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 blinks once before huffing, suddenly splashing some water in Rin's direction.]

Weren't you listening? I just said! I'm a seal! Like how you're a shark? But I can turn into one, too. A real one.

[showyouthesight]

[Rin splashes him back on reflex, unsure what just happened.]

Seems kind of pointless. You still have to breathe air. Which reminds me, what were you doing all the way down there anyway?

[naggysa]

So? I can hold my breath for a long time. Doesn't matter.

[It matters less to him than other mers. It's seen as weakness, but Nagisa doesn't think so. Can they turn into a seal?

Yeah, he didn't think so.

At Rin's question, he sinks down into the water a little.]

...I was exploring that ship.

[showyouthesight]

How long?

[It's both a a challenge and genuine curiosity. Rin doesn't know how long the selkie had been exploring before he found him. And he knows that most water mammals usually stay closer to the surface in case they need to breach. This selkie sure looked like he was pushing it, going down as far as he did.]

Hoh, so you're interested in the two-legs too? The other sharks always say they're not worth the time. But they can make some pretty interesting things.

[naggysa]

[Telling a predator something like that...it's a bad idea. But Rin wouldn't eat a fellow mer, would he?]

Half hour, usually.

[Rin thinks that they're interesting too...?]

...not many others thing they're interesting. Were you really looking too, or just looking for a snack?

[showyouthesight]

Oi, sharks can be just as curious as seals! It's useful to know about the two-legs since those ships they travel on can cause some serious damage to anyone not paying attention. Besides, I didn't actually think there were any creatures crazy enough to be down there with me.

[It's silly to get so defensive over a mindless question, but Rin hates the implication that he's just some big eating machine. He has ideals too!]

[naggysa]

Creatures as crazy as you, you mean? Do you go around attacking every seal you see, huh?

[He realizes he's probably being a bit unfair with that, but Rin very nearly scared a couple years off of Nagisa's life back there.]

[showyouthesight]

Why shouldn't I? They usually make a good meal.

[When they're not half-mer.]

And you're admitting that you're just as crazy since you were wandering around there too.

[naggysa]

[...okay, he kindof does have a point. The selkie huffs, lifting a hand to brush his damp bangs out of his eyes.]

I just wanted to explore a little, that's all. I wasn't hurting anybody!

[Unlike soome people.]

And why should I have to explain myself to you, anyways?

[showyouthesight]

[Rin smirks at how the selkie works himself up. Too easy.]

Calm down. I was just saying. You ever been down this deep before? Or is it your first time?

[It's only Rin's third, to be honest. Ships don't usually crash around here that often and there's little point in exploring these depths without a compelling reason. Sharks track by scent, not sight. And even Rin doesn't know everything about what lives down there. He's curious but not foolish.]

[naggysa]

...I've been down pretty deep before. Just...not quite this deep.

[It's totally his first time, which is why he overestimated how long he could hold his breath to be honest.]

[showyouthesight]

You'll have to go even deeper if you want to reach the ship's belly. It's all the way down there. But that's usually where the best stuff is too.

[He had wanted to add to his collection, but that's out of the question with his current injury. There's no way he'll be able to manage those powerful tail thrusts he needs to get down that far. And he has no idea how long his tail will be this sore. At least the rest of the day, until it gets some real rest.]

[naggysa]

Even deeper?

[He was already so deep already...how much farther would he have to go? He did waste a lot of time and oxygen exploring the ship's deck, but he couldn't help himself.]

...well, I'll just have to go deeper then.

[showyouthesight]

Is that stubbornness talking or is that something you can actually do?

[Rin's studying him more closely now. Maybe the day doesn't have to be a total wash after all. Not if he can get himself a courier.]

[naggysa]

I can do it! I just need to go straight there, and I'll be fine.

[He took too much time exploring and messing around before, but he could still hold his breath for a long time. Long enough to get back to that ship and explore it more thoroughly, at least.]

[showyouthesight]

[Rin pulls back and grins again, less viciously and more genuine excitement.]

Good. You can be my eyes then. Since it's your fault I have to take it easy for the rest of the day. I'm looking for anything you can wear. Or anything sharp.

[There are probably nicer ways to ask for this sort of thing, but Rin sort of fails at that level of politeness, especially while his tail still smarts.]

[naggysa]

Eeeeh? You want me to help you?

[Well color him surprised. And also suspicious.

Nagisa squints a little, folding his arms over his chest again.]

...this isn't just a 'help me and I won't eat you' thing, is it?

[showyouthesight]

[Rin also folds his arms over his chest and huffs.]

Well, you're the one that made me bruise my tail. It's only fair.

And I don't eat mers.

[Even if this one does have an especially plump and tender looking shift.]

[naggysa]

[While Nagisa could retort and say that it was all in self defense, he really didn't mean to hurt Rin or anything. Even if that was deserved. And he really does want to explore the ship a bit more, even if it means having a shark in tow.]

....okay. But I get first pick of the treasure if we find any!

[showyouthesight]

Depends what it is. You have to show me first.

[Rin doesn't mind giving up some of his prize, but not if it's something really good. He knows more about human ships anyway. He can tell Nagisa the best places to look for things, the ones he can't reach in his condition.]

[naggysa]

Fiiiiiiine. But if we're gonna go, let's hurry up and go already! Whatever's down there might be all gone by the time we get there.

[It really is highly unlikely that will happen, since there didn't seem to be any other mers exploring the wreck.]

[showyouthesight]

Someone's in a rush. Keep in mind that I can't go that fast right now.

[But Rin's doing his diving thing, ever so slowly and kicking his way back to the ship. He has to stop after every minute or so and give his tail a rest, usually glaring at Nagisa in the process, before moving again. It hurts, but he does his best to keep most of his whimpers to the back of his throat, where they're harder to catch in the water.]

[naggysa]

[It's a little frustrating, having to go so slow, but Nagisa deals with it as best he can. He doesn't turn back into a seal, even though doing so would give him some extra time under the water. If they did find anything, he wanted to be able to use his hands to examine it, which he couldn't really do in seal form.

Swimming down again, it really underscores just how deep down it is...it seems like it takes forever before they ever reach the ship. If the selkie hears Rin's whimpers at all, he doesn't comment on them. He really hopes there are actually treasures to find though, because that would make this whole experience worth it.]

[showyouthesight]

[Once they're back to the ship, Rin directs him past the deck and toward the doors that lead into the ship's hull. The pressure down here has already burst them open so they don't have to worry about the further trouble of smashing against them. Instead, they have to navigate through an area that's even darker than the rest of these depths, its enclosure robbing any of the remnants of light that might have filtered down from the surface. Within the room are the ruined remains of several bunks and various furniture strewn across the water-warped flooring.

Rin searches a hand under the lowest bunk, slowly pumping his tail, while he gestures Nagisa toward a bit of flooring with a strange hard ring attached to it.]

They use it for hiding their best stuff.

[naggysa]

[Nagisa takes his time exploring the inside of the hull, his curiosity piqued when he sees the bunks and pieces of furniture strewn about. So these were the kinds of things humans kept around...he wondered what might have happened to cause this ship to sink like it did.

He looks over when Rin speaks up, venturing a bit closer to the floor. Without thinking, he reaches his hand out to touch the ring, giving it an experimental tug before looking over at Rin questioningly. Should they try pulling it open together?]