#sca;les.

[pevrlescent]

apache tears

apache tears : a sadness headcannon

Mermaids cannot cry. She remembered her grandmother, wise and sturdy like a river cut deep in a canyon, relaying this fact once upon her childhood. It seemed like such a trivial thing, an insignificant piece of silver found amongst the newest shipwreck. It was only later that she learned it was a bullet, and a once useless trinket became an aide that meant to shed blood.The only curse her kind can suffer is heartbreak, but she chose it, anyway, and with it has come an ever-present ache lodged in the cavity of her chest. Her heart has been waterlogged with tears unshed, centuries of them, that even the smallest of disappointments sends her spiraling into a stormcloud. And why not? Her suffering has been tenfold that of anyone; it is a wonder she hasn't gone mad with unexpressed sorrow. It never becomes easier. To watch your beloved slip away time and time again is like reaching out to the ebbing tide that's kiss will turn her back to foam. She would drown the world in her oceans, if she could, but perhaps it is better she cannot cry.It gives her more time to search for reasons to smile.

Crystal Meme found here; accepting.

[pevrlescent]

fire agate

fire agate : are they brave or cowardly?

She escapes from the things that frighten her-- doesn't own a full length mirror, never revisits the same cities of her past twice, avoids interacting with youth as often as possible for fear of watching them make the same mistakes as she. There are words buried inside her that, maybe, she'll never find the time to jot down; that, maybe, will never be reflected in another's gaze. There are secrets tucked into the depths of her mind, like sunken ships or the great bones of a whale cemetary. She runs from their looming heaviness all the time. Brave, Charlotte thinks, is not what she has ever been.She has not ended the cycle of suffering. She has not given way to the waves. She has not abandoned humanity, for as often as humaninity has abandoned itself. Cowardess comes large in men who hide behind violence and insults, and comes in as small of a form as not believing in oneself, too. But to have lived and to have hoped for centuries. . . is that not courage?

Crystal Meme found here; accepting.

[pevrlescent]

☄

☄ : AU Headcanon [ Modern/School ]

Her father is a deep sea explorer who made his income collecting precious antiques from sunken ships. One time, he just happened to have struck gold. Literally. Her mother ran off with a common fisherman when she was still an infant. She's probably sailed around the world three times, already. Her sisters are all traditional beauties with traditional values of filial devotion, marriage, and child-bearing. Charlotte is the youngest and most beloved daughter, captain of the varsity swim team and their top-performing diver, as well as a warm-hearted spirit with some rather strange quirks. Seriously, who braids bottle caps and flowers into their hair? And, although she loves her father dearly, she has never quite liked the idea of him selecting who she was to spend the rest of her life with. Charlotte found herself daydreaming about a silver-tongued boy with black ink under his white school shirt, the one everyone called a 'thug' but cleared a path for in the hallways. There were rumors circulating that his dad was some sort of underground mafia lord, and he was bound to get his hands dirty in the family business. She didn't know anything about gangs or whatever lurked around Seoul at night, but she did know the kingpin's beloved prince sometimes wore a bottle cap around his neck that looked just like her own. And she was gonna follow him into the night.

☄ : AU Headcanon [ CharYeol ]

Her prince will never come. If he does, he's bound to die in her arms, or fall in love elsewhere, or jump of a bridge, or utterly defy Fate's alignment and leave her broken-hearted once more. She can't continue waiting, not when the lifespan that remains with her is only fifty more years. This is her chance to live, really live. If love is there, in the arms of another, can't Fate be twisted? Can't she be happy, for once? Charlotte falls, like she never has before, between the sheets and into coffee-stained carresses. He tastes like cheap cigarettes and September; writes love notes with his tongue. Sometimes, she's trembling and washed in dawn. Others, she's the bewitching siren of his fantasies. Once, she wore a white ribbon collar and purred beneath him. But they are together, always together, hands clasped around a pen-- writing their own happy ending.

Headcanon Prompts found here.

