#can't believe mermay is over

[senoleaf]

a scene i had planned for the sun and moon x y/n mermaid au thing!

dunno if i'll ever get to write that fanfic, so:

the photo they took was actually supposed to act as a plot device—expose sun and moon's existence to other people by accident

these people would then either attempt to catch sun and moon or get rid of them (i changed the plot way too many times lol)

[vixlenxe]

What kind of Mermaid are you? A Mermaid Quiz for MerMey!

Romantic Heart Breaker ~ Tropical Mermaid

Individual: You are a hopeless romantic. You are filled to the brim with passion, lust, and nostalgia. You have has many lovers at the shore, but none lasted long. You break hearts and kiss lips. You speak perfect human language and are absolutely stunning to the eye. You are caring and somewhat mischievous. You love when young humans vacation to your area with little knowledge that they are about to have the most memorable summer romance of their life. You are agreeable but people should not want to get on your bad side. You are not violent, but you are cunning, which is all the more dangerous.

Species: Tropical Mermaids live in warm climates in, obviously, tropical areas. They are known for being quite social with most other aquatic creatures and humans alike. In fact, they seem to have a good grasp on human culture itself and not just talking to them. They usually move alone or in small groups up to 6. They don't travel much either and normally stay in one spot like a waterfall or a cave. They are not aggressive towards other pods like many of the other merspecies and have beautiful singing voices like Sirens. They have very colorful unpredictable hair and tails and very diverse body types and body mods. They also love to style themselves. with shells and flowers, and are one of the few types of mermaids that cover their breasts with make shift bikinis.

Shy Mysteries ~ Pond Mermaids

Individual: You are unique, mysterious, innocent, and shy. You have very few friends but are extremely close to the ones you do have. You are very reclusive and introverted in result. Would generally think of yourself as a pacifist and will not fight even when attacked.When you do get close to someone you are compassionate and caring, yet reliant.

Species: The origin of this species is unknown. To sum it up, These are mermaids that are a hybrid of human and a specific kind of aquatic creature, such as a shark, a jellyfish, koi fish, or lion fish, just for an example. They are not necessarily born from another creature. They are not specific to ponds, as implied by the list of possible types, but they are very well known to be in ponds. They normally are the only one of their kind in there pod but are accepted as the same species by they're fellow fish. in fact they generally can only communicate with they're type of fish and some humans occasionally.

Rare Predator ~ Cecaelia

Individual: You are certainly a rare specimen. You are resourceful, reclusive, and incredibly aggressive. You are fearless and will fight to the bitter end. Many might see you as just strength and skill, but your other attributes lie elsewhere. You actually quite crafty. Not really in a clever way, though you can be, but in a resourceful way. You are able to think on your feet and make use of your setting and the objects around you.

Species:  Cecaeliae are reclusive, territorial, and malicious. They get along with neither man, merpeople, nor even other cecaeliae. They are very rare and there is normally only one per body of water. (Excluding oceans and massive lakes and rivers). They have the bottom half of an octopus or squid rather than a tail and do posses the inking ability. Many caecaeliae Craft weapons out of the remains and belongings of their victims. They are intelligent and set up shelters in caves, trenches, etc. They normally live in murkier waters and have duller skin to blend in. They are normally reasonably muscular and thick, except for the squid cecaeliae which are still muscular, though thin.

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Run deep

@susstardust thank you for your prompt, I loved writing it!

Can't believe mermay is almost over and it's only now that I'm writing something for it!

Prompt: Wei Ying saves Lan Zhan from drowning. Could be merxian or human.

Lan Wangji is a decent swimmer - he knows how to keep himself afloat and move around, but he very much prefers not to have to do it. He hates not being able to feel solid ground underneath his feet, which means that, if he has to be in water, he's prefers to be near the shore, waist-deep at most.

However, water-dwelling ghosts don't care much for that, and Lan Zhan is a cultivator, which means he has to exterminate them no matter how terrified he is of deep water. Sure, there are plenty of people on this night hunt with him, including his brother and Wei Ying (as well as other people Lan Wangji doesn't care about) - but it's becoming more and more apparent that these water ghosts are actually a symptom of a waterborne abyss.

Which is not only very bad news in general, but it also means that great caution must be exercised or one might be sucked into the vortex and killed. Not that Lan Zhan has a preferred way to die, but if he was to make a list, drowning would be the very last option.

The moment he feels himself lose balance off Bichen, realization and adrenaline fill his body in equal parts. He's going to fall in, and he's going to die.

When he makes contact with the water, resentful tendrils entangling into his limbs, he wants to scream and he does but water fills his mouth and airways when he does - and that serves to only further his panic. He futilely tries to break free, struggles not to breathe because he knows his lungs will fill up and that will only kill him faster - but he's dead already, isn't he?! Nobody is going to jump in and save him because he can't be saved now, the victims of the waterborne abyss are lost causes.

He really doesn't want to die, not like this, not yet. He's so young, he hasn't lived his life at all, why does he have to die now, by his worst fear no less?

He tries writhing out of the tendrils but he fails despite putting all of his strength into it. His body hurts and his lungs and eyes burn. The abyss only pulls him in deeper, and it feels like the world around is losing color and light, fuzzy at the edges.

Lan Zhan feels like giving up.

There is a flash of red that lights up the darkening image of Lan Zhan's vision. A hallucination, maybe. He's dying after all.

But the red flash appears again, over and over, ripping through the tendrils like lightning cutting through the sky. Lan Zhan realizes that he's slowly floating up, tendrils broken apart and letting him return to the surface.

But he's tired and he's inhaled a lot of water already.

He feels like giving up again.

Then he's hoisted up, fast, to the surface, and when his lungs fill with air, he feels like he's been born again.

He coughs, violently, and the person holding him inclines their body so it's easier for him to breathe.

It's not a person, Lan Zhan realizes as he feels the rough texture of scales against his wet robes.

"I need you to not freak out or scream, okay?" Wei Ying's voice comes and even Lan Zhan's nearly drowned out mind can connect the dots and realize Wei Ying is... not as human as he appears to be. "I barely managed to get you out of there without anyone seeing me, so let's try to keep it that way."

Lan Zhan decides he's too exhausted and traumatized to resist. After all, he does trust Wei Ying, after all he saved his life just now. The fact that he's half fish is... well, it's a big, mythical deal, but not right now. They're in the middle of this massive haunted lake and Lan Zhan does not want to think of having to swim.

Wei Ying pulls him on his back and Lan Zhan is distracted with the way he swims, his tail shining into the water, vibrant red. He wonders what it feels like, how he can move using it.

How he kept the secret for so long and why he risked having it found out just now.

They finally make it to a hidden part of the lake shore, large trees and overgrowth obscuring the little patch of sand they stopped on. Wei Ying lays against the shore on his belly, catching his breath as the water laps up at his tail and the little fins on his forearms. Lan Zhan notices his red claws, and the patches of fish scales on his shoulder blades.

"I know you have a lot of questions to ask me, but I'll tell you everything when we get back to the Cloud Recesses, okay? You just have to promise to keep the secret."

"I will."

Wei Ying smiles, tired but grateful. "Let's stay here for a little longer, that waterborne abyss took a lot out of me!" He runs a hand through his hair. "Sing me something nice while I rest?"

[imagine-darksiders]

Fish out of Water - Chapter 2

Giant Mer!Sunnydrop X Reader, Giant Mer!Moondrop X Reader.

Summary:

Tags, warnings: Mermay 2022, Giant Mermen, Amputee Reader, Amputation, Medical Trauma, Depression, Grief and Mourning, Ableism, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Minor Character Death, Car Accidents, G/T, Giant/Tiny, Explicit Language, Loss of Leg, Mental Health Issues

Story on ao3

------

It isn't until midnight that you make a phone call in the end, and even then, you forgo the police – they'd likely give you a warning for wasting their time. You don't call animal services either – because you highly doubt 'giant sea monsters' fall under the list of animals they're licensed to deal with. And the nearest emergency mental health unit, ironically, doesn't have a twenty-four hour helpline.

So it is that you find yourself wedged into the cramped space between the sofa and the wall, peeking over a cushion and keeping your eyes fixed vigilantly upon the front door with your phone pressed against an ear, worrying at a loose piece of skin dangling off your lip.

Six rings later.... “Ungh... Lucinda, speaking," a groggy voice picks up and mutters down the line.

“Aunt Lucy!” you whisper hoarsely, “Thank Christ – I – I need you to pick me up! Right now!” You wait impatiently with your breath stuck in your throat as the sound of rustling, silk sheets filters out of the phone's speaker.

“Y/n?” comes Lucy's voice again, half asleep and incredulous, “I... Oh, what time is it?”

In the background, you hear a man – Derek, you deduce – roll over and grumble, “Who is it, Luce?”

“It's Y/n, darling,” she whispers back before turning her attention to you again, “My dear girl, are you all right? You're calling at-” There's a pause as you assume she takes a second to check her watch. “- Gone twelve!? What on Earth is the matter?”

What on Earth indeed. You can't be sure those things were even from Earth. Regardless, pondering won't get you out of this cottage and away from the ocean any faster.

“Please,” you whisper, clutching the phone in two, quaking hands so harshly that the plastic creaks in protest, “Please I – I need to get out of here! Something... something happened, Aunty. There are these... these...!”

God, how the hell are you supposed to describe what you'd seen without sounding like a lunatic? “I don't know," you eventually settle on, "But you have to get me out of here!”

Lucy makes a sound of confusion as you crane your head out over the sofa again and eye the windows, searching for shapes moving around outside in the dark. “Damn things are in the bay outside Grandad's cottage! I-I thought they'd kill me! I still can't believe I got away-!”

“-Y/n, slow down, Darling! For god's sake, you're starting to sound hysterical.”

As is your goddamn right after everything that you've just been through!

Gulping down a pacifying breath, you crush a palm against your temple and through gritted teeth, you hiss, “I know. I know. It all sounds insane, but – please, I just need to get away from here-!”

“-But why?”

“God dammit, because of those fucking sea monsters, Lucy!” you snap much too curtly, though you can't find it in yourself to be embarrassed right now.

This time, there's a definite, pregnant pause before your aunt clears her throat and asks, “I beg your pardon, dear, but... what did you-?”

“-MONSTERS!” you cry squeakily, throwing your free hand up in exasperation, “Great big, fucking sea monsters! With-with tails, and – and tentacles and teeth! They, they-!”

A long, loud sigh stops your incessant babbling and you scowl at the sound of soft snickering, followed by a sharp, 'Hush!' from your aunt. Coughing politely, Lucy clicks her tongue and with the patience of a saint, she delicately asks, “Y/n, I'd like you to tell me honestly. Have you had anything to drink this evening?”

Hesitating, your eyes immediately jump towards the window facing the cliff's edge, where you've left several bottles of beer strewn about in the grass.

“I...I only had like... three beers,” you stress meekly, wetting your lips. You're in too much of a state to recognise that you should have just lied and said a plain and simple 'no.'

“Okay,” Lucy starts with another sigh, “Here's what I think you should do. I think you should get yourself to the kitchen, get a glass of water, some paracetamol, and hop straight into bed.”

“I don't need paracetamol, Aunty,” you stress through clenched teeth, “I need-”

Something above you creaks and you freeze in place, ducking your head behind the sofa and craning your neck back to eye the ceiling dubiously. When a further second or two pass without a repeat of the noise, you lick your lips and whisper, “I'm not drunk, Lucy, I-”

“- Of course not, darling,” she interrupts diplomatically, “But you are exhausted. And likely sleep-deprived, and this is the first moment of genuine peace you've had since your dear parents died, God rest their souls.”

