Monterey Bay Aquarium
#extradirty
izzy's playlists!
cherry valley forever
Sade Olutola
KIROKAZE
DEAR READER
Kaledo Art
hello vonnie
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
Today's Document
Three Goblin Art
Game of Thrones Daily
No title available
almost home
PR's Tumblrdome
Product Placement
JVL
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
No title available
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Philippines
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Australia
seen from South Africa
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Spain
seen from Netherlands
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@thelostakram
Ah man. I'm really sad this is closing. I've loved writing with everyone, and Tessa will forever have a place in my heart. I apologize for my own lack of activity, however. And I do hope that the roleplay will reopen once more in the future, as I'll really miss the whole lot of you.
If anyone ever wants to roleplay or just to chat you can find me on my 1x1/writing blog/personal blog.
Tessa had travelled a little further from the river today, than she had in her past years as a mermaid. It didn't much hurt now, but she was aware that it was imminent, although Tessa welcomed the pain like an old friend. As if it could erase all of her problems for a while. She placed a hand against the tree bark as her humanoid body travelled to sit on the soft ground beneath her. Her cloak covered her well as she leaned back against the tree, and looked up at the sky. It would not be long until the sky of the forest were to be hidden by the cover of leaves. Already there were a few leaf buds ready to burst up on the branches over her.
Wary of the Riverside || Lyen+Tessa
There was something quite odd about the lovely siren. Lyen noted that she was not like her other sisters, she seemed rather quiet and distant; timid even. Had he been in the presence of another one of her kind, the boarman would have been on the receiving end of a flurry of flirtatious remarks. Lyen also realized that she didn’t have much of a mischievous glint to her eyes either, which made her even more interesting in his opinion. Curiosity had never been an emotion that plagued the blond much, but now he found himself to be quite fascinated.
"Me? Frightened?" A light chuckle broke through his rather grim and serious demeanor due to her comment. "Frightened, no. Started is more like it." Lyen didn’t know the meaning of fear. Every issue he encountered, he met head-on without any hesitation. Some would say that aspect about him was quite troublesome and to be honest, it was. Despite his problematic personality, Lyen had never come across a problem he couldn’t solve with his axe, otherwise he would have died long ago. "I’m Lyen." He said, not bothered by her answering with a question. "What’s the name that was given to you?"
Tessa wanted to comment on the boarman's response. It was odd for her to hear he'd not been frightened, after he'd spoken of thinking he would almost die when he was a youngling. She wasn't sure if it was simply for his integrity, or if it was the truth. But in her experience, though few, when someone spoke of thinking of being on the brink of death, fear accompanied it so. At least, it had accompanied her. Though she did not comment on the matter, she did not want to pressure something that could potentially harm him.
"Tessa." She replied softly after he'd spoken his question. New meetings were not easy for Tessa, she had to admit. Though she'd always loved people and socializing, doing so now was somewhat painful; a piece of the past that did not fit in this life. That's what Tessa believed at least.
Wandering Walks || Arian & Tessa
Arian loped through the trees with incredible ease. He listened to the thrum of the forest, the gentle feel of the trees and the grass and the earth. Slowing down, Arian held his hand out to run along the branches of a bush, the wilted leaves springing to life under his touch. He smiled softly. The Spring Festival had already come and passed, and the plant life in and around the forest was beginning to show this.
It lifted his spirits to see everything coming back to life after the winter. Of course it would. But it was still something to marvel at, when everything else was taken into consideration. Arian’s smile turned a bit melancholy, but he shook his head, his antlers brushing the leaves on a overhanging branch. Getting upset never solved anything. Staying calm and reasoning your way through it was the best way.
Squaring his shoulders, he returned to his walk, heading in the direction of the Hidden Grove. It was as he went to take a step that Arian heard a rustling. He knew that it could be anything - an animal of sorts, another faun, or even a boarman or a human. He hesitated, tilting his head as he peered in the direction of the sound.
“Is someone there?”
Tessa purposely stepped on some of the leaves the previous fall had left under the cover of snow. They were a bit soggy, so they did not emit that big crunch she used to enjoy so much, but she did enjoy the feeling of them under her bare feet.
