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mdzs-is-rotting-my-brain · 11 months

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Wangxian mermay 2023

Day VII: The Deep.

"The university must really be hurting for money if they brought him back."

"Who is he?"

"Man you don't know? That's Wei Ying, he was one of the university brightest stars thirteen years ago. Until he had an accident in an HOV and claimed he saw a mermaid of all things! Can you believe it?"

"A mermaid? Is he crazy?"

"A lot of people thought so. His family cut him off, the madam of the estate even kicked him out after he fathered a bastard. Or so I heard."

"I heard he was gambling to pay the bills. Got in too deep and he works for the Mafia now."

"Diedie?"

Wei Ying looked up from locking his cases, smiling at the soft-faced seventeen-year-old in front of him.

"Don't worry about them Yuan-er." He tucked a strand of hair behind Yuan-er's ear. "They're gonna be on the escort ship."

Wei Yuan looked back at the group of men gathered around the fishing vessel. His hands tightening in Wei Ying's jacket sleeve.

"I don't like the smell of them."

Wei Ying laughed, ruffling his son's hair, "They reek don't they?"

He glanced at the crew that would be on the escort boat. They were ragged men, rough from life and the sea. Angry that nothing had gone their way and taking it out on anyone who deviated from the "correct path" of Deep Sea Marine Biology.

More than anyone alive Wei Ying deeply understood the important science behind Deep Sea Ecosystems, and just how much claims of mermaids, especially from such a renowned expert in the field, would reflect on the study. How scientists in other fields even within marine biology, would use one rogue or 'crazy' scientist to siphon money, support, or students away from Deep Sea Research.

Which is why he never repeated what he said in any official documents after his concussion diagnosis. His claims could have been chalked up to a concussed, oxygen deprived mind. Hallucinations, boarding on a full mental breakdown.

It would not be the first time he had seen things and they were claimed to be conjurings of an unfit mind.

But someone had gotten word of what he'd said. Someone important. Someone who other people listened to, and took their gossip as provable fact even without supporting evidence.

In the three months it had taken to get him back to shore, it had spread like wildfire. His career was over, his stipend from the Jiangs was reduced to a trickle, and was cut off before the end of the year. When Yuan-er appeared on the scene, a fat little toddler that someone had snapped a picture of when Wei Ying as he was leaving his apartment, it was all Yu-furen needed to end what little she was giving him anyway. His calls were blocked, his letters were probably destroyed upon arrival. While he never attempted to visit after the disaster of his crumpled reputation, he was sent a strong message to never try.

It had been him and a handful of surviving Wens for ten years. Three years ago they took the journey he had spent Yuan-er's entire life training him for, the fact that the university needed an HOV pilot was just a happy coincidence.

If that meant they had to spend a few weeks around humans that reeled of sour alcohol and cigarettes, it was worth it to get back home.

He shifted his eyes to Yuan-er, taking his hand, he smiled, "Come on, we're almost there."

Keeping Yuan-er's hand in his, he led him up the gangplank to the research ship.

Three weeks later.

The HOV was poised over the dark blue water.

The air smelled of the storm and blood, the deck was streaked with it. Body parts of the crew members were scattered from the command cabin to the gearbox that controlled the HOV's descent.

Wen Qing was going to have a lot to say about this when they finally met up again.

Wei Ying wrapped the burn on his chest as best as he could. The lack of medical supplies should have been a clue that this 'research' was designed to get rid of him.

He knew who was behind it.

It was fine. He didn't need to do anything about them…right now.

He climbed into the HOV cockpit, sealed the hatch, and hit the button to start the drop.

Yuan-er was asleep in the bunk, sung to sleep by Wei Ying's spell when he first smelled the chemicals Wang Liangjiao was planning on using to subdue them.

Shame, really, no one told her that Wei Ying's breed had heightened smell.

He had to keep Yuan-er safe. He had promised, so he couldn't risk attacking her and her screams alerting the crew that something had gone wrong.

He settled for giving her a taste of her own medicine.

Hiding Yuan-er had been his first step. His second was to scuttle the ship. They would all reported lost at sea.

How tragic.

He was sure only a few would mourn him. But no one important, no one that he needed to stay for.

The control arm retracted after the HOV was in the water. He detached the steel cable that would have retracted the HOV back to the surface earlier, while hiding from Wen Zhuliu.

He turned on the engines and pushed the HOV under water.

He discovered the sanctuary of the deep when he was six. Fleeing predators in Yiling, the river running through the town wasn't that deep, but it hid him well enough, and the lake, the dark depths he could dive too, to hunt and hide.

He never should have left.

Never would have met Wen Qing, or Wen Ning or….him.

