#mermaid's curse

[nanabansama]

Hi! so I was just wondering about Nene and Hanako! you know that Nene is a ningyo and the story says that her husband grew old and died and she lived a long life ! Do you think something like that can happen in the story? If Hanako can be human again and they get married or something like that !?

Hi! You must be talking about the story Yao Bikuni. Yes, in that story a girl eats the flesh of a ningyo (Japanese term for a half-human, half-fish creature) and becomes effectively immortal. She stays young and marries several men over the course of multiple centuries, but after seeing so many of her husbands and friends die she becomes a Buddhist monk. Then she travels the land helping others and planting camellia trees before eventually she perishes in a cave at 800 years old.

Some fun similarities to the story of TBHK are that a girl eats part of a mermaid, said girl lives EIGHT hundred years while Yashiro's last name infamously contains the kanji character for 8, and that the girl in the story is connected to the camellia, a commonly recurring flower in TBHK and one heavily associated with Hanako/Amane in particular. Indeed, when you examine all of this together, it's hard to imagine that AidaIro wasn't a bit inspired by this story.

To answer your question, I think it's possible that things could end up like you say. But just eating the flesh is what made the girl from Yao Bikuni immortal, while all eating a scale did for Nene was give her the ability to turn into a fish and bind her destiny to Hanako's. Optimistically we could take this to mean Nene will be saved from her premature death and that somehow, the Mermaid's Curse means that Hanako can't leave her and they get to live happily ever after...but considering the story of TBHK already contains several differences from Yao Bikuni, I wouldn't be surprised if things take a darker turn.

On the other hand, Yao Bikuni is still quite tragic since the girl has to watch all of her friends and family die while she stays forever young, not so dissimilar from a ghost...so maybe cursing Nene to such a fate is still somewhat dark in itself. Considering Hanako also ate the scale of a ningyo, though, maybe he would be her sole companion? That would be more bearable. :)

Thank you for the ask! I actually didn't know about this story beforehand and had fun picking it apart. Maybe you guys have other theories of what could happen based on the Yao Bikuni story?

[goldenkid]

'there's something so bad the tardis ran away' as if the tardis doesn't run away all the time. like the tardis lands feels bad vibes and fucks off till the end of the episode. one time the tardis dematerialised because she didn't like a mermaid. the stakes do not have to be high

[maudiemoods]

MERRMAYYYY!! Yay redesignsssss

No blue background under cut

I really love them 🥹

[cowboys-bones]

I drew this back in April based off the wonderful @strawberrys-starship's mermaid AU, but I thought I'd post it for Star Trek Day!

[snobgoblin]

unfort birds and snakes don't have ears or i would've done more but this was fun

[artsbytawari]

T'was not in fact mermaid month But you know what that's fine It is always a fine month for Mermaids :3

[methoxyacetyltryptamine]

little mermaid a$$ reference 💀

[maclanahan--mermaid-comics]

Cursed from being bad at [Making Sandwiches]

[lennsart]

Most of the wips I write these days can be summarized by "Legend gets hurt in fucked-up ways, and then he gets hugs" :)

(I'm fine shhh)

But I had this sitting in my drafts, and it's like the comfort part to a hurt/comfort, except I didn't like the hurt part, so posting this probably doesn't make sense, but.. I just wanted the boys to hug

Context + snippet under the cut !

Basically, Legend has been abducted for ransom (I think it was inspired by a whumptober prompt) and he didn't have a stellar time there. The rest of the chain rescues him, but they're worried he'll wake up confused at night, so they decide to watch over him. And they're supposed to take turn, but they all kinda end up sleeping next to him :)

Have this little Four POV that I quite like and feels like it can be posted without context :

Four expected to see two people in the room. One awake, that he would be about to replace, and the other asleep, that he would watch.

He hadn't expected three sleeping dudes.

He had to pause and go back to the hallway to laugh, muffling his chuckles in his sleeve. Of course Sky would have wanted to hug Legend and would have fallen asleep. Of course Hyrule would have let them, and promptly fallen asleep as well.

When he came back in and carefully closed behind him, he noticed with fondness that Legend, at least, looked perfectly content. He was sleeping on his back, Sky hugging his right arm, and he held Hyrule's hand with his left.

