you away from the human world was the only way to save you” Azul added after a moment. “Plus the fact you’re really cute” Floyd added before smashing his mouth against (Y/n) and biting her lips as he kissed her hungrily. The girl whimpered into his mouth but her protests were all muffled by his tongue against hers until he finally pulled away grinning. “You probably won't see things our way at first but you will” Jade commented before he went in for a kiss softer than his twin’s but still rougher than the octopus’s. “After all we’ll have all the time in the world to change your mind…” THE END

[bai-zewarrior]

So I finally nailed down my designs for the black heart characters (except colossus, perry/predator and Madusa I'm still massing with them) along with some head canons! The characters might look a bit weird next to each other, I didn't draw them all on the same canvas. I know I'm suppose to but I was lazy and didn't want to re draw the refs on one canvas. I also appologize for this being so long.

I'm hoping to start a comic with these guys. I always end up saying no to projects like this because I don't think my art is good enough but I think I'm going to put my foot down this time!

Hal:

Can talk(unlike my version of Cyan)

Pretty laid back but knows when he needs to be serious

Will curse you out

Thinks Aura and Nautilus are cute together

His cape works as his "soul meter"(idk what to call it). It has 3 squares on the back that represent Hal's souls. The cape becomes tattered and ripped when souls are taken.

He just wants 5 minutes of peace without someone trying to take his souls, please give him his 5 minutes of peace.

Really hates colossus

In the context of black heart I don't consider him a nano bot. He can bleed and stuff like that.

When he sleeps his body starts to heal any wounds and mend his cloths. This leaves him defenseless as he will remain unconscious until it's finished. He tries not to sleep out in the open and often uses caves and trees as temporary shelters when he needs to sleep. This can also activate when he is knocked unconscious but in cases like with Colossus the healing part is stopped.

He can change colors but he prefers red. His cloths don't change colors with him. Just his skin and his cape.

Again, in he context of black heart, I imagine Hal just kinda woke up somewhere with a bit of knowlage about himself and that's about it. Shortly after works he ran into Aura and Nautilus for the first time. He considered the battle a joke.

Nautilus:

Has glowing markings all over his body. He can cause them to glow at will

Can only breath air for around 10 minutes( this time can decrease with some conditions such as heat or cold. This is because his gills need to be wet for him to breath air, so if it's really hot out his gills will dry out faster)

Has a stutter due to the N.A.T.U thing, among other things. Like trust issues when Xero is around

Is euryhalinr(this just means he can breath any kind of water)

His suit adds about 100lbs to him (material, water, and special boots to help with balance when moving around in the suit)

Likes to make jewlary with shells and stuff

Loves Aura to death. Would litterally die for her.

His teeth work like a shark's. One falls out? You've got plenty more to fill the gap! He has given pretty much all his friends breif heart attacks when he casually spits one out after they hear the loud bone cracking noise of a tooth braking. He keeps all the teeth.

Runs on all fours for some reason. No one knows why, including Aura.

Aura:

Learned all her magic from her parents

Her parents lived like hermits because they believed people still hold witch hunts. Aura hated this because she snuck out a lot and knew that this wasn't the case.

Can be a bit forgetful with spells so she always keeps her book with her at all times

Love Nautilus to death, would die for him too.

Can't swim, her body it denser then water so she just sinks. Nautilus is almost always with her when she's near water for this reason.

Aura's wand is broken but she just keeps fixing it with tape because she doesn't know how to make a new one. She also doesn't want to ask her parents because they wouldn't let her live it down.

Made the headphones Puffer wears so he doesn't have to worry about Siren trying to mind control him, again.

Aura has a secret garden. She uses it to grow her magic plants. It has a defense system that even Jestar can't get past. Only those she has given permission can enter, but those people can give temporary permission to others. Only Nautilus, Puffer and Solario have permission to go into the garden.

Has gotten use to the weird things Natalie can do.

Puffer:

A bit of a hermit, but will open up when he trusts someone

Always has his eyes closed because he thinks his eyes look scary. He can still see for some reason? (Like Brock from pokemon, idk how he could see but he traveled like 3-4 regions like that)

Changes colors depending on emotions. Blue is calm and happy, purple is upset and sad and red is anger and frustration.

Puffer can create lots of spikes all over his body if needed as well as a set of claws. He doesn't do this often.

Likes to cook but keeps it a secret from everyone. (Aura and Nautilus found out though, they just kept the secret)

He really doesn't like Siren after what she did to him, but he will talk to her and hang out with her if someone else he trusts is around.

Really wants to apologize to Hal but he hasn't gotten the chance to yet.

Is really self conscious.

He's not very good at swimming but Nautilus teaches him when Siren isn't around or in Aura's secret garden.

Siren:

Likes to sing for no reason

Has a not so small army of skeleton fish

Is litterally heartless (she doesn't like to talk about it)

Has a crush on Puffer but she doesn't know how to fix the bridge she burned with him

Plays chess with Myst a lot(and wins a lot, much to Myst's dismay)

She can shape shift her tail into a pair of legs. This was a "gift" from Jestar to help her be a better assassin for him

Thinks Xero is a prick

Likes to steal Xero's alcohol sometimes

Can water bend. She can't blood bend though. She's tried.

Likes rock and country music for some reason

Nautilus likes to play with her fish some times.

Knows a bit about necromancy. She doesn't like to talk about it though. She never does it in front of anyone besides her fish army

Myst:

Doesn't like to talk about his life outside work

Is well over 100 years old( he lost count)

Is very protective when it comes to Shade

Doesn't really understand Shade but will support her regardless

Likes to smoke when he thinks no one is around

Can create an umbrella to protect himself if he is caught outside when the sun comes up

Likes to play chess

Is basically a dad to the other assassins

Rarely opens his third eye. This usually only happens when he gets frantic, scared or extreamly angry

Does not have any remorse over killing Parry

He doesn't eat in front of others if it can be helped

Myst told Nautilus about Shade once. He had a bad feeling and asked that if anything happened to him Nautilus would take care of her. Only problem was no one thought about the address of Myst and Shade's mansion. He found her though, don't worry.

When he is exposed to sunlight it will immediately cause him to get sunburned. If he doesn't leave after about 30 seconds- 1 minute he will start to die slowly and painfully. He has taken a lot of tea baths because of the sun

Solario:

A big dork

Very loud and bubbly

Is a prince from a kingdom galaxies away from where black heart takes place in

Was suppose to marry the moon from the moon is getting away level (haven't given her a name yet) but she unknowingly broke Sol's heart so he left. He wanted her to be happy and he clearly couldn't give her that happiness.

Doesn't understand "mortal" things but wants to learn.

Nautilus taught him the word yeet and now he won't stop using it

I headcanon that his voice actor would Gary LeVox(lead singer of Rascal Flatts)(don't ask why, I can't change what has happened in my brain)

Will stop at nothing to see his friends happy

Likes hanging out with Aura, Nautilus and Puffer

Can make himself hotter or colder at will. He tends to stay at a heat that won't hurt others when the go near him, but not cold enough to cause himself harm.

If he gets to cold he can die. He also starts to become extreamly cold or extremely hot before death. The direction his tempature goes in is dependent on what he was doing before hand. (Example: reading a book, gets shot, starts to get colder and colder. Attacking Hal trying to get his soul, shapeshifts so much he almost blows himself up, gets hotter and hotter)

Can be a bit over dramatic sometimes

He is incredibly strong. He can lift both Puffer(who whieghs roughly 230 lbs) and Nautilus when he's in his suit(so about 250 lbs) with no trouble. He forgets about his stranghth some times and has accidentally thrown a few things before quickly trying to fix it.

His shapeshifting isn't limited to just objects, he can shape shift small things about him self like his cloths or his entire body into something like a dinosaur. He doesn't do it often though. Mostly just the cloths thing.

Jestar:

Yells a lot

Thinks everyone is incompetent except Xero, for some reason

Accidentally took Puffer when Siren joined do to a confusion about Sirens powers. He refused to send Puffer home.

Colossus is basically just his pet

Xero is the only one who can get away with yelling at Jestar. No one really knows why but they hold really long arguments about all sorts of stupid stuff

Did I mention he yells a lot? I did? Well I’m saying it again. He yells A LOT.

Can shapeshift in to anything

Does not know how to handle baby Madusa. He doesn't know how to handle people in general, and he thought creating a baby was a good idea.

Xero:

Smokes and drinks a lot

Has a German accent(I can’t un heard it, I’m sorry)

Has a wrapped sense of humor

Calls Natilus “shark boy” after natilus bit him(this is related to what happened before N.A.T.U)

Calls everyone a nicknames besides Jestar.

Makes more robots then he needs and holds robot death battles at night.

Wants to dissect Siran after he found out she’s litterally heartless.

Is drunk 90% of the time but that's when he works best. He doesn't care that he has a problem either

Dressed Madusa up is costumes a lot during the 2 weeks it took him to grow up. He created a scrap book with photos of them too.

Can actually be a really nice dude when he wants to be. He doesn't normally want to be nice

90% of his robots are idiots

He's left handed

Colossus:

Is basically Jestar’s pet

Doesn’t speak a language anyone knows

Is basically a king without a kingdom

Starts out really tiny but gets really big for a short period of time once he has infected someone

Shade:

Has trust issues

Is only like 16 years old

Has normal(ish) ghost powers because she was born a ghost

Drives Myst nuts with her edgy stuff

Likes talking to Perry(she meets him after the Funk Hole level)

Can bounce between having a ghost tail to having normal legs.

Her flower is technically apart of her but she doesn't consider it part of her.

Perry:

Kinda skittish around people who look scary to him(so 90% of the black heart cast)

Has a crush on Shade but won't admit it out loud because he's scared of getting bitten in half by Myst, again.

Around 18 years old

Left home because his mom and brother suck and he wanted to be a ghost hunter like the ones he saw on tv. He got his wish for like 2 hours?

Transforms into Predator during the full moons and special moons. Special moons can have different effects on his transformation and mental state. Like a blood moon causes him to become more blood thirsty but a blue moon causes him to actually retain his normal mental state.

He has a habit of spiraling about everything

Predator:

Can't say anything understandable

Each part of his head has a brain so they agrue sometimes

Around 5X the size of Parry

Acts like a dog sometimes

Would have probably just ate Hal instead of taking the souls.

Madusa:

Can breath underwater and air without issue

Doesn't like the fact that he looks like Nautilus

Hasn't figured out how to swim fast like nautilus yet but won't admit it

Calls Jestar dad

Actually gets along well with Xero

Xero calls him Moccasin

Has markings like Nautilus but they only glow in the dark and they aren't as bright

He's allergic to shell fish

Actually had about a 2 week period where he was a kid. Xero and Jestar just gave him a special serum that caused I'm to grow up faster.

Most of his teeth ended up like Aura's but his canines are significantly sharper then they would be. Xero also found an extra set of teeth under Madusa's adult teeth.

Doesn't like the idea that his whole life rests on a tiny, easy to brake, stone on his head but just rolls with it.

Scared Jestar and Xero a lot during his first few days of life. He not only descovered his allergy to shell fish but almost got himself caught by the others a bunch of times.

All these guys belong to OL666 except Hal, he belongs to vitamin games

[faulty-writes]

Hi, I really love your writing! I hope everything is going good! I can’t wait to see more of your stuff!❤️❤️❤️ If it’s not too much trouble can I request Pirate!Shigaraki, Shinso, Bakugo and Midoriya (separate) being seduced by a mermaid S/O only to capture her instead? Thank you and have a lovely day!!

I have no idea how to write pirate dialogue so forgive my horrid excuse of a headcanon. 

Tomura Shigaraki 

He was the most feared Captain across the seas, recognized for his ruthless behavior and lack of common decency. Very little got through to his heart, with the exception of you. When he first laid eye on you, he knew he wanted you. Your beautiful hair and shimmering tail. The way your voice sang so beautifully, yes he had his heart set on you and he always got what he wanted. 

Of course, when he finally did. He was further hypnotized by your beauty, noticing the little details of your webbed hands and gills. “Aye, aren't ye a pretty wench?” he chuckled and smiled down at you, holding your webbed hand as you fluttered your eyes at him. Finding yourself lucky to have landed a Captain. The ultimate pirate among pirates. 

Things seemed to be going your way, as a mermaid you seduced pirates which often led them to their own demise. Yet Captain Shigaraki was a tad different, he was the most affection Captain you had met. Often demanding you slept with him at night and his legs would wrap around your tail as you cuddled in his bed. It was strange, but not unwanted. 

Unfortunately for once in your life, you had let your emotions get the best of you. One day you had woken up with your hands tied behind your back and you squirmed against your restraints only to hear Shigaraki chuckle. “Oh, did ye think ye were going to continue to be free? Arr, looks like ye were mistaken, wench. Ye’re my captive now and ye better start begging or we’ll make ye dance the hempen jig.” he warned, as he dragged one skinny finger across his neck. 

Shinso Hitoshi

Shinso didn’t particularly care for much in his life, having been nothing more than a Boatswain. He got to supervise activities on the ship and often ran around like a mad man performing more duties than he was able to handle. But he had the determination to keep climbing up the ladder in hopes that one day he’d become a great Pirate. Of course, those dreams were put on hold the moment he heard your voice. It carried through the wind and he demanded the navigator to follow it. 

When he first saw you through the fog, for once in his life. He felt something. Normally he’d just drag through every day and wonder if his life would ever change, if he’d ever be recognized as someone more worthy on the ship. But those thoughts left him as soon as he saw you. Your wet hair clinging to your forehead, your shimmering skin, and beautiful tail. It was enough to make him fall for you right then and there or one would think. 

Mermaids were a rare sighting and if one managed to get their hands on one, well there would be room for promotion. He quickly got into a dinghy and paddled his way over to you, not wanting to risk his crew finding out and a blush came to his face as he finally saw you up close. Nothing less than beautiful. “Yo ho ho, the name’s Shinso,” he said before extending his hand out to you, he needed to play nice for now. It had taken a while to gain your trust, but Shinso came back for as long as his ship was docked in the nearby town.

 “I have something to tell ye,” he said as he turned to you and you smiled in return. Blinking when he offered his hand and though it was a strange gesture, you took it. Shinso reached back and you heard a clinking sound before a handcuff slapped over your wrist. “No hard feelings aye? I need ye to make my life a wee bit easier.” you were terrified when Shinso then proceeded to carry you over his shoulder. You should have caused his demise when you had the chance. 

