#i love my designs for them sad they'll only last a week more

[dawnatlas]

i hope they take sooo many pictures together and jean keeps all of them pinned up on his wall

[lexirosewrites]

This is for Slick Sunday!!!

So. I was watching this voice over of some random Tumblr post about how Vampires are to carpenters what furries are for artists(allegedly), bc they can make the ideal coffin for each individual and things like that, and like??? I got inspired. So this is what I have:

Totally established ABO situation, where Steve is an unusual Omega, simply for the fact that after his family disowned him he became a carpenter and if being a jock had given him some muscles, being a carpenter made him ripped.

But no one wants an Omega like that, no matter how sweet he is whether in scent or personality, it also doesn't help that Steve has a shit taste in Alphas.

Anyways, enter Eddie, a Vampire (whether he has a designation and/or what it is up in the air (although I prefer him as an Alpha)) who's looking for a new coffin for his Uncle Wayne, an incredibly old vampire (probably a beta) who met him when he was young and adopted Eddie before turning him at the age of 25 (Eddie was dying, and there wasn't a cure for him yet, but that was Wayne's kid, he couldn't let him die so young), because his Uncle's coffin is like, old, Eddie asked and the thing is a certified antique, it's at least a 100 years old and almost falling apart no matter how much care Wayne puts into it.

So Eddie finds out about this carpenter, the guy has never worked for vampires before, but Robin (a local witch and another Omega) recommended him so strongly Eddie agreed to check him out.

Eddie gets immediately infatuated with Steve, the guy is handsome, with a sweet personality, and a body Eddie just wants to sink his teeth into...

So they get talking about the request, and it ends up being a long collaboration, since Eddie didn't actually go prepared for the appointment, so he keeps visiting Steve to make adjustments to the coffin's design and stuff like that.

And if he also uses that time to get to know Steve better and maybe flirt a little? It's nobody's business.

(and maybe Steve also answers sometimes, with

So anyways, Steve finishes the task and is sad he won't see Eddie again, won't get to bask into his amazingly comforting scent again, thinking that the guy probably will leave him behind like so many other commissioners before him who came by, sweet talked him, that even got him into bed one time, and then left once their product was finished, only to never return.

So When Eddie comes to pick up the finished coffin he finds an incredibly sad Omega , and of course he immediately asks what's wrong, does Steve feel bad, should he call Robin? But Steve is so overwhelmed by this simple show of care that he confesses on the spot.

And Eddie is obviously overjoyed by this, corresponding to Steve in that exact moment, zero doubts in his mind that he'll be with Steve for as long as Steve wants him.

Plus: Steve finds out a week into dating that Eddie is a vampire and is very offended that his boyfriend (soon to be mate) tried to hide something so important from him, meanwhile Eddie is like "Babe. Baby. Sweetheart. I literally asked for a bed coffin, I told you my uncle was more than a hundred years old, I once got into your workshop fully bloodstained, fangs out, because I was running late and my last feeding was rough"

"I thought that was paint from those minis you told me you were working on!"

And then they recreate the twilight meme for the funsies.

(and maybe a long time from now they'll be mates, and Steve will turn into a vampire after being Eddie's part-time bloodbag for years, and they'll have a coven full of kids, some theirs, some adopted, but all of them wholly loved and cherished)

And that's all I have in me rn, I really hope you enjoy Lexi, happy day!

(also, fun fact, halfway through writing this I got so distracted by the romance that I forgot about the ABO part of things, and then I tried to revise it, but I'm not sure I did a good job, this could probably be way more abo than it is, lmaoo)

hehe monsterfucker steve is very dear to me, especially when he’s an omega and willing to submit to an alpha as their prey in more way than one💕

[fresh-buttered-bread]

15 questions untagged

Were you named after anyone?: Simon from popular work The Bible. I liked the story of him being a fisherman, he had worked all day and not caught anything, then Christ asked him to put down his net one more time and though he complained, he did it, and then caught a whole net load of fish. It reminds me that no matter how bleak things seem or how much hard work and how long it can take to reach abundance, keep trying, keep believing. My birth name was not after anyone and was one of the most popular names in my generation

When was the last time you cried?: damn like every day over something heartwarming or something. but I had a biiig cry when my trans tape didn't work and hurt

Do you have kids?: no, I may adopt someday if I get married which I might like to, or raise their children if they have any. But I would prefer a partner who did not want to get pregnant, I just have strong feelings about adoption. However raising kids is probably not right for me so I'd like to work as a volunteer 'big brother' or babysit for members of a church a lot or something like that

Do you use sarcasm a lot?: Sure, not constantly but maybe a little more than average or that I'm comfortable with

What’s the first thing you notice about people?: If their fit is good

What’s your eye color?: hazel. mid-forest green with a strong gold ring around the center

Scary movies or happy endings?: Most scary movies have pretty happy endings, all things considered. I do like scary movies and used to be a HUGE fan of them, but I like heartwarming stuff too. But I do think I prefer a movie that leaves me feeling disturbed, concerned, sad, etc

Any special talents?: Digital and traditional painting and illustration, physical non-digital sculpting, sewing, fashion design, video game making, essay writing/research, I used to do poetry and lyric writing, I practice singing but I would not classify that as a talent I am "good at", used to play piano a bit and viola more before that - my sight reading is pretty damn good, video editing, cooking is decent but more so my sandwich prep is excellent

Where were you born?: in the same town I live in now. the hospital was closed after my birth and was semi famous for being haunted and has since been torn down and turned into apartments

What are your hobbies?: of stuff not listed in my talents: model kits and puzzle building, gaming I suppose, watching supergreatfriend, Jerma, and the Watcher Boys; praying, meditating, and studying religions; walking and scootering outside, collecting hot wheels/toys

Have any pets?: nope. waiting to hear back from a rescue if they'll let be get their beautiful cat. if not I will get a bird in a few months or so

What sports do you play/have you played?: gymnastics and figure skating as a kid, and I loved swimming, then I wanted to get into soccer but couldn't. Played DDR. I roller bladed and biked, biked quite a bit and am planning to get into it again. I got into body building a bit as a teen and am back into that now. I occasionally try tricks with my scooter but I am not into breaking my limbs again so I don't do it much

How tall are you?: 5'2"

Favorite subject in school?: art *fart noises*. But really everything, I even loved math until I got older and the dyscalculia and difficulty with abstract math started hittin. Biology was my fav science course.

Dream job?: In a communist world where you get paid for low tier jobs and everything isn't managed like shit and I have accessibility for my disability - no shot, a grocery store worker. I love answering questions and helping people, I love organizing things, and sometimes you're like.. the only person that some people will see that week, especially elderly people. You can be really helpful if you know a lot about all the different products. It's not just an underappreciated job in the typical 'fuck low wagers' sense but also I feel like people don't get how unlike a specalist store you may only visit every now and then unless its for your job or a very active hobby, a corner/drug/grocery store is a really important part of your neighborhood! And I'm really good at it!

[a-pagancongregation]

I am back

having reread TLT

I am also late

apologies to my 4 followers

ooh

they nailed the vibe of the attic

Percy really just insulting every mythological being he sees

thats a cool visual

oh

they aren't showing the last two lines

interesting

percy immediatly going for annabeth

hes knows how smart she is

love how they included grover talking to animals

ooh

they just saved the last lines for a more dramatic moment

by this grover means tin cans

i hope he eats at least one at some point

love the drachma design

more varied than the books

THE SHOES

cant wait for grover to almost be pulled to tartarus

i love how the wings look

IS HE GONNA TELL LUKE THE LINES

i dont think hes going to

thatd be crazy tho

thalia appearance v2

grover loredump v who knows

i mean

he right tho

she is in charge

and we've got 3 tweens on one

well

2 tweens and grover

who is 24 years old

i wonder why they got rid of "names have power"

love sassy annabeth

sleep song?

magic?

