#it’s still may so this counts for mermay :)

[canarydraws]

May I offer you all a low-res wip in these trying times?

[sirbird]

Things definitely got a little sandy 🧍‍♂️

[daffodillydilly]

Bottom of the deep blue sea (1)

The last thing I remembered was the water, like stars streaming past in the night sky, black with a crashing white blur.

And then the drowning, a familiar asthmatic pain but without relief.

And then.

I woke up shivering, gasping for air. Everything was black, and I reached up with trembling hands to touch my cold eyes with equally cold waterlogged fingers.

I felt stone beneath my body, propping me up, smooth beneath my wet clothes, and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

Until I felt something warm and damp brush against cheek.

My voice emerged in a helpless gasp, as I stared wide eyed but blind into the crushing darkness.

My gasp of confusion turned into a cry of surprise as I felt it again, a warm, damp pressure against my cheek. Startled, I instinctively reached out, my trembling fingers brushing against a smooth, slippery surface. There was a sudden animalistic chirrup and then a guttural sound as the pressure began to wander my face. My cheekbones, my lips, my forehead.

My eyes shut instinctively as the enigmatic sensation traced over them, continuing to explore my face with a gentle touch. The warmth and dampness felt strangely comforting, as if the presence that surrounded me sought to offer solace in this unknown abyss.

“…hello?” I called out in a whisper.

In the depths of the darkness, my whispered greeting was swallowed in silence. The enigmatic presence that caressed my face with their gentle touch seemed to pause for a moment, as if contemplating my words.

The chirrup sound repeated, and then three otherworldly spots of teal luminescence appeared in my vision, as blinding as the sun. I hissed in surprise and pain, and suddenly the lights disappeared.

I blinked my eyes, adjusting to the return of darkness and then slowly, the lights reappeared, softer and gentler, and then copied my blink.

“Hello.” I whispered, my breath hitching as I realized I was staring into the large eyes of some sort of creature.

Their face was twice the size of mine with three wide glowing eyes arranged in a triangular shape. Their nostrils were merely slits, and their thin mouth stretched unnaturally wide, almost reaching the edges of their cheeks. They had a flap of long white skin that sat like hair on the top of their head, rippling with their movements.

“Who are you…?” I whimpered, feeling my heart begin to pound unnaturally fast in my chest. A flash of memory returned to me of a warm embrace, of rapid moving water, of air filling my lungs, “…did you rescue me?”

The creature remained still, their three eyes intensely fixed upon me, their elongated webbed fingers tracing downwards to my lips. Their hand felt warm but wet and was so large that they could easily fit my entire head in their palm. The creature let out a gentle rumble from their lengthened throat, and I could just barely make out their humanoid torso although their lower half was obscured by the inky black water.

The creature cooed, returning my attention back to their face. I noticed their mouth stretching into a smile, revealing rows and rows of giant slender translucent teeth.

I stared at their mouth, feeling goosebumps trail up and down my arms. My shivering increased as a wave of fear swept over me as the creature’s fingers trailed down my chin and down to the base of my neck. The realization of my vulnerable situation began to sink in, and a primal instinct urged me to withdraw from the presence of this huge enigmatic creature.

Struggling to control my rising panic, I scrambled to place both of my hands on the stone behind me, preparing to retreat. But as I tensed to move, the creature's eyes closed, enveloping us in darkness. I scraped my hands against the stone, once again blindly staring out, wide eyed, until the creature’s hand darted from my jugular notch to wrap around the back of my neck, pulling me forward into a deep pool of water.

Panic surged through my veins as I felt the cold water enveloping my body, replacing the stagnant air I had been breathing. I felt smooth slippery skin wrap entirely around me. I desperately tried to struggle free, but their strength was overwhelming, their touch both firm and strangely gentle.

As the creature pulled me deeper into the water, my panic escalated. I thrashed and kicked, desperate to break free from their grasp. But no matter how hard I fought, their arms wrapped tighter around me. My lungs burned, screaming for air as the water closed in around me. The darkness of the abyss swallowed me whole, leaving me disoriented and terrified. I could feel the pressure building in my chest, the need for oxygen becoming unbearable.

Just as I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, the creature's grip suddenly loosened and I gasped for breath, gulping in the precious air that filled my lungs. Confusion washed over me as I realized I was no longer submerged in water. I coughed, clearing my eyes with rapid blinks to find myself in a dimly lit chamber, surrounded by an otherworldly glow. It was warmer here, the temperature was like a soothing bath, and I couldn’t help but melt against the creature.

As if they understood my need for reassurance, the strange being held me gently, their webbed fingers supporting my trembling body. The creature’s three glowing eyes stared down at me, studying me intently. Their fingers traced a delicate pattern on my skin, as if trying to communicate without words.

With a trembling voice, I mustered the courage to speak once more. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

The creature continued to observe me with their mesmerizing gaze. In response to my trembling inquiry, the creature's mouth stretched once more into a smile, revealing their rows of translucent teeth. Their fingers momentarily paused their tracing, and they brought one of their hands to their chest, the webbed appendage resting gently against their own heart.

As the creature placed their hand over their chest, a soft glow emanated from beneath their translucent skin. The glow pulsed in synchrony with the beat of their heart, sending tendrils of teal and pink lights throughout their arms, tracing up their long neck, creating an ethereal bioluminescence that filled the chamber.

As the light pulsed and shimmered, I could see more details of the creature's face. Their skin, translucent and smooth, glowed softly from within, revealing a delicate network of iridescent patterns that danced across their features.

The creature removed their hand and gestured towards a nearby patch of rock. Despite my fear, a glimmer of curiosity sparked within me. I cautiously began to swim my way towards the indicated spot, but the creature wrapped me in their arms once more, carrying me there instead.

They lifted me up out of the water, placing my entire body on a smooth stone surface, their glowing eyes fixed upon me, their presence both unsettling and intriguing.

"Please, what do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady despite the lingering fear.

The creature emitted a series of soft, melodic coos before they suddenly vanished beneath the water.

The chamber became significantly darker, the only light coming from almost purposeful patches of glowing blue and green algae. I stared at the spot where they had disappeared, and then my gaze drifted to the rest of my surroundings.

I was in a large cavern, enclosed by an arrangement of rocks that formed a natural boundary around a pool of water. The walls were made of smooth dark stone, peppered with luminescent plant life. The air was thick with humidity, and the scent of salt and sand.

I sat there on the rock, feeling a blend of awe and trepidation. The absence of the creature left me on edge, unsure of what would happen next. The silence in the chamber was broken only by the faint sound of water dripping and my own rapid breaths.

I scooted closer to the place the creature had vanished into and carefully leaned over its edge, peering into the pitch-black pool. Carefully, I reached my hand into the warm water, and in an instant the creature appeared once more, quietly cooing and chirruping, their large hands cradling several bundles of soft looking plants. Carefully, they placed the bundle on the rock beside me, arranging the plants into a makeshift bed.

With a graceful motion, the creature gestured for me to lie down on the bed they had prepared.

“…you want me to…sleep?” I asked tentatively.

The creature cooed in response, fluffing up the bedding with their webbed fingers.

I stared at them in trepidation before I cautiously laid down on the makeshift bed of plants they had prepared. The creature let out another coo, this time seemingly one of satisfaction.

As I settled down onto the warm damp plants, the creature floated in the pool beside me, their presence a source of both comfort and intrigue. Their eyes remained fixed on me, observing my every move with intense interest.

The exhaustion from my struggle against the water and fear began to weigh heavily on my eyelids, coaxing me into the realm of sleep.

As my eyes fluttered shut, I could still sense the creature's gaze upon me. It felt both protective and curious, as if they were watching over me with a sense of responsibility. The rhythmic sounds of the creature's cooing and the soft rippling of the water in the pool created a soothing lullaby that gradually melted away my anxieties.

I awoke to the feeling of pressure on my lips, and my eyes fluttered open to see three balls of light pressed close to my face. Startled, I sat up, the remnants of sleep dissipating as I realized the creature was now inches away from me, their glowing eyes fixated on mine.

I touched my hand to my lips, feeling my pulse race. “…did you just kiss me?”

The creature tilted their head and let out a soft chirrup almost in confirmation.

As I stared at the creature, a mix of surprise, curiosity, and a hint of embarrassment washed over me. “Why?” I breathed.

They blinked, and then with a flick of their body, they moved forward as if to repeat the gesture. I scooted away from the pool of water, and the creature paused, tilting their head again, cooing in a soft, almost disappointed tone.

I swallowed, lowering my hand to rest against my rapidly beating heart. “…thank you for…letting me rest.” I murmured. “It was more comfortable than I thought it would be. And warmer too.” I paused, my fingers touching the fabric of my shirt. “I must have slept for a long time. My clothes are dry…”

The creature seemed pleased by either the sound of my voice or my words - or both - because they broke into another wide smile, and then extended their webbed hands, presenting a palm full of shimmering stones and delicate, iridescent seashells. They placed the offering gently on the rock beside me, and then stared at me with wide eyes.

“…are these…gifts?” I asked in an unsteady tone, reaching out tentatively to touch one of the shells.

The creature cooed, seemingly satisfied in my interest. They leaned forward, chirruping again, as if expecting something in return.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured, “I…I don’t have anything to give you. Unless, ah, you want a piece of my…clothes…?”

They cooed again, leaning even closer to me until I could see faint bioluminescent lines in their cheeks, glowing a pale blue. They gestured towards the pile of shells and stones.

“What? One of those?”

I examined the pile, before carefully picking up one of the glistening rocks. It was deep black and captivatingly smooth against my salt-soaked fingers. Tentatively, I held the rock out to the creature, hoping to appease them.

To my surprise, the creature's eyes widened in what appeared to be delight, and they emitted a series of melodic coos. They reached out with webbed fingers and gently accepted the rock from my hand, cradling it against their chest with a sense of reverence.

A radiant glow emanated from their body, illuminating the chamber with a soft, ethereal light. I watched in awe as the creature floated in the water, their shining form casting intricate patterns on the cavern walls. They chirruped and cooed like a songbird; their joy palpable.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Oh wow, you really liked that.” I murmured, watching as they bobbed up and down in the water. “But you’re the one who brought that in the first place. Are you just happy that I picked one out?”

The creature's head tilted at an unnatural angle, emitting a deep joyful purr. And then without a moment's hesitation, it gruesomely jammed the stone into its jugular notch, ruthlessly burying it within its own flesh with a sickeningly forceful thrust.

I gasped, my hand instinctively reaching out towards the creature in concern. "No! Wait, what are you doing?" I exclaimed, my voice filled with alarm.

The creature blinked at my concern, letting out a deep guttural sound that caused me to retract my hand. A soft glow began to emanate from the stone embedded in their jugular notch. The light intertwined with their translucent skin, creating a mesmerizing display of colors that danced across their body.

Torn between awe and apprehension, I hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to speak. "Why did you do that?" I asked softly, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. “Didn’t that hurt?"

The creature responded with another deep purr, swimming forward to rest their head in my still open palm. The stone in their neck pulsed and shimmered, casting a serene glow that illuminated the chamber and reflected off the water's surface.

“…it’s beautiful.” I whispered.

The creature lifted their head, cooing, and then directed their attention back to the pile of gifts they had brought. Their hand reached out and selected a lovely tulip shell with the precision of one who had already chosen in advance. They offered it to me.

I stared at the tulip shell in the creature's outstretched hand, my heart pounding in my chest.

I couldn't help but wonder if they expected me to follow their lead, to embed the shell into my own skin. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I instinctively pulled back, creating a slight distance between us as I scooted away from the pool of water.

The creature let out a distressed cooing sound, reaching out with their other hand to beckon me closer.

“Ah, I’m sorry…” I breathed. “I just, ah. I don’t want, um.” My hand instinctively clutched my throat, feeling the rapid beat of my pulse against my fingers.

The creature's eyes shimmered with understanding, and they withdrew the tulip shell, their disappointment palpable. But instead of pressing me further, they floated back in the water, giving me space and time to collect myself.

As I sat there, the weight of their unfulfilled expectation hung in the air, I watched as the creature quietly placed the tulip shell back among the other gifts, their eyes never leaving mine. There was a sense of longing, a desire for shared connection, emanating from their glowing gaze.

Feeling a rush of guilt, I mustered the courage to speak again, my voice laced with sincerity. "I…I am sorry. I appreciate your gesture, uh, even if I don’t understand it. I…I’d be fine with a necklace or something, but…”

The creature seemed to listen intently, their expression reflecting a mixture of confusion and curiosity. They floated in the water, their body gently swaying with the currents before swimming to the edge of the pool, as close as possible to me.

They tilted their head, their three eyed gaze locked on me. There was a certain intensity to their eyes, as if it was trying to comprehend my words and find a way to bridge the gap between us.

