I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

[mermaiding]

Who: mermaiding & you!
When: 2/24ish?, ICly
Where: Wherever there's still deep flooding
What: Oona struck a deal with Maris and got her scale back, meaning she can turn back into her mermaid form. She's finally taking it out for a spin.
Rating/Warning: Vaguely NSFW, because mermaids do not wear clothes.

---

[She hadn't expected it to go easily. The process of removing her tail had been painful and clumsy to begin with-- she had never used that magic before, and she had never had to replace said tail either. She knew, in theory, hwo to, but it had taken her a few times to finally get the magic right.

The process had been just as painful-- was it always going to be painful, or was she just inexperienced, doing something wrong? Every movement ached as her muscles got used to the familiar movements of swimming again.. or maybe it had something to do with this crash of energy? Who knew.

She did feel tired, but that wasn't important right now. She decided against going her full form (there was no need for someone to actually mistake her for a monster and try to kill her right off the bat), but the more familiar half-form that most people associated with mermaids was fine enough.

It felt like flying, twisting through the waters, her gills burning with unfamiliar use. It had taken more time than she'd like to admit to get used to using them and she'd spent far too long accidentally trying to use her lungs and choking herself. But now that she was getting used to it, she wasn't sure she'd ever actually leave...]

[Option A]

[She'd never get truly tired of swimming around, but the space isn't that large, so it isn't long before she gets bored--and that's when she takes to terrorizing poor passer-bys. She waits until someone's standing near the edge of the water and slowly surfaces, watching to make sure their attention isn't on the water itself and...

GRABS THEIR ANKLE.

And immediately bursts out laughing at their reaction. Maybe it's you she grabbed? Maybe a random NPC whose panicked screams make you feel like jumping in to help out or investigate? Either way, Oona's clearly having a grand ol' time.]

[Option B

[There's definitely something moving in the water. You might see a flash of golden hair, or light reflecting off blue scales. Maybe you see a light, glowing faintly deep below...

Either way, it entices you to look closer. If you kneel on the ledge and lean over the water to try and get a closer look, you're in for quite the surprise. Oona's stirred up the debris and dirt below to mask her ascent to the surface; male or female or anything inbetween, it doesn't matter; lean in close enough and you'll suddenly find a pretty mermaid breaking the surface to press a kiss to your mouth.

It's a quick one and she swims away a bit right after with a bright laugh and a grin]

[Option C]

[Okay, so maybe the drain on her energy was more than she was anticipating. She pulls herself up out of the water, only barely managing to get herself on land before she curls up on her side and promptly goes to sleep. Her tail dips into the water, occasionally swaying absently and causing ripples in the water.

She may even start snoring softly, but either way it's probably not a good idea for her to just remain there hanging out, right?]

[Option D]

[WILD CARD. Got another prompt you wanna try out? Maybe Oona manipulated the water to splash a nice wave at your character? Maybe you dropped something in the water for Oona to discover?

Go crazy it's all yours'!]

Comments

b for my trash heart tbh

[souredsweet]

[IT'S KAORU'S FAVORITE MERMAID EVER-- arriving in just as much of an explosive and surprising fashion as she ever does, good lord. It's not that Kaoru is easy to catch off-guard - far from it, really - but there are only so many things that people rocketing out of the water can do and kissing isn't really one of them?! No sane person would have expected this...

Luckily, she's distinct enough in appearance to recognize almost immediately, which is about the only thing that keeps her away from a reflexive punch.]

Oona-san—! [AND THERE SHE GOES... COME BACK. Kaoru sure as hell isn't getting into the water, but does lean forward a little further, like that'll help with mermaid-spotting at all.]

be still my heart...

[mermaiding]

[She hums thoughtfully under the water, debating going in for another kiss-- she really should, honestly, with Kaoru leaving himself open like that!!

But no, she suspects she can only get away with so much even with people she considers close friends, and kissing attacks probably have a shorter tolerance span than others. Alas. So Oona surfaces again, slower this time, but she angles her face up towards him as if teasing for another kiss anyhow.]

Kaoru! You have come. Good. Am glad to see your face. [It's a nice face, after all, and she's pleasantly smug she got to kiss it. Mermaid: 1, Everyone else: 0.]

c!

[zitteraal]

[ Why does Adolf have a feeling that he's going to have a complaint about Oona's behavior every time he sees her— which is to say, it's not every day you encounter a naked person sleeping in your general vicinity, let alone a naked mermaid. Excuse him for his kneejerk reaction of looking a little flustered, as any red-blooded male is wont to be...

Mercifully, there's no one around right now to judge him as he clears his throat and edges a foot closer, then another foot. Once he's within her general range, he stops, looks around again.

