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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2017 20:56:23 GMT -5
poor ari
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 23, 2017 21:23:41 GMT -5
Hawke’s grip on her shoulder relaxed almost immediately. Had he actually considered that she was━? Her and━? With a mershark!? Fire bloomed in her cheeks, spreading warmth and red till Levy was sure every inch of her was blushing.Wide, dark eyes found Ari in the midst of her humiliation; equal parts distress and anger. Captain Hawke wasn’t going to have a chance to sell Ari. He was a dead man (mer?).
Speaking of her Captain, he was visibly more relaxed at the moment. Amused, even. Maybe the news that his favorite ghost was safe from seduction or Tsuyuga’s offer of five hundred thousand that had taken the edge off. Whatever it was, it was working wonders.
“Give him some live fish. He deserves it for being so amusing.” He waved to Jasper, as though giving him the go-ahead. “And you know what, Yuga, Levy’s going to be the one taking care of him from now on. Until he’s sold at least. We’ll have a great time.”
Levy could have sworn Tsuyuga was glaring at Hawke. Not just glaring━ silently seething.
That was, until, Kasper redirected her attention back to him. “Oh! My tea? Of course, of course. It’s a very special recipe my grandmother taught me called lotus tea. You see, you must start by growing a lotus in a tub of water. Then you pour that water into your teapot to boil. The rest is matcha, lotus petals, and a dash of cinnamon. If you like, you can visit me anytime and I’ll teach you how to make it.”
Seemingly content, Tsuyuga made for the gangplank, leaving the pirates to themselves. If Hawke had been relaxed before, he practically melted the moment the Appraiser was lost from sight.
“Apologies, Yuga is a monster to deal with at times. If we weren’t here on business she’d have alerted the government and collected my bounty immediately. Or worse. The woman’s a nightmare.”
If she’d been someone else━ someone closer to Hawke, someone of higher status ━Levy would have been inclined to question her Captain’s connection to Tsuyuga. But he’d made it clear to her earlier that their past was none of her business. However much it pained her to leave those questions unanswered, the young woman was forced to oblige or risk a punishment worse than being humiliated by Ari in front of everyone.
Speaking of which. She shot the mershark a pointed glare.
“Levy, a word.” Ice poured into her veins as Hawke pulled her off to the side, far from prying ears, but not from curious stares.
“Sir?”
“What did you do?” His tone was dark clouds, heavy with rain and thunder. Ready to break.
Tread careful. Tread careful. “I don’t know,” she lied, “I was on watch last night, as always, but this time the mer just took an interest to me. I can’t explain it.” She could. She could explain it in one word at that: food. After Captain Hawke had explicitly told his crew not to feed the mermaid, she’d gone and done it anyway. Out of pity or sympathy, who knew. She knew. The answer was sympathy. Not just sympathy, but empathy. She knew exactly how Ari felt and it pained her to see it.
Hawke watched her carefully, weighing her words against her expression. Levy hoped what he saw weighed equally with what she said.
“If there’s something going on, ghost, I’ll find out. I won’t have you jeopardizing everything for… Whatever this is.”
Levy’s brow furrowed, but she nodded.
Satisfied, he let her go. “That thing’s your responsibility now. Don’t let me down.”
But she’d already let him down. He just didn’t know it. She nodded again and slunk below deck and out of the sun. The tank below deck was worse than what was above. All glass and no openings, she’d only be able to watch Ari.
It was better that way. For herself, at least. With the glass between them, Levy needn’t worry about Ari’s appetite growing a taste for humans and dragging her below the water. Talking would be harder, but Levy wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to Ari right now anyway.
She sat down on the floor and peered into the murky water. Glared, really. Stubborn warmth still flushed her cheeks. At least she couldn’t be called bloodless now.
Above deck, Captain Hawke pulled Kasper aside next. “Keep an eye on Levy and the mermaid. I haven’t decided on selling him yet, but I don’t know if I trust either one. Am I clear?” Without waiting for a response from the young man, he added, “I’m sure you’ve got some questions, so you might as well get those out of the way now.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2017 22:52:24 GMT -5
Either the idea of fishing or the idea of watching the mer interact with live fish had Jasper hopping away. He wasn't on duty in the Crow's Nest yet, and this fishing wouldn't be for the crew - Jasper seemed to have found a hobby in fishing from one of the older crewmen, and it was interesting to watch the enthusiasm in which he went to fetch his fishing rod and a bucket of water. Hell, the shorter Bellerose man even hummed to himself. Kasper shook his head with mild amusement and flicked his gaze to Tsuyuga, listening to her explanation. Ah. Not accessible to pirates, but...well, nothing was stopping him from visiting the girl (woman? She had implied she was older), and he would be needing to see her again anyway. Well! Learning to make tea was nice.