Bakugo Katsuki 

“Get the hell out of the way, avast ye dumbasses!” he snapped, as he shoved his way through. Bakugo happened to be a Captain, but only because he was too headstrong and ended up hanging the previous Captain. He was known as the pirate with anger issues and little experience but a promising future. He pushed aside his first mate, Kirishima, and stood there as he set his eyes on you. The sound of your melody following. 

At first he couldn’t believe what his idiot first mate had found and was a little pissed he had gone around telling the whole goddamn crew. Bakugo had to warn him not to tell anyone else or he’d feed him to the sharks. Kirishima agreed, though a little fearfully. Still, they had chosen to dock near your location and Bakugo began to look forward to your siren songs as the nights passed. 

However, while in town he heard rumors of a mermaid sighting and he wasn’t going to let anyone take his treasure away. So he returned to his ship and despite Kirishima’s questions, grabbed a fishing net. “That damned mermaid is mine, and I’ll be fish bait before I let anyone take the wench away from me.” he snapped before going to find you, of course, he quickly found out that screaming demands while attempting to capture a mermaid with a fishnet was a bad idea. 

He grew frustrated to the point where you were the only thing on his mind, the image of you burnt into his mind. More so when your siren song echoed through the night. “That’s it!” he snapped before leaving the ship and finding you on your usual rock. “Come with me now ...” he demanded and when you refused, he ended up tying up and carrying you back to the ship by force. “Look ...I’m sorry but ...ye’re mine and I’ll be damned before I let any of those landlubbers have you.” he declared before ordering the ship to leave. 

Izuku Midoriya 

He was once the first mate of the pirate he had admired most. Captain All Might, he was known as one of the kindest but strongest pirates. As long as you didn’t get on his bad side. There was nothing to worry about, however, Captain All Might had shifted all power to Midoriya when he suffered a great injury. Midoriya wasn’t a well-known pirate but thanks to Captain All Might he had enough of something to work off of. 

He was kind just like Captain All Might, always looking out for his crew and always saving people. That’s how he happened to meet you, unfortunately, another ruthless pirate had tried to capture you and it was your siren that led Midoriya to you. After he had dealt some justice to the pirate that captured you, he invited you to stay on his ship. 

Of course, it wasn’t easy. The rest of the crew was worried having a mermaid aboard would cause them to be a primary target but Midoriya was the one that spent most of the time with you. Sharing his tales of the sea and even snuggling with you and feeding you when it was dinner time. He loved your slick hair that flowed like the sea and the way your eyes looked. Everything about you was beautiful. But he enjoyed the sound of your voice the most. When you sang, he was under a trance. Of course, after a villainous pirate gang had attacked his ship in an attempt to get their hands on you, Midoriya had made the choice to finally let you go. 

Even if he had grown attached to you. So he ordered the ship back to the location they had first found you. But you were reluctant to leave, having gotten used to the ship, its crew, and Captain Midoriya. “N-No ye have to go! The sea is ye’re home!” he insisted but when you kept refusing, he grew frustrated. “I’m ordering ye to leave!” he said, and once more you shook your head. “What ...y-ye want to stay?” he questioned and you nodded. “Well then ...if ye’re going to stay.” he grabbed your hands and pulled you close. “Ye’re my captive then ...and no one will get their hands on ye,” he promised with a devilish smile. 

[ironwoman359]

It was a rainy night. But it was Wednesday.

Read on AO3 

It was a rainy night. But it was Wednesday.

And in almost six months, Virgil hadn’t missed a single Wednesday, so he wasn’t about to let a little foul weather stop him now. He poked his head into the living room and was greeted with the familiar sight of the back of his mom’s head outlined against the glare of the television. There was an open wine bottle on the end table next to her, and Virgil knew if she wasn’t out already, she would be in the next half hour. Satisfied, he pulled his hood up over his head and slipped out the back door. 

The walk from his house to the beach was a short one, a path Virgil knew so well that even under the heavy curtain of rainfall that turned everything around him into a hazy, blurry mess, he reached the shoreline in less than ten minutes. Still, by the time he waded into the surf, he was soaked to the bone and his teeth were chattering slightly as he wrapped his now useless hoodie tighter around his shoulders. 

Most people would probably think he was crazy, a teenager standing alone in the cold in the ocean in the middle of the night, rain pouring down around him. But Virgil wasn’t crazy. He was waiting. 

He didn’t have to wait very long. 

He hadn’t been there five minutes before a pair of bright eyes poked up out of the water. They lit up with delight when they landed on Virgil, and then the owner of those eyes lifted up further, his head and shoulders rising above the water. 

“Virgil!” the merman chirped happily, and despite the cold, the rain, and the ever present, ever nagging emptiness gnawing at his stomach, Virgil smiled. 

“Hey, Patton,” Virgil said, wading deeper into the ocean until the water was up to his waist. A frown flickered across Patton’s face.

“I thought you might not make it tonight…” he said, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “It’s pretty stormy up here.”

Virgil shrugged, trying to ignore the way his own bangs were plastered to his forehead.

“It’s not so bad,” he said, but Patton didn’t look convinced. 

“Virgil, you’re soaking wet.”

“Patton, I’m standing in the ocean,” Virgil responded, his lips quirking upward. “Besides, you live underwater. If I was put off by getting wet, we wouldn’t have become friends in the first place.”  

“You’re shaking.”

“Huh?” 

Virgil hadn’t really noticed once Patton had appeared, but he supposed he was still trembling a little from the cold. His hoodie was well and truly drenched now; he may as well have dunked his head beneath the waves. 

“Virgil, you should go home,” Patton said gently, and Virgil let out a half-choked laugh. 

“And spend the rest of the night holed up in my room with the TV blaring outside hoping my mom doesn’t wake up and decide to pay my room a visit? No thanks.” 

Patton made a small, distressed sound in the back of his throat, and Virgil cursed inwardly. He tried not to let on how shitty his home life was, the last thing he wanted to do was upset Patton, but sometimes he was just too tired, and things slipped out. From the look Patton was giving him now, Virgil knew that the merman had been able to infer at least a few things about his situation. Enough to know that it wasn’t good.

“Virgil…” Patton began, his voice careful and soothing. “If it’s that bad…you should leave.” 

“I…” Virgil’s voice caught in his throat, and he didn’t know whether to blame the sudden surge of exhaustion on the rain, Patton’s impossibly gentle tone, or just his own stupid brain. “I can’t…I’m seventeen and can’t survive on my own, I have nowhere I can go, no other relatives, no friends, I…” Virgil looked down, closing his eyes, suddenly glad of the rain to help conceal his tears. “I have no one.” 

A hand clasped his own, and he opened his eyes to find Patton staring at him with a fierce determination shining in his eyes. 

“You have me,” he said firmly, and Virgil’s lips twisted into a shaky smile. 

“Yeah…yeah, I do.” He squeezed Patton’s hand, staring down at their intertwined fingers. “You’re the one good thing in my stupid excuse of a life.” 

Patton bit his lip, then reached up and gently cupped Virgil’s face.

“Virgil, can I ask you something?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper, and Virgil nodded. “Do you love me?” 

Virgil froze, his eyes growing wide, and Patton let his hand fall away from his face. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” 

“Yes!” Virgil blurted out, and it was Patton’s turn to freeze. “I do, Patton. I love you, I…I think I’ve loved you for ages.”

Patton’s eyes were shining, and Virgil had a feeling that it wasn’t the weather’s doing.

“Really?” he asked, and Virgil nodded, a shy smile on his face. 

“Yeah…really. I just…didn’t want to lose my only friend in the world, and…I mean, you can’t be on land and I can’t live in the water so it’s not like it could even really work-”

“Virgil, may I kiss you?” 

“You may,” Virgil breathed, and then Patton was surging upwards, pressing his mouth against Virgil’s.

Patton tasted like the sea on a warm summer’s day, and if Virgil closed his eyes he could almost forget that it was raining. He didn’t want this moment to ever end, he wanted to stay right here and never go back to his mom’s house and- 

Virgil gasped as he felt something shift inside him, and his eyes flew open in a panic, but they landed on Patton’s freckle covered face hovering inches from his own. 

“Virgil, do you trust me?” Patton asked, eyes wide and earnest, and Virgil nodded.

“Of course I do,” he said, and Patton pressed their foreheads together. 

“Then close your eyes,” he murmured, then his lips were on Virgil’s again. 

His eyes slipped closed and Virgil felt Patton pull him gently down beneath the waves. As his head was submerged, he expected to feel fear, panic, water filling his lungs, but with Patton’s arms wrapped around him he found there was no room for any of that in his mind. 

There was only room for Patton, for their lips pressed together, for their fingers in each others hair, for their tails wrapped around each other…

Wait, tails?

Virgil’s eyes flew open and Patton let out a bubbly giggle as Virgil stared down at his legs…or rather where his legs used to be. In their place was a shimmering purple tail, nearly identical in size and shape to Patton’s blue one. It was then that it really hit Virgil that he was somehow breathing, and his hands flew to his neck. 

“Patton…” he said slowly, part of him marveling at how easy it was to speak underwater. “Do I…have gills?” 

“It worked, it worked!” Patton cried before grabbing Virgil’s hands, laughing and spinning him around in a circle. 

“I- what worked, Pat?” Virgil asked, laughing too as Patton spun him around. 

“There’s a legend,” Patton explained, eyes wide with wonder. “That if a mer and a human are truly in love, one can cross the boundaries of nature for the other.” 

“So…..you turned me into a merman,” Virgil said carefully. 

“Love turned you into a merman!” Patton said happily. He froze then, his happy expression turning into something shy and almost fearful. “Is…is that okay? I think there’s a way to change you back, if it isn’t…but if you wanted to…you could stay?”

Virgil stared in disbelief. 

“Stay…in the ocean? With you?” 

Patton’s face fell, and he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Y-yeah…this was silly of me, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” 

Virgil cut him off by throwing his arms around his neck, and Patton squeaked in surprise. 

“Yes,” Virgil gasped, pulling back and meeting Patton’s eyes, a wide smile finally splitting his face. “Yes, I…oh my god, Patton, I would love that.” 

Patton grinned, and as the two of them leaned into another kiss, Virgil finally felt warm.

—

Sanders Sides Taglist (pt.1): @lizethemotherlycat,  @coffeestudylive, @logically-asexual,  @migraine-marathon, @princeyssash,  @idontevenfreakingknow22, @tree4life25, @spacevirgil, @virgiltheanxious, @thebaagelboy,  @msu82, @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2, , @thesleepyraziel, @bobolovesoze,  @littlemiracle05, @pattson,  @nerd-in-space, @thesides,  @stay-in–place, @ravenclawunicorn1, @at-least-seven-pretty-potatoes, @michealawithana, @anotherfandomtrasher , @fandomsofrandom,  @a-deliciouslyfadingcollection, @nightmarejasmine, @xxfoxit, @quoth-the-sparrow, @katatles-the-fish, @misty-the-mysterious, @alyssadashrub, @punkassplonker, @noctisvalex, @i-sold-my-soul-to-thefandom, @funsizedgremlin, @vigilantvirgil, @nonamefightergirl, @thomasbemyfriend, @starsinger  , @milomeepit, @justabookworm39, @shortandfantastic, @thesilentbluesparrow, @royallyanxious, @mirror2thespirit, @coffee-stains-paper-and-ink, @silverrhayn, @mooksie01, @backatthebein, @nye275, @anastasialestina, @callboxkat, @a-lexicon-of-words, @emeraldfoxface,   @peachie-keeen, @llamaly, @witch19,  @heythereprincey, @bring-it-on-perra, @nienna14, @bubblycricket,

Sanders Sides Taglist (pt.2): @thomasfandersunite, @slightlyobssesive,  @logicallyanxious, @apologetically-anxious, @keys117, @digitally-analog,    @ocotopushugs, @warping-reality,  @grey-lysander, @your-username-is-unavailable, @hikariyukino, @theresneverenoughfandoms, @virgil-sanderssss, @violetmcl, @thatfandomfollower, @nothingelsemattersme, @cdragontogacotar, @narniasfinestavengingsociopath, @absentmindedproff, @fantasyandfairfolk, @virgilsblogofanxietys, @your-average-outcast, @sanderstalker, @galaxy-warping, @queen-of-all-things-snuggly @a-little-bit-of-ace, @faithfreedom-art @therealhmmlingle @xxladystarlightxx, @morgan-the-art-girl, @stormcrawler75 @wowitsmyblog, @romanssippycup, @lunalikesgamesandstuff, @lamp-calm-sanders, @musikasworld @cyberpunkjinx, @mauvelavender @samathekittycat @black-out-wonder @i-read-by-lamp @ravenclawicecream @nashiraneko @lucifer-in-my-head @ladyartemisia28 @awesome-and-unique-username @zoalis @entpscarleharrrr @raygelkitty @zeldahadasword @gubbalupagus @musicphanpie-b @virgilssweaterpaws, @faacethefacts @a-simple-fryingpan @pinkeasteregg @punknerdmusings @imantisocialgetoverit @anuninspiredpoet  @awkward-avocado-of-death, @poison-lyra @modcarbz, @thisrandomperson102,  @skydiamcnds @just-another-starfish, @thepoolofthedead,  

[sonicringbond]

Sonic Ring Bond: the Journey - Scene 23

And with a lengthy little scene, we have moved away from the exposition for now. Or at least most of it. Rosy still has some exposition to give every scene just due to the story structure, but we actually have things getting started started again in this scene so i hope everyone enjoys...

    ~The biggest thing I love about adventuring is all the new people I meet and all of the wonderful places that I see. Sometimes though the people I meet need help, or just want a favor in exchange for a service. Tee-hee~♥ This time the people I met are little meaner though.

    ~To people who rely on Rings, they are irreplaceable. They do so much, and we rely on them so much. I don’t even think I really thought about it until I ended up in these strange lands with that little planet watching me every day. When I first discovered that most people here didn’t trust Rings it was so unnatural. Yet to them it was perfectly normal. Or so I thought until I met the Engineers.

