As the Ocean Lures

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Everyone has heard of //sirens//. Mysterious humanlike beasts who use their powerful singing voice to lure sailors to their untimely death. However, the only thing modern mythology mistaked was the fact that sirens retained bird-like features rather than fish tails. You, on the other hand, are a //Merfolk//. As a Merfolk, you maintain most of the qualities often associated with mermaids and sirens. With your family, you work to bring down sailors using your voice and abilities under the sea. But do you actually //want// this fate? Features of the game will include: <ul> <li>Customize who you are as a Merfolk, from gender, pronouns, looks and personality.</li> <li>Helping your family to sink ships full of sailors (or not...)</li> <li>Watch a captain drown or save them from certain death.</li> <li>Maintain your relationships with your family--follow what you have been told your whole life or go against everything they have taught you.</li> <li>Romance one of four characters: your best merfriend, the strange siren who assists your family on their hunts, the human captain you saved(?) or that royal who seems to love spending time by the sea...or no one since being a Merfolk is already hard as it is.</li> <li>Will you live out of the sea or under the sea? The choice is yours.</li> </ul> Are you ready for the journey, //merfolk//? //As the Ocean Lures// is a 16+ game with themes that may be triggering to audiences. Read the content warnings to learn more. [[Content Warnings]] [[Start the story|prologue]]

by Aurelia Lim

[[You]] [[Stats]] [[Relationships]] [[Codex]]

<<if hasVisited('chapter2')>>!$name You are a young <<if $gender is "male">>merman <<elseif $gender is "female">>mermaid <<else>>merfolk <<endif>>who uses $heshe/$himher pronouns. <<if $trans is true>>You are also trans, which sometimes confuses your family, but they have come to respect it since you came out.<</if>> As for your physical description, you have $hairtype, $hairlength $haircolor hair, $eyecolor eyes, and $skin skin. <<if hasVisited('chapter1pg20voice')>>As for your voice, you are a $voicetype.<</if>><<else>>Sorry, you have to complete the first chapter before you can unlock this page!<<endif>> [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Relationships !!!Nixie <<if $nixierelationship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with Nixie. It's safe to say that she hates you.<<elseif ($nixierelationship gt 40) and ($nixierelationship lt 50)>> You have a somewhat good relationship with Nixie. While it isn't the best, at least she is somewhat willing to help you if you need it.<<elseif $nixierelationship === 50>>You have a neutral relationship with Nixie. At least she doesn't hate you. To her, you are her sibling--nothing more to it.<<elseif ($nixierelationship gt 50) and ($nixierelationship lt 60)>>You have a good relationship with Nixie. While you are not as close with her as she is with your older siblings, she still loves you.<<elseif $nixierelationship gte 60>>You have a very good relationship with Nixie. She loves you greatly as her sibling and cares about you, even if it doesn't seem like she does.<<endif>> Numerical value: $nixierelationship% ✦✦✦ !!!Marina <<if $marinarelationship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with Marina at all. Judging from the look she is giving you, you can tell the sentiment is shared.<<elseif ($marinarelationship gt 40) and ($marinarelationship lt 50)>>You have a somewhat good relationship with Marina. However, it is borderline, meaning that she may not help you out if you refuse to kill any humans.<<elseif $marinarelationship === 50>>You have a neutral relationship with Marina. She does care for you, but that's about it.<<elseif ($marinarelationship gt 50) and ($marinarelationship lt 60)>>You have a good relationship with Marina. You can count on her to help you out if needed, and she likes your company quite a bit.<<elseif $marinarelationship gte 60>>You have a very good relationship with Marina. She loves hanging out with you. Most definitely would help if you are unable to kill a human, even if you don't want said help.<<endif>> Numerical value: $marinarelationship% ✦✦✦ !!!Caspian <<if $caspianrelationship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with Caspian at all. He doesn't even talk to you, so you suppose he must really not like you.<<elseif ($caspianrelationship gt 40) and ($caspianrelationship lt 50)>>You have a somewhat good relationship with Caspian. However, he will sometimes treatly you rudely, but you suppose it is because you are not close.<<elseif $caspianrelationship === 50>>You have a neutral relationship with Caspian. To him, you are just...there. That's it.<<elseif ($caspianrelationship gt 50) and ($caspianrelationship lt 60)>>You have a good relationship with Caspian. He loves you and will sometimes prank you and tease you, though it's all in good fun.<<elseif $caspianrelationship gte 60>>You have a very good relationship with Caspian. He once told you that you were his favorite sibling with a warm smile. Also he sends a lot of encouraging smiles whenever you need one.<<endif>> Numerical value: $caspianrelationship% ✦✦✦ !!!Cordelia <<if $cordeliarelationship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with Cordelia despite being close to her in the past. She tends to spend more time with your best friend than you.<<elseif ($cordeliarelationship gt 40) and ($cordeliarelationship lt 50)>> You have a somewhat good relationship with Cordelia. You aren't as close as you were in the past, but at least she does not ignore you. Mostly.<<elseif $cordeliarelationship === 50>> You have a neutral relationship with Cordelia. She may be stubborn with you at times but you know that you are still very much her favorite sibling.<<elseif ($cordeliarelationship gt 50) and ($cordeliarelationship lt 60)>>You have a good relationship with Cordelia. She still looks up to you, even after all this time. You know every secret about her and her you.<<elseif $cordeliarelationship gte 60>>You have a very good relationship with Cordelia. She absolutely adores you, and it's obvious in the way her eyes shine whenever she looks at you. She always wants to hang out with you, and can often be found by you. Or if not you, then your best friend.<<endif>> Numerical value: $cordeliarelationship% ✦✦✦<<if hasVisited('chapter1pg3')>> !!!$kai <<if $kfriendship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with $kai, as you are no longer close to each other. $kai spends more time with Cordelia and you don't consider $khimher your best friend now.<<elseif ($kfriendship gt 40) and ($kfriendship lt 50)>>You have a somewhat good relationship with $kai. You are still friends with $khimher, but it is teetering on a ledge, ready to tip at any point.<<elseif $kfriendship === 50>>You have a neutral relationship with $kai. You're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.<<elseif ($kfriendship gt 50) and ($kfriendship lt 60)>>You have a good relationship with $kai. You consider $khimher a close friend, and $kheshe thinks the same as well. After all, $kheshe is the one you go to talk to all the time.<<elseif $kfriendship gte 60>>You have a very good relationship with $kai. You are $khisher best friend and vice versa, and you tell $khimher everything. You can't imagine life without $khimher. The feeling is mutual.<<endif>> Numerical value: $kfriendship% Romance points: $krom ✦✦✦<</if>><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg8')>> !!!Echo <<if $efriendship lte 40>>You do not have a good relationship with Echo. They hate you with every fiber in their being and would likely never alert you if a shark comes close to you. Nor would they help you. At all.<<elseif ($efriendship gt 40) and ($efriendship lt 50)>>You have a somewhat good relationship with Echo. Not enough for them to save you, but not enough that they wouldn't alert you to the location of a nearby shark. Probably. You hope.<<elseif $efriendship === 50>>You have a neutral relationship with Echo. You don't know much about them, as they prefer to keep a far, professional distance from you. That's just the way Echo likes it.<<elseif ($efriendship gt 50) and ($efriendship lt 70>>You have a good relationship with Echo, much to their reluctance. Somehow you have managed to break through their barrier. They aren't too happy about it, but they have let you in anyway. At least Echo hasn't pushed you away yet.<<elseif $efriendship gte 70>> You have a very good relationship with Echo. It has taken a while, but you have finally earned their trust. Echo opens up to you more than before, and you think they have warmed up to you at last. The true pinnacle of your relationship with them.<<endif>> Numerical value: $efriendship% Romance points: $erom ✦✦✦<</if>><<if hasVisited('chapter1interlude8')>> !!!$royal <<print $rheshe.toUpperFirst()>> does not know who you are...yet. Numerical value: $rfriendship% Romance points: $rrom ✦✦✦<</if>> [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Codex This is the codex, where you can find information about people and places in the game. <ul> <li>[[People]]</li> <li>[[Species]]</li> <li>[[Locations]]</li> </ul>[[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Prologue It has been two hours since the onslaught of rain began, and yet, two hours later, it has only increased in its drumming. The coulds rumble with the earth, and occasionally a bolt of light will peek out from within the sky. A particular spot of this heavy rain hits the coast of Oceanic hard, as large waves crash onto the kingdom's shore with a huge splash. The wind gusts blow stray newspapers and advertisements across desolate streets, devoid of human activity. After all, it would be a death sentence to spend more than a few minutes with the storm. So, many seek refuge within a modestly sized tavern nearby. On either side of the building waves two dimly lit lanterns, as if gesturing for those stranded to come inside. While the bricks appear cracked with age, the tavern stands strong amidst the hill it had been built upon. A cold burst of energy courses through the place once the wooden doors are swung open, and the first immediate noise to reach one's ears is the cacophony of a typical tavern. The loud, high-spirited conversations between friends and strangers; the crackling fire that barely supplies enough light in the otherwise dim tavern; the melancholy voice of a lone lutist as his hopeful tune passes through the humid atmosphere. The crowd continues to flood in, barstools filling up until most are forced to stand within elbow's length of another's side. At a table located in the back of the place, a group of local fishermen are gathered together with enough mugs of beer to go around. They are laughing merrily, clinking glasses to the harmony of exchanging tales of harrowing journeys across the seas and fateful encounters with mythical creatures. Of course, many stretched a mile wide, sprinkled with fabricated events and told in melodramtic grandeur. "Storms are brewin' lotta more often recently," sniffs one as he nudges a fisher close to him. "Ain't gonna be able ta catch fish with 'em storms in the way!" "Aren't there more fish durin' storms?" asks the fisher he has nudged. "Imma tell y'all, I ain't goin' out to test that theory!" Another proclaims, taking a long drink. The group lets out a boisterious laugh that could shake the pub if it weren't attached to the ground. Their loud musings are enough to attract the attentions of plenty of customers, but only one approaches them. [['"You sure about that?"'|prologue2]]

The group quiets down as the newcomer makes their presence known. Under the dim light it is hard to distinguish their features, but their navy blue coat lined with gold strings is enough to give away their identity. "You're that //captain//, aren't ya?" a man says with a smug smile, spitting off to the side. "Ta one who claimed to spot mermaids off the coast of Laguape Sea." The group chortles at his words. //Mermaids?// Surely not. Over hundreds of years, many sailors have claimed to have spotted mermaids and such on their fishing trips. Some have sworn they heard a distinct sound, like the singing of a pretty maiden whilst they brought back their haul to the docks. Of course, there were a few who would not return, but raging storms usually occurred around the time they went missing, so they were blamed for the untimely disappearances of those few sailors. The captain huffs out a breath of annoyance. "What? Y'all don't believe it?" At this the group laughs //louder//. "Quite frankly, captain, to make such a preposterous claim is like sayin' the sea bends to your will," he replies, taking a long sip from his beer, "and ya got no proof of it. Who'll believe ya words if ya got no proof?" The captain does not say anything at first, appearing stunned with the man. However, they are able to make a swift recovery and reply with a charming smile, "Well, who wants to come with me to see them mermaids?" [[The group is silent once more.|prologue3]]

The man eyes them warily. "Ya don't know when to quit, huh?" The captain shoots him a wane smile in return, a spark of hope sparkling in their eyes. "Sir, all I've ever known growin' up was to never quit in the face of hardships." He chuckles. "Rather admirable, captain. Well, I suppose I'll join in for the prospect of some pretty mermaid tails." "And the rest of y'all?" They turn to look at the rest of the fishermen, who have yet to speak up to them. Most appear unsure about travelling out to sea to find mermaids with someone they barely knew. Much less a person with a reputation like the captain's. The silence is broken when the man who proclaimed he was never going to try fishing in the midst of a storm speaks. "I'll come." At this, the table is taken by surprise. Even the captain raises an eyebrow, putting up a facade of astonishment by this sudden turn. The man is quick to add on, "Listen gentlemen, I will be godsdamn if Maynard manages to find a //mermaid// while I'm back here in this crummy pub! He can barely reel in a fish without the help of his son!" The table erupts in roaring laughter, the captain even chuckling while Maynard flushes a dark scarlet. "Sh-Shuddup, Barmont! You can't tie a double knot for your life!" The fishermen continue to laugh, the tense atmosphere thinning as the sailormen slowly agree to join the captain on their voyage. The captain smirks. "Perfect. We set sail tomorrow at ten. My ship, the //Odyssey//, is docked at port number fourteen." "Ten in the mornin' or night?" "Morning, of course. Brightest time to see 'em mermaids, don't cha think?" Despite being dry on laughter, a few chuckle. The captain begins to turn away from them, glancing towards the exit of the tavern. "Well gentlemen, it's gettin' rather late. I oughta get home and start mappin' the course. Get some sleep 'cause tomorrow we're gonna be huntin' some mermaids!" The men cheer, some raising their beers in celebration while others pump their fists in the air. As the captain is about to leave, they hear Maynard ask, "Who exactly are you?" They slowly turn around. "Sorry?" Maynard's eyebrows furrow with frustration, yet he repeats the question. "Who exactly are you, captain? What do they call ya?" Everything goes silent. Those who were not involved in the ongoing conversation have now turned to the captain in the navy blue coat. The music settles down as all eyes are on them. They are quiet at first, but then they //smile//. It is a sharp smile, their canines baring brightly in the horribly lit pub. It is a smile that can send shivers down a spine. "They call me Captain Maddox." [[End Prologue|chapter1]]

!Chapter One It is the calm before the storm. Your older sister, Marina, predicted that one was rolling in as she returned from patrolling. "And a heavy one too, at that," she added, gnawing her bottom lip. "There have been more storms frequenting the area." Your oldest sister, Nixie, sighs with frustration. "Nobody wants to come out with storms in the area. I can't remember the last time we sunk a ship." You find that while Nixie sounds annoyed her voice remains as melodious as ever. "Last week," your brother supplies unhelpfully, smug grin plain on his face. Nixie huffs and flaps her tail in his direction, sending a sudden surge of water his way. Caspian nearly goes flying if he wasn't ready, pushing himself back towards the small group you have created with your siblings. "Still as spiky as an urchin, Nix?" Nixie sends him a sharp glare but does not speak. At least he has the decency to drop the subject. Just like the rest of you, Caspian understands the magnitude of the situation. With no ships arriving near you, you run low on energy. As a Merfolk, you rely on sailors for energy so as to not become weak. It takes a while for you to become weak, but you will end up winded without energy. Marina has proposed alternate ideas in case ships do not arrive for a long while, but they never last long. You distinctively remember the closest you came to running low on energy. When a ship finally came after four months of a dry spell, you were too weak to go after it. Your family carried out the hunt and gave you enough to regain your strength. Ever since, you have been careful to save up that energy. The extra energy, which is usually kept in a jar you had discovered in an empty ship, is now empty. The youngest in your family, Cordelia, used it up when she contracted a severe sickness two days ago. Now, with no more, you have to save it up again. <ul> <li>[[You hate sucking the energy out of humans, but it is necessary for your survival. You will do what you need to survive.|chapter1pg1][$mercyRuthless -= 2]]</li> <li>[[You hate sucking the energy out of humans, despite the necessity of it for your survival. You refused to take it yourself, forcing your siblings to do it for you.|chapter1pg1][$mercyRuthless += 5]]</li> <li>[[You like the chase of it all. Going on hunts, taking down ships and the lives of those poor, unfortunate souls.|chapter1pg1][$mercyRuthless -= 5]]</li> <li>[[You don't have an opinion. You have to target ships because you need human energy to survive. That's all there is to it.|chapter1pg1][$mercyRuthless -= 2]]</li> </ul>

!!MERFOLK STATS !!!!Voice <div class="merfolk-stats"><progress @value="$voice" max="100"></progress></div> Numerical value: $voice% !!!!Strength <div class="merfolk-stats"><progress @value="$strength" max="100"></progress></div> Numerical value: $strength% !!!!Speed <div class="merfolk-stats"><progress @value="$speed" max="100"></progress></div> Numerical value: $speed% ----------- !!SPECIAL MERFOLK STAT !!!!Merfolk / Humanity <div class="merfolk-humanity"><progress @value="$merfolkHumanity" max="100"></progress></div> <<if ($merfolkHumanity lte 55) and ($merfolkHumanity gte 45)>> You do not particularly lean towards your merfolk origins nor humanity.<<elseif $merfolkHumanity lt 45>>You lean towards humanity, often helping humans when you can.<<elseif $merfolkHumanity gt 55>>You lean towards your merfolk origins, preferring to keep your distance from humans.<<endif>> Numerical value: $merfolkHumanity% ----------- !!REGULAR STATS !!!!Warm / Cold <progress @value="$warmCold" max="100"></progress> <<if ($warmCold lte 55) and ($warmCold gte 45)>> You are neither warm nor cold, preferring to stay lukewarm.<<elseif $warmCold lt 45>>You are cold, coming across to many as rude and unfriendly.<<elseif $warmCold gt 55>>You are warm, treating others with a friendly demeanor.<<endif>> Numerical value: $warmCold% !!!!Emotional / Stoic <progress @value="$emotionalStoic" max="100"></progress> <<if ($emotionalStoic lte 55) and ($emotionalStoic gte 45)>> In emotional situations, you are not emotional nor stoic, rather a balance of both.<<elseif $emotionalStoic lt 45>>In emotional situations, you remain stoic, never allowing your feelings to show.<<elseif $emotionalStoic gt 55>>In emotional situations, you get emotional, allowing your inner feelings to express themselves outwardly.<<endif>> Numerical value: $emotionalStoic% !!!!Merciful / Ruthless <progress @value="$mercyRuthless" max="100"></progress> <<if ($mercyRuthless lte 55) and ($mercyRuthless gte 45)>> You are neither merciful nor ruthless.<<elseif $mercyRuthless lt 45>>You are ruthless, sparing your enemies no mercy whatsoever.<<elseif $mercyRuthless gt 55>>You are merciful, preferring to spare your enemies as much as possible.<<endif>> Numerical value: $mercyRuthless% !!!!Strategic / Impulsive <progress @value="$strategyImpulse" max="100"></progress> <<if ($strategyImpulse lte 55) and ($strategyImpulse gte 45)>> In certain situations, you do not strategize nor act on a whim.<<elseif $strategyImpulse lt 45>>In certain situations, you act on impulse, going on a whim and trusting your gut.<<elseif $strategyImpulse gt 55>>In certain situations, you strategize, preferring to plan out your course of actions.<<endif>> Numerical value: $strategyImpulse% !!!!Optimist / Pessimist <progress @value="$optimistPessimist" max="100"></progress> <<if ($optimistPessimist lte 55) and ($optimistPessimist gte 45)>>You are neither optimistic nor pessimistic, and rather a mixture of both. A realist, perhaps?<<elseif $optimistPessimist lt 45>>You are a pessimist, tending to see only the worst aspects and possibilities in a situation.<<elseif $optimistPessimist gt 55>>You are a optimist, tending to see only the best aspects and possibilities in a situation.<<endif>> Numerical value: $optimistPessimist% !!!!Truth / Lie <progress @value="$truthLie" max="100"></progress> <<if ($truthLie lte 55) and ($truthLie gte 45)>>You are neither honest nor a liar.<<elseif $truthLie lt 45>>When you have to tell the truth, you would much rather lie your way out.<<elseif $truthLie gt 55>>When you have to tell the truth, you are honest, choosing to be truthful.<<endif>> Numerical value: $truthLie% !!!!Reserved / Bold <progress @value="$reservedBold" max="100"></progress> <<if ($reservedBold lte 55) and ($reservedBold gte 45)>>Whether in romantic moments or any situation, really, you are neither reserved nor bold.<<elseif $reservedBold lt 45>>Whether in romantic moments or any situation, really, you come across as bold, never shying away from a challenge.<<elseif $reservedBold gt 55>>Whether in romantic moments or any situation, really, you come across as reserved, often getting flustered and preferring to shy away from danger.<<endif>> Numerical value: $reservedBold% [[Return to the game.|$return]]

<<set $trans to false>> <<set $voice to 5>> <<set $strength to 5>> <<set $speed to 5>> <<set $merfolkHumanity to 50>> <<set $warmCold to 50>> <<set $emotionalStoic to 50>> <<set $mercyRuthless to 50>> <<set $strategyImpulse to 50>> <<set $optimistPessimist to 50>> <<set $truthLie to 50>> <<set $reservedBold to 50>> <<set $nixierelationship to 65>> <<set $marinarelationship to 70>> <<set $caspianrelationship to 70>> <<set $cordeliarelationship to 80>> <<set $kfriendship to 75>> <<set $krom to 0>> <<set $efriendship to 50>> <<set $erom to 0>> <<set $rfriendship to 50>> <<set $rrom to 0>>

You sit off to the side of your siblings, simply watching as they exchange playful banter with one another. Marina is talking about her pink-and-yellow scales, complaining about how the bright colors nearly killed her when a sailor noticed its shine. Caspian scoffs and says that she should have been born with better genes, referring to his dark blue mermaid scales. Nixie throws in her own two cents about her modest purple and blue tail, to which Marina and Caspian simultaneously scoff at. You look down at your own... <ul> <li>[[...two-toned tail.|twotone][$tail to "two-tones"]]</li> <li>[[...one-toned tail.|onetone][$tail to "one-tone", $tailcolor2 to "none"]]</li> </ul>

You flap your tail, watching the shimmering... <ul> <li>[[Red|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "red"]]</li> <li>[[Orange|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "orange"]]</li> <li>[[Yellow|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "yellow"]]</li> <li>[[Gold|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "gold"]]</li> <li>[[Green|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "green"]]</li> <li>[[Blue|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "blue"]]</li> <li>[[Purple|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "purple"]]</li> <li>[[Pink|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "pink"]]</li> <li>[[Rose gold|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "rose gold"]]</li> <li>[[Gray|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "gray"]]</li> <li>[[Silver|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "silver"]]</li> <li>[[Black|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "black"]]</li> <li>[[White|secondtone][$tailcolor1 to "white"]]</li> <li>[[Well, the color is actually much more specific...|tailcolorone]]</li> </ul>

You flap your tail, watching the shimmering... <ul> <li>[[Red|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "red"]]</li> <li>[[Orange|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "orange"]]</li> <li>[[Yellow|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "yellow"]]</li> <li>[[Gold|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "gold"]]</li> <li>[[Green|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "green"]]</li> <li>[[Blue|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "blue"]]</li> <li>[[Purple|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "purple"]]</li> <li>[[Pink|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "pink"]]</li> <li>[[Rose gold|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "rose gold"]]</li> <li>[[Gray|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "gray"]]</li> <li>[[Silver|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "silver"]]</li> <li>[[Black|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "black"]]</li> <li>[[White|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor1 to "white"]]</li> <li>[[Well, the color is actually much more specific...|onetailcolor]]</li> </ul>

<<if $tail is "two-tones">>You have a $tailcolor1 and $tailcolor2 tail.<<else>>You have a $tailcolor1 tail.<<endif>> Oftentimes, you are given comments about the beautiful shades of your tail--most come from your relatives who rarely ever visit. Personally, you find the colors nice enough. They were what you were born with, and will stay for the remainder of your life. You have no idea what life would be like if you did not have a tail. Having one was as natural as breathing underwater. You have observed humans from afar, noticing how they have two sticks on their bottom half instead of a tail and had wondered how they were able to move around. Humans, as it appeared, were uncapable of breathing underwater as well. There seemed to be a lot of differences between humans and merfolk. The way your parents had explained it, humans were the opposite of merfolk. They lived on the surface, while you remained in the ocean. They don't have tails, can't breathe underwater, are not as quick as you, and are easily susceptible to the alluring voice of a Merfolk. And of course, humans hate merfolk as much as you hate them. That is the way it has always been, way before you and your siblings were born. Humans and merfolk //do not mix//. This is the value that centers your entire species. To break it is to go against your own. As you are deep in thought, you do not notice someone swim in until you feel their presence beside you. Strange--you can usually feel a presence as soon as they enter the room. Maybe this is the result of your lowering energy. You turn to look. It is none other than... <ul> <li>[[...your best merfriend, Kai. (Set K's gender to male)|chapter1pg3][$kai to "Kai", $kheshe to "he", $khimher to "him", $khisher to "his", $khishers to "his", $kself to "himself", $kgender to "male"]]</li> <li>[[...your best merfriend, Kaia. (Set K's gender to female)|chapter1pg3][$kai to "Kaia", $kheshe to "she", $khimher to "her", $khisher to "her", $khishers to "hers", $kself to "herself", $kgender to "female"]]</li> </ul>

So what color is your tail? //Please type in all lowercase.// <<textbox "$tailcolor1" "">> [[Continue.|chapter1pg2]]

So what color is your tail? //Please type in all lowercase.// <<textbox "$tailcolor1" "">> [[Continue.|secondtone]]

Your tail is a shimmering $tailcolor1 and... <ul> <li>[[Red|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "red"]]</li> <li>[[Orange|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "orange"]]</li> <li>[[Yellow|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "yellow"]]</li> <li>[[Gold|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "gold"]]</li> <li>[[Green|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "green"]]</li> <li>[[Blue|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "blue"]]</li> <li>[[Purple|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "purple"]]</li> <li>[[Pink|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "pink"]]</li> <li>[[Rose gold|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "rose gold"]]</li> <li>[[Gray|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "gray"]]</li> <li>[[Silver|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "silver"]]</li> <li>[[Black|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "black"]]</li> <li>[[White|chapter1pg2][$tailcolor2 to "white"]]</li> <li>[[Well, the color is actually much more specific...|tailcolortwo]]</li> </ul>

So what is the second tone of your tail? //Please type in all lowercase.// <<textbox "$tailcolor2" "">> [[Continue.|chapter1pg2]]

<<notify>>Codex: $kai has been unlocked and Relationships updated!<</notify>>"$kai!" you exclaim, more surprised than anything. "What are you doing here?" Your friend in question grins at you. "What, I can't grace my best friend with my wonderful, bright presence?" You roll your eyes. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." $kai only smiles knowingly, before turning to watch the scene unfolding in front of you: your siblings debating on the best tail color combination. $kai has remained a steady figure in your life. You have known $khimher since you were little. Your parents had known each other and were friends, so it was natural that their children knew each other. When $kheshe was born just days before you, your parents had known that there was going to be a special bond between you two. You like to think that $kai shaped you to the way you are now, and in some ways you'd like to think that you shaped $khimher. You glance at your friend, who is watching your siblings with amusement clear in $khisher eyes. Given the opportunity, you take a moment to examine $khimher. $kai has a dark purple tail, a few shades darker than Nixie's. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> used to tell you how much $kheshe wanted to have "legs"--what the //humans// have instead of your scaly tails. You had told $khimher that $kheshe would not be able to stand on two sticks, and eventually $kai stopped talking about it. You can tell, however, that if given the chance, $kheshe would want to become one of //them//, as much as it is a taboo. To complement $khisher purple tail, $kai has startling violet eyes. You say startling because they always appear so bright, catching you by surprise all the time. One look from a human and $kai could lower them into a deep trance just like that. It's hard to describe $khisher eyes or explain the effect it has on people, but no doubt $kai has used it to $khisher advantage before. <<if $kgender is "male">>To top it off, $kai has light brown waves cut up to $khisher ears. You can only describe it as unruly, which was fitting for your best friend. At a point in your life, $kheshe had to get all of $khisher hair shaved off when some coral reefs were entangled into $khisher hair. That entire week $kheshe whined about it until $khisher hair grew back to its regular length.<<else>>$kai has light brown hair that reaches to $khisher waist. Due to its long length, $kai's mother will sometimes tie it up for $khimher, whether in an elaborate braid or ponytail. Today, $kai appears to have $khisher hair in a long braid, with colorful beads and seashells weaved in.<<endif>> $kai suddenly turns to you, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. //What's up,// $khisher eyes are silently asking you. <ul> <li>[[You cannot stop the blush that blooms on your cheeks. ♥|chapter1pg4blush][$krom += 1, $reservedBold += 3]]</li> <li>[[You stare back, unflinching, as a smirk grows. ♥|chapter1pg4sly][$krom += 1, $reservedBold -= 3]]</li> <li>[[You smile back.|chapter1pg4smile][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[[You stare, holding a silent staring contest.|chapter1pg4stare][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[[You shrug, unsure of what to do.|chapter1pg4shrug][$warmCold -= 3]]</li> </ul>

This is the space where I design the characters! The MC is created however the reader invisions them to be, but what about the others? Actually, I think I will leave your family's personal descriptions in the air. As for their tail colors, that will be set in stone and set as such: Mother - Blood red tail Father - Black and gold tail Nixie - Purple and blue tail Marina - Pink and yellow tail Caspian - Dark blue tail Cordelia - Seafoam green tail !!K K is going to be your best friend, so what exactly do they look like? I imagine them to have peach skin. Their tail would be an dark purple, previously a dark green, because the color would match their violet eyes (previously what Nixie would have had). Their hair is light brown (also what Nixie was going to have) and changes length depending on their gender. If male, their hair will be short, and if female, their hair will be waist-length, sometimes tied up as having it down may cause frictional drag. !!Echo Echo is going to be a little harder to design since they are a siren (one with bird wings, I mean). Their feathers are going to be brown. When I think of a siren upon researching the matter, I think of them with wings, bird feet and arms. In some depictions of sirens, they have wings for arms but I want this to be as normal as possible. Maybe they can be a half-siren, but since their species does not acknowledge half-blood, they have to consider themself as a full-blooded siren? Anyways I already know that they are going to have black hair and yellow eyes--that's basically a given. Their skin is going to be dark (think of it as a dark tan), almost like a chocolate color. I am saying dark though because comparing it to chocolate is a little weird when said out loud. !!Captain Maddox Ooh, this is going to be fun! I have already imagined them as a rugged pirate captain even though they are just a captain. They are six feet tall and always has their signature navy blue coat that makes them so recognizable. They have perfectly golden tanned skin, like they had been lying in the sun for hours and stood up with this beautiful glow. Anyway you can think of them as a pretty person in general. They have golden blonde hair that goes to their shoulders regardless of gender, and they usually let it down because they are like that--wild. The captain has piercing blue eyes, like they can see directly through your soul. !!The Royal I have to call them the Royal because I can't say Eloise/Louis all the time LOL. At first, I was thinking that they could look a lot like Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid, which would have been ABSOLUTELY FUNNY but I changed my mind because, you know, copyright? Anyway, I think the Royal would have an air of regency to them. Despite this, they still love the beach. Their skin, which is usually pale, is a little tanned due to the extended time they have spent in the sun. Their parents try their best to keep their child from staying too long outside, but they can't help it. I was thinking about how they could have ginger hair and brown eyes, with a few freckles dotting their face. YES IT IS A LOT SIMILAR TO ARIEL BUT I WANT TO. AGES: K is the same age as you, though they were born a few days before you. Echo does not have a set age, nor do I want it to be known. A is three years older. The Royal is the same age, though a month younger.

Words were never a necessity when it came to your friendship with $kai. You could have discussions just by staring into each others' eyes. It was not like you had a telepathic connection, but you could understand what the other meant by just a glance. It was an understanding that reached back to your younger years. You stare back, unflinching under $khisher gaze. Your mouth lifts one corner, morphing into a smirk. You knew what you were doing, and you aren't going to hide that fact from $kai when $kheshe can read the truth off your eyes. You would own up the fact that you were admiring $khimher with no qualms whatsoever. $kai can read the intentions off your eyes rather easily. As soon as it reaches $khimher, $kai's eyes practically bulge out and $kheshe sharply turn away. You are unable to get a read of $khisher emotions, but you think it was a positive one. You //think//. //Hope.// By the time $kheshe turns back, $kheshe has a carefully neutral look set. A disappointed pang presses against your heart. $kai opens $khisher mouth, likely about to change the subject until your mother swims into the underwater cove you and your siblings have gathered in. Her warm yet powerful voice cuts through the once peaceful atmosphere. "Children, listen up! Echo has informed me that they have spotted a ship arriving a few hundred miles away. We must target this ship, and--" She stops when her eyes land on $kai. "$kai? What are you doing here?" Your friend smiles sheepishly. "Just visiting. I can help, if you want?" She pauses for a moment, hesitance in her eyes, before she nods. "Alright. We will need all the help we can get. It is not a large ship, but big enough that we could use the help. I suppose." Your mother often likes to downplay assistance from outside forces--she was like this when you had first met Echo, but now she practically considers them her sixth child. $kai being her seventh, of course. You suppose it's because she has a hard time accepting help, believing that things can be done with only six people. However, ships //have// escaped your grasp before, leaving behind scars that can never be removed. So help is always appreciated, even if the energy has to be split into more pieces. "But there is a storm coming," Marina argues, "I saw it with my own eyes. The dark clouds, the humid air. It's a bad one." But your mother does not back down. Not for your sister. Not for anyone. Instead, she smiles, a predatory glint in her eye. [['"All the better to chase it, no?"'|chapter1pg5]]

You feel yourself grow hot from embarrassment at being caught. //Lies!// Who are you kidding? You are blushing because $kai is looking at you with sincere worry and you can't help but feel butterflies in your stomach at that. Even if $khisher look is coming from a place of concern, since $kheshe is your best friend. Like $kheshe would ever //like// you the way you do. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> violet eyes scans yours for a moment and widens when $kheshe sees the telltale signs of your embarrassment. $kai turns $khisher head away, but as $kheshe does you spot the pink on $khisher cheeks. //Hm, that's rather interesting...// By the time $kheshe looks back to you, the pink in $khisher cheeks are gone. A dull, numbing feeling presses against your heart. Why should you feel disappointed? $kai opens $khisher mouth, about to speak until your mother swims into the underwater cove you and your siblings have gathered in. Her warm yet powerful voice cuts through the once peaceful atmosphere. "Children, listen up! Echo has informed me that they have spotted a ship arriving a few hundred miles away. We must target this ship, and--" She stops when her eyes land on $kai. "$kai? What are you doing here?" Your friend smiles sheepishly. "Just visiting. I can help, if you want?" She pauses for a moment, hesitance in her eyes, before she nods. "Alright. We will need all the help we can get. It is not a large ship, but big enough that we could use the help. I suppose." Your mother often likes to downplay assistance from outside forces--she was like this when you had first met Echo, but now she practically considers them her sixth child. $kai being her seventh, of course. You suppose it's because she has a hard time accepting help, believing that things can be done with only six people. However, ships //have// escaped your grasp before, leaving behind scars that can never be removed. So help is always appreciated, even if the energy has to be split into more pieces. "But there is a storm coming," Marina argues, "I saw it with my own eyes. The dark clouds, the humid air. It's a bad one." But your mother does not back down. Not for your sister. Not for anyone. Instead, she smiles, a predatory glint in her eye. [['"All the better to chase it, no?"'|chapter1pg5]]

Although $kai appears casual, you can bet that $khisher gaze holds another meaning. It's a look of concern, to ask if you are alright considering you were looking at $khimher. Over your siblings' chatter, you find that you do not have the heart to speak. So instead, you smile at $khimher, hoping it is reassuring. $kai smiles back, appeased. $kai opens $khisher mouth, about to speak when your mother swims into the underwater cove you and your siblings have gathered in. Her warm yet powerful voice cuts through the once peaceful atmosphere. "Children, listen up! Echo has informed me that they have spotted a ship arriving a few hundred miles away. We must target this ship, and--" She stops when her eyes land on $kai. "$kai? What are you doing here?" Your friend smiles sheepishly. "Just visiting. I can help, if you want?" She pauses for a moment, hesitance in her eyes, before she nods. "Alright. We will need all the help we can get. It is not a large ship, but big enough that we could use the help. I suppose." Your mother often likes to downplay assistance from outside forces--she was like this when you had first met Echo, but now she practically considers them her sixth child. $kai being her seventh, of course. You suppose it's because she has a hard time accepting help, believing that things can be done with only six people. However, ships //have// escaped your grasp before, leaving behind scars that can never be removed. So help is always appreciated, even if the energy has to be split into more pieces. "But there is a storm coming," Marina argues, "I saw it with my own eyes. The dark clouds, the humid air. It's a bad one." But your mother does not back down. Not for your sister. Not for anyone. Instead, she smiles, a predatory glint in her eye. [['"All the better to chase it, no?"'|chapter1pg5]]

Words were never a necessity when it came to your friendship with $kai. You could have discussions just by staring into each others' eyes. It was not like you had a telepathic connection, but you could understand what the other meant by just a glance. It was an understanding that reached back to your younger years. This time is no exception. You hold $khisher gaze, resolving on not blinking until $kheshe does. $kai picks this up and stares back. A smile tugs on $khisher lips, and your smile widens. Despite the growth of your smile, your gaze never wavers. $kai's does not, either. You have no idea how long you sit there, staring each other down. The contest ends when your mother swims into the underwater cove you and your siblings have gathered in. $kai is the first to break away, looking up upon hearing her enter. You do as well and make a mental note to continue later. Her warm yet powerful voice cuts through the once peaceful atmosphere. "Children, listen up! Echo has informed me that they have spotted a ship arriving a few hundred miles away. We must target this ship, and--" She stops when her eyes land on $kai. "$kai? What are you doing here?" Your friend smiles sheepishly. "Just visiting. I can help, if you want?" She pauses for a moment, hesitance in her eyes, before she nods. "Alright. We will need all the help we can get. It is not a large ship, but big enough that we could use the help. I suppose." Your mother often likes to downplay assistance from outside forces--she was like this when you had first met Echo, but now she practically considers them her sixth child. $kai being her seventh, of course. You suppose it's because she has a hard time accepting help, believing that things can be done with only six people. However, ships //have// escaped your grasp before, leaving behind scars that can never be removed. So help is always appreciated, even if the energy has to be split into more pieces. "But there is a storm coming," Marina argues, "I saw it with my own eyes. The dark clouds, the humid air. It's a bad one." But your mother does not back down. Not for your sister. Not for anyone. Instead, she smiles, a predatory glint in her eye. [['"All the better to chase it, no?"'|chapter1pg5]]

You have no idea what $kai wants you to do. Does $kheshe want you to smile as a way of reassuring $khimher? Does $kheshe want to hear you say that you are fine? Unfortunately for $khimher, you do not do any of this. You shrug, unsure of what else to do. This is obviously not what $kai was expecting you to do, as a frown forms on $khisher face. $kai opens $khisher mouth, about to speak and break the silence when your mother swims into the underwater cove you and your siblings have gathered in. Her warm yet powerful voice cuts through the once peaceful atmosphere. "Children, listen up! Echo has informed me that they have spotted a ship arriving a few hundred miles away. We must target this ship, and--" She stops when her eyes land on $kai. "$kai? What are you doing here?" Your friend smiles sheepishly. "Just visiting. I can help, if you want?" She pauses for a moment, hesitance in her eyes, before she nods. "Alright. We will need all the help we can get. It is not a large ship, but big enough that we could use the help. I suppose." Your mother often likes to downplay assistance from outside forces--she was like this when you had first met Echo, but now she practically considers them her sixth child. $kai being her seventh, of course. You suppose it's because she has a hard time accepting help, believing that things can be done with only six people. However, ships //have// escaped your grasp before, leaving behind scars that can never be removed. So help is always appreciated, even if the energy has to be split into more pieces. "But there is a storm coming," Marina argues, "I saw it with my own eyes. The dark clouds, the humid air. It's a bad one." But your mother does not back down. Not for your sister. Not for anyone. Instead, she smiles, a predatory glint in her eye. [['"All the better to chase it, no?"'|chapter1pg5]]

It is quiet in the cove as you ruminate over the two decisions you have. While you and your family can easily cover five hundred miles with your tails, you are not sure how long it may take to reach the ship. Of course, you could always wait for it to arrive closer, but that would require a long amount of waiting. The only other choice is to not go after it, which you feel is not a good option at the moment seeing as the jar of extra energy is empty. Looking at the rest, you see that there is no option to //not// go after it. When nobody speaks against her, your mother smiles proudly. She knows she has won the argument. "Alright then. We should get going now. Your father is speaking with Echo at the moment, and once we join them Echo will lead us to the ship." "What about Cordelia?" Everyone pauses when Caspian mentions your little sister. //Cordelia?// What about her...? Your mother turned to the empty spot by her side. Your sister is not there. She groans, bringing a hand up to her forehead. "Ugh, sting rays, I can't //believe// she left my side again! She's still recovering from her sickness. That girl..." $kai frowns, before saying, "I can go and look for her. You guys go after the ship." Everyone turns to $khimher. Your mother's eyebrows knit together, and paired with her pursued lips you can tell she is not too pleased with the offer. "Are you sure? You're going to miss the hunt." "That's okay," $kheshe shrugs. "Just save a little energy for me." Realizing that $kheshe is not going to back down, she finally nods. "Okay. Good luck." Your siblings echo similar biddings, your brother adding a sarcastic, "You're gonna need it, considering how good Cora is at hide-and-seek." Nixie attempts to push him, but he swiftly dodges her attempt. $kai looks at you, as if waiting for your input. There is an expectant gleam in $khisher eyes, as if $kheshe wants you to say or do something encouraging. <ul> <li>[['"Good luck," you say, smiling.'|chapter1pg6luck][$warmCold += 1]]</li> <li>[['"Be safe." You try to smile to ease your nerves.'|chapter1pg6safe][$warmCold += 1]]</li> <li>[['"You better bring her back in one piece. And if you don't, you better come back in one so that I can rip you apart!"'|chapter1pg6threat][$warmCold -= 1]]</li> <li>[[Nod in lieu of words.|chapter1pg6silent][$warmCold -= 1]]</li> </ul>

"Good luck," you tell $khimher, smiling. And you would like to think that $khisher shoulders relaxed a tiny bit. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> nods before turning to swim away. Your mother calls out to $khimher a quick "stay safe!" before $kheshe is out of range. Once $kai is gone, she sighs and gestures for you all to follow her. [[You follow her to the surface.|chapter1pg7]]

"Be safe," you tell $khimher, attempting a smile to ease $khisher worries. And yours as well. $kai smiles, softly. "I'll be okay." <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> then turns to swim away. Once $kai is gone, your mother sighs and gestures for you all to follow her. [[You follow her to the surface.|chapter1pg7]]

"You better bring her back in one piece. And if you don't, you better come back in one so that I can rip you apart myself!" you threaten $khimher, only half-joking. $kai chuckles, an amused smile on $khisher lips. "Was that your attempt at expressing your concern for me?" You sigh, unable to keep back a smile. "Just go look for her, $kai." <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> smiles, before nodding and turning to swim away. Your mother calls out to $khimher a quick "stay safe!" before $kheshe is out of range. Once $kai is gone, she sighs and gestures for you all to follow her. [[You follow her to the surface.|chapter1pg7]]

Some things you are unable to convey in words. Sometimes, all you need is a nod to make a merperson like $kai smile. And yet, even though $kai was clearly expecting you to say something, $kheshe doesn't take offense at it. Quite the opposite. $kai smiles ever so slightly, before turning to swim away. Your mother calls out to $khimher a quick "stay safe!" before $kheshe is out of range. Once $kai is gone, she sighs and gestures for you all to follow her. [[You follow her to the surface.|chapter1pg7]]

<<notify 3s>>Codex: Merfolk and Codex: Humans has been unlocked!<</notify>>You are usually not allowed to go to the surface. Your parents say that humans could spot you and easily throw a harpoon in your direction if you are not careful. Marina is the only one who has the permission to surface, as she goes up to check the weather and determine if it is well enough. She is the fastest amongst you, so if she is noticed she can easily dodge and swim away. Likely why she was chosen as the spotter for your hunts, along with Echo. As you swim up to the surface, you can feel your lungs slowly start to work. As a Merfolk, you have the unique ability to breathe underwater as well as above the surface. Even your parents were unable to explain the biological process of how and //why// you can do both while humans cannot. On top of that, you do not have gills that assists all fishes with natural breathing. You would think that you need it to breathe, but you can without them. Nixie said it might be because you absorb oxygen in the water through your skin, so as long as you stay in the water, you will still continue to absorb oxygen through the water, as well as from the air when necessary. You have no idea if her theory is true or not, but if it is, you suppose that would explain //some// things. It is either this, or you have gills on your tail. Your head is the first to surface, and you intake a huge gulp of salty air. The first thing you notice is the darkening clouds in the sky that your mother expects to beat. You frown. The air has a noticable shift, something akin to moisture. A lot of it. Nixie, Marina, Caspian and your mother all surface at their own pace, and you see your father talking with a hovering //siren//. [[Echo.|chapter1pg8]]

<<notify 3s>>Relationships updated!<</notify>>You vividly remember the night you met Echo--mainly in part that it was one of the //worst// hunts of your life. Actually...probably the //worst// one. That night, Marina located a ship not far from the coast. It was a fishing ship, unassuming in its small size. Your journeyed towards it, but you were unprepared for the consequences. You were not careful when the crew noticed you approaching from a mile away. They prepared the harpoons as you swam closer, unaware of the disaster you were about to fall into. They started throwing them at you. You were able to dodge them, but Caspian was not fast enough. He was struck in the shoulder by a harpoon, and went in and out of consciousness. There was a surge of panic among your family, and for a moment you could not help but feel like this was the end. Your brother was going to die, your sisters were going to get hit and die, //and you were going to die.// Then you heard the muffled voice from above. It sounded like singing. You swam up to see and that was when you saw them. A large half-bird was singing, catching the ship's crew by surprise. You could see the daze in their eyes as they attempted to look for the source, while others had plugged their ears in time. An actual //siren//. You had heard of them, but never would you have thought that you'd encounter one this way. The half-bird locked eyes with you and nodded back, gesturing for your family to retreat. You got the hint and dived back under, alerting your family. Your mother was reluctant to give up, but upon seeing the state of her injured son, she gave in and you retreated. You met them a few hours later, hovering around the area you inhabited. Your parents swam up and somehow struck a deal with them. In thanks of their help, your parents allowed them to join on your future hunts, in case something similar occurs again. In return, they would get a portion of the energy you collected. It took a while to trust them. Your mother certainly did not. And now? They are like family. Strange to think how much time has gone by. [[Your brother's scar can certainly attest to that.|chapter1pg9]]

<<notify 3s>>Codex: Echo and Codex: Sirens has been unlocked!<</notify>> As a siren, Echo has the wings and feet of an unnaturally large bird. Their feathers are brown and soft, which you have only had the privilege to touch once. Despite having wings, Echo also has arms of their own. They mentioned that some sirens do not have arms, only wings as their way of grappling items. Echo's eyes are a bright yellow, with slits for pupils. Your family has rounded pupils, similar to humans. Besides the unusual color, everything else about them is human-like: dark skin and black hair. If you had only heard this description of Echo, you would have thought that they were not a sight to behold. But it is the opposite--Echo is attractive, even with their wings and taloned feet. Though you have known Echo for almost eight months, you have yet to learn anything about them beyond their name and pronouns. They seem like the type to be professional, keeping away from personal questions and to themself. Your mother may consider them her sixth child, but you are sure that the sentiment is not reciprocated. Your father pauses in the middle of their conversation to acknowledge his wife and children. "Are we ready to get going?" At your mother's nod, Echo starts to fly off west. "Where is Cora, by the way?" your father asks as you swim up to him. "$kai is getting her," you reply. "She left mother again." He grumbles, shaking his head. "Of course she did. That cheeky mermaid." Despite his harsh words, there is an amused smile on his lips. "Well, no matter. I'm sure $kai will be able to find her. Those two have a very close bond." It appears to be the end of the conversation as he swims over to your mother, likely about to grill her on how she lost her youngest child. Jokingly, of course, since your father is seldom able to keep a serious tone. The journey may take a while. You could take the time to talk with one of your siblings or Echo if you are feeling confident enough. Then again, you sense that it may not be as long as you think it is. You can only get a conversation with one before you begin to approach the vessel that caught Echo's attention. <ul> <li>[[Try your chances with Echo.|chapter1pg10echo][$efriendship -= 1]]</li> <li>[[Talk with Nixie.|chapter1pg10nixie][$nixierelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[Talk with Marina.|chapter1pg10marina][$marinarelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[Talk with Caspian.|chapter1pg10caspian][$caspianrelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[Focus on swimming to your destination. (Continue)|chapter1pg12]]</li> </ul>

You attempt to catch up to Echo's pace. Flying is a much faster alternative to swimming, but unfortunately you do not have a pair of wings like Echo. Their eyes are laser-focused on a point in the distance. They do not notice you until you call their name. It's like you have broken them out of a reverie. Echo shakes their head, before turning to you with a fixed glare. "Yes? Can I help you?" Oh. Seems like they aren't up for much chattering. You might as well get it out now. <ul> <li>[[The words die on your lips the longer they stare at you. ♥|chapter1pg11echo1][$erom += 1, $reservedBold += 3, $efriendship -= 1]]</li> <li>[[I was...wondering...what you use...for your...hair...? ♥|chapter1pg11echo2][$erom += 1, $reservedBold += 5]]</li> <li>[[You look as good as ever. As usual. ♥|chapter1pg11echo3][$erom += 1, $reservedBold -= 5]]</li> <li>[[How far are we from the ship?|chapter1pg11echo4][$efriendship -= 1]]</li> <li>[[So...how was your day today?|chapter1pg11echo5][$efriendship += 1]]</li> </ul>

You swim over to Nixie, easily catching her attention as she slows her pace to match yours. She gives you a small smile, tight around its edges and sincere all the same. "What's up?" <ul> <li>[['"Just checking in," you say softly.'|chapter1pg11nixie1][$warmCold += 3, $nixierelationship += 2]]</li> <li>[[How are you feeling about this hunt?|chapter1pg11nixie2][$nixierelationship += 2]]</li> <li>[[So...how was your day today?|chapter1pg11nixie3][$nixierelationship += 1]]</li> <li>[[Do you think Cordelia is going to be okay?|chapter1pg11nixie4]]</li> </ul>

Marina smiles over at you as soon as you catch her eye. "Ah, if it isn't my favorite sibling!" While Nixie does not give any verbal response, Caspian lets out a loud huff. Marina smiles widely with amusement and looks at you expectantly. "I'm assuming you want to talk, right?" You nod. "I guess." Marina laughs, "Alright, I can do that." She claps her hands and rubs them together. "Give me a subject." <ul> <li>[['"How sure are you that a storm is coming?" Not that you doubt her or anything...'|chapter1pg11marina1][$marinarelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[How are you feeling about this hunt?|chapter1pg11marina2][$marinarelationship += 2, $nixierelationship += 1]]</li> <li>[[So...how was your day today?|chapter1pg11marina3][$marinarelationship += 1]]</li> <li>[[Do you think Cordelia is going to be okay?|chapter1pg11marina4][$marinarelationship += 1]]</li> </ul>

Caspian is admiring the fishes you are swimming by, but he senses your movements as he abruptly breaks out of his daze. He grins and gets closer to you. You can practically //see// the joke that is about to come out of his mouth. Predictably, he follows through. "So out of all of the merfolk here you could have approached, you chose //me//. For that, I am honored to be your choice of conversation." You hear Marina splutter out a curse meant for Caspian and you catch Nixie rolling her eyes. His grin morphs into a smirk. "But surely you didn't approach me //just// to bask in my glory, did you?" his eyes flicker to meet yours. "What do you want?" <ul> <li>[['You roll your eyes. "Is it illegal for me to approach my brother?"'|chapter1pg11caspian1][$caspianrelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[How are you feeling about this hunt?|chapter1pg11caspian2][$caspianrelationship += 3]]</li> <li>[[So...how was your day today?|chapter1pg11caspian3][$caspianrelationship += 4]]</li> <li>[[Do you think Cordelia is going to be okay?|chapter1pg11caspian4][$caspianrelationship += 1]]</li> </ul>

"I see the ship!" Echo calls out, getting your attention. Your mother nods, turning to them. "Echo, you stay above and out of sight. When you hear the singing, that will be your sign to sing as well and try to snatch the humans up," she looks to your family next. "Everyone else, dive below." As instructed, you sink underwater, waiting to hear the next steps. During hunts like this, your mother is the leader. While your father is certainly an important component in the plan, your mother is the one who gives the instructions. She is the one who oversees the hunts and makes sure everything goes smoothly. The last time she gave it to your father, the ship ended up escaping and you gained no energy. Nobody was injured, but... Needless to say, your mother hasn't let him try again since. "Echo and I will focus on luring the humans off the ship. Nixie can help me with that as well. Caspian, you will try to break the ship, along with your father. And Marina, you can chase after any stragglers who try to escape and force down some of the humans under." She then looks at you. //What is your name?// <ul> <li>[[Ariel|chapter1pg13][$name to "Ariel"]]</li> <li>[[Lorelei|chapter1pg13][$name to "Lorelei"]]</li> <li>[[Dylan|chapter1pg13][$name to "Dylan"]]</li> <li>[[Marin|chapter1pg13][$name to "Marin"]]</li> <li>[[Morgan|chapter1pg13][$name to "Morgan"]]</li> <li>[[Aqua|chapter1pg13][$name to "Aqua"]]</li> <li>[[Choose your own name.|nameyourmc]]</li> </ul>

You had a question--you //knew// you had one for them--but as Echo continues to stare at you expectantly, waiting for an answer, you find yourself stunned. All thoughts are thrown out of the window. Your mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, struggling to get the words out. //Were you even going to ask them a question, or were you going to make a comment?// You don't remember. Echo's glowing eyes search yours. Under their gaze, you feel yourself warm up despite yourself. What? You have to look away to calm yourself down. What is //wrong// with you? "What were you going to ask?" they finally huff out a breath of annoyance. "I'd like to get back to searching for the ship, if you don't mind." This furthers your embarrassment. You mumble, "No, nevermind," and you suppose sirens have really good hearing because Echo flies off with no further comment. You should have expected this from Echo--you know little about them and them you, and they are leading you straight to your target, so why would they care? Even so, it hurts to get such a nonchalent response from a siren like them. You force yourself to push down your feelings. They can be dealt with another day. [[Their voice soon cuts through your thoughts.|chapter1pg12]]

The pressure under their gaze feels suffocating when you finally get your question out. "I was wondering...what you use...for your...hair...?" What? //Is that really the best question you have?// Echo must find the question unexpected, because their face morphs into a look of confusion, surprise and vague amusement for a moment. It only lasts for a second, but you know it was there and it heightens your embarrassment. "What?" Do they //seriously want// you to repeat it again? The first time was already humiliating... You clear your throat and try again with a stronger voice. "I asked what you use for your hair." You don't know how you got it out without stuttering, but you did. Echo stares. Then, "Other than the air and water? Not much." There is a brief pause before they fly away, already assuming the conversation is finished. Oh. ...Maybe it's better to just keep quiet from now on. [[But soon their voice cuts through the air.|chapter1pg12]]

Time to turn on the charm. Putting on your best, hopefully charming smile, you begin to talk, "You look as good as ever. As usual." The last sentence being an addition on your part. You had seen Echo's face morph into surprise when you smiled, and now it quickly turns to horror once the compliment leaves your mouth. It would be comical if your stomach wasn't doing soumersaults in fear. What fear? Fear of being rejected of this moment? Fear that they won't take the compliment as it is, but as an insult? Fear that they'll just fly away? All of the above? "Uhh...o..kay?" Their reply stuns you. //Okay?// That was all they had to say? You weren't looking for much--Echo is a person of few words and clearly has never received compliments before. But //okay?// No thanks? Nothing? Echo looks everywhere but you, and you can hear someone snickering from behind. You flap your tail behind you with purpose, hoping to send a small wave towards them. Once you hear a yelp you know that you have hit your target. "Uhm, I think I'm going to, uh, go and fly ahead," they say and take off before you can speak or stop them. //Oh//. Were they uncomfortable with your comment? You can't help but feel guilty. Should you apologize? Did it affect them that much? These thoughts cause you to go into a spiral. You can hear your heart aching at the thought of rejection from them. You are unable to control your thoughts for a moment. And for a moment, you allow them to surround your head, constricting your throat until it feels like you cannot breathe. And then, Echo speaks up, and your thoughts finally stop. Your attention now on them. [[You internally thank them for the distraction.|chapter1pg12]]

"How far are we from the ship?" you ask them. "Are we close, or still a ways ahead?" Echo turns to the horizon, squinting before replying, "We're getting closer." "How close?" Their jaw clicks tight, the disdain on their face clearly meant for you. "We're getting close. I'd be able to tell if I can go ahead." You don't need to be asked twice. "You can go." As soon as the words leave your lips, Echo nods and flies ahead of you, resuming their position of leading your group to the ship. Yeah, you really should not have expected them to hold a conversation longer than two questions. They can barely sit still for //one//. Sometimes you wonder how long it would take to break that exterior of theirs. Surely this can't be everything to them, right? Surely not. [[Not long after Echo has left your side, they call out to your family.|chapter1pg12]]

"So...how was your day today?" You had no idea what reaction you were expecting from them. Most likely they would balk at the question and brush it off with an "I'm fine" or something along the line. Echo never came across as the type to do small talk, rather getting to the point even if it was brusque. Out of all the reactions you could have predicted, you never would have thought they would //laugh//. It is a curt, unexpected laugh as if they expected anything //but// whatever came out of your mouth. Echo is quick to pick up the pieces they have let loose, clearing their throat to reset themself. "Dry," they answer once they have recomposed themself. Echo glances at the sky, and you see a hint of a smirk on their face. "Though it's looking to be wet soon." With a final glance to you, they fly off, closing the conversation. Huh. [[Well, you'll take that as a win.|chapter1pg12]]

"Just checking in," you say softly, looking at her with concern. As Nixie is the oldest, she has a lot of responsibility, most coming from your mother. You know that it is because if something were to ever happen to your parents, she would be the one in charge of your family. As such, Nixie will occasionally lead hunts for you. Though this time she is not, you can sense her nerves. One wrong direction and everything can and //will// go wrong. Your oldest sister is the worrier in your family, more so than your mother (who you know for a fact is a worrier). You can imagine the list that is already going through her head of the possible plans in any emergency. She sighs and pats your shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm just thinking, per usual." You frown, "Really? Just thinking?" Nixie, on her part, does not give an answer. You open your mouth to continue pressing the issue, but Echo's voice interrupts the silence that has come across you two. [[Though the conversation is now over, you remind yourself to ask her later.|chapter1pg12]]

"How are you feeling about this hunt?" you ask, watching the siren above as their gaze is locked on something in the distance. Nixie sinks below the sea level, and you follow her. The water laps around you as you sink under, and your ears immediately adjust to the change in air pressure. It is nothing you aren't used to. She appears more comfortable underwater, you notice. Her eyebrows, once furrowed, are now relaxed. Is she skeptical about Echo? She sighs, a few bubbles leaving her lips to float to the surface. "To be honest? Worried. But you might have figured it." "Do you...not like you-know-who?" gesturing to said person above the sea. Nixie raises an eyebrow and slowly shakes her head. "It's not that." "Then what is it?" She sighs again. "It's nothing, really. But if you must know, I'm worried about the ship they have spotted. Echo has yet to turn on us, but I can't lie and say that I'm not waiting for that moment." Wait, what? "I never knew you felt this way." "I guess it's just one of those things you keep quiet about. Anyway, don't take it from me. I'm just worrying, per usual." "Alright..." you want to say more, but Nixie is already resurfacing, so you follow her. [[As you rise up, you hear Echo shouting.|chapter1pg12]]

Looking at her concerning smile, you decide that it would be best to ask her an inquiring question. "So...how was your day today?" "It could be better," she replies, reaching up a hand to rub her temple. "What about you?" You notice how she deflects from herself and you bring it up. "Fine, but...are you really okay, Nix?" "Fine," Nixie hums, "It's just a headache--it'll be gone by the time we get to the ship." She goes for another smile, but it's less reassuring and more strained this time. You open your mouth to press the issue, but Echo's voice interrupts the silence that has come over you two. [[Though the conversation is over, you remind yourself to continue later.|chapter1pg12]]

You glance up to see if the weather has changed--it is still a dark gray, clouds growing darker with each passing moment. "How sure are you that a storm is coming?" It's a stupid question, really, when you can feel the drop in temperature. Still, Your sister gestures animatedly towards the sky, scoffing, "What do you mean, //how sure am I//? You can literally see it." "It's not raining," you point out. "Correction, it's not raining //yet//. There's a difference." You smile. You know you were only trying to get a reaction out of her, but anything that she does somehow manages to be funny. While Caspian is usually the main suspect when it comes to pushing others' buttons (especially hers and Nixie's) you often serve as an alternative. Marina flings a spout of water your way, smiling as well. "Teaser." Things soon delve into a splashing match, your older sister only calling a truce when it becomes too much. [[Although Nixie admonishes the two of you for splashing in her direction, you know the true reason for the ceasefire was the fact that you were winning.|chapter1pg12]]

"How are you feeling about the hunt?" you ask, watching the siren above as their gaze is locked on something in the distance. Marina follows your line of sight and breathes out a soft sigh. "Good," she shrugs. "Another day, another hunt." "You mean another //week//, another hunt," Nixie interrupts, swimming up to you with a raised brow. "Right?" "It was //subjective//, Nix, not //objective//," Marina rolls her eyes at your other sister's interruption. "Anyway, what are you doing, listening into other people's conversations? Shoo!" She flicks her hand, and Nixie is washed backwards. You hear Nixie's petering laughter as she moves away from you, likely about to talk to someone else. It's strange to hear your sister laugh like that. As the worrier in your family, she typically has a serious face and is the most stoic. You know that she hides a lot of her emotions, but find that the facade breaks when she's around your siblings. Maybe it is because Marina and Caspian are always going at each other with the craziest one-liners. [[But you see her fondness, and you know that it is more than that.|chapter1pg12]]

Marina appears less concerned now about the storm than before--back to her bubbly self. It is relieving to see that, though you wonder how she has been. "So...how was your day today?" She makes a show of her response, humming and rubbing her chin in fake thought. "Well, let's see here. I woke up, unfortunately, tidied my hair, was told to go on patrol, //went// on patrol, noticed the clouds, reported the weather, and now I am going on a hunt led by a siren where everything may go wrong and this could be the last day of my life. But it's good. You?" You can't even begin to explain the whiplash that hits you at the end of her speech. You gather enough of your bearings to say, "Rather morbid, don't you think?" Marina grins. "Mm, I like to consider myself a mix between a realist and an optimist leaning towards optimism rather. But if that's the word you use, then that is what sums up my day." "I don't..." You aren't sure how to finish the sentence. [[You are thankful for the distraction that Echo provides when you hear them.|chapter1pg12]]

You roll your eyes, somewhat slighted by his question. "What, is it illegal for me to approach my brother?" Caspian in turn bristles, still smiling. "Well, //usually// when someone approach another, it's because they want something from that person," he says. "So what do you want? Coins? My comb? You're not getting either of those things, I'll tell you right now." His eyes narrow teasingly. You shake your head and sigh, "I just can't hold an actual //normal// conversation with you, can I?" He scoffs. "Offensive, but I can if you want." "Give me an example of you having a normal conversation, then." It takes him a moment to respond. At first, you thought it was because he was focused on dodging a particular wave, but realize that it was because he was coming up with an answer. Finally, he snaps his fingers and points them at you in a finger gun. "Got it! I was talking with this really pretty mermaid--no joke, actually stunning--and we talked about the pollution in the water and how in a couple of years we're all going to die from it due to the diseases and toxins pollution causes." You stare at him. "You consider that a normal conversation?" "Yeah...that doesn't count?" Now amused by the turn of your talk, you ask, "So did you ever get that mermaid's name?" Caspian ducks his head underwater, an awkward smile now in place. You smirk at the sudden change, already knowing what his answer is going to be. "Well, I mean, maybe the talk might have been a //little// to heavy for her." "That's a no then." He huffs, cheeks turning pink. "Shut up, will you? Not my fault she can't handle the fact that cute sea animals can also die from pollution." Caspian, to his pleasure, is soon saved by the shouting of Echo's voice. You remind yourself to tell Marina about this later so that you can both tease him about it. [[In the meantime, it looks like Echo has located the ship.|chapter1pg12]]

"How are you feeling about this hunt?" you ask, watching the siren above as their gaze is locked on something in the distance. Caspian scrunches his nose when he follows your line of sight. "I'm sort of preparing myself for it physically and mentally," he replies, shaking his wrists. Droplets of water splash your way, and when you direct a glare at him he smiles. //Jerk//. "You know that Dad and I are usually the one in charge of breaking the ship and sailing it towards the rocks, right?" You nod. "I'm chill otherwise." You resist the urge to look at Caspian's back where his scar is. Not only do you know that he hates talking about it, but he hates when others look at it. It is a reminder that the hunts you go on are dangerous and one hunt is all it takes to get to death's door. As if sensing your thoughts, Caspian pointedly turns his back away from you. "So, what about you? How are you feeling?" A distraction to guide you away from thinking about it any longer. You open your mouth, about to answer when you hear Echo's shouting. Caspian makes a waving gesture as if to say //we'll talk later//. [[You get the feeling you aren't going to talk later.|chapter1pg12]]

Caspian, out of your siblings, is the most relaxed. There is something about him that gives off chill vibes. Nixie is basically a ball of nerves when it comes to hunts, while internally you know that Marina is predicting the number of humans she can get today. Would that make him the most normal of the three? Either way, you want to know how he is doing. "So...how was your day today?" Caspian barks a laugh, swallowing a mouthful of saltwater. He spits it out, choking on the bitter taste while Marina laughs from behind. He hears it and splashes his tail. You watch with amusement as a small wave crashes over her head, causing her to yelp in surprise. From the triumphant smirk on his face Caspian seems well aware of this. "Well that was...unexpected," he looks at you with clear amusement. "I assumed you were going to open with that question when you swam over. But I will answer it anyway." He swings an arm around your shoulder as if to make a point. "It was dull, until you came." "Wow, I'm so flattered." Despite the nonchalance in your voice, you can't help but feel a little proud and actually flattered. Your brother smiles, squeezing your arm for a brief moment before he moves away. The weight on your shoulder is lifted, as well as the warmth that you once felt. It feels tingly, a sensation that would feel uncomfortable if it was anyone but Caspian. You smile back. [[Soon enough, Echo's voice breaks through the tranquil atmosphere.|chapter1pg12]]

"Do you think Cordelia is going to be okay?" You feel a little guilty that you had forgotten your sister, but when it comes to hunts, you usually have a small window before the opportunity disappears. As such, you cannot spend time looking for Cordelia when you have other pressing matters. Caspian shrugs. "I think she will be okay. It's not like she hasn't escaped before, and every time we have found her safe and sound. So yeah." You frown. "You're not concerned about her?" "Of course I am," he sighs like it was implied. "Of course I am worried about my baby sister and her whereabouts, and I will definitely give her a crushing hug once she comes back, but right now I have to stay focused on the hunt." When Caspian turns to meet your eyes, you can see his begging for you to understand. And unfortunately you do. As much as you feel guilty about not going after Cordelia, you know that this hunt is important for all of you. It is the only way you can get energy and continue to survive. Despite however you may feel about hunts, you know that it would take an ungodly amount of time searching for her. Even if you tried, your mother would stop you from going. You are what she likes to call a useful asset in the group known as your family. So you nod. That's all Caspian needs to see. His shoulders relax--you never realized they were tense before--and he sighs, "But I understand your concern. I wouldn't be too worried about her, even though she is amazing at hide-and-seek. Have faith in your friend, okay?" Right. You should have faith in $kai. Surely $kheshe will find Cordelia. [[Soon Echo interrupts the silence between you two.|chapter1pg12]]

"$name," she begins to say. <ul> <li>[['"You will help me, Nixie and Echo in singing and luring the humans." (Boost in voice)'|chapter1pg14][$ship1 to "voice", $voice += 35]]</li> <li>[['"You will help Caspian and your father with breaking the ship and directing it into the rocks." (Boost in strength)'|chapter1pg14][$ship1 to "strength", $strength += 35]]</li> <li>[['"You will help Marina in catching any humans who try to escape." (Boost in speed)'|chapter1pg14][$ship1 to "speed", $speed += 35]]</li> </ul>

What is your name, little Merfolk? <<textbox "$name" "Name">> [[Continue.|chapter1pg13]]

Any protests you might have about your mother's decision dies on your lips the moment you meet her stare. You recognize that look. It means you cannot argue against her. Even if you wanted to or not, refusing to contribute would mean a betrayal to your family. And of course, you would never dare to experience the consequences of disobeying her decree. So you bite your tongue and look away. It is too dangerous for you to surface at the moment. You remain still and watch as a shadow passes above your head. Must be the ship Echo was talking about. True to your mother's word, the ship appears to be quite big, though not big enough judging from the disappointed frown on Nixie's face. While larger than a simple fisherman's boat, you reckon it would not take as much effort as a typical pirate ship to destroy. Once the shadow passes by, your mother gestures for you to swim up. When you break through the waves, you see that it is a wood-crafted yacht, nothing diffferent from most ships you see besides its slightly-larger size. Large sails spring up from the base of the boat, and there appears to be no motor mechanics used to power the ship. It seems to be all reliant on the wind passing through the sails. And it is a loud ship at that. There are people cheering, clinking glasses together, and laughing. Humans celebrating some sort of occasion. Too bad they aren't going to live to see the next day. <ul> <li>[[They all look so happy, though...|chapter1pg15soft][$merfolkHumanity -= 5, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[[You don't think about their happiness.|chapter1pg15hard][$merfolkHumanity += 5, $warmCold -= 3]]</li> </ul>

Your heart warms when your eyes land on two girls--apparently a couple. One leans over to a blonde haired girl, hair neatly tied up in a ponytail. She whispers something to the blonde and they laugh before sharing a brief kiss. The nature of humans has intrigued you for a while. You had not always felt this way--when you were growing up your parents taught you about humans in a negative light. They were brain-dead savages who only knew how to throw plastic in the oceans and kill off the beautiful variety of sea creatures that inhabited the waters. $kai also grew up with this philosophy, but you saw how $khisher opinions began to change, along with $khisher increased visits to the surface. $kai would tell you about the humans--that they were more than just the savages you were taught. Back then, still in the mindset that all humans were bad, you told $khimher rather harshly that $kheshe would never be able to stand on two sticks--what $kai called "legs". But now you think differently. //Know// differently. You would never tell your family about this. Thinking positively on humans would garner you disgust. Hatred. You may even get disowned. ...Okay, you aren't sure about the disowned part but you have a feeling your mother would do that to you. You hope that if anything, you can help them. Or at least put them out of their misery in the kindest way possible. A faint thrum of electricity flows through your veins. You can feel yourself charging up like a battery, ready to reach its full potential. Your father insisted that it was not magic. A younger you refused to believe it at first, but now that you have grown up you know it is more than magic. It has to be the power of the merfolk. Your mother does a silent countdown, holding up three fingers. [[Three...|chapter1pg16]]

You have a feeling as to why Echo chose this ship. Sure, maybe it really was the only ship within your radius. But when you look closely, at the recklessness of those humans, you know why. Your eyes land on two girls--apparently a couple. One leans over to a blonde haired girl, hair neatly tied up in a ponytail. She whispers something to the blonde and they laugh before sharing a brief kiss. Sharing affection before they meet their end? You suppose that is a nice sentiment. A faint thrum of electricity flows through your veins. You can feel yourself charging up like a battery, ready to reach its full potential. Your father insisted that it was not magic. A younger you refused to believe it at first, but now that you have grown up you know it is more than magic. It has to be the power of the merfolk. Your mother does a silent countdown, holding up three fingers. [[Three...|chapter1pg16]]

You glance at the others. Nixie is biting her lip--a habit of hers-- while Marina and Caspian are preparing themselves. You can trace the lines of power glowing from their veins as your brother rolls his shoulders. Your father wears a mask of indifference, eyes trained on your mother, waiting for the signal. Echo is nowhere to be found when you look up. The sky appears dark, wind pulling soft clouds together to create a mass of dark, menacing clouds. //A storm is rolling in.// [[Two...|chapter1pg17]]

You feel a drop fall on your cheek. For a moment, you think you are crying. But when more little spears of water slide down the side of your face it hits you. //It's raining.// Marina breathes out a soft curse. She was the one who knew a storm was coming and she even said it herself. Your mother must have been hoping it would hold off. Your brother holds out a hand, watching with restrained awe as water fills his cupped hand. Nixie grumbles about the sudden rain as her hair is slowly drenched. Would this inhibit Echo's ability to fly? [[One...|chapter1pg18]]

There is a crack of lightning, and the guests aboard exclaim with terror. Some are beginning to shuffle inside to safe shelters. That is the complete opposite of what your family wants. Your mother tenses at the rumbling of the clouds. If you want your chance at regaining your energy to survival, you will all need to move. //Now.// She slowly pulls down the final finger. Time seems to slow as her hand curls into a fist. <<if $ship1 is "voice">>[[Let the carnage begin.|chapter1pg19voice]]<<elseif $ship1 is "strength">>[[Let the carnage begin.|chapter1pg19strength]]<<else>>[[Let the carnage begin.|chapter1pg19speed]]<<endif>>

Nixie swims closer to the yacht, softly humming to warm up. Already her voice is attracting the attention of some guests onboard. Marina swims around the ship while your brother and father dive, presumably to wreck the ship. Your mother joins her and gestures for you to, pulling your arm. The storm grows stronger with Nixie's humming. You don't know if her singing is causing the storm to increase or not. The humming slowly morphs into a low, soft tune. When you hear the distinct sound of wings flapping, you glance upward to see that Echo is joining in the chorus, their timbre a smooth alto. Nixie's voice is a melodious soprano, though she prefers to sing at a mezzo soprano level, and your mother is a mezzo soprano. Musical terms your mother taught you when she first found out your talent for singing. When you showed her the levels of range your voice can reach, she told you that you were a... <ul> <li>[[Soprano.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "soprano"]]</li> <li>[[Mezzo-soprano.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "mezzo-soprano"]]</li> <li>[[Alto.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "alto"]]</li> <li>[[Tenor.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "tenor"]]</li> <li>[[Baritone.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "baritone"]]</li> <li>[[Bass.|chapter1pg20voice][$voicetype to "bass"]]</li> </ul>

Nixie swims closer to the yacht, softly humming to warm up. Already her voice is attracting the attention of some guests onboard. You dive under with your brother and father, knowing your own task. There is no need to listen to what's going above. "So what are we going to do?" you ask, glancing at your brother. Your father answers instead. There is a confident smile on his face. "We're going to sink this boat." You blink. //Sink the boat?// Could you do that with only three merfolk? It would take at least five to even make an impact. It seems your brother is also surprised as he is the one to ask the main question on your mind. "What? How?" Your father rolls his eyes and swims over to the bottom of the ship, gesturing towards it. "Well, first, we need to rock it to try and get some of those humans clinging to the railing off. Then, once it is light enough, we can nudge the ship towards those rocks." He points to a place where you can see the jagged sides of some large rocks. It slowly traces down to the bottom of the sea, where your eyes can barely make out its end. The yacht appears to be far from the rocks, but if it wanders close enough you //could// direct it towards the sharp objects. Caspian is immediately sold by your father's idea. His grin turns sharp once the man finishes explaining the plan. "I'm onboard." Your father grins. "Knew you would. What about you, <<link "ⓘ mer">> <<script>> UI.alert("This is the nickname your father gave you when you and your siblings were young, and is short for mermaid. Despite the term 'mermaids' being used to describe the typical female merfolk, it is a gender-neutral term that can be affectionaly used on any child of any age."); <</script>><</link>>?" <ul> <li>[[You're onboard as well.|chapter1pg20onboard][$caspianrelationship += 4, $mercyRuthless -= 4, $merfolkHumanity += 3]]</li> <li>[[You guess...you don't really have any other ideas.|chapter1pg20suppose][$caspianrelationship += 1, $mercyRuthless -= 2, $merfolkHumanity += 2]]</li> <li>[[You didn't even want to do this in the first place!|chapter1pg20what][$caspianrelationship -= 5, $mercyRuthless += 5, $merfolkHumanity -= 3]]</li> </ul>

Nixie swims closer to the yacht, softly humming to warm up. Already her voice is attracting the attention of some guests onboard. A soft hand grabs your wrist and pulls you underwater. When you look to the source, you see that it is Marina. Behind her, Caspian and your father are beginning to swim away. Your brother throws you a thumbs up before he leaves your line of sight. "Here's the plan," she states as soon as your focus returns to her. "There might be around twenty people aboard that yacht, the crew not included. This is going to take a big job and we might need to get Nixie and Dad's help with this." "So what is the plan, exactly?" "We catch anyone, and we pull them under," she shakes her wrist, and a swirl of water swarms around her hand. "Of course, we can use our powers to pull multiple people underwater at once or pull them down ourselves, but we need to move quickly. Got it?" "Right." "Echo is also going to be swooping in to grab more so the numbers may be less. Also if the humans are clinging to some pillar in the middle of the ship. Basically a whole lot of variables that we have to take into consideration regarding the numbers--" "Marni!" you shout her nickname, and it snaps your sister out of whatever spiel she was spiraling into. She startles at the use of her nickname, thankfully clamping her mouth shut. You go on to explain. "Stop. Focus." Seeing your sister suddenly jump into calculating mode is //very// uncharacteristic of her. It stirs a rock-hard feeling in your gut like a weighty rock . Marina blinks. Then she nods. "Sorry. Yes. You're right." Suddenly, your attention is caught by a large splash in the water. [[You don't need to turn around to know that it was a human.|chapter1pg20speed]]

In a blink of light, Marina is already heading towards the human. When you get closer you realize that it is that girl with the blonde hair. Her eyes widen when she spots Marina closing in, and she tries to swim up. She is not far from the surface, from which you can hear muffled shouting. It must be her girlfriend shouting for her. "I don't think so!" In a second, Marina has grabbed the girl, ignoring the kicking from the human and is bringing her down. You have no idea why you are stunned, simply watching as your sister brings about the demise of the girl. Soon, you watch as the girl's face changes. The color from her face has been drained. She stops kicking, and when Marina is sure, she lets go and flaps her tail downwards, the girl's corpse floating down to whatever awaits her at the bottom. The process is quick and seemingly painless, but you know it is anything but. Marina grins, depravity shining in her eyes. She appears brighter now, a soft pink aura about her. "And that is how you get the job done!" The yacht hovering above you rocks courtesy of your brother and father, and this causes the girl's lover to fall in. You recognize her, as much as you wished you didn't. Marina gestures for you to go after her. An opportunity for you. Will you take it? <ul> <li>[[You let your carnal instincts take over and you rush the girl.|chapter1pg21speed1][$mercyRuthless -= 5, $marinarelationship += 3, $merfolkHumanity += 5]]</li> <li>[[You hesitate, but give in.|chapter1pg21speed1][$mercyRuthless -= 4, $marinarelationship += 2, $merfolkHumanity += 3]]</li> <li>[[You refuse to give in despite your body screaming to chase her.|chapter1pg21speed2][$mercyRuthless += 5, $marinarelationship -= 6, $merfolkHumanity -= 5]]</li> </ul>

Yes, she told you that you were a $voicetype, and she seemed awfully happy about it. She said you had a beautiful voice when you sang and younger you remained unaware of the ultimate agenda behind what she meant. Now you do. With no other choice, you join them in the tune, which has since slowly shifted to a song about humans hypnotized under a spell. Fitting since this was what you were doing. Echo moves towards the ship and starts going for the kill, scooping up humans, extracting their energy, and tossing them into the ocean like a child would do to an unloved toy. The girl with blonde hair--the one you noticed from before--is the first to fall into the ocean. From the way she was swaying before she fell, you knew it must have been from your singing. Her partner starts shouting when she does and a lifesaver is thrown in. Not on Marina's watch, though, as the blonde haired girl never resurfaces. Her girlfriend is shouting her name. You are not close enough to see her panic. The boat suddenly rocks, and the girlfriend is thrown in. She does not surface as well. People are approaching the railings now, either from your singing or from the commotion the lovers brought up. More start to fall from the rocking ship, the powerful winds knocking them off and tossing them into the unapologetic ocean. The rain falls heavier, dropping down in buckets. Everyone standing outside--including your family and Echo-- is now surely wet. Nixie's voice starts to sound hoarse, but every so often it would gain a sudden burst of strength, desperate to reach the end. Echo is still as powerful as ever. Your mother remains concentrated. But what about you? <ul> <li>[[You power through, eager to see this to the end like Nixie.|chapter1pg21voice1][$merfolkHumanity -= 2, $warmCold -= 1]]</li> <li>[[You stop when your eyes land on a human clinging to a lifesaver.|chapter1pg21voice2][$warmCold += 1]]</li> </ul>

"I'm onboard." Your father grins. "Alright. Then let's get to work." Not far from you, you notice a loud splash as a human falls in. It appears to be that blonde haired girl. Marina takes quick notice and swims over. Before you can watch the scene unfold before you, Caspian grabs your arm and pulls you away. "Don't get distracted now." You shoot him a glare. "I'm not distracted." "Sure you weren't," he rolls his eyes, bringing you to where your father has placed his hands on the ship. Caspian positions himself and you do too. Your father looks at you two. "Ready?" Caspian nods. "Ready." You nod. "Let's do this." [[And so you rock the boat.|chapter1pg21strength]]

"I guess," you shrug. Your father grins, unfazed by your indifference. "Alright. Then let's get to work." Not far from you, you notice a loud splash as a human falls in. It appears to be that blonde haired girl. Marina takes quick notice and swims over. Before you can watch the scene unfold before you, Caspian grabs your arm and pulls you away. "Don't get distracted now." You shoot him a glare. "I'm not distracted." "Sure you weren't," he rolls his eyes, bringing you to where your father has placed his hands on the ship. Caspian positions himself and you do too. Your father looks at you two. "Ready?" Caspian nods. "Ready." You nod. "Let's do this." [[And so you rock the boat.|chapter1pg21strength]]

You scowl, unhappy with the situation you have been put in. You never wanted this. You never wanted to participate in the first place. While standing by the side meant that more humans could escape and there would be less help, you were not that useful. You don't think you are. "I didn't even want to do this in the first place." Your father frowns as well, unhappy with your choice of words, while your brother rolls his eyes. "You don't have a choice, $name. Mom told you to do it, so you have to." When you show no sign of moving, your brother grabs your wrist to pull you over. You are momentarily distracted when you hear a loud splash. It is that blonde haired girl. Marina takes quick notice and zips over. Before you can watch the scene unfold, Caspian pulls you away. Your glare does little to lessen his grip on you. "Here is a compromise," your father says. "If you just stand there and watch out for any humans that may come close to us, you don't have to participate and I won't tell your mother." Your eyes narrow. "Well, either way, you were never going to tell her, right?" He smirks. "You never know." That is true... "Fine." You cross your arms once Caspian releases his hand on you. Your father and brother take their places under the ship, placing their hands on the ship. They give the ship a shake and the boat rocks like expected. [[You are careful not to get your head knocked.|chapter1pg21strength2]]

The ship rocks with a sudden jolt, which causes some to fall. Marina is quick to clean them up, swiftly grabbing and pushing them down until they become a lifeless husk. After a few moments, your father suddenly lets go and looks at the floating bottom halfs of the humans. From the look in his eyes, you can predict what is going through his mind. "I am going to go and help Marina," he states. "$name, try to make some dents on the bottom and see if you can break it open." He swims off once the words leave him. Even Caspian is stunned, his hands moving away from the yacht for a brief second before traveling back up. There is not another second to waste. You move to a random spot on the bottom of the ship. As your hands curl into fists, a sudden burst of strength pops inside you. Your fist makes impact with the smooth, cold surface and creates a big dent. When you throw your other fist, you hear the yacht creaking as the dent gives way to inside the ship. Caspian sends you a grin. "Perfect. Now make it wider and repeat." With a hole now at the bottom of the yacht, it was only a matter of time before the boat was fully submersed. You tear the metal open, widening the hole you have made before you move on to an unaffected part. You repeat this process a few more times until there are six large hole in the bottom of the yacht. //How could someone not notice this damage?// you wonder to yourself right when you notice a human swimming close by you. They apparently have evaded Marina and Father. It would not do you any good if you have witnesses...so the only question is, what do you do? <ul> <li>[[Get them.|chapter1pg22strength1][$caspianrelationship -= 1, $mercyRuthless -= 5]]</li> <li>[[Don't.|chapter1pg22strength2][$caspianrelationship += 2, $mercyRuthless += 5]]</li> </ul>

The ship rocks with a sudden jolt, which causes some to fall. Marina is quick to clean them up, swiftly grabbing and pushing them down until they become a lifeless husk. Caspian lets out a hoot of celebration, while your father looks on with amusement. "Did you see that, $name?" Caspian asks, turning to you. "This is what you missed out on!" You roll your eyes, "Oh come on, I'm sure I didn't miss that much." "Yes you did." Your father sighs. "You two..." His tone indicates fond exasperation and distraction. By distraction you mean there is clearly something pestering him. His hands let go of the ship and he glances up at the floating bottom halfs of the humans. From the look in his eyes, you can predict what is going through his mind. Caspian takes notice. "Dad? What's up?" The man in question blinks. "I am going to go and help Marina," he states. "I'll be right back." "Okay?" Caspian's single question lands on deaf ears as your father swims away. "Strange..." he mumbles to himself before directing you a glare. "Am I really going to be the only one shaking this thing to death? Is this what we have come to?" "I suppose so," you reply back rather snarkily, but your focus is on something else too. Or more like someone else. Like a human. //Interesting.// "Uh, what are you doing?" your brother asks, and it seems he follows your gaze because he immediately says, "You better not do what I think you are about to do." <ul> <li>[[Oh, yes you are. You go for the human and the inevitable kill.|chapter1pg22strength1][$caspianrelationship -= 2, $mercyRuthless -= 4]]</li> <li>[[You don't get them.|chapter1pg22strength2][$caspianrelationship += 3, $mercyRuthless += 5]]</li> </ul>

With an alarming amount of speed, you rush over to the girl. In fact, you are so quick that the girl does not have enough time to register your firm grip on her wrist as you pull her under. When she realizes what is about to happen to her does she struggle against you, trying to yank her wrist back. Well, that just won't do. Without a second thought, you pull her further down. She adjusts to this very well for you. Her muscles stop fighting and her body goes limp. You figure she must have swallowed water and lost consciousness along the way. Her eyelids have fluttered shut, so you are saved from looking into dead eyes. It makes the job easier. You begin to extract the energy from the girl, watching as the color from her face starts to drain. As you steal it for yourself, the energy invigourates you to continue pulling until her essence has been completely drained from her body. And then that is when it hits you. //Her essence.// For a brief moment, a memory flashes by you. You are overwhelmed by the feeling of...bittersweet? Sadness? You see an image of the girl with her girlfriend, the two hugging and a few tears here and there. The moment after they confessed to each other their love, admitting they could no longer lie to themselves if they said they only wanted to stay friends. Oh, //sting rays//. Out of all memories, that is the one that comes up? <ul> <li>[[A few tears spring up in your eyes.|chapter1pg22speed1][$emotionalStoic += 3]]</li> <li>[[You push down the feeling, resolving to not think about it.|chapter1pg22speed2][$emotionalStoic -= 3]]</li> </ul>

The hand by your side twitches. Even your tail swooshes at the idea of absorbing her energy. It takes everything within you to resist. When you meet Marina's eyes your resolve hardens. You can only describe Marina as anger. Her cheeks flare to life, and you watch her hands as they clench and unclench in a repetitive motion. Displeasure is all you can see in front of you. "$name," she grits out in a threatening tone. "I was not asking." "I am not going to bring the downfall of an innocent human," you respond with as much diplomacy as you can muster, and you are pleasantly surprised to find that you did not stutter in said response. Her displeasure morphs into pure fury. You steel yourself, prepared to withstand the hurtful words that are most likely to come out of her lips. But as it turns out, you are not prepared when Marina growls, "Fine, I'll do it myself. //Without your help.//" She swims off, clearly not having it with your refusal. As she deals with the girl, you look around to see that there are other humans in similar situations like the girl. Some flail their arms in a desperate attempt to stay above. Some yell, their muffled screams unheard. And there are those few who are unable to swim, already giving up and allowing themselves to sink to the bottom. Whether you want to take their energy or not is not your choice. Your body naturally takes in the energy humans emit when they are hanging by the thin line of death. As a consequence, each one's feelings flood your mind, overloading your senses. Love, loss, growing up, children, learning, //living//. They are not memories--the ones that give you visuals instead of emotions--but the amount of it hits you hard. Your heart jumps to your throat. It's too much. Marina returns as quick as she left, the girl nowhere to be found. "The girl has been dealt with," she states. "So if you will excuse me, $name. I have to deal with the other humans." Again, without waiting for your input, she swims away in a swirl of pink and yellow. You have to keep yourself from punching her. You //refuse// to throw hands now. You hate when this happens. When something does not go Marina's way, she becomes angry with you even if it is not your fault. Though this time it //is// your fault. At least Nixie does not lash out the way she does. Above you, the yacht starts to move in the direction of some rocks ahead. [[You don't know if this is Caspian's doing or Nixie's.|chapter1pg22speed]]

When a Merfolk ceases their singing, the humans under their trance immediately break away. The nature of humans, in these circumstances, are dangerous. They could do anything, from attempting to kill the merfolk to escaping. Neither of those things are acceptable. You watch the ship, and you watch them panic onboard. Some are lured by your voice, while others try to resist. The waves are restless, the clouds bring down an onslaught of rain, and the winds are howling. Hair whips in faces, hats fly off, and clothes flutter in the direction of the gusts. The utter chaos alone sends delightful thrills down your spine. It is in your nature as a Merfolk. This is why you power through your songs, eager to see the hunt to the end. Your thirst for energy will be restored for the next week or so. And when it runs low again, you will repeat this cycle. Sing, kill, extract, and repeat. Nixie, restless, wanders away from your position to circle the ship. That was her way of saying that her sanity was clinging to a little thread, and that at any moment she may jump at a human and tear them apart. Alarm flashes through your mother's eyes as she watches her oldest swim away, her singing amplified in spite of the heavy storm. Soon, your mother leaves your side. You are left by yourself. You don't realize you have stopped singing until you notice the vast darkness behind you. When you turn your head back, your eyes meet anothers. A //human's//. They are clinging to a lifesaver--//how long did it take you to notice them there?// you wonder--and they stare back with wide eyes. Stunned. Immobile. Incapacitated. Marina has yet to take notice of them. <ul> <li>[[Kill them.|chapter1pg22voice1][$merfolkHumanity += 4, $mercyRuthless -= 4]]</li> <li>[[Help them.|chapter1pg22voice2][$merfolkHumanity -= 4, $mercyRuthless += 4]]</li> </ul>

You do not realize you have stopped until your mother nudges your arm, reminding you of the present. Even when you realize, your gaze remains on a human clinging to a lifesaver--//how long did it take you to notice them there?// you wonder--and they stare back with wide eyes. Stunned. Immobile. Incapacitated. Marina has yet to take notice of them. When you manage to break the eye contact, you realize that Nixie and your mother are no longer by your side. They must have went to circle the ship. You look back at the human. They are still very much there and very much staring, waiting for your next move. <ul> <li>[[Kill them.|chapter1pg22voice1][$merfolkHumanity += 4, $mercyRuthless -= 4]]</li> <li>[[Help them.|chapter1pg22voice2][$merfolkHumanity -= 4, $mercyRuthless += 4]]</li> </ul>

Buried deep below your skin, there is a feral impulse to take this human's energy. It is merely a choice of whether or not to follow it. When it becomes too overwhelming, you listen to it. The human's eyes widen even wider when they see you approaching. The fear practically emitting from them as they read your intentions rather easily. //You are not here to help, but to devour them.// Perhaps they see your hunger. "St-stay away!" they yell in a feeble attempt to get you to pause. Admittedly you do for a split second before resuming your menacing swim like a shark to its prey. They kick their feet at you either to splash water in your face or to get away. Whatever their intentions were, it does nothing to deter you. Time to delve into a little scare. Your head ducks underwater, and you swim low until you are right underneath them. This action appears to freak them out more, the lifesaver turning as they appear to look around for any sightings of you. Little do they realize you're right underneath them. They perhaps realize a little belately that you could be under them because just as you grab their leg you hear an ear-piercing scream before you yank them under with a scary amount of strength. As soon as they are underwater, you sing. They calm down rather quickly. Their eyes widen, and then grow cloudy with haze. You gently tug on their leg, continuing to swim lower, and they follow with no hesitation. It is almost too easy if you think hard about it, but that does not matter at the moment, does it? You keep eye contact, knowing that if they or you look away for a second the connection would end. And then they inhale water. It is a sinking feeling on their part as they realize their fatal mistake. You don't bother to hold back the smirk splitting your face as you yank them closer. They mouth something, bubbles coming out. The connection may have cracked, but that does not mean it is the end for you. The humans holds their breath as if it will save them. It won't. Their eyes close. They're losing consciousness. You stop singing--this is your chance. Once their body is limp, you take their energy. A sick satisfaction fills you as you watch the color from their face drain out. As you steal it for yourself, the energy invigourates you to continue pulling until their essence has been completely drained from their body. But then it hits you. //Their essence//. You are flooded with their memories, feelings passing through you and so much of them that it gives you whiplash. Bittersweet emotions of sadness, anger, and moments of joy course through you as you remain connected to the human. The final emotion being //fear//. <ul> <li>[[You choke up, the feelings overwhelming your body.|chapter1pg23voice1][$emotionalStoic += 3]]</li> <li>[[You push the feelings aside. You have energy to collect.|chapter1pg23voice2][$emotionalStoic -= 3]]</li> </ul>

A soft frown develops on your face the longer you look at them. You glance around to see if your family is around, and when you determine the coast clear, you swim over to the human. The human's eyes widen even wider when they see you approaching, fear practically emitting from their being. Their head turns frantically, seeing no one else but them, and they yell a "Help!" right before you swim up to shush them. You slap your hand over their mouth, giving them a stern glare. The wind is strong enough that it carries away any shouts or yells the humans give off, so their shout luckily falls on deaf ears. "Shut up," you hiss, and their muffled protests quiet. "Listen up, human, and listen //good//. I'm going to help you, but that means you have to shut up and follow my directions. Got it?" They stare disbelieving, likely not trusting their luck and you, but nods. Once you remove your hand, they exhale, looking visibly relieved when you lean back. "What are we going to do?" Oh, right. You try not to grimace at your lack of a plan. Your family will surely notice if you are gone, and you have no idea how far you are from the coast. You wrack your brain for some sort of competent plan. You may have to take your chances. "I'm going to bring you to the nearest shore," you tell them. Their eyebrows lift. "But we are far out and the weather is unsuitable." That is true...you are not fast enough, so it may take a while before you find land. //Ugh, if only Marina didn't love killing humans. She would be useful right about now.// They cling to their lifesaver as a particularly strong wave carries them up and drops them unceremoniously down. You swim over to them to control their movements. "I have no other ideas," you tell them, putting your hands on the lifesaver. "But we have to go." They nod, and you start to drag the lifesaver. It is a slow process, but you have no other choice. You doubt you have the strength to carry them on your back, and your speed is nothing to boast about. As you move around the ship, it starts to get easier. The lifesaver is easier to pull as the waves calm down, albeit for a brief moment. Once you get in front of the ship, you feel a spark of hope. Maybe this isn't going to be an impossible trip after all! "How are you doing--" you begin to say, turning to the human before stopping abruptly. The lifesaver is empty, save for you. //Where are they?// //How long have they been gone for? When did you lose them? How could you not realize?// You look above the surface, unable to find them, before diving. You trace back your path, looking around for any sign of them. When your search turns up unfruitful, you huff until you spot Marina. It might be a bad idea and you hate having to go to her, but... "Hey Marni," you swim over to her, smiling in a way you hope will convince her to help you. "I need your help with something." She looks at you, a sly smile already on her face. "Yeah, sure, what is it?" "Have you seen a human clinging to a lifesaver?" you ask casually, watching her expression. A sinking feeling hits your gut as her smile morphs into a canine-like sneer. "In fact, I did. It also seemed like they were swimming away and trying to escape with some outside help," she gives you a particular look, which does nothing to stop the horror you feel when she continues. "So I did what I was trained to do and I dragged them under. Let's just say they are in a...much better place." //She...// <ul> <li>[[You cannot believe she would do something like that! You are unable to contain your anger as you snap at her.|chapter1pg23voice3][$emotionalStoic += 5, $mercyRuthless -= 1, $marinarelationship -= 6, $warmCold -= 2]]</li> <li>[[You feel sick. You had told that human you were going to help, only for Marina to take their life as you were.|chapter1pg23voice4][$emotionalStoic += 5, $marinarelationship -= 5]]</li> <li>[['A particular spot throbs in your temple as you question her calmly. "Why would you do that?"'|chapter1pg23voice5][$emotionalStoic -= 2, $marinarelationship -= 4]]</li> <li>[[Say nothing, still processing the information. It all happened so quickly...|chapter1pg23voice6][$emotionalStoic -= 4, $marinarelationship -= 4]]</li> </ul>

You hear Caspian shouting your name and for you to stop, along with a string of curses you don't bother to listen to. A grin grows on your face--one that indictates your thirst for blood. Or rather, in this case, energy. The human is blissfully unaware of your presence until you suddenly grab their leg to drag them down. You yank with enough strength that the human is immediately submersed and five feet under. No doubt you have managed to catch them by surprise. The human, you are unsure of their gender. You see, however, that they are somewhat well-built with some muscles. You would find this a problem if you were not strong, but thankfully you are and you think you can handle them. You are sure your brother is watching, and when you tear your gaze away from the human you see the look in his eyes. He meets yours, silently begging you to kill the human or else he will. His sanity, it seems, is hanging by a thin thread. Your focus turns back to the human, who is struggling against your grip. Too bad you have a very tight grip, and when you squeeze their wrist they flinch. Your hand just barely wraps around the entirety of their wrist. You can practically hear your mother chastising you for playing with your food. You might as well get this over with. With that being said, you pull on their wrist, watching their face shift to one of alarm. They inhale saltwater, and when they try to cough it out they are unsuccessful. Alarm switches to despair, and then resignation. Their eyes flutter shut, having finally surrendered to their fate. This makes your job tenfold easier. You take in their energy, feeling your body replenish itself. Your strength is invigourated by the energy, which is stronger than usual; likely due to the human's strength. As you take the energy for yourself, the color drains from their face, turning a slight pale blue. You would ponder more on the color of their skin if you were not hit by their essence in that moment. Memories flash by your eyes. Emotions flood your being, filling you with all sorts of feelings ranging from happiness to anger. You see a memory of the human at the gym, and another where they talk to another human with a sense of nervousness. And then the final emotion hits you. //Fear.// <ul> <li>[[The feelings overwhelm you and your eyes well up.|chapter1pg23strength1][$emotionalStoic += 3]]</li> <li>[[You swallow them down. You have to.|chapter1pg23strength2][$emotionalStoic -= 3]]</li> </ul>

You shoot the human a furtive glance before turning back to your brother, whose shoulders relax. Was he watching you this entire time? After you decided to not chase the human, Caspian soon works to push the yacht. Your father joins in the efforts, and both tell you that you don't need to help. So, you stand by and watch as they push the ship towards the rocks. Right before the ship crashes, they let go with a final push. It sails straight towards the rocks, not turning off from its course despite the wind that could push it away. Though you don't know what the weather is up above--you have not surfaced since the beginning of the hunt. It slams into the rocks with a resounding //thud//, and when it does you are hit by a sudden wave of energy. Whether you want to accept or reject it is not your choice, as your body naturally absorbs it. Your brother and father holler and cheer at the sight of the sinking yacht. A stream of water sweeps by and it calms you despite the tense night. That is when it all comes crashing down on you. The awareness. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

After your argument with Marina, things go by quickly. You think Marina leaves your side to go after the other humans. //You know// she does. You are in somewhat of a daze, the sound of a ship colliding into rocks muffled and sounding far away. There is more destruction. More death. More energy. You do not remember what you did. You suppose it does not matter. [[The hunt is over as quickly as it started.|chapter1pg24]]

Tears spring into your eyes, the shock nearly causing you to let go of the girl's wrist. A sudden wave of //love// hits you like a blue whale colliding into your ribs. Marina is quick to notice--like she ever isn't--and she swims over to you. "Hey--are you okay?" you detect a note of alarm in her tone as she comes. When she meets your gaze, something about her eyes soften. //She knows.// "Here, I'll do it." Marina places her hand on the human, brushing you off, and takes the rest of the energy. Once she is done she lets go of the girl's wrist, watching with a slight smile as the human drifts down to whatever awaits her at the bottom. Marina //smiled//. A sick feeling threatens to overwhelm you, and you just barely fight it off. You are silent when she does, and remain so even when she turns to you. She must read the reluctance on your face to speak, so she instead informs you that you do not need to help her, as she will take care of the rest of the humans. A part of you feels guilty, but knows it is for the best. Your current state is not good for handling energy--or taking it, for that matter. [[So you just watch.|chapter1pg23speed1]]

Maybe it's best if you just...shelf your own feelings for now. You shake your head, forcing yourself to refocus on the task at hand, and turn back to the very much dead human. Once you grab the last of her essence, you let go of her wrist, observing as the girl's body drifts down to the seabed. Well. There's that. Your eyes are transfixed, unable to pull away. You only do when your sister approaches. Marina swims over to you, sporting a proud grin. The compliments come out before she finally gets in front of you. "That was amazing! You did great, $name!" You blink, surprised by her praise. You really shouldn't be too surprised--Marina likes to give credit when it's due--but you are. Probably because you were in an unhinged state of mind. Still are, to be honest. "Thanks." She nods quickly. "No problem. Now, we have other things to deal with. Are you going to help?" <ul> <li>[[You tell her you will watch, and she nods before leaving.|chapter1pg23speed1]]</li> <li>[[You join her.|chapter1pg23speed2]]</li> </ul>

You choke up. It //hurts//. Everything //hurts//. //It's too much,// your body screams as an outpour of emotion fill you. As soon as you steal the last drop of energy from the human you let them go, allowing them to sink to the bottom of the bottomless sea. The memories stop flashing through your head, though the feelings are still buzzing with life. Your throat closes up the longer you think about it. Distantly, you hear someone call your name. You do not turn despite the gnawing curiosity. A hand lands on your shoulder, stopping your spiraling thoughts. Your mind clears, restarting. "Hey, you okay?" Marina. You turn to your sister, who is looking at you with concern. "I'm fine," you manage, wiping away a tear on your face. //Were you crying?// "Was it the emotions?" she has already hit the nail on the head. You nod. Marina softens, her shoulders relaxing as a hand reaches up to pat your head. "Sometimes the emotions can be a bit much, but what I do is shove them down." "So you bury them?" She hums, "I have to put them aside, yes. You soon forget about it, though." You aren't sure if you are going to forget as easily. She pats your shoulder and then says, "We are going to go and crash the ship now. Maybe that will take your mind off this." You nod again. It doesn't, long story short. The yacht crashes into the rocks with a resounding //thud// and your body absorbs the excess energy whether you want to or not. This only serves to remind you of the lives your family has taken tonight. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

You push the feelings aside, knowing that you have a mission to complete. You force yourself to focus on sucking up all of their energy. Once you have collected it all, you let go of the human, allowing them to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor. The deed is done--you have gathered all of their energy. As you watch the body sink, a sudden, inexplicable feeling washes over you. Relief? Or fear? The human will never see the light of day again. They will never breathe again. So many things they will never be able to do again. Huh. That's strange. This was not the first time you have taken energy. You have done this before. You know the routine. So why are you thinking about the human so much? You force yourself to focus on the present. While you were busy with the human, the yacht was crashed into some rocks close by courtesy of your brother and father. Now that you are done, you see your family, off to the side, celebrating. A sign. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Your breathing grows shallow. You have done this before--this is not your first hunt, and this is certainly not the first human you have ever killed. But the emotions are too much. They are more than what you usually deal with, and you have no idea how to stop it or why it is happening to you now. Your eyes well up, the edges of your vision growing dark. //It's too much,// your body screams, and yet it steals the energy for itself. Once the last drop of energy is drained from the human body you immediately let go of its wrist. The body sinks until you can no longer see it. This fact causes you to feel sick to your stomach. The memories stop flashing through your head, though the feelings are still buzzing with life. Your throat closes up the longer you think about it. What is //wrong// with you? Someone calls your name. Distantly, you know it is Caspian because who else could it be? You do not turn around, keeping your back against him. A hand lands on your shoulder, and it turns you around. Concern is reflected in his eyes as he stares you down. All thoughts, both positive and negative, disappears when he squeezes your shoulder. "Are you okay?" he frowns, seeing how taking the human's energy has affected you. "Sorry, that was...that was a dumb question. //Will// you be okay?" You take a deep breath, hyperaware of your ability to breathe underwater when humans cannot, and nod. "Yeah. I'll be fine." A half-truth--one Caspian can tell judging from his deepening frown. You give him a weary smile, hoping it will be enough. His frown lightens a bit, but he looks unconvinced. He does not push it and instead says, "I think the yacht is lighter now, so Father and I will be pushing it towards the rocks. You don't need to help." You laugh, breathing out, "Why would you say that now as you're comforting me? What kind of brother are you?!" He laughs with you, his hand dropping from your shoulder. "I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't try to get your mind off it." That is true. You stopped thinking about it when he first talked to you. "...Thanks." Caspian grins. "What are siblings for?" He shoots you a wink before turning back to the yacht. Your father swims nearby it, and although he gives you a concerned look he does not approach you. Likely because he and Caspian are about to sink the ship. With nothing else to do, you stand by and watch as they push the ship towards the rocks. Right before the ship crashes, they let go with a final push. It sails straight ahead, never turning off its course despite the winds that could push it away. It slams into the rocks with a resounding //thud//, and when it does you are hit by a sudden wave of energy. Again, you are reminded of the human and you try not to get choked up once more. This time you are able to control yourself. You are just emotional today, aren't you? You suppose it has been an exhausting day. Your brother and father holler and cheer at the sight of the sinking yacht. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Ugh. You //cannot// let emotions get the best of you--not when you are trying to replenish yourself. Or perhaps you simply do not care about the human's essence, which to you sounds like a better explanation as to why you push through the icky feelings. Or maybe-- //Focus on the energy!// A sudden thought, abrupt as it was, reminds you of the human and you continue the task. Once the last drop is absorbed, you let go of their wrist, watching as the corpse sinks. Likely never to be found, never to be identified, and likely to be found as a skeleton should anyone encounter it. A horrifying yet strange thought. If the same fate were to befall on you, would you want that? To never be found? Lost in the abyss of the ocean? You won't dwell on it. You won't. It would never happen, anyway. No use thinking about it. Your brother, in the meanwhile, has busied himself with pushing the yacht. It appears lighter now thanks to the work of your family. Your father has rejoined him and they push the ship to its fate. Right before it crashes, they let go with a final push. It sails straight towards the rocks, never turning off from its course despite the winds that could lead it astray. The boat slams into the rocks with a resounding //thud//, and when it does you are hit by a sudden wave of energy. Whether you want to accept or reject it is not your choice, as your body naturally absorbs it. It is done. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Anger bubbles up in your chest and your face screws up with annoyance. "I can't //believe// you did that," you snarl with venom, sending her a sharp glare. It does nothing to destroy her sneer--if anything, it grows more smug. "I was going to--" "You were going to do what, $name?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. Your jaw clicks shut, still seething from the //audacity// of your sister. Marina notices and takes full advantage of your silence. "Help the human? //Please//. You know Mom and Dad would not like that." "//You didn't have to interfere.//" She snorts, "Yeah, //sure// I didn't. Like I was going to let you get away. Where were you going to take the human? The shore is too far away--you would have never made it. Better for me to just cut your losses now than later." Your hands have slowly curled into fists. Just as you have half a mind to throw them at her face, you hear Nixie calling out to the both of you. Her voice distracts the two of you as your oldest sister swims up. "Hey," she begins, either choosing to ignore the tension between you and Marina or has yet to notice. "Caspian and Father are about to crash the ship. Are you guys alright?" You and Marina exchange pointed glares, yours noticably severe. She is the first to respond, sending Nixie a sharp grin. "Peachy." Marina quickly swims off, leaving you and Nixie alone. Now her attention is on you. The frown on her face says that she does not believe Marina's words. "$name?" You are not in the mood to explain, so you send her a look that basically reads //I'm not going to tell you so just drop it//. Nixie flinches, which you feel a bit guilty for, but she otherwise gets the hint, frown switching to a strained smile. "Okay then. We should...get going." You don't argue her. The fight with Marina leaves a bitter taste on your tongue, and your mind is not in the mood for watching. The crash is but a faint noise. You feel numb when it hits you. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Your head is spinning at the implication of her words. A part of you revolts at the unfulfilled promise you gave the human. You told them you would, and now...this happens. "Why?" your voice is barely above a whisper, fearful of what she might say. Marina sighs, her sneer going away. She places an hand on your shoulder, but you move away, not wanting //her// to touch you. Her hand floats down, rejected. "$name, you know Mom and Dad will not be happy if they find you helping a human." "You didn't have to come in the way." "No, but I wasn't going to let you get in trouble," her voice becomes firm. "I am your sister. It is my job to keep you safe and do what's best for you, even if you hate me for it." A feeling of sadness churns in your stomach. But you know she is right. //Of course// she is. Marina may be reckless at times, but you know that she cares about you more than you may want her to. "You guys okay?" Nixie calls out, approaching the two of you. "Caspian and Father are about to sink the ship." You have a good feeling the conversation is now over. Marina gives you a smile before turning to Nixie. "Yeah, all good." You nod in agreement, even if everything else about you screams that you don't. "Okay then, let's get going." The ship and the rocks are but a faint memory. Your family celebrates while you remain in your own thoughts. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Oh, do you want to //strangle// her with your bare hands. Alas, you quickly realize that violence is not the answer, so you keep a calm look when you question Marina. "Why would you do that?" Marina rolls her eyes and scoffs, "Isn't it obvious, $name? I'm stopping you from making a grave mistake." "And what, pray tell, is the grave mistake? Saving a life?" "Correction, saving a //human// life," Marina's arms fold against her chest. "You know that Mom and Dad won't be happy if they spot you helping a human. You'd be skinned alive! I don't want that to happen to you, so I took matters into my own hands." It takes everything within you to not sound like you want to kill her. "Why?" "Because I have to take care of you as your sister." You hate how she sounds casual, like her killing a human was a daily chore. In a way, you suppose it is. This was just another part of your life. Marina must tell that you are unwilling to speak, because she says, "Caspian and Dad are going to crash the ship soon. We should get going so that we can watch the main event, yeah?" Again, you don't speak. Your sister takes your silence as an answer, so she takes your wrist and drags you over. You don't resist, mainly because you don't really care about the whole //ship crashing into some pointy rocks// cliché. Excess energy from the mess spreads through the waters and is absorbed by your body whether you want it to or not. It leaves an uncomfortable itch you can't quite scratch off. Yet another one of the things about your life. You cannot bring yourself to care. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

You are shell shocked into silence. How could this happen? How did it happen so quickly? Just a moment ago, you were assisting a human with escaping this hellish day, actually doing a //good// thing that your family likely wasn't going to do. Now you have an empty lifesaver and a sister who could not care less about the wellbeing of a human. Something about that irritates you to no end. Marina takes your silence as a response and she goes on to explain why she did what she did. Even if it does nothing to qualm your mixed feelings. "I'm sorry, $name, but I had to. I was not going to let Mom and Dad find out you helped a human. Please talk to me. Anything." You are mildly surprised at her request for you to speak. However, you cannot bring yourself to. Not when your mind is struggling to understand how this has happened. To even begin to //comprehend//. You think she talks to you a bit more, but it all sounds far away when you are lost in your own thoughts. Internally, you know that you have to stop thinking about the human so much and that your plan was never going to go well in the first place, but you cannot accept it. Not now. A wave of water passes by you. Your sister swims away, seeing that talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. You think you hear the yacht crashing. You think your body takes in any human energy near you, even when you don't want it to. You don't know how you manage to break free from the...state you were in, but once you do everything hits you at once and you have only one thought in your mind. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

Much, //much// later, you find yourself heading back home with the rest of your family. The storm has decided to let up, much to everyone's relief. Echo, in particular, looks much more relaxed. Perhaps the weather was harder on them than you realized. Marina is talking animatedly to Nixie about her best catches, the latter mildly nodding and likely only half-listening. Caspian, every now and then, will interrupt your older sister's tale to make a snide remark, often earning himself an elbow to the ribs. Your parents speak with Echo, talking about their cut in the energy you have earned today. You don't doubt your mother has not forgotten about $kai--you can see the gears turning as she works out the math in her head. And you resolve not to think about the lives taken today. The hunt was successful; yet you cannot help but think about the future. Will you be able to get as much energy in your future hunts? Only time will tell. Oh, and that reminds you... [["How is " + $kai + " doing with finding Cordelia?"|chapter1interlude]]

You watch your sister as she does two of the things she loves best, swimming around at her fastest speed and killing humans. A part of you feels bad that she has to do all the work by herself, but when your father joins in the efforts it gets better. Sometimes, when an impulse gets the best of you, you will go up and lightly tug on a human's leg. Not enough to drag them down, but enough to scare the living daylights out of them. It should not make your smile, but it does. You are always brought back to reality when you remember the girl's face. The memory feels faint--a far distance away. But it's there, and it continues to haunt you as you watch your family. Nixie and your mother are circling the ship--a sign they are getting anxious for more energy. Your brother, Caspian, looks bored out of his mind. He soon deems the ship light enough and starts to push it towards some stray rocks sticking out of the water, looking very much out of place. When most of the humans are taken care of, your father rejoins your brother's efforts and they push it towards the ship. It crashes with a resounding //thud//, a noise that when it happens a surge of energy is taken in by your body, healing your once-low meter. It happens whether you want it to or not. Your brother's cheering serves as a reminder to you. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

For the next ten minutes, you spend it helping Marina deal with the humans. Nothing similar to what happened to the girl happens again, much to your relief. Her face is still etched in your mind. Your job does not make it any easier ignoring it. Even your father comes in to help, though you don't think you would have needed it. With your and Marina's speed combined together, you two were an unstoppable force. No human could ever try to best you. He soon leaves when the yacht is pushed away by your brother. You take care of the final human in the ocean, your hands on your hips as you watch the light leave their eyes, empty and wide as a few fishes swim past you. You can't bring yourself to think about what the corpse's future will be. You're startled out of your thoughts when you hear a loud //thud//. The culprit being that yacht you got all the humans off of. It lets out a large creak, before sinking halfway through the water. Only a few more hours until it is fully underwater, and a couple of days before it makes it to the bottom of the ocean. This only means one thing. [[The hunt is now over.|chapter1pg24]]

!Interlude !!!//Meanwhile// "Cora?" $kai peeks around the edge of a nearby reef, hoping to find a little mermaid hiding with some sea creatures in tow. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> almost expects her to jump out, squealing, "$kai, you found me!" But she doesn't. This was practically //impossible//. $kai had not believed Caspian when he said Cora was good at hide-and-seek. From $khisher personal experiences, $kheshe had always been able to locate her. How was this time different from the rest? Either way, $kai knows $kheshe has to find Cordelia. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> //has// to. Her family would be devastated if $kai came back empty-handed. Her parents would be angry. Nixie would go cold and ignore $khimher. Marina would be angry. And Caspian, as laidbacked as he is, would be upset. And $name... <ul> <li>[["He would never forgive " + $khimher + "."|gender][$heshe to "he", $himher to "him", $hisher to "his", $hishers to "his", $himself to "himself", $s to "s", $isare to "is", $plural to false]]</li> <li>[["She would never forgive " + $khimher + "."|gender][$heshe to "she", $himher to "her", $hisher to "her", $hishers to "hers", $himself to "herself", $s to "s", $isare to "is", $plural to false]]</li> <li>[["They would never forgive " + $khimher + "."|gender][$heshe to "they", $himher to "them", $hisher to "their", $hishers to "theirs", $himself to "themself", $s to "", $isare to "are", $plural to true]]</li> <li>//[[Customize your own pronouns.|configurepronouns]]//</li> </ul>

What if $name says $heshe <<if $plural is true>> don't<<else>> doesn't<<endif>> want to be friends anymore? That would //ruin// $kai. No. Failure is not an option. Not to $kai. All $kheshe has to do is think like Cordelia. If $kheshe was her, where would $kheshe go? Could she have...gone to the surface? It's possible, and since $kai has yet to check up above, she very well may be. $kai swims closer to the shore, thinking that a little mermaid may be curious about the shore and humans above. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> knows $kheshe used to intrigued as well, and to be honest $kheshe still is. What would $kai pay to spend a day out in the sun... Enough daydreaming, $kheshe scolds $kself. You have to focus. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> has been close to the shore before. Seen humans up close with those feet instead of fins. So they have some idea of where to go. When $khisher head breaks through the surface, $kheshe takes in the fresh air. There was something about the smell that made it so...different than underwater. It brings a smile to $khisher face. Up ahead, they spy a small shore with some large rocks nearby. [[This is where Cordelia is.|chapter1interlude2]]

!!Please make sure to lowercase all of them. Subjective Pronoun (he, she): <<textbox "$heshe" "">> Objective Pronoun (him, her): <<textbox "$himher" "">> Pronominal Possessive (his, her): <<textbox "$hisher" "">> Predicative Possessive (his, hers): <<textbox "$hishers" "">> Reflexive (himself, herself): <<textbox "$himself" "">> Are these pronouns plural or singular? If they are plural, please check the box: <<checkbox "$plural" false true>> [[Test Pronouns.|testpronouns]]

<<if $plural is true>> <<set $s to "">><<set $isare to "are">> <<elseif $plural is false>> <<set $s to "s">><<set $isare to "is">><<endif>> <<print $heshe.toUpperFirst()>> hate$s the dark. That $isare $himher! That $isare $hisher toy. Nixie is a sibling of $hishers. $name has to do it by $himself. //If all of this seems correct, continue on! If not, hit the Go Back button to change it.// <ul> <li>[[Continue.|gender]]</li> <li>[[Go back.|configurepronouns]]</li> </ul>

$kai first notices the bright seafoam green fins resting against the brown, rough surface of the rocks. Then, her hair and the rest of her physical traits. Many have made comments about $name and Cordelia's appearance. Even $kai has to agree that they are carbon copies of each other. <<if ($tail === "one-tone") and ($tailcolor1 === "green")>>Despite their tails being different shades of green.<<elseif ($tail === "one-tone") and ($tailcolor1 === "seafoam green")>>From their looks right down to their tail being the exact shade of green! Truly, they were identical to each other.<<else>>Besides their tail color, since it was different.<<endif>> Looking at Cordelia reminds $khimher of $name, in some ways. Maybe that's why $kheshe is so close with the young mermaid. Both have... <ul> <li>[[Black hair, similar to a starless night sky.|chapter1interlude3][$haircolor to "black"]]</li> <li>[[Brown hair, a shade similar to the rock Cordelia rests on.|chapter1interlude3][$haircolor to "brown"]]</li> <li>[[Blonde hair, comparable to the sun or sand at the bottom of the sea.|chapter1interlude3][$haircolor to "blonde"]]</li> <li>[[Red hair, the color of a coral reef Cordelia likes to spend time by.|chapter1interlude3][$haircolor to "red"]]</li> </ul>

The texture being... <ul> <li>[[Coiled.|chapter1interlude4][$hairtype to "coiled"]]</li> <li>[[Tightly coiled.|chapter1interlude4][$hairtype to "tightly coiled"]]</li> <li>[[Loosely curled.|chapter1interlude4][$hairtype to "loosely curled"]]</li> <li>[[Wavy.|chapter1interlude4][$hairtype to "wavy"]]</li> <li>[[Straight.|chapter1interlude4][$hairtype to "straight"]]</li> </ul>

$kai knows that Cordelia's hair is a little short, cut up to her shoulders. It rests against her back, looking dry. //How long has she been there?// And $name, on the other hand, has... <ul> <li>[[Short hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "short"]]</li> <li>[[Chin-length hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "chin-length"]]</li> <li>[[Shoulder-length hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "shoulder-length"]]</li> <li>[[Mid-length hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "mid-length"]]</li> <li>[[Waist-length hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "waist-length"]]</li> <li>[[Long hair.|chapter1interlude5][$hairlength to "long"]]</li> </ul>

At the moment, as $kai observes the mermaid from afar, $kheshe observes that her arms are propped up, allowing her to lean forward and view from above. But $kheshe does not need to get closer to see her skin color, already knowing what it is. <ul> <li>[[An ivory complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "ivory"]]</li> <li>[[An pale complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "pale"]]</li> <li>[[An peach complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "peach"]]</li> <li>[[An fair complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "fair"]]</li> <li>[[An olive complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "olive"]]</li> <li>[[An tanned complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "tanned"]]</li> <li>[[An bronzed complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "bronzed"]]</li> <li>[[An dark brown complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "dark brown"]]</li> <li>[[An ebony complexion.|chapter1interlude6][$skin to "ebony"]]</li> </ul>

$name and Cora even have the same usual merfolk eye colors. Colors completely different from those of humans. <ul> <li>[[Red, like the blood of humans.|chapter1interlude7][$eyecolor to "red"]]</li> <li>[[Yellow, a golden glow so cutting it gives the chills.|chapter1interlude7][$eyecolor to "yellow"]]</li> <li>[[Turquoise, though a shade much sharper than humans.|chapter1interlude7][$eyecolor to "turquoise"]]</li> <li>[[Violet, said to be the most alluring color there is.|chapter1interlude7][$eyecolor to "violet"]]</li> <li>[[Pink, a color that surprisingly fits them.|chapter1interlude7][$eyecolor to "pink"]]</li> </ul>

Back then, when $kai would go over to hang out with $name, Cordelia always wanted to tag along, likely wanting to stay close to her <<if $gender is "male">>brother<<elseif $gender is "female">>sister<<else>>sibling<<endif>>. She was there when they went to hang out at the cove. She was there when they encountered a pod of whales. She basically wormed her way into their tiny group. Making the number grow to three. The only two friends $kai had. And perhaps, the only friends $kheshe ever needed. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> swims over to the mermaid, who has yet to notice $khimher. She seems to be looking at something over the boulder, her head only slightly peeking up. "Cordelia," $kai whispers as soon as $kheshe gets close enough. "What are you doing here?" The mermaid jumps, quickly turning around to send $khimher a glare. "Wha--I could ask you the same thing!" "Looking for you, obviously. Seriously, what are you doing? Looking at something?" $kai places $khisher hands on the rock, ready to pull $kself up until Cordelia waves her hands, gesturing for $khimher to stop. "No no, don't look!" $kai raises an eyebrow, puzzled by Cordelia's refusal. "Why? What's so bad?" The reluctance on her face says a lot. But a part of $khimher wants to see what has got her attention. So, ignoring her previous plea, $kai props $kself next to the mermaid and looks over. It takes a bit of effort on $khisher part, what with water sliding down $khisher body and onto the burning hot rock. At least $khisher natural body temperatures cools the scorching sensation somewhat. And while $khisher prediction is correct, nothing could truly prepare $khimher for what $kheshe saw. Nothing could prepare $kai to see... <ul> <li>[[...a man standing in front of the waves, eyes closed. (Sets the Royal's gender to male)|chapter1interlude8][$royal to "Louis", $rheshe to "he", $rhimher to "him", $rhisher to "his", $rhishers to "his", $rself to "himself", $rgender to "male"]]</li> <li>[[...a woman standing in front of the waves, eyes closed. (Sets the Royal's gender to female)|chapter1interlude8][$royal to "Eloise", $rheshe to "she", $rhimher to "her", $rhisher to "her", $rhishers to "hers", $rself to "herself", $rgender to "female"]]</li> </ul>

Yes, $name uses $heshe pronouns. As for $hisher gender, $heshe $isare... <ul> <li>[[Trans male (will be referred to as merman, etc).|chapter1interlude1][$gender to "male", $trans to true]]</li> <li>[[Cis male (will be referred to as merman, etc).|chapter1interlude1][$gender to "male", $trans to false]]</li> <li>[[Trans female (will be referred to as mermaid, etc).|chapter1interlude1][$gender to "female", $trans to true]]</li> <li>[[Cis female (will be referred to as mermaid, etc).|chapter1interlude1][$gender to "female", $trans to false]]</li> <li>[[Nonbinary (will be referred to as merfolk, etc).|chapter1interlude1][$gender to "person"]]</li> </ul>

<<notify>>Relationships updated!<</notify>>//Jumping jellyfish.// $kai's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. When $kheshe turns $khisher head to give Cordelia a look, the mermaid had already turned back to the human with a soft, lovestruck smile. "A //human//, Cora? Do you //want// to get killed? Your family is already worried about you!" She sighs, "But $kai, isn't $rheshe cute?" <<if $rgender is "female">>$kai nearly chokes on $khisher spit at this. While $kheshe knew that Cordelia liked both boys and girls, she had said it so casually that $kheshe was taken by surprise.<<else>>$kai nearly chokes on $khisher spit, hardly believing her words. She had said it so casually, like she was asking $khimher about the weather.<<endif>> "Cordelia, you're //eight//." "Doesn't mean I can't spot a cutie. Besides, don't you see what $rheshe's wearing?" What $rheshe's wearing...? $kai takes another glimpse at the human, and $kheshe can hardly believe $kheshe missed it. <<if $rgender is "male">>The human is wearing a suit. While merfolk do not need to wear clothes like humans, $kai has seen enough of them to know what the outfit is called. It is a nice suit, at that--a white button-up covered by a black waistcoat, with a blue tie tucked neatly inside. However, the man has rolled up his sleeves a bit and his shoes are off to the side.<<else>>The human is wearing a dress. While merfolk do not need to wear clothes like humans, $kai has seen enough of them to know what the outfit is called. It is a nice dress at that--a sophisticated blue dress with sleeves that reach down her arms. Little flowers adorn the skirt, all a darker shade of blue. She also wears a pair of white gloves on both hands. However, the woman has rolled up her sleeves a bit, and her heels are off to the side.<<endif>> But the thing that gets $kai the most is the<<if $rgender is "male">> crown<<else>> tiara<<endif>> resting on top of $rhisher head. Seeing this, $kai's heart jumps out of $khisher chest. Is that...a //royal//? "Wh...Cora, how long have you been coming here?" She shrugs, "Just yesterday. I was swimming around, bored as usual, when I stopped by the shore. Usually no one is here, but that was when I noticed $rhimher just staring at the sky." "Do you know who this is?" Cordelia shakes her small head. "No. But I did see a man come up to $rhimher and say, "<<if $rgender is "male">>Prince<<else>>Princess<<endif>> $royal" so that has to be $rhisher name." <<if $rgender is "male">>Prince...//Prince//...<<else>>Princess...//Princess//...<<endif>> [[This can't be happening.|chapter1interlude9]]

"We should get going." That's all $kai can think of at the moment--getting as far away from the shore as $kheshe can. While $kai may be intrigued by this royal, it was best if they both left. Cordelia huffs, her cheeks flaring up. $kai gives her a sharp glare, and she assents, though $kheshe knows it was with reluctance. She slowly crawls down the rock, careful to get in the water with silence. Right before $kai climbs down, $kheshe glances back at the royal one last time. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> gaze is locked on the <<if $rgender is "male">>prince's <<else>>princess's <<endif>>red hair. <<if $rgender is "male">>As expected, the prince's hair is wavy and tamed. A look that suits the young man. A look that is befitting of the royal himself.<<else>>The princess's wavy hair is tied up in a neat bun, with two strands framed on either side of her heart-shaped face. A look that suits the young woman. A look that is befitting of the royal herself.<<endif>> And then, as if sensing $khisher gaze, the royal's eyes open. Brown eyes turn in $kai's direction, but $kheshe is quick to duck behind the rock, heart thundering in $khisher chest. That was a little too close for comfort. Cordelia's $eyecolor eyes narrow, her head tilting with an unspoken question. $kai quickly climbs down from the rock to sink underwater, still feeling unsettled. Cordelia joins $khimher, swimming downward and over to $khimher. "What happened?" the mermaid asks, lips pressed outwards in a pout. Her hand reaches out to pat $khisher cheek, but $kai catches her wrist. "It's fine. I'm fine. Let's go." Cordelia looks skeptical. "I promise, Cora." She holds out her pinkie with the hand that is still free. "Promise?" As expected of her. This was something that $kai and $name used to do when they were younger--the longest lasting promise being that they stay best friends forever. So when $name first taught her about pinkie promises, Cordelia had gone around giving everyone promises with a pinkie held out. She doesn't do it as much now, but when she does such a gesture, it brings a smile on $khisher face. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> interlocks $khisher pinkie with her held out one. "Promise." She grins, before softly pulling herself out of $kai's grasp. "You can't break it." "I know." They begin to swim away from the rocks, the shore, the //human//, though $khisher mind is still stuck on the encounter. That's going to cause problems in the future, isn't it? [[End Chapter 1|chapter2]]

!People <ul> <li>[[Nixie]]</li> <li>[[Marina]]</li> <li>[[Caspian]]</li> <li>[[Cordelia]]</li> <li><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg3')>>[["" + $kai|K]]<<else>>???<<endif>></li> <li><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg8')>>[[Echo]]<<else>>???<<endif>></li> <li>???</li>  <li>???</li>  <li>???</li>  <li>???</li>  </ul>[[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Species <ul> <li><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg7')>>[[Merfolk]]<<else>>???<<endif>></li> <li><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg7')>>[[Humans]]<<else>>???<<endif>></li> <li><<if hasVisited('chapter1pg9')>>[[Sirens]]<<else>>???<<endif>></li> </ul>[[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Locations <ul> <li>???</li> <li>???</li> <li>???</li> <li>???</li> </ul>[[Return to the game.|$return]]

$merfolkHumanity $warmCold $emotionalStoic $mercyRuthless $strategyImpulse $optimistPessimist $truthLie $reservedBold $voice $strength $speed $nixierelationship $marinarelationship $caspianrelationship $cordeliarelationship $kfriendship $krom $efriendship $erom $rfriendship $rrom

!Nixie Nixie is the oldest sibling in your family, and your oldest sister. The mature one, Nixie is a worrier, often thinking about backup plans in case of emergencies. As a result she usually has a serious face and is stoic, though this will usually break in the presence of her family. Nixie tends to hide her emotions, believing that only she can deal with them properly. Because she is the oldest, she gets a lot of pressure from your mother. If something were to ever happen to either of your parents, she would be the one in charge of your family and all future hunts. This is why she is often made to lead your hunts. Her special talent is her singing voice. When she speaks, her voice sounds melodious even when she is annoyed. Nixie is a soprano, but prefers to sing at a mezzo-soprano level. She sings to lure humans into the sea. Nixie looks similar to you, save for her purple and blue tail (unless you have the exact same combination, but even then you do not look exactly alike). You are not as close with her as you could be. The older three siblings tend to stick together, while you and Cordelia are the closest. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Caspian Caspian is the third oldest sibling in your family, right before you, and is your only brother. He tends to approach things with an easygoing attitude, and it is rare to see him not making a joke, teasing someone, or without a smile. Even rarer to see him explode the way Marina does. That is one of the core traits about Caspian. During hunts, Caspian will appear calm, much unlike your older sisters. He's confident in his abilities, so this is likely why he appears this way. His special ability is his strength. Besides having a pack of muscles, Caspian is strong and helps your father with destroying ships, crashing them. He does not express any remorse for killing humans, though most of the time he is not the main one killing them. Caspian knows that it is for your survival so he does not bother to argue against it. Caspian looks similar to you; his dark blue tail being one of the difference (unless you have the same color combination). You are close with him, but you and Cordelia are much closer. The older three siblings tend to spend more time together, anyway. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Cordelia Cordelia is the youngest sibling in your family, making her your younger sister. She is very mischevious and curious, often wandering off when she gets the slightest bit distracted. You see how often she gets into trouble with your friend (which is more often than not). And lately, you have been finding her closer to the shore... Because Cordelia is eight, she does not go with you on hunts. Your mother will bring her to watch on occasion, but she never activitely participates. She loves to play hide-and-seek and is good in blending with her surroundings. It could take you hours with a single game of hide-and-seek just to find her. People like to say that you and Cordelia are carbon copies of each other. You are exactly identical, from your hair to your eyes. She's a mini-you. However, Cordelia has a seafoam green tail (which may or may not be different from yours) which is a dead giveaway when it comes to hiding. You are very close with Cordelia--perhaps the closest person in your entire life. While the older three siblings have each other, you have her. You couldn't ask for anything less. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Echo Echo is the siren who helps your family on your hunts. They act as a spotter, looking out for ships and helping with luring humans off those ships during said hunts. You don't know much about them, other than their name, pronouns, looks and general personality--that being closed off and professional. Echo tends to stay away from personal questions, you notice, and despite efforts to get to know them, they push away with a cold response. As a siren, Echo has the wings and feet of an unnaturally large bird. They inherited the genes that give them separate arms rather than wings for arms. Their feathers are brown and soft, this you know from the one time they actually let you touch them. They have dark tanned skin, their arms the same shade. Echo's hair is dark and short for their convenience. Their most distinguished physical trait are their bright yellow eyes with slitted pupils. It's hard not to notice them. You first met them during the worst hunt of your life. You were spotted by the humans and harpoons were thrown, striking Caspian in the shoulder. The next moments afterwards were chaotic, but you remember when you heard them singing from above you. You and your family were able to make a quick escape, and in thanks for their service, your parents allowed them to join you on your future hunts in case trouble like that occurs again. In return, they would get a portion of the energy you collected. Echo does not appear to have anyone close to them. Perhaps it is because sirens leave the nest as soon as they are able to fly, but it appears they do not have a mate. It could be why they stick closely with your family. They observe the outside world with cold, indifferent eyes. Therefore, you are not close to them at all. Acquaintance would be a word you'd use to describe your relationship, but they likely just see you as a coworker. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!$kai $kai is your best friend and childhood friend. Your parents had knew each other and were good friends. When $kheshe was born just days before you, they somehow knew that there was going to be a special connection between you two. And they were right. $kai is your confidant--your closest friend. $kai is friendly and loyal to a fault--$kheshe is basically a people pleaser. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> cares about you and your family greatly, and would help you should you ever need it. You know $kheshe has always wanted to go to the surface. When $kheshe was younger, it was all $kheshe ever talked about. $kai wanted to have "legs" and see what land felt like. At that time, you told $khimher to stop and $kheshe did. But you know $khisher desire never went away. If given the opportunity, $kheshe would jump at the chance. On the occasion when $kai joins your hunts, $kheshe tends to stand around. As much as $kheshe loves humans, you notice that $kheshe can be ruthless at times. $kai does not usually hesitate to take the energy of others, though $kheshe does it at a rather slow pace compared to Marina. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> talent is $khisher intuition. $kai will sense a human right before $kheshe sees it. Once noticed, it's practically over for the human. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> is the only child in $khisher family. $kai's parents love $khimher dearly, but sometimes the loneliness can get to $khimher despite spending a lot of time with $khisher parents--why $kheshe mostly hangs out with you and Cordelia. $kai has a dark purple tail, a few shades darker than Nixie's, and violet eyes to complement $khisher fins. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> eyes always appear so bright--with one look $kai can lower anyone into a deep trance. It's hard to describe $khisher eyes or explain the effect it has on people, but no doubt $kai has used it to $khisher advantage before. <<if $kgender is "male">>To top it off, $kai has light brown waves cut up to $khisher ears. You can only describe it as unruly.<<else>>$kai has light brown hair that reaches to $khisher waist. Due to its long length, $kai's mother will sometimes tie it up for $khimher, whether in an elaborate braid or ponytail.<<endif>> [[Return to the game.|$return]]

//As the Ocean Lures// is a 16+ game with themes that may be triggering to audiences. This includes drowning, murder, death, body horror, dark humor towards death, and the MC will exhibit sadistic traits with certain choices. Additionally, if the MC is trans, there may be transphobia. If there is none, then this disclaimer will be removed. This will be updated as the game goes on. If any of these topics are triggering in any way, please exit the game, as it will revolve heavily on the topics listed above. Otherwise, you may proceed. [[Start the story.|prologue]]

!Marina Marina is the second oldest sibling in your family, and your older sister. She is similar to Caspian, in terms that they are more laidback than Nixie is. Though Marina is much more explosive than him. Marina loves to have fun--she's the life of the party and she always knows how to cheer you up. She has a darker side; one that only comes out when you are on hunts. During your hunts, Marina becomes aggressive and merciless, sparing no humans. She is the spotter for your hunts, often going up to the surface to check the weather and see if it is safe. Her speed allows her to dodge and avoid humans should she ever get noticed by one when she is patrolling the ocean for any ships. Her special talent is her speed. Marina's job is to go after any humans that fall into the sea and drag them down to their death. This is when her aggressiveness comes into play, since she has to kill multiple humans at once. Her swiftness to taking a human life occurs with no remorse. Marina knows that if she fails or if you fail that there will be trouble with your parents. Thus, she will take matters into her own hands if you refuse. Marina looks somewhat similar to you putting aside her pink and yellow tail (unless you have the same combination). You are kind of close with her, but the older three siblings tend to stick together while you and Cordelia have each other. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Merfolk Aquatic creatures frequently mistaken as sirens and mermaids, the merfolk have both the physical qualities of a mermaid and the singing capabilities of a siren. They are considered the true apex predators of the Laguape Sea, and perhaps throughout the Seven Seas. Many do not know merfolk exist, but they have for millenniums. And they will for the years to come. The merfolk have the upper body of a human and the lower half a fish tail. All are able to breathe underwater as well as above the surface despite having no gills like most sea creatures. One theory is that oxygen is absorbed through a Merfolk's skin, so long as one remains in a body of water. However, this has yet to be confirmed. And of course, they have their captivating looks. A Merfolk's eyes are not the same as humans. They can come in the colors of red, yellow, turquoise, violet or pink. There are extreme cases where a Merfolk is born with "human eye colors" but they are very rare. Other than their eyes, the merfolk have similar skin shades and hair colors as humans. Merfolks rely on energy to survive. Without it, they slowly grow weak and die. This can occur at an accelerated rate if one is injured or sick. Some steal the energy of sea creatures, although they must take it daily as this energy can be burned through quickly. Most take the essence of humans, as they are longer-lasting, though harder to come by. This is why many can be found hunting in packs--strength in numbers equates to more energy. Most, if not all, merfolk hate humans. Not only do they come and kill fish, but they also come and kill merfolk, though most by mistake. Humans disturb the ecosystem, so they are hated. They are unnatural; they are not meant to be out in the water. The merfolk avoid attention from humans for their safety and try to be careful during hunts. Typically merfolk will use their voices to lure the humans, causing the latter to fall off the boat or crash into rocky shores. As a human dies, its essence can be stolen and converted into energy for merfolk, which is the usual fate of those who fall victim to a Merfolk's alluring tune. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Humans Humans are the most common mammal on land, spread out throughout the world. With a population of more than eight billion, they overwhelm the ratio between themselves and the merfolk. Most recognizable for their bipedialism and ability to think for themselves, humans are able to speak for themselves. They share numerous similarities with the merfolk, who have remained under the radar of many homo sapiens. There are, of course, a select few who know of the merfolk, but they usually never live to tell the tale... The human body, to put it simply, is a complex system of organs and bones. While all living creatures have complex systems, the human's is perhaps the most. They are able to breathe in fresh air, but when it comes to underwater situations, they are unable and susceptible to drowning. They have legs instead of fins, which allows them to do all sorts of things like running and jumping--something that the merfolk are unable to do. Although they are unmatchable to the merfolk in terms of pure speed. And like the merfolk, they have their looks. Not one human looks the same. Human society is the one who determines the humans that will make it and those who do not. Much like the ocean ecosystem, it is a survival game of predator and prey. Humans, for the most part, are sentient beings, though they can be cruel. This latter side of humans is most commonly seen by the merfolk, whose waters are often invaded by hopeful fishermen looking to bring in a huge haul. Following this logic, many merfolk despise humans for many reasons. This includes mistaking merfolk for huge fish, so harpoons were thrown, and the deaths of a few merfolk. This hatred has led the merfolk to collectively agree to remain out of the sight of humans, yet it does not dissuade them from targeting ships. If anything, it incenses them. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

!Sirens Sirens are mysterious humanlike beasts who use their voice to lure sailors to their untimely death. However, they are the opposite of what many imagine them to be. Rather than fish tails like mermaids, sirens have bird-like features. They are often mistaken for other large birds due to the similarities in their wing length and size. Let it not be forgotten that sirens are incredibly deadly, and once a siren has their sights on something they will not let go. As previously mentioned, sirens have bird-like features. They have the wings and clawed feet of an unnaturally large bird--the same as harpies. Some sirens have arms in addition to their wings, while others do not, forcing them to rely on only their talons for grappling items. Sirens are not tall--the tallest ever recorded reached a height of 165 centimeters, or five feet and five inches. They typically reach a height of about five feet one inch, but this will depend on genetics and daily nutrition in the early stage of their lives. In addition to these characteristics, sirens have a human head with hair and eyes. A siren's eyes have slitted pupils and come in a variety of colors. Few are heterochromatic but most are not. Their upper half is the beginning of a human's chest and shoulders combined with their wings and legs. It is a joint connection of many things, so sirens are unable to wear clothes. Not that they would necessarily need them, as there is nothing much to cover. This creates a being so different than what others are used to. And yet, there is something about this species that makes them so hauntingly beautiful. Sirens, like the merfolk, require energy to survive. Without it, they will grow weak and die. Humans are the main targets of these bird creatures, who sing haunting songs to drive their targets into the ocean and into the claws of a siren. There are cases where ships are crashed into the rocky shores, either by an illusioned captain or by the gusts of the wind. Sirens are independent in their hunts. As soon as the youngings are able to fly, they leave the nest to support themselves. A siren is never found with another, even if they are mates. So it is only possible to find lone sirens soaring through the skies. [[Return to the game.|$return]]

You asked them if they were okay, and admittedly you pushed and prodded a little //too// much. $kai completely shut down on you and claimed $kheshe needed to get home. At the time, you noticed how $khisher hand would trace over some of $khisher purple scales--a nervous tic of $khishers and a big tell if $kheshe is hiding something big. You swear you had never seen $khimher swim as fast as $kheshe did in that moment. Cordelia easily dodged any questions about her whereabouts, and said that it doesn't matter because $kai brought her back. Though you should have expected this from someone like your younger sister. Something was definitely up, but it was clear neither Cordelia nor $kai was going to say anything about it. [[So, you had no choice but to drop it at the time.|chapter2pg2]]

You saw the way $kai was fidgeting, and how $khisher hand would trace over some of $khisher purple scales--a nervous tic of $khishers and a big tell of some big secret $kheshe's hiding. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> quick departure spoke volumes about what had happened between $khimher and Cordelia. Your sister, meanwhile, evaded Nixie and your mother's questions, dismissing her whereabouts as unnecessary when she was already back. A weak excuse, sure, but it wasn't like you were going to get anything else. At the time, it was too raw of a question to ask. However, put it aside for a few days, and you might be able to find the both of them willing to speak. [[Which is exactly what you did.|chapter2pg2]]

Two days have passed since your last hunt, yet Cordelia and $kai have not eased up on information about that day. In fact, it feels like they are more distant. For one, you barely see Cordelia anymore. She's been sneaking out of the cove a lot more often--enough that when she came back for dinner the other night your parents gave her quite the scolding. Enough that it made her cry and forced Marina to calm her down. Even in the times that you do, Cora is always busying herself. Like she's hurrying to get out of whatever conversation you decided to strike up to do her own thing. Her strange disappearances have only left you suspicious. You had a strong feeling that Cordelia's distancing from you and your family is related to that day. At least with $kai you can still hold a normal conversation with $khimher. Though if possible, $kheshe will try to come up with an lame excuse that you can //clearly// see through but let $khimher get away with it from time to time. "Sorry $name, I'm kind of busy at the moment. Maybe we can hang out next time?" "My mom is asking me to do some errands for her. Sorry!" "I have to have dinner soon, but maybe tomorrow?" $kai said that //yesterday//. Today, you want to test and see if $khisher suggestion still holds water. And you have just the perfect bait. [[Two words: treasuring hunting.|chapter2pg3]]

For as long as you have known $kai, you have been well aware of $khisher passion for treasure hunting, specifically searching sunken shipwrecks that you (or other merfolk) have destroyed. To the east of your cove lies a grand graveyard of destroyed ship remains, which you used to frequent with $khimher when you were younger. Nobody ever visits it, largely because there is no need to. It just so happened to be a spot where a lot of ships were destroyed and sunk. The algae always appears greener and more abundant, the water murkier and thick, and there is a certain feeling you always have whenever you are there. As if someone is watching you from the shadows, circling like a shark, watching but never pouncing. It never fails to set you on edge. But you always go back because of $kai. It was $khisher favorite place to go. It still is. You know that if you cannot find $khimher at your cove or $khishers, then it is likely $kheshe is at the graveyard. Most times you go, you manage to find some sort of national treasure--in $kai's eyes, at least. At $khisher home, there are at least a hundred trinkets found from those ships. Boxes, candles, chests, and a //lot// of coins. More than you could possibly spend; if you could, that is. Collecting is $kai's favorite thing to do, and you //know// $kheshe would never turn down the possibility of exploring more ships. It is the only solution you can think of that will get $khisher attention. It has to work. <ul> <li>[[You aren't sure what you will do if it doesn't.|chapter2pg4][$optimistPessimist -= 2]]</li> <li>[[You're sure it's going to work!|chapter2pg4][$optimistPessimist += 2]]</li> </ul>

And so you have found yourself in front of $khisher cove, waiting for $khimher to exit and coincidentally bump into you. Though you have been waiting for a while...perhaps $kai hasn't sensed you yet? Or $kheshe is busy and is unaware of your presence? Just when you are about to contemplate going inside, you finally see a sliver of purple--$kai is the only one in $khisher family to have that specific colored fin. It seems that $kheshe is about to head out. $kai startles as soon as $kheshe swims out of the cove. "Oh, $name! I didn't even know you were there." You raise an eyebrow at that--finding $khisher surprise suspicious--but ultimately decide not to point it out. "I wanted to see if you were free to scavenge shipwrecks today." Immediately $kai's head perks up and a bright grin spreads across $khisher lips. "Yeah, sure! Let's go right now," $kheshe says, already swimming past you towards the graveyard, hook, line and sinker. A small, satisfactory smile slips onto your face. [[Perfect.|chapter2pg5]]

With the plan now in motion, $kai leads the way to the shipwreck graveyard.You linger behind, not in a hurry unlike $khimher. Quietly, $kai hums a song to $kself. You do not recognize it; that is...very interesting. Mid-song, $kai cuts $kself off and twirls around to face you, eyes wide. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! I went with your sister--Cora, //obviously//--to the kelp forest yesterday and on the way there, we found some things! Remind me to show you later, but..." As $kheshe continues to drone on about $khisher discoveries with Cordelia, you begin to tune $khimher out with your own thoughts. Typically, you could care less about $kai hanging out with your sister--that is $khisher business, not yours. But, after observing both of their attitudes, you cannot help but feel that something is up. <ul> <li>[[Something bubbles in your chest, a profound feeling that gets worse the more you think about it. ♥|chapter2pg6jealousy][$krom += 1]]</li> <li>[[Question their sudden closeness.|chapter2pg6question][$strategyImpulse -= 1]]</li> <li>[[Leave it alone. You have a feeling you will get answers sooner or later.|chapter2pg6wait]]</li> </ul>

"You and Cordelia have been spending a lot of time together recently." You do not mean to sound accusing--you were genuinely wondering what was going on between the two--but you think some bitterness slips through. $kai seems to light up at your response, a smirk growing like an infectious plant. "Yeah, we have." $kai says. "What about it?" "Just an observation." $kai clearly does not believe you, but there is a finality in your tone that stops $khimher from asking any further. Eventually, after a few more minutes in silence, you arrive to the shipwreck graveyard. It looks exactly what the name implies--the wooden remains of the ships embedded into the seafloor by various plants and corals. You have already searched a large portion of them, but occassionally there will be a new ship that has appeared, or one that has not been completely searched through. Since your hunt, Caspian and your father moved the yacht to the graveyard. It has yet to be searched through. Your parents don't see the point in looking through human treasures, and the sentiment is shared with your siblings. $kai, though, clearly sees some sort of value in finding antique artifacts of mortals. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> immediately looks towards it, then at you with something you can only describe as a deranged smile. [[''Let's go and investigate.''|ch2pg7]]

As the saying goes, patience is the best virtue. Besides, one of the perks of being $kai's best friend is that you are able to get information out of $khimher. Eventually, whether you pull $khimher by the ear or it comes out by $kself, $kai will spill. Around you, $kheshe can never quite hold $khisher tongue. Eventually, $kai quiets down when you arrive to the shipwreck graveyard. It looks exactly what the name implies--the wooden remains of the ships embedded into the seafloor by various plants and corals. You have already searched a large portion of them, but occassionally there will be a new ship that has appeared, or one that has not been completely searched through. Since your hunt, Caspian and your father moved the yacht to the graveyard. It has yet to be searched through. Your parents don't see the point in looking through human treasures, and the sentiment is shared with your siblings. $kai, though, clearly sees some sort of value in finding antique artifacts of mortals. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> immediately looks towards it, then at you with something you can only describe as a deranged smile. [[''Let's go and investigate.''|ch2pg7]]

For some reason, you feel terrible the longer you think about it. You know you don't have to worry about it when the two of them clearly just see each other as brother and sister-like figures, but still you can't help but feel left out. But is that really how you feel? $kai appears completely oblivious to your inner thoughts, and you don't realize that $kheshe has stopped talking until you arrive to the graveyard. It looks exactly what the name implies--the wooden remains of the ships embedded into the seafloor by various plants and corals. You have already searched a large portion of them, but occassionally there will be a new ship that has appeared, or one that has not been completely searched through. Since your hunt, Caspian and your father moved the yacht to the graveyard. It has yet to be searched through. Your parents don't see the point in looking through human treasures, and the sentiment is shared with your siblings. $kai, though, clearly sees some sort of value in finding antique artifacts of mortals. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> immediately looks towards it, then at you with something you can only describe as a deranged smile. [[''Let's go and investigate.''|ch2pg7]]

Manuevering around the wreckages is easy to master when you can swim. It's all fluid motions and practiced moves since you have been exploring them for years. You could probably go on and on about the benefits of having a tail, but you would lose track of time if you did. $kai, having never seen the yacht before, stares with unreserved awe. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> swims up to it and runs $khisher hand along its wooden side. "Amazing..." You are surprised at how soft $khisher voice is. It reminds you of your mother's voice when she sings to Cordelia before your resting period. Hearing it from $kai twists something in your gut. You move past $kai and towards one of the windows. Most of the ship is intact, despite its collision with that rock. The glass windows have not shattered, the doors refuse to budge, and the mast remains firm and straight. The sails have been torn, but most of the white fabric is clinging to the post. And of course, you cannot ignore the large hole in the front of the ship, the underside have been completely battered in. The wood has given way to provide you with an entrance. [[As an opportunist, you could never turn this down. It's in your blood.|ch2pg8]]

!Chapter Two<<notify>>Your personal information has been unlocked!<</notify>> Something is off. As a Merfolk, you have the uncanny ability of intuition, allowing your heightened senses to feel a situation better than a human. You can sense when the winds have changed, when the tides roughen; the calm before the storm. //Something is off.// But you hate that you cannot figure it out. When you returned from the hunt, $kai and Cordelia were already there, waiting with indescribable looks. Your best friend refused to maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds, while Cordelia deflected questions about her whereabouts with her own, asking how the hunt went and if she could eat some seaweed as a snack. $kai's face, once a soft peach color, was now more similar to the color of sand. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> looked as though $kheshe had seen an evil underwater spirit. <ul> <li>[[You pushed about it.|chapter2pg1push][$kfriendship -= 1, $cordeliarelationship -= 1]]</li> <li>[[You didn't bother to ask.|chapter2pg1no]]</li> </ul>

"I don't think there's anything on deck," $kai comments, swimming over to you. You aren't sure when $kheshe left your side to check in the first place. "We can check before we leave, though." Anything on deck must be the last thing on $khisher mind. What's most important are the human belongings inside the ship. Though at first glance, it doesn't seem like much. While there is a hallway with five potential rooms to scope out, the hole tells you that there could have been even more things to find. All of those rooms destroyed, their items likely now scattered in the ocean. You have an odd feeling that you won't be able to find much. $kai looks optimistic either way. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> is already opening the first room on your left, the creak taking you out of your thoughts. "Woah..." $kai briefly sticks $khisher head inside, before shooting you a side glance. "Come on, I'm not going to wait for you, you know!" You roll your eyes. <ul> <li>[['"You seem really happy."'|chapter2pg9happy]]</li> <li>[["Calm down, it's just a ship."|chapter2pg9upset]]</li> <li>[["I'm coming, I'm coming..."|chapter2pg9]]</li> <li>[[You don't say anything and just follow after your friend.|chapter2pg9]]</li> </ul>

$kai laughs, but you can't help but notice how different it sounds. It's not $khisher usual laugh. It sounds more...strained. "Of course I'm happy! Why wouldn't I be?" Well, if $kai wasn't lying before, $kheshe certainly is now. As much as you want to pry, you know better. It's not the right moment. Soon, but not yet. For now, you settle with observing the room. It's not a very big room. It looks like it was one of the sleeping quarters for the people on the boat. Though from what you remember, there's definitely not enough room to fit them all. For one, there's only a single mattress. There are a minimum of items you can find in the open. Some things you have seen before but don't know the word for are sparsed out, and a large chest has been placed in front of the mattress. "This place is incredible," $kai murmurs with stars shining in $khisher eyes. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> looks down and picks up a discarded silver piece framed by intricate golden curves. You look at $khimher, an amused smile playing upon your lips. "We've explored plenty of shipwrecks before, $kai." You manage to get a quick glimpse of it and see a reflection of $kai's face looking back. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> aims it towards you, so that you can see yourself and $kai's eyes on you from the piece. "I know," $kheshe replies, bringing down the object to physically meet your gaze. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> purple eyes glow with warmth as $kheshe smiles. "But I think every shipwreck we explore is incredible. Especially since you are with me." <ul> <li>[[Well, there goes trying to stay calm and collected. You have to turn away to prevent getting caught as your cheeks grow warm. ♥|chapter2pg10shy][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $reservedBold += 4]]</li> <li>[[You grin, even as a part of you blushes. "You flatter me." ♥|chapter2pg10neutral][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $warmCold += 1]]</li> <li>[[Hope builds in your chest as you say with a smirk, "Already flirting with me, are you? I guess the atmosphere does set a tone..." ♥|chapter2pg10bold][$krom += 1, $reservedBold -= 4]]</li> <li>[["It's corny, but that's part of " + $kai + "'s charm."|chapter2pg10amused][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[['"I like spending time with you, too."'|chapter2pg10nice][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold +=3]]</li> <li><<link "Dear Poseidon, that was //terrible//." "chapter2pg10rude">><</link>></li> </ul>

$kai scoffs, "I could never calm down! We could find some good stuff here." You can't help but note the previous times you'd explored ships. While there were a number of times where you genuinely did find something good, like a knife that Caspain ended up using to cut Marina's hair as a joke, they were very few and far between. You decide it best to drop the conversation, leaving a noticeable silence. In the meantime, you focus your energy to observing the room. It's not a very big room. It looks like it was one of the sleeping quarters for the people on the boat. Though from what you remember, there's definitely not enough room to fit them all. For one, there's only a single mattress. There are a minimum of items you can find in the open. Some things you have seen before but don't know the word for are sparsed out, and a large chest has been placed in front of the mattress. "This place is incredible," $kai murmurs with stars shining in $khisher eyes. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> looks down and picks up a discarded silver piece framed by intricate golden curves. You look at $khimher, an amused smile playing upon your lips. "We've explored plenty of shipwrecks before, $kai." You manage to get a quick glimpse of it and see a reflection of $kai's face looking back. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> aims it towards you, so that you can see yourself and $kai's eyes on you from the piece. "I know," $kheshe replies, bringing down the object to physically meet your gaze. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> purple eyes glow with warmth as $kheshe smiles. "But I think every shipwreck we explore is incredible. Especially since you are with me." <ul> <li>[[Well, there goes trying to stay calm and collected. You have to turn away to prevent getting caught as your cheeks grow warm. ♥|chapter2pg10shy][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $reservedBold += 4]]</li> <li>[[You grin, even as a part of you blushes. "You flatter me." ♥|chapter2pg10neutral][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $warmCold += 1]]</li> <li>[[Hope builds in your chest as you say with a smirk, "Already flirting with me, are you? I guess the atmosphere does set a tone..." ♥|chapter2pg10bold][$krom += 1, $reservedBold -= 4]]</li> <li>[["It's corny, but that's part of " + $kai + "'s charm."|chapter2pg10amused][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[['"I like spending time with you, too."'|chapter2pg10nice][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold +=3]]</li> <li><<link "Dear Poseidon, that was //terrible//." "chapter2pg10rude">><</link>></li> </ul>

You follow $khimher inside and take a good look at the room. It's not very big. It looks like it used to be one of the sleeping quarters for the people on the boat. Though from what you remember, there's definitely not enough room to fit them all. For one, there's only a single mattress. There are a minimum of items you can find in the open. Some things you have seen before but don't know the word for are sparsed out, and a large chest has been placed in front of the mattress. "This place is incredible," $kai murmurs with stars shining in $khisher eyes. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> looks down and picks up a discarded silver piece framed by intricate golden curves. You look at $khimher, an amused smile playing upon your lips. "We've explored plenty of shipwrecks before, $kai." You manage to get a quick glimpse of it and see a reflection of $kai's face looking back. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> aims it towards you, so that you can see yourself and $kai's eyes on you from the piece. "I know," $kheshe replies, bringing down the object to physically meet your gaze. <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> purple eyes glow with warmth as $kheshe smiles. "But I think every shipwreck we explore is incredible. Especially since you are with me." <ul> <li>[[Well, there goes trying to stay calm and collected. You have to turn away to prevent getting caught as your cheeks grow warm. ♥|chapter2pg10shy][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $reservedBold += 4]]</li> <li>[[You grin, even as a part of you blushes. "You flatter me." ♥|chapter2pg10neutral][$krom += 1, $kfriendship += 1, $warmCold += 1]]</li> <li>[[Hope builds in your chest as you say with a smirk, "Already flirting with me, are you? I guess the atmosphere does set a tone..." ♥|chapter2pg10bold][$krom += 1, $reservedBold -= 4]]</li> <li>[["It's corny, but that's part of " + $kai + "'s charm."|chapter2pg10amused][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold += 3]]</li> <li>[['"I like spending time with you, too."'|chapter2pg10nice][$kfriendship += 3, $warmCold +=3]]</li> <li><<link "Dear Poseidon, that was //terrible//." "chapter2pg10rude">><</link>></li> </ul>

Cheeks hot, you quickly twirl around and throw all of your focus on the wooden floor. "Um, yeah. I feel the same." You keep your head pointedly turned away from $khimher. $kai, for whatever reason, does not respond, either out of respect or because $kheshe didn't notice. The both of you are silent until you leave the room to explore the others. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

Honestly, you could not care less about the warmth that spreads through you at $khisher words. Instead, you grin through it. "You flatter me." $kai, seemingly having recognized the impact of $khisher words on you, smirks. There is a very visible red spreading over the tip of $khisher ears. "Oh come on, just take the compliment, $name." Your laugh comes out as bashful, much to your internal horror and surprise. "$kai, you..." The sentence naturally fades on its own, and you don't bother to finish it. $kai doesn't push you to, either. The both of you are silent until you leave the room to explore the others. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

Sometimes you wonder if $kai deliberately showers you with compliments just to get a reaction out of you. With how often it is becoming, you're starting to wonder if there is actual value in $khisher words. For the longest time, you never really thought more of it beyond banter. The idea of it being more doesn't sound so bad. The clear opening for you to throw in a teasing remark is tempting. So you take it. "Already flirting with me, are you? I guess the atmosphere does set a tone..." you punctuate the sentence with a smirk, and it's like you have broken your friend. Red effectively spreads over $kai's ears and cheeks, reaching down to graze $khisher neck. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> brings up a hand to hide the growing blush, before finally stammering, "I-I wasn't flirting with you!" Even though you know $kheshe's lying, the hope in your chest dies a little inside. Schooling your expression into a more neutral stance, you nod slowly and turn to look at the corner behind $khimher. "Whatever you say." The both of you go silent and remain that way until you leave the room. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

$kai reacts almost immediately when you reach out to shove him, swiftly dodging to the left with a laugh. Its warmth catches you by surprise, but it's not unwelcome. "That was //terrible//." Of course, you are unable to say it without smiling. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> scoffs, pointing a finger at your figure accusingly. "You love it though. Don't deny it." There's no need for you to say anything. The silence says it all. The both of you are quiet until you leave the room to explore the others. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

You match $khisher smile, "I like spending time with you, too." <<print $khisher.toUpperFirst()>> smile somehow brightens at your words. The both of you sink into a comfortable silence, returning to the task at hand--searching the room, that is--until you leave the room to explore the others. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

<<set $warmCold -= 4>><<set $mercyRuthless -= 1>><<set $kfriendship -= 6>>You wince at the words. As much as you are aware that $kai means well, you still can't help but feel awkward at the soft delivery of the words. In moments like this, you never know what is the right thing to say without hurting $khimher. After much toiling in your head, you eventually side with saying nothing and to avoid looking at $khimher until you leave the room. Maybe then you won't feel as out-of-place. Also because you can't bear to see the disappointed face you imagine $kai is making. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> does not ask you to speak, but you can practically feel the hurt emanating from $khimher. The both of you are silent until you leave the room to explore the others. The next three rooms do not grab your attention for long. Besides $kai picking up a few trinkets like a golden tube, there's not much you could take for yourself without garnering the ire and suspicion of your family. [[And so you were left with the final door.|chapter2pg11]]

"Alright, final door." $kai adjusts $khisher shoulder bag, suddenly fidgeting with the strap. "Good //seashells//, why am I so..." <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> gestures vaguely to $kself. "What's the word?" You watch $khimher struggle for the right word before supplying, "Nervous? Scared?" $kai scoffs so loudly $khisher head tilts back. "Scared? Definitely not." "So what, you're nervous? About what?" "I don't know," $kheshe shrugs. "I just have a bad feeling." Oh. That is never a good sign. $kai has a strong reputation for $khisher intuition. Hunches have always come naturally to $khimher. It is near to impossible to hide your true thoughts on anything from $khimher. Now that you think about it, maybe that's why $kheshe always found you and Cora within an hour or two in hide and seek. You should ask $khimher about that later...but for now, you focus on $kai's gut feeling. "What are you saying? That we shouldn't go inside?" A lump goes down $khisher neck when $kheshe swallows. Yet immediately following after, $kai folds $khisher arms, suddenly resolute. "No, but we should be cautious." After observing $khimher for a few seconds, you know that you're not going to get any elaboration. When you don't physically react, $kai takes a deep breath and goes for the plunge. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> throws the door open so quickly that it nearly falls off its hinges. You half expect it to collide into the wall, but it stops just short. The sight... <ul> <li>[[It's a treasure trove of goodies.|chapter2pg12]]</li> <li>[[You weren't sure what you were expecting, but certainly not this.|chapter2pg12]]</li> <li>[[Holy flipping dolphins.|chapter2pg12]]</li> </ul>

Well, it's definitely the captain's cabin. That, or whoever owned the ship's room. It is definitely the biggest room on the ship, and it can't even be compared to the others. You swim inside, feeling more enthused than before, but the hesitation is plain as day on $kai's face. Normally you would find it strange and ask $khimher about it, but $kheshe doesn't seem to be in the mood for answering any. So you have to throw your focus onto the room. There are things that seem to be floating around. Leaflets, loose bindings and such float around the room, which is not quite close to appearing frozen in time. It's a close second. The desk and chair in the middle of the room are grounded to the wooden floor. You're surprised it isn't floating as well--furniture are typically among the first to float up to the surface when a ship sinks, along with any light-weighted chests. But that doesn't catch your friend's attention. No, instead $kheshe is looking at something on the wall. And $kheshe looks absolutely stricken. [[Take a closer look.|chapter2pg13]]

It is a large framed image of a family of humans. There is a word for this type of human creation, but you can't quite remember it in the moment. Cordelia would know what it's called. She has a good memory and like $kai, is curious about humans. She would remember the word for it. Either way, you think it has something to do with the human royalty. Which you know literally nothing about--out of all the humans you have observed in the past, not one has mentioned anything about a king of sorts. Your mother, who was the one to teach you about the strange hierarchies mankind abides by, did not know who sat on the proverbial throne. All of them have similar crowns of gold, denoting their special status. Two of the five appear much older than the other three, likely the parents. The supposed "king" and "queen" smile proudly at the camera, glimmers of it showing through their brown eyes. The king rests his right hand on a younger girl's shoulder, whose smile screams mischief. You should know, after all--Cordelia has that exact same smile. And you suppose $kai does too, to a certain degree. Her dark auburn hair has been tidied up in a braided updo, tiara delicately placed in between. She might be around your youngest sister's age, if you were to guess. The queen balances a toddler on her left arm. He seems to have inherited his mother's light brown hair, and you would think he was adorable if he didn't look a moment away from crying. It makes the whole thing unserious. Still, your eyes are focused on the figure in the middle, looking neither old nor young. Actually, $rheshe looks like $rheshe is about your age. <<print $rhisher.toUpperFirst()>> parents do not place a hand on $rhimher, but they stand close on either side. Like $rhisher parents, $rheshe has brown eyes. <<print $rhisher.toUpperFirst()>> face is heart-shaped, taken from $rhisher mother, and red hair from $rhisher father. Freckles are scattered across $rhisher lightly tanned skin. Either way, it is apparent to you that $rheshe is the oldest among the three children, and therefore is the heir. Your first real thought about $rhimher, besides noting $rhisher appearance, is... <ul> <li>[[Okay, whatever, it's just another human.|chapter2pg14][$emotionalStoic -= 3]]</li> <li>[[Hmm, interesting...|chapter2pg14]]</li> <li>[["Whoever it is, " + $rheshe + " seems friendly."|chapter2pg14][$warmCold += 2, $merfolkHumanity -= 2]]</li> <li>[["You wonder what it would be like to absorb " + $rhisher + " energy."|chapter2pg14][$mercyRuthless -= 3, $warmCold -= 2, $merfolkHumanity += 3]]</li> <li>[[Nothing. You have no opinion.|chapter2pg14]]</li> <li>[["You think " + $rheshe + " is pretty. ♥"|chapter2pg14][$rrom += 1, $merfolkHumanity -= 1]]</li> </ul>

But of course you keep your thoughts to yourself. $kai looks close to fainting--you have a feeling that if you try to say anything about the painting $kheshe will faint before you can get in a word. It would be a pain if $kheshe suddenly passed out as you would have to drag $khisher body back to $khisher cove, too. The Merfolk consumes too much seaweed than what $kheshe should. So instead, you ask, "Are you okay?" $kai doesn't say anything at first, eyes still glued on the $rgender in the middle, before $kheshe turns $khisher head your way. This is when you realize just how wide $khisher eyes are. "It's $rhimher--I...wait..." It's who? What is $kheshe talking about? "You know $rhimher?" You watch as $kai begins to run $khisher hand over $khisher scales, looking more nervous than ever. And it's at this moment when it hits you. The way $kai has been acting weird the last two days. The avoiding. The disappearing. You knew something was wrong, but there was nothing you could base your suspicions off of. No clue as to what $kheshe and Cora had seen. But now, witnessing the exact same behavior $kai had exhibited when $kheshe came back...you could almost conclude with certainty what the two of them had seen. Or rather, //who//. The confident feeling builds until finally it slips out. [[''You've seen this person before, haven't you?''|chapter2pg15]]

//Now// it all comes together. $kai seems to have stopped breathing completely, before letting out a soft sigh. "I'm that obvious, aren't I?" You blink. For $kai to admit it so easily...the secret must have weighed heavily on $khisher heart. But still, you shrug. "Well, it wasn't so hard to deduce judging from your expression," you say. "But I thought I'd have to try harder to get you to admit the truth." This, $kai laughs at. "Oh come on! You're my best friend," says $kheshe, but not without shooting you a fond smile. "I couldn't keep any secret from you for long." "Which is why I never tell you any of my deepest, darkest secrets," you sigh, half-jokingly. "So speak. What is it? Did you see this family while looking for Cordelia?" A part of you is afraid to voice the other suspicion you have. "No..." $kheshe shakes $khisher head. "It's...we..." You stare at $kai, willing $khimher to confess. The longer you stare, the more the proverbial wall of $khisher facade breaks. And sure enough, a dam explodes inside $khimher. "Okay, fine! I was looking for Cordelia that day and I found her watching $rhimher. She's been going and watching $rhimher for a while now--I don't know when it started, but it's been for at least a month. At least, that's what she would tell me." <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> points at the heir to elaborate $khisher point. "And so I've been going with her and watching $rhimher since I found out. As supervision. Obviously." Knowing $kai and $khisher curiosity, you find that unbelievable. "Where?" Although it isn't intended, the question comes out as a growl. $kai's shoulders slump. The jig is up. "At the shore. We usually hide behind a rock though...ugh, //sting rays//, even though she never asked me to keep it a secret I still feel like I violated her trust." You can't help but frown at that. Why would $kai feel such way? "You did the right thing, telling me. Do you know who $rheshe is?" <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> glances at the painting on the wall, eyebrows furrowing, before asking, "The one in the middle? I recognize $rhisher face but I don't think I've ever heard $rhimher say $rhisher name before. Neither of us have ever talked to $rhimher, we just watch $rhimher from afar. Cora might know, though." Wait. You completely forgot about your sister. This person...she might have been sneaking out of the cove to see $rhimher. This is why she has not spoken to you much the past few days. It all makes sense now. Holy carp. <<link "You have to find her. You //need// to find her." "chapter2pg16">><</link>>

"Do you know where she is? Have you seen her?!" you actually have to restrain yourself from grabbing $kai's shoulders and shaking $khimher. Your hands grip some random trinket you found while scaveging the ship, though you cannot even begin to describe it. They are shaking too much to truly focus on it. A million questions are running through your head, both for $kai and Cora, and as much as you would love to get every answer from them, there isn't enough time in the world for it. Those are the only two that make it out of your brain through your mouth. "$name, just calm down--" "$kai, answer the question!" As soon as the words come out, a pang of guilt slams into your chest. You don't apologize or retract your words. It's hard not to take notice of the way your body quivers at this unexpected news. There's too many thoughts and feelings for you to process fully. So you just take it in its entirety. $kai senses, //hears//, the urgency in your voice. "I don't know where she is. I haven't seen her since yesterday." $kai hasn't seen her since yesterday...? <ul> <li>[[Now every curse you know is ringing in your head like an alarm bell.|chapter2pg17]]</li> <li>[[Where could she be??|chapter2pg17]]</li> <li>[[You have to tell yourself to keep calm, even if a part of you wants to scream.|chapter2pg17]]</li> </ul>

"I have to find her." You don't even realize that you're swimming back and forth until there is a sudden pull on your arm. When you look towards the source, $kai's violet eyes jump over your face to make sure you are okay. You're not. $kai sees this--why wouldn't $kheshe--and is about to tell you to calm down. Or reassure you. You don't know what $kheshe was going to say, but it wouldn't have mattered, because you rip yourself our of $khisher grip and swim off as fast as you can. You have to find someone with the ability of tracking. Someone who has keen eyesight and can fly above the sea at a fast rate. And you already have a certain siren in mind... <<if $speed == 40>>Before you know it, you are outside the ship and heading towards the surface.<<else>>While you aren't the fastest in your family, you quickly find yourself already outside the ship. Perhaps stress makes you swim faster.<<endif>> Going to the surface isn't allowed. Only Marina has permission. But right now, you couldn't care less. You ignore the alarm bells warning of your parents' disapproval and break through the surface. "Echo!" you shout, hoping to capture the siren's attention. For a moment, you do not see them anywhere. Then, there is a flash of brown feathers peaking through the string of clouds. Your heart is filled with an indescribable wash of relief. If there is one thing about Echo, it is that they have supernatural hearing. Likely one of the perks of being a siren. They soar downward until they are hovering a few feet above the water. A frown is already on their face. However, before Echo can demand why you called them, you explain. "Have you seen Cordelia?" "Cordelia who?" Seashells, has Echo //never// seen your younger sister before? "My younger sister! You know, $haircolor hair, $eyecolor eyes, green tail? She looks a lot like me. You've seen her before, haven't you?" Echo blinks, head tilting to the sky for a brief moment. You see something click in their eyes when they nod. "Oh, her. I haven't seen her." [['"I need you to look for her."'|chapter2pg18]]

They nod, and without asking a single question, they take to the skies. You wait, for a brief second, knowing that they will undoubtedly come back with a positive or negative. You hope it's a good thing. Echo returns in the same exact spot they were in before, pupils appearing dilated. Just by their look, you already know the answer. They nod their head south, face grim. "I saw her. Follow me." Without hesitation, you swim after Echo, who immediately flies off. Right now, as your feelings sort themselves out, the strongest one stands out to you the most: <ul> <li>[[Fear.|chapter2pg19a][$emotionalStoic += 2]]</li> <li>[[Anger.|chapter2pg19b][$emotionalStoic += 2]]</li> <li>[[Disappointment.|chapter2pg19c][$emotionalStoic += 2]]</li> <li>[[Distress.|chapter2pg19d][$emotionalStoic += 2]]</li> <li>[[Numbness.|chapter2pg19e][$emotionalStoic -= 2]]</li> </ul>

What will happen to Cordelia if she is caught? She's still young, and despite her insisting that she's careful and old enough to take care of herself, you know that she can be reckless. Which she gets from $kai. Not you. Definitely not. [[You need to find her and make sure she's okay.|chapter2pg20]]

You thought you knew your sister well. You thought you could read her like a book. But now, a frightening anger overtakes your heart, and you can't help but silently curse her. You //knew// it. You should have kept a closer eye on her. Of course she of all merpeople would do something as reckless as visiting a human! Oh, as soon as you find her, you're going to kill her... [[And give her an earful.|chapter2pg20]]

You never thought you could be so disappointed in a mermaid before, much less your sister. She couldn't follow this //one// rule about having nothing to do with humans. She disobeys the rules of your family and decides to wander off for what? To look at humans? What good will it do? What will change? There's no benefit in sneaking off as she will not gain from it. If anything, she'll be suffering punishment as soon as she's found out. Which she already has been by you. Quite frankly, you can't see the benefits in trying to observe a human unless... [[No, you won't make any assumptions until you ask her about it. But you have a speech in mind, already.|chapter2pg20]]

Is she okay? Will she be hurt? If you think about it, you haven't seen her since you woke up. She wasn't there for breakfast, so she must have left early. Has she really been near the shore the entire time? What if she was caught? What if-- No, //no//, you have to stop thinking about the what-ifs. The only thing it will do is make you even more anxious. [[Though you'd be lying if you said you weren't preparing to fret over her state.|chapter2pg20]]

You are not exactly sure what to feel. As her <<if $gender == "male">>brother<<elseif $gender == "female">>sister<<else>>sibling<<endif>>, it is hard to accept that even your closest sibling keeps secrets from you. Plus, she shared it with your best friend rather than you, though you give that a pass since $kheshe just so happened to stumble across Cora in the act. Still, they were //both// in on it and they weren't plan on telling you. At the very least, you should be angry. Upset. But no. Instead, there is only the hollow reminder that even those closest to you have their secrets. [[You feel...empty. That's the best word to describe it.|chapter2pg20]]

You don't even realize how far out in the sea you are. Not that it matters--much of it is just vast blue waters in your eyes. As a Merfolk, trivial matters such as how long the sea--or ocean, if Nixie were here to correct you--stretches are irrelevant due to the fact that you can close distances swiftly. Echo suddenly stops. You stop with them. "Why did we--" They immediately shush you with a glare. Fittingly, you close your mouth and observe as they lower themself as close to the water as they can without touching it. "She's over there," Echo says, nodding ahead of you. When you follow their line of sight, you spot her seafoam green tail easily amongst the brown rocks. //Oh Cora.// You nearly laugh at the sight. She must have never considered the fact that her tail stands out due to its bright color. Further away, there are higher lands of green, where a towering castle of white sits prettily on the hills. There must be a hidden slope of stair nearby that leads to a small, sandy shore. You can only see where it begins and ends, but nowhere in the middle as it is covered by the rocks. It makes for a beautiful scene to etch into your memories. ...And then you remember //why// exactly you were here, and the further context behind it. You nod gratefully once you snap out of your thoughts. "Thanks, Echo." They tip their head, and that is all you assume that you are going to get from them. However, as you are about to swim off, they suddenly call out to you. "$name..." Hearing your name sounds strange on their tongue. <ul> <li>[[You like hearing Echo say your name. ♥|chapter2pg21][$erom += 1]]</li> <li>[[And it sounds fitting when they say it.|chapter2pg21][$warmCold += 2]]</li> <li>[[You're not sure if you will ever get used to it, though.|chapter2pg21][$emotionalStoic -= 2]]</li> <li>[[You don't like it. It makes you feel uncomfortable.|chapter2pg21][$efriendship -= 1, $warmCold -= 3]]</li> </ul>

"Uh, yes?" Echo's mouth opens, then closes. <<if $erom == 2>>Your eyes follow the way their lips move, before you realize what it is you're doing and meet their questioning eyes.<<endif>> "Um...just...stay safe." It does not feel like it is what Echo wanted to say, but they don't take back their words. "Thanks," you nod. The corner of their lips lift, and they take off before it blows up into an actual smile. That's definitely something you're going to want to use against them in the future. //Echo, of all creatures, smiling.// Marina and Caspian would find it especially amusing. Now alone, reality hits you. Well then. [[Time to face Cordelia.|chapter2pg22]]

There are a couple of ways you could approach Cordelia. One is to immediately swim up, grab her by the ear, pull her underwater, and question her. Another is to call out to her, but judging from the focused look on her face, she must be observing something on the further-away shore. You're not exactly willing to risk bringing attention to either of you, so that option is off the table. You could sneak up on her as a silent surprise attack. Or maybe you could just be "normal" and ask her exactly what in the underdepths is she doing. ...on second thought, you don't have as many choices as you thought you would. <ul> <li>[[Do it the "normal" way.|chapter2pg23a][$mercyRuthless += 2]]</li> <li>[[Drag her underwater.|chapter2pg23b][$cordeliarelationship -= 4, $mercyRuthless -= 3]]</li> <li>[[Surprise her with a sneak attack.|chapter2pg23c][$mercyRuthless += 1]]</li> </ul>

With your decision already made, the only thing now is to execute the plan. You swim up to Cordelia as quietly as you can, keeping your head above water to signify that you don't mean to scare her. As you do, you observe the scene before you. Your sister has propped herself up on a couple of brown rocks, her head just barely peeking over the edge. About a hundred yards away is the one she has her sights on--while you could risk glancing around the rock to see, it's not really worth it. Additionally, you'd get a better look behind the rock anyway. You think you see that the shore is small--not like you have seen many before, so it's hard to compare them to the very few that you //have// seen. But it is one of the smallest shores you have seen before, with very little sand. What could a human possibly be doing on the shore? It must be something worth their while if they keep continuing to come back for Cora to observe them. "Pst! Hey!" you call out to her as quietly as you can. Even if you don't mean to startle her, she jumps anyway, whipping around to stare at you. "$name?" You get closer to her, until you are touching the rock she is lying on. The tips of her green fins are dipped in the water, but the rest of her body has been laid out in the open sun. "What in the blazing suns are you doing?" Cora shrinks, making herself seem as small and innocent as possible. Her face switches from an annoyed frown to a cute pout. "Nothing." Even her cheeks are puffed out like a porcupinefish. You can't keep yourself from rolling your eyes. [['"Underwater. Now."'|chapter2pg24a]]

With your decision already made, the only thing now is to execute the plan. You immediately swim up to her, throwing any and all caution to the wind. Time seems to move in slow motion, but you defy the odds. Cordelia hears you approaching almost immediately, and turns around rapidly. Her eyes are wide, spotting the unrestrained anger in your eyes. As soon as you reach her, you grab her by the ear and drag her underwater. She struggles for a second, as she had been entirely laid out on a large brown rock save for the tips of her fins, but soon comes down with you. [[You sink underwater without any issues.|chapter2pg24b]]

With your decision already made, the only thing now is to execute the plan. The best sneak attacks always occur underwater. You sink beneath the surface and swim towards to the brown rock your sister rests upon. It feels like another one of your hunts where you are sneaking upon an unsuspecting ship. In a matter of seconds, you are already touching the rock Cordelia is on top of. <<if $speed == 40>>You suppose you have your speed to thank for that.<</if>> You peek your head above, just slightly so that you can see if you have caught her attention. Her head is still looking ahead, having not turned the entire time. Perfect. <ul> <li>[[You ask her what she is doing.|chapter2pg24c]]</li> <li>[[Shake her shoulders.|chapter2pg24d][$cordeliarelationship += 1]]</li> <li>[[Throw her into the water.|chapter2pg24e][$cordeliarelationship += 1]]</li> </ul>

As soon as you are underwater, the questions start to flow out of your brain. "What happened to you?! Were you caught? How long have you been doing this? Does anyone else know? Besides $kai, of course, $kheshe was the one to tell me where you were, after all--" "$name, slow down!" Cordelia throws her hands up, stopping you. "You talk way too fast. And $kai told you?" When you nod, she lets out a loud groan, "I knew I should have made $khimher promise not to tell anyone!" You smile, amused by her mini temper tantrum. "Even so, $kai could never keep a secret from me." She frowns, running a hand through her hair as if her purpose is to straighten it. Underwater, it's practically useless, but you recognize it as a tell of nerves. "That's true...so I guess you have a lot of questions now, right?" "You bet your mermaid fins I do." The urge to roll your eyes and grab her in a whale hug is tempting. "//Fine.// Just...give me one question at a time. I don't have a lot of time." You raise an eyebrow at her; you have a hunch that you know exactly what she is hinting at. No matter--you already know what to ask. "What are you doing?" [[Your sister looks hesitant to answer.|chapter2pg25a]]

"Ow! Don't be such an urchin, that hurt! What are you even doing here?" she practically yells at you once you are underwater. If above, whatever or whoever she had been watching likely would have heard. Small mercies, you suppose. "I should be asking you the same thing," you flatly reply. Cora winces at the cold tone. "What are //you// doing here?" "I--" Something seems to be stuck in her throat. Maybe you can help her with that. You lean closer, eyes blazing. "If $kai hadn't told me what you found and what you have been doing lately, I never would have found you in the first place." She bristles, leaning away from you almost reflexively. Your words have a clear effect on her, as she suddenly wrings her wrists together. A frown crosses her face. "//$kai// told you? Poseidon above, I should have made $khimher //swear// $kheshe wasn't going to tell anyone." "Well, it doesn't matter anyway." A sneer takes form, replacing the scowl you once wore. A shock of electricity shoots through your body the longer you think about the things Cordelia has been doing behind your back. Your //family's// back. It isn't entirely unpleasant. "Now answer my question. //What are you doing, and why?//" [[For some reason, she looks exhausted by your questions.|chapter2pg25b][$merfolkHumanity += 1]]

"Whatcha doing?" You're half-surprised at how nonchalant you sound. So is Cordelia, though she is much more startled than you are. "Wha--$name, where did you come from?" Her voice comes out as a soft whisper, unnatural of her usual volume. You raise an eyebrow at her, smiling still. "I snuck up on you." She pouts, "That doesn't answer my question." "I'd rather know what you're doing." "$kai sent you, didn't $kheshe?" Your lack of response answers the question. She sighs. "I knew I should have made $khimher promise not to say anything...so I'm guessing $kheshe told you everything and now you're...here." "Pretty much." Cordelia pauses, tilting her head down at her tail in thought. For a moment, she lifts her head to peek over the edge of the rock before at you. Then, as quick as a shark, she reaches down to splash a bit of water at you, giggling at the frown you make as you close your eyes almost instinctively. Good thing you managed to dodge away before getting splashed, unlike last time. "Alright, fine, I'll answer your question. But first, let's go underwater." You don't argue against her, simply watching as she painstakingly slides down the rock and into the water. As soon as you are underwater, her shoulders visibly relax. She takes a deep breath in, as if she is about to spill a secret. [[And to be fair, she definitely is.|chapter2pg25c]]

With how far up she is on the rock, you almost believe that you will not be able to reach far enough to shake her shoulders without her noticing. Still, you'll risk it trying. You bring your arms up out of the water, water weighing down on them, and... "Boo!" You grab her shoulders and shake them. She lets out a squeal just as you expected, but she quickly slaps a hand over her mouth and ducks beneath the rock. She turns around to glare at you, and uses her remaining free hand to shove you into the water. It is a gentle push, but you go along with the movement and dip underwater for a brief moment before resurfacing again. By the time you do, she has already joined you in the water, no longer resting on the rock. Cordelia looks a moment away from murdering you--and no doubt she will if she were stronger than you--but instead yanks your arm and twists it at an unnatural angle. Your eyes widen as you try to pull away from her, but her grip is pretty strong. Eventually, you manage to free yourself without a single noise escaping your throat. "You scared me," she growls, pointing a finger at you accusingly. Yet she is smiling. Her attempt at intimidation is cute, but ineffective. You chuckle at the thought. "What? I can't scare my baby sister ever now and then?" "No, it's illegal." You scoff at that. "Sure. But what I think is more scandalous is the fact that you're above the surface watching ocean-knows what." She makes a face, but doesn't argue. "How did you know I was here? Did $kai tell you?" There has to be something on your face that gives the answer away because the next moment she slams nearby water with her fist. Droplets of her anger splash onto your face, but you remain unfazed. Just another typical day. "I //knew// I should have told $khimher to be quiet! Of course $kheshe would tell you of all people." Now that you can't help but ask, "Why do you make it sound like that's a bad thing? Of course $kheshe would tell me. We're best friends for a reason." It's like you have taken the wind out of her sails. "You got me there. Hmph, fine! You get one question. That's it! Make it quick." You already know what you're going to ask. "Right. What are you doing?" She holds up a tiny pointer finger. "Before that--let's go underwater. I think we made a lot of noise already." Cora looks at the rock, as if what she had been watching earlier could be seen through it, before dunking her head underwater with an unnecessarily loud deep breath in. You roll your eyes at her showmanship before following her just three feet below. [[Underwater, she sighs like she has to repeat the story.|chapter2pg25c]]

Well. Of the three options this is the only //true// fun one. You begin to lift yourself out of the water, mentally preparing for the weight you are about to toss into the ocean. <<if $strength == 40>>It's a rather simple task, really. Since you help your brother and father often when it comes to pushing ships, you certainly have the strength to do so. So you find no issue in lifting your sister off the rock, catching her midscream before dunking her into the water like a pro thrower. You quickly follow after her. You could get into the profession if you really wanted to.<<else>>Okay, so //maybe// you aren't the best to rely on when it comes to lifting heavy chests or pushing heavy...ships. As soon as you commence the plan the regret almost immediately follows afterwards. You grab your sister by the waist, ignoring how she jumps when your arms circle around her and lifts her off the rock, before tossing her into the water along with yourself. Even if Cordelia is eight, she's...not exactly the lightest thing you've held before. So unfortunately you sink with her. But it was worth it for the laughs.<<endif>> If looks could kill, Cora would be murdering you--she probably could when she is older. You should really be careful of what you do now in case she thinks of actually hurting you in the future. "What was that?!" Despite her pissed tone, she still can't help but laugh. "What is wrong with you, $name?" You grin, enjoying the banter even if you feel a tiny flicker of...some indescribable emotion. "What? Nothing is wrong with me. What's wrong with //you//?" ...and you have struck a nerve. Cordelia almost immediately tenses at your poor choice of words, shrinking in on herself. "There's nothing wrong with me...wait...how did you find me? We are pretty far away from the cove. There's no way you happened here by chance..." Before you can answer, she connects the dots almost immediately. "$kai told you, didn't $kheshe? I knew I should have made $khimher not to tell you!" "Of course $kheshe did." There's no point in denying it. She will know the answer regardless if you lie or not. That is one of the many things of being siblings with her. "So, back to my questioning: what are you doing here?" She makes a face--her nose scrunches up, eyebrows crinkle, and she looks...reluctant to answer the question altogether. [[Cordelia speaks anyway.|chapter2pg25c]]

"Um...you promise that you won't tell anyone about this?" You stare at her, raising an eyebrow. It seems she has finally learned her lesson when it comes to telling secrets. "Sure." "Alright." She looks as if she is preparing to tell you the biggest secret of her life. It probably is. Your family doesn't know about her secret interests or the reason behind her long absences. Neither do you. "There's this human on the shore..." When she realizes that you aren't going to suddenly bump in or yell at her, she continues. "And I think $rheshe's a royal." It is clear that your unaffected look surprises her. "Wait, why aren't you freaking out?" You shrug, a mysterious smile still playing on your lips. "I already knew that." She splutters out nonexistent spit. If there was any, you don't see it mix with the ocean water surrounding your bodies. "Wh--then //why// would you ask what I am doing if you already know?" "Because you haven't really answered the question. I asked you what you are doing, but got no explanation." Cordelia looks about a second away from wringing your neck. "Well--then you aren't asking the right question! It's //why//, not //what//." She folds her arms, as if the answer is obvious. "And I'm doing it because $rheshe's cute." Huh?! Your jaw drops to the seafloor. That...wasn't quite what you were expecting her to say. "I'm sorry, what?" Her cheeks are now red, as if she has finally realized how absurd her answer sounds out loud. "Yeah..." "Hold up, hold up," you even hold up your hands to really punctuate your sentence, "I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right. You're telling me that the reason you're doing all this because you have a //crush//? That's it?" Cordelia shrugs, smile sheepish. "Well, um, I guess." You slap your forehead, fully exasperated. "Do you even know what $rhisher name is?" She remains still. Then, slowly, she shakes her head. You sigh, feeling your temple throb. "...you should head back, in case Mom or Dad are looking for you." She winces at the mention of your parents, and nods demurely. "Okay, but can I get one last glimpse of $rhimher?" Well... <ul> <li>[[You guess it couldn't hurt.|chapter2pg26a][$cordeliarelationship += 5]]</li> <li>[[No.|chapter2pg26b][$cordeliarelationship -= 5]]</li> </ul>

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" The amount of sarcasm that drips from her tone surprises you, setting something inside on fire. "Depends on what your answer is," you fire back. Okay, so //maybe// you are aggressive, but who could blame you? Your little sister goes missing the entire day just to visit a human, rather than focusing on more important things like spending time with her family. Her siblings. //You.// Who would not be worried for her safety? Either way, your refusal to back down becomes clear the longer the tension lasts. Eventually, she heaves out a defeated sigh and says, "The human--er, royal, I should say...I think $rheshe is cute," in a single breath. You liked to believe that you understood Cordelia completely. Yet now, you never felt more disconnected from her than ever before. "//Excuse me?//" the disbelief is so sharp that even she recoils at the sound. "You mean to tell me that you have been watching this...//human//...because you have a crush on $rhimher?" The smallest of nods from her tells you everything you need to say and do. "Do you even know $rhisher name?" When she shakes her head, the lack of surprise you express at her answer also makes her wince. "You should head back to Mom and Dad." It's not a suggestion. Your sister hangs her head. She hears your tone. She knows. "Okay, but...can I look at $rhimher one more time?" The audacity to ask...you should reject her immediately, but something holds you back from doing so. Surprising yourself, you contemplate your answer before speaking. <ul> <li>[[Absolutely not.|chapter2pg26b][$cordeliarelationship -= 7]]</li> <li>[[Fine...|chapter2pg26a][$cordeliarelationship += 6]]</li> </ul>

"You promise you're not going to tell anyone?" Oh, so //now// she has finally learned to ensure that her secrets don't escape. Still, it's not like you are going to tell anyone. Right? "Of course I do." She seems to accept your answer, and nods slowly. "Alright...so there's this human...maybe $kai already told you that, but $rheshe is some sort of <<if $rgender == "male">>prince<<else>>princess<<endif>> and I think $rheshe is cute--" Um, what? You can't hold back your immediate surprise, which follows with a tumble of words on your part. "What does that even mean?" The realization hits afterwards. "Wait...don't tell me..." Her cheeks redden. "Yeah...so there's that." "Hold up, hold up," you hold up your hands to punctuate your sentence, "I just want to make sure I'm hearing you right. You're telling me that the reason you're doing all this because you have a //crush//? That's it? Do you even know $rhisher name?!" Cordelia shrugs, smile sheepish. "I guess so. And no, I don't." You can hardly believe her words, but for some reason...you do. As crazy as she sounds, you think you believe her. Though for whatever reason that remainds unknown. "Okay, well, either way you should be heading back, in case Mom or Dad are looking for you." She winces at the mention of your parents, and nods demurely. "Okay, but can I get one last glimpse of $rhimher?" After taking a brief second to //consider// the idea... <ul> <li>[[You guess it couldn't hurt.|chapter2pg26a][$cordeliarelationship += 5]]</li> <li>[[No.|chapter2pg26b][$cordeliarelationship -= 5]]</li> </ul>

Cordelia's eyes pop out of her sockets at your nod. Her expression is incredulous, but she manages to smile regardless. "Really?! Thank you, $name!" You roll your eyes and simply follow her back up to the surface. Even before you have reached the top, Cordelia has already swam past you and is scaling the rock once your head resurfaces. She sighs longingly, almost reminiscent. Truthfully, it has you feeling a little curious. Before you realize what you are doing, you have followed her up the searing rock. The rough surface leaves imprints on the inner palms of your hands, but they are but a distant memory as soon as you follow her line of sight. A chill runs through your body when you see what your sister sees. //Holy mother of pearls.// [[What has your little sister gotten herself into?|chapter2pg27]]

Cordelia frowns, but does not press the issue further. It is almost as though she had expected your answer to be no. Does she truly think //that// low of you? Either way, you were not going to budge on your decision. Once you make it, you stick with it. "Are you coming?" She turns around when she sees that you are not following her. You shoot her a long look before responding with, "I'll catch up with you later. I want to think for a moment." Her $eyecolor eyes flick from your face to your tail. "Alright..." But you can hear the unspoken words. //But you have to tell me later.// Strange, that despite refusing her request that she was still worried about you. You wait until she is out of sight before swimming back up to the surface. Although it likely is not a good idea, you can't keep your curiosity at bay...especially when you have seen $rhimher before. Does the painting serve $rhimher justice? You suppose you can only tell if you take a look yourself. Testing it at first, you gently place your hand on the rock. It is hot, but not unbearable. Scaling up the rock is not big issue even when you have to lug your tail behind, keeping it dipped in the water like Cordelia. You are careful not to stick your entire head up and above the rock, peeping over just enough to see... Woah. //Holy mother of pearls.// [[What has your little sister gotten herself into?|chapter2pg27]]

One thing is for certain: that image of the royal family in the ship does the heir of...whatever kingdom you were nearby--at least, you assume that this <<if $rgender == "male">>prince<<else>>princess<<endif>> lives in that castle above--no justice. It almost hits you squarely in the chest just how...<<if $rgender == "male">>handsome<<else>>beautiful<<endif>> $rheshe is. All of $rhisher features are exactly as you saw it. There is not a single detail missing. The only thing that makes $rhimher starkly different from their portrayed version is the //realness//. Which makes sense, you don't think that any image could compare to an actual being, but there is a certain glow that makes $rhimher seem...ethereal. From your vantage point, you see how $rhisher eyes are closed, arms loose yet still as a breeze blows through $rhisher hair and clothes. <<if $rgender == "male">>His pants seem to have been rolled up, shoes tossed aside, to prevent any water from splashing onto $rhisher clothes as $rheshe stands in the way of the waves falling onto the shore.<<else>>Her dress is hiked up, and one hand is lifting up her skirt to prevent water from spalshing it. Somewhere are her discarded shoes, which have been saved from getting soaked as she stands amidst the crashing waves.<<endif>> Somewhere to the left, there is a hidden set of stairs that disappear around the corner. They do not appear to be crumbled--in fact, they look pristine and clean, as though it has been regularly maintained. And then, just when you are about to climb down the rock, $rhisher head turns slowly in your direction. Even though $rhisher eyes are closed, you duck your head anyway<<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>, pulling Cordelia down with you. She does not protest or fight back when you do so, going along with the motion<</if>>. Your heart is pounding in your chest. <ul> <li>[[That was close! You were almost caught.|chapter2pg28a]]</li> <li>[[You feel warm and—nope, you're not going to think about that right now. ♥|chapter2pg28b][$rrom += 1, $merfolkHumanity -= 1]]</li> </ul>

Before you can make your escape, you hear someone speak from behind the rock. "Hey!" <<if $rgender == "male">>The deepness of the voice is so shocking that your heart jumps.<<else>>The softness of the voice is so shocking that your heart jumps.<<endif>> You are unfamiliar with the voice, but you think you have an idea of just exactly who said that. //Please don't tell me $rheshe noticed me...// you silently pray to the gods. "...Is there someone there?" <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>You exchange a glance with Cora, who places her pointer finger on her lips in a silent shush. Her other hand cuts clean across her neck. The overkill makes you roll your eyes, but you stay silent.<<else>>It takes everything within you to keep from putting your hand over your mouth. Although the gesture likely would not help you stay any more silent than you are now, the urge is strong.<<endif>> A million thoughts are running through your head when all of a sudden-- "Your Highness! I have been looking everywhere for you!" A different voice this time. Although you can't quite describe the type of voice, the texture feels rough, like gravel. <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>You exchange a glance with Cordelia. She merely shrugs. You can't tell if the usage of "Your Highness" is something she was already aware of or is completely news to her.<<else>>//Oh sting rays...//<<endif>> Although you cannot see any movements nor hear any shuffling on the shore, their voices are surprisingly loud enough for you to hear. "Come on, Grim, you know that you can call me by my actual name when we are in private. No need to resort to fancy titles." That same voice... "Well--" they let out a loud sigh, so loud that you spot some seagulls taking off at the higher pitched noise. "//Alright//, <<if $rgender == "male">>Prince Louis<<else>>Princess Eloise<<endif>>. Your father has sent me to fetch you. He would like to speak with you." "Again?" You can practically hear the frown in $rhisher voice. "Fine. You may lead the way." You wait for what feels like an eternity before releasing a breath you had not realized you were holding in before. <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>"We should get going," Cordelia suggests, voice shaky. It seems the adrenaline of evading human attention has her on the edge. You nod.<</if>> As you slowly slide off the rock, it dawns on you more than anything that this secret of Cordelia's and $kai's is now yours as well to bear. [[What you will do with it is ultimately in your hands.|chapter2pg29]]

The idea of making eye contact with $rhimher sends shivers down your spine in a weirdly good way. The feeling is strange. You don't know if you like it or not. Facing your feelings and sorting them will have to wait for another day. Before you can make your escape, you hear someone speak from behind the rock. "Hey!" <<if $rgender == "male">>The deepness of the voice is shocking enough that you think your heart jumps and skips a beat simutaneously.<<else>>The softness of the voice is shocking enough that your heart jumps and skips a beat simuntaneously.<<endif>> Much to your slight dismay and utter bewilderment. You are unfamiliar with the voice, but you think you have an idea of just exactly who said that. //Please don't tell me $rheshe noticed me...// you silently pray to the gods. "...Is there someone there?" <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>You exchange a glance with Cora, who places her pointer finger on her lips in a silent shush. Her other hand cuts clean across her neck. The overkill makes you roll your eyes, but you stay silent.<<else>>It takes everything within you to keep from putting your hand over your mouth. Although the gesture likely would not help you stay any more silent than you are now, the urge is strong.<<endif>> A million thoughts are running through your head when all of a sudden-- "Your Highness! I have been looking everywhere for you!" A different voice this time. Although you can't quite describe the type of voice, the texture feels rough, like gravel. <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>You exchange a glance with Cordelia. She merely shrugs. You can't tell if the usage of "Your Highness" is something she was already aware of or is completely news to her.<<else>>//Oh sting rays...//<<endif>> Although you cannot see any movements nor hear any shuffling on the shore, their voices are surprisingly loud enough for you to hear. "Come on, Grim, you know that you can call me by my actual name when we are in private. No need to resort to fancy titles." That same voice... "Well--" they let out a loud sigh, so loud that you spot some seagulls taking off at the higher pitched noise. "//Alright//, <<if $rgender == "male">>Prince Louis<<else>>Princess Eloise<<endif>>. Your father has sent me to fetch you. He would like to speak with you." "Again?" You can practically hear the frown in $rhisher voice. "Fine. You may lead the way." You wait for what feels like an eternity before releasing a breath you had not realized you were holding in before. <<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>"We should get going," Cordelia suggests, voice shaky. It seems the adrenaline of evading human attention has her on the edge. You nod.<</if>> As you slowly slide off the rock, it dawns on you more than anything that this secret of Cordelia's and $kai's is now yours as well to bear. [[What you will do with it is ultimately in your hands.|chapter2pg29]]

But of course, there is no rest for the weary. Halfway through your journey back home, a speeding Merfolk flat-out collides into you, sending you sprawling backwards. A sorry or chastisement is about to come out of your throat, but it all dies down when you see who it is. "Marina?" She is panting, staring directly at you<<if hasVisited('chapter2pg26a')>>, then at Cordelia with a question in her eyes, though she does not voice at it<<endif>>. "Gods, I was looking everywhere for you!" "What's wrong?" You look behind her to see if there is some shark following your sister. Nothing. You look back to her now-annoyed expression. "Wh--It's not behind me!" There is a soft, almost invisible glow in her eyes. It wasn't there when you first started talking. A grin bordering on unhinged grows on her face, small at first, and then nearly splitting her face apart. She looks so...//unlike// her usual self. "I found another ship...//and we are going to hunt it down.//" [[End Chapter 2|endchapter2]]

This is the end of the demo! Chapter 3 is when the real action begins, so stay tuned for whenever it comes out. For now, I think this game will go on a bit of a hiatus for now, at least until the next summer. I hope that I will have gained some motivation and have it written by next year, but at this point with my other projects I can no longer guarantee that. But there is no doubt in my mind that this project can be finished, so I'm not giving up on ATOL just yet! Please don't be afraid to give me feedback on the game, because I'm sure that there are some grammar mistakes that I made while writing. And as always, thank you all for reading :) -Aurie [[Pst, want to see a sneak peek of Chapter 3?|sneakpeak]]

!In the next chapter of //As the Ocean Lures//... Although this time the rain does not come, the tension in the air weighs heavier than humidity. The kind of feeling that leaves you on edge, as if time has suddenly stilled, as if you were waiting for something to push you over. A huge change is about to come, but you have no idea what it is yet. You are not sure what to make of it. <center>﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌</center> A sudden movement in the water suddenly catches your eye. Although you know better than to indulge your curiosity, you look over regardless, movement stilling. There, not too far away from you, struggles a human wearing a navy coat. An invisible lump lodges your throat. The impulse to swim over and tear them up thrums in your veins. <center>﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌</center> "Are--is the human alive?" $kai asks, leaning close to the unconscious body before ripping $kself away. "//Barnacles above//, why did you think this was a good idea?!" You are unsure who $kheshe is speaking to--you or Cordelia--but one thing is clear: $kheshe hides $khisher excitement poorly. It almost makes you wonder if $kheshe really means $khisher words, or is just saying it to break the awkward silence in the hollow cove. Cordelia glances at you, equally as confused. "Um, who exactly are you talking to...?" As though $kai had forgotten you were in the same waterspace as $khimher, $kheshe jolts. Actually, you bet $kheshe //did// for a second. <<print $kheshe.toUpperFirst()>> looks to you, then Cordelia. "I don't know anymore. What even //is// life, anyway?" You open your mouth to answer... ...but the human suddenly stirs, nearly planting their face into the sand. Cordelia reaches out to steady them, and it is at that moment that their eyes shoot open like a clam. //Oh sharks//. They have awakened. <center>﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ -ˏˋ. That's all for now! ˊˎ- </center>

will unlock when maddox wakes up and tells the merfolk about it!