no

sadge

tbf to annabeth here

they gave 12 year old $200

oh no

"thats bees" lol

interesting new monster lore here

wise girl knows

ooh

sass off between annabeth and one of the scariest monsters

i wonder where the other two furies are

mist is fucking strong huh

there they are

good fuckin throw

aww

they cut the fight

uncle ferdinand mention

annabeth managing to give a pep talk and insult at the same time

poor percy still not realizing how much the gods suck

why did grover sound so excited

hes vegan

i guess it was more curiosity

why did she know immediatley

i guess to save time

i love the furies' design

love how they all immediatley looked away

dont fuckin look at her percy

shes just

not hiding it huh

i do like how Medusa's nice

i feel like people treat her worse than they should

it isn't her fault she got cursed

girl

"snacks"

hes so real for that

love the fancy glasses for lemonade

oh?

oh right

she was a priestess

my mind immediatley went to "gay Medusa"

i like that it isn't shown as Medusa's fault

she's a victim

annabeth

girl.

she is not

remember Arachne

i know they'll probably end up killing her

but im fruitlessly hoping they wont

shes not a villian

she never talked about him that way caused she fell in love with him at nineteen fucking years old

and he impregnated her

and fucked off

i think nineteen atleast

she was definitley young

what was in the box?

i cant remember

i cannot look at her eyes

it feels unsafe

i guess that just goes to show how good this is

what is this?

oh

thats fucking scary

fighting Medusa in low light could be good and bad

hes just gone

oh right

the shoes were in the box

the snakes look sick

oh

thats smart

that mustve been weird to act in

aww

is he not gonna send it to olympus

there goes alecto

oh

i knew this was going to happn

and its still so sad

ship it to olympus perhaps?

yall are really arguing infront of his dead (maybe?) uncle

oh

he told them

thats interesting

poor percy man

thats a heavy fucking prophecy

this is just how demigods answer questions

violence

YES

HES GONNA DO IT

THE MADMAN

im so happy

HE SAID IT

you might wanna clean that hat

the hard cut there

is amazing

Hermes?

ARE WE GONNA SEE THE GODS' REACTION

aww

i wanted to see their reaction so bad

and also just see them

i guess it makes sense theyd hold off on showing us the gods for now

that was a good episode

the only criticism i have is that they cut the moving bus fury fight

mostly because percy did the most stupid shit in that fight

THATS RIGHT

we have the water park next ep

and the chimera looks sick

cya

ill be back next week

hopefully not late this time

Watching PJO TV and liveblogging, a thread

Don't read if you haven't read the PJO and maybe HOO books, there will be PJO spoilers for sure

Sally best parent

Just gave him Riptide huh

"Don't stand up for yourself", he's so sadly real for that

Love Percy's protective instinct

Yooo water grabbing

She really just attacked him in the middle of the street huh

I just realized Grover's not crippled in this

Grovers a fuckin narc

Fuck Gabe

I am going to hit him with a baseball bat

I'll let Sally get the kill though

She deserves it

Sally's a mood tbh

BLUE FOOD

WOOOOO

Sally best parent v2

Love Sally's accent coming out when she's angry

Demigod dream wooo

Percy's a little shit (affectionate)

I'm not neurodivergent can someone let me know how accurate Percy's description is I'm curious

Poseidon mention#1

Poor Sally trying to explain this

Why is Percy christian

Sally Jackson loredump

Grovers back woooo

Percys so confused as to why Grover knows his mom

You bursted into the loredump g-man

Grover loredump

Minotaur appearance

THE UNDERPANTS

"I'm actually 24" g-man you can't fuckin do this to me

Welp, that other cars dead

Sally first? Murder

Not the last

Holding out hope she still kills Gabe

YOOO THALIA APPEARANCE

Totally thought we were about to get the first River Styx oath

Sally best parent v3

Sad they made this scene so much less dramatic

Why are you just standing there my guy

Keep running

Slightly disappointed Percy isn't going to rip out it's horn and stab it with it

I'm about to eat my words aren't I

Yep

Wise girl you are so in love

Like

Girl.

