#do other things…. like an au for mermay

[belaenvie]

ray 😼😼

erm i was gonna work on more interesting things now that im on break but i just wanted to draw ray to get back into it honestly

my bbg forever 😍😍

[puppetmaster13u]

Because it is Mermay:

Originally did this art for one of @radiance1 prompts/story ideas, which also gives an idea of colors so.

[cheaploafs]

I may have missed mermay but its okay because it will always be mermay so long as this au exists in my mind <3

Also full vers. without special bits undercut because Ivy’s tail is hugging him and its adorable <3

[calcifiedunderland]

Hello! Saw your Mermay post and read the Jade and Floyd Selkie stories and loved them!!

I had an idea for a one shot and the prompt, Mimicry, for Jade (and Floyd if you want I love the twins lol):

It takes place in a au fantasy verse, were merfolk and landfolk don’t typically interact and both have the idea that the other is dangerous. At night, Jade is near the coast and is singing, when he stops he suddenly hears another voice attempt to Mimic his song. It’s pretty good, though some parts aren’t the same bc it’s the first time the other singer has heard it. He’s surprised that the voice is coming from the shore, but he can’t seem to see whoever sang.

The reader character is the one who heard him singing, and being curious about merfolk, tried to sing his song back to see his reaction. They stay hidden bc they are cautious and don’t want to get dragged away if it turns out the legends of blood thirsty merfolk are true. So when Jade can’t find them, he tries singing again and then stopping, and when the reader responds he tries locating them from their voice. But reader catches on to what he’s doing and ends up moving about behind the rocks and trees of the low cliffs/rock outcroppings. It becomes a sort of game!

Over the course of the next few days, sometimes the reader starts off first, singing a human song that Jade then tries to mimic and vice verse. Eventually the two meet when the reader eventually shows themself, maybe this time as they are singing in harmony with Jade instead of the stop and go the two usually do! It can be up to you if they speak the same language or not!

Hope you like the idea even if you don’t do anything with it and have a great rest of Mermay!!

💌 Request received! Thank you for your message!!

Anon I LOVED THIS sm!!! I apologize for the wait, this took longer to write. Hope you enjoy!!

Jade Leech, ft. Mimicry

There was something in the water.

You leaned over the ship’s edge, squinting into the ocean. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and even though you knew you were still tired and chilly with the early morning damp, you knew you saw something. That night, as you entered Sage Island waters, you dreamed of songs muffled by the ocean. It troubled you, so you thought you’d go above deck to clear your head. A lot of good it did you.

You could’ve sworn you saw teal slink past the ship’s wood. At one point, you saw a golden eye staring back at you.

You’d yelped, jumping back when the captain saw you flinch. “(Name), are you alright?” Captain Rosehearts walked over, frowning. You nodded, pulling your coat around you. “I might be seeing things…”

First Mate Trey looked over from the mast, “could be merfolk. They do hang around these areas.” Captain Rosehearts’ frown deepened, and his fist clenched. “You’re better off staying away from them, (Name). Sevens know what those creatures are capable of.”

Your eyes widened, and you tried not to sound too fascinated despite their warnings. “What do you mean?” Riddle looked at you sharply, and you felt yourself stiffen.

“Merfolk are dangerous,” his tone was snippy, “they lure you in and will drown you. Some will even squeeze you to death. You must be careful, understand? Do not go near the shore.” You eventually nodded in promise, as Riddle’s gaze softened. As he walked off, one of the shipmates clapped a hand on your shoulder.

“Ah, don’t worry about the Cap’s words, (Name)!” You glanced at Ace, while Deuce followed from behind.

“He’s just worried. A few months ago, one merman actually got onto the ship,” Deuce shivered, “he took one look at Riddle and tried to squeeze him. It took Trey and Cater to pull him off of Riddle.”

Your eyes widened, breathing in a gasp. “What happened after?” Ace rolled his eyes, “don’t worry, (Name). No one was hurt, but Riddle was red in the face for days ‘cause the merman kept calling him ‘Goldfishie.’ It wasn’t that bad, Deuce is just a scaredy cat.”

While Deuce insisted he wasn’t scared and Ace started teasing him, your mind drifted to the ocean. You saw your forager pouch floating, before a teal clawed hand snatched it beneath the surface. You rubbed your eyes, frowning. You definitely saw it. You knew you did.

If you’d glanced back, you would’ve noticed two identical figures, glowing blue with bioluminescence, staring at you. One clutched your pouch, pulling out a small mushroom in his webbed hand. Strange, he looked at the ship in fascination as his brother dove down, mumbling something about a boring Shrimpy.

From beneath the surface, Jade eyed the pouch floating between his clawed, webbed hands. Floyd idled with some stolen human jewelry, bored, while Azul busied himself (and all eight of his limbs) with contracts, mumbling to himself.

Jade pulled the drawstring open. What would be in here? Coins? Perhaps a jewel? His eyes widened when a small, odd-shaped lump fell out. Fascinating. He picked it up with two fingers, watching it with awe. These grew on land. They were called… mushrooms?

Jade’s heart skipped a beat. They’re beautiful.

He eyed a lantern by Azul, picking it up with his tail. He fiddled with the inside, until he finally got the candle out. Floyd watched him lazily as Jade scooped some sand up, shaking it into the lantern so it was nice and level, and put some shells and seaweed inside it. Jade gently wedged the mushroom into the lantern, before closing the top.

Jade looked pleased with himself as he admired it. Azul looked over from his contract, “Isn’t that a human object? It’s supposed to have fear.” “Fire,” Jade corrected.

Floyd opened his eyes blearily, “hah? Is that another of those weird human things? I’m not eating it again.” Jade chuckled before moving the lantern next to him, hand over it protectively. “Don’t worry, this one isn’t for eating, Floyd.”

Azul sighed, “you know you mustn’t get too attached to these human things, right?” Jade stopped, looking up. Azul continued, “it isn’t safe for us to interact with the human world. You’d only be hurting yourself if you keep making these… terrams.”

“Terrariums,” Jade corrected as Floyd flopped on his back, upside-down on the rock now. “Y’know, Azul’s right.”

Jade hummed idly. “I’ll be careful,” he said absently, smiling at the mushroom.

Maybe moving to Sage’s Island on a whim wasn’t the smartest idea for a humble apothecary like you. After all, you’d have to relearn the local plants, but the adventurer in you took one look at the ocean and forestry of the island and your heart sang. One ticket and boat ride later, you were on your way to your new dream.

Well, not quite. First you had to get things to sell. Luckily, you were able to find work at Mr. S’ Mystery Shop. You would be working with your new boss, Sam, and managing the apothecary section of the store. “(Name)!” His voice boomed as he grinned to you, “be a good imp, and get some herbs?”

And that meant venturing into the forest.

Before you’d left, Sam tapped his skeleton cane on the window. “Be careful of the coastlines, little imp. We wouldn’t want you getting caught by the merfolk.” You looked at the sign outside, depicting a crude, scary-looking green-tailed mermaid with clawed hands and very sharp teeth. “They look just like humans,” Sam said darkly, “but they’re ruthless.”

You clutched your foraging bag, staring into the forest. It was quiet in this area. You were on the outskirts of the island, away from the populated town areas. You could hear the sea sloshing on the distant shores, and warnings echoed in your head.

You were away from the ocean though, you reasoned. With a firm nod, you plunged into the forest.

Sage’s Island was filled with good plants, you realized. You beamed as you filled your basket. You hummed happily. These would sell well, you thought. Now, what else did you need…? You were lost in thought, jotting down your collected mushrooms and plants, when you heard a sound drift through the trees.

No, not just a sound. It was… singing. Like a dream, your head lifted as you listened. Curiosity filled you as you stood, pocketing your journal. You carefully picked your way through the forest - it was much darker now. Not quite night yet. You knew Sam would be looking for you. Your misadventure would be quick, you told yourself.

Soon, the forest became brighter. Blue. Light reflected from the water wiggled over the trees, and you realized that you were quite close to the ocean now. The singing had become louder, clearer. More beautiful. You stilled, peeking from behind a tree trunk in awe.

The merman sat on a rock in the middle of a pool. The light was coming from him, from glowing swirls up and down the length of his teal body and tail. Your eyes widened in fascination. He looked so much different from the drawings of merfolk pasted on warning signs near the waterways.

His eyes were closed as he sang, face tilted upwards. In the darkness below you, illuminated only by the moon and his own bioluminescence, he looked ethereal. Was this what everyone was afraid of? Some pretty songs and colorful merfolk?

