#mermaid!reader

MERMAID!READER ... who gets taken in by Clark and taught the ways of the human world. He shows her how to use silverware, explains what cars are, and patiently holds her hand when the sounds of the city overwhelm her. He never once asks where she came from, just lets her discover things at her own pace — though he does have to stop you from trying to eat the decorative soaps twice.

MERMAID!READER ... who finds that if she gets splashed by water, she only has about fifteen seconds before her shimmery tail shoots out, scales glittering like crushed gemstones. The first time it happens in his apartment, she knocks over a lamp in her panic. Clark just calmly helps her dry until she can transform back, never mentioning the broken glass he swept up afterward.

MERMAID!READER ... who falls deeply for Clark and finds that he's falling for her enchantments as well. She doesn't mean to weave magic into her laughter, and definitely doesn't realize her voice carries the pull of the tide when she says his name. But he's caught in her anyway, drowning willingly, and when she shyly admits she's never felt this way about a human before, he kisses her like he's been holding his breath underwater for months.

MERMAID!READER ... who loves to drag Clark to the pool or beach any chance she gets. Clark has to remind her that others can't see her with her tail, his hands catching her waist just as she's about to dive into the water. He ends up taking her somewhere more secluded instead. Usually a hidden cove he found on Superman patrol, or a private lake in Kansas, where she can swim freely while he watches from the shore with a soft, helpless smile.

MERMAID!READER ... who has a strong appetite for seafood. It's all she eats really—raw oysters, salmon, tuna, crab legs she cracks open with disturbing efficiency. Clark is more than happy to indulge her diet, learning to prepare a dozen different kinds of fish just to see the way her eyes light up. He pretends not to notice when she gets a little too enthusiastic about the live lobster tank at the grocery store.

MERMAID!READER ... who has the most angelic voice he's ever heard. She hums while she cooks, sings softly when she thinks he's asleep, and sometimes, when the moon is right, she calls to the ocean from his balcony.

MERMAID!READER ... who gets affected by full moons and finds herself drawn to her grotto each time, but Clark helps restrain the pull that often has her acting loopy.

MERMAID!READER ... who is about as close to being drunk as it gets when the full moon is out. She talks about silly things—whether fish dream, what clouds taste like, if Clark would still love her if she turned into a sea cucumber. She has a habit of trying to run away, usually toward the nearest body of water, which means Clark has to scoop her up mid-sprint more than once. She's clumsy, knocking into furniture and tangling her feet, but she's also ridiculously adorable, pressing cold hands to his face and telling him he has "very nice bone structure" with absolute seriousness. He falls in love with her a little more every time.

MERMAID!READER ... who discovers that Clark has superpowers that make him not human too. She loves to watch him fly and sprint and giggles that melodic sound every time he indulges her with his powers.

MERMAID!READER ... who also discovers that Clark's x-ray vision works on her transformation. He doesn't tell her at first — he doesn't know how to explain that he can see the way her bones shift, the way her spine lengthens, the way her legs fuse into something impossibly elegant. But once, when she accidentally spilled water on herself and ended up changing in front of him, he made a choked-up sound. She catches him staring, pupils blown wide, and realizes he's been watching her inside. She should be unnerved. Instead, she pulls him closer, lets him trace the lines of her scales with his fingers while she transforms slowly now, deliberately, giving him something no other creature has ever seen.

MERMAID!READER ... who cries actual pearls when Clark has to leave for any Justice League mission that takes him away during her moon cycle. He finds her curled in the bathtub—his tub, the one she's claimed as her own—with tiny iridescent spheres scattered across the porcelain, her shoulders shaking. Clark's used to this by now, and he always strips down, climbs in behind her, and holds her through the worst of it. She presses the pearls into his palm one by one, still sniffling, and tells him they're protection. “Wear them,” you whisper. "Come back to me and don't be long." He keeps them in his suit from that day forward, and every time he takes a hit, he thinks he feels them warm against his chest.

MERMAID!READER ... whose first time with Clark happens at their private cove spot under the moonlight, the tide creeping closer with every wave. He laid her back on the blanket, the moon painting her silver, and worshipped every inch of her like she was something sacred. When he finally pushed inside, slow and careful, she gasped and her legs trembled, and for a moment she thought she'd transform, but Clark held her through it, forehead pressed to hers, whispering how beautiful she was, how perfect. She came apart beneath him with a sound that made the waves crash harder against the shore.

MERMAID!READER ... who likes to ride Clark's thigh when your too sensitive for anything else. She crawls into his lap, and presses her slick cunt against the hard muscle of his thigh. He watches her with dark, heavy-lidded eyes, his hands gentle on her hips as she rocks against him, chasing something slower this time. She likes that he lets her set the pace. Likes that he doesn't rush her even when his cock is straining against his stomach. When she finally comes, shaking and quiet, she buries her face in his neck and murmurs something in Old Mer that she refuses to translate. He figures it out later anyway. It means mine.

MERMAID!READER ... who begs Clark to take her from behind while she's fully transformed, her tail splayed across the wet rocks of their cove. She's always careful on land, but here she can let go. He pushes into her slowly, his hands braced on either side of her hips, and watches the way her scales ripple with each thrust, shimmering. Her voice echoes off the cove walls, high and melodic, and when she comes, the water around them surges, waves crashing against the entrance. Clark follows seconds later, buried so deep he feels like he might never find his way out. 

MERMAID!READER ... who learns that her voice has other uses besides singing. The first time Clark goes down on her, she's a mess of incoherent sounds, gasps, whimpers, broken little moans that seem to make the room vibrate. But when he finds that spot inside her with his tongue, a true siren's keen tears from her throat, high and clear and carrying. Clark freezes, looking up at her with wide eyes, his lips slick. “Did you just—” She claps a hand over her mouth, face burning. “Sorry. I'm sorry. I can't always—” He grins, slow and devastating, and dips his head back down. “Do it again,” he murmurs against her, and she absolutely does.

“How are you? Good?” he asks, tilting his masked head at you to show that he’s asking a question. Conversations with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you are very hard without facial cues, Peter has come to learn. He hopes to rectify that today.

“Good,” you say. He’s not sure if you mean that or if you’re just repeating the last word he said, but he takes it.

“Okay, good! Good to go up? Up.” He emphasizes his words with a finger pointing skyward. Your brows furrow and you look up at the bridge he’s currently suspended from with a healthy amount of suspicion. Your response is merely a wary hum. 

You ask him something in your own language, gesturing at his suit and mask and web before wrapping your arms around yourself protectively. 

“It’ll be okay,” he tells you, “I’m very strong, and I don’t even mean that as a brag. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll be safe; both of us.” 

No one will be able to see either of you from one of the platforms under the bridge. 

Something about his tone must convince you, though, because you shift ever closer to him in the water.

Peter lowers himself up to the waist in the water and fights against the urge to squeal like a child at the temperature as he encourages you towards him.

“Okay? You’re okay. Hang on here.” He positions your arms one at a time around his neck. “Tight, okay? Tight.” 

After he demonstrates holding tight by squeezing your waist, he’s zipping the two of you up towards the underbelly of Brooklyn Bridge. 

You see…Peter Parker has found a mermaid. Like…an actual aquatic creature with humanoid features! 

One night – well, early morning, really – when he was on patrol, he heard shouting. He was headed towards the boardwalk when he found a group of guys running in the opposite direction he was headed. 

That’s where he found you, leaning on the edge of the walkway by your elbows, cooing over a pitifully wet looking kitten as it ate some kind of minnows or something from the wooden planks beneath it. 

“Hey! Are you okay?” He asked, hurrying towards what appeared to be a girl who had fallen off of the boardwalk. “Come on, I’ll help you out.”

All he managed to do, though, was startle both you and the kitten; the soggy little thing took off into a few bushes near the Fulton Ferry picnic grove, and you sank beneath the surface of the water. So did Peter’s stomach.

Certain you were drowning, Peter dove in after you.

He nearly drowned, though, and you had to save him; pushing him back above the water and towards the boardwalk where he ripped the water-logged mask depriving him of air from his face.

“What the fuck!?” he asked breathlessly once he had a firm grasp of the rung of a ladder.

You shied away from him again; wearing a contrite expression as you murmured what sounded like an apology in a language Peter didn’t understand. 

“What are you doing in the water?” 

You looked down at the river; you knew the word water. 

“Did you fall?” 

You looked at him like he was dumb, expression screaming no, you just fell. 

“Land,” you said, pointing at the boardwalk. “Go.” This time, you pointed at his legs. 

“Yeah… I…go on land. Do you…not go on land?” 

You said something else that Peter didn’t catch before you lifted your bottom half up, poking a knee joint and a fin out of the water.

You were a fucking scientific curiosity, and Peter has since managed to split his time between college, patrolling, helping out Aunt May, and hanging out with you.

Today, hanging is sort of literal.

You’re very displeased with him, clinging to the beams of the bridge with a white knuckled grip as you glare at the man who put you there.

He laughs at you. “What?” 

You don’t answer, leaning your head back and looking up at the bottom of the roadway as you work to control your breathing. Peter takes pity on you and secures you to the architecture with some webbing before laying a few of the throw blankets he’d packed over your frame and tucking them in underneath you. 

“Okay?” 

Your eyes flit uncertainly between his hands as they work and his face. “Okay…”

He laughs again. “Don’t sound so certain.” 

You grumble something at him in your own language. 

Peter has learned a number of things about you in the time since the two of you met. 

Those men had thrown the kitten into the East River. Fortunately for the kitten and unfortunately for those men, you were there, which saw the group getting rocks from the river bed flung at them and a very agitated aquatic creature shouting mermish profanities. Served them right. 

You tend to hang around the ferry terminal and a few office buildings which means you’ve picked up some English. Very New York English, but enough that Peter has managed to befriend you. 

Peter has also learned that the way to a mermaid girl’s heart is the same as the way to get to a human girl’s heart; food. 

He pulls out a bag of Cheetos from his bag and gives it a shake, and whatever beef you had with him about heights and the bottom of the Brooklyn Bridge are forgotten when you make grabby hands and excited trilling sounds. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he laughs, tossing them to you. He pulls off his mask and covers his now damp bottom half with a blanket of his own as he pulls out his flash cards. 

“What?” You ask around a mouthful of cheese dust. He looks up to find you peering at the cards in his hands. 

“This?” he asks, holding them up. You nod eagerly. “This is how I’m going to convince you to let me take you home.” 

Your brows furrow. “Home?” 

Peter takes a moment to sift through his flashcards before pulling out the one he was looking for; a picture of a house. 

“House,” he explains. “Home.” 

You repeat the words back to him before popping another chip in your mouth. 

He doesn’t bother explaining that it would involve putting you in his bathtub until he completes his desired measurements and examinations before he pulls out a different flashcard; one with a picture of a mermaid. You gasp excitedly, pointing at yourself. 

