Nautical Guardian

"The less we deserve good fortune, the more we hope for it."

[nautical-guardian]

{I coulda made more bad puns, if I had the time. weeps.}

[kukapanda]

[nautical-guardian]

Singin’ in the Rain

[nautical-guardian]

lyrics-by-moonlight:

⋙     [   ♮   ]  Setty glanced over the strange –          was he a mermaid?  The tail seemed to          signify that, at least.  While he was           obviously curious how or why a mermaid          was hanging around in the streets, he           felt a little obligated to help him out.  After          all, it looked difficult and probably painful          to be dragging himself across the pavement          like that.

         [   ♮   ]  ❝ I-I can try, I suppose, ❞ Seth          answered.  And why was a mermaid going          to a karaoke bar?  ❝ But, uh…  How am          I supposed to help you? ❞

         [   ♮   ]  The mermaid was kind of big, at           least bigger than some one would expect          a mermaid to be.  On top of that, the way          he had struggled with himself before Seth’s          intervention was a sign of his weight…          The redhead was stronger than he looked,          supernaturally strong, for a supernatural          reason…  But even knowing that, it didn’t          seem like he could make light work out of          carrying a mermaid.

“Well...” Adrian faltered, wondering exactly how much he should say, but he concluded it better to be honest rather than risk others seeing what he was.

“I can take on a human form, but not while wet.“ He admitted. “So this rain... Well, I admit it caught me rather off-guard, but... If I can get dry, I can... Sort myself out.” At the very least he’d be able to fix his disguise and wait for the rain to let up; it wasn’t the most ideal solution, but it was the safest.  He could figure out how to repay the stranger once he was safe.

“If you can carry me-- o-or let me hold onto your shoulders-- Just... Help me get to the karaoke bar without being seen-- perhaps the bathrooms?” People weren’t usually in there right at the start of the night, “I can handle the rest.”

In the meantime, he’d tense up, waiting for any sign of animosity in the other’s answer.

Why don’t Yuantroduce yourself?

[nautical-guardian]

lightning-of-kharlan:

“What the hell do you mean, there’s a kid sitting outside the base singing to the penguins?”

Yuan had said some things in his five thousand years that would sound absurd out-of-context, but that definitely ranked in the top ten. It wasn’t the first time there had been a kid outside one of the bases, it wasn’t the first time he’d asked why there was a kid outside the base, it wasn’t the first time he’d asked why the hell no one had brought the kid in for questioning yet–but it was damn sure the first time the kid in question had been singing to penguins.

“Bring him inside, for the love of all that is holy.”

After what happened at the Triet base, everyone should have known that even children around the bases were not to be trusted. Yuan sighed and leaned back in his chair. My job just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

He hadn’t expected a sudden voice to shout out over the snow, nor had he expected to turn and see a man in armor trudging his way. Land dwellers really weren’t made for the cold weather; he looked cold and uncertain, and Adrian flinched when he stumbled with a yelp and fell into a snowbank.

Normally, he’d have used the distraction to flee. It wouldn’t do to get caught up in the affairs of people or things he didn’t understand, and he couldn’t afford too many questions but...

Well, the man didn’t seem to be able to get up, and Adrian wouldn’t want him to freeze...

So he moved the snow with a wave of his hand and a sigh, and, after kneeling to make sure the man was okay, carried him on his back to the strange building. There, he knocked on the door, peering into what he was certain was a surveillance device of some sort.

“...Um... Pardon my intrusion but...” His ears lowered a bit, “This man is named Frank and is very cold. Perhaps you should let him back inside?”

[nautical-guardian]

Lupus >}

Lupus: My muse is frightened to tears. 

{Disclaimer: Most merfolk cannot actually cry, being fish and all. Crying is a super rare ability that’s considered very powerful; a prerequisite to being a king candidate, as a matter of fact.

Anyways, Adrian hasn’t cried at this point in his life, so Ima just write about a time he was scared enough to really want to.}

They had said that pirates were killers. They had said that pirates stole from the sea and gave nothing in return. Barely human, mostly monster, and carried by the fear on peoples’ lips; they said that pirates were the scourge of the earth, and to meet one meant certain death.

They were wrong on every account.

Pirates were so much worse. Words alone could not describe the artful cruelty of their kind.

They had bound and gagged him. Cut his fins so he couldn’t escape. Kept him just damp enough so that he couldn’t shift forms. They had laughed. It was a raucous, frightening sound. And when they paraded him through the underground shadows– the markets for only the blackest souls– there had been no sign of sympathy. The only eyes that gazed upon him were ones filled with malice; the only hands to reach out to him were ones filthy with greed.

They sold him to the highest bidder. They put him in a tank like some kind of animal, and from the stifling presence of a rich man’s house people of all sorts gawked at him; pointed and jeered over drinks and party snacks. And when he protested, they electrocuted the water. They wanted a trained pet, after all.

They made him sing. They made them eat their scraps. They made him taste the alcohol on the lips and skin of men and women alike.

Their faces had blurred together with the passage of time, as the human world lost its purity; as he stopped finding reason to look at it.

And when his body slowly lost its strength, when the electricity– once so sharp– simply felt numb on his skin, when he found it difficult to move and far too easy to close his eyes, Adrian had felt fear.

It was a different, more numbing fear than the one of being kidnapped.The sea seemed so far away that he could barely remember it, and death was an empty darkness that he wouldn’t be able to fight. Maybe he didn’t want to. Maybe he did. Everything felt so empty, yet all he wanted to do was curl up and cry.

..He couldn’t do that either.

[lannasroleplaymemes]

Emotional Drabble Prompts

Send a word and I’ll write a drabble based on the below scenario.

Columba: My muse lashes out. Indus: My muse thinks about death.   Lupus: My muse is frightened to tears.   Pyxis: My muse has a horrible hangover. Phoenix: My muse dreams of a past/current relationship. Monoceros: My muse spends a lazy day in. Dorado: My muse reflects on a time long past. Carina: My muse uses physical activity to relax. Lyra: My muse reflects on a significant relationship. Puppis: My muse says something they don’t mean. Scutum: My muse rambles about a passion of theirs. Lepus: My muse is put into an embarrassing situation.

[lyrics-by-moonlight-blog]

oceanside || adrian & seth

[lyrics-by-moonlight-blog]

⋙     [   ♮   ]  There was a short lull after the song          ended, in which neither of them said anything.          Seth smiled through it, of course.  It was a           nice enough song and so refreshing aside to          do something like that with some one new.          Especially when it was clear they both had           different nuances to their songs or abilities.

         [   ♮   ]  The other’s enthusiasm did catch Seth          a little off-guard though, slightly recoiling as          he approached and spoke much faster than          Seth could easily follow.  But it was still nice.

         [   ♮   ]  He offered his name alongside a small          laugh and a warm smile.  ❝ I’m Seth, but          usually people call me Setty.  For some          reason. ❞  He gave an awkward chuckle.          ❝ For everything else…  I, uh…  This is a           guitar, and I don’t really do this much to          be honest.  I did once or twice with one          of my exes, but mostly it’s just me and          my guitar. ❞

         [   ♮   ]  A strange, confused look remained on          the redhead’s face.  ❝ H-how about you?            You sounded like you were trained a little,          but then again I might just be bad at          singing enough not to be able to tell. ❞

[nautical-guardian]

“Ah, well...” Adrian deflated a bit, averting his gaze to watch his finger doodle absently in the sand. “In my family, music is integral, but... It’s all about magic, and what one can get out of it-- what they can make others do and...” He laughed a bit sheepishly, “I’m notoriously terrible at it. I think they’ve given up on me.”

“But I think you’d sing nicely, S-Setty-” The name sounded so informal, it was difficult to adapt to, “- I’d love to hear you sometime.”

“Your music isn’t bound by personal gain. Earlier you said that you wanted to make magic in the metaphorical sense, and I think you’re well on your way there. I enjoyed singing with you a lot, and I think that’s magic in it’s own way... maybe... Um.”

“I guess you should have more confidence, because if you keep along the path you’re on, you’ll be really great someday.. I think.”

