#merman whumpee

[whumpisgoodwhumpislife]

Nonhuman (mostly) whumpee and pretty privileges !

I can't get the idea out of my mind so have this list born from my fever riddled mind:

In rescue centers, cute reef mers being privileged and better treated than deep-sea mers or uglier mers (absolutely unrelated to my current story)

A nonhuman pet whumpee being abandoned in a shelter, knowing that nobody will ever adopt them because they're scarred and/or old, not pretty enough

On the same vibe, nonhuman pet whumpee being even more careful and clingy because they're getting old for their species, losing weight, fur/hair/whatever, and their master only want cute and beautiful pets

At an auction, Whumpee being sold at a very low starting price because they're not pretty enough to be sold to the rich customers (and therefore at the mercy of being bought by any psychopath)

Whumper only taking care of the prettiest pets, lovingly grooming their wings/fur/you know the drill while the others have to do it themselves, dreaming of being treated with so much love and care

Mer whumpee being caught into a net and hurt by humans before eventually being released, causing them to be covered in scars and be rejected by the others because they're too different

Not-seductive-enough vampire struggling to attract humans to feed on

Nonhumans whumpees on display, some of them being praised and fed by the public while the others are mocked and taunted

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Mermaid Hunters... And One Dangerous Catch

Warnings: capture mers, Siren song, drowning, heart being ripped out & consumed

Mermaid scales were rare. Exotic. Expensive. Which is why many fishermen took to the seas no longer to catch fish, but to use their nets to trap mers instead. It was far more profitable.

Mermaid scales were rumored to bring good luck to any who wore them as jewelry or kept them close -- and enough people believed the rumor that they were willing to pay thousands per scale.

Mermaids were technically protected by the government because they were seen as human enough that it would be cruel to hunt and kill them, but that never stopped black market sellers from going out to catch them.

Mers used to be friendly and playful, swimming closer to shore to interact with tourists and children and basking in all the attention. But ever since their scales became such a highly desirable prize, they learned to steer clear of humans at all costs.

Kano was one of the most skilled mer hunters. He knew how to track mer groups that swam together and accurately find them in the ocean. During the beginning of his hunting career he used to feel guilt and remorse for killing such magnificent creatures -- creatures that could speak human and beg for their lives. But by now he'd been on enough hunts to have become impassive and immune to shame over what he did for a living.

It was a way to make money. Simple as that.

He and his crew of five others set out today just like any other day with Kano to guide them, heading straight for a traveling group of mers.

Their boat was swift, and soon was gliding over the group, which is when the nets were dropped.

It was a good haul this time. Three full-grown mers in one throw -- one merman and two mermaids. The scales of a male were worth more, as they tended to be more colorful and more armor-like than females'. But Kano would take anything if it meant a quick buck.

But when the net was pulled up against the side of the boat and lifted out of the water along with three scaled bodies thrashing around, Kano immediately knew something was wrong.

Mers were known for their striking beauty. Their bright, flashy colors and seductively elegant appearances. But one of the female mers didn't look right. Her scales were dull, possessing more earthy tones than the others. Dark, seaweed-green tail and hair, and frightening facial features once Kano caught a good glimpse. Razor-sharp teeth, large pitch-black eyes. Very un-mer-like.

The creature didn't look attractive in the least -- she looked terrifying.

"Wait," Kano barked, and his crew stopped hauling the net up, giving him confused looks.

Kano peered closer at the thrashing, scaled creatures trapped in the net that was halfway pulled onboard. The two very obviously pureblood mers were stilling -- they stopped struggling in the net and chirped something among themselves. The alien-looking one had ended up on top of the other two in the net that crammed them all together. And she looked up, straight at Kano -- and smiled. A predatory smile, almost pitying.

Then she opened her sharp-toothed mouth... and started to sing. And that's when Kano realized just how hugely he'd screwed up.

The group of mers had been traveling with a Siren. And he'd just pulled it up in his net, sealing his own fate.

The mers were smarter than he'd given them credit for, he realized. Having a Siren in the group would ensure safety from hunters -- because the Sirens could sing their lovely songs to get the mers out of any trouble they encountered in their journey. Trouble like Kano was.

But he'd realized his mistake too late. The voice that reached his ears was heavenly, angelic, softening his panic into something warm and fuzzy and tame.

He was barely aware of the other members of the mer group approaching the boat to cut their friends free from the net. Barely aware of how the rest of his crew walked to the edge and stepped off the boat, one-by-one, plunging into the ocean waters, lured by the same single voice drawing Kano in, hauntingly beautiful.

Kano tried to resist, but the sound filling the air was irresistible -- he couldn't ignore it.

So, he leaned over the railing -- and joined his fellow hunters, treading water.

He watched as his men were dragged under by the mers to drown -- and he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the deadly Siren herself, who had chosen him as her own victim, wanting to kill him herself, apparently. Still singing, still entrancing him, as she swam up to him and pressed her body against his, smooth fish scales gliding across human skin.

Kano couldn't fight back, utterly fixated on the Siren's terrifying face. Until she abruptly stopped singing, and reality came rushing back, making him fully aware of the grave danger he was in. But by now it was too late. He was in the arms of a Siren, a dangerous place to be -- and there was no escape.

"Foolish human," the Siren purred, trailing a clawed hand down the side of his face -- claws located at the end of webbed fingers. "Can't resist a pretty voice like mine. All you humans are the same -- easily swayed, lustful."

Kano shuddered. "Please," he begged, "Please don't--"

"No," the Siren cut him off, her voice low and seductive. "You are quick to beg for mercy, for someone who would not have shown me or the mers any. Hypocrite."

Her sharp teeth showed as she smiled at him, a predator in its natural habitat. "You will pay for your selfishness, for hunting mers for so long. You have ended many lives -- the slaughter ends with you.”

Kano barely had time to suck in a panicked breath before the Siren dove underwater, grabbing his ankle and dragging him under with her. He struggled fiercely, kicking at her hand with his free foot, but it was useless. He looked up at the surface of the ocean growing further and further away as he was dragged into the dark depths.

The irony was sickening -- a hunter, now hunted by the very prey he would have caught and butchered without a second thought.

Kano's lungs burned for air he knew he'd never breathe again.

Then the Siren let go of his ankle, swimming up to face him, inches away, gills flaring. She sang again, with words this time, and Kano's world melted and blurred once more at her sweet sweet symphony.

My voice will pull you in, lull your senses to sleep

Follow my sound, ride the wave of my song

Then when you're far enough from shore your doom's already been sung

Step off your little boat, step into the blue

Take a breath underwater... I'll guide you to the deep and drown you

I'll use my voice to take control

I'll make you dance, to the end of your soul

I'll make you sing to death's melodic song

The Siren kept singing as she ripped into him with her claws, viciously tearing open his chest in a thick cloud of blood even as Kano screamed bubbles, the air leaving him and being replaced by water when he tried to inhale.

