#for the record these specific species are from my animal crossing au! so to save time you guys can just ask for ac content

[lubotomies]

Wolf Paul, Horse Patryk and their small fox boss! Maybe the aftermath of the "Iceberg incedent"

anything for you

[cryptidwithacopiccollection]

-points at you with delight and glee- FELLOW MARINE BIOLOGY/OCEANOGRAPHY ENTHUSIAST!!! hi I love your mer-attorneys and all the sea creatures you pick it delights my inner fish immensely

FKJHSAJHKSDKHSD THANK YOU!!

This whole AU would not have been possible without @original-character-chaos, who contributed to like half of the creature picks for the mers. It started out as me making a joke that if Miles Edgeworth was a mer, he'd be a frilled shark. Nox then asked if Gumshoe would be an octopus. Then I decided Franziska would be a sixgill because I love sixgills. We promptly spiraled out of control from there.

And when I say spiraled oh boy do I mean it. Under the cut is several paragraphs of infodumping.

First was our basic criteria: only deepsea animals.

Next came picking out deepsea animals for everyone. At this point we had Mia, Maya, Pearl, and Miles figured out, but we needed something for phoenix. At first I tossed around the idea of a coelacanth, since they're both blue and incredibly persistent, but they aren't able to swim very deep (only 700m down, mia would have had a 6,000 meter lead on him). Then I was looking up deep sea sharks. and one name stood out as odd to me. The basking shark was on there. Which was weird, they're surface dwellers. They literally have "basking" in their name, why would they be deepsea. Then I found out that they can dive up to 2,000 meters below the surface. for reference, that is as deep as GIANT SQUIDS.

And then it clicked that of COURSE Phoenix Wright, of all characters, would make a great deepsea mer to have basking in it's name. A few other factors, such as basking sharks being able to breach and being warm-blooded (just think of the cuddling possibilities), sealed him in.

Not only did we decide that we were only allowed to pick deepsea animals (reaching the twilight zone, aprox. 200 meters below sea level minimum, preferrably closer to the midnight zone at about 1,000 meters), but each character, save for identical twins, would be a different species. The specificity has gotten to the point where all mers in the Fey family have to be in the order scyphozoa, aka "true" sea jellies, and ON TOP OF THAT their bioluminescence directly correlates with their spritual power. So Mia, Maya, and pearl are all bioluminescent, but Dahlia and Iris aren't. Similarly, while we decided to give all characters distinct species, we also wanted bio family to show some relation to each other. So while Apollo is a thorny whiplash squid and Trucy's a vampire squid, they're both red cephalapods, and their common root, Thalassa, is a blanket octopus. Nox and I were kinda loosing our shit trying (and failing) to cross-reference the depth range of the gelatinous blanket octopus (Thalassa), which is different from a the shallow-dwelling rainbow blanket octopus, and even after digging up actual research papers our findings were unfortunately inconclusive. Another less complicated example is Manfred vonKarma, who we lovingly gave a greenland shark for the fact that he's old as fuck and also full of poison. Then of course Franziska had to be a shark too, so I said bluntnose sixgill because they are so fucking cool, and everyone sleeps on them.

And I mean it. Look up the largest sharks in the world. #1 will be the whale shark, for obvious reasons, the largest we've ever accurately measured was over 60 feet long. #2 will be the basking shark, which also checks out, their largest on record was over 40 feet.

But then you check for the next on the list. Now, weight-wise, the results do look different, but we're specifically focusing on the length of the shark from snout to tail-tip for this. And it's also where I start wanting to throw hands. On base reaction, most people would say the great white. A good record on measurements is this article, but they unfortunately appear to have fallen for the Great White propaganda, claiming the largest one on record was 23 feet. Wow, that's big! Sure would be cool if it was true. The largest great white that I can reliably find measurements on is Deep blue, who clocks in at just over 20 feet. There are unconfirmed reports from several hundred years ago of whites that were well over thirty feet... that I don't believe were actually great whites. See, they bear a striking similarity to the harmless, much larger basking shark, and I'd bet actual money on these reported catches just being very unfortunate baskers, sorry guys.

So, great whites only grow to about 21 feet MAXIUM, and most average 15-16 feet. Why have I spent so much time tearing them down over sixgills? WHEHEHEELLL. Buckle up. The largest recorded bluntnose sixgill shark was

26.

feet.

long.

Unlike great whites, a sixgill has no larger relatives to be mistaken for.

AND while I'm at it, I would like to add that the average size for this species, 11-14 feet, isn't nearly as well documented as other shallow-water sharks, and is based on when the shark reaches sexual maturity; sighted sixgills often reach well past 18 feet. Submersibles have encountered massive ones, such as this gorgeous beast, and because I'm so very normal, I did the math. It's stated in the extended cut of the exploration that her head is about 3 feet wide. And based on this reference, i measured out a sixgill's head width as about 1/7th of their total body length.

3 x 7 is 21, so that shark is, give or take, about 21 feet, possibly longer. Since they are deep-sea sharks, with the adults sticking to deeper waters, it is entirely possible that the largest ones are just chilling near the seafloor having never seen a submersible or ROV. Even discounting that, we have a (albeit roughly) measured sixgill who is as big as Deep Blue, if not bigger, and google is a liar.

They also are responsible for trying to eat underwater ethernet cables

So yeah. that's a lil bit of lore for Law of the deep, the silly little deepsea mer au for ace attorney! Thank you so much for the ask, again :D

[wanderingthroughwonder]

Miranda’s Fic Recs

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while because I just have a lot of fics in different fandoms that I truly enjoy. These are mostly long fics because that’s what I read the most. Fandoms included: Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, MCU, Star Trek, Kingsman, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Find them below! (Some fanfic spoilers ahead)

So I’m starting with completed fics and then I have a few not completed fics at the end that I’m just really liking.

Embers by Vathara

Rating: Not Rated, Word Count: 704,200 Fandom: A:TLA

Dragon’s fire is not so easily extinguished; when Zuko rediscovers a lost firebending technique, shifting flames can shift the world....

This is an Avatar: The Last Airbender rewrite. It’s Zuko centric and it splits off while Zuko and Uncle Iroh are on the run and Zuko learns of healing firebending. The world building is so good and interesting and the whole fic does a great job of reimagining the A:TLA world. You meet a lot of new characters that are super well written and fit the world nicely.

The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie

Rating: E, Word Count: 715,940, Fandom: Harry Potter, Ship: Hermione/Sirius

When Hermione finds a way to bring Sirius back from the veil, her actions change the rest of the war. Little does she know her spell restoring him to life provokes magic she doesn’t understand and sets her on a path that ends with a Time-Turner.

This fic is so good and I’ve reread it before. I love Hermione centric fics and this is definitely one. When she goes back in time she goes through school again with the Marauders and it’s so good you guys. I think the fic does such a good job of showing her grow with these new people. The relationships in this fic are so intense and I love them.

Hook, Yarn, Sinker by pprfaith

Rating: Not Rated, Word Count: 65,675, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Peter

Stiles is happy with his store, his hobbies, his friends. Peter’s just trying to figure out how to raise his nieces and nephews without fucking them up too badly.

Paths cross.

This is the first in a series of fics. It’s a Human AU with aged up Stiles and friends but with little kids Derek, Laura, and Cora. This fic is a good time and sweet and honestly low stakes which is so nice to have these days. I think a lot of Steter fics are more intense and I enjoy them but this is such a nice change of pace where you really get to know the characters in these fairly different circumstances. The whole series word count is 161,859.

A Sequence That You Never Learned by AnnaTaylor

Rating: E, Word Count: 64,624, Fandom: Star Trek: AOS, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock 

“Spock,” Jim breathes out, completely overwhelmed by the gesture—not quite believing that Spock knows him so well, that he’s already started researching, that he trusts Jim with a member of his own endangered species.

When Jim gets it in his head to adopt an eight-year-old Vulcan, Spock presents a logical solution to the issue of Jim’s of humanity: marriage to a Vulcan citizen.

This was one of my first Spirk fics and I honestly love kid fics. Vulcan kids are so different from Jim, but I love the idea that Vulcans still love him anyway. This is such a great Fake Marriage fic.

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out by mia6363

Rating: E, Word Count: 13,232, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles centric but technically Stiles/Peter 

Commander Stilinski looks like he fell out of a propaganda video, his armor still smoking as he pulled off his helmet and handed it off to First Officer Argent. He had a few bruises down his neck but his smile was bright.

“Glad to see you safe and sound, Mr. Hale. I’d hate for Derek to lose a member of his family.”

“I told you,” Derek snapped at his superior, “he’s not worth this, Commander.”

This is the shortest fic on my list but I love this take. It’s got a Star Trek vibe and I LOVE how everyone is made into these different aliens. Stiles being human here is so interesting and it reminds me of those “humans are the craziest of the aliens” posts. It’s got multiple POVs and I think they’re written really well and do a great job of coming together.

Where Thou Art, That is Home by ShanaStoryteller 

Rating: Various, Word Count: 94,108, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

Stiles is 10 when he saves the Hales from their burning home and Derek from a wolfsbane bullet, and this establishes a pattern that seems to continue indefinitely.

“Then he’s facing a burning home, and he wraps the hood of his sweatshirt around his mouth before he pushes the door open and steps inside. There’s Mr. Hale asleep - he hope asleep - on the couch, next to - Stiles thinks that’s his brother but there are so many Hales, who can keep track. He rushes over and starts shaking him, can see the rise and fall of the man’s chest so he knows he’s alive, but he’s not waking up. He shoves away his hood so he can shout, “Mr. Hale! You have to get up, there’s a fire! Mr. Hale, get up!” Nothing, he’s not even twitching, both of them taking in deep even breathes like they’re having the most peaceful of rest, and Stiles is going to cry. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!”

There’s a moment where all Stiles can here is the blood rushing in his ears and not the roar of the flames or the creak of wood, then with a violent, silent pop it’s all back and both men are gasping awake, eyes open and jumping to their feet.”

This is another series! It creates a Hales Survive AU and it’s got BAMF!Stiles. The Hales in this fic are so interesting and it’s an expanded family from what we see in canon. Magic!Stiles is written so well in this fic and things get intense but it’s so good.

Counterpart by sara_holmes

Rating: M, Word Count: 217,400, Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ship: Steve/Tony 

coun•ter•part [koun-ter-pahrt] [noun] 1. a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function. 2. a copy; duplicate. 3. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another. 

Just because Hydra used the DNA of a Captain America from another dimension to create a lab-grown, six-year-old super-soldier, it doesn't mean that said six-year old super-soldier is biologically Steve's, right? 

(Where Steve wants to ban Clint from bringing things home from alternative dimensions, until he doesn't.)

This is an amazing kid fic. Things are so messed up because of how the kids was raised up to the point they find him.I love Tony so much in this fic but also you sympathize a bit with Steve. The kid whose name I will leave out is my absolute favorite. This is also a series!

Fallout by Whisper91 kingsman

Rating: E, Word Count: 164,971, Fandom: Kingsman, Ship: Eggsy/Harry/Merlin 

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin is a registered Dominant. It's on his driver's licence. It's on his National Insurance card. Hell, it's even on his bloomin' GCSE certificates. And the fact that it's all a load of bollocks is a secret Eggsy had intended to take to his grave. 

Course, he hadn't been expectin' a bloody sub-drop to sweep in and knock him on his arse in the wake of the Valentine Massacre. Turns out grief and adrenaline ain't a good combination.

I really enjoy the dynamics between the three of them. D/s fics are always so amazingly well built and I love fics like this where they’re hiding their dynamic. I think this fic does a great job of going further with the D/S world and giving it more biologically. I just reread this fic recently because I love how it’s done. 

It’s Insanity But... by rosepetals42

Rating: M, Word Count: 71,477, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

The doorbell interrupts what had turned out to be quite the epic shoe hunt but, really, he’s grateful for the break. Or at least, he is until he heads down the stairs to grab the door, trips over a stuffed animal of some kind, bashes his head on the wall and barely manages to catch himself from falling down the entire flight of stairs. As with all things, Stiles would like to state, for the record, that this is Scott’s fault. 

Or: Scott and Stiles are raising seven children. Derek is the entertainer they hire for a birthday party (not a clown though, he’s very specific on that fact.)

This fic is such a good time! I love two bro’s raising kids together. It’s a hilarious setup and also just so good for the Stiles and Scott dynamic. Each chapter is like a slice of life. Some chapters are more about the kids and some are about Stiles and Derek. It’s just a fun fic and I love that it’s still got werewolves because I think a lot of fics that focus more on regular stuff go full on human AU. Keeping werewolves is much more fun and it’s so well handled here!

So Wise We Grow by Deastar 

Rating: M, Word Count: 81,248, Fandom: Star Trek, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock 

”Commander Spock, we have located your son,” the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock’s face that he’s never heard of this kid before in his life. “If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week.”

This fic is two long chapters. Again, I love kid fic and this one does such a great job. We’ve got pining and hurt/comfort and all kinds of good feels here. There’s one line about t’hy’la that is just *chefs kiss* so good and hits you hard.

Play It Again by metisket 

Rating: T, Word Count: 63,206, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

In which Stiles goes along with one of Derek’s plans and ends up in an alternate universe as a result. He should’ve known better. He did know better, actually, and that means he has no one to blame but himself. “Laura wants to lure the kid in with food and kindness and make a pet of him, like a feral cat. Derek wants to have him arrested for stalking. They’re at an impasse. (And the rest of the family is staying emphatically out of it in a way that suggest bets have been placed.)”

This is fairly Stiles centric. It really looks into the emotions of jumping universes. The alive Hale family is so good and it’s magic!Stiles which is always interesting. What I think makes it extra good is that in a lot of universe jump or time travel fics it’s more about adjusting to how things will be now. But this fic does that while also having the new universe with its own problems. It’s just fun to see Stiles deal with all these things.

Happy Lights by LadyShadowDrake

Rating: E, Word Count: 108,237, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Mixed 

An interdimensional portal opens over New York and drops a tentacled alien in the middle of Central Park. The Avengers are called out to investigate, and hopefully return the visitor home. Steve has been brushing up on his diplomacy, but he never expected to be a liaison to an alien in such an intimate capacity, or that the alien would be so friendly, and the unusual visit turns into the world's best team-building exercise.

This is a series that is so much fun. The alien (aka the colony) is so interesting and sweet in the long run. I love seeing the team grow and as you go through the series you really get to see more of them coming together. This is just a playful fic that you can have a good time reading.

Magpie by waldorph

Rating: E, Word Count: 57,648, Fandom: Star Trek: AOS, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock

Spock met Jim when he was 7 and Jim was 6. It has since been generally agreed that this was a mistake (or: the one where they grew up together and things are simultaneously better and worse for it).

This is such a deep dive of both Spock and Jim. It’s them growing up together and it splits off some as far as events that happen in canon. It ends before they become Starfleet. I think this fic creates such an interesting bond between Spock and Jim. I also really love where it goes as far as Spock not having grown up alone on Vulcan.

These are the unfinished fics. The first two are in progress and the last one seems to be abandoned.

Survival is a Talent by ShanaStoryteller 

Rating: T, Word Count: 353,015, Fandom: Harry Potter, Ship: Harry/Draco 

In the middle of their second year, Draco and Harry discover they're soulmates and do their best to keep it a secret from everyone. 

Their best isn't perfect. 

~ 

“Are you trying to get killed, Potter?” Malfoy drawls, stalking forward. Quick as a serpent himself, he reaches out and grabs the snake just below the head. It thrashes in his grip, but is no longer able to bite anyone. “This is a poisonous snake, and I doubt anyone brought a bezoar with them.” 

Harry glares. He opens his mouth, and feels the beginning the snake’s language pass his lips, and this isn’t what he wants, what’s the point of insulting Malfoy if he can’t understand him – 

Malfoy’s eyes widen. He slaps his hand over Harry’s mouth, “Potter, what the hell–”

This fic is in progress updated within 2020. It’s a rewrite of the Harry Potter series where Harry and Draco are soulmates. As you can imagine, that changes some things. I love this so much, I’ve read it like 3 or 4 times now. The characterization is amazing and I love the differences we see. Harry is Indian in this fic and the way it ties in is so good. You really get to see the difference in culture as well between muggleborns and blood traitor families and the purebloods.   

You great unfinished symphony (you sent for me) by ketchupcrisp

Rating: E, Word Count: 227,792, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Steve/Tony and also the whole Team 

The last thing Steve Rogers ever expected to see on a Wednesday afternoon was his (their) dead submissive tumbling out of a portal and practically into Phil’s lap, very much alive and frantic about Soul Stones and timelines and some other version of the team.

This is an AU but like literally. Tony comes from the universe we know into a D/S universe. The worldbuilding here - again like I think a lot of D/s fics excel at - is so good. It starts with everything a mess and things are intense. There’s multiple POVs which I think is really helpful in a fic like this where the relationships are so tangled. 

Born From the Earth by venusm 

Rating: E, Word Count: 277,602, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Tony Centric, Steve/Tony 

Tony Stark's born an omega in a world where that means he's supposed to follow certain social rules. He becomes Iron Man anyway: Fuck biology.

If only his biology (and the world) would quit fucking him back.

