#good mermay practice

[spittyfishy]

Red crackle Week day 1: Fantasy

Hi all! I wanted to participate a bit in the red crackle ship week (I won’t be doing all of the days since it overlaps with my bday so I’ll be busy lol). The first prompt was ‘fantasy’ so I thought I’d take the opportunity to do some mermaid designs!

For Crackle I based his off the Mary River Cod, which is a freshwater fish from Australia and for Carmen I went with a Heckle Discus which is a freshwater fish found in the Amazon river! I wanted to make sure they both were found in fresh water so it made sense the mermaids could interact lol

[soothedcerberus]

Don't you hate it when your food starts talking to you and making you feel bad for trying to eat it 🙄 Late mermay art of my OCs! 🦭 🐠 🦈

[aerknight]

sun except he’s an arowana :3c

he’s schemin’

[darushi-chan]

IT IS STILL MERMAY, yay. After my first MerKidAemond drawing lovely @avonneslovelies​ asked if I could draw adult Aemond, and of course I said yes! This one its also inspired by her MerAU We will met on the horizon, we agreed in the very fun idea of Aemond being all confused about a rubber ducky while super cute Arrax tries to play with his tail, he’s an adorable menace 💕.     This time I also incorpored the tatoos and nipple piercings he has on the story ☺️. I’m also even more happy with the iridescence on the scales this time, SO PRETTY.  Now, I’m gonna put a little bit more effort to finish the other parallel fanart of Aegon that came to me during the reference search hahaha, gotta make sure it gets finished on wonderful mermay 🥰!!!

[melonlthawne]

Oh it’s mermay…

[lockuster]

Happy Mermay !

Not too proud of the background but it was fun and good practice ^_^

[thatonegenshinsimp]

Something’s Fishy Here (Merperson!reader)

Notes: My contribution to Mermay 2024 while I still have motivation to write this month.

Characters: Alhaitham, Diluc Ragnvindr, Wriothesley, Dainsleif, Neuvilette, Capitano

Warnings: mentions of physical violence

Masterlist

Alhaitham (Lemon Shark)

Sumeru was known as the land of kelp. It was a large kelp forest before the reefs of Fontaine and after the clear waters of Liyue and Mondstadt.

You, being one of the more curious members of the merfolk, had been traveling alone for a time.

Sumeru, as it happened, was one of the places you’d been wanting to visit the most.

That was when you first met Alhaitham, a lemon shark merman who was a tad more standoffish than most others of his subspecies.

You were a beta fish merperson, your tail frilled and colorful. It was one of your only defense mechanisms save for the shorter claws you had compared to other more aggressive merfolk that came from harsher places.

Alhaitham was, by all standards, a good lover to you. He treated you well and kept you safe if ever he saw someone as a threat.

One time, you accidentally flipped him over while you were bothering him and that was the day you realized what Tonic Immobility was.

He likes nuzzling your neck and is practically attached at the hip to you all evening after a long day apart from you.

Diluc Ragnvindr (Red Snapper)

You were a shark, so you often tended to be a bit of a loner.

That’s why you were so surprised to find that you had feelings for Diluc, a Red Snapper merman.

Diluc didn’t really know how to react when he found you were often there to help whenever he needed assistance, but he figured out why when you bared your teeth at Donna when she tried to make him uncomfortable and get in his personal space.

Soon enough, he plucked up the courage to ask you to be with him. He noticed you looked rather excited when he asked, and you happily said yes to him.

He definitely laughs when he realizes you can go into tonic immobility.

He doesn’t do it often, given that you’re in a trance for almost fifteen minutes every time he does it, but he does find it heavily amusing.

He likes staying close to you, given he rarely gets to have a break from work, so you usually help him with his work when you’re not working for the Adventurers Guild.

Wriothesley (Great White Shark)

Shark Wriothesley is the best Wriothesley

You were a swordfish merperson, but you quite liked being around Wriothesley even before you got into a relationship with him.

There’s a lot of hunting competitions between the two of you.

Wriothesley, despite knowing you can hold your own, definitely fights for you whenever you two get into any skirmishes with others because of his more instinct driven nature that rears its head in fights.

His territory is the Meropide Trenches that separate the north and south hemispheres of Fontaine’s waters.

He hates it when you flip him over. His tonic immobility lasts for a little over ten minutes, but he still hates it because it stresses him out.

He’s fiercely protective of you, but it’s because he loves you and doesn’t want you getting hurt.

Dainsleif (Greenland Shark)

He’s definitely a Greenland Shark merman in my personal opinion.

Khaenri’ah used to be a reef system, but during a tectonic shift, was sucked deeper down in the ocean, resulting in a tsunami due to the colliding tectonic plates.

The tsunami wiped out many in the population, which were sharks, and Dainsleif, cursed by the Seven alongside the other pureblood Khaenri’ahn people, slowly became a Greenland Shark, but his tail remained the same deep royal and navy blue colors it had always been, despite the fins morphing over time to tolerate the far lower depths of the sea.

That was when he met you, a snailfish merperson, who lived closer to the deeper depths of the trenches.

You got along well with him, and often visited him given how easily you traveled to the deeper parts of the trenches without any trouble.

He’s a tad more protective, but that’s because he doesn’t want to lose you as he has most of not all of the other people in his life.

Neuvilette (Swordfish)

Neuvilette is a swordfish merman, I’ll die on this hill.

Instead of being protective and possessive of you, he mostly just tries to avoid situations where you would need his protection.

He likes giving you gifts, it’s one of the ways he expresses his love for you.

Suddenly, your home is filled with little trinkets and shiny things he finds whenever he’s out and about in the reefs.

He also speaks to the melusines, who swim around with you when you’re unable to see him due to his work.

He likes physical touch, it’s one of the things that calms him down in the rare occasions where he gets angry.

Though he rarely shows it, he does often worry about you, even if you can defend yourself.

Capitano (Great White Shark)

Another shark merman.

Capitano is one of the larger shark merfolk, so he usually doesn’t even need to fight for someone to get the message to leave if they bother you.

You’d wandered into his territory by accident, but you, being a remora fish merperson, immediately thought he was friend shaped and swam up to say hi.

He’s perplexed by you. Few to none of the other merfolk in these waters swim within half a mile of his territory, but he’s certainly not one to refuse the company of someone as kind as you, so he lets you explore.

He slowly grows to realize he has feelings for you, and it’s only when he sees Dottore, a tiger shark, going after you that he realizes that he’d rather fight someone to the death than see you hurt.

After all, it ought to be only him biting you, and certainly not to kill you.

After that incident, he asks if you’ll be in a relationship with him, and you say yes.

He’s a good lover, and provides most anything you wish for.

He’d raze the whole ocean if only to see you happy.

[osleeplessflowero]

Gotta make SOMETHING for Mermay. So here's some Nightmare content!

Oneshot Masterpost Check Out My In-Progress Fics Right Here On Tumblr! 1,322 Words

Content Warning: Almost Drowning

You hear the light thumps of your footsteps as you make your way across the docks, sitting right on the edge and greeting the sea. Taking a breath, you memorize the ocean air. How it smells, how it feels on your body.. A pleasant feeling, for sure.

The stars shine brightly in the sky, twinkling over you as you stare into the sea water and smile down at yourself. Turning your head back, you glance at the hotel you'd recently checked into, relieved they allow their guests to swim late at night. It's such a perfect time to..right under the stars, stretching across the open sky, and reflecting onto the water below, which has a sort of glow to it.

Sliding off the suit cover you'd been wearing, you lean back a bit to make sure nobody else is coming outside, before jumping down into the cool water and putting on a mask. You shiver at the feeling before slowly adapting to it, shaking your head once you rise and breathing in before swimming further out without a care in the world. You lie on your back, staring up at the moon as you float..before closing your eyes and sinking into the depths. You open them again and swim without a clear goal in mind, coming up for air when you feel you've gone too far and need to breathe.

You collect shells along the way, small enough to fit in a small bag on your side. These'll be lovely for starting a collection! You smile, swimming back up once you need to breathe again, before going a bit deeper. A few different kinds of fish swim by you, staring in curiosity before turning their direction to other things. A part of you wonders what it would be like, to be a fish. Living in the sea all day long, swimming around.. not having to worry about anything other than..well, survival.

Being caught up in your own thoughts, you don't seem to notice a bright greenish light that's become rather fixated on you..a spotlight from the depths. Waiting for you to go deeper..to travel too far..

You gingerly pick up shells you find, waving to some fish and even flipping over a turtle that had fallen over. Such a curious soul.. perhaps too much so. You go up for air once more, before swimming down again, going even deeper. Finding yourself beginning to reach darker territory, you debate swimming back up..everyone knows darker waters are very bad places to go to.

