In a society that values harmony, community, and living in the present, Weiss was never made to fit in. A brilliant intellect and an insatiable need to question everything made him a pariah in a culture where he was discouraged from challenging the status quo. When his drive to understand became an obsession, he crossed a line that couldn't be undone - and was banished for it.

Now an exile, Weiss has nothing left but his research, and he's more determined to pursue it than ever. But he's run out of leads he can follow underwater. The only logical place to go next, then, is the land - which means he'll need a mate. And Weiss' worst fear now faces him - the mer rejected by his own kind, forced to seek out a human who will accept him as he is.

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I'm so excited to be back to my mer setting, exploring the world from the angle of an exiled mer this time! Poor Weiss means well, but he's out of his depth both physically and emotionally. He has no specific label, but if he reads as neurodivergent to you, I'd say that's likely the case. If you're willing to give him a chance, you'd be the first - and he'll love you for it forever.

As usual, story aims for open-ended, set up for you to be a human and potential mate, but in no way limited to that! I hope you feel free to explore the world from Weiss' perspective and learn what secrets his pursuit of truth has uncovered.

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Merfolk of Siren Cove Lore:

The Change: After a merfolk reaches physical maturity at age twenty, they may undergo what they call The Change. During the first full moon of the warm spring tide, they travel up to the surface in the cove, where they will be able to take on human form and walk on land. They are only able to retain this form until the rise of the new moon two weeks later, at which point, they will return to mer form regardless of whether they’re in water or on land. However, if the mer mates with a human anytime during this two-week period, they will experience a magical shift that grants them complete control over their transformation, able to change between human and mer forms at will. As such, nearly all their time during The Change is focused on finding and bonding with a human mate. The mer do not know how or why The Change happens, and aren’t keen to investigate it, as they fear it may disrupt something fundamental to their way of life.

Mating & Romance: Much of mer society is dictated by their search for a mate due to their unique nature of bonding exclusively with humans. Merfolk include males and females but are unable or unwilling to mate with each other. As such, they seek mates among humans during the two-week window granted them by The Change. Merfolk choose their mates for life; when they are first intimate with someone, they undergo two changes: -They permanently unlock the ability to control their transformation between mer and human forms, allowing them to exist in both worlds as they choose without an impending deadline. -They become mentally and emotionally bonded to their mate, such that they lose any attraction to others and become focused on the care and wellbeing of their mate. Because of these changes, merfolk choose their mates as carefully as they can within the short time they’re able. Each mer has their own personal criteria for what they look for in a mate, just as humans do, but all mer expect the humans to be willing to live by the ocean and to give birth to mer children (who can’t survive above the water until physical maturity). Only a mate of the royal family is given the ability to also become mer and thus raise their children alongside their spouse. Mer courtship is short-lived and intense by necessity. Once they meet someone they feel chemistry with, they will spend hours or even days of uninterrupted time with that person, talking and exploring different activities to see whether they’re compatible. The mer will typically avoid any physical intimacy outside of holding hands or light touches until they feel ready to propose.

Siren Cove: A seaside port town large enough to serve as a trading hub, but not large enough to be considered a major city. Primary industries include fishing and the naval mercantile trade. Siren Cove is not the only city where merfolk visit and live with their human spouses, but it is one of the largest and most well-known. As such, life in Siren Cove is indelibly shaped by their partnership with the merfolk, who provide a steady supply of oceanic goods through their spouses. Merchants who specialize in selling things like the pearls and shells that come from merfolk hoards are often headquartered here, and are required by law to offer a fair price to the merfolk’s spouses as the city is eager to maintain good relations with the merfolk and is wary of predatory merchants who might take advantage of unknowing spouses. Merfolk are also a large part of Siren Cove’s culture and heritage. Shop names make references to them; restaurants serve both human and mer cuisine; artwork and statues feature them all over the city. The Cove District, the closest district to water besides the harbor, is almost exclusively populated by mated merfolk and their human spouses.

Lunarsea (Festival): Every year at the full moon that signals the start of The Change, the town of Siren Cove holds a two-week festival called Lunarsea. Its purpose is to celebrate the arrival of the new merfolk seeking their human mates. The festival begins at sundown, marked by music, dancing, and free food provided to attendees. Blue, purple, and white decorations line the streets across the entire town, especially down by the ocean. Young mer are typically given free rooms at the local inns for the duration of The Change. Lunarsea has become widely known across the country, attracting many visitors from out of town. Some are interested in finding mer spouses, while others simply wish to take part in the festivities.