Below, Jade’s voice carried along the rocks on the cliff. He hadn’t come out here for a while, he mused. He’d forgotten how singing calmed him. He knew it wasn’t technically safe to sing above water, but it sounded beautiful echoing off the rocks. And no one else came to this side of the island. No one who wasn’t afraid of merfolk, at least.

Besides, Azul and Floyd knew Jade could handle himself.

Slowly, Jade’s song shifted to a duet. He couldn’t normally get Floyd to sing the parts with him, and Azul was far more interested in making deals than singing, so Jade sang both parts. His bioluminescence glowed brighter as he sang longer.

Up on the cliff, you realized the song had shifted slightly. It was still beautiful, but somehow… choppy. Like when you tried singing two parts by yourself. As if proving your point, the merman’s glow seemed to flicker when he shifted ‘parts’ in the song, singing in different tones every so often.

You felt your heart grow weary with the haunting beauty of the song. It felt nostalgic, familiar even. You felt sadness prickle at you, he’s singing it all alone. You bit your lip as you listened more intently.

Jade ended the song, taking in a deep breath. He opened his eyes, staring up into the night. Perhaps that was enough for the day. As he moved to dive back, he stiffened. He thought he heard someone clear their throat. Quickly, he toned down his bioluminescence and slunk behind a rock, eyes searching carefully.

Then, high on the cliff, a song reverbrated through the trees.

You hummed as you sorted through your herbs and mushrooms, trying to recall the specific melodies. The glowing died down, so you assumed the merman had left. It couldn’t hurt to sing a little louder now, right? This side of the forest was pretty vacant anyway.

You started singing as you walked around the area, staying away from the cliff. You didn’t notice shifting in the darkness, nor the golden eye searching to see you. Jade strained his ears in attempt to locate you, but soon the song became quieter and quieter as you walked off.

As Jade listened to the song slowly disappear in the night, he realized he was grinning. That was a human singing back to him, he thought as he dove into the ocean. How interesting.

As you entered Sam’s shop, you smiled. You finally had enough wares now. As Sam looked through your goods with a wide grin, your thoughts shifted back to the forest. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go back.

Meanwhile, back in the Coral Sea, Jade smiled as he opened his homemade lantern terrarium. Jade looks happy, Floyd thought suspiciously.

Jade normally had a charismatic smile but this time it was more… genuine. And he kept fondly looking over at his terrariums. It wouldn’t be weird, if Jade wasn’t humming that old song over and over again.

Floyd scrunched his nose, “Isn’t that the mermaid and human song?” Jade nodded, closing the lantern lid as he slid a leaf into it, “yes, it’s the duet. Why?” Floyd squinted, “didn’t know you were bein’ sappy today, Jade.” His twin shrugged, “perhaps I just feel like singing.”

Floyd decided to drop it, but noticed Jade’s mysterious smile.

You had to go back to the forest the next day. As luck would have it, your apothecary was a hit. It did mean you had to stray very close to the coastline again.

As night fell, you picked your way carefully towards the cove. It wasn’t like you wanted to go back there, you told yourself. You just happened to find a lot of mushrooms and herbs there. It wasn’t like you wanted to find the merman again, anyway. Dangerous lot, they are.

You were a touch disappointed when you didn’t see him there. Oh well. Your brush with danger would end here, then. Still, you found yourself singing the same tune you heard yesterday as you sat down, weaving some dandelions into a crown. The forest was peaceful. Just you and your herbs, sitting in the glowing lights as you sang together while you weaved dandelions together.

Wait… glowing lights?

Your song stopped abruptly as you realized it was much easier to see now. It looked like you weren’t alone now. You dashed up, darting behind a tree to catch a glimpse of the merman.

Jade listened carefully to you, trying to keep his bioluminescence low. You remembered quite a bit of the song, he mused. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was enough. He shut his eyes and softly sang along with you, but it took him a few seconds to realize you’d stopped singing. Lights from his body bounced off the water onto the cliffs as he looked around, hearing scuffling on the cliffs.

You peered down in awe. He was looking up now. You could see he had a glowing golden eye and black stripe of hair. He really didn’t look like the mermaid depictions. Scary, sure, you noted his sharp claws and sharp grinning teeth. But not monstrous.

Quietly you waited for his song to end and you sang back. You found it easier to sing, now that you had a partner. You shifted against the tree, gasping when your dandelion crown fell onto the rocks. It plopped into a shallow area right in front of the merman, and his head shot up to the tree you were behind.

His song followed you as you scurried through the trees. His gaze zeroed in on you, golden eye narrowing at your shadow in the trees. Jade grabbed the dandelion crown, looping it around his wrist like a big bracelet. You cleared your throat as he ended, and sang back, standing behind a tree near the bottom of the cliff, but still high above where the water was. Jade followed your voice.

Your voice faltered in the song when you saw the lights glistening off the sides of the cliff slowly approach you. The water rippled beneath you and you shrank back deeper into the forest, ending abruptly. You peeked from behind another tree, clutching your basket as a head poked up from the water’s surface. A single golden eye searched the darkness for you.

Your heart felt like it dropped into your stomach. This was foolish of you. Riddle’s words rattled in your head, you can’t trust merfolk they’re bloodthirsty they’ll hurt you. Your hands felt cold. Was this a mistake?

The song reverbrated deep from within Jade’s chest as he searched the darkness for you. He paused his song, waiting for you to continue. A heartbeat passed.

Two. Three. Four.

Perhaps he’d made a mistake, something in Jade twitched with disappointment. He lifted himself up onto the rocks, trying to see you in the darkness. He began the song again, looking.

You gasped soundlessly as you darted back up the cliff, watching him from below. Jade sang, eyes scanning the trees. Your mind raced as you tried to remember your part, but you could hardly think as his gaze swept up to you. Jade frowned, frustrated. All he saw was your shadow. How unfair. Jade grinned, and turned to try and scale the cliffside, when he stopped.

Jade’s head snapped back up as you began a new song through the trees, voice tinged with fright. He rested on the rocks, eyes closed as he listened with intrigue. Your voice washed over him peacefully. He’d never heard this melody before.

You continued singing, slowly walking down the cliff and giving the now (hopefully) calm merman a wide berth. Why did you choose that song? You mentally kicked yourself.

The first thing you could think of was a silly tavern song Ace and Deuce always sung just to pass the time. You were simply singing the melody without any of the words, but it seemed to calm the merman down. You leaned a bit off the cliff, holding onto a tree trunk for stability to see him better. Your voice grew gentle, and the waves gently washed over Jade’s fins as he closed his eyes with a smile.

Your song stopped with a gasp as the soil gave way beneath your step. You grabbed onto the trunk, song cut short as Jade’s eyes snapped to your form. Your basket thudded onto the rocks, and you pivoted away from the ledge, throwing yourself to the ground with a huff.

“(Name)! (Name)!” You heard Ace and Deuce calling you from the forest’s edge. You breathed deeply for a moment. You crept carefully to the ledge and saw the merman watching you intently from the rocks, and you sighed. “I… I have to go now. I’ll see you tomorrow,” You waved at him as you walked back, humming his song while you met up with your friends. Would he even understand you? You hoped so.

Jade watched you. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he said to your leaving figure. Jade fiddled with the basket, picking up stray mushrooms and flowers that scattered on the rocks, along with the remnants of your dandelion crown. He eyed the row of dandelions in his hands curiously. He gingerly rubbed one of the flowers with a small smile playing on his lips. A memento from the human world.

Back in the Coral Sea, Jade hummed as he lined the lantern terrarium with the dandelion row. Azul’s brow creased, “what are those? I’ve never seen anemones like that.”

Jade’s smile was cryptic, and he said nothing as he gingerly curled a finger around the flower’s stem.

You were delayed from going when your friends stopped by Sam’s Mystery Shop. You’d had to pull Ace and Deuce apart, and drop Trey off at the baking aisle and direct Cater to the fancy imported goods when Riddle finally asked about new tea ingredients.

You’d shoved the jar of honeysuckle beneath the counter as you grinned at him, “oh! I guess we’re all out! I can go get you some!”

Riddle frowned, “Oh no, no need to run out at this hour-” “I insist!” You raced out of the shop as Riddle called behind you, darting into the forest, heart pounding.

