Fantasy Crystal Cove

[Lilliana2]

Everyone has been brought into the living room for a clan meeting. Unknown to the others the alphas have decided to have the clan partake in a white elephant so they can enjoy some human traditions. A Jane doe was discovered in the ocean 3 days ago, she is believed to have been a tourist and not a local and her death was released as a drowning with police stating that animals devoured most of the body before they found it. This is the fourth body this year and rumors are swirling around the town. The bay clan meeting takes place at 8:00am

• Erik
• Vivian
• Octi

• 
  
  Erik
  
  Interactions: everyone in bungalow, Marisol, Claud, open
  
  Mentions: Maira
  
  Normally Erik would leave a sticky note on the fridge door covering his daily rules and wishing his clan members a good day but today was different he actually had the day off it was why him and Moon agreed to announce the secret gifts so he would be able to hunt for gifts with his free time. He had been up since 4:30 his usual waking hour and had completed his morning daily human workout as well as swimming around the entire territory to make sure the borders looked normal. After that he had showered drank coffee ate some toast and swallowed 4 raw eggs his usual odd breakfast. He watched excitedly as everyone slowly filtered into the living room and piled onto each other either sitting on the couch or the floor. Most of them were bunched up against one of their family members but some leaned against the walls preferring a bit of personal space.
  
  ”Good morning everyone. We have some exciting news. It has come to our attention that while we have lived on land for a few years now we have never celebrated Christmas or any other winter holidays like most of the humans. So Moon and I have decided that this year we will all be giving and receiving gifts everyone will draw a name so that there is no favoritism and it will be a complete surprise.” after giving his brief about the gifts he pulled out a bucket with slips of folded up paper and walked around the room allowing everyone to pull one slip. He gave each of his family members a smile as they reached into the bucket. He got to Marisol smiled and whispered ”Don’t go too overboard.” it was a gentle tease but she was always so kind and he wouldn’t doubt her ability to go and get a huge gift for someone. She was one of the kindest souls in the clan and he admired her for it and hoped that by some miracle maybe she pulled his name.
  
  Once he finished with everyone else he gave Moon the second to last pull and then he reached in and grabbed the last slip. Reading it silently to himself he began to wonder what he would get Maira. He looked up to everyone ”We will be giving the gifts out tomorrow morning, don’t ruin the surprise of who you got! I’m off today so I will try to check in with every one throughout the day everybody stay safe and take care of each other. You guys are dismissed. Let us know if you have any questions.” He stood in the living room and pulled out his phone to text Claud. We’re doing a secret Santa thing and I got Maira want to help me find a gift?
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Vivian
  
  Interactions: everyone in bungalow, Marianne open
  Mentions: Cerdiwyn
  
  
  Vivian sat on the living room floor her rubbing her eyes and peering through a tired squint. She had showered and gotten dressed but she wasn’t much of a morning person like some of the other clan members in the room. She usually stayed up till one or two in the morning and then slept in till at least 9:30. I should really work on my sleep schedule. She thought to herself as Erik talked about the secret Santa. She liked observing the holidays and was excited to finally give and receive a gift but she wasn’t a fan of the random drawing what if she didn’t know what to get her person? What if they were disappointed in her? She couldn’t help but feel anxious as she reached her hand into the bucket. She slowly unfolded it as Erik walked away to reveal Cerdiwyns name.
  
  She relaxed a bit Cerdiwyn was sweet and had plenty of things she liked so she was sure she could walk around town and find something the seal mer would enjoy. As Erik continued his spiel Vivian tried her best not to nod off or at least not be too obvious about it. She was not a morning person and as soon as Erik finished his speech she made her way back to her room. She threw on some regular clothes and then silently slipped out the front door heading to town. She didn’t want to talk to others and get roped into whatever groups they were going to break off into and she didn’t want Cerdiwyn to have the chance to want to tag along with her either. She is placed her earplugs in and began blasting her music in her ears hoping to ward off anyone wanting to speak to her, she was on a mission.
  
  Once she got into town her pace slowed and she walked by every store peering into the windows hoping something would hop out at her that reminded her of Cerdiwyn but she didn’t have such luck. She decided to head to Larimar Cove Cafe for some breakfast and coffee. She walked in the door removing her headphones and staring up tiredly at the menu. She’d heard of something called a peppermint mocha that she had been wanting to try anyways. There was a small collection of people inside reading newspapers or using their phones or laptops. Vivian was a regular there anytime she had to wake up earlier than 9:30.
  
  ”Good morning Marianne! I’ll have the usual croissant with apricot jam...and I’ll try a peppermint mocha I’m not sure exactly what it is but it’s been all over my Facebook.” Vivian wasn’t picky and would order new drinks she’d heard about all the time. She glanced around at the items behind Marianne as she pulled out her wallet she paused before pulling out the cash to pay for her food. ”Hey I have to get a gift for someone and they love warm drinks do you sell gift cards by any chance?” It wouldn’t be the only gift she could give Cerdiwyn but at least she would have the start of a good gift package.
  
  
• 
  
  Octi
  
  Interactions: Marianne, open
  Mentions: Dahlia
  
  Octi had been sent up to town on a special mission of Dahlia. She had to figure out who on land were members of the other mer clan. It was easy to tell the sherif and the woman with white hair with an ethereal look were the alphas. The sheriff was obvious since he was always in town he could monitor the clan and the witch was easy to tell because while there were human witches none of them could really compare to a sea witch. Unlike Bruce or Loki she could easily blend in with the general population and Dahlia being the alpha had to maintain the clan. Octis heart ached for her. Humans were weak and pathetic most of them never would have the pleasure of serving a more powerful being then themselves making up ridiculous deities or foolishly believing they were the most important person in their lives, and Mers that reduced themselves to living amongst them were just as pathetic growing sentimental attachments to what should be their prey.
  
  She’d entered the local cafe at 7:30am. It was the one with the human with brown curly a dark complexion and glasses. Another weakness of the human race bad eyesight and rather than being able to hone their other abilities better to make up for their lack of vision they used devices, a pitiful crutch. It did make them easier to chase if they couldn’t run in a straight line. ”Good morning, I’ll have a black coffee.” she ordered as she handed the woman her money. She blended in with the line of humans all casually ordering their usual morning drinks. She started her sentence with the usual morning greeting. It was an easy way to blend in and not have to maintain a long drawn out conversation with someone she couldn’t care less about.
  
  After she received her drink she sat at a small table and pulled out a book to write down any notes she needed. Some mers would undoubtedly be in there to get their morning human beverage or breakfast she just had to watch to see if any of them appeared less Human or if they behaved differently than the humans. She sat there for an hour with almost no luck she decided to wait a bit longer when a girl with green hair walked in. Some humans dyed their hair unnatural colors but it was easy to spot because of the color inconsistencies or the roots showing but this girl had neither and her eyebrows were the same odd green color. Her suspicions weren’t confirmed until she told the worker that her friend enjoyed hot drinks. She did her best to hide her smirk as she wrote down a brief description of the girl.
  
  The girls mistake was a small one most humans probably wouldn’t have noticed it, but if she were human she would’ve been more specific because her human friend would’ve had more specific tastes. Instead of it just being for warm drinks it could’ve been for coffee or tea or even hot chocolate would’ve made more sense. Even if she was a human and her friend like hot drinks she probably would’ve followed up saying that her friend was always drinking something new or joking about how weird her friend was for ordering random hot beverages. Then when she stated she didn’t know what a peppermint mocha was it was even more obvious to Octi this girl didn’t know what it was even though most humans would because she wasn’t human.
  
  She kept her eyes down to her notebook and continued to eavesdrop on their conversation hoping maybe she could get a name for this mer, and maybe even a description or name of her fellow clansmember. She knew the sheriffs name since everyone seemed to know who he was but she hadn’t figured out the name of the sea witch or any of the other clan members. Thank you foolish young mer, Dahlia will be so pleased to know of my discoveries. she thought to herself as she fantasized what her alpha would want her to do to the rival clan. She couldn’t wait to kill this small girl and her unknown friend. She would leave the alphas to Dahlia though, she wouldn’t take away her alphas right to killing the strongest of the clan. There was no privilege higher than taking the life of someone who is almost as powerful if not stronger than yourself. She continued drinking her disgusting coffee as she sat and continued to observe the creatures around her.
  
  

 

[Morrighan]

Moonscale

Spoiler: Outfit

It was a beautiful morning, the pale sunlight drifting almost absentmindedly through cream-colored curtains of delicate lace to cast its glow along the planes of Moon’s face. Her white lashes blinked open sleepily, and a soft smile found its way to her lips as she drew in a deep breath that gave her the energy needed to rise and make her bed as she did each morning. Like much of the space, Moonscale had made up her bed in elegant, pale hues that reminded her of earlier centuries.

Her sheets were a rich shade of purple, the duvet atop them a pale cream that matches the curtains she’d left ajar to allow in the morning glow. The bed itself had been a gift from Erik three years prior, something to remind her of her youth. It was four-posted and made of mahogany, with a canopy of gauzy lace that made her feel like a Queen.

A Queen in desperate need of the lavatory.

The thought sent her into motion, her morning routine passing in a contented blur. By the time she left her room, two hours had passed. It had taken longer than usual to do her hair, which she’d done up in a favorite style that included secretive braids, hidden pearls, and subtle strands of glistening silver ribbon. For her face, Moon had opted to go with the theme of the day and the season. Her eyes glittered with white and palest blue, little gems like frost adorning her cheekbones. A lovely glow adorned her skin, which Sparkled when she moved, and her lips where painted in a pale, pretty shade of brown.

The morning was abuzz as the rest of the house awoke, the many Mer going about their own mornings as they always did. There was a sense of expectation in the air, likely due to the gathering scheduled just after breakfast, and Moon couldn’t help but grin at them all as they passed her.

She ate, then made her way into the family room, where she took her place in her favorite chair near the large windows overlooking the sea. The clan filed in in a steady flow, her co-Alpha Erik joining with with a calm smile that she returned. They both hoped that their plans to incorporate human traditions would bring them all closer together.

Moon let Erik make the announcement, watching it all in a happy silence as eyes lit up around the room. When at last it came for her to choose a slip, she was pleased to see Penelope’s name looking back at her.

The little female was always a joy to be around, and Moon recalled several conversations in which the young girl had mentioned various interests. She was sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a suitable gift, especially with the day ahead of her to do so.

But as her mind worked to think up where to begin, the female’s eyes gravitated as they always did to the male sat across the room. Leo was dressed cozily, the warm-toned sweater so at home against the rich shade of his skin that she found herself wondering idly if she should get him another. She was always thinking things like that these days, it seemed. A part of her consciousness seemed devoted to him, and she wasn’t sure she could bear to face what that meant yet.

As the others left, Moon stood to approach Erik, her heavy winter dress whispering slightly against the hard wood floors of the house.

“That went well, don’t you think? I have to go into town to do my shopping, but you need only call. Have a good morning, Erik.”

With a small smile, Moon left to find the perfect gift.​

 

[idalie]

Location: Home - Larimar Cove Cafe
Interactions: AquaMarie , Lilliana2 // Open
Mentions: N/A

Edward Reichbach​

He awoke at dawn the earliest, sea fog rolling in off the waves in a bitter breath. The sun’s weak morning rays threw the sky into pale liquid gold, speckled by wispy clouds that stretched themselves from one length of the horizon to the other. Under the daybreak, Edward stood outside his little habitation to indulge in the silence that those frosted hours brought; a hot coffee under his ruddy nose to bring himself to his senses and a thick-knit jumper for warmth. Slowly revitalised by the fresh salt air that battered his swarthy features, Ed glanced down and withdrew his phone to check the time. After the haul of yesterday's catch, he’d been given the day off - with no particular way to spend it.

One calloused hand rubbed his chin, thumbing the line of his jaw as he hummed, sound resonating in the depths of his chest like soft, rolling thunder. His plans were few, although formulating, but they mostly consisted of breakfast. Another couple hours or so and he could swing by Marianne’s for something sweet, a small indulgence if you will for hard, honest work. Besides he was damned if he was about to let all those almond croissants vanish without his help. A sailor by blood and by honour, but a patisserie enthusiast by the thanks of his stomach.

Swilling around the remnants in the bottom of his mug, he tossed it into the soil of a small palm tree on the porch and ducked inside to finish getting dressed. A pot of joe later and progress on his latest aeroplane model - as embarrassing as it was to admit he still enjoyed putting those things together - Edward started into town at a dawdling pace up the gently sloping hill away from the beach. The broad-shouldered silhouette paused to admire the gradual life beginning to return to the town, families waking and businesses opening their shutters up the main street. On the breeze there was a mixture of bakeries and breakfasts, warming up batches and opening hot ovens, laden with dough and pastries to feed hungry workers and rushed pencil pushers.

The Wintergreen’s had owned Larimar cafe since Edward could first recall walking in during summer mornings with his father, ready to set out on the trawlers. They’d been there long enough it was a community staple and now, Mari had inherited the business. He’d call himself, tentatively, a friend after years of faithful service to the old bakery and a bout of childhood camaraderie. She had returned from Europe and he was ever the quiet, withdrawn boy he’d always been. Nevertheless, dropping out of school and lack of free time made it hard to maintain any close relationships.

Glancing through the window before he grabbed the door handle, Ed leaned into the frame to swing it open - wiping his shoes on the welcome mat politely before he removed his flat cap, tucking it into a back pocket. Striding the room toward the counter, he paused just before the glass case and cash machine to investigate.

“Mornin’ Marianne,” He raised his palm in a half-wave before nodding toward Vivian in a similar recognition, moving to wait in line. Not that he’d seen much of the bunch who lived down at the bungalow. They seemed nice enough and that's what mattered. Sure was a pretty full house in the cafe though, which had him eyeing the delicacies suspiciously for his favourite and provided ceaseless distractions from thoughts about strange folk.

Location: Bungalow
Interactions: Open!
Mentions: N/A

Ceridwyn Vaughan​

Ceridwyn always had trouble getting out of bed, while she never did sleep longer than six hours and would restlessly stress about all she had yet to accomplish, the selkie adored snuggling up under her duvet and staring wistfully at the bedroom door. Hoping, perhaps, that some kind housemate would drag her from the imprisonment of her mattress. ‘Twas a cruel fate to be bound to comfort. Eventually, she wriggled her way out and onto the cold floor, diving into a pile of clean clothes she had yet to put away and pulling on the closest layers - happening upon a spectacularly ugly mustard jumper before tracksuit bottoms and slippers.

Stumbling into the living room and taking up residence on the floor, Wyn was just in time as Erik announced celebrating Christmas. A solstice party? A two-legged tradition! She snapped back from the whirring of her mind as he offered the bucket around the group. Reaching in she plucked one slip of paper as instructed and held it close to her chest, peeking at the name written between the fold. Doing her best not to appear too obvious Ceri twisted about to glance around the room and grin. Marisol wouldn’t know what hit her! Not that she wished any harm of course! But perhaps her strange, knitted creations could be considered an eye-sore and minor fashion crime.

Still, Vaughan wanted something besides a jumper for Marisol. Something useful perhaps? Or precious? She gnawed her lip in thought. Mari was kind and no matter how much Wyn talked, seemed patient as ever. Like a swan gliding across a pond, you never really knew how hard they were paddling.

Drifting from the living room to the kitchen whilst mulling her decision, she felt her stomach groan in empty protest. Grabbing a piece of toast, buttering it, and pouring a layer of cereal on top. It was best not to ask. Besides her more or less carbohydrate breakfast, Ceridwyn noticed Vivian and Moon slipping out to go shopping. Anyone could have your name after all, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask around whilst she waited for the kettle to boil - shopping alone was more frustrating than it had to be.

Zeroing in on the people around, she spun and hopped towards the gathered group with toast in hand and cereal dropping on the carpet. “Anyone feel like joining forces for an outing?! I don’t know much about Christmas, but I bought a Hallmark film the other day and I’m pretty sure I know what humans are up to! Winter solstice sacrifices of fowl and pine! The gift-bringer, who looks like a large Walrus!" She announced in a soft Gaelic brogue, filled with enough enthusiasm to power anyone else but her confidence to walk among humans alone.

 

[SpectrumCrow]

• Marisol
• Perri

• Interactions: Erik Lilliana2 , open
  
  
  Sounds of gentle waves sneaking through the windows, gentle rays of sun peaking through the curtains, what a beautiful way to wake up. Each day, Marisol felt lucky to wake up safely with her clan in such a beautiful area. She had promised herself the first year she spent with the bay clan that she would never take a moment with them for granted. Wasting no time, Marisol rolled out of her bed and moved to get ready for the day.
  
  Despite the cold weather, Marisol still dressed loosely, preferring her lightly colored dresses. The only difference in the winter was that she would have long sleeves for once in her life to stay warm. Going to the kitchen and getting just a bit of tea, she happily sat on the couch with her legs gently crossed and hands wrapped around her mug.
  
  Hm... Get a gift by tomorrow? That would be a difficult task, as it would have to be perfect. Depending on who she drew, Marisol would have to do a bit of research into what they liked. She knew her clan well and cared for them deeply, but she couldn't claim to be best friends with each and every single member... But as she unfolded her piece of paper, seeing her clan leader's name written on the small slip, all of her worries amplified and washed away at the same time.
  
  Marisol liked to think she knew Erik very well, having admired his leadership and firm kindness for a long time. But the pressure was on, she had to find the perfect gift for him. Intense gift-giving mode: Activated.
  
  "I'll try." She responded simply, soft voice quiet. Wasn't a total lie. Sure, she'd try... but Marisol knew she would probably fail horribly.
  
  Several ideas came to mind... unable to decide between one, Marisol didn't waste any time and headed into town. Walking along the boardwalk and window-shopping should help her brainstorm and decide upon an idea.... But diving so deep into her thoughts left her paying almost no attention to where she was going.
  
  
• Interactions: N/A , open
  
  As the bungalow came to life, the short, pale Perri found her anxiety knocking at her head first thing in the morning. Morning meetings were always a bit stressful, with everyone being together and all. After eating something small, Perri leaned against the wall in the corner of the room as Erik spoke. A 'secret santa' type thing...? She had seen it on human television shows before, but having to pick something by the next day... she didn't know many of her clanmates super well, so she would probably have to get help so her 'santee' didn't figure out she was the santa.
  
  Unfolding her paper from Erik, Perri bit her lip and gently tapped her foot. Sall? He was... intimidating to Perri to say the least. The height difference was already scary, but he had this powerful aura to him that intimidated Perri. She knew he often patrolled the area for danger, maybe he could use something to take with him for his patrols? Maybe she could paint some on it to make it more personal...
  
  Scurrying out of the bungalow, Perri fled to town. A part of her almost felt more comfortable around humans, not feeling quite so weak around them since they didn't know of her tiny, easily harmed mermaid form. She wandered into an old antique store, looking for a box or bag of sorts. She had gotten the idea of making a little box for him to store snacks in for his patrols, wanting to paint little seashells and mermaids on it. However, she was struggling to find exactly what she was looking for.

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

Bruce Atticus
Interactions: None
Mentions: Octi
Location: Abyss Clan Entrance​

Bruce jetted through the water with another stroke of his massive muscled tail, "Damn Octolady told me it was round here, but everything smells the same" said Bruce while eyeing the sea bed for this supposed entrance, as he searched for the entrance Bruce thought of what he wanted for breakfast...a juicy seal steak sounded great or maybe some Tuna! The thought of either damn near made him drool with the main limiting factor being he was you know...underwater. Sooner rather than later Bruce was able to spot a rather unnatural looking rock formation, almost like a archway and behind that was a rock that when Bruce pushed against opened like a door "Hm neat" he muttered before ducking inside. Then the stench hit him, forceful and without mercy the stench of...death filled his nostrils it was strong here and that caused Bruce to eye the walls of this underwater cavern even more. That Octolady had promised Bruce a job that would not only pay well but also boost his reputation tenfold which is exactly what he wanted, though the details of said job weren't revealed and all she had gave him beside promises was the order to head here of all places. Bruce didn't fear anything, he was assured of his strength and had the brave heart of a true great white but even he gripped his hulking anchor weapon just a little bit tighter than normal as he swam through the corridor, something about it was just unnerving like he was in another predators domain....

 

[YourLocalDemon]

• Sall

• SallInteractions: Erik, Lilliana2 Ceridwyn, idalie open
  Location: Bungalow
  
  Sall stirred quietly in his bed. He struggled for a moment when he found his hands and legs knotted together, before looking down and realizing it was only his scarf. How silly of him. He'd forgotten to change. He sighed contently and stood up, smoothing out his coat and re-wrapping his long, red scarf. He eyed his shelves and shuffled forward, readjusting his shells and trinkets. The little silver necklace chain needed to be cleaned, and his agates were looking skimpy. He'd have to go find more later.
  
  Sall walked towards the door and opened it, enjoying the feeling of walking out into the communal home. Such a strange thing, to live on land rather than out in the open sea, though he couldn't say that he minded it. Sall walked into the kitchen and grabbed a fresh slab of salmon, eating it fairly quickly. He went out to wait in the living room, sitting on the floor and leaning on the couch.
  
  After picking a slip of paper from the bucket, he stood up to look out the window. He wanted to move, to follow where his mind told him to go. But he was happy here, and nothing would change that. Sall looked back at the slip of paper and tilted his head. What would he get Morgan? He looked towards the door and thought. The town had good things.
  
  He turned to Ceridwyn and nodded. "I'll come." He walked over to stand behind her, as usual, having no concept of personal space. He buried his nose into his scarf in thought. What would he get? He knew next to nothing about her. What did she like? Perhaps he could get her a basket of shells. But did like shells? So much thought to put into this. He shook his head. He could find her something in town.
  
  Besides, what harm could come from a walk around town. Besides, he needed to find a gift for Morgan.