One of her very favourite seasons had come, and it would not be gone so easily. She enjoyed the moment of tranquillity here, and the very slight lessening of her sorrows. She could still feel it at the back of her throat, and the tingle behind her now humanoid eyes, of which threatened to tear up a great deal of times. But she attempted concentration on the beauty of the forest now, on the hardened branches of the trees, on the roots sticking out from the ground beneath her feet. She rustled the bush beside her with her hand, making much noise, that brought a voice up throughout the forest path.
She hesitated in calling back, not sure if it was wise to announce her presence here. She was not very good with people any more, or at least, she thought so. She did not want to socialize with another being, simply to hurt them accidentally. But she kept quiet for so long; kept to her sorrows and her mind, she could not stand to keep quiet any longer. "Yes." She replied simply, moving toward where the voice had come out of.
Sunset in the Meadow || Tessa & Deirdre {Flashback}
"I agree. That’s why I enjoy this place so much." She smiled a little into the sun and then relaxed against the trunk of the large tree. "So, you’re going on your Rite of Passage in a few weeks. My little sister is so grown up now, isn’t she?" Deirdre playfully pinched Tess’s cheek. "Are you nervous, dear? I was—you know how I feel about that forest."
Tessa smiled and turned her eyes to the ground before Deirdre's hand came up to pinch her cheek, and Tess laughed and pulled her cheek away with a tilt of her head. Her laugh died out quietly, though the smile remained on her face as she shook her head. "Not really. I'm excited mostly." Her smile grew, and then it turned into sympathy for her sister. "I do." She rubbed her sister's shoulder. "One day you'll have to come with me. When we are allowed to. That way it could help you ease your fear. Unless you think you should be as worried about me, as you are of the forest."
Wary of the Riverside || Lyen+Tessa
"Good to know." The godly creature said, removing the skins from the water once they were full. Unlike some of the other mermaids he’d met, this one didn’t seem to give off an air of mischief and lasciviousness. Usually, they would have approached him with batted eyelashes and honeyed words. This siren appeared to be rather timid in Lyen’s eyes, but that factor didn’t take away from her captivating appeal. The boarman returned his attention to the skins for a few seconds to screw the caps back on before placing them to his side.
"I remember back when I was young, one of your sisters attempted to drown me. She thought I was human since I didn’t have any runes; I’d only been a few days old." Lyen finally dipped his own skin into fresh water, watching the bubbles rise and pop as it filled. "To be honest, I thought I’d die, but when the river didn’t take me…she let me go." His light blue eyes moved back to the mermaid who still watched him carefully. "You have a name, woman?"
The mermaid turned her head to the side as he spoke, before removing his skins from the water. Tessa didn't often speak to guests of the riverside, simply because she preferred to stay hidden. Afraid that it was someone of the village, or that she would simply hurt them. Even now, as a mermaid, with her completely different from whom she'd once been, she still could not stand hurting others. And she could not stand seeing people hurt. Her feeling of not having a place with the mermaids wasn't the only factor that kept her away from them, but also their darkness. Their willingness to bring pain to others.
Tessa bobbed her head toward the river when he said the word sisters, her eyes studying the frame of her face. Searching for her real sister, of whom she could find so often in her own face. Some might have found it disturbing to see her sister, some even might think it vain. But it was what gave her the most sorrow, and what gave her the most hope at the same moment. Her head lifted up, and she studied him when he spoke of a mermaid frightening him as such, "I apologize for her giving you such a fright." she replied to him, genuinely. She lifted an eyebrow, but answered the question with one of her own. "Do you?" She'd always enjoyed knowing more about others, than others learning more about her. She never thought her life was interesting, and she rather think of someone else's life instead of her own for a while. Before night fell, and the sorrow returned in a greater amount. It was still present now, very much so. But speaking to the boarman was easing it, at least, a little bit. And she rather have that slight ease than the full weight.
Wary of the Riverside || Lyen+Tessa
Since the early morning Lyen and a few of his brothers had been out doing their duty of protecting the Black Forest. He liked to rise at first light and go off to hunt for food if he did not have any left from the previous evening. This time, two members of his clan accompanied him on the trip. The group of men managed to find a doe to break their fast with and spent the remainder of the morning moving through the forest. The humans had begun to act recklessly as of late and if their behavior wasn’t handled, then even more problems would emerge.
