#to the city that is underwater and full of mermaids

[fray-bird]

would y’all be interested in the mermaid/apocalyptic world I have bouncing around like a caged monkey in my scull? I have many cool thoughts and hopefully some people will agree.

[sims-himbo]

THE SIMS 4: BARBIE Legacy Challenge!

oh hi there! i haven't posted here in a while, but i just watched the barbie movie a few days ago and needless to say, it is now my entire personality. so here's my first ever legacy challenge based on barbie's many, many careers and achievements!

apologies in advance, this challenge uses a lot of packs! i'm sorry! i might try to make a base game version at some point

BASE GAME version

portuguese translation by @demaciana-sims

sims 3 version by @appaloosawhims

challenge rules below the cut

All heirs must be female and named Barbie. (non-heir children may have any name)

You may use the freerealestate cheat for your first house, but try not to use money cheats after that!

You are allowed and encouraged to use lot traits and rewards to boost skill gain, anything that’s in-game is fair game.

Packs you will need:

EPs: Get To Work, City Living, Cats & Dogs, Get Famous, Island Living, High School Years

GPs: Spa Day*, Parenthood

Optional packs (for the optional generations):

EPs: University, Cottage Living, Horse Ranch

GPs: Strangerville

*You only need Spa Day for the High Maintenance trait in one of the generations and nothing else, so it's fine to skip out on it.

You've been raised with traditional values: find a good man, start a family, be a homemaker... But you want your children to aim higher, so you'll make sure to set them up for success.

Complete Successful Lineage aspiration

Max Parenting and Cooking skills

Have at least 3 kids and 1 pet, each child must complete at least one child aspiration and they must all max out their grades in school

Must have Family-Oriented trait

Your mother was happy staying at home, but not you. You're ready to fight your way to the top and make enough money to support your family for generations to come.

Complete Fabulously Wealthy aspiration

Max Charisma and Logic skills

Max Business career (Investor branch)

Must have Ambitious trait

Your family is pretty wealthy, so you've used your funds to open up your very own vet clinic and follow your dreams of being surrounded by furry little guys all day! But it might be more difficult than you thought...

Complete Friend of the Animals aspiration

Max Veterinarian skill

Run a 5-star vet clinic

Have at least 3 pets and be good friends with all of them

Must have either Cat Lover or Dog Lover trait

You grew up surrounded by pets, and you now want to explore even more of the animal kingdom... So you're going underwater! What magical secrets will you discover on your journey?

Must live in Sulani

Complete Beach Life aspiration

Max Conservationist career (Marine Biologist branch)

Become a mermaid

Max Logic and Fitness skills

Must have Child of the Ocean trait

Your mother had an almost supernatural level of fitness at sea, so now you've been inspired to master fitness on land! You're determined to reach your full potential in physical performance and become a world class champion.

Join Cheer or Football team as a teenager and reach highest level

Complete Bodybuilder aspiration

Max Fitness and Charisma skills

Max Athlete career (Athlete branch)

Must have Active trait

Your family has achieved many, many accolades, and you've set out to capture all of it in an epic Tell-All novel that you spend your entire life writing!

Complete Bestselling Author aspiration

Max Writing skill

Write Book Of Life and bind it to your parent, use it to successfully bring them back from a premature death

Must have Creative trait

Movie stardom is the next logical step for your lineage, so you set out to conquer the silver screen. Will you catapult the family name into even greater heights, or will it now be associated with infamy?

Complete Master Actress aspiration

Max Acting skill

Must reach at least Proper Celebrity status

Must have a secret affair with a fellow Actor!

Must have High Maintenance trait

As the child of a successful actress, people may roll their eyes and immediately write you off as yet another nepo-baby trying to start a music career... So you must prove them all wrong by becoming a proper rockstar!

Complete World Famous Celebrity aspiration

Max Singing skill

Max skill in at least 2 instruments

Max Entertainer career (Musician branch)

Must have Music Lover trait

What's next after conquering so many careers and reaching worldwide fame for the family name? World domination, of course! Become the greatest Leader this nation has ever seen!

Complete Mansion Baron aspiration

Max Politician career (Politician branch)

Max Charisma skill

Must have Self-Assured trait

Now that you've conquered the world, it's time to venture out into Space! There's so much to explore out there, and Barbie must leave her mark all across the galaxy.

Complete Nerd Brain aspiration

Max Astronaut career (Either branch)

Max Logic and Rocket Science skills

Go to SIXAM at least once and bring a souvenir

Must have Genius trait

Still want more? Here's some extra Barbies that you can play with!

Secret Agent Barbie

Complete Bodybuilder aspiration

Must have Active and Geek traits

Complete Secret Agent career (Diamond Agent branch)

Max Logic, Fitness and Charisma skills

Become enemies with a Sim in the Villain branch of the Secret Agent career! (You may need to cheat this career level for sims outside your household)

Countryside Barbie

Complete Country Caretaker aspiration

Max Gardening skill

Must make all money from gardening, farming, wine making, etc. No day job!

Must own a horse and have it max every skill

Must have Animal Enthusiast trait

Army General Barbie

Must live in Strangerville

Complete Strangerville Mystery aspiration

Max Logic and Charisma skills

Max Military career (Either branch)

Must have Erratic trait

Scientist Barbie

Complete Nerd Brain aspiration

Max Scientist Career

Be abducted by Aliens at least once

Must have Genius trait

Ultimate Barbie

Set lifespan to long

Complete at least 2 child aspirations

Complete Renaissance Sim AND Academic aspirations

Max 10 skills

Have 12 or more traits

Graduate from college

Reach the top of any career

Have a house worth 1 Million Simoleons

Have at least 5 kids and max your relationship with all of them

that's about it! if you play this, please use #sims barbie legacy

have fun:)

[silkjade]

alhaitham x mermaid!reader (2)

⤀ warnings: fem!reader, no pronouns mentioned a/n: recommended to read the previous part first, since this is a direct continuation next ﾉ series masterlist ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𓇼

For the past three weeks since your last encounter, Alhaitham returns to the cove as usual, only to be met with no one. On the fourth week, he finally spots you lounging on a large rock, moonbathing under the pale light. The thought that it’s no wonder sailors are so easily enraptured, flits across his mind as he wades towards your rock.

