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

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And you're lousy at hiding too.

[Rin continues to swim carefully, wincing every now and then. If only his tail was cooperating, that seal would be an easy meal right now. And he could really use a pick-me-up snack after that disaster.]

It's your fault for coming all the way down here.

[Suddenly, a look of wicked realization spreads across his face. That's right, the seal is pretty far down.]

In fact, I don't even have to chase you. I just have to keep you here long enough for your air to run out. You don't have the gills to last forever.

[Huh...well that's weird. Nagisa's just going to keep following then, assuming he isn't noticed. Is he going somewhere in particular?]

[Well maybe he isn't trying to stay hidden anymore...

What Rin says next though does get Nagisa's attention, his flippers slowly moving as he treads water to keep himself afloat. He's just bluffing, isn't he? There's no way he could catch a speeding seal in his condition...

But he's already been down here for a while. At most, he's only got a few minutes of air left, meaning he will have to make for the surface pretty quickly.

The seal's eyes move as he sizes Rin up for a moment, his nose wrinkled in displeasure. Then, without warning, he ducks behind the rocks again.]

[Flailing around like a panicking fish is probably not the best behavior to demonstrate around a shark, and Rin has to fight to keep himself from charging after Rei once the other starts freaking out. While Rin prides himself on his stealth, it's almost embarrassing to realize that the mermaid has only just noticed his presence. He's been watching him for a good 10 minutes by now. Didn't mermaids teach their kin anything about self-preservation. What if Rin had been one of his non-hybrid shark brothers? That mermaid would long be someone's lunch.

He scoffs loudly and swims closer to the mermaid, partly to get a closer look and partly to see if it will make the mermaid freak out more. Because it is pretty funny.]

What the hell are you supposed to be? And what are you doing in our waters?

[He adds the latter question with a bit of bite and a flash of his very sharp teeth. They're all responsible for defending this territory after all.]

[Rin's brow furrows in confusion when he notices how hard Haruka is watching him. Although he only manages to catch it for less than a second before Haruka looks away. His face flushes, as the excitement within him increases. What was all that about? And why's he so happy about it? Not that he's unused to people staring at him (he does train hard), but there's something different about the way Haruka just did it. Something that makes him feel both proud and... anxious?

Which, of course, means he has to play it off.]

Hmm, like something you see~?

[He flips his tail a bit in the cove so he can slowly swim just past Haruka and swiftly turn to face him again.]

[Rin blinks at the display. It looks like he struck a nerve.

Wait! Can the seal really understand him? He's never been able to talk to mammals before. Isn't there supposed to be some species language barrier? He's probably just reading into it and the seal is just readying itself for another escape attempt.]

Those rocks aren't going to help you when it's time. But hey, keep fooling yourself. I like a show before dinner.

[ooc: SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG, the AC season struck like a monster]

[Sakura is not what one would call a "beach person". It's not that she hates the beach. She finds it to actually be an interesting training spot. She simply doesn't go for the reasons other people tend to go, especially in her own age group.]

[However, Naegi had been kind enough to invite her and, with all their (his) friends, a volleyball game had started up. She'd never played before, she'd gone to hit the ball...]

[There had, maybe, possibly, been a bit more strength put into the hit than had been necessary. As in, the ball was nowhere remotely in the vicinity of the net, now.]

[It's her responsibility, so that's why she's now searching among the more rocky areas of the beach- it had gotten hit far, after all. Sakura only hopes that it hasn't gotten washed out to sea amongst all the coves and saltwater pools.]

[Hayato Gokudera is, at the end of the day, a few tuna short of a school.]

[Most mer who hear of him generally agree on this front. No one with any common sense would leave the ocean's sweet embrace to cavort about with landdwellers, who were at best odd and nonsensical and at worst were dumb.]

[Shitt P doesn't care about that sort of thing. Frankly, if there was the added bonus of being able to switch between legs and fins freely, she's certain she'd already be up on the land herself. It's freedom, and that's one thing she adores the most. Hayato finally finding that for himself, well, of course she'd approve.]

[She's just not sure she understands this need for him to find someone to follow and belong to like that funny little landdweller.]

[But they're still friends, that won't change even if he doesn't have fins anymore, so she goes to wait in a certain little cove with her ears perked for his voice.]

