#no dinglehopper is safe

[jessamine-rose]

‧̍̊˚ᵕ⋆ Under the Sea ⋆ᵕ˚‧̍̊

So it turns out that I had more ideas for my Yandere! Mermaid AU. This sequel features more mermaid lore and dark themes. Now why don't we revisit this twisted fairytale??

Characters:: Capitano, Pantalone, Dottore, Pierro

Tw:: yandere, manipulation, coercion, blood, violence, death, Stockholm Syndrome, spice, noncon, animal cruelty, mention of pregnancy

♡ 1.9k words under the cut ♡

Shark! Capitano x Coral Reef Fish! Mermaid

♡ To be fair, there are worse fates in the deep sea. While mermaids and reef fish are getting nerfed by natural selection, you have Capitano to provide for you. Sure, your relationship is far from ordinary nor consensual, but at least you’re safe in his territory. He is still your gentle companion who would never hurt you.

♡ …Yeah, it doesn’t get any easier but he tries to make you comfortable. Pretty sea anemones to decorate your new home. His earnest imitation of your species’ courtship rituals. The considerate adjustments to his own mating behavior as a shark mermaid.

♡ Don’t worry, he’s extremely careful when biting you. His bites are light and harmless, at times pleasurable, so stop struggling unless you want him to accidentally draw blood. He even encourages you to reciprocate the gesture! Your teeth aren’t as sharp as his, but he cherishes the shallow indents you leave on his skin.

♡ You’re forbidden from leaving his territory without him. Since your abduction, Capitano is more protective over you. He scares away nearby sea creatures, hunts down humans on sight, and threatens his fellow predator mermaids for joking about your “tasty” appearance. You attract a lot of curiosity for your interspecies relationship but he doesn’t mind the rumors.

♡ It’s a confusing situation, really. Just as you somewhat understand Capitano’s twisted love, you can’t shake off your previous camaraderie. For every predator he kills for you, you steer him away from manmade fish traps. By now, he’s stopped inquiring about your familiarity with these devices. Instead, he softly touches your scars and promises that no more violence will taint you.

♡ With that, your boiling point shouldn’t be a surprise. It is a usual day in captivity: Capitano returns to your shared cavern with another batch of sea anemone, and you silently accept his gift. What shakes your passive resistance is the sight of his wounded hands. Are those anemone stings?

♡ All this time, you’d forgotten that only reef fish are immune to sea anemone. You immediately tell Capitano to stop picking it for you, but he insists that the pain is nothing. Setting your gift aside, you treat his wounds and tell him that if he won’t stop, he should let you accompany him. You can’t allow your mate to hurt himself for you.

♡ For a few seconds, Capitano is silent. Only after he accepts your proposal do you realize the words which slipped out. Before you can take it back, he kisses you and leaves for another hunting trip. Unable to follow him, you can only await his return and question your sanity.

♡ Meanwhile, your mate is mulling over your first lover’s spat. For you to be so concerned that you’d willingly spend more time with him…perhaps you have begun to accept your new life. He does feel guilty for worrying you, but make no mistake: What would be the point of his strength if not for your sake?

Jellyfish! Pantalone x Exotic Pet! Mermaid

♡ Despite his desire to own court you, there are times when Pantalone questions his decision. Until now, you struggle to adapt to the deep sea due to your sheltered upbringing and weaker biology. But when he is with you, he can almost believe that he isn’t heartless—at least in a figurative sense.

♡ Your background is useful for his side job as the top trader of human treasures. Just forget the time you informed him that his precious “dinglehopper” is actually an eating utensil. He talked about subjective value afterwards, but you could tell he was just trying to repair his pride.

♡ Likewise, you are humbled by the brutality of mermaid culture. It’s common for beauties like Pantalone to lure humans into the sea to kill them and steal their valuables. And who can forget the time you adopted a shimmery fish as a pet, only for Pantalone to tear off its scales for his nail art? Don’t be afraid, darling, he’d never be this cruel with you.

♡ For all it’s worth, his attraction is mutual. There is some friction at the start of his courtship when you initially reject Pantalone’s advances. You go on a tangent about purebreds, selective breeding, arranged partners, all that nonsense taught by your human breeders.

♡ Pantalone is offended. Are you implying that he isn’t valuable enough for you? Darling, in the wild, what matters most is not your imagined worth but your survivability. He isn’t even courting you for your potential offspring, assuming you can have any with him. And he's smart enough not to subject any hybrid children to a difficult life in an improper habitat.

♡ That conversation is what changes your mindset. Compared to humans, Pantalone treats you so differently. Rather than show you off to his peers, he prefers to keep you safe by his side. That time you got badly injured by a predator, he prioritized your health over your damaged scales. The only reason he purchased a scar-healing potion was to appease your distress. See, you should have listened to him. Do you know how much this cost him?

♡ He even protects you in a way that no caretaker would! Swimming after you when you get swept up by the currents, putting himself in harm’s way to save you from predators, even sharing his treasures with you. So what is the point of your biological differences? You already live together and find each other attractive.

♡ Yes, he is the perfect mate. You still have a lot to learn about the deep sea, and he will teach you everything there is to know. Between your domestication and his manipulation, you can be confident in one truth: That out of all the fish in the sea, Pantalone chose to love you.

Octopus! Dottore x Artificial! Mermaid

♡ He understands that you are mad at him. It is a natural reaction after being forcibly drowned, kissed, and transformed into a mermaid. Yet despite your silent treatment, Dottore refuses to shut up. He isn’t a talkative person, but he’s so excited to properly communicate with you. Think of all the personal and scientific conversations!

♡ Good luck trying to escape from him. The deep sea is no place for an inexperienced mermaid; and among your favorite sea creatures, Dottore picked a species weaker than him. Not to mention that transformation potions can only be custom-made under his guidance.

♡ You should also give up on seeking help. Do you honestly believe that your former brethren won’t use your body for scientific research? On the other hand, mermaid society shuns you for your human origins and association with Dottore. You’re essentially an outcast like him.

♡ Don’t cry, darling, he will always be here for you. He is an attentive mate in the first months of your courtship—teaching you how to swim, helping you hunt and gather food, overseeing your adjustment therapy. He is neither strict nor overbearing in that regard.

♡ You do realize why he is feared by his peers. During your tour of his territory, you are horrified to come across the skeletons of humans and mermaids. Worry not, these are no different from the experiments conducted by your kind. Be grateful that he went with magic and not surgery for your transformation.

♡ Because of his research, Dottore is also known as the Sea Witch. Every so often, he accepts potion commissions in exchange for knowledge, human relics, or mermaid DNA. He prefers the last payment since it’s less easy to obtain by force. It’s especially true for the orca blood and jellyfish stingers provided by two of his important clients.

♡ Despite your situation, you can’t help but be fascinated with your new circumstances. Humans tend to view mermaids as inferior animals, and even sympathetic marine biologists are hindered by the language barrier. Thanks to Dottore, you’ve gained a better understanding of his kind. And as a fellow researcher, you are morbidly impressed by his scientific accomplishments.

♡ It helps that he has a soft spot for you, though he’s more…touchy now that you’re his mate. He likes to wrap his tentacles around you in what he claims is an innocent hug. He marks you with his suckers and comments on the taste of your skin. He also teases you with camouflaged jumpscares; it’s especially scary during your escape attempts.

♡ A part of you hopes this is all a dream, a nightmare you can wake up from. As much as you love exploring the sea, you can’t enjoy the newly accessible knowledge when you are trapped in Dottore’s grasp. Sadly, your life is now in his hands and he will take great joy in seeing how your relationship develops.

Orca! Pierro x Artificial Orca! Mermaid

♡ In the end, Pierro decides to turn you into a mermaid. He makes the most out of your final days on land—cooking your meals, using your species’ technology…and indulging in human copulation. With your injured leg, there is little you can do to resist him.

♡ On the last day, he carries you to the sea and force-feeds you a potion. The last thing you feel before passing out is cold seawater, strong arms wrapped around you, a familiar tail intertwined with yours. Back in his true form, Pierro brings you to his new territory and admires your orca features.

♡ The first week could've been better. You’re already tense with Pierro, but he tries to reciprocate your hospitality. His territory is larger than your house with a furnished cavern, a private reef, and the primitive technology created by orca mermaid society. The two of you share a comfy bed of seagrass.

♡ You are also subjected to a checkup with the Sea Witch. As scary as Dottore is, you eagerly listen to his story about Pierro’s human transformation. How he stumbled during his first steps, how pathetic yet determined he looked, how—he stops talking after Pierro darkly inquires about the regenerative abilities of octopus mermaids.

♡ Pierro is a doting, protective mate…to an extreme extent. You aren’t allowed to leave his territory, learn how to hunt, or even interact with other mermaids and animals. After everything he’s been through, he can’t lose another loved one to the cruelty of the world.

♡ Not that any sea creature would approach you. The first time you watch Pierro hunt, you are traumatized by his species’ methods. To him, it’s normal to brutally tail-slap seals and stingrays to death—and justified in the case of passing humans. So that is what he means by "playing with your food"...

♡ He also helps you adjust to your aquatic diet. There are various ways to prepare raw fish and hopefully, you like sashimi. If you miss human cuisine, the two of you may occasionally visit a deserted island to roast your food over a fire. He does miss your cooking.

♡ At some point, you ask him why you were turned into an orca mermaid. According to Dottore, Pierro had to give away more blood to make you the same species as him. Why did he put himself through that? That is when your mate brings out a fertility potion, one that will ensure pregnancy even if your body is incapable of bearing a child.

♡ Calm yourself, darling. You already know that orcas aren’t solitary creatures; and while your company is a blessing, wouldn’t it be nice to raise a few baby mermaids? Never fear, Pierro will take good care of your pod. Together, you will live a peaceful life under the sea.

♡

Welp what a lovely way to use my zoology knowledge. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope y’all enjoyed this dark continuation. I didn’t expect so many ppl to like my Yandere Mermaid AU, and thank you so much for your feedback (♡˙︶˙♡)

I’d also like to thank @diodellet for peer-reviewing this and @gum-iie for giving me more ideas!! Once again, this is an AU of my Yandere! Harbinger longfic series for those who found the couples and stories familiar~

Tag a Harbinger enjoyer!! @leftdestiny-posts @nicebonescomrades @harmonysanreads @ansy-tea @thescribeoflostmemories @kocherry @oofasleep @crypticbibliophile @lcveaesop @frogchiro @theinnerunderrain @surveyycorps @jinkicake @lucidasara @ghostluu @gxmblinqueen @verdictionist @springtidewaves

[z3llous]

RSA Jade

Twst Masterlist

still introverted, but a bit less formal

very polite

very smart

might appear a bit intimating, until you actually talk to him and realize he's quite sweet

excitable when it comes to nature

loves sharing mushroom and plant facts

besties with Malleus and Azul

enjoys a weekly hike with Malleus

loves coming up with new food & drink ideas for Azul's café

quite the foodie with one hell of an appetite, but has a high metabolism so you'd never guess how much he actually eats

goes to all his brother's basketball games

bit of RSA AU Leech lore:

News spread about the horrible accident where a barracuda found the Leech family’s eggs and nearly killed Mama Leech. The family received an invitation from the royal family to live in a new safe zone community in the making, they would be one of the first families to move in. They accepted and were given their own territory in the safe zone and raised the remaining offspring there. Because of this the Leech family has a healthy relationship with the royal family, is under royal protection, and is treated well by most merfolk.

The RSA tweels had significantly less exposure to the harshness of the ocean compared to their NRC selves.

Mama Leech worries a lot and sends letters to her sons frequently, their father always manages to get a note in at the bottom of these letters.

Floyd was given a dinglehopper(fork) by Azul, and Jade a snorbypop(spoon) when they were little. They now wear them as earrings

Mrs. Ashengrotto and her family were invited into this little safe haven as well to run the first restaurant in there. The Ashengrotto and Leech family are close.

[amuseoffyre]

Back on my thinkie horse about the significance of The Little Mermaid within the context of Our Flag Means Death.

TLM has always been a queer story from its very creation. Hans Christian Andersen reportedly wrote it as a kind of love letter to the man he had fallen in love with, but who had went on to marry a woman. Literary critics have suggested the story was a queer allegory all along, a metaphor for queer love in a time when it could not be spoken aloud, and where people had to be silent and watch the people they love marry elsewhere.

Giving this mermaid's story to Ed has been there all along because here he is, putting himself out there, dancing on the proverbial knives for Stede, only to be left behind by the rich boy who goes back to his comphet life.

But this is where the rebirth of TLM comes in: the Disney edition is layered with even more queer allegory. Howard Ashman took the story and made it about more than just the Prince. Here's a story of a character who doesn't fit in the world she was born into, who yearns for something her society considers taboo and dangerous, something out of her reach. She's warned away from that world, told they're a threat and a danger, but she's drawn to them anyway.

This has strong flavours of Ed's entire journey, his yearning to be more than what he had been told both by his mum and the world that they live in. "We're not those kind of people". It doesn't stop him holding on to that scrap of silk, of wanting more, of wanting affection and love and softness and all the things he was told he couldn't have.

There's also this gorgeous essay about the queerness of TLM, especially focused on the inspiration for Ursula, the drag queen Divine, and what it means to have this blatantly queer-coded character standing in opposition to the world Ariel is restricted by.

It also makes a point about the queer act of resistance, of bodily and emotional autonomy and the right to be who you are, regardless of the limitations society tries to constrict you with.

Ed is in his TLM phase proper now. He reverted back to Kraken mode, the extreme version of his piratey self, as a defence mechanism but change is on the horizon. And it's not just because Stede is doing Prince Eric's "I lost her once, I'm not losing her again" thing. It's Ed's journey this time and Stede may be part of it, but he is not the whole of it.

Ed's an A-grade mess right now, but he is still Ed and Blackbeard and all of those other things. He's just lost and hurting and needs time to figure things out.

I also don't doubt he has a hidden little stash where he keeps his precious soft things and dinglehoppers because that's what we do. We package our queerness and softness and tuck it away somewhere safe where no one can find it until we can risk a look at it again. But our mermaid is going to figure things out and work out who he is and who he wants to be and I cannot wait.

[ask-felix-aberg]

Felix,

I'm a bit shy to write to you but I watched a play at Hogsmeade a few days ago, with you as one of the actors. I... I didn't know Hogwarts students can have such hobbies but... I stood sadly really far away (your fans didn't let me get closer) but I saw everything. And when you took of your **** and walked around with a ****, swinging, I... Felix, where is your modesty!

