#never skip tail fin day

[peadackles]

What everyone sees: Cute LGBTQIA+ and disability inclusive family imagery

What I see: Little Timmy the Tuskaninny is strong as fuck to be standing upright on his tail that way

[cherry-coffees]

thinking about pirate!Caitlyn and mermaid!reader

how Caitlyn's so focused on her control and power, being the captain of her ship (obviously). she's never let anything deter her from getting what she wants, whether that's more power or wealth or whatever.

then she meets you on a walk to a hidden cove while her ship's docked in a nearby port. and gods you just look so beautiful sitting on a rock, combing through your hair. you're almost angelic — enough for Caitlyn to think that you must be one of her fantasies come to life. and she's sworn that she'd never interact with a mermaid: they're too annoying to her, get in the way of her ship's path too often. but you...you can't possibly be annoying.

Caitlyn debates saying anything, not wanting to scare you off. but then you look up at her, all shiny eyes and glistening fins of your tail. normally, you'd be fearful of such a well-known pirate. but the way Caitlyn's expression just seems so soft, adjusting her eyepatch almost subconsciously, you find it quite difficult to be afraid of her.

what starts from cautiously voicing a small "hi" that has Caitlyn's heart skipping a beat ends in her sitting on the sandy shore while you curl up against the water's edge. and you just talk: that's all. for now, at least.

Caitlyn goes on about her current voyage and her crew and "oh i hate getting seasick occasionally, you'd think i'd be immune to it by now." what she doesn't tell you is how she bites the inside of her cheek at how cute your following giggle is. you, in turn, talk about how vain some of the other mermaids you're living with are and how you "just can't stand the days when the fishing boats come by" because you can't go up to visit the shore for a while.

Caitlyn listens intently, and she figures that maybe the tales of pirates getting lured in by sirens are true. but she also realizes that she really wouldn't mind being lured in by you. you, with your shiny tail and seashell top and hair that seems to be nourished by the salt water instead of tangled by it.

when Caitlyn stands, having realized the time and how she should probably get back to her ship to rest, she hesitates just a little. "can i see you again?"

you hum, considering this. "you'd want to see me again?"

"of course. what pirate wouldn't want to meet a beautiful mermaid?"

"lots," you laugh. "but i suppose we can. maybe after the rest of the mermaids leave the cove for the night and your crew's asleep. how long are you here for?"

"just a few days, to rest," Caitlyn trails off, her hesitance extremely obvious. "but..."

"but?"

"but i really like you."

your smile is like a sunbeam that pours over Caitlyn, warmth spreading throughout her body. "i like you too," your voice is just as warm.

from then on, every time Caitlyn comes to visit you, she gives you some kind of jewel she's collected. a shiny comb for your hair, or pearls to drape over yourself in style. you, on your part, gift her seashells. perfect ones: the ones you can't find in the midst of the broken ones washed up on the beach. speckled, smooth, bright, muted: you bring her your favorites. you press them into her palm before kissing the back of her hand.

Caitlyn keeps every. single. one.

A/N - an image of me posting at 1am and trying to not wake my roommates because I'm squealing over Caitlyn Kiramman: >\\\<

[crying-fantasies]

Monsterfucking

Masterlist

Featuring Merformers! Rodimus Prime, smut/fluff/humor, CW: you fuck the fish, that's it, Roddy doesn't know about kissing, licking (sexy and lovingly), handjob, penetration, mention of a knot, barrier language, nesting, light gore (in a fight), mention of Rodimus’ creators, mer pups/cubs (I love these fictional babies so much), long fic.

Days in Cybertron tend to be regulated in cycles, the days are longer than average back on Earth, and it has been years but you still get problems waking up at the start of the day cycle, a new day to work, and a new day to try and not mess all up as a snake-like tail gets clingy, not letting go of your leg and purring when his claws get a hold of your torso again, hardly letting you hold on the data pad and give your boss a message of your more than sure tardiness just to get a thumbs up from her, almost hearing her say “work hard!”

Anything to help an endangered species.

Rodimus tends to be quite the hyper-energy kind of person, well, fish, he stands up more than the rest of the marine wildlife on this planet, and that's saying a lot given the unique metallic nature displayed, it’s a miracle that whatever kind of liquid filling most of the planet's oceans isn't cooking your meat out of your bones; Rodimus stands up, a lot, you've seen the others around, most are friendly, more inclined to curiosity when they touch your legs or look at you from some reef like structures, believing those as the better spot to hide but forgetting to low the light in their optics, first time it happened you were in for a shock as the rest of the team laughed at your spooked reaction to more than 20 pairs of optics shining bright under the liquid, all with overflowing attention to the new organic putting feet on the floating laboratory.

Rodimus would always be more noticeable to you, as he was the first pair of blue optics reaching out to you the same day your work put you there, so far away from your real home, all to preserve the mechanical nature of this planet and it's creatures, Rodimus escaped from his group, servos trying to catch onto his fins, all for nothing as the mech came up to a side of the lab where your official in charge was giving you the tour of the facility.

With shiny red-colored scales and flimsy paper-like metallic membranes, he was just like in the books, something from far away yet seemed organic, it was something so intricate no one could ever think of, the pads in his digits patted your right foot, feeling the texture of skin and thin body hair before giving a high pitched trill when he launched himself back to the liquid.

One of the scientists laughed, “Rodimus likes you”, almost catching on to his designation he emerged back, just to be dragged under by the rest of his group in a hissing feat, especially by a very mad hunter mech.

Mechs they call them, as in mechanical individuals, some skip over formalities and call them mers because the mers call themselves that way; and no, it’s not a joke as you see Chief Medical Darcy act as a referee when Optimus and Megatron are about to rip the fins of one another again as the doctor only sips on his instant chemical coffee, watching them both quarrel like an old couple, using sounds on a piano-like artifact to tell them to, in the mers own language, “frag off already, Optimus, you left him” while pointing at the blue mer, then to the almost smiling big-like ancient shark, playing his piano like a pro, moving pieces and volumes to say: "Megs, you shouldn't have acted like that, you started it”.

They are ancient, going way back to when Earth was still galactic powder, sentient in every way, they have language, culture, arts, and everything in between, the planet was under colonization until someone noticed the fishes could communicate, it all burned down from it, now considered a protected system the priority was to increase their number, as they could tell tales from bygone times, cures and methods never told before; the mer called Alpha Trion knew of a treatment for decayed fins, which somehow also worked on humans, it was incorporated to treat many skin diseases back on Earth, and the pros of keeping them alive overwhelmed the ones trying to sell them in pieces like it was done at first.

Rodimus is part of the reproduction program, more like one of the offspring resulting from it, but you've seen the program, it looks more like a dating event to this point, and then a nursery program, once the mers get good results, keeping the babies is high maintenance even for the most experienced ones, Cory tells you so once he catches on Rodimus going to you more times than ordinary, cuddling your side like an over-affective cat while purring, “he was just a small baby when I handled him, seems like it was yesterday”, he has a very worn-off expression, and the bags under his eyes tell you of unending nights while he has a new baby in his arms, you see a few mers in the pool connected to the nursery, passed out on the floor in uncomfortable positions over beds of wire-like kelp, some with their young sleeping like angels over them, and Rodimus, who is now shining and swimming in circles for some reason around you two as you also hold a baby, is very focused in how the little guppy holds the neck of your t-shirt, even using one of the sleepy carriers as some platform to show off his pretty red and orange scales, “never expected to live enough to see the day he would dance for a human”, you take a moment to think over it, process it, Rodimus has little time to do something when one moment you're standing there and the next you're running like you heard Megatron is coming with a bad temper.

Rodimus hasn't seen you since that day and makes it everyone else's problem while wailing on the shore closest to your room, and you, so shocked you almost dropped the baby back into the water, only hide in the sudden realization that an alien, mechanic, sentient fish wants to have something with you.

It was too much for a Saturday night, excusing yourself and leaving the baby with Cory who shouted something along the lines of it being normal, “Have you seen this fellow here?” he pointed at the red and silver mer in the pool, a new sire taking a rest while his babies were being rocked back and forth by you just a few seconds ago, the silver and white baby, now in Cory’s arms next to his red and white sibling, “have you meet Miss Astoria yet? The co-owner of this preservation program? These are her boys”

How can it be normal? How did it even happen between two different species on two different planets? How come the babies don't even look human? How?

And why is he trying so hard to find you? There is hardly time to even eat next to the shore before he appears once again, at least his blue optics peaking over the liquid before he goes back down, leaving you in a moment of solitude, raising your hopes, that maybe he finally settled for a partner of his species, but no, Rodimus only went back to the ocean and took out some kind of alien mechanical fish, still moving and trying to return from where it came, only to be gutted right there and then in front of you, Rodimus looks at you, expectantly, how can his optics shine so much?

“You know what? Fuck it”

Next thing everyone knows you're sunbathing in your free time on the beach, Rodimus making a donut-shaped nest at your side with his body, thrilling happily while doing so before you are called back, making him look at you, then at the nest, and back at you, big optics pleading and almost whimpering, “what is-? No, no! It's not that I don't like it! You shouldn't even be doing that here!”

Mers hardly do nests everywhere, as it is only recommended to do it near calm waters, safe to raise their young, close to the waters to ensure the moisture of the nest, with enough light to keep the iron sand warm and cozy for the growing protoforms.

Rodimus makes them where he likes or where you stay for a time long enough for him to get back at his job.

Cory tells you that's normal, since you said yes to Rodimus is normal for any newly paired couple to create their own nest, and also the fact that Rodimus is a recently matured young adult makes him more eager over the idea.

Maybe not exactly at the prospect of having a baby, more like the idea of banging.

Rodimus makes a lot of nests around the iron sand, he has one outside your shared habsuit, another out of your side of the laboratory, one in the sunbathing grounds like the other mers, but not one in the nesting grounds or the nursery, being extremely on edge if an unpaired mer looks at you or his nests, Rodimus is snarling at them when he notices, fins flaring with violent intent and only stopping when the other mer is at a distance he considered respectful before going to you as if he was the victim and not the curious young mech, chattering inconsolable until you let him snuggle in your lap, holding to you and whistling happily.

Mers, while being highly intelligent and sentient still go by their traditions, quite animalistic traditions as they fight over themselves to get a partner, and catch the attention of another; a group is wrestling in the iron sand in one of the little islands while you sunbathe with Rodimus, cleaning his fins of parasites or dead scales, taking samples while at it before a road and a snarl catches on your attention, jumping on your spot over the sand and looking at the island, two mers soon to kill each other while some others look, expectantly, waiting for the winner, the mers waiting to make a display and show their scales, show their array once the loser is bleeding energon in the sand and the winner takes the prize, you feel bad for the med, dragging his massive metal body back to the ocean, maybe soon to arrive at the medic area for medical aid, Rodimus calls your attention back at him, his servos holding your hands and pressing them back at his chest which rumbles, then holding onto your face to look him directly at his optics once you notice the healed scars under his scales or the growing pity on the injured mer just meters away.

Doesn't take much to know why he is always so clingy, or the reason for him to have so many scars when you look at his multiple medical reports, all gained after several mating seasons, losing every single one, being dragged back by Cory to patch him up even in a fainted state.

You look at him now, different, both resting in the bed inside your habsuit, still too early in the morning, Rodimus is curled next to you, his arms holding you, tail heavy over your legs, tangled within your legs, a remarkable subject that pointed out what he was and what you are, impossible to miss, still, you know about it now.

Nesting season is still a long way to come but the mating one is ever present once the fights for lovers have ended, Rodimus seems to not be moved by it, or he tries to appear as much as he grooms you with his hands and his glossa, it is more like an affectionate display but it still far from any sex, still, while he tries to rule over your hair with his oral solvents you catch on the puffy look his slit shows; most paired mates had long since gone to more private zones to let their needs and urges free, you are with the rest of the team as everyone gives their farewell to the newly paired young mechs, hoping for the best in the nesting season.

He tries to deny it, trying to keep up with the older mers who choose not to join the younger ones and the ones without pairs, all just doing their usual routines, Rodimus comes back much earlier than usual and becomes more anxious, just yesterday you finally noticed the reason why he didn't like to enter the nursery lagoon, using the piano-like artifact, asking him if he didn't like to come near the nursery even when you or Cory, his partner and his sire, were inside, his answer was simple “you don't like pups”.

Take a moment to let that sink and the misunderstanding born from the moment you realized his intent in courting you, Rodimus was, in reality, giving you much praise while snuggling next to you, presenting how nice you were with the young pup in your arms in front of his sire, happy by the way you two seemed to be getting along and then thinking in how happy his carrier was going to be when he came back with the hunting group, but his sire said something, making you jump and run, leaving the pup behind with his sire.

Rodimus believed you didn't like babies.

Which, in truth, wasn't exactly like that or different, “it may be impossible”, your words translated with the machine made his optics go big, soon pointing at himself, “Well, hard to happen”, Rodimus looked at you with barely closed optics, a little mad and hurt, “how can we be prepared? Or in any case, why now?” of course, it had to be soon, as the days progressed, and as every grooming session got heavier, sometimes you would nap while Rodimus cleaned you, soon feeling the way his servos were touching, massaging, his glossa looming over your neck, denta nipping at the skin.

He has been so strong so far, but it only takes a movement of your leg to make his tail recoil over it, rubbing his dilated slit over your hip, moaning during his recharge, optics opening just slightly when your fingers started to move along the opening, he squeaked, then rumbled out a groan, hissing while letting his slit open, you've seen the books, but it never said anything of it being soft, like rubber, Rodimus moves his hips, his massive tail pumping against your fingers as his arms go to your neck, anchoring himself to you while crying out in ecstasy, your fingers push a little more and you find a protrusion, pushing your fingers out for a moment to show his spike, letting you touch him more, lavish him more, his servos were frantically holding to the meat in your ass, trying to make you move against his spike in a rutted haze, barely giving your time or space to get the pajama pants off, “Okay, if only we could- could you keep it down?”, your laugh is nervous as he seems to be ripped apart on putting you over or under him, groping where he can while doing so, being careful to not catch your skin or hair with his frantic moving seams, finally deciding to put you down in the mattress, rocking his spike in between your open legs, knowing well the differences, but also the coincidences, between your bodies.

Where the slit of his tail was is also the point in which your legs connected.

“Come here”, your instructions are hard to follow as he is overthinking, full of joy while nipping at your neck, eager to couple but too excited to put it in, the little fighting you both do, one to put his spike inside of you and the other showering you with affection, finally ends when your hand catches on the pointy head of his spike, pumping at it while dragging him over, making him curl a little to be able and still be face to face plate.

Of course, you should've expected the unfamiliar sensation, impossible to compare to anything you've ever had, there was desperation in it, and his movements were too fast, too eager, still, Rodimus kept showing what you liked about him, smiling like a dork and holding to you, letting your legs brace to his tail, said tail rocking fast against you like he was swimming, putting your arms around his helm as he snuggled against your chest and neck, leaving bite marks just to show off, never to give you real damage, moving just enough, in that specific part to make you see starts with your breathless indications, easing your worry with forehead nudges that you changed for kisses, taking him for a surprise before he just let you continue, imitating you, when you felt his spike grow, inflaming, he was sure to make you come at least once before he started to pump faster, wilder, until the base was all in, pushing to a point never had before, looking at you with barely open optics as he started to coo and chatter, you didn't know what he was saying without aid, but Rodimus was singing you praises once again, “I love you, we are mates, mates for life, you're mine, I’m yours”, every short break in between his thrilled gibberish were supposed to be words, but you didn't have much to think straight as he kept on leaking into you, overflowing, keeping it all inside while relishing over your limp body as he still moved to let you get all of him, cleaning you once again to let you rest.

Once you slept well, he was back from wherever he went, coming back with food for the day for you both, once you ended your rations he would give you one of those glances, holding one of your legs, smoothly putting it over the beginning of his tail as you let him, seating you over his already wet and dilated slit.

Mating season wasn't a long period, but it was a delightful one, soon comprehended why so many people on base were missing for all of its duration, now being part of them and even learning why some told you to keep your clothes off most of the time except for a night coat easy to open, Rodimus was a good lover, as he barely left your side, and if he did, it was only to get rations from the cafeteria before leaving them to you and expanding the nest he was making outside your habsuit, using his body, curling it over the sand to make it compact at the base, then making a hole in the middle to keep water inside while you rested inside, not worrying about you leaving to do your science as he was sure the other humans just let you rest.

Months later, Cory found Chandler hissing at the ocean, just to stop, startled, like him at the sight of Rodimus, soon making direct eye contact with them, holding a still closed-eyed little black and silver hissing pup between his servos, presenting his own young and beaming with pride as they both heard you screaming Rodimus’ designation with two more pups in your arms from your habsuit, more than likely enraged and worried out of your mind by the lack of your firstborn in the nest where you left him with his siblings, then being startled by the potent cry of the pup that could only be comparable to a dying animal asking for mercy as he was soaked, cold and scared out of his young mind by the emotion of Rodimus’ to show off his offspring, and this was the fourth stop he made so far.

Rodimus’ carrier, Chandler, didn't give his own pup time to ponder what made you so mad before he was trying to knock some sense with violence into his adult pup like he was still a youngling after snatching protectively the pup against his chest to try and comfort him, Cory runs to them to try and save his son from the fury of his partner and his heavy servo, you appeared with your other two babies to see Rodimus being smacked by his carrier without mercy, “Have I not taught you well?! What in the PIT were you THINKING?! What are you DOING with a NEW FORGED PUP OUT OF THE SLAGING NEST?!”

Rodimus was a great lover, he was still learning to be a sire.

.

Inspired by the work of @tinydefector and @shyspider, love your guys’ work so much, totally lost Mermay but I can try it again with some good monsterfucking.

And if you realized, yeah, that hissing baby is Sunset.

@tf-kinktober2024

[oogalybooglay]

<you have each other…>

(Lunamoon1985’s commission!)

TW; itty bitty descriptions of violence and blood, again, an ITTY BITTY Bit.

also, you, reader, are also an experiment, why? FUN! (what animals are you? Your choice! Use your imaginationnnn)

You… lost everything… your husband and now? Your freedom…. You had been framed of murder, just like your husband.. Sebastian solace.

As if it was magic, you had the same sentence… death. The memories of your last call with Sebastian flashed through your head, him telling you he’ll still be there… watching you from heaven, you KNEW he never killed those people and neither did you! but your cries fell on deaf ears

you rotted in your cell… waiting for your final day, until…. Urbanshade decided to swoop in and pick you up, but… living in a cell didn’t really change, they turned you into a monster, changing your dna into a freak….

they said you’d be an mechanic of some kind… they knew your job before you got sentenced..? Strange…. Your were now, Z-**

It felt…. De-humanizing but at least you weren’t dead, on the outside at least…. You were repairing on some stuff, slightly dissociating thinking of your life before this…. You missed it. You missed it a lot. You missed everything, your family, your friends… Sebastian….

then… you heard a strange amount of chaos right outside the door… blood curling screams, your rush out the door and see the floor, coated in crimson puddles

you immediately started panicking, trying to avoid WHATEVER was doing this, in your panic, you fell down a floor you never knew was there….

Time skip?

You had a THROBBING headache, you lifted your head and scanned the area, it looked like some kind of.. shop? You saw a tail and slowly looked up to the figure it belonged to… a tall, eel like figure he spoke, in a……. oh so familiar voice

“Ah! You’re awake, are you alright? you knocked yourself cold out there”

He seemed to be wiping something off his nails…. But you ignored it and focused on his voice and demeanor, you mumbled in a confused but hopeful tone

“s….Sebastian..?”

the figure, perked up and looked down, lowering his hand and speaking

“w-what..? {name}?? {NAME}?!??”

You lifted yourself off the ground and exclaimed

“oh my god- SEBASTIAN?? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?- doesn’t matter-“ you, without a second thought, hug tackled your husband,

“ack- calm down there dear, your gonna crush me”

Tears started rolling down your face, burying your face into his chest, after a little you pulled away and examined his new body, spotting the third arm and eye. Sebastian looked away and scratched the back of his head

“yeah i look uh… different… then again, you do too- wait- I didn’t mean it like that- damnit- ugh..”

You laughed a little as your husband fumbled his words, you pulled him by his collar and smooched him right on the lips, he froze up and started babbling (author interjections: head canon mention alert, head canon mention alert)

“ah- well- uhm..- hoooo boy- lord- holy..-“

you smiled, human or not, he always started babbling as soon as you kissed him, like a stun gun but wayyy more affectionate, it shut him up when he was being an ass when you were human.

Sebastian wrapped his arms, which were stronger and bigger than before because of the experiments around you and slid down the wall, sitting on his tail. Resting his chin on the top of your head, he wrapped his tail around you, his chest rumbled with a purr like sound, he mumbled something then shifted around, the fins in the sides of his skull wiggled a little

the height difference was wayyyy bigger then it was when you were human, he was at least 10ft and you? 7-6ft… no fair!

Your positions shifted as time passed, soon enough you were on the ground, laying on Sebastian, his new body was different, but you can’t say you weren’t the same… Sebastian still snored, just like when he was human, guess that never changed huh? You looked up at his large, sleeping form, looking at his angler esca, I thought only female angler fish had that? Doesn’t really matter when you both literal mutants. You slowly kissed his…. Snout? And lowered your head again to rest

you needed this, you BOTH needed this. Life was gonna be…. Different, you had each other.. and that’s all that mattered….

EEEEE I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS!! SPECIFICALLY YOU @lunamoon1985 👁️👁️❤️❤️

YALL I WAS SCARED TO POST WITH BUT HERE YALL ARE. EAT MY MOTH CHILDREN! EAT YOUR SEBASTIAN SOLACE FANFICS!

[heavenlyakin]

changing tides - part one

suguru geto x mermaid!reader

Part 2 | Part 3

cw: mermaid!reader x prince!suguru, fantasy au with mentions of greek gods (Triton and Poseidon), inspired by splash (1984) and the little mermaid (1989).

wc: 1151

–

Merfolk legend warns about humans who hunt them for sport to display in their homes.

Human legend warns of mermaids who coax men to their deaths with their beauty. 

When Suguru was young, he often would watch from his window in the castle, wondering what the ocean had to offer. Once in a while he would see something jump up from the sea, mermaid or dolphin he could not tell. He hoped it was a mermaid. He’d sneak out to the cove below the castle to sit at the shore and hope to see one, but it never happened. As the years passed, he began to wonder if the merfolk really existed at all. He had no evidence to suggest they did. 

That is, until his father came home from sailing one day. 

He had two merfolk on board, one male and one female. They were no longer alive, and his father claimed he wanted to mount their fins in his council room to show off to his council and the nobles he invited to visit. As King, he always wanted to flaunt his wealth and luck, and this was more than what he’d call luck. The mermaid had a red tail, her fins iridescent and reflected light. The merman’s was green, a beautiful emerald shade with similar fins. They were the star of the room once mounted, to Suguru’s disgust. 

Suguru prayed to Poseidon that night to never let another mermaid come to the surface. 

16 years passed, and he never saw an inkling of a sign of a merperson. He often walked the beaches early in the morning and at sunset, skipping rocks and watching children play, but the ocean remained still beyond the waves. He believed his prayers had been answered, no merfolk had dared come to the surface after his father’s atrocity. 

As he walks out of the cove, the sun burns his eyes until they adjust. The sun is high in the sky, it’s much later in the morning than he usually does. The King and Queen sailed off early this morning to visit another Kingdom of isles south of here. 

His eyes adjust and land on a figure several meters away, a girl laying on the beach. As he approaches, he finds she’s nude and covered in sand. Had she washed up? He kneels down, her hair is strewn about the beach, tangled with seaweed. He looks out across the horizon, there are no ships in sight. 

“Excuse me, miss,” he taps her shoulder, slowly shaking her when he makes contact. 

Wild eyes meet him, a deep unsettled look in them. She retreats back against where the sand meets the cliff. The frown on her face indicated she doesn’t trust him, so he raises his hands in defense and to let her know he’s not going to hurt her. 

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Suguru sits on the beach, facing her as she nods. “Do you speak the common tongue?” 

“Yes,” she answers and moves her arms. 

Her hair covers her breasts, not that Suguru is looking. He’s doing his best to focus on her face.He doesn’t notice any bruising or cuts on her body when he does scan her to see if she’s injured. 

“Did you wash up on the beach?” He asks and she nods. “Do you remember where you’re from?” She shakes her head no. “Would you let me help you?” She nods again.  

He helps her to her feet, and she seems stable. He offers her his shirt, a white linen shirt he’d slept in overnight. It’s long enough it covers most of her body but her legs. He guides her through the cove and into the cave system below the castle. It’s a long walk, but they eventually make it to the castle. 

Inside, Suguru hurries her through the castle, avoiding any eyes that may fall on her and report back to his father. He’s had enough grief from them over being unmarried, and sneaking a girl who’s washed up on the shore into the castle doesn’t exactly bring the most honorable ideals to the family. 

“Where are we?” She asks him after he shuts her up in his rooms. 

“This is my chamber. Bathing room there,” he points to the right door. “Changing room there,” he points to the left door. “Are you hungry? When did you last eat?” 

���I would like to bathe,” she tells him and he nods, pulling the rope in his bathing chamber that calls for the maids. 

“It’ll be a few moments, but they’ll bring you everything you need. Soaps, shampoos, and of course hot water.” 

She looks perplexed as he speaks, but she doesn’t say a word. “Thank you. I would like to be alone for my bath.” 

“Of course. Do you have a name?” He asks, finally getting to it. 

“-----,” she answers and he smiles. 

She doesn’t smile back, but she does ask for his name, to which he answers. She says it twice, trying to remember it he assumes. When the maids arrive, he’s thankful for the business around him to distract from how awkward this situation is. She orders him and the maids out so she can bathe, and so he sits on the floor across from the door to his room. 

It’s not often there’s a naked woman in his room bathing, let alone without him in the room. He’s had his fair share of excursions, but he’s not sure what to call this. She speaks so little, he’s not sure how to approach asking her what happened to her. With no signs of abuse, he’s not sure she was thrown overboard. But how else would she have washed up onto the shore? How long had she been asleep on the beach? A funny idea runs through his mind. 

Perhaps she’s an exiled mermaid.

Suguru laughs, leaning his head back against the wall. He’d never heard of Triton exiling anyone from the sea, only keeping humans from entering it. There are legends of men following mermaids into the ocean, only to be drowned and devoured. Some sailors swear they’ve seen it happen, but with little evidence, Suguru isn’t sure he believes it. 

After an hour, he knocks on the door to his room. It feels awkward knocking but he doesn’t want to invade her privacy. 

“One moment,” a loud thud and the sound of splashing water comes from the room. 

“Are you okay?” He calls in, starting to open the room. 

“I’m fine! Stay out!” She yells from inside,  but he’s already opening the door. 

If his eyes do not deceive him, he watches as scales recede and skin takes it place on her legs.

———

tags: @honey-oak

[frozenjokes]

cubfan is mad that ptsd doesn’t just go away even when ethoslab went through the same thing and HE’S fine so why can’t I just get over it and play catch with these losers????

cub = atlas / etho = ghost

Ghost was here today, their quiet voice across the water enough to draw Atlas to the surface, watching, but they seemed to be preoccupied with the human Scars and Mumbo.

At Ghost’s arrival, Mumbo had leapt at the opportunity for clear communication regarding Scars’s uneven gift giving, but given the amount of time that had passed and the increasingly distressed and/or baffled noises coming from all parties, Atlas had to assume this wasn’t going so well. Was Scars defensive over its gifts? The way it was reacting to Ghost, Atlas wouldn’t be surprised. But Mumbo seemed frustrated with Ghost, not Scars, while Ghost’s exasperation was turned toward the human, so honestly, Atlas couldn’t say they had any clue what was happening with any of them.

‘That is not what I said!’ Mumbo seethed, fins ruffled, but Ghost didn’t seem too affected.

‘The gift wasn’t right. Is that not what you meant?’

‘I don’t want Scars to stop giving them! Just make it even!’

Ghost squinted, and Atlas might’ve thought they were in pain if they were a mermaid. What did that mean on a human face? Were they struggling with the language after so long living on the surface?

Ghost translated something in the human language to Scars who didn’t look any less confused, who went on to continue the cycle of the human babbling at Mumbo. This cycle proceeded with Mumbo asking for a translation, looking affronted by the answer, then telling Ghost off. Atlas wished they’d all stop; they themself were looking to spend time with Ghost without all the riff raff. What Atlas wanted exactly, they weren’t sure, but it didn’t end up mattering because Ghost didn’t seem to share Atlas’s desire for their company at all.

At first Atlas thought Ghost just hadn’t spotted them from their place tucked away near a small rocky outcrop; the humans hadn’t yet, though they were preoccupied. But after coming to some kind of conclusion with Mumbo and Scars, when Atlas called out a soft whistle from their place in the water, Ghost only waved, returning to whatever they were doing with their bag on the beach. This, however, certainly got the humans’ attention, the Scars human trotting over to the water, calling out, waving, and generally making a fool of itself. Graciously, Red was no more interested in Atlas as it had been in previous days, moving its own supplies up to fish off the rocks.

And then Ghost stripped their clothes, save for a towel around their midsection, and sat in the shallow water. If the humans’ reactions were anything to go off of, this was odd behavior, but Mumbo didn’t seem alarmed, and the Scars human calmed down after a brief stint of communication. Ghost said something to Mumbo as well, but it was too quiet to hear.

Atlas approached, curious and maybe a little restless, but Scars never moved from Ghost’s side, and in fact, only stepped between them as Atlas approached, to Atlas’s great disdain. Mumbo gestured vaguely, a ‘let’s go’ kind of tail flick, but Atlas didn’t want to go, this human was arrogant and irritating, as if its presence could keep Atlas from greeting their new acquaintance. Ghost said something in the human language to Scars, and their distress made Atlas bristle.

‘They’re changing, or at least they will be soon.’ Mumbo whistled with some urgency, pulling Atlas’s attention away from the staring contest they had initiated, ‘Ghost gets sick. Vulnerable. No need for an audience.’

‘Changing?’

‘To a mermaid, Atlas. They get sick. Leave them.’

Atlas’s brain seemed to skip the first bit, indignation firing up instead on how contradictory this treatment of sickness was. ‘If they’re sick, we should sing. They should not be left alone.’ -with a human was left unsaid, but Atlas hardly needed to speak the thought out loud, Mumbo could tell from the distrustful glance back and frequent clicks.

‘Leave.’ Atlas had almost forgotten Ghost was there, the blunt instruction coming through.. strained. ‘Neither of you speak for me. I am fine as I am.’

Atlas hesitated, struggling to parse the emotion, but Ghost only seemed to bristle at Atlas’s continued presence, so finally Atlas gave in to Mumbo’s insistent gestures.

It felt wrong to leave Ghost alone like this, especially with humans, especially if they were going to be in a state of vulnerability. How could Ghost send Mumbo and Atlas away, but not Scars? Scars could not protect or heal them. Atlas could begrudgingly accept the human might not take advantage of the situation, but how could Ghost really feel safe?

Atlas didn’t want to push though, not with Ghost, especially not today when they seemed so.. off.

Changing. Changing into a mermaid. Atlas believed what Ghost had told them of their past, it was not so hard to swallow with Ghost’s knowledge of mer culture and language, but to switch back and forth between forms.. that seemed beyond the realm of possibility. How did that work?

Maybe Mumbo read Atlas’s mind, or maybe not.

‘Give them space today. They’re upset with that human that’s cursed them I think. The two of them never got along as far as I know, but things haven’t been civil lately.’

‘The curse is what changes their species?’ Atlas asked, and Mumbo’s fins flicked in confirmation. A human curse, in both senses of the phrase. It made Atlas’s scales itch under the skin. They were still following Mumbo, but they wanted to turn back, go to Ghost, protect them from the monsters on the beach, monsters, why couldn’t anyone else see it? Mumbo said nothing more, and Atlas thought they might suffocate in the silence they usually longed for.

‘That human. The Scars. Someone needs to chase it off, make sure Ghost’s peace is preserved.’ Atlas was glad they had no fins, or Mumbo might see them shaking. Maybe Mumbo didn’t have to.

The other mermaid turned, just slightly, not enough to look but enough to click, their fins taking on the occasional twitch. ‘They’re friends, Atlas. I am an acquaintance. You are a stranger. Let it go.’

Atlas wanted to. They wanted so badly to let it go, to believe Mumbo, believe Ghost, but when Atlas closed their eyes, they were home, and everything was instantly hopeless. A sharp grief came out of nowhere, overtaking Atlas in an apathetic sort of terror they were more than familiar with in this state. Ghost was with the humans now. As good as dead, though humans were rarely so kind as to grant a swift end. It was over. Atlas couldn’t save anyone anymore.

Atlas had to hide themself away; Mumbo couldn’t see them like this, so upset, so scared, Atlas was supposed to be a rock; firm, reliable, but they weren’t- the deep couldn’t see how rooted their cowardice truly was.

Atlas pushed themself into the tightest hollow they could find, and they sang, in part to soothe, and in part to hide. Mumbo knew to stay away.

…

There was a stranger in the water.

Escapism was one of Atlas’s finest tricks, and maybe they’d done such a good job of it that they’d fallen asleep, but there was a stranger in the water, and it took Atlas a good while to realize who it was.

They were singing, both Ghost and Mumbo, singing, but Atlas only saw one blurry shape in the distance- no, there were two? Ghost was a gray-pink color, almost translucent- why? Atlas blinked, their senses focusing back on sound. The other two mers were singing Peace. Maybe quite belatedly, Atlas realized they felt calm. Ah.. maybe that was it.

The same effect that kept Atlas’s mind at rest stifled their pride. No use being embarrassed anyway, it was common practice, just.. not typically from stranger to stranger. Not that they viewed Ghost as a stranger, but if Ghost regarded Atlas as one in turn, then.. No use dwelling.

Atlas emerged from their burrow to approach, and Ghost stopped their song, while Mumbo continued on.

‘I don’t get to sing when I’m human. I hope I didn’t assault your ears while I relearned the notes.’ Ghost was a small mer, shockingly small; Atlas had imagined them as big as Mumbo, maybe larger, and was embarrassed in hindsight. The scar that was obscured by their human garb wasn’t easy to see against their pink skin, but Atlas was still able to follow it from Ghost’s eye to the midsection of their tail. Goodness. Atlas didn’t know of a human weapon that could do that to a mer, and they didn’t want to find out. And still Ghost loves them. Trusts them. Atlas didn’t believe Ghost’s trust to be misplaced; if Ghost was still alive, they had to have good judgement, but.. How could it be so easy? How could a mer be so wronged and overcome it all, just like that?

‘Humans don’t sing?’ Atlas asked, but was not surprised. A joyless species blessed with nothing would have to turn to destruction to make up for the holes where their hearts should be.

