Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292 
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Oct 19, 2023 16:36:13 GMT -5
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Oct 19, 2023 16:39:49 GMT -5
Avast! Is there any joy greater than stepping onto the road and letting it carry you beyond familiar places, beyond places you thought you knew, beyond places the road itself knows? Step past the edge of the map, where the last tendrils of ink give way to whiteness; go where there be dragons and wind-roses scrawled in corners by vexed cartographers. For people to be people, one needs those empty spaces to exist on maps, and some souls are drawn to them more than others.
“Avast!” shouted Nina, in her little boat cutting the waves, but she was so far away from civilization and so full with glee, that it sounded more like the cry of a bird. Her boat flew over the sky-dappled sea like a wing, and that was its namesake. Wing was what is known as an umiak, a boat made of hide stretched over a wooden frame, light enough to carry on her shoulders, woven from twigs like a basket and sharpened for speed. At the prow it had a curved mast, barely reaching above her head, and the sail was a large oval leaf in the colours of autumn. The hide itself was black, feathered on the outside and glinting metallic, since it was the wing of a giant shrike that Gray had helped hunt and had an artisan secretly preserve. Nina had only seen it one day before departure.
All sails up! The sea was all around her, cries of gulls and smell of salt, walled in by islands or peninsulas on either side, and Nina could still barely believe it. Who would have thought that a river would cross from sea to sea? That was not how rivers worked. It still wasn't, and she supposed one might better describe the flatlands she'd crossed as one giant delta, of which Argentium was one branch and the thinner Black River another, splitting off on opposite sides of a deep lake.
Look – a single drop of water trickling down her forearm, as she adjusted the sail, then vanishing into salt. That was about as much information as had been known about the course of the Argentium prior. Early on in the Isran settlement of the new world, there had been an expedition upriver. Keph's detailed sketches of strange jungle cats, amphibious and scaled, toothed and clawed, would attest for it. Ultimately, the dangers of the river and the lack of any obviously valuable resources had presumably forestalled further exploration.
Some moths, Nina thought, are drawn to the flame.
She had left with the salmon. As the fat, beaked fish started to make their way upstream, she followed, hoping that their abundance would distract the predators. She left with the tide, as the river flowed backwards, left with the full moon, left with the afternoon breeze landwards and sailed all through the night. At first she would sleep in homesteads, in camps, delivering messages and parcels for those souls too wild to settle in the Port. 'Father, I got married. Auntie, hope you are doing well. Won't you be cold up there during the winter? I am sending a blanket. Doofus, you owe me money. Pay back.' She shared people's silences and their stories of strange swimmers in the river with fishlike tails. Soon, she would be on her own. And enough adventures were had that Nina later would go hoarse recounting them in front of a campfire.
She sailed back in time, into summer. Summer and heavy rain, and it would be a rare day when Nina felt dry. On these seas, weather could turn as quickly as she turned her leaf-sail. She kept close to the shores. There were strange plants here, useful plants. Sometimes there were waves larger than her boat. And it was all eerily empty. Nina went on.
The empty space on a map was the brightest light there could be.
Alas! One day, yesterday, she saw the city. It was a city that could not exist. Too white, it shined in the last sunrays of the evening. Too large, it spread until she could see it from the shore of the island opposite. In her dreams that night, it grew even more magical. Perhaps it was just limestone cliffs eroded into funny shapes. Perhaps, Nina pondered with a knot in her stomach, she had stepped so far from civilization that reality started fraying at the seams.
She should head back, she thought, curling in her damp blanket. She was cold.
The next morning, Nina set sail under a rainbow.
Closer by, the city was even grander than her dreams. She reached out to touch a column – marble. White stone and white marble. Her red-sailed, black-feathered boat slowly drifted between monumental columns, across the silent reflections of tower-like buildings covered in sculptures and greenery. Nina felt warmth drip down her cheek. It was one of the most beautiful cities she had ever been in. It was also a ruin.
The sea had taken it. The jungle claimed what was left. Would it reveal anything about the new world's history? Who knew. The traveller struggled to tell how much of what she saw in the water was reflections, and how much was the city stretching much deeper down. Schools of colourful fish seemed to reflect the flocks of birds crying above. Overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, Nina guided her boat to a half-covered indoor space. A garden? A theatre? A stadium? Now, no one knew.
It would provide shelter.
Mooring Wing, Nina listened to her steps echoing on marble. The emptiness felt like cotton wool pressed against her ears. Maybe she was the only person left in the world. The girl took a deep breath. Grabbed her spear, and disrobed. Maybe she just needed to get some breakfast.
Water. Bubbles of air. She moved as if in a dream. Spear in hand, half-swimming, half-walking, Nina followed the fish out of the building and went down.
Deeper down.
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Nov 13, 2023 17:01:38 GMT -5
Molenya had made herself at home in the flooded ruins, and was starting to become a local. It had taken a few months to find her groove, but after staking a claim on a home and setting it up just the way she liked, it had become more than comfortable. While she enjoyed the hubbub of the main city, and the excitement of meeting friends, new and old, in its streets, she had chosen a home a little more out of the way, where it was peaceful, quiet, and most notably less cramped. While she was flexible and her fish-like rear half was more than articulate, her total length made it a little claustrophobic in some of the city’s narrower streets. Something she hoped to remedy in time.
Regardless, she lazily swam through the quiet outer streets, enjoying the beams of sunlight that cast shimmering caustics across the ancient, sandy, cobbled streets that her lower fins barely skimmed over. She hummed merrily to herself, one hand extended and flowing with the current, while the other held the strap to the satchel that sat by her side, laden with various pieces of undersea flora that she needed to fulfil an order or two, a bit just to restock, and some for her lunch. She hadn’t anticipated Barnacle Itch or Sand Rash to be as common as it was, but she earned a nice little living trading their treatments, so keeping the ingredients stocked was paramount.
She listened to the sounds of the ocean around her, the bubbling of creatures skimming across the surface, the swishing of fish as they schooled through the mid regions of the ruins, and the very distant voices that carried on the currents. All of them made up the soundtrack of the undersea life, and one that Molenya would never get enough of.
But then there was a new sound. More bubbles, a slight splash, the unnatural, slightly uncoordinated shifting of perhaps limbs? Perhaps a creature had jumped in to catch a fish from the surface? Her curiosity piqued and she took a detour, shifting to the right and heading down a new street, one that may be a small detour in getting home, but one that was still familiar.
Then a new sensation hit her, the smell that carried on the current, one she hadn’t smelled in what felt like forever. What was it? Kanjuba weed? Enith coral? A gassy turtle? No, it wasn’t any of them, it was much more familiar. It took her several moments to put these new things together, but it clicked as soon as she saw it. Her green eyes lit up and her lopsided grin tugged at her cheeks as she looked over the source of the noise and smell. Two arms, tanned skin, hair decorated with beads, and most importantly, a pair of legs.
Her language wouldn’t be understood by the creature, but her squeal of excitement would certainly carry. A landwalker! Down there! It’d been so long! While excited however, she didn’t take into account how different they were. While her top half was certainly human and similar enough to the landwalker, even without the mole on her breast and the jagged scars at her side, the differences were more than obvious, and certainly more apparent than the gills under her ribs that flapped with each breath.
From just below her hips sprouted a long, shark-like tail, with a light blue, soft underside, and a striped and spotted back. Powerful fins jutted out all along her tail, but most notable was her sizable dorsal fin and caudal fins, both boasting a powerful build, despite her slender form.
Then of course, as the caustic patterns of the water above hit her skin just right, the human may notice a slight change in colour, a trick of the eye perhaps? Or patterns that were, for the moment, hidden…?
Molenya seemed to say something, but unlike when she spoke to her kind her words would quickly be lost to the water. She smirked and placed her hand to her forehead, then rolled her eyes, realising the error in her ways, then promptly pointed up to the water’s surface.
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Nov 14, 2023 15:13:54 GMT -5
In the water, she felt like flying. A few strong kicks pushed Nina below the surface; when she got deep enough, at about the same level that her stomach did a little roll, she reached the point where she started sinking on her own. Her hands and feet brushed against what had once been door-frames, or windowsills, as she leaped her way through a wall and across it. Light was dappled, as if she'd fallen into a watercolour painting; some marble shined even brighter than above, while some stone had been reduced to strange sponge-like outgrowths inhabited by anemones. A little something struck one of her braids – not a fish, but a little alga that, in her hand, looked oddly enough braided. Nina simply accepted it. Here, everything moved a bit slower. Her thoughts. Her heartbeat. All was peaceful, with not a single sound.
Except for one.
She turned before even registering it fully. Later, she would think it reminded her a bit of her father's friend, a wild and jolly orca. But here, now, there was a woman. A shark. A shark-woman, with a lot of shark in her. Nina's eyes went wide. No air escaped her lips. From the corner of her eyes, the traveller caught the spear the other was holding, better crafted than her improvised weapon was. The shark-woman siren gestured her up, and Nina leaped. She darted in zigzag, her back to the wall, barely slowing down enough before striking the surface to avoid getting the bends.
She had ended in another room, coughing, a room oval and wide, with stone benches rising from the water around a massive hole in the floor. Nina pushed herself up a few of the giant steps, struggling with dizziness and holding on to her spear. The had been those stories, hadn't there? And that young man – that fisherman – in Port Argentium, he had disappeared, after being rumoured to meet a lady who came from the sea...
Nina girl had grown up on a ship sailing the seas. She knew all about sirens.
“I...I won't be drawn by your song down into the depths and drown!” She struck the butt of the spear down, and turned with her back to the stone. With the fist holding the weapon, and with her other hand, with her knees folded as a shield in front of her, she covered her ears. Was this what happened to this city, she wondered. A heart-rending song, flesh-rending teeth, being pulled down into darkness and waves? She spoke loudly, staring in fear at the sea of green reflections. “I'm not just any sailor, to be lured with the promise of a kiss! And, and-” Nina gasped. “I...I have breasts too! So that can't sway me! There you go!”
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Nov 20, 2023 14:18:44 GMT -5
Perhaps the legged, mud strider’s reaction should have been expected, but in Molenya’s glee in finally coming across one she found herself disappointed by the display. She watched as the naked human darted away, jumping from wall to wall as she ascended, trying to evade an attack that never once crossed Molenya’s mind.
She seemed to look into the distance for a moment, rolled her eyes, then lazily followed the human up towards the surface, an opening in a building to be exact, one she wasn’t familiar with. Still, with her spear dragging behind her, she followed.
Molenya breached a few moments after Nina and watched curiously as she scrambled away, coughing and hacking. She took the moment of what seemed to be insanity to ready herself for the air of the above ground. She took one last breath of water, then raised herself from the water and pushed it from her gills, causing the water to ripple and babble around her for a moment, and once cleared the gills closed themselves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her mouth, filling her lungs and bringing them back to life, completing the switch over. She forcefully blew the air from her nostrils, clearing them of debris and salt, then tested her breathing normally. Ah, above ground air, so sweet, so tangy, so salty, so… human.
Speaking of, the human was still babbling nonsensical nonsense. At least it was in Common, Molenya could work with that. She rolled her eyes again as she propped her head up on an elbow and flapped her hand like a mouth while rolling her head from side to side, goodness the human could go on. Siren this, drown that, sailor here, breasts there, she’d heard it all before. Less so the last, but it was amusing nonetheless.
Once the human had finally stopped panic-ranting enough for Molenya to get a word in, she spoke. Her voice was human enough, if a little raspy from the changing of breathing methods, but it quickly cleared up into a clear, but husky tone. “First of all,” she said in accented Common. “Yes, you do, and they’re wonderful. You say that like I don’t like girls.”
She hefted herself up and curved her tail, which formed like a rear and legs that continued into the water, and sat on the edge of the opening, making her bangles and trinkets jingle as she moved. Then she hung the strap of her satchel on the end of her spear and laid it out on the stone floor, so the satchel remained under water.
“Second of all, are you done?” she asked, reaching up and wringing out her hair for a moment. “Cool. Common tongue too, I can work with that.” She haphazardly threw her hair to one side, then smiled a lopsided smile at Nina. “Y’know, I think some folk would be offended if you went around thinking we’re all murderous sirens. My singing isn’t exactly what people would call alluring. The only ones I know are mostly old bar songs, and most aren’t appropriate for pleasant company.” She leaned back and looked Nina up and down. “Oh c’mon, I’m not gonna hurt you, ground-pounder. I’m just excited to meet a human again after so long.”
She gave her a friendly wave and her smile tugged at her cheeks. “Name’s Molenya, but people call me Mols or Molly. What’s a girl like you doing on our shores anyway, I figured if there were any humans around you’d all be way far inland, where I can’t get to without a real deep river.” Then she winked. “Apparently you’re not here for the promise of a kiss, but I’m open to the idea.”
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Nov 28, 2023 15:49:50 GMT -5
It turned out that putting a fist over her ear did not block much of what was said, especially since much of it came in a universal language of irreverent gestures. A snort of saltwater from the siren, a flash of wavy hair, a comment about liking girls, and all Nina could muster was a “huh...” before her overwhelmed senses pushed her into silence. The traveller was not completely unaware, given that her own mother would take all sorts of lovers, of the many forms attraction could take. But none of...everything, made sense when trying to place it on the map of warnings sketched by the old sea stories.
Carefully, Nina uncurled and slid onto the large step below, keeping her distance however. She stretched onto a patch of sun-warmed stone, on her front side, so that their faces would be at about the same level. One heel balanced through the air. The other's words and cheeky demeanour felt reassuring. But was it not just another kind of charm, the sort that would work better on her than the otherworldly lust of the legends? She had left her spear behind, but flared her magic. For a moment the sun was warmer, the salt saltier, Molenya's shark knees impossibly softer-looking and sparkling at the edges, but the sea-person's face did not open into teeth and tentacles and lunge at her as one would expect from rattling an illusion out of their mind.
“I don't think I'm the kissing type.” Nina admitted, while her breathing calmed down. “I've travelled from far away. The farthest that I know of.” The girl spoke cautiously . Sir Rudiger was but an island away, but she would not betray the knight's presence just yet. Yet her caution could not fully contain her pride. “I am Nina, the travelling painter!” It could not contain her curiosity. Her joy. “So Molly, you and your people...how do you call you people? Is 'sirens' a bad word?” A full civilization! She fumbled, almost forgetting to breathe before jumping on to the next question, “...you've been shipwrecked too? Wait.” Her fingers folded in front of her face, as if trying to untangle the mess she'd made of herself. “Can't have ships underwater, can you. Cast...” She tried, “away? Did you go through the Mist?”
Her face felt red. She felt too exposed, though not in body, for only Israns would think of wearing clothes when going swimming, silly souls, and it wasn't like in Port Argentium, where some young men found Nina coming ashore after salvage dives in the harbour as some sort of entertainment, but exposed in mind and soul. Mud-strider, ground-pounder...Her heart beat faster. By a coincidence that felt more than, they matched the secret name that kept her alive. Did she know?
Walker Upon the Ground.
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Dec 3, 2023 8:20:13 GMT -5
Molenya stayed silent as she listened to all of Nina’s questions, but her expression spoke volumes. Her eyes blinked with each question and her eyebrows raised, surprised with the sheer amount of questions after she’d been so afraid just a moment previously. This Nina would be a weird one, but weird was the most important thing Molenya looked for in new friends. Normal people were oh so boring…
When she finally finished, Molenya took a deep breath and exhaled. “You’re fulla questions, ain’t you?” she asked, leaning back as the lopsided smile returned to her face. She then raised a hand and counted her questions off on her finger as she answered them. “First of all, that’s a shame.” She hadn’t expected smooching, but she couldn’t help but comment. “Second, nice to meet you, Nina the human. I’m kind of a painter too!” Some would claim that to be inaccurate, but Molenya figured that, while niche, she certainly counted.
“Three. That one’s a bit more complicated,” she said before mulling it over. She spoke silently as she figured out the wording, then clapped her hands as she sat upright again. “Alright! Lets try this. So as a whole we’re Tueima.” That was much less complicated. “But…” There it is. “MY kind are a little different. Well… most Tueima are different. My kind are kind of distant cousins, my people used to live pretty close to a human occupied island. Hold on, my grandpa told me the tale…” she stopped for a moment to remember it as close as she could. “Apparently we looked a lot like the uh… I dunno, average Tueima?” She shrugged at that, as if Nina would know. “Which scared the humans, go figure, which sucked because we needed stuff from the surface at the time and couldn’t get it.”
“So, the story goes,” she continued. “Out of desperation my folk made the decision to change some of our people to be more approachable to the ground pounders. A select bunch, my grandpa’s family included, were chosen to change. Their colours were muted to match your colours, extra bits and scrungles were absorbed to match you, those who didn’t already have it grew hair, and we sort of became part human, human bits included.” She pointed at her chest for that one. She was one of the few she’d met down below with human breasts, and she was quite proud of them. “We even learned Common. Of course we kept enough to remain Tueima, and y’know, swim.” She flicked her tail, causing the water around it to ripple and slosh across the watery portal. “It helped, and we started living alongside your people!”
“So, uh… Tueima,” she said, concluding her little story. “But we’re all real different down there. Some folk match the stories, but they’re pretty chilled out if you aren’t threatening them. Ha, you’ll probably freak when you meet Barry. That’ll be fun.” She gave a little wink at that, then giggled, imagining Nina, who was scared at a half human Tueima, meeting her Orca-like guardian.
“...what was the fourth one?” she asked for a moment, losing her train of thought. “Oh! Sirens, some are offended, some aren’t. I don’t care, it's like when I call you guys ground walkers, mud steppers, dirt kickers. Not really worth getting your tits in a twist, is it?” she asked. She certainly had spent time around sailors… “I’m not the best person to ask if something’s offensive, I find most of those names kinda funny. Like fish-folk, it always tickles my sides. If you’re stuck, Tueima is a safe bet, but you’re better off learning peoples’ names.”
“What are we at, fifth? Hoo boy.” She stopped for a moment to breath then cleared her throat, dislodging something momentarily. Oh, salt crystal, that’s what that was! One of the joys of breathing sea water her whole life. “Shipwrecked, good one.” She raised an eyebrow, but was clearly amused. “I swam under it, duh.” As if it wasn’t obvious! “But it was… real weird. Like, beyond the mist the world flooded, my kind were having a field day with it. Lots of exploring. Well, I heard about this place as a rumour and thought ‘eh fuck it’, and set off. Everyone else was, might as well go myself.” She gestured to the half sunk town around them. “Baddabing, here we are. The mists though, they kinda seeped under water, messed with the currents. There’s some bad juju in it, dunno if I’ll be going back through it any time soon.” She peered out the empty window beyond Nina’s shoulder and out across the coast. That ever present wall still hung over the horizon. “Someone’s god must’ve been reeeeeal pissed or something.”
Finally, she looked back at Nina. “You got a sixth question, ground walker? What the rest of us are like? How does our governance work? Do we reproduce like humans or fish? What my first cousin twice removed’s middle name is? Its Tumeka’ha’luama, for the record. Maybe. I think?” she looked down for a moment, trying to remember, then shrugged. “Let's go with yes.”
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Dec 16, 2023 17:18:57 GMT -5
She wanted to believe. She wanted so hard to trust that here, after having run so far with the golems' shadow looming over her shoulders, she had found peace. To trust that people's inclination to kindness and cooperation balanced out their capacity for systematic cruelty. And it tore at her.
Knuckles white, Nina struggled to focus. Was Molenya simply telling her what she wanted to hear? Her mind was fuzzy, in the face of the other's cheeky demeanour, flustered, awkward. There was more under the surface, Nina knew. It was in the nature of sea stories. No one would be indifferent to the death of people one had known for years, especially if the flood had been slow enough, Nina thought with a twinge of guilt, that the underwater denizens would be blamed for it...just as she herself had considered. But that was not a story the ground-walker was owed.
“I take pride in those names,” Nina quietly asserted. “For I have walked upon the ground for a long time.” And: “I would love to see your art.”
The traveller gazed at the sea, with its dazzling reflections, with longing. Yes, she wanted to ask, to know more, more, though perhaps not exactly the questions that Molenya had suggested, although now that she's mentioned it, how did they...? No – the girl breathed in – 'more' was the wrong word. To be a person meant to relate. In a new relationship, one must tread softly.
Nina wiggled her toes.
“Is there anything I could help with?” She asked.
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Feb 4, 2024 17:10:16 GMT -5
“Yah,” Molenya said in a strange, curt way. “Id say your whole life.” She raised the wide finned end of her tail out of the water to make a point. “Probably since you got those legs for your birthday all those years ago.” Then she lowered her tail back into the water, but carefully as to not splash. At the mention of her art though, she grinned. “You'll uh…” she peered out of the broken ceiling dome of the building she’d apparently chased Nina up into, and the daylight beyond. “You'll need to wait for nightfall. My art’s better in the dark, and I know what you're gonna say…” she raised a hand to cut Nina off, in case she wanted to state what was obvious to Molenya. “Just trust me. It's better. You'll see.”
Then she watched Nina, and the thoughts that seemed to churn in her mind. In the quiet, she leaned down and rested her head on her stacked hands, trying to read Nina’s thoughts, but instead the only thought that came to mind was how darn cute that naked human was, with her legs and little wiggly toes and her face all scrunched up on thought.
Finally, a question came, and for a moment Molenya didn't know how to answer it. “Uh…” she lifted herself up and blinked. “Down there? No, I think. At least, not me, I've got my stuff handled. It's pretty low stress down there to be honest, people just kinda leave me to my devices.” Then she grinned. “Oh! Actually!” She clapped her human hands together. “Ideeeaaa. So I do - hold on…” she looked down into the water where her bag hung and quickly dove in to rummage around in it. She soon pulled out a couple of jars. “I'm kind of an alchemist - did I mention that before? Anyway, I make all sorts of stuff with undersea plants and herbs, some real neat stuff.” She places the liquid filled jars down, each a different consistency and colour. “But I'm seriously limited by what's under and above water. I wanna get stuck into some ground herbs to spice things up a bit, but I can't go real far.”
“You wanna help me get some? We can get up to some serious healing and good vibes together. Maybe even some mischief!” Then she gave a wild eyed giggle. “Ooooooh this could be so much fun!”
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Feb 14, 2024 13:51:43 GMT -5
Nina felt compelled to inch closer, until her open-mouthed curiosity was reflecting from the various-shaped jars at the waterline. An alchemist! Her fingertips reached towards the concoctions. There was no magic that she could feel from them, but one's skill with plants, she knew, could surpass even that. “Deal!” The traveller stretched out her arm towards Molenya, palm open. “Well, nothing illegal,” she specified, with a little smile. “But healing sounds good. We might have to extend...my stay.” It felt like a perfect moment. Unfortunately, it was ruined by Nina, and the echoing squeak of her stomach. “Would you like to join me on a hunt? We could talk about it over breakfast.” She hurriedly attempted. The girl recovered her spear, trying to hold it as non-threateningly as possible, and dived into the sea. “Say, 'tis fine to get a few fish, innit?” She asked, hovering at the surface. Better make sure she wasn't breaking taboos while at it...or committing murder. Afterwards, as she sunk below, her mind was clear again. She did not fully trust the stranger – not yet – not to the point where she would want to dive with them at night who-knows-how-deeply. So, Nina thought, palm against marble, better to get that out of the way first, here, now, in the daylight. And, Nina thought, watching Molenya from the corner of her eye, she did not want to believe that someone so graceful could be an evil...what? A small bubble left her mouth. It didn't matter. Not with her heart slowed down to less than half of its normal pace. Nina's dreamy dive had more of an acrobat's look: not natural, but trained, as she leaped between ground, wall, ceiling. It was still good enough to fool fish, as they swum close by. The intruder did not chase them – could not – but simply waited for the shoals to go past. And then she struck. Strike. Strike. She had not dived as deeply this time – it would have been unwise to push herself too far – but thankfully the food was plentiful. In minutes, Nina was back in the majestic room where she had left her boat. If she chose to follow, Molenya might catch a whiff of lard, resin and fire in liquid form that seemed to emanate from the boat's black feathers. In that room, Nina set up a small fire, with some branches she'd carried along in the boat and an ember from her firepot, and the fish would be filleted and cooked to the desired level of done-ness ('Do you normally have these raw? It was pretty popular in some place I've been, a warrior thing'). If Molenya was unsure, there would be a range to choose from. And in the meantime, Nina would ply the Tueima with curious items she had gathered during her trip. “Found it on the island over there.” She pointed, and offered half of a scaly pear. The fruit had a pit the size of a robin's egg, surrounded by flesh like green butter. Nina peeled it, and bit into her half. “It's tasty! Normally I sprinkle salt over mine, but see how you like it.” Then, there were two thin, long fruits, dried, one almost the colour of a bruise. “Spicy pepper.” Nina explained. She cut small pieces of one to share. “That one is for seasoning..and that one is for coating the boat. Not poisonous or anything, it just...” Nina shuddered. “...it burns.” The image of Gray snacking on the boat-coating peppers as if they were honey cakes was etched into her mind. Nina looked around, wondering how high was the highest tide. “Might be able to plant it if you find it interesting.” The traveller pondered. “Charcoal.” She continued, pointing at the fire. “For alchemy? Good against poisons and such, I've heard.” Her shoulders raised. “Don't know if it'd be any good underwater.” A bunch of small pink fruits, bell-shaped and freckled. “Not edible, I don't think. But it smells nice and we use it to keep the mosquitoes away.” Nina drew one over her cheek. She looked up, at the flora that was starting to inhabit the ruins. “Got any particular plants in mind?” Her gaze narrowed in focus, while her lips curled in a small smile. “Normally I'd know at least a few basics, but I'm new to this place.” ooc: exotic fruits include avocado and limoncello / limoncita |
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Feb 25, 2024 12:16:46 GMT -5
Molenya gave a bright, lopsided grin at the human’s agreement to her terms, but then it faltered. She placed her hands together with the tips of her fingers pressed against her lips, then she laced her fingers together with her pointers stuck out, and tilted her hands towards Nina. “Define illegal.”
But before she could really get it out, the adorable human started up again, forcing a surprised blink from Molenya. “I, wh-, huh-!” Is all she could manage before she asked about killing fish. “No, go for it, just make sure they’re real fish befo- hey wait!” And just like that Nina was gone again. Her excitement and sudden dive forced another blink from Molenya, but her grin quickly spread across her face again. “What a woman. This should be fun.”
With that, she slipped into the water herself with a long, bubbling sigh, then opened her gills once more. She took just a moment to suck in water and spread it through her system, then she was off, followed by her strong, toned, shark-like tail.
Molenya had already eaten, so she merely followed along, spear dragging behind her, as she watched the naked Nina do her thing. Those legs made for some interesting moves, they were no good for swimming but she seemed to make it work in such a unique way. Most of the humans she’d seen under water back home just sort of lumbered about, and often needed her kind to guide them properly, but with Nina she felt herself able to just follow along and watch. She lazily shifted her tail from side to side, propelling herself the normal way while Nina jumped about like one of those monkey things she’d heard so much about.
Before long, she found herself breaching up behind Nina. She took a moment to expel water from her gills, along with a long plume from her mouth, then clamped her gills up tight. She coughed once, twice, then breathed deep into her lungs again, before one more cough, spraying white fragments of salt into her hand. She quickly rinsed her hand off in the water, then lounged out, most of her tail still in the water, splishing gently as she shifted it back and forth.
“Maaaaaaan I haven’t had topside food in forever,” she said, looking at the little fire Nina had made and licking her lips. “If there’s a heat vent I might cook ‘em, but my fish are usually raw. Its not easy to find somewhere to cook ‘em under water, and I haven’t set up my home for it yet. Found a spot that I’ve laid claim to, parts of it under and some over water, doesn’t get diddled by the tide much, works real well for my needs.”
“I get enough salt as it is under water. Probably enough to kill one of you top siders, lotta salt doesn’t seem to agree with you,” the mermaid said as she took half of the vegetable. She’d seen one a few of them before that had tumbled into the water, but she didn’t think to eat them. Her thoughts were more about if there were alchemical properties to them. Still, she bit into it and nodded, appreciatively. “Still good!”
She listened to the woman and accepted the fruits and veggies, then the fish that were on offer. She coughed once when she bit into the pepper, taken by surprise, then fanned her mouth for a moment. Once it subsided, she looked at the pepper, making a decision, then she grinned. “Ha! That was cool!” Then she bit into it again, feeling the burn that caused her to jiggle and shift, then wince through a long grin. “I love it. Hoo!”
Charcoal she knew of, she’d used it a lot before, mostly to help the humans that lived near her village back home, but she couldn’t take any then. She’d just make her own once she was set up. It went the same for the citrus, the smell of which made her little nose scrunch up with its sourness. “Don’t like that one much… mells acidic though. Could be useful.”
When asked about what she needed, she thought for a deep moment and began listing several plants, most of which not many around those parts had ever heard of, but some seemed familiar. Wether or not they were in the area, she had no idea. “But honestly…” she continued, rolling onto her tummy and propping herself up with her hands under her face. “Just bring me anything. I love to experiment.” She gave a wink at that.
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Mar 14, 2024 15:25:53 GMT -5
“Listen,...I...There's a city. On the island I said I'd have a look at. I know I said I'd keep a safe distance, but- Sir Rudiger, it's all white stone and marble, a ruin, like a dream, it was all quiet so I...There's people there! It looked safe. I met an apothecary, she's called, I think, Molenya. They all live underwater. She looks like a siren, do you know about sirens, but she ain't, because she didn't kiss and drown me and drag me down to the depths- I think they don't do that there. You wouldn't have to worry about it, she likes girls. Have I mentioned Molenya is an apothecary? I know I've taken us far away, and I'm sorry, but just this one last trip. I promise, not any further. A few more days. Yes...I agree we should be preparing for the journey back. But let's also see what we can trade with the sea-people. Think about it – we might be able to bring valuable medicine back home.”
Nina rattled breathlessly to her travelling companion, later that day, as he wrapped her in a blanket. The daily storm raged around them in their little bower woven of living twigs, with Wing resting outside against one of the walls, and the fire felt like the only thing remotely dry. The girl did not notice Sir Rudiger growing quiet, did not see her guardian knight's eyes turn blank.
“...I am sorry.” She said. Because something felt wrong, in her gut. She raised her eyes and added:
“And, uhm, they have roofs there.”
The white-stone-and-marble roofs of the ruins would greet them the next day, looking as much like a pipe dream as Nina remembered. They sailed between the columns quietly. Perhaps, the girl pondered, they could have sailed across the previous evening after the rain stopped, but the sea had been choppy, and she had felt she was suffocating after understanding, belatedly, that what Molenya had been pointing out earlier was a wall of Mist, an endless wall, and every patch of humid air felt like step too close to that slow death, and pain, and, and...And Sir Rudiger, Nina realized once they were on solid ground and her heart had quieted enough for her to hear her thoughts, he had wanted time to pick a safe place for their new camp. The knight explored, and chose a set of two rooms above the amphitheatre Nina had originally landed in, with walls solid enough in the right places to keep out the storm, yet opening up indoors to let in lovely diffuse light. The rooms were accessible only through a spiral staircase, with Sir Rudiger's first (Nina let him have that one). Even as the travelling painter paddled across the ruins that day, trying to find enough dry firewood before the storm returned, along with plants of interest, she thought, what a luxury to have a roof over their heads in their long travel.
She introduced Sir Rudiger and Molenya, who was clothed this time (but then again, so was Nina). The two got well enough along that the knight wouldn't stop the painter when she hesitantly shared her plans. He simply put a hand over her shoulder, and said he trusted her judgement. And so, after dinner, Nina waited by the edge of the pool, one toe in the water, in the dim glow of the fire she'd covered up for the next day.
She had asked to see Molenya's art, after all.
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Molenya Tideborn
Established
Roleplay posts: 17
Appearance: On the surface, Mols seems to be a relatively unassuming mermaid, with a friendly face, kind eyes, and a pretty face. She has slightly narrow green eyes under a pair of thick eyebrows, usually filled with a relaxed amusement, and between them sits a small nose. Though her smile is usually genuine and filled with a row of pearly whites, it can be a little crooked at times, but it has never bothered her before. Her wavy brown hair sinks down past her shoulder blades and isn’t usually kept in any particular style, instead just thrown to one side when she climbs from the water.
The top half of her body is that of a sli, human woman, of course, without any sort of obvious markings other than a mole on her right breast, and two long, jagged scars just below the gills that sit around the bottom of her ribs. The fish half of her body starts around her groin and is about three times as long as her torso. From a glance, it appears to be shark-like, with a large dorsal fin jutting at the base of her spine, followed by another, slightly smaller fin further down with a pair of matching pelvic fins, just before her massive caudal fin. Though her front is a soft, blue-ish white, her back is a much darker hue and decorated by patterns of white spots, all down her sides and back, and all segmented by thin white lines.
When in the dark, however, Molenya’s bioluminescence becomes apparent. All across her body, light blues, greens, and pinks decorate her form in all sorts of hand-painted patterns. These tattoos had been collected over several years, and come in the form of runes, lines, swirls, and even the depiction of swimming fish down her sides. They even cover her face, with her lips and eyelids tattooed to be a brilliant light blue. The rest of her facial tattoos seem to be a mixture of make-up like patterns, and swirls that decorate her cheeks and forehead. Most of these tattoos, to Mol’s pride, are done herself.
Even her hair seems to change in low light, with several neon blue highlights forming amongst the brown.
Equipment: Molenya, or more accurately her whaleman friend Barry, carries a large satchel filled with equipment. As an apothecary, the mermaid carries a mortar and pestle, several smaller tools for cutting and manipulating her ingredients, several jars for storage, and a handful of flasks for brewing her potions and medicines.
Other than some decorative necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and a small utility belt, Molenya generally doesn’t wear any clothes while under water. Where she came from, they didn’t find much need for such things, enjoying the freedom the open ocean afforded them. However, she is not inexperienced with outsiders, and understands that some may be put off by this, so she usually carries a small bag at the back of her belt that contains a small, crude brazier fashioned from kelp and coral, and a matching thin skirt to cover the parts some cultures may find inappropriate.
Finally, she knows better than to be unarmed under the seas, and will often carry a spear with an ornate, long, sharp tip.
Allegiances: Barry, the whaleman godfatrher.
Registered: Jun 30, 2021 2:20:49 GMT -5
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Post by Molenya Tideborn on Mar 17, 2024 11:48:53 GMT -5
Molenya had crawled through the flooded hole in the amphitheatre she’d slipped out of before, but this time wearing what appeared to be a wrap made of seaweed across her chest and shoulder, and one around her waist, giving her some modesty in the presence of those who appreciated it. She knew Nina didn’t care if Mols had left herself bare, but she wasn’t sure about the handsome human knight.
Of course, the illusion of Molenya only liking woman, as Nina had alluded to, was broken when she looked Rudiger up and down, then gave a whistle of appreciation and a drawn out ‘hello handsome.’ She wasn’t one for subtlety.
The day had gone about as expected, lots of questions asked and most answered with a healthy mix of truth, strange slang, a few naughty words, and absolutely oozing with sarcasm. They ate, traded ingredients, and Molenya even promised to write down some recipes for Nina, mostly using local ingredients that one could easily find on one breath of air. She kept the deep recipes to herself or the moment.
As the sun set though, she peered out towards the wall, enjoying the cool water around her shark-like tale and the warmth of the fire on her torso as she leaned back on her elbows, enjoying the sunset over the wall of mist. They weren’t nearly as good as the sun setting on the sea in the horizon, but they had little choice.
At the mention of her art though, her lopsided smile turned into a grin. Twilight had set in and the sky had darkened just enough. “Oh yeah! Kinda perfect timing. Meet me in the chamber next door, away from the fire.” She’d spoken of the chamber next to the amphitheatre earlier when they’d discussed where the humans could set up. It was still wide and open, it just wasn't as suitable for the pair needing separate rooms. With that, she slipped under the waves.
Darkness fell quickly with the mists on the horizon, so they didn’t need to wait long as they went to the next chamber. A few moments went by in silence, but through a large hole in the floor, one worn and wide, similar to the one in the amphitheatre, the water began to glow. Several colours spread through the ripples, casting light around the hole until finally, and gracefully, a body emerged from it.
It was Molenya, but she was very different. She’d discarded her seaweed wraps by the edge of the hole, leaving her body on display, and what a display it was. Runes and patterns spread across her body in every colour one could think of, and each one glowing in the darkness that surrounded them. Many of the designs followed the contours and curves of her body, and between them the patterns and runes spread far and wide across most of her body, each hand and clearly by a professional. There were a few gaps and spaces between the shapes and lines that travelled along her body, but those could be explained later.
“So waddya think?” Molenya asked as she settled into a lounging position, displaying each of her tattoos as well as she could. “Did ‘em all myself. Oh, and sorry about losing the seaweed, Sir Handsome, kinda can’t show off with ‘em on. I’ll cover up after if you don’t like it.” She smiled at the knight and the smaller lady, and as she did a glow spread around her eyes and inside her mouth. The softer, tender parts of her body, and even the roots of her hair, seemed to pulse slightly, a bit more subtly than her tattoos.
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Rudiger Dornmauer
Established
Roleplay posts: 23 
Age: 35
Appearance: Rudiger is tall at 6'3", and muscularly built from his profession. His skin is weathered from his life on the road, with the first wrinkles of age appearing at the sides of his mouth and his eyes have given way to several more. Thick calluses on his right hand from wielding his sword have grown thicker from continuous use over the years. His light brown hair, once sheered to a fade parted on the right side, has grown out longer and has been joined by a healthy snowfall of gray. His strong chin that was once covered by thick goatee has been shaved to stubble, but his thick mustache has remained. His most prominent feature is a thick scar and his missing left eye, which he covers with a tan eyepatch, which he lost in a fight with a bear.
Equipment: Rudiger wears a variety of clothes, depending on the situation. For battle, he wears a worn, red gambeson underneath steel plate armor which has seen better days, being dented in several places and rusted from time spent in the waves. He wears a bellow faced sallet helm, though the visor can stand to be hammered back into proper shape. He wields a mace, his hand and a half sword being rusted into its scabbard. The kite shield of old has been lost in the storm.
When he's not in battle, he wears a white wool shirt, and thick woolen black pants. He always wears his tan riding boots.
Bob the destrier remains by his side, the heavy wooden saddle with a high cantle and pommel covered in thick leather being a bit worse for wear.
Skills and Abilities: Rudiger was born into a minor noble family in the Grand Duchy of Voruta, who were simple knights in the service of the kingdom. Rudiger was born as a second son, so he had no hope of inheriting the family estate, but he was still raised in the arts of war. He proved to be gifted with the use of the sword and shield, and being a naturally talented rider. His skill with the sword and shield has only grown from his occupation of Knight Errant.
Biography: Rudiger is not idealistic, but not pessimistic either. He believes in the rule of law, unless those laws are unjust. He believes in a higher power, but he doesn't go to Church. His whole belief system can be distilled to a single sentence: Do good, avoid evil. He strives to do at least one good turn daily, and seeks to protect the innocent. His last memories were of a long ago adventure with Khepri and Roxanne, though the details are somewhat fuzzy to him.
Registered: Sept 10, 2023 14:35:29 GMT -5
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Post by Rudiger Dornmauer on Mar 17, 2024 18:00:29 GMT -5
There was a lingering silence on the part of Rudiger as Nina explained- or at least attempted to- all that she had discovered in her explorations of the ruins. He, meanwhile, had been working on a net to catch more fish. Not that he particularly cherished the idea of eating more fish but sustenance was food and food was life giving. Oh what he would give for a gory side of beef, or a plump duck over the fire with roast potatoes. But it was fish for the innumerable day in a row sitting in the pot as he wrapped her in what was once Bob's saddle blanket that now served as an extra blanket.
There was no admonition in his words, only concerns. He had been tasked by the strange mold man at the beginning of this voyage to ensure Nina returned home safely, and if she had encountered an entire underwater world without him present... well he did not wish to think about what other spores the man had in his possession to use on the knight errant. He sighed deeply, knowing there was only one true way forward and wishing more than ever for the cantankerous destrier that often served as a voice of council at times like these, "take me with you next time please."
As for the sea nymph the knight did his best to turn his eye away from her indecency, not for her sake for she did not seem to mind the bareness but for his. He had dealt with one such creature like Molenya (a certain winged creature by the name of Khepri) and was not one to repeat mistakes... at least a few times. "'Tis alright," he said tersely though not in an unfriendly tone. He knew that Nina would prefer to have as much of her subject matter on display for accuracy's sake, and he had learned well enough by this point not to rock the proverbial and not so proverbial boat.
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Nina
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 292
Registered: Apr 4, 2021 10:46:08 GMT -5
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Post by Nina on Mar 31, 2024 4:25:39 GMT -5
“Oau,” Nina let out.
So...pretty. As she had stepped into the dark room, reassured by the steps of the knight by her side, he traveller wasn't sure what to expect – anemone floral arrangements, the unearthly tones of underwater opera, seeing a school of fluorescent fish conducted to swim in synchronized patterns? It turned out to be body art.
“Rarely seen lines that clear.” Nina spoke. She stared, mostly though not only at Molenya's fish side, not because of shame but because she wasn't sure how to feel about actively staring.
Her experience with tattoos mainly involved the blurry mementos brandished by pirates, or the simple dots that some port cities branded their criminals with and oh, also, there were...“The Sea People Islanders of my old world, on my word, but they didn't glow.” Nina took in a breath. You look like a shark made of sky.” It must have taken so long to make all those symbols, and they were not all the same, yet they came together. Did Molenya use needles? Nina's voice trembled. “Did...did it hurt a lot?”
She tilted her head, as if to see it better, narrowed her gaze, and for a moment it looked like she was trying to catch something in the corner of her eye. As if she'd spotted something of particular interest in a certain flicker of the light.
Very carefully, Nina asked:
“Molenya...that's...magic, isn't it?”
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