Edgy Angel

Child Luna (I imagine this would be a few days before she unlocked her fire powers)

I decided to base her design/color palette off of a Paradise Fish

My honest-to-god reaction as I was drawing:

tw: slight existential dread

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After the festival, Mira and her new companions met up with the rest of the pirates. Tom’s wife, Sarah, invited them all to her inn, The Shipyard for a farewell celebration that lasted long into the night. The next morning, Azure and the rest of the crew had been kind enough to sail the adventures over to a village on the mainland so they could all gather supplies needed for the quest (although Azure insisted it was because they had a shipment at the next village over and it just so happened to be on the way).

As the rest of the party walked down the plank, Mira stopped and turned to Azure and stuck out her hand. “Thanks for having me aboard cap’. I’ll be back soon.” The middle aged pirate shook the young woman’s hand with a chuckle. “Take care kid. Don’t know what we’ll do without our residential sea-squirt.” Mira barked out a playful laugh, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find someone else to scrape the barnacles off the ships’ hull. I made a few copies of some of the shanties I wrote, feel free to play them whenever you want.” Mira gave her old mentor a final wave. She turned away from one crew, and looked down the boardwalk to another.

As Mira set the supplies she’d need on the shop counter, she felt her heart in her ears. She couldn’t believe it. She was actually going on a quest! Could she actually do it? Could she actually achieve her years’ long goal? Would she actually be able to save her friends and family? What if something happened along the way? What if something went wrong on one of the other’s quest? What if someone got hurt? What if someone died along the way? What if- what if she gets killed? What would happen? Would her friends continue to rot in jail, the kingdom continue to fall to ruin, the sacrifices continue until there was no one left to sacrifice, or Tiberius and Umina pass on and leave Cordelia with a broken kingdom and no support system? Or would her friends be able to break out and restart the rebellion without her? If that’s the case, then what was she even doing?

And what about the pirates? Would Azure and the rest of the crew be okay while she was gone? Her songs had been the only thing keeping Sirens from trying to prey on them. Yes, she left the sheet music to the songs, but would they still work if it’s someone else playing it? She’d done her best to make sure nothing happened, but what if? Or what if it’s not the Sirens that get them, but the law? Piracy is technically illegal, what if they got arrested? What if they get executed? The pirates were like family to her, she didn’t want to lose anyone else.

Mira hadn’t felt this conflicted since the prospect of being a rebel leader was dropped into her lap. A part of her wanted- no, needed to do this. But another part of her was still scared. What if her going on this quest got someone innocent killed. Would she really be able to live with herself if that happened?

she was dully aware of the shopkeeper listing of the items. Mira had to make a choice, and she had to make it now. Whatever she chose would shape the rest of her life forever. “-Alright, that’s everything. All I need is a name to put on the receipt.”

She took a breath to settle her nerves, stood tall, and spoke in a cool, calm voice.

“Mira, Mira Seasinger.”

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tw: mentions of drinking

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Five years later, Mira Seasinger found herself sitting on a pier in one of the many bustling island seaports. She felt the sun on her tanned skin as she gazed off into the bright, blue endless sea, allowing her mind to wander.

As a child, she knew about the ability all undersea people have; the power to shapeshift from seaform to landform when they left the water, as well as the story of how that came to be. But as a child, she never really understood why they could. If the water became their sanctuary, why return to the land?

She knew the world was far bigger than the Kingdom of Mermosa, she’d just thought the only world she’d ever know was the watery one she called home. When she came to shore for the first time all those years ago, she was surprised by her human form. It’d taken days for her to get used to having legs. And even longer to find an outfit that would properly accommodate her transformative abilities (difficult to wear skirts on a ship, impractical to wear pants when constantly having your legs shift into a tail. She’d heaped profuse blessings on the house of the tailor who came up with the outfit she was wearing now, with it’s ability to go from skirt to slacks as needed). She had been quite relieved when she noticed she kept the colored streaks in her hair, considering it would’ve been a pain to find the right colors up here.

Mira broke out of her musing when she hears children rushing by, crying out in excitement about some festival for a band of adventures that had come to town. When Mira first arrived on land, she learned some villages had festivals for bands of adventurers when they arrived in town, either to rest or recruit another member. This village was no exception. She chuckled softly as she noted how much those children reminded her of Seward and herself when they were little. Back before everything happened. Mira stood up as she saw one of her crew mates walk up to her.

“Hey Tom,” “Hey Mira,” they greeted each other, walking towards the street to join the throngs of people all rushing to the square.

“Another year, another quest.” The red-headed elf mused, the ring on his finger catching the suns glint as he stuffed his porcelain hands down the pockets of his sea-green trousers. “Yup,” Mira responded, folding her hands behind her head in a laid-back manner. “Where do you think this year’s band came from, or who they’ll recruit?” “Who knows.” Tom answered, equally laid back. “For all we know, it could be you this year!” He joked, nudging the young woman with an elbow. “Ha! Yeah right.” She scoffed.

Tom was one of the only people who knew about Mira’s past and her goal (mainly because they and his wife went drinking at at tavern one night as friends and the younger woman ended up wasted, blabbering and sobbing about the whole thing, much to her friends’ confusion and amusement). The only other person who knew Mira was un exile was the Captain, Azure. They were the one who found Mira when she first emerged from the sea, giving her food, clothes, shelter, becoming a sort of mentor, trying to help her find a new purpose. When they later found out how close her home kingdom was, they asked why she’d stuck around for so long when she could’ve easily left and immigrated to literally anywhere else. To tell the truth? Deep down, she just couldn’t. How could Mira just leave everything behind when she knew fully well the people of Mermosa were suffering? She’d never be able to live with herself.

