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#jaded jellyfish sting
jaded-jezz · 1 year
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Don’t Trip
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Another Jack one-shot obvs
Please do not repost, reblogs are appreciated.
Jack Champion x F!Reader
☁︎Fluff
summary: Just Jack being a gentleman without realising.
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I’ve been super excited to go to Jack’s movie premier ever since he auditioned. It wouldn’t be our first event as a couple but this time it seems as if the entire world knows about it as it’s no longer our secret.
When we posted our anniversary photo dump on Instagram and some sickeningly cute TikToks, our followers have risen dramatically and the response has luckily been way more positive than we expected. We didn’t realise that our fan base overlapped so of course they were all ecstatic when finding out their suspicions were correct.
Jack and I were in our taxi queueing for our joint entrance onto the carpet. Both our palms were sweating yet Jack gripped mine tighter when I tried to move to wipe it.
“Are you nervous Champion?” I jest
“Me? Pfff no way” he replied before widening his eyes to show he was lying, “I’m petrified”
We look into each others eyes and before we know it we are being told to leave and expose our long kept secret and safe privacy to the flashes of cameras.
He doesn’t let go of my hand once, in fear that he may lose me to the crowds of interviews trying to get the first interview of the new hot couple. It makes me smile to myself as although I’ve done many premiers before, he still keeps an eye on me.
We move to the line of photographers and I check for the marks on the floor directing each celebrity to the correct angle and lighting for their photos. Jack goes in first and I follow once he moves up the marks.
I have to pick up my dress due to the weight of the detailed beading, lace and tulle as I walk confidently to the first space. The awkwardness hits me as I try to kick around my dress to stop the train from bunching up so much as I want the cameras to pick up on my teams hard work.
Suddenly an angel from heaven, my knight in shining armour comes to the rescue.
I barely hear Jack’s voice over the shouts, flashes and the swelling of stress in my ears but it’s loud enough to start to bring me back to earth and to a calmer state.
I look down to see he has crouched to start to straighten out the long floral train. He glances up at me and gives me a wink as he feels me look over my shoulder at him.
“Don’t worry, I got you!” He laughs as he try’s to check my face for any signs of continuing worry.
I offer my hand and pull him round next to me so that we can have photos together. The paparazzi go even crazier, as if Jack’s previous action didn’t have a loud enough reaction.
We laugh at the eruption and a strong wave of serenity washes over me as I lean in closer to my boyfriend.
“You look so stunning that I had to help you, I hope you don’t mind,” Jack leant into the side of my head. “You are a saving grace Jack, and thank you” I whisper back.
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I want to thank everyone who like/reblogged my first post, it means a lot. I did not expect any interaction at all so thank you!
My best friend helped me to check over this so if its bad, blame it on her plz and thx!
Requests are open, so send them no matter how big or small you idea is.
Please do not repost this, reblogs are appreciated.
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947 notes · View notes
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I reread your tanjiro reader post and always wondered what would happen if it’s a Muichiro reader?
How would the Vise and dorm leader react if reader was known as a Young prodigy in Swordsmanship and is very rich?
Since Reader is has amnesia, she would always forget that she’s in another world but was always reminded by her loyal crow
Both the Dorm leaders and Vice Dorm leaders are a bit much
🖤🖤🖤
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Muichiro Reader | Yandere Twisted Wonderland
You’re doe-eyed, airheaded, painfully blunt, and a true sword prodigy. Always forgetting and wistfully floating by in life only really reacting to your memory’s deepest secrets. The only thing that keeps you grounded is the loyal crow that gives your missions. While you are as determined as you could be to return to your world the boys of Twisted Wonderland feel the exact opposite. You don’t have much of a will which makes it easier to instill their own: 
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Trey Clover
“(Y/n)?!”
“...”
“(Y/n)?!”
“Hmm?”
“How long have you been like that?! All the blood’s going to rush to your head!”
His obsession festers from his worry
Taking that big brother role and watching out for your wandering self
But then he realizes its more when you in a rare moment of clarity speak your truth
Lighting the fire inside him 
And he can’t help but want to protect you
Even when he watches you slice at an entirely insane speeds 
He still feels the need to safeguard you
Even if it means keeping you in the dark about everything
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Rook Hunt
“Mon amour brumeux! Please show me the prowess of your sword!”
“...”
“Oui, your beauty is shining even when you dream!”
You’re so lovely for him 
Not reacting to his open photography 
You don’t even protest when he swabs the insides of your cheeks
He’s brought to shivers at the thought of your immense power with a docile personality
In fact he’s never seen someone so skillfully dodge and reflect arrows without being angry
You’re just so perfect for him 
He’s determined to have you 
And he wonders will you fight when he takes you or just let him
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Ruggie Bucci
“You’re so gullible! You’ve got to fight me if I take your food! Come on showing me your game face!” 
“You want me…to fight you?”
Shink
“Whoa whoa (Y/n) hold on!” 
He thinks your airy attitude is a breath of fresh air
But he realizes how easy it is to string you along
And he feels no one is better to do that then him 
Well guess he’s getting a lot more practice with ‘laugh with me’
Specifically in accidental injuries
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Lilia Vanrouge
“Whoa (Y/n) you’re so skilled! Would you be willing to maybe spar with me?”
“No, I’m looking at the clouds.”
“Awww come on baby! Pleeeeaaasseee?”
He loves pestering you 
Because you don’t really react so it ends up bothering him instead
Ultimately he finds himself obsessed with knowing your inner workings
And when you say something insightful he feels his heart speed up and his cheeks flush with a feeling he hasn’t felt in ages
Won’t you give this dying fae his final wish and stay with him forever
Or maybe he’ll come with you–the greatest mystery he’s ever come across
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Jamil Viper
“I sometimes think I could hypnotize you to do what I want…but you’re so flighty I doubt it would even work.”
“...Your hair looks like Kabumaru…”
“What?”
He thinks you’re the cutest 
Even when you expertly wield a sword
He wonders how knowledgeable you can be if he eliminated your chances to go home
If you stayed they’d be the perfect duo 
He’ll be your brains if your his muscle
Heck you can even leave the killing to him
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Jade Leech
“Ah, I see you’re busy staring at the Monstro Lounge’s tank.”
“...”
“You seem to like fish.”
“...No, no I don't think I do.”
“Hmmm, how would you like to be one?”
Floyd’s nickname of JellyFish is accurate to him 
Especially when you show off your sword skills 
An almost mindless creature that has a sting
But he thinks you’re allure is like a mushroom
Possibly deadly but wonderfully gorgeous
Perfect for a terrarium tank of your own
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Jellyfish Mer Yuu-Octavinelle&Scarabia
Azul
he wants you to stay as far away from the Mostro Lounge as possible
every time you got near the cafe something would always break or you got the attention of the Tweels and they would drop everything to mess with you which just caused even more trouble and breaking things for him
but if you were less trouble or caused less costs that you could bring in profits he would use you as an attraction for the lounge
your merform is an interesting thing to witness so he´s sure he could make some good money of it but alas it was never meant to be
he likes to drag you to his club though, you always win with a mixture of dumb luck, actual skill and cheating
it´s always hilarious seeing people lose over losing to you… and it´s good for business but he´ll never tell you because he´s not interested in sharing the profits
Jade
he tries to poison you every chance he get´s because he wants to see if some of them have an effect on you
he really makes you feel like a lab rat instead of a fellow classmate and if he didn´t try to constantly kill you you would even compliment him because it was pretty good
at this point you try to just talk your way out of having to eat whatever he made and hope he doesn´t force you to eat or tries to smuggle some mushrooms in your own food
and it´s terrifying how good he is, the only way to partially ensure he doesn´t poison you with mushrooms is to constantly look at your bag
even then it doesn´t save you all the time, it´s terrifying how determined he is about that
Floyd
he thinks it´s funny when you try to sting him so he´ll stop squeezing you so much, but that never happened no matter how hard you try
and your one of his favorite people to torment mainly because he thinks your attempts at getting him away from you are not only ineffective but hilarious to him, which is honestly a lot worse
but you did manage to sting him bad enough to flinch… didn´t really help though because he just switched from trying to suffocate you and is now actively hunting you
and man all he needs to play is some scary music and you would feel like your in your own Horror movie
even worse would be if he caught you, good thing it never happened because while he might not have been pissed off who knows what he might have done
maybe he would have really squeezed you until you pop
Kalim
he thinks your funny but hopes you don´t hurt yourself
the majority of the times he sees you is when you trip over your own feet (or stingers) or just running into walls and acting like nothing happened
but he loves to party with you so those concerns sometimes go under in his excitement and happiness
but they are still there and he even got you a helmet so you won´t hurt yourself so much
which honestly wasn´t really a bad idea, doesn´t really work because you forgot it most of the time but still a good idea
also both of you are probably one of the worst friend pair ups, for the most part because you just go along with everything Kalim says no matter how dumb it could be
every time Jamil sees you and Kalim interact he can just feel the dread from what you two might be planning
Jamil
either he wants to cook you for annoying him or he tries to use you as a way to subtly get rid of Kalim for a while
but you refuse to do anything to him so that never really works
and despite his best efforts he can never get rid of you, you just have insane amounts of luck that allows you to escape everything unharmed
it´s an odd thing to witness and at this point he just wonders if it´s magic shielding you from his Wrath
either way he hates it but learned to life with your existence… and the fact Kalim keeps inviting you to party with him
at least when that happens you help him clean up, you are even good at it...
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twistedroseytoesy · 1 year
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Hey I love your work so much you brought back my love for sea creatures and stumbled across this beautiful creature.
The phantom jellyfish the most rarest jellyfish
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Look at this beautiful jellyfish.
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I ever found this beautiful fanart of a human phantom jellyfish I could not find the artist but its beautiful.
woa!!! I’ve never heard of this jelly before but it looks so pretty!!! Has a gothic-like or somewhat deadly kind of vibe. Oooooo! I'm going to do the ocatrio with malleus for this one since you didn't specify. Hope that's alright! These jellys are so cool cause they dont have stingers! their arms are used to just scoop up plankton and carry that to the mouth.
Description
A beautiful creature of the deep, rare, and rather secluded but you always found comfort in the pressure and darkness around you as you drifted through the void. Scavenging what you could from the waters with your long ribbon-like arms. You don't have the ability to sting, but your ribbons can be used to strangle and disorient predators. Especially since your dark skin matches the darkness of home. You have dark skin with a dark brown/orange undertone. Your body and arms make you up to 30 ft long! Your arms are 25 of those feet.
When you were called to the surface and NRC you struggled greatly with the harsh light. Your human form is only 6 ft tall with long, dark, ribbon-like hair and longer-than-average arms. you are able to manipulate your hair but you keep that more of a secret. you are fairly secluded and try to avoid crowds as much as physically possible. You have dark skin and your eyes are a startling orange color. You usually wear dark sunglasses so no one can really see your eyes unless the sun has set or it's fairly dark in the room.