“Yeah! That’s you!” he laughs, watching your fin twitch in a way he imagines might be you wiggling your toes at him. 

You say what he believes might be mermaid in your language. 

“Mermaid.”

“Mermaid,” you murmur back at him, eyes shy until Peter praises you, and then they brighten. 

Then you point at him.

“Me?”

“You,” you try, gesturing to his legs and then to his mask and then to the webs he’s secured you in, “son of a bitch?”

That’s what Peter means when he says you have a very New Yorker understanding of English. Apparently, listening to taxi drivers shout get off the road you son of a bitch has led you to believe that humans are simply called son-of-a-bitches. You can clearly see that Peter is not a regular son of a bitch, though. His smart girl. 

Peter hums thoughtfully as he sifts through his cards. “I’m not sure there’s a good explanation for me, lovely.” 

“Lovely,” you murmur, forcing Peter’s eyes to return to you as he smiles.

“You are lovely,” he tells you honestly, if only because you don’t really know what he’s saying. 

Peter pulls out two cards; one of a man and one of a spider. He puts the two together like a compound-word-turned-image. 

“Spider,” he says, pointing at the arachnid, “Man,” he adds, pointing at the human male. 

“Spider-Man,” he explains, holding up his mask. 

“Oh.”

“But-” he shows you the mask and then shoves it behind his back, showing you his now empty hands “-no mask means Peter.” 

“Peter.”

“Yes!” He congratulates. “I am Peter.” 

“Am Peter,” you repeat.

“Who are you?”

“Me?” 

He beams at you. “Yeah,”

You hum thoughtfully, “Lovely?” 

Peter’s laugh echoes off of the bridge. “Yes, you’re lovely. Very lovely. But what’s your name?” 

He points at his own chest again, “name, Peter.” 

Your face lights up in recognition. “Name! Name, Y/N.” 

He repeats it back to you and you bounce in your seat in response, happily helping yourself to more chips. 

“Lovely,” you tell him again.

“You can be lovely. Do you want me to call you lovely?” 

“Yeah.” Another New Yorkerism you picked up. “Thanks.” 

Peter laughs. “You’re very welcome, lovely.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

He sped up a bit, just in time to feel the wind at full blast, and something being carried by it.

Something orange and black, with a dash of light blue.

His eyes grow wide with realization. He lunges off one of the rocks, grabbing it before the wind could place his plushie into a crevice. He shouts its name, and gives it a big hug. He knew it would wash up eventually, despite his whole family telling him otherwise. He couldn’t wait to tell them they’re–

As he was spinning around he startled himself… and the other party.

And even though it was dark, Franklin couldn’t miss the shimmering orange scales of a large fish tail sticking out from the waves, or the glowing of the individual’s hair, or the sparkling effect on their skin as they scrambled back into the water after being spotted. He watched awestruck as the water illuminated a bit as they swam away, and continued to watch until it completely disappeared.

“Franklin!” Johnny shouted, in a full panic mood as he was praying his Nephew didn’t get close to the waves. Which technically he was, causing him to fly across the rocks and scoop him up. “Franklin! Jesus Christ. You can’t run off like that! And–” He stops a second to see Stripy just sitting in his arms. “You found him? H-How? Where did you find him?”

There’s absolutely no way his stuffed animal washed back ashore. To him, it should’ve been at least in the ocean right now. That, or just at the very end of the Hudson. But his Nephew wasn’t responding to him anymore. He seemed way too focused on the large body of water. 

“Frankie?” Johnny tries a nickname to see if that would do the trick. But atlas, no movement. “What’s going on? What are you looking at?” And then the kid cracked a small smile, and told him something he never thought he would hear.

“Uncle Johnny… I think I saw a mermaid.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

But there was one joy in her life — a handsome young boy from the surface named Eric. He was a kind and charming boy who treated the young mermaid with such tenderness. They always had something to talk about.

"I will definitely marry you, Y/n!" the boy laughed loudly, and Y/n smiled trustingly in response.

However, soon Ariel herself began to dream of the world above the water, because she had long been curious about where her older sister so often swam off to. The little girl didn't really understand anything yet, but Y/n was like that too, so Ariel revealed her sister's secret to her father.

Then the waters of the ocean boiled with alarm, for Triton did not limit himself to the usual reprimand to his daughter, but shouted, overcome with righteous indignation. Frightened and trembling, Y/n stared at her father's angry face, feeling both horror and deep resentment.

"You will go to the deepest sea bottom until you learn your lesson!" the sea lord shouted indignantly.

"Father..." the unfortunate girl whispered timidly, but the king's loud voice stopped her, and two huge octopuses immediately grabbed her delicate hands with their tentacles, carrying her away from the palace.

Before leaving, Y/n managed to cast a hateful glance at her sister Ariel, who was hiding behind their angry father's back. The girl pressed her fist to her lips, her large blue eyes wide with fear, looking confused and bewildered.

"If you try to repeat your sister's actions and run away to the surface, I will be forced to do the same to you," the wise ruler warned his little daughter menacingly, softening a little and adopting a fatherly tone of voice.

And Y/n's heart was filled with black hatred for her father and younger sister. Was everything that was happening fair? After all, she was exactly two years older than the capricious Ariel! Why was there such a huge difference in the manifestation of her father's love? What had she done to deserve such cruelty, why had she been banished to a gloomy underwater prison?

