#emberfish au

i just read your emberfish au and it's very cool and i love it :3

If I may ask about Scott's backstory because he is an interesting character. How come he's half human and half mer, was he taken from the ocean too? I just have so many questions :]

Okay, so. The short version of the story is that Scott ended up half-human and half-mer because EVO (the company that ended up with their hands on Jimmy) decided that they wanted to put Jimmy on display like someone would a dolphin or an orca. Hence they needed another mer, because people would get upset if there was only one on it's own yadda yadda yadda but in the years they had Jimmy they weren't able to find another one, so they decided to make one.

they had already been testing and doing experiments with genetic material and studying Jimmy, and a lot of what they found was nothing short of like. miraculous because of how adaptable mer are. If a mer who was born in the tropics grew up in the arctic, they would end up with adaptations to the arctic in only like, one or two generations. It's part of the reason they survive so well and why they are like. literally everywhere in the ocean.

so. after a lot of testing and stuff they 'kidnapped' Scott (he'd been working for them as an intern) and tried to turn him into a mer. It didn't work, not completely, and basically left Scott as a mer without a tail, and with a suite of health complications. so it was back to the drawing board.

in the meanwhile, Martyn had gotten pulled in from a different part of the company after their last animal handler quit, and the three of them became friends and Martyn jailbreaked Scott and Jimmy before another attempt could be made at making another mer.

(Yes I know it's not July yet. I got thwacked with muse so I write.)

Joel adored Lizzie, really he did. He enjoyed spending time with her on her boat, and bringing her fish he'd caught, and every time she smiled at him his stomach did flips.

So why wasn't he with he right now?

Lizzie had the skill and the supplies to help him heal, even.

Joel couldn't bring himself to ask for help. He wasn't even sure what was wrong, just that his throat hurt when he spoke or sang. And the water tasted like blood when he tried to flush his gills clear of whatever it was that ached.

He didn't want Lizzie to think less of him. He'd been so careful to maintain his freedom, to prove that he could come and go as he pleased– that he could take care of himself no matter what happened to him out in the open water.

He didn't even have a proper pod anymore.

But that wouldn't stop Joel! No-siree! He could get along just fine.

Joel kept his ailment to himself, making excuses for why he couldn't shake the cough that plagued him. He continued bringing Lizzie fish–

If he could hunt, he was fine. Lizzie wouldn't be able to tell something was wrong.

"Hey, Lizzie!" Joel hoisted himself onto the deck of Lizzie's boat, a sizable snapper clutched in his grip.

Lizzie looked up from where she was reading something on her laptop, "Joel, hi! I've missed you the past couple days, where've you been?"

"About. Hunting. You know, the normal." Joel shrugged, stifling a cough. He slid the fish he'd brought across the deck to Lizzie's feet, "I brought you fish."

"Thanks. . ." Lizzie reached down and scooped up the fish, setting it next to her, "You sound tired, Joel. Do you wanna stay for dinner?"

"No-no thanks." Joel had already been backing away, prepared to slip back into the water. He couldn't stop the cough that forced itself out around each word. "I- I have– uh. Other stuff to do toda-today. Thanks."

Lizzie stood, "Are you sure? I have the last of the watermelon to eat before it goes bad, I could use some help."

Joel opened his mouth to answer, but instead of words, the only thing he could get out was a coughing fit that took him to the deck.

Lizzie crouched next to him, hand between his shoulder blades– when had she gotten there?

He couldn't breathe; he couldn't talk; his gills spasmed around nothing. Something brushed against his neck. He flinched away from Lizzie's hand, ignoring the heat her touch left behind.

"You're bleeding. Why are you bleeding?? From your gills!? Joel!?"

Joel couldn't do anything but cough. Lizzie tied something around his wrist, and suddenly he was back in the water, the salt stinging his gills and his mouth but at least it had shocked him enough to get him to stop coughing.

Lizzie had tied a rope around his wrist– probably to keep him from drifting away from the boat. Smart. Lizzie was always smart like that.

He felt her tugging on the rope now, and he flicked his tail to help her draw him up close to the surface. Joel let her maneuver him, too focused on his own breathing to try to make sense of the light touches and the careful poking.

That was– until Lizzie brushed up against something that sent pain zapping down his spine.

Joel shrieked in protest, wrenching away. He twisted to glare at Lizzie while she kicked up to the surface for air. Whatever she'd done, it had sent his gills aching again. He followed her up, poking his head above the water.

"You've got something in your gills." Lizzie tapped the side of her neck, "I've seen something like them in shellfish gills before. Parasites. It’s gonna hurt more, but I can pull them out."

Joel shivered at the thought of having something in his gills. No wonder. He took a breath of air, forcing out a "please." Before the coughing took his voice again.

"Back up on deck? I need a better angle on you."

Joel nodded, and followed Lizzie back up onto her boat.

He just-- wished there was one or two other mer in their pod. Etho was a lot quieter than Bdubs was used to, and that was fine! But he sometimes wanted a conversation that was-- a little less one-sided.

Bdubs had asked Etho about it-- if they'd ever add more mer to their pod.

"I dunno Bdubs. Maybe, if we can find the right mer, you know?" Etho had shrugged, "More hands would be nice."

They mostly swam in rural waters, well away from any human territory.