And hastily starts taking off his long-ass jacket, not for sketchy reasons... This is why he's making sure that absolutely no one else is around, because he can't have this be construed as anything indecent?! Listen, he's just. Worried.

Another, louder clearing of his throat, and he drapes his coat over Oona. He's sacrificing his hiding spot for you, miss mermaid, and he's only doing it because she's already seen his scars. ]

—Oona. Wake up.

[ Awkwardly hoverhands... ]

[mermaiding]

[Oona sighs deeply as his coat drapes around her, the sudden weight making her stir some.]

Hm...? [What comes out of her mouth can't be described as a language, exactly, so much as a vocalization, a melody set low and seems to give off the impression of 5 more minutes! She curls up beneath the coat some more and yawns before higher brain functions kick in to inform her she should be a bit more concerned about this development.

She opens one eye and makes a curious sound, taking in his appearance with a sleepy calmness. Then, she smiles] Ah. Adolf. See? Remembered. Important to remember, so I did. [She's quite pleased with herself]

( B )

[freed]

[between being almost crushed in the collapse of the gym to being awake for the bulk of the prior month amped up to an unusual 11, haru has almost exactly no energy to speak of. this, however, does not stop him from doing what harus are inclined to do: gravitate to the water. deep flooding does not an ocean replace; probably something they can agree on, but it's better than nothing. still, haru's eyes barely want to stay open much less his limbs cooperate for a lazy swim, so he's only considering his typical .00001 second aptitude for stripping and submerging, peering down into the water when --

-- !!!!

haru literally does not have the words. he's pretty crap at texting too and has never before used a keysmash in his life but he knows what they are -- nagisa sent him enough of them to last....forever, though he'd take one now just to know his friend is....well...still somewhere. existing. alive. his thoughts don't veer this far though. rather, his whole mind is taken up by the exclamation points and a zing of wakefulness that has him sitting up so fast, he actually falls backward in a rare show of utter gracelessness. then he blinks.

he remembers this pers--

--on?

ah....

he blinks again.

her name slips off his surprised tongue with haru's typical soft cadence, his confusion lessened by recognizing her.]

Oona.

[the scales are beautiful, and if she reminded him of the ocean before, it's an epitomizing evocation now. it feels foolish to be homesick now of all times though, so he inhales and exhales the tightness in his chest, lets it sink beneath his tiredness.

he's glad she's okay. it's a realization that's heartening. he hasn't felt glad about anything in a while. grateful -- yes, to korra, to rin, to makoto. relieved. this feels different. a touch lighter than the other sentiments.]

[mermaiding]

Haru.

[She greets him in kind, her hum pleased at being recognized and for recognizing him in turn. The boy with eyes that reminded her of the sea.

She moves closer again, content in her knowledge that he won't retaliate against her for her indiscretion, and reaches out of the water for him. There's an exhaustion that seems to seep into her bones, but it hardly matters right now when she feels too giddy and happy to dwell on it. It's a strange war within herself, her happiness making her light and her exhaustion making her want to sink down and nap.

She won't allow herself to quite do that yet, though. Instead she touches at Haru's face if he lets her, and for half a moment feels tempted to drag him in for another kiss and then down, down into the water. She feels feral, dangerous, and the desire to revel in that and go wild is there, but--

A hum again and she pulls her arm back into the water to rid herself of the temptation.]

Told you, am mermaid. Now, can prove it to you. [She lowers her lashes in mock-shyness.] You like?

c;

[deontology]

[Honestly, Oona.

Sousei has tended to skirt away from the places of the most water, really, but he still has to keep an eye out for what still needs repairing and fixing; when he sees someone slumped on the ground, his first thought is that they're in trouble...at least until he approaches closer.

Then it becomes rather obvious it's just Oona, and while she can get in trouble in a lot of ways, around water is not one of those ways. He slowly inspects her, eyes narrowing slightly at the quite obvious tail. She got her tail back somehow, that much is for certain, but...how?

He crouches next to her.]

Oona. You should not sleep in a place like this.

[mermaiding]

[The sound she makes in response is very not human. It's a noise, a melody vocalized on a groan. Nooo mom, she doesn't want to get up for school today!

She lifts one hand and then brings it back down heavily on the ground, a half-hearted swipe or an attempt to wave him away, either interpretation is up for grabs. But not that he's stirred her she becomes aware of the chill in the air and makes a displeased sound, cracking on eye open to look at him.]

What? [It's both a what do you want? and What did you say? at once.]

a!!

[manolia]

[Chibi is, as he does, picking through the wreckage for salvageable parts. His place is livable but severely flood-damaged, and the resulting rebuilding has put a strain on his finances; perhaps this will make it a bit easier. Besides, he has projects to rebuild, and Big Plans and that.]

