I am currently writing a slow burn King Triton AU story with lots of OCs!
It’s called…
A Part Of Your World
@inspectorgamache (Maria) and I have been collaborating not only on the plot but illustrations too! I’m so excited to share this with you all soon! 💕
A lovely friend of mine on Twitter slapped us with genius one day when she suggested the idea of ALFRED MOLINA AS KING TRITON and it honestly couldn’t have been more perfect.
Maria and I imagined my Triton to look like a beautiful mix of two of Fred characters:
Jim Bussey (from “The Waterman”)
and Aubrey Feilds (from “Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein)
When I say @inspectorgamache has made Triton look SO AMAZING in the drawings she’s made so far, I TRULY MEAN IT!
Here’s a little synopsis of the plot:
Setting: Modern Day
A fair and compassionate, but mournful merman King Triton of Atlantis has shut out his kingdom to the rest of the world for the past 15 years. Since his wife’s death, he has been incredibly cautious about humans and their inability to stop destroying the world around them. However, Triton rediscovers humanly compassion and new-found love after encountering Cordelia Easton, a tough environmental activist fighting to stop a notorious waste disposal company from polluting the beaches of NYC. To get a better perspective of the human world and to pursue his new love, Triton becomes human! Through sorcery, adventure, romance, and even a little bit of music, Triton and Cordelia come to learn that real life can be just as magical as seen in fairytales!
Side note: My main OC, Cordelia, is plus size! I really wanted to see more inclusion in the fanfiction world. I mention it briefly in the book but I didn’t want to harp on it too much because a good plus size character’s plot does not need to revolve around them being plus size! Cordelia is pretty badass, in my opinion, so I hope you love her as much as I do! 🥺
So far, I’ve written the first two chapters and once I write more, I will start posting a chapter a week. I really hope you guys enjoy the story as much as I have writing it with @inspectorgamache’s help! 🥰
I wrote a Randall Pepperidge x Reader fic called “A Gentleman Always Keeps His Word” and the first chapter is up now! 🥰
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Pepperidge are you free tonight? #edit #alfredmolinaedit #alfredmolina #pinkpanther #pinkpanther2 #ottooctaviusedit #ottooctavius#droctopus#
This edit isn’t mine but it will inspire to the following chapter, as will art by @mimiscappinisideblog and @cascosart (please support Cas on Patreon too!)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
An extraordinarily handsome merman entering his mid 50’s, King Triton of Atlantis has ruled over his kingdom for 30 years. His once light blue tail now aged beautifully into a royal blue, symbolizing his maturity and wisdom. His wavy chocolate-colored hair and beard followed suit as it transitioned to form a beautiful arrangement of gray and dark brown around his face. Since he was a youngling, Triton was always full of vibrant energy and curiosity. He couldn't help but wear his heart on his sleeve, getting him in trouble a few times. Luckily, as he grew older, he learned how to properly communicate his emotions and hold them in situations where they were inappropriate to express. Over time, young Triton grew to be a noble lion of a man. His broad chest echoed the firmness in his voice but also became a shelter of security for those who needed him most. These attributes came in handy when Triton met his wife as a young prince.
Since he was first appointed into his position after his father's death, he wanted his kingdom to be not only a fair place where all merpeople and sea creatures had equal rights… but also his domain safe. He happily reigned with his wife for 15 years, producing several beautiful daughters, each developing a sense of intelligence and integrity after their parents. Sadly, Triton's life turned for the worst after the death of his wife. Since then, Triton closed off Atlantis from other possible worlds the day she died to prevent future tragedies.
Atlantis still was a prestige melting pot where all sea creatures who inhabited there could live together in freedom. Its bright and clean walls sheltered the kingdom from whatever harm may approach it. With the resources found underwater, along with the help of some merpeople who developed skills of sorcery, Triton still brought about enlightenment to his kingdom. He encouraged using science and magic to cooperate to make Atlantis efficient and environmentally friendly. He only frowned upon prejudice, unnecessarily excessive use of the sea's natural resources, and contact with the human world. Everyone in the kingdom loved Triton, despite the small minority who called him a hypocrite because he did not want to open Atlantis' doors to allow all merpeople to explore the human world. At the end of the day, most of Atlantis agreed that Triton did well at keeping his kingdom safe and content. The citizens of Atlantis were unaware that while King Triton never reserved any compassion towards his kingdom, he secretly closed his heart to any means of finding love ever again. The loss of his Queen left a hole in his heart that remained for 15 years afterward. Many of his family and friends tried to help him out of his emotional rut with little success.
Still, none were as persistent as Sebastian, his Royal Advisor, and Head Sorcerer. A kind and timid merman 10 years Triton's senior, Sebastian was not only dedicated to using his magic for the good of Atlantis. He practically grew up with Triton. Despite being older than Triton, he was protected by the young prince against his bullies. Sebastian used his intellect to learn the art of sorcery. He worked under Triton's father just for a few years before and watched Triton grow into his role as a ruler, becoming fast friends with him. Sebastian always admired Triton's open-minded and curious attitude and compassion for standing up for what was right. However, he could tell that Triton was slowly hollowing from the inside out after the Queen's death. He feared losing his friend altogether if he didn't take action. When others decided to leave Triton alone, Sebastion persisted. He would use his magic to throw the fanciest parties and send flyers everywhere, but especially to the homes of eligible merwomen. Sebastian would even put on a concert in the middle of the venue and invite the merwomen who were good enough for the king to come show off their talents. Sadly, no matter how beautiful the parties (or the merwomen) were, Triton would barely talk to anyone. Of course, he would be courteous, welcoming everyone to the party. Once the charade was over, Triton usually sat on his throne all night, looking unamused. It would barely be an hour before Triton would quietly exit the party.
This evening seemed to be not so different.
Triton was in his chambers, looking in the mirror, using a sea urchin to brush through his hair and beard. He sighed at the sight of himself, pondering how Sebastian could not let go of his ambition. He could see the age in his eyes and hair. Even if Triton was willing to look for a new love, based on how the previous balls went, many were not interested in getting to know who he was. He hated to think of it, but many guests used their body language to express their overwhelming desire to gain wealth and power by marrying Triton. When these interactions would occur, Triton would apologize and walk away. However, many recurring guests have remained annoyingly persistent in winning his affection. Triton could never bring himself to yell at Sebastian. Still, his frustration towards him grew every time he was set up to pretend to be happy at these parties.
"You look more astonishing than ever before, your highness," Sebastion beamed as he used his light green tail to swim up behind Triton.
"Don't tell me YOU now have plans to court me," Triton jokes, giving his friend a small smile.
"What? Oh, N-no," Sebastian stumbled on his words as he usually did, "I mean, not that you're not handsome, I am just not interested. I-I meant that you would look handsome for the party! Oh-- not that you don't look handsome in any other situation. "
"Sebastian, it's alright," Triton smiled as he lightly placed his hand on Sebastian's shoulder, "I know what you meant. I was just trying to lighten the mood... and I find it amusing that after all these years, I still have to remind you that you can still call me Triton. "
"Are you excited about the ball tonight?" Sebastian asked innocently.
"Well... To be frank, Sebastian, no," Triton sighed, turning back to the mirror to tidy up his scales. "While you coordinate some of the most lavish venues in Atlantis, I am not looking forward to re-addressing some of these guests and their obvious intentions."
“I-if you don’t mind me speaking freely, your highness,” Sebastian said as he slowly approached Triton, “I fear you judge everyone at these parties too severely. I wonder what would happen if you stopped to look inside yourself.”
“You do not wonder, Sebastian, you merely ask to state your opinion,” Triton smirked, knowing exactly what Sebastian was trying to say.
"I have been worried about you for so many years,” Sebastian squeaked, “You take care of everyone around you, but the glint of sadness in your eyes shows me that you are not as jovial as you try to portray yourself to be. Triton, you are a good king. You deserve to allow love to return to your life... I’m sure that’s what Athena would have wanted. It’s what everyone in Atlantis wants!”
“Seems disrespectful to assume the desires of a Queen that has since passed,” Triton grumbled audibly as he desperately tried to hold his frustration.
“...And who knows! You might find someone special," Sebastian said, trying to encourage a feeling of hope in Triton. "You could find THE one..."
"Queen Athena WAS the one," Triton quickly cut off Sebastian, frightening his advisor with an unexpected growl in his voice. "From the moment we met as younglings, I knew she was the one I needed to marry. I had her as my wife for 15 years... the best years of my life... and I lost her due to my negligence. I don't need another because no one compares to her."
Triton saw Sebastian's face grow red in embarrassment and he immediately regretted his action.
"I am deeply sorry, Sebastian," Triton said, softening his voice and placing both hands on Sebastian's shoulder to emphasize his sincerity. "I am grateful for making these efforts toward my happiness. I am so fortunate to call you my friend and advisor... But you should know I've accepted that I'll never find anyone like Athena. The whole kingdom should do the same. Still... since you worked so hard to arrange this venue, I will do my best to enjoy this night.”
Sebastian looked down at himself, feeling ashamed that he had put Triton through so much without even considering his feelings.
“I... I apologize for imposing this upon you for so long. I just hope you one day find something that makes you feel as bright as a pearl again. You know, you can always talk to me about these things.”
“I know. Thank you, Sebastian...” Triton replied, pulling his friend in for a hug.
Once Triton let go, Sebastian left the room. Triton was alone again. He stared into the mirror, feeling the tightness in his chest build up as his sorrow conjured up an image of Athena in the glass. Images of their shared life unfolded before him: how they played together as children, studied together growing up, finally fell in love, married, and ruled together as king and queen. Triton could feel himself reliving these memories, though he knew in the back of his mind that this was all a facade. His heart began to break as he started to sing.
“You were once my one companion. You were all that mattered.
You were once a friend and lover.... Then my world was shattered.
Wishing you were somehow here again. Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed, if I just dreamed somehow you would be here.
Wishing I could hear your voice again... Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won't help me to do all that you dreamed I could.
Passing shells and sculpted mermaids... Cold and monumental seem, for you.
The wrong companions. You were warm and gentle.
Too many years fighting back tears... Why can't the past just die?”
Triton let tears pool in his eyes for the first time in a while. When a huge tragedy happened, it was harder than he thought to be the strong king everyone knew him to be. He could feel his voice shaking as he finally placed his crown on his head. Triton continued to watch the memories of his wife fade away from the mirror, returning the reality.
“Wishing you were somehow here again. Knowing we must say goodbye.
Try to forgive, teach me to live, give me the strength to try!
No more memories... No more silent tears... No more gazing across the wasted years.
Help me say... Goodbye...”
The ball kicked off with a beautiful concert conducted by Sebastian. Like the predecessors, many merwomen of high status displayed their talents, boring Triton to tears. At this point, Triton was rather willing to watch a sea snail crawl across the entire ocean floor than this.
(Illustration by @gmache)
He only perked up when his seven daughters performed. Sebastian always roped them in to sing the finale of the concerts, and seeing them smile and shine like their mother always brought Triton a sense of pride. The girls always sang the same introduction song, introducing themselves to the audience. Each one appeared to the beat of the song, dancing and singing with flawless perfection. A large grin appeared on Triton’s face as he heard his daughters sing.
“Oh, we are the daughters of Triton, great father who loves us and named us well:
Aquata! Andrina! Arista! Attina! Adella! Alana!
And then there is the youngest in her musical debut!
A seventh little sister, we’re presenting her to you!
To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell.
She’s our sister Ari–”
The six sisters moved out of the way to reveal a space where the youngest sister, Ariel, was supposed to be... but she wasn't there! Triton rose from his throne to see where she was. Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder, and Triton turned to be ambushed with a tight hug from Ariel. The surprise shocked Triton but left him thoroughly impressed as Ariel continued singing her line, “ARIEL!” She took her father’s large hands and began slow dancing with him, singing the most beautiful, almost siren-like melody to finish the piece.
The room erupted with thunderous applause, but Triton's hearty laugh echoed louder throughout the halls.
A figure in a smaller chair quietly applauded with an uninterested flair. It was Prince Bradford, Triton’s younger brother. Only a few years younger than Triton, Bradford had short dark hair that matched the color of his goatee. His deep red, almost blood-colored, tail signified a sense of high status… and also aggression. Since they were kids, Bradford was always jealous of Triton. While Bradford grew to be equally as big (but a little bit more fitter) than his brother, Triton was always seen as the bigger, stronger, handsomer brother in his eyes. When Triton got the girl of his dreams, Bradford barely found luck. When Triton became king, Bradford hated being an adult prince. He enjoyed being appointed to head of the Atlantis army but Triton always held the final word since he was king. When little Bradford felt especially jealous, he would intimidate Sebastian, to which he would get into fights with Triton over it. He still continues to intimidate Sebastian to this day but Triton knows better than to fight unless Sebastian is in real danger. Otherwise, Triton would encourage him to stand up to Bradford himself. Sebastian was very aware of Bradford’s jealousy due to his empath-like sensitivity. He’s also been aware of Sebastian’s many failed attempts to overthrow Triton. Sadly, Bradford would threaten Sebastian to harm him if he tattled. As Bradford slouched back in his seat at the party, his strong desire to get rid of his brother was stronger than ever. At this point, he wasn’t chasing after love or approval… All he wanted was power.
As the night continued, Triton returned to his throne after forcing himself to dance with a few bachelorettes of higher status that had performed earlier that evening. These merwomen would fawn over him, over-complimenting him, making it quite easily known to Triton that they wanted something from him. He couldn’t bring himself to turn these merwomen away harshly, so he would give them all the same monologue.
“Madam… You dance like an angel-fish, but I must attend to my daughters. A father’s job is never truly finished. Good evening…”
Then he would go off and check in on his girls, preferring to spend his time being in their company and listening to their interests. Each daughter held a piece of their mother that brought Triton a bittersweet smile to his face. Once his daughters were sent away to bed, Triton was alone again and would spend the last portion of his hour at the party sitting on this throne. On this particular evening, his youngest could barely stay asleep.
As Triton sat, lost in his thoughts, he became startled again by Ariel’s touch. Once he regained composure, he pulled Ariel into his arms.
“Ariel, darling, shouldn’t you be in bed?” Triton asked in a fatherly tone.
“I know, Father,” Ariel sighed, “I just couldn’t sleep. While you were busy talking to my sisters, I wanted to tell you something…”
“Was it about your performance?” Triton asked, raising an inquiring brow.
“Yes, Father…” Ariel sighed, “Me coming up behind you during my part wasn’t on purpose. I was late to the performance. I went exploring and I just lost track of time.”
Triton’s heartbeat began to pick up at the thought of his youngest girl going out alone into the ocean.
“Ariel… Where did you go?” He asked more sternly.
“Well, I found this near our home and I wanted to see where it came from…” Ariel replied anxiously, handing Triton a plastic fork.
Neither of them had any idea what a fork was. Mermaid utensils were made up of fish bones and rocks. In Triton’s mind, this strange and spiky object looked like it could have been from the human world, which made his anxiety rise even faster.
“What on Neptune was this?!” He asked.
“I don’t know…,” Ariel replied, “I asked my friend, Scuttle, what it was and he said it was a… a dinglehopper! I think he said that you can use it to untangle your hair. He said that…”
“Ariel, did you go to the shore?!” Triton raised his voice in shock.
“Y-yes, Father…” Ariel replied as tears pooled in her eyes.
“All because of this strange little contraption? Don’t you know that this could be a threat? Humans are dangerous creatures that destroy everything they touch! We cannot lose more of our kind to them.”
“I know… I was just curious… I’m really sorry,” Ariel choked on some tears, ready to sob.
Triton softened the look in his eyes, as he could see that Ariel felt guilty enough and didn’t need much reprimanding. He simply pulled her into a big bear hug, tickling her forehead with his beard as he gave her soft kisses.
“It’s alright, Ariel,” he cooed, “I’m sorry for raising my voice at you. Just don’t ever go there again. It’s too dangerous. I can’t bear to lose you…”
“But, Father…” Ariel tried to interject.
“And do try to be more punctual in the future,” Triton continued, “Come, I’ll bring you to bed.”
Once Triton kissed his sleepy Ariel goodnight, he quietly exited her bedroom and swam off in a hurry to find Bradford and Sebastian. With him, he took the “dinglehopper” with him, swimming off with furious strokes. Once he gathered both mermen from the dancehall, he took them to his chambers to talk to them.
“Ariel found THIS near our walls,” Triton informed the two with a touch of frustration in his voice, “The humans are getting too close for comfort and we need to see their intentions. Tomorrow, we need to set out on an excursion to the shores.”
“Brother, must you forget your own law to not approach the human world, nor interact with the humans?” Bradford asked, maintaining his composure.
“My own daughter might have been hurt by this contraption,” Triton replied, “She claimed that it’s for hair maintenance but what if she found a more harmful object left by the humans?”
“B-but what if we get hurt?” Sebastian added.
“Dear Sebastian, you’re the Royal Sorcerer!” Triton exclaimed, “You’re one of the most important members of this group. You need to come.”
“…And what am I?” Bradford mumbled under his breath.
“Brother, we need your intelligence too,” Triton said, pulling Bradford close to him, “We need to go to protect our kingdom!”
“Triton, you are not above your own law!” Bradford argued as he wriggled free from Triton’s grasp. “As your brother and co-advisor, this is foolish!”
Triton’s face grew stern and he slowly approached his brother.
“Bradford, I do not wish to address you in this manner but I am now speaking to you as your king. This exploration is to protect Antlantis. As long as humans do not interfere with our lives, we will not have to fight back. We need to retrace the path of this… dinglehopper… and send it back to the humans to let them know that we do not want any part of their world. They can destroy themselves without our help. It’s our duty as the monarchs to protect ALL creatures of the sea. Tomorrow, we will leave at dawn and that’s an order, Bradford… and Sebastian.”
Bradford scowled at Triton as he swam out of the room to place the fork in a safe container. He hated how Triton held his crown over Bradford’s head just to get what he wanted. Sebastian let out a sigh, not looking forward to the trip but understanding Triton’s intentions.
“He can’t talk to us like that,” Bradford growled.
“B-but, it’s for the good of the citizens!” Sebastian squeaked, only to be cut off by Bradford.
“SINCE WHEN TRITON HAS CARED ABOUT THE CITIZENS?!” Bradford spat, “Triton encourages magic and science to work together to create technological advances but only within these walls. If Triton listened to me for once, we could use our technology and power to take over the world. He hates the humans so much for killing his wife, so why doesn’t he get rid of them?! I swear, Sebastian, tomorrow will be the beginning of Atlantis’ downfall at the hand of our ‘beloved’ king.”
To be continued…
Like what you read? Here’s Chapter 2! C’mon, you can do it! I believe in you!
A Part of Your World
Chapter 2: Forget the Fairy Tales
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Tags: Slow Burn, Fan-Casting, Alfred Molina as King Triton, Age Difference, Environmental Issues, Unexpected Love, A Fish Out of Water Story (pun totally intended), Magic, New Found Hope/Love
TW: Mentions of a deceased spouse, past relationship abuse, sexism
Synopsis and Cast of Characters:
Chapters:
Each chapter will be posted every 2 weeks! Stay tuned.
Chapter 1:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 2
A Part of Your World
Chapter 2: Forget the Fairy Tales
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 3
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
A Part of Your World
Don’t forget to give this sorry love on AO3! (Link attachment soon)
Before the break of dawn, Triton prepared himse
Chapter 4
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
A Part of Your World
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Bradford waited for Triton right
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Surprise! I’m starting a brand new episodic series on AO3 with Baby Maxim!
I’ve gotten so much love for this fic and I can never thank you guys enough for it. Feel free to give me any suggestions on what other kinds of mischief he should get into next!
All this artwork belongs to my amazingly talented friend, @alexgamerxd!
And if you haven’t read “The Little Morganian” just yet, here is a thread of the links with more visuals by @alexgamerxd 🥰
