Author's Note: More of Imhoden in Living Waters AU.
Summary: You share a quiet, magical moment with Imhoden in a sunlit underwater sea grass meadow, where the currents, fish, and pearl-laden oyster beds respond to his presence and hum, revealing the sentience of the ocean itself.
The water here is calm and sunlit, the rays of Ancient Terra piercing the surface in golden shafts that scatter across the swaying green of the sea grass. Tiny motes of plankton glimmer like stars in the currents, and the soft rustle of the grass under the gentle pull of the tides creates a soothing, hypnotic rhythm.
Imhoden glides through it like a shadow of blue and gold, scales catching the sun in iridescent flashes as he moves. His large form weaves carefully between the tall stalks, fins brushing them gently without breaking them, the way a predator of the sea might move silently, respectful of its domain. He hums softly—a low, resonant vibration that carries through the water—and the sea grass seems to respond, bowing in time with the hum as if acknowledging the presence of this massive, magical being.
He pauses mid-meadow, tilting his head, curious and alert. Small schools of fish scatter and swirl around him, some braver ones returning cautiously to investigate. Imhoden’s eyes, glowing faintly with the subtle touch of his psychic power, watch them with something close to amusement, though he doesn’t disturb them.
You float nearby, watching him move with ease and grace, and notice how the sea grass frames him like a living cathedral. He had put a spell on you so that you’d be safe to swim and breathe in the ocean’s waters without using equipment.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” you murmur. He glances at you, one brow raised, and emits a soft trill of agreement.
“Do… you hear it too?” he asks carefully, as if questioning whether you perceive what he feels. “The… song of the grass, the way it bends, the way the currents carry it?”
“Yes,” you reply softly, and reach out a hand, letting your fingers drift along a stalk. “It’s like the meadow is alive, and it’s listening to you.”
Imhoden lets out a small, rumbling purr, curling slightly to drift among the grass. “Then… perhaps I will stay here for a while,” he says, his voice almost dreamlike. “The sea… it whispers secrets here. I… like this place.”
The two of you linger together in the underwater meadow, the sun casting liquid patterns across Imhoden’s shimmering scales, the grass swaying around him, and for a moment, the world feels impossibly vast and yet perfectly intimate.
The sea grass meadow stretches around you both like a living ocean forest, the stalks swaying lazily with the currents. Imhoden hovers in its midst, his large, shimmering form almost camouflaged by the green and gold of the sunlit blades. He lets out a low, resonant hum, a vibration that moves through the water in gentle waves. The stalks respond, bending and swaying more rhythmically, and small motes of bioluminescent plankton pulse faintly in time with the hum.
“Watch,” he says, his voice deep and musical, and gestures with a clawed hand. You notice small clumps of sea grass around him start to sway more energetically, almost like they are dancing. Tiny fish flit through the meadow, seeming to follow the pulses of energy Imhoden is sending out. Some of the more curious fish brush against the strands, creating tiny sparkling trails that look like ribbons of light in the water.
He glides slowly, letting his fins sweep along the grass, and as he does, you notice subtle changes in the oysters nearby. Pearls you had recently harvested glimmer brighter, the rare colors—lavender, rose, deep gold—appearing more frequently in the clusters. Imhoden hums louder, and the pearls seem to “respond” to the resonance, their luster intensifying, catching glints of sunlight like tiny captured suns.
“Your sea… it listens to me,” he murmurs, almost to himself, the water vibrating with the tone of his voice. “Perhaps… it listens to both of us.”
You smile, floating nearby. “It’s like the meadow is alive, and you’re its guardian—or maybe its song.”
Imhoden lets out a pleased trill, curling closer. “I do not wish to disturb,” he says, but there’s a soft warmth to his words. He sweeps through the grass again, slower this time, careful not to crush the tender stalks. Pearls shimmer in clusters near the oyster beds, and even the fish seem to linger longer, drawn to the hum, the shimmer, and the calm presence of the massive merman.
You reach down, letting your hands drift through the sea grass alongside him, and feel the subtle vibrations that ripple through the water from his hum. “It’s beautiful,” you whisper. “The way everything responds to you.”
Imhoden’s eyes soften, glowing faintly in the dappled sunlight. “Then… we will come here often,” he says quietly. “I… like this place. I like… being here with you.”
The two of you linger in the meadow for a long while, letting the currents, the hums, and the shimmer of pearls and scales weave around you. The sea grass sways in silent applause, and the underwater world feels peaceful, alive, and brimming with quiet magic.
I live near the sea and given the heat, after dinner I took a walk on the beach where I collected some shells to make amulets. Before returning home I left an offer to the sea: a star of David around the skeleton of a crab inside which I whispered a song.
I thought I'd share some of my knowledge of marine magic for anyone interested.
In my practice I work mainly with elemental magic, especially green and marine magic.
Marine magic
Marine magic is a type of natural magic. In this case, the energy source of your spells and rituals is the sea and sometimes other types of water. Marine magic, like any other type of natural magic, is neutral, neither good nor bad. It is changeable, chaotic and unstable like the sea itself. For this reason, you must be very careful when deciding to work with marine magic. Magic always has a price, and in the case of the magic of the sea, it is particularly true.
Unlike other magical traditions, marine magic is mainly solitary and there are not many "witches congregations”, therefore there is no good or wrong way of doing things. Likewise, you cannot be initiated by another witch. You have to do it alone. Therefore, marine witchcraft is not for beginners. It requires a good level of intuition and experience. With this I obviously don't want to scare or discourage anyone. Water is an essential element in magic and marine magic is among the most powerful, ancient and fascinating types of practice. Precisely for this reason it must be practiced with the right awareness and respect.
Sea witches and sea priestesses
Marine magic practitioners call themselves sea witches or sea priestesses. Sea witches are more prone to spellcasting and traditional witchcraft and aren’t necessarily religious. Meditation is an essential part of this practice.
Now, I firmly believe that everyone can become a witch and that every path is valid. However, each of us is different and not everyone is given the same set of skills and gifts. Each witch felt more attracted to some types of magic than others. It is completely normal. We all have our style and our job.
So, like any other path, that of marine magic is also linked to a predisposition or a call. Marian magic, like any type of elemental magic, is meant to be experienced. You have to experience it to truly understand what it is.
Let's be clear, you don't have to live by the sea to be a sea witch or a sea priestess. I personally have the good fortune to live in front of the sea and my mother in particular is very attached to the sea and its energy (my mother is not a witch but our family comes from a long magical tradition. I will talk about this in another post if you are interested.) and it is something that has transmitted me, so even if personally I am more tied to the land, in some way the sea is part of me.
As I said before, marine magic is a solitary practice and one cannot learn or be initiated, and even the fact that my mother is linked to this element didn’t guarantee that I too would develop a bond with it.
To practice marine magic (even if, like me, you are somewhat predisposed to do it) you need to establish a connection. It is much easier to do while you are really at sea. So if you don't live by the sea, go to the beach on your next vacation and "get baptized" in the sea or ocean. You can do it with a prayer, with a song or as you prefer, as I said there is no right or wrong way to do it, what matters is your intention.
Everyone can work with the sea
Not all of them are witches or priestesses of the sea, but everyone can work or insert marine magic into their profession. When you go to the beach, ALWAYS leave an offer, whether you are casting a spell or just picking things up. The ocean and marine spirits are very capricious and will expect to get something in return for their help. If you don't like something, they will take something of their choice from what you have with you and you won't like it. Remember all those flip flops, hair clips, rings, bracelets etc. what have you lost at sea? Here, those are the offers that the sea has taken. But don't worry, your offer doesn't have to be big or complicated. When I collect the shells, I always make a small altar on the sand using the things I find, draw a seal on the shore or whisper to a shell that I then throw a poem or song into the sea.
I hope this post has given you a good overview of marine magic. Remember to always follow your intuition. If it doesn't seem right, don't do it. The magic of the sea is a solitary means: YOU make your own path.
Ps. In this post I focused mainly on marine magic itself, but the same bases apply to any path related to aquatic magic: lakes, rivers etc. although then obviously, each one differs in its specific forms.
If you want a deepening on marine magic, instruments, marine spirits etc. (but also on other you more than paths) let me know, I will be very happy to help you!
Revisiting digital are for the first time in a LONG time! Here’s a prompt and style swap I did with DrawingWiffWaffles!
Watch my half: https://youtu.be/NZmGGOzx0dU
Watch Waffle’s half: https://youtu.be/IRzdEcApOYg