[For just a brief second, she wonders if all that time in the dirt and air has messed up his mind, but there it is, her name proper, and she surfaces up with a grin. Her green kelp-like fins are hidden beneath the surface, melding perfectly with the bits of seaweed and other things that are there, but she's decorated the rest of herself with whatever she's been able to get her hands on- shells strung together, nets cut apart until they've been layered over her hips like sashes, ratty gloves that are too big for her.]

There you are, Gokudera-kun. Have you been having fun rolling in the dirt?

[From anyone else, that might be an insult. From her, it's an honest question. After all, it's what she'd do.]

Ooh, you're actually awake?

[Her voice was a mix between mocking and annoyance. After all, what predator passed up chances for easy prey?]

[Although, then again, it wasn't like she was lacking for food. Some were still screaming, trapped in the waves, being battered violently against the rocks by unkind waves. Here, in the middle of the sea, there wasn't any way they'd be able to find safety on their own. And that was counting the few who hadn't been dragged down into the depths already, drowned and just waiting to be devoured.]

[So MM didn't feel in a particular rush in slitting the throat of this one, folding her arms along the wet rock and her claws resting on her forearms. The glitter of her scales seemed to be in competition with the bits and pieces of jewelry she had collected over the years.]

Would you like me to kill you quickly, or are you the masochistic type who wouldn't mind bleeding out?

[If they were going to do something that would get them in trouble, Haru would prefer the sunken ships. Or even the sea witch. Humans look so weird, and they move like crabs that walk forward... it's just strange. And yet there's something a little fascinating in their weirdness... wait, that's not true. Haru wants nothing to do with them and is only coming along because of Nagisa.

Perhaps as someone older than Nagisa, Haru should be reprimanding Nagisa for such reckless behavior. But nah. He pulls up faster to keep up at Nagisa's side.]

What kind of stuff is there?

[Surely nothing actually worth coming up there for. Still, he wasn't doing anything anyway.]

[It was always a bit strange to see Shitopi-chan after spending any proper amount of time away from the ocean. He was getting used to seeing people with legs, with flat teeth, with skin that burned in the sun ( and wasn't that a pain, that he was one of them now ). One of the things he missed most was being able to swim freely, but in this form, he was graceless and slow in the water.

The question made him snort, not without fondness, as he stuck his feet into the water.]

I only did that the first day and it wasn't that fun.

[Because hey, he had to do it. For science. Now that she was here, he could stick his bag on his lap, digging through it.]

I brought you some things.

[Half were presents and half were 'guess what people use this for, really, no really'.]

Look at this!

[He presented her with a fork, beaming proudly.]

Guess what it's for.

[As it turns out: moderately bad.]

[Not, of course, that Greg might realize that right away. At first, it might seem just like a regular although abandoned shoreline. Even when the singing filters through the sea air- high and sweet- he might not realize what the problem is with just going right towards it.]

[Even if that means going into the water.]

[A lot into the water.]

[They warned you about this back in the town, Greg.]

[The seal doesn't reappear right away, keeping hidden behind the edge of the rock as he weighs his options. If he tries to make a break for the surface now, Rin will cut him off. But if he stays and tries to wait for him to get bored of this, he'll drown long before he wins that standoff. There's really only one thing he can do.

As the next minute slowly ticks past, the seal doesn't reemerge, though the steady stream of bubbles trailing from behind the rocks signals that he is still hiding back there. Every now and then his tail floats into view as he pumps it through the water to keep himself aloft.

But then, just as it's starting to get close to the time that he'd be starting for the surface, the tail pulls back behind the rocks again. A second later, a pair of hands reach up and grip the top of the rock formation as Nagisa pulls himself up so he can peek just over the edge of it, only his eyes and mop of blonde hair visible now.]

[All Tsuna had wanted was to escape from the house for a little while.]

[Normally, he can deal with any chaos with an exhausted exasperation that is, beneath it all, fond. He loves his little brothers and his little sister. That won't change no matter how much ruckus they cause.]

[For his father... It's a lot harder. Tsuna doesn't think he could write a long enough list with what's wrong with him, and why he always finds himself gritting his teeth whenever the man visits even now when he himself is an adult. His mother loves to see her husband. The kids are happy to be played with. He knows he's the only one with any sort of problem.]

[He can only stand it for so long before he slips out the backdoor and makes for the seafront. There, at least, he knows he won't feel so on edge.]

[He wasn't, at any point, expecting to run into a mythological creature around.]

