#ship: dianzie

[selfinsertmermaid]

I wrote a (probably way too detailed) outline of a Little Mermaid AU and of course had to draw it, because mermaids, man

(au under the cut if anyone’s interested) ((friendly warning that this is not Serious Writing and I cursed a lot))

Diana is the princess of an underwater mermaid kingdom called Themyscira or Paradise, the names are p much interchangeable so whatever. Themysciran mermaids are Magic so they used to magic themselves up some legs and hang out with humans, but the humans wanted the Magic and there was fightin and the mermaids got mad and retreated to their kingdom and getting legs was Banned.

Even though everyone disapproves, Diana likes to go up to the surface, not really out of curiosity for humans but bc she likes looking and the sky and it's kinda hard to see the sky from the bottom of the ocean. I'm a human princess (random human would've been more accurate but i'll be a fuckin princess if i wanna) on a ship for whatever reason and one night when Diana goes to the surface Shit Goes Down and she watches the boat start to sink.

A lot of the sailors and passengers make it to the lifeboats but I'm knocked off the boat and into the water, and Diana of course is like "hell no im not gonna let someone die".  So she swims and swims and brings me up to the surface, but there's still a storm and its bad and it's too far from any shore to risk trying to swim to land with me in tow. She decides to heck with the rules, uses a Magic Kiss (!!!) to let me breathe underwater, and brings me back to Themyscira.

 After the Magic Kiss I wake up and am amazed bc mother fuckin magic underwater mermaid kingdom right but all the mermaids are like “shit, a human, someone’s gotta take her back to the Human World”, so there’s this competition to see who is worthy of being the mermaids’ Champion. (This is basically a mix of Wonder Woman’s origin story, w/ me replacing Steve Trevor, and the Little Mermaid.) Anyway Diana’s not allowed to compete but we spent a bunch of time together and she wants to be the one to take me home, and see more of the world along the way.

So Diana wears a mask and enters the competition, wins, and reveals herself to the Queen (her mom) and the Queen’s like “fuck I told you not to but that was impressive so i guess you can go. I’m not mad jus disappointed.” So Diana and I get to basically take a Magic Underwater Roadtrip, except we’re swimming the entire way so it takes awhile oops. And we’re just. Fallin in love along the way.

I guess they decided it’d be okay to give me a mermaid tail so the trip goes faster, since humans can’t swim anywhere near as fast as a fricking mermaid ofc, and also I just,,, want to be a mermaid at least for a lil bit.

Anyway so we get to my kingdom and on the shore I get my legs back n Diana and I look at each other like…I guess this is goodbye? Except we really don’t want it to be. So I suggest that, before she goes, I show her around my kingdom, like as a token of my gratitude and all that. Diana magics herself up a pair of legs and I introduce her to the royal court as my savior and protector. We spend even more time with each other, we’re super in love, but Diana holds back from making a move bc she knows her duty is to Themyscira and I hold back from making a move bc I’m shy af.

So to introduce some plot, this woman, let’s call her Minerva, witnessed Diana doing Magic on the beach with me, so she steals some magical objects Diana keeps in her room and tries to use them. The problem is that she’s a terrible person so even though she can use magic now, Magical Karma decides that she will also be cursed to turn into a monster cheetah person. Like Ursula however she can use her magic to turn herself pretty again for a short amount of time, and she uses this skill and other magic to start climbing her way to the top of the royal court.

Minerva hypnotizes me into thinking I’m in love with her and not Diana, but it causes a huge behavioral shift and Diana’s like “WTF that’s not right.” She realizes some of her magical stuff has been stolen and connects the dots, and then tries to tell me except I’m still hypnotized so I don’t listen. Suddenly I’m about to get married to this woman I barely know, and Diana’s like oh fucking HELL no and tries to find all the magic stuff Minerva stole except the only one she knows about is this one magic necklace, which Minerva happens to wear a la Ursula. Diana interrupts the ceremony and rips away the necklace and crushes it, which takes away all Minerva’s magic and turns her back into her cursed cheetah monster self.  Then there’s a huge (cat)fight between the two of them, and ofc Diana wins bc she’s Strong and Magical.

