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

[showyouthesight]

Rin's mouth hangs open at the brilliance surrounding him. The mersharks prefer the darker depths where they won't be seen, places of murky drifts and jagged chasms. In their world, everything was sharp and harsh, foreboding. Nothing like the splendor and artistry here. He stretches to reach the closest tower to run his rough palm over its unblemished surface, unaccustomed to such gentle structures. It reminds him of Haruka's skin, absent of any of the spiny detricles that adorn Rin's flesh.

"It's incredible, Haru..."

He trembles with excitement, as he whips his head around, yearning to dash off and explore everything. He would too (he's not afraid of any stupid fish). But he is afraid of getting Haruka in trouble with his people. He can only imagine how his shiver would react were the situation reversed. Though, some of them tended to be a lot more aggressive with trespassers.

"Why would you ever want to leave?"

[nanaharu]

"It's okay..."

After years of seeing this place, ever since his birth, even the most grand of spectacles would start to look dull and repetitive. But Rin seems to like it... if only there was a way to better disguise him as one of the mers here.

They start to approach one of the towers, and Haruka slips through an opening to arrive at a room. The walls are barely adorned, smooth with dim bioluminescence glowing. There's some trinkets strewn about, made by his friends. In the corner, there's a small bed of sea moss where Haruka goes to lay down on top of.

"This is my room."

[showyouthesight]

Rin rushes the trinkets, somewhat surprised that someone like Haruka would have something so flashy and lively. Especially given how relatively drab the rest of the room is. He's never thought much of Haruka's creative side. (The dull bed seemed more like the Haruka he knew.) There wasn't any chance to observe it during their regular races since those are always straight-forward. But he enjoys this chance to get some additional insight into his strange friend.

"Where did all these come from?"

He examines each trinket and takes more time to run his palm along the warm walls.

[nanaharu]

"Me and my friends made those," Haruka says sleepily, curled up on the soft sea moss.

This day has been exciting but now he's feeling ready to drift off for a nap. It seems weird to have someone else in his room now, as it's always been the same people here for so long. The fact that he has a new friend that he's comfortable enough to bring here...

[showyouthesight]

"You never talk about your friends." Honestly, Rin didn't know Haruka actually had any, which sounds really mean, but then again it's Haruka.

He darts toward Haruka's bed and throws himself into it, giving Haruka an eagerly expectant look. "What are they like?"

If he's noticed that Haruka is trying to nap, he's sure not acting like he cares.

[nanaharu]

Laying on his stomach, Haruka lays his head on his arms. He does want to sleep after the long day, but he can mumble a few words before trailing off to a bit of rest.

"They're friendly."

That's what Rin's getting out of Haruka before he closes his eyes. He'll be determined to sleep even if Rin is noisy. But after so much excitement, he has to wonder also...

"Aren't you tired? You can sleep here if you like," he says, eyes still closed.

[showyouthesight]

Rin makes a clearly disappointed face. "That's not a description! That's an adjective."

But his eyes widen after that next statement. "Eh? Here? Won't your people be upset?" He can't imagine they would take well to finding a shark in bed with a sleeping fish.

[nanaharu]

"Mmm... only Makoto will come in here in the morning, and he won't tell anyone," Haruka assures, eyes closed and ready to doze off. Of course, it won't be good if someone else happens to get here first, but he'll deal with that when they come to it. What are they going to do? Kick out their prince?

He wiggles a bit as he settles more into the bed, getting comfortable on his side facing Rin.

[showyouthesight]

"How can you be so sure of that? I don't exactly look harmless, you know." And he's pretty proud of that fact.

[nanaharu]

Haruka cracks an eyelid open to look back up at Rin. Though he doesn't know how the others will react to him, he doubts that Rin is nearly as dangerous as he looks. And even that isn't that much, as far as Haruka thinks.

"You haven't eaten me yet. I'm sure he'd figure it out."

He closes his eyes again.

[showyouthesight]

Yet. "Thanks for that vote of confidence. You'd be too gamy anyway. You need to get in the habit of actually practicing when I'm not around."

[nanaharu]

"Would not. I'd taste good."

Haruka doesn't open his eyes, just mumbles his retort. Insisting that he's tasty to a shark? He'd probably do the same kind of thing even when fully awake.

[showyouthesight]

"Are you seriously trying to convince me to eat you?" Who even does that? Or is this guy just arguing for the sake of arguing now? (Not that it isn't something Rin would probably do.)

[nanaharu]

"No. Just saying that I wouldn't taste bad," he mumbles.

Because there's no way that's possible, and he doesn't know how much pride he has but it feels offended by such an idea. Haruka's worry about it actually happening must be obvious in how he looks like he's about to seriously fall asleep right there.

[showyouthesight]

"Maybe I'll just have a sample while you sleep."

[nanaharu]

"Just not the fins," Haruka mumbles as he curls up on his side, showing just more how much he thinks Rin would really do it.

[showyouthesight]

"Aww, but those are the best part," Rin teases, poking lightly at Haruka's tail fin to prove his point.

Though he is a little surprised that Haruka is so wholly convinced he wouldn't harm him, given his species. Even if they're... friends, more or less. They've never really been in a situation where the other couldn't make a quit escape, should things get to tense. Not that either of them needed it, but, you know, just in case.

[nanaharu]

Haruka flips his fin in response to the poke, in a way that would seem playful right back.

Honestly, he probably should have some more worry about it. Have they known each other long enough to trust each other? Yet his gut feeling tells him there's nothing to fear with this one.

"Get some sleep already..."

[showyouthesight]

"You're the one who's nodding off. Us sharks can stay awake for days!"

[nanaharu]

"What? Are you kidding?"

How annoying... Haruka tries to sit back up. Surely he can stay up that long as well. But he feels all weak and sluggish, his body trying to tell him to sleep.

"That's... unfair..."

[showyouthesight]

Rin gives a haughty toss of his head.

"Nope, I'm completely serious. I mean, we can if we want. But usually just resting in a spot for a while is good enough for us. Plus, it's kind of hard for us to keep our gills working if we're not moving for too long. I honestly thought that's how all mers did it. Do you really need to sleep? Like actually sleep?"

Haruka does look tired...

[nanaharu]

"Not right now," Haruka says... as he leans forward, eyes lidded, looking like he's about to flop over any moment. He isn't sure he caught most of what he said .

[showyouthesight]

"You keep on like that and you're going to end up in my lap when you do pass out." It's not an entirely bad image, honestly. Though he's going to do his best not to dwell on it.

[nanaharu]

Funny that Rin should say that, as the very next thing that happens is just that-- Haruka flopping over in the most undignified way into Rin's lap, probably asleep before he even landed.

[showyouthesight]

As he wasn't actually expecting Haruka to just fall onto him, Rin makes an equally undignified squeak, his face going a bit red, as his tail gives an involuntary shift.

"O-Oi, I didn't say you could... !"

He seriously doubts any of his brethren have ever had to deal with something like this.