#i also wanted to become a mermaid and loved singing

[nexus-nebulae]

found my ancient mp3 player recently. finally found a charger for it and plugged it in. and remembered i found a yt playlist of the whole httyd movie chopped up into like 20 videos and i downloaded the mp3s of all of them to listen to on the school bus. which is why i can effortlessly quote the whole first movie now

[tending-the-hearth]

everything i loved about "the little mermaid" live action

Ariel's melody being her siren song!! that little new bit of lore!! i also really liked that it added more depth as to why Ursula wanted her voice in exchange for her becoming human

the way Ariel became almost angry during the bridge of "Part of Your World", she was so frustrated that she couldn't do the things she was dreaming about, like YES let her be mad!!

full body chills during "Part of Your World" + the first reprise

Ariel helping Max onto the boat 😭😭😭

I've mentioned this before, but Ariel hearing Eric's voice before seeing him!!! hearing him sing before seeing him!!! agh!!!!

Eric holding Ariel's hand on the shore after she rescues him 😭

the detail put into each of Ariel's sisters was so stunning, i'm so excited to read more about them in the books! i loved that they each had their own specific vibe

THEY INCLUDED THE FACT THAT URSULA AND TRITON ARE SIBLINGS YES THANK YOU VERY MUCH

"For the First Time" being a voice over, as Ariel's thoughts, and then the scene shifting to complete darkness except for her to represent us being in her head and hearing her thoughts, and the way it gets cut off when she realizes she can't say "hello" to Eric? i cried

The Jodi Benson cameo and her giving Halle!Ariel the fork 😭 literally her passing on the mantel of Ariel 😭😭

Eric and Ariel being total nerds with each other??

The way Ariel "told" Eric her name using the constellations???? and him saying it was written in the stars???? hello????

Also Eric saying "my little mermaid" made me so soft wtf

Eric and Ariel running around and giggling in the castle and being the definition of puppy love like they're so goofy and in love i adore them

the "Part of Your World" reprise after Ariel sees Eric with Vanessa shattered my heart, the MOST heartbreaking song

Grimsby kicking the ring away after it falls near him, my man knew exactly what was going on, he's known Ariel for three days and is already a ride or die

just Ariel and Eric holding each other so tightly after she gets her voice back, and Eric refusing to let her go until Ursula literally has to throw him away

ARIEL BEING THE ONE TO KILL URSULA USING THE SKILLS SHE SAW ERIC USE OH MY GOD IT WORKED SO SO WELL

i like that they added a chunk of time passing between Ursula's death and Eric and Ariel reuniting, it added a little extra drama and emotion when they finally saw each other again!

listen i'm an absolute sucker for a "hug before kiss" reunion and i was SO happy that Eric and Ariel had that, it fit them and their relationship perfectly, the way Eric just clung to her, and Ariel's happy smile as she hugged him back 😭

The mermaid statue and the dress representing the land vs. the sea???? and both returning back to where they're supposed to be but having new meanings????

Ariel's wedding dress being pink to (probably) pay homage to her pink ballgown in the animated movie was such a good touch, and i loved the length!!

Triton and Ariel's goodbye, where he says "you shouldn't have had to give up your voice for me to hear you"???? hello my father issues jumped tf out and had me sobbing in the theater

literally the entire movie was so beautiful, i could talk about it for hours, this is the best live action remake honestly, and Eric and Ariel (specifically the live action version obvi) have moved up to become my favorite Disney Princess/Prince pairing, just behind Belle and Adam (bc let's be honest, nothing can top them)

@queen-with-the-quill bc i know you're seeing it soon! more things i forgot to tell you lol

[moonydustx]

Hi, I was wondering if you could do Zoro, Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Crocodile, Mihawk, Buggy (Cross guild), Whitebeard, Izou, and Charlotte Katakuri x Reader where They are in a Disney/ Fairy tale Story? (I've been watching Disney lately, and it's living in my Brain-Free.) Also a bonus: They break out in a song number.~

Hi Hi! I think this was the most complicated request I've ever received and to be honest, all my drafts didn't get anywhere that was interesting to read. So, in order not to be left without an answer, but also not to deliver something terrible, I decided to change the format a little (and I really hope you don't hate me for it)

--

Even though her father (grandfather in this version) is against all this, our little mermaid wants to find the surface world (again, pirate world) and see all the wonders that await him. You'll make different friends along the way and, above all, collect incredible things like a certain hat along the way.

Luffy

Our Beauty and the Beast story is a little more troubled here. Instead of a beast cursed by the witch, we just have an evil-looking and somewhat threatening man who still hasn't found a reason to let anyone get close to him. When the right person arrives, he will definitely become someone lovable - even if it involves some fights, wars and everything that can prevent anyone from interfering in the lives of the two of you.

Crocodile, Katakuri

Living the best life, without growing up, without responsibilities, just him and his people living happily in Neverland and disturbing the life of the pirate who passes by. Despite trying to bring our beloved Peter Pan to the real world, you would ultimately understand that Neverland is the place made for him to be free.

Buggy

I know, I know it's not exactly a fairy tale. But, our beloved Puss in Boots would be just as stubborn, adventurous and showy as this one. His sword would be the sharpest and most agile of all the kingdoms, apart from all the flame that only he has.

Mihawk

Bonus point: in a universe where Cross Guid is made up of enemies and we are in fairy tales/animations, Crocodile would be the wolf in the second film.

This one would be Sleeping Beauty, I don't think we even need to explain why. However, this sleeping beauty here chose to sleep for days straight after being in battle and when you tried to wake him up in a kind way - aka, the kiss of love - he hated it, after all, he was in the best part of sleep.

Zoro (and I'd include Buggy here too, I can see him grumbling about it).

The world was just a small view of the tower his mother trapped him in and of course, his mother knows better. Until he found himself being saved by someone fearless, brave (a bit of a scoundrel) who took him from his cruel mother's clutches and took him to explore the world - and that includes the nearest bakery.

Charlotte Katakuri, Sabo (I mean, his parents were pretty shitty)

He would definitely be Mufasa and he would make us suffer terribly with his loss, but he would have been a great father. (and you can't tell me that Ace wouldn't be the son with the chaotic and adventurous spirit also known as Simba)

Whitebeard

Bonus:

He would have to put up with you singing Let It Go in any situation, but he probably wouldn't get angry about it. Except when you were in a more intimate moment and you said that the cold wouldn't bother you anyway (and of course, he would create little ice drawings for you in the winter)

Aokiji

We also have Snow White: dreamy, kind, fearless too. Instead of seven dwarves, he has loyal companions. Some are more serious and angry, but ready to help our Snow White here and other cute and funny eaters.

Shanks (and yes Benn Beckman is our angry one in this one) ---

a/n: ok, I had more fun writing this than I thought I would

[joaofelix70]

A CRESCENT LOVE, AN EPHEMERAL PASSION | joão félix sequeira.

summary: you and joão spent all the summer together. you even met his friends and brother. could this be the beginning of a crescent love or just an ephemeral passion? his friendship with his ex would ruin everything between the two of you?

author's notes: after the win against luxemburgo, where portugal national team set the record of goals, his ex just posted "mysterious" pics with floki, his dog. joão was also there, almost hidden, actually. we all know she always does it, never assuming anything maturely, but instigating the frustration of the fans who care about him and to make every gossip website and tv show talk about it, just like a teenager who wants attention would act. basically, this inspired me. i really don't hate anyone, by the way. even thought influencers who don't spread any impactful content and nepobabies with no talent and only standard beauty annoys me, i can't lie.

warnings: bad language (of course it's joão saying the words), chaotically humorous almost all the time, but also involving sadness and angst. implicit sex reference, i guess? maybe?

what do you feel when you hear my name? shame? embarrassment?

does your brain even bring you any sign or memory involving me?

do you ever think about me?

are your moments with her comparable to ours?

can we talk? can we communicate?

is it my fault? do you miss me?

your head was drunk for the whirlwinds of questions that piled up and get bigger, like waves. they seemed to be drowning you. the glowing light and peace of your woody brown gaze gives you triggers. his smile remains embedded, in your heart, an eternal home. the numbness and wrapping of his lips, every inch of his tanned skin and firm muscles being appreciated and admired by you. his hair was shiny, soft and full by the salty waters of the european beaches: always caressed for you. his laughs at you giving him the most silly and lazy hairstyles, with you pretending to be a professional who was filming your customer to tiktok.

“do that pose! yes, your hand against your face! now, give me that playboy eye. just like that! you’re doing amazing, sweetie!”

when you get carried away in the game ‘who am i?’ and tried so hard doing the mimes, jumping excitedly and demonstrating your animation in a loud tone, before covering your own mouth and feigning naturalness, just to repeat the same instant acts.

when you made joão watch your random dances as soon as you won at uno and he’d tell how hilarious you were. when you cooked your regional foods and desserts for félix, his brother who’s hugo, alex — the photographer — diogo from the movemind channel and all of his friends. when he used to hold your face, rest his touch on your waist and thighs. tracing his fingerprints across your scalp, reveling in the ethereal smell of your hair, laying his lips against your entire face and stature, exalting you completely: from your ears, neck, collarbone, belly, legs and even your feet. being a gentleman, joão opened the car door for you, he intertwined the hands of you both in every single opportunity and helped you eat: having the cutlery for you to open your mouth and giving you support with the napkin. when you did his goal celebration. when the two of you invented a handshake, along with various inside jokes. for example, when joão posted many videos of him swimming and playing in the ocean.

“hey, flounder! ‘the little mermaid’? i loved it!”

“why am i not your ariel, tho?”

“why you didn’t say you’d prefer to be eric of the real life?”

“give me some respect, i’m the protagonist of this shit!”

“slay, king!”

you remember singing the songs that played in his car in the most chaotic way, using his hand as a microphone and taking the opportunity to kiss all over it and his fancy bracelets. you offered him affection biting his skin and enjoyed acting like his personal masseuse. you called him ‘my prince of portugal’.

“please, don’t become a stranger.” your last words, face to face. the intensity of the summer weeks of vacation, which were already ending, consuming you.

“you know i’d never do that. look, you’re such a unique person, and even though we’re gonna go back to our busy routines, i still wanna keep you in my life. i still wanna be that close to you.” joão declared and they both found comfort in each other’s arms. his perfume granted the beg leave and penetrated your lungs, giving you life. you felt like you shouldn’t let it go, but there was nothing else to accomplish. you were single, so was he. you ask yourself if everything would be different. maybe if you had tried your lips once again: asking him to give a chance to them, to have more. to not leave what you went through, together, in the box of forgotten memories. would that really suffice, though?

"it's obvious that you’d choose the blonde influencer with light eyes, slender body and member of a rich family. the one who was with a formula 1 racer days before she went to meet you. before you just disappear from my life, without saying anything. the one that doesn't show an ounce of authenticity and, of course, affective responsibility. who am i in comparison to her?! right, joão?" your voice flashed the disparity of fragility and indignation, trembling hands clutching the phone.

“y/n, listen to me. you’d never understand it, okay? you’re not inside this relationship, me and her are. you’re seeing it from the outside, just like everyone else. yeah, she was hanging out and making out with other people. so was i with you. but then, some things changed.” john seemed to be busy. echoes of other people's voices ran through the call.

“nothing has happened between us since the vacation, joão. what doesn’t make sense because i thought you were liking me. i only think about you!” you vented out and received silence. his answers tried to become existent and complete. he stammered, the audible sound of his familiar backwards cap being pulled off and his honey-colored hair being rubbed against his own fingerprints.

“do you think i don’t like you? holy shit, y/n. i even thought we could have so much more. a future together and everything. i think about you and i swear in the name of my family, and i already said that they mean the fucking world to me. the thing is: there’s something that still keep me going back to her. i don’t know if it’s because i’m with her since i was younger, but…”

“joão, this is emotional dependence. i’m sorry to tell you this, however, it’s necessary. i care about you. you’re so internally and externally beautiful, precious, successful and talented. you deserve better!” you interrupted him, stepping back and forth.

“y/n, i love her. when i looked at you…”

“she’s all that you see, right?”

“hm… yeah…” félix found himself in a bind. paralyzed, he remained without an answer for a while. the coldness of the material of his gold necklace touches his tongue: a way to combat the nervousness that generates the gnawed nails.

“my toxic behavior wants to help and fix you so badly, but i know i can’t get more involved than that. i’m not the one for you.” the words reproduced by yourself reinforced the fragmentation of your heart.

“j, baby… are you coming or not? i’m waiting for you, floki is waiting for his dad!” you heard that female voice call to him and realized the way that just this factor made his breathing destabilize.

“i think this is officially the end of whatever we had, joão. goodbye!” your voice was unstable and he realized it: sharp as deep, transparent and suffocating waters.

“i wish you the best, y/n. i apologize for not being what you expected, what you needed, and…”

“caralho, joão! que merda! (holy fuck, joão! what the hell?). come on, give me your phone!” the girl began to rant. her heels against the floor were exclamatory. she was running out of patience.

the call is over. again, you were superimposed on the ocean of blazing tears. you tried to convince yourself that everything went the way it was supposed to be.

but was it for real?

[j0kers-light]

Hey Chaos! I have a headcanon idea, I think you do accept those and what you have are the closed oneshots??? Correct me if I'm wrong and feel completely free to ignore this ask

How do you feel about Joker x Mermaid! reader, maybe before he was the Joker, being Jack, or maybe his previous form, a malformed and strange mix of the man he was before and the one he will become in the future, a tormented soul who in the middle of the war he is fighting, trying to find a meaning to his life, hears a sweet song that draws him to the sea

It is then that she sees Reader, a mermaid wounded by some bullet, bomb, debris that has fallen into the sea, and she sees the goodness in him, and for a second he believes that he can be good, but upon seeing the monster hiding behind that man's eyes, Reader decides to leave forever.

What do you think about writing something like this?? Maybe headcanons pre during and post relationship (without hinting much at J's past, we love our mysterious King!)

Thank you!!🩷

His Lighthouse: Surface Level (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

Surface Level - Oneshot

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER UPDATE!

Hey hi my sweet anon!!

Now I thought I was gonna let this be a head canon.... then I got to typing and here we are. It turned into a oneshot! Your idea got my brain a flowing and I was unable to stop. I had TOO much fun with this one and it shows. Thank you so much for your patience and I do hope you enjoy. 🥰🥰

As always, if you wish to be apart of the His Lighthouse official taglist, do let me know via comment, ask, or a quick direct message! 🖤✨

P.S. if anyone is interested in the first siren call you sing listen to this 👇🏾for inspiration.

Captain said not to wander the beach late at night. Several men were already declared missing for not heeding the warnings. 

The local elders of the island also warned the men not to invoke her wrath. Their foreign chants sounded like rubbish to Jack’s ears yet he felt something strange befall him after one of the women flicked seawater infused with tropical herbs on his face. He was then forced to drink something putrid all to strengthen his bond with the sea.  

They wanted to ‘protect the Americans’ and held a ceremony to bless the squadron when another solider was declared missing.  

In short, Jack was ready to leave this hell hole. The endless sea and squawking seagulls were driving him insane. Jack longed to be deployed in active duty, in the heat of battle; not keeping the peace with the natives who were blissfully unaware of the raging war surrounding them.  

None of their rituals and charms mattered and that was the mindset that led him to sneak out his barracks with a pack of cigs and a bottle of rum.  

No one would notice him gone. He was not well liked within his squadron, a loose cannon ready to blow, they described him. The others were content being stationed in the civilian zone. Not Jack. His fingers itched for war but for now he was stuck here.  

He kicked off his boots the second he arrived at the white sandy beach.  

It was beautiful out with the moon high in the sky. It casted a glow on everything and highlighted Jack lighting a cigarette. He blew the smoke into the night sky without a care.  

He didn’t care about anything as he took swigs from his bottle. Was this all he was good for? Getting drunk night after night guarding an island? 

There were times that Jack thought of drowning himself at sea just to get away from the absolute nothingness this place brought.  

His friends back home were lucky. Hal was stationed right on the front lines and Ethan had already died fighting for his country. It just wasn’t fair they got to prove themselves whereas Jack was stuck on some military base in the middle of nowhere.  

