MERMAY MEME

[pcrtiallystcrs]

It's May and you know what that means: it's gonna be mers.
From the traditional to the octopi and jellyfish to selkies to turtles, come one and come all- even you folks who just want to smooch a fish. ...... Or keep one.

Comment below and roll for scenarios and please tag appropriately!

If one is human...

1. Abandon Ship: Maybe you were exploring the sea, but suddenly debris started floating down. It looks like something is happening on the surface- and perhaps someone needs saving... but from the waters, or from you?

2. Up Above: What's that casting such a huge shadow on the ocean floor? It's not a whale, and it's moving so fast- clearly it's time to investigate. Now, will you see something grand? Or will you get caught in a net? 

3. The Saltwater Room: There's always been a strange window in the cliffside, and you never once knew what it was for. Every now and then you'll give it a look, but you never really find anything. Except this time. This time, the room has someone inside of it. And they just saw you, too.

4. O Captain: Maybe you aren't the mermaid. Maybe you're a sailor or a pirate on a journey, seeking something only a merfolk has the answer to... but will they help you? Or will you try to take your guide by force?

5. Captivity: Maybe you were captured recently. Maybe it was a long time ago. Maybe you've been in this tank all your life. A human keeps you on display, sometimes bringing guests in to see you and oh, they gasp in awe.... but maybe one doesn't. Or maybe your eyes are on your keeper instead. 

6. The House on the Sand: You grew up by the beach, and side by side with a human who lived in a house on the beach. You were their closest kept secret, their closest confidant- and they, yours. Until one day they vanished and the house was empty. Years passed... but now, the light is on in the window again. And you'd know the person at the shoreline anywhere, even after all this time.

7. The Little Mermaid: You fell in love with a human, and you'd do anything to join your love on the surface... or maybe, they could join you. 

8. Wildcard: Your city now.

If both are merfolk...

1. New Seas: All your life you've lived in the reef- and you know the ocean is huge, of course, but your little piece of sandy waters is all you've ever known. You know everyone in the school... until one day, you see a new face in the water. 

2. Shipwreck: Now here's something special- a long-since-downed ship, just full of all sorts of neat human treasures. Maybe you're curious, maybe human artifacts sell well back in the market at the reef- just be careful. You aren't alone.

3. The Sea Witch: Everyone knows about the banished witch in the depths- how the king of the seas cast them out. Everyone knows you shouldn't make deals with them, the cost is much too great. But you have a wish no one else can help you with.

4. Story Time: Sometimes you don't want an adventure. Sometimes, you just want to get snacks with the gang and tell outrageous stories about those weird leggy fuckers that can't swim very well. The more off-the-mark, the better- someone's always going to believe every word.

5. Undersea Temple: Maybe you shouldn't be here. But the long since empty halls are calling- perhaps literally. You and your friend are exploring holy grounds, be it once human or merfolk's. Maybe it's just eerie. Maybe you aren't alone.

6. Lord of the Sea: It happens rarely but sometimes the Ocean Deity leaves their territory and checks on the various undersea cities and reefs. Perhaps you are part of the procession, or perhaps you get to meet a god for the first time. Don't hide behind your tailfin too much.

7. Pearl of the Sea: Uh oh. You, a lowly commoner, fell in love with the Mermaid King's child. Whatever will you do? ... Other than give up. That's not on the table at all.

8. Wildcard: There's plenty of ideas in the sea!

Comments

[candyapplechild]

N-Nn...

[ She opens her eyes a bit again to look up at him... a human? She's never seen one before, only heard that they were dangerous and something to stay away from... it comes to mind that maybe this is yet another thing to run from, but at the same time... the way he holds her is... gentler than she expected.

She nods, but her eyes drift closed again. At the very least, she clings to the lifering in whatever way she can. As far as she's concerned, there's nothing else she can do anyway. It's different from anything else she's ever held onto in the ocean, and it floats even with her clinging to it. Plus, it's comfier than the jagged and rough rocks she'd been holding onto. ]

[xploud]

[Rough though he may be with practically everyone, this is a whole other case entirely. Katsuki's not about to treat a literal child horribly, especially one that seems just barely on the cusp of consciousness. Even if he's not sure what the hell to do with a mermaid child, he's pretty sure anyone else that found her would...probably not see to it she's kept safe. The whalers around these parts are vile, and some of the fishermen aren't the best either... Hell, even a picture of a real mermaid would nab someone a fortune... Hell no, Katsuki's not going to let a little kid become some sideshow attraction, or worse. Kid's already seeming like she's suffering enough.

Making it to his boat, Katsuki hauls himself up first, then pulls the child up carefully.]

The hell do I even--...fucking...goddamnit. [There go the lobsters he hauled up today. Sighing heavily, Katsuki dumps out his catch into the ocean, grinding his teeth loudly, then sets the girl into the tank and refills it with a few bucketsful of oceanwater. After that's done, he pushes the tank into the shade cast by the sail and crouches by the side of the glass tank, snapping his fingers to try and catch the girl's attention again.] Oi. No sleeping yet...needa know if you're hurt.

[She doesn't look hurt, but...he has no fucking idea how to tell.]

[candyapplechild]

[ All things considered, she's not too hurt... just clearly exhausted and malnourished, plus a number of scars on her arms, though with the way they are, it's clear that they aren't from any recent injuries. She's light, not at all hard to pull up onto the boat... and the first time she's ever been this far out of water. It's a strange feeling... even when she was on those rocks, she kept her tail partially in the water, and she had to get used to breathing above water. The feeling of air on her entire body is strange... in general, being so far from the ocean is strange, even if she's technically still close to it by being on a boat.

Fortunately it doesn't last for too long as she's placed into the glass tank, oceanwater filling it and returning her to a more familiar setting... though the sudden lack of space is, obviously, cramped compared to where she just was.

Still, even if it's smaller than anything she's used to... it's safe, at least as far as she can tell. She almost fully drifts to sleep right then and there.

Fortunately for Bakugou, the snapping does keep her awake... though not necessarily via a pleasant means. The sound rings a little inside the glass tank. Still, she forces her eyes open to look up at Bakugou warily.

She's not facing any of the various perils of the ocean anymore, but she's still looking up at a human. She curls her tail as close to herself as possible. ]

...

[ She doesn't say anything for a moment, but once she works up the nerve, she shakes her head. She's not hurt, just... exhausted, and in desperate need of some proper rest. ]

[xploud]

[Tilting his head left and right, Katsuki can only really judge her health by way of the, uh...human part. She definitely looks tired, that's for sure, but she also looks way too skinny to be eating right. He wants to let the poor thing sleep, but he also would like for her to eat something before she does. Thing is...Katsuki has no fucking clue what a mermaid would eat. Is it like a fish?? Does it eat the same as fish do? Algae, various other fish, sea mites, and all that other stuff? Or is it closer to a human's diet in terms of seafood?

Groaning, and rubbing a hand through his blond spikes, he crouches and watches the kid a moment with a bit of a pout. She's scared...not shit she is, it's a kid, and she's probably never seen anything like him, either.]

Naa, don't worry...not gonna hurt you. [Why would he risk his ass if he wanted to, really?] You should eat something before you sleep, Tekkamaki. Even a little bit. Can you speak?

[She clearly understands him, if the shake of her head before was any indication, so it's a good start.]

[candyapplechild]

[ It's a mystery... and it's not like Eri has much in the way of input when it comes to what Mermaids eat. At the very least, he has guessed mostly right. Algae, smaller fish, and so on... and theoretically most human food as well, though it's not like most mermaids will have eaten human food at all.

She hesitates a bit in response to his question, looking down and away from him, thinking for a moment... in general, she's not much of a talker at all, but...

After a moment, she looks back up and opens her mouth underwater, and a strange sound rings out from the tank. It's like a mix of seal noises and... something far more harmonic, like a musical tune, then further mixed with the sound of bubbles.

She suddenly shuts her mouth, clasping her hands to her mouth. She forgot! Humans don't understand their underwater language... she knows at least that much! She looks ashamed, but she forces herself to get over it... even if she now looks apologetic as she raises her head up and out of the water.

Small fingers cling to the top of the tank as she pokes her head up out of the water, raising herself just enough that her mouth comes out of the water. ]

Y... yes...

