Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Oct 26, 2021 1:09:21 GMT -5
โOh,โ Orpheus replied, a blush coloring his cheeks. Had he managed to make this uncomfortable by apologizing? It seemed he was going to overthink everything he said here. He wasnโt used to having someone other than Mr. Hermes who was actually interested in what he had to say. He wasnโt used to knowing someone he wanted to make like him. Or rather, someone who already liked him by some miracle. Someone who might stop if Orpheus said the wrong thing. It seemed they were both somewhat uncertain. It wasnโt something that Orpheus was used to feeling. He was usually confident about how he felt and what he wanted. Now, thoughโฆ he didnโt know how to hold onto this bond that felt so fragile it could break at any moment. How did Orpheus keep the two of them tethered when he barely knew the first thing about L? โIโm sorry people donโt want to speak with you,โ Orpheus murmured, shaking his head a little bit. โTheyโre missing out, though. Youโre easily one of the most interesting people Iโve ever spoken to, and Iโm really grateful to you.โ His blush depened โ he hadnโt meant to be that upfront, or say quite so much. It was out there, now. He couldnโt take it back, and he didnโt think he wanted to.
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Dec 4, 2021 11:49:10 GMT -5
L was used to feeling uncertain when he was talking to people, but he wasnโt used to minding what they thought of him. When he was nervous, it was usually because he was worried theyโd attack if he angered them, not that they wouldnโt want to talk to him again. In fact, most of the timeโฆthat would have been a reward. But he didnโt want to make the wrong impression here. Orpheus seemedโฆwell. He seemed nice. And he seemed like he cared about what L had to say, and he didnโt stop caring about it once heโd heard it, either. But getting flustered and overthinking his words wouldnโt help. He relaxed a little, giving a small nod. Orpheus was direct, at least, which meant he didnโt have to guess at what he meantโฆthat made this much easier than it could have been. โWellโฆyou would know better than I would, I suppose,โ he replied, searching Orpheusโ gaze. โSince Iโve never really had a conversation with myself. Iโm grateful to you, as well.โ
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Dec 16, 2021 16:09:00 GMT -5
Orpheus gave a small smile, leaning back and looking out at the surrounding ocean. What they were doing was dangerous. They should never have started talking. It was against everything both of their worlds stood for. It was, he knew others would say, disrespectful to the memories of everyone who had died in this war. Somehow, he thought continuing the war was more disrespectful, but he knew he wasnโt going to make any headway convincing anyone else of that. Except L, apparently. He smiled again, glancing down at his new friend. Yes. Friend. It didnโt seem like there was any other word for what they were quickly becoming. Partners, maybe, because they were working towards ending the war together, butโฆ Orpheus thought he might want to be more than that. โSoโฆ I guess we should probably talk about ourโฆ plan,โ he offered shyly, a blush creeping over his features. He didnโt want to stop talking to L and learning more about him. He didnโt really want to get onto โbusiness,โ though he knew that was what L was risking being here to do.
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Dec 23, 2021 23:08:31 GMT -5
L knew what would happen if they were caught here. He could pretend all he liked that he could make it look like he was drowning Orpheus, but then there would be glory to be snatched away, and Orpheus would almost certainly end up dead. L wasnโt sure he was willing to die for himโฆthat was a big sacrifice to make for a near stranger, and L rather liked being alive. But he couldnโt just abandon him to die, either. He didnโt know what he would do if someone saw them. โOh. Yes, youโre right,โ he murmured, blinking a little as Orpheus brought the conversation back to the main topic. He hadnโt forgotten, but he had gotten distracted. โYouโd better get back in your boat, then,โ he added, carefully maneuvering them both closer to it as he spoke. โSo you can tell it to me without worrying as much,โ
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Dec 25, 2021 2:37:07 GMT -5
Orpheus knew he would be at least a little bit safer back in his boat. That didnโt, however, mean he wanted to go. He may not have been very good at swimming yet, but he could get better. He wanted to try to get better now, but he knew they needed to move on. He could swim more later, if they continued meeting. โMaybe I can spend more time in the water next time,โ Orpheus murmured, trying to cement a next time in as unofficially as he could. He didnโt want L to feel beholden if he decided it felt unsafe, or if he came to the conclusion that he didnโt like Orpheus after all and didnโt want to be part of the plan. Still, Orpheus wanted L to be aware that he enjoyed his company and wouldnโt mindโฆ whatever these meetings wereโฆ to continue on past this first day and into the foreseeable future. โButโฆ youโre probably right. We shouldnโt be talking about anything important in the water. Howโฆ does sound carry down there, anyway? Are there people who might overhear us?โ
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Jan 23, 2022 3:08:56 GMT -5
โMm, probably, yes,โ L replied, thoughtful. He didnโt realize Orpheus was trying to see if there would be a next timeโฆL didnโt often change his mind, once heโd made it. If heโd thought this was too risky, he wouldnโt have come in the first place. Unless something significant changedโฆhe had every intention of following this path to wherever it would lead. And he did think Orpheus could probably spend more time in the water next time, anyway. It would be a lot safer for them both if Orpheus learned to swim at least decently well. He shifted, using his tail to gently propel them both back towards Orpheusโ boat, which had drifted just out of reach. โIt depends how close they are, butโฆI donโt think we need to worry about it much,โ he continued, once they were close enough for Orpheus to grab on. โThis place is out of the way of most of my people, and if they see you, theyโre more likely to try to kill you than to try to eavesdrop.โ
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 23, 2022 4:48:44 GMT -5
Orpheus hadnโt even noticed the boat drifting away. He knew about currents, of course, but he hadnโt actually been in one. Humans didnโt swim. They didnโt even swim on the beaches because of rumors that the merfolk controlled the currents and that a rip current pulling you out to sea was just a ploy by a merperson wanting to kill you. People didnโt get out of their boats when they went fishing. They learned how to see fish moving beneath the water, and they learned how to spot the distinctive flash of skin that meant the thing swimming beneath you was a merperson, not a fish. Orpheus had never learned that skill, but he had never wanted to. Instead, he was going to become the first person in his village to swim in who even knew how many years. Orpheus reached out for the boat as soon as it came within reach, then tried to haul himself up onto it. It threatened to tip, so he sheepishly looked back at L for assistance. โI think itโs probably the same with my people,โ he admitted, trembling a little as he felt the temperature difference between the water and the air. Somehow, the warm air made the water feel even colder. โTheyโre more the shoot first listen later type of people.โ
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Feb 25, 2022 23:05:05 GMT -5
It seemed they were both out of their depth a bit, here. Orpheus knew next to nothing about the water, and L had no idea where to start when it came to explaining it. The currents were just how his world workedโฆit had never even occurred to him that anyone would think he had any power over them. He couldnโt control the sea any more than he could control the sky. He blinked, eyes narrowing slightly as the boat tipped. Rightโฆthat was another thing he hadnโt thought of. He considered trying to throw Orpheus in, but that seemed like a poor ideaโฆhe had no idea how humans worked or how fragile they might be when dropped. But he also couldnโt let Orpheus go, or heโd drown. โMy people donโt tend to think about questions at all, actually,โ he noted, half his mind still trying to figure out how to help his new friend back into his boat. โSoโฆI understand that. If you hold onto this side, I might be able to catch the other side before it tips all the wayโฆ?โ
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 26, 2022 16:16:04 GMT -5
โOh,โ Orpheus replied, tilting his head a little bit. โI think that might be half the problem.โ If neither side ever thought about asking questions before they shotโฆ then there was no way for them to negotiate. There was no way they would get out of this war without some sort of intervention. Orpheus didnโt know if he was qualified to be that intervention, but if he was the only one that was willing to try, it was up to him and L to make some sort of difference. Maybe, just maybe, if people saw that others were trying, they would be tempted to join in. In spite of what Orpheus had lived through, he couldnโt believe that every person believed in the war. He couldnโt believe that everyone else would place the destruction of the other side over the protection of their own family. The issue was that everyone seemed to combine the two until they seemed like they were one and the same. โThatโs a good idea,โ Orpheus murmured, doing his best to hang onto his boat. If there were two people putting their weight on opposite sides, the boat seemed like it would be less likely to topple. Giving a quick nod to L, Orpheus clambered back onto the boat as best he could, relying on the merperson to hold the boat as steady as possible.
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Feb 27, 2022 7:01:20 GMT -5
L hesitated, glancing at Orpheus, almost wanting to reply, though he didnโt know what to say. Because Orpheus was right, wasnโt he? If they never talked to each other, what hope did they have of stopping this war before one side ceased to exist altogether? But he didnโt know what chance two people had of stopping it. If no one listened to the people they killed, why would they listen to him or Orpheus either? Why would they hesitate when they never had before? โI supposeโฆthat makes our job harder, then,โ he murmured, shaking his head a little and focusing on the boat. That, at least, was something he had some idea how to control. He waited for Orpheus to get a good grip before he dove, twisting to get to the other side as quickly as he could and reaching to catch the other side before it could tip too far. If he could catch it, he could be a counterweight, which would hopefully allow Orpheus to climb back inside without too much water splashing in with him.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 9, 2022 16:22:04 GMT -5
โI donโt think it matters how hard our job is,โ Orpheus admitted, shaking his head to get rid of some of the water clinging to his hair. โI meanโฆ it does matter because it means that we have to try harder, butโฆ if nobody ever tried to do what other people thought was impossible, then we wouldnโt have electricity or musical instruments or even art. Waitโฆ do you have electricity underwater?โ Orpheusโ brow furrowed as he looked at L, leaning a little bit dangerously over the side of the boat so he could still see the mermanโs expression. He steadied himself against the side of the boat, wishing almost immediately that he could have spent more time in the water. Its as hard to shake the feeling that the water would kill him, but when L was thereโฆ it felt safe. It felt like maybe, just maybe, there could be a bridge between their worlds. Or perhaps a ladder between realms. โI wish you could come on land,โ Orpheus lamented, hazel eyes meeting dark. โI feel itโs kind of unfair that you get to show me some of your world but I canโt return the favor.โ
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Post by ยฎHawkpathยฎ on Apr 12, 2022 23:01:22 GMT -5
โWhatโs electricity?โ L asked curiously, flipping his tail enough to push him a little closer to the boat so he could search Orpheusโ expression. โWe have art and music, but I donโt know what electricity is. I supposeโฆthatโs true enough of them, though. Itโs a bit of a problemโฆyou canโt discover something unless you donโt know about it, and if you donโt know about it, there might not be anything to discover. Itโs a pain.โ He held the side of the boat with one hand to keep himself steady and pushed his dark hair out of his face with the other. It felt better when it was wet, but it did tend to get in his eyes more when he was above water. He had to wonder how humans dealt with thatโฆdid they all keep their hair shorter, like Orpheus did? He couldnโt imagine long hair being very comfortable above water. โI wish you could dive as deeply as I can,โ he replied softly. โThe part of my world I can show you doesnโt really give you any idea what itโs like. Youโd have to go deeperโฆmuch deeper than your body would allow, even if you could breathe.โ
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 16, 2022 22:18:18 GMT -5
โOhโฆ electricity is what we use to light things up. And to make various things go. I meanโฆ when you look above the water at night, you can still see lights in our village. Thatโs because of electricity. It used to be because of fire, butโฆ I guess you wouldnโt have fire where youโre from, either. It gets put out with water. Butโฆ sometimes the ocean glows at night. Is that what you all use to see when itโs dark out?โ Orpheus asked, eyes wide as he searched Lโs expression. He had been afraid of bioluminescence for as long as he could remember - he had always been told that it was a bad sign. That seeing it meant the merfolk would be all the more dangerous. โI wish I could, too,โ Orpheus agreed, glancing at the water. โI meanโฆ I canโt imagine what your cities are like. I wish I could visit. I wish I could see everything you see in a day, notโฆ not to invade your world or anything, but justโฆ to see it. I guessโฆ part of me wonders if part of the reasons the war has gone on for so long is because of how far apart our worlds are. Itโs not like someone could stumble upon your cities and realize how alike you are to them. Theyโdie before they could.โ
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