The island was so remote, half of the occupants didn’t speak English, and almost all of the children had never seen ‘Americans” before. It was ridiculous and don’t get him started on the local folklore.  

If he had to hear one more prayer to their make-believe deity, he would puke.  

“Stay away from the sea when Y/n calls!” A translated omen was told. “She preys on tormented souls, like you brave men! Do not fall to her song!” 

No one gave proof that she existed except for tales and fables and constant headaches with all this mythical nonsense.  

Did they really believe a woman, half fish, half goddess could lure men out to sea with just her voice? It sounded straight out of a children’s bedtime story.  

Jack rolled his eyes every time an elder pleaded with him as he prepped for a nighttime patrol. If this was a siren who drowned men in the sea, why were they purifying him with seawater?  

Yeah, he would be real careful while out on duty.  

He had a better chance of being shot than lured to sea by some fish. The night dragged on as Jack downed his bottle and pondered life while overlooking the ocean.  

It was still as beautiful as it been the first night he arrived several months ago. The waves were foamy, crashing onto the dark rocks lining the shore. All was quiet and before long, Jack’s eyelids started to fall.  

Until he heard something.  

It was the saddest melody he ever heard.  

Without thinking, he turned course and shuffled over to the more treacherous stretch of the island. Here jagged rocks outlined the shoreline for half a mile. The water was colder and darker, holding the secrets the locals so desperately tried to ward away.  

Funny how they worshipped and feared the sea. Or rather what lurked within.  

Jack had no conscious thought as the waves tickled his calves, inciting him to wade in deeper. He couldn’t feel the numbing cold, yet he felt the anguish and helplessness being sung so beautifully.  

The call echoed loudly over the waves until it stopped like a record scratch. It was enough to snap Jack out of his fog and realize he was standing waist deep in the ocean. 

“The f__k?” he wasn’t that drunk. How did he get in the water? 

Jack was preparing to return to shore when he heard a splash followed by a strangled moan. His instincts demanded he investigate.  

He fought the tides to reach a denser cluster of boulders. He froze when he peeked behind them.  

The Legends did not do you justice. Jack had never seen anything as gorgeous as you.  

You looked every bit a goddess until he made eye contact with you. Your eyes were milky white with no pupils and to make matters worse, a row of pointed teeth was baring at him in a show of aggression.  

You were beauty and the beast, yet he wasn’t afraid.  

His eyes were drawn to the big gaping wound on your hip—or where your hip should’ve been if you were human. A mermaid tail took the place of human legs. Regardless of your anatomy, you were wounded given how you weakly clung to the jagged rocks.  

Jack slowly crouched down to inspect you further when you flicked your tail, dousing him with a powerful spray of water.  

He almost went under if he didn’t grab ahold of your tail. You yelped in pain and tried to shake the male off, but he was strong.  

He swallowed seawater in the struggle as you threatened to bash his head against the rocks. Jack fought back and pulled himself up on a flat boulder to catch his breath. “I’m tryna to help ya and ya try n’ drown me?!”  

He pointed at your abdomen. “That. Me. Help. Do you under-stand?” He acted out each word like did with the locals.  

You eyed this man warily. He was not the human you wished to lure tonight.  

You needed food to help heal yourself after swimming too close to naval ships fighting each other. Humans and their pointless wars. One of their weapons exploded too close and sent shrapnel flying into your tail.  

You couldn’t move your hips to propel yourself through the water— although you tried. The searing pain made it impossible to return home and you were already afar off to begin with.  

The island you were stranded on was inhabited by mortals who worshipped you and your ancestors, so you tried to call a believer for aid. 

None came and you were growing weaker by the minute. A wave pushed you more inland and subsequently, beached you on a low tide. The shallow pool was knee deep for a human but useless for your means of survival. It was a glorified kiddie pool and soon to be grave.  

The last human you expecting to hear your sweet song was this man. You could sense the turmoil and darkness lurking in his soul. How could he help you when he needed help himself? 

You did not wish to be bothered with him, but he was the only mortal who heard your cry for help.  

The pain was getting worse, and it took everything in you to sing at all. You lived for centuries; you refused to be bested by a torpedo and low tide.  

Jack was getting impatient awaiting a response. He assumed you didn’t understand English (he was surrounded by idiots these days), but you shocked him when you reached out and touched his arm.  

Like a bolt of lightning, he felt your words. ‘Yes mortal, I understand.’ 

Your fingers slipped away, and Jack saw how they left a tribal like marking on his pale skin. “What the.... What did you do?”  

He rubbed at the f/c lines and dots in panic. He glanced up when he heard a series of sharp clicks. Were you laughing?  

Apparently, he was wrong.  

You sacrificed your position in the shallow water to reach out and touch him and now you were too weak to submerge your gills again. He was hearing you choke.  

How did he come to that conclusion; he didn’t want to know.  

Jack acted fast and shoved your head underwater. He was expecting bubbles, a normal human reaction, but you were anything but. 

You gladly opened your mouth and sucked in precious water you needed to survive. It made for quite the provocative sight, although Jack wasn’t complaining. You were very easy on the eyes and currently nude by human standards.  

His eyes wandered down your chest where an octopus was attached. Its tentacles wrapped around you like a shawl and (for the time being) it covered your modesty. He knew he was drunk, but it still blew his mind.  

‘You are staring.’ 

Jack was startled back to the present when your pseudo voice scratched his brain. It was an odd sensation; one he was getting used to.  

“Well, you’re a f__king mermaid, yeah I’m gonna stare.” He backed off when you resurfaced with a pained grimace.  

Your skin was still touching his so you spoke again, ‘Mermaid?’ 

“Ah yeah, its uh.. what we call your kind I guess.” Jack’s hands naturally moved towards your injury to access the damage.  

It was oozing a gelatinous black substance, and it didn’t look good even by his standards. “I don’t know how to treat this. Ya know, since you ain’t human.” He added.  

You rolled your vacant eyes and looked at the stars. Jack noticed your gills moving at the base of your neck and at the tiny seashells that seemed to be embedded into your skin. You looked every bit a mermaid, straight out of a storybook.  

It still wasn’t clicking in his mind that you were real. 

You tapped his skin. ‘Just north of here there is a deeper alcove. Take me there.’ You telepathically said.  

“What?” Jack sputtered. How did you expect him to transport a wounded mermaid up the beach? His facial expression gave away to his thoughts.  

You squeezed his wrist, ‘You are capable.’ 

“And you look heavy!” He scoffed. Although he did drills like lifting heavy loads of gear, you were a mythical creature. You sent him tumbling with a mere flick of your tail and that was you wounded. He gave you a once over. How was he gonna go about this? 

The same odd clicks you made earlier escaped your throat but in a lower decibel. Jack panicked still not knowing what it meant. “What’s wrong.” 

‘Hurts.’ you closed your eyes and sighed. He had nothing to lose helping you, so he quickly made up his mind. It beat drinking the night away.  

“You said north, right? In some cave or whatever? Take a deep breath... err gulp? Whatever you do to survive.” He waited until you took on more water before picking you up bridal style.  

You weren’t prepared and wrapped your arms around his neck, ever mindful of your talon like nails. He lifted you with ease.  

Yves, your pet octopus moved a few tentacles to cover your wound as Jack navigated through the low tide in a northerly direction. He honestly didn’t know how to get to the cove you mentioned.  

He just let his feet guide him until he saw a small gap in the rock formation that looked right. Your people carved it out over a millennia ago and the humans that settled here declared it hallowed ground ever since.  

The healing water in the alcove would speed up your recovery but not fast enough. You just needed enough strength to swim home. You did not like dwelling above surface level for prolonged periods of time.  

You only emerged to hunt the sailors disrespecting your waters and to lure nonbelievers to their death.  

Interacting with a human for this long was a rarity that you did not prefer. Though this man in particular wasn’t so bad. He smelled faintly of your favorite kelp. 

You lulled in and out of consciousness as Jack struggled to carry you to the cove. He wouldn’t say it aloud, but you were heavy. Your tail made moving difficult as you couldn’t help flicking it, offsetting his balance as he walked.  

It was beautiful, you were too. Simply indescribable.  

From your dark skin tone to your curly hair tangled with seashells and fine gold thread, Jack now believed the locals when they declared you a goddess.  

A string of fresh pearls hung from the crown of your head that framed your face. He assumed you were royalty, given that a rare blue diamond hung from the knot of pearls at the center of your forehead. How it stayed fastened had to be magic.  

He had an urge to steal it if not for the two crabs clipping your hair out of your face weren’t watching him attentively.  

Precious jewels, octopus, and crabs weren’t your only abnormal accessory.  

More sea life seemed to cling to you, as if it were an honor to adorn your body. Jack tried to not freak out when he noticed the scales of your tail move as if they were alive themselves. He could even see barnacles growing at the joints of your elbows and lower tail. 

Everything about you was fascinating.  

He finally made it to the cove with you in tow. He took one step inside and shivered sensing something in the air. 

“I’m getting tired of this magic s__t.” Jack grumbled.  

He grunted as he lowered you into the water that glowed with bioluminescence fish. You chirped as you sank down, at last, fully submerged. Your hands played with the plankton coming to your aid until you noticed Jack awkwardly standing at the mouth of the cove.  

His fatigues were soaked through, and you admired him more closely now that the moon poured through the carved ceiling above. He was a model solider, all muscles and fine stature. His redeeming qualities however were surface level. Only you could see the darkness in his heart.  

And yet, you sensed a glimmer of light in him too. There was still hope for this mortal. For now. 

You curled a finger beckoning him closer. 

Now he understood the elders' warnings. With just a finger, you had him stepping into the sea. This alcove was deeper than the public beach back yonder. Jack couldn’t see the bottom and that made him wary. Was it wise to swim in a bottomless grotto with a mythical monster? 

No, nevertheless, he knew you wouldn’t drown him. You still needed him. You visibly struggled to stay afloat and Joker swam out to help you. It felt silly helping a fish to swim; it was the least he could do. 

Speaking of, he was at a loss here. Jack hesitated before asking. “What now?”  

You huffed as you floated on your back. A swarm of plankton hovered over your wound, but they wouldn’t be enough. At this rate, your recovery would take ages.  

Jack swam nearby, his hand darting out when you tipped your head back. He kept forgetting that was normal for you. You weren’t drowning. Neither you nor Jack seemed to mind that his fingers played with your hair. He loved the curly texture of it and how it defied the laws of physics. It felt dry to the touch despite being soaking wet.  

He kept the required physical contact needed to speak to him so you allowed it.  

‘Can you fish?’ you asked him. You were starving.  

Jack thought back to the many fishing trips his father dragged him along on when he was younger. ‘Bonding time with his old man.’ What good that did. He hated the man he was forced to call father.  

But you didn’t want to hear a pointless core memory of his, you wanted an answer. Jack nodded, “Yeah. I don’t got a line though.”  

Oh. You forgot humans hunted differently. He required equipment it seemed. You pouted, sounding like a rattlesnake hissing. ‘Useless.’  

Before Jack could protest, you gestured for him to cover his ears. He slapped his wet hands over them and waited.  

You used the last of your energy to lure a fish into the cove. Jack heard bits and pieces of your melody (his human ears weren’t able to pick up most of the notes) although he did feel a pull. Something primal in his brain ordered him to follow and he kicked his legs until he was practically glued to your side.  

Perhaps that was the reason you urged him to cover his ears. He was falling victim to your call. A shame he was already where he wanted to be.  

Screw patrols. He didn’t care if his Captain discharged him for abandoning his post. Swimming with an ancient mermaid was the most entertainment Jack had in months even if all this swimming was giving him a workout.  

You gave him the all clear to remove his hands. Jack did while watching a swordfish answer your call. 

It swam from the dark waters below and circled the two of you. Much to his horror, you plucked it from the water and proceeded to consume it raw.  

It was morbid and secretly hot to witness you in your element. You ate your fill with a flare of elegance and spat out the bones.  

He was captivated. You licked your lips clean once you were finished and checked under your nails for any debris. Some things were still human in nature. Your milky eyes grew heavy as sleep threatened to take hold. Jack noticed you slowly sinking into the water and got your attention by tugging your hair.  

“Someone’s sleepy. Will the big bad fish be alright on her own?” He had to get out of this cold water and return to base. He was losing feeling in his fingers.  

A violin sounding chord signaled your yawn. Your hand cupped Jack’s cheek affectionately to speak. 

‘Fret not, I will remain here. You need to get out the water.’ Yves pointed towards a forgotten trail leading out of the grotto with a slimy tentacle. ‘That leads to land.’ 

At least now he wouldn’t be left stumbling through the dark.  

Sneaking back while soaking wet was gonna be tough. His sergeant was gonna killl him should he found out. Even with all his responsibility, Jack hesitated to leave you here alone. “I’ll uhh check on ya tomorrow?  

‘Go.’ You urged. You swatted the water, creating a sizable wave to carry him back to shore. Jack stumbled to his feet after spending so much time in the water. By the time he looked back, the ocean was still, and you were nowhere in sight.  

Jack hoped he didn’t dream last night up.  

No one noticed him gone and he managed to creep back into his bunk (freshly changed of course) before morning call. The next day was done in the same monotonous schedule he kept for months now.  

Roll call, patrols, mess hall, guard change, and repeat. He begrudgingly did it all, bidding his time until the sun set. He made full usage of his breaks to visit the market in town and stock up on supplies. On his list was a first-aid kit, wool blankets, and lots of fresh fish. The fish monger raised an eyebrow but didn’t pry.  

The soldiers that invaded ahem.. protected the island were a curious lot. Jack was no different. He was planning to spend the evening with a mermaid. Jack tipped his helmet before leaving.  

If he stayed a moment longer, he would have seen the old man croak over after catching a glimpse of the mark you left on Jack’s arm.  

He stashed his purchases in the pathway near the hidden grotto before dressing down into something more lightweight. His fatigues were practical but not ideal for prolonged periods in the cove’s mineral based water.  

He was teeming with excitement to see you. Would you be feeling better? Would you like the fish he brought? Would you be happy to see him?  

“Get a hold of yourself, she’s just a fish. A big, ancient, gorgeous, deadly fish...” Jack uttered to himself as he made the dangerous trek down to the cove.  

The setting sun guided him well until he ducked into the natural cave. Inside, it was dimly lit by the walls blocking the sun until he entered the main alcove where supernatural light flourished. 

Jack didn’t know what to expect. What if something happened last night while you slept? Could someone have found you during your moment of weakness? Did you up and leave?  

A thousand questions swirled inside his head as he walked to the water’s edge.  

It was calm, too calm—now that he knew about the dangers it contained. He saw the way you ate that swordfish last night. You were confident in your strength and there was an air of ancient wisdom that shrouding you. You been around for a while. The things you had seen in your lifetime... 

“Uh hello? Y/n?” Jack called out only to snort to himself.  

The human was calling the siren. He kicked the water to create ripples, hoping that would work. Just how deep was the pool? A deep sea fish swam here so rather deep. He dipped his legs in and popped open a bottle of rum as he waited.  

He forgot that you were injured, that probably delayed your trip to the surface. He nibbled on the bread and cheese he bought from the market. He wondered how long you would stay here until you were healed. Not like he cared or anything—he just enjoyed having something to do.  

That is, if you were coming back anytime soon. “This blows.” Jack sighed.  

He shivered at a sudden cold breeze and turned to fetch the wool blanket from his bag. While his back was turned, your head rose from the water.  

You sensed his presence when he created ripples in the water but struggled to surface with your limited energy. The swordfish you caught last night helped fight against your hunger, however; you were still ravenous. You tried swimming into deeper waters to call for help but you became exhausted fairly quickly.  

This wound had you stuck in your ancestral grotto. Which was fine if this man helped you recover.  

You watched him take out a long piece of textile to wrap himself with. He must be cold, you thought curiously. He locked eyes with you and jumped back.  

“Gahh! F__k!” How long had you been watching him in silence? You really were a predator. 

All he could see was your face from the nose up. The water was calm around you, not a ripple to be found. “You scared me.” Jack panted.  

You didn’t move and he idly kicked his feet back and forth in the water. Talk about a 180 from your mood yesterday, you just stared at him. “I uh brought you fish.” He took out the packages the fish monger wrapped for him.  

