#as in i never did mermay before and yes i forgot to keep going until today but whatever i still did mermay

[engagemythrusters]

Reflection

[thiswasinevitableid]

For mermay, could you do 11 for sternclay? sfw please :) I love your prompt fills!

Thank you so much! Here you go. The prompt was “royalty” and I based Barclay on a basking shark and Joseph on a mimic octopus.

For the last two weeks, Joseph has been hearing what a difficult assignment he’s taken, and how most bodyguards wouldn’t take it even with the handsome pay. That the princes of Sylvain are impossible to guard, that they’ve gone through more security staff than sharks go through teeth (this part he knows to be true from the records he’s found). 

Two days in, he’s starting to wonder if there’s been some sort of mistake. 

Now, had he received Duck’s assignment, he’d understand the warnings. Prince Indrid, seer to the court of Sylvain, has already shown himself to be a strange mixture of aloof, demanding, and spoiled.

But Prince Barclay?

When Joseph was shown into his chambers and introduced, the instant the servants left Barclay swam over to him with a nervous smile. He asked if there was anything he could get him, was he hungry, would he like something to drink? Joseph accepted that last offer, curious to see how the prince would react if called upon to perform hospitality rather than simply offer it. 

What happened was Barclay swam into an anteroom and came back with a carved coral platter with mother of pearl pitcher and goblets, pouring Joseph’s first before taking a glass for himself. 

That set the tone for his behavior, and it hasn’t changed in the week since he’s arrived. The prince, charcoal tailed and a little shy, seems to view Joseph as just another mer to talk to. When in the castle, Barclay will ask him his thoughts on the historical and political scrolls his tutors assign him as part of his preparation to one day inherit the kingdom. Out in public, Joseph shifts into the background, watches everything with care while the prince swims behind his parents or, more often, their advisors. 

“Do you think there was some kind of misunderstanding with his previous guard?” Joseph asks Duck over a late night dinner in the hall, which allows them to keep their eyes on their charges rooms. 

“I mean, he seems like a nice enough fella to me. But nice fellas can still be sneaky; from what Ned told me, Barclay’s an escape artist. Think he might be lurin you into a false sense of security.”

“And I think trusting what Ned Chicane tells you is a terrible way to gather intel.”

Movement from Indrid’s room and Duck stiffens, listening, then relaxes.

“Shouldn’t you go check on that?”

“Nah, he’s just pacin, does that a lot, especially at night.”

“He really should get some sleep.”

Duck shrugs, “He should. But treatin him like a child is the wrong way to go. He knows he oughta rest, my remindin him will just annoy him. Besides,” Duck raises an eyebrow, “maybe you better be more focused on your prince.”

“He turned in an hour ago.”

“You sure?”

Something in Duck’s voice sends worry bubbling through his guts, “I’ll check now, just to be positive.”

The bed is empty, the prince nowhere to be found. 

“Shit!” He darts back into the dim hallway, “he’s gone, I’ve got to find him and fast. How, how in name of the deep did you know?”

“Call it a hunch. Indrid likes to play the ‘I know somethin you don’t’ game, but if I let ‘im play it long enough, he let’s somethin important slip out.”

“Shit” Joseph says again, “I, if anyone asks-” 

“I’ll say I ain’t seen you or Barclay since dinner. Ain’t a lie.” Duck winks and Joseph flashes him a quick smile before swimming back into the prince’s rooms. There’s only one door and no secret passageways, (he checked for those himself), so the windows it is. His tentacles can sense Barclay’s trail, faint but unmistakable, and he follows it until he’s almost at the shore. Then it’s gone. 

He spends the next three hours feverishly tracing and retracing his path and keeping his panic to a minimum. When he spies a figure swimming towards him, he backs against a rock, planning to hide until they pass. 

This plan changes the instant he registers who it is. 

“Gaahfuck” Barclay catches his yell quickly and muffles it down to a hiss, “what the hell Joseph, you scared me.”

“And you just made me spend three hours swimming around and wondering if my charge had been abducted. I’d say that makes us even.”

“Didn’t make you do anything.” Barclay grumbles as Joseph turns them towards the palace. 

He sighs, “No, I guess technically you didn’t. But I take my job very, very seriously. If this past week hasn’t demonstrated that sufficiently, maybe tonight has. When you disappear into the night, it’s my duty to follow.” He catches brown eyes studying him warily and adds, “I’m not doing it to be punitive or steal your freedom, or even because their majesties told me to; I’m doing it because you’re under my protection.”

The prince nods but says nothing else until they return to his rooms. 

“Joseph? I’m uh, I’m sorry. For scaring you. You got farther than anyone else did, none of them ever tracked me that well, if they noticed I was gone at all. I figured you wouldn’t notice, so you wouldn’t worry. So, yeah. I’m sorry.” 

Joseph knows a false apology when he hears it, and this is as far from one as a desert is from the deep sea. 

“Apology accepted, my prince. But Barclay” he levels the other mer with a stern gaze, tries not to notice his cheeks tinging pink the longer he holds it, “don’t do it again.”

-----------------------------------------------------

“Are you certain we cannot trade?” Indrid’s fin ripples with agitation as he draws. 

“Nope, Joseph is a good bodyguard.”

“And your crush on him is not governing your answer in the slightest?” Indrid smirks but doesn’t look up. 

“No idea what you’re talking about. Besides, Duck seems nice.” Barclay stretches his other arm, then pauses, “wait, fuck, is he hurting you or something?”

“No. On the contrary, he is annoyingly concerned with my wellbeing.”

“That’s his job.”

“It was the job of all his predecessors as well, but all it took was ordering them around or demanding things in the right tone before they were letting me do as I pleased. I wanted to go to that bar on the edge of town last night and do you know what he did? He told me no, because word had gotten around that it was a spot I frequented and someone there might try to take me hostage.”

“...And?”

“And, and then when I tried to leave anyway he blocked the door with that blasted muscular tail and obnoxiously charming face and wouldn’t move! Then he told me he would if I looked at the future told him we’d both be safe if we went. It turns out he was right, the chances of violence were high.”

“I mean, you don’t like places that loud anyway-”

“It’s the principle of the thing.” Indrid sighs, “so we stayed in and I made him read to me as penance but he was very good at it and I fell asleep within a half hour.”

Barclay is trying hard not to laugh, only because he knows how hard it is for his brother to admit such things. And because, given what else he knows of Duck, the mer might be exactly what his brother needs. If nothing else, Barclay hopes Duck might be observant enough to notice what’s there, not just what his brother tries to toss up like so much sand in hopes of obscuring the truth. 

Indrid goes back to his drawings. Barclay can remember the first time their ministers caught Indrid capturing the futures this way and scolded him, saying the futures to look at were only those the court asked him to, nothing else. Indrid had explained, in a number of different ways, that this was how he could keep the images from overwhelming him, but still they insisted he stop. It wasn’t until he drew on his status and threw a near fit that they relented. That was a lesson he never forgot. 

Barclay hopes todays lessons will be more enjoyable. One of the jobs of a royal bodyguard is to train the princes in self-defense. When Joseph and Duck enter the gym through kelp curtains, Barclay can’t help but be mesmerized by the poise with which his tentacles move across the ground. 

“Good morning, your highness. And to you as well, your highness.” Joseph bows to them each in turn, “Barclay, today you and I will be working with swords while Duck and Prince Indrid work on hand to hand combat.”

“What?” Indrid looks up, red eyes wide, “Barclay is the one who trains hand to hand, not me.”

“Which is exactly why we gotta mix things up. You need all the modes of defense you can get. Unless of course you’re, uh, afraid you can’t take me.” Duck raises an eyebrow at Indrid. 

His brother says nothing, simply grabs his bodyguard and pulls him towards the designated room, calling, “I’ll see you after lunch!”

He and Joseph trade an amused look, then swim to the shelf of blunted training weapons. They’re still bone or sharks tooth, but they’ve been sanded down so no one can get hurt. 

“Now, you mentioned you’ve done some sword work, so am I right that you know how to hold this safely?”

“Yep.” Barclay takes the sword, swimming over to one of the Xs on the floor. 

“Good. To keep things fair for now, I won’t use my tentacles for anything other than swimming.” Joseph takes his position on the opposite X and lifts his sword, “ready?”

Barclay nods and then immediately parries as Joseph lunges with a burst of speed. He recovers quickly, and they begin an elegant back and forth, bubbles and stray sand swirling through the air as they spin and dodge around one another. Joseph keeps up a steady stream of commentary, either positive or instructive, and Barclay is having a hard time ignoring the the thrill he gets every time Joseph pulls off a graceful maneuver. 

When they break, both a little winded, there’s a crash from the next room. 

“Fuck! You okay, your highness?” Duck sounds concerned. 

“Yes, now try that again, I am going to get this right.” 

Joseph glances at him, “Should we-”

“Nah. He kinda sounds like he’s enjoying himself.”

The other mer studies him, “Are you?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Then I’m going to ask you to stop holding back. I can’t train you effectively if I don’t know what your skill level actually is.”

He’s learned not to insist Joseph is mis-observing things when he’s actually observing them perfectly; the other mer is too sharp for that. 

“I...I just don’t want to hurt you.”

Joseph swims close, sets a hand on his shoulder, “For starters, these are fake swords, and I’m not a bad fighter. But more than that, I suspect there’s a very impressive swordsman under those scales.”

They take their positions and when Joseph gives the signal Barclay attacks with all the force his tail can muster. Joseph dodges easily but makes an approving noise. Then he grins, the expression downright rakish, and attacks with such precision and speed that Barclay barely manages to counter him. 

His focus narrows down to the fight, to watching Joseph’s body for every sign of movement, every twitch of muscle and tentacle. Finally, he sees his opening and drives the other mer backwards until he’s trapped, back to the rocky grey wall. 

“Well” Barclay pants, images of finishing the fight with a kiss banging about his mind, “what do you think of that, Joseph?”

Two tentacles rise, plucking both swords from their fighters hands as his bodyguard murmurs, “I’m impressed.”

-------------------------------------------------------

It’s been a month and a half since Barclay slipped out of his room, and while he’s tried twice more, Joseph has been ready each time. Tonight, however, he’s opting for a new strategy.

He bids the prince goodnight, well aware he’ll swim out the window around moonrise. Then he waits just across from the window, skin and tentacles camouflaged with the rocks. Right on time, Barclay emerges, swimming quickly and quietly towards the shore. Joseph follows at a safe distance, forces himself to focus on the prince’s likely path rather than on how handsome he looks in the moonlight. 

When they reach the shallows Barclay pauses, slips a woven bracelet onto his wrist, and kicks towards the surface. 

Who in the name of the wide ocean gave him legs?

Joseph’s physiology allows him to crawl across the tidepools, keeping his eyes on Barclay as the prince retrieves a set of clothes hidden behind a rock and walks into the small town of Kepler, turning towards a restaurant on the pier. 

Someone had to enchant that bracelet for him, has to know where he’s going while using it. And that someone has to be a mer he trusts. 

------------------------------------------------------

“Yes. I made him the bracelet. What of it?” Indrid says coolly. 

“Indrid, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” Joseph throws his arms and several tentacles in the air. 

“Hold up” Duck turns to his prince, “Indrid, I’m guessin Barclay probably asked for a reason, right?”

“Indeed, but if I say what it was, you will reveal it to our parents and ministers and take it away from him.”

“I won’t. I promise. I, I just want to help.”

Indrid narrows his eyes. Then, remarkably, he turns to Duck and cocks his head. Duck nods. 

“Very well. And yes, I will grant you that favor you’re about to ask for…”

----------------------------------------------------------

How do humans manage with these things? His tentacles tell him so much more than these useless feet do. 

Joseph makes his wobbly way into Kepler, following Barclay’s trail down the pier, the one he’s walked the last two weeks while Joseph intermittently clung to the nearby wooden supports or fencing to make sure his prince wasn’t in danger. 

Even with Indrid’s explanation, the room he enters is a surprise. Several counters with what he knows humans call “stoves” sitting on them, each manned by one or two people. 

“Hello there” An affable older man in a multi-colored shirt approaches him, “you here for the class?”

“Yes.”

“Great! Hmmm, since you’re new, better pair you with someone, just to be safe. Follow me.”

Joseph isn’t afraid of much. But when he sees who the man intends to pair him with, he almost jumps out the window and flees back to the sea.

“You’re in luck, gonna pair you with my best student. Barclay, this is…”

“Joseph”

“Joseph’s first class with us, so I’m handin him over to you. Make me proud.”

Barclay isn’t blinking, but he manages to say, “sure thing, Thacker.” 

The older man nods, pleased, and makes his way towards the kitchen set-up at the front of the room, greeting people as he goes. 

“What the fuck, Joseph?” Barclay keeps his voice low, “did Janelle give you legs just so you could come drag me out of class?”

“No, no not at all. Indrid did this.”

“What?”

Joseph takes a deep breath, “Barclay, I told you that first week that I’m here to protect you. The way I see it, I’ll do a much better job if I come with you to something that clearly matters to you, rather than force you to hide it from me. No one knows about this but Indrid and Duck.”

Barclay seems stunned, doesn’t say anything as Thacker opens the class and instructs them on how to make something called “marinara” to go on “pasta.” The prince stays silent until they’re working on the cookies the human is also having them make.

“Here, it’s easier to cut them out like this.” He sets his hand atop Joseph’s, pressing and shaking it so the dough comes away from the stone slab in the shape of a heart. 

“Thank you.”

Barclay smiles at him, and the kitchen grows hotter. 

When everything is done cooking, they sit on stools at their station, eating the fruits of their labor. Barclay is animatedly describing the pie they made last week, occasionally stopping to chat with some of the other students. He looks so happy, and Joseph decides he will not tell their majesties about this even if they torture him. Or fire him. 

As they walk back along the beach, Barclay explaining all the things he’s learned about cooking and how much he wishes they’d let him cook at the palace rather than insist it’s beneath his station, the prince takes his hand.

“Humans do this when they’re waling on the beach together. I think it’s to keep them from getting separated if they get hit by a wave.

Joseph is pretty sure that’s not the reason, but he’s not about to say so now. 

They dive back under the waves, removing their charms and swimming side by side in the dark water. Once they’re safely inside, Barclay turns to him, beaming, “Thank you so much for coming.”

“Even if I wasn’t invited?”

“Yeah. It, uh, it means a lot to me that you wanna learn about the stuff that matters to me. That you wanna know the real me.”

“Of course I do.”

Barclay swims dangerously close, “You, uh, do you wanna know another part?”

He nods. Barclay leans in and presses their lips together. Joseph manages to keep his hands himself, but his tentacles have other ideas, curling protectively around the prince’s tail and waist. The instant Barclay pulls back with the most adorable sigh in the sea, Joseph forces them to return to their normal position. 

The prince gives him a final, shy smile and whispers, “‘Night, Joseph. And thanks for everything.”

[nyxicnymph]

Swept Away

A TodoMomo oneshot for Mermay 2021

Shoto Todoroki shifted uncomfortably, feeling cold. He didn't open his eyes, unwilling to take in the damage he was sure was there. He remembered the impact, and the shattering noises of the side of the ship imploding, then an impact on the back of his head, a flash, and nothing more.

He casually wondered if he was dead.

As he drifted, something nagged at the back of his mind. He felt very even in temperature, not something you would normally feel if you were drifting across the surface of the ocean. He also wasn't feeling any splashes from the waves. Thoroughly confused, he opened his eyes.

A woman's face greeted him, her dark eyes gazing into his, her ebony hair drifting around in unidentifiable motions. He gasped in surprise, only to inhale a mouthful of salt water.

Salt water?

"You're awake!" The woman said excitedly, her voice rolling towards him through the water. "Oh, but don't breathe through your mouth, my magic charm only helps you breathe through your nose."

Shoto clamped his mouth shut once he expelled the water from it, and took a good look at the woman before him. She was black haired and fair, wearing a red seaweed top, and a golden belt around the top of her slightly darker red tail. Her fins along her forearms were the same color, and as she swam to grab something, he saw a fin along her back as well.

"You're a siren?" He asked, tentatively, the only possible explanation in his head at the moment.