    ~They were the first people here who actually used Rings like I was used to, but when Rings are treated as bad, they have to keep it a secret. It makes Ring Thieves even worse than they are back home. Stealing Rings is so hurtful, even helping a Ring Thief will get you hurt. I’ll have to talk Gill into changing his way of life when I finally catch up with him.

    ~Fortunately, though I was afraid that knowing Gill would have lost me an opportunity to catch up with Zooey, the cloud sailors were very understanding. They just didn’t trust me, or Draw, so they sent us out on a little quest to prove that we were trustworthy.

    ~Hmph! I think it’s ridiculous since they saw the photo with me and Zooey both in it. It should be obvious. But Gill did steal Rings from them, so it makes sense to help them gather Rings. I’m kind of excited too as I haven’t had a Ring gathering job in what feels like forever! Hee-hee! It’s what I used to do back home so it’s a nice little reminder of who I am. Which is fortunate too under the circumstances.~

    An airship that was barely more than a deck, cabins, and a hold wrapped around a metal balloon and further wrapped in sails, rigging, propellers, and wings soared across the jagged terrain. The mountains were unusual in that they almost appeared like domino tiles that had fallen on top of each other. The geography resulted in the top side of the mountains being covered as far as the eye could see in lush grasslands where sheep roamed, and Rings spun about on their axes arranged in any number of patterns. Despite being high enough for clouds to drift across the meadows the temperature was warm and balmy. From the deck railing Rosy watched the scenery passing by below with a huge and excited smile.

    “Ooh~! It’s so perfect! There are so many places to run, and so many Rings too! I bet there are all sorts of interesting things to find down below the cliffs too!”

    “You’re awfully excited considering they’re making you do their work,” Draw looked at Rosy wryly before a smirk adorned his face. With a shrug he closed his eyes and turned away. “But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when dealing with a weirdo girl like you.”

    “How many times do I have to tell you stop calling me names!”

    Rosy complained and Draw snickered before Rosy stuck her tongue out in retaliation. It earned them both a good laugh, but Rosy felt it would be rude not answer the implied question from her koala companion. Wiping a tear from her eye she explained her excitement.

    “Believe it or not, but this is what I did back home,” Rosy demonstrated vaguely drawing a doodle in the air with a finger. “My job was to collect Rings and I went all over the place doing it. Me and my best friend. Ooh~ I haven’t seen Tails in forever and I miss him so much. I really hope he’s okay.”

    “I’m surprised you haven’t forgotten him with how long you’ve been searching. It seems like something you’d forget.”

    Hopping off the railing, Rosy sat down on the deck beside Draw and pulled her knees to her chin. It made her look very small, even next to the younger and smaller koala.

    As Draw continued to clean his bow, he looked at Rosy wondering if she was upset about something. The mischievous grin she wore hidden behind her knees told him otherwise and he leaned in closer as she motioned to him with a wave of her hand.

    “Well that’s the thing,” Rosy whispered excitedly, her wagging tail thudding against the deck giving away her enthusiasm. “I’ve noticed that the things I’m most likely to forget are things that aren’t associated with what I normally do. I think that’s why it’s so important for everyone to have the defined roles that they do. It helps you stay you, I think. But adventuring is what I do, and what my friends do too so most of those memories are just kind of fuzzy now, but I can still remember them. That’s why I’m not worried about helping the Engineers out.”

    “I get it,” Draw contemplated as he absently rubbed down his bow. “They aren’t trying to have you repay the stolen Rings, they’re trying to use how everyone always forgets things to make you loyal to them.”

    “That’s what I was thinking too,” Rosy beamed as Draw had caught on. “But I know it won’t work on either of us. First and foremost, I know that the Rings will always remember. Secondly, they think we’re dumb because we’re kids.”

    “Well you’re certainly a weirdo girl,” Draw countered Rosy’s attempts to build up their confidence. She puffed up her cheeks at him and he simply flashed her another playful smirk. He did not prompt her to go off topic however and stayed quiet.

    “But they shouldn’t look down on us like that. I know you’ll be fine too because practicing to hunt golems is what you do, and I’ll be fine because I’m going to be doing what I always do. They won’t beat us so easily, and we’ll still help them and get to hear more about where Zooey is.”

    ~I felt like my belief was spot on. Why wouldn’t it be? This strange land may steal people’s memories, but I’ve been doing my best to pay attention and protect my precious memories as best as I could. I had gotten Draw involved too so it was important that I protect his memories too. The thing is though, I wasn’t prepared for how bored I was going to be. And after it looked so exciting too.

    ~Overlooking one of the best views I ever saw of the wide openness of the world was a weird little tower that was as much a part of an old ruin as it was something that looked like it grew out of it. It was like a smashed together building built from a windmill, a water tower, a lighthouse, and a giant boiler chimney. There were pipes everywhere and covered almost as much as the ivy and other plants that covered the stone brick building. But there was nothing else of interest.

    ~A kitchen, bedrooms, and a lookout post. Even the weird little arch that served as the airship port was just quaint. The old guy who worked at what they called an Engineer’s waystation was nice enough too, but he laid down a very strict rule about never going further out than he could see. And so, by the afternoon of my second day there, I was so bored and turned desperately to Draw to help me chase away the boredom.~

    “It’s your fault for collecting the Rings so fast,” Draw remarked dismissively as he fired off a practice shot into a target he carved into the side of an old tree within the outer wall of the ruin that held the waystation.

    “I know, but I get so excited!” Rosy whined. “It really is like back home. Rings show up in random places and patterns every day and I just can’t help myself. It’s so much fun but being limited on where I can run makes it so boring. I know they don’t trust me, but it’s still unfair.”

    “And why do you think I can change their minds?” Draw asked as he fired off another arrow.

    “I don’t,” Rosy admitted as she clasped her hands behind her back and began swaying her body back and forth. “I was just hoping you could help me chase off my boredom for a little bit.”

    “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Draw asked as he eyed Rosy wearily.

    Her cheeks puffing up, Rosy energetically defended herself. “It isn’t anything bad! Really! I just want to practice my fortune telling. I may consult the cards every morning, but I know so many other ways of reading fortunes too. Like I can do a really simple one right here and now. All I need is for you to show me you hand.

    “And if I say I don’t want to?” Draw challenged.

    “Don’t be like that!” Rosy fussed and snagged Draw’s hand in both of hers.

    “Why do you care about my future anyway?” Draw pressed as he yanked his hand away, not noticing that Rosy drew her thumbs along his palm as he did. “Or do you think I can’t beat your golem–?”

    Draw stopped short as he noticed Rosy’s mischievous grin had returned and he frowned in disgust and fear. “What did you just do?”

    “Nothing,” Rosy swayed playfully, teasing the poor koala. “Just read your fortune is all~♥”

    “What! That easily?”

    “I’m really good at it,” Rosy laughed as she shook a playful finger at the bewildered Draw.

    “No way! What did you learn!”

    “Well…,” Rosy started enthusiastically, but she seemed a bit perplexed and looked down at her thumbs. Draw swallowed loudly afraid something bad lay in store for him, but Rosy dismissed it as she reached into one of the shoulder puffs of her leotard. “It’s kind of confusing so I’m going to ask my cards to help clarify for me.”

    Without missing a beat, Rosy flopped onto the ground, her legs forming a “W” like shape in front of her as she withdrew the small waterproof container. Carefully extracting her tarot cards Rosy split the deck and paused a moment before shuffling. Giggling, she lay the two halves on the ground in front of her. “I better give them a Ring first. I don’t want them getting worn out. They’re my oldest friends you know.”

    Draw gave Rosy a doubting look, but she ignored him and cheerily pushed a Ring into her cards. With a twinkle of golden motes of light, the Ring vanished as quickly as it had appeared from Rosy’s person. Her cards seemed no different, but it was obvious that they still looked brand new. Testing the snap of the cards Rosy smiled wider as she began to shuffle them.

    It was a mundane action, but a sudden breeze blew one or two free and Rosy gasped in apologetic surprise.

    “Ah! I’m sorry!”

    Scrambling to catch the errant cards, Rosy looked like a child chasing butterflies and Draw hung his head and sighed. The sudden urgency in Rosy’s voice as she spoke to him again though caused him concern as he looked back up at her.

    “Draw, we have to go.”

    “Eh! What!” Draw stepped back surprised, but Rosy’s face was desperate with seriousness. Still, he needed clarification as she hurried to put her cards away. “But if we leave… I mean won’t they never help us find your friend if we go now.”

    “They probably won’t,” Rosy conceded, but did not linger as she offered Draw her back so she might carry him piggyback. “But I know seeing them and how protective they are that Zooey is safe. I want to see her. Really, I do. But… but right now, someone else needs our help and we have to hurry before it’s too late!”

    “How did come up with that?” Draw guffawed at the absurdity of what Rosy claimed.

    “The cards told me!”

    Rosy’s claim baffled Draw even more and he gave her a doubting look and began to mouth a response but Rosy cut him off with a stern look as she forewent an explanation. “I know you don’t believe me, no one ever does at first, but my cards never lie to me. And right now, someone needs our help more than Zooey, so we have to go.”

    “Well… If you… argh! Fine!”

    With a shout Draw gave in and soon found himself whisked away at speeds he could not comprehend across the meadowed mountain sides.

Scene 23 · CLEARED A Tiny Voice, to be continued

-----

And with that, Rosy is chasing after trouble yet again. Draw seemed to have mellowed out this scene, but hopefully not jarringly so. I definitely need to get some excitability into him again. But we’ll leave that for the future.

Thank you for reading everyone! i hope you enjoyed!

-----

Special Thanks to Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song – What Makes the Sky Blue – Tsutomu Narita – Granblu Fantasy Original Soundtrack: Promise

Fair Use Disclaimer

Sonic the Hedgehog and all affiliated characters and logos are the express property and Copyright© of SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS used without permission under Title 17 U.S.C Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976 in which allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. “Fair use” is use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be considered copyright infringement. The Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey alternate universe (AU) consumer written work of fiction is a non-profit transformative work primarily for personal use and can and will be taken down without warning or prior notice at the request of the copyright holder(s) should it not be recognized under “fair use”.

*Sonic Ring Bond logo created by DEE Art – twitter.com/daryliscute.

Sonic Ring Bond AU and Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey are the creation of Joshua David Tarwater/ynymbus/sonicfanj/@Joshtarwater and is to be, including all contents herein considered for all legal purposes the property of the Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property (IP) and copyright owners, SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS. All story contributors via prompt, suggestion, written scene, art, and all and every other contribution acknowledge that all contributed material is forfeit for legal purposes to SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS upon official request from SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.

[tronnyboyo]

BLUE SEA Chapter 7: Blue Sea,

Based off of “Delicious” from Pet Shop of Horrors 

Rating: Mature 

AU: Don Thousand’s Pet Shop 

Word Count: 1944

Relationships: Hellshark/Disqualifyshipping (IV/Ryoga) 

Warnings: Brief smut scene, adult humor

Summary: Thomas wakes up to the sound of a voice that he thought he would never hear again.  

Yes, this is my siren song

Reserved only for you

Like a spider I weave my notes around you

You’re caught in my net and I reel you in just like a—fisherman

Siren song, 

Don’t get too close or you’ll be lost at sea

Siren song

     The familiar voice made me open my eyes. In the background, a familiar bass line played and I turned towards the singer. Perched on the steps of the pool was Ryoga, singing along. He looked radiant, his curls glistening under the golden sunlight and his tail languidly flapping in the water. The gills on the sides of his neck opened to and fro as he sang and his hands with their sharp nails tattooed out a matching beat. His eyes were distant as he sang, as if he were reliving another lifetime. My legs shook with shock. Weakly, I grabbed the edge of my chair for support and slowly made my way towards him. 

   “It’s you..!” I gasped. “It’s really you!” 

    Ryoga immediately stopped singing. He turned and gave me a sardonic grin. Plish. He flicked some water at me with the tip of his tail. 

   “Yes, you idiot. Who else could it be?” he teased. 

    It was as if nothing had ever changed. Not caring about soaking my clothes, I ran into the pool and held him close. In turn, he wrapped his arms around me. He smelled of the ocean, fresh and salty. I didn’t mind at all that he slightly stank of fish. He was home, he was home! My eyes filled with tears and I couldn’t keep the shaking out of my voice. I traced my fingers across his flushed cheeks and gazed deep into his loving eyes. 

   “You scared all of us,” I whispered. 

    “I know,” chuckled Ryoga. “I couldn’t help it though.” 

    He pulled me down with him, my neck finally resting on his shoulder. The water was cool as it soaked through my shorts and shirt. I felt the small of his back, so bony since I had last held him. Had I been feeding him enough? I had followed the pet shop’s instructions to the word. But...he was no longer a pet, was he? He wasn’t ever a pet, but now with his memories back, I could truly call him my husband again. I never wanted to let him go, but he eventually pushed me away. He gave me another smirk and flicked more water in my face. 

   “I was so pissed at you,” he said. “You should have just told me about you and my sister.” 

   I held his gaze for a few moments before I replied. With a gentle light in his eyes, he looked more beautiful than before. He seemed almost radiant, with the summer sun against his back. The want in my chest bloomed. 

   “I know and I’m sorry,” I sighed. “But it’s all over now. I’m now fully dedicated to you.” 

   A pause followed as Ryoga gazed out at the pool room. His eyes grew distant again. He must have been remembering the figs we used to feast on every summer. I felt awful that I had just left them to rot instead of finding people to accept them. 

     “I wish Rio told me,” he murmured. 

   “Too late for that now,” I said. “You scared her away.” 

   Ryoga chuckled and then swam around me, his tail trailing the waters elegantly. He playfully tapped me on the nose, his rough fingertip catching my skin. The smile continued to play on his features. 

   “Greedy bastard. You had to fuck both twins to satisfy yourself, huh?” 

   I returned Ryoga’s smirk and pulled him closer to me. Gently, I brushed my lips against his collarbone and relished in his shivers. With deliberate slowness, I ran my lips down his white throat. 

    “I chose you in the end though. And I’m staying with you. Forever,” I promised as I drew him into a kiss. 

    His lips were softer than I remembered. He ran his hands through my hair as we kissed. In turn, I held his torso closer to me. I wanted to be with him, lips locked together, for the rest of our lives. He overwhelmed me with his salty tang, drowning my senses with the ocean. I felt his mouth open invitingly and I slid my tongue into his mouth. How I missed these moments. How I missed him. 

