MerMay’s almost over and I have posted literally nothing about my Mer AU and I probably won’t be able to finish more than a sketch before the end of the month sooooo… reintroduction/ramble time!
This AU, like basically every single one I have, is a collaboration with the one and only @impulsivefanwriter! It centers on the movieverse, where human and serpentine aren’t the only species around Ninjago City- there’s also merfolk and mers! Merfolk are exactly what they sound like, but mers are essentially half and half. On land they have legs and (mostly) look like any other human, but, if their legs get water on them, that’s when they shift into their “mer form”, which is essentially like a merfolk! Merfolk and mers come in all sorts of species, so let’s meet our Dorksquad, shall we?
Lloyd - Lemon Shark - Fitting the son of the sea-themed warlord Garmadon would be a shark, huh? Luckily Lloyd didn’t inherit the Megalodon species from his dad, but instead got lucky with some dormant Lemon Shark genes from his mom. Plus he fits just about all the kind stereotypes for lemon sharks, even if other people don’t see it that way. As far as Lloyd knows, he’s the last remaining shark on the continent, all others having moved away after Garmadon began his weekly siege of Ninjago City, leading to an increase in hostility towards shark mers and merfolk.
Kai and Nya - Rift Leviathan - Now this was one a shock for poor Ray and Maya, who, as humans with no known mer family, expected to leave the hospital with one human baby, but ended up with two adorable baby noodles! The twins seem to be of different subtypes for their species, Kai adapted more to the deep while Nya has features more fitting the shallow waters of the Sunlight Zone. Being the first (known) mers of their species, neither really know much about their own biology, figuring it out as they go. Luckily they’ve got their friends and Dr. Julien on their side for that one.
Jay - Firefly Squid - With glowing freckles and his short stature, there’s no species more befitting Jay than a firefly squid! Somewhere along the way of his life, he got it into his head that his parents have no idea about his mer form- don’t ask Ed and Edna how that happened, but they let their boy pretend so he can tell them in his own time. His coloring is… admittedly a tad odd for his species (and not just the white blotched scars from a dehydration scare as a kid), but genetic variation happens, right? It’s probably nothing. His bio mom was a squid and Cliff’s human, so surely nothing weird is going on there!
Cole - Coconut Octopus - Like his mom before him, Cole is a coconut octopus and the only one of his team who can walk on land in both forms. A useful skill when trying to hide away from the public eye. Being a cephalopod Cole can employ his squishiness and extreme flexibility to squeeze in almost anywhere, as well as having the camouflage ability of his species down to an art. Unfortunately for Cole, while his dad isn’t… mean about his mer form, things did get awkward about it after Lilly’s death.
Zane - Arctic Lamprey - Funny the one with the widest smile got the species notorious for a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Zane takes after his Papa, Whint, in being a mer, though his species comes from some arctic lamprey relatives on Dr. Julien’s side. While he doesn’t latch on by the mouth like his species, Zane does have incredible suction with his hands to stick almost anywhere. His house is also the go-to hideaway for all his friends and their medical needs. There are many benefits to having a marine biologist for a father.
As great as the squad are, unfortunately, for each of their own individual reasons, they do hide their mer forms from the public, no matter how common mers may be. Which… may or may not involve gently skirting around some laws about mer registration but that’s fine they’re fine it’s fine. So long as they stay under the radar it’s easy as pie to hide themselves, right? It’s not like they’re all universally hated for being or being associated with the son of a warlord, right?
