// I hope everyone likes the themed asks! 😊 It’s a lot of fun for me and allows me to challenge myself. I try to stick to the original character and lore as much as possible. However, I’m all for making it our own and just enjoying the experience as well.
Schedule is subject to change~
Any asks or threads that did not get answered will be saved and answered when the day reoccurs.
AURELIA Magazine — Exclusive Interview with Rafayel
Location: Off the coast of Lemuria, at a submerged ruin that only appears when the tide shifts just right. Close enough to the human world that a journalist could reach it… but deep enough that you start questioning every breath you take.
Interviewer: Rafayel, thank you for joining us. It’s not every day we get to speak with someone from Lemuria.
Rafayel: Not every day? How tragic. You should get out more. Preferably underwater.
Interviewer: We’ll… keep that in mind. Let’s start simple. What’s daily life like as a merman?
Rafayel: Fluid. Literally and otherwise. No traffic, no crowded trains, no suffocating schedules. Just currents, instincts… and the occasional human stumbling into places they shouldn’t be.
Interviewer: That sounds almost peaceful.
Rafayel: Almost? It is peaceful, until it isn’t. The ocean remembers everything. You learn quickly that calm waters can hide very sharp teeth.
Interviewer: On that note, let’s do a little Q&A. Are you up for it? We got some interesting questions that were submitted.
Rafayel: Sure, why not?
Q1: Rafayel, can you explain the musculoskeletal structure of a merman?
A: Ah… you’re asking me to dissect my own kind? Bold. I like that. If I’m going to explain this, you’d better listen properly.
Alright… the musculoskeletal structure of a merman isn’t just a human torso glued onto a fish tail like those ridiculous surface myths suggest. It’s… far more efficient. Far more elegant.
First, The Upper Body (Torso & Arms)
From the waist up, we’re deceptively human in appearance, but structurally, there are differences:
The scapulae (shoulder blades) are more mobile and slightly elongated, allowing for stronger backward and downward strokes in water. Think of it as built-in propulsion support.
Our ribcage is more flexible. It compresses slightly under pressure, which helps with deep dives and breath control.
Muscle density is higher, especially in the latissimus dorsi and deltoids, because water resistance demands constant force. Every movement is like pushing against silk that refuses to part.
You’d notice it if you touched— …never mind. Stay focused…
Second, The Transitional Region (Waist Area)
Now this is where things get interesting…
Instead of a pelvis like yours, we have a modified pelvic girdle reduced and fused for stability.
The spine doesn’t end at the hips like in humans. It continues seamlessly into the tail as a highly flexible caudal extension.
This region is reinforced with powerful connective tissues because all propulsion originates here.
It’s not fragile. You couldn’t bend a merman there even if you tried.
Third, The Lower Body (Tail Structure)
The tail is the true masterpiece. You’ve seen mine, right?
The spine extends into numerous caudal vertebrae, far more than a human spine, allowing fluid, wave-like motion.
Surrounding those vertebrae are layered muscle groups similar to aquatic animals like dolphins, built for lateral undulation (side-to-side movement).
Instead of separate muscle groups like legs, everything works in coordinated waves. Efficiency over segmentation.
The caudal fin (the tail fin) acts like a powerful propeller. Ours is typically horizontal, like marine mammals, not vertical like fish, which gives better control over vertical movement in the water column.
Fourth, Muscle Function & Movement
You walk. We flow.
Movement is generated through full-body kinetic chains, starting from the core and traveling down the tail.
The muscles are rich in slow-twitch fibers, meaning endurance over explosive bursts. We can swim for… very long periods without tiring.
Longer than you’d last trying to keep up with me, I’m afraid.
Fifth, Bone Density & Buoyancy
Our bones are denser than yours, but not excessively so. It’s a balance between strength and buoyancy control.
Combined with subtle lung adjustments, we can hover, sink, or rise with precision.
Effortless and graceful... Unlike the way you’d flail if I dropped you into open water…
Q2: Can you explain the differences between human biology and merman biology?
