Context: You're a college student, studying marine biology, and you've just survived midterms. Thanks to that, you and others in your program are going out on a boat to celebrate. Hopefully, all will go well. After all, what place could a marine biology student be more at home than at sea?

Setting: The S.S. Party Bucket

Tags: [M4A][Friends to ?][Tsundere Merman Speaker][Marine Biology Student Listener][Confession][Reveal][Drama/Angst][Peer Pressure][Hidden Issues][Survival][Flirting?][Protective][CW: Injury]

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***

[Scene opens on a boat]

[SFX: General partying]

[You’re looking out over the water while the rest of the group parties behind you, just trying to spot a fish or something interesting, when a gruff voice comes from behind you]

“Yo, Guppy! You aren’t going to catch any sexy Merman swimming in this lighting!”

[You turn and see Tate, looking unimpressed as always]

[Pause]

“Yeah, yeah, I get you’re the program’s star marine biologist or whatever, but this is a party. You should at least get yourself a beer or something. Might help you unwind a little from midterms?”

[Pause]

[He rolls his eyes]

“Jesus above, I will literally hand you a beer. Right now. See this other beer I’m holding? Yeah. You drink? Is good.”

[Pause]

“What? Your bag is below deck. You have to take your meds before drinking any beer? Yeah, fine. Do you want me to grab it for you?”

[Pause]

“Fine. But you’re drinking irresponsibly once you’re good and medicated, my dear! PEER PRESSURE!”

[SFX: The Listener walking across the deck]

[A bit of time passes - Tate walks around, looking for the Listener]

“Yo! You seen Guppy? I’m trying to waterboard them with beer!”

[Pause]

“Damnit, where could they have gone… Josh! You seen Guppy?”

[Pause]

“Prank? What kind of pr-?”

[SFX: The Listener jumping into the water]

“HOLY SHIT! They just jumped into the water! Move! MOVE, GODAMNIT!”

[SFX: A second splash]

“Guppy! Hey! Hey, they got cut open on the coral reef! HEY! Bring the boat around!”

[Pause]

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CAPTAIN IS TOO DRUNK TO STEER?! Gah, damnit! O-OK, I’m going to try and get them to that island, OK?!”

[Pause!]

“Fucking Captain is drunk, motherfuck… This is one of those “Well if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions!” moments, isn’t it? Don’t worry, the boat is going to come back for us… I hope. All they can do right now is keep on the automatically mapped route. Freaking autopilot saving humanity, huh Guppy?” ”

[...]

“...Guppy?”

[...?]

“Hey, hey, hey! C’mon, Guppy! C’mon! C’mon, look at me…”

[You try but can’t really manage to look at all four of him]

[Pause…]

“Damnit! Damnit… OK… O-OK, I don’t know how out of it you are right now, but everything you’re about to see is an illusion, got it?”

[???]

[SFX: A mermaid tail unfurling]

“Shut up, just… NNGH! Damnit, the transformation process between human and Mer is so PAINFUL! Alright, take a breath, we’re swimming for the island!”

[SFX: Swimming and general grumpy Merman noises]

[???]

“Nngh… yeah, OK, here we go. One rocky beach for one brain-damaged human idiot. What were you thinking, jumping like that?! The second a human submerges like that is the second the local predators know they can start eating!”

[Pause…]

“Josh? What about Josh? I know you two have some weird rivalry or, like, love-hate thing going on but that’s about it.”

[...]

“Wait, he’s your stepbrother? Eugh, seriously? With the way he treats you?”

[...]

[He tenses as you start to cry, looking about as uncomfortable as a Merman can]

“Oh God, human tears… Um… there there…?”

[Pause]

[He exhales with a grumble]

“...OK. Let it out. Tell Tate all about it, I guess. Curl up in my tail… There. Now, what about Josh? What did he do when you two were alone on the boat?”

[Pause]

“I see… And he’s always like that with you?”

[Pause]

“Fuck’s sake… If your parents favor him, they’re idiots. You’re way smarter, way more driven, way funnier, way prettier, way u-uh… You’re good. He’s not. That’s all there is to it.”

[Pause?]

“How can I tell? The guy is pretty awful, it’s not hard. If he were a fish, he’d be the one fish that got punched by an angry octopus out of the whole school. Or the moray eel that the octopus rides like a rodeo bull to piss it off. Or that one giant isopod that took out a whole shark. Said shark was a massive dick, is what I’m trying to say, and the ocean doesn’t care about good or evil, but it won’t abide assholes.”

[...]

“...Yeah, I’m a Merman. Part-time, I guess. Since the reintegration project, some of us have been attending land universities to, you know, get a taste of the culture. I’m not allowed to say who else, but-”.

[Pause?]

“...Yeah, Noah’s one too. Fucking idiot, I keep telling him not to frolic around in his pearl earrings, singing sea shanties, and wanting to do laps in the pool constantly. Dude is proud of his heritage, what can I say?”

[Pause]

“Me? Meh… My colors and patterns aren’t as fancy as his. I’m what you guys would call a ‘mutt’, I guess. My mom had pink scales, my Dad had blue scales, and BAM, here I am, a whole purple baby with gold markings. Why? Fuck genetics, that’s why.”

[...]

“...You don’t seem that weirded out.”

[Pause]

“True, Moonvale University isn’t exactly lacking in supernatural students… I don’t know why I feel so inadequate by comparison, you know? You’ve got that Oni boy who accidentally benched an entire car, or that creepy girl who can hum and make people love her, or the werewolf girl who has to grill every week as a ‘religious ceremony’. I’m over here like “Hello! I am a fish!”.”

[Pause]

“...You think I’m pretty neat, huh? Heh… Fair enough… You feeling OK down there?”

[...]

“Hey, I know you’re tired but you gotta keep your eyes open, OK? You hit your head and that coral sliced you up pretty hard. C’mon, Guppy, just think of how hard you’re gonna punch Josh in his stupid face, yeah?”

[...]

“...Guppy?”

[...]

“H-Hey! Hey, c’mon! No, don’t you dare close your eyes! Don’t you dare-!”

[Your eyes slip shut. You really hope you’re not hallucinating the handsome Merman. You do hope, however, that the coconut crabs are hallucinations]

[To be continued]