"I’m getting hungry again…" said the young boarman at his left. Lyen couldn’t help but grumble irritably at the notion. They’d eaten not too long ago and Lyen was still satisfied from the meal; he wouldn’t need to eat again for at least a couple more hours. Although, some of the younger ones did seem to have large appetites.The Thuane River wasn’t too far away so it would also be a good time to get water. "Fine…set up camp, we’ll rest here for a while." He reached his hand out to retrieve their wineskins. "I’ll get the water; I shouldn’t be gone long."
With that said, he continued through the brush, advancing towards the river. The walk had only taken him a few minutes and once he reached it, Lyen dropped to a knee and scooped the fresh water into his hand before bringing it to his mouth. The warrior submerged two of the skins until they were full. It was then that he felt as though he was being watched. Blue eyes scanned the river’s surface to find one of Isonade’s daughters. “If you try to drown me, know that it won’t work.” Lyen warned
Tessa kept a hand on a rock at the other side of the river, as her eyes watched the boarman approach the waters of the Black Forest. She often hid and watch people come to the river, as opposed to the other mermaid's, who would go closer if they had a reason to; which they seemed to often do. She simply stayed behind the rock, watching the man, as well as the ripples in the water, as he submerged two of his skins before he called out to her.
"I'm not that young." She replied back to the boarman, as she kept to the rock beside her. She preferred distance over proximity when it came to visitors of the river. Not simply because she did not like other people, but simply because she did not want to frighten others. And she was a mermaid, which frightened her, possibly even more than she frightened others. She was afraid that if she got too close, she would become like some of the other, darker mermaids of the waters. She did not want to hurt anyone, no matter with words or with physical pain, she could not handle hurting another person, simply because she was hurting too.
Watching Happiness | Tessa & Eilina
Tessa’s somber eyes sometimes made Eilina wonder if death would have preferable to new life.
Perhaps it was a selfish thing, wishing to alleviate Tessa’s sorrow so that she might not feel guilt by association. Or perhaps it was completely pellucid, a desire to see those around her without sadness purely to give them a better life. No one could have known with Eilina. She didn’t even know, although she was currently ripping at the seems trying to decipher her own intentions. Parts of her wanted to spurn the girl that refused her kindnesses, when she continually tried so hard (well, she tried, and that was what mattered) to make her feel welcome and happy. Parts of her wanted to swaddle her in silk and teach her to walk on the balls of her feet, where it hurt less. It was a horrible kind of tearing, within her.
She had been suspicious that the newborn sister would not participate in Spring’s festivals, but thought it a great disservice to Tessa. Celebrations such as these lifted moods immensely, and while she had refused to enter the village after her rebirth, there was still the grove. And she had conspired to drag Tessa from her melancholy, arriving in her favoured stretch of the river by foot carrying parcels and bedecked in finery.
"Surely you must know you cannot dance in the river," Her voice was softer than normal, gently probing, and she settled onto the ground where the raven-haired girl lay. "And music is far better heard while in proximity to the bard. Come now, Tessa, you cannot mean to spurn the God Cern and the welcoming of his spring? We are all off to celebrate, you will be left alone if you stay here!" Laughter came out then, slightly inhibited by ale and pretense, and over her face was the well-worn mask of popularity. "This is a time for laughter and song, not sorrow."
Tessa's eyes turned to the blonde, as she came to settle on the ground beside where she lay. The raven-haired stayed put where she was, even when the other girl started speaking. Eilina always seemed one for to be attracted to fanfares and pleasantries, and Tessa wasn't neglected from the girl's prodding to follow in suit. Many a times she had tried to lift Tessa's spirit up, and as many as there were, Tessa was hardly ever upped like the girl desired.
"I enjoy being left alone." She replied in a monotone voice, realizing how it sounded, she added, "besides, you would much rather enjoy yourself without my negative company." She sat as she finished her sentence, and flicked her eyes toward the humans for a few seconds more, before returning them toward the other mermaid.