Anyways

loved that

Final thoughts

Less dramatic than the book

Hope the fight scenes get cooler

Good episode

Ooh post credit scene

[r0b0-writes]

Based on the mer scc au/designs by @charliedzilla

Title: The Cove

Desc: Sweet and Cap'n don't know if it was fate or coincidence that the day they went to The Cove would be the same day they discovered a mermaid. But what started as mutual curiosity and caution is now something much more.

Words: 3,124

Wanna read on AO3? Click here!

The afternoon sun hit the beach with such ferocity that any living thing would find it hard to walk barefoot on the sand.

The Cove, very cleverly named, was a remote area that few people visited. There was hardly any good fishing in this area and the debris from the nearby trees made the beach a poor spot for tourists.

Still, Sweet and Cap’n loved The Cove.

The duo had been visiting the remote area for about two weeks straight now. What had started as an easy-going trip had turned into something way bigger than the two of them.

Literally.

The pair lived in a lazy old fishing town. Nothing to note except for the occasional events the local bar would put on. The residents were like the residents of any other small town. Everyone knew everyone and everyone knew everyone’s business. There was no stopping it. If you were to tell the butcher something then you could guarantee the grocer would know soon enough.

Which made the pair’s daily adventures to The Cove noticeable. Fellow locals had asked where they were heading a handful of times. Each time Sweet and Cap'n made up an excuse, but there were only so many excuses until someone would decide to come snooping.

Sweet and Cap’n both waited in the shade, impatiently looking at the water. “They’ll come,” Sweet muttered, mostly to himself. "They'll come," they repeated. Cap'n rolled his eyes, "you act like he's never not shown up." He tossed a rock in the air, catching it in his hand only to toss it again. "We were early anyways, it's two, we usually aren't here until at least three."

“Well, I didn’t want to be late again! You saw how much it stressed it out last time.”

Cap’n didn’t have any comment on that subject. He could still recall the sound of that melody as they hiked to The Cove a night ago. The two had a small gig at the bar in town and didn't make it to The Cove until the sun had already set. He remembered that once he heard the voice, his legs moved on their own, his head got a weird fuzzy feeling. He had begun to cry as they raced towards the beach. Whatever unknown language was being sung, Cap’n and Sweet knew it was for them. They could feel the sadness in each pitch, they could feel the longing, begging desperately for them to appear.

It was the worst feeling they had ever felt. Overwhelming, suffocating mourning.

It only went away when the two locked eyes with the owner of the song.

A familiar melodic chirp came from the beach. “It's them!” Sweet and Cap’n dashed out from the safety of the shadows towards the rickety old dock. The duo comically let out a few ow’s, ouches, and eek’s as they hopped from foot to foot across the burning sand.

Once at the dock they were greeted by what made The Cove so special to them.

The mermaid.

They didn’t have a name for their green, metallic, and scaly discovery. But they simply nicknamed them K_K. After the happy chirps it would make when greeting them.

They had learned two things about K_K during this week. He was a social creature and didn’t like being alone and he loved giving gifts. As the two approached the end of the dock, K_K dived beneath the water only to return and dump an armful of treasures onto the wood. He stared at Sweet and Cap'n as the two looked through his gifts.

Sweet pulled a shell from the clump of sea debris, examining it in the light. "Wow, look, this one's really pretty." Cap'n leaned over, "you're right, and hey look, it's the same color as my shirt." Sure enough, Cap'n was correct.

Upon noticing their interest in the shell K_K rummaged through the clump to find more, handing each shell to them. Then they slunk back to the water, only their eyes above the water, staring intensely.

K_K liked these land dwellers, truly and genuinely liked them. They had never had a pod of their own. Hatched alone in the big ocean, with no family, K_K had spent their life traveling amongst many different residents of the sea. It had many friends, but none they felt this drawn to. From the moment they saw them, K_K had felt a connection, an instinct to greet and protect them. K_K hoped they felt the same.

They had never been more certain of their feelings than when the land dwellers hadn't visited until nightfall. All-day K_K had waited and waited for them to appear. They would look to the sky to see how late it was getting, and by the time the sun was setting, K_K was certain the two had been killed by some predator. That thought was enough to shatter K_K's heart. The only way to convey their sadness was through song. They sang for hours until their throat was sore, but then they saw the duo racing towards them.