A concerned classmate,

August

P. S. Perhaps it wasn't you but the hair! I am sure it was you!

Dear August,

Yes, you spotted me. :) I am delighted you came to see the play, even if from a distance! You probably caught us in the middle of our latest fundraiser performance for the @dont-ask-ssoo. We were raising galleons for the "Wands Out for Witches and Wizards in Need" campaign. The name sounds cheeky, but the SSOO said it's all for a good cause.

@ask-andrew-montrose was there as well. Monty and I often volunteer for these kinds of events. It was likely him you saw wildly swinging his... er, dinglehopper. But I assure you, it's all in good fun.

I truly apologise if the sight left you disturbed in any way. Sometimes we get a bit carried away in the spirit of the moment. I am sorry if the play caused you any discomfort.

Do take care, August. If you ever find yourself closer to the action, do say hello - I promise the wiggly wands will be safely tucked away!

With warm regards (and a promise of more modest attire in future encounters),

Felix

[therealmsdelulu]

My Little Mermaid Part 1:Shipwreck

Series Masterlist

Y/N always felt like a fish out of water. As if there was an invisible string pulling her to the surface. Y/N has been obsessed with the human world for as long as she could remember. Always collecting the things that fell into the ocean and exploring the several shipwrecks much to her fathers dismay. After the death of Y/N's mother,  King Triton forbid his daughters from going to the surface. His intention was to keep them safe however Y/n always felt restrained.

Tonight was the coral moon, meaning King Triton would gather all of his daughters and have a long awaited family meeting. Yet Y/N was nowhere to be found.

Y/N was too busy exploring the shipwrecks with her fish friend Flounder. "Come on Flounder, stop being such a guppy," Y/N teased the fish.

"I'm not so sure about this Y/N," the fish said with concern in his tone.

"Fine, then you can keep an eye out for sharks," Y/N suggested as she swam through the window of the sunken ship.

"S- sharks," Flounder stuttered, but the mermaid was out of sight, "Wait up, Y/N"

“I wonder what this is,” Y/N wondered as she held up a telescope and looked through it. She picked up another thingamabob and spun it around in her hands.

"Woah, isn't this so cool?" Y/N asked while looking at the mysterious trinket. "I wonder what it's for, Scuttle will know" Y/N claimed.

"Don't you think we should head back, Y/N" Flounder suggested.

"Flounder, watch out!" Y/N exclaimed as a shark approached the window of the sunken ship. As the large creature broke through the glass Y/N frantically grabbed Flounder and began to swim away.  Once Y/N thought they were in the clear she turned around just to make sure and as they tried to escape the shark appeared once agin crashing through the wooden walls of the ship.  "Come on, Flounder!" Y/N shouted as she swam away, safely escaping the ship with the trinket.

Once back in the water, Y/N noticed that Flounder was no longer by her side. She turned around and noticed that the shark was chasing him. She quickly looked around for something to use to distract the large creature. She noticed a large rock and dropped it on the shark in order to divert its attention away from Flounder. She quickly swam away and hid behind a door, allowing her reflection to show on the mirror, tricking the shark. Once it got stuck Y/N and Flounder quickly made their escape.

"You okay, Flounder?" Y/N asked concerned for the fish.

"Yeah, I wasn't even scared," the fish lied.

"Oh, hey Scuttle," Y/N greeted the bird.

"Hi, Y/N, what do you have for me today?" Scuttle asked the mermaid.

"What's this," the mermaid asked pulling out the trinket.

"This, this is a dinglehopper," the bird confidently claimed.

"A dinglehopper?" asked the mermaid with curiosity.

"Yup, the humans use it to style their hair," the bird explained and used it on herself as an example, "You just give it a spin, you might pull a little bit with it." Scuttle said as a few feathers got tugged by the dingle hopper.

Y/N couldn't stop herself and attempted to use the dinglehopper on herself but heard her name being called out and quickly put down the trinket.

"There you are child, I've searched across the whole ocean for you," said Sebastian, her fathers advisor. 

"Oh no, Scuttle I've got to go," Y/N sighed as she swam away from the bird.

"Its okay, sweetie, I do too," said Scuttle, "I need some air"

AT THE PALACE

"Dad, I'm so sorry," Y/N pleaded.

"Yeah, its not her fault we were exploring the shipwrecks and-" Flounder began in an attempt to get Y/N off the hook.

"The shipwrecks?" King Triton asked anger evident in his tone, "How many times have I told you it's dangerous!"

"Father, I" Y/N began but was quickly cut off.

"I dont want to hear it," shouted the King, "Go to your room!" 

Y/N sighed and turned around to swim to her grotto.

IN Y/N'S GROTTO

"He just doesnt get it," Y/N claimed as she lay her head on a rock and looked around at her collection.

*Play part of that world for the best experience*

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat" Y/N sang as she began to swim around "Wouldn't you think my collections complete."

"Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has, everything" 

"Look at this trove, treasures untold," she continued, "How many wonders can one cavern hold," She swam around admiring her collection of trinkets. "Looking around here you'd think, sure she's got everything."

"I've got gadgets and gizmos a plenty. I've got whozits and whatzits galore," claimed the mermaid as she opened a jewlery box.

"You want thingamabobs?, the mermaid asked as she played with a compass, "I've got twenty," she chuckled. "But who cares, no big deal, I want more"

"I want to be where the people are," expressed Y/N. "I want to see, want to see them dancing." "Walking around on those, what do you call them," the mermaid paused, "feet" 

"Flipping your fins you don't get too far, legs are required for jumping , dancing," The mermaid sighed expressing her desires, "Strolling along down a, whats the word again, street"

"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun," Y/N exclaimed, " Wandering free," the mermaid sighed.

"Wish I could be, part of that world." the mermaid claimed, expressing her desires, "What would I give, if i could live, out of these waters"

"What would I pay, to spend a day warm on the sand?" the mermaid asked herself.

"Betcha on land, they understand, bet they dont reprimand their daughters," Y/N claimed, "Bright young women sick of swimming, ready to stand."

"Ready to know what the people know,"

"Ask them my questions and get some answers," the mermaid sang, "what's a fire and why does it, whats the word, burn," The mermaid swam around.

"When's it my turn, wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above," Y/N sang as she stretched her hand towards the surface.

"Out of the sea," she sighed, "Wish i could be, part of that world," she expressed as she brought back her outstretched hand and sat down on a rock.

 LATER THAT DAY

Y/N was in her grotto when she heard the sound of crackling and saw red sparks in the sky. Letting her curiosity get the best of her she swam up to the surface. 

"Where is she going," Sebastian sighed in annoyance, "Come back here child"

Y/N looked around mesmerized as she watched the sparks in the sky careful to avoid them as they fell into the water.  She watched the sailors on board celebrating and dancing. She swam up to the boat and hid in a compartment close to the deck of the boat. 

She listened closely to a conversation between two of the humans on board.

"Come on, I'm just having fun, the rest of the crew is," one of the voices said.

"You are not like the rest of the crew and it is time that you stop acting as such," the other voice claimed.

"And how am I supposed to act, more like my father was," the first voice suggested.

Y/N suddenly stopped listening when a large dog came near where she was hiding and she reached out to pet it.

"Come back here, Max" the first voice said.

Y/N quickly redrew her hand as she heard footsteps approaching. Suddenly Y/N heard thunder and felt heavy rain pouring down. 

"A storm, its coming in quick!" the same voice exclaimed, "All hands on deck!"

Y/N slid out of where she was hiding and back into the water. Y/N looked around and watched as all the crew on board attempted to keep the boat afloat.  She watched as the boat caught on fire and heard the shouts from all the members on board.

"Abandon ship," a voice called out as several members hopped into life boats. 

"What are you doing Eric?" another voice called out.

"Max," the voice that the mermaid could now recognize as 'Eric's' cried out. Y/N watched as the man ran towards the dog and threw him overboard.

"Come on boy," called out a voice with open arms ready to assist the dog. Y/N quickly swam underwater and gave the dog a push. Once out of sight she resurfaced and watched in horror as Eric fell off the ship.

A/N: Hey guys, i hope you enjoyed the first part. I only watched the movie twice so some details might be off. This is my first attempt at writing so If you guys have any reccomendations or constructive criticism please feel free to share. I decided to add in the songs and plan to do such in future chapters however if you don't like the idea please let me know.

[circus4apsycho8]

autonomous. | chapter iv - lloyd x reader

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚌'𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢!

𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚐𝚕��𝚌𝚝, 𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐

autonomous. | lloyd x reader | chapter iv

“To my father and his incredible power, to my pupils for successfully unlocking what secrets the Temple of Light holds, and to our newest member of the team for aiding in Lloyd’s safe return,” Sensei Wu says as everyone sits quietly around the table, ravenously eyeing the feast in sight. “May we thank my father for the guidance he provides us even beyond the grave. Our war has yet to be waged, but each day we grow stronger. To the good fight.”  

You glance around in awe as the ninja speak words of agreement before digging into their meals. In all honesty, you’re just astounded that this much food is normal for people in the city! Even so, the tools that the ninja are using to eat are unknown to you. You study the tool carefully and attempt to observe how the ninja are using them. But...they’re eating so fast that their hands are a blur!  

You’re snapped out of your thoughts when Lloyd gently nudges your bicep with his elbow. “What’s up?”

“What…are you using to eat?” you wonder, studying the tools intently. There are two variants available at either side of your plate. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”  

“It’s a dinglehopper,” Kai interrupts, causing Cole to hit him. “Ow!”  

“A dinglehopper?” you repeat, holding up the object and staring at it. What a bizarre name.  

“It’s actually called a fork,” Cole corrects, rolling his eyes. “Kai just won’t admit he has an obsession with princess movies.”   

“Do not!”  

“Yeah right. Who else slips in a reference from The Little Mermaid so easily?” Jay retorts.   

“Shut up! You guys obviously got the reference too!”   

“A fork?” you wonder. “And what’s a...mer-maid?”  

Lloyd chuckles lightly. “Okay, so you use forks to pick up foods that aren’t convenient to touch. You know, if something is sticky or wet. Just so your hands don’t get dirty. It’s also more sanitary than eating with your hands. And a mermaid is a mythological creature – half fish, half human. They’re referring to a mermaid that’s in an animated movie.”   

“Movies? And what does animate mean?”   

“Man, you really live under a rock, don’t you?” Jay states.  

“I do not,” you say, frowning in confusion as you stare at the redhead for clarification.  

“That’s not…” Jay sighs. “Never mind. We have a lot to teach you.”   

Zane offers you a patient smile, taking a moment to elaborate: “But to answer your question, a movie is a story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a theater or on television. Also known as a motion picture or film."  

“Moving pictures that tell stories?” you wonder, trying to visualize what that looks like.  

Lloyd nods as he takes another bite. “Yep. There are tons of them too.”   

“Wow…”  

“Make sure to eat, dear. You’ll need your strength,” Misako reminds gently with a motherly smile.  

“Here, hold your fork like this,” Lloyd says, holding out the utensil in his hand. You study the way his fingers are wrapped around the item, doing your best to mimic it. Your fingers get crisscrossed in the process, though, causing you to frown.   

Lloyd laughs lightly, green eyes sparkling as he sets his fork down. “Here.”   

He gently grabs your wrist, taking a moment to reposition your fingers until they’re correct. You feel your cheeks warming at the close contact.   

“There, like that. Try it.”   

“Okay. Do I just…?”   

“Gently stab your food. Like this.” You watch in fascination as he spears a piece of food with his fork.   

“I don’t understand how we didn’t have anything like this back at camp,” you say, testing the fork out for yourself. “It’s such a simple idea but works so effectively!”   

The others chuckle as you admire the usefulness of the fork while finishing the small portion on your plate. What a useful object!   

“May I ask what it is that you made?” you ask, directing the question to Zane. “This is so much better than condensed evil! And the only other foods I’ve had have come from the island in one form or another.”   

“I’m sorry, one second, let’s back up…condensed what?” Jay interrupts with a confused glance.   

“Condensed evil. Remember when Garmadon had to stay with us? That black stuff he was eating? That’s what condensed evil is,” Cole explains.   

“Supposedly, it’s low in fat,” Kai adds between bites.   

“I prepared a grilled chicken paired with roast veggies and rolls,” Zane answers. “I hope it is to your liking.”   

“It very much is! It all tastes so divine!”   

“I am glad to hear it,” Zane replies with a smile. “Please help yourself to seconds if you so desire.”   

“Seconds?”   

“And thirds. Fourths and fifths if you want,” Cole adds, happily munching on a vegetable. “Hell, I might even go for sixths tonight.”   

“Seconds is another way of saying another plate of food,” Nya interjects, rolling her eyes at Cole. “And trust me when I say that average people do not eat as much as these idiots do. Hungry teenage guys are one thing, but hungry teenage guys that happen to train as ninjas? It’s a whole lot worse.”   

“Another plate?” you wonder, looking back towards Zane for another answer.   

“Of course. I always prepare enough for everyone to eat their fill. Considering everyone trains heavily, it is vital that everyone eats nutritiously so that we may perform our best.”   

“Wow…” Not only would you be able to savor all of the different foods offered in Ninjago, but you’d also be able to eat as much as you see fit rather than how much your father told you to eat!   

With that in mind, you help yourself to a bit more food, missing how the ninja are glancing at each other.   

Dinner – as you had learned it was called – passed by relatively quickly after that. During the remaining time, the ninja informed you that the fork was not the only utensil utilized for eating: spoons and knives exist too for scooping and cutting purposes! Even wilder, Jay also told you that people even use combinations of utensils too, like sporks! That way, you can both stab and scoop food! It’s simply ingenious!   

Now, you’re following Nya to her room, where you’re to stay for the time being.   

“Well, this is it,” Nya says as she pushes the door to her room open.   

“Whoa…this is all yours?” you ask, taking a step inside her room when she goes in.   

“All mine,” she confirms as she walks behind a giant, foldable screen. You take the opportunity to have a look around. There are containers of varying sizes, weapons, armor, more items you don’t recognize...   

You observe as she slings her gi over the top, emerging in a different outfit soon after.   

“I guess you don’t have any spare clothes on hand,” Nya states. “In that case, you can just borrow some stuff from us. If you want, I’ll scrounge up some stuff we don’t really wear that often before you shower.”   

“What is a shower?”   

“Here, I’ll show you.” Nya gestures for you to follow her, so you do. She leads you out in the hallway, where she opens another nearby door. “This is the bathroom, reserved for the girls only.”   

You nod, listening as she explains the various aspects that make up a functioning bathroom. She shows you how to operate everything too, leaving you baffled at what humanity has created to make everyday living easier. Not only that, but people from Ninjago even have specialized cleaning products that differ for hair and body! You can’t help but stare at the different bottles, listening as Nya explains each one.  