He shook his head at Hawke and gave a polite smile, choosing not to comment. The Appraiser seemed nice - but he wouldn't state that if the Captain disliked her. He watched as Levy was pulled aside, and then focused his attention on the mer.
"Do you have a name, or something?" he asked bluntly, though he didn't know if the thing was even paying attention to him. Sharp eyes flicked to him lazily, fangs were shown. It was all Kasper could do to not flinch.
"Ari."
It was a strange name, but Kasper took it and shrugged. He remained near the tank as he watched Levy and Hawke from a distance - and then watched as the ghost went below deck. He frowned a little but said nothing, watching as he was approached. Nervousness flicked over his face briefly, and he considered the words carefully.
"Yes, Captain," he said quietly. He'd keep an eye on Levy and the mershark - that was no big deal. It meant less time in the kitchens and more on deck, but...well, there was the section below deck, too, which was close enough to the kitchens, he supposed. He swallowed nervously and absently picked at one of his nails. "I don't understand why you're having me talk to the Appraiser?" his head angled to the side lightly, "with all due respect, Captain, I'm just the cook, and my brother sits in the Crow's Nest all day."
He didn't like questioning orders, but hey. If he was being offered answers, he'd take them.
♦ - ♦ - ♦ With Kasper gone from the side of his tank, Ari found very little to do. He watched the fish for a moment and circled it, causing it to panic and swim back and forth. He was hungry, and it seemed that he'd get more...with a small huff of amusement that came up as bubbles, he circled the fish a little more before, swift as he had before, he snapped it up and ate it within a few moments. The live fish gave a bit of a struggle, but it was more interesting (and fun!) that way. In the end, he was a hunter.
He wasn't sure if he'd upset Levy, though. Perhaps it had been unfair of him to be like that, but...oh well. He looked around the deck for a moment to see if he could see her, but found nothing. He squinted for a moment before dropping down in the water and, with little surprise, found her there, instead. He couldn't help but give an amused smile at the colour in her cheeks, at the expression on her face.
However, he wasn't sure if he could be heard (he knew that he could hear them, but water had volume), so he simply settled at the bottom of the tank and rested his chin in his hands, half-closing his eyes and smiling in a lazy fashion. After a couple of seconds, he found himself bored, and instead rolled over a few times. It was something he'd seen merdolphins do before (and dolphins!), and he found it fun. He wasn't sure if his animal counterparts could do it too, but he could and it was something to keep himself entertained with.
Ari did not cope well with boredom. He did glance up when a few (rather large) fish were thrown into his tank, watched their confusion as they swam around and bumped into the glass walls, and then lost interest in them and instead focused on Levy once again. He mouthed a little 'sorry', but wasn't sure if he formed it right. He hoped so. He didn't want his only possible friend to be angry at him for too long - but he hadn't wanted to be stuck with boring people, either. The little ghost seemed interesting, and the mention of her lost family at the same time as he'd lost his? Well. Coincidences happened, but it still interested him. Made him want to know more.
If talking to this human woman was his only entertainment, then so be it! He could accept that. He didn't mind one bit.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 11:11:23 GMT -5
hello hello! i'm gonna get started on a reply soon! but in the meantime, do you wanna discuss plots? my idea (for now) is that hawke decides to keep ari as a lucky charm. i feel like his plan would be to find some kind of treasure??
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 13:30:50 GMT -5
ay ayy!! ooh plots, good idea, good idea (i might vanish again for games buuut i have mobile so nbd) some kind of treasure would be cool!! maybe one of the artefacts 0: or maybe he's looking for a creature, something that has the ability to grant some sort of magical power hoho
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 13:31:00 GMT -5
Hawke had expected as much. Of course, Kasper would be curious regarding the decision to put him in charge. Mind you, Hawke wasn’t handing total command over to the cook and his brother. “Ah, of course, of course,” the Captain shrugged, fiddling with one of the many rings studding his fingers.
For a long moment, he was silent, thoughtful. Finally, he spoke, “You want the truth, Kasper Bellerose? Well, here it is: your presence was of the utmost importance. My history with Yuga has been… Mmm, let’s say, less than flawless. I thought it was best if I brought my crew’s least-threatening individuals. You, your brother, and ghost fit the bill. Ghost is scared of her own shadow. Jasper’s energetic, but eager to please and easy to reign in when need be. And you, Kasper, you’re docile and easy to talk to.”