As for himself, Adrian wasn’t sure how, but he’d find some way to sing more often with people. He wanted to feel that sweet escape again...

[nautical-guardian]

Quite the Catch...

[proistemii--archived-blog]

【 ♕ 】         There was a problem with the net, she knew that right away. Her crew urgently went to tug it out of the water, as it was nearly shattering the wood that was keeping it close to the ship. It was a bad idea to have this in the first place, especially on the main ship. There would be whales that got caught in it, or worse. She wasn’t about to fight another sea serpent, especially not because it was caught in the netting she needed for food just in case they ever ran out.

                      At the very least it wasn’t what she panicked it would be, but it was much much worse. Mermaids were always caught and sold for their beauty, and even slaughtered for the jewels of their tails. Fionn couldn’t deal with that, and she’d never kill another living creature unless it was absolutely necessary. That was a heavy burden, she should just throw him back like he was some sort of fish, or something. She wasn’t wrong about that anyway.

                      ❝ Stop panicking already, geez, ❞ Well there went that plan. He seemed to be too spooked to go back. Would he just get over it if she threw him back in? The captain didn’t wanna take any chances with that. She should calm him down, and possibly get over her own shock at catching a mermaid later. ❝ And try not to flail, or you’re gonna rip something off. Just stand still, and nothing bad will happen yeah? ❞

                      Without thought, she unsheathed the scimitar that rested on the right side of her hip and approached him. She didn’t think he would react any worse than he already was with a strange woman he didn’t know and already was scared of approaching him with a sword sharper than a sharks tooth. Fionn wasn’t exactly the wisest person when she was confused.

[nautical-guardian]

Though he had become still, the moment he heard the strange woman draw her weapon Adrian yelped and began struggling with new resolve.

A desperate flap of his tail sent him catapulting through the air; he crashed through a railing as he came down, landing with a harsh smack. When he did it again, a wave crashed against the side of the boat, sending it lurching and objects flying. With each new flop came another wave; barrels were knocked over, smaller fish that had come loose from the net plunked helplessly against the deck.

Adrian could feel his constraints getting tighter the more he struggled. He was dimly aware that his arm was in severe pain, that the net was digging into his tail enough to rub away at his scales and draw blood, and that the fin on his back was slightly torn, but none of it mattered in comparison to the fact that he had to move and he couldn’t.

He couldn’t move. Everything was too tangled and tight for him to. It was happening again. He had to stop it from happening again.

A desperate screech escaped him. Adrian had never been good at sound magic-- at combining intent with words-- but he could focus his fear into sound; he could turn a screech into a noise that rattled eardrums-- that sent objects flying and shattered glass.

But even that did not seem to fix the problem.

The net was still there, the boat was still there, and with his magic drained his shouts and curses in the undersea tongue were simply that-- an annoyance and nothing more.

[nautical-guardian]

Miss the Mark

Adrian had known it was a bad idea to travel this far in-land. The further on land he went, the less water there was, and while he didn’t necessarily need the presence of rivers and lakes to survive, there was safety in having them nearby.

But he had traveled the distance regardless-- under the guise of human form-- with the endeavor of bringing a wounded man back to his family.

And it had gone swimmingly.

... At least, it would’ve, if Adrian had any idea where a river that could take him home was; getting the man safely to Ostia wouldn’t taste nearly as sweet if he got stranded in the process. Especially in the heat.

The dry, hot, miserable heat that smothered the land on that particular day was not ideal for Adrian’s survival. Without knowing where water was, all he could do was wander and look. He could feel himself getting dizzy-- his feet getting wobbly-- and it occurred to him, with a knot of fear, that if he didn’t escape the beating sun soon, finding water wouldn’t matter much anymore.

So he stumbled into the nearest shade-- an a shop of some sort? -- and sank to the floor on shaking knees. Maybe he could... Just take a break for a bit... to think of a solution.

“...Water...”

That would’ve been a solution-- if he could just find it.

[nautical-guardian]

Why don’t Yuantroduce yourself?

Adrian had always liked animals. On land or in sea, they were easier to talk to than people; they didn’t dig into his secrets or demand anything from him. They simply appreciated the company, as he appreciated theirs, and while it was sometimes difficult to earn their trust, Adrian found that when he did it was that much harder to leave later.

In this case, while he sat in the snow, singing for some seals and penguins that pranced around him, he was smiling-- more than he had in a long time. He crafted ramps and sculptures with fluid gestures of hand, hardly caring when they were knocked over moments later by an excited seal that wanted attention.

He couldn’t stay-- Adrian knew that-- the snow would start to get to him before long and make it hard to stay in human form, but he was enjoying himself, and at the very least the penguins seemed to enjoy his singing...

As for the strange building that also existed on the island... Well, surely it was too cold for land-dwellers to come outside.... right?

[lyrics-by-moonlight-blog]

oceanside || adrian & seth

[nautical-guardian]

lyrics-by-moonlight:

⋙     [   ♮   ]  For as shy and awkward as the other           seemed, he seemed pretty easy to get to          sing.  It was nice, to have some one to bounce          off of, and Seth was pleasantly surprised that          his singer didn’t seem completely clueless. 

         [   ♮   ]  Seth picked up the riff easily enough,          the melody catching on his fingers quickly.  He          was able to figure out the progression from,          but the little melody he had been given stuck           for a bit, with occasional variants when the          other male stopped singing for a moment.  It          wasn’t the kind of thing he usually worked with          or practiced, but it was good, and it was good           fun too.

         [   ♮   ]  In time, he started humming a little,           too.  Obviously, he didn’t know the words, but          he could fish out a harmony easily enough.

         [   ♮   ]  It felt awkward to keep his eyes on his          partner in song ( especially considering he now          realized he didn’t have the other’s name ), but          he tried, because it would be good to see any          cues in case the key shifted or there’d be any          deviation Seth might miss…

Even with his eyes closed, Adrian could feel the other watching him. It made the nerves in his stomach that much more jittery, and he was certain he hit a couple sour notes at first, but as their harmony finally fell into place-- as time passed-- the words that he sang became clearer and more confident.

Whenever he’d been with others, singing had always been about magic-- about what it could be used for-- but this was very different. This was the first time Adrian had ever sang with another simply for fun, and he found that he enjoyed the man’s humming-- and his strange instrument-- quite a bit; because as their impromptu performance came to a close the merman realized that, for the first time in ages, his mind hadn’t been stuck on his troubles at sea, or his father-- or anything else. He’d been happy and free and it had felt good.

There was a moment or two after the music had faded that he pondered this, and what exactly it meant, before he sprang to his feet and bounded over to the other excitedly.

“That was lovely!” He plopped down next to the man, too enthralled to remember his previous shyness. “I’ve never sang with another before but that was the most fun I’ve had in a very long while! Do you do this often? What is that instrument? I bet you sing wonderfully--” He cut himself off, and ran a hand through his hair, slightly embarrassed.

“My name is Adrian. I suppose it’s rather rude of me not to have engaged in introductions sooner.”

[lyrics-by-moonlight-blog]

i do the twist in my replaceable hips & turn you right round then dip you down to the ground & now i wanna grow old & rub your tired limbs & take it easy until we wither away

the final kiss for @hoarding-notebooks who is bae

[nautical-guardian]

Fifteen random facts about the loser fish!

{Because why not.

-Adrian is 5′6″ in human form. In mer-form he’d measure longer from head to the tip of his tail, but not much more. Probably around 5′10″. He’s pretty tiny by mer-standards-- most males are at least a little over six feet.

-He’s really really quick though. In the water his tiny form lets him swim really fast, and on land he’s one hell of a runner.

By mer-standards Adrian is not that strong physically; however, he’s much stronger than your average human, despite his scrawny appearance. To survive at deep depths under the sea, his body is just naturally more durable and has more muscle.

-His gills are on either side of his torso. (because frick biology, if zoras can get away witih it so can I.)

- He’s terrified of heights. Fish are not meant to be up that high, thank you very much.

- He cannot maintain humanoid form when wet-- doing so requires a lot of focus and general experience. Both his parents can do so, however. (I’ve mentioned before how his human form sucks here.)

- Adrian has never cried before in his life. Not because he’s never experienced grief, but because most merfolk are incapable of doing so in the first place-- being fish and all.

- Adrian is anxious about sleeping. Mer-folk don’t need to sleep as kids-- it’s as they grow older that they develop the need, but Adrian is at that point where the need is developing-- he’ll doze off if he lets himself get too tired-- but he’s afraid of being caught unawares. It’s a bit of an issue.

- He hates shoes. Good luck trying to get him to wear them. He’ll do it for the sake of blending in if he has to, but you can bet your ass he’s gonna whine about it to whoever made him do it.

-Adrian has a rather awful hoarding habit. He collects shiny things like it’s his job and keeps it in various secret places-- on both land and sea (though on land it’s more in tiny crevices and such). Some of it is under rocks and trees, some of it is in random caves, some of it is worth a lot, some of it is absolute junk. He loves it all and is very possessive of it... He’s just not very organized with it. At all.

-He has a lot of instruments in his room under the sea. He likes fiddling with them-- it helps him relax-- but he can’t fully play any of them.

-Adrian has eight older brothers. As of now, I haven’t put much thought into their characters specifically, beyond that nine kids represents the nine seas of the world.

-He will wilt in the heat. It’s very rare for him to get cold, but heat just destroys him-- he’s liable to faint on warmer days. It’s one thing to swim in tropical waters-- then he’s still wet and it’s fine-- but on land it’s awful and he hates it.

-Adrian has a voracious appetite. He shifts between mer-form and human form more often than the average merfolk, and that takes up a lot more energy. Don’t take him out to eat-- you’ll spend a lot and you’ll regret it.

-While he can speak it, Adrian cannot read the land-based langauge. It’s his dream to learn, because books seem like the most amazing thing.

[sparkles-and-swords]

Angel in the Water // Adrian + Wes

[sparkles-and-swords]

There was a first for everything, and this was the first time he had heard the word ‘elf’ not spat with disgust or accompanied by an eye-roll. Wes’ lips twitched into a weak smile at the thought that being an elf was exciting to the merman– probably just as exciting as meeting a merman himself. Nodding at his words, Wes watched the merman’s movements carefully.

A little gasp came from Wes as he saw the water move from the lake to wrap around his wounds. The elf almost yanked his hand back from the water, but he kept it there, where it trembled like a leaf.

At least he wasn’t alone in his nervousness. Adrian– As the merman called himself– babbled on and on, and when he mentioned the words ‘village’ and ‘sleep’, Wes suddenly felt heavy and worn-out. The elf absolutely wouldn’t mind getting in a bed and sleeping.

Something dug at the back of his mind, as he glanced around him. “Y-Yeah, of course.” He breathed, his free hand reaching around to his pockets and tapping them. Questions about who Adrian was and his curiosity for what he was was getting overshadowed by a creeping, dreading fear.

His coin purse was gone. Of course! Money’s no used to a drowned man.

Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, Wes ran a hand through his hair. “Adrian, I… I appreciate it, but up here… You could find me someplace to sleep but I can’t pay for it. Whoever did this to me took my money.”

A breeze went through and cut him with cold. “And I can’t ask you to help me with that, you’ve already done so much for me.” He smiled, clamping his jaw shut to keep his teeth from chattering a little. Once that past, he looked down. “You must be cold too, right? Or is this warm compared to the water? It felt cold when I was in there.”

[nautical-guardian]

"I don’t often get cold.” Adrian admitted, “The ocean is always cold at deeper depths, so my body is capable of handling lower temperatures than land-dwellers-- it’s heat that I fare poorly in...” His voice trailed off as he tilted his head worriedly. Wes seemed to be shivering a lot, which was probably a bad thing.

The water that had molded around the elf’s bruises fell down and dissolved into the ground as Adrian leaned back instead, closing his eyes to focus on shifting. Legs were so much more difficult to reach when his fins were damp, but there was need to hurry, so he sucked in a breath and forced it. Goddess, he hated forcing it; the entire process of scales fading into skin felt so strange when he did, as if he was going against his body’s natural state-- and wet skin made it much harder to figure out exactly when the transformation was done.

Adrian was fairly certain he still had some scales on his arms and legs when he finally climbed to his feet, but it was passable-- at the very least all his clothes were intact, so most of them were hidden. He offered a hand to help Wes to his feet, trying not to look too proud of himself.

“I have money.” He promised, gently lifting the other with surprising ease, “Not presently, but I have a hidden location on the way to the village that I keep some shiny things in, and I’ve never seen a land-dweller not let me use them as currency.”

“... Will you be able to walk safely?” The question was asked with genuine concern. “I cannot do much about the cold temperature, but I am capable of carrying you if need be.”

[nautical-guardian]

@lyrics-by-moonlight drew me a national treasure.

Singin’ in the Rain

[nautical-guardian]

lyrics-by-moonlight:

⋙     [   ♮   ]  Why did the weird things always happen           to Seth?  That was the most prominent thought          in his head as he watch what appeared to be a          mermaid ( merman?  They didn’t seem to have          breasts… ) pull themself along the sidewalk.

         [   ♮   ]  No one else was around, but surely they          would have been gawking too if they were, right?          It seemed like they were having a really hard time,          too.   He should probably help them…

         [   ♮   ]  He sighed as he approached them.  It had          been a long day at work – too much traffic, too           many questions he couldn’t have answered even          if he tried.  Now, it was raining.  Not by much, but          enough to be annoying.  It was probably worse on          the mer-person.  It wasn’t even his job to help them          mer-person, but he’d feel guilty for something if          he ignored it.

         [   ♮   ]  He tried to offer a smile to them as he          approached them, but it was strained.  ❝ Hey, uh,          do you need some help there? ❞

The only way to describe the sound that Adrian made when he heard an abrupt voice was a squawk-- a very startled squawk-- and he flopped wildly, springing a good couple feet in the air to land harshly on his back.

He sat up immediately, cringing for only a moment before stammering, “Ah--This is-- I mean-- Uh-- P-p-perhaps I can explain--” What exactly, he wasn’t sure. There really weren’t many alternative explanations for clawing across the ground with a tail. “--Or-um-- perhaps I can barter in exchange for your-- um... Just please don’t tell anyone. I can give money-- not now but--!”

His voice abruptly cut off and he tilted his head. Now that Adrian got a good look, the man whom he spoke to seemed familiar-- but he wasn’t entirely certain how. Perhaps it was someone he had seen at karaoke before? It was the only place Adrian could think of on land that he regularly visited, but there were so many people, he could hardly remember.

...Should he introduce himself? Or perhaps hope the man wouldn’t ask too many questions?

“... I was trying to get to the karaoke place.” He eventually said, slowly, “If you would be willing to help me get there-- to a place where I could dry-- without being seen... I would be deeply grateful-- and I could pay you back, you have my word!”

As for the rest... He’d figure it out when he got there...

[nautical-guardian]

A Spirited Meeting

He’d gotten better at navigating villages; the winding roads and tall buildings weren’t quite as intimidating as they’d once been, but it seemed as if the more things he grew accustomed to, the more questions he ended up with. It seemed as if every time Adrian ventured onto land, he was reminded of how strange the human world was in comparison to his own.

For one thing they could work in the rain-- they grumbled about it to be sure, but they put on their strange hats and carried around their strange water-deflecting-devices and went about their business as normal. Adrian heaved a sigh, watching a man plod by outside the window. He didn’t understand why humans ventured out if the weather was that much of an issue for them...

... But he supposed it was still better than not being able to venture outside at all.

His gaze traveled back to the book he was ‘reading’. At the very least, he’d grabbed it when he’d entered the quiet little library in the hopes of looking occupied, but he’d been staring at the same page for quite a long while without figuring much out, and he was starting to feel both bored and restless...

“At least the pictures look intriguing...” Fingers casually flipped the page and traced the outline of what was clearly some land-based animal-- a cat, if he recalled correctly. Maybe it was a fact book of some sort. Adrian bit back a yawn.

Fact books were probably much more interesting when one could actually read them.