‘They can, but not like us. There is power behind a human song, but not the same.’ Maybe Ghost sensed Atlas’s animosity, continuing on.

‘You make me worried about my humans on the beach sometimes. Scars is unpredictable, headstrong, and I can not stop them from throwing themself to an early death.’ Ghost’s fins flicked, then shivered in their irritation, ‘I have tried. Regardless, I don’t want you to hurt them, but I can’t control Scars, so I’d like to try and make you more secure here. These humans in particular are expressive animals, they will not hide what they’re feeling. Their faces do not lie. I want you to be able to read them at a click if you’re as blind as me. I’d bring you face to face with Scars so you can see them in full, and I can teach you their expressions. Does that interest you? It is language, understanding. I thought it might.’

Huh. Well.. that made sense, didn’t it. Did it scare Ghost when Scars put itself between them and Atlas earlier today? Did it frighten Ghost to know that if Atlas attacked, there would be nothing Ghost could do, whether they were human or mermaid.

Atlas had no intention of hurting the humans, not these two at least, but more than once Atlas had felt the sparks of white hot panic thrum through their veins, and in the face of anxiety and uncertainty, Atlas knew themself well enough to be sure that they would act. There was no benefit of the doubt to be given here, and regardless of the fact that Atlas knew there was little to fear, the stakes in their own mind were impossibly grave. They could not shake it, no matter how fiercely they willed themself to relax. Their fear ran too deep.

Taking steps to quell the fear.. That would be safer for everyone, wouldn’t it. And this could be useful. The ability to read a human’s face, gauge intention.. who knew when that might come in handy?

‘I am willing. Whenever you’re ready.’

‘I’m ready now,’ Ghost straightened up, and Atlas couldn’t quite tell if they were pleased or anxious, ‘I’d ask where you’re most comfortable, but I need to stay in the shade. I burn in the sun. Let me bring you to the spot, and I’ll fetch Scars. You’ll have plenty of room to be away from them, if that concerns you.’

‘You burn?’ Atlas’s hair raised at the back of their neck, alarmed. Ghost had already started swimming, and did not turn around at Atlas’s question.

‘You will be fine. The pigment of my skin makes me vulnerable. One of my many inconveniences.’

Atlas was still quite afraid of Ghost spontaneously combusting, but the other mer cared very little, only confirming one more time that it was okay to bring Scars over before leaving to fetch the human. Atlas could see them from the shady spot Ghost had picked, and the two of them talked for a good while in the human language before Scars ran for its bag, and Ghost looked positively irked.

Atlas kept their distance as the human walked along the shore at Ghost’s side, the sand turning to muck as they transitioned to a grassier, weedier area. Scars was holding something in its hands, a human garment maybe, but bundled so tightly that Atlas couldn’t tell what it was.

“Hello, Cub!” the human called, and Atlas backed away in turn, to which it adjusted its volume, “hello, hello!” It sat on the muddy peninsula, uncaring for the water that lapped at its legs. Maybe this shouldn’t have been a surprise; Atlas had spent weeks watching it galavant wherever it pleased, but this still unnerved them. The humans up north feared the water, as they should. Falling in was near certain death, and they did fall. Scars showed its teeth like a threat. That wasn’t the case, of course, but what a frightening expression regardless.

‘They’re over the moon right now,’ Ghost whistled, confirmation to what Atlas had already guessed was excitement, ‘Human mouths and eyes are the biggest indicator of emotion; when their mouths are upturned, it generally means they’re happy. The other way indicates sadness, and a strained sadness is stress or pain. You won’t see their teeth much besides when they’re happy, but you might see them if they’re in particularly bad pain.’

Ghost switched gears to address Scars, “Stop smiling.”

“What? Why? When do I get to talk to him?”

“I need uh- Cub, to see a range of human expressions, and you’re too damn happy to do that. Grian won’t do something like this, so you need to start frowning.”

“Don’t you try to tell me Grian never smiles, he has a great smile!”

“That is not at all what I said.”

“You are a dastardly fellow, Etho, you are! I will take none of this slander!”

Ghost, with a couple great fin flicks of irritation turned back to Atlas. ‘They’re making a fool out of themself, but that’s kind of what an unhappy expression can look like.’ Ghost looked back, and Scar was smiling again, kicking his feet in the water. ‘Nevermind. I don’t think I’ll be able to show you now, but if a human is really, genuinely unhappy, you can see it in their eyes. Mermaids don’t have eyebrows, but humans have them to communicate how they’re feeling, and an upset human’s brow will be strained and arched down. Neutral expressions can look unhappy, but the brow is typically relaxed in those cases.’

Atlas gave an acknowledging flick of their tail, unsure if they were just as exasperated as Ghost with this human’s baffling behavior, or if they were more curious than they were afraid. It was just so confusing. How could a human ever be this excited to be hanging around with a mermaid? Did it not realize how dangerous Atlas was?

Mumbo had much to say about this one’s lack of survival instinct, so maybe that was the case. Apparently it had thrown itself at Mumbo several times in acts that could only be described as brilliant suicidality, but Atlas supposed it couldn’t be helped.

Ghost’s whistle halted Atlas’s train of thought. ‘If you’ve had enough, we can try again another time. I can show you more, though. They’d like to talk to you, and you’ll see the most intricacies then.’

‘Let it talk, if it wants,’ Atlas had no qualms here, and honestly, they were curious what the human had to say. Ghost hesitated for a moment, and maybe it knew the floodgates were about to open. Atlas sure didn’t realize what was about to happen here until Ghost gave the human the okay to begin, and from there it did not stop babbling.

Atlas got the sense Ghost was paraphrasing, but they understood why; Scars hardly stopped to breathe, and Ghost wasn’t necessarily a very quick speaker- mermaids weren’t quick, they never talked this much!

From time to time, Ghost would give up translating altogether, instead commenting on Scars’s expression or body language which was becoming marginally easier to understand. It was abundantly clear the humans used their whole body to communicate the same way mermaids did, something that Atlas knew from watching them blunder around on the shore, but it was all the more obvious now. Still a bit frightening watching Scars throw itself around like a ragdoll with grand, sweeping gestures, but Atlas could cope.

They still didn’t understand how Mumbo could stand to listen to this thing, but whatever.

‘They want to know if you have any questions,’ Ghost must have known that Atlas was zoning out, making a small splash to grab their attention. ‘About humans, Scars themself, Star Wars, whatever.’

‘What is a Star Wars.’

‘I’m not asking them that, they just went on about it for the last thirty minutes.’

‘I wasn’t listening.’

‘I wasn’t translating most of it either.’

“What is he saying? Does he have any questions? Please tell him to ask a question, please please.”

‘Scars wants you to ask a question.’

Atlas huffed softly. Of course it did. Anything to talk to a mermaid apparently, even though Scars also spent a not insignificant portion of its day already speaking to one. What’s the point!? Maybe that was too vague of a question.

‘Why mermaids? Why does it care so much if it’s not after our scales or blood? What does it get out of being here? These humans don’t make any sense to me.’

Ghost took a moment to think before translating. For the first time since Scars had been given permission to speak, it shut its mouth, and considered the question, stroking its chin with a finger.

It gave its answer. Ghost relayed the message.

‘Scars thinks mermaids are cool.’

Atlas stared. ‘That’s it.’

‘And they say they like Mumbo. Mumbo is cool. Mumbo is great. Mumbo is his friend and maybe partner. He is honestly not sure and neither is anyone else.’

Atlas snorted. ‘Mumbo says you’re involved, so you’d better be committed. They were upset with you, real upset.’

For the first time, Scars’s face fell.

“What?”

Atlas bristled, unable to help themself. Stupid, clueless human! Mumbo knew that already, they’d spent a lot of time complaining about it, and maybe it was Mumbo’s fault for messing with a species known for its incompetent cruelty, but it still made Atlas so angry.

‘You gift recklessly. You’ve made something of yourselves, then you turn around and give like they are lesser to you. How do you think that made Mumbo feel, weeks on end? If you love so irresponsibly, then you should end this flimsy partnership immediately. Mermaids are not toys for humans to bat around.’

Ghost hesitated multiple times during that translation, halting at the end of each sentence, but despite Scars’s change in demeanor, it urged Ghost on the entire way. And then it was silent.

“Was.. Oh god.” Scars looked at the bundle of cloth in its arms. “Shit.”

“This makes sense actually,” Etho mumbled in human, though they looked more thoughtful than sad. “I was a little surprised your master Friend Making plan was going so well, seemed kinda odd to me.”

“What? Why didn’t you say anything, Etho! Are mermaids sensitive about gift giving or something? How egregious was this exactly!?”

Ghost shrugged. “Not great. I mean would it not go the same way for humans? You’re a human, kinda dating a mermaid, but then another human comes along and your mermaid boyfriend starts showering the new guy in gifts.. not a great look.”

“It’s- I just wanted Cub to warm up to me a little! And they both got gifts, plus Mumbo got all the attention in the world! How was I even supposed to know! I mean- it was only just today Mumbo tried to tell me to cut it out with the gift stuff but- I don’t know!” Scars seemed quite distressed now, but as far as Atlas was concerned, it probably deserved to be.

“Maybe he took the chance because I was here. Who knows. Actually, Cub probably knows.” Ghost switched gears, turning to Atlas, ‘Did Mumbo try to tell Scars before that they were upset?’

Atlas huffed, swinging their head, ‘Mumbo didn’t want to hurt its feelings. They tried ignoring it for a while, but Scars didn’t even notice.’

‘Oh.. Yeah, you don’t really ignore Scars.. If he wants you he’ll have you.’ On cue, the human began to pester Ghost until they translated for it. It then made an odd expression, which Ghost quickly explained was offense.

“Mumbo wasn’t- I thought he just wanted some space! I wanted to respect that!”

Ghost made an odd noise, a long sigh that was far more human sounding than mer, “I don’t necessarily think it’s your fault, Scar. It is how it is. Now you know. Things like this are just going to happen in a cross species- whatever it is that you guys have. Even a normal friendship has given the three of you trouble. You don’t know each other’s cultures and customs, and you can’t communicate at each other efficiently when one of you crosses a line.”

“Do you think I should break things off then? It’s not serious in the first place, I’m pretty sure we’re both on the same page on that front, but I don’t want to keep hurting his feelings. I just want to be friends.”

Ghost shrugged, another human gesture. “I don’t know, Scar. I guess now would be the time to do it since I’m here, but who knows if I can even facilitate that kind of conversation without messing it up. It’s hard. Even this back and forth is hard. At least I don’t think I’ve botched the meaning of anything too terribly. The thing with Mumbo when we got here was a nightmare.”

Scars frowned, looking at its feet swaying in the water. “Well, I’ll think about it tonight. I’m not trying to push you or anything.”

“Thanks,” Ghost mumbled, and they didn’t translate any further, so Atlas assumed they were done here, turning around to leave.

“Oh, bye Cub,” the human called, “Thank you. And- Tell Mumbo he doesn’t have to worry about hurting my feelings, alright? I can take it.”

Ghost translated. Atlas stalled. ‘Thank you? Why?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘I upset it, didn’t I? What’s to thank?’

Etho was quiet for a long moment, eyes closed in thought. ‘Humans do not think in black and white. They aren’t just animals.. very similar to us in that way. Scars is unhappy, but you’ve given them an important bit of insight. They’d rather know than not know. Scars doesn’t want to hurt Mumbo, and they don’t want a relationship if inevitable miscommunication will lead to worse outcomes. They want a friend. That’s what’s most important.’

Well- of course. That.. made sense. Atlas probably could have worked that out on their own, but..

It didn’t come naturally. Humans were intelligent, but not complex. That’s how Atlas had always seen them. It wasn’t easy to change their own state of mind.

…

Scars was considering breaking things off with Mumbo? Because of this? Because of the threat of misunderstanding?

Atlas sat with that for a long time, deep into the night.

Maybe it was possible for a human to care.

…

Mumbo sat perched on a smooth rock that stuck out near the surface below Grian’s fishing spot, an area positioned in such a way that Mumbo had many options when it came to staring. He could stare at Grian’s lure skipping through the water, fishless, usually. He could stare at Grian himself, though Mumbo liked staring at him less nowadays with the absence of the mustache. He could stare at Scar, who seemed to love bothering Etho more than he loved bothering Mumbo; a high bar, in Mumbo’s opinion. It was cute the way Scar showed his love, talking and talking and talking.. Mumbo was beginning to think Scar’s hierarchy of friendship could be measured solely off how much attention he tried to steal away from you.

As Mumbo had recently learned, and was witnessing again now in real time, the recipient of Scar’s insistence did not have to give him the light of day for Scar to babble on and on. Mumbo found it sweet. Given the flicking of Etho’s fins, they found it irritating.

Just as often though, Scar would finally leave Etho alone, and Etho wouldn’t last five minutes before trying to recapture Scar’s attention; splashing him, throwing little pebbles until Scar realized where they were coming from (Grian did this just as often, and sometimes he and Etho worked together), proclaiming they were bored and demanding Scar do something about it. Last night, Etho, Scar and Grian had played a human game with Etho’s cards, but even having watched them dozens of times before, Mumbo still struggled to grasp all the concepts. Part of the problem was with his eyesight; he often couldn’t tell the cards apart, especially between the shapes and the same colors, but apparently Etho had trouble too, they just used the bumps on the cards to tell which was which if they weren’t immediately sure off sight.

Mumbo had meant to learn the bumps to get a better grasp of the cards, but usually when Etho and Mumbo were alone together, the focus was on the basics of the human language, not their card games. That was fine though, Mumbo was pretty sure he’d rather watch than play.. Grian and Etho got really competitive. Mumbo suggested once that maybe Scar always won because he never worried about winning, but Etho maintained this was false and Scar was just born lucky, and after relaying the message, Grian had just said ‘no’ a bunch of times. Scar never stopped smiling.

Today was something new.

Mumbo had seen human balls before, the ones they used for sports. They had a lot of sports, all of which Scar had mimed out in great detail many times before. There weren’t very many conditions that defined a ball, but most of them were round, and most fit in two human hands. The one Scar had chosen to fight Etho’s boredom was sort of round, but came to a dull point on both sides. At first Mumbo thought Scar had forgotten he’d already shown Mumbo this ball, until he threw it to Etho, the toy spiraling in a great arc before being caught at Etho’s chest. Whoa.

Scar ran to the water, paying an awed Mumbo no mind as Etho threw the ball back, though their throw was not nearly as good, wobbling in the air and missing its mark by a longshot. Scar was not bothered as he went to retrieve it from the shallow water.

Once Etho learned to throw the ball properly, the back and forth was utterly mesmerizing, and Mumbo found himself gaping at this delightful new game that held the same hypnotic power as a long bubble column. He was so entranced, he completely missed Etho’s whistle the first time, and they had to repeat themselves.

‘Do you want to play?’

Boy did he!

Mumbo was a little startled when Etho tossed him the ball, he didn’t even get close to catching it, but throwing it was a completely different challenge. It didn’t look hard when Scar did it, but when Mumbo tried, the ball really only went somewhere because Mumbo had the brute force strength, not because it had done the pretty spiral the other two had managed. Maybe that was a good thing though since he’d overshot it as it was, Scar having to scramble onto the shore to catch the rogue toy. Mumbo rushed to follow, and luckily, Scar caught on to what Mumbo wanted right away, skipping over to show him how to hold the ball.

“So it’s like this, your fingers on the lace, right?” Scar held the ball firmly, showing Mumbo how his fingers laid on the raised edges. Then he wound back and tossed it Etho’s way, a nice, gentle spiral. Wow. Mumbo wanted to do that. When Etho threw it back, Mumbo intercepted it, fins waving at Scar’s affronted gasp. He lined his fingers up just the way Scar’s had been, and though the webbing between them got in the way a bit, Mumbo would not be letting anything stop him from mastering this human art.

‘Mumbo- You don’t need to wind back that far, don’t-‘ Etho was cut off by their own shrill fright as the ball hurtled towards them, only barely ducking under the waves before the ball bounced ten feet into the air off the surface of the water, flipping wildly before landing with a sad plop. Mumbo’s fins fell. Why hadn’t it spiraled? He’d done it right, hadn’t he?

“You probably shouldn’t throw it so hard-“

‘Are you trying to kill me!?’ Etho burst from beneath the surface, fins trembling- an overreaction in Mumbo’s opinion.

‘Why didn’t it spiral. Tell it to spiral for me.’

‘I’m telling it never to spiral for any mermaids called Mumbo ever again!’ Etho picked up the ball and whipped it at Mumbo, who caught it with little trouble despite the less-than-smooth flight. Huh. Maybe if you threw it too hard it affected the quality of the trajectory?

Mumbo tried tossing it to Scar, and while it still wasn’t great, Mumbo saw the beginnings of progress. Scar must have seen it too, jumping up and down in his excitement despite not catching it.

Mumbo backed away from Scar, aiming for a similar distance he and Etho shared, and the game continued. It wasn’t much longer before Mumbo got the hang of Throw Ball, and he never wanted to stop. He needed to Throw Ball for the rest of his life!!!

(Mumbo couldn’t help but notice that both Scar and Etho did not want to be on the receiving ends of Mumbo’s throws, constantly switching the order from clockwise to counterclockwise, but he pretended not to notice. Perhaps this was a good sign coming from Scar; he must value his life after all if he didn’t want to get nailed by one of Mumbo’s incredible passes.)

At some point in this charade, Grian must have been feeling the FOMO, crawling down from his perch to watch from the sand before yelling something at Scar which Mumbo soon learned was a request for the ball, denied by Scar because Grian wouldn’t get in the water. (knowledge graciously translated by Etho after much pestering) Grian did give in to Scar’s insistence though, tip-toeing in no further than his ankles and still managing to complain the entire way, noise which ceased into a short squeak as Grian scrambled to catch the ball Scar had whipped at him.

Grian and Scar didn’t stop squabbling after his inclusion, but Mumbo didn’t mind. Watching them fight over being in Mumbo’s line of fire gave him a great amount of sinister satisfaction. Both of them would find they were not safe, even positioned diagonally from Mumbo. Etho all but lost it when Mumbo whipped the ball at the wrestling idiots, both humans screaming as they dove out of the way. Grian got a little more wet than he bargained for, and he was not pleased when Mumbo meandered over to check on him laying face down in the sand.

Everything was perfect.

Throw Ball evened out into something a little more consistent, low energy, which Mumbo liked best. The humans and Etho would chat about nothing in all the best ways, and Etho didn’t clue Mumbo in very often, but that was alright. Mumbo probably wouldn’t understand what they were going on about anyway, and at the end of the day, he was just happy to listen. He loved the sound of them talking, just talking, not arguing or wrestling or any other high energy shenanigans. The lower notes, the easy posturing, the consistency, it reminded Mumbo of the sea, of clicking in the deep, a homely kind of background noise.

And then, through the human buzz of conversation, Mumbo perked up at the sound of a few puzzled clicks. Atlas was floating just a little ways away, head half above the water, watching. How long had they been there?

Mumbo flicked his tail, an inviting gesture, but Atlas did not respond, remaining stationary. He hadn’t meant to draw attention to Atlas’s presence, but of course Etho noticed the gesture, and when they looked back, the humans’ eyes were drawn as well. Etho clearly hadn’t meant to expose Atlas either, fins drawn back in a light embarrassment, the ones at the side of their head flicking in a meek ‘hello.’

‘Why don’t you join us?’ Mumbo tried, and looked away before he could see Atlas’s dismissal, demanding the ball from Scar in a series of urgent enough sounding whistles and clicks so that he would get the message. (Etho still had to translate, but Mumbo got the ball in the end anyway.)

Atlas lifted themself a little further out of the water in anticipation, and Mumbo was pleased they’d been watching long enough to know what he intended to do. As gently as he could manage, Mumbo threw the ball in Atlas’s direction, who made no attempt to catch it, but did approach it curiously after it landed in the water, pushing it under and watching it pop back above the surface. Atlas did that a few more times with increasing aggression, then let it be, watching a while before picking it up and putting one of the corners in their mouth.

‘Don’t bite-!’ Etho whistled quickly, to which Atlas looked up, uninterested, but not defiant.

‘Do you want to play?’ Mumbo tried, only to be squinted at, which, he didn’t really know what that meant. But then Atlas took the ball in their hands, throwing it to Etho, maybe, Mumbo was pretty sure the intended target was Etho since they were closest, but in reality the ball was whipped directly down into the water, making a huge splash with the follow through of Atlas’s hand and causing the rest of the crew to jump. As the surrounding waves slowed to a ripple, Atlas looked at the peacefully floating football like it had wronged them.

Mumbo trilled, diving through the water to teach Atlas exactly how it was done. With their words, Atlas told Mumbo he was being a nuisance and they didn’t want to play a dumb human game and they didn’t care and the ball tasted bad, but their body language told a different story. Probably. It was hard to tell since they didn’t really have any fins.. Mumbo chose to believe Atlas was having a interested at least.

On their second try, Atlas’s throw made it most of the way to Etho, enough that it was only a short swim for Etho to retrieve the ball. But it had hardly landed before a bristling Atlas turned on a trilling Mumbo.

‘Stop being so happy.’ And without another word, they were gone.

Mumbo did not, in fact, stop.

[tj-dragonblade]

popping my head in to ask about Mer Hob 👀 from the WIP title ask game

Finally popping my head back up to answer, my apologies for the wait! Mer-Hob came out of server conversations about mer-Dreamling fish assignments and aquatic mating displays, but he kind of fizzled out with the scene I tried to write. Dusting him off for this, though, I think I can breathe the spark back into it. Take it past where I meant to before, so it will have a more satisfactory conclusion. I have scrapped the lackluster 'how did they meet' that was stalling me out and given them new backstory and now I'm unsure how exactly I want to structure this. Start where I've started and then jump back to the meeting, then bring them back to the present? Make the backstory a separate fic? Rearrange the whole thing chronologically, which would require a lot of rework and shortening of the current opening bit? IDK but I'll figure it out. In the meantime, here is a chunky chunk of drafting for their meet-cute (sfw but cut for length):

Dream is not surprised to find a waterline-level cave out on the rock formation in the bay, on the side not visible from shore. Nor is he overly surprised to find someone stretched out in the handsbreadth of water covering the floor with their eyes closed, as the morning light fills the first several feet of the cave brightly in a way that is conducive to sunbathing.

The fact that the sunbather has a bright orange tail with brilliant yellow fins and blue-black leopard-like spots is rather less expected, however, and Dream gasps his surprise.

The sound startles the man—the merman—surely not?—who sits bolt upright, eyes wide and panicking as he locks gazes with Dream not an arm's length away.

Dream's heart skips a beat. He's beautiful—

"Oh, fuck!" The merman—there is no other explanation, no mistaking the flurry of fins and scales as he moves—the merman twists and flops and dives past Dream, a less-than-graceful plunge off the rock and into the sea and then he is gone.

"Wait!" Dream cries, to the bright flick of yellow vanishing into the depths, but of course it is no use.

He could swim back to the boat, could don his diving gear and follow—but no. The merman is already gone, and will be more so by the time Dream could be equipped to give chase.

He swallows back his disappointment, his disbelief, and tells himself resolutely that he surely imagined the entire thing.

But he did not imagine it, he knows this; the knowledge lodges in his mind, burrows down into his consciousness and curls around his common sense, stokes his curiosity.

He saw a merman.

Merpeople do not exist.

But he saw one.

He returns the next day, hoping perhaps to repeat the discovery, but he is the only visitor to the cave in the hours that he spends there. When the tide has gone out and come back in, high enough once more to cover the floor of the cave, when he has spent all day waiting with nothing to show for it, he admits defeat and swims back to his boat.

He returns again, and again, later each day with the drift of the tide, diving to explore beneath the surface when the cave remains empty. He finds nothing of note, nothing to hint at the existence of merfolk, nothing at all out of the ordinary; by day six, he is trying to convince himself to make peace with the likelihood that he will never find any trace of the merman he knows he had seen.

On day seven, the merman is back, sunbathing at the front of the cave again.

Only this time, he has human legs, is wearing swim trunks, is sitting further away from where Dream is treading water, stunned.

"…Hello," Dream manages.

"Hi," the man says, warmly polite. He is cross-legged with his knees drawn up and his arms wrapped around them, one hand holding the other wrist; he is meant to look casual and relaxed, Dream is certain, but the tension and the nervousness coming off of him are palpable.

He is still beautiful.

"You're. I saw you here, before?" His thoughts are still trying to catch up; he hoists himself into the cave, doesn't move closer.

The man's shoulders drop a tiny fraction. "Yeah, yep! Startled me good, you did!" He chuckles lightly, a carefree and casual sound; the fingers of his dangling hand wriggle, a nervous and distracted sort of gesture that draws Dream's attention to the profusion of hair on his bare legs, and arms, and what Dream can see of his chest.

"You had a. A tail, last time," Dream says, somewhat awkwardly, tearing his gaze from the sprinkling of hair on the man's bare toes.

"Oh, that, yes!" The man grins, bright and disarming. "I'm a mermaid performer, with the, ah, the local carnival."

Dream is convinced this is a lie even as the logical part of his brain points out that this explanation makes far more sense than believing in merfolk. He knows what he saw, the flexing of muscle and the fanning of fins, the bending and twisting that did not match up to the way that human legs would move in that configuration. The merman speaks with casual confidence, but the tension in his frame and the nervous fidget of his clasped hand are easy to read.

"…No, I don't think you are," Dream says, and the man's bright smile dips before returning to full wattage.

"Calling me a liar, are you?" He laughs, a light and enchanting sound that Dream immediately wants to hear more of. "Merfolk, they don't actually exist, I'll have you know."

~ The wip tag has a tiiiny bit more of this one, also.

[morningstarfirstsin]

Shooting Stars (7/20)

(A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay for this chapter, I've been having a lot of IRL obstacles and a bit of writer's block. But today's chapter is a bit longer and I pretend to make the next chapters longer as well!

Hold my hand because I had one opportunity to make MC's tail similar to a model from finfolk  and my internal child is very happy.

Edit: I forgot to link the inspiration for the fins!)

Pairing: Sylus | Zayne | Xavier | Rafayel | Caleb x female!reader

Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (8)

Read it on AO3

You were laying down on the bed after dressing yourself for what felt like an eternity, until you heard your smartphone ring. You stretched your hand for the bedside table and got it, the number calling you was from Jenna. She was probably worried since you had not showed up and that reminded you that you still had a daily job. 

You got up, one of your hands was on top of your throat, the other one holding the phone to your ear. You walked to the balcony, getting the call and as soon as you started talking, your hand shone a turquoise blue, your voice sounding melodic as ever but as one of a baritone, deep and low. 

“Zero. What happened to you? I don’t think I have ever seen you skipping one day of work during all those years you’ve been working with us. Should I worry?” - Jenna was always straight to the point and that was good. At least you knew exactly what she wanted. 

“Captain.” - Your voice sounded serious as a soldier trained for killing and no emotion, yet still beautiful and warm. - “I beg your forgiveness for not showing up and sending any prior message about my absence. I’ve been tracked down by some hitmen and yesterday, unfortunately, I got injured.” 

Well, technically speaking, you weren’t exactly lying, EVER was now always after you, it was your objective since the beginning anyway, this time it was your body acting against your better judgment, but maybe the amount of stress you’ve been through had something related to how you’ve been feeling. Before you could continue speaking, though, you heard a gasp from the other side of the line. 

“Should we send someone over to you? Report immediately your status, Zero.” - She ordered. 

“No, ma’am. There is no need. I’ll be absent for three days maximum. I should be going back with full health back to work. I had taken care of the hitmen that came after me already.” 

“Ok.” - There was hesitancy in her voice - “Just let us know if you need anything. And please keep sending daily reports of your recovery.” 

“Yes ma’am.” - And with that, you disconnected and removed your hand from your neck, stretching right after. Being here made you forget that you actually was Zero, a male mysterious hunter that worked back at Unicorns for the internal special forces. Jenna was the captain from Alpha team, but she also commanded the secret unit forces φ (unit forces phi). You were basically the hunter that would come in if the alpha team couldn’t solve or whenever Onychinous or EVER started a ruckus. 

Behind you, a whistle could be heard. Turning around, you saw Rafayel and Zayne together, both with their arms crossed on their chests. 

“I’m not going to lie, I’m impressed, cutie. I didn’t expect you could sound like a man as well. Is that your evol?” - Raf asked, being the first one to come closer to you and help you sit on the handrail. 

“A-Ah, yeah. I can do that much…” - You spoke softly, looking at Zayne and immediately looking down, finding anything on the ground more interesting.

“So this is how you keep your identity of Zero, hm? And what about the whole size thing? I never knew your evol could manipulate your voice.” - His voice was icy and you could feel the chilling breeze when the doctor came closer to you, his eyes locked on your face. 

“I… My evol is manipulation. So I can manipulate many… things.” - You whispered softly - “Not only small objects as I’ve made you believe…” 

You felt guilt starting to consume your insides, you’ve lied many times before and probably would have to lie many more, not that you enjoyed the thrill of not being true to the people you’ve loved, but you needed to do it. After all, this was all a game, right?

“Let’s get you on the bed so I can examine you” - He said, changing the topic completely after a few seconds of silence. Offering his hand, he looked at you. 

 You held his hand and went back to the room, feeling like a child who was in trouble after misbehaving in front of her parents. Sitting on the bed again, you kept to yourself, sighing and hoping that Zayne wasn’t going to be too angry at you. 

“Ok, so to break the ice” - Rafayel winked at you, a playful smile on his lips - “Check her to see how she’s fairing, because she’ll probably need to go to the sea for a bit so, I want to make sure she’s ok.”

“Go to the sea? Whatever you mean by that?” - Zayne questioned, his eyes never leaving your face, the sudden rush of heat flooding over your cheeks due to his unwavering attention. 

“She’s also lemurian and she’s been far away from the sea for too long. I imagine her body condition is related to the amount of time she hasn’t just… Succumbed to her instincts.” - The God shrugged - “It does sound far more rude than what it truly is, but without a better way to put it in words… She’ll need to go to the sea and I’ll keep an eye on her.” 

Zayne averted their gaze from you to glare at Rafayel. He seemed angry, perhaps even sad. 

“Yet another thing I had to find out about you, by others.” - His voice was laced with disappointment. 

“Z-Zayne, I’m sorry!” - You spilled, both of your hands going to his face. You never saw him angry, no matter what you or mc had done. - “I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I’m so sorry, I just wanted you all to be happy, I didn’t think whatever I am had any importance to the picture!” 

Your voice was heavy with panic, not wanting to disappoint the doctor, but that sentence stunned the two of them. Both exchanged a quick glance and then looked back at you, worried and sad. 

“How come you say this? You know how much you are to all of us…” - There was hurt in his voice

“Look, I… I need to say something to all of you…” - You lowered your head, feeling as if you’re the worst person in the whole world. - “Can you please call the other two and ask if they can come by?” 

Zayne exchanged another glance with Rafayel and sighed nodding.

∴━━━.✰.━━━∴

“So, kitten… Explain again why you called us to the Fishie’s house and why you are here without proper clothing.” - Although Sylus was sporting a serious face, you could hear the amusement in his voice. His eyes unwavering from your form, drinking every aspect from your marked skin to the long shirt Rafayel lent to you. He looked positively hungry and that made you flush red, you shouldn’t mind his attention, but for some reason your body craved it, same could be said about the way Xavier glared at you. 

“Ok. So, I have something to explain to you all so you might understand why I’ve been keeping my distance.” - You started feeling your hand clammy. - “I’m not… from this world; I know it might sound odd but… I’m no alien as… As Xavier” 

“I’m from another world… And this is a game. I know you all from a game and I'm responsible for creating my-” - A sharp pain cuts you through your sentence. Something sounded odd, you felt a headache coming, but the real strange part was that you couldn’t remember your MC’s given name. You’ve been thinking of her as the Main Character for so long that you couldn’t spell her name anymore?

“So… You say we are from a game but… What is the name of the game?” - Xavier cautiously asked, seeing the distress displayed in your face, your eyes widening in shock as if something was missing. 

“It’s called… I-It’s-” - You’ve tried. You really did. Your body started to react with panic, not being able to recall something that should be on your tongue all the time. You looked at their face, terror marked on your eyes while you tried to search for a memory of this game. 

As you closed your eyes, something was beating and warm on your chest, yet it didn’t matter anymore, you had given up everything. Maybe you should think of it as just a game.

It's just a game. 

It still hurts your poor heart. You saw him from far away, tears falling down on your cheeks, he was pitiful, chained, a sword across his heart while he waited in solitude, breathing, sleeping, not being fed.

Your head throbbed, your mind hazy, you felt sick, possibly very close to passing out or throwing up. From far away you could hear the boys, their voices loud and alert, yet your mind dwelled into another daydream

“Who are you?” - A deep voice came from his bruised lips

“I’m sorry… I am so sorry” - You whispered back, your hand gently touched his face, he nuzzled it with what little strength his body had left. - “She’ll come to you and when it’s time, I’ll give you what you need. I promise”

There was an intense pain in your head and you couldn’t hear anything else, your body convulsed, you felt like your ears would explode, your legs were being stretched to the point of being ripped, your lungs couldn’t pull air anymore. You tried to pull air with your mouth, but you felt like suffocating, what a cruel death… 

And then, the darkness.

∴━━━.✰.━━━∴

Sylus and Xavier have been called to Rafayel’s home under the pretense that you wanted to say something important. Of course that for Sylus, he would drop everything to simply be in your presence, you weren’t usually the one that came willingly first and since you’ve made that effort, he was happy to abide. 

He drove his bike fast like the wind, making it just 2 hours after his call with Zayne. He parked and then got inside the luxurious -and way too bright- house, going directly to the second floor where he imagined you would be tucked inside a room. Greedy, naughty fish. 

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw your form using just a white shirt. Long enough to cover your body as a minidress, making Sylus salivate. You looked delectable, even more full of hickeys on your neck, claims that the dragon himself wished to mark you with, though he wouldn’t press it for now since you have already been agreeable enough accepting them in your life. 

But then you started speaking, saying about their reality being a game. Everything was a bit confusing and alarming at first, his mind running at all scenarios that this could possibly be, somehow, reality. He didn’t doubt you, there was no reason for it, he wanted to make sure that no one could be behind this, not even Astra, but then you started to whimper. 

He came to your side, holding your arm while hearing your noises of distress. He looked at the doctor, conflicted about what was happening.

“What is going on, Zayne?? What’s happening to her??” - The white haired man asked, his orbs shining an intense crimson color. 

“I don’t know, her vitals were just fine two hours ago! I don’t know what is happening as well. Help me put her on the bed.” - Keeping your face secure and putting his hand inside your mouth so you wouldn’t bite your own tongue. 

