I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

[sassybird]

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

Comments

[naggysa]

[Nagisa doesn't let Rin go until he's fairly sure that the shark can carry himself the rest of the way. Rather, the current will. Water seems to move into the cove and back out with the tide. The water washes right up onto the sandbar, making it easy for Nagisa to move in and out when he wants.

He ends up doing that before he answers Rin, pulling himself up onto the sand with a heavy sigh. Going down so deep so many times in one day has worn him out, and it shows in the way he carries himself as he drags through the shallows.]

Didn't you say you had a buncha those things already anyways?

[showyouthesight]

[It's too much of a challenge for Rin to resist. He splashes back with more vigor and shifts in the water so he's looming over Haruka, his tail fin flicking with excitement and his neck gills flaring wildly.]

Oh yeah? Prove it.

[musicalmenace]

What's that, Mukuro-samaaa, you'll carry me? Thanks~!

[Don't test her. She's enough of a little shit that she'll just climb onto his back if he lets her.]

[possedere]

[Mukuro rotated his arm in his socket, one hand placed against the joint as if to keep it in place, expression amused.]

Kufufu you look about the same as a sack of potatoes that I've had to carry before. It shouldn't be difficult.

[Wow comparing a lady to a sack of potatoes good job Mukuro. Still, he won't even joke about manual labor for too long, instead starting forward into the rock terrain, which would soon give way to a forest. The area was familiar, and soon they'd come to a path that might be easier on her.]

Have you been on land before?

[naggysa]

[Nagisa grins, stopping in front of the statue with his hands on his hips, head tilting curiously to one side.]

Maybe! We're a lot better at hiding than they are, though...and humans don't seem to try to keep their distance, do they? I mean, they're in the water a lot, in big oval rafts and things...

[showyouthesight]

[Rin doesn't mind moving with the current. It feels more natural than being dragged along, albeit gently, by someone else. Rin's more accustomed to doing the dragging. He lets the current carry him close to the shallows, where the water is still deep enough to pass over his gills if he lowers himself a bit.

He can't hype the tiny smirk, as he matches the selkie maneuver his blubbery half through the sand, even though he well knows he'd be much worse on land. It's still an amusing sight, considering how smoothly Nagisa had pushed himself through the water earlier.

Rin flicks his tail fin, finding his mood lift a bit.]

There's no such thing as too many of them. Don't you have multiples of your own favorites?

[naggysa]

Well...I guess.

[The selkie sighs, immediately rolling over onto his side once he's pulled himself out of the water. Whereas Rin might find the sight of him inching along the sand amusing, it's pretty normal for him. This body allows him to move pretty efficiently on land and even faster in the water, which is more than can be said of most merfolk. Of course, most aren't quite as...blubbery as he is. But that's never something that's bothered him too much, either.]

I keep all my stuff hidden. Someplace where the tide can't wash it all away.

[But even then, there are plenty of signs of life here. Fish bones bleaching in the sun, seashells scattered about, pebbles that Nagisa no doubt has played with by rolling them in the sand and seeing how far into the ocean he could toss them.]

[showyouthesight]

[That comment instantly piques Rin's interest. A secret stash, just like his own. His red eyes light up with intrigue, as he pushes himself up on his hands, his fins flicking faster.]

Let me see! I want to see how your collection compares with mine.

[This is clearly very important.]

[naggysa]

[What a change of tune, all of a sudden...]

Eeeh? And I thought you didn't want to stay here!

[showyouthesight]

[Rin huffs and folds his arms across his chest, gills flaring again.]

I'm not staying. I just want to see what you got. It can't be as good as my set.

[naggysa]

[Nagisa rolls his eyes a little, shaking his head as he pulls himself up onto one of the big rocks flanking the water. They're constantly wet from the waves lapping up over them, the familiar coolness against his belly a calming thing in comparison to the excitement of the day.]

There's little holes in the walls at the back of that cave. That's where my stuff is. We can go look after you're not bleeding everywhere.

[musicalmenace]

Was that an insult?

[Jeez. The next time she listens to some jerk promising her gold, maybe she should pick a human with some decent manners to go along with it.]

[MM follows him with only mild grumbling, arms crossed and hands tucked against her sides where the comfort of the jacket is worth at least something. Her attention flicks to the trees often enough, seeming to find them new and thus a source of wariness, but she always makes sure to return her gaze to Mukuro's back.]

Aaah, maybe once or twice. I'd have next to nothing if I just waited for ships to crash that happened to have valuables.