“Um, a necklace.” I repeated tentatively. “It’s uh, a string you wear around your neck.” I gestured with my hands, trying to explain.

As I gestured with my hands to explain what a necklace was, the creature seemed captivated by my words and movements. Their three-eyed gaze remained fixed on me, the intensity growing as if absorbing every detail of my explanation.

With a spark of inspiration, I searched around the cave for any materials that could be fashioned into a necklace. Given the dim light, I decided to get a better look at the cavern, and shakily stood up, the plant life from my makeshift bed soft against my barefeet. The creature let out a sharp click, their long arm darting out to grab my ankle with their damp fingers. I flinched, looking down at them in surprise.  

“I’ll be right back.” I said in a breathy voice. “I…I was just going to look around for…um. Something to make a necklace out of.”

The creature's grip on my ankle tightened slightly, before releasing, their eyes as wide and bright as headlights. I carefully stepped away from them, meeting their eyes for several tentative steps, before turning around to look at the cavern.

Bioluminescent algae grew all around the cave, illuminating the dark stone. I was hoping to spot other plant life, grass, or vines, but the cavern was empty and self-contained, about the size of a large living space. Despite the absence of plant life, I couldn't help but be captivated by the natural beauty surrounding me. Several clusters of crystals emerged from the wall in different places of the cave, shimmering with ethereal radiance.

As I moved closer to the back wall of the cavern, the creature emitted distressed cooing from behind me, seemingly from the increasing distance between us. I pivoted on my heel, and what I witnessed left me breathless, my throat constricting in shock.

The creature had perched themself up on the edge of the pool, revealing a thick lower half that split off at what would have been the knee into several colossal appendages. The appendages were long and sinuous, reminiscent of tentacles or the limbs of mythical sea creatures. Some tapered down to hair-thin strands, while others equaled the girth of my own arm. Their lithe form moved gracefully, undulating with the water as they perched on the edge of the pool.

The sight was both intriguing and overwhelming, but I could sense their anticipation and desire for my attention. The creature extended a hand towards me and beckoned me to come closer.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed and intimidated by their immense size and mass. Sensing my reluctance, the creature slid off the edge and back into the pool of water. They let out a soft series of clicks, their expectant gaze urging me on.

I took a deep, nervous breath before I approached the pool once more, carefully stepping over a long tendril that seemed to have been snaking its way towards me. I sat down on the pool's edge once more, the creatures’ three shimmering eyes fixed upon me. With a gesture, they directed my gaze to their neck, signaling a desire for me to resume my earlier explanation. Taking another deep breath, I began to describe the concept again.

As I spoke, the creature watched me intently, their eyes fixed on my every movement. I carefully demonstrated the act of draping a string around my neck, mimicking the gesture as best as I could. The creature's curiosity seemed to grow with each passing moment, their lower body swaying gently in the water.

After I finished my explanation, the creature remained silent, contemplating my words. They leaned closer, their long, sinuous appendages coiling and uncoiling in a mesmerizing rhythm, before one of their thin vine-like tendrils twisted its way to wrap around my neck.

I swallowed nervously, feeling the tendril coil around me. It was surprisingly soft, almost like silk ribbon against my skin. The creature's gaze remained fixed on me, as if seeking confirmation that they understood my explanation correctly.

I looked down at the tendril encircling my neck, and as I did, the creature let out a soft cooing sound, as if expressing satisfaction. I let out a soft laugh. “That’s…not exactly wrong. But…I assume you want to keep all your limbs attached.” I briefly tugged at the tendril, and mimed snipping it.

The creature blinked their three eyes in response, seemingly pondering my words or gestures. Their sinuous appendages coiled and uncoiled, a subtle display of contemplation.

Without warning, the creature's face lunged towards me, tearing the tendril from their own body with a sudden, frenzied rush of gnashing teeth.

I gasped and instinctively recoiled, my body jerking backward in surprise. The tendril, now detached, hung limply around my neck, a stark contrast to the vibrant and pulsating creature before me.

I stared in shock and fear at the creature, though a glimmer of satisfaction flickered in their gaze. They let out a low rumble, a sound like a pleased purr. It was evident that the tearing of the tendril hadn't caused them any pain or distress.

Tentatively, I reached up and touched the tendril around my neck, feeling its lingering warmth.

“You... You tore it off," I managed to utter, my voice wavering. "Why did you do that?"

In response to my question, the creature emitted a series of soft cooing sounds. They reached up with their long slender arms and mimicked the act of draping an imaginary string around their own neck, mirroring my earlier demonstration.

“…I could have just used seaweed or…” I whispered, trailing off.

They tilted their head, letting out a gentle chirrup noise. Their fingers tapped the smooth black stone embedded in their jugular notch, and then the tendril around my neck.

“Yes, I…think I understand.” I said, brows furrowed. “But I was just going to, um, use that shell you wanted to give me. I was going to thread it on a necklace.”

The creature followed my gaze to the pile of shells and stones on the opposite side of the water pool. With a sudden surge of movement, the creature gracefully glided towards the pile before returning to hover in the water in front of me. They once again presented the shell to me, as if affirming their understanding of my words and intentions.

I admired the tulip shell, dwarfed in the palm of the creature’s hand. The shell was entirely in one piece, fully formed and perfect.

“…I don’t suppose you could, um, pierce a hole through it.” I murmured, wondering how I would affix it to my makeshift necklace.

The creature stared at me unblinking.

“Um, a hole. Like…”

I did my best to gesture the process of creating a hole, pointing to the exact spot on the shell. I then removed the tendril from my neck – trying not to concentrate on the fact it was a severed limb - and mimed the process of stringing something on to it.

The creature watched intently, and I could see the recognition in their three-eyed gaze as they focused on the tulip shell in their hand. They let out a series of clicking sounds, as if communicating with themself, before lifting the shell to their lips.

The creature's mouth widened to an unimaginable extent, exposing a cavernous gaping maw lined with countless rows of razor-sharp teeth that extended deep into their throat, resembling a terrifying shredding machine rather than the mouth of a shark.

“Oh my g-” I gasped in fear, scrambling back from the edge of the pool.

The creature's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and confusion evident in their gaze. They quickly closed their mouth, retracting their teeth and sealing it shut. The creature's hand, still holding the tulip shell, trembled slightly as they stared at me from the water pool.

I stared back at them, feeling my body tremble against the stone. There were a few moments of heavy silence, before the creature let out a single high-pitched sound, like a wounded question. I felt a pang of guilt, as I realized they were only trying to pierce the shell like I had asked.  

"I... I apologize.” I whispered, voice and body trembling, “It's just... that shocked me. I hadn’t realized you…had quite that many teeth.” I let out a breathy laugh, “No doubt you’re a carnivore…” And then softer to myself, “…hope you don’t eat people…”

The creature's three-eyed gaze softened, and they emitted a soothing sound. One of their many tendrilled limbs reached for me, delicately wrapping around my ankle. For a moment I thought it would forcefully drag me back – my intrusive thoughts fixated on their gaping maw - but it only gently tugged, as if it were saying ‘look.’

I watched as the creature carefully maneuvered the tulip shell, positioning it within their grasp and holding it steady. Slowly they once again lifted the shell to their lips, but this time, their teeth remained concealed within their mouth and the shell briefly disappeared inside before emerging from their lips.

Their three-eyed gaze met mine, and they tilted their head towards me, beckoning me in a puppy-like motion to take it from them.

With a thick swallow, I scooted forward to sit sideways at the edge of the pool and extended my shaky hand to gently take the shell from the creature’s lips.

“…thank you.” I murmured in wonder, as I saw that a small hole had been pierced through the thin opening of the tulip shell.

The creature let out a melodic chirrup in response, and leaned their body forward, resting their elbows on the stone as they peered at me in interest.

I picked up the tendril that I had dropped in my previous panic and eyed the creature.

“Um, so.” I rolled the thin tendril around my fingers, realizing it might be too thick. After a moment of contemplation, I decided to test whether the tendril would fit through the hole in the tulip shell. “Let’s see if this works…” With cautious optimism, I attempted to thread the tendril through the small opening.

To my surprise, the tendril, although slightly thicker than the hole, managed to pass through with a bit of effort. It created a snug fit, securing the shell in place and a strange sense of accomplishment washed over me.

I held it up, extended in my hands for inspection. “Look! A necklace!”

The creature emitted a trilling sound, expressing their delight, and a laugh escaped my lips. They were so strange, and a bit cute, to be so happy over such a silly thing.

“And now, I just need to tie it on and hope it stays.” I said, positioning the makeshift necklace in my fingers, but the creature placed their large hands on top of mine, gently taking the tendril from me.

“Oh, uh, you want to do it…?” I asked shakily.

The creature purred, before leaning even closer to reach behind my neck with both hands. Their face hovered mere inches from me, the lines of bioluminescence in their cheeks pulsing in a hypnotic fashion. I found myself momentarily entranced by the pulsating lights, feeling a sense of calm washing over me.

With a final adjustment, the creature secured the tendril around my neck, their hands resting gently against my skin. Their three-eyed gaze met mine, and a soft trill escaped the creature's throat, a sound filled with satisfaction and approval. They leaned back, their hands slowly withdrawing from my neck, but their eyes remained locked with mine. It was as if they were studying my reaction, awaiting my response.

It felt snug, like a silk choker against my skin. I tried to look down at the necklace but was unable to see it, so I reached up to examine it with my fingers. I noticed with curiosity that the creature had made sure that the shell rested directly in my jugular notch. The placement seemed deliberate and significant.

I looked up to stare at the black stone embedded in the creature’s own neck. “So, is this a…symbol of something?” I asked, intrigued. “…that you rescued me? Or we’re…friends now?”

The creature emitted a low rumble, a soothing sound that resonated within me. They leaned forward to rest their head on the edge of the pool, directly in front of my knees.

I carefully extended my hand, gently stroking the creature's smooth, translucent skin. Their body responded with a soft ripple, as if relishing the touch, and large wispy tendrils emerged on the other side of the water, resting against the other walls of the cave.

"...so we have a bit of a language barrier..." I murmured, as my hand swept over the creature's silky head fin. "But you were kind enough to rescue me, and you seem to understand at least my gestures and emotions."

The creature cooed once more, although I wasn't sure if they were just making sounds because I was, or whether they understood my words. I stopped petting and stared down at them and they opened one large eye to look up at me from their place near my lap.

"Do you think you could take me back?" I asked, carefully. "To land?"

The creature blinked, before nuzzling their face against my hand, as if asking me to continue. I removed my hand, scooting backwards slightly, and repeated my question.

The creature made a disappointed sounding trill and lifted their head from the edge of the pool to stare at me with all three of their eyes.

I purposefully gestured towards the ceiling of the cave. And then mimed swimming to an island the best I could, ‘emerging’ on land and basking in the sun.

The creature's glanced towards the ceiling, but their expression remained unchanged. They emitted a low, questioning trill, but there was something about it that seemed off. Almost deceptive.

I gestured again towards the cave's ceiling, this time with a sense of insistence and urgency. “Land.” I repeated. “Can you take me back?”

The creature's eyes widened ever so slightly, betraying a flicker of awareness that couldn't be concealed. It stared back at me, strangely mute.

For several long moments, the cave was filled with heavy silence, broken only by the soft lapping of water against the pool's edge. The creature's gaze remained fixed on me; its expression inscrutable.

“No…?” I whispered, a sense of doubt creeping into my mind. “…or…do you not actually understand?”

The creature let out a short sharp click.

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back, my eyes fixed on the creature before me. Perhaps the creature's understanding was limited, or my gestures were not conveying my message clearly.

“Where and how did you find me…?” I asked, more to myself than to the creature. “I guess I should just be happy to be still alive after falling like that…”

As I spoke aloud, trying to process my thoughts, the creature's gaze remained locked on me. They seemed to sense my confusion and frustration, though whether they fully comprehended the depth of my words remained uncertain.

“…my family must be so worried.” I whispered, pausing before letting out a cynical exhale of laughter. “…I hope the cruise ship compensates them at least and doesn’t just give them complementary tickets.”

I shifted my gaze from the creature to the pool of water, its dark depths shimmering in the faint light.

“I was on the balcony of my room…I think it was night or…no, it was almost. I was looking at the sunset.” I said softly, struggling to piece together what had led me here. “There was…turbulent water, I think… or at least a big wave and I fell over the railings.”

As the words spilled from my lips, memories of that fateful moment resurfaced, and I closed my eyes briefly, trying to recall the details. The sound of crashing waves, the rush of wind, and the disorienting feeling of weightlessness filled my mind.

When I opened my eyes again, the creature was still there, their gaze fixed on me. They emitted a series of soft trills, a melodic response that seemed to convey understanding and empathy.