Sylus held you and with the doctor’s help, he positioned you on bed, Xavier bringing Zayne’s medical equipment. Rafayel, for some reason, was a bit strange, his hand on top of his chest as if he was in pain as well.

“Wait. Wait a second” - Rafayel almost shouted, running to you, his chest heaving. - “She needs to go to the sea. Now.” 

“Are you insane? She’s not able to breathe!” - Xavier growled, pointing towards you while you tried to pull any bit of air in. 

“Yeah you idiot, look at her neck. Come on, she needs to go to the water right now.” - Once more the God reasoned. 

Sylus looked to your neck, seeing the gills and the amount of fish scales starting to show up. Your ears were changing form as well, your canines starting to become more pointy, you were, indeed, transforming from human to something more marine and he wouldn’t risk you stop breathing to be 100% sure. 

Holding your body tight, he jumped the balcony; that was the second floor, but for a dragon, he didn’t even break a sweat. The white haired man ran towards the water of the beach, reaching it swiftly and walking inside with you on his lap. Sylus walked as if he was aiming at the bottom of the sea, but when the water reached his waist, he finally allowed your body -still being held by him- to dive a bit. 

The trio came after him, Rafayel making sure to get naked before diving and coming to stand beside you. The moment he was there, he touched your belly and a shining light could be seen from the two of you. Suddenly, Rafayel’s eyes were no longer heterochromatic, but a glowing and threatening blue, his skin now was flaked with blueish scales, his ears had a fin like quality to them and the tattoos. His body was full of marks, long lost personal marks from another time, from another civilization. 

“Oh… She’s…” - The God spoke softly. Sylus’s gaze was fixed on the merman but then, he looked at what Rafayel was looking at as well, and it landed on you. 

You were devastatingly beautiful—a living masterpiece, a goddess incarnate. Your legs had transformed into a magnificent tail, adorned with iridescent scales that shimmered in hues of pink, mirroring the soft blush of your hair. Fins graced your ears, reminiscent of Rafayel's, and delicate webbing stretched between your fingers. Your tail was embellished with intricate patterns and tiny, luminous spots that seemed to glow as if under UV light. The design was unlike any other, utterly mesmerizing. For a moment, the dragon was so captivated that it forgot to breathe.

“Oh… So she is Lemurian…” - Xavier said, right behind Sylus, his hand coming to gently caress your face. 

You stirred in your sleep, finally able to breathe, your gills working and the panic not there anymore, you fluttered open your eyes. There were too many eyes on you and something that was uncomfortable on your skin. 

“Morning, cutie. Your dazzling locks are long, your skin is peppered with the most stunning marks I’ve ever seen and your lips are very kissable at the moment.” - Rafayel said in a playful manner.

“Let her breathe, Rafayel.” - Zayne sighed, coming closer to you as well. - “You are, indeed, beautiful, the human and lemurian form… How do you feel?” 

Mumbling wasn’t exactly the style the doctor used to speak, but he sounded shy even, you glanced at him and tilted your head, as if trying to make sense of this new Zayne in front of you. 

What you noticed, though, is that he was averting his eyes from you. Looking down, you noticed why. The white shirt Rafayel lent to you was completely transparent, your bare chest, your Lemurian form for all of them to see.

© morningstarfirstsin original work | no copying, plagiarizing or translating

[poupeesdecirque]

Next character collection for the dolls.

I know they differ in quality but I don't do them for perfection I do them to challenge myself to just draw them all again.

adult!Nachtmar - my first collaboration with @adragonstale back in the day as I sculpted the huge tail fin and he casted the parts in silicone for me. Back in the day it was unusual to be able to buy such parts for dolls, that in ... 2022 you would be able to buy a bjd with a silicone tail... never would have expected it.

Sammi (child!Samuel) - I needed Samuel's happier child variant as a doll, Samuel's childhood was actually not that bad, he had a foster mother who cared for him, a family. But as Elana vanished one day everything changed.

Melek - For ages the only company that offered Naga parts was Sugarble, as they went out of business I got Melek. Now you have Dream Valley and other companies coming out with better engineered ones but ... I am fine with Melek. As a character he works in Loreley's shop and his special skill is getting lost in the forest while collecting herbs.

Victoria - She's one of Willow's loyal followers. A very friendly spirit who helps lost humans when they wander through the woods. In opposite to Wellem she's keen on helping and guiding them safely back home.

Kassandra - A lucky ebay find. As the doll to her was released I dislike the body she was on (around that time I instantly got every event doll from Doll Chateau... don't... ask) I skipped. But then I found the hybrid between both dolls on ebay, bought through Angelesque in before and by a trustable collector from the hobby. Kassandra is a scarecrow and sometimes ... she forgets that. Well her head is filled with straw what did you expect.

Vincent - After all the years Vincent got an design upgrade, I kept his first shell but this doll here is his main variant as the overall aesthetic matches Samuel and Delilah more. He is also the variant freshly after memory loss.

Lilian - Pierre's human form. Pierre's actual body is forced to stay in the chamber of candles, he operates through projections. But sometimes he uses his old human body to 'flee'. And that is Lilian.

Jaclyn - Another character from my Fallen Magical Girl Storyline, she was one of the weakest among them and got corrupted by the dark side. The darkness slowly eats her alive. I always wanted to do something cool with an Unoa Akubi and she was the result.

Petula - Happy little Pumpkin Lady. The Luts Pumpkin was one I had hunted for years and was so happy as it got a rerelease.

Blättchen - This doll wouldn't have been possible without Rotervolkenvogel. She bought him at LDoll for me. He's actually from the first run of Kodama which was like ... 5 dolls? Later on there was a second release.

October & Autumn - Different from all the other Pumpkins October and his sister Autumn are parasites, they move dead human bodies.

[krokkroo]

note: the English version is below, but I make it clear that I use a translator because my English is very bad and since I had seen that there are mostly stories in English, I also wanted it to reach another type of audience. 😸

nota: la versión en ingles está más abajo, pero dejo en claro que use traductor porque mí inglés es muy malo y cómo había visto que en su mayoría hay historias en inglés también quería que llegara a otro tipo de publico. 😸

Él chico del apartamento 512

Cada dia es igual por mí pasillo... Nunca llego a mí puerta sin escuchar un chiflido de un chico que me dice que me está esperando, lo que debería estar haciendo es ir y pegarse un baño.

Y un aburrido me detiene..

—¡Hola linda! ¿Donde vas tan sola?— veo su mano en mí muñeca y su torcida sonrisa.

Pero yo, por puro aburrimiento, voy y le finjo interés.

—Tal vez necesito a un acompañante— mí sonrisa hace aparición, pero mis ojos no dicen lo mismo.

De un momento a otro siento el ascensor abrirse, dejando ver al chico de mis sueños, el que quiero que sea mí dueño. Él chico del apartamento 512, el mismo chico que hace a mí corazón saltar...

Al único que le dedico cartas y por vergüenza no puedo entregar.

—y ya se quién lo será...— digo, con un aura de enamorada al momento de verlo a él, a Kawata Souya.

Lo veo acercarse y ayudarme a alejar al tipo de mí. Me derrito con solo ver sus ojos posarse en los míos con cierta preocupación, *exijo aunque sea darle un abrazo*, pero todo lo que sale de mí son leves tartamudeos...

—uh.. yo- g-gracias Kawata— le sonrió y ¡Oh santísima exquisitez! Me da la expresión más bonita que puede existir, una que durará miles de años en mí.

Lastimosamente él se va y vuelve a esa misma expresión de furor, dejandome con una bella imágen de su sonrojo un mí mente...

Estoy segura que hoy soñaré devuelta con él y solo con él.

[...]

Escucho a un viejo invitarme..

—Niña, ven a verme— y le digo que no me gustan los viejos rabo verde.

Camino lentamente a mí departamento, con la esperanza de volver a verlo y cuando sale a caminar, pasa y me saluda con una sonrisa que me vuelve a conquistar.

Pero hoy por fin de una vez, le confesaré todo mí amor.

Toco su puerta y se me enchina la piel, y me contesta una mujer... Sentí mí corazón romperse cuando de repente me pregunta..

—¿A cuál de mis hijos buscas?— sentí mí corazón llenarse de ilusión, otra vez decidida a mí objetivo.

—Mucho gusto, esperaba poder hablar con Kawata Souya—

Every day is the same down my hallway... I never get to my door without hearing a squeal from a guy telling me that he's waiting for me, what he should be doing is going and taking a bath.

And a bore stops me...

-Hi beautiful! Where are you going so alone?—I see his hand on my wrist and his crooked smile.

But I, out of sheer boredom, go and feign interest.

—Maybe I need a companion—my smile appears, but my eyes don't say the same.

From one moment to the next I feel the elevator open, revealing the boy of my dreams, the one I want to be my owner. The boy from apartment 512, the same boy who makes my heart skip... The only one I dedicate letters to and out of shame I cannot deliver.

—and I already know who it will be...— I say, with an aura of a lover when I see him, Kawata Souya. I see him approach and help me get the guy away from me. I melt just seeing his eyes rest on mine with some concern, I demand even a hug, but all that comes out of me are slight stutters...

—uh.. I- t-thank you Kawata— he smiled and Oh holy exquisiteness! It gives me the most beautiful expression that can exist, one that will last thousands of years on me.

Unfortunately he leaves and returns to that same expression of fury, leaving me with a beautiful image of his blush in my mind...

I am sure that today I will dream of him and only him.

[...]

I hear an old man invite me...

—Girl, come see me— and I tell her that I don't like old green tails.

I walk slowly to my apartment, hoping to see him again and when he goes out for a walk, he passes by and greets me with a smile that wins me over again. But today, finally, once and for all, I will confess all my love to him. I knock on her door and my skin crawls, and a woman answers me...

I felt my heart break when she suddenly asks me...

—Which of my children are you looking for?— I felt my heart fill with excitement, once again determined on my goal.

—Nice to meet you, I was hoping to talk to Kawata Souya—

[telyrah]

𝐓𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢 (𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬)

Summary: “Her tears tasted of salt, and lips chipped like sand. She was beautiful”

Pairings: Kiri x Metkayina!MaleOc

Word count: I lost track at this point.

Warnings/notes: Angsty Kiri cries the entire ocean ; umm plot ? Writer’s block (& I’m back from the dead lol). Title inspired from the Jake Sully’s Series by @stargirlrchive

You were definitely staring.

Well- sort of

•••

With Leiya’s family hosting the Omatikaya’s lodging, it was inevitable for you not to splash over each other. To be the Tsahìk’s confident and childhood friend meant being informed of the isle’s latest affairs (but ultimately : taking on the role of mentor in helping the tanned blue Na’vi foreigners adapt to sea)

Breathless-

She was at first ; when learning the basics of diving, while also leaving you short on breath.

You were tasked in teaching about the biome’s flora alongside Tsireya, who was on the opposite spectrum appointed to delve into physical respiratory exercises. Laughably, you weren’t complaining ; it was your field of expertise after all. Endless days of hunting with Aonung’s scavengermates through tepid- tropical lagoons wouldn’t have gone to complete waste.

Though through gritty teeth and fidgety fingers, your body-language couldn’t lie : Kiri caught your eye & when she mirrored your gaze, on Eywa your heart threatened skipping between beats. Her aura was.. tantalising, a sensation you never could name without wavering. She resembled the wild “blueberries” the Sullys had brought as token of appreciation for quartering. Indomitably alluring, but brittle in bleeding. You wanted to solace the sorrows she kept a front for, but her forteresse was one made of mistrust

•••

After tending as per usual to Awa’atlu’s seawall terraces *a chore tailored to your sparse schedule, you sailed off to inspect the proximate CoralCove. Upon skimming past the entrance’s gaping threshold, in-between mossy Stalagmites thrived your own secret subaquatic garden.

During the Eclipse’s after-hours, when moonlight stuck it’s quarter crescent & tidings rose above knee-altitude, you dedicated a moment’s sigh to the reef’s research …

Scribbling down the last of today’s findings in a keep-safe logbook, the intuitive reminder of heading home gradually became urgent. Yet before taking off, the unusual sight of flickering iridescence within the cave’s core had enticed a change of heart.

Distant echoes sparked betwixt unobtanium walls, and whispering wails protruded the thickness of it’s shallow waters ; another presence was within ear’s reach. However, this Haven was sharply located 6 nautical miles from the coast (whoever had trespassed wasn’t likely to be your familiar) ; so the noise left you perplexed.

You Blinked-

Rubbed your eyes with seasalt

“Kiri ?”

•••

You could barely distinguish her hunched build from behind, with faint bioluminescent freckles blending into the dimmed background. Yet, it was undoubtedly her signature hiccups that alerted your ears to perk up in concern :

Kiri’s voice was to you, discernable amongst any crowd. You took a silent liking to it’s husky ringing, almost imitating a Siren’s Lament… Granted she was mute most times, dry eyes darting in compass way to the Omatikaya Rainforest. Homesickness gradually caught up to her, though you only stood watching as she withered from within ; week after week.

The lingering thought of eavesdropping was impendingly tempting. Part of you wanted to know what her crestfallen irises wouldn’t reveal ; your latter resolve was skimming the nearest exit (with cautious steps) before being caught lacking. At least that was the initial intention, until your clumsy tail mingled with fins *making you tumble over in a reverberate spatter…

“Who’s there ?”

You stiffened, adrenaline rising. Heart rate betraying your cover, sh*t

“Leikh’a ?”

•••

Rising from the chilling waters, you shifted eye-contact to wherever she was blurred out of frame in avoidance to the clear tears streaming upside-down. Not as if Kiri’s crying face wasn’t undeniably hot tho

“Um, surprise ? Welp this is awkward.”

Upon lifting your gaze she only returned a stare, irises flashing upwards, visibly irked

“I bet Father’s worried about me if you’re here. But I’m not a child anymore, tell him to leave me be..”

Slowly wiping the remains of her tears, she composed herself

…

“Actually- I’m not here on his behalf, I come here quite often. It’s my hideout. Kinda rare finding oxygenated heathens underwater…”

“Right-

“It’s not about your Father is it ?”

There was an underlining tension in the air left unspoken

could you..

perhaps keep a secret ?”

…

“Sure,”

A few moments into the thick and thin, your tail couldn’t stop swishing left to right. This was the most Kiri had ever shared about ever since her arrival.

The luminescent pigments that dotted her skin had returned, and you found she was much more relatable than any of your siblings here ; even quirky sometimes.

•••

“I feel her, Leikh’a... Eywa.

Kiri had placed both your hands in hers, faintly whispering

I hear her breathing. I hear her heartbeat.

She's so close. She's just there.

Like a word about to be spoken...

I know you think I'm crazy”

“What does her heart feel like ?”

“Mighty.”

…

“Please don’t tell anyone.. your people think we’re freaks”

“I don’t,

Listen. You don’t need 5 fingers or fins to accomplish great things-

Oel ngati kameie, I see (through) you

And you’re beautiful.”

[polskasroka]

Ghostober Day 21

Welcome to Day 21 of Ghostober created by @kroas-adtam!

Pairing: Aether/Rain

Main tag(s): Dom/sub

Additional tag(s)/cw: none

Word Count: 1161 words

Read also on ao3!

Rain was standing in the middle of the room with his head hung low, not daring and not being really allowed to look at Aether at this moment. The water ghoul knew that he’d disobeyed the older ghoul and he was reasonable enough not to make it even worse for himself by doing something without Aether’s permission again. Whatever the quintessence demon was planning on doing to him was surely going to teach Rain a lesson anyway.

“So pretty. Especially that dorsal fin of yours,” Aether purred from behind and said fin shuddered as soon as Rain heard the compliment. “What a shame that you have such dirty hands, though.”

Rain’s ears fell flat in embarrassment, since he was very much aware of what Aether was referring too.

“We should do something about it, don’t you think, Raincloud? So that you don’t make the same mistake again. Answer me.”

“You’re right, Sir. Please, treat me as you see fit now.”

Even though Rain knew that he was deep in trouble, a shiver ran down his spine. A shiver of excitement.

He also shifted on his feet, his thighs rubbing against one another as a slow wave of arousal rolled through his body down to his lower stomach. Feeling Aether’s presence right behind him, Rain exhaled shakily and patiently waited for any further orders. The silence was making him uneasy but he tried his best to ignore it and focus on the next command that was about to come from behind.

“Strip down,” said the quintessence ghoul in a flat and emotionless tone.

It was terribly alluring and Rain was certain that his own scent gave off every little note of thrill and lust that was flowing through him. He knew that Aether was smirking to himself while watching the water imp peel off his garments one by one. He could indeed smell all that Rain was going through but Rain could do just the same.

So, as soon as he revealed his back to Aether, he both heard and smelled the admiration that was filling the older demon. Despite the incoming punishment, Rain’s lips also curved into a smug smile and, for a brief moment, he thought he’d get away with it all by prolonging the action of taking all his clothes off.

“Hurry up, Rain. It won’t work on me.”

With difficulty, Rain prevented himself from huffing. Instead of that, he closed and opened his eyes, and then took a deep breath. Now, he could continue to get rid of his boots, socks, pants and underwear. Meanwhile, he felt Aether’s eyes piercing a hole in his back as he kept gazing at it. Even though Rain was used to it, it was always flattering to be reminded of the fact that his beloved quintessence ghoul loved his dark teal back and the speckles that shone silver on his arms and shoulder blades every time Rain was at least a little bit energised or thrilled.