[For a second, all Tsuna can do is stare at the half-fish half-man looking back at him calmly. His mind has been stunned into a lack of panic.]

Ah. I was just... trying to get some space to myself. Am I, um, am I... in the way?

[The only reason he's so calm back is that his brain doesn't know how to process this.]

[The sounds of men dying all around him was an odd sort of rallying cry. Mukuro wasn't going to die in the same pitiful manner as these men, and if he was, well, he would go with dignity. No screaming and begging for his life. There was some comfort in knowing that he wasn't dead yet, his eyes shifting to the siren's wicked claws. And also to her jewelry. Interesting.]

Neither.

[Mukuro hefted himself up onto the rock, chuckling weakly.]

If anything, I've been told I'm a sadist.

[He turned to look at her more fully, still catching his breath.]

Your jewelry is very beautiful. How would you like to add to your collection?

(ooc: NO WORRIES I AM NEVER IN ANY RUSH)

[There's the perfect spot for lounging in the rocks, jutting just far enough out into the deep water that she doesn't struggle to haul herself onto it, close enough to the beach for her to watch any nearby going-ons from around corners but nestled enough in crags that humans almost never bother approaching.

From her hideaway, Aoi remains oblivious to a certain beach volleyball game occurring well out of sight until its ball flies right over her head and lands with a splash on the water behind her.

She pushes herself off the rock and back into the water, swimming over to grab the ball before it has the chance to float away from her. They've washed up in her beachside spots popped and deflated, but never whole and solid like this.

The ball should come into Sakura's view before Aoi does; thrown high over the tops of the rocks, dropping back down to where it came from, being launched up into the air again with the thud of an impact and a giggle. Aoi's so caught up in her one-woman game, hitting the ball up against her fists and arms like she's seen before, racing through the water to meet her own serves, that she doesn't notice anyone's meandering around the rocks until she turns around and makes eye contact with her.

The ball uselessly drops onto the water next to her.

She pulls her tailfin back underwater, drawing herself up a little straighter as she does, like the matching red scales up her arms and back and chest, thinly spread and translucent against her skin, don't mark her as something entirely other anyway. For half a moment, she's struck silent, uncertain of how to proceed.]

Hey! Um. [She glances around, notices the volleyball slowly floating away from her, and reaches to grab it again. When she turns back to the human who she probably shouldn't be anywhere near but would so much rather socialize with, she's grinning.] Did you lose this?

[Haruka looks Rin in the eye, an even glance, refusing to turn away again as it would further acknowledge what he was just doing. In fact, he'd probably end up looking more flustered if he did turn away. So he decides on sizing up Rin instead under the guise of mere curiosity. Not like Haruka had enough time to really look at Rin before...]

Just... I've never seen anyone like you before.

[It's the most honest answer, if not the most tactful one. Haruka himself has scales, and he has friends who take on many shapes and features -- but never has he encountered shark people.]

Are there a lot of others in your group?

[At least, Haruka knows to not get involved with more of them right now. Given how they both easily agreed that they could only meet in secret.]

[Just his luck - and also Rin's, because his approach does have Rei attempting to back away only to make himself flip over a few times. There may have been just a good two seconds of wide eyed flailing before the flying fish quickly recovers and folds his arms to show that the display was completely, utterly ~~beautifully~~ intentional.]

Isn't it obvious what I am?! [Besides dying on the inside (and possibly outside too). He can, at the very least, float...if he doesn't try to swim anyhow. It's embarrassing enough as it is to be caught floundering around like a fool. He doesn't need any more help with feeling inadequate. He huffs as he turns his gaze to the side. Despite his setbacks, he never wants to be caught in a vulnerable state by a stranger. ~~Okay, so he already has...~~ Nonetheless, he tries to be polite...because it's possible to be civil with a sharks, right?] I don't mean to cause trouble.

I am just...passing by. [Well, he isn't lying there. Though his kind are more commonly seen in schools, it's as obvious to anyone paying attention that he can't keep up with them, let alone glide. The human made things he had on his arms earlier didn't do him any favors like he had hoped.]

All sorts of stuff! You haven't seen some of the weird things that humans carry around? And they've got stuff on them pretty much all the time.

[Back at the little cove where Nagisa hoardes all his junk, he's got a lot of trinkets stored that he's pilfered from the beach before. He's never stolen things from people at least, but you'd be hard pressed to believe otherwise given the sheer amount he has. From broken cellphones to lost jewelry or wrist-watches, flip-flops and sunglasses with the lenses popped out, and even just pieces of reflective trash or glass that Nagisa found interesting.]