So that’s over, and after I thank her for saving me Diana’s like “Kenzie…I have to go now. Magic is too dangerous for this world.” And I’m like “fuck please don’t leave I really like you.” But the problem is Diana was always going to leave, because she’s the only princess of Themyscira, and I have to stay because I’m the oldest and therefore the Crown Princess of my kingdom, and I don’t want to force my younger siblings to take over my responsibilities.

ANGST ALERT before Diana leaves I work up the nerve to finally kiss her, except its a goodbye kiss so its all sads, and then Diana swims back to Themyscira and is. Gone. We’re both miserable and tbqh if this was reall life my mental health would’ve been out the fucking window but it’s not so we’re gonna pretend that it’s just normal ‘missing you’ sadness. It lasts for a long time.

BUT THEN Diana realizes that there were other magical objects missing, and that they’re still on land in my kingdom, and she goes to the Queen/her mom, and the Queen is like “Diana I love you and I know you’re unhappy now so I will let you go to the surface to retrieve the magical items, and you can also stay there with the human princess with my blessing. I’m basically immortal anyway so it’s not like you need to take my place anytime soon.”  Then Diana comes back and REUNION SMOOCHES and there are some Magical Adventures collecting the other magic stuff Minerva stole and hid all over the place, and non-shitty people getting to learn magic bc Magic, but mostly it’s just Good Times loving each other. 

Epilogue, eventually we get married and adopt children and become Queen and Queen Consort (or Princess Consort, or whatever sounds better).  And they all live happily ever after, The End.

[the-gunslock]

HIVER 8 pt.2 - NAMES AND TITLES

This is a story of...

...of...

...What is this?

I cannot remember. What is this? Who wrote this?

Was it me?

“Dianzi.”

The Awoken girl had just been done doing her glittery makeup. Dianzi Yao’s face was adorned with gold and light blue markings, made to complement her purple hair and dress. It did. Very well.

“You’re almost up.”

She looked around the room. Other women were dressing themselves up just as she was, ready to go onstage. It was customary for them, to present their gracious moves to their fellow people — and their Queen, Mara Sov.

Whoever it is that crowned her.

“Tu es magnifique, ma fille. (You look wonderful, daughter.)” An older woman, but just as beautiful as her, said while caressing her side bangs, her green eyes glowing in admiration. The daughter smiles brightly.

“Merci beaucoup, mére. (Many thanks, mother.) I’m ready.”

“Go. Show them beauty.”

As the dancers were being lifted to the stage, Dianzi on its center, she looks at the brooch holding up her sash.

A reminder of Mara’s invisible shackle on all the residents of the city, and how small her world truly was.

“Is here my place?” She thought to herself, as always, as the dancers reached the stage and the lights turn on. The auditorium was full, as always, with Mara’s best sitting beside herself at one of the overlooking seats.

Mara knew everything of Dianzi’s desire to escape. It was not a rare emotion amongst those who live all their lives in one place. She wouldn’t stop her if she tried, for she knew the girl was aware there would be consequences, brought by her hand — or not.

The Queen wishes she could understand the reasons behind it. The Awoken had built wonderful cities and a prosperous civilization in the shadows of the Darkness that afflicted them in the edge of the Solar System. Everything was made perfect, down to the last brick. Why would anyone want to leave? What is missing?

But for now, there was nothing else that Dianzi could do, but dance. They both knew that.

With that in mind, Dianzi closed her eyes, and when they opened again, she mentalized that she and her fellow dancers were standing in an starry desert, treading paths on the salt-white sand.

---------------------------

“Ma fée. (My fairy.)”

Cháng Yi knocked on the marble-grey door of her daughter’s room, who laid on her bed under her warm lights, absentmindedly playing a small, handheld instrument, and humming along to it. Something like a kalimba.

“Come in.”

She opens it and steps inside, adjusting the sash on her decorated, white-and-gold garment.

“You are getting better at this every day. We could hear the music from the kitchen. Maybe you should play for your friends some time.”

“It is just a pastime,” Dianzi said as she put it on her nightstand, “I’m not putting this out there. What is it, mom?”

“Dinner is ready, daughter.” She said with a smile as the aroma of food filled the air inside the bedroom. “Made something special for you.”

Realizing her hunger, Dianzi jumps off the bed, pulling down her sweater and excitedly hopping to the dining table where she found three chafing dishes containing melted cheeses and chocolate, and many bowls containing various kinds of food — cubed bread, various fruits cut down to bite sized pieces, small pieces of meat, a bunch of cheeses, and even wine — however Cháng had made other drinks since her daughter rarely drank alcohol.

“Whaaaaa? What is the occasion?”

“She forgot again.” Another elder Awoken, with glowing blue eyes, clad in a simple, black outfit covered by a form-fitting black jacket, entered the kitchen, smirking while carrying a relatively large box.

“The day I was born?” Dianzi guessed, thumb to her chin. The older women chuckle.

“Yes, it is.” The third woman confirms handing her the carefully-wrapped box. She and Cháng sandwich Dianzi in a warm hug while she laughs, trying to protect her gift. “Congratulations, ma lapine. (My bunny.)”

“Joyeux anniversaire, Dianzi! (Happy anniversary, Dianzi)” Cháng says warmly while letting her go. “Did I say it well, Clarabelle?”

“Yep, perfectly. You two are refining it every day.” Clarabelle pats and kisses the heads of both her wife and her daughter, much to their glee. “I’m so proud of you two.”

“Thanks, mom. Can… can I open this?” Dianzi asks, curious to see what’s inside the box.

“Of course! Meanwhile, I’ll eat all this delicious-looking food my dear made for us.” She says, grabbing one of the colored forks on the chafing dish and stabbing a piece of bread with it.

“Noooo! Leave some for us!” Cháng implores playfully. Clarabelle sits down and begins to eat, laughing.

Under the wraps, Dianzi discovers a large, octagonal, dark wooden box with a circle on its lid. One of its faces has some sort of ancient-looking clock, ticking methodically. On the top circle were many small, levitating, colorful spheres rotating on fixed radii, at different speeds.

“It’s an orrery.” Clarabelle says, smile on her face. “Press the button.”

Dianzi locates the button and presses it, causing the box to holographically project an adjustable spherical star map from its tiny Sol.

“It follows the movements of the planets in real time. Did you like it?”

“I…” Dianzi stutters, her blue eyes darting around all the different planets and constellations. “I love it. So much,” Clarabelle contently stuffed another steaming-hot-cheese-covered bread into her mouth, knowing exactly how to make their daughter happy.

“Now please come eat, ma fée. It tastes amazing.”

“Of course, I’m… Mom?”

“Yes, dear?”

She poked a small, white sphere hovering in place above a blue and green one. “What… where is this?”

Clarabelle felt exactly what her daughter was looking for, and she involuntarily rubbed her fingers at her face scars with a sigh.

“It’s called the Traveler. Source of a quasi-supernatural force called the Light, and all that’s left of hope to a dead planet. Beneath it, what’s left of humankind defends itself from a lot of things that would adore to destroy them.”

“I want to see it.” Dianzi thinks to herself, taking one of the forks and poking it through a fruit. “Even if only for a while.”

Clarabelle and Cháng eye each other for a while, thinking of the best way to convince her not to follow any crazy idea. Cháng is clearly apprehensive of the idea, and silently begs her wife not to endorse that wish.

“I’ll think about it.” Clarabelle says.

“WHAT?” Both women say. One in excitement, the other in desperation.

“Some people decided against staying on the Reef in the past. So, time and again they are escorted to Earth, where they pass as Earthborn. Try to live some normal lives and bring some good to the Last City.”

“To make a new beginning?” Dianzi questions.

“In a way. Maybe we can go into one of these ships and… get a look for ourselves. Quick trip.”

“Are you insane, Clarabelle?!”

“We’ll be fine, and be back before you know it.”

After an extremely satisfying dinner, Dianzi rests on her bed, wondering what it’s like on Earth and the City, but her thought process is broken by hearing her mothers angrily discussing Clarabelle’s idea. In the back of her head, the dancer wondered if she was going to regret following her wish.

And what she would do if, for this or that reason, she didn’t come back.

Before she dozed off, Dianzi heard, through her bedroom wall, the panicked sobs of her less adventurous mother in their living room.

---------------------------

“Yao!”

Both women perked their heads up from their seats at the Exodus ship. One for having her name called, the other for being responsible for her.

They eyed a man wearing a crisp purple E.V.A. suit and a round helmet with a bright visor, holographic information passing through it. On his arm, a purple patch with the Queen’s sun emblem was stitched. His hands were on his thighs as he crouched over to look at them in the eye.

Dianzi fiddled with the pistol given to her by the crew members, thinking about where they were headed and about leaving Cháng behind, also looking out the window thoughtfully. She promised to her mother she would be back as soon as she was able to.

The space outside was entrancing. They had just passed Luna — but Dianzi had read nothing about the huge hole tore in it. She heard the other passengers calling it “Hellmouth”, not exactly sure why.

“Go over the conditions one more time.” The captain says to them. “We cannot take any chances, specially with curious tourists.”

“Don’t make direct contact with civilians...” Dianzi starts, thoughtful.

“Or Guardians and their orbs.” Clarabelle complements.

“Keep an eye out for Eliksni and the parasites.”

“Correct,” The Awoken captain says, fingers on his chin. “And the last one?”

Dianzi sighs. “We must not, under any circumstances, turn off our communication devices.”

“Captain,” one of the pilots calls to him. “Entering Earth atmosphere in about four minutes. Permission to activate stealth field.”

“Granted.” He says, turning to the pilot, and then back to Dianzi and Clarabelle. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

The Captain walks away to the cabin, leaving Dianzi and Clarabelle on their seats. Clarabelle leans over to kiss her daughter on the cheek before she puts on her helmet. Dianzi smiles and puts her own helmet on as they feel the turbulence of entering Earth airspace.

Clarabelle pokes Dianzi on the shoulder, motioning to the window. As she looks at it, she beams a bright smile.

There it is. The Last Safe City on Earth. Or just ‘The City’, as the dancer had read before. Built under the shadow of a dormant god, humanity’s last stand held firmly against everything that came their way.

“Holy shit…” Is all she could muster before laughing in glee. This was unlike anything she had seen. From within, some sort of spark ignited, calling for her to read, to study, to know more; There are hundreds of centuries of history here, waiting for her to learn everything there is about these people.

Literally, a whole new world.

The sightseeing had been brief, for they were not allowed contact with the City. Instead, they had traced a course for a desolate landmass the humans once called “Europe”, certain that there would be forms of transportation and establishing there.

As long as they stuck together.

They flew over the sea at sunrise. It was mesmerizing — the Reef, ironically, had no seas. Dianzi wanted that moment to last forever, burning that image as much as she could in her memory before leaning back into the seat.

They soon reached the abandoned continent. Not much to see other than ruin of what apparently was a great civilization. So much past and innocent lives dead and buried under the rust and vegetation.

‘They didn’t deserve this’, she thought to herself… As a massive, brownish ship came out of stealth and into view of the window, shaking the medium-sized Awoken stealth ship with the deafening roar of its gigantic engines. As it flew by, it released multiple, smaller crafts that opened Arc turret fire on the Awoken.

“ELIKSNI SKIFFS INCOMING!”

“What is this — EVASIVE MANEUVERS, NOW!”

The smaller craft had to leave stealth to divert energy to its engines, moving faster than before, attempting to not be fired upon. They had made it very far and were close to the ground when they took a couple critical hits, that started tearing off a luckily vacant section of the ship — but also causing it to start going down, catching fire.

The Fallen, unrelenting, continued to shoot at the Awoken until they saw an explosion on the hull, which prompted them to move on. The damage was done. The Awoken had crashed and some of the passengers that weren’t secured flew off the ship and into the buildings below.

Clarabelle and Dianzi held on to each other as much as they could, desperately trying to protect each other from the strong current coming from the destroyed section of the ship, bound to drag them outside.