That got you to come forward, yet he was quick to notice your movements were sluggish. You didn’t glide through the water like last night. Something was wrong.  

“Hey... you okay? Oh! Ohh uhh..” Jack froze when you flopped your head onto his lap. He didn’t move (as if he could, you were heavy) as your hand squeezed his calf muscles.  

Even your voice felt off. ‘Thank you.’ You preferred your fish alive, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. You appreciated the thought. You glanced up into green eyes, clicking lowly in distress. 

“I know that sound. What’s wrong, ya don’t too good. Here.” Jack unpacked a whole mackerel, (your favorite) and held it to your lips. The implication was not lost on you.  

‘Feeding a monster? Aren’t you a brave solider?’ you mocked.  

Jack didn’t let your words affect him, “Open wide.” He watched your vacant eyes roll before you unhinged your jaw, slowing off the razor-sharp teeth and an unnaturally colored tongue. He slowly lowered the fish into your mouth and let go when your teeth grazed his palm.  

He couldn’t believe he was in some secret grotto feeding a mythical being. It would make for a wild bar conversation.  

It definitely wasn’t what he signed up for when he enlisted. You plucked the spine from your mouth with a sigh. ‘Do you have any more?’ You asked.  

Jack took pity seeing your sad eyes. He knew that look too well. You were weak from hunger. “Y-Yeah.. I uh bought a lot for ya.”  

And that’s how he spent the next half hour, hand feeding you in between bites of his own bread and cheese spread.  

His twisted mind saw it as a date. Yeah, a date with a gigantic fish. Jack huffed, jolting your head resting in his lap. You whined, voicing your displeasure.  

“Sorry uhh.” It was then Jack realized he didn’t know your name.  

The locals called you Y/n sure, but you did not know the term mermaid until yesterday. He found himself wondering what your actual name was. 

‘What ails you?’ You spoke after seeing a faraway look take over his features. He fed you well and now you were content resting your head on his lap. He was warm unlike the harsh coldness of the sea. You… kinda liked it.  

“I had a moment, I guess. I uhh.. I don’t know your name.” He confessed. It donned on you that you didn’t know his either.  

You tried avoiding the question with one of your own. ‘What do other humans call you?’ 

“Oh, now ya wanna know my name?” Jack laughed. All this time the two of you had yet to exchange formalities.  

He felt so embarrassed. His mama raised him better! You were a lady and deserved some respect. Jack straightened up while clearing his throat.  

“Private Jack White reportin’ for duty.” He fake saluted and laughed at your confused head tilt. He’d explain later. “The locals call you Y/n, the revered sea deity, but what should I call ya oh great one?” 

You rose to grab Jack’s face and pull him down so you could rub your nose with his. You spoke your given name into his head and watched him try out the pronunciation. 

“Did I say that right?” Jack teased.  

‘No. Humans do not have enough vocal cords. You are unable to replicate the vowels.’  

Another thing that separated you from him. Now he was told his speech was too primitive. “Whatever, it sounds hot in my head. Y/n it is then.”  

He assumed rubbing noses was your people's version of a kiss, so he repeated the gesture back. He chuckled when you jerked back with a shrill like chirp. Your tail flicked up from the water, hitting him with ice cold droplets. “So cute..” he mumbled.  

Although the temperature drop was his signal to go. “It's getting late. You gonna be alright by yourself again?”  

You refused to touch him to speak after he caressed your nose.  

“Aww, did I make the Great Y/n all flustered?” He dodged you trying to claw at his ankles. “I think sooo. Get some rest, Y/n.” 

You regained enough energy to send him off with a farewell melody. He was still humming the tune to himself when he reached his barracks.  

Jack cherished the days he spent visiting you in the alcove.  

Some of his fellow soldiers poked fun at his sudden change in mood. “Oh, Jack caught the eye of a local!” They weren’t wrong.  

He was more friendlier on base all thanks to you. He looked forward to the nights spent with you; feeding you fish, sharing stories, and slowly but surely getting to know one another.  

It was inspiring to remember how you had originally feared Jack when he found you beached in the low tide. Now you practically dragged him under to be near him.  

“Easy, Y/n. Don’t drown me!” He let you pull him into the dark water to nuzzle his nose in greeting. He still didn’t know what the gesture meant but it made you happy.  

He loved hearing the purring sound of your delight. He did anything he could to hear it.  

He promised to spot your attempt to swim outside the grotto tonight. The line of rocks was an obstacle he could help you overcome. Your wound was steadily healing with the plethora of fatty fish Jack provided along with the kind plankton who blessed you. Neither of you wanted you to fully heal.  

The moment you were healthy meant you would leave, and Jack was growing rather fond of you. He unfortunately did not know how you felt about him.  

He would be a fool to believe you actually enjoyed a human’s company. He was prey, not a companion. You had Yves for that and Jack envied the sentient octopus that clung to your bosom.  

He tried to shake off his feelings to no avail.  

You were otherworldly in terms of beauty and keenly aware of your charms. Even if the match was virtually impossible, he liked where things were going with you. He would cherish each day he had left.  

“Good job, now... come here.” Jack said to urge you back.  

This was your fourth time swimming laps from the ocean entrance of the alcove back to his arms. He could tell you were pushing yourself, judging by your hooded eyelids and agitated tail swishes.  

It was exercise to promote core strength back to your tail.  

You made it back to Jack and collided with him due to your exhaustion. He fell onto shore with you in his arms. “H-Hey, Y/n, you good?”  

The massive blue diamond on your forehead swayed as you nodded. Jack was speechless watching a beam of moonlight overhead highlight your beauty. Your lips parted and he was reminded how close the two of you were when it brushed his lower lip.  

This was wrong. You weren’t even human! but that didn’t stop Jack. He audibly swallowed as the moment drew tense.  

“F__k it.” He shortened the distance and captured your lips with his. You bristled at the contact until Jack tangled a hand in your hair and guided you through the motions.  

He rolled you over so the incoming wave could rehydrate your gills. He on the other hand needed air and pulled away with a smile. “Even better than I imagined.” Jack said listlessly.  

‘What.. what was that?’ You asked him. You brought a finger up to inspect your lips. They were tingling.  

“I ah.. that was a kiss. Kinda like how you rub my nose. That’s um.. it’s the equivalent of that for humans.” He explained.  

‘I don’t understand. You respect me enough to kiss me?’ 

“Wait what?” Jack was confused now. “What does,” he leaned down to nuzzle his nose with yours, “this mean?” 

‘You value or you respect me greatly. It is the highest form of gratitude for my kind.’ You confessed. Your eyes shifted away as your ears turned red.  

Oh. Not what he was expecting but still rather important. You were showing your gratitude, and he thought… 

Jack brushed a curl away from your face, “So… does your kind kiss like we just did?” 

He burst out laughing at you covering your face. Jack could tell you wanted to slip underwater in embarrassment. He wouldn’t let you.  

He pried your hands away so he could see you. “Cmon Y/n!” 

You were about to show him when a loud alarm sounded over the island. You growled and without hesitation, dragged you and Jack into the safety of the ocean. He quickly broke the surface to breathe.  

“Y/n! F__k, warn me next time! S__t, we might be under attack.” He tried to swim away to leave, but your nails dug into his wrist. “Y/n let go.”  

Then the first canon echoed off in the distance. You cried out, gaining Jack’s attention. He never seen you look so terrified.  

He snatched you up into his arms, tucking your head into his chest. “They won’t hurt you again. I promise.” He leaned back just enough to kiss you softly. “Stay outta sight, I’ll be back.”  

‘Jack…’  

If gunfire was heard this far away, you could only imagine the reality of it on land. You didn’t want him to go.  

“I’ll be back. Yeah?” He caressed your face as he drifted closer to the shore. You still didn’t let go so he got desperate.  

He locked eyes with Yves on your shoulder. “Take care of my girl.” He glanced at you again, “I’ll be back Y/n.” He wrestled himself out of your arms and swam to the grotto shore.  

There was little time to grab his things. Gunfire meant contact with the enemy. He needed to find a weapon and report to his sergeant for orders. 

Yet Jack hesitated.  

He looked back towards the ocean and saw your head poking out. You were centuries old but terrified of man and their weapons. It made him sick to his stomach.  

He didn’t know if mermaids could cry although you looked close to tears.  

Jack groaned as he took off his dog tags and wrapped them around your neck. You were about to ask him what it was when he stole your train of thought with a passionate kiss.  

It felt like a goodbye.  

Jack pulled away, resting his forehead on yours. “Wait for me, hm?” 

You nodded once and watched him disappear up the trail. The small glimmer of light you saw in Jack faded away as he left. You knew he wouldn’t return but you still blindly waited.  

You waited all night for the fighting to cease. You waited till the morning after when more ships arrived and departed in droves. You waited even as the waters changed warmth with the new season. You waited and waited and waited until it was obvious.  

Jack was gone.  

Years passed and he was a changed man.  

He’d seen enough war and the pointlessness it created to rebel from authority. It changed him and not for the better. You would not be pleased with the hatred festering in his heart, not like he cared.  

He didn’t care about anything.  

He saw the world with new eyes— he wasn’t the restless private stuck on an island anymore. Oh, but he missed those days terribly. His wrist itched every full moon, reminding him of a time he felt free. 

Free to be himself and to be understood by another. You were the only person who willingly listened to his ramblings. You didn’t interrupt or belittle his opinions, you let him speak freely and encouraged him to be open minded. He looked back on those months fondly.  

But that was the past. Now he wanted to destroy the future.  

“Ay Boss. Boss..? Yo J!” Frost had enough and yelled out to Joker.  

He almost didn’t respond. Joker. He went by The Joker now not..  

“There’s nothing here, Joker and it’s getting dark soon.” Frost kicked a nearby rock into the water. “We’re ready to leave when you are.” 

Joker nodded and returned his gaze out to the sea.  

He felt stupid coming all the way here after so many years away. The military base was now a museum, and the locals had been completely overrun by tourism from the growing resort industry nearby.  

Things were vastly different, but your grotto remained untouched.  

It was still tucked away on the northern shoreline with jagged rocks making it impossible to boat to. Mankind could not reach you and Joker preferred it that way.  

Years later, he still slipped a bit descending down the hidden trail. Was it always so dangerous or did love motivate him forward? He lost that feeling ages ago so a few scrapped knees and hands was the price to pay.  

What did he expect to find? You patiently waiting in the water, flicking your tail in anticipation? He hated himself for believing that you would.  

Frost was right. There was nothing here.  

He had to stop dwelling on the past. Promises were made to be broken. Joker had moved on and deep down, he hoped that you did the same.  

He sighed as he stood up to leave (for good this time) when he heard something. He froze, thinking he was finally losing his mind but no. It was faint, but it was heard loudly in his heart.  

Jack heard your call.  

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

I would also hc that the mermaid reader would think alucard is half monster because he is half human as a opposed to the other characters in the series thinking he is half monster because he is half vampire and that she refuses to speak like the siren aria from Becoming The Villain’s Family mahwa (10/10 would recommended reading the art is beautiful and has a solid story) and may have been exploited and forced to sing for people till her throat bleed because her voice and singing is powerful for luring and has a addictive quality ( again like the siren aria)

A/N: Oooh yes! I totally agree with the idea that our Half-Siren/Mermaid Reader would view Alucard as half-monster because he is half-human as opposed to seeing him as half-monster because he is half-vampire. 

I can also see her stubbornly withholding the use of her voice, even when speaking when she doesn’t get the kind of attention/treatment she wants (especially from Alucard). Yes, her education in learning the common language is coming along nicely, but that’s something she’s doing for the ease/comfort of others. So if speaking their language won’t help to get her something she wants, she’ll withhold it until a compromise is met. 

Here are some extra Half-Siren/Mermaid Headcanons: 

Additional Half-Siren/Mermaid Headcanons: 

She actually learns to read and write other languages fairly quickly, it’s the pronunciation and prolonged speaking that she still struggles with. 

Her penmanship is very smooth, almost wave-like, with how gracefully she can slide her pen around a page. The simple act of her writing is mesmerizing to watch. She moves her hand around the page like a witch would around a cauldron. 

Practically any mundane task she does becomes almost spellbinding once she’s mastered it. Perhaps it’s her siren nature that makes her appear all the more alluring. 

Whenever she’s feeling particularly petty, usually in cases where one of the more jealous village women has offended her, she makes it a personal goal of hers to become an expert at whatever it is they do best. If the village woman is a tailor, she’ll master the art of sewing. If the woman’s a stable-hand, she’ll master the art of caring for and riding horses.  And then, as soon as that villager woman sees how capable ‘The Land Walker’ is at the thing she loves, our Siren drops the hobby like a hot potato. It’s never about taking away the woman’s position as the best whatever- it’s about sending a message.

A/N: Updates might be a bit slower in the coming month, currently looking for a new job and helping my Mom out with some health crap, so writing is taking a back seat to pretty much all else rn.

I'm still here, I'll still be reading/checking in, but as far as posting goes, I probably won't be producing too much content rn.

Don’t forget to Like & REBLOG!!!

And if you enjoyed it, feel free to Tip Me on Kofi! 

[abiiors]

i meant cozy making dinner at home/movie night blurb with ross my bad 😭😭😭 still love matty tho lmao (now that i think about it can we make it dad!ross too 👀)

aaah lol got you!! i love writing dad ross very much 🥹

april is always a little ball of excitement—even at almost three years old, she wants to know everything! from “why can’t i eat the ball from the avocavo, daddy?” to “can i help?” even when she barely reaches his knees and is strictly not allowed near an open flame. 

you, at 10 weeks pregnant, dread stepping foot into the kitchen at the risk of angering the tiny fetus inside you who has not stopped making you throw up every single item of food they do not like. (the list is long)

and ross happily takes care of it all, one hand holding april’s as he stirs the stew with another and answers her endless questions without faltering. 

you can’t exactly see them—what with your reluctance to go near food smells—but you can hear her babbling away, mispronouncing words and using some big ones (albeit incorrectly) that she’s no doubt learned from her uncle matty. you decide to pick a film instead. 

the little mermaid is the obvious choice considering your daughter’s newfound obsession with the ocean and her self-declared wish to become a “sea expert” when she grows up but there’s also coco, which you’ve cried over multiple times both before and after april’s arrival. you even remember the day when she declared that uncle matty should sing poco loco at the next show. today, however, you do not trust pregnancy hormones enough to put that on. 

“picked a film yet?” ross calls from the kitchen and you frown. 

“not yet, can you send april here?”

there’s some shuffling, and then the sound of you baby toddling over to you. the second she sees her picks on the screen, her eyes go round and she lets out an extended oooohh.

“feel like watching any of these?” you laugh at her and then make room as she climbs onto your lap.

at this stage, there’s still space on your lap for her to snuggle in but ross has told her endlessly to be careful around you now. (“we can’t let mummy get hurt okay? you and me, we have to take care of her.” which makes your heart melt every time.) so even when she wiggles around, she’s careful not to do it too much. 

“ooh, ooh,” she claps her hands, “can we watch daddy’s show? please please!”

now you know what she means by this. every once in a while she begs and begs to watch the msg recording, singing along to whatever songs she can with broken lyrics that she doesn’t fully know yet. if ross is home, he lifts her up in his arms and dances with her, singing the songs to her in a soft voice and changing any not safe for children lyrics at the last minute in a way that makes you laugh every time. 

from the kitchen ross cheers. “yeah! that’s my girl.”

and so you relent, quickly finding it and putting it on amidst the sound of your husband and daughter cheering. 

“right!” ross appears dramatically from the kitchen, food in hand and right in time for the claps and cheers on screen to echo around the room. 

he grins. “my biggest fan! learn a thing or two from her,” he teases much to your indignation. but then he sets the plates aside and bends down to kiss her and just like that all of it is melted away leaving you a pile of mush. 

while april puts on her own show, singing and dancing along to the songs on tv, ross makes his way to sit next to you. the food on the plate actually does look really fucking nice, and for the first time in days you feel the urge to eat properly. 

“keep this down for me, will you? i don’t like seeing you so uncomfortable.”

the concern in his voice is heartwarming, and your bottom lip starts to wobble at the thought of how sweet he’s been to you so far. 

