The deepest caverns hide the biggest secrets (Path 1)
Twisted Wonderland x Kraken mer. F!reader (Twisted Wonderland mermaid AU)
tag list: @chroniccorvus, @im-crying-myself-to-sleep, and @gothy-froggy
A/N: I thought you three might want to see this (If anyone else wants to be tagged just ask I'd be happy to add you! Also leave a suggestion of who you'd like to see next!)
I finally got this done! (Sorry this took me so long.)
" We're not going to harm you." he said and your gaze met with Azul Ashengrotto.
You blinked, where you hallucinating or were there mers in your cave then hesitantly you stretched a tentacle and slowly moved forwards.
"Remarkable." Azul thought as he observed the obsidian and amethyst tentacles that seemed to shine in the dark.
But then you whirled around, flinging bubbles into their faces and bolted through the dark winding labyrinth.
Grim groaned, "All of you out." Grim began to shew them out of the cave. When they were all outside Grim shook his head.
Ace apparently not able to hold back shouted, "Grim what in the name of the seven was that!" Grim groaned.
"She is a kraken." Grim sighed " and has issues with your kind."
"'Your kind.' what are you implying sealy." Floyd asked with a sinister smile.
"Oh please, you should know about the decree remember. The order to kill off kraken mers? Because I do."
Everyone fell silent Grim for the first time in a while was right krakens had been killed ten years ago, of course you might be a bit tense to see that many mers in the entrance of your home that might be there to kill you.
"You better not tell anyone," Grim growled. They all promised not to tell a soul, but then again who would believe them?
Especially when it was declared by the seven kingdoms of the coral sea himself that every single kraken had been destroyed. Azul thought about the last few moments as he swam back home.
Azul couldn't get you off his mind off of you the way you didn't seem to be scared or angry, you looked more confused if he was being honest with himself.
"In every book I've read it said that krakens were cold blooded killing monsters." But when he saw you you looked very similar to himself with slightly longer, stronger, and bigger tentacles.
Azul thought for a moment then he remembered seeing something around your neck, a huge golden nautilus shell on a cord of strange material that rested on your collar bone. Azul then went through every book he had about nautilus shells.
It's true that many mermen and mermaids alike wore imitations of the Sea Witch's necklace, but those were all natural colors or painted.
Golden nautilus did exist but not anymore. According to legends all of those fascinating creatures had been hunted by humans for their solid gold shells.
"And by other mermaids for the shell's magical properties." Azul thought leafing through another book his eyes drooping.
Around early evening he finally found a large selection of books including a few stories about the Sea Witch but it looked old, falling apart, and covered in algae. Maybe you might enjoy reading something like this?
He had no idea why he was doing this in the first place but seeing that look of curiosity cross your face reminded him of himself when he was younger always wanting to learn but it was never enough.
"Hey Azul whaddya doin with all those books?" Azul nearly jumped out of his skin at Floyd's voice.
"Now, now brother we mustn't eavesdrop." Jade chuckled Azul glared at the twins an sighed.
"None of your business Floyd." Azul sighed shoving the book into the sack.
"Ah? Come on if you have a scheme in mind for that kraken just say so." Floyd sighed.
Azul flinched, "Yes he was planning to try to get her into a contract but she might be a bit on edge if all of us showed up."
"Aw, I wanted to see the kraken aging too!" Floyd whined draping himself on one of the bookshelves, Azul pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"No, you need to run the Lounge while I go to get what we want from her."
"And what would that be Azu?" Jade asked, Azul smiled.
"Simple, why else would you want a monster if not to show off and use for protection.¨
"Aww, sly Azul is going to try to trick a kraken." Floyd laughed Azul signed and passed the twins sack slung over his back as he slowly made his way down to your cavern.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" you groaned puzzling over a potion book as you hovered over your cauldron. "Come on it's supposed to be azure blue not sky blue!" you fretted.
Ever since those boys came you had tried to make protection potions after protection potions to keep any intruder out.
Sure you had set spells, charms, curses, jinxes and more in place but it's better to be over prepared than under prepared...right?
You weren't sure if they would come back it had already been a week since they had been here, but still other mers could never be trusted.
You were still worrying over the potion when Azul came swimming up to the cave entrance. He sighed, the sack was getting extremely heavy but he was relieved when he got to the entrance now lit up by bio-luminescent plants and corals.
But when he tried to swim in he was forced backwards by a blast of energy. Shocked, Azul whirled around and saw the faintest outline of a protection barrier that seemed to laugh at his foolishness.
"Smart." Azul thought, wincing and rubbing his arm he was about to head back to think of a new plan when a tentacle shot out quick as a current, grabbed his tentacles and dragged him through the barrier.
Besides the fact that he thought he was being electrocuted when dragged he felt like he was about to have a heart attack and his vision was blurred then everything black.
You had felt the vibrations of the barrier being disturbed and your tentacles subconsciously lashed out to attack the threat.
Little did you realize it was the strange octo-merman from a week ago. You sighed as you dragged his unconscious body into the cavern.
"Why would he even come here? Did he not see the barrier? Then aging I just dragged him through it." you debated if you should just let him float back through the currents but sighed.
"Curse my big hearts." you mumbled swimming into one of the many caves within your labyrinth.
In this particular cave was where you started growing healing plants for your potions such as fire plankton, emerald kelp, ghost jelly corals, salvation seaweed, and a few others that you never really used all that often but kept around just in case.
With your hands you grabbed a sea sponge and a bowl made out of obsidian, your tentacles were reaching for almost everything else from the human utensils you used, to the seaweed you would use to help with the electric burns.
"Lets see..." you murmurer glancing over the merman´s injuries, "Sea slug oil, um oh, salvation seaweed duh how could I be so stupid then maybe some fire plankton? No no that would make the burns worse. What about fortuitous ice?"
You continued muttering to yourself and swimming back and forth grabbing everything you might need, then began to mash it making a salve of the burns muttering as you added this and that to the nasty black sludge concoction.
"Alright just wrap some kelp with the salve around the burns and he should be good." you sighed while wiping your forehead with a tentacle.
After carefully adding the salve and tying the kelp you backed off making sure that he wasn't just faking although he probably would have woken up if that was the case.
Then your stomach decided to try to imitate a blue whale and you sighed pondering on what to do next.
"Might as well get something to eat when he wakes up." you thought, grabbing a mesh sack and headed for the cave entrance when you noticed something, a large sack filled to the brim with books.
"Are these his?" you thought you tentacle poking the bag lightly.
Glancing at the merman now sleeping on the rock ledge you reasoned that he might be knocked out for a few more hours.
Making up your mind you swam out of the cave and into the open sea to hunt then look through the books when you got back.
Azul woke up alone in the dark surrounded by luminescent plants in shades of blue, lavender, and silver. His whole body felt numb and sore at the same time.
"Where am I?" he thought rubbing his face he tried to sit up but winced.
Oh right the kraken had dragged him through an electric protection barrier and now he was in a dark cave covered in kelp bandages in excruciating pain.
"She could be in any corner watching." he thought turning his head to try seeing if any of these outlines might be you.
"Oh good you're awake." a voice chirped from the entrance he turned his head to see an outline of you in the cave entrance.
Tiny amethyst purple bioluminescent patterns glowing across your arms, torso, and tentacles Azul was so focused on you that he didn't notice you checking his injuries.
"Thought I was going to have to feed you unconscious." you muttered, lifting up his tentacles.
Azul tried to sit up but winced and you groaned dartling to a small hole in the cave with your magical remedy letting the shark corps float around, you sighed reaching out and wrapping his injuries.
"Why are you helping me?" you glanced at him then smeared the paste across the burns.
"I caused this." you deadpanned setting the bowl on a ledge "I would be a fool if I didn't all wrongs must be made right."
"Oh r-right hehe." Azul laughed nervously, silence filled the room except the occasional sigh from you as you adjusted the bandages.
"Why were you bringing books?" you asked your tentacles bringing his bag over to the ledge.
"Oh! Umm, I thought I might bring them to apologise for our intrusion last week." Azul stuttered pulling his tentacles back when you finished.
"I see." you stated "Well we can share them for the time being." Azul blinked.
"W-what." you groaned and turned your back to him grabbing the shark carcass.
"Because of your injuries you'll be too slow and even if it's hard to believe there are worse things for you out there than me." Azul groaned and rubbed his face.
"Hey I don't like this either but at least I'm not letting you become easy pickings." you pointed out gutting the shark and putting the remains into jars.
You swam over with the meat and lit your cauldron, Azul jumped in surprise as the fire lit up your face sure he had seen your face a week ago but your face had been semi covered in shadow but this...
This was breathtaking how the light of the underwater flames danced across your face and illuminated your wait-
Why was he thinking like this?
"Snap out of it Azul." he grumbled, a bowl of something warm floated his direction.
"Eat." You deadpanned Azul took the bowl and took a sip.
"What's in this?" he asked you shrugged.
"Oh nothing much just shark, a couple strands of kelp, clam meat, squid ink, oh and some human herbs." Azul coughed.
Human herbs? How did you get access to those? How could a kraken get human herbs?!
Azul had been trying to get those for years to use in the lounge but was never given the opportunity, but here you were able to get your hands on them without any issues. He was going to ask another question and try to lower your guard when you held up a hand to silence him as you took a sip of your food.
"A story for another time. Eat." you sighed and continued to drink.
You both ate in silence for a few moments then he noticed another cauldron with an odd sky blue looking liquid in it. "What's that?" you groaned and rubbed you temples with a tentacle.
"Not tonight if you want to know, sleep we've got a few looooong weeks together." you swam off and bioluminescent coral lit up as you left.
Azul tried to get decently comfortable, "This might be harder than I thought." Azul mumbled, he honestly thought by your reaction to the books Grim gave you once he gave you those you'd be hooked.
But no you were more than just a lonely bookworm there were things you were hiding and he was determined to figure it out but for now he would sleep.
You sighed as you snuggled into your overhanging cave dragging your finger across the smooth surface, something about that cecaelia that didn't feel or sound right. "But I could figure him out if you could," you thought as you traced the shell. You sighed and watched the bubbles
"He'll be here for at most 2 weeks." you thought "Sure it's not enough time to figure out someones intentions but it is enough to observe him."
You reached a hand out to a clam shell filled to the brim with shrimp they all backed away except for one which you grabbed and tossed in your mouth. "So I'll wait, and then if he pulls any funny business I'll rip him tentacle from tentacle."
You yawned, wrapped yourself in your tentacles and fell asleep.
You woke up to the sound of whales and the screams of fish as humans dragged their nets through the ocean.
"UGH!" you groan curling up tighter "Too early~." but none the less you unwound from your sleeping position and swim to your vanity and did your morning routine.
Hair routine, face routine, and the endless tentacle routines.
Each was a grueling task but you didn't mind, it kept your days busy. Once you were done applying your makeup was a simple task. A little bit of squid ink for eyeliner, waterproof mascara, and-
"Oh where is it." you grumbled grabbing a muscle and squeezed it. Red squirted out and you applied it to your lips, with a satisfied smack you set the muscle on the vanity.
You sighed and rested your chin in your palm then remembered you had an unwanted to guest you rolled your eyes and swam out to re-apply the saulve.
But when you got into the room he wasn't there. You spun around wildly and found him lying on the floor of your pantry covered in powdered shells.
"What are you doing?" you sighed wrapping a tentacle around the cecaelia chin forcing him to look up at you.
Azul groaned rubbing the crown of his head, "Trying to get the ingredients for the saulve of course."
"I already had some laid out." you said pointing to the counter where the bowl was sitting. Azul blinked and tried to sit up but his tentacles were still numb. Because of this he stumbled, got his tentacles in knots and landed on top of you.
Your breath was forced out of your throat as he landed on top of you, Azul's mind went blank as he stared at you. Your (e/c) eyes were stunning to the point Azul momentarily forgot how to breath.
You were breathtaking from your waist up you looked like a cecaelia but you were too ethereal to be a cecaelia.
He could see the bioluminescent marks along your face, even if they weren't glowing they were beautiful like distant stars in the early morning sky.
As he trailed the marks on your face his eyes landed on your lips that seemed to be as read as blood and noticed the beauty mark on the bottom right corner of your lips...
"No, no, no, no NO!" why was he thinking like this he shouldn't! You were a kraken.
He was here to lure you into making a deal with him and use you for everything you might be worth.
So why did he get sea butterflies in his stomach when looking at you? AND WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!
You cleared your throat and looked away as you lifted him off of you and swam over to the ledge he had been on the night before.
"Now, let's get that saulve." you set him down then swam off both of your faces flushed in embarrassment. You came back and applied the saulve rather quickly, Azul was about to ask you a question or apologize when you took off your tentacles almost slapping him across the face leaving a small cut on his cheek.
He sat there in silence for a few minutes then you came back with ingredients, heavy leather bound books, and swam over to the cauldron he had seen earlier muttering at the liquid inside.
Azul glanced over your shoulder and was surprised, the potion you were trying to make was a high ranked (illegal~) protection potion, normally only used in times of war to protect the people by the most skilled potion masters.
How Grim got his flippers on that Azul had no idea but then again no one ever searches the back of the library so it was a possibility.
"Did you try adding fire stingers?" Azul asked you glanced at him then at the book then sighed.
"I knew I was forgetting something." you pulled out a small gong and hit it hard with your tentacle.
Azul flinched at the harsh sound but what startled more was that fire nettle was starting to grow into the window like hole of this particular cave.
Without hesitation you reached out and snapped a piece off. Then using a narwhal's horn to slice it and add it to the brew, it bubbled for a few seconds then turned a deep azure blue.
You grinned and reached for empty bottles that lined the shelf and started to fill them and setting them to the side that had potions of all kinds ranging to every color you could think of from glowing gold to lightning white all the way to (f/c) shining like distant stars.
"Thank you for that." you hummed as you cleaned out the cauldron, "Thought I was going to blow a fuse for a second."
"Your welcome." he mumbled then took in a deep breath "What is that gong if I may ask? I've nere seen anything quite like it."
"Not to mention if I could mass produce these it would be great for business." Azul thought his tentacles rubbing together.
"Oh this old thing?" you said offhandedly as you opened another book and started to throw other ingredients in the cauldron.
"It's something I made to bring any ingredient I need to me and let it grow here."
"Ah I s-see." Azul coughed as you put the gong away behind a large boulder where he assumed more of your magical trinkets were kept. You hummed as you continued to read out of one of the many books-wait... "Are those the books I brought?" You nodded and flipped through the book.
"Yes." you said flipping through a few pages "But this is more of a personal research." you said off-handedly.
'Personal research?' that was interesting, Azul sat up and slowly swam over to peek at the book.
"Transformation spells?" he asked with a grin thinking of a strategy to use this to his advantage you hid the book to your chest in embarrassment. "What would you need that for?" you cleared your throat.
"It's nothing you would understand." you snapped and swam off leaving the book as it sank to the floor.
Azul picked it up and turned to the page, the chapter was about the theory on how to turn a mer into different species of mers.
"Hmm," Azul thought, in his youth he had thought turning into another kind of mer would be a solution to his problem and spent years trying but that was much more impossible to do that than to transform into a human.
But soon you came back with not one not two but TWELVE different types of fish struggling trying to get free from your tentacles.
Azul was taken aback as you began to pluck scales off of the fish then letting them go once you got a certain amount.
You did this for awhile before darting over to him, cupping his face in your hand.
Shocked Azul froze as you examined something then lifted a spoon filled with a bright yellow mush. Azul raised an eyebrow, but you then roughly shoved it in his mouth, Azul gauged and tried to spit it out but it stuck to the roof of his mouth leaving a nasty flavor in his mouth.
Then felt something else fill his mouth, ink. He tried to stop it but it poured out and into a bucket set next to him.
"Sorry about that." you grumbled, handing him another spoonful of something else he took it and looked at the red mush suspiciously,
"Oh you'll be fine it's not poison." you sighed picking up the bucket and dumping his ink into vials.
Azul put the red mush in his mouth and coughed, "What is this?" he shuddered.
"Elixir of wellness, but no one said it would taste good." you hummed as you took the human utensil from him. "And besides I don't need you to be spilling out ink, I don't need sharks swarming my home."
"Has *cough* has it happened before?" Azul asked wiping the ink off his mouth.
"Yeah, and let me say that I'm not in a huge need for snacks for a while." Azul turned his head and on your shelves were jars of raw shark meat, shark intestine, and eyeballs.
Around your waist was a belt made entirely out of kelp and shark teeth along with a few bracelets made in the same fashion around some of your tentacles.
"Y-you eat them?" Azul was shocked with what you said next.
"Yep, been able to eat them since I was able to hunt." you sighed as you threw a fish bone in the cauldron. It seemed you didn't mind talking to him if you were working on your projects.
He was about to ask another question when the potion sent off a shower of bright red sparks, you capped it then set it on a shelf.
"Well I'm going out." you sighed Azul quirked an eyebrow.
"Why?" he asked you rolled your eyes.
"Something that isn't a shark?" Azul teased.
"Yeah." you sighed "also need to restock my pantry," you thought "human herbs aren't cheap." you slipped out of the cave grabbing a bag of potions and then two more, one was a pale blue and the other lavender purple.
Once you were out Azul got up. (Sure his tentacles were numb but he could still swim, just slower than normal.)
But he swam after you hit a few rocks but eventually he made it out following you and trying to stay hidden.
He thought that both your speeds would be pretty even, but apparently Azul was mistaken yet again because as soon as you were out of the cave and through the barrier you shot out like a quick current and Azul struggled to keep up.
He was out of breath when you finally stopped right outside of a dock and sitting on the dock was a familiar grey shape.
You grinned as you got to your meeting spot and took out the pale blue potion, glanced around then popped your head out of the water, "Hey Grim." you cherped the monster leapt back in surprise and you held back a laugh.
"Aww did I scare the fearless Grim?" you laughed taking a swig of the potion.
"No I was just startled, you might be the most dangerous mermaid in the sea but I'm not scared of you." you sighed heaving yourself onto the deck watching your tentacles shift and shrink.
Azul watched slack jawed as this took place, alright potions like that weren't very rare they were sold at the markets all the time but they were not only expensive but if you wanted to make one it took an extremely long time to make and you just happened to have one?
More and more reasons you would be useful to him, an intelligent, strong, and a creature that was capable of magic that he couldn't ever comprehend. He grinned but when he glanced at the place you had been-
By the Great Seven it felt so good to walk! Humans were weird though, they had magic too so couldn't they make more comfortable clothes? But nonetheless you blended in and that was all that mattered.
At least here you could shop in peace and not have to hide until someone turned around then you could snatch what you need and leave your payment on the counter.
Here you had sort of a job and currency to pay for a small stand to sell potions and you were the most sought after person for potions along the coast.
"So Grim who's open?" you sighed as you tightened the corset.