Golden eyes, stern face staring at him from the end of a crystalline blade, a face as white as jade, lit by the bioluminescence around them, and the shattered HOV lights.

Dark hair against caught on his face from the torrent rivers, his expression softened by the dark clouds above them, and the misty, rainy evening.

The HOV lights caught on a rock face, Wei Ying had drifted lower than was safer, shaking his head, he pulled back on the controls, pulling the HOV up, angling the lights down, searching for the cravice he found the first time.

"Die?"

He smiled over his shoulder at Yuan-er, "Hey baobei, wake up. We're almost there."

Yuan-er slid into the chair, his face looked sickly light by the green lights around him.

"Die. Will…" He pressed his lips together, his eyes wide at the dark ocean ahead of them. Under his jacket, the edge of a white forehead ribbon.

He untied it, holding it between his hands, his thumb running back and forth over the heavy emblem and dangling jewel in the center.

"...Will he want me?"

Wei Ying took his hand without taking his eyes off the view in front of him.

"Yes. He will. He has never expressed his desire for anything else but us."

Yuan-er's shoulders dipped, his back eased, a smile.

"How long until we get there?"

The lights caught the edge of a deep crevice, too narrow for the HOV where they were, Wei Ying angled the HOV along the crevice, following it until it was wide enough for the HOV to pass through.

Technically, they could have just jumped off the side of the ship, but swimming would have taken so long, and he had waited thirteen years already. Raised their child alone, in a hostile world, taken back what had been stolen. Everyone else had already left him, he was tired to stinking of human. He hated the taste of their blood between his teeth. He wanted to be home as fast as possible.

He took one of Yuan-er's hands in his.

"Soon."

The ocean dipped into darkness, cut only by the HOV lamps, skimming across bleached white sand, deep dwelling creatures skimpering out of sight, bones of whales laying scattered across the landscape like morbid waymarkers to find their way back, and eyes at his left, watching them.

Wei Ying jerked his head around, blinking to be sure it wasn't just a figment of his imagination and desire.

It wasn't.

In the deep two golden eyes watched them from between two pillars of rock.

He brought the HOV to a stop, smiling wide as he turned to Yuan-er.

"It's time. Are you ready?"

Yuan-er, staring at the eyes, only nodded. His body was tense again, he kept looking around to see if anyone else was there.

So far it was just the one pair.

"You go first, I want to make sure the Black Box is scuttled."

With effort, Yuan-er pulled his eyes away from the ones outside, meeting Wei Ying's.

He hesitated.

A thousand thoughts, normal ones, even as he'd been told their story. The need for their separation, he still had doubts his father loved him. Even if a painting of a white-tailed "mermaid" handing a child over to a man in black on a rainy night stood prominent in their house. Even if he knew Lan Zhan loathed losing both of them. The doubts were natural, and understandable.

Yuan-er looked down at the ribbon in his hands for a long time, his thumb tracing the embroidery his father had done.

He smiled and held the ribbon out to Wei Ying.

Wei Ying kissed his forehead before he tied the ribbon in place. The blue jewel hanging between his eyes.

"Okay." He stood, giving the last connection to their humanity and life, a last glance.

He stepped into the pressure chamber, keying the long practiced sequence that allowed the internal pressure meet the external without crushing the HOV like a tin can.

Wei Ying turned on all the outdoor lights, flooding the area. He wanted to see the reunion.

The HOV jerked, a muffled thundering sound as water flooded the chamber Yuan-er was in, and the outer hatch released.

A stream of bubbles blew past the window, Lan Zhan was fully in the light now, his long hair drifting like a curtain around his head, his eyes darting between Wei Ying and the hatch. Wei Ying was too far away, but he could easily picture his husband's anxiety, the long awaited day for their return.

Yuan-er, beautiful in his form, Wei Ying's lighter hair tied up with a white ribbon gleaming on his brow. A tail of white scales lined with silver and a faint streak of red at his side, swam past the window, displaying a confidence he hadn't within the HOV, right up to his father, smiling a beautiful winning smile at him.

Lan Zhan pulled Yuan-er into a crushing hug.

Wei Ying didn't linger to watch the reunion. He wanted to be a part of it.

Ducking his head under the control panel, he was unsurprised to find no Black Box. For wanting the location of the Ancestors Home so badly, Wen Chao went about this whole expedition in the same fashion a child glues pasta to paper and thinks it's art.

Shrugging, he powered down the HOV, turned off all the lights and headed into the same pressure chamber Yuan-er used.

He started the equalizer sequence, then stripped quickly, shivering with delight, anticipation, and cold.

The pressure matched, vent ports opened, flooding the chamber with rich salt water, he laid down on the floor and let the change come over him. When the chamber was halfway full, he swam over to the door, tapping against the light he knew was red, but his eyes no longer human, perceived it differently now.