“your baby thinks the food looks good,” you joke, “i might even go for seconds.”

the palm of his hand rests flat against your stomach, caressing the bump that’s barely even there at this point but he’s attached to it just as he was the first time with april. 

“good,” he smiles, “just wanna see both my girls happy.”

[accirax]

Nene’s Role in Wonderlands x Showtime

The release of The Miniature Garden’s Coral seems to have confirmed some things I’ve recently speculated might transpire in future Wonderlands x Showtime events-- namely regarding Nene and how she may actually be the most important member of the troupe-- so, let’s talk about them! I’ll be using zui’s lyrics video for my translations, so hopefully they’re accurate.

With the past couple of WxS events in mind, it’s easy to see that this 3DMV is also about endings. While the MV begins in a sunny blue afternoon light...

...the characters and set eventually bask in a beautiful sunset orange, signaling the end of the day. The lyrics even mention being “between the end of the blue sky and the beginning of the night sky,” further emphasizing that we’re in the middle of the story. When the sky is blue, the troupe expresses uncertainty: Rui mentions that he feels lost, and Tsukasa, scared. But eventually, Nene admits that, in this beginning period, she was “spoiled by the sound of the waves,” AKA that the commotion surrounding WxS’s formation led to a troupe that became a source of comfort for all of them.

Once the sun sets, there are a lot of “even ifs.” Nene sings about how she’ll continue to sing this song, even if things are starting to look unsteady and she’s not sure if she should proceed. However, by the end of the song, she resolves to "still sing this song” while keeping up a smile.

I think that the fact that Nene says she will sing this song is incredibly important, because, as established, this song is about endings. Meanwhile, back in Mr. Showtime, Tsukasa firmly didn’t want WxS to end, and was holding out until closing time. Rui’s What Sort of Ending Are You Wishing For? and Emu’s Starry Sky Orchestra seemingly both acknowledge an ending as well, but it’s not at all easy. Rui seems to fall into a resigned depression at the thought, keeping a whimsical facade up when the very thought of separating kills him inside. The thought haunts him, MV riddled with hourglasses that he can’t get out of his head. Emu can only tolerate taking the first step towards a breakup with tooth-rottingly sugarcoated promises of eternal togetherness and literally holding hands as they go (I love her btw this is not Emu slander). She never even says the word “end,” only “tomorrow.”

Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are basically Denialx3. Rui tries to deny his emotions regarding disbanding, Emu tries to deny that the ending is coming at all, and Tsukasa tries to deny that there’s nothing he can do to keep them from inevitably drifting apart. And that’s where Nene comes in again.

Rui’s dream is to perform technically complex shows that will resonate with an audience. He can do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Emu’s dream is to keep the Wonder Stage up and operating forever. She has to do that from Phoenix Wonderland. Tsukasa’s dream is to become the number one world star and make everyone smile. While this would likely take him away from the park, in another story, I could see it being possible that, in the end, Tsukasa decides that making the people in his local community happy is more important than trying to change the entire world. Thus, he could also follow his dream from Phoenix Wonderland, even if it’s not ideal.

But then there’s Nene. Her dream is, and always has been, to perform in Broadway musicals. Broadway is a live performance in New York City. There is no possible way for Nene to get what she wants while staying in Phoenix Wonderland. And that is possibly why Wonderlands x Showtime’s ending is the easiest for her to process.

Now, I’m not trying to say that Nene doesn’t love her friends. She adores them. Her three previous commissions have proven that. It’s the amount of love she has for them that will propel her to make what is actually the best choice for their dreams. Nene is the little mermaid, both when swimming freely the oceans with a beautiful, unstoppable song, and when enduring pain herself to stand with and for the ones she loves. Her friends, in this situation... are coral.

Remember that coral, “blurred” and uncertain in the water and “stained orange by the setting sun”? The miniature garden is Phoenix Wonderland; the coral is Emu, Rui, and Tsukasa; and that coral is stained orange by its desperation to keep rereading the final chapter instead of closing the book for now and putting it away to revisit in the future. Coral, while a beautiful living organism, is also completely static.

Static like stone statues which, at least by my interpretation, is what the rest of WxS turns into at the end of the 3DMV. The three of them (and Kaito) are paralyzed with the fear of the suffering an ending would bring. Only Nene is alive and human to be the one to show the group the benefits it can bring as well.

There are a lot of aspects of this song and Nene’s entire personality that lead me to believe that she will be the one to bring about change in WxS. First, she most often “has the braincell,” so to speak. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she performs this song with Kaito, the most mature of the WxS vocaloids, either. During April Fool’s 2023, she was put into the Solid Heart class. One might think that troupe leader Tsukasa should be the Solid Heart, and that shy Nene should be the Cautious Heart, but they (accurately) sorted it the other way.

Nene is a very strong-willed person. In other stories, it might be seen as a negative that Nene is always the most hesitant one to get into shenanigans, or that she would even dare to be the one to suggest a WxS split in the first place. What an ungrateful wet blanket Nene is, willing to throw away her friends for the sake of her own selfish dream. But in this story, staying at Phoenix Wonderland isn’t really what will make Rui or Tsukasa happy, and even Emu may have to graduate to focusing on the entire company instead of just one stage someday.

Nene’s friends brought her out of the darkness and into the light of day, and she is so grateful for that. She knows how amazing they are, which is how she knows that they can make more friends and continue to do even more amazing things in the future if they can bear to leave their high school part-time jobs behind and enter the real world, just like her.

So, Nene’s role is to be Wonderlands x Showtime’s guiding light. She’ll tell Rui what sort of ending she’s wishing for, and then console him when he can’t repress his tears. She’ll be the one to hold Emu’s hand while they take that next step into tomorrow. Her three best friends helped her to grow from the loner who operated a robot from the theme park bushes, and she’ll help them step out of that theme park and be who they truly want to be.

There is one other thing I wanted to mention, though...

Tsukasa.

As I mentioned previously, while all three of Rui, Emu, and Tsukasa are in denial, Tsukasa is the most actively in opposition to an ending. He’s also the troupe leader, and the sole creator of the Wonderland Sekai. If someone is going to actively try to stop Nene from suggesting separation, it’s definitely going to at least start with him. But as Nene has already stated in The Miniature Garden’s Coral, despite any opposition that makes her question whether or not she should proceed, she already plans to continue singing her beliefs about a bittersweet yet timely goodbye.

And, their conflict is something that’s basically been foreshadowed from the beginning too, right? Nene has always roasted Tsukasa, giving a counterpoint to his blindingly bright worldview. In upcoming chapters, however, I believe that may start to transform from simple fun banter into a genuine conflict with clear sides drawn...

And THAT’S why ColoPale gave them Childish War.

Nenekasa nation get ready, ‘cause I don’t think this is the last Nene and Tsukasa fight we’re going to see.

[ikolaiigh]

UNDER THE SEA

𝑻𝑾/𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺..Prince!Chuuya, The little mermaid AU, drowning, thunderstorms, injuries, romantic tension, strangers to lovers, Mermaid!Reader, Fantasy Violence, Pet names, both Chuuya and reader are disgustingly in love,Reader is down bad for chuuya, Love at First Sight, Idiots in Love, Reader is called 'Princess' and later on 'Queen', Weddings, Songfic.

𝑷𝑨𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺: Prince!Chuuya Nakahara x Mermaid!Reader

𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑹𝑬: Fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, Angst with a happy ending.

𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑨𝑹𝒀: The ocean was wide, yet everything was very much the same for you, that is until you save a human prince from a shipwreck. Despite only having met once for a short period, the two Royals become infatuated with each other, The human wanting to know who saved them and you resolve to do whatever it takes to become part of his world.

𝘈/𝘕: Hey it's me again yall, I had to write this to get my The Little Mermaid hyper fixation off my system (even tho it didn't work, I'm still heavily obsessed with it) also English is not my native tongue so my apologies if there are any mistakes! A huge thanks to @yuugen-benni for helping me out with everything and listening to me ramble about it!! So..I hope you guys enjoy ;)

-Please for "Part of your world" and its reprise listen to Halle's version!! Since this fic is based both on the live-action and Animated versions, there are some song's that I will indicate for yall to listen !!

"𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞." -𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧

As the ship gracefully cut through the deep blue waters, its sails billowed with the gentle yet persistent breeze. The vessel danced upon the undulating waves, leaving a mesmerizing trail of foam in its wake. Above, the sky was adorned with an intricate tapestry of clouds, their fluffy formations casting shifting shadows upon the sea below, showing signs that the chances of rain were high, but the crew on board the vessel paid no mind.

On deck, the crew reveled in the joyous occasion, their laughter and voices carried by the salty breeze. They were singing, about mermaids who swam below the surface and the treasures hidden beneath the waves. Laughter and cheers erupted in between the verses and echoed across the wooden planks, blending with the rhythmic creaking of the ship as it swayed in tune with the rolling waves in a harmonious melody that echoed across the ocean.

Amidst the celebration, a figure hung suspended from a rope, His strong hands clutched the sturdy knot, his body swaying gently in sync with the ship's movements. The wind tousled his ginger hair and tugged at the edges of his clothes evoking a sense of freedom. He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the sensation of the breeze, relishing in the exhilarating blend of coolness and warmth that brushed against his skin.

The air smelled of salt. He certainly missed that smell of the ocean's breeze

“Isn’t this great?” the young prince exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy as he stood on the ship's deck, completely focused on the view. Unaware of his royal advisor's estate, he beamed with enthusiasm. “That salted sea air, the wind blowing in your face. It’s the perfect day to be out on the sea, don’t you agree old man? Hirotsu?”

Meanwhile, Hirotsu was preoccupied with the churning of his stomach and the imminent danger of losing his lunch. He delicately wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he leaned over the rail trying to maintain his composure amidst the waves. Summoning his strength, he turned towards the prince.

“Oh, yes, delightful” he managed to respond, his voice slightly strained, his body tensed as if fearing the very idea of tumbling into the waters.

“Come on Hirotsu, don’t be a spoiled sport." Chuuya grumbled, his impatience tinged in his tone. he leaped onto the main deck area, his enthusiasm unabated. "You know that the sea is like a second home to me.”

“Sorry your majesty, but it seems that your home disagrees with me.” Hirotsu replied, his tone strained and as if in confirmation, he turned even paler and leaned over the rail once again, succumbing to another wave of nausea.

The prince playfully rolled his eyes before joining the bustling sailors, eager to lend a hand. The atmosphere of the crew infected him with joy, and he couldn't help but wear a wide smile.

"A fine strong wind and a following sea," one of the seasoned sailors remarked while tugging on a rope, the prince quickly moved to assist him, skillfully securing the rope in place. "King Fukuzawa must be in a friendly type mood."

"King Fukuzawa?" Chuuya asked, his curiosity piqued as he turned to the sailor.

"Why, ruler of the merpeople, lass" the sailor replied grinning, his voice laced with playful humor. He chuckled, teasing the young prince gently, "Surely, every seasoned sailor is well aware of him"

"Merpeople," Hirotsu muttered, his voice filled with skepticism as he descended the stairs of the boat. "Your Highness, please pay no attention to this nautical nonsense."

"But it ain't nonsense, it's the truth!" insisted one of the sailors, pointing an accusing finger at Hirotsu. Ignoring the gesture, Hirotsu merely glared back, his skepticism evident.

"I'm tellin' ya, down in the depths of the ocean, they live!" the sailor continued, his voice filled with conviction. Suddenly, his grip on a fish he was holding slipped, and the creature wriggled out of his hands. Reacting swiftly, Hirotsu instinctively swatted the fish away before it could slap him across the face with its tail, causing it to splash back into the sea.

Chuuya couldn't contain his laughter, a delighted grin spreading across his face. "Who knows, Hirotsu? Maybe there's more beneath the waves than we ever dared to imagine."

Beneath the glistening waves, you gracefully swam around a mast on the ocean floor, your eyes filled with wonder as you explored the remnants of a sunken ship. Your face lit up with excitement as you examined the intricate details that once belonged to the vessel, a small smile graced your lips, but it faded swiftly as you heard a familiar voice calling out to you.

"[Name]! Wait for me!" a lionfish merman called, his vibrant scales shimmering in the underwater light.

"Atsushi, hurry up!" You beckoned him urgently. You pointed toward a fully intact abandoned ship, resting a short distance away.

"Isn't it fantastic?" You exclaimed, admiration evident in your tone. Atsushi, however, rolled his eyes in response, his skepticism apparent.

"Yeah, sure, it's great. Now let's go before someone catches us," Atsushi replied, turning around to swim away. However, before he could escape, you captured his tail between your fingers, firmly holding him in place.

"Oh, don't tell me you're getting cold fins now, are you?" you playfully teased, giving Atsushi a pointed glare before resuming your firm hold on his tail, determined to explore the ship.

"No way, but if your dad or brother found out—" Atsushi began, he managed to break free from your grasp and reluctantly followed along.

"Which they won't," you assured him with confidence, a mischievous grin playing on your lips. Standing at the entrance of the ship, you turned to face Atsushi. "It's better for me to be here than Dazai, right? We'll just have a quick look around, grab anything interesting we find, and return without them ever noticing I was gone."

"I'd prefer neither you nor Dazai, neither of you is reliable!" Atsushi muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his tone,he nervously flicked his venomous spines. "Both of you always manage to pull me into these situations. If it's not Dazai trying to encounter ships head-on, it's you boarding them!" you shot him a piercing glare, unimpressed by his complaints.

"If you're so interested in complaining, then keep watch for any sharks, will you?" you quipped, a mischievous grin spreading across your face as you squeezed through one of the holes in the ship's side.

"Of course... I'll be here, keeping a lookout for sharks—wait a minute, sharks? [Name]!" Atsushi's voice rose in alarm as he attempted to follow you through the same hole, only to find himself stuck, his tail flailing in the water.

You looked back at him, but you couldn't help but burst into laughter, swimming back to help your trapped friend. "Oh, Atsushi, you never fail to make things interesting. Hold on, let me give you a hand," you said between giggles, reaching out to lend a hand and free Atsushi from his position.

With a gentle tug and a bit of maneuvering, you managed to free Atsushi from his position. As you both ventured further into the ship's interior, Atsushi's mumbling continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, this is just great. I love this, the excitement, the adventure, the ever-present danger," Atsushi muttered his dorsal fins drooping slightly, his tone dripping with playful mockery, you shot him an amused smile as you both ventured further into the ship's interior.

As he turned a corner, Atsushi suddenly came face-to-face with a grinning skull, eliciting a blood-curdling scream from him. In his panicked state, he swam as fast as his fins would allow, he failed to notice you in his path, causing him to collide with you and causing you both to tumble down to the ship's floor.

"Atsushi, are you alright?" shaking off the shock you asked him, a playful teasing lilt in your voice, you couldn't help but giggle at Atsushi's panicked reaction. "Aren't lionfish supposed to be brave? Or you just made that up?"

Atsushi, still trembling from the fright, shot you an embarrassed glare. "I... I am brave! It's just...anything like that can startle anyone!" he protested, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

You let out an exasperated sigh at Atsushi's response and you made your way to the top of the ship, your eyes scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, a gasp escaped your lips, capturing Atsushi's attention.

"Atsushi, look!" you called out excitedly, swimming swiftly towards a piece of metal resting on the captain's deck. It resembled your father's trident, but it was a miniature version, crafted in shining silver with four prongs instead of three. You held it up, turning it around in your hands, a look of awe on your face.

"Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?" you asked, your eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Wow, that's cool," Atsushi replied, examining the intricate details of the object. "But, uh, what is it exactly?"

"I don't know, but Dazai can certainly enlighten us." A mischievous grin formed on your lips as you replied, With a sense of triumph, you carefully placed the object into a small pouch at your side, eager to show it to Dazai later.

Atsushi pondered for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to your earlier conversation. "But seriously, isn't this the area known for shark activity? And didn't Dazai receive a ban from your father on any contact with you? How the hell did that happen?" he questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"He was caught doing something illegal if I remember and also, trust me, if the gods themselves appeared before Dazai and commanded him to do something, he'd find a way to wriggle out of it," you replied with a hint of annoyance as you recalled the countless antics of dazai.

"Besides, nothing ever happens down here. It's all just a rumor, so we don't have to worry about sharks." You chuckled grinning playfully, thinking your words held a touch of irony.