She turned around and pulled a face. "No. Sirens are half bird predators, with enchanting voices. You wouldn't have woken up if I were a siren. No, I am a mermaid."

"A mermaid," Shoto repeated, his head spinning, no thanks to the throbbing on the back of his skull. He remembered a few lines from even fewer books, but nothing of actual importance. "Mermaids can do magic?" He asked, referring to the magic charm she mentioned before.

The mermaid blushed. "Some can. I learned from the seawitch, Tsuyu. I saw you sinking, and I thought I could help."

Shoto looked at her for a moment, having to brush his hair back before it floated into his eyes. "What's your name? I'd like to thank you properly."

"Oh!" She practically glowed with joy. "Momo Yaoyorozu!"

"Well, Momo Yaoyorozu, I, Shoto Todoroki, would like to thank you for saving my life. I owe you a debt." He attempted to bow to her, but ended up flipping himself over in the water.

Momo giggled as he tried to right himself. "Let me help you." She grabbed one of his hands, and pulled him so he was lateral. With her face inches from his, she told him, "This is the best swimming position. The water flows around you like this. If you intend to change your direction, tilt your body like this." She pushed his upper body around in a few positions.

"That sounds great, but how do I go forward?" He asked in confusion.

She looked at his legs and frowned. "That's a good question. You don't have a tail, so you can't push like I do." She hummed thoughtfully as she looked at his legs. "Hold on to the stalagmite right there, I'm going to test a few things."

Shoto did as she told him, but was unprepared for when she gently grabbed his legs and started moving them. She finished after only a few seconds and swam back up to his face. She then held her hand level with his face, the first two fingers pointing at him. He noted the web between them before she spoke.

"Move your legs like this." She demonstrated an up-and-down motion with her fingers, one going up as the other goes down, and then they reversed.

"Like scissors," he remarked absently.

Momo gazed at him with confusion in her eyes for a moment, not understanding, but then shrugged. "If that's what scissors do, then yes. Like scissors."

Shoto nodded, and kicked. At first, he didn't notice anything, so he kicked harder. He lost his grip on the stalagmite and rammed his head into a kelp-plated boulder. He gently pushed off of it, and rubbed his forehead.

"Now both sides hurt," he mumbled.

Momo shook her head clear. She'd been watching his two-toned hair float aimlessly, but his words hit her as odd. "Both sides?" She asked as she swam up to him.

His eyes met hers, and he nodded. "Front and back."

Momo's eyes widened. "I forgot you were injured! I can't heal things, though. I can only make things." She thought for a minute, tapping one finger against her chin. "Maybe Tsuyu can help." She grabbed his hand. "If you stick with me, you won't get lost. Remember to push! Use your arms if your... err... double tails... aren't enough."

Shoto frowned in confusion. "Double tails? You mean my legs?"

"Yeah, is that what they're called? Use your legs and arms!"

"Momo, I can't use both arms if you're holding my hand," he pointed out bluntly.

Momo felt her face heat up, and released his hand abruptly. "Sorry! I just wasn't sure if you would be able to keep up!"

"Can't you just swim slower?"

Momo let that sink in. "Oh. Yeah! Yes, I can. My apologies!" She turned around and started swimming.

Shoto looked at the hand she had released rather forlornly. He hadn't asked for it to be released, he just was trying to point something out. Then he had to blurt out the "swim slower".

He followed after the mermaid. At least a slower swim would mean more time to get to know her. He was quite intrigued.

He wasn't prepared for the multi-sleep trip.

"Ah, I should have told you that I live quite a ways from Tsuyu. It'll take us about three sleeps before we arrive, at the speed we're going. Here, I'll make you a sand bed." Momo swept her tail across the ocean floor, and placed a clump of seaweed in the middle of the circle she made. "I'm not sure how humans sleep, but we tend to sleep in circles, with our tails curled up. You can rearrange the bed however you like. I'll be over here," she said, pointing to a spot a little ways away. "You may also wish to use the kelp to cover yourself, should a shark come near."

Shoto nodded, and swam towards the kelp, intent on trying to figure out how he was going to lay down. He flinched when Momo suddenly clapped.

"I'll just make a shelter around us! I can't believe I've never done that!" She swam a ways away, then started swimming in a circle around the two sand beds, tracing her finger in the sand. Where her finger touched, a wall of coral started to rise. It flowed together into a dome over their heads. She snapped, and the coral flowed apart in a few spots, creating some doorways and windows.

Shoto watched her in amazement. He'd seen a few mages on land, but none with the skill and competence that she was exhibiting. The detail that the coral grew in at her command was impressive. He could easily tell the door handles from the hinges. He looked at Momo in wonder and awe.

She released the magic, and turned to catch him staring at her, his mouth hanging open just slightly. "Are you okay, Shoto?"

He shook his head, then pushed his hair aside. "You're very accomplished. I've never seen anyone so good at magic, and I've met several mages in my father's business."

Her face warmed, and she swam to float next to him. "You've met magic users above?"

He gazed at the ceiling. "A few. Mostly storm mages, since my father's company trades through a lot of the more dangerous trading routes. He's a fire mage, and I got that, and my mother's ice mage talents, but I don't like to show those off. I'm not talented enough."

"So you're a... mage... too? Fire and ice?" She asked, not sure what those were.

He understood her, though. "I'm not sure if they'll work underwater. Ice might work too well down here. Can you make a waterproof box or something?" He asked her, turning to face her better.

She tucked a stray lock behind her ear. "I can try. If you stay there, I'll make it around you. But then I won't be able to make anything until I find something to eat."

Shoto paused. "Then don't. We do need to find something to eat, though."

Momo smiled. "I have a fishnet."

Shoto looked bewildered. "Isn't that cannibalism??? Or something?"

Momo shook her head. "Our tails aren't actually connected to fish. Sometimes there are many similarities, but they aren't the same." She swam outside. "I'll be back soon. Don't go out, you can't read the ocean like we can," she said in an informative tone.

He nodded, and watched her swim away.

Timeskip: Three days later

"We're here!" Momo exclaimed excitedly.

Shoto flagged behind her. "I'm glad."

"Wait, are you okay? Did I push you too hard? Should I have invited Tsuyu to my place instead of dragging you here when you were injured and new to swimming?" Momo fretted.

"No, I enjoyed the trip, Momo. I got to know you, and it was an interesting experience," He said, honestly and earnestly, his dual eyes shining. "It's just the pressure is very intense down here, and I'm not a great swimmer." He cleared his throat. "But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything."

Momo turned red, and turned away from him. "I- That's so nice of you. Let's see if Tsuyu can help you at all."

"You should have sent a message fish," A croak-like voice said from behind them. "And why is there a human here?"

Momo spun around in surprise. "Tsuyu! I can explain!"

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow, her flippers twitching. "I hope so."

After Momo explained everything, Tsuyu took a look at Shoto. "Well, at this point, his injuries are mostly healed up. The problem is, he's a human, under hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. If he wants to return to the surface, it might be even more harmful than just staying here. How did he get here without dying?"

Momo shifted a bit. "He was sinking. He was almost at the bottom when I found him."

Tsuyu looked at her. "Still alive, even though he can't breathe water?"

Momo shrugged. "He was close to death, and I couldn't let him die. That's what the charm around his neck is for. It's kept him alive so far."

Shoto nervously fingered the necklace he had barely noticed. "Can I stay here?" When the ladies both looked at him, he looked at the floor. "I don't want to go back."

Momo looked at him with compassion, her eyes lingering on the scar on his face. Tsuyu looked at him more analytically. "Why?"

Shoto shrugged. "I'd rather prefer if my family thinks I'm never coming back. My father is not a good person, he's already run off the majority of my family in one way or another. I don't want to go back." If he could have cried underwater, he would have.

Momo rushed to him, but wasn't sure how to comfort him. Tsuyu gazed at him for a moment more. Then she spoke.

"Well, then I have a bargain for you." Shoto looked at her, confusion in his eyes. "You can become one of us, though it's a painful process, it's not undoable." When Shoto's eyes gleamed, she continued. "But. Everyone you know on the surface will forget about you. Not just your father, but siblings, your mother, any friends you might have had, everyone who's met you or knows about you." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Your choice. An equal amount of pain for if you choose to return. Your body will be in pain for days as you readjust to the surface pressure, and you will forget about your time here."

Shoto looked at Tsuyu for a minute or two, weighing his options. He looked at Momo, then his hands, then up towards the surface. He whispered, "I'm sorry, Mom."

When he met Tsuyu's eyes again, his were tinged slightly pink. "I'm choosing to stay here."

Tsuyu nodded, pulled a few hairs out of his head, and swam over to an enclosure holding a variety of fish. "Then let's get to it. Momo, I would suggest you go outside for a few minutes. Maybe swim around, or plug your ears."

Momo swallowed and nodded. She gave Shoto a hug, and swam outside.

Shoto turned to face Tsuyu, who dropped the hairs and the fish in a cauldron he hadn't noticed earlier. She threw a few more ingredients into the cauldron, snapped her padded fingers, and extracted a silver fluid from the pot. She placed it in a glass, and brought it over to him.

"Now listen, very carefully, Shoto Todoroki. This potion will do a few things." As he nodded, she continued. "It is going to temporarily mute you, so that you don't hurt yourself screaming. Then it will start the transformation. It should only take about five minutes, but you will probably be unconscious for a while. Once the transformation is complete, your voice will return." She grabbed his shoulder. "Are you still willing to go through with this?"

Shoto nodded, his gray eye looking steely. "I'm ready."

Tsuyu handed the glass to him, and he quaffed it down. He felt it trickling down his throat, and then the burning started. He crumpled over, as well as one can crumple in water, releasing the glass before he gripped it too hard and shattered it.

The feeling was like an intense rash, on his neck, the sides of his arms, his spine, and his legs. But, even if his voice hadn't been muted, he wouldn't have yelled. He went into this knowing what to expect, and he'd been through many painful situations. He closed his eyes and retreated inside himself to wait out the process.

When he opened his eyes again, Momo was waiting for him. He smiled at her, and took off her charm. He handed it back to her, saying. "I believe this belongs to you."

Momo smiled back, and pushed his hand back. "Keep it. I made it for you. Even if you don't need it anymore, keep it to remember me by."

"Why would I need it to remember you? I don't plan to leave you, Momo. You're why I decided to stay," he told her. He flexed his new tail. "Besides, you're the best swimming teacher I know, and I don't know how to use this yet."

Momo covered her face. "Uh, ok! I guess I can help you, and you can stay... With me. B-but! You'll have to get a house with the clan once you've mastered swimming!" She poked his nose. "For... reasons."

Shoto wrapped her in a hug. "Ok, Momo."

Tsuyu watched them embrace, then started drawing dates on the cave wall, trying to guess how long they'd stay "platonic".

The End!

[psychicscavenger]

Beach-Cute(Shance)

Another Shance Mermay prompt inspired by @justshance ‘s Shance Mermay 2019 prompt list. Tagging @shancemermay as well. 

Tags: comedy, fluff, fluff and crack, first meetings, meet-cute, AU, Fairytale elements, Little Mermaid elements,

This one is a bit longer than my first one(i got too inspired apparently) Enjoy~

The sounds of the waves crashing as they hit the shore partnered with the sounds of the strange flappy birds scavenging for something to eat were very soothing, helping Lance to further relax as he reclined along a protruded rock, barely hidden from public view if someone were to stroll upon the beach then.

He kinda didn't care though, if he was being truthful. Yes, he should be more aware of keeping a "low-profile" around the humans, but Lance was curious okay? He was tired of being stuck underwater, not when there was new things to discover and explore above shore!

He could barely make out the little town in the distance next to the big seaside palace. Even from across the distance, he could smell all sorts of enticing scents wafting over to him that always stirred his appetite, even his second stomach would grumble for food despite his successful hunting trips beforehand. At night, there were magical lights that lit up across the town, matching the bright, beaming ones coming from the castle that held Lance in a trance as he lounged, watching the magical lights as some faded in and out, the bright yellow standing out against the dark violet sky above them. He wanted to see them up close, see what they were and how they shone so bright like that.

And he would.

Absentmindedly, Lance pulled out the little trinket, a locket, Lotor had given him earlier after Lance went skulking around the Dark Abysmal Zone, an appropriate nickname for the area where shady no good mers dwelled. Lance had been repeatedly warned by his Mama to never go down there ever, mostly because the sea witch, a notorious cecaelia known for her dark magic, lurked there, ready to trick any young mer that crossed her path. Rumor has it that her witchcraft had once been good, previously thought to be a wonderful healer, but now she was focusing towards the dark arts, which is what banished her from the mers kingdom many seasons ago.

And yet, Lance had seeked her out despite the warnings of his family and his friends. He only made it about a mile into the abysmal zone when Lotor had popped up in front of him and gave him a bargain deal instead. Lance would get to be a human for a week in return he owed Lotor one small favor. It was very vague and incredibly shifty to openly accept but then Lotor had to bring up how the handsome human he'd seen Lance ogling had been returning to the shore with another handsome man which had Lance agreeing to the deal immediately.

Hey at least, he still had his voice!

Lance hummed as his fingers traced the design of the necklace, the magic he needed to switch was contained in the locket Lotor had given him, whenever he wanted to become human, all he had to do was go to shore, think of what his heart most wanted and the spell should work. So now Lance waited, wondering when he should use the locket if he should wait until he sees the handsome man again or simply do it now. As he pondered what to do, he heard familiar machine splashes of two mers surfacing and rolled his eyes, knowing immediately who they were.

"Hunk! Pidge! I told you not to follow me!" Lance shook his fist, looking every bit like an angry spinster fish as Pidge, the youngest of the three mers rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, like we were gonna listen to you. We've been following you since you went to the Dark Abysmal Zone, we know all about that deal with Prince Fish Whore." Lance huffed, closing his arms as he glanced away, refusing to engage in the argument he knew was about to start brewing.

"Pidge is right Lance, remember how that guy has literally been after you to court and stuff? Making a deal with him doesn't seem like the best idea buddy." Hunk pointed out as Lance made an angry noise, leaning closer towards the water to scowl at his 'so-called friends.'

"Screw you guys! I'm gonna be a human whether you support me or not! I have to meet him again, he's so dreamy and the way his eyes are like, so deep, like the abysmal zone and his strong, tall stature, those muscles, and that deep voice. Ugh, he's prince material and I bet he doesn't even know it!" Lance whined. Why couldn't Hottie McHuman court him instead of Creepy Lotor?

"Ew, you sound like a teenage girl." Pidge spat disgusted as Lance rounded on her, practically seething.

"You sound like a teenage girl!"

"Oooooh-kay. Let's have a timeout here." Hunk intervened, knowing this was going to get ugly really fast. Before Pidge could retort, something just as snarky, they recognized movement in the corner of their eye and immediately ducked lower into the water.

"Guys, its the humans!" They whisper shouted causing both Hunk and Lance to spin around, obviously checking out the humans instead of ducking to hide like any normal mermaid much to Pidge's exasperation.

"Don't let them see you, dinguses!"

"Noted." Hunk stated before quietly submerging next to his angry tiny friend. "Lance you coming?" He asked but paled as he saw the look on his friend's face.

"Oh no. Lance, don't do this please, your family is gonna be pissed." Hunk warned as Pidge's eyes widened watching as Lance, with that silly besotted look on his face turned to grasp the locket around his neck before shutting his eyes tight and wishing, focused on the man who captured his attention, possibly his heart, since the first time he spotted him.

"No, Lance-"

"Hoe don't do it!"

But it was too late.

A soft blue shimmering overtook Lance's body as he curled up tight into a ball, eyes shut tight from the needle prickling sensation all over his body took place. He sincerely hoped Lotor hadn't tricked him, not that he would put it past the fish to do something like this, but it would suck if all this unpleasant tingling was merely a prank. The tingling across his body soon focused towards his tail and lower body, he gasped as a tight uncomfortable pull began to spread from his fins to his abdomen. Lance fell into the water, clutching his lower half as his friends scrambled to hold onto him, making sure he wouldn't drown because what he wasn't seeing, they were and they could see the slow changes to his body that were shifting and changing.

His gills, or lack of them which is why they were holding his head above water now, knowing humans couldn't breathe the same way they did, were now gone, the rifts smoothed down as the scales along Lance's cheeks, neck and shoulders were flickering away slowly one by one. Lance's webbed fins on his hands and around his ears were gone, the ridges smoothing themselves down into a rounded curve like a humans. His dorsal fin was also gone, leaving behind a long gash that looked to be bleeding but what had Hunk and Pidge gasping and flinching away from shock the most, was the change to Lance's tail.

Sure enough, like Lotor had promised and Lance wished, his tail began to stretch, almost grotesquely, before breaking apart and rounding themselves into two tails that stretched and formed to create two legs as well as feet. The fins along Lance's new legs disappeared, matching the one on his back forming bleeding gashes here and there where the fins once were. His feet sprouted tiny unusual fins that were curved and similar to his fingers, Pidge was gasping in delight, enamored with the process of it all as Hunk merely held a hand to his mouth, looking like he was about to puke.

"Oh god this is so weird and gross to watch, but I can't stop." Hunk commented, peering through his webbed fins as Pidge began poking the toes, curious if they were sensitive. They got their answer when suddenly Lance's foot shot out nearly kicking them back, a quick laugh escaping his mouth from his friend tickling his foot.

"Guys stop, I'm ticklish remember!" Lance pouted but brightened considerably as he gazed at his new legs, gripping them and bringing them closer to inspect. "Whoa! Check out this gam, I mean, these gams!" Lance stated excitedly waving his legs and feet around similar to a toddler much to Hunk's mortification as he accidentally caught a glance down.

"Ew gross dude, what is that on your tai-legs I mean?" Hunk stated, face dropping into the water to inspect closer as Lance followed suit, only to spasm before coming back up to breathe, coughing up salt water.

"I forgot, humans don't breathe that way." He sputtered as Pidge ducked their head down to inspect as well. Lance waited awkwardly as his friends inspected the weird tail thing on his brand new legs when he felt something prod at it, making him squeal and jump away from the source as his friends came back up, done with their ogling.

"I think its your genitals Lance. Human males probably have something similar to what you've got now." Pidge stated as Hunk bent down to look again out of curiosity. Lance shoved his hands down to cover his privates, nearly kicking away as he screamed, "Stop looking at my junk pervert!" as Pidge merely laughed while Hunk came back up about to apologize when the trio stopped, paling at the sudden voices heading their way.

"Is somebody there?"

"Do you need help?" Lance froze, wondering what to do in this situation as he glanced at his friends helpless.

'What do we do?' He mouthed to them but watched as the two glanced at each other before merely ducking under the water and swimming away much to Lance's bitterness as he kicked his feet hard, hoping at least one of the weird fins at the end would land a hit. 'So much for friends til the end,' he thought annoyed.

"Hey are you okay?" Lance stopped immediately gulping as he slowly turned to look at the voice above him and almost fainting from shock at seeing the handsome man he'd been giving seashells and pearls to for the past two weeks, now standing behind him from the other side of the rock. He was covered in strange cloths that somehow still showed off his built figure with his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Lance was even more smitten upon seeing the handsome face up close, blushing at the concerned dark eyes boring holes into his blues, making Lance feel hot all over despite the fact he was sitting in cool water.

'Oh no, he's too handsome, quick say something sexy,' Lance's brain supplied making Lance gulp as he tried to open his mouth only he couldn't think of anything to say. Flushing, Lance looked away embarrassed now and wondered if this was such a good idea after all when the man knelt closer, putting a gentle hand on Lance's bare shoulder, offering a supportive smile.

"Hey, it's going to be okay I promise. My friend Keith is looking for the pervert right now, they won't hurt you again, I swear." Lance blinked confused. What was he talking about? He racked his brain trying to figure out what the man was saying and it must have shown on his face as the man raised an eyebrow.

"You were screaming about a pervert looking at you indecently. My friend and I were walking along the shore when we heard your cry for help, it was a cry for help right?" The man asked now suddenly unsure and goddess it was such a cute expression Lance nearly flopped over and squealed right then.

But that probably wouldn't be a good idea. Lance coughed, nodding his head a little as he gave the other a grateful smile that hopefully didn't show how nervous he felt staring back into those gorgeous dark eyes.

"Oh that, haha yes! I'm fine! The pervert left right away! He wasn't too interested to begin with so," Lance supplied hoping his lie was believable as the man before him raised a brow uncertain.

"Are you sure? You sounded very distressed and I wouldn't want any of my citizens to be in danger if some pervert is skulking around terrorizing innocent beachgoers." The man stated as Lance nodded his head quickly, a little voice in his head screaming about the 'my citizens' part.

"No, it's fine I swear, he ran off once I yelled at him! He probably won't do it again. My name's Lance, thanks for coming to my rescue." Lance held his hand out having seen a few other humans do this in greeting as the man smiled gladly accepting it and giving it a gentle shake.

"I'm Shiro, but you've probably heard about me already from the townspeople I'm sure." He stated shaking his head as Lance shook his head a little too eagerly.

"No, I haven't actually." He stated smiling innocently as Shiro gave him a curious look.

"Really? Are you from out of town?" He asked as Lance merely blinked back at him unsure how to tell him where he was from.

"Umm, something like that." Lance admitted. It was technically the truth, wasn't it?

"Are you staying with anybody?" Shiro asked curious as in the distance another man, the same one from earlier walked over to them looking disgruntled at the fact he couldn't find anyone.

"Well, either the pervert left or he sprouted wings and flew away. So much for getting to use my new sword." The man Shiro referred to as Keith grumbled before pausing and staring down at Lance, confused raising an eyebrow as Lance simply covered his chest with us hands suddenly like he was indecent.

"Who is this?" Keith asked looking to Shiro who was about to answer when said man huffed, pouting a little as he turned towards Keith.

"I'm right here seaweed head! It's rude to ignore new acquaintances." Lance chastised as Keith rolled his eyes in return.

"Yeah, thanks for the Kindergarten lesson."

"Whats a Kindergarten?"

Both Shiro and Keith looked at the man curious as he sat there smiling innocently, wary if the man had been hurt by the ordeal at all.

"Um hey Lance, were you hurt in any way from the incident?" Shiro asked, now leaning forward to gently poke and prod Lance, particularly around his head which had the younger man giggling and flushing from embarrassment.

"No why?" He asked brightly, curious to keep talking to these two humans before him.

"You seem a little out of sorts. Tell you what, I have plenty of space at my home, would it be alright if you came back with me to have the palace doctor check you out just in case?" Shiro asked as Lance's eye widened at the thought of getting to be with Shiro even longer. He never dreamed this would happen! He actually never thought this would happen!

"Sure, I'd love to! Seaweed head can come too I guess." Lance rolled his eyes earning a deep chuckle of amusement from Shiro as Keith glowered.

"Are you talking about my hair?"

"Keith is my second in command so he has to come too. Don't worry though, my home isn't too far." Shiro promised as he held out a hand for Lance to take who eagerly took it, letting himself be yanked up by the others grip and nearly face planting back into the ocean considering he's never actually stood on legs before!

He felt as if he were moving in slow motion at first, he became aware that he wasn't wearing any clothing over his genitals unlike the other two men at his side, which he guesses is why both Shiro and Keith, immediately embarrassed, try to look away from the southern region of his body. Next came Lance's sudden realization he didn't know how to stand and then screamed internally as he nearly face planted in the sand in front of Shiro.

Talk about an embarrassing first meeting.

Lance almost tried to stand again when he was distracted upon a fabric of cloth being draped around his shoulders, the fabric long and covering his naked body from view. He watched curiously as Keith took off his belt and wove it around Lance's waist, knotting it so it sit tight, keeping the first fabric to his body and concealing any revealing bits.

"Sorry about that, are you okay?" Shiro asked, holding out his hands again and carefully helping Lance up at a time, watching as Lance made slow progress getting up.

"I'm fine, I'm usually very graceful I promise!" Lance stated his cheeks flushing as Shiro smiled when of course Keith had to jump in with his opinions and dumb hair.

"What I want to know is why are you naked? This is a public beach weirdo!" Keith hissed as Lance merely flushed unsure what to say.

"Oh uh, well the uh pervert from earlier..he took them! That's why I was screaming, he took my clothes and ran off with them! Like the pervert he is!" Lance lied, beaming with pride at how great a story that was as Shiro and Keith gazed at him shocked.

"In that case you should definetly come with me to the palace then." Shiro stated as Lance brightened instantly.

"Oh I'll go wherever you want me to go." Lance mumbled eyes hungry as they raked over Shiro's incredibly muscular body, ugh it was even better up close.

"Once you're checked over we can begin a search for this pervert and have him arrested for assault." Lance stopped, mostly because he had barely took a step and was nearly falling again and two, he couldn't keep up with that lie for that long. What if he blurted out where he was really from? Immediately he began to shake his head, a refusal upon his lips when he fell backwards. His eyes closed, ready for the impact fo the water but it never came, curious, lance opened his eyes only to gasp as he gazed back at Shiro's worried expression, his strong arms encircled Lace's waist, keeping him up and dangling inches from the water.

"Are you sure you're okay, you've been stumbling and having difficulty walking." Shiro noted as Keith crossed his arms, giving Lance a narrowed frown of suspicion.

"Uh yeah, it appears so. I must be more injured than I thought. I can't even feel my legs right now, honestly." Lance replied which had Shiro tsking before he pulled Lance closer and ducked, wrapping an arm around Lance's waist and keeping one under the bend of his knees drawing a surprised breath from Lance as he found himself being held in Shiro's arms. Like a princess in one of his old storybooks. Lance blinked, wondering if he had actually died during that transformation spell and that this was actually paradise before blinking up at Shiro who gave him a gentle smile in return.

"Don't worry we'll help you as much as you need." Shiro stated confidantly as Lance smiled back at him shyly.

"Thank you Shiro." Lance breathed. He dreamed of this moment for so long, sure their meeting was a bit different in his head, but being held in Shiro's arms like this, getting to feel the power and strength in those biceps and rippling muscles of his chest underneath him, Lance was definetly going to have to start praying to the godess again because this was surely a miracle!

Lance happily settled against Shiro, beginning his usual conversation starters for flirting, which was mostly just complimenting the person outright which he did and knew he was successful as Shiro blushed at each complement. Keith trailed along behind them, annoyed as the other man kept on talking, knowing right then and there this Lance was going to be a pain in his ass.

Also his hair was not ridiculous.   

                                                           ****

Unaware to the three slowly trekking on the pathway back to the castle, another creature popped its head above the water surface, his glowing yellow eyes showing a wrathful mirth in them, finding the whole scene just amusing and content.

Everything was going according to plan and soon, both kingdoms, humans and mermaids, would be his to rule.

With a dark chuckle, the creature oozed back into the water, it's slithering dark purple and black tentacles flashing briefly above the water before disappearing into its depth, melding back in with the shadows where it's known to roam.