#tan skin black scales kind of iridescent green shine to them

[softquietsteadylove]

hey! I have a request! now this might sound a little crazy and really far fetched…..but let me cook for a sec.

is there any way for the Mermaid AU you could make Gil into a Mermaid? Maybe thena finds a plant for him to eat that either lets him breathe underwater, turns him into a mermaid or both! I was watching Barbie mermaidia today, and I could help but think of these two ( I got the idea from when Barbie and bibble ate seaweed to breathe underwater)! I feel like thena is always learning new things about the human world, so it is Gil’s turn to explore Thena’s world!

as always I love your work! 🖤🖤

"Are you sure about this, Angelfish?" Gil asked, but Thena just nodded so eagerly he wondered if her scales would fly off. She beamed up at him, her fangs shining in all their glory. He sighed. "Okay."

Thena watched from the water as he took a bite of the horrific looking plant she had brought to him. She refused to say what it was, just handing it to him and insisting that he eat the whole thing.

He groaned; it tasted awful, and the texture felt the way algae looked. His toes curled, his feet dipped into the water up to his ankles dangling over the edge of the dock. He gulped it down, though.

"It'll start working any second, just hang onto me!"

And with that, she dragged him underwater.

Usually, Thena was careful about him being underwater. She got nervous about how small human lungs were and what water pressure could do to them. They had only just got his held breath record up to a minute and a half last time they practised.

But Thena sped downward, his hand in hers, her tail propelling them. Gil had his hand over his mouth as she dragged him. He was going to drown down here, they were descending so fast.

But then it got a little easier. He started moving through the water a little faster. He looked down and his jeans were gone, no longer rolled up to the ankles--he didn't have ankles.

He had gills, taking up the work of breathing for him as they sped through the water. His ears changed shape and his eyes adapted to the dark the deeper they went. Scales erupted over his skin and when he looked down at himself, his midriff was exposed and he had a long, thick tail covered in shimmering black scales.

He was a mer!

Thena turned, not even having to slow down as she swam without looking. Seeing her in her element - literally - truly was an amazing sight to behold. "Isn't it wonderful, Gil?"

"Slow down, sweetheart," he chuckled, and she did. Just as naturally as he would slow down from running, his tail was able to slow their speed, moving automatically. He had long fins, too, which both helped cut through the water and assist the power of his swimming. "Wow."

Thena circled him again and again, too excited to float idly. "It's a dream! That herb is almost never found anymore--used far beyond its means, it's all but impossible to unearth."

Good to know the ocean was also capable of overharvesting and causing extinction, just like the surface.

"But Makkari said she had seen something like it and we went digging for treasures," Thena sighed, staring at him with eyes so starry they were glittering--perhaps it was her bioluminescence. "She said I could use it on you."

He looked at his arms, also dotted with scales, although it was different from Thena's scale pattern. "You've always had a magical plant that could turn humans into a mer?"

"Temporarily," she excused, as if what he had said wasn't abnormal sounding in the least. She circled him again before rising in the water in sheer delight. The end of her tail was flapping like a puppy's. "And look at you! I knew you'd be perfect!"

He laughed, accepting it as she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his back - the small trail of dorsal spines would take some getting used to- and kissing him.

His gills breathed for him as he kissed her back.

"Thank you, Angelfish," he nuzzled the tip of her nose with his, "for sharing this with me. It's...incredible."

She took his hand again, at least swimming at a lighter pace now. "We don't have long, unfortunately. But I want you to see some of what it's like down here."

It was beautiful. Of all the nature documentaries and marine biology live streams and deep sea cam feeds he'd watched, it could never compare to seeing it with his own eyes. Fish were everywhere, among other sea life. And the number of mers wasn't overwhelming, but he had almost thought in his head that Thena and Makkari were some of the only ones. And Ikaris, he supposed.

But he could see other mers swimming together, some of them speeding along, some of them happily swimming around each other in a lazy little dance. Their tails were different shapes and sizes, colours and textures. It was beautiful.

Thena purred as he kissed her cheek.

He didn't really want to experiment to see if he could purr too. But he took it in with her from above the reef spanning below them. "It's amazing--I had no idea this was so close to the house."

"Well, it's not that close," she assured, beginning to swim circles around him again. "You can travel several naughts faster with a tail than even in some boats."

He didn't doubt that. He looked down at his tail again. It was larger than Thena's, and something about her still being small and delicate even when they were in the same state endeared her to him further.

"It is a very striking tail."

He felt embarrassed, although blood didn't rush to his face like it would in his human state. He felt flustered, though, as if he should curl his tail up and try to hide it modestly. "Th-Thanks--I guess this is why you get all shy when I compliment yours?"

"I do not-!" she hissed at him. Her natural habits came out so much more when she had her tail on.

He took her hand and kissed the scales on her shoulder. "Show me more."

She was happy to receive the affection--she seemed to relish it even more than usual in this form. Her tail was better for speed, he presumed. Even with a longer, stronger tail of his own, he could feel the pull of her moving ahead of him. He was happy if she was faster than thim--it meant he didn't have to worry about her as much when she was out swimming alone.

Gil watched some of the other mers looking at him, surely trying to size up where he was from and how he had infiltrated their world. Most of them were in pairs, and while they weren't holding hands or anything outwardly romantic, those he assumed were couples had other signs.

They swam more closely, so closely their tails would collide sometimes, or their fins would brush together smoothly. They didn't hold hands, but their hands did move freely, brushing over and even more deliberately running over their partners.

"We can't go all the way out there," Thena mused, "but this is almost where we first met."

"Really?" he blinked. It all looked the same, just never ending ocean sprawling as far as he could see (which was significantly farther as a mer than as a human).

She nodded, pointing out over the end of the reef. "If you swam out that way another ten minutes, you would find where I first saw you sinking."

A very ungraceful introduction, unfortunately.

He gave her hand a squeeze, "I'm glad I could see it from your side of things."

She tipped his chin to give him another kiss. "We should start swimming back."

"So," he began as they made their way back towards the dock more leisurely. "This stuff really doesn't last that long, huh?"

She shook her head, paddling beside him. "It would be too dangers if it did. Humans could learn a little too much about us."

That was true, and also not a risk that was worth taking. He looked around them, "what if--won't they be angry with you if they find out-"

Thena cut him off, "there's nothing to find out. I'm showing my mate my home territory, nothing more."

He smiled; he could understand a little better what the term 'mate' really meant to her. It wasn't just their word for girlfriend or partner or anything. Seeing the mers swimming around together, he could see that mate meant something a little deeper to them. "Is there anything else I should do as your mate?--while I'm down here, I mean."

Thena seemed to really think about it, at least for a second. But she ultimately just smiled and shook her head, her beautiful mane of hair floating around her in the water. "We have no such formalities. And besides, I prefer our mating traditions back home."

"What mating traditions are those?" he asked with a chuckle. The act of mating wasn't itself a ritual ( he had learned). But she did like rituals such as 'falling asleep in front of the tv together', and 'calling him while he was at the store to tell him they were out of eggs'.

Human domestic life had really grown on her.

"Hm," she purred as they started their ascent to the surface. "I think my new favourite is eating between mating sessions."

He felt as if he could blush again. There were some nights when they were both feeling particularly needy and could go several rounds. And sometimes, in the middle of those rounds, they would get hungry and retrieve some dried sardines (for her) and shrimp chips (for him) to keep their strength up.

Gil kissed her cheek again as the light of the surface started warming them again. "Let's come up with some more when we get home."

[opaloremerald]

Chapter 8

An anima—the anima, that I had given the emerald—was slipping on the stone floor, her ears red with embarrassment. She looked up at him with big eyes. Big green eyes that looked mighty familiar.

             “Emilie?” I asked, then thought better of it, and spoke quickly, “sorry, I thought you were someone else. Now, are you okay?”

             The anima looked at him pointedly, “I’m not too used to marble floors,” she slipped and her toes spread wide, trying to keep her balance. I snorted a little at the picture. She looked like a kitten on hardwood.

The anima’s glossy black fur looked like Emilie’s waterfall of hair, but I had to remind myself that Emilie was up in the fifth tower room. I walked over to the anima, smiling, “How do want me to help you?”

She frowned, “Can you just help me get across to the stone, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her over to the hallway I had been walking in before I had heard her yelp. The anima nodded a thanks to me before she ran off up a staircase, the emerald around her neck glinting. I stared at the place her tail had disappeared at. Even though most people considered dragons as equal, they were also called magic folk by other magic folk. Animas and Dragons had the closest connection, seeing how some animas could be reptilians.

I saw those big, green eyes in my head again, and compared them to Emilie’s. they looked so similar, but Emilie was a witch, not of magic folk—right? I ran a hand through my perfectly styled hair. I would check on Emilie in the tower room and that would prove that I was thinking too much.

The spiral stairs were solid underneath my feet as and I came up to the top. The door was solid would, rough underneath my knuckles as I knocked. The wind sprite, Sæt was fixing up the room simultaneously as she was playing the piano.

She looked up, still playing, and smiled at me, “she just left. Adorable thing, the biggest green eyes. She asked about you, too. Probably worried that you might see her in that state.”

I stared at a few hanks of her white hair that were sweeping, not focusing, “She asked about me?”

Sæt smiled even wider, “yep, it was pretty far forward in her question list. I told her you were waiting impatiently. You got a cute girlfriend, there.”

I was taken aback, “No, no. She’s not even my type. I was just really worried about her.”

The sprite’s face fell, “that’s sad. Not many people like her kind and it looks like it’s starting to get at her.”

“People don’t like seers?” I asked dumbly, not understanding what she was speaking of. As far as I knew seers were held in high respect.

“Emilie is a seer?” she said, stopping her playing and looked at me with huge purplish eyes, “you mean, you don’t know?”

“Know what?” I refocused on Sæt’s pale face, she raised delicate eyebrow but didn’t answer my question.

“If she hasn’t told you, it is not my place to say, now shoo,” she waved me out. As I walked back down the staircase, my mind spun as the stairs did. Did Emilie’s secret have to do with the little tattoos she got on her face? Were they even tattoos?

I ran a hand through my hair again, then stopped. I couldn’t feel my hair on my palm. I slid my wand out of my sleeve as I stopped, mid-stair. I tapped the tip to the back of my hand and a light ignited on the end, showing rows of scales on the back of my hand. I clicked my tongue.

My Wing Point was coming on soon and there was no way I could get back to my parents in time. The new scales on my hand itched, but I turned off the wand light and rushed the rest of the way down the stairs. I pushed the thick wood door open and peeked around to see if anyone was near. Thank goodness.

The urge to itch became too much and scratched my fingernails across the smooth scales. The relief was temporary, but when I lifted my hand I saw more scales had appeared.

“I have to hide this,” I mumbled to myself. But how? A bandage? No, that would be wasting a bandage, and I would have to change it every day. I don’t think there is a concealment charm strong enough to hide what species you are—

I did.

There was a charm that could hide a species, though it had a time limit.

The anima girl! The first time I met her it seemed as if she had a concealment charm on and the spell timed out. If I want to hide being a dragon I have to find her.

I waved my wand to summon the map as I ran to the dorm room. Classes had ended right after I saw her, so she was probably going back to one of the houses. The bold black line led to the hall and stairway to my dorm. As I raced down the hallway to the Great hall, another, different colored line, showed a sharp turn and ventured far into the castle. I almost took the turn, but thought better of it, and kept going the way the map told me.

Corridors I had never seen before flashed by my eyes as I ran and ascended up lots of stairs, getting closer and closer to my destination. But when I arrived, I wasn’t at the flimsy door of my high-up dorm room. I had in front of me a solid wood door with iron hinges and bolts that had long rusted over and blackened. A simple iron circle made the handle and, as I looked around for anyone to ask what was behind that door, I gripped the knob unconsciously. The door creaked as I opened it, looking inside tentatively. The room was musty and filled from ground to ceiling with books. Loose paper and scrolls, too.

I took a step inside, lighting the tip of my wand to better see the room. But, really there wasn’t much more to see other than an inscription on the far wall. I squinted at the gibberish writing until I could make it out in old draconic, a language used by the dragons of old. Mum and Dad made me memorize it when I was a kid.

Fire or Fur,

One must choose.

Scales or Skin,

Or they might lose.

Rags or Riches,

This has just begun.

Opal or Emerald,

The choice is yours, Son.

             I stumbled back from my position with my nose towards it. It sounds like it’s talking directly to me! I looked around the room, trying not to glance at the wall again. The ancient materials were rough against the spreading scales on my hands, though I could barely feel it. I thumbed through one book, but the language was one I hadn’t even seen before. It looked almost as if there were scratch marks and paw prints as the lettering.

             Considering bringing one of the books written in old draconic, I clicked sparks on my tongue. An iridescent flame came out of my mouth, and I caught it and made a plume of fire as I whistled. The opal underneath my tongue was the third out of the set I had to give to Skylar for her earrings. Pulling it out, I shined it against my coat. Looking at the luster, the gem just didn’t seem inviting to me anymore. I don’t know why, but I thought about the draconic on the wall. Opal or Emerald. What was that supposed to mean?

             I turned to look at it again, but the lines were gibberish again. It looked like one of the languages in one of the other books, but I wasn’t sure.

             I heard a crash in the hallway outside the door and snapped my wand to the right to shut off the light I had summoned. The crash was short-lived, but voices floated through the opened door. They weren’t loud enough for me to hear, so I pressed my ear to one of the knots in the door to hear better.

             “You idiot! That stupid seer is too strong for you to block! We need to bring her over to our side and I have the perfect blackmail,” a slippery-sounding voice hissed, and a foul stench seeped underneath the door. By seer, did he mean Emilie? And what was he going to blackmail her with? The slimy voice kept going, “but that boy—he is a menace to our cause. We need to get him out of the picture, quickly. it might be hard, but you can defeat a dragon, can’t you?”

             I blanched. That was me.

             “Yessir,” a warbling female voice choked out and the sound of hurried feet in high-heels clicked away. The gross voice called after the woman, “Oh, and don’t forget, it doesn’t matter if the girl is dead or alive. Seers don’t move on my plan, they just make it go a little faster.”

             My eyes widened. Emilie was one of the only two seers in the whole school, that means she was most likely the one they were targeting, since she had a vision attack the day before.

             I waited about thirty minutes after the encounter until I went out to find Emilie to keep her safe from the man coming for her. I summoned my map, concentrating on where Emilie was.

             I took a hard right as I burst out of the dark library. I glanced down at the map, still running.

             That voice—not the first one, the second one—it sounded like one of the teachers, but I which one?

             I racked my brain as I ran, trying to focus on the map and place the warbling, female voice. My shined shoes sliding against the stone floors as I turned another corner. Girls stared at me as I sprinted down the corridor, following the black line. It led up to the scaffolding off of a servant staircase and down into a small crevice between an uneven wall. I peeked down and tried to see what was past the entrance to the hole. I consulted the map and it told me to go straight down. I glanced at the hole again and decided not to jump to certain death.

               I kept an eye on Emile for another month and a half, staying as close as I could without warning her something was wrong, but one day she threw off that assumption.

             Emilie whirled around and stopped me in the middle of a hallway after Spell creation and adaption. Her whisker tattoos stood out on her tanned skin and her hair fanned out in a starburst around her head. She stabbed a finger with a long, nicely painted nails at my chest. The color complimented the skin tone of her hands that, compared to mine as I pulled her hand away from my chest, were dwarfed. She tugged her hand away before she spoke.

             “Why have you been following me around tout le temps?” she said the last part in French, pushing me into a little alcove out of the way, then went on ranting. “it’s getting annoying, so if there’s something wrong about me that you don’t like, tell me.”

             I was frozen, lost for words. I was right in front of the one girl I had been appreciating and protecting from afar. When did I get so socially inept with girls? My mouth worked, but no noise came out. Emilie cuffed my ear and I snapped out of my haze.

             “No, there’s nothing wrong with you per se but…” I trailed off, not wanting to scare her with the news that people wanted to kill her. She raised an eyebrow.

             “Per se?”

             I sighed and ran a scaly hand through my hair, “It’s really hard to explain, but I have reason to believe someone—in the school—wants to hurt you or blackmail you. I just want to keep you safe, Emilie.” I rested my hands on her shoulders, “I just want to protect you.”

             Emilie sighed, but caught a glimpse of my newly dragon-ified hand. She caught it up in her delicate grasp and inspected it, and, after she was done, her green gaze locked with my own, “What happened here?”

             I didn’t pull my hand away, liking the warmth that seeped underneath my hard scales, but gave her an explanation, “I’m near my Wing Point. Dragons get ready for their Wing Point by growing scales all over their body so the change to the wild form won’t be such a far leap, but enough about me. Have you had any visions lately?”

             Emilie huffed, “No, my tea dreg readings won’t give me anything either. And don’t ask about crystal balls, the ghosts trapped inside only want attention and are extremely hard to talk to. Mirrors don’t know all either. They have a one thing they know about, and it’s terribly specific. I can’t even get my dreams to be prophetic these days.”

             Emilie started running her hands through her hair and pulling on the roots in a frantic way after she started talking about crystal balls. I chuckled a little but she scowled at me, “Don’t you laugh. It’s hard for a seer not to see visions after a while. We’re used to too little blood in our systems. I’m already getting lightheaded.”

             It looked like I had triggered a panic attack so I dipped my eyes to her level, “Hey, calm down. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to keep you safe, but in the meantime, you need to tell me what you see in your visions.”

             Emilie looked up at me, the most scared look in her eyes, which made me feel absolutely awful for scaring her. I folded her into my arms and tucked her head underneath my chin. Emilie shook as she cried, wadding up my suit jacket in her fists. After a few minutes her sobs quieted and Emilie was just pressing her face into my chest.

             “We’re going to be late to class,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by my dress shirt.

             “I have a free period,” I said, unmoving. My arms grew heavy around her, and I probably couldn’t’ve lifted them if Emilie didn’t move when she did. Her reddened face smirked up at me.

             “I know. You follow me, remember?” she said, trying to break out of my embrace, but clipped footsteps were coming up on us. They sounded of high heels, like the ones the accomplice of the man with the gross voice.

             I whipped Emilie around so that I shielded her. Her eyes were wide as I raised a finger to my lips.

             “The accomplice of the man I heard was wearing high heels,” I whispered, then lowered my face towards her, “people are uncomfortable with open displays of affection. May I?”

[deadgodsdnd]

npc list

Serissen [merchant]

A dark haired human merchant with a well oiled beard, a war bear, and royal purple robes lined in gold coins of unknown mint. 

The group supposedly saved him from being sacrificed by the cult when they drunkenly stormed into the cave and allowed for his escape. His trade is based out of Arafel, and he will always have room for his precious friends. His reputation through the city allows for the group certain perks among other merchants. 

Gaian [farmer]

A peg legged old man with a gruff expression, sixteen grandchildren, and a heart of gold.

He lives on the cliffs overlooking Arisetr Village, and owns a small farm with a small stable for the goats, and a large barn for his giant snail who leaves a trail of beautiful glass that he harvest for his oldest grandson to craft with. He claims the group stole his goat, set fire to his fields, and blew up his barn to cover their escape. 

Fiik [goat]

A one eyed goat. 

Fiik was there, chewing on Kebe when the party woke in a cavern along the sea. For some reason, they took him when they left. 

Alda [priestess]

An elven priestess who wears her light brown hair over her shoulder in an intricate braid. She carries herself with poise, but her smile almost always errs on the side of a smirk.

During the Blind Night Festival (the first new moon of a year) she egged on villagers into a drinking contest to gain more donations for the temple. She is the instigator on the drunken evening. 

Gaernin [bandit]

A tall flirtatious human with sun-bleached blonde hair and a bad habit for taking things that don’t necessarily belong to him. 

Along the road to the Baron’s manor, the group is ambushed by a group of bandits that recently decided their boss wasn’t up to par anymore. He was their boss. The group finds him tied up to a tree outside of a bear’s den and he leads them to the treasure trove the bandits hide in the woods. He goes with the group to Arafel, bringing his “daughter” Velana along with them. He’s Esrik’s dearest and oldest friend. 

Velana [child]

A wild-haired, tan-skinned werewolf child with a great enthusiasm for exploration and excitement. 

She’s Esrik’s daughter and met the group on the week-long trip from Arisetr Village to Arafel and was nearly eaten by ogres. Esrik nearly killed her when they were both taken by the cult and forced to fight under the light of the full moon. She bit Du when he tried to take her to safety. 

Esrik [blacksmith]

A dark haired blacksmith with his hair pulled back and enough scruff on his face for it to almost be a beard. He’s friendly, but keeps himself at a distance.

He’s Vel’s father, and the blacksmith that Serissen brings them to concerning renovations for the manor they’ve taken as their own. He’s a widower that seems quite taken with Du. His true nature was revealed when the cult kidnapped him and his daughter and he transformed under the light of the full moon. 

Alsetir [priest]

A man who wanders the Gods’ Garden with an oak cane and a limp. He doesn’t quite look young or old -  his light brown hair isn’t yet grey but his face always carries the look of sorrow and weariness. 

He’s the priest who acts as a caretaker to the Gods’ Garden, and makes time for those who come to visit although it it rare. He was once a soldier, but has now dedicated himself to the gods. His mastery of the divine energy isn’t nearly as honed as Klindal or Rhorix’s, but he is kind and always willing to help where he can.

Istan [halfling council assistant]

A friendly, but particular halfling with a seedy past who works now with the Arafel Council of Nine. He has chestnut curly brown hair and a bright green eyes that he likes to use to show his annoyance with those around him. 

He was the assistant to the deceased mayor, and met Rhorix through his roguish grandfather. He was sorting through council paperwork when Rhorix approached him about Kepesk becoming a legal Baron. He offers political and judicial advice wherever the party needs it, but he’s currently incarcerated for approving that mobilization of troops to help the party without council consent. 

Mihra [serissen’s sister]

A lovely young woman with dark hair and an accent significantly thicker than her brother’s. She looks very frail but is an astute steward for her brother. 

She’s stays mostly within her brother’s manor, but took well to the party, considering her service to them a thank you for everything they’e done for her brother. She can run small errands or find common items for the group if they have a need for her.

Darym Rethemis [deceased duke]

A handsome and well dressed noble who enjoyed looking down on those under him. 

After the mayor was murdered, the Duke stepped into his seat on the council until another could be appointed. He hindered the group and turned out to be part of the cult. Kepesk took the signet ring off of his body and gave the remains to Vuthara to be transported to the city. His body has been lost since then. 

Vuthara [inquisitor]

A dragonborn with iridescent black scales that shine blue and green in the light. Purple flames seethe from the corners of her mouth when she get heated, which is often. 

She was investigating cultist activity in the city when she was taken from the Red Shard to be sacrificed by the cult. The group found her wounded and taking care of Gaernin in the cells underneath the Duke’s hunting lodge and freed her. She’s shown her passion for justice time and time again, and will not rest until the cult in put in the ground where they belong. 

Faevaris [alchemist]

A half-elf with eccentric mannerisms who tends to speak to herself. She wears layers and layers of satin and silk, and the tips of her long blond hair have a tendency to light themselves on fire when sh’es excited. 

She is the leader of the artificer guild in Arafel, the Dauntless. She sent word to Kepesk and Kebechet when they arrived in the city, and was called in by Serissen to help construct some way for the party to investigate the Duke. She never hid her disdain for the man, especially when her human father, the mayor of Arafel, was murdered and his death was barely investigated. She helped break the group out of prison and was with them when word of Istan’s arrest spread through the city. 

Vinzen Lutrid [deceased mayor]

An older human man, who carried himself as a fair mayor through his many years of service to the crown. 

As a younger man, he was city guard who rose through the ranks until he was wed to an elven mage, in service to the crown. He fathered twins and spent his life as a public servant before he was murdered in a plot orchestrated by the Duke. His spirit resides in the ring Kepesk wears and they communicate telepathically. 

The Council of Nine [in Arafel]

Leyra Neddins - halfling aristocrat

Belnid Honeyhearth  - wizened halfling farmer 

Quenna Elrenod - gnomish inkeeper 

Naefir - elven artificer 

Rihada Songswell - a human soldier 

Idril Evett - assimar cleric 

Caraxa - half-elf merchant 

Magdir Sharpstone - dwarven entertainer