Archive of Our Own ^beta

If a siren’s call should reach your ears,

Your family will be left with naught but tears.

If you set aside your fears and brave the sea,

On your guard you must always be.

Just because Sirens were fond of their own music (and rightly so) didn't mean they couldn't appreciate good music from a source other than themselves. Consequently it was easy to tell herself that whatever this was now , had definitely started out as just that; music appreciation. She peered cautiously around the river rock and through the reeds at the source of her ongoing fascination.

His dark but vibrant blue hair and gentle smile had nothing to do with why she kept coming back either. His musical ability was simply superior to all humans she'd heard before. And it was definitely the unfamiliar feeling of fresh water that was causing that uncomfortable itch in her scales, even if she'd been visiting for months and the discomfort had only started in recent weeks. A little extra time at home and a nice refreshing salt scrub would fix her right up.

‘Love’ had nothing to do with any of it. Sirens were safe from the dangerous emotions that plagued the humans. They had to be. Anything else was just an old fish tale. Right?

Marinette was as silent as could be and it was a testament to her self control that she kept herself from adding her voice to his music; it wasn't as if she wasn't tempted. To sing would spell his doom and while she longed to possess the alluring musician, she didn't want to end his song (the very thought was painful somehow).  Besides, there was danger here, he wasn't completely alone, he had family that would likely notice if he went missing. She wasn't worried about his sister of course (empathy was for humans), but about keeping the presence of the merfolk a secret. It would not do the pod any good if the humans had reason to believe they lived as close to the cove as they did. The land dwellers believed that the reef protected them from the deep dwellers and yet it was the colorful reef teaming with life that kept them so close to shore in these waters.

She sank lower into the water as he stopped playing his alluring instrument and watched him carefully ( not longingly) as he walked away, something about his stride seemed to have a rhythmic cadence of its own. She didn't move from her hiding spot until he was completely out of sight. Caution was the name of the game. When it felt safe to do so she let herself drift downstream to the estuary where freshwater mingled with saltwater and she could make her way home once again. A refreshing salt scrub sounded like a good way to end the day's adventure.

Rain. Marinette used to like the rain- sheets of water falling from above, obscuring the line between sea and sky, so wild and free. The all encompassing grayness that made the ocean waves roil and the sea toss the foolish humans that tempted the fates in their little boats. So easy to call them into the cold embrace of Amphitrite’s arms as they went willingly with a smile on their lips. But now; now the rain meant that the boy with his instrument hid inside his covered boat withholding his music from her. Marinette growled at the sea and the sky and pulled apart the crown of seaflowers she had been working on. What was the point in anything anymore? She just wanted to hear the gentle and lively strum of his hands on the strings- the soft hum of his deep voice and watch the smile that lit his face when he found the note he was looking for. If the rain didn’t stop soon she might just go and call him to the sea herself- why wait when she could take his memories for her own? He wasn’t done yet though, his music kept growing and changing and if she took him now, she would miss out on what was to come.

The sun was shining on the surface and the golden light filtered through the restless water and lit the brightly hued anemones, urchins and stars. Finally!  It had been a rainy couple of weeks and she had learned early on that humans didn't spend time outside their dwellings when it was wet. Marinette didn't understand the aversion. The sky was a pretty color when the sun was out though, like the shallow sea or a pale imitation of her musician's eyes. He would likely be out playing today and she didn't want to miss it. 

"Where have you been disappearing to?" a curious voice chirped just over her shoulder. 

"Gah! Rose! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Marinette scolded her friend as she gasped for water. 

Rose looked as beautiful as ever- sprightly with an elfin face and unique tri-colored tail that shimmered in gold, pink and blue. Her bright face darkened slightly as she took in her friend, "Are you hurt? What happened?!" she asked, gesturing to a tiny patch of ruined scales on Marinette's tail. 

Marinette shifted her hand slightly to cover the spot and answered slowly, "I was exploring the river mouth and an unexpected current caught me against a rough rock." It wasn't a lie, not really. She had definitely had run-ins with rocks in the river, though none of them had caused any kind of damage to her sturdy tail, "It should be fine soon."

She didn't like the pale lifeless color showing through the missing scales of her otherwise vibrant pink tail, it was ugly in comparison. She had half a mind to find a boat and drown a few sailors to make herself feel better. Scales or no, her voice was irresistible to men at sea, and there was something empowering about a life sacrificed in her honor; but the call of the music up the river was pulling her towards the shore instead of away from it. 

"What's so fascinating at the river mouth? Can I see?" Rose queried eagerly. Marinette hesitated, she could distract her friend easily enough with the freshwater stars or urchins but she knew Rose could keep a secret and she didn't want to spend another day without the beguiling boy music.