It’s a shame that the moment your eyes meet, you dive back into the sea, the clear waters darkened under the blanket of night. He calls out your name only once, betting on the assumption that you’re still lurking close by. Sighing, he continues.

“I apologize for last time. I’d like to take you up on your offer.”

“… if it still stands of course,” he adds quickly.

There’s a hint of hesitance that lines alhaitham’s words, which is unusual for one normally so confident. Even more so, you notice he isn’t wearing his headphones — not over his ears nor around his neck. How interesting… perhaps you will surface.

“No ‘soundproof earpieces’ tonight?”

“They’d never last in the underwater pressure, so I’d really prefer if they at least stay intact for use on land.”

“And what if I decide to drown you right now? You wouldn’t be able to resist my song.”

It’s true, he probably wouldn’t. But logically speaking, a mermaid who’s chosen to aid him in perfecting his linguistics (multiple times), likely wouldn’t pose a huge threat. On the other hand, he did possibly offend you during your last meeting. In addition, mermaids were notoriously known to be headstrong and fickle as the sea itself. If that were truly the case…

“Then that would be bad luck for me.”

Always so cool, always so calm. The back of your fingers graze past his ear, tempting fate.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“No.”

To be honest, Alhaitham isn’t sure if you’re somehow testing him, what with the way your voice comes out honey sweet to his ears. But his mind is clear and his resolve is strong. He just hopes it translates well to you, despite the slight waver in his hushed voice.

“I know what a kiss means to you humans…” you say, tracing your fingers down the side of his neck, stopping only to toy with the gem on his chest. It’s faint, but you can feel his heartbeat pick up. Blinking once, twice, you look up, holding his gaze, and repeat the question that had left a questionable mark on your correspondence. “Do you trust me?”

There’s no denying that Alhaitham is a smart man; he’s learned from his mistake and knows how to answer this time around. Lifting your chin, he gently pulls you in and seals the distance between you with his lips. Your arms wrap around his neck, deepening the kiss, before sinking below the surface, effectively tugging him along, and sending him tumbling into the water with you.

The coldness of the ocean is worlds apart from the warm sumeru air. Alhaitham jerks away, expecting to feel the familiar sting in his nose, but it never comes and he finds himself breathing water like air. You grasp his hand, dragging him into a world unknown — at least to him. You will happily be his guide.

“Well come on. Enough floundering around, we’ve got lots to see.”

After a night of swimming, Alhaitham is absolutely exhausted by the time the two of you make it back to the little cove. Even with the ability to breathe underwater, his human body is still no match for the strong currents of the depths.

“I’ve always wondered why you call yourself feeble, but I see it now,” you tease.

He really only has the energy for a halfhearted retort. “Come to Sumeru City, and then we’ll see.”

…

It’s a long pause before either of you speak again. Only the rolling of tides breaks the silence in the night.

“Do you mean it?” you ask softly, glancing at your tail. The remaining water droplets glisten under the full moon; you’d have a pair of legs once completely dry. Some of your kind yearned for the world above, but you’ve never quite understood the appeal until now.

“Mmm..” It’s a half conscious hum before drifting off to sleep against the cavern walls.

Behind some rocks lay his usual belongings which he had left hidden earlier in the night. You drape his strange half-cape over his sleeping form, recalling how humans tend to get cold easily in the sea breeze, especially while wet.

“Hey, wake up. It’s noon.”

And so Alhaitham opens his eyes to find your face hovering inches from his. Upon further inspection (and after blinking away the sleep from his eyes), he notices that not only has your tail been replaced with a pair of legs, but that you’re also… completely bare.

“What are you—”

Immediately, he turns his head away, choking on his words as a heated blush tints his face. With the reveal that you did in fact know the human implications of a kiss, he’s sure you also know what you’re currently doing as well. But for now… he swiftly gets up, tossing his cape in your direction. He’ll have to make a stop at port ormos to buy you some real clothing later.

It’s amusing, how a man so collected falters in the face of intimacy. With a sly grin, you cover your naked figure, though it quickly fades when you see him packing to leave the privacy of the cavern.

“H-hey help me up!”

“Oh? Feeling feeble, are we?”

a/n2: help i'm so invested in this au i'm probably going to do a third part, so send me an ask or just reply below if you'd like to be added to the series taglist ! thank you for reading ♡

© silkjade — do not steal, plagiarize, translate or repost any content onto any other platform

[honourablejester]

I’m reading back over my subterranean fantasy/D&D setting of Osh Derrinalina, the Land of the Lightless Sea, and you know what? It still makes me really happy. It’s a whole bunch of city states, island nations and fungal hinterlands focused around an 80 mile long, 40 mile wide abyssal sea 6 miles down under the surface of the world, and it makes me happy.

Some highlights:

The oldest people to call the sea home are a race of midnight black translucent bioluminescent abyssal merfolk that were inspired rather strongly by black dragonfish (Idiacanthus atlanticus), because I just really wanted some terrifying abyssal mermaids who are actually quite friendly. Also the image of a subterranean pitch black sea where bioluminescent mermaids live and trade.

The second oldest people are a race of pale bioluminescent spider people who powerfully believe in community, because if I’m making a subterranean setting, by god I’m getting all the mileage I can out of bioluminescence.

There’s also a tribe of pale goblins from the island of death that tattoo themselves with phosphorescent fungal ink from a vast, possibly sentient pit into the realm of the dead. They’re also pretty chill guys.