[So he bends to pick up something that looks intriguing and SON OF A BITCH WHAT IS THAT ON HIS ANKLE--! He jumps and yelps, considering bolting away until he hears loud laughter from underneath the surface.]

[Ah, it's the mermaid whose name he hadn't gotten, judging from that laugh. Chibi looks closer, notices her chest almost immediately, and does a quick gentlemanly turn of his head so as not to stare... But his eyes creep back, not to her chest but to her lower body - this time not because he's an ass man though he is, but because he spies a tail glimmering under there.]

Your tail, you'd mentioned. [A kind smile; at least someone got what they wanted this past week.] You got it back?

[mermaiding]

[It takes her a little bit to calm her laughter down enough to respond, but she nods eagerly]

Yes! It is back, and I am whole! [She presses her hands against the edge to hoist herself up and sit there, laying her tail out so it could be in full few. Eyes shining with pride, she runs her hands over the scales and sighs deeply, content.]

Thought I would never see it again... It is pretty, yes? Would you like to touch?

B!

[aslyfox]

[ Kogi's eyes catch the flicker of... something, and he can't help but approach it and crouch to the water's surface. With one hand at the sheath of his weapon, he's a little unsure what COULD happen, but either way, he's totally ready for---

--- well, not that.

He's not really sure what just pressed their lips against his and his face turns bright red. The sudden, affectionate action causing him to fall back onto his bottom and stare at the grinning, laughing mermaid. ]

Hey! Was it really that funny?

[ He wipes his lips. Kogi's not upset, but whew. ]

[mermaiding]

Yes! [Oona responds immediately, her laughter subsiding into the occasional chuckle]

Your face! So surprised! Was just a kiss. [She says as if she wouldn't react with the same bewildered surprise or anything.]

A!

[niceguypose]

[Rock Lee was moving along with precise strides near the watery area, off on some errand or other related to the reconstruction. But he's caught completely offguard by the hand tugging at his ankle, ninja though he may be.]

Ack! [He turns directly towards the grabber, looking shocked and red in the face. Could that be-]

O- Oona-san?!

[mermaiding]

Ah, you! Lee! [She giggles further and rests her arms against the ledge, looking quite pleased with herself]

You scream loud! Were you surprised? [Like she doesn't know.]

D.

[jawdacity]

[ the thing about his unexpected win against a mermaid (he won a race against a mermaid, she's never going to live that one down), is that rin hadn't really ... won a prize so much as had his first kiss stolen from him. which he's still somewhat peeved about, by the by, though he knows just as well that she hadn't realized the significance.

still. it was his first kiss, alright. maybe some guys don't give a shit about particulars like that, but rin is rin.

that doesn't stop him from visiting the shopping district in search of something to give oona in lieu of his first gift. mermaids are graceful creatures, made to flicker in and out of the waves. he wants to find her something suitable, something beautiful.

after all — he wants her to keep wearing it.

it's a few days later that rin finds her again, the gleam of her tail the only visible sign of her presence. had he not been specifically searching her out - as he has been since the bought the damned swimsuit top - he would have missed her entirely. for a moment - one that stretches into minutes - rin lingers on the concrete island he'd emerged upon, his bag held loosely in his hands. there's something about the sight of her, gold and blue and green, nascent from the waves, that has him pausing.

like walking outside on a clear night and watching the moon reflected in the ocean's tumult. like something wild and untouchable. rin is prone to flights of fancy, but he doesn't need the help of his imagination as he watches her.

it might be nice. to have a tail instead of legs. ]

Oi — ! Oona.

[ he makes his presence known before she disappears into the flood. dropping down to the edge of his perch, he tosses his shoes off and rolls up his pant legs just enough to dip his feet into the water.

good thing he'd seen her first. otherwise she might've pulled the fish-in-face routine all over again. ]

[mermaiding]

[She disappears beneath the water for a moment-- she heard him, of course, but she debated with herself if she wanted to at least pretend to still be sore about losing the race (okay, she didn't really have to pretend, but there were more important things to be focused lately anyhow).

Ah, well, she was too curious by nature to stay away. If he was calling out to her, surely it was for good reason. So she swam closer and surfaced, head tilted back as she regarded him. It wouldn't be long before the water would all be gone and she'd be forced to go back to her human form, so for now she was content to enjoy as much time in the water as she could.

...She wants to be mad, she truly does, but her energy level is too low to bother with it right now.]

Rin. [A hums of acknowledgement, pleased both that he's remembered her and she'd been able to remember his name too. Not that it was easy to forget him. Her gaze wanders to the bag and she wanders to the edge to look at it closer.]

Were you looking for me?

B...