"I found an incredible musician, I’ll show you, but you can't tell anyone!." She answered in a whispered hiss. She was proud of her discovery and while she didn't want to share she did want to show him off a little. Sirens were always looking for the next big musical thing, and she had found it and he was hers- not that he would ever know that.

Rose accepted her invitation excitedly and followed her through the tumultuous crashing of the estuary and up the steadily flowing water of the river itself till they came within sight of a houseboat moored to a sturdy tree on the shore. 

"Humans live on the water?" Rose asked in a curious whisper as Marinette pulled her under the surface to keep her voice from carrying. 

"Shhhh! These ones do. No talking above the surface, okay? The people here are more observant than most." Rose nodded her acceptance, eyes shining with the thrill of the secret. Both girls gave a subtle half flick of their tails and rose just enough above the water to see and hear. Marinette looked furtively around… there he was! She tapped her friend lightly and gestured with her lips in his direction. Rose watched eagerly as he sat down with his stringed instrument and began to play, her eyes growing wide in wonder. Marinette couldn't help the feeling of pride at Rose's enjoyment of her discovery. She herself was quickly enthralled with the melody he played. It felt like it contained a story almost as if the song itself was a living breathing thing and neither girl moved until he was finished and out of sight.

Eyes sparkling, Rose gushed about her instrumentalist on the swim home and Marinette found that sharing her secret with her friend was relieving in a way she hadn't expected. Only time would tell how prudent her choice was.

Marinette continued to sneak away, flirting with danger every time she navigated the shallows and the turbulent waters as the sea gave way to swift flowing river. She knew this was foolish- she should be the one enthralling men with her own song but she couldn’t help visiting the boy with the kind eyes and beautiful music as often as she could. The few small raw itchy patches infecting her scales began to grow and all the salt scrubs in the sea didn't make a difference. She pushed the memory of a few old fish stories out of her mind and started wearing a skirt of sorts made from braided sea flowers and grasses. The pretty colors distracted from the ugly spots and it looked so nice it wasn't long before other merfolk were begging her for their own or asking her to teach them how to braid their own designs. Gratified that her misfortune had become a source of pride in her creativity she was only too happy to comply with the requests.

“How did you find this place anyway?” Rose wanted to know one day as they were headed back home after another visit to the house on the river.

“It was annoying at the time,” Marinette started, “That obnoxious otter that likes shiny things- he stole my pearl hair comb and I was stuck chasing him for ages. He swam up the river and kept hiding under rocks- he actually got it stuck in a little crevice and abandoned it before I was able to get it back. But then I heard the music for the first time… so in the end I am kinda grateful to Trixx despite how vexing the rest of the day was.” She smiled in fond exasperation- she had rewarded the furry imp with some abalone shells the next time she saw him near the river mouth.

"So you’ve been coming here for a while then, are you going to keep him?" Rose only accompanied Marinette about once a week or so, and finally asked the question that Marinette knew was coming. 

Her heart beat wildly at the thought of his beautiful face stilled forever in death instead of dancing with expression as he played. Why did the idea of taking what she wanted hurt? It had never felt like that before.

"When I'm ready."

Rose nodded, easily accepting her response. Playing with your toys was only to be expected.

Marinette knew that Rose didn't fully understand her reluctance to bring the boy to sea. The dainty blond mergirl was patient but curious about the situation as a whole. Then on one particular visit after another frustrating rainy spell both mergirls were visiting the little houseboat when several out-of-the-ordinary things happened. 

The boy's sister joined him while he played, it wasn’t unheard of for her to add her instrument to his, but Rose hadn’t witnessed it yet. Her instrument was slow and deep and accompanied the quick high notes played by Marinette’s boy. Rose was enraptured. Once she had pulled herself from the magic of the music she studied her friend carefully. She didn't say anything about her suspicions: she needed to be sure. Besides, she wanted to keep visiting to see if the girl with the violet hair and deep music would return.

As the sibling duo headed back inside the girls heard the names of the humans for the first time. 

“Do you feel that? A feeling like an encore?” the boy asked his sister, looking out over the water towards the sea.

"That's silly! Luka, what are you thinking?"

"I know Jules', but there is something about the first nice day after a rainy spell that feels like I'm playing for an audience. It doesn't have to make sense for me to feel it." 

Hearts pounding, both girls dipped beneath the surface, holding deathly still as the violet haired girl - Jules, peered across the deck and around the river. 

Unable to understand the answer through the water they clung to each other and waited until the shadows of the trees overtook the bank before they swam silently away. They didn’t relax until they were clear of the shallows and past the reef. Rose headed home and Marinette swam lazily in the direction of her own home thinking about the human boy… and his music of course. That’s what this was all about. What else could it be? She smiled as she thought about his name. Luka, it was like a new song as her heart thrummed with the knowledge. Marinette liked the way it felt in her mouth, like a breath and a kiss rolled together.

The next time the girls met to head up the river, Rose was armed with some old fish stories to pass the time as they journeyed through the ocean towards the shore. Stories about the angry sea witch that doomed a foolish mermaid to walk in pain upon land only to lose her heart and her life. Another about the lovesick selkie who entrusted a human with her skin only to have it locked away until she died of a broken heart trapped on land. One tale about a king who fell in love with one of the shape changing finfolk and promised to never look at her in the bathtub if she agreed to marry him- but he too was a liar and his love died with his discovery of her fishtail- causing him to cast her upon the rocks to her death. Most merchildrens stories were cautionary tales to protect the small fry from making terrible decisions. Rose was fanatically obsessed with the human idea of love and enjoyed the tragic fables, but her last story made Marinette uncomfortable, because she had been working hard to avoid remembering it. 

Rose shared her story with all the skill of a Siren beguiling her audience, “The Finmaid was enraptured by the beauty of the human boy and couldn’t get him out of her head and in the end she realized that he had worked his way into her heart as well. She had discovered the human emotion called love. Her love was a dangerous thing because when the immortal finmaid gave her heart to another who didn’t return his own to her care, she began to lose herself. Scale by scale her strong tail gave way to soft skin and then her ruined tail split in two and she was left with legs like a land-dweller! Then- the most tragic part of all, she forgot how to breathe the water that gave her life and she drowned- reaching towards the shore and her love in desperation. Her grieving family named the ill-fated sickness Hikari-Ushinatta after the language of her human love and spread the word of her demise to warn other finfolk of the danger.” Rose finished her account breathlessly, lost in visions brought on by her own storytelling.

Marinette rubbed idly at an itchy spot on her tail and watched in horror as two more pink scales fell loose, slipping through her fingers before they disappeared towards the sea floor. If she dove down and followed her normal route would there be a path of pearlescent pink leading from the river to her home? Had she already gambled away her life for a few months of blissful enjoyment? She could feel the answer- already her traitorous heart rejected the idea of never seeing Luka again. Would it have been better to never have seen him at all? She shivered at the thought, some things in life were worth a little pain.

“Where did you get all those sad tales?” she asked more abruptly than she intended.

“Oh! Well, granmer used to tell me heaps of stories when I was a fry and I asked her about some of them this week. I think human romance is so delightfully tragic! It just gives me a thrill to think about it.”

“Do you think they could be real?” Marinette asked softly, not daring to look her friend in the face. 

“I didn’t used to- but,” Rose’s gaze flicked to Marinette's once vivid pink tail and away again, “I’ve been wondering lately if maybe some of them have merit.”

“I wonder if there is a story about a cure for love.” 

“Could you try not loving him? You could stay away for a while- but that wouldn't be romantic at all.” she sighed forlornly. She didn’t want her friend to die of course- but a romantically devastating death at the unknowing hands of a human would make for the most deliciously tragic song ever written, and Rose just knew she could do it justice… if it came to that.

“It's just a silly story. I don’t know why I let it get to me. Come on Rose, we’re almost there!” She couldn’t wait to see Luka again, knowing she loved him made seeing him again even more important. There were other treatments to try on her tail, she just hadn’t found the right kelp to help- that’s all. Hakari Ushinatta was just an old tale to keep little finfolk from playing too close to the surface and giving away their secret. Humans fell in love all the time (or so she’d heard) and they seemed just fine.

Luka and Jules were both playing their instruments again, and the resulting music was so comforting that Marinette forgot her concerns for a while. She felt content and safe (which was nonsensical being so near humans) when she listened to the cathartic tune of his heart song. Which was when it hit her- he played like the Sirens sang. His music was as alive as hers and she had been snared as easily by his melodious gift as if it had been a net intended for her demise. She yanked Rose under water- below the rushes and whispered her theory. Rose shook her head unbelieving- Humans might be weird and dangerous, but nothing could lure a Siren- the very notion was preposterous and unprecedented. Marinette argued that they weren't safe and with a huff of vexation, Rose finally agreed to leave before the music was over and the girls left- sadder than they had ever felt after a visit to the houseboat on the river. Their visits together were usually happy laughing times as they shared in the secret; their argument left them both in poor spirits. They parted ways without looking back at each other and if Marinette had been more aware of what was around her, she might have seen her blond friend swiftly heading back the way they came. As it was- her mind was going a mile a minute and her sole focus was on the play of light over Luka’s hair and the way his hand moved over the strings of his instrument. Away from the perceived danger, her reaction felt a little foolish. She wanted to think before she acted on her panic.

She spent a day or two lost in thought. Curled up in a bed of sea anemones watching the play of light dancing through the water she fiddled with a pink scale- one of her own. She hadn’t noticed the moment most of them had been lost, but this one had come away in her hand as she rubbed an itchy spot and she was fascinated by it. It was smooth and strong, but flexible. Her favorite shade of pink- it seemed bigger than she expected now that it was free from the overlapping pattern it had come from. She wasn’t sure why she held onto it- it wasn’t as if she couldn’t put it back. While she toyed with the scale she considered her options. The first was the easiest and the worst- ignore her problem and deny the truth of Hakari Ushimatta and let her love for the human end in her death as her tail vanished and her lungs forgot how to pull the oxygen from the sea. Option two was to pour her heart out to Luka- revealing the stark reality of Sirens to a human and so endanger the pod as a whole. She didn’t know enough about the disease to be sure this would fix anything. The problem with legends was the lack of detail and reliability. What if she exposed Merkind and perished anyway when Luka didn’t return her affection? The third option seemed like the best, but would be a little scary in its execution; find the knowledgeable but potentially dangerous Sea Nag Mayura- a fearsome Pacific Seamaid- rumored to be able to yield her magic against Sirens and find out more about the legend, or even possibly forget about Luka thereby driving the disease from her body when she couldn’t remember him. A fourth option danced on her periphery, if all she had to do was confess, she could sing him into the sea and make her confession as he happily drowned in front of her, but the very idea of his life coming to an end had become repulsive to her. She would not trade his song for her own. Maybe she was already less Siren than she wanted to admit.

Her problem continued to tumble over and over in her mind like a shell caught in the surf, the need to make a decision being pounded into her being with every swim between river and sea. She caught Luka gazing down the river more often these days and she was half tempted to wave a greeting, to speak to him and truly know him- but the thought of betraying her pod kept her silent and still even as she couldn’t make herself stay away.

The girls paths didn’t cross for a time, which was odd considering how much time both Rose and Marinette spent upriver. Something had shifted now, a decision had been reached; Marinette had given herself a task and was making preparations to follow through with her plan. 

She carefully wove a pocket into her new skirt of grasses and seaflowers (it was a new design that concealed more of her tail than the previous one) and selected a slender stone that fit easily into her hand before she headed to the oyster beds. She would need a gift and rumor had it that Mayura the Sea Nag was fond of silver pearls. She chose her song carefully- a lullaby designed to relax the muscles of the slumbering shellfish and using her rock, she carefully and gently pried them open to steal the pearls she sometimes found there. It was a mercy really- the pretty pebbles were an annoyance to the oysters. She kept the silver pearls that were smooth and round as well as any pink or yellow pearls she found, she might make something pretty for Rose with the golden pearls, it would be a nice gesture to make up their argument.

Coral reefs and bright fish gave way to open sand and sparse grasses before she reached the edge of the plains. There was nothing to see but the undulating weeds as they waved and stretched towards the light high above the sea floor. Marinette hadn’t spent much time this far into the ocean plains. It felt foreboding somehow and empty compared to the liveliness of the reef she considered home. While it was far from desolate- the many colored sea grasses waved on the sand and small crabs scuttled from place to place- it was vast and open and the endless sea stretched out much like the sky above the surface and it made her feel small. She swam close to the sea floor weaving in and out of the kelp and grasses- often facing upwards to watch for danger. 

Eventually the grassy plains gave way to a sturdy kelp forest dotted with rocky crevices. Any number of sea creatures could be hidden in the numerous caves or just behind a stand of tall kelp. It was said that this was where Mayura made her home. Marinette approached the estimated location of the Seamaid’s lair warily, her guard up. The Sea Nag might be fond of offering assistance for a price but she was also shrewd; wise and handy with magic and some stories said she was easily displeased, it would do no good to cross her.

Wide eyed, Marinette couldn’t help but stare when she first spotted Mayura. She was a startling dark purple that stood out against the greens of her environment. Marinette doubted she would have seen her had she been near one of the rocky dwellings. Her dark red tipped hair was wild and loose, devoid of any combs to decorate the tresses. Her long spiny tail coiled in on itself offering no assistance to movement but it was wrapped securely around a stand of sea kelp holding her steady in the billowing tide. The roundness of her body nearly suggested softness, but the sharp ridges of her spine and single fin cast that idea out before it had a chance to settle. There was a kind of terrifying wild beauty to her appearance.

Mayura eyed her skeptically as Marinette approached slowly and respectfully. 

“You think you can offer me something that can help you?” Mayura asked bluntly.

Marinette braced herself before responding, it was one thing to wonder and another entirely to be faced with the whole truth. “No, but I thought it might be worth trying anyway.”

“Hah! A sensible Siren- rare enough in these parts. Show me what you brought.”