I'll push you off your boat, drag you into the blue

Try and scream underwater… I'll drag you to the deep and drown you

The water around Kano was dark red as the Siren reached into his ribcage and ripped his heart out to sink her teeth into it, devouring it and letting Kano's still-twitching body sink to the ocean floor. The sharks could take care of the remains.

The Siren swam away after her meal to rejoin the group of mers she kept watch over.

There was safety in numbers... and safety in having a Siren around. A symbiotic relationship.

Masterlist

The song part of the story is actually some of the lyrics to THIS song I love about Sirens that inspired some of this story

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @written-in-the-stars135 @neverthelass

@starz8nk @redwinesupanover @whumpisgoodwhumpislife @theforeverdyingperson

[emcscared-whumps]

Behold!!!! The piece that got delayed by my surprise visit to death prevention jail end of last year!

This is my submission to @thewhumpyprintingpress's ABCs of Whump zine!!! It's available for purchase, go check it out :)

I was so excited to participate, and it was such a pleasure :) This piece took a while, and it is right on the edge of my current capabilities as an artist, but it was incredibly fun and rewarding to work on, I'm very proud of how it turned out <3

Featured is my mer shifter boi Pete from my fav project Shifting Phases :) I love him very much and could not resist another oppourtunity to have a work featuring him published.

(I had to scrunch it significantly to get Tumblr to take it ^-^')

[sheepthesmallchicken]

I animated my friend @scarletfish8eta 's OC chaiyo for the second day of mermay! He's a little stuck rn

[a-whumped-tea]

A siren who has managed to gain human legs. Siren slips into the music business. Instant success. Gains a whole ton of adoring fans.

Maybe Siren is a whumper who likes to toy with some of their new fans. There's always an unlimited amount of fans willing to do anything for them, why not take one of them home? Whumper has to eat after all.

And even if Whumpee escapes no one would believe them that Siren is bad or tried to hurt and kill them. Siren's so great! How could someone so popular be bad?

Siren turning into a Whumperee. Surely a supernatural hunter is going to pick up on the signs of this person being a siren pretty quick. Hunter should probably take care of this Siren problem before it gets more out of hand than it already has.

Might want to hurry with getting rid of Siren. We wouldn't want the general public getting withdrawals from being exposed to Siren's song for too long.

[asianwhumpgalore]

My Merman Brother (我的鲛人弟弟) | Cdrama | Whump List

Genre: Historical, Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis: Lin Weixu, the State Preceptor of the Qin Empire gained her authoritarian power after conquering Nanzhao Empire. One day, she ran into Fu Su, a merman captive who was tortured by the Supreme Court. Out of sympathy, she rescued the merman, and he became clingy to her. Thus unfolded a therapeutic and sweet journey.

Length: 24 eps

Whump meter: ▲▲◭△△  Whumpy things: Slave whumpee, sensitive whumpee, scared whumpee, punishment, captured, manhandling, erotic subtext

✨ Simple and cute. Merman ML ftw ✨

⚠️Trigger Content: Usual historical content warnings. ⚠️⚠️Some SPOILERS might be found, proceed with caution ⚠️⚠️

Whumpee: Fu Su played by Shen Huai

00:00 | Running barefoot across the street, scratches and bruises on his body, crashes into someone and falls to the ground, net cast over him, struggling to free himself, kicked back onto the ground when he sits up, beaten, saved.

02:00 | Shoved onto the floor, grabbed by the face and forced to look up.

06:05 | (comedic) Fought, pinned to the ground, choked, (normal) cowers into corner, hugs self.

08:40 | Bites lip until it bleeds.

14:45 | Whipped, scolded.

17:35 | Locked in a cell, chained by the wrists to the wall, hugs self, mocked.

20:15 | Shoved onto the ground, accused of killing someone, kicked out.

22:05 | Leaning against a wall for support, collapses against the wall, panting, sweating, hugs self, stumbles away | Crashes into furniture, collapses against table, clutching chest, hunched over, concern for him, falls on the floor, labored breathing, helped to stand.

46:32 | Cuts palm of hand with a knife, bleeding.

50:55 | Imprisoned, hugs self.

55:55 | Bleeding lip.

56:35 | Punched.

01:01:45 | Head covered with a cloth, abducted (off screen) | Chained by the wrist to a cross, head covered with cloth.

01:03:35 | Chained once again by the wrists, arm cut, made to bleed onto a bowl, cut again, in pain.

01:10:44 | Still chained, found by lover, bloody, cuts on his body, coughing.

[aswallowimprisoned]

Restless far from a Wine Dark sea - Sedation

Nurse Brunel checks in on a post-sedated vampiric merman to find their captive with significantly fewer inhibitions than normal..

Tw captivity, sedation, medical whump, drugging, injury, Dead Dove Jewish vampiric whumpee, religious whumpee

RestlessffaWDs' timeline is going off piste for @medwhumpmay

masterlist

≪ °❈° ≫

set maybe a month or two into Nathaniel Fogal's captivity. This is the first snippet that features Dr Elias Freid, a psychologist/therapist who is Nathaniel's main interrorgator alongside Logan.

≪ °❈° ≫

“This is Nurse Ivan Brunel, Post Sedation check on the merman known as Fogal, mer patient #3.” Ivan went through the familiar recording of medical protocol. “Due to the negative after effects of thiobarbiturates on the wellbeing and mood of the patient, anaesthesia for this set of tests was achieved using Propofol.” He snapped on fresh blue gloves as the pneumatic doors hissed open to reveal the sleeping form of the merman bound to his hospital bed. “It has been 30 minutes since the cessation of anaesthetics and removal of airway support, so patient is expected to be still experiencing significant sedative effects… And our resident mer psychologist Elias Freid is in observation bay to assess behaviours and provide therapeutic guidance if required...”

Ivan gave one last check of the monitor displaying the mermans blood oxygen, before unhooking the oxygen mask from his face and replacing it with nasal cannulas. Within moments, the sea monster’s face crinkled with the start of wakefulness at the smell of a human in the room, and he rolled his head to regard him, blinking sleepily.

“Glad to see you awake Fogal. We put you to sleep for a while, and I know you are probably still pretty sleepy.” Ivan kept his voice soft and calm, a familiar routine for waking patients from their deep sleep. Fogal murmured something unintelligible.

“I am just going to flash a light in your eyes now,” Ivan gently steadied Fogal’s head in his hand as he checked his responses. The merman’s pupils were blown wide, barely reacting to the light shone on them.

“Pupils are dilated and slow to respond to stimuli, but he seems both semi-aware and calm.”