For a full, five seconds, you can't quite fathom a thing to say. Eventually though, you blurt out, “I really don't think what I saw is a result of sleep deprivation! Or.. or delayed grief!”

“And how would you know?” she returns abruptly, as cool as a placid lake, “You never went to the therapist like you were advised to do. You took yourself out of the world. You turned the grief counsellors away from your door.”

She must be able to sense the indignant bristling of your shoulders because it sounds as though she thumps her head down on her pillow with a deep and affected sigh. “Look, I can hear how frustrated you are. But... Well, I mean, really, Y/n. Listen to what you're saying. You said you saw...” She trails off, deliberately leaving her sentence open-ended for you to finish.

A hand creeps up to your face and you spend several, sobering moments pinching the bridge of your nose before heaving an almighty groan, dragging your hand down over your nose and mouth, muttering, “Giant... sea monsters.”

Aunt Lucy's prolonged silence is fairly damning.

And okay, yes, you can appreciate that you're asking her to really stretch the boundaries of her imagination, but...

“Will you come and get me out of here, or not?” you finally ask, neither denying nor confirming that you may very well be losing your mind. Hell, you've lost your parents, your leg, your dignity and social standing. What's a mind, really, in the grand scheme of things?

There's a tired hum on the other end of the phone, and you already know her answer before she speaks.

“I just don't think that'll do you any good, my dear-”

Your eyes slip shut and you let your skull thunk back against the sofa behind you.

“- You haven't even given the old place a chance,” she adds, “Now, listen to me. You've had a hell of a shock. You're overwrought. Why, it's hardly any wonder you're-... ah.” She lowers her voice and clears her throat. “-Seeing things...”

It's a struggle to even passively listen to the second-hand embarrassment in her voice, though you can understand the root of it.

If word gets out that you're hallucinating giant sea monsters, it'll be yet another blight on the family name.

You'll become known as that seldom-mentioned relative who's shacked up in the 'wacko-basket.'

A cruel judgement, to be sure, but then, the people your parents rubbed elbows with are anything but sympathetic.

“I think,” Lucy continues carefully, “That you need to give it another few days. Go to bed and get some real rest. Breathe in that wonderful, ocean air. If you're still concerned about, hmm, monsters in a few day's time, I'll send Derek down to fetch you.”

In the background, the aforementioned lover groans begrudgingly, only to receive a quick 'ssh' from your aunt.

You hate to say it, but the longer she talks you down, the more doubt begins creeping into your mind and muddling the evening's events, blending reality with fiction and blurring your memory like good whisky.

You are extremely tired... and you've heard the stories of how sleep-deprivation can warp reality... plus, the beers likely didn't help...

Maybe a good night's sleep will fix things...

It's a lie you've told yourself countless times before. 'If I just got enough sleep...'

What a joke.

Regardless, Aunt Lucy is right. There has to be a more believable explanation than 'sea monsters.' You're an educated woman, for goodness sake

It's high-time you started behaving like one.

Slumping defeatedly against the sofa's rigid back, you cut off the muffled argument going on over the phone. “You're right, Aunty. You're right... God, sorry for bothering you so late.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, darling,” she replies, clipped and chipper once more, “You just get some sleep. Things will be all right in the morning. You'll see.”

“..Yeah.” Rubbing at your eyelids, you manage to suppress a yawn long enough to murmur a grateful, “Goodnight. Sorry again.”

“Goodnight, Y/n. Speak soon.”

Your finger hits the red button and there's the telltale 'click' of the line going dead.

Forget the water, forget the paracetamol, forget peeling off the day's clothes and turning off the light, you simply pull yourself around to the front of the sofa and flop face-first onto the squeaking, leather cushions, dragging one of them into your ams and squeezing it so ferociously, you can focus more on the ache in your biceps than whatever mysteries or hallucinations that might be lurking outside in the dark.

------

By the time you pry your head up off the sofa cushion again, it's gone noon the following day, and your mouth is as dry as a roll of parchment.

Shuffling lazily across the cold, tiled floor of the kitchenette, you yawn widely and rub at your eyes with a thumb and forefinger, sparing a brief glance out through the large, bow window that sits above the sink.

As is typical of the time of year, the sky is heavily overcast, and a steady pitter-patter of rain plinks softly against the glass windows. The sea beyond the cliffs is as dreary and grey as the clouds rolling overhead, its choppy waves sweeping in great, undulating swathes from the East. All in all, it's the kind of day that makes you want to burrow beneath your duvet with a mug of something hot and a good, engaging book..

But then... when was the last time you actually read a book?

All you're likely to do is lay on your bed and stare blankly at the ceiling, leaving the proverbial door wide open for your misery to creep in and swallow you slowly, sucking the energy out of you like a tick that will gorge itself on your most terrible regrets until the dreadful thing sits fat and swollen with grief astride your chest.

Dejectedly, your gaze slides away from the window and moves towards the front door, where an umbrella stand waits expectantly alongside its two occupants – one of your crutches, and an old doorman's umbrella, dusty and grey, much like the rest of this cottage's interior.

Perhaps you could go for a walk and get some fresh air.

'Sounds like something someone who has their life together would suggest,' you smile humourlessly to yourself, 'Someone like Aunt Lucy.'

It isn't as if you're especially keen to make an effort to shower, so maybe a stroll in the rain will clear away the cobwebs instead. Hefting your shoulders up and down in a private shrug, you amble towards the coat rack that takes up its stance beside the umbrella stand and tug a tattered, wax coat from one of the arms, pulling it on over yesterday's clothes. You don't know who it belonged to, nor how long it's been since anyone washed it. Maybe you'll throw it in the washing machine when you get back....

Then again, maybe you're more likely to toss it onto the pile of clothes that are slowly accumulating next to the washing machine, but that never quite make the journey inside the drum. Laundry is relatively low on your list of priorities, after all.

Stuffing your hands into the warm pockets, your fingers brush over a strip of smooth, cool plastic. Absentmindedly, you fish the object out and glance down at it, quirking your brow at a small penknife laying in your palm, a cheap and unimpressive little thing, the kind you'd probably win in a Christmas cracker.

Without any real humour, you quirk your lips up and snort. Grandpa was definitely a fisherman. This thing's only use is likely to cut the line if it gets irreparably tangled.

After sparing the little kitchenette a lazy once-over, you drop the penknife back inside your coat pocket and although your belly rumbles, you elect to grab a meal upon your return.

Pulling open the door, you wrench your crutch into one hand and stuff it beneath an arm, then swipe the umbrella up as an afterthought, just in case the downpour gets a little too heavy.

Perhaps, as Aunt Lucy said, the ocean air might do you some good.

But recently, you find yourself lacking in optimism.

--------

The winding cliffside path meanders and curves with the dreary landscape. You trudge along it, as aimless as any vagabond who ever wandered over the Earth. Nowhere to go, nowhere to aim for, nothing to do. One foot in front of the other, your head bowed against the wind and drizzling rain.

Down below you, out of sight, breakers crash ceaselessly against the cliff walls and it takes a considerable amount of willpower to keep yourself from peering cautiously over the edge, half expecting to see two pairs of gigantic, luminous eyes staring back up at you from within the water's murky depths.

Flipping up the collar of your wax coat, you duck your face further inside it and tear your gaze from the distant ocean with a shudder. You've barely taken two more, hobbling steps before a flash of yellow blips at the very edge of your vision.

You swing your head around fast enough to give yourself whiplash and very nearly end up tripping over your own feet to see...

… Nothing.

Nothing but a bleak, barren sea of grey lays out in front of you, and scanning the waves as they roll and crash in the current yields no results either.

Huh. “Still seeing things,” you inform yourself dismally.

It's slow progress, limping along the cliff path, but eventually, after another twenty minutes or so, you come upon a rusted, brown sign. The words have long since been eroded away by inclement weather and the unending march of time, but the image above them is unmistakeable.

There's a small, white arrow pointing left towards the edge of the cliff, and beside it, a simple graphic that depicts a flight of stairs.

Sure enough, upon glancing over at the cliffs, you spy the top of a metal railing jutting out above the grass right at the precipice.

Once upon a time, you wouldn't have even batted an eyelid at the prospect of attempting those steep, cliffside stairs.

Now though, you despise how your heart thuds anxiously in your chest and you can't stop yourself imagining your prosthetic slipping out from underneath you and sending you tumbling down the stairs to crash onto the sand far below.

Perhaps its defiance, perhaps its a blasé attitude towards danger that only emerged after the death of your family, but you suddenly find yourself pointing your shoes at the steps and hobbling over to them.

The biting wind whips cruelly at your face as you stop right at the edge of the cliffside staircase and peer down them. A wide, silver-sanded bay stretches out below you, hemmed in by sweeping cliffs on either side that protect it from the wind.

Conveniently, a silver, rain-slicked railing follows the path of the stairs, and it's with just a smidge of trepidation that you move your clutch and umbrella into the same hand and grip the rail tightly with the other.

The journey down is slow-going and undeniably as perilous as you'd expected it to be, but eventually, after a task that would hardly be considered arduous for someone with both of their legs intact, you find yourself down on the sandy beach, inhaling a lungful of sea-salted air and gazing around at the rolling dunes, each adorned with their spiky tufts of marram grass.

The tide has slowly begun to creep back in, eating up the beach inch by inch. But you, like the vast ocean, are in no particular hurry. You've still got time.

Wearily, you toss your crutch aside, exhale through your nose and flop yourself down onto the slope of a dune, letting your head thud backwards against the silver sand, heedless of the grains that'll no doubt be making themselves at home within the strands of your hair.

After letting rainwater plop steadily onto your closed eyelids for a time, you click your tongue and lean up to stuff the umbrella handle down into the sand, creating a rather unorthodox yet effective shelter from the rain, at least for your upper half.

Droplets patter softly on the canopy overhead and you finally, finally sink into yourself, letting your elbows and knees slump until they're flush with the ground.

You're tapped out - lost to the comforting brontide that grumbles moodily in the distance and the roiling waves sloshing up onto the beach.

You don't even notice a flash of silvery scales that slip noiselessly from a clump marram grass and weave down the sand dune towards you. A pair of eyes - red as the blood that pumps through its veins – lock onto the tantalising patch of warmth laying amongst a wasteland of cold sand and rock.

A forked tongue sneaks out from behind two, slender fangs and tastes the air.

The adder is still a bold young snake, not yet accustomed to the dangers or even the presence of humans. The source of heat in front of it shifts ever so slightly and the snake rears back at once, stilling in place and watching warily to see if there is to be any further movement.

When the mountain of warmth remains safely motionless, it slowly eases itself out of its tight coil and slinks a few inches nearer.

Wholly unaware of the serpent behind you, you think nothing of raising an arm to rub at your eyes, only to jump out of your skin when something issues a vicious, threatening hiss at your back.

Rolling over onto your side, your gaze lands unexpectedly upon a pair of red eyes and you go utterly still, trapping the breath inside your lungs lest the slightest expansion of a chest provoke the serpent currently staring you down.

And then, all at once, the adder pauses, and looks up, it's knife-like focus drawn by something above you.

The snake recoils with another hiss and your head snaps around at a sudden cacophony of splashing that comes from the waves, much, much too loud to be just another breaker crashing upon the shore.

You hurtle up onto your elbows at once and very nearly jab out an eye with one of the umbrella's prongs. But the sight you witness gallumphing towards you from the ocean surf and up onto the beach makes a poke in the eye or a snake bite seem the least of your worries.

It's like watching a terrifying sunrise in fast-forward.

There's a face – a terrible, familiar face that you've only just convinced yourself can't possibly exist.

The sea monster from yesterday's hallucination... One of them anyway. The first, exuberant one is dragging itself up the beach towards you in great, unsteady gallops, heaving its body along on colossal arms that kick up a maelstrom of sand as they go.