K_K had decided that maybe he was being dramatic, but what else was he to think? He didn't know what the land looked like. Each time the two left, K_K could only hope to see them return. Besides, it was hard to communicate between the three of them. K_K managed by recognizing their tone and gestures. But the language barrier was still a problem. K_K communicated in a language no land dweller would be able to speak fluently, his true name indecipherable. Many fishermen simply called it 'The Language of the Sea'. Something all marine life was born knowing the moment of birth. The only way K_K could verbally communicate was through song.

Sweet and Cap'n had finished pocketing the shells they wanted, K_K took a mental note of which items they liked most. They distinctly ignored the fish bones he had brought them but seemed mesmerized by each item that had bright colors.

"Hey, K_K," Cap'n called.

He swam up to the dock, tilting his head.

"We brought you a gift this time too." Cap'n dug around in his backpack then pulled out a plastic box, inside sat a slice of lemon cake. K_K's eyes widened as Cap'n handed him the cake. He looked between the two and tried to share the cake, but they refused, telling them it was theirs. K_K bit into the cake and quickly realized this was its favorite food. He finished the cake in a few bites.

Sweet smiled at how enthusiastic K_K was. "With how much they liked the cake we should just call them Cakes," he chuckled.

Cap'n and Sweet glanced at K_K, who was licking the crumbs from his fingers. "Hmm... nah," they both said.

After finishing the cake, K_K pulled themself from the water to sit on the dock beside them.

Even though it had only been two weeks since their meeting, the trio had grown very close. When first meeting K_K the two had been cautious of touching his tail, yet they stared at it all the time. It wasn't until K_K made the offer for them to touch his tail that the tension fell. It was almost funny, now the two comfortably leaned against his body, with no fear or hesitation. K_K closed his eyes, basking in the sun. Beside him, the two talked, of what he didn't know, but they were happy. That was all he needed to know.

The serene silence was short-lived, however.

“Hey!”

The trio's heads swiveled behind them.

"Oh no..." Cap'n muttered.

K_K looked between the two, they seemed nervous. Was the shouting something to be nervous about? Sweet turned Cap'n "Get them in the water." Hurriedly Cap'n tried to coax him away. K_K frowned and knit their eyebrows together. Why were they pushing him away? Nonetheless, he listened to their gestures and flopped back into the water. They did not go far though, curiosity kept their head above the water.

Footsteps echoed under the dock.

"What are you two doing here?" Came an unfamiliar voice.

"Uhh, just lookin' around," Cap'n blurted out. "Y- Yeah, we went for a hike and stopped here just to, uhm, admire the... scenery?" Sweet didn't sound as confident as Cap'n did. K_K could feel the anxiety in their tone. Whoever was on the dock with them was bad news. And they were making K_K's pod members feel uncomfortable. His tail flicked in agitation.

Above the dock, Sweet and Cap'n had found themselves in a fine kettle of fish. They were face to face with the one person in town that could ruin everything. He was talkative, a show-off, and worst of all, a blabbermouth. "What are you doing here?" Cap'n asked. "You normally don't come out this way, Berdly."

Berdly smiled smugly, "you two really thought you could keep this a secret?"

The pair began to sweat, "uh... wh-- what do you mean? We don't have any secrets here."

"Oh, ho ho! No secrets? Then why do you come here every day? And you come back to town with a bunch of trinkets and shells? I know what you're up to..."

"Look, Berdly, please don't tell--"

"You two are going to start a sea shell business selling beautiful shells for an outrageous cost! But I won't be made a fool of! I know what capitalism does to a society! You fiends! I'm here to get the prettiest shell before you so I can give it away freely to my lovely~ Noelle~ and my heroism will win her heart!"

The guys were too stunned to speak.

"Your lack of response means my deduction was accurate." Berdly pushed his glasses further up his face. "You two are like fish yourselves, mouth gaping open like that. HA!" He laughed. "Too stunned by my brilliance, I see! Well prepared to be even more stunned! Because I'm going to tell everyone! Then everyone will come--!"

"NO!" They both shouted. "Don't tell anyone! You figured it out, okay?" Cap'n raised his hands, "we'll do anything as long as you promise to not tell anyone."

Berdly hummed in fake contemplation. "I might be persuaded to keep quiet... If you give me something in return."

Sweet narrowed his eye, "what do you want?"

"I want free front seat tickets to your next gig in town. I'm going to take Noelle and she'll be so impressed!"

Sweet glanced at Cap'n, mildly confused. They weren't the most popular band, but then again, they were the only one in town. Their gigs were usually for festivals or at bar nights. But the main problem was they couldn't promise Berdly free tickets. The people who hired them were in charge of all that.

Cap'n began to speak when Sweet pulled him aside. "Just go with it. We'll pay for his tickets later if we have to."

The two turned back to Berdly. "Fine," Cap'n sighed and crossed his arms. "You'll get your free tickets."

"Just, please," Sweet begged, "don't tell anyone to come here."

K_K's eyes widened. Why did Sweet's voice sound like that? Was he scared? Was that other person... scaring them? His dorsal fins rose, making them sharp and spiky. Enough was enough, no one would get away with scaring them. The dock rocked as K_K rose from the waters. Berdly's face shifted to horror as K_K loomed over Cap'n and Sweet. K_K hissed, the gills around its neck rose, its strong tail slapping the old dock. Sweet and Cap’n could all but stare as water droplets fell from its chest onto them from below. It bared its teeth, daring the threat to take a step forward.

Berdly fell to the ground, beak trembling, "m-," he scooted backward. "Monster! There's a monster!" Berdly rushed to his feet and dashed away as fast as his feet could carry him.

With the threat gone, K_K’s body relaxed, but only slightly. They turned back to their pod only to be met with scared eyes.

K_K was confused and looked behind them to make sure the threat was gone. He was. So why were they still--

Oh.

K_K frowned at the realization that who they might be scared of right now... is him. They had never seen him angry, they had never seen his claws or teeth bared like that. To them, he must've been frightening. K_K lowered their body and flattened their dorsal fins.

The two relaxed and he slowly approached. K_K gently took their hands and brought them to his cheek. His eyes closed as he leaned into their touch, embracing the knowledge that they were safe with him. That he would protect them from all enemies. Confiding that he was no threat to them. The two blushed at the closeness but didn’t dare move their hands. Not that they wanted to. They weren't scared of K_K, they had been scared for him. After the moment ended, K_K slunk back to the water and began humming a happy melody.

Sweet and Cap’n wondered how its emotions could change so quickly. One moment he was protecting them like his life depended on it, the next he was doing flips in the water and singing happily.

Sweet dropped to the ground, covering his eye. "What are we gonna do, Cap? What if he tells the town? What's gonna happen to K_K?"

"Hey," Cap'n rubbed Sweet's back. "It's gonna be okay, we'll figure this out. We won't let anyone hurt him." Despite Cap'n's words, he was equally worried. Berdly wasn't much of a threat by himself, but if word got out to the wrong person...

"We have to figure something out, Cap. I can't imagine him stuck in a cage or-- oh no," Sweet's eye began to get teary. "What if someone wants to mount him on a wall?" He gripped Cap'n by the shoulders. "What will we do? We can't let them make him sing 'Don't Worry Be Happy'. Do you have any idea how traumatic that would be?" Sweet released Cap'n and gripped the corners of his head. "What're we gonna do? What can we do?"

"Dude, breathe. You're stressin' me out," Cap'n took Sweet's hand in his. "I promise you that it'll all work out. Worst case scenario we gotta put K_K in our bathtub." He squeezed Sweet's hand, "I promise."

Meanwhile, K_K had been under the water, picking out more shells for his pod members. However, when he resurfaced and saw the two they forgot about the shells and swam back to the dock to see what had upset Sweet. He did not know what was being said, but he could hear Sweet's worried tone, Cap'n trying to comfort them. K_K frowned, it did not like seeing them so unhappy.

