Kia tūpato

“Ha! I see you’re curious!”

Curious, or nervous. Owen still wasn’t used to reading Marius’s body language. Then again, he didn’t really think merman actually existed. Sure, there was lore and legend about the children of Ikatere, and all the denizens down in the deep, deep sea. And there were some tales about creatures with, well, tails that weren’t entirely fish, but something else as well.

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Oh right, of course! He did say that he has something to give him. That was the whole point of this meeting. Why did he act so surprised? Maybe it was just the thought of receiving a gift that was so exciting that he forgot all about the message to meet him. He mentally shrugged it off, hoping he didn’t look like a fool.

Close his eyes. Right, ok, that sounds simple enough. Marius did just that and resisted the urge to peek. He suppressed his jittery emotions and let Owen do what he needed to do. He waited in darkness.

He felt something slip around his neck. At first, he thought he was going to wrap something tight around his neck, but he quickly learned he was wrong. Instead, something hung just on his sternum. The contact of the cool object raised goosebumps on his flesh. He bit his lip as he tried to calm his wide smile.  

When Owen announced his completion and told him to open his eyes, Marius did as he was told. Immediately, felt for the necklace. Thankfully the rope or cord was long enough for him to pull the pendant away from his body so that he could look at it. As if the smile on his face couldn’t get any brighter, he practically beamed. It was smooth, twisted, save for the grooves of swirls that adorned the lowest loop. Three loops, to be exact. It was tied to keep in place. Just after the knot were small pebbles of a holey stone. He had seen these before, around volcanic islands. They were just the right size to fit between his index finger and thumb. There were also beads of blues and greens. He knew these stones, or rather, glasses. They were found all along the ocean floor:  sea glass. He has plenty of shards and shapes of his own in his ever-growing collection of shiny objects.

Marius took the time to look it over with such wonder. How did he make this? The carvings are small yet intricate! He must use some kind of tools to achieve this. Here it was, the most beautiful gift he ever received. Better than the cans he found, better than the prongs (silver forks) he found, better than the cryptic messages (license plates) he found. He didn’t quite understand the meaning of the design, but he knew how to appreciate and respect something he knew little about. Although, it didn’t hurt to ask.

His cheeks were a lovely shade of pink. He let the pendant dangle on his breastbone after he looked it over countless times, a newfound appreciation every time he studied it. Owen had put time and effort into this gift, this personal gift, and it sparked a reaction that perhaps even the sniper wasn’t expecting.

In a flash of green, Marius tackled the other into a hug, wrapping his arms around his neck. He laughed and snorted and kissed his face a dozen times over. He was so overcome with joy that he couldn’t contain it any longer. 

“Oh thank you so much! I-…I love it,” he exclaimed. He paused for a moment, letting his excitement calm down, remembering that he didn’t have anything in return. “You…did not need to do that. But it’s very kind of you. 

New Zealand Birds

click images for descriptions

The Wanaka Tree, Wanaka, New Zealand

Closed for @bonecarvedquiver 

A soft smile crept upon the mer’s lips as minnows and guppies nipped at his fins. They dangled below at the shallow pool of saltwater, and he sat on the dunes that stretched out over the water. It started to make the shape of a cave, after years of storms and erosion. Like a cliff that was safe enough to jump off of and splash into the wading pool below without breaking a bone. Unlike a certain someone.

He felt a blush rapidly cover his cheeks. Ah yes, the someone that which brought a widened smile to his face. The someone that came into his life and rocked his world. Turned it upside down and inside out. A shiver went up his spine. Rangi.

The sun was starting to set in the distance. The perfect time to catch the rays on the west coast was always at sundown. Warm streaks of color reflected on the water. The sun danced on the surface of the waves. Below, filtered light penetrated the hidden shadows of the ocean. It was a sight only the brave could see. 

Rangi wanted to see him, said he “has something to give him.” Marius was happy enough to just be with him, regardless of a gift. But he agreed to meet with him anyway. Now, he was waiting for him. What was that popular expression? “Butterflies in my stomach?” He felt like the butterflies were fluttering in his gut. His heart was giddy, light and fast. A slight, warm breeze rustled through the grass on the dunes. The reeds tickled his skin as they pecked and poked him. A completely different sensation from sea grass, he noted.

Owen was an expert when it came to that. Back home, he used to swim the ocean in his pastime, exploring alongside the fishes in the reefs. He spent time studying them in their habitat. Of course, some of that information came in handy whenever he went fishing (mostly spearfishing, he enjoyed that), but mostly he just enjoyed being in the ocean, swimming with the fish. It was a peaceful thing to do, and he could easily leave his troubles on the shore.

The last time, which was also the first time they met, wasn’t such a happy moment. If Owen hadn’t been there that day, there’s no telling exactly what could’ve happened. Could’ve bled out, could’ve gotten an infection, could’ve been attacked from another animal, every scenario progressively worse than the last. Marius owes him his life, and he would gladly repay it.

