#Mermay Drabble

[t-the-ring-master]

Know what ya’ll, its Mermay, I’ve done nothing for it due to not having the energy… so here’s an OC drabble on one of my OC’s ya’ll have never heard of, EVERYONE! MEET AARON!

Hang on, gotta start this thing right.

Oh, and I imagine reader to be female but I never mention it. And it’s kinda platonic anyways so safe for anyone to read honestly.

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Oc Drabble! Mermay addition!

Requests: closed

Asks: open

Tag list: none

Tw: cannibalism, mentions of eating people and other merfolk/humans. Bro is a trader lol. He talks about eating other creatures a lot. He likes to lore drop like crazy and over share… me too Aaron, me too. There is a human mentioned to be drowning but bro lived. I’m my own beta reader right now, bear with me please. He’s normally way more aggressive but I wanted him to be a bit more toned down since this interaction takes place a few months after you meet.

Aaron is a very large transparent fish type creature so erm… yeah he creepy. I’ve been into subnautica again so I guess you can count him as an alien fish thing? I’m gonna make this an x reader because I can. This will take place on an alien planet, although originally he used to just be a deepsea merman. Enjoy! If you have any questions or ideas for him, my asks are open! He will also become a requestable OC soon too!

I don’t know how to accurately describe his size within the story, so for reference, he is about as large as young adult male humpback whale. Bro big.

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Your crew and yourself had set off on a voyage around six years ago now. Your mission unclear, as well as if or when you’d ever return to earth.

Although, it seems the answer is now going to be never with the situation you’ve found yourself in. Your crew, your ship, and most supplies are now all gone. Now stuck on an ocean like planet with just little material left to work with. Although, there has been one “helpful” face in this.

An odd, and very large alien like creature that refers to himself as Aaron.

He is huge, completely see through, reminding you of the type of fish that cause nightmares, having an anglers lure resting on his forehead, fins residing on his ears, neck, leading down his spine and some smaller ones on his more human like arms.

His sharp teeth although similar to his body were more bone like, although thin and razor sharp, and sitting within two rows. His hair… wasn’t exactly hair either, it instead reminded you of a jellyfish or the type of organisms that created one larger one, giving him long and oddly iridescent hair, constantly draping his form.

Due to him being basically see through, he seemed scrawny at a distance, but in reality he was incredibly strong, and he liked to show it off.

You had met him when you had first set out into open water in a spare dingy you had found in the escape pod. Running into a group of more hostile aquatic creatures, more animal like. You assumed you were done for until you felt something ripple the boat underneath and watched as the pod vanished deeper into the water one by one. After about a half hour of it, that’s when he appeared picking his teeth with his long claws like he just finished a large plate at a buffet.

“My my, I haven’t eaten that well in months! Gulpers aren’t my first choice of meal usually but beggars can’t be choosers… Now, let’s see what we have here. A client, or food.”

The beast said, lowering himself to get a good look at the dingy with just you on board, scared out of your mind that you were going to be his next meal.

“Oh! A human! And a living one at that, last one I saw was already picked off by snatchers!.

I suppose it’s rude to you if I don’t properly introduce myself. You can call me Aaron, a more human name I was given years ago from another human. I am your local ‘lethal class’ creature, but I have also been called a merman, or merfolk by some. Apparently it’s the closest you can get to describe what I am to you people.”

Aaron said, lowering himself down deeper into the water, now only being just above his waist out the water.

“You must have some questions, so I’ll make this quick. No I don’t sing and lure sailors to drown, I’m not from your world. I speak your language because I was taught, you aren’t the only human who has washed up on this forsaken planet.

I was named Aaron by some little kid way back when, don’t remember her much but she was with another alien some years back for supplies. (hehe, story lore. He is loosely connected to baby on board) I’m a trader or a seller of sorts, I give supplies for trade or payment.”

The introduction to your ‘friend’ was definitely a strange one, that is for sure.

He made it clear he wasn’t too much of a threat within that conversation, but it didn’t hide the off handed comments and hints he wasn’t against eating humans… or his own kind later down the line during your first meeting. Apparently he was very much the type to eat humans or even other more sentient beings should they annoy him or no longer become of interest… which is probably why you now trade with him often, like you were right now.

“Are you sure you don’t have anything like this Aaron?”

“I’m sure pipsqueak. I’ve even been around the wreak and I haven’t found anything like what’s on the little drawing you are showing me. My best guess is that Gupper swallowed or ate whatever part you are looking for near that wreckage ages ago.

If it fits in their mouth it’s gone. I’d go deeper but with it being pairing season, creatures are far more territorial and even I won’t mess with a creature starting their nests or protecting their new young.

I’ll look through more pod wreaks if I find any, but there’s no guarantee. I’m too big to fit in the more cramped areas, so I can’t exactly search any that landed in shallows.”

Aaron explained, leaning on a small piece of a moving island.

Shockingly, he was always honest with his product and would even try and look for things for you. Offering to explore depths you wouldn’t dare to, or sometimes offering to simply retrieve things for free if they weren’t too out of the way.

“No, Aaron, that’s alright. I’m sure I can find the parts I need to make one. I’m just really sick of having to filter water a little bit at a time…”

“Hey, I actually have a question. How come I haven’t seen any other creatures like you around? I’ve been meaning to ask, but I just didn’t want to bring it up in case…”

You ask, genuinely interested. You had been stranded on planet for a while now, at least roughly four months. The closest thing you had encountered to him was simply a sound he -albeit, higher pitched- makes when he was distressed before hearing an abrupt stop to it.

“It was a sore spot? Not in the slightest!” He exclaimed almost happily.

“It’s simple really, we have our own territory. We aren’t pod creatures normally unless it’s our mates and young. And even then, young sometimes leave and don’t return to their parents to establish their own territory.

Any of my kind wouldn’t be near by because most this area aside from past the deep depths are all my territory. If you see any, it won’t be for long since I’ll have chased them off or made an easy meal out of em. I’m the largest of my kind from my most recent knowledge, so they are easy pickings.

I also don’t have a cave system here, which means it wouldn’t be safe to have a pod, or young anyways.”

“Ohhh, that makes sense… the fact you speak so easily about eating your own kind is concerning.”

Aaron simply laughed, lowering his head onto his fist. Due to the weather changing into the colder months, his translucent skin had started to become more purple, and his heartbeat slower.(which was strange, because you could actively see his heart.) it seemed he was more tired than usual.

His top fin, which resided in the middle of his head flopped over to his left side as he tilt his head so his glowing pupils could look even deeper into your soul.

“That’s just our life cycle. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for siblings to even fight over their parents own territory should they not be close. Sometimes we make bonds and we never attack our own pod mates, but should they become a threat to us, it’s kill or be killed.

Honestly, the only time I know I won’t be attacked, even if I’m the strongest within the area is if I enter my parent’s territory. They don’t tend to attack their own young.

My kind also don’t often go after the smaller subspecies of our kind either, we don’t see them as worth while meals usually. In fact, we sometimes form a type of companionship. Us larger kinds offer protection, the smaller offer assistance with caring for young, catching or luring meals, and in rare occasions are simply companions.” Aaron explained, going on one of his more usual rants.

“It’s probably the same reason we rarely eat the humans that sometimes crash here actually. You are similar sizes and build to our subspecies. I actually mistook the first human I met as one of them!

I was a juvenile and my parents had one of their own, so I grabbed it and brought it with me all the way to the cove… of course, it was a human so he obviously couldn’t be underwater. I thought I man handled the poor thing too much because it was struggling so hard to break surface!

It ended up being our little subspecies that grabbed him and pulled him up for air. That’s how we learned what a human was and even eventually learned English. He lived on top the cove for some years before dying.”

Aaron spoke before sighing. His ‘brow’ quirked at the memory, his mouth in a pressed line before shrugging and diving back into the water.

For a moment, you thought he left, only to be proven wrong when he popped up behind you, his shoulders being the lowest point of him to recede out the water now.

“Apologies, was drying out. Now where was I? Oh yes.

He was a type of researcher. Much too old by the time I found him to swim on his own for long. And also much too old to live long. He was an interesting fellow.

Anyways, he is why I was able to recognize humans. Also the reason I know what I can get from them in return for my help.

Speaking of help, I’ll keep looking for your little metal scrap you need, but I make no guarantees. Until then, keep your payment, I’m anything except unfair. Until next time human.”

And with that, he was gone… as were you. Because he used his tail to flick you back to your escape pod that was stationed in the shallow. Man you hate when he does that. It’s a trade, not a log ride Aaron!

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Oh my gosh I wrote something! It sucks because I wrote it in like 30 minutes but I finally finished something! Hopefully this makes up a little for my lack of writing 🥲😅.

As I said, asks open! Especially for mermay! If you guys have any Drabble ideas for Aaron, go ahead and send an ask!

[casuallyanidiot]

Yandere MerMay but you're a host for a bunch of foreign exchange students coming from Merfolk countries all over the world in your middle of nowhere Uni town.

You've got to get them settled on land while dealing with their... odder tendencies. I mean, seriously! Who threatens to stuff someone full of eggs all the time?! Sure the scholarship money is definitely worth all the grief from waking up smothered in tentacles and fins every morning, but you really wish it wasn't.

Maybe then you could actually then complain about your new Leech roommate who was, yes, an actual honest to god Leech. It's not so bad, but it does get hard to ignore them when they wrap themselves around you, squeezing and begging for "Just a teeny bit of your blood 🥺?"

You thought you'd have more luck with the others, but then your new Beta fish is flopping dramatically in your lap, fanning out his scales while chasing all the others away with a sad little pout.

He gets along least with the Mantis shrimp, who's always smacking the other two off of you like they're made out of paper. You'd tell her to knock it off, but honestly she scares the hell out of you, so you just accept when she drags you back to her room for a long cozy nap with her new favorite human.

Yeah. That money better be worth it by the end of the school year. That is, if you even make it out at this point.

[skumhuu]

✨🦈🔱 MERMAY BINGO 2025 🔱🦈✨

Happy Mermay! 🥰 As usual 5 in a row equals a bingo and you can do any theme/prompt for the free space in the middle for an automatic win! This mermay I will be donating 2 dollars for every free space win, and 5 dollars for every completed bingo to charity!

Donations will be going to Monterey Bay Aquarium 🦈 They do so much to help our oceans, you can get more information about what they do under ‘Act for the ocean’ here!

If you don’t have the energy to make anything (absolutely fine!!) I definitely recommend donating yourself at this link if you have the money!

[ftmsimonriley]

soap picks up fishing while on mandatory leave, allowed to borrow price's boat to take it out on the coast, never far enough to catch anything more than rockfish and other coastal dwellers, most of which he releases back anyway. he spends his days out there, drinking and letting the hours tick by as he waits for a bite.

one day, the water's calm and he doesn't have a care in the world. a little past tipsy, he's watching some gulls fly past when suddenly the line catches. the speed of the boat doesn't make up for the speed at which the reel rapidly unravels as whatever is at the other end takes off. he's left to scramble for the rod, and it's a fight to reel it back.

about halfway back, the line goes slack.

he's left feeling a little disappointed as he winds it the rest of the way, expecting nothing at the other end. but what he reels up is half of a catshark. obviously something else was trying to catch it, too.

when he looks up from the mangled corpse, he's startled to find something in the water staring back.

a human face, with just eyes out of the water, deep brown with seemingly no pupils, which he chalks up to the trick of the light reflecting off the water. what skin he can see is pale and freckled, and the short hair flattened to the person's head is deepened to a dark brown from how wet it is.

he knows mers exist. he never thought he'd meet one, much less almost accidentally catch it.

"this yers?" he calls out, undeterred by the lack of a response. only quiet staring, the mer never letting the waves push it closer to his boat. he's quick to pull the catshark off his hook, less careful than he'd be with a live one. with an underhand toss, it hits the water with a quiet splash before sinking.

the mer is diving after it in a split second, and soap assumes that's all he'll see of it.

he stays out for a bit longer after that, intent on catching something that's not already half eaten. but the mer seems to have scared off all the fish, and he's considering accepting that today wouldn't be his day before something heavy is landing on his deck.

there, is a whole northern pike, freshly killed. when he looks over the side of the boat, there in the water is those same two brown eyes.

"dinners on you, is it?" he's a bit in shock, not only with meeting a mer but having it seemingly hunt for him. but unless its somehow messed with the pike before throwing it on board, soap isn't going to question his intentions beyond interpreting this as some form of gratitude for giving him the rest of the catshark.

and after that, he sees the mer every day he's out on the water.

always keeping his distance, always just his eyes above the surface. he starts to call him ghost, what with his ability to disappear and reappear so easily, and his eerie silence. ("like a wee ghost swimming around my boat.")

he suspects ghost is also, intentionally or not, scaring away all the fish. but at this point, he's casting as an excuse. why fish when he has a mer to talk to (or to be apt, talk at, as ghost never speaks) all day?

[luckyartdrawer]

Art for @midnight-mourning 's 2025 Mermay collection :3c

READ MIDNIGHT'S "Siren's Curse (of Bad Luck)" NYEOWWWWWW!!!! (Click here for link)

A close-up of our lovely Captains <3

(Twas very fun to make official art for this! Very excited for the next one... :3c)

[yandere-sins]

Angelfish

One simply cannot have enough mermaids in MerMay. Thank you all for voting here! I was surprised by some of the results, but I am happy with them! I hope I can do some more stories like this ♥

Edit after writing: This was a fever dream. I don't know how it happened and if you find mistakes, you can keep them because it's three in the morning and I am contemplating my life choices :') This was just an unexpected wild ride and I couldn't stop after starting. What a crazy experience, ngl. Lowkey really did enjoy it though, and I hope you guys do, too! I am just so happy to finally have been able to write for my lovely Sunday, even if it's an AU ♥

Edit edit: THIS IS 7K WORDS WTF!!! Haven't written so much in ages and in one go!!!! Oh my god!!! Correcting this the day after is a whole different kind of fever dream, what the hell did I take yesterday!!! I hate myself for having to edit this but also a little proud of myself ngl.

Character: Yandere!Siren!Sunday (HSR) x GN!Reader Words: ~7k Warnings: Yandere, Sexual Content (Dub-Con Touches, Sexual Harrassment, Attempted Non-Con, Kissing), Violence (Murder, Blood Mention, Death by Animal, Fear of Death) Monster (Claws, Sharp Teeth, Instinctual Behavior, Animalistic Behavior, Territorialism), Possessiveness, Themes of Creatures in Captivity, Reader being delulu and delulu turning into the harsh reality very fast, Manipulation

Words could not describe how beautiful he was.

People had informed you about the allure of the creature behind the glass before the first time you met him. How one glance of him made you want to lay your life at his feet—or, well, his tail. Everyone who had been interviewed after the experience of seeing him had been unable to find words to describe their experience, or even just the feelings they had at that moment. His pure existence stunned everyone into silence, and you were no exception.

Sunday, they had lovingly named him after the day they caught him. The fisher who pulled him from the Amazonian river was now a rich man, but he had not believed the creature caught in his net when he first saw it. Sunday was neither human nor fish, although he looked like both at the same time. With his iridescent scales that covered even some parts of his skin and the graceful movements of his tail in the water, he was nothing like you and every other human. His eyes were filled with unknown wisdom, and his features moved eerily similar to those of any human you knew, yet completely different.

To you, he was like an angel.

If mermaids or sirens existed, so must angels, and he was the closest being resembling them.

It had been months now since his appearance on this earth. Months of him swimming in the aquarium in your hometown, making it a tourist hotspot overnight. And every day since the grand opening of his enclosure, you had come to visit him, even if just to see a glimpse of him.

You'd never know if he'd notice you in the crowds of millions that came to see him, too. But you had to admit that he became an obsession for you. Most people came and went, never seeing him again, but with the luxury of living nearby, you couldn't help it. Your thoughts circled constantly around this strange creature, even when you were at work or at home. It was as if he had put you into a trance, even your dreams filled with the images of him.

Sunday affected everyone, and yet, no one as much as you.

"We ask all visitors to make their way towards the exit, and thank you for your visit. We look forward to welcoming you again in our aquarium another time!"

The announcement made your heart ache as you watched the beautiful creature sway through the water, billowing fins shimmering in the artificial lighting. They looked almost like veils, sometimes hiding him from the eyes as he moved. Sunday was majestic, even as he swam restlessly from side to side of his aquarium, never stopping. The sight, as beautiful as it was, made you sad, and you tore your eyes from him, your gaze falling to the plaque with his description.

Pterophyllum - Angelfish "Sunday"

It fit him so well. A little mermaid-symbol was next to his name and the assumed species, making it clear who this plaque belonged to. Behind you, most people slowly walked through the tunnel, leaving this scene and the siren behind. Most would never return while you stood there, brushing your fingers over the engraved letters. No matter how many times you tried to stay away, you couldn't bring yourself to. Was it pity for the poor, captured creature, or just your selfish need to keep seeing him, that put him into this spot in the first place? Without people like you, he could be released into his home, even though the thought filled you with dread.

A sudden bonk against the glass in front of you made you jolt wide awake, your eyes widening as you came face to face with the most beautiful person you had ever seen. Even close-up, he was as perfect as a statue chiseled in marble.

Your mouth opened to say something, but as if in front of a superstar, you couldn't say a word. He wouldn't even understand it through the glass, you assumed, yet you had never been this close to him, making you greedy for more interaction.

With a shivering hand, you slowly reached forward to where his rested against the glass. A shuddering breath escaped you as you saw your hand against his palm, bigger than yours, yet even the clawed tips didn't scare you.

Looking back at his face, his lips twitched, the corners eventually turning upwards into a smile, making you realize he wasn't used to the expression, but he learned it—for you. Your dreams and delusions were coming true as you laughed, realizing only when the sound escaped you that it was a sob instead. Tears were running down your face as you placed your second hand on the glass as well, and Sunday's expression turned confused, then worried, before he quickly put his other hand against yours.

You doubted you'd ever react like this to anyone but this creature.

Not even the greatest superstar in the world could elicit these feelings. Feelings of being seen. You had wondered countless nights if he knew of your existence since you visited him daily. If, maybe, he thought of you, too—if that was something a siren could do. He's not like you, you kept reminding yourself. He wouldn't love you the way you loved him.

Because that's what it was, right? Love.

You loved this creature with all his abhorrent, uncanny features. You should be appalled by the sharp teeth, claws, scales, and lack of feet. The billowing fins and the gills at the side of his neck, but instead, you loved him. Even if it was just a siren curse or something similar that bewitched you, you wanted to be with him no matter what.

No matter what.

"Hey, you come here often," a voice suddenly rang out behind you. Flinching back to reality, you quickly wiped your tears away, not noticing the sound of sharp claws scratching against the glass where your hand had been. You turned around to find a guy in a staff-shirt standing before you, hands in his pocket and smiling.

"Yeah," you quickly replied, hoping he didn't see that you just cried about your strange crush recognizing you. "I really like the exhibit."

"That's great! He's--woah!"

The man stepped back in surprise, raising his arms as if he were about to be attacked. But he wasn't looking at you; instead, behind you, and you turned around, confused about his reaction.

Instead of seeing Sunday's lovely face, you only saw his tail as he had straightened up, hovering above you in the overhead pool, completely still. You took a step back, and his body instantly relaxed, using fluid motions as he lowered himself to meet your gaze. Once again, his lips attempted to smile, and you touched the glass as you couldn't help but chuckle. Sunday immediately touched his palm to yours again, his grin widening, too, exposing the sharp teeth hidden behind his lips.

"Damn, that was scary..." the man behind you mumbled and you furrowed your brows, giving him a weirded out look.

"What do you mean? He's an angel."

Staring at Sunday behind you, the man slowly peeled his eyes off him and looked at you with bewilderment. "Did you not... Well, whatever. It's closing time."

"Oh," you whispered, shoulders sagging. "Too bad, I wish I could spend more time with him."

Turning back to Sunday, you saw your disappointed expression in the glass, his eyes widening as he tried to read you. He was so clever! Much too good to be held in an aquarium. Sunday was learning and studying the humans; he wasn't just an ordinary animal to be held captive.

"Well. If you like him that much, how about I show you behind the scenes?"

Immediately, your head snapped forward to the man again, your eyes wide and sparkling. "Can I? You're not joking, right? You can really get me closer to him?"

Pulling your hand away, you stepped towards the man as if possessed. This was your chance! Probably the only one you'd ever have, but it didn't really matter. Behind you, something hit the glass violently, but you paid it no mind as you closed the distance.

"Please. Please let me see him, I'd do anything for a chance!"

"Anything, huh..." the man rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he grinned. "It's not exactly legal, you know. But if you are that interested, I could make an exception. Just remember that if they catch us, neither of us will ever set foot in here again, you understand? You have to be really quiet, no matter what happens."

"Yes! Yes, I understand! I'll be quiet, I won't tell anyone."

"That's good, then. Let's go."

He nodded his head towards the end of the glass hallway, where the staff went for feedings and cleaning. With your heart threatening to jump out of your chest, you followed, glancing at Sunday, who swam with you towards the door. His expression was closest to confusion, as if he didn't understand what was going on. Little did he know you'd see him for real soon. That you'd be close enough to touch him, even.

Heading through the door, the staff member looked left and right before waving you through, and you quickly followed. The air was stuffy and had a strange scent, but you were too excited to be concerned about it. You followed the man through the dimly lit hallway and up a metal staircase, higher and towards the top of the enclosure, you assumed.

Before you saw it, you heard the bubbling of water, the rumbling of machines that kept it saturated with anything it could need to host a multitude of creatures. The man pulled a bundle of keys out of his pocket, going through them one by one to find the right one to unlock a door leading further inside the preparation room.

"You didn't hear it from me, but there's been a rumor that that poor fish is dying."

The man said it so casually while testing out one of the keys, as if it didn't bother him at all. Meanwhile, you felt your heart plummet from your throat way down into your stomach as you listened to him over the rumbling of the machines.

"What?" you exclaimed, immediately halting your excitement. "You mean Sunday? The siren?"

"Yeah. Something about his behavior seems to be similar to dying fish, or so. They say he might be lonely and that is killing him."

Another failed attempt made the man curse under his breath while you felt yourself zoning out. He was... dying? Your poor, innocent angel was slowly withering away in that pool, and you didn't even notice it? Sure, he used to hide more when he first came to the aquarium, but you simply assumed he got used to the people staring at him. Then again, even you had noticed his restlessness. The way he kept swimming back and forth, always high above everyone. It had been beautiful to look at, but the reality was much more cruel than you expected.

"Isn't there something we can do?" you asked, your voice cracking as you felt the tears return to your eyes.

"Find him another mermaid, I guess. I wouldn't know, I just throw food into the enclosures. There we go!"

The lock clicked, and the door swung open as you stood there, petrified by dread. Humans hadn't found any sign of life from sirens before. It had been pure luck that someone captured one. You doubted they'd manage to get another in the time that Sunday still had left.

"Are you coming?" the man called out, and although your heart was heavy, you walked after him, every step filled with despair and anticipation at the same time. You'd still get to meet him, probably as one of the few to ever have that honor. But you'd go home, knowing it could have been the last time you ever saw him.

You couldn't let that stop you, even if it hurt.

In the middle of the room was a big opening. A crane hung above it, and you assumed it was to get to Sunday as stress-free as possible if the staff members had to. It was hard to believe that they actually thought they could take care of a creature like him in this simulated home and keep him healthy and happy, but at least it brought you two together.

Slowly, you walked towards the opening, feeling more nervous by the second. Thoughts like, "What if he doesn't come?" and "What if he doesn't like me?" swirled through your mind, and yet, you pushed through until you could lower yourself next to the entrance. The metal grates pressed into your skin, but you gave them no mind as you peered into the dark blue. It was almost too dark to see, but Sunday was a beautiful, iridescent creature, you were sure you'd make him out inside the water.

Collecting all your courage and inhaling deeply, you plunged your face into the wet, forcing your eyes open despite the stinging sensation. How else could you grab his attention and make him come to you? But despite your courage, you feared not being noticed by him. Perhaps the recognition you felt while still behind the glass had been a fluke since you were one of the last people in the exhibit?

Your thoughts strayed everywhere until you felt bubbles on your skin. At first, you thought it was your own air getting thin and escaping, but from the deep blue depths, a light appeared, even if it was blurry with your watered vision. You wanted to gasp when the shape became clearer, but you couldn't move an inch, even as his nose brushed against yours, your eyes staring straight into Sunday's.

How unfortunate it was to not have gills to breathe in the water. Despite your best efforts to hold your breath, you couldn't do it for very long, pulling back just as Sunday opened his mouth as if to speak to you. Could he even talk? You didn't know, but you were coughing as your lungs demanded air desperately and your dreams of being even closer to him shattered as you found yourself back in the room above the tank.

"Man, are you alright? I was going to give you some fish to lure him, were you trying to get bitten?"

"He-- He wouldn't--" you sputtered, attempting to get the strangely tasting water out of your mouth and nose, rubbing your palms over your face to wipe off any remainders.

"Oh, believe me. That freak's an animal. He's bitten all of us at least once in his time here."

The man passed you a towel, which you used to dry your face. You were finally able to see again by the time your lungs calmed down, and you turned towards him with complete conviction. "No, he wouldn't hurt me! He's an angel, I know it!"

"Hey, you really need to see him for what he is. He's just like any other fish. The only difference is his face being slightly similar to ours."

Heaving a sigh, the man squatted beside you, staring down into the dark. "See?" he pointed down, and you followed his gaze. However, the water was even less clear than before, dust clouds rising from the ground. In them, you sometimes saw a flash of light, but it disappeared just as quickly.

"He's doing fish things again. Fighting some poor guppy. That guy even hunted the sharks we put into the tank with him; he's ruthless."

"Maybe they weren't a good fit for him?" you defended his behavior, the dust growing thicker and thicker. Was he panicking? Did your appearance disturb him in any way? It broke your heart to think you did any harm to him, but one could never know. There was painfully little that anyone knew about sirens, and perhaps you had triggered some instinct he now had to battle alone.

"Maybe," the guy shrugged, not really interested in finding out what was happening. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards you, his gummy soles squeaking against the metal, and you looked at him, his lips curling into a grin.

"So... you got a name? I've noticed you around the aquarium many times, and I've always wanted to speak to you. Remember when you said you'd do everything for a chance to see the siren? How about you and I get to know each other a little better in return for my help?"

He looked down at your thigh, his hand following his gaze as he leaned forward. "If you know what I mean."

"What? No!" pushing the man's hand off, you scooted back as best as you could on the unyielding material beneath you. He couldn't be serious, right?! You only said that to show how much you wanted this chance to be closer to Sunday! That you'd be quiet and behave, not that you'd bang some stranger!

"Come on, don't be like that! I did what you wanted. It's only fair that you help me out with my problem now!"

Instead of backing off, the man followed you, getting on top of you with your legs between his. Panic kicked in as you realized this was really happening; that he was serious about you repaying the favor with sex. Immediately, you sprang into action, pushing at his shoulders while you tried to pull your legs out from under him. All you had to do was get up and bolt back where you came from, and you'd be safe. You doubted he'd be as fast as you, given he was already unbuckling his belt.

Your plan was well-thought-through, but at the first motion of slamming your hand into the side of his neck, he caught you, pushing your hand down and banging your wrist painfully against the grate. With your body twisting unnaturally, you didn't manage to get your leg high enough to kick him, and even if you had, he was one step ahead, sitting down on top of your knees.

"It sucks when they fight," he grunted, using all his strength to keep your struggling limbs at bay. "Just enjoy it, will you?!"

A sob escaped your mouth as the reality of the situation hit you. All you had wanted was to spend time with your crush. Be near him, speak to him, touch him maybe. You didn't mean for any of this to happen, your body shaking with anger and the dread of feeling helpless.

"No!" you screamed, hoping that someone—anyone—would hear you.

"Shut up! That was the condition, remember? If someone hears you, neither of us will set a foot in here again! We'll both be thrown out and you won't see your precious fish-monster again, do you understand?!"

You whimpered as the man laid down the consequences clearly. Living without Sunday... it was too hard to imagine. You'd never be able to see him again—perhaps he'd even die here, scared and alone without a face he recognized! If you endured this, you could be with him at least, but every time that man touched you, your body lashed out violently, not wanting it.

"Stop!" you pleaded, tears falling from your eyes. "I don't want this! Stop! Stop, please!"

"Too late," he grunted, and you cried out loudly as he tore on the waistband of your pants, trying to get them off. "I did my part, now it's your turn."

"No!" you cried, squeezing your eyes shut, unable to look at him or yourself any longer. The feeling of violation and disgust had already set in, and you could no longer fight it or the stranger. All you could do was shut out the reality and think of other things, better things.

Sunday and his sweet smile that he had shown only to you.

How you imagined his palms would feel holding your hand and the sweet sounds he'd make resting in your lap. The bubbling of water as you two drifted on the surface, and you told him about your day. The splashing of this tail as you rode him over the waves. The hissing as he hunted prey, the screams of people he attacked, the hot, wet feeling on your skin--

Opening your eyes, you were suddenly aware that the sounds you thought about were much too real to just be imaginary. Hesitantly, afraid of what you might see, you looked up to the side, not blinking as you stared at the horror that unfolded right above you. The man's bulging eyes, his hands caught in larger, blue-ish white ones, blood dripping from his wrists where claws dug into them.

The stomach-churning cracking of bones could be heard even over the sounds of machinery, and the man gurgled as Sunday's jaw pressed tighter into his neck. It wasn't a question if he would bite through; it was only a question of time. More blood squirted out of the wound, hitting your face, your chest, and your legs.

Even though you wanted to, you couldn't look away. The man's eyes lowered to meet yours. He gasped weakly, "Help. Me," before groaning out loudly in pain, the sound suddenly cutting off as his neck broke, head falling to the side like you had only ever seen in horror movies.

Abruptly, he was gone.

His lifeless body was thrown off you and into the water behind Sunday, a chunk of the man's neck still hanging from his mouth. You anticipated him to eat it, but he spat it out as if it was too disgusting to consume, the mauled flesh landing only a few inches away from you with a squelch. And now, you were alone.

Alone with the monster.

There was nothing angelic about Sunday anymore. Your Sunday was beautiful and kind. Not a bad bone in his body! But this... this thing in front of you was nothing like him. Bathed in blood that added a hellish gleam to his white scales, his once beautiful golden eyes now dark as if he were possessed. His light gray hair was spotted with red, making some strands look like horns on top of his head, and his whole skin was covered with layers of blood.

"Mine," he spoke very clearly, and you gulped for the first time, feeling your own body again as the shock subsided. No, the shock didn't go away—it changed. Changed into the strength needed to flee. The man might have deserved it, but still, Sunday killed him. There was no longer any guarantee of your safety, and your body was screaming at you to run! He was just a fish, right? He couldn't follow where you went!

With a high-pitched squeak, you made the mistake of turning onto your belly completely, scrambling to get away. But with a sickening thud, your head banged against the metal, a gigantic hand pressing you down as your brain shook inside your skull. It was followed by more weight spreading over your body like a blanket, your lower back, butt, legs—all pinned to the grate as Sunday's tail weight them down.

"P-Please," you whimpered, not knowing what to do. If he could talk, maybe he could understand you, too? Perhaps he had enough of a hunt that night and would let you go?

But instead, you listened as Sunday let out an animalistic, goosebump-inducing snarl while he lowered his head next to yours. You felt his head-fins fall over you, one on each side and clinging to your skin. You had always admired their aesthetic as they looked like little wings next to his angelic face, but now they only gave you a slight comfort as they surrounded you like blood-stained veils, shielding you from sight. At least you wouldn't have to see your death coming, but it was horrifying nonetheless as the fins stuck to you, threatening to envelop you in them.

"Finally," he cooed, his voice suddenly softening. One of his arms snaked beneath your body, turning and lifting you, while his other hand landed on the top of your head, gently combing his fingers through your hair. It was impossible for his claws not to nick you here and there, but despite your flinching, they were only small wounds, nothing as deadly as he had done to the man.

Small chortles escaped Sunday as he pressed his cheek to yours, fins, scales, and skin touching you in alternation, giving you a sickening warm feeling in your stomach. This was all you had ever wanted, yet it horrified you, making you bury your nails in his shoulders as you tried to get away. But your well-being suddenly changed as a rumble went through Sunday, remaining in his chest until you recognized what it was.

A purr.

Nothing made sense anymore. None of what you knew or thought to know about this creature seemed to be right or even close to the truth. You let out a yelp as Sunday suddenly turned you two over, sitting you down on top of his stomach while he lay beneath you, chortling and looking up at you with unreadable emotions in his eyes.

His arms helped you stay upright for a while, but the moment they let go, you simply collapsed, both the panic and shock making you fall limp, fear making you pliant. Lying on top of his chest, Sunday hugged you tightly, curling into himself and wrapping the upper part of his tail and his fins around you like a happy clam. Your head was pressed just above his heart, the sound of it unnaturally fast and echo-y inside him, interrupted only when he started to purr again.

"W-Wait! Stop!" you mumbled against his bloody skin. But instead of listening to you, Sunday rolled side to side, threatening to crush you every time your arm or leg went under him. He was chirping and chortling away merrily, not responding in a language you could communicate in. Didn't he understand you? He could talk, but perhaps he wasn't far enough with practicing human language to understand it?

Or maybe he didn't want to understand.

His hands rubbed your back, one driving lower, brushing your thigh and moving to your shin before grabbing you there. With his head crooked to the side, he looked at what must have been very strange to him. He observed your flinching leg and tensing toes with as much interest as only a half-fish, half-man could. All while every squeeze and every graze of his claws made your fear spike.

For months, you had imagined this moment. The curious exploration of bodies, the closeness, and the happiness you'd feel to be with him. Now, all you felt was the betrayal of yourself as you wanted to get away, your blood-stained clothes clinging to you like a constant, stinging warning. Sunday was so cold to the touch, so deadly in your mind now. Completely different from the sweet, angelic being you thought him to be all this time. It was hard to follow how quickly your feelings had changed, or really, how much you were suddenly confronted with the reality of it all. All you knew was that you had to get away. That you wouldn't stand a chance if his interest in you waned.

Had he really changed that much? Beneath you, albeit now more red than the iridescent white of his skin, was still the same Sunday you had visited every day. The majestic creature with shimmering scales and the same fluid motions despite his massive size, although his fins were drying up now that he was out of the water. Even so, his eyes seemed to sparkle as he explored you, a red tint spreading all over him from the tip of his ears to the back of his hands, even where the blood hadn't splattered.

It felt like waking from a dream, but it had never been a good one. Even if it looked beautiful at first, it had still been a nightmare, and now that your beloved Sunday had killed someone without any regard or hesitation, you were realizing its true nature. His true nature. As little as you wanted to think about him, that man had been right—Sunday was a monster. A beautiful, but unpredictable one.

And if you didn't get away, he'd kill you, too, you were sure.

Slowly, you lifted yourself off his chest. His limbs were all around you, but they followed your motions, bent and adapted with cautious curiosity. Sunday watched all you did with a haunting intensity, but when you shook your leg, he finally let go of it, learning what you wanted from him bit by bit.

For a moment, you allowed yourself to look down at him. Your once so beautiful crush so close and all yours for just that tiny bit of time you two had together. But even now, you couldn't fool yourself, couldn't pretend the blood wasn't there and you hadn't seen him maul that man to death. He had saved you, and you were grateful, but he was a danger to you now, one that you couldn't risk staying with, no matter how much you would have wanted to just a few minutes prior.

Careful to not step on his fins, you slowly found the ground next to his body again. Everything you did was deliberate and non-threatening. No eye contact, your hands hanging limply at your side. When you rose back into a stand, it felt like you were moving in slow motion, controlling even the depth of your breath despite the sting in your lungs.

Sunday trilled as you distanced yourself from him, the lack of your warmth perhaps concerning him as he reached for your arm, holding on to it with an iron grip and making you stop completely in your motion. He used the time to follow, to sit up and tangle himself around your legs and hips like algae, threatening you to once again drown in him if you didn't get away fast enough.

Slowly, you lifted your hand, carefully, gently placing it on top of his head, trying not to scare or trigger him. He chortled happily, pushing upwards into your palm, soft, slick strands of hair getting tangled in your fingers as you petted him gently. Distracted, he rubbed his face into your stomach, reveling in your touch while you stepped out of his hold, his hands always finding other places to be connected with you, but you kept avoiding them until they were brushing you loosely at best.

That's when you made the boldest move so far, stepping one leg on the other side of him, knowing that sprinting ahead would only lead to you running directly into him, Sunday being like a wall you had to avoid. He was still enjoying your pets, ever so often looking up at you with his beautiful, golden eyes, almost perfectly mimicking a look of happiness and satisfaction on his face. His gaze seemed almost adoring, and your heart throbbed with the pain of having to escape a monster that looked at you as if you were a rare treasure.

You didn't think he would understand quickly enough, as you suddenly bolted, stumbling over his limbs and crashing your knee into the grated floor once again before you were out of his grasp. Sunday was everywhere, but you kept your eyes on the exit, not caring if you stepped on him as you escaped. You'd not get another chance.

His heavy body flung around, fins hitting you as you heard him hiss. A loud wail escaped him as you crashed into one of the machines, almost sounding like worry, and you desperately tried to regain your footing after losing your balance because of the creature's movements. The space was too small for you both to move, but you had to win this battle—your life depended on it!

And you did, with aghast surprise, win, the door slamming back into its lock with a loud bang. You clung to the lattice, but with a gasp withdrew your hands as Sunday crashed into it, the metal bending from the weight he was throwing against it. He was stretching his claws through the gaps, trying to grab you, and you could only watch as he wound himself and hissed angrily, so much frustration in his movements, while his expression was beastly like that of a rabid animal.

You couldn't move, couldn't breathe as you watched him throw his tantrum, now even more convinced that he wanted to kill you. It made your heart ache sorrowfully, to know the person you loved wished your death, but it was just his nature, wasn't it?

With wobbly knees, you slowly got up, ready to try and find your way home, leaving all of this behind you. Your mind faded out the sounds he made as you turned around to walk away. At least, until it grew too quiet for even your brain to fool you, and you looked back over your shoulder.

Like a pitiful mass of blood-drenched fish parts, Sunday had stopped thrashing and fighting with the metal door that thankfully held him back. Instead, shivers went through him ever so often, and you found yourself unable to look away as he clung with one last hand to the grid while his body simply collapsed.

"N--" he grunted, a hiccup following his attempt.

"No-- No leave."

You thought you misheard him, long, drawn-out whines following the few human words. "No leave," he repeated, better understandable this time, his hand slowly slipping and dropping from the door, defeatedly.

A trill escaped him, but it sounded... sad. Heartbroken. His head slowly lifted from the ground, pearl-like tears mixing with the red on his face as they ran down his cheeks. Almost immediately, with a resigned desperation, Sunday smashed his face against the metal, rubbing it up and down as if to be closer to you. He looked like he was comforting himself with the last thing you touched as he rubbed it repeatedly, his fins getting caught and bent in the gaps.

"S-Stop that," you said without realizing it. You should have just left and never stopped to look at him. Nothing good could come from giving him attention. Nothing at all!

"Stop it," you whispered gently, sinking to the floor next to the door. Your heart was bursting with sadness for the creature who looked like a broken man. Like there was nothing left to live for now that you left. Once again, he tricked you with his angelic sweetness, even if you knew better now. But you couldn't stop yourself from reaching out, caressing him through the gaps in the metal door.

Sunday chirped, a hopeful sound, twisting and turning his head to be able to feel your touch everywhere. He must have been so lonely, all this time. Always seen, but still alone. Your heart was betraying you once again as you reached up to the keys dangling in the keyhole, twisting them and moving away to open the door again. He let out a desperate wail when you moved away, but immediately sank his face into your lap as you crouched back into his proximity. His body shook as if he was crying as you rubbed his shoulders and back, leaning on top of him like a lover consoling their despairing partner.

If only things could have always been this way. If only he wasn't a monster. If only you could love him without fearing for your life, if you could be sure that he understood you and could be reasoned with. He had feelings, too, you understood that. But there was never a guarantee that he wouldn't snap in the heat of a moment. Allowing him access to you again was stupid. Beyond stupid! It was absolutely life-threatening.

But what could you do when your heart yearned to console him? You've loved him for so long, how could you leave him like this? Sad and alone? Maybe if you stayed with him, he'd learn! He'd understand! You could fix your feelings for him, right? Your love could.

"No leave?" he asked in a hopeful way, and your heart ached at the pleading look he shot up to you. He even brushed his face against your throat, the proximity of his teeth to your vulnerable body making the fear spike again.

You drew away instinctively, and Sunday looked hurt. It was unbearable to see him like this. Even if you wanted, even if your feelings kept guilting you into staying, you had to leave. Save yourself before you could save anyone else, right? Things got riskier the longer you stayed, and you were fueling his loneliness, which the poor siren didn't deserve. He had gone through so much already.

"I have to," you explained, sounding like a plea of your own. Perhaps it was, as you secretly begged him to let you go. "But I'll come back! I'll spend time with you! Things will be okay!"

Your false conviction seemed to only confuse him more, perhaps because he didn't understand the meaning of all the words you threw at him. The truth was, you wouldn't be back. You couldn't. Your poor heart wouldn't be able to keep seeing him, and you were too scared to get close again.

"Mate no leave," he whimpered, moving one arm out from under him, reaching it towards you. Immediately, you scrambled, too scared of what his claws and hold on you could do. And this time, he reacted in unison, snapping his other hand forward as well.

"N- No! Stop!" you yelled firmly as he crossed them behind your back, pulling you forward. Your body ached, the metal grate having done enough damage to you that night already, every movement against it hurting.

"I'm leaving! Sunday, I need to leave! M- Mate leave!"

You were using his own words to try and make it clear to him what you meant, but he kept rising from the ground, clinging to you as he pressed your body against his chest possessively.

"No leave! No! Leave!" he replied with the same, firm sternness in his voice, fins rising and flopping dryly into the air as if he had tried to bare them in intimidation. He wanted to make his standpoint clear, and you struggled against the crushing hold he had on you as he slowly dragged you back into the room.

"I can't-- I can't!" you screamed, panic overcoming you as you realized he was trying to get you into the water with him. Dying was scary. Being mauled was scary. But the thought alone that you could drown, slowly and painfully, was almost too much to take. Maybe he'd attack you underwater so it would be an even worse struggle—a fight to the death—the thought filling you with dread.

"No! Sunday, no!" you yelled as you heard his body make the water splash. It was only a matter of seconds until he'd drag you under, and there was nothing you could do as he had caught you in his arms, unwilling to yield even a little and let you escape again.

Gasping out the last bit of air, you tried to inhale as much as possible as your feet were met with the cold water, but there simply wasn't enough space for a deep breath, and before you knew it, you were surrounded by the dark wet, with only Sunday close to you.

It was terrifying.

These were your last minutes, and you spent them trembling in fear and cold while Sunday seemed to perk up, now that he was back in his usual habitat. He was moving you two around, and you couldn't see which way you were swimming or where you were going, clasping your hands tightly over your mouth and nose to keep the water out and the air inside for the slightest chance of survival.

Suddenly, his embrace flowed away, and you sank deeper to the ground for a few seconds. Your back hit a flat surface, and you forced your eyes open, trying to see. Floating, dark shapes surrounded you, and you presumed they were algae, so maybe Sunday had brought you to his hiding spot? With one hand, you reached behind you, feeling a slick stone plate which may have functioned as his bed, but even with your blurry vision, you couldn't see Sunday anywhere.

However, it wasn't your main concern as you felt your air supply running out, your body ready to cough it up. Forcing down the need to release your air, you began to paddle upwards, only to bump into something hard and unyielding, hands gripping your wrists, spreading your arms to the side, and pressing you down to the ground again.

"Mate," you heard Sunday's voice ring out, clearly even through the water. "Waited, long. Now, Mate here, home."

His words made sense enough to get an idea of what he meant, but he was absolutely wrong. Once you wished to be more to him than just a visitor of the aquarium, but you weren't a mate for the fishman. You weren't supposed to be here in the water, and not here to entertain him either.

Shaking your head, you finally broke, bubbles rising from your mouth as your lungs were threatened by the water invading. You panicked, your eyes widening in desperation, trying to find the exit before it was too late. But before the water could seriously harm you, two lips lowered against yours, entangling you in a kiss. It was the last thing you wanted, but suddenly, Sunday sucked the water that had already invaded your mouth out of you, and breathe the air that you needed into his kiss. You two fell into an even rhythm between kiss and breathing so quickly, you could barely react, your body clinging to this chance of receiving fresh air with instinctual desperation.

Sunday kept licking your lips, tongue exploring your mouth, over your blunt teeth and poking at your tiny tongue in return. His hands were creeping up your side, and once again, you realized the situation you were in as you felt yourself being stuck and inferior to another man, the irony not lost on you. Sunday was just a different kind of monster, with a different type of obsession.

You.

But you had realized it much too late. All this time, you had been completely oblivious to the fact that your angelfish had been the devil all along. And now you were nothing more than the naive sailors who had listened to the sirens' songs—completely at Sunday's mercy as he threatened to devour you completely.

[palettepainter]

Re-read some of muletia's posts about their merformers AU and, since it's officially mermay, I took a crack at drawing mer megatron!

I think next to Ratchet...TFP Megatron might be my favourite. His design is so cool, his voice actor is awesome, and every time he's on screen I just can't stop thinking about how cool of a character he is! His interactions with Starscream are also hilarious, cuz half the time Starscream is being so pathetic and Megatron looks so done with his bs

Anyways enjoy a big mer and his baked bean guppy and a small design I did trying to figure out markings/proportions, I love the trope of big scary creature with their teenie tiny offspring

This particular Merformers AU belongs to @muletia

[himexyandere]

As promised, here's my yandere!octopus OC! His name is Dr. Mikka Lapan, and he's a mimic octopus/marine biologist. No one knows his secret: not even you, his faithful assistant.

Not yet, at least.

“[Your Name].” 

“Yes, Dr. Lapan?” 

“Do you like sea creatures?” 

Equal parts bemused and amused, you ceased shuffling through the papers on your desk and turned your full attention to your boss. 

“No offense, doctor, but I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t.” 

Dr. Lapan gave a light hum in response, seemingly satisfied with your answer. With no further questions, you went back to reorganizing the messy stack of research papers the doctor kept in the lab. According to him, he had his own system for remembering where everything was meant to go. Needless to say, you didn’t exactly believe him. 

A few minutes had passed, and you found yourself sneaking a peak at the doctor, wondering what prompted him to ask such a question in the first place. He was uncharacteristically quiet, peering blankly into one of the many tanks situated in the far corner of the lab. His hand was pressed against the cold glass, fingers aimlessly tracing along with the movements of the creatures dwelling within. 

“Doctor?” You called out to him. 

Without turning to look at you—or even stopping his motions—he responded, absentmindedly, “Yes?” 

Concern creased your brow, leading you to stand up and fluidly cross the room until you were standing beside him. His eyes were still fixated on the tank before him, the soft bluish light mirrored in the thick lenses of his glasses. 

“You seem preoccupied today, Dr. Lapan.” 

“Do I?” 

“Yeah— is something wrong..?” 

Your voice seemed to be just what he needed to be brought back to reality, as he finally turned to look at you with a guilty smile on his face, eyebrows upturned. 

“Nothing is wrong. I’m sorry for worrying you, dear [Your Name],” Dr. Lapan’s eyes softened. “As always, I appreciate your assistance and concern. We should get back to work now, shouldn’t we?” 

Having returned to his usual chipper attitude, you saw no reason to press him any further, opting instead to push his out-of-character behavior to the far recesses of your mind. 

That night, you dreamt of the ocean. 

Alone and drifting amongst the unforgiving waves, dark and opaque in a way that not even the moon could ever hope to illuminate. Your limbs wouldn’t move. Your mind was racing, but you remained still — even as one particularly zealous wave carried you further and further away from the shoreline. 

You willed your hand to move, outstretched toward the receding sands that were becoming blurrier by the second. Something—or more accurately, somethings—cold and slimy wrapped around you; limbs and all, until you were fully encumbered and immobile. The thought to scream came next, naturally, though it was all too soon thwarted by another thing coming up to cover your mouth in cold sliminess.  “If I could have you for more than a night… If I—”

[synthetickitsune]

Merman!Jeonghan (SVT) | Net angst | 0.9k | gn!reader cw: injuries, mentions of merfolk trafficking -> mermay masterlist

The one fucking day you’re on the boat alone.

Just your luck.

“How did you get stuck? Aren’t you, like, supposed to be as smart as a human?” you grunt while trying (and failing) to make sense of the net currently wrapped and tied and tangled all around the vaguely human-shaped being flopping on the floor. He isn’t making it exactly easier.

“My friends pushed me there,” he growls back.

“Some nice friends you got there,” you roll your eyes. A pale arm flashes among the dark rope for a second before it disappears again into the mess of the netting - disappears somewhere you supposed his throat would be. Shit. You stop and straighten, staring at the impossible task in front of you.

“Are you choking?” you ask because at this point being anything but straightforward is a waste of time.

“Your net is trying to strangle me, yes,” he hisses. Yet he doesn’t stop struggling.

“Alright, so can you please stay still?” you sigh. Your hand wraps around the handle of the knife strapped to your hip. Then you shake your head. The net is too expensive for that. “I will help you but unwrapping you is impossible if you keep struggling.”

“I’m bleeding and choking, sorry I didn’t think to sit back and relax,” he snaps but at least he listens.

You kneel down and get to work. This wasn’t what you had in mind at all - the reason you decided to sail out alone in the first place, despite the dangers, was to work. Because you desperately needed money and it doesn’t grow on trees. But you won’t catch any fish if the net is occupied by a mouthy merman. Then again he could fetch a nice price. If you were willing to abandon your morals and principles, that is.

It’s a challenge but a manageable one when the creature finally stops trashing all over the place. You’d be willing to bet he wasn’t this badly tangled before he started panicking once you pulled him out of the water. The worst is the hair. First because it’s everywhere and it basically wound itself into the rope and second because, unsurprisingly, untangling it is going to hurt regardless of how careful you try to be.

He’s trying to stay silent but the rope burns and irritates his injuries and his scalp must be in hell. You’re trying to be gentle because you do have sympathy, there’s just not much you can actually do. You wince with every roughly pulled out scale that leaves a bleeding hole in his skin.

It takes much longer than you expected to free him. The sky's still blue but the sun is ready to start its descent. You heave a sigh and lean back against the ship’s side. Finally you take a proper look at the only thing you’ve caught the whole day. And it certainly is a catch.

It’s hardly an exaggeration to say he takes your breath away. You think if you were a different kind of person, you wouldn’t have to work another day in your life if you just sold him to the smugglers.

“Stop staring, it’s rude,” he clears his throat and looks away. Is he… shy? You quirk a brow.

“Where’s your sass now?” you smirk and hold his gaze when he glares at you.

“It’s the bloodloss,” he nods towards the many cuts on his skin and tail. Right. The cuts. Red bloody streaks all over the floor.

“Stay,” you point your finger at him and get up to grab the first aid kit.

Only when you sit next to him and properly look at him do you notice that he’s paler than he should be. His breathing is more laboured. The cuts, at least most of them, aren’t too deep but there’s plenty.

“What’s your name?” you ask while you dab around the first cut. He hisses and jerks at the burn but soon forces himself to sit still.

“Jeonghan,” he answers and simply nods when you introduce yourself in turn. You focus on cleaning his wounds. You have no idea if there’s any point to it but it makes you feel better. Even though you’re still not sure how responsible you should feel for his injuries.

“Thank you,” he says suddenly, almost too quiet for you to hear, “For freeing me. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, so find some better friends,” you huff. 

The cuts on his tail are particularly nasty. He doesn’t have the strength to hold back anymore and whimpers whenever you have to pull out the scales that got mangled by the net and embedded themselves into his flesh at painful angles.

“I usually manage to dodge at the last minute,” he pants out. You roll your eyes. 

By the time you’re finished, the sun is setting. The cuts stopped bleeding but Jeonghan can barely keep his eyes open so you let him rest while you start the slow return trip back to shore. 

Watching him sleep you realize how vulnerable he is. It could be an act of course, but the slow rise and fall of his chest makes something inside you hurt anyway.

You help him over the side of the ship before you get too close to civilization and watch his clumsy fall back into the ocean. You don’t expect to see him after he disappears under the surface so you jump when you hear his voice calling your name just as you step behind the rudder. 

“Come back here tomorrow around noon,” Jeonghan calls. He’s even more beautiful in water. “I’ll help you catch more than you ever did to make up for today.”

You smile.

“Sure,” you shrug and let your lips twist into a smirk, “If you don’t I’ll just catch you again.”

He grins. You consider your challenge accepted.

[totallynotcoffeeturtle]

Deep, Dark Sea

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Genshin masterlist || Scaramouche masterlist

CW/TW: kidnapping, slight asphyxiation but not in depth, obessive behavior

Tags: dead dove, pre-relationship, merman (octopus man) scara, obsessive scara, slight stalking Summary: Scara doesn't like that you haven't been coming back to the sea as of late.

a/n: mermay post yyayayayayay sorry for not posting in so long, life has been beating me to the ground so... ye. i haven't written in some time so sorry for the rusty writing

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

You really can’t blame Scaramouche for his curiosity, he swears! His kind is well-known for their “pure hearted” pursuit of knowledge, especially of anything related to the taboo, the land dwellers. So of course when he has the chance to sneak away from his bothersome sisters, he would go up to the surface for some human-watching! The humans are so much smaller and fragile than what has been portrayed by the elders, he realized, especially compared to his large tentacle limbs. So how could you possibly blame him for getting oh so fascinated by the pretty little human that is you?

Scaramouche has been watching you since you came out to the choppy waves to scream out all of your grievances and has never stopped. You have been a pop of color to his borderline monotonous life at the bottom of the sea ever since. So sweet and pretty with your trinkets and accessories you are, kicking at the sand to vent your frustration. As years go by, your visits become more and more infrequent, making him panic. He needs things to change. In a moment of total brilliance, he snatched you up. 

Before you can get out a scream at the slimy hands tugging you down from the dock, water fills up your airway. You try to resist, as anyone would, but the weight pulling you down doesn’t let up until dark spots bloom in your vision and you black out.

When you open your eyes again, you are sopping wet, in a random cave with only a single sky well high above letting moonlight shine in and the entry point being a hole that leads to the sea. You can hear the waves lapping at the shore from afar, but nothing else. You look around in a panic, your hands tracing the area around you as you try to make sense of… basically everything. The only thing you remember before hitting the water was a pair of glowing eyes charging at you and sharp claws digging into your skin.

As your eyes adapt to your surroundings, you have a distinct feeling that you are not quite alone. The very opposite, in fact. You slowly turn around, your breath hitches. The same glowing pair of eyes.

･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ･˚‧･+‧₊‧.°.⋆.🫧 .•˚₊‧⋆:｡+.･ﾟ

taglist: @amyminhminh @xrmywaifxx @samyayaya

[cdnonymous]

Hi @muletia !! I’m a big fan of yours, mostly of your merformer drabbles… so I read and reread your Megaxolotl stuff…….. god I am in LOVE UGHHHH-

It’s rare that I write about others’ AUs… but yours just decided to clang to my brain like a nice accessory that I’m hyperfixating on

Sooo… I hope you’ll like my food ✨

(I tried to write the perspective of a more silent/antisocial reader but is fucking hyperfixated on merfolks… oh and it’s not GN it’s she/her… sorry for the GN readers out here…)

(I tried my best UvU✨)

- 💿 anon ^v^

~1700 words

•—•—•—•—•—•

Silence is Stronger than Words

The sun hit lightly on the beige curtains of my bedroom. The logs serving as walls for my cabin were softly lit and awakened me as well. This place was very isolated, like I liked it, my “neighbors” were kilometers away from me. I heard the birds outside, awakened far before I did, but so nice to hear as my groggy eyes finally decided to open up as fast as a rusty door hinge. It was already feeling like a wonderful day today, the next storm wasn’t announced before another week, or maybe 5 days? I don’t remember, all I care about is that morning coffee I’m about to brew.

I put on my morning pajamas and went downstairs as each step creaked in an almost nostalgic way under my feet, which only had toeless socks on. I looked at the time, 10:30 AM only? I’m far from being late, but still I’m sure he won’t mind if I come to see him early… he seems to like me anyway even if his low growls say otherwise. Besides he only growled at me once when I stepped in the water, which was his territory obviously, though I was oblivious to it at the time.

Now I have a fair list of things I have to try out with him, and another one that are big no-nos. I’m curious because he definitely seems to not know human language, but he’s smart, not a mindless “beast” like the books I’ve read told me. I’m sure that if he could talk he would… I think about it as I sit on my chair outside on my porch, my coffee in one hand over the cork coaster that I held with my other free hand.

I took notes, despite him not really engaging, I observed that he seemed to appreciate my presence over the weeks, dare I say days. He’s robust, cold as ice and maybe, just maybe, he has a little tiny bit of an attitude… but he never really hurt me.

At least not yet… After all, I don't think he’d have any reason to do so.

11 AM rings and I’m already with regular clothes on, casual country orange baggy T-shirt with linen ample shorts… I don’t like… No, I HATE Jeans. I take my notebook with me and a pencil, my bag with my “just in case” kit inside as well as a towel, now I’m ready to go see him. I put my sandals on and head outside on the trail to the lagoon… I called it the “Shy Lake”.

I named it this way because it was completely secluded from any other water current, no rivers, no smaller lakes, no canals, not even a little stream of water to let him get out. But hell, I don’t think he’s small enough to fit in a stream solely made of molten snow as it drives towards this pond of a lake. He might be at least twice my size, and I didn’t even get to fully see his body. He has claws that could tear skin apart like a mechanical saw cutting a frail log, the teeth meet the same criterias, and, according to his lower half, or what I could see of it, he seems to be half-axolotl and half-man, if I can even call it a “human” upper half.

I finally heard the familiar sounds of weak waves hitting the thin beach of the Shy Lake. And unlike the other times, he seemed to have noticed my presence without me calling for him awkwardly. I still didn’t have a name for him… well he’s big, silver and an axolotl… Megaxolotl? No this has way too many syllables for its own good…

What about just… Megatron?

I mean it sounds cold, deep and almost knight-like like him. He definitely lived stories according to the few scars around his frame, and if he was human he would not be emotionally available IN THE SLIGHTEST. Hmm… Megatron sounds cool too! When I got to shore, his buckethead was the only thing that got past the water surface, except a hint of his upper bust. His red coral eyes stared back at me as I gently waved at him with my usual calm smile, sitting on an erosion smoothed rock.

Something felt off in his eyes, instead of utter uninterest in what I was doing, he almost seemed to be demanding in his look, as if he expected me to do something, say something. This was new, usually he’d not really give a damn about me, or at least look uninterested, threatening and snarling at me to go away, which happened the first time we met. I looked away from my notebook, talking to him as if he could understand me.

— Do you… need something? I asked, my voice calm and patient as always, despite knowing he surely did not understand my words.

The only answer I got was a slight flicker in his eyes, and a low, quiet grumble, mirroring my low and patient tone, except in his own way and terms. I tilted my head a bit by reflex as I analyzed him, being the careful observant I usually was. He was completely unreadable, odd but it was normal for him.

— Did I make you mad? I asked, closing my notebook, not thinking there was anything worth writing for now.

When I asked this he looked conflicted, as if he was debating what to do in his head, as if I triggered something when saying this, which I highly doubt I did… right? I waited for him to do something… not wanting to overstep his territory after all. For an entire awkward minute or maybe more, he did not make eye contact with me, and I couldn’t see anything on my side either… All I could assume was that he seemed in some kind of odd dilemma with himself.

While in thought, I decided to put my notebook away from the rock since I currently had no use for it… I made a mistake by doing that… why?

Because I turned my back on him… and that’s when he thought it was the right moment to act on his plan. Yes, he acted like this, all conflicted and “lost” on purpose, to lower my guard so he could get me to turn around. Because he liked my quiet and composed nature, my voice which was as soft and gentle as the hums of a hummingbird’s wings, my emerald eyes as clean as the body of a dragonfly. And my soft… oh so soft skin without a single scar, wound or history… unscathed like a freshly polished nail, glittering under the sunlight.

My notebook barely touched the sand beside the rock I was sitting on when I felt his mushy, but oddly soft frame on me, making me lean backwards by natural reflex. I wanted to bolt away, but his claws threatened to slice my shoulders open if I even attempted that. He didn’t push me too hard, and it fortunately spared me some brain injury, and he knew it. Like I predicted, he’s calculating, vicious almost, he knows what he’s doing.

A low, calm growl escaped his maw, which was now showing something that looked like a satisfied grin, I was right where he wanted me to be. I was pinned to that damn rock, not liking being uncomfortable, worrying if my notebook was still dry since he bolted out of the water so quickly, maybe he splashed my notes by accident.

But fear… was never felt once, only surprise was the closest thing to feeling fear by itself. I wasn’t scared, and I knew exactly why; I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, if he truly wanted to hurt me he would’ve done so already, I wouldn’t be alive.. and he knows it. I’ll repeat myself again, he knows what he’s doing. Yes I was breathing heavily, of course I was, the adrenaline rush coming from utter surprise won’t go away in the flick of a finger. And he knew I wasn’t scared, despite his obvious strength advantage…

— Hu-h… what..? I managed to mutter, my body, despite not being scared, was still reacting this way; shutting itself down as a defense mechanism.

At those very few words, he bumped his bucket helm into my chest… was he.. SNUGGLING with me?! When he did so, I was officially not getting up until he decided to… his low rumbles now almost sounded like purring, as if he enjoyed it. And me in all this? Heck I just froze as if I was put in that one liquid that freezes stuff instantly. He was still holding my shoulders, although his grip was less tense, less controlling, he just.. wanted to touch me…

Hold me, show me that he didn’t like to see me go despite his attitude, that he loved to hear my voice, even if it was simple questions thrown here and there not expecting an answer. He liked to see me smile when I got juicy info out of him, which happened rarely, how I was so… fearless around him despite his build, his claws, teeth… he was a beast… How could I not be afraid and not run away like a child crying for their mommy? How could I be so unfazed in front of him?

How could I see him as someone and not something?

Because it’s the truth, because he’s not a mindless beast, he wants to be appreciated, to be loved, or to feel love again in his eternal loneliness… he feels empty when I leave but complete when I come back. And while we cuddle together, while we enjoy the silence, we both know that talking would just ruin the moment. Like I said, he’s not a mere creature.

No… he is Megatron

•—•—•—•—•—•

I wanna do a part two… maybe with more cuddles? I DON'T WANT SMUT RN IM FLUFF-STARVED-

[vladdyissues]

February will be here before we know it, and I was thinking

Pompep Daily Kiss Challenge?

Just... daily kiss drawings. I need the practice, and what better month than February? It's only 28 days. Doesn't have to be fully rendered artwork. Maybe even extend this to other DP characters and ships? Like College Trio, Bitterly Broken, Cheese Melt, etc. Any kind of kisses: forehead kisses, cheek kisses, thigh kisses, parental kisses, chef's kisses, just—kisses. 𝒫𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁'𝒶𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓇.

[moonstruckmoony]

LATE MERMAY POST - Because last month my job was very hectic and this weekend happens to be June already 😔

I wrote a quick small drabble below that goes with this drawing, enjoy

SharkMerman!Sebastian x IceBettaMermaid!Winter (MC) ❄️🩵🧜🏻‍♂️🧜🏻‍♀️

Sebastian is a magical shark merman that loves exploring new places and has a voracious appetite for adventure. While exploring the Greenland Sea, he encountered and fell in love with Winter, a rare mythical species of Betta mermaid that could live in icy seawater. He discovered after talking with her that there are currently only three of these Betta merfolks in the entire Arctic ocean, including her.

He could only see her a couple of times a week because his body could not withstand the icy temperature and his self-warming spell could only last for a day. During the remainder of the time, he would have to return to his home in the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

When she first met Sebastian, Winter was enthralled with his vast knowledge and intellect, as well as his witty and charming attitude. He has a kind and loving heart, despite the fact that he could be rather crafty at times and his stubborn disposition occasionally left her shaking her head.

Sebastian adores her quirky personality and caring nature, and he became even more enamored with her when he discovered that she possesses both intelligence and curiosity that rivals his. And Merlin’s bloody tail, while he finds her beauty captivating, her desire for knowledge is as powerful and forceful as the Gulf Stream, and he’s a goner for her. When he comes to visit her place, they always spend time together, whether it's going on long swims exploring places or simply chatting for hours.

Driven by a desire to see each other frequently, he trained his body to become more tolerant of the cold while she increased her tolerance to warmer waters. He would teach her spells to keep her body chilly while he practiced his self-warming charms to last even longer than before.

Even though their training allowed them to spend days or even weeks together, their enchantment doesn't endure long enough for their liking.

Nevertheless, they are resolute to search for a way to remain together, indefinitely, without the use of their magic.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

I actually have more lore on this drabble involving Ominis and other characters but I'll leave it like this for now, indefinitely

EDIT: omg I TOTALLY FORGOT but I meant to give some credits! I eyeballed some poses (by floorsdelluna) and background (from this painting i found in pinterest)

[iridescent-solstice]

Siren Mermaid!Asra that brings you trinkets from the depths of the ocean when you visit his little alcove, does party tricks for you with his water magic and sings sorrowfully when you gotta leave . . .

[shares-a-vest]

Prompt: Rollercoaster (Discord Drabble)

"Eddie!" Steve grumbles, tugging his friend by the jacket sleeve, "We have to hurry."

"Hold... your horses... sweetheart," Eddie says between licks of his impossibly tall triple-decker ice cream.

The thing is not only threatening to topple over but is rapidly melting in the summer heat.

"I want us to get on a ride before the kids find us."

"Calm down, sugar-pie, the dweebs are probably blowing chunks all over..." Eddie takes another lick and tilts his head in thought, "The Sea Serpent... Something-ocean-pun rollercoaster."

"I wanna go in the Mermaid Lagoon," Steve practically whines, "Hurry up with that ice cream."

Eddie looks up as he points to the sign of the ride in question – a Tunnel of Love-style amusement ride featuring a rather voluptuous mermaid.

"Jesus Christ," Eddie quips, ogling the titular sea-maiden.

But Steve whips around at the sound of Max and Lucas arguing, their voices growing louder with every passing second.

"Shit," he curses, giving Eddie's sleeve another yank.

He spots the two, looking somewhat windswept from the Serpent-Something rollercoaster but otherwise okay enough to wreak havoc and likely stop him from spending any more alone time with Eddie.

Steve purses his lips, thinking that they definitely wasted precious time at the ice cream stand as Eddie bothered the vendor for copious free samples before opting for an expensive triple-stack monstrosity that is melting quicker than the idiot is willing to eat it.

"Tunnel of Love, you don't say?" Eddie wonders aloud, a mischievous grin bringing out his dimples as he looks over the ride's facade.

"I mean, yeah," Steve says, running a hand through his hair as his panic turns into another form of heart-pounding anxiety.

"But this house is haunted and the ride gets rough," Eddie starts warbling away and honestly, Steve can't tell if he is directing the lyrics to him or the busty mermaid.

"Eddie!" he exclaims as he makes direct eye contact with Max.

"You've got to learn..." – lick, "To live with what you can't..." – lick, "Rise above..."

"Hurry!"

Max gives a mocking, wiggling finger wave and nudges Lucas.

"If you want to ride on down," Eddie lowers his voice to a deep, booming cadence he typically reserves for Hellfire. Meeting Steve's panicked eyes, he gives his ice cream one slow lick, "Down in through the tunnel of love!"

He wails the last word and throws his head back, swooping his ice cream in what Steve assumes is supposed to represent a guitar twang, but all it does is send the icy treat spattering to the ground.

"Oh-p," Eddie pouts, looking at the mess as Lucas and Max cackle behind him.

[yandere-sins]

The Octopodes' Tale - Chapter I

First Chapter! I am excited since we are meeting someone for the first time and get to make a new decision :3 Thank you everyone who promptly voted, I think we can do it with the three day polls ♥ Fandom: Original Content   Pairings: Yandere!Octopus Mermen x GN!AFAB!Reader Words: ~3k  Warnings: Yandere, Monsters (Tentacels, Oversized Mention, Mermaids, Monster Appearances), Violence (Thrashing Underwater, Almost Drowning, Panic), Fear of potential harm to human/animal, Long Post

You’ve made the right choice, human. I shall wait for my beloved’s return, so don’t forget your promise to me as you get to know and care for him in my stead until then!

Letting your head fall into your palm, you rubbed the tension points on your temple and forehead. It was hard enough to focus on the small script and the countless pages, so a headache wasn’t exactly helpful for the task. You had to keep reminding yourself to focus as your thoughts trailed off, your mind imagining strange voices speaking to you just so it could escape the exhausting task of reading the contract. You would have just up and left if you knew just how extensive and partly incomprehensible the contract was. With all the jargon embedded in it, who knew what you were really signing off on with it.

The clacking of a fresh glass of water being placed in front of you barely tore you out of the focus you tried desperately to hold on to. You merely mumbled, “Thank you,” and reached for it, taking a swig from the glass. With a sigh, you set it back down on the table, realizing how much you needed it. In fact, your body was already screaming for you to get up and walk a bit, maybe even go to the toilet and grab a snack afterward. By making sure everything was in order on the bureaucracy side, you had managed to neglect yourself completely, and you were now paying the price with your shoulders and neck aching from sitting and hovering over the contract for too long. 

Leaning back, you decided it was time for a much-needed break. With a sudden, energized jolt, you jumped to your feet, stretched towards the ceiling until you could hear your bones and muscles pop back into place, and turned towards the door. Walking over the pool to reach it, you peered into the water below your feet as it swayed calmly. There was no sign of your potential future protégé. Fine with you, after all, octopodes liked to hide. Yet, when your hand reached for the handle of the door leading outside the enclosure, gripping and pushing it down, for some reason, it wouldn’t budge. 

Furrowing your brows, you gave it a shake, and another one for good measure. “What the…” you mumbled, trying to open the door unsuccessfully. Looking up from the handle, you looked around to see any indicator of it being locked, until your eyes fell on a number pad to your left. Its numbers had a green glow all around them, proving they were active, and you realized only now that naturally they’d close off a room with a precious specimen inside. However, locking you in with the specimen seemed somewhat dangerous. 

Trying your luck, you pushed in the most basic codes you knew, like 1111 and 1234. You tried to remember if the Professor said anything about this specimen’s number or maybe the enclosure number that could work as a code, albeit much too easy to guess.

“7945,” you heard someone say behind you, and you promptly pushed it in, the known sound of correctness followed by the door unlocking, filling you with the feeling of accomplishment. You whirled around, starting to say, “Thank you!” again when your eyes met those of half a face peeking out of the water, gleaming with curiosity. 

You gasped loudly, your back hitting the cold wall behind you, and you even bumped your head. The creature made a small squeak, eyes widening before they let go of the pool’s edge they had held onto and slipped back into the water. It all happened so quickly that you wondered if you had just imagined it or hit your head too hard, so it was just an illusion. Your scientific instinct, trained from curiosity, the years of studies, and doing minor field work, prompted you to step up to the pool and look into it, ensuring that whatever lurked inside wasn’t as human as it had looked. But for some reason, your body protested. 

As soon as the door opened, you slipped out, slamming your hand against the number pad to initiate closing again before pressing your body against the wall on the other side, watching as nothing seemed to come after you. Your knees shook as if you had just been on the run, your body sending inexplicable signals of fleeing despite this facility being one of the safest places on earth. However, the mere glimpse of the bright yellow eyes beneath an unnatural shade of red surrounding them had been enough to send you running. Even your brain had trouble processing what it had seen, and you felt the headache throb as you strained yourself. 

Maybe you truly had just imagined it. 

Perhaps you were in dire need of getting some help with your basic necessities. Some fresh air, some food, and water. It felt like you had to walk a small eternity until you bumped into another person who pointed you towards the staffroom. Greeted by snacks and drinks for the employees, you immediately felt better, and some other researchers picked up a conversation with you until your headache was almost forgotten. It was exactly the break you needed, and yet, you felt yourself slowly space out while a possible future colleague of yours monologued about the new aquatic plants they acquired for their research. 

Holding a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in your hand, you watched the color slosh back and forth, images of red and yellow hitting you again and again. So many strange things had already happened since you came here, including the peculiar NDAs, secretiveness, and voices you had heard. Someone brought you water, but you hadn’t even noticed someone coming or going from the room that was apparently locked and deadbolted without the right passcode. 

Your eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” you mumbled, leaving the puzzled researchers and your half-full glass of juice behind as you hurried out of the recreation room. That’s right, you thought. Someone did bring you water, and you drank from it. It had definitely been real. And if that was the case, then someone was with you in that room, which meant it was dangerous for either them or the giant octopus living there. If something happened to either, not only would it put your potential new job in danger, but it was also possible that it would be blamed on you. 

Hurrying down the corridors you came from, you tried to stop yourself from thinking about how much it would cost if they sued you for the death of a very delicate specimen. Even more so, the death of a human. Despite still being a rookie, you had the potential skills and knowledge to avoid potential harm, and you doubted anyone could have gotten back as fast to the enclosure as you had if you had to explain what was going on first. 

You almost missed your destination, coming to a fumbling stop when you reached the door. With all the adrenaline rushing through you, you punched the numbers into the number pad, not waiting for the door to open fully until you squeezed through the gap.

“Hello? HELLO!” you yelled into the giant enclosure, hoping to receive some kind of verbal feedback on where the other person could be. “Is someone there?!” 

Panicked, you ran across the walkway and to the other side, checking behind the working surfaces and machinery if someone was taking shelter, perhaps hurt or unconscious. But even after searching every nook and cranny, you found no one, the first rational thoughts returning to your mind as you wondered if you had imagined it after all. Suddenly, you heard the water splash loudly, and immediately raced back to see what was happening. Countless bubbles were going to the surface until suddenly, glaringly red tentacles shot out from them, the color a clear warning sign. Whatever was going on inside the pool, the octopus was either warning or fighting, its arms trying to find something to hold on to as if it wanted to pull itself up. 

To you, it looked like a struggle.

Without a second thought, you shrugged off your jacket and dove off the edge. The water pressure threatened to rob your lungs of all the air in them, but you prevailed. You used to train both your lung capacity and your swimming skills once you determined that marine biology was the job you wanted to pursue. After all, you never know what kind of situation you’d get into when researching. Still, the water stung in your eyes as you tried to keep them open, countless bubbles hitting your face and obscuring the view. 

You had to admit to yourself that it was reckless. Jumping into the habitat of a possibly dangerous creature without telling anyone, but you couldn’t have forgiven yourself if you didn’t try to save either of the two that needed rescuing. Even beneath the surface, you could hear the struggle, the loud whizzing of the arms through the water. You managed to avoid being hit by them for a long time, quickly descending towards the ground where you assumed the creature was. But when you suddenly felt a weight wrap around your ankle, sticking to your wet clothes, you realized your mistake. 

Your lungs tightened as they braced for impact that never came. You expected to be slammed down to the ground, now that the tentacle had latched on to you. From then on, it would be a matter of very few time if you could survive this. If the octopus was nice enough to let you go, you could have potentially breeched the surface when you were about to lose all the air left in you, but if it was panicking, you’d probably get stuck or attacked down there for too long, unable to save anyone after being the one in a predicament. 

Hands clasped over your mouth, you pressed your eyes shut, tensing all your muscles to survive the crash, but instead, the water suddenly calmed. You felt fewer bubbles caress you as the world quieted. Only the tentacle remained where it had first latched on, wrapped tightly around your ankle as you slowly opened your eyes. 

Only to find two bright yellow ones staring back at you. 

Out of surprise, you gasped, water suddenly flooding into your well-protected mouth as if you had forgotten where you were. You immediately shut it again, but the damage was already done as you had inhaled the water, unable to cough it up. Panicked, your body began to struggle. The years of training to stay calm seemed forgotten as you wanted nothing more than to get up and out of the water. You flailed wildly, staring upwards towards the ceiling light shining blurrily down into the water as the last bits of air rushed out of your mouth. 

Two big hands wrapped around your face, keeping your head steady as your heart skipped a beat. The touch was gentle, although you felt the resistance all around you. Was the octopus about to crush your head? Wait, hands?!

Next you knew, lips sealed yours, tightly, the water from your mouth disappearing in exchange for fresh air. Bubbles surrounded you again, but you paid them no mind as you clung to the strange air supply, more and more tentacles wrapping around your body. You almost felt like you were going crazy as you forced your eyes to open again, peering at the shiny yellow ones across from you, half-lidded and so very human and so little octopus, even though the animal still clung to your body. 

A tongue entered your mouth, its tip exploring your teeth until its prodding abruptly made you flinch, the taste of blood filling your senses.

And all of a sudden, your head breached the surface, bouncing out of it with vigor. 

“There, there,” someone mumbled gently, a hand rubbing your back and patting it lightly as you started to cough violently. Being back in the air was hardly enough, as waves kept crashing into you and making you sputter. You oriented yourself briefly before swimming towards the edge, reaching out and clinging to it once you were near enough, the other person following you. Even now, you could still feel the octopus’s suction cups all over you, sometimes popping off and finding different places to wrap around, one tip slipping beneath your t-shirt, steadying you, but also clinging to your exposed back.

“I told you to be nice!” you heard a familiar voice shout from your right, and suddenly, two pairs of arms hooked beneath your shoulders, pulling you out of the water. Most of the tentacles popped off you, although some remained, holding on steady like the one around your ankle, and making it much harder to get you away from the pool. 

There was a clatter as someone dropped to their knees next to you, giving your back a few very hard slaps as you kept sputtering out water. “Are you alright?” someone asked, and you looked up for the first time, glimpsing into the worried eyes of some of the researchers you had met on your break. 

“Take it easy,” the person beside you sighed, and you gave them a quick glance, seeing the Professor’s tense expression. You nodded, slowly stumbling to your feet as everyone seemed to release some of the tension. 

“I’m glad we made it in time.” Holding out towels and medikits, the researchers scrabbled around you, assisting you and pulling up a chair for you to sit in, while the Professor got back on his feet with a groan, picking up his walking stick and shooting you one last worried glance before turning around. 

“Stop holding on to them!” he commanded, slamming his stick into the ground. But what should have sounded like wood clonking on metal made a squishy sound instead, followed by a yelp and the release of the last remaining tentacle around your ankle. “What in the world were you thinking, pulling them beneath the water?!”

Slowly, your strength returned, the adrenaline leaving you, and in its place, only exhaustion remained. But regardless, you looked up to the Professor, only now realizing that two armed guards stood on either side of him, weapons pointed towards the water, and there…

A young man, with uncanny yet recognizable features, cradled one of the red tentacles in his hands. 

He was gigantic, much bigger than all the men in this room. His slicked-back hair fell in fiery red strands around his face, elevating his golden eyes that stared at the Professor sulkily. However, his gaze occasionally went lower. Instead of the Professor, he was looking at you ever so often, his features growing a little less tense, but curious and perhaps a little worried. The tentacle in his hold still had the same angry or wary red tone as before when you thought the octopus was in danger, and it was held by his large hands, the very same palms that you remembered gently cupping your face before… before… he kissed you. 

It wasn’t the time and place to feel ashamed all of a sudden, still the heat rose into your face, and you quickly wiped the towel over it as if to dry your skin. It had been your first kiss, although you expected that to go wildly different. You felt crazy to think about that right now, when you should be more concerned about what was happening around you, and you pinched your thigh to regain your focus. 

“Something was happening, and I was just trying to help, I swear!” the man in the water claimed, his voice restless. “I was just protecting them, I didn’t want to hurt them! Please, you have to believe me, I’ve been so good all this time! I always listen to what you tell me...”

A wave of guilt washed over you as you felt responsible. Surely, it wouldn’t put you in a good light with the facility to tell them you acted on some crazy thoughts of yours and freaked out over apparently nothing. Everything was calm, even the octopus seemed to have settled again while all of you were talking. But with the man still in the water, he was still in danger, especially with guns pointed at him, making it almost impossible to move. 

“Excuse me?” you called out, having to clear your throat as your voice cracked after all the coughing. As you stood up, the worried researchers followed your movements closely, not wanting you to faint or collapse from the strain. There was a real possibility that in a minute, they’d regret being so worried about you after the ruckus you caused. You’d probably never shake off the incident when you started working here. You would always be remembered as that person who almost drowned on their first day. Some would think you were out for attention or simply annoying and unsuited for your position. But it still wasn’t right not to at least admit your part in all of this, right? Even if it felt silly and embarrassing, you had to do something!

Thoughts and reasoning as always, is welcome! ♥