Octavinelle
Azul: Knows your a mer, he likes keeping tabs on all the merfolk on campus. Your strange ribbon-like hair was what really caught his attention and he asked blackmailed you about it. Found out the hard way what it can do. He underestimated you since you seemed rather... soft-mannered. The twins wouldn't let him live it down for like a week. You do visit the lounge since it reminded you of the few times you floated closer to the twilight zone from your midnight home. the lower lighting was also the only lighting you could handle ok without your glasses so you visited and studied there quite often. He appreciates your patronage and somehow your calm demeanor and strength draw him to you. He liked being around you since your calm aura helps calm him. After long enough you are invited to sit in his VIP room where he turns all the lights off other than the aquarium or a controlled light over his desk and only his desk. You greatly appreciate it. He does try many times to have you work for him, your hair acts like his many arms back in the sea! imagine how efficient you would be! but he does understand how you wouldn't be able to work in the light.
When he first saw you merform in the magic pressure pool he was amazed at how LONG you were! He thought you were like the twin's size not double their length and then some! loves how silky your arms are and how you don't sting but he can feel the strength in those arms and remembers to not underestimate you. If you invite him to swim with you he will try to stammer out a smooth response. Maybe someday. Does with to have you do some sort of sink dancing thing, you would do amazing with it! the way your arms are already like silk makes him dream. if you ever are close and you wrap your soft arms around him he will immediately melt and even have some tears build up in his eyes. Your hugs are understanding and kind and calm.
Jade: Your hair is what really caught his attention. The way it seemed to squirm along with you when he asked many uncomfortable questions. Knew you were a mer from Azul and was trying to figure out what exactly you were, you didn't cover up like other jellyfish mers yet you had that calmness they are known for. Probably figured it out when he overheard you tell someone else what you were. Such a rare specimen had Jade all the more intrigued. Asked even more questions and even subtly hinted he knew what you were, he got hair slapped when he gave you a dark jello treat he created and mentioned wanting to test if its taste was accurate. Super surprised that your hair actually had that kind of force, he knew it could move but you made him take a full step back to catch himself. Impressive~ also likes to try and see your eyes but is more respectful than Floyd, usually lowers the lights in your area of the lounge with some magic, just to see those beautiful glowing orange orbs.
When he first saw your mer form he was very curious about your long arms. Asking politely to hold one since he knew he couldn't reach you in the pressure pool without risking bodily harm. He compliments the texture and strength of the silky ribbons. Happily offering a job at the mostro louge for a once-a-week show from the depths. You kindly turned him down, saying you like to be more in the shadows than the star. He nods at this. you both connect by watching things from a distance. Asks many questions still but won't hint at trying to eat you after he saw Floyd get strangled for biting you.
Floyd: Squishy!! He likes squeezing you, You're so soft and easy to squeeze, but you don't wiggle as much! He calls you black jellyfish. He likes to mess with your hair. it looks so cool! one time it slapped him when he tried to bite it and he loved it even more! Pokes and prods at it to annoy you. Thought you were boring but another time stole your sunglasses and really liked your eyes! He's never seen glowing orange eyes before! so now this man pokes at your hair and tries to blind you a lot. You try to stay away from him but that's fairly difficult to do. Over time he clams a bit around you, especially when he really pissed you off and you strangled him to near passing out. Likes to see you try new foods, and your faces of delight are so cute! he also pesters you with a lot of questions. he changes his nickname for you when you correct him. "phantom jelly!" he would usually call out before you are lifted off of your feet. sometimes he will break turn off the lights to get you to show off your glowing eyes.
When he first saw your merform in the pressure pool he wanted to hop right in but just before he jumped in you cocooned him in your silky arms, telling him he's an idiot for trying to swim in the most dangerous pool, he would be crushed like a tin can even in his merform! he said you were no fun but did have to agree that a broken tail would suck more. You keep an arm and eye on him to make sure he doesn't try anything particularly stupid. He really likes your cool silky arms! keeps asking when you would want to swim with him in the dorm underwater sanctuary. He's very lucky you are very patient with his very excitable self.
With special guest
Malleus: You both connected by being out at night, when the world is still and you feel closer to home. The darkness is a welcome relief to you. You and he crossed paths on a late-night walk. No words were needed as you both continued to walk through the night, pointing out some stars or other small things of interest. You even let your hair down and he happily allowed his magic fireflies to show themselves. You were the best of mute friends understanding each other's lonely life with no words needed. He and you took a few weeks before words were spoken and it was comfortable. he enjoys the smooth texture of your hair and is always pleasantly surprised at its strength when you do use it. you admire his dark power and how his horns are so tough and strong on his head.
When he first sees your merform in a lake one night he couldn't help but be mesmerized by your long silky arms. The way they floated and swayed in the water, the gentle glow from just under your skin, and the softness of your body in the water. He complimented you and your form, promising to show you his true form someday when you were both ready for it. He treasures your trust and tries to help you with his magic, even creating a spell to make a bubble of darkness around you so light doesn't hurt your eyes as much. He also really likes your eyes, unnatural yet powerful, like his.
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hajimeshoe · 2 years
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Heya! How're you? If you take requests, could you do a headcanon about the Octatrio with a Crystal Jellyfish! S/O?
So, I spent a lot of time doing research about jellyfish for this one. Apparently, there's a species of Octopus that eats jellyfish? Crystal Jellyfish reader better not piss off Azul...
Octavinelle x Crystal Jellyfish!S/O
So, first, for the basic facts
You grew up with the Tweels and Azul in the coral sea (Crystal jellies, Moray eels, and some octopuses are pelagic, so it makes sense)
You don't swim very fast, so you would often skip phys ed in elementary and middle school
You started dating him at the end of your second year at NRC
Unlike the boys, I feel like you'd be assigned to Pomfiore - Crystal Jellie's are beautiful and have toxic stings
You do still stay at the school throughout the winter holiday
When you started attending NRC, all of you found out that you can sense when people have cancer! The staff had to spend around an hour just to explain to you why you can't just walk up to them and tell them though....
Azul
You went to school with the boys
At first? You were terrified of Azul
Some types of Octopus eat jellyfish!
But you got over that when you realized he was bullied too
So, growing up, you two built a close bond - you, because of the bullying for your body proportions, and him for his weight
You would both skip phys ed together, complain about other students, everything!
You were 100% his biggest supporter when he started using his unique magic to get back at bullies
Because of this, once you two both went to NRC, you stuck together as close as can be
You're the only person who he helps for free (Yay!)
Neither of you are good at flying class
But that's okay, he'll just make a deal with someone who is
Also, your job in the Mostro Lounge is generally to use your Unique Magic - Concealed Fulmination (Turns you invisible and shock people) - in order to whisper in people's ears in why they should make a deal with Azul
Awww, when he overblotted, he never hurt you <3 He assumed you were the only innocent person in that school lol
You tend to stay away from Floyd, he finds it interesting that you can't feel pain (Azul, meanwhile, is panicking internally - can he just keep you in an aquarium to keep you safe and protected?)
Floyd
You were also terrorized by Floyd growing up if Jade wasn't there to stop him
He did mellow out once you two went to NRC - after all, he had new prey
You often got sat with him in class
You were ready to strangle him half of the time and actually did try once
That was the day he actually took notice of you and your natural talent for squeezing
He makes it his life's (Or moods?) goal to end up with you
Once you two do start dating, Floyd would absolutely love that you don't have pain receptors!
He could squeeze you as much as he wants and you won't complain!
At least, until he accidentally breaks your arm - oopsies
After that, he tends to be a little more careful with you - not enough really that other students will notice, but just enough that there aren't any more incidents of him injuring you
Floyd gets you into all kinds of trouble when he's in the mood
If he's in a bad mood, though? Azul throws you at him and runs
"You deal with it! You're his friend!"
"So? You're his partner!"
Jade
Jade, Jade, Jade
He's entertained by how skittish you used to be around Azul
He scares you on purpose sometimes because he thinks you look pretty when you glow
He's also a bit surprised still by how big you can open your mouth
Like, in your jellyfish form, you can open it to half your size??? You can still open it to a quarter of your size when still in human form?
He doesn't let Floyd squeeze you, don't worry!
(He does have you go up to random people sometimes though and have you tell them they have cancer)
Jade definitely will teach you all about mushrooms. Good ones, bad ones, edible ones, poisonous ones, all mushrooms!
Hopefully you listen, he'll be sad if you don't
You wouldn't want him to cry, would you?
Jade cooks for you whenever you ask - so long as he has time
Wait- Y/n, why did you just request jellyfish??? Y/n, get back here!
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madam-monarch · 30 days
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[ Alright, here’s the second post to my Deep Sea AU! ]
[ this one is separately just about the Kinito Crew, just some basic info about em! PS: this post is gonna be RLLY long, and before I rlly get to them, I just wanna talk about some basic stuff! ]
I recommend to read this post before diving into those there’s some important base info about this AU in it: LINK
/// like before, slight mention of violence and Manipulation, nothing major, but just incase! :)
Now for this crew, what are they, they are a type of Mermaid/Siren species, mixed in whit other types of Sea/Water based life, they are around double as big as a normal human [let’s say average human being 5 feet tall].
They are very prone to attack humans, most of the time they would attack small ships to boats that would just be out at sea, they aren’t much afraid to come close to humans, so even small boats on the shore aren’t safe, this was one of the reasons why the company had to capture them.
——————
They have siren like powers, where they can potentially manipulate humans to do what they tell them to, it can either be done over the eye‘s or voice!
Voice manipulation: based around the „singing“ I rather want to use something based on the idea of „Binarual Beats“ which a normal human can’t hear, but can have an impact on the brain.
Here they have sertain soundwaves in their voices, that when telling someone to do something for them, they have an incredible strong impact, not rlly like hypnosis cause the person is still awake and aware, but feels more like „if I don’t do this my heads gonna explode“.
For this, the company has developed special ear buds, which allows the wearer to hear, but it kills and Sound waves which could have a negative impact on the brain.
Eye manipulation: this one rarely gets used by them, for this, let’s use kinito as an example, needs to keep full eye contact for a while, which then can put the affected in a type of trance, or if done shortly, can again have affect on the brain. [which can causea panic like feeling]
Just like before, the company came up which glasses/contact lenses, which keeps someone from being put into a trace.
Workers are required to wear both at all times when handling anyone from the crew, so sayd worker is aware of his surroundings at all times and doesn’t get distracted!
Now let’s get a bit more into these three!
But before I start, I wanna say I had to ignore real biology a bit, mainly because I’m making mermaids here, and this plays in the Sea, if I would make kinito fully and axolotl, he would not sieving in such salty waters, so while all of them still have parts of their original species, they are still mainly mermaid like creatures! Okay let’s go!
——————
Kinito
Species: Part Axolotl Sea creature
Size: 11 feet tall
Specific ability: extremely quick, glows under fluorescent light.
Kinito is a good in between Sam and Jade, Thinks before he act‘s, but still has quite the short temper when he doesn’t get what he wants, but will put up an act to have a better chance to get his way!
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—————
Jade
Species: Part Jellyfish Sea Creature
Size: 9 feet tall
Specific ability: can glow in the dark, tentacle can stink and paralyze victim.
Jade is the calmest of the group, thinks before she act‘s which even in her scared up state kept her out of a lot of trouble, she‘s more quiet, and in captivity only attacks when she feel threatened, that doesn’t mean she’s gonna be nice…
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—————
Sam
Species: part Anemone Sea creature
Size: 10 feet tall
Specific ability: tentacles can sting and paralyze victim, strongest of the three.
While naturally being more layed back, Sam is VERY aggressive towards humans, and will straight up just attack out of the blue, mostly being kept back my Jade.
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[ okay that’s it for now, hopefully get to have some time to work on this AU a bit more! ]
[ See ya!^^ ]
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merakiui · 2 years
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[i.] ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᵉᵛⁱˡ’ˢ ᵈᵉˡⁱᵍʰᵗ
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serial killer!jade leech x female!reader cw: descriptions of gore/death chapter i (you are here)│chapter ii
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Today’s Horoscope: On this day, just as the stars align, your intelligence shines brighter than the sun and your positive energy uplifts those who know you. There are surprises waiting at every corner; it’s important to be alert. You will soon be rewarded for your continuous efforts and hard work.
In the large, horizontal tank, weightless, transparent globs of gel carry sparkling enchantments. Trapped in the malicious maw of mesmerization, you place your hand upon the glass and peer in at them, admiring the serene way in which they drift aimlessly in undisturbed waters. The lights from above dye their tiny, wispy bodies in the faintest, most angelic blue you’ve ever seen; the hue even reaches your fingertips, bleeding into your nails like the purest paint borne from cherub tears.
Jellyfish have always managed to captivate you. They are small and slow creatures who lack bones and a brain. Composed mainly of water, they exist for the sole purpose of protection—a gummy shield in which fish encase themselves to evade the jaws of ravenous predators. Charming as they are, jellyfish sting. And it hurts. A lot. They’re the type of marine animal you’d only ever hope to view from afar, through the transparent lens of a glass wall, lest you encounter one and it wraps its dangerous tendrils around your ankle in an electrifying embrace. 
The intercom crackles to life just as you pull away from the tank, brows knitting in anticipation. “Today’s color is blue. As vast and wide as the sky and sea, as deep and dark as water’s soul, blue is the color of trust and sincerity. It is the color of bruises and sadness. It is the color of loneliness. It is the color of you.”
“I know that focused look.” 
You whirl around, staring with wide eyes at the person whose back is facing you. His palm leaves a dark imprint on the jellyfish tank as he surveys the creatures inside with an expression you can’t see. His reflection is distorted beyond recognition, but his voice strikes a chord of familiarity within you.
“You’re fishing again, aren’t ya?”
“Fishing?”
“Don’t fish too deep. You never know what you’ll reel in.”
You blink and he vanishes in a brilliant explosion of playing cards under the glow of the aquarium. When you gaze beyond the spot where he once stood, all of the jellyfish have gone still in the water. You realize, with a sinking unease, that they’re dead.
“Today’s color is blue,” the woman repeats, her monotonous tone shaking you from your stupor. “As vast and wide as the sky and sea…”
You sit up in bed with a gasp, mind reeling through images of blue jellyfish, blue lights, blue skies—and your hand moves in search of your mobile phone. You locate it seconds later, tucked under the duvet like a bloodless corpse in a shroud. It glares at you when you turn it on and swipe through the pop-ups that clutter the illuminated screen. Flopping back onto the mattress, you click on the app that houses your digital dream diary and begin to record everything that just transpired. 
“Blue. Jellyfish. Strange man. Cards. Intercom lady,” you mutter, voice thick with sleep. “Dead jellyfish. Blue… No, I already got that one. Um…” 
Your thumbs hover over the keypad as you ruminate what’s missing. Eventually it clicks and you type the words color of loneliness into the document. Before you make another note, you search to confirm whether or not her claims are true. 
“The color of loneliness…” Your eyes skim the first result and a smile claws through your drowsiness. With quick fingers, you consult today’s horoscope and scan it thrice before realization strikes. “She was wrong. That means today will go according to my horoscope. It won’t be the opposite!”  You hug your phone to your chest and squeal, rolling back and forth until the blankets have tangled around your legs in a heap of wrinkles and you’ve bumped into another body.
A pair of pastel blues open in the gloom and your whereabouts in the real world come crashing down, heavier than the exhaustion that comes complimentary with a pre-sunrise awakening. No longer confined to the dreamy aquarium, you find yourself in a bedroom, tucked snugly in a king-sized bed, with a familiar man. The lights from a dozen skyscrapers cast an otherworldly luminosity on him, shining in through the slits in the curtains, and for a moment it’s as if you’re lying amidst the clouds with a seraph. 
Azul yawns and reaches blindly through the shadows until he finds you. His arms wrap around your waist and you allow yourself to be tugged into his chest, where his heart beats out a steady rhythm that instantly soothes you. Combined with this comfortable embrace and the silkiness of the duvet, you breathe a satisfied sigh. When all else is swallowed by darkness—no matter what becomes of the people you once knew—Azul will remain as he always has: perfect and safe. 
“Who’re you talking to?” 
“No one,” you whisper. “I had a weird dream.”
“Oh?” His voice is low and husky—a brittle intonation that you’re only ever graced with in the early hours of dawn. “You can tell me about it over breakfast. I’d love to peer inside that curious head of yours.” 
“Are you sure you won’t get bored?”
“Please.” A chuckle rumbles in his throat while he cradles your face with his hand, his thumb tracing circles into the softness of your cheek. “You could never bore me, my dear.”
Content with his response, you snuggle against him and slip into a dreamless slumber while listening to his heartbeat. Unfortunately, you’re not sure you can count the rest of the hours as ‘good sleep’ because your brain continues to buzz with faint recollections of your dream and the deeper meaning it holds. After lots of twisting and turning, you force yourself to wake at the crack of dawn despite your unwillingness to get out of bed. The promise of a good day is what eventually convinces you, so you throw the covers off and focus on welcoming a new morning. 
Azul, dazed and sleep-deprived, tugs your robe-clad body into bed when you’ve returned from your shower, insisting on five more precious minutes before he joins you in getting ready. And because you’re so certain the day will be prosperous, you fall into his embrace as always. 
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“I know that focused look. You’re fishing again, aren’t ya?” 
“So what if I am?” you mumble, weighing the current profile on your phone as if you’re a celestial judge and this person’s fate rests solely in your capable hands. “It’s hard to meet people nowadays. This helps me dodge so many bullets.” 
“I won’t disagree with those facts.” Cater rests his elbows on the countertop, feigning dejection as though it’s as simple as breathing. “But how could you possibly look at other faces when I’m right here?”
“We’re friends, Cay. There’s a difference.”
”And I thought you said I was your type!” 
“As friends you’re my type. That’s about it, though.” 
“Total bummer.” The corners of his lips twitch into the beginning of a frown before promptly quirking upwards. “Well, what’s the sitch? Did you get any bites?”
“Yeah. But I haven’t reeled in anyone yet.”
“Aren’t you a picky peach?” 
“I have standards,” you retort before turning your mobile his way so that he’s greeted to the sight of a shirtless man holding a fishing pole. Dangling precariously from the hook with large, glossy eyes is a sizable fish, its shimmering scales winking at whoever’s fortunate enough to stumble across his profile. “What’s your diagnosis?”  
Cater’s nose scrunches as if he can smell the cloying stench of brine and body odor wafting from the image. “The doctor says he’s trying too hard.” He snatches your phone for closer inspection. “And he’s hooked the fish in the gills. In other words, if he’s careless with his fish do you want him as your main dish, Miss Marine Biologist?” 
“Absolutely not.” You grin as he swipes the profile away. “Who’s up now?”
“A nature lover.” 
“I like nature.”
“Do you?” 
“Is it too much nature?” You sidle up to him in an attempt to get a clear view of the screen when a clipboard suddenly drops onto the counter. It clatters noisily, and you lift your gaze to meet a certain someone’s scowl. 
“Slacking off again? I ought to have your heads for this.” 
“My bad, Riddle. Cay and I already refilled everything and everyone’s been served. We had nothing better to do.”
Said man raises a brow before jutting his thumb in the direction of a table cluttered with dirty dishes and drying ice cream splatters. “‘Nothing better to do.’ Is that right?” 
“Don’t worry about it.” Cater is already reaching for a dishrag and a bucket of soapy water. “Cay Cay’s on the case!” 
“You should have been ‘on the case’ the moment the customers left!” he snaps, rubbing circles into his temples. “We aren’t running a pigsty, after all. So get back to work and don’t let me see you on your phones until the break.” 
“Yes, Riddle,” you and Cater murmur in unison, heads bowed submissively. Riddle studies your expressions for a moment longer before taking the clipboard and turning on his heel with a huff. He pushes past the striped saloon door and disappears into the storage room to begin the tedious task that is inventory. 
Cater leans closer to you, slides your phone into the depths of your apron pocket, and whispers, “Riddle’s always been, like, super loaded. His parents are magic doctors and I heard that makes good money. So why’s he working part-time?”
Like I’d know. We haven’t talked in years.
“The commoner’s lifestyle is exciting, or so they say. Even the rich want to experience it now. Maybe that’s why they look for partners who can hardly support themselves.”
“Yikes. Talk about a power trip.”
“Or a huge win for me. Student debt sucks.” You wave to the couple sliding out of the booth to your right. They return your gesture with broad smiles. “Wouldn’t you want to date someone rich? Then all of your problems would go poof!”
“Money can’t solve everything, lovely. What happened to personality?” Clicking his tongue, he drapes himself against the counter in an overdramatic feint of despair. “What has our world come to?”
“It must be ending if we’re letting that strawberry devil act like the king of the diner.”
“He fits the part nicely, though. You have to admit these uniforms are super cute.” Cater glances at the storage room before withdrawing his phone for a quick selfie. “And this place is a perfect backdrop for my Magicam feed! Pose with me!” 
“I never really cared for it, but I guess the aesthetic is appealing.” You tap at the plastic horns on your headband and force a grin for the camera. After Cater’s put his phone away, you add, “It’s just part of the gag, right?”
“It’s so much more than that! Don’t you understand what the ‘delight’ stands for in The Devil’s Delight? It’s devilishly delightful! Duh.” 
You reach into the bucket and pull a rag out. Wringing it free of excess water, you shrug at him. “People like old-fashioned, vintage things. Simpler times, simpler pleasures. Isn’t that why this place gets so much foot traffic during the high season?”
“You have much to learn,” he says with a disappointed tut. 
Rolling your eyes, you pass the rag to him and reach for the dirty dishes on the table. Cater flits over to a booth near the window, where a little girl has just knocked over her milkshake. The liquid drips from the table in fat droplets, landing on the clean tiles in patterns reminiscent of blood spatter. It’s a pastel crime scene, one that’s endearingly sweet and innocently pink. While Cater’s in the process of retrieving the glass and consoling the girl to the best of his ability, you carry the dishes over to the sink. He meets you halfway, passing the empty glass to you, and you take it from him and drop it into the basin. 
“I’ll make another one. Strawberry with whipped cream and a cherry, right?” You meet the girl’s teary-eyed stare. She manages a shy nod while her mother assists Cater in clearing the table so that he may wipe it down. “I’ll put extra whipped cream just for you, so don’t cry. Mistakes happen all the time. We can’t control them.” 
At the mention of a larger portion, she perks up. “Thank you, miss!” 
There’s never a dull moment at this diner, you muse while grabbing a stainless steel milkshake cup and an ice cream scooper. But that’s good. It means this day is going to be rewarding. 
By the time you’ve reached the end of your shift, the afternoon has melted away into an array of breathtaking colors. Pinks and purples streak the sky, and you’re reminded of sorbet as you admire the retreating sun. Cater joins you at the window just as the last customer exits, the bell above the door jingling out a cheerful farewell. 
“Another day in the books,” he announces proudly, hands on his hips.
“I wouldn’t make note of it just yet.” Riddle stands behind the both of you with his arms crossed. “We’re on closing shift, which means I’d like to be out of here within the next hour. Only then will this day be ‘in the books,’ as you’ve put it.”
“And we’re back to work!” you announce, turning away from the window. Before you can take another step, Cater’s arm snakes around your waist and pulls you against him for a selfie. He snaps a photo before you can look presentable, which graces your Magicam-obsessed friend with an unflattering view of you struggling to escape his grasp. Your expression is twisted in a mix of shock and vexation, and it certainly doesn’t appear photogenic despite the sun’s rays framing your head like a bright halo. “Hey! Delete that!”
“Too late. It’s going on Magicam! #Devil’sDelight. #SummerSunset. #nofilter. #besties4lyfe. #StaySeethingRiddle. And… Posted!”
“My dignity…”
“You have more to worry about than your dignity.” Riddle gestures to the room with a sweeping hand motion. “And you can start by wiping the tables. I’ll tally the register. Cater can finish the dishes and then he’ll mop.”
“No way. I did that last time.”
“Consider it a punishment for taking so many pictures during work.”
Cater looks to you for defense, but you can only offer your most confident thumbs-up. “And you did it wonderfully, too. Not all of us are split cards, my dearest Cay Cay.”
“Both of you are heartless devils!”
“Stay seething,” Riddle replies, sharing a victorious smirk with you.
It’s times like this one where you really connect with your high-strung friend. He’s always been particular about order and rules, especially when it comes to important things like managing a business or completing academic tasks. Even when the two of you were children, he had his sights set on the future while you would stand outside his window, tossing pebbles without a single thought in your happy-go-lucky brain. But with his mature outlook on life, it’s no surprise he was granted the position of manager just two weeks after starting. And here you were competing with Cater for that role, foolishly bickering over who’d make a better diner manager. 
Deep in your soul, you’re certain Riddle could cut more of an impressive leader than you could. Your measly shadow only ever wavers at the mere insinuation of taking charge of things like your present and future. If you could, you’d drift through life on a zephyr and shed every fear that dares to tread upon your good mood. 
Your phone buzzes in your pocket while you’re wiping the surface of a nearby table, and you glance at Riddle to check if he’s still attentively counting money. Once you realize his focus isn’t going to stray anytime soon, you cease cleaning and pull your mobile out to read the notification. 
[You’ve matched with sea♡sluggi! Chat with them now!] 
Exhaling a weary breath, you unlock your phone to inspect the user’s profile. There’s nothing outstanding about their bio, which lists a standard greeting, an age, pronouns, and a few emoticons. A location isn’t noted so you can’t possibly determine if they’re nearby or not, and their profile picture displays a woman holding up a cat and flashing a peace sign at the camera. Enticed by her bright grin and the mirth crinkling her eyes, you swipe to the chat feature and type a short greeting. Once it’s sent you slip your phone inside your pocket and return to the task at hand.
It isn’t until you’re standing under the awning outside, bathed in the crimson illumination from the sign that flashes the diner’s name, when you finally withdraw your mobile. Riddle’s twisting the key in the lock while Cater hums a nonchalant tune and checks Magicam, and you scroll through the app to read and respond to the messages you missed while cleaning up. Of those missed messages, the user from before pops up.
[sea♡sluggi] heey, thanks for the reply! :D i’m not used to these sorts of apps, so i was worried i’d end up making a fool out of myself… my friends dared me to swipe on someone and u looked nice enough to reject me gently >_< 
[(Name)] That makes two of us lmao I haven’t used this account in a while
[sea♡sluggi] lol rip
[(Name)] But you seem nice! Are you an animal lover?
[sea♡sluggi] yep yep! i volunteer at the local shelter. hbu?
[(Name)] I work at a diner :/ nothing special or fulfilling about that. But I’m studying to be a marine biologist!!
[sea♡sluggi] impressive! maybe u can save our oceans with ur marine biology magic :D
[(Name)] I’ll do my best
[sea♡sluggi] i’m counting on u~ ♪♪
“That just about does it. Good work, both of you.”
You look up from the fluorescent, pocket-sized screen to return Riddle’s tender smile with one of your own. “Have a good night, Riddle.”
“Y-Yeah. You as well.” 
“See ya later, alligators!” Cater flashes a grin at you and Riddle before turning to address you specifically. “Call me if you get any bites. I want to know all the deets!”
“Roger that, Dr. Cay.”
He mocks a salute before turning the corner and disappearing from sight, his shadow stretching in the light. And then you hear the rumble of a car as it’s started up and he drives past the both of you, poking his head out to wave. Silence fills the void he’s left, and you and Riddle linger under the striped eave, eyeing the boardwalk in the distance. The wooden slats give way to the shallows beyond, where the horizon has become a tangle of blue and gray. A comfortable breeze rushes through the walkway, and you inhale the summery scents of sea salt and bonfire smoke. 
“See you later?” 
“Get home safely.” 
”Aw. You care. Should I be expecting a confession under the moonlight?” 
“Just don’t get into any trouble.” He scoffs and storms off, but you catch his whisper as it’s carried to you on the wind. “And I’ve always cared…” 
“Wait! Can… Can we take a walk together? It won’t be far. I promise.”
Riddle turns to face you and a tense beat passes between the two of you, filled with unspoken anecdotes of the past. Eventually, warmth bleeds into his sharp eyes and he nods. Smiling, you fall into step beside him. 
“Is everything okay?” 
If you had a single Madol for every time someone’s asked that cursed question, you’d be set for life. Probably. 
“I just wanted to catch up. Ask how the move went. When you messaged me saying you were moving, I didn’t think you’d actually do it. And then you got a job at DD! That’s the best coincidence in the world! But enough of my ramblings. How’s everything going?” 
You owe me that much after all this time, you’re tempted to add, but your lips clamp shut.
“Well, I was accepted into this internship program for magic doctors, but I won’t be starting it until next month. Since I’ll be pursuing another degree in autumn, I’d like to get accustomed to life by the sea if I’m going to be attending university and interning here. Moving hasn’t been too difficult either. The flat layout has been a pain, though. It has to be absolutely perfect or else there’s just no point.” He frowns disapprovingly at the ground, as if it’s to blame for the complications. “Other than that, I’d say things are going well.” Pride soon replaces his discontent, and it’s a clear portrait of a level of self-satisfaction you wish to achieve. 
“For real? Seriously? That’s amazing!” 
“It would be even more amazing if you submitted your application. Cater told me you’ve been stalling.”
“I… Yeah. Well.” You stuff your hands into your apron pocket and kick at a nonexistent stone on the path. “It’s complicated.”
“How so?”
“I want to do it. I really do and I’ve filled everything out. But…” A soft breath tumbles from your mouth. “I guess I’m having doubts now that I’ve come this far.” You peer down the empty street as you cross it, feeling Riddle’s eyes crawl up your face. Your feet slow to a halt and you stand there with your gaze locked firmly on your sneakers. “To be honest, I don’t know what I want to do with my life right now.”
It’s a heavy admission—one you entrust with Riddle because he’s mature and responsible—and you surmise he can handle the weight of this gut-churning honesty. Though perhaps you shouldn’t have dumped it on him so suddenly because his response has your walls upgrading to wood and then stone and then steel, until you're no longer a fractured fortress.  
“Oh.”
“Sorry, sorry! I don’t know why I said that. Forget I said anything.” The strained chuckle you force out of the confines of your throat is unimpressive and hollow. Riddle doesn’t seem to buy it, nor does he laugh with you. “For now I’m happy working with you and Cater.”
“Part-time employment will only get you so far. It’s not smart to rely on dead-end jobs with minimum wage as a stable source of income. If you intend to own a house or start a family one day, you’ll need stability and a well-paying, full-time job.” 
“I know. That’s why I want to be a marine biologist. I want to talk to dolphins and study merfolk and do all of that fun, aquatic stuff.”
“Do you?” His brow raises, challenging you to spill the raw, unfiltered truth. “You’re nearly finished with your degree. You’d benefit from a position at a zoo or a rehabilitation center. Even a marine lab would be happy to have you. I can look for available internships and job listings if you’re not—”
“I’m going to be a marine biologist!” This time the bold declaration sounds convincing—to your ears, at least. “I promise I’ll submit the application tomorrow. I’ll head right over after lunch…or dinner. Or whenever I get the chance.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“You don’t have to. I don’t want to distract you from whatever it is you need to do.” You wave your hand through the air. “I’ll be fine on my own.” 
“I don’t mind setting time aside for you.” He turns the other way and clears his throat. “So… So don’t feel like you’re alone in this, all right? I’ll be here to support you. And even if you aren’t accepted, it’s not the end of the world. They’ll be missing out on your ‘big brain,’ as Cater often says.”
“Hah! With all of this hype talk, I’d better see you at my graduation,” you say with a grin. Before Riddle can get another word in, you seize his arm and tug him towards you. He stumbles, face contorting through mixed emotions. “My horoscope said something good would happen today! What do you think that could be?”
“What does that have to do with—ugh, seriously! Don’t just drag me into the street! We could get hit.” 
Your laugh permeates the air, silencing the rest of Riddle’s irritated tirade. His arm slackens in your grasp and a loud sigh slips from his pursed lips. 
“She said today’s color is blue. The only blue things around here are the ocean and the sky.” You glance at the sunless waters in the distance and inhale a determined breath. “Let’s go right now.”
“Now?!” Riddle shakes his wrist free, but your hand darts out to interlace with his. He gapes at the contact for a few seconds before promptly shaking his head and fixing his posture. “(Name), it’s late. What's gotten into you?”
“We haven’t hung out like this in a while.” When your eyes lock with his, Riddle swallows anxiously and glances between you and the path you’re meant to take. “Live a little.”
“I’d prefer to live during the day when there’s enough light,” he grumbles, but he allows you to pull him in the direction of the boardwalk. The street lamps, their bulbs crowded with insects, cast speckles of amber on his face, highlighting the wine-colored hue that stains his cheeks. “What’s so special about the color blue anyway?”
“I don’t know, but she said it was the color of bruises and sadness. Uh, there was something else as well. I can’t remember it, though.”
“I’m not following. Who said all of that?” 
“It’s not important right now. Look!” You gesture towards the brightly lit boardwalk. Energy pours from the people gathered on the wooden platform. Some are stumbling out of a bar and some are lingering under the glowing Ferris wheel. There are couples and friend groups populating the area, all caught up in the alluring nature of the seaside nightlife. A full moon casts a circular spotlight on the lively scene and you can feel the energy digging its fangs into you, tempting you with its candy-coated escapism. “Should we take a detour?”
“You’re more than welcome to, but I can’t indulge in this foolishness.” He huffs. “I have a lot that needs to be ready for tomorrow and I can’t afford to fit any useless interruptions into my already tight schedule.” 
“I know you’re busy. I just thought it’d be nice to hang out like old times.” You toe the ground, tracing a circle into the concrete. “At least come down to the shore with me. Please?”
After what feels like an eternity of crushing silence, Riddle groans in defeat. “Ten minutes. That’s all I’m willing to give you.”
“That’s all I need.”
With your friend trudging behind, you lead him away from the main road towards the beach. The wind picks up with every step, clawing at the fabric of your work uniform with restless gusts—as if warning you to turn back while you still can. A low hum rises in your throat, spilling past your lips like a waterfall of made-up melodies, and it isn’t long until you’re skipping towards the ocean. Riddle can just barely keep up with your pace and he stumbles down the slope, a string of complaints following his sluggish movements. 
With your hands situated on your hips, you inhale the briny air and watch the waves that crawl towards the shoreline. Through a thin veil of wispy clouds in the velvety sky the moon reflects in your awestruck eyes, a pale pearl withholding seductive secrets. Riddle’s feet shuffle through the grit and he stands stiffly at your side like an attentive soldier ready to throw himself into the frontlines of an intense battle. 
“Why’d you come here?”
“No reason in particular.”
“Really? I’d have thought you’d have a reason perfectly outlined and annotated.”
He chuckles. “How about this? Living in a coastal city is a valuable change of pace with new avenues for opportunity.”
“Lame.”
“It’s far from lame.”
“Says the lame one.”
“I’ll have your head for that.” 
Now it’s your turn to laugh. The distinct sound pierces the air and Riddle glances at you as you grip your sides. “It’s good to have you back, Riddle!” you exclaim, wiping at an invisible tear.
I missed you.
“Yeah,” he mumbles, frowning at the waves that curl and fold in the distance. “Thank you…”
Something scuttles past his shoes in the sand and he flinches away, tripping over his feet in an effort to regain his stability. His hand latches onto your arm on instinct and, caught by surprise with the additional weight you’re now forced to bear, you’re unable to support the both of you. With a yelp, you’re tugged down alongside Riddle as he falls and you land in a heap on the ground. Whatever creature startled Riddle to begin with has buried itself in a protective layer of sand, hidden from both sight and mind. Another gust of wind rakes cold fingers through your scalp. 
With a grimace, you suck in a breath through clenched teeth. “I think I sprained my ankle! Damn. That really hurts…”
Riddle’s eyes grow impossibly large and he reaches for you, hands grasping air as he moves to touch you and then draws back, conflicted. “Ah, um… M-My apologies! I’ll help you to a hospital. If there’s anything else I can do to—” His distress is soon silenced by your poorly concealed snort.
“Just kidding!” You sit up and spread your arms, unflinching when Riddle sends you his meanest glare. “I’m okay. Can’t say the same for your pride, though.” Your fingertips rifle through the sand until you feel the cool, rough exterior of the crustacean that caused this entire mishap. Lifting it by its body, you dangle it in front of Riddle, who jerks away the minute its foreboding pincers snap at him. “Ta-da!”
“P-Put that thing down!”
“But it’s cute.” 
“It’s dangerous,” he snaps. “Get rid of it before it hurts you.” 
Rolling your eyes, you rise from the sand and brush the particles from your apron before meandering towards the shoreline. As you bend down to release the crab, your eyes catch sight of something in the distance. A shadowy outline loiters underneath the boardwalk, swaying in time with the flow of the surf like a buoy at sea or a stationary boat riding a current. The crab scurries towards the reaching waves, swept away the moment you blink. You stare at the mass for a few drawn-out seconds before turning to Riddle.
“Hey, there’s something under the boardwalk. I think it’s stuck to one of the posts.”
“What is it?” He dusts himself off and covers the distance to get to you.
“I’m not sure, but it looks like a float. Sort of.” 
“Well, don’t get closer. We don’t know what it is.”
“But what if it’s something mysterious? Like hidden treasure! Ooh, that would be so cool. We’d be rich, wouldn’t we?”
“If it really was hidden treasure, we wouldn’t be seeing it right now.” Riddle shakes his head. “It’s probably litter or driftwood. The ocean carries all sorts of trash.”
“You’re being too critical. It’s not as bad as you make it out to be, Mr. Grumpypants.”
“I am not a ‘Mr. Grumpypants.’ I’m being realistic.”
“And I’m being unrealistic, so let’s go get ourselves some treasure!”
With a whoop, you drag an unwilling Riddle towards the strange buoy. He protests the entire way, but you don’t miss the way his hand squeezes yours. Once you’re within close proximity, the figure begins to take a clearer form and you approach it with slow, determined steps. From the light provided by the street lamps lining the boardwalk, the shadowy mass finally shapes into a human silhouette, their head bowed and body half-submerged in the water. 
“Hello? Are you okay?” You take a step towards them, but Riddle’s grip tightens. You gaze at him. “They might need help.”
“They’re not responsive…” 
“They’re probably drunk. Hold on.” You shake your arm free, ignoring Riddle as his hand chases desperately after yours, and glance at the person. “Hey, wake up! Now’s not the time to be…sleeping…” 
And then you notice it. Under the moon’s silver glow, the water is stained a foggy vermillion. The person, who you’ve determined to be a male from closer analysis, has a gaping hole carved into his chest cavity, where his innards are currently oozing out in thick, waterlogged trails. Your jaw drops in muted horror when you realize he’s been tied to the post with nylon rope, the twine digging into his skin like a tightened noose. Drying blood streaks down his cheeks in twin rivers. You don’t want to assume the worst, but when you catch sight of his hollowed eye sockets you know right away that something about this corpse isn’t natural. 
The water continues to rock him to and fro, simulating a mother’s loving cradle.
Riddle pushes past you, pupils blown wide. “Don’t get too close! Honestly, how careless can you be? You can’t just walk up to a—” He chokes on his words once his gray hues fall upon the grisly sight and he staggers away so quickly that he loses his footing and lands in the sand with a muffled thump. “G-Great Seven, this is—”
“A crime scene,” you finish, bile rising in your throat. “And we’re standing in the middle of it.”
521 notes · View notes
mochinomnoms · 2 months
Note
I’m on vacation. Here are things I think PTM Jade would find weirdly hot:
- Tending to someone’s jellyfish sting. I keep finding dead man o war’s on the beach, so I googled how to tend to their stings just in case . Turns out you scrape the stingers and pour vinegar on it. I just think he’d get all bothered by the idea that he gets himself stung and gets absolutely stupid when you tend to him despite knowing he did it on purpose. He’s just internally screaming about how cute this is, so worth it.
Masochistic leash boy.
-Wearing a hiking outfit. He’s either picturing domestic cute hikes or railing you outdoors. Possibly both so he’s torn between ‘cute cute cute’ and hormny.
Simp boy.
-Any swimsuit.
See above boy.
These are all very great ideas…very enticing to write…if only I didn't have so many wips already….sobs
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nexusnyx · 1 year
Note
Idea for a shuri fic: maybe a tchalla and nakia moment with shuri and y/n where she goes to rescue y/n and freezes when she sees her
i'm obsessed with the moment when t'challa freezes in front of nakia so of course i had to deliver this one. thanks a lot for the request <3 | shuri x f!reader ; 0.7k
Adrenaline rushed through her whole body—everything enhanced in her vision. Shuri could spot a snowflake from a mile away with the way blood rushed through her veins, but all she could think about was Okoye's words.
"Kingi will be your way out."
"Kingi?! Since when is she working the fields again? I thought she left Wakanda for the diplomatic—"
"Shuri. I will tell you everything you want to know in boring detail when we're coming back. Now is not the time. Kingi is your way out. Do not leave the premises without the vial. And most importantly... do not freeze when you see her."
Freeze?! Shuri lifted a single finger, held back from a scoff, and dropped out of the airplane with the sound of Okoye's laughter in her ears. She did not freeze.
Except—she did, maybe.
A couple of times (not that anyone was counting). Both of them were justifiable by a lot of means, the more that she thought about it.
"How do you know I froze?" Shuri had no recollections of Okoye being present in either one of the first times.
In her ear, she heard a dry chuckle. Disbelief, she imagined. "This is what you're thinking about right now?"
"I'm curious."
"You're in the middle of a mission."
Now Shuri laughed. "Please, Okoye." Taking candy out of children was harder than this—Shuri would know. You worked at a school with Nakia for the past two years, and she dared coming around sometimes. Children could be devious. "I'm serious—who's telling on my every move to you, hm? That's kind of disrespectful."
"No one told me anything, you whiny baby. I've seen the way you act like a doofus whenever she entered the room on the last Day of Bast. Puffing out your chest. Walking slower..."
That proved nothing. Shuri scoffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She pretended that Okoye stayed silent, the same way she pretended to not know.
It was impossible not to know.
Shuri imagined that if her mother was alive, she'd be endlessly mocked by now. Very few people knew this about Ramonda, but the ruthless tongue served for sarcastic remarks and the most terrible (best) jokes possible.
She imagined that she would've heard some words of encouragement, too. A little bit of pushing. Of prodding. Of "the doe eyes are cute, but will do nothing for you in the long run" too.
Right there and then — blasting around seven men up in the air — Shuri decided she would not freeze.
It had been months since she'd last seen you—months since the day of the funeral, the week of the Coronation, times when you spent by her side in a silent shadow, as quiet and as comforting as you.
She saw very little of you back then, but it was enough to give her strength for and maybe hope for better days.
This time, Shuri would... flirt.
She would say something witty, something smart to get your attention, and maybe laughter.
With the vial in hands, Shuri starts searching.
Malo Kingi. The small and incredibly deadly jellyfish—no one sees it coming, and next thing they know—
sting.
It was beautiful.
There were you—gods.
"Hello, Panther."
Shuri's body is eight, maybe ten feet away from you, and you would never in a million years do anything to hurt her, but she might as well have been one of your victims.
Stung by the sight of you in her creation—the jade green and black suit did wonders for you, and Bast, how can she find the words when this what you do to her?
"Shall we?" you ask.
Shuri nods, breaking the spell on her body motions.
She froze. Again.
When you pass by her side, your hands brush on her fingers, and she feels it on the tip of her claws as if something electric touched her.
She might've frozen, but it's okay. When she takes off the mask, so do you.
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↳ my inbox 💌 | tip jar ♡ | ✒️ masterlist ↲
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thetwstwildcard · 1 year
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“Let the waves carry you where the light can not.”
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Full Name: Naia Leith
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Sexuality: Bisexual
Birthday: November 3rd
Star Sign: Scorpio
Height: 160 cm (roughly 5'3)
Eye Color: Blue, purple and pink ombre
Hair Color: Blue purple and pink ombre
Homeland: Coral Sea
Dorm: Octavinelle
Year: 2nd
Club: Science
Best Subject: Conjuration
Worst Subject: Flying
Favorite Food: Spaghetti alle vongole
Likes: Naps, making potions, scribbling instead of focusing in class, and the drinks of Mostro Lounge
Dislikes: Loud dorm mates, reading contracts, having to work in the lounge and being woken up rudely
Hobby: Thinking of strange drinks to add onto the lounge menu
Personality: The laid back second year of octavinelle, she looks like a doll and it's often that she'll go from sitting properly to flopping over like a doll (aka falls asleep). She's quick to forget things and has often forgotten who ordered what during her shifts. The sole reason she hasn't fallen victim to an Azul contract is because she knows she should read them before signing but simply doesn't want to so she won't sign. Not scared of Floyd, not because she's brave but because she's simply too tired to care (and can use her UM if she wishes when squeezed)
Unique Magic: Stinging Embrace: Anyone who touches her body (direct skin contact) when using her UM will receive a sharp "electric" shock that will last longer the longer the contact is. An accidental brush will hurt for around 5 minutes
Trivia:
• Technically is friends with Prince Rielle but forgot he was a prince and therefore forgets how important he is
• Was supposed to attend RSA but used her UM on a RSA student and so attends NRC
• Tends to avoid merfolk whose diet would consist of jellyfish (Example: turtles or whale sharks) they will get an initial monotone/sleepy "Nooo... Don't eat me..." But after a while she will forget why she was afraid
• Has been squeezed by Floyd but used her UM, instead of this making him not want to squeeze her he will now do it wanting to feel how strong her UM can be and has pushed her (while using her UM) into people (mainly those who Azul wants him to punish)
• Is seemingly immune to poisons as she has eaten random mushrooms Jade "leaves" around her
• The first time she wore this version of her uniform she fell flat on her face and just stayed on the ground for a while
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jaded-jezz · 11 months
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Shutter Speed
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Jack Champion x Photographer!Reader
Part 1/?
☁︎ Fluff
Summary: y/n is a photographer for the new scream promo and Jack thinks she belongs in front of the camera rather than behind.
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"Y/N did you double check the SD card was empty?" My best friend and work partner, Leah, shouted from down the hall. "Yeah it was the first thing i did this morning,"
Leah and I have been working together ever since college where we met during our photography course. We have been inseparable since both landing a job at a highly praised magazine company.
Today is going to be a great day as we have been given the front cover photoshoot with full creative control too. It has been my childhood dream to have even a small picture but another front page? The feeling never gets old.
Leah and I finish packing all of our equipment into the car and we start the drive down to the studios in LA. As it’s kind of a long drive Leah starts our little road-trip with our favourite song. We scream the lyrics and laugh when the people, in the cars that pass us, give us strange looks.
To save our voices from any extreme damage, we put on some less energetic music and go over the plan for the day. “Wait, have you seen the cast for Scream 6?” Leah suddenly asks.
“Yeh like sorta… no not really” I answer scrambling for my phone. “Well we know Jenna from the Wednesday shoot so that’s less worrying right?” I say as I wait for the list to load.
“Oh yeah I forgot you did that! Do you think she will remember you?”
(Scream VI Groupchat POV)
Jenna- how close is everyone to the studio?
Devyn- I’m parked outside
Melissa- the shoot starts in half an hour
Devyn- I LIKE TO BE EARLY OK?!
Jasmine- YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO BRING ME THIS EARLY TOO THO
Liana- wait you guys drove together? You could’ve invited me 🥺
Jasmine- use that emoji again and I will become ghostface
Liana- 🥺sowy🥺
‘Jasmine’ has left the group chat.
Mason- Jenna this is your fault
Jack- What the hell did I just miss?
Jenna- HOW WAS IT MY FAULT?
Mason- YOU ASKED THE QUESTION
Jack- Jenna, Mason is the reason we are running late please don’t kill us.
Jenna- thanks for actually answering jack, mason I’m going to kill you
‘Devyn’ added ‘Jasmine’ to the group.
Devyn- see you guys soon!
(Y/N POV)
“ I doubt she will remember, I didn’t really speak” I answer, as I start to cringe over my previous shoots without Leah. Leah is literally my rock, and she knows this as she looks over to me. “You will be great, I’ll be there if things get too awkward, and you have all your notes on your phone and in your notebook.” I give her a smile as I reach for said notes to calm my nerves.
When we arrive at the studio I already see two of the actors and they wave as we walk past their car. I feel a lot less stressed as I see that everything is clean for us to set up our equipment. Leah and I finish in a record time thanks to my meticulously drawn plan of the placement for lights and tripods.
One of the producers walks in to check if we are ready. He lets us know that two actors are going to be late but it won’t ruin the shoot. As he leaves to alert the cast Leah stands next to me to make sure I don’t run away.
“OMG it is you!” I hear a voice come round the corner. “I thought I recognised your name, guys this is the talent who created all the Wednesday promo!” Jenna exclaims to the group before walking over to hug me.
“It is great to see you again Jenna! And it’s lovely to meet all of you too.” I say to the room. “I’m Y/N, this is Leah and the stylists are in the other room.” I start to explain the plan for the day.
“So any questions?” I ask after I realise I’ve been talking rambling for too long. “Oh last thing, sorry, if at any point you feel uncomfortable or awkward in a pose or something, just let me know and I will sort it as fast as I can.” I let the cast go to their stylists, who they knew from set, and walk towards my camera and laptop to make sure everything is loaded up and ready to go.
“She did remember you.” Leah said in a hushed giggle as my face starts to go red.
(Jack’s POV)
We are late. Mason is late. So I’m late. I hate being late to these things. Especially when it’s people I’ve never worked with before, although I think I remember Jenna saying she’s met one of the photographers before but that doesn’t calm me down one bit.
“Hey man, chill out” Mason interrupts my internal panic. “They won’t mind, you can charm them with your good looks yeh?” He suggests. I widen my eyes to show I don’t agree. “Fine, I’ll apologise in my own way and you do it how you want too.” He sighs, jokingly.
When we finally arrive we are pushed into the changing rooms so fast that I don’t get to apologize for our lack of punctuality. I quickly change into my costume before jumping into the makeup chair, next to Mason. Once the artist has finished I text my mum to tell her I made it and left it on the vanity. I headed out to the studio once Mason was done too.
"Look who decided to show up!"
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Part Two will be their meeting! Or should I say meet-cute?
Also (shameless plug) I really want to be a photographer so I would mean a lot if you followed/checked out my Instagram:
@/no.stress_jess
Please do not repost this, reblogs are appreciated.
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haitherecaringmonke · 2 years
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Vice Dorm Leaders (+ Ruggie and Ortho) meeting Lucille’s Pokemons
Trey Clover - Alcremie
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“Thank you for helping me prepare for the Unbirthday Party, Alcremie”
Moves: Sweet Scent, Decorate, Magical Leaf, Dazzling Gleam
Trey and Alcremie first met when the Adeuce combo, Grim and Lucille had to help him made the tarts for the Unbirthday Party during Chapter 1.
Perhaps Alcremie can tell that Trey is a baker of sorts as she took immediate liking to him.
Trey was quite shocked and somewhat uncomfortable to use Alcremie’s cream until Lucille shoved a spoonful of it in his mouth.
Whenever Alcremie isn’t with Lucille, you can find her helping Trey in the Heartslabyul kitchen.
Lucille did let Trey bring Alcremie home to his family’s bakery during the Winter Break in Chapter 4 with detailed instructions on how to care for her. It was typed and printed because other than her father and sisters, no one can read Lucille’s handwriting.
Trey’s family loves her. She greatly helped them out and the pastries that came out sells like… well, hot cakes.
Trey have to stop his siblings from dipping their fingers into her body to eat the cream.
Alcremie even have a little apron and chef hat with the logo of the Clover’s bakery.
Overall, Trey greatly appreciates Alcremie.
(Bonus) Trey had to hold Alcremie and Lucille back from throwing hands at Riddle when he threw away the tarts they made back in Chapter 1
Ruggie Bucchi - Nickit
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“Wanna help me steal some food from the cafeteria ?”
Moves: Thief, Sucker Punch, Quick Attack, Foul Play
Ruggie and Nickit’s friendship started off rather rocky.
Ruggie finally got himself some bread from the cafeteria only to Nickit to snatch it just as he was about to bite into it.
The hyena boy was rather furious and chased the Fox Pokemon all the way to Ramshackle where they are faced with a disappointed but not surprised Lucille.
She apologized to Ruggie and told him that she caught Nickit back in Galar when he stole food right out of her hands, and the Fox Pokemon still does it to the other Pokemons till this day.
She did offered to cook him something else for compensation however.
Lucille made a lot of malasadas for the Pokemons so she offered him some.
The moment he bite into his malasada, his mind became blank before he came back to his senses a few minutes later, stomachs a lot fuller than when he came to Ramshackle. Lucille’s cooking was just that good.
After Lucille taught the hyena boy her recipe, Ruggie and Nickit immediately hit it off amd became partners in crime, stealing trinkets every now and then.
In fact, Nickit helped Ruggie stole Azul’s keys during Chapter 3 by using Thief.
When they aren’t doing crimes together, the two would find some fruits and ask (demand) Lucille to cook for them. (Ruggie helped cleaning up)
When he sent home some malasadas in a care package for his grandma, the letter she sent him only contain the words “Marry her”.
Jade Leech - Frilish
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“Oya ? You are quite the interesting jellyfish”
Moves: Shadow Ball, Poison Sting, Water Pulse, Destiny Bond
Jade first met Frilish after the events of Chapter 3. Lucille went over to Octavinelle and make a deal with Azul to let her aquatic Pokemons swim there and have a change of scenery every now and then in exchange for her service at the Mostro Lounge.
While Anjawlica looks very intimidating and Lumineon looks very beautiful, Jade is more focused on this pink jellyfish with an off-putting aura.
He didn’t think much about it… until Floyd decide and go swim with Lucille’s aquatic Pokemons. He thought that Frillish looked squishy and wanted to squeeze her despite Lucille’s warnings… only for Frillish to stung him with her stingers.
Jade had to go and drag his brother out there.
After that little incident, he became intrigued in the Frillish. Specifically, her stingers and what it could do.
When learning about the Frillish line, most people would be afraid of these ghost jellyfishes dragging people to the bottom of the ocean, but not Jade. He just have this smile on his face the entire time.
Now Lucille is scared…
Frillish will not go near Jade whatsoever, probably because Floyd tried to squeeze her and Jade looked like him.
She is quite intrigued when he showed her his terrarium collection however, and would gaze at it for quite a long time.
Just don’t let the eel feed her his mushrooms.
Jamil Viper - Centiskorch
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“AAAAHHHH GET AWAY FROM ME”
Moves: Bug Bite, Fire Lash, Smokescreen, Flame Wheel
It’s widely known that Jamil is terrified of bugs, and a giant fire centipede is the bane of him.
During Chapter 4 when Jamil was hypnotizing Lucille to go to Scarabia with him, Centiskorch bursted out of his Poke Ball and hissed at Jamil threateningly.
Turns out that Lucille brought him with her to keep her warm (along with Onion the Houndoom and Jawsephine the Garchomp)
Jamil almost pisses his pants seeing this giant centipede with fire on it’s face.
He doesn’t know whether to be happy or scared since Lucille agreed to go to Scarabia with him.
During the duration of Chapter 4, being suspicious of the Vice Dorm Leader of Scarabia, Centiskorch (and Onion) stick close to Lucille and not letting him make any moves on her.
Fast forward till Jamil Overblotting, when flung to the end of the desert, Centiskorch coiled around Lucille and Kalim to keep them warm, which the two greatly appreciate
When battling his Overblot, Jamil tried to smash Centiskorch multiple times, only to fail.
Guess what Jamil, Twisted Wonderland has a surprisingly large amount of spots that allows you to Dynamax your Pokemon, and Scarabia happens to be one of them.
Cue Jamil screaming in horror at G-max Centiskorch.
After the fiasco, Jamil will not go near Centiskorch without Kalim as his shield. It didn’t help that Centiskorch held grudges and will try to attack him whenever the Radiator Pokemon can.
Rook Hunt - Decidueye
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“Such an incroyable hunter ! Beaute ! 100 points !”
Moves: Leaf Blade, Spirit Shackle, Brave Bird, False Swipe
Usually, Rook would be the one to spot the Pokemons first, but this time, it’s the other way around.
Rook was watching (stalking) Lucille’s Pokemon (as usual). The hunter has heard all about the powerful monsters that obey the Magicless Prefect of Ramshackle.
He let his guard down for one (1) second and now he can’t move away from his position. When he turned around he saw this arrow pinning his shadow in place.
When he tried to have a closer inspection of the arrow, Deciduye swooped down on him, pinning the hunter in place with an arrow pointed at his face. (Hey that rhymes)
Lucille came back from grocery shopping at that exact moment and quickly got Decidueye to get off the hunter as well as apologizing to him.
The hunter wasn’t mad at all, quite the opposite actually. Rook will not stop singing praises about Decidueye, causing him to tug the vines on his head.
One time, Rook somehow managed to bribe Decidueye into helping him hunt some Savanaclaw students. Every single one of them is on high alert that day.
Good luck, NRC.
Ortho Shroud - Klinklang
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“Amazing ! I have never seen anything like you before !”
Moves: Flash Cannon, Gear Grind, Metal Sound, Charge Beam.
While Ortho is curious about Lucille’s Pokemons in general, he is most curious about her Klinklang.
Something about it draws him in and make Ortho want to learn more about Klinklang.
Maybe it’s the fact both are mechanical beings that are somehow alive.
The way Klinklang moves intrigues Ortho too. To him, it’s mesmerising
Klinklang is quite curious about Ortho too, the boy looks like a human, but he isn’t one.
Sometimes Ortho will bring some oil from Idia’s place for Klinklang so its gears can run smoothly.
The two came up with a series of codes so that they can communicate with each other and talk about their day.
Since Klinklang tend to wander around the campus, it overhears a lot of gossips from everyone.
So during their weekly meeting, Klinklang shares everything with Ortho, who will then share the informations with Idia.
They are the best of friends and Idia approves of this friendship.
Lilia Vanrouge - Pichu
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“Aww you’re so adorable ! How about you come home with me :) ?”
Moves: Thunder Shock, Tail Whip, Thunder Punch, Sweet Kiss
Pichu is a Pokemon that hatched from the previous Egg before the current one.
Lucille asked Lilia to babysit him for her because she had to work at the Mostro Lounge.
The old bat gladly accepts of course. He loves children, Pichu is a child, of course Lilia will not pass an opportunity to babysit.
Pichu is rather hyperactive, but did that stop Lilia from babying the little one? Absolutely not.
The man absolutely adores the little one, his parenting skill is superb as well.
Pichu can’t sleep? Don’t worry, Lilia is singing him a lullaby.
Sebek scared Pichu with his loud voice, causing Pichu to shock him? He is right there comforting the Tiny Mouse Pokemon and scolding his pupil.
Pichu is hungry? Lilia is already in the kitchen cooking something and tackled down to the floor by Silver.
Man became attached to Pichu and tried to adopt (kidnap) him.
Lucille has to chase him around NRC to retrieve her child back…
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sadinasaphrite · 2 years
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Whumptober Day 5 - Floyd
Floyd’s been getting into trouble all his life. What was the first time he experienced air on his gills?
No. 5 EVERY WHUMPEE’S NEEDS
Blood Loss | Running Out of Air Water | Hyperthermia
Read on AO3!
Fic under the cut!
“Floyd! Floyd, slow down!”
Floyd would not slow down, thank you very much. There was a boat, the first boat he’d ever seen in his whole entire life, and not even Jade could make him stop.
“Mama said we can’t go to the surface! Floyd, come back!”
“But it’s a boat! I wanna see!”
It was massive! Bigger than a shark. Maybe even bigger than a whale! The sleek shape cut through the surface with a rumbling roar and churned up the current in its wake. Floyd slipped closer, eyes wide with excitement. He wanted to touch it, maybe peek above water and see what boat people looked like.
“Floyd, you’re gonna get in trouble! Why don’t we head back and— Look out!!!”
“Huh?” Floyd turned around at the sound of Jade’s shout, just in time to get caught in the trawl net dragging behind the ship.
“Jade!”
“Floyd!!!”
Floyd was flattened against the back of the net, pressed up against a school of mackerel who’d also caught unawares. Ugh! Caught like a dumb fish! Well, he wasn’t going to stay in the net like some dummy feeder fish! The opening to the net was obvious, wide and circular and right there. Floyd swam for it. He kicked his tail, swimming as hard as his little body could, but the opening to the net never seemed to get any closer.
“Floyd!”
Floyd looked up at the sound of Jade’s voice, and in his moment of distraction, he was flattened against the wall of mackerel again.
“Over here! I’m right here!”
It took a few moments for Floyd to find Jade in all the confusion, and it wasn’t until he spotted a clawed hand reaching through the net did he see him. Jade clung to the outside of the net, holding on for dear life.
“The boat’s too fast!” Jade shouted over the roar of the engine. “You can’t get out swimming, you’ve gotta climb! Climb to the edge of the net and slip out!”
He demonstrated, using his arms to climb toward the front of the net. Catching quickly onto the idea, Floyd followed him, copying his motions. He even made a game of it, trying to mimic Jade’s movement exactly so they’d look like a mirror separated by netting instead of glass. As he was getting into it, even trying to copy Jade’s worried face, the boat suddenly sputtered to a stop and the net went slack.
Jade immediately let go.
“Swim out! Now, while you have a chance!”
“Awwww, but I was having fun climbing…”
“Floyd!”
Disappointed, but reluctantly responsive to Jade’s urgency, Floyd swam for the mouth of the net. Only a few feet from the entrance, the opening abruptly closed, leaving only netting.
“Huh?”
The net jolted around him, then shifted, drawing slowly upward to the surface. Panic surged through him as the net grew tighter and tighter, cramming him against the mackerel. Heart pounding, Floyd seized the net and started biting, trying to chew his way out, but the material was some kind of wiry, plasticky material and didn’t tear under his teeth. The last thing he heard before he breached the surface was Jade’s frantic, frightened cries.
He’d never been out of the water before. Not all the way like this. He’d been to the surface with his parents, peeked his head out of the water to see the stars, but he’d never exposed his gills to the air. The mackerel wriggled in panic around him and Floyd felt very much like doing the same. He gulped frantically on nothing, sucking air through his gills until they burned like jellyfish stings. Air was awful! His slimy skin was drying out already, itchy and uncomfortable, and the sensation only made him gasp harder for water that wasn’t there.
The net dropped, spilling its contents on the deck of the ship.
“Yeah, Ted’s right. Looks like it’s mostly— what the hell is that?”
“What the hell is what? What are you— what the fuck?”
That was a swear word, Floyd wanted to say, but he couldn’t get the words to form around his frantic gasping. He got scolded the last time he said fuck, even if Papa had laughed all night about it. He wished Papa was here now. He’d get him out of here and stop his gills from burning and— hey!
One of the fisherman grabbed Floyd by the gills along his sides, fingers roughly digging against the delicate filaments, and lifted him up. Floyd let out a shriek and thrashed, meter-long tail slapping wildly back and forth.
“Whoa there!” The man’s girp only tightened and Floyd wailed, his gills crushing and bruising under the careless fingers.
“What is it? Is it a merfolk?”
“They’re supposed to look more human, ain’t they? Fish tail, person top? This thing just looks fucked up all around.”
Mean!!! Swearing and hurtful and mean! Fury churned through him, childlike indignant rage replacing fear.
“Well, what should we do with it?”
“Take a picture, first. Then we should throw it in a bucket. Might be able to sell it.”
“Yeah, okay. Hey, grab its tail. See if you can get the damn thing to hold still.”
“Sure. Here, let me just…”
The man holding Floyd aloft adjusted his grip and brought one hand a little too close to Floyd’s face. Floyd wrenched forward with all his strength and sank his teeth into the man’s hand. The fisherman howled and jerked his hand back, but Floyd only bit down harder.
“ShitFUCKgoddamn get it off, get it off!!!”
Something hard and cold forced its way into Floyd’s mouth, some kind of flat, metal object trying to pry his jaws open. Floyd snarled and shook his head, sharp teeth shredding the flesh beneath it. The man screamed and something hit Floyd in the head hard enough to make him let go.
He hit the deck of the ship and bounced, but Floyd wasn’t finished. Even as his gills burned and dizziness swept over him, he slithered forward and lunged for the man’s ankle, biting his thick rubber boot. Ugh. No blood, and it was tough as whale hide. Maybe up here. Floyd wrapped his tail around the ankle, squeezing with all his strength, and tried again, latching onto the man’s thigh.
Floyd was rewarded with another scream and the man fell backward onto the deck, thrashing like the fish around him as he tried to get Floyd off. Floyd held on tight and snarled. His gills burned worse than ever and his vision swam, the dizziness growing stronger. Floyd ignored it. This man was the worst ever, and Floyd was gonna make him pay.
“Get it off!!! Help, help!!!”
“I’m trying, I’m trying!!! It won’t— fuck! There’s another one!!!”
“Floyd! Floyd, let go!!”
A familiar hand tugged at his, and only his twin’s voice made him let go. He looked at Jade, blood dripping from his lips and face still twisted in rage.
“Come on!”
Jade tugged on his hand, flopping toward the edge of the ship. Floyd tried to follow, but the dizziness reached a peak and he reeled to the side instead. Oh, he… he didn’t feel good… His body wasn’t doing what he wanted, a wave of weakness crashing over him. Jade pulled frantically at his hand.
“Let’s go!”
“Get rid of them! Fucking monsters, get them off the boat!”
A boot kicked Floyd right in the ribs, and Jade’s yelp followed a second later. A second kick and they were both falling through the air, hitting the water with a splash. Floyd’s jaw gaped and his chest heaved. Water! Blessed, wonderful water! Gills flared as he was able to breathe at last and the dizziness cleared from his mind. Floyd let out a gleeful cackle, despite the pain still throbbing along his gills.
“Did you see that guy scream? I got to bite him twice and he wailed like a toadfish! He was—”
Jade snapped around, spinning a full circle in the water to slap Floyd with his tail.
“Hey!” Floyd protested. “What was that for?”
