#mer!soren

[honeii-puff]

Maybe I was just hungry for blood

In which Soren has issues. Find on ao3!

Soren thought he was being pretty obvious when flirting with that guy– Corvus. But maybe flirting wasn’t a thing there. He wouldn’t know.

He prefers the water, anyways. Probably for the best he stays there. 

He dove down through the water, his surroundings darkening the deeper he went. A few yards from the shore, the ground dropped, leaving a vast plane of dark water. The fins on his forearms started to illuminate, glowing a soft red along with the swirled pattern on his tail, which had been invisible until now.

As he swam lower, it got brighter, passing other mers who were herding fish. Those who weren’t were probably still sleeping.

He dove into one of the underwater caves, taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to the darkness after being at the surface for as long as he was. The thin membrane of his second eyelid slid out of place, allowing him to see properly.

Claudia was sitting in one of the wall crevices, arms crossed. “You’re late, Sorbear.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry.” Soren apologized. His eyes went to the large enchanted tome in her lap. “Again?”

“You know the drill.” She flicked one of her tentacles at him. A subtle purple glow came from the suction cups lining the underside of them, matching the glow coming from her ear fins, under her eyes, and the fins on her forearms. 

“Why? What’s so great about the surface anyways?” He flopped down on the stone.

Claudia clicked her tongue. “Everything, Soren. You’d know that if you actually went up there for more than a day.”

“I’m perfectly content down here. Here, I don’t have to worry about birds. Or boats. Or walking.” He wrinkled his nose. “Swimming’s faster.”

“So? It’s not about that.” Her ear fins flicked, annoyed. “It’s about the smells and the feeling of the wind on your skin and the dirt under your feet-”

“Don’t get me started on human feet.” The fins under his eyes flared. 

“Regardless. It’s about the adventure, not the destination.” Her eyes glimmered. “Tell me, have you ever jumped off a cliff into the water?”

Soren looked at her. “No. And I don’t think I want to.”

“You should really utilize this gift more often, Sor.”

He sat up. “It’s not a gift, it’s a blood ritual that you and dad do every Night of the Sun.”

“Heart ritual.” Claudia corrected. “There’s more heart than blood.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

“You need to be more open minded.”

“Claudia’s right.” Soren looked over at the cave entrance, seeing Viren.

“Well, gladly leave me out of it this time.” The fins under his eyes flicked.

“You know we can’t do that.” She looked at him. “It needs three people at minimum.”

“Then pick literally anyone else.”

“We already have your blood for it, Soren.” Viren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, the fins under his eyes flaring. “Just don’t use it like you always end up doing anyways.” His voice had an undertone of disappointment or annoyance. Soren had a hard time telling the difference when it came to him.

The dark red glow from Viren’s ear fins seemed to pulse lightly, his gaze going to Claudia. The two of them had this weird code with their fin lights, and it ticked Soren off because he had no idea how to find out what they were saying.

He flicked his ear fins. “Just tell me to leave, why don’t you?” Soren swam past Viren. “I’m going to find Rayla.”

“Soren-” Claudia started, but he was already out of the cave. Immediately, he dived downward, following the edge of the underwater cliff. Soon, the only thing he could see in front of him was the glow from the webs between his fingers and the fins on his forearms, lighting a few feet in front of him.

He ran his hand along the rocky cliffside, making sure not to drift too much as he swam, before coming to a stop. Running his hand back alongside the cliff, he felt a small, sharp shell.

Mussels.

Alright, small detour.

He pulled a small knife from his belt, before wedging it between the bottom shell and the rock, severing it from the rock before stuffing it in the small pouch attached to his belt. He squinted, the fins under his eyes brightening in an attempt to help him see. He saw the vague outlines of the other mussels, and pried them off with the flat of his knife, one by one, putting them into the pouch.

“Boo.”

Soren jumped, his fins flashing brightly as he spun around.

Rayla laughed, her thinner eyelids sliding over her eyes to block the light from Soren’s fins.

“Really Rayla?” His fins dimmed as he tucked his knife away, wanting to throw it at her instead.

“I’m sorry- it was just too perfect.” She cackled, her spiky ear fins flicking.

Soren swatted at her with his tail. “Not funny.”

“Too funny.” She wiggled her fingers at him. Like most midsea mers, she had four fingers, with silvery webbing between them and longer, sharper nails.

“Yeah, yeah, get it all out now. I was just looking for you.” He rolled his eyes.

Her inner eyelid lifted, showing her pale purple eyes, barely having a pupil. “Looked to me like you were looking for mussels.”

“I got distracted! Plus, mussels are good.”

Rayla shrugged, the flaps of her gills flaring slightly. “Can’t argue with that. Why were ya looking for me?”

“Just needing to get away from Claudia and dad.” He wrinkled his nose lightly. 

“Eugh.” She flicked her teal tail. “Let’s not talk about them, then.” 

The two of them started swimming, following the cliff down further before reaching the sandy bottom. Looking up, Soren could still see hints of light from the sun reaching down to where they were, but it didn’t provide all that much light due to the overcast day above.

“What else have you been doing?” She asked, retrieving a bag from behind a small pile of rocks and draping it around her shoulder.

“I talked to a human for a bit.” He glanced back upwards before back at her, settling down on the sandy ground.

The scales under her eyes flared from excitement. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He said his name was Corvus.”

“Like the bird?” She arched an eyebrow at him, picking up a flat shell from the sand, inspecting it under the silvery light from her fins.

“Yeah. He had a notebook with him. Drew a nice sea snail.”

“I hope you didn’t scare him too much.”

“Be glad you weren’t there. He’d be terrified.”

She flicked sand into his face with her tail, causing his thinner eyelids to cover his eyes, preventing the sand from entering them.

 Soren clicked his tongue. “Rayla, Rayla. Flicking sand? How immature.”

“Oh, shush.” Rayla rolled her eyes. “You were asking for it.”

“Was not!”

 “You totally were.” she tucked the shell into her bag. “Don’t even try to deny it, Mister smort longpocket.”

“Okay, that was one time in front of Finnegrin. He was hot and I was improvising.” He flopped down, sand clouding up around him.

Rayla fanned the sand cloud away. “He was not, but okay.”

“You just don’t have good taste.”

“He tried feeding me to a Leviathan!”“...Okay fair.”

[enbykelpie]

some recent-ish sketches that I thiiiiink are missing from my art blog?? ( @kelpiedraws ) that im just gonna upload here for now because I dont currently have the login for it

[victors-grave]

Tye Loe and all his parental figures in his life when he was a child.

I just wanted to draw Tye Loe as a kid being comforted to be honest.

Extra:

[kilfeur]

Claudia et la mentalité de la victime (Claudia and victim mentality)

Si il y a bien une chose que je trouve que la série met assez en avant c'est que Claudia se présente en tant que victime contre les dragons et les elfes. Et en cherchant de ce côté là, il y a des traits qui m'ont fait penser à Claudia ainsi que la mentalité de la victime.

Le premier qui vient à l'esprit est souvent qu'ils blâment leurs malheurs sur les autres. Pouvant même avoir un élitisme moral leur donnant un point de vue noir et blanc. Ce qu'on pu voir avec sa discussion avec Soren. Le fait qu'elle dit que l'humanité a souffert et que les elfes et les dragons n'ont pas levés le doigt à part Aaravos. Ou bien quand elle dit que la magie noire a sauvé son frère. Mais qui aussi n'hésite pas à se montrer cruel contre Ibis voir même sadique quand elle affronte un dragon. Et c'est justement parce que la raison, "elle fait ça pour sauver son père". Mais c'est souvent parce qu'on justifie de tels actes qu'on ferme les yeux sur des actes horribles.

Viren n'en a pas mené large car c'est aussi par son influence que Claudia ira plus loin et c'est ce que craint Viren dans son cauchemar. Soren a pu se détacher de Viren avant qu'il soit trop tard mais Claudia s'y accroche désespérément. Rien que le fait qu'elle ait ramené à la vie montrant ses cheveux devenir blancs suite aux effets de la magie noire. A tel point que ça la consume ! La mort de Viren va plus la mener dans le désespoir. Comme on peut le voir dans le teaser de la saison 6, où on voit son regard vide, elle a perdu son phare, n'entendant même pas les paroles de Terry.

