#sharkdrew au

[emry-stars-art]

All right since we got to hold jellyNeil: as long as you promise to keep him moving you can hold a baby shark of your choice in the nursery too

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

#swim around #spin him in nice little circles #put him on your chest and swim around on your back #just get comfy becases these boys are Sleepy #I don’t know why I only ever draw them sleeping as babies lol #they get up to mischief #is. is that how that’s spelled #whatever #enjoy #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #sharkdrew au #mer au #sharkdrew

[astridsbirdskulls]

@emry-stars-art told me to make a tumblr /hj so here I am with some (unfinished) leafy sea dragon Allison for their all mer au

#i saw gay so I said gay. that's not bullying that's an astute observation #allison's goal is to be hot not modest #we're cheering from the underwater sidelines #pirate neil has a figurehead of sharkdrew 👀 #kevin being clueless as usual #my art #wip #fan art #aftg #all for the game #allison reynolds #renne walker #andrew minyard #kevin day #mer au #oops all mer au #sharkdrew au #i don't actually know how tags work yet. just gimme a second #i fixed it everything's fine

[emry-stars-art]

I’m imaging the cuddles you were describing and AWWWWWW I can’t stop smiling that’s so sweet 🥹❤️❤️

Mer cuddles mer cuddles mer cuddles (and a potential Nicky, I’m testing designs as both manta ray and like ribbon eel or something)

#and a bonus little ‘what does that say’ hunt for u #you can ask for the answer or put it in the comments if you figure it out #these didn’t turn out quite like I hoped but that’s okay #we wanted mer cuddles we get mer cuddles #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #aftg au #neil josten #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #andreil #mer au #oops all mers au #sharkdrew au #asks #jellyneil #sharkdrew

[emry-stars-art]

Baby shark Andrew was cranky and Aaron said “okay it’s nap time”

Shark facts and lore/worldbuilding under the cut

So shark mers can’t actually stop moving for long periods of time but baby mers aren’t born with the ability to swim while sleeping. So they sleep on various pod mates or really anyone that will carry them. Being steadied like this is important for their development since it teaches them to sleep on their own as the get older.

Andrew was separated from his pod/school not too long after birth, and the only reason he made it past the infancy and toddler stages was the kindness of other mers. Other pods of sharks and whales, or mothers with their own children, or a very kind lone gray whale carried him around and took care of him when they found him, for as long as he would let them. Until he got spooked or upset and swam off again. Because of the lack of consistency in his care and the countless times he nearly suffocated in his sleep, Andrew to this day has a harder time sleeping on his own than most grown mers, not for lack of trying. Luckily, once he’s reunited with Aaron and a manta ray Nicky that Aaron tells him is essentially an adopted cousin, it doesn’t take long for Aaron to realize why Andrew is so tired all the time. It’s no harder for him to pull Andrew around on his back now than it was when they were little. And while they’re there, Aaron realizes that yeah, it is kind of nice to have someone he can sleep on, too. Even if he doesn’t really need it. (Nicky offers to piggyback the twins but he is far too smooth and slippery. Which doesn’t seem to be as much of an issue when Andrew takes little power naps on Neil but shh.)

Im sure it’s not uncommon for adult mers to sleep on each other at any age, but if anyone questions why Andrew is always sleeping on Aaron, Aaron gives them a death glare and makes sure Andrew never hears their stupid questions.

#I wonder how long manta rays can swim on their backs #because if they just do it for fun that’d be what Nicky would have to do #swim on his back and hold onto whoever was napping #(which is exactly what Neil does with Andrew. they cuddle) #I want to draw sooooo many mer cuddles now tho #it’s just so sweet #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #mer au #sharkdrew au #oops all mers au #basking shark #shark #sharkdrew #mer research notes

[emry-stars-art]

Got sharkdrew on the brain (thank you @sade-of-spades 😌)

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

I’m issuing a “find the artist” below the cut:

Now maybe I’m just being stupid bc I don’t know how wattpad works but I don’t see any artist credit on this collection, it looks like the person went for a “none of this is mine, all content belongs to the creators :)” 🥲 at any rate this is my immense inspiration here so if the style/art looks familiar I’d love to know who it is

#big boy #I realized very recently that if the reason sharkdrew is so beefy is to be able to swim efficiently #without the stabilization or whatever from the two dorsal fins #then he’s probably not noticeably more beefy than anyone else at the start #he’s just A Mer #but of course he grows into the Andrew we know and love him to be on this blog #anyway #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #mer au #sharkdrew au #sharkdrew #neil josten

[emry-stars-art]

Hey tumblr happy mermay

I have a mini comic for you later, but for now here’s some concept sketches/brainstorming 👀

#fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #mermay #mer au #basking shark #shark #jellyfish #black sea nettle #sketchbook #jellyNeil au #sharkdrew au #oops all mers au #sharkdrew #mer research notes

[emry-stars-art]

Wips and sketches from the insta live this morning 💕 sharkdrew and pirate Neil, fisherman Andrew, and possible design squid Jean

#or as my chat calls him #squean #Star Wars hair for squid boy #idk it’s a first pass design #and also sharkdrew is observing from a DISTANCE if he looks so small here #context what context #we’re just brainstorming plot points here idk #up next: great white Jeremy #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #wip #sketchbook #neil josten #andrew minyard #jean moreau #mer au #sharkdrew au #jellyneil au #oops all mers au #sharkdrew #jellyneil

[emry-stars-art]

We may branch off into separate masterposts as we keep going, but for now, here’s this ✨ there may be some overlap or ambiguity with various posts, but I’ll do my best to organize!

mermay 2023 pdf/zine (free download)

oops all mers au 🦈🪼🐋

brainstorming pg1 mermay 2023 piece head pats for jellyneil whalemack

mer cuddles

squid jean take 1

hybrid mer Kevin

jellyneil’s gender

Neil tries to catch food for Andrew

How Neil sleeps sometimes (and harbor seals being cute)

Tiny baby squean?

When sharkdrew surprises jellyneil

Jellyneil and its stingers

sharkdrew au 🦈🏴‍☠️

brainstorming pg2 sleepy baby sharks/some lore sharkdrew and whalemack

Neil meets the shark (evernote scene)

sharkdrew finds a washed up pirate

Mer Kevin and human Jean&Jeremy

Maybe another first meeting

jellyneil au 🪼🎣

first mini comic pt1 / pt2 jelly life cycle/baby jelly neil little Andrew finds a baby jelly

harpoon fisher Andrew

baby jelly sounds

bubble rings snippet

#masterpost #not art sorry guys #aftg #aftg au #mer au #jellyNeil au #sharkdrew au #oh i was kind of surprised that sharkdrew and pirate neil won the interest vote lol #just because i have the least figured out about that timeline i guess i was like 'these other ones are too fun' #but now we're getting into all of them and im exploring shark/pirate au more.... #i see you #they're still all fun lol but like. im excited to work this out like the royal au if you are willing

[emry-stars-art]

I didnt mean to rediscover how much I like brainstorming and world building stuff but here we are - this time it’s (mostly) pirate Neil and shark Andrew flavored!

@tell-me-your-vision had some very good tags on the last post like this so of course I started thinking harder about it lol, you all know by now that the best way to get me to draw more is to leave ideas and questions in your tags 😘 it’s very interesting figuring out what parts I want to be drawn directly from the source animal and what I want to have artistic liberty with! Sometimes you just gotta say “it’s this way because I decided it is” and offer no more explanation, not even to yourself.

That being said. If the snippet interested you, find more of the unfinished scene here :D (and if you want to leave a comment… 👀)

I don’t know how clear this image is going to end up being, so here’s the important notes typed up:

Does [Andrew’s] missing fin cause maneuverability problems? Yep. Fins keep the body stable and streamlined in the water. No fin/half detached fins means Andrew spends a lot more energy to be equally as efficient while swimming. (That’s part of why he had more upper body strength than most mers.)

Does jelly Neil feel pain like humans? Not at all. Pain vs nociception - the detection of averse stimulus. So Neil can sense and respond to ‘painful’ stimuli, and he does feel some pain like a person would in his upper half, but it’s mostly just a sensation that he responds to. (This is dangerous. Less pain means he doesn’t realize how dire a situation may be.)

A second eyelid - like a crocodile/etc; a clear secondary eyelid that closes horizontally beneath the primary eyelid, developed to keep the eye safe and clear underwater. Why jelly Neil rarely ‘actually’ blinks

Pirate Neil’s prosthesis. Most of it is always hidden under clothes; it’s made of leather, copper, rubber, and cumaru wood. It was given to him by Stuart as soon as the man found out that Neil had lost his leg, and Stuart had it custom made through his vast connections. At one point in the timeline, Neil angrily takes it off to show a wary and lashing-out sharkDrew that he has also once been on the wrong end of a ‘whaler’s’ knife.

The tiny two panel comic in the bottom right corner: pirate Neil says “stop trying to stab me in the leg” while sharkDrew was fairly certain he just took out this pirate’s kneecap with his sharp rock

The snippet:

“And it was terrified. It’s second eyelids fluttered, it’s eyes were hazy. It held the rough stone ready in case Neil tried to get close again. It still wasn’t breathing right. It was still bleeding.

“Okay,” Neil said softly. He held his own hands out a little to the side. “I’m not going to hurt you more.”

The shark snarled, though it’s mouth never opened.

“I didn’t hurt you in the first place. They’re still finning mers?”

Neil tried to step in, slowly, and was met with another vicious swing. He was ready this time, avoiding the sharp stone neatly.

“Hey, thing. Keep moving like that and you’ll bleed to death.”

Another attempt, and another swing. Neil looked at the place it’s fin had been, now a horrible, gaping wound on its back. He could see the meat beneath the blood. If he didn’t help soon, the shark would go into shock, if not simply die here on the rocks.

“Do you even realize what’s at stake for you?”

#oops i was so worried about links I forgot tags #uhh #mer au #jellyneil au #sharkdrew au #mermay #aftg #fan art #my art #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #brainstorming #sketchbook #shark #basking shark #jellyfish #sharkdrew #mer research notes

[emry-stars-art]

The end of May approaches, I am recovering from sickness and my shaky hands have produced this :D

Pretty much all of my aftg mermay this year worth seeing.

It’s a 29 page pdf that you can get for free/pay-what-you-want on my kofi, if you want to see all the brainstorming in one place and find things that I never posted! Lots of ideas in my little rat brain

Find it here!

#is this #is this a zine #have I made a zine #huh #well it’s full of art and writing and editorials and thoughts #so here you go 🤲 #fan art #my art #all for the game #mermay #mer au #sketch dump #my writing #jellyneil au #sharkdrew au #kofi #aftg #neil josten #andrew minyard

[emry-stars-art]

actual prompt:

more pirate neil content

(I very much appreciate the free form/open prompt you sent as well but I’m really bad at those 😅 like for no reason, but I’m gonna hold onto that ask for when I feel like a challenge :D )

But I CAN do pirate Neil! How about the first time he meets sharkDrew for real, not just seeing something in the distance that looks suspiciously Not Like A Shark from his ship, which is the idea so far

It’s a first draft of the idea, anyway. Here you go 🥰

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

#pirate boiiiii #and big ol’ not finned sharkdrew #yeah the human had a sharp thing on it but just the one? #and it’s so small anyway? #and the human doesn’t seem like it’s trying to hurt Andrew? #so sharkdrew will satisfy his own curiosity and get as close as he dares #(so the captain also gets to satisfy his) #my writing #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #mer au #sharkdrew au #asks

[emry-stars-art]

We got some hefty stickers, my Star tier is gonna get their moneys worth this month on god 😂💪

Im also making a shark-only design, for those that don’t like jellyfish 💕

#fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #mermay #kofi update #stickers #mer au #jellyNeil au #sharkDrew au #shark #jellyfish #jellyneil #sharkdrew

[emry-stars-art]

“Now do mers kiss or is this a little surprise nuzzle” i like to think they do both but the idea of them surprising each other with little nuzzles is so dear to me

I think jellyneil does eventually learn how to control its sting but. Andrew you startled him 🥲

#apparently it is unofficially #kiss a ginger day #??? #so I HAD TO #and yes I know Neil is not a ginger #which is why I drew a not-technically-Neil #that’s how math works right it balances out #and I’ve missed themmmmmmm #the mers :) #also trying out new hair for Neil? hmmmm #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #asks #mer au #oops all mers au #sharkdrew #jellyneil

[emry-stars-art]

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

#jellyNeil is getting SO CLOSE to the breakthrough of starting to understand speech #but for now. it’s doing it’s best #so here is where we #playing with the timelineeeeeee #does sharkdrew meet jellyNeil before or after finning?? #kinda breaks my heart to imagine jellyNeil trying desperately with its newly burgeoning intelligence to understand what happened #why the shark can’t swim as well anymore and why he seems hurt and why he’s so much more angry #where the fin went #why the shark won’t let Neil touch the place the fin used to be #Neil realizing oh. something horrific happened #which heartbreak USUALLY means I should add it. we suffer together #okay byeeeee have a good day #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #oops all mers au #sharkdrew #jellyneil #jellyfish #digital #chibi

[emry-stars-art]

Linework go brrrrrr

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

#i really liked the shapes especially on Andrew #I wonder if I can recreate that #it’s like extra cute to me #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #neil josten #andrew minyard #sharkdrew #jellyNeil #oops all mers au #mer au #jellyfish #digital #chibi

[emry-stars-art]

sorry to bother you, but….

if statled jelly!niel stings, does sleeping jelly!niel sting? Because it seems to be a conscious effort for niel to not sting? Or did I misunderstand this?

what are the scientific implications of sleepy jelly cuddles?

Great question! Thank you for letting me put on my more beach-appropriate baseball cap and do more mer research hehe

So I asked the shark and he told me to mind my business I think.

Unfortunately for him, the manta ray will spill just about anything in exchange for pretty human stuff and I am great at taking notes.

Basically? It seems to me like it’s expected touch vs unexpected, combined with the jelly’s maturing self-awareness. When it’s younger, a jelly mer will start getting control of its sting by ‘turning it off’ consciously. As they get older, it can become closer to “will not sting unless actively startled or for good reason” as the jelly chooses! Think of the sting response like a knee-jerk, throwing-elbows response. Anything less startling isn't worth the effort. Or in jellyneil's case, maybe more of a nervous person's flinch response.

So at this age when jellyneil is awake, it generally won’t sting unless really startled - unfortunately for most mers, the poor thing is a little jumpy and most unexpected touches are startling 🥲

When jellyneil is asleep, there’s more of a “base state” idea happening - however it goes to sleep is how it’ll peacefully stay. So if it falls sleep with someone else touching it, no stings! If it falls sleep in traditional jelly fashion (wedged between rocks or otherwise anchored down) the tentacles and stingers are instinctively in defense mode and I cannot advise getting too close.

If it gets startled awake though? I can only assume it would sting then as well but I can't tell you for sure because the whale and the one shark twin are usually very good about not letting that happen.

There’s some point to be made here about the fact that the stinging is only ‘turned off’ while cuddling/sleeping on other mers - clearly, brushing up against rocks doesn’t desensitize the stingers to other outside stimuli. In open water, the sleeping jelly knows to fend for itself. The presence of another mer seems to be instinctively calming.

But I am not here to wax poetic about it, that’s your job, I just provide the research 🤲

Find the mer au masterpost here 💕

#lmao am I just like out on a lil research boat in the middle of the ocean #or am I at some research facility where Wymack brings all his kids for check ups #why am i suddenly making this au modern?? #I can NOT get existential about this 😂😭 #ANYWAY #‘scientific implications of sleepy jelly cuddles’ #anon did you specifically design that string of words to get all of my interests and joys at once #because it sure feels like you did #fan art #my art #aftg #all for the game #mer au #oops all mers au #mer research notes #lol imma make that a tag now #sharkdrew #jellyneil #jellyfish #whalemack #sharkaaron #….? did we give him a mer name #asks