[pevrlescent]

♪♩♫

questions for the mun

♪♩♫ : Does music inspire your muse ? What is one song on your playlist that remind you of your muse ?

I don't think there's a single muse that wasn't heavily inspired by some lyric or melody I was obsessed with at some point. I'm a very visceral person, so a moment, sound, smell, painting really strikes deep with me. It is one of the reasons I post pictures in between long threads of text. Just to break up my hard work with some inspiration! That being said, for Charlotte, I had a few songs that started my construction of her personality and background.oo1. 인어의 눈물 by EXO-KThis song is what started it all. It's the original story of the Little Mermaid from the Prince's perspective. Just before his wedding night, he comes to find the love and fate of the Mermaid. Instead of sacrificing herself for his happiness and turning to foam, he asks that she cut his heart out with her knife and return to her life before. The song references that he wishes to burn all of the scars she received in exchange for getting to be with him, acknowledges that their fates have gone awry and are now coming to tragic endings, their ability to communicate in ways beyond language barriers, and her beauty from when she smiles to her sorrow. I think the song's title 'Mermaid Tears' is ironic, considering, in the original story and in Charlotte's verse, mermaids cannot cry. But, I think maybe the Prince in this song can see behind her happy mask and find the ocean of tears in her heart. That's the Prince I hope Charlotte can find, one day, but it hasn't happened yet. Also, there's a lovely piano cover for this song here with rain soundscapes!.oo2 The Sixth Station by Joe HisaishiI like to think this is the song that would play whenever Charlotte was found near a large body of water. I mean, can you think of what being in her head at that moment would be like? She's come so far, tried so hard for so long, been so miserable. To take a dip, to finally go back home, even for the most brief moment before turning to foam-- would she even feel its coldness before she disappeared? Or would it be like she, herself, became more and more a part of the ocean until there was nothing left? And all of this is practically calling her, enticing her from the shoreline but it would be such a waste to throw it all away now. So she just looks on and hopes that her sisters are settled down with nice families, that her father hasn't succumbed to old age, and that they hope she is still alive in some part of the world..oo3 Fade by Philtre ft. YounhaI think of this song whenever I think of Charlotte losing her Prince, somehow. The first time, he gets married and she leaves to wander the earth and understand humans more. Then, she stumbles upon his reincarnation and it's like a second chance granted by Fate. And this Prince doesn't recognize her, thinks she's crazy, doesn't want anything to do with her. Again, they meet. Again, they fall in love. Again, it doesn't last. Every time becomes less shocking than the first. Every time, she has to get used to a daily life without him until he reappears and stirs things up again. I mean, what about the reincarnations that die too soon? Or worse, the ones she outlives? Watching him grow old and die and just-- coping with it, returning to a normal lifestyle without her true love. Knowing that he'll be back at some point, but for now she's gotta focus on feeding herself and maybe even packing up to start a new routine elsewhere.

[pevrlescent]

⊗ ☾

⊗ : What is something that causes her to question herself?

High school. Could be why she doesn’t show up as often as she should, but try to consider just why that is. High school is the epitome of youth. Korean students, in particular, worry about grades, friendships, and even more about love. Pop culture, pop music, dramas, and movies shove the concept of finding true love down every viewer’s throat. None of it has anything to do with her, but she can’t help but look around and feel like there is something she’s doing wrong. Something she did wrong. All these girls worrying about their looks and their weight, all of them daydreaming about finding the one to give their hearts to— Oh, they reminded her of another time. It was her ruin. High school, these children, their rumors, and their glances, they make her question everything.

☾ : On a sleepless night, what would they be found doing?

Charlotte takes showers when she cannot sleep. It’s a pain to undress, to hoist herself up on the seat beneath her shower head, but the cold water running over her face is worth it. It seems silly, but sometimes she raises her arms up high and pretends to swim through the droplets. There are sometimes songs she recites within her mind, if the lyrics can be remembered. Her voice doesn’t work of course, but her lips mimic the words well enough. And, yes, it’s quite soothing when dreams don’t come easily.

Headcanon Prompts found here.