Eilina's words seemed to make her feel quite bad about her current unenjoyment of the festivities. She'd always loved celebrating the debut of Spring, and she'd always appreciated Cern quite a bit. And with him fading, she did feel quite bad for not attempting to help him. But she did not think she would be a good addition to the celebrations, as she had a hard time enjoying many things these days. Her sorrow over shadowing anything else.
Watching Happiness | Tessa & Eilina
Watching the festivities from afar, Tessa felt a longing; a pull, of sorts, toward the people of Braemer, and the happenings in the village. She missed it, the celebration, the crafts, the pleasantries. She kept her arms tight around her, her cloak covering her up as usual, and her hair as shiny as ever. She had a lot, with the mermaids, but it felt like she had nothing. And she was almost certain that if she returned to the village, she would feel the same. Except she'd hurt a lot more people, and she didn't belong there. So she could not return. She promised herself she wouldn't. For Deirdre. For Gavin. For her parents.
She couldn't deny she did want to celebrate, but she felt herself anchored down by all these negative feelings, and whenever she wanted something, some semblance of her old life; of her happiness. The negative always outweigh her wants; her needs. Because she could not stop thinking, and could not allow herself to be happy. She did not belong with the mermaids, and she did not belong with the humans. So where did she belong? Who could she count on other than herself? Why couldn't she have stayed on the path? Why did she have to go get that doll? Why didn't she ask the others to wait for her? were questions that passed often through her mind, and they were not pleasant questions to receive. It was as if her mind did not want her happiness. As if it was telling her she was supposed to be dead, and it was going to make her miserable and sad until she was. But if she were honest with herself, it wasn't her mind that was weighing her down, it was herself. Even if she'd never admit to it. So she stayed on the sidelines of the festivities, and watched as her emotions filled her up, and kept her planted firmly in her place.
Sunset in the Meadow || Tessa & Deirdre {Flashback}
Deirdre sat under the large tree that she enjoyed going to in the meadow, a chill breeze taking over the summer sky. She leaned against the large trunk, looking out as the sun that brightened the sky started to slowly become a darker, more golden hue. It was beautiful, the flowers and swaying the wind and the everything quiet. She looked to her younger sister, she sat next to her looking over the meadow just as she was.
"It’s been some time since the two of us came to see a sunset together. I’m happy we did; it all looks so beautiful right now."
Tessa always did enjoy these outings in the meadow with her sister. It had always been her sister's place, but she was always quick to accept her sister's invitations to join her. She loved spending time with her sister, and she did love the meadow, just as Deirdre did. The flowers and the leaves started to lose their stunning colors, as the sun went lower and lower. The sky as bright and beautiful as ever.
"So am I. It does, doesn't it? I feel as if we don't stop to look at the beauty of things enough." She replies, but the we refers to others more than herself. She's always been the kind of person who only sees the good in everything and everyone, and beauty was also included in the goodness of things and people.
Tragic Melodies | Tessa & Nerissa
It would be a lie to say that she would ever truly understand Tessa’s pain. She could empathize with it, certainly, but the truth was that the circumstances of their respective deaths prevented her from fully grasping the gravity of it. As a human, Nerissa had jumped at the chance to end her own pitiful life- to escape from the constant pain and sorrow she had suffered through. She had ended up joining the water willingly. Tessa, however , had been quite literally dragged into it. Not to mention the fact that Nerissa had left little behind, save for a mildly heart-broken family, whereas Tessa had lost friends and family that truly cared for her; a point which stirred some ancient remnants of jealousy within her. However, any semblance of envy she felt was quickly overshadowed by her desire to help Tessa feel better.
In her human life, Nerissa had been both a younger and older sister. Though she had been unable to share her affections with them during her lifetime, as a mermaid she had taken it upon herself to care for each one as though they were her own flesh and blood. As her newest sibling, Tessa was not exempt from her sentiments. Hoisting herself up onto the rock next to her, she leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair out of the girl’s eyes. It was a simple gesture, but a caring one all the same. She said nothing as she took Tessa’s hand in her own and wrapped an arm over her shoulders to pull her into a loose hug. They remained in silence as she absentmindedly stroked her arm, trying to comfort her.
