Oceans and Merfolk

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Comments

[ignoranceisblight]

I was flying around a lot earlier and I was getting tired, so I needed to find somewhere to rest... And it's quiet out here. I like it.

[takesitall]

Can you get off the rock later?

[This is important.]

[ignoranceisblight]

If I feel like it, yeah! There's plenty of room for me to take off later if I want.

["If I want" being the keywords there. He finally starts picking up the shells Kakavasha brought and starts examining them with interest.]

But it's nice here, so I might stick around for a while.

[takesitall]

Will you be okay for food if you do? If not, don't worry, my pod's nearby so I can fish for you!

[ignoranceisblight]

Oh! Um, that'd be really helpful, thank you. I don't have anything to give you in return, though...

[takesitall]

That's fine! We can just talk. I've never really met anyone outside the pod before.

[ignoranceisblight]

Oh-- okay. I can definitely do that, then. I've actually never met a selkie before.

[takesitall]

Yeah, we're kinda secretive for, y'know, "reasons".

[Yep, with the air quotes.]

Humans aren't trustworthy after all. But you're not a human!

[ignoranceisblight]

Yeah, I can't blame you all for being secretive.

[It's kind of an unspoken rule among sirens that if they spot a selkie that's stuck on land, they need to do everything in their power to help. Not that Veritas is saying as much--it's an unspoken rule for a reason.]

Humans really can't be trusted. There's what they do to selkies, and they say mean stuff about us sirens.

[takesitall]

Do I want to know what they say about sirens?

[ignoranceisblight]

That all of us wanna lure humans in to eat them and junk like that. The ones that eat humans are usually just desperate because they haven't been able to get other prey... Or we're defending our territory.

[takesitall]

Well, that's stupid. Humans are stupid. I like sirens!

[ignoranceisblight]

Humans are stupid.

[Veritas huffs, but the rest of that does get him to smile again.]

And I like selkies!

[takesitall]

Yeah!

[Veritas and Vasha become quick friends, with Vasha bringing Veritas fish for as long as he's on the rock and Veritas finding safe places for Vasha's pod to rest when they have to move on. It's great, and the little selkie benefits from having a friend.

Unfortunately, it can't last. When Kakavasha is around thirteen, he's picked up by some rich humans on their boats and his pelt stolen. He's then taken far away from the ocean they found him in, isolating him and forcing him to work for the richest of the bastards on that boat. They're still near a shore, at least, but only because selkies die very quickly if kept too far inland.

It's been four years. Kakavasha hasn't been allowed on the beach once.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas was furious when Kakavasha was taken. He promises the pod that he'll find Vasha and bring him back.

It's been a long, difficult search, it's taken years, but Veritas is nothing if not determined to keep his word. And not only that, he's finally managed to find a lead. A big, fancy house near the shore...

And luckily, most people won't think anything of it if a bird's hanging around.]

[takesitall]

[As the bird hangs around, he'll see a young man going around doing a lot of menial tasks. He's clearly not being fed enough, and there's a strange tattoo on his neck.

It's Kakavasha.]

[ignoranceisblight]

[... there he is. Looks like this lead was legit. He's going to have to find a way to thank that weird partial-construct guy later.

Veritas eventually flies down to perch even closer, where Kakavasha can easily spot him.]

[takesitall]

[Kakavasha doesn't notice the bird at first, eyes dull as he loses himself in literally any thoughts to distract from having to work in the garden out here. It's hot and dry and dirty and he hates it. It's why the guy who has his pelt makes him do this.

Eventually, though, he does glance up.]

Never seen a bird with those colors before. Huh.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas chirps in acknowledgement, flying to a closer perch. And then another. Soon, he's close enough that he can settle on Kakavasha's shoulder. He starts trying to preen Kakavasha's hair a little.]

[takesitall]

[A soft sort of sad, tired smile.]

Sorry, little bird. My hair looks like straw, but it's not. You can't use it for a nest.

[ignoranceisblight]

[Veritas chirps again, brushing off a loose bit of dirt on Kakavasha's shoulder with one wing before going back to his attempts to preen the selkie's hair.]

[takesitall]

...are you preening me? That's silly. It'd take so much for me to get clean...

[ignoranceisblight]

[Affirmative chirp! He does take a moment to bump his head against Kakavasha's cheek before going back to what he was doing, though.]

[takesitall]

[It makes him laugh.]

You can't stay there forever. If my captor sees you, he'll get mad. But you can stay there for now.

[ignoranceisblight]

[... It is probably kind of funny and possibly a little alarming how much this bird's reply sounds an awful lot like "yes, well, to hell with him".

But, well.

This isn't really an ordinary bird, after all.]