Your breaths came out in puffs as you rested under a tree. You strained your ears for the merman’s song, but only heard the leaves rustling and waves on the rocks. You couldn’t see any glowing lights, either. Sadness twinged in your gut as you reluctantly gathered some honeysuckle growing near the coastline. Every light on the grass made you look up in hopes he came, but nothing. You sighed, balancing on the rocks as you walked through the forest.

Eventually, you found yourself in the clearing right under the cliff. You peered up, squinting. So that’s where you’d usually be. You looked back down at the rock in the center of the small pool.

And that’s where he’d be.

The cove was much darker now that he wasn’t here. You sighed, sitting down with your basket in your lap. You looked up at the moon, feeling lonely now that he wasn’t here.

Did he wait here for me? Did he leave because I wasn’t here? You thought. You messed with the herbs in your basket, singing to yourself. This time, to fill the silence, you sang both his and your parts. Eventually, you’d stopped fidgeting with your basket and tipped your head back, eyes closed, while singing up into the night.

You startled when you heard a low chuckle. “How bold. You started without me.”

The water before you glowed a soft blue as a head emerged from the surface, and your gaze met the merman’s. He managed a pout as he looked at you, closing his eyes. “I thought you’d left me to sing alone,” he sniffled as your eyes widened. “O-of course not!”

You scrambled back as he swam closer to the rock, and he began climbing it when the water got to shallow. Despite your fascination, you still remembered yourself. Riddle’s warnings flashed through your mind as the merman grinned at you, pulling himself towards you slowly. He was toying with you.

Jade watched you shrink back with amusement. “I thought you’d left for good,” he said teasingly with a pout. In truth, Jade had gotten delayed. Floyd had gotten into shenanigans with some customers at the Coral Sea location of the Mostro Lounge, and Azul asked (read: ordered) Jade to handle it. A few punches and well-placed threats later, he’d realized he was late to your moonlight rendezvous.

Jade blinked slowly at you, taking you in. Hm, you were adorable. And now he could actually see you instead of searching in the shadows. He practically drank in your appearance, eyes running all over your form. Humans looked so different from merfolk.

And your voices were different too, especially when singing. Were all humans as hauntingly enchanting? You unconsciously curled into yourself as he watched you. He wasn’t going to eat you now, right?

Jade smirked. You really were like a shrimp. Jade didn’t realize he was humming until you started singing along with him. Your voice dipped and trilled with the strange consonants and sounds. It was like any other night when you’d sing together, but somehow this felt different. The merman’s arms were practically folded in your lap as he tilted his chin up to you.

When the song ended, you were both still. You were bathed in his glow, the waves washing over your feet and his tail gently. You breathed, awestruck. He looked so much more prettier up close.

“Are all humans usually this quiet?” Jade smirked as you flushed in response. “I-well, I’ve never talked to a merman before,” you rushed out, biting your lip. Jade rose closer to you, grinning sharply. “You’re an interesting human,” he chuckled, musing as you your eyes widened and you leaned back. “Floyd was right to call you Shrimpy.”

“I- I’m not a shrimp!” You said, leaning back down as Jade backed off. “I’m (Name).” His smile widened as you relaxed.

“My name is Jade Leech,” he said smoothly, rising off you to lean on his tail next to you. Even sitting, he was bigger than you. His tail was longer than even the tallest folks on Sage Island. Jade smiled charismatically at you, but there was a softness in his eyes as he took your smaller, softer hand in his webbed ones.

The night seemed to become still as he brought your hand up, brushing it against his lips. Your breath hitched as you met his olive and golden eyes, looking at you half-lidded. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance~”

Calci stop making two part fics challenge uGH i cut parts out but I could theoretically make a part two where Riddle finds out you’ve been chatting up merfolk. I want to work through some of the other requests first 👀 thanks for reading!!! Until next time, xoxo Calci~

[pr0ng3ls]

ITS MAY YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

FISH

That's right! I've got bois for this Mermay!! I don't have their faces just yet, but they'll be getting their own sheets very soon with each getting a post. When I have them posted, I'll link them here!

Sun

Moon

Eclipse

Basic info on this AU:

- Semi hibernate? Their burrow is large enough for the three of them to curl up with one another and call it good for few months. Sun on repeat is the first to wake. He likes chewing on the ice for frozen fish

- NONE OF THESE FUCKERS ARE REMOTELY RELATED

- Moon is really the only one with the Crescent motif due to scarring

- these three are not very good with human interactions due to past instances with the older generations

- Our MC is a bit more sensitive things that should hurt or inconvenience them is going to make them upset

- Gonna do my best to keep it ambiguous, tho any smut writing I do will be AFAB cause I'm a baby and still getting comfortable with writing AMAB smut be gentle with me ;u;

MC Information:

- Bought the lake house to continue personal hobby of photography

- works remote from home on data entry

- Will remain mostly ambiguous through story, but is AFAB

- Goes by They/Them

- Vague backstory, allows reader to more seamlessly insert themselves in (Was raised in the area so its not completely alien to them)

Property Information:

- House is a 3 br 2 bth

- rather small. Smaller rooms and bathroom downstairs, master bedroom + bathroom. Separate closet space for storage

- the lake is mostly on a nature preserve, a small private section to MC's lake house + dock

- private area happens to be where the mers took up residence

- The lake isn't small, but it's not massive either, could easily swim from 1 side to the other under an hour

- Lake is mostly clear, the floor made up of natural water grasses and other green growth + logs

- Fishing is allowed, but restricted year round for specific species

- Sun, Moon, and Eclipse are not recorded due to their skittish nature

- House is very much a fixer-upper. Gonna give MC something to do

[simonsbalaclava]

"But what a wonderful creature..." The fisherman whispered softly, crouching down among the rocks to look at it closely. Its skin glistened in the sun, warm, golden hues shimmering amidst a sea of blues, tinting its skin in a palette he could neither describe nor portray. The creature looked at him uncertainly, but could not help but let admiration get the better of him and he reached out his hand, lifting his chin to look at him more closely. "You are..." Simon whispered, almost breathless. The creature, with dazzling blue eyes, soon turned away and plunged into the sea, losing himself in the foam, sand and coral, leaving him silent, dazzled. In love.

I made this little thing for Mermay. It took longer than I thought, but I like the result, hehe. As a disclaimer, I haven't drawn mermaids/similars since I was a kid lol so if there's something that's not correct with Soap's anatomy, I'm sorry, if I draw him again I'll try to do it better 😭

About this AU; Simon is a retired military man who moved to a coastal area to get away from the chaos of lonely everyday city life. He lives in a small cabin on the beach where He enjoys fishing as a hobby and other activities to distract himself in his retirement. He eventually catches a creature (Soap) that leaves him dazzled, not knowing if he'll ever see him again. I made Soap very dazzling with lots of accessories and stuff like that because I honestly wanted him to look 'beautiful' in this concept that mermaids are like that... And because I like to add bling bling to my drawings.

I hope you like my version of them this Mermay 2025! It's my first time doing something like this, so I hope you like it. :) Have a good day. 🩷

[midnight-mourning]

🐟Midnight's DCA MerMay🐟

It's that time again, but now it's for May! So let's just jump right into it;

Requests

I will have 16 slots available for requests. Length will be the same as previous events with 1000-2000 words allocated to each

Requests can be anything (again)! Just ask that they relate to mermaids/mermay in some way, be that directly or indirectly and of course DCA-related.

As most know I am an X reader writer, but as long as my general request rules are followed, I don't mind writing for ocs, canon, etc. 

fair warning though for the above, I am not familar at all with TSAMS and if you DO have a specific au, I will do my BEST to be accurate but cannot guarentee beyond that

For those who don't know my rules, no nsfw (suggestive is fine!), and if you want something specific, be specific. Besides that, it's fair game, request what you want!

Potential Issues & Schedule

If there is overlap between request ideas, they will be combined in some manner of speaking (if possible). If needed, I will reach out to you about adjusting ideas or the likes, though I don't forsee this happening. This would occur if for example, someone wants gift shopping with Sun with their oc, and someone else wants the same thing with a reader-insert. Whoever requested second would be who I reach out to. 

Requests will be posted starting on May 1st & ending on the 31st! I will likely post every other day, with the fic I'm writing suplementing in between ^^

I will be starting writing as soon as I get the first request, as I have a busy month or so prior to May SO, requests will be open from today (April 13th) until next week April 20th, or until I get 16 unique requests.

To keep things organized, please request in the comments of this post. This also helps to potentially keep from overlap in requests, as you'll be able to see what else has already been requested. If you request in my ask box or such it'll make things a bit more difficult, so please avoid that.

HOWEVER, there is one exception to the above, which is if you wish to request anonymously, which is completely fine to do! But please only request in my ask box if you want to be anonymous. If overlap happens in that case, then y'all may just get two responses with similar vibes on the same day (essentially a bonus lol)

Sharing & More

Please feel free to share this post around, and request if you want to! Once I hit 16 unique ones I'll reblog this post with the announcement that requests are closed, so make sure to double check they aren't closed already prior to requesting!

I'll also post updates every couple of days regarding the status of total requests as well ^_^

Everything related to this will be under the tag #MM dca MerMay

These should be uploaded to ao3 when posted here, so you'll be able to read there if you prefer!

Shout out to the artists and beta-readers helping out with this event! It's a big help and adds to the fun so very excited to get to cooking with these and see what y'all get up to with them ^^ (if you're interested in joining in on this here's a final call to reach out and I'll invite you to the discord server :D)

General update things from me

As I said in my update post I am, very busy, things have picked up in my research so I'm in crunch mode to get done asap so i can graduate

I've been writing tho! Several things I'm waiting to share until I clean them up a bit but once mermay gets started i don't forsee another dry spell for a bit at least

Been working on a bit of everything, CS and HS both sit at the back of my mind but I just haven't had the time to really sit down and write for them both given theyre more in-depth with plot and such, will be getting back to them once im able to though I promiseee

I'm down a thumb rn due to a run in with a mandolin (the cutting tool not the instrument) but I will survive! not being able to draw sucks tho >_<

Excited to see the requests, bye for now!

Tags for those who enjoy my writing (if you'd like added, just let me know!)

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8 @luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @milosmantis @robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva @juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml @divinit3a @amarynthian-chronicles @crystalfay @that-one-unknown-artist @rosescarletful @buzzy-bee @hazelthebat @nightriverart

[emry-stars-oc]

Now that mermay is over. I have more mermay content. Much thanks to my buddy silvermasquerade who I wanted to talk about a mermaid au with (specifically their twin oc girlies who feature heavily here) and who had a hundred good ideas because now I’m terminally obsessed

So what if there were merfolk dolphins and they lived in an aquarium that does shows and stuff and most of them have an assigned human “handler” to help manage things and maybe to perform with. I think the merfolk are mostly like rescues or relocations?? At any rate the current set up of humans they work with are largely tolerable and even likeable so that’s a plus 🙏 and yes I’m unlearning embarrassment so you get to see my whole sketchbook layouts

(In this specific au the list of names and animals on the top left (above) are the merms, the right side list is the reverse timeline but we’ll get to that later)

Anyway I’ll put some ‘who’s who’ + rambles under the cut, for now @silvermasquerade GET OVER HERE I HAVE YOUR CHILDREN AND SECRET OTHER ART

Ok so. The merfolk are: silvermasquerade’s girls Adaline and Alyssa, the two black haired dusky dolphins

Alyssa (ponytail)’s human is Bo, Adaline won’t take an assigned handler but if she needs an assistant for her performances she’ll borrow someone (usually also Bo). They’re beautiful and so much fun to play dolls with and I love them. I also love forcing Bo and Alyssa to get through the initial absolute refusal to cooperate bc once they figure each other out they are so funny to me

(The rest of these aren’t going to have pics accompanying them because I’m hitting image limit smh)

My contributions to the merms are Quinton, the spotted dolphin who’s (current) human is a yet un-designed and completely un-introduced dude named Rhydian (annoying, sometimes pretends that the merfolk aren’t as sentient as they are bc it’s ‘convenient for him’). Luckily I’m thinking Q eventually gets put with Kallistos instead, who’s one of his besties in canon. He’s also mercilessly, lovingly teased for not being overly subtle by merfolk standards with how intrigued he is by Alyssa’s handler

Estes, a nondescript seal who doesn’t perform atm but ended up taking to one of the employees (Lolo) who was therefore given defacto responsibility of Estes bc she’s so snappy with anyone else. Lolo also happens to be someone that frequently helps train new employees so when Taorna is hired, he also accidentally gets on Estes’ good side. Oops 💕

Mercer, the unreasonably large orca that was brought in who also doesn’t yet perform because they have no one to work with him on it. He’s not quite built for the elegant types of shows they put on anyway, if they ever do a pirate drama he’d make a great sea monster tho.

And Liana, the common dolphin with the yellow ribbon in her hair. Her handler is Ambrose (eyepatch guy) which means she’s almost immediately teased/razzed by the other merfolk for how well the two of them get along. “He’s handsome and kind and -“ “girl please. he’s a HUMAN” but you best believe they are the media darlings and look so cute in their matching costumes

One day I’ll draw them with their humans bc you absolutely have not seen the last of them, I’m obsessed almost to the point of concern, I also need to figure out how to get Betony in here fr. If you thought Mercer towered over them before oh boy

[vectorisheree]

Since you’ve done Solar, have you ever considered doing any other characters from the Sun and Moon show like Lunar and Earth or maybe even Jack and Dazzle? I think it would be amazing if Solar and Sun got to have their children with them in this AU.

Hihi, Funnily enough I did actually draw Earth and Lunar for Celestial Waves last year, I just forgot to post the image I guess so here's a doodle to make up for it kaeeafjkleakjfl

As for Jack O Moon and Dazzle, I had imagined that Jack would be more mechanical than the others with octopus like wire tentacles (to mirror the Blood Moons being based off of an octopus) that would twist into a single eel like appendage and Dazzle didn't exist when the AU was created so Celestial Waves Dazzle doesn't exist yet!

Last year's art for reference. I think I might've posted it to the SOTW mermay thing and then forgot to post it on Tumblr

[strawberry-pockii]

[mun behind toeridiaorbust] In the mermay/mermaid AU, how do you think the MC would come into the environs of where all the LIs are? Are they a human, or some other kind of sea creature or sea entity?

And!!! What about Soulless? What would those be like?

i think the soulless might more or less just be feral forms of animals? so sharks, orcas, scary things that will try and eat you in the ocean (；′⌒`). i imagine princess is a dogfish, and is very affectionate with ais!!

as for the MCs!! i think that's kinda up to everyone on which possibility suits your MC best ♪(^∇^*) for my MC rook, i said they're a merperson but i think they're probably in a similar boat with mhin and have something wrong with their gills and so that's how they're cursed. it also might depend on the route you want too!

some other possibilities are:

you were once a human but now through some weird curse/sea magic you have been turned into a merperson

perhaps you made a deal with a sea witch for one reason or another?

maybe you were the apprentice of a sea witch if you were the alchemist!

if you want to pursue vere, perhaps you're a human who sees what the senobium science center does with him and so you want to free him

the hound/exile i can easily see being a dolphin, orca, or whale that was kicked out of their pod

there's many possibilities and i would hate to limit anyone's MC!

[mikimakiboo]

Mermay day 1 - Daydream

The Mermay bingo belongs to @skumhuu !

It will surely be veeeeeery small drabbles but I'm trying to avoid burn out okay ? I will try to make it daily updates knowing I still need to work on Time Travelers so wish me luck !!! :')

I will do my best but don't be surprised if I black out for a few days

Also some chapters will be about Megalodontale so to avoid confusion I'll write which AU it is before each chapter ~

This story will be cross-posted on AO3 !

- Leviathantale -

Cross is in his tank in the lab, he gets lost in his thoughts, the only thing he can do anyway...

Next

The water was cold, it always got colder at night when the big machines turned off, they said it was to save energy, as they didn't have a big enough generator to have everything constantly on. Cross sighed, swimming, or rather crawling as the tank he was in wasn't deep or large enough to properly swim, to the other side, the one from which he could see a window. It was a rather small window but he could see the sky and the tops of a few trees and mountains in the distance. He knew there was water too, he saw it one day and when it was too hot inside the scientists would open the windows and Cross would hear the waves crashing on the shore.

He sometimes wondered how this water would feel against his bones ? Would it be colder or warmer than the one in the tanks ? Would the temperature vary throught the day ?  Would it stay the same all year long like he was used to or would it vary over the months too ? What would it taste like ? Would it have a smell ? The water here was tasteless, plaine, and only smelled like the products they used to clean the glass of his tank. It was changed twice a month anyway so it didn't have time to smell like anything.

He closed his eyes, curling as much as he could on himself and bringing his tail in front of his face, trying to hide from the light of the few machines still on. He tried to imagine himself swimming in the ocean, free of these glass walls, of these collars and captors stuck on his body. He was born in the lab, but sometimes there would be other mers who came from the ocean, some were nice enough to tell him how it was out there. Cross knew it was big, so big you could swim for days and days before reaching a shore, so big you wouldn't even see said shore from the surface, and the fish were alive. He had never seen alive fish, they were always dead when entering his tank for dinner time. Would he know how to hunt them ? How fast did fish swim ? Did they swim alone or in a group ?

He would probably have to be discrete, to swim slowly and sneak from behind, did fish even have good hearing ? If they were deaf then he could probably just come from behind fast enough so they wouldn't have time to flee if they saw him. Could he kill them with his claws ? Their flesh was soft and tender, he could dig his claws and fangs easily through it, and the fish would probably die rapidly. What was the sensation of something dying in his hands like ? Would he physically feel the life leaving the body or would it just go limp after a while like it fell asleep ? Did fish sleep ? What would a sleeping fish look like ? Did they just stay still or did they lay on the gorund to pass the night like he did in his tank ? Would he ever see a sleeping fish ?

Cross stretched, looking through the window again, would he ever see something outside of the lab ? Would he ever see other mers outside of the tanks ? He would love to go outside, have a taste of freedom, discover the reefs, see the corals that everyone always described as so colorful, he would love to hunt, swim until his tail was sore and sleep in the sand... He would love to see something else, to go explore, would he try to find a home ? Or would he live day to day, always moving and discovering new places ? He would like to have friends too, maybe sharkmers like him, if they existed, if he wasn't the only sharkmer, but he would be happy with any other mer, as long as they were nice and willing to explore with him. He wouldn't be difficult anyway, just having someone with him would be enough. Were mers even sociable creatures ? Was he sociable only because he lived all his life surrounded by doctors or was it a spieces trait ? He didn't even know how his own spieces worked, how could he make friends with other mers like that ?

Another sigh escaped his mouth. It didn't matter anyway, he would probably never get out of this lab, so why worry about how fish sleep at night or how mers interacted with one another ? He would never see it, he could daydream all he wanted, he would never have friends. The doctors weren't his friends, they hurt him, treated him like an object and got mad when their tests didn't give them the results they wanted. He didn't know what having friends felt like, and he would probably never. And what even guaranteed him that having friends would be good ? What if everyone was like the doctors and that was just how the world was ? Maybe he didn't want to know after all...

He should just sleep, there would be other tests in the morning, he couldn't be tired... Maybe if he was a good subject they would allow him to spend some time in the big pool again, and then he could pretend again to be in the ocean, to be far from this place...

Maybe one day his wish of freedom would become reality, if he was really the best subject, and for that he had to rest at night to have good results on the tests... yes, maybe one day he would know what the ocean felt like...

[majimasleftasscheek]

I've been thinking, about how you would make sea creature kazumaji... do you already have headcannons for that or is it something more new?

a lil mix of both 🤔 I originally drew eeljima for MerMay and was gonna leave it at that but I got really attached to the idea of kiryu and his dumb fish boyfriend so I rolled with it kdlsjfddsf. I got a few ideas tho 👀

majima's an eel - nothing specific but I leaned to electric since the rpg games give him electricity as an element. also, knifefish (what a coincidentally convenient name 👀) have spots that remind me of his snake's spots so that fit well with his overall theme plus they're related to eels so even better >:D saejima's also a fishdude, a grouper specifically because they're huge and chonky but also gentle uwu

kiryu's a silly lil fisherman guy, one of them commercial types that goes out on a boat to get big hauls. nishiki's there too being the saddest wettest little beast. other characters make up part of the crew in similar ways the canon families are set up. so like kazama and kashiwagi for example are captains of the crew

I have thought about if they were fish too if I wanted to do a branching AU of this and kiryu could maybe be a thresher shark - because they got that big slappy tail but also their huge beautiful eyes™. OR a betta fish because I think the colors would really compliment his heat colors. nishiki can be a koi because of course

kiryu and nishiki live in a lil shack on the shore. nishiki hates it but kiryu likes the simplicity and being close to work. nishiki would move closer to the city but frankly all the haircare product he buys is so obscene that he can't afford a place on his own ✌

majima and saejima (+ yasuko) live in some nearby kelp forests/coral reefs. merfolk tend to stay away from humans and live further out in the ocean, deeper underwater but these three take advantage of all commercial fishing going on to get some easy food. but being so close to fishing trawlers, this leads to majima getting caught in a discarded net, being trapped and beached where kiryu finds him 👀

merfolk can breath air and go on land but it is as awkward as you can imagine. when majima hangs out with kiryu, kiryu drags him up the beach to enough dry land where the tide isn't a problem. merfolk do have to be moisturized often so majima's either doused with a bucket of water or gets a big ass lathering of lotion. whether or not that'd actually be realistic doesn't matter to me I just think it'd be funny for nishiki to be very suspect of the comical amount of lotion kiryu suddenly starts buying

majima's fav thing to do with kiryu is have him fry up some fish since he's never had cooked food before and thinks it's the bee's knees. kiryu will often go into town to buy all sorts of things for majima to try or majima will catch some wack fish from who knows where for kiryu to fry up. they pick secluded beaches as not to be disturbed but kiryu is ready to fling majima into the ocean at a moment's notice just in case

majima has a second set of jaws normally not visible unless he's snacking on a fish. sometimes he pops em out for a smooch and kiryu is wary but willing to try anything 😤 nishiki is often very worried about the numerous weird bite marks kiryu comes home with but kiryu chalks it up to clumsily falling face first into some coral. you can tell by now I'm very into the trope of person dating a cretur is very bad at keeping it a secret dsklgjk

majima tends to have electrical flare ups when he's feeling emotional so kiryu ends up getting zapped a lot. it's not enough to be dangerous but kiryu has since avoided touching light switches and makes nishiki use them first

rarely kiryu will take majima out on the town in a wheelbarrow covered in a blanket and everyone's like *squint* but eventually gets used to his funny lil friend who seems fascinated by literally everything

there's defo some tigerfish action at a later point once nishiki eventually decides to follow kiryu to one of his little secret beachside escapades to not only find out kiryu's being a weirdo as usual but now with a weirdo fishguy. on the other side, saejima is eventually convinced that there is not a bunch of people on the shore waiting with harpoons and nets and joins majima for one of kiryu's fish fries and finds out hey maybe humans ain't so bad if they can put up with majima for more than five minutes

[thegingerwrites]

The Cure for Everything by thegingerwrites

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a knight, a member of the High Council, and a merman. More than that, he is tired of hiding his existence from humans and pretending that they live in separate worlds. Anakin Skywalker is a widow, a father of two, and a marine ecologist. He has spent the last ten years trying to keep his head above water and has just been offered the job opportunity of a lifetime, only it means moving his small family to the other side of the world. After meeting a merman stranded in their pool the night of a storm, Luke and Leia believe that bringing Obi-Wan and their father together might solve everyone's problems.

Happy belated Mermay! Here is the first chapter of an Aquamarine AU I posted a snippet of here. This chapter sets up that snippet and everything else that's to come

Here's a bit of this chapter:

Luke rushes to the edge of the pool. His fingers grip the tiled edge as he peers down into the water and sees… nothing. A few bubbles, the slow current at the surface. Leia is nowhere to be found as long seconds stretch and build up one after the next. Why couldn’t it have been him?

He needs to do something but even in his panic, he knows that jumping in after her is a bad idea. A quick look around and—there. The pool skimmer tied to the deck railing with two loops of rope.

Luke hurries over and slides it out. He can give Leia something to grab onto, help pull her to the edge of the pool and out of the water.

When he gets back to the pool, there is some movement under the water but Luke still can’t see her. He reaches out with the net and prays for Leia to grab on.

Almost as soon as he does, the water erupts and Luke stumbles back. He falls flat on his rear with the pool skimmer drawn up in front of him defensively. His brain can’t quite understand what his eyes are telling him he sees.

First things first: Leia. Squirming but seemingly unharmed, coughing up salt water, being placed on the pool deck gently.

But second, and now that Leia is safe, more importantly: the man that rescued her.

“It’s alright, young one. You’re safe now,” the man says. He has a pretty voice, Luke thinks, in the midst of not being able to think much at all.

Then he gathers himself together and scrambles forward. “Hey!”

The pool skimmer in his hands makes scrambling forward on his knees a bit awkward but Luke fights his way to Leia’s side and inserts himself between her and this man.

The man backs away, slipping further into the pool with his hands raised to show that he means no harm. Luke spares a glance down at Leia to make sure that she is okay. She has stopped coughing. With a sniffle, she wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand and turns to look at the pool.

“Are you alright?” the strange man asks. “I promise, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I only wanted to help.”

He looks like he might be older than their dad, with a beard and hair that reaches his shoulders when it is wet. He treads water with what looks like no effort at all, his hands still raised and empty.

“What are you doing in the pool?” asks Luke. It’s the first thing he can think of.

“I find myself a little stuck here, as it happens.”

“Stuck?” Leia croaks.

The man shakes his head. “Where are my manners? My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. And who might you be?”

[tj-dragonblade]

[Fic] Telling Tails

Fandom: The Sandman Pairing: Dreamling Rated: G Word Count: 3710 Tags: merfolk AU, human Dream, merman Hob, meet-cute, canon role reversal

Notes: Once upon a time I set out to write a mer-Hob AU to give him courting behaviors of certain fish as a cute interspecies thing. Perhaps I will get there eventually; in the meantime, please enjoy their first meeting which I have finally revamped and redrafted into satisfactory shape juuust before time runs out on MerMay 2025. This precedes Good Luck Charm by a couple of months at least.

Special thanks to @the-apocrypha for the title 🫶

Summary: On a university-sponsored research trip in Australia, marine biologist Dream discovers a new form of sea life that he was not expecting.

On AO3

Dream is not surprised to find a waterline-level cave out on the rock formation in White Horse Cove, on the side not visible from shore. Nor is he overly surprised to find someone stretched out on the damp rocky floor with their eyes closed, as the morning light fills the first several feet of the cave brightly in a way that is conducive to sunbathing.

The fact that the sunbather has a bright orange tail with brilliant yellow fins and blue-and-black leopard-like spots is rather less expected, however, and Dream gasps his surprise.

The sound startles the man—the merman—surely not?—who sits bolt upright, eyes wide and panicking as he locks gazes with Dream not an arm's length away.

Dream's heart skips a beat. He's beautiful—

"Ah, fuck!" The merman—there is no other explanation, no mistaking the flurry of fins and scales and long wet hair as he moves—the merman twists and flops and dives past Dream, a less-than-graceful plunge off the rock and into the sea and then he is gone.

"Wait!" Dream cries, to the bright flick of yellow and orange vanishing into the depths, but of course it is no use.

He could swim back to the boat, could don his diving gear and follow—but no. The merman is already gone, and will be more so by the time Dream could be equipped to give chase.

He swallows back his disappointment, his disbelief, and tells himself resolutely that he surely imagined the entire thing.

But he did not imagine it, he knows this; the knowledge lodges in his mind, burrows down into his consciousness and curls around his common sense, stokes his curiosity.

He saw a merman.

Merpeople do not exist.

But he saw one.

He returns the next day, hoping perhaps to repeat the discovery, but he is the only visitor to the cave in the hours that he spends there. When the tide has gone out and come back in, high enough once more to cover the floor of the cave more than ankle deep, when he has spent all day waiting with nothing to show for it but a poor sketch from memory—long hair, long fins, vague face—he admits defeat and swims back to his boat.

He returns again, and again, every morning with the drift of the tide, diving to explore beneath the surface when the cave remains empty. He finds nothing of note, nothing to hint at the existence of merfolk, nothing at all out of the ordinary; by day six, he is trying to convince himself to make peace with the likelihood that he will never find any trace of the merman he knows he had seen.

On day seven, the merman is back, sunbathing at the front of the cave again.

Only this time, he has human legs, is wearing swim trunks, is sitting further away from where Dream is treading water, stunned.

"…Hello," Dream manages.

"Hi," the man says, warmly polite. His hair is piled into a prettily-haphazard bun on the back of his head, not freshly wet but still visibly damp, suggesting he has been out of the water for maybe an hour. He is cross-legged with his knees drawn up and his arms wrapped around them, one hand holding the other wrist; he is meant to look casual and relaxed, Dream is certain, but the tension and the nervousness coming off of him is palpable.

He is still beautiful.

"You're. I saw you here, last week?" His thoughts are still trying to catch up; he hoists himself into the cave, doesn't move closer.

The man's shoulders drop a tiny fraction. "Yeah, yep! Startled me good, y'did!" He chuckles lightly, a carefree and casual sound; the fingers of his dangling hand wriggle, a nervous and distracted sort of gesture that draws Dream's attention to the profusion of hair on his bare legs, and arms, and what Dream can see of his chest.

"You had a. A tail, last time," Dream says, somewhat awkwardly, tearing his gaze from the sprinkling of hair on the man's bare toes.

"Oh, that, yeah!" The man grins, bright and disarming. "I'm a mermaid performer, with the, ah, the local fair."

Dream is convinced this is a lie even as the logical part of his brain points out that this explanation makes far more sense than believing in merfolk. He knows what he saw, the flexing of muscle and the fanning of fins, the bending and twisting that did not match up to the way that human legs would move in a costume. The merman speaks with casual confidence, but the tension in his frame and the nervous fidget of his clasped hand are easy to read.

"…No, I don't think you are," Dream says, and the man's bright smile dips before returning to full wattage.

"Callin' me a liar, are ya?" He laughs, a light and enchanting sound that Dream immediately wants to hear more of. "Merfolk, they don't actually exist, I'll have you know."

"And yet, here you are," Dream counters, bold, determined. If this man is an ordinary human, then he will feel foolish, certainly, but Dream is confident despite all conventional logic that he is not wrong.

He has never been very good at letting the most likely explanation dissuade him from an idea to the contrary, much to his mother's chagrin growing up. Countless times all his life he has had his wondering hypotheses scoffed at, his fears and anxieties dismissed, been told how ridiculous they all are. And it's not as if he didn't know that the monsters under the bed were unlikely to be real or that the end of the rainbow was scientifically unreachable, that statistically he would not drive his car into a fiery wreck, but Mother's insistence that he cease with such foolishness no matter his fears or his questions only triggered stubborn certainty that he could be right.

He'd done his best through his teen years to hide these tendencies from her and cope with the anxiety and stifling frustration on his own, and he'd found as he progressed through the sciences in school that his natural tendency to latch onto what-if's that others dismissed served him extremely well. Sometimes he was still wrong, but many times he would find answers that other students missed and it had given him the confidence to excel at university. The anxiety was far less of an issue once he found his own doctor to see about it and a prescription that worked and now he is halfway around the globe in Australia on a research grant, part of a four-person team studying fluctuations in various fish populations in relation to seasonal and environmental variables. He'd put forth several hypotheses as to what they would find when they started; Lucienne had simply nodded agreeably and Jessamy and Matthew—or Jess and Matty, as they warmly insisted he call them—have gleefully kept track of his predictions compared to their results and so far he has yet to be wrong.

He knows that he is not wrong now. This man, human shaped with human legs, is nevertheless not a human. Dream is not going to accept the far-more-likely explanation he's been given when he knows what he saw, and what he saw was no mermaid performer.

He tries an approach of understanding. "I imagine you prefer to keep the existence of your kind a secret—"

"What, mermaid performers?" The man chuckles. "Too right, absolutely, can't let the world know we're out here faking it."

He is lying, deflecting, Dream knows it but the wink and the easy grin are so charming, he is nearly ready to second-guess his conviction.

"I promise you," he pushes on, despite the giddy warmth in his stomach incited by the flippant tease. "I am not here because I want to tell others about you, or drag you off to some lab for sampling and studying, or anything of the sort. I am here purely of my own curiosity, my own. Drive, to know and understand the world around me. I promise nothing but respect for your secrets, your safety, and only appreciation for anything you might share about yourself or your kind."

"I certainly can't speak for all mermaid performers, we're a very diverse lot. But alright, alright, ask away."

Dream is mildly frustrated but also impressed; the more this man leans into his story the more confidence he gains for it and it is. Attractive. The poise that he is finding, the settled charm, the easy smile. Dream is smitten, despite himself, and knowing that he's falling for an act only makes it worse. The merman probably supposes he can flirt his way out of this; Dream is determined not to let him.

He changes his tactics.

"Why were you out here in your costume, alone? Does it not carry a high risk of drowning, to swim in an open uncontrolled environment with your legs so restricted and no one to assist you if needed?"

The man shrugs. "I like the practice. And I'm a very good swimmer." He answers so easily, his smile natural and warmly beguiling.

Dream presses on. "Might I see your costume, then?"

"What?"