The waft of air caused by Aether rounding Rain made the latter shiver again. It brought a smile onto the bigger demon’s lips and he stopped when he was right in front of the water ghoul. His head was still bowed while he kept his tail tucked between his legs in complete surrender.

“Very good,” Aether hummed, clearly contented. “Now, kneel.”

Rain gulped but complied without any delay. His knees soon hit the floor and he occupied himself with staring at it mindlessly. In order to please the quintessence ghoul, he spread his legs wider and neatly laid his hands palms-up on his thighs as a yet another act of full submission to the other demon.

“Take your belt and present it to me,” went the order that made Rain’s heart skip a beat.

At that point, he knew exactly where it all was leading to – he was going to get struck with his own leather belt.

There were so many spots on his body that Aether had already treated like that before. Despite the burning pain, Rain loved each and every second of it, even though it wasn’t done for his pleasure. And it never brought him pleasure either, ironically enough. It always simply rid his mind of any thoughts, worries and fuck-ups, and that state was a blessing in disguise. To Rain, it felt as if each time, he just earned the peace of mind through pain. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aether was well aware of that and when Rain took the belt from the top of the pile of clothes that he’d built before, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the way the water ghoul presented the item to him. The movement was impossibly smooth thanks to the many times Rain had been made to repeat the action. No other ghoul could make this motion similarly graceful.

“Good boy,” Aether praised and took the belt from Rain’s hands that he held above his head.

Warmth spread over Rain’s heart and he gasped as the bigger ghoul invaded his space, stepping in-between his bent legs. Then, the younger imp felt Aether’s huge hand brush against one of his horns and then pet his hair gently. Rain couldn’t help but risk leaning his head against Aether’s thick thigh.

Rain purred loudly, since Aether kept raking his fingers through the former’s hair and didn’t say anything about Rain’s sudden clinginess. In fact, the quintessence ghoul found it adorable. Despite that, both of them knew that it wasn’t going to save Rain from what was inevitably coming and they didn’t even have to say it out loud. That simply was the way things were.

“Tell me why I have to do this to you, Rain. You can speak to me now,” Aether offered softly, a low purr reverberating in his chest in the meantime.

“Because I disobeyed you, Sir,” the water ghoul answered calmly, fully grounded by Aether’s proximity and touch.

“What did you do exactly?”

“I-I touched myself, although you’d forbidden me to.” Rain’s throat went dry as a dark indigo blush of shame appeared on his cheeks and spread to his ears and shoulders. “I also came without your permission, Sir.”

“How many times?”

“Twice, Sir.”

“Such a good boy for telling me all this.” The praise made Rain sigh a little chirp. “In a minute, you’ll raise your hands once again, just as you did a while ago. You’ll keep your head down and you’ll turn your palms up, so that I’ll be able to see them. I’ll whip both of your hands 20 times – 10 times for one orgasm you gave yourself without asking me for permission. If at any point you need me to stop because you can’t bear it, tell me to stop. Otherwise, I expect you to stay as quiet as possible. Do you understand, Raincloud?”

“I do, Sir.”

“Shall we begin, then?”

“Yes, Sir,” Rain replied, a small smirk painted on his lips again.

[starswimmingart]

"Can you talk?" - that sounds like it could lead to some fun/sad times

Oooh thanks for sending in a prompt!! this was my first time trying something like this, and I had a lot of fun with it! This story takes place probably around chapter 3, I hope you enjoy! "Can you talk?" 1500+ Words CW: drowning

It had been a long… long day of travel. Or, night, really. The sun seemed as exhausted as you were as it barely began to peek up over the horizon, any bit of wave covering it in an instant from your view. While being a creature of the sea, you’d been swimming for an extensive period and everything ached from your whiskers to your tail fins. 

Any moment now, that sun is going to be blocked out by a lovely silhouette of land.. Maybe some trees… we’re too far south for icebergs.. Shit, I’ll take anything at this point. 

According to the boys’ navigation systems (and thank the stars that there’d been clear weather recently or you’d never get to land at this rate), it was only a short trip remaining until your next encounter with shoreline.

However, your eyelids were getting heavier by the minute, and your body felt like an anchor as you swam behind the two animatronics. Sun liked to stay near the top of the water, Moon swimming far below scoping out the trenches. You, needing to breathe air, tended to stay with Sun, although occasionally you liked to pop down for a peek of what Moon was up to. You swam up to the top again and took another big puff in through your nostrils, the cold morning air filling your nose, making it burn a little.

You let out a pitiful little sneeze.

Water splashed against your head and in an instant a bright cheerful face was directly next to yours. 

“Oh dear selkie, that was adorable!”

“Hello, Sun.”

The tall yellow animatronic had not let you out of his sight since you’d begun your journey a few days ago, and you’re sure the other grumpy blue one hadn’t either.. Though unlike Sun, Moon's intentions seemed to be less fascination and more of keeping you on a leash. Sun had just NOT left you alone for one moment, though, in all fairness, he really did seem to try. He swam juuust far enough away to make it feel like you had room to yourself, but stars forbid you so much as thought out loud because he snapped to your side in moments asking if you needed something. 

It was… a little endearing. Borderline annoying, yes, but endearing nonetheless. 

Ignoring your short answer, he dove straight into conversation (as if the two of you hadn’t just been chatting previously about ten minutes beforehand.. And ten minutes before that..) “I’m so so glad we’re almost near some land, aren’t you? Just look at that sunrise! I’m soooo looking forward to being able to charge back up again. Aren’t you looking forward to some rest?” He blinked at you innocently.

It was an obvious trap.

“No actually, I think I could keep going all day! I’m doing just fine!”

Despite their intentions on the surface, you still weren’t sure you could let your guard down around these two. The simple facts were they were much bigger and seemed much stronger than you and while they seemed nice enough… 

You swallowed. 

“I might even be up for skipping the next island, you know! 

So says the idiot half asleep and swimming. You know you need that rest. Do you want to drown?

The voice in the back of your head scolded you but you beamed at Sun, swatting it away in your mind's eye. 

Sun's gaze on you remained steady, his smile never wavering. There was silence for a moment, as he studied your face. He only replied with a small "Hmmmmmm.." before doing a happy spin in the water, returning next to you to float on his back. 

"But of course selkie, you know best! I'm sure a strong, brave creature like you could make this journey with no trouble! Moony and I are only just holding you back!" 

He wasn't buying it. 

"I'll leave your capable selkie self to your own devices then, maybe we will even skip the next island, if you're so sure!"

Uh oh.

You puffed up for extra emphasis "Oh absolutely!! I bet we would save so much time, it only makes sense!"

Oh my stars shutupshutupshutup!

He purred. "Wonderful! I'll go let Moon know!" 

Before you could protest (if your stubbornness would even let you) he dove off with a flash of his brightly colored fins into the depths below. 

Well.. shit.

Your navigator had just disappeared. 

You stopped swimming abruptly. While it was a pretty straightforward path ahead, towards the rising sun, you still didn't trust yourself to navigate so very far away from your home waters. 

You stared out into the great fiery ball on the horizon, slowly hoisting itself into the sky. It slowly.. got.. fuzzier..

Oops

Your body buckled. 

When you stopped swimming, apparently that signaled to your brain that it was time to rest. This was very inconvenient seeing that you were in the middle of the ocean. 

You took a gasp of air as you slipped under the cold water, bubbles filtering out of your nose as your vision tunneled. The air went wrong down your throat and your body coughed instinctively, sending saltwater cascading down your airway. Your limbs felt like lead, dragging you down.

I can't move, fuck, FUCK I can't. I can't breathe

You began to tip down, flipping in the water and pointed towards the bottom. Was it the bottom? Everything was so dark, dark. 

I can't...

Muffled, below the ringing that began to fill your ears, you started to hear voices, soft.. familiar.. 

-----------

"Selkie? Selkie!" 

Loud. They're so loud. 

"They're responding, Moon, loo-"

"Yes yes I see, I see!"

He's cranky, as usual.

"Selkie, can you hear us? Open your eyes, we need to see if you're fully responsi- SUN stop pacing like that it's very unhelpful." 

You could hear the solar animatronic whimper, and the footsteps that you didn't recognize being there before stopped. 

You attempted to crack open your eyes.

Bright. Oh stars did that noise just come out of me? Ah shit, OW, ow..

The pain in your throat and chest hit you all at once and you started to cough again, heaving and trying to open your eyes all the way. 

Large hands rushed to you, two against you back, one on your shoulder and one on your knee. Two of the four gripping tightly enough to bring you back to reality with the sensation. 

You coughed again. 

"Easy easy now selkie, don't try to sit up too fast..!" worry pricked Sun's ordinarily cheerful voice and finally, you managed to pry your eyes open enough to weakly look out ahead of you. 

Sun and Moon were crowded around you, looking over with concern, smiles gone from their faces. Sun looked positively distraught, guilty even. Moon watched you with coolness but with an obvious worry written on his face. He cleared his throat, as best a robot could.

"Can you talk?"

Hm. You hadn't thought to try. 

You opened your mouth to speak and out came an uncomfortable wheeze, and you lurched as you burst into another fit of coughs. Sun whined and covered his face in his hands. 

"Oooh no no no this is my fault, I saw you were tired, I shouldn't have left you alone even for a moment, and now you're hurt. I was only meaning to tease, I should've known better.."

Moon began to scold Sun for his self depreciation but stopped as you reached out your hands to gently set one on each of their shoulders (funny, you didn't remember having transformed). 

"H-hey."

Your voice barely sounded like your own, it was raspy and it stung. 

The bots fell silent, eyes boring into you and seemed to watch every breath you took. 

"S.. stop that, I'm okay." 

You didn't FEEL okay but jeez, if it got these two blockheads to stop fussing then you'd dress things up a bit for the time being. 

Finally, you took the chance to look around, and saw that you were on a beach. The sun had risen a decent portion into the sky and the warmth felt.. comforting. Like the comfort of being back surrounded by your pod. You closed your eyes again and felt yourself naturally sinking backwards into laying down. 

The two animatronics stiffened, and followed your hands as you went back. 

"..s'fine.. m'fine.. tired…" 

The pair was quiet for a bit while you seemingly got comfortable on the sand, and you could hear them shift. 

"Get some rest, selkie, we'll get moving again later this evening." 

They seemed to settle in place on either side of you and went still. You knew that they could internally talk to each other using their .. blue.. mouth.. tongue.. tooth? Something fancy, human stuff, whatever. You sighed, and tiredly reached up your hands once more and gently knocked on both of their backs. 

"Mmthanks, both f'you, not drowning s'good.."

You heard a content whirr and a few low chuckles. "We'd be very poor at our job if we let you die before we even got back, you know." Moon joked. 

"Mmmmmhm! Imagine we come all this way and turn up with no selkie! How very disappointing!" Sun tsk'ed a few times disapprovingly for emphasis and the dramatics made you chuckle, trying not to start coughing again. 

The sound of the waves gently breaking on the shore, sea birds, and the soft humming of the internals of the animatronics were the last things you heard before you rocked into a much needed sleep.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi, this might be a crazy request but since you asked for something platonic. Could you maybe write something where reader is a lonely siblingless kid and has three imaginary friends that are Jade, floyd and azul? For an example the parents see there child come home with all these toys despite only giving them 10 dollars and they ask if she stole them and there child just responds "no azul told me what to say to the sales clerk so I got these for 10 dollars but he keeps telling me to sell them!"

Ooh, this is a really fun idea ✨ so I took it and ran with it~

This prompt almost perfectly describes what I was like as a kid AHAHAHAH so it hits close to home... I hope others are able to relate, too.

***Mild spoilers for Dorm Floyd’s personal stories~***

Imagine this...

From a young age, the sea had always resonated with you.

There was something so calming about it--its depth, its expansiveness, the way light caught and sparkled on its surface. The waters were comforting in a way that human company never was. With no siblings and few friends to call your own, the sea was your solace--the thing that set your heart at ease.

The moon, like a pearl, an eye, in the sky, watched over you as you wandered along the shore, waves gently lapping at your ankles. Sand squishing between your toes, the chill of water delighting you. You clung to your mother and father’s hands that night, letting them guide you through the darkness, illuminated only by a silvery glow.

“Do you know why they call this beach Mermaid’s Cove?” your mother asked, pursing a finger to her lips. “They say that you can hear strange singing at midnight. That’s when the merfolk come out to make music.”

“Really?” Your eyes sparkled with wonder. “Do you think we’ll see some mermaids today? I wanna meet one.”

“We know you do, kiddo,” your father sighed. He gave you a playful ruffle on the head, messing up your sweat and sea-slicked hair. “But your mother and I worry that you’re a little lonely. You need to get your head out of clouds... uh, water... and make some friends outside of your imagination, too.”

“It’s not just my imagination. Merpeople are real, and I’m gonna be one when I grow up!” You prodded a seashell buried in the sand with a foot. “I’ll make a deal with the sea witch and get a magic potion, and when I drink it, I’ll grow scales and gills and a tail.”

“Then we’ll have to move you to an aquarium,” your mother joked, giving your small hand a squeeze. “And you won’t be able to hug all your sea creature plushies--they’ll get soaked if we try to bring them to you.”

“I’ll play with them by the water, then! I’ll keep’m dry!”

“Will we have to feed you sushi every day, too?” your father asked, wagging a finger teasingly. “Raw seafood? And get you seashells for your hair?”

“Yeah!! I’ll eat sushi and raw seafood and seaweed. I’ll wear all the fishy fashions, with seashells and coral! I’ll...” Your voice trailed off.

In the distance, a faint sound skipped across the waves to greet your ears. It was soft at first, a few notes that gradually evolved into an expertly woven melody. Slow and a little sorrowful, a song of ruin and rebirth.

Your heart skipped a beat, excited and aching at the same time. You tore away from your parents to dash out toward the waters, kicking up sand in your wake.

The sea was an azure blue, fading into jade at some points, and frothing with foam, a mixture of whites and pale greys. You squinted, and there it was. A crash, a splash--and a flash of a slender fin.

A fish, or...?

“Sweetie, wait...! Where are you going...?”

“I hear the mermaids!” you called back to them, pointing out into the sea. “They’re out there, and they’re putting on a special concert for us! Look, look! I just saw one of them diving back under!”

Your mother and father stared dubiously out into the waves, then at each other.

“... I think it’s well past your bed time now, dear. We should head back to the cabin and tuck you in for the night,” your mother murmured, slipping her hand back into yours.

“But mom...! I’m awake, I really, really am! I saw them, I know I did!”

“Your mother is right. Come along, now. The mermaids aren’t going anywhere. You can... see them again another day.” Your father patted you firmly on the back.

“But what if they do go somewhere?”

“[Full Name]. You heard your mother. Let’s go. We’ll return in the morning.”

“Awww, fine.”

You allowed your parents to herd you back, stomping dejectedly in the sand all the while, leaving your tiny footprints behind. You grumbled under your breath, something about how stinky stupid this whole thing was, and how you had longed to listen to the music for longer. The watchful eye of the night sky followed you and your tantrum.

“It’s not fair,” you muttered. “Not fair at all.”

“You should work on your negotiation skills, little one,” advised a dulcet voice.

A young man had emerged at the water’s edge, striding alongside you and your parents at a brisk pace. He was dressed in glasses, some kind of a fancy suit, and a hat, a scarf and jacket hanging off of his shoulders and trailing behind him. His locks were the color of moonlight, and his eyes, the sea itself.

Neither of your parents reacted to the young man--yet you could hear him, could see him, quite clearly.

“Knee-go-shee-ah-tions?” you whispered, your eyes swelled with confusion. “What’s that?”

“What he means,” cut in another smooth voice, “is that you have much to learn in the way of speaking up for yourself. Ah, but there will be plenty of time for that.”

Another stranger had appeared, bending at the hip and bowing to you as you passed. He wore a similar suit to the first person, though his coat was entirely buttoned up, and his bowtie perfectly affixed against his collarbone. A single earring, comprised of three diamond-shaped scales, dangled from his left ear, twinkling teal in the moonlight. He raised his sharp eyes to yours, revealing one olive, one gold--and a stripe of black against turquoise hair, cropped short.

“Ahahah~ I can’t wait to play with you some more,” added a third in a singsong. “They’re so small, but feisty, too! Just like a little shrimp. Hey, that’s what I’ll call you from now on, okay? Little Shrimp.”

You tilted your head--and there was a spitting image of the second stranger. His coat hung open, and his bowtie was undone, shirt not fully buttoned. He walked along with hands shoved in his pockets, lips turned up in a toothy grin and downturned eyes creased with glee. A stripe of black hair ran along his right side, along with his earring and the golden orb of his eye.

“Who are you guys?”

“Us?” The three of them shared a knowing smile--unseen and unheard by your mother and father. “Why, we’re your new friends.”

The house always felt empty when your parents were away at work. They often fretted, filling your room with more stuffed animals than you could count to keep you company. When those could no longer hold your attention, your father had returned one day with a plastic bag filled with water and a big, fat goldfish. Its tank was mounted in the living room, where you could make faces at it for hours on end until the front door swung open, and your parents paraded in.

Day 3 of goldfish watching, and you were already bored out of your mind.

You puffed up your cheeks and stuck out your tongue, blowing a raspberry at the fish. It gaped at you blankly, mouth opening and closing to let bubbles escape.

“You’re not very interesting,” you told it, tapping the glass accusingly. You wore a frown as you laid your cheek upon your arm, eyes slowly following your pet as it floated around aimlessly.

“Mm? Is Goldfishy boring you, Little Shrimp?”