Fogal closed his eyes and pushed his head into the palm of Ivan’s hand, chittering softly.

Ivan stalled for a second, before brushing his fingers though the young man’s hair. No - Fogal was not a young man, he was an ancient bloodsucking sea monster who just looked like a young man. And who, going from the delighted whirring noises, really liked getting skritches.

“Is this ok?” Ivan asked, more to the psychologist on the other side of the 1 way mirror than to the snuggly merman.

“Yes,” Elias’ voice came through Ivan’s earpiece, “Though still be careful with those teeth. Drugged means unpredictable. This behaviour is fascinating to watch. Even if he would not normally engage in such displays of affection with any of the staff here, it does suggest that he may exhibit this behaviour towards loved ones in a less stressful environment.” Elias was contemplative, "I wonder if he would be the same with someone he doesn’t like, say Dr Rana?” He was tapping information into the computer, the keys audible over the comms. “I mean, we know mer live in groups, so he is likely to be… touch starved. I do hope we can allow the captive mer to have social bonds sometime later in the project, but allowing touch when semi-sedated may be a good sign he trusts you to some degree...” 

 “I guess someone really likes Propofol.” Ivan smiled softly, “It is nice to see him calm. Even if that calm comes out a bottle.” Ivan moved to stroke the top of the merman’s head, and he let out another slew of chittering squeaks, drooling effusively.

“Indeed.” Elias hummed, “Do you reckon he is going to remember this next time he wakes up?”

“Vaguely. The levels of sedative in his system shouldn’t be high enough for complete memory loss, even if they have affected his behaviour...” Ivan replied.  

“Ok Fogal,” he raised his voice, and the merman focused his gaze on him, “Do you think you can describe how you are feeling right now, and if you are in pain?”

Fogal frowned comically before slurring out an affirmative noise.

“Ok…” Ivan swiped the merman’s doll out of the box at the end of the bed. The communication doll was one of the first tools Elias had introduced when he had started as the merman’s therapist, “Can you point on the doll where it hurts?”

Fogal groped clumsily at the doll’s arm, where Ivan knew the merman had a comminuted fracture to the ulna , then poked all round the top of the toy’s tail, mirroring the placement of the stab wounds on his body. All areas where he was expected to feel pain, but maybe some pain medication might not go amiss.

“Ok. And do you feel sick? or dizzy?”

A low hum for both assured Ivan that negative side effects of the Propofol seemed minimal. 

 “...And do you feel like you want to hurt anyone or yourself right now?”

Fogal shook the doll’s head. Then he started to stroke the stuffed merman’s hair. Ivan had to stifle a laugh as he ruffled his hair. “Good job answering questions, I just have a few more things to do, you can just doze off if you want.”

“That was good non-verbal communication!” Elias sounded impressed, “Propofol is looking good for the retention of awareness and reduction of anxiety.”

Ivan smiled as he put on his stethoscope and listened to the steady beat of the mermans heart. Fogal didn’t mind the cold metal, concentrating instead on wiping the plush merman doll’s head against his hip, crooning gently at the soft material against his bare skin. Ivan enjoyed the quiet - Fogal didn’t always wake up so calmly, the thiobarbiturates they had been using for anaesthetics triggering what appeared to be quite intense PTSD flashbacks. He peacefully allowed Ivan to use the tympanic membrane temperature probe, check his urine output into the box on the side of the bed, and other post-anaesthetic checks. 

“All done and looking healthy, Fogal. You can go back to sleep now. Can you give me the doll?”

Fogal looked up at him with watery eyes, glancing down to his doll then back up at Ivan.

“P’ease?” the merman asked hopefully.

“Dr Freid? Please advise.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Allow him to keep the doll Nurse.” There was a determined note to Elias' voice. “Unlike the previous situation where he tried to take something, the doll is not a choking hazard and has been requested fairly politely. Though this shall be discussed with Logan as his other handlers, I believe that having a possession will aid in a sense of security, and that the doll has great potential for further use as a communication tool."

Ivan gave the merman's hair one last ruffle. 

"Ok Fogal, you can keep a hold of it. Now let's get you back to sleep, ok?"

--888--

Nathaniel awoke theto the heavy tread of Nurse Brunel. Memories came back in dregs. Dr Rana had put him to sleep, so they must have done something to his body, though there were no new spots of pain...

“Hey Fogal, how are you feeling?”

His hands hadn’t cramped up as much as usual. They were clamped around something soft and thick, far better than the thin sheets he usually balled up in place of seaweed. He creased his brows and held up the item as best he could with his wrist still bound to the bed. 

The stupid rag doll stared back at him.

Nathaniel cocked his head in confusion, and looked up questioningly to his favourite nurse. 

“We sedated you for some tests, do you remember?”

Nathaniel nodded slowly, then wiggled the doll at him questioningly.

“When I went to check on you afterwards, you really wanted to keep a hold of the communication doll there. And Elias thought it may be useful for you to have him with you anyway.”

Nathaniel looked down at the soft little plush merman. His tail was the same pleasant deep red as Nathaniel’s own tail, his sewn-on expression one of peaceful neutrality.

He squished the doll’s head gently. A strange half memory rose of petting the doll's hair, and then of gentle fingers carding through his hair. Nathaniel scowled.

What would his interrogator think of him if he saw Nathaniel wanted to keep a toy?

- I. no. need. stupid. Communication doll. - He signed, trapping the doll under his wrist to form the words. 

“That’s ok too, Fogal.” Nurse Bruel spoke peaceably, “And you can let me know if you change your mind. Can you keep a hold of it while I check your eyes?”

Nathaniel nodded, and Nurse Brunel stepped forwards with a tiny bright light. Nathaniel surreptitiously shuffled Little Fogal under the sheet. He could barely see the little lump the doll made under the covers. He tucked it into the fabric and rested his hand back by his side. 

“Looking good, no post-sedation signs. I can take your oxygen mask off now.” Nurse Brunel took the bulky plastic off his face. Nathaniel wiggled his jaw.

- Thank you - He signed.

“No problem, Fogal. I’ll let you pray now, and Elias will be through for a session once you are done…”The nurse glanced down to Nathaniel's empty hand next to the little doll shaped lump, and the slightest smile appeared on his face. Nathaniel watched him warily, but all the nurse did was give him a swift gentle pat on the wrist before turning to leave the room.

Nathaniel squeezed his new possession once, and settled into prayer.

[ronanziriano]

Augusnippets Day 29 - Tending to Non-Human Whumpee’s Non-Human Parts

The tide was low, leaving the shore a stretch of jagged rocks and slick, muddy patches. Rescuer picked her way carefully along the shoreline, eyes peeled for the lobster traps she’d been tasked with checking. She never expected anything else among these rocks aside from seashells and driftwood, but today, something caught her eye, half-concealed by a cluster of boulders. She would have missed it entirely if the sun hadn’t reflected a strange silver-blue that drew her attention and curiosity.

Expecting to see something glass or metal that someone had left behind, or perhaps that had floated over after being dropped off the side of some boat, Rescuer clambered toward the shimmer, and was stunned at the sight that met her.

A merman lay sprawled on the rocks, unconscious and deathly still. His tail - gradient of grays and blues, the source of that reflected sunlight - was pinned to the muddy ground between the rocks by a harpoon, the shaft jutting out obscenely from the wound. His skin was visibly dry, rough and peeling along his arms and chest, and his lips were cracked and colorless. The gills on his neck fluttered weakly - moving, but barely.

Immediately Rescuer dropped to the ground beside the merman. It was extremely doubtful that he had crawled this far onto shore on his own. He probably had been stuck here since high tide. The blood streaked along the rocks had long since dried and blackened, standing testament to how long he’d been on dry land.

Her first priority, then, was getting him unstuck. She knew that leaving an object embedded in a wound was the rule, but this was different. He needed water - fast. If she didn’t act quickly, he wouldn’t last much longer.

She grasped the harpoon, trying to steady herself. She had never been in the position of needing to save a life before, let alone a non-human one, and the situation had her trembling with nerves.

"Sorry about this," she mumbled, bracing herself. With a single swift, forceful motion, she yanked the harpoon free, wincing at the squelching sound it made upon its exit. Blood welled up from the gash, dark and viscous, but she couldn’t address it yet.

Ignoring the slick blood that found its way onto her hands, she grabbed the mer under the arms and heaved, dragging him toward the water’s edge. He was heavier than she’d expected, and her muscles strained and burned as she lugged him ungracefully across the rough ground. When she finally reached the water, she collapsed into it, taking a moment to enjoy the refreshing cold before returning to the task at hand. With a grunt, she pushed the mer further, until his head and torso were fully submerged, leaving his tail still sprawled out on the shore.

Through the rippling water Rescuer could see the mer’s gills flare to life, gulping in all it could. A relief to be sure, but the work wasn’t finished. His tail was still bleeding heavily, clouding the water around them.

With a vigorous tug, she managed to rip a strip from her shirt. It would have to do as a makeshift bandage. Trying not to jostle the mer too much, she wrapped the strip around the wound, tying it off tightly. The bleeding slowed, but didn’t stop, and she chewed at her lip, unsure of what else to do. She had gotten him back in the water, yes, but she knew he still needed more help than she could give.

Her attention returned to the mer’s face when a few bubbles of air from his mouth broached the surface. His eyes peeled open, then began darting around, confusion and fear clear as he took in his surroundings.

Then, for a moment, his gaze locked on Rescuer. Before she could say anything, he jerked away from her, plunging fully into the water. “Wait!” she cried, scrambling to her feet. “Don’t go! You’re hurt, you need - !”

It was no use. He was already swimming away, his tail lurching erratically through the water, leaving a trail of red in his wake.

Rescuer tried to wade out after him, but of course, the mer was much faster in the water. His form quickly became a blur, then disappeared entirely beneath the waves. She was left standing there, nearly waist-deep in the surf, knowing there was nothing left for her to do but unwilling to turn away just yet.

What if he didn’t make it? The thought gnawed at her. He was too injured to swim far, and she didn’t know where he could go for safety. If the wound didn’t finish him off, something else might.

@augusnippets

[howtowhumpyourhiccup]

Hooked

Summary: Written for AI-less Whumptober 2023 Day 29. Set in a Modern-ish AU. After a storm, Eret spends his time finding the merman who saved him from drowning.

Warning: /

Rating: General

Characters: Eret

Pairing: Minor Eretcup

Words: 823

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Prompt: “The easy way or the hard way?”

Whumpee: Eret

Author’s Notes: I originally had a different idea for this one, one that was way more intense and was actually Hiccstrid instead of Eretcup. But this is the fourth year in a row that my (AI-less) Whumptober time did not go as planned because of things entirely out of my control. This month is cursed. :)

So I had to keep that (relatively long) idea for a different day and come up with a shorter idea.

And thus this AU was born!

I honestly only got to write it because I FINALLY got the time to.

Enjoy!

@ailesswhumptober

XOXOX

Today, just like many days, Eret finds himself staring at the sea. Leaning on the edge of his fishing boat, he stares down into the water. He should be paying attention, he should be casting his nets for today's catch, but instead he's wasting his time staring into the abyss.

About a month ago to the day, Eret's boat got caught in a terrible storm. He knew it was coming, but he still went out anyway, figuring he would be back in time. So instead of the catch of the day, he landed himself in trouble. The waves were wild and merciless, throwing his boat around until it capsized and he found himself in the dark depths he’s now staring into.

It was impossible to tread water, he couldn’t even reach the surface. Legs kicking, arms swinging, lungs burning. He found himself in the exact kind of position no one swimming in a large body of water wants to be in. Desperately reaching for the surface and yet not gaining an inch towards air.

Needless to say, Eret thought he was going to die.

Until…

A shape.

It was almost impossible to see in water so dark, but he could vaguely see it moving. He could’ve sworn it was shaped like a man, yet swam as fluid as a fish.

The last thing Eret remembered were the hands that grabbed him and the eyes that they belonged to. They were distinctly human and yet the pupils said something different. They were too large and they were that way to soak up what little light there was.

The next thing Eret remembers is when two paramedics loaded him into an ambulance to be taken to the local hospital. Obviously he made it or he wouldn’t be here today. But it’s the story behind his survival that adds another layer of weirdness.

Eret was found on a beach. There was a lot of junk left on that beach after the storm, Eret didn’t stand out even a little bit, yet he was found with ease.

Because apparently, someone approached a passerby, led her straight to him and that’s how the paramedics were called.

And now, a month later, Eret still searches for him. The one who saved his life, the owner of the hands that pulled him from the depths and those strange eyes.

Minutes pass by as Eret stares down into the dark water, minutes of seeing nothing below. Whatever or whoever he saw that day, they haven’t been seen since.

He sighs and straightens. Eyes closing, he conjures up the mental image he has of his savior. He can’t help it, they’ve been on his mind for the past month now.

According to the descriptions given to him when he asked around , he was a guy. A tall guy, a lean guy. With a head of auburn hair and striking green eyes. All of that and that he wasn’t wearing too much. A jacket, Eret’s, and that’s it. It was as if he'd “stepped right out of the ocean” as he was told. But there is one part that always seemed to stand out to people; how striking those eyes are.

It’s strange. While Eret’s muddled memory doesn’t allow him to remember every second of his rescue, he doesn’t remember seeing any green.

He just remember his pupils, his hands, and that odd fish-like movement.

He’s been left with questions and a lot of them. He tried to find him on land, he wanted to thank him. While he has no idea what he would be doing swimming in the ocean in the middle of a storm, Eret is grateful.

But it didn’t matter who he asked, he couldn’t find a sign of him. Not on the mainland and not online, a place he doesn’t traverse much anyway.

Or maybe he hadn’t tried hard enough, because there was a part of him that kept telling him that he was just not looking in the right place.

So every day following his last search, Eret took to the sea with his boat- it’s a rental until he can afford a new secondhand one- to catch fish to sell and instead he spends his time staring down into the water. Not for fish, but for something more mystical.

A mermaid. Or merman, he supposes.

The thought almost sounds too crazy, but dragons are real, so why not merfolk? Those who come from a sailor lineage like him know they were real once.

Eret walks over to the wheel and grabs it, planning on moving on. For days on end, he’s been posted in the general area he almost drowned in, hoping to get a glimpse of the one who saved him.

He’s not ready to give up. Whether the easy way or the hard way, Eret will find him somehow.

In a weird way, though he’s the fisherman, he’s also the one who’s been hooked.

[whumpisgoodwhumpislife]

I am very normal about my new lab rat

Ignore the gloved hand lol, I absolutely hate it.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Mermaids Find Young Human Lost at Sea

Warnings: hypothermia, unconsciousness, swept away by the current, lost at sea

It had been a violent storm at sea. Whumpee had been traveling on a small boat with his parents and a tour guide to see whales, unaware of the strong winds and big waves that would come out of nowhere and batter the tiny vessel.

And it was more than the boat could handle, toppling it over and leaving everyone on it to fend for themselves in the freezing cold ocean waters.

The currents were strong, and it didn't take long until Whumpee had been swept far away from the overturned boat and where his parents were.

His mother had always been a strict rule follower, and always insisted he wear a proper life jacket at all times even if it made it harder to move around, which Whumpee hated.

But now Whunpee was so so grateful his mother had forced him to wear it, as it kept his head above water.

He flailed and paddled desperately to try and escape the swift current, but it was useless, and within half an hour he couldn't even see the boat anymore.

A new kind of terror seized him, the realization that he was on his own now, lost in the middle of the ocean.

His stomach churned with fear and dread, and he began to cry in earnest at the helplessness of it all, tears blurring his vision.

He wished he hadn't watched all those documentaries about people being lost at sea. Because most of them didn't survive. So Whumpee knew exactly how slim his chances of being found and rescued were before he died.

Especially with how cold it was out here. The icy chill of the water seeped into Whumpee's bones, sapping his strength away and weakening his futile attempts as swimming.

He'd never been a strong swimmer anyway.

Whumpee tired quickly, and eventually just accepted that he wouldn't be able to fight the current, letting himself float along with it and hoping it would carry him within eyesight of another passing ship he could call out to for help.

If he didn't freeze to death first. His fingers and toes were already going frighteningly numb.

Whumpee sobbed wretchedly. All he'd wanted to do was go whalewatching today, and now he was drifting lost in the middle of the vast ocean, all alone.

The cold got to him fast, and he didn't even realize how sleepy he suddenly was until his eyes slipped shut.

He snapped them open again, terror flooding him. He couldn't let himself drift off -- he might never wake up again.

He clung to consciousness with every ounce of willpower he had for what had to be several hours, but the cold was vicious and relentless, dragging him down into darkness.

No, no, stay awake, Whumpee begged of himself. But his body was slowly giving out, and there was still no help in sight.

His eyes were closing again, and this time didn't didn't the energy to open them again.

Until something smooth and wet brushed against one of his legs.

Shark.

Whumpee struggled to open his eyes again and face the danger. He remembered his school lessons on how to fight off sharks -- punch it in the snout, right?

But his fingers were so cold they weren't functioning anymore, and he couldn't make them curl into a solid fist no matter how hard he tried -- he was defenseless.

Whumpee's breathing was fast and shallow with panic, hyperventilating.

Then something breached the surface of the water only a yard away from him -- a human head.

Whumpee shrieked, and the terror combined with hypothermia was too much for him to handle -- and he promptly passed out, going limp.

The creature the head belonged to swam closer, brows knitting together with worry.

It was a mermaid. She'd happened to be swimming in the area and was drawn by the bright colors of Whumpee's life vest, coming over to investigate it.

What she was not expecting was to find a teenage human boy floating in the vest. She was just as startled as Whumpee was to see another living creature out here -- though she hadn't passed out like Whumpee did.

The mermaid cautiously beat her tail to drift closer and poke Whumpee's arm, quickly yanking her hand back right after and watching to see what would happen.

Whumpee didn't react, out cold.

"Holy mackeral," the mermaid gasped. "I just found a literal human!"

Something else emerged from the water next to her in a small spray of water, the mermaid friend she'd been swimming with coming to check out what she was looking at.

"Whooooaa! Is that a human?!" Mermaid 2 exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I think it is," mermaid 1 answered.

"Are you like, 100% sure it's a human? I've heard a lot of scary things about them."

"It doesn't have a tail, dummy," mermaid 1 scoffed. "Use your brain. It's got two legs and no fins, just like the others described."

"Cooool..." Mermaid 2 tilted her head to the side, studying Whunpee with keen interest. "Why's it not moving? Did you kill it?"

"What?! No, of course I didn't kill it!" Mermaid 1 cried indignantly.

"Mmm, sure looks dead to me. Wanna check?"

"I'm not touching it -- you check!"

"Fine." Mermaid 2 confidentially swam up to Whumpee , pressing two fingers against his neck.

"Alive," she announced. "Guess you were right. It's just unconscious."

"I scared it pretty badly earlier," mermaid 1 admitted. "I think it fainted."

"Great, so you terrorized and traumatized the poor human," mermaid 2 said dramatically. "Way to make a first impression."

Mermaid 1 smacked her pointedly with her tail. "Well, what do we do with it now? Should we take it back to the colony and see it anyone knows how to care for it?"

"You want to keep a human as a pet?!" Mermaid 2 clutched her stomach and laughed loudly.

"I'm serious! What are we supposed to do? The poor thing looks freezing, and I heard humans don't handle the cold very well."

Mermaid 2's laugher died down, and her expression turned thoughtful.

"Humans travel in packs too, right? So maybe this one got separate from its people?" She said aloud. "I guess we can try and return it to its own kind and hope they can heal it or whatever. I think I saw a boat earlier a mile or two in that direction." She pointed with a slender finger.

"So we're giving the human... to the boat?"

"To the humans on the boat," mermaid 2 corrected.

