#i do think the live action little mermaid did a good job with the tails given they're cgi but god they would have been sooooo much better

[opalsiren]

h2o has me soooo spoiled whenever i see fake tails in other mermedia (mermaid media) i'm like 'the cgi doesn't blend in with the rest of the visuals,' 'you can see the knee joints,' 'the tail isn't properly flush to the mermaid's body' and so on and so forth

[scribble-dribble-writes]

The password

Gunpowder>>>

Pairing: Buggy x female mermaid!reader

Word count: 1500

Warnings: none, just a bit of angst and fluff

Content: Your his spy but he's your Captain, would he tell you to stay if you chose to leave?

Note: I've only watched the live action and not the anime, so the world building is just pure delusion and a little bit of the storyline from the Netflix show. Kindly excuse any errors but this man has infiltrated my mind, I had to write him 😩

---

You were part of the circus but your captain had made sure you did not take part in it. You weren’t included for the shows or given an act to perform. It wasn’t endearing anymore, it felt as though Buggy was set against you being near him. He wasn’t even allowing you to earn your stay here.

You held the metal capsule in your hands and closed your fingers around it. You will always be the only freak on this ship that no one was comfortable enough to get to know. You were his eyes and ears, being a mermaid meant you could effortlessly spy on other ships, use your tail for the seas and legs when on land.

But even with this rare quality, it only felt like you were here to do a job. So you had decided, to break away and hide away in the depths of the sea for a while even though it wasn’t as favourable. The sea wasn’t your home even though your body craved it. It never kept you safe, you were always exposed to danger and the only place that felt like home wasn’t welcoming you. He wasn't welcoming you anymore.

As part of the deal to be his spy, Buggy offered you protection and that was good enough. As long as you were on his ship, you were given peace but to think you had to lose it again, it wasn’t making you feel any better.

You knocked on his door, the moon was beginning to rise, in a short while the water will be dark enough for you to escape into. No one on this ship could then track you.

You heard him hum from within his quarters and so you entered. It was unusual, for the past few days he had been obsessed over this new kid. You held the coordinates to where they were headed next. He sat in his seat, perusing over a map of the sea. He didn’t acknowledge your presence, as usual.

So you walked up to his table and placed the metal capsule but his eyes caught the edge of a bloody cut on your arm that you tried to hide with your long sleeves. He didn’t care for the capsule as he caught your arm, his sudden act making your wince as you tried to pull away from his hold.

“Please don’t.”, you warned him. But his fingers pulled back your sleeve to reveal the length of your cut. Starting from the tip of your finger to the start of your arm.

“Who did this?”, he seethed, his black dye rimmed eyes finding yours. It was perplexing.

Why did he care?

“No one.”, you responded curtly.

“Just a fishing line.”, you tugged your wrist out of his hold and he let your arm slip from his hand till he caught your fingers instead.

You weren’t confident about your fingers, you always had to keep them covered. Although you could transform between your human form and mermaid form, your fingers were always webbed together. It was an insecurity but when he held your hand, it didn't feel like one.

He ran his fingers over the ridges, his eyes marveling are your uniqueness before he let go.

“Thank you for the information.”, he took the metal capsule in his hands but one thing was evident tonight. He lacked his humour and lightness.

Something was bothering him.

But before you could ask, he pushed away from his desk to grab pitcher of water he had next to him and made his way to you. Guiding you to the middle of the room and away from the carpets, he poured the fresh water over the cut and your eyes widened.

“You knew?”, you asked quietly, you were certain no one else knew of this potential of yours.

He nodded his head quietly before his eyes found yours again. He held your arm steady and even under the dim light you could see the cut disappear, the wound healing itself. But now that you were taken care of, he didn’t step away. He was as tall as you were, so his gaze that had hidden hints of affection in it was entrancing to be caught it, the only net you wanted to be in.

He tilted your chin towards him, his eyes hovering over your features and somehow his face was much closer than before.

“Any other injuries?”, he asked.

“No.”, you whispered, letting yourself enjoy the few seconds you received his attention.

“I know you don’t like damaged goods, so I made sure to escape the net without further cuts.”, the next sentence slipped out on its own and his brows furrowed.

He stepped away, his eyes now reflecting something else. Hurt.

“Right.”, he said as he turned away. His body now more tense than before.

“You know you’re not on a contract like the rest of the crew. You can leave when you wish to.”, he looked up at you, his hands fiddling with a miniature boat.

“You have made that very clear.”, you folded your arms, looking away because hearing him say it was making your heart ache. The moonlight grew faint from out the window and your choice solidified.

“Then I will do you the courtesy of letting you know, that I am leaving.”, you told him and watched as his eyes fixated on you, his lips parting as though he had more to say but then pursing it as he accepted your decision.

It frustrated you, how effortlessly he resumed his Captain duties, his eyes not once looking at you. So that was it. You were just his spy, just another asset he could use and trade.

Something in you willed you closer to him.

“So that’s it, I can just leave and you won’t tell me to stay?”, you asked sitting at the edge of his table.

All the nights he had said you were his only friend now did not exist. All those soft whispers of his life from before he ate the devil fruit of when he was a boy mesmerized by the magic of the circus, all of it now lost beneath the waves. So it didn’t matter that you had told him he looked beautiful just as he was, that he was the only one you held your hand despite what you were.

“As your Captain, it is my duty to let you go. That was our deal.”, he said coldly. His eyes focused on the map in front of him.

You had to soak up in your tank and the tiredness was getting to you, so you didn’t want to play games. You slid the hat from his head that he looked up at you in protest. You placed the captain’s hat to the side, his blue hair now covered with his bandana.

“Now as my friend, what answer would you have to give me?”, you asked, to which it was as though you were peeling away the layers behind which he hid himself.

“Pirates don’t have friends. It’s either a crew or a lonely ship. And even if I did have friends, I know well enough that they wouldn’t abandon me.”, he placed his hands around you as he got closer to your face, his anger now stemming from something real.

“You already knew of my plans.”, you said softly gazing into his eyes.

“And I knew I couldn’t stop you.”, he said, the pain he felt seeping onto his features.

“Make me a part of your crew.”, you placed your forehead on his, how could you leave the only person that made you feel understood. He didn’t pull away, you felt the warmth of his skin on yours, his warm breath cascaded over your lips.

“I can’t do that.”, he said tenderly.

“Why not?”, you argued as you pushed away.

He ran his fingers over his head and pulled away his bandana in frustration, setting lose his blue hair that strands of it fell across his forehead.

“I do not wish to own you, I will not have you on a contract. My crew is not my weakness but you…”, he trailed not willing to finish the sentence but it was easy to understand what he meant.

Your eyes widened. He saw you as an equal, but there was more behind the affection he held for you. He loved you and was afraid of saying it because in these deadly seas anything could be used against you.

“You love – you began to say what he couldn’t but his hand clasped over your mouth to prevent you from saying it. In the silence, he smiled as he shook his head, to let you know that he did. He loved you.

He was always aware of his surroundings, afraid that no place was safe, that whatever he said could be held against him.

“I would love it if you can stay with me, for the sake of the crew’s happiness and comfort.”, he said as he loosened his grip.

“For the crew?”, you asked as you smiled.

“Yes, for the crew.”, he pushed you gently till you laid on top of his map on the table, his body pressing into you as his arms encased you.

“I can work with that.”, you mumbled to which his grin grew.

“Now about the debrief regarding the information your collected.”, he stated but you watched as his hand ran free from his body to go lock the door while the other was busy undoing the buttons to your shirt, all while he made sure you didn’t run off.

You weren’t going to run. You placed your hands on the sides of his face and he leaned into it, not fussing about the tip of your nails or the gritty scales on top of your hand. A clown and a mermaid, who would have thought.

“Oh yes, but you need to say the password first.”, you smiled and it seemed to fill him with joy, his eyes beginning to glimmer with that sense of fun.

You drew his face closer and his lips found yours, the password was the silence in which he proved he loved you, the constancy in which he was vehement to let you be your own person. That the true fact of you being each other’s safe place a secret he had crossed his heart and made sure was a secret kept between you and him. It was the password that undid you walls and unlocked your heart. Now it was only his.

There was no place to run, not when he kissed you like you were the cure to his madness, with how you held onto him like he was your hiding place, his hands held you tight while your fingers got lost in his hair. Neither had to say it, neither had to prove. This love existed just the way the sea rocked the ship gently and how the stars were a constant guide.

[shadyb00ts]

The Little Mermaid (2023) - Review

As a longtime fan of Chloe x Halle, I knew from the moment that Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel that she was the perfect choice. Of course the racists were (and still are) whining and throwing tantrums about Ariel being black, because they never believe any person of color can truly earn a role with sheer talent, but for a long time I was sure that even if this movie ended up being an absolute dumpster fire, Halle would be the saving grace of that dumpster fire. She would be the best part, hands down.

Well, I wasn't surprised to see that I was right. About her being the best part, at least, but I don't think the movie itself is a dumpster fire at all. I actually really enjoyed it, and I've been very cynical of the Disney live action remakes for a long time like most people are. I had no confidence in this film but I had the utmost confidence in Halle to shine no matter what. However, there were things about this movie that pleasantly surprised me. Some disappointments though, I'll admit.

This is gonna be a long review, as my reviews always are. Spoilers ahead. I'd recommend you read this if you've seen the movie, but if you haven't and don't care about spoilers, read on.

So for starters, I was never really a Little Mermaid stan. Of course I loved the movie as a kid because I was obsessed with mermaids in general, and the songs were undisputed classics, but I wasn't exactly a fan of the movie as I grew older. I don't dislike it, it's just... fine. It's very of its time. So because of that, I knew they were going to update and expand certain things in the remake. For better or worse.

I've already stated how much I thought Halle nailed this film. Maybe you could say that I'm biased since I was already a fan of hers anyway, but hey, this is just my honest opinion. She captured Ariel's essence so beautifully; her innocence and naivete, her curiosity and inquisitiveness, her yearning and wonder. And while yes, the CGI during the underwater scenes could be a little janky some of the time, I was mostly mesmerized by the way she moved, the way her hair moved and the iridescence of her tail. She just looked so gorgeous and adorable and got Ariel down to a science.

As for when she gets legs and goes to the surface, that's where she shines even more, because she has to act without saying a word. It was all in her expressions and mannerisms and I thought she absolutely delivered. I haven't mentioned the new songs they added yet, but they did add a new Ariel song for when she goes to the surface called "For the First Time" and I have to say that it's my favorite new addition. It's soooo delightfully musical theater and I think it has the most Little Mermaid-esque vibe to it. It fit the movie perfectly.

Back to the actors, I also thought Melissa McCarthy was the biggest surprise. I had zero confidence that she would do the role justice, but I thought she actually did a great job. She was definitely channeling Pat Carroll and some of her lines elicited chuckles out of me. And I thought her rendition of Poor Unfortunate Souls was pretty good, even though it's unfortunately missing the iconic "body language" lyric. She's not a strong vocalist but I think she did the best she could, and she was one of the highlights. Also she did the Ursula Shoulder Shimmy which I appreciated.

Jonah Hauer King as Prince Eric also did a good job I think. The remake added much-needed depth and character to Eric that was missing in the original. Another thing I appreciated was how they tried to show more parallels between Eric and Ariel. There's a scene in the movie where Ariel finds Eric's library/study, and it's shot in a way that makes it reminiscent to Ariel's grotto. They tried to give the two more things in common, and I think they succeeded in that. Plus the chemistry between Jonah and Halle was just off the charts. I rarely find straight couples adorable, but I thought they were so adorable any time they were sharing a scene.

My one minor gripe with his casting is that he's not exactly the strongest vocalist. One of the new musical numbers is an Eric song called Wild Uncharted Waters, and.... I didn't really like it. His voice kind of sounded like the lead singer of an angsty rock band from the 2000s. As soon as it started it gave me war flashbacks to Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast, where they had to use very noticeable autotune on her voice. Granted that was much, MUCH worse, but still. I don't wanna be reminded of that travesty. The song itself is okay I think, but it could be much better if they had a stronger vocalist or a Broadway darling to play the role, to really do the song justice. But like I said, this is just a minor gripe because Eric really only gets one song, and Jonah overall did a good job.

A change that I really appreciated was, instead of Ariel getting invited to dinner at the castle, she and Eric go to a market instead. The kingdom in the remake is inspired by the Caribbean and I loved the tropical, colorful vibe of the locale. The market visit allowed Ariel to wander around and marvel at everything she doesn't understand, and it's a much cuter, more laid back way for her and Eric to spend time together. Some people were upset about the crazy chef who tries to kill Sebastian being removed, but honestly, I never thought that sequence added anything to the original. I loved what they did here.

Daveed Diggs as Sebastian... Sigh. Look, I love Daveed but I feel like he was so miscast for this. Anytime he spoke or sang, you could tell the Jamaican accent was very put on. Sure, the original actor who voiced Sebastian--Samuel E. Wright, RIP--also was putting on a Jamaican accent, but somehow it just felt more natural when he did it. His voice work as Sebastian was so iconic, and Daveed just missed the mark on this role. It just wasn't the right role for him. His version of Under the Sea was also quite underwhelming, and he did a lot of talk-singing during it. I liked the Under the Sea sequence visually, but not quite sonically.

As for Kiss the Girl, people were making such an uproar about the lyric changes but the changes were so minor. They literally only changed like, a couple of lines, and the song is still the same thematically. It's still just the animal sidekicks trying to influence Eric to kiss the girl in kiiind of a date-r*pey-ish way. They wanted to make it seem more consensual, but nothing's really changed. But yeah, I do think the original version of the song is still better regardless. Similar issue I felt about Under the Sea, it just... doesn't quite hit the mark.

Awkwafina as Scuttle was... alright. She had some funny moments, but I mean, she's just doing her regular voice. It's literally just Awkwafina as a bird. But what I really hated was.. Scuttlebutt.

Oh god, Scuttlebutt. I honestly have no idea what Lin Manuel Miranda was thinking when he wrote this? I don't know if he was smoking something really strong, cause like... Mama, this is garbage. Like, I can't even explain to you how painful to hear this song was. It's absolutely the worst and most unnecessary addition to the soundtrack. Nobody wants to hear Awkwafina, the queen of putting on blaccents, rapping. That's the last thing any of us wanna hear. It was just. So. Horrible. I've seen the movie twice in theaters now and each time I was just begging for that song to be over.

Anyway, that's the most negative thing I can say about this movie, was that damn song. Lin deserved jailtime for that one.

For the more minor characters, Javier Bardem as Triton was okay. Some people think he was horrible but I don't think he was that bad, it was fine. I still would've preferred Idris Elba as Triton but that's just my personal fancast.

Flounder was... Flounder. Yeah, I don't like his hyper-realistic design, but he was still pretty cute and 12-year-old Jacob Tremblay was just trying his best to emulate the original actor and I think he did a fine job.

Ariel's sisters were barely in it, like in the original. They did give them each unique, cute designs, but we all know that it's just to sell dolls. They appear in the beginning of the movie in a pretty awkward scene that's supposed to replace the concert from the original film. Apparently Triton and his daughters meet every time there's something called the Coral Moon? It seems to just be a family meeting of some sort. They left it so vague, they didn't even bother to explain what the Coral Moon was. I wish they had just kept the concert.

But yeah, the sisters are all named and apparently I heard each of them are supposed to have special powers? Well those powers weren't showcased in the movie at all, so we know it was just a marketing tactic. I'm sure there'll be tons of fanfics of all the sisters having adventures and whatnot. They might even make an animated series. It'd be called Ariel and Her Sisters, or Daughters of Triton.

I do think the dolls are very slay though. I'd buy the whole 7 pack.

Oh my god, I forgot to talk about Vanessa. Girl... Jessica Alexander bodied this role. Even though she was only in it for a handful of minutes, she ate up every bit of those minutes. I also really liked Vanessa's Trick from the soundtrack and thought it sounded beautiful. Do I wish it still had lyrics instead of "la-di-da's"? Sure I guess, but I honestly don't mind all that much. It's very haunting and Halle's voice is ethereal on it.

I think that's all I have to say on the movie. It's a fun time and it's bolstered by some stellar performances (particularly from Halle) and welcome changes/additions. But it's also kinda bogged down by not-always-great CGI, some clunky musical choices, and certain things cut from the original film that I thought shouldn't have been cut.

Still, I very much enjoyed this movie more than any of the other Disney remakes so far. I do agree with people's sentiments of it being the best of the bunch, but well... the bar isn't exactly high in that regard. Maybe because the previous remakes were so bad, this one just is the best because it's the only one that doesn't suck.

Whatever the case, I had enough of a great time that I went and saw it twice. I recommend you see it too before it leaves theaters.

[lserver362reviews]

While I haven't seen all of the Disney "live-action" remakes I'm going to say I think this is the best one and should not disappoint any fan of The Little Mermaid (1989). As soon as the title came on screen I got chills just from reflecting what the original means to me over the previous days leading up to seeing this and seeing this fresh take with real people. Not shortly after that I was missing Avatar 2 and realized just how good that CGI is. The CGI throughout was solid enough but there were definitely some weird places (Eric swinging on a mast rope, the explosions in the grotto). Then I saw Javier Bardem and was absolutely shocked as I did not know he was in this, and boy did I laugh, and I didn't stop laughing whenever he was on screen. Why is he in this? He looked so silly in the end with the blankest of expressions and the wettest of hair. Funniest part of the film for me, hands down. The pacing overall was real slow but in a way where the cinematography was also too chaotic 80% of the time. I just wanted to be able to take more in in each scene. I loved the island kingdom (Barbados?) and the day in the market was of course still my favorite part. I did really like the new music there but was a little wistful for that original theme to come in in some way (www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGgDjmv5X08&list=OLAK5uy_kdasrLkkCnSUzHNU0EL3Jub5WyEMdnkYY&index=16). Kiss the Girl was a highlight and particularly well adapted to this version. Throughout this, Eric really grew on me, and I liked how we got his wants and back story. His study really made me think of the library from Beauty and the Beast. Halle Bailey as Ariel was a really really good choice but in places she felt a little too green, in some ways that worked well for Ariel's naivety and wide-eyed wonder, but other times it just felt like a subdued performance and then caused really contrasting dynamics (and I do mean that in regards to her acting as well was the singing itself). I have my qualms about losing a bit of the showtune broadway sound I'm accustomed to because she doesn't have that background, but I recognize that this is completely a me problem. I hope her versions mean to kids what Jodi Benson's meant to me and that they wear out whatever version of a cassette tape they have now, like I did listening to the soundtrack. I don't think as a kid I would've been able to relate to a voice that technical and doing those runs! (BUT maybe it's not about me, and insert the Broadway-so-white discourse here) BUT as soon as Halle said, "C'mon, Flounder, don't be such a guppy," she had me and once again, I had chills. She was a really good Ariel. I just wish this hadn't been her debut starring role (excited to see what she does next!). I really liked the costume choices (those tails, Eric's hat, all the dresses, the hair) although I wish they had recreated the date day dress from the animated film. The added songs were mostly poorly written, except For the First Time. That was a really nice addition. I wish we got a bit more of the relationship between Ariel and her dad, but I liked the relation of Ursula to Triton. Once again I ask, how does he have so many kids? and does this make Flotsam and Jetsam Ariel's cousins? I thought Melissa McCarthy did a great job and I don't know if I should've been so surprised really. I wish they had gotten a better makeup designer, read a drag queen, because I'm just left to wonder if they purposely made her eyebrows all janked up in order for her to be less beautiful? But she did what need to be done and it wasn't her fault for the dialogue and lines that got taken out (i.e. weirdly sanitized). I was very surprised that they kept the final battle scene fairly beat for beat to the original (scary!). I thought Disney didn't kill their villains anymore! I do wish that we understood what the heck was going on in her soul garden in this one a bit more, and why was she fighting with her own tentacles? (I'm asking dumb questions now-remember: kids movie). The fantastical sea creatures and the regular sea creatures were very muddled in general to me. Also getting rid of ALL the ensemble moments was unforgivable. Under the Sea is for an ensemble!!!! I did like the visuals in that sequence though. But in the wise words of Patti Labelle during the 1996 National Tree Lighting, "Where my background singers???" Some of the shots that recreated moments from the original, like the hair flip out of the water against the sun or the big moment on the rock, just hit at me as strange. I'll try to unpack what I mean by that at some point. The enduring legacy of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken really make this movie a hard one to mess up (although Lin must be stopped) and I found it a little bittersweet that Howard's dedication was almost hidden, way down, under all the credits (Please watch Howard on Disney+). Out of curiosity I did compare (I know, I know, I should stop right there) Part of Your World (OG: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXKlJuO07eM and New: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf7Dss2gCe0 ) and I think it speaks for the whole movie itself, in that, this new version is so much slower. The original movie clips along and I really missed the original songs per minute ratio during my watch of this. I think that kind of messed with the whole tone of the movie. I don't think it settled on a tone where there's a balance of being a musical and telling a story outside the music. I like the story changes here but I wonder if it's a problem of gravitas. For (the biggest) example: the Hans Christian Andersen quote at the beginning-really, I get that it's the original original source material, but this run time is too long to try to infuse some sort of it's about the story not the music, when really the story is in the music! Give me more music and get to it faster! At the end of the day it's a story about wanting more, not just adventure per se, but to belong in the space that is full of wonder, curiosity, and love for this experience that we are gifted only once. The folks at the Austin Danger Podcast did a lovely and very eloquent review that lines up with a lot of my experience watching this film (at a 6:30 PM showing with my best friend that I met on the bus to Kindergarten, with children reacting all around us): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-little-mermaid-2023/id1605702441?i=1000616640386

[melodyalanaroster]

 Once Upon A Dream

"I can't wait to design and make everyone's costumes! Even though I haven't been, officially, the designated fashion coordinator...." Rosa seemed unsure in her excitement. "Rosa, I can easily bet that you'll get the designation. The play was just announced! Alana smiled as she pulled something out of her pocket. "I got you a little something." She mused as she handed the small box to Rosa. "When did you get this?" Rosa asked as she took the box and opened it. "While you were looking at the clothes in Clara's, I found a pin that made me think of you. I know pins aren't your style, but it spoke to me, so I bought it.” Alana explained. The pin was a mermaid with long white hair, translucent skin, a purple bikini top, and a black tail. “Alana! It's beautiful! Thank you so much! ” Rosa gasped as she put the pin in her pocket and hugged her. "Can I admit something to you?" Alana asked. "Of course!" Rosa beamed. "I kind of want to audition for a role in whatever play gets picked, but I have horrible stage fright." Alana explained. “Alana! I'm sure you can do it! You just have to believe in yourself!” Rosa cheered. “That is easier said than done. I've been told that I should go into acting, or singing... But, every time I think of all the people who would be watching me, I freeze up.” Alana looked down and put her left hand on her right arm. “I know you can do it! Heck, you could even go after the lead role if you wanted to!” Rosa smiled. “I don’t think I could go that far...” Alana sighed. “Alana, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Don’t let your fear control you! Letting your fear decide your actions will lead you down a life that is not worth living! Believe in yourself and you will never go wrong!” Rosa insisted as she put her hand on Alana’s shoulder.

Throughout the day, excitement flooded through Alana. Most of the students had made it clear that they weren’t really that interested in the event. “We have to make sure that everything is perfect!” Melody had told her. Kim wanted to not bother going. “I hope I can make my parents proud!” Violette had said. “Do you think your parents will come? I know you told me that they’re never home because of their jobs...” She started when she walked up to Castiel. “I hope not. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll have to work a flight that day...” Castiel sighed. “Cass... I hope they come for your sake. If not, you can always hang out with my family.” She smiled. “Your mom is gonna come?” He asked. “Most likely. She always tries to jump at the opportunity to be a part of Sam’s and my lives.” She grinned. When she got to Lysander, he was more optimistic. He talked about how his parents didn’t like classical plays because of them having opposite taste on mostly everything. Armin complained that he had no interest in the play unless it had something to do with the Metal Gear series. As expected, Alexy was excited about the play, disagreed with his brother and even argued with him over it. When she got to Nathaniel, he looked sickly pale and was pacing the floor, nervously. “Nath? Are you okay?” She asked, concerned. “The open house needs to go well... I know my parents will be there.” He did his best to not let his voice crack. “Surely they won’t be too harsh...” She tried to calm him. “You don’t know my dad.” He choked. “I’m sure it will go well! You’ll be surrounded by friends, so, even if your parents aren’t kind, you’ll have us.” She sweetly grinned. “Thank you Alana. That does make me feel a little better.” He smiled as he quickly hugged her. “A-Any time!” She blushed as she walked off. “I actually wanna audition.” She happily told he sister. “Good! You should! You’ve been a wallflower in public for far too long.” Sam blurted out. “Yeah... Why is it that you only ever show your true talents at home?” Ken asked. Alana looked down. “Because when I’m at home, either no one is watching, or the people who are are people I know won’t judge me too harshly.” She muttered. “Even though you’re one of those people who is artistically talented in multiple forms. Hell, you did Choir in middle school!” Sam snapped back. “I never had solos and I was often in the middle where no one would pay too much attention to me!” Alana shot. “Ah, yes, because despite being talented, you have crippling stage fright.” Ken chuckled. “Shut up Ken! You know how bad it is!” Alana shot. “I know, I know! I must admit, I am excited. It’ll be nice to have an event that I can take part in!” He cheered.

“A play! Oh Nate! Let’s go to it together!” Lynne cheered when Sam and Alana told her about the open house. “Are you sure you want me to come with you all?” Nate asked. “Its fine. You’ve been with mom long enough that you might as well be our dad.” Alana smiled. “Yeah, so at this point, it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t come along.” Sam grinned. Lynne signed the forms and handed them back to her daughters. “I can’t wait! I hope you two are on stage! Do you know what play it is?” She asked. “No, we’re deciding on that tomorrow. I think its gonna be one of the typical fairy tales.” Sam explained. “Whatever it is, I think I’m gonna audition for one of the roles.” Alana piped up. “Ah! Melody are you finally taking an interest in the theater?” Nate asked, a smile on his face. “Sweetie, are you sure you can do this?” Lynne asked, concerned. “I’m gonna try.” Alana smiled. “Then I can’t wait to watch you BOTH shine!” Lynne mused. “It’ll be grand!” Nate cheered.

“Your options are “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Alice In Wonderland” and “Sleeping Beauty”. Yes, we’re going with more of the Disney versions for Alice and Sleeping Beauty.” Mr. Faraize announced. Most of the students collectively groaned and several of them had begun to complain. “Little Red Riding Hood sounds fun.” Sam smirked. “Its the same old stuff!” Castiel spat. “I like the idea of Sleeping Beauty.” Alana suggested. “Now there’s an idea! I wouldn’t mind making those outfits! Plus, Sleeping Beauty is such a cute story!” Rosa boomed. “Ah, yes, Mels could be princess Aurora!” Sam suggested. Alana instantly became flustered. “I think I know who would be the perfect prince Phillip!” Rosa mused. Nathaniel and Castiel instantly began to blush. “I-I wouldn’t g-go that f-far.” She stuttered. When Sleeping Beauty became the official choice, Amber instantly began boasting about how she was going to get the lead role. “Not in your life, you stuck up bitch!” Sam called as she and Ken left the room. “Alana, do you wanna practice lines?” Nathaniel asked, cheerfully. “Sure!” Alana smiled as they left the room.

“Oh god... Sam is on a warpath! Lucy! Did you really have to flirt with Ken?!” Alana whined as she caught up with Lucy in the school hallway. “I’m sorry! I didn’t realize it was him! But, since it is little geeky Ken, he’s not even hot anymore!” Lucy blurted out. “And here we go again. Lucy, you need to quit this whole superficial thing you’ve got going on. Its not nice and you need to apologize to both Sam and Ken.” Alana ordered. “But Mels!” Lucy whined. “No “butts”! Now go!” Alana commanded. “Fine... I’ll say “sorry”.” Lucy sighed as she ran off in the direction of Sam. “And it had BETTER be sincere!” Alana called. “Who was that?” Nathaniel asked when he caught up to her. “Lucy. She’s a friend from Weathering... Apparently she’s visiting our school for the day and she just pissed Sam off...” Alana sighed.

When the day of the audition arrived, Alana had worn a special outfit to boost her confidence. She wore blue skinny jeans, a blue t-shirt, and blue high top Converse. She had been practicing her lines and going over everything all day. She had spent all day making sure that everything was ready for her to give a good performance. “Damn it! Where are the auditions taking place?” She thought as she walked the halls of the school. Suddenly, she heard a noise come from the basement. “Maybe everyone is in here?” She thought as she walked down the stairs to investigate. The room was empty. Within seconds, cackling could be heard from the top of the stairs as the door was slammed shut and locked. She instantly recognized the cackling and ran up the stairs. “AMBER! LET ME OUT OF HERE!” She yelled as she started banging on the door. “I told you that I’m getting the lead role!” Amber called as her footsteps became more and more distant. “AMBER YOU BLOODY LOWLIFE! AUDITIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT MERRIT!” She yelled. Too late, Amber’s footsteps were already too far gone. “GOD DAMN IT! I actually try to step into the spotlight for once and I get shut out by that little snake!” She yelled into the empty room. She pulled out her phone to try to get ahold of her sister. “Damn it! No service!” She hissed. Alana paced around the basement for several minutes. “The one day I don’t have anything that I can pick the lock with!” She whined as she kicked the ground. 

“Alana! Where are you!” A voice called from the top of the stairs. “Nathaniel!” Alana called as she ran up the stairs and started banging on the door. “ALANA!” He called. “NATHANIEL! I’M IN HERE!” She yelled as she hit the door even harder. “ALANA! How did you get locked in there?!” He asked as he hit the door. “Your sister wanted me out of the running for the auditions!” She explained. “Of course she did... That’s why she looked so smug a few minutes ago.” He sighed. “I don’t wanna miss it! Please help me!” She pleaded. The pair continued banging on the door until the lock became loose. She then started jimmying the handle until it opened. “NATH!” She cried as she threw her arms around him. “Let’s go. Maybe we can still make it.” He smiled as he held out his hand. “Yeah!” She beamed as she took his hand. 

“I’m sorry miss Roster. The auditions are over!” Mr. Faraize looked down. “Amber Jacott locked me in the basement and you won’t even give me a chance?” Alana looked disgusted. “That’s not fair!” Nathaniel barked. “LET MY SISTER AUDITION! She’s put in a lot of work just to pluck up the courage to even do this!” Sam ordered. “Yeah! Give her a chance!” Ken nodded. “Sorry guys! It looks like I won!” Amber cackled. “SHUT UP WENCH!” Armin blurted out. “Give Alana a chance! Give Alana a chance!” Alexy chanted. “If she’s willing to audition, she should be allowed to do so.” Castiel agreed. “She deserves a fair opportunity.” Lysander smiled. Several of the other students nodded and cheered in agreeance. “Give Alana a chance!” Rosa and Kim joined Alexy in his chanting. “Please?” Alana begged. The teachers looked at the chanting students, then at Amber, then back at Alana. “Alright, alright! Miss Jacott, go to the Principal’s office. The rest of you, please give us the privacy that you were all allowed during your auditions. Alana, you may audition.” Mr. Faraize smiled. “YEAH!” A bunch of the students cheered. When the room only contained the teachers and Alana, she stood in front of them and took a deep breath. “For my audition, I will be performing the scene where Briar Rose is talking about meeting her true love in her dreams to her forest friends. I will stop right before she sings the song “Once Upon A Dream”.” She explained. “As you wish. Start when you’re ready.” Mr. Faraize nodded. 

When the audition was over, she walked out of the room and found Nathaniel, waiting with Sam and Ken. “You should have sang “Once Upon A Dream”.” Sam smiled. “You can sing?” Nathaniel asked. “I don’t...” Alana looked down. “She can. Her voice is really beautiful.” Sam explained. “Yeah, you should hear her!” Ken cheered. “How have you heard me?” Alana asked Ken. “When we were living in Weathering, Ken and I would wander the property... There were several times we’d find you singing and dancing to that exact song.” Sam clarified. Alana’s face instantly became red. “Oh dear god.” She muttered. “Its not a bad thing! You’re a great singer!” Ken smiled. “I’d like to hear you sing one day.” Nathaniel grinned. “I’m not as good as they say.” Alana sighed. As Sam and Ken walked several feet ahead of them, Nathaniel took her hand and whispered into her ear. “I’m sure your voice is beautiful.” He blushed. 

★

“Melody! You should sing! You’re such a beautiful singer! I know you can perform “Once Upon A Dream!”.” Severina suggested as she and Alana shared a video call. Alana sat in front of her computer and looked at her friend. “Rini, you know about my stage fright! I’m out of my element just by acting!” Alana looked anxious. “Mels! You can definitely do this! Your voice is lovely and you’re a great actor! You were always the best Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity when we were kids!” Severina cheered. “We were in my back yard with just Sam, Viktor, you and me when I did that! There wasn’t an actual audience!” Alana spat. “But, if you can do that with just the three of us, then you can do it in front of an actual audience!” Severina smiled. “Rini! We don’t even know what part I got!” Alana anxiously whined. “I’m sure you got the lead. I bet that you got the role of Aurora and that your little prince got the role of Prince Philip!” Severina sounded cocky. “And what does the winner of the bet win?” Alana asked, curiously. “Simply the ability to tell the loser “I told you so!”. Unless you wanna put an actual prize into the bet.” Severina keenly replied. “Nah, the humiliation or pride should be enough.” Alana laughed.

★

“MELS! YOU GOT THE LEAD ROLE!” Sam called as Alana and Nathaniel entered the Gym. “WHAT?!” Alana called back, shocked as they walked up to the Cast List. Sure enough, listed next to the role of Sleeping Beauty was Alana’s name. “Nathaniel is the prince too! That means you two will have a kissing scene!” Rosalaya cheered. “Well then.” Nathaniel looked at Alana and blushed. “Does that mean, I’ll actually get to kiss Nathaniel?” Alana thought. “It would be about time!” The voice in her head piped up. “Well, it looks like Rini won that bet.” Sam commented as she elbowed Alana lightly in the side. “Yep. And she’s going to hold this over me for a while.” Alana sighed. Castiel looked at Nathaniel, annoyed. “Looks like someone is jealous.” Sam snickered in Alana’s ear. “What do you mean?” She asked, innocently. “Good, god, sis... Its obvious that Cass wishes he was Nath right now... Your “Prince Charming”....” Sam quietly laughed. “Shut up Sam, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Alana quietly spat. “And you’re blind.” Sam quietly scoffed. “Alana... Do you think we could practice our lines together after school for a while?” Nathaniel nervously asked. “S-sure! We c-could practice a-at my a-apartment if y-you’d like!” She stuttered. “I’d like that!” He beamed. “I was supposed to be the princess!” Amber shouted. “Okay, first of all, your brother is the prince. Don’t advocate for incest! Secondly, my sister gave that audition her all, she has known the role by heart since we were children, and she is overcoming her stage fright to do this, Mels deserves the part!” Sam shot. Alana looked at the cast list and began laughing. “Uh, Sam... You got the role of Oma’s favorite character... In her human form. Ken and Armin got the parts of being her dragon form.” She explained while she continued to laugh. “Haha! I got Maleficent! That’s awesome!” Sam laughed. “Well, at least I don’t have to wear a dress!” Armin chuckled. “And Maleficent is a MAJOR Kingdom Hearts villain!” Alana mused. She went back to reading the cast list. Castiel and Lysander were the kings, Castiel being Phillip’s father, and Lysander being Aurora’s father. Li was Fauna (the green fairy), Kim was Flora (the red fairy) and Peggy was Merryweather (the blue fairy). Amber was a flower and Charlotte was a stage hand. Most of the other students were crew. Alexy joined Rosalaya in the costume design team.

“Nathaniel! Step down as the prince! Trade that role with Castiel!” Amber ordered. “I am not doing that! Even if I did, you wouldn’t be the princess! You locked Alana in the basement! The teachers are mad about that!” Nathaniel growled. “I just wanted the lead role! I couldn’t let HER get in the way!” Amber yelled. “That doesn’t give you the right to do what you did! Just be happy that the teachers are even allowing you in the play at all!” Nathaniel commanded. “Oh really? And how would DAD feel if I told him that you didn’t help me get the role I wanted? I’m sure he wouldn’t like it!” Amber sneered. Sam and Alana walked through the halls, hid behind a set of lockers, and listened in on the situation. Alana couldn’t hold back any longer. “Using your father as a weapon is never a good sign.” She stated as she walked up to them. “Stay out of this freak!” Amber snapped at her. “No! Every time I turn around, you’re being nothing more than a pathetic brat and whenever anyone calls you out on it, especially your brother, you act like Draco Malfoy and say some bullshit version of “My father will hear about this!”. Well guess what?! I’m sure your father has absolutely NO power over my family. So, if you wanna take aim at anyone, you need to take that wretched target off of your brother and put it on me! Because, I’ll have you know, my pacifism has its limits and I don’t have to get violent to go after you.” She snarled. “Do you really wanna do this?” Amber’s eyes turned livid. “Do you?” Sam asked as she came out from around the lockers. Amber looked at the two sisters annoyed and ran off in a huff. “You know what Nathaniel? I wanna meet your father! If he wants to be an asshole, he can come after the Rosters!” Sam demanded.

The following day, Alana walked up to Alexy and Rosalaya. “Alana! We were looking for you! We’ve designed your outfit and we’d like your opinion on it!” Alexy cheered. “Okay...” Alana looked down. Rosa pulled out her sketchbook. For a split second, Alana wanted to vomit. The dress on the drawing being held before her could only be described as “Gaudy”. A lace top around her neck, white padding across the top of the bust, a purple dress that dropped down into a puff of purple and white clouds with stars to accent it, white lace gloves, and a plain gold tiara. “I will NOT be wearing that travesty!” she thought. “Alana, what’s wrong?” Rosa asked. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you two about Aurora’s wardrobe... My aunt Agatha has insisted on making it. She and my mother are here discussing it with Principal Shermansky. It means the world to Agatha that she does this.” Alana explained. “But! This outfit is genius! You’ll look fantastic in it!” Alexy blurted out. “I’m sorry! This is out of my hands.” Alana sighed. Rosalaya looked heartbroken. “Why are they doing this?” She asked. “Because this is the first time I’ve EVER taken center stage and Agatha wants to design the outfit I wear when I do so.” Alana shrugged her shoulders. “Hello!” A voice cooed as a woman entered the room. Standing before them was a woman with long purple hair and wearing a fairy outfit. “Agatha!” Alana smiled. “This is your aunt?” Alexy asked. “Yes. Agatha’s my mom’s little sister.” Alana nodded. “And you two must be Alexy and Rosalaya! It’s lovely to meet you! My little Mels has told me so much about the two of you!” Agatha cheered as she shook Alexy’s and Rosalaya’s hands. Rosa looked at Agatha annoyed. “Miss DeMeilhan, I’ve also been told that your true love is the designer behind the locally famous Ainsworth fashion line. I absolutely LOVE his work!” Agatha beamed. The annoyance in Rosa’s face lessened. “And you’re impeding on my work.” She slightly spat. “I’m sure I am. I truly don’t mean to and I am sorry for that! But, Melody has never performed for a legitimate audience before, I just HAD to make her outfit!” Agatha smiled. “Will you at least use my sketch?” Rosa asked as she handed Agatha the paper. “Sadly, no. This is very fashionable, but it will not flatter my niece. She looks her best in blue. Melody’s body type is better suited for a more formal ballgown. Your design is best suited for a nightclub.” Agatha explained. “But its modern! And I’ve already taken her measurements!” Rosa blurted out. “I’m sure it is, but as a young fashion designer, you need to learn when to take criticism from us older designers. Your dress would not flatter my niece.” Agatha cooed. She pulled a sketchbook from her bag and opened it. On the open page was the design for a blue off the shoulder slim ballgown with a small bow at the top, blue pumps, a silver necklace with a blue pendant, and a slim silver tiara that had several blue jewels. “I did this last night. It will look elegant!” Agatha cheered. “Agatha! Its beautiful!” Alana burst. “Are you going to do Sam’s costume too?” Rosa asked, still slightly annoyed. “The school is only letting me work on one costume. My little Sammy’s costume will be left to you!” Agatha smiled. “Good.” Rosa muttered.

Several students began to laugh as Amber entered the school, angrily. “IRIS!” She yelled. Iris cringed as Amber stormed up to her. Sam instantly threw herself in between the blonde and the red head. “Get out of my way Roster!” Amber snarled. “No.” Sam growled. “I’m sorry Amber! I thought I had gotten that paint taken care of last night!” Iris begged. “There is no washing this out! I have to go to my salon to fix this!” Amber hissed. “Oh no! The little preppy rich girl HAS to go to her salon! I’m sure you were just itching for a reason to do that anyway, so take it as a win!” Sam sneered. “If you actually went to the salon every once in a while, you’d know how good it feels! But your mother is too CHEAP!” Amber blurted out. “Please. MY mother has instilled in us that we don’t need a shit load of product on our bodies to make us like ourselves! Just because you’re an air headed lizard person who has to put loads of makeup on just to make yourself look human, doesn’t mean the rest of us are!” Sam shot. “I hope I don’t get into trouble with the teachers!” Iris bleated. “I’m sure they know it was just an accident.” Nathaniel smiled. “Don’t defend her!” Amber ordered as she looked at her brother. “Enough Miss Jacott.” Mr. Faraize called from behind them. Amber growled, ordered her friends to follow her and walked off. 

The students gathered in the gym to go over the script. “I think we should make it a musical!” Sam laughed. “Sam! Stop it!” Alana called. “Come on! You should sing! I know you know “Once Upon A Dream” by heart!” Sam sweetly sneered. “Or you could give either Nathaniel or Castiel a private performance!” Sam snickered into her ear. Alana’s eyes widened as the image of her singing to either of them alone in her room entered her mind. “S-Shut-t u-up-p S-Sa-am!” She stuttered. “Alana singing... That would be an interesting sight.” Castiel chuckled as he turned away from them an in attempt to hide the blush that was overcoming his face. “I’m sure you sing beautifully.” Nathaniel cooed. “This will not be a musical. We’d have to pay Disney a lot of money for the rights to that.” Mr. Faraize announced as he entered the room. “Yes!” Alana quietly cheered. “Awe! No singing for my sister!” Sam whined.

“We’re gonna run this errand for Rosa. Go ahead on home without me.” Sam texted Alana as she got to the school doors. “Oh, okay.” Alana replied. “Are you walking home alone?” Castiel asked as he walked up behind her. “Yeah, Sam and Ken are running errands and Nath’s dad ordered him to go straight home.” She sighed. “I’ll walk you home.” He suggested. “You sure?” She asked. “Yeah, come on.” He smiled. When they walked through the park, Alana noticed Amber walking with a woman she didn’t recognize. “Nathaniel must be alone with his dad.” Castiel commented. “Why do you say that?” Alana inquired. “Amber is with her mom.” He stated. “That’s their mom?” She sounded a little stunned. “Their dad isn’t any better. In fact, he’s more of a pompous douche.” He explained. “Let me guess.... They’re the type who wants to be part of the aristocracy, but whose blood is just common enough to never be let in?” She raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you know the type all too well.” He remarked. “I’ve told you before about how Carol is.” She looked down. “Right... How could I forget?” Castiel looked down. “These people will stop at nothing to gain the supposed power, privilege and prestige that comes with being part of the aristocracy... What they don’t realize is that its horribly limiting... My best friends have been groomed from day one to be the next heads of their fathers’ company. They were ripped away from us within weeks of Viktor’s mom’s death and sent to a fancy boarding school in England... And they’ll most likely be forced to marry each other because of their fathers arranging the union. Severina will be reduced to nothing more than a pretty face and a baby factory, just like her mother was in the public eye because of the institution... Just like what Carol wants me to be. They don’t care about the damage it does... So long as it makes them look good to the posh elite.” She explained. “What about your mom? Your family is old and your mom doesn’t seem to want that life for you and Sam.” He asked. “Despite the fact that my family is old, has a crest, and has three main sections spanning three countries, there is no pressure for perfection on us. Our goals are to just have a good life, and be a close family. As it is, we worked hard for our positions... Only the last few generations were born into anything resembling the “prestige” that is given to the aristocracy.” She explained. When they got to the apartment building, she turned to look at him. “Thanks for walking me home!” She smiled. “I-Its was n-nothing.” He blushed. As she went inside, Castiel stood at the door, sighed with a longing look, and walked away.

“I DIDN’T WANT THEM TO COME!” Castiel yelled. Word had gotten out that the Veilmonts were coming to the open house, only for Castiel to find out that it was Nathaniel who invited them. “ENOUGH!” Alana called as Castiel made a fist while staring at Nathaniel with rage in his eyes. The boys looked at her, quite shocked. “The last thing we need is you two fighting again!” Alana huffed. The boys looked at her, a little annoyed. “We need to go see our costumes anyway, Alana.” Nathaniel smiled. When they got to the classroom, they were greeted by Rosalaya and Agatha. “Our stars have arrived!” Agatha cheered. “You two look a lot happier working together!” Alana smiled. “I must admit, your aunt butting in on my work did upset me, but she’s actually quite delightful!” Rosa mused. “She did go a bit over budget... But, I compensated for it! The students shouldn’t have to pay for their own costumes!” Agatha added. “That was sweet of you!” Nathaniel cooed. Alexy brought out the models with the main costumes. “I made it blue!” Agatha cheered. Standing on the model before them was a floor length, off the shoulder, periwinkle blue, dress with a sapphire blue ribbon around the base of the bust that was pinned to the side by a blue flower. At the center of the top of the bust was a little blue bow tying together the top of the dress. “We also have a simple silver and blue tiara, earrings and necklace set, blue pumps and white lace gloves to finish the look.” Agatha explained. “Your hair will be down and flowy as well.” Rosa added. “It’s beautiful!” Alana blurted out. “You’ll look amazing in it.” Nathaniel blushed. “And for our prince, we have something that will match!” Rosa explained as she instructed Alexy to bring Nathaniel’s outfit out. The outfit on the model was a blue and white fairytale prince outfit with gold outfits and a matching hat. “Nath! You’ll look so handsome in that!” Alana blurted out before she could gather her thoughts.

The day for the school play had finally arrived. The school was buzzing with students making their final preparations for their parents to fill the halls. “This is going to be fantastic! I can’t wait to see my girls shine!” Lynne cheered as she walked the halls with her daughters. “I’m not gonna be on stage for very long mom.” Sam sighed. “But you’re Maleficent’s normal form! That’s a fun role!” Lynne smiled. “And our Mels is gonna be great as Aurora!” Nate mused as he caught up with them. “I don’t think so...” Alana muttered. “Sweetie! You’re a wonderful actress! You’ve just gotta have faith, trust, and gumption!” Lynne boomed. “A little pixie dust doesn’t hurt either!” Agatha chuckled as she ushered for Alana to go into the classroom she was in. “Its time for our princess to get dressed!” Agatha beamed. “Alright! We love you sweetie!” Lynne called. “Don’t forget to be confident and have fun!” Nate nodded. “Thanks guys! I love you!” Alana smiled as she walked past Agatha. “We’ll be waiting for you when the show is over!” Lynne waved as the door shut behind Agatha. “I’ve gotta go. It’s time for me to become villainous.” Sam smirked as she walked off, leaving her parents alone in the hallway. “Have fun sweetie!” Lynne cooed.

After the final rehearsals, it was time for the show to start. Everyone assembled in auditorium. The students gathered backstage and did their best to keep their composure. “Alright everyone! Places!” Mr. Faraize called. Everyone took their first positions and the play began. Charlotte entered the stage and began narrating the story. The school decided to save more money by not having a Briar Rose costume made. Sam brought her a-game to the role of Maleficent. “She must have re-watched the movie recently.” Alana thought as she watched her sister curse the baby. She did her best to give a good performance, but, throughout the show, she couldn’t take her mind off of how handsome Nathaniel looked in that suit. As Nathaniel slightly stumbled over his lines, Castiel laughed. Sam made a motion from behind the curtain telling Castiel to “cut it out” and continue the play. When it was time for her to say her lines, she slightly stuttered at first, but then recited the rest of them perfectly. The curtain closed, students rushed around to set up the “home” set while the fairies took their places. Alana took the change of scenery to think of sad things that would make her fake tears more real. “Come one Melody! You can do this! Think of abandoned kittens... Dead puppies... Maes Hughes’ funeral scene from Fullmetal Alchemist... Bambi’s mom dying... The scene from Mewtwo Vs Mew where Ash is turned to stone and Pikachu tries to revive him, only to begin crying... The scene from Sailor Moon where Darien breaks up with Serena and she crumples down crying in a phone booth...” She thought. Tears came to her eyes and she began to cry at exactly the right moment when she expressed her sadness towards not being able to be with her prince.

The fairies did their best to sneak Aurora into the castle in their efforts to avoid Maleficent. As the fairies went on ahead without her, she wandered the castle. Suddenly, a force overcame her and she was lead by magic to an isolated room. Inside the room was a spindle. Maleficent’s sadistic laugh could be lightly heard as Aurora pricked her finger on the spindle and fell asleep. Alana discreetly left the stage so that Sam and Nathaniel could act out the battle between the prince and Maleficent. The audience started laughing when Kiki wandered onto the stage in his dragon costume. “Miss Jacott! Catch my dog!” Principal Shermansky ordered. “But the play!” Amber called. “You’ve been playing a plant this whole time. Now, GO!” Principal Shermansky barked. Amber gave the principal a dirty look, sighed, and ran off the stage in her flower costume. The moment Amber had left the stage, Armin and Kentin brought out the real dragon costume. “This is a disaster!” Rosalaya cried. “I don’t even need to make trouble. They did it all on their own.” Castiel commented. Alana rolled her eyes. “At least it made you laugh.” She smirked.

The curtain closed and the sets changed to the show’s finale. Students made quick work of moving a small bed onto the stage and fluffing up the pillows. “I sure hope Nathaniel actually kisses my sister!” Sam laughed as she walked closely past the two of them. “Uh...” Nathaniel muttered as his face turned bright red. Castiel looked away, annoyed. “Sam! Don’t psyche our leads out! They need to make up for the mistakes that were made!” Rosa spat. “Thanks for putting more pressure on us!” Alana sarcastically shot. “Mels! Look at you gaining confidence!” Sam smiled. “Now, now! Go on!” Rosa demanded. “Alright, alright.” Alana sighed as she walked towards the bed, laid down and pretended to be asleep. “Come on Nathaniel! Get out there and kiss my sister!” Sam urged as she pushed Nathaniel onto the stage. She could feel Nathaniel getting closer to her. Her nerves were set ablaze. “He won’t actually kiss me... Will he?” She thought. “Would it be a bad thing? You already like him.” The voice in her head piped up. “O-Oh h-how you are beautiful, s-sweet creature...” Nathaniel nervously began. She could hear Castiel, Armin and someone else laugh from backstage. She wanted to think something snarky, but her mind stayed glued to the boy kneeling over her as she did her best to stay perfectly still. “I-I will wake you from this nightmare...” Nathaniel continued as he got closer to her face. “Oh god... Is he going to do it? He’s so close to me...” She thought. He put his hat in front of their faces and didn’t move any closer. “Damn it! Come on man!” The voice in her head piped up. “I don’t want our first kiss to be on stage. As it is, I don’t even know if he likes me like that!” She thought back. Alana opened her eyes and smiled at him. “We made it!” She whispered. “Yeah... It could have been worse...” He whispered back. He removed his hat and she sat up. The play finished with a curtain call then Charlotte closed the curtains.

Suddenly, a white storm flew past them and rushed over to Armin and Kentin. “You IMBECILES! You RUINED EVERYTHING! The principal’s dog... You’re both crazy!” Rosa shouted. “Hey, your costume wasn’t that great, we wanted to do something a little more fun...” Armin laughed. “My costume wasn’t WHAT?!” Rosa shouted. “Oh dear god... May your souls find peace in the afterlife, boys...” Alana muttered as she hung her head in embarrassment. Rosa looked like she was going to lunge at them. Sam got in between Rosa and the boys. “That’s enough! The dragon costume wasn’t the best, but it was fine enough for this! For fuck’s sake, this isn’t a movie set! It’s just a high school play! And Rosa, it doesn’t have to be “perfect” it just needed to be “good”! I think we accomplished that!” She spat. “Come on guys! Our families are waiting.” Alana smiled as she headed in the direction of the girls’ changing room.

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This covers Episodes 20 and 21 of HSL.

I was going to leave Armin as Maleficent’s role... But I thought it would be more fun to have Sam in that spot. 

[youarejesting]

Wash Out.21 (Sope Special)

[Master List]

Banners: @purpleskies1999 Pairings: Dolphintrainer!Taehyung x SharkDiver!Jin,  Mer!Jimin x Reader, Scientist!Namjoon x MerKing!Jungkook, Mer!Yoongi x Mer!Hoseok. Rating: 16+ Genre: Mystery, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, little bit of Action, Slice of life, Enemies2Lovers, Friends2lovers, Social media au, Fake Texts, Fake Subs.

Summary: Taehyung and his best friend Y/N are Dolphin trainers at Wash Out; Marine Wildlife and Theme Park. When the nerdy marine biologist and resident veterinarian Doctor Kim Namjoon goes missing; the two friends form a ragtag team with Taehyung’s rival Seokjin and a…. Fish?

[Prev] [Next]

Yoongi stood still, his legs shaking. It was not normal for him to be standing for this length of time. They were mermaids used to having tails their strength in the water. Swimming was like breathing. Of course their legs only appeared on their sacred land under the ocean.

They couldn’t walk on human land, could never compare to their leg strength. Most Mermaids spent their days in the water only entering the sacred land for celebrations. Yoongi being one of many guards would protect the royal family, albeit there was no longer a royal family. Jungkook was all that was left, a prince forced to be a king before he was ready. 

Guards were the most common of the merfolk to adorn legs. Jungkook was confined to the sacred land, his time in the water limited. Anything to keep him safe from the threat of other merclans. Each guard embellished in the silk of the clams. Byssus was woven finely like silk, the light material was surprisingly warm enough to protect the guards and King whilst in their more vulnerable form.

Yoongi looked across the crystal throne room, the love of his life standing just as tall, his stature stronger than Yoongi’s. A feat as Jungkook tore the room apart, bioluminescent vines and lanterns ripped from the walls. Food and wine splattered on the floor of their ancestors.

Hoseok’s mouth turned down, the sight unnatural for his usually cheerful disposition. The hardest part of their job was raising Jungkook, it seemed no matter how hard they tried to teach him right and wrong, politics and history they still came up short. He didn’t have a family, not anymore, he didn’t know how to share and never had to work for relationships. 

Everyone adored him, feared him, doted on his every whim. He was given the finest foods and all the newest technology Merfolk could offer. Anything to keep him content in his prison. It surprised Yoongi that Jungkook hadn’t questioned his confines, that he was complacent with their level of control over his freedom.

Jungkook no longer understanding, why his new found friend was so reluctant to stay. He extended all his riches and gifts to the human, something other merfolk would cherish. 

“Why does he still want to leave, with me he could be treated as a king,” Jungkook seethed, throwing a leg over the arm of his throne massaging his temples. “Leave me.”

Hoseok marched dutifully to Yoongi, supporting the older merman as they made their exit. Walking him to the entrance of the underwater cove, the air though damp enough to keep their lungs from feeling dry, they much preferred sinking into the cool water. Doing so allowed the power of the sacred land to slip away leaving only their natural form. 

The two transformed their black and blue tails wrapping around each other, a romantic gesture Yoongi enjoyed more than he wished to admit. They relaxed in eachothers arms peacefully, sinking further until they landed on the floor of the large network of caves. This is where most of the merfolk lived as they were still protected from the open ocean.

Under the cove was wide and besides a few stalagmite and stalactite the surface was predominantly flat. However the local life was anything but, everyone bustling around the settlement enjoying tending to the seaweed, crafting and protecting the sealife. 

“Jungkook, is struggling. He doesn’t understand how to handle rejection. He doesn’t understand that people value the same things,” Hoseok mumbled, massaging Yoongi’s lower back to help relieve tension from standing for such a long time.

“That human cannot survive long under the ocean, he grows weaker by the day, barely eating.” Yoongi huffed, “If Jungkook doesn’t let him go, the poor thing will die, Jungkook isn’t ready to experience something like that so close to him.”

“I think he has gotten too attached, losing this human might break him,” Hoseok bit his lip, “Dare I say he is in love with him, he could be his promised.”

Yoongi scoffed, the idea that Jungkook happened to find his promised one and he was a human, the first human he had ever met. Yoongi and Hoseok were unaware they were each other's promised until Yoongi had a week off from guard duty and started to get really sick. The two had met in the infirmary wasting away and only in one another's company did their condition improve. “Hoseok, that’s a bit much.”

A figure swam down the path quickly, heading straight to the sacred cove entrance, carrying something large. Was someone trying to attack their home? The two fell apart taking up offensive stances, each lurching forward when they spotted Jimin holding an unconscious human.

“Not another one,” Yoongi chastised, eyes sweeping over Jimin trying to be inconspicuous. Though he cared he showed it silently, not fond of open praise. The kind to listen and assist others out of sight.

“I have to make sure he is alright,” Jimin gave no further explanation, swimming up into the cove entrance dragging the human onto the sacred land. Jimin’s gold tail disappearing, leaving behind two bare legs. 

Wrapping himself in a cloth, the two followed. Yoongi strained to lift himself into an upright position. Hoseok brought out their usual transport, especially for Jungkook’s deliveries. In this case they threw the unconscious human across the shell of the crustacean and they headed to their king.

“Are all humans this big?” Yoongi asked, eyeing the figure draped beside Jimin. The two crab-pooling wasn’t the issue, the way Jimin looked genuinely concerned for the human was. It was no good for humans and Merfolk to fall in love, the dynamic wouldn’t end well. 

“No, they aren’t all this big, some of them are small, delicate and beautiful. They are magnificent, fascinating beings. Some are scary and mean and others are innocent and protective, just trying to do the right thing.” Jimin whispered, checking the humans breathing once more. 

“Is he your promised?” Hoseok asked softly, not knowing how to approach the topic sensitively. Jimin smiled, shaking his head. The thought appeared to have amused him.

“He is someone else’s promised,” Jimin said, “But I think I met her, she was beautiful and strong, never letting anyone stop her, never letting bad things keep her down. She would swim head first into enemy waters to save someone she barely knows.

The human groaned, “Where am I?” Jimin let out a sigh of relief, this human was waking up and didn’t seem to be physically hurt, at least there were no wounds they could see upon his flesh. “Am I dead?”

“No, you are not dead, you are in our settlement.” Jimin grinned at the disorientation present in Seokjin’s words. He was struggling to enunciate his words, each more like a whine drawn out.

Upon entering the crystal throne room the group tried their best to support the sluggish human inside. Gaining the attention of Jungkook, ceasing his brooding long enough to assist the three struggling mermen. As if hearing the commotion or perhaps Seokjin’s terrible jokes Namjoon emerged from where he had been staying.

“Jin! Are you okay?” Namjoon grabbed his friend, checking him over for injury, “What are you doing here?”

“Rescuing you and avoiding the police, I ran my car off the cliff and also may have destroyed the letter box outside your beach house.” He laughed, “Never really liked it anyway.”

“You did what?” Namjoon said, concerned, “Are you crazy?”

“Listen, we were being chased. It was all for you, and Jimin of course, returning Jimin and rescuing you.” Seokjin smiled at his friend. Yoongi thought these humans were weird, they were reckless and too odd for his liking. “I even teamed up with Taehyung and Y/n in order to save you. Do you know how hard that was?”

“Didn’t seem hard at all, you and Taehyung seemed to get along really well.” Jimin pushed the human with a smile, it was weird to see Jimin acting so comfortable with the humans. “We will return you so that the issue can be resolved, I am starting to grow worried about how we left.”

“What do you mean?” Seokjin asked confused

“Humans tackled Y/n and Taehyung dragged me into the water. Right before you and your car contraption fell into the water I killed the man who scared you all.” Jimin said proudly, this didn’t seem to go over well with the human’s. Yoongi hoped Jimin didn’t do something stupid turf war wasn’t on his to do list.

Yoongi didn’t understand the words coming from Seokjin’s face, if he had to liken it to anything, it sounded like vulgar slang, curse words. The human looked panicked.

“We have to go back, they are probably being sent to prison,” Seokjin said, trying to leave unsure which direction to go, “They are in big trouble.”

“Can’t you just talk to your king and explain and they will be removed from prison?” Jimin said

“Prison doesn’t work the same as it does here,” Namjoon explained, “Very Very bad people go to prison, Murderer’s, thieves and other despicable humans put in one place.”

“Yeah and if they go to prison, they may be beaten or worse,” Seokjin huffed. Jimin looked up at Jungkook who nodded, bringing out a small mirror and handing it to Jimin.

Looking over Jimin’s shoulder, Yoongi noticed a human different to the two infront of him, she was feminine delicate and leaking. “What is happening to her?”

“She is crying,” Jimin explained, “Humans do that when they are hurt or in despair, from what I have been told they do the same when they are happy too.”

“Confusing and a little stupid.” Hoseok laughed, “How do you know the difference?”

The charges have been dropped, Namjoon breathed listening to the interrogator, explaining that they couldn’t record the phenomenon that occurred on the beach. “They are being let go,” He smiled, a sight Yoongi hadn’t seen since he first laid eyes on their large domestic crustaceans.

“There is Taehyung,” Seokjin called out looking down, the two humans looked void of any emotion, they collected their things and climbed into the police car getting an escort to their homes. “They are safe and that’s all that matters.” 

Seokjin smiled, his eyes leaking much to Yoongi’s disgust. Namjoon smiled, he seemed a little amused by the older human. “I remember distinctly you saying you hated Taehyung with a passion and wanted him to choke on a sardine.” They two laughed for a moment, “When did things change?” 

“I guess when you are working as a team to save someone you develop an understanding.” Seokjin shrugged his large shoulders, “It also didn’t help that he was living in my house for almost a week.”

“You like him,” Namjoon poked him, “Admit it you have feelings for him.”

“We can head back when you are ready, we have returned Jimin home safely.” Seokjin smiled, looking around at the group and smiling, “I am Seokjin by the way, you can call me Jin.”

The man was goofy, reminding Yoongi of Jungkook himself, the two so alike in their childlike nature, letting themself play without hesitation. It was almost admirable that people could act so carefree, unaffected by how they could be perceived.

“I don’t know if I am allowed to leave?” Namjoon said, his smile falling, eyes fixed on the ground before him. 

Yoongi looked at his king, the spoiled young man reflecting on his actions, it had been many days since they saw the young man smile. Almost expecting him to refuse, Yoongi schools his expression when he doesn’t. 

“You should go, You don’t belong down here?” Jungkook took the mirror before walking away from the group to sit on the throne. He lowered his head looking at his reflection trying to distract himself from the pain. Letting your promised go was the hardest thing a merperson could do. Under normal circumstances, promises are only parted by death.

Namjoon walked over, placing a hand on the king's head and smiling at him, “If ever you want to visit, I would be happy to show you some great places, places you would love.” Jungkook’s broken heart warmed at the human’s dimples appearing softly in the flesh of his cheeks.

That was the last thing they needed, their king running off for a romance on the coast line. Seokjin swung his arm around Jimin playfully, the merman giggling whilst his legs almost buckled. “Yeah Jimin knows the private beach by Namjoon’s house, he can show you the way if you ever want to visit.”

Tags: @backinblack1967 @miriamxsworld @moccahobi @simplymemyself @a-gayish-unicorn @ella-mella @vjinfan23​

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[angelkurenai]

Lucky idiot - Dean Winchester x Reader

Title: Lucky idiot

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: None

Summary: Hey sweetheart May I request a DeanxReader Imagine where reader is a mermaid but with a twist?Idk if you know the kids show called 'H2O just add water'But basically reader always turns into a mermaid if she gets into contact with water.And I imagined that reader would rescue dean from drowning after he was pushed off from a cliff by a ghost or sth?Then like thelittle mermaid moment where he sees her face after waking up.Then sam shows up and reader disappears.Then they meet her at a cafe I❤️u

“Look, all I'm saying is if you'd let me drive for this ti-”

“Get back to research, Sammy, I've got enough things on my head. Don't need you to make me more dizzy than I already am.” Dean grumbled before his brother could even get to finish his sentence.

“Which is exactly my point here.” Sam couldn't help but huff “Do you really think it's a good idea to drive while being so dizzy? I mean, for the love of, Dean, you nearly drowned three to four hours ago! Unless you're trying to finish the ghost's job right now, I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, letting me drive would give both of us higher chances of getting out of the car alive.”

“Bold of you to assume that if I let you drive, you'd get out of this car alive.” the older Winchester retorted with a half smile, that didn't feel even half as real though, before focusing as much as he could on the road before him “Besides, I've been more than nearly killed plenty of times and despite the trip to the other side, I was always the one to drive the car. I'm fine, just like every other time, Sammy. Only impatient to get some food. Again nothing new.”

“And that's supposed to calm me down now, or what? Honestly, Dean-” Sam huffed, shaking his head “I can't understand you sometimes. It was pure luck that you even found yourself out of there, alive. I mean, if the fall from that kind of cliff didn't do it then the water would have certainly been it and you know it.”

“But again it wasn't. Neither of the two did it for me as you can see, tough as it might have been. Unless, of course, your ranting is looking to be a serious contestant in that?”

“I assure you, me and my ranting are not trying to bore you to death. It's the last thing I want. But that doesn't mean I am not going to talk about it. Seriously Dean-” another shake of his head that this time earned an eye roll from the older Winchester “You could have drowned so easily and yet somehow you found your way to the shore, which let me point out is absolutely not normal. Not in the kind of situation you were in. Not unless there was some kind of help coming from very deep within that part of the water which is even more disturbing to think about. Maybe in equal measures to you not admitting that you being safe and sound on the shore within minutes from the spot you fell is suspicious. What if the ghost isn't the only supernatural creature here to begin with? What if we have to look more into other beings like...”

Sam kept going. Dean was sure of it. Not because he was listening closely, not because he was paying attention to every word and pondering over it because he had to admit that he hadn't made it out of the water on his own. There was no way he would have made it out alive on his own, that much he knew and could understand just like every other sane human being would easily would. That didn't mean it was because that's what he was currently wondering about. Not when there was little wondering to do about it, no. Both because he didn't have the mind to and also because... well, for the same reason as to why he couldn't listen to his brother at the moment. The images running through his mind.

Yes, he was sure Sam was talking to him but only because of the murmuring he could hear, which sounded more like a distant echo. And it was exactly because of those images which he couldn't shake off, he could never forget, that everything else around him sounded and looked distant and blurry. As if he wasn't part of the scenery, as if he wasn't living in it, but was actually more immersed in another world.

And truth be told, he was in a way. He was too focused in his memories, in the images, in the feelings that were still as vivid as they were a couple hours ago when he really felt them that he was almost reliving the moment. Even if part of that world, part of those feelings and moment were also just as distant and blurry as the present.

Dean was struggling, his entire body was struggling, his lungs were struggling, every cell and every inch of him, struggling to hold onto life. He wanted to hold onto the air in his lungs desperately so but as even more of it left and he couldn't find new one, his actions became more frantic and panicked than his thoughts. The fact that he had not been able to prepare for any of it had not helped to give him a head start of any kind, making it easier and faster for his vision to get blurry and filled with dark spots as the air and therefore fight left his body.

It was only when his mind had started feeling like it didn't care anymore, like there was no reason for fight and like maybe, just maybe, sleep would be a good choice. It wouldn't hurt anymore and he wouldn't have to struggle too hard, even if he really didn't get the chance to wake up ever again. His mind was in such a haze that all reason and will had left, perhaps even his perception of reality too. Because in his haze as he looked up he saw the blur of something that shouldn't have been there not only because he was all alone and sinking but also because it looked like something that shouldn't exist.

Then again, as he thought of it now in the car, he found about the existence of many things that shouldn't exist. Killed plenty of them too.

And yet none like this. It was no surprise that he kept it to himself, that he still wondered if it was all real in the first place. The flash of a shimmering white tail, not one of a shark or a dolphin, a fish could have been accurate if it wasn't for its shape and the colors that it reflected, sparkling under the minimal sun that could reach such depth almost holographic, extending long - almost endless in his eyes at that moment - brushing past his arms and legs, it was all still there in his mind. Vivid and clear as much as it had been that moment, which wasn't to say a lot, but he still could not shake off the feeling of arms wrapping around his body. Real hands, belonging to a human, touched his face. A small shake, he was sure there was that, but not only was his head a mess his eyes were also nearly closed and what sight he had was blurry. It didn't last long, Dean was surprised to even remember it, before a pair of arms wrapped around his torso and it was in that moment he felt the pull only followed seconds later by water moving past him at a speed that is by no means normal, but is certainly enough for Dean to close his eyes shut completely. The dizziness it offered mixing with his already hazy mind, led easily enough to him losing both track and sight of what was happening; and he was fairly sure his consciousness too.

He felt like he was coming in and out of consciousness far too many times for anything to make sense. There was no telling apart reality from hallucination to even dreams.

The feeling of being dragged into the shore was something like a ghost feeling in the back of his mind, arms around his torso dragging him and struggling to pull him out of the sea, sounds of struggling and an effort beyond the person's strength – because obviously the lack of water and presence of drenched clothes that only became heavier this way along with the sticking sand made it all much harder to move. Similar to that was the feeling of a pair of hands, human-like, far too human-like and that somehow set Dean on edge, that pressed on his chest, pushing with all the strength the person could master. And certainly similar to the feeling of hands on his face, the touch much more clear than when he was underwater, though still under a veil of haziness in his minds.

All of those moments, though, despite how blurry they seemed, despite how hard it was for him to figure out if they were real, he knew there was one that he couldn't have dreamed of; that it had to be real. The feeling of lips pressing on his cheek, chaste and feather-like and very hesitant much like the way a forehead rested against his; all shortly after he felt the water pour out of his lips – out of his lungs – like there was no ends. But there was, and in the end he could finally get the precious and much-needed oxygen his body was craving for. He was probably – certainly – still very dizzy and his vision had plenty of black spots but there was no mistaking the sigh of relief he heard, human-like so human-like, and a hand cupping his cheek.

“What could you possibly be doing there you idiot?” the voice was low, sounding very much English and very much human “If only you knew how lucky you were.” a small laugh, and it was probably the sweetest sound he'd ever heard, one he would never forget, he should never forget and he knew he'd hate himself if ever forgot “Lucky idiot. Hm seems fitting, since I can't get a name out of you. Who knows what-”

He could not remember more words being uttered, not from that soft and caring voice. He only remembered someone, someone that sounded a lot like Sam and was most likely him though his dizzy brain couldn't even put that together, call out his name in the far distance before came the sound of hasty rustling and water splashing. It was in those hasty few seconds that he got something he wished he could hold onto forever: His eyes slid open, just slightly so, catching sight of a face, your face.

Admittedly he had felt all air leave his lungs for the second time in that moment, and when your eyes met his and he noticed you pause for a half second, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch you to make sure you were real. Or at least try to, because he didn't have the strength to get more than halfway there. Fact which he regretted later because he couldn't tell if you really had been a fragment of his imagination, what if the face he saw was only in his mind – hard as it would be for him to even dream and therefore make up such a sight.

A sight that combined with the very much mermaid-like, he could only now tell that he was driving and had sobered up, tail vanishing below the surface of the water had been keeping him on edge. Too much for it all to just have been a fragment of his own imagination. Not because it sounded and looked too crazy, nothing could with the kind of life he had, but because he didn't want it to be just him. He wanted it to be real even if he didn't know where he would ever get to see that face, feel those gentle and caring hands that had pulled him to his safety (if he was right about all of it) and hear that compassionate if not clearly teasing voice that revealed a real spark and personality underneath that he could easily adore.

Wait- Adore?

“That's it. That's the caf- Wait- Aren't you gonna stop he- Dean? Dean? Dean!” Sam nearly yelled to get his brother's attention, thankfully making the older Winchester press on the breaks and make the car come to a halt. The younger Winchester could only thank their lucky stars that the road was empty at the moment.

“Huh? Wh-what?” Dean blinked in surprise, as if finally having been brought back to reality.

“Alright, that's it.” Sam huffed stubbornly “We go in there, get something to eat and then you give me the keys and I'm keeping them for the next three days for sure. And I won't hear a single thing from you. We're lucky to be both alive at the moment. Got it?”

He did not leave any room for argument as he stormed out of the car and made his way to the cafe they were originally heading to. Dean, in all honesty, couldn't be more glad for it. It had been anything but silent in his head all this time, he could use a couple seconds of not thinking and not talking to put himself together because at the end of the day he had work to do as well.

Or at least that was what he kept telling himself, repeating the words over and over again like a mantra, to the point he almost believed it. To the point he believed that he had gotten you off his mind, to the point he believed he was getting over everything and to the point that he had convinced himself he was focused on the job and there would be no further distractions. Or at least so he thought until he pushed the cafe's door open and before he could take more than one step inside, felt something – or rather someone – collide with him.

He looked down, lips parted and ready to retort, only for the words to die out in his lips and every though to drown in the sea of disbelief and surprise that took over his entire being. Once more all air had left his lungs and yet the struggle for air had never been as painfully sweet as now.

“Well, look at that...” your voice was soft just like the smile that formed on your lips as your eyes locked with his and Dean still had trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that you were there, right in front of him; before you added in a low voice “It's the lucky idiot.”

[arminty7]

𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦

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Mermaid!Jungkook x Reader [Part 2]

Trapped in this life of expensive wine and judgemental eyes Y/N met an unusual lady who offered her a job at an aquarium a few towns away. Despite being hesitant and uncertain for the future she decided to take the offer as it was her only way out, not knowing that many dangers might come her way.

Jungkook swam his way through the small tunnel in wonder. He didn’t realise what he was ‘walking’ into as he took the entire night to explore a tunnel. He thought it might lead to you, how naive. It is only when he heard the piercing sound of drilling from the small tunnel entrance did he know what was happening, he was trapped. With that, his instincts took over.

Chapter: #2 Swimming in Wine

Words: 4181

Warnings: Mild Swearing // Fluff // Eventual Smut? Idk maybe depends // Jungkook obsessive // Evil Namjoon (im sorry guys) // It might be a little messed up. 

AN - So I know I havent updated in a very LONG time but I am now updating regularly. I have changed the pov and increased my writing ability.

© arminty7 2020 - All rights reserved.

This work shall not be copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission. In a case where this might happen, legal action will be taken as it would be a criminal act under the law and breaching these terms. Upon reading my work you are acknowledging that this work is mine and that you know the consequences if this work is copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission.

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You awoke abruptly as a slam of the car door next to you made you nearly jump from your seat. You sat up and looked around as Julie stepped out of the car onto the wet road. Your head feeling cloudy as you noticed you were parked in a parking lot next to a tall building in the middle of the bustling city. Your eyes then followed Julie who walked across the road towards a small bakery. You could smell the food from here as your stomach grumbled loudly. You closed your eyes again, hearing the cars go past as their tires hit the puddles on the ground. The distant honk of horns and the bus going past made you feel somewhat tranquil, wanting to stay like that forever. You were ready to go back to sleep before the sound of the car door opening made your eyes open again.

"Oh, so you're finally awake?" Julie looks towards you with a smile on her face as she ducks her head under the car roof and gets in. She closes the door firmly beside her, with a bag of pastries in her hand.

"Uh yeah I guess. How long was I asleep for?" You don't even look in her direction as you rub your eyes, feeling sleep try to invite you in once more.

"No more than a few hours, although we are just about there. We are staying at my place for a while. Just out of the city in Taelin Shore" (I made it up with the idea of "Tail", it's not a ship name). She looked at you, shaking the bag of pastries in her hand that you didn't even notice till now.

"So when do I start work?" You look at the pastries and then back at her, wanting to focus on what's important. She places the pastries on the backseat and starts the engine, before driving out of the parking lot.

"Well, you will have an orientation on Monday at the aquarium which starts at 9 am till 2 pm. It's only small but I think it's just for showing you the ropes and letting you explore the building." She continues to drive out of the city down the coast, heading for Taelin Shore.

"Wait Monday? That's only three days away. They didn't even give me an interview yet" It seemed unreal at the most, how could they have that much faith in you?

"They don't need an interview. I told you, I know the owner. He trusts my word more than anyone." She smiles, the brown locks of her hair tied back into a messy bun, something you never thought she would wear. At the dinner party, she seemed so elegantly dressed like the other woman there. It was weird to see her in casual clothes and indulging in sweet pastries.

You look at her once more in disbelief, feeling hesitant about this situation. "I barely know you. I heard that you knew my mother but forgive me if that in itself makes me even more concerned". She chuckles slightly, gripping the wheel tightly as she turns another corner. "You might barely know me, but I was around ever since you were born. I just want to help you. I love your mother, but she puts too much pressure on you."

You sighed as you looked out the window realising you reached the coast of Taelin. It seemed beautiful and serene as you drove through the town, going past, looking at the view of the ocean. You were excited but nervous. What if you don't like it here? What if it is the same as back home? A place that kills every  good part of you, forcing you to feel paranoid about everyone you meet? You didn't want to be near that. You wanted to be free. 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the car going up the hill on a small dirt path and parking next to a small beach house that was facing the ocean. "We're here, how do you like it? Nice view huh?" Julie smiles in awe as she exits the car, slamming the car door behind her. You do the same as you both look out towards the view of the vast ocean and the mountains that surround the small town.

Julie points down towards the pier urging you to look over to see a massive building next to the docks. "That's where you will be working in the next couple of days." She smiles, "don't worry, everyone's friendly. It's different here".

You look over at her in doubt, "What about you? How do I know you're different than the rest of them back at home?".

She chuckles before turning back towards you, "I got you out, didn't I?" she pats your shoulder before heading inside. She leaves you with your thoughts.

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[6:43 am]

It was early in the morning, the light from the sun started to shine in your room as you soon noticed that you - again - forgot to close the curtains. Although awake, instead of you getting up to close them, you laid there for a while. The sound of the waves crashing was distant, but you could almost feel the pressure and the weight of the water crashing onto the rocks. You imagined what it would be like to be that rock, every day having to go through the same cycle. Every morning the tide would try and crash down and attempting to break through on the rocks until it is time for the water to come back in. The water could never break the rocks, perhaps that was even more torture.

You sighed, not even understanding your own thoughts sometimes. You groan as you get up from the warm and comforting bed, heading towards the shower. You undressed and turned the shower on, watching the steam build-up in the room, covering the mirror. You preferred hot showers.

After your shower, you left to walk along the beach. Upon stepping outside the two-story house, you feel a gush of wind. The cold pierces your body as the wind flutters through your clothes. You walk down the steps of the patio and walk over to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the water that once again crashes through the rocks violently.

You weren't afraid of the ocean and had spent your whole life in the water. Although, something didn't feel right here. You watched the water down below. I looked peaceful yet restless. With every second it became more violent, the clouds grew dark quickly, and you noticed a drop of water fall onto your forehead. You sighed and looked back down the cliff before seeing a small splash in the water and something with a scaly body. But it was nothing like what you had seen at the aquarium. You felt yourself getting dizzy and started to wonder when the last time you had eaten something. You cursed under your breath for rejecting those pastries Julie got yesterday. You stumbled, backwards and forwards as your vision started to spin. The dark cloud's now covering the sky completely. You had tried to balance yourself, but you had ended up stepping forward to much, descending over the cliff and crashing down into the ocean. Your vision went black.

The water was cold, too cold. You felt the cold sinking into your skin, grasping onto your bones, coating them in ice. You didn't bother to open your eyes as you felt yourself crashing in and out of the water. You could hear the waves and thunder as you reach the surface, before getting pulled under again. Suddenly strong arms wrapped around you from behind. Your toes and the back of your thighs could feel the slimy tail that was swaying beneath the surface. You tried to look over at what has a hold of you. Although it was strong, and you could barely move your body. You could feel its cold hands enveloping around your chest and your waist as your body swayed in the current. You could feel its hot breath on your neck whispering things in your ear before you passed out from exhaustion.

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[Two days later]

Monday - 8:45 am

The morning was quick, slipping your shoes on as you try to make your way down the stairs of the beach house into the lounge room. You couldn't stop thinking about that day. The day where you

woke up on the beach and Julie insisted on calling the doctor even though you assured her everything was fine. It was surprising, to say the least, that you didn't even get hurt. There were tons of rocks as the current was nearly ripping you apart. That was before that thing showed up. It felt like death was surrounding you. Ironic really that it may have saved your life.  

"Hurry up Y/N, I told them you'd be there by 9. You're lucky we don't live far away from the Aquarium". Julie watches you run around the house as you find your bag and keys. You ignore her comments as you rush out the door towards the car, opening the passenger side and getting in.  

"Why don't you let me drive?" You groan, looking at your watch. She gets in beside you and starts the car. "Because dear Y/N, you’re impulsive and from what I heard, it took you seven times before you passed your driving test and you haven't driven since." You roll your eyes as she drives down the dirt road and onto the main road.

You look out towards the ocean, seeing the waves crash onto the rocks on the mountains, slamming on the rocks violently. Your mind wandered for a bit. You could almost feel the hot breath against your neck again, ice-cold arms wrapping around your body. The memory of that strange creature is still vivid in your mind. You didn't tell Julie, of course. She'd probably think you're crazy.

Your eyes wander towards the open sea, seeing the birds glide over the water, how free they looked. The thought of being free sounded appealing, oh how you wanted to be one of those birds, flying across the water, without a care in the world.

But even you knew that in reality, those birds still needed to fight to survive, even they sometimes had to turn against each other.

You sighed, looking towards the road as you see small fish and bakery shops already opened and full of locals. A few minutes passed as the car turned into a car park. "We're here." Julie parked the car.

"You're not coming in with me?" You looked at her pouting a little as she chuckles "Do you want me to?" Your eyebrows furrowed, quickly grab your bag and open the door.

"No" You quickly answer and slam the door, feeling as though she was mocking you a little because you didn't want to do it alone.

"You don't need her Y/N" You tell yourself. "She's just like the rest of them. Just take advantage of the situation until your good on your own. Then let her go. She's just using you"

You make your way towards the entrance, going past the two waterfalls with statues of dolphins spitting out water. The glass doors opened as you enter, and you look at your watch, it was 8:57.

You walk in following the tunnel entrance towards the reception although you couldn't help but wonder where everyone was. Wasn't it opening today? Were you mistaken? You continue towards the reception, seeing a young handsome looking man in a suit typing away on his computer. You clear your throat and the man looks over at you.

"Oh, my apologies miss. We are not open today due to a technical issue, but we will be opening tomorrow at 7 am. Do you wish to make a booking early?" The handsome man looks over at you, his broad shoulders prominent. You glanced over at his name tag labelled "Kim Seokjin".

"Uhh, no thank you. My name is Y/N, Y/N L/N. I'm here for my induction." Your words came out less confident than you would have liked as you looked down at the floor.

"Y/N!?" You flinched, hearing your name being called. You looked over as another man in a black suit walked towards you. He was tall and had blonde hair, slicked back and styled. He held out a hand to you, "Hello, my name is Kim Namjoon. Julie told me so much about you." He smiled at you, displaying his two dimples on each side of his face. Just like the receptionist, his visuals were prominent.

You shook his hand, blinking a few times before realising, "You're... my boss??" you stammered out, his firm strong hands wrapped around your tiny ones. You have to admit, he was well built and his smile was to die for. He chuckled, letting your hand go before directing you past the reception and into the food court of the aquarium. You look back towards the reception, wanting to say goodbye to the receptionist but it was too late as Namjoon led you down the hall.  

As the two of you entered the food court, the room was wide, and it looked like a massive underground restaurant with fish tanks surrounding it. You have never seen anything like it.

"So, Y/N, as you might have guessed this place is quite empty at the moment, just a small a technical issue but it hopefully will be fixed in a few days" Namjoon leads you across the room letting you take a look at everything. You suppose that this is going to be your tour.

"Ah yes, so I've heard" Namjoon smiles while continue walking as you went past an enormous tank that looked like it connected with the other tanks. You glanced at his attire, classic black suit and tie with a white shirt underneath.

Namjoon had stopped and glanced around the room. "This is the food court, although most of the time when you are working you won't be needed here." It just had occurred to you that you didn't even know what position you'd be in. All you knew was that it was a job away from your mother and paid quite a lot of money. Julie was right, you are impulsive.

"So, what am I going to be doing here?" You look over at him as he continues to walk, heading towards another room with a big smile on his face, showing his dimples.

"Well, Y/N-"

"Namjoon! There you are, we have a situation..." A man with a white coat entered the room. He had a concerned look about him but as soon as he saw you it changed into a big smile and you couldn't help but want to smile back at him.

"Hello! My name is Jung Hoseok. You must be the new girl that will be working for us?" You looked at him and couldn't help but feel special as he gave you all his attention. Namjoon looked over at you while you smiled back at Hoseok, you dont know why but you just felt so comfortable around him.

"Ah yes... I guess everyone knows about me, huh" you shyly answered, suddenly finding the urge to fiddle with your earring. It was a nervous habit. "My name is Y/N L/N. It's nice to meet you" Hoseok smiled again before Namjoon cleared his throat, regaining our attention.

"Hoseok... Did you want to speak in private?" Hoseok's smile immediately dropped and he looked at Namjoon with a more serious expression.

"Yes, of course,  Regarding our technical problem, there is some important information you need to know." Namjoon nods his head and looks over at you. "Excuse me, Miss L/N".

You watched them walk out of the food court. You wondered what the technical problem was. Even the receptionist was vague about it. You sighed and took a seat at the cafe. You sat there staring at a fish in a tank. The food court was big and round. The walls surrounding it was just glass tanks, with one in the middle of the circular room, acting as a pillar. You sat in your seat quietly, your mind started to wander back to those callous hands that feel like they never left your body. You felt an ice chill, it petrified you. It felt like you were marked by death.  

You heard Namjoon and Hoseok walk in as you quickly stood up and pushed your chair in neatly. "Everything all sorted?" You press your lips together, trying to get that thing off your mind.

Namjoon looks at you curiously before frowning, 'I'm truly sorry, I don't think I can proceed with this tour. Something very important has come up". You nod, understandingly.

"No, No, I understand. Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I can navigate my way around the place." You take a glance around.

This place is way too big...

Namjoon looked over at you. "That won't be necessary, I have organised one of the staff members to come and give you a tour, you will be a trainer just like him. He will be mentoring you. His name is-"  

"Hello Y/N". His voice was sweet. Angelic, but not innocent. A sultry like voice that sounded like a whisper of temptation. You looked over your shoulder to see an elegant looking man with light brown locks walking over to you. His style was neat as he had black-skinny jeans and a white t-shirt, following by a Chanel bag. "My name is Park Jimin," the man said.

Damn the wage must be crazy then huh...

Namjoon sighed and looked at the floor, that was the second time he had gotten interrupted. Namjoon looked over at Jimin and then at you, before stating "This is your mentor".

Jimin looks over at you cocking his head as he smiled at you. "Come on, let me show you the place! Oh yeah, and you can meet Tae! He'd love to meet you." He grabbed your hand, locking your fingers with his as he dragged you out of the food court. "Goodbye Hoseok and Namjoon! Nice meeting you!"

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You sat there next to the water on the platform that stretches over the dolphin's tank. Jimin had taught you how to feed them and the different signals you can do with your hands. When you first saw Jimin, he seemed to like this neat good-looking guy that wouldn't work at a place like this. But here, now looking at him as he is feeding the dolphins with the biggest smile on his face, his hair fluffy and eyes glued to the water, he looked like he belonged.

"Jimin-ah!" you heard someone shout. Jimin stood up quickly and ran off the platform onto the concrete towards a tall looking man, well at least taller than Jimin. "Taehyung-ah! You are 3 hours late! You know you can't always get me to cover for you. You are lucky Y/N was there when I ran into Namjoon today, he for sure would have asked me about you. You know I can't lie to him!" Jimin and Taehyung walked back on the platform and you could finally see Taehyung features.

"Hi, my name is Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you" he bowed and smiled. His voice was low, that was the first thing you noticed about him. The second thing was his fluffy black hair and you suspected that he recently had a perm. He was soft in every way except he had this dominating presence that could be seen through his eyes. He smiled at you, his box smile making you smile.

"Hello! My name is Y/N. Quite late, are you?" You smiled, and he chuckled. "I swear this doesn't always happen." Jimin scoffed and you tried to hold in your laughter.

"Oh yeah, did you show her around yet?" Taehyung came and sat down on the platform. We joined him, watching the dolphins. Jimin looked over at you "Well we did look around a little, but we haven't been to all the off-limit areas yet".

This intrigued you, "Ooh, now I’m excited. " You spoke with enthusiasm and Taehyung and Jimin smirked at one another. Jimin looked your way "Okay so we can’t get caught there though, it's off-limits to everyone besides Namjoon and Hoseok."

You nodded, curious to see what those "off-limit areas" are. Taehyung sighed, "I don't get why it's off-limits. Those poor fishes all alone... No one to talk too..." Taehyung pretends to cry and puts his hands over his face before taking them off and smirking. You were confused about his comment.  

You look over at Taehyung. He was a character that's for sure. He seemed more carefree than Jimin. Perhaps he didn't like his job as much as Jimin liked it? You weren't one to judge though. You did, in fact, move away from home with barely any knowledge where you're going or if Julie was trustful. You were pretty carefree yourself. But thats because you feel like you have nothing to lose. 

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"Come on! Come on! Hurry up Tae." Jimin whispered loudly.

Taehyung was dawdling behind as you and Jimin were making your way downstairs in the back area of the aquarium. Towards one of the rooms  that were "off-limits". Jimin and Taehyung said they have been working here for years and they have a special key for one of the rooms down here. Apparently it came from the bartender that worked in the food court. Jimin said that the bartender had found it while cleaning and decided to keep it.

"Ah yes, the bartender... watch out for that one" Taehyung chuckled as you guys went through the door using the key. "What do you mean?" you answered, watching Jimin use the key on the door.

"Don't scare her Taehyung! It's her first day, I'm sure he will like her." Jimin sighed but smirked slightly as he opened the doors. As you walked inside you noticed the walls looked like they were made out of stone with little windows that revealed the ocean. There was a long hallway, the ground was made out of sand and as you went down the pathway you could see a moonpool of some sort that had fish in it.

"My little fishes! How have you been?" Taehyung yells out and Jimin shushes him.

"I can't believe this is down here," You say, getting closer the glowing moonpool. Taehyung walks past you, "well no one comes down here anymore. As we said, we have the key. No one has been in, so we figured we are the only ones who have a key to the place."

“But, like how is it here? Under the aquarium?” You wondered, sitting down next to the moonpool. 

“Its connected to the mountains. The aquarium is on the shore but the back of it is connected to the mountains that surround Taelin Shore and this just so happens to be here.” Jimin states, looking around it awe. 

Jimin smiled and looked over at Taehyung, "Its our little hideout but now I feel like it should be Y/N's..." Jimin smiled as he spoke, visably excited and leaned onto Taehyung. You suppose they have been friends since their childhood. You could have sensed it on them.

You gave Jimin a confused expression he looked over at you and handed you the key, "here". You looked at him and stood back. "Wait what? Why are you giving me that? isn't it yours?". Jimin shrugs and puts it in your other hand. "I was once new here as well. I know how it feels, sometimes you just want some peace and quiet." Taehyung then chips in, "It may not seem like it now but when it gets busy, it can be stressful. Besides, we haven't been in here for a while, we don't have any use for it.

You smiled, you did need this. With Julie at home and these two at work, you knew you're going to have your hands full. Just the other day, you wanted time alone... By the end of it, you fell off a cliff and nearly drowned. Perhaps this could be a place for you to be alone. Everyone needed a hideout, right?

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It was the end of the day and Jimin and Taehyung were finished giving you their tour. You were surprised that you felt so comfortable around them. Julie was right, the people here are different.

You stood outside of the Aquarium hugging and saying goodbye to both Jimin and Taehyung as they walked towards their cars to go home. You weren't planning to stay for this long, truth is your orientation ended hours ago. You just wanted to spend more time with them.

You walked over to the pillar at the steps, waiting for Julie to come to pick you up. You sat down on the steps quietly before hearing someone raise their voice as they were heading up the steps. You hid behind the pillar, sittiing there silently. Thankfully, they didn't see you.

You heard Hoseok's voice "You don't understand! We got him! We got him, you hear me? This is a breakthrough of the century! Do you know what we could do now that we have him? The possibilities are endless. This creature is-"

You heard someone interrupt. It sounded like Namjoon, "This creature is the only thing we have going for us right now so would you be so kind to stay quiet! I know you're excited, but we can't let anyone know about this, he's dangerous."

They both went inside. Leaving you to your thoughts.

Honk Honk

"Come on Y/N, It's late!" Julie yelled out from the car. You got up and grabbed your bag before running over to the car.

"I'm coming!"

Tags - @mjlock

AN: Tell me if you like it! 

- Minty ⚘

[imdifferentshadesofpurple]

from the Anchors & Arrows series A Siren’s Agreement : Part 1

Pairing: Mark Tuan x Reader Genre: pirate!au; sea faring!au; fantasy au 

Royalty was always meant for royalty.  Water or land, it did not matter.

Those that wore the crown were destined for each other. 

That’s what you tell Mark on the deck of his ship. You try to convince him that once there was peace. 

Loyalty and love.

The look on his face as the sun bore down on him and his men was not the face of someone who believed. 

And why would he? He was raised to kill creatures like you. And now one comes to him and says everything he’s ever known is a lie?

You wouldn’t believe either.

Which is why you’re now 50 feet under water, staring into the cold eyes of the Sea Queen.

You mother.

It’s no surprise she came to find you. The waters were not always safe and your people were extra cautious when they knew the Milo was out at sea.

“Please tell me,” your mother growled, “you did not dare do what I think you did.”

Silence.

If possible, her eyes glowed an even stronger red as she neared you.

“If you want him to keep his tongue, you’ll answer me child.”

Even though tied up in the strongest seaweed, Mark looked regal and haughty, as if he wasn’t being held prisoner at the bottom of the ocean.

“It had to be done. I apologize for my rash behavior but it was the only way and you are well aware of the circumstances Your Majesty.”

The hand on your cheek and the slap that follows surprises the Prince, you see it in his eyes as your head jolts violently to the side from the action. It stings, merfolk are not immune to pain, but it’s the flaring embarrassment that momentarily colors your pale cheeks.

Be strong.

You steel yourself fir what’s next, holding your ground as you face her once more. 

Your mother’s anger is boiling, water around her hot as she tries to reign her temper in. It’s just the three of you out in open water, the Milo unmoving above you as its crew members remain frozen in time.

When she had found you, she had sensed the magic and had come alone.  Unorthodox for a Queen but you know why, the reasoning behind the that decision. 

No one truly knew just how cruel she could be. How cruel she was.

Yes, she was an able ruler, one that thought of her people before even her own family. But beneath the strength and her ever wise decisions, there was a mermaid that burned like the sun with a heart filled with bitterness.

You were not her only daughter but you were the only one that would even dare to pull a stunt like this.

“I should chop off that tail of yours and leave you in the weed with your beloved prince,” she hissed. Pulling your face tightly between two fingers, she scowled and whispered, “You know critical times are right now Y/N. How could you even think about exposing your magic to a ship full of pyrates?”

The pain burned through you but you held your ground, held her gaze, until she let go.

“People are dying mother. Humans and merfolk alike. You know there must be a union. The magic must be passed in order for both species to survive. You’re sitting your throne just waiting for us to finally go extinct!”

She looked offended, backing away momentarily. “Waiting? Waiting? You stupid girl, I’m trying to fix our problem. I’m trying to save us without having to shackle ourselves to them!” She points at Mark, eyes wild. 

“You hate humans but we are destined mother. We cannot survive without them, and they us. We are running out of time.”

“So your idea was a Siren’s Agreement? Blood mixed with blood, a bond only broken in death. You give up your tail, your magic, and become a bride of a royal from the Empire for a year? That’s your freedom Y/N, the ocean.”

You turn to Mark and you watch him absorb the information your mother just disclosed. 

“A year does not compare to death.”

Your mother’s voice was sad. “Sometimes the year is death.”

Time is still frozen when your feet hit the deck. Mark’s crew remained unmoving, staring at the spot you both stood before disappearing. You take tentative steps forward as he examines his now suddenly dry garments. Your mother’s voice echoes around in your head until his breaks through.

“Explain to me what just happened.” You chuckle bitterly, “What, it wasn’t self explaining?”

“That was the Queen. Ruler if the ocean. And your mother.”

Your silence is all the confirmation he needs so he presses on. “You asked me, before she whisked us away, if I knew what a Siren’s Agreement was. Everything she said, was it true? The agreement includes you living on land as a human? A bride for whatever royal is willing to marry you?”

You wince at the way he says it but nod nonetheless. Your eyes meet his and your gaze hardens, “It would be a sacrifice I’d be willing to make for my people”

“And mine. Considering I’d be the royal in that little sentence.”

A beat passes. 

“Your mother is lovely princess.” “She is bitter,” you bite back, ”with good reason.”

“We are not meant to be friends, let alone spouses,” he replies, “my job is to kill you. You couldn’t possibly believe I’d accept a marriage proposal.”

You turn on him, “I know very well what your job is. But the magic gained in the union between our kind ad yours brings peace. It guarantees life. And loyalty.”

“Humans have peace.”

Time was starting to move, your mother’s magic ending. His first mate Eunwoo was freed first and his eyes widened at the sight of both of you. He moved quickly down the steps of the bridge, the rest of the crew reanimating. Your own magic moves through you as you inch nearer to the ship’s bow. Mark jolts forward as if to follow you into the depths, catching himself at the last moment.

“Humans have peace,” he repeats, just as Eunwoo reaches for his elbow. Your smile holds the same sadness your mother’s voice did, wind picking up and your legs returning to its shimmering tail.

“...then you’re not paying enough attention dear prince.”

And then you jumped, lost to the sea spray as the main deck comes alive again.

You don’t return home, can’t return and face her. Your plan most likely did not work and now you didn’t know what to do.

For now, you retreated to your sanctuary, a hidden spot in the outskirts of Ered you discovered when adventuring as a child. As the years passed and you grew older, you found yourself there more and more, the silence better than the self loathing at home. 

It held small trinkets of your youth, things collected from your time away from your family. It’s not like your own quarters in the palace but you feel relief when you settle on the ground, tucked away from your failures in the quiet beating of your own heart. 

You don’t know what your next step is, unsure if there even is a next step. You don’t even know if you can go home. Your siblings will have already heard of your treachery, no doubt exaggerated by your mother.

No, for now you catch your breath. Because as you lie in your hideaway, you realize whether or not your plan worked, you did the one things forbidden of you.

You gave a human more knowledge than any should hold. You told a human of magic.

The Milo reached Khotia quicker than planned, much to Mark’s dismay.

“At least there’s no fanfare,” Eunwoo grinned, stretching his long arms over his head. “If there was another parade, you would’ve sulked all through the feast.”

Mark would’ve replied with some crude remark but chose to only growl instead, shoving past him as he made his way down the dock.

He was back on land. And back to being a prince.

“Where are you going Your Majesty,” Eunwoo yells from behind him.

To Zemër.

Zemër, a tavern settled off the docks, was a pyrate’s favorite place to unwind once their feet hit solid ground. Run by Kiraz, a former Queen’s Guard, the four walls echoed with laughter, foul words and plenty of secrets.

The only reason it was still standing, besides the fact it kept the kingdom's unsavory in one place, was because Kiraz saved Mark’s sister one.

Sacrificed her sight but had the royal family forever in her debt.

It was too early for any real noise so when Mark entered, he was unsurprised to find her standing at the bar cleaning glasses. A waft of lavender and spices hit his senses as she turned towards him, snow white hair flying up with the movement. Her crimson lips curled into a grin as he sat himself in front of her.

“You are really early Your Highness,” she teased. Roux, her right hand man and in house giant passes just then, boxes piled high in his arms and a single nod sent his way.

“You know the Milo is quick,” he says, sending his own nod back tot he man as he disappeared around the corner. She tsks, shaking her head, enticing more of that scent his way. “Now you and I both know news of that siren has already reached shore.”

He clenched his jaw in irritation, “How far up shore exactly?” She shrugs, “Not far enough but it’s only a matter of time. The Mermaid Killer let a creature go free. Was she at least pretty?”

He thought back tot he encounter, back to your face as your mother’s hand collided with your cheek.

Yes, he thought. “No,” he said aloud.

“Learn to lie better Mark,” she replied, “I’m blind but your hesitation reads a mile away. I hope you can do better than that when returning home. Having feelings for a mermaid won’t sit well with your parents.”

“There are no feelings Kiraz, by the heavens. She’s a siren.” “...exactly.”

There’s silence, aside from the grumbling of a few leftover drunkards. And then, “You’re here for information.” He never came for anything else. He was only a pyrate out on the water. He slides his prepared payment her way, “I need to know the history of a mermaid’s magic.”

Kiraz inhales sharply, dropping the glass she held, the noise of it shattering bouncing against the inside of the tavern. Mark is surprised, she’s usually so terrifyingly calm, even more so when she grabs his sleeve and hisses to the back quickly, vanishing behind the curtain. 

When he emerges on the other side, she immediately turns on him, “She showed you her magic?”

He nods, cautious. “Not that willingly. It was in desperation. She wanted to know if I knew what a Siren’s Agreement was.”

“...you don’t. Or you wouldn’t be here.” “Kiraz, do not forget who you’re speaking with. We’ve done this dance plenty of times.”

She chuckles, bowing at the waist, “Of course Prince Mark. A Siren’s Agreement. Blood mixed with blood. And a year spent on land.”

Mark remembers the Sea Queen’s words. Sometimes the year is death.

“Why don’t I know about a mermaid’s magic?” Kiraz moves off to the side, cutting tape off inventory boxes. ‘Most likely hidden. There hasn’t been a union in years.”

“A union between a royal, mermaid and human.” “...yes. Long ago, a mermaid’s magic kept the land and sea prosperous. Trade was common, as was merfolk on land.”

He remembered your transformation, your legs.

“From your silence, I assume that’s how the creature caught your attention.” He didn’t answer so she continued, “It used to be harmonious. We thrived together. Royals from land and sea, joined in together and united in old, powerful magic.”

“Until?” She sighed, “A misunderstanding. Although, it depends on who you ask. Some not as kind as I consider it traitorous.”

“Traitorous.” “The Queen Aylin, wife of the great King Asriel. I assume you remember what your tutors taught you.”

He did. “It was a time of great peace. Their union brought the Empire together. It was said that the Queen’s kindness balanced, and tamed, the King’s temper.”

“And?” “And she bore six children before passing. The king was devastated.”

Her smile was discouraging.

“History lied. She passed, yes. But a mermaid’s magic is tied to the sea. And to the love they’ve chosen on land. Queen Aylin wished to return to the ocean to strengthen her magic. And she wished to take the children. She promised to return, for she loved her husband and her life in the Kingdom of Muiria, but she grew weak on legs and needed to grow strong.”

Laced with confusion, Mark asked, “But you said merfolk on land was common.”

“Ah, but she was royal. And Asriel was afraid she’d disappear, steal his heirs and the magic away into the sea spray. He grew paranoid, his council feeding his fears like a hungry beast.”

He knew in his heart what happened next. Murder. He killed her.

“...the magic didn’t pass onto the children?” When her magic died, so did theirs.

“The princess, the siren that appeared in front of me, she said I wasn’t paying enough attention when I told her humans had peace.”

“She’s smart, that creature. You can���t see past the bow of the Milo. The land is dying. The Empire is afraid. And you honestly haven’t noticed the receding water?

He hadn’t.

“Kiraz,” he said, determination coloring his tone. She grinned, “Yes, Your Majesty?”

“How do I summon a siren?”

You feel the summons, deep within your bones, as the water shifts around you. 

The magic calling to you is strong and for a moment, you think it’s your mother beckoning you home. When feet hit solid ground and the foam dissipates, you’re surprised to see Prince Mark and a woman you don’t recognize off to his right.

“Your Majesty,” you say calmly, honestly too tired to be on alert. You could only hope you hadn’t just been summoned to the sit of your own murder. 

“Princess. Kiraz told me you merfolk can only be summoned to a place if you accept the magic. So I’m a little...”

You sigh, “In all honesty prince, I thought you were my mother demanding I come home.”

He frowns, “You...she banished you?” “My mother is cruel but she’d never risk losing another child. So no, not banished. I simply have yet to return.”

“So she was pretty.” Your attention shifts to the unfamiliar female. Her stark white hair was free against her shoulders, past the small of her back. She was dressed in military style clothing, trousers tucked into long black boots and a form fitting but loose white tunic buttoned all the way up to her neck. Her fingers were adorned in all gold jewelry, rings of all sizes. Her red lips were curled into a smile and her eyes...

“I could be hideous,” you casually say.

Her laugh was loud, “I don’t need to see you to know you’re beautiful princess,” she bows, “Kiraz. Welcome to my establishment.

That name.

“Kiraz Brum. Famed warrior of the Queen’s Guard. You know, you’re a story we tell children to frighten them.”

Kiraz grins, “What an honor. I hope my name served its purpose.” “Children stay away from the borders of Khotia so...yes. I’d say it works quite efficiently. Now, if I could? Why have you summoned me? And how? How did you know the ritual?”

She shrugs, moving backwards to sit on a nearby crate. “The why is his department. The how? Let’s just say I picked up that little tidbit when I was still employed by the royals.”

You mirrored her action, sitting on whatever was nearest, which also happened to be a crate. “A story for another time. Well, Your Majesty? Twice in 24 hours is unique to say the least. What do you want?”

Mark, silent up until now, crossed his arms. “The last union between our kind was Queen Aylin and her human husband, the great King Asriel.”

You mood suddenly soured. “Great would be too kind an adjective.” “Would murderer work better?”

“Ah, I see. Kiraz has opened those eyes of yours. Yes. Your great King Asriel, deep within his own madness and paranoid, killed his queen. You see, a Siren’s Agreement is a partnership. Blood mixed with blood. To keep the peace, for the land and sea to prosper, a mermaid’s magic must remain strong. And to feed that strength, the time spent on solid ground must match the time in Ered. Each royal pair understood the terms of the agreement and continued to honor them until your great Asriel made it impossible for the merfolk to trust humans again.”

“The council convinced him she was a traitor taking his children and the magic he considered his,” Mark whispered.

He couldn’t believe it, not really. Everything he’s been told, been taught, to what end? Why hide history?

“Why not learn from those mistakes,” he asks out loud, “why enter into a war that they know will never end?

You watch him process the truth, watch his safe walls crumble around him. And for a moment, you mourn the last bit of his innocence that was slipping away.

“Not everyone enjoyed sharing solid land with the merfolk,” Kiraz reveals, “when Aylin died, the Empire saw it as a chance to return them to the Ered for good.”

Mark meets your eyes, “But something is happening now, that’s why you came to find me.” 

You nod, “The last of the  magic is disappearing. Both land and sea are suffering and will be beyond saving if you don’t join in the agreement with me.”

He frowns, “Why me? There are at least two princes in every kingdom.” Kiraz snorts, “But how many of those princes masquerade as pyrates six months out of every year since he turned 20?”

He glares and you can’t help but laugh, caching them both off guard.

“She has a point,” you hastily reply, “you know the water, thrive on it. Out of every prince of the Empire, I thought you’d be the best option to shackle myself to for a year.”

“Such flattery princess, what kind words.” “I do not want magic to disappear,” your tone growing serious, “merfolk and humans aside, the very foundations of our homes depend on it. I do not know about you dear prince, but I want peace. For everyone.”

The captain whistles, “Do it Mark, she’d be a better diplomat than you.”

Mark doesn’t reply back, just stares at you. Weighing his options before jumping into your crazy scheme. 

“The Empire would never allow it. You mother would never allow it.” “Then we skip the formalities. If you agree, right here in the storage room of a tavern, Kiraz can be the ritual’s witness.”

It’s madness and they’re both floored at the suggestion of a hastily done ceremony in the back room of Zemër but Kiraz speaks first.

“How do you know I know the ritual?” You shrugged, “I assumed. And I assumed correctly, yes?” “...I should stop underestimating you princess.” “A wise choice Captain Brum. Now dear prince, will you refuse my offer a second time?”

It’s all too quick, too hasty of a decision to be made without guidance. Mark knows what his family will do, what the council and people of Khotia would say. Things are not done this way.

But union to a siren, royal or not, was not done at all.

Not to mention his freedom as captain of the Milo. Was he really ready for a year of life on land?

“How do I know this isn’t a trick,” he challenged. “Oh by the heavens,” Kiraz started.

“No, you’re right. For a moment, I forgot our people are enemies. The outer fields of Khotia, just north of the small village of Dimelor. You’ll find the proof you’re searching for in order to believe me. It’s less than a day’s ride for two horses if the captain here wishes to join you. Once you’ve seen, you know how to summon me again.”

Mark’s jaw clenches, eyes narrowing. “And if you’re lying?”

You magic moves around you, shifting you back to your original form. The air smells of sea spray and before you’re deposited back into the Ered, you answer his last question.

“Then dear prince, you can have a princess’ tail.”

Dimelor rests nestled in the mountains, surrounded by green fields and humble homes. The smallest village in the kingdom, it grows produce which is shipped in bulk to the citizens of the main city.

Mark’s mother, the Queen Elinia, spent springs visiting the workers and their families, ensuring not only the health of the fields but the health of their caretakers. Sometimes, she’d bring Mark and he’d play, getting lost in the tall grass. The outer fields were large, housing the bigger vegetables and the man in charge, Lucien Elidior, always snuck treats to him as a boy.

They hug when Mark dismounts his horse Nova.

“You look well my prince, welcome.” Mark smiles gently at the aging man before him. “As do you Lucien. It’s good to see you. You know my associate, Kiraz Brum.”

“Captain,” Lucien replies, bowing slightly. Kiraz grins in return, bending slightly at the waist as well.

“Now what brings you all the way out here?” Mark starts his walk down tot he fields themselves. “I need to see the fields. Shipment is soon as I recall.”

Lucien’s demeanor changes suddenly, his cheery disposition becoming nervous. Mark senses the change right away, noting Kiraz does as well.

“Something wrong Lucien?” The caretaker seems distracted, eyes darting every so often to the bend around the corner.

“Lucien?” His attention snaps back suddenly, “The shipment was early my prince! There’s no produce to oversee. I’m sorry you and the captain came all this way for nothing.”

“I’m blind but even I know you’re lying Lucien,” Kiraz relies smoothly, tucking her hands into her coat as she steps around them both. Lucien tries to intervene but Mark catches his wrist, “Whatever you’re hiding, as your future king, you must tell me.”

The older man looks guilty but nods, following close behind the two. Kiraz is quick on her feet, rounding the bend and getting full view of the fields. When Mark hears her frantically call his name, he picks up his speed before stopping completely in his tracks.

“By the heavens,” he whispers, astonished.

The once lush green fields were barren, weeds in place of towering grass and patches of dry land where fresh produce once grew dotting the area as far as he could see. He couldn’t believe his eye. He remembered what it once was, the beauty that stood before him every time he came to visit. 

“It’s gone Kiraz, she was right,” he turned towards Lucien, “how is this happening? My parents...”

“They are aware Your Majesty,” he replied. “It started a week ago, slow decay from the northwest corner of the fields. We sent a report and your mother ordered us to harvest whatever we could and quickly.”

“Do we know why this is happening,” Kiraz wonders, even though she’s well aware of the magic and its steady disappearance. 

“We are unsure captain. The early morning workers noticed dying vegetables and before we knew it, we were losing almost half of our usual harvest.”

“The other villages,” Mark inquired, worried about the response. “Unaffected for now.”

Thank the heavens.

“My prince,” Lucien slowly began, “you should know. You were never meant to see this. Your mother made it clear you were not to be told.”

“Just me or all her children?” “...you alone.”

Curious.

“Kiraz, head back to Zemër.” “And you?”

“I need to have a word with the Queen.” 

He loved the palace growing up.

While others saw it as a soaring epicenter of power, to Mark it was home. 

Safety. Family. 

But as his 20th birthday approached, he found his home stifling, as if someone had sucked out all its air. The pressure was immense, especially being the eldest boy. His sisters were safe from the responsibilities of slaying mermaids. 

He lived and breathed it.

After his first kill, after returning home a murderous hero, the four walls he had come to love felt like they were slowly closing in. He spent time training off site, missing meals to sweat out his frustrations instead. Alongside Eunwoo, childhood friend turned right hand pyrate, he became at home on the waters of the Ered. His parents never questioned it, his mother’s only complaint besides his safety was how often he found himself away. 

Walking up to them now, regal on their thrones, he wondered what they’d say. He wondered if they’d defend themselves. 

“My boy! We heard you docked early and was curious to know when you’d show your face.”

His father King Laith was a strong man, not necessarily in stature but in every other way. Graying hair didn’t dim his bright smile, nor did it stop the charisma from overflowing. A deadly combination during negotiations. Mark smiled, letting himself get wrapped up in a hug. He threw his arms around the King’s shoulders, spying his mother still atop the dais. From her calm demeanor and calculated smile, he knew she was aware of his quick trip to Dimelor. His suspicions were further confirmed upon seeing Atlas, her peregrine falcon and spy, land on a nearby ledge.

When the two men broke apart, she comes forward, seeping motherly love.

“There he is, safe and sound.”

He lets himself be embraced once more, taking in her scent of lilies and orchids, eyes closing for just a moment.

“Hello Mother.” She smiles, this time a true mother’s smile, kissing his cheek. “It’s good to have you home. Your absence was felt, your brother would much rather spar with you than his aging father.” They laugh at the King’s expense and in moments like this, Mark feels like he’s home again.

The way home once was.

“I miss the Ered already but I cannot wait for my bed. The rest of our overbearing family?”

“Your sisters took a trip to Liaven and should return within the week. And the youngest is off in Muria for two more days overseeing the newly commissioned weapons for our army. We’ll be reunited soon.”

Mark nods and before he knows it, the King is whisked away to meet with the Council and he’s left with his mother and her damn bird.

“You’ve seen the fields.” It wasn’t a question.

Right to the point then.

“Why hide that from me?” “Who’s hiding? You’ve been at sea for almost a year. Getting messages to you is difficult. Plus, agriculture is not your concern.”

“When I am King it will be. And I’ve made aware you gave the orders to purposely keep it away from me. So I’ll ask again. Why?”

Her eyes are cold as they turn towards him. “If we’re in the habit of answering questions, you’ll answer mine first. You’ve never, in 7 years, let a siren go. And now one roams free instead of being spear headed to the deck of the Milo.”

“That wasn’t a question mother.” “Do not test me.”

He’d answer her, truly, if he only he himself knew the answer. Why didn’t he kill you?

“Feelings for a siren will get you killed.” “So will hunger if our fields remain barren.”

A servant arrived then, reporting that the Queen was needed. Good, he had grown tired of this conversation. 

“The crops will be taken care of. You’ll be back on the water soon enough so don’t let yourself get worked up over it. And as for the other issue. Find it. Kill it. Do not be weak now.”

Disappearing around the corner, Mark released a pent up sigh, shutting his eyes to try and stop a growing migraine. “Useless,” he said, the word echoing in the emptiness around him. His mother knew something but would sooner sacrifice Atlas than tell him. He knew it had to do with the magic and it wouldn’t surprise him if his mother knew all the deep dark secrets of the past.

But there was one that would tell him. The Queen would be furious but things were becoming more urgent the longer he was home.

“Mother is livid,” your sister says when she finds you wandering around. 

You had returned home after meeting with the Prince and Kiraz, avoiding places your family could corner you. You forgot that your youngest sister was annoying enough to find you anyway.

“I’m sure she is.. .And I’m sure she’s told you tall tales of  my adventures. But I’m too tired to answer all your burning questions Cathia.”

“Only one question. Was he handsome? They say he is, for a murderer.”

That stop you in your tracks, water growing silent around you. 

Was he? Handsome? It’s not like you were really paying attention. You were preoccupied with more pressing matters. Thinking back, you dig into your memories, pulling a visual of the Prince forward.

Strong build. Dark hair. Striking eyes. He didn’t smile in your presence but you assumed it wouldn’t be all that terrible.

“You could say that,” you casually reply, swimming forward. Your sister follows, looking utterly pleased, “Oh my, very handsome then. You’re blushing Y/N!”

You frown, palm against your cheek, “That is absolutely ridiculous Cathia. He is the Mermaid Killer. I did what I did to save our people, to save magic. Without a union, everything as we know it will die.”

“Wait. A union? What in the great Ered are you talking about?”

Surprise colors Cathia’s features as she pulls you to a stop to face her. “Mother said nothing about a union to that murderer!”

I guess she didn’t tell them everything.

“You have nothing to worry about, Mother stopped anything from progressing. And he shot it down anyway, I am a siren after all.”

You hoped that was enough to appease your little sister but you should’ve known better. Her expression turned irate, “You make it sound as if you simply proposed a union to a random individual and not the human responsible for most of our people’s deaths. The magic might be disappearing but I’d rather disappear into the mist than have you shackled to him.”

“I’d rather live. Mother also disagrees but alas, I made my move. There’s no reason for everyone, everything, to die. A year on land is a sacrifice I can make. If he had accepted.”

Cathia is about to strike back with a rebuttal when your blood runs warm, ceasing any words in your throat. You feel it, a steady thrum in time with the beat of your heart.

I’m being summoned.

Your sister couldn’t here once the ritual was complete, whisking her to wherever the Prince was. You became momentarily frantic as you felt the pull under your skin.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” you quickly say, “just leave me be for now, I beg you.”

You can plainly see in her eyes she has more to say, biting her lip apprehensively. You’re hoping she drops it, almost shouting in relief when she agrees and makes you promise to return home safely. 

“And don’t you dare do anything rash,” she scolds. You could almost laugh.

“I promise. Now go on, I’ll be fine.”

It’s when she’s finally out of sight that the thrum is at its strongest, taking you away in the current and out of the Ered.

Mark’s grandmother, the former Queen Freya, lived high up in the Thelorian Mountains, away from the main court and the royal family.

He could still remember cllimbing the very same steps he was now, small legs trying to keep up with her as she ascended quickly. Freya was the only royal that supported the idea of siren equality, living in peace with other species. Her beliefs were considered radical, whispers in court starting up behind her back. Soon she retired to the mountains, commissioning a home away from judgement in and out of the palace.

Being out on the sea kept him from her much more than he would like, the journey to see her even father than the outer fields of Dimelor. 

“If you mother discovers you’re here, she’ll have headaches for days,” his grandmother yells, hands on her hips as she stands at the top of the stairs.

He grins, sprinting up the last few steps and into her embrace. “You’re not as in shape as I thought you’d be Yien,” she teased.

“We both know you’re in much better shape than all of us combined năinai.”

She pinches his cheek, “Flattery will get you nowhere boy. Tell me why you’ve come to see an old woman up in the mountains.”

She takes his hand, grasping tightly as they walk the path to the main house. Built under the cover titanic wisteria trees, Freya’s estate spanned most of the upper hills, the flattest parts stable enough to build upon. It was created to ensure the former Queen’s safety and comfort, away from the citizens that didn’t share the same views.

Tea was waiting when they arrived, liquid steaming as his grandmother beckoned him to sit. “So. Something has happened. What’s going on?”

“Năinai, what do you know about Siren Agreements? About a union between our kind and theirs, a joining of magic?”

Freya eyes her grandson. “You finally know about the fields.” Mark’s eyes widened, “You know about that?”

She laughed, “I might live up here like a recluse but I was once Queen. And many still follow me. Of course I know things. The question is, what do you know?”

“I know things have been hidden from me. And I know taking a siren wife may save our dying land.”

“...marriage? My dear boy, a union doesn’t need to be matrimony.”

What?

Freya sits back in her chair disregarding her tea. “A union between a siren and a human is a Siren’s Agreement, yes. Blood mixed with blood, a joining of magic. The siren must spend the minimum of a year on land in order for both lands to prosper.”

“But Queen Aylin and King Asriel had children.” “ Yes, six. But not all unions result in children. Aylin, after her year, realized she had fallen in love, and vice versa. Hence, a wedding. If you’re to join in such an agreement, it doesn’t mean gold rings on your fingers.”

Which means I can still be out at sea. I can still captain the Milo.

“How is it you know so much?” She chuckles, “A Queen must be aware Yien. Just because I’m up here and everyone down there has forgotten what sirens have done for us, doesn’t meant I have to as well.”

“Forgotten? What do you  mean?”

With a sigh, she crosses her legs. “Your tutors taught you nothing then. Truly. The real history they kept hidden so people would hate a species that were once our allies. Listen closely dear. Sirens are strong and yes, they can be dangerous. But once, a very long time ago, we lived peacefully. The land and the sea were thriving in harmony. When one needed help, the other came to their aid. A partnership. Love. Friendship.”

Birds chirped overhead, filling the silence between them both. Freya watched her grandson filter through the overload of information, a pensive look on his face paired with a frown set between his brows. 

“Sweetheart, why are you here? Or rather, how are you here? How did you come to be aware of all this? You, the famed Mermaid Killer.”

He scoffed with a hint of a smile, “It’s a bit of a long story. Which I think I’ll just show you to save some time.”

Her brows rose in surprise, “Now you’ve got my interest piqued. What do you need me to do?”

You’re high up in the mountains once the smell of the Ered dissipates. The sun is bright and warm against your skin as your tail transforms into legs. You squint, hand coming up to shield your ace as an astonished voice rings out behind you.

“By the heavens. Mark, she actually appeared.” You rise, on alert even in front of a familiar face. You’re hesitant, keeping a bit of distance.

“It’s alright princess. We won’t hurt you. May I present, the Queen Dowager Freya.”

The elderly woman next to him bows, “Welcome to the Thelorian Mountains Your Majesty.”

You bow as well. “Queen Dowager. I’m aware of your efforts towards peace with our kind. It is truly appreciated.”

She smiles, “You look like your grandfather.” Shocked, your heart skips. “Y-you knew him?” “Mmmhmm. He was a brave siren. And loved you deeply. His death was...hard.” “Yes, I dear say it was.”

You shake away painful memories and address the Prince. “You summoned me again which means you’re either going to kill me or...”

“The Dimelor fields, how did you know,” he asks, halting you mid-sentence.  “Magic. Always magic. You saw it then, your crops dying.”

He nods gravelly, “Yes. Barren fields where there was once lush green. It was unfathomable to comprehend.”

“You understand then, the severity of the situation.” “I’m beginning to understand everything. Which brings me to my next point: why did you tell me a Siren’s Agreement was marriage?”

You smile knowingly, “Why dear Prince, I never said anything of the sort. You assumed it was a marriage. Has it become appealing to you, marrying me?”

His cheeks color and his grandmother can’t help but let out a breathy chuckle. “Don’t be ridiculous princess, I made an assumption, that’s all. Like your mother said, being ‘shackled’ to me would be hell.”

“You’ve met the Sea Queen.” “Unfortunately,” he mumbled. turning to her.

She addressed you, “Is she still surly and stubborn?” “When was she not?”

The Queen Dowager laughs. “Minthe always believed the sirens were better off on their own. Her hatred of humans runs as deep as their hatred of her.”

“She has a valid reason.” “Yes, sadly she does.”

Your walls fall a bit, there’s something about the former Queen you feel you can trust. She senses it as well and smiles warmly. “My grandson called you here to accept your proposal.”

That takes you aback and your head swivels towards him, “The union? You’re agreeing?”

He reaches and scratches the back of his head sheepishly, “There’s things to discuss but...yes. For the good of our people.”

“I thought what you cared about most was captaining the Milo.” “My ship isn’t more important than my people, no matter how much I love the sea.”

“You said there were things to discuss.” He straightens in a very prince like manner. “Yes. If we are joined, even if it isn’t a marriage, I will treat it as such. And what’s mine will be yours. You will be safe on land for the year you are there. I know not of the ways things once were. But I accept your guidance in the things I must learn, if you accept mine.”

You blink once. And then a few times more. “That’s very mature of you, Your Grace.”

“I can be...when the occasion calls for it. Do you agree? Or have anything to add?”

“Not really. I’m just waiting for the part where you tell me how we’re going to tell our families. I assume they’ll be present for the joining.”

He doesn’t reply, exchanging a simple look with his grandmother that speaks a thousand words. You know what it means, you share similar looks with your siblings when your mother isn’t paying attention.

“We have no plans of telling our families. Your grandmother will be our only witness and my first appearance in front of the royal family of Khotia will be on legs.”

“I have a beautiful Khotian gown you can wear,” the Queen Dowager adds. “This is rash. Insane. Crazy. Unprecedented.” 

Mark laughs. “More rash, insane, crazy and unprecedented than showing yourself to a ship full of pyrates?”

Ugh, he does have a point.

You purse your lips but say nothing, instead turning to a more authoritative figure. But as if she read your mind, Freya simply throws her hands up. “I have no objection. I’d be happy to be your witness. And I will personally be there to hold your hand as you present yourself to Khotia.”  

“And might I remind you,” the Prince butts in, “you were just fine with the idea of hastily done ritual in the back room of Zemër, with Kiraz as the witness.”

“That was before you actually accepted. I didn’t think the great Prince of Khotia would join in a union without his family’s knowledge or presence.”

His grin is smug, “I am unexpected princess.” “Which means I should expect more of the unexpected.” "Exactly. So?”

You weighed your options. Just like your idea to board the Milo, this was a bad idea. There were too many obstacles and yes all this started because of you. You, who wants to save the sea and land, even with everything stacked against you. Now, you had a prince willing.

Now, something can be done. And both worlds don’t have to burn.

You meet the prince’s eyes, the question lingering there in his irises.

“So...a union then?”

It wasn’t a grand affair. Not that either of you thought it’d be.

The ritual was simple, albeit with a bit more blood than you remembered it needing. The Queen Dowager had tears in her eyes as she blessed the union, hugging you both at the end.

There was no kiss, no stares of affection, simply a handshake between you both. There was an understanding in Mark, a new look that washed over his face when his blood mixed with the magic. He was made of it now, his soul linked to the sea in a deeper way than being a captain.

He had wondered aloud, without even realizing it, “Does it always feel like this?” “Always,” you had replied, your own magic thrumming warm within your cold siren veins.

Freya offered a meal, the first on you had on land, and discussed what happened next.

“The transformation is quick, 24 hours until I trade my tail for legs.” “What of your family,” Mark asked in between bites of his food.

“I’ll say my goodbyes. They can’t know about the union before I step on land. My mother is strong. She can undo the union with her own magic and it will painful.”

“...painful?”

His grandmother chimes in, “You are joined now my boy. Blood mixed with blood remember? Undoing that will be like ripping apart your very soul.”

He swallowed, “Sounds like something we’d like to avoid then.” You had laughed, surprising everyone, before you quickly recovered and told them you’d be back the next morning.

Your  goodbyes were quick, but not as hasty, as to avoid suspicion. You didn’t know whether or not to be upset about the fact your siblings couldn’t feel the urgency in your hugs, as if you’d be back that night. Your mother wasn’t around, attending to matters of the sea. A part of you wanted to wait but you could feel that thrum of magic, scales prickling like human skin.

You were back on land before the 24 hours were up, holding tight to a bundle to clothes and towels as Freya led you to a room in her massive home.

“It will be an adjustment but I am here if you need anything. Do not hesitate to call for me.”

“Mother believed in handling things on your own.” Her smile was gentle, “There is nothing wrong with asking for help, Your Grace. We are family.”

Family.

“Thank you Queen Dowager, I will do my best to remember that.” “Oh my dear girl, I told you. Family. Queen Dowager is too formal. Năinai will do just fine.”

Your heart started to beat strongly for a moment. “...năinai?” “Grandmother. Now get some sleep my darling. Tomorrow, you shall be introduced to the world.”

Tomorrow. Tomorrow everything shall change.

“You’re nervous.” “Sweaty palms is a symptom of being nervous?”

Mark chuckles, adjusting the collar of his very prince like gold studded military jacket. “Yes. Sweaty anything is a symptom.”

“Then yes, I’m nervous. And I don’t enjoy sweating either. Human reactions are odd and frankly, disgusting.”

He’s grinning at you as your fingers fumble and you feel the crushing weight of the gown Freya loaned you. He’s surprised that you’re nervous, if he’s being honest. He’s only ever seen you stoic and strong, rarely letting any other emotions overtake you, a side effect no doubt of being raised by the Sea Queen.

The young woman sitting next to him was different, as if time on land was slowly transforming her.

Or she’s becoming more comfortable?

He decides to do something a little rash, taking your clammy hands in his. You’re alone in the back of the carriage carrying you to the palace, unmarked as to keep attention away, so he doesn’t worry too much about the gesture. You freeze for a moment but allow the comfort, taking a deep breath as your eyes follow the scenery outside the window. The ride seems an eternity and the silence between you both is adding to the nerves already threatening to overtake your whole self.

“Tell me about your family. What should I expect?”

He started running his thumb against yours absentmindedly, like his own mind was suddenly a million miles away. “They’re regal and serious when the occasion calls for it. My father is charismatic, kind. Mother is stern, protective. She will be the hardest to win over. My younger brother is adventurous. Full of mischief. My two older sisters are funny. Gentle. But cautious. A curse of being the eldest and female. I love them dearly.”

“The deck of the Milo would tell a different story.”

He smiles a bit, “I love them dearly. It’s the crushing responsibility that takes me away to the sea. I’m the oldest male.”

“And now shackled to a siren.” He’s still smiling. “Ah, yes. And you’re shackled to the land.” “Only for a year. Remember, the magic must remain strong.”

“Do I get to throw you back in the ocean like a goldfish? We should make a ceremony out of it, invite the whole kingdom out to the docks.”

You narrow your eyes, lifting your joined hands and bringing them back down against his thigh roughly, hitting him with the underside of his own hand.

“You throw me like a goldfish, I’ll drown the Milo.”

His scandalized look causes an eruption of chaotic giggles within the carriage before it rolls to a stop and there’s a knock at the door. The nerves hit you at full force and your mouth shuts, killing all noise.

“We’ve arrived, Your Majesty,” a voice rings out. “Oh by the heavens,” you whisper.

His hand is still in yours, giving it one more squeeze. “You’re going to be fine, don’t fall apart on me now. You’re royalty too. Breathe and let’s do this.”

There was a surge of confidence running through you as Mark rapped on the door, swinging open a moment later.

To your surprise, Freya appeared at your side. You knew she’d keep her promise to come but the relief at seeing her came at a bit of a shock.

“Are you ready, my dear?” Her smile was comforting, her finger entwined with yours calming your racing heart.

“No,” Mark suddenly said, adjusting his sleeves with a smirk. “She’s sweaty.”

You shove him before Freya pulls you both along to the side entrance of the palace. Servants start to stare and the walls echo with their whispers. The Queen Dowager leads the trio, your arm around Mark’s. Every step brings you closer in and you want to appreciate the four walls of the towering Khotian palace but suddenly, someone calls Mark’s name and you are faced with the entirety of the royal family.

You’ve been by your mother’s side atop a dais as she commanded her subjects. She was intimidating so you can clearly remember the looks your people would wear as they approached her.

You’re sure you’re making that same face at this moment.

The members of Mark’s family all wear identical looks of both curiosity and mild amusement. Except for his mother. The Queen of Khotia’s gaze alone could cause water to boil. Your grip tightens, wrinkling the fabric of Mark’s jacket. His fingers clasping over yours is an odd relief, balanced you as you made your approach.

“Mother?” The King’s voice was laced with confusion and what you’d later recognize as fear. Fear of his mother or wife, you’d never know.

“Hello, my darling. It’s been some time since I’ve graced these halls. Elinia, as radiant as ever.”

The Queen’s smile did not reach her eyes.

“Mark, this is unexpected. Who is...who is this lovely young woman?” Your breath catches. She wasted no time zeroing in on you. Mark seems completely calm next to you, ginning as if everything isn’t about to change.

“Unexpected indeed by joyous nonetheless! Mother, father and my dearest siblings...may I present Y/N...”

You brace yourself.

“...princess of the Ered. Daughter of the Sea Queen.”

The throne room seems to grow cold as ice as his words are processed by those in front of you. His grandmother seems amused but you’re waiting for the explosion.

“What in the heavens did you just say?”

Ah, there it is.

A/N: oof this one was a monster. It would’ve been longer but I figured, I don’t know, maybe ending it here would be a bit of fun. I have the very last line of this thing written on a sticky note in the notebook I wrote all of this down in. I wanted to go all the way but I realized I had other parts of this collab to write. So now I can leave it up to your imagination. And once this gets posted, I’ll post that last line and it can add to your thoughts of how it would’ve played out. She’s lengthy but I hope you enjoyed. Onto the next one. xx

[wingsonghalo]

Until Death (Do Us Part)- a HanaNene fic

MY FOURTH FIC IS UP! This one is about... well, I’ll let these screenshots from Discord say it all.

I mean, after that, how could I refuse?

Title: Until Death (Do Us Part) Pairing: Hanako/Nene Rating: G Wordcount: 3,190 Summary:  “The thing is… we’re… you and me, I mean… we’re kind of… married.”

Apparently, swallowing the mermaid scales did more than just give them a bond.

Incredibly minor spoilers for the Picture Perfect Arc! Also available on: Ao3 Support me on: Patreon | Ko-fi

This one is super short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!! Thanks to the HanaNene Discord server and to @kittykatz009​ and @ittybittytoostormy for the enthusiasm and support!

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Until Death (Do Us Part)

“You are outmatched, School Wonder!” the beastly apparition snarled, rearing back on her fuzzy hind legs and preparing a powerful downward slash. “I have the experience! I have the strength! I have—” She cut herself off with a shrill yelp, and turned to look behind herself.

“...A tail?” Hanako finished for her, holding the bushy appendage in one hand like a huge fuzzy rope and grinning at the wolflike supernatural. “Yes, you do indeed have that. Unfortunate. Very easy to grab.” Nene wasn’t sure how he’d managed to get behind the wolf so fast, as he’d been in front of it mere moments before, but she guessed that unpredictability and cleverness was what made him such an effective fighter.

“LET GO OF ME!” the werebeast roared, twisting around and swiping her claws at him.

“Gladly,” he replied, using the tail to vault himself onto her back, and then shouted over to where Nene stood: “Yashiro! The scroll, now!”

“R-Right!” she squeaked, unfurling the cursed scroll that had started all this nonsense. What words was she supposed to chant for this? The adrenaline pumping through her veins was making her thoughts all disorganized!

“YOUR LITTLE MATE CANNOT BEST ME!” The supernatural abandoned her efforts to throw Hanako off her shoulders in favor of turning her attention to Nene. She loomed above her, all dark gray fur and glowing yellow eyes and teeth the size of Nene’s thumb. Nene took a step back, wondering whether screaming and crying or running as fast as she could would be the more effective course of action. “A living girl, bound in matrimony to an apparition? What a ridiculous notion,” the werebeast said. She made a low noise in her throat, a kind of rhythmic rumbling snort, and it took a few moments for Nene to realize that she was laughing at her. “You think I’m scary? He’s the monster, tricking you like that!”

Nene had no idea what this furry jerk was on about—had she said matrimony? Matrimony as in marriage?!—but it wasn’t important right now. What was important was remembering this incantation or whatever it was!

“Yashiro!” Hanako shouted, throwing his arms around the beast’s neck in a choke-hold. She thrashed and tried to yank him off of her, but he held fast. “Wax and wane!”

“Oh!” Nene exclaimed, suddenly remembering the words.

“No!” the apparition protested, garbled voice urgent with panic and still trying in vain to shake Hanako off as he held her still. “Don’t!”

It was generally a bad idea to heed pleas like that, so Nene held the scroll high in the air and chanted as loudly as she could:

“The blood-red moon will wax The silver Wolf will rise Rend the prison before the wane And shatter its disguise!” With this, she tore apart the parchment with all her might, ignoring the agonized wail of the giant creature. The werebeast fell to the ground and writhed around, her body dissolving into massive puddles of shiny black ink and leaving the school grounds eerily quiet.

Hanako lifted a foot off the ground, watching ink drip off his shoe. “Ew,” he remarked.

“I thought I was dog food!” Nene whined, finally letting herself sink to the grassy ground. Her legs, splayed at the knees beneath her, didn’t feel up to supporting her anymore.

“Good job with the scroll, Yashiro,” said her companion, floating above the pools of ink to hover at her side. His Hakujoudai had transformed him back into his typical school uniform sans cape. “I’m glad you were able to remember what to say.”

“Thanks to your hint, yeah.” She smiled up at him. “That was more excitement than I really wanted out of my Monday night, though...”

Hanako’s eyes appeared to glow in the moonlight, which cast a vermilion tint over everything rather than the usual silver due to tonight’s red moon. “Sorry. This was our only chance until about two years from now, when the next red moon occurs. Thanks for coming out here so late.”

“Sure thing,” she replied, accepting Hanako’s extended hand and letting him pull her back to her feet. Her fingertips tingled where they touched his. “I mean, it’s not like I could just let you fight a cursed scroll-werewolf by yourself.”

He hummed, not letting go of her hand. “I wouldn’t have been able to even touch that scroll, so you being here meant that we could put that apparition out of commission for good, instead of just subduing it like every other time.” Smiling fondly at her, he placed his free hand on her head. “We make a good team.”

She returned the smile, pleased at his appreciation, but something still nagged at her that she wasn’t ready to close the book on just yet. “Hey Hanako-kun,” she said, her eyebrows knitting.

“Hm?” He dropped both his hands down to his sides again, eyeing her curiously.

“That supernatural…” Her hands were free again now, too, so she smoothed them over her skirt a bit anxiously. “She said something I don’t really understand.”

Was it Nene’s imagination, or did he already look a bit cagey, casting his eyes around instead of looking at her? “Oh?”

“She, uh...” How was she supposed to phrase this? It was so awkward! “She called me… your mate?” Her voice had trailed off into a squeak, and she fidgeted with her fingers anxiously.

“Did she?” Hanako’s voice had shot up into squeak territory also, and even in the dim lighting Nene could see how his face had flushed.

“Yeah,” said Nene, “and then she said… we were ‘bound in matrimony’ or something? Wh-What…” She glanced up at him, but only for a moment, quickly deciding that looking down at the grass was more comfortable. “What did she mean by that?”

A silence hung heavy in the air between them, interrupted only by the chirping and buzzing of nighttime insects.

“I have no idea,” Hanako finally said, though the statement had gone up in pitch at the end like it was a question, so Nene didn’t find it all that convincing.

“Hanako-kun,” she said sternly, putting her hands on her hips.

“Okay, okay,” he sighed, hanging his head. “I’ll...” Anxiously, he ruffled the hair at the back of his head, unwittingly putting his hat just slightly off-balance. “I’ll explain as best I can, but please try not to get too mad at me, okay?”

Well that was never a good preface to an explanation. “I’ll try,” she said warily.

He drew in a deep breath, and then blew it out, snatching his hat off his head and holding it in front of his chest, almost like a shield. “The thing is… we’re… you and me, I mean… we’re kind of… married.”

Nene stared.

She stared for such a long time that her vision blurred, and then she blinked three times, but the image in front of her did not change, so she blinked about eight more times.

Again, nothing changed.

Nene was still standing a foot apart from the supernatural who had just claimed to be her spouse.

“Wh...” was all she could force out, but then her voice failed again, so she just left it at that.

“It was the Mermaid Scale,” Hanako started up again, evidently encouraged by Nene’s lack of violent response. “Sharing the Mermaid’s Curse with another person does more than just give them some common ground. It binds their very souls together. Intertwines their fates. Makes their destiny… one.” He chanced a glance up at her, nervous and timid and maybe a little sad. “In the eyes of all supernaturals, at least, we’re…”

“Married?” she breathed, and when Hanako just nodded, she stumbled on nothing, knees suddenly weak again. Was the sky spinning? It felt like the sky was spinning. Also, it was at least 5 degrees hotter out here than it had been a minute ago.

“It—It doesn’t mean anything,” he insisted, waving his hands around frantically. “It was the only way I could think of to save you from life as a fish, and I just, I couldn’t tell you because it was so ridiculous, and it’s not as if it’s legally binding or anything—”

“It’s not fair,” she murmured, her hands tangling in her hair. “It’s just not fair…!”

“I’m sorry!” He took a step toward her, his voice pleading. “I know it’s not fair, and I regret that I couldn’t do anything else for you! I know I’m not—”

“I’ve been married all this time and I never even got to be proposed to?!” Nene wailed, interrupting him. “What kind of bullshit is that?!”

All of Hanako’s words died instantly, and he gaped at her soundlessly for a few long seconds. “Wait, that’s what you’re upset about?!” he said when he found his voice again.

Her hands balled into shaking fists. “Why don’t I even have a ring, Hanako-kun?!” she demanded.

Both his hands were raised defensively. “I really think you’re freaking out about the wrong thing here!”

“Yeah, yeah, I could be mad at you for basically marrying me without my knowledge and then never telling me,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “But come on, Hanako-kun! Getting proposed to is every girl’s dream! Getting married is my dream! And then it happened and I didn’t even know?!”

“I don’t understand anything,” the apparition muttered, scrubbing a hand through his messy hair.

“Listen here,” she said, taking a few steps forward and jabbing her index finger into his chest. “I’m not mad at you for doing what you did with the Mermaid Scale, because I know you were just trying to save my life. I’m not upset that you bound us together, because I already knew that part anyway.”

“Ow, cut it out, that actually really hurts,” Hanako whined, catching her hand in his own and holding it still.

“What makes me upset,” she went on, locking her eyes onto his, “is that you let me go all this time without telling me about any of it.” Her eyes felt moist, but she refused to let herself cry at a time like this. If anything, staring down the werewolf had been the appropriate time to cry this evening. “Did you just not think it was important or something? Do I mean that little to you, that something like this just isn’t even worth mentioning?”

“No—No, of course not!” he exclaimed, gripping her hand tighter. “I just, I knew you’d be angry about it, and it doesn’t really count anyway, so I thought—”

“So you admit it: it ‘doesn’t count’ for you,” she interjected. “Just like your little ‘good luck charm’ didn’t count, and your confession didn’t count, and your asking me out didn’t count…!” Her vision swam, and she used her free hand to rub away the tears before they could fall.  

“I, I don’t—help me understand, Yashiro,” he begged, wide eyes filled with questions. “You’re talking like you want all those things to count or something.”

“I do!” she shot back, stomping a foot. “When are you going to get that through your head, dummy?!”

And then, because she was probably still a little high on adrenaline, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before pulling back again to glare at him.

Slowly, then, the realization of what had just happened washed over her. Heat prickled all over her face and neck like a sudden allergic reaction. She couldn’t meet the eyes of the boy who was staring at her in utter shock, the boy she was apparently supernatural-married to, the boy she had just kissed—

But he was quicker to recover than she was, and pulled her against his chest. “That one didn’t count either,” he murmured before kissing her properly.

They made this one count.

The pressure was gentle, but just firm enough to let her know that he had absolutely meant to do this. She tightened her hold on his hand, still trapped between them, and tilted her head, accepting the gesture and reciprocating it. It was shy. It was affectionate. It was a little bittersweet.

It was not enough.

Nene made a noise of protest when he began to pull away, moving forward to capture him in another kiss. Through every touch of their lips, she communicated to him how much she had wanted this, how much she wished they hadn’t wasted so much time, how much she—

“I like you,” she choked out when they parted, foreheads still leaned together. “I really, really like you, no matter how much I tried not to.”

“I… I’m still kind of amazed you’re not angry at me,” he confessed.

“I am pretty angry,” she told him.

“Oh,” he said nervously.

“I mean, what if I’d gotten a boyfriend?” She took a step back and placed a hand on her hip. “I’m sure that would have been a fun conversation! ‘Sorry, I really like you, but I’m actually married to someone else!’”

“W-Well, I mean, it’s not like such a marriage would be recognized by mortals anyway...” He rubbed the back of his head again sheepishly. “So you wouldn’t have actually had to tell anyone anything if that did happen...”

Yeah, it was kind of a longshot to imagine Nene getting a boyfriend anyway. Plus Hanako never let any boys get close to her to begin with… which suddenly made a little more sense. “Hey wait, you said ‘not recognized by mortals,’” she realized then, tilting her head. “Does that mean supernaturals recognize it, then?”

He bit his lip, and avoided her eyes. “Yes.”

A questioning eyebrow shot up. “As in, they see it as a legitimate marriage, or as in they literally can see our bond visually somehow?”

He hung his head now. “The second one.”

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight.” She paused, and folded her arms. “Every supernatural we’ve ever interacted with, from the mokke to Tsuchigomori-sensei to Mei-chan, has known that we are in effect married, but I did not?”

“Would it help if I told you that I explained the situation to most of them?” he asked, cringing.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED TO ME!” she roared, and Hanako almost dropped his hat in surprise. “Sheesh! How can they tell anyway? Is there like a red string invisible to mortals or something?”

“Well, yes,” he said, “but also… in the case of our werewolf friend tonight… a lot of them can...” Trailing off, he jammed his hat back onto his head and cleared his throat. Nene waited. “...smell it,” he squeaked eventually.

Nene blinked. “Smell it?”

“Yeah. Now that we’ve both swallowed a Mermaid Scale, we have a similar scent, or like, a similar feel...” He shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. Basically, our presence is the same now, too.”

“I smell like you now?!” What did that even mean? Did Hanako even have a particular scent? The only thing she’d ever smelled around him was the lemon cleaning fluid she used to clean his stupid bathrooms and, occasionally, when he indulged in them, the sugary scent of glazed donuts.

“O-Only to more animal-like supernaturals… like that wolf, or—”

“Yako-san,” she realized, and then sighed, her shoulders slumping. “No wonder she always acted so disgusted with me...”

“Sure,” said Hanako. “Let’s say it was that.”

Nene didn’t know what else to say, so she just sat on the ground again, and after a few seconds, Hanako (her husband, Hanako—seriously, what was happening) joined her. “It, um… you know this doesn’t have to change anything, right?” he asked her. She looked over questioningly, and he rested his crossed arms on his knees. “Just because some curse says we’re…”

“Married,” she supplied.

“Right,” said Hanako, “that… It’s not anything you or I really chose, and it doesn’t have to affect anything between us.”

“Hanako-kun,” she said flatly.

“Yes?”

“Did kissing you not get my feelings across well enough?”

Even in profile, in this dim lighting, she could see his ears turn pink. “Um…”

She heaved a sigh, and then leaned back on her hands, looking up at the dusty red disc in the sky. “I’ll say it like this, then: If I had to get accidentally married to someone without my knowledge… I’m really glad it was you.” She caught the movement of Hanako yanking his hat down to cover his eyes in embarrassment, so she reached over and snatched it off his head, popping it onto her own. “Stop hiding from me,” she told him.

He was not taking her advice, and had plopped his face into his hands. “...it to go at all,” he muttered.

“Huh?”

“This isn’t how I wanted it to go at all,” he repeated, finally uncovering his blushing face. “I wanted to tell you about it, but I decided not to until I could also… say other things.”

She tilted her head at him. “Like what?”

“Like…!” He locked eyes with her as if trying to communicate with those alone, but then let out his breath in a whoosh and looked up at the sky, leaning back on his hands as well. Nene wondered if he was looking for guidance from his beloved stars. She’d seen him unsure plenty of times, and reluctant to open up even more frequently. But right now, he was trying the best he could to say something that was really hard to say.

So she reached over to cover his hand with her own, offering her support. “Whatever it is, I’ll listen,” she told him gently.

After a moment’s hesitation, he turned his hand over to hold hers. “You… no one has ever been so important to me. Not in life, and not in death,” he started. “But I guess I’ve said that before, haven’t I? Or something like it.” Nene didn’t answer the rhetorical question. She just watched him quietly. “You make things feel… normal. Like I’m allowed to laugh and have friends even though ghosts don’t do that. Or… I thought they didn’t.” He fell quiet again, so she squeezed his hand to encourage him. “I can’t… no, I wasn’t supposed to be able to love,” he concluded in a voice just above a whisper. “But you keep making me… do all these things I thought I couldn’t do.”

He still hadn’t said it. Not really. But Nene knew what he was trying to say. “I love you too,” she murmured, and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Tenderly, his thumb stroked her knuckles, the simple touch sending tingles of sensation sparking through her whole body. “Yashiro...” he said, but let her name trail into silence.

“What?”

“If you really want to be married to me so badly, I expect an elaborate proposal before I’ll consider saying yes,” he quipped. She shoved him, and he laughed.

“What were you really going to say?” she pressed him, a smile still lingering on her face. The stars were winking above as if sharing in the joke.

He just pushed the hat off her brow enough to brush a kiss against her forehead. “Not much,” he assured her. “Just… thank you.”

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Next HanaNene fic up... sometime!! soon!! Hope to see you then, and thanks for reading <3333

[h2ojustaddmako]

My Thoughts After Re-Watching Season 2

Hiya everybody. Sorry for the long times between posts. Working two jobs and keeping a social life, while also trying to sleep, eat healthy and get hydrated is taking a toll on this account. Bright side is, that because of the whole Corona situation, I might spend a lot of time home soon. So head-up, another headcanon/theory is coming this week, but just to break the hiatus, I decided to write today.

Every now and then, I decide to re-watch one of the three seasons of the show, just so I could have something to fill my time. So, recently I decided to watch season 2 again, and, as I like, pick up on some details, ideas or thoughts I didn’t get during previous binges. I’ve watched this season, like the others, around four or five times now since release, maybe more - and yet I’m still genuinely surprised at the things I notice or realize every time. So I figured I might turn it into a list of the good, the bad, and the plain interesting.

This list is in no particular order, I just write my thoughts as they go.

1. I am still BLOWN AWAY by how good the writing is on this show. It may not be an Oscar-winning script, but for a teen show of the early 2000′s it’s amazingly deep and well thought of, from every angle. That what makes my theories so fun to make, because they planted so much information throughout the shows that I genuinely enjoy picking out details and information from it.

2. To go into more depth, I really enjoyed all the different storylines they brought in throughout the 26 episodes. Look, twenty-six episodes is a lot for a TV series. Most shows release around 10, since long storylines are hard to follow and are easy to get messy. But while they added so many side stories (Max and the original mermaids, Ash and Emma, Cleo and Lewis’ breakup and Charlotte getting in between),. each of these stories merged with the main plot so well, and actually added depth to the story, making it more complicated for the characters, and more interactive for the viewer.

3. While the main focus for the season was the Cleo-Lewis-Charlotte  relationship, both Emma and Rikki had their romantic paths taken as well. But unlike season 1, where the couples fought for screen time, this time those relationships were put to the side in favour of the main plot, which made them more slow-paced and interesting to watch. I enjoyed the fact that Emma and Ash stayed in the dark throughout the entire season, and that Zane only appeared when he was needed. Both are good characters, but not needed every time.

4. On the other hand, Cleo and Lewis’ relationship was handled very maturely all through the season. From when they dated, through the post-breakup, and all the way to managing being friends, the relationship was very well looked into and explored.

5. Might be a side thing, but I loved that Ash was actually figuring out something was off about Emma. One of my favourite lines by him was, “You realize none of this is natural. But you already knew that.” (Ep. 26) Mostly in shows like these, the character either never questions the weird occurrences around them, or the curiosity fuel the storyline (like Zane in season 1). The writer really wrote out of pure logic and not out of plot requirements, and I dig that little detail.

6. This one is felt throughout the entire show, but was most dominant during this one. The show is not about mermaids at all. This is written as a show about three girls and their coming of age process, and the things they have to deal with, one of them being turned into mermaids. But it’s far from being the only problem these girls have, and it’s showing when some episodes really struggle to squeeze in scenes of the girls in their tails for pure rating, even when the plot is not in need of any mermaid action. The girls have a very full and normal lifestyle aside from being mermaids. They go out, go shopping, have other friends, work, study and fail, deal with personal issues at home or with partners. The tails are just another part of their lives and I love it.

7. Episode 23 is a turning point for Charlotte’s character arch. I’ve spoken greatly before about how I feel like Charlotte is seen in our minds as the “bad guy” while she was a nice character most of her time on the show. And she was! Up until episode 23 when was never trying to hurt the girls. She may have acted out of jealousy before towards Cleo, but she was insecure and worried about her boyfriend. What should she think when her boyfriend spends a whole lot of time with his ex and fails to explain to her exactly why? The show did a great job showing the point of both sides in the argument between the girls and Charlotte, and showed the entire process of how their relationship turned into what it was.  A lot of ego, assumptions, and false worries, and a lot of unfortunate events. Episode 23 was really a turning point because that’s where both sides of the fight were really right in different ways, things that led Charlotte to want to go on her own, and the girls to stay away from her. Charlotte acted the way she did because she felt like the girls were treating her badly (which she was wrong about sometimes, but they too hold the blame, mostly Rikki). From episode 24 and on, she started acting as the “bad guy” the show built her to be, and even then I can see her side. But enough on that.

8. Lewis is hot. Idk what’s up with Charlotte’s eyebrows.

9. One thing that feels off every time is how quickly Lewis started dating Charlotte. I don’t blame a guy for moving on quickly, I do find it weird that during the post-breakup from Cleo, he not only protected Cleo’s respect and jealousy by not flirting with any other girl, but also didn’t really seem like he was into Charlotte at all. She was a good friend at the beginning, then Cleo got in the middle, and for some reason, Charlotte did her best to rub it in Cleo’s face that she wants Lewis. But he never, for once, showed interest back until Cleo gave him permission to move on, and all of a sudden they’re dating. What I'm saying is that Lewis never seemed to like Charlotte romantically, like she liked him. So that was weird, they just never felt right together.

10. The reason Charlotte mastered her powers so quickly, at least in my eyes, is because that a) she had the girls to explain her at least the basics, and b) she didn’t put herself into a box of ‘this is what I was given’, bc she wanted to be better than Cleo at every cost. Her will power helped her master her powers. While the girls dealt with learning their boundaries and abilities and adjusting into the new life they got, Charlotte learned about mermaids before her transformation and knew what she was getting into.

11. The show never shied away from real-life issues, that may be considered inappropriate or harsh to the audiences the show is targeted at. Handling with divorce (and the outcomes of it!) and parents starting dating again (true story, Cleo’s way to handle with Sam’s introduction into her father’s life helped me cope when my mother started dating men a couple of years ago), while also showing signs of LGBT references (Nate mentioned people think Lewis is gay, in other words) or even sexual harassment and consent (both when Rikki was mad at Zane for kissing her against her will, and when Ash’s apology to Emma when he believed Lewis thought he was trying to have sex with her/spy on her showering, which to remind y’all, she was 16 while he was 18). It’s so brief I never noticed it before, but once I did, it was hard to miss.

12. And lastly, I just love how this show treats science. So much real life and true scientific information is included in the lines of the story, mainly by Lewis, but also by other characters like Will, Cleo, Lowrey, Max and Dr. Denman. When they wrote the entire base to what mermaids are and how they exist, they didn’t care it was a show for goddamn 9-year-olds, and that what makes it so interesting. If you’re not into science, let me tell you that every scientific blurb or word you hear on the show is 100%% real and makes sense within its context. From talking about marine biology, to referring to mermaids groups ‘pods’ (which is a group of marine mammals in scientific terms), to the science of “magic” and mermaids as a whole, the show knows what it’s doing is within the realms of possibility from a scientific point of view, meaning none of it is real, but it could be, in another life.

Anyways, if you have anything else to add, feel free! This is your list as it is mine. I just really love this show and I wish people appreciated it the same way we do. When I tell people I like this show they remember it as just another kids TV show, and it’s so much more than that.

Hope you’re having a great day, be safe, and wash your hands (just not in front fo people, keep the secret safe!)

Until next time, maybe not as far as you think. xx

[palmett-hoes]

since the first step in achieving your goals is to state them aloud, here's a list of aftg fics/ au s that i'd like to write some day

- pre-canon fic from aaron's perspective spanning the twins' first meeting till they're drafted by the foxes and graduate high school. i'm increasingly enamored with aaron as a character as well as with an outside perspective of andrew's actions and i think it would be very interesting to look at the foundation on which their fraught relationship is built and first developed

- even more pre-canon fic. andrew's early life in foster care. yes, we all know about the most... gruesome things that were done to him, but i believe that there is plenty more that has affected and shaped him, especially in relation to my interpretation of andrew as an autistic poc. this would not be a happy fic.

- anastasia au. neil as anya, andrew as dimitri. possibly a plot amalgamation from both the animated movie and the stage show, with changes as i see fit. (no, neil is not the prince of russia). what i find most compelling about this au is the story of neil and andrew as childhood friends and then the angst of having andrew, as an adult, teaching an amnesiac neil how to act like a noble while being convinced that neil is an imposter. good shit

- art school/dance club au. the foxes attend the palmetto school of art at prestigious edgar allen university. they're considered the school's charity cases, and they are NOT friends. andrew is a studio arts major with a concentration in sculpture who works in the campus coffee shop in the mornings and frequents night clubs that employ pretty boys in the evenings. neil is attending college completely on his father's dime, PROVIDED he study what his father wants, despite his desire to study dance and music. going crazy without an outlet, neil takes a secret job as a go-go dancer. look. this may slightly possibly be a result of me having planned to party hardy this summer, then having my plans ruined by the virus :c

- 1950s High School au. the 1950s aesthetics fucking rock even though the 1950s fucking sucked. kinda wanna tackle both. plus, andrew already has that james dean bad boy fast car appeal

- an exploration of mary and nathan's relationship and history. i get that neil's parents are both super taboo and both really really awful people, but i have questions and i want to answer them

- neil never returns from baltimore. in order to keep his deals, permanently, andrew kills riko and tetsugi, and gets over 20 years in prison. when he gets out, he just wants to be alone, but it seems there's a ghost haunting him. this was conceived for MAXIMUM angst, no getting around it. i got the idea from a badacts fic and it has haunted me ever since

- post-canon sexuality exploration fic. i have a real passion for quality sex education and healthy experimentation, and neil very clearly didn't get the chance for either. yet at the end of the books he finds himself in a very intense sexual relationship. i just really want to give him the opportunity to find out how desire works for him and what he likes, on his own terms. i read a lot of fics where neil's desires seem to be completely dependent on andrew's initiaton, and while i do believe that andrew is the only person neil is attracted to and will ever be attracted to, i also want to explore how his sexuality manifests on its own. the vibe i'm going for is, uh, HornySweet (tm), but also with a lot of genuine eductional material. i want this is to be something that offers real information to its readers that may have been inaccessible for a lot of people, on topics like like sexual hygiene, maturbation, and sex toys in a non-fetishy way. this will be very very E rated, but like,, in a very earnest and goofy way because sex and sexuality is neat and cool but it's also not all serious perfect fucking. it's just,, a topic that deserves to be DISCUSSED

- mobster au. andrew, having never met aaron, takes a job for the moriyamas to track down a runaway asset. Neil. upon completion, they make andrew the butcher's apprentice, and pull neil back into the fold as a commodity rather than a person. lots of violence, lots of shady underground dealings, lots of plotting, lots of secrets.

i'm gonna put some more under the cut, ones that i don't feel as strong a drive towards right now or that i haven't thought as much about. if you (yes, YOU) like any of these, or are interested in any of these, or wanna hear more about any of these, or are even inspired to write something yourself by any of these please, PLEASE, say something in the notes, or send me a message, or an ask or anything. ANYTHING. i am stuck inside, all the time, and i am so, so lonely. i answer from hoob-gooblin

- princess bride au. come ON. princess bride is one of the most romantic AND most snarky movies of all time, and andreil literally invented love and devotion sooooooo it's a perfect match. "yes or no" vs "as you wish" kings of consent and communication and unconventional love declarations. also,, he may not be how I imagine andrew, but a young cary elwes in dramatic black pirate getup is DEFINITELY a valid andrew

- hozier au. sometimes,, i listen to an album, and imagine a fic that encompases the whole thing. nothing speaks louder to me than hozier's discography. (also, yes, i am gay). maybe a little bit inside llewyn davis. neil wanders through a small town and takes up some small jobs, but sings his heart out through twisted metaphors once a week in a hole in the wall bar staffed by a very short, dead eyed veteran

- prince and the pauper au. on a stealth recon mission in enemy territory, andrew encounters a local lord who happens to have his face. in a moment of desperation to save himself from arrest, andrew knocks the lord out and assumes his identity. he returns to the castle just in time for prince moriyama to arrive with a shifty-eyed, red-headed handservant in tow. lord aaron of columbia, meanwhile, wakes up on a ship manned by crown traitor and fugitive kevin day, calling him by a name he's never heard before, and then he's in the hands of the guerilla rebel forces that have been attacking the kingdom. i watched barbie princess and the pauper as a child and that movie fucking slaps

- little mermaid/beauty and the beast/bride of the rose beast/ladyhawke au. in a last ditch attempt to escape his father, neil trades his voice and his tail for legs and washes ashore on a small kingdom with horrible secrets. because he cannot speak, read or write, prince aaron employs neil to serve the monster in the catacombs, the prince's twin brother. the twins are under a curse that turns them into terrifying monsters, andrew by day and aaron by night. aaron's affliction is a secret, as is andrew's humanity. this is such a hodgepodge idea lol. did neil also have to be a mermaid for this to work? no. is he? hell yeah

- new york private school/twin swap au. aaron wins a scholarship to a prestigious school that will guarantee him a future, but then he relapses. convinced he just needs a little more time to get clean, he makes a deal with his volatile new brother, andrew, to stand in for him at the school just until he can his shit together. neil and ichirou moriyama have been raised together their entire lives, always under the knowledge that ichirou will inherit the family empire with nathaniel as his right hand. they hate the idea, but they have no way to escape, and now neil is being harassed by ichirou's bitchass estranged brother at their stupid, fancy private school. LISTEN, we as a fandom do NOT take enough advantage of the twin swap possibilities presented to us. pathetic

- post-canon fic where ichirou, realizing that the life of a mob boss is a lonely one, decides that he needs... a friend. however, because of the nature of his work, he can't just make friends with anyone, so he decides to make friends with neil. without consulting neil first. cue a lot of very weird, very awkward coffee dates where neil is convinced he's about to be disposed of, and ichirou just wants to know about his cats. the thing i like about ichirou is he’s a complete blank slate. i can make him a good guy, a bad guy, an ally, the Big Bad

- Kill Bill au. mary survives a bullet to the head and wakes up from a coma over a year later. with nothing left to lose, she sets out to single-handedly dismantle the wesninski circle. good thing she used to be its top assassin

- single dad andrew au. except look, look, stay with me here, okay, aaron is his son, and he's adopted nicky and kevin. LISTEN. STAY WITH ME. JUST THINK ABOUT IT. tbh the idea comes from my interpretation of the andrew/neil/kevin dynamic as distincly parental, then extending that interpretation to andrew's protection over the rest of his family.

- fashion au. andrew is a fashion designer and photographer who frequently works with allison reynolds. one day she brings around a short, twitchy assistant who looks like she just plucked him out of an alley. somehow, he becomes andrew's muse. i watch a lot of fashion competition shows

- ghibli. either howl's moving castle (andrew as sophie, neil as howl) or spirited away (?). maybe both idk

- legally blonde au. legally blonde is so good guys

[kurtty-drabbles]

Postwoman au (Part 4)

N/A: This all AU begins thanks to a cute comic of a postwoman sending letters to mermaids. So...we´ll get some action here. Also, I think Kitty and Krampus will have more time to bond and for Kitty to feel comfortable with him...like in Model verse. Well, here we go.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @djinmer4 @bamfoftheundead @muninandhugin

Getting the hangs up of any new job is something one takes time-yes, time is a bit relative, some bosses expect you to follow the flow of the company since yesterday and show no compassion, except, platitudes towards new workers- and even in a society where magical creatures, mutants, and humans can co-exist in peace. The only truth that is irrevocable is how society still works in a capitalist mindset. And the magic community is no different. Kitty arrives for her new day working for Krampus. The succubus secretary now is bestowing a more sporty look- too similar to that famous feminine soccer player everyone seems crazy about it- and has no regard for Kitty.

"Still room 23," she says without care or looking into Kitty´s eyes. Kitty can label her as rude. "Go, I´ve things to do" and Kitty will be glad to go but if she can confront a Krampus, well, she can confront a rude secretary.

"Look, I get you may not like humans. But I´m working here now...can you try to be less bitchy with me?"

"No, darling...I´m bitchy. And I´m even more bitchy because my last date turns out in failure. The man wanted to date the real one" she points at her looks "instead of me...and the rules prevented me to do anything against him"

"And...are you hungry?"

"No, just salty. And don´t worry, if I was hungry. Santa and Krampus wouldn´t let me in...I have my fill don´t worry. But my ego on the other hand..." and well, that´s enough of personal information.

"Well, even so. Don´t snap at me. I´ve nothing to do with your problems...got it?" she said looking at the succubus´s eyes firm and the creature shurgs off now doing her nails.

Well, at least, she´s not planning to eat me.

And with that Kitty uses her key and is now in room 23. All the while she wonders if she is respected here- "Am I a pet human or I really work here?"- and Krampus is there. In his desk folding some papers and now his golden eyes meet with her brown one. "I can feel your questions...Kitty, ask away then" and she has no time to fear- truth to be told, she fears but is too brash to let the fear sink in- and without further ado. She makes her questions.

"How do you know a person truly deserves to be punished? Yes, you show me...there´re bad children out there" Kitty amends before she was forced to see those crimes again. Sometimes, children can be needlessly cruel and Kitty doesn´t want to face that.

Krampus snaps his finger and a mini-version of himself bamf into the desk. Kitty would find the creature cute if it wasn´t by the fact this creature works for Krampus. The little creature is gazing at Kitty-titling his head and speaking Bamf as its only word for communication- and is waving his tail.

"They do the job for me. They´re my eyes. So to speak. They´re called Bamfs" he looks amused either at the said bamf or to the fact Kitty is caressing the said bamf´s head. -gingerly touches. His fur is like velvet and Kitty has to wonder if anything if Krampus´s fur is really soft as the bamf- and she speaks again. "Ok. They spy for you. But...still, errors can happen"

"Not in my profession. Not on my job. You see, I have more eyes than you can imagine. Wind spirits, faes, and sometimes even Gods keep me update on who is naughty and who isn´t. Also, sometimes, a person is naughty but I can´t interfere"

"Why?" and Kurt/Krampus come closer and has a sort of malicious glee in his eyes. "Me and Santa are your bosses. But we have our bosses as well...and sometimes, mortals are punished by them...and trust me, they´re way worse than me" and Kitty won´t back down.

"Ok, what´s the point of your torture? I mean, you´d not seem a sadistic type" Krampus is somewhat amused by this line. "if you were, you would have tortured me a long time ago. So, you aren´t torturing people just because..."

"True, I´d torture people and give the chance of them to change. Remember Katzchen" he drawled out. "I´m responsible for revenge. I seek out those who committed terrible deeds. I´m not after innocents"

"And how many people have changed after, uhm, everything?"

"20% of them. Some can change. Some humans have the chance to turn the new page and be a better version of themselves...while others...will rather die than admit faults"

"What if you try to take someone who is close to me?"

"I wouldn´t" and Kitty thinks is because some contract or law established. "All your friends have a pure soul and are sinless. I have no reason to go after any of your friends, family, and even some people you see daily. They all are good souls Kitty...just like you" he concludes. Those words sink in.

"I´ll not kill for you" not a question. A fact. Krampus is not bothered by that.

"You´re not here to help torture others nor to kill. So, of course, I wouldn´t ever ask this to you. Anything else?"

"Why Galaticus indicated me?"

"Ok, that I can´t answer. Look, he never did that in the past. If he indicated you...he has his reasons. I can feel you´re afraid. I´m a bit afraid too...again, Galaticus never indicated anyone..." the man swallows hard and now the bamf is cuddling with him. "this is new to me too"

Oh...I never thought about this angle.

"So, since we´re working together...let´s get along. This is new to us, but, we´re here now" Kitty concludes and maybe her curiosity is satiated for now.

(Not really. She has no idea what Krampus is. And she is not sure if she can just ask this to him- wouldn´t that be rude?- she vouches to do some research more deep research about her boss)

"Do you have more questions?"

"For now? No" and Krampus seems more amused- too extrovert. Not what some movies portray him to be- "I have a mission for you. Say, do you know about the Little mermaid?" and before Kitty can answer. "Not the Disney version"

"Yes, a very depressing story" Kitty interjected. "Why?"

"Well, I have something I need you to deliver to the sea witch" and with a snap of his fingers a purple box materialized in his desk. "I need you to return this to the witch. She made me a favor a couple of years ago...and I´m now paying" and Kitty looks between the box and her boss.

"Krampus, I can´t breathe underwater"

"I know...do you know Neverland?"Krampus asked grinning. And Kitty is quick to quips.

"Isn´t that place where Peter Pan lives? The man is facing some big sues and did some serious crimes" and she eyes Krampus who only shurgs in response. "Not every crime is dealt with me, Kitty, and yes...he did those crimes, but, anyway...the Sea Witch likes to hang out in the lakes of Neverland with all her entourage of mermaids." and if Kitty thought this would be an aquatic adventure. She´s wrong.

"And how is the Sea Witch? I mean, how she looks like?...I´m guessing she´s not like Disney"

"Correct and don´t mention that version to her. She hates it. Her name is Ursula, by the way, but, even if you didn´t know her name...she has two different colors in her eyes. One is green and the other is blue. That´s the signal of a Sea Witch" and adds just to make his point come across. "And is really, really rare. She´s not happy that Disney made her a villain or made her ugly...her words, not mine. She´s one of the prettiest mermaids in the court and has magic"

"Will she sue Disney?"

"She has magic but she´s not that powerful"

"Ok, not going ask what´s inside"

"Well..."

"I SAID I´LL NOT ASK WHAT´S INSIDE"

And using her key she´s gone. Krampus almost pouts. He was looking forward to sharing this story with someone.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Neverland is just like Kitty imagined. And the mermaids are just like Kitty imagined to be. Pretty ladies -unashamed of everything else. Tits out. No shame- and as Krampus mentioned, it was easy to located Ursula- what Kitty has to deal is to talk with pretty ladies and deliver the box. No big deal. She can do it.

I can do it. I can do it.

Stepping on the rocks in the pond where the mermaids are Kitty speaks. "I´m working for Krampus...he has a delivery to you" and shows the box and Ursula grins wide and the mermaids- who may or may not have thought in prank Kitty. Now, change their sentiments to be more friendly- and Ursula hugs the box as if her life depends on it.

Kitty does not wish to know what is inside.

"Thank you. I was waiting for this for a long time. Please, let me reward you" and the mermaids took her cue and are making a necklace to Kitty- a token of their gratitude. If Ursula is happy. They´re happy too- and once-promising is just a necklace and not a curse ("dear, cursed necklace are out fashion years ago")- Kitty accepts the necklace (seashells and aquatic flowers she never heard before) and manages to talk with the mermaids.

"Now that Peter is arrested. We rule Neverland...and those pirates hate that"

"And the animals?"

"Ah, the unicorns don´t care...as long we don´t bother them"

And now the box is delivered and Kitty has a good relationship with the mermaids("come to visit us, Kitty, we can talk more") Kitty uses the key to return.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Happy hour with the boss was never something Kitty was counting, but, alas her boss wanted to take her out to celebrate ("the mermaids don´t like messengers so easily") and offers to take her to a nice coffee shop- once she made clear she doesn´t like go to clubs- and Kitty is wondering if Krampus works in the law of the fae.

"Uhm, Krampus..."

"Kurt, my name is Kurt...and we´re outside the working place. You can call me Kurt...well, you can call me Kurt anytime you want. Call me Krampus is just as if I call you human"

Oh, he has a point.

"Ok, Kurt"

"Say, Kitty, I have some question for you" and Kitty decides to buy her coffee and cupcake before he could do it. Even if he´s not a fae...she doesn´t like men to pay for her stuff.

"Ok"

"Are you married?"

"Not sure how this has to do with anything...but, my first boyfriend propose to me. I rejected him. I´m not interested in marrying"

"Kitty, what you wanted to do with your life?"

"Live well"

"Do you fear me?"

"A little...but I think is all because how new this is to me"

And Krampus smiles.

"Think we can be friends?"

"Maybe? I´m too introvert, you seem to extrovert but hey, some of my friends are extroverts..."

[trashinaglass-archive]

Costars

Tom and y/n star in Disney’s love action film

Request: Could you do something where Tom and the reader is going to be a Disney Princess (Snow White maybe or Beauty and the Beast) in a new Live Action Disney film and Tom is playing the prince

A/n: I don’t remember enough about Snow White and I don’t want to make Tom the Beast so I didn’t do those two, hope that’s okay. Also wasn’t sure what direction you wanted this in so it’s press interviews and stuff.

I did The Little Mermaid because Tom could totally be a Prince Eric.

“Please welcome our next guests, who are in the new live adaptation of The Little Mermaid, Tom Holland and y/n!”

You waved as you and Tom both walked on stage to meet Jimmy Fallon. You sat on the couch closest to the desk while Tom sat next to you. You smiled as the crowd’s cheers died down.

“How are you guys?” Jimmy asked, looking between you two.

“Doing great,” Tom answered and you nodded to agree.

“How are you?” You asked back.

“I’m fabulous,” he told you with a smile on his face. “Now, you two are in this new movie, The Little Mermaid. Ariel and Prince Eric, right?”

“Yeah, I’m Eric,” you said pointing to yourself. Everyone laughed at your joke before Jimmy began to speak again.

“What was it like filming this? Being a real princess?”

“And a mermaid!” You reminded him. “It’s like every little girl’s dream- to be a mermaid and a princess. I mean I already am a princess, but the affirmation is always nice.”

“Tom, you played Spider-Man also. What was it like going from superhero to a prince?”

“It was so different. Going from that suit and these pajama things to actual suits and nice clothing was great,” Tom began to answer.

“And you could actually go to the bathroom,” you joked quietly to Tom making him laugh and reiterate your sentence.

“Yeah, in the trailer, the outfits look incredible. Did either of you take any of it home?” Jimmy asked once he quieted his laugher.

“I tried to take my tail home, but it didn’t work out,” you answered. Everyone laughed, making you turn to look at the crowd. “You guys think I’m lying, I literally had a tail. Like no joke, that thing was sick.”

“So they didn’t CGI a tail onto you, it was an actual tail?” Jimmy asked sounding shocked.

“It was- it really was. There were guys on set that were hired for the sole purpose of transporting me to and from set with this huge mermaid tail on.”

“So you got to know them well,” Jimmy joked.

“So well. It’s one of those moments when you’re just like ‘dang, take a girl out to dinner first’.”

“And then in maybe half of the movie, you don’t even speak.”

“I don’t. Ursula out there stealing voices,” you said.

“What was that like for you, Tom? Working with this girl that had basically no lines?”

“It was great because she couldn’t nag on me for anything,” he joked before looking at you, gauging your reaction before laughing. “No, it was actually pretty weird.”

“It was difficult for me, having to use just the face to express all these emotions. I gained some very animated eyebrows.”

“So you guys brought us a clip of the movie, tell me what we’re about to see,” Jimmy prompted.

“Do you want to do it? It’s not marvel, so it’s safe to talk,” you assured Tom teasing him about his previous spoiler scares.

“Finally!” He exclaimed jokingly. “This is the scene when Ariel and Prince Eric are out on the boat and he’s trying to talk to her and get to know her but you know she doesn’t have a voice,” Tom introduced the clip, giving a shrug at the end of his sentence.

“Alright, let’s see it,” Jimmy said, turning to the screen where it would play.

. . .

“How am I suppose to know your name if you don’t have a voice?” Prince Eric asked as he sat across from you.

You looked at him, your mouth slightly opened as you drew your shoulders together into a shrug. Your eyes went wide, your face showing that you came up with an idea. You started to mouth ‘Ariel’, hoping he could read your lips.

“Oh you want me to read your lips,” he said as he caught on to what you were doing. “Okay, um. Isabella? Abagail? Stella?” He began to guess. You shook your head at each one, continuing to mouth your name.

“Ariel,” you heard Sebastian whisper. You smiled as you realized he was trying to help you. Prince Eric looked confused for a second, looking around to find where a voice may have come from when Sebastian said it again.

You watched as he stopped. “Ariel,” He said softly before turning back to look at you. “Ariel?” You nodded vigorously, a huge smile on your face. “Ariel,” He said again, a smile coming to his face.

. . .

“Oh my gosh,” Jimmy said as the clip ended. “That was great. You guys are so cute together.”

You and Tom both laughed at Jimmy’s comment, a small blush arising on both your cheeks. You looked at Tom, silently telling him it was his job to take care of the situation.

“Thanks, I do my best to make her look good.”

“Alright well thank you guys for coming out tonight, we’ll be right back with the Jonas Brothers,” Jimmy said before the cameras cut off. “Thank you for being here, I’m really excited to see this movie. I know it’ll do great,” Jimmy told you both, shaking Tom’s hand and hugging you before you walked backstage.

“If only I had a penny for every time someone said how cute we are together,” you teased with a smile as you entered the dressing room.

“I mean it’s true, isn’t it?” He asked, reciprocating your smile. He grabbed your waist, pulling you to him.

“And you definitely do make me look good,” you said with a small giggle before grabbing his chin and kissing him.

[dat-town]

wish upon the sea

Characters: prince!Brian (Young K) & siren!You

Setting: a bit darker, twisted Little Mermaid au

Genre: romance, action, fantasy

Warnings: mentions of blood, death

Words: 5.7k

Author’s notes: I use the name Brian since Young K in this story is supposed to be the son of Prince Eric and Ariel, so a Korean name would have been weird, hopefully you won’t mind.

Dedicated: happy birthday, my dearest @restlessmaknae! ♥♥♥ I cannot put into words the happiness that feels me becausee of the close bond we share and that we can live through so many wonderful experience together. Thank you for letting me be not just a big sister but a best friend as well. Wish you all the best and welcome to the club among the girls in their 20s! Love ya! ♥

Once upon a time there was a prince who fell in love with a mermaid.

It was a truly heart-fluttering love story, everyone in the kingdom found Ariel lovely and kind-hearted despite her clumsiness and Prince Eric was often jokingly called a lucky bastard to have her by his side.

In a few years the couple had a child, a boy with charms like his dad’s and hair as red as the brightest coral in the sea just like his mom’s. The boy grew up to be a fine swordsman, a chevalier with the softness of the waves of seas on calm spring days. He was a good man, people said, everyone loved their handsome and kind prince and so many daughters wished to be the lucky one to have that golden heart of his. However, the prince's heart was already taken, swimming in fondness for the endless blues as he fell in love with the sea.

Ever since he was a little boy, Prince Brian and the sea were inseparable. As the castle was built on a shore not too far from the water, growing up he had spent a lot of time there playing in the sand, swimming, searching for pearls underwater. He liked the calmness and rhythmical waves coming to stroke his ankle as his feet sank into the mud, he liked the wildness of it when storms were raging over in the open fields and he liked that it had its borders but seemed to sweep through everywhere reaching every part of the world. There was something – something unexplainable and mysterious – about this giant of a sassy lady that attracted him and never let him go. He was under its spell and couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

No wonder he decided to join the royal marines as soon as he finished his training at the Academy. Being a sailor himself, his father (being the king by that time) was proud of him and supported his choice even if it meant the prince being away, on the open waters under the sparkling stars most of the time. But from time to time he came home, just like the tide always returned. He found his way back to the place where he fell for the depth and beauty of the sea.

He often found himself on the sandy beach by the water, watching it change various colours under the sunset. Sometimes he just watched it from the castle and certain times he wasn't even alone.

"Do you miss it?" he asked staring ahead at the endless sea as he stood next to his mother on the balcony. Her long red hair was decorated with jewellery made from sea shells and her locks swirled in the gentle night breeze behind her back. She had that kind of longing in her eyes that the prince couldn't understand until he didn't experience homesickness during his travels. There was no regret in those eyes, just a soft kind of sadness of losing something precious to gain another.

"It's hard not to when the sea calls for me constantly," Queen Ariel said in a gentle voice, almost like a sigh and her son couldn't even imagine the loss she felt. When she had given up on her tail to get legs, it hadn’t been the only thing she willingly let go off.

The sea's rules were strict. You couldn't turn your back on it without paying a price and every merbeing knew what it meant to leave their home behind: they could never go back.

So the prince was curious and he had matured a lot during his overseas training. Hence, he dared to ask the question he never asked out loud before.

"Do you regret it?" he whispered with eyes trained on the azure waves he loved so much.

He had been travelling throughout the Seven Seas for years now but he hadn't had the chance to stumble upon any merbeing like the ones told in his mother's tales. But her family, as she called the tribe, had always been a careful one, avoiding being in the centre of attention until Ursula's short but deadly rule. By now there was peace over the waters again.

"Choosing your father over being a mermaid? No. It's not regret. I only wish there would have been another way," the Queen shook her head staring ahead. Her honey voice was filled with nostalgia and melancholy. "But the sea is a selfish creature, a jealous lover. You can never win against it."

The prince hummed, knowing. This was a lesson he had been taught ever since he was young. He was warned to be always wary of the sea as what it gave, it could take it away just as easily. And yet, there was something out there that attracted him like flame enchanted the butterflies, he had always found his way back to it.

"Will you leave again, son?" Ariel turned her back on the stormy waves and stroke a smooth hand over the young man's face. The red locks he had got after her created a great contrast against the dark night even under the white moonlight. He was as bright as fire in the darkness.

"As soon as the maps are ready," he nodded firmly, worry evident in his eyes as he looked over the horizon. "There are more and more pirate ships around the border. We need to show them they can't hang around here. They should leave."

Politics had been a mess but the ongoing, endless wars against the Pirate Nation had been even worse. There was nothing they could negotiate with. The pirates lived for spilling blood, they weren't satisfied with anything, they always wanted more and more. More money, more freedom, more blood in the oceans. But Brian wasn't just going to let them win.

"Be careful," the Queen patted his cheek with the softest smile only mothers could make because no matter how old her son was, he was still her giggling little boy who had played with crabs and little fish in the ankle-high water by the beach.

"As always, mom," Brian promised, leaning his head into the motherly touch.

Cold breeze passed between them, bringing the forecasting of something bad coming from the sea but neither of them listened. Humans never did.

The sea wasn't a graveyard just for wrecked ships and poor souls but for broken promises and lost loves too. It had buried more than human recollection could hold onto.

And soon, you were going to join the ruins under, you were sure of it.

Handcuffed to the mast out in the open pirate ship, close but still so far away from your precious sea, you already felt like dying. Your human legs had become awfully dry due to the lack of water and every movement hurt as the blood in your veins got warmer than normal. Fever did no good to you as you leaned your sweaty forehead against the wood. Closing your eyes you imagined swimming home without a care. You really didn't want to think of all the possibilities of being sold or that they would scrap the scales off of your tail. Pirates didn't treat you as a woman even if only one huge man shirt was thrown over your bare, lithe body. In their eyes, you were an animal, being half-fish, half-human. They had big mouth, spits and swear words but their eyes couldn't lie. You saw it in their eyes, the fear and the attraction humans had towards mermaids, your unearthly beauty. But without your power, without your song, you were nothing but a tied up barely girl, useless and harmless. You hated being so weak.

"Ship on the horizon!" someone hollered in terrible dialect from the ship's bow and it was enough to stir up the waters around. Pirates all around you got their lazy asses up and with weapons in hands they rushed to prepare the ship for an attack.

"'Capt’ it's the Royal Marines," another one cried out as the three ships became more distinguishable in far-sight.

"Of course, they are," the wood-legged man snorted in disgust but the grin on his ugly face only showed satisfaction. This was just what he wanted, that was why they came here in the first place: to demolish the King's navy. Or at least his precious son and only heir. Victory could never taste as sweet as a revenge upon those who took everything from him.

Being so tired and weak, you were barely able to realize what was going on until someone splashed water into your face and shrieking you awakened from your half-lulled dream.

"The show must begin, little songbird. Are you ready to sing?" the Captain grinned at you, yellow teeth on full display as he was panting so close to your face. Disgusted, you turned your head away.

Or at least, you would have turned it but then suddenly you were yanked onto your wobbly feet by your chains and you almost fell onto your knees being ever so weak in your human legs you never really learned how to use.

"Now listen to me, doll," the pirate continued on, as he grabbed your chin and forced you to look him in the eyes, dark as the deepest pits of the sea. "Don't even think about escaping, I will kill you before you could leave the 100 meter radius of this ship. You just need to awake a storm and sing a pretty song to the sailors coming at us, okay? If you do a good job, then maybe I will reward you or if I'm feeling generous I might even let you go. What about that?"

"I- I cannot sing..." you croaked out, voice hoarse from being kept like a dog for days now. Without water you barely survived, how could he think you were still able to do what he wanted you to?

"Oh, silly girl, you think I don't know that?" the man huffed out and tossed you a huge canne of water. You were like a lunatic on verge of dying because of thirst based on the way you caught on that. You gulped down the oh so sweet, salty sea water and you felt your blood buzzing in excitement. Power, finally.

"Now sing!" the captain ordered once all his men put something into their ears to dull your enchanting voice. This way it couldn't affect. You grimaced at the smart move and when you were dragged to the side of the ship, you opened your mouth to sing.

Whenever you let that lulling melody fall from the tip of your tongue, you felt powerful, almost invincible. But now, you could barely hit the right tones. You thought you wouldn’t be able to summon anything at this rate but the sea, taking pity on you, started stirring up around the ship, clouds darkening above and the first drops of rain felt like a miracle on your dry skin. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting out a deep breath before starting that song again, the one that allured so many sailors into the loving arms of death.

The three ships of navy got closer in the meantime and the first roar of cannon made you tremble. The second made you fall as the pirate holding on your chains lost his balance and pulled you with him. Out of breath, you collapsed onto the wood board. You couldn't keep up. That much of water after being dried under the Sun didn't even give you enough strength to transform back into your full form. You could barely answer to the pull of the sea by finding your voice and that sweet melody.

You stopped singing, pushing him away as his hands grabbed on your shirt to stop you from escaping. Not like you could go far away with those metals around your ankle and the ties around your wrists but at least you wouldn’t be a puppet on string in a useless fight. You couldn’t wait for the ship to sink anyway.

“Why did you stop singing, little birdie?” The pirate clicked his tongue, following you to the mast where you tried to get the chain off in vain. He grabbed on your waist hauling you up.

“I’m not your songbird,” you gritted your teeth, angry, feeling the power of sea so close. You knew it had your back. You were so so mad, you could have killed this pirate with bare hands, only if you’d had your powers!

Everybody was running around on the ship, cannons fire shots, the ship tilted to one side and then the other as it got closer and closer to the maelstrom created closeby. You knew the power of the sea, a vortex like this could drag down whole armadas. A few pirate ships and three navy ones were like a children play.

You hung onto the mast as the navy ship got next to the one you were on in the next circle it took down the spiral. You kicked and hit until the pirate had to put you down and when he tried to lay his dirty hands on you again, you bit into his finger and just as he screamed in pain, you wrapped your own ties around his neck and squeezed it as long as you heard him breathe. Just another dead body as a sacrifice to the sea, you have seen them fall one by one anyway. The marines obviously overpowered them but you didn’t care about the gunshots and the screams and the blood spilling all around. You tried to get rid of your chains with trembling hands.

"There's a girl here! Help, they kept a girl as a hostage!" Someone hovered over you out of the blue. With a knife in one hand, he made a quick job with the rope tie around your hands, getting those off of your bruised wrists but you couldn’t help but flinch when the cold metal touched your skin and for a moment you thought he was going to dig it deep into your still heart. However, he hadn’t touch you like this, his eyes quickly skimmed through your body until he find the metal cage around your bare ankle. Only when he finished getting rid of the chain, you looked up at the stranger.

Marks of the battle were evident on his features in red split lines but his hands were warm and gentle as he covered you with his own jacket probably thinking you were cold in that thin shirt thrown upon you. He put a hand over the small of your back, pulling you up by the elbow with the other. He treated you as if you were fragile, harmless... human.

As if he was a mere fever dream you could only blink at him in awe, at his hair shining like the ardent, burning-hot colour of the sunset, so different from your own ink-like locks. And his eyes, those brown orbs, even with the fighter spirit in them, were so warm even your cold, cold heart felt the tremble as your gazes met.

"You're safe now," he said oh so softly but how a naive soul he was! The battle wasn't over yet and if it were, it wouldn't have been you who had to be afraid. He had no idea what you were capable of, how many hearts you had taken already. He held you as you stared at him, the first one to help you in order to save you from a possible unfair death on a pirate ship and then another cannon ball slammed into the wooden body of the ship.

"Lieutenant, get out of there!" Someone from the other ship brushing so close to this yelled but it was too late.

The fire of the fiery shot had already reached the gunpowder under the deck and it exploded like magical fireworks in the sky. The whole ship shook with the power of it, the wooden floor collapsed beneath you and the two of you fell into the water amongst the ruins of the pirate ship.

As soon as your skin made contact with the salty sea water, it felt like rebirth. Life was breathed into your burning lungs and you finally arrived home. You felt the scars heal, the bleeding stop and in the dark water lit by the orange of fire, you transformed: human legs got colour, covered by turquoise scales. Golden dots tainted tail and breast covered by finlike pattern, you got rid of the shirt and jacket to take a deep breath from the oxygen-filled water.

There were so many different feelings in you that wanted to break out. Anger, happiness and sadness all alike. You wanted to avenge what these pirates did to you but they were doomed to die anyway, the sea, the Mighty, was just as angry as you were. On the other hand you were finally free, you could have just swimmed away, away from this madness not looking back. But as you made the first movement to leave, you saw him, the soldier, the lieutenant who helped you, his body slowly sunk under as his muscles were on the verge of fighting against his lungs screaming for oxygen. He didn't deserve to die, that much was sure. He was caring and understanding even if he didn't know you. He was the first to treat you like a human being and as you watched him close his eyes, hands reaching for the surface, you couldn't just let him die. Not like that.

In a span of a moment, you decided against your life instincts. It wasn't usual for your kind to be kind to humans, much less saving them. But he deserved so much more than being another dead body in the sea among those ruthless pirates. You swam up to him until your bodies collided, flesh against flesh. He looked vulnerable and fragile now with his eyes clothes, body heavy as the sea pulled him down. You filled your lungs with oxygen and pressed your mouth against his, forcing his lips open so you could exhale the sweet air into his screaming lungs.

A kiss of the Sea.

When Prince Brian awakened he didn’t know where he was and how he got there.

Prying his eyes open he could see sand and palm trees, faintly he heard the murmurs of the sea. It didn’t take too much time to figure out that he was washed up to a beach after he fell into the water. With that realization, memories came back to him about the storm, the pirates, the fight and… the girl! He certainly remembered a pure-looking girl with hair like the darkest night and eyes like coal that heat up the castle back home. He wondered what her came to be, whether she survived the shipwreck and he wished to know where the rest of his crew was. He remembered falling into the sea after the explosion but if he had survived, they had to be alive as well, right? They were probably out looking for him.

He sat up, head hurting from the sudden movement but as he looked up at the shore he immediately knew where he was.

Home.

Up there he saw the castle and away a bit there was their bay. He somehow got to the beach he used to play at as a child when he was miles and miles away fighting pirates. Just how long he had been out? How long the sea had carried him on its back? How was this even possible? He wondered but thanked every deity that he had gotten home safely, so he could keep his promise made to his mother.

A moment later a dark shadow moved behind a huge rock by the beach and the prince immediately sprang to his feet.

“Hey, wait! Yes, you, please...” he yelled at the stranger, voice pleading because he had this gut feeling that there was something very important there. When the shadow didn’t move, neither closer, nor farther away, he took tentative steps by the seaside to approach the rock. Just as he passed by the rock, he noticed a girl in the water, the same from the pirate ship with her warm eyes and dark locks, but there was something different about her. At first, his eyes fell upon the naked shoulders of her, her long hair spreading all around her on the surface of the water, then he realized that the most outstanding of it all was the blue of her skin, the gill opening on her neck and the scattered golden scales along her body.

“You… you are a mermaid,” he whispered in awe suddenly remembering all the tales his mother had told him. His miraculous appearance here also made more sense because of it.

“I just wanted to make sure you are alive,” she said in a dulcet voice as if it was natural. He was actually glad she stayed and not just because she was the first mermaid (apart from his own mother of course) he had the chance to meet. He was indeed grateful.

“Did you bring me all the way here?” he asked and she simply nodded, watching him curiously. Brian wondered whether she found him just as interesting as he found her. It wasn’t because she wasn’t human but because she acted like one. Even his mother told him that her kind was brought up by the ruthless sea itself, so they believed in kill or to be killed. Befriending and saving humans was something that went against their own ethical codex. In some tribes it even meant betrayal, yet she took the risk for him, so he felt immense gratitude.

“Thank you,” he told her, words genuine even though he wasn’t sure she understood what it meant for him and why he wanted to know more about her. “Do you oft–”

He wanted to know if she visited this shore regularly, whether they had a chance to meet again, whether she would be up for a talk but life had got in-between.

“Your Highness!” a royal guard hollered and the mermaid swam away with the sound of quick flacks on the sea’s surface following her.

The prince looked after her, at the wavy sea, yearning for something even his heart couldn’t name.

You tried your best to forget him, to not miss him but all in vain. Once you were back with your tribe, you told them about your capture, the fight and how you escaped. It was hard not to tell them about the handsome prince who was there too but it would have been a stupid move on your part telling them that you blessed him with the gift of Sea. Not all of them would have been so understanding.

It was a silly thing, wasn't it? Being so enamoured with someone despite barely knowing anything about them. All you knew was that he was kind-hearted and not disgusted by your type. From a human, it was more than enough.

So you caught yourself hanging around the beach more, his beach to be more precise. He liked to take early morning jogs there - you definitely did not stare - and late night walks. Most of the times he was alone, sometimes he was with a beautiful, elder lady, hair similar to his. You were sure she was his mother but the most surprising thing was that it felt as if she was the part of the ocean too. It was a fading feeling but it was there and for a moment you couldn't believe but could it been? That the legends about the mermaid who became human were true? It would have explained why he behaved so naturally around her and why his crew was prepared enough to not get affected by her song. Everything made much more sense like this and it only added to your growing fascination with him.

You wondered whether the Sea adored or cursed at him? The child of one that got away, one that turned away from the depth? He seemed to be fine on water, he seemed rather fond of it, spending so much time around it, so you were pretty certain he also felt that pull that bind you to your home. It was just another symptom of homesickness.

After a week or so, you saw the prince getting abroad again, proud as the Lieutenant on a new ship heading towards South. You followed them from a certain distant and watched him. You told yourself it was because you didn't want him to stumble upon your tribe but actually your heart yearned for something even you couldn't explain. Maybe you wanted those soft eyes on you again, his gentle touch and kind words. You really weren't sure.

But it seemed like the Sea listened to your untold prayers when a storm came, a powerful one as you felt it in your fibers, the waves crashing to every rock with a power so harsh you trembled. It gave you an excuse to step out of the shadows under the moonlight, when almost everyone was sleeping on the ship. You had seen the prince walk back and forth every night alone on the deck, so that day you waited for him.

You psted at him trying to get his attention when he indeed walked out from his cabin with a simple white shirt hanging from his wide-shouldered figure. He looked around confused then you let out a whisper again and he ran to the side of the ship looking down at the water, seeing you above the service.

"Oh so I was right about being followed!" He muttered but there was nothing negative in his voice only wonder. You didn't even expect him to but then he climbed over the fence after throwing down a rope ladder and he climbed down until his boots touched the surface of water.

"I didn't get your name last time," was the first thing he said and it's ridiculous.

"That's not what's important now," you argued as you held onto the ladder too to keep it up easier against the wild current. "There's a huge storm coming. You need to turn more West to not run into it."

That's it, that's what you wanted to tell him, it's time to go, you reminded yourself and let go off the rope but at his voice you turned back.

"Hey! Don't go," he whisper-yelled after you and he sounded desperate. You had never heard anyone talk to you like that. As if the mere thought of you leaving again had been painful for him. "Why are you helping us?"

"You helped me last time," you reasoned but the prince seemed both a bit doubtful and a bit hopeful.

"Is that it? Just this?"

His voice wasn't accusing but curious and it felt like as if he wanted it to be more. It made you smile.

"What else would be there?" You raised a brow playful and something similar reflected in his eyes too as he leaned closer, letting go of the rope with one hand. What a daring, reckless man he was!

"Don't you feel this pull?"

Oh the one like waves? The one that followed the moon? The gravity? That strange power that attracted you to him? Your smile was like a secret love song whispered to the Sea, yet he caught sight of it as you blushed under the milk honey coloured light.

"To the West. Don't forget, my Prince," you reminded him and swam away with your ever still heart beating crazily against your ribcage.

Of course, Brian listened to you. He had nothing to lose. The journey was a bit longer with that detour which meant a more cranky crew because of they ran out of food and rum sooner than expected. But at least everyone survived. Even like this, the ship was tossed around in the water by the waves that came from the darkened part on the ocean. He knew that if it hadn’t been for you, they would have gone straight to the danger zone. So he was grateful but also even more curious than before. You were more playful than he thought at first, but then again, you met on the rim of death, of course you weren't joking with him back then.

He still didn't know your name and he who had found so many treasures, who had fought so many pirates and enemies, he was determined to change that. So he lost more and more sleep in order to meet you. Because yes, he had caught sight of you some nights when the Moon was high in the sky and your tail shone in all colours of the rainbow. Then at some point, you stopped being shy and only watch the ship from afar, you swam closer and closer until he spent half of his nights sitting on that rope ladder talking to you.

Those midnight rendezvous became your favourite part of the days. Just to listen to him talk about his duties as the prince and lieutenant, his worries about his country, his dreams, places he wants to see. In exchange you told him about your life underwater, your sisters in the tribe and how peaceful the waters had been around here until the pirates came. It turned out you had a common enemy in those dirty men. Both of you wanted to get rid of them, so you offered your help. It was a pretty cool deal, though both of you knew it was just an excuse. The only setback was the danger itself but you had never been one to give into fear so easily. You wouldn't have been alone anyway. Spending time with the prince wasn't too bad either.

"So tomorrow?" you looked up at him one night knowing that the next day you would reach the Triangle of Cages, the bay of pirates where you were told not to be able to leave once you're inside. But you had the element of surprise with you and with your skills you could help the crew.

"Yeah. Tomorrow," the Prince sighed, looking up at the Moon. He had some kind of melancholy in his eyes and you could easily tell that he was worried. Nobody knew how many pirates would be there and he only had a little armada of three ships with around hundred of people. Pirates might have been uneducated and untrained but they were rough, had grown up on the Sea, so they were an enemy nobody should have underestimate.

"It's going to be okay," you told him even though you always hated these kind of cheap promises. It was a simple lie, because how could you know for sure what was going to happen? It was all in the hands of the Sea.

"But if it's not... I wanna give you something," he said, warmth swimming in his dark eyes as he took something out of his pocket. It was a bracelet made of little pearls, it was pretty. "My mother said it once belonged to the Sea. I want to return it," he said as he handed the accessory out for you.

"You want to give it to me?" you blinked at him surprised. You didn't expect him to be so sentimental.

"You're part of the Sea, aren't you?" He raised an eyebrow at you almost challengingly. You had a hard time suppressing a smile but in the meantime it was a situation so much more serious.

"You own a bit of it as well," just like from my heart.

The prince smiled down at you almost as if he knew what exactly you meant and he was gentle as he put the bracelet around your wrist, fingers drawing soft pattern onto the back of your hand as his fingers slipped off you. You immediately missed his warmth.

"I still don't know your name," he whispered which made you giggle. You pulled yourself upwards by the rope on his side and beckoned him closer with your index fingers. You looked him straight in the eyes as he leant closer, breath fanning over your lips as you whispered your name like a secret into the seam of his mouth.

At first he seemed a bit taken aback by your closeness but before you could have pulled back, playfully winking at him, he sneaked a hand behind your neck to keep you there. To hold you when his mouth slid over yours, chapped rum-flavoured lips tasting your salty ones. Your breath hitched before kissing him back, fingers slipping into his burgundy locks. You only pulled back when he almost lost his balance on the rope ladder and fell into the water with you. Both of your chuckles echoed in the night sky as the sea welcomed you back with wide arms, calm waves pulling you under. You waved before you swam under, hiding your blushed cheeks in the water.

By now, you were sure the Sea was just as enamoured with him as you were, you didn't worry about tomorrow.

Twice upon a time, a prince fell in love with a mermaid.

He never lost any more battles on the sea but he always yearned to be out there, under the stars, in her arms. He walked along the line marked with sea-washed wishes in the sand under his feet, never straying far. For once, you didn't have to take his heart because he offered willingly. He loved you more than the Sun and the Moon and all the stars, coming back to you whenever he could. So when this time his mother asked him: do you miss it? He didn't have to think of an answer, it was as sure as his heartbeat, deeply integrated in his system.

"I miss her as I would miss the air, constantly and solidly, always." He smiled but his smile was hopeful because you both knew that no matter how harsh the Sea was, it wasn't only a graveyard, it was also a cradle of your love. Of another love story of which word got around not just in the Kingdom but every wave of the ocean.

[fourth-best-jeanist]

(This is a crack fic based on y’all suggestions that me and my sister @trble921 wrote in about four hours. Hope y’all enjoy. Disclaimer: I have not seen nor have any knowledge of the Merlin fandom so I hope that part is accurate :))

The Adventures of Prince Shouto, Death the Kid, Ming Ming the God, King Arthur and one sleepy Spider-Man

In a faraway land full of magic and wonder, lived price Todoroki of the Endeavor sea kingdom. He was the future king of the sea, but wanted nothing to do with the current king, Endeavor. He often skipped out on his princely duties to enjoy the company of his best friend Ming Ming, the non-binary merduck god of the aquatic animal kingdom.

“Ming Ming!” Shouto called out for his friend as he entered the reefs. Out from the depths of the rocks poked out a small friendly face, the most powerful sea creature in existence.

“Shouto! There you are, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.” Ming Ming exclaimed with awe. The two frequently met up to discuss and complain about their broken family lives, something the two had in common.

—

Meanwhile in the land above water, a small runaway rich boy laid under the tarp on a small fishing boat, trying to keep warm. He awoke with a start, as the boat started moving. His mind immediately started weighing the countless possibilities of what could be happening, was he being kidnaped? Would his dad have to pay a ransom? Once the vessel stopped, his mind slowed as well as he heard the sonorous cries of the boats captain, singing.

“Babyyyyy shark doo dooo doo doo do doo...”

The stowaway was confused - why were his captors singing such a shitty sea shanty? On the other side of the tarp, a dramatic scene was about to play out.

—

Peter Parker was a simple man, who loved the simple pleasures of life, such as fishing. Every Saturday morning he would grab the infinity gauntlet from his bedside table (for good luck) and go out to sea in order to catch some fish for himself and Aunt May. He had barely started his shanty about prepubescent sharks when he saw a duck pop out from under the water. He smiled when he saw the small creature swim closer.

“Hey little buddy, want some bread?” Peter hummed as he tossed an entire baguette at the duck.

“How dare you assault the god of aquatic life? I shall curse you for eternity to rot in the hell dimension” the duck said.

Peter snapped his head side to side wondering who spoke, but just found the duck, now swimming threateningly close to his boat. He began to question his sanity when he saw a head pop up from under the water, a handsome young dual haired head.

“What are you doing under the water? Do you need a ride back?” Peter asked the man, with a worried expression on his face. The man just scoweld and rolled his eyes.

—

The idea of hiding under the tarp for much longer angered the young rich boy, so he devised a plan to surprise and get the high ground in a fight. Counting to himself, he readied himself for the attack.

“Hands where i can see them!” he yelled, emerging from under the tarp. He spied two young men and a duck, what lame competition. As he was eyeing the competition, he made eye contact with the dual haired man in the water, and immediately was entranced.

“The asymmetry in your face intrigues me” he thought out loud.

“What the fuck” Said the duck, pulling the stowaway back into reality.

“Alright fools, hands up. I need to know your names, ranks and intentions.” The first to reply was the man on the boat.

“Uh - I’m Peter Parker, and this is my infinity gauntlet. My rank is an Avenger and my intention is to go fishing for my aunt May”. The stowaway nodded and pointed his guns towards the stunning man in the water who begrudgingly replied.

“My name is Shouto Todoroki, I am the first in line for the throne of the Endeavor kingdom, and my intentions are to stop Ming Ming from killing an innocent civilian for throwing bread at them.”

The stowaway confusidly looked around, “who in the fuck is Ming Ming?”

“Right here you asymmetrical asshat” replied the duck.

The stowaway nodded and decided to introduce himself “My name is Death the kid, although i’m sure you already know that.”

—

All of this was way too much for poor Peter Parker to handle. Sure, aliens were normal for him, but talking ducks? He had always had a tough time dealing with rich kids too, so out of pure terror, Peter grabbed his gauntlet, pushed Death the Kid off the boat, and slung away on his webs.

“Get back here! How dare you disrespect the ruler of the aquatic animal kingdom!” Ming Ming yelled, chasing the scared spider boy, and leaving Todoroki and death the kid alone.

—

“HELP!!! I CANNOT SWIM!” Death the kid cried as he felt himself sinking under the water. As he began to lose hope, he felt two strong hands grab on to him and pull him back to the surface of the water, supporting the Kid from sinking once again.

Coughing up his lungs, Death the kid searched for his rescuer, only to find none other than the handsome prince himself holding him above the surface. He gazed into the mermaid’s eyes as Todoroki gazed back. With just a look, Death the Kid recognized the signs of a Troubled Family Life.

“Todoroki, I don’t mean to be brash, but are you currently being crushed by the expectations of those around you because your father is a big shot who accomplished something immpressive in his lifetime?” Todoroki gazed back at the curious man.

“Yes, that is my exact situation” he replied. “But there is one thing we don’t have in common, our insecurities.”

“My left side is unsightly” they both said at the same time. Gasping they peered at each other wondering how they could perceive themselves as anything but beautiful.

“What is wrong with your left side?” Todoroki asked curiously.

“These unsightly stripes won’t go away no matter what I do, it makes me so unsymmetrical, I can’t stand it!” he replied, punching the boat. “What about you? What’s your story?”

Todoroki looked down broodingly “You see, my mother was in an arranged marriage with my father and it drove her crazy, one day we were swimming in as geyser field and she snapped. She used the boiling water in order to rid my father from my face.”

Death the kid held out his hands to grab Todoroki’s face, “I think your left side is beautiful, and I hope one day you find it in yourself to love it as much as i do. Even though the different colours of your hair and asymmetrical nature of your face anger me to a primal level, I believe I can find it in myself to love them as I love you.”

As they were deeply entranced in this conversation, they did not notice the turtle watching from afar, with a deathly look in its eyes.

—

“King Arthur, you have a visitor, sir,” Arthur’s servant announced.

“Bring him in,” Arthur replied.

The servant opened the doors for the visitor, claiming urgent business with the King. Into the throne room walked Tuck the Turtle, with a frown on his face, determination in his walk, and revenge in his heart.

“King Arthur, sir, may I bring to your attention an ungodly war that threatens your kingdom?” Tuck began, “There is an entire kingdom of underwater people who live in the seas to the west! I heard earlier today, as I relaxed by the coast, that they plan to take over the above water kingdoms as well! Sir, you much send your best army there immediately.”

The king thought this over, and decided to take action. “I shall send my entire army of underwater robots to fight these mer-folk. I appreciate your concern for our kingdom!”

As Tuck left the castle, he muttered under his breath. “Finally, I will be able to get revenge against my sibling, Ming Ming. All three of us siblings were Gods! I knew that Linny was not doing her job, so naturally she had to go. I could rule better than Linny any day! But since that was murder and treason and an awful thing to do to a sister, my title as a God was revoked. But with this war to distract those merpeople, it will be easy to get my revenge! I’ll be the only sibling left - and I will be the single and only God of the Animal Kingdom!” Tuck cackled to himself as he walked the coastline, eyeing the kingdom that would soon be his to control.

Tuck, however, was not the only one who could use eavesdropping to his advantage. In the shadows, sat Death the Kid himself, conveniently overhearing Tuck’s entire plan.

“He intends to attack my prince!” he said in a panic, “I have to go warn him”.

—

“Shouto!!” Death the Kid yelled as he waded into the ocean waves, “Shouto!! I need to warn you!! Shouto!!” He knew that he couldn’t swim. But this was life or death (haha) for the love of his life, and he was willing to put himself on the line if there was a chance of saving his prince. He swam and swam as far as his pathetic noodle arms could take him.

Death the kid felt himself growing weaker as the moments dragged by, fear of drowning weighing heavy in his head. He felt his vision growing weaker and slowly fading to white, when this faded and he regained his ability to he breathe and see. He was in a pure white room with no walls, curves or bends. Hearing a noise, he turned around, only to see his father, death himself.

“What is happening father, what are you doing? I need to go warn Shouto!” Death the kid turned around frantically looking for an exit.

“I’m giving you a choice, my son” Death answered, “you have the choice to either stay as you are and continue your life, or to give up the land and join Shouto. Please note if you decide to go with Shouto, you can never return to land, and in turn, will never be able to come visit me or your old friends ever again.”

Death the kid stood stunned for a few minutes, wondering what he had to give up in order to be fully happy? Would he give up his old life, or would he give up Shouto, the love of his life. After, thinking about the consequences of not being able to warn Shouto, he made his choice.

“I’d like to join Shouto, please use your plot convenient magic to give me a tail” Death the kid exclaimed.

“That’s what i thought you’d say” Death mumbled, bending over to his son “No matter where life or death (haha) takes you, I will always be the first to support you, so always know that i love you very much.” Death reached down to hug his son “now go, save your man”.

Death the kid started to feel an extreme cold sensation on his body as he woke up from his haze, slowly opening his eyes and remembering that he was in the ocean, and had a mission that was life or death (haha). Panicked, he tried to get up as quickly as possible to go warn Shouto, but he felt someone’s arms wrapping tightly over him. He focused his vision and saw Shouto himself holding him in a comforting hug.

“I was so worried about you” the two said in sync. Shouto stifled a laugh, and continued. “I found you passed out underwater, I thought you were dead! But then you grew a tail and....well I was worried. I’m glad to see you alive and well.”

“I’ve had brushes with death before” Death the kid replied giggling at his own joke, realizing that he would have to explain to Shouto why that was funny. He snapped back to reality and grabbed Shouto’s arm and began yelling, “Shouto!! I must protect you! There is an army of robots on their way to destroy your kingdom! And where is that duck? There was a turtle talking about revenge and I think we are all in danger.”

Shouto looked back at Death the Kid, and decided to take action.

“Let’s go and prepare the army.”

—

King Arthur looked down at the ocean from the docs, turning back around to his army of high tech mechs.

“Prepare troops, its time for you to fulfill your duty and fight for your kingdom!” Arthur yelled as his troops ran and dove into the salty water. He turned to enter his own mech, and followed right behind his army.

—

Shouto had sent Ming Ming to warn his father of the incoming war, and to no surprise, as he swam down, the troops were ready and waiting on higher orders to act. Shouto and death the kid went to the front of he group to keep a watch for their enemy. When they could just make out the outline of the enemy, they sent the troops to attack. What followed was a gruesome and bloody battle, soldiers being hurt right and left. Shouto was starting to think he made the wrong call, could he have done something to avoid such bloodshed? He was so lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice Tuck sneaking up behind him, preparing to make a fatal blow. All Shouto heard was a scream before it happened, he turned around in confusion only to see Ming Ming rushing out to defend him against the danger. Ming Ming summoned an army of sea creatures to fight against Tuck, while making sure that Shouto was alright. Thanks to this distraction, both failed to see the immediate threat in front of them; Arthur was preparing his mech to finish off Shouto and his kingdom for good.

Death the kid swam around confusedly, what was happening? Where’s Shouto? He turned wildly in every direction trying to find his man, almost failing to notice his slim (But Toned) body from behind a gargantuan mech. He swam as fast as he possibly could in order to protect Shouto from this great threat, throwing himself in front of the danger.

“STOOOOP!!” he screamed. Arthur immediately realized who had commanded him to stop, it was deaths child himself!

“What on earth are you doing here? We are at war, you must step out of the way immediately!” Arthur commanded.

Death the kid shook his head, “you’ve been tricked by Tuck the turtle! There was no threat here, he simply wanted revenge for his own personal gain, at your kingdom’s expense!”

Arthur understood immediately the severity of what had been done, “wherefore is that dastardly turtle?!”

“Right here, king” a sneaky voice taunted, they all turned to face the turtle, not expecting to see him holding an immeasurable power.

“Where did you get that gauntlet!” Death the kid demanded.

“I stole it off that sleeping spider while you were all distracted” Tuck replied eyeing the gems “I guess this is one final goodbye, and thank you”

SNap