Reflection, Shadow, Echo

A child of the full moon, born a slave to the waves.

[merdude-blog1]

gabriel-enchanted:

Gabriel’d never seen him before but it was hard to not be immediately endeared by a giant drunk man talking about sparks on his fingers and just wanting to get through doors. Personally, Gabriel’d never had the problem of not fitting in a door, but he could imagine accidentally giving himself tiny legs in an effort to stretch up and reach something. “Sparks, huh?” He asked as he moved a tiny bit closer to try and see if he’d just shrunk his own arms or switched them with someone else. He was pretty certain it looked like the skin tone matched and he finally lost the battle, a soft sound of amusement slipping out, as he circled back to face the man. “Alright, Sparkles. One thing at a time. We fix your arms and then we can find you and me something to eat.”

Hopefully, sooner rather than later. He could already feel the red haze descending on his brain again but he did his best to shove it off. “So magick works by intention - it’s likely how you got this to happen in the first place. You wanted something to happen so it did. We use tailsmans, incantations, rituals, to kind of focus that intention for better results.” Glancing behind him, he motioned up to the moon. “You can draw down energy from there to give yourself a boost. Like, just picture rays of light you can pull from the moon and then energize the desire to have your arms go back to normal and that should…should do it. I’m not sure you could get out a proper incantation right now. Probably best we don’t risk it. Just um, go ahead and give that a try.”

Gabriel took another few steps back, more to get the man’s scent out of his nose and less concern about the magickal radius blast zone, and patiently waited to see what would happen next. Or maybe, not so patiently, since his brain moved on to trying to guess worst-case situations and planning contingencies for them. 

“Yeah, sparks!” Gunnar replied, a little louder than necessary. The volume of his own voice seemed to stagger him for a moment before he recollected himself. “I...’m not a big fire guy...but that was...I dunno. It’s great.” A large, proud grin was plastered on his similarly plastered features, mixing horribly with the worry still etched on his features. This man seemed nice, Gunnar decided. Perhaps he could tell him just how to make the sparks work, and perhaps return from the rather noodle-like state he had found himself in.

As the other man started explaining how to fix the situation to him, Gunnar squinted his eyes and nodded sporadically, as if he were a tired academic attempting to keep from dozing off in a rather unexciting lecture. After he finished, he nodded more vigorously, clapping his hands together lazily, while making motions to stand. He spread his legs apart rather unnecessarily wide, his focus turned to the moon. “Okay, my love, you are always so good to me...let’s -- hic -- let’s do this.”

The leader of the Faileas colony imagined he must have looked rather idiotic, leaning upwards towards the moon, his face squinting in a rather forceful display of concentration, a vein jutting out on his forehead. He stood like that for nearly a minute before feeling his arms change. He thought intently about their original state -- beefy, veiny, and wide. After a few moments had passed, he felt his sides grow heavy and decided to break his concentrated stupor. The large man gasped at the sight of his normal arms, his mouth widening in a gleeful grin. He turned to the other creature and offered him the dumb expression, holding his hand out to be shaken. “Look at my arms! I’m Gunnar and thank you. Who are you? Thank you. I’m s’ glad they -- hic -- they’re back. Thank you. Who are you?”

[merdude-blog1]

“Ha, wow. I di..didn’t ffff…fuc…ok so I just wanted to get….through the door…haha…I can’t super feel my arms now, but they’re there I think. Anyways…there…s sparks on my fingers and I jus’…wan’ find a way to get out so…here I am. I wan’ eat but I d…don’ know ‘f I can fuc…fuc..pick up stuff.”

Moodboard for Enchanter Gunnar Kahananui

[merdude-blog1]

gabriel-enchanted:

@merdude

Gabriel was hungry. And he was still himself enough to know that he needed to get the hell out of this cabin as fast as he could but even as singularly driven as he was at the moment - he, too, had to stop and stare at a very very very large man with very tiny arms. A cautious very tiny sniff brought the scent of magick and a large feeling of crippling loss and want with it but apparently somebody got into something they shouldn’t. Or pissed off a very petty Enchanter with a decent sense of humor.

Given the berth the man was being given and his build - Gabriel figured there was minimal damage he could do the man and so stepped out of the crowd of gapers and approached the also very drunk man. His overly-sensitive nose wrinkled but he poked the man’s side all the same to announce his presence and see what they were dealing with. “What happened?” He asked before swallowing hard because somehow magick mixed with blood was even more tantalizing. This better be over quick. Quickly putting a bit more distance between them, he studied the tiny arms and tried to keep the amusement off his face as he listened to the following word vomit to try and attempt to pick out anything useful.

In a crowd of creatures shifting their species, there was one thing for certain about what Gunnar was, and that was very drunk.

Any rational being would have cut themselves off three drinks ago, knowing that they were in a crowd of strangers, all of which were becoming stranger by the minute. And yet, it was so difficult for him not to have fun, as he hardly noticed the change in his own nature. The dulling of his merfolk senses came in tandem with the effects of alcohol. He hadn’t noticed the familiar ache to be back in the water, or smelled the scent of any one particular species. In fact, he didn’t notice anything was different until he was ten minutes deep into a battle story, miming wildly and slurring as he spoke when, as he mimicked the explosion of a merchant ship, found that the tips of his fingers produced complimentary sparks. He cursed happily, and had spent the rest of the night in the shoes of an oafish enchanter.

However, he was far too drunk to think rationally, and when he encountered the doorway of the cabin, found himself incapable of slipping through. With a few strange motions, he managed to fit through the door, though...ah...rather unceremoniously. In fact, his arms were now effectively the size of noodles compared to their original, beefy appearance. Stubbornly, he refused to acknowledge them until another individual approached him, which prompted Gunnar to supplant his expression with a rather idiotic smile.

“Ha, wow. I di..didn’t ffff...fuc...ok so I just wanted to get....through the door...haha...I can’t super feel my arms now, but they’re there I think. Anyways...there...s sparks on my fingers and I jus’...wan’ find a way to get out so...here I am. I wan’ eat but I d...don’ know ‘f I can fuc...fuc..pick up stuff.” 

[merdude-blog1]

noemansland:

Noe shot him a look at first, but the edge slowly fell away more out of exhaustion than anything. ❝Jackson would only make an ass of himself.❞ She scrunched up her face at the thought that he might take her comment as some sort of approval of him taking the position. If she were truly honest, there were worse mers in the colony that could have taken the position, but none of them came close to replacing Adam. Believing such would only make her as traitorous as the rest of them. Even so, she would not see herself going down with the ship. 

❝What?❞ The question was short as if she had little time to hear any insights that Gunnar could offer. Not to mention, Noe prided herself in remembering all of Adam’s most notable speeches. She allowed him to finish his little speech, her memories drifting back to when she’d heard Adam speak the words in question. ❝He said that at one of the New Moon dinners, right?❞ She stared beneath the surface of the water as if she could see the structure in which they resided when able. ❝Back before we left this forsaken place.❞ Noe paused, considering her next words.

She found that her knuckles were no longer white, her shoulders had lowered significantly, and her anger was overtaken by something closer to exhaustion, something others might mistake for acceptance of circumstances. ❝And what is it, you feel, that I can hope to contribute to this happy family?❞ She had her own ideas, but her confidence in her identity within the colony had waned since Adam’s downfall and following death.

Noe took another drink, balancing the bottle on her knee as she thought. ❝I believe that they are the most reckless and the most resourceful… Not to mention, the most underestimated. The vampires are strong and they know well that they could easily overpower the humans. I believe that it would be in our best interest if we befriended them… Once they are separated from the humans, they will be weaker and it will be easier to gather the other groups in the forest against them.❞

A small snort at Noe’s comments jostled Gunnar’s body. She wasn’t wrong, that was for sure. Jackson was perhaps one of the most divisive individuals he’d encountered, but his insight was a necessary feat to ruling effectively. Sometimes you needed a snake’s vision to step into the pit. “I’m sure he would have only lasted days. We could have placed bets.” He regarded her with the briefest of smiles, though it was soon gone as the weight of their conversation pressed on. 

