Marli

20 ~ Mermaid ~ Seeker of the depths

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

camelliaspring‌:

Cam had their nose deep in a book about fantasy creatures while walking along the boardwalk. They were fascinated about what humans thought about creatures like themself and others. Although it was written more for kids rather than for adults… it felt like another fantasy for them. There were lies, some truths, and misunderstandings. There were just reading a page about mermaids which they knew very little about. Unfortunately for them, they weren’t looking at where they were going and crash!

“Oof!” they fell back from the collision. The book toppled on top of Cam’s chest and they scuffed their hands from trying to break their fall. They looked over at who they just crashed into and felt terrible. “Oh…! I’m so sorry!” They burst, tearing up. They stood up as fast as they could and extended a hand out toward the woman. “That was totally my fault… I was just reading this book and I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Ughhh.”

Marli looked down at the damage. It could have been worse but her leg already ached from being used that day. The human she had collided with seemed to be doing the same, already springing up impossibly fast. Marli, slowly pulling herself up, grimaced through the pain shooting up her leg. The human was already extending a hand out - one which Marli ignored - and stumbling over a string of apologies.

Marli waved off the their apology. “Don’t worry. Happens a lot,” she said. Then she admitted, “...especially when I’m not really focusing on where I’m going either.” She gave her best attempt at a friendly smile.

Marli brushed the dirt and sand off her skirt. She tried as best she could to stretch out her scarred leg without drawing attention to it. It was really aching now, more than it had in a long time - though, she thought, it had been a long time since she had used her human legs at all. Marli relished the thought of finally getting back to the sea and being done with walking for the day.

Looking up from her leg, she noticed the book that the human had been holding, its pages were in disarray from the collision. It was a book on fantasy creatures. Marli glanced a picture of a mermaid beyond the cover - a young girl with a seashell top and bright colourful hair that she combed with a fish skeleton. She almost choked trying to hold her laugh back. The human perception of merfolk had always been a little off, at least compared to the merfolk Marli had known.

She tried her best not to roll her eyes at the pictures. Pointing at the book, Marli said before even thinking, “Do you really believe in that stuff?”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

skyler-the-wizard‌:

Skyler bit his lip, holding back a laugh at her ‘visitor of Cyreus Cove’ joke. It seemed she wasn’t used to playful formalities which just made it all the funnier. He wondered if she was new to the area. Even though he didn’t know every soul in Cyreus Cove, he usually had a general idea of who was from here and who was new. He brushed that idea aside and focused on the present.

He gave a short wave and blew a kiss to the Colonel before he began to lead the way. 

“I dunno if you’ve ever been to Cafe Adriatic but they recently got a new guy and he is so good at making ice cream. He makes it all himself too, like from scratch! Some times I deliver some coconuts from the islands and he makes this vanilla coconut mix and uggghhh it’s so good!” He waved his arms around in big gestures as he talked, pointing to the cafe and then out to the ocean. “It’s not coconut season at the moment though, so we’ll have to make do with whatever food season it is right now. Oliver uses a lot of fresh local stuff so you can only get certain flavours at certain times. Coconut’s my favourite but tangerine isn’t so bad either. What kinda fruits do you like? They might have it.”

He walked alongside Marli down the boardwalk, coming up to the cafe. It was a relatively small cafe for the amount of patrons it had, though a lot of people seemed happy enough to find their own seating down on the docks and the sandy shore. They came up to the front where there was a counter advertising a variety of summery snacks, including the fruit-themed sundaes Skyler mentioned. 

Marli couldn’t believe herself, so casually speaking with a human. Weeks of travel and being the outsider had made her reluctant to even introduce herself to the other merfolk. Perhaps she was feeling lonely then? She chewed on her lip as she pondered the thought. Images of her pod back home flashed through Marli’s mind. Sure, she did miss them, but her focus here was her research. Pushing her thoughts aside, Marli turned her attention back to Skyler, and this ‘sunday’ he was so eagerly talking about.

Marli listened as Skyler excitedly chattered on about their destination. Her legs still felt stiff from being on land, and her limp was barely hidden by the long skirt she wore. Keeping up with Skyler’s brisk pace was a challenge. Marli was disappointed to hear that coconuts weren’t in season. As far as she knew, they had grown all year round back near the Basin. Her thoughts quickly shifted to her home, a lush rainforest overflowing with different fruits. It was almost a rite of passage for young merfolk to climb the coconut trees that grew on the nearby beaches, though Marli herself had never managed it herself. Walking on land with a mangled leg was hard enough. 

She found herself staring at her feet caught up in her own thoughts, but soon realised that the chatter that had just filled the air had stopped. Glancing up to see Skyler looking at her with curiosity, Marli figured he had asked her a question. She had been listening...just maybe not as intently she should have been. Hoping he was still on the topic of fruits, she quickly asked, “Do they have...I think you call it ‘papaya’ here?”

They walked up to a small cafe bustling with customers. Her eyes drifted around the scene before her, lingering on the people and the goods they were enjoying. She had never seen much like it, though she at least recognised what ice cream looked like. Her eyes finally rested on the centre of it all - the shop counter - where pictures of colourful deserts caught her curiosity.

“What are those?”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

skyler-the-wizard‌:

The girl looked a lot more shaken than he expected, though then again it is quite surprising when you accidentally bump into something. She spoke so suddenly and quickly that it seemed like she didn’t know the Colonel wasn’t real. Skyler was ready to laugh and bring out a clever quip, but stopped himself when he realised she was only playing along. This amused him even more and a wide grin spread across his sun-warmed face. 

“Oh my! How kind of ya ma’am,” Skyler said again in the heavy southern accent while shaking the Colonel. He snickered a little at the question. “Why I know just the guy to show you! Come out ‘ere Skyler!” He let go of the statue and walked out from behind it. 

“Okay, okay, I’m here,” he said in his normal voice, scratching the back of his head in mock embarrassment. “This guy…” he rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb towards the Colonel, giving the girl a secret smile. “So the secret to treating someone to a sundae is by starting with introductions! I’m Skyler, local tour guide and sundae connoisseur.” He gave a slight bow and tried to hold back a cheeky smile. 

“Next we go to that cafe!” He pointed to a seaside cafe along the beachfront, with a sign saying ‘Cafe Adriatic’. He leant in and whispered, “they’ve got better sundaes than what this fellow makes.”

Marli couldn’t help but laugh as the boy - Skyler - kept up the charade. What an odd human, she thought. No one she had met here had greeted her with such warmth, and for a moment she managed to let go of that built up fear. Although that wasn’t to say she would blindly follow along with their conversation, cheerful as he was, Skyler was still human. Marli had to remain alert. Who knew how many merfolk had fallen to human trickery? However, their playful banter had brought out a childlike part of her that she had thought was long forgotten.

“Oh right...” She would have to make a note about this strange human practice later in her books...“Of course! Introductions...”

Slightly confused...and desperately trying to hide it, Marli continued, “I’m Marli...uh...visitor of Cyreus Cove...” She imitated his bow to the best of her ability. She felt her legs wobble and imagined she must have looked incredibly awkward. Also...what are you talking about? She wanted to ask just exactly what his idea of a Sunday was but held back her questions. Marli followed Skyler’s gaze as he pointed out another cafe, a small building near the beach. Perhaps a Sunday was also a human food? That would make sense in the context of a cafe...surely. She quickly glanced over the building next to them, the one the Colonel stood in front of, and tried to peer inside. Pictures presented various kinds of foods, none she even remotely recognised. Growing up on the river hadn’t given her much chance to explore human cuisine, and Marli had never really felt the need to research something so, well, boring. But in that moment a burning curiosity overcame her. She couldn’t just leave now not knowing what a human sunday was.

“Um...okay, sure.” She then turned to face the Colonel and resumed her playful tone as she said, “I hope you enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Colonel!”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

irischung‌:

Marli. Just like that dog movie, Iris thought. She felt a little jealous that this girl had been named after that adorable Labrador. She’d gotten a flower name, which was kind of nice, she supposed. The name had been her mother’s choice, or so dad told her. Iris had never met her mother, her father had said she died when Iris was a baby but he wouldn’t go into the details. It seemed too hard for him to talk about, but he had eventually told her about the town he had met her mother in. She had been here a year now, but she hadn’t gotten to know anything more about the woman.

Just as Marli finished answering the question, a bicycle came racing down the street towards them, and just as she had earlier, Iris felt unable to escape the bike’s trajectory. Her companion seemed a much better escape artist. She saw the bike coming and whisked Iris and herself out of the way. 

“Woah, thank you,” Iris said rather breathlessly.  A friend with good reflexes was quite an asset. Her legs felt a bit wobbley after that.  “Yes, I think I need to sit down.”

She plodded over to the bench and flopped down into it. The cyclist had continued as though they hadn’t almost turned Iris and her friend into roadkill, which made Iris wonder if they had been villains of the incidents instead of the victims. The poor cyclist might suffer from traumatic flashbacks of the time he almost hospitalised two pedestrians. The thought made her quickly yell, “Sorry!” after the biker who was likely out of hearing range by now. She returned her attention to her companion and picked up the conversation again. “So what brought you to Cyreus Cove?”

She hoped Marli might say she was visiting family. If she was then her family might know something about Iris’ mum. If not, well, she was sure the girl would have some sort of interesting story. Cyreus Cove wasn’t exactly advertised in international tourist brochures, and Marli’s accent was definitely not Australian, though she wasn’t sure why. The cove was like a hidden gem, the ocean and surrounding forest was so picturesque and Iris loved the cute hobby farms and unique boutiques in town. She could understand why her mother called this town home.

They walked over to the empty bench - well, Marli staggering more than walking. She hoped she was doing an okay job of disguising her limp. Her new human legs weren’t accustomed to land yet and her right leg was flaring in pain. She wondered whether the collision had anything to do with it, but this was the first time she had been on land in a long time and any pain seemed like unbearable pain. Marli hated it and the weakness that accompanied it. She remembered her pod saying that the injury would heal in a matter of days, yet it had been years now. The scars on her tail, as well as her human limp, remained to remind her. As they sat down on the seat, relief flooded through her as the weight off her leg eased. Marli couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

She chuckled as Iris called out after the cyclist. “That must be your favourite word, huh?” she said under her breath, smiling.

“Um, what brought me here?” She could just tweak the truth. “I’m uh, actually here studying as a maritime archaeologist. You know, I like to look at old things from the ocean…and…”

Iris was giving Marli her undivided attention, eyes bright with curiosity. Marli quickly looked up towards the ocean. “You know…I was really angry when they sent me to this boring town. But there’s something…well, I’ve only been here a day so I can’t say much. But I’m starting to understand why they study this place…it’s…” She paused, realising just what she was saying. “Well, I mean it’s a…it’s a really beautiful town. I wonder why it’s not more popular with huma…with tourists.”

Marli knew exactly why it wasn’t popular. She had done her research on her journey over to Australia and understood enough to realise that the town’s inhabitants didn’t want the cove to become a tourist spot. A thought suddenly occurred to her. This town was full of mermaids, witches, wizards, vampires and more…meaning anyone she talked to wasn’t most definitely human. Marli looked back to Iris. She couldn’t possibly be anything but a human, right? she thought to herself, though the sudden realisation gave her hope that she might have a chance to make friends in this ‘boring old port town’.

“So, how long have you lived here then?” Marli asked.

[ashlynn-alex-layman]

A Mystery Awaits | Open

[marli-morales]

ashlynn-alex-layman‌:

Ashlynn was impressed by Marli’s position. It certainly explained her fascination with antiques and how she was so knowledgeable. “A marine archaeologist? How exciting! You ever seen anything cool during your studies? Megalodons? Kelpies? Krakens? Mermaids?” Ashlynn asked, speaking faster and louder as she went through her list, then realised how unprofessional that was and laughed at herself. “I’m sorry, I’m a true believer. Myths and legends just get me so excited. I’m actually an antiques dealer, so if your archaeological team ever picks up something that a museum doesn’t want you should give me a call.”

Ashlynn transferred the brush into her left hand on top of the jewelry box and then quickly fished out a business card and passed it to new friend. She then separated the treasures again, checking both over for scuffs or scratches. Once she was satisfied they were fine she added, “Even if you just want to chat about a cool expedition or an awesome find, send me a message or call me. I love hearing about that sort of stuff.”

She nodded as she listened to the brunette’s theory. It was interesting, but… It was so unimaginitive. “That does sound plausible, however, counter theory, they were stolen by pirates! Those pirates were attacked somewhere in the Indian ocean by a giant sea serpent and their treasure was scattered across the world by the sea. These items eventually washed up in Western Australia and- and the spirits of those pirates are still tied to their treasure, waiting for the right person to pick it up! Bam! Ghost pirates! Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

“And yeah, I-” she began to tell Marli, before she was interrupted by the owner as she bustled out and latched onto the items in Ashlynn’s grasp.  “You can’t just walk out with these. You need to pay for them,” the woman reprimanded, trying to wrestle them out of Ashlynn’s grip. Ashlynn held on for dear life as the lady tried to pull them away.  “I am definitely going to pay for them. Right now,” she agreed, voice strained by the struggle, and was led back inside the store by her grip on the artifacts.

Marli nodded along as Ashlynn shot endless questions and theories at her. She almost flinched when she said ‘mermaids’ but managed to keep a straight face and shook her head. For Marli, the supernatural side of Earth had always been normal. Stories of ancient sirens and vampires along with powerful witches and wizards were nothing out of the ordinary. Their world was hidden from human society but history had proven over and over that humanity’s curiosity was strong enough to break down the boundaries. And Ashlynn seem very curious about it all.

Marli took the business card with a quick ‘thanks’ before Ashlynn rapidly started talking again. She was now countering Marli’s theory with one of her own. And it was surely...imaginative - something from an old merfolk fairytale. She could believe pirates...but a giant sea serpent? This lady had been reading too much into Greek mythology! The academic in her assured her there was absolutely no merit to her story, however Marli found herself wanting to believe such a bizarre tale - she could imagine her grandma eating up every word, ready to tell it to another curious child.

“That’s completely ludicrous!” She laughed. 

“There is now way that’s true...” she continued. “...Well, maybe pirates are possible...” Marli trailed off. Her brain was buzzing with endless possibilities. She had to study those items.

They were soon interrupted by the clearly annoyed shopkeeper. Marli couldn’t help but laugh as Ashlynn was dragged back into the store. Still curious about the artefacts, she followed. The store was like nothing Marli had seen before - glittering relics and accessories held most of the space in the small store. Most were cheap souvenir-type goods but Marli could understand how one could find unique items. She found herself wanting to dig through the store in hopes of finding something of real value. Merfolk had their own antiquity stores, however it was often difficult to find anything but cheap vases and jewellery as anything of value was often carried off into the ocean depths. Marli soon realised that Ashlynn was definitely the kind of person to comb over an entire shop to find what she wanted and that left little hope to find anything else. 

“Hey, so if you’re buying them, do you...do you think I could borrow one to study?”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

siennaleecyreus‌:

Sienna took the colourful creased plastic sheets, with a gracious smile. “Thank you.” Was that really so hard? She was pleased the girl had given the money up without much more of a struggle. She couldn’t count it here otherwise she’d look desperate, so she pocketed it hoping find full amount there when she was in private.

 Sienna scoffed and then struggled to keep from saying anything more as this kid accused her of being petty. Is she baiting me? Inconvenience? I gave her my shoe! I now have a naked foot so that she isn’t a laughing stock of the whole town! Sienna’s eyebrows shot up, she couldn’t believe this brat was continuing. She could feel an angry red flush creeping up her neck. How dare this child lecture me! I’m over 200 years old!  She could not wait to see Skyler and tell the wizard about this dreadful encounter over chocolate milkshakes! 

 The girl had the nerve to then introduce herself with a sarcastic little smile. She was infuriating and Sienna lacked the patience to stay quiet a second longer. “I- I- You-” she sputtered, her rage was making it hard to figure out exactly what she wanted to yell. “You should respect your elders!” she finally yelled, breathing heavily.

A few moments later she realized her error. She didn’t look any older than Marli and she was currently pretending to be a high school student. The glare melted off of her face and she looked at the other girl with shock. How was she going to cover this up?

“I mean, as a general rule, respecting your elders is important,” she said awkwardly and added a short laugh to the end. Nope, not convincing at all. Time for Plan B, bail out. She gave the girl a huge grin and said in her most dinner-party-polite voice, “It was so lovely meeting you Marli, but I have to go.”

She held onto her smile, gave the girl a respectful nod of her head and then began power walking toward the sea. She needed a swim to clear her head and try to figure out something for damage control. Part of her said she should get rid of Marli, that she was a liability and might bring hunters to the town, but after her outburst one thing was clear. She wasn’t thinking clearly. She hoped she would find her answer in the water.

Although the blonde maintained her sweet, friendly smile, Marli could see the ice behind her eyes. Her voice was just as cold as she said ‘thank you’ - she was probably only thankful because this conversation was nearly over, a shared feeling. But she didn’t even answer Marli’s question! Who was this pampered snob of a human? Marli thought she should give her shoe back - she would be sure to aim for the head. That feeling was only grew as the girl started yelling.  Marli didn’t even have a chance to tell her that the money she had just snatched from her hands was only a fraction of the full price.

No way is this girl older than me, Marli thought. Yet she had the audacity to scold her about respect? She couldn’t help the shock on her face as the girl fumbled through an excuse for her little outburst. She didn’t carry knives or a gun, but this girl still held a weapon and was just as dangerous as any of the humans in stories. Marli felt relief flood through her as the girl spun around and strutted off. Ugh, humans. 

“Well, it was lovely meeting you too,” Marli said in a mocking tone after the girl.

She started walking toward the sea - a little to the left and there was nice little alcove of rocks hidden away from the human eye, the perfect place to transform. But she soon realised the blonde was heading the same way and made an effort to slow down...not that she wasn’t walking slow enough already. What business could she have down there? She couldn’t possibly be a...no, the girl was far too uptight and rude to be a merperson. Marli refused to believe anything but a human could be so sour. 

She realised she was still holding the stranger’s shoe, and rather tightly at that. She ought to hurl it into the deep blue depths and leave it for some curious sea creature to find. But perhaps it would be useful if its owner ever confronted Marli again - when she had counted the money and found that it was only a mere 25 dollars. She tensed at the thought. That was not a conversation she wanted to have any time soon. 

Marli staggered along the cove to avoid the blonde, well past the docks with its crowd of humans, and found another outcropping of rocks facing the ocean. Far enough from the high tides of the sea, she spotted the perfect nook to hide the shoe in and wedged it tightly in between the sharp rocks. If you weren’t trying to find it, you would never even have known it was there. 

Going by the sun it was nearing two o’clock, and three o’clock marked her first meeting underwater...though she couldn’t quite remember exactly where. But it was on the schedule!...the one she had left so carelessly in her room back at the inn! Trying to forget the whole afternoon, Marli gave a deep sigh and headed into the water.

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

irischung‌:

Iris brightened, pleased this person was going to let her off the hook so easily. I’m so glad she gets it! I’m always tripping over people around here. It actually felt as though she may have met a new friend, but she needed to be careful she could still scare her off if she said the wrong thing.

“Thanks! I was worried I’d have to call my dad and you know how that would go,” Iris told her, “By the way, I’m Iris! Nice to meet you.”

The brunette had been very understanding so far, despite Iris’ socially awkward tendencies, perhaps she was the perfect target for information. She scratched her neck nervously, unsure how to steering the conversation in that direction. If she asked where the woman lived she’d seem like a stalker and if she just asked about her mum out of the blue it would be kind of random. 

Finally she blurted, “Do you mind if I ask how long you’ve lived here?”

Marli did not, in fact, know how that would go. Back home she had never been close with her parents, much less her father than her mother. She had preferred the company of her grandma who would always, upon Marli’s request, tell her the most enchanting stories. She missed those tales of long lost cities and ancient treasures, and, with a pang of sadness, she realised she missed her home as well. Marli hadn’t had much of a chance to catch up with her pod after graduation, a few days rest and then she was sent to Australia on the internship. Everything here was new and terrifying - humans, land, a boss that had way too much fun scolding her...And now, in this town full of strangers, a small funny human stood beaming before her, one of the very first humans to give her a genuine smile. Marli wanted to believe in the best and chose to ignore the trickle of fear and distrust in her mind.

“Hey, yeah, nice to meet you too!” she said returning the smile. “Call me Marli.” Perhaps all humans weren’t that bad, she thought. But this one sure was strange. Marli watched the girl as her eyes flickered between questions, working up the nerve to ask something. She vaguely wondered whether humans considered staring to be rude...

Finally finding the right question, Iris spoke. How long had she lived here? Well, in all truth, she hadn’t. The tiny underwater inn they were staying in could hardly be classified as ‘living’. 

“Um, well, to be honest,” she started a little awkwardly. “...it’s really funny you ask that, because, uh...I actually just arrived here yesterday.” 

Before Iris could answer, a bike came hurtling towards them and it took all Marli’s effort to pull them both away in time. Well, that was rude. But they were still standing in the middle of the main footpath, so maybe they were actually the rude ones here. She pointed to a bench close by - her weak legs could use a rest as well, and a seat was the next best thing to water. “You wanna sit down, or do you have somewhere else to be?”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

siennaleecyreus‌:

First she offers me a monitery gift to show her remorse and now she wants to retract it? Does she think me a fool? Is she no longer sorry? Sienna thought, trying to hold the smile on her face, though she felt the corners twitch slightly. Trying to maintain the friendly atmosphere Sienna replied evenly, “I completely understand. You just got to town,” then muttered, “without any savings which is quite strange,” before continuing as before, “and you need to accumilate some funds. I wouldn’t want anyone here to consider you a pauper who can’t pay off their debts so I will allow you to work for a while and pay me back later.” Let’s see her wriggle out of that without losing face. 

It was so tempting to use a touch of magic to convince the girl to hand her money over. That was how she had done things in her pirating days, but she knew she ran the risk of enchanting all the humans surrounding them. That wouldn’t be so bad for her wallet, but it would definitely attract unwanted attention. Sometimes she really missed her time on the open sea. But there were more adventures to be had ahead, she reminded herself.

A salty breeze rustled her hair and she made her last attempt to convince this girl to pay up, “It may have been a misunderstanding, but it would feel like you were retracting your apology if you didn’t follow through.”

“Might I ask your name?”

Why couldn’t this girl see reason? Marli was vaguely familiar with similar human customs back in Brazil - you upset someone and suddenly you were in debt. The stories never ended well for the person who owed money, and Marli really didn’t want that kind of trouble. She should just give the girl all the money she had and make a run for it...well, if she had enough money to do so, which she didn’t. She would have to go and exchange her savings to human money just sort out this petty misunderstanding. She would just have to follow through with the girl’s scheme.

Marli took pride in maintaining composure in situations like these. Her brief time at college had taught her how to play this game well. But, she knew what humans were capable of and didn’t want to push this any girl further. She struggled to keep the fear out of her eyes...and her temper from boiling over. That being said, Marli didn’t consider herself a pushover and she couldn’t just let this human get away with such rudeness. A compromise then, she figured.

“Okay fine, I can pay you, if you really want,” she finally said, reaching into her bag to grab the crumpled up notes. “Here,” she said, offering the handful of money. She managed to keep her voice calm and cool, an icy barrier from the annoyance and frustration that was burning deeper down. “But, I just wanted to say, I think the whole idea of owing someone money after a minor inconvenience is a little bit outdated.” And so is the way you speak, Marli thought, noting just how differently it sounded to the other locals. “And for the record,” Marli mustered up the rest of her courage as she continued, “It wasn’t just my fault. Both of us weren’t paying attention to where we were going.” She had also realised that the blonde never even apologised to her. Sure, it had mostly been Marli’s fault, but the girl hadn’t even offered a drop of sympathy for her. 

“I’m Marli, by the way,” she said, forcing a smile. “And you are?”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

skyler-the-wizard‌:

Having just said goodbye to the last couple of tourists, Skyler leant back against the KFC and began chomping down his chicken nuggets. The whole tour guide gig felt perfect for him. He got to talk to people from all around the world, got to amaze people with the scenery and magic tricks, and best of all, he got to venture out into nature almost everyday. And be paid for it! Life was going pretty great for him, he had to admit. It would be better if he could get more of a start on his magic training, but he was sure he was on the right path. He only had to be more patient.

A loud bang interrupted his reverie. He heard a lady shout and looked around the Colonel Sanders statue, which was now wobbling in place. On the floor was an unhappy looking lady he hadn’t seen before. He tried to suppress his laughter as he offered a hand to her. 

“Sorry about the ol’ Colonel here. He doesn’t really move out of the way for anyone. He’s stubborn like that,” he said, with an escaped chuckle. “Now say your sorry,” he said to the plastic statue. The Colonel only continue to smile that same dead eye smile he always wears, while holding this month’s menu. Skyler slid beside the statue and began to shake it. “I’m sorry ma’am! I didn’t see ya there!” Skyler said with a overdone southern accent. “I’ll shout ya a sundae if you’ll forgive me.”

Marli ignored the hand offered to her and got up. She kept her head down and fixated on her shaky legs. The collision had shocked her fragile body so much that even just standing had become challenging. She soon realised someone was talking to her. What she had run into surely did not feel human, and when she looked up it was most definitely not a human talking to her. An odd cartoon-like figure was apologising to her. Still hazy, Marli figured she must have bumped her head, or that maybe this was some kind of human trick or enchantment. 

Without even thinking, she blurted out, “No, sir! I’m the one who should be sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was -” From the corner of her eye she saw a boy - the one who had offered to help her up - stifle a laugh. “What’s...?” And it clicked. Marli looked at the lifeless statue, its soulless glare bearing down on her. She felt her cheeks warm. She wasn’t that stupid...was she? No. Of course not. It must have been the fall, the shock must have rattled her mind so much that talking statues were now nothing out of the ordinary. She let out a nervous laugh, trying (and failing) to imitate the human’s cheerful posture as he gave the statue another quick shake.

Marli decided the only way to redeem herself was to play along. “Colonel, was it?” 

“Of course I’ll forgive you! It was only an accident,” she said, a little too over dramatically. She couldn’t help it as a smile crept up to her face, and for a moment she forgot where she was. She forgot she was talking with a human. It was a nice feeling, she admitted, to enjoy this playful banter - to let go of her fears, even if it was just for a moment.

The moment didn’t last long, and Marli felt her smile falter as she remembered all the human horror stories that began with a simple conversation. She should probably just leave without another word. But curiosity got the best of her, and it took all her effort to maintain her cheery demeanour as she said, “Um, by the way, how exactly does one treat someone to a Sunday?”

[ashlynn-alex-layman]

A Mystery Awaits | Open

[marli-morales]

ashlynn-alex-layman‌:

The stranger she had picked practically jumped her when they saw the hand mirror. It was a young woman with brown chocolatey hair, actually it made Ashlynn think of that Australian chocolate bar she had tried earlier that week called a ‘curlywurly’. Yes, she definitely had curlywurly hair and cute hazel eyes that twinkled when the light hit them. Actually she loked a bit like a fairy. 'The curlywurly fairy’, I wonder if I should write about her in my blog, Ashlynn thought as the lady stared at the mirror intently. 

Next the young woman started blurting theories about the mirrors origin excitedly at Ashlynn. This fairy did not mess around with introductions or idle small talk, she got straight into. Ashlynn also noticed she didn’t have the nasally accent that all the natives had and wondered if she too, was on holiday.

The lady had confirmed a number of the features that Ashlynn had noted when she had picked it up, though she would need a historian to certify it before any buyers would look at it. Although with the excitement this girl displayed, Ashlynn felt like she might already have a buyer. The only thing she wasn’t sure about was the glass. She didn’t know of any significant glass makers in the Manni Penisila during the 15th century, but perhaps she was getting confused between the 15th and 16th century.

She grapsed the handle tightly this time. She felt a little nervous about losing it now that someone else knew its worth. The girl had completely overlooked the jewelry box hough, which was quite a find as well. She seemed quite young so it was likely due to inexperience.

“You have quite an eye, missy,” Ashlynn said, eyebrows raised, “I’m Ashlynn. What should I call you?”

“And you know, this isn’t just nice. It’s an 18th century box from India. It may not be as old as the mirror, but if I’m correct these boxes were given out by the queen to members of her court who earned her favour. It was thought that only 25 of these boxes were made and that only 12 remained, but I believe we may have discovered a 13th here! Now tell me, how does a 18th century Indian jewelry box and a 15th century Greek hand mirror, end up in Australia?”

Marli’s cheeks flared with embarrassment. Not only had she nearly exposed the whole merfolk society, she had also let her excitement turn her into babbling mess. This human, however, simply stared at her, a gleam of blatant curiosity in her eyes - the very same that filled Marli’s a moment earlier. This stranger was different to the other humans in the town, she thought. Dark hair and dark clothes set her apart from the crowds of women strolling the docks wearing shorts and bikinis. Ashlynn. She hadn’t noticed before but she now heard the accent that confirmed she was also a tourist. It was similar to her own accent, though Marli rolled r’s hinted her more southern origin.

She wanted nothing more than to continue discussing these mystical items- the very ones that, Marli noticed, Ashlynn clutched tightly now. But a thought still tugged at her mind, telling her to leave the conversation. Marli fought with it. So far, the humans she had encountered were fun, welcoming and nothing like the stories from her home...well, save for one headache of a human.

“I’m Marli,” she said. “I...I’m studying as a maritime archaeologist here.” Her mentor had mentioned the human name for their profession. A clever guise that easily explained her knowledge of that mirror.

Her attention was then pulled towards the box she had been so quick to dismiss. It was really quite beautiful, fit for a queen and her esteemed court. Its golden accents sparkled under the sunlight and Marli revelled in its delicate beauty. She glanced back to the silver mirror, also twinkling in the sun, and wondered, for the first time, how it had made its journey from the Mediterranean. They had both withstood centuries, so it was possible they’d have been all over the world, although Marli’s first guess for the mirror was undoubtedly merfolk. A Mediterranean pod probably relocated to this area and the mirror was somehow lost to the humans.  Marli didn’t know much about human history, but it was often tied to merfolk tales. 

“My guess is that both artefacts were family heirlooms of some sort. And were brought to Australia along with the mass immigration in the 20th century. That would make sense for the mirror, as it was a common item amongst high society in Greece...” 

No way would the woman suspect Merfolk origins, Marli thought. “The box is...well, your guess is a good as mine. And,” she paused, hearing commotion in building beside them. “...Where did you get them? That shop?” She nodded to the store just as an anxious looking human - the owner, she supposed - walked out.

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

siennaleecyreus‌:

“No, no, no,” Sienna chatised quickly, “You should put it on right away. People will stare!” She couldn’t believe this girl could be so ignorant. Weren’t humans taught about the indecency of naked feet from an early age? The brunette was really a bit strange. 

How much..? Does she mean to pay me? Sienna wondered. It had been a year since Sienna’s arrival in the town and the magical card she’d used in America had never been sent to her. She’d been getting by selling pearls, and on good weeks she bits of jewelry lost by tourists, to local shops, but thanks to the merfolk in the pearling industry the value of pearls here was signifcantly less than other places she had been. She had been struggling to pay her on time and she would not sink so low as to getting a job, so this was perfect! She quickly tallied the rent in her head before responding.

“I meant a favour, but since you offered… I’ll take the money too. About 100 bucks should do it.”

The longer this conversation went on, the less Marli came to understand about humans. She mentally made a note about the whole shoe thing - don’t walk around with bare feet, don’t put shoes on in public...This woman was awfully concerned about footwear. Slowly, Marli lowered the shoe and watched the human. The stranger’s eyes sparkled with a scheme as she spoke.

“Bucks?” Marli whispered to herself. From the context she guessed it was another word for money around here. “I don’t think I have much, sorry.” The human notes she had stuffed in her small satchel only amounted to at least a quarter of what she was asking. But the girl just said she didn’t originally mean money. That meant Marli’s confusion and stupidity had gotten her into this mess. She winced as she imagined trying to explain the whole conundrum to her mentor, how he would lecture her about responsibility and whatever else he could think of at the time.

Marli wanted to walk away, to forget about this whole mess. She wished she was napping on a warm rock, lazily watching as the sea softly glistened under the afternoon sun. Just steps away from the docks, she could make it. The ocean called Marli back home, and she longed to be free from these broken human legs. She let out a soft sigh and instantly gave up on the thought. If her mentor insisted on working in that cramped little workshop in town half the time, she would have to adjust to land - fast. Humans and all.

So she said, “I’ll do you the favour...and make up for that orange...thing.” The strange liquid had now dried on her hair, feeling unbearable sticky. “And, well, about the money...it’s kind of my first day here so...” 

Marli hoped she sounded desperate enough. Maybe the girl would let it slide. Maybe she wasn’t as cruel as the humans in the stories they spoke of back home. Marli quickly looked the girl up and down. No guns or knives. Then, noting the mass of humans wandering the docks, she continued, “...If it was just a misunderstanding, I’d rather keep the money I have.”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

irischung‌:

Iris took the offered hand and hauled herself up. She couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes so she busied herself dusting off her overalls. The brunette kept fidgeting and looking away, it seemed like Iris’ antics had made her uncomfortable. 

“No, no no! You don’t need to say that. I was looking where I was going and there still a collision. It’s completely my fault! I’m so sorry,” Iris bumbled. “You’re not going to, like, sue me or anything, are you?”

“I don’t have any money,” she mumbled quietly after. I’ll have to call dad, Iris thought miserably, He’ll be so mad if he hears about this. Uuuggghhh, this day could not get any worse. She was sure she had flunked her maths test earlier today and now she would be charged with assault and have to call home to ask her dad to pay this woman’s hospital fees. She would probably ask for emotional damages too. So dad will have to pay bail, an assault fine if they don’t jail me, hospital bills, emotional damages and possibly councilling fees. Altogether that would be around.. She had no clue. The girl found herself  wondering why she hadn’t studied maths a little harder for the second time that day.

Marli had studied ancient merfolk civilisations, written about the oldest living siren pods, and had swum through the deepest of shipwrecks. Yet these humans continued to baffle her. Marli knew she was one responsible for this bizarre headache, but she stood there confused, listening to the girl blaming herself. Was it worth arguing further? she thought. Would this girl just continue to deny Marli’s apology? She remembered a friend from one of her research classes who would do the same thing, and smiled at the memory. The endless arguments they had - one side saying ‘sorry’ and the other questioning why they were sorry. She stared at the stranger before her. The girl was still human, yes, but Marli saw her friend in her.

Marli had no clue what ‘sue’ meant in the human world. Although she remembered hearing it in the language they spoke along the Amazon. She had never bothered to learn its meaning. From the girl’s tone, Marli guessed ‘sue’ was nothing good. “No, I will not ‘sue’...or anything,” she said slowly, making sure to repeat the girl’s own words, praying they didn’t sound strange. Then, playing with the hem of her long skirt, she continued, “It was an accident - probably a common occurrence around here, right?” Marli laughed, hoping it sounded almost normal...almost human. 

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

[marli-morales]

siennaleecyreus‌:

“Because you are not wearing shoes,” Sienna continued in perplexion, “Aren’t you embarrassed to have your feet exposed like that?” She gestured to the girls tanned feet to make her point. Back in her day even a flash of the ankles caused quite a scandal, but times had changed. It brought a smile to her mouth thinking about what her mother might say if she saw girls fashion today. Now the only things that needed concealing were your feet, breasts and waist. And some of the clothes women wore barely concealed those. As long as they were concealed slightly no one seemed bothered. That gave Sienna an idea.

She leaned down and removed one of her heeled ankle boots and offered it to the girl. Her sticky hand had left marks on the suede material, it couldn’t be helped, this young lady would be the talk of the town if she continued as she was. “Here borrow this, as long as one of your feet is covered, no one should say anything. “But, you totally owe me for this, and the juice thing.”

Marli stared down at her feet - bare and scuffed. She hadn’t even given a thought to silly human customs like wearing shoes, though it was common for merfolk to carry around a pair of water-proof ones for this kind of occasion. And so what if her feet were exposed? She had seen plenty humans already, strolling on the docks, the shore, and one even in the town with their feet exposed. Maybe this girl wasn’t from the area, she thought.

Or it’s another weird human thing, Marli began to wonder as the girl went to remove one of her own shoes. She stood there speechless as the human held it out to her. Tentatively, Marli took it, feeling its soft texture under her fingers. The stranger’s eyes seemed to tell her to put the shoe on. Still utterly confused, Marli quickly examined it for any hidden tricks. Who knew what these humans were capable of?

Suddenly, the girl was talking again, so casually that it seemed as though they had known each other for years. What in Poseidon's name is a juice thing? Marli thought to herself. “Um, yeah, thanks,” was all she could say in response.

The girl still stared at her though, waiting for something else. Oh, right, the shoe! “I’ll, uh, put this on in a minute,” she said, knowing that with her non-existent balancing skills, any attempt, save for planting herself firmly on the ground, would result in another fall. And she wasn’t too keen on hitting that hard pavement again. “So uh, you said I owe you?” Another human custom - she mentally counted the human money her mentor had gave her earlier. It wasn’t a lot. “How much?” 

[ashlynn-alex-layman]

A Mystery Awaits | Open

A speckled hand mirror sat in an ornate silver frame and beside it was a carved pale wooden jewelry box with gold accents that Ashlynn was certain was from the 18th century. She fiddled with her wedding band and leaned closer to scrutinize them better. Both were worth much more than this store was selling them for, but which would her customers want more. She was in half a mind to buy them both, but she knew her boss would not appreciate such impulsiveness. 

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and brought up her husbands number. Whenever she was unsure she asked her other half, but today she felt as though she shouldn’t use her trump card. Perhaps I should see if I can find a fortune teller in town. It’s always better get a tarot reading when you feel something strange, she mused thinking back to earleir that day about if she had seen any signs for that sort of thing. She vaguely remembered the shop beside the cafe they’d had breakfast at had done readings… And she had suggested she and Emmett get a couples reading done, but then he had said he was going to do some nature photography because of the weather… That’s why she couldn’t call him! If his phone went off then it disturb the nature and the photo would be a huge mess.

“Then.. I will buy…” Ashlynn murmured, hand swaying between both of them, she was sort of hoping one of them would be haunted and that a ghost hand might pull her toward the object it was possessing. Niether one did anything special, just a slight gleam would have been enough, but they sat there dormant. With a groan Ashlynn grabbed both of them and marched outside, accompanied by an alarmed squark from the store owner.

She stepped in the way of someone passing and held both objects up toward them. She hoped they were a local who might know about the objects, or maybe a clairvoyant tourist.

“Hi! Do you feel anything when you look at either of these? Better yet, do you know anything about these objects?”

[marli-morales]

Marli gave an involuntary squeak as the woman jumped in front of her. She would have run right into her had it not been for her sudden greeting. Marli had been running an errand for her boss, who had, to her surprise, given her the rest of the afternoon off. And, as dull as it sounded, she had decided to spend it walking. If she was going to be on land this much she may as well not look like an idiot.

Slowly, she raised her head. The stranger stared at her, waiting for a reply. Then Marli saw the objects she held and her eyes widened.

Without a second thought, she snatched the mirror out of the woman’s hand and examined it. A hand mirror, early 16th...no, 15th century design, with beautifully detailed carvings etched around the worn silver frame. Pulling the mirror closer to her face, not really caring how shocked the woman might have been, she said aloud, “The carvings around the frame suggest mid-15th century design, and - oh -” Marli turned the mirror over “- this is definitely Greek, not ancient though, so think Ottoman empire. Notice the subtle Turkish design? You can see in the shape of it - round glass, strong handle. And the glass! Oh, it was obviously made by mer-”

Marli stopped herself before she could say ‘merfolk’. “...Made in the Mani Peninsula,” she lied, although she did recall there being an old merfolk kingdom in the area.

“You know what?” she said, shoving the mirror back into the lady’s hand. “I, uh...” Marli looked longingly at that mirror and wondered whether humans took kindly to others taking their things. She could just grab it back when the human wasn’t looking and then she'd have the whole afternoon to discover its secrets. She chewed on her lip as she debated with her options. 

Finally, giving up, she said, “You know, I guess the box is also nice.”

[cyreus-cove-rp]

Name: Marli Morales Gender: Female Apparent Age: 20 Real Age: 20 Species: Merfolk Occupation: Archaeologist intern  Place of origin: The Amazon River Length of Stay: 3 months Faceclaim: Zendaya Coleman

Short summary of your character: 

Hailing from a small Amazonian pod, Marli is an adventurous spirit working as an intern for a deep-sea archaeologist group. Despite her thirst for knowledge, Marli refuses to spend more time then necessary on land as past events have led her to hate and distrust human society. Her internship has now brought her to Cyreus Cove to explore its surrounding depths and learn just how the supernatural can live amongst humans.

Personality: 

+ Intelligent,  bubbly, empathetic, adventurous -  Prejudiced,  ignorant, critical, forgetful

Character introduction: 

Marli, an optimistic and curious mermaid, grew up along the tropical Amazon river where she and her pod lived a simple life. She bares three scars from her childhood in the rainforest – a reminder of the drunk fishermen who mistook her as an arapaima. Marli now holds a deep distrust and fear of the land above, much preferring the depths and all its wonder. She is currently working her way towards becoming a maritime archaeologist and has recently started her first internship which has brought her to Cyreus Cove. Marli likes to flaunt her intelligence, often coming across as an obnoxious know-it-all. However, her avoidance of land means that she is absolutely clueless when it comes to human life and its practices.

Additional Notes: 

Her last name is spoken with a Spanish accent.

Her tail resembles a discus fish.

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

The swim from the basin had been a long and exhausting three weeks for Marli. She had met up with her study pod halfway but was disappointed to hear that they weren’t assigned to the same area. Australia was a wonder to the archaeologist merfolk – surrounded by a seemingly endless ocean, much of it undiscovered by its own residents. Because it was such a large area it had only made sense that the interns would be assigned individually. Though she had hoped that maybe some of the others would stick around. She really didn’t want to deal with her old grumpy mentor alone. Still, she was excited to start. Marli had researched all the wonders of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; the countless shipwrecks from early human explorers, and the ancient underwater kingdoms of the merfolk. However, she had been assigned to this small port town.

Marli watched the town before her. Most of the merfolk in her intern group knew something of it and she had already noticed the bustling society below the surface. Marli had never known human waters to have so many merfolk, surely the humans would have noticed something in their waters by now? She would have to ask about that.

Making sure she was out of the humans’ sight, she lounged on a rock and watched the town. The little dinghies bobbing in the harbour, the sun shining down on to the clear water, and the humans doing…well, whatever humans did. Marli noted a few merfolk among the crowds as well.

She suddenly got the feeling she was forgetting something, as if seeing the merfolk on land had sparked her memory. What had she forgotten this time?

Then Marli remembered her mentor’s stern face. ‘And Miss Morales, please don’t be late’. The sun was at its peak. Noon…She was supposed to be meeting him at noon…in the town. 

On land. 

She groaned, already imagining her broken human body limping hurriedly through the town only to be lectured again by that sour faced old man.

Reminding herself why she was doing all this, Marli made her way into the town.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Marli was finally set free, though she dreaded the walk back to the water and she didn’t dare ask her mentor why  they had to meet up on land. 

Head down, she limped towards what she thought was the harbour. Too focused on putting one foot in front of another, Marli didn’t notice the other person striding toward her. The force of the collision knocked her to the ground.

“Hey! Watch it!” 

[irischung]

Iris watched the young woman walk down the boardwalk with abject horror. It was like she was making a beeline directly towards her and Iris felt as they were being pulled together by magnets. No matter what she did she couldn’t seem to get out of the way. Iris shuffled to the right just as the woman slumped that way, then scooched to the left as the other woman also stumbled to the left. It was like they were performing a perfectly coordinated staggering dance toward each other. As a last attempt to avoid her Iris tried to twist out of the way, but somehow managed to get tangled in her own legs and twist right into the woman. 

Both of them landed on the floor, Iris letting out an undignified, “Oof” and her involuntary dance partner replied with a sound scolding. Iris pulled herself up into a sitting position and her face went bright red and stomach became heavy with guilt.

“I am so s-” she sputtered and then choked on a glob of spit and proceeded to cough and wheeze before her victim. “Sorry!” she gasped and then resumed coughing for a moment longer. 

“I’m sorry!” she croaked finally, “I didn’t see you- I mean! I saw you! But I… I saw you and I was trying to get out the way and I move and then you moved and it’s like you were chasing me! But I know you weren’t…” She trailed off feeling really flustered and then took a few deep breathes and tried to figure out how to convey, “sorry, I’m barely a functioning human being but I’m working on it.” in a way that seemed completely reasonable.

[marli-morales]

Marli gaped at the bumbling human who now sat before her. What...what was going on? She almost felt a shred of sympathy for the girl. Marli looked at her, head down, taking deep breaths - clearly flustered. She, on the other hand, was at a loss for words. The collision had been so fast she had not comprehended anything other than ‘sorry’; the girl’s tone opposite to Marli’s own little outburst. 

She quickly peered over her shoulder seeing the ocean. Just a little further and she’d be back in the water. Then she glanced at the flustered human mess again. 

...She couldn’t just leave this poor human on the ground. Sure, humans weren’t great but, really, this one clearly wasn’t even capable of killing a fly.

Shaking as she got up, Marli stood and offered a hand to the stranger.

“Come on. Get up,” she said.

Marli helped the human to her feet, silently praying that her own legs wouldn’t give way and topple them both over again. Once they were firmly on their feet, Marli considered making a run for the water again. However, her still wobbling legs told her that was obviously out of the question. 

“And,” she started saying, “Don’t be sorry. I was the one not looking where they were going.”

[marli-morales]

Fish out of water

The swim from the basin had been a long and exhausting three weeks for Marli. She had met up with her study pod halfway but was disappointed to hear that they weren’t assigned to the same area. Australia was a wonder to the archaeologist merfolk – surrounded by a seemingly endless ocean, much of it undiscovered by its own residents. Because it was such a large area it had only made sense that the interns would be assigned individually. Though she had hoped that maybe some of the others would stick around. She really didn’t want to deal with her old grumpy mentor alone. Still, she was excited to start. Marli had researched all the wonders of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; the countless shipwrecks from early human explorers, and the ancient underwater kingdoms of the merfolk. However, she had been assigned to this small port town.

Marli watched the town before her. Most of the merfolk in her intern group knew something of it and she had already noticed the bustling society below the surface. Marli had never known human waters to have so many merfolk, surely the humans would have noticed something in their waters by now? She would have to ask about that.

Making sure she was out of the humans’ sight, she lounged on a rock and watched the town. The little dinghies bobbing in the harbour, the sun shining down on to the clear water, and the humans doing…well, whatever humans did. Marli noted a few merfolk among the crowds as well.

She suddenly got the feeling she was forgetting something, as if seeing the merfolk on land had sparked her memory. What had she forgotten this time?

Then Marli remembered her mentor’s stern face. ‘And Miss Morales, please don’t be late’. The sun was at its peak. Noon…She was supposed to be meeting him at noon…in the town. 

On land. 

She groaned, already imagining her broken human body limping hurriedly through the town only to be lectured again by that sour faced old man.

Reminding herself why she was doing all this, Marli made her way into the town.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Marli was finally set free, though she dreaded the walk back to the water and she didn’t dare ask her mentor why  they had to meet up on land. 

Head down, she limped towards what she thought was the harbour. Too focused on putting one foot in front of another, Marli didn’t notice the other person striding toward her. The force of the collision knocked her to the ground.

“Hey! Watch it!” 

[siennaleecyreus]

Sienna stumbled back as a brunette bounced off of her and onto the ground. The orange juice in her hand sloshed up through the thick straw and all over the front of her dress. She glared down at the human girl and yelled, “Hey!” in unison to her.

It was not her fault. It was true that she hadn’t been watching where she was walking, but that was because she had been busy with something more important; trying to decide if she wanted to convince the blonde surfer across the road to have dinner with her, or to be her dinner. She had been walking rather slowly and this snotty little human had eyes. They should have been paying attention and dodged around Sienna.

Sienna flicked a sticky hand and snapped, “I think I should be saying that!”

Sienna’s eyes travelled over the girl before her, noting she seemed a little strange. It was her feet. They were completely naked and Sienna knew humans were funny about that. It was a mistake she had made her first day on land. There had to be a reason…

“Did you get robbed?” she blurted, eyes glued to the girl’s feet. Then she remembered that sometimes the locals in this continent weren’t so uptight about that and felt her cheeks colour slightly. Sienna had started to think of herself as one of the locals and yet here she was, acting like a total tourist.

[marli-morales]

Marli only had one thought as the blonde human continued to interrogate her.

She had to get away.

She hastily pushed her sticky hair out of her face, which had received the other half of that orange liquid the stranger carried. She got up. Her legs shook as she did and Marli imagined she must look like a fool to this human. Glancing around she spotted the blue of the ocean - a quick apology to the human for her outburst and she would be back in the water.

Though before she could say anything the human was suddenly asking her a peculiar question. It must be a human thing, Marli thought, to ask a stranger whether they still have their belongings. 

Partly due to curiosity, but mostly because her legs had yet to adjust to the ground again and any step would surely result in another fall, Marli decided to reply. 

“Well...no,” she said. “Why - why do you ask?”