“We may not be sisters by blood”, she stated, finally speaking up, “but, we are sisters. So, please, do not feel like you need to keep your pain locked away inside. It will only end up hurting you more”. Her words were from experience, and though her voice was gentle, there was a knowing tone to it that could not be denied.
It always hurt Tessa when the mermaid's called each other sisters. She had one already, and she lost her the day she died. But she was still her sister. She couldn't imagine anyone else taking her place; couldn't imagine calling anyone else sister. But she never got angry when the mermaid's used it. It simply stirred up painful emotions in the bottom of her stomach whenever they did. It wasn't revulsion, but it was another part of the loss she could not gain back. She could not have her sister again, because she didn't belong in her sister's world anymore, and more than that, it would pain her sister more to know that she was now a mermaid. That she had truly died six years ago, and if she hadn't been pulled into the water, she surely still would be. Which she still didn't think was as bad as this. As this lost state, where she did not belong in either world, but could not escape neither.
"That's the reason I sing." She sang to relieve herself of the pain, everyone who sang this tragic melody knew this. She did not want to hurt the other mermaid, but she could not hide the truth either. She did not want to share her memories, because she was afraid that if she did, she would lose something in the process. She was okay with Eilina knowing, however, no matter how on and off their friendship was. She'd pulled her into the water, and she knew more than the others did, which was enough for Tessa. She couldn't handle another mermaid knowing this, not only because she could not bare to speak it, but she also knew how mermaids were, and she feared them more than she had as a child.
Woodland Encounter || Callis & Tessa
Still standing stiffly upright, Callis caught the faint scent that the wind carried in her direction. Her lupine nose would’ve been more adept at identifying it, but as far as she could tell, it wasn’t the smell of a human. Which seemingly contradicted what her eyes saw- a young girl stepping barefoot over tree roots and underbrush as she made her way through the forest. She was clad in a cloak that was quite obviously faun-crafted, so Callis presumed she must be one of the creatures of the Hidden Grove, albeit with her antlers glamoured. Or else, she could be a mermaid. They were usually rarely seen out of the water, and when they were, it was with a purpose.
Callis relaxed, the tension seeping out of her back muscles; so much of her was ingrained into the body language and behavior of a wolf that she could practically feel her hackles soothing even though they had not been raised. She wiped the dirt off of her hands and onto the deer-skin tunic she wore beneath her pelt. The girl had not spotted her yet, but Callis didn’t bother with stealth as she walked up the slope of the gully and towards the young maid. A friendly smile flitted across the she-wolf’s creatures. “The weather’s a bit chilled for a stroll, I’d say,” she said, her tone pleasant and conversational. She had never seen this fauness among those in the Hidden Grove- in fact, she didn’t think she’d ever seen this girl (creature, rather) in the Black Forest before. She itched for her full canine senses, to be able to distinguish more clearly the scent that accompanied this wanderer.
Startled, Tessa turned around quickly on her heels. She was not used to meeting people on her strolls, or to the very least, not used to people addressing her on them. It seemed like an unwritten rule that those she met on the roads did not speak to her; as if her sadness pushed people away, and kept them away. It was just as good, Tessa figured, that she kept to herself more often than not.
The raven-haired studied the blonde woman closer, and tilted her head to the side slightly before she realized the woman was waiting for a response. "Oh yes, I'd say so as well," she replied with a few quick nods of her head. She could not figure what to tell from this girl, other than the fact that the pelt on her shoulders made it clear of her species. She'd never met one of them. At least, not on her own accord, and had never spoken to one before, either. But she could not help but feel the fear rising up in her stomach, her skin feeling warmer from the her frightened state. It had been a skinwalker that had attacked her. What if this woman had been the one to do it? She would never know, and she didn't like this state. She enjoyed knowing things about anything she could, especially people. Back when she was human, she used to perceive as much of a person as she could, so she could help comfort that person better, with an equal understanding of the pain the other person felt. But her perceptiveness seemed clouded by her pain, and she could not tell anything about her.
Tragic Melodies | Tessa & Nerissa
The song that floated through the night air was not an unfamiliar one. She had become accustomed to the sound of its slow, melancholic tone and the airy wistfulness of it as it melded with the soft sigh of the breeze that danced over the water’s surface. There had been times when she too felt it resonating deep within her soul, and, though the melodies were not always the same, the grief behind it was shared. It was a song of mourning, and Nerissa knew that well. To hear one of her own sisters singing it, however, was an even worse pain than the one she felt when it was her own song. It broke her heart in ways she could hardly fathom.
Knowing it was Tessa who was singing did not alleviate her pain. In fact, it only served to upset her more. She had known of the girl’s heartache for a long while now, and though they had seldom talked with each other, she wanted little more than to find some way to soothe the girl’s pain. Nerissa remembered fondly how kind her sisters had been to her when she had been reborn, and knew that it was now her turn to extend her love and guidance to her newest sibling. Following the sound of Tessa’s voice, Nerissa made her way down the river to try and find her.
Though over the years Nerissa had learned to swim as silently and effortlessly as any of her older sisters did, she made sure to make some noise when she peeked her head out of the water behind Tessa, so as not to startle her. The last thing she wanted was to catch her off guard and scare her away. Hugging to the rocks that the girl was sitting on, Nerissa waited calmly as she sang. It was a heart-wrenching tune, but it was still a beautiful one all the same. When a pause finally came, she took the opportunity to speak up.
“Your voice is lovely" she commented, offering up a small, sympathetic smile. Her voice was soft and comforting as she spoke, a habit from her human years that she had not yet been able to break- not that that was necessarily a bad thing. Reaching out of the water, she placed her hand on top of Tessa’s, "But, mourning does not suit you”
The rippling noise of the water did not startle Tessa, but she did not stop her song for the familiar noise, of which she'd heard often times. She could hold her pain inside no longer --which happened many a times--, and needed to let it out, as others have before her. A painful melody dripping off her lips, to help release her anguish over what she has lost.
When the pause came, she was not startled by the voice that came to her in a comforting tone. One she remembered having sported long ago. Her eyes shifted toward the hand placed atop of hers, and couldn't help but look somewhat embarrassed, though she was not sure what she was embarrassed about. She'd sung the same song many times ago, and many times to go. So her comment should not have made her feel the way she did. But alas, she could not stop it. She did not speak, and instead let her face --which was filled with sadness and embarrassment alike-- speak for her, as words could not form in the raven-haired's head, or fall from her lips.
M E R M A I D [ T A K E N ]
"Once a daughter came to harm, in tender woodland night. Pin-boned by two velvet arms and turned a bloodless white."
Tessa Akram ↳ the lost girl.
AGE: 25, appears 19 APPEARANCE: Her tail is that of a red and black aka matsuba koi fish. FACECLAIM: Alyssah Ali (preferred)
History:
When Tessa was born, there wasn’t an instant in the Akram home where you couldn’t see the girl smile, or hear her laughter fill the hallways. She was a carefree girl, who lived life to the fullest and respected the gods as she should. While others were frightened of them, Tessa was fascinated with them. She loved the stories her parents told the Akram daughters when bedtime came, and always asked for them when they parents weren’t planning to. It was during Tessa’s first Issafest that she met Gavin. She’d finished a dance for the goddess, along with many other young girls her age, and they both came to help another girl who’d tripped over her own two feet. After that, the two became very good friends. When they laid under the sunlight, and the starlight, Tessa would make up stories. When she was down, as people who are always high and happy some times become, he would hold her hand, and give her his spine. They helped to keep each other sane, and somewhere in that friendship, a puppy-love of sorts came along. They were a very cute couple, if not gross to others. They always held hands, looked at each other so lovingly you would think there was nobody else in the world but them.
It was impossible to think Tessa could be more happy than she started off as, but Gavin made it possible. At least, that’s what she thought. In reality she simply became more aware of the things she did. She seemed even nicer than before, and went to everyone who needed cheering up, to do just that. And she could always do it. She made people laugh and always knew how to talk to others. She could make the best of friends, but Tessa could never see if they truly her friend or not, as she only ever saw the good in people, and never the bad. Which was one of the things Deirdre protected her from; people who might try to use her or hurt her because she was too kind.