There it was. The truth.
It wasn’t that Hawke had expected great things of Kasper, it was simply that there had been a square hole and the young man had been a square peg. Their Captain was no fool. He’d wronged the Appraiser in the past. If he’d brought the rougher, more surly members of his crew, Tsuyuga wouldn’t have been so keen to cooperate. Kasper’s presence had soothed her, pacified her into compliance.
“And might I say, you did an excellent job! Well done!” But even as he praised him, the Captain wasn’t looking at Kasper, but rather at his brother. More specifically, at the task Jasper was doing. Hawke watched with a complacent expression as fish after living fish was tossed into the tank.
“Will that be it for your questions?” He prompted suddenly, quirking an eyebrow expectantly.
----- Levy’s eyes followed after Ari with fluid ease. Though she was still pouting, the tension was beginning ease from her shoulders, a fraction of a smile tested the corners of her mouth as she watched Ari. The fraction manifested into a half-smile as he mouthed an apology.
Teasingly, Levy rolled her eyes. Though the incident had embarrassed her, she had to admit it had gotten her out of trouble. In fact, it had done more than that. Because of it, Hawke had entrusted her with Ari’s care. Just as the merman wanted, the ghost girl could now spend more time with him without fear of retribution.
“Consider yourself forgiven. For now,” she said, tapping a finger against the glass in a gesture of warning. “So,” she cleared her throat, searching for the right words, “Five hundred thousand. How does it feel to be so expensive?”
Pulling her knees up to her chest, Levy rested her cheek against her knee and watched Ari. It was strange. Last night, the mermaid had seemed so human, but now his actions were closer to that of an animal. It was difficult to place her feelings for him, but the mer hung in limbo. Somewhere between an exotic pet and a human slave. Neither of which seemed ethical. Not to Levy at least. No doubt the nobles who enjoyed mermaids as pets could easily distinguish them solely as property and nothing more.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 13:32:53 GMT -5
one of the artifacts would be cool! but i also like the idea of a creature! maybe something that can only be found with the help of a mermaid and not just the luck of one!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 13:44:16 GMT -5
ok so the forums went down when i tried to reply and i lost my entire post COOL cool cool
anyway, so yeah!! maybe there are trials and some have to be completed by a mermaid, some by humans, and some by both cooperating? it's an interesting concept 0: would need them to learn to work together rather than see ari as a fish or smth LULS
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 13:54:03 GMT -5
Docile. Kasper had been used because he was docile. He raised an eyebrow and looked away, unsure of if he liked that or not. Sure, sure, he was being given praise for handling it well - but he didn't like it. Didn't like that he had been talking to the Appraiser because he was docile and easy to talk to. That was, he'd noticed, everyone's view. People would rant to him because they thought he cared because he tried to make them feel better, or they'd throw all their life sorrows onto him because he was a good listener.
It pissed him off.
"That makes sense," he said lightly, "I don't have any more questions. Thank you, Captain."
His gaze trailed to his brother, who had finished putting the live fish into the tank. There seemed to be ten or so of them - a fairly large catch, considering that Jasper had only been using a fishing rod, but it would probably last for the day if the mermaid was ignoring them for now. Kasper exhaled slowly and watched his brother vanish to do some duties - then glanced back to the Captain to see if he had anything else to say, or to see if he was free to go yet.
♦ - ♦ - ♦ Ari laughed quietly at the forgiveness and swam up a little so that he could stay vertical, tail swaying from side to side as he kept himself steady. He considered it for a moment - the amount of money seemed large, but he hadn't been sure until Levy had confirmed it. After a few seconds, the mershark gave an elegant little shrug and a grin.
'I don't know. I'd rather not be a thing to sell,' he mouthed it because water did not accept humanspeak, and so he wouldn't be able to speak even if he wanted to. Maybe he could! He'd tried before, and he could speak underwater - but there was a density in such a small amount of water that meant that he wasn't going to be able to speak unless he broke the surface, and that meant going above deck - something that he really, really, wasn't in the mood for.
He glanced to the side as a small fish brushed past him, watched the others that had been thrown into the tank. They seemed lively, like they would flee from him if he chased. To test this theory, he poked at one of the smaller ones and smiled with amusement as it darted away to the other side of the tank. They had nowhere to hide, so the hunt wouldn't be any fun, but at least he had fresh food. Ari shook his head a little and moved to put one of his hands against the glass of the tank, keeping himself steady.