The traveler was mostly on the ground, head and arms on the mattress. Four winced ; that couldn't be comfortable.

Alright, he gave up (as if he hadn't as soon as he noticed them). He'd watch them three sleep, if only to gush about how cute they were tomorrow.

(He hoped Wind would bring his pictobox for his turn of watch in the morning.)

He got on Hyrule's side, and gently nudged him. This one hummed sleepily.

" - Shh, don't wake them up. " Four whispered. " Hop in.

- What...? " the traveler asked in confusion.

Four bit back a laugh at how asleep he sounded.

" - Get in the bed. " he ordered.

Hyrule may not really understand what was happening, but he didn't need to be told twice. He climbed in, wincing when he moved his legs, and abandoned Legend's hand to hug his waist, resting his head on his stomach.

The veteran softly hummed, but didn't fully wake up.

Four sat on one of the scarce empty spots of the bed, giggling to himself. He was happy that this watch had taken such a sweet turn ; he had expected to get lost in his own mind, trying to understand how they could have let one member of their group go through that. 

...

Instead, he had three sleepyheads cuddling, and he would trade for nothing in the world.

The last free spot on the mattress, above Hyrule and next to Lege, was probably too small for someone to sleep there.

...Well. He was small too, and mostly slept curled up anyway.

But, no ! He had decided he'd stay awake. No matter how comfortable those three looked, no matter how much he'd like to hug the vet, too, he would fulfill his mission.

Legend's hand opened and closed in his sleep, and he extended it further. Four blinked, and reached with his left hand. 

In a second, he was trapped, Legend satisfied with the hand he found and holding tight onto it.

...

Alright, that wouldn't be comfortable to stay sitting in this condition. Plus Legend looked like he wanted the smith to stay, and his goal had always been to watch for him, right ?

He curled up in the little free spot, his hand still in Legend’s, and definitely did not fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

[sunonwaxyleaves]

After hanging out with Sirius’ little brother for a few months now - sometimes the three of them but more and more just the two of them - James first realizes he’s in love with Regulus on a summer night with cheeks warm from sunburn and sweet red wine. They’re on an old leather couch at a party Sirius is throwing at the Potter’s beach house, and Regulus rests his head on James’ shoulder with a deep, heavy sigh. Absolutely plastered, he mutters in defeat, “I think I’m now ready to admit that I’ve probably missed my chance at becoming a mermaid.” James wants to laugh until his stomach cramps, wants to kiss him on his peeling lips and point out that Regulus turns 21 in just one week, what does he mean he’s willing to admit this now, but instead he shrugs lightly and rests his head on Regulus’. He says in that cocky voice of his that makes far too many people swoon, “You’d be the prettiest mermaid of them all” and Regulus would roll his eyes even though James couldn’t see, he’d bury his head further into James’ neck, and tell him “Yeah, James, obviously”.

And then a week would pass, the morning of Regulus’ 21st birthday, and he’d wake up before anyone else and sneak out of the house for his morning run. Sometimes on the really hot days, like the day of his 21st birthday, he’d cool off in the ocean before walking back to the house, the walk long enough to let the sun dry him a bit.

Except this time was different.

Regulus runs and jumps into the ocean, does a few slow strokes atop the rolling waves, then promptly begins to scream bloody murder in the blink of an eye; his legs have become so heavy it’s as if an overweight adult man is clinging to him. He twists and turns his body, lifts his cement legs up to see what the fuck is going on, freezes, starts drowning, then screams even as his mouth fills with saltwater.

Where his legs are supposed to be - where they used to be - there is now a beautiful emerald mermaid tail with scales that glitter tiny rainbows like the polish on his finger nails.

A mile away, the split second Regulus screams the first time, James wakes from a deep slumber with a gasp so sharp it throws him into a coughing fit. He drinks from the glass of water on his bedside table and grabs his phone before leaning back onto the fluffy pillows, pulling up his messages to text the birthday boy.

(7:02am) Happy birthday Reggie!!!! 21 WOOHOO!!!!!

(7:03am) Are u back from ur run?? Do u want blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes?