As K_K approached the two turned to face him. Sweet wished he could ask K_K if they knew the risk of what had just happened. He wanted to tell K_K that there had been no need to show themself to Berdly. But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to. K_K rose from the water and sat beside them. He tilted his head and placed a finger under his eye then pointed at Sweet.

Sweet moved his hand to his mouth to make a beak shape, then decided against it. That could be miscommunicated easily and probably make the situation worse. This would be so much easier if-

Wait.

"Cap'n, toss me your bag."

Sweet dug around in Cap'n's bag until he pulled out a pen and sketchbook. "Hey, man! That's my sketchbook, what're you doing?"

"If we can't talk... maybe we can draw to each other, you know?" Sweet doodled on the paper and then turned the sketchbook to K_K.

K_K's eyes followed the doodles. The first doodle showed the threat from earlier running off. The second showed the threat talking to other land dwellers. The third showed K_K in a net. The last two frames were engulfed in a thought bubble above a doodle of Sweet. Even though they were sloppy and hastily made, K_K seemed to understand.

He looked between Sweet and Cap'n and took their hands in his and squeezed. He leaned his forehead to theirs and began humming a gentle tune. At that moment there was no worrying of hunters or the burning sun. Just the slight breeze and the comfort of knowing they were all together.

≋

"-- I swear! I swear it was a monster! A monster in The Cove!"

The bar erupted in laughter. "Yeah, uh-huh, someone's been out in the sun too long." Blue laughed from his booth. "Sea monsters are just a bunch of fairytales."

Feeling dejected, Berdly huffed and left the bar. Maybe he had been imagining it? He sat down by a few barrels that lined the outside of the bar. Stuck in his thoughts, he hadn't even realized that he was not alone in the night.

"Quite A Show You Put On," came a voice, surprising him to the point that he fell off the barrel. He stumbled to regain balance, "Q-Queen?" Berdly was momentarily shocked. Not only was Queen the owner of the biggest fishing company in town, but being on her good side meant a lot. Sadly, Berdly wasn't thinking of any of that. "Come to laugh at me too?" He averted his eyes.

"LMAO, I Already Laughed At You. But That Is Beside The Point," she smiled down at the boy. "If You Don't Know, My Name Is Queen. Though I Don't Know How You Could Not Know. I Literally Have My Face On A Billboard."

Berdly narrowed his eyes, "... I know who you are. My name's--"

"That Is Not Important." She held a hand up to his face. "Swatch, " A tall finely dressed person stepped out of the shadows at her call. "Dear, Grab Us Some Drinks." The tall one nodded and disappeared back into the bar.

Queen stared at Berdly, Berdly stared back, she stared harder, Berdly was now sweating. "Can I help you?? Or??" But before he could say anything else, she had him in a tight embrace, patting his head.

"There, There, Little One."

"I'm not a kid--"

"Shhh, Shhh, It Must Have Been So Scary To See That Big Ol' Monster, Hmm?" She patted his head.

"... Yeah, a little," his shoulders sank.

Just then Swatch returned with two bottles of the finest beer the bar had available.

"Ah, Thank You, Swatchie," Queen cooed. "Of course," Swatch bowed, "let me know if there is anything else you desire. I won't be far."

Queen waited until he had left to continue the conversation. "They Are Such A Good Right-Hand, Always So Dependable." She raised her glass and took a long sip then smiled, "Now, Tell Me About This 'Monster' You Saw."

_________________________

The End

[I hope you all enjoyed! As stated, Mer SCC / Mer K_K belongs to @charliedzilla . I had a lot of fun writing this and exploring the world in this AU. I might write some shorts/drabbles in the future, just depends on irl stuff. I'm getting ready to go back to college so uploads are going to be sparse again.

I also want to add that Queen isn't malicious in this fanfic (maybe I'll write a prt 2 to clear things up). But she's sorta just... under the impression that the ocean is full of predators and mermaids would be so much safer in captivity (plus she can capitalize off them by putting them in aquariums and whatnot). So kinda like in dr w/ Noelle. She has good intentions but doesn't ask the merfolk anything, she just jumps to conclusions, assuming what she's doing is helpful/noble].