L'un des autres traits est aussi le manque d'empathie, lorsqu'elle provoque Rayla en montrant sa famille coincé dans les pièces mais qu'elle la piège pour sauver Terry. Et elle était prête à partir en laissant Rayla comme ça. Ou bien dans l'épisode où elle retrouve Callum, Ezran dans la mer des bannis. Ou elle joue la carte de l'empathie et ainsi les manipuler. En disant que si ça avait été Harrow, est ce qu'ils auraient pas été tenté ? Mais dés que le plan ne marche pas, elle menace de les tuer jusqu'à ce Rayla coupe sa jambe. Et que Callum annule son sort. Ce qui pourrait s'attribuer des intentions négatives à l'oppresseur où, elle voit plus Callum et les autres que comme des ennemis.

Dans ce cas qu'en est-il de ceux qui l'accompagnent ? Viren était à l'état végétatif ne pouvant pas faire grand chose. Et c'est justement ce qui inquiétait Claudia mais aussi la frustrait car elle voulait se dépêcher pour sauver son père. Elle n'a plus son phare ! Monsieur Bavetout, dans l'histoire courte, on a pu voir qu'elle essaie d'entrer en contact avec Aaravos. Et que l'un des seuls dialogues avec lui était 'L'être qui va émerger de ce cocon est celui qui te guidera vers celui qui a les réponses". "N'aie pas peur, tu es une mage noire puissante. Avec mon aide, il y a rien que tu puisses pas réparer pas même la mort". Ce qui n'aide pas spécialement !

Terry alors ? Il a été une influence positive mais le truc c'est que dans cette relation, c'est que leurs principes et les valeurs morales ne sont pas plus défiés ou bien changer. Terry a toujours cru qu'elle avait une raison pour agir ainsi et bien qu'il a pu l'arrêter quand elle a trompé Rayla en lui donnant les vraies pièces cette fois ci ou bien qu'il l'arrête pour qu'elle évite de tuer un dragon. Et ce sont que des petits moments mais ne changent pas pour autant la mentalité de Claudia pour autant. Et bien que Terry a tué Ibis et que ça l'a fait mal, il arrive à la conclusion, qu'il continuera à ressentir des choses. Quand Terry lui propose de se reposer, elle est sur la défensive ne comprenant pas ce besoin. Jusqu'à ce que Terry trouve la solution de créer un bateau, bateau qui a fait tomber Viren lors de la chute de la cascade.

C'est justement ça que je trouvais qui se diffère avec le Rayllum où justement leurs points de vues envers les humains et les elfes changent peu à peu, ce qui rendait leur couple solide. Quand Terry s'était pr��senté dans la saison 4, j'ai toujours eu cette impression que Claudia voulait remplacer ce vide qu'elle avait avec Terry et c'était agréable. Mais ça dure jamais longtemps. J'avais comparé Viren à un phare, Terry je le verrais comme un ancre qui a permit de garder Claudia. Mais cet ancre est rouillé va peu à peu se briser.

Et dans tout ça à qui ça profitera plus la détresse de Claudia ?Aaravos. Claudia est dans un état vulnérable. Et Aaravos l'utilisera pour justement avancer dans ses plans. La question est ce qu'il va faire exactement ? Va-t-il renforcer sa mentalité de victime en redirigeant sa rancoeur et sa colère sur des innocents ? Ou bien Claudia si elle a la possibilité de lui parler, lui crachera tout son ressenti en blâmant Aaravos pour la mort de son père mais dira que celle qui a perdu du temps à le sauver, c'était elle ?

If there's one thing I find the series emphasizes enough, it's that Claudia presents herself as a victim against dragons and elves. And when I looked into it, there were traits that reminded me of Claudia, as well as the victim mentality.

The first that comes to mind is often that they blame their misfortunes on others. They may even have a moral elitism that gives them a black-and-white point of view. We saw this in her discussion with Soren. The fact that she says humanity has suffered and that elves and dragons haven't lifted a finger except for Aaravos. Or when she says that dark magic saved her brother. But who also doesn't hesitate to be cruel to Ibis, or even sadistic when she confronts a dragon. And it's precisely because the reason, "she's doing it to save her father". But it's often because we justify such actions that we turn a blind eye to horrible ones.

Viren doesn't have it easy, because Claudia's influence will also take her further, which is what Viren fears in his nightmare. Soren was able to detach himself from Viren before it was too late, but Claudia clings to him desperately. Just the fact that she's brought him back to life shows her hair turning white from the effects of dark magic. So much so that it consumes her! Viren's death will drive her further into despair. As we can see in the season 6 teaser, where we see her blank stare, she's lost her beacon, not even hearing Terry's words.

One of the other traits is also the lack of empathy, when she provokes Rayla by showing her family stuck in the rooms but tricks her into saving Terry. And she was ready to go, leaving Rayla like that. Or in the episode where she finds Callum, Ezran in the Sea of Castouts. Or she plays the empathy card and manipulates them. By saying that if it had been Harrow, wouldn't they have been tempted? But as soon as the plan doesn't work, she threatens to kill them until Rayla cuts off her leg. And until Callum undoes her spell. Which could be attributing negative intentions to the oppressor, where she sees Callum and the others as more than enemies.

In that case, what about those accompanying him? Viren was in a vegetative state, unable to do much. And this was precisely what worried Claudia, but also frustrated her, as she wanted to hurry to save her father. She no longer has her beacon! Sir Sparklepuff, in the short story, we saw that she tries to make contact with Aaravos. And that one of the only dialogues with him was 'The being who will emerge from this cocoon is the one who will guide you to the one who has the answers'. "Don't be afraid, you're a powerful dark mage. With my help, there's nothing you can't fix not even death." Which isn't particularly helpful!

What about Terry? He's been a positive influence but the thing about this relationship is that their principles and moral values aren't more challenged or well changed. Terry has always believed that she had a reason for acting the way she did and while he may have stopped her when she cheated on Rayla by giving her the real coins this time or stopped her from killing a dragon. And these are only small moments, but they don't change Claudia's mentality for all that. And although Terry killed Ibis and it hurt, he comes to the conclusion that he will continue to feel things. When Terry offers her a rest, Claudia gets defensive, not understanding the need until Terry comes up with the solution of creating a boat, the boat that knocked Viren over when he fell off the waterfall.

That's exactly what I found different about Rayllum, where their views of humans and elves gradually change, making their relationship strong. When Terry showed up in season 4, I always had this impression that Claudia wanted to replace the void she had with Terry, and that was nice. But it never lasts long. I'd compared Viren to a beacon, Terry I'd see as an anchor that kept Claudia. But this rusty anchor will gradually break.

And who will benefit most from Claudia's distress? Aaravos. Claudia is in a vulnerable state. And Aaravos will use her to further his plans. The question is, what exactly will he do? Will he reinforce her victim mentality by redirecting her resentment and anger onto innocent people? Or will Claudia, if she gets the chance to talk to him, spit out all her resentment, blaming Aaravos for her father's death but saying that the one who wasted time saving him was her?

[every-character-ever-poll]

WEEK SEVEN LINEUP

Soooo. I've been gone a while. What was supposed to be Week Six became more like "Two Months" Six. My bad. I can't promise that random breaks won't happen, but I'll do my level best to not let them become longer than a week if they do (knock on wood - the last time I said "I'll try not to take anymore random breaks" i dipped for a month).

Anyways, here's a very delayed Week Seven! Thank you to everyone who stuck around while I vanished.