   And now we were together again, buried in each other’s love. 

   “I know,” whispered Ryoga, nipping the bottom of my lip. “I made sure of that.”

   “By making yourself completely dependent on me?” I teased. 

    His tail brushed against my bare leg, the rough skin digging into my own flesh. He flashed his sharp teeth and traced my jaw. 

    “You have the roles mixed up. You need me now,” he drawled. 

   “Oh yeah? Are you the one who feeds me and keeps my tank clean?” I countered. 

    Just like that, Ryoga leaned his head on my shoulder and looked up at me with hunger in his widened eyes, much like before he regained his memories. He would have never done such a thing before this. 

    “We need each other’s love to stay alive,” he said, his lips pink and wet. 

   “Stop making that face,” I chuckled. “It looks weird on you, now that you remember me.” 

    Ryoga pursed his lips and his eyes looked into mine. They were so beautifully blue, just like the ocean on a sunny day. I saw him then, wreathed in sunlight and playing his bass on the shore, a barbecue behind us. My heart ached. Surely, we could still find a way to travel together, even like this. 

    “Did you like it when I didn’t?” he asked softly. 

    I cupped Ryoga’s face in my hands, his skin as cold as the waters we were in. 

   “No,” I breathed. “It hurt just to look at you.”

    Ryoga pressed himself against my chest and kissed me again. Even the insides of his mouth were cold, filled with the slight tang of blood and salt. His hands went to unbutton my shirt, just like he used to. I tried to ignore the coldness in his fingers and hoped that if I held them long enough, they would be warm once again. When he pulled away, my shirt had been fully unbuttoned and I smirked at him. 

   “Haven’t lost that dexterity at all, huh?” I noted. 

   Ryoga proudly crossed his arms. 

   “Nope.” 

   “Think you can do something about those cold hands of yours?” I asked as I slid my shirt off and rested it by the poolside. 

    My husband laughed and he flicked more water in my face. 

   “I’m a shark! Sharks are cold-blooded, stupid!” he said. “I can’t help with being cold.” 

    I blushed and turned away from Ryoga. Of course. 

   “What’s next? Are you going to ask if I have two penises?” he called as he swam over to the jewelry cabinet. 

    “Wh-what?!” 

   Ryoga waved his hand dismissively and pulled out the first drawer. 

   “Nevermind. You kept my sister’s ring?” 

    Awkwardly, I waded closer to him. 

   “Er, yeah. It didn’t feel right, just throwing it out.” 

   He slowly nodded and contemplated the silver ring. The fondness that filled his face as he turned the ring around made my chest twinge. There was a hint of regret in his expression, with the way his lips were turned. 

  “How did your memories even come back? I didn’t even know you could speak,” I said as I watched him replace the ring with a leather bracelet. 

   A roll of his slim shoulders answered me. They pointed towards the stereo system that was still playing an old recording of his. 

   “Most likely that. My memories slowly came back and I trained myself to speak again. I didn’t want to show you too soon or else you’d just laugh at me garbling up my sentences with fish noises.” 

   I snorted. Imagining Ryoga making a wide-mouthed fish face was just too amusing and so unlike him. 

  “Fish make noises?” 

   He nodded. 

   “Some grunting and humming. Clicks.” 

    He put the drawer back and then swam towards me. Resting his cool hands on my chest, he looked up at me. My heart soared as I looked into his face, now filled with trust and familiarity. 

   “I wouldn’t mind. You’d still be my beautiful siren,” I whispered. 

   He softly smiled.

   “For once, you’re behaving decently towards me. It just took a long fall and some amnesia,” he chuckled.

   He kissed my chest and his hands crawled down to my shorts. I felt the rings on his hands brushing against my skin. I buried my face in his hair, breathing in his familiar scent. My heart beat out an accelerating rhythm as I felt the shorts slide down. His fingers toyed with my nipple. I took in a sharp breath. I haven’t had anyone touch me like this in weeks. Desperately, I leaned into his touch. 

   His lips wrapped around a nipple and began to suck. 

   “God,” I moaned. “It’s been too long.” 

   I felt the edges of his sharp teeth graze my flesh. The slight pain only made the warm sensations sharper. I ran my hands down his skin. Even if it was cold, it was still his skin. My breath hitched when he grabbed my hardened flesh. Lazily, he teased it with slow strokes. Like his teeth, his nails grazed my skin with tingling sparks of pain. Ryoga licked his lips. 

   “You bastard,” I muttered. “I haven’t shagged anyone since you leapt off the ship. At least give me some actual effort.” 

   A soft chuckle answered me and Ryoga pulled away, leaving me frustratingly aroused. He swam a few ways off, beckoning me deeper into the pool. 

  “Not even a wank, as you would say?”

   “I was too bloody depressed to wank!” I snapped as I tossed my sodden shorts to the side.  

   Whenever I was flustered, my old vulgarities would float back up from the depths of my mind. It had always fascinated and amused Ryoga, who had grown to adapt my anger-fueled vocabulary to his own during tense moments. Regardless, it felt so good to hear him teasing me again. It truly was him.

    “Maybe I should throw myself off of ships more often,” teased Ryoga as he evaded my grasp. “It makes you more desperate and clumsy.” 

    “You don’t have legs to jump anymore!” I hissed as I narrowly missed his arm. 

   “Fine. I guess I’ll pretend to drown.” 

   I swung my arm over the surface of the pool, dousing Ryoga in a wall of water. 

   “You’re half-shark, stupid! You can’t drown!” 

   A laugh bubbled up from Ryoga’s throat. His cheeks were flushed with color and his eyes were closed. The stained glass window from behind him casted splotches of magenta, turquoise and cerulean on his skin, giving him the illusion of rainbow scales. It was so rare to see him laughing like this, uninhibited and radiant. I wanted to take a picture then and there and forever frame the moment in my heart. It didn’t matter that he had a shark tail now. He was still my husband. 

    Opening his eyes, he dove towards me and pushed me into the water. For a few moments, we sunk into the cool waters of the pool, just two hearts beating in unison. I felt his lips brush over my heated skin. His tongue teased the tip of my length, a slight rasp on the touch-starved surface. Underwater, I let out a moan and opened my eyes. When I looked into Ryoga’s eyes, I saw the pale white disks of the moon.

[nuttersascend]

Fishy Tales

After being called mackerel one too many times by Chuuya, Dazai felt himself shrinking down as his skin started turning scale-ly and somehow, breathing became a chore. The world started becoming far too big for him as the skies moved farther and farther.

The two were near the mooring, where one sad sap had to become fish bait for her treachery. The ginger had chosen to look away from his partner, having been fed up of his shenanigans- but that moment of distraction had proven to be fatal.

Dazai chose to abandon ship when he realized what he was turning into. Hearing a splash behind him, Chuuya turned around in irritation at what would be yet another of his partner’s suicide attempts and found nothing but clothes and bandages pooled next to him.

“Seriously?! You had to go skinny dipping into the sea?! What, you wanted to personally see how that guy would turn into fish bait?! You damned control freak-” and dived in to fetch a drowning mackerel, ignoring the obvious contradiction.

But there was no lanky, insufferable idiot in those waters, only davy jones finding himself at the bottom of the sea.

“Where did that idiot go?! Cut it out already, Dazai. Har-dee-har-har, I’m a wet sheep dog. Mori wants a report and you’re not getting out of it this easily.”

Then a mackerel swept towards him and gave him a slap with its tail. In his increasingly irritable mood, he felt the familiar feeling of wanting to murder something in that fish. For a mackerel, that thing was huge.

Feeling like he might have lost it to think this, but he spit out a bubbly diffused “Dazai?”

“It took you being slapped to know that it was me? Well, unfortunately, it seems like drowning to death is forever crossed out from my plans.”

“We’ve got to go back to the headquarters. Why can you talk in the first place? You’re a fish.”

“I don’t know Chuuya, am I talking human to you or can you talk fish to me?”

“Stop it with your bullshit, Turn back. I don’t have a fish bowl or a water bottle with me right now.”

“No, I’m making perfect sense. You’re the one talking inside water- air won’t vibrate to create sounds here. Your voice wouldn’t reach me.”

“When has it ever?! I’m the voice of reason in us two, you idiot! But why are you the brains of the operation, I’ll never understand.”

“Chuuya, if you bring me back as a mackerel and interpret my messages to the boss, he’s going to think that your muscles finally won and took over as the true control tower of your body. In simple words, he’d think you’d need to go to the looney bin and then he would make me sushi for Elise. Then she would eat me and then get dispelled. But since she ‘ate’ me, I’ll always be inside her and then your respected boss would no longer have an ability.”

His partner looked at him like he was an abomination worse than the puffer fish and he said,

“Well, how do you turn back?”

“This is your fault, slug. You always go on and on about how I’m a mackerel and look, all that suggestion finally worked. And you say that I’m manipulating minds and hypnotizing people.”

“This is not how that works. You just want to skip work. There was the show Elise watched, right? Little mermaid or something. She changed to human with a potion and later reverted back to a fish lady with time… so if we wait, you’d turn back into …human…?”

“I’ve become a fish now. I must join my kind and enact revenge upon the humans who fished us and hooked into our bodies to catch us for a prize. I will go and poison the sushi factory. If you stop me, I’ll go into your mouth and then we would be Soukoku in the most undesirable form- your stupidity and shortness coupled with my utter lack of brawn. Then I will neuter you from ever controlling gravity and the boss will wonder why did you do something this useless.”

“Why did the boss assign us to be in the same team? Why can’t I just tell him that you’ve gotten yourself into another fishy situation?”

“I think we’re a bit too closely aligned. I’ve become a mackerel and yet I can still communicate with you. You’re underwater, but you’re not drowning. I was hoping that all you hear would be blub blub, but you even got that I turned into a fish on the first try- aren’t you the one with the fishy attitude? You set me up, didn’t you?!”

“I’m not the one who spends every living moment in their live scheming to make someone else’s life miserable. In fact, if I let you slink away, I’m the one the boss would order to get your ass back to the headquarters. Like hell I’m going to let you make me have even more quality time with you. ”

When he made a grab for the huge fish, it slithered and escaped right through him.

“I see that you’re still a slippery little bastard.”

“You should rejoice, Chuuya. This is the only time I’ll be smaller than you.”

“Don’t you ever get tired about making a dig at my height? I’m tired of repeating myself. I’m going to be growing from now on!”

“The only thing you’ve been growing is your attitude.”

Chuuya stopped himself from retorting when he noticed something very strange.

“…You… for a fish, you swim strangely. Rather than calling it strange, it’s like you can’t swim at all.”

“That would make sense, since I’ve never learnt to swim. Why would I? Then I’d never be able to drown!”

“But… you’re a fish now.” And then he proceeded to give the fish a look of utter confusion.

“Yes. Did you know, Chuuya? When fishes swim, the dissolved oxygen brushes past their gills as opposed to our respiratory function.”

“Wait! You mean to say you can’t breathe right now?!”

“Wow, you’re unusually sharp today. You must have ceased being a hatrack the moment it floated to the surface.”

“I can’t believe I have to consider giving you a CPR and chest compressions to get you back to breathing! Why are you a fish?! How are you a fish?!”

“I should ask you the same question. Why are you a slug?”

“Wha-” then Chuuya looked at his reflection in those dead fisheyes and saw a four eyed slimy creature and all of a sudden, Dazai looked slightly bigger than him- like the status quo was restored.

Then he woke up with a gasp.

“It… It was a dream? … That shitty Dazai must have added a heck lotta hallucinogens and whatnot in my wine last night.”

He wondered briefly if this version of him was something his ‘slug’-self had dreamed up- a version of him that was human. Maybe soukoku had always been a mackerel and a slug. After all, that fish was oddly intelligent for a fish…

When he found Dazai on his quest to drag him alongside for soukoku’s latest mission, he briefly pondered giving the other a reason to wrap up both of his eyes in those mummifying bandages. Those eyes reflected like a mirror. And he would not trust anything that could show up in the murky, twisted eyes of the boss’s favorite pupil, the demon prodigy.

Especially if it shows a slug peering back. Maybe it was time the idiot got a new nickname instead…

[notalwaysthevillian]

A Vacation to Remember

Happy birthday @cresstic!

Warnings: kissing, crying

Pairings: Romantic Moxiety, Brotherly Prinxiety

Word Count: ~1.8k

Patton is modeled after a Lineatus Fairy Wrasse!

The slam of the car door followed by the loud voice of his brother had Virgil groaning. It was way too early in the morning for any of this.

“V, aren’t you excited? We’ll have a whole section of the beach to ourselves! I mean, I’ll probably head down to the public area to scout for a hot lifeguard, but it’ll be great for you.” The words tumbled out of Roman’s mouth so fast that anyone unrelated to him would’ve been unable to decipher it.

Unfortunately, Virgil understood the whole thing. “You realize I probably won’t leave the beachhouse, right?”

“Oh, come on Virgil!” His dad slipped into the car. “You’ve got to go outside a little bit. If you don’t get a base tan, you know you’ll just fry this summer.”

“Not if I don’t leave the house.”

“Fine, fine. But I’ll have you know, the beachhouse? There’s no air conditioning.” At his son’s groan, Remy laughed. “Relax, there’s a cool breeze that floats in off the ocean. We can open the windows and it’ll be fine. But you’re definitely not going to want to wear that hoodie or you’ll get heatstroke.”

“Ughhhh.”

As soon as Remy had put on his seatbelt, they headed off. Virgil slipped his headphones on, drowning out the Disney music coming from his right. How Roman could listen to his music that loud was a mystery.

About an hour into the drive, Virgil felt his eyelids drooping. He was notorious for passing out every time they took a car trip, and this time was no exception.

What felt like moments later, he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder and pulling off his headphones. “V, we’re here.”

As he opened his door, Virgil hissed as a blast of heat entered the car. There was a breeze coming off the ocean, but his dad was right. If he kept the sweatshirt on, he was going to pass out.

He pulled the hoodie off, opting to leave it in the car. It wasn’t like he was going to need it during the trip anyway.

The three of them unloaded their suitcases - multiple of them were Roman’s - before heading into the beachhouse.

It was a quaint little house, just big enough for the three of them. They each got their own room, Roman claiming his before changing and heading out for the public beach, just a five minute walk up the road. Remy threw his suitcase on his bed before heading out for town, list of groceries in hand.

Which left Virgil to explore the house.

He found the final bedroom tucked away in the back corner of the house. The white sheets were tucked in a little too perfectly. Virgil pulled them out as best as he could, not wanting to sleep with his arms pinned to his sides.

The sun hitting the sheer curtains was casting an almost ethereal glow over the room. Virgil could hardly hold back a grin, knowing Roman was going to be jealous that his room had the best lighting in the house. He snapped a picture, sending it to Roman, before unpacking his clothes.

As the temperature started to rise, he opened his window. The curtains floated in the breeze. After he finished with his clothes, he changed into a bathing suit and slathered on some sunscreen, waiting for it to soak in before going anywhere.

Once his timer went off, he grabbed a pair of sunglasses, a birthday gift from his dad, and headed out.

The scorching sand was too hot under his feet, forcing him to walk on the shoreline. He wandered along, heading the opposite direction of the public beach. It was a nice feeling, knowing that no one could bother him. Not unless Roman came back, but he had no doubts about his brother’s ability to flirt with the entire beach.

Heat beamed down on him from above. Virgil briefly considered ducking into the water, but he didn’t want to have to rinse the salt out of his hair.

As he rounded a corner, the ocean opened up into a shallow cove. The water looked much clearer and sparkled in the afternoon sun. Virgil couldn’t help but smile as he saw a few crabs scuttling in the sand.

The crabs headed into a cave nearby. Virgil judged the mouth, guessing that it was about twenty feet tall and fifteen feet wide. Water flowed into it at a rapid pace.

“Okay, I’ll take ten steps in and then I’ll head back.” He mumbled to himself, not wanting to get caught inside if the tide came in.

Around his fifth step, a boy about his age popped out of the water, staring at him with curious eyes. Virgil jumped, nearly falling into the water.

“Hello!” The boy had an accent that Virgil couldn’t place. His light blue hair was a stark contrast to his dark skin.

Virgil waved. “Um, hi. Are you lost?”

“Nope! I live nearby.” The boy pointed past the cove. “About 2 nautical miles that way.”

“Nautical - you live on an island then?” Virgil turned. “I don’t see one.”

“No silly, I live in the reef!”

“The re -”

A glittering rainbow tail splashed out of the water behind the boy. Virgil could feel his eyes widening. “Is that a tail?”

“Yeah!” The boy swam closer. “Where’s yours? I’d heard about a way to get human legs, but I thought it was hard.”

“I am human.”

The boy moved further into the cave. “I thought...your hair is purple!”

“I dyed it. I really like the color.” Virgil stayed where he was, not wanting to scare the merman. “I’m sorry.”

“Humans are scary.”

“You got that right.” Virgil carefully sat in the water, making sure that he didn’t end up on a sea urchin. “Humans are terrifying.”

“But...you’re human.”

“I know.”

The boy regarded him for a moment before swimming a little closer. “What’s your name?”

“Virgil.”

“Vir-gill.” Laughter echoed through the cave as the boy giggled at his own joke. “Why are you afraid of humans?”

Virgil thought for a moment. “Humans ruin things. We’ve cut down entire forests just to put in cities. The ones who don’t vaccinate can cause epidemics. And our garbage ends up in the ocean...sorry.”

“You’re a good human.” The boy swam even closer, allowing Virgil to see that the rainbow in his tail faded into his dark skin. “I’m Patton.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Patton.”

Over the next week, Virgil would ‘take a walk on the beach’ and visit Patton. He would make sure he was only gone for about an hour before he headed back. As soon as Patton learned this, he would let Virgil know when his hour was up. Something about the alignment of the sun...Virgil didn’t understand it but he was grateful.

He learned so much from Patton, and taught Patton what he could in return. Patton talked of Atlantis and the kingdom, though he said he’d only ever visited a few times. His pod lived among the coral in the nearby reef, hiding when the humans did their scuba diving. They’d carved out deep into the coral, training eels to guard the various entrances so the humans would stay away.

Virgil talked of the good in the world, the people who protested for what was wrong. The ones who shielded those who didn’t deserve the hatred and violence. Of the ones doing their best to make a difference.

Each day, he and Patton would sit a little closer.

Each day, they would get more touchy.

Each day, Virgil’s heart would beat faster.

If this was how love felt...he never wanted to leave.

On their final day of vacation, Virgil packed everything up before sprinting down the beach. He found Patton in the cave once more, but the merman’s face fell as he saw the tears slipping down Virgil’s cheeks.

“Virge?”

“We - we’re leaving. We have to go back home and I’ll never get to see you again and I think I’m in l-” Cutting himself off, Virgil blushed. “I don’t want to leave you.”

Regarding him for a moment, Patton disappeared into the back of the cave. “Wait there!”

Virgil waited, growing more anxious as the seconds ticked by.

Patton returned quickly, holding a pristine white conch shell in his hands. “When you get home, put this into some kind of running water. A river would be best, but a stream will do.”

Taking the shell, Virgil looked at his friend. “Why?”

“There’s a legend…” Patton shook his head. “Please, just trust me.”

“I do.”

A sad smile crossed Patton’s face. “Then I guess this is goodbye. For now.”

The two hugged each other tightly before heading back to their families. Virgil had managed to clear his face before heading back to the car.

“Cool shell!” Roman said as he saw Virgil walk up. “Where did you find it?”

“Along the beach.” Virgil held it gingerly, terrified of what would happen if it broke.

Roman noticed immediately. “Do you want to wrap it in a towel?”

Before Virgil could respond, Roman snagged a beach towel out of his suitcase. Virgil took it, thanking him, and carefully wrapped the shell. He carried it as though it was a baby, not releasing his hold on it for even a second.

For the first time since he could remember, he didn’t fall asleep in the car. Instead, he stared out the window, wondering what the shell could do. Maybe it would allow him and Patton to talk. It would be nice to have a best friend that wasn’t related to him.

When they got home, Virgil helped unpack, his nerves making him jittery. Once Remy allowed them to go, he grabbed the shell and sprinted to the creek in the woods, hoping that it would be enough.

He placed the shell in the water, holding his breath.

A bright flash of light nearly blinded him. When he blinked the spots out of his vision, Patton was standing there.

Standing.

On human legs.

He threw himself into Virgil’s arms, the silky bell sleeves feeling cool against his skin. “It worked!”

“Now will you explain?” Virgil asked, looping his arms around Patton’s waist.

“Legend says that if a human and a mer truly love each other, unconditionally...if the mer entrusts their most prized possession with the human and the human sticks it in running water, then the mer will become human.” Patton leaned in closer. “I didn’t know if you loved me, but now it’s clear.”

“As clear as the waters in the cove.” Virgil mumbled, closing the gap between them.

It was nice to have a best friend and a boyfriend rolled into one.

Even if he had some explaining to do.

[fictional-semantics]

For the Lost: “Rivrin’s Transformation”

View Part 1 here

FLLLOOOOMMMM

I hit the water with a loud splash, sinking beneath the waves as if I was transparent. Pressure squeezed my insides, reminding me of the damage I had taken from the fall.

Praying with all my might that this would work, I exhaled through my nose, concentrating on the threads I used as a medium. I gave them an experimental tug, focusing on drawing in a small space.

I inhaled clean air, smiling to myself in relief. My spell had worked. A good thing, too, because if it hadn’t I probably wouldn’t last down here.

This deep in the sea, even through my second skin, I could feel the temperature of the water drop. It wasn’t like a winter chill, bringing a shiver to the skin, but more like the welcome coolness of an autumn breeze.

I turned my head to see how Rivrin and the others had fared from the fall. From what I could see, they all looked fine, but Elias looked extremely unhappy. Rivrin also looked a bit anxious. It wasn’t hard to understand why.

Down here, his senses were a bit disabled. Everything was distorted, even from me, a person who could see perfectly fine. I knew that he would never admit it out loud, though. He despised being weak or a burden.

“Rhea,” I signed. “Call the Sirens.”

She looked extremely concerned at that request. “Are you sure?” She replied. “If something goes wrong—“

“Please just trust me,” I begged her. She gave me an apprehensive look before she nodded.

“Give me a minute.” She signaled before she swam away, going in the direction of one of the underwater caves, determination crossing her face.

“What are you guys saying?” Rivrin asked, sounding frustrated.

“We’re calling the Sirens,” Elias supplied, not looking happy about it. “Not sure why you’d want to, mind. The Sirens around here are extremely temperamental.”

Yeah, tell me something I don’t know. “Oh, that’s a great idea,” Coro said sarcastically. “It’s not like they’ll try to eat us or anything.”

“That’s actually a stereotype,” Rivrin replied. “The Sirens in the Mediterranean are peaceful and vegetarian.”

“Well, we’re not in the Mediterranean,” Coro said. “So, it looks like they’ll eat us.”

“Alexos,” Shynah said warningly. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but—“

Rhea then swam back into view frantically. “I managed to find one, and she’s coming!” She signaled quickly. I mentally braced myself as a golden figure appeared in the water, heading straight at us with an aggressive speed.

From a distance what had appeared to be a mane of golden hair was actually shimmering golden scales from an inch above her golf ball sized beady fish eyes, up over her head and down past her shoulders.

Her skin was shiny like the scales and had a glowing look about them. Her nose was small and flattened with small nostrils. Her hands were webbed and instead of legs she had a powerful tail covered in glistening scales of silver, electric blue and brilliant yellow.

Upon seeing me, she snarled, “You! We told you to stay away, land brat.”

“Yeah, I remember,” I replied, trying to stay calm. Sirens attack when they sense fear, I reminded myself. I watched her without turning my head, my heart was hammering but I had to keep my gait casual with no hint of hesitation.

“Why show your face now? Do you have a death wish?” She asked me, tightening her grip on her spear.

“No, we just need to speak with the chief.” I said calmly. Coro tightened her grip on my shoulder as the Siren hissed in response.

“Land brats are not fit to be in the presence of the chief,” the Siren sneered, pointing her spear at us. “Not with the assassination attempt five moons ago.”

“That was the Superiors, not us!” Elias tried to protest.

“Silence!” She yelled at him, her rage becoming more monstrous. He did as he was told. 

“Listen, Salty,” Coro stepped, or swam forward. “Can I call you Salty?”

“No!”

“There’s a potential Slaughter!” Shynah argued, shoving Coro aside before she could insult her any further. “Every species will suffer, not just you! We want to help!”

“You land brats are all the same! You think that you can walk all over us, and not face any consequences! We told your friend,” she gestured to me. “That we would kill him if we saw him again, and we are people of our word!”

Lightning quick, she lunged at me, teeth bared, ready to sink into my neck. There was no way I could move in time.

“NO!”

Before I can comprehend what had happened, Rivrin had thrown himself in front of me, and the Siren’s teeth sunk into his neck.

His scream tore through me like a great shard of glass. I felt my eyes widen and pulse quicken, my heart thudding like a rock rattling in box.

“Rivrin!” I heard Shynah yell. I was frozen in place, unable to utter a sound.

“I’m... okay...” he managed to groan out.

Blood trickled from his neck into the water. Rivrin, with a grunt of effort, he grabbed the Siren’s head and pushed magic into his palms.

With a screech, the Siren was propelled away from him. Clutching his neck, Rivrin grimaced painfully and groaned. “Well, that’s one way to do it.”

And before my eyes, he began to transform. Green-blue scales began to stretch along his arms, leaving bloody trails in their wake. His skin bubbled with magic as webbing stretched between his fingers. Gills scored themselves along his throat. His eyes glowed a poisonous green.

Down his hips his scales began, small blue and green iridescent plates that reflected the simmering light of the lake. His legs were merged into one single body at his thighs, and continued well beyond where his feet should have been. At the tapered end, two fins flared out, horizontal like a dolphin. He was a freaking merman. I couldn't believe it.

“Not a merman,” Rivrin corrected me, holding a hand to the wound in his neck. “A Siren.”

“Pesky bender,” the Siren that tried to bite me snarled. “How dare you take our sacred—“

Rivrin flung his arms out, pushed magic into his hands, and she was sent flying back again, this time straight into a rock, where she crashed violently. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said nonchalantly. “I’ve heard it all before.”

“Rivrin...” I murmured, and he turned towards me.

“That was your plan, right? Have me transform into a Siren to get us to the chief?” He said with a playful smile.

I really shouldn’t be surprised that he had figured it out, but he still managed to stun me. His smile slipped a bit at my lack of response.

“Yeah, it’s... um, a bit weird, transforming,” he said. “I’m sorry if I—“

“No...” I cut him off, my voice coming out a bit breathless. “It’s fine.”

I let my gaze wander down his torso and I burrowed my fingers in the sand of the ocean floor to stop myself from reaching out to touch him. To see what it was like. My heart thudded in my chest.

He winked at me playfully before swimming over to the unconscious Siren. Regret flickered across his face as he reached for the chains she had wrapped around her waist. “Usually I would show more respect,” he said. “But that was just rude.”

“She did try to eat us,” Elias reminded him. “I think you can let it slide.”

 “These are chains, right?” He looked towards us for confirmation.

“Yeah,” Coro replied, blowing bubbles out around her as she spoke from her air bubble. Rivrin nodded in thought before he beckoned us.

“Alexos, come here,” he ordered.

I saw what he was thinking. “You’re going to chain us up?” I guessed. ““And escort us as prisoners?”

“Classic Tactics,” Elias recalled with an approving nod. “Clever thinking!”

“Normally, I’d be all for the compliments, but we don’t have much time before Salty here wakes up,” Rivrin gestured towards the Siren. He had a point.

“What about the bite in your neck?” Coro asked in concern.

“Minor setback,” Rivrin shrugged dismissively.

“Right,” I held out my wrists. “Chain me up.”

Rivrin grinned, but said nothing. It was time to see if we were truly capable of what no one had dared do before.

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[peachtree-dish]

A Te Che Sei Il Mío Grande Amore

Chapter 3: Senza che tu mi dica niente tutto si fa chiaro

Luglio 01, 1969

Luca’s birthday rolled around faster than anyone expected, the day arriving with clear skies and high temperatures. Luca awoke to his mother’s voice echoing through their home as she prepared breakfast. Stretching, the fifteen-year-old shook his nonna as gently as he could to wake her. She grumbled at his attempts and swatted at his claws.