To start off, some warnings: this fic gets a bit messed up. It’s an Omega verse in the worst possible way at certain points. It’s not a fluffy fic. It also doesn’t get that far into the Stony stuff because it’s unfinished. Honestly I’m worried this writer has died and I’ve gone through the comments and looked for them online to see if they’re out there and just not writing but I haven’t found any proof of that. BUT ANYWAYS. This fic is intense but it’s such an interesting take on Omega fics. It gets pretty dark but that darkness is pre-Steve and I’m hopeful that one day it might get finished so I can see where it was going to go. 

[kpopisthereasonihavenolife]

Set Her Free

This wasn’t a request, but I had this pop in my head out of no where and I had to write it down.  Still have a long way to go for to properly write a mythical type of AU, but I still liked writing this (I’m a sucker for mythical/fantasy shit)!! Worry not, requests and reactions are still on the way!! <3

Monsta X

Who: Im Changkyun (I.M)

Genre: Fantasy/Mythical Creatures, Romance

Words: 6.5k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Changkyun wasn’t sure how he found himself in this position, in the position to work under scientists of the state, becoming an assistant to government known and trusted brainiacs.  More than that, he wasn’t sure how he found himself being a keeper of deep government secrets and finding, more specifically you.  

Somehow, he work in scientific research and his many theories and thesis’s won over someone’s heart in Korea, as he received an email tell him to contact a given number, only to figure he was calling a well known scientists working on classified experiments.  When he was offered a time to come and witness the way of the science government doesn’t reveal, under the exception he work as an assistant.

When the day came for him to start his ‘new job’, he couldn’t even drive himself there.  Apparently, where he was going to tour around with his superior was a private facility that was blocked off to the public.  He was picked up with a driver in a black car, like you’d see in those spy movies.  He was dressed in dark pants that weren’t ruined, a partially tucked in shirt and a jacket with a bag he slung over his shoulder with his papers and research.

He was told to wear what he wished, and to bring his papers and files to confirm it was indeed him, so he sat in the back of this car, staring out the window as his driver took him to this facility. He’d be lying if he wasn’t nervous.  Normally, no one would rightfully accept this offer without some sort of meeting prior, or making sure what he was being dragged into wasn’t some illegal business or scam, but he only kept thinking that if there really was more to science that he could learn, he wanted to.  

So, when he entered a tunnel and took a turn to approached a caged off location with a large building inside of it far outside of town and near the sea, he was more than a bit surprised.  The drive was long, but he was anxious and excited the entire time.  When his driver pulled into a parking garage and parked the car, Changkyun left the car and was greeted by a man in a lab coat and a ID hanging around his neck.  

They exchanged handshakes, the man apparently was foreign, not from Korea, but spoke Korean well.  He explained as he started walking, Changkyun following after him, bag on his shoulder, that he was a scientist called from America to help study a specific subject that had appeared within the last few weeks.  

“What was the new subject? Is it a mineral or spore or something that they needed to call you all the way from the States?”  The scientist shook his head with a chuckled as they stepped into an elevator from the parking garage.  The options for floors went to 6 basement levels and 6 upper levels. He pressed the the buttons to head to a lower floor, B4.

“No, it’s no spore or mineral.  It’s a new species so to speak.  We’ve only heard rumors of it for years, centuries even.”  Changkyun didn’t know if it was something heard in private behind the scenes or governments for years, or if it was a rumor that was known to the public.  Either way, he assumed he was on his way to see a government secret.  He had more questions of course, but he didn’t ask any.  He would save what he had for whatever didn’t get answered in time.

When the elevator came to a stop and the metal doors slid open he was following the scientist out as he was met with a long hall with a single room at the end of it, closed off with a set of pretty dramatic looking metal doors.  In the hall was desks of different scientist with different set ups of machines and technology.  Papers would be stacked on one desk, another would be filled with tags for something, there were even small bags of blood resting on one desk with a set of pliers and different medical looking equipment.

“There sure is a lot going on in here.”  Changkyun whispered, more to himself, as he looked around.  The scientist heard him though and responded.

“Of course, we’ve had to do tests and experiments for our find.”  Changkyun felt a chill run up his spine into his neck for some reason as he spoke.  The scientist used an almost cold voice, like one of a sadistic pleasure.  

“What did you find?”  The scientist moved to the giant door at the end of the corridor as he approached a keypad and ID scanner.  

“You’ll see once these doors open.  Don’t be too frightened by her attitude thought, it can be a bit obnoxious.”  Changkyun spared the man a side glance as he spoke and punched in a code of number before sliding his card into a reader.  Soon, after the green light showed the information entered was correct and valid, the door slid open and the scientist walked inside, Changkyun following him.  

The room was large and the only thing in it was one table you’d find in a hospital for surgerys, and along the back wall an entire tank full of water, coral, seaweed, shells and all sorts of sea life.  It was like a miniature aquarium with the tank taking up the entire wall from either side and nearly reaching the ceiling.  On one end of the tank, was a small pulley operated crane with a fish net attached to it, obviously used to scope something out.  

“So, this new species is a type of ocean life?” The man nodded as he approached the table and picked up a small remote, walking back over to Changkyun.

“Indeed.  She tends to be a bit shy towards strangers, so we’ll have to bring her out using this.  I’m sure she can see us, hiding in some seaweed or what not.”  He moved closer to the tank as he started raising his voice, talking to whatever he wanted to get the attention of inside.  “You know what this little remote does darling.  You want to come out, or do you want to do this the hard way?”

Changkyun approached the glass tank next to the man, and jumped with a piece of coral was thrown at the glass from inside, out of seemingly nowhere.  The man only clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Hard way it is.”  There were two different buttons on the remote, one with a lightning bolt on it and the other with a symbol of to releasing clamps.  He pressed the bolt button and once he did, Changkyun jumped at the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye.  Over in a tall, thick bed of seaweed, something started moving or thrashing about.  Whatever it was, Changkyun saw part of it slam against the glass.  The way the seaweed thrashed worried him.