“Hang tight for a second, I’m going to go see if I can find you a change of clothes,” Nya says, stepping out of the bathroom.   

Her absence gives you a moment to yourself. After all that has happened today, it’s a welcome change.  

You set the bottle back on the ledge of the tub, quieting down as you take a deep breath. Are these really going to be your last few days on the island? Even though you’re looking forward to what the future holds, it’s still a huge transformation. You know that it’s going to take some adjusting.  

But what if people find you annoying?  

You swallow nervously, taking a moment to look at your reflection. Nya explained that it was called a mirror. You find that looking at yourself this clearly is off-putting. Sure, you’d seen your reflection a few times before - like in the rippling surface of water, or on a glass shard. But never this clearly. It’s strange.  

You avert your gaze to the floor. What will come of this new lifestyle, though? Will it be for the better? And how would your newfound power affect you in the end – will you prevail, or cave to the darkness?   

Your string of questions is interrupted when the door opens again, revealing Nya bearing a stack of folded clothes.   

“Here you go, these should do for the night. When we get back home, after everything blows over, we can go shopping to get you your own wardrobe and anything else you might need.”   

“Shopping?”   

She chuckles, setting the clothes on the counter. “I’ll explain later. Take your time in here, and if you need me, I’ll be right outside. Just yell at me.”   

You nod. “Thank you, Nya.”   

“Of course.”  

…   

The hot water of the shower reminded you of the hot springs you used to bathe in. Would you always have access to a shower now? You shake off the question as you dry yourself, gaze falling on the set of clothes Nya gave you.    

You reach for the article on top, taking a moment to unfold it. It’s…a thick long sleeve shirt with a hood sewn on it, and it’s green – similar to the shade of Lloyd’s eyes. On the front reads the words:   

green bean  

Underneath the phrase is a picture of a green bean with a cute face. After taking a moment to wonder why it has a face, you shrug it on. It’s much different than what you’re used to, but it’s warm and comfy. Next up come the pants, which are simply black and soft. You feel like you might just fall asleep in such a comfy outfit. How can fabric even be this soft?  

Once you’re finished in the bathroom, you step out, gi in hand as you walk into Nya’s room, setting your gi down on her dresser as she told you to do. Then, you start to wonder what to do next.   

“Settling in well?”   

You jump in surprise, turning to face the source of the voice. Lloyd stands there, still dressed in his gi.   

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he replies as you walk over to him.   

“Oh, it’s okay,” you say, smiling softly.  

He returns the smile, gaze slipping to your shirt. “Hey, you chose my hoodie?”    

“Hood-ie? Is that what this article is called?”   

“Sure is. It…uh, suits you,” he compliments with a nervous chuckle.   

“Really?”   

Lloyd nods in response. “By the way, I meant to ask… Are you doing okay? Today must have been a lot for you, and I know my team can be kind of overwhelming.”  

“I’m feeling better now, but yeah…it’s just going to take me some time to process that…this is my new life.”   

“I know the feeling. It’s not easy, but I think you’ve been doing well.”   

“Really?”   

“I do.”  

“Thank you,” you say.  

“The others will come around soon enough,” Lloyd replies. “Just don’t take anything rude they might say to heart.”  

You shrug in response, fiddling with your fingers as you turn to glance at the wall. “It’s okay. I understand their apprehension.”  

Lloyd sighs, setting a hand on your shoulder. “But I can tell you really want to do good now. Anyways, you should get some rest. My mom might have found a new lead for us to investigate tomorrow, so you should sleep while you can.”  

You nod, realizing that exhaustion had been lured out of hiding by the hot water of the shower. “Are you going to rest too?”  

“Yeah, they’re making me take the night off from watch duty. Again,” he answers irritably as the two of you start in the direction of Nya’s room.  

“Well, make sure you sleep,” you say.  

“I will, I will. I just wish I could help out more. I feel like I’ve just been sitting around...”  

You flop onto the...ah, what had Nya called it? Something with air. Oh! An air mattress! You sit up, facing Lloyd with a soft smile.  

“You haven’t been just sitting around,” you reply. “You’ve been helping out too!”  

Lloyd shakes his head, chuckling as he comes to a realization. “Oh, if you give me a second, I can get you a pillow. And a blanket, too.”  

You yawn as Lloyd goes to retrieve whatever he was talking about. You can’t really remember what he said, because you find a sudden wave of exhaustion overpowering you as your head hits the bare mattress, eyes closing. Before you’re able to ask Lloyd what a pillow is, you fall asleep.  

“Here, these should...” Lloyd quiets down as he spots you already asleep. “Oh.”  

He chuckles, going to drape the fleece Starfarer blanket over your figure before gently setting your head on the pillow. Man, what even were you sleeping on beforehand that made you fall asleep so quickly on an air mattress? Lloyd had to use it a few times in the past, and he always found that he had difficulty falling asleep on it.   

“Goodnight,” he mumbles, turning the lights off before exiting the room.  

…    

“Order up: coconut cream pie, served well done!” Kai yells as he shoots a beam of fire at an airborne coconut.   

You chuckle lightly as the ninja experiment with their newfound powers, deciding to head back to where the others are.  

This morning had been strange. You had awoken with a soft, large, and rectangular piece of fabric covering you, and with a cushion underneath your head. You don’t remember going to sleep with those!  

Nya told you that they were respectively a blanket and a pillow, and had explained their functions to you. You’re honestly shocked that the people of Ninjago are able to pull themselves away from such intoxicating caterers of comfiness every waking morning! It was a challenge to get up with how utterly comfortable and warm you were.  

But it wasn’t all bad. Mostly because Zane had made a fantastic breakfast for everyone. You learned that humans typically ate three times per day – which, once more, you found absolutely awesome – and ate your fill. Then, you went to observe the ninja as they messed with their new blades.  

Yeah, you might have accidentally cut a few trees down with your cool new corruption blade. And maybe you had destroyed a few coconuts that Jay threw at you.  

But it’s fine.  

Your thoughts return to the present after you make your way to where the Bounty rests, spotting Lloyd standing next to Dr. Julien as he tinkers with a mechanical bird. The blond turns to you, smiling at you in silent welcome as you peer over his shoulder.  

“Every cog, every gear is important. If one piece is missing, or out of place, the invention won’t work,” Dr. Julien explains as he closes the falcon’s panel. “Come now, little one. Time to fly.”   

You observe in fascination as the bird takes off, flying over to where the ninja are. “Wow, you made that?”   

“I sure did,” replies the doctor as he sets his tool down, turning to face you and Lloyd.   

“That’s incredible,” you note, watching the falcon flying around in the distance. “It is so lifelike, and yet…you made that with your own hands.”   

Julien chuckles, gingerly putting his tools away. “Thank you, my dear. All it takes is a bit of thought and ingenuity.”   

The sound of a new pair of footsteps catches your attention. Sensei Wu steps down, staff in hand as he studies the three of you. “It is like you ninja. You each serve very important roles and are key parts to a magnificent fighting force.”   

“If we're all gears, what if I'm the gear that doesn't work? What if I don't do my part? What if I can't defeat my father?”  

“You are stronger than you know, Lloyd,” you reassure, setting a hand on his bicep as you catch his stare. “You will prevail, but you have to believe in yourself and those that fight alongside you.”   

Sensei Wu nods in agreement. “What if there are no more ‘what-ifs’? The Final Battle is almost upon us. When that time comes, we will know the answer to ‘what-ifs’ whether we like it or not.”    

“I know you don’t want to face your father, but there is no other choice,” Nya adds.    

“But perhaps there is,” Misako interrupts, carrying a scroll. “I used to think it was inevitable, but then I found this.”    

The sound of oncoming footsteps catches your attention. The ninja trek down the hill, all invested in Misako’s words.     

“You mean Lloyd doesn’t have to fight? This I gotta hear,” Cole comments.    

“The scrolls say that when the Helmet of Darkness is bequeathed to its rightful ruler, the Celestial Clock will count down to the activation of an unspeakable weapon - the first sign that the Final Battle between good and evil has begun.”    

“Did you just say ‘unspeakable weapon’?” Kai questions as you bite your lip.    

“Uh… I’m still stuck on what ‘bequeathed’ means.”    

“I think you’re right,” you say, swallowing when everyone’s eyes land on you. “I’ve seen the Celestial Clock, and I was there when Garmadon took the helmet. It rested on a little button, I think, and now knowing what you just told me…that is definitely a possibility.”    

“So, the helmet was on a pressure plate or something?” Nya questions. “Well, it’s worth a shot.”    

While you listen to their discussion about stopping the Final Battle, part of you starts wondering if this is really the right thing to do. Isn’t it Lloyd’s destiny to stop Garmadon and the Overlord? Why would they inhibit that? You understand that he and Garmadon are related, but Lloyd’s light has the potential to purify. He is destined to win, after all, even if the battle seems to be outmatched.    

“But if you succeed in putting it back, then what’s stopping any of the foes from simply taking it again?” you interrupt with a frown. “Even if the helmet does stop the clock, that does not sound like a doable permanent solution. I thought destiny designated Lloyd to vanquish my father from this land, not from delaying the Final Battle.”    

“You raise a good point,” Sensei Wu agrees. “And while we are not considering it as a permanent answer, we could use the additional time.”  

“Bequeathed, anyone? Is anybody gonna help me out with that?”   

“Uh, that sounds great and all, and I know we have our new powers, but you expect us to get past his whole army of Stone Warriors and pluck the helmet off his head?” Kai points out.    

“My brother’s right. They’re good, but they’re not that good.”    

Misako looks up from her scroll, expression hardening in resolve as she straightens her posture. “I know. And that is why I am going to do it. I'll just need a little help.”    

The ninja nod, going to listen to her plan. Lloyd tries to join them, but is stopped when Wu sets a hand on his shoulder.    

“I’m sorry, Lloyd. This mission isn’t for you.”    

“But I’m all powered up. I can help!”    

“We mustn’t let you and your father come face to face yet. We’re trying to prevent the Final Battle, not welcome it.”  

“Yes, Sensei,” Lloyd relents, averting his gaze as he sighs.  

“I should remain as well,” you note. “My father will be able to sense when I am near.”  

“The two of you need to save your strength,” Misako notes, the four ninja behind her as they suit up.  

“If you all are planning on disguising yourselves, I would recommend approaching their camp from the southern end. There is a small patrol unit that passes through the area, but there’s plenty of cover available so that you can stage an ambush on them and take their armor,” you advise, folding your arms as you watch them nod.  

“Got it. Thanks,” Cole says. “Are we ready, guys?”  

“I think so,” Kai replies before shooting a pointed glare at you. You shrink back, fidgeting as you look away. “Don’t let your guard down, Lloyd.”  

“Enough, Kai,” Wu states. “You all should get going.”  

“Come on, boys,” Misako chides as they begin hiking through the woods, the sounds of their chattering fading when they are far enough.  

“Ignore him,” Lloyd advises, turning towards you. “He can be a jerk sometimes.”  

“No, it is understandable why he would be wary of me,” you mumble, suddenly wondering if your bloodline would cause many others concern as well. Would that scare people away from you?  

“He will come around eventually. They all will,” Wu notes, stroking his beard softly. “Nya, you’ll be helping with the repairs for the Bounty. You two need to reserve your strength. We will notify you when the ninja have retrieved the helmet.”  

“I have the Earth Driller on standby,” Nya states. “Although, we may not have enough room for everyone.”  

“I can go on foot if needed,” you reply, waving her concerns off. “I know this island well.”  

“That makes sense. I feel like you’d know it by the back of your hand by now!” Lloyd states, tone lighthearted. Even so, you’re not entirely sure what the joke is. You frown, making a face as you inspect the back of your hand confusedly.  

Wu chuckles softly as he turns towards Dr. Julien, Nya giggling at you as well.  

“What is so funny?” you wonder, turning towards Lloyd for help.  

“It’s a...uh, an expression,” he notes, seemingly fumbling for words.  

“We have expressed many things,” you argue, still lost.  

“Well, you know...like, you see the back of your hand so much that you’d probably know it by heart, now, right? Just like how you’ve been here and probably know the ins and outs of this place.”  

“Oh! I see! So, you’re comparing my knowledge of this island to how well I know the back of my hand!”  

“Exactly,” Lloyd replies.  

“I get it!” you cheer.  

“And that’s only the beginning of what you’ll learn,” Wu says, offering you a small smile.  

“I can’t wait!” you say.   

 “Anyway, we’ll have the Earth Driller ready for whenever they get the helmet,” Nya states. “So, if you two want to hang out inside, you can tell us when the falcon’s signal comes through on the monitor. We at least have that fixed.”  

“Sure thing,” Lloyd replies before grabbing your hand. “Come on!”  

“What? Where are we going?”  

“I’m going to show you something,” Lloyd adds.  

You perk up slightly, curiosity eating away at you as he guides you through the ship. Eventually, the two of you stop at a room you’ve not been in yet. “What is this room?”   

“It’s our living room. This is where we relax and take breaks,” he answers, sitting down on the couch. You look around at all the strange objects scattered about the area, wondering what their functions are. “Hey, since we have to lay low until we hear back from the falcon, wanna watch a movie?”   

“Really?!”  

“Yeah! Though, I’ll have to make us some popcorn and hot chocolate. This is your first movie so we’ve gotta do it right.”  

Your mind races with questions, wondering what he’s talking about as you follow him to the kitchen. He opens a cabinet, pulling out an object.  

“See this? This is a bag of popcorn. This clear stuff surrounding the bag is just plastic wrap. That’s so the bag is sealed until use.”  

You nod, studying him intently as you take in every detail that you can. Lloyd then tears the plastic off, throwing it away. “Now, this is how we make popcorn. You make sure it’s on the right side – you’ll know it’s on the right side because it’s labelled. Then, you just plop it in the microwave for about two, three minutes. Depends on what brand it is.” He places the bag in the microwave. “Wanna push the buttons?”   

“Yes, please!” you reply, stepping in front of the blond. “Two minutes?”   

“Yep.”  

You study the buttons on the machine, finger going to press down on what you hope to be the correct ones. “Like that?”   

“Good, now push the one that has the little sideways triangle on it.”   

You oblige, grinning when the device lights up and makes the popcorn inside start spinning. “Whoa!”   

“That’s not even the best part,” Lloyd adds as he looks down at you. “Listen for a few seconds.”   

You fall quiet, expression fading as you hold Lloyd’s expectant gaze, studying his vibrant green eyes. You’re about to ask him what you should be listening for, when suddenly…   

Pop!   

