#be-au-tiful

Mermaid AU! Mermaid AU!! I have been working on this picture for literal years. I mean there was a big break, first after the flats cuz rendering was not my friend, then it took a long time to want to do backgrounds, but here it finally is!

The key ties into those pressures of royal life I mentioned before (you know, like years ago, you remember that, right?). When she was a baby, Rhen's parents were lost in a shipwreck, along with the box containing the royal sigma ring that has been passed down through the Pendragon line and verifies Rhen's right to the throne. All that was recovered from the wreck was Rhen herself and the key to the box. Without the ring, contenders to the throne have grounds to oppose Rhen's upcoming coronation. She has few loyal companions she can trust. Galahad, an old friend of her mother's, is one of them. (I am going crazy imagining an Alicia Galahad friendship, this would be impossible in canon, someone save me😭)

Yoooooooo I don't remember if I ranted here or not but the short version is... the Rhen and Dameon feels in The Little Mermaid... are superb, here is my AU, I started it in May but this blog is way behind all my other art places XD

Is it really a little mermaid au if we do not have this moment? The longing for another world, grief for a love that can never be, frustration with a parent who can't seem to understand. The tears are sea glass, aka "mermaid tears," because how could I not. Cool, nice. Enjoy the gizmos. I wonder what that locked chest could contain? If only Dameon could find the key. 

Mermaids are magic in this AU and Dameon's affinity is the sun. He's not completely aware of it yet because, obviously, since this is the little mermaid, he's not allowed on the surface. But he's a little rebel and keeps going anyway, and then he met a cute cat, and a princess who inspired him, and when they were in trouble. Well};D That's when the plot begins. 

You know the story, her ship goes down, she tries to save her cat and goes under, he catches her and brings her to the surface and now here he is trying out the healing powers of the sun<3 

I DO NOT KNOW. WHAT WATER LOOKS LIKE. I AM DOING MY BEST HERE OKAY.

Princess Rhen has a pet cat named Softly because I will take every opportunity to include my pet headcanons from the game in every au ever. You see her there? Yes, she is a fluffy white cat and she loves fish (and fish people;D) Dameon doesn't know what cats are but he thinks she is a majestic creature and he likes her human too.

Rhen is oblivious to this entire exchange of opinions because she is saying bye to her bird friend and the sky is pretty and etc.

Now hear me out, I totally get the appeal of making Rhen the mermaid, cuz it does have the themes of the girl choosing what she wants even when it's not one of the options people are giving her, and also Ariel's efforts to break the spell Ursala puts on Eric very much mirror Rhen's efforts to save Dameon with the fairy dust (it even concentrates on the eyes like WHAT), HOWEVER, consider,

Rhen as the prince, Dameon as the mermaid.

Rhen the strong, kind, fun-loving royal who is kind to everyone she meets, who craves adventure, who wants someone to listen to her instead of dictating her life. Rhen who unselfishly strikes the final blow to Ursula, believing she will gain nothing from it but wanting to make the world better for others. Rhen the idealist, who wants the best for her people but also dreams of a happy, romantic life for herself.

And Dameon the mermaid who falls in love with someone strong and kind who he sees go out of her way to save a helpless, innocent animal (aka the dog in the movie, idk if anyone remembers that part, i never do but it really stuck out to me this time), who struggles to relate to his parent and asks for help from someone with ill intentions who manipulates him to get to someone with more power, whose sweetness endears him to the princess despite everything working against them so that when the time to make a choice comes, she saves him, and who gives up his magical life to live an ordinary one with the person he loves.

Also Dameon and Ariel both get the fancy transformation at the end because a benevolent guardian sees that their love is true and all that mushy stuff, and Eric and Rhen both get the impossible happiness they longed for,