The light comes into your view..you flinch at the sudden appearance of it, narrowing your eyes to try and see what it is. Reaching your hand towards it, it flinches itself and swims away. You start to call out to it, but remember you're literally underwater, and decide against it. Not a good idea to swim after strange lights anyway..you begin swimming back up.

As you kick your legs back and forth in your attempt to reach the surface, you find yourself getting stuck on a group of coral. Panicking, you reach down to try and free yourself, pulling as hard as you can before bringing your hands up to your neck. If you stay down here for much longer, you'll drown!

Nobody knows you're out here, nobody will find you, nobody will know you've died, you'll be quite literally SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES-

You struggle. A light is cast onto you again that you don't notice in your panic. A massive form swims over to you, practically surrounding you due to its huge size. You turn your head as you struggle to hold your breath, coming face to face with the creature.

A black skeleton faces you, an inky like substance on his face that makes it seem to melt. His body glows, if you weren't struggling you could count the several tentacles below his torso that are currently keeping him afloat and moving around. They each glow and illuminate you as he leers over you.

You move one of your arms to point down where you're stuck, his..eyelight? Following. He seems to come to an understanding when he moves down to assist without a word. You do your best to help, but eventually lose your control and open your mouth, only to inhale water and fall unconscious. The skele..octopus? Pulls you free, looking up at you with curiosity in his eye before taking your form in his arms and swimming up to the surface, moving quickly towards the beach somewhere he wouldn't be seen.

A few minutes pass before you cough up water, spitting it out onto the sand he'd laid you on and staring at said sand in disbelief. You..thought you'd died. You'd fully seen it coming, so how are you?..You lean up, pushing any hair you may have away from your face, spotting the figure leaning onto the sand while still half submerged, resting his face between his skeletal hands. He simply watches you with a bored expression until he realizes you're awake, eyelight widening when he freezes.

You..he saved you. Your life was just saved by a skeleton octopus. ..Not every day something like that happens.

You scoot a little closer, he scoots a little back, until he realizes you have no harmful intent. As he leans forwards again, you smile a bit.

"Thank you." You say, he tilts his head in reply. Maybe there's a language barrier here?.. What languages to mer speak? Surely there's some way to communicate. You try signing, and he perks up.

"So, you know how to sign? That'll work."

He holds up his hands.

'Almost died'.

You sign.

'But didn't. Thanks to you.'

He simply nods, looking over you with curiosity. You find yourself staring, before apologizing and looking away. He puts his hand over yours, so you quickly look back at him.

'Okay.' Is he saying it's okay to stare? Oh. Well, that's not as awkward.

You take in the sight of the monster, the lights along his tentacles making him glow under the moonlight. His eye moves over you as you observe the various scratch marks and dents in his bones, likely from battle, as well as the several tentacles attached. The ink-like substance over his eye has you curious, so you hesitantly hold out your hand to touch him. He seems to understand what you're trying to do, leaning his head forward a bit.

You gently press your hand against his cheek, cringing a second at the goopy sensation before..being pretty okay with it. It's kinda like slime..but a slime that you'd be chill with touching. He leans into your hand, which makes you pause. You assume he must be pretty touch starved..

He moves his other hand, reaching up to touch the side of your face, curious to feel you. You decide to let him. It's the least you could do for his gesture.

He gingerly moves his hand against your cheek, being careful not to scratch it with his sharp nails, likely used for hunting prey. He's cold, which makes you shiver. You hear a chuckle come out of him when you make a sound, turning to look at him. ..He..has a really nice smile..

You turn back to the hotel, gently moving your hand away from his face. He puts his hand around your wrist almost immediately, pulling you slightly towards him with a frown.

'Gotta go. Late.' You sign, once he releases your hand.

'Don't.'

'I'll come back. Promise.'

He looks at you sternly. 'Promised.'

You nod in understanding, rising and taking one last second to look at him..before turning to head back to the hotel. You lost your mask in the water..you'll just go get another one.

His eyelight never leaves you until you're out of sight, and he descends back into the sea begrudgingly. He can already hear his brother's ridiculous lecturing on how he was gone for too long..

Oh well. He's going to do it again tomorrow anyway.

[obsessivevoidkitten]

Shark Baited Ooh La La! Pt. 2

Yandere Goblin Shark Merman x Purple Firefish Merman Reader (CW: Kidnapping, blood, pain, peril, sharkman yandere, mermen, merfolk, anglerfish merfolk that try to kill the reader, minor character death, their living privileges are revoked most thoroughly, thalassophobia, a horrible title with a very forced pun for which I refuse to apologize) Word count: 1k (Sorry this took 11 months for me to start. No smut here, but I think if you read both parts together they fit nicely. Happy mermay!!) First part can be found here: Shark Baited Ooh La La! Pt. 1 

It was easy to make the decision that you should try to make a break for it, there was nothing he could do to you if you were caught that he hadn’t already done and even a small possibility of making it home was worth it. You held your breath as you carefully extricated yourself from Damian’s sleep-loosened grasp, you had enough wits about you to grab a sharp looking dagger Damian had hanging on the wall, and then quickly made your exit out of the sea cave that he called his home.

Wasting no time you swam with all the urgency that your exhausted and aching body could muster. You remembered the general direction and swam and swam and swam.

But once the sea cave was behind you you were left in the cold embrace of open ocean. Your whole life was spent inside the city and reef you had called home, over time the natural homing instincts of your kind had been almost completely lost and you were no exception.

While you were indeed heading in the correct general direction that wasn’t enough as just being a bit off would end with you not being able to find your way home. Inevitably you veered just a bit and found yourself completely lost, though you didn’t realize it yet.

Only when you felt that you had swam for hours did you finally realize that you should have already arrived back to the safety of your home.

Now you were panicking, this was not a place for you. This was not a good place for anyone except the mightiest predators of the ocean. And you were vulnerable. You were tired from your previous struggles trying to escape Damian after he tied you up, you were battered, bruised, and sore from the rough fucking he had imposed on you, you were tired from your hours long swim in search of home, and to top it all off you were weighed down by being full of Damian’s eggs.

You could practically hear your heartbeat, sure that at any moment something or someone would emerge from the endless blue surrounding you and make a meal of you. Your hand shook as you gripped the dagger you stole tightly. 

In your fear you desperately searched aimlessly for any sign of your beloved reef. But it was simply no use. You were on the verge of tears, but then things got even worse…

Suddenly you were swept up in a powerful current! Had you been at full strength you almost certainly could have been able to power through it and remove yourself, but in your current state there was just nothing for it. You were swept deeper and even farther away from your goal. You were unable to even maintain a grip on your weapon as it drifted uselessly below. 

You were only swept up in the current for several minutes but it felt like hours, when you were finally released you found yourself a decent distance above a large and sinister looking trench. The cold caused you to shiver, you were not used to the cold water that occurred at this depth.

Out of the trench you saw three orbs of light shortly followed by the dimly illuminated forms of three thin merfolk of some kind, too far away to really make them out. You immediately dashed away as best you could but your own bioluminescence gave you away and made for an easy hunt.

It didn’t help that the current had beaten most of your remaining energy out of you.

They easily began catching up to you and you could soon see that these were anglerfish merfolk, if the sickly green glow of their lures didn’t give them away then the wide empty eyes and the wide gaping maws and lolling tongues certainly did.

"Please! Please leave me alone!" You sobbed desperately.

As they steadily pursued you and came ever closer they finally entered striking distance. They lunged. 

You spun around sharply, smacking one away with your tail with strength you didn't know you had while dodging another. But a few lucky strikes couldn't save you from a small pack of skilled predators. 

The third one managed to catch your arm and bit down on your hand causing you to shriek in pain. Red flowed from your arm behind you as you managed to shake your assailant loose. You swam as fast as you could but you didn't make it far before you were pulled back by the sharp clawed hands of these angler folk. 

"NO NO NO NOOO!" You screamed, hurting your throat, as you felt teeth sink into your tail.

Suddenly the pressure of the bite stopped as the anglers that had their hands on you were pulled swiftly backwards. Confused, you looked up to see your hero, Damian, as he crushed the throat of one of the anglers and viciously bit into another until it stopped moving.

The final one came at him and grabbed it and easily snapped its neck.

Now that all three had been deaded most thoroughly Damian swam over to you where you were struggling to keep yourself in place in the water.

"Fucking dumbass! What were you thinking!? That you could just run off? Think I couldn’t follow your scent?"

Despite his harsh words he gently picked you up and held you close. 

"When I woke up without you in my arms I was so fucking pissed! But... looks like you learned your lesson so... I won't be hard on you..." He kissed your head and started swimming back to his nest. He wanted your wounds dressed as soon as possible and then he wanted to hold and kiss you as you slept in his arms.

"Your wounds don't look life threatening but I still need to treat em'. Okay babe?" 