"That weird Rollo guy has your herbs and a few farmer stands and seamstresses but the baker won't be open for a few hours." Grim listed as he handed you your leather pants and your (f/c) traveling cloak.
"I'm glad I gave you that potion." you sighed tying your hair up with a grey hair scarf in one hand and scratching Grim's head with the other.
"OI! It's better than flopping around but why a cat?" he groaned.
"Would you like to be a rat?" you asked with a smirk, "Because that can be arranged quite quickly."
"NO! No a cat is fine." Grim spluttered you laughed.
"Well come on let's get what we need and head back, I've got an unwanted patient back home that needs attending to." You exhaled setting a hand to your hip, Grim's head shot up.
"One of the stupids who followed me to your cave?" you nodded as you found your coin purse hidden in the rocks.
"Yep a cecaelia." Grim groaned.
"Azul." Grim shook his head, "You better watch out that guy loves scamming people." You nodded wondering if that's why he came to you to remove an anemone off his head as you walk through town, basket in hand with a spring in your step as you recalled an old memory from your childhood.
The day you had made your first human transformation potion, you had foolishly drank it still underwater and Grim had to rush you up to the surface.
When your head reached the air you were amazed by what humans were capable of and having the privilege to be able to observe them and their habits and the embarrassment of realizing you needed human clothes but that was solved no problem thanks to your magic.
At first it wasn't easy, learning how to walk was a challenge all of its own but with practice soon you had been sprinting in no time at all.
"Hey Y/n," you snapped out of your thoughts at Grim calling your name "Where to?" you grinned and let him hop onto your shoulder.
"Herbs and some of my more rare ingredients then we head over and start selling for the day."
Azul was swimming in little circles trying to figure out what to do next, his target was walking around on human legs and he was stuck down here.
"Tying your tentacles getting in knots Azul~"
Azul whipped his head up to see Grim with a smug grin on his face, "What do you want sea weasel." he grumbled.
"I should be asking you that." Grim said with a cold glare "If you hurt my henchman I'll burn you to a crisp." Azul was about to shout back when Grim cut him off.
"But that's not important," Grim said waving a paw at him. "I know you want to watch her and I know she feels bad for dragging you through that electro current-"
"Electro current?" Azul piped up Grim glared at him then sighed.
"That's what I said pay attention, any ways catch." Azul then caught a strangely shaped bottle that had some sort of marking around one side of the rim.
"What is this?" Azul asked tilting the bottle Grim rolled his eyes.
"I know you have something up your sleeve but henchman and I both agree it's better to keep an eye on you rather than leave you to your own devices, your lucky Y/n had some left."
Azul blinked then it clicked as he popped his head out of the water so did the red marks on the other side of the bottle.
"What's the hold up?" Grim yawned then also realized what was on the bottle and then groaned, "Just drink it you coward." Grim then unprovoked uncorked the bottle and shoved it in Azul's mouth.
Azul coughed as the potion slid down his throat, "Not so bad was it?" Grim sassed, "Now get out of the water, come on I haven't got all day."
Slowly Azul got out of the water his new legs now shaking uncontrollably.
"About time." Azul raised his head to see you holding human clothes that were apparently for him. "Didn't think he would actually do it." you mused offering your hand and he took it and you heaved him upright.
"Here," you said handing him a towel "dry yourself off then Grim will show you how to put these on." After the silence and the rustling of clothes you took him to your stand.
"Just stay here, even if your legs look fine there not they're slightly usable but not by much got it?" Azul nodded and sat down still processing what just happened.
It was just a little stain after all-
"Nope I know that it was the only thing she had but that doesn't mean I have to go into a spiral with it." Azul reprimanded himself as you sold more potions.
Once the crowd died down you pulled out your water skin and handed it to Azul. He took it and gave you a nervous glance as if he was on the verge of tears.
You sighed and sat down and put your hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong?"
"What? Oh um-" Azul choked out.
"Let me guess," you sighed "You freaked out about the bottle being shoved down your throat?"
Azul turned away in embarrassment, never in his whole life had anyone had the nerve to shove an already used potion down his throat. Not to mention with lipstick markings on it! Great now his face was as red!
Azul took a deep breath then gave his best businessman smile, "Must you think very little of me Kraken? I was just simply thinking of why you didn't have another bottle."
You blinked then let go of his chin then cleared your throat and made yourself busy with selling not making eye contact.
"Strange cecaelia." you thought as you gave him a glance and saw himself deflate in the chair as if he wasn't expecting you to ignore him.
Azul was internally panicking, his spell hadn't worked! Usually we wouldn't try something like a charismatic charm but what else was he supposed to do!?
The market became full of chatter as men and women rushed inside as the clock chimed, Azul sighed how long was this potion going to last? Surely not this long it was almost night fall.
But apparently you had other ideas instead of heading back after your sales, "Come on." you said, giving him your hand.
He took it and you yanked him upright he followed you back to the rocks and was relieved when you pulled out a bottle and handed it to him.
Azul took a sip not caring if you would later and jumped into the water, then felt a tap on his shoulder he pulled his head out and you grinned lying on your stomach on the doc, "I'll join you in a few minutes I have to do a few things before I can go back. Grim will let you in." Azul nodded and smiled.
"That's fine with me. Anything I can do for you." you rolled your eyes, knelt.
"Nice try." you smirked flicking his nose he winced and rubbed the spot you hit. "I'll be back soon don't do anything stupid."
"Come on!" Grim shouted Azul glanced in your direction then dove into the water.
"I'm back!" you shouted as you shut the electro shield.
"Great!" Grim shouted "I'm starving!"
You swam in and sat down slumping in exhaustion, "Must everything be about food with you?" you sighed.
"I can help with that if you're tired." Azul offered, you lifted your head and the bags under your eyes were very visible.
"Sure." you sighed "Grim keep an eye on him please I'm too tired to deal with this." then you curled yourself in your tentacles and dozed off.
"An interesting way to sleep." Azul thought as your tentacles shifted and swayed as you rested your head on one you looked peaceful.
"So what should we make?" Azul asked but then noticed Grim had swam over and had managed to fall asleep in your tentacles.
Azul sighed and looked around, there was so much he hadn't really seen before. Why would you keep these human thing-a-mabobs or shelve odd ingredients in an air pocket?
You were quite the odd ball weren't you it kind of reminded him of the mermaid princess from the stories collecting human junk that had come to the sea floor because of storms or shipwrecks. But why was a three pronged dinglehopper in your food area and not on your vanity, he shook his head and got to work.
You woke up to a smell that was familiar to you, you peeled an eye lid open and you saw Azul finishing up a dish you hadn't had since your childhood.
"Smells good," you cherped swimming over to his side placing a hand on his shoulder and with the other dipping your finger in the cauldron and tasting the mix. "Hm just needs a bit more salt maybe," you mumbled reaching for it, "What do you think?"
Azul nodded his voice refusing to work as you leaned past him and added the salt taking the wooden spoon and strued it, then took it out and offered some to him. "I'll have some later." Azul said turning away, you shrugged and licked to spoon.
"Your loss." you hummed as you licked your lips "Hey Grim food's ready!" you called and the seal shot like a bullet to the smoothed stone in the middle of the area. You reached for the pot but Azul beat you to it.
"Please allow me." he insisted, you shrugged and pulled out three grey clam shells and headed to the table.
"How come you eat like this." Azul asked as he sat down next to you.
"I spent most of my childhood around humans." you sighed, scooping some of the food, "It's just normal to do it like this now."
"Yea and easier to get the scraps!" Grim shouted with a mouth full.
"Grim I'd give you more than the scraps if you just came over more." You pointed out, Grim said something with his mouth full and continued eating.
"Glutton." Azul thought as you got up and placed the remains of the meal in a glass jar then came back over with the bowl of saulve.