TL;DR

Queen: LMAO. I Am A Fisherman Not A Marine Biologist

[izzy-b-hands]

Looking at pictures of Izzy because ya know and like

Made me a little sad but also in love with the design team even more because all the details!!

Like. His shoulder seams of his shirt go way too far down his arm, so that shirt was either found or stolen or taken off a dead enemy (I know because I buy all my shirts way too big and ppl bitch at me abt my shoulder seams all the fkn time. The only one I forgive that of is my grandmother, she has a pass lol.)

And even his leather vest looks worn in and like the buttons and their loops have probably been repaired at least once, the laces on the front of his trousers look rough.

Like. Of any of that outfit, I'd wager little of it was originally Izzy's except maybe the ring he wears on that scarf he uses as a necktie (ascot? Kinda?) And that's both a sign of long term pirating but also like.

His clothes reflect how worn he feels. He isn't buying himself anything new or even scrounging for anything new from a raid. Maybe he just doesn't want to but maybe it's more a thing of what's the point? None of it fits right anyway and he doesn't concern himself with what he wants to actually wear or how he wants to look (as long as it still holds together and matches the tough Blackbeard's crew image, it's good enough.)

Like. There's Stede's love for silks and nice things and Ed's enjoyment of them and how they fall in as a metaphor for him and his upbringing.

But for Izzy, it could be something big too, for him to have anything new in s2. My ideal would be boyfriends shopping trip wherein Ed and Stede let themselves go a little bit clothes crazy and have just. Enough to fill another auxiliary wardrobe altogether (it would be so cute. Ed would have the best time and he deserves it!!!!)

But then there's Izzy who's not enthusiastic for it and resigns himself to being a walking clothes hanger holding onto what they're looking at taking to the tailor for fitting, because why would he look for himself? He has his one (1) serviceable outfit that he washes about once a week (that's still not enough but eh. Pirates, what can ya do.) It's fine for him.

But Stede encourages him to at least look and he wants so badly to storm out. Because Ed is looking excitedly and expectantly at him and so is Stede and it feels like everyone in the shop is staring and he hates every fucking second of this-

Until Stede interrupts his train of thought because he can just see the wheels coming off the tracks as Izzy thinks and panics, and holds up something simple. Maybe a black waistcoat or vest with just a little decoration in silver or gold or something.

And Ed, in an act of kindness, tries to say yes to it on Izzy's behalf but Stede waits for Izzy to nod yes to the waistcoat, bashfully and still looking for all the world like he wants to run away.

The tailor asks for all his measurements later which Izzy finds weird but what the fuck ever, this is rich people shit and rich people are weird (exhibit A. Stede, though now that's his rich weirdo who has grown on him in a way he didn't expect but he's not complaining about anymore)

It clicks later back on the Revenge, when he goes to his room and finds not just the waistcoat, but two full new outfits complete with new boots and a few new rings.

And a note on top, in Lucius' handwriting that instructs him to let Stede know if anything doesn't fit right, and they'll have it refitted at the next port.

He takes off the leather vest and sets aside the too big shirt that's damn near see through in some spots from being washed for literal years and worn with minimal breaks, and tries what's been left to him.

All in black, of course. Except for a new red scarf and a purple one (later Stede tells him that's to match whenever Ed is in purple, which he thought Izzy would like, and he's absolutely right about that.) The shirt fits and has the same fitted lower sleeve as his old one. The waistcoat fits perfectly and the new trousers don't require extra last minute stitches to make sure they actually stay put on him like his old pair. The boots need to be broken in of course, but they're nice. Or maybe they're cheap as fuck, he can admit to himself he wouldn't know the difference. And normally he wouldn't care.

But he walks out to a chorus of smiles and the occasional hoot and holler because they're all a bunch of sweethearts that hype each other up, now even Izzy.

It's Ed and Stede bursting out with compliments that are too exuberant to be anything other than genuine, that makes it feel perfect. He looks nice. He feels good. And he's allowed that just like everyone else, and it's a revelation. Not just that, but all of this is his. Exclusively his, and whether he likes it or not u know he gets all warm and fuzzy over that, as he should!!!