The water filled to the top, the light changed. The heavy, industrial locks disengaged, the door slid back.

He swam back into his home waters and right into his husbands arms.

He was soft and warm. He smelled of their home, and their species. Everything he had ever missed. The thick, earthy spice that he never found a replacement for during his time with the Humans.

"Lan Zh-" his face was tipped up, a kiss thirteen years overdue silenced anything else he wanted to say.

He quickly deepened the kiss, holding Wei Ying by his face and neck, keeping him an inch or two lower so he had the advantage to press.

Wei Ying curled his fingers into Lan Zhan's side, moaning softly between them.

He did not flush like a human anymore, his face still felt hot as Lan Zhan pulled away, a smug, grin and satisfaction gleaming I'm his eyes.

"In front of our son, how scandalous!" They did not speak in terms humans would understand. It was a song, one he had missed singing, and being heard.

Lan Zhan's face eased, pleased at hearing his voice echo in the waters around them.

"You have raised him well."

Wei Ying kissed his lips, gently biting the lower one as he pulled away.

"That must be your side-"

"What happened?" Lan Zhan's brow creased into an unhappy frown, his face tight with anger. His hands were on Wei Ying's bandaged chest.

"Lan Zhan, interrupting! Lan Qiren cannot blame that bad habit on me! I haven't been here."

"Wei Ying."

Lan Zhan had a number of preverbal weapons he could deploy to effectively manipulate Wei Ying into whatever he wanted him to do.

His low, rasping voice of worry, fear, with the undercurrent of possessive anger was just one of the many ways Wei Ying allowed himself to be manipulated by his husband.

"Ah Lan Zhan," Wei Ying held his husbands face, rubbing his thumbs under deep golden eyes, "it was Wang Liangjiao, Wen Chao's consort…I think. She wanted to Mark me. Make me submissive to her and Wen Chao."

Lan Zhan's eyes flashed, his fingers twitched on the bandages, curling around the edges of them. He looked Wei Ying over, marking each scratch, or cut, until his eyes landed on the faded scar on his right wrist. The old bit mark had been covered for most of Wei Ying's time on land, only when he was absolutely safe did he run his fingers over the skin, remembering the night his husband claimed him as his.

Lan Zhan's Mark as at the junction of his neck and shoulder, lighter, and more prominent, the scars were raised from the skin, a Sect tattoo wove around the Mark, swirling clouds and small birds, one baby bird perched on the highest scar.

Wei Ying swooped in, kissing that scar and baby bird. Burying his nose Lan Zhan's scent,

"Lan Zhan, take me home."

A gentle kiss was placed on his head.

"Wei Ying." Lan Zhan kissed him again.

Eventually, they joined Yuan-er, who was giving the pillars that formed the barrier that kept them safe, a thorough examination, like he was going to be tested on it.

With Yuan-er at one side and Lan Zhan his other, Wei Ying made the final journey home.

Behind him, the HOV went into its programmed shut down. The lights that previously flooded the darkness, clicked off, returning darkness to the deep.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wei ying #lan zhan #lan sizhui #wen yuan #mirmb wangxian mermay 2023 #wangxian mermay 2023 #day seven #mirmb writes

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mossbiin · 1 year

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days four-seven: false, gem, doc, xb

life got rlly busy but i managed to catch up

guardian xb bc it is mermay and also he cannot beat the fish allegations

#consistent art style? nah #really like how xbs turned out #hermitcraft #hermitcraft fanart #hermitblr #hermitaday #falsesymmetry #false symmetry #geminitay #geminitay fanart #docm77 #docm77 fanart #xbcrafted #xbcrafted fanart

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ilovedainironfoot · 1 year

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MERMAY CHALLENGE FIRST DAY :

Aulë as an undersea volcano, choosing the pearls and rocks to create his first children, the seven dwarfs fathers.

#aulë #silmarillion #tolkien dwarves

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tuberculosis-bot-9000 · 8 months

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Last year, our small fandom celebrated our favorite tiny corner of the Star Wars universe.

Now, we do it all again!

I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE:

KALEESH WEEK 2023!

LET'S GET READY TO RRRRUMBLE!

Details and rules under the cut!

Welcome back to Kaleesh Week! I am so excited to have another one of these! Without further ado:

What is Kaleesh Week?

Kaleesh Week is a week dedicated to the small but thriving subset of the Star Wars fandom that loves General Grievous and his people, the Kaleesh. Similar to much more well-known fandom celebrations such as Smaugust, Mermay, or Whumptober, Kaleesh Week can pertain to any medium of choice.

What are the rules?

The rules are simple, but should be followed to ensure the happiness of all participants and make my job as archivist easier!

Any type of creation is allowed, whether art, fanfiction, gifs, videos, or anything else. As long as it's Kaleesh-related, there's no problem

Remember to properly tag all triggers

Remember to tag your entries with #kaleesh week, #kaleeshweek, #kaleesh week 2023, or #kaleeshweek2023, it will help me keep track of them all so I can reblog them

Also, please tag me in your posts so that I can be sure to see and reblog them! If I missed one, don't hesitate to tell me

It isn't strictly necessary to follow along every day, this is meant to be fun! Post whenever you like, whether that's all seven days or just one. You can also post anytime after the week if you'd like

Alternate prompts can be used to mix and match in any way you'd like with the standard prompts, so go crazy

And last but not least, have fun!

What are the prompts, and what's the deal with alternate prompts?

The two lists of prompts are there to give any participants more freedom with whatever they'd like to create. Alternate prompts are a set of prompts that anybody can use in place of the current prompt. You don't need to choose either the regular prompts OR the alternate prompts, instead, you can decide each day if you'd like to use one of the prompts or one of the alternate prompts. If you aren't feeling one prompt, you can swap it out with any of the alternate prompts, as out of order as you'd like.

Prompts:

Khan

Empire

Demigod

Pups

Wives

Injury

Ascension

Alternate Prompts:

Izvoshra

Droids

Oben

The Force

Republic

Jedi

Sith

I'd like to join the General Grievous Discord server! Where do I sign up?

If you'd like to come hang out with us at the Kaleeaboos server, simply PM me! We have all sorts of fun stuff going on, and a pretty chill vibe. I'm one of the mods there along with some other big names in the Grievous fandom. Come hang with us!

And finally, good luck, and have fun!

#star wars #general grievous #grievous #kaleesh #kalee #kaleesh week #kaleeshweek #kaleesh week 2023 #kaleeshweek2023

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taileaves · 1 year

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The first seven days of Mermay 2023.

#mermay 2023 #mermay #my art #artists on tumblr #I’m not following the prompts to a t so some of these don’t match up lmao

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malakia215 · 10 days

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Seven Sentence Sunday.

Day late, yada yada. LOL Thank you for the tag @emmalostinwonderland!!!!

This is for a fic I am working on for MerMay. I sequel for my first dinluke MerMay fic!

Going to the stern of the boat, he folded his arms and grinned at the sight on the shore. Grogu and Luke splashed in the waves, laughing and running without a care in the world. Their matching skirts equally fluttered around them and dragged because of the water in a myriad of colors. Din could have watched the sight for eternity at the happiness they exuded. Din's heart skipped a beat when Luke, undoubtedly sensing Din's gaze, looked over to where he stood. His lover's smile grew bigger and he got Grogu's attention so they could wave at Din. Grogu's wave had a bit of a jump to it, causing Din to chuckle.

:D Hope you all enjoy! And for those that get tagged... Ever writer that sees this lolz.

#dinluke #star wars #Mala rambles

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draconli · 2 years

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Mermaid Day 27: Gummy Worms

I referenced my early piece of gummy worms/dragon to draw the mermaid body.

#mermay #mermay 2022 #mermay day 27 #day 27 #mermay day twenty seven #day twenty seven #sketch #ink #art #mermaid

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twisted-wonderland-shenanigans · 1 year

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Hello everybody~!

So, since this month is Mermay, I wanted to do a little something for it. I've been a little burnt out on asks lately, but I've taken a break for a few days to focus on some personal projects/stories and recharge myself. I'm getting back on track to answering things again, though, while working on the fics from the last poll, so look forward to that! UvU

Now, what I've got are two options for this Mermaid!AU (where Yuu is a human in both version and the characters are mermaids based off of Floyd's nicknames for them), and one of them is going to wind up being the main one I will focus on once I finish the prologue for it. However, I do have bits from random points in both stories that I've already written and wanted to share!

For the Marine Biologist!AU, Yuu/reader/MC is a marine biologist intern who is assigned to a facility that recently came across seven groups of mermaids from an island that appears only once a year out of nowhere. Yuu winds up being one of the only ones able to get anywhere near them to feed and monitor them--which is a huge responsibility! Can these two worlds come together? Will Yuu help find a way to get them back home?

As for the normal Mermaid!AU, Yuu/reader/MC winds up shipwrecked after a scuba diving trip goes wrong, lost on an island filled with mermaids and strange bird-like humanoids who seem closely intertwined with the nature of the island and its ecosystem. Can Yuu find a way to get past the island's guardian to get home, or will they be trapped on the island forever? Will they discover the secrets of the island and the connection humans once shared with these primal forces of nature?

Like I said, I do wanna do both of these stories, I'm just gonna focus on one specific one 😅 In the meantime though, since it's Mermay, I wanted to spoil you guys with some stuff I'd written down! >v< Keep in mind that since they're random skits, there are things that will change as ideas come to me on how to approach this, and I get a set timeline set up.

Poll will be open for a day versus a week because I'm impatient and curious 😂 I may even answer some questions about the AU as well, though we'll see~

#twisted wonderland #twst #faun speaks #twisted wonderland poll #twst poll #twisted wonderland mermaid au #twst mermaid au #twisted wonderland marine biologist au #twst marine biologist au

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mdzs-is-rotting-my-brain · 11 months

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Wangxian Mermay 2023

Day XII: Teeth

Endure more wangxian family cuteness.

"Lan Zhan."

Blinking the irritation from the computer screen from his eyes, Lan Wangji looked at his office door.

Wei Ying was there in his fluffy bathrobe that made him look comfortable, warm, and fuckable.

Lan Wangji curled his hands into fists, willing absolute control over his urges and desires. The deadline was extremely close, and he was nearly done. Once he finished his section of the score and melodies, he would be free for seven weeks before rehearsals began.

Seven weeks of waking up late, of doing all the cooking, getting to spend time with Wei Ying and their child.

He could do this.

Wei Ying folded himself around Lan Wangji's back, draping there like a contented cat. Taking one of his fists, he kissed each of his fingers, before opening his hand and dropping something small and white into it.

It took a moment for him to place the object with it's origins, and realize what it was.

"When…did he lose it?"

Wei Ying kissed his cheek, somehow snuggling closer, resting his entire weight against Lan Wangji's back.

"This morning during our swim. I had to dive to get it."

Lan Wangji put it in a drawer, he grabbed Wei Ying by the arm pulling him into his lap, kissing him fiercely.

Wei Ying was the only one he ever dated that taunted him. He learned to play him like Lan Wangji could his qugin, he knew what he was doing wearing his fluffiest robe, bringing the first tooth their son lost.

He arched into the kiss, trailing his hand down Lan Wangji's chest, moaning when Lan Wangji pulled on his hair, forcing his back to arch.

"Diedie, baba."

They broke apart, breathing hard. Wei Ying was flushed down his neck, Lan Wangji could feel his own ears warm.

"In the office baobei." Wei Ying called. He pretended to stretch, arching his back in a salacious display of bare chest and legs. He smiled at Lan Wangji, kissing him quickly before he fixed his robes.

A-Yuan, dressed in his dinosaur onesie, came into the room holding the large rabbit plush Huan-ge bought him for his birthday last year.

Wei Ying lifted him up, setting him in his lap, Lan Wangji wrapped his arms around both of them.

"Baba, look!" A-Yuan smiled at him, he was missing two teeth now. He held the other tooth, still bloody, in his hand.

"Ah my poor baby!" Wei Ying hugged A-Yuan tightly, Lan Wangji plucked the tooth out of A-Yuan's hand, adding it to the drawer with the other one.

"It didn't hurt diedie." A-Yuan managed while he was squished against Wei Ying.

"Still, all that blood."

"Baba, diedie's being silly." A-Yuan sighed, much too mature for a child his age.

"Mn. He is." Lan Wangji freed A-Yuan from Wei Ying, holding him close. "You are growing up. He is happy to see it."

Wei Ying was staring at them the same way he did when Yanli-jie came by with A-Ling.

A soft face unable to believe sometimes that he got to be a part of something this warm.

"Do you know the Wen rites?"

There was rites for every Jiaoren Clan when a child lost their first set of teeth, each one as unique and different as the Clans themselves.

"I know some stuff. I know when his Hunting teeth come in he's supposed to make his first solo hunt. I could ask Qing-jie, she might be willing to share, even if they aren't from the same branch."

"I will inquire with Wen Qionglin as well. He might be willing to share."

Wei Ying smiled at him, wrapping his arms around A-Yuan "See, we can do this."

Lan Wangji kissed his forehead, "We have been doing well so far."

A-Yuan snuggled down between them, laying on Wei Ying's chest, with his legs over Lan Wangji's arm.

"Aiyah, he can sleep anywhere. Let me get him back to bed so you can work."

"No." Lan Wangji held them both tighter, "Stay."

Wei Ying stared at him, a bit surprised, "But…your compositions.."

Lan Wangji pulled him as close as he could get without disturbing A-Yuan.

"They can wait a few minutes."

Wei Ying beamed at him, he held A-Yuan, snuggling close, tucking his head under Lan Wangji's chin. Were he a cat, he would have been purring.

Not for the first time was Lan Wangji grateful he'd spent the extra for the larger desk chair. Rolling back slightly so he could rest his feet on the ottoman, he held his family.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #the untamed #wei ying #lan zhan #mirmb wangxian mermay 2023 #wangxian mermay 2023 #mermay 2023 #mermay prompts #mermay

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kingixsstuff · 1 year

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Mermay redesigns

Mermay redesigned part two

The royal family of mariana andros the under water portion of the kingdom of tides.

King Neptune is the twin brother to king Theodore (Aisha’s dad).

King Neptune is the king of the seven seas,he’s known for being a nice but strong king.he has slain multiple enemies treating his kingdom and family. He’s actually not seen much as he is the one who’s handling business (like repairing and building) for the kingdom

Queen legia. A powerful magic user she’s known as a mer-fairy (like aisha) a mermaid who uses fairy magic,with her coral gem she is the (mer)fairy of currents she is the one who the kingdom normally sees as she is very active in the community.

Princess tressa, the princess she’s the youngest child and the kindest but she looks up to her fathers strength and aspires to be like him.she trains almost every day trying to live up to his legendary strength

Prince nereus & tritannus, the two twin princes of the kingdom it’s actually very common to have twins and when this kingdom do it’s tradition for the monarch to publicly pick which one gets the throne, from a young age both Nereus and tritannus both knew that tritannus wouldn’t get picked.

So he went and secretly learned magic,and became a mer sorcerer,the sorcerer of toxins.

And Nereus continued as a normal merman learning how to fight just like his father.

Secretly trutannus plotted and planed how to get the thrown that he felt belonged to him .

Hope you like it guys happy mermay 💕

#winx fanart #winx rewrite #winx redesign #winx fairy #winx art #winx aisha #kingix #winx mermaid #winx tressa #winx Nereus #winx tritannus #winx legia #winx Neptune #mermay #mermen #mermaid

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ristoranteivorykeys · 2 years

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twst mermay 7 — merschool

in which azul visits a middle school reunion and meets his old bullies ft. azul ashengrotto and unnamed mers

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: this has to be the hardest one i’ve written so far 😭 i had the idea to write about azul meeting his bullies again in a middle school reunion (so technically meeting the theme of merschool, just not in an actual merschool :P). however, brainstorming was difficult because i really wanted to write azul’s thought process when it comes to his insecurities regarding the bullying very well. there is imagery of a tightrope in this particular fic because i wanted to play with the idea of dorm azul being a balanced ssr card. (⌒▽⌒) along with that and the current situation in the ph being stressful, this took far too long to write T_T i hope i wrote him well here :’D i want to write my favorite character well ╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

Every day, Azul walks on a tightrope.

It would be a skywalk, the rope connecting between two of the tallest skyscrapers and overlooking busy streets and the expanse of the blue ocean beyond. Thin clouds kissing his face and cold winds tousling his hair, he would take his first step on the wire and walk with a grace and care every ballerina would envy. The audience below would watch with bated breath, waiting for the moment his foot would slip, waiting for the moment that he would fall. But Azul won’t allow that. No matter what he does or what he says, he’ll remain perfect and poised, cool and composed. And if it tickles his fancy, he’ll perform for the crowd. All the tricks up his sleeve, all the magic that tingles in his fingers. Azul will wow the crowd, through his talents and through his perfect balance.

Of course, not literally so. If he were to walk on such a thin wire, he’d just place one foot on the wire, and he’ll already find himself wobbling and struggling to gain balance before resting his foot back on more solid ground.

But in his every action, every word, every feeling, there is always delicate care put into deciding those things. Because one wrong action, one wrong word, one wrong feeling will cause his foot to slip and cause his fall.

And after all that work put into studying and magic practice, by the Great Seven, Azul does not wish to return to the bottom of the ocean, back to his lowest point in his life.

See, if he decided on his own, Azul would not have gone to the reunion of his old classmates.

Those same classmates once mocked him and laughed at him, calling his legs ugly and laughing at his stupidity and slowness. He would never forget every single word that spat out of their ugly mouths or their unkind eyes that taunted him, and he didn’t want to have to see those faces again. No, of course he isn’t scared of them, it’s simply a matter of not wanting to see them again for the sake of not wanting to cross again a bridge he already traversed.

But dear old mother, with her restaurant’s excellent reputation under the sea, was called to be a caterer to the party. Dear old mother, having gone through a divorce while he was bullied, has no idea on the trauma of her son, so she urged him to go, and as much as he hates to admit it, Azul is weak to his mama. So now, he floats alone by the buffet table, watching each of his former classmates.

Keep that balance, he tells himself, keep yourself under control. He hates to admit it, but it did hurt to hear that Jade and Floyd wouldn’t be coming to this reunion due to a family event. He understands. Of course he understands that they couldn’t always be there with him. But it feels cold without Floyd’s spontaneity and Jade’s scheming. He’s so used to knowing that there was someone to catch him if ever he should fall from the tightrope. They would catch him and say that it was all part of the act, and Azul could keep his confident smirk up, knowing that his performance remains impeccable.

Now, it feels like the two things he held onto in his act decided to let go, and suddenly, he’s all too aware of the people watching him.

All too aware of his former classmates surrounding him.

He hates the joy on their faces and the laughter coming out of them. Is this their new way of mocking him now, to show that they have friends and he doesn’t? His nose burns with anger. He starts to feel his emotions taking over his head.

In his act, his foot takes a step a bit too far to the left.

Wait, but if they haven’t changed, surely they would have the same insecurities and desires as before. Azul’s eyes scan each of his classmates. He recites all their names in his mind, all their likes and dislikes, all their worries and wishes that they expressed to himself. That’s right, he still has his magic and his charisma. He can do it again. He can show them who truly is the powerful one.

He feels himself regain his balance. He isn’t going to let a single thought ruin his act.

“Azul sweetie.” His mom taps him on the shoulder, and he turns to face her. On her other hand, she holds a tray of freshly made snacks. “Share these with your old classmates!”

Ah, of course. His friends may not be with him now, but his mom is. He knows the glint in her eyes—the kind that appears when she wants him to do something else aside from the assigned task. And more often than not, whatever she wants him to do tends to help him with his own plans. So he takes the tray from her hand with a smile. “Of course, mother.”

Tray in hand, Azul swims to a group of six mers. He recognizes each face. That one expressed insecurities of being in the shadow of his older brother, that other one was vying to have a partner, and there’s the kid who wanted to have…

“Ah, pardon me for interrupting,” he speaks up, interrupting the conversation. “My mother made a fresh batch. Do any of you like to have some?”

“Oh, sure,” everyone’s eyes glimmer over the food presented to them, and one by one, each of them reaches out to have a snack.

Good, all according to plan.

“Wait a minute.” One of the mers takes a better look at him, briefly scanning his face. “Is that really you, Azul Ashengrotto?”

Azul blinks. The question leaves him stunned for a moment. “Ah, yes, it is me.”

“Oh wait, yeah,” another exclaims, swimming closer towards the octopus mer. “No way, I didn’t recognize you!”

“Me neither. You look so different from before,” yet another points out with a smile on her face. “How’ve you been? It’s been a while.”

Are they playing a joke on me? He thinks angrily to himself. There is no way that they wouldn’t remember him, let alone act friendly to him. Him, the dumb, clumsy octopus that they laughed at. Liars, they’re all liars, aren’t they? They’re trying to get his guard down so that he could relax enough until he loses his balance and falls from the tightrope and into their trap.

“Ah, I’ve been doing fine,” he answers the mer smiling at him, his voice remaining amicable and even. Yet in his mind, he feels the rope he balances on shaking from the anger boiling in him. That same smile on her face was once aimed at him when she mocked him for being slow in PE classes at least sixty-four times within two years. What is she planning this time? To catch him off-guard? To goad him into accusing her for having bullied him before and ultimately make him appear to be the bad guy? No, he isn’t going to let her, or any of them, win against him.

“School has made me rather busy, so I’m glad to be home for vacation,” Azul continues right away, keeping the same evenness in his voice.

“Wait, what school are you in right now, Ashengrotto,” one of the mers asks him.

“Ah, I’m studying at Night Raven College,” he answers casually, ensuring none of his anger leaks to his voice.

Much to his surprise, everyone’s eyes widen, and their jaws drop in an almost comical manner.

“No way!”

“That’s so cool!”

“How is it like over there?!”

“How does it feel to be on land?”

“Did you see the Sea Witch’s statue?!”

Each of them leans forward as they ask their questions, and Azul feels his heart beating just a bit faster. He remembers a similar incident when he was 7 years old—when these same people backed him into a corner and spat their insults at him. He moves back just a bit, putting his hands up in a gesture to slow down. “Excuse me, perhaps one question at a time would be better.”

Please back away, is the silent plea that Azul would never say out of pride. It’s already bad enough to feel his mentality wobble like the tightrope under his feet, threatening him with the possibility of falling to an audience that seems to be all the more eager to watch his demise.

“Oh, oops.” The mers back away.

“Sorry sorry, I got carried away.”

The tightrope stabilizes. It feels easier to breathe, easier to regain his balance. Surely, they aren’t pretending to be kind, right? Yet, he doesn’t sense malice in their voices, but they appear to be genuinely sorry for being overexcited.

He should take this slow. If he is going to exploit their weaknesses again, at the very least, he can entertain their questions and control the conversation from there.

