Azul Trans HCs 🏳️⚧️
(Note: Still new to tumblr so formatting might be weird! Sorry! + projecting a bit of my own experiences onto him oopsies)
Azul is a trans man, but doesn't go about it in the very traditional sense. Transness isn't uncommon or seen as outside the norm among merfolk, esp since I believe merfolk follow closer to fish society and anatomy—where gender changes are normal (eg. clownfish)
However, since Azul is an octopus merman, he cannot change his gender at will, and has to rely on potions for gender affirming care. Eg. lowering his voice, reducing breast mass, etc. (I do like to think that he did get top surgery somehow because in his octoform it fits perfectly and I've always thought the scars were pretty)
He never struggled much with gender dysphoria, mostly feeling out of place because of body dysmorphia. Esp when puberty hit and he felt his chest developing. It only increased his body dysmorphia, where even if he wasn't trans, I feel he would find a way to get some kind of breast reduction.
Additionally, it would also make sense why he was pudgier when he was younger, esp his human half being human where women store more fat than men. His tentacles have remained the same size as he grew and only his human half has changed in weight
I also imagine Azul in his octo form is twice the length and probably triple the size of the twins, which makes sense if he was AFAB since female octopi are much larger than male. But, he's shorter in human form since women are usually shorter than men biologically
On land, whenever he's asked if he is trans or not he won't directly answer. If he were asked if he was a trans man, he would reply that he was a man. Same thing if he was asked if he was a cis man, where he would reply that he is a man.
Really only the Leech twins know about his past and neither one really bring it up because it falls in line with the NDA abt his past. + Azul only hides this part of him because it relates to him being bigger when he was younger which is the main reason he hides it //Warning: Genitalia Talk
I've always HCed merfolk as hermaphroditic. That being said, they still have a sex, male or female, where only 1 part technically functions. (Eg. only male merfolk can produce sperm / only female merfolk can lay eggs.)
On land, since he only takes potions that provide care but not necessarily change his gender (he didn't feel there was a point in the sea since merfolk have both parts) he would have female anatomy
I don't think this bothered him, since merfolk store their genitalia in slits anyway. It was probably a bigger shock for the twins just having their thang hanging out LOL.
I do think it's kind funny to think about him experiencing a period for the first time on land and that's when he decided to take a potion to change to male because it was just impractical. (Plus I hate periods kill kill kill die die die)
That's basically it (?) I'm sure there's probably more in my noggin but that's all I can think of so far! Thanks for reading, this character means so much to me 🥺! (Probably also why I lowk kin him but that's a story for another day)
