badliifechoiice2 | I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

Mermaid AU Meme

Rules:
- Put down your character name and series in the subject header. Put down any preferences (romantic or if you're a mermaid/human) in the comment.
- Reply to other people! RNG a choice from the prompts below, or just come up with whatever on your own.
- This is not a strictly romance meme. Feel free to have whatever shenanigans you like.

Merfolk and Merfolk

1.
Little Mermaid it
♢ One of you is a merperson with something you want. (Power? Help figuring out what this weird human doodad is? Becoming human?) The other is a powerful sea mage of some sort... And for the first of you, you better hope they're the good sort as you venture forth to their lair...

2.
Exploration
♢ C'mon. What's the worst that could happen when checking out this enormous sunken ship at the bottom of the ocean? You're merpeople! What's the worst that could happen? (Besides sharks. Or giant squid. Or maybe worse.)

3.
New tides
♢ Hey... That person isn't from around these parts, are they...? Maybe one of you is from deep seas, or a swamp-mer way out of your territory, or just from simply a different ocean. Hopefully neither of you are particularly territorial...

4.
Hey there, Ariel
♢ So. Looks like one of you actually took up on some sea witch's deal and is living in some human settlement. The other? Is trying to help you deal with that. Whether it means puzzling out human culture and items with you, pleading with you to come back home, or even offering you a dagger just in case you need to stab your crush (what? it's a legitimate strategy), you two need to cope.

5.
Wildcard.

Merfolk and Humans

1.
For Science!
♢ You're a scientist, here to study a fascinating new creature. Although the 'creature' in question might take offense to you saying that... So are you searching them out for the first time in the open ocean? Keeping them in some sort of containment? It's up to you.

2.
Stranded
♢ There was a shipwreck, and you're the sole survivor... Although you very nearly weren't. Whether you've just woken up or have been trying to puzzle things out on this deserted island, well... It seems you're not alone, although they're not exactly on the island with you.

3.
Siren Song
♢ Merpeople aren't always good signs... Sometimes they lure sailors out onto rocks, or extinguish their stamina and drown them in the ocean's tumultuous waters. Is this another encounter that will end in tragedy?

4.
Chance Encounter
♢ You're nothing extraordinary, just a regular person in a beach town, and one way or another... You find something that's very much not regular. Maybe you just walked into the cove at the right time, or found something- someone- trapped or injured that needed your help. So now what?

5.
Wildcard

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when she moved away, starting to stuff things back into his bag. Shitt P.'s unshakable confidence and love for herself was one of her strongest traits but also a glaring flaw.]

It'd be a pretty weird world if we were all the same.

[He rose up, rolling his pant legs back down.]

I should be heading back anyway. I'll stop by again when I'm in the area.

[Mukuro's lips curved upwards, sharp and wicked, at that retort, but he kept his face turned away to hide it. That had been the idea exactly.

The rest of time passed uneventfully, and it didn't take long to reach the shore. Once he was successfully out of the boat, he made sure to sink it just in case. He was a criminal, after all. He dusted off his hands, exhausted, but ready to start the trek to where he could contact his fellow conspirators and keep his word to the siren. He wiped his face off on his sleeve, before turning back to M.M.]

Your decision?

[As Rin's own blood dilutes his mania, his concern about his situation increases. He digs his claws into the floor to try and drag himself out the remaining way, but the door's edge remains embedded in his tail, refusing to let him go without damaging it further. Rin turns and tries to push the door off him, but he can't get the leverage necessary to employ all of his strength.]

[At this point, Nagisa was at a loss. His grip was failing him, and he wouldn't be able to hold the door up with his hands forever. He just wasn't strong enough to lift it high enough for the shark to escape.

There is a split second before Nagisa's suddenly moving, rushing forward to push his body beneath the door alongside Rin's. With any luck, his chubbier seal body will provide enough extra space to hold the door open and allow Rin to pull himself free.]

[Rin's bloodlust has mostly faded, but the closeness of the selkie has him chomping his lip just to ensure his blood continues to overpower the scent of Nagisa's. The added bulk happens to be the final wedge Rin needs to work his tail free from the door's sharp edge and finally squirm the rest of the way out, spraying the water with more clouds of blood. As soon as the obstruction of Rin's tail is gone, the door slams shut again, shaking the room a bit.

Rin draws his injured tail tail close to examine the damage, as he glances back at Nagisa, unsure what to say. How are you supposed to thank someone for saving you after you tried to eat them? Twice? And the second time, he already knew Nagisa was a mer.

So he does the only thing he can. He holds out the hand that's still gripping the trinket that started this mess.]

... it still works. Even without its cover.

[He all but mumbles it.]

[Nagisa's eyes dart a little as he moves back from Rin to give him some space, alarmed by the amount of blood clouding the water by now. This fun little venture into the sunken ship hasn't turned out like he was expecting at all. He doesn't know if Rin will even be able to swim back wherever his home is, now. What if he's attacked by something on the way? He's injured, and this much blood would certainly attract predators...