“Okay, first question, how is Night Raven like,” one mer asks.

“Well… It’s fascinating,” he answers slowly. “There are numerous things that they teach there that schools here won’t provide, and they have a lot of resources for things like alchemy experiments. Night Raven College is also a meritocracy, so it motivates you to work harder to achieve more and earn more respect. They also teach a lot about the Sea Witch and the other Great Seven that schools here would never teach you about, so history classes are also very enriching.”

“Yo, that sounds awesome,” one mer exclaims. “I’m so jealous. I wanted to go to Night Raven.”

“Me too,” another answers. “I applied, but I got rejected.”

Ah, that’s right, Azul thinks. Night Raven College gets a lot of applicants around the world, but it only accepts around 200 students out of at least 20,000. A small bit of pride swells in his chest upon realizing that he was able to make it to an esteemed school where others failed—including those who hurt him. There’s something there that he can use.

“Wait, what’s your dorm,” another mer asks.

Pushing his thoughts away, Azul answers: “I’m in Octavinelle.”

“Oooh, who’s your dorm head? My older brother was a dorm head there, so I’m kinda curious,” the same mer asks.

“Currently, I hold the position.” He smiles with pride as he responds.

Everyone gasps. Their gazes seem even more astounded than when they found out where he studied, and if this were a cartoon, their jaws would drop all the way to the floor.

“Really?!”

“No way, Octavinelle’s dorm leader?!”

“Holy seahorse!”

“Wait, so are you the one who’s running Mostro Lounge,” one mer asks. “I heard that Octavinelle had a restaurant, and I always wanted to try it from what some of my friends there said.”

“Yes, I am.” Azul feels himself ease into his businessman facade from the mention of his restaurant. “It’s a gentleman’s place where we serve dishes from around the world to cater to the diversity of the school. Typically, we only serve the students since the campus is off-limits to outsiders, but we welcome all customers when the gates are open! We have our own website, where you can check out the menu and our special offers.”

Their eyes sparkle, ‘oohs’ elicited from their mouths.

“Ooooh, I’m now really excited to try! I should tell my mom to get us a potion to go to Night Raven next time!”

“Same same! It sounds so good. I gotta look it up later.”

As everyone talks about their plans to check out his restaurant, Azul’s smile widens. He can almost smell the mo—ahem, rather, he can almost imagine the smiles on their faces the moment they try the food in Mostro Lounge.

“Dang, you’re really impressive, Ashengrotto,” says one of the mers, turning his attention back to Azul.

His smile vanishes, replaced with eyes widened slightly from surprise. “Huh?”

“Yeah no, like, I thought you wouldn’t get any more accomplished honestly,” another speaks up. “You were kinda known for having the best magic in class, so I was already kinda jealous of you. But then you went to Night Raven, then you ended up being a dorm leader and a restaurant owner two years after middle school?”

“And you’re so confident too,” yet another speaks up, the same mer who mocked him for his slowness sixty-four times years ago. “I honestly feel a bit bad for myself now.”

“Same!”

“Me too! Just hearing this makes me realize how little I’ve been doing.”

“My grades have been dropping a lot from middle school, I’m really sad.”

They start talking again, almost as if he isn’t with them. But Azul doesn’t interrupt them, as he listens intently to each and every word the same way he listened for any weaknesses he could exploit. Except that he isn’t thinking anymore of exploiting their weaknesses.

If anything, listening to them brings in an odd feeling. It’s blue, but it’s not sad. Rather, it’s the blue part of the ocean that sits between the light of the shallow area and the darkness of the ocean’s depths. It has the sunniness and peace of the higher sea level, but there’s a certain darkness as well.

All his life, he walked on tightropes, balancing on a precarious line so that he doesn’t lose to anything or anyone again. In his every action, every word, every feeling, there always needs to be delicate care put into deciding those things because one wrong action, one wrong word, one wrong feeling will cause his foot to slip and cause his fall. And one fall would bring him back to the ground where fishes mocked him for his legs and ink.

But it never occurred to him to step down to the other end of the line, to see that he actually made it to the other side, to see how high up he truly is compared to the audience that he feared and loathed.

An audience that never did anything fruitful, unlike himself.

I… won.

Part of Azul is slightly bitter. He made his life harder for himself to satisfy a crowd that only booed at him and wished for his fall. He worked hard to be liked—and he worked hard for the wrong people. But another part of him is at peace. At peace knowing that he did it, that now, they’re the ones admiring him and giving such flattering comments to him now. But most importantly, at peace with knowing that he can stop looking back on them and their bullying when he grew to become better than them.

#twisted wonderland #twst #azul ashengrotto #twst mermay

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