Curious, or nervous. Owen still wasn’t used to reading Marius’s body language. Then again, he didn’t really think merman actually existed. Sure, there was lore and legend about the children of Ikatere, and all the denizens down in the deep, deep sea. And there were some tales about creatures with, well, tails that weren’t entirely fish, but something else as well.

inktober, day 2 and 3 ✨

“Hmph.”

Closed for @bonecarvedquiver 

A soft smile crept upon the mer’s lips as minnows and guppies nipped at his fins. They dangled below at the shallow pool of saltwater, and he sat on the dunes that stretched out over the water. It started to make the shape of a cave, after years of storms and erosion. Like a cliff that was safe enough to jump off of and splash into the wading pool below without breaking a bone. Unlike a certain someone.

He felt a blush rapidly cover his cheeks. Ah yes, the someone that which brought a widened smile to his face. The someone that came into his life and rocked his world. Turned it upside down and inside out. A shiver went up his spine. Rangi.

The sun was starting to set in the distance. The perfect time to catch the rays on the west coast was always at sundown. Warm streaks of color reflected on the water. The sun danced on the surface of the waves. Below, filtered light penetrated the hidden shadows of the ocean. It was a sight only the brave could see. 

Rangi wanted to see him, said he “has something to give him.” Marius was happy enough to just be with him, regardless of a gift. But he agreed to meet with him anyway. Now, he was waiting for him. What was that popular expression? “Butterflies in my stomach?” He felt like the butterflies were fluttering in his gut. His heart was giddy, light and fast. A slight, warm breeze rustled through the grass on the dunes. The reeds tickled his skin as they pecked and poked him. A completely different sensation from sea grass, he noted.

Owen was an expert when it came to that. Back home, he used to swim the ocean in his pastime, exploring alongside the fishes in the reefs. He spent time studying them in their habitat. Of course, some of that information came in handy whenever he went fishing (mostly spearfishing, he enjoyed that), but mostly he just enjoyed being in the ocean, swimming with the fish. It was a peaceful thing to do, and he could easily leave his troubles on the shore.

Closed for @bonecarvedquiver 

A soft smile crept upon the mer’s lips as minnows and guppies nipped at his fins. They dangled below at the shallow pool of saltwater, and he sat on the dunes that stretched out over the water. It started to make the shape of a cave, after years of storms and erosion. Like a cliff that was safe enough to jump off of and splash into the wading pool below without breaking a bone. Unlike a certain someone.

He felt a blush rapidly cover his cheeks. Ah yes, the someone that which brought a widened smile to his face. The someone that came into his life and rocked his world. Turned it upside down and inside out. A shiver went up his spine. Rangi.

The sun was starting to set in the distance. The perfect time to catch the rays on the west coast was always at sundown. Warm streaks of color reflected on the water. The sun danced on the surface of the waves. Below, filtered light penetrated the hidden shadows of the ocean. It was a sight only the brave could see. 

Rangi wanted to see him, said he “has something to give him.” Marius was happy enough to just be with him, regardless of a gift. But he agreed to meet with him anyway. Now, he was waiting for him. What was that popular expression? “Butterflies in my stomach?” He felt like the butterflies were fluttering in his gut. His heart was giddy, light and fast. A slight, warm breeze rustled through the grass on the dunes. The reeds tickled his skin as they pecked and poked him. A completely different sensation from sea grass, he noted.

“Marius! Tēnā koe e hoa!”

The sniper made his way from one dune to another. Seems he had arrived at the wrong spot but, thankfully, had seen the mer emerge from the water. He had a keen eye. Always had. Nothing escaped him. Aware and alert with the world at all times, he was like a hawk, waiting for something to move, something to breath, something to emerge from it’s hiding spot so he could shoot it.

Not that he’d shoot Marius. Oh, no. He never would.

He rushed over with the excitement only he could bring forth. He was like a kid deep down. He was honest about showing how he felt. Happy, and boisterous one moment, or stony and suddenly silent the next. He didn’t believe in any sort of perceived concept of masculinity that stated he had to be the strong and silent time at all times. That was boring. But... sometimes came on too strong. And sometimes he didn’t come on strong enough.

Right now, he was filled with an unbridled sense of joy at the mere sight of the mer.

A little far off, if Marius peered over yonder by the far grassier plot of land, right off the shoreline... he’d see a base camp. A little tent, erected in order to keep the sun out, and the remains of a small camp. Had the guy stayed there overnight? Or had he done that in order to wait for the mer’s arrival? Something to pass the time?

He reached the mer, finding it rather easy to move across the sand. After all, he grew up on the shores and cliffsides of New Zealand. Terrain like this? Easy to transverse. Some people tripped up on the sand, not used to running on it. But to him it was as natural as breathing in air.

“You came,” he said, a great, big smile forming. “Was gettin’ a little worried something happened. Like... another blade.”

If you are okay with roleplaying with multiples of the same muse? I know there are some popular characters out there that people are going to relate with. I see some people refusing to roleplay multiples of the same muse. I’ve come to learn that each take on a muse is different and I like seeing different interpretations on a popular muse. So please reblog this if you are totally cool with interacting with multiple rpers with the same muse.