"Huh." Mermaid 1 frowned. "I've never gotten close enough to boats to see humans atop them. But I suppose it makes sense -- boats can't possible steer themselves."

"Then it's official." Mermaid 2 grabbed Whumpee by the life vest. "We can take turns dragging it until we reach the boat and bring it close enough for the humans to see and rescue it. Sound good?"

"Let's do it," mermaid 1 agreed.

Both of them were powerful swimmers, but it still took longer than expected to reach the human boat, Whumpee's weight slowing them down greatly.

Mermaid 1 wondered if the poor creature would even be alive by the time they got it to safety, or if the cold would steal its life away first. But she didn't say anything, she just kept swimming and regularly panning whunpees limp body back to mermaid 2 to carry until they were approaching the small human sailboat, which was anchored in place.

The mermaids were wary as they snuck closer to the floating vessel, careful not to be seen.

But then Whumpee began to wake up, groaning as his eyes fluttered open.

"This should be close enough to the boat for the other humans to spot it once we leave," mermaid 2 hissed quietly. "We should go."

She turned sharply and disappeared underwater, eager to get away before she could be spotted.

Mermaid 1 lingered, watching curiously as Whumpee's eyes drifted around and slowly focused on her, widening at the sight of her gills and webbed hands.

"Uh, hi," mermaid 1 said shyly. "We helped you reach a boat, as you can see. I hope it helps." She jumped at the sound of a machine being turned on, the boat's anchor being lifted up and back onboard with a series of clanking sounds.

The boat was getting ready to move again.

Mermaid 1 smiled at Whumpee, then ducked underwater, slapping her tail hard against the surface to make some noise before she disappeared into the ocean depths.

The humans on the boat rushed to the railing to see what the commotion was, immediately spotting Whumpee and his life vest.

"Hey... Hey! There's someone in the water!" One man barked.

"Give him a life ring!" Someone hollered.

It was seconds before a life ring was splashing into the water next to Whumpee, and Whumpee grabbed on as best as his numb hands could, letting the strangers pull him to safety.

They turned out to be really nice people, who gave him some new clothes, dried him off, and even gave him a hot meal to warm him up. Whumpee gave them a phone number to call, and found out out parents had already been rescued by a different passing boat hours earlier. The relief was overwhelming.

But as Whumpee was pounded with questions on how he ended up in the middle of the ocean, his gaze kept drifting to the waters surrounding the boat, questioning if he'd really seen a live mermaid... or if it had be a hallucination.

But he was safe, miraculously, and he knew there was no way that happened on his own. He would have -- should have died if the mermaids hadn't found him.

And he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of shimmering scales in the water as something human-sized swam away from the boat.

Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

@ay5ksal @otterfrost @sausages-things @togzy

@whump-till-ya-jump @cravesunconditionallove @whumpwritinglover222 @written-in-the-stars135 @neverthelass

@starz8nk @redwinesupanover @whumpisgoodwhumpislife @theforeverdyingperson

[emcscared-whumps]

POV it's 3am and you come into the kitchen for snacks but your verludae roommate beat you to it (how the fuck did he climb that stool in his true form, good god)

he's hungry :)

Pete's character profile is [Here]

Shirtless version is under the cut

[sheepthesmallchicken]

Greg

[hurtthemgently]

The tank

Masterlist

Cw: mer whumpee, drugged, bound and gagged, carried, pinned to floor, put on display, multiple whumpers?, multiple whumpees, vampire whumpee

Let me know if I missed anything?

Wayln gazed at their prize, taking in the mer’s beautiful features. His hair a dark blue, attractive even when soaked and tangled. A cloth separated his delicate lips. His scales glinted dark, black with a blueish sheen. They had yet to see the mer’s eyes, as he lay unconscious and bound in a waterlogged crate. Wayln placed a hand gently to his face and he stirred, eyes opening barely before flinching from the bright light.

“Awake already? You sure slept that off quickly”

The mer started at their voice and struggled away from their touch. His movements were still sluggish and the gag muffled his cries. “Hmm. You could use a little more, but you don’t necessarily need to be relaxed or unconscious.”

The mer’s eyes widened, looking up at his captor for any trace of explanation. “Mmh,” he protested as a hand traced his jaw.

“Well, since you’re awake, let’s get you to your tank” Wayln lifted the mer with little trouble, the drug making his struggles weak. They ignored the mer’s protests, carrying him downstairs to a large room filled with comfy seating. There was a bar to one side of the room and a large tank towards the other.

The mer began struggling in earnest as Wayln approached the tank. He squirmed in Wayln l’s arms as they ascended the steps up to the tank.

Wayln set the mer down gently on the platform, looking down at his pleading expression. They finally had a chance to look at the mer’s eyes. Deep vibrant blue, matching the shimmer in his scales. “Vince really wasn’t kidding about how beautiful you are. Ashe isn’t it? Let’s get that rope off your hands.” The mer held still while Wayln untied the knot.

If they were closer to the water, he could pull them in.. and? What? Drown them? He had no way to get out down the steps without falling, much less out of the building. The hopelessness of the situation dawned on Ashe as his hands were freed.

“I’ll take the gag off if you promise not to try and bite me” Wayln held up a small key out of Ashe’s reach. The mer nodded and lowered his gaze to the floor. He spat out the gag as soon as it was loose and glared up at the one who had taken him here.

“What’s that look for?”

“Is there another expression I should have when looking at my abductor?”

“I suppose not. Has the drug worn off completely?”

“…why should I tell you?”

“Think you’re okay to get in the water?”

The mer gave a small huff and looked at the surface of the water. He reached to pull himself closer when Wayln abruptly lifted him up. Pushing himself out of their arms, he landed hard on his back.

“What was the point of that?”

“Don’t… ah hhh.. touch me.”

“Oh dear, it seems that you don’t quite understand who has power here.” Wayln moved to sit on the mer’s waist and pin his wrists. Ashe gasped and squirmed as they restricted his already painful breathing.

“Get off” he seethed

“Trying to order me around now?”

“Let me… ahhk” Wayln cut his words off by pressing a knee into his ribs.

“You can avoid being made.. uncomfortable, if you listen to what I say and don’t fight me. Is that clear?”

The mer nodded desperately, struggling for breath.

“Good. Well, since you seem okay enough to swim,” Wayln picked up the mer and unceremoniously dropped him into the tank. They watched as he swam to hide behind a faux coral structure, peeking around to look at them.

—

Ashe sat in silence at the bottom of the tank. Most of the top was cemented in, the only opening above the waters surface was covered by a padlocked gate. With all possible escape routes too small or too reinforced, the mer was truly and completely trapped.

He watched as people entered the room, among them, his captor. No matter where he went in the tank, he was still in view of part of the room. He curled up in the corner as some of the guests tapped on the glass, sending a pounding noise through the water. The reverberations pummeled against him, hammers slamming his insides. He looked over to Wayln, who didn’t seem to be concerned about him trying to hide, nor about him being hurt by the noise.

After a moment, Wayln left the room. They came back carrying a person who seemed to be asleep. Drugged like Ashe was? He looked to be in his twenties, with dark hair. Completely unremarkable. The guests lost interest in his tank as a new attraction was brought in.

They set the person on one of the couches, where a guest brought his head to her neck. After a second she pushed him away and said something directed at Wayln. Ashe saw a bleeding mark where the person’s mouth had been. Where his fangs had been.

Ashe watched the vampire fall to the floor unconscious while the two were talking. One of the guests lifted him onto a couch and started stroking his hair. Wayln stood and walked to the steps at the opening of the tank, making a pointing motion at the surface of the water. A clear message: come here.

He reluctantly swam towards the gate. Maybe he could get Wayln to stop people tapping on the glass.

“Enjoying the party” Wayln’s taunting was met with a glare from the mer. “If you wanna join in on the fun, I could carry you over to try some venom.”

“Is that all?” Ashe backed away from the gate some, ready to dive back under the surface. He glanced over to where the guests were laugh and talking, an unconscious vampire between them. However bad the tank was, it was the preferable option.

“You seemed to be quite distressed earlier, and that went away when I brought the vampire in.”

“I stopped being distressed when they stopped tapping on the glass.” Ashe hissed at his tormentor.

“Oh, My mistake. One word of advice. They’ll tap more when you hide away, so I’d try not to do that.”

Ashe seethed, wishing there weren’t bars between his hands and Wayln’s neck.

“Maybe you should try that expression on them. You look adorable.” Wayln laughed as the mer swam off with an angry hiss. They walked back down to check on the vampire, who was beginning to stir.

[aswallowimprisoned]

Day 6 - Doctor becomes Patient

Medic Brunel is attacked by a mermaid, but a familiar face comes to his aid.

Tw bloodloss, medical whump, injury, fainting/unconscious, threat, Dead Dove Jewish vampiric whumpee , religious whumpee, post-captivity, caretaker turned whumpee, whumpee turned caretaker, ex reluctant whumper, gun. Um… spitting on dying people

Masterlist

≪ °❈° ≫

Set way after Restless far from a Wine Dark sea, and may not be canon 

RestlessffaWDs' timeline is going off piste for @medwhumpmay

Thanks for proofreading Ace :)

≪ °❈° ≫

There were teeth at his neck, ripping, blood spurting from his neck onto his army medic’s uniform.

Ivan Brunel knew this was probably the end for him.

It was almost funny; how many times had he avoided being bitten by his patients at the mer containment facility, just to have his throat ripped out on the street? 

Ivan tried to push the mermaid off him, but the mer venom made him too weak, her grip too strong. The world started to fuzz…

BANG!

At the sound of a gunshot the mermaid released him and he fell to the floor. BANG! He heard her body hit the ground next to his own prone form.

Now he was on the floor bleeding out, the oxygen tank strapped to his back propping him sideways at a strange angle. He managed to bring his hand up to his neck to try and stem the bleeding, but his grip was weak against the blood slicked flesh. Footsteps hurried towards him.

“Oh.” The voice was vaguely familiar. Ivan opened his eyes to see his ex-captive hovering over him, a handgun dangling from his fingers and a haunted expression.“Hello Nurse Brunel.” 

It was Nathaniel Fogal.

Fogal dropped to his knees next to him, put his hands around Ivan’s neck and squeezed.

Ivan closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. It hurt, it hurt like hell, pressure into the gaping wound in his neck...

The hands did not squeeze tighter.

“...Am I doing this right?” Nathaniel asked cautiously, “I know I am meant to put pressure on wounds, but I haven’t done it to someone’s neck before…”

Ivan opened his eyes to look at him.

“...Yes…” he rasped out. Fogal gave him a small smile. 

“I wasn’t expecting to see you…out. On the street-medicine kind of things.” Fogal was awkward, his hands clamped around his ex-nurse’s bleeding neck. Fogal’s blue eyes were staring down at him, the reverse of when they were doctor and patient. The merman sniffed the air.

“You are, you are losing a lot of blood, Brunel…” The merman sounded vaguely disappointed. The world fuzzed around Ivan. “I need to stop the bleeding…”

“I have a… radio. I need you to… call for help.”

“I can’t risk being captured again, I can't,” Nathaniel whispered, “If I leave you, you will die. I don’t want you to die, but I can help you. I can help you.”

The slightest relief that Fogal wasn’t going to leave Ivan to die ricocheted through his tired skull, and he felt himself lurch towards unconsciousness.

No, he couldn’t go to sleep…

“Brunel? I am going to spit on you.” Fogal’s words woke him up.

“Whaaa?” Ivan questioned before his brain caught up with him. The vampiric mercreatures had remained undetected for centuries due to their ability to heal their victims after biting them. Not that the mermaid who had bit him had any intention of leaving him alive given the size of the hole she had ripped in his neck.

“It’ll help.” Fogal worked his mouth for a moment, before leaning in close, taking his hands away from the gaping wound.

Ivan shook gently with fear as the predator’s hot saliva ran into his neck. He screwed his eyes shut and hoped Fogal wouldn’t take it personally. How many times had Ivan held the vulnerable merman through drugged hazes knowing that Fogal feared the doctors around him? The least Ivan could do would be to let Nathaniel care for him in return.

The healing saliva tingled in his skin, knitting veins and capillaries back together.

Nathaniel Fogal leaned back from him, placing his hands back on Ivan’s neck.

“It won’t fix it completely, but it’ll help. She was trying to kill you.”

The world was still foggy and Ivan was getting cold, the tips of his fingers numb.

“I am still going into hypovolemic shock.” He informed the merman.

“I…don’t know what that is…can I… what do you need?” Fogal looked around, “You… there’s a big bag it looks like you dropped. Is there anything in there that’ll help?”

Blood loss treatment.

“Yes.” Ivan breathed, “You need to keep pressure on the wound but… I need oxygen. There is a mask attached to the tank on my back. Take the plastic wrapper off… and…” he tried to catch his breath for a moment while Fogal reached a bloodstained hand over his shoulder to fumble for the mask and tore the plastic off with his teeth. Ivan would usually wince at the unsanitary action, but considering he had just been magically spat-on he could hardly complain.

“I remember these things.” Fogal looked at the mask, “It hooks over your ears, right?”

