𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕣𝕤; 𝕒𝕕𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕒 // ℙ𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤, 𝕊𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕤, 𝕄𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕤 // 𝟞/𝟞 // ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼𝔻

Marianne rolled her eyes at them both, replacing the brown leather hat on her head. "You two are both ridiculous. Finley is the only sane one on the ship," she teased, leaning back over the side. Below, Saur let out a friendly bellow, surging up to meet her and successfully dousing the deck.

Kydah paused for a moment before a look of realization came upon her face and a stream of apologies rushed out of her mouth. "Oh, oh shit! I'm so sorry! You don't want me to touch her! I am so, so sorry!" She backed away quickly, her face flushed as purple as her markings in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry!"

Olena pulled Daphne to her chest, hugging her tightly. She kept her wide eyes glued to the Sirenix, her heart pounding. Why were they apologizing?? Was this a trap?? Horrible images of Daphne's bleeding corpse flashed through her mind, and she flinched back. "Who– Who are you??"

"Erm, I'm Kydah. A Sirenix exile." She said with a scowl, she hated it, but it was Sirenian culture to say your title, no matter how bad it is. And I'll be damned if I break Sirenian customs. "I would ask who you are… But seeing as I scared the living anglerfishes out of you. I won't."

So the stranger was Sirenix. The very thought sent chills all the way down Olena's spine. "I wonder why," she snapped, her voice so saturated with bitterness that it surprised even her. "I wonder why you scared me so much."

"Er, jeez. I would have the same reaction too if I didn't know how much we need the land." She muttered under her breath. They needed the land to survive, it was a downside that they were forced to harm people… But, violence comes as a last resort.

Olena clenched her jaw, backing away slowly. "You're a violent tribe! Not just—" She froze. "Wait– what land??" (the news hasn't spread about the siren invasion yet) Terror gripped her like a vice once more, snuffing out her anger.

"We're not violent! Only stories about the sirens who murder get out! They don't say how we help hunt for children who lose their parent's or teach some villagers how to defend themselves!" Kydah lists, ticking things off with her fingers.

Olena clutched a squirming Daphne closer. "I'm not generalizing Siren," she growled, though her heart tremored with fear. "Just because we're natural enemies doesn't mean that all Mer hate Sirens. But the Sirenix are some of the worst. What land were you talking about??"

"Some northern territories, we're trying to find some of the least populated areas and start building a home," Kydah said with a smile. "Or… We were, I guess I can't do it anymore." She said, her grin quickly turning to a frown.

Olena continued to back away, her heart in her throat. "Is that where that blood came from??" she demanded, referring to the blood on the Siren's hands. The sick creature was smiling. "How many are dead? Who did you kill??"

Marianne rolled her eyes at them both, replacing the brown leather hat on her head. "You two are both ridiculous. Finley is the only sane one on the ship," she teased, leaning back over the side. Below, Saur let out a friendly bellow, surging up to meet her and successfully dousing the deck.

"Psychopathic sensibilities," Finley repeated with a small laugh, referring back to one of Marianne's last comments. "I like that. I might even add that description to Kane's file," she teased, a rarer, playful smile crossing her features as she looked over towards her friend.

"I didn't kill anyone! This blood is from a wound I got protecting someone of your kind!" Kydah said, unwrapping one of the makeshift bandages on her arm to show the deep gash from a sharp rock that was thrown at her as she swam out of the village.

Marianne laughed, wiping water out of her eyes and pushing playfully at Saur's snout. "Please do, we all need a warning. Let it be known from this day forth that Kane is a psychopath."

Olena hesitated, but only for a second before she found her fire again. "And why did they need to be protected in the first place? Oh, that's right, because you attacked them!"

"Don't worry, Cap', I think we all already knew that," Finley joked with a light laugh before she glanced over towards Kane, giving him a small smile. It was days like these that she was glad that she had left her home in Blarne and joined the crew…it definitely made it worth it.

"And the fact that you enjoy blowing things up is the exact problem," Finley added upon hearing Kane's comment.

"I didn't attack them! There was a group of the military who were practically enslaving the town's population. A tribemate of mine stabbed one of the children, I still don't know why, and I stopped her, she reported me as supposedly killing the child and I was exiled. There, now you know my life story."

(btw it's Blarne, unless you're taking about a place that you made up)

Marianne snorted, raising an eyebrow at the newly dubbed psychopath. "Yeah… sounds pretty psychopathic to me. No wonder you take such interest in cannons." His neck reaching over the side of the ship, Saur tried to rest his ship on Marianne's shoulder, but only succeeding in crushing her.

(Btw Saur is the sea monster mentioned in the intro. Feel free to write him)

"I didn't attack them! There was a group of the military who were practically enslaving the town's population. A tribemate of mine stabbed one of the children, I still don't know why, and I stopped her, she reported me as supposedly killing the child and I was exiled. There, now you know my life story."

Olena snorted disbelievingly. "Mer don't have militaries, Siren. We aren't violent. Were these the Uada or Prae?"

"Sure seemed like the military, they weren't sirens. I can tell you that." Kydah shot back at her. "Now let me slowly die or heal myself. Away. From. You."

(yeah, one big-ass sea puppy uwu)

Marianne snorted again, letting out a light laugh when Saur began to nuzzle her. She scratched behind the sea monster's ear, careful to avoid the sewn-shut hole that had taken the place of his eye. "Sure, Kane. Sure."

"Sure seemed like the military, they weren't sirens. I can tell you that." Kydah shot back at her. "Now let me slowly die or heal myself. Away. From. You."

"Fine," she snapped, though she was still plenty afraid. There's nothing to stop me from turning her in now.. I should go quick and notify everyone.

Marianne wrinkled her nose for a second, thinking. “I thought sociopaths were the ones who couldn’t feel?” She grabbed hold of one of Saur’s horns and swung herself up on his head, grinning.

"Sure seemed like the military, they weren't sirens. I can tell you that." Kydah shot back at her. "Now let me slowly die or heal myself. Away. From. You."

"Fine," she snapped, though she was still plenty afraid. There's nothing to stop me from turning her in now.. I should go quick and notify everyone.

Kydah began to swim off, makinf her way into shollower waters. Shallow water should keep her from chasing me. I hope she really doesnt report me…

Marianne grinned, a teasing light dancing in her eyes. "So you're a sociopath now?" she quipped, fingers working at a tangle in her messy hair. "You didn't tell me this when I hired you as the man in charge of our firepower! I don't think I'll be able to sleep at night anymore…"

Olena shot off with Daphne clutched securely to her chest, no matter how much the toddler squirmed. She sped through the reef, ducking under various underwater plant life and weaving around fellow Mer, her heart pounding.

What shall Kydah do now?//

(the next time someone responds to Marianne, I'm going to have her suggest that they leave for Cirus, so I guess Kydah should just head for the open sea where they can meet. Maybe she's near the other ship with the travellers when it begins to sink and is wounded by a falling piece of timber, which is where they pick her up? Also, to everyone who has a second character: please start writing them, especially the travellers)