"Now let's put this on after the market I'm pretty sure you're healing a lot faster than I anticipated." you smeared the saulve on the burns and he let out a small hiss in pain. "Shh it's okay," you crooned offhandedly taking his hand in your tentacle. "Done." you hummed floating to the side.
"Mha! Henchman I'm tired and it's cold!" Grim protested you sighed.
"Well the ice is coming I guess it's not a bad idea to head to the bubbler." Azul raised an eyebrow, bubbler what was that? "Come on," you heaved "you do NOT want to be anywhere else when the icy currents settle in." you took is hand and guided him through the caves. The farther in you both went the warmer and darker it got.
"Whoa." He thought as your luminescent patterns started to light up. Of course he'd seen the patterns after all a week ago he fell on top of you but seeing them light up....
It took his breath away, how could people deem you as a monster?
Why did HE deem you as a monster or a creature to be taken advantage of!?
You were amazing and he wanted you to think he was amazing. "Ahh warm water I missed you~" you sighed laying on top of what looked like the bones of a sea dragon covered in a soft sponge.
You lifted your head when Azul was still in the entryway. "Well aren't you going to lay down? The sponge is big enough for both of us." Azul blush went as bright as fire coral.
"OI Henchman most mers aren't that comfortable with close sleeping." Grim scoffed Azul felt like strangling him because of the fact that you had no idea about mers customs and that Gim had pointed that out to make him flustered. If the seal's smug grin said anything.
"Does that matter?" you asked Grim "Because last I checked this is the only place to stay warm. If he doesn't we'd have an octo-popsicle on our hands," You then looped a tentacle around his waist and pulled him on to the sponge. "there that's better isn't it?" Azul nodded as his muscles began to relax.
Later as the sun set and the night was at its peak while you and Grim were asleep, Azul stayed awake not able to sleep.
Something in him changed when he met you from a simple bargaining chip to wanting to be something more than a patient. He was going to tell you. Tell you everything and hope you could still be...
The next week went by in a blur with you and Azul going up to the shore together and showing him everything you could about humans.
The two of you seemed to get along and Grim was more relaxed about Azul. On the last day before Azul would leave you had an idea.
"Hey do you want to head up to that human town today?" you ask pulling down another potion.
Azul nods, "Sure that would be pleasant."
You smile, "Grim are you coming?"
"Yeah let's get going already!" Grim exhaled heading for the beach.
You grin and grab his hand and swim off as fast as you could towards land. Once you both arrived you snapped your fingers and the human clothes you were wearing shifted into something more formal and a bit more revealing the color of the morning sky. His suit was similar in nature but a bit darker and
Azul gawked at you for a minute then he lifted his head to the sound of music playing. "Come on we're going to miss the celebrations." you chirped, although if you were being honest with yourself you did want to be friends with him in one way or another.
Azul was met with the sound of music and the town square dressed up for festivities in white, ocean blue, and royal purple banners with silver and gold threading. "What is this?" he breathed.
You smile and jester to the festivities, "Welcome to the festival of Nautilus!"
It was beautiful, breath taking, enchanting even. Azul was entranced by the soft lights and magnificent colors as the two of you spent the afternoon looking at all the shops.
Trying out some of the food the festival had to offer, and playing some of the games as well.
You both sit down and just enjoy each other's presents then you hear the sounds of music.
You jump up grabbing Azul's hand and leading him to the dance floor. "Come on it's easy," you tell him, "just put one hand on my waist and hold my hand with the other. There you go now just move side to side. Perfect!"
Time seemed to slow down as the two of you danced it was wonderful. The whole world seemed to hold its breath as Azul pulled you closer to him, he leaned in but you beat him to it. Kissing him while you danced, he wrapped his arms around your waist and he wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.
How caverns hid the deepest secrets and for now it holds the secrets of a love found and shall stay together for all of time.
See you later Twisted Dreamers