You responded only with a soft sniffling whimper and by burying your head in his neck. You were bruised, bleeding, and fatigued. You just wanted to be home, and you supposed that meant Damian's den because you surely weren't ever going to attempt to escape again. 

[coopigeoncoo]

An Itch to Scratch, Chapter 1: Foolish Lover's Game

Chapter Links: One, Two, Three

Pairing: Kirishima Eijiro/Female Reader

Rating: Explicit 18+

Tags: Mermay, Mer!Kirishima, Interspecies Relationships, Sexual Content, Somnophilia, Drowning, Caretaking, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Medical Conditions, Family Secrets, Self-Esteem Issues, Long-Distance Relationship, Wakes & Funerals, Family Member Death, Depression, Original Characters, Adopted Children, Angst with a Happy Ending.

This story is part of a collaboration from the Teahouse Server.

---

Kirishima Eijiro is everything you never thought you'd find when you packed up your car and moved to a dilapidated fishing town.  He was handsome, funny, and kind; the sort of man who took your breath away.  

And that might actually be a bit of a problem.

---

"Good girl ," Eijiro praised, his hands like a vice on your hips as he pulled away from your mouth with a satisfied grin.  You returned his smile with one of your own; the vibrant joy that had churned in your belly unfurled throughout your body, leaving you feeling breathless and lightheaded.  

"Eiji," you gasped, eyes widening in panic as your lungs seemed to seize in your chest.  "I- can't breathe!"

---

Continue reading below, or follow the link to Ao3!

It was an indescribably gorgeous day out in the water, the waves lapping at your shoulders were the perfect temperature to cool your sun-warmed skin without chilling you.  The sky was a solid bright blue with no variation in its hue, making it look like whoever was in charge of coloring the sky that morning just stuck a paint sample card up and called it a day. 

"We've been out here for a long time," you mentioned offhandedly, heaving yourself up onto your raft inelegantly, grunting as you struggled to get a leg up and roll onto the wildly bobbing flotation device.

"Oh!" Kirishima exclaimed, startled by how much the sun had shifted in the sky.  "Yeah, we have!  Geeze, it's already way past noon!"

Finally fully on your raft, you let out a whoosh of air as exhaustion settled  into your muscles as you sprawled out under the warm sun.  

"Do you wanna' try and squeeze up into the raft with me?" You offered, patting the narrow sliver of remaining raft at your side.  "It'll be a snug fit, but we can make it work."

"As much as I'd love to join you up there, I don't think It'd be a good fit," Kirishima admitted regretfully, his throat bobbing as his eyes over the curve of your hip where your rash guard had crept up and exposed a strip of sun-warmed skin.  

"Yeah, you're probably right," you laughed nervously, doing your best to banish the thought of the two of you on the raft together, limbs tangled up and chests pressing closer as you struggled to make room for each other.  "I'm just worried your legs are getting tired."

"Why would they be?" Kirishima asked with a furrowed brow, snagging a bit of seagrass floating by and twirling it about on his finger.

"Because you've been treading water for hours now?"

"Oh, right!  My legs are so tired right now!" He laughed uneasily, balling up and crushing the seagrass in his fist.

"Are you going to be okay to get back to shore?  I'd hate for you to get caught in a current and be too tired to make it back to shore safely," you told him, concern seeping into your tone as you rested your hand across Kirishima's muscled forearm.  

"I'll be fine," he beamed at you, gazing at you with soft eyes as he ran his thumb tenderly over the back of your hand.  "But it's sweet that you're worried about me."

Breath catching somewhere in the vicinity of your diaphragm, you smile bashfully in response, turning your hand in his to lace your fingers tightly with his as the two of you lazily paddled back towards the shore.  

It hadn't been in your plans to move in with your Grandpa after graduation, but it also hadn't been in your plans to be buried so deeply in educational debt you weren't sure you'd ever manage to pay it back.  Your chosen field was competitive and potential employers weren't calling back, so with the move-out date for student housing fast approaching you weren't left with a ton of options.  

Gran-Gran had passed a couple years prior and Gramps had done a good job carrying on without her, even though you tell by his wistful sigh when he walked by the framed photographs in the hallway that he missed her dearly.  But as he marched steadily towards the end of his life the list of things he was able to do independently dwindled with each passing month.  He'd nearly broken a hip during your final semester when he'd fallen off a chair trying to replace a burnt out bulb in his porch sconce. 

That event had gotten the family chat buzzing with concern; people expressing their displeasure that he was living alone but unwilling to personally do anything to remedy the issue.

Suddenly flush with time, you'd loaded up your car and made the long trip up to the seaside house your Grandparents had lived in for far longer than you'd been alive.  Your friends had been jealous of your relocation at first, imagining your new life to be the glamorous sort that they had seen in movies and the obligatory beach episodes of their favorite shows.  Their excitement for you had quickly evaporated when you finally arrived and started sending them photos from your new town.  

Every picture you sent was overwhelmingly brown.  Everything from the buildings to the sand and even the ocean itself was a murky russet color, a far cry from the pristine blue they had been picturing in their heads.  Even the food did its best to conform to the town's limited color palette; the beige of fresh fried seafood and potatoes that made up the majority of your meals made for a sad entry whenever you compared snapshots of meals.  

It had saddened you at first, the oppressive brown atmosphere, but in the end it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The blandness of your surroundings had made you notice the brilliant crimson spot bobbing across the distant waves, a beacon luring you out into the water to investigate.  

Hastily donning a life vest, you set out from shore on your trusty inflatable raft, making a horrifying discovery as you neared the mysterious red blob in the distance. 

It was a person.

Ice cold panic crashed through your veins as you frantically paddled out towards the man, the head disappearing beneath the waves for longer and longer stretches of time, your lungs aching in sympathy for how long they were staying submerged between breaths.  

After what felt like an eternity you were finally upon them, limbs shaking from adrenaline.  

"Are you okay?" You called out, chest heaving from exertion.

The man spun towards you in the water, eyes wide in shock, before he let out an ear piercing shriek and disappeared beneath the waves with a large splash.  

"Hey!" You screeched, shoving your arm down into the area where his head had submerged, bright red hair completely hidden by the murky ocean water.  "Can you hear me?  Swim towards my voice!"

Your shoulder was aching with how violently you were waving it about, desperate to make contact with the struggling man losing his fight with the sea.  

"Please," you begged whatever Gods above or below might be listening.  "Don't let me be too late- I couldn't paddle any faster!  I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!" You wailed, throwing yourself half over the side so you could reach in with your other arm, hoping to double your chances for finding the drowning man.  

"If you can hear me, just- just hold on!" You cried, tears blurring your vision as salty water splashed across your face.  "Please!  Just grab hold of my hand!  I won't let go, I promise!"

Uncountable, anxious moments passed before you felt fingers gently graze across your palm.  You surged forward, wrapping both your hands around the man's wrist and then hauling yourself backwards, pulling the man towards the surface with all your might.  

"I caught you!" You sobbed in delight when his head breached the surface.  You tugged him further up to hang off the edge of your raft while you collapsed next to him, chest heaving in exhaustion. 

"Yeah," the man gasped, looking at you with wide, dazed eyes.  "I guess you did."

That man was Kirishima Eijiro and you two had been inseparable ever since, spending lazy days floating out on the ocean and enjoying each other's company.  Sometimes you would lay quietly along the bottom of your raft, watching the horizon for the tell-tale spouting of water that heralded the arrival of a surfacing whale.  Kirishima loved to show off his diving prowess when you were in shallower waters, sliding beneath the choppy waters with a sharp grin, returning moments later with interesting shells, bits of bone, and wriggling starfish with too many legs.  

You had thought about asking him into town with you, but that notion was immediately discarded because what would you even do there?  Visit the only restaurant in town that served the exact same fried fish your Grandpa made while you withered under the judgmental gazes of the old fishermen playing dominoes at the corner table?  

Hard pass.  

So you woke up before the sun with your Grandpa, dodging all his attempts to coax you into sitting on a whoopie cushion or trying out a new bottle of perfume you knew with utter certainty was just a dolled up bottle of fart spray; and paddled out in the early morning light to spend the beginning of the day with Kirishima.  Once the sun's rays became unbearable you'd return to shore and join your Grandpa and his friends down on the dock, mending nets and patching crab pots while they doled out unsolicited life advice.  

You accepted their wisdom with a polite nod, knowing that they meant well.  Their own children and grandkids had left the town years ago and never looked back, so you were a convenient outlet for all the paternal advice they so rarely had the opportunity to dispense. 

Days crawled by, each much the same as the one before, and you tried not to think about how easily you had settled into life in this moldering town that seemed to decay before your very eyes.  

You expressed this to Kirishima; your worries and fears about identifying so strongly with a lifestyle that would likely be buried alongside the aging townsfolk.