You craned your head, finding Floyd to have plopped himself down beside you. He mimicked your motions, smushing his own cheek against his arm--but he wore a mischievous grin rather than a frown.

“That’s not his name! I called him Riddle, so you’ve gotta call him Riddle, too.”

“What kinda name is Riddle? Goldfishy makes way more sense.”

“That’s a silly name! Riddle is already a goldfish, so naming him Goldfishy is repeating. It makes no sense.”

“Riddle makes about just as much sense if you ask me.”

“You make no sense, Floyd!”

“Ehehehe. Where’s the fun in making sense?” He threw his head back and laughed. It sounded raspy, and on the verge of crazed, but there was still a musical quality to it that you liked.

“You stink at coming up with names,” you declared stubbornly. “You call a goldfish Goldfishy but you call me a Little Shrimp when I’m not even a shrimp!”

“It’s cuz you’re so teeny tiny,” Floyd cackled, flicking you on the forehead, “like a shrimp. I’d like to see you try to come up with something better.”

“I can.”

“Then...” He displayed two rows of dagger-like teeth. “What would you call me if I wasn’t already ‘Floyd’?”

Your answer was instantaneous: “Shark.”

“Eeeeh? You picked such a scary one. Am I scary to you, Little Shrimp?” Floyd leaned in a bit, his large form casting an ominous shadow over you. His smile remained lazy and laid back. “If you’re not careful with what you say, I might just gobble you up for lunch~”

At once, you leapt onto your feet, emboldened by his words. “Nuh-uh! Bet you can’t catch me in the first place!”

“Bet’cha I can,” Floyd retorted, hauling himself up to his full, imposing height--over 190 cm, easily towering over your puny form. “Sharks are fast swimmers! I’ll get you in no time at all.”

You looked at Floyd, then at his legs. Long and lithe, almost like a mermaid’s tail, split down the middle. You didn’t doubt his claim for one second.

... Which was exactly why you raised a leg and kicked him right in the shins as hard as you possibly could.

Floyd howled in surprise and doubled over, clutching at his knees--and with that head start, you made a run for it. His maniacal laughter carried after you as you raced down the hallway. "Ahahahah! That was a dirty trick you pulled, Little Shrimp!! I’m going to punish you when I get my hands on you...!!”

You skidded around a corner and scrambled into your bedroom, leaving the door hanging open so as to not draw suspicion to yourself. With a squeak, you dove under your bed and lodged yourself into its dark depths. You slapped your hands over your mouth to muffle your panting, and instructed yourself to stay still.

Sharks can smell fear, can’t they?

You inhaled shakily.

This was your safe haven, your undersea lair, as you called it. You had spent countless hours pretending to brew potions and tending to an anemone garden here, tucked away from the rest of the world. A familiar warmth swept over you, slowing your racing heart.

Stomp, stomp.

You could see Floyd in the distance--his polished shoes clicking against the flooring, and his funny striped socks. He made a great show out of checking every door, knocking at first, waiting a few moments, and then kicking the door down with a powerful foot.

To your horror, he quickly made his way to your bedroom. The merman paused at the threshold to knock.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!! Uncle Floyd just wants to have a little talk!” He cried out, voice tinged with a bit of madness. “If you give up now, I promise I’ll squeeze you gently!”

No reply came.

“Ohhhkaaaay, looks like we’re gonna have to do this the hard way!”

Floyd prowled in, sweeping to stick his head in your closet, your toy chest, even in your desk drawers. He made a full round, stopping just short of your hiding spot. If you reached out, you could touch his foot.

Your heart caught in your throat, and your hands clamped down harder than ever around your mouth. A frantic mantra repeated in your head. Don’t look under the bed, don’t look under the bed, don’t look under the bed...!!

“... ‘Kay, I guess you’re not here!”

And with that, Floyd spun around and his heel and bolted out.

Huh? You blinked, flabbergasted. Had you done it? Had you outsmarted the shark?

You held your breath, letting a few seconds pass, then cautiously poked your head out from under the bed. You shimmied, carefully wiggling your body out from down under. Bit by bit, you crawled your way out of the undersea cavern.

Then came the harsh tug at your ankles, yanking you back into the darkness.

You shrieked as you sailed backwards, limbs flailing in desperation. You kicked and punched at the air, but to little avail. Try as you might to fight against the monster from the deep, its grip held tight like a vice grip.

A familiar shadow loomed overhead as you came out on the other end of the bed. The shadow of a shark.

“Caught you,” Floyd announced giddily. “Ehehe. You’ve been pretty bad lately, Little Shrimp--so for your punishment, I’m gonna tickle you until your stomach hurts!! Prepare yourself~”

“Drink up, Flowey!” you chirped, tipping your watering can, heavy with water, to grant a refreshing drink to a bed of flowers.

(Once, you had called repetitive names stupid, but thanks to Floyd’s influence, you practically named everything after what it actually was. Was it a blessing or a curse? Perhaps both.)

While your parents were away, you looked after yourself at home--doing your homework, amusing yourself, even taking care of a few household chores. You had taken up “gardening” recently, if only because it was an excuse to be near some water. Hosing down the plants was great fun (until mother warned you you’d drown the poor things), so now you made it a habit of watering them a bit in the afternoons.

You set the watering can down and stepped back to admire your work. Flowey now glistened with fat droplets upon its petals, its soil soaking up its midday drink. “Grow up big and strong,” you whispered, patting its petals.

Of course, the flower did not answer--but you liked to think that it was nodding along to your wish.

“... [Name]-san? Ah, so this is where you were.”

Your ears perked up. Glancing over your shoulder, you found Jade perched on the backyard porch, hands dutifully clasped in front of him.

“What a good child you are, assisting your parents with looking after the garden,” he mused, striding over. Though shorter than Floyd by a few centimeters, Jade still towered over you. It was only when he crouched down that he was able to meet you at eye level. “How are the plants faring today?”

“They’re doing really good!”

“Well. They are doing really well,” he corrected.

“They’re doing really well!” you parroted back. “Maybe one day they’ll be even bigger than you and Floyd!”

“Fufufu. Will they, now? I look forward to that day, then.” Jade’s mismatched eyes glimmered with anticipation. “With all of these flowers and herbs you’re cultivated here... When the time comes to harvest, you will have a bounty on your hands.”

"Yeah! Mom and dad can make something really good with the herbs. And we’ll have fresh flowers to make the dinner table pretty!” You giggled, pleased with yourself. “We might get an apple tree, and plant some potatoes too, so we can have even more food from home.”

Jade nodded, his eyes carefully tracing the perimeter of your fenced-off garden. He tucked a hand, fingers curled, under his chin. “... Have you considered adding fungi as well?”

“Fun-guy?”

“Mushrooms.”

“Don’t mushrooms grow in icky places?” You grimaced, wrinkling your nose. “I don’t wanna eat something that grows in caves and between my toes.”

Jade chuckled. “They are more than just a means of nourishing oneself. Mushrooms can be used for poison medicine as well. Some can glow in the dark, some create their own ‘ink’, some change color... They are fascinating. What’s more, mushrooms can enrich the soil and make it easier for your other plants to grow.”

“They can?” you gasped, a hand flying to your mouth.

“Yes. You wished for your flowers to grow as tall as myself and Floyd one day, correct? Mushrooms can assist you in that endeavor.”

“Wow, are they magic or something?”

“Fufu. You could say that, yes.” Jade grinned from ear to ear. “But if you wish to see this ‘magic’ for yourself, then I would highly suggest investing in some mushrooms of your own. Do bring it up to your mother and father when you next discuss plans for the backyard.”

“Okay! I’ll do that!”

“Responsible and obedient. My, your parents must be so proud of you, [Name]-san,” he cooed, reaching out and running hand through your hair.

“... I dunno.” Your voice was small in the shaded garden. “They look at me funny sometimes. Dad says my head’s full of water, and mom worries that I don’t have friends from class.”

“... Is that so?” Jade’s smile turned sympathetic. “I suppose it is only natural for parents to be concerned for their child. However, in my humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with being considered an odd duck.”

“There isn’t?” A touch of hope honied your tone.

“Oddity is what gives the world its flavor, its spice. If we were all exactly alike, life would be quite dull to experience. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, but...” You bit your lower lip. “My classmates don’t like odd. I get picked last for sports and group projects. They don’t want to play with me during recess. I’m always alone.”

“It is their loss--but you need not fear. You are not without friends. You have myself, Azul, and Floyd now, yes? We are your friends, and we enjoy your oddity.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

You fell silent, letting his words stir around in your head.

“... Thanks, Jade. I feel a little better now.”

“I am glad to hear it.” He rose to his full height and offered a gloved hand. “If you are finished tending to the plants, might I invite you inside for a snack? Your parents have left a platter of fresh fruit for you in the fridge. There are apples, bananas, oranges, and a berry medley.”

“Can’t I have cookies instead?”

Jade’s smile widened. “Most certainly not.”

“You’re no fun!! Floyd lets me eat cookies for snack time.”

“Floyd and I are not one and the same. You may say what you will, but I am merely doing my part to help maintain your health. Were you to be malnourished, I would not nearly have the same amount of amusement that I currently enjoy.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I wouldn’t concern yourself with it.” Jade placed a hand on the small of your back and gently ushered you indoors. “Come now--right this way. I will fetch you your fruit, in addition to some granola and a cup of low-fat yogurt. After all... What are friends for?”

You folded your arms, squinting down at the stacks of homemade play money spread out before you. Each “coin” was a haphazard circle with a number scrawled in the center, and each “bill” was colored in crayon and boasted crudely drawn mermaids or fish in the center. Seated across from you on the floor was Azul, his arms also crossed, patiently waiting for your answer.

“Let me repeat the question again to refresh your memory,” he suggested. “If I purchase the rights to the Mystery Drink from the Mystery Shop for 100 madol, tax included, then resell it at the Mostro Lounge for 1500 madol a glass, not yet including a 20% tip and a 8% tax, how much profit do I stand to make for each sale of the Mystery Drink?”

“You’re making it too hard, Azul!” you squeaked in protest. 

“I am challenging your intellect,” he insisted, pushing his glasses up. “Now then, your response?”

“I like you better when we’re playing board games. Even Monopoly’s better than this.”

“Your response, if you please.”

“My response is that you’re a meanie!!” you cried, shoving a handful of play bills and coins at him with a loud huff.

He glanced at the amount--quickly calculating the sum in his head--then grinned down at you. “That is correct. Well done. I knew you had it in you--all you needed was a little push in the right direction.”

“Hmph! You’re still a meanie.”

“This is the thanks I receive for helping you get ahead of your studies in math? How cruel of you, [Name]-san,” Azul sighed dramatically, bringing a hand to his forehead. “And here I thought you would be more grateful for my services... especially after I assisted you in cutting a deal with that toy vendor. Sob, sob, sob...”

“Liar. I can tell you’re fake crying!”

“Oh dear, it seems like I’ve been caught and foiled again. What ever shall I do?”

You laughed, chucking the rest of the fake money at him. “Make it up to me by getting me a Mystery Drink! I want to drink some, too!”

“As you wish, dear customer.” Azul swiftly collected all the bills and coins, tucking them away into an inner pocket of his jacket. “Shall we make the trip to the kitchen together to pour you that drink?”

“Yeah! Let’s go!” You eagerly hopped to your feet and trailed after Azul.

Click clack. Each step he took was accompanied by his walking stick snapping against the floor. Sharp and resounding in the long, empty corridors of your house.

You stared up at him quizzically.

“Azul, are you old?”

“Old?” He made a face. “Older than you, yes, but no older than the twins. By month, the twins are actually considered to be older than me.”

“You act a lot older. Plus, you’ve got this cane, and glasses, and grey hair!” you pointed out.

“I beg your pardon? For your information, this is no cane. This is a magical staff. One wave—” Azul pantomimed sparkles shooting through the air with a wiggle of his fingers. “—and I can make all your dreams a reality.”

“Can you make yourself real? And Jade and Floyd, too.”

“... That, I’m afraid, is simply not possible.” Azul glanced away, his expression solemn.

“You lied to me again.”

“Only if you consider us to be dreams. You’re very much awake right now, aren’t you? So technically, it was no lie.”

“Sneaky sneak!!”

Azul laughed. “Pay attention to wording, and you can find loopholes and grey areas in nearly anything. That is what makes for a skilled negotiator and debater.”

“You said something like that at Mermaid’s Cove.” You bounced on your tip-toes. “Have I gotten better since then?”

A sly smile. “Perhaps.”

“Geez, just gimme a clear answer!!”

Your banter continued as you crossed the threshold into the kitchen. Seated at the dining table, your father, newspaper in hand, and your mother with a cup of coffee. Sunday evenings were moments of reprieve for them, yet their eyes were deep and dark, almost sunken in.

Their heads turned to you as you, still bickering with thin air, entered. They exchanged a worried glance.

“Who are you talking with today, sweetie?” your mother asked nervously, staring at where Azul was—and seeing nothing there.

“It’s Azul, mom!” you replied cheerily. “He’s making me a Mystery Drink.”

“A... Mystery Drink?”

You swept by her and to the cabinets to retrieve a cup for yourself. Then you flung open the fridge and pulled out an assortment of fruit juices (though in your mind’s eye, you imagined Azul perched behind a classy bar area doing this for you). Unscrewing each cap, you poured off some of each juice into your glass (picturing Azul in your place).

Apple, orange (with pulp for texture), grape, cranberry, lemon, lime, fruit punch... You thought of them all dancing around in your mouth in a conga line.

You replaced the caps and, using a spoon, stirred up your drink to incorporate everything. (He handed it over with a crafty grin. “It’s on the house—no need to thank me, [Name]-san. Drink up.”)

“Thanks, Azul!” you told the air. Glass of Mystery Drink in hand, you plopped down between your parents at the table. “Oh, and Azul says ‘hi’, mom and dad. He thinks you should visit the Mostro Lounge one day.”

“And the ‘Mostro Lounge’ is...?” Your father raised an eyebrow.

“It’s the restaurant he works at with Jade and Floyd. They have lots of yummy stuff like this!” you explained, taking a loud slurp of your concoction.

“Right...” Your mother pursed her lips. She opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but immediately closed it before any words could escape. “We’ll have to go there next summer vacation, then.”

“Where did you say you met these... fishy characters again?”

“At Mermaid’s Cove a few years ago, dad. Remember? We heard them singing.” You paused, listening to Azul’s business pitch. “The Mostro Lounge usually has jazz music. They’re thinking of starting in-house band performances every weekend. Azul on the piano, Jade on the bass, and Floyd on the drums.”

“I see...”

Another concerned look was exchanged between your parents.

“Well... as long as you’re having fun, dear,” your mother said at long last. Her smile was kind, but a little weary.

It went over your head--but Azul took note of it.

The moon came out to play in the evenings. You liked to lie on your side and gaze out your bedside window, watching the moon and the stars twinkle until sleep overcame you. It was your silent fourth friend, the one that followed and guarded you when the others weren’t around, swathes of silver ribbons embracing you in a gentle hug.

But tonight, you were fully alert. Sugar coursed through every fiber of your being, refusing to let your eyelids drift shut--and there was pressure upon your bladder.

... Maybe I shouldn’t have had that Mystery Drink.

Your bladder seemed to gurgle in agreement.

You groaned and sat up, swinging your feet over the edge of your bed and letting them touch the floor.

In the dimly lit space, you slowly padded toward the bathroom. Only a few steps in, you caught a golden ray spilling out from further down the corridor. Light within the darkness.

That’s weird. Did mom and dad forget to turn off the lights?

Your feet drifted past the bathroom and curiously headed toward the kitchen. Words slowly came into focus, set upon familiar tongues.

“... rried about [Name],” came your mother’s voice.

“I am, too,” said your father.

What? About... me? You pressed your back to the wall, and strained your ears to listen.

“They should have outgrown imaginary friends by now... but they still talk about Azul, Jade, and Floyd as if they’re real people. Adding more and more details every day... It feels as though they’re disassociating themselves from reality.”

Ice climbed over your skin. Your body was present in the moment, but your mind felt far away--soul and spirit disconnected, jarred by the declaration. It was a punch to the gut, sending your thoughts whirling.

“They do the same thing in school,” your mother continued. “Their teacher called the other day, said [Name] sits and talks to themselves instead of with their classmates. They’re a bright child, but they’re so closed off from others... it’s alarming.”

“We can take them to the doctor. Maybe they can help us sort it out.”

“No! No, that can’t... that won’t do. I don’t want to ruin their fun, or make them think they have some kind of problem...”

“You’d rather we wait for it to go away on its own? How long would that take? The kid’s growing up fast. They might sooner lose sense of who they are before the issue poofs away.”

“You’ll crush their spirit. All their hopes and dreams.”

“At least then we’d still have our child intact. Not these... fake fish folk they speak through. They can’t keep living in a fantasy world forever, and we can’t keep sheltering them in it.”

“I… I suppose you have a point. Sooner or later, they have to realize a fantasy is a fantasy. Better that we address it now.”

“I’ll call the doctor in the morning, then.”

“Please do.”

The ground fell away at your feet, the world tilting.

Your chest tightened as you took a shaky step back. Then another, and another--until you bumped into something. No, three someones.

“... [Name]-san, it is well past your bed time,” Azul tutted, placing his hands on your shoulders to steady you. “You shouldn’t be up and about like this.”

“You should go about your business in the restroom, then see yourself off to bed,” Jade chimed in calmly.

“You’ll need your shut-eye if you want to have the energy to play, Little Shrimp!” Floyd added.