“Nonna,” he sighed, shrugging with a smile and swimming into the kitchen to greet his parents. During his time in Porto Rosso, Luca enjoyed every moment he could swimming and spending as much time in the water since he couldn’t do as much in Genoa. He, along with Giulia and Signora Mia, had snuck to the shoreline in the early hours of the morning every few weeks or so just so Luca could refresh his scales and get the nutrients he needed. It was especially necessary when the temperature had become too cold and made him lethargic and ill. Luca shook his head softly, sending bubbles rippling above him in search of the surface. Signora Mia had been just as kind as Massimo, and just as headstrong in a lot of ways. He made a silent promise to call her with Giulia to make sure she was doing well, even if he were sure nothing could fell the infamous Mia Berni.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Daniella kissed Luca’s cheek and handed him a plate full of seaweed and fish flank on his way to the table. Returning the sentiment, the youth sat beside his father and informed his parents that grandma had decided to sleep in a little longer.

“Ugh, she does this every time. MA!” Daniella shouted in frustration, only to be startled by her own mother swimming around the corner.

“You’re being dramatic, dear. I only do it when I think it will annoy you.” The elderly sea monster smiled toothily at her disgruntled daughter who muttered, “Which is every day,” and finished setting the table.

“So, how does it feel to be another year older, son?” Lorenzo floated a piece of fish to his mouth and chewed animatedly, his gaze never leaving Luca’s. Luca shrugged in response and picked at the seafood drifting across the coral table.

“Not any different than last year, honestly. I still feel like I’m fourteen, so nothing special.” He slurped the seaweed into his mouth, much to his mother’s chagrin, and instantly missed the taste of pasta.

“Fifteen is a pretty big deal, though, you’re becoming a young man and that means changes and more responsibility.”

“I hardly think now is the time to discuss any of that at the table.” Luca’s grandmother scoffed before he could reply.

“What, it’s just the basics; Longer tail and fins, not to mention attracting the pretty lady gills, eh?” Lorenzo nudged Luca in the side who nearly choked on his food and spluttered white bubbles over the table, his scales flushing darkly.

“Lorenzo!” Danielle cried, her claws slapping the table in mortification.

“What? We were around his age when we met. If I remember correctly, you thought I was quite the catch.” He batted his eyes at her, pursing his lips teasingly.

“I was young and silly; I didn’t know any better.” Try as she might, Daniella couldn’t stop the smile that threatened to break her scowl. She busied herself by shredding the fish flank and wrapping it in seaweed. Undeterred, Lorenzo lifted from his chair and leaned in closer, trying to further fluster his wife.

“Yeah, maybe, but you still accepted my courting pearl after the Spring Swim Festival.” Lorenzo pulled a reluctant Daniella out of her chair and began to lead her around the room in spins and pivots, grinning madly as she shrieked with laughter. Luca watched with a mixture of amusement and confusion, his discomfort fading as he pushed the idea of ‘lady gills’ far from his mind. When he peered at his grandma, she appeared nonplussed and continued munching on her food although a genuine smile lifted her aging scales.

“You were skinnier and more handsome then, of course, she fell for you.” Lorenzo pouted at his mother-in-law and led both he and Daniella back to the table.

“I simply grew into my man body,” He emphasized his point by sticking his gut out even farther and patted it proudly. The table burst into laughter and Luca quickly finished eating after, his stomach nearly as full as his heart.

After he finished, he turned to his mother and asked, “Is it ok if I go visit Alberto and Giulia for the afternoon?”

Daniella conceded with a content nod, “Just don’t forget about our dinner tonight at Massimo’s, we don’t want you kids to be late.” Luca agreed cheerfully and kissed each family member on the cheek before swimming out the entrance.

“Hey!” Luca turned mid swim to see Daniella at the entrance. “I love you.”

“I love you too, ma!” Grinning, Luca took off, the water gliding past him as he made his way to the surface and his friends. As he leaped through the blue waves, he imagined he was like the superhero from the newspaper comics that Giulia and Mia both read. Pointing both fists forwards, Luca broke the surface with a whoop, water streaming behind him like a cape.

When he arrived at the Marcovaldo residence, the only beings there to greet them were Machiavelli and a few of his kits, each of whom wanted his attention and brief affection. Finding some of his spare clothes in the drawers of Alberto and Giulia's shared room, Luca quickly left the house and wandered the streets, eager to find his friends. Judging from the sun, he knew the morning fishing trip had come to an end not too long before which should mean Giulia, and Alberto was out delivering. Walking through the town square, Luca waved to a few of the patrons he recognized, mentally wincing as he remembered his first attempts at greeting Porto Rosso’s patrons. If anyone had been the stupidi, it had been them.

Chuckling as he went up the city’s hill, Luca caught sight of two familiar heads of curls along with two faces he was not expecting. Tensing at the sight of Guido and Ciccio, Luca prepared himself for a fight and made to run the rest of the way before he heard laughter. Guido was laughing at something Alberto had said and lightly touched his shoulder. Somehow, the movement was worse than if he had punched Alberto instead. A dark and ugly feeling reared its head within Luca’s belly, causing his face to burn and his hands to clench. Clenching his teeth, the young sea monster marched up the cobblestone pathways, intent on not showing his discomfort.

“Ciao,” he muttered shortly, arriving beside Alberto, and instantly causing Guido to lift his hand from Alberto’s shoulder. Giulia nodded hello from her seat on the bike as Alberto wrapped an arm around Luca’s shoulder.

“Oh, hey Luca,” Alberto cheered even more so upon seeing Luca. “You remember Guido and Ciccio, vero? I helped their families in the off-season while you were away.” Luca looked at the two teens who stood abashedly in front of him and offered his hand after a moment of hesitation.

“It’s good to see you both again,” Not, he thought as he shook the brunette’s hand. Ciccio spoke up, his round features coloring.

“We realize we never officially apologized to you before you left, si? We’re really sorry about last summer, Luca.”

“Si, Ciccio, and I were very foolish and ignoranti, we hope you can forgive us, and we can start again.” Guido smiled warmly, his gaze sincere. Taking a deep breath, Luca felt his earlier feeling of… whatever it was, fading away. If Alberto and Giulia both felt they could trust these boys again, then he could follow their lead.

“Lo apprezzo. I know being around Ercole wasn’t the easiest either, it’s all water under the bridge now anyway.” He smiled genuinely this time, heartened when the two ex-henchmen immediately relaxed.

“Bah, no lie, I’m so happy to be rid of that jerk,” Guido nodded at Ciccio who nodded and twisted his hands anxiously.

“He ate so much of my family’s bread,” Ciccio whispered horrified, his gaze wide. Giulia shared a weirded-out expression with Alberto who only shook his head.

“I didn’t know your family baked,” Luca interceded, ignoring his friends’ lack of subtlety Snapping back to the present, Ciccio grinned widely showing his perfectly white teeth.

“Oh, si, Pasticcini al sale Marino is the pride and joy of Porto Rosso and my family. Our baked goods bring customers from miles around; you should see the line of people who want to buy my mother’s Sfogliatella.” He leaned in conspiratorially to whisper, “My siblings and I have been helping since we were little, so only we know the recipe.” He puffed his round chest out proudly, only to be poked by both Alberto and Guido.

“Knowing a recipe and following it correctly are two different things, Ciccio. Your batter was not very good the last time you tried to make Bombolini.” Guido teased and Alberto nodded knowingly.

“I still don’t know how you mixed up salt and sugar,” the older sea monster screwed his face in disgust, remembering how the supposedly sweet treats and mistakenly been made with copious amounts of salt. “Seriously, Ciccio, even the ocean’s not as salty as those things were.” Ciccio pouted good-naturedly as the group laughed.

“It’s still not as bad as the time Guido set the auto garage on fire,” the blond argued mildly to which said boy grimaced.

“I thought we agreed to never speak of that again; I thought my papa was going to skin me alive.”

The teens chatted a bit more and Luca began to warm up to the two boys who had hurt him so much the past year. Perhaps, he reasoned, they had been good all along and had simply needed the chance to prove themselves.

Bidding Guido and Ciccio farewell, Luca joined Alberto and Giulia as they made the rounds. Luca asked a question that had been on his mind since arriving in Porto Rosso.

“So, whatever happened to Ercole? I haven’t seen him since we’ve been in town.” Alberto placed the cash from his previous sale into the leather pouch of the cart before answering.

“Honestly, the guy kind of disappeared after the race. I think he was embarrassed enough to keep his head low for a while, but other than that, I’m not sure. Maybe he left?” Giulia thought for a moment, her gaze focused on the road ahead.

“Maybe, I don’t think he went away to university, but he could have. His family is really wealthy, so they could afford it no matter the grades he got.”

Luca kicked a pebble, his thoughts skipping back to that one word: university.

“What’s the point of grades anyway, doesn’t that, like, stress you out more?” Alberto mused.

“It certainly does for me,” Giulia huffed. She bid Buongiorno to a young mother who bought the last of their fish and both Luca and Alberto filled the empty space as they headed back down the hill.

“I think it’s mostly competition, to see who really wants to be an academico or no,” she contemplated. “Sometimes if you have really good grades, the universities will pay you to study in their schools. That happened to mama when she moved to Genoa.” Alberto winced slightly at the mention of Giulia’s mother, the story of her separation from Massimo fresh in his memory.

“I wonder if I was good enough, they’d do that for me?” Luca hummed, his eyes following the drains that spread across each building they passed.

“Well, duh, they’d be stupid not to; you’re better than good enough right now,” Alberto bumped his shoulder with a smile. Luca blushed and tossed his friend a grin.

“Hey, happy birthday by the way. It’s about time you got to my age,” the older boy winked and wrapped his arm around Luca again, causing Luca’s skin to hum with energy.

“Oh, yeah! Are you excited for tonight?” Giulia asked over her shoulder.

“Thanks, you guys, really,” Luca felt warmer with Alberto’s arm around him, and he was sure it had nothing to do with the afternoon sun. He wondered briefly if said boy could feel how hard his heart was pounding. “Should I be excited, I thought we were just having dinner?” Luca asked, brow furrowing in confusion. He twisted around to face Giulia as she pulled into the plaza and made her way towards the small coastal home. Alberto lifted his arm when Luca turned away, causing him to feel its loss.

Giulia glanced at him and grinned excitedly. “Papa saved some fireworks from the Festa Della Repubblica since we were in Genoa, and he wants to set them off for tonight.” Luca gasped and jumped in his seat.

“Santa mozzarella! Are you serious?!” He shared an animated glance with Alberto who smiled as he hopped off the cart.

“Of course! I mentioned to him how much you had enjoyed the fireworks during Vigilia di Capodanno last December. He decided that would be his gift to you this year.” Giulia locked the bike and carried their bag of earnings inside, the two boys following after her.

Inside they found Massimo at his stove, his presence filling up the majority of the room. He turned to greet them as they entered, placing a kiss upon Giulia’s curly head.

“Buon cumpleanno, Luca. May you live to see many more,” Massimo rumbled fondly, patting Luca on his checkered shoulder. Luca returned the sentiment and wrapped a short hug around the large man, his arms too small to wrap fully around him.

“Grazie, Massimo. For your wishes and for your surprise gift,” Luca pulled away while Massimo smiled happily, his eyes disappearing behind his bushy eyebrows.

“Giulia,” Massimo chided lightly, turning to his daughter who was counting out money, “I thought we agreed to keep it a secret until after dinner?” Giulia smiled apologetically.

“Scusa, papa, we were just too excited,” She and Alberto began counting the coins on the table while Massimo ushered Luca over to the stove.

“Come, Luca, you will help me prepare dinner,” Massimo handed him a bag of clams and ordered him to wash them thoroughly in the sink. Luca would be the first to admit he was not a cook, but Massimo was gentle in his orders and easily guided Luca in making a perfect pasta dinner.

Once the Paguro family arrived along with Ciccio and Guido, once again to Luca’s surprise, the night was filled with much laughter and filling food. The linguine pasta alle vongole was instantly a hit and paired nicely with the red wine Ciccio had brought on behalf of his family. To the teens’ disappointment, the adults were adamant that they were still too young for alcohol. At one moment, Lorenzo laughed so hard, he inhaled his pasta and sent part of it into his nose much to the delight of the children. After dinner, the group trouped outside with fireworks and dessert in hand. While Massimo and Lorenzo set up the fireworks near the edge of the waterline, Daniella, Giulia, and Ciccio helped serve gelato and watermelon.

With a happy sigh, Alberto nestled himself into the sand alongside Luca, happily chewing on the red-fleshed fruit. Luca’s eyelids were drooping as his body felt full and warm, accompanied by his own friend’s radiating heat. His gaze lingered as Alberto licked gelato from his lips, the cream dripping from the corner of his mouth. Forcing his eyes to look anywhere else, Luca shifted closer to Alberto. Instead, his gaze landed on his father asking animatedly about the fireworks in Massimo’s hand, the larger man looking both confused and entertained by Lorenzo’s energy.

“I know I already said it, but happy birthday,” Luca dragged his eyes back to the tanned boy next to him and smiled. He jumped slightly at the first explosion, watching in delight as the light of the fireworks made his friend’s skin glisten with multicolored hues.

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” He replied easily. Neither made comment as their arms brushed or as their hands splayed out behind them with barely any space between. Up above the merry group, bright color after bright color bloomed across a starlit sky, the stars twinkling their own delight.

[sheewolf85]

October Drabbles Day 13 - Underwater

I'm not going in order anymore. I've had this one written for a while and I love it, so now you can have it. I'm still gonna try to finish all 31 prompts, but I think not stressing about trying to get all the previous ones done before I move on will be more beneficial to me.

This one is Day 13's prompt.

Characters: Stretch, Edge, mentions of random townsfolk Pairing: Spicyhoney?? In a way Rating: M Warnings: Enchantment, possible character death, reader’s decision on that, Siren AU

Find the list of prompts here.

Read on AO3 here.

They had warned him. When he first moved to the small village on the coast of a massive lake, they had told him to stay away from the rocky shoreline at night.

Everyone from the girl who sold flowers by the side of the cobblestone road to the man who collected his rent had told him tales of the sirens that supposedly inhabited the lake. People had gone missing, they said. Men, women, and children, all with no discrimination for age, gender, or class, had simply vanished in the dark of night.

Stretch was all but positive it was because they’d run away. There were no such things as sirens or mermaids or vampires; no fantastical creatures to come haunting the fair folk of the village. Any village.

Even now, as he stood on the rocks near the shore, he didn’t believe the stories. The man sitting down by the water was a skeleton like himself, and he seemed just fine. The stranger sang a song of the water, his voice enchanting in its beauty.

Stretch had been told not to listen should he hear singing. They said that it could cast a spell on those who heard it, but surely that was all nonsense.

He felt himself drifting closer to the other skeleton, desire to hear the song clearer pushing him to move without care for the jagged rocks beneath his feet. That voice made his soul feel alive, made him crave the feel of the water on his bones.

As he crept closer, the other monster turned to look at him. His eye lights shone bright red, and the moment Stretch saw them he knew he was in trouble, but in a good way. He’d never seen this man in the village before, but now his soul was beating with something unfamiliar yet entirely comforting. He’d been told what it was like to fall in love, the pounding of one’s soul, the rush of giddy excitement that accompanied thoughts of the special person, and he felt all of it as the skeleton continued to sing, holding Stretch’s gaze.

“excuse me,” Stretch stammered. “i don’t mean to interrupt your song, but i must ask your name.” He simply had to know how to find him again.

The other smiled, something dangerous and yet so alluring in those sharp teeth.

“My name is Edge,” he responded, his voice no less intoxicating when it wasn’t in song.

“edge…” Stretch breathed the name as if discovering some magical artifact. “my name is stretch.”

Edge nodded, then turned back to the lake and continued his song.

Stretch listened for a moment longer before closing the space between them. Edge was sitting on something of a dock, broken and rotted as it was, his legs and most of his hips hidden in the dark water. The surface of the water appeared black, giving the lake the eerie sense that fairy tales might be real. Moonlight reflected off the top of gentle waves, further enhancing the ambiance.

“do you mind if i sit next to you?” he asked.

Edge looked up at him, once again meeting his eye lights with piercing red, and held out a hand.

Stretch took it and, never minding the water soaking his trousers, sat on the dock. Edge didn’t let go of his hand, but he was in no hurry to take it back. Instead, he twined their fingers together and looked into his eyes as he sang.

The words had changed at some point. Stretch no longer understood the language, but he didn’t care. Edge could sing made up words for all he cared and he’d still listen dutifully.

Slowly, as if worried about startling him, Edge reached up with his other hand and traced a sharpened fingertip down the side of Stretch’s face. His soul pounded with newfound love, and he felt himself leaning into Edge, into that hand that caressed lightly.

Then Edge leaned in and pressed their mouths together. Stretch’s should lurched, joy and confusion both warring for attention as he kissed back. Edge opened his mouth and Stretch did the same. Together they kissed under the moonlight, Stretch’s soul reaching out as if it wanted to physically leave his body to touch Edge.

Stretch pulled back and stared in wonder st Edge, his handsome face and bright, intoxicating eye lights.

“i don’t normally do—“

“Shh,” Edge interrupted, lifting a finger to his mouth. “Be mine?” he asked, raising their connected hands to his chest, pressing them against his sternum. “Want to keep you.”

Oh, it was all Stretch could ever desire! He nodded frantically. “yes, please. i want to keep you, too.”

A smirk passed over Edge’s face then, a dark yet comforting expression.

Just then, Stretch felt something slither past his legs. He jumped and tried to kick it away.

“what was that?” he asked frantically. There may not be mythical creatures out here, but surely that didn’t mean there was no danger at all. “something just touched me.”

Edge didn’t seem frightened. Instead, he squeezed Stretch’s fingers gently. “Don’t be scared,” he said softly, his voice infecting Stretch’s soul.

But he was scared, because whatever had touched him was now trying to wrap around his legs, holding them together.

“no, this isn’t right, something’s—“

Edge reached out and held his chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. Instantly, Stretch calmed down.

“Trust me?” he whispered.

Stretch felt himself nod. He did trust Edge, with his entire soul.

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Stretch’s mouth again, and Stretch relaxed into it. Although some part of his soul, deep inside, tried to scream for help as whatever was around his legs wound higher and tighter, he simply didn’t care anymore.

And then Edge shifted, straightened his spine and slipped off the dock into the lake. Stretch went with him, his sockets widening as he tried to pull back from the kiss.

In the water, Edge seemed to transform. His glossy bones were suddenly pockmarked with old scars, and to the sides of his head were red gills fashioned with magic. Frantically, Stretch tried to wriggle free, holding his breath despite the growing ache in his head and chicest.

Edge held on tightly.

“Mine,” he sang, his voice carrying through the water as easily as the air. “You’re mine.”

Something in Stretch’s soul reached out, longing to give in and be whatever it was Edge wanted him to be. Another part of him still struggled, and he fought against Edge’s constricting arms and what he now realized was a long, slithering tail wrapped around his legs.

“Shh,” Edge said again. He leaned in and kissed him again, forcing Stretch mouth open with his tongue.

As they kissed, Edge dragged him down further, deep into the depths of the lake.

The townsfolk would mourn him, some believing he’d moved away while others would suspect that the sirens got him.

[artemisegeria]

Up from the Depths

Title: Up from the Depths

Rating: G

Word count: 2059

Warnings: None.  

A/N: A while ago, @squishingvenus requested that someone write a siren/mermaid AU. That prompt inspired this little fic. You should also check out squishingvenus’s own version, Ocean’s Song.

 The dread pirate Wanda Maximoff was feared across the seven seas. She was a force of nature against powerful royal ships and seemed to have an uncanny ability to predict her foes’ moves before they made them. But she was not stronger than the ocean itself.

One day a sudden storm offered a demonstration of that fact. The sky turned black in the middle of the day, and the wind began to toss her ship like a toy. An island was in sight, but the wind kept blowing them farther away. Wanda and her crew tried to right the ship. They lashed themselves to anything secure, but it was not enough. A great crack of lightning tore the hull apart, and everyone was thrown overboard.

Wanda swam desperately toward where she had last seen Pietro. After several agonizing moments, a wave broke to reveal his blonde head. His eyes were closed, his form completely still in the water. She picked up her pace to reach her brother, but the wind and waves fought her every stroke.

She could almost grasp his hand when a gust of wind blew him away. Wanda cried out her dismay. Her strength was flagging, and she feared her twin had no hope when a slim, human-like shape rose through the water underneath him.

The creature that appeared above the frothing surface of the seafoam was a deep red. He draped Pietro’s arm around his shoulder and swam with him to the shore. Fear enveloped Wanda at the being’s possible intentions, but as soon as Pietro was safely beyond the waves’ reach, the man-shaped fish creature returned for the next unconscious crew member. Soon he had saved them all, and he finally returned for Wanda, who was still struggling against the towering ocean currents.

When he deposited her on dry land with the rest of her shipmates, he looked at her sadly for a moment and was gone before she could even thank him. Pietro was the first to wake, coughing up lungfuls of seawater. Wanda threw herself into his arms, relieved beyond words that he would survive. Her crew gradually recovered and made their way to the port on the other side of the island.

It was fortunate that this was one of their home bases, where they had provided many supplies from their capturing of the royal ships’ ill-gotten gains. The residents of the port were happy to repay them by building them a new ship and resupplying them.

In the weeks that followed, Wanda almost imagined that she had hallucinated the strange being who had saved them all. Once their ship was finished and they were able to return to the sea, life resumed its normal rhythms. She and her crew continued to earn their reputations as the fiercest pirates in the known world, striking fear in the hearts of the royal navy and bringing joy to the small islands where they freely gave of their loot.

A couple of years later, on a very different day from the day of their shipwreck, the sunshine glittered on the water and blue of the sky was unbroken above them. No other ships were in sight and the crew was still celebrating its last capture, so all were relaxed, drinking and casually casting nets over the side of the ship to catch some fish.

Wanda and Pietro led the cheers when they pulled in the first batch of fish. Salted and smoked, it would keep them for weeks. The nets were thrown out again to complete their haul. After a leisurely half hour spent waiting for more fish to pull on the nets, something much heavier almost pulled them out of the crew’s hands. With a mighty struggle, everyone managed to pull in the catch.

Wanda was astonished to see the barely remembered being from her dreams. He was breathing heavily and tears were falling from his eyes before they closed completely. She saw that his right fin was deeply cut where it joined his tail, almost completely separated. The rest of the crew was dumbstruck, even Pietro, all of them already being unconscious during their rescue. But she urged them into action, directing them to help her get him untangled from the nets and carry him to her bathtub. She didn’t even know if he could breathe air or understand their language. By instinct she felt for a pulse in his wrist. It was there, but it seemed too sluggish to be healthy.

Wanda filled the tub as quickly as possible. Once he was completely submerged, she could see gills in his neck flutter open and closed. Next, she ran to find something to stanch the bleeding in his tail. Wanda found a roll of bandages in her supplies and wrapped it securely around the cut. She supposed the only thing left to do was wait for him to wake up.

After several hours, Wanda saw the man sitting up and leaning against the side of the tub, looking around him only a bit dazed. He did not appear to be struggling to draw in breath outside of the water. While he was turned away from her, Wanda took advantage of the opportunity to study him a little more closely. His entire body, from smooth scalp to tail, was covered in hairless red skin. The lower half of his body was covered with scales that flashed crimson and silver, matching the glimmer of the water.

As he finally turned to face her, she caught herself saying, “Hi,” without thinking.

She winced, but he only smiled gently at her. She found herself disarmed by his expression, despite his strange appearance. A matching smile was drawn to her own face. Perhaps he could understand her after all.

Her surmise was proved correct when he said, “Hello.”

Wanda blinked at him a bit, and he smiled more broadly. He shifted, so that he faced her more fully. “So you can speak my language?”

“Yes, my people speak all the languages of all the lands that touch the seas.” His light accent caressed the syllables perfectly.

“And you saved me and my crew a few years ago?”

“Yes, that was I.” His smile collapsed as he tried to move and gasped, looking down at his injured tail. He looked back up at her. “My tail appears to nonfunctional right now.”

“It’s poor repayment for saving our lives that our nets hurt you.” Wanda knelt on the floor, grateful for the cushioning her ample skirts provided, so that they could eye to eye. “I’m sorry.” She wished him to know how sincere she was.

The man shook his head in denial. “It was an accident. I will heal quickly.” His grimace and the blood still leaking from his bandaged tail belied his words. “Besides, it was my own fault that caused my injury. I typically do not swim so close to your ship.” He frowned more deeply as he realized his error.

“Typically?” Wanda recoiled a bit, crossing her arms defensively. It served her right to trust a complete stranger. “You’ve been following us?”

He looked away from her for the first time. “Yes, your exploits have reached our people. You are considered a threat to us, so we conduct surveillance on you.” His hands clenched around the rim of the tub. “That is the only reason I was close enough to rescue you on that day.” He directed his gaze back to her again, an apologetic tilt to his lips. “So we are somewhat equal.”

Wanda thought for a moment, raising an eyebrow at him. She did not appreciate people spying on her. “And what was your conclusion as to whether my ship poses a danger to you?”

He clearly sensed her displeasure because he became sheepish again before meeting her eyes squarely. “We have never been able to confirm that you are truly a danger to us, as you are to the king’s ships.”

“We’re not. We don’t bother anyone who does not bother us.” Wanda took pride in never going after weaker or peaceful vessels. She only sought to get a little bit of revenge on the royal ships that had wronged her and to be free from their control.

“I have observed that,” he murmured. “We only wanted to know enough about you to protect ourselves. My people are few in number, and we have been gravely hurt by humans in the past.”

Wanda could understand. That was ultimately the reason she was a pirate. Her home was gone, and only her brother remained to her. The royal army had decimated her country before leaving it to ruins. “As long as you don’t get in my way, I don’t mind.” He sank back gratefully against the side of the tub, obviously glad that she was not going to question him further.

During the natural lull in the conversation, Pietro came in. He looked between the two of them, frowning at Wanda kneeling on the floor. “He’s awake?”

“Clearly.” Wanda gave him a look. “He’s been following us.” Pietro immediately bristled, and she laid a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry. I have an understanding with, uh…” She frowned at the occupant of her tub. “What’s your name?”

“Vision.”

“Vision and I have an understanding,” she repeated.

Pietro still regarded Vision skeptically, but he subsided. “Alright. Just be careful.”

“I always am, Pietro.” When her brother was gone, Wanda smiled at Vision. “Do you need anything? Are you hungry?”

“No, my tail should heal in a few hours. I will cease to bother you, then.”

True to his word, he was completely healed by the time the sun was setting. The crew helped lower him into the water. Everyone hung over the edge to watch him take a few experimental strokes. With a final wave, he disappeared beneath the gentle waves.

A few weeks later, the ship had just dropped anchor in a new port. Wanda stayed behind to go through the final tasks of docking the ship. Pietro had offered to stay with her, but she had sent him along to the inn with the others. She always appreciated these few moments of solitude.

Just as she was going through her final checklist a familiar head popped up in the water in front of her. “Good afternoon, Wanda.”

“I thought you had determined that we weren’t a threat to you.”

“Yes,” he admitted, ducking his head. “But my people do not need to know that. I have come to enjoy the freedom of swimming through the seas and following your ship. There is so much of the world that I have not explored.”

Wanda smiled slowly. “Well, I have been thinking we have traveled too long in the same waters. We need to expand to a wider territory.” Vision grinned up at her. “If you wait there, I’ll go down to the dock in a few minutes.” He nodded.

For the next several hours, she sat next to him with her feet in the water while Vision leaned his elbows on the dock. They talked about everything under the sun and sea. Wanda was somewhat surprised that Pietro didn’t come looking for her, but she supposed even he grew too absorbed in the tavern atmosphere to notice her absence. When it was time to turn in for the night, they agreed to meet the next day.

The same pattern continued over the next several months. Sometimes Vision would rejoin his people, but when it was his turn to follow her, they would meet and talk throughout the day or night.

On one such night, with the silvery moonlight gleaming down, reflecting off the water and casting an ethereal glow around them, Wanda and Vision rested in the shallows together. They were sitting close enough that their hands sometimes brushed as they gestured. At one point, Vision noticed that a piece of seaweed had gotten stuck in Wanda’s hair. He reached out to gently untangle it. Once he removed it, he couldn’t resist continuing to stroke the soft strands. When Wanda smiled invitingly at him, he was emboldened further to trail his fingertips along her jawline.