The day they'd added another member to their pod-- well. They hadn't planned on it, that was for sure. Bdubs had been out on the reef, gathering shellfish and some fresh seaweed to try and spice up their food. And besides, Etho needed more shells anyway for some idea he had.

From the corner of his eye, he'd glimpsed a flash of movement. It was too quick to be that huge anemone over there, and too big to be a little fish, and too red to be anything of that size. Maybe it was another mer?

It wasn't Etho, with his black and white scales. But why would a mer dart off and hide like that?

So, Bdubs had let himself drift over to where he'd seen the movement. Etho had joined him a few moments later, and was just as confused as Bdubs on why a mer would hide, instead of coming over to introduce themselves.

Bdubs had been the one to catch the blood in the water.

"Whoever it is, they're hurt." Bdubs' brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to get a better scent. It was coming from-- below? and behind them.

It took some looking, but they found the mer where they were hiding.

Bdubs had reached down into the hole before Etho could really protest, and the tips of his fingers barely brushed the mer before they twisted around to try and bite him.

Bdubs barely snatched his hand back in time, "Woah-- Hey! That's not any way to greet someone!"

Etho sighed, the bubbles getting caught in his hair, "Sorry about him. Bdubs isn't quite pod-trained yet. Do you want to come out of there? We can help you get patched up."

"HEY--!" Bdubs protested, "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

But it'd worked. Etho had managed to get the mer out of the hole in the rock. Bdubs had to do a double take. How did that mer fit in that-? It didn't matter.

He was young. At first glance he looked barely old enough to harvest kelp on his own-- but he wasn't quite that young. He was younger than Bdubs had been when he'd left his family's pod. His fins were still too large for his tail, and he hadn't grown into his full adult frill yet. His gear was practically falling apart, knotted together with a poor excuse for cording. It was wrapped dangerously high, way too close his gills.

Etho had drawn the mer close, working the highest belts free, "It looks like your gear got pretty damaged. Do you want help fixing it?"

Bdubs bit his lip when he got a better look at just how skin and bones the mer was. No wonder he looked so young, he was scrawny!

"You can come back to our outcrop and rest for a while. We've got extra food, too. Right Etho?" Bdubs wanted to get some food into him right away!

"Right." Etho nodded.

The mer was shaking, all curled up into himself still. It didn't take much to nudge him along until they'd gotten back to their camp.

Etho let the mer drift down to the sand near the back, where it was most sheltered.

Bdubs sat close to him, attempting to start up a casual conversation. "So I'm Bdubs, and that's Etho over there. There's not anyone else in our pod right now, if you can even really call it a pod. I still call it a pod, even if we don't have a name for it yet."

"Our pod doesn't need a name, Bdubs." Etho chimed in from where he was pulling out some food for the mer.

"It might be nice to have one though." Bdubs shot back, before turning his attention back to their new friend, "Is your pod around here somewhere? I'm sure they're worried about you."

No answer. The mer was just-- staring off into nothing.

Bdubs shared a concerned glance with Etho. There was-- something not quite right with this mer. Everything about how he held himself was fearful. It was like how Etho got sometimes, after a nightmare. He snapped out of it pretty quick usually, but--

Bdubs poked the mer gently in the side, and he flinched, drawing his fins tighter into himself.

"Hey, are you listening? I asked if your pod was nearby."

"I--" The mer sputtered a bit, and had to try again, "I don't-- I'm alone."

That-- made a lot of sense. It was really worrying, but it lined up with everything he and Etho'd seen from the pup. He probably hadn't been able to catch enough to eat for a while. No wonder he'd been so quick to hide. Maybe his last pod hadn't been a good one. That happened sometimes.

Etho caught his eye, and Bdubs could tell they were thinking the same thing. He gave his podmate a nod.

Etho gave his spines a rattle, settling them carefully flat, "Not anymore. You can join our pod. What's your name?"

"Tango." came the answer.

emberfrost? uhm. m8 i think some wires got crossed. I will assume you meant emberfish tho. so. here you are!

11. Hiding from pursuers

Tango shoved himself deeper into the crevasse, even though the rough rock bit into his fins. He had one hand pressed against his mouth, sipping at the water to make as little noise as possible.

Just like his mother had taught him.

Right, like that'd helped her in the end.

Tango just hoped that whatever it was he'd gotten a glimpse of wasn't smart enough to look where he was hidden. It was too quiet. And his pouches were digging into his skin where they were pressed against his body-- Hopefully they wouldn't rip this time, Tango had just finished repairing them.

I know he's got 'antennae'. But what else?

Joel seems like the type of cubito to bluster and bluff his way out of a fight with a predator, so I think he's got a set of Very Large Very Bright fins that he can use to flash at thing's he's trying to get away from. Sort pulling from that-- 'i am larger than life' bluffing vibes he has going on. but push comes to shove I think Joel is a grappler, like Tango.

(just wondering if you have like a specific tag you want it to go to or if you would want to be tagged in the post)

well. IF someone were to theoretically make fanart for Emberfish, i think i would simply perish.

-b

Bdubs is based off of a leafy sea dragon, so some of it is his fins, and some of it is seaweed he's woven in between his fins. He originally grew up in a thick kelp forest, where --because of all the plants limiting mobility-- the best defense was a good camouflage.