They felt a crash. Apparently they had impacted a building and its debris had knocked their seats loose. In a panic, Clarabelle hurried to unsecure herself and, as she moved to help Dianzi out,  Clarabelle was thrown out of the crooked ship. They finally crash-landed in a portion of this dead city, which was the last thing Dianzi could process before her head was smashed against the window and she passed out.

---------------------------

“Hello?”

The heavily-armored individual called to the empty husk of a ship. Him and his little light looked around the occupants, his Sweet Business minigun in hand, ready for anything that might have caused this ship to go down. Everyone appeared to be dead from the ship’s debris and the crash; nothing invaded it. He is not sure if he is more or less relaxed about this situation.

“There is nothing in here.” The Ghost said while wandering around the ship halls. The two circular lights on his robot-like helmet glowed the way into the dark vessel, looking into the visors of its dead occupants.

Except for one, who faked her death until the Guardian had his back-turned, checking the pilot’s cabin to swiftly lift her safety harnesses and sprint to the city outside. Grunting at the blinding sunlight in this new place, Dianzi blinked a few times to adjust and looked around at all the age-old destruction and haphazardly put together hideouts whose colors reminded her of the ships she just seen. ‘The “Eliksni?”’, she thought to herself before she was startled from the sound of heavy footsteps and machinery reving up coming from inside the Awoken vessel behind her.

Making matters worse, she heard guttural alien sounds coming from one of the hideouts, under a purple banner, and froze in place as she noticed the spear-wielding, four-armed aliens running out to get her. As if hearing her prayers, however, the Titan came back from the pilot’s cabin and unloaded the minigun’s magazine in all of the Fallen, saving the Awoken girl’s life.

“You doin’ okay?” He asked, 

“I…” Dianzi said, with tears of regret trickling down her face that slipped unseen under her helmet’s visor. “Who… are you?”

“Don’t have a name yet. But…” He unforms his helmet, exposing his purple skin and white glowing eyes. “You can just call me ‘Titan’ for now. This is my Ghost.” He says, motioning for her to walk with him down the road. Ghost greets her with a ‘salut’ while bobbing up and down.

“You’re… Awoken. Like… like me.” Dianzi says, removing her own cracked helmet, revealing some blood trickling down her face. She didn’t notice it due to adrenaline. “Are you from the Reef?”

“I don’t think so. I was reborn here, don’t remember much past that.”

“Sure…” She said, just now feeling the blood trail and cleaning it off with the back of her hand. “I need to look for someon—

Dianzi was cut off by a powerful stomp and a demonic laugh coming from the road near the crash site. A voice echoed in her head. It was Clarabelle, calling her name through telepathy. She sounded panicky, as if in danger. Analyzing the place they are right now, she probably was.

“Seems like a good place to start.” The Titan said, reforming his helmet and throwing a grenade at the entrance to the Fallen hideout. “Got a gun?”

She eyed the pistol on her leg, suddenly remembering she had it, and drew it, ready to cover the Titan. Dianzi was afraid, but there was nothing she could do, being stranded and outgunned. So she followed the Guardian, hoping to find a path to follow.

As they swiftly turned the corner, they saw three of the ship’s occupants, injured, but doing what they could to fight off a huge, laughing Fallen, and its smaller goons.

“What. The fuck. Is that thing?”

“A Baron.” Ghost said. “Largest of the Fallen. Stay sharp, lady, this is going to be bad.”

“(MOM!)” The Awoken shouted, grabbing the attention of one of the Awoken.

“(DAUGHTER!)” She replied, inbetween shots and grunts of pain. “Fall back, people!”

Seeing the goons, the Titan ran up and punched one of the Fallen, empowered with some sort of purple energy, giving a personal energy barrier and much-needed healing to the Awoken so they could run for cover behind rusted cars and walls.

He continued firing and punching them until only the Baron remained, prompting him to pull out a purple shield and use it to attack the Baron, throwing and bashing it against its body, breaking one of his arms and his gun.

“He is too strong, this ain’t gonna work. We need to run.” Ghost advised his Guardian and the Awoken. Dianzi watched her mother for injuries as they both tried to fight off the Fallen. They were like bugs.

“Mom, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought us out here.”

“Worry later— the other two aren’t gonna make it. We need to leave, this is not our place.”

“Women!” The Titan called to them, as recovered from being stomped away. “I can’t do this alone, we need to run back to safety while reinforcements arrive.”

As he said these words, Dianzi and Clarabelle started going back to the ship while the Guardian covered them with his shield.

A true knight.

“My Guardian’s Fireteam will be here soon. We can take you to the City.” Ghost says, as calm as he can be while the trio ran from the Baron.

Unbeknownst to the three, a Vandal charged his Wire Rifle in a building nearby, taking aim at the running trio.

“No, orb, we cannot stay here! Dianzi and I need to find a ship as soon as we c—”

Suddenly, Clarabelle tumbled on the ground. Her chest had been pierced, her lung was completely punctured from back to front.

Her daughter was at a loss for words. All that she could do was pull her pistol and somehow kill the Vandal with a single bullet to the head, and then hold her mother in her arms, silently begging her to not go. While she did, the Titan cast a barricade and started fighting off the Fallen to protect the two civilians.

“(My bunny...)” She said, wheezing. “What an adventure, eh?” She looked sleepy, as if she was going to doze off at any moment. But she smiled gladly.

“Mom…? Mom, stay with me, I-I can’t do this without you!”

“You can.”

“What will I-- how can--”

“Shhh.” She shushed, holding her hand up, prompting Dianzi to hug her, staining her EVA suit with blood.

“(I’m so sorry, mom.)” She said as she held her mom further, the world around her nothing more than a blur.

“(I love you, Dianzi.)” She said as she touched her daughter’s face. “We’ll… meet again… someday.”

With that, Clarabelle gave her last breath, embracing her freedom.

“Woman!”

The Titan called to the sobbing Dianzi, seeing as his two Hunter comrades had just arrived to support him. As they started shooting their enemies and throwing knives, the Titan picked up Dianzi and hurriedly carried her to a rusty car where she’d find some protection, at least for the moment.

“Stay there. And don’t move a muscle until we’re done clearing this place.” The Titan warned the younger Awoken as he put her inside an old car by a lightpost. “I promise I’ll come back for you.”

She dared not look to the outside the window as the street she was in became a warzone between Guardians and Fallen. The Awoken girl cried uncontrollably, out of both panic and regret. ‘I shouldn’t have come to Earth. I shouldn’t have left mother. I shouldn’t —

Shouldn’t.

What an extremely painful word.

Almost as painful as the explosion that knocked her hideout over, trapping her in the car due to exhaustion and the somehow-still-working automated seat belt system.

“(I’m sorry, mother...)”

Almost as painful as the rusted metal piece of the streetlight pole that crashed down and split open her forehead.

Back at their little house in the Reef, Cháng Yi felt the most painful sting of her life, sending her screaming into a panic state.

The two most important things in her life faded away, and she knew it.

“Guardian?”

The Guardian and her Ghost had walked for days now, looking for a way to return to the City, the former doing all she could to absorb the new reality she woke up to by talking to Ghost, whom she protected with her paracausal abilities and newly discovered firearm prowess.

“Yes?”

“Do you remember your name?”

This was a test. Sometimes Guardians remember their past names. Sometimes they make new ones. But in both cases, their memories are still lacking for a while before they can adapt to them. But the Warlock was willing to not let anything slide.

“My name is…”

She had to give it some time. All that she remembered from when she woke up was being dazed amidst destruction, a crashed ship and multiple Fallen bodies.

“Isssss…”

Next to her was the cadaver of a spacewoman that she didn’t recognize outright, but she still seemed unbelievably familiar. She feels she should know who it is — but she cannot for the life of her. Ghost said she hoped another Ghost came to get her soon. If only she was able to save her.

“Hiver.”

[selfinsertmermaid]

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO ME <3</p>

Diana picking me up is so *swoon* god I love my gf