“Mom and dad think there’s something wrong with me,” you mumbled back, eyes dazed and blank.

You stared at your hands. The very same ones that clung to others, tapped goldfish tanks, watered flowers, played games, and poured drinks. They seemed so foreign now--so alien.

Otherwordly and unreal.

Azul grasped your trembling fingers.

And without another word, the trio guided you through the dark world.

You stood in silence by your bed, clutching onto Azul’s hand until your knuckles turned as white as the moon. Jade was busying himself with fluffing up your pillow, while Floyd was folding up your comforter into various origami-like shapes. The moon peered through your window, training its gaze on you.

A heaviness permeated the room, stifling all sounds.

Your various sea creature plushies looked on--an audience, watching, waiting.

Azul cleared his throat. “[Name]-san, I believe the time has finally arrived for us to part ways.”

Your snapped to him, face contorting in horror. “What? You’re… You’re going away?”

“It is for the best. You’ve grown far too old to continue clinging to shadows of the past.” Azul readjusted his hat, the brim casting a shadow across his features. Eyes as blue as the sea, and hair like moonlight--just how it had looked when you had first seen him.

“But I don’t want you to go. You’re my best friends. My only friends!”

“Little Shrimp can make new friends!” Floyd unfurled your blanket upon the mattress, blinding a number of your stuffed animals. “You won’t have any problems, since you’re so fun to play with!”

“None of them will be as cool as you guys! Or as strong and smart. I bet none of them are merpeople, either!”

“I’m afraid that flattery will get you nowhere.” Jade set down your pillow—freshly fluffed. “Azul is right. You’re growing in every sense of the term—our services are no longer needed here.”

“Lingering for longer than is necessary…” He shook his head, his earring clinking. “That would be coddling. Fufu. Such an insult to one who is already perfectly capable of looking after themselves.”

“But…”

“Depend on others too much, and you will incur a debt that you cannot possibly pay off,” Azul warned, wagging a finger.

“I don’t care! I’ll do whatever it takes to make you guys stay! You can take all the money in my piggy bank, all the mushrooms I raised, and Goldfishy too!”

“I can keep Goldfishy? Yaaay!”

“Floyd, please. We’re having an important discussion here!” Azul sighed in exasperation, hands folded as he regarded you.

His expression and his voice softened. “... We care for you—and because we care for you, we must also learn to let you go. Just as you must also learn to let us go. It is the only way you can continue growing splendidly.”

Azul patted the bed, now fully made. “Even if change is difficult or painful, it must be done if you wish to be your best self.”

You didn’t let go of his hand, and made no effort to climb onto your mattress.

Azul sighed, scooping you up in his arms and depositing you onto your bed in a swift motion. You stared up at him. His face was engulfed by shadows, moonlight outlining his form.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” he asked quietly. “Think of that, and let it be your motivation and courage for change.”

“A merperson,” you squeaked, voice hoarse. “I want to be where the mermaids are. I want to see them laughing, and dancing, and swimming through the sea. I want to be a part of that world—a part of your world.”

“... Is that truly what you wish for?”

“Yes. I want it more than anything.”

Jade and Floyd slinked over, flanking either side of Azul. Their golden eyes pulsated under the cover of night.

“You will always be a part of our world, so long as you are thinking of us,” Jade reassured you in a soothing cadence.

Taking your comforter in both hands, he neatly tucked you into bed. You raised your head to argue, but he eased you back against your pillow with a nudge on your forehead.. 

“We won’t be gone forever! The water’s always around. You can look for us, like a big game of hide-and-go-seek.”

Floyd seized a shark plushie from beside you and, with a giggle, tickled your nose with the stuffed animal’s maw. You laughed, swatting at him with your arms. The shark tumbled out of his grasp and rolled onto your lap, its silly smile a reminder of Floyd’s own.

You snatched it up and held it close to you. Squeezing so tight, you feared the shark’s button eyes would pop off.

You dared not look them in the eyes when the next words left your mouth.

“... I’ll miss you,” you sniffled, eyes watering and burning—threatening to spill over.

“Hey now, Little Shrimp! Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Floyd ran a hand through your hair, tangling it all up between his fingers. “I had a blast while it lasted~”

“Do not think of this as the ending,” Jade advised with a bow. “Think of it as a new beginning. The start to a new song, simply with fewer performers than the last number.”

“A new song…?”

Azul expelled a sigh. “That is enough talk, you two. You are prolonging things.”

“Boo, lame.”

“My apologies.”

The twins silently stepped back, rejoining Azul.

“[Name]-san, it is late, and you look absolutely exhausted. You’d best be off to sleep now—perhaps dreaming of swimming in the sea.”

“I’m afraid that if I close my eyes, you’ll already be gone when I wake up.”

“... A lullaby would help,” Azul suggested. “You always were a fan of our songs, weren’t you? It was how we first met—and now, let it be how we depart.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

The bed creaked in protest as Azul and the twins seated themselves upon it. You weren’t sure who started it, or when, but before long, a low hum had floated over, wrapping itself around your head. The opening notes to a sorrowful song from the distant past.

Ruin and rebirth.

You couldn’t quite understand the words. They slurred and melded together, like a stream of water in constant motion—yet there was a comforting, soft cushion to their composition. Valleys and crests in the notes, filled with tears and fragmented hearts. Sad and happy at the same time.

Bittersweet.

Your eyes fluttered, despite your best efforts to keep them wide open. A pleasant, tingly warmth enveloped you from head to toe—thanks to magic of the music, and your blanket cocoon—and a curtain of drowsiness descended upon you.

You yawned, fresh tears forming in your eyes as they, at last, shut. The world went black, and sounds muffled, as your consciousness slowly faded away.

The last thing you heard...

“Sweet dreams, little one. May we meet again in another time and place.”

The moon looked on through the window, and shed a tear into the sea.

[landofspaceandrainbows]

for a “Pinch Hits from the Void” prompt from a lovely Anon! < 3

Moment Not Found

~

Karl wandered the green paths, his stomach frilled with little electric zaps and the flutter of a thousand butterflies. He watched as Sapnap puckered his lips and blew a tiny whisper of flame onto the heads of six of his arrows, and as the blazeborn, Manifold rolled a ball of amber lava between his hands, clenching a thermometer in his hand until his strength boost was high but still allowable under the rules for the tournament.

Karl fidgeted, and smoothed out his finned tail behind him and glanced down at his turquoise and copper sweater. His nerves battled with the little “purr” looking at his new outfit gave him.  Every thread just as he had planned.

A line in a book he had found in his own handwriting once whispered through his mind "You don't get to choose when you time travel or when you return, but you already know that... "

Glancing at a clump of flowers drooping down from  above his head, Karl actually bumped into George, he looked him over, the light blue of the mushrooms growing out of his shoulder looked a bit odd, but set off the dark brown of his hair about as well as his usual red mushrooms.  The white spots on their hoods gleaming in the sun. The thick frames of his sunglasses like diorite or quartz.

"Amazing!  I was worried I wouldn't get to see you before the start.  Yea, I know I've been doing this for years longer, you still nervous?"

Karl nodded.

"I'm sure you've got this." He felt George's arms warm around him, "just breathe."

"And you look as lovely as a spring day."  The blush staining George's cheeks was a sweet reward even if it dissolved quickly at they were transported to the Aqua Axolotls starting area.

~

Build mart first, Karl sprinted for the dark oak logs first, and a gleaming pile of gold.

His feet sank into the scarlet carpet, but soon his feet skipped between gleaming quatz, and occasionally blackstone brick, and red wool.  He counted four blocks here, six blocks there, before dropping back onto the carpet softly, seconds out of time.

His hand grasped George's on the way by as he went through to grab a coal block set into a and the makings of a "socket" of trapdoors, to set off the gold. 

Red, white, red, white, beneath his leather boots.

"You don't get to choose when you time travel or when you return, but you already know that... "

He saw Sapnap facing him down, white shirt like a brand in the darkness.  He could see his raven-black brows drawn down in emotion and concentration. "Cmon, cmon" he whispered, he willed white walls to rise from the ground around him, to fill the air with burnished quartz in the shadows like that shirt.  Or black walls, right now he would gladly roll out the welcome mat for the Other Side....

If there were crickets here, he could nearly hear them in the silence as the second crawled by like hours. No response to his pleas.

And no fire res, fuck.  He slipped into his inventory, felt the eerie little prickle of weight-from-nowhere you never quite got used to.  His Frostwalker Boots.  He scraped them against the ground encouraging the cold to come a few inches above his waist, hopefully that would be enough.  He spun away, diving behind a wool block - as the arrow released. He could see a flash of white teeth in the darkness, even though they were on other teams, Sapnap acknowledging his defensive maneuver.

The arrow hit his sleeve,  a rosette of pain blossoming in his wrist.  He almost melted at the sensation,  Sapnap and George's faces still fresh in his mind, his body lighting up with how George's arms felt around him... but "not now, not now" he whispered, crushing his sweater against the ousides of the boots, and feeling the cool layer of ice take away the pain.

As the bell gaily rung the end of the round.

~

Crouching beneath the colred walls advancing towards him was more of a dance at this point.

He stepped into the white glowing halls, and hunted around, here was a upward sloping path, and here a short stair,  it would take him at east two minutes to make the climb, but while he didn't have forever, the slight issues of timing weren't an issue here.  There!  Now here he was, roughly in the same position as before but two or three blocks higher.

...and stepped out again, as the brilliant lime green of the wall passed below him.

~

The two axolotls stepped down from the winner's stage.  George, still warm and sweaty pressed Karl into an out of the way corner.  Green ivy hiding them from the crowd and the murmur of voices.  Karl spotted a sweater and hood that was all too familiar to him, but... red?

Another fluff of brown hair spilled from under the hood.  So damn familiar to Karl by now from the mirror.  "Mind if I join?" whispered the mild voice.

He  recognized the hands, certainly,  but he didn't remember ever wearing that shade of nail polish before.  How far from the future was he?  or was this simply another memory problem?  Missed appointments, misplaced keys if he didn't place them beneath the big wood arrow saying "KEYS", he remembered so little these days. The sparkling magenta nails, helped him lift the edge of George's shirt,  scraping across George's soft stomach and earning them both a gasp.

"MCC 2023, Pink Parrots," Karl's own voice said, "thought I'd stop by, so I left a note.  I know how much my hands were shaking today.  Thought I'd lend a hand" He grinned wickedly, "or two.  Call it a double winner's  point of view!"

~

[shushiyuii]

tiny!mer tommy with giant human sbi member noms

HAHAHAHA ANGST TIME, i'm kidding. its all fluff! MUHAHAHAAHAA!

Warnings: Soft vore

Words: 1.4K+

(@ghostan0n here you guys go!)

Tommy swam and splashed happily around his pond. The pond was a fair size considering Tommy was only about half a foot in height, not only that but the pond had a good ecosystem going for it with no other Mers around, meaning it was the perfect safe haven for the little Mer.

Growing up Tommy had been the runt of him and his siblings and because of the smaller size, he got blown away in a current from his family at a young, leaving him to learn to survive without the help of his parents.

He luckily found the pond, so it greatly helped him in surviving. He learnt how to live completely on his own.

He wasn’t alone though; he did have some frequent visitors.

“Tommy! We got you some treats!”. Tommy slowly and sneakily made his way to the surface, out of the way from the human’s view, to deem this treat worthy of his feast.

Surprisingly it was his favourite, little choc chips. They were sweet and full of flavour! Tommy loved them! He dove back under the water and happily pounced onto Wilbur’s hand. “There you are!”, he was just smaller than Wilbur’s hand.

He chirped back happily and began to eat his chocolate, he wasn’t allowed much and afterwards Wilbur was supposed to give him fish food, which wasn’t the worst food out there, but it tasted rather bland if he was honest.

Wilbur chuckled as he witnessed Tommy straight up gobbling the chocolate with what he could with small fangs. He honestly found it adorable. “You doing okay, Today?”, Tommy chirped happily in response.

Sadly, Tommy couldn’t speak English, only understand it. He learnt it through many years of living in the lake. But what he could speak was his own language known as Oceanian, which consisted of thrills and chirps.

And luckily for Tommy they had a translator as Wilbur’s dad, Phil worked with Mers and had a good understanding of the language. Meaning he could communicate with them. Only with Phil present though, he had yet to learn sign language.

Once Tommy was finished with his chocolate, he dove back into the water as he couldn’t stay on the surface forever.

Tommy is honestly quite happy where he is now, he would never want to leave the pond. It was his home now and Wilbur, Techno and Phil were his family, even with the creature difference.

Tommy gestured for Wilbur to join him in the pond and play. “You wanna play?”, he got a splash in response. So, Wilbur happily walked into the pond, with it barely being his knees length he could easily sit down.

Once he did sit down, Tommy swam around his legs. Breaching the surface much like a dolphin now and again. It made Wilbur happy to see Tommy happy as cheesy as that was.

“So, what’s happening in Tommy’s chaotic life Today?”. Tommy stopped for a minute and surfaced his upper body. He pinched his chin in a thinking position until he seemed to remember something.

Tommy dove back into the water and didn’t surface back up for a couple of minutes. It made Wilbur curious about what he was doing. Then Tommy came up to be carrying a small shell, which fit nicely into both arms.

“Another shell for my necklace, huh?”. Tommy nodded and chirped happily in response. Wilbur was going to have to drill a hole into this one in order to fit his necklace that was laced with shells already given to them.

It was always a gesture Tommy gave them; it was always a contest between the three of them who got the most shells from Tommy. And not to brag but Wilbur was winning.

Tommy continued to swim around Wilbur and getting the occasional hand cuddles, then it was time for bed, “Alright Toms, I think that’s enough for today.”. He whispered to the half-asleep Mer sleeping on his hand.

Tommy lazily chirped back as if saying “I don’t wanna sleep!”. But Wilbur moved so he could put Tommy into his grove.

But Tommy wasn’t having it, he clung onto Wilbur’s hand when he tried to retract it. “Tommy, it’s getting late! Phil will be mad if I don’t get home for dinner!”, he chirped back frustratingly in response.

“Tommy we can’t be arguing right now, I gotta go. I’m sorry”. Tommy began to aggressively chirp at Wilbur as if he were screaming profanities, he probably was. “Tommy! First, language! Second, I can’t stay! Sorry bud. I’ll come back tomorrow though”.

Tommy’s ear like fins lowered as he made the saddest puppy dog eyes he could. He didn’t want Wilbur to leave obviously. Wilbur sighed, “Why are you being so clingy today, huh?”.

Tommy thrilled sadly. “Alright, alright. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, okay?”. Tommy finally let go of Wilbur, trusting him to come back and Wilbur wasn’t just going to let him down.

Wilbur made his way back to the house, “There you are Wil! How’s Tommy?”. He asked as he continued to cut the onions on the cutting board. “Just fine, he’s being really clingy Today.”.

“Ah, Mers can be like that sometimes, they don’t want their pod to leave.”, “Tommy wouldn’t let me leave one night actually, it was annoying”. Techno added, but it was clear no ill intent was there. It was just Techno’s way of being playful.

“Hey Dad, is it okay if I skip out on dinner tonight?”, Phil looked over with concern on his features. “How come?”, Wilbur stumbled on his words, whilst grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “Uhh-“.

Wilbur looked away when he couldn’t answer. There was a moment of awkward silence as Phil thought for a moment. Then he pieced it together. “Oh! Got it! Go ahead! Stay safe alright?”. He sighed in relief, “Will do!”. Then, he left the house back to the pond.

…

He then made his way back to the pond, “Tommy! I’m back!”. In a second Tommy was at the surface, swimming towards Wilbur. “Okay, you clingy bitch! You know what we’re going to do?”. He asked sarcastically. Tommy chirped back in determination. He knew what he was going to do.

Because of Phil’s job as a Mer biologist, a professional one at that. He knew a lot about Mers. And he made sure his kids knew a lot too. So, when the family met Tommy, they already were well aware of how to take care of the Mer.

That also included other things too, such as the fact Mer’s were able to be swallowed and safely be stored in a human’s stomach since they were acid-resistant. The first time Phil had done it so they could transport Tommy safely was rather shocking for Wilbur and Techno.

But then they did it themselves and were actually quite surprised it felt like a giant hug, so they honestly didn’t mind swallowing Tommy, they did it now and again. So, it seems like it was one of those days for Tommy.

“How about a challenge Toms?”, Tommy furrowed an eyebrow. “Try and land in my mouth. I dare you.”.

Tommy made a determined expression and quickly dove back into the water. Wilbur sat down, opened his mouth, and waited. After about a minute, Tommy breached the surface as high as he could. And missed.

So, he tried again, this time Wilbur gave him a helping hand and let Tommy land in his hands. And then quickly shoving him in his mouth, much to Tommy’s dismay. He wanted to do the challenge. It made Wilbur laugh as Tommy’s tail hung out of his mouth.

Tommy chirped angrily and slapped his tail against Wilbur’s chin. In response, Wilbur just softly swallowed, then proceeding to slurp up Tommy’s tail like a noodle. He then swallowed again and traced Tommy’s descent with his hand. Making sure his little brother was again.

Once he felt Tommy land in his stomach, he put a hand to his stomach. “You okay Toms?”. He got a chirp in response and felt Tommy get comfortable in his stomach. He signed in relief, he then grabbed his water bottle and chugged down the bottle. So, Tommy was sure to be safe.

“Alright, time for bed.”. He then made his way back home, grabbed his guitar and played a soft melody until he heard Tommy’s sleepy chirps. Then made his way to bed.