 

[Morrighan]

Morgan

Spoiler: Outfit

Ever since the evening of the accident four months ago, when the young moray had nearly bled to death along the nearby coast, her dreams had been...difficult. Once, she’d dreamt of lovely things : swimming in the sky, the soft petals on the flowers her mother would bring her each spring, a woman’s touch, or perhaps a sunrise. Now, though, the night brought only searing memories of screams and blood.

Thus, she awoke in a sweat, the name of someone long-dead on her lips, to face another beautiful day in Crystal Cove.

Erik and Moon had been understanding enough not to shove her into a room with one of the others, so she slept in a corner of the attic. It wasn’t much besides a small bed and an old dresser, but it was hers. A part of her hated them for being so kind and welcoming. A part of her hated Moon for saving her that day...

But she couldn’t bring herself to really mean any of it, not when she owed it to the family she’d lost to at least try to move on and live.

Morgan needed only to glance at the tiny porthole window beside her bed to see that the sun hadn’t even risen yet. She took that as her opportunity to shower before the line formed, even taking the extra time she often couldn’t to see to the hair that insisted on growing everywhere. Gods, humans were disgusting.

When she finished, the moray hurried back up to the attic to get dressed. In the time she’d been here, she’d managed to get a part-time job at one of the local bars in order to afford to pay for her own clothes. She had experience from back home when her clan had spent a little over a year on dry land after a bad storm tore up their reef. Still, it had given her the know-how she needed to blend in with the humans...and make a pretty good Bloody Mary.

As per usual, she favored darker colors and a slightly aggressive style. According to some, there were whole groups of humans that dressed the way she liked too every day, but she couldn’t remember what they were called. All she cared about was that there were stores in the area that catered to her tastes.

Eventually, I’ll have to check out that store Em was telling me about the other day. If they really have jeans already torn and bleached that’ll save me the time and money of doing it myself. Plus, apparently they have nice belt chains and crop tops too.

During the time it took for her to put up her hair and do her makeup, Morgan could hear the house coming alive below her feet. Everyone had been so nice to her since Moon had brought her here, but she had the feeling their patience with her was wearing thin. She couldn’t help being who she was, and the expectation she saw in their eyes every time someone mentioned the accident was starting to piss her off. She didn’t want to talk about it, but at the same time she didn’t want them to kick her out either.

Morgan shook her concern away though, as she grabbed her phone and shot a text to Em.
​

Morning Gorgeous
Sent 8:11 am
​

Grinning softly to herself, she threw her bed together and headed downstairs to face the masses. Erik had sent one of his no-fun texts to the group chat yesterday about some sort of meeting today. Apparently, he and Moon had something they wanted to talk about. She only hoped it wasn’t anything to do with her, but she assumed it was about the human who’d washed up dead three days prior. There had been too many recent corpses in the water, and they were undoubtedly concerned that things would only be getting worse.

Seeing everyone all crowded around the house made the eel feel slightly claustrophobic, but she forced herself to sit and eat. Eventually, as if on some silent cue, everyone just got up and meandered over to the huge living room, where Moon in all her magical, witchy glory sat like a Queen holding court in her usual chair.

Morgan tried not to look too bitchy as she picked a spot in the back corner of the room and watched the meeting pass with mild horror.

A gift-exchange? For people she’d barely learned the names of in the last four months? Sure, there a few of them she’d gotten on better than stranger terms with but...she didn’t have enough of a connection with any of them to buy a proper present. Still, she picked a name like all the rest when Erik reached her, his eyes oddly comforting.

Leo.

Well at least it was one of the Mer she knew fairly well. The male was kind, if a bit odd with his devotion to fancy rocks and yoga. Still, she couldn’t count the number of days they’d shared in those early weeks of her recovery. Quietly content to simply share the silence between them, Leo had never once asked her why she’d insisted on shadowing him as he’d gone about his work or joined him in his weird meditations. Even now, there was something calming about the way he held himself across the room, as if he had all the time in world to simply be.

Moon was like that too, but where Leo was all balance and healing, she was more like the perfect beauty of the sky or the sea. She was like something out of a story, a magical queen or kind-hearted enchantress who calmed the tides or healed the sick. Still, Morgan could see that same sense of timeless assurance in her as she did in Leo.

The room emptied slowly, and with every Mer that left the silence grew and grew until Morgan found herself checking her phone for what had to have been the hundredth time.

She needed Em.​

 

[Morrighan]

Dahlia

In the absence of eyes, the mind finds new ways to describe the world. A conscience with no concept of color would not be able to understand the blue of the sea or the hue of sandy, yellow stone. However, those things can be known in other ways. The sea may not be blue, but it is vast and wise and full of hidden things. The stone may not be yellow, but it is strong and rough and hard to crush.

And so to Dahlia, the Abyss was not black. It was no simple ruin of stone and shadows, but a labyrinth of textures and secrets. It was silken sand, cold currents, and the slumbering movements of the ocean. It was her haven, and the place she’d made her own.

The Abyss belonged to her.

Octi had sent word of the male Mer she’d encountered, of the possibilities he brought with him in his quest for recognition. The others knew enough to keep their mouths shut when his scent crept across the cavern, their eyes finding each other in silent question. She’d only informed them that they might have a visitor coming soon. Nothing more. They knew better than to ask pointless questions, especially since she always gave them exactly as much information as they needed to perform their duties and do so effectively.

Even without eyes, she knew he was brute, a hulking mass of muscle and potential.

A soft grin formed on her lips as she coiled herself into a more comfortable position atop a bed of silken sand.

“Bring him to me,” she ordered a pair of males nearby. “I don’t want his eyes wandering.”

​

 

[Whirlawind23]

​

Leo
Location; the bungalow
Interactions; open
mentions; Erik, Moon, Morgan

Spoiler: Outfit

Leo was an early riser, and was out of bed by six. The weather was pleasant with a mild chill, cold enough to need a jacket or sweater but warm enough to not need hats or gloves. He enjoyed cold weather, it conjured memories of the deep ocean he once resided in.

The room was adorned with soft natural colors from driftwood furniture, and woven wall tapestries. Leo walked to the corner of the room furthest from the door to check an impressive variegated pothos that hung in a macramé pot holder. There was a cream colored couch with mustard pillows and a large undyed cable knit blanket pushed against the wall, it was reserved for anyone who needed a place to sleep. In the past merfolk who were fearful, lonely, or injured slept there, but today it was empty. It's emptiness sometimes bothered him, mainly because their newest member Morgan only used it two nights while she was injured before moving into the attic. Leo walked to his closet and pulled out clothes for the day. He was dressed quickly and afterwards left for the kitchen to make hot chocolate.

He remained in the kitchen sipping on hot chocolate and reading, until Erik called a meeting. He carried his mug with him and sat on the couch. His gaze wandered over his clan, briefly allowing his eyes to rest on moon. She always managed to look like an ethereal goddess, and despite everyone still having their morning attitudes, whether they be groggy and grumpy or energetic and excitable, she was calm and happy.

Leo retrained his focus to Erik as he explained what they were gathered for and Leos eyes lit up. Human holidays, particularly this one were something he adored. They broke up the monotony of the days and added in a splash of whatever mood they evoked. They were planned, yet somehow felt spontaneous, and were always fun. Erik arrived to his spot and he reached into the container and pulled out a slip. Vivians name was written on it, and he smiled a small smile. Vivian was a kindred spirit and she would be a joy to find a gift for. He glanced at Moon again as she pulled out her slip. He wondered if it would be rude to find a gift for her as well.

He walked to the front of the bungalow and picked his keys off the key rack. Before turning and calling into the Bungalow "I'm going gift shopping, anyone want to come?"​

 

[pastelmortician]

❁ 𝘼𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙚 ❁

A sudden stream of radiant light causes Adelaide's eyes to flutter open, the worlds wake up call for the small florist. She struggled to sit up in her cozy bed, the covers and sheets clinging to her as if begging her to rest more. But she knew better than to listen to the temptations of sleep. There was a lot of work to be done today and it wasn't going to get done without her.

She moved here - to Crystal Cove - fairly recently and only just finished putting everything in it's rightful place. Today, she was to open up shop.

Quickly fixing her bedhead and slipping on modest work attire, she descended downstairs into her shop with a cup of hot tea. The shop was small and there happened to be a few spots that needed some TLC, but it was quaint and exactly what Adelaide wanted. Opening the blinds to the large glass windows, her eyes lingered on the rolling waves - sparkling, shining, and kissing the sand.

It was beautiful.

Before she moved here, she had never experienced the ocean and even now, she hasn't stepped foot onto the beach. But what time did she have? She was determined to open up today and she settled that the beach could wait a few more hours.

She flipped the open sign on the door and a similar flipping feeling of joy swelled inside her as she did so. A part of her didn't believe that any of this was real. That she was opening a flower shop in the same town her father resided long ago. It brought a twinge of a smile to her face, wondering if perhaps he met her mother in a shop like this one.

Shaking away her distractions, she sauntered behind the counter and took a seat, sipping her beverage as her eyes trailed back to the ocean.

 

[YourLocalDemon]

• Loki

• LokiInteractions: Dahlia Morrighan Bruce VolcanicAccelerator
  Location: The villain lair
  Loki groans as he's given orders, but follows through with them anyways. He knows the consequences if he doesn't, and he doesn't need to be alone again. He swims through the cavern with the other male, carefully staying silent. The others here had no personality, it always seemed. Nobody ever got his jokes. It was so annoying.
  
  Eventually, he rounded a corner and spotted the shark. After he took a good look, he gestured for the other Mer to stay behind, and quickly swoops in front of the shark with a large grin. "Hello there, sharp man. We were told to bring you to miss Dahlia! How fun. Now, right this way, hurry along, I don't want to have to keep this up for longer than I have too!" Loki spoke in a sing-song voice, his accent weighing heavily on his words. He combed a hand through his silky hair as he waited for an answer, quite clearly trying to show off.
  
  

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

Bruce Atticus
Interactions: YourLocalDemon , Morrighan
Location: Abyss Clan Alpha Throne Room​

Bruce upon smelling two merman heading towards him would smirk and raise his anchor over his shoulder finally some faces to smash but no they weren't looking for a fight. Bruce let out a dissapointed grumble but then would look down on this tiny man who spoke very strangely and acted even stranger which actually made Bruce chuckle showing serrated massive teeth, "Alright, lead the way funny man".

Bruce would follow the two mermaids, as they traveled deeper into the lair Bruce's discomfort grew...that stench of death that beat down his incredibly potent smell was getting stronger, whoever the hell this Dahlia woman was she had to be one creepy bastard to rule over this place.


As they swam into the largest room yet Bruce would lay eyes on her, He nearly spat out what little he had ingested recently. Her appearance was revolting and confusing all at once, the lack of visible eyes, the thousand scraping spines scraping along the cavern floor...this was no mermaid, this was a monster. Bruce approached cautiously despite the size difference

 

[Whirlawind23]

Emillia
Location; Her home
Interactions; Morgan
Mentions; Claud

Spoiler: Outfit

Emillias alarm blared from her phone for the third time and a groan escaped from under a comforter with a fuzzy throw over it. She reached out and grabbed the phone, pushing the home button to silence the horrible thing. She moved to the edge of the bed and sat up, with her blankets clutched around her she slid her feet into her house slippers and got up. The air in the house was cold, way colder than she liked whenever she woke up, but perfect for sleeping. She walked out to the hallway and to the thermostat, turning it up three degrees. Claud always put it at 68 which was just cold enough to be unpleasant to her when she got out of bed, so every morning she'd get up, set it higher, and get back into bed till it was warm enough to wake up.

She slid her fingers across the screen of her iphone prompting it to buzz and say the apps names, as she climbed back into bed. She opened her text messages and found Claud and Morgan had messaged her.
A grin found its way onto her lips as the phone announced that Morgan had messaged her, they still messaged on a daily basis. She sometimes worried that eventually after the messages would slow down, they would stop altogether, wondered if she would send the last one or if Morgan would, but for now she was simply happy to have this routine. She double tapped to open it.

"Morning Gorgeous winking face with stuck-out tongue."

She smirked, of course the messages wouldn't stop, she liked Morgan way to much to be worried about that now. She flipped her phone and turned it away from herself typing back a response as the phone announced the change. "Braille activated orientation locked."
​

Good morning to you to babe any chance I could treat you to breakfast at the cafe?
Sent 8:21 am
​

She was still smiling as she opened Clauds message, which was far less exciting and just asking for her to let him know what her plans are for the day when she got up. She decided she would respond to him later, after she found out if her breakfast plans were attainable.​

 

[ApfelSeine]

Yuri​

During the meeting, Yuri had chosen a spot against the wall to wait for the meeting to end. He knew that cooperation was important to the clan, but being called into a meeting was rather inconvenient. He did not much like using his phone, but naturally it was the most efficient way for the alphas to get ahold of the other clan members, so Yuri had allowed himself to be coerced into carrying a cellphone around with him. If nothing else, it was a useful way to gauge how long meetings were drawn out.

The subject of the meeting was somewhat frivolous in Yuri's opinion, but looking at the way some of the young mers' eyes lit up, as well as the rather obvious excitement being exhibited by the older merfolk, Yuri relaxed a bit with a slight smile. At the very least, it wasn't doing much harm, and what was a little inconvenience if it made some of the others so happy? As the others had done, Yuri chose a slip of paper to see who he would have to get a present for. A while elephant gift exchange was a tradition Yuri had seen before, though he was more accustomed to Christmas as a couples' holiday. It wasn't every day that he got to see festivities being enjoyed in a familial context. In fact, it was the first time he himself would be participating. At least the requirements to participate were straightforward enough.

Or rather, they would be had he drawn a more familiar name. Moonscale was one of the two alphas of the clan, which brought with it a considerable amount of pressure. Though truthfully, Yuri was not particularly familiar with any of them, so perhaps it was lucky in a way. Moon seemed to be nice enough, so perhaps that meant she would go easy on him. It was hard to know from the short time he had been part of the clan what sort of person Moon truly was. All he was really certain of was that she was ridiculously old and had a sort of natural spiritual vibe going on. Yuri was already putting in more thought about this exchange than he'd intended. When he heard Leo call out, his ears perked up. Leo could well be his ticket to picking out something Moon would like. They were both old and seemed to get along pretty well.

"I'll tag along!" Yuri replied, straightening up from where he'd been leaning against the wall and heading after Leo.

