Hermitcraft S7 Shenanigans

Down Into The Depths (one-shot/prompt)

whooo i got more motivation to write! i was working on an animatic all day and im so close to being done! (basically just gotta edit it all together! im so proud of myself!)

anyways, here's a one-shot for prompt 2: Seas (also please keep in mind that they're like mermaids and are half-human half-fish, not just like fucking talking fish)

   ~*~

Curiosity had provoked him for so long about what was deep under the waves, and today was the day he was going to find out.

"You really shouldn't do it Keralis," Scar fretted, his catfish whiskers twitching as he swam around his friend anxiously. "What if you get hurt down there? It's really dangerous and you know that..."

"I agree!" Stress piped up from where she was resting on the sand, her elegant jellyfish tentacles curled on the sand as bubbles drifted around her. "You might get lost!"

"I know where I'm going!" Keralis protested, flicking his thin white-and-orange striped tail irritably. "I'm going to go down the path! There's a trail so I won't get lost!"

Mumbo sighed from where he was relaxing on the sand, flopping down his thick black tail in defeat and kicking up a cloud of sand. "There's no stopping you is there?" he asked tiredly, sighing again when Keralis grinned and shook his head.

Stress frowned and got up from where she was sitting, swimming over to Keralis. "At least be careful?" she murmured, cupping his cheek with one dainty hand. "For us?"

Keralis nodded, a determined grin plastered on his face. "Of course!" The triplefin mermaid swam off, leaving his friends worriedly murmuring amongst themselves.

Bubbles spiraled behind him as he tread through the clear water, letting his fin flick at the surface as the sand sloped down. The water around him grew a deeper shade and a strange silence filled his ears. The only thing guiding him was the burst of rocky color in the distance.

"Hey!" Keralis yelped at the voice and spun around, thin filmy fins on his arms flared out in defense. A woman with flowing blonde hair and glittering blue eyes faced him, the spikes on her thick honey-golden tail threateningly puffed out.

"What are you going here?" she demanded, her hard black nails clacking together. She looked him up and down for a moment before letting out a small, "oh," and dropping her defense stance, her tail deflating thinner and the spikes flattening. "You're a triplefin..."

"Y-yes?" Keralis responded, still a bit startled and fidgeting nervously. "And you're a pufferfish r-right?"

She nodded briskly and swam closer to him, curling herself with her flattened spines dangerously close to his tail as light glared against the goggles on her head ominously. "What in the deep are you doing out here?" she asked in a demanding tone. "Triplefins usually live in the reefs, not outside."

"I live closer to shore with some um, friends," he murmured, avoiding her sharp blue gaze. "I'm just passing through here, don't worry."

"False?" another voice said, following by a light splash. A brunette with an elegant silver tail crashed in from the waves above, a flurry of bubbles spiraling around his sleek fins. Clear brown eyes peered from behind glasses are he gazed steadily at Keralis. "Have you acquired another friend False?"

False shook her head, meeting Joe's stare with a pointed glare. "No, he's a triplefin, bottom of the food chain. Don't be silly Joe."

Keralis recoiled from Joe's presence, his thin fins flattening against his arms. Dolphins were never a great sign, especially considering this one was friends with a pufferfish. "I should be going now," he muttered, backing away from the two. "I have places to be."

"Well travel safe," Joe said, his strangely blank expression unnerving to Keralis. "Wherever you're headed."

The triplefin nodded a thanks and quickly sped off, swishing his thin tail rapidly as he cut through the water. The blur of colors that made up the reef passed him and led to vast open water that seemed frozen in time.

Until a whirlwind of gray suddenly zipped towards him.

He was given no time to react as it slammed into him, causing him to crash to the seabed in a puff of sand. Keralis quickly shoved them away and shoot up into higher water, staring down in frozen shock.

A man with tan skin and black hair laid on the sand below him, rubbing his head and grumbling under his breath. A broad gray tail curled under him, lacking the elegance and grace of a dolphin's, and sharp gleaming teeth lined his mouth.

Shark.

Keralis was frozen for a moment, processing what just happened and then sped off as fast as he could. "Wait!" a voice called after him, but no way was he listening. A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist and Keralis' brain practically shut off.

"Hey hey hey, calm down!" the man said, spinning Keralis around to face him. "I'm going to hurt you! I swear!"

Keralis was trembling and though the man's face looked more concerned than threatening, all he could focus on was the fact that he was a motherfucking shark. "B-b-but yo-you're a sh-shark..." he managed to whisper, eyes wide with fear.

The man sighed and loosened his grip on Keralis' wrist, looking away. "I know I'm a shark," he admitted quietly. "But I don't want to hurt you. I just... wanted to apologize for uh, crashing into you."

"I-It's fine..." Keralis stuttered, his mind running through numerous emotions. "I need to go though so uh, c-could you let go please?" The man, to Keralis' surprise let go immediately and Keralis started to slowly swim away, casting nervous glances behind himself.

"Wait um..." The shark's voice made him freeze and anxiously stare at him. "What's your name?" he asked, smiling softly. When the triplefin didn't answer he added, "I'm BDubs."

"I'm um, Keralis," Keralis finally muttered, fidgeting with his hands.

BDubs' smile brightened, slightly revealing his sharp teeth. "Well Keralis, I hope we meet again one day!"

   ~*~

i had some more planned for this but im saving it for the next prompt 👀 btw, if ya'll want to ask some questions about this AU please ask! im always willing to answer/lowkey ramble :D