'Your Captain doesn't seem like a nice man', he told Levy, still keeping to his way of communicating through the glass. 'I mean it when I say I am not a thing to sell. I'm not going to lay down and be a good pet or whatever.'
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 13:58:37 GMT -5
i would cry. i HATE when that happens. that's why i write all my replies on google docs so even if my computer where to spontaneously shut down everything is saved.
ooooh i like the idea of cooperating! so maybe you have to collect all the artifacts/creatures in order to obtain some greater power?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 14:03:15 GMT -5
oh that's clever i'm just lazy lul
oooh yes i like that
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 14:18:09 GMT -5
okay, so have you ever read the shadow and bone series? because we could kind of use a similar idea to that. so basically there are three creatures that, when combined, enhance a power that the user already has. we could take a similar idea that there are a certain number of things that need to be brought together in order to gain some great power!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 14:38:44 GMT -5
ive never read that but that' a super cool idea i like it.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 14:47:42 GMT -5
that's okay! i wouldn't recommend it anyway. two words: romance subplot. it was painful.
anyway! i've got a vague idea for the artifacts??? so, in levy's culture there's said to be two gods: one with one eye and one with a billion. maybe the artifacts could be these eyes? and when brought together they? do something? maybe they're supposed to be the eyes of the single-eyed god or the billion-eyed. i don't know.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 14:52:39 GMT -5
ahh okay, fair, fair.
oooh that would be cool 0: lul "they do something" is the me-est thing maybe the "eyes" are actually some sort of precious stones?? hmm
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 14:57:32 GMT -5
would they have some kind of magical powers? are they just expensive? oh! maybe the eyes belongs to creatures like a sea dragon or smth and if you transplant them you? obtain that creatures power???
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 15:05:35 GMT -5
hmmm....maybe some are just expensive but some belong to creatures + can be transplanted for powers, so it's a 50/50 chance.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 15:10:10 GMT -5
oh yes! i like that. so you could get super rich or you could get some serious magics. it's a win/win scenario. but first you have to actually find the eyes and that's where ari is important. how yet? i'm not sure.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 15:17:14 GMT -5
water-stuff. obviously.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 15:26:48 GMT -5
water stuff and maybe some of the eyes can only be used by mermaids?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 15:27:37 GMT -5
oooh that would be interesting
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 16:03:44 GMT -5
Hawke didn’t wait to continue as he launched off onto another topic of conversation. “Actually, Kasper, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about. You’re a bit of an expert on mythologies, aren’t you? Are you familiar with the Twin Gods. It’s a Leesh story, but the gist is that two gods are forced to share the same body. One of those gods has only one eye and the other has a billion.”
He was watching the tank now, waiting to see if the mershark would surface. It didn’t. He remembered the stories of the Twin Gods only vaguely and had no intention of pressing Levy for details. The legends he knew would be enough, he was sure.
But Kasper was known for his love of mythology, so perhaps he could be of some more use.
---- Levy frowned, eyebrows knitting together as she watched Ari. “This isn’t working. I can’t understand you, Ari.” Even if he spoke slow, she had a hard time deciphering what he was saying. She could just barely make out the words thing and sell and pet. It was easy enough to imagine he was upset about being treated like a product, anybody would be.
Dejected, she pressed her forehead against the glass and breathed out a slow, long sigh. “I get it. You’re not happy. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“You make a friend, ghost?”
Levy nearly lurched out of her skin. She whipped around, heart in her throat. Only when she saw Seth did she relax. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” The young man held up his hands in apology, “Sorry, I wasn’t really sneaking though. So what’s going on over here?” Seth leaned forward to investigate. He tapped the glass absentmindedly as he eyed Ari.
“Just talking,” Levy answered, “It’s a bit one-sided though.”
“You upset? I’m sorry, pal. I’d be upset, too, if I learned my crush wasn’t interested. And was also a fish.” The young woman’s expression soured, “I don’t have a crush! And he’s not a fish. He’s more human than you think.”
Seth rolled his eyes, unconvinced, “Riiiight. Listen, Leviathan, you should probably stop treating him like a person. Even if he’s not a fish, it’s better if you don’t get attached. I can’t read Cap’s mind, but there’s little doubt he’ll sell him.”
