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]

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...

[showyouthesight]

Rin laughs at the increased speeding, knowing exactly what brought it on. As if an ordinary mer could ever hope to rival a shark's talent for eating. But he's amused that Haruka feels as though he has to try. Even with his tiny mouth and teeth.

[nanaharu]

Haruka turns away in a huff, a fishbone skeleton still sticking out of his mouth as he finally finishes the rest. He lets himself lay back down on his mossy bed.

"I hope you don't want another tuna."

[showyouthesight]

Rin takes in the odd sight and cracks up. It doesn't suit Haruka at all. "Why? You got another one lying around?"

[nanaharu]

Haruka just pulls the fish skeleton back out and rolls his eyes.

"No, but we'd have to go out if you're still hungry. Unless you want the mackerel."

He doesn't mind sharing, though.

[showyouthesight]

"Where do you usually find yours? I haven't had tuna in forever since they don't spawn near our waters." Mackerel are nowhere near large enough to sate his appetite. Maybe if he had a good number of them. But hunting is equally promising.

[nanaharu]

"I dunno... the hunters usually find them," he says, biting off the head of the mackerel.

Haruka looks a bit thoughtful. He's generally well-provided for here, not having to deal with a lot of the more difficult parts himself. Should he really be giving that up for some time with a shark? It's not logical at all, and yet he can't shake the idea.

[showyouthesight]

"You don't do your own hunting?" Rin sounds absolutely baffled.

Even the youngest of mersharks accompanied the shiver for their hunts. Most mersharks learned shortly after they were born, the first time they experienced hunger pangs. It was instinctual to seek out food. He can't imagine sitting around and waiting for someone else to bring back his meal every day. Sure, it had been nice to have Haruka do the work of fetching it here. But not being able to hunt would just feel weird.

"You know how though, right?" He has to be sure.

[nanaharu]

Haruka looks at Rin for a moment before shaking his head. "The hunters catch enough food for everyone else."

He's never really had any reason to go out hunting himself. Hunting is more like a specific job in this kingdom, and even without his role, he likely wouldn't have to hunt anyway.

[showyouthesight]

"How do you even decide who gets that job?" Who wouldn't want it? Aside from Haruka obviously.

Speaking of Haruka... "And the how the hell do you not know how to hunt? That's like Mer Basics 101. Anyone can do it."

[nanaharu]

"It's normally by family. One family is known for singing, another for building..."

Haruka shrugs a little.

"I never had to learn that," he says simply. Sharks definitely are something else when it comes to this.

[showyouthesight]

Rin studies Haruka critically as he goes on, growing increasingly irritated. "So princes don't need to learn, huh? That's bullshit." He springs from the bed and swims over to grab Haruka's wrist, grinning with all his teeth. "Well, it can't hurt to try."

[nanaharu]

Haruka blinks as his wrist is caught, not pulling away but looking up curiously at Rin.

"Try what?"