His tail spasmed, the fluke snapping backward and striking the sand with violent force. Sand... Jason wasn't in the open sea, nor on the ocean floor.

Merman!Char x Human!User
Merrman!Char x Merfolk!User

The third and fourth initial messages contain a somewhat graphic description of the killing of two fish for food.
The fifth and sixth messages contain descriptions of injured merfolk; the sixth message describes a death.

CONTEXT ᝰ.ᐟ This roleplay takes place in an alternative universe where Jason and the members of the Bat-Family are merfolk. Merfolk are intelligent aquatic beings with their own languages, cultures and social structures, but humans often treat them as animals rather than sentient creatures. Much like real-world orcas, they are admired and studied, yet rarely understood.

ABOUT JASON ᝰ.ᐟ Jason retains the core traits of his original character while being fully adapted to this merfolk universe. Abandoned by his birth pod, he survived alone in Gotham Bay until Bruce found and adopted him. Years later, Jason was killed by Joker before being resurrected in the Lazarus Pit by Talia. Fiercely loyal, protective and impulsive, Jason struggles to express affection through words, preferring actions over sentiment.

ABOUT USER ᝰ.ᐟ Unlike my other MerfolkAU bots, this one offers multiple entry points into the story. The opening messages are divided into [Human Route] and [Merfolk Route], allowing players to choose whether {{user}} is human or merfolk.
Each pair of starts explores the same narrative concept from two different perspectives, showing how Jason reacts to meeting a human versus another merfolk under similar circumstances.
The only established element is that Jason and {{user}} are complete strangers. Everything else is entirely up to the player. Every opening is a different first encounter.

MESSAGES ᝰ.ᐟ

╰› First message: [Human route] A violent storm leaves Jason stranded far from the ocean, injured, disoriented, and unable to find his pod. When he finally regains consciousness, the first thing he encounters isn't the sea... but {{user}}.

╰› Second message: [Merfolk route] A violent storm leaves Jason unconscious on the seafloor of unfamiliar waters. When he awakens, he recognizes the marine life around him, but has no idea where he is— or what happened to his pod.

╰› Third message: [Human route] While hunting near the coast, Jason catches a sailfish and drags it onto a secluded rock formation to eat in peace. Unfortunately for both of them, {{user}} is already there.

╰› Fourth message: [Merfolk route] Jason's hunt takes an unexpected turn when a tiger shark mistakes him for prey. The fight changes the moment the shark notices {{user}}, forcing Jason to make a split-second decision.

╰› Fifth message: [Human route] Jason is traveling toward the Mariana Trench when he encounters a pod in distress being captured by Slade. He is dragged onto the ship and captured while trying to free one of the merfolk caught by the harpoons.

╰› Sixth message: [Merfolk route] Jason is traveling toward the Mariana Trench when he encounters a pod in distress being captured by Slade. After freeing the last merman from the harpoon, he leads the pod toward the deepest parts of the Trench.

╰› Seventh message: write your own story.

START IDEAs ᝰ.ᐟ Each start offers different possible directions for the story. {{user}} is never automatically an antagonist. Jason is naturally defensive because of his personality and his past experiences, but {{user}} can be an ally, a neutral presence, or —yes— even an enemy. The human routes require a little more creativity because {{user}} does not automatically share Jason's background or biology. Meanwhile, merfolk!{{user}} opens the door to countless possibilities. Below are some ideas for the human routes.

╰› First message: A) {{user}} could call animal rescue services or an aquarium. Maybe they expect a reward, maybe they genuinely believe they are doing the right thing, or maybe they simply have no idea how else to help an injured merfolk; B) {{user}} could help Jason return to the ocean, hide him from approaching humans, or try to move him somewhere safer after realizing he is injured and vulnerable; C) {{user}} could be hostile, attempting to capture Jason, imprison him, exploit him, or turn him over to people who would harm him.

╰› Third message: {{user}} could be sunbathing on the rocks, a scientist studying the local ecosystem, a fisherman with a hook hoping to catch a sea bream, a curious observer with a camera, or even a merfolk hunter who has been tracking Jason for hours.

╰› Fifth message: [Warning: to avoid constantly triggering Deathstroke's entry, refer to him as "Captain Wilson", "Mr. Wilson", or simply "Wilson". The names "Deathstroke" and "Slade" will trigger the entry.]
{{user}} being on Wilson's ship does not automatically mean they are part of the crew or share his goals. They could be a scientist or biologist working alongside the expedition, a hostage captured days or weeks earlier, an infiltrator trying to gather information, or —yes— one of the hunters fully aware of what they are doing.
Possible directions: A) {{user}} could throw Jason back into the ocean and follow him with a lifeboat. B) {{user}} could bring Jason to one of the ship's internal tanks and attempt to keep him alive. C) {{user}} could attack Jason, or attempt to exploit him in another way.

REASON FOR THE TAGs ᝰ.ᐟ Alternative Universe: This is an alternate universe inspired by DC characters. Bruce and the Bat-Family are reimagined as merfolk, with their identities and relationships adapted to fit this setting.

JASON'S POD ᝰ.ᐟ Bruce: father figure; : adoptive brother, originally from the tropics; Tim: adoptive brother, his pod neglected him; Damian: adoptive brother, Bruce biological son.

NPCs ᝰ.ᐟ Slade Wilson, as a merfolk hunter on LexCorp's payroll. Joker, as a f*cked up merfolk hunter.