The days dragged on slowly, even though the sentence was relatively short — only one month. What saved the girl's mind from complete madness was a wonderful shell found by chance in the sand at the bottom of the sea. This trinket had magical properties: thousands of ancient spells were hidden inside it. The shell whispered, imparting knowledge and guidance to the young princess, choosing her as its new successor.

The spells were varied: some were kind and bright, others were cunning and dangerous. Some allowed the girl to freely leave the dark cell hidden deep beneath the sea, remaining invisible to the guards patrolling the area. So Y/n gradually learned to leave and return unnoticed.

She no longer saw Eric in their secret place. Perhaps the boy waited patiently for his friend to return for some time, but in the end he lost hope and left the shore forever.

When the punishment was over, Y/n decided to remain alone, far from the hated castle and her relatives. Triton took her behaviour as childish sulking and stopped trying to bring his daughter home until she reached maturity.

"Yes/no..." exclaimed Ariel, suddenly waking up and noticing her sister's movement.

"What's wrong?" the girl replied sharply in an even, firm voice.

"Why are you leaving right now? We tried to arrange a pleasant evening for you..." Ariel muttered, looking with her large, round, sky-blue eyes, as if deliberately feigning touching pity.

"Thank you very much, I am really full, now I want to leave," Y/n said dryly, trying to avoid further questions.

"...Maybe you are ready to return to the royal chambers?" her father asked cautiously, watching his daughter's cold detachment intently.

"I have no desire to," Y/n snapped and instantly dissolved into the depths of the water, leaving her family in silence and disappointment. Triton sighed heavily.

But Y/n's big secret was that she had been watching her family for a long time. Thanks to a magical glass ball she had conjured up. She watched Ariel, saw how the girl was becoming more and more attracted to the surface. The young mermaid collected things that fell from above and settled on the seabed, or searched for human belongings in sunken ships. Y/N sighed heavily. If she showed Ariel's father how she was swimming to the surface, what would he do? She wanted him to get angry and lock his favourite daughter in the cave.

And finally, one day, Ariel surfaced because of the noise of a human ship. Y/n watched closely as her sister climbed onto the ship and watched the people. The people were having fun and dancing, drinking some kind of liquid from wooden mugs. Laughter and loud chatter pierced the silence of the night. Ariel watched everything spellbound when a dog ran up to her and began licking her face. The young mermaid laughed quietly. Then a youthful voice called the dog to him. Y/n froze. She couldn't be mistaken! It was Eric, but now an adult. He had turned from a funny boy into a handsome young man. He smiled and petted the dog, while Ariel stared at the young man in fascination. The woman shifted her attention to Eric, who looked awkwardly at his monument and scratched the back of his head. He was still the same shy young man who did not expect honours and glory. The man walked away from the monument, talking to a grey-haired man.

"The whole kingdom is waiting for you to choose a worthy girl!" said the old man.

"The girl is out there somewhere. I haven't found her yet," Eric replied, slightly sadly.

"Perhaps you haven't looked hard enough," remarked the old man.

"I'm trying to find her, but it seems she's hiding from me. But when I find her, I'll recognise her immediately," said the dark-haired man confidently.

Y/n's heart sank. She hoped that he was looking for her and that he remembered her. The woman quietly shed a tear, which mixed with the sea water.

Y/n clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, as she watched her sister sing about her love, about how she wanted to be with Eric. Y/n couldn't stand it; her sister wanted to take something that had never belonged to her. Then her sister was scared off by the old man, while Eric was already coming to his senses and looking for the person who had been singing to him.

Ariel swam away, hiding behind another rock, watching as the old man led the prince away, lecturing him. She smiled happily and continued her song. Y/N knew what she had to do; she had to tell her father that the time had come.

Triton sat on his throne, busy with royal affairs, and was surprised to see his daughter, who had disappeared from the castle, seemingly forever.

"Have you decided to return?" the king asked with a glimmer of hope. Y/n frowned, but then looked excited.

"No... but... I saw something you need to know about. It's about Ariel." The girl swam closer, and Triton put down his papers.

"What is it?" the man frowned.

"I accidentally saw my sister swimming to the surface."

"What?!" Triton shouted.

"It turns out she collects human things... she has a cave closer to the south," Y/N tried to hold back a smile.

"Are you sure?" Triton took his trident and stepped down from his throne.

"Yes, Father, I'm worried about her. It's not normal, is it?"

"That's right, I'm glad you understand that too... we'll have to explain it to your sister," the man swam to the exit, and Y/n hurried to her cave.

She activated the crystal ball again and watched as her father found the cave and yelled at Ariel, who tried to justify herself and defend herself. But Triton was unrelenting, he began to destroy everything he saw, the last point being Eric's sculpture, the king aimed his trident at him and shot a red lightning bolt. And then he swam away, to Ariel's cries. Y/N watched this and couldn't believe it. Her face reflected several emotions, and she finally felt pleasure. But that wasn't enough. The young princess's dark heart was poisoned with hatred, and she wanted to hurt her even more.

The next day, she sailed to Ariel, who was still sitting on the ruins of her cave.

"What happened here?" Y/n asked, feigning confusion. Her sister abruptly turned her gaze to the girl.

"It's our father... he found out that I collect things from the human world... and that I fell in love with a human..." She cried bitterly, and Y/N clenched her jaw.

"Didn't my bitter experience teach you anything?"

"I'm sorry... it must have been just as painful for you," said Ariel.

"You have no idea... Do you really love this man?"

"Yes... very much... but we can't be together," Ariel took Eric's stone face.