"What will you do then?" He asked, staring intently into your eyes as his fingers tightly gripped the rope running around the side of your raft. "Will you stay?  Even when your Grandfather is gone?"

You didn't like to think of it- of your Grandpa dying.  He was such a spitfire of an old man whose playfully nature seemed immune to fading like his eyesight and hearing had. 

"I don't know.  But I think there might be more reasons to stay than to go," you whispered, returning his meaningful glance; the moment ruined by the choking squawk of seagulls passing overhead.  

"Is there anything here, do you think?  Between us?" You asked Kirishima one cloudy day, your nerves jumping as you mustered up the courage to broach the subject that had been on the forefront of your mind for weeks.

"Nah," Kirishima scoffs, waving a hand dismissively.  Your stomach twists in on itself in embarrassment and you rush to find some excuse to change the subject when Kirishima continues talking.  "There was a shark around earlier, but it's gone now."

"Wait, what?" You screech, tucking your legs up to your chest protectively.  "There was a shark and you didn't think to tell me?"

"You didn't notice?" He asks, face scrunched up in confusion. "Weird."

"It's not weird!  How would I even be able to notice something like that?  You can't see anything in this water!  Did you like, kick it or something?"

"Yes," Kirishima coughs uneasily.  "I know it was there because I kicked it.  With my feet.  Of which I have two."

"Oh God, it was that close?" You whine, burying your face into your hands while Kirishima seemed to be experiencing a delayed revelation.

"Hold on- what were you talking about before if it wasn't the shark?"

"Oh, uh," you stammer uneasily, fiddling with the zipper of the emergency bag strapped to your waist.  "Nothing!  Don't worry about it."

"Were you talking about us, us?" Kirishima groaned, rubbing a wet hand down his face with a rugged groan.  "Oh, man!  I've totally messed this up, haven't I?"

"No!  Of course not!" You quickly reassured him, still not brave enough to meet his eyes after his casual rejection.  "This is all on me.  I shouldn't have assumed- I should have realized that what I was feeling was one-sided."

"Hush," Kirishima rumbled, a gravely sort of sound that sent shivers down your spine.  Fingers ran across your forearm, leaving gooseflesh in their wake as you hesitantly lifted your gaze to his.

"Whatever feelings you have- however you might see me, believe me when I say that I feel the same."

"So, we're friends," you offer tentatively with a wobbly smile.

"The very best," Kirishima agreed readily.

"And…also something more?  If you'd like?"

"Oh, I'd like that," he grinned wildly. "I'd like that very much."

Grandpa wasn't in a good way when he woke, his joints stiffer than normal and a delay in the movement on his left side that had you contemplating loading him up into your beater of a car and driving him inland to find a doctor.  You decided to spend the morning with him, despite his colorful protests, and called down to the dock to let his friends know that he was alright.  

You could tell he was frustrated by the shaking of his hand and how often he had dropped his toothbrush in the sink, so you let him slip you a piece of chewing gum that turned your teeth black in an effort to cheer him up.  He was delighted by your coal-black smile, letting out a wheezing guffaw every time you grinned at him.  Your teeth would be a touch gray for a couple of days, but it was worth it to see your Grandpa's spirits bolstered.  

After escorting Gramps down to the docks and fetching him a large glass of water, you bid the group of old curmudgeons farewell and darted down to the shore.  Kirishima didn't own a phone, which was usual in this day and age, but not unheard of in the area.  Paranoia ran thick through people's blood and many of the old guard were happiest living as far off-grid as they could reasonably manage.  Kirishima's lack of phone wasn't typically an issue so long as you stuck to your established routine, but it did make it difficult to coordinate whenever things went awry.  

Hands cupped above your eyes, you peered out into the water and saw Kirishima's brilliant red hair far closer to shore than was typical.  He was swimming back and forth in tight circles as if he was pacing, anxiously awaiting your arrival. 

You raised your hands above your head and waved frantically to catch his attention, snorting in amusement when he finally noticed you and lost his focus,  getting pushed under water by a passing wave.  

"That yer friend?" One of the old men combing the beach with a metal detector asked.

"Sure is," you reply tightly, not thrilled by the notion of your personal life becoming this week's town gossip fodder.

"Be careful with that one," the man warned with a snort, hocking a thick brown loogie down onto the sand by your feet.  "He's got red hair.  That's bad luck out on a boat."

"Everything is bad luck out on a boat," you mutter sourly.

"Yer not wrong," the old man wheezed in amusement. "Just be careful.  The sea is greedy for beautiful things, and yer the prettiest thing that's been 'round here in a long, long time."

"Aww," you coo, savoring the way the rare compliment settled warmly in your chest.

"Don't let it go to yer head," the man sniffed, pulling his headset back over his ears as his wand started beeping enthusiastically about something further inland. "Yer just a fairer sight than the rest of us old farts, but that ain't saying much."

"I hope you find nothing but bottle caps until the day you die," you grumble peevishly, blowing a dramatic kiss out to Kirishima, who dove to catch it in midair before holding it fast to his heart.

"If only," the man sighed as he limped away. "But I ain't never been that lucky."

You were startled by your Grandpa coughing loudly while he worked on slicing up his fish fry into bite sized pieces.

"One of the boys told me they saw you out on the beach this morning," he said, dipping a small piece of fish into a heaping pile of ketchup and horseradish.  

"Of course they did.  You're all a bunch of nosey busy bodies," you huff in irritation, shoving a large spoonful of canned peas into your mouth and wincing at their lack of flavor.  

"I trust you and your judgment," Grandpa assured you as you picked up the salt shaker in the middle of the table.  "But just be careful, alright?  I've been a man for many years now and up to no good for nearly all of them."

"I will, Gramps.  Thanks for worrying," you said with a smile, giving the shaker a hearty jiggle and watching in horror as the lid fell clean off into your peas along with the entire contents of the salt shaker.

"Ya' see?" Gramps hollered, slapping his knee in delight.  "Totally untrustworthy- the lot of us!"

Your relationship with Kirishima, while good, was innocent on the best days and positively chaste on the worst.  You had vivid memories of participating in far more brazen displays of affection with your middle school boyfriend than what Kirishima seemed comfortable with.  

Wandering hands were constantly redirected to areas safely above the water line and attempts at kisses were redirected at the last moment onto turned cheeks and noses.  

You didn't mind the slow pace at first, respecting Kirishima's personal boundaries and desire to not rush into anything physical. But as the weeks ticked by the speed of your developing relationship shifted from glacial to stagnant, you couldn't help but be frustrated and more than a little confused.

"Ugh!" You screeched in irritation when your kiss landed across his jaw instead of your intended target of his lips.  With a huff, you push on Kirishima's shoulders to propel yourself backwards in the water and away from him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, brow wrinkled in confusion as he reached out for you, hands flexing in a grabby motion to lure you back to him.

"That's what I want to know!" You yell, slamming your hands down on the surface of the water, the sudden impact stinging your skin.  "You just push me away every time I try to get close to you!"

"I- I'm sorry," Kirishima whimpers.

"Do you- do you want to break up?" You ask, voice quiet and cracking.  

"No!  No, of course not!" Kirishima rushes to reassure you, closing the distance between you in an instant, pulling you against his chest and running comforting fingers across your cheeks, leaving trails of water in their wake.  "I care about you so much."

"Then what's going on?" You sniff miserably, nuzzling the space between Kirishima's pecs to comfort yourself.  "Why won't you kiss me?"

"I just- I feel really bad when I try to kiss you."

"Really not helping out my self-confidence here, Eijiro," you wince, the sound of his heart beat thundering under your ear. 

"Ah, geez!  No!  Not like that!  I just, maybe, haven't been completely honest with you about something," he admits hesitantly.  "And I feel guilty."

"Oh."

"Yeah," he shifts uneasily, kicking up a strong current that lashes against your legs.  "It doesn't feel right, getting closer to you while I'm keeping a secret."

"Can you tell me?  Your secret, I mean," You ask hesitantly, staring up into his warm eyes.

"I want to," he says, dropping his forehead down onto yours with a heavy thunk that sends stars flying across your vision.  "I'm just scared."

"You don't have to be scared," you assured him honestly, looping your arms around his neck to pull yourself closer to him.  "I'm already halfway in love with you.  It'll take a lot to frighten me away."

"Yeah," Kirishima sighed morosely.  "I know."

Kirishima wrapped the tow line of your raft around his chest and swam out towards a rocky outcropping further up the shore and away from town.  You hadn't explored this far North before because the tides were fairly strong in this area and it was easier on your arms to drift and explore the areas to the South.  

"Here we are," Eijiro announced, lashing the rope of your boat around a half-rotten piling; evidence of a past pier claimed by the sea.  You scuttled out of your raft as smoothly as you could, the waves breaking on the rocks making your exit maneuvers more bumbling than you would have liked.  But you managed to get to the top of the slick rocks without slipping, so it was an overall win in your book.