You gasp, whirling to face the microwave. “It popped!”  

“Yeah!”   

“Wait…so that’s why it’s called popcorn?!” you ask, watching as the bag starts to inflate as the popping sound intensifies. You can’t help but giggle at the sound. “That’s so funny!”  

“Yeah, that’s why,” he says, chuckling. “Hey, while that’s running, I’ll show you how to make hot chocolate.”  

“Okay!”  

“All we have is powdered hot chocolate. It’ll do in a pinch, but personally, I think my mom’s hot chocolate is the best.”  

“How does your mom make it?”  

“She uses real chocolate, and sometimes flavoring too – like peppermint or gingerbread. But I don’t think we have any actual chocolate on hand right now. We always keep instant packets stocked, though.”  

“I see,” you reply with a nod. Maybe you would be able to try Misako’s hot chocolate too one day!  

“So, all we have to do for these is warm up the milk. The milk is in here, the fridge. This just keeps stuff cold.” He pulls something out from the fridge, setting the object on the counter. “By the way, we call these milk gallons. Or jugs. Either works.”  

You nod, observing him as you make mental notes of what he’s saying. “Jay made us our own milk warmer. I just measure out the milk in the mugs before I pour it in so I make just enough but don’t waste any.”  

“Got it!”  

“So after it’s measured, we pour it in, and then...we press this button right here,” Lloyd states, pushing a small button located on the front of the warmer. “And we just wait until it’s done.”  

“And then you have hot milk?”  

“Yep! And now, I just prepare the mugs by dumping the powder in.”  

You peer into the mug, watching as Lloyd dumps all of the powder in. You notice tiny white squares present. “What are those white things?”  

“Marshmallows,” he notes. “They’re soft, fluffy, and sweet.”  

“Oh...” you mumble. “Interesting.”  

Then, a shrill beep startles you, causing you to jump slightly as you glance around.  

“Relax, it’s just the microwave,” Lloyd replies. “That means that it’s done.”  

“Oh,” you mumble, watching as Lloyd transfers the popcorn from the bag to a big bowl. Then, the milk warming machine beeps.  

“Now, we mix this with the powder,” Lloyd says, doing just that.  

“It smells fantastic,” you note, spotting the little marshmallows rising to the top. “The popcorn too!”  

“I know, right? Nothing beats this combo for a movie. Well, maybe adding other snacks too. But this will do for now.” He picks up the mugs. “I’ll get these if you’ll bring the bowl.”   

You nod, carrying the bowl as the two of you head back to the living room. “Hey, Lloyd?”   

“What’s up?” he answers as he sets the mugs on the small table in front of the couch.    

“Do I…ask too many questions?”   

“Of course you don’t,” he replies as he sits down. “There’s no such thing as too many questions in my books anyway.”   

“Really?”   

“Really. You have a right to learn about the world around you – everyone does. So...we’ll do our best to teach you.”   

You grin, sitting down next to him. “Thank you.”   

“No problem. Now, since it’s your first movie, you get to pick which one we watch…”   

“Oh, stars...” you trail off, feeling somewhat overwhelmed as Lloyd gestures to the massive stack of cases that they have. “How am I supposed to pick?!”  

“Which one looks interesting to you?”  

You survey the mass of discs, asking about the varying titles before selecting one and sitting back. The popcorn bowl is situated on Lloyd’s left thigh, which is pressed lightly against your right thigh. Lloyd answers all of the questions you ask about the movie’s story and characters too.  

While you do, you savor the new treats you’ve been given. The hot chocolate warms you up in a way that you’ve never felt before, chocolate blending together with the fluffy marshmallows to create a brand-new flavor experience. Paired with the contrasting saltiness of the popcorn, the combination only amplifies your thirst to learn more about what else Ninjago has to offer.  

While watching the movie and snacking on popcorn and hot cocoa, you realize just how foreign this is to you. Watching moving pictures while snacking on treats with the Green Ninja? You shudder upon realizing what your father would do should you fall into his hands again.  

“Hey, what’s wrong?”  

You blink, finding that pictures on the screen have frozen as Lloyd turns to you slowly, emerald eyes seeping with concern. “What?”  

“You’re crying,” he states. “Why?”  

“I...” you brush your cheek with your fingers, feeling the wetness that lingers on them as embarrassment courses through you. You’ve really ruined the moment now, haven’t you? “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. Please, continue.”  

“No, you’re upset!” he says. “What is it?”  

You stare at Lloyd for a few moments, finding yourself somewhat bewildered. Your father would have punished you for showing this kind of weakness. Yet, here Lloyd is, gently asking you why you’re upset. Being concerned about what could have caused your tears rather than shaming you for allowing them to flow in the first place.  

Lloyd says your name softly, taking one of your hands in his. “Hey...if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I mean...after all, we haven’t even known each other that long. But I just want you to know that you can talk to me if you want to. If there’s anything that’s upsetting you, or anything I said...just let me know.”  

Father told you that no one would care about your feelings – that ultimately, they are worthless and should not be paid any attention. And yet...here is Lloyd, encouraging you to explain why you’re upset.  

In other words, you’ve only been with the ninja for less than two whole days and yet you already feel more comfortable around them.  

“I’m sorry, it’s just...” you glance away from him, suddenly finding his stare too intense for you to handle. “It just occurred to me that my father will likely kill me if I’m ever to return.”  

“We’re not going to let that happen,” he replies, voice low. “You’re with us now. We’re gonna defeat him.”  

“My father cannot be defeated. Not permanently, anyway. Even if you do succeed here, he will find a way to return. He will kill me. He will escape and find a new champion. And he will not rest until Ninjago is his.”  

“No. You can’t think like that,” Lloyd states. “We’re going to win. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to win. And then, we can show you all kinds of stuff!”  

“I hope so,” you mumble.  

“Besides,” Lloyd chuckles. “I find it comforting that I’m not the only one who’s going to be fighting their evil dad.”  

For some reason, that makes you laugh. Lloyd laughs with you, setting the bowl of popcorn to the side as he takes one of your hands in his.  

“But...seriously. We’re gonna get you off of this island, and we’ll show you what life really has to offer.”  

“I can’t wait,” you mumble, grinning happily as you take another sip of your hot cocoa. “Thank you, Lloyd.”  

“Of course,” he replies, leaning back as he returns the popcorn bucket back to its spot.  

Lloyd is right. Your father’s reign of terror will come to an end soon, and he will no longer hold any control over you. Freedom is well within your grasp, even though it’s going to take one last push to gain it.  

With that thought in mind, you find yourself relaxing once more, finishing the movie with Lloyd as the two of you wait for the signal.

[p0isonedapple-fanfic]

“Just don’t brush your hair with a fork and you’ll fit right in.”

Eric laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I really like your dinglehopper hair comb, actually.”

✨

Title: “Where the Sky Meets the Sea” Author: P0isonedApple Art: Copilot (A.I.) Rating: M Pairing: Aladdin/Ariel (Disney)

Set sail with Ariel and Prince Eric to Agrabah. Trapped in a whirlpool of royal expectations and dreams of unexplored horizons, Ariel’s heart is a tempest. Her love for Eric is deep, yet adventure calls her name, stirring a guilt-edged yearning for the unknown that comes to a head when she meets Aladdin, the rogue prince with a free spirit whose untamed essence mirrors her own.

Torn between the safe harbor of marriage and the wild seas of adventure, Ariel’s journey is a dance on the edge of duty and desire. Her selfish streak, a silent undertow, complicates the voyage, pushing her to choose: Will she anchor in the bay of tradition, or will she sail the endless seas of her heart’s true calling?

Follow the story on A03 and check out more images on Pinterest!

[killuaisaprincess]

part of your world

The loss of his voice isn’t a downside…

It’s a weapon in disguise. A good one. No one ever likes it when he speaks. Not his mind, not anything. The trade of his voice for freedom… the joy of a pair of human legs, something he always has wanted…

Easy choice.

Everything is so warm… and comforting. He keeps touching the fabric of his blue dress, again and again, giggling, although not a sound reaches the world, twirling around. It’s so soft, and not… wet and cold… and it’s cute… and it makes his heart soar, and- he feels confident almost… sort of cute…

He looks over himself in the mirror again, a wide smile on his face, as he plays with the large blue bow intermingled with his soft locks of wispy silver. He tugs it a few times, a slight pain shooting down his skull, but the tingles of joy outlast it.

He looks down and over at Gotoh, trying to communicate with his purple crab friend, spinning around.

Gotoh taps around the dresser, clearing his throat.

“You look quite stunning, Master Killua.”

Killua beams, picking him up and giving him a quick peck on the cheek, rushing out the door.

✼••┈┈┈┈••✼🐚✼••┈┈┈┈••✼

“How’s it going? Is it going well?”

Zushi splashes up and down in the water, trying to get a glimpse of his friend.

“It’s going well, I believe.”

Gotoh feared the worse, but… seeing Killua so happy…

“I have never seen Master Killua so happy before.”

They must find a way to make it last.

✼••┈┈┈┈••✼🐚✼••┈┈┈┈••✼

Not having a voice is a good thing. No one likes when he speaks… they might hate him if he does anyway… and Killua’s liked…

Liked spending time with Gon…

Gon took him in so quickly, literally sweeping him off his feet from a big ball of black… what’s the word? Fuzz?

Gon introduced it as Kon… and it seemed friendly…

Everyone seemed friendly… Mito, who helped dress him… Leorio, who seemed so keen on Gon getting married…

Gon was so warm, like the sun… his smile made him feel all safe, and… his arms were so powerful and comforting and-

If Killua had a voice, he would sigh…

“You look cute!”

Killua’s face goes red. His skin gets all clammy and hot, and he equates the feeling to a flickering flame…

He plays with the edges of his hair, wishing he had a dinglehopper, shaking his head furiously.

Gon laughs and holds his hand out for Killua to take.

Killua takes it, bathing in the warmth of it, still blushing, as Gon guides him along the path.

✼••┈┈┈┈••✼🐚✼••┈┈┈┈••✼

Killua can’t wipe the smile off his face; there’s so much human stuff here! He eagerly runs around pointing out things to Gon, who likely has seen them every day of his life, but Killua can’t help it.

He almost falls into one of the merchant's displays, and Gon wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him back gently, and Killua turns around and looks up, puffing out his cheeks, pointing to the whole set of dinglehoppers.

Gon grins and removes his arm slowly, still lingering near Killua as he smiles dashingly at the merchant.

“I will take one set, please.”

Killua’s eyes go wide, and he grabs Gon’s arm in excitement, giddily hopping.

“Leorio won’t be happy with me, but…”

He takes the box from the man gently, going to put it in their wagon, climbing up the steps with ease, and offering Killua a hand to take, who readily takes it, stepping up and then jumping.

“Woah. Easy!”

Killua lands in Gon’s chest; feeling those weighted arms around his waist, breathing heavily, his heart skipping a beat, a pretty pink painting over his cheeks, as he looks up, lips parted and big blue eyes wide.

Gon’s cheeks flush, and he grins sheepishly, slowly dropping his arms to his side, taking Killua’s forearm gently and helping him sit down.

“You sure like forks, huh?”

Killua still feels warm, and he nods, not really getting what forks are.

“I’m the same!”

Killua looks over inquisitively as Gon pulls out a smaller box from the back of the wagon, brushing the wood off, and opening the small golden hatch.

Killua stares at the hooks, blinking.

“They’re fishing hooks; I like to collect them, even though I don’t fish.”

He takes one out and places it in Killua’s hand. It’s cold, familiar… and almost terrifying but oddly beautiful. Killua runs his finger over it stopping at the end and touching the sharp edge.

Pain.

It’s sharp and stinging, and Killua flinches, almost dropping it, panic flitting across his face. He doesn’t want to drop something precious to Gon.

“Careful!”

Gon’s voice is gentle, and he takes the hook from Killua rubbing the edge with his shirt, and putting it back, all but throwing the box to the side.

Confusing… Killua thought it meant a lot to Gon…

Gon takes his hand carefully and examines his finger, sighing in relief.

“You’ll be okay. I’ll wrap it up when we get back, okay? I just have one more place to go…”

✼••┈┈┈┈••✼🐚✼••┈┈┈┈••✼

It’s amazing. Killua had never looked at the water from this angle before, although Gon called it a “pond,” whatever that meant…

He sits on the edge of the cobblestone stairs, smiling peacefully, looking back at Gon, who is staring at something that looks like an instrument, making Killua’s face fall.

He’s doing it again… Killua presses his fingers up to his throat, swallowing back tears.

Hanging out with Gon… Killua isn’t sure he can do it anymore. Force Gon to love him.

He wants Gon to be happy… if Gon isn’t happy with him… then…

Forget it. Even though… he wants to be a human. He loves it. Not… not…

Gon has this dreamy look once in a while, like he’s looking for someone else…

He can’t stop the warm tears that start to plop onto his cheeks. He can hear Gon gasp and feel him tense up when their shoulders brush together as he sits down.

“What’s wrong?”

Killua shakes his head, an unheard sob stuck in his throat, and he wipes tears away, looking over with a fake grin, a silent laugh leaving his lips.

He doesn’t want to lose this…

Gon’s eyes are so filled with distress, and Killua tries to will the tears away, looking out at the water, blinking back the burning, stinging sensation.

“It’s okay. Hey…”

Gon’s voice is gentle as he shimmies closer, pressing his fingers carefully against Killua’s shoulder blade.

Warm. It only makes him cry harder, an endless wave.

“Hey… here, hold your hands out.”

Gon gently takes his hands, and Killua’s breath hitches as silent as his sobs. Gon’s hands are much larger than his and warmer, and feel stronger… the rough surface and the lines and small bumps, blisters, calluses…

Gon pushes his hands out, and Killua stares wide-eyed and dumbfounded, little sparkling lights of fireflies dancing on the water.

One comes close to his hand and lands in his palm, and Gon gently clasps his hands together so he is holding it, the small refractors of light shining through.

“It’s pretty, right?”

Killua looks at it, tears slipping past his cheeks, nodding.

“Just like you.”

He gaps air leaving his lungs and his mouth falling open like the sound would reach the air, his ears burning, and his chest swelling.

Gon brushes his thumb against his cheek, wiping away a tear.

“So please don’t cry… uhh…”

Killua looks over and slowly lets the firefly go, gently poking Gon’s hand.

Gon gives him his full attention smiling softly.

“Yeah?”

Killua traces the letter K.

“K? Ohhh! I get it! Uhh, let’s seeee… Kevin…?”

Killua furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head in disgust.

I.

“Uhh, Kit?”

No…

Killua freezes, looking away; Gon stops guessing and pauses.

“What’s wrong?”

Killua shakes his head. He doesn’t like his name. His stomach drops, and he wishes he had never even started this dumb game.

Gon gently takes his hand like he’s a princess, and Killua peeks through his bangs.

“Hey. I’m sure your name is beautiful, just like you.”

Killua shakes his head and uses his other hand to trace the other letters furiously.

K. I. L. L. U. A.

“Killua?”

Killua turns away, visibly sighing, his shoulders dropping and head lowering.

“That is a pretty name!”

Huh…?

Liar!

Killua doesn’t believe him! B-but he sounds so genuine… he looks over shyly, playing with his hair.

Gon just smiles like he’s the whole world, genuinely.

“It’s pretty like you.”

The hair on Killua’s neck stands on end, his whole frame taut and blood rushing to his face, as he screams since it won’t reach anyone and buries his face in Gon’s chest, grabbing his arm.

Gon chuckles lightly, and it’s like the sound of bells in the air, and Killua shifts, smiling.

Just for now… he can enjoy this.

[freddiefredfive]

A Part of Your World

Chapter 4: Poor Unfortunate Soul

Bradford waited for Triton right where he left them, crossing his arms and flipping his tail impatiently. He stoically caught a glimpse of a group of baby sea turtles that swam past him, but was too wrapped up in his anger to really take notice. Sebastian anxious and he turned to Bradford.

(Artwork by @gmache)

“It's almost sunset,” Sebastian stated anxiously, “I hope he’s alright…”

“This is ridiculous” Bradford said, “How dare he bring an entire army to the surface without utilizing them?! Triton doesn’t know what he’s doing. We’re going up there!”

Bradford turned to his army and yelled out, “ATTENTION! King Triton has not yet returned. We will go to the surface and fight those disgusting humans ourselves!”

The army prepared their weapons and assumed position for attack. However, just before Bradford made the signal to go forward, Triton returned to the group as fast as he could swim back to them.

“STOP!” Triton cried, “I’m alright!”

“Oh thank Neptune!” Sebastian cried as he swam up to Triton, “What happened?! What did you see?”

“I saw the humans,” Triton replied, “I saw one of them using this large contraption to pour things like the dinglehopper and that round thing that scratched me straight into the ocean. It was terrible… I was ready to turn back and bring the whole army up to make them stop. However, I saw this one… absolutely lovely human that seemed so different from the rest. She was helping these young sea turtles and her hair was shimmering as if the sun had kissed her. She had eyes that were as colorful as the scales of a parrotfish. She was so caring for those who were under the ocean. I initially couldn’t believe that any human was capable of empathy like the kind she showed. Even after all these years since Athena was…”

“So they WERE dumping their trash in our domain?” Bradford asked, cutting off Triton.

“Yes,” Triton sighed, “But that one kind human could be their only hope! I must find her.”

“Triton, think rationally!” Sebastian laughed, only to stop suddenly when he saw Bradford stare him down in disgust, “…You know that we merpeople are only capable to last only a consecutive hour above the water.”

“Sebastian, Bradford… please just listen,” Triton begged, “I need to see that human again. I’ve never seen one just like her. Maybe I have been thinking about humans all wrong. Yes, there are some terrible ones out there but if there are more good ones like her, then maybe we can come to a compromise someday.”

Bradford's disinterest in this conversation suddenly turned into him reading into every word Triton said. Perhaps Triton’s sudden interest in a human could be the perfect way he can finally be brought to his knees.

“Sebastian, Triton might be onto something…” Bradford finally spoke up, “There must be some spell you can use to make him human so he can travel above the ocean.”

Sebastian was quite hesitant. Bradford rarely agreed with Triton on anything so this sudden change of heart was… suspicious. He wanted to warn Triton that this may be a trap, but he was afraid of any repercussions from Bradford.

“Well— Uhm… You see I don’t know if this is a good idea…” Sebastian stuttered, only to be cut off once again by Bradford.

“Sebastian! Do not talk back to our King!” Bradford shouted, “You have been quite the nay-sayer today.”

“Bradford, leave him alone,” Triton growled, “He’s the Master Sorcerer. Therefore, his opinion is valuable. Sebastian, are you sure there is no safe way for me to travel into the human world?”

Sebastian saw the desperate look in Triton’s eyes. He knew one spell that may be too dangerous for him but… the way he was talking about a human made it sound like he was in love. Something he was hoping his friend would finally find again. Who was Sebastian to stand in the way of Triton’s happiness, after all the times he protected him from Bradford?

“Yes,” Sebastian sighed in defeat, “There is one spell I know… We need to return to my quarters first.”

Triton gathered Sebastian in his arms and hugged him so tightly that almost his friend’s scales pop off.

“Thank you dear friend!” Triton beamed, “Let us return at once!”

With a wicked grin on his face, Bradford happily ordered the entire army to promptly return to Antlantis. No one in the army was allowed to know why they were returning. Mentioning this event to anyone outside of the army was strictly forbidden until further notice, by order of King Triton.

After Triton returned home, he eagerly swam straight to his girls’ room. Not knowing how or if he would ever return to Antlantis again after taking this leap, he took his time holding and talking with each girl… almost like he did in the early morning. Triton wasn’t sure how to explain to his daughters that he was planning to travel to the human world, but he knew that he had to say something.

“My girls… I know I just returned but soon I must go out again on another journey,” Triton said somberly, “I dread leaving you but I truly must go on this.”

“Did you find where the dingehopper came from?” Ariel asked.

“The… what?” Aquata asked.

“I… I did.” Triton replied, unsure if he should explain this situation to his notoriously curious daughter. If he was too specific, Ariel would probably try to go to the human world again. While he had newfound faith in humans, Triton still knew what horrors they were capable of.

“What was their world like?” Ariel asked.

“Uh… well, I only saw a small portion of it,” Triton continued, “I hate to tell you this, Ariel, but while The dinglehopper may be used for hair, I saw many of them being discarded into our waters. Darlings, some of these humans are polluting our waters. However I found one human that could be different. She was beautiful and kind. I never saw anyone like her. I have to see her to…”

“Oooh! Father has a crush!” Attina giggled, followed by her other sisters.

“What? No, this will be a strictly cordial meeting.” Triton defended himself.

“Father, don’t be so defensive!” Aquata cried, “We know that losing Mother was the hardest thing.”

“We’re happy for you!” Andrina added.

“Please don’t think I’m trying to replace her.” Triton said somberly.

“Father, it’s alright if that’s how you’re feeling about her,” Ariel comforted him by holding his hands, “I think mother would want you to be happy…”

Triton smiled and nodded, “I’m starting to think so too… Come here, girls.”

All the girls came together to hug their father as tightly as they could, giving Triton encouragement to pursue the human woman. Even if they weren’t sure how it was going to work out between them, their main concern was their father’s happiness. Triton and Athena certainly raised their girls to be empathetic and compassionate, making them the best supporters Triton didn’t know he needed up until now.

“Alright… A couple of starfish fins, some crushed up turtle shells, and a pinch of sand salt…” Sebastian said aloud as he started to make the potion for Triton.

He was down in his chambers, mixing the ingredients you need in a large caldron, when Triton and Bradford finally entered the room. Bradford had a bit of pep in his tail as he swam over to where the cauldron was. Triton just assumed it was because Bradford was looking forward to seeing what discoveries his brother would make but he’d soon learn that wasn’t the case.

“How much longer?” Bradford asked, looming over Sebastian.

“J-just a few more minutes,” Sebastian said, trembling over his words.

“Patience, brother!” Triton cried, “We don’t want this spell to go awry.”

“Yes, of course, we don’t…” Bradford retorted under his breath, “We must protect our precious king…”

As Sebastian gave a few more big stirs in the pot, Bradford looked around the room and saw that Sebastian’s spell book was wide open. He observed the book and read the spell to himself.

Transformation Spell

Ingredients: 3 1/4 shellfuls of jellyfish jelly, 2 seaspoons of seacow milk, 10 starfish fins, 2 shellfuls of crushed turtle shells, half a seaspoon of sand salt

Recite: Trade fins for legs and gills for lungs, a human for a month I will become!

Bradford then read the warning labels at the bottom of the page in small red letters.

“Warning: The participant needs to find someone who confesses their truest love for them… or else they will dissolve into seafoam for all eternity.”

Bradford smiled mischievously at the thought of his brother being reduced to seafoam. The disclaimer was so small, so unnoticeable. He almost missed it himself if he didn’t read it as carefully as he did.

“Surely, no one would mind if I just… discard this…” Bradford thought to himself as he quietly ripped the disclaimer out of the book, crumpled it up, and stuffed it in the back of the bookshelf next to him.

Sebastian nodded in approval once he felt ready to start the spell. He took a ladle and poured mixture into a cup and held it out to Triton.

“Do be careful out there, your highness,” Sebastian warned, “You’re stepping into a whole new way of living that you’re not accustomed to.”

“I understand, Sebastian,” Triton nodded in agreement, “I’ll do my best to blend in with the humans.”

He looked down at the strange concoction that was a swirling mixture of green and purple. It made him begin to feel uneasy at the sight, knowing that he was putting something as dangerous as magic into his body.

“Are you sure that this spell doesn’t come with any repercussions?” Triton asked.

Bradford knew that he had to stop Sebastian from telling Triton the truth about the spell, so he decided to cause an aversion.

“Well… there is a catch—” Sebastian began as he placed the concoction on the table beside him.

He soon was startled by Bradford screaming, “DEAR NEPTUNE, SEBASTIAN. WHAT’S THAT?!”

Triton and Sebastian turn their heads to where Bradford was pointing, making Sebastian‘s glasses fly off his face. While they weren’t looking, Bradford covered the ripped edge of the page with another book.

“Oh…” Bradford chuckled, “It’s only a picture of your mother, Sebastian. I apologize…”

Sebastian tried to look at Bradford with annoyance but since he couldn’t see without his glasses, he couldn’t tell where Bradford was. He swam to the floor, searching for his glasses.

“Ugh, it’s alright…” He sighed, “Triton, if you want to look at the spell, the book is already open on the right page.”

Triton nodded and swam to the book, telling Bradford, “Brother, I understand you’re nervous but please don’t scare us like that.”

“My apologies, brother,” Bradford replied, smiling wickedly once Triton passed him.

Triton read the spell, failing to notice the ripped edge. Once he realized that the spell lasted a month, he was utterly shocked. A month as a human? A day or two is easy but a whole month of dealing with these potentially harmful creatures, besides the female human he saw, made him as scared as a child again. Memories of losing Athena rushed through him again and he almost considered backing out.

“Are you sure there’s no way we can shorten this spell?” Triton gulped, “I’d be away for a whole month…”

“Sadly no,” Sebastian replied, still looking for his glasses, “But if you really want to see this human, you should take your time with it.”

“Absolutely,” Bradford agreed, playing the part of the ‘supportive’ brother. “Antlantis wasn’t built in a day. You’re… brave and very strong willed. I can assure you that you’ll be fine. This opportunity to meet her may not come again and you’ll live to regret it.”

Triton took a deep breath, letting Bradford’s words calm him. He turned his brother with a kind smile and put his hands on his shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug. Not being the warm and friendly type, Bradford stiffened at the hug.

“Thank you, dear Bradford,” Triton sighed, “I can’t back out now… not when I feel the way I do about her. You know that in my absence, you must take over as king.”

“Oh really?” Bradford asked, pretending to be clueless, “I almost forgot…”

“I trust you, brother, but you and I both know that being king is a huge responsibility,” Triton continued, “With each decision you make, you must regard every citizen. From the tiniest of planktons to the largest of whales. Heavy is the head who wears the crown…”

(Artwork by @gmache)

“Oh trust me, brother, Antlantis is in safe hands…” Bradford smirked as he began to sing:

( https://youtu.be/jAcrYDjTmrQ )

“I admit that in the past I've been quite nasty

I’m not kidding when I say I’m not a saint.

But you'll know that when I’m king, I'll be mending all my ways, repent, see the light, and make a switch to this.

True? Yes.

And I fortunately we’ve got a little magic

It's a talent that dear Sebastian has possessed.

And dear brother, please do know, I’ll use it on behalf of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed (pathetic) poor unfortunate souls! In pain, in need.

They want the taxes to be lower. They want their rights to be more equal. And do I help them?

Ugh, I suppose…

Those poor unfortunate souls! So sad, but true!

They’ll come flocking to my throne, crying, ‘King Bradford, help us, please!’ and I will help them?

I suppose…

Now it's happened once or twice

You and I have disagreed

And I’ve expressed that you’ve really lost your mind!

Yes, siblings will always fight, but on the whole, you’ve been a saint to those poor unfortunate souls!”

Bradford returned the hug to Triton, initiating a hug for the first time in a while. Triton was ultimately shocked but took this as a sign of love from his brother. He held his brother tightly for a minute, unsure if he’d actually see him again. After letting go of the hug, Triton picked up the concoction, ready to drink it.

“Sebastian, thank you so much for this opportunity,” Triton called out, “I promise that you and Bradford will keep Antlantis safe in my absence.”

“WAIT, WHAT?!” Sebastian cried finally got a hold of his glasses and tried to put them on his face as quickly as he could, “Wait! Wait! You don’t know—!”

“Trade fins for legs and gills for lungs, a human for a month I will become!” Triton recited, then finally gulped down the concoction in one swift motion. Soon, he noticed that the scales of his tail began to glow with a strange white light. He soon started to levitate up through an open window, closing his eyes as the potion's magic began to course through his entire body violently.

Sebastian watched in horror as he saw his new king, Bradford laughed wickedly and sing:

“You really think that girl up there will be your lover? Your predictability is really such a bore!

These humans don’t care for us, they’ll find us and kill each one of us. Antlantis will see you as a traitor and turn to me!

Come on! First, you hate them first and now you love them.

You don’t know how to see these fools but you’ll dote and swoon and fawn on a lady who'll withdraw.

When my army gets to them, we’ll rule the world!

Come on you poor unfortunate soul! Go ahead! Find this ‘love’!

King Bradford’s here to stay and it’s time for me to shine.

Lover-boy Triton is out and I AM IN!

You poor unfortunate soul! So sad but true!

If you want to find romance, go then, and let the REAL king rule!

Take a gulp and take a breath, and watch your fall become my rise!

Sebastian, you coward, you listen to me now!

The boss is on a roll!

Triton, the poor unfortunate soul!”

Soon, everything in the room and outside the window went white. No one truly could tell what was going on, not even Sebastian, since he had studied this spell but never used it in real life. Before Sebastian and Bradford knew it, Triton was gone.

To be continued…

[deesfanfictionkin]

CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

NAME: Mari

ALIAS: Ambassadoress

PRONOUNS: She/Her

NATURAL ABILITY: Mari was born with the ability to discern a person's true nature and desires.

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES: Through the story, Mari gains an additional ability that allows her to manipulate the emotions of anyone she can sense, within a one mile radius, though it comes at the cost of leaving her feeling hollow and empty, lazy and pessimistic, until the following sunrise.

REGION: Wedergebore

FACTION: The Hadia

FACECLAIM: Chiyuki from Death Parade

BIOGRAPHY

Mari was born in Wedergebore and has always been under the influence and protection of The Hadia. Trained from a young age as a diplomat for The Hadia, she lives with the Cavallone family, where she is the loyal companion of the young boss of the Cavallone.

Mari wants nothing more than a quiet, peaceful life, for herself and all those around her. She craves a life where everyone she loves is safe and sound. Though she comes across as alluring, mysterious, serious, and quiet, this woman has an incredibly kind, sweet soul and a huge heart that embraces everyone. Once you know her, she has this incredibly fun, playful side and her smile disarms all but the most hard-hearted.

However, with war becoming more and more of a surety, and the Hadia pushing for it more and more, she knows that it won't all be that easy. So, she works for it, under the orders of the new Head of The Hadia, working in secret with Dino or Romario traveling with her as protection as she quietly slips through the different regions. She plays diplomat, trying to foster peace and broker alliances wherever she can.

INSPIRED BY: @dinglehopper-stuck-in-my-hair is the inspiration for this one! Chiwa is such a huge foundation of my life in the KHR fandom, such a incredibly force behind the reason I still write and create for the fandom to this day. If it wasn't for all the amazing memories that her, and Martha, helped me create in the fandom, I probably would have stopped writing for my imagines blog, or creating for this fandom, when the worst of the fandom wank happened in it!

[lv-iceprince]

@moorraven

hi hi hi!

i wanted to keep this little message short and sweet because this is such a cute ship and i want you to really soak it in. but first things first, sorry for the delay and thank you so much for requesting it was such a pleasure and i just really had a good time doing this. so without further adieu here's your ship!

~ateez~ yeosang

In the time that Kang Yeosang has been Yeosanging he has come to realise two things:

1. He can never truly shake Wooyoung

and

2. He has game?  Despite his disbelief in the latter, he can’t deny the fact that he is charming enough to encourage you to give him a go.

Immediately after meeting Yeosang you saw a flicker of a twin flame, at least that’s what you thought you saw. All that really stood out at the time was the fact that you were both at ease and completely motivated to spend as much time as you could with each other. Yeosang would never admit it but following the months of heart-to-heart conversations he developed a habit of rearranging his whole schedule around you, seriously, why would he work when he had the opportunity to spend time with someone who understood him.

The entire situation was completely mutual, you had experienced the most eventful moments of silence, it was so comfortable being around him. His voice, his mannerisms and his gentle gestures came together to give you something akin to a warm hug. It would normally take time for you to open up to someone or even just feel comfortable around them, but it seemed that all you had to do was blink and you felt like you had known him for years.

Yeosang remembers the day quite fondly, the one where your head fell back, and you shot him the most beautiful smile that shone brighter than the necklace you wore. While he saw art, you were more preoccupied with telling him all about the latest game you were playing. He was hanging onto each word, you made him feel like he had discovered something new, like Ariel holding her first dinglehopper (Disney reference). He didn’t realise just how melodic your voice was until he was resting his chin on the palm of his hand.  Though time had escaped the two of you, time managed to stand still. Yeosang had spent the entire conversation hanging onto each one of your words only interjecting to add onto what you had said or ask if you could elaborate so he could admire the way your hands punctuated the rapid words you spoke. Whether you had realised it at the time or not, Yeosang was convinced that soulmates were now a thing and that he was looking at her.

So, the truth of the matter is, Yeosang sees you as both a friend and someone who keeps him safe. You mightn’t argue the point for him or fight somebody on his behalf, but you do wonders to his soul and deeper emotions. By spending time with him in a type of calm, domestic atmosphere he feels as if he was kissed by an angel. He feels lighter than he has ever felt and he can’t help but blush. Yeosang may not be the type to put up his defences but he still feels like he can just be himself around you. The way you speak to him brings out his more introverted tendencies, some people would find that they wouldn’t  want this in a relationship but in this instance, something occurs where both of you are more energetic and slightly chaotic when you remove yourselves from the hustle and bustle of life in search of a relaxing time.

Yeosang finds the arts beautiful, especially when someone he loves dearly is so creative and artistic. He mightn’t be the most video game heavy guy in existence, but he does love it when you play Stardew Valley or the Sims for one reason and one reason only. He wants to remind himself that as much as the game characters pine after you, only he gets to be the one who swept you off of your feet.

~le sserafim~ chaewon

She wanted to be your girl next door, the one you would trust with your secrets or when you needed a pick me up. Chaewon had an almost instantaneous crush on you, and for good reason too. Though she also possesses a likeable personality she felt that there was something more to you, if she allowed herself to get all sappy, her loving perception of you had come from a place of deep desire. Out of the people who had made it known that they liked her, she had always wanted one person: the shy, creative gamer girlfriend. She wanted to be on your level and match your vibe, even if that meant halving the energy she had, and trust me she was so hyped up by the thought of speaking to you. Each time her phone buzzed with a text from you, she was besides herself, touched that you would even bother to check up on her so often.

Here's the thing though even if she had attempted to tone down parts of her personality there was still an overwhelming urge to show off for you. Even if you never returned the sentiment, that being the whole dating thing, she wanted you to see what she could be and what she was capable of. One of these ways was giving you a solo performance of the choreography for Smart. In essence she was stuck in a perpetual moment of wanting to show off and see if you would actually fall for her or just play the part of a best friend and maybe there could be a chance of the two of you becoming an item. Despite her intense crush on you she was also far too willing to just stay in the friendzone, you see, you brought her a sense of comfort that she had never felt before. So, there was no way she would ever want to come between what had been such an amazing friendship.

Luckily, the moment she slipped up by pairing her lingering gaze with an out of place compliment that had more to do with how good you looked today rather than what you were talking about; you knew that there was something there and that you’d be an absolute fool if you didn’t return those feelings.

As you  can tell her crush on you didn’t appear out of nowhere, returning to the fact that you are what she envisioned a perfect girlfriend to be, she just admires how you had always treated her in such a fair way. You never brought judgement to the table and preferred to put more time into fixing your own path in life, in short, you were content in being yourself. What you perceive as your introvert ways she views as you having a talent for observation, again most of her attraction comes from the fact that you were giving and had invited her into your world of creativity and humbleness. I mean, sure she finds that she is so unbelievably caught up in you but when she stops imagining what could happen on your next date, she is joining you whether it’s in drawing or writing.

It's really hard to not feel like the luckiest person on Earth, especially when Chaewon starts gaming with you. Your weakness is totally picturing her in her room wearing the headset you bought her as she has a conversation with you before handing it to the other players when they underestimate her. She really wants to show you the best version of herself, most of this comes from the fact that she has so much admiration for how strong you are and how amazing you are. Inside and out.

[what-is-life99]

“Dis mine now”

[bubblyprinccss]

⠀⠀ ⠀ﾟ+..｡+ ⠀ ❝ 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓪𝓶𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓫, 𝓲 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓪 𝓵𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 ❞ ⠀ ✧ ♡ ✧ ༄ hello there my guppies friends, i was thinking about have a little time that i have show you but as i promise you i did show of my collections of thingamabob and i still got them 20 or more than less a lot of human stuff things that i did it collections to them. discovering some a things matter what i got to know else more to find out that i got all lot of them in the ship wreck at under the sea and it's a thing matter that i love what i always got and put them as to be my collections is complete down here of my grotto. any all humans friends could let me know how many my thingamabob collections of them that i got and maybe i could share you some more a lot of my dinglehopper that i have to show you as you could can be counting of them that i got more but hope that's will be fun for you and hope everyone does have a lovely day and stay safe my starfish and humans friends 😘✨ ⠀ 𝒊 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 💜🐚🧜 ⠀ 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴; — 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 💦🐠 ⠀ ⠀⠀ [ 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰: 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 ] ⠀ ⠀ 「#PrincxssArielTriton #dreambigprincess #disneydreamer #disney #waltdisney #disneyprincess #thelittlemermaid #littlemermaid #mermaidprincess #dinglehopper #atlantica #arielgrotto #flounder #arieltriton #princessariel #disneyworld #partofyourworld #disneyland #princeeric #disneyrp #disneyprincessrp #thelittlemermaidrp #disneylandrp #cutemermaid #facecharacter #tokyodisneyland #waltdisneyworld #princessperformer #disneylandparis #hongkongdisneyland」 (at Ariel's Grotto in the New Fantasyland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQonOKcBM1T/?utm_medium=tumblr

[carnistirs]

forelsket

↳ @taangweek 2020 Day 7: Ember Island

Warnings: rated mature for some mild gore (just to be safe)

Summary: While on vacation, land-dweller Toph accidentally finds herself a merman who won’t leave her alone. 

Read on ao3 or under the cut 

forelsket {Norwegian} the overwhelming euphoric feeling you experience when you’re falling in love with someone

‘

Toph hears the ripple in the water and bends over the dock, angling her face towards the abyss. She pushes her foot back into the sea, feels currents brush against her ankle.

She isn’t afraid, has never once been afraid of anything in her life, so she holds her spine erect and keeps her face expressionless at whatever’s staring back at her from beneath the surface of the water. It feels like a fish, a particularly big one, spinning its tail in circles. She picks up her cane and jabs it into the water, hard and quick, and the creature retreats further into the ocean’s depths.

But then she hears it – the singing that rises above the stillness of the sea.

Even stifled by the water, it’s the smoothest thing Toph’s ever heard. There’s a pull at her chest that has her leaning over the dock even more, guiding her body until her face is partially submerged.

And there are no words to describe what she hears – it’s like wind chimes against a gentle wind, the sweet tune of a hermit thrush at dawn, a choir in an large, empty church. Except, it also isn’t any of those things because this is seamless and infinite, a song more mellifluous than anything the best of humanity could ever hope to produce.

It’s a song that lures doe-eyed sailors out the sea with smiles on their faces, even as they’re choking with water in their throats.

Part of Toph knows she should have drowned by now or been dragged out further until the tides carry her body away. Instead of yanking her into the water though, the song wraps itself all around her like the most comfortable hug in the world.

This is—

She jerks her head out of the water and doesn’t even cough at how long she’s been holding her breath. She just inhales once, an eerie calm settling over her.

(When Toph leaves the dock, the song turns manic, lingering like a prolonged shriek in her ear until the noises of the beach houses muffle it out.)

‘

She jerks awake when the song tugs at her again, reeling her back to involuntary awareness. The summer heat is already unbearable enough without this thing’s fucking voice leaving her restless in bed. She feels hot and sticky all over, and that voice is crawling underneath her skin, scratching wildly at her until she’s close enough to smell the sea again.

Come back.

Toph feels herself blink once before she’s right at the window, hands braced on the frame like she’s about to jump out into the darkness.

A snarl rips out of her when she realizes the stupid thing she was about to do, so she raises her palms, snaps the window shut. The voice is there still, occupying a corner of her head.

When she turns around, she ignores the bed completely, heading towards the shower in her bathroom instead.

‘

“Do you hear that?” she asks, tapping her cane irritably against the floor. “The singing? Do you hear it?”

“Toph,” is what Zuko says, careful. “That’s the fourth time you’ve asked that in the past hour. I don’t hear any singing.”  

‘

The frenzied croon in the back of her mind stops, a plucked string on an instrument, once her toes reach soft sand again. She hears the creature’s tail slap against the water in excitement and grinds her teeth together.

Figures it would already be waiting for her.

“What do you fucking want,” Toph hisses furiously, tossing her cane to the side and launching herself in the water towards it with her hands wrapped around it’s throat.

Sharp teeth click together and there’s a beginning of a hiss, but it doesn’t attack her in return.

As she’s choking the creature against a boulder, palms flat against the gills on its neck, she feels a blanket of smooth scales wind around her legs. The movement is coy, and it’s sudden, how much she wishes she could see whatever expression is on it’s face.

There’s a moan that vibrates against her hands – it sounds like a male – and Toph jerks away, scalded. As she’s falling back, she remembers that she’s never learned how to fucking swim, and she’s flailing now, arms wild and chaotic—

He coils his tail around her tighter, his palms framing Toph hips as he gently pulls her back up. There’s webbing between his nimble fingers as he cradles her to his chest, and she feels scales on his arms and shoulders while she instinctively grasps for him. He hums at her soothingly, swaying slightly to the beat of the waves.  

“You—” Toph sputters, wiggling her legs in the strict hold of his tail. “Stop trying to cop a feel, motherfucker!”

The creature – merman – laughs. “You threw yourself at me first.”

“Because you’ve been fucking singing to me for days! You know what you’re doing!”

“How else was I going to get you back here?”

(To me.)

Toph snaps an arm out, her hand grazing the dock. She’s surprised that she’s able to break out of his grip easily as she’s hauling herself over the dock, but she feels fingers in her hair, teasing along her scalp. A curious tug at her hairband has her tresses spilling over either side of her face like wet curtains. She adjusts the askew sunglasses on the bridge of her nose and sniffs.

“Give it back,” Toph snaps.

“I’ve always wondered why humans used these,” he chirps, snapping the band against his wrist because, of course, he’s now wearing it as a bracelet. She hears him swimming forward, hears him folding his arms along the edge of the dock and resting his chin on them. “Hi. I’m Aang.”

‘

Every time Toph goes down to the beach, Aang gives her treasures – sea shells that feel like no other, a string of pearls, lost items that haven’t seen land in centuries.

She gives him a fork, once.

“What’s it called?” he says with absolute marvel in his voice.

Her mouth twitches. “A dinglehopper. I know you don’t have any, but it’s used to brush your hair.”

Toph should have known that wouldn’t deter him in the slightest. She finds herself sprawled flat on the dock minutes later, her hair hanging over the edge and a fork running through her strands as he smoothens out the tangles.

“Are you the kind of merman that eats humans?”

Aang’s hand stills in her hair, hesitating. “Yes, but only the bad ones,” he answers quietly.

“Really?”

“I’ve lived a long time,” he creeps closer, placing a cold hand on her temple, and she smells the sea and the wind on his wet skin. “You’d be surprised at the amount of terrible things that take place at beaches when no one’s looking.”  

Toph raises an inquisitive brow. “How old are you?”

“Oh, I’ve surpassed centuries,” Aang replies, and the buoyancy in his voice is tempered by the wistfulness that manages to seep in, making him sound incredibly lonely.

“You have other friends, right? Mer-friends?

“Yeah! Katara and Sokka – you’d like them, I think – but they don’t live in these parts of the ocean. They’re also busy looking after their tribe, so they don’t have time to travel like me. Not like they used to anyway.”  

“How about family?”

“They died a long time ago.” Fuck, there’s that sadness again – the one that sounds so strange on the merman because he’s always happy. “There was this war and I wasn’t there and – well, I lost them.”

Aang combs his fingers through her hair, fork forgotten, and doesn’t offer any more information other than that. She shouldn’t have brought up family, so she keeps quiet, basking in the sun and letting him braid her hair into whatever style he wants.

Later, when Toph wanders back into the beach house, Zuko blurts out: “Did you braid your hair with seaweed?”

“Huh,” she grins, her fingers absentmindedly touching the filmy, wet thing weaved into her braid, “guess I did.”

‘

There’s a man following her.

Toph hears Aang in her head again, his melodious voice comforting her as if he knows, so she follows the direction his song takes her to until she’s able to hear his sweet singing beyond the comforts of her mind. The man who’s been tracking after her for fifteen minutes stops in place, a shudder wracking through him. The man turns, hypnotized, his body wading into the water.

The song for this man makes Toph’s bones rattle, but it doesn’t make her want to seep herself in frigid water, doesn’t make her want to sink her body deep until she can no longer breathe.

(She wonders why.)

“Hello,” she hears Aang murmur in a honeyed tone that coils around the soul, yanking and claiming. “Why were you following that girl?”

“She was pretty,” the man says and he sounds drugged, like the words are being dragged out of him.

“And what were you going to do to her?”

“Take her back to my place.” She digs her nails into her palm hard enough to pierce skin, anger swelling up in her. “Show her what a real man feels like.”

For a few seconds, Toph hears absolutely nothing.

Even the waves are silent.

Then, teeth rip into warm flesh and the screams coming out of the man’s mouth are awful. He screams and screams as his skin is being pulled and his flesh is being slowly sampled.  

Toph thinks to herself that he deserves this, that he deserves to be chewed and bitten into until he’s nothing but an empty, white husk.

She grips her cane tighter, smearing pinpricks of her own blood against it, when their bodies wrestle along the wet sand. Toph wonders if Aang’s just playing with his food at this point, drawing it out to watch the man struggle in terror. The sound of teeth gnawing on skin grates at her again, and Aang must have ripped out the throat this time because the man doesn’t make a single noise after that.  

“Toph,” comes Aang’s whisper. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine.”  

“You don’t look—”

“I said I’m fine!” she shouts, but then she bursts out into cackles because she doesn’t know how to deal with this. Aang makes a confused noise and wriggles his body closer to her, which must make a ridiculous sight. “I mean, I might just be an accessory to murder. I don’t know. And,” – laughs even harder – “I might even go to prison, but that’s okay, I guess—”

“What’s prison?”

“It’s a place where they keep bad people like murderers or people who help murderers. Sometimes they never get out.”

Aang wraps his fingers around her wrists, pulls her down. Her ass hits the sand and she doesn’t even get to properly process it because he’s already nudging himself into her arms, his tail flopping behind him.

The smell of blood on him is strong, enough to almost make Toph gag, but she snakes her arms around him, slowly pressing her cheek to a copper-scented shoulder blade. He croons a lullaby to her, his palm rubbing circles along her spine.

“You won’t go to prison,” he says, chants – fuck, she doesn’t even know or care at this point – as his damp mouth brushes Toph’s cheek. “His body will never be found when I’m done with him.”  

“They’ll still look for him. This guy’s extremely rich if he’s able to afford a beach house on this island. There’s always a lot of attention when a rich person goes missing—”

“He’ll stay a missing person forever then. They won’t find him. I promise, Toph.”

So, Toph builds a sandcastle and listens to the way Aang easily snaps the bones off the corpse’s body, the way he peels the clumps of flesh off with his fingers and teeth, the way he laps at the river of blood. It’s an hour of just listening to him eat before he gathers up the bones and slips noiselessly back into the ocean.

She inches further down to where the waves leave seafoam against the sand so that Aang doesn’t have a long crawl back to her. When he does eventually come back, he sprawls across her thighs, pressing a sated smile into her hipbone.

Her palm grazes his stomach, expecting a huge bulge—

“The fuck?” Toph grumps, slapping her knuckles this time against a stomach that is obviously flat. “You just ate a whole human! Where did it all go?”

Aang chuckles, the noise sounding like soft bells. 

‘

“You know the guy who owns the house next to ours?” Ty Lee chimes across the table during breakfast. “Something Feng, I think? He’s been missing for two days now. His wife’s hysterical.”

“Wasn’t he the creep who kept trying to talk to you the other day?” Mai says, bored.

“Good riddance,” Azula says mildly. “We don’t need vermin like him stinking up this island, no matter how impressive his net worth is.”

Ty Lee, slightly aghast: “Azula! That’s a terrible thing to say.”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Hey,” Zuko whispers to Toph, “do you know anything about this?”

Toph forks some scrambled eggs into her mouth. “Not a clue,” she throws back with a shrug.

‘

“Just let your head drop back in the water,” Aang instructs, his words curled around a grin as his hands hover behind the back of her scalp. A finger tips her chin towards the sky, allowing her ears to drop beneath the surface, and it’s so fucking weird floating on the water like this. “Don’t make that face, Toph. You said you’d try. It’s not that bad – see, you’re doing it!”

“I don’t even know what I’m doing.”  

Toph lets out a long exhale, trying to keep her limbs extended. It’s the strangest sensation – surrendering herself to biomechanics and water while simultaneously trying not to drown in the process.

“You’re doing so well,” he cheers in a soft murmur, brushing the tips of his fingers across her toes. “Stop,” Toph grits through her teeth, “that tickles. If you make me drown, I’m dragging you down with me.”

“Hmm, yes, drag the merman – who’s lived his entire life in the ocean – down with you,” Aang hums. “That’ll definitely kill him.”

Her retort is ready, but she never gets the chance to say it because Aang abruptly sweeps her into his arms, a violent hiss escaping through his teeth. He’s tense against her, gripping her so tight that it feels like he’s trying to brand his palms into her skin.

“Cute snack you got there,” an unfamiliar voice pipes up. “Care to share?”

“Who are you?” Toph shoots back, but adds in a quieter whisper: “Is he one of your mer-friends, Aang?”

“Oh, yeah, Aang and I go way back.”

“We’re not friends,” Aang says, terse, and the amount of venom coming out of his mouth makes his voice sound like a discordant note. “And she’s not food, Jet. Go somewhere else to feed.”

A loud snort. “She looks like food to me.”

Toph growls, trying to strain her face in Jet’s direction. “Hey, fuck you, seaweed-tits. This ass is off the menu.”

The other merman barks out a laugh and makes a move to swim closer, she thinks, but Aang flicks his tail up in a loud splash, letting out a snarl that vibrates against the back of her skull. Aang sinks his fingers into the back of her thighs, ready to just toss Toph back up onto the pier dock.

“Fine, whatever,” Jet spits derisively, diving back into the water with one last scoff.

Aang carefully lifts her back onto the dock and quickly buries his face against her stomach, his arms coiling around her. Even with the obvious threat gone, he still feels rigid and strained, his tail rolling behind him in agitated circles.  

“Sorry.” It’s muffled against her skin, but Toph feels his mouth shaping the word.

She flicks the center of his temple. “You don’t need to apologize, Kelpbrain.” 

‘

“Do you really have to go?”

(Please don’t go.)

“Yeah,” Toph says, rueful, letting him press his palm to the arch of her foot. He’s holding onto her foot like he wants to keep her forever. “My school’s starting again in a few weeks. I have to go back.”

“Where’s this school of yours?”

“It’s in Ba Sing Se, a city in China. Have you heard of it?”

The prolonged, forlorn stretch of silence implies that Aang has not heard of either Ba Sing Se or China in his entire life.

“I’ll come back,” she promises, reaching out a hand only to have it automatically clasped within his. “After the semester ends, I’ll convince my parents to fly me out here if I have to, okay?”

Aang lifts his other hand to Toph’s face, curving it against her cheek and pressing his thumb to the bow of her mouth. “It’ll be colder when you come back,” he says, his voice small and vulnerable to her ears. “The beach will be too cold for you.”

“Please, like that’s ever stopped you before. You’ll just screech a song in my head until I come to you.”  

“I could follow you—”

“No.” Toph’s not even sure he knows how to. “Even if you somehow managed to find me, there’ll be too many people. It won’t be a private island like this. If someone sees you, they’ll want to catch you and you could end up in the wrong hands.”

She’s wearing a nice dress – the others wanted to celebrate their last night on Ember Island by eating at some fancy restaurant – and Aang knows that the material swathed around her skin is worth a hefty amount. He pulls her into the water anyway, snaking his tail around her legs like he’d done the first day they met.

“Do you have to go,” Aang mouths against her shoulder, snuffling.

Toph nods, tightening her arms around his neck. “I’ll come back. Don’t cry on me now, idiot.”

She’s sopping wet when she returns back to the beach house (“That was an expensive dress,” Azula hisses, snatching Toph’s wrist and dragging her up the stairs to find a new one—) and her chest feels heavier, buried under the weight of saltwater. 

‘

(Aang sings out to her when she leaves the island and it has her eyes stinging behind her shades until his bereft voice fades from her head altogether.) 

‘

“You okay?”

“Zuko, you really need to stop asking me that.”

“It’s just—” Sighs, thinks of what to say. “You’re always…studying. You never want to go out with us anymore.”

“What, is it a crime to study now?”

“No, it’s like you’re forcing yourself to keep busy. You’ve been like this since we left Ember Island. What the hell happened there?”

“Hate to break it to you, but most kids get depressed when their summer breaks end. It’s no big deal.” 

‘

The shower in Toph’s apartment has a tub built into it and she’s never really had any use for it in the past. These days, she’s grown comfortable with filling the tub with water and just letting herself sink into it.

She slouches to bury her nose into the water, inhales to feel the sting—

And there’s no beautiful song that curls gently around Toph’s skin. There’s no salt in the water that she’s grown so used to smelling. There are no scales slipping against her legs.

“Fuck,” Toph murmurs because she hates this, hates feeling this way. 

‘

When Toph hears him one December afternoon, just a whisper at the back of her mind, she pivots off the street and walks until her cane is tapping against sand. There are a few others on the beach in spite of the weather, but his dulcet hymn leads her farther and farther away from the general public. She stops at a patch of large rocks, her heart skipping at the sound of a tail splashing.

“You stupid, stupid fish,” Toph says, but she’s smiling so wide that it actually hurts. The answer she receives is a happy trill, the noise echoing that of a friendly dolphin. “There are people here.”

“I found an alcove nearby,” Aang lifts his hand from the water, wiggling his fingers at her. “Come with me? No one will find us there.”  

“How did you even find me?” And, fucking hell, navigating through these jagged rocks is really something Toph should not be doing, but she finds his hand halfway and tangles their fingers together.

“Sokka helped me figure out where China was. Oh, he wants to meet you by the way! He thinks you’re cool.”

“For a human?”

“In general,” Aang says, sounding so happy. “But yeah, for a human too.”

Aang carefully lures her into the water and it’s fucking cold, but he’s pressing warm kisses to her mouth, so much that she doesn’t mind that she’s wholly surrounded by the sea in the dead of winter.

[dcbicki]

mileven moodboards: 'the little mermaid' au (modern) [requested by @skywokers]

sixteen-year-old mermaid el is forbidden by her father from swimming up to the surface, but the only problem is she’s terribly fascinated by humans — one human in particular; while out on his dad’s boat one afternoon, nerdy high schooler mike wheeler catches the attention of the sea creature. with his jet black hair and pale skin, el finds him captivating. determined to meet him and have him fall in love with her, she makes a deal with a sea witch: seven days on land in exchange for her voiceand powers. resilient, el accepts. the deal struck, she washes up ashore with water in her lungs and the boy of her dreams staring down at her. mike wants to help, and so he takes her home to keep her safe. but her new life doesn’t come without struggle. illiterate and unable to talk, she finds that life on land — and love — is a lot harder than she’d first bargained for. // up where they walk, up where they run

[headcanons under the cut]

teenage mermaid el hopper isn’t exactly the most rebellious of her sisters. she listens to their dad, hopper (the triton of this story), and she always does what she’s told;

but one day her sister max dares her to swim up to shore to try and catch the humans’ attention;

el obliges, and she floats around in the water for a while until a boat with two men comes to pass;

curious as to what they’re doing, el asks her seagull friend dusty;

he tells her that the men are fishing, and el becomes frightened that they’re after her kind until dusty explains that they’re hunting simple fish and not the merfolk;

now calmed down, the girl manages to swim up to the side of the boat — out of sight — and she watches as the younger man gazes out to sea;

he’s tall and handsome enough, and el is immediately entranced by his features, so much so that she accidentally lets out a girlish squeak! just before diving back underwater;

returning home. she’s made good on her promise and max owes her a dinglehopper (family heirloom);

el explains what she saw up there, and she gushes about the boy to her sisters. they're all entranced by her story, but her father is eavesdropping nearby;

warning her that she must never swim up to surface again, hopper makes it clear that humans are dangerous to their kind and that el won’t be safe if she gets caught by one;

el refuses to believe him, and she argues that he’s never seen the humans so he couldn’t possibly know the threat they pose;

determined to prove her father wrong, and to find the boy she’s unable to stop thinking about, el swims out to meet a sea witch;

they promise to give her legs and seven days on land  — during which she must convince the boy to fall in love with her  — if she will, in return, sign over her voice and powers;

el accepts as she thinks the deal is fair, and she is immediately spellbound by the creature;

awakening, the once-mermaid now finds herself washed up on shore with two working legs and nothing but rags to cover herself (where her tail had once been) and, much to her delight, the boy is right beside her;

he thinks he’s saved her from drowning, as she’d been spurting up water when he’d reached her. he lends her his jacket, and el quickly wraps it around her shoulders to cover herself;

he tells her his name is mike, short for michael, and he asks for her name. only, el finds herself unable to speak, as her vocal cords have been broken;

pointing to her chest, she can only mimic the words she means to say and hope mike understands;

the boy offers to take her back to his home, somewhere safe (he says), and el can all but oblige;

he assures her that the back of his bike — that he’d been riding when he happened upon her in the water — will be fine, and she wraps her arms around him tightly for fear of falling;

once back at his house, el silently follows him down the stairs and into the basement, all the while clinging to his arm for support;

she’s not used to her new legs and she’s a little unsteady;

mike seems to sense her unease, and he helps her get settled on the couch before he makes quick work of building her a fort, made out of blankets and cushions;

he offers her clothes and warm food, and he promises that he will try to help her;

what happens next is left up to your imagiation...

[lizartgurl]

The Little Atlantean (Aqualad x OC AU)

(part one) PART TWO

@super-spoiler @flamebiirds @the-shadow-of-atlantis @thespacebuns @princes-jasmine

“MERMAN OFF THE PORT BOOOWW!” The eccentric seagull, feathers sticking out in all the wrong places, hollered, looking out the wrong end of his telescope as Kaldur and La’gaan surfaced at his rock.

“Woah,” Vulko scuttered backwards, falling off his driftwood perch as he lowered the scope, “You swim fast for a little merman,” He told Kaldur.

“Vulko,” Kaldur dispensed with the pleasantries, holding out his bag to his mentor, “Look at what we’ve found!”

“Well,” Vulko remarked, holding both items in his wingtips to examine. He put down the tube for favor of this tiny trident.

“Yes, this is very, very interesting. Intriguing indeed!”

“Well, what is it?” La’gaan insisted impatiently.

“Hold your seahorses, young guppy, I’ll get to it,” Vulko said.

Kaldur and La’gaan waited impatiently, with bated breath, as Vulko buzzed appreciatively.

“A-HA!” Vulko declared.

“What is it?” Kaldur and La’gaan demanded in unison.

“This fine little specimen you have here,” Vulko rubbed off a bit of the grime on his feathers to give it a shine, “Is none other than a dinglehopper!”

“A dinglehopper? There’s no such thing!”

“A dinglehopper,” Kaldur sighed happily, “What do humans use it for?”

“Well, they use it on their hair!” Vulko pointed to the tufts of feathers on either side of his head, “Beauty like this doesn’t come easy.”

He demonstrated, sticking the prongs of the dinglehopper into one of the tufts, and twirled it rapidly three times before yanking it out.

“Ta-da!” He gestured to his curlier tuft with fanfare, “Now you try, kid.”

Kaldur snatched up the dinglehopper, caressing it with reverence before daintily twisting it into a thin layer of his already curly hair.

“How do I look?” He asked La’gaan.

The guppy squinted, regarding that area of Kaldur’s head carefully. “Well, it looked a lot curlier than it did before!” He said hopefully.

Kaldur beamed. “What about the other one, Vulko?” He asked.

“This, my young mer-prince, is a snarfblat,” Vulko grinned. He put the small end of the curved tube in his beak, and blew hard, causing the large, open end to spout a pile of sand and seaweed that then dripped out onto Vulko’s rock, before being lapped up by the calm waves.

“What’s it for?”

“You did hear?” Vulko raised a bush, feathered brow at La’gaan critically.

“The snarfblat dates back to pre-hysterical times when humans sat around, and stared at each other all day.” He got up in Kaldur's face, locking eyes to demonstrate. “Got very boring, eh? And so! Humans invented these to make music!”

“Music!?” Kaldur’s face paled.

“The concert!” La’gaan exclaimed.

Kaldur groaned, tossing both items back into his bag, “My mother is going to kill me! Thank you, Vulko!” He waved briefly, before grabbing La’gaan’s fin and diving back beneath the sea.

“Anytime, kid! Come back soon!”

-

Kaldur doubted he’d be allowed anywhere anytime soon, as Tula cornered him at the palace gates.

“Where have you been!?” She hissed, “Auntie Shayla threw a fit when you didn’t make it! Garth is saying it’s the downfall of his career!”

“Garth is always dramatic, and I’ve dealt with my mother before, I can handle it now.”

Tula huffed at his naive confidence. “The entire kingdom of Atlantis was there for your performance. Do you know how ridiculous I felt presenting an empty clamshell for all my future subjects to see?”

Kaldur sighed, “Tula, I’m sorry-”

“I know you are,” She groaned, “But this habit of yours is getting ridiculous. I can’t keep covering for you every time you want to see a new wreckage.”

“It’s not as if I will ever take the throne.”

“No, but Kaldur, if you’re not there, it makes us look weak, it looks like you don’t support me or your mother. Worse, it feels like you don’t care about us.”

Kaldur stared at Tula, her face downtrod as she absently traced patterns in the sandy ground with her tail.

“Your mother had another briefing with General Mera while you were gone, you missed that too. The Purists are getting restless again. They’re not looking for much more of an excuse to attack. We can’t give them an excuse. We have to be at our strongest.”

Kaldur nodded grimly. “I guess I’d better give my apologies to my mother, then.”

“One moment,” Tula pointed to the bag clutched in his hand, still holding his precious human treasures, “Want me to hold that while you deal with Auntie Shayla?”

“Yes, thank you, that would be much appreciated.”

Tula grinned half-heartedly. “Don’t get zapped,” She teased, floating off to hide in the shadows and watch the whole thing, where she thought Kaldur wouldn’t notice her.

La’gaan trailing along nervously, “Do you think we’ll get zapped?” He whispered, echoing off the columns in the hall.

“I highly doubt it.”

Still, as he swam into the throne room to find his mother pacing back and forth, with Garth the tiny gray crab shouting in agitation, he couldn’t be sure. At least while she was pacing, the Royal trident rested safely on the throne, unable to react to the emotions of the wielder.

“Kaldur!” Queen Regent Sha’lain’a held back her rage only to give her son a hug, relieved for his safety.

Her face darkened, holding him out at arms length. “Where have you been?”

Kaldur balked, “Um, well-”

Garth scuttled forward, “Tonight was to be the pinnacle of my distinguished career!” he dithered, interrupting the queen and the prince, “And now it is ruined! Completely ruined!”

Kaldur rolled his eyes, and caught the wry smile his mother shot at him as the little blue crab paced the sandy bottom between them.

“It wasn’t his fault, your majesty!” La’gaan plead in his behalf. “There was this shark!”

Queen Sha’lain’a backed off at this. Certainly, Kaldur hadn’t been where he should have, but if he had run in with a shark, she could hardly blame him for missing the concert.

“A shark?” She glanced between La’gaan and Kaldur curiously.

“Y-yeah!” La’gaan was astonished that she believed him, “He was all- grr- and then he was- and we were like- AH!-” La’gaan put on quite a show for the confused Queen and Composer.

“And we just barely made it out!” La’gaan finished. Kaldur nodded eagerly, confirming La’gaan’s report.

“And then there was this seagull-” Kaldur’s face fell. La’gaan was too into it, he didn’t realize what he was saying as Queen Sha’lain’a’s face darkened while La’gaan did a mocking performance of Vulko’s confident explanation of “human stuff”.

“You went to the surface?” Her tail swirled the water between them furiously. Kaldur glared at La’gaan even as the guppy ducked behind him for cover.

“It was just for a little while, nothing happened-” Kaldur tried to assure her.

His mother took his hands in her own.

“Kaldur, you know why I forbid all merpeople from going too close to the surface. “We have already lost your father and uncle.”

“King Orin, may he rest in peace,” Garth recited with a salute.

“In peace,” La’gaan mumbled.

“I do not know what I would do if I lost you too.” Sha’lain’a hugged her son tightly. “You may not be the next king, but you still have responsibilities. As do I.”

Back straight to balance her crown, Sha’lain’a resumed her seat on the throne, her grip on the regent’s trident loose and comfortable. “As Queen of Atlantis, I forbid you from ever returning to the surface.”

“But mother-!”

“Not another word, Kaldur. That is final.”

His bottom lip shook with his fists, and then Kaldur turned and swam from the throne room, La’gaan calling his name.

Sha’lain’a collapsed into her throne with a sigh.

“Teenagers,” Garth huffed, “Give them an inch, they swim all over you.”

Sha’lain’a raised her head from her hand. “Was I too harsh, Garth?”

“Not harsh enough,” A new voice stated. From a side entrance close to the throne, the Queen’s advisor and the third of the royal siblings floated forward.

“Orm. I suppose I should scold you as well for missing the concert.” Sha’lain’a joked.

“You could, if you had not delegated me with the responsibility of ensuring that no Purists disrupted the celebration and brought harm to your son or the Crown Princess.” Orm returned the playful smile.

Sha’lain’a glanced between her brother and advisor, and the court’s composer.

“What am I to do?”

“Kaldur’ahm is a troubled youth. He is not expected to hold the place that his cousin one day will, yet he is expected to act as if he is.” Orm said slowly.

“You are saying he is jealous?” Sha’lain’a asked, “Kaldur has never wished for the throne. He is as free-spirited as his father.” She glanced at her mirror image in the polished trident, as if she could see the vision of her late husband in the reflection.

“Perhaps not jealous, but under increasing pressure. And when teenagers are under pressure, they tend to rebel.” Orm stated matter-of-factly. “I trust you recall our days of youth?”

Sha’lain’a shook her head. “I was always the one leading our escapades in our youth.”

“Orm is correct!” Garth declared. “Kaldur needs constant supervision!”

“Constant?” Sha’lain’a questioned.

“Someone to supervise him, keep his head on his shoulders, his fins on his tail, et cetera.” Garth embellished.

“Hmm,” Sha’lain’a turned the idea over in her head. “Perhaps you are both right.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Garth bowed lowly, Orm respectfully inclined his head.

“Garth, I place you in charge of supervising Kaldur’ahm.”

“Me!?” Obviously, Garth was not his own first choice.

“Perhaps this way Kaldur will be able to show up for rehearsal more often,” Sha’lain’a winked at the crab.

“You did say that his voice was the best you had ever heard.” Orm smiled, and perhaps from the angle where Garth was standing, it took on a wicked glint.

“It’s settled then.” Sha’lain’a resumed her seat on the throne, confidence restored, and planted her trident on the ground.

“But Your Majesty-”

“That will be all, Garth. You are dismissed.”

Garth was pacing the halls of the Palace moments later.

“I should be writing symphonies, not babysitting some child”

Garth stopped, hearing the insufferable Prince Kaldur’s voice, and the hushed voice of his normally well-behaved older cousin, Crown Princess Tula.

“She’s right, you know.” Tula whispered, handing Kaldur a woven bag. Kaldur snatched it from her, holding it close to his chest, “Humans are dangerous, they killed our fathers.”

“Not all of them are bad, I just have to prove it to her.”

Tula shook her head, floating aside to allow Kaldur to swim past, heading for the palace exit.

“Where is he going?” Garth grumbled, scuttling after him.

He followed Kaldur and La'gaan out of the palace, past the homes of many Atlanteans citizens, and to a rocky outcropping on the very far edges of Atlantis, where the magical shields that hid their city safely in the fathoms below the sea just barely had a hold.

La'gaan kept lookout and Garth hid himself in a pile of rocks as Kaldur heaved a boulder aside, revealing a cave opening.

Garth scuttled forward, barely making it through the opening as Kaldur and La'gaan hastily replaced the rock behind them.

The cave was much bigger than the outside had led Garth to believe he tumbled down a steep sandy path, and the narrow cave tunnel opened up into a grotto with shelf-looking rock formations that spiralled up and up and up, each one full of strange objects- human objects- that Kaldur'ahm had obviously spent years collecting.

Garth's jaw slackened. How had the young prince kept all this from his mother for so long?

"Kaldur?"  Garth scuttled behind a two round pieces of sandglass connected by a wire at the sound of La'gaan's voice. The glass actually allowed him to spot La'gaan more easily, hesitantly floating at Kaldur's shoulder while the mer-prince drooped across a rock, moping as he cleaned off his latest treasure.

"Kaldur, are you okay?" La'gaan pressed.

Kaldur didn't reply at first, setting aside the seaweed and adding the dinglehopper to his collection of similar human stuff.

He sighed and sat up, placing the snarfblat with other human instruments like the butterflorp and the vigetti.

"If only I could make my mother understand," Kaldur murmured wistfully, "I just don't see how a world that makes such beautiful things...could be so bad." Kaldur's tail, a mesmerizing swirl of orange, gray, and silver, flicked almost unconsciously, lifting him from his rock and up to where his precious treasures were stored. He spread his arms, showing La’gaan his collection of twenty thingamabobs, which fearfully struck Gar with the resemblance of human harpoons as he cowered in the corner. Kaldur showed off his books next, pretending to illuminate them with a human lantern, which didn’t work underwater. Apparently humans powered them with what was called “fire”.

“I want to dance down the streets with the humans! Stretch my-” Kaldur paused in the middle of gazing at a dancing statuette of a human boy and girl, which tinkled with the faint sound of bells as he spun it around.

“What are they called again?” he asked La’gaan. With a grin, the green guppy wiggled his back fins at Kaldur. His face brightened.

“That’s right! Feet!” Kaldur sighed dreamily, and gazed up at the grotto’s opening far above.

“I wish I could be a part of that world.” He sighed, slowly putting away his treasures with the car of a mother seal for her babies.

Garth decided that he had heard enough. He puffed up his shell and strode forward to declare his presence and the foolishness of what he had found here, when he tripped and fell into a human tureen with a loud clatter, tangling himself in the pearls and other jewels Kaldur had stored in it.

“Garth!” La’gaan ducked behind the rock in fear of a scolding.

“We weren’t doing-”

“Anything?” Garth huffed as Kaldur helped get untangled from the human stuff.

“Why, if your mother knew-”

“You’re not gonna tell her, are you?” La’gaan begged, and Garth suddenly found himself trapped between the two youngsters.

“Oh please, Garth, she could never understand!” Kaldur plead.

“Alright fine!” Garth snapped his claws to get their attention. “I will keep this a secret from the queen mother.”

“Oh thank you!” Kaldur was unable to hear the rest of what Garth said from the sheer relief that flooded over him, but he was able to catch the shadow that passed over the grotto’s opening.

“But still! You know your mother’s decree,” Garth continued, oblivious, “I cannot let you return to the surface, or explore other human wreckage-” He finally noticed that he was speaking to the empty grotto.

“Kaldur?” He asked.

Kaldur and La’gaan had swam back up to the cave’s opening, the water had grown a bit darker, to herald the nighttime in the world above, but a flash of light every so often showed Kaldur the shilouette of a ship-still floating on the water, not sunken like the other’s he had come across.

Garth caught up with them, just in time to follow Kaldur and La’gaan up to the surface.