A: Let’s start with the obvious. Humans are… inefficient in water. Lungs only, limited breath, fragile temperature control. I’m built for both worlds.
First, Respiration. We have dual systems. Lungs for air… and gill structures. Not always visible unless we want them to be. Underwater, oxygen is filtered directly. No panic, no drowning.
Second, Circulation and Temperature. You rely on stable warmth. Drop your temperature a little and you start complaining.
Our blood carries higher oxygen density and adapts to pressure.
Body temperature fluctuates with water, but we regulate it faster, especially in cold currents.
Think of it as… controlled cold-bloodedness with a few upgrades.
Third, Mobility. Legs are fine for land. Clumsy in water. A tail, though? Pure propulsion.
Powerful caudal muscles allow bursts of speed far beyond human swimming capability.
Flexible spine optimized for wave motion, not upright walking.
On land, I’m adapting. In water… you’d barely see me before I’m gone.
Fourth, Sensory Differences. This one matters.
Hearing: tuned to vibrations through water, low frequencies, heartbeats, and movement.
Vision: better in low light, especially underwater.
Touch: heightened along certain areas. Currents carry information, and we feel them.
You experience the world directly. We experience… everything moving through it.
Fifth, Skin and Healing. You bruise easily.
Our skin is denser, smoother, and more hydrodynamic.
Natural resistance to salt, pressure, and minor injuries.
Faster cellular regeneration, especially in water.
Scars don’t linger the same way on us.
Sixth, Diet and Metabolism. We process raw proteins far more efficiently. Fresh catch, high mineral content… Your food works for me. But mine? It would overwhelm you.
One last thing… we aren’t just physically different. Our instincts are stronger. Territorial. Protective. When we choose someone… it’s not casual.
Q3: Can you explain the way your instincts work?
A: You might not like how honest I get with this. Our instincts aren’t… polite. Not the way humans like to pretend theirs are.
First one? Territory. The ocean isn’t shared the way land is. You don’t just pass through. You belong, or you don’t. And if something, or someone, interesting wanders into my waters… I would notice immediately.
Second? Possession. Not in the crude way humans think. It’s… deeper than that. If I choose something, it’s not casual. It’s instinctive, protective, and persistent. Annoyingly hard to shake off.
Third? Curiosity. That’s the dangerous one. We’re drawn to things that don’t belong in our world. Strange sounds. unfamiliar creatures… Like people who wander a little too close to the tide.
And the last one? The one humans always misunderstand? Bonding. It’s not… dating. Not fleeting. When we bond, it rewrites everything, habits, territory, and priorities. It’s instinct saying this matters more than anything else now.
And here’s the inconvenient part. We don’t always get to choose when that instinct kicks in.
Q4: Rafayel, can you explain how your transformation actually feels from your side?
A: From my side… it isn’t painful. At least, not the way humans imagine pain. No snapping bones or tearing flesh. If it felt like that, I wouldn’t be nearly as calm about slipping in and out of the sea. It’s more like… being pulled into your truest shape.
When it starts, the first thing I notice is the water, even if there isn’t any around yet. My body remembers it before it touches me. My skin feels… aware. Sensitive. Like every drop in the air matters.
Then comes the shift. My legs don’t break. They fuse. Smoothly and naturally. Like they were never meant to be separate in the first place. There’s a strange pressure, a tightening, as if something is gently wrapping around me and sealing everything together. If you were holding me as it was happening, then you’d feel me tense for a second. The real change is deeper though. My breathing changes.
My lungs don’t disappear, but they… quiet. My chest stops craving air the same way. Instead, there’s this instinctive pull toward water, like that’s where breath actually exists. My neck feels cooler, and if you were close enough, you might notice the faintest flutter of my gills opening and adjusting. That part always feels… relieving. Like finally exhaling after holding your breath too long without realizing it.
