Random Oneshots

FTO - The Newest Crew Member

Mermaid au

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

The sun lit up the sea floor, catching on the broken human relics that scattered the sand and the brightly colored plants and coral that staggered between them. That small reef was why he was there.

His calloused hands, worn from years of working with all sorts of weapons and poisons, brushed aside sand as he plucked a large piece coral from the ground, examining it under a calm red gaze. He had been taught from a young age to recognize the best plants and animals, both for potions, and for the natural magic that ran through his veins.

His tail fins flared out as he moved on, the spikes causing the fish to scramble away, earning a soft apology from him. He couldn't blame them; he was a lion fish after all.

All merfolk were based off some sort of sea animal, mammal or fish. It didn't affect their size when they're younger, but as they got older, the size of their animal counterpart determined if they'd keep growing or stop. Their counterpart also determined some other simple things; like if they could naturally breath air and water, which was mostly just seal, porpoises, and so on. It also gave them natural defenses, such as his own venom, and helped decide what magic they'd be able to perform.

Elemental magics was the most common; water, air, nature, lightning, light, and shadow. There were also combined ones, such as storm. There were other magic types too, such as shapeshifting, speaking to animals, his own ability to transfigure any object or element into something else, and more.

He shifted his bag, sending waves through the water as he twisted to study a piece of kelp, humming a soft tune, remanence of whale songs, one of his kinds way of communicating. He plucked off a leaf, holding it close to his face.

It was rough under his finger tips, just what he wanted. He smiled and slipped it away.

'Alright, Devin, that should be it.' He thought to himself. He tended to talk to himself, a force of habit for times he wasn't in complete control of his own mind. 'Now, to get home.'

His tail flicked as he pushed his body through the teal water, his red and white pattern reflecting the sun from above. His fins flared to help guide him towards deeper water.

'Ooo, stained glass. Micheal does like stained glass.' He hovered over a patch of sand, reaching for a glittering piece of glass. The colorful glass shined in his hand as he plucked it up and stuck it in his bag. 'Alright, now I'm going.'

His ears pricked up at the sound of water swishing. He turned, watching a shadow drift closer. A large shadow in the shape of a familier piece of transport; a pirate ship. A big one at that.

'Oh shit.' Devin drifted back. His red eyes scanned the reef, finding every possible escape. He could get out if needed. Glancing back at the up-and-coming ship, he turned around and took off through the shallows. He was slow, slower than he wanted to be, due to his fins. He was designed to keep predators away with bright colors and poisonous spines, not to escape them.

The ship drew closer. It's shadow drifted over Devin, the shapes of humans and nets forming over the water. With a twist, Devin ducked under an outcropping of stone.

He pushed himself against the wall, narrowing his eyes. Around him, the water glowed, reacting to his defensive magic. He held out a hand slightly, and in the palm formed a blade of water that solidified into iron. Gripping it tightly, he studied the shadowy sand.

'Just go away, please. I can't be up here for long without getting arrested.' He had a lot of rules in his life from his time on the surface, ones he had to follow to a t.