If we're lucky, we might find some cool looking shells and rocks too!

[...he's a seal, he can't help but have fun with rocks.]

[ Isn't it natural to follow such a lovely song? He wants to hear more, but it's so distant, and with the rush of waves, he can hardly make it out. All he needs is to get a little bit closer. Who cares if his feet get a little wet?

Or his legs.

Or his chest...

Greg has hardly even registered the water until a wave splashes up at his face. He didn't expect it to have such a steep decline into the water--or that strong rip tide tugging at him. He sputters as his legs are pulled from underneath him.

Were he thinking properly, he'd reflect on how he was, indeed, warned exactly against this. Instead, he worries about who could be singing, even deeper in these dangerous waters.

But then he worries more about himself as a gasp for air sends him choking on salt. ]

[Haru has seen some of the things on humans before. Such as the things they wear in the sun-- those sunglasses things over their eyes that look like the bead eyes that some fish have. It looks like humans have it rough if they have to carry around all of those kinds of things. In the water, it's all the same. Nice, easy, and... well, not always predictable. But at least there's not so much "weather" deeper into the water.]

Maybe.

[Sometimes, with pretty-looking rocks, he can shape them into little knick-knacks for others. And he's laid out some shells into art things... so it might not be so bad, unless they're asked where they found all this stuff.]

Looks like it's just up ahead...

The last thing Dave expected was to catch anything. He had just tossed the line out in hopes of avoiding awkward questioning about his purpose on the pier. He was about to close his eyes and think up a new rap when he felt something tug on the pole. It was a strong pull and despite being a strong knight, Dave was struggling to keep the pole in hand.

And then the tugging stopped as the line went limp, the merman attached to the other end of the line surfacing. Oops, merfishing was illegal, it was actually rather embarrassing to have caught one. Well, he'll get the hook out and treat the wound, but it sounded like this guy was a bit more irritable than he thought. And what was up with his skin? Weren't most merfolk just like humans except with fins and the ability to live underwater? Must be a skin condition. Maybe this was merfolk acne.

Oh wait, the merman probably wanted an answer. "Fishing. You're not part of my permit, so I'm gonna have to put you back, man," Dave answered, cool kid vibe turned to 11.

[Rin has been subtly inching closer as more time passes, anticipating the seal's last-ditch sprint for the surface. While he doubts he'll be able to match his speed, if he can catch him as he shoots forward, that should wound the seal enough to prevent any real escape. Then he can just follow the trail of blood back to his meal.

The last thing he expects to see when he approaches are hands. Hands not too different from his own, although with much shorter and blunter claws. The webbing between the fingers also isn't as extensive. But even more surprising than the hands are those pinkish eyes. Nothing like a seal's eyes. He stops short, eyes widening, along with his mouth.

It can't be. A mermaid? But what mer-creature can transform itself into its non-hybrid brethren?]

What the hell are you anyway?

[If asked, all they'd have to say is "it washed up nearby", or something. They don't have to be that specific about where it came from.]

Oh, yeah! C'mon Haru-chan, I'll race you!

[And before the merman will get much chance to react, the selkie takes off like a rocket, zipping forward through the water as if someone had lit a fire behind him.]

[Rin can't help but chuckle more at Haruka's stubbornness. It helps distract him from his own self-consciousness anyway, as Haruka intensifies his gaze.

What the hell? A mermaid should not be able to make him feel like this. His kind are far superior to them.

He grins wider and starts to swim a wide, lazy circle around Haruka.]

Obviously. Your kind don't usually wander into our waters. Most of the are too scared.

[He flashes his sharp teeth for emphasis.]

But not you, huh? You're curious. I like that.

[At the question, Rin puffs himself up, raising his chest a bit more in the water, his gills flaring with excitement. He's not afraid to share.]

You bet! Samezuka is one of the biggest shivers in the ocean. Sharks come from hundreds of miles to join us.

[He eyes Haruka, a curious glint in his look.]

What about your fellow mermaids? How big is your school?

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I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

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sorry this took literally FOREVER ac season struck in my games

tl;dr is fantastic, apologize for nothing

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never apologize you are golden

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LISTEN I READ THE WORD FIRST BEFORE CLICKING THE LINK

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