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

[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.

[nanaharu]

Too late, Haruka's already curled up and making the most peaceful light snores, completely drained of energy from their playing around today. If he were awake enough, he'd be able to comment on how comfortable it is here...

[showyouthesight]

Rin whips his head from side to side, unsure what to do with the dozing merman. It feels weird to have someone resting so relaxed in his lap. Not wrong per se, just very weird. Not to mention, to have that someone not even be of his own kind. He feels restless, like he should just shove Haruka off. But Haruka's presence also feels strangely warm against the cartilage of his middle. It's not an entirely unwanted sensation.

He stares down at the merman again and carefully runs his webbed claws through his hair. Haruka really is the most bizarre mer he's ever met.

[nanaharu]

Haruka only stirs slightly, curled up on his side on Rin like this. He's completely tired out after the day and he finds Rin comfortable-- it's not like he'd normally do something like this if he wasn't so tired.

When he wakes up...

[showyouthesight]

Rin continues to run his fingers through Haruka's hair and over his scales, marveling over the sleekness of both. It's soothing. He's never had anyone trust him this much. Those who are smart don't trust sharks.

[nanaharu]

Haruka rolls over from his side onto his back, looking up at Rin.

"G'morning," he says, while covering his mouth for a big yawn, then stretching out his arms and back in a big arch... and keeping his head rested on Rin's lap. It's warmer and softer than moss, and from what he could see, it's obvious that this shark doesn't have an appetite for him after all.

[showyouthesight]

True to his word, Rin hasn't slept a wink while Haruka dozed, nor felt any need to. Just staying still has helped him recharge his energy reserves enough to get through another day. That said, having the merman go from delicately still to lanky awakeness startles him some and he jolts when Haruka addresses him.

Ah! You're awake!

[nanaharu]

Haruka's actually a bit surprised. He has no idea how anyone can go without sleep for so long, but there Rin is.

"You too," he says, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. "When we explore the ocean, you'll have to watch me."

[showyouthesight]

"I told you that I don't really need to sleep." He offers another of his cocky smiles to chase away the self-consciousness of before. He probably should make the other mer move. He really should...

"What do you mean I'll have to watch you?"

[nanaharu]

"So I can get some sleep while we're out," Haruka explains as he sits up. "If you think anything else might eat me."

He knows it's a dangerous idea... but he wants to do more with this shark friend of his. More than he can admit to. He just doesn't know why, but he likes it...

[showyouthesight]

"Oi, I'm not your personal bodyguard." Though, it's true that there's no way he'd let anyone or anything threaten Haruka while he's around. "You can take care of yourself."

[nanaharu]

"I can't sleep with my eyelids open," he answers back. But he is still tired, and he swims over to the exit to his room.

"I'll bring us back some food," he says as he takes off outside. He will get food from the castle, say that he has a strong appetite but is tired and needs some space in his room.

When he returns, he has plenty of mackerel in his arms.

[showyouthesight]

Well, Rin can't argue with that. But just how far does Haruka intend to swim that sleeping out in the open would be an issue. At least he's more sensible than a lot of mers who just seem perfectly fine with lounging on patches of rock above the water, something Rin could never manage with his body. Not that he's jealous.

"See if you can't find some tuna." Though what Rin could really go for right now is a plump, juicy seal. Maybe a turtle.

When Haruka returns, he swims over to pick through the pile and see if there's much variety, although he does snatch up one fish to tear apart as he looks.

[nanaharu]

At the very bottom of the pile, Rin will finally find a large tuna. But Haruka will be eagerly nibbling away at one of the many mackerels.

"Sharks do have big appetites... maybe I should worry," he muses as he eats one down to the bone.

[showyouthesight]

Rin's eyes light up when he spies the tuna and he's immediately snatching it so he can go to town on it with his razor-sharp teeth, his tail whipping about in delight, as he swallows down huge chunks of fish flesh.

[nanaharu]

Haruka continues taking small bites of the mackerel, eating them up quickly, but amazed at how those teeth really are something else. It's almost scary, but he also gets a weird thrill being so close to this. He'll just keep staring as he eats as well, hoping that no one else happens to swim in. If it was Makoto, he'd probably pass out...

[showyouthesight]

Rin might have issue with the way Haruka is watching him eat, if he wasn't so preoccupied with gorging himself. Though the second he's gnawed the fish bones clean, he might catch Haruka's attention out of the corner of his eyes.

"What?"

[nanaharu]

When noticed, Haruka looks away, continuing to nibble at his own food.

"Nothing."

He has no idea why he's reacting like this. It's not like him to be so weird and curious about new things, let alone other mers.

[showyouthesight]

Rin nudges the bones to the floor and stretches his tail. "You're so weird. Are you seriously not done with yours yet?"

[nanaharu]

Haruka looks down at his food... and indeed, in the amount of time that Rin took to finish that giant tuna, he himself has barely finished his mackerel. Even if he's no 'apex predator of the merpeople', he still feels something like ego flaring up.

So he tries eating the rest of it faster. All it does is exaggerate how small his mouth is compared to the shark...