(Interactions: Leo Whirlawind23 )

 

[Morrighan]

Dahlia
Even without the ability to see the male’s expression, the shift in his breathing and scent were all the Alpha needed to know what his reaction had been to seeing a Bobbit Mer for what was clearly the first time. Arranging her body to sit higher, Dahlia’s lips curved into a small smile as she tilted her head at the Great White. Their kinds rarely, if ever, crossed paths, and so she gave him a long moment to process the sight of her.

And then she spoke, or rather thought, her voice creeping inside the male’s mind.

“My apologies, friend. It seems my appearance has startled you. I had hoped Octi would have prepared you for this, but it seems to have slipped her mind. I know my kind, and the way we communicate, can be...jarring. We do not possess what is needed for verbal speech in our true forms, and so we have evolved to project our thoughts and words out word. Don’t worry, though, I can’t read your thoughts or tamper with your mind. I merely project what I want heard.”

Again, she paused to let him take in what she was, to accept what had just happened in the silence of his mind. Like anyone, he was justifiably horrified at what she was sure must feel like a violation, but as all the rest had she was sure he’d become accustomed to it.​

 

[Morrighan]

Morgan
​

Good morning to you to babe any chance I could treat you to breakfast at the cafe?
sent 8:21 am

The relief that washed over her was almost embarrassing as Morgan grinned to herself. Em was always finding little ways to treat her, to make her feel comfortable and cared for. The part of her that was all Moray sometimes thrashed at that, but the human in her couldn’t get enough of it, of that sense of belonging. Plus, who was she to turn down free breakfast?
​

You had me at breakfast Grab you in 20?
sent 8:30 am​

Without really waiting for an answer, Morgan headed out, her legs already heading in the direction of her girlfriend’s house. She lived with her brother, Claud, who - despite being a bit of a drag at times - was a really good guy. The day she’d met Em, she’d been out with her brother doing some shopping in town. She remembered the redhead teasing the guy over trying to guide her around some water.

Em hated being guided, but she was never mean about it. Instead, she’d crack one of her quick-witted jokes and carry on as if it nothing had happened. Morgan admired that strength, and there were many days she wished she had it too.

Passing by a bunch of shops getting ready to start the day, the Moray found herself waving at familiar faces or giving a rare grin to some regulars at the bar she tended. It took a moment for her to realize that this place, these people, were slowly becoming more than strangers.

It was becoming home, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that when only a few months ago...

Shaking the thought from her mind, Morgan continued on, but some part of her couldn’t shake the guilt she felt at the the blank look that took over for the rest of the walk.

When she eventually reached Em’s place, she forced that smile back on. In some ways, it was easier to summon since the two had decided to try dating a few weeks back. Something out knowing Em was hers had brought out a part of Morgan she’d feared gone for good. After what had happened, it wouldn’t have surprised her, but there was something different about this relationship that she couldn’t shake.

With that soft smile on her lips, Morgan rang the doorbell and waited for her girlfriend. ​

 

[VolcanicAccelerator]

Bruce Atticus
Interactions: Morrighan
Location: Abyss Clan Alpha Throne Room

Bruce couldn't help but physically recoil at the thought speak, finding the speaking of someone else into his mind felt incredibly unnatural, "Your Octo-Goon didn't say much about the job, who is it Im bashing?" asked Bruce after regaining some composure. He was quite direct in his tone and posture, wasn't her for freindly chit chat, he was here for a job.


Bruce usually wasn't one to think ahead very much but the stench of death radiating throughout this place put him on edge, he began thinking what were his chances of fighting his way out of here if he had to...the guard and strange small man were easy enough he could tear em to shreds but how many guards were in this place exactly? Bruce was strong, very much so but even he couldn't beat a entire clan so the fact that this cavern could be the last place he ever swam into was seared into his brain currenty.​

 

[Whirlawind23]

Claud
Location; his house
Interactions; Erik Lilliana2 , Emillia
Mentions; Morgan

Spoiler: Outfit

Claud was up around six, and out of habit got dressed and prepared for the day early. He sent Em a quick text as well.
​

Let me know when you're ready what you're doing today. I'm probably going out.
Sent 6:05 am​

They used to spend every weekend together, but since things had been resolved between them they had taken to hanging out less, which was actually good for them. They had structure and a routine now that they were comfortable in. He made himself some coffee and went outside to grab the paper as it brewed. Claud was an old fashioned man in some regards, and one of them was his insistence on getting the local paper and reading it in the mornings. Once he returned inside he grabbed his coffee and sat at the table, opening the fresh paper.

His main focus was on the newest body, it was still front page news, with 'experts' speculating what really happened. One man explained that sea life had eaten the remains, but that there was a serial killer that this particular man dubbed the 'Davy Jones killer' since all of the remains were either in the ocean or on the shore. The name wasn't the first one reporters had used and he doubted it would stick any better. Another journalist, a local nutcase argued that it was a siren, Claud knew they only kept this guy because of the strange sensationalist stuff he put out, but he wondered how he would react if he discovered that was the case.

His partner Erik was a merman, he suspected everyone else at the bungalow was to, but he hadn't asked them since that seemed rude, like asking a stranger about their ethnicity. He had no way of knowing how they would feel if asked, but he suspected it was like that. He doubted it was a merperson like Erik though, he hadn't suggested that so it seemed unlikely.

About two hours after he heard Em in her room, shuffling into the hallway to adjust the heat. He scoffed quietly knowing he would reset it later in the day. As if on que he heard her shuffling back to her room, no doubt hiding in bed until it was warm enough to emerge. His phone buzzed and he picked it up to find a message from Erik.
​

We’re doing a secret Santa thing and I got Maira want to help me find a gift?
Arrived 8:05
​

Claud smiled to himself as he recalled which one Marisol was, a sweet blue haired girl, that he strongly suspected was a mermaid. He wasn't close with the bungalow bunch, but he had interacted with pretty much all of them at some point or another.
​

That sounds great, shall we meet here or at your place?
Sent 8:07​

Not long after he sent his response Emillia walked into the livingroom looking more put together than he expected so 'early' in the morning for her. She a bit of feminine rosy make up, her daily make up that she had learned to do, and smartly dressed in an off the shoulder sweater, pleated short skirt, and thigh high boots.

"I'm going to breakfast with Morgan, might try to steal the rest of her day to. Think this is good enough to entice her into spending the day with me?" She asked gesturing at her get up. Morgan was her girlfriend, he wasn't the most fond of her, but she wasn't a bad person and she made Emillia happy so he was supportive of his sisters relationship with her. She came out to him after a year of living with him, very emotional and torn up about feeling unable to tell their parents or pursue partners she wanted. He had been surprised, but they hugged it out and he reassured her he didn't care who she loved. Her dating a woman wasn't something he was used to, but he sure hoped that they knew they were valid and loved in his home.

"I don't think she'll want to bring you home." He teased, granting a smile from her.

"Perfect, I'm sure you wouldn't mind."

He scoffed and shook his head at her response "Oh you wound me sister! Surely you don't believe I'm so callous." he said dramatically as he stood. He folded up his news paper and placed it on the counter.


​

​

 

[YourLocalDemon]

• Sall

• SallInteractions: Leo, Whirlawind23 open
  Location: Bungalow
  
  Sall frowned and looked over at Leo. He was already at the door... Sall reached into his pockets and pulled out the little leather wallet with his money in it. Lucky for him, the humans seemed to drop a lot of cash. He walked towards Leo and stood next to him, leaning to touch arms slightly. "I'll come." He tilted his head to the remaining mers, wondering how many of the others would join, or if it would just be him and Leo. He closed his mouth adjusted his scarf, rewrapping it again. Sall raised a hand and snuck it under his shirt to feel the rough skin of his scar, the feeling almost comforting. At the least it made him feel stronger.
  
