Posted September 3, 2012 (edited) (If you'd like me to remove all past critique so that you have more space, just notify me by PM. Edit: All critique has been removed.) Edited September 3, 2012 by Dauntingale Share this post Link to post
Posted September 4, 2012 It was sort of dark when he awoke. The moon hung overhead, giving off a much colder light than the sun. It was probably fairly close to morning since the end of the sky was starting to look a bit lighter and orange in color, but the moon and the stars were all still very much visible overhead. The reflection of the night sky was shown in the water all around as well. It had not stormed in the last few days and the water was very calm. Small swells rocked his body back and forth as if he was in some sort of cradle. If it weren’t for the horrible thought that each passing second brought him closer and closer to a morning that would only hold scolding and beatings, he might have been able to enjoy the night a bit more. Instead, he was stuck wide-awake under the light of the moon, thinking about the horrible day ahead. Get it together, Lani, he told himself silently, shaking his furry head from side to side. The movement attracted the attention of a cuttlefish mermaid lurking just under the surface of the water. Since Lani was unable to breathe under the water, he had to sleep floating on the surface. A kelp rope wrapped around his ankle tethered him to a rock beneath the surface to prevent him from drifting but a guard had been set in place to prevent him from trying to flee in the night. A cuttlefish mermaid had been chosen due to the fact cuttlefish were nocturnal and it was able to watch him from just below the surface of the water without falling asleep. “Go back to sleep,” The cuttlefish mermaid hissed softly as it poked it’s head up, out of the water momentarily to speak to him before sinking back down into the murky water. Lani turned his cream colored face to glance over at the cuttlefish mermaid lurking under the water. The other mermaid was obviously annoyed with him. It wasn’t the best job in the world to be guarding a sleeping person. After all, it had been nearly three years since he was forced into slavery and he hadn’t tried to swim away yet. It wasn’t like he had anywhere to go either. He had no home, no parents and no life outside of Atlantis. Leaving would be pointless since, in all likelihood, he would just be eaten or killed by sharks or some other predator. He wasn’t the brightest fish in the sea but he wasn’t stupid enough to flee with nowhere to go. "Sorry," Lani whispered back as he turned his head back up to stare at the moon. The other mermaid probably hadn't heard him but it was comforting to know he had at least tried to apologize. He hadn’t done anything wrong to begin with but apologizing for everything seemed to lessen punishments. ‘I’m sorry’ seemed to be the magic words that, when repeated constantly, caused his owner to grow bored hitting him and resulted in punishments ending early. They seemed to work on others just as well. It was too bad humans didn’t know those two words. Maybe the king wouldn’t want to kill them all if they got together and all said they were sorry. While he was thinking about it, he was a bit curious as to how many humans there where. Mermaids only saw them on those strange vessels of theirs that traveled across the water without sinking. There had to only be a few of them, right? He couldn’t count too high but it had to be about the same number of mermaids in the ocean. If there were too many, they would all starve after they ran out of food. “You aren’t sleeping,” a gruff voice declared, followed by a violent strike to the stomach by the shaft of a spear. The cuttlefish mermaid had surfaced next to him and was glaring at him, holding the weapon with both hands. Before Lani had time to spit out an apology, the mermaid struck him again then retreated under the water. That had really hurt! Fighting back tears that would certainly come later, Lani closed his eyes. He couldn’t fall back asleep since he was no longer tired but maybe he wouldn’t get struck again if he closed his eyes and stayed really still. It would only be a bit longer until sunrise. He would only have to endure floating with his eyes closed for a little while longer. ((I stink at introductions. I'm not going to include Lynne in this post since I have to go to sleep now. As a note, mermaids based off of mammals will be able to hold their breath for quite some time. They will still need to surface and some may need to sleep with their heads above water but they will not need to resurface every five minutes for air.)) Share this post Link to post
Posted September 4, 2012 Okanse watched the sky slightly under the water, small bubbles sometimes coming out of her mouth. She always had been warned not to stay near the surface for too long because of the war. But the starlit sky always fascinated her. Off in the distance a seal type merman was floating probably in sleep, but she brushed it off. Mermen weren't in her ranking right now. She really didn't care anyway. She felt a small need for air arise in her chest, but she ignored it. Okanse lowered herself before swimming up and jumping out to take in some air and returning back home. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 4, 2012 (edited) The Cuttlefish and Slave would not be completely alone in their current vicinity. Below the surface, a burst of clicks accompanied by a long whistle would sound out from the depths as another Mermaid entered the area. As the burst of echolocation clicks returned to her jaw to paint a better picture of the current surroundings in the dark water, the Mermaid would give her tail a powerful flick that would send her black and white form up towards the surface. Her streamlined body slicing through the darkness with little to no disturbance. From below Lani, her final approach would be announced by a trail of bubbles that had exited through the corners of her mouth. They trickled towards the surface in jittery motions until merging with the world above. The black coloration on the Mermaid's back made her shape difficult to make out till she finally surfaced beside the Slave's anchored form. A loud spout of white mist would escape the blowhole on the Orca breed's back as her form lingered there on the surface for a moment, only her back and dorsal fin remained visible above the waterline as her body slowly began to maneuver to face the strange oddity that she had surfaced beside. The clicking from before returned but was more subtle now as she seemed to be checking out the Otter-Creature beside her… and with that echolocation ability, she not only saw him, but through him and what lay beneath his skin and flesh. It seemed he had back legs, and a tail... unlike herself. This observation seemed to snag her curiosity. Unlike most other Mermaids and Mermen, this particular Maid was much larger than both the Cuttlefish and Lani - and even the other female that had appeared not too far off. Having been a little over ten feet, you could say Lani would appear dwarfed in size compared to the creature that now began to circle him. Eventually, the Mermaid would stop her circling and start to rotate her body so her head and shoulders lifted above the surface, leaving her massive tail to help keep her afloat as she eyed the strange Otter-Thing. Her eyes, a bright orange, would give the Merman a once over as they peered through the white strands of hair that clung to the sides of her face. Silence hung in the air between the Slave and Mermaid that was now easily identified as being of Noble class... Finally, the black lips that lined her mouth would eventually stretch into a small