'This is my first time doing one of these! I wonder what sort of secrets this Santa is supposed to have? But I digress- this one has heard that a certain someone likes stories. These ones were taken from the Mer Court archives and contain a few stories that are sure to have never reached land before.
Oh, don't worry by the way! We have extra copies! Happy holidays!'
From: Owen ("Wait, I'm not supposed to write that?") Santa!
Details:
A series of four different books containing some of the folklore and customs of the merfolk. While it is clear that each volume has been used a number of time and that they are well-aged, the books themselves have been maintained meticulously. Each book is bound with the hardened leather of a sea serpent, with stiff pages made from individual sheets of kelp that were dried out and thinned out. The stories were written out by hand in squid ink and the books were sewn together using thread made from the sinew of the same serpent that covers the books.
From the bottom to the top:
Book 1: The Chronicles of Notable Merfolk
An extensive history of all the famous merpeople of Sansoria and beyond, detailing the feats which made them into legends. This book is far from a dry read, filled with the many tales of adventure and daring on the high seas. The stories range from quirky odes to the retelling of a lifetime, celebrating the benevolent and the infamous at the same time. Some of the most popular stories include Typhus the Bellower, Nix the Charmer, Chella the Deceiver, Titan the Great and Caspian the Wanderer. A small marker has been placed to indicate where each story is.
Book 2: A Beginner's Guide to Merfolk Customs and Traditions
A brief introduction into the culture of the merpeople, spanning from the popular beliefs of their creation all the way to the trivial, yet culturally important occasions that occur throughout the year. There is a section dedicated to the proper conduct a merman should show when faced with their mortal enemy, the Fey, as well as a follow-up section written in a different hand making critical remarks about it in a snarky manner. Some important milestones include the First Drowning (which has changed in nature to merely mark a coming-of-age), the Royal Coronation, as well as birthing and funeral traditions.
Book 3: Songs of the Sea, Volume 1
A basic lesson book that even the youngest boys and girls are taught from when learning to harvest their siren's call. This includes a few interesting odes about sea faring adventures and easy-to-learn choruses. In the margins, Owen wrote down a translation of the lyrics for easier comprehension, as they are not necessarily sung in the same language as the Common Tongue. He also notes briefly as to what song does what- which ones are used to invigorate, which ones are used to lure, which ones for hunger and so on.
Book 4: The Little Mermaid And Other Human Tales
As implied, this is a copy of the classic fairy tale from Earth, which had been collected and modified by mermaids from long ago. Rewritten for archival purposes, this volume contains commentary from several influential scholars (Including Owen) debunking the common misconceptions promoted in the work. ("Mermaids do not turn into sea foam after all.") The end result of the critique makes for a more humorous read than a serious one.
I suppose there are a few reasons why you’re visiting my grave; perhaps you’ve finally figured out the insult of a nickname I chose to use for you and wish to have it out with me (to which I say you must be a damn fool, upsetting someone’s grave to have an argument with a corpse who cannot respond). Or maybe, in a less “comical” manner, you’ve simply decided to stop by and have a look; I know many have trekked through graveyards, spotting names of people they once knew; if not out of love or a genuine concern for that person’s life and passing, then out of some sort of desire for closure. When I was a human, many of my peers made a habit of visiting the graves of their acquaintance—not out of the goodness and sorrow of their hearts, but because they needed some sort of tangible proof that the person they had once known was now departed from the mortal world.
I can only suppose your own motives are something similar.
If that is the case, then there’s not much I can say to you; you yourself are destined to live an immortal life, if I am correct, and will not meet an untimely end unless you reach a fate similar to my own. Maybe you’re hoping for some guidance; some sort of clue for surviving eternity and evading death. Of that, I have nothing to give you: know that life can never be lived too cautiously, and for that, many people miss out on a great deal many things that the various worlds and realms have to offer.
Do not allow yourself to be one of those people.
- Gabriel Beaumont
—-
Andrei,
I didn’t receive the chance to bid you a proper farewell before I went, and so I hope I can make up for the lost time and owed adieus here. I’m not much of one for goodbyes or any sort of sentiment or emotional attachment at all, but after knowing you for hundreds of years, I find it only right and fitting to write you one last letter of farewell…whether or not you appreciate the sentiment is another matter entirely, though I feel that you, of all people, will take a liking to it more than anyone else. After all, there’s a reason you’re standing here at my resting place and reading this letter; surely you must have harbored some sort of fondness for me in the immortal lives we spent in each other’s good graces and acquaintance.
I’m not a very emotional man, as you well know and understand, so I can’t quite bring myself to say the words I’d undoubtedly utter if I was absolutely anyone else. What I can leave you with, though, is the knowledge that your friendship meant the world to me. It was, in fact, one of the only relationships throughout my hundreds of years that I held in high esteem.
Know that…that makes you an extraordinary sort of character, Andrei. Don’t allow that to go to waste.
☮ - friendship headcanon, now I want to know your headcanon for them >.> hehehe
☮: friendship headcanon + Pierce Farroway
Gabriel has absolutely no need for friendship--the way he sees it is that emotional connections are shallow and meaningless. They cause more trouble than they do joy or fulfillment, in his own anti-social opinion, so he's always made sure to steer clear of creating lasting bonds or friendship with most everyone he comes across. And Pierce, with his fumbling disposition and irritating demeanor, seems certain to make for a prime enemy.
And yet...there's something about him; a likeness they share with one another. They both love and revere literature, have an interest in the arts...perhaps, though Gabriel isn't yet aware of it, Pierce might make an alright acquaintance. Maybe even friend...but then again, he doesn't like using that word very much.