  Sall removed his hand from his shirt and stretched, sighing happily when his back popped. He turned to smile slightly at Leo. How many trinkets would he find today, he couldn't help but wonder.

 

[Whirlawind23]

Leo
Location; Car on the way to the mall
Interactions; Yuri ApfelSeine , Sall YourLocalDemon
Mentions; Vivian

Yuri pipped up to tag along, joining him from his previous spot against the wall. He was a brash young man that had followed the beat of his own drum, and Leo found that to be an admiral trait. Especially in merfolk society where groups were prevalent it was uncommon to see a merperson stay true to their own desires in favor of their clans. Sall walked over and leaned against him telling him he wanted to come as well.

His car had space for two more people to come, but he wasn't sure how long they would want to wait. So he grabbed his keys off the key rack. "Alright lets head out then." He said opening the door and letting them out first. He turned back towards the bungalow entrance and called in "I have two more seats, come meet us in the car if you want to come!" before exiting after them. His car was an electric silver nissan with five seats. He couldn't remember the model, but it was a great car for this small town and very efficient with its energy usage. He hit the unlock button and got in after Sall and Yuri, pausing a moment toe adjust the radio.

"Alright you two, any music genre requests?" he asked. in his head he still wasn't sure what to get Vivian, he had a few ideas like creative materials such as pencils or sketchbooks, but he wasn't sure if that would do for this.​

 

[AquaMarie]

• Maira DelMar
• Marianne Odeletta Wintergreen

• 
  
  
  Maira​
  Interactions: Everyone in the bungalow, Open
  Mentions: Yuri
  
  Spoiler: Wintery Outfit

  
  
  The morning sunlight slowly creeped its way onto a pile of plushies and pillows, waking the sleeping girl within the pile of fluffiness. Messy poofed up tangled mess of light blue hair poked out from the pile as the girl sat up. “Morning” she sleepily said to her room and stuffed animals as she stretched and rubbed away the sleep from her eyes. Letting out one more large yawn and a stretch before hopping out of bed. She went through her normal morning routine getting ready for the day as well as getting her hair under control. Maira made her way to her closet that was exploding with soft colors. Almost three years ago she would never have guessed she would find herself in love with human things. One of these things being all the cute colors and patterns humans placed on themselves not to just cover themselves but to decorate themselves.
  
  Getting dressed in a wintery outfit, the short blue haired girl made her way down the stairs. Jumping off the last two steps as she reached the main level of the bungalow. “MORNING EVERYONE!” she said happily greeted her clan mates with her arms in the air as she entered the living room. With a cheerful smile Maira took a seat on the ground, crossing her legs and holding her hands on her lap.
  
  Maira’s eyes went wide as she gasped with excitement, they were all going to be celebrating the winter holiday of the humans. She was full on board with the idea, having always been curious of the pretty lights and trinkets the humans decorated everything with. The blue haired girl sat up as the bucket was placed in front of her, reaching in she pulled out a tiny piece of folded up paper. Making sure no one saw she opened it and took a look at the name, she had picked out Yuri. Her eyes scanned the room falling on to a man with fair skinned and very long straight black hair. He was leaning against the wall of the room seeing a little board with the whole meeting. She bit her lower lip and looked back down at her tiny rectangle piece of paper. What was she going to get Yuri? This sure was going to be a bit of a challenge for her.
  
• 
  
  
  Marianne​
  Interactions: Octi, Vivian ( Lilliana2 ) and Edward ( idalie )
  Mentions: Octi
  
  Spoiler: Christmas Jumper/outfit (no hat)

  
  Spoiler: Hairpiece

  
  Spoiler: Gingerbread man apron

  
  
  Marianne had woken up before the sun, a normal occurrence when it came to preparing for busy days at her shop. She was used to waking up at dawn to warm up the oven and get the morning baking and any orders that she might have for the day. But today was the day before Christmas and she had a lot of work to do making sure she had enough delicious and festive treats to go around. After a quick breakfast and her morning tea Marianne was ready to start out her day. She placed on her holiday jumper and pulled her hair out of her face, placing a decorative and festive hairpiece. Ready she made her way down from her apartment, which was located just above her shop. Entering her bakery she turned on the light and placed on her festive gingerbread apron. Rolling up her sleeves she went to work in the kitchen of her shop, baking and decorating her morning away.
  
  Marianne was finishing adding the final touches to a patch of cupcakes when she noticed the time on the clock. Making her way to the front of the shop she changed the sign on her door from close to open welcoming the early commuters grabbing their morning coffee and breakfast before they rushed out for work. The local bakery was decorated very festively but in a tasteful way of course. White icicle lights hung throughout the outside of the building with a few pops of colorful lights here and there. A festive holiday welcome sign and mat. Lights continued on inside along with festive garland, ornaments and a tree in the corner decorated with lights, sea and baking related ornaments.
  
  There was a bit of down time after the high paise dawn rush, which gave her just enough time to post her morning social media post. Wishing everyone a happy Christmas eve and adding pictures of special holiday cookies and cupcakes she had made for the day. As she placed her phone away in her pocket a woman with long white hair and blue eyes walked up to her contour. She had seen her a few times, always ordering a black coffee. Although she did not speak with her aside from the order and their usual morning greetings, the women seemed friendly enough to Marianne. She quickly got Octi coffee ordered and handed the woman her hot drink with a friendly smile. She watched her walk off to one of the small tables and take a seat before going back to attend her other customers that came along.
  
  “Mornin love” Marianne greeted in her soft British accent and her usual sweet and loving smile. Vivian was one of her regulars and was such a pleasure to greet every time she would swing by for her croissant with apricot jam. “Oh,..they are quite popular around the winter holidays….and if you're fond of chocolate and peppermint taste it is quite a treat.” she said, taking Vivian’s order. “Actually I do have gift cards...and some cute festive ones as well” Marianne reached down under the counter and pulled out the cards she had, placing them on the counter for Vivian to pick out.
  
  Marianne gently smiled, spotting one of the cafe's longest regulars and her childhood friend. The quiet little boy that would hide behind his father when they would come in the morning for breakfast before heading out to sea. “morning” she softly replied, returning the small wave before going back helping Vivian with the gift cards and her order. Once Vivian was finished with her order and picked out her gift card, she turned her attention to Edward. “The usual, sweetheart?” She asked, always making sure to save him an almond croissant. “Going out to sea today Edward? Or joining in on some of the festivities of the town?” she asked as she worked on Vivian's drink “...or are you saving that for tomorrow?” she added.

 

[Morrighan]

Dahlia
His voice was clearly shaken, the way his heart seemed unsure whether to race or stop altogether amusing enough to her that the Bobbit ignored the male’s rudeness. Instead, she gave him a calm smile, her head tilting to one side almost pensively. With a small gesture to the cavern around them, Dahlia projected again, this time allowing those around them to hear her as well.

“What I have to offer you isn’t just a simple job, Bruce. I know this place is far from what you’re used to, but I believe you to be a kindred spirit and would like for you to consider joining this clan. Don't worry, I won’t be offended if you decide to turn us down, but from what Octi shared with me I truly think we can offer you what you desire.”

Dahlia paused, letting the offer sink in. She’d registered his discomfort at the scent, and made a note to reprimand the others for not being more careful with their feeding habits. Gently, of course.

However, her face betrayed none of those thoughts. None of her annoyance. All Bruce would see when he looked at her face was that simple smile, genuine enough despite her jarring appearance. Still, inwardly she found herself slightly underwhelmed by the sheer fact that this hulking, fearsome shark male had been so easily shaken. It seemed not all Great Whites were fearless after all.

​

 

[Lilliana2]

• Erik
• Vivian

• 
  Erik
  Interactions: Moon Morrighan , Maira AquaMarie , Claud Whirlawind23 , Marisol SpectrumCrow
  
  Erik smiled as Moon approached ”That did go very well didn’t it.” It was more of a statement than a question. He couldn’t help but pat himself on the back he loved it when a good plan worked out. He watched silently and contently as all of the people in his family paired up or scurried away from the bungalow to go get their gifts it was nice to see all the enthusiasm.
  As people filed out he walked to the kitchen table and flipped over the upside down newspaper he had left on there earlier. He had bought it after his morning but flipped it over hoping that none of the others would feel curious and read the first page. It was without a doubt a mermaid who was killing these people. Part of him wanted to tell Claud but he had only recently learned of Eriks true nature and he worried that this new information might change Clauds opinion of him. He was contemplating this decision when his phone chimed with Clauds message.
  
  I’ll meet you over at your place, you’re closer to town.​
  This was true but he also didn’t want him too close to the bungalow, or the ocean. He threw the newspaper in the trash stuffing it underneath whatever else was in there in an attempt to conceal it. ”I’m heading out too.” Erik announced he looked over at Maira and grinned holding out his arms offering a hug. ”See you later!” he said as he wrapped her in a hug. He didn’t hug everyone in the clan when he would go places. Mostly Marisol and Maira. Maira was always so bubbly and friendly that the tiny act of affection just made sense, he hugged Marisol for a more selfish reason. He just really liked her hugs so he got them whenever he could. He gave the others in the room a wave as he left.
  He climbed into his Jeep and drove the Clauds. As he drove he waved at all the other mers and people he passed that he knew when he saw Marisol walking towards town. He gave her a wave as he passed but as he kept driving he couldn’t help but feel bad for Marisol walking all the way to town alone. It wasn’t a long walk but the drive would only take a few minutes and it was on the way. He slowed down and pulled out his phone to shoot Claud a text explaining himself.
  
  Sorry I’m going to offer Marisol a ride into town because she was walking by herself. I felt bad.
  ​
  With that sent he put his phone back down and then slowed down and made a U-turn pulling back up next to Marisol. He rolled his window down and drove slowly next to her as she walked. ”Hey Marisol would you like a quick lift? I can drop you off at the Cafe it’s about in the center of town.”
  
• 
  Vivian
  Interactions: Edward idalie , Marianne AquaMarie open
  
  ”Peppermint and chocolate are both really good and your making it so I bet it’ll be delicious! Vivian announced as she scanned over the gift cards on the table she settled on one that looked like a gift package from the top. She watched and listened as Marianne effortlessly talked with everyone, it was amazing how much she knew about the people in town. She gave Edward a nod after he acknowledged her. She didn’t know him very well and part of her didn’t trust him, but she didn’t have any bad feelings about him in her gut which was usually more correct than her actual head.
  She watched as Ed and Marianne spoke about and was slightly jealous that she seemed to know him so well. She could’ve been on land blending in and making friends instead of hiding out in the ocean as much as she did when she was younger. She hasn’t spoke to to him much before but Marianne talking to him made her feel a bit more comfortable asking questions. ”I’ve always wondered, how long have you two known each other?” she asked. It was a question that she always had whenever she saw the two of them interact, and she hoped for a fun answer.
  

 

[Whirlawind23]

Emillia
Location; outside her home
Interactions; Morgan
Mentions; Claud

Emillia felt her phone ding as Morgan responded, she quickly played the new message.
​

You had me at breakfast Drooling Face Grab you in 20?
Sent 8:30 am​

She smiled pleased they would get to have breakfast together. Morgan and Em both worked so sometimes they weren’t able to hang out as much as she liked, although on slow days at her fortune tellers tent she had Morgan come and sit in to get an ‘extensive reading’ just sit and chat or cuddle really. Today she hoped Morgan would be free after breakfast too, and maybe convince her to go on a date for the rest of the day as well.
​

Great I’ll hear you then love .
Sent 8:31

Invigorated by news of her girlfriend coming she got out of bed and went to her closet. Her style was a modern chic style with a feminine touch. Skirts, crop tops, and heels were all common place. It was a stark contrast to Morgan’s ripped jeans and rough shirts that she’d come to love. She didn’t touch morgans clothes to often, but she was eager to take anything she could get off of her home to keep around. The thought of asking to take her shirts home alone made her blush with embarrassment so she hadn’t gotten around to asking.

After getting dressed she went to the living room, where Claud greeted her. They had a bit of their usual bantering before settling in while she waited.

After a few minutes the doorbell rang. “That’s Morgan.” Claud announced upon hearing it. She jumped up and rushed to the door, grabbing her purse from its spot by the door. “Bye I’ll see you later!” She called over to Claud before opening it. “Hey babe, glad you could make it.” She said, holding out her hand for her to take. “I hope you don’t mind me treating you today.” She added. She sometimes worried she would smother Morgan. She knew her affection was expressed with gift giving and physical intimacy, and knew it wasn’t great for everyone. Morgan, thankfully, seemed to appreciate her love languages.​

 

[Morrighan]

Morgan
Morgan tried her best not to smile, to pretend like she hadn’t heard Em and her brother as the front door opened to reveal Emillia in all her glory. She knew that Claud didn’t exactly get the whole gay thing, but he was far better than the humans who used books and hatred to justify turning away their offspring. Through the open door, Morgan gave the man a small nod of acknowledgment before letting her attention fall fully onto her girlfriend.

Em was a goddess trapped in skin. It took every bit of self control and the stark reminder of how humans did things for the Mer not to pounce on her then and there. Had Emillia been Moray - or any Mer for that matter - Morgan would have simply pulled her into the sea to show her just how long she could spend worshipping that glorious body.

Instead, she took Em’s offered hand and helped her down the steps. Had her girlfriend been able to see, she would’ve noticed that Morgan’s face had gone red with the images and hunger raging through her.

Morgan smirked, giving Em a playful poke in the side as she responded.

“Like I’m stupid enough to turn down free food? Whether or not you pay for the food, we both know who wears the short nails, babe.”

Those last words had enough of that hunger in them that Morgan had to stifle the urge to drop herself off a cliff. Em didn’t want to hear her talk about this shit.

“Anyways,” she continued, trying to salvage her mess, “I’m basically free all day so it’s not like there was anything to keep me from stealing you away for the morning. Plus, you know I’m in a constant state of craving those French crescent thingies at the cafe.”

The two girls joked as they walked, arms linked casually enough that few would ever guess Morgan to be guiding the beauty beside her over the occasional crack or step in the sidewalk. Em hated being guided, so for the most part Morgan did nothing, but in those rare moments when Em gave her a little squeeze or murmured a soft request for help the Mer was happy to do so. As they passed through town, they caught the occasional stare or look from passers by, but one look from Morgan had them scurrying.

In the end, it didn’t take all too long for the couple to reach the cafe.​