Mira was once again broken from her thoughts as she saw they’d made it to the square. The two parted ways as Tom went to find his family, and Mira went to find a spot.

As Mira leaned against a streetlight in the back of the crowd, she thought about what Tom said. It’d been five years since she’d been exiled from Mermosa. According to that one black-market supplier from there, her brother Seward had managed to get promoted to Captain of the Guards about two years prior. Tiberius and Umina were still in power. Not only did the yearly sacrifices continue, they’d gone and reduced the age restriction from 18 to 16. The name “Mira Seasinger” had been all but forgotten. She thought back on the vow she’d made before leaving, how she’d return and free her home.

How in the name of Sirena could she do that? She couldn’t just swim back in there by herself and try to take them out, she’d be spotted and killed! She’d need help. She was already in a pirate crew, but she couldn’t ask any of them for help. They were on a tight enough quota as it was, they didn’t have time to help in a revolution. Not to mention, none of them would be physically able to go, seeing as how Mermosa was on the ocean floor. One of the only ways to complete a goal like that would be to find a travel band and apply for a quest. And even then, Mira was hesitant about asking a group of random strangers to help her with this. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t trust them, or that she didn’t need them. No, she just didn’t want any more innocent people getting hurt. After all, a simple revolt could easily lead to war, for crying out loud! And no matter what way you spun that scenario, there’d always be at least one innocent civilian casualty.

Mira was fully aware of the festival starting, still fully wrapped up in her thoughts, until “Hey, you. What’s your name?” Her head instantly snapped up in attention. At first, she thought the cops had found her, what with the whole piracy thing. But instead of the uniform you’d expect of a guard, Mira saw someone who had clearly been through many scrapes. “Um, Mira Seasinger?” she answered, more than a little confused. The person looked at her with a twinkle in their eye and held out a hand. “My adventure party and I are working to fulfill a goal that’s been eating at us, and it kinda looks like you got one yourself. How would you like to join us?” Mira was shocked. Looks like she’d gotten her wish after all. Mira shook the outstretched hand with a chuckle. “Ah sea monkeys, looks like I owe Tom three gold pieces after all.”

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Whoo! Last chapter! All we got is left is the Epilogue, and we’re done.

But just like with Luna Akane, just because these backstories are finished, doesn’t mean the full story is (that’s how it goes for D&D characters, lol).

Tw: betrayal, threat of execution, banishment

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Mira was horrified. Not only had her brother been following her, without her knowledge, for Sirena knew how long. Not only had he found out about the revolution she was leading, but he had actually gone and ratted her, his own little sister, out to the very people she was conspiring against. Mira felt her face going red from rage as she watched her older brother, her own flesh and blood, float emotionlessly by, as she sat kneeling, the weight of the chains keeping her on the sea floor.

“Oh, so the two of you know each other?” Tiberius mocked. “Yes, when this young merman first approached us about two weeks ago with rumors of conspiracy, we thought he was a loon! Until we sent our own spy to investigate, and they reported back exactly what he’d told us. Now we finally found our pesky little ‘Rebel Leader’ and her little friends. All thanks to Steward.” “Um, it’s ‘Seward’, your highness,” the young merman respectfully corrected. “Whatever-”

“You traitorous sea pig!” Mira seethed at her brother. She began to endlessly berate him for this betrayal, shouting every swear and unflattering insult she knew at him. “You and father have betrayed EVERYTHING mother worked to teaches. You betrayed ME! Your own sister! And for what? To work for the TYRANTS who took her away from us! Who have taken COUNTLESS others away from their loved ones! I am ashamed to be related to you. I HATE YOU-!” “Whatever!” Umina said, clearly bored with the scene unfolding before her. “This peasant plotted to kill me! Can we just get to the public execution already?” She wined like a brat.

“Very well Darling.” Tiberius replied. “What was your name again girl? I don’t really care; I just need it for the whole ‘Sentencing-You-To-Death’ thing.” he said mockingly.

Mira side-eyed her brother. The message was obvious, ‘Well? You already sold me down the current, might as well finish it.’

Seward turned to the king, “Her name is Mira Seasinger, sir.” “Ah! Very well then!” Tiberius responded before turning back to her. “‘Mira Seasinger’, for the crime of conspiring against the royal family, I, King Tiberius, hereby sentence you to dea-” “No you don’t.” Mira interrupted, thinking quickly. “I’m sorry, what?” Tiberius asked, visibly annoyed by being cut off. “You can’t sentence me to death.” Mira informed him. “I’m 16, technically still a child. You can only apply the death penalty to an adult, anyone 18 and older. The worst thing you can sentence a child with is banishment.”

After checking it with the Captain, King Tiberius sentenced Mira Seasinger to exile, forbidding her from returning for fear of execution. After the other rebels and rebel leaders were thrown into the dungeon (following a quick public trial, purely for forms sake that Mira more or less disassociated through), Mira was escorted to the edge of the kingdom. Seward would occasionally glance over at his sister and try to get her attention, only to be ignored, with her refusing to even acknowledge his existence.

Once they got to the wall surrounding the kingdom, one of the guards took Mira, unlocked her shackles, and threw her through the gate. As she straightened herself and moved her long, curly black hair with streaks of pinks and purples out of her face, she saw Cordelia looking down, guilty that she couldn’t help the young rebel who just wanted to help her home. Mira then looked at her brother, giving him the coldest, most unforgiving glare she could muster, sending a shiver of guilt and fear down his spine.

She turned her glare