Half the sea is fed from a vast fungal forest on a shelf around the cavern, at the center of which stands a vast and sacred mound of bat poop that provides 90% of the fertiliser and protein for the nations of the Lightless Sea, and the price for killing one of the sacred bats is death in half the cavern. This is because I watched a David Attenborough documentary one time about cave ecology that featured something similar, and it’s the sort of image that sticks with you.

The main cities of the sea are Ysea, the city of black stone and bioluminescent spider silk that is the primary home of the spider people and the main trade hub of the region, Durgenrath, a clifftop dwarven trade port further down the sea, Muarra, the unfathomably ancient merfolk capital that covers 50 square miles of the sea floor near Ysea, and Tchorit, the glowing crystal stalactite city on the ceiling.

Ysea and Muarra started trading thousands of years ago when the abyssal mermaids came to the black stone shore to trade, and the spider people went underwater in return in diving bells made of their luminescent silk, because I was inspired by the diving bell spider, and it’s such a fantastic fucking image. Pale spider people being towed into the black depths in webs of luminescent silk by translucent abyssal mermaids. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad.

Tchorit is an industrial hub city and was made by ceiling gnomes who call themselves Starbuilders and who are currently in what is essentially a religious cold war with the merfolk over bringing light, in the form of crystal luminescence, to the sacred darkness of the Lightless Sea.

They are also in a cold war with the ancient shadow dragon of the northern wilderness of the sea over the same issue.

The gnomes have made a lot of enemies and are basically the most contentious inhabitants here, in other words.

They are allied with the dwarves. And with the crystal elementals who taught them how to grow luminous crystal cities in the first place. So there’s that.

There’s a secret path somewhere above the cavern roof that leads back to the crystal home caverns of said elementals, and it is ferociously defended. If you haven’t seen pictures of real life crystal caves, you’re in for such a treat. No subterranean fantasy setting would be complete without whole caverns full of vast white crystals, so I made them glowing crystals, because yes, we’re still getting all possible mileage out of subterranean luminescence.

The dwarves have a much less secret, though no less defended, passage from Durgenrath through the stone to Durgendelf, a dwarven city in its own cave that is famous for its artificial suns, because I really, really, really liked that element of Blackreach in Skyrim. Durgendelf has six massive artificial suns, and Durgendelf dwarves are famous farmers and gardeners as much as miners and tunnellers. So they also have a happy friendship with the mushroom people of Derrinalina’s fungal shelf.

The above-mentioned shadow dragon has a very friendly relationship with the above-mentioned cheerful death island goblins, and regularly goes on religious pilgrimages to the island’s temple town to pay his respects to the impossibly deep dry well into death at the centre of the island.

This pit into death is one of two in the Lightless Sea, though the other is underwater. The merfolk commend their dead to the Fathomless Delve, a gaping underwater chasm with an upcurrent that only allows the merfolk dead to actually sink. The merfolk believe that this upcurrent is where all the waters of the sea originate.

The gnomes, on the other hand, believe that the waters of the sea come from the massive fucking waterfall that pours from the ceiling above the northern half of the Lightless Sea, all the way down from the seas on the surface miles above. This titanic waterfall is slowly but surely tearing through the ceiling on that half of the cavern, and has eaten a massive pit in the sea floor below it as well.

It is also possibly the origin of Zarathea, the Lightless Sea’s legendary albino (or possibly undead) dragon turtle that drifts around the wild, black, uninhabited northern half of the Lightless Sea, occasionally pretending to be a rocky island to fatally surprise sailors. One of the theories is that Zarathea fell through the waterfall from the surface seas as a baby dragon turtle. Or, given how weird it is, possibly it’s a native of the Lightless Sea. Nobody knows, and the shadow dragon at the very least would very much like to.

The massive waterfall, if it does finally collapse the ceiling on the northern half of the sea and dump the entire contents of its higher reservoir into the sea at once, could well cause a massive tidal wave that would destroy everything closer to the sea’s surface than Durgenrath. The gnomes, despite living on the ceiling, are extremely worried about this. The spider people and death goblins, despite living directly on the shore, are not. Whether that’s blind optimism or they know something the gnomes don’t is anyone’s guess.

I said the Lightless Sea is 80 miles long, but the northernmost reaches of it haven’t actually been discovered yet by anyone from the southern end of the cavern, so the exact extent of the northern shore isn’t actually known. And the sea floor on that end of the cavern goes deep, and stays going deep, a vast sloping descent to the north. There could be just about anything down there.

I had so much fun with this setting. Also, worldbuilders note: watch nature documentaries. And history documentaries. Just history and nature and geology and science and archaeology in general. There’s some really cool and inspiring shit in them. Our world is really weird and really cool, and I promise you that a lot of fantasy worlds are nearly boring by comparison. Pick one really weird little thing, bat dung, or spider diving bells, or bioluminescence, and build some funky societies around them, it’s so much fun.

I am still so proud of this setting. I love it.

[weekend-whip]

📓❕️❕️❕️

Source Prompt

wELL for starters there's ironically the lack of plot for the mermaid au that's been giving me brainrot since last year (in which that's still the technically bare-bones plot I've got lol), and only this snippet has made it to the internet, with everything else just being a general blob of barely connected bleh...on top of the fact that I changed up/expanded some of the concepts:

Zane and Pixal and now fully human (for irony), not just Zane, and they run a bakery/coffee shop together! On the side they work as volunteer beach conservationists, as they are of the belief that merpeople walk among them (also they somehow know Cole's secret but don't confront him about it until he's ready), but it's also this open comfort and concern for merpeople that draws Cole to them in the first place

Cole's still a hobbyist artist and dj by night, but in the day he helps out around Zane's shop (working extra for free cake) and assists with beach clean-up every now and then too (along with Sunni, who is a very vocal advocate for the environment in this scenario). He's always stuck watching how perfect Zane and Pixal are for/with each other and starts to desire something like that for himself. (i've also debated him on making him a pirate-without-being-a-pirate for the aesthetic, but maybe I'll just give him a hot adventurous sea-outfit instead)