"What if I told you I could help you? I'll give you legs," Y/N added quietly and saw Ariel look at her.

"Really!? You can help me?" Ariel swam up to her sister.

"Yes, but the price will be high, because it's a powerful spell,"

"I agree!" Ariel said confidently, hugging her sister.

Y/n took her sister and they swam to the girl in the cave. There was a peculiar cauldron and many flasks. Ariel looked around, wanting to touch everything, but when she tried to pick something up, her sister slapped her hands away.

Y/n threw various ingredients into the cauldron, which bubbled and shimmered with different colours.

"You must give up your voice, it is the price for the spell," Y/n stood next to the cauldron and took the shell pendant from around her neck. "The spell will last for three days. To keep it from fading, you must make Er... the man fall in love with you, then the spell will not fade, but will grow stronger, and you will remain on land forever. If he does not fall in love, your legs will turn into a tail, and you will have to return to the water, but I will return your voice as well."

"But how can I talk to Eric? How can I make him fall in love with me?" Ariel asked fearfully.

"Why are you asking me? I told you about the price. If you're not ready, then stay at the bottom of the sea and don't stick your neck out," Y/n said irritably.

Ariel hesitated. She had the opportunity to meet the man she loved, but she couldn't say anything to him.

"You have to pay for everything," added Y/n, looking somewhere off to the side, noticing Flounder and Sebastian behind one of the rocks, she sighed irritably.

"I... am ready..." said the younger sister.

"...Then sing," Y/n held up the shell, which began to glow due to the magic, and when Ariel began to sing, it began to absorb her voice.

A clinging green smoke crept into Ariel's throat, sucking out her magical voice. The frightened mermaid grabbed her throat. Y/n took the shell and then cast a spell. The smoke from the shell and the cauldron mixed together, heading towards Ariel, enveloping her and turning her fish tail into human legs. The girl began to flounder, unable to swim with her legs, then Flounder and Sebastian appeared, pulling her out of the cave and directing her to the surface. Y/N laughed with satisfaction. All that remained was to wait. Without her voice, Ariel would be of no use to Eric, and she would return to the sea with a broken heart.

Y/N waited, and on the second day she decided to look into the ball to see her sister's downfall. But she was terribly disappointed when she saw Eric having fun with the girl, teaching her everything and trying to talk to her. The last straw was their walk on the lake. Sebastian tried to push Eric to kiss Ariel, but the man kept dodging and feeling embarrassed. Y/N couldn't take it anymore and cast a spell that flew through the ball and hit the boat, which capsized. They carefully climbed out of the water, Eric laughing loudly while Ariel tried to imitate laughter.

"What a cheeky girl! Oh no, Ariel, I won't let you stay on the surface, you must swim out to sea!" Y/n banged on the stone slab again. She rubbed the shell from which her sister's magical voice came, and Y/n came up with a plan, "Since you're so persistent, what will you do when a rival appears before you..."

Y/n smiled slyly, looking at the couple through the ball.

Under the cover of late evening, when the sky was tinged with purple and blue, Y/n appeared on the deserted seashore. Bright stars twinkled overhead, and moonlight gently reflected off the smooth surface of the waves. The girl wore an exquisite dress adorned with sparkling precious stones, emphasising her beauty. Her hair fluttered in the wind, adding mystery and charm to her appearance.

Now fate had to take a different turn; she knew she would not allow Ariel to find happiness. Gently touching her throat with her fingers, she took Ariel's voice away forever, replacing it with her own.

Y/N knew about Eric's habit of taking late-night walks along the shore, and she waited for him to appear. Soon, the silhouette of a man appeared on the horizon, slowly approaching the edge of the beach. His steps slowed as soon as he heard the first notes of a song coming from someone's lips.

Her song spread around, echoing in his heart. The sad, mournful notes penetrated deep into the young prince's soul, making him forget about the rest of the world. His head ached, but then it became easier. Seduced by the sweet sound, he walked towards the source of the sound, guided by an unknown force.

Halfway there, Y/n and Eric met. The man gazed enchantedly at the beautiful woman, watching in amazement as each tear rolled down her face. Feelings overwhelmed his soul, which had become easy prey to the magic of love.

Finally, her beloved had returned to her embrace, and for the first time, the girl could feel the warmth of his body. Pressing her forehead firmly against his chest, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment of closeness, assuring herself that this was true love, even if it was caused by magic.

"You probably won't remember anything..." Y/n whispered sadly, intertwining her fingers behind the man's belt.

Eric responded with silence, gently stroking her hair and pulling her closer to him. It seemed as if he was ready to absorb every part of her being, to unite with her forever, obeying the influence of a powerful love spell.

The morning of the next day marked the beginning of a new stage in their lives. Earl Grimsby, the prince's elderly advisor, greeted the newlyweds, enthusiastically expressing his admiration for them both. Eric looked at his bride with trepidation and love.

"I am very pleased to hear such compliments from you," said Y/n with an embarrassed smile, enjoying the warmth and confidence.

"Don't be silly! I was just happy to hear that Eric finally found you. Especially since you have such good manners, you're clearly from a noble family. I'm so glad he chose you and not..." The old man paused when he looked up at the stairs.

Y/n also noticed her younger sister behind the column. She was hiding from prying eyes. Y/n could clearly hear the hollow beating of a broken heart, and a triumphant laugh of malice arose within her.

Preparations for the wedding were proceeding at a rapid pace, and the wedding ship set sail that very day. Y/n's heart ached with anxiety; events were unfolding too quickly and flawlessly, causing her unease. To the girl's surprise, the dress turned out to be exactly as she had described it to little Eric, immersed in dreams of her long-awaited wedding.