smile in a silent greeting. Not a moment after, she would squeak once towards him, her lips only briefly lifting over her sharp teeth as the lure on her forehead twitched up and then fell forward back into its resting position. The floppy ears on the side of her head would perk up in anticipation for his reaction or response. So much for pretending to be asleep...? Edited September 4, 2012 by Lyxii Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 Small bubbles rose to the surface as Lani floated silently, his arms resting on his stomach. Although he had heard the sound of the bubbles popping on the surface, the Cuttlefish Mermaid had not moved very much. Although the Cuttlefish's job was to make sure he did not leave, it was also her job to make sure nothing killed him. After all, he was a very important piece of property since he provided a source of manual labor without requiring payment of any kind. So he naturally ignored the sounds of the bubbles and the small ripples in the water until water was forced into the air and rained down on his body in a light drizzle. Still, even though the action was not harmful in anyway, it surprised the Merman immensely. A small but very high pitched squeal escaped from his mouth as the Merman shrieked out a word that was obviously not Atlantean in origin. His dark eyes were wide open now, not bothering to hide the fact he was wide awake. In a rapid, fluid motion, he turned around and swam backwards as far as he could until the rope around his neck was stretched as far as it could. Breathless, Lani glanced over to the Cuttlefish mermaid nearby who had still not moved. In fact, it looked as though the mermaid had actually backed away now that the giant was circling him. This was a noble, right? Although he would never say it, he was horrible freaked out about that very toothy smile of hers. Perhaps it was just because he was incredibly small as well but he felt frightened by her presence. At least the Cuttlefish, although quite mean, was only a bit larger than he was. This Mermaid was huge! No longer bothering to float on his back, the furred Merman opted to start a strange sort of doggie paddle. He could go back no further but was instead treading water as best as he could, his feet kicking at the water as his paw-like hands flopped just under the surface. His head was the only thing afloat but continued to watch the larger Mermaid carefully. She had squeaked out something to him but he hadn't quite caught it so the Merman remained silent. A moment passed as he just stared at her before the Cuttlefish Mermaid lifted her spear and slapped him upside the head. Lani let out another squeal in his first language as his hands stopped paddling at the water and instead rose up to defend the back of his head from another blow. What had he done that time? That had really hurt and he hadn't done anything wrong! How horribly mean! "H-hello," he finally spat out, doing his best to click and squeak Atlanteans did. It was rather tricky but he managed to spit out the word without too much difficulty. What did this noble want? Just to terrorize him and startle him? Why did Atlanteans have to be so mean? Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) Somewhere else in the ocean away from the orcas, cuttlefish, and otter slave, were another pair of slave and master. They were both sleeping on the surface line with their heads above the water. One of them was a harbor seal-type mermaid whose long hair was as an ice blue color and had whiskers on the sides of her cheeks. Her belly was a little round because she was in her first trimester of pregnancy. The other was her master and owner, a rough-toothed dolphin-type merman who had dark purple hair and a dark gray tail with a white underbelly. A few weeks ago, Glacies had been captured by a group of mermaids out hunting for food after she had sat on a rock and sang one of her songs. She had been brough over D-class nobleman, Diablos (NPC), who lived in Atlantis, a place where her mother had been enslaved by snobby mermaids who acted callous to those who looked different than them. Glacies had been warned many times not to go there or get captured by the Atlantian mermaids. She had done a good job of doing that all her life until her unfortunate event. That day, she lost her freedom and became a slave and property of her wicked owner, Diablos. Besides forcing her to all the chores for him such as hunting and cleaning, he also abused her physically, verbally, and emotionally in ways such as calling her a 'cow', putting her up in a freak show where everyone pointed and laughed at her, and beating her up for fun. Glacies now truly understood what her mother's life like was as a slave and frankly, she felt both sorrow for her mother as well as herself, because she may not be as lucky as her mother to escape the dreaded city, Atlantis, taste freedom again, and rejoin her beloved husband Nemo, a brave and handsome merman. Her life as a slave also got her to hate the Atlantians even more. At first, she thought of them as nothing but jerks, but now she saw them as monsters who liked to discrimate against the lower classes and hurt those who are too different like the Z-class and the humans. Speaking of humans, Glacies didn't hate the humans as much as she did the Atlantians, but she was afraid of them and saw them as threat to the ocean where mermaids like herself lived. The only reason she thought of them that way was not because they killed Queen Kawthar, heck she didn't even care about the Atlantians, not after what they do to Z-class merfolk. She was only wary of the humans because of all the shoutings of the Atlantians claiming that humans are dangerous and were going to kill every single mermaid. King Krontos declared a war to defend the Atlantic Ocean from the invading humans, or so she thought. Yesterday, Glacies and a bunch of other mermaids went out to sink a ship and drown the humans aboard it. There were even a few children on that boat. Even though the children were human, Glacies felt sad at having to take lives from ones so young. The other mermaids didn't seem to care, which added another reason to Glacies's list not to like Atlantis. It was almost morning and soon, the slave and her master would wake up to go hunting. Meanwhile in Atlantis, King Krontos was sleeping on his bed (not a human-made bed; a coral crater kind of bed). Yesterday, he had gotten reports from two war groups about their attacks on the humans. One group (the one Glacies was in) had successfully destroyed a ship and looted the weapons they had aboard. The king had been very pleased to hear that news because the more humans were killed, the closer to their extinction and his wife, the late Queen Kawthar, avenged. But the other group on the other hand reported failure because the human soldiers, mainly the red-blonde one with the harpoon, killed most of them before they could damage the ship half-way. This news did not end well as Krontos was angry with their failure and ordered the leader of the group to be brought over to his castle where he would feed them to his three bull sharks, Ripthroat, Bloodspill, and Sharptooth. The bull sharks had been very happy to taste and eat the blood and flesh of the unfornate whale mermaid that day. Edited September 5, 2012 by Red Dragonette Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 The LRS Riechsturmm lurched forward in its constant battle with the deep sea. Its large steam engines pushed on, even though they had been struggling for quite some time. The Riechsturmm was one of four ships that made of the flotilla group known as "LuxEisen", all four of the ships were amazing technological feats. No other ship on the sea had been designed this way, with all iron sides and bottoms and two steam powered paddlewheels. The only ship that rivaled their size and power output was either the SS Great Western or SS Great Eastern. Ferdinand was proud of his ships, they all were the best of the best, and definitely something he would need in his travels and studies. Even in the night, the Steamships continued on with their course in the Atlantic Ocean. The Captain, Ferdinand was busy in his quarters, looking over charts and maps of their course. It had taken many months of preparation, but Ferdinand had finally worked out a course of study for his main voyage. From Germany they sailed to the Northern most part of the Atlantic, then they sailed south to the Americas, afterward sailing to the Caribbean for a stop, then finally return to Germany after a quick stop in England. His route was unusual, but it ensured that the ships would be at sea for the maximum time before returning to a port. Currently they had just sailed from a port in Iceland, and were in the mid-atlantic. Only Ferdinand and the select few of navigators and ship captains knew why they were on their journey. The search for the mermaid source was the voyage objective, and they would be stopping to observe them if they met any. Perhaps Ferdinand would be able to reach his goal, find a mermaid that he had met long ago....or perhaps he was insane and the stories of ships sinking were referring to very large ships... Either way, Ferdinand didn't much care, he wanted to reach a goal, which goal didn't matter. If he never found the merpeople, then he would go home, live out his life like anyone else would. Part of Ferdinand hoped for that, but it was a small part of him, and for the most part, He was committed to his task. After many hours of studying his maps and deciding he was on course, he stepped outside into the cool night air, and watched the waves dance. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) ~-~-~-~-~ @ Pudding ~-~-~-~-~ Amused by the reaction from the Slave and the lack of interest from the Cuttlefish-breed, the Mermaid would remain silent for a moment longer. Eventually, to get ready to engage in conversation, she would move a bit closer, her tail lazily swishing up and down to lift herself out of the water a bit more. The orange tint over the white areas on her chest and face would be more visible now that the sun had begun to rise… but more importantly, more inspection would give away what appeared to be spiky fins folded down over her shoulders and upon her head and above her ears - but these were only noticed once one cared enough to further inspect the visible parts of her body… Opening her mouth to speak, the Orca-breed would jerk back when the Cuttlefish lifted her spear and smacked the Otter-creature over the head. The action caused the previously flat fins on her head and shoulders to flare outwards, exposing the venomous barbs in a silent way of expressing her irritation by the Cuttlefish's actions. Though Slaves were treated poorly by most, this particular Mermaid didn't like to be interrupted, regardless of who she was talking to. Flashing an irritated and dismissing glare to the Cuttlefish with the spear, those orange glossy irises would snap to look back towards Lani. This slave was not hers, but that didn't mean she couldn't speak it it. Honestly, the thought of hurting, killing or even eating the furry creature never crossed her mind. His form had simply snagged the Noble's curiosity…nothing more. "Who is it you serve?" The black and white Mermaid before him would ask, the lure on her forehead twitching slightly with her words, "And what is your purpose?" Her voice remained gentle till she finished her questions - which she even spoke a little slower than usual so the Slave could understand what she was saying. Leaning back, the Mermaid would let her form sink back into the water so she could float on her back, the white underbelly of her form giving a small hint of how long she was, and where her form resided beneath the surface as she began to casually circle Lani once again. "If it is any consolation, I didn't really mean to frighten you so. My curiosity has just gotten the best of me this morning." She spoke with complete sincerity, though she assumed any Slave - like the one she was currently speaking to - would believe otherwise. Most higher classes showed much brutality to those of Z-Class, but she had yet to follow through with such actions towards Lani. ~-~-~-~-~ @ Maus ~-~-~-~-~ "I thought I was th' one playin' navigator on this ship." A familiar voice would ring out to greet Ferdinand upon his emergence from his quarters. The young Scottish girl had been passing by, but had stopped when she noticed her Captain. Placing both hands on her hips, she would glance back over her shoulder to follow his stare to the ocean beyond for a moment before returning her stare to the German fellow. They had been at sea for quite some time now. Though she had been skeptical about the existence of what she had dubbed "fish folk", she couldn't help but feel a bit defeated when their trip so far had come up negative in the research they desired. Maybe they really were real. Ferdinand's dedication seemed to really prove it, but there was still no sightings to prove it... Offering a reassuring smile, she would reach up to put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, ye have many more navigators out thar on me side that are inadvertently helpin' ye. As soon as anythin' "fishy" shows up in the messages, I'll tell ya." What she ment were the messenger hawks she often sent out and received from other navigators. Usually, she would intercept messages, and one would pop up containing a sighting of Mermaids, she would relay the information back to the captain…but so far luck had not been on their side. Giving a sigh, Màiri would move to stand beside her captain, her green eyes moving to search his face for some kind of emotion before she dropped a question, "Whit do ye plan on doin' once ye do find her?" If mermaids had been out slaughtering humans, then how did they know this mermaid they were tracking down was actually going to welcome them with open arms? Or, better yet, how was he going to speak to a creature that probably didn't understand his language? Obviously there would be some kind of barrier, no? How would one go about breaking it? Perhaps her Captain had an answer? "Do ye think she will recognize ye?" Màiri would add before falling silent. Edited September 15, 2012 by Lyxii Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 While Lani continued to rub the back of his head where he had been struck, the Cuttlefish Mermaid noticed the fins as they shot into sight in a rather intimidating way. Glancing sideways in slight embarrassment, the Cuttlefish mermaid adjusted her grip on her own spear then turned and swam slightly away from them after receiving the dismissing look. She began patrolling the area around them quietly under the water, ready to fight off any possible attacks from sharks or other dangerous creatures dwelling in the ocean. After a moment of rubbing the back of his furred head, Lani turned his attention to the noble before him. The Cuttlefish Mermaid had moved away but he had missed the entire silent conversation and had only caught the Mermaid swimming off to start circling them. "I serve Neith," he replied, his eyes catching sight of the lure on her head. Transfixed instantly by the sight of the lure, he continued to stare at it twitched slightly. When the Mermaid began to swim in circles around him, he twisted his body around as best as he could so his eyes never left her for an instant. For a brief moment, he was reminded of a shark circling in the water, trying to figure out whatever it was it was looking at. It was as if he was being studied. No, he was being studied. He was sure of that. The gentleness and slowness in her voice was just to keep him at ease. If he tried to swim around, it would be harder for the Mermaid to get a good look at him. Perhaps that was why she seemed to be apologizing as well. That certainly was a first. He was usually the one who did apologizing so it was strange to hear someone, especially a noble, apologize to him. "I'm not too sure I have a purpose," he added. What was his purpose? Why did he live each day instead of just killing himself? He wasn't sure. His life was a horrible thing and it would probably never get any better. Perhaps he could try to escape but it had been a long time and he never tried once. "I don't mean to be rude in anyway but I was just wondering if you had a name that I could call you by? I mean, of course you have a name but I was wondering if I could know it. You don't have to tell me but it would be a bit nice." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) ~-~-~-~-~ @ Pudding ~-~-~-~-~ The Noble would pause for a moment when the Slave mentioned whom he served. Neith? The name didn't ring a bell, but then again she didn't really interact with her own kind as much as one would assume. She was just returning from a journey closer to the mainland when Lani and his "friend" appeared on her own personal radar along the way. Slowly, a hum would grow in her chest to signal she was in thought as her form stopped circling. Instead she continued to float in a stationary position on her back to Lani's right. She spoke to him now not only because of her own curiosity, but also due to the fact that - during a war - one would assume that they needed all the help they could get. This included slaves. After all, they were of their own species, even if they looked extremely odd to say the least… And Lani seemed intelligent enough. But of course not many shared this view, and she wasn't going to up and admit it to the Slave or his captor at this point in time. But perhaps Lani would pick up her vibe as she once again flicked the lure in his direction since he seemed to enjoy looking at it so much. The Mermaid was listening, but also keeping an eye on the Cuttlefish below. When she seemed a little preoccupied, the Orca-breed would draw much closer to Lani, her eyes scanning his face for a moment after he had mentioned his lack of purpose. "Then make one…?" she would whisper, her "brow" rising in a questioning manner to let those words sink in. If he felt he had no purpose, then perhaps he needed to find a way to make one. After all, he would only be given one life. Though she could not claim this slave as her own, the thought of perhaps obtaining one of her own suddenly crossed her mind. It wasn't a bad idea, and maybe she could prove a point to some of her fellow brethren if she did… Once again moving herself upright to tread water, the larger female would continue to ponder, her stare casted low until Lani spoke again. This time, he got a bit bolder and requested her name. She saw that as a slight improvement. So, with a new spark of interest, she would nod her head and quietly respond in a whisper, "Proïoxis is my birth name. I am sure you have one of your own. But it is your choice if you wish to be labeled Slave or the name you were born with…" That grin would return again as she presented the Z-Class with his first decision to make. Yes, he was a slave. No, this Noble didn't seem to be violent. But then again, she was having a good day, and Lani hadn't attempted to be rude or violent towards her... So, with the respect given by the Otter-creature, Proïoxis was simply returning it. It was just a perk that came with being neutral with the world for the most part. Edited September 15, 2012 by Lyxii Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 Lani blinked in surprise. Yes, he was fairly sure he did not have any sort of a purpose in life. But was it that easy to just create one for himself? He had never tried to. His brow wrinkled in confusion but it was hard to tell since his face was covered in fur that made it hard to read most of his facial emotions. "You can just make something like that?" he asked, his eyes widening in shock. Did everyone except for him have a purpose in life? Even other slaves? It felt like he was missing out on something. He never bothered to have a purpose in life. It didn't seem important since he just served someone and was looked down on the entire time. It didn't seem like his opinion mattered so why did he have a purpose? "My name Atlantean name is Noelani. But my Master calls me Lani because its too long. It's a bit weird because he gave me the name in the first place because my real name can't be understood by Atlanteans. You can call me whatever you want, I guess. I'm used to a lot of different names." He smiled, despite the fact he was referring to the way he was often yelled at and called horrible names. But this Mermaid seemed surprisingly nice. Even if she was a higher ranking than he was and easily could have treated him like he was usually treated, the Mermaid acted as if he wasn't a slave. Proïoxis... whoever was her slave was incredibly lucky. Assuming she had a slave, of course. He hardly got contact with other slaves or mermaids aside from whomever was guarding him and his Master. But they did all have slaves, right? Or was that why they had to constantly take Mermaids and Mermen from outside of the city and turn them into slaves just because they were different. He didn't know. He wasn't sure. Either way, he rather liked how he was being treated. "What's your purpose?" Share this post Link to post
Posted September 5, 2012 ~-~-~-~-~ @ Pudding ~-~-~-~-~ That grin would grow even wider at his surprise, a light-hearted chuckle rising in her throat when he asked about his purpose, "What? Did you expect some omnipotent voice to pop into your head and tell you what you need to do?" Proïoxis's ears would droop slightly as she dipped below the surface to wet her hair and face and came back up again, "It's something you choose and even figure out for yourself. Unless you prefer to sit around and never give yourself one. It's more of a choice obviously. They change, just like the wind." A clawed hand would rise above the water to motion towards the sky and air. Then she fell silent as he answered her other question…. "Noelani…?" she would repeat after he explained his origin. A few clicks would pass through her teeth as she allowed herself to fall below the surface so only the top half of her head - as well as her eyes - remained above the surface. Once again, she seemed to be checking him out… However, in this case, as the Mermaid's clicks seemed to hit his form, it would appear she was more or less identifying him. Giving his being a name, a face, and a familiar image of his form through echolocation, Proïoxis could now easily identify him from both near and far distances. It was similar to how wolves relied on scent to recognize one another. Yet, though not obvious, Proïoxis had a reason behind what she was saying to Lani. Maybe it was time these creatures understood that freedom did exist, but they would have to gain it on their own. They just had to use their heads, and be cautious... Eventually, these slaves and lower classes would have to grow tired of such horrible treatment... Lifting her head above the water, Proïoxis would speak quietly to him again, "I caution you when you consider what I have said. Everything comes with a price, Lani." If he attempted to escape and gain his own freedom and purpose, then there would have a price for that. If he failed to achieve what he wanted, death would come as his price. But Lani was smart enough to know that, and he had the capability of being clever. Deep down, however, Proïoxis was hoping she wasn't overestimating him. He could start small, and create his own little purposes that didn't involve the consequence of death until he built them up. Upon hearing his final question, the Mermaid would blink once to pull herself out of thought, and then speak a little above a whisper. "There are some purposes that come and go for me. Some that are personal, and kept under wraps… but I believe my chosen purpose for today has been fulfilled." Her Lure would twitch towards him, one eye giving a wink. Her chosen purpose right now was to enlighten Lani and give him food for thought. Yet, below that purpose was another and another. Perhaps he would share this information with other slaves he spoke to in the future, and provide a catalyst for a different future for his kind… But that was for Lani to figure out on his own... And perhaps his Cuttlefish friend would think about it too, since she probably caught bits and pieces of what was being said. After all, she was a low class as well, and maybe the idea of not feeling so lowly would entice her own imagination. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 6, 2012 Aras sighed as he sank down onto a chair nearby. He never really was used to sea and the constant rocking of the boat always made his stomach sick. Why had he chosen to go on this war? Only for documentation, he had to remind himself of that constantly. At least it was morning and he could sit in some quiet before a bunch of noise would come into the air from both sea and ship. It was a bad time for sailors. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) A few minutes after the sun had risen above the horizon, the dolphin merman opened his dark purple eyes and stirred around for a bit as he stretched to get his blood circulating and limbs ready for today. Then he looked at his seal mermaid slave who was still asleep. He splashed water at her face and said, <Wake up, cow! It's morning; we have to go meet up with our squad to go sink some ships.> Glacies shook her head in irritation and groaned as she was rudely awakened by her owner. Oh how she hated that prick. She wished the humans would just kill him so that she can finally go back to the freedom she deserved. Glacies followed her master across the ocean as they swam to meet up with their group. Soon, they saw a group of thirteen mermaids, most of whom were O-class and a few C-classes, and went over to them. <Hello ladies!> the merman nobleman greeted them. The mermaids replied, <Hi, Diablos!> <Ready to go wreck some human ships?> the purple-haired nobleman asked. <We are, but first we need to eat some breakfast first,> said the black goby fish mermaid. <We should go hunt for some fish,> the salmon mermaid agreed. Diablos saw a ship (The LRS Riechsturmm) in the far distance and got a different idea. <Nah, forget the fish. We should go sink down that ship and steal all the food aboard it,> Diablos said. <And risk a few lives on an empty stomach?> asked Glacies. Her master turned to glare at her and barked, <Nobody asked for your opinion, you *!> The jellyfish mermaid made a mad face at the slave and said, <Yeah, we were never talking to you, so why do you have to run your dirty little mouth?> The salmon mermaid scolded, <Slaves should be seen, not heard!> Glacies closed her mouth and kept quiet. Why did she even bother getting in on the conversation? Let these dumb Atlantians play out their dumb ideas. After a few seconds of silence from Glacies, Diablos turned away from his slave and said, <So anyway, let's go destroy the ship now before it gets away with the food we could be eating.> The squad swam through the ocean until they got to the bottom of the ship. They slammed their tails against the iron hide of the ship and even tried to poke holes into it with their weapons, but unfortunately, the ship was too strong and durable for their attacks. <Ah ! We'll just have to eat the humans instead,> Diablos said. He and the others weren't looking forward to eating humans as they tasted nasty unlike the seafood and animal meat that they found delicious. He looked at Glacies and told her, <Alright cow, go above the surface and start luring their males into the sea.> Glacies did as she was told without question and up into the surface. She started singing a beautiful song in an attempt to lure out the sailors. ((I use < and > for mermaid dialogue and quotation marks " " for human language.)) Edited September 6, 2012 by Red Dragonette Share this post Link to post
Posted September 6, 2012 (Kyoko, if your character is going to be on my character's ship, I'd like to know x.x I was confused on your post because it wasn't very...specific. Also, you have to RP getting on the boat with me separately x.x) Ferdinand stared out into the ocean in the early morning light. Reminiscing his 'good old days'...he chuckled a little, he was too young to have good old days, and yet, war can make an old man out of a young one. He snapped to his senses when his navigator appeared from nowhere. "I decide to take a look at the maps for a minute... and I get a reprimand for it? I think I'm allowed to look at them too occasionally...this is my ship." Ferdinand turned back to the ocean. "Anyway, I've been out here too long...you've got to get your bearings out here every once in a while...or you'll lose it....you know what they say...alle Jubeljahre...Well...maybe you don't because you’re not….well….German...but you catch my drift. I’d rather be sane and considered paranoid than be insane and considered perfectly fine…" The Captain pulled his binocular from his coat and looked at the horizon. Once it was a thrill to do this, but now-a-days it seemed rather depressing. He put it away almost immediately, but not fast enough to pull any attention from his Navigator, he didn’t want an inquiry about it, and he definitely didn’t want to be drilled on his tendencies, not now at least….Not this early. He turned his head again. "I don't know if having every eye on the shore would help us at this rate...you'd think Gott be against us..." The reassurance was nice, but as a pessimist, he believed it would go negatively regardless of what they tried. "I don't think I'll ever see her again....She's probably dead by now...and if not, I'd think she'd remember me...especially if she still ha-" He cut himself off there, knowing not to give to much information out. "I know what you're trying to do, but I'm not telling you anything else about my...encounter...." He smiled at her. "Sneaky little Scott" Deep below the LRS Riechsturmm, it was apparently under attack. The Mermaids and men would find their initial efforts to be rather useless, the Iron hull of the boat was at least 6 inches thick in some places, at most 12. Strikes from tails wouldn't even produce a noise in the lower levels, striking on the ship with weapons may produce a minor disturbance for those working in the engine room and powder magazine, but weapons would also prove to be useless. Honestly, these attempts would be rather impressive, especially considering the fact that this ship was 700 feet in length and weighed around 21,000 gross-tons. Every ship, with the exception of the smaller interception ship, the LRS Heinhausen, were originally designed to carry groups of 4,000 from Europe to the Americas. Each ship carried 100 cannons or more, and each had an armed crew of 450. More importantly, Each ship was still being crewed by the night-ghost crew of 100, with only ten men on deck, and one in the bird's nest. As the mermaid began to sing, she would note how the men on the boat were rather far away, especially considering the fact that from the ocean to the deck is more than 50 feet. Her song would reach the ears of one young man, the boy scrubbing the deck, he would walk over to the edge, and right before falling into the water, scream as he came to and fell off the side of the deck. The Man in the Bird's nest would note this, and begin to crank the siren on his bird's nest, alerting all men to ready themselves, and more importantly, ready their weapons. A rapid commotion ensued as men awoke and readied rifles, cannons, and depth charges. A couple of men on the deck prepared for the order to drop charges. Ferdinand turned an about face and started running towards the other end of the boat, he pulled his binoculars and looked into the water. Waiting for a sign of mermaids and if they were hostile or peaceful. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) ~-~-~-~-~ @ Maus & Red ~-~-~-~-~ "Either tha', or "Gott" has something special in store for ye." The young girl would add to the conversation to try and give him a little more hope. Plus, who knew what the future held, right? His persistence would be rewarded, Màiri was sure of it… But when he started speaking about his supposed encounter, the Scott girl would quickly turn her entire attention to what he was saying. His words were very convincing, but it didn't last long… Noticing she had been caught trying to get more information out of his supposed encounter with one of the creatures, Màiri would give a light-hearted laugh and cross her arms. Clever Scott indeed…"One day, Captain! One day…" Admitting defeat with a nod, her green eyes would return to the sea, but not without whispering, "But for now, your half secret is safe with me…" A mischievous grin replaced her smile as she teased him and moved her gaze down the deck. But something caught her attention as her smile dropped and her form stepped to the side to peer around Ferdinand down the side of the ship over the deck. "Uh… Captain..?" As if to answer his possible question of what she was looking at, the scream of the young man that just fell overboard would cause Màiri to gasp, "What the 'ell?!" Throwing her arms up, she would push passed Ferdinand and run down the deck to the opposite end just like he did not a second after as the ship's Siren filled the air. Skidding to a stop where the young man fell, Màiri would grasp the side of the boat and lean over, her eyes narrowing as she searched for him, but would suddenly jerk back when she noticed the other creatures in the water.. But it was just a strange half human creature…like a Mermaid. Màiri would suddenly freeze as her mind rewound itself repeat that thought again. A Mermaid? A Mermaid?! "Captain! I.. I think ah believe ye now!" She would shout wearily over her shoulder as she stared wide-eyed at the Mermaid. Her arm would shakily rise to point out at what appeared to be a…well…Mermaid. Except instead of it having a lower fish half, it had a strange seal-like appearance. Edited September 6, 2012 by Lyxii Share this post Link to post
Posted September 7, 2012 ((Kyoko, you also need more to your post. Sorry for the delay, I have to type with only one hand. I have stitches on the other. Posts will be shorter until they come out since it hurts to type.)) Underneath all of his fur that made his tiny frame appear much chubbier, Lani blushed slightly. Maybe had had expeced something like that, honestly. He certainly wasn't expecting it to be as easy as just thinking one up. Following her hand, he looked up at the sky. It was much brighter now and red and orange was starting to creep over the horizon line. It was so beautiful, as all sunrises were. He loved them. The look of the clouds, the ball of light rising up over the horizon line. Everything was so pretty and peaceful and it made him help forget his social class for a few moments until he was hit for slacking off when he should be working. Glancing back down when Proïoxis lifted her head up again, he frowned. She was a noble, right? The lure on her head suggested otherwise but she looked like an orca overall. That made her nobility. But, she sounded as if she was suggesting he try to escape. That was impossible, right? Right? Lani frowned at Proïoxis, trying to consider what she really meant. Offering something like that was absurd, right? Anyone from that class would never do it. Unless she wanted him dead or something. But she seemed so nice! His eyes flickered up to the glowing lure and he stared at it silently until the Cuttlefish glided over and stuck her head above the water. "I'm sorry to interrupt," the Cuttlefish started, obviously humbled by Proïoxis's look early. She was holding the spear awkwardly and moving it from webbed hand to webbed hand, staring down at the water below. "But it is sunrise now. The Sl-.... Lani has to get to work. Neith will be cross with me otherwise." Lani stared at the Cuttlefish Mermaid then smiled and turned back to Proïoxis. "It was very nice talking to you," he said with a wide grin. "I'll take your words to heart and see if I can find a purpose." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 7, 2012 ((Sorry for not replying yesterday, I was feeling a bit sick from having to dump a guy I wasn't interested in.)) Glacies's song might not have reached the ears of many humans but it did get to that one boy who fell overboard. After he fell into the water with a splash, the squad looked up to see the scrubber sinking below the surface. <Here's one! Lets get him before he swims away,> said the nobleman. The mermaids swam to him and started tearing the boy apart with their claws and sharp teeth. Blood flowed to the surface and turned a patch of water red. The mermaids ate the boy until he was nothing but bones. Glacies saw the humans above aiming their weapons and cannons at her and was nervous by this. Her master rose above the surface and said, <Good job, slave. Keep that song of yours going and we'll have all the humans off the ship.> <Uh master, I don't think they're going to buy it anymore,> Glacies said as she pointed up to the humans. The dolphin merman looked up at them and said, <, why didn't you tell us they were this high up? Crap, now we got to retreat and bring in some reinforcements. Come on cow, let's go.> They went underwater to the other mermaids and the merman said to them, <Bad news girls, we got a ship that was taller than it looked and there are many humans above. We can't face them like this, we need some extra help.> <But what about the ship?> asked the mermaid. <Just put throw a few rocks into its wheels to stop it,> said the merman. So the mermaids threw the rocks into the paddlewheels to keep the ship from moving. <Now some of you wait here while I go get the other squads,> said the merman before he, Glacies, and two other mermaids went to get help, while the rest of them stayed behind to look after the dhip and attack any humans who go into the water or go near the wheels. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 7, 2012 ((Sorry. >.> And yes, I was planning on having him on your ship with your character but I didn't know how you'd feel about so I didn't mention it.)) Okanse finally reached Atlantis when she spotted her flounder. She held out an arm as the small fish nibbled at her hand before following her to her home. When the occasional merman looked her way she puffed out a little of air out of her blowhole and swam faster. After finally making her way across the cross crossing mermaids she sat down in a particular rock that she had laid on for years. As she was laying, a group of mermaids swam by chattering about the latest ship they sank. Okanse had to scout for ships later, and report back, but she just wanted to sit in peace. She looked to the left and tugged on a piece of kelp swaying in the current. A year ago, she would be content here. "Stupid humans." She muttered to herself and tore off the piece of kelp and let it go. She swished her tail as she watched the kelp float away in the current. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 Blood started to fill the water, the distinct smell filled the air. The Mermaid's reaction was not exactly what Ferdinand had expected, mostly because he had expected the people to be peaceful or docile due to their already harsh life. He whispered to himself "Damn, I thought this might happen". He was a scientist, but at the same time, he was a military man. He had his orders. After putting away his binoculars, he pulled the revolver from his side and fired two rounds randomly into the water. There was no way of telling if they'd hit something; the water was filled with blood. Instinctively, the already jumpy sailors finished preparing their weapons. Ferdinand looked to his left and right, then shouted to his men "FEUER FREI, FIRE FREELY". All the men along the side of the boat fired into the water, their high velocity rounds would only penetrate thirty or so feet into the water, but would be deadly until they reached 30 feet. The commander walked towards the depth charges, then told his men to release their first charges. Ten large barrels of gunpowder, covered in a tar to seal them, fell into the ocean, then exploded. These explosions were amplified by the physics affect known as Charles' Law. Their shock waves would do three times the damage. Rocks from nowhere appeared to be thrown at the Paddle wheels, but this would not have a blocking affect. The mechanics for the paddle wheels are on the inside of the ship, they can not be 'blocked' from the outside. If a mermaid or man had to come up from the water to throw their rock, they would face a volley of rounds from at least ten men. Ferdinand walked at a rather brisk pace to the signal flag system, and signaled the other ships in the group to wake the men and ready for combat. The distinct acknowledgement flag flew from every ship. Ferdinand returned and spoke to Màiri, "You get below deck or you pick up a rifle. Fight or stay safe, it's up to you." The commander returned to the boat side, where men were still unloading rounds into the water. He shouted "HALT, STOP FIRE". He waited with his revolver aimed at the water. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) ~-~-~-~-~ @ Pudding/Whoever else wants to respond. ~-~-~-~-~ Proïoxis would turn her gaze to the Cuttlefish, her orange eyes studying her change in behavior after their first encounter. Though she had been doing her job, Proïoxis felt a small flicker of sympathy for snapping like that. But as Nobles were, they did like to assert their dominance on occasion. But for the most part, the Noble was really easy going. “That is understandable. I wouldn't want this Neith to cross with either of you.” Giving a small nod to the Cuttlefish, her attention would shift to Lani as he spoke again. He seemed happier, which was good. Being around other happy individuals naturally made others happy. “But heed my word of caution, Lani...” Those bright orange eyes would dart to the Cuttlefish once again to address her as well, “I am not angry at you, and I hope that you too can find your way in this war...” A little kindness went a long way, Proïoxis knew this concept very well. It had benefited her a couple times in the past... “Take care, both of you. I sense a storm brewing on the horizon...” Though she spoke metaphorically, there did seem to be a few heavy clouds lingering where the sun had started to rise, the golden rays of light it gave off appeared solid in the foggy air... Giving one last smile to Lani, and a slight nod to the Cuttlefish, Proïoxis would sink below the surface and vanish, her powerful tail stirring the water in her wake as she rotated her body and dove deeper, vanishing out of sight... Today, she would have no particular direction to go, except for where the tide seemed to gently coax her.. As the sun slowly crept higher into the sky, Proïoxis would continue to travel alone, her form only occasionally breaking the surface to replenish her lungs with fresh air before dipping below the deep blue that made up her home. Though she had no particular direction to be heading, she couldn't help feel slightly uncomfortable out there all by herself....and for a moment, she considered returning Atlantis. ~-~-~-~-~ @ Maus & Red ~-~-~-~-~ Still shocked by what she was looking at, Màiri would lean over once again after addressing her captain only to see the young lad yanked below the surface. “Oh...” And then the water turned red. “Och mai god... They're eatin' him?” Clearly disturbed as she verbally announced her obvious observation, Màiri would slowly start to back away from the edge of the ship when the other Mermaid surfaced, her hand rising to hover in front of her mouth as she turned to face her captain. There was one thing this Scott was sure of, and that was that fact that no one on this ship had any idea that these creatures – who were nothing but a myth five minutes ago – were out for their blood... Or at least, she didn't think so. Hell, she didn't even think they existed until now! But this observation would mean the stories of ships being sunk were true, and the swimmers going missing were true. It had really been the Mermaids. But why?! Màiri, though experienced in many things, was not prepared for this. Not at all. Especially when it came to watching one of her crew mates get devoured by a bunch of sea-monsters. But she held her breakfast down and awaited her orders. If these beasts wanted to play War, she was sure Ferdinand would be on top of that faster than she finished this thought. And he sure as hell was. When he fired off his rounds, Màiri would pull out her own pistols as well and join the rest of the men firing into the water, however... she would stop and wait this time. If she was going to fire a shot, she was going to make it count. Ferdinand's options made the Scott chuckle as she shook her head but kept staring at the water. “Aye, Captain. Ye know I like to get me h'nds dirty.” A little killing of some feisty water beasties could probably become quite a good past time now that she thought about it. “Ah hope yur fish friend isn' down thaer though..” Edited September 8, 2012 by Lyxii Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 As far as Lynne was concerned, the day did not start until long after the sun came up. Although she was the princess, her father took care of most of the duties. In fact, her only job was to lead a small group of Mermaids out to sink ships but they tended to move at night when most humans aboard ships were sleeping and they could sink the ships without much difficulty. Still, like many marine creatures, her slumber was more of a light nap. So when her lateral line sensed a faint vibration in the water, the Mermaid's eyes snapped open. What had that been? It had been very, very faint like the source was from very far away but it was still there. And the smell. It too was faint but she could certainly smell blood. Her nose was hardly ever wrong about these sort of things as well. The smell of blood was unmistakable. Shooting off the sandy floor of the room she called her own, Lynne scowled and rapidly moved throughout the palace until she was in the open ocean. The smell was much stronger now. That was the unmistakable stench of blood. That vibration she had felt was still curious but this... well, this was even more interesting. But caution came first. Turning away quickly, Lynne glanced around then swam out of the palace circle until she was where the nobles lived in a tight ring around the palace. Spying a Mermaid that belonged to her group, she darted over quickly and grabbed the other's arm. "Araxie!" Lynne barked. The Blue Whale Mermaid turned and looked at her then yelped as the princess dragged her away from her home, towards the open water, following her nose. Her powerful tail moved back and forth from side to side as the Blue Whale Mermaid's tail moved up and down as it struggled to keep up. "Where are we going?" The Mermaid asked in confusion. Lynne was silent for a moment before the Mermaid sniffed the water, her face instantly contorting as she frowned. "Is that blood?" she asked, looking forward at Lynne. "Are you taking me towards blood? Why didn't you take your brother? You know that's gross!" "Shush," Lynne snapped as she paused, glancing around as she confirmed they were going in the right direction. "Go look above the water and see if anything is around," Lynne ordered, looking at the other. The Blue Whale Mermaid sighed then swam up to the surface. She glanced around then quickly swam back down, a look of alarm on her face. "There's a whole bunch of human things nearby!" she declared nervously. The looked really big. And much stronger than the normal ones they sunk. "Let's go away from here," she whispered, trying to pull Lynne back to Atlantis. Lynne frowned and remained firm, refusing to be pulled back. "How far away are they?" she asked, scowling. "I dunno. Let's just go." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 Glacies's group heard gunshots and bullets shooting into the water. Their hearts quickened with alert and the dolphin merman said, <They're shooting at us! Let's get out of here!> So they all swam faster than ever to escape and deeper under the water to hide themselfs from the humans. One of the mermaids got shot and wounded. Her blood rose from her bullet wound to the surface. The other mermaid grabbed the wounded and pulled her by the hand to take her with them. The mermaids who stayed behind, went underneath the boat to protect themselves from the bullets. They were safe until the barrels of gunpower fell into the ocean. The explosions killed the mermaids and their bodies floated lifelessly to the surface. After waking up from his bed, Krontos went to his coral throne and sat there until the huntress mermaids returned with a big fish for him to eat and a bunch of small fish for this bull sharks to eat. <Here's your breakfast, your majesty,> said the huntress leader. <Thank you, I'll be sure to eat that right away,> said Krontos. The huntresses left and the king and his bull sharks started to eat their meals. When they were half-way through, a faint vibration flowed through the water. 'What was that?' King Krontos wondered what caused the vibration. Then he smelled a faint trace of human blood. To Krontos, it was a smell of victory. <Another ship sunken I hope. Once the humans know how dangerous we merfolk can be, they had better stay off of our waters for good,> he said. Glacies's group saw Princess Lynne in sight and went over to her. <Ah Princess Lynne, it's good to see you. Listen, we got ourselves a big fat boat in sight and fifteen mermaids alone aren't enough to take it down. We're going to need like a hundred or more of us to sink it,> the nobleman said to her. 'Why not use a blue whale for that? It's much larger and stronger than a hundred mermaids combined,' Glacies wanted to tell him that, but she didn't want to interrupt her master while he was talking or else risk getting scratched by him. A blue whale or a few might be enough to turn over the giant ship and bring the humans into the water where the mermaids will kill them. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 Fifteen mermaids was not enough? What sort of boat was this? Was it not like the wooden boats they saw very often? It should only take a handful of mermaids to sink a boat. Even though she was afraid of the human boats, she was very, very curious. Against her better judgement, she wanted to look! "I'll send my friend back for reinforcements," she said, deciding to take charge. Motioning to the Blue Whale Mermaid she flicked her tail back towards Atlantis and the Mermaid quickly zoomed off, towards the Palace for reinforcements. "This group will remain with me," she added moving towards the bottom of the ocean. They had to be careful and stick along the bottom so the human weapons would not reach them. Turning her head to the noble, she motioned with her hand for him to move with her, along with everyone else. "Lead the way back to the boat. I want to see myself that this ship cannot be sunk just by stabbing it like we normally do. Just stay low. We don't want them to see we are coming back and humans don't seem to have good vision like we do." Gliding across the ground rapidly, her eyes flickered up to the surface of the water. She could see forms floating near the surface in the distance. Even from this far away, the ships looked and smelled different. That smell of the mysterious hard substance humans usually built their ships out of was gone. She couldn't smell it at all. Was it made of something different? Hurrying to the Palace, the Blue Whale Mermaid glanced around then swam up to the guards blocking the way inside. "I need to get in!" she said, glancing over her shoulder. She had swam as fast as she could and was nearly out of breath now. The guards looked at her suspiciously then moved aside. If it had been anyone else, they would have disagreed and blocked the way. But the girl was a noble so she could go inside without a problem. The Mermaid shot past them and hurried past a group of huntress Mermaids leaving the throne room. Slowing down, she gulped then slowly moved inside the throne room. The King and his pets were eating. "Your Majesty," she called out hesitantly, lowering her head. "Lynne sent me. She is requesting a group of mermaids to go sink a human ship that has come very close to Atlantis." Share this post Link to post
Posted September 8, 2012 As the depth charges exploded, the LRS Reichsturmm shook greatly and the men on the deck stumbled about. Ferdinand looked around the ship's side, he saw the kills raise from their watery grave. After pulling his revolver out and shooting two of the dead merpeople once to be sure, he turned to give orders to his men. "Two in the water, dead, retrieve them with the crane, Tell the engine room to go all ahead full in two minutes, we're going back to Iceland! Incremental depth charges, ever two minutes I want a barrel off the side. Relay that to the other ships." The men jumped into action and pulled the merpeople on board with a net. The engine lurched to life and pushed the paddlewheels to life. The fleet of boats quickly reached 20 knots (about 23 Mph) and retreated to Iceland. Every two minutes the four boats of the ship dropped two depth charges of their sides, creating much disruption in the waters. This made following the boats at close range almost impossible, unless the mermaids remained out of the blast range, they would still receive wounds to any pressurized organs, specifically any ears or eyes. Ferdinand signaled for the fast interceptor of the fleet, the LRS Heinhausen to constantly circle the fleet and fire upon anything they saw. The Heinhausen's record number of engines surged to full speed. It was the fastest of any iron-defended ship in existence, with a top speed of 35 knots, it could well out-run the slower frigates. In an hour the ships were in the shallow water dry-dock port in Iceland, safe from anything in the ocean, and under inspection in the dry-port. Share this post Link to post
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