The reason Miranda has her disability in this au is due to a fisherman attack, which translates to her mermaid form missing one arm and half of her tailfin. It's still easier for her to move around in water than it ever would be on land, so she's somewhat confined to the ocean, and Jesse feels obligated to stay with her because of it (despite how much she knows he wants to explore/live more of his life on land) and keeps trying to push him into joining Cole's adventures in the city

Harleigh actually gets to be kind of an antagonist–as its via her boat that Jesse and Miranda get caught up in when Cole makes his daring rescue, but I'm still chiseling out some of her motivations. Just know she gets to be a full pirate here hfgdfgd

Kai and Nya are now the children of two half-mers, resulting in their genes getting a little...weird. Neither of them are able to transform like their parents (or if they are able, it causes them a lot of pain), and as a result, Nya has a full mermaid form with more humanoid features, while Kai is a human stranded on land but has a lot of fishy features.

Jay, an octopus, thinks he's a full-blooded fish, but turns out he actually has a human dad. Might not be able to transform though, because eight underwater legs don't translate well to two human legs (okay just got the hilarious image of him trying to pull something off like that one octodad video game shgfdgfd), but again, still workshopping this

Lloyd and Skylor are powerful full-mers who can still transform regardless, but they still look remarkably non-human/fishy even when on land. Skylor spends more time on land, while Lloyd spends more time in the ocean. And I know we've deliberated on it in the past, but I still haven't nailed down what kind of fish I want Lloyd (and Skylor) to be just yet either. I don't even know if they're even going to have a big enough role in the story to warrant a full-on backstory—I just wanted them to be included xD

[cucullas]

Myths in the Frontiers | Legends and stories of border regions

Borders are strange places a separation and contact for different countries, cultures, and people. Contraband, death, and wars, the frontiers are also habitated by shared myths, merchants, and visitors. Why wouldn't some visitors from other dimensions walk those borders too?

i. The Sonoran desert is far from inhabited. Home to many cultures since Precolumbian times and to rich fauna and flora the desert has been a place of contact between Mexico and the USA, trade, immigration and also supernatural histories regularly roam the desert. Sasquatch sightings might have been registered since the Spanish chronicles and are still common in both sides of the border, legends of ghosts abound: from La Llorona, the weeping woman looking for the children she murdered, to ghost border patrols and Chinese camps haunt the cool night. The desert's clear skies might be the reason why many ufo sightings are reported from Hermosillo, a mexican hotspot of ufos to the alien lights that supposedly were seen over Phoenix.

ii. A sacred lake from where the mythical ancestors of the Incas were born and where Uros culture built their artificial islands and developped their totora boats. The lake is still central to many indigenous cultures and to inhabitants. Close to the busy border city of Desaguadero there are many legends of the lake, from a mermaid who can kill or offer riches, to underwater cities or tunnels connectings with other worlds. A large lake with seagulls and waves, 280m deep and nestled between mountains it's bottom remain unexplored but treasures have been undercovered at times my archeologists showing the rich stories and histories of the lake.

iii. The German-French border witnessed centuries of rivalry and war but also the glory of Charlemagne's Emrpire. Where Germanic encounters Frenc Romand and Celtic tradition many stories developped. Lorelei was a mermaid turned cultural icon in the XIX century and the gold of the Nibelungs might be on it's bottom. The Rhine river was also said to have been a vast sea where vessels rooms or contain lost souls. This area is at the origins of a legend commonly know in the western world: it's near the Rhine were supposedly an underground lake contains new souls that a magical dwarf fishes with a golden net and a storks delivers to new parents.

Iv. A rare tripoint or order between three countries the Mongolian-Russian-Chinese border is full of legends. From secret soviets cities that indeed existed to the ghost of Chinese merchants haunting the mongolian mountains. The Altai mountain range, home to the Altai people of Turkic origin these peaks are said by russian stories to be place of contacts between the human and supernatural world. Modern cities and trains cross the mountains where petroglyphs tells stories about ancient herding traditions and shamans.

[vacantgodling]

Hey hey! Okay so youre my newest followed writeblr, and i absolutely followed because of a post where you were talking about a WIP, i think you called it teardrops? Anyways, it tore my damn heart out and i DESPERATELY wanna hear more if you wanna talk about it?

FIRSTLY that makes me very very soft thank you so much for following cuz of that story its v special to me (despite talking about a thing i hate personally—the ocean LMAO)

but in this i also realized that i never actually talked about what the plot of teardrops is.... so this is as good an excuse as any.

SO, the full title of this wip is called teardrops of the gods.

it takes place in my big ol shared wip world in this country (doesn't have a name yet tho) & in the western sea <- that way lol

and the plot is as follows:

Ancient Sea Glass or Teardrops of the Gods are relics believed to have been shed by The Great Kraken, essentially the creator of the world in this island's mythos. Its body was split apart to create the land that people stand on and the sea glass is rumored to be the last remnants left of its ancient power. Pirates and adventurers have searched for the sea glass for ages because of its supernatural properties:

(1) If you take out your eye and replace it with sea glass, it allows you to control the whims of other's minds and bodies like puppets.

(2) If you wear as a ring on your hand you can control water and the ocean around you. Cities will crumble under your might.

(3) If you collect 5 and leave them under the light of The Wolf Moon, they will light the way to an underwater city which holds The Kraken's Heart and those who consume it gain immortality.

The location of teardrops themselves is a mystery. Few have solved the legendary riddle that conceals their location:

In the nail of the ocean under the sea Guided by the moon's light Beneath its flesh this bounty lies For those whose eyes are bright Should you manage to sneak beneath And its plunder yours in sight Beware your temples, oh brave sailor Lest you fall down and die

However... there has been one man and his crew that have managed it; the crew of the nefarious and bloodthirsty Captain Ghost Eye; and the key to how he did it lay within his son and our main character QUILL, who he abandoned at 14 to die amid the desert regions of a foreign land unknown. And unbeknownst to Ghost Eye, Quill survived, making it to (insert country here) and laying low, mingling with locals such as Cinnamon (Cinn) and Mz.