“What did you do?”  He asked, both form worry and curiosity.”

“I just gave her a little electric shock as a boost.”  He widened his eyes.  They were electrocuting whatever was in this tank?!  “But, wouldn’t the shock spread through the water and injure the other life?” The man shook his head.  

“No, we modified this particular method to work only through the body of the tagged.”

“So, the shock is in the tag?  You tagged it?”

“Her.” The man corrected. “And yes, we did.  Ah, there she is.”  The grin that broke out on the man’s face made Changkyun’s face twist as he looked back into the tank.  Through the plants, he saw a human like arm reach out of it.  He jumped, thinking someone was in there, but before he could fully react, the thing in the seaweed swam out rapidly.  

They had swam past the front glass of the tank, banging against it, startling CHangkyun to the point he stumbled on his feet and fell to his rear.  What he was looking at made his mind rell.  This had nothing to do with science, this was just discovering that an old myth did exist.  He didn’t believe it at first, that he was looking at this being.  

Changkyun couldn’t believe he was looking at a mermaid right now.  That he was looking at you.

Your hair was long and flowing behind you as you thrashed around in the tank.  He couldn’t see your face clearing because of your rapid movements and your hair masking it.  Your chest had scales of beautiful pastel violet and teal that seemed to grow over your breasts, unlike in the movies were they had shells.  Your tail started at your hips, just below were a human’s pelvis would be and the same shades of violet and teal mixed all the way down to the bright blue fins.  

He didn’t have to see your face to notice your beauty and you were still in pain from the shock.  Changkyun shot up, dropped his bag off his shoulder and grabbed the remote without thinking form the man.  When his thumb came off that shock button, your thrashing stopped and you seemed to relax and float back to the bottom of the tank, on the sand.  

“Can’t you see that with you constantly holding that button, it hurts her?!”  He was confused and worried.  Sure, this is a breakthrough is some many ways, but then he thought of the bags of blood in the other room, the medical equipment, the papers and the god forsaken remote in his hand.  With so many people and tests, he thought you must be in pain.  

“She’s the first mermaid the human race has seen in records-”

“And that gives you the right to treat her like an animal?!”  He was getting more and more worked up.  “She’s not an animal,she’s not a pet.  That girl-,” he pointed to your unconscious figure in the tank, “is a living being and she doesn’t deserve to be shocked just because she’s more than likely terrified!” He threw the remote behind him as it broke against the wall and took deep breaths.  

He knew that his words and actions might give him hell, and probably even kicked out, but he didn’t care.  If anything, he’d only want to stay and try and keep you safe.  He wanted to get to know you and know your pain.  He’d want to make sure to be your friend so you wouldn’t hurt as much as you would if you were alone.  

The scientist sigh as he crossed his arms.  

“I accepted this kind of reaction from someone like you.  You put a lot of your personality into your thesis’s and your work, so this was rather appropriate of you.”  Changkyun rose his brow at him.  Did he… literally make an hypothesis on how he would react to a fucking mermaid? “That being said, I really only sought you out to keep out scaled beauty company.”

Changkyun blinked at him, now more composed than before.  

“Excuse me?”

“I wanted to bring you here to see if you would be able to form a bond with her.”  The man looked at the tank again.  “She refuses to speak to us, if she can speak at all.” Changkyun had to stop himself from scoffing, or course she didn’t speak to you.  He wouldn’t speak to a group of psycho-scientists keeping him in a cage with electric shocks either.  “However, if you were to introduce her to a seemingly harmless body with no intentions of learning about her through science, she may just try and communicate.”

Changkyun was both pleased and angry.  He was pleased that he’d be able to stay and do what he wanted, like forming a bond and trying to help her.  But, he was also angry that they wanted results of communication from her so badly they resorted to using an outside force instead of just changing their tactics.  

“I assume I have no choice in the matter either way.”  The man smiled to him, in a threatening way that was masked in innocence.  

“Correct. Now, how about I leave the two of you alone for a bit, hm?”  He nodded his head as he walked past Changkyun to pick up the pieces of the broken remote.  “This will need to be repaired.”  Changkyun’s jaw clenched at his words as he glared at his back as he left and the metal doors shut behind him, leaving only Kyun and the mysterious mermaid.

Changkyun sat on the ground for a time before he saw your arms and tail start to twitch, signalling your consciousness coming back to you.  When you moved to start lazily floating above the sand, you saw Changkyun as he stood and bolted for the seaweed again.  Changkyun ran to the tank’s glass and tapped on it.

“Hey, come back!  I’m not going to hurt you!” He tapped on the tank with his finger and as you peeked out from the plants, he offered you a smile.  “I won’t hurt you.”  He said it quieter, but he doubt that you could hear him.  He motioned you to come closer to the glass with a smile and a small wave.  You did so, not seeing a smile like that from anyone else.  When you got to the glass, he finally got to see your face.

Bright, wide e/c eyes and plush pink lips in one your face was enough to capture him.  You had traces of scales on your cheekbones but they were faint almost like they use to be there, but had been removed.  Changkyun pointed to his cheeks as he asked you about it.

“You cheeks?  What happened?”  He mouthed it slowly just in case you did understand him.  You brought your own fingers to trace your cheeks, and felt the empty spaces instead of your smooth scales.  You shook your head and pointed to the door.  Changkyun looked over his shoulder and started feeling annoyed again.  

“They took them?”  You nodded and he rose his brows. “Can you understand me?”  You nodded again and pointed to your lips, signaling you could read his lips.  He nodded as you then looked to where the small pulley operated crane at the end of your tank.  He hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a basket just large enough for a person to stand in and be taken to the top of the tank.  

Changkyun looked back to you as you pointed to it then pointed up.  

“You want me to go to the top of the tank?”  You nodded as you swam with him as he walked to to the crane.  He walked inside the basket as he flipped a switch as it took him up the net attached to the basket following him.  He watched as you swam to the surface of the tank and waiting for him.  You didn’t actually break the surface until he was at the top and leaning over to look inside.  

“Hello.” He greeted again as you slowly pushed your head over the water and rose your body just enough so where your shoulders were out of the water.  You looked at him, your hair wet and sticking to your forehead as water dropped off your bangs and down your face.  

“Hello….”  You had responded in a small voice.  He smiled as he rested his arms o the side of the tank.  

“So you do understand me.  Did you learn this language?”  You nodded.  

“Mermaids tend to learn the language of the land closest to where they live.  I was born in the seas closest to Korea, so I’ve been learning this language since I was born.”  Changkyun nodded at you.

“Interesting.  You speak it well.  Do you know any other language?”  You shook you head.

“Do you?”  He nodded at your question.

“Yeah.  I can speak English.”  You tilted your head at this statement.

“English?  Isn’t that the language they learn in the west?”  He nodded.  He explained how he use to live in America and learned how to speak English fluently in his 3 years in Boston.  When you asked him to speak English so you knew what it sounded like, he did so and your eyes lit up with interest.   He chuckled at you.

“Do you want to learn English?  I can always teach you a few things.”  You smiled at him in excitement and he saw your tail move just a bit more rapidly in happiness.  He chuckled at you and also took the time to admire your smile.  “You know, you’re really cute when you smile.”  You were taken aback by his statement and tilted your head.

“Cute?”  He nodded.  “What is that?  Is it a compliment?”  He blinked at your question. Did you seriously not know what ‘cute’ was.  

“It’s a compliment.  It means that I like the way you look when you smile.”  You nodded. You didn’t know that, no one had ever taught you that word or called you it before.  

“You’re the first one to call me cute.”  

“I’m honored.”  You chuckled at him as he smirked.  If cute was something you thought about someone when you liked the way they looked, you then in turned called him cute.

“I think you’re cute when you smile too.”  Changkyun playfully held his chest at your innocence and laughed. You held casual conversation for a while longer before the door started opening again and you had disappeared under the water again and away from Changkyun.  It wasn’t until you were gone and he was lowering himself down in the basket, that he hadn’t even told you his name.  He didn’t get yours either.  

The man from before entered the room with a grin.  

“I see you and her were having a conversation.  Talk about anything interesting.”  Changkyun clicked his tongue.  

“What’s it to you.”  

“Ah, but you two did speak yes?”  

“We did, but only small phrases she’d picked up from listening in on you people I’m sure.” He didn’t want to tell him that she could basically speak fluent Korean, so he lied about how much she could communicate.  He had to watch what he said and did, or else it could turn out to be more tests done on you.  After talking with you for that short time, he already knew he didn’t want you get get hurt anymore.  

In fact, he had wanted nothing more than to get you out of that facility and back into the sea. He thought about it if it were him who was captured by a different species he didn’t know existed and the more the thought about how he would feel in your position, the more he wanted to change it.  

And, almost too simply, Changkyun was picked up and dropped over nearly daily to visit with you.  You trusted him since day one, as you couldn’t see any ulterior motive for him to possible gain your trust only for him to hurt you.  His eyes, voice and even movements were much more slower and gentle than the others you’ve seen.  

You’d watch as his eyes ignited with rage when he came back one day to more of your scales missing, or when that stupid shocking remote was fixed, or even when he’d see new bags of blood resting in the corridor.  He’d always express his hatred for the way you were treated.  But, other than all the bad that surrounded you all day, every day, he was a light of good.  

He’d teach you more words in Korean you hadn’t heard, and even teach you English.  He’d be impressed with how well you learned and how happy you looked while being taught.  In turn, he’d ask you questioned.  About how you live, how it feels to be able to be in water and air, even if land was a limited thing.

It was just another normal day that he spend sat at the edge of your tank in the metal basket.  You had taken to sometimes pulling yourself to rest your arms on the side of the tank as well, getting closer to him as your torso would be out of the water.  He’d always worry that you’d dry out, so he’d always remind you to go in the water every now and again.  He left that day just like any other, but when he came back the next day, you didn’t greet him as you normally did.  

He tapped on the glass of the tank, just in case you didn’t hear him enter.  Still getting no response, he got in the small basket to travel to the top of your tank and called for you.  He was starting to get a small pit of fear in his stomach that he tried to calm.

“She’s probably just sleeping.”  He tried to reason, but nothing felt right to him.  He was content on just waiting for you to appear, if you would, but the glimpse he got of  your tail made him lean over to nearly touch the surface of the water.  It looked like your fin had been torn.  He, thinking now that you might not visit him, decided he’d go to you.  He removed his shoes and peeled off his shirt as he jumped into the water of the tank.  

The temperature made him yelp slightly as the bubbles of air left his mouth. He swam up to regain his breath as he took breaths to calm his body to the sudden temperature change.  He then took a breath before diving back into the water.  He swam to the bottom of the tank and suspended his body in the water by the seaweed before pushing it away.  He saw you, your arms covering your face as you faced away from him.  

Your shoulder shook slightly, as you were crying.  Changkyun figured it be hard to cry in water, where your tears disappear, but as you reached out to your shoulder and you jolted to see what touched you, he saw the red rimmed around you eyes.  You watched wide eyed as his pants were darker because of the water and how his hair moved in every direction due to the water constantly moving.

“Changkyun?”  You had told each other your names on the second day of his job, feeling a bit foolish for the lack of formailites on the first.  For some reason though, he could understand you perfectly.  It was like you weren’t in water at all, it made him forget he was in water.  He opened his mouth to respond, but only noises and air bubbled emerged from his mouth as he started to couch under the water.  

You quickly moved from your bed of seaweed and grabbed his arm as you swam quickly to the surface, pulling him over it.  He gasped as he coughed more and ran a hand over his face, slicking back his hair.  You looked at him in both a glare of anger and worry.  You worried over his well being as he wasn’t in the state to be in such cold water, and anger for not thinking about his health.  He watched you narrowed your eyes at him and pouted.  

“Hey, in my defense, I called for you and you didn’t answer.”  Your expression changed to a shocked one.  

“Ah, sorry.  I didn’t hear you.”  

“Clearly.” You moved to swim to the edge of the tank, to put him back on the edge of the tank, but he tried to stop you.  “What happened to your fin.”  He didn’t really ask it as a question, as he was already feeling anger bile up in his throat, and you hadn’t even answered.  Honestly, you didn't have to, he was fairly sure he would guess.  

“The evil men cut some of it. For DNA testing, or something.  I wasn’t really listening.”  You looked away as Changkyun only sighed and bottled up his anger for a little longer.  He swam closer to you and pulled your chest to his.  The scales that covered your breasts weren’t as rough as Changkyun first thought, they were even smooth.  You’re skin too.  

“I’m sorry.  I wish I could take you out of this nightmare.”  You could feel his legs as he tread the water with the movement of the water and the occasionally touch of your tail.  You moved your tail to support his weight water weight as you slowly encased your arms around him like he did you.  Sure, back in the sea, you’d hug your friends on occasion, but hugged a human was so strange.  

Their skin was much more dry than a mermaid, and their scent was different, even when submerged in water.  Their clothing was a strange texture against you scales and all in all, it was comforting. You wanted to be held, wanted to be consoled, but you always considered yourself strong, but when Changkyun held you, it was like silent permission to be weak for one single moment.

It was times like this that you wondered if humans were more like the evil people who has been keeping you caged up, or if there are more like Changkyun who care and are warm.  Changkyun ran his hand up and down your bare back, your hair tangling about his fingers occasionally. After what seemed like an eternity, you pulled away from him and smiled to him, signalling you were okay now.  

“I’m going to figure out a way to get you out of here.”  Your smile faltered.  

“Changkyun-”

“I’m serious.  I’m sick of this.”  He motioned to you, as he ran his thumbs over your cheeks, scaled just not starting to grow back in from the previous ones that were removed.  “I know you don’t want to be filled with this false hope that you’ll be free again, but just trust me.  Trust that I’ll figure something out.  No matter what it takes.” He moved to make sure he was maintaining eye contact with you the entire time he spoke, and he wouldn’t allow you to break it.  He was serious, he meant every word.  

“Do… do you promise?”  You spoke softly.  He nodded.  

“I’ll even pinky promise on it.”  You looked at him confused.  

“Pinky promise?”  He chuckled, expecting you did know what this ultimate form of truth and promise meant.  

“It’s a very serious deal that I won’t lie and I’ll do as I say.  All you do is lock pinky’s,” He extended his as you slow did yours and he took finger into his, “and finally now we reach over and touch thumbs.  Just to make it completely official and serious.”  So with a movement of both, the pads of your thumbs touch and the promise was complete.  

“That’s a strange way of keeping promises for humans.”  He scoffed.  

“It’s not that strange.  I bet you fish people just slap your fins together and call it good.”  You rolled your eyes.  

“No!  We exchange scales for promises.  If we give a piece of ourselves to someone, it’s like holding the promise in our hands and we can’t forget about it or else we have to painfully attach the scale that isn’t ours to our arms as a constant reminder that we lied.”  You spoke it in such a straight face as you sighed.  “I’ve never broken a promise, so I’m all clean.  I just think your ‘pinky promises’ are so simplistic.”  

“Woah, that’s pretty deep.”  

“Well of course, merpeople are a truthful race.  We have very few liars.”  

“I mean to be fair, there’s an old saying that if we break pinky promises, we have to swallow a certain amount of needles.”  You gasped.  

“That must be painful!”

“We don’t actually do it.  There’s a very high chance we’d die if we did.”  You two sat in the water in silence for a moment before laughing.  You spent the rest of this day swimming around in the tank with Changkyun until he was sitting out, drying his pants slightly before he had to go.  

More and more days passed and Changkyun always reminded you of his promise and one day he found out some information by being just a tad bit nosy.  He had overheard something about you being moved to an island facility to expose you to more wildlife experiments, and sure enough, written on a clipboard he just so happen to peek at, he got your date of shipment.  

That was his only chance to get you out.  So, as the day soon rolled around, as expected, Changkyun was incharge of getting you to the upper levels for transport and even accompany you to the bay where you would be boarded on a ship and moved.  He told you not to worry, as today was the day he would set you free.  

They had moved you into a much small tank, just the size for you and your tail to barely squeeze inside.  Your shocking tag had been removed for the transport as you were stuffed in the small tank.  YOu were placed on a wheeling cart as Changkyun pushed you to the elevator, and into the parking garage where you were loaded into a van along with him beside you.  

The staff knew you would offer trouble to anyone and everyone other than Changkyun, so he was incharge of you entirely. So, when you were both unloaded at a port with a small boat prepared to move you Changkyun looked to you and mouthed ‘brace yourself.’

With an, actually pretty believable, act of trying over the boards of the dock, he stumbled as he pushed the tank and you over the side of the dock.  Not letting go of the cart, he was pulled in as well.  The staff and scientists all panicked as everything fell into the water below.  Changkyun under the water now, worked quick to unclasp the top of the tank and you sprang out.  

You both broke the surface of the water and looked to the shouting above you on the dock.  Before anything else, You grabbed Changkyu around his waist his side to yours as you dove under the water and began swimming as quickly as you could.  You kept glancing at the closed eyes of Changkyun under the water and the way he held his mouth and nose to keep his breath in as well as water out.  

“I know where we are.  I know a safe place, just hold on a little longer.”  He heard you shout from under the water over the sounds of the seas rushing past his ears.  He only nodded as he concentrated everything on keeping his breath in.  HIs face began to turn red and he was ready to open his mouth unconsciously, but just as he did, you pulled him above the surface.  He took harsh breaths as he felt you pull him into more shallow water under he was laying on a hard surface.  

Finally opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the ceiling of a small cover by the seaside before you hovered over him into his vision.  

“Are you okay?!  I know we were under the water for a long time for humans!”  He shook his head, his breath still labored but barible now.  He chuckled as he reached to you and hooked his arms around your neck and pulled you on top of himself, hugging you as he laughed.  

“I actually got you out of there.  I’m so happy.” You chuckled back to him.  Your long wet hair was cold to him, but he was just happy to hold you and not being surrounded by scientists or people with evil intentions.  “You’re finally able to go home.”  It was when he finally let his hidden sorrow show a little bit.  “I’ll miss you know.”  He sat up as you moved away from him and rested your tail over his stretched out legs.  

“Well, do you visit the ocean often?”  He thought about it  He didn’t normally, but if he had even the slightest chance of seeing you among the waves, he’d definitely make more trips.  

“I’d be willing to travel to the beach any day of the week if I got to see you again.”  You smiled at him as you moved to lean closer to him slightly.  

“Will you wait here for me for a bit longer.  I want to get something for you.”  He didn’t know what you wanted to do, but he figured he could wait since the scientists were probably in the middle of multiple hernias at losing such a precious specimen.  He nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll wait.  But be careful.  They could be around looking for you.”  

“I’ll stick to the sea bed, they can’t detect mermaids when they’re moving along the sand.  Call it a camouflage trick of ours.”  He rose his brows.

“Neat.”  So, he left the cove and Changkyun.  He peeled off his shirt and rang it out before setting it on a rock to dry in the sun that peeked in.  He removed his shoes and socks as he messily ran his finger through his hair.  Thankfully it was still midsummer, so he wasn’t cold.  

It was maybe 2 hours later when he saw your tail flick up in the distance and second later you were swimming into the cove and pulling yourself closer to him. Around your neck was a shell with an old looking chain holding it to your chest.

“You waited for me!”  He rolled his eyes at your smiled.

“I did say I would, didn’t I.” You nodded.  “What’s with the shell?”  You looked at the shell as you took it and pulled it over your head, your hair being pulled over your shoulder as the chain was removed from your neck.  

“It’s a shell that will help you call me.”  You offered it to him as he rose his brow, taking it and examining it.  

“It looks like a regular old shell though?”  You nodded as you called him closer to you, and he moved to be at your side.  

“It was, but it’s been enchanted and modified for calling or summoning.”  You pointed to the small nozzle at one end of the shell.  “See, if you blow into this bit hear, it will emit a silent, but very high pitched call that only sea life can recognize.  The pitch is loud even your land animals would hear it.  The pitch comes out of the end,” you gesture to the open bit at the back of the shell, “and if you just blow for 5 seconds I will hear it and and be able to recognize the direction and sea you closest too.”

“Impressive.  It’s like a dog whistle mixed with a cell phone.” He moved it around in his fingers as he tapped on it.  “Does it break like regular shells do?”  You nodded.

“Unfortunately yet, but since I also had this made to go along with it,” you gestured to a small earing in your ear, “I’ll know when it becomes damaged.  When, or if it doesn't, just come here to this cover and leave it for me to find.  I’ll take it and have it repaired in a day so you can come pick it up again.”

“Is the earing an amplifier as well?”  You nodded.  “

It helps me identify it’s you calling me.”  You smiled as he looped it around his neck. “This way we don’t really have to say goodbye.  We can still see each other.”  

“I’ll have to get a case to put it in.  This is my new treasure, you know that right?”  You giggled at him.  “I’m glad I’ll be able to see you again.”  He playfully looked around as if someone was with you two in the cove before leaning and cupping a hand against your ear and whispering to you.

“Just for the record, I might have a little crush on you.”  You looked at him as he pulled back, chuckled because he knew what you were about to say just by the look in your eyes.

“Crush?  Isn’t that the action of flattening something?”  You looked a bit concerned as he laughed.  

“Yes, but is also means something else.  It’s a good thing, trust me.”  You wanted him to explain further but he didn’t, making you cutely pout when he told you he’d tell you someday, but not today.  As the sun started showing signs of setting, you advised him to get back to his own society and find a place to sleep for the night.  He set mental notes to move out of his previous home as soon as possible, since those scientist knew where it was.  

Soon, you had left to the water, and already missing you, Changkyun blew into the shell.  Not a minute later, your head was peeking out of the water not too far from him.  He smiled as he cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted to you.

“I’ll see you soon Y/N!  Please, be safe!!”  You smiled and raised your hand to wave at him before disappearing into the water again.  Luckily, a friend lived near where you had taken him so with little notice he decided to bunk there for a few night.  

He had his things moved closer to the coast in an apartment building as he lived in a high story with a few of the ocean.  He kept your shell kept in a small glass viewing box and would always take it with him when he planned to go to the shore.  He’d always meet you in that coves or secluded areas where you could talk without risking being seen.  He was pleased to see all your scales come back in and stay in place and even your fin had started healing.  

You had also started wearing gems around your neck and around your wrists even having small shell rings and clips and you had shown him a shell crown a child had made for you once under the ocean where you lived.  You were healthy and happier in the ocean just like he wanted and your smile never faded with him either.  

Even though you never found out what this ‘crush’ of his was, he was happy seeing you as often as he did.  He knew it’d be hard to try and maintain a relationship with someone like you.  So, when you came to him one day and pulled yourself out of the water, only to show that your tai had started changing, your scales into flesh he would both be confused and worried.

You had worked and paid an innocent sea magician to help you change when your body wasn’t in water.  He was at first angry at you for making such a decisions.  He’s seen the Little Mermaid, and it almost ended badly for her, turning into foam and making a deal with a sadistic witch.  But, when you assured him nothing would happen to you he forgave you.   

You also made up for your innocence and your choice on the day you told him you may be in love with him.