And then there’s the tail. Your favorite part, right? It’s heavy at first. Powerful, unfamiliar for a split second even though it’s mine. Every scale catches sensation: currents, temperature, movement. Imagine suddenly being able to feel the shape of water itself. It’s overwhelming… but in a good way.
The strangest part is coming back. Losing the tail feels… quieter. Almost like something is being taken away. The world dulls a little. Legs feel clumsy, limited. Air feels dry. I don’t hate it, but it’s never quite the same as being in the water. If you really want to understand, one day I could show you. Not all at once though. I’d hold you the whole time and make sure you feel every part of it safely.
Interviewer: I—well… thank you, Rafayel. This has been… incredibly insightful.
Rafayel: Has it? You look more unsettled than enlightened.
Interviewer: I suppose you have a way of… shifting perspectives.
Rafayel: That’s one way to put it.
Interviewer: I will consider your invite and get back to you. Perhaps we can have a follow-up interview. Oh, where did he go? Did you see which direction he went?
— Editor’s Note — AURELIA
We concluded the interview earlier than expected. Not by choice.
Rafayel vanished as we were wrapping up, mid-conversation, leaving behind no trace.
When asked if he would agree to a follow-up interview, no response was given.
However… One of our staff later reported finding a single object resting near the shoreline where the interview had been conducted: A small, smooth shell, white, with faint blue zigzag patterns. We have chosen to leave it where it was found.
We will try to contact him again in a few weeks. Don’t forget to submit your questions.
AURELIA Magazine — Second Interview Feature
“Tides Between Worlds: A Conversation with Rafayel”
Interviewer: Welcome back, Rafayel. It’s been a while since your last interview with us. Has anything changed in your life beneath the waves?
Rafayel: (laughs softly) The ocean is never still, so… everything changes, and nothing does. The currents shift, territories blur, old ruins collapse while new ones reveal themselves. Personally? I’ve been spending a bit more time closer to the surface. Dangerous, yes, but interesting.
Interviewer: Dangerous in what way?
Rafayel: Humans are unpredictable. One moment they’re dropping offerings into the sea… the next, they’re dragging nets through entire ecosystems. It keeps things… exciting.
Interviewer: Speaking of humans, you seem more comfortable interacting with them now compared to before.
Rafayel: “Comfortable” might be generous. Curious is more accurate. There are… certain individuals who make the surface world harder to ignore.
Interviewer: That sounds suspiciously personal.
Rafayel: (smirks) You asked about my life, didn’t you?
Interviewer: Fair enough. Let’s shift a bit, our readers are fascinated by merman culture. What does a typical day look like for you?
Rafayel: There’s no such thing as “typical” underwater. But if I had to describe it… I patrol my territory, check on the reef structures, make sure nothing is… out of place. I paint, when the mood strikes. And sometimes, I just drift. Let the currents decide where I go.
Interviewer: You paint underwater?
Rafayel: Of course. Pigments behave differently in saltwater, more fluid, more alive. It’s less about control and more about surrender. The ocean finishes the piece with me.
Interviewer: That’s beautiful. Now, a question we have to ask, what do you eat?
Rafayel: (grins) Ah, the question humans always circle back to.
Interviewer: We’re very food-motivated creatures.
Rafayel: Clearly. Well… fresh fish, obviously. But not in the way you might think. It’s not mindless hunting. There’s a balance we maintain. I also eat sea fruits, certain kelp pods, saltberries, coral blossoms.
Interviewer: Coral… blossoms?
Rafayel: Rare, and seasonal. Slightly sweet, with a sharp mineral finish. You wouldn’t survive eating one, though.
Interviewer: Good to know. I’ll cross that off my list.
Rafayel: (laughs) Please do.
Interviewer: Do you ever eat human food?
Rafayel: Occasionally. It’s… fascinating. Overly processed, but creative. I’ve developed a liking for sweets. Mochi, especially.
Interviewer: Mochi? That’s unexpectedly adorable.
Rafayel: Don’t make it sound like a weakness.