I reached out once more, my fingers brushing against the creature's sleek skin. They let out a delighted sounding purr and the tendrils on the other side of the water gently swayed, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and shadow on the cave walls.

"You saved me," I whispered, my voice filled with gratitude. "I don't know how or why but thank you so much. I…I almost died."

The creature emitted a warm sweet sound before effortlessly lifting themself onto the rock shelf. As they settled beside me, their size became strikingly evident, towering over me with a height at least twice my own. Their body showcased a perfect blend of strength and grace, with well-defined muscles and a flexible build.

I clutched my hands tightly to my chest, suddenly feeling very small and fragile in comparison.

"I don't know where we are or how far we are from land," I said softly, gazing up at them with wide eyes, "But if you saved me once, maybe you can help me find my way back home."

The creature cooed, somehow sounding as if they were copying me. ‘Home.’

The word echoed in the cave, carrying a mix of longing and uncertainty. I could sense that the creature understood the weight of that word. Their large eyes locked with mine, as if searching for a connection beyond the physical.

“Yes. Home.” I whispered. “Can you…can you bring me home?”

The creature paused, their three-eyed gaze shifting from me to the pool of water, the depths that held secrets unknown to me. I watched as the tendrils on the other side of the water swayed, clenching, and unclenching like fists.

With a slow, deliberate movement, the creature leaned closer to me. They emitted a deep, peaceful trill, a sound that seemed to convey both reassurance and a sense of purpose. Although I wasn’t sure if they fully understood me.

“…can you take me back home? Back to the water?” I asked, slowly and deliberately pointing to the pool. “And then up?” I pointed at the ceiling again. “Up to the surface? Up to land?”

The creature emitted a sharp click. Their eyes, though still captivating, revealed a strange resolve that sent a shiver down my spine.

“To land.” I said again, my voice taking on a pleading tone. “Please. Do you understand?”

I repeated the gesture a few times, and then pointed to myself.

The creature narrowed their eyes in such a clear look of almost human annoyance that I stopped, feeling my breath catch in my throat.

I could sense a subtle shift in the creature's demeanor, their patience wearing thin. They emitted a deep, resonant growl, a sound that reverberated through the grotto and sent my blood freezing. It was a sound of warning, of boundaries being set.

Silence enveloped the cavern, broken only by the distant sound of water trickling. Their three-eyed gaze remained fixed on me as they sharply clicked again.

My heart sank as the realization slowly dawned upon me. The creature, despite their initial act of rescue, did not intend to take me back home. The hope that had flickered within me began to fade, replaced by a sense of disappointment, confusion, and fear.

"Why?" I whispered, my voice barely audible amidst the heavy silence. "You…you do understand me, don’t you? Why won’t you help me return home?”

The creature's response was a series of sharp clicks, a language I couldn't decipher. Their eyes burned with anger, and I flinched in response.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I whispered, "I don't understand. Why save me if you won't take me back?" The words trembled on my lips, laden with a mix of disappointment and desperation.

The creature's eyes softened momentarily, betraying a hint of remorse amidst their anger.

"Please," I pleaded, my voice trembling with vulnerability as I spoke slowly and clearly, "I am lost, and I need to find my way back to my family. They must be worried sick about me.”

The creature let out a gentle melodic drone and leaned forward reaching out with their long arms to enfold me in a strange embrace. I couldn’t resist as they lifted my body up and onto their chest, their body settling against the walls of the cave. Their touch was remarkably gentle despite their immense size, strength, and alien nature.

With my head nestled against their chest, I could hear the deep beating of their heart, a fast bass-like pulse. The creature emitted a low, rumbling purr, and I could feel the vibrations reverberate through their body and into mine. It was a gesture of solace, a way for them to communicate without words.

I slumped against them, feeling a sense of resignation settling within me. The reality of my situation sank in. I was stranded in an unknown place, with no way of communicating effectively with the creature that had saved me.

“I guess I should be glad you don’t want to eat me.” I murmured.

The creature hummed in response.

“…at least I don’t think you do.”

With each beat of their heart and each rumble of their purr, I tried to find solace in the fact that I was alive. I may not have been able to understand the creature's language or convince them to take me back home, but I was still here, breathing, and safe for now.

[obsessivevoidkitten]

Slippery As An Eel

Yandere Eel Merman x Gender Neutral Reader (CW: Non-con, violent sex, bloody sex, biting, inhuman genitalia, huge dick, stalking, kidnapping, sadistic yandere, merman, eel man, merpeople, magic, general yandere behavior, reader gets broken ankle, dacryphylia, long tongue down reader’s throat) Word Count: 5.6k (Where I live there is still over an hour of May left, and I posted something for Mermay already, but it did not have smut, so I hope this feeds you all well for Mermay!)

Veeris was a merman, part man and part eel. Though most merfolk stayed well away from humankind, Veeris never managed to shake his fascination with them. They were so limited in their biped forms and yet they managed to traverse the skies and the seas. Maybe not so gracefully as a harpy or a merperson, but they traversed these domains nonetheless. And they did such a wide array of behaviors, from what he observed by watching the beach. They were just so fun to watch, going about their days. So small and fragile, but with little to no fear of predators. Veeris supposed that his own kind did a variety of crafts and hobbies too, but the eelfolk were a bit more homogenous than humans, who seemed far less predictable. Maybe it was just that he had lived among his own species so they just seemed more boring, but whatever the reason humans held some kind of spell over him. But there was one human that held his attention in a way that none others did, in a way that made his heart flutter and his thoughts race. And that human was you. It was a slow development, but after a while he became totally enthralled by you. Not knowing your name he dubbed you his "little siren" for getting him so attracted to you. He first saw you when you were picking up garbage from the beach, an activity that wasn't too uncommon as far as humans are concerned, but not totally normal either, it was always a welcome sight to see a human caring about the ocean rather than just polluting it though.   But another quality you possessed that made it so easy for the eel to fixate on you was that unlike the tourists who came and went you were a constant figure at the beach, you were practically a feature of it. And you weren't just a frequent beach goer, you were also consistent in the times that you went. Veeris could almost always predict just exactly when you were going to be there. At that point Veeris was extremely interested and curious about you, but not yet obsessed. What really made him yearn for you was when there was an oil spill. Of course you were a volunteer on the coast, helping to clean up birds that had gotten oil on them. And when he saw that he realized he longed for your delicate hands attending to him, traipsing over and exploring every inch of his body, in the same way that they were diligently cleaning every inch of the wildlife. Veeris tried to temper his passions, he really did. After all, you were a human and on the land and there was no way for him to even get to you, no matter how much he wanted to. Unless... he took advantage of your natural care for sea life. He was sea life was he not? The eel man knew every single inch of every path you took around the beach when you did one of your trash clean-ups. You always started at the south end and ended at the much more secluded north end. He staked the beach out for days waiting for a moment where there were no other humans nearby when you approached the end of your route. As you were going about using your grabber tool to pick up today's wave of never ending pollution you suddenly saw something large wash up with the gentle waves lapping at the shore. Just about 15ft. in front of you now lay a mind bogglingly long merman. Each of his features were striking in their own right. His rippling muscles, the long dark purple hair, almost black, splayed about messily over his face. The blue freckles covering his face, and parts of his arms, and chest. The dark purple scales covering his webbed hands and going up to his arms. But by far his most striking feature was the over 10ft. long tail. It was large, purple, had fins running all the way down its length, and looked oily, it was currently under a net. You saw his sharp teeth as he looked up pleadingly with his dark blue eyes and spoke in a pained voice, "Please help me, I’m Veeris. I was just swimming along when my arm and tail got caught up in this drifting net and I got washed ashore!" You told him your name and said that of course you would assist him! You ran over to him without hesitation, some humans may be scared of the seafolk, but you weren't a bigot! And clearly he needed your help. As you finished removing the net he struck without warning, wrapping you in his long slimy tail before slithering into the water and quickly making his way to his cave. You were stunned for a moment before you started to struggle, but the tail was heavy and muscular, almost like having the largest snake wrapped around you. There was also the little issue of having to contend with not being able to breathe. Just when your head was pounding and it felt like your lungs were on fire you felt the rush of air on your face as he crawled onto the floor of the seafloor, dragging you behind him. You gagged and spit up some water you had accidentally inhaled. "Wh-why did you bring me here?" You managed to croak out. It was practically unheard of for a merman of any type to eat a human but... with human meddling in the ocean fish may be scarce and anyone could be driven to extremes if starving. And those sharp teeth were definitely made for meat. "To be my mate, little siren!" He coiled around you and looked down at you intensely, this was the first time he had ever gotten to see you close up and he wanted to savor each and every little detail of his precious human mate. You flinched as his webbed fingers gently caressed your face. Welp, better than him intending you to be dinner. But uh... not ideal. You feared that trying to reason with him might make him angry and possibly violent, he clearly was not too rational, but maybe some quick thinking could weasel you out of this situation. “Well, um, I have a lot of responsibilities and a job that I have to do. Bills to pay. I can’t just be stuck here!” Maybe a bit flimsy, but maybe he’d buy it? “Ah, but don’t worry my sweet siren, with you being here you won’t have any of those types of worries in the first place! You can just relax and let me take care of you~” Damn, it didn't work. “But this cave is so damp and cool, surely my health will suffer if I stay for too long! And how am I to eat fresh vegetables or cook?” “Don’t worry, my love, I am good friends with the sea witch, Emrul. She has spent time amongst the humans in their form and has used powerful magic to make the next chamber in the cave habitable for your kind!” For the first time you took notice of your surroundings. You were in a huge room, a large portion of which was submerged in water where the cave led out to the sea, but the other portion was smooth rocky terrain. The walls had faintly glowing shells embedded into them with stalactites and stalagmites running together to form large pillars along the farther edges of the room. A soft moss like substance covered the rocky floor in large patches, it was probably of magical origin given that you could see no other way for it to survive here. Glancing behind you you saw a wide corridor leading deeper into Veeris’ den. Veeris slithered closer and grabbed your hand, leading you into the next room. Despite your reluctance to be there even you had to gasp at the sight before you. The room was enormous. The ceiling was a false but convincing image of the sky, clear blue with moving clouds. It was so real there was even a breeze, if it were not for the cave walls remaining the same as the previous chamber you would have been convinced you were really in a scenic location above water. The room was filled with grass and soil and even trees, there was a freshwater pond to give you a water source and in the distance there was a huge cabin, that even Veeris could easily fit into, in the corner with a sprawling garden free of any pests or disease, it was truly amazing. There was even a miniature river for Veeris to cool off in when he needed moisture and when he needed to get from one side of the room to the other quickly, it had arching bridges over it in several places so you could cross and remain dry. “See? Everything a human needs is here! Fresh air, food, trees, plants, food, freshwater, shelter!” Fuck! No dice. There was one last thing you could try. “Well, humans don’t fall in love or move in so fast… not usually… most of us prefer to date for a bit first.” “Date?” “Yeah, where you get to know someone gradually through planned meet-ups! And if you like them then you agree to be mates!” “Oh, so an extended courtship ritual that you need? Okay, little siren, how do we do a human date? I have already watched you for so long every time you are on the beach so I know I love you, but I don’t mind waiting a bit and doing this for you if it makes you more comfortable~” He looked at you and gave a toothy grin that you supposed was meant to be sweet but his sharp teeth gave you chills. But it wasn’t just that grin that made you exceedingly uncomfortable, apparently this eel man had been stalking you for quite some time. Oh god, it was working! “Well, uh, you can take me back up and we can meet and hang out on the beach sometime. I don’t know how your calendar works… maybe during the full moon, two nights from now?” “Okay!” Veeris took you gently and brought you back to the surface, it wasn’t that long, you could have made it yourself in one breath if you had to… assuming you were wearing flippers. Veeris gave you a hug and you said your goodbyes, once he re-submerged into the blue depths you ran home. You hadn’t brought your car since you lived just up the road. You had all of zero intention of going on your date, instead you started looking into new places to live. The nature of your work meant you absolutely had to be near an ocean, it would take some time to pull off but you sure as shit would not remain anywhere near this beach! Veeris, on the other hand, could not wait for his date. In only two days he would court and win the heart of his beloved, he just knew it! He could hardly focus on hunting, eating, or sleeping. He was just so excited, even a bit nervous despite his confidence that he would win you over. When the full moon started to rise Veeris was already at the spot where he first met you. You weren’t there, but that was okay, he had gotten there pretty early in the night in his excitement to see you again. But as the hours passed and the moon reached its zenith, with moonlight dancing on the water you never showed up. Veeris was heartbroken. At first he was depressed, then he was enraged. How could his little siren do something like this to him? He began to go back to his lair when a thought occurred to him. What if something had happened to you? What if you had been injured or hurt? It was the middle of the night, but Emrul was always up performing rituals and spells during the night of a full moon. Veeris knew he would need her help and did not delay in changing course and swimming directly to her dwelling. Emrul lived nearby, in a small stone building carved into the rocky side of a trench, secluded enough to perform her magical research and incantations in relative peace, but also close enough to the people that sought after her unique services. Her perimeter spell had already alerted her to Veeris’ arrival and she was outside to greet him. She looked very similar to him, with the obvious difference that she was a woman. Her scales were also a very dark, almost black, shade of blue rather than purple. She warmly greeted her fellow eel as they both went into her abode. Vials of brightly colored fluids lined her shelves, a cauldron bubbled with a mystic fluid that was thicker than water, and the smell of pungent ingredients permeated the water. “So, what brings you to me at such an hour? It must be important…” “it is… I really need your help...” And, after explaining his situation to her, he got it. A few days later you were in your house getting ready for bed. You had already arranged everything for your move, it wasn’t too terribly far, just 35 miles up the coast. All your things were already packed. You would miss the area, but you had no familial ties and no friends that lived near so that made things easier. You couldn’t stay knowing what was waiting to drag you into the depths. As you turned off the light and got into bed you slept soundly for the first time in days. But you didn’t stay asleep, you heard something outside. You ignored it at first, thinking it was just some raccoon or other such animal roaming about in the dark. But then you heard pounding at your door. You looked through the peephole to see who could possibly be disturbing you at this hour. What you saw made your blood run cold. Veeris, somehow, this far inland. Except there were now two very human legs where his tail should have been, he had no scales, and he was also dressed in very old style clothing. Like an alien who had seen fashion from the Victorian era and wore it thinking it would blend them in with modern day humans. How was he on land? How had he found you!? You ran back upstairs and hid under your bed, hoping that he would think you weren’t home and simply leave. And if he did come in maybe he wouldn’t find you under there. The pounding at the door only grew more fervent, you prayed he would just take a hint and leave but it didn’t seem like a lack of response was going to be enough of a deterrent for the former eel man. Veeris was worried for your safety, worried something terrible may have happened to you, so there was no force on earth that was going to prevent him from seeing you. And he knew you were inside. Emrul didn’t just enchant him with a temporary human form but also let him have a homing crystal that was tuned to the object of his desire. He knew you were inside this human building. Knocking wasn’t working, what if someone had you bound or you were injured and unable to come to the door? With a mighty heave he snapped the door and entered your home, calling out your name as he searched every room. When he reached your bedroom the crystal grew warm and glowed more strongly. You were close. His heavy steps boomed and thudded around you as he checked under your covers and opened your closet. There was now only one place left to check. Veeris easily pushed aside your bed, revealing you huddled up in a fetal position below where the bed previously stood. He picked you up easily and pulled you into a painfully tight embrace. “My siren! What happened to you!? Are you okay? Why did you miss our date?” Veeris was sure there had to be a proper explanation, like maybe you had been ill or someone had hurt you. You only had to get him to leave you alone for another night and then you could find a human mage, warlock, witch, or sorcerer of some type to block out magical tracking. You decided to go with old reliable. In a sickly voice you answered him after a few convincing coughs, “I-i wanted to come, of course I did but… I was so s-sick. I still am. That’s why I was under the bed, I had fallen and couldn’t even get up!” You finished your lie with a few more fake coughs and a slight whimper of pain. Veeris was totally convinced of your deception. Perhaps, as you would soon realize, just a bit too convinced. “Oh, my poor sweet angel fish, I am so sorry that you have been suffering. Forget the date.” Haha, Success! “You clearly cannot be left alone in this condition, don’t worry I will take good care of you, I will make sure you get plenty of rest and all your needs are taken care of!” FUCK! “No, no! You don’t need to go through all of that trouble! I was already starting to feel a little bit better!” You did not like where this was going. “Nonsense, what kind of potential mate would I be if I just left you to suffer! You don’t need to be so strong, you can rely on me.” “B-but the cold water could make me worse!” “Don’t worry, the swim to my cave is so brief that you won’t be exposed long and we can warm up and dry you off in that human dwelling Emrul put in the cave for us! And here, this will let you breathe underwater! It is an enchanted necklace Emrul made for me.” Veeris pulled a sapphire pendant from his pocket and put it gently around your neck before easily scooping you up into his mighty arms. Then he started walking with you right past the broken door and out of the house. You briefly considered screaming for help but there was no one out and about at this hour and even on the off chance someone heard your pleas for help and called the authorities they would never get here in time, and even if that did somehow happen how would Veeris react to your screaming? He could snap your bones without any effort. It was only a quick jog to the sea and when he reached the water’s edge he shed his antique style human clothing before starting the transformation back into an eel man, scales erupting on his arms and legs before his legs joined together and once more became his tail. He held you tight as he slithered into the water and swam as quickly as he could back to his lair. You instinctively held your breath but remembered the charm around your neck that would supposedly allow you to breathe water. It took a lot of will power to force your body to take a breath underwater, but you finally managed to do it and it worked exactly as it was supposed to. You could certainly use this to escape later. Veeris continued carrying you as he slithered into the large enchanted part of the cave. He took you into the cabin and, much to your dismay, stripped you of all your clothing. You tried to talk him out of it but he wasn’t having it, he insisted on getting you out of the wet clothing and bundled up in bed, you were sick after all and apparently humans were supposed to stay dry when sick as per your earlier worry about being exposed to the water while ill. He also insisted on cleaning you up and drying you off. The eel man took a soft rag and gently washed your body of all the water before bundling you up in the softest blankets you had ever felt and having you lay in the humongous bed. Veeris had never slept in a human style bed before, but this one was enchanted to support his full weight and made to dimensions to fit his full size. He found it very comfortable as he slithered into it, fitting you perfectly into his oddly warm coils. You had thought yourself free of this whole mess but now here you were, naked except for some blankets, snuggled up in the tail of a merman who was determined to prove himself to be a perfect mate for you. One day. Just one day and you would have been significantly farther. Not that that necessarily would have stopped him, but it might have. At the very least it would have given you more time. It was hard to go asleep with the massive man surrounding you, but eventually you did manage to get a few shaky hours of rest before waking up to something poking you in your thigh. You opened your eyes to find he was no longer coiled around you and instead spooning you, and his cock had gone erect in his sleep and slid out of his genital slit and was now leaking pre all over you. You feared the size of it, at least he currently thought you ill and hopefully wouldn’t try to mate with you. There was no way that thing was going in without at least some pain. You managed to suppress the urge to push him away from you, but you didn’t want to wake him up and have to deal with him. That task became impossible though when he began slowly fucking your thighs from behind in his sleep. You began shouting and struggling, but it did nothing to wake him. Thankfully whatever erotic dreams were leading to him to such behavior dissipated before he splooged all over you. He finally woke up, with his cock still between your thighs. He blushed and looked away shyly. “O-oh, I am so sorry my little angelfish, I… didn’t mean to uh…, well anyway your clothes are dry now.” But of course, he still had to dress you. You were there for several days, with each day seemingly getting just a slight bit better. You couldn’t stay sick indefinitely, what if he got his magic friend to diagnose you and tell you he was faking? He said her medical magic and remedies were species specific and she didn’t know how to heal humans, but what if he chanced it if you stayed ill? You couldn’t take the risk so instead you gradually acted like you were healing. The entire time he waited on you hand and foot, it was suffocating, he did not even take time to go hunt for himself. Instead he relied on the human food that grew there, even though it wasn’t what he was adapted to. He was overjoyed when you finally “got better.” And you were happy he did not have to be so smothering. No more being fed or bathed or watched over as if you were the most fragile thing to ever exist. When he finally left to go and hunt for the first time since you had been there you had to fight the urge to immediately make a run for it. You had no idea how long he was typically gone, you needed to wait a few days so that you could memorize his outside activities. Veeris, meanwhile, was so happy that his perfect siren had gotten well and was now staying with him. He considered all the time he spent caring for you to be a good substitute for your traditional courtship and dating. Plus every time he returned from any hunting or other necessary outings he always brought you back some gifts, a shiny stone or shell that caught his eye or other such treasures of the sea, and you always accepted and thanked him for these things. If that wasn't successful courtship he didn't know what was. It had now been days since your recovery from your "illness" and you felt that you finally had the ability to accurately predict approximately how long his outings would take. After he left, and when you had figured that he was far enough away as to be out of sight, you grabbed the pendant that allowed you to breathe underwater and started to make your way to the pool that led out of the cave. But in a tragic stroke of bad luck Veeris had found prey almost immediately right outside his den and was already on his way back as you left. Veeris was stunned when he smacked right into you as he was entering the tunnel back to the lair. After a moment of shocked silence he growled furiously and wrapped his tail around you tightly and hauled you right back into the tunnel you had just come out of. Fuck. Everything clicked for Veeris. This whole time you had faked illness to get out of your date with him. But that’s okay, he wasn’t above keeping you against your will. That was, after all, what he had attempted to do originally. You just had to be shown your place while he proved he was the only mate for you. Your fear in that moment was beyond anything that you had ever felt before, you had no idea what he would do or whether or not he would hurt you. Kicking and punching him did nothing to remove you from his thick coils, when he hauled himself out of the water he carried you aloft with the end of his tail and took you back to the cabin. Once there he slammed you hard into the bed, knocking the air out of you. “You were really going to leave me my wonderful angelfish?” He sounded as though he was on the verge of tears. “After all the gifts and how well I have treated you??” “Please just… let me go…” “NO! You’ll be happy here! I’m the only mate for you and we spent so much time together! I just have to show you, just give it more time and I will get you to love me back eventually, okay my siren?” Veeris was unstable, equal parts heartbreak, despair, denial, anger, and love. “I-I hate you, you fucking freak!” For a moment your anger at being kidnapped by this insane merman overcame your fear of him. You regretted it almost instantly. Such blunt words cut Veeris’ heart, causing him great cognitive dissonance. And he was also angered at you being so ungrateful, he had this whole little world in this cave tailor made just for you, when he thought you were sick he took care of you, and he always gave you tokens of love. Seeing the fury in your eyes you backed up until you were against the headboard. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean i-” He pulled you by the legs back towards him as you tried to get away from him. In Veeris’ mind you had to love him, at least on some level, it didn’t make sense that you didn’t. His brain couldn’t entertain the notion. You saying you hated him clashed with his belief and caused him discomfort and pain until he could resolve it in a logical manner. But now with a frightening smirk on his face everything fell into place. He had to utterly dominate you. You didn’t want an overly gentle mate at all times. You clearly wanted him to prove he was strong and worthy. And you were probably in denial about it too. It all made sense. He needed to overpower and ravage you until you accepted it. You flailed as you remained on your back, still being yanked towards him, all the while he stared at you with a very uncharacteristic grin. “V-Veeris?” Suddenly your pants and underwear were torn off followed shortly by your shirt, leaving you exposed under his unhinged gaze. Veeris bent down and used his insanely long tongue to lick all over you, from your neck down to between your legs. His large slimy cock and balls were now out of his genital slit and he was fully erect. The size of it truly scared you. “No! Please! Don-” You were cut off by that long tong plunging into your mouth and probing every inch, gagging you as it explored a bit down your throat. As he did this he coiled his tail around you almost unbearably tight. He broke the kiss and then positioned you to be turning away from him. You could feel his hot cock from behind begin to grind against your very much unlubed entrance. You instinctively flinched in anticipation for the pain, but it only made it much worse for you than if you had tried to relax. Veeris finally finished with the grinding and jammed his fat cock into you unceremoniously. It felt like you had been impaled by a molten spear and you screamed as loud as you could from the pain. It felt as if your hole was being ripped open with how much your body had to stretch to accommodate his dick. With each thrust into you it drove the pain deeper and deeper. Your body would have been shaking with the force of your sobs had you not been so tightly bound by his strong serpentine tail. But his sensitive body was made to detect any and all disturbances in water, so he could feel every sob and gasp and shake, he reveled in it, it was your body submitting to him. As he continued slowly fucking you he licked up all your tasty tears with his long tongue. You were such a beautiful sight, somehow made only more beautiful by your crying and pain. The hurt and trauma of the rape never turned to pleasure, he was not gentle, he was not doing this just for sex. He was doing it to completely dominate you so that you would understand that you were his mate and that he made the rules. He thought it was what you, deep down, needed and even wanted. Veeris refused to go fast, he wanted to savor every delicious stroke of his cock into your blood-lubed hole. You could feel the blood leaking down your thighs, mixed with his precum. You wanted to punch out, or kick, or at the very least hide your head in shame in your pillow to shield your tears from the world and block out the violation that was happening to you. But his body was tight around you, if he was railing you so violently you probably would have noticed the pain the bondage was causing. Veeris kissed your cheek with mock tenderness before whispering into your ear, “You cry so prettily for me my little siren~” Sharp teeth pierced your skin as he bit into your shoulder and then your neck. You blacked out from the pain right as Veeris pumped load after load of hot burning cum deep into your raw abused depths. You woke up over a day later all bandaged up and with a salve that had been inserted inside you to help you heal. Veeris was nowhere to be found. You even called out to him as loudly as you could, though your throat was sore from all the screaming from the day before. No response. You made sure your breathing pendant was still on you, which he foolishly didn’t remove, before hobbling to your feet. You almost collapsed due to the pain, but you pushed past it. Only one short, albeit painful, swim separated you from freedom. You weren’t broken yet. You were crying, your heart was beating erratically in your chest with anxiety, but you still had hope. You could make it. You got to the submerged part of the first room of the cave, your feet at the edge of the water about to step in. Veeris popped up with a splash before you even put a toe in the water. It had all been a test, a trap, he was going to train you to never dare leave one way or another. “Sorry to have set you up like that, but it is the only way you are going to learn your place.” As he slammed you back on to the bed you were kicking, screaming, and blubbering far too incoherently to make out any words. You were sure he was going to rape you again, his cock impaling you and filling you with the worst kind of pain. But he had something a bit more brutal in mind. Your terrified mind couldn’t even comprehend what he was doing as he held your leg with one hand and your leg with the other. Veeris sneered down at you as he twisted your leg in one direction and your foot in the other. There was a sickening snap as he broke your ankle. You screamed louder than you did even when he was fucking you. Mercifully you passed out from the pain and Veeris saw to your injury. He may have taken some pleasure in dominating and hurting you, but he didn’t actually want to cause you harm, didn’t you understand you were making him do these things? No matter, One way or another you would learn you would learn to never try and leave him.

[puppyaulait]

Mermay is over but I technically drew this in May so it still counts

[paintedonmyteeth]

Shark!Michael 🌊🐚🦈

It’s May which means the whole thing w/ Mermay’s going abt on tumblr and I want in so I decided why not do some hcs w/ Michael being some marine demi like a shark??? Was thinking he might’ve been more for a tiger shark or bull shark ngl, but I decided not to deal with species n’ let y’all think whatever on that bit. :))

Long story short, you first met Shark!Michael after finding the guy beached and tangled up in a fishnet. Took awhile to free him and push over with Michael’s stubbornness on having some human helping him out, but you managed to free him some minutes later after wrestling with him to stay still.

Best count yourself fuckin’ lucky he didn’t try to claw your eyes out or bite you by the time you were dragging him back into the water.

Since then, you regularly visit Michael on the beaches to do some swimming and talk more with the merfolk.

Normally, you’d either be meeting Michael over by the docks or sometimes taking a boat out to go a little further from the shore to swim with the big guy or for interaction reasons.

And because of this exposure and interaction with a human, Michael’s whole bias with humans still hadn’t change much but you’re the exception because you helped him.

Another little thing he’s also picked up was in order for showing his appreciation from time to time he’ll bring you some of his prey he caught.

Sometimes small trinkets he found lying around at the bottom of the ocean or near shipwrecks because they reminded him of you.

Does this eventually become some sort of small tactic into courting you? Possibly.

Michael doesn’t talk at all but he can’t help but be fascinated with your personality and your little rambles he gets an earful of whenever you come around for visits.

Another given fact that Michael being a shark, this dude doesn’t like seeing you swimming with other sharks, man’s territorial n’ gets jealous easily. >:((

This also goes for humans. ^^^

If you’re getting into the water for other reasons besides him and relaxation, this man’s not letting you swim with another shark that’s not him.

Of course that sounds cute but he wouldn’t hesitate in murking some other shark because of this.

You may never be aware of Michael’s interests he had picked up with you, it’s disappointing, but someday you’ll find out. (⊙_⊙)

˚˖𓍢ִִ໋🌊🦈˚˖𓍢ִ✧˚.

[twisted-tech]

🧜‍♀️Twisted Mer-may!🧜

OPEN EVENT

Welcome to my month-long TWST Mermay event! I invite all artists to participate, you do not have to follow me or reblog this post (though it would be appreciated).

Duration: The event will run from May 1 to May 31. Please ask if you need an extension!

How to Participate:

🌊~Create an original merfolk illustration for a TWST OC or canon character (please read the rules regarding Jade, Floyd, and Azul). You may also draw my Yuu's merform if you'd like!

🌊~Use the hashtag #twistedtech_mermay23

🌊~Tag me (@twisted-tech) in your post so I don’t miss your amazing designs!

🌊~Include the background and/or the event logo in your drawing.

Prizes: Two winners will be randomly selected and receive art of their design from me! Both will get one fullbody-flat drawing. The winners will be announced on June 1st.

Winners: To see my Wrap Up post where I announced the winners, click here!

Rules:

1. Your drawing must be your own original work.

2. Your drawing must include a merperson.

3. Your drawing must be appropriate for all ages.

4. You can submit as many entries as you like, but each entry must be different. A single post counts as one entry regardless of the number of characters it includes, so create separate posts if you want to do multiple entries.

5. Because Octavinelle already have canon merfolk designs, if you draw them you must create your own, original designs to be eligible for this event. The official designs are great, but I want to promote creativity and originality with this challenge. If only one or two things are different, they still won't be eligible, so don't be afraid to think outside the box, maybe even reimagine them as different species!

6. Your drawing must be related to Twisted Wonderland.

I can't wait to see your amazing merfolk creations!

[mrsrookhunt]

Not me forgetting its Mermay until the last day of May. Anyway, idk if it really counts but now I don't have time for plot planning so have an Azul X Reader.

I really love the idea of present day chubby Azul. Maybe he gained weight over stress, I'm not sure. But you still think he's more than adorable when you see him again a year later.

Leave Me Be

Chubby!Azul Ashengrotto x Reader

Warnings: Angst, Self-shaming, Depression, reader is probably also chubby but maybe I'm just projecting

Traveling to the deepest depths of the Coral Sea was less than easy. Honestly, the amount of potions and formulas you had to drink from weaker mages made you feel like shit. Azul could've done far better for you, but upon your accidental return to Night Raven College through some portal you'd found in a puddle, you'd found that he'd left the school and decided to take a year for himself at home.

You were shocked, but there wasn't much you could do; he wasn't returning your messages. You waited a couple of weeks for school to let out, and had Jade and Floyd take you to his home.

You quickly found out that Azul had moved out of his family's home, into the outskirts of town, apparently, according to the rumors, depressed and ashamed of himself.

Alone, with Jade and Floyd already gone to their own destination, you swam unguided to where you hoped was at least the general direction of his new home.

The other Mers had said his home wasn't easy to miss, but for someone as unsuited to water as you, particularly in these dark depths, a serious worry that you would get lost ruminated in the back of your mind.

Around 30 minutes of aimless swimming later, you saw a dim light in the gloom.

It seemed to glow a dim purple, somewhere off in a hole in the side of a massive rock formation.

Bracing yourself to swim upwards quite the distance, you realized just how massive this wall of rock and sediment was.

It was just a guess.

No one had mentioned Azul's home as being on the human equivalent of a mountainside. But then again, it didn't seem like many people had visited him. They spoke strongly of his gloomy, irritated demeanor, and unwillingness to use his magic anymore. It seemed that shortly after he moved, he began rejecting visitors all together.

You pulled yourself along the rough rock wall with your hands, following the light, which became clearer and brighter the closer you swam.

It was just a guess, but you were certain if there was any place the Azul you knew would hide, it would be far away from others, holed up in a spot where he'd be safe and unbothered.

The relatively small opening to the cavern you were less than a few feet from fit the definition to a tee.

Maybe 12 feet across both directions, the mouth of the cavern felt tucked away.

You took in a deep breath when you reached the edge, seeing the gauzy purple light brighten from within, relishing the strange feeling of water filling your lungs instead of air.

"Azul?" You called out, unsteady and feeling small in the vast ocean around you, hands still tightly gripped on the rough rocky surface.

A small flurry of bubbles, and the light turned off with a tick.

"I'm not accepting visitors at the moment." A voice called from within, annoyance pricking every syllable.

You sighed and valted yourself into the entrance of the cave with relief, not going any farther.

"Did you not hear me? Step out of my home, I have not invited you here!" His tone was sharp and outright angry.

You couldn't see a thing in the dark now, but you could feel the soft swish in the water of Azul's swift movements nearby.

"Zullie, it's me." You called into the dark, feeling unsettled.

A silence seemed to fall over the small space.

"...Yuu?"

His voice shook, a little weaker than he had clearly intended it to come out.

"I've missed you." You said tentively, hoping he would turn the light on already.

"Why are you here?"

His voice was composed and sharp again.

"W-well," it was your turn to stutter. He seemed almost angry that you were here. "I found a portal back to school and.. I found out that you had left, and I just..." Though you tried to keep yourself together, tears began to flow freely into the ocean. "I couldn't leave you alone. The first person I went looking for when I came back, was you."

You could hear the heavy breathing from what you could now identify as across the room.

That swish of movement again, and--

"Leave me be."

"What-?"

"You heard me." He sounded solemn. "Go, Yuu. Go back to school, or go back home." His voice was softened and shaky; you could hear small sniffles.

"Azul, please, I've missed you so much!" He must have heard the panic, the hurt in your voice, but he only sank deeper into the depths of his cave.

"I don't want you here." He mumbled. "I don't want you here, and I'm not coming back to school either. Don't wait for me."

"Zullie, please! What happened? What's made you like this?"

"You have," He grumbled into the waves.

Your voice dropped to a whisper. "Me? What did I do?" You sat at the edge of the cave.

He didn't respond.

"I'll sit here until you tell me," you warned, in a voice softer than you thought you could manage.

The silence answered you.

"Azul.. I'll go. Just, listen for a moment. I'm sorry if I hurt you... I.. I really missed you. I'm so, so sorry, I'm--" You were crying into your hands at this point.

A single tentacle wrapped around your arm and gently tugged it away from your face.

"It's not your fault.. I shouldn't have hidden it from you. Yuu.. there was something I neglected to tell you before you left. I.. love you. And I didn't tell you. And I've regretted that every day since. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to tell you again."

The tentacle tightened around your arm.

You wiped your tears away, a wry laugh escaping from your mouth amongst the remnants of sobs.

"That's.. what I regretted too. I didn't tell you either.. I love you too, Azul."

You crawled closer to embrace him.

The tentacle rapidly whished away, and you heard him scoot back. You stopped in your tracks.

"..Azul?"

"Yuu.." You could hear the pain in his voice. "It would still be better if you left."

"Absolutely not! You can't j-just confess and expect to escape it now!" You protested. "I've missed you for far too long. Please, I don't want to leave you right now."

You grasped in the dark, coming into contact with a tentacle you gently pulled toward you, sensing Azul moving closer with it.

"You.. you won't like me anymore." His voice is breathy and he sounds pitiful.

"Who said that?"

"You don't understand... I'm not.. what you remember."

"What does that mean?"

"I look different."

"Your mer form, you mean? I've seen it before."

"No.. I looked different in.. other ways."

"...What do you mean?"

The air that hung between you was dampened by the cold, lonely feeling of sadness.

"I used to be fit, and beautiful, for a time... but I couldn't keep that up after you left. Now I'm just a disgusting remnant of who I was when you knew me. I've done nothing but indulge myself in treats, forgotten all about ideal caloric intake, I've not exercised or--" His voice was tangibly anxious, fast and unstable. You could guarantee his eyes were glazed over with tears.

You squeezed the tentacle you were holding tighter, watching him quiet as he wrapped it around your hand, shaking and softly crying.

"Azul, are you trying to tell me that you've gained weight?"

"I look disgusting."

You cast your eyes downward with solemn understanding. "I doubt that, Zullie. I can't imagine you could ever look anything other than perfect in my eyes." Your voice was whisper quiet, but his breath still caught at the sentiment, whimpers lessening as you gently ran a finger back and forth over his suckers to calm him.

"Don't hate me." He muttered, suddenly pulling away from you and shuffling to the other side of the cavern again.

Click

The light revealed your beautiful octo-mer, still as wonderfully entrancing and gorgeous as you'd remembered.

He took your breath away. You could hardly even see any imperfections, even now. His stomach was rounder, his arms were less toned, his jawline was softer and his tentacles looked more full than before. But he was still the most beautiful man you'd ever lain eyes on.

His icy blue eyes were filled with tears you couldn't overlook, and before he could say another word, you launched yourself upon him in a tearful embrace, soothing him with soft whispers while your tears intermingled with his into the open ocean.

His tentacles wrapped against you, words of love and passion falling from both your lips.

You put your hands on each side of his face, guiding him to look into your eyes.

"Azul, I don't see any difference. You're still you. And I love you because of the Azul up here--" you pushed a finger at his forehead. "Not because your body has changed. I love you, Azul. And I won't leave you again."

He buried his head against your neck.

"I love you, I love you so much, Yuu..."

"Zullie.. I'm here to stay. Do you hear me? I'm never leaving you again."

He pulled you tighter to him, sobbing once again.

"Thank you... thank you for coming back, Angelfish."

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

May 31st, 2023

Yeah, this was healing, I know I'm not fat but damn I feel horrible about my body :(

-Kaori

[ressjeon]

fish out of water | jjk

pairing: human!jungkook x mermaid!reader summary: your routined excursion to the above world is at risk thanks to the harmless-looking stranger who might still be a threat to the discovery of your existence. rating: nc-17 | word count: 1k genre/au: fluff, modern retelling, fantasy, dark comedy, little mermaid!au warnings/content: alcohol consumption, threats (playfully tho), near-death experience

a/n: to celebrate the official release of the Little Mermaid live-action movie and MerMay, here’s a small thing from me ig cuz i can’t just let this jungkook go. poll who atp sorry y’all i wrote this when i was missing him sm 😭

The moon has always enamoured you.

The clouds around it add to the picturesque of what you could have painted if artworks can be perfectly stored underwater.

Watching it from above water is unparalleled when you’re observing it from underneath. You bask in the moonlight, occasionally closing your eyes and imagining being able to moon gaze like this every night. That would be impossible including staying here any longer as it is strictly forbidden for you to be out here in the open on land.

It doesn’t matter as long as no one discovers you here—

“omg, a giant fish!”

You whirled right away in the direction of the loud voice, spotting its owner, a man walking sluggishly by the seashore towards you. Panic rushes through you at the prospect of being identified, your mind prompting you to think of possible ways of escape.

The position you are currently, sitting on top of the huge rocks unfortunately doesn’t give you much of an advantage to attack him unless he comes near. And he was slurring words that you’re trying to decipher. He doesn’t appear to have any weapons with him except for that strange transparent object in one hand with gold liquor in it. 

You ready your stance the closer he gets, bracing both your clawed hands in front of you. He might use that object or the liquor against you. One of your advantages is the lack of enough light where the scenario would’ve been different had it been during the day. You move your tail behind you so he won’t be able to see it further. 

“oh wait, you’re pretty for a fish!” the strange man starts to giggle as a points at you and you’re in confusion.

Did he just compliment you? Aren’t humans supposed to be scared of your kind?

“i’m not a fish” you declare calmly despite the wave of anxiousness bubbling in you. He may be just a human but he could also be acting all innocent, a perfect bait to lure you to his other comrades that may be hiding somewhere.

Waiting to capture you.

Your father warned you of how vicious humans are so you must not trust him even though he seemed harmless. You’ve looked around and a bit of relief washes through you when you found no one on the shore aside from him. Still, you mustn’t lower your guard. 

You continue to observe the man as he continues to walk where you’re sitting by the rocks. Only then you can see his face more clearly. He’s pleasing to look at, different from the humans that you’ve seen in fishing boats before. Wearing only a plain white shirt, its top buttons are undone which makes him more dashing than he already is. 

The simple loose pants he’s wearing perk your interest as you quite can’t figure out what material it was made of yet. 

“i must be drunk holy shit, i’m talking to a fish” he continues to laugh, smiling brightly while looking up to the sky and you’re getting warier of what he is planning.

You’re running out of time and this man is wasting it. You promised the others that you won’t be that long. You wouldn’t want them to come back and find you in a company of a human boy.

He’s right in front of you now, drinking what’s left of the strange object he’s holding before placing it on the dark sand. You’re surprised that he was able to stand up again, wobbly, sure, but it did not affect how he’s acting around you.

Quite the opposite for you the closer he gets.

Your eyes couldn’t help but follow his right arm, adorned with dark markings, some with colour but you couldn’t see the rest of it since he rolled his sleeves up until his elbows.

“how can i be a fish and talk to you like this?”

The man stares at you with furrowed eyebrows, confusion evident on his face.  Only then that you notice his hair, slightly damp curly that almost reaches the base of his neck.

“i can see your tail” he responds with a bit of clarity now, still confused but his curiosity overpowered it. He’s now trying to see behind the rocks, to see more of what the moonlight can show. He looks adorable, tip-toeing to get a glimpse of your tail and you’re tempted to show him just so he can leave you alone.

Fully revealing yourself could scare him or not but you’ll try. It worked with others before along with many threats. If not, then you could kill him though he doesn’t look like he can harm you in this state.

“i could eat you, but i'm full already” you hiss, trying to sound threatening and staring him down with a glare but the man starts laughing hysterically instead.

"i'm supposed to be eating you since you're a fish" he wheezes as he shakes his head, enough for him to lose his balance.

You catch him just in time and you have no idea why you did. You could’ve just let him fall on the rocks in front of you and call your sisters for another feast but you couldn’t find it in you to let it happen.

“damn..strong..fish” he slurred before losing consciousness in your arms. In a strange way, you find yourself smiling at the stranger’s remarks. He might be well-built but he weighs like nothing to you with your inhuman strength.

Up close, his rosy cheeks are glowing and you’re unable to avoid touching them, feeling the warmth coursing through you. Albeit your body’s much colder than humans, it piques your interest that he feels warmer than the others you’ve held before. You can also smell the bitter scent wafting off of him, leading you to think that all this was because of that golden liquor that he consumed.

You eye the glassy object, looking back and forth between him and it on what to do next. But his face distracts you again, noticing the pieces of jewelry on him. A silver necklace is peeking out underneath his shirt and only his right ear has silver bands on them. You’ve also noticed a ring-like silver metal attached to the right corner of his lower lip.

Is this a new way of putting on jewelry? 

It seems that you have plenty of things to catch up on and this man might help you with it. 

But will he when once wakes up or will he turn out just like the others? 

e/n: i have big plans for this one but we’ll see lmao. lmk what you think tho!

[hetalianskywalker]

Day 1: The Courtyard

Pairing: Merman Rex x Harpy Reader

Summary: A merman and a harpy plan an escape

Authors Notes: Mermaid AU. This is my first Mermay fic and longest fic ever. So sorry if it’s a bit rough. Partly inspired by a scene in the The Last Unicorn.

Warnings: So with them being a Harpy and a Merman, I go with old school myths so drowning and eating people is vaguely discussed. There is also some blood and it gets consumed. Minor Violence. Death, but not anyone we care about. The villain is manipulative and says some controlling creepy stuff.

Word Count: 2791

Prompt: The kingdom by the sea is cruel. A captured mermaid being carried through the castle gates briefly caught the eye of a harpy in a cage above, a glance full of rage and compassion.

Prompt 3243 by deepwaterwritingpromts

The rage in the brown eyes of the merman below you is just as much a comfort as the compassion is. Even when the brief moment ends, the complicated way they make you feel doesn’t vanish. You cast the blonde one last glance as the stormtroopers carry his coffin-like tank into the witch’s workshop.

A part of you worries as the doors shut, leaving you with no access to the only other inhuman in the castle. Perhaps they have brought him for fresh ingredients for the witch’s potions, but you have a feeling he would already be missing pieces of his blue and white fishtail if that were the case. Your talons dig into your perch branch waiting to hear sounds from the workshop as your mind plays through what might happen next. The silence only makes you more queasy.

It is late into the night when a tank, big enough for him to swim around a few feet, is carried out with magic. He looks exhausted, but that’s what having the magic drained out of you so you can’t fight or escape does to a mythical creature. At least he isn’t dead; it has been a long time since you had decent company other than the birds.

“They won’t be able to find you.” The witch simply states. “Especially now that you can’t summon a storm.” Tired brown eyes glare, but he doesn’t come to the surface to speak to her. She raises her hand and you can all feel the spark of magic in the air. You let out an ear piercing screech and the stormtroopers all around cover their ears. Your tormentor’s attention turns to you with a sharp glare, but the spell dies in her hand.

“Do you have something to add, harpy?” She walks till she is right under your cage. “You have been stuck here for years unable to escape. And I plan to keep it that way till the day I die. Perhaps you can explain it to the Mer.”

All rational thought leaves you for a moment. You had been asleep when her and her private soldiers, back before her island had been part of the empire, had stumbled upon you. If you had been awake and not put into an even deeper slumber by the old power hungry witch, this situation would be far different.

Your massive wings stretch as far as they can go within the cage as the wind begins to pick up. You screech as you summon forth all the magic you can at the moment, trying to shatter the iron bars. They bend before your might and for a moment a part of you hopes they will shatter this time. You can see the Mer look up at you in awe and surprise as the stormtroopers shake in fear.

But this is as far as you always come. The sleep spell once again starts to sap your energy no matter how hard you try to fight it.

“Why can’t you get rid of that damn harpy!?” One stormtrooper hisses. “It will be the death of us all.”

The stormtrooper is tossed against a wall in retaliation with a quick flick of the witch’s wrist. The others quickly fall back in line as the witch catches her breath still staring at you. You have now wrapped your wings around yourself on your perch, barely able to keep your eyes open.

“I… caught the last wild harpy. All on my own. No massive hunting party. No army. Just me. And I have held her. I may be mortal…” She moves her eyes to the Mer for a moment before turning back to you. “But my efforts and power shall never been forgotten by creatures held under it. When I am long gone, my memory will live on.”

As sleep finally takes you, you wish she was wrong. You want to say you’ll forget her after finally tearing her to pieces, but you know you will carry these years of captivity like a badge of shame. You wonder what the Mer thinks of you now.

The next few weeks are a struggle. The witch is being careful to drain as much magic as possible from the both of you while still alive. This has made getting to know the Mer, who you found out is named Rex, a bit difficult with one or both of you fighting falling asleep before the night shift guards come out. During the night patrols, there are windows of time where you can speak to each other without being overheard.

However, you both manage to remain awake tonight. News reached the castle that Lord Vader himself is coming. And he has been asking around about Rex. He had bared his sharp teeth at the witch with a growl making bubbles in the water and his claws slowly scratching down the magically fortified glass when your captor informed you both.

“I won’t ask for details.” You speak softly, laying on your stomach at the bottom of your cage. Your chin rests on your forearms as you look down at your Mer friend. He mirrors your position with his arms on the edge of his tank, looking up at you. “But we need an escape plan now. Your brothers won’t track you here in time.”

“I don’t have any details to give you anyway.” Rex bitterly grumbles. “Other than the fact he took over my battalion after the General died, I don’t know why he’s so interested in getting here to me.” This whole situation bothers both of you like there is something more going on. But whatever it is, it is safer to leave than to seek answers.

“I’m still not powerful enough to take human form and whatever storm magic I can perform right now isn’t going to be strong enough to free you or get my brothers’ attention.” He continues, glaring bitterly down at his clawed hands. You watch the powerful blue and white fin swish back and forth in the water and his sharp teeth clench together. Under normal circumstances, being a storm summoner is one of the most powerful subgroups of Mer there are; both of you would be more than a match for the people around you. You understand the frustration.

“I have an… idea.” He looks up at you again after you say that, curious and wary.

“I don’t like how you said that, senaar.” The blunt reply makes you softly smile just as much as the nickname does.

“Have you consumed?” Rex’s brown eyes squint at you before widening in shock. He quickly shakes his head with a look of disgust. You’re surprised to say the least. “You haven’t.”

“We were soldiers for the Jedi Order and the Republic for 3 years and before that I never had the need to.” He answers just above a whisper. Was eating a species weaker than your own so dispised now? It was strange hearing it from a species you had once heard stories of dragging harpies, who hunted too close to the sea, down below the depths. Perhaps Mer traits and instincts were far more affected by the kaminoan alchemists and the Jedi Knights than you initially thought.

“Do you know why your kind once drowned and ate humans?” You move the topic in a slightly different direction.

“It was a deterrent and…”

“And?”

“It strengthens our magic.” He stops to think and then suddenly looks like he would be sick. “And that happens even more so with other magical beings. You’re not suggesting…”

“It’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” You give him a guilty look. “If I could trade spots and have you give your blood instead, I would.”

He looks oddly relieved and it’s your turn to be confused as you begin to make a cut on your arm. You let the blood begin to trickle down toward his tank.

“What did you think I was gonna cut off my hand and throw it to you for a second?” You grumble sarcastically as he takes the first swallow of your blood.

“You did have me worried.” Rex smiles up at you as you both feel the air sizzle with magic. There was once a time where a Mer’s smile would make your blood run cold, but now the sharp teeth just fills you with hope and excitement for what is to come.

The raging storm has the guards and witch scurrying to hold everything down. Your cage swings to the point it’s dizzying, but you don’t care. You don’t need magic to feel that the Mer are coming.