"Your costume. It was incredibly realistic, I recall, and I should like to see it more closely, if I might?"

"Didn't, ah. Didn't bring it with me, sorry." The merman flashes his smile again but his confidence is wobbling. Dream pushes.

"Could we meet here again, and you bring it next time?"

"I. Actually can't," he says, and Dream can see the way he brightens as he lands on a new lie. "It's so important to the performance that you believe it's real, see. Like you did, obviously. So yeah no, I can't show you how it works. Barter secrets, and all that." He smiles, brilliant and charming, apologetic.

Barter secrets? Dream can feel his brow furrowing. "You'll share your secrets if I can offer secrets of equal value?"

He doesn’t think that's quite what was meant, and the confusion that crosses the merman's face backs him up. "What? No. Like. I can't let you see it too close, right? Can't let anyone figure out how I make my performance so realistic or they'll start copyin' what I do."

"Do you perhaps mean trade secrets, then?" He's amused more than anything now; mermaiding cannot possibly be as secretive and competitive as this man makes it sound, further strengthening Dream's conviction that he's being fed a load of bollocks.

"Yeah, that's it, sorry, got my words mixed up." The smile he flashes is tense around the edges; Dream hones in on his advantage.

"Understandable," he says, sympathetically, conversationally. "If 'job' and 'trade' are not synonyms in your culture, it's an easy mistake to make." He speaks with confidence, assuredness, never mind that he is guessing at reasons; if this merman can lie to him with such ease then he can fake his own certainty in pursuit of cracking that facade.

"Yeah nah, not really—" The merman cuts himself off, visibly redirecting whatever he'd been about to say. "Us mermaid performers, we—we speak our own language, true enough!" There is none of the confidence of a moment before, his pretty face flustered, struggling to keep the easy smile.

Dream watches him intently, uses the silently-intimidating stare he'd learned from his father to give it weight.

The merman stares back, something like panic rising in his eyes—which are a lovely rich brown, Dream can't help cataloguing despite himself.

Dream blinks at long last, slow and assured, and breaks the silent stalemate.

"You. Are no mermaid performer."

The merman draws himself up. "I—" He pauses, mouth still open, clearly wavering.

Dream arches an eyebrow.

The merman deflates, quite suddenly. "I'm not." He rocks forward, knees folding down so he's sitting properly cross-legged, lowers his head and rakes his hands into his still-wet hair, tugging at the loose strands in their messy bun. "Bloody fucking fuck, I'm gonna be in so much trouble—"

"Why?"

The merman sits up again, throws his arms wide, face incredulous. "You saw me! Tail and all! That's absolutely forbidden! I've exposed—" He clamps his mouth shut, something like fear flickering in his eyes.

The giddiness of victory wars with a tinge of guilt at how worried this merman clearly is. The idea that there are other merfolk, as implied by that outburst, has Dream's mind spinning, has him remembering that of course his own curiosity is not the only factor in play and he has no right to endanger this man just to satisfy it.

"Peace, my friend," he says, hands held up placatingly. "Should you leave right now, and never return, I would have no way to find you. Nor would I try. I don't wish to endanger you, or risk harm to. To anyone else." He takes a deep breath, drops his hands. "I apologize, for putting you in this position—" He breaks off.

Wait.

His eyes narrow at the merman, appraising.

"Why did you come here today, if the risk of discovery is of such concern?"

"Well. Because you already discovered me, right? Had to put another explanation in your head so you'd forget about looking for me."

"I wasn't looking, precisely—"

"You were so looking!" The merman gestures emphatically. "Never saw you here before but then you came back every day, stayed in the cave for hours, went divin' in the cove—what were you doin' if not lookin' for me?"

Dream blinks. He's been watching me? The thought warms him far more than it ought. "Alright; I was hoping to see you again, yes. But if you hadn't turned up today, or ever again, I would have given up at some point on waiting for you to reappear, and perhaps eventually I might have convinced myself you were not as real as I thought."

"Fuckin'—sharksacs, really? The effort I put to my cover story and sellin' you on it, and I could've just kept lurkin' instead?"

Dream can't tell if that's delight or exasperation, but he's charmed by the way the merman's accent has sharpened a bit as their conversation goes on. It speaks to an easing of the tension that had been so obvious in him to start with. As if the merman is growing comfortable with him, now that the lie is dropped.

"I had no idea you were observing me, this past week," he says, instead of any of that. "I saw no trace of you."

"Too right!" The merman straightens up, grins proudly, and oh, but that suits his face wonderfully. "We're very good at not bein' seen. S'what keeps us safe."

"So then, you wanted to be seen, today?" Dream gestures lightly toward him. "For here you are."

"Like I said. Wanted to put you off the scent." The merman hunches in, just a little. "Couldn't watch the sunrise with you pokin' around here either, could I."

"The sunrise?"

He shrugs a shoulder. "Startin' t'miss it. S'pretty enough undersurface, but it's always a bit muted. Up here everything's so bloody sharp it almost hurts."

"You come here regularly to watch the sunrise?"

"Yeah."

"And that was worth the risk of discovery? Even though your intention was the opposite?"

The merman looks at him then, long and searching. "This'll sound a bit bonkers, maybe. But. I trust my fins, right, and they say." He blows out a breath. "They say you're fair coral. Y'never…you didn't hunt me down, just searched a bit in the cove here. I've always been fascinated with humans but I've always been told that if humans discovered merfolk exist, they'd be after us in numbers with equipment to catch us and take us ashore and study us like they do other sea life. But you…you were only ever just you. Waitin'." He shakes his head. "Still. Anyone back home finds out you've seen me norm-o, there'll be a right panic."

"What can I do to ensure that doesn't happen? I don't want to cause you trouble."

"Oh I can keep a secret, no worries. And I'm dead sure I haven't been followed." He shrugs, tilts his head a little and toys with an earlobe. "Jus' speakin' outta caution, mostly. Not s'posed to reveal myself but went n' did it anyway, had to have a cheeky panic about it. She'll be right, though." He gives a little nod, as if agreeing with himself.

Dream is very aware that the merman did not offer 'stay away' as the easy answer to 'what can I do', and it fills him with a boldness that he is learning to embrace, here, with home and family half a world behind him.

"Then. I have a proposal for you." He takes a deep breath, trusting his instincts. Evidence suggests this merman is as eager to talk to a human openly as Dream is in learning anything he can about him. "Would you like to meet with me again? Here, if it's still a good secret location, on a regular basis. You can tell me anything you'd like about your life and your people and I will tell you anything you want to know about mine. And I will share this with no one."

The merman is staring at him, mouth slightly parted, eyes wide; he looks both disbelieving and ready to vibrate out of his skin with excitement and Dream does his best to commit the lines of that face to memory, so he can try to capture that wonder later in a sketch.

"F'real?" The merman casts his eyes down, back up, fidgets with his hands. "That—shouldn't, should I, but—" He bites his lip, adorably indecisive.

"Three days," Dream offers. "I will come back each day, will be here if you decide you should like to. To talk. To get acquainted. To share stories. If you decide the risk is too great, I will understand. If you don't show up by the end of the third day, you have my word I won't come back again nor make any effort to find you."

He holds out a hand, solemn and serious. "When humans shake hands on an agreement, it's a matter of honor. It means I won't go back on my word, and will keep to the terms we agree upon."

"Nah yeah, I know handshakes." The merman stares at the offered hand, lifts his own, hesitates, then clasps Dream's firmly. "Alright. I'm trusting your silence, obviously. An' I'll think it over, then, decide if I want to come back or not."

Dream gives their joined hands a single shake and lets go. "Then. I hope I will see you in the next three days. But if not, I will respect your decision. And your secrecy, no matter what." He stands to go, even though he really, truly does not want to. He is overflowing with curiosity, buzzing under his skin with the excitement of discovery and confirmation, burning with the need to learn everything he can right this very second.

He desperately wants to see the merman's natural form again, to memorize the colors and patterns and placement of fins, to confirm whether the hairy chest and arms he currently sports as a human remain when he changes.

But he cannot force the merman into any agreement, cannot rush any decision that this stranger needs to make about trust and his own safety. Dream will leave, and give him the promised time to consider the proposed arrangement.

"I hope to see you again," he reiterates, settling his waterproof tote more securely across his chest, meeting the merman's eyes. "But if I do not, then let this be farewell." He offers a hint of a smile, committing those wide eyes and that pretty face to memory once again, then turns and steps off the cave floor, sliding neatly into the water.

Swimming away is far harder than it ought to be, but he manages.

