Alphabet AU Challenge

M is for Merfolk: Under the Tall Waves (Kellic)

hi ok so this is a merfolk au and tbh i kind of want to write a chaptered fic about merpeople/sirens eventually so ya you can count on something similar to this being written again in the future. also this fic has a warning for death mentions (and some alcohol use) so don't read if u don't like that

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If there's one thing Kellin knows for sure, it's that he should not be feeling this. He should not be sad that there is a young man on the dock debating on whether or not to kill himself.

This should be exhilarating, his heart pounding with excitement instead of fear. That's usually how he feels whenever humans are swimming in the water. That's the moment when he attacks, his hands dragging his victims down to the bottom of the sea and holding them there until their chests have collapsed and their last breaths have long escaped their fragile lungs. He usually revels in the feeling of their bodies growing colder with every second, enjoying this brief moment of power. He lives for that feeling.

This time, though, something is different. Perhaps it's the fact that Kellin knows that this guy is about to try to drown himself. He can see the unsteadiness of the young man's feet that hints at drugs or alcohol coming into play, leading to impulsive decisions. Kellin can also see it in the expression on the person's face: uncertain, desperate, scared and compelled at the same time. It takes away some of the excitement, knowing that if Kellin drowns this guy, he'll just be giving him what he wants. There won't be any struggle or fight, and Kellin loves the fight, because he knows he'll win.

It might also be the fact that Kellin has seen this guy before while swimming closer to the shore. He's seen this human's smile, overheard conversations, bits and pieces of a family and a life. It's an almost scary thought. When Kellin is killing someone, he doesn't think about their family or who will mourn over them. He doesn't think about what sort of life they'll be leaving behind. He can't allow himself to see them as anything other than animals. He sees them the way that humans see the deer they hunt for fun. It's the only way he can keep himself sane.

Part of him wishes that his morals were sound, that he had a reasonable explanation for killing the swimmers of the ocean, but that is not the case. It's just what merpeople do. Long ago it was for survival, and part of that reasoning has stuck with them today, but they're not hunted the way that they were fifty years ago. Still, they all learn how to kill a human from a young age, but now it's less for survival and more for leisure. It's second nature at this point. Kellin usually doesn't question why.

Usually.

Now, though, he's starting to think about it while he observes the guy on the dock, which sits on the beach and stretches far out into the ocean. It's the middle of the night, and the world is dark and windy and cold, and the waves are crashing against Kellin's slick form as he pops his head up above the surface to watch from far away. When the young man takes a step forward, now only inches from the edge of the dock, Kellin has to hold himself back with every muscle in his body. He's not sure if his plan involves killing or saving, but if this guy ends up jumping into the rough ocean water, Kellin will definitely be doing something.

It's so casual, the way the guy does it. He doesn't dive or leap or get a running start or anything; he just steps forward, as if he were simply walking down the street, and lets himself disappear into the water with a quiet splash that's only slightly louder than the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. It's not dramatic by any means, but it's enough to set Kellin off, and in a flash, he's back under the water, propelling himself toward the human, the waves pushing him forward instead of holding him back. The water is murky and dark, but he's a merman. He's built for this. It doesn't hinder him in the slightest.