#does hx give hc relationship advice

[hualianff]

Fisherman HX

Fisherman HX who finds an injured creature tangled up in an abandoned net. Not only does HX recognize this creature as a merman, but also as the infamous sinker of numerous shady ships.

He decides to help this merman anyway, their wounds look quite severe.

HX: “how bad can he be-?”

HC: [weakly hisses and tries ripping HX’s hands off]

HX: “GAH”

Nevertheless, HC’s wounds are too many and too deep. And he can only defend himself so much while trapped in the net. Eventually, he lets HX pull him up into the boat. 

HX can’t believe he’s actually following through with this idiotic plan. He slowly unsheathes his trusty dagger, making sure the merman can see he means no bodily harm, just needs to begin cutting up the net. 

This merman can’t seem to understand HX’s words but still gives him the most judgmental looks. Especially when they’re back in HX’s cottage, the human attempting to apply ointment to the bleeding scratches on his back, and some gashes on his tail. 

However, the merman’s mobility seems to worsen over the next few hours. HX curses. There must have been poison involved. It would take him a couple days to properly identify it and concoct the appropriate cure. Because of the merman’s mild paralysis, HX literally has to tend to the merman’s whims. 

A week goes by. The two have established a somewhat friendly relationship. And as it turns out, HC can understand human tongue

HC: “you fuckin’ loser”

HX, getting whiplash: “exCUSE ME!?”

HX decides to bring HC on his next fishing trip. The merman’s condition has improved enough. Plus, if HC can communicate with him, he should be able to offer advice on how to catch more fish to sell in the next market. 

So here HX is, patiently waiting for the telling wiggling of his small nets below. HC is splayed out on the other end of the boat, chilling and ultimately making HX’s life harder.

It doesn’t get more exciting than this-

SPLASH!

A body shoots out of the water and yoinks HX overboard. The creature drags HX beneath the surface, constricting his limbs and going for his neck. 

A series of aggressive clicks echoes underwater. 

HX: [so this is how i die?]

One second, HX is being drowned by what is clearly another merman, the next moment he’s somehow back above the surface and gasping for air.

HC now insistently clicks at the other merman, who squawks then hisses as he brandishes HX’s limp body like a ragdoll. 

HX: “Whasss goin’ on?”

HC: “Shut up, don’t say anything.”

He chirps one last time to the other merman. 

***

HC beckons his mate closer, speaking in merman tongue. 

“Love, let the human go. He saved me.”

Floating next to the boat, XL bares his teeth, his expression one of disbelief. 

“Are you sure? I can still drown him if you want. He’s just a human,”  XL says, still half-strangling HX. 

Centuries ago, XL’s pod was brutally attacked by pirates. As an adventurous, young merman, XL had swam too close to the surface, consequently leading the pirates to his podmates. A few survived, but XL never forgets.

He will never let his vendetta against humans go.

Funny how things work out. 

While XL was born a merman, HC was turned by XL when they mated. This explains why HC knows human tongue and has a better understanding of human behavior. It also helps him sink even the most advanced ships.

XL and HC started off extremely hostile, HC a merchant who sailed the waters XL resided in. HC even has a scar from their first meeting, which he jokes that it’s a love bite or something. HC always wore tough clothing so XL’s jaws couldn’t pierce through. 

Feisty XL hadn’t hesitated to chomp HC multiple times.

Alas, the fates had plans for them. Over the course of five years, the merman and human fell deeply in love. HC had then offered his life for XL’s to have, and the decision to mate was made. 

The transformation process is a difficult one, and has a very low chance of survival. It involves dark ancient magic; a ritual consisting of feeding from human flesh for one week straight; then drowning until near death before being saved with a kiss from a merman.

When HC’s two legs took the form of a beautiful, massive, crimson and black tail, the pair had lovingly intertwined tails while wrapping their arms around each other. 

Many, many eras have come and went. XL taught HC the merman ways from how to swim at incredible speeds to how to avoid humans and the violence they bring. 

The mated pair have been together since, swimming beneath the ocean’s surface, inseparable. 

Now, XL has successfully stalked the human that took his mate. He doesn’t understand human tongue, and is prepared to slaughter this human and offer the flesh for HC to devour to recover. 

Fortunately, HC explains the situation, and HX’s life is spared. 

HC: “He’s honestly not that bad.”

XL: “...did you misbehave while you were with him?”

HC: “Not a single eating utensil left, water everywhere on his floors, and I managed to break his… he said teevee?”

XL, purring: “That’s my boy. ”

HX is still held in the feisty merman’s clutches. After a snickering string of clicks from the new merman, HX questions: “What is he saying?”

“Oh, he says thank you for helping me,” HC answers.

What XL actually said: “Why is his haircut so ugly?”

Soon enough, XL hoists himself up into HX’s boat. He deposits HX on the floor, then wiggles over to HC. 

“Missed you,” XL says, petting his mate’s hair. HC responds by nuzzling his forehead against XL’s. 

HX lays on his back, staring up at the sky. He now has two merman cuddling in his boat, and exactly zero fish have been caught.

“Why am I here?”

A few days later, XL approaches HX’s boat again and actually does offer human flesh for HC. HX gags and looks away as HC happily tears into the gory flesh.

***

w/ @no-one-says-hi

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