It was hard not to notice the change in Noe’s figure. Usually, her limbs were couched with the trepidation of an assassin, constantly ready to stain her blade with blood. He decided against regarding it, knowing that she may simply be feeling the weight of exhaustion, or perhaps found their conversation too boring to further complicate with her malice. “Well, for starters, you probably have the most determination I’ve witnessed in any one individual. It’s been...what, a handful of decades now? Still, you try to kill me nearly every day, no matter how many times it doesn’t work. I don’t doubt you’ll be the death of me, one day, but we could use that fiery nature in our regiments. Even if it’s just to smack the others around once and a while. Spar. Show them what real anger is. If you won’t council those politicians with your personal views, then at the least council some of my warriors into fighting like they mean it.” It was a small suggestion, and he felt that it might be met with denial. But there were always more ideas to be had, more places to belong. He’d carve her a seat at the table if only she’d agree to sit.

Gunnar felt unsure about the suggestion. The vampires were his least favorite group at the moment, considering the constant attacks on the mers, but what she had to say made the most sense. Between the humans and the vampires, the latter fit more in the fold of the land, even if it came with certain costs. “I’m making motions to speak to their leaders regarding the attacks on our colony. If they comply with my call for justice, then we would make fantastic allies in the wars to come.” He nodded, agreeing silently with the idea at hand.

[merdude-blog1]

sorinvikare:

Sorin was overwhelmed with pure jealousy. He frowned. “I wanna talk to a shark,” He said, mournful. “Will you tell one hello for me?” He aimed a hopeful stare at the merman, using his very best puppy eyes but not compelling him. Though that was an option. He supposed doing so would be counterproductive to forming a friendship with Gunnar, though, and he’d rather be friends with him than with a shark, so to get his way he’d have to resort to using all the tricks he’d learned as a human. Which mostly amounted to puppy eyes and begging. Occasionally bargaining, but he didn’t know what to offer… unless he offered answers.

“Alright…” He gave a nod, and then propped his chin in his hand, looking up at Gunnar, waiting. He kept up a carefully blank look as he listened, still a little unsure of how much he should tell, but he felt bad. He’d known when he’d seen Erasmus kill the girl that someone would care what had happened, and here he was, being faced with proof that he’d been right. He just wished that Erasmus could be the one to deal with it instead- he’d been the one who’d actually killed her. 

“… I know of at least one incident,” He said finally. “I… walked in on it happening. I tried to stop it, to help her, but…” He shook his head. “You know. We’re not really the type to take it slow, so. It was too late. I’m sorry. So I do know who was responsible for that one.” He fell quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now. The merman kept calling it his colony- and while Sorin referred to the clan as his clan, this mer in particular was big and had kind of a commanding presence and Sorin had to wonder if something more was meant by the possessive word. “Are you like… a mer leader?” He asked, tilting his head. “What would you consider justice, and what exactly are you asking me for? Are you wanting me to talk to my leaders and see what I can do internally, or are you asking for a meeting or something?” How would that be set up? He doubted the merman had any interest in walking into the GRF, and it felt risky to ask Amalia and Henrik to stroll in to mer territory, despite the man’s promises that he wasn’t going to go murder them brutally. What would be considered a neutral ground? And did he intend to murder them in a non brutal manner?

Gunnar couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. “Of course. I could punch one in the nose for ya, too, if you want. Damn things are so stupid and full of themselves.” Most folk seemed to find the nuances of mer life rather cryptic or off-putting. Mostly, it was the appetite, however it was clear that it didn’t upset the vampire at all. Not everyone could understand the desire to consume human flesh, which was so ridiculous to him. Why should they hide their predilections when they could easily tear the civilizations of humanity down? Not that they would, granted there was a small sense of mutualism in the mer-human relationship, but it was as off-putting as eating fish, which was far closer to cannibalism than the former. Maybe having a vampire friend wasn’t such a horrid idea after all.

The mer furrowed his brow as Sorin began to speak about the incident. It was a brief exchange, but there was enough truth in it to satisfy him. He seemed sorrowful and prone to regret -- not someone who carried an affinity for sloppy murder. He sighed, thankful for the vampire’s honesty, though a small part of him was worried that he was omitting some truth. He couldn’t blame him. It seemed that his only other option now was to engage their leader directly for answers.