Marenette pulled the collection of silver and gray pearls from her pocket- she had found eight nearly perfect specimens in all, and offered them to the intimidating Seamaid. 

“Pretty baubles- but I prefer a piece of yourself, what do you hold precious?”

Marinette’s hand drifted automatically to the pink and silver pearl hair comb that she had worn for as long as she could remember. The gesture was inherently protective and it was exactly what Mayura was looking for. “Your comb will do nicely indeed.”

“Why?” Marinette asked. The comb had been a gift from her mother when she was small and she had never considered parting with it. 

Mayura eyed her critically. “It's been with you a long time, yes?” when Marinette nodded she continued, “We imprint pieces of ourselves on the things we hold dear, whether it be friends, family or some pretty little thing. The magic of yourself has sunk deep into it and it now has enough of your essence to be of some use to me.”

Marinette swallowed hard and hesitantly pulled the comb from her hair and offered it silently to the witch. It would do her no good if she were to perish. 

The witch placed the comb into a satchel and Marinette felt an odd sort of lightening of herself- she shivered and then nearly forgot the feeling altogether.

“As I am sure you have realized by now- you are plagued by Hakari Ushimatta.There is nothing I can do to save your scales, your tail or your life- that lies with you alone. It is not unrequited love that is killing you, but contained love- the need to share your love is destroying you from the inside out. Whether the feelings of affection are returned matter not- so long as you confess your own feelings, the process will stop and you will live in the sea safely as you always have. But from the look of you- do it soon or prepare to give up life as you know it.”

“You can’t do anything ?” 

“Not on a case as progressed as yours.”

“What about… what if I forgot about him? I heard you can erase memories.”

The Sea Nag studied her closely with a frown. “There is something to that notion, but in my experience the heart often remembers what the head forgets. Do you truly wish to remove your memories of this boy? Would it not be simpler to tell him of your love?” 

Marinette shook her head, her eyes stinging in a way she didn't understand. “I don’t want to forget, but I do want to live- and as for telling him- it's complicated.”

“It always is with you young Sirens.”

Marinette nodded resignedly, thanked the witch for her information and turned away empty handed. 

Mayura watched the pretty Siren head towards the reef alone and felt satisfied for the first time in years. Without the magical comb to temper it; the love sickness she had brought upon herself would spread quickly. The girl was unlikely to make it out of the depths before she lost her sea lungs to Hakari Ushimatta and Sabine would understand grief in a new way- a personal way. The tiny Siren should never have crossed her all those years ago.

Marinette swam home slowly, heavy of heart. She had played her last trick and was left with less than before. She missed her mother’s comb- and the faint hope she had entertained before her audience with the frightful Sea Nag. A dark shadow passed overhead and she looked up to see a fishing vessel floating on the surface. On a whim she swam up and broke through the water a short way from the craft. 

She studied the boat and then forced herself to relax as she began to sing. She sang of hope and desire and a bright future- the humans wouldn’t understand her words, but the feelings would translate all too well, her voice carried on the wind and skimmed over the waves and she smiled at the pure beauty of her own voice, mostly unused since her discovery of Luka and the love that had come with him. She angled swiftly towards the sound of the anticipated splash as shouts rang from the vessel. Continuing her song, she appreciated the way it sounded beneath the waves as she moved slowly in the direction of the sea floor followed by the besotted fisherman. It was time to fulfill her side of the unspoken bargain. She allowed him to catch her and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss. In that fleeting moment she stole his memories even as she granted him a final vision. In his mind he lived a long life with a beautiful mermaid bride at his side, even as his body gave up the struggle for life and he sank slowly beneath the sea, a ghost of a smile remained locked upon his face.

Marinette on the other hand was able to glimpse his life and was fascinated by the visible love shared by his parents- they had loved each other and were never afraid of showing it. Seen through the eyes of their son the life they had shared was beautiful indeed. Angry, Marinette dove deeper and swam away from the ship. Not only was she losing her scales- but she knew she must be losing her touch if only one fisherman cast his life aside for her. She pictured an embrace shared by the couple that loved the child the fisherman had once been and realized something terrifying. She no longer wanted men to die for her. She wanted in that moment more than anything to be cherished for who she was- she wanted someone who would live for her.

It was time to visit Luka, she might never be loved but he deserved to know how she felt and she wanted to share her love with him and she really wanted to live. Heart pounding in her chest she headed quickly for the shore and the unknowing keeper of her heart.

“Rose! Help!” The little blond Siren turned in surprise when she heard Marinette cry out, she hadn’t seen her in ages- she had so much to tell her! She had spoken to Jules- her full name was Juleka and… she lost track of her thoughts and gasped as she noticed the drastic change in her friend. Marinette was struggling to swim, half her tail seemed to be missing- it was hard to tell with the braided and woven skirts she had taken to wearing. “I can’t …. Breathe… help… Surface… Luka!”

Understanding dawned and Rose darted forward, grasping her midnight haired friend by the arms and dragging her straight towards the surface, watching in shock and horror as Marinette breathed the air greedily. 

“I waited too long, it started happening too fast. Can you help me get to the river house?” 

“Of course, I’ve got you, you're going to make it.” Rose was strong and true, and epic stories aside, she liked Marinette. It was time to play her part in the story and she’d be damned if she wasn’t anything but a heroine.

It was hard going, Sirens are strong swimmers but Marinette wasn’t used to only breathing above water and it was harder to move across the surface of the sea- the swells seemed larger than ever and the river mouth had never felt so treacherous. Marinette helped the best she could, her tail had split and one side was shaped like a useless leg she didn’t know how to use. She was able to move the other half as usual, but it only offered half the power.

It was late afternoon and dark trees were silhouetted against the sky by the time they made it far enough up river to see the friendly lights of the house boat. It wouldn’t be long before the sun dipped behind the trees and evening followed.

“Okay, hold on a second. We have to get you sorted.” Rose helped Marinette sit on a rock and pulled some water hyacinths, rushes and purple irises from the bank. “Make a collar style necklace with these to go with your skirt, humans don’t go around without coverings.” she insisted gently. 

Marinette nodded and with deft fingers began fashioning flowers into strands that she loosely connected into something that would suffice. Rose ran her fingers through her friend's wet hair until it was mostly tamed and hung straight to her waist. The necklace was placed around her neck and Marinette wove a couple of the river flowers into the skirt where their frantic travel had torn it.

Marinette took stock of herself and nearly cried at the legs and feet that were exposed beneath the strands of her skirt. There was a solitary remaining patch of pearlescent pink scales adorning one thigh as the only visible reminder of who she had been just hours before. She gritted her teeth and calmed her panic. To love was human- maybe she would survive like this. Love, though painful now, had been beautiful in its beginnings and maybe it would be again. She would tell Luka how she felt to halt her disease and then find a way to live on the surface. As long as she wasn't too far from the sea she could do anything, right? Thoughts of heartbroken selkies danced on the edge of her mind as she tried to plan for her suddenly changing future.

“Jules! Juleka!” Rose called out and Marinette turned to her in awe, frantically trying to keep her from drawing attention to herself- wasn't it dangerous?! “Don't worry Marinette- Jules and I are friends now.” Rose explained with a blush.

Marinette’s mind raced with the implications of her words- she had been trying to tell her something earlier about that too- could it have been so simple? Would she still be whole if only she hadn’t been afraid?

“Rose?” a soft voice just carried over the water, followed by the willowy girl.

“Over here! I need help for my friend.” Rose waved and Jules (Juleka?) moved towards them. Juleka's face turned pink as she smiled at Rose while the exuberant Siren explained that Marinette needed to speak to Luka, but needed help walking first- her legs were new and she didn’t know how to use them. Marinette rolled her eyes at the glibness of the explanation and Juleka opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. 

“Wouldn’t it be easier if Luka came out here?” Juleka finally managed to ask. If the girl really hadn't walked before, starting out on slippery river rocks was a terrible idea.

Rose tried to interject, but Marinette stopped her. “If you think he would be willing to come speak to me, I would appreciate it- thank you.” Juleka nodded and hopped across the rocks to shore and then walked up the plank to the boat. “Rose- could you give us a minute alone once he gets here please? I don’t think I can do this with an audience.”

“Of course… “ she smiled softly but her expression quickly turned gleeful- “I’ll go talk to Jules!” There was more to this story that Marinette needed to find out, just as soon as the world let her breathe again.

Marinette could barely hear the sound of the ever flowing river over the pounding of her heart when she saw the siblings emerge from the boat and Juleka pointing Luka in her direction. Marinette raised a shaking hand in a nervous greeting and Rose glided smoothly through the water (Marinette had to look away and restrain a sob when she realized she would never move like that again) towards the deck and her new ‘friend’. Marinette watched Luka move nimbly over the rocks till he stood a short distance from her, the last of the sunlight hit the back of his head and the blue strands seemed to glow. He was so beautiful it hurt.

Luka smiled gently in her direction, “Juleka said you're a friend of Rose’s and that you needed my help with something?” he asked kindly as he sank into a seated position on the rock nearest hers, dampening his jeans without a care.

“Yes, umm hello- I’m Ma-Marinette.”

He seemed to fully take in her appearance only after he was seated and with a blush his eyes snapped to hers and he held her gaze… then nearly as quickly, his eyes widened in something akin to recognition. 

“It's you,” he breathed in wonder, “you're the one with the song I hear after the rain stops. You are the melody of sunshine and patience that haunt my dreams. It’s you.”

“You knew I was here?” she tipped her head curiously and her cobalt blue eyes locked onto his and he faltered in his response as he felt suddenly lost in their depths. 

“I sensed a beautiful soul, but I never saw you- until now and I suddenly feel like I’ve been looking for you forever.” His voice was as beautiful to her as his music. 

Marinette lifted a nervous hand to play with the flowers around her neck and Luka swallowed thickly- eyes darting up and away before settling back on her face. Playing with an iris petal she plucked from the collar, she finally managed to speak. 

“I wanted… No, I needed to tell you something; I found your home by accident and I fell in love with the music you made and so I kept coming back to hear you play. Then I fell in love with your smile and the sound of your voice when you spoke to your sister. And then quite by accident, I realized that I had fallen in love with you .” She took a shuddering breath as his cerulean eyes bored into hers, “I just needed you to know that. I love you and it's scary and beautiful- and for me, absolutely world shattering.” 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath- wiping at a strange stinging sensation in her eyes only for her fingertips to come away wet- tears. Oh how human she had become!

Luka leaned forward and placed a hesitant yet comforting hand on her shoulder, the small stretch of river between them rushing by without a care. “I don’t know you yet, but you have the most beautiful soul I’ve ever heard and I would love the chance to spend time with you.”

“Really?” 

“Truly, you are easily the most irresistible girl I’ve ever met. I have a feeling that if you’re friends with Rose, you must have an interesting life as well.”

“You know Rose too?” Marinette glanced over at the boat to see Rose (tail in full view!) perched on the side of the boat- hands entwined with Juleka’s as they leaned close together whispering to one another. “She is breaking all the rules isn’t she?”

“You know about mermaid rules?” Luka asked curiously.

“Siren actually.” Marinette gestured to her thigh where the fading light still reflected off the last of her scales. Luka’s face burned red as he looked at her leg then back to her face. “I used to be pretty like Rose, but now I’m stuck like this .”

Luka frowned at her, “You are easily the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen- maybe your human-ness is new to you- and I can understand how that would be difficult, but please don’t think you aren’t beautiful just because you have legs. They are, after all, rather nice legs.” 

“Yeah?” She had no way to know the differences in legs after all- they mostly looked the same to her; all variations of the same shade and basic shape.

“Mmhmm.” Lukas voice sounded strangled and Marinette thought she must have a lot to learn about human interactions.

Marinette had a sudden thought about her immediate future and posed a question, “Ummm, I know we just met, but you're the only human I know. Do you know of a place I could stay? This whole leg situation is new as of today and I can’t live in the ocean anymore, I don't know how to be a land dweller.”

“Wait, today!?” Luka was flabbergasted, what a trying day this gorgeous woman must be having and yet she was here at his home declaring her love for him, he felt weak just thinking about it.

“Yes? I haven’t actually tried walking yet- I don’t even know how to stand up.” Her expression turned puzzled and she considered all that she now needed to learn. She gave him a minute to process the new information; she felt a little guilty at how everything was going down- he hadn’t had any time to prepare for her visit- let alone a confession and a request for help! 

“Wow. Umm, well we have room on the Liberty, that's our home, and you are welcome to stay with Jules and me… at least until you get on your feet.” 

“You want me to stay?” The hopeful look in her luminous eyes squeezed his heart.

“Of course. Let's get you onboard.” He reached to help her up, one hand at her elbow (and oh- her skin was impossibly soft) but quickly pulled back again as their combined movement caused her skirt and collar to shift around, flashing soft skin. Luka squeezed his eyes shut briefly, his heart thundering wildly. He wasn’t sure his heart could handle this. A beautiful (nearly naked) woman (with a soul that he somehow knew) had shown up at his home, professed her love for him and was moving in with him. What good deed had he done to deserve this?

“Juleka?!” He called in desperation- “Could you give me a hand here? We’re going to have a guest for a while.”

It took both of them to help Marinette to her feet, with Rose offering encouragement from the river, and more time than expected to get her safely to the boat, her steps were uneven and she wasn’t accustomed to her own weight. Luka spent the whole time blushing profusely while coming to the realization that falling in love with the ex-Siren was likely inevitable; he was already smitten. 

Marinette spent her first several months with the Couffaines confused by their odd sense of modesty and wasn't really thrilled by clothes until the weather turned cold- at which point she was finally willing to trade the light sundresses she favored for something a little cozier. She quickly became hugely fond of sweaters and cocoa- and Luka breathed a sigh of mingled relief and disappointment. It took her a while to adapt to her legs, she tended to be clumsy on land; but she was still born of the sea and swam better than any human around. Luka enjoyed her company from the get go, but was a goner the moment he heard her sing. 

Marinette's voice might no longer drive sailors to their death, but she still had the voice of an angel, and his musical soul relished the sound of her melody joining his guitar in song. Of course he knew the myths about Sirens and sailors; and while he knew he should be appalled at the thought of the seemingly sweet girl he had come to adore drowning people, he couldn’t bring himself to believe that the morals and subsequent actions of her past life had any bearing on her as a ‘human’. He loved every moment he spent with her, watching her discover new joys and navigating the frustrations of living on land.

They spent quiet moments together, sharing the stories of their lives from before they met and blending their music. Marinette could turn any story into a song and often wove the most beautiful harmonies into Luka’s guitar or violin melodies. Anyone who happened to hear them making music together would find themselves unable to pull away until the last strains of the song faded from the air.

Marinette was curled up on the sofa next to Luka enjoying the way his hand gently caressed her scales; not only did it feel amazing but there was something about the way he liked touching that inhuman part of her that made her happy, she felt wanted for who she was. His voice startled her- breaking her out of her reverie, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he asked, gesturing towards Juleka and Rose just visible through the window. Marinette smiled at how happy they seemed, Jules perched on a big river rock with Rose as they talked and snuggled together. “We could’ve, I mean you could have…” Luka’s voice trailed off, but she knew what he was trying to say. 

“You have to understand that most of our stories that involve humans end in pain and tragedy for the Siren in the end.” Marinette chuckled mirthlessly, “I’m sure it's the same for your stories about Sirens. Honestly I was scared and I didn’t know what the right answer was. Rose is so much braver than I was, she deserves her happiness.” Luka nodded in understanding and pulled her closer. She had given up so much- had lost everything she knew and he had gained the world in return. He pressed a kiss to her temple and promised himself that he would spend an eternity making it worth it all.

Juleka and Rose spent as much time together as possible, Rose swam inland almost daily and eventually carved a cozy nook into the side of the river bed where it was the deepest- saying that she liked the movement of the river and the feeling of freshwater on her scales. No ill effects for Rose of course- she wasn’t about to let anything get in between her and romance after all. She’d never had any qualms about letting Juleka know exactly how she felt. The ocean had plenty of tragic tales- she would be an exception to the rule, she knew she was never meant to be average, she brought joy wherever she went.

When she wasn’t on the river Rose loved thrilling everyfin she met with the heart-achingly beautiful song (written by her of course) all about the Siren maid who lost everything she had ever known and yet still found love and happiness with the surface dwellers. Young fry loved the wild tale and spent hours searching the sea floor for the brightest pink scales ever seen.

Once Spring came again and the warmth kissed Marinette's often bare shoulders, Luka proposed marriage to the woman he loved. Eyes glowing, she accepted his proposal with joyful tears and an unwavering smile. After Luka slid a ring onto her finger, she shyly offered him an incredible pink guitar pick. The scale she kept had been slowly and carefully filed into the perfect shape. There was something magical about the music he played with that pick- it seemed more enchanting than was humanly possible and he treasured it all the days of his life.

When the time came, Rose helped Marinette weave her wedding dress from hundreds of flowers from brightest white to palest blue and pink; the gown seemed to shimmer and ripple like the sea as she moved. The asymmetric hem exposed the pink scales on her thigh and dropped dramatically to her ankle over the other leg. Luka swore his heart stopped when he saw her- and he thought again of the fateful evening of their first meeting. He loved her in flowers. His eyes lingered on the bright pink scales and he thought dreamily of the smooth sensation of her scales under his fingertips and the way she all but purred at his caress. This unbelievable woman had agreed to be his wife and he would spend his days treasuring their every moment together.

“I, Marinette, take you Luka to be my lawfully wedded husband- to have and to hold in my heart from this day forward. With you by my side the Sea will not have sway over me, for you are mine and I am yours.” Her smile lit up her face as she made her vow and Luka nearly forgot to speak.

“I, Luka Couffaine, do take you Marinette as my lawfully wedded wife. To love and cherish every day of my life. No matter the storms that come our way I promise to love you for all of my days.” He gripped her hands in his and had to choke down a shout of exultation.

If Luka’s excitement caused his hands to shake as he placed the band on her finger, Marinette never said a word. But when Marinette fumbled Luka’s ring everyone noticed the burly sea otter that scampered off with it causing a panicked but thankfully short sunset chase by Rose and the few other finned guests. The ceremony ended in laughter and a searing kiss that remains the stuff of legend to this day.

Cover your ears when you sail, for you know not what lurks beneath the waters deep;

A song could be sung and a final kiss won, as you’re ushered to your watery sleep.

If you lose your way and dive into the spray, know that you are now forever hers to keep.