Open

[sing_for_me]

Who: Alex and you (With a closed to Wei Wuxian)
When: Mid to end of July
Where: Wilde, somewhere with water the world is your oyster
What: Quests and Full Moon changes
Warnings: Tentacles. Maybe some other warnings later on.



I. Wilde Quest: Ingredients
[ The idea of a weird mix and match monster with the features of predatory animals was indeed terrifying, but hearing that their nests were way up there while the feathers would be way down below helped convince Alex to give it a shot. Gathering feathers sounded like an easy and quick enough task. No water was involved either, so she would have legs to run with if needed.

But things don't always go so smoothly, like yet another change towards her more monstrous form. She actually thought she was done. How much more fish could she become after gaining gills, fins, and a tail?

As she started picking up the fallen feathers, her eyes began to lose focus. It had been happening for some time now throughout the month, moments of blurred vision. She chalked it up to fatigue from the jobs she’s been undertaking, especially since she’d regain her regular eyesight right after. This time was different though. It was taking much longer for her to focus, and she was beginning to feel disoriented. She stumbles, but reaches out and manages to steady herself against a rock.

Except this rock felt oddly soft, and seemed to rise and fall steadily.

She turns to squint at it. Then knocks her knuckles against it. It starts to move ]


II. Full moon

[ Alex finds herself once again in the nearest body of water she could find. She was able to resist on any other day of the month, but when the full moons formed, she found it harder and harder to stay away with each passing month. There was just such a calm that came with being in it, like there was nothing for her to fight against while she floated along the surface of the water. She’d gotten rid of her skirt, but her blouse remained, although completely soaked through now. Her eyes, poor as they had become this past month, were sharper in water. She didn’t need her glasses there. To think even her eye sight could be affected in that way. Maybe it was just safer for her to be in this form, to stay off land. Even the cold didn't seem to bother her.

What was it she was able to do now? Breathe under water, hear and see better than she ever had before…Others had mentioned an ability. One that allows merrow to lure people to them. Was it really more than a story? Could she so easily lead someone into the water with no resistance whatsoever? Would they snap out of it once they were submerged and could no longer breathe? Could she make them do whatever she wanted? That could seriously hurt them, couldn’t it? That’s not something Alex ever wanted to do. It’s why she’s been trying so hard to control what she could with her changes.

And yet she began to hum as brought herself back to shore, waist deep in water still as she sat facing the water. The gold scales along her spine and the center of her tail seemed to glow brighter in the dark, like coins that had spilled out of a treasure chest. Her humming escalates too singing. No actual words, just a slow, soothing vocalization of a melody she head learned long ago.

Would anyone come? Would it work? How far would she let it go? Never had she felt so curious about such a thing before.

She hears a sound behind her, but she isn’t alarmed. She turns slightly to look at you, the blue of her eyes standing out even more against her now blackened sclera. Are you her guinea pig for tonight? What will you do now?]

III. The Cold War
[ It was some harmless fun with some kids at first. Building some snow men, then getting into a snow ball fight. She had time before work and they way they insisted with their cute little pouts...she was weak. But she had underestimated them as well, not thinking they'd actually use magic to their advantage. There was no hiding she was a merrow what with her fin-like ears, and some of the kids were aware of what worked on them. The snowballs themselves didn't hurt, but the next onslaught was different. They were mushier, and she could feel them melt into her clothes. She looked up to find the kids heating them up slightly before chucking them at her, and she soon realized why.

Down she went as her legs bound together and morphed into her tail, and there she was, a sitting duck for their next attack. She scrambled behind whatever she can find for cover, still attempting to keep them at bay by throwing some snowballs back. ]

Ruthless little..!

[ Would you like to help an outnumbered fish out, or maybe you get hit by a mushy snow ball as well. Or maybe it's Alex that hits you with instead. It's a little hard to aim and hide at the same time. ]

IV. Wildcard
[ I'm open to other scenarios too! I'm down for other things in the snow or what have you. Either toss up a top-level and I'll wing it with you, or hit me up at mightycheese ]

Comments

For Wei Wuxian

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex was prepared this time, with a towel and an extra set of clothes in her bag just in case. What was even better was that she wasn’t alone. A friend she had made not too long ago happened to be on the same task as well, and Alex was more than happy to not go at it on her own. And for once, the creature they needed to retrieve something from wasn’t a danger. Rather, she’d been told they were quite courteous.

When they reached the location given to them, it is apparent that they were going to have to have to wade a little bit till they get to the lusca themselves. But Alex doesn’t feel too worried about it this time (she came prepared after all!). She didn’t want to risk getting her dry supplies wet, so she places her bag against a rock where she assumes they’ll remain safe. There wasn’t anything of value in there, really. Still, she would prefer to swim without the skirt she was currently wearing.

She turns to Wei Wuxian. ]

Do you um..mind looking the other way for a bit until I get into the water?

i am HERE

[cult]

( he's always up to something, unable to remain still considering his personality so signing himself up for everything and anything is very him. especially when it comes with dealing with the strange and unknown also, he's just a kind person who'd help anyone in need. finding out that alex had the same plans in mind only meant one thing, him begging that they go together which was relatively easy since she complied.

he's practically excited to get this done, despite only wearing his cultivator robes to fight off the chill around them. it's sort of working and then at times, one can see that he hugs himself to generate heat before carrying on. he blinks slightly confused, looking at the female and then towards the water, quick to speak: )

You're not trying to strip down are you?! That water is practically freezing! ( which, he checks by grabbing a stray stick nearby and throws it into the water but instead, it seems the top layer in places are frozen and the stick is luckily riding a thing sheet of ice. ) I'm wrong, some parts of the water are frozen! Will you be alright? I could jump in and check things out, I use to swim from time to time! No need for yourself to get drenched, right?

\o/ EEEEEY

[sing_for_me]

[ Wow, that stick spinning on the ice wasn't encouraging though. ]

What? No! I should do it, you'd freeze! I seem to do okay if I'm in the water. It just makes more sense if I do it.

[ Getting out of it might not be enjoyable but..her form had to be useful for something. ]

They said they'd be in some alcoves..Let me check to see if there's somewhere you can pass without getting wet.

[ Because right now the entrance seems to be through the river. ]

I. but know that not being able to choose II is killing me slowly

[whomthebelltolls]

[Okay, twice isn't a coincidence, but maybe she and Alex just happen to have... similar tastes in quests? Which Maria finds interesting, because Alex seems woefully underprepared for the level of danger these things tend to be.

Like this. She's not really expecting to see her neighbor wander right on over to a sleeping beast, and for a moment, Maria wonders if it's on purpose. After all, there are feathers, there. And they are part of the ingredients list. Maria wants to call out, but she'd been being quiet and sneaky for a reason, and now...

... Did Alex just

knock

on it.

Good god Alex, maybe she should just let you get turned into fish fillets. Instead, she whispers with a harsh tone, just loud enough to carry from her position what had formerly been a safe distance away, even as her fingers wrap around the handle of her sword.]

What are you doing?

[sing_for_me]

[ By sheer luck, the rock stays asleep, only shifting slightly. But who knows how long that will last for.

Alex’s fins perk up at the sound, turning towards where it was coming from. ]

What? [ She squints. The voice was familiar. ]

I’m on a quest. [ She continues to whisper back... in the direction of a tree. In her defense, Maria was hecking tall. ]

[whomthebelltolls]

[It moves, Maria tenses, but relaxes when it doesn't seem to roll over and go on the attack. Okay, maybe she can still talk this clumsy woman out of this...]

I know that, as am I. Come over here! And be quiet. [Please don't wake it up. Please don't wake it up.]

[sing_for_me]

[ She was being quiet! So she didn’t appreciate Maria scolding her like some child. ]

Alright, alright...

[ But still, Alex listens to the one more accustomed to this type of work, and she carefully walks towards her— or rather, tree!Maria, who happens to be on the other side. Which happens to be in the direction where the animal’s tail was peacefully resting. ]

II

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ The full moon had its effect on everyone in this place. In Berserker's case, it had 'gifted' him wings and a tail. This gift was painful and culminated in a fight with his housemate. Two dragons under the same roof made this time of the month especially volatile.

A walk to clear his mind. He's intentionally avoiding his Bonded on this night to ease the strain on him -- he has enough to deal with without the added headache of a dragon. His back aches from the weight of his gifts, but he tolerates it. It will pass soon enough, he tells himself. His walk is aimless, right up until the wordless song hits his ears.

It's not as though he's interested in the song, he's more interested in who's singing it -- he's aware of the merrow and their charms. He approaches the water edge, focused on the reflection of the moon on its surface. ]

You won't have an easy target this night...Show yourself.

[sing_for_me]

[ Above water, her eyesight is poorer. And without her glasses at the moment, the man was just a large blur from a distance. He seemed bulkier, his shape not as human as she would expect.

She tilts her head, her expression somewhat disappointed, but also curious. ]

I'm not hiding though.

[ His focus seemed to be on the water, so she slips back in, surfacing in front him. ]

Did you feel anything? I've never tried it before. But it doesn't look like it worked on you.

[ This version of Alex was not as timid as the one he'd first met. Her voice was still soft, but it was calmer, more sure. The horns and wings she could make out, but she still wasn't intimidated. Not while she was in the water. She presses her hands against the ground, pushing herself up to try and get a better look at him, but she can only raise herself so high. There were more scales on her now, covering her neck and part of her shoulders. ]

I think I know you, but I can't see that well. Mind coming a little closer?

[curruid_coinchenn]

It made me curious enough to come over, didn't it?

[ Berserker's not immune to the effects of her song, just too stubborn to admit it. He comes a little bit closer, staying a good distance away from the shore. There's no want to get caught off-guard and pulled into the water. His new additions would make a fight in the water difficult.

The full moon lets him get a better look at her and he looks a little put off. ]

Alex. [ He remembered her name, at least. ] Is this what you're doing now instead of angering bees?

ii.

[auftauen]

[Valkyria call to other Valkyria. Even unintentionally, sometimes their minds, souls, hearts reach out to one another, a shared legacy or a shared pain.

It's her turn to be drawn in by a call she can't quite understand or even answer, shrugging off Fenrir's gentle mouthing at her hand to try and prevent her leaving. She'd managed to slip away from him and come here by herself, every step urged by the need to come a little closer, just a step closer, to try and connect with it. The moon is full; her already-weak magic is weaker still, and Monsters are dangerous. When Crymaria does finally approach the water's edge, recognition takes a few moments to creep into her expression.]

It's you. [Her voice is softer without the colder, aloof edge, made sleepy and lethargic by the song.] I barely recognized you. [But even with its different properties, the singing isn't completely unfamiliar from what she heard during the Iuneril festival.

GOING HARD

[sing_for_me]

[ A familiar voice, but it was hard to make out a face while she was out of the water. ]

I could say the same. [ She laughs lightly, twisting a bit more to face her. Had it worked? Or was this person simply curious about the song? ]

Come a bit closer? I can't see too well.

if you can't go hard in horny monster game, where can you?

[auftauen]

Is that because of the moon, too?

[She should't come closer. It's still cold and the place is still littered with magic snow and ice from the storm. And unlike herself, she's certain Alex's powers haven't waned. If anything, they're flourishing.

Drawing her coat closer around her shoulders, Crymaria comes closer to the water's edge.]

It would be fine if you didn't remember me. We were strangers not too long ago.

wildcard

[usurpers]

[ the end of the snow wave is near; closer to the end of the month, heat begins to climb the way it should be in the summer, melting snow and leaving plenary of slush and mud in its wake. it’s . . . not particularly good for eren, using clothes he’s gotten, gloves and more, that were said to be waterproof. impermeable. perfect for fire-based dragons!

he has to dig out the fair many holes he has around a cottage’s parameter, make sure the entrances are dry and safe for him to use. he’s been with a shovel since the pinkish skies of morning, and he probably won’t stop until all holes are usable again. all of them.

what’s unexpected is the sweet, sweet melody that travels with the stream that runs nearby— a strategic place picked out by mikleo, a water seraph.

fingering he could use a drink as well, he follows the sound. it’s within territory he considers his in his lizard brain, though he’s a little more human minded now to truly act on them.

he will check it out, though. ]

CRASHES IN HERE

[sing_for_me]

[ With the warmth slowly returning also comes the need to stay more hydrated. Baths helped, but it didn’t allow for much movement. It’s been some time since the full moon, and the next one was still far off...so a little dip should be okay. Plus, this place seemed more secluded than the last one she was in. So no accidents this time.

And oh was it worth it. Streams felt much more refreshing. Was it because of the constantly moving waters? It felt different from the more stagnant water of a lake or pond. Clean..pure.

With her clothes and belongings folded to the side, Alex floats on her back, swimming against the current so that she just stays in place. Her arms were relaxed on either side of her body, feeling the water just run over her. She could feel the other fish that swam by her too, some even curious about the strange being. The stillness of cool air combined with the sounds of the woods just made everything all the more relaxing, which is why she couldn’t resist humming a tune.

No one would be around here anyway, right?

She raises her arms, her hands now covered in black scales and webbing between her fingers, and brushes them through her hair to keep it out of her face. Not a care in the world at this moment. ]

receives u with a quadruple flip

[usurpers]

[ whatever, correction, whoever it was . . . was a lot closer to the water than he had anticipated. slushes meet his ears, soft splashes that rise and fall with the hums of a gentle hymn, and now eren truly cannot help but to follow.

when he makes it to the stream’s edge, or at least close to it, it’s there that his eyes focus, and he stares out rather than bend lower for a drink. there were scales, and the fluid body of a woman— he doesn’t stare to peep, his watchful eye holds no malice or intent the way plenty of boys would ogle at a bare woman’s frame. almost predatory, as it was cautious, he lowers himself onto his limbs, and places his hand a little too confidently on a loose rock at the stream’s edge; it falls straight in with a pop, and with eren scampering back. ]

III, something a little light for a first meeting?

[fieryimpulse]

[Chandra would, in fact, like to help out an outnumbered fish. She just so happens to have been pinned down, herself and they're sharing cover behind a snowbank.

Talk about annoying, a grown ass woman like her feeling trapped by some little brats because she doesn't want to get wet...]

...Yeah. Real pains in the neck.

Maybe we can surprise em? I go left you go right? I can protect us a little bit.

Let’s take some children down

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex does a double take when she finds she’s not alone. A comrade...although she is embarrassed to be seen in this state. ]

Maybe I should go first and distract them. I’m an easy target right now..Plus I’m in this state already anyway.

[ What more could they do? Make more of her scales appear? ]

If their attention is on me, then maybe they won’t see you coming.

Little rats!

[fieryimpulse]

[Chandra flashes a quick grin and nods before reaching out a hand and waggling her fingers a bit. Some...sort of spell settles around her comrade.]

And that should block a few snowballs. Maybe three, four? I'm not good at wind.

[But that's fine. It will definitely surprise the little hellions when their snowballs are caught and flung back at them.]

Ready?

III. The Cold War

[warmsetter]

[Suga was busy pinning down a few of his own little snowball fighters when he looked over after he heard their laughter. He saw someone quickly duck behind a wall, but he could make out something from the corner of his eye. A tail! It looked like a mermaid tail. He wondered how a mermaid got up here when he saw the grins on the kids faces. They were overpowering the mermaid! Suga quickly made a snowball and ran over to help. He threw a couple and hid behind the wall to make some more.]

They're really mischievous aren't they?

[When Suga got a good look at the mermaid he nearly dropped the snowball. Wow, she was really pretty...focus Suga, got to help out in the snowball fight.]

[sing_for_me]

AH!

[ Alex was ready to throw some snow right at his face, a hand full of snow raised over her head, thinking he was one of the kids. Thankfully, she managed to stop herself. ]

Oh my god, I thought you were one of them..

[ She let's out a sigh of relief and lays down her weapon. She needed to wipe some of the snow that smudged her glasses anyway. ]

Yeah..they really got me. I may have gotten a little too into it myself..How'd you get dragged in?

[warmsetter]

[Suga held up his hands, ready to cover his face, when he didn't feel anything. He lowered his hands and shook his head.] Nope, I'm on your side!

[Suga made a few more snowballs to throw at the kids that were trying to close in on their hiding place then peaked over to see that drove them away for now.]

I was helping some of the kids make a snowman when they asked me to join their snowball fight. I saw you duck behind here and the way the kids were aiming their snowballs at you. [Suga looked over and noticed that the tail he saw out of the corner was very real. He knew he shouldn't be too surprised about seeing a mermaid since he can do magic now, still he can't believe he's looking at a mermaid.]

When did they figure out you were a mermaid?

[Suga threw a couple of the snowballs he made at a few kids that got close to them again. He handed a few more to her as he started to make them again.]

II.

[purpose]

[ It's curiosity, more than the haze of a thrall, that lures her to the water's edge.

The pull isn't lesser for it, like a string affixed to her, tugging her in the direction of the bay when she tries to exist. If not for this place, stripping her down to something else entirely, she would mistake it for the Force — calling her, beckoning her, to a new place of importance.

But it isn't a place at all, she finds. The woman in the water, incandescent, proves it in how she stands out among the moonlight. Instinctively, Rey knows what this is; she had called on a similar ability herself, after all, without truly realizing the bait she was trying to place.

It would be easier to distrust the stranger staring back at her if not for those similarities, if not for Rey's awareness that they've both been given gifts that might have not chosen for themselves. She does, at least, keep a wary distant, boots scuffing against the sand, red eyes blinking back at that scaled creature in the water. ]

Are you doing that on purpose?

[ Maybe. Maybe not. But if she is, it allows for a strange sort of hope that the same control might be possible in herself. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ The figure is a blur from this distance, her eyesight not all that great out of water. Still, she can see the hesitance to come any closer, and the caution is in her tone. ]

I just wanted to see if it would work.

[ An honest answer, lacking the usual apologetic tone Alex tended to have. Although she doesn't know if that's what the woman wanted to hear. ]

Does it scare you?

[ She's never had anyone scared of her before. ]

[purpose]

[ No, Rey nearly replies. If their roles were reversed, it's the acceptance she would want to evoke — and what she has sought here, aware of the strange looks and stigmas attached to her transformation.

Whoever this woman is, she isn't defined by the nature of what she's become. Even believing in that, Rey can't truthfully claim she isn't wound tight with apprehension, peering at the water's edge. ]

I don't know. I haven't decided that yet.

[ Alex had been honest in her answer, from the looks of it; even if Rey weren't so blunt, that sincerity would beget sincerity in return. ]

Should I be afraid of you?