Darkiplier - Markiplier

The Puzzler - Generation Loss

The Extinguisher - Jerma's 2022 Holiday Awards Show Extravaganza

The Giant Rat - Rat Movie: Mystery of the Mayan Treasure

Candace Flynn - Phineas and Ferb

Venus aka Kanamori - Heaven's Design Team

Han Ying - Word of Honor

Michealangelo - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

Carrie White - Carrie (all media)

Steve the Trooper - Chuggaconroy’s Pikmin videos

The Thunderhead - Arc of a Scythe

Haruki Nakayama - Given

A - Tomorrow Will Be Dying

Doris Frances Barbara - Blood & Syrup: A Vampire the Masquerade Podcast

Juliet Capulet - & Juliet

May - & Juliet

Castiel Supernatural - Supernatural

Derek Hale - Teen Wolf

Lúthien Tinúviel - The Silmarillion

Potamos - Wedding Peach

Jiang Cheng - The Untamed

Poe Dameron - Star Wars

Asterion - Baldur's Gate 3

Dalian - Dantalian no Shoka

Shulk - Xenoblade Chronicles

Solid Snake - Metal Gear Solid

Zanza - Xenoblade Chronicles

Kuu - Haibane Renmei

Cole MacGrath - Infamous

Captain Olimar - Pikmin

Raku-chan - Nyan Neko Sugar Girls

Annie Wintersummer - Unprepared Casters

Yona - Akatsuki no Yona

Shane Schofield (Scarecrow) - Scarecrow and Jack West Junior

The Medic - Team Fortress 2

Sailor Jupiter - Sailor Moon

Orbulon - WarioWare

Mike - WarioWare

Cure Honey - Happiness Charge Precure

Crazy Barks - Drawn to Life

Ninjini - Skylanders

Cure La Mer - Tropical Rouge Precure

End (Endymion) - Beyond the End

Kansuke Yamato - Detective Conan

Mr. Crow, AKA Aldous Vanderboom - Rusty Lake/Cube Escape

Vega - Street Fighter

Izumi Miyamura - Horimiya

Aldark - Drawn to Life

M. Bison - Street Fighter

Aoi Inuyama - Yuru Camp

Klara - Pokemon

Virginia Lewis - The 10th Kingdom

Muriel - Good Omens

Nene Kusanagi - Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage/Project Sekai

Michiko Malandro - Michiko to Hatchin

Suzuki Shinya - 10 Dance

Miles Maitland - Bright Young Things

Diavolo - Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Burly, Blabberwort, and Bluebell - The 10th Kingdom

Natsume Takashi - Natsume's Book of Friends

Faust - Guilty Gear

Sugiki Shinya - 10 Dance

Cure Finale - Delicious Party Precure

Igarashi Vice - Kamen Rider Revice

Mitsumi Iwakura - Skip and Loafer

The Corinthian - The Sandman

Shizuku Hinomori - Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage/Project Sekai

Mickey Muldoon - The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

Natsuki Shinomiya - Uta no Prince Sama

Sasha Braus - Attack on Titan

Virtue Courtenlock - Krillverse

Goop Lyn - veryextraincorrectfegbaquotes.tumblr.com

Jean-Francois - Bunny Maloney

Tome Kurata - Mob Psycho 100

Seras Victoria - Hellsing

Pang Pawaret - The gifted

Viren - The Dragon Prince

Brawne Lamia - Hyperion

Dai Lee - Let Dai

Haruka Kiritani - Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage/Project Sekai

Minori Hanasato - Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage/Project Sekai

Cube - Gather Ye Power

C-53 - Mission to Zyxx

Cynte - Endoparasitic

Ged/Sparrowhawk - Earthsea

Sniff - The Moomins

Soren Baltimore - Camp Here & There

Mellow - Endacopia

Eunhyung Song - Let Dai

Rufus - Deponia

Sheik - The Legend of Zelda

Lee Ping - Detentionaire

Kasane Fuchi - Kasane

Shigure Sohma - Fruits Basket

Aymeric de Borel - Final Fantasy XIV

Meta Knight - Kirby

Luka Couffaine - Miraculous Ladybug

Satō - Ajin: Demi-Human

Mudkip - Pokemon

Death of the Endless - The Sandman

[dearestones]

Muscle Memory Part Four (Azul Ashengrotto and Reader)

Warnings: Exploration of merfolk culture, elaboration on certain aspects of canon lore,mentions of bullying and discrimination,twi etc. 

@lottieinlimbo Request: Hi Devin!!! Congratulations on the 750 followers :D!! Your writing is incredible, you have more than earned your success!!!! I’m here to steal the final request slot! There were a lot of cool prompts that would have been fascinating with multiple characters, it was hard to choose! But I’m thinking “why did you help me?” With Azul could be really fun, maybe something platonic? I’m really excited to see what you do with this, congrats again on 750 followers!!

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The classic mer was holed up in quarantine with security native to the euphotic zone of the Coral Sea keeping watch. Despite how quickly your supervisor discharged him from the program and separated him from all of the groups, you knew that it would take a few days before he could be cleared to go home. It was a matter of bureaucracy: your supervisor, Soren, and yourself had to make sure that all of your bases were covered. No one wanted to risk angering any of the merfolk from any parts of the oceanic zones, especially those who hailed from the deeper, darker parts of the ocean.

Furthermore, all three of you had to contend with the investigation of the matter, particularly where Azul was concerned.

Apparently, the male classic mer had accused Azul of sabotaging or bullying Adria from staying until the end of the course. (That was completely absurd! You may not have personally known Adria, but from the brief experience of teaching her how to tread water and tolerate the pain of transformation, there was more than enough evidence to show that she was not ready for such dramatic changes in lifestyle).  

Testimonies from a variety of merfolk—both from predator and prey—revealed that Azul Ashengrotto mostly spent time by himself and if he wasn't swimming up to the surface by himself or taking down notes in one of the grottos, he was flanked by two eel merfolk. In fact, those very same eel merfolk were adamant in trying to swim and save their friend, risking antagonizing Soren and had ended up getting entangled in their instructor’s restraining enchantments.

Soren would then tell you that upon reviewing all of the merfolk's profiles, the Leech twins and Azul were supposed to attend Night Raven College by the next school year. A coincidence? Perhaps not, they were all schoolmates in the Coral Sea, so it must have been a case of childhood friends (or something close to the fact when you remembered Azul calling friends "associates").

It was a strange thing: predator and prey beastfolk were arguably friendlier than the relationship between predator and prey merfolk, but you paid that no mind. Even the other merfolk noted that Azul was more than fine to be left alone with the Leeches during mealtimes or whenever they were supposed to rest after their sessions.

Further investigation also revealed that the male classic mer had a history of antagonizing predator merfolk in his hometown, which was astonishing since everyone should have been vetted beforehand. It was outrageous and revealed how discriminatory classic mers towards animalistic merfolk, but you knew that it couldn't be helped. Cultural biases and stigma were things that you could neither control nor stop. However, you noted in the margins of your case notes that some of the assembled mers, particularly the angler fish and other predator species, were distinctly uncomfortable and even apprehensive when they talked about the bullying that occurred.

Another thing to note: throughout all of the accounts submitted, it appeared that only the Leech twins were willing to stick up for Azul.

When you asked Soren what his thoughts were regarding the situation, he shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "I know we had to visit a few sites so we could acclimate to the culture and actually interact and interview various species of mer, but it's kinda like trying to gauge the political climate of the beastfolk or even among mostly human populations. It's all nuanced and there are generations of instincts and primal drives that they have to contend with. Although, if I were to dumb down the situation, I guess we could chalk it up to stress, hormones, and prejudice?" He shook his head. "Any luck talking to Azul? The twins told me... some things, but it's better to get word from the victim himself."

"He's not a victim," you couldn't help but say. Somehow, that word rubbed you the wrong way. Azul wasn't a victim. He was... You didn't know how to describe it, but it wasn't as if he was some passive doll that lay there while he had been beaten and bullied.

There was... a hidden kindness and compassion to him. He refused to hit back and even tried to defuse the situation by trying to put some distance between him and the classic mer, even if it cost him some deep scratches upon his arms.

(Gashes, Soren had told you earlier. They were deep enough to be gashes).

"Well, what do you call it when you're bleeding and rendered pretty much mute because one of your classmates bullied you?"

You thought back to Shelley, how she had a hard time making friends after moving so far away from her native homeland, how she fought to get a place in land boot camp, and the shine in her eyes whenever you decided to surprise her with a human made object.

And then you thought of the cecaelia who was currently huddled in his assigned grotto, magical poultices carefully applied onto his octopus arms, chest, and on his face.

"A survivor," you concluded. "If his treatment was so harsh even under the jurisdiction of a government facility, how much worse could it have been when he was a small child in his hometown?"

Your fellow intern's eyes widened as he pondered your train of thought.

"I think... The worst part of it, actually," he murmured, "is that he's still a child."

Later on, after you filed all of the paperwork and helped Soren tuck away the equipment and take in inventory of all the potions needed—you had to send in a request to another department to replace the water breathing potion and to replenish the medkit that Soren used—you decided to forgo going back to your dorm. 

It was late and word had spread like wildfire inside the facility. A few interns around your age sent you sympathetic looks and even a security guard—someone you only knew in passing—had even asked if you were all right. There was also a smattering of whispers of what was going to happen to the classic mer and if there was going to be retaliation from his family or worse, from the merfolk's government, but you were too drained to even think about politics.

Despite what most people thought, other land boot camps had similar rates of infighting among the mers, despite attempts to mediate and segregate threats. It was simply a matter of cultural differences. Most land dwellers were not as desensitized to violence as the majority of merfolk.

But desensitization to violence didn't make it right.

You strolled outside after telling the security guard that you needed some fresh air. 

As an intern at this particular location, you were already well aware of the paths around this tiny island. Some of them led up to a relatively small mountain that some of your more athletic peers would hike on during the weekends. Another one led to the main port where boats from the mainland would drop off potions ingredients, fresh interns, and supplies for the next two weeks. However, despite these options, you decided to head to the boardwalk where you held your sessions. 

Like yesterday, there was algae floating upon the surface. Every time there was a disturbance, they would glow bright blue and illuminate the dark expanse that was the ocean. Sighing with relief that you were no longer surrounded by the rumor mill and the exhausted expressions of your colleagues, you shucked off your shoes and dipped your feet into the water. At your touch, some algae glowed before eventually settling into its dormant state of darkness. 

Above, the moon was waning, but still full enough to look circular and bright in the sky. 

You were tired and somewhat stressed from the day’s events. Now that the adrenaline had run its course, you wanted nothing more than to slump into your bed and sleep the night away. However, the water called to you. It wasn’t that unusual; often, when you were younger, you would sneak outside to bemoan your worries about first crushes, tests, or other mundane anxieties that plagued your adolescence to Shelley. She’d tease you for being so melodramatic and open about your personal life, but she was always there to comfort you or to make you laugh with her own anecdotes. 

However, she was interning at another land boot camp situated near the Land of the Red Dragon. When she had settled, she had said that it was weird to see her homeland (well, a site close to her spawning site) from a land dweller’s perspective. She was a native from the waters bordering the country, but she mostly interacted with the locals who decided to swim or ride boats on the water. Actually walking on land and seeing what surface dwellers were actually like was eye opening. 

She shared a few stories about a few misconceptions that the land dwellers had about merfolk and in turn the both of you ended up laughing before you had to turn in for the night. 

Oh, how you missed her. 

Maybe she was awake at this time?

You were about to stretch and head back to your dorm, eager to boot up your laptop so you could properly have a video chat, when the water began to burst to life with bioluminescent brilliance. Was there a school of fish traveling underneath your feet? The tide was high, but it was strange to see fish swim so close to the shore…  

And that’s when you realized that it wasn’t a school of fish, but rather one big fish!

A big fish that had eight long appendages attached to a human torso.

A very familiar sight indeed. 

When Azul breached the surface, you were pleased to see that he still had his poultices applied to his face and on his chest. You had yet to check his octopus arms, but you hoped that he kept them on considering those were the areas that had the deepest cuts and were at the most risk of infection. 

“Good evening, Azul,” you greeted. Absent-mindedly, you allowed your feet to gently kick at the water, your continuous movement disturbing the algae so that you could somewhat see Azul with the faint, but beautiful light. “If I had known that you wanted a private tutoring session, you could have asked. Although, under the circumstances, I think it’s more appropriate for you to rest.” 

You kept your tone light and airy, but after seeing Azul regard you with a suspicious, if contemplative look, you sobered. 

“Will I be able to attend tomorrow’s session?”

You thought maybe that wasn’t the question he was going to ask, but you answered anyway. “During your morning lecture, we’ll have one of our medics look at you, but I doubt there will be too much trouble unless you find yourself unable to participate otherwise.” 

The young cecaelia looked affronted that you suggested such a possibility to him. 

Underneath the water, you could just barely make out his arms crossing tightly over his chest. It made you want to smile—he was still very much a child in many respects—but you were glad for it. Unlike the Azul you had seen bleeding out underneath the water, this one was ready to bite back. 

“But I suppose that’s not the only reason why you’re here, isn’t it?” 

He hesitated a moment, but still answered with conviction. “No, it’s not.”

Again, you were not a teacher or a guidance counselor. You were a physical therapist who was only meant to make sure that merfolk were able to coordinate and move their legs accurately and safely so that they could enjoy life on land. You wouldn’t call yourself socially inept, but you felt a little out of your depth at the silence that ensued. 

Should you push him a little to get whatever burden that was weighing him down off his chest?

Or was it better for you to wait it out?

The cecaelia looked like the sort of person who would get down to business at his earliest convenience, so you decided to let him take the lead. It felt nice, actually, to revel in the cool water while a small breeze caressed your skin. After a while, you felt a sleepy haze overtake your senses as your legs ceased kicking the water and your eyes drift shut. 

Despite the fact that you were upright and at risk for falling face forward into the ocean, you remained calm and content. 

You wouldn’t blame Azul if he left now. 

It was so soothing to bask in the moonlight. 

All too soon, though, when you were so lost in your thoughts, the young cecaelia spoke. As always, his voice was low and measured, thought out and precise. Yet, you could detect an undertone of frustration and maybe even some embarrassment. 

“Why did you help me?”

It took a moment to gather your senses, but once you did, you found Azul’s eyes glinting in the moonlight. They were predatory eyes locked on you, calculating and intelligent. 

(You had to remind yourself again, he was still a child).

“It’s my responsibility to look after my students under my care. During my orientation a few months back, we had to go through several workshops where we had to roleplay and practice several situations that may occur in our line of work. One of those roleplay sessions included cases of bullying and infighting.” 

You remembered one of those sessions clearly. 

Some of the interns at this facility were actually merfolk and they had volunteered to shed their human skin for their fins and tails. It was a relatively short exercise, and they were clearly pulling their punches, but it shocked you to see how fast they could move under water. How they seem to be ruled by instincts that most humans forgot, but most beastman and fae embraced in privacy. 

One wrong move, you realized, and even the docile classic mers could easily take you in a fight. 

The protocol was simple. Incapacitate and separate. 

If an instructor was magicless, they were supposed to alert the attention of those who were. 

But most of all, timing was of the essence. 

You acted quickly as you could, but as you surveyed the cecaelia who kept most of his torso and lower body underwater, you wondered if you could have been faster. How long did you hesitate when you realized just how brutal young classical mers could be? How much precious time did Azul have to endure thinking that no one would help him?

You shook your head. 

It was no use thinking about it.

“No, not that sort of help.” Your eyes had become somewhat adjusted to your dim surroundings, but you still had to squint to see your student still floating in the water looking straight up at you. As a question was about to spill from your lips, Azul smoothly cut in, confidence now apparent in his very being. "You didn't hesitate to get him off me. Later, after that debacle—" His voice hitched, his delivery broken, but you knew better than to say something. "—I heard you talking to security and the other instructors. You... you believed me, defended me even. W-why?"

Dark as the night may have been, you could clearly hear how he tried to regulate his voice. There was a sort of raspy scratchiness to the timbre, as if he were trying his hardest not to break down crying. Furthermore, when you happened to catch his eyes, he averted his gaze and ducked below the surface of the water.

At first, you had thought that he had gone, but a brief disturbance from below illuminated the algae. The bioluminescent glow revealed that the cecaelia was still with you, only that he had chosen to submerge himself. That's right, you couldn't help but remember. A lot of merfolk from the deeper oceanic zones were usually shy and preferred the dark.

To afford him some privacy, you averted your gaze away from the water and instead directed it to your lap.

Sound always traveled faster and louder underwater, so you knew that even if you didn't shout your words, he could still hear you.

"You know... I have a great friend, Shelley. We grew up together after she moved from the Land of the Red Dragon. She's shy and suspicious of strangers—like you—" You couldn't help but admit through a chuckle. "—but she was also loyal, dependable, and very creative. She was always self-conscious about her family history and who she was, but I always loved her, because to me, she was simply my best friend.”

You quieted for a moment and finally revealed the truth.

"She was also the first mer who I helped walk on land. Without the transformation potion." Underneath, you could practically see the cogs turning in Azul's head with the way his body perked up in curiosity. You could practically hear him ask in scandalized curiosity how that was even possible. "Not in the way you think. She's a cecaelia, just like you, actually. Late at night, I would sneak out of the house and I would help her crawl around the beach. I was her spotter, but it's not like I was much help at that age. I would keep a bucket filled with seawater with me to splash her if she felt too dried out, but for the most part, she wanted to explore and push herself to her limits—see how far she could last without going back to the ocean.

"It was no surprise when her persistence eventually paid off. She got herself into a local boot camp and I was so very proud of her."

You paused, letting the memories of her laughter and strong arms (all ten of them) squeezing you gently and with as much affection as she could muster.