[ It feels weird, speaking above water. Her voice feels different from what she's used to, but it's her voice regardless. ]

[xploud]

[While never really the patient sort ever in his life, Katsuki knows when the situation calls for it. He's not good with kids, being one himself and all (he's only really seventeen at the moment), but he's not the worst, either. Mostly when it's the noisy, obnoxious, bratty kids that he starts to show his fangs and claws. So, uh...anyone like himself!! Birds of a feather here do not flock together - but this kid is quiet, timid, and rightfully so. She's also scared and in need of a helping hand, so...he has to reign in his negative tendencies. Easier said than done, no doubt, but he's at least trying, and doing pretty well so far, he thinks!

Even if this is a right pain in the ass that he did not plan for at all...

Oh. Oh, that was a weird noise. Katsuki blinks, turning his head to one side with a very curious but confused look on his face, then begins to snort and snicker. A crooked grin spread on his face after a moment of shoulder-shaking chuckles and he resists the urge to tap the glass. Yeah, no, that shit hurts the ears of sealife, don't do that you dumbass.]

Pfft--hah...! You sounded like a seal pup. [Cute. he means it sounded cute.] But I can understand you better up top. Oi, tekkamaki, you eat this?

[Katsuki is heading to a cooler he has in his sailboat, where he pulls out a bag of...smoked salmon. Taking out a piece, he drops it rather unceremoniously into the tank with the girl inside. If she eats, she eats - if she doesn't, well...he has a few other things, some fruit mostly...maybe a few frozen prawns, but he'd like to save those for himself. Oh well...she needs them more.]

[candyapplechild]

[ She doesn't really understand what's so funny about her voice, but she pouts in response, a little embarrassed... even if she's not sure what.

Still, her pouting abruptly stops as the salmon is dropped into the tank, and she quickly grabs it, fumbling with it for a bit before looking up at Katsuki with wide eyes... as if questioning if this is really for her?

She looks back at the salmon, then back to Katsuki, flipping between them a few more times before her own hunger wins over her nervousness and she suddenly starts to dig in, eating the entire thing almost ravenously. It's her first proper meal in a long time, since she's too young to catch fish on her own... and it tastes different from anything else she's ever had in her entire life. You don't really come across smoked anything underwater. ]

M-Mmm...!

[ At the very least, though, it tastes good. She can't help herself from letting out another seal-like whine as she unceremoniously stuffs her face. In the ocean, large fish will eat smaller fish, and it looks like Mermaids aren't an exception to this. ]

[xploud]

[Oho, so he guessed right!! Perfect, that gives Katsuki a much better gauge on what he can actually feed this kid when he checks his other traps later today - probably while she's resting. The salmon definitely will taste bizarre, smoked and heavily salted, but it's good food. He may even try to fry up some of those frozen prawns and give them to the little tuna roll later, too. And also feed himself, obviously.

Speaking of, Katsuki does take a bite for himself from the bag to chew on, but drops more pieces into her tank after. Most of what he has will be given up to the kid, and he's already planning to try and find more for her to eat later. Lord, but...how the fuck is he gonna keep her? He could theoretically sleep on his sail boat - there's a space under the deck for storage that can fit a futon, but...Katsuki would rather his bed, honestly. Hm...she could stay there, but...does she have to stay submerged all the time? Or is she one of those, uh...Western type mermaids that sprout legs when they're dry enough? What're they called? Selkies?? She did sound like a seal a second ago...]

Eat as much as you can, then sleep. If you need it dark, let me know. [Her can put a blanket or a towel over her tank.] M'gonna do some more work on the ship.

[candyapplechild]

[ She eats everything that Katsuki drops into the tank, looking up from out of the tank expectantly every time he brings one close to her, the tip of her fin swishing slightly under the water. Truly, the way to a starved baby Mermaid's trust is through the stomach.

Unfortunately, there was nothing so convenient. Older merpeople know how to shift their tails into scaley, finned legs when out of water, but Eri was too young. It was an ability that would come with time, but even then it would require practice... and otherwise, Eri would be confined to sadly flopping around the ground if she wasn't in water. Besides, even if she suddenly and magically learned how, then comes the process of learning how to walk without looking funny.

Though, maybe that'd be a little cute... or funny... like videos of watching seals move on land. ]

Nn...

[ Not that she knows to mention any of this, and in any case, she's out like a light as soon as she's full. Dark or not, the exhaustion finally hits her once she's not desperate for food, and when Katsuki looks back, she'll have curled up at the bottom of the tank, snoozing soundly.

Surely one can... conspicuously cover up a tank and bring it home without anybody seeing the contents, right? ]

[xploud]

[Okay, even he has to admit the little tuna roll is cute. He's never had an issue with kids so long as they were well behaved and quiet (the exact opposite of himself), and his lip does turn up at the side for a ghost of a second when she looks at him expectantly each time he brings a morsel close to her tank. Good lord, is this what it means to have a pet? N-Not that he'd ever consider her to be - she's half human - but her mannerisms and characteristics remind him of a puppy. She must've been hungry...

Red eyes look her over, taking in her torso and mostly trying to see if she's thinner than she ought to be. Kids are usually kind of pudgy and round...like dumplings, so if she's less squishy, Katsuki might have to really start getting her some more fatty foods to get her weight back. He's no pro, but he knows the nutritional value of pretty much anything he makes, so it won't be hard. The problem is...his tastes run on the hotter side. He's so conditioned to the heat and the flavor that going without just makes certain foods taste bland to him, so that's...going to be a challenge. Ugh.

After hauling anchor and securing a few lines of the sail, Katsuki moves his boat out into deeper water and goes to check on the kid. Good, good, she's asleep. He sighs, taking one of his beach towels - those are usually light, but large - and covers up the tank. He shifts the sail so she's in the shade and the water doesn't get too warm as the day ticks on, then just does his daily tasks. Honestly, he very nearly forgets about her, pulling up his traps and laying out their contents in various buckets, tossing back the catches that are too small to be legal to keep. Yes, ya boy is a law-abiding citizen, thank you. He actually has a decent rapport with the marine pat--]

Shit.

[What if the marine patrol stops him? They usually do, just to do their usualy checks of people's catches to make sure they're not overfishing and catching anything protected, endangered, or too small to keep. If they ask to board his boat, even with how good standing...

He curses, biting his lip, and drags his hands down his face. What the fuck mess did he get himself into?! Now he literally cannot keep her on his boat, and has to find...SOME-FUCKING-WHERE to put her. A warehouse? There's plenty of old and abandoned ones on the pier, but...gangs use them to deal drugs and shit like that sometimes. So that's no good. He can't take her to a fishery, obviously, that's private property...

God. He looks over his shoulder at the tank and groans. There's really no choice, is there? He has to take the little tekkamaki home with him. At least Katsuki knows his parents won't tell a soul, because there's no reason to hide her from them. They will find out, and Katsuki hates to lie, especially to his mom.]

Can't believe I have to-- [Fishing (haha) his cell phone from a drawer in the cabin, he dials a number in it and waits.] ...Oi, hag. Need you and dad to come get me on the pier. Bring the trailer.

[Boy, this is going to be one hell of a conversation.]

[candyapplechild]

[ While it was partially because of how long she'd been out on her own in the wild with now way of getting her own food—whether via hunting smaller fish or discerning anything else that can be safely eaten, neither of which she knows how to do—she's not as squishy as a girl her age ought to be.

Still, her belly is full now, and she's getting some much-needed rest... sleeping soundly under the shade inside the tank, oblivious to the predicament currently giving Katsuki grief. There is also the option of simply releasing her back into the ocean, but that's a bad idea no matter how you look at it, and one that Eri would be pretty resistant against.

In any case, it's far from the amount of sleep she actually needs, but she's too used to sleeping light. The sound of Katsuki's voice causes her to wake up, rubbing her eyes under the water. It sounds like he's talking to someone, so she immediately tenses up, but she can't see anything from under the towel covering her tank... so she carefully lifts her head up out of the water, just barely peeking out of the tank. She can't see much, but she does let out a sigh of relief when she realizes that her fears are unfounded... and despite the fact that he's talking to someone, she can't see anybody else on the boat. ]

[xploud]

[The thought of tossing her back did pass through his head for a moment, but Katsuki is too good a person to do that. He may talk and act harsh, but he's a good kid under all that bark and bite. He wants the kid to return to where she belongs, obviously, but only when she healthy. Besides, he does have some questions to ask her as well - namely why in the hell she was washed up to begin with, and where her supposed family is. She's way too young to be off on her own in terms of what he assumes is the same as kids on land, so...he'd prefer to get her back to her parents.

Speaking of parents though, Katsuki is having the worst damn conversation with his own, explaining everything that happened to his mother who, obviously, laughed at him and called him a fucking psycho. That is, until he about faced, marched over to the tank, v-very gently and quietly pushed the blanket aside so as not to spook or disturb the merchild inside, then thrust his phone was it while turning on a video call.]

See for your fucking self.

[Eri will see a moving...picture of sorts, of two people - a man and woman much older than the teenage boy who's helping her. The woman is literally a mirror image of the young man - longer, spiky blond hair, red eyes which were now wide, and a very beautiful face despite her age. The man was brunette, equally spiky hair, a thinly trimmed beard and mustache, and already ripping off his glasses to clean and shove them back on his face, blinking rapidly at the girl. it's dead silent for moments on end before the duo look at each other, back at the tank, and the man stands and goes off screen.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes."

And the feed ends very abruptly. Which is a tiny bit of relief, because he knows his mom and dad are reliable, caring, absolutely outstanding people (even if he gives them both hell constantly), but also...lord. It's going to put a massive strain and stressor on their whole family, for sure. At least until they figure out some kind of plan.]

Naa, tekkamaki...you're going to stay with me n' my folks a while. They're coming to get us, so you need to stay quiet and hidden until we're home. They're... [His scrunches his nose a little, grinding his teeth. Katsuki is bad with compliments, always has been, even though he adores his family and friends who are especially close to him. It's just his personality - he's a tsundere.] Reliable.

[candyapplechild]

[ Eri's never seen a phone before, but the sight of more humans inside that small screen... she looks up nervously at the image, though she does note the resemblance that the woman especially holds to Katsuki himself.

Still, she understands what Katsuki is saying. Quiet... she's done that for as long as she can remember, she can do it here as well. She silently nods and slips back into the water of the tank. Honestly, she can feel her nervousness resurfacing... but if Katsuki trusts them, then she can as well... right? ]

[xploud]

[They're his parents, of course he trusts them. More than he'd ever say aloud, but Katsuki knows that if they've got his back on this - and he knows without a doubt that they do - she will be taken care of and protected for as long as she needs to be. His mom is as fiery and tenacious as Katsuki is, and his dad is calm, collected, but smart and extremely resourceful. They balance each other indefinitely, and those two are a pair...it's no wonder they've been happily married for so long.

Fucking barf.

But Katsuki notes the little merchild's anxiety and takes a long breath. Yeah, yeah...this is all scary and new for her. More people, new people, and she doesn't even know what the fuck is happening, or who he is, his name, or his intentions.]

Oi. Cut that shit out, no one's gonna hurt you while you're on my ship. [His voice is stern, but serious. Then dips into a softer, calmer note.] The ol--...my mom'd break anyone's arm who even thought about trying. You're gonna be okay, tekkamaki.

Rest, I'll let you know when we need to move you.

[Cuz he's going to need to sail to the pier and that's going to take a little bit, then load up his boat onto the trailer with his dad's help.]

[candyapplechild]

M-Mm...

[ She doesn't get a lot of what he just said, other than the part about his mother hurting anyone who would try to hurt her... but more importantly, that she's gonna be okay.

Quite frankly, Katsuki has been the kindest person to her so far, which might be saying something... but she nods along and curls back up to rest. It does sound nice still, after all... ]

[xploud]

[That certainly says something about the people she's been around, not that he knows... Katsuki's well aware he's very prickly, gets it from his mom, but he's still got a good heart and does try to help when and where he can. He's not a damn monster. Probably gets that from his dad.

Speaking of, it's some time after Eri's already fallen asleep, there's muffled sounds like voices and footsteps, lots of movement, some cursing and hissed arguments, and a sudden shift and jerk of the boat itself. Thnkfully, Eri won't be startled for too long by everything, because Katsuki is lightly prodding her from the top of the tank, under the blanket.]

Oi. We're moving now, you need to get up.