In lieu of a response, Jade seized him in a tight hug. Floyd hugged him back, though his face twisted in confusion.
“Jade?”
“Dummy,” Jade said. He gave him a squeeze before letting him go. “Let’s go home.”
Floyd didn’t argue as they returned to the Deep, and if Jade swam a little close to him on the way, then Floyd didn’t mention it.
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twistedroseytoesy · 1 year
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Octavinelle + Diasomnia with an immortal jellyfish reader
Here’s the most popular from the poll! Surprised but excited to do this one! sorry if they are a bit short or lacking. Tried my best but busy with school stuff draining my motivation.
image of an immortal jelly near the end. slight differences with how I’ll describe the mer form due to the unique abilities of the immortal jelly.
description
you were always rather chill about life, never one to dwell much on stress since you know that it will fade with time, as all things do. You've relived your life many times and share your knowledge as much as you can. This is your first life out of the water and you know that you're stronger than your jelly form, but you can't restart your life if things start to get difficult.
Your mer form has a large bell and the tendrils connecting to a small core, but the red core is more in the center of your abdomen rather than the bell. The small core looks like a small silhouette of your body this is what your consciousness moves to when you restart your life span.
Octavinelle
Azul: When he first heard of you and your chill and wise lifestyle he tried to get you to sign a few contracts. Was even more insistent once he realized that you were an immortal jellyfish mer. He could grow and gain power forever with your abilities! Was surprised at how he couldn't find anything that he really wanted in life. When he slipped and said he wanted to grow powerful forever with your abilities you said that immortality is not a gift, it's a responsibility. and Even with the knowledge and power you have now are hard to use when you start over. Having to become a child again and struggle to remember and control your body. He paled a bit at that knowledge. Having to relive being a weak little octo-looser? He would pass.
After his overblott, he would still invite you over to chat, but not to convince you to sign anything just to chat and gain insight and knowledge, maybe some lost spells too, just between friends. Doesn't understand how you can be so relaxed about things but happy and calmed when you are around. says your mer form is very pretty and likes your gentle glow in the darkness of the sea. tries his best to stay away from your stingers.
Jade: How fascinating. He is somewhat upset that you're so nonchalant about life and his lightly veiled threats don't phase you in the slightest. Once he discovers you're an immortal jellyfish mer he's asking lots of questions about how you restart your life and how vulnerable you are. Helps in trying to convince you to sign Azul's contracts and tries to test your patience. laughed when you accidentally stung him with your stingers, his slime makes him rather immune to stinging. Observes and asks many questions about your core. find you interesting and entertaining with how you just float through life.
Floyd: You're so weird. kinda boring too. he didn't really get why azul would want someone like you around until it was revealed that you're an immortal jelly. Now Floyd is interested. He tries to take a bite of you to see if you'll freak out or activate your restart when he did. You didn't and you just looked disappointed. Says you're no fun and that you're boring. You share some crazy stories and now he's interested again. Likes your stories and asks what it's like to restart and if being immortal is fun. Bonces and pokes your mer form bell and tried to grab your core a few times. Laughed when your stingers tickled him since the sting couldn't get through his slime. doesn't really bother you much but will demand ask for a story if you bump into each other. His nickname for you is "immortal jelly" or just "old jelly" if hes feeling particularly silly.
Diasomnia
Malleus: Enjoys your relaxed attitude and how you treat him like any other person. You both become very close friends especially once you reveal that you are an immortal jellyfish mer. Looks pleasantly surprised but is actually really happy to have a friend that can be by his side for the rest of his days. Inquires about how you function after restarting your life cycle. promises to protect you as you regrow to your adult stage if you ever do have to reset. You both enjoy learning and sharing stories of days of old. You both wear matching gargoyle-themed friendship bracelets that allow malleus to know if you're in trouble. he will happily defend you. he also finds your mer form fascinating and pretty. maybe one day he will show you his dragon form.
Lilia: What an interesting supprise! He's never met someone like you whose immortality was restarting one's life back to being a child/baby. He asks questions and is a bit sad you don't get surprised by his popping out of nowhere upside down. Shares his stories and older tales with you as you do with him. Silver and sebek are amazed at how much you both know. Lilia with ancient land history, and you with the ocean's ancient history. You both laugh and make old people jokes yet stay somewhat modern. Lilias is glad to have a friend other than another fae to live the rest of his long life with. comments on how nice your mer form is and how interesting your core is. Asks to see you reset one day. He promises to raise and protect you as you grow again.
Silver: He also has a fairly relaxed lifestyle but not really by choice. You often find him asleep and you stay nearby. You both talk about all kinds of things. When you reveal your immortal by restarting your life He asks what it's like. A bit sad at how lonely you've been most of your lifetimes but you never minded. You're happy to try new things and being on land is one you'll never forget. He's glad you're at peace with how you've lived and will continue to live. Admires your mer-form and your powerful stingers. finds you so beautiful, like something alien yet beautiful from a dream he had a long time ago.
Sebek: HATED your lax nature and how casually chatted to the young lord! he should be treated practically like a god, not some chum you bumped into on the street! Didnt take your advice for him seriously at first until Lilia and malleus chastise him for being so rude to their friend. Asks for your forgiveness and was surprised at how easily he was forgiven. loudly defends you when others make fun of how lax you are with life. Also loudly compliments your mer form and says it's just below the majesty of wakasamas greatest dragon form. You take that as a compliment. Fascinated at how you described your immortality and say it sounds annoying. it can be but you've learned to live with it, besides you get to be and act like a child even if you know better. Reminded him of Lilia and his pranks from that statement.
Here's the jelly! Isn't it so pretty? look at the mini jelly in the center! that is its core! The body collapses under stress and the core sinks to the bottom of the sea floor to grow a new jellyfish body.
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sweetbunpura · 1 year
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New OC who this?
Meet Aster Nightingale!
Based on:
Jellyfish from Finding Nemo
Name:
Aster Nightingale
Species:
Merman
Other Names:
Monsieur Silencieux - Rook
Nudibranch - Floyd
Gender:
Male
Age:
19
Birthday:
June 13th
Height:
165cm - 5’4
Eye Color:
(When seen) Olive
Hair Color:
Light Lavender
Homeland:
Coral Sea
Background:
Aster is a selective mute, choosing when to speak but namely stays silent. He carries around a notebook for those who can’t understand sign language. Aster’s hair can also sting people if they get too close to him and he doesn’t want them in his bubble. If Aster ever opens his eyes, it is never a good thing. It seems he has made his return to NRC as a supposed warning...
Personality:
Aster prefers to keep to himself but often seeks others out when he feels like it (namely to scare them). He’s normally very chill around the people he likes, but oftentimes likes to pull pranks on them. Aster can be scary when he needs to me, which means he opens his eyes to scare people (or use his Unique magic on them)
Dorm:
Octavinelle
School year:
4th
Class:
4-A, Student No. 7
Occupation:
Student
Club:
Board Games Club
Best Subject:
Astrology 
Dominant Hand:
Ambidextrous 
Favorite Food:
BBQ pizza
Least Favorite Food:
Clams
Likes:
Dancing 
Flower Crowns
Horror Movies
Scary Stories
Dislikes:
Hurting his friends
Lying
Fighting
Hobbies:
Writing
Talents:
Fortune Telling
Unique Magic: 
Thousand Nightmares - Upon looking into his eyes, Aster can inflict countless nightmares on whoever he casts his magic on.
Friends & Acquaintances:
Goliath Gallucci
Jade Leech
Lilla Vanrouge
Idia Shroud
Azul Ashengrotto
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muraenide · 2 years
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Unprompted @mostrohost​ asked: "...I think I may have found an answer to the dream, Jade." He says quietly, not looking at the other boy just yet. His fingers gently trail over the back of Jade's hand, however, offering the reassurance of not being alone while also seeking it himself. "Maybe. I'm still not sure, and for once I don't know if I want to be certain. At this point, it's up in the air whether much is real or not." He squeezes Jade's hand nonetheless. "But I won't leave you there, alone. Never that."
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Azul’s touch leaves a trail of electrical currents over his hand like the stings of a jellyfish. In all the years Jade had been his assistant, even before Night Raven, he had never once been treated like this. Azul has always been harsh to them, but for good reason. When they were still wild eels fumbling clumsily over trying to comprehend surface customs, Azul was their lead. He’d taught Jade most of his maths, taught him bookkeeping and accountings and inventory management. He’s not sure if Azul remembers such trivial events of his life, but Jade certainly does. A leader like Azul could be hard to love but just as equally hard to forget.
It’s something he never once hinted at the people of Night Raven College, not even to Floyd or Azul. They work just fine without the excessive need for explicit communication, so Jade has never thought to form these feeling into words even after he could discern them. Kalim had pointed out once how he’s creepily resilient, stoic, and unreadable, and many would think that Jade does this on purpose, but the truth is less complicated. This is the way Jade has always been like.
He vehemently tries to pull his hand away, but stops short for fear of ruining the comforting moment. Eyes wide with astonishment in the same mien reflected from Azul’s irises, Jade speaks while he tries not to stutter. ❝What is it?❞ He tightens his grip on Azul. ❝There is nothing much for us here, except unravelling the mystery and possibly leave it to this world’s Jade. If things here are incapable of effecting our world, we ought to leave as soon as possible.❞ Part of him has every intention to just throw this mess of things into the hands of the other him. How the other Jade would deal with this, it’s none of his business nor does he intend to pry. There is nothing that he hasn’t shared with the Jade of this world, but there might be several things between him and Jade that he hasn’t yet shared with Azul.
Like the truth of his and Floyd’s death in this world. Like how he and Jade could share memories temporarily against their will. That he’d seen himself in the mirror, and how the alternative world Jade had coped in his lonesomeness, without Azul and Floyd by his side. The curse lies in how well he knows himself - how he never shares much of what he thinks, and even when he does he never quite had the habit of saying the full truth. The stoic disposition that froze his face did not help. 
Would it make you happier if your positions switched? Terrifying how a single sentence, like a seed of destruction, could fester into something much more severe, much more complicated and horrifying, when the voices of everyone around him had ceased. Because all of them were dead. 
If given the chance, Jade knows that he would have chosen differently. In a world where he could see what Azul and Floyd’s deaths could do to him, the purpose of finding what’s behind his strange dream becomes less significant. Selfishness. Azul once said it’s a human trait, an exceptionally popular one at that. The root of most evils alongside greed and envy.
Jade’s not sure if the alternative version of himself is currently being consumed by these things. Were they even capable of it? Mer like them who had no souls and could not grow a heart even if they tried. But what if the legends about mers were wrong?
“... I can’t exactly speak if I’m being held like this.”
Azul’s words pulls him back from his momentarily dark thoughts. Jade realised he’d been holding Azul close to his chest, winded him up in a tight hug. With the other Jade around and Jade being able to vaguely predict what his other self might do, Azul’s safety seemed more important in comparison. After all, nothing is stopping a Jade who’s lost his closest friends from doing anything less than remotely destructive. He is like a timebomb; calm on the surface like the serene waves of the sea, but underneath lies a torrential series of currents ready to suck any passerby to their deaths at the seabed.
But for now, he could offer Azul nothing in response. 
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