"I don't think I ever grasped how different and deadly cultural divides between mer species were. Up on land, it's a bit more apparent among the different types of beastfolk and the fae. Even humans are also prone to discrimination and prejudice. But with Shelley? I loved her so much and I hadn't thought what it must have been like to be a cecaelia in a world where merfolk with animal counterparts were considered lower than classic mers."

Your fingers squeezed the wood of the boardwalk, the splinters digging into your skin.

"The first night after her land boot camp, she swam all the way over to my home island and cried in my arms. The transformation potion had caused her so much pain, even greater than the times sand would get stuck between her suckers or when the irritation of the beach grated against her skin. What was worse, most of the merfolk who attended that particular land boot camp were all classic mers who were from the euphotic zone." You bit out a harsh laugh. "Talk about a fish out of water, huh? When the instructors were out of reach, they judged her for her long arms and how it took longer than most for her to get a grasp on her limbs. They whispered insults and bullied her relentlessly. The instructors must have not suspected a thing or they ignored her because Shelley would continue visiting me every night of her land boot camp experience and every time..." Your hands tightened their grip on your uniform. "Every time she looked so heartbroken and she was so close to quitting."

You hadn't realized it at first, but then you became all too aware of the trail of tears that ran down your eyes and onto your cheeks. Hastily, you wiped the evidence away with the back of your hands, sniffing a little to try and calm yourself.

"So, I helped her. We would work on the exercises to strengthen her lower body and she bribed one of the instructors for extra doses of low grade transformation potion. We would practice together for hours until the early morning. I can't imagine how tired she must have been because she had to swim back to the land boot camp, but it was worth it in the end." You sniffled again, pride in your voice. "She graduated with flying colors and attended university with me as an anthropology major. She's not stationed here, but at another land boot camp, but she's having the time of her life."

A pause.

However, it wasn't exactly filled with silence.

Over the course of your tale, you had staunchly kept your head bowed and your eyes closed to sink deep into your memories. Despite that, you knew that Azul had begun to show himself above water if the flickering of the algae behind your eyelids was any indication. It wasn't until you felt a stray octopus arm brush against one of your legs—an accidental touch if the sudden jerk away from the contact was evidence enough—were you finally face to face with the young cecaelia.

Up close now, you saw that his cheeks were stained with ink and that his eyes were rimmed with a faint blue flush.

An instinct you fought to quell from rising out of its slumber threatened to make itself known: you wanted to pet his hair and wipe away his tears. (You had often done this for Shelley and the feeling became all the more apparent because of your recent perusal of childhood memories).

What was that called again?

Muscle memory?

Your hand twitched, but you only let your hands splay out on your lap to relieve tension.

“Did you help me because I remind you of a childhood friend? Out of pity?” He tried so hard to sound calm, but you could hear the anger at the perceived slight. 

It didn’t matter, you had foreseen this happening. 

You smiled sadly and murmured, “No, I helped you because I know that there are multiple issues regarding accessibility. Between the transformation potions that cause you guys so much pain to the inherent discrimination and segregation among merfolk, and of course, the potentially harmful misconceptions that land dwellers have about you guys… I just want to make a difference and make it easier for people like you to fulfill your dreams in a safe and encouraging environment. I can’t do much outside of this facility, at least not yet, but I want to do my part to make sure that every student who passes under my care gets to live the life that they’ve always wanted. Adria may not have been ready to become human yet, but at least she knows now the sacrifices that must be made and the hurdles that have to be crossed. And as for the other mer who bullied you,” you settled a heavy gaze at him, silently making him promise not to spread rumors, “he has been blacklisted from the program. He could try again in a couple years, but he will be put on probation first.

"So, to answer your question, I helped you because I want to do good for the sake of doing good." You placed a comforting, gentle hand upon his shoulder—the only point of contact you could make without risk of getting reprimanded. "And because it is part of my nature to help others; call it muscle memory or a reflex if you will."

Azul gazed at you for a long time after that, his bright blue eyes unmistakably wet and gleaming with an emotion that you could not pinpoint. You added just a little bit of pressure upon his shoulder before you let him go. At the loss of contact, the cecaelia drifted away from you—a clear sign that it was time for you to leave as well—but before he ducked below the surface, he had one last thing to share. 

“I won’t forget this,” he said resolutely. There it was again, the confidence of someone he was still growing into. A young man who was going to be successful and powerful—no matter what it took. “I promise, I won’t.”

And, just like that, the cecaelia was gone. 

You weren’t sure what he was promising exactly, but you had the inkling that if the both of you were to meet in the future after land boot camp, he would be in favor of helping you with your cause.

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Tagging: @missam

[PART ONE] [PART TWO] [PART THREE] [PART FOUR HERE]

If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

TWISTED WONDERLAND MASTERLIST

[kalgalen]

i just think iaus would b good at braiding hair

[littleghostarts]

soren 15? (merperson)

Just a curious sea creature with a lot of questions :D

not gonna lie i focused more on trying to pick a design rather than going into real detail so I’m sorry if this hasn’t turned out as good as the others ;u; I’m gonna let you guys guess what kind of creature his design is based off of~ ;3 

[celestialmango]

May I ask which Soren fics are you working on or have partly done? Not to ask you to speed up or anything, just being nosey and wondering 😅

I dunno if shark mer count as sirens but I'm almost finished with shrimp reader but found I'm going to need to add trigger warnings like fatal, hard, blood and gore due to Sun and Moon well, I'm going to be blunt, take bites out of another smaller shark till there's nothing left and the hints of what happens to the other 🦐🦀s they were with at the time(all strangers however, setting starts at a feeding ground reader had found the other crustacean mer at.

Still haven't gotten any farther with the jellyfish mer problem so I'm probably going to scrap most of it and weave the key point scenes into a picture slightly different than the original.

[necrolentil]

Blue koi fish

[sorenxnader]

status: closed for @vera-lynns​ location: the mermaid museum 

   Now that he was (mostly) settled in town, Soren had been eager to spend some time with his makeshift family of selkies - it made sense, to him, that they should all stay close in this new place. After all, they had one common goal and plenty in common with each other, and after spending a month on a deserted island with Scylla and just the others like them, he was beginning to miss the presence of these new friends he’d come to care so much for. 

   He’d invited Vera to the Mermaid Museum with him, both curious about the place and what it could have inside, but also figuring that since he hadn’t found his mer to spy on yet, he could help Vera out with hers. Rumor was, the North Atlantic leader was the operator of the museum, so it was a classic two birds, one stone situation. As he strolled up to the quaint museum set up against the water, Soren gave a cheerful wave to the friendly face waiting to greet him.  “G’morning!” He smiled in a sing-song tone as he approached, taking a moment to give her a look over. It was interesting to see how all of the selkies were sliding nicely into their own personalities with the newfound freedom to do so. “You’re looking good! Do you like it here so far?” 

[honeii-puff]

Sea foam woman on the shore

In which Corvus talks to Callum. Read on ao3!

Corvus took his time walking back up the stairs, along the side of the cliff. He didn’t have anywhere to be, as far as he was aware, but the beach, the place he went to get away from people, felt oddly lonely.

He snorted lightly at the irony as he reached the top. The sun was still stuck behind a blanket of clouds, but it was warmer up here than it was on the beach.

“Corvus!” He turned and saw Prince Callum jogging down the brick street towards him, several books stashed in his arms. “Hi!” He said once he caught up to Corvus, breathing heavily.

“Hello, Prince Callum.” He nodded in greeting, and he waved him off.

“Please just call me Callum.” 

“I don’t think I’m legally allowed to do that.”

“Well, I’m giving you permission to.” Callum gave him a half-smile as he walked alongside Corvus. “Tomorrow’s going to be your first Night of the Sun in Katolis, right?”

“More of first one ever.” he responded. “I’m not around water often, so I’ve never really partaken in its celebration.”

The prince’s eyes brightened. “Then I’m glad you’re here. It’s so much fun.”

Corvus gave him a small smile, pulling out his notebook. “Tell me about it.”

Callum glanced at the notebook in his hands“Are you gonna write it down?”

He nodded. “Just in case I need a refresher later.”

“Alright. Well, it starts at sunset, when the moon starts coming up, since that’s when the magic starts working due to it being the only night where the full moon and the sun are seen fully in the sky. It’s all in the castle, everyone’s invited and it lasts until the sun rises, which is when the magic ends, I think.

“Seafood is served, which I used to think was insensitive, considering they’re half fish-”

“Half orca.” Corvus corrected gently, writing down what Callum was saying.

“Half what?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Half orca. Or mollusk.”

“What the hell’s an orca?”

He shrugged. “No clue.”

“What book d’you find that in?” Callum asked him.

“Oh- uh, not a book.” He glanced over at the ocean beside them. “I talked to a mer earlier. Apparently it’s a common misconception.”

His eyes brightened. “Did she have a teal tail and purple eyes?”

Corvus frowned lightly. “Uh… no. He had a red tail and blue eyes. Nice company though.”

“Oh.” Callum glanced at the ocean before looking ahead, sounding a bit disappointed.

“...Is there someone you were hoping on seeing?” He gave the prince an amused look.

“What! No, I-”He sighed. “...Yeah. But please don’t tell Aunt Amaya, I’ll never hear the end of it from her and Gren.”

“I promise.” He gave him a small smile. “So… who is she?”

“Well, her name is Rayla,” Callum started. “She’s a midsea mer. A bit scary, but she’s really nice to talk to. She has good jokes.”

“I’m glad you made a friend, Callum.”

“Is she really a friend if I’ve only met her once?”

Corvus looked out back at the ocean a final time before answering.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

——————————————————————

“So, are you gonna tell me about the mer you met?” Callum asked him a bit later. They were now walking through the town marketplace, a colorful and bustling area that Corvus didn’t find himself in all that often outside the necessary trips.

“What do you want to know?” He answered, picking up an orange and looking at it for dark spots.

“What was his name?”

“Soren.”

“Age?”

“Around mine, I think.” He shrugged, putting the orange back. “I didn’t ask.”

“What color were his fins?”

“Red. Like his tail.”

“Really?” Callum tilted his head in thought.

Corvus looked at him. “What?”

“The only mers around Katolis with the normal tails are midsea, which have silver, and surface, which have gold. I don’t think he was from around here.”

He raised his eyebrows, flipping open his notebook to the mer page.

-Midsea mers have silver fins

-Surface mers have gold fins

“Which do you think he was, then?” He asked the prince.

He paused a moment to think. “Lagoon? Or cave spring, but that seems a bit more unlikely.” He bit his lip. “Oh! He could be a reef mer also. Was his tail one solid color or more of an ombre?”

Corvus thought back to Soren and his blood red tail. “Definately solid.”

“Lagoon mer, then. Reef mers have more veriety in their tails to blend in with the coral better.”

-Lagoon mers have fins that match their tails

-Reef mers have multicolored tails (blends in with coral reefs)

“What else d’you want to know about him?” Corvus asked the prince.

“Was he nice?” Callum asked, and he nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, he was nice.” I think he was trying to flirt with me. “He said he had to leave because he was meeting up with his sister.”

“I wonder why there are lagoon mers near Katolis…” His lips pursed in thought. “Maybe you’ll see him tomorrow night.

Corvus shrugged. “Maybe.”

Part of him hoped that he would. He liked talking to Soren. He was funny. Like, genuinely funny. Not one of those times where you feel forced to laugh because everyone else was laughing or because you felt bad.

He hadn’t felt like that in a long time. Longer than Corvus cared to admit out loud.

Out loud, he said. “Maybe you’ll see Rayla.”

Callum’s face flushed red, hiding behind one of his books before looking at one of the stands, something catching his eye. He picked it up, and Corvus peered over his shoulder to look at it.

It was a hairpin, with the end shaped like a crescent moon, made from a spotted sea shell. The prongs were made from silver, and looked like it was made to hold up a lot of hair.

“You gonna get it for her?”

“Maybe.”

He gave the prince a knowing look, and he sighed. “Yeah, yeah. But, only if you get Soren something.”

Corvus rasied his eyebrows. “You’re the one with a crush here.”

Callum gave him the same knowing look. “Really?”

“Shush.” His eyes scanned the market table in front of them before noticing a small ceramic statue of a sheep. It was a creamy white with dark brown horns that curled like a ram, and very cute.

Corvus picked up the small statue, and Callum raised an eyebrow. “Sheep?”

“Uh– Yeah. He told me about how they herd fish, and compared it to herding sheep.” he explained to the prince. “I think he’ll like it.”

“Well, then I guess I’m getting this.” He gestured to the hairpin, and Corvus gave him a small smile.

“I guess you are.”

[dork-empress]

So the 6 different sources of magic seem to have corresponding elf...races? IDK how that divvies up, but each one has certain magic associated with them, so I am going to spitball (read: Pull out of ass) what they do. 

Moonshadow: the one we know most about. Their magic is stealth, illusion, misdirection, and at the height of their power, invisibility. They are the night, creatures of darkness, probably a little nocturnal.

Sunfire: We know them mostly by their creations, the dagger, and at one point Soren drops the name “sunforged armor” which is presumed to be good armor, so sunfire elves are crafters. they are very resistant to heat, and can...i dunno breath fire or something. probably not that last one, I don’t want them to just be firebenders, but they’re definitely crafters. 

Skystorm (now I’m making up names): Clearly have wings, there are little snippets of winged elves. Very light, light-footed, with a good for wind changes. I hope they also have bows they can use with their feet because that would be awesome. I don’t want to say ‘control the weather’ but thats probably where their powers lie. Maybe they have a thunderous roar or something.

Starlight: (I saw this name somewhere, i don’t know where they got it from) this might be a little out there, but I’m thinking some kind of mind-powers, Really powerful ones may even have some level of telekenisis. Alternatively, some oracle-sense, being able to tell future events, because thats a thing that has to do with the stars. 

Oceanwave: MER-ELVES. Or, well, I don’t think they have tails, so they’d just be kinda amphibious, with gills and such and underwater kingdoms. 

Earthstone: very good at tracking, knowing the land and what lies beneath it, and probably very good with plants as well, expert gardeners. 

I want to give them all powers on-level with the moonshadow’s invisibility, but I’m not sure beyond element manipulation, which is just a little TOO ATLA for me. but what do I know?

[plcuvoir]

slurred words for soren (-:

send ‘slurred words’ to have my muse describe yours whilst drunk || CLOSED !

“rory!” soren sang from across the room, weaving his way to her and her friends and practically throwing himself across her lap, laughing loudly. “my beautiful, sweet, sweet girlfriend -- i love you,” he murmured against her skin, pressing kisses to whatever was closest. was this her shoulder? maybe. he just closed his eyes though, leaning against her and practically purring like a cat. “ you’re so precious and so... so small! this is why you need to eat breakfast, rory -- are you listening? you need to let me feed you more,” he babbled, because that’s what he was like when he was like this -- just never shutting up. “mer pannkakor! du behöver mer pannkakor!” he declared loudly, laughing to himself and reaching for her, pressing his forehead against hers. “du är så vacker och du är för snäll mot mig. jag vill aldrig lämna dig någonsin. okej? aldrig, min kärlek, aldrig.”

[youremymiracleelliot]

Between The Sea And The Stars || review

** Firstly, I received this book for free, provided by Parliament House Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. **

In summary, I really enjoyed to read this book which is the first installment of a series called the "Lena series", a title which definitely could be more outstanding. To be honest here, I was quite disappointed in the name Lena chosen for the main character while there were others, especially the mer people with so, to my mind, extraordinary names. Anyways, it's Lena.

Talking about the characters, they were the reasons which kept me kind of glued to the book. I think, the plot itself, though it started very captivating (maybe it was just my admiration for the mer world), after Lena had become a human, I felt calm down and instead of having much action, there's a real ton of feelings and developments among the humans in the center of the plot. Actually, I had hoped for more thrill. Luckily, I at least got it in the end when I literally raced through the pages! And then it was over! I was pretty shocked because this cannot just end in such a moment, when there are so many questions on my mind, and a few worries left behind!

The plot, well, I wouldn't say it's necessarily predictable, though being sort of a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, there was no single moment which caught me off guard or blew me away. No moment which made me grin or laugh, or that superior feeling when my favorite rocks the scene. It was a comfortable read, that's it. Some scenes, additionally, were a bit off. For example, how could lord Jarl simply sneak into Edwin's chamber in the middle of the night and why did no one hear Lena scream? Also, I found the change of Jace's behavior kind of odd, though lord Jarl could be the reason... Hm.

The protagonists were real gems to the story. Each of them was unique and I didn't dislike a single one of them. Even rhe bad guy. I hope in book 2, he'll turn out to not be simply evil because this would be a disappointment to me. My favorit character was Javelin. Seriously, I fell for him on first and actually, his fate touched me the most, in comparison to all other happenings. Between Jace and Soren, I can't really choose. I'm actually most worried about Jace because it is not like him not to keep in touch with his family...

But I can tell, needing to know what becomes of them, is why I will definitely read book 2 when it's available.

Watch the book trailer

[dearestones]

Muscle Memory Part Three (Azul Ashengrotto and Reader)

Warnings: Exploration of merfolk culture, elaboration on certain aspects of canon lore, bullying, mentions of blood and gore, etc. 

@lottieinlimbo Request: Hi Devin!!! Congratulations on the 750 followers :D!! Your writing is incredible, you have more than earned your success!!!! I’m here to steal the final request slot! There were a lot of cool prompts that would have been fascinating with multiple characters, it was hard to choose! But I’m thinking “why did you help me?” With Azul could be really fun, maybe something platonic? I’m really excited to see what you do with this, congrats again on 750 followers!!

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To be clear and frank, you were a physical therapist interning at a government facility on a small island not many people knew about. You were not a teacher. You were not meant to be someone others sought out for counseling. That said, you did attend a workshop about empathy and you completed a semester on the principles and strategies of health education. If pushed to it, you could teach a class on how to prevent injury during exercise and what to do after recovering from hospitalization, but you wouldn’t say that you were qualified to settle petty squabbles between teenagers. 

The day started out like any other. You woke up, went into the cafeteria after grooming yourself and had enjoyed a meal that was savory and warm. After a cup of coffee, you retreated into the labs to take stock of the recently delivered potions and reviewed your notes from yesterday. The session with your batch of merfolk wasn’t until the early afternoon (mornings usually consisted of lectures on land culture, reviews of previous lessons, and perhaps a few quizzes if their instructors were so inclined), but you wanted to be at the top of your game. You were one semester away from graduating and that meant that you couldn’t tolerate any mistakes. 

Soren, an early riser like you, teased you for studiousness until you reminded him that he was the same. 

“I always wake up early.” He defended himself. “Unlike you, though, I happen to be spending most of my time playing games.”

He then shoved his phone in front of your face until you were assaulted with images of famous idols dancing and singing to the most popular music. Try as you might, you ended up spending a half hour watching memes and making crude jokes before the both of you finally settled down. 

At some point, your supervisor had bustled in, face shiny with sweat and her eyes preoccupied with important matters that you and your fellow intern had refrained from making a smart comment or a joke. It was clear from the beginning of your internship that while your supervisor was nicer than most, there were still limits to her mercy and that if she showed signs of taking her job seriously (not that she ever fully let her guard down since there was always a risk of lawsuits), so should you. 

Upon seeing the both of you, she charged forward and set a sheaf of documents upon the lab table. As one, both you and Soren took in the contents and then—

“Damn,” Soren whistled. “You seriously weren’t kidding when you thought one of yours would end up quitting. I thought the second day quitters were a myth.”

Your eyes traced over the letter that she had submitted. It was well written, if a bit hastily scrawled, but there was a hidden strength in your classic mer’s words. It was brief, but Adria conveyed how happy she was to have received this rare opportunity to attend land boot camp, but she realized how much commitment and sacrifice it took to live between two seemingly different, uncrossable worlds. After explaining that she was not strong enough to continue with the rest of the training, she ended up thanking you personally by name. 

After confirming that you were done scanning the letter, Soren turned it over to find that there was a signed NDA. 

Of course, there was no need for bad press considering nothing bad happened yesterday. 

Just a scared little girl who needed more time to process. 

“You get used to it, Soren.” You put Adria’s file into a cabinet for future safekeeping. Knowing the bureaucracy and red tape that governments were so fond of, you didn’t doubt that they had already scanned and uploaded the letters and pertinent documents into a virtual archive. “Some merfolk love the idea of getting legs, but don’t understand how much pain and willpower it takes to achieve it for full time use.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved you off. “I saw you eyeing the other groups yesterday. What do you think? Other quitters in our midst?”

You shrugged, not wanting to contribute to such negative talk about the merfolk. It wasn’t their fault that accessibility to the transformation was fraught with complications and pain that had not yet been fully circumvented. 

“I think all three of mine are staying… and if I’m not mistaken, I think your twins are staying too.”

Soren rubbed the bridge of his nose before shooting you a dark look. “If you say it, you’re manifesting it. Shut up.”

“Isn’t it our job to convince them to stay?”

“Shut up!”

After a brief lunch, Soren, your supervisor, and yourself made your way back to the boardwalk. Today, the three of you were early, which meant that you and Soren were busy splashing each other in the water while your supervisor studied the beach for any misplaced trash or pretty shells. She wasn’t strict, relatively speaking, but it shocked you sometimes to see that she could look so approachable when she wasn’t busy delivering live demonstrations or lectures. 

Pretty soon, though, your brief fun was cut short when your students began swimming in from their underwater dormitories. You had only been down there once during orientation: it was a series of grottos and underwater caves that could be lit or kept dark depending on the type of mer’s preferences. The bioluminescence was controlled by magic that could be invoked by a simple incantation. For those who were magicless, they simply needed someone to aid them. 

Once again, you stationed yourself upon the far end of the boardwalk, your three mers either floating or trying to wriggle up the boardwalk to paw at the cooler. You gently nudged the interloper away (the angler fish was a tad more mischievous than you thought she would be) as you stated that no one should be messing around with equipment especially provided by the government. Rules were supposed to be enforced, you reminded all three of them. Even if they meant no harm, it was still best to err on the side of caution. 

Potions could be volatile if not handled correctly and the risk of drowning was still high even if they were born to swim. 

“With that out of the way,” you took a peek at your roster and pulled out the second name on your list, which happened to belong to the angler fish, “since Azul was so kind to volunteer himself to be first yesterday, we’ll have Pacifica as the next volunteer.” 

The teenagers snickered amongst themselves as the angler fish mer steadily drew herself up to the boardwalk and held out a clawed hand. Carefully, you gave her the vial and watched as she neatly uncorked it and tipped the contents into her gaping maw. 

Like yesterday, it was apparent that she was in great pain. However, while your assigned spotters had to make sure that she remained upright and above water from the previous session, she had enough presence of mind to grasp onto the boardwalk and breathe steadily through the pain. As expected, she had become a little more tolerant of the pain. 

“Excellent,” you praised her. She beamed up at you, sharp teeth still on display, but you were confident that you were not in harm’s way. You turned towards the rest of your students and waved them away. “I’ll focus on her for now just to make sure she remembers the basics. Keep to yourselves and don’t bother the other groups.” 

At their nods of assent, you retraced your teachings of treading water, which would hopefully lead into learning how to float and swim in the water. 

For a while, it seemed that all was going according to plan. It had been almost five minutes and she was already showing considerable growth in both her speed and reaction time when it came to her human body. The angler fish mer was resilient and keen on trying out how to swim and had been excitedly clicking her jaws in delight when she began to sniff the air experimentally. 

Most animalistic mers, particularly the predators, had a keener sense of smells than most humans and were on par with both beastman and several species of fae. Of course, with the addition of the transformation potion, you would think some senses were muddled, but every mer that had taken the potion had mixed results concerning what was lost and what was retained. 

Even the mermaid princess had lost her voice before her father had given her enough magic to return it to her. 

That said, you wondered what had caught her attention. Was it a prospective meal? Or—

She snapped her face towards you and for once, you felt yourself gulp at the serrated teeth jutting out of her mouth in an overbite that could only spell trouble. 

“Someone’s bleeding.” 

You felt the chill of reality envelope your entire being as you surveyed the area. Every worker at this facility, especially the ones who worked closely with the merfolk, were aware of the risks. Prey could be just as dangerous as predators if pushed, which meant that even the most affable of mers needed to be taken seriously. 

You helped the angler fish mer into the boardwalk to keep her out of trouble and so she could start splashing the water to keep her active before you scanned the water for any anomalies. So far, nothing, but you could tell that the other two groups were becoming antsy. 

Hurriedly, you approached your supervisor, her aged face wrinkling in dismay. 

“One of my students smelled blood.” 

She nodded to you, immediately understanding the situation. Her batch of merfolk consisted of the older generation with one other who was closer to you in age. Under hushed tones, she gestured for them to keep themselves and to continue treading water. One of the older male merfolk spread his arms wide, treading the water without holding onto the boardwalk for support.

Your supervisor hurried over to your fellow intern, who was busy trying to stop two—two?—eel merfolk from dashing away to your side. You wanted to check out why they were so agitated, but your own batch of merfolk required your utmost attention. You only saw the brilliant flash of dark green tails diving underwater before Soren began barking out orders to resurface.

Three predators to one prey.

That would make at least nine predators in the entire group and if the eel merfolk were any indication, that would mean at least seven others were going to be just as restless.

Thankfully, your angler fish mer was sitting rigidly on the boardwalk, her feet submerged but motionless under the water. You couldn't blame her for not training her muscles. Her face, while expressionless, was stone cold with concentration and you saw that every time she flexed her fingers upon the wood of the boardwalk, bits and pieces would flake off into the water. It was apparent that she was doing everything she could to not move from this position.

The scent of blood must be close.

As much as her restraint filled you with relief that she wasn't moving anywhere, you were still very much aware that you had three students because one of the classic mers quit. Where was the other classic mer and the cecaelia?

Your mind immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario. Had the cecaelia finally decided to bite back at the classic mer? Strange, you could have sworn that there wasn’t any animosity in the group yesterday, except for the wary tension between the cecaelia and the angler fish mer. The fright from Adria yesterday shouldn’t be an impetus for today’s mishap, right? She was gone and as far as you knew, the other classic mer hadn’t itneracted with the cecaelia at all. 

Despite your racing thoughts, you didn’t want to waste time. 

Diving into the lowermost portion of the cooler, you picked up a vial that was to be used only in emergencies. It was a potion that helped surface dwellers breathe underwater. This single vial was horribly expensive, but the effects were immediate and could last up to an hour if used correctly. You had no time to recall your training; you took off the stopper, threw back the potion, and then dove into the water once your mouth began to close and gills carved themselves into your neck. 

Another thing that was great about the water breathing potion was that it mimicked what it would be like to have heightened senses like a mer. Humans or any land dweller wouldn’t gain fins (not unless they had a true transformation potion), but they could hear, speak, and breathe underwater. Eyesight was also heightened and there were some people who thought that their sense of smell was also strengthened, but there was still research done into this topic. 

Because these potions (alongside the transformation potions) were highly regulated, you had only used this potion at least five times before. The first three times were due to practice and to acclimate you to its effects should you need to dive (literally) into an emergency but the last two were because… 

Sometimes, the screening for the merfolk was not stringent enough. 

It was rare, but sometimes a few bad eggs happened to slip through the cracks. Speaking ill of other land boot camp operations wasn’t a hobby of yours, but during those two emergencies, you knew for certain that sometimes, the stress of adapting to new things combined with basically competing with other merfolk facilitated an environment that could potentially lead to infighting. Most operations made sure to group merfolk based on the zones they came from, but it was most apparent between the pelagic and benthic zones (although, it was rare for mers to come from the deepest parts of the ocean). 

Most predator and prey mers had long since learned how to coexist in an uneasy truce (quite like how the different species of beastfolk learned how to live under one rule), but it wasn’t uncommon for fights to become deadly. 

Equipped with that knowledge, you allowed yourself only a few seconds to get used to the sudden physiological changes in your body, before opening your eyes and heading towards the source of the merfolks’ discontent. 

What you saw shocked you. 

Underneath the waves, you had expected to see a trail of red blood drifting like spilled ink throughout the underwater environment. However, what you didn’t expect to see was thin, whispery swathes of royal blue wisps dancing in the water and spreading like wildfire. You gasped, shocked, as you traced the royal blue liquid to the source…

What was even worse than the sight that you held before you, was the shouts and keening whimpers from the two merfolk who were currently locked in battle.

Actually, that was a mistake of perception on your part. 

It wasn’t a battle or even a struggle for that matter. 

At the bottom of the sea floor, the cecaelia was curled into himself, his limbs protecting his torso and his head. Two of his octopus arms were loosely curled around the tail and torso of his attacker. At first glance, one would think that Azul was squeezing tightly, but it was quite apparent that even if he were doing that, it was out of self defense.

The remaining classic mer, a male, was biting and punching at Azul's arms, his nails somehow piercing through the thick skin that was slick with slime. Azul, was trying to curl into himself while simultaneously extending the arms that held the classic mer far away from himself. Due to his efforts, it seemed that most of the damage was concentrated around those two main appendages, but you saw the same tendrils of blue blood lazily stream from scratches upon Azul’s pale chest and upon his cheek. 

You were horrified. 

For a moment, your body refused to move, your eyes wide with horror. However, just as you were stuck floundering with what you had to do (your inexperience as an intern inevitably rearing its head for the first time in a long time), your eyes were caught by a pair of bright blue pupils. 

Azul, who was trying to curl into a ball and stem the blood flow from his wounds, seemed to shy away from your gaze. Despite the helpless situation that he was in, you couldn’t detect a cry for help or even the same sort of determination that you often associated with him considering how much work he put into kicking and treading yesterday. No, instead, you were stunned into silence at the resignation that lay heavy in his eyes.

All too soon, Azul's gaze drifted back to his attacker, the grip that his arms had on the classic mer gradually slipping from the effort that the other mer was using in order to both escape and attack.

"Stop!"

Without so much thinking of the consequences, you uttered a short incantation meant to incapacitate and another to separate the two mers. Although you didn't often advertise your adeptness with magic, magical proficiency was one of the few skills that was guaranteed to get you far. Technically speaking, you didn't need to know magic to become a physical therapist (be it for the merfolk initiative or not), but it was a boon to have. In fact, with the way you raved about merfolk culture and how much you wanted to help out your dear friend Shelley, your parents and other close friends thought that you would participate in the science of transformation potionology with your ample supply of magic that coursed through your veins.

That was simply not the case.

Potions were one thing, but they were notoriously complicated and it often took years of experimentation and trials before change could be enacted. For someone like yourself, you wanted to be an inherent part of a mer's experience when it came to helping them adjust upon land. You had your eyes set upon physical therapy long before you knew what it meant. 

Helping Shelley was the step in the right direction and you had kept walking that same path all these years.

In a way, aiding merfolk this way had become nothing short of muscle memory: unconscious and immediate instinct honed from practice.

The invocation of a third level spell was more than enough to tear the merfolk apart while also simultaneously pinning the male classic mer to the ocean floor. Satisfied that your magic would hold, you furiously swam to the cecaelia, fully intent on scanning him for injuries.

Amidst the shouted obscenities, threats, and slurs against the cecaelia, you heard baseless accusations of Azul driving the other classic mer away from the boot camp. In helpless resignation, you could only watch as the young wounded mer curled into an even tighter ball now that all ten of his limbs were free to protect himself. Had you not been paying attention to him the entire time, you would have thought that he was melting into the ocean floor with the way his skin effortlessly blended in with the environment.

One of the masters of camouflage, you remembered reading from your mother's textbooks. Second only to cuttlefish.

"Azul," you whispered. You tried to speak louder, to overcome the angered yells from behind you. Normally, you would cast another minor curse amid the other spells to shut the classic mer up, but your mind was too frazzled and you were more focused on Azul's comfort than on the other mer's anger. Furthermore, you hadn't seen a reason to bring your magestone with you, often opting to leave it in your dorm room because you rarely used magic. Because of your lack of foresight, though, the sting of blot was only barely noticeable against the backdrop of anxiety and stress.

Breathe, you had to remind yourself as you had so often reminded your students.

In through your nose.

Out through the mouth.

"Azul," you said again, but you were not surprised to note that your attempts yielded no reward.

Before you could beat yourself up, you instead focused on the blue blood steadily drifting from his wounds. Despite the fact that his limbs were tightly around himself to make his body look smaller, you were able to separate some of his octopus arms so that you could assess the damage by gently rubbing and patting his skin, careful not to apply too much pressure or to move erratically.

Of the arms that he decided to loosen around his body, he only obliged with six. For the rest of his appendages, he continued to hide his face away or to wrap his torso and tighter and tighter... almost as if he were hoping that he could become a rock to accompany the rest of the landscape.

As you continued to clinically catalog all of the scars that would have to be noted in his file later, you heard your supervisor speaking to the classic mer while Soren swam up to you, his face lined with worry and in his hands, a medkit.

"That bad?" You muttered.

Soren sighed.

"The paperwork is going to be worse."

Together, the two of you tended to Azul while your supervisor called for security and the immediate removal of the classic mer from the land boot camp program.

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Tagging: @missam

[PART ONE] [PART TWO] [PART THREE HERE] [PART FOUR]

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