But those words snap Nagisa out of his thoughts as Rin holds out his hand. The glass covering the compass is gone, but the inner face seems to still be intact.

After a moment, the selkie shakes his head a little, reaching out to close Rin's fingers over the trinket. He deserved to keep it himself, after all of that.]

Hah! So mermaids are just the wet versions of us! Or we're... the dry versions of you, I guess.

[Rin blinks, baffled as to why Nagisa won't accept his offering. Doesn't he understand what an amazing find it is? He'd rather worry about that than how obviously injured he is. Getting back to his shiver is going to be a real piece of work like this. While his less-hybrid brethren usually get along just find with his kind, he doubts that will still hold true with the amount of blood he's spilling.]

It's really a lot cooler than it looks. Look if you turn it different ways, it spins back to one of the four arrows.

[He demonstrates, moving his palm this way and that, trying to ignore how light-headed he feels. His kind aren't exactly the best at admitting their weaknesses.]

That's how it helps you find things.

[He does know that this treasure is special, make no mistake. But that isn't as important as Rin getting hurt. He can't keep the concern out of his expression, and being unable to actually ask if he's okay burns the selkie up inside.

Still, as Rin continues to talk about the object, Nagisa manages a weak smile to let him know that he's still listening, he's still interested. But he's not stupid, no matter how much he seems to be at times. They shouldn't stay here.

Without a word, Nagisa reaches out again, this time taking careful hold of Rin's wrist. He'll let go if he jerks away, but if not, he'll try to pull him away from the door over to the hole in the ship's hull that they came through. Maybe if he's the one doing the swimming, he'll just be able to pull Rin along without him having to move his tail.]

[Rin is too puzzled by the action to resist it, letting Nagisa pull him along if just to understand what the selkie is up to. He notices that as long as Nagisa's leading him, he can propel himself with only brief strokes of his tail, preventing the majority of the pain that moving it brings. But there's no way Nagisa can come with him to his home. Mer or not, sharks would not be welcoming to a creature that's half prey. Especially one they've never seen before.]

Where are we going?

[Of course, Nagisa can't answer, so instead he just shakes his head slightly and keeps leading Rin until they swim through the hull and out into the open sea again with all of their previously gathered treasures in tow.

He might not know where Rin lives, much less be able to get him there, but that doesn't mean he's just going to leave him trapped in a sunken ship on the sea bed. If allowed, Nagisa will keep leading Rin along, steadily rising closer to the ocean's surface so he'll be able to breach and take a breath if he needs to.

Where Nagisa ends up taking Rin is probably a place he's never been before, at least not this far. It looks almost like Nagisa is bringing him to the shore as the water gets shallower and shallower, more and more coral reefs and rock formations visible from this vantage point.]

[Rin glances around them, as Nagisa pulls them along. He's not crazy enough to pull himself free and be left adrift with a serious injury and a bum tail. But he's also totally lost as to the selkie's motives anymore. First, saving him while Rin attempted to tear him to pieces and now bringing him to the shallows, a place sharks instinctively avoid because of the proximity of humans. They were fine on their ships, but their nets could be a real pain in the ass. ]

Why are we all the way out here?

[It isn't until they're close enough that the ocean floor can be clearly seen below them that Nagisa breaks through the surface of the water so he can talk, looking back over his shoulder at Rin.]

Do you really think I'm just gonna leave you out there like that?

[If Rin looks, he'll be able to see that Nagisa didn't bring him all this way for no reason. To their right, there is a cliff face with an open cave on one side. The water seems to lead into a pocket in the side of the cliff, leading further in toward a sandbar that's been naturally created there. The sand is scored with markings that are clearly Nagisa's, deep furrows left from his body and flippers pushing their way over the sand.]

You'll just have to stay here for a while.

[Rin frowns as he peers around him, taking in the sight of the cave and the sand with the familiar drag marks. This can only mean one thing: the selkie actually brought him to his home. Why would he do that? Rin's shown him nothing but a predator for most of this adventure. Why would he risk himself this way?]

Why shouldn't you? We're not the same species.

We're both mers, aren't we?

[Nagisa retorts in a tone that says that he isn't interested in arguing about it. If Rin stays, he stays. But if he's stubborn enough to try leaving, then Nagisa won't really be able to stop him. As he speaks, he continues pulling Rin toward the cove where the water is lapping gently at the rocks.]

And anyway...you wouldn't have gotten hurt like that if I didn't get stuck.

[That kind of thinking makes her grin.]

It'd be much more boring if Gokudera-kun wasn't his interesting cute self.

[With a bit of effort, she snaps her tail enough to flick a little water at him.]

Bring back more weird human things for me when you come by.

[And the question she's been pondering the entire journey here.]

[While he's been taken care of his little boat problem, she's been lounging in the shallows with her elbows in the sand and her chin in her hand. Humans are self serving creatures, completely untrustworthy. How much worth do their words really have? Well, in this case, they might be worth gold. That's enough of a reward to risk betrayal, maybe...]

[In the back of her throat, she makes a strange popping sound. It's definitely one of annoyance.]

I'm coming along. Stay right there.

[Pushing herself, she launches herself back into the deeper waters and clearly starts to make for rockier shores. Sirens habitate them in the far off seas easily, so it's no trouble for her at all to navigate the tides so she doesn't smash herself to bits. Wiggling onto the rocks where the waves can't sweep her off, MM huffs.]

[It's been a long time since she's used this particular song, but it's not like she could forget.]

[The tune that falls from her lips isn't like the high rising song her kind so often sings to lure men to their deaths. That one is like a tidal wave, inconspicuous at the start until it's risen high above and crashing down on a ship. This is softer. Gentler. Tides lapping lazily at shore. She sings it to herself, not to others, as she takes her thumb claw and presses it to her hip where the scales are thick. Siren claws are made for cutting through flesh, but this is a slice smoother than most as she leans to take it as far as her reach will go. Steadfast and efficient, she keeps going until from the mess of blood and scales she can pry away legs.]

[MM makes a face. They always look so weird to her, and getting up to a standing position is a pain in the fin. Yet once that's managed, she kicks the scales into the water for the tide to carry away. Let the sharks and bottomfeeders have it. She's no selkie.]

[Of course, this means when she clambers over the rocks back to the sandier parts of the beach, she's covered only in gold and gore, but she's not bothered by it.]

Alright, I'm ready.

Edited 2016-02-02 17:03 (UTC)

I think it's the second one, myself. [Another laugh.] You should sing for me! I've never gotten to hear a human sing before.

[As always, the tease got a rise out of him. Logically, he knew he just would have to stop reacting to Shitt P. calling him 'cute' and he would stop being cute, but it was easier said than done. He flushed slightly, making a face at her.]

Cut it out with the cute stuff.

[As mature as ever, he stuck his tongue out at her when she flicked water at him, before turning and waving as he went.]

[Her decision wouldn't have affected him either way, though for curiosity's sake, he had wanted her to join. There was, of course, the temptation to sell her out because sirens sold for sums a man could live off for lifetimes. But, there was also the interest to know what she might make of the human world and if she'd been there before.

The sound of a song made him put his hands to his ears instinctively, gritting his teeth to prepare to fight it, but when no humans came ambling towards the shore, he tentatively loosened his grip. This song sounded less like a lure and more like a song someone might sing while working. Weaving was the first thing that came to mind, and curiously, Mukuro took a few steps towards the ocean to see what the siren might be doing when she reappeared, looking as if she had killed something using only her legs.

...It was a good thing Chikusa wasn't here to see this. The mess and gore would have sent him into a coma.]

We'll be jailed before we even make it to a city. Wash yourself off and put this on.

[Casually, Mukuro shrugged off one of his thicker and longer jackets.]

Yeah... seems pointless.

[Haru rests his crossed arms and his head on top of the human statue, looking at from upside-down. Just as ridiculous this way. But really, while it's something new, Haru sometimes wonders why they give so much thought to these humans-- all while keeping a distance from them.]

I wonder if humans know anything about us.

[Of course, Haruka can only splash back, with a slight hint of a grin. He doesn't revel in trouble-making or going out of his way too much, but... it all sounds like a way to pass some time.]

Bet I could make it on my own, though. I can figure stuff out fast enough.

[Whether he actually learns from mistakes is another matter entirely.]

Ugh, why do you humans have to make things so difficult?

[Still, for her complaining, she does go back into the water and do a relatively thorough job of letting it wash off her legs. Things past the thighs are a bit more sloppy, but that's what the coat is for, right? Taking it from him when she's done, she raises an eyebrow as she shrugs into it.]

So where now? This is your land.

[Aka where to now?]

Because humans love doing pointless things.

[As if Mukuro wasn't human himself, but you know. He was his own, etc etc. He waited patiently, watching as she washed herself off, a bit impressed at how easily she seemed to balance on two feet. He would have thought the transition would have been more awkward, but perhaps she had done this often enough.

At the question, he let out a small chuckle, turning to survey the rocky terrain surrounding the mountains.]

The nearest village. Shoes will be necessary unless your feet are tougher than they look.

[He canted his head to the side to look at her, eyes half lidded with amusement and the normal hint of mockery.]

Or should I carry you?

[Rin just gives him another bewildered look, but he's not exactly up to swimming off by himself either. He needs the rest.

Still, what the hell sort of mer is this guy? Why does he feel so responsible for him? They're not even friends. He snorts in exasperation.]

Tch, will you quit blaming yourself for that? I wanted the treasure too. Helping you was the easiest way to get it out.

[He glances down at the trinket still clenched in his hand.]

I've never had this much trouble with one before though. Sousuke would probably be telling me right now that it wasn't worth it.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 14 of 31

I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

no subject

sure thing o/

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

fin???

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject