![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
two_handed posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
dollymixturesHe hit the water wrong.
Hitting the water at all wasn't exactly part of his plan, he was supposed to be the one used to this, the one steady on his feet even in the midst of a storm, but the ship had hit a wave at the wrong angle and the resulting bounce and lurch had thrown him overboard before he had time to react, before he'd had time to twist his body to stop him slamming down on the water's surface in a way that stung his legs and back and knocked the breath right out of him.
He lost his grip on his hook and his coat tangled around him as he plunged into the turbulent depths of the sea, the latter making it harder to gain control and kick himself upwards. His lungs were already beginning to burn and the dark water felt as though it was closing in around him, for a moment he felt as though he might actually be done for.
Then he managed to get his coat off, the sodden fabric drifting away like some bizarre jellyfish, and he thought maybe he could get through this after all... but his legs still stung from the impact and they didn't seem to want to move the way he wanted them to and he was almost dizzy from the lack of oxygen and every instinct was screaming at him to try and breathe despite knowing that was the very last thing he should be doing, until finally his body took over and he gasped for breath.
That's when things got weird.
Instead of choking or drowning or filling his lungs with water (or all three), he felt... fine. He was breathing underwater. The pain in his legs intensified until suddenly it was all over - his shoes were falling lazily to the ocean floor and his pants were a tattered mess around his waist because instead of two pale legs he suddenly found himself the unexpected owner of a tail, shimmering red scales just like...
Just like his mother.
Harry barely remembered his mother, but he knew she was a mermaid. He'd always taken after his father in so many ways he assumed he hadn't inherited anything from her at all.
Apparently he was wrong.
He had no idea what to do with this revelation... but at least he wasn't drowning anymore. A flick of his tail sent him almost flying back up to the water's surface, but when he finally reached it he could see that while he'd been underwater, their plans had not exactly come to fruition.
The Lost Revenge was back on the other side of the barrier, with Uma cursing up a storm as the sky continued to rage overhead. In the darkness and the chaos she couldn't even see Harry amongst the waves, but he could easily swim back to the ship and Uma would be able to help him figure out what was going on.
At least, that was his plan until he nearly dove headfirst into the barrier itself, and as the ship turned to start sailing home (what else could they do?) he realised he'd succeeded, he was outside the barrier, he was free... and right now he'd give anything to get back inside.
That was two days ago, and the intervening time about the only productive thing Harry had managed to do was to retrieve his hook from the ocean floor. He was getting used to living in the sea but he was also getting lonely, and he still hadn't figured out how to change back, or even if he could.
So he'd taken to staying close to Auradon's shores, hoping to find someone who might be able to help him.
Two hours ago he'd spotted a young woman walking on the beach and had managed to charm her enough that she didn't ask too many questions about who he was and where he came from, but still agreed to go to Auradon Prep and find Mal, to deliver a message - Harry needs you at the beach.
Now he just had to hope the message got delivered, and that Mal actually showed up.
Hitting the water at all wasn't exactly part of his plan, he was supposed to be the one used to this, the one steady on his feet even in the midst of a storm, but the ship had hit a wave at the wrong angle and the resulting bounce and lurch had thrown him overboard before he had time to react, before he'd had time to twist his body to stop him slamming down on the water's surface in a way that stung his legs and back and knocked the breath right out of him.
He lost his grip on his hook and his coat tangled around him as he plunged into the turbulent depths of the sea, the latter making it harder to gain control and kick himself upwards. His lungs were already beginning to burn and the dark water felt as though it was closing in around him, for a moment he felt as though he might actually be done for.
Then he managed to get his coat off, the sodden fabric drifting away like some bizarre jellyfish, and he thought maybe he could get through this after all... but his legs still stung from the impact and they didn't seem to want to move the way he wanted them to and he was almost dizzy from the lack of oxygen and every instinct was screaming at him to try and breathe despite knowing that was the very last thing he should be doing, until finally his body took over and he gasped for breath.
That's when things got weird.
Instead of choking or drowning or filling his lungs with water (or all three), he felt... fine. He was breathing underwater. The pain in his legs intensified until suddenly it was all over - his shoes were falling lazily to the ocean floor and his pants were a tattered mess around his waist because instead of two pale legs he suddenly found himself the unexpected owner of a tail, shimmering red scales just like...
Just like his mother.
Harry barely remembered his mother, but he knew she was a mermaid. He'd always taken after his father in so many ways he assumed he hadn't inherited anything from her at all.
Apparently he was wrong.
He had no idea what to do with this revelation... but at least he wasn't drowning anymore. A flick of his tail sent him almost flying back up to the water's surface, but when he finally reached it he could see that while he'd been underwater, their plans had not exactly come to fruition.
The Lost Revenge was back on the other side of the barrier, with Uma cursing up a storm as the sky continued to rage overhead. In the darkness and the chaos she couldn't even see Harry amongst the waves, but he could easily swim back to the ship and Uma would be able to help him figure out what was going on.
At least, that was his plan until he nearly dove headfirst into the barrier itself, and as the ship turned to start sailing home (what else could they do?) he realised he'd succeeded, he was outside the barrier, he was free... and right now he'd give anything to get back inside.
That was two days ago, and the intervening time about the only productive thing Harry had managed to do was to retrieve his hook from the ocean floor. He was getting used to living in the sea but he was also getting lonely, and he still hadn't figured out how to change back, or even if he could.
So he'd taken to staying close to Auradon's shores, hoping to find someone who might be able to help him.
Two hours ago he'd spotted a young woman walking on the beach and had managed to charm her enough that she didn't ask too many questions about who he was and where he came from, but still agreed to go to Auradon Prep and find Mal, to deliver a message - Harry needs you at the beach.
Now he just had to hope the message got delivered, and that Mal actually showed up.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-25 02:17 pm (UTC)The following couple of weeks were spent trying to recover and assure the people of Auradon that things would be okay. And soon they'd be bringing more kids from the Isle over. And then hopefully things would improve for everyone. Hopefully.
Mal didn't know how things would end up working out, and she definitely worried that it wouldn't turn out the way she wanted, the way they all wanted it to. Maybe too much damage had been done. Maybe on both sides. Maybe there was no fixing it. She hated that her mind was filled with so much doubt.
When someone told her that Harry was asking to see her, Mal was perplexed. But she was glad to be able to have a distraction from all of this right now. Maybe this was exactly what she needed.
She headed down to the beach, looking around for any sign of Harry. Maybe it was some kind of prank, which she was not in the mood for. She understood why the Isle kids might have been angry but she didn't really have time for this. There was still a lot of damage control to do.
"Harry?" She called with a sigh. How could he even be here if the barrier was up? It didn't make any sense.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-25 02:31 pm (UTC)Harry didn't want to miss it when (if) Mal actually arrived, so he'd found a spot in the shallows amongst some rocks where he could lounge - it didn't give him the best view of the beach, but he figured he'd hear it if anyone arrived, and more importantly it kept him hidden from any prying eyes who might recognise him, ask too many awkward questions, or try and make him go away before Mal got here.
He was almost dozing off in the afternoon sun when he heard Mal's voice calling his name and, for a moment, it was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard - he hadn't realised how much he'd needed to see a familiar face until the opportunity was actually upon him, for all that him and Mal hadn't exactly been friends back on the Isle, not since he started running with Uma.
With a flick of his tail (he was getting good at this, at least) he propelled himself away from the rocks and towards the shore, stopping as close as he could get with the water still obscuring his lower half - he didn't want to freak her out right away, though it still came across as strange. He was still pretty damp from being in the water so his hair was a mess and his shirt was plastered to his chest (and it was white, so it was practically see-through by this point), he hadn't bothered putting his jacket back on because why would he, so all in all he probably looked a bit weird, the whole sitting-in-the-sea thing was only one small part of it.
"Over here, Mal." he called, giving her a little wave of his hook.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-30 01:36 am (UTC)She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and made her way over to the shoreline. Was he expecting her to get in? In her clothes? No, that was not going to happen. She wasn't doing that. He could say whatever he had to say from there or he could come out.
"What are you doing?" She asked him, crossing her arms so she could watch him with annoyance. Hadn't they already done enough? How had he ended up being left behind? She had a lot of questions.
"I thought you went back to the Isle with Uma and the others. What you thought it would be an awesome day for a swim?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-01 12:04 am (UTC)"Something like that." he called back cheerfully, because he clearly couldn't help himself. Taunting was just kind of what he did with Mal and the others, just another part of who they were with each other - especially since they'd all got their golden tickets to Auradon and he and Uma and Gil had been left behind to rot.
His teasing grin faded after a second, though, as he remembered that he was going to have to be a little less antagonistic to her right now, he had called her here because he needed her help, it would be a very bad idea to push her away so quickly.
"Actually I... look. I know how this is going to sound, but I need your help." he swallowed his pride and came right out with it "I have a little bit of a problem..."
Given that the actual hows and whys of him being this side fo the barrier were a bit of a long story, he decided he'd explain once he could actually be sure she was going to stick around and listen, but he did owe her some kind of reason for all this, so he shifted over to a nearby rock and pulled himself up out of the water to sit on it, tail shimmering in the sunlight.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-04 09:45 pm (UTC)There had always been rumors about who Harry's mother was, but Mal hadn't really given it much thought until now. But there was no denying it, as she saw him there on the rock. He'd transformed and maybe now he didn't know how to go back. Was that why he was stuck here?
She didn't want to seem too invested, so she just shrugged. "What happened?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-04 10:57 pm (UTC)She recovered well, the unconcerned mask back in place quickly, but he was at least gratified that there had been some initial shock - he might be looking for her help but that didn't mean he didn't want to make a splash. Pun intended.
At least she was sticking around rather than just leaving him to figure it out himself - though he suspected that had more to do with him being this side of the barrier than any actual goodwill towards him right now. Still, she was trying to be good these days and good guys helped those in need, right?
"Well I took a wee unscheduled dip in the ocean during our little fracas the other day, and then this just sort of... happened." He waved his hook to indicate the tail "by the time I resurfaced the barrier was back and I was still this side of it. I've been stuck like this ever since."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-05 12:15 am (UTC)"What have you been doing all this time?" Why hadn't he had someone come and get her sooner? Maybe she could have helped. Except, she really didn't even know how she was going to help him now. She didn't know if there was a spell for this.
"Have you tried to turn back?" She asked. She had to know what she was working with here.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-06 11:40 pm (UTC)Harry just kind of shrugs - two weeks outside of the barrier was time to get up to all sorts of mischief, why would he waste that opportunity? Only, he had wasted it, completely, because he'd been too stubborn up to this point to think of asking Mal, or anyone else, for any kind of help with this problem. He was only doing it now because he'd completely run out of other options.
"That's what I've been doing." he answers both questions at once, "Except I don't even know how I did it in the first place." it had been instinct, he's pretty sure, some kind of self-preservation or survival trait kicking in before he could drown. He wasn't drowning now, but he didn't know how to turn if off.
"I've tried willing it gone in every way I can think of, I tried getting out of the sea and letting it dry but nothing happened." That wasn't strictly true, it had left him feeling dehydrated and feverish and kind of gross, but even bone dry his tail remained stubbornly a tail and he'd eventually felt so weak and horrible that he'd passed out (he wanted to push himself to the very edge, just in case) - at which point he'd fallen off the rock he'd been sitting on and back into the water, and he'd come round maybe a couple of hours later (at a guess) feeling much better again. So clearly this survival trait only worked one way.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-08 12:55 am (UTC)"I don't even know where to begin..." Mal said, looking around a bit. This wasn't something she thought they'd be able to fix with any sort of spell. And obviously waiting it out wasn't really working either, if Harry was still here two weeks later.
Maybe it had something to do with his emotions or something. Maybe if he could relax a bit then he would be able to change back. But she didn't really see how he would be able to relax considering the situation he was currently in. She wasn't going to abandon him, she just didn't know how to help.
"I know when I went dragon it was because I was angry and I wanted to protect everyone. I couldn't really turn back until I was calmed down a bit." Ben had been the one to calm her, but she didn't think he would work for Harry. "So instead of freaking out about it, maybe try to clear your mind and think peaceful thoughts..." She had no idea if it would work but if this was tied to his emotional state then it was as good a place to start as any.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-12 02:31 am (UTC)"Think peaceful thoughts?" Harry repeated incredulously "That's your big idea?" she really didn't know where to begin, did she...
Trying to relax might be theoretically good advice, but when it was offered so hesitantly he was having trouble following it. It was hard to stay calm when your last ditch attempt at somebody who might be able to help you turned out to be just as lost as you were. Besides, he felt like he'd been calm, it wasn't like he'd spent this entire time panicking, he'd even been to sleep... except he'd slept underwater, and he wasn't likely to change back while he was sleeping if it was dangerous to do it. Maybe. He didn't know how any of this worked.
"You've got to have something better than that..." he appealed. He didn't even mind if she had to go away and do research or whatever it was she did when magical problems surfaced, not if that was the only option - he'd rather not be left on his own again, but what was she going to do? Drape him over her scooter and keep him in her bathtub?
no subject
Date: 2020-04-22 03:10 am (UTC)The old Mal would have laughed at him. But being in Auradon, being around Ben, it had changed her so much. She wasn't exactly grateful for that right now. "Have you at least given it a shot? If it's tied to your emotions and you're freaking out than it makes sense if you relax you might come back to yourself."
If he could learn to control it, maybe he could change at will too. But that was something they'd have to work on exploring later. First, she needed to figure out how to help him change back. And then what to do with him because he was not supposed to be outside the barrier.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-22 05:26 pm (UTC)The problem that Harry understood, deep down, but was having trouble finding the words to articulate, was that right now it was near impossible to calm down completely. Sure he'd managed to relax enough to sleep, had occasionally been having fun or at least not been on the verge of some kind of panic attack, but it had still been there at the back of his mind. What if he couldn't change back? What if he was stuck like this? What if he never got to see his friends again because he had to live underwater and still couldn't get back through the barrier to them. And even if he got thrown back through to the isle, how much would it suck to be a merman over there?
There was too much to worry about... but he didn't know how to tell Mal that, how to be that honest or vulnerable with someone who was basically an enemy. Maybe not quite as much as the Auradon kids, but still... So he did what he always did when he had emotions he didn't want to deal with, he turned to sarcasm.
"Oh well I'll just have a wee chill out than, shall I? Just lounge about a little and it'll all be fine. I mean I'm sure I can stop thinking about what if I never change back and whether or not I'll ever see my friends again or what the good people of Auradon will do with me when they realise I'm this side of their little barrier-" he stopped himself, realising that his 'nothing bothers me I'm just a sarcastic little shit' rant had been, well, a rant. A really obvious rant.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-27 01:40 am (UTC)"You're never gonna get anywhere thinking like that," Mal said. "And you let me worry about the people of Auradon. She'd be able to explain what happened and they wouldn't...lock Harry up or anything. At least, she didn't think they would. All of this started because of the Isle being a prison, but Ben didn't feel the same way his parents did. He could change thing. She hoped he'd still want to, even though they were no longer together.
"You don't want my help, I have other things I could be doing." There was so much damage control after what happened. And...Mal also wanted some time to be alone now that things between her and Ben were over.
One million years later
Date: 2020-05-22 02:23 pm (UTC)"No, Mal-" Harry's tone was almost desperate. He hated this, hated being helpless and having to beg for her help because he just wasn't good at it, he didn't know how to admit he needed anybody else, but he was at his wit's end here and he had nowhere else to turn.
With his hook resting in his lap he ran both hands through his damp hair, struggling to put down his walls and barriers and sarcasm for five seconds, long enough to actually explain himself.
"Please." he said eventually, because it seemed like a good word to start with, for all it that was one that stuck in his throat a little "I don't know what else to do... I can wait around here if you need to go and speak to anybody or figure something out but... I need your help, Mal."
no subject
Date: 2020-05-25 06:03 pm (UTC)"I could try talking to Fairy Godmother..." But she was generally against using magic. And how would she react to Harry being here at all. Mal rubbed her temples. Harry sounded so desperate, so lost. She couldn't just leave him to deal with this on her own. She had so much going on right now but she had to find a way to help him.
"Okay...I don't know, I'm going to go talk to Evie first, see if she has any ideas and then I'll be back." She could trust Evie and hopefully it wouldn't be long before Harry was back to himself and back on the Isle. At least for now. They were working on bringing more VKs over. But Mal didn't know how long that would be and at the moment she was kind of making things up as she went along.
So sorry for taking forever!
Date: 2020-07-20 09:43 am (UTC)"Okay. Thank you." That was all he could really ask for. If Evie or even Fairy Godmother could help, he'd take it, he was desperate at this point.
He knew there was a distinct likelihood they'd just throw him back through the barrier and have done with it, but there was a possibility that would fix the problem, depending on what magic had caused it to happen, and at least he'd be able to see his friends even if it didn't. He trusted Mal, though, he honestly did - she'd do her best to come up with a proper solution.
"I'll wait around here. Just call for me when you come back, I'll probably hear you." It wouldn't be difficult to spend most of his time close enough to shore to hear her when she arrived.
[Nearly two months later and so short, I'm sorry. I was thinking, I can't remember if we actually plotted anything that would happen, so I was considering maybe it would end up being a true love's kiss thing (you know, for... reasons), and Harry would have to hang around like.. in the enchanted lake (which conveniently doesn't work) or in Mal's bath or whatever, and it gives them a chance to grow closer and stuff?]