Rex is exhausted after mustering that strong of a storm. The rain slams into both you and there is thunder and lightning everywhere. All there is left to do is wait, basking in the might of a storm summoner.

“Captain!” You jump, startled at a voice being the same as Rex’s. Suddenly there are dozens of Mer scattered throughout the courtyard and on top of the castle gate. They scatter almost as fast as you see them, but a good handful go for Rex. A mix of the Mer language, Mando’a, and basic immediately fills the air as his brothers pull him from the tank.

Magic is exchanged through a simple touch and Rex quickly changes to human form. While he still doesn’t have the energy to walk, it makes him a lot easier for his brothers to carry. Two of them hold him up while a third checks him over. Three more stand guard around them as fighting can be heard in the distance even with the hallowing wind.

“I’m alright, Kix.” You can’t help but grin along with the rest of the men at the tired remark. The medic, that you have already heard one or two stories about, rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll be the judge of that when we get home, but you’re good enough to be moved.” Kix sighs goodnaturedly. They begin to head for the exit and fear begins to bubble inside you.

“Yeah, Commanders Wolffe and Bly are tearing up the ocean looking for you.” You identify him as Jesse from the massive republic symbol on his helmet, helping carry Rex’s left side. He says it like it’s a joke, but it also has an undercurrent of worry to it.

“Wait. Free the harpy.” Rex orders; his men all stop before staring at Rex and then at you. You watch a couple of them gulp.

“You can’t be serious,” the arc mer with an intricate helmet design, who you are pretty sure is Fives, hisses.

“I wouldn’t have made it this far without her.” Rex stares up at you as he says it. You smile back and nod before pointing at the enchanted lock on your cage.

“Please let me out.” You beg, looking to the rest of the men. They all shuffle uncomfortably, caught between feeling obligated to let you out and the fear of the damage you could cause.

“What if she goes berserk!?” You glare at the one with the massive arrow pattern on his helmet, definitely Dogma.

“I can hear you.” You hiss at him causing all of them but Rex to flinch.

“The storm is lifting.” Tup says with a hint of worry as the winds begin to die down; you can see the painted teardrop on his helmet as he tilts up to look at the sky. Even with the fighting still going on in another part of the castle, it was best to leave now.

“I’m not leaving without her.” Rex pulls himself out of Jesse and Five’s grasp only to have Kix stop him from falling flat on his face.

“I’ll do it!” The final clone of the group announces, a little too excited, having already began pulling the lever to bring your cage to the ground. It comes down a little too fast, but you catch yourself on the bars.

“Sorry!”

“Hardcase!” He gives a slightly embarrassed laugh in response, scratching the back of his head.

A part of you wants to be mad; the majority of the Mer around stiffen with the expectancy you will be. However, the quick laugh that leaves your mouth serves to only make Hardcase nervously smile and Rex looks at you understandingly. Your freedom is so close.

Hardcase slices through the enchanted lock and you spring out into the sky, bearly giving him the chance to jump out of the way. You cackle at the feeling of the wind before circling back around to them.

You smile at them. Upon seeing your weren’t going to fall into the legendary harpy rage, they all seem to finally relax. They use their claws to scale back over the wall and the rest of the Mer retreat, having gotten what they came for.

“You never would have gotten out on your own, Harpy!” You freeze at the top of the courtyard wall. Rex turns to look back at you from his place on the ground with the rest of his group. He shakes his head; your mind registers the plea, but you can feel the fury of years of torment take over.

“You are always going to be mine! There is no way for you to ever be completely rid of me!” The witch’s words take hold and you turn around in a blind rage. There she stands, wounded and possibly already dying. It does not stop you from swooping down and ripping her apart. You proceed to do the same for every living person in the castle that night.

You don’t come out of it till dawn breaks. Covered in blood, you rise high above your old prison. You know the Mer and Rex are long gone, but you look around anyway. It was safer this way after all you remind yourself; if any of them had tried to stop you while you were like that, you probably would have killed them. There is a reason, after all, harpies are mostly solitary creatures.

You look toward the ocean and consider flying to the islands of Mandalore. Rex had made the home of the Mer sound like a paradise and you would be welcome to visit when you were both free. You smile sorrowfully before flying in the opposite direction.

It would take you months to gather the courage. You found yourself traveling from island to island, finding the world much changed by imperial rule especially with the Jedi Order gone. It was now your safest option to go live on one of the many outer rim islands.

You found yourself flying toward the home of the Mer without even completely comprehending it. Being a harpy they could always turn you away or even kill you for entering their territory, but you had to see Rex. The last look he gave you still ties your stomach in knots. And you miss him. You deeply miss him.

You meet no resistance as you make it to the massive island. They eye you warily, but none make a move to make you leave. You begin to grow frustrated as the hours pass; there are so many of the Sea Alor’s clones on this island intermixed with the original Mer population and even more spread throughout the island chain, not to mention under the water. How were you ever going to find him?

“Senaar!?” You stop and look down. Rex stands on the beach; his armor gleaming in the sun. It looks like he had just returned.

On pure instinct, you swoop down and crash into him. You wrap him in the tightest hug you can and his own arms squeeze you in turn as he falls backward into the water. You quickly let out apology after apology for everything, but he just smiles as you both sit up.

It is then you finally notice that there are way too many eyes on you. The renegade 501st members and some other rouge mer clones seem to swarm around the two of you and you become too embarrassed to talk.

“I missed you too.” The gentleness of his voice brings you comfort just like it did back in the courtyard. He gently leans his forehead to yours and his hands cup your face.

In that moment, you finally found what you had been searching for since you had been apart. You didn’t care about the witch's curse of haunting you, what the empire wanted, the old wounds between your species, or even your own kind’s long held belief in solitude. You understood one another and the sense of belonging made you feel at peace. You should have come sooner, but you're happy to be here with him now.

[indigowallbreaker]

Hi, Indigo! May I ask for HilClaude with Kiss prompt 36, please? 🥺 Pun intented, and I hope you're having a wonderful day. And that you're enjoying Mer-May!! <3

This ask is from LAST YEAR and since I haven't posted yet for Mermay 2024, I think it's as good a time as any to finally answer you. Hope all is well wherever you are, anon, and sorry for how long this took!

[other mermay prompts]

36. “We can never be together” kiss

--

Claude sat with his feet dangling off the dock, elbows on his knees, leaning forward to keep an eye on the pink dot sulking far under the water. Sooner or later the pink dot would have to come up and talk to him. Once the sulking was over, she would see that there was nothing to be done, and acting like this would just cut into their last few days together.

The pink dot was Hilda, a mermaid Claude had met almost a year ago, who lived near the shores of Derdriu. Since she wasn't human and had little interest in the politics that went into keeping the Alliance together, Claude had trusted her instantly. It was Hilda who knew Claude had grown up in Almyra, about his father and half siblings, about his plans for the future-- Claude had confided all of it to her easy laugh and teasing smiles and sharp eyes.

In turn, Hilda had told Claude about her over-protective brother, the expectations she tried to avert. She showed him trinkets she had made and he read to her from books he'd found in his grandfather's study. Maybe it didn't count because she technically lived in the ocean, but Claude considered Hilda his first Fódlan friend.

And now he was leaving for Garreg Mach. And Hilda was angry with him.

"I really thought you knew," Claude said to the water's surface. "I kept telling you I was leaving for Garreg Mach in the spring. I thought you knew it was far away."

Hilda couldn't hear him, of course, so Claude kicked his feet, hoping the splashing would remind Hilda that he was still waiting. She glared up at him. When they had first met, Claude had been shocked at the colors on her tail-- for some reason he had thought it would just be the same bright pink as her hair. Instead, her tail featured wine red and smoke grey swirling patterns over top pink scales, turning black at her waist before giving way to pale skin.

Pumping that tail under her, Hilda climbed through the water until her eyes broke the surface to glare at him properly. "Is this really how we're going to say goodbye?" Claude asked with a playful lilt to his voice.

Hilda stuck her tongue out at him and ducked under the water again.

Panic washed over him. "I'm sorry!" Claude shifted so he was leaning far over the dock, his braid nearly touching the ripples Hilda had left behind. "Come back! I'm sorry I--"

A pair of webbed hands folded behind his head before Claude could even register that Hilda had one again surfaced. Her lips pressed against his, firm and salty and wet and warm. Claude had to dig his fingers into the dock to stop himself tumbling into the sea or else he would have held her face and kissed Hilda for hours.

As it was, Hilda pulled away after the longest moment of Claude's life. Her eyes were an agitated red. "I'm sorry," Claude murmured, chest aching at the sight.

"You better come back," she said. "I'm too lazy to follow you across the country, you know."

He let out an airy chuckle against her salt-ridden cheek. "I know. I'll see you soon. I promise."

Hilda nodded, though she didn't remove her hands. Throat tight, heart breaking, Claude took one more kiss before pulling himself from her grasp.

This time when she disappeared, Claude got to his feet and turned away. It was one year apart, he told himself-- how much could change in just one year?

[troydonnahughes]

Technically it's no longer Mermay, but it's still May in parts of the US soooo, it still counts! Anyway, this year Bucky is merman. I decided to not give him his metal arm because he's a mythical creature but also l just liked how the skin came out! I knew l wanted to add Namor again, but l really had no clear idea of what l was going to do, so l just improvised. Princess Shuri is chillin' on shore observing these two fantastical beings. I rushed the background, but l might go back and rework it on my Wacom...once l learn how to use it properly.

[daviddrawssometimes]

Day 3 of Mermay 2023 : Twisted

I've completely rushed the shading part, it literally took me like 5min, I was already super late... I'm acting like I'm on time when I'm super duper not at all because here in France it's 8am on the 4th of May... BUT technically we're still the 3rd of May in Alaska so I'm not late It counts...

[violetjedisylveon]

Tour Or Date?

Kaesoka Mermaid AU chapter 4

Summary: The docks are still closed, Kaeden goes to Selda’s until Ashla (Ahsoka) asks for a tour of Raada from her. One-sided Gay panic ensues.

Word count: 1,998

Warnings: implied death, mentions of death.

A/N: Happy MerMay and May the Fourth everyone! I have more gay mermaid stuff for you(even though Ahsoka isn't in her Mer form at all this chapter) and also world building! Yay!

Kaesoka Mer AU Masterpost

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sagen hit the deck with a loud thump, Selda flinched at the force of it, he didn't get up right away. Selda felt colder the longer he didn't rise.

Alameré stared at her husband's limp form, Selda glanced between her hand hovering over his wound and Sagen, he gripped Alameré's hand, her head snapped back towards him.

"He needs you more. I'll be fine." He assured her.

The woman blinked for a moment, then snapped back to her senses and nodded. She ran over the slippery deck to her husband's side and ran her healing hands over his body. Sagen lurched up and retched up water.

Alameré was naturally gifted with healing, and gifted with an intuitive knowledge of the sea. It's why she was, er, had been such a great captain.

The ship lurched, Selda raced to the steering wheel to regain control of the ship. The sea serpent was certainly determined.

It had been stopping anyone from leaving for months, they needed to clear the trade routes, it was blocking some more important routes too.

Alameré was known for dealing with sea monsters, the noticeable lack being part of the reason she had moved to Raada, so she had been contracted to handle it. Of course, there was a reason Alameré and Sagen had given up their seafaring days. Two reasons.

Their daughters.

I will get them back home. Selda swore as he watched his friends stagger back onto their feet.

XXX

Kaeden checked the port, as she had done every day this week, it was still closed.

Odd. It's not closed this long without a reason. She thought.

She made her way over to Selda's, also as she had done everyday. She was starting to debate quitting her sea farming job and working at Selda's full time as an actual employee, she'd get more money that way.

Selda paid about as well as her job did, the only reason she had stuck with such a hazardous job was the pay (and full health coverage for injuries sustained on job), it gave her enough income to cover most of her bills, and Miara's income covered whatever was left and they usually had a little left over for emergencies.

Of course part of the reason Kaeden made that was because she worked so much. She might not have to work as much and about make the same if she switched her job.

All of it depended on if the Empire would let her quit, they might keep her on as a seasonal worker.

She slipped in through the backdoor and found everyone preparing for the day. Miara waved to her.

"Ports still closed?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Guess you'll have to work here again." Miara shrugged.

"If we want to keep the house, yeah, guess I will." Kaeden said.

It was an uneventful morning bussing tables, it passed in a dull blur.

She cleared off a table and took the dishes to the back. She almost dropped the dish bin when she saw who was waiting there.

Ashla was leaning against the wall by the employees only door, she smiled at her.

"Just who I was looking for." Ashla said.

"You were looking for me? Why?" Kaeden asked, struggling to hold the bin up with her shock.

"I was wondering if you could show me around town." Ashla said, giving her a warm smile that made her heart race.

"Why do you want me? To do that, I mean." Kaeden said. Maker, her face was burning.

"I know you, and if memory serves, you don't actually work here." Ashla said.

Kaeden knew she needed to say no, her wages from Selda were less than if she was an actual employee (not enough to cause her any further financial strain, Selda was too kind for that), but they helped her pay rent, bills and food costs without having to take too much from her and Miara's meager funds. Of course when she did her actual job, she added to those small funds.

She needed to say no.

But couldn't.

Something about Ashla was enchanting and she couldn't deny her. It was like the trance sirens put their victims in. Wow, that was dark.

"If you're worried about losing money, I can pay you." Ashla offered.

"You would pay me to be your tour guide? Why not just get an actual tour?" Kaeden asked.

Ashla cocked her head slightly.

"I think you will be far more interesting." She smiled softly.

There was such warmth in her gaze, Kaeden could feel it heating up her cheeks and insides.

"Oh gods, just go with her, you're blocking the way." Viserric, a Mikkian busser, groaned behind her.

Kaeden, horrifyingly, squeaked and jumped away from them, nearly crashing into the wall before Ashla caught the sleeve of her shirt.

I wanna die! She cried internally. She wished she could sink into the floor.

"So I guess you're free?" Ashla prompted with a cat-like grin.

XXX

“So have you lived here your whole life?” Ashla asked.

They were walking down the path towards the main road along the port. Selda was smart enough to build his place further inland and significantly up to avoid tsunamis. Her parents bought a house in a similar location, close enough to see the ocean and any trouble from it, but comfortably away from the tsunami line.

It made her work commute a bit of a pain, but the safety of mind was more important.

The extensive coral reef system that grew around the entire island of Raada helped diminish the effect of tsunamis.

“No, my parents moved here when I was four, basically as soon as Miara could travel they came.” Kaeden answered, fastening her coat against the cold sea breeze.

“Why were they so eager to come here?” Ashla inquired as she swayed down the steps with an ethereal grace.

“Selda retired out here, it was a calm, safe place to raise children away from nosey people.” Kaeden said.

“Prices weren't half bad either.” She joked half-heartedly.

Ashla laughed a bit at her bad joke.

“What do they do?” She asked, looking at her with those mesmerizing blue eyes.

Stop thinking like that! She's a stranger! A pretty stranger but a still stranger! Kaeden internally scolded herself.

“My mother was a captain, she was apparently successful enough to retire young and care for her family. My father worked on her ship. Apparently my mother was quite good at dealing with troublesome sea life.” Kaeden tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Troublesome sea life was what the sea monster that cost her parents lives and Selda’s arm was called when they were contacted to take care of it. In the later years there really hadn't been much difference between the old regime and the Empire, it just wasn't as openly hostile towards the magical creatures.

“What happened to them?” Ashla asked softly.

“They died when I was twelve. They were contacted to deal with a sea monster causing trouble. The sea monster got dealt with but neither of them made it back.” Kaeden said shortly.

Selda had been the one to tell them, she could so clearly remember the moment, she didn't remember the words he said, but she remembered his devastated face, and the bandages on what was left of his arm.

Miara blamed him. Screamed it was his fault and that he should have died instead. Looking back on it now, Selda wished the same in that moment.

“I'm sorry, that's horrible.” Ashla said, gentle and sincere in her song-like voice.

“It happens to everyone.” Kaeden shrugged.

She'd had to adapt quickly to the loss of her parents, dropping from school to take care of her sister's needs. Her mother's library was a sufficient replacement, she had whatever subject she wanted at her fingertips.

“I’m still sorry that happened to you.” Her companion said.

Kaeden looked out to the sea, studying the storming waters intently.

A jet of water shot up, followed by another, then another, close to the shore, much closer to the docks than they normally got.

“Look!” She pointed the pod of creatures out.

“Oh whoa!” Ashla pulled a pair of macro binoculars out of her bag.

“Those are Corellian dolphins! They almost never come near inhabited islands anymore!” She exclaimed.

“Really? I saw them all the time as a kid.” Kaeden commented.

“Was the port this busy when you were a kid?” Ashla asked, not looking away from the dolphins.

“No, it's a recent development.” Kaeden muttered.

Once the Empire showed up, a lot of the stranger sea life fled.

The dolphins left after a few minutes, probably heading to the other side of the island.

“So, is this the only town on Raada?” Ashla asked as they walked through the winding streets. 

The pier was almost completely occupied by Imperial facilities, the local shops and goods started in the street behind that. The Empire had forced a lot of shops to move.

“Yeah, it's the main settlement. There's some fishing villages built up along the east and west sides, they usually come in by boat to sell, but more inland it's either small groups or people who just want to be left alone.” She said.

“And of course a few of the houses closer to the shore are rented out to visitors for vacation, as you know.” She added.

“Interesting, the area you directed me to was certainly very quiet. It had a wonderful view of the stars.” Ashla hummed.

I'm glad I didn't send her to a shitty house. Kaeden thought.

“Who lives along the south beach?” Ashla asked her.

“The southern coves are completely empty, they're really hard and dangerous to get to. I think there's only a few old ladies who live anywhere near there.” Kaeden said.

Her mother had visited with those old folks as regularly as she could for living on the other side of the island. She would bring them freshly made food and produce grown in their garden, Kaeden regretfully had neglected their garden since her passing.

Her mother would bring her, and Miara, when they could handle the journey, her father never came, something about the old ladies not liking him very much. Whenever she asked, her mother would say that they always be aware of the needs of others and be willing to offer help when they needed it.

“Kaeden?” Ashla’s voice shook her from her thoughts.

Ashla smiled that mesmerizing grin and laughed a little, it was a bright, cheery sound.

“I was just asking if you could direct me to the quickest path to where those old ladies live.” Ashla said.

Kaeden stared at her.

“You want to talk to them?” She asked.

“Yes, in my experience the older folk have weirder stories.” Ashla said.

“Oh.” Kaeden scratched her neck uncertainly.

“I don't even know if any of them are still alive.” She said cautiously.

“Would you like to find out?” Ashla asked, leaning towards her.

“Uh… Kaeden glanced away from the memorizing blue eyes, now that she was so close she could see flecks of deep storm gray in the beautiful blue.

“I understand if you don't want to, it just sounds like you've been out there a few times.” Ashla said, leaning back.

Kaeden glanced up at the sky, it wasn't noon yet, and if she hurried, she could be back at a decent time. Yeah, that could work and-

Fuck it, she was lying to herself and she knew it.

She didn't want Ashla to leave.

“Sure, at this rate, the docks aren't going to be open by tomorrow, so what's the harm?” Kaeden decided.

Ashla smiled warmly at her.

“Wonderful.” She said.

She smoothly stepped to the side, gesturing for her to take the lead.

Is this a bad idea? Kaeden ignored the thought.

“Right this way.” She said, gladly leading Ashla to the little used paths to the other side of the island.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sagen and Alameré are Kaeden and Miara's parents.

If you have any questions about this AU please feel free to ask!

May the Fourth Be With You!

VJS Out!

[ducknotinarow]

[2k7 Raph and Toddler!Ariel - try and tell her no Raph I dare you uwu]

Old and familiar mermaid doll tucked under one arm, and a VHS tape held in one hand, she toddled up to her Uncle Raphie. She couldn't talk too well yet, but that didn't stop her from attempting to ask to watch the tape. Using it to, lightly, tap Raph's legs, she got his attention. Tilting her head back, Ariel's eyes were large as she held up the VHS - the cover was faded beyond Hell, but the word 'mermaid' could just about be made out. Safe to say, she had the same taste in movies as her father,

"Unca Waphie?" She speaks up, not quite able to get her words right, not yet at least, "Pwease may we watch the mermay movie?"

| muse Interaction

Raph dropped down into the sewer tunnels, Casey was taking Summer to go see him mom today. And Raph didn't like being stuck in the apartment alone so figured he would take this as a break for some hours. Moving to stand he let his arms stretch out above his head before tilting his head left and right. He would have to wait till it got later in the day before he could have any real fun as he liked to word it. Meaning of course finding some trouble to stomp and stop in it's tracks. Figured he could spend a few hours around his brothers and father. Since Summer came into his and Casey's life he had he sort of moved his life more with his own little family. That only made sense though right? With them being Summer's Dad's and all of course he was going to be with them more. Even moved stuff slowly over time out of his room. There was still some junk in there though? Walking into the lair he found it was pretty quite, only hearing the tv's were playing. From years of growing up with Splinter he knew the opening key tone.

Raphael sort of smiled to himself as he walked on over to the couch Raph sets an arm over the back of it as he leans over to find Splinter on the couch, along him was little Ariel. "playing babysitter pops?"

Splinter turned his head to look at his granddaughter a moment smiling as he pets over her head. Idly saying yes, Don and Von were busy today so he took her it seemed Raph wondered how many damn duffel bags Don loaded off to Splinter then considering how many he gave to him and Casey when she wasn't able to walk around yet. He did see some sitting near by the coffee table but opted out of counting them. Simply rolling his eyes to himself. Ya never change Don is all he thinks to himself. Raphael reached down to playfully ruffle Ariel's hair gaining her attention a moment. "What ya gramps borin' yous with his stories?"

Splinter simply glanced back to his son, Raphael knew the look they were wearing too well. he was often on the receiving end of it as they wave their bony hand now telling Raphael, since he made time to visit he should be productive and finish looking through the stuff fin his room on what to keep and such. Raph hung his beak but moved to push off against the back of the couch. "yeah yeah 'm on it."

Grumbling a little as he stepped away and started to make way to his room. To be fair he had been putting it off for far longer than he should. Splinter wouldn't clear out any of his sons rooms of course, they would always have a home here even if they found a new one. didn't mean they could use their rooms as extra storage. In part Raph could follow the logic, if he kept stuff here it was like he wasn't really moved in with Casey and Sum's. Phone slipped out from his belt as he texts Casey. Simply complaining he got put on clean up duty well checking to see how he and Summer were doing. Raphael, had stepped into his own untouched room as he watched Casey typing back. Told they just to his moms a little bit ago, and Summer was enjoying the time with his mom. Raphael smiled at the picture he sent seemed his mom had decided Summer was staying glued in her hold. One last text telling Casey he would see them when they got home before he put his phone away again looking around at his room.

Mostly it was just his hammock and a random assortment of things he left behind. Stuff he didn't really need but kept hold off like old magazines, some books of his. Hmm maybe take the books at least would like to reread Jurassic park, the movies were fine but he still found the book to be far better. There were some weights, but Splinter and him already agreed on him just making it out into a rec room of sorts. So that could stay he'll keep the hammock up good for naps. Sides still his favorite thing to sleep in. Raph start to walk around and takes a seat on the floor, he'll sort through the magazines. Most were old when he got them so they were ancient by now. Flipping through pages to see if any of them were worth holding on to, he soon felt something tap his leg. Humming he looks to find his niece.

"Whatcha doin' ankle bitter," resting back on his hand so he can lean back to look at her. "Grampa being borin' so ya afta' all so followed me?" He's kidding of course.

"Unca Waphie?"

Looking down ro here he sees that old worn mermaid doll Donatello used to tug around in the same way. Also, in hand, through was another old Donatello momento it would seem. Oh great.

"Not yous too kid."

"Pwease may we watch the mermay movie?"

He looks at her and her large wide eyes and sighs. Raphael counted himself lucky that Summer took to sports over princesses assuming je would never have to see this movie again. Raph moves tonget up and looks over his room a second "I know I had -ah!"

Reaching down to pick her up, "ya lucky I 'ike ya so much guppie." Raphael says as he playful taps the end of her nose with his finger before walking over to his find.

An old TV with built-in vcr player. Crouching down, he holds his niece close as he runs his fingers over the top easily drawing a line in the thick layer of dust that been building up over time. "Hmm" He peers around the back seemed it was still plugged in, so he give the power button a try and to the little girls luck the TV buzzed to life. Great. Raph thought reluctantly as he messed with buttons to get to the VCR settings. "Had to stash a TV in here when ya damn uncle Mikey would hig the TVs." He takes the VHS from here and slips it in. A few second of the vcr spinning the tape before it started to play the movie. "Yup lucky 'ike I said."

Moving to sit down setting Ariel in his lap, he could maybe dip away and leave her be but she said 'we' and Raphael's prettt sure he won't be getting away with not watching it with her with out more puppy dog eyes aimed at him. "But you gotta help me clear later got it, guppie?" He teased again as the old familiar opening started up once again. And he groans a little to himself. "I swear I could dream 'his movie." He idly complains, but he's clearly not moving anytime soon. Reliving all the time, he watched it with his twin, so that dose kind of make him smile a tad.

[faunina]

a super late little entry for mermay: Tuyet and Cetus, from A Queen For The Kingdom, a retelling of The Little Mermaid by @shanastoryteller !