It was time for the Rite of Passage, and Tessa couldn’t feel any safer than with Gavin. She should’ve been the one who was worried about going in the woods late at night, but she wasn’t. Ruth was the only girl who incited a certain jealousy; who incited a negative emotion within Tessa that wasn’t from her lows. But she didn’t hate the girl, and she was willing to let her join her and Gavin in the forest. They walked through the woods, the girls on either side of Gavin as leaves crunched under their steps. Tessa saw something in the woods, and she went off course to go and get it. She remembered a young girl having told her parents that she’d lost her doll in the forest, and that her parents wouldn’t allow her to go into the forest. So Tessa went to go and get it. She figured she could get it and get back to the others as quickly as she’d left, but she somehow got lost, with the doll in hand. She kept her head high and her ears perked as she followed the voices of the others, so she could get back to them. Not looking at where she was stepping until she slipped down the bank. It was obvious that terrible events were catching up to her that night, and that they wouldn’t stop when she would finish rolling down the bank.
When she came to a stop, she felt something pounce on her even before she could sit up.The only thing she could hear other than the wolf’s jaw clamping down on her neck, were her own screams mixed with the roaring of the water next to her. It wasn’t long until her screams died off as she slipped away. She was going to die alone, and in pain. And she didn’t want to die. She wanted to live and watch Deirdre’s children grow up, because of course they would come before Tessa’s. And she wanted to live in a beautiful home and marry Gavin, and have children that would be best friends with Deirdre’s own; just as Tessa and Deirdre had been. But she was losing consciousness, and soon she would be gone altogether. But she wasn’t going to die, because not long after, she felt a moist hand grab onto her ankle, and pull her into the water.
Tessa was frantic when she woke in the water. She didn’t understand why she was there, and she only remembered the fear and the hopelessness of which she felt the night before. It was the mermaid Eilina that eventually calmed her down, and when she did Tessa could only feel nostalgia, and grief, and guilt. She misses her human life terribly, and doesn’t feel as if she belongs here with the mermaids, but she knows she doesn’t belong with the humans either; knows she can’t go back to her sister and let her know she’s alive, because that would only hurt her more. She feels lost and alone, and needs her sister more than ever.
Personality:
Tessa used to be one of those people who could make you smile, when she smiled. She was smart, she was beautiful, she was funny, the cliché sort of traits that you always wanted to see. But she was also kind to a fault, and could never see the bad when it was staring her right in the face.
Tessa isn’t all smiles and laughter anymore, but that doesn’t mean that part of Tessa is gone, that the rest of her is either. Though she keeps to herself more often than not these days, whenever she sees someone suffering, she pushes her grief away and goes to cheer them up, and at the same time it helps her cheer herself up. It never lasts though, and she knows if she just pushed her grief away completely, she could become the adventurous and happy Tessa she once was. But she can’t let go, because once she does, that means she would have to let go of Deirdre and Gavin and even Ruth and everyone else in the village, and she can’t do that.
Headcanons:
Most nights you can hear the painful melody throughout the forest, as she mourns for the things she’s lost.
Though Tessa can most often be lost in her grief, she does still possess the kind nature she had before, and tries to help anyone else who needs cheering up. This is what keeps her from being totally lost, as it cheers Tessa up as well.
It’s no surprise to see Tessa on her human feet, hiding behind a tree or underwater while still watching her sister wander through the woods, while she feels compelled to go to her like she used to, but she resists the urge because she knows she can’t.
Whether she made them up, or they were ones everyone already knew, Tessa could sometimes be seen telling stories to the younger children. She loved how stories made people feel, and it was with that that Tessa mostly lifted the spirits of others when they were in need of it.
Connections:
Tessa was saved from the skinwalker that attacked her by the mermaid Eilina, who was the only witness to what happened to the young girl. After her transformation, it was Eilina who told Tessa that she had only pulled her into the water to save her life. Tessa doesn’t remember much about the events of the night, nor anything about the wolf that attacked her.
Tessa desperately misses her human life and all those who were important to her, especially her sister Deirdre and Gavin. She wishes she could show them that she’s still alive- in some sense- but she knows it is better if she keeps herself hidden from them. It will only cause them more heartache to know that she’s not a part of their human world anymore.