Suddenly, a deep rumble reverberated from the direction of the boat's windows, causing your eyes to widen in alarm. Atsushi's fear was palpable as he looked around, his expression mirroring your concern.

"Well, I don't even need to turn around to realize the irony," you quipped, your voice tinged with a mix of dread. Despite your hesitation, you mustered the courage to glance at the windows, only to be met with the sight of a massive great white shark outside, a shiver ran down your spine as you couldn't help but utter, "Well, I've turned around, and I see..damn."

"There's a literal shark outside, and the only thing you can say is 'damn'?" Atsushi whisper-shouted, disbelief written on his face.

Before you could respond, the shark, propelled by sheer force, crashed into the old window with a thunderous impact. Reacting swiftly, you grabbed hold of the startled and screaming Atsushi, swimming towards the nearest entrance of the boat as quickly as your fins would allow. In your haste, you couldn't resist grabbing something else that Atsushi had found on a nearby barrel, earning you a disapproving glare from him.

A crashing sound echoed from behind as the shark relentlessly tore through the ship, breaking wood and leaving destruction in its path. Fear surged through your veins, urging you to swim faster, desperate to escape the predator's pursuit. The twisting and turning paths of the boat became your labyrinth, as you cleverly navigated through narrow passages and tight corners, using every advantage to stay ahead.

At one moment, your pouch became ensnared in a jagged piece of wood. Despite the shark coming closer, you refused to abandon the treasure you had acquired. Summoning all your determination, you swiftly maneuvered towards it, narrowly evading the shark's menacing jaws. With a well-timed twist, you managed to fool the predator into slamming against the ceiling, buying you time to continue your escape.

You reached the same hole you had entered through and started swimming towards it, urging Atsushi to follow suit. However, panic gripped him as he realized he wouldn't fit through the narrow opening, he froze at the entrance of the hole.

"I won't fit in! I'm gonna get stuck!" Atsushi's terrified voice echoed through the ship.

"Atsushi! For the love of my father just go!" you screamed back, the urgency in your tone reflecting the situation. Time was limited, and you knew that Atsushi's safety depended on him.

Summoning every ounce of strength, you pushed Atsushi through the hole, ensuring he made it to safety before following closely behind. The moment you emerged, the shark burst through the opening, its menacing presence continuing to haunt your escape. With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you and Atsushi swam fast, desperately evading the clutches of the shark.

Thinking quickly, you led Atsushi in swift circles around one of the ship's sturdy poles, hoping to confuse the shark and gain a momentary advantage. In a calculated move, you dodged around one of the masts, anticipating that the shark would collide with it. However, to your dismay, it was a disoriented and panicked Atsushi who ended up colliding with the mast, causing him to faint from the impact.

"Are you kidding me? Seriously?" you exclaimed in exasperation, witnessing the scene unfolding before you. Both you and the shark swam toward the unconscious Atsushi, but you were quicker and managed to grab him before the shark could reach him.

Searching for a solution, your eyes landed on a large metal rod nearby. It was just wide enough for Atsushi to pass through but not the shark. You propelled yourself towards it, hoping your intuition would prove right, as you and Atsushi swam through the opening of the rod, you heard a satisfying slam and creak behind you. Turning back, you saw the shark trapped within the confines of the rod, its fierce movements futile against the sturdy obstacle, a surge of relief washed over you, and you couldn't help but stick out your tongue, mocking it.

"Haha! Take that, you idiot!" Atsushi taunted swimming closer to the trapped shark, ticking his tongue out defiantly. The shark, with its jaws, snapped them shut menacingly close to Atsushi, who scrambled away in fright. Together, you and Atsushi hurriedly swam away.

Eventually, after a long swim, you and Atsushi reached a rocky outcrop where you settled down to catch your breath. You carefully inspected your pouch, making sure nothing was left behind, while Atsushi, still panting, sat beside you on the rock.

"I'm never going to a place like that again, do you hear me? Never again-," Atsushi declared exhausted, but his sentence was abruptly cut off by the sudden dive of an object in front of him. He let out a startled scream and quickly sought refuge behind you.

"Come on, Atsushi, it's just Dazai," you reassured him, casting a glare at the misbehaving merman. "Besides, I promise I won't go there again... well, I think."

Calling out to Dazai, you caught his attention, and he paused his playful harassment of the fish, swimming over to you with a charming smile. Taking your hand, he gallantly kissed it, displaying his typical flair.

"Princess! How are you?" Dazai greeted you warmly, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Rather than answering his question, you eagerly offered him your pouch, excitement radiating from you. "Dazai, look what we found!" you exclaimed, your eyes shining with enthusiasm.

Dazai accepted the pouch and examined its contents, a chuckle escaping his lips at your friend's infectious enthusiasm. Secretly, he wished you could bring him more treasures from your adventures, but he knew that it would be too risky. Your father would surely notice if you kept making these frequent trips to see him.

"we were exploring a sunken ship, and we even had a shark chase us to obtain this!" Atsushi interjected, his voice laced with annoyance, directing a side-eye glare towards you.

"Hmm," Dazai examined the objects, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, look! This is rare," he exclaimed in recognition, pulling out what looked like your father's trident, your eyes widened in excitement.

"What is it?" you asked eagerly.

"It's a dinglehopper," Dazai stated certain "You see, humans use this to straighten their hair out!" He nodded confidently at his explanation, then took the trident and started combing his hair with it. "You just comb here, and voila! You'll have hair that makes humans swoon!"

"Dinglehopper," you repeated, savoring the word as you took the fork-like object back into your hands.Atsushi pointed to another artifact taken from the boat.

"What about that one?" he asked, Dazai examined the piece of wood and chuckled.

"Ah, this is a snarfblatt," he explained, capturing your attention once again. "You see, in prehistoric times, people used to sit around in circles and make music with this instrument, just watch" He attempted to blow into it, but instead, seaweed came out.

"Music! Oh no!" You exclaimed, covering your face with your hands and groaning in frustration. You scrambled to put your things back into the pouch. "No, no, no! The concert! I forgot! Oh my father is going to kill me!"

"The concert was today?" Atsushi asked, clearly confused.

"Stupid thing, why won't you work?" Dazai mumbled to himself, before it was taken back from you.

"I have to go, Dazai! Thank you!" you called out, moving swiftly through the water. Grateful for his help, you leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Dazai's cheek as a gesture of thanks.

"Anytime, princess!" Dazai chuckled as he waved to you, his grin never fading as you and Atsushi swam away.

Unbeknownst to both of you, two eel-like mermen silently trailed behind, their eyes fixated on your every move. In the depths of the ocean, a merman observed your departure through a mystical orb, his interest piqued by your actions.

"Yes, hurry home, sweetheart, we wouldn’t want to miss old daddy’s celebration now, would we?" a hoarse male voice cooed with deceptive sweetness. the voice chuckled, a sadistic gleam shining in his eyes. "A celebration indeed, when I resided in the castle, we had fantastical feasts, and now I find myself banished, exiled, practically starving, while Fukuzawa and his pathetic merfolk celebrate."

"Well, I shall provide them with a reason to celebrate soon enough, after all, their god is coming back" the merman sneered, his soothing voice like the smoothest silk, matching his dark purple eyes, a wide grin spread across his face as he addressed the mystical orb before him. "Mushitarou, Shibusawa."

The two mermen, startled by the sudden command, fumbled in surprise. Mushitarou accidentally hit his head on the rock he was hiding beneath, He winced but quickly refocused when their leader's voice continued.

"I want you to keep an extra close watch on the princess. She may just be the key to Fukuzawa's undoing." He chuckled darkly as he observed you swimming away.

"I just don't know what to do with you," Fukuzawa spoke, his voice tinged with disappointment, as he looked at you from his seat on the throne, two figures floated beside him, each wearing a different expression. Ranpo pouted while the other, Sigma, wore an annoyed look.

"As a result of your careless behavior—" Fukuzawa started to scold you, his voice laced with disappointment.

"Careless and reckless behavior!" Ranpo interjected sternly, his eyes fixed on you. He seemed to have already deduced what had happened, earning him a side glare from you.

"The entire celebration was rui—" Fukuzawa continued, his frustration evident.

"It was utterly ruined!" Sigma interjected, his annoyance evident as he floated in front of you. His tail twitched with agitation, and you couldn't help but roll your eyes at his stressed demeanor. "Completely destroyed! Not only did you miss the rehearsals, but my compositions and efforts were rendered useless because of this!"

"We looked like laughingstocks in front of an empty clam," Sigma groaned, shooting you an irritated look. "And you had your special appearance, which you didn't even utilize!"

"But it wasn't her fault," Atsushi interjected, stepping forward to stand in front of you. He looked at Sigma, trying to cover for you. However, he suddenly felt incredibly small under the gaze of the king and his royal advisor. "We were followed by a shark! And then—"

Fukuzawa seemed uninterested, dismissing Atsushi's explanation as a fabricated tale to protect you.

"—and then we managed to escape, so we went to Dazai, and he was all like, 'This is this, and that is that—'" Atsushi rambled, struggling to find the right words.

"Dazai?!" Fukuzawa exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. Atsushi quickly covered his mouth,realizing his mistake.

Atsushi cowered behind you, seeking solace from your protective presence. You glared at him in exasperation as your father continued to speak,his tone weary as he rubbed his temples.

"You went to meet him again, didn't you?" Fukuzawa asked, his voice tinged with exhaustion.

You offered him a sheepish grin, desperately attempting to defuse the situation. "Nothing happened, and besides, it was him who went to see me, not the other way around," you lied, hoping to convince your father.

"My starflower, how many times must we go through this? He almost got himself caught, and what's worse, he still goes to the surface to interact with them! Some of those barbarians could have seen you with him!" Fukuzawa let out a heavy sigh, his voice laced with frustration.

"They're not barbarians!" you countered confidently, your voice filled with conviction. You had never understood your father's strong aversion towards humans. While you acknowledged that some could be harmful, you believed that not everyone should be painted with the same brush. "How could a so-called barbaric species create such wonderful things?"

"They are dangerous! They took your mother from us!" Fukuzawa's voice rose as he yelled, his words filled with pain and anguish. He softened momentarily, swimming closer to you. You looked down, catching a glimpse of the worry etched in his eyes. "Do you think I want to see one of my children snared by some fish-eater's hook?"

"I'm seventeen years old, Father. I'm not a child anymore, I can take care of myself!" you asserted, your voice laced with anger, trying to reclaim your independence.

"Don't you speak to your father like that, [Name]!" Fukuzawa snapped back, his stern glare returning. "Yes, you may be an adult, but I am still your king, and the security of my kingdom, including yours, is my responsibility. You WILL obey my rules."

"But if you would just listen to me—" you pleaded, before being abruptly cut off.

"Not another word!" he declared, his arms raised above his head in a gesture of finality. "And I never want to hear of you going to the surface again or being with Dazai! Is that clear?!"

Your gaze bore into your father's back, your lips trembling slightly at the realization of never being able to see your friend again or explore the world you found so fascinating. The anger you had felt moments ago now transformed into grief, without saying a word in response, you swam away as quickly as possible. Atsushi watched you depart, his worry evident, and soon followed in pursuit, while Sigma and Ranpo remained behind, observing the situation.

Fukuzawa let out a deep sigh, sinking back into his throne. Sigma swam towards him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hm! Teenagers...They think they know everything. You give them an inch, and they swim all over you," Sigma commented, chuckling awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Do you think... Do you think I was too hard on her?" Fukuzawa questioned, his worry evident as he looked towards his trusted advisor.

"Definitely not. Why, if she were my child, I'd show her who was boss. None of this 'flitting to the surface' and other such nonsense. No, sir, I'd keep her under tight control," Sigma declared proudly, puffing his chest out with self-assurance.

"You're absolutely right, Sigma," Fukuzawa said, a smirk forming on his face as a plan began to take shape in his mind.

"Of course," Sigma replied, mirroring the smirk on Fukuzawa's face, secretly thanking the great king's that they were in accord.

"[Name] needs constant supervision," the king declared firmly.

"Constant," Sigma affirmed, nodding his head in agreement.

"And you, my dear Sigma, are just the merman to do it," Fukuzawa said, pointing directly at Sigma. The advisor looked at him with shock, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected responsibility thrust upon him.

Sigma's mouth opened and closed a few times, speechless for a moment before he finally managed to sputter, "Me? But, Your Highness, I... I..."

Fukuzawa's smirk widened as he watched Sigma's surprise. "You have the wit, the intelligence, and the loyalty required to keep an eye on [Name]. Besides, who better to understand her than you?"

Sigma, still processing the sudden responsibility thrust upon him, nodded hesitantly and left the throne room. As he walked out, he muttered to himself. "How do I get myself into these situations? I should be sorting out the casino, not tagging along after some headstrong teenager."

Sigma's eyes widened in surprise as he observed you and Atsushi sneaking out and cautiously entering a small grotto. Curiosity got the better of him, and he followed silently, his astonishment growing as he discovered a collection of strange human artifacts within the cave. The walls and rocks were adorned with treasures that humans had discarded or lost.

"What in the...?" Sigma muttered under his breath, his gaze scanning the assortment of human items. He couldn't help but be intrigued by the sight before him, a glimpse into the human world that fascinated you so deeply.

At the bottom of the grotto, he spotted you resting on a rock, playing with a newly acquired treasure on your hands. Atsushi cautiously approached you, concern etched on his face, while Sigma stood back, observing the scene before him.

"[Name], are you okay?" Atsushi asked softly, his voice filled with genuine worry.

You remained silent for a moment, your gaze fixated on the dinglehopper in your hand. The weight of your father's disapproval and the restrictions placed upon you weighed heavily.

"Maybe he's right," you whispered, your voice tinged with frustration. Your tail twitched anxiously as you contemplated your father's words "Maybe there is something the matter with me."

"If only I could make him understand," you continued, your voice filled with longing. "I just don't see things the way he does. How can a world that creates such wonderful things could be bad?"

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?" you asked with a slight smile, placing the dinglehopper into a candlelight, illuminating the grotto filled with more intriguing objects. Turning to face Atsushi, you continued, "Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?"

"Wouldn't you think I'm the girl... the girl who has everything?" you sang, your voice carrying a sense of longing. As you moved gracefully through the grotto, admiring your treasured possessions, the moon's glow accentuated the enchanting scene.

"Look at this trove, treasures untold," you sang softly, your gaze wandering over the abundance of human items. "How many wonders can one cavern hold? Looking around here, you'd think, 'Sure, she's got everything.'"

"I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty," you quipped, playing with the items using your tail, before swimming towards a section where you stored more objects. "I've got whozits and whatzits galore."

"You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty," you smirked, opening a box to reveal a peculiar curly spiked item. Atsushi seemed intrigued, but you closed the box with a sigh. "But who cares? No big deal. I want more," you murmured wistfully.

"I wanna be where the people are," you sang, your voice resonating with longing. Your gaze shifted towards a statue of two humans locked in a loving embrace. You delicately traced your finger along the statue, admiring the tender display. "I wanna see, wanna see them dancing."

"Walking around on those, what do you call 'em?" you asked, snapping out of your reverie. Atsushi playfully showed you his tail, shaking it, and you chuckled, realizing the word you had momentarily forgotten. "Oh, feet!" you exclaimed, grabbing his tail playfully.

"Flipping your fins, you don't get too far," you sang, gracefully swimming in circles around Atsushi, showcasing your mesmerizing tail. Its flowing fins shimmered with hues of teal and red. Atsushi followed suit, imitating your movements with his own tail. Then, you swam behind him, grabbing his arms and pulling him along. "Legs are required for jumping, dancing."

"Strolling along down a, what's that word again?" you asked, mimicking a human walking motion with Atsushi. Suddenly, the word popped into your mind, and you giggled in amusement. "Street"

"Up where they walk, up where they run," you sang, your voice filled with determination as you grabbed Atsushi's hand and swam towards a narrow opening in the cave. The moon's gentle glow illuminated your path, casting a silvery sheen on your shimmering scales. "Up where they stay all day in the Sun"

"Wandering free, wish I could be," you said, your voice carrying a bittersweet longing. Your eyes remained fixed on the opening, your heart yearning for the world that lay beyond. The thought of being a part of that world ignited a fire within you, driving you to seek out new experiences and forge your path.

"Part of your world" you added, your voice gaining strength as the words resonated with the depth of your desire.

"What would I give, if I could live out of these waters?" you pondered aloud, your voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and longing. As you swam towards the opening filled with sand and your cherished collection, your fins gracefully propelled you forward, each movement purposeful and determined.

"What would I pay, to spend a day warm on the sand," you mused, a soft smile gracing your lips. You gracefully ceased your swimming and settled onto the grotto's floor, feeling the gentle caress of the sand against your back and fins. With a delighted sigh, you began to playfully immerse yourself in the sandy embrace.

"Betcha on land, they understand, bet they don't reprimand their daughters," you murmured, a tinge of bitterness lacing your words. As you watched the sand slip through your fingertips, memories of the fight with your father resurfaced.

"Bright young women, sick of swimming," you said with a grin, playfully stuffing your chest and chuckling at the absurdity of being confined into your father's kingdom, yearning for something greater.

"Ready to stand," you sang, your voice growing stronger and more confident with each word.

"I'm ready to know what the people know, ask 'em my questions and get some answers" you declared, your eyes shining with curiosity as you swam towards a book that had caught your attention. With eager anticipation, you flipped through its pages, exploring the world of human knowledge and wisdom. Atsushi swam closer, peering over your shoulder, his curiosity piqued.

"What's a fire and why does it...what's the word? burn." you pondered aloud, your gaze fixated on the painting before you. It depicted a human holding an object with flames dancing atop it. Intrigued, you traced your fingers along the vibrant colors of orange and yellow, as if trying to feel the warmth emanating from the painted flames.

"When's it my turn? Wouldn't I love," you exclaimed with longing. You swam swiftly toward the opening of the grotto, your heart filled with an undeniable desire to experience the world beyond the water's surface. The moonlight bathed your figure, casting a radiant glow upon your shimmering tail

"Love to explore the shore up above." as you reached the small opening with only your arm outstretched, you hesitated for a moment. Gazing up sadly at the entrance, you slowly withdrew your arm, feeling a sense of longing and disappointment.

"Out of the sea," you sang softly, your voice filled with melancholy, "wish I could be..."

Swimming back toward the rocky ledge where you had been resting, Atsushi watched you with concern. He could sense the sadness that had enveloped you, and he approached gently, his gaze filled with empathy.

"Part of that world," you sang, your voice carrying a hint of hope, as you and Atsushi gazed upward.

You got startled as you suddenly heard a whole bunch of noise, causing you and Atsushi to turn and witness Sigma struggling with a net entangling his tail. Concern washed over you as you swam over to him, quickly helping him free himself from the entrapment.

"[Name], what is all this?" Sigma questioned, his eyes wide with shock as he shrugged the net off him.

"It's just... my collection," you replied nervously, offering a sheepish smile.

"I see. Your collection," Sigma said calmly, his tone tinged with a mixture of understanding and worry. "If your father knew about this place..."

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Atsushi asked, stepping forward and placing himself between you and Sigma.

"Please, my father would never understand," you spoke with vulnerability as you swam towards Sigma, taking his hands in yours, you looked into his eyes.

Sigma's features softened, and he let out a sigh before a gentle smile graced his face. With a sense of understanding, he gently grabbed your hands.

"My dear, come with me," he said in a gentle tone, guiding you outside. "you’ve had a long day, how about we go home and I get you something warm to drink?"

A shadow then loomed over them, making you stop and look up. The dimly lit figure of a majestic ship appeared on the surface, its sails billowing in the gentle breeze. A sense of wonder filled you as you witnessed the scene.

"What do you suppose..." you asked softly, the words escaping your lips in a hushed whisper. Without another thought, you released Sigma's hands and propelled yourself out of the cave, your tail propelling you toward the surface with excitement. Sigma called out to you, his voice filled with concern.

As you broke the surface of the water, your eyes widened in awe. Before you stretched an expanse of dark, glistening waves, illuminated by a magnificent display of fireworks. Beams of vibrant colors painted the night sky, intertwining and exploding into cascades of shimmering fragments. The ship, bathed in the soft glow of the fireworks and moonlight, appeared like a floating dream.

"Wow" you whispered, the sight was mesmerizing, captivating your attention completely. You hadn't witnessed anything so breathtaking before, and your grin grew wider with each passing moment. Floating beside you, Atsushi wore an expression of pure awe, while Sigma appeared concerned about your impulsive actions.

Determined to experience the spectacle up close, you swiftly made your way towards the ship, much to Sigma's dismay. "[Name]! [Name], please come back!" Sigma called out, trying to catch up with you.

Eventually, you found a ledge that provided a perfect vantage point. With a burst of excitement, you leaped onto it, gripping the edge tightly. Your tail swished back and forth beneath you as your eyes beheld the radiant lights above the ship, while your ears reveled in the joyous sounds of laughter and music.

Among the crowd of revelers, a group of humans caught your attention. What fascinated you the most was their graceful dance movements as they joyfully swayed on two feet. Amidst them, a peculiar creature with long, brindle and yellow fur, adorned with a dark facial mask, danced on all fours, emitting a unique but cheerful sound. Enthralled, you watched the creature's lively performance.

Suddenly, it paused, sensing something in the air. Slowly, it sniffed the surroundings, eventually tracing the scent to your location. Realizing you might be spotted, you hastily moved aside from the ledge, heart pounding with fear.

After waiting a few moments, you cautiously peered over the edge again, only to be met with a pair of amber-colored eyes and a snarl. Acting on impulse, you extended your finger and playfully pressed it against the creature's nose. To your delight, it reacted by shaking its head and blinking its eyes. Then, it opened its mouth and affectionately licked your cheek. Giggling, you reciprocated the gesture by gently stroking its head.

"Albatross!" a voice called from deeper within the ship's deck. "Here, boy!"

Upon hearing the call, the being you now knew as Albatross turned back to the deck and happily left you alone. Curiosity still piqued, you stole another glance inside, observing as the creature began racing around a man who was laughing wholeheartedly. The man extended his hands, welcoming the pet that leapt into his embrace.

"Aw, come on, mutt. What were you doing, huh, Albatross?" he inquired with a bright grin, causing you to freeze in your tracks as you tried to get sight of him.

And that's when you saw him—the man who captured your attention. He was relatively short with a petite yet muscular build, and his long ginger hair was partially tied with small braids on the sides. The most captivating aspect of his appearance, however, were his mismatched eyes—one brown and the other the color of the sea, a piercing blue. His outfit complemented his unique appearance, with tailored pants reaching his ankles and three blouses layered on top. But what stood out the most was his hazy overcoat, adorned with shades of red and dark tones. You noticed he wore black gloves as well. There was an undeniable allure to him, the kind of face that could stop you in your tracks.

"Good boy, good boy," the man said, his gaze filled with affection as Albatross attempted to shower him with slobbery licks. A strange sensation stirred within you, causing your breath to catch in your throat.

"Quite a show, eh?" Dazai's voice suddenly chimed in beside you. Startled, you swiftly shushed the merman, glancing at him with a hint of annoyance.

"Dazai, they'll hear you!" You scolded, and Dazai chuckled, doing a slightly better job of concealing himself. However, your attention remained fixed on the man dancing on deck, who now had a flute in his hands, playfully toying with it.

Dazai followed your gaze, sensing your unusual silence. He gasped, doing a double take from you to the human gracefully dancing on the deck. Then, with a mischievous smirk, he spoke, "Stunning, isn't it?"

"He is gorgeous," I whispered before realizing the slip-up of your tongue. Panic flooded your senses, and you turned to face dazai, who wore a smug smirk on his face.

"No, not him, he looks more like a sea slug to me." Dazai chuckled, his face playfully pushed away by your flustered reaction as you groaned in exasperation.

"Silence, silence!" Hirotsu's commanding voice echoed across the deck, instantly quelling the chatter among the humans.

"It is now my honor and privilege to present our esteemed prince, Chuuya, with a very special, very expensive, and very large birthday gift," Hirotsu announced, his finger proudly pointing at a colossal package adorned with a vibrant red bow that had been standing prominently on the deck.

As Chuuya's name reverberated in the air, you couldn't help but feel a fluttering sensation in your chest. The realization that he was a prince sank in, his regal aura undeniable. His beauty and presence truly befitted his royal status.

"Aw, Hirotsu! You crafty old man, you shouldn't have," Chuuya exclaimed, affectionately patting his loyal advisor on the back while a smug smile played on his lips.

"Nonsense! It's a most special occasion to celebrate! Happy birthday Nakahara!" Hirotsu countered with enthusiasm. A sailor stepped forward, removing the cloth that concealed the present, unveiling a magnificent statue. The sculpture depicted Chuuya in a heroic pose, a sword resting at his side, with one leg gracefully propped up, as he gazed up at the sky.

Chuuya winced slightly, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. He couldn't fathom why Hirotsu had chosen such a particular pose for the statue. However, he managed to muster a sheepish grin, acknowledging his friend's efforts. Meanwhile, Albatross growled disapprovingly at the statue, sensing his owner's discomfort.

"Gee, Hirotsu, it's... really something. You could've just gotten me a bottle of wine," Chuuya murmured through gritted teeth, examining the statue more closely.

"Of course, it is! I understand how much you appreciate art. I commissioned it myself," Hirotsu declared triumphantly.

"Although, I had hoped it would serve as a wedding gift," he added, shooting a pointed glance at Chuuya, his expression filled with meaning. Chuuya let out a laugh.

"Oh, come on, Hirotsu, don't start," Chuuya chuckled, grabbing a telescope and making his way towards the spot where you and Dazai had been hiding. Sensing his approach, both you and Dazai quickly ducked out of sight.

“Look, you’re not still sore because I didn’t fall for the prince of Glowerhaven, are you?” Chuuya said as he reached the edge of the boat, his feet dangling playfully, he turned back with his signature grin, who sighed in response.

"Oh, young prince, it's not just me. The entire kingdom wishes to see you happily settled down with the right girl," Hirotsu sighed, gazing at Chuuya intently.

"Or boy," Chuuya muttered almost inaudibly, shrugging nonchalantly. He then propped himself up on the edge, his gaze fixated on the vast expanse of the sea. "Well, she's out there somewhere. I just..."

Dazai, positioned on the other side of the ledge, locked eyes with you, but you remained lost in your own thoughts, hanging onto Chuuya's every word.

"I just haven't found her yet," Chuuya continued, his hand gesturing vaguely atop his knee.

"Perhaps you haven't been searching hard enough," Hirotsu suggested, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. Chuuya chuckled once more, his gaze drifting out into the sea.

"Oh, believe me, Hirotsu, when I find her, I'll know," Chuuya declared confidently. "Without a doubt, it'll just... bam! Hit me like lightning."

The moment Chuuya uttered those words, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a resounding thunderclap not far from where you stood. It caught the attention of both you and Dazai, causing your eyes to widen in surprise.

"Stand fast!" A sailor's voice boomed from the mast as the rain intensified, causing most of the lights on the boat to flicker and go out. "Secure the rigging!"

Chuuya sprung into action, his earlier playful demeanor replaced as he rushed to aid the frantic sailors. The storm had intensified, with lightning bolts illuminating the darkened sky and waves growing wilder and more treacherous. Chuuya grabbed hold of ropes, using every ounce of his strength to secure them.

You and Dazai clung tightly to the ledge, desperately trying to maintain your balance amidst the tempestuous weather.

Suddenly, the boat lurched violently as a giant wave crashed upon it, nearly engulfing the vessel entirely. The sailors atop the deck lost their footing, and chaos ensued. Despite the perilous circumstances, Chuuya managed to make his way to the helm, seizing the wheel that had been left spinning aimlessly, and steered the ship in an attempt to maintain its course.

The turbulent sea proved unrelenting, and the next lightning bolt struck dangerously close, intensifying the chaos. In the midst of the chaos, you and Dazai were thrown off the ledge, plunging into the raging waters.

Together, you watched in horror as another lightning bolt struck the ship, setting the sails and mast ablaze. The crew above, unable to regain control, lost their footing, and the vessel collided with a massive rock, creating a gaping hole that expelled most of its crew, including Chuuya, with a horrified scream. The statue of him sunk rapidly into the depths of the sea.

Hirotsu and some of the crew members struggled to stay afloat on the water's surface when they heard Chuuya's desperate cry for help. Hirotsu extended a helping hand, and with the aid of other sailors, he was lifted into one of the life-saving boats. Chuuya, grateful for his friend's safety, turned to see that Albatross was still trapped onboard the burning ship, unable to escape the flames.

"Albatross!" Chuuya yelled, his voice filled with anguish. Without a second thought, he dove back into the water, swimming furiously toward the ship. Despite the precarious conditions, he climbed the stairs onto the deck. However, one of the masts, weakened by fire, finally succumbed, crashing down toward Chuuya. He narrowly managed to avoid its impact, but the fire had spread, reaching the stored fireworks.

Amidst the fire, Chuuya located his beloved pet and called for Albatross to come into his arms. The loyal creature obeyed, but as Chuuya attempted to make his way back out of the boat, his foot plunged through a weakened plank, causing him to stumble. Albatross slipped from his grasp and fell into the water. It was at that moment that you, swimming discreetly, spotted the commotion. The sailors desperately called out for the dog, while Hirotsu reached out his arms, urging Albatross to swim towards him. Seizing the opportunity, you gently pushed the dog into Hirotsu's waiting embrace. Hirotsu helped Albatross into the boat alongside other sailors, his relief evident.

Meanwhile, Chuuya remained trapped, his foot ensnared by the wreckage of the deck. Desperately, he struggled to free himself, but the flames finally reached the gunpowder, causing a devastating explosion that consumed the ship, with Chuuya still trapped inside. Hirotsu screamed out Chuuya's name from the safety of the small boat.

With determination, you navigated through the debris, eyes scanning the surface of the water, searching for any sign of Chuuya's unconscious form. Finally, you spotted him, his body slipping off a piece of floating wood and sinking into the depths. Without hesitation, you submerged yourself, swimming swiftly to his side and pulling him into your embrace, with every ounce of strength, you propelled both of you back to the surface, gasping for breath as you cradled the unconscious prince in your arms.

the sun began to rise when you finally made your way to the shore, carefully carrying Chuuya in your arms, praying that he was still alive despite the events you had witnessed. With each push of your arms and tail against the sand, you ensured that Chuuya remained untouched by the encroaching waves, prepared to shield him from any potential danger.

Your gaze remained fixed on Chuuya, searching for any signs of life, your worry deepening with each passing moment. Tenderly, you removed the remnants of his shirt, exposing his chest, and leaned your head against it, listening intently for the reassuring beat of his heart. Relief washed over you when you felt his heart pulsating beneath your touch and observed the gentle rise and fall of his chest—Chuuya was alive, breathing. A laugh of relief escaped your lips as you attempted to calm yourself, the tension slowly dissipating.

Leaning back on your arms, you admired Chuuya's features, daring to compare his beauty to that of the enchanting sea. As you examined him more closely, you noticed the freckles scattered across his face and the slight scar tracing his lip. He was the epitome of beauty, captivating you with every glance.

Unbeknownst to you, Sigma had followed your movements silently, Though he kept his distance from the shore, he could see you clearly, holding the unconscious Chuuya in your arms.

"Oh no," Sigma murmured, his gaze fixed on you. Before he could utter another word, Dazai submerged his head, leaning on Sigma to get a better view of the situation.

"Get off me, you idiot!" Sigma exclaimed, annoyance evident in his voice. He pushed Dazai away, causing him to stumble slightly. Dazai looked up at Sigma, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement.

"Sigma! I didn't expect to find you here, looking so lovely," Dazai grinned, his attention then shifting to you and Chuuya. He let out a laugh and remarked, "And I certainly didn't expect to find the princess here."

"Listen to me, you maniac. The king mustn't find out about this. We'll pretend it never happened," Sigma sighed, his eyes fixed on Dazai, who seemed less than attentive. Growing frustrated, Sigma pinched Dazai's tail, causing him to yelp in surprise. Dazai glanced back at Sigma with a pout on his face.

"Are you paying attention now?" Sigma asked, his annoyance palpable.

"Yes," Dazai whined, rolling his eyes at Sigma's sternness.

"No telling the king, no telling anyone, and I remain in one piece. Do you understand?" Sigma emphasized, pointing directly at Dazai's face.

"Yeah, I got it," Dazai replied sarcastically. He then shifted his gaze back to you, wearing a playful grin. Before Sigma could protest, Dazai asked, "Hey, can you repeat what you just said? I wasn't really paying attention."

"I said the king is going to kill me." Sigma muttered, his face fell even further upon hearing a soft hum emanating from you, catching his attention.

"What is she doing?!" Sigma exclaimed, his voice filled with concern. But before he could call out to you, Dazai swiftly placed his hand over Sigma's mouth, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He watched with amusement as your astonished gaze fixated on Chuuya's face.

"What would I give to live where you are?" You softly murmured to Chuuya. your fingers gently tracing down his cheek and lingering over a cut you hadn't noticed before. Lost in the moment, you spoke once again, "What would I pay to stay here beside you?"

"What would I do to see you smiling at me?" you softly sang, a smile gracing your face as you admired Chuuya. He began to stir, his hand reaching out, searching for the hand that held his face. With a mixture of surprise and joy, you looked at his hand intertwining with yours, and a radiant smile spread across your face as you continued, "Where would we walk? Where would we run? If we could stay all day in the sun?"

"Just you and me, and I could be..." you whispered, your voice filled with love and devotion, your gaze locked with his. Chuuya slowly opened his eyes, his gaze meeting yours, though the sun cast a silhouette upon your features. A smile tugged at his lips as he heared your voice.

"Part of your world," you whispered softly to Chuuya, marveling at the radiant gleam in his mismatched eyes as they caught the sunlight. The enchanting moment lingered, but the arrival of Albatross and Hirotsu interrupted the tranquility. Your instinct kicked in, urging you to retreat back to the safety of the ocean. Swiftly, you slipped beneath the water's surface, your tail disappearing from sight before anyone could notice your presence.

Chuuya lifted his head, catching a glimpse of your tail vanishing into the water. Albatross reached him, showering him with affectionate licks on his face. Yet, Chuuya couldn't tear his gaze away from the sea, fixated on the spot where you had just vanished. Hirotsu approached him, a rare smile spreading across his face, relieved to see Chuuya safe and sound.

"Oh, Chuuya, you certainly have a knack for stirring the sadistic strain in my blood pressure, don't you?" Hirotsu remarked, extending a helping hand to support Chuuya. Chuuya, lost in his thoughts, held his head, feeling a throbbing pain surge through his temples.

"A... a girl saved me," Chuuya declared, his eyes widening as he continued to stare out at the sea, disregarding Hirotsu's words as he attempted to piece together the puzzle.

"She... she was talking to me," Chuuya proclaimed, stepping away from Hirotsu's grasp and moving closer to the water's edge. His heart raced, unsure if it was due to the lack of oxygen he had endured during the shipwreck or the emotions he was feeling.

"She had the most beautiful voice..." Chuuya swooned, his knees growing weak from the traumatic events he had just experienced.

"Sire, I believe you've had your fill of seawater. Let's head back," Hirotsu suggested, his voice laced with amusement. He gently cradled Chuuya in his arms, providing support by wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Come on, Albatross," Hirotsu called, beckoning the faithful companion to follow. Together, they made their way back to the castle, Hirotsu remaining silent, allowing Chuuya to process the events of the day. However, Chuuya couldn't shake the voice of his savior from his mind.

Meanwhile, you, hidden behind a rock, continued to watch Chuuya from a distance. Your heart fluttered with excitement and anticipation, knowing that your paths might cross again someday. You felt an overwhelming connection to him, and the hope of meeting him once more filled you with joy.

"I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now," you sang, a radiant smile lighting up your face as butterflies fluttered in your belly. You slowly crawled across the stone, never taking your eyes off Chuuya's retreating figure.

"Watch and you'll see... Someday I'll be," you continued singing, a grin spreading across your face as you raised yourself higher on the rock. Your eyes remained fixated on Chuuya, your tail flickering with excitement beneath the water's surface.

"Part of your world," you concluded, a wistful tone in your voice, leaning on your arms and then getting back up. Suddenly, a wave crashed against the rock behind you, sending droplets of water in all directions. Laughing, you sat down again, running your hands through your hair, a lovesick expression on your face as you watched the prince vanish from sight.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, Mushitarou and Shibusawa observed the entire scene closely, relaying the events to their leader through their eyes.

𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻...

@yuugen-benni

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 © 2023 𝗩𝘀𝗸𝗸𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗮𝗮. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

[thirdlotusprince3]

Inside Out characters talk about their favorite genres.

Anger: Action movies

Joy: I like action movies! Action comedies like Free Guy or Superhero movies like Superman!

Anger: No like John Wick

Joy: That’s very bloody.

Disgust: Yea, I agree with Joy. My favorite are romantic comedies with occasional cringe comedy. I like Mean Girls.

Joy: I like romantic comedies.

Envy: Oh my gosh! I love Mean Girls! What about Gossip Girl?!

Disgust: Oh my gosh yes!

Anxiety: My favorite are mysteries, thrillers, dystopias.

Fear: Mine is similar, psychological thrillers, mysteries, dystopias, conspiracy thrillers.

Anxiety: Conspiracy thrillers are good.

Anxiety: I like the ones where the main character is running from the secret police.

Anger: Because they burned the villain’s house down?

Anxiety: No, because they were wrongly accused.

Anger: They should be beating them up.

Joy: Any other genres Anxiety?

Anxiety: Science fiction with aliens and A.I.

Joy: And humans become friends with A.I and aliens.

Anxiety: No, the A.I and aliens want to kill all of humanity.

Joy: I’m sure aliens and A.I could be our friends. They’re pretty cool.

Anxiety: No, they will destroy all of humanity.

Anger: Well, we’ll all be dead before aliens or A.I takes over!

Joy: Anger. No.

Anger: I like science fiction! Especially cyberpunk! And I also like apocalyptic movies

Anxiety: Where is everyone just trying to survive a nuclear disaster?

Anger: Like Mad Max Fury!

Joy: Nuclear disaster? That’s nonsense. What about you sadness?

Sadness: Dramas like Titanic, Boy in the Blue Pajamas, Romeo and Juliet, where everyone dies.

Disgust: I like Titanic. Young Leonardo Dicaprio was cute.

Envy: I like school dramas.

Ennui: I don’t know.

Embarrassment: Heartfelt dramas, like The Good Will Hunting.

Joy: Now that’s my type of movie!

Anxiety: Anyone like dystopias?

Sadness: Everyone dies.

Envy: Hunger Games!

Anxiety: Yes.

Disgust: Peeta or Gale!

Envy: Everlark!

Joy: I only like the Starving Games.

Envy: Where they turned the iconic Hunger Games movie into that?

Joy: I like something playful y’know. A movie must have jokes.

Anger: If they blow up the tyrants. Anyone like crime and gangster movies?

Anxiety: If it’s a psychological thriller.

Anger: If it’s a psycha-what?

Anxiety: Like The Talented Mr. Ripley. Fight Club was also interesting.

Anger: Yea! Fight Club!

Joy: I like crime comedies. Ocean’s Eleven is fun and the Hustle.

Sadness: Catch Me if You Can is not bad either.

Joy: Anyone like comedies?

Anger: I like satire. The Interview.

Joy: Anyone like fantasy?

Anxiety and Fear: We like dark fantasy and supernatural!

Anxiety: Jujutsu Kaisen!

Joy: I like Gojo and Itadori.

Joy: I meant light fantasy like fairies, mermaids, unicorns, Pegasus.

Anger: Dragons!

Joy: Yea!

Joy: What about musicals?

Sadness: like melodramatic sad songs like, “Memory!”

Envy: I like musicals like the protagonist sings their desires, “Your so lucky,” or something.

[zoloftsexdeath]

Thinking about the origin songs of all the surviving covey members. I can’t speak to color theory, and I haven’t read the books, but I do know some folk songs and recognized some names. Now I don’t stick to Childes ballads strictly when listening to these songs, but I will be listing the number for reference on all the names that have a childe’s ballad corresponding, just for ease of research.

Lucy Grey Baird

Lucy Grey is her own creature and her song is plain in the books. I think the difference between the book ballad of Lucy Gray and the one in the movie (the song she herself wrote about Billy Taupe) is fascinating, as the first one is more of a story-song traditional like, and the Ballad per the movie is so. Im shoving it in my mouth and eating it. Smarter people with more context than me can write better about it though so I’ll leave it at this. I personally think Rachael Ziegler killed it though, and her voice is high and clear, would love to hear her live so I could lay in the grass and kick my feet as I listen.

Barbara Azure Baird

Barb Azure canonically came from Barbara Allen/Barb’ry Allen [CB # ]traditionally a round sung about a woman whose lover dies of wanting her, and she dies of sorrow, and their graves lie entertwined with plants of rose and briar on each respective grave to form a true lover’s knot. My favorite version comes from Joan Baez. This is the only of the covey songs I’ve ever heard before doing this research, and I love it dearly.

Tam Amber [last name unknown]

Tam Amber from Tam Lin! Also known as Tamlaine, Tamlin, or Tam Lyne [Child Ballad #39]. An epic Scottish ballad, and a lovely round. As the story went he was a mortal kidnapped by faeries and has become their unwilling servant, protecting a forest in which he finds a beautiful young woman (usually named Janet or Margaret) whom he confronts for plucking roses. They doink about it, she gets pregnant, her father asks who got her with child, and she rushes back to Tam Lin and begs him to either get rid of the child he begot or marry hee, which in his current state he cannot do. He then devises a plan for Janet/Margaret to performs several tasks that will allow him to return to the land of the mortals, angering the faery queen but assuaging her enough that she makes good on her promise and reluctantly frees Tam Lin to marry his now beloved Janet and legitimize their child. Perhaps not the most traditional version, the one by Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer makes me think yes, I can see Tam Amber’s parents falling in love to this song, singing it to him and the other covey children to put them to sleep.

Clerk Carmine Clade

From the ballad Clerk Colven [Child Ballad #42] about a real piece of work who tries to run off on his wife and sleep with a mermaid. The mermaid knows this though, and curses him to suffer a horrific headache until I think his head actually explodes. I don’t think it necessarily has any bearing on Clerk Carmine’s actual personality, but the combination of this song with the color carmine (a brilliant red extracted from the cochinil bug) leads me to believe he was either conceived, born, or his parents married while traveling in district 5. I can see this one being a favorite in district, where they know the danger of baiting the sea and possibly the danger of being a jackass to your wife as well. The location of D5 down in the southwest also leads me to believe it was one of the few places the Covey could have encountered the color as well, as often red 40 or other synthetics are used in mass production of vibrant reds and the use of cochinil based carmine would likely be a very “district” thing, used by native residents for painting or decoration of small items. It’s a strong name, and dangerous when it comes to taking a stand against what the capital represents. I’m surprised he was able to keep it. I reccomend this cover, dunno the singer really but the accent is heavy and his voice is true. I would listen with lyrics alongside though.

Maude Ivory Baird

The book tells us that Maude comes from the poem “Maude Clare” by Christina Rosetti, and Ivory from piano keys. I also like to think that she was partially named after Maud Karpeles, a British folk song collector who helped write down a lot of folk music.

Billy Taupe Clade

Likely from Billy Boy, ironic and fitting for its being about a man after a wife who can feed and care for him despite her being “too young to leave her mother” something Lucy Gray says about him wanting in the books (and seemingly not wanting much more). I don’t care much for this song (sorry), but this is an alright cover.

[iheartgirlzn]

ANGIE IN THE RIORDANVERSE HEADCANNONS

🐡 notes: get to know me as a child of poseidon at camp half-blood! inspired by @sunnitheapollokid , @child-of-apollo & @pinkdiorluvr (ik i wasn’t tagged BUT THIS IDEA IS SOOO COOL!)

depending on when i arrive at camp, i don’t know when i’d be claimed. like if it’s before percy shows up maybe a month? but if it’s after him a week at most.

but i do know i’d be claimed before i become a teen, like 11 or 12 at oldest !!

i also don’t think i’d be a year rounder, but i’d 100% go during the holidays if i’m not busy

ANYWAYSS it’d probably happened when i was alone - maybe swimming or sunbathing and BOOM! there’s a trident above my head

i’m not sure if it would’ve been a surprise to some people, but i think some campers would be like ‘yeah makes sense.’

i the other options were ‘they’re a hermes kid’ or ‘that’s probably hypnos’ child.’ (ignore the fact those two gods couldn’t be more different)

until percy shows up it’d be just me.. so obvi i’m the head counsellor 🫡 the cabin would be SO clean with me running the place.

campfire sing alongs are defo my favourite part of the day (if i didn’t have anxiety i’d be a theatre kid just saying </3)

and i don’t play any instruments anymore, but if i could i’d totally play the guitar around the fire 🤸

either way i WILL sing any musical that comes to mind with no shame whatsoever (mamma mia.. hamilton.. epic.. encanto..)

i like to think that i’d be close with percy and tyson!

me and perce wld clash sometimes but we’re related so ig we’d HAVE to get along /j (coming from someone with 2 younger siblings 😣😣)

↑ SPEAKING OF MY OTHER FAMILY i’m also close with all my other cousins and nieces?? nephews??

i’m closest with the og trio (grover, annabeth, and percy), children of apollo, aphrodite and hephaestus!!

(↑ me and leo would be bffs.)

and maybe the hypnos cabin cuz i love sleeping and i will be visiting them often 👀

BUT I LOVE ALL THE DEMIGODS ANYWAYS AND WLD PROTECT THE YOUNGER ONES W MY LIFE!! i love kids (don’t take that weirdly.)

but also speaking of sleeping i cannot fall asleep without a bit of light. like EVEN NOW I CANNOT THE PITCH DARK SCARES ME SO BADD

my relationship with my mum would be fine, she’d just miss me a lot and be overprotective !

my powers are breathing underwater and controlling it and whatever else percy has.. and maybe a tail — JUST LET ME LIVE MY MERMAID DREAM

my weapon of choice would be two celestial bronze daggers or like a giant golden trident /hj

i’d defo train with piper or annabeth bc of this

i couldn’t care less if that meant getting beaten up by two gorgeous women — #bipanic 🤭

my favourite chb activities would be the sword fighting lessons/archery/or capture the flag!! (i love archery irl too sooo)

i LOVE HUGS!! so i’m always hanging off of someone if they don’t mind :P

I ALSO LOVE SWIMMING!!!! lowkey duh tho cuz my dad’s the god of the sea.. BUT I LOVE SWIMMING

wears glasses. i hate wearing glasses but i hate contact lenses even more.

closest friends with rachel dare, annabeth chase, leo valdez (ik i said this but we a chaotic duo frfr), the stolls, piper mclean, etc!

speaking of me and leo being a chaotic duo WE WOULD TOTALLY HANG OUT LOADSS

and if i’m not with him then i’m by the lake or in the strawberry field eating them all 🗣️

obsessed with the art ‘n crafts cabin — will be in there painting or doodling away OR with rachel in her cave and drawing while she does oracle stuff

anyways i like to think of myself as a cool older sibling to the younger campers bc i’d let them do whatever they want (within reason) but also wld protect them w my life !!

#oldersistercore

[not-goldy]

He broke up with Jennie cause he realized Jimin is the one he wants to be more then Friends with. DUH!

Lets see.

(1) Siren

(2) Red String

(3) Friendship that becomes Eternal

(4) Apple/Forbidden Fruit

So basically.

(1) Jimin? Everyone calls Jimin a siren, Tae even said Jimin reminded him of a mermaid & Tae himself has said many times Jimin is desirable and alluring and also Desire is written with a red string.

(2) Vmin wore matching red string bracelets.

(3) Vmin Soulmates/Them singing in Friends Part 1 about it being for eternity.

(4) Tae saying Jimin's eyes were Temptation (Forbidden fruit) during Blood Sweat and Tears video or when Tae was asked what he'd do in his non idol life and he said he'd be an apple seller and told Jimin to come and do it with him. Take your pick.

Anyways its all jokes & wild funny theories so don't take any of it too seriously. Seems Vmin shippers are winning over Taennie shippers right now. Come on Taennie's step it up. I also love how bored everyone is and spouting out off the wall shit. And how one group of shippers can't connect shit to their ship no matter how hard they try. Whomp Whomp sorry Tkk, better luck next time. You have to sit this one out AGAIN like every other time. I know they seething cause they never been able to connect a Tae song to JK. lol

Anyways, As a Jikooker I'm good, cause Jikook together right now. I'm just enjoying the conspiracy party.

Here's where I splash water on his and your face to get a grip

JIMIN IS MARRRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEDDDDDTTTTTT

Baby boy move on.

Don't support Jennie for you but at least that's moving on. Power to you😩

Yall shouldn't stress me and Jungkook out like this🥲

If he were here he'd explain to yall how Vmin are friends Frensh ppl frensh 🤧

Ooooooohhh thank God I thought you were serious there for a sec🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Interesting analysis A for effort I like it

Vminers it's our time to shine 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

Go crazy with the theories 🤭

Personally want him to put out a song to tie everything in neatly regarding his friendship with Jimin with all the enmeshment and roller-coaster emotions involved. Would be nice to bring it all to a climax no? Just a nice letting go kinda song.

Who knows, perhaps it started out as friendship then he'd entertained the possibility of it being more, then he'd moved on as he matured and came to love and understand himself better. Now he's healed found love somewhere else and would always have a special place in his heart reserved for his best friend.

That's a song I'll definitely cry to🤭

But honey it's 2024 we not doing that same old unrequited love story no more free me Tae😭😭😭😭

Also I'm here for the chaos🤣

Jimin explaining to death how Tae is crazy and Jungkook cussing him out all the way from camp🤣

Aaah I miss this drama

I feel alive again

Thanks Anon🤭

NB: like Anon said no one shud take any of this seriously. We are just delulus doing our delulu things

Off to read some vmin fics🙂

[meteor752]

Episode 6 and 7 thoughts

This will now be a regular thing

Also im writing this as I go

Episode 6

So Izzy thought Ed was Roach. Huh. Does he and Roach talk regularly? <- Coming from a Rizzy shipper

“Do weeeee?” Fang I love you

Oh my god, Frenchie and Jim coming to Ed and Stede like they’re kids asking if their cousins can sleep over

The crew going shoppiiiiiiiiing!!!

Frenchie’s lil dancey dance added many years to my life

Ed being nice and giving kids mon- oh never mind, oh that’s a knife okay. Ed never have kids please

“Don’t pirate kids” well listen okay I don’t have HBO Max it’s the only way I can watch this show

MY QUEEN

Wee John you’re so beautiful and amazing and we don’t deserve you

Jim’s lil mustache, like yeah me too <- Non-Binary person

Stede looks so happy about seeing Wee John!! He’s so proud of his son!

Izzy is gorgeous. I’m actually so happy to see him explore more sides of himself, and to find things he can indulge in. This whole season has really just been Izzy’s big therapy arc

His hair makes him look a bit like Cinderella’s evil stepmother though

Oh he can sing too! Izzy!!! <- A person who did not like Izzy in season one

Wee John X Izzy? Roach X Fang?

YO THE

POLYCULE DANCING?!

Ed protecting Stede….just, immediately putting him behind himself…I just…

I rewatched that clip five times

“Because I only hang out with cool pirates” Stede’s face!!! He’s just like Oh Snapppp

Despite it all, Stede and Ed are still the cutest couple that has ever graced the TV screen. Like hell yeah, make fun of people together!

Ed keeps being protective…..okay I need a moment…

Roach you’re a lunatic and I love you

“Whatever this is it’s just gonna turn me on” Izzy you’re a shining star

Also I just now noticed that Black Pete and Lucius aren’t there. I’m guessing they eloped somewhere and are currently taking care of their adopted cat

Nope okay, literally the second I unpaused there they are. That’s the worst timing

Hell yeah my dudes, I hope you broke whatever bed you used

“I’m just doing it for the lolz” Yeah that’s sounds like something someone from the 1700s would say

I know this is a pirate ship but why do they just have so many knives and swords laying about

Who is this fanged torture queen, and how do I acquire her number?

Stede remains best employer, while Aziraphale is the best landlord. Can these two people just run the world please and thank you

Hell Cat Maggie is my soulmate

I feel like there needs to be a pirate workers union

The crew of the revenge is the best found family of all time

Stede Bonnet can rival Steven Universe in reforming villains, like he’s just such a genuinely nice dude

“Alright gang! Let’s talk profit sharing”

Oh protective Stede, alright let’s go mate defend your mans

Okay but why is Stede kinda 👀 in this scene

Oh Stede, love…

OH THEY FAWHKING

That French? Izzy speaks french?

I want to see that man get dicked down

I guess the revenge now has a pet goat

Episode 7

Okay Ed is a soft boy again, aight

NO NOT THE LEATHER JACKET

The anime toast in mouth thing. He’s officially been baby girl for a long while, but we’re really solidifying it

OH THEY FUCKED

Isn’t there an anime where a mob boss becomes a house wife? Yeah that’s Ed

Oh we’re telling him about the mermaid fantasy, okay

Izzy what the fuck, you’re amazing

“He’s jealous” my darling

The polycule is going strong, and I love the absolute lack of jealousy. This is the best representation I have ever had

Oh they’re going on a date! That’s so sweet actually

It’s really sweet that they’re talking about their time apart

Stede’s famous now? Good for him!

I need to stop falling in love with every pirate lady In this show. That being said, I hope we see more of the fangirl lady

I’m reinforcing my claim that Stede and Ed are cuter than anything that has ever been on screen

OH MY GOD SWEDE

The Söt Och Saftig, my love. Also this far in and this is the first time the character “The Swede” actually says something in Swedish

Scammer Frenchie is back in business, love that

Jim and Archie trying to get their boyfriend set up is very sweet actually

The character development of Izzy going from wanting Ed to remain “Blackbeard” to him saying if being a softie makes him happy then he should do that, like I get it now, I know why you all love this man

OH MY FUCKING GOD STEDE

Can’t believe Stede is an official Slut now

Open communication? Like genuine conversation about their relationship, and the pace they’re taking it? Ed being honest that he’s not ready for the steps they’re taking in their relationship?

What is this argument

I live for Lucius and Black Pete’s nicknames for each other

“I’ve only known you for a few hours Bonnet, but I’d fucking die for ya” Same random dude. Same

Izzy🥹

Zheng and Olu are really cute actually

Oh my god the polycule will end my fucking life

DONT BRING ED INTO THIS ZHENG

“That was really mean” YOU TELL HER STEAK KNIFE

Protective Jim my beloved

Oh my god

Roach and Fang friendship?

Roach is the queen of self care

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 2B, MATCH 4 OUT OF 4!

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Sorbet Shark Cookie:

They're a shark merperson who wanted to walk on land and join the pirates so much they made a deal with a dark mermaid to get legs and not scare them anymore. But despite being a pirate they still help others even if it would put them in danger. Also they're very cute, can only speak in bubbles when on land and can freely transform between seaform and landform.

A shark cookie who wishes to live on land with the rest of cookiekind. He gains the ability to do so, but can only speak in bubbling noises. He naturally decides to become a pirate. He can also turn back into a shark man by jumping into the water. As for if this counts…he literally sings “Part of your World” as part of his story. When CRK had a Disney crossover with certain characters interacting, guess which cookie Ariel interacted with?

Nene:

She and her troupe did their own interpretation of the Little Mermaid as a play. I would say props to them for referencing the original story where she turns into foam (although they did change it to be more happy) rather than the Disney version. Also, the entire image of the Little Mermaid is basically infused with her. Ever since she saw a play of the story, she wanted to pursue acting so the story itself is important to her. Not her directly being the Little Mermaid, but its basically became her signature style (aka just anything to do with the sea)

When she was little she saw a Little Mermaid play and it inspired her to become an actress. One of her plays is a rendition of The Little Mermaid where she is the protagonist. Though not actually a mermaid, she's depicted as one in the trained card "Celebrate With Fireworks" and The Little Mermaid is a reccuring motif for her. Little actress who loves The Little Mermaid <3

[enter-the-performapals]

@arcvmonth Day 18 D/D/D- Different Dimension Day!

Even though its a little late (because I wanted to color these lol) I wanted to talk about my Mermaid AU- concepted while I drew my big piece for Mermay this year! I was originally going to turn it into a series basing them on the En cards, but I didnt have time (maybe next year?)

This is a high fantasy AU, of course, and each of the stories happen around the same time-which Ill get into later. All of the Bracelet Girls, Dragon Boys and Zarc + Ray are in their 20's here, with romantic interactions between the expected couples (Fruit, Apple, FallenAngel, Predator, Genesis). All of the stories are unrelated but take place around the same time, with the the exception of the Genesis which takes several decades before.

Just slapping the word 'Mermaid' on a character and not basing them on a sea creature has never been an option for my autism brain, so I based the girls off of sea creatures I thought suited them!

Yuzu is based on a Betta fish- the only freshwater mermaid out of the five- mainly because I think theyre gorgeous with their lovely flowing tails, but also because theyre highly territorial, which I will get into later.

Rin-Rin is based off of one of my favorite sea creatures, the Lionfish. Bright and beautiful, but venomous and a ruthless predator. She's also Siren.

Ruri is based on a Parrotfish. Beautiful, iridescent scales and placid nature who live in coral reefs. Also, bird pun becuase I couldnt resist.

Serena is a Human-Mer hybrid whose based off an Angler fish. Scary creatures who use beautiful light not to illuminate their surroundings, but to draw in prey. She requires more oxygen than a normal mermaid, so like a mudfish, she can chill out near the surface of the sea and take in oxygen when she needs to.

Ray is based off of a Sea Angel, which is apparently a sea slug. It's pretty and I dont know much about it, which is the exact same thing I can say about my girl Ray.

Under the cut ill get into my thoughts for each of the AUs! Including a minific which kind of adds a little context to my piece from Mermay!

Ill go over all my ideas for the different storylines - marked by their ship- and at the end is minific! Sorry for any punctuation/spelling mistakes!

Genesisshipping:

Zarc is an apprentice boatsman on his first voyage on a big ship. After smashing into rocky bluffs, the boat he's on capsizes and falls into the ocean. Almost drowning, he is rescued at the brink of death by Ray, who takes him to an uninhabited island to bring him back to life. Over a year or so, the two fall in love and while Zarc does want to escape the island he beleives its futile and doesnt even try. Eventually a ship does come to rescue him, and he promises Ray that he'll make it back to the island one day to be with her.

After hes back on land, people ask him what happened, howd he survive, ect; he eventually lets slip that a mermaid saved him. This makes it around, and eventually wealthy prospectors hear. Entranced by money and power wished to him, he leads hunters to the island to capture Ray.

Thinking that hes back to start a life with her, Ray's shocked when other people come from the boat and try to capture her. Realising Zarc had sold her out, she escapes to the sea, never to be seen again. Realising the error of his ways, Zarc decides to stay on the island after the disgruntled hunters leave in an attempt to attone for his greed and to hopefully see Ray one more time.

Appleshipping:

Hugo had always heard tales about sirens in books and wanted to if they were real or not. After attempt of humours faliures to become part of an actual reputable ship crew, he falls in with some pirates who decide to take him out to the seas. On his maiden voyage, he is so nervous that he cant fall asleep on his first night. Thats when he hears it. A siren's song in the distance.

The rest of the crew asleep, he steals a rowboat to find the source of the singing. He finds it- the most beautiful girl hed ever seen, singing the most beautiful song hed ever heard. He falls head over heels for her at first sight.

While Rin just wanted a meal, she now has to put up with idiot pirate trying to woo her. She is severly displeased about it, and makes it known. Then she realises- this dude is a grade A idiot with the luck of god on his side and now has to live with a human taking up her favorite rock. Ridiculousness insues

FallenAngelShipping:

Ute grew up in a port town that had a great relationship with the fellow merfolk. He and Ruri grew up together, and eventually became a couple. One day, the village was raided by hunters, who both killed and captured the humans and merfolk, burning the town to the ground.

While hed somehow escaped from the raiders, he knows he has to break in to the enemy camp as they transport prisoners and set everyone free.

After weeks of planning and watching them from afar, he finds the perfect moment and storms the encampment, setting everyone free, including his best friend Shun and his lovely Ruri.

While they are displaced, remaining survivors help rebuild the city, and they try to rebuild their lives. Now with round the clock border security :)

Predatorshipping:

Joeri is a wealthy buisness man who found success selling various snake oils in his teens. Feeling bored of scamming people out of their cash, he goes to a beah town in an effort to refresh, regroup his thoughts, and figure out his next buisness move.

While walking a beach in the dead of night, he notices a glow coming from a little cave in the distance. Sneaking a peek, he notices Serena stting, resting, and his mind races. Mermaids are uncommon, but not unheard of but most people havent seen one, so what if he could show her off?

Practically smelling the money from the buisness opportunity, he approaches her. She startles, and draws a weapon on him. That night he tries to talk her down and using all of his sales knowledge and charisma, tries to get her to warm up to him.

While it ends up in faliure, the next night she is in the cave again. And he makes up his mind to convince her to join him, whether that be by convincing her with his words, or bribing her with anything he can get his hands on. He has a goal and wont stop until it's realised.

Fruitshipping:

Feeling wanderlust in his early teens, Yuya decides to dedicate his life to becoming an adventurer to see all the beautiful sights hes read about in his beloved father's old travel diaries. After about a decade of seeing what the continent has to offer, he takes a wrong turn (not the first time) and accidentally stumbles into a serene clearing blanketed in cherry tree blossoms nestled in between foothills. In awe, he explores the adorable little field, picking wild dasies as he goes, and spots a lake fed by mountains. As he investigates, he is jumpscared by a mermaid who warns him to leave immediately or face the consequences.

After a breif moment of shock, he starts to laugh. Yuzu is flabbergasted, as most humans would have fled at that point. He tells her that meeting a mermaid was always on his bucket list and that hes pleased to make her acquaintance, which leaves her even more shocked.

While she is standoffish at first, Yuya sets up camp near the water's edge to really drink in the scenery, subbornly telling an annoyed Yuzu that it was the best vantage point in the clearing.

While he'd oly planned to stay for a couple of days, as he talked to Yuzu- her sharing enchanting stories about the depths of the lake and the merfolk who lived there and in turn, her avidly listening to Yuya's travel stories- he decided to stay through the end of spring... and then summer... until eventually autumn's chill prompts him to eventually- begrudgingly- forces him to start packing up his temporary home.

Over the months the two talked and talked and became best friends. Through the wilting daisy chains they made, to the silly splash fights they shared on hot days, to almost sombre monitoring of deciduous leaves starting to fall as the lake theyd made memories in starts to slowly develop its winter shell, baring the aquatic from the terrestrial.

As they say their goodbyes, Yuya noticing Yuzu shivering slightly as she sits above the water, he promises her to come back in the spring with even more travel stories, handing her one of his earrings in a jesture of his vow. And she is overjoyed.

As they part ways, he catches her tightly gripping the blue crystal of his earring before she slips below the water, and he wishes that winter would just leave and never come back.

Over the winter, Yuya can't stop thinking of his time in the clearing. The curiosity that Yuzu would have for the camp meals he'd cook. The sparkle in her eye as he'd describe one of his adventures. Her concern over even the most miniscule of old wounds hed accrued over the years. Her witty remarks that never failed to get a laugh out of him. That no matter where he went, he'd always wonder what Yuzu would think if she'd been there with him.

As the weather started to turn from hail and snow to bright skies and sunshowers, he practically made a mad dash to the little clearing tucked away on the forgotten road near the foothills, hoping that the ice had melted in the area- if not for the whole pond, at least around the crude dock he'd put together to sit with Yuzu on, so close to where he'd set up camp.

As he approaced the sea of sakura, the blooming daisies, the grass rejuvenated after it winter hibernation, he noticed a figure waiting where she always was early in the mornings before he awoke, brushing her beautiful magenta tinged hair, facing toward the mountains in the distance.

He grinned and picked the prettiest of the wild daisies he could see on the bushes around him.

He was back home and couldn't be happier.