(7:04am) Had the craziest dream last night. Need to tell u all about it over some Potter Pancakes(;

(7:26am) Reggie??

(7:38am) Sirius said u never came back from ur run is everything okay???

(7:41am) Ur freaking me out Reg can u pls respond

(7:55am) Wherever u are: STAY THERE

(7:55am) I’m coming to find u. Call me when u see these, pls pls please

(8:06am) Where the fuck are you, Regulus?????

[soup-du-silence]

hey read this jamikali mermay ficlet by @thatgirlonstage right now

[indigos-stardust]

Work In Progress artworks for mermay

Rough sketches and designs, personal thoughts in the tags

Edit: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53871985/chapters/136356367

Please read the fic that inspired me to make mer stuff, its one where legend slowly goes mer mind over the course of being trapped in a cave. The chain try to get him out but shenanigans ensue and its wonderful <3

[geraskierfanficprompts]

Prompt 22

Geralt rides into a town only to see a small family fumbling around in the street in a panic. Apparently they're a family business of fishermen who are worried that something much bigger than a fish has swam into a trap of theirs. Geralt gets a promise of money for getting rid of it and goes off to kill whatever water monster it is. But he gets to where they describe the beast and he finds... A mermaid? It's trapped and tied around in a net, facing away from Geralt, and clearly in pain, though he doesn't know why, yet. The webbed ear of the mer flicks and it turns to face him, hissing. Geralt holds his hands out in a placating gesture and sloowly walks closer, only for the mer to slam the full weight of it's tail into Geralt's legs and sweep him off his feet. Gods damn it. It can never be easy. Geralt draws his sword, and begins cutting the trap off the mer, even as it hisses, flails, and tries it's absolute damnedest to claw his face off. He ends up straddling it like it's a fucking gator, and when he frees it of it's restraints, it's only then that he can finally make out the giant wound on the mer's side. Too big and nasty a wound to just release it into the water. Oh great. It's gonna LOVE this. But it's not like he has to DO anything about it. He's a cold, emotionless witcher. He doesn't care of the mer lives or dies. If the wound is infected or kills the mer, he couldn't give less of a damn. So Geralt is currently walking up to his room at the inn, with a very angry hissing mer thrown over his shoulder, clawing the shit out of his armor. When he asks for the bath to be filled, blessedly nobody asks any further questions. The mer stops struggling as soon as it's in the bath, but it sure is still hissing at him. Geralt puts his sword away and takes off his armor and the hissing lessens. Now it's just whenever he gets too close. Big problem. He needs to get close in order to patch up it's wounds. The mer has the biggest, brightest, inhumanly blue eyes, with slitted pupils. It has sharp teeth, and twinkling iridescent blue scales dusting across the edge of it's face and it's cheeks. It stops hissing at him to listen to the bard perform downstairs. It stops attacking him, even as he pokes and prods at their wound. This is great! Except for when the bard stops and the mermaid goes back to thrashing and screaming- So Geralt is forced to hum songs under his breath to calm it. It's pupils expand and it stares at him in awe, with a slightly parted mouth. Geralt's just happy it stopped flopping around like a- w- Well... Like a fish. He fixes it all up, and shares his food, and softly hums to it the whole night, before it curls up a bit more and starts nodding off. He stops humming and steps to the inn's bed, only to be surprised when hearing a voice behind him murmur "Thank you." Oh shit-

[anasunny]

In honour of @lennsart visiting me this week and pushing through the dreaded Chapter 13 of their fic A cave like a net (and a spilled secret), may I present to you

Mer Legend

This is a present for my dear friend ! Now you can look at the blorbo everyday ;)

Done with watercolours ^^ I hadn't painted nor drawn in a while, I'm so happy with how it turned out ! Although it was definitely a 'trust the process' kind of situation...

Legend's mer look is based on this illustration by @lennsart , and their (wonderful) fic that you can find here !

[lunarharp]

revamped looong mermaid orufrey au :')

[wagingmywarsbehindmyface]

JONAH HAUER-KING (and KATHRYN NEWTON) being absolutely adorable while practising dance for Little Women (2017); (via Kathryn’s ig) 📚👭👭🧍‍♂️

(i’d fucking die if he looked at me this way)