Thread by @skumhuu, Okay so!! Mer au!! I don't have everything sorted out quite yet, [...]

Okay so!! Mer au!! I don't have everything sorted out quite yet, but I do know that Cross is a fox shark mer who meets a sweet little goldfish!Mer who goes by the name of Dream. Dream's very sweet and friendly towards him and Cross is immediately smitten with this tiny mer who

isn't afraid of him despite him being a shark. He wants to protect his new (and only) friend ;u; At first, they meet every couple of weeks, Dream appearing out of nowhere to sunbathe near the surface. He never hunts, and he always looks healthy and happy despite this. Cross takes

up guarding him from any threats. Dream lets him, finding the shark sweet and caring like an overgrown puppy. They quickly grow close, and Cross starts to find himself wrapped around the tiny mer, cuddling as they bathe in the sunlight. Dream talks about his brother and his crew

alot, eventually revealing that they live a little deeper down and don't need as much sunlight as he does. Which is why Dream takes trips to the surface, getting as much sun as he can before going back home (And also to get a small break from them) Cross is a little bemused about

a gang of goldfish living so far down below (Not far enough to live in the Deep obviously, how would any goldfish survive THERE?), but doesn't pry much. Dream is also kind enough not to pry into Cross's past as well, which Cross is forever grateful for ;; Then, one day they're

attacked by a strange shark who has been appearing around Cross for months. Cross immediately jumps to protect Dream, snarling at this grinning mer who keeps popping up in his business. The stranger tries to rile Cross up and take a few 'stabs' at the two, only for Dream to

finally break away from Cross's protective hold and stop the fight. Thus Cross meets Killer, a member of Nightmare's crew and a bull shark?? Apparently Killer has always been around to watch over Dream during his trips to the surface, tho Dream keeps slipping away lately to meet

up with his new 'date-mate'

(cue blushy spluttering from the cream duo) With Killer's little test out of the way, he turns serious and tells Dream to be more careful and that Killer's going to have to stick closer from now on because of 'boss's orders'. See, Nightmare's been

growing uneasy with Dream's frequent trips to the surface, despite it being necessary for Dream's health. Even though he trusts Dream, he doesn't trust CROSS, and the humans have been more active lately only making Nightmare MORE paranoid that something could happen. So Dream

goes back home with Killer after that, giving Cross a hug and an apologetic smile. Cross is left very, very confused and wondering What Just Happened. The next few visits are accompanied by Killer. Dream giggles when Killer and Cross bicker and argue, the three of them bonding

and growing closer. Meanwhile Dream is growing increasingly frustrated because he and his brother are arguing about about what sort of compromise they could come to about the situation. Dream doesn't want to make Cross come down to the Deep, especially since Cross seems to have

some sort of Past with that place. And Nightmare has a bad habit of collecting mers and keeping them for his crew so Dream doesn't want Cross to feel trapped or forced back into the Deep because of him. Nightmare can't exactly leave the Deep for his trips either, so they're left

at a standstill. At least until Plot Reasons happen and Killer is injured. Dream can't bring him home by himself, especially with the blood attracting any sort of predator their way. Even if they did try to leave without Cross, he wouldn't feel comfortable letting them go alone.

So Cross insists on helping, brushing off Dream's worries as he gathers Killer up and asks Dream to lead the way. Despite everything, Cross Did Not expect him to lead them down into the Deep, Dream's scales giving off a soft glow as the world gets darker. Cross grows more nervous

and tense the further down they get, not wanting to be back in this place. His mind spins all the while. He didn't want to be here, there were so so many dangers lying in the shadows, how did Dream and his brother live here?? Cross is very confused/uneasy yet determined to see

this through and bring both Killer and Dream home safely. He's ready the defend them from anything, even the great Terror of the Deep if need be. Finally they start to reach the bottom, the corpses of ship wrecks littering the ocean's floor in a great big pile of twisted wood and

metal. Treasure lines the edges, skeletal remains everywhere he looked. Every bit of this place is seeped in death and darkness. Cross even spots whale bones scattered throughout the mess, the massive ribs adding to the image and making the mers feel even smaller. Despite this

desolate scenery, Dream carries onward, his bright appearance like the most beautiful nightlight, guiding the way through the darkness like a star on a moonless night.
At last Dream comes to a halt, telling Cross that they've arrived and to try not to freak out. Figures appear

out of the darkness, and Cross tenses as they approach. One of them is a great white shark mer named Horror and the other is a oceanic whitetip shark named Dust. They circle the trio, leering at Cross as Dream asks if Nightmare knows that they're on the way and that Killer is

injured. They answer that they're here to escort them and Dream frowns at the implied 'escorting Cross since he's an unknown and thus dangerous'. Yet he carries on leading the way, huffing at his brother's lack of trust. Cross grows more and more nervous, senses tingling the

further they go, all screaming, 'Danger! Danger! Danger!' But he trusts Dream, he trusts Dream so much that he'd swim into the depths of hell if need be ;; So he stays quiet and follows, making sure not to jostle Killer along the way. At last they come to an end of the seemingly

endless anount of ship wrecks and bones, the ground abruptly cut off by pitch black darkness. A sea trench within a sea trench?? Dream floats out above it, fearless and steady. Cross sticks close, feeling tiny and unanchored above the sea of darkness. It feels as though the very

shadows were closing in on them, wrapping around them ravenously.
Cross feels his soul leap up into his throat when he realizes that feeling's not just in his head. Something dark and BIG is cutting them off from Horror and Dust, cutting off Dream's glow, the light doing nothing

to illuminate their surroundings anymore. Cross acts on instinct and grabs Dream, tucking the tiny mer behind himself as he holds Killer close, snarling as his caudal fin glows a hot threatening red. Ready to slice through anything to keep them safe. Then, the whole world lights

up, bathing them in blue. Cross blinks rapidly, eyes burning at the rapid change from pitch black darkness to a glaring teal. With everything lit up, Cross can see that the things that had been closing in around them were giant tentacles. His soul sinks at the realization that

the the blue wasn't a light source but in fact a giant eye, peering down at them. Even so, Cross waves his tail fin threateningly and bares his teeth. "Stay back." He snarls, trying to look as threatening as possible even when he feels anything but.

"You really are a fool." A voice says, unimpressed. The words rumble through Cross's bones.
"Cross..." Dream murmurs softly, peering over his shoulder with a sheepish smile. "This is my brother, Nightmare."
Cross can only stare at Dream, sockets wide.

"What." Cross says dumbly.
(And thus, Cross meets Kraken!Nightmare! The great terror of the deep!

They Do Not get along at first)

here's a small sketch I made

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