~

Back at the house where his research team has been stationed, Dream forces himself to settle and redirect his mind. The lack of other people helps, somewhat; solitude so often serves him well.

Lucienne has gone back to London for the break; Matty and Jess have gone home to Perth. They'd invited Dream to stay with their family but in truth, however much he has come to appreciate the twins' company, he welcomes the time alone. His family money means he can afford to cover the rent on the house and the boat for the interim, as of course such things aren't grant-funded over the break, and late Spring in Australia left to his own devices is far more appealing than late Autumn in London in his sister's flat with her insistence that he get out and mingle more often.

Lucienne, as the lead on this posting, had agreed that having Dream stay to look after the house and equipment until they returned to gather summer data was a good idea, especially as he could fund it himself. She calls each evening to check in—first thing in the morning on her end—to verify that all is well and nothing is needed, but other than that Dream is left to his own devices.

Which gives him an open schedule to meet with his merman, for the next few weeks at least.

Assuming that he comes back, of course, and agrees to keep meeting.

Dream is confident that the merman will come back; there had been such curiosity in his bearing, such an excited light in his eyes.

Those eyes—

"Enough," Dream says aloud, to himself. This is about far more than how pretty the merman is; Dream can school his baser observations in that regard. There is so much knowledge he stands to gain, here, and even knowing that he won't ever be able to share it with anyone, he is still so desperate to learn. To know.

Those eyes continue to haunt him regardless. As does that smile.

Perhaps trying to capture them on paper will help to quiet them in his memory.

And if not, he will hopefully see them again within the next three days.

= Started: 4/23/24 Drafted: 5/28/25 Posted: 5/31/25

Since I made an effort at Aussie Hob this time around I may do minor revisions on Good Luck Charm to match the flavor of this a bit more cohesively now that it exists.

[drawnbyraven]

responding to the last lot of mermay anons!! yes i know it's the middle of june, so sorry!! there was flash flooding in my area so i was preoccupied with moving all my office stuff. it didn't flood thankfully, but there was a lot of water damage!

anyways, written explanations of my doodles are under the readmore

asks 1 and 2: which merfolk in my AU wear clothes/how do they react to human garments?

i imagine that for merfolk, clothes just aren't necessary for evolutionary or social reasons like they are for humans, meaning it's about adornment more than modesty or warmth. so going au naturale is honestly the norm! merms that do like salvaging human clothes for ~fashion~ (like trish) are absolutely restricted by things like their fins and lack of legs lol

ask 3: re: the DIODIODIO pattern on diego's tail

this specific diego is the weird dino-person hybrid diego we see at the end of SBR! his pre-scary monsters form is probably much more tame, and i thought i'd sketch it for this ask! as for diego's dino form, i went with a megalodon bc it was the first prehistoric sea predator i could think of 💀

ask 4: about anemones and mer!fugo

you really got me thinking!! i didn't know how to get anemones to work on a humanoid design, so i looked at other spiny/venomous fish! like fugu... haha ..ha... i know it's not exactly what you suggested but i hope it's okay!

thanks for the asks everybody!! ❤️

[midnight-mourning]

Midnight-Mourning Writing Masterpost

Realized my intro was getting kind of crowded, SO, decided to move all my writing links to here, along with a little bit of yapping. Enjoy!

He's a Little Confused But He's Got the Spirit (updates WILL be weekly when I finish fighting off this sinus infection)

My current main project, a five-arc, multi-chapter fic that follows an engineer Reader just trying to survive adulthood, taking care of their siblings, and anything else that comes their way. That includes the Daycare Attendant.

Reader uses she/they pronouns, and Sun & Moon are not considered siblings or lovers, but a secret third thing (read and find out what lol)

This is a slow-burn, sfw fic, but all other tags and content warnings can be found in the fic, additionally there are spoiler present in the chapter titles and in the comments of this fic, just a heads up

Status: In-Progress, currently in Arc 3

Word Count: 203,263 (Currently)

All other fics & such are below the cut because this post has become quite long ^^

General fic things:

Anything related to Confused Spirit is tagged as #Confused Spirit on my blog

If you would like to be included on the tag list for Confused Spirit updates, or just for when I post writing, simply let me know!

Writing requests are tagged under #writing requests

I am currently am not taking requests, requests will open again potentially in May for MerMay, so be on the lookout for that ^^

General rules are no nsfw (suggestive content is fine), and if you want something specific in your request, be specific, otherwise it's free-range

Happy Birthday!

Series of drabbles I made from Reveal-Day requests, each consisting of 250-500 words

Reader is gender-neutral, Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers, all fics can be considered sfw

Some drabbles may relate to Confused Spirit, and may or may not be considered canon

You can browse the tag #reveal day drabbles OR read them on Ao3 using the above link

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 1,949

Better Strangers. (Unless?)

One shot I made for a milestone celebration! Takes place in the CS universe, is canon, but will never be mentioned in the fic itself

I highly suggest reading Confused Spirit to some extent before reading this as a lot of references won't be understood otherwise lol

Much like Confused Spirit, reader uses she/they pronouns, Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers

This is a sfw, stand-alone fic, if you would perfer to read it on Ao3 you can do so with this link

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 7,500

RESTART

My submission for an angst event! Based on the storyline presented in my Promptober Day 29 response. You do not have to read it to understand this, but you can if you'd like ^-^

Reader is gender-neutral, Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers

This is a sfw, stand-alone fic, if you would perfer to read it on Ao3 you can do so with this link

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 2,998

🎃Halloween-Based fics🎃:

Dead Ringer

My Secret Skeleton for 2024!

Takes place in the Sleuth Jesters au, with a bit of a spooky twist

All characters are based on their SJ! characterizations, with the original au of course belonging to @/NaffEclipse and @/sunnys-aesthetic respectively

This is a stand-alone, sfw fic, but all other tags and content warnings can be found in the fic

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 8,313

Promptober Masterlist

A masterlist with links to all of my promptober responses, credit to @/bluerasbunny for the prompts!

Each of these fics is angsty, suggestive, or horror-filled (or all three) in some way, content warnings are provided at the beginning of each work, reader is gender-neutral

Day 31 in particular is the grand finale, sitting as a 6K oneshot related in part to Confused Spirit (may or may not be considered canon)

The masterlist contains an ao3 link, with all the prompt responses that have been reviewed/edited for mistakes.

All prompt responses can be read as stand-alone, but there are some continous storylines/overlap between some, generally considered sfw but reader descretion is advised while reading

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 35,972

Borrowed Time

A 'part-two' in a way to Day 31 of promptober, it is essentially a bonus one-shot based also in Confused Spirit (may or may not be considered canon)

It is HIGHLY SUGGESTED to read Day 31 of Promptober before reading this, it will be less impactful/make less sense otherwise

Much like Confused Spirit, reader uses she/they pronouns, Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers

This is a sfw, stand-alone fic, if you would perfer to read it on Ao3 you can do so with this link

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 5,511

❄️Holiday/Christmas-Based fics❄️:

Midnight's DCA December

Series of requests I made for December! Masterlist contains link to ao3 :)

Consists of multiple different drabble-like posts featuring mainly the dca x reader in some regard

Each piece is about 1000-2000 words in length give or take a few 😅

All of these can be read as stand-alone, save for Day 7 which is being continued as a full fic! (see below)

All of these works are sfw, and unless stated otherwise Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers

Status: Complete!

Word Count: 59,534

He’s a Little Confused but He's Got the Holiday Spirit

an au of an au lmao, utilizes the same characters and personalities as those for Confused Spirit, but in a holiday setting with a different (though similar) story

Will consist of 7 total chapters including the prologue which is Day 7!

Reader uses she/they pronouns, and Sun & Moon are not considered siblings or lovers

This is a sfw, stand-alone fic, which will be uploaded simultaneously on ao3 when I get the chance (edit: the link in the title is to ao3 ^-^)

All information regarding this fic/au can be found in this info post here along with links to chapters as they're posted

Status: In-Progress

Word Count: Still Counting ^-^

💘Valentine's-Based Fics💘:

Midnight's DCA Valentine's

Series of requests I'm working on for Valentine's! Masterlist contains link to ao3 :)

Consists of multiple different drabble-like posts featuring mainly the dca x reader in some regard

Each piece is about 1000-2000 words in length give or take a few >_<

All of these can be read as stand-alone and are sfw

Unless stated otherwise Sun & Moon are not siblings or lovers

Status: In-Progress

Word Count: Still Counting :D