“Yeah…” Ivan used one hand to clumsily help manoeuvre the elastic around one ear while Nathaniel pulled the loop over the other ear, pulling the mask tight against his face “... there is a knob at the top of the tank. You need to turn it to turn on the gas…” The woosh of O2 was glorious, and Ivan dragged deeply on the mask. 

He was getting really sleepy. The world was swirling, hazed around the edges now the initial adrenalin spike was fading.

“What’s next?” Fogal asked, “I can reach your bag if there is anything useful in it?”

The bag. Gauze to stem the bleeding next? Neck wounds were awful to bandage. Or a saline drip to start replacing the fluid before he went into further hypovolemic shock? It was deeply unlikely Fogal would be able to place an IV. All Ivan’s training, all the hundreds of times he had treated people, and he could barely muster the brain cells to help himself…

“I…hmm… what do I need?”

“Nurse Brunel, please stay awake, I think you are meant to stay awake…” Nathaniel patted Ivan’s cheek, “Do you… do you not have any drugs that would help? You were always injecting me with stuff…”

“Hmmm, epinephrine. We got these neat small-dose epipens. They’re purple. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor, and will prevent the patient’s blood pressure from dropping. Especially if most of the wound has closed…”

“Where is it?” Fogal interrupted him, starting to dump medicines out of Ivan’s paramedic bag. Ivan watched him for a moment, “Brunel, where is the epi-pine or whatever its called?

“It's in my pocket.”

Fogal took only a second to give Ivan an exasperated look, before rooting around in his chest pocket.   

“Blood loss has got you fucked up mate… Is it this?” Fogal held up the little purple cylinder.

“Yes. Take off the blue cap, then you are going to have to let go of my neck long enough to shove the orange end into the side of my thigh. Orange to the side of the thigh, and you are going to have to properly stab me with it to get through my medic uniform.”

“Here goes stabbing…” The warmth of Fogal’s hand left Ivan’s neck, and the needle thudded into his thigh. It hurt, but not as much as it would have if Ivan wasn’t in hypovolemic shock.

“Did it work?” Fogal asked.

“Difficult to sa…” The adrenaline zinged into his bloodstream, and he could practically feel his sluggish heart respond. “Yes. Yep, that worked. But now I think… I think that is all you can do, Nathaniel. Will you let me call for help now?” Ivan asked.

Fogal nodded, and helped Ivan’s numb fingers to hold down the button on his radio.

“This is medic Brunel, requesting assistance, I have been bitten and sustained a 32-Charile with major blood loss. Can you…Help. Please.” Ivan trailed off.  

“We hear you Bruel, is the area you are in safe?”

Ivan looked at Nathaniel, “Yeah.” He breathed, “A civilian helped me…”

“Hold tight Brunel, we’ll be there in 2 minutes. Over.”

“I’ll wait another minute. Then I need to go.”

“Thanks,” He could nearly rest and let someone else take care of him. He focused on breathing deeply into the mask.

Above him, Nathaniel was muttering away under his breath, a familiar cadence Ivan had heard him utter a hundred times before. Was he - was he praying for his ex-captor?

A tear slipped from his eyes. Nathaniel wiped it away with the back of his hand.

“I need to leave. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you Nathaniel. For this.”

“Look after yourself Nurse Brunel.” Nathaniel clasped his arm.

“Ivan. You can call me Ivan.”

Nathaniel snorted a tiny laugh.

“Ivan. Shalom.”

And the merman returned to his freedom.

a/n Hope the name switching isn’t too confusing, but I love the importance of names in whump.

[whumpisgoodwhumpislife]

In troubled water #6

Masterlist

It could be worse.

It could be, really. Despite its aggressive behaviour and its attempts to scare away the aquarist in the scuba gear, the angler mer hadn't made any real attempts to attack him. Only baring its still regrowing fangs and emitting threatening clicks. But every time the human would try to close the distance between them, the small mer would immediately start to crawl away, its mangled tail flicking against the sand. At some point, it had managed to reach one of the walls of the tank, that was covered with rocks, and artificial corals. The small mer had curled around a rock, unable to squeeze into the small crevices, and had stayed here, its breathing quick. Its hands were nervously clenching in the sand, the webbing around its ears orientated in the diver's direction.

The aquarists had agreed to take turns scuba diving in the tank, hoping to get the traumatized creature to get used to them. But it didn't look like a done deal.

Since they had removed the feeding tube, the mer had barely touched anything they brought it. Alive fishes, dead, small pieces, bigger ones, meat cubes, it would completely ignore it as long as there was a diver in the tank. And even when it was left alone, it still hesitated to take a bite, and never finished anything. As a result, it started losing weight again, its already frail frame turning gaunt. Its caretakers, the aquarists, were worried about its health. They were even thinking about reinstalling the feeding tube, despite its obvious discomfort with the intruding device.

They thought the anglerfish was scared of them. In fact, it was absolutely terrified. The poor thing was expecting to be killed every moment, not understanding why they kept toying with it. But the orcas had done the same, after all. It was hungry, so terribly so, but didn't dare to leave its hideout more than a few minutes. Pressing itself against the rocks gave it some sense of comfort, reminding it of the crevices it used to roam in. Here, everything felt so wrong. The water tasted off, it couldn't fit into the crevices, its chest hurt from the pressure, and the tank was so bright it couldn't even see its lure.

It took the aquarists a while to start figuring out things. In their defence, deep-sea mers were rare, and there was no protocol, no adaptation planned. But once the angler's lure started shining brighter, they knew that they were making progress.

They had moved it into a smaller tank, initially containing two eel mers that had been moved into a communal tank. The lights were dim, and the rocky area was much thicker than in the previous tank, which had been designed to replicate the open sea. Here, there was room for the anglerfish to crawl into the crevices on the walls, and it didn't needed to swim to move around.

The small mer remained buried in the new hiding place for three whole days, without coming out once. It was confused, so confused. It was much better now that it could actually hide in the reassuring darkness, but wasn't sure how it had gotten there. The humans were still around, even though they had left it alone. Its hunger was starting to be stronger than its apprehension, and it finally crawled out of its crevice. Slowly, shakily, the mer's maimed tail undulating as it pushed itself out on the sandy floor, its gills flaring. The aquarists had continued to leave small pieces of fish near the entry of the crevice, and it didn't had to go very far to grab a handful of them, immediately darting backwards, into safety. To its relief, nothing happened, and the creature attacked the meat ravenously.

Outside of the tank, staring at the thick glass wall, the aquarist standing there let out a sigh of relief. They were making progress.

Taglist : @sausages-things @jumpywhumpywriter @why-not-ask-me-a-better-question @thataquaticwhumper @alyscat

@whatamidoingherehelpme @fleur-a-whump @ratsupremacy88 @scoundrelwithboba @phoenixpromptsandstuff

@vampiresprite @neverthelass