[possedere]

Kufufufu who would insult their savior they're indebted to?

[Mukuro Rokudo, that's who. And let's be honest, any human would have better manners than him.

He followed the path easily enough, pace moderate and steady, stretching slightly as he went. The boat had been cramped, as had the holding cell before that, and it felt good to be able to walk freely again.

That answer caught Mukuro's attention, his gaze turning back towards her.]

How dull. I would have thought sirens would have more to look forward to.

[showyouthesight]

I'm not bleeding everywhere.

[Rin can't help the petulant note in his voice or the moody slap of his fins. He's always hated being told what he can't do. Nothing's impossible if you want it bad enough after all.

But he also knows as well as Nagisa that forcing himself will only make things worse. He needs to rest if he hopes to be able to return to his shiver anytime soon.]

... what, do you have something that will stop it?

[naggysa]

Well, not moving will prolly help.

[He supplies with a grin, folding his arms over the rock so he can rest his head on them.]

I might be able to make something to wrap around your tail though, if you want.

[showyouthesight]

Easier said then done. Sharks have to keep moving in some way or we'll drown. We're not mammals.

[He gives a full body wiggle in the water to emphasize his point.]

Oh yeah? What have you got in here?

[naggysa]

Mmm...hang on.

[Without much more explanation than that, Nagisa rolls over again so he can slide off the rocks and back into the water, so quickly and smoothly that he doesn't even make a sound when he does it. The path he takes to the back of his cove is marked by the bubbles he leaves in his wake, and he's only gone for a few minutes before he returns.

When he comes back, he's holding what looks to be a cloth shirt that's slightly damp and very salty. He looked to make sure it was one he didn't mind parting with, because as soon as he gets back, he starts using his claws to tear the shirt into long strips.]

[showyouthesight]

[Rin immediately recognizes the item as one of those strange mass of reeds the two-legs wear. He's never found any spare ones himself, as the cloth didn't mix well with the depths where one usually found sunken ships. Anything left behind was more scraps than something resembling the two-legs' choice of body covering.

He practically yelps when Nagisa starts to destroy the rare item.]

Wait! What are you doing?

[naggysa]

Eh?

[Nagisa blinks, pausing in his work to look over when Rin suddenly shouts at him.]

I'm...making bandages?

[nanaharu]

[Such a tough display, Haruka can't help but feel inwardly amused. With that hint of a grin still on his face, he kicks his tail against the sand and pushes himself off into the deeper water, taking off at a speed faster than most of merkind.

Even if this wasn't all just a game to play with his new friend, Haruka feels pretty sure that Rin will come speeding after him. Almost certain, in fact.

If just because Haruka would do the same if it was the other way around.]

[nanaharu]

Humans probably wish they could be like us.

[This assertion comes with an airy tone of "isn't it funny because you were just curious about the human world?" Honestly, what's so great about humans? True he still feels some faint (faint) draw to the unknown, but from what he can see...]

They just look silly.

[Haru grabs the nose of the statue. Just because.]

[musicalmenace]

It's what I look forward to.

[Maybe she should have stayed by the water... Just so that there was a place where she could drown him a little when his mouth got smart. Oh well. Hindsight is what it is. At least she's not petty enough to start throwing rocks at the back of his head.]

[Yet.]

Quality over quantity- I'd rather expand my hoard than any of the other little things out there that don't make me look good.

I had to stop myelf from saying jawsome.............dammit.

[inspireition]

[Rei wouldn't call them awesome...but everyone has their own aesthetics. His own tastes lean more towards things that shine and are more colorful...not that having a beautiful tail means anything as far as actual skill goes, as evident here. He's got no basis to be flashy now and he's still uncertain about all this. It really shows when he lets Rin pull him to float horizontally as he keeps his gaze to the seemingly bottomless ocean floor.

Maybe it's from their brief exchanges just now, but there's still a lot of fight left in Rei as he meets Rin's eyes with his, cleared of doubt.]

Like this?

[naggysa]

...don't they look like us, though?

[He offers suddenly, swimming up close to the statue's frame again.]

I mean, sure, they don't got tails or flippers or gills...but the top-half is still the same, isn't it? Why do you think that is?

[possedere]

[She would have been doing the world a favor if she had decided to drown him, but ah well mistakes were made every day. Mukuro shot her a wry look at that, but for once decided not to comment.]

I find it hard to believe there are things that don't become you.

[The path was starting to give way to something that was better paved, the village coming into view. It would be dawn soon, but Mukuro was planning to steal a few necessities and be long gone before the first villager awoke.]