I've gotten a few asks for this one and Hoooooo Boy, buckle up yall
Siren!Legend vs Reader who can't swim.
Now, I know there are lots of headcannons about Legend's mer form but the most important one for this story is that I think he controls is with his magic. So if he has all of his magic, he can supress it entirely, or have much better control while he is in that form if he chooses to transform. But the less magic he has, the less control he has. Physically and Mentally.
So when Legend ends up in the middle of a lake after a rough battle things take a turn for poor reader when they end up in the lake as well. And the Chain's plan to lure him out has just made it even worse
draw mer legend trapped in a fishing net and ravio teasing that he's gonna sell him PLEASE PELASE PELASE PELASE EME AFDP PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
or better yet make him stuck as a mer or even in a feral state because what if the longer he stays as a mer the more feral he becomes its m favorite trope
hat if ravio was teasing him and then legend snapped at him and ravios like damn ur mad at me???? and mer legend is just actually feral wouldn't it be amazing?
-ur local glitterbomb
ps I'm not pressuring u but your art style and vibes would match that idea so well
Posting these ahead of MerMay next week! Expect adventures in this world very soon😁
Also! If anyone has asks about this AU, I have major brainrot over it and would LOVE to yap if given the chance/a general direction
Without further ado, here’s the general lore:
taking kind of a Warrior Cats approach to this, and giving the mers their own (highly territorial) pods/clans/tribes/etc. Each tribe has their own laws and customs. Most of them get along fine unless someone encroaches on their territory. With only a few exceptions, you stay in the tribe you’re born to. Lose your tribe or weren’t born into one? Too bad (see “Scavengers” in the next post).
But the Demise Tribe has started destroying and taking over weaker tribes and expanding their empire across the ocean. The only groups to stand up to the Demise Tribe and survive (or even win in a few cases) are the Wisdom Tribe and the Chain Tribe.
Mers can have a wide range of tail colors/styles, and not all of them are based on actual fish/sea creatures. For instance, Twilight has a shark build, but his tail fin is built like a dolphin’s fluke and he has Twili markings down both sides. He also doesn’t need to keep swimming to breathe. Legend would have had a frilly, gorgeous tail, but because of his lifestyle, he’s lost/injured off most of his ornamentation (see his section in the character post).
Mer also have natural abilities with magic, some more than others. They do have to learn individual spells, though. Transforming into a human is a complicated spell, and not many bother with learning it. Most mer don’t care too much about what happens on the surface. For reference, the surface is your typical Hyrule, medieval tech/customs with magic. Not terribly important to the stories, but it’s there.
There’s no monetary system between the tribes, it’s more of a barter system. Mer tend to be excellent hagglers.
Mer have longer lifespans than humans by a few decades, and age slower than humans. Guppies (kids) are from birth up to around age 15-16. Adolescents/Adoles (teens) go from 15-16ish to their early twenties. Adults start from early-mid-twenties and up. Mer don’t show much sign of aging until they’re at least 80 years old.
Time and Malon are in their 40s-50s (roughly equates to 30s for humans, like in the comic). Warriors and Twilight are technically adults, but not by much. Sky’s on the cusp of adulthood, still classified as an adolescent. Wild, Hyrule, and Legend are all around the same age, hovering between guppy and adolescence. Wind is solidly a guppy and hates every minute of it. Aryll’s even younger, which takes some of the sting out for Wind. Everyone’s afraid to ask Four and Shadow’s age (they’re twins separated at birth, recently reunited in this au). They just … don’t seem to grow. Wind’s started a rumor that Four and Shadow are secretly immortal. The twins have neither confirmed nor denied this. They’re fine with being lumped with the guppies for now.
Mer tribes are HIGHLY protective of their guppies (and often adolescents). Some tribes (like the Chain) keep them in a separate, guarded nursery until their scales thicken and they’re strong enough swimmers to explore close to home. Most mer in tribes take care of the younger ones, regardless of whose offspring is whose.
Mer are extremely social and tactile. They thrive on physical affection. Without it, guppies grow up smaller and sicklier, if they survive at all. Most mer become anxious and prone to disease without a strong family/tribe group.
Most clothing is optional for mer, but they tend to prefer the extra protection and adornment. They love jewelry as a general rule, but are also prone to collecting other interesting items. Once a guppy becomes an adolescent, it’s tradition in most tribes for each tribe member to give the young one a gift. Gift giving is common among mer for holidays, festivals, and often just to show affection and care.
I DREW LEGEND AS A MERMAID :)) I LOVE IT SM I HOPE YOU DO TOO <33
HAPPY MERMAY 2024!!!
(also @kittiesplunderingmyinnocence suggested I give him body jewelry so there you go bestie <33 /p)
EDIT 6/6/24: I forgot to add the reference tag!! I used @mellon-soup's pose for Legend!! I like using their poses beside my drawings so I can look at their anatomy so my characters look good!! If that makes sense lol😅 I felt bad that I forgot to credit them for the OG pose even tho their blog said it was fine if they weren't credited, so here it is lol!!
After some time with the Chain and his scales and fins more healed:
I was too lazy to redraw the fins to look cleaner in the healthy version, which is the same reason I didn't add Aryll's bracelet. I had a layer for the bracelet ready to go, but when I realized the tail fins weren't arranged in a way where I could easily add the jewelry I noped out haha. He tries to scratch off the shiny scales to keep a lower profile, but he definitely misses some that he can't see.
This is for @sprite-and-the-bunnydragons Linked Seas AU. It's really good, and you should check it out.
Here are some close-ups and versions without the blue filter:
