#thusly shes selectively mute

[mahiiimahiiii]

Haven't finished jaal fic... Trading it in for a conductor/musician astarion and his bard girlfriend.

[justaramblingromantic]

ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇs ʙʏ ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ

Characters/Pairing: Kobayashi Rindou and Tsukasa Eishi/EiRin

Type: Ningyo!inspired fantasy AU, Freestyle

Word Count: 3334

A/N #01: So there’s this thing called MerMay going on and I wanted in on the fun too. Unfortunately, I can’t draw to save my life so I wrote some nonsense instead. 

A/N #02: GDI, I just wanted cute, mindless Mer!EiRin is that so hard to ask for, brain? Ignore glaring plot (there’s no plot)!

He was in the middle of an omiai when he first saw her.

She was not his match – it would have been so much easier to accept the immediate, powerful flare of attraction the moment he laid eyes on her if that was so. That strong, intrinsic pull he had felt deep within his gut, instinct willing him to go nearer, to seek her favor, to entice.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. She was not for him to court.

So he held himself back, lingered where he was. And stared.

The actual partner whom he had been introduced to was stunningly beautiful as well, and he did her disservice by failing to pay her the appropriate amount of attention and interest that she deserved. They were of the same kind, a special breed of ogon nishikigoi, carefully paired to each other by their families in order to preserve the purity of their pedigrees.

Nakiri Erina, with her fine, gilded scales and shimmering flawlessness, was the precisely selected complement to his own pale, glowing fins and platinum white perfection. Silver and gold. They were expected to court, then marry and breed, thus continuing to strengthen the bloodlines of their families. It was their duty. Eishi had never really cared either way – Erina was indeed lovely and graceful if not somewhat fussy and aloof, but most of the females in their circle were like that. He had been told repeatedly by various sources that she was a great catch, but his thoughts on the matter remained largely ambivalent.

A great catch? That was likely so. But he never actually had to catch her in the first place, and perhaps that was why he failed to properly appreciate the qualities of his potential wife-to-be the way any other being lucky enough to be in his position would have. Him and her, they had been pushed onto each other whether they actually wanted it or not, and that was that. The white-haired male would have felt guilty for this sense of indifferent apathy…if not for the fact that she also felt the same way. They were courteous and cordial enough to each other, well aware of what was expected of them…but there was no…spark.

Even with all her glittering radiance, Erina seemed to pale in comparison to the crimson fire of the redhead who had just caught his eyes. Eishi had no idea who she was, but she made a bold, dramatic splash of color against the backdrop of muted, glimmering elegance that he was used to, so very electrifyingly vivid…and incredibly appealing. It was impossible not to stare at her in wonder, gripped wholly by an urgent sense of something that he did not quite understand himself. He could not, should not let her leave his sight. He did not know why he felt thusly, but it was imperative that he stayed close.

Beside him, Erina slanted a curious stare at the merman who still appeared visibly stunned. His usually detached, distant lavender gaze now so sharp and alert, firmly locked onto the stranger who had just crossed their paths. The other ningyo appeared to be around their age, but neither had met her before, in this part of the massive freshwater lake biome they all called home. It was obvious that he was interested – he certainly made no effort to hide it.

“Tsukasa-san, if you gape some more, your expression is going to freeze on your face,” Erina’s tone was placidly dry, yet still unfailingly prim and proper.

He tore his eyes reluctantly from the other female and returned his attention to his elegantly dressed companion. He actually looked briefly disconcerted, confused, a far cry from his normal icy, reserved composure.

“I…” he paused, even as his gaze automatically flitted back to the exotically exquisite mermaid with the feathered, blood red fins and flowing tail. The dark red of her gleaming scales were a perfect match in color to her long, tousled mane, unadorned and flowing freely behind her, framing and accentuating her lovely human features; a heart shaped face, golden, slit pupiled eyes, shining ruby lips…

He could not seem to stop looking at her, and promptly lost his train of thought once again.

Erina tilted her head bemusedly – she had never seen the Tsukasa heir so flustered before. She wondered if that was a good thing. There was a faint feeling of something like envy that welled in her. She wondered if there would ever exist someone who would stare at her the way her omiai partner was currently staring after another female, the way he just could not seem to help himself.

She should be offended, she knew, but oddly enough, she was not.

He had never belonged to her, after all.

“…She’s swimming away,” the blonde pointed out softly at last, because amazingly enough, her companion was so distracted that he had completely forgotten her presence, once more. “You should at least find out her name, or you may never see her again.”

Eishi was embarrassed by the transparency of his desire, a want so fiercely unyielding and immediately insistent, he could not disregard it. He was also stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he looked from one mermaid to the other. Duty and obligation tethered him to one, but something inexplicable that felt very much like destiny and fate was calling him to the other. His instincts clamored loudly and unrelentingly, refused to be ignored or muted by things like common sense or rationality or reason for the stark truth that only it could comprehend; he knew her once upon a time, this girl with the tumbling scarlet hair and the entrancing ochre eyes-

He desperately needed to know her again. 

“…I’m sorry, Nakiri,” the white-haired male apologized to his fair companion, quietly contrite. His lavender eyes flickered with gratitude – it was probably the most expressive he had ever been around her, in all their years of acquaintanceship. “And thank you.”

The golden-haired mermaid waved away those words with a languid carelessness she did not entirely feel. “Save your thanks. You may explain to our parents why our miai fell through.”

Eishi grimaced inwardly at the thought of how that conversation would go, but he was not as upset as he probably should be. Still, he hesitated, remembering his manners.

“Will you be alright, on your own?”

“Who do you think I am?” she enquired loftily, glancing at a fixed point over his shoulder. “Hisako has been trailing us all along, so I’m the least of your worries. I absolve you from your self-perceived sense of responsibility towards my wellbeing.”

That was all the Tsukasa scion needed to know. Another quick, appreciative look at the blonde, and the beautiful merman was gone in a silver flash, his sleekly muscular, powerful tail slicing effortlessly through the water currents, propelling him unerringly towards the future that she had foreseen. The nishikigoi mermaid watched the other disappear in pursuit of his happiness, but there she stayed, waiting until another familiar presence quietly swam up, faithfully keeping her company.

“…Erina-sama,” her loyal retainer sighed with faint consternation and dismay. “You need to stop giving your suitors away.”

The koi ningyo glance askance at her pink-haired parrotfish counterpart. “…But why should I keep them when their hearts have found homes with others?” she asked rhetorically.

There was a specific reason why she had requested her meeting with Tsukasa-san to occur here and now; at this particular place, at this very moment. Her visions were never wrong, and this time was no different.

Hisako was exasperated, all the same.

“Nevertheless, please don’t keep doing this. It’s dangerous…”

“But Tsukasa-san will be very happy with his mate.” Or at least they would be blissful together, once he managed to lure her into courtship. The Nakiri princess was wistful, staring unseeingly into the distance. With her youthful face momentarily bare of the many masks she often put on to fool the rest of the world, she looked so painfully alone and vulnerable at that moment. “Hisako…do you think I’ll find happiness too…one day?”

The parrotfish mermaid quietly ached for her beautiful, isolated mistress. 

“Of course, Erina-sama,” she whispered fiercely. “You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

The gold gilded koi smiled faintly at her friend and companion. “I hope so.”

“Shall we head back to the castle?” Hisako suggested lightly, anything to gently distract the ningyo hime from her ennui. “Azami-sama will not be pleased if you’re outside and unchaperoned like this.”

“Father is never pleased no matter what I do,” Erina uttered ruefully. But she turned obligingly towards the other mermaid with the pink and orange sunset scales, and the two kimono-clad females slowly started to swim towards home.

That’s because he believes you failed to inherit your late mother’s clairvoyance, Erina-sama, Hisako thought silently to herself. And it was imperative that Lord Azami continued to think that way, for all of their sakes. Erina-sama’s ability should never be used for the purpose of mongering power – Senzaemon-sama had already warned as much. Only grievous tragedy awaited seers who were forced down that path.

Hisako’s expression grew quietly grim with determination. She would not let her beloved mistress meet that fate. Time was running out, but Hisako had a plan, and she was not alone to execute it. She, together with the others whose lives had been touched by the kind, lonely princess, would make sure that Erina-sama’s happiness finds her…this time for sure.

She was being followed for a while now, that much was obvious. The one who was tailing her wasn’t even trying to be subtle about it, and she wondered what his deal was. 

She was not the most patient individual in the first place, so it did not take her long to reach the end of her tether. Screeching to a stop and whirling around sharply in a flare of flowing crimson fins, she quickly swam straight over to him. Her arms were akimbo, and he was so surprised by her charging approach he stilled, looking briefly like one of those startled woodland herbivores that lived in the forests around the great lake.

“Oi, you. Why are you…following…me…?” she asked, without preamble at first…and then, she just stared. She hadn’t had a good look at him earlier, but now that he was right before her... Oh.

She was very certain that they had never met before – she would have remembered a face like his otherwise. He reminded her of the moon, pale, silvery and enigmatic, and his scales glowed a brilliant white in the semi darkness of the deeper waters that they were currently in. He possessed immaculately striking features, and she had never seen any merperson with his coloring before.

And the intensity of his lavender gaze as he stared back at her…

Her indignation subsided, slowly taken over by a confusion of her senses. There was a hard jolt of recognition – or maybe it was connection – that she did not understand at all. It made no sense, this sense of familiarity that he gave off. She started to edge backwards, bewilderment clouding her delicate features; he was disorienting up close and she could not string together a coherent thought as she struggled to figure out who he was.

She wasn’t the only one afflicted with this strange condition.

Eishi’s mind went blank at her demanding question, and then the first three things that came to his mind in reply was ‘you’re breathtakingly beautiful, you make me feel things I’ve never felt before, and I want to make babies with you,’ all in that specific order. None of the three were embellishments at all, though before he could actually open his mouth and blurt out his feelings, his common sense came barreling into the picture, possibly saving him from making a complete idiot out of himself and scaring her away for good.

“I... What’s your name?” he asked her in return, trying to stall for some time to get his frazzled thoughts in order. “I’m Eishi. Tsukasa Eishi.”

“I’m Rindou.” She did not offer any last name. She also looked him up and down, promptly recognizing him for what he was. “You’re one of the nishikigoi.”

Not only that, but judging by the blinding, glittering white of his tail and fins, coupled with his striking noble features and the fine material of his yukata, he was obviously one of the rarer ones of that breed…which made him a member of the elite, then.

“…Yes, I am.” So that was her name. Rindou. The Gentian blossom. He quickly committed it to memory. It would not do for him to forget. “I’ve never seen you before, Rindou-san. Are you a citizen of Tootsuki? Where do you live?”

He was trying not to come across as too eager, but it was hard.

She frowned slightly. What was with this interrogation? “I’ve never seen you before either, and I get around. Anyway, what business have you with plain ‘ol me, koi?” 

He tried not to color at her unintentional double entendre. He did not entirely succeed – his alabaster complexion was not one that allowed him to hide his fluster easily. If anything, it enhanced the tinted hue of his cheeks, much to his chagrin. She looked at him like he was the strangest thing she had ever seen, her head cocked ever so slightly to the side. He could not help but admire her features all over again; the fine arch of her cheekbones, the slender bridge of her nose, those tilted, exotic eyes, her full, red mouth. She also possessed a sharp little pair of pearly fangs, and her incisors poked out over her bottom lip. He stared at her dazedly.

Gods, she was gorgeous.

“…There’s nothing plain about you at all,” he finally responded, and her brow shot up. His eyes widened imperceptibly when he realized his faux pas. He snapped out of it and hurriedly continued. “Our paths crossed earlier, back at the glade. You were…dancing across the fern meadow like you were light as air…I was mesmerized,” he offered…almost shyly.  

Was she dancing across anything? She could not remember. She had been doing her usual thing as always, and hadn’t really paid attention to her surroundings. Also…

“You were mesmerized…by me?” she echoed curiously, her gossamer thin caudal fins lazily fluttering back and forth to keep her from being displaced by the currents. What even was that supposed to mean?

“Yes.” He stopped, then slowly, carefully, declared his intention as boldly as he dared. “May I swim with you?”

Her mouth fell open. What was he saying?

“You’re nishikigoi,” she repeated again, the moment she recovered from her bewilderment.

His brow furrowed in concern. Did she dislike him for some reason? “Is that a bad thing?”

Was he being deliberately obtuse? Did an anchor fall on his head? Her frown deepened.

“I know your kind. And you’re not just any average ningyo; you’re one of those extra special snowflakes, aren’t you? You lot only breed amongst yourselves,” she concluded. Something about keeping the noble bloodlines pure or similar nonsense. She did not presume to understand the odd notions of the wealthy and powerful.

He didn’t think that her observations were meant to be complimentary.

“…You’re right,” he agreed quietly.

She pointed to herself.  “Exactly! I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not the same as you. You’re courting the wrong type of fish here.” Why were all the handsome ones kind of airheaded and spacey, she lamented to herself.

“No, I found the right fish. You’re very beautiful and I’ve been utterly captivated,” he told her with serious, utmost sincerity.

She stared at him. Huh?

“…You think I’m beautiful?”

“Yes.”

She stared some more. This was the first time she had been told this so honestly by someone…and he actually seemed to genuinely think it, too.

…Huh.

“You want to court me…because I’m beautiful?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation whatsoever.

“Nothing else?”

“…” He looked at her blankly, not sure what she was expecting him to say. Where he came from, there was nothing more prized than appearance, which often went hand in hand with power.

That was not the case where she was concerned, unfortunately, and she started to scowl, offended.

“What about my amazing sense of humor? What about my bright, sunny personality?” she demanded, swimming closer to him in fiery, passionate pique. “My virtuous kindness and consideration towards the young, the weak and the elderly? And my flawless hunting skills? My angelic singing? How quickly I can open up a can of whoop-ass? My ability to eat everything deliciously and cleanly?”

At the reminder of food, her stomach gave out a hungry little gurgle. Sheesh, he could have brought food as a courtship offering, if he was really serious. What was with this sea monkey. What on earth was she even supposed to do with ‘you’re very beautiful?’ Could she eat that? No!

He blinked owlishly. He had only ever been taught that courting was to be gentle, subtle, delicate, but she was so vibrant and lively and candid that he was completely caught off guard. She was definitely nothing like the other mermaids whom he was used to…and as such, he was at a loss when it came to actually figuring out what it was that she sought from him.

“…Then, you wish to be praised more…?”

“No…! I mean, you don’t know me, and I also don’t know you, Sparkly!”

“Sparkly?” Now he was the one who sounded faintly incredulous.

“Yah, ‘coz you’re all sparkly with your shiny scales and tail,” she gestured at his lower half, long and sleek and shimmering. He called her beautiful, but she was quite sure that he was the prettier one. “Sparkly.”

He was nonplussed by the nickname that she had just saddled him with. He would rather she call him koi, if she really had to give him a pet name.

“…Are we already at the stage of giving each other endearments?” he asked, hesitantly.

“Hahh??”

He made no sense to her, this merman who had just elegantly glided into her life and then bravely requested to court her. Did he even know who she was? Was this how things usually went with his kind? No wonder these nobles were all so wonky and illogical!

“…Benitsuki,” he decided then, distracting her from her thoughts. His eyes ran carefully, intently, over her scarlet hair, her graceful features.

“I’d call you Benitsuki...because you draw me to you just like the moon draws in the tides.”

She paused at his calm, earnest note of admiration, reluctantly caught in the snare of his glowing, intelligent gaze. An inexplicable shiver of awareness ran up her spine at this gentle, tender intimacy; what was this strange ability of his, that allowed him to touch her without physically doing so? Her cat-slit pupils slowly dilated, her face suddenly feeling too warm for comfort.

She found herself at a loss for words, and that triggered her instincts to execute the next most appropriate action.

She cocked her arm back, chambered a punch, and slugged him in the solar plexus.

His eyes widened.

His breath whooshed out of him; she acked a wallop and that one blow was enough to send him reeling back – she was impressively strong.

“Ow-” he wheezed in comical shock and incomprehension, still doubled over. She absently shook out her stinging hand. He was surprisingly solid…for a sparkly thing.

“This is how my people court.”

…Eh?

“You still have no idea what I am?” She tossed her head and lifted her chin, her bright, brilliantly crimson caudal fins languidly unfurling like a peacock’s tail, dazzling, iridescent. There was only one species of merpeople that displayed with such elaborate appearance.

Comprehension slowly dawned in his gaze-

“I’m a fighting fish, so if you still think you want me, then your fancy ass better be good enough to wrestle me into submission first.” 

Glossary: Ningyo - human fish, i.e. mermaid/merman/merperson Omiai - traditional, formally arranged matchmaking between a man and a woman to consider the possibility of marriage Koi - means ‘carp,’ also homophone that can mean ‘affection’ or ‘love’ Nishikigoi - brocaded carp, ornamental carp Ogon Nishikigoi - a special variety of nishikigoi that’s of one solid color only. E.g. gold, platinum-white. Benitsuki - Crimson Moon

Eishi: Ogon Nishikigoi (solid, platinum-white) Rindou: Japanese/Siamese Fighting Fish (solid, blood red, rosetail) Erina:  Ogon Nishikigoi (solid, gold) Hisako: Blood Parrot Cichlid (pink orange ombre)

A/N #03: Sometimes I wonder what happens when two ningyo of different species (and different courtship behaviors) come together, and I guess I ended up exploring that idea in this drabble. 

Koi fishes are traditionally bred for their appearances (still are), whereas Japanese/Siamese fighting fishes were once bred and prized for their fighting ability. Koi fishes court with the male swimming with/following close by their chosen female, whereas Japanese/Siamese fighting fishes show off their genetic prowess by aggressively fighting off the competition, and sometimes the females fight the males too. 

Side note: This AU willfully ignores the effects of sexual dimorphism in nature, so in other words - all ningyo genders are capable of displaying vibrant, colorful appearances, not just restricted to the males of the species.