There's no time to get yourself up and run, the creature is upon you in terrifying seconds.

With a scream, you throw yourself down onto your front and cover your head as the beast comes crashing to a stop almost on top of you.

Using its forward momentum, it brings a monolithic arm down from the sky and slams into the sand directly between you and the snake, like a hammer striking an anvil, and the resounding boom that shakes the ground underneath you smacks your heart straight up into your throat. That certainly hadn't felt like a figment of your imagination.

Raising your head at the collision, you peek up at the wall of bristling, scaly flesh that keeps you separated from the adder. All around you, the world grows inexorably darker, whereas in contrast, your own face turns ashen as the leviathan's torso curls itself over you until its vast throat nearly presses down on top of your head, forcing you to flatten yourself against the sand on your belly for fear of being squashed.

And then, it growls.

You've been inside a thunderstorm before. Actually inside a thunderstorm during a trip up north to the mountains... When that thunder rolled, the sound wasn't above you, it was beside you, all over you, swallowing you in a deafening roar that rattled your bones and shook out your ear drums.

You're immediately reminded of that harrowing experience when the beast's growl rolls over you now, passing overhead like an earthquake through an immense throat and exploding from between its baleen teeth so loudly, you have to clap your palms over your ears and screw your face up, letting out a comparatively pathetic bleat of alarm.

But through the cacophony and chaos, through the terror of having this growling, snarling beast bearing over you like a mountain, one though sticks to your mind like the sand sticks to your rain-soaked clothes.

When the snake raise its head and reared back, you came to an awful realisation. It hadn't been looking at you. It had been looking at the creature hurtling towards it.

And if the snake had seen and reacted to the sea monster, then that means....

“Oh god,” you whimper, twisting your head over one shoulder to peer up at the quivering frills sticking out of the beast's neck above you, “You're real!”

If this thing is real, then right now, you're in real trouble.

Heaving yourself up onto shaking elbows, you whip your head sideways, seeking out even a glimpse of daylight. You find it instantly, there beneath the monster's shoulder, you can see the open beach.

You only have a tiny window of opportunity...

The umbrella and crutch lay somewhere behind you, and in a moment of desperation, you begin shuffling around on your belly until you're facing the gap and throw out an arm, wrapping trembling fingers around the first thing they come into contact with and dragging it along with you as you crawl on your stomach out from underneath the beast's shadow.

Hitting the open sand, you let a fleeting burst of relief slug you in the chest when you realise you've grabbed the crutch. You can't imagine you'll be able to get very far at all without it.

Adrenaline fizzes through your brain as you shove yourself upright and make a mad scramble onto your feet, tears springing to your eyes when your scarred thigh hums in protest. Biting down on your tongue to distract yourself from the agony in your leg, you begin to limp as best you can away from the behemoth at your back.

You'll have to circle around to the stairs when you can, but for now, you're far more preoccupied with putting as much distance between you and that thing as possible.

The uneven beach leaves you stumbling with every other step, but you still haul the crutch out ahead of you and use it to propel yourself as swiftly as you can towards the cliff walls, but before you can even make it halfway there, the growling, spitting creature falls eerily silent....

But not for long.

The quiet is broken almost right away by a sharp, urgent trill.

“Fuck!” you choke through gritted teeth, unable to resist risking a glance over your shoulder.

Ah. Perhaps it was foolish to look.

Silver scales slip away to safety over a sand dune and your stomach bottoms out as you catch sight of the real threat, its head now raised in your direction and its white, bulbous eyes fixed unblinkingly upon you.

Within the span of another second, you see it shift, and that's all the incentive you need to unleash a frantic shriek and whirl around to face the cliffs once more. The stairs are out – too far away – the creature is sure to cut you off before you can even get close.

Perhaps though... perhaps there's the slightest chance... somewhere in these old cliffs...

There!

Set within the crumbling rock like a narrow maw, you spy a hollow, naturally formed by thousands of years of erosion from the sea and the wind. God, you hope it's large enough.

All you can think to do is lurch unevenly towards it as the ground beneath your feet begins to shudder with the swift approach of something massive.

“Come on,” you urge yourself between ragged breaths, “Come on!”

The hollow draws gradually nearer, at the agonising pace of a glacier, but the sea monster?

You're only ten feet from the entrance.

A tremulous croon beats at the air around your head...

Five, shambling feet.

A blast of heat from rancid breath licks at the nape of your neck.

With a last, desperate cry, you throw yourself and your crutch through the gap in the cliff walls and tumble forwards into a pool of icy water that had been left behind by the sea.

Shocking cold bites at your skin and you let out a shrill gasp, yet you waste no more time in scrabbling forwards, deeper into the tiny cave, and not a moment too soon.

With meagre seconds to spare, the beast careens to a stop just in front of the entrance you'd disappeared into, causing the walls of the cave to shift and shiver from the force of a titan colliding with them.

Whipping around onto your rear, you shove yourself backwards, splashing through the rock pool until your spine hits the furthest, damp wall, and there, your escape comes to a grinding halt, gulping down desperate lungfuls of air in a cold, dark hole.

Your gaze lifts belatedly to the entrance of the hollow and meets the huge, white eye of the sea monster outside.

Startled, you yelp again and the eye retreats all at once, giving you a better view of the beast's face. It cocks its head to the side, squinting an eye halfway shut as it inspects your hiding place for a moment, then, to your utmost dismay, it brings one of its webbed hands up to the entrance.

“Go AWAY!” you shout at it, drawing your knees up against your chest as two, slender fingers worm their way through the gap and enter the cave with you, probing around near your shoes and splashing in the water, seeking you out.

The creature outside whines and its fingertips come close, far too close for your liking, mere inches from finding you in the darkness. Miraculously however, they don't seem capable of venturing any further inside. Grunting in what you can only imagine is frustration, the beast slowly withdraws its hand, only to replace it immediately with the opposite appendage.

Fortunately for you, the same outcome occurs.

The cave's entrance was barely narrow enough to allow you passage, far too small for any more than two of a leviathan's fingers to reach in and scrabble about uselessly for you.

You don't let yourself relax at this revelation though, and you likely won't until you're back in your familiar, land-locked city without a coastline in sight.

Cold, wet and trapped, you're forced to keep yourself pressed up against the wall behind you for what you hope doesn't turn out to be hours.

Surely it'll lose interest once it realises it can't reach you.

Surely to god...

Please.

"Leave me alone...” you croak hoarsely, burying your head in your knees and feeling the dread of hopelessness eat away at your empty stomach.

It's difficult to have to come to terms with a truth as enormous as the one waiting for you just outside this cave.

Eventually, as the sky outside starts to darken, the creature seems to finally realise that its efforts are in vain and that you won't be coaxed out by its warbles and dulcet hums. Whinging deeply in its throat, it pulls its fingers from the gap and replaces its hand with a soft, yellow snout, exhaling warmly into the hollow.

You flinch when the hot breath washes over you, easing your shivering, if only just a little.

“What do you want from me?” you hiccough weakly, hardly bothering to raise your head. As you expect, the beast only blows out one more, suffocating breath before it draws away and settles itself down on its front, facing the entrance, chin propped on folded arms.

You might have imagined it, but when it lets out a soft whuff into the sand, you could swear it sounds downright dejected.

You feel as if you've sat here for hours, shivering with cold and keeping your eyes shifting periodically between the darkness of your knees, the colossus stretched out across the beach outside and the distant seashore that drifts closer and closer with each passing hour.

The tide is steadily coming in.

You're running out of time.

And still, the beast lingers.

Once or twice, you're slapped with a sense of false hope when it suddenly heaves itself up and disappears from view, but just as you start working up the courage to creep forwards and take peek outside, you immediately retreat back to the far wall when the beast reappears from the sea, each time carrying a new 'gift' in its grinning maw.

One by one, they're inexplicably dropped in front of the entrance to your hidey-hole. First comes a series of pretty scallop shells, then an entire bucket's-worth of samphire, followed by three unfortunate mackerel, and most recently, a rusty, European number plate.

You can only watch on in befuddled disbelief as the beast uses the very tips of its fingers to push its treasures inside the cave before it pulls away and lets its chin drop to the sand again, warbling at you expectantly.

It has to be perhaps the worst attempt at luring prey from its hole that you've ever seen.

You certainly won't be budging any time soon, not for love nor money.

The cold has seeped well into your bones by the time the sea reaches the cave's entrance, sloshing against the cliff walls and creeping steadily higher.

A sneeze begins tickling at the back of your nose and before you can stop yourself, you're lurching forwards and belting out an explosive, “ACHOO!”

Outside, the sea monster gives a sudden start, raising its head and flicking its rays towards you inquisitively.

Swiping at your nose, you give it a weary glare and sniffle, “What're you looking at?”

In response, it cocks its head to one side and its chest expands with an enormous lungful of air, deflating again in a rumbling croon.

Clicking your tongue, you merely avert your eyes in response and take to rubbing vigorously at your arms in the hopes that friction will instil a little warmth into your paper-thin flesh. The old, wax coat provides some respite, but it was meant to keep the rain off your back, not to keep you warm as you hunker down for hours inside a bitterly cold rock pool.

Something shifts outside, and you shoot a glare up to the monster, seeing its large, blank eye pressed to the gap again, zeroing in on you.

“Ugh,” you scoff wetly, “Why are you still here?” There's no real bite to your tone, only a marrow-deep exhaustion intermingled with tired resignation - a sad concoction to be sure.

You've finally begun to accept that this thing isn't going away any time soon.

And just like that, as if the Universe itself is dead-set on proving you wrong, the creature's eye snaps away from the entrance and it shoots up onto its elbows, glancing around, fins quivering so rapidly that they seem to blur at their edges.

Perturbed by the change of demeanour, you straighten up, hugging your knees closer to your chest.

With its eyes blown open wide, it heaves its bulk around to face the ocean opposite your little bolt-hole, and in doing so, it shifts to one side, allowing you to catch a glimpse of the crashing waves beyond.

“Oh no...” you whisper seconds later, brows pinched achingly across your forehead.

A colossal shadow rises out of the distant sea, blood-red pupils burning like twin suns on the brink of going supernova.

'Oh good,' you can't help but bitterly muse, 'Because of course the second creature would be real as well.'

With the yellow leviathan's back to you, you wonder if now is the only opportunity you'll get to beat a hasty retreat, weighing up the risks of drowning in here against potentially getting eaten if you dare to set foot outside.

Eyeing the newcomer warily, you don't expect to be given a sudden pause.

… Something's not right.

Despite having eight legs to haul itself along, the colossus is moving drunkenly, its head lolled to one side so that the fin atop its round skull hangs limply down to its shoulder. It makes its way up the beach at an unsteady tilt, aiming for its yellow counterpart, who has grown still and silent as a mountain.

The vast tentacles are sluggish in their attempts to drag the rest of the creature out of the briny depths, and upon a cursory glance at the foremost tendril, you can't help but notice that it, unlike the other seven, is being held aloft, out of the water, curled up against the creature's torso.

Uncertain, you scan over the limb, only to let out a tiny gasp when your gaze lands upon the enormous gillnet made of twine that's wrapped around and around the tentacle, keeping it trapped and bent in on itself at an angle that has to be awkward, even for such a muscular appendage.

In spite of your many, many misgivings, you forget to stop yourself from wincing at the sight.

And then, just as the last of its rear tentacles pull themselves up into shallower waters, the beast teeters forwards and starts to topple. All at once, the yellow creature's fins plaster themselves back against its skull and it bellows out a shrill, sharp screech, springing into action and bounding off across the beach. However, it's too late to keep the paler beast from crashing down into the shallows like an enormous redwood tree, sending a violent tremor across the ground and casting ripples through the water you're sitting in.

You have to wrench yourself out of your stupor with a visceral jolt, realising that both creatures are now distracted. Your path is momentarily clear.

This could be your best and only chance.

Setting your jaw, you swipe up the crutch that has sunk into the pool at your side and use it to haul yourself upright. The thigh strapped to your prosthetic hums, and both legs threaten to buckle out from underneath you after such a long time spent curled up in the cave, but you simply grit your teeth and push on, lumbering towards the gap in the cliff walls.

The odd trinkets are left behind to be swallowed by the tide.

It's tricky to try and hurry through ankle-deep water, and each footstep splashes freezing droplets of the sea onto your bare leg and sends goosebumps racing up and down your spine.

Further down the beach, the monster that had cornered you has reached its downed companion's side, fretting and uttering pitiable cries, all of which you steadfastly ignore as you limp towards the staircase, hugging the rocks and refusing to spare even a single glance over your shoulder.

You don't need to know, you need to go.

With your eyes glued to the slippery, metal railing that runs up the cliffs, you don't see the yellow behemoth's head turn to look in your direction, nor do you see it stretch a hand out towards you, fingers splayed, as of a sinner pleading for the Heavens to answer their desperate prayer.

But you do hear its sudden and choking wail of distress, a howl so shrill that it spears you right through the chest and leaves you faltering in your steps.

It's the closest to human the beast has ever sounded...

Just as you splash to the bottom of the stone stairs and plant your free hand on the railing, you cast a final, reluctant glance behind you, locking eyes with the first creature and feeling your heart sink into your stomach...

You berate yourself for looking.

The leviathan's hand is still out-stretched, as if it could span the length of the water-logged bay and bring you back within its grasp. It's baleen teeth are on display, but the corners of its once grinning mouth are now twisted into an unmistakable frown fraught with anguish, calling out to you wretchedly in that strange, haunting croon that reminds you of whale-song.

It doesn't want to let you get away, but it won't leave its companion's side to fetch you.

… Loyalty? From a beast of the deepest, blackest parts of maritime myth?

Your crutch thwacks against the first step...

“I'm sorry,” you hear yourself whisper, absently shaking your head and drawing away.

Gradually, the first creature's hand lowers to the ground, its triangular fins laid so flat against its head that you couldn't be sure there were fins there at all if you weren't already aware of them.

It's pale-faced companion lifts its chin from the shallow water and for one, fatal second, your gaze flicks down to meet its own.

It's massive torso expands and contracts with each breath it pulls into rattling lungs. It isn't unlike seeing a mountain breathe. Those blood-red pupils never waver, watching you warily from beneath drooping eyelids that blink in less-than-perfect tandem, notably fatigued.

It must have exhausted itself trying to escape the gillnet.

Your fingers are growing numb on the freezing cold railing.

Worrying your lower lip between your teeth, you reluctantly allow your eyes to break away from that wild, mistrusting stare and travel down the length of its torso until they land upon its trapped appendage.

You look to the net, sealing your lips together when you notice the very distinct rivulets of scarlet liquid dribbling down off the limb and plopping into the sea below it, marring the dark, grey water like ink drops.

You can hardly believe you finally have freedom at the tips of your fingers and you're faltering. Just because of a bloodied net. So what if one tentacle is caught within thick, sharp twine? The beast still has seven others to work with. You wish you would have been that lucky...

A lump grows slowly in your throat and you find yourself peering down at your own prosthetic, the very same extremity that this monster had returned to you yesterday, unprompted, unasked.

Once again, you raise your eyes to both creatures, the first, and the second, the one with the sunnier disposition, and the one with the nocturnal characteristics.

“Oh, come on,” you growl at yourself, giving your intact leg a jerk as if to get it moving, even if the rest of you is hesitating, like an idiot, "Now is not the time to grow a fucking conscience."

Those things are not your responsibility. What the Hell are you expecting to do anyway?

Help?

This is bigger than you.

So, much bigger than you.

Tipping your head back to stare up at the sky, you peel your lips apart and heave out a long, hollow sigh. "Is a little sense so much to ask for?"

Raindrops patter dully on your upturned face, and it soon becomes clear that this is the only response you're ever likely to receive from on high.

"I must be out of my mind..."

Cautious as a doe stepping out of her thicket, you draw your crutch off the bottom step and place it back in the water at your side, turning to face the pair of sea creatures, both of whom are watching you just as closely as you're watching them, one hopeful, the other guarded.

You know without a doubt which of the two you can relate to more.

[feral-jackdaw]

In the Waves I Belong

day 7 of #steddieweek2023 - free space (I went with a mermaid au since it's also Mermay)

‼️tw near drowning

Steve and Robin go to the seaside together. They spend the days at the beach, and at night, they usually visit the local bars.

One day, they decide to go to a more remote beach. They want to have a little break from being among people and just chill.

They end up being the only people here. The weather is just perfect; it's sunny, but not too hot thanks to the cool breeze.

Steve decides to go for a swim while Robin lies in the sun. Everything is perfect... until Steve feels a migraine kicking in. The world starts to spin like crazy around him, everything melts into a blur. He knows he should get out of the water, but he's quite far away from the shore and it's not that easy. He can barely see anything, he doesn't know which direction to go.

“Steve?” he hears Robin call. “Are you okay?”

Before he can respond, a wave washes over him. He starts coughing as water fills his mouth and nose.

“Hold on, I'm coming,” Robin calls again.

No, Steve wants to yell, you can't swim. But he's unable to say anything, struggling to stay afloat. He's fully panicking now. He's going to die. They're both going to die.

Next thing he knows, a pair of arms wraps firmly around him. It feels almost like a hallucination. He can't even open his eyes to see what's happening; his body just won't listen to him. Soon, he can't feel anything at all.

...

“Steve?”

Slowly, Steve starts to feel his body again. But it still seems too heavy for him to control. He tries to take a breath, which causes a violent cough to shake his body.

“Steve!” someone calls again, grabbing Steve's shoulders and forcing him to sit up. “You're not gonna believe this!”

“What?” Steve mumbles. He finally manages to open his eyes and sees Robin looking at him, visibly shaken.

“Mermaids,” she blurts. “I swear I saw two mermaids, they... They saved us both,” she reports.

“Someone's been sitting in the sun for too long, huh?” Steve mocks. But when he looks around, there is no one else except for them. Which meant that unless Robin had suddenly gained expert swimming abilities, managed to rescue Steve and was now trying to prank him, there was no other explanation for what happened.

“Shut up, dingus,” Robin mutters. “You're soon gonna be sitting in the sun as well because there's no way I'm letting you go swimming ever again,” she rebukes.

....

Steve can't stop thinking about what happened, and neither does Robin. She hadn't really managed to take a proper look at the mysterious creatures; all she was able to tell was that there were two of them, most likely a boy and girl; the boy had long dark hair, and the girl was a blonde.

When they go to a bar in the evening, they decide to ask the locals about mermaids.

“Oh, there sure are some around here,” the barman tells them while preparing Robin's pina colada. “But they're quite shy, you need to be lucky to see one.”

Steve and Robin exchange looks. Nothing needs to be said, they're both thinking the same thing: they trurly had incredible luck earlier today.

Then, Steve sees two people walk in. His eyes instantly focus on the boy, more or less his age, with big brown eyes and dark curls tied into a messy bun. His companion is a blonde girl with a ponytail and bright blue eyeshadow on her eyelids.

“Oh my-” Robin gasps, looking at the pair. “Steve, it's them,” she whispers.

“What?” Steve asks, confused.

“The mermaids,” Robin explains.

Steve stares at the newcomers in disbelief. Is it possible for a mermaid to suddenly grow legs? And then, the boy notices him staring.

“Hey,” he greets with a warm smile. “Wanna dance?”

“Uhh... sure,” Steve stutters.

The stranger offers Steve his hand and leads him to the dance floor. From the corner of his eye, Steve can see that his companion took a seat next to Robin and they seem quite engaged in a conversation.

The boy grabs Steve's waist and they begin swaying to the music. Steve can't help but stare at him in awe. He could spend the rest of his life looking in those big brown eyes.

“Hey, sweet boy,” the man murmurs, pulling Steve closer. “I'm glad you're okay, you gave me quite a scare today.”

[eiseryn]

2023 Art Summary

I can't believe 2023 is almost over and it's been a whole year! These past few months have passed by in a blur and so I feel like I'm barely holding on 😭 I had a lot of time to draw in the beginning of last year but considerably less time now...

But overall, I'm really proud of my progress as an artist this year! I had more time to draw than usual so I honed some skills and worked on some things this year! You can tell from the first Lei and the last Lei I drew XD I learned how to use filters XD to blend the character into the background!

You can also see that I started the year with Nova (Feb-Apr) and then it became Lei in my fave pieces after LMAOOO. Seriously, the last 4 months just being Vail and Lei alternates is so funny to me XD. This year was truly the year of Lei. I suspect 2024 will also be the year of Lei with vis novel development XD

Going through the months:

January: First illustration of Lei back when the campaign first started. She was supposed to be a cold b*tch but uh... that did not happen. She turned out to be a soft and sweet girl, which also reflects in my later art of her. I still want to revisit girlboss Lei though cuz the shots she took in the campaign were like 😳😳😳

February: Pink Valentines Nova~ Nova is a blue girl but soft pink Nova hits differently. I think this art was cute and I love all the heart elements I put in! (Like in her eyes~)

March: Bubble tea Nova! This was my business card for the first art market I sold stickers at! <-- artist feat of the year? Otherwise didn't draw much art this month XD I was stressed out about my first art market. SOMEONE AT THE MARKET SAW THIS ART, ASKED IF IT WAS MY VTUBER MODEL, AND THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD BECOME A VTUBER. The best compliment I got about this art XD I will remember it forever.

April: Idol Nova… technically I drew it in May but shhh the sketch was done in April. I did this because I did some bday karaoke and this was the piece I got inspired to make after having so much fun there! Here is where I started learning how to use filters to help blend the character into the background!

May: Mermaid Merrow for Mermay! This is the only Mermay piece I did but it remains one of my top art pieces this year… just all the colours are so gorgeous in this one + the BG I'm proud of! I did not post it on tumblr cuz I started posting on tumblr in Aug... LOL. But anyways it's gorgeous and took me like 2-3 days.

June: Bad art month… it was between this and the Leticia sketch I made. I ended up with this one even though I don't like it as much as the sketch because it was at least a fully rendered piece with a background and everything... I don't like the face in it, but I worked hard on the hands! (One of my weaknesses) so there's that! Sometimes it's the little things you're proud of.

July: I really like this outfit I drew for Lei! It's the one I use for refs for her now XD I'm also particularly proud of this one cuz it's a fullbody and it's hard to draw fullbody pieces... But also I just think her outfit looks really good here! And I love how dead and tired her eyes look XD which is her mood by the time she got this outfit during the campaign.

August: It was really hard to pick for August because I had two really good pieces... (actually 3 it turns out) but I picked this one in the end because I think the artist composition was just really good. There are parts I don't like about it anymore, but the lighting was good! And I'm proud I drew all her friends in this too XD the pieces of her heart -- as this art piece is called.

September: Made a GIF of disappearing Vail! Not my first GIF I've made but I like how it turned out + I'm especially proud of the background XD It's not great but I put some effort into it. I could have worked on his pose a little more... but I don't have many good Sept pieces 😭

October: Spent too much effort on a meme. But really proud of the hand and lighting. Especially drawing the cyberpunk lighting cuz that's hard... Also yeah I think I spent close to an hour sketching the hand/ making the hand look decent XD So of course this piece is the one I choose. I also worked on making the BG look decent... and Vail's backview was hard... man... I spent a long time on this piece XD

November: Yandere Vail 😳😳😳 One of the hottest Vail pieces I've drawn and it's for a mafia AU Vail LMAO. I used a reference for this XD which is why the pose looks good.

December: Most recent piece! Had to finish the year with Lei cuz we started with Lei~ This one is a modern AU Lei so it can't quite compare to Lei's canon cyberpunk universe but still~ You can definitely see improvement in my art! Or so I'd like to think. I used a reference for the pose (kind of) and also used a picture for the BG. I'm going to do that a lot next year LMAO just take pics and use them as BGs XD Work smart not hard, right?

Runner-Ups

They're all from Aug + Dec LOL… my most productive art months this year XD

Aug 2: Flash piece! I didn't post this on tumblr either... but it is my former best boy from the campaign (Former b/c Vail took his place LMAO he's too sketchy now). I used a reference for his pose so it turned out pretty good in my opinion? I also like the lighting I did for him! I forgot his earrings though... and his necklace... oops... I'll fix that for the vis novel (cope) -- I do want this to be a CG you get from the vis novel XD cuz I think it looks good XD

Aug 14: Pink Neon Nights - First Vail x Lei piece 🥺😳🥺😳 I gotta admit the hand looks hella funky for Lei BUTTTT I am in love with Vail's smile here 🥺🥺🥺 His fangs and I like how I designed his hoodie~ Plus I like the pink neon lighting from the bar they're at~

Dec 21: Nova's birthday piece~ I hadn't drawn a full illustration for her since August so this piece turned out super good. For some reason her hair became more and more grey as the years passed in the way I drew her XD She's supposed to have white hair with grey tips (oxidation???) But UHMMM I think it's hard to do highlights on white hair so I've been making her hair more and more grey as time passes XD but her hair is white, guys.

Dec 22: Lei's Happy Holidays Card - TBH I don't like how her face turned out here, BUT I like her pose and the way I did her clothing folds XD and I put effort into the BG so there's lots of other elements on this piece I like~

And of course, my most popular piece this year was worm on a string Nova.

A classic TBH. She is still so sad and gorgeous in this piece XD I made it into a sticker to put on my laptop! :)

To more years of art and art improvement! ✨ To a 2024 filled with more self-indulgent OC art ✨ Happy New Year!

[not-bcring]

"Hey! You're b-back!" Seto cheered upon seeing a familiar cap peek through the tent's curtain. Hiding lashes that had yet to heal behind the wall of his tank, the merman just barely poked over. "I th-thought Ikuto would've scared you off for good." ( Some Mer!Seto for MerMay! ) - ✧ ˖ ˙ 「 @nickelsdrocs 」 ˙ ˖ ✧

「 ☆ 」 Shuichi had been skeptical of the circus's claims, as any self-respecting scientist would be. How else could he respond to boisterous claims of a ❛ real ❜ mermaid on display? However, despite this disbelief, Shuichi couldn't pass up the opportunity to investigate for himself. Because an openness to the unknown— to the unbelievable —is crucial for one of make advances in their field. He wouldn't have gotten as far as he has if it weren't for his insatiable thirst for knowledge, and his uncanny ability to shed personal bias in favor of unfiltered truths.

So, expecting nothing and hoping for everything, he had snooped around a bit more than most guests would or are allowed to. Stumbling across one of the greatest discoveries of his life... and one of the nicest. Unfortunately, their conversation— ripe with curiosity and information to share on BOTH ends —had been unceremoniously cut short. Dragged away by a man who was NOT pleased by him bothering the mermaid... and had left some nasty bruises on Shuichi's arm thanks to the harshness of his grip. A small price to pay ( and hardly the worst he's experienced ) .

A lesser man would have taken the blatant threat that followed hint and stayed away... But curiosity is a powerful thing. As is that strange sense of right that had struck when he started conversing with the mermaid. An ease and acceptance he's been robbed in life. Could anyone really blame Shuichi for wanting to experience it again? Besides, he was concerned about the other male's well-being. After getting roughly handled by Ikuto, he needed to know the extent of trouble Seto had gotten into thanks to his snooping... Hopefully it wasn't too much.

Shushing Seto with a finger to his lips, he quickly looks around to ensure no one else is aware of his arrival. He can't risk being caught again. Satisfied that the coast is clear, he hastily makes his way over to the tank with a relieved smile. Part of him had thought Seto might not be there anymore. ❝ I don't blame you. Ikuto is a rather- intimidating man... ❞ He replies with a light chuckle, a bit of lingering nervousness tinging what was meant to be a casual sound. Marks on his arm throb as if in agreement, hidden beneath his long sleeve. ❝ But I couldn't resist the opportunity to see you again. ❞ It's not as though the circus will be here forever...

Tilting his head, brim of his hat angles to allow a peek of a golden eye. A bit of brightness shining through the shield and curtains of dark... Not much, but more than most get from the anxious male. ❝ I uh... I also wanted to apologize. I didn't intend to cause you any trouble. ❞ Slim brows furrow, smile slipping as he worriedly inquires, ❝ Was he... upset with you? ❞ There's an unwitting heaviness in those words. The concern of someone who has experienced witnessed what people are capable of when ❛ upset ❜ with someone... and who isn't naive enough to believe that cruelty wouldn't extend to the ones under a person's care. 「 ☆ 」

[noffy96]

Kustard Mer fic

It's finally here! managed to get it done before MerMay ended, so technically a Mermay entry even if it wasn't intended that way. (also was supposed to be short, but apparently, i just can't)

But anyway everyone. Enjoy

Can't Stay

Word count: 7,726

Chapter 1/1

Summary:

A creak sounded behind him, and he straightened his back. The weight of it was more hesitant than he was used to, but still, undeniably it was Red.

“Thought you be gone by now Asshole”

He couldn’t help the sad smile that came over his face as he heard the other's gruff voice. His soul leaped in excitement and trepidation.

“I will be soon, the year isn’t over just yet.”

He heard a scoff and heard the other kick away some sand, it landing in the water and making soft splashing sounds.

“So got a cab coming the second the year is up. Never took you to be that punctual”

or

Sans is a Secret Mer that has been living on the land for a year. Today is the day he should return home. As he sits at the dock. Red finds him and is trying to get some answers about why is leaving. Will he be forced to reveal his secret?

--link here to AO3--

or continue below the read more line

He stares out over the water, towards his old home. The lowering sun chasing away the blues of the sky, turning into a soft yellow glow. His bare toes just touched the water with each sway of his legs. He should have left already. Left and not turned back, it would have given him time to get things ready for Papyrus's return. But he had promised himself he’d be here for a year, and he wasn’t gonna skimp on the last day.

Yeah, if he keeps telling himself that he might start believing it. Who knew that so much could change in a year He hadn’t expected much from it. Something new sure. New experiences to tell when Papyrus returned from his trip around the world.

He could still recall Pap's face when he told him, that he was going to live topside for a year. Papyrus had dropped everything that he had been holding and then began swirling around him in a flurry of bubbles. Equal parts excited as worried.

Papyrus had for so long tried to nudge him to do something for himself, instead of just taking care of him. And don’t get him wrong, he loved taking care of Paps. It’s the best job in the world. But he got the desire to spread his wings and fly.

Or well fins and swim, He laughed softly at his own joke. Papyrus would scream in indignation if he heard it. He hoped that Papyrus's travels had gone as wonderfully as his own time here. If the few scant messages he received were anything to go by, It had.

He glanced behind him to the Island he called his home for the past year. It had been a crazy idea, to live topside. Figuring out how legs worked took a while and what would and would not trigger a transformation. But he settled in nicely. Managed to get some lodgings with the help of the old turtle monster Gerson. Allowing him to stay in an old cabin at the edge of town, if he helped out in said town.

He did some odd jobs for a while but turns out he is pretty good with a trombone and was able to bring in some customers at the bar at night.

And it was while doing that job that he met Red. He was of the main people handling deliveries coming from the mainland. Would make the track 3 times a week, traversing the old bridge in his rusty old car. Coming with supplies to fix houses or little trinkets. Things you wouldn’t buy in bulk but needed for a quick fix.

If Red was on the island, he stayed the whole day. And after a week or so of being stared at when he was playing at the bar. Red had waltzed up to him after a set and offered him a drink. The grin he wore was sharp, and his eyes too bright. He was being seized up and he knew it. But he wouldn’t let the asshole get to him. And was he glad he took the offer?

Red was something else, Harsh, brash, Loud. And a downright asshole. But also incredibly funny. His jokes always leaning towards the crude side. But he was also brutally honest. He wasn’t bullshiting anyone or anything it was referencing to see.

He began looking forward to seeing Red. They started hanging out and helping each other with their odd jobs. Then two months later, Red had asked if he had been to the city on the mainland, and when he said he hadn’t. Red had all but dragged him to his car and shown him around.

He met the guy's brother, who looked an awful lot like Papyrus. If Paps ever decided that spikes and leather were the hot new fashion. But the guy was fun. Hard around the edges like his bro. But good.

He sighed deeply looking down at the water again, Watching the ripples his toes formed. Would he ever return here? He doubts it. It’s strange, he never thought he would miss this. He had missed home and swimming around as much as he could when he first arrived. The way the sun would feel in the water when he lazed around. The thrill of chasing some prey.

But now...now he knew that he would miss the things here on land as well. The way the sand would feel between his bones. The wind whistled through his skull when standing at the cliffs. Dancing around after way too many drinks with Red at the festival.

He hadn’t intended to stay, that is why he never told anyone what he was. And besides, what would happen if people found out? He had heard the stories and saw the survivors. Of mer having been forcibly taken, experimented on. Some had escaped, and most had lost something of themselves.

The townspeople were kind, he didn’t fear them. If his secret got out, he doubt they would tell. But tourists aren’t so easily trusted. He would have to leave, and Red. Red who he had begun to see as a true friend.

He found more things to like about the more days passed. That when the thought of kissing him crossed his mind. All he could do was bury his head in his arms and groan. Because of course, of course, nothing could ever be that simple could it? But it was not his feelings that made him stay quiet. No, it was the other larger thing

Red was afraid of the ocean.

When on the beach, Red stayed far away from the shore. When walking near the cliffs having Sans as a buffer between him and the water. At first, he thought Red just didn’t like getting wet. And yeah, clothes plus water equals a ruined day.

But it wasn’t until later in their friendship that he found out the truth. When a storm suddenly kicked up, when they had been walking on the cliffs, they both got hit with a huge wave of water that nearly dragged them towards the ocean. It had been both their quick thinking that prevented them from tumbling down.

But the downright terror that had been in Red’s eyes. The way he swore, it wasn’t anger, it had run so much deeper than that. He was also glad that just being splashed with rain and water, even that huge of a wave didn’t trigger a transformation.

Much later he asked once, tentatively, why Red feared the ocean. He had done so after a few drinks, but not too many. Red had gotten this look. One that was a combination of anger and sadness.

“It tried to destroy me when I was already down” Red had said. He had subtly clutched his hip. Where he knew was a big nasty scar. It hadn’t been much of an answer, but he didn’t pry further. Felt wrong to do so, he had the feeling Red normally didn’t even tell people that much.

If Red knew that he was from the ocean. That he was part of this thing that had hurt him so badly. Would he look at him the same? And even if he could look past that. He knew he couldn’t give up his life below. Not with his brother still there. He had a promise to keep, to look after him, even if Paps was getting older.

He also just loved his life in the ocean. Despite living topside now, he made trips back to his old home. There is a part of him that would never be able to let this go.

Red could stand the walks near the beach and on the cliffsides. But he could never ask that of him To confront a fear so deeply rooted. That wasn’t fair. To either of them.

And of course, the longer he kept the secret the worse he felt for it. Just a nice feeling of guilt on top of everything else. Slowly building and building.

He stretched lazily, cracking the magic between his bones Slowly leaning back, eyelights scanning the clouds.

As he thought of his last conversation with Red a few days ago. When he told him he was gonna leave by the end of the week. How his face turned from disappointment to frustration when he couldn’t answer where he would be going. Or that there was no way to contact him…maybe ever.

Red had been so bright, so good to him this last year. He wishes he could have had it till the end. But this was how it was gonna go. He couldn’t tell Red and Red would push against that answer. The trust they build over the year shatters with each refusal.

It had been hard to stay indifferent and calm during that conversation. When the frustration had turned to anger. And Anger to betrayal. That one hurt the most, cause it was. Wasn’t it?

He wanted to trust Red, yet he couldn’t. But he had managed to stay calm, Just saying he was sorry. But Red wasn’t having it. Red had stormed off. The door of his cabin slammed shut as he did and shouted that he hoped to never see him again.

It wasn’t until he heard the car start in the far distance and drive off. That he let a couple of tears fall, It had hurt, but it was for the best.

Now he sat here, in the last few hours. Having said his goodbyes to the people in town, his stuff was in a bag next to him. Bigger stuff is hidden in a secret cave to pick up later. All he had to do was slip off the dock and swim home.

He rubbed his chest at the thought. Soul softly aching as he thought of everything he would miss. He remembered the first time he had watched the sunset here a year ago, so similar to this one, of no more seeing the light dancing across the sky every day. Thinking of how the low light would fracture on his friend's face, as they stumbled out of the pub. During the local festival. Of how the golds and oranges of the morning sun had made Red look that much more beautiful.

If he had ever come close to kissing him. It had been in that moment, Red eye lights gentle, and a smile on those ever so sharp teeth, Like he had been content with his life. Like all had been well. If he hadn’t drunkenly stumbled over a loose cobblestone and faceplanted them both on the Town square’s floor. He just might have confessed his love.

A creak sounded behind him, and he straightened his back. The weight of it was more hesitant than he was used to, but still, undeniably it was Red.

“Thought you be gone by now Asshole”

He couldn’t help the sad smile that came over his face as he heard the other's gruff voice. His soul leaped in excitement and trepidation.

“I will be soon, the year isn’t over just yet.”

He heard a scoff and heard the other kick away some sand, it landing in the water and making soft splashing sounds.

“So got a cab coming the second the year is up. Never took you to be that punctual”

He didn’t answer, he hadn’t intended it to be so on the dot. Not from the outset. But maybe…just maybe he had hoped, that if he stayed. He could see him one more time.

He turned his head to look at Red. He was standing at the beginning of the dock. Closer to the water than he had ever seen him. His shoulders raised like he was trying to hide in the fluff of his jacket. The big bulky jacket looked like it had been put on in a rush. His whole appearance was a bit sweaty. The same look as when he had done a day full of jobs in the sun.

He only smiled gently and turned back to the ocean. He had gotten one last look, and his hands trembled. That would have to be enough.

“So that’s it? You are not even gonna say anything”

He stayed quiet. Red would get frustrated and leave again. When he saw there would be no budging. His fingers trembled slightly at the thought of hurting Red all over again with another refusal. But this is how it’s meant to be.

“You really are just gonna sit there, and what..say nothing. You can’t ignore me forever!”

Oh how Red was wrong about ignoring him, it was the farthest thing he was doing. He was listening to every word, even though they stung. Cause they might be the last he would ever hear.

“You are a fucking coward Sans. If I knew you had been I would never even have bothered with you”

He knew, and he grabbed the wood beneath his fingers. He hadn’t known when he accepted that drink, but he learned it quickly enough. He could have stayed distant. He didn’t Red had been too enticing to stay away from.

“You are not gonna tell me when you leave. Fine I’ll just stay here till your cab comes, you aint leaving without me saying a few words to your face”

He heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Turning his head slightly and seeing Red now sitting cross-legged on the other side of the dock. Blocking his way out, or at least so he thought,

He titled his head straight again. The sun had turned orange, the scene would be called beautiful by many. And he would try and enjoy it if it were not for the eyes boring into the back of his head.

“I’d just swim”

He said it loud enough to be heard, and even without looking back he knew the way the other would freeze. He heard the barely contained gasp.

“As if someone would let you get into their car dripping wet “

He chuckled, trying to fill it with mirth and not sound too hallow

“Not if I warned them beforehand, and agreed to pay extra” There were some soft curses spoken behind him.

“So you choose this place, knowing I would be afraid,” There was a dry disbelieving laugh. “You are evil you know that. You bastard, I don’t get what angle you get out of torturing me. But-”

“Never” he broke him off. The word tumbled out his mouth before he could stop them, as he continued on. “I would never do this to torture you, not everything is about you.”

This was the first place he’d come to. Where he first transformed into a full skeleton monster when he dried off. This is where he would end it, this chapter of his life. This one year of a glorious experience.

Poetic? Maybe but it was a bookmark. An end that was slowly crawling closer, one that he might have to sidestep to lose Red on the island before he could return. Keep up his ruse of being a normal monster for one last time.

He had to, cause what if Red wasn’t as good as he thought he was? What if he told him, and he would be followed? or chased? He’d be putting Papyrus in danger.

The silence stretched on as the sun continued to set. He heard Red shifting and tapping behind him. As well as little angry growls and murmurs. But he didn’t turn back around. Red might be stubborn, but he himself was even more so.

“I’ll figure out what’s going on you stubborn fucking asshole”

He raised his browbone even if the other couldn’t see it. The other voice had been…gentler. It held a determination in it, that made his soul skip a beat.

“This ain't like you, I dunno what’s going on, or what kind of threat you are under that you feel the need to go MIA.”

He sighed, it was sweet that the other worried. It was kinda breaking his heart. He had to break off that line of thinking. Red shouldn’t come looking for him.

“Is it really so hard to believe that I want this for myself”

He heard red Scramble up, magic crackling in the air

“For Fucks sake, YES, you absolute moron. You hang out with someone day, after day. And then out of the blue go. Yeah after this you’ll never see or hear me again. Something is going on. And I don’t care what it is. I am gonna fix it! I dunno if it has to do with before you came here. That something from your past is catching up to you. But I can fucking help okay?! You talked about having no one left but your bro. I know what that is like, and it fucking sucks okay. So if you need someplace safe to stay. I can fucking help. You aint alone Sansy. We…we’re” Red seemed to halt in his angry spitting tirade for a second

“We’re friends right?! Don’t those help each other, I get you are not able to give me details. But let me help you”

Fuck this was spiraling out of control so fast. He had hoped he could just slip away and be a ghost in Red's memories someday. One that he would look back on fondly, if with a bitter ending.

Yeah…that’s right...Then why had he stayed here? Why had he sat in this one spot waiting for Red to find him? He knew why, He started at his reflection in the water. Because he loved Red and didn’t want to do this to him. Didn’t want to leave him hurt, wanted to soothe the pain if he could.

Cause he doesn’t hate him, but this was becoming more and more of a mess. Red had gone eerily quiet for a few seconds, maybe waiting for a response, and he was thinking. Trying to find a way to respond. For Red to spot thinking he was being persuaded by what…the mafia? It almost sounded like that was what Red was thinking.

But also find a way for Red to just leave, the only way to do that. Would be to open up every single wound he had learned over the past year. Completely tear into the other, but he doesn’t think he can.

“Is…is it your brother?..is he the one that is…?”

He stood up lighting quickly and turned around

“Don’t you even dare finish that sentence, my brother would never ever do anything that results in other people getting hurt, you hear me.”

Red eyes widened and then a grin started forming

“There you are..” Red said, and what the fuck was that supposed to mean. How could Red even suggest, even think that Papyrus would even think of doing something. ..

Good god he didn’t want to think about it, he had told Red countless stories about his bro, it is surprisingly easy to substitute the mer-stuff for normal-monster stuff.

Red had crossed his arms and looked very self-satisfied with himself. “I knew you were putting up a front”

His own eyes widened at that declaration.

“I ain't letting you go that easy, something is happening, and I am gonna figure out what. I don’t care how many necks I have to break, but they are gonna be sorry when they realize who they are messing with” Red cracked his knuckles angrily. Looking itching for a fight. And dammit that shouldn’t make his soul swoon, but it did.

But he also started panicking. Cause this was bad, really bad. At this rate Red was gonna throw everything at it, to help with this perceived thread. Red knows people, if he got wind he was out in the ocean. The people there..his brother.

Fuck it, that can’t happen. But Red wasn’t gonna stop. He knew that. There would be nothing stopping him. Not when Red was seeing something so clearly going wrong. And he couldn’t contradict that. The only way he could was….

Show him...

Fuck no bad idea...But what choice did he have at this point? Red would not stop, everyone would be at risk. That stubborn refusal would stop at nothing, not even his own fears, Red would be on a ship terrified out of his mind. Some of those people could be shady, they could hurt his brother.

Red would not follow him if he knows, but it would hurt Red. A final act of betrayal, of that he had been lying to him all this time, about what he was. Where he belonged and where he longed to be. He hated it. But he saw no other way, he just has to dash off quickly when Red realized. Don’t let him think too much about it.

Show him, let it sink in, and swim away.

Fuck this was a bad idea, but he turned around and dove into the water anyway, Hearing a shout of his name. The water felt like home and within seconds his legs transformed into his bright blue tail, the shorts he’d been wearing tearing to sheds. It was sad, he had hoped to keep them as a memento, but he had more importing things to deal with.

Looking back up seeing his back still on the dock. Well, that was one good way for Red to get a good look. He quickly swam to the side, turned around, and propelled himself with enough speed to launch out of the water.

He heard a surprise gasp, as his hands grabbed the straps and pull it with him in the water. Landing in it with a heavy splash. The bag became heavy in his arms dragging him down a bit. But he quickly corrected it and swam back up. One last check to see if Red had seen everything. And then he would leave.

He let out a gasp as his airways didn’t like he kept going between the water and air. Once he was able to see he noticed that Red had walked closer, and was now in the middle of the dock.

Had…had he tried to come after him?

His gaze quickly landed on the other's face, to be met with the widest eyes he had ever seen. The shock was plainly written on his face, and only shock, no anger. None at all, his soul gave a hopeful leap. But he tried to stomp it down.

Suddenly those eyes were focused on him. Eyelights a dark red, even in the orange light of the setting sun. They were burning, and fuck he had to go. Flee and never go back. But he couldn’t look away not from him.

Then he heard thumping, Red was barreling forward. Wait…? What?! what was he doing!? Red was getting closer to the end of the dock and all he could do was stare, instead of flee. Then Red dove off the dock, straight at him.

Everything else happened in a quick flurry of movement. The force of the dive had sent both of them beneath the water, he felt two hands grab his shoulders roughly and pull him towards Red. He dropped the bag and grabbed onto the other's hips, and then there were teeth pressed harshly against his own.

His own eyes widened even further, he couldn’t see anything through the flurry of bubbles around them. He could feel the magic of the rough kiss against his own teeth. It was screaming, Mine Don’t let go Keep him close STAY! Maybe he should have fought it and demanded an answer. But that desperate kiss pulled him under. And he started pressing back just as harshly. He didn’t know what was happening, or why it was happening. But Red was kissing him. Red was also digging his fingers into the top of his humorous. Sharp claw-like fingers leaving thin white scratches. Their shirts had filled with air and were trying to rise to the top before the air escaped and started to lay heavily on the bones trying to drag them down further.

Then a tongue lapped at his teeth and he opened without hesitation. But only when he felt bubbles from between them as their tongues kept meeting. Did his mind catch up to the situation

Fuck Red needed to breathe, he needed air before they ran out, He pulled away from Red, fully intending to slap a hand over his mouth and let him keep whatever air he could have left. But then he realized that the texture under his hands had changed. He was no longer touching bones.

What he was touching felt smooth to the touch, yet he could also feel individual scales give way under his fingertips. He looked down and saw a tail moving in counter motions with his own..always drifting slightly to the left.

There were side fins just below his hands…or there should be. Where the nasty scar on Red's hip was, There was just a stub, like it had been violently ripped off by something sharp.. The other side fin was also torn, There were gashes and scars all over him.

Some looked like those he saw others had suffered from man-made tools, others looked like other mer got that had gotten into huge territorial spats and left one party for dead. Yet somehow they survived.

Some of them seemed to be treated by human hands, and others like had done them himself The color of the other's tail was slightly off too. Like it was supposed to be brighter. Like his own light blue, but it was a dull reddish-grey. And a lot of things started clicking into place.

He looked back up into the other's eyes. The emotions stared back at him. Was such a mixture, of relief, annoyance, anger, and happiness but also. Fear. A terror that he only had seen once before slowly creeping in and overtaking him.

Another realization hit him. The way Red clung to him, had changed, it was subtle. But Red was clearly using him to keep himself on eye level. Like he was having trouble.swimming upright. The other's breath quickened, as Red’s gaze left him, and he stared around. That the full realization of what he had done was setting in.

He warped an arm closer around the other's middle, pulling him against himself, and swam both of them up. Coming up beneath the floorboards of the docks, until he found the one he was looking for. A large rock under the water stood against the wooden pillar. Red grabbed onto the wooden beam with one hand and rested against the rock beneath him. While he still floated in front of him, helping to steady him by holding onto his other arm.

Like this, they were hidden from view from anyone else in the low red lights of the setting sun at the horizon. Staring at Red, who was clearly uncomfortable, and afraid, but seemed to not be near the point of panicking anymore.

He brought a hand up to the other cheek, feeling the water slide over the rough bones,

“That was incredibly stupid, are you okay?”

Red let out a dry laugh, and his red eye lights small pinpricks.

“Couldn’t let you get away now…could I?.... asshole…” his next laugh was hallowed as he started towards the ocean, and he quickly guided the other's gaze towards himself.

“Hey no..eyes on me”

No need for Red to confront more than necessary, let him focus on something else. Anything else?

Another laugh, and then those scared little pinprick lights were boring into his own. But he wasn’t planning on letting go. Wasn’t gonna leave his best friend in this state. Answers could wait.

A hand came up to his own face, and he felt magic starting to dust at his cheeks. The smile on Red's face became less abstract terror and more disbelief fondness.

“Fuck, you are real aren’t yah.”

He paused, and then

“As pufferfish are round yes”

Red gave another punched-out laugh “Fuck, haven’t heard that expression in ages.” He felt his own teeth tug into a small smile, chest easing with each steading breath that was taken. Red’s thumb caressed the corner of the said smile, and he felt himself being tugged closer.

And then he was kissing Red again. This time it wasn’t a flurry of emotions, it wasn’t desperation. It was just them tugging each other closer, heat slowly building. Trying to answer the questioning magic. They seemed to whisper instead of scream this time. Questions like: Is this okay? Are you real? You feel safe I can’t believe this... He tried to answer every question. Red hand moved to the back of his head, slowly pulling him in deeper and deeper. Mouths opened once more to let their tongues dance together again.

There was a distinct lack of sea salt in this kiss. And he could faintly, very faintly taste those hard cherry candy sweets the other liked to munch on so much. Letting out soft breaths and gasps the whole time, his fingers traced over the other's cheek, as Red’s face slowly heated up beneath it. At the same time, Red was holding onto the back of his neck, with a gentle pressure that was making his already fast-beating soul, sing louder.

The sudden sound of a car door being shut, along with some muffled voices made them break apart. He glanced around the pole they were leaning against. At the top of the beach was a fish and bird monster gathering some fishing supplies from the car.

He recognized them as regulars at the bar. He looked back at Red seeing the other's eyes had gone back to pinpricks.

“I know a safe place” he whispered quickly. There was no way those two would overhear them over the waves, but he didn’t want to risk it. What were those two doing anyway, going fishing at this hour? “But it would be a bit of a swim, you up for it”

He received a glare in return

“Don’t need you to use the kiddie gloves on me, I can handle myself” Red angrily spat. He held onto the other's shoulders gently but firmly

“Never said you couldn’t. But you are shaking…so…do you trust me”

Those words felt a lot more loaded now. His secret was out, but in return….red had done the same. But that didn’t excuse anything. Part of their friendship was on a shaky foundation. And Red…red didn’t trus-

“Yeah…” His eyes widened. Now was not the time to overthink. “I’ll grab my bag and we go…”

Red gave a stiff nod, eyes flickering towards the car on the beach. He gave a nod, and quickly dove down, seeing his bag, and grabbing it. Making a quick 180 turn back, towards where he saw the dull red tail.

When he got closer, Red lowered himself under the water, Still, a tremble going through his body. But staring hard at him, as he struggled to keep himself balanced.

Red clearly hadn’t swum in a long, long time. Or that might be the missing side fin or both. “What’s the plan”

Even though the tail had been clear evidence, seeing red speak without problems underwater is what sealed it. For a brief moment, he had been filled with panic. But he stomped it out.

He held out his bag, “Wear this, and hold onto my back, I think that is the fastest way” He saw the other stare at his back then at him wearily, giving a tense nod, Roughly grabbing the bag and putting it on, as he turned around so Red could hold on.

The hands that settled around the ribs just below his shoulder blades were surprisingly gentle compared to how he handled the bag.

“If we need to stop for whatever reason, just pull alright?” “Sure…” was the curt response,

He gave a nod, and started moving, Slowly speeding up as he went down deeper. It felt like Red was trying to keep up, but every time he made a slight turn, he could feel Red's body being dragged by the currents. The hands' grip grew tighter and tighter by the second. As he scanned around for the cave entrance. It was harder to spot in the dark. But luckily it didn’t take too long.

“Where the fuck..” Red mumbled as they entered it, the passage luckily wide enough for both of them to fit through.

“Careful, tight corner up ahead” He felt Red pull himself closer to him, but still let out a swear as they turned said corner. Seems like his tail still scraped against the walls

“Sorry” he mumbled, and he only got a grumble in response, the small cave tunnel opened up into an underground lake, and he slowly surfaced. He could feel red looking around seeing all of the stuff that he had kept in his cabin on the shores, and then up at the sky where some last rays of red light were coming in.

“How the fuck did you find this place”

“Being an idiot and still not knowing how to walk in my first week”

“So you slipped on yer ass?” he could hear the grin on the other teeth

“More like fell face first into the water” And Red laughed, it was such a good sound to hear after the near panic he had been in for a while. And they reached the rocky edge

“There are some towels and clothes in the corner over there, “ He raised his hand from out of the water to point at the indicated corner.

“ You can use those” He finished as the other monster let go of his back, and held onto the edge. He saw Red set both hands on the edge to start lifting himself up before he stopped and turned around

“What about you?” Red asked subtly clutching at the backpack he still had

He ran a hand over the back of his own skull

“I…I gotta get back to my bro..” He said slowly. He had no intention of going back on his word. He would go meet Paps. but as for his intention to stay down in his old home…well..there was a shaky revelation in front of him that complicated matters to the millionth degree

Red Started into his eyes for a bit and then let out a sigh eyes averting “I…understand”

For a moment they both just hovered, then Red let out an even deeper sigh

“Sorry…by the way…for making you…ya know..”

He turned his gaze back confused, but Red still had his gaze averted. His brow bones furrowed trying to grasp the other's meaning before it slowly hit him.

“Oh…I…it’s fine…i mean…well..” He let out his own frustrated grumble

“I am glad I told you…” he settled on.

“Didn’t give ya much of a choice” Red still looked kinda dejected

He gave a helpless shrug. "Not like I was giving you much to go off. You cared, that means a lot you know"

Reds brown furrowed deeper. "Yet, you are still leaving"

He felt himself freeze and said steely "I made a promise"

They both stared each other down, for a few moments and then Red closed his sockets with a weary sigh. “And you wouldn’t be you, if you didn’t keep it” Red stated

At those words, he felt a slight flush cover his cheeks. And rubbed the back of his head awkwardly “Yeah, guess not”

Red heaved out a sigh and turned back around, and with some trouble heaved himself up on the shore. He swam a bit closer, with a heavy chest.

“You…gonna be okay?” He asked hesitantly, Red didn’t look back, and for a moment he thought the other wouldn’t answer as he dropped the bag on the edge with a heavy thud. It would be an appropriate response after everything. But then he heard lowly “Managed so far”

Red wasn’t anything more slip, no more feelings, no more information. His hands dug into the rocks of the shore, as Red dragged himself towards the corner staring at the towel for a moment, Before drying off his tail.

“I’m sorry” After everything, Red deserved at least that much, and he saw him freeze up “About…well…a lot, just…I never intended for all of this to happen. But…it did. And I could have done a lot of things better. I know it probably doesn't mean much but - “

“-It’s fine” Red cut him off still not looking at him. His eyes trained on his tail with a sort of disdain he couldn’t understand. It made his heart ache. Part of him wanted to reach out, part of him was afraid that saying the wrong thing would make him disappear forever.

That had been what he had intended not mere minutes before…but still... It hurt. It would always have hurt. He wanted things to work, wanted more of Red. Red had fucking kissed him,

Holy shit Red had fucking kissed him. It had been harsh and forceful, and overwhelming. Everything that Red is. And he had loved it, he wanted more of it. Didn’t want to give up anything, didn’t want to choose between his life up here with Red, Or down below with his brother. He wanted both.

But fuck he thought he had seen Red scared before It had been nothing to that look in his eyes that he got when his gaze had drifted to the horizon line. Just stark terror, even without looking at his face directly now. He could still the ghost of it.

“I am the one that jumped in, you didn’t drag me…” Red mumbled.

That was true, but it still didn’t sit right with him. He looked at the rough rocks of the cave, towards the entrance where the beginnings of moonlight began to show. He had been here so much, but never did it ever feel this small, this oppressive.

“That doesn’t change the fact I have been a fucking asshole” Red seemed to let out a chuckle, but it was cut off soon so he could not be completely sure

He felt the corner of his own smile quirk up. Staring At the other back he finally said what was on his fucking mind. Damm the concequeses. He had no idea how to fix, or resolve this. But Red was smart. Maybe they could do it together

“I don’t want this to be the end…” The words were barely louder than a whisper. But he might as well screamed with the force Red turned around. Eyes boring into him, and within those fiery red eyes he could see hope,

“You think, that isn’t what I wanted?” Red narrowed his eyes “You think I go even near the beach for just anyone”

He felt another flush cover his cheeks. “I don’t think you ever do anything unless it is for yourself”

Red’s mouth turned into a grin “ Ya got that right, so watta you thinking sweetheart”

His face flushed even darker, and Red’s grin widened. It wasn’t the first time Red had called him sweetheart. But after well, everything, It seemed to hold a lot more weight. And Red seemed to love the reaction he was getting, cause he dropped the towel, dragged himself back over to the water's edge, and laid down, Lying on his front, and staring him right in the face with a lazy grin now that they were on eye-level.

A part of him wanted to push himself up and kiss that smug look off his face. He didn’t Red’s ego is big enough without him knowing how much he could get under his skin by a simple action. His gaze never left Reds despite the flush

“Someway to keep meeting, I can’t just stay…my bro…” “Is too important…I get it” Red’s eyes were gentle, if frustrated. “Contact is hard….no way to communicate underwater for long-distance” Red mumbled and he gave a nod in response

“Like setting up meetings would work…but what if something happens, I couldn’t let you know anything was happening..” He said And Red brow furrowed “It is better than not seeing you at all…” he mumbled gruffly, and he had to fight another flush

That was true, but it still felt very risky, A good way to be prone to miscommunication. Espeasily if something really bad was happening on either end.

“Are there…any devices divers would use if they get in trouble?…that send off a beacon with their location, either of us could activate it if we can’t make it” Red suggested, wondering out loud

“...couldn’t anyone intercept that…I don’t want to bring the others near my home in any danger”

Red’s frown turned deeper, understanding crossing his eyes.

“I could hack it…” “You could get in trouble “ “I ain't supposed to exist among the monsters, yet they never caught on. Besides this is worth it”

He reached out a hand and wrapped it around Red's wrist. “I really don’t want you to get hurt because of me” Red leaned forward and gently knocked their foreheads together. He wonders if Red remembered that being a sign of affection in mer-culture.

“How about this, for now…we just set up a next meeting, gives us both some time to think of solutions yeah? And I think I held you up long enough.”

His soul still churned in his chest, but it sounded acceptable. The lingering fear probably didn’t help Red’s thinking abilities. . “Alright” He breathed out, he waited a sec, then hoisted himself up the rest of the way to drop a chaste kiss against Red's teeth. When he pulled back and sunk back into the water, it was Red who had a blush covering his cheeks.

Red scrambled up into a sitting position, Tail having turned back into legs while he lay there, and hid his widening grin behind his hand. It made him wanna leap out of the water again. He didn’t… But it was a nice feeling.

“So how about we meet up, in a month? That gives me time to settle things back home with my bro”

Red took another moment to shake the soft smitten look on his face, back to the regular asshole he always knew.

“How you gonna know a month has passed,” Red asked.

He chucked and pointed up, to where they could see the moon appearing between the cracks of stone.

“It’s half a moon today…I will be here on the next one “

“And with here, do you mean…” “The Island, also the cave…but. I think meeting in front of the bar would suffice”

Red nodded and stood up. His bulky jacket was hiding his currently bare pelvis. He flushed and looked away at that realization wich made Red bark out another laugh.

“Then i guess…this is goodbye…” Red said, but it didn’t feel him with dread as he had feared. No there was a glimmer of hope. Hope for both of them, that they’ll find a solution that’ll work for them.

“Not goodbye, it’s till we meet again” Red laughed. “Poetic, get out of here you asshole, you got a brother waiting on you, tell him I said hi” “Tell yours the same” “Sure”

He grabbed the bag Red had dropped, put it on, and pushed himself away from the shore “You can tell him…by the way..” Considering what Red was….Edge should be too, it would be safe. And Red gave a surprised stiff nod. Red opened his mouth a couple of times…but no sound came out. Then a frustrated huff.

“Same… “ He stared at him shocked, “....you sure?” he asked completely blind sighted Red gave a nod… “Don’t feel like you have to” He stated just in case that wasn’t clear “I don’t …honest…”

And he gave a nod himself, as Red finally put some pants on. They had said their goodbyes all they had to do was leave. But instead, they just stared at each other. Slowly Red got closer to the water again, and he swam up to meet him. Red sat down on his knees, and he put his hands on either side of it.

Then Red’s hands were on his cheeks pulling him further up, as he used his tail, to lift himself up and kiss Red one last time. Hands let go of his face after a moment, to warp around his waist instead, to keep their chest flush together, his own arms holding on tightly on the other's shoulders.

Forming a tongue and pressing it against the others sharp teeth, Red opened up with a little groan. Red still tasted of sea salt, but that addicting cherry flavor was also back, And it made him wonder what Red tasted of him. But gravity was getting stronger, and as he felt himself tip more backward, and Red lean more forwards, he quickly let go before he dragged the other into the water again.

The shift in weight caused Red to drop him, but luckily stayed above water himself, if not getting a tiny bit splashed. He surfaced quickly, eyes meeting again.

There was some sort of understanding between them. Next time, they talk about that too. For now..they just enjoy what they had. He pushed himself away from shore once more, lest he be tempted into another kiss.

Red held up his hand “See ya later, Sansy”

He gave the other a small two-finger salute of his own “Later…..Sweetheart”

And he dove back into the tunnel they entered, not looking back to see how Red reacted. Something for them both to remember. As his hand game against his mouth, his face flushed in a slight blue

Nah, Red had done that for him. But for now, he tried to focus on getting back home. Happy knowing that returning was not only a possibility. But ineffable at this point

[nasuversekinkmeme]

Roundup: tumblr prompts

The last roundup for tumblr prompts, unless tumblr unshadow ban me.

Tsukihime

Masochist!Akiha/Sadist!Shiki doing some violent thing. Actual sex is optional.

Melty Blood

Satsuki's wish for her old school life back gets misinterpreted by OSIRIS revised pretty badly, and the Back Alley Alliance find themselves trapped inside a stimulated version of a shitty High-school Drama they must play along with the plot of in order to escape

Fate/Stay Night

smut, dubcon, Archer and inappropriate workplace relationship involving power imbalance between superior and subordinate in his time as a mercenary. He was secretly considered attractive by his comrades and many often asked for sexual favor to him (considering theyre in the middle of a battlefield) and it might be just my perverted brain but I imagine he WOULD do it, setting aside his personal discomfort. This leads to his superior to take a notice on him and... monopolize him and stuff ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

age gap, Taiga is a cougar with her eyes set on Shirou

been thinking about the whole trans shirou thing.... regular shirou mana transfers with fem archer and is really confused about wanting to fuck her or BE her

Fate/Grand Order

Rokka and guda hanging out with (and confusing the hell out of) Rikka (from the who dunnit)

Morgan and Mash. Praise kink. (Shenanigans optional but not required)

Smut, Draco being the Beast of depravity can't be satisfied easily. Chaldea prepares a team made of Medb, Kiara, Jacquess(Foreigner), Kama and Gudako to try to finally satisfy the Beast. In the end they all lose to Draco's Cock

During the attack on Chaldea by Anastasia and Rasputin mash became very injured and entered a coma, Ritsuka is forced to make a contract with a new servant, the one he summons is the Caster class servant, Goetia

Medea and Jason reluctantly admit they appreciate each other’s company and start dating again

smut, Olga and Guda reunite and proceed to have so much sex even Medb and Kiara thinks they're overdoing it

During the submarine event, Yang Guifei suggested that Nemo cleared the bridge to have some “alone time” with Gudao. So I guess just basically a fic where that was the case.

smut, Olga getting finger banged by Gudako, just becoming an incoherent mess of moans as she cums for the 8th in the last 8 all while sucking on Gudako's titties

musashi going on a quest for udon. no context, just udon.

Rokka gets a kiss goodbye from Gudako. And maybe one from Mash. And maybe some from the servants too. Maybe even a little more then a goodbye kiss, from the master and company

As Chaldea faces ORT, they realize it is helpless they can't do anything, this is their end, but Nitocris gives a suggestion to the servants and the staff, a ritual made in time immemorial where humanity sacrificed their own lives in the name of their king to give him immortality and defeat ORT, the lifes of servants having much more power than that of humans, they believe with this their Master might become strong enough to surpass the power of ORT. In other words, for the salvation of human order, Gudako must lose her humanity and Become a Beast through the same methods as Camazotz

I'm a simple lass I would simply like something of Carmilla treating a girl like a juice box

Mordred and Baobhan Sith having a moment of solidarity over the fact that Mash is fucking their mother. Bonus point if this is the first conversation they have where they aknowledge that they're sort-of siblings.

Smut, arjuna alter decides arjuna archer needs to relax a bit and tops him. just something confusing and horny but also kind of sweet. bonus points for frotting and sloppy kisses

Any fandom

since it's mermay, why not something to do with mermaids

I want a blunt rotation, and not just any blunt rotation, the Ideal Circle. Not my of own fave characters of course, the authors, I want to see what your write from this. Choose whatever characters you want either on their own or smoking with yourself if you like, but I want to see what happens. Optional side quest of the most nightmarishly bad tripsitter out of the nasuverse you can think of, doesn't have to be involved in the main quest. Most importantly have fun!

Need more tentacles! Preferably with Gudako! Or Eresh! Or Mash! Or Shuten! Or any of the female cast!

[robodove]

I can't believe I missed mermay.... I HAD A WJOLE MERMAID AU AND I MISSED MY CHANCE TO DRAW IT???? and now... most of pride month... gone.... I'll spew my headcanons before it's over, I hope.

[kristinart18officialpage]

Good morning, everyone ^^

And oh my gosh, today is the first day of summer ♡ I can't believe it 🦋🌸🌱🍃 Wishing everyone a great time!

Well, I'm sorry, but MERMAY commissions are over and I'm shutting them down. Next commission until September. Oh, there will be just a huge selection ^^ I'll try to make everything the best for you ♡

[erigold13261]

You know. Once Mermay is over, I might still make mermaid designs or at least do something with the designs I made. Just not every single day because WHEH! Doing basically a fully finished piece EACH day is so exhausting! Can't believe I used to do something similar years ago.

[hekateinhell]

A bit late but good luck tackling your mermay fic!!! Can't wait to see your take on fish fucking. idek if you've listened to Florence's new song Mermaids but I've played it nonstop for over a week now and it has some major mermaid!Armand vibes (Florence basicallly merged sirens and vampires here, her MIND jfccc): "I thought that I was hungry for love, maybe I was just hungry for blood", "all the mermaids have sharp teeth, razor blades all in your feet", "and with your mermaid hair and your teeth so sharp, you crawled from the sea to break that sailor's heart. You only get one night upon the shore, so dance like you've never danced before. And the dance floor is filling up with blood, but, oh, Lord, you've never been so in love", etc. etc. You BEST BELIEVE I'll be blasting it as I read all about Lestat fucking that fish xoxo DA 🐟🧜‍♀️

DA! 🥹

No, you're never late, somehow you're just in time! It's been such a rough weekend for me and then I see you in my inbox, the universe knew I needed this 🤧♥️

I hadn't heard the song yet (though I love Florence, some of her songs are very Armandy! Shake It Out, anyone?) so I went to listen to it now and omg, I'm going to have that playing in the background when I sit down and make myself write something tomorrow. Sirens + Vampires is fucking brilliant I love it because I want mermaid!Armand to be sweet and alluring but also fucking creepy — I'm relying a lot on the premise of 'fear can create a greater sense of the erotic in Lestat' as referenced in the Vampire Companion, already with regards to Armand. I want baby Lestat scared horny when he meets that fish! 💙🐠

I'm excited because vampires are the standard here, so I've never written anything that felt like actual monsterfucking. I think this would count? Idk. The hardest part has been to be figuring out how which way I want to go with the anatomy but I think I've got it.

[pandorkful]

I still can't believe staff featured my needle felting ahahahaha

Speaking of needle felting, if these mini Merfolk are gonna be ready for sale before MerMay is over, I should probably double down today.

Prioritizing is hard, ahahahaha...

[pizzapie30]

MerMay piece 6/7 - #comicbook and #doubleponytail

Androm and Daffy are fast friends, it seems. Yes, those are comics next to a bathtub because why not? Maybe they've been waterproofed.

I've missed using perspective, it really adds depth to a space.

I can't believe this series is almost over.

[heartsyncproductions]

I can't believe May is over, where has the year gone?

I didn't do anything for mermay except for some messy warmup doodles before diving into game cgs, but they were fun at least!