"Alright," you said with a firm head nod, focusing on Eijiro's serious expression and not the unpleasant feeling of algae squishing under your hands.  "What is it you want to tell me?"

"Okay," Kirishima sighed, his chest visibly sinking with the force of his exhale.  "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, just- give me a minute?" He squeaked, running his shaking hands through his damp hair, the bright red tresses clumping together into rows between his fingers.  "This is harder than I thought it would be."

"Maybe just say it really quick?" You offer.  "Just get it over with- like pulling off a bandaid."

"A what?"

"Do you…not know what a bandaid is?" You ask, utterly flummoxed by his question. 

"Not important right now," Kirishima waved his hand dismissively.  "We'll circle back to that later."

"Of course.  Right.  We need to stay focused here."

Moments pass in silence as you wiggle your fingers in the squishy algae beneath you while Kirishima's skin seems to turn ghastly pale before your eyes.  You were about to ask if he was okay when he suddenly released a powerful roar that seemed to rattle your bones with its intensity.

"C'mon, Kirishima!  Man up!  You've got this!" He bellowed, suddenly pointing at you with one of his long fingers.  "Are you ready!?"

"I-," You stammered, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his demeanor.  "Yes?"

"That's the spirit!" He cheered, pumping a fist into the air.  "Here I come!"

And then Kirishima surged up and out of the water, his arms tensing as he caught the edge of the rock face and began pulling himself up in an impressive show of strength.  He scrambled for purchase across the slippery stone, eventually letting out a triumphant grunt when he found a foothold and was able to push himself up.

And up.

And up.

Kirishima was towering high above you now, his torso stretched far above where a normal human chest would be.  His monumental form blocked out the sun and cast a shadow down onto your shivering body- either from the sudden chill of the shade or the prickles of fear jolting down your spine; you weren't entirely certain.  

As your eyes trailed down his elongated body it suddenly became clear as to why you'd never seen Eijiro out of the water.  

Starting at his waist and proceeding downwards were rows and rows of chitinous plating that nestled and slotted I to each other to form a massive lobster tail.  Eight spindly legs clicked loudly across the rock as he swayed nervously from side to side; arms crossing and uncrossing as he waited for you to respond.  

Overwhelmed by his revelation, you inhaled a great shaky breath and promptly burst into tears.

"H-hey," Kirishima stuttered, reaching for you on instinct; second guessing his actions at the last moment and pulling his hands away with a pained grimace.  "It's okay!  I know I look scary, but I promise I won't hurt you!"

"It's not- it's not that," you wailed, blowing your nose into the hem of your rash guard.  "I could never be scared of you, Eijiro!"

"Spirits be praised," Kirishima whispered, visibly deflating in relief as his arms shot out once again to embrace you, running his hands soothingly down your back as he made quiet shushing noises to soothe you.  "If you aren't scared, then why are you so upset?"

"Because I'm allergic to shellfish!" You cried, burying your face into his shoulder as another wave of sobs overtook you. 

"I don't- what does that mean?"

"It means that lobsters make me sick!" 

"Oh," Kirishima muttered numbly, his hands stilling against your back as dread welled up in his belly.  "Well, shit."

The two of you lay sprawled out on that rocky outcropping, idly watching the clouds shift by.  Kirishima was on his back, his numerous lobster legs folded and tucked close to his body while his feathery swimmerets fluttered anxiously in the air.

"So, how allergic are you exactly?"  Kirishima asked, his tail slapping against the ground mindlessly as his thoughts raced. 

"Allergic enough to carry this," you sighed as you unzipped your emergency pack and pulled out an EpiPen.  "I've had to carry one ever since I was a kid.  I used to eat a ton of lobster- wait.  That must sound awful to you!"

"Nah," Kirishima said, waving off your distress with a hand and a couple of legs thrown in for good measure.  "I eat lobsters all the time.  They're delicious."

"I- well.  Okay, then," you replied uneasily, trying not to dwell on the potential moral ramifications of Kirishima's lobster consumption.  "Anyway, I had ordered some lobster tails like I normally did, but once I started eating them I began itching like crazy.  I've avoided shellfish ever since."

Kirishima blew out a frustrated breath as his hand crept towards you, weaving his fingers through yours.

"What are we going to do?" Eijiro murmured dejectedly, squeezing your hand tightly as the clouds tumbled through the sky above you.

"I don't know."

[merakiui]

mermay but plot twist, you're the mermaid and it's your first time up on dry land! all these boys are so nice to you and give you so much attention! you are a little confused though, you know you're supposed to wear clothes but your new friends seem so eager to take yours off so they can show you how humans play together, how weird.

You ask Floyd if that’s normal because he’s been on land much longer than you and so surely he’d know a little more about how humans play. But then Floyd’s mismatched eyes are darkening and his happy expression sours, and it isn’t long before he’s slinking off to go play with your new human friends himself. He’ll return with bloody knuckles and an exhilarated smile. Playing with your friends really is fun. Shrimpy better tell him all about any other friends just so he can have his chance to play. Although whenever Floyd plays with your friends, it’s a guarantee they’ll never talk to you again.

Azul just about loses it when he learns you practiced (in your words) “breathing techniques” with other students. He tells you you’re not meant to do that with just anyone! It’s important and special and shouldn’t be taken so lightly. When you ask who you’re supposed to practice with, he offers himself as a worthy candidate right away. Azul knows you’re not this gullible, but then he’s too busy enjoying a dozen kisses to worry about whether or not you’re playing him for a fool or if it’s the opposite hehe. <3

Jade takes you on his mountain hikes because he wants you to see more of what the surface has to offer. Even if it ends with you pressed against the tree, with Jade claiming this is how humans have fun on land, you’ll trust it because Jade knows best. Jade also introduces you to other humans, but he’s always sticking nearby. You’re more than welcome to socialize; just do it after he’s cum inside you so that those with a keen sense of smell will know not to get too friendly with Jade’s possession. :)

Good luck to the human students who want to be your friend. Riddle’s always hounded by the twins whenever he interacts with you. All he did was borrow you a pencil and yet the twins are hunting him down because you mistook it for a courting gesture. Or Deuce genuinely trying to get to know you on a personal level because he likes you, but Azul is always getting in the way because no one will know his angelfish better than him! >:( or Rook making you his next curiosity because he just loves how adorable you are when you’re exploring the campus. So many possibilities!

[blinddreams24]

Communication/Language

A Mermay Prompt

Masterlist

Prev / Next

“Hey, y/n!” Killer greeted.

You gave him a halfhearted nod and returned back to your food. It was weird only eating fish and sea weed. Not that it was bothering you.

Killer leaned over your shoulder to nip at the fish in your hands. You swatted him away without a sound and Killer backed up. “…You okay, suckerfish.”

You nodded and smiled at him. No. No you weren’t okay. But it was fine. It had only been a week since you’d moved in. And you still couldn’t speak properly. But it was fine. You’d figure it out.

“Killer.” Nightmare called from the crevasse.

Killer shot away with a singsongy, “Yes, Boss~?” and disappeared into the trench.

You sighed through your nose. You were jealous. Yes, jealous. Killer was always talking and singing all the time, and the others did too, but you couldn’t even sing a siren song yet. All you could do was chirp and whistle.

A few minutes later, Killer swung by to tease you again on his way out. That was another thing. The boys could leave the trench for one reason or another, sometimes the Boss would send them on missions you weren’t allowed to know about, but you couldn’t leave unless absolutely necessary. No one let you go anywhere, especially by yourself. Even now, Dust was watching you from his cave, ready to stop you if you tried to leave.

“Y/n.” Called Nightmare.

You shivered and looked over at Dust, who shooed you with a hand. You gently set the half-eaten fish down and cautiously swam into the trench. You hadn’t been to see Nightmare by yourself before and you were terrified.

“I’m not going to bite you. Calm yourself.”

Right. Negativity. You took a few deep breaths as you descended to the floor of the trench, stopping when you were level with his eyes.

He smiled kindly at you. “It has come to my attention that you have not been using your voice, refraining from speaking even in casual conversation.”

You sank a few feet in embarrassment. He wasn’t wrong.

“If you do not practice, you will not develop a voice or a call. Do you know what that means, y/n?”

You shook your head.

“It means you will never become independent. If you cannot use your voice, you will die if you get separated from your pod. Either from starvation or because a larger predator attacked you. Your voice is very important. So I’ve decided to teach you.”

What.

You looked up at the kraken in confusion. He was going to help you? He wasn’t upset that you’d failed to even try?

“As I understand it, you have made quite the impression on my pod. Usually after I’ve rested, Horror would be all over me. He has only come to me twice without being called. The others are sharing food with him too. Cross and especially Killer haven’t shared their meals in decades. And Dust, though you hadn’t met him before, has been visible almost constantly since you arrived, sitting in the edge of his den instead of the very back.” Nightmare encouraged softly. “You have fixed multiple problems, that I have spent years trying to fix, within a few weeks. I wish to thank you. So I am offering my help in your speech therapy. Do you accept?”

You nodded furiously. You’d given up trying to speak to the others. If he could fix your voice, you wouldn’t say no to that. Do you know how hard it is to communicate with someone when you can’t use your voice and don’t know sign language? It’s stupid difficult.

Nightmare grinned. “Good. Now, let’s start shall we?”

Nod nod nod.

Killer swam over you and poked your head. “Hey, suckerfish~!”

“Hhhhey.” You managed back around your food. ‘H’s were hard.

Killer flipped out and spun back around to face you. “What? Y/n, what? What did you say?” He was excited.

You took a moment to swallow. “Hhhey.” You grinned.

A sharp whistle pierced the water and Dust flinched away as Killer cheered you on. “You did it! I knew you could, suckerfish!” He hugged you, shoving you to the side.

You chirped angrily at being manhandled until he stopped. “Mmm- Mmmmnnn- Nnnniiigh…d…mmmmaaaare…hhhhep mmmme.” Scratch that. ‘N’s were harder.

“Wait. Boss helped you?” You nodded and Killer looked even more confused. “Huh. He doesn’t normally do that. Whatever. What have you learned?”

“Sssssssssounnnnndsssss.” You struggled. “Nnnnnnothhhhhhh- thhhhh- iinnnnnng b-big.” ‘Th’s sucked too. You actually gave up on that sound. “Jussssst worrrrdssssss.”

“Liiiiike? C’mon, suckerfish! Give me details!”

You frowned at him. “Toooooo mmmmmuch.”

“Too much what?”

“Too much overstimulation, Killer. Leave them alone.” Dust growled, speaking for you where you could not. You didn’t know how he knew what you meant but you appreciated it.

“When did you become the y/n expert?” Killer snapped. “You’ve barely met them!”

Dust, not caring for Killer’s fit turned to address you. “Was I correct?” You nodded. “I rest my case, Killer. Talk their ear off for all I care but don’t force them to talk when it’s already hard enough.”

Killer struck his tongue out at Dust who ignored him in favor of lying down in the entrance of his den. Without someone to mess with, Killer turned on you and started getting in your space. He tried to grab your food and you slapped his hands away.

“Get yyyyyourrr ownnnnn.” You snarked, pushing him away from your fish.

“Aw, c’mon!” He twisted away from your hand and tried to come back for your food again.

Being trained to deal with sharks, you decided to try something on him. Killer darted forward and you dropped your food to grab him with both hands. You flipped him with his tail upright and he stopped moving, stunned. You happily dug back into your food. Get rotated.

“What did you do??” Dust exclaimed, staring wide eyed at a frozen Killer who couldn’t even speak like that. “He’s quiet! What did you do to him?”

You smiled at Dust and continued eating without answering.

Dust looked excited and worried at the same time. “…Can you do that to all of us?”

You almost choked on your food as you laughed. Dust looked more and more concerned as you didn’t answer.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

In the Blue

Previous =-= Next

Author's note: Mermay for Imhoden.

Summary: Imhoden gets to know his bonded some more.

Warnings: ... Let me know if I need to add more.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k

Imhoden had visited the lovely human who had rescued him, several times, as his schedule allowed him to. They were, to his utter delight, a scuba diver who works for a sustainable and ecologically friendly pearl farm. They also volunteered on their off hours to help rescue sea life from the mal-practices of Ancient Terra's humans.

As a gift to them, he'd sing to her oysters and use his carefully, hard won power, which was so much more difficult to use on Ancient Terra to help bless her oysters with more harvest, larger, more lustrous pearls, and of course, more likely to have the rare, and more expensive colors more often, with the better grades of pearls more often. Not that he'd told his lovely human that, yet.

He would also swim in the depths to find lost, or forgotten oyster farms that are in depths that are harder for base line humans to reach to help them out. They'd thank him for his help, delighted and surprised. He was lounging on the side, his elbows on the dock as he watches their clever, small hands carefully open up the oysters and pull out the pearls carefully, and putting in a new 'nucleus' to sustainably harvest the pearl oysters, telling him what they were doing, and how they were.

They also had a video Chanel that they used to promote safe practices and get a secondary source of income to help sell their pearls. They had a synergistic partnership with a local jewelry maker that collaborated on making stunning pieces of jewelry that they sold to their fellow base line humans. He'd only grumbled and hissed at the Jewelry's Bonded Salamander a little bit, calming down once he realized he was bonded to the Gem, rather than trying to poach Imhoden's pearl.

The two humans had been keeping a careful eye on how the two of the interacted. With 'gem' as the Salamander nicknamed their human with a nuzzle sometimes petting his head, which helped soothe the larger Astartes. Also, his lovely human would pet him, yes, those feel nice and he'd curl around you with a happy purr.

He's got the best scale colors, that sparkle so wonderfully in the sun. Pay attention to him and not the uppity Salamander. Although he tries not to distract you while you are making your videos and harvesting the pearls sustainably. He would, occasionally allow his scales, and form to be spotted when they made diving videos of retrieving the pearls.

Those episodes where a rare astartes was spotted always did well, with many millions of views. Whatever that meant, but it made you happy and that's one of his main goals, is to make you happy, keep you save and well loved and cared for. He was even mostly ignoring and not being 'a menace who teases the Dragon' most of the time, unless he thought you were giving the other Space Marine more attention than that Loyalist Asshole deserved.

"You are such a jealous, pouty mer!" You state at him in amused exasperation.

"I do not sulk!" Imhoden says all offended and scowling at you before turning away from you, pretending to ignore you as he sulks.

"Fine then, I won't share my dinner of fish and citrus then," You say casually as you grab the meal that you'd prepared for both yourself and your merman to feed on.

You see the way one of his fins twitches and have to hide a smirk with a bite of the food and humming about how good it was. Slowly Imhoden turned around and swam over, curling his large, scaley form around you, making sure not to squish you as he clings and peers up at you with wide puppy eyes. Wanting the food, but also not wanting to ask for it as he lets out little whines and trills at you sadly.

Oh no, not the puppy eyes! You sigh and close your eyes in defeat before ripping off a piece of the fish and offering it to him. He perks up visibly and gently eats the food from your hands purring like a large, wet cat. As much trouble and as dramatic as Imhoden can be at times, he's usually rather sweet. You had heard that most Thousand Sons could be rather aloof and cat-like at times. And you definitely could see that in Imhoden, but also like cats, if you gain their trust and respect their boundaries, they can be incredibly affection and clinging people.

[silentstaresfanficandfanart]

THE GAME IS DONE aside from some art :)

free to play and yes i know its on google docs im sorry I had no idea where else to upload this to, it had too many files for itch :( for those who don't know yet this is my mermay video game! just a game im trying to make over the course of mermay as a challenge thing me and a few of my readers are doing in the discord chat to make a cool creative concept for mermay. mines based on the prompt 'marine biologist' In this game you play as a sort of go-between for merfolk and human relations at an aquarium that often helps merfolk in need in the area as well as doing other aquarium duties

Its a visual novel and it has a LOT of endings and I will state theres special endings and diologue you get based on whether or not you laugh at Nikko's jokes at the beggining.

It's my first full game and I admit its also the thing that got me trying to do backgrounds. expect later releases to include visual changes and better art as well as improved sprites

theres a lil game in there like dressing up your little guys (sadly i cant figure out how to keep them in the costumes you put them in but at least you can put them in cute outfits) (you later unlock more options as well as another character to dress up by the second time going shopping)

and lots of fun antics with the characters :)

you do have to go down every route to get all the lore

and unlike most dating sims you dont really have the usual setup for building character relationships its more so a chose your own adventure style dating sim

theres a platonic route thats fully fleshed out too and is meant to be just as compelling as the romantic routes and the game is ENTIRELY SFW though there is mention of murder and possible cannibalisim amongst merfolk. mention of large storms. but its mostly a chill game where you get to befriend merfolk and your human companions

theres nikko, the human marine biologist who loves puns and is trying his best to be your friend

Nanonari the moon jellyfish emperor of the waters who has lost all faith in himself

and ketsueki the strange black tipped reef shark terrestrial biologist and human researcher

he cries a lot please be gentle with him If any other game developers or gamers know good websites for uploading your games (pay or for free) where theres an in browser feature especially id love that. I'm considering using GOG since I prefer their business practices (from what little ive seen) for things (if you havent checked out gog its just as legitimate as steam , ea games, etc. but it doesnt do the stuff with forcing you to be online to play, if i remember correctly its also the only place you can really get acess to the spore online services properly anymore (or easily? i think) and just generally feels a lot friendlier

things the game needs now: more soundtracks

more sound effects (considering trying to record myself playing my trusty slide whistle for several, several things ketsueki does. that shark just will not stop moving-)

I really hope you like it, if you play please comment below on your thoughts!

[ristoranteivorykeys]

twst mermay 12 — mostro menu

disguised as an nrc student, rielle visits the mostro lounge in hopes of seeing his longtime crush, azul. jade is his waiter and decides to relive some old memories by teasing the poor prince.

ft. jade leech & rielle

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: it's been so long since i updated!! i thought i was never going to continue this, but i think i love octavinelle too much to completely abandon this project ;u; so i guess i will really try to complete this after all hehe. i'll definitely be going at a slow pace, though, but now this really helps me because i don't have to meet a certain deadline or anything to upload my fics. that really caused me to compromise the quality of some fics for the sake of frequently updating (mermay 11 especially got hit with this. i really had so many ideas for it but i cut it short, and now i want to go back to it and rewrite it). about the fic! i want to thank @yaoyaobae for the huge inspiration for rielle's character here. i absolutely adore the idea of prince rielle being all over azul! ;u; it's going to be my hc forever and ever hehe. anyway, i hope you enjoy!

╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Jade is no stranger to redheads. Boys with red hair are not too common, but a good number of them exist in the school hallways. Night Raven College is a hot pot of diverse cultures and creatures, after all—for Sea Witch’s sake, there is a guy with fire for his hair in this school. 

But he knows that bright red sheen entering Mostro Lounge, and he definitely knows that round cheeked youthful face taking a seat after being directed by a waiter to a table. Why, he would be Coral Sea’s laughingstock if he did not know his identity. 

Once the waiter who attended to the red-headed boy is approaching the counter with the stacks of menus, he approaches him and places a hand on his shoulder. Leaning down to his ear—and bringing out a shudder in the poor boy—he whispers, “Handle tables 5 and 6, if you please.”

And with no hesitation, the waiter sputters out a “Yes, sir”, and briskly approaches one table on the opposite side of the establishment. 

Wasting no time, Jade briskly walks to a counter to retrieve a menu, a swift yet graceful movement, and quickly approaches to the side of the boy. “Good evening, sir,” he introduces himself with his sweet customer service smile, “I will be your waiter for tonight.” And he places the menu down on the table in front of the customer. His lips are perhaps a little wider than usual. Normally, he would say his name to make the patron feel comfortable with him.

But Jade Leech knows that he does not have to introduce himself to this particular customer.

“Seven seas!” The red-haired boy nearly leaps on his seat, eyes big and round as a flounder. “No way, it’s you, Jade!”

“Ah, Rielle,” Jade exclaims in fake shock, “I almost did not recognize you.”

“I couldn’t tell if it was you, either! You look so different with that kind of skin tone,” Rielle exclaims, looking up and down at Jade. “Wait—I don’t mean to imply anything with what I said, it’s just—”

“Fret not, I know what you mean,” he answers, accompanying his words with a reassuring look. “You look different too. Black is not a color I would expect to see you in, nor did I expect to see you in our uniform.”

“Ah, well…” Rielle glances off to the side with a sheepish look. 

Jade smiles knowingly. “Regardless, you are now our customer. May I take your order?”

“Oh right, right, sorry!” Rielle immediately takes hold of the purple hardbound cover of the menu and opens it. “Whoa, that’s such a pretty design,” he mumbles to himself as he flips through sheets of thick paper with names of dishes imprinted on them. He mutters something else that Jade could not hear. Not even ten seconds later, he looks up to him. “Um, hey, what would you recommend, Jade?”

“I would recommend our bestsellers,” he answers, automatically with a practiced ease. “Those are the ones marked with the crown. My personal recommendations,” his tone shifts subtly to small excitement, “are our mushroom soup and the Port o’ Blisso Risotto. And since you are a long time friend and part of a royal family, I have a special recommendation not on the menu.”

Jade leans down to Rielle. His lips widen just a little bit in a shit-eating grin. 

“Perhaps you would like a purple octopus served to you on a silver platter.”

“hEeheshsySHYAYA—” In a split second, Rielle jumps on his couch, an explosion of red coloring his baby face. His sudden screech causes a few customers and waiters to look at him oddly, but the boy is far too flustered to notice their gazes. “N-no, I would not like that, thank you very much! I do not like octopus! I-I am allergic to octopus!”

“Oh?” Jade tilts his head in mock confusion. “I don’t recall you ever saying you were allergic to octopus. I’m sure that would have been a very significant detail to bring up when writing about— ah, what was that again? Ah yes, how much you want to taste the silvery tongue of someone like A—”

“St-stoOPP,” Rielle exclaims, covering his ears like it would block out all of Jade’s words. “H-how did you even— I threw that away!”

The vice dorm leader laughs. It is nowhere near a cachinnate, but it is much more than the chuckles that most students are used to. In fact, the nearby waiters and other Octavinelle students watching the scene stare at him with open-mouthed shock. Jade, the fearsome Leech twin, laughing in the middle of a shift? 

Rielle suddenly seems much more aware of the people around him, because he freezes upon seeing eyes on him, spews multiple ‘I’m sorry’s, takes the menu, and hides his face among its pages.

“My apologies, Rielle,” he says in the midst of calming from his mirth. “I do not mean to embarrass you. I just simply wanted to bring up old memories.”

“You and I both know that you are not sorry at all, nor are you doing that to bring up old memories,” the red-haired prince states pointedly, face still hidden in the menu, but he can feel the deadpan look that he’d be casting at him. 

Jade smiles in response. “You truly have not changed one bit, Rielle.”

Rielle sighs before looking around, and once he sees that far less people are watching him, he puts down the menu with a splat. He leans on the couch, a heavy sigh escaping his pink lips as he slides down slightly, almost like a deflated pufferfish. “Maybe there really is something wrong with me,” he says. “Maybe I should go back, I’m not even supposed to be wearing this uniform anyway.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot allow that,” Jade says. “Once you step into our establishment, you must order something. That is the policy that Azul made.” 

He makes sure to emphasize Azul in his sentence, and as expected, Rielle’s cheeks turn a slightly pinkish shade at the mention of his name. 

“Alright, I’ll get the risotto then.”

“One Port O’ Blisso Risotto, do you want any drinks?”

“No, just service water will do.”

“Your order will take 5 to 10 minutes.” He places his hand on the menu. “May I take this from you, if that is alright?”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Rielle says. “I probably might need it in case I want something else.”

Jade nods. “If you need anything else, I am here to assist you.” 

A quiet thank you leaves the prince’s lips. The vice dorm head makes his way to the order counter. “A Port O’ Blisso for Table 16. Please be aware that this customer is a very wealthy and influential figure. Do not mess this up.” His threatening smile is all the chefs need before they rush to the pantry to find the best portobello mushrooms that they had. 

He briefly muses on whether to summon Azul out of his office or not. It would be highly entertaining, no doubt. Prince Rielle, squirming in his seat as he fails to contain the giddiness of his crush, and Azul, clueless to his behavior as he mentally writes the script of an extra warm welcome suited for a royal. Who can say no to such a humorous situation? 

On the other hand, Jade senses that Rielle wants to talk to him, to delve deeper about his feelings for Azul. It would be intriguing to know how his feelings have changed over the years in some way. Back in middle school, all anyone would think about is the high, the rapture of having someone that makes you want to spin as you speed to the surface of the ocean and break it to bathe in the sun. But now, after truly knowing what gravity feels like from touching sand and grass and brushing fingers with the sky, the high is there, but now, so are the lows. 

Besides, imagine what he could do with that information Rielle would give! It could serve him wonders, whether as blackmail or as a way to start a romance that would be wholly amusing. Jade Leech may be menacing, may or may not be the son of a mafia don, but he is still 17 years old. There is fun to be had in watching the long game play out. The fumbling of a boy in love for 3 years, the possible mutual crush that could start, and if he can do anything to help in its progress? Why, that would be further entertainment for him! 

After 4 and a half minutes, the risotto is ready, and with a tray in hand, Jade sets down the plate onto Rielle’s table. 

“Your Port O’ Blisso Risotto is ready. I hope you enjoy it.” 

He makes a move to step away, but he walks slowly. Waiting. 

Rielle raises his hand.

“Wait, Jade.” 

He stops on command.

“Yes? May I help you with something?”

He only asks to be polite, but he already anticipates what Rielle’s next words will be.

“Please sit with me, Jade.” 

The yes is practically sitting on his tongue. But something rebellious tugs at him. The yes doesn’t feel satisfying if Rielle doesn’t fight for it. 

“Oh, what a request you ask of me,” he says with fake surprise. “As you can see, I am on my shift, and I cannot abandon that or else my wage may be cut.” 

Rielle is quiet for one second. For a moment, he wonders if he will give up.

“...Then,” the prince leans closer, cups his hand next to his mouth, and whispers loud enough for Jade to hear, “then I’ll cover your wage for you!”

Jade’s surprise this time is real. 

“Listen, I just need someone to talk to about this, and the sooner I can leave, the less of a chance I’ll be spotted,” he said. “I really just came for one single chance to see Azul, but he’s not here, I don’t wanna wait till Mostro closes cause I also have a curfew. And you’re Azul’s friend, so I really want to talk to you about some things. Again, I’ll cover your wages if that’s gonna be a problem, I just need someone to talk to about this please!”

Oh, how delightful. Jade restrains himself enough to not make people turn to him, but some of his mirth leaks out in chuckles. “Alright,” he says. “I’ll sit with you.”

“Thanks, Jade.” The relief in the prince’s voice is almost palpable. 

Jade takes the seat next to Rielle, as the latter scoots closer to the wall and moves his plate. He watches as Rielle scoops up some of the risotto, a mushroom slice sitting nicely atop the rice, and brings it to his mouth. The satisfied hum that leaves his lips is immediate. Jade grins. 

When he swallows, he smiles at Jade. “That was delicious! Thanks for the recommendation.”

“Of course.” His grin remains. “Azul would not dare serve mediocre, after all.”

“Yeah. Of course Azul would never settle for less.” Rielle’s smile turns soft. “He’s never changed, huh.”

Jade would snicker at his lovey-dovey state, but even he cannot stop the small proud smile on his face as he thinks of all that Azul has accomplished. “He really hasn’t.”

“That’s so cool of him, you know.” Rielle takes a bite of the risotto, chews, and swallows. “If I didn’t know him from elementary, I would have thought that he was a genius at everything. Especially magic. But no, he’s worked hard, and just…” 

He lets out a sigh as he relaxes on the couch. “Man, I feel like I’m out of his league.”

At this, Jade raises an amused brow. “You, the prince of the seven seas, favored by the King, saying that you are out of Azul’s league?”

“Well, yeah,” he shrugs, like it’s an obvious fact of life. “I have a name, some generational wealth I guess, and a nice voice probably. But like…”

His expression falls. A smile is still in place, but a forlorn fog clouds his eyes. 

“I don’t really have anything otherwise.” 

And just as it came, his sad expression vanishes, replaced with a wide-eyed expression. “Well, that’s not saying I’m not grateful for what I have! I know there are much more unfortunate people,” he says somewhat frantically. “It’s just that…” 

He leans forward and eats another scoop of risotto. Jade simply watches him, no hint of impatience on him whatsoever. 

Rielle leans back. “See, Father is really strict,” he says. “I have to do everything that he says. The extra lessons that I have to attend after school, the places I can go, whether I can study on land or not… he’s the one who makes the decisions. So everything that I have now, you can call me gifted, but none of those talents or gifts or belongings or friends that I have feel mine.” 

He goes back for a few more bites of risotto. He chews, then swallows. “When I first heard of Azul granting wishes, I was so curious and awed at the same time. I mean, it’s just like the Sea Witch, you know! Sure, there was a price, but it’s still incredible. Even being able to take something like someone’s voice or swimming ability was so awesome to me. How can you be so talented to be able to do all that? 

“I’ve always wanted to approach him, but I either had no time to, or I’m always being watched over. So the only time that I got to talk to him was when we graduated from middle school.” 

Jade’s eyes brightened with familiarity. “Ah, yes. Azul mentioned that you came up to him that day.” He spares any details that Azul shared—he wants to hear Rielle’s side of the story for himself.

“Yeah!” Rielle nods excitedly. “So I met him after the ceremony and everyone was taking pics, and I was like, ‘Hey, you’re the guy who grants everyone’s wishes, right?’ And he looked at me and said, ‘Yes, that’s me.’ He looked so excited. And before I could say anything, he goes, ‘Let me guess. You wish for freedom.’”

Jade nods. He does remember Azul listing off upbringing and restrictions as the prince’s weak point.

“And then he says, ‘I know that you wouldn’t have much time to make friends or to stay after school because the King wouldn’t let you. You wear that smile well, but deep down, it bothers you, doesn’t it? You want more agency in your life, you want to be more free to make your own choices, you want something that’s yours.’” 

The prince smiles, his eyes fondly gazing at distant memories. “I was so shocked. I couldn’t speak for a few seconds, you know. But suddenly, I felt safe. I felt like I could talk to someone about what I’ve been going through. And so I went, ‘You’re right! How did you know?!’ I was so ready to sign the contract he was bringing out. And then my Father’s advisor found me.”

Ah yes, Azul was frustrated about that, Jade recalls. 

“In hindsight, that deal I was about to make with him involved giving up my voice, and I wouldn’t know how to explain that to anybody. And anyway, I also like being able to talk,” Rielle says. “And I know Azul’s wishes had high prices to pay. I’ve heard people rant about him, I knew he isn’t exactly the friendliest guy. 

“But for the first time in my life, I was heard. I was heard without me even having to say anything.” 

Jade’s eyebrows raise. If he was more expressive, he would have gasped loudly or exclaimed that he understands. 

Rielle’s smile widens. “There’s something so good about being seen. I’ve always felt bad for feeling restricted because others don’t have it as bad, and I felt like I was being ungrateful. But Azul didn’t make me feel like I was awful for it. It’s kinda funny too, you know. Everyone called him bad, everyone pointed fingers and said, ‘He’s a villain!’ And yet, where were my heroes when I needed them? It wasn’t a hero who comforted me, it was the villain who understood me. It was the villain who told me that yes, I was fine, it was okay for me to feel that way and to wish for my freedom from Father.”

He stops. Perhaps to breathe. To recollect his thoughts. Jade does not say anything, letting Rielle’s words sink into his mind. 

Finally, the silence is pierced by the prince. “I’m so sorry I just rambled like that,” he chuckles guiltily. “I really called you here to ask for some help with Azul, and I just gave my life’s story like that.” 

“No worries, Rielle,” he answers with a smile. “I quite enjoyed listening to you. Though if I may ask, how did you manage to study here?” 

“Oh, see, Azul really inspired me,” he responds. “Ever since, I really tried to get to talk to Azul again. I’d ask Father if we could eat at his family’s restaurant, but Father would always say, ‘We have the best food here, why would you wish to eat elsewhere?’ When I’d explore, I’d either be caught early, or I just never manage to see him again. And then I heard from the palace servants that you guys were invited to Night Raven College.”

“And you asked your father to let you study here,” Jade says. 

Rielle nods. “Of course, he was disapproving at first. But I was persistent. I was so tired of never getting to see Azul, then suddenly, I hear that he was not gonna be at sea for years? I already lost the chance to finish our conversation. I didn’t want to lose any more chances. I even applied to Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy behind his back. And I got the invites for both. Father was furious at first upon finding out, but when he saw that I was accepted for Royal Sword, he let me go. And I took that, because hey, at least it’s on the same island. Maybe I’d get to see Azul on the weekends, maybe.”

He laughs slightly at the memories that he must be seeing. “I didn’t know I had it in me to be persistent. Azul really did a number on me.”

“Truly an effect that Azul can have on others,” the vice dorm leader says.

Rielle looks at him. “Really? Have you been changed by him too?”

“I’ve known him for years. It would be inevitable that I would be influenced in some way,” Jade answers. “If you wish, I can tell you the places Azul goes to on the weekends so that you can at least try to meet him without having to put on a disguise.” 

At this, Rielle’s eyes gleam with interest and excitement. “Oh that would be so awesome! Actually, wait.” He looks around the vicinity. “I think I have to go soon.”

“Oh, is it late already?” Jade checks his phone. Oh, how time flies. There is only 30 minutes left until Mostro Lounge closes. Fewer customers are seated, and some of the staff are probably at the back. 

“I’ll just finish this and go,” the prince says, gesturing to his meal. “We can exchange Magicam handles and continue talking there if you want to.”

“That would be nice,” he responds. 

They share their Magicam, follow each other, and Jade stands up, leaving Rielle to finish his food. He approaches him again but with the bill, and once the red-haired prince gets his change, he stands up and leaves the establishment. Goodbyes are not exchanged, as Jade is starting the cleanup from the counter. 

But he watches Rielle leaving, thinking back to their conversation. 

It wasn’t a hero who comforted me, it was the villain who understood me. It was the villain who told me that yes, I was fine.

How interesting, he thinks to himself. How interesting that Azul has made us feel the same way.

[nightforge-art]

Forgot it's May but here's my first Mermay piece ! Hopefully I have time to make a couple, I love drawing underwater scenes !

Also I haven't done any backgrounds lately so it was good practice.