Levy stared at Ari, or rather, through him. Her gaze was distant, unseeing. Seth had a point. As much as she would have liked to keep the mershark company, she couldn’t. At some point, they would go their separate ways and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Are you just saying that because you’re jealous?” She teased half-heartedly. “You just want a mermaid boyfriend for yourself, don’t you?”
Seth offered her a chuckle, "You know I do, ghost, but we can't all have what we want."
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 17:34:07 GMT -5
you know what i just thought of? octopus mermaids. octopuses can walk around on land, so imagine an octopus mermaid that can freely roam where they please. land or sea.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 17:48:54 GMT -5
i just got back from gaming & that is horrifying what about crocodile mermaids, now THAT'S an entirely different thing. horrifying as hell.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 17:53:55 GMT -5
horrifying and awesome as hell! would they be considered mermaids or centaurs???
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 18:06:14 GMT -5
Kasper blinked owlishly at the change of topic and angled his head to the side as he listened. It was certainly a story he was familiar with - and so he nodded.
"Yes," he said slowly. "it's thought that their eyes were the source of their power, yes? It's been a while since I read up on Leesh stories."
He was more interested in his own culture - the Khidian people were known for rich mythology and many, many gods of power. He had been studying more on that than the Leesh stories, but he did remember the Twin Gods. They were one of the more popular stories, if he remembered correctly, the better known ones. Still unknown by global standards, but popular in a way.
"Why?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "It's a rather odd story to be interested in."
In a book he'd read once, the eyes were said to be artefacts of power if found. Either unimaginable wealth or unimaginable power - it was a fifty percent change on which. Perhaps that was catching the eye of their Captain, but...well. It was said that the trials were hard and strange, that they required something special that most humans could not get their hands on.
♦ - ♦ - ♦ It was no surprise that Levy couldn't hear him, but Ari deflated anyway. He frowned a little and turned his head. When the newcomer tapped on the glass, he blinked and watched for a few moments, before reaching out to tap back. He wasn't sure why - it was just something he felt an impulse to do.
Ari wanted to be able to have a proper conversation. He tilted his head back to look up towards the surface, frowned a little and batted one of the smaller fish away. They seemed to be getting curious about him, but they'd learn to fear him. Or they'd end up eaten. One of the two. This little one wouldn't leave him alone, though, so he thwacked it away lightly with his tail. It was a whip-quick movement, and the fish ended up the other side of the tank. It rolled around briefly, before it swam back up, seemingly in a huff.
The mershark flicked his gaze back to Levy and the other (he hadn't caught the man's name), and frowned a little as he listened to their conversation. He appreciated Levy defending him, of course, but he didn't like the truth behind the words the man spoke. He knew, logically, that he wasn't a permanent addition here - wasn't stupid. Humans liked money, and if he was worth a lot, then he was to be sold. That was how it was. He just hoped that it wasn't going to be bad. He'd heard very little of what happened when mermaids became pets, had only really heard of women or feminine mermaids becoming pets. He was more than a little scared, played it off with ease.
He was tired of being left out of the conversation, too.
Without any warning to Levy, Ari turned around and swam towards the surface, breaking it after a couple of seconds and shaking his head. He rested his arms over the glass in a lazy fashion, then rested his chin on one of his arms as he watched the water drip onto the wooden deck. Even if he'd found something of a friend in Levy, he couldn't help but feel awfully alone.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 18:06:37 GMT -5
hmmm i think they'd be considered mermaids, probably.
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 18:28:07 GMT -5
alligator mermaids vs. shark mermaids. fight to the death!
hmmm. we should probably skip soon. but i'm not sure what to skip too?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2017 18:35:22 GMT -5
depends. are they fighting in the water or on land? sharks lose if on land.
yeah i was thinking that too hmm how is hawke gonna find out that mermaids are lucky or maybe even that a mermaid is needed for artefacts let's see...bc ultimately, it seems to be hawke who needs to be convinced LULS, ari worms his way into jasper's heart by being a cool and dangerous pet + kasper is neutral 10/10 best squad already
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Post by 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗒𝖻𝖺𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗋 on Aug 24, 2017 18:42:58 GMT -5
in the water, for sure. you know that's an actual thing that happens? saltwater crocodiles have clashed with reef sharks in australia. and by that, i mean that the reef sharks ganged up on a crocodile and stole his sea turtle.
trust me. hawke is already convinced. he doesn't intend to sell ari because he has a sneaking feeling that tsuyuga is gonna screw him over. soooo. i think what's gonna happen is??? they need more information on the artifacts so maybe somebody overhears some gossip like "i saw a monster" or smth?
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