Ariel no longer appeared in public, and Y/n did not try to seek her out. It seemed that her sister was not even on board the ship, which amused Y/n, as she found pleasure in thinking about her suffering. Sometimes the girl laughed quietly, admiring herself in the mirror. It was a hollow laugh that made insides grow cold.

"Until sunset..." Y/n repeated thoughtfully, touching the golden seashell-shaped pendant that adorned her neck.

A bright light flashed inside her, filled with the sound of Ariel's beautiful voice. Y/n pulled her hand away when her sister's voice broke through the protective barrier of the pendant.

After a while, the maids came to the woman, dressed her in a wedding gown, and carefully praised the bride's appearance. Encouraged by the attention, Y/n broke into a radiant smile.

Amidst the majestic ringing of bells on the ship, the ceremony began. Count Grimsby held her hand confidently, leading her to the altar. Before them stood the slender, handsome Eric, awaiting the upcoming wedding with impatience and joy. The girl caught Eric's fleeting glance and noticed two small tears rolling down his cheek. Y/n held her breath, wondering if Eric was fighting against the spell inside and wanted to break free, or if he was crying because of pain and resentment, because he did not want to see Y/n as his bride and wanted to run away to Ariel. But the girl shook her head and raised it proudly, gathering the admiring glances of the guests.

When there were only a few steps left to take, an attack suddenly occurred. A huge seagull flew at the girl, tearing at her curls with its beak, leaving traces of pain. Almost immediately after the first bird, the rest of the sea creatures appeared on the deck, causing chaos among the invited guests. Every living creature on board felt an inexplicable impulse of aggression towards Y/n herself.

In the heat of battle, the wounded seagull snatched the chain with the shell from Y/n's clenched fingers, throwing it high into the air. The octopus, moving nimbly among the people, pushed the woman straight into the birthday cake, breaking the layers and turning the celebration into ruins. The amulet itself fell right at Ariel's feet, making a final loud crack and scattering into pieces. Following it, the girl's soft, melodious voice finally turned joyfully to the man:

"Eric!"

The young man froze, shocked by the sight of the ruined wedding, the devastated food, and the humiliation of his beloved. His face contorted with pain and discontent when he noticed the crying and dirty Y/n, covered in the remains of the festive feast.

"Calm down, my dear," Eric said anxiously, lifting her off the floor and gently cleaning the remains of dessert from her soiled body.

Y/n listened to his words, trying to suppress her panic and sobs. The guests froze, the sea creatures stopped their attack, tired and motionless, scattering around the edge of the deck.

"How dare you ruin our wedding?!" Eric growled, looking closely at the assembled guests and sea creatures.

"But Eric, she..." Ariel objected uncertainly, looking desperately at the man.

"Was it you? Was this your doing? Envy overwhelmed your heart, could you really be capable of such betrayal? Look at my beloved, she dreamed of choosing the best cake, wearing the perfect dress, and now everything is lost forever!" the prince shouted passionately, feeling irritation and pain from what had happened.

Ariel's blue eyes widened in incomprehension.

"She cast a spell on me, took away my voice, and lured you in with deception! ...But... Why... Why didn't your feelings fade when the amulet was destroyed?" the girl wondered, trying in vain to explain the situation to her brother.

"Spell? What spell?" Eric asked incredulously, casting a wary glance at the redhead.

Y/N looked at the prince with undisguised amazement. Indeed, why hadn't the love spell lost its power, since its source — the magical shell — had been destroyed?

"Love spell! She used my voice to bewitch you! I was the one who sang for you that day! But now you don't recognise me!" Ariel cried hysterically, looking at Eric imploringly.

"I remember every moment of our meeting perfectly," the man replied calmly, continuing to hold Y/N in a tight embrace, gently stroking her wet shoulders, covered with cream stains from the cake.

"What do you mean? I don't understand..."

"Y/N charmed me many years ago, when she was still a child. Then she disappeared for a long time, but one evening I heard a familiar voice that belonged to you, Ariel, and I realised that this sound would lead me to the love of my life!" Eric explained, pulling away slightly from his bride to look into her eyes.

"Love spells lose their power if the object of affection already feels sincere love for the caster," added Y/n, nervously freeing herself from the prince's grip, but he managed to hold her by the hand.

Turning away from the setting sun, she focused her gaze on her sister, who had also noticed the change in light. Their eyes met, and each understood what would happen next.

"Eric, didn't you have real feelings for me?" Tears welled up in Ariel's eyes, rolling down her cheeks like pearls.

"No," the man said firmly, looking away from his future wife and at Ariel.

"But our moments together..."

"To me, you were a pleasant friend. My soul longed to meet the only companion I had chosen long ago," Eric finished firmly, clearly articulating his thoughts.

Blushing with grief, Ariel buried her face in her hands and sank into a heavy stream of salty tears. The sun had finally disappeared below the horizon, its rays that had previously illuminated the world vanishing into the darkness of the night. Green scales once again covered Ariel's skin, returning her to her former mermaid form. The stunned guests gasped, whispering to each other.

Y/n instinctively became frightened, suddenly her own legs would begin to change shape, turning into a mermaid's tail, but nothing happened, she continued to stand firmly on the ground in her torn dress.

The sea creatures began to gently descend into the depths of the ocean, trying to hide from human attention.