“I am the leader,” Gunnar replied proudly. “The merfolk of the Faileas are under my protection and leadership. We no longer observe kings and queens, but I am as close to that title as you will get.” He took a deep breath and shifted slightly in the water, considering how to phrase his reply. “I’ve swam with the currents of the entire world, and I have seen the face of justice change on every speck of land I’ve walked. To me, justice is a right allotted to the head of state or, in this case, the head of your species. I wish to meet with your leader and discuss my worries, and I wish to leave with the assurance that she or he will bring forth justice as they see fit, or else I will in my own terms, which i’m sure you’d find far less forgiving, my friend.”

[merdude-blog1]

sorinvikare:

“Alright…” Sorin tilted his head, considering the mer. He gave him an awkward smile. “'I’ll keep that in mind.” Though he never left the chapel with the explicit intention of hunting down someone to kill them, he did hunt, and unfortunately that meant whoever he drank from usually ended up dead. He always comforted himself thought that maybe this would be the time he wouldn’t take too much, even though, really, he knew better. But if-  when- he found himself with a corpse, what was wrong with feeding the mer? The alternative was abandoning it on the forest floor to rot and be nibbled on by wildlife until a guardian took care of it. The person was already dead, at that point, and objectively at least this way maybe it could do someone else some good. The whole ‘Gunnar using his mind to speak with predators’ thing gave him pause, though, and he tilted his head. “…What do you mean? Who do you speak to with your mind?”

So far. Well, that wasn’t the most promising thing Sorin had ever heard… he just had to make sure it continued to be nice- how hard could that be? That task became more complicated with Gunnar’s next question, though, because he was almost certainly going to ask him about what Erasmus had done. Sorin wanted to be friends with Gunnar, but Erasmus was his friend as well, and more than that he was his clanmate, and Kainan’s brother. All of that meant Sorin had to protect him. He hoped that didn’t mean that this encounter would go downhill. Maybe the mer Erasmus had killed had been important to him- maybe he needed closure. But could they have a friendly conversation, being on opposing sides? Sorin hoped so. Maybe he wouldn’t tell Gunnar everything, but he didn’t want to lie, and he wasn’t sure if he had a good reason not to tell him. “Go ahead,” Sorin shrugged. “It’s not like I keep tabs on everyone and everything, though, you know? I’m not really an important member of the Strix. But you can ask.“

Gunnar furrowed his brows for a moment. It truly seemed that this vampire had very little knowledge pertaining to the mers. Perhaps he was smart enough to keep away from the edge of their waters. Even the waves were hungry, after all -- they are always attacking the shore, consuming the Earth the a mouth agape. Nevertheless, he was still standing in the Faileas. Maybe such a theory could not float on even the most brackish of waters. “Well, mers are capable of communicating with other mers and some sea creatures underwater telepathically. I can’t speak with every shark or squid or poisonous octopus, but a good amount of them are always in my head.”

A hint of a smile played at the corners of Gunnar’s lips as Sorin complied to his inquiry. It was the first time he was going to be gifted any sort of information -- whether promising or not. It would at least be telling about the trustworthiness of his new acquaintance. “Well, it isn’t exactly something you’d need to keep tabs on. These questions also come without blame. Essentially, there have been a number of increased vampire attacks on my colony. They don’t appear specifically targeted, or planned, but they are still concerning.” The leader of the mers lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Vampires aren’t a native part of Arain, and to see that your presence here can instigate violence is concerning. Do you have any idea who might be performing these attacks? Don’t worry about ratting out your friends, i’m not going to go and murder them brutally. That’d make me a hypocrite. I simply wish to see that your kind brings them to justice for murdering members of my colony.”

[merdude-blog1]

Would you like to patch things up with Noe?

Other than the bits of me I’ve literally had to patch up because of her? 

Absolutely. She deserves a voice as much as anyone in the colony. You have to listen to your friends and your enemies, though I’d hardly consider her the latter.

[merdude-blog1]

noemansland:

❝You think he was crazy… Did you ever stop to think you were the one who was not seeing clearly?❞ There was a French term for it, one that fit quite nicely with what they’d said of her so many times behind her back, just within reach of her hearing. They thought her to have fallen to a similar fate, to have shared in his delusion, to have been blinded by loyalty to the mad merman. She couldn’t help but shake her head, her denial becoming more difficult to grasp by the day, a fact that hardly stopped her from tying. 

Despite his obvious discomfort of in his utilized vocabulary, Noe could not help but feel the smallest part of her resolve fading away. All she ever wanted was to feel as though she fit. With her parents, she always knew that something was missing. With the crew, she’d forced herself to fit, with the merfolk, she was simply supposed to fit. It was an entirely new experience. Despite the fact that she rarely admitted it, she saw the colony as a family and it was the only thing that kept her from leaving despite the ever-growing distance between herself and the rest of them. 

Noe allowed a rather conspicuous sigh to leave her. Of course there was an excuse. Another thing to keep her from running someone through to get out some of her anger. She hadn’t had a good fight since they were under new rule. Those she had had been less than her best add against guards who once stood on the same side as herself. As he turned to her, she found herself caught off guard by his question. ❝First… I would have us scope out the other groups, find which are strongest and align ourselves with them. Then, we would begin taking out any humans that dared venture past their established perimeter and we push inward until they cannot leave the facility. At that point, of course, we would invade and leave them with nothing, not even air in their lungs.❞

Gunnar chuckled once -- a sound too warm to be a scoff, but too short to be real laughter. “Is anyone ever really sane anymore?” He replied with a small glimmer of amusement. However, the mer worried that she may see it as an evasion, and continued on to elaborate his view. “I think you have to be a little crazy to want to rule the Faileas. That was never the intention for me, and I always thought someone else would sneak in and start ruling. Jackson, I thought for a hot minute, or one of the other generals. Not me. But, I guess I was insane enough to take it.” He was rambling at this point, he knew, but so long as he could speak, he would do so. Especially to Noe, who had been so closed off for so many years.

“But you know what Adam told me once?” He said, lifting a brow slightly at Noe. “’A wise ruler knows what he does know and doesn’t know’. That’s why I surround myself with people who have a number of insights. The healers, the believers, the violent, and the meek. Everyone has a voice, and for too long those voices have been silenced. I want to hear our people, and that includes you.” He sighed deeply and nodded to himself, knowing that his words would not be for naught. He could tell that, underneath all of her searing hatred for him and his reforms, she was understanding and intelligent, as well as crafty and dangerous. It was stupid of the others to speak ill of her behind her back, as Gunnar knew all too well what the other end of her sword was like. 

The mer listened intently to the female’s words, nodding with an expression of concentration. She wasn’t wrong, and Gunnar had already made efforts peering into the lives of other species for strategy, if not curiosity. One can learn much from other cultures, and develop ways to please their own people. “Alright,” he replied with a masked grin, “So you find that the humans are the greatest threat? What about the vampires that predate upon our colony -- do you believe they deserve to be considered for an alliance? If not them, then who would you think worthwhile?” 

[merdude-blog1]

what would you do to protect your friends?

Anything.

[sigurism]

[merdude-blog1]

noemansland:

It was a long shot. She’s known it was a long shot. It hadn’t even been one of her better attempts. Then again, poison never was. Noe much preferred the fight itself. Poison was for cowards, but it was difficult to care when her vision was fuzzy and her resolve was slowly fading away. It had been a while since Adam’s execution and, while the wound was no longer fresh, the pain seemed to revive itself daily. Every time she saw Gunnar give an order or the way that her fellow merfolk looked upon her, she felt it in their eyes and in their words. Some may have regarded such perceptions as irrational paranoia, but she knew in her heart that what she felt was very real. 

Shoulders dropped their tension at the failed attempt, refusing to waste their energy on being worry of the repercussions. What else could happen if the worst had already come to pass? He did not look to her and Noe followed suit, keeping her eyes set on an undetermined point somewhere far in front of her, somewhere just beneath the edge of of the saltwater that stretched out before them. ❝He’s gone. You did that.❞ The statement was flat and full of exhaustion rather than any sense of anger that was certainly present.

❝And just what am I to be honest about?❞ She pulled her eyes over to him and fire shone behind them. ❝With what am I to comply? We aren’t doing anything here. Just floatin’ about with no real plan… ‘Course, I’m sure you wouldn’t tell me if there was one with the humans and all.❞ An exaggerated sigh left her, blowing her hair away from her face while the rest of it remained covered with her over sized hat. ❝If you think that was trying you are sorely mistaken.❞

And up when the bottle once more. She was simply unable to cope with this change. So much of her life had been spent beneath Adam, learning from Adam day in and day out. How would she ever surrender herself to the current of change when she had spent so very long fighting for tomorrow to be the same as the day that came before.

Gunnar stilled at Noe’s words. The way she said them...it was almost as if they had been spoken thousands of times before. They were not fresh in the slightest, but the lackluster edge to her speech left him feeling disheartened and empty. “I know what I did.” He replied softly in his rich, vibrating baritone. “I think about it every day. Not with pleasure, either.” Gunnar paused, wondering if he should continue. This was crossing into dangerously familiar territory, but he reminded himself that she had only just tried to kill him, so perhaps familiarity was due to be forsaken. “I know your pain more than you realize. He helped shape me into who I am today. He Sank. Mentally. And we all suffered for it.”

As she continued on with her spiteful words, he sighed and shook his head. “Well, Noe, I don’t think I have to spell out that compliance usually starts with less...fratricide.” He knew the word was not perfect, and tensed up immediately after using it. It wasn’t as if Gunnar was particularly comfortable using regicide as a term when speaking about her assassination attempts...seeing as how he would never quite be a king, in any sense of the word. Regardless, she would never consider him like family, even if he included her in that category. His whole colony was his bloodline, and he would die protecting them -- not on the edge of the water, while discussing the rebellious nature of one of his begrudging sister figures. Or maybe a distant cousin, many, many times removed. 

“No, there isn’t a plan right now, except continuing to fight. Pushing back against all of the other plans going on in this forest.” He grumbled, grinding his teeth together. Something was particularly unsafe about the woods this time around, and he wanted to make sure that the colony was prepared for whatever explosive actions are taken. How they manage that was another story, unless...

Gunnar turned to look at Noe, a brow raised. “What would your plan be?”

[merdude-blog1]

sorinvikare:

Sorin watched as the merman moved in closer, tail being replaced by legs. He made no move to get dressed, and truthfully, all Sorin could think about was how unfair it was that the merpeople got to run around without clothes and he didn’t. He bet nobody ever told them “for god’s sake, if nothing else at least put on some underwear” because otherwise he was being “uncivilized” and “improper.” He doubted this would make his clan feel any more sympathetic towards his aversion to clothes, but he was going to complain again once he got back to the chapel anyways.

The mer laughed and even though his questions had been serious, he grinned in return. “Alright,” he laughed, “Fine, that’s fair. And maybe obvious.” He was really the last person who could judge someone for cannibalism. Even if he didn’t eat the meat, it was basically the same principal, right? So long as the mer didn’t try and take a chunk out of him, it wasn’t really any of his business. “Do all species taste the same?” He asked. “Or do they taste different? Do you have a favorite? I like fae best.” Then he paused, squinting at the merman. “Have you ever… eaten another mer?” That seemed like an important question. Vampires could feed from other vamps and while it wasn’t exactly a common practice it wasn’t taboo, either. He’d never done so, but he knew those who had, and he wondered if the mer had a similar view on their own being a food- source. Then again, vampires didn’t have to kill to drink from someone, so maybe for the mer eating their own was super prohibited or something. “Do you only eat people? Or do you eat fish and animals too? We could drink from animals, but it’s not the same.”

Sorin scooted further into the water, legs stretching out in front of him. His shorts and the bottom of his shirt were waterlogged, but he didn’t mind the texture of it so much while he was still underwater. “I am Sorin.” The introduction was accompanied by a thrilled grin- this was going so much better than he’d expected. “It’s nice to meet you, Gunnar.” There was enough distance between them that shaking hands wasn’t really an option, even though he wanted to shake Gunnar’s hand. Instead he settled for making a tiny flicking motion with his fingers in the water, a playful motion that sprayed Gunnar with water droplets. He was a merman, surely he wouldn’t mind or take offense to the action.

“No one creature tastes exactly the same.” Gunnar replied with a shrug. He had answered these questions plenty of times before. He knew that some other mers held apprehension about the subject, but never him. It was a part of his culture, his existence, his entire upbringing based around the consumption of fresh meat, wherever that would come. Malia paha, iho, his aunt would say between the tsking of her tongue, this is why you are so giant.

Gunnar quirked a brow, the small smirk that tugged at his lips still present. “Honestly? I’ll eat anything that’s put in front of me, unless it’s poisoned. I have enough experience with the stuff to know when it’s in my food, so that’s the only time i’ll not eat. I guess the word would be omnivore, though I do find myself enjoying meat more than plants.” He shrugged once again, finding the topic to be lackluster. He’d impressed many with the extent of his appetite before, and would surely awe the vampire before him, judging by the way he worded his inquiries. “Well, if you ever find yourself needing to dump something in the lake, make sure it’s something edible, at least. The less blood the better, which is fantastic with you bloodsuckers; i’d rather not attract predators...well, predators that I don’t have to use my mind to speak with, that is.”

The mer watched as the vampire before him edged closer within the water. He was a curious creature to be so eager as to step into a lions den at the lion’s proposal, as it were. Perhaps he wasn’t truly like the rest of his clansmen, though it was hard to say with what little interactions he’s held with the lot of them. Some, it seemed, were far more agreeable than others. He uncrossed his arms as a splash of water hit him, hardly making any difference compared to the rest of his drenched figure. He laughed lightly once and nodded. “Sorin. Nice to meet you too...so far.” He trailed off, giving him a pointed look. “Mind if I ask you a few things about recent activity with your kind?”

[merdude-blog1]

a-tuath:

Both of Aibell’s brows raised in incredulity as the very chiseled - seemingly undressed man erupted from under the lake. Of course it was a merfolk. She knew Gunnar - knew of him to an extent, and now to see him back into Faelias was quite a treat to rival the entering of vampires in Arain. She had had scouts around the saltwalter lake just so give her a signal if he would come out finally from deep down the depths. It wasn’t an easy task for many fae, some mer took little too kindly to seeing armoured fae about. Those without proper armour though have met a slightly worse fate of being dragged underwater as if it was a game. Fortunately, only one of her charges met that fate early on with the mermaids entrance in Arain, every fae was more careful, especially since the salt was already quite the harmful substance.

“Of course not darling.” a pleasant sing-song voice said in reply. The fae voice would never rival a siren’s song, but there was no doubt that the fae had their own art and ethereal look that captivated other magicks. “I have been waiting for the chance to meet you Gunnar Kahananui, congratulations on your victory.” She knew that Adam Calais was the former ruler, she was a testament to that knowledge as more and more mer left Arain. It might not have been so obvious when actions when under the water but certain nature-related phenomenons was something she was sensitive to. “Allow me the humour to welcome you back into Arain. It is not the paradise it once was… unfortunately.” Aibell took a few steps tentative nearer the waters as she settled her weight sideward on a tree trunk.

For a moment, Gunnar questioned if he was truly awake. The creature before him reminded him of the dreams sailors would talk about -- ones of his own kind. The way she seemed to radiate a sense of warmth and reverence calmed him subconsciously, even though her expression was not expectant or welcoming at the very first. Regardless, he was caught off guard, and as the water and his scales receded, he was caught quite naked. Thankfully the water was dark enough to cover some more private areas, though it would leave little to the imagination. 

A breeze swept through the clearing, rattling the trees around them and coursing through the water. The scent of the creature before him hit his nose and he inhaled deeply at the sweetness of it. Ah, so this was a fae. And judging by the residual and fainter scents, she wasn’t exactly alone, either. An important fae, Gunnar thought to himself. And yet who could know of him and wish to meet here, slightly alone, upon where he stood?

As soon as she spoke, he realized who she was. The kinder of the two sister queens, he presumed. What was her name...Annabelle? Ailis? Annie? Aibell, he reminded himself. He dipped his head respectfully and smiled warmly in return. “Thank you for your kindness, Queen Aibell. I never expected it to be a paradise...just home.” He crossed his arms and kept his distance, knowing that his state of undress and general physique would be unbecoming for a leader. Suddenly, he felt very under dressed. “I heard that the fae have joined together in an alliance. How is that working out, if I may ask?”

[merdude-blog1]

What is your favorite hobby?

Hopefully eating counts as a hobby. 

[merdude-blog1]

Tw: cannibalism. Tell the story of your first human meal that was given and personally made.

I’ve been eating humans since I was a sea pup, so it’s hard to remember exactly the first time. My favorite would probably be when we crossed a whaling ship carrying enough lantern oil to light up a whole country. Long story short. it caught on fire and I snagged a rather plump sailor with a nice sear on him. Fed us on our mission for days.

[merdude-blog1]

Do you see yourself wanting the glory of having Arain conquered by you?

No. I’ve watched for centuries as the ships of conquerors and colonists passed over the ocean...what they represented and often what they carried (or perhaps who, I should say). I can’t lead my colony towards a pursuit like that, especially when it’s not one that I see any of us having. We’ll stick to the water for now.

[merdude-blog1]

putsomeseaweedonit:

She’d been invited to dinner with Gunnar, and it had been something that just wasn’t refused if you had any etiquette seeing as he was their leader. Honestly, she wasn’t sure what to expect and she had almost found herself late (testing a new plant by the lake.) Clara was also not one to be overly decorative. She just wore her regular dress under the water while she hurried down to his quarters.

At his words she did come in, a pack at her side filled with some bottles of plants and other useful things that she hadn’t had time to drop off at her own place. “Hello.” She  moved into the cavern and gently sat on one of the kelp seats. 

Clara looked at the ‘food’ on the rocky mound in front of her and then over at Gunnar. “This looks…” She poked it and lifted her brow just a little. “..human?”

Clara knew that lots of mers ate humans if they caught them. It was something she should be used to, but her colony never ate humans. They used them and left them (maybe her mother ate them? She wasn’t sure,) but Clara never ate human meat. She wasn’t against eating fish or something like that, but her stomach just churned at the sight before her. “Do you have some salad?” 

She tried to stay as polite and genial as she could because she knew why they were doing this. She knew that Gunnar wanted to be a great leader and she had a lot of respect and hope for him. But there were things she still didn’t agree with him on..one of them being the execution of Adam.

Clara believed it was in bad taste to make one’s first action as a leader to shed blood as well as a bad omen to the colony itself. 

Gunnar read her reaction closely and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from swearing. Of course she didn’t eat humans, how could he be so stupid? Gunnar was not particular in the slightest, and could actually be rightfully accused of having preferences to certain fleshes of man. He understood the apprehension that some mers held onto, though. It was difficult to eat something that you resembled so closely, in fact, some have deferred to calling it short of cannibalism, though he disagreed. Humans held no true talent when compared to their aquatic foil. 

Thankfully, he had some seaweed stored away in a pouch for when he went on longer hunts. It was well prepared and preserved, and would do well for a meal for one of Clara’s size. Gunnar, however, could render a barge speechless at his size, and had the appetite to match. He swam quickly over to the pouch and brought it over, handing her the thick arrangement of prepared seaweed. “Sorry. I sometimes forget who indulges and who doesn’t. I mean, if you get very angry, you could...eat the seat.” He chuckled -- a small attempt at lighthearted humor.

He sat across from her and took to the food before him, sparing any goriness his hunger may induce, for Clara’s sake. He chewed meticulously, taking in the notes of the delicacy he so enjoyed. Nevertheless, he tried not to seem to enjoy it too much, for he wished to not offend her.

Once he was finished with his bite, he jutted his chin out to her bag as if to indicate towards it. “So how goes the medicine?” He asks, obviously attempting to start something with a semblance of small talk. He’s not particularly good at it, which may be a downfall for him as a leader in the decades to come, but he’s particularly interested in self-truth rather than fanciful speech. Nevertheless, he wants to make a good impression upon Clara, as she is the trusted healer of their people.