She leaned into his touch, and he responded by lowering his head to kiss her. Wanda kissed Vision back, and they lost track of time under the swirling stars.

[frenchie-sottises]

More Angele headcannons.

- She’s a massive nerd. She has a pretty good grip on understanding car mechanics and BioMed. She also understands the basics of human health and animal health. If someone, or some kaiju, is sick, it usually doesn’t take her very long to figure out what might be causing the issue.

- She used to live in an area that was super hot and humid, so after the whole ordeal with her arms, she moved up north.

- Angele tends to wear a lot of clothing. She started due to her being super frail to the sunlight, and it soon became part of her character. It’s a plus now that she’s in the northern part of the states.

- As a result of her wearing so much clothing, she covers a lot of scars from fighting. She’s nowhere near as scarred as Sebastian, but there are some significant ones. There is one that isn’t from all the battles she’s had so far, and that’s simply because of her appendix.

- She sucks at insulting people. This might be caused by the fact that she’s never been so angry at someone to the point of turning ugly. Sometimes, one of Sols or Reds would have an insult battle with her and they usually either wind up laughing to the point of crying or just sit there super confused from some of the creative, yet random insults she comes up with.

- She’s gotten @ellzilla‘s RED to emote a couple of times just from being goofy. It was usually a really bad dark joke.

- She may or may not have a small crush on RED.. and she struggles with it a lot. She was raised knowing from stories that demons are not to be messed with, yet here’s this demon being chill around someone who a demon would usually try to attack and it’s hard for her to wrap her head around it- She doesn’t think RED knows about it, tho.

- She has a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones that Ell!Solomon wears.

- She owns two “Still the Best 1973″ shirts. One is sleeveless, the other is a regular T-shirt.

- After accidentally spearing RED, she fixed up his robe with the knowledge she gained from her Home Economics class. RED has not worn it, but he did keep it.

- She has an admirer.. which is Noelani. He puts a lot of trust in her, so that means that he would turn his belly up to her. Even when injured, he allows her to care for his wounds since he knows she won’t hurt him.

- She, along with Aloisio, makes necklaces for Achiel ( @entseeltnathus ) to decorate himself in.

- She loves fluffy stuff. Her blankets, pillows, and some of her clothing is covered in faux fur. It keeps her from trying to snuggle one of the Sols when they want their personal space. Her iconic blue jacket has some type of faux fur on it, but it’s nowhere near as intense as her other pieces of clothing.

- She’s not big on shopping, make-up, or any of the traditional stuff girls are usually into. She’s usually seen out on the waters fishing, or is in her personal underground garage fixing up vehicles and getting her claws dirty.

- Speaking of fishing, she has legitimate gills. However, they’re not found in her neck, but where her ribs and lungs are. She receives air by breathing in the water. You’d think she’d drown, but the gills work to filter out that water while the small alveoli extract the oxygen from the compounds. Yes, that also means she technically can’t get pneumonia. It would be forced out of her gills before it has the chance to settle and grow.

- She has to wear a webbed tail fin to help her swim. It also has a stinger on the end that’s totally not inspired by Mothra.

- Angele’s scar does a few things: one of them is being able to shoot lightning out of it. It’s much like how Godzilla defeated Muto Prime. The only way for her to have access to this kind of power is for her to be super angry or to be high off of her own adrenaline. It is painful, but she has dealt with worse.

- She can breathe fire, and said fire is normally a light blue. It’s made of a plasma, because Kindled Dragons basically create star matter, so the angrier or more high on adrenaline she gets, the more blue her fire becomes. This has only happened once with Ghidorah and lets just say that he did not have a good day that day.

- If an enemy thinks that wrapping her would leave her helpless, they’re wrong. The brighter she glows, the hotter she gets. She can get so hot so fast that it would hurt whoever dares to touch her.

- She has rather strong lungs. Her roar is able to push back a kaiju significantly bigger than her at a good distance.

- Speaking of roars, her’s has terrified people. It usually starts with a high pitch, ear piercing note before the victim hears the loud blast of her roar. Her roar, as best described, is that of a lion’s, but cranked to 11. It can be heard for miles and has known to shake the ground enough to feel like a magnitude 4 earthquake.

- Angele has been punched in the jaw on both sides, so the bones that make up the joints that open and close her mouth have not healed correctly. She can now dislocate her jaw as desired and open it much wider than a normal human’s. She’s done it a few times as a joke, and she’s winded up scaring people.

- It’s unclear on how much radiation her body can take. Most kaiju tend to feed off of this stuff, but she tends to stay away because she’s seen what too much radiation does to humans.

- She has nicknames for each of the Sols and Reds.

- She even has nicknames for Aloisio, Sebastian, and Mr. Poofball, too.

GOD, THIS WAS STARTING TO GET TOO LONG-

I HAVE MORE, BUT I WILL DO THOSE LATER.

@arandomvelociraptor, @entseeltnathus, @ellzilla, @tooronz, @zincs-posts, @waffle-the-frog, @jeweledstone.

[mintyjin]

mermaid au: jooheon

I’ve heard your cries for part two of mermaid! au changkyun and shownu (seriously, guys, you’ve flooded my ask box lmao), but listen, this concept is vibing with me tonight. enjoy!

once, a long time ago, there was a war between two cities

no one knows for sure why it started, but everyone agrees on one thing: it had something to do with magic

one city specialized in magic capable of moving and creating fire and earth, the other in taming the wind and water

you can kinda see where the conflict arose

years passed, bringing bloodshed and loss to everyone involved

to this day, it is the ugliest war to take place on the grounds and in the waters of your kingdom

and with all ugly wars come stories

this war is no exception, but the stories have a bit more of a peculiar tone

you see, it’s rumored that, to protect their magic and their lives, citizens of the wind and water city did something strange

they dove into the ocean and their legs morphed into tails, their necks creating small gills

and there, in the ocean, is where they dwelled as the earth and fire lineage took the throne, afraid of persecution, of further genocide

and there, it’s said, they remain

no one can definitively prove they exist, but every now and then, there are sightings of these mythical, magical people

and everywhere you go, there are murmurs saying one day, perhaps someday soon, they will grow weary of the ocean and walk back onto land

and on that day, the age-old war will continue

you see, the current monarch is a wielder of fire and earth

and he hasn’t forgotten the stories of his grandfathers

how do you know this so certainly?

well, you’re his only child, the first in line to the throne

while the story entertains you, you’re not so sure it’s entirely accurate

would generation after generation really subject themselves to a life of constant concealment?

magic, too, has its limitations. you know of gill spells and swimming potions, but could there really be a magic powerful enough to allow an large group of people to survive for so long underwater?

that said, you can’t just shrug off the legends completely. the war, after all, did happen

one day, during a particularly heinous arithmetic lesson, you gaze in boredom out of your window, which overlooks the sea

the sight of the rolling sea, ornamented with birds diving in and out of the water, gives you an idea

you should escape this lesson for a little while and go let the water run over your toes

the castle gets so stuffy, and not just because nearly everyone within it is a fire wielder

you excuse yourself to the bathroom, quickly ducking into the hallway of servants’ quarters and slipping through the door at the end

you leave your shoes at the door and dash over to the sand, relishing the way it shifts beneath your feet

and then you sprint as fast as your legs allow so that no one sees you leaving

and when the castle is out of sight, your lungs are burning and your feet feel heavy but you’re so exhilarated at the feeling of freedom that you throw off your unnecessary layers of clothing and hurl yourself into the ocean

with strong strokes, you pull yourself to the calmness of the deeper waters

you turn so that you’re floating on your back, feeling the cool, gentle lull of the waves beneath you, closing your eyes against the sun 

and it’s so warm and peaceful that you just lay like that for a while, feeling your stresses melt away

when you grow bored of that, you watch the sun send specks of light dancing along the waves and you decide to try to mimic that light with your magic

you conjure up some small sparks in your palm and lightly blow, casting them onto the sea

they spark and pop like tiny fireworks, the ashes crumbling in the water

not exactly what you wanted 

but then you hear a splash behind you, followed by a voice 

“Woah... that was actually very pretty.” 

you whip around, hand raised, ready to fend for yourself if need be 

but the sight that greets you forces you to falter 

there, in front of you, is a boy. a very handsome boy, to be exact. with small, dark scales on the sides of his eyes and neck 

and unless your eyes are tricking you, you can see the beginnings of a silvery tail beneath the water 

mermaid... he’s a mermaid

you shake off your surprise, still poised and on guard. “Who are you?” you ask

“Jooheon. You don’t have to be so tense, I won’t hurt you.” 

you still hold your stance, aware that his people don’t have a great relationship with yours

he just sighs and narrows his eyes and says, “Just because our ancestors fought means we have to? And here I thought this could be a fun conversation.” 

and you finally put your hand down but you’re still unsure 

this could be a trick. he could be waiting for you to relax. 

“What do you want?” you ask

he shrugs. “Not sure. I’ve never spoken to a human before.”

and you're like... huh

“I’ve never spoken to a... mermaid... before.” 

and to your surprise, he laughs, throwing his head back a bit, his smile magnificent 

“Then this should be interesting. Have you ever seen water wielding before?” 

you shake your head, no, and he smirks 

he dips one hand into the ocean and cups some water in his palm, blowing a bit of air into it not unlike how you did

and then the water seemingly comes to life, taking the shape of a dragonfly and flying to you, landing on your shoulder 

and it’s beautiful magic, you can’t deny it 

you also can’t fight back the astonished smile that spreads across your face

what you don’t know is that jooheon is like, wow.... she's cute...

“This is amazing!” you exclaim, your previous hesitation forgotten 

and jooheon’s like, “Naturally.” 

you roll your eyes but seriously, you’re impressed 

“Ok, Jooheon,” you say, noticing how he starts when you say his name, “but can you do this?” 

you hold your hand palm up, concentrating 

and then a flame bursts from your hand and you focus harder, controlling its movements so that it forms a small orb of fire floating a few inches above your palm 

and jooheon is already transfixed because he’s never seen fire this close before, but then you snap your fingers and he watches in amazement as it blows away in some invisible wind 

and naturally, he has to one-up that, so he shows you another trick of his

which leads to a whole thing where you’re each showing off your magic to the other 

you end up laughing a lot, half at this boy’s antics and half in amazement as he conjures things you never could’ve imagined possible 

but then you notice he’s giving you a funny look and you ask why and he goes, “You never told me your name.” 

“Oh, it’s Y/N.” 

“Ok, Y/N, do you trust me?” 

“Depends. Why?” 

he points behind you, towards the direction of the palace. “I think someone is looking for you.” 

you turn and he’s right- even from a distance you recognize the silhouette of your teacher and groan 

“I know a place you can hide out,” jooheon says, “but you have to trust me.” 

and you’re a little hesitant again but you nod and he pulls you underwater with him

your eyes fling open, bearing the sting of saltwater so that you can see what jooheon is doing 

he makes a fist with one hand and then brings it to your mouth, motioning for you to open

when you do, he pushes what feels like a small bubble into your mouth and, to your surprise, you can feel yourself breathing 

breathing..... underwater

you even notice the sting in your eyes disappearing 

you’re sure your surprise is written all over your face because jooheon laughs, but when you go to open your mouth, he clasps a hand over your lips and shakes his head

you take the hint- don’t open your mouth

from here you can see the entirety of his tail, which is gorgeous

 it’s silver, like you thought, but with dark translucent fins 

he gently grabs your wrist and pulls you towards him, wrapping an arm around your waist so that you’re pulled right up against him

and it’s not like you mind,,, he’s very warm,,, and uhhhh also very attractive 

then he places his mouth above your ear and whispers, “Don’t panic, ok?” 

and starts swimming, still holding you

and you’re just looking around in amazement because on one hand, there’s jooheon, who is very fun to look at, but then there’s also schools of fish you’ve never seen up close before swimming by 

and you’ve never seen the sun through water like this 

it’s all so beautiful and fascinating and you can’t believe you’ve gone your whole life without seeing it

but before long, jooheon swims to the surface and you emerge from the water to find that you’re in a small sort of enclosure 

like a small cave

“Where is this?” you ask

“Right behind the castle,” he says

you can’t conceal your surprise, saying, “What? I never knew-” before catching yourself

jooheon has been friendly enough, but that might change if he finds out you’re a member of the royal family 

the family that caused his people to jump into the water in the first place 

thankfully, he doesn’t seem to have any suspicions 

“So, what’s human life like?” 

“Kind of boring, to be honest,” you say, launching into descriptions of your teacher and various classes 

and you think it’s horribly monotonous but he’s hanging on to your every word and asking questions left and right 

he’ll interrupt a story to ask what a bathtub is

and you're like oh yeah I guess you wouldn’t really have a use for one would you

he tells you stories of his life, too

of exploring sunken shipwrecks and huge, expansive corals with his friends 

and it’s all so alien and interesting that you figure you could listen all day

but before long, it gets dark and a bit cold, so you think you should go

he notices your glances and is like, “Ah, they’re probably looking for you back at the palace, aren’t they?” 

you flinch. “How did you know I live at the palace?” 

“I get that our societies are a little separated, but my people know of your family.” 

“Oh.” 

and he senses that you’re uncomfortable so he takes your hand in his, a blush dusting his cheeks 

“I think you’re a good person. Regardless of what our families did to each other, you’re good,” he says

and you squeeze his hand, not meeting his gaze

“Y/N,” he says, oddly serious, “I don’t want this to be the last time I see you.” 

and you’re like.... yeah, me neither 

and you agree to meet him in that small cave behind the palace wednesday night

you pull yourself out of the water, jooheon’s hand steadying you to keep you from falling

and once you’re on dry land, you bend down to kiss his cheek, smiling to yourself as it turns bright red 

“Goodbye, Jooheon.” 

“Nononono don’t say it like that it sounds so depressing and as if I’ll never ever see you ever again-”

you just laugh and wave goodbye 

as you leave, you turn around and jooheon is just staring at you, watching you leave with his chin resting on his hand

he gives you a smile and waves goodbye with the ferociousness of a little kid 

and you’re like.... if the rest of the kingdom could see this, peace would stand a fighting chance 

but for now, you’re just excited to see jooheon wednesday night