[beaconed]

[ Given the gravity of the latest situation, Jaune's been dedicating his time to more useful things such as training. Lifting, jogging, sparring, you name it... he'll do whatever he can even if he needs to do it outdoors because the gym is in ruins. When it's time for a break, he goes to wash his face by the water, only to be greeted by a sudden attack on his face!

The exchange is so quick that he barely has time to process it, and so he ends up screaming (like a girl) and rolling backwards before standing up, only to trip over something and fall on his butt again.

DID A MONSTER JUST KISS HIM ]

[mermaiding]

[Jesus god help her she can't breathes. She tries desperately to call out his name between her wheezing, but it ends up only as a weird, 'jau-- Jau..!' noise.

She presses her hands to her mouth and sinks below the water, getting it out of her system as quick as she can. Normally she might feel at least a little bad, but his overly impressive reaction was too great for her. There's no regrets.

Oona surfaces again and though the laughter is under control her grin remains] Jaune! You scream so loud! How will you get girlfriend if you can not handle a kiss?

b

[flaredo]

[ Yang's learned better than to stare at the water recently-- she has no wish to be sucked into peaceful feelings and a pleasant inclination to drown herself. But when something glints, and she spots a glow in the water, she blinks and leans--

And finds herself the recipient of a kiss. ]

Wh-- Oona?!

[mermaiding]

Got you! [Oona looks so pleased with herself.] Hello, Yang!

[This is normal, right?? Oh, wait-- Suddenly Oona looks a tad concerned] Will your boyfriend be mad?

a

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth is feeling so calm and content that it is almost strange. It's as if his world is perfectly balanced, and nothing can go wro -

Except something grabbing his ankle. He lets out a strangled yelp.]

Nnngh - !

[Then he instinctively steps back in time to see who it was. And there she is, laughing. Normally Edgeworth would be yelling up a lecture and possibly panicking, but today, he settles for something more subdued. Besides, at least he didn't fall into the water.]

...G-Good day.

[mermaiding]

Haha! What a funny noise! [Gosh what a good day today is. Oona grins and tilts her head, as if daring him to try his lecture-- surely it must be coming, right??]

It is, indeed! A good day, I mean. If only this water would stay forever.

B

[heiwana]

[ Well that is certainly not what he was expecting when he went out for a walk today. Still Kousetsu only stesp back a little when Oona pops up and out of the water with a splash. He has half a mind to draw his sword, thinking it to be another monster or creature from the outside, but instead that kiss makes him blink in surprise.

He's also left speechless and confused. Oona what are you doin? His expression doesn't really change much so you can't really tell what he's feeling right now?! But, yes, he will just stand there silently after that. You might have broke him a little. ]

[mermaiding]

[Oops, her laughter dies off into giggles and her expression remains amused as she eyes him.]

...Kisses are not supposed to be deadly, you know. Are you alive? [She flicks some water at him. Hello, anyone in there...]

b! adds to the kiss pile ...

[cordated]

[ it hits him faster than he can process it — a brush of lips, soft and cool, slippery from water cohesion. and makoto, painfully an amateur to types of affection that circumvented gentle hand-holding or warm hugs, thunks down like a brick on the platform, pupils blown wide in equal parts shock and mortification. ]

W-w-w-w-wah ... ?!

[ motor reflexes upended in complete havoc, he half-clambers, half-trips and crumbles again like the loser he is, which is a better signifier of his predilection for blundering wishy-washiness as of late then he'd ever confess to. ]

Huh?! What — what — ...

[ ARE THERE SEA MONSTERS IN THE WATER?!?!?! HIS NIGHTMARES ARE BECOMING TOO REAL ...

out of the morbid desire to face his fears for once, or possibly be eaten whole by them, makoto scrambles back to peer over the edge, checking the water's depths for the perpetrator at hand. ]

aaww yiiiiss

[mermaiding]

[She laughs as she glides under the water, knowing full well who it is she just managed to kiss. On one hand she's a little concerned--after all, if he scolded her for her bit of fun play-drowning people, who knows what else he's a stick-in-the-mud over??

Would he scold her for this too? She frowns lightly, a bit apprehensive. After all, it wasn't like anyone liked being scolded (okay some people did, maybe, but that was going into other sorts of territories). Maybe she could tell him it was a mermaid thing...

No, that'd be lying and she'd sworn she'd never do that. Damn.

Realizing she's been down there long enough that A. Makoto already caught a glimpse of her through the settling debris and/or B. possibly was ready to leave now, Oona rose to the surface, breaking through the water without so much as a gasp for how long she'd been down there. (Ah she missed having gills.)]

Makoto. [She greets him with a pleased hum, the sound coming out more melodious than it had in her human form-- her original language was more musical than her normal human speech, and it came across now in these small vocalizations.]

Surprised you? [Her eyes practically sparkles with mischief, like she doesn't totally know the answer to that.]