"So what does that mean?" asked Scuttle irritably, his bird call turning into a resonating noise that only sea creatures could understand.

"Only that the prince has been infatuated with Y/n all these years," Sebastian stated grimly, hiding in the shadows of the railings.

"But what will happen to poor Ariel now?" Flounder muttered anxiously, deeply concerned for his friend's fate, yet powerless, trapped in a bucket of water.

The prince tried to hold Y/n back when she took a step towards her sister, fearing that the young woman would decide to leave the ship and disappear into the depths of the sea. But Y/n, maintaining her dignity, approached Ariel, whose lost gaze clearly demonstrated her emotional emptiness.

"I never imagined the ending would turn out like this. I thought I would be the one left behind... But I'm so happy..." A single tear rolled down the woman's cheek.

"You..." Ariel moaned, unable to put her emotions into words.

"But he chose me... And I will finally understand what it means to be special and happy. I hope the pain in your heart will go away, but not quickly. Savour this terrible feeling, feel what it's like when you're not chosen and not loved," Y/n added quietly, turning away from her sister.

"Y/n?" Sebastian addressed her cautiously, deciding to intervene in the conversation.

"Sebastian, help her go back to the ocean. Tell Father that he will never see me again, I will stay here, next to my beloved," Y/n said confidently, turning to Eric, who visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

Y/N threw Flounder overboard, and Ariel sat on the railing, took one last look at her sister and Eric, jumped overboard, and disappeared into the blue sea. Soon after, Sebastian jumped overboard, bowing his head in farewell, and Scuttle rose high into the sky and flew over the horizon.

He hated humans and forbade any mer in the pod from interacting with them unless it was to kill them. Your father despised Gwi Ma and broke the rules, venturing to the surface to see what humans were like for himself. He found that humans weren’t bad—like mers, there were ones that were nice, ones that were horrible, and ones that fell between the two.

Then he heard the voice of your mother one night, a voice more beautiful than even the most enchanting of mers had drawn him in until he laid eyes on her. And she took his breath away as he gazed upon her under the moon and starlit sky, the reflection of the celestial bodies glimmering around him. He was gone for her from that moment on.

He would visit her whenever he could, spending more and more time at the surface until Gwi Ma inevitably noticed. Enraged at his rebellion, Gwi Ma tried to kill your father, but your father was a formidable mer himself. Coming to a draw, both weakened, your father left the pod, taking those who wanted to leave with him and creating his own pod.

The pod made their home in the deeper parts of the sea just a few miles from the shore of your mom’s home so he could see her as often as he could. Just a few years later, you and your sister were born—the first half human, half mers in existence to your knowledge.

Rumi took more after your mom with a more human appearance while you took more after your dad. Rumi had a purple and white coloring that faded into human toned coloring, her patterns a beautiful, light iridescence. Meanwhile, your fins were frilly red with hints of purple and white at the edges that transitioned into a rich violet body. Traveling upwards, your skin tone was a lighter purple tint like lavender while your patterns were a dark purple like your tail. Your mer abilities were stronger than Rumi’s but Rumi had an easier time pretending to be human in her human form and it was easier for her to learn the human language according to your parents.

Despite you both being physical opposites, you and Rumi were inseparable. One day, when your father’s time came to an end, the both of you would become the matriarchs of the pod—as long as that was what you both still wanted anyways. The two of you brought a balance to each other that even now some of the mers in the pod came to the two of you to settle small issues.

Secretly though, you couldn’t help but find yourself lonely even when you were in a group of people. You got along with all the mers in the pod but you didn’t quite fit in with them and when you spent time around humans that weren’t your mom, you couldn’t help but scratch at your patterns because it felt like they were staring. (They were actually just awestruck by your beauty and how your patterns elevated that but you didn’t know that and staring is still staring so you felt self conscious.)

And recently, it felt like Rumi and you had this distance between the two of you as she spent more time on land or at the surface with your mom or exploring human culture. You thought human culture was cool too and loved learning about it but you weren’t as interested in it as Rumi was. You much preferred exploring the sea floor or hiking away from dense human populations when you were above water.

That day was a day where Rumi had gone to the city and your dad was spending time with your mom so you were left to your own devices as you wandered the sea floor, lazily looking for interesting shells, rocks, or coral.

As you did, you began to hum and then softly began to sing—one thing you and your sister both shared was a love for singing that you got from your mom.

“I've been watchin' you for some time~ Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes~ Burning cities and napalm skies~ Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes~ Your ocean eyes~”

Unknown to you though, your voice carried away by the currents to five male mers, their frills standing at attention as your song reached them.

Not too far away, an eccentric pod of male lionfish mers had ventured into your dad’s territory by accident. It was a strange coincidence that none of the mers had any blood relations with each other though they were each a lionfish mer with similar purple and magenta coloring.

However, the pod was unique in that it was made up of mers that had left or been exiled from their original pods, eventually coming together under the bond of shared circumstances and friendship. The pod didn’t necessarily have a patriarch though there was a leader of the group that they looked to for final say, but they all aided in decisions.

“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”

For a few years now, the five had traveled across the seas together, never having an aim or a purpose besides avoiding humans after an especially bad run in with them.

And now, your voice reached them and it was the most hypnotic sound they had ever heard—familiar in their hearts like the sound of the waves lapping against rocks, lovely like the nights they floated to the surface to watch the stars and the moon move across the sky, awe inspiring like swimming along the vast creatures that were a pod of whales, and so very very precious to them like the single time they had seen snow.

Jinu was the first to turn and begin swimming and the others followed close behind in search of the source of the singing.