.... But the call of the sea is strong. And as Ghost Eye begins plundering down the coast, looking for him, Quill knows that he has to face his destiny.

so as a shorter summary with more details about Quill beloved (with a bit of spoilers):

Quill is a half-merman son of a Daughter of the Sea (a mermaid goddess and daughter of The Great Kraken) and the most fearsome pirate lord on the sea, Ghost Eye. the young goddess was captured and brutalized until she finally produced a child and perished giving birth to him. Quill was then raised by the pirate lord in squalor until at 14 they finally discovered the answer to the sea glass riddle and he was thrown overboard to retrieve the sea glass, or die. The fact that he's part merman is actually integral as to how he was able to snag just One sea glass, however, he had to return to the surface before he could regain more.

At the time, Ghost Eye only desired one sea glass to put in his eye, so he then marooned Quill to die in a desert (no access to water would kill him faster than a normal human) but he was saved when he was found by a caravan and he managed to make his way all the way up to coast where the story starts. unfortunately i haven't named the town or country yet Rip BUT we move. his nature makes him long for the call of the sea but he knows if his father learns that he is alive, he’ll either capture him again or try to kill him, so he ignores his nature for years… at least until finally word of his father's tearing down towns reaches his ears and quill realizes he can't hide anymore.

[shadowqueen402]

Since Mer-May is a thing, can you whip up a fanfic of Illusion Demon Jett rescuing a mermaid? Said mermaid will be Aria of course. I did see the commission image on your profile after all. Being a demon, Jett doesn’t need to breathe. He can survive in space without a space suit and breathe underwater without scuba gear.

Sure. Do forgive me for the wait.

Given the fact that he wasn't too particularly busy, Jett decided to venture around in the real world, looking for a way to keep him occupied. He obviously wasn't in the mood to wander around in the city. Especially on a hot day like this.

That was when an idea clicked to Jett. He could head over to the beach and relax. Jett couldn't remember the last time that he relaxed due to how busy he usually was. And as far as he knew, he almost never went to the beach.

With a hum, Jett made his way to the beach. He was expected the beach to crowded with lots of people. But to his surprise, the beach was rather vacant despite being open. Nevertheless, he breathed a sigh of relief and found a real shaded spot for him to relax in. A very slight smile appeared on his face for once.

Of course, the relaxation didn't last as long as Jett would hope. Because he immediately started to feel bored. He sat up, just in time to see…a large bubble emerge to the surface of the water. "Crikey!" Jett exclaimed. "Where did that bubble come?"

The bubble suddenly popped and a female's voice cried out. "Help me!"

Jett blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. He normally would have just shrugged it off as his mind playing tricks on him. But there was a feeling in his gut that told him he needed to check it out.

Jett stood up and approached the water. He took several steps into the water until he found himself going deeper. Then, he dunked himself fully underwater and started swimming down.

Being a demon had its perks. One of them just so happened to be the ability to breathe underwater. Jett looked around underwater, ignoring the sea creatures that passed by, while trying to find out where the voice was coming from. So far, he didn't see anyone or anything that could have given him a clue as to who cried for help.

Jett found himself swimming deeper underwater. By now, it was rather dim compared to when he was close to the surface. "Where did that voice come from?" He asked himself.

"HELP ME!" That same female voice cried again. Only this time, it was louder. This meant that Jett was getting really close to the sound. It was obvious that the source of the sound was near.

Jett swam a bit more deeper. Not only could he swim underwater, but he could also see in the dark. And in the distance, he could see what appeared to be a cage, nestled in the middle of some rocks.

Either Jett believed he was going crazy or he actually saw what he was seeing; a creature whose upper body resembled a young lady and whose lower body was a fish tail. "Is that…a mermaid!?" He exclaimed to himself.

The mermaid must have heard Jett's voice because she turned to where he was and grasped at the bar. "Please…save me!" She cried out. "Before the pirate ship comes back!"

A pirate ship? Jett now had more questions, but he knew that those can wait until he rescued her. With a blast of full speed, Jett swam over to the cage that the mermaid was in and grabbed onto the bars. "Get back a little," He commanded the mermaid.

Once she swam back, the mermaid watched in wonder as Jett managed to part the bars, creating a hole that was wide enough for her to swim through. "Try coming out now."

With a nod, the mermaid began to swam through the hole. And just in time as the shadow of a ship appeared up ahead. An anchor splashed down and hooked itself onto the top of the cage. The mermaid approached Jett as the cage started to get lifted up by the anchor.

"Thank you for saving me," The mermaid said to Jett before taking a good look at him. "You don't look like a sea creature."

"'Cause I'm not," Jett replied. "Rather, I'm a demon. I just so happen to breathe underwater. I'm Jett."

"Aria," Aria introduced herself. "I'm a mermaid. Those pirates were trying to abduct me and my people."

"Why is that?" Jett asked. "Are they the reason why you were trapped?"

Aria nodded. "The pirates are trying to get our tears. They firmly believe that mermaid tears are valuable as it was believed to heal the sick and injured."

"You'll be safe with me from now on," Jett said.

[lovelysweetdreamynfg]

I wanted to go through some unused sprites from lovely sweet dream! Cause that's always fun!

This was Lulu's original dream design. I've posted the art for it before. This was from very early concepts but I thought it was too bright for the overall theme. Although, the idea of a bright dream appearance in contrast to how brown Lulu usually is is a fun idea. There are also two unused possible friends like Touma and Amilia. They didn't get very far.

A mermaid effect was thought up with the other designs but there were a few issues. A) I didnt have an underwater area planned and didnt want to :P and B) I wanted her to have different appearances on land and sea and also an idle animation for underwater and uhh i didnt know how to do that (im sure there was a plug in but eh). Maybe one day she'll return

Happy Town and a Dead End one. I did want the train conductor to wave her flag as you set off on the train but the animation just didnt look good so i gave up quickly :P I wanted the axe alley girl to look at you when you approached but I couldnt figure that out. Getting the animation to work on its own was hard enough... Dabbled with the idea of having a spinny girl similar to the princess from LSDde in the castle but since I'd also designed the other princess and she suited better, she ended up getting evicted. And a little familiar friend... hm... was meant to be in Dead End but I opted out of it, there's already a youtuber reference in there and I didnt want it to feel a little too silly

Candlemas girls. Most of these are just 'you can't see the full appearance in-game' and an unused jug lady that probably ended up as the one from Dead End

And the odds and ends. A girl that was meant to be in the apartments area along with the doll and teddy. She's cute but just never found out how I wanted to implement her... v-v Dead girl for the dark city, inspired by LSDde ghost women An out of water pill bug from OIL. I opted out of having them on the boardwalk cause they're so thin it would be annoying if they were in your way. And full body versions of the forest characters that you never see. Sometimes I think I should have done more with them but... I guess an optional part with no reward is fine, the reward is seeing them reunited

And full face sprites like Paint and Miss Pretty. The first was an idea for LOVELY being made up of other dream denizens but I thought it was too silly rather than scary, plus it doesnt really look like LOVELY XT The red demon turned into the ambush in the dark city. I think I didn't know what else to do with him. And the final is the Lined Girl's victim. I suppose it could have worked for a rare scare or something like that, another one I didn't know what to do with. I still like the drawings though.

[fenway103]

Full reveal of my 🪸 piece, titled “My Home My Sea World” with Black Lights enabled!✨

Around the age of 10, I first watched "The Little Mermaid." Growing up in a landlocked city, the captivating underwater world from the film ignited my imagination. The ocean became a symbol of boundless possibilities for me. Ariel's courage in pursuing her dreams, confronting challenges, and venturing beyond comfort zones continues to inspire me. As I navigate life's ups and downs, rewatching the movie brings new insights, emphasizing appreciate for everything I already have, the love of family, and all the support around me! It's the acknowledgment of what I have that propels me forward, empowering me to pursue new dreams!

The mesmerizing ocean world sparks endless imagination. As we forge new civilizations, it's our responsibility to protect this beautiful planet. Love my home, love my sea world. 🌊💖

I’m truly grateful for all your love and support which have brought me back to one of my favorite events of the year!!! Catch me signing at the France Pavilion during the opening week. ✨✨✨ Swipe left for my appearance schedule, and spot the QR code in my second image for the complete list of artists at the 2024 Festival of the Arts! 🎨💖

#artfulepcot #festivalofthrarts

#disney #wondergroundgallery #disneyartist #art #artwork #disneylove #disneyig #instadisney #disneygram #disneyartwork #artist #papercraft #disneyworld #disneyart #waltdisney #disneyworld #fenwayfan #disneylife #waltdisneyworld #disneyfan #epcot #disneystyle #ariel #fenwayfan #fenwayweifan #paperart #paper #papercraft #festivalofthearts2024 #littlemermaid

[siren-amung-the-mermaids]

Chapter 8

Some cheap exposition

There were more mermaids in the water than there had been in over ten years. Sye could remember when he was younger the times mermaids kept in the sea, but that was long ago. He watched, disappointed, as mermaids began to populate the waters once more. What was once his sea alone is now theirs, and he felt zero kinship with them, with the exception of Raymond who had stayed all these years. 

Part of him wanted the freedom they had. Every time he watched them grow their fins he became fueled with subtle jealousy. Sure, there were plenty of fish in the sea, but none of them talked. The returning mermaids gave Sye suspicious side eyes, avoiding him. Last time they saw a siren was during the war, but he was a child. Now Sye was bigger and intimidated them even if he didn't intend to. 

Raymond led the returning underwater city in restoration efforts, making it as livable as it was before. Sye couldn't help but feel out of place, and not because he was a Syren. He hadn't really been a part of a community of people growing up, and all these mermaids were overwhelming. Not to mention most of them were around twenty years older than him, with a few exceptions from the mermaids chosen as kids. Like Victoria. 

“The oldest vampire I've ever met is Raven.” Victoria and Sye were chatting in open water, who had asked her many questions regarding the vampires on the surface. 

Victoria's husband was one of the Saraphan, so she knew much more than most.

“He's been one for longer than Volkar has been a city.” She continued. 

“He had some party last night in his tavern, karaoke night apparently got pretty wild.” Abigail, who had listened in joined them. 

“What happened?” Victoria poked, digging for tea. 

“Where you there before you hopped in the water?” 

“yes! Ok, so, you know Orpheus right? Somehow Raven had his as a guest singer! Never knew these two were friends.”

“They are?? He's one expensive performer!” 

Sye sat between them as he slowly became disinterested in their conversation. They rambled about Orpheus’s celebrity status and how Raven apparently joined him on stage in the middle of the show. 

“It was the biggest gathering of humans and vampires I had ever seen so peaceful, but the music reminded me of the effect sirens had on us. I left before it ended.” Abigail finished. 

Sye regained his interest with the innuendo that vampires somehow gained the voice of syrens, but he was already swimming away, and only paused that moment before leaving entirely. 

That night he was lost in thought. He so desperately wanted to find the link that vampyres and syrens apparently had, so many dots connecting without any proper tie to it all. He couldn't figure it out while chained to the waters, so he cooked up a plan to take a footstone to shore and see if he could demand his freedom from the moon itself. 

Syren had never held or attempted to use a footstone, but he would never know until he tried. Besides, He would return it eventually. They will stay in the water out of fear of vampires, so they won't need it anyway. 

Time came for the tired mermaids to turn in for the night. Raymond, in all his experience was hard to sneak up on, even fast asleep. Growing up Sye had fits of rather violent sleep-walking, and Raymond adjusted to the sleep schedule. 

It was easier than Sye was hoping. Raymond never wore his stone in his sleep, it had a habit of floating off. All he needed to do was grab it and go. Once he was out of earshot he raced with blurred speed to the surface, to the shore of Volkar. 

He realized he didn't have a plan. If this worked, where would he go? Raven seemed like a logical choice, but having never met him, he couldn't be sure. 

He breached the surface and paused to think a moment, slowly taking himself to the shallow waters. 

He began to see movement, heavy breathing and the sound of desperate running across the sand. His gaze locked with silver eyes, full of fear, running straight at him. He was shot by an arrow, and he looked back to the silver night.

*Saraphan.* If he is hunting this stranger, it's a vampire. I wouldn't let him die so easily, yet. Sye wasn't sure about vampires yet.

With nowhere to go, the silver eyed man jumped into the water, and Sye took him under and far enough from shore than the knight lost sight of him. 

Sye realized that the moonstone he had wasn't in his hand, and watched as the vampire grew fins and bulbs so identical to his own. 

He had five fingers, but shared his tail. The stranger seemed just as perplexed when he saw my claws, and made the connection to our tails as well. 

“Who are you?” He asked. 

“Sye.” 

The stranger seemed dissatisfied. 

“And you?” Sye asked. “Are you a vampire?”

“Raven Audren.” Sye saw it strange to give the full name, but was excited to hear that this was the popular vampire of Volkar. 

“I have so many questions.” 

[whatpennymade]

Do mermaids garden? 🪴

Do we think they have farms, or are they hunter-gatherer-types? 🪷

Are they nomadic, traveling the oceans, or do they create underwater cities in one place? 🪸

Perhaps they’re like seagulls and have learned to love hot dogs and french fries- hence the stories of how they lure ships to their doom… Beware the cargo ships full of french fries!

🍟🧜🏾‍♂️

[sabrina-vs-misty]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Gilded Dirt, issue iv

After a long subaquatic slumber Gilded Dirt has returned to the surface with the BERMUDA ▲ SADCORE issue ! Drifting ashore this summer !

As though transmitting from within the ‘vile vortex’, the plaintive music of Weyes Blood serves as a warning to treat the open ocean with reverence. Between the reluctant mermaid of Seven Words, the amphibious starlet beckoning her audience underwater in Movies, the waterlogged chorals of In Holy Flux and the whirlpool of classical collisions on Front Row Seat - the real (and make-believe) horrors and wonders of the sea are never far from sight.

Taking cues from the imagined wreckage recovery of 2019’s Titanic Rising, we invite you into the doldrums in search of treasure; glimpses of a phantom vessel, underwater cities in rust, abandoned sea forts, devotional letters cast adrift, living fossils, vampiric squid, titanic fauna and any trace of life after all in the sunken catacombs.

We are looking for submissions of poetry, flash fiction and flash essays on the topic of..

aimless drifting..

"aliens" of The Abyss..

Andromeda + Cetus..

Andromeda (750% Slower)..

billionaire hubris..

bottled messages..

coral skeletons..

deep-sea gigantism..

figureheads + apotropaic magic..

flotsam and jetsam..

Ghost of Maiden’s Peak..

ghost ships..

immortal jellyfish..

Jewels of the Sea (1961)..

Lake Lachrymose and its leeches..

lure of the siren..

Mary Celeste’s mythical mise en scène..

mutiny -and- bounty..

Ocean of Tears..

octopus cities..

Sailers Delight

(sea)bedroom pop..

Sea Punk..

Seven Words speculation..

St. Elmos fire..

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch..

The Jacuzzi of Despair..

The Milky Sea Effect..

whale-fall ecosystems..

x marks the spot..

You can submit under ONE of the following categories:

Flash essays / nonfiction: up to 500 words

1-3 pages of poetry in any form

Flash fiction: up to 100 words

All submissions must be sent as a .doc file. If you have nonstandard formatting you may additionally send a pdf. Submissions which do not adhere to word count will be disregarded. No need to send a full bio but a brief cover letter is appreciated.

Submissions should be sent to: gildeddirt.zine@gmail.com with subject heading ‘SUBMISSION: [CATEGORY]’. Categories are either ESSAY/POETRY/FICTION.

Please name your files: NAME_CATEGORY_DATE

Deadline: 12th April 2024

We aim to respond to all submissions within 2-3 months.

Gilded Dirt is a free e-zine edited by Douglas Pattison and Maria Sledmere. Unfortunately, we cannot offer payment to contributors. You can view past issues at

https://issuu.com/gildeddirt.

[void-echoing]

so i have a dsmp au where tommy is an aspiring photographer trying to get through college (high school). he has the ability to teleport at will, but he can’t control where he ends up. he always ends up back in his bed with his camera at midnight in his home timezone. most of the time, he gets really cool pictures of landscapes or high-rise cityscapes.

the basis of this au is that over the course of one summer, he runs into tiktok aesthetic-like worlds and gathers charms or small items from the people he meets. when he makes a bracelet with all the charms, he can visit each of his new friends whenever he pleases. he doesn’t realise it at first, but he eventually stops aging at 18 and his new friends show no signs of aging either. weird…

one day, as he’s setting up a picture of an abandoned desert town, a kid comes out of a building, tubbo. tubbo is wearing a gas mask and protective coverings you’d see in an apocalyptic setting. tommy snaps the picture and gets talking. when he wakes up at home, he has a dark green rock with a hole in the middle and the picture printed out and placed on his nightstand. he dreams of tubbo for weeks after. (wasteland/apocalypse imagines)

the second time it happened, he found himself in a bright neon-lit city that he didn’t recognise. there were hovering motorbikes, holographic technology, and glitchy typography everywhere he turns. he meets ranboo and his kid brother, michael, here. when he wakes up, a neon purple computer chip lies on his pillow next to him, the photo in his hoodie pocket. he dreams of meeting ranboo and michael for weeks after. (cyberpunk, new wave edits)

then, over time he learned to swordfight prince technoblade in a castle (dark royalty and elaborate outfits), read with historian eret in a 1800’s-styled library (warmly-lit academia clips), zoned out to weird music with georgenotfound in a dream-like place that seemed just the slightest bit off (weirdcore slideshows), scammed people with quackity in a casino (gambling/las vegas edits), contemplated existence with alien!purpled in a mansion floating in space (space/galaxy animations), flew with a winged sapnap during a beautiful sunset (drone flying videos/sunsets), made kandi jewellery with a brightly-dressed karl jacobs (kidcore), went on a dusk-time drive with dream across multiple state lines while singing old songs (summer nostalgia), got business advice from a bootlegger named schlatt in a speakeasy in 1920’s new york (gatsby edits/hidden rooms/20’s music), learned to bake with niki in a small house in the woods (cottagecore), just barely avoided getting killed with jack manifold in an american small town in the 80’s (analog horror/stranger things apocalypse theories), became pirate captain puffy’s assistant on the waves on an ocean somewhere (sailing/pirate larp cosplayers), danced with fairies led by queen hannah rose (fairycore/playing in the woods), walked on top of abandoned trains with ex-mercenary punz (exploring old train yards), explored coral reefs with siren!wilbur (underwater cameras/professional mermaids), and that isn’t even the full list!

[coffee-n-ocs]

Onyx Soul: Dana Carlisle, Half-Blood Siren (2001)

The 'Bastard' son of a Siren and her human lover, Dana is frowned upon by most of Gravesend, only being accepted by the Carson-Harlow siblings, as the rest of the town would like to get rid of him.

"Did your brothers leave you all by yourself, that's a risky move."

Name

Full Legal Name: Dana Ariel Hadley Carlisle First Name: Dana Meaning: From a surname that is of unknown origin Pronunciation: DAY-na Origin: English Middle Name(s): Ariel, Hadley Meaning(s): Ariel: Means 'Lion of God' in Hebrew, from ''Ari' meaning 'Lion' and ''El' meaning 'God' Hadley: From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning 'Heather field' in Old English Pronunciation: EHR-ee-al/AR-ee-al, HAD-lee Origin: Hebrew, English, French, Spanish, Polish, Biblical, Biblical Greek. English Surname: Carlisle Meaning: From the name of a city in northern England Pronunciation: KAHR-liel Origin: English Aliases: Dan Carlyle, Ariel Hadley Nicknames: Dan, Ana, D.C, Ari Titles: Mr

Characteristics

Age: 23 Gender: Male. He/Him Pronouns Race: 1/2 Siren 1/2 Human Nationality: American Ethnicity: White Birth Date: 28th August 1978 Sexuality: Bisexual Religion: Raised following the 'Water Spirit' Native Language: English Spoken Languages: English, (some) Spanish, (Some) French Relationship Status: Single (Has a crush on both Phoenix and Navy) Astrological Sign: Virgo Face Claim: Jack Black

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Gravesend Current Residence: Gravesend Have They Been Beyond The Veil: Yes

Appearance

Height: 5'6" / 168 cm Weight: [Data Redacted] Eye Colour: Brown Hair Colour: Brown Hair Dye: None Body Hair: Hairy Facial Hair: Full Beard Tattoos: None Piercings: None Scars: gills hidden as scars when above water Clothing Style: Beach shorts, graphic T-shirts

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social drinker Illnesses/Disorders: None permanent, gets gill infections if he swims in fresh-water Medications: Takes pills to prevent infections and to make sure he can breathe for longer underwater Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Affiliated Groups: None Friends: Hayden Harlow, Phoenix Carson, Navy Carson-Harlow, Harley Yancy Enemies: None, but the whole town seems to hate him Mentor: Daniyah Carlisle Significant Other: None Previous Partners: None of Note Parents: Abraham Maus (46, Father), Daniyah Carlisle (48, Mother) Parents-In-Law: None Siblings: None Siblings-In-Law: None Nieces & Nephews: None Children: None Children-In-Law: None Grandkids: None Other Notable Relatives: None

Notes

Occupation: Construction (Works with Hayden & Phoenix) Tropes: (Purely speculative)

Apparently Human Merfolk: Dana's half human, so he looks the most like a human being when above water.

Ear Fins: When below water

Fish People: when below water, though he still looks somewhat-human in comparison to pure-blood sirens

Sirens are Mermaids

Super Not-Drowning Skills: Due to being half human, Dana can only last 48 hours below water

[tropicxlmxchief]

Verse: FFXIV (Lore)

The tale of Etheirys's mermaids is sad indeed. Originating from the Tenth Shard, these creatures resulted from a crazed cult's attempt to survive the 6th Umbral Calamity. What resulted were strange, almost Au-Ra-like individuals with the ability to breathe underwater. No longer mortal, and without memory or leadership, they absconded into the depths, where culture was founded on the cycles of migration. Sometime later, one of them was discovered by a crew of pirates from Limsa Lominsa. Enchanted by her beauty, they brought her to the city, only narrowly escaping when they left her tank unattended. More were hunted by scholars and pirates alike, and eventually, their numbers dwindled. What was once a thriving civilization now contained only a hundred individuals, many of whom are now scattered across the various seas. Referred to as waterkin, mermaids are capable of primarily water-based magic, though many can also bless or curse ships and individuals. Possessed of unnatural beauty, and with hypnotic voices, stories of these creatures luring unwary sailors to their deaths are not unheard of. Many still seek them out, as the greatest boon a mermaid can give is the ability to breathe underwater through a kiss. The race are also, strangely, all female. A trait that has led to their moniker.

Overly cautious of the world above the sea, many mermaids spend their time secluded and far away from those mortals that harmed them all those years ago. Yet the youngest generation, those who have but recently become full adults, have slowly started to resurface once again, heedless of the possible dangers they now face.