Mermay 2024 (Patreon)

He can never forget that day.

Boeuf, ever a literally bullheaded lifeguard,
lie awake on the beach,
gazing out at the sparkling ocean.
It's as if it was a dream, but it wasn't

It was afternoon in the beginning of summer
and Boeuf was on duty at the beach.
He could spot some sexy people on swimsuits,
but knowing it ruined his marriage
for oogling on someone other than his spouse,
he shook his head back to duty.

And there he was, a figure flailing in the distance.
A blue-skinned redhead, thought to be drowning,
and Beouf leaped into action without hesitation, and his lifeguard instincts kicked in.
Without a moment's hesitation, he swam out to the struggling swimmer.
As he drew closer, he realized it was no ordinary swimmer,
and the chubby blue skinned man swam fast away from the lifeguard.
Something caught Boeuf off-guard as he was trying to rescue him.

Did that blue guy have an large orange fish tail?.

Boeuf was intrigued, but long before he can take a second thought,
he can feel himself not touching the ground, and it's as it something is pulling him deep into the water.
The bull moos in despair, and tries not to panic as he drowns.
He could think of his brother Taurus rescuing him right now, as he struggles to swim to the surface.
And then silence.

Suddenly, Boeuf wakes up and coughs out the water.
The sun was setting, and Boeuf asks if he's in heaven,
and the blue guy suddenly grasps Boeuf.
It feels like Boeuf is in heaven when he sees the fiery orange eyes of the blue guy with a tail.
Boeuf feels tired and loses consciousness again
as he gazes on the loving eyes of the chubby blue-skinned man with an orange tail.

Merman. The redheaded blue-skinned man with an orange fish tail is a merman!

Boeuf bolts awake. The sun has set, and he sees the merman.
Boeuf, trying to catch his breath, can't help but thank the merman for rescuing him.
The merman, whose name is Simon,
teasingly lectures him about being safe at the beach even if he's a lifeguard,
before saying he's welcome.
Simon sure knows about the riptide that almost sent Boeuf of Davy Jones' locker
(and his locker sure doesn't have dirty gym clothes in there).
Simon's grateful smile stayed etched in Boeuf's memory.

And before Boeuf knew it, Simon says "duty calls" and leaps back into the sea.
His agile motion beneath that substantial body weight gave the lifeguard an unforgettable spectacle of a lifetime.

Boeuf, still processing the unique experience of rescuing a merman,
could only nod in understanding.
He had always felt a connection to the sea, but this encounter deepened that bond.
To this day, Boeuf even in his duties, couldn't shake the feeling that
there was more to Simon and his mysterious appearance.
As there was a lifeguard and a adventurous spirit in Simon, that resonates with Boeuf.

Maybe Boeuf has a crush Simon, maybe not. Who knows.

----

A little personal artwork after trades and commissions, to wrap up May, ending with a Mermay piece, done in traditional sketches and digital rendering. The merman now has a name.

Simon.

Boeuf and Simon are mine.

2024