“I've been walkin' through a world gone blind~ Can't stop thinkin' of your diamond mind~ Careful creature made friends with time~ He left her lonely with a diamond mind~ And those ocean eyes~”

Jinu, Kwan, Chungae, Hyeon, and Jum didn’t know who or what they were swimming towards, all they knew was that they needed to find the source of the song. Their instincts screamed for it. Their souls ached for it. It was almost frightening, the intensity of which they needed to find it.

“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”

You stopped and settled in the sand, pulling your finds out of your woven bag one by one to look them over before you decided to call it a day. Your claws clicked against them, carefully etching little designs into them as you pleased.

“Da, da-da, da-da~ Da-da-da, da, da~ Da, da, da, da, da-da-da-da~ Mm~ Mm~ Mm~”

The song was almost coming to an end and the boys could feel it, time slipping through their fingers like dry sand. They pushed their tails faster and harder, their spines laid flush to their bodies so they could cut through the water easily.

“No fair~ You really know how to make me cry~ When you gimme those ocean eyes~ I'm scared~ I've never fallen from quite this high~ Fallin' into your ocean eyes~ Those ocean eyes~”

And there you were. The most beautiful creature they had ever seen.

At the same time, your instincts flared, telling you that you were being watched—but it was almost a gentle flare like it was your sister or dad, nothing like the sharp flares that warned of violent or predatory intent. You looked up, your frills flared around your face as you scanned your surroundings. Then you saw them.

You blinked at them, curious, and tilted your head. One of them copied the motion, tilting his head in the same way that made you giggle lightly. Their spines stood at attention in interest at the sweet sound.

“Hello,” You clicked at them. “What brings you to this region?”

“We heard your ethereal song and were drawn in,” the mer with black hair clicked in response. The five of them floated closer, slowly circling you so they could see your every angle, but you didn’t feel intimidated or scared. No, instead you felt comfortable with them, save even.

When you processed the mer’s words, your breath hitched the slightest bit. Your dad had told you and your sister how he met your mom, of course. It was how all mer’s in your bloodline had found their mates, a phenomenon that was known as a siren song, taken from the human myths of sirens.

A mer is typically capable of enchanting their voice to affect humans but only a mate can hear another mer’s siren song when a mer’s voice is so enchanting, so beautiful that you can’t help but follow it to its source. Which is what made your parents so unique since a mer had never heard a siren song from a human.

Back to the present, you cleared your throat, clicking slowly to them, “And… you know what that means, don’t you?” Your face felt warm.

The youngest looking, a male with teal or mint hair, chirped curiously, “What does it mean?”

You couldn’t help but blanch. Had their original pods really never told them about mates or the siren song? Or had they just been too young to really remember? You shook your head, “It means that you five are my mates and I’m yours.”

Oh, they shuddered.

They liked the sound of that.

Suddenly, the one with light purple hair had his arms around your waist, “You’re ours then?”

The one with magenta hair gave an excited roguish grin, grabbing your hand and beginning to tug you away, “Let’s go then!” Already ready to whisk you away.

“Hey—wait!” You chirped, flicking your tail to propel you out of their arms and put a little bit of space between you and them. “You guys can’t just take me away from my pod! I have a family here and I’m not just leaving them! Besides, my dad is the patriarch so you guys have to present yourselves to him! Don’t you know that?”

Sheepishly, the five rubbed at their necks, scratched at their faces, and looked away from your annoyed gaze awkwardly. The one with light pink hair smiled apologetically, “It’s been a while…” He chirped quietly.

You shook your head in amusement because of course you would get the five feral mers as your mates. “Come on, we can chat on the way. I’m (Y/n) by the way.”

“I’m Jinu,” the black haired mer introduced himself, scooping your bag up to carry it for you without another word.

The magenta haired mer subtly flexed his muscles, his arm muscles and well defined abs more prominent, “I’m Kwan.”

The light pink haired mer flicked his hair out of his face with a soft smile, preening slightly, “I’m Chungae. It’s a pleasure to meet you~”

“I’m Jum,” the youngest mer with the mint colored hair gave a small smile, offering you a piece of sea glass that had been twined in his hair. He made a mental note to find out your favorite foods so he could find them for you.

“Hyeon,” the mer with purple hair that hung in his face told you simply, reaching out to interlock your fingers together, his thumb tracing the back of your hand curiously.

You smiled, “It’s nice to meet you guys.”

A/N: I thought about making them different types of mers, like Kwan would be a shark, maybe Hyeon would be an octopus, and Jum would be a jellyfish, but it felt too complicated and I liked the irony of them being lionfish.

Outtakes:

You: *living your best life, peacefully singing and collected shinies*

Saja Boys: *swimming like their lives depend on it as they home in on your song*

…

Yong (Dad): *looking at you and your five new strays* “You went out to get shells.”

You: *nods* “Yes.”

Yong: “And somehow you come back with five feral mates.”

You: *nods again* “Yes.”

Yong: *takes a deep breath*

Yong: *strained* “Okay then…”

…

Rumi: “Here, I brought this back from the city for when you need to distract or entertain them.”

Rumi: *hands you a laser pointer*

You: *turns it on* “Uhm, thanks Rumi but I don’t think this is gonna—“

Saja Boys: *eyes dilated, following the dot, pounce at it only to crash into each other and crawl over each other to try and get it*

You: “…”

You: “Y’know what, thanks.”

…

Inspiration for your’s and the Saja Boys’ mer forms: