(SE) fifi (open)

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

Life was a tough thing to deal with.

Her lack of being able to speak made things extremely hard- of course, she could mostly do the things she enjoyed in life, but it also meant she was no longer able to talk to really anyone.

Going out in the canals would be a tad risky- yeah she wasn't a shark anymore, but unfortunately, not everyone would be receptive to her inability to speak. It was a risk Delta was willing to take. She wasn't going to let this curse stop her from living her life. Wallowing and crying about it wasn't going to help her and she just needed to deal with it. Yeah, totally.

And that's how she ended up swimming through the canals, occasionally popping her head up above the surface and looking around, searching for something fun to do.

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Another season, another Deepfrost, another reason to mull over the results of her impulsive actions. And while the tension loomed in her chest, while she thought about notions and motions after the facts and figures had already been established, the youth could only barrel onwards.

So her focus wasn’t really on the rest of the world, lost in her own head as she turned around corners, as she pressed her feet along the sides of the canals. Sometimes her strides elongated so quickly, so swiftly, that they balanced outwards, over the water, and she had no fear, no apprehension, in those guided proportions. Not with the anklet. Not with a thousand other things flickering and fluttering along her mind, firing off in rounds of cinders and embers. Fangorn grumbled from beside her, a kind of plea, and a likely warning.

Only when the sprite looked down did she see someone else in the canals – a head appearing above the surface – and a startled gasp rendered from her lungs, a jockeying of movement and accord, spinning back to land so she didn’t fall in. “Shit, sorry!”

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

A human was walking above her and unfortunately for the both of them, Delta hadn't seen her at all. It was only when Delta poked her head back above the surface that she saw a foot practically swinging for her face.

Eyes widen and she quickly lowered her head back down, almost completely submerging save for her ears and things above it.

An apology came out and Delta lifted back up ever so slightly, opening her mouth to say something before quickly closing it again, realization dawning back on her face. Slowly, she raises her head above the surface, being ultra-cautious and giving both of them some time to relax before Delta through another curveball at the stranger.

Now that she was fully visible, Delta raised a hand and pointed at her mouth, then her throat, and then shook her head with a frown. This... really sucked... it sucked so so so bad. Hopefully, this human would be willing to work with her? Surely, not all humans were rude, selfish, or dumb.

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Back along the canal wall, breath elapsing over and over, back to its cyclical turns, the youth finally looked at the mermaid. She’d probably seen the other somewhere before, amidst the mass of Torchline individuals, but never introduced herself, too caught up amongst other things. Perhaps that was part of her problem – constantly navigating a horde of motions at once, and all of them fleeting, churning, turning her in different directions.

But she seemed all right, minus the lack of sound. Melita crouched, dress billowing and pillowing out along her sides, over her knees, as she bent forward, daring, audacious all over again. The motions the mermaid concocted caused her to tilt her head again, briefly shrugging towards Fangorn, before rounding back to the opposite youth. She was clearly trying to tell her something. “Does your throat hurt?” Maybe there’d be a remedy nearby, in the market, and the smuggler girl could find something to ease and alleviate the pain.

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

The two made eye contact and like Melita, Delta knew she had seen the girl before- but without a name nor proper introduction, it just didn't really stick. This human did stand out thanks to her hair, but it was hard to tell if the two had officially seen each other. For all Delta knew, there were tons of legwalkers that looked just like her. Humans kinda looked super similar sometimes, thanks to their lack of unique tails.

Thankfully, the human doesn't immediately leave, but unfortunately, things were lost in translation. Delta doesn't mind at all, she didn't exactly have many ways to explain this kind of situation. A tad excited to see the creature, Delta briefly looked at the gourd and offered a smile and a wave before glancing back at the redhead.

With a frown, Delta shakes her head and opens up her mouth. She mouths some words that look like I cant talk so unless Melita can read lips, all she hears is nothing. This is followed by a frown and a shake of her head once more. It sucks but this human seems willing to help, so maybe she can come up with a way for them to communicate?

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Fangorn, in response, waved some of his viney tendrils, but had no way of communicating either, past the point of grumbling. Melita pondered over the efforts the mermaid made – knowing full well they were capable of communicating, given the grand demonstration another had attempted to concoct on her. Her head tilted again, quiet for once, as if the hushed emblems might ensure she could concentrate, hone in on the issue, her own trials and tribulations forgotten in the instance. A narrowing of her gilded gaze followed, like the flickering of cinders and embers, reeling from within.

I can’t talk. “Oh, sorry.” All she’d done thus far was apologize or presume, so the youth sighed, shifting back again, pulling and pushing some of her crimson mane out of her face. A notion, an idea came to mind, but she was uncertain in its parameters too, given circumstances of watery confines, but it was worth a shot. “Can you write?” She made a gesture, as if picking up a piece of charcoal or pencil, floating it in quick, clean strokes within the air.

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

There is a dawn of realization on Delta’s face. The girl! She understood her! Or... hopefully? Delta tried to remain positive, optimistic about the idea that maybe this girl would have read her lips or be capable of reading the situation. The apology was a good sign, but it could also lead to the words I still don’t know what you mean. So many negative things and all Delta could do was worry...

Until the girl responded.

Eyes widen and Delta grinds, nodding very quickly. Yes!!! It’s mouthed with much enthusiasm, despite her in capability to speak. It’s clear if she was able to speak, it would’ve been maybe gasped or said with much joy. Oh! This would surely work! And it would be so wonderful!

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Melita hadn’t expected the enthusiastic response, the obvious yes contorting through the water’s movements. She straightened up immediately, brushing some of the dirt off her dress, and hastened in rapid formation. “Be right back then!” Fangorn was left with the mermaid, and he eyed her warily, before dangling his vines in a waving fashion, as if they were part of the maneuvering tides.

Meanwhile, the honeybee searched the market square for a suitable amount of paper goods; presuming it wouldn’t last long without some waterproofing, but shrugged, as if the notion might not matter for the short, mercurial circumstances. Eventually she wound up with some poster-sized adornments and a generous charcoal pencil, reeling back towards the individual settled within the canal. She handed them off to her, confused, but expectant. “There you go!” And for what would be communicated thereafter, the youth was entirely unsure, but made herself known and present all the more, settling down once again upon the canal fringes.

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

While the redhead was gone, Delta stares at the little gourd in front of her. Unlike a dumb, little fake blonde dude, Delta actually likes him! A hand is raised and Delta waves to the little friend. She would say hello, but alas, all she can do is wave and smile at the creature.

Soon, Melita returns and Delta is eagerly grasping onto the pencil. Trying to not drip too much water onto the paper, Delta begins to write out, well, the important stuff.

Hello! I'm Delta! What's your name?

Delta moves to hand back the pencil before her eyes widen and she quickly writes out one more thing.

I was cursed. That's why I cant talk. Can you help me? Maybe Melita knew how to cure curses?

And with that, the pencil was handed back. Waiting for Melita would respond would lead to Delta's eyes wandering where she would soon land on a weird looking tree. Staring off, Delta tilted her head to the side, clearly a bit distracted now.

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Fangorn looked puzzled and perplexed, as much as a pumpkin could, and outstretched his vines again – but ultimately, the moments passed unbothered, untethered. Upon Melita’s return, and the subsequent paper and writing tools, the youth could only sit back and wait as the scrawl was enacted.

A name to attach to the face, and the fiery-emblemed individual gave a firm nod. “I’m Melita.” But for the subsequent endeavors, she could only furrow her brow – a curse. “Oh, I’m sorry. How did you get that?” Straight to the root causes – though she wasn’t certain how to provide aid to one in the water. “What do you need to do?” She didn’t take the pencil back, presuming the conversation would continue.

But she followed the trail of Delta’s gaze as it flickered and flowed away from her, segmenting down to a bizarre looking sapling further ahead, down along courtyards and winding pathways, canal-lined and street burdened. “I haven’t seen one of those before.” And, curious, a moth to a flame, Melita regained her prior position, no longer crouching, angling herself to begin walking towards the tree.

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

Delta frowns and begins to write. I just prayed at a shrine, I don't know what went wrong. I don't know how to fix it. It was brief- something Delta wasn't prone to being. She didn't have time or space to write  a lot.

It seemed Melita was just as distracted. A hand moves to write once more. Go look at it!!!! Bring me something back from it if you can!!! It looks so pretty. And with that Delta pointed to what she wrote before pointing over to the strange tree. While her problem was a big deal, this was also... kinda cool. Tree then you help me? It wasn't like they were on a time crunch to finish up their interaction or anything but ANYWAYS.

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

Melita would’ve offered some aspect of assistance if she knew how, but without the right pieces of knowledge, the aspects of the curse, she was left with no way to right the wrongs.

It didn’t seem to matter anyway, not with the mermaid’s request. “Okay,” and she sailed forth, Fangorn, curious in his endeavors as well, bounded along with her, approaching the bizarre tree. She watched as several others were just as inquisitive, interacting with the boughs, watching with a tilted head and arched brow as several began to poke it. Was that customary here in Torchline? She’d never seen such a thing.

But then it undulated, moved, and giggled under the ministration. She witnessed it maneuver several more times, before finally parting through the passersby herself, angling a point into its midsection. It did much the same – swaying, laughing, almost as if it was ticklish. Down towards the bottom, she broke off a little section; it didn’t seem to mind, before wandering back over to Delta. “It moves! And laughs!”

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts

Every day's a little harder as I feel my power grow

Hands trembling with excitement, Delta stares forward and waits eagerly for Melita to return. Just watching from afar was so incredible! Oh how she wished she could touch it! In the meantime, Delta started to draw the tree. It was rather crude, but she clearly tried her best and took pride in her Fir drawing. Next to it she wrote “TRee” with the R accidentally written in caps. Oh well!

Soon, Melita was returning and Delta nods with eager. Oh! How exciting! Writing very quickly. THATs AWESOme. !!! !!! And then she held a hand out, requesting to see the broken off piece.

Using her free hand, she continued to write. Also! Could you help me with my curse?

Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go into the unknown?

DELTA

MELITA

The honeybee youth glanced at the writing, understanding the enthusiasm and excitement through the legible tethers, embarking back along a smile, before handing over the piece of branch. It wiggled and spun, danced and maneuvered, almost as if it yearned to escape or continue waltzing.

As for the other notations, Melita had already clambered back down along the embankment and line separating the canals from the roads. Legs dangling, relaxed and content, the girl’s head tilted vaguely – she’d offered to assist before, but other than the writing utensil and the paper, the uncertainty made its way between her brows, kneading a deepening furrow. “I can try. What do you need?”

help tonight to split its seams
Give the bruises out like gifts