Interviewer: It absolutely is.
Rafayel: …Fine. It is.
Interviewer: Last time we spoke, you mentioned your connection to the ocean feels almost… sentient. Do you still feel that way?
Rafayel: More than ever. The ocean remembers things. It holds echoes, voices, emotions, histories long forgotten by land. Sometimes I think… it watches us back.
Interviewer: Does that comfort you or unsettle you?
Rafayel: Both. It means I’m never truly alone… but it also means I’m never truly unseen.
Interviewer: That’s a haunting thought. One last question, if you could send a message to humans reading this, what would it be?
Rafayel: (pauses, gaze distant) The ocean is not yours. It never was. But it will remember how you treat it.
…And if you’re kind to it, you might find it kinder to you.
Interviewer: That’s a powerful note to end on. Thank you, Rafayel.
Rafayel: Always a pleasure. Try not to fall in, hm? I might not be the one who finds you.
[As the interview wraps up, the recorder clicks off, but the silence that follows isn’t empty, it’s heavy. The kind that lingers too long.
The interviewer thanks him again, gathering their notes, trying to shake off that strange, almost magnetic pull he has. When they glance up to say one last goodbye...
He’s already gone.
Not in a dramatic splash. Not even a ripple.
Just… gone.]
—
Later, when the issue of AURELIA is finally published, everything appears normal. The interview prints beautifully. The photos are stunning. Rafayel half-submerged, light bending around him like he belongs to something deeper than the lens can capture.
But readers start to notice small things.
A line that doesn’t quite match what they remember reading the first time.
A sentence that wasn’t there before: “Some of you have already heard me.”
And then there’s the final page. It isn’t part of the official interview. It’s not credited, not formatted like the rest.
Rafayel...if thomas were a type of fish what would you choose and why?
Thomas? Why are we assigning fish species to people now?
...Fiiiine. If Thomas were a fish, I’d say a koi. Not because he’s particularly elegant or anything, yeah? Koi are stubborn. They swim around like they own the pond, eat whatever they want...
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Though if you ask me, he has the soul of a catfish. He just looks like he knows what he’s doing while rummaging around in the mud. Actually, waiiiit. Catfish is perfect. I'm changing my answer. Thomas is a catfish.
Hypothetically, let's say the person you're into is on the ace spectrum. Would it be bad?
Of course, it's all hypothetical. I'm not talking about anyone in particular. Yep 👍.
Rafayel tilts his head a little when you ask that. “Bad?” he echoes softly, “No. It wouldn’t be bad, cutie.” He pauses for a moment.
“Being on the ace spectrum doesn’t mean someone loves less, yeah? It just means they experience attraction differently. And if I’m into someone…” He exhales quietly, “…then I’d want them, not some checklist of how they’re supposed to feel or act.”
His gaze settles on you, “I’d learn what makes them comfortable. What they like, what they don’t. What intimacy means to them. There are a thousand ways to be close to someone. Physical is just one of them.”
He crosses his arms loosely. “If anything, it would just mean we build something that actually fits us on purpose. No assumptions. Just… understanding.”
He watches you for a moment. “Honestly? It might even make things… clearer. You’d have to communicate properly. No assumptions, no drifting along on what people usually do.”
He smiles. “And if both people are willing to meet each other halfway in ways that actually feel right… that’s a pretty solid foundation.”
He tilts his head at you again. “Hypothetically, of course.”
Snow is pretty, buuuut it’s cold. 🥶 It demands layers, patience… effort. I already look good without needing to accessorize with frostbite.
Rain, though? Rain understands me. It shows up uninvited, ruins people’s plans, makes everything a little more intense… a little more honest. Aaaand the way it clings to you? Completely unfair. I respect that.
Besides, if we get caught in the rain together, I get to watch you pretend you’re not cold while I very generously offer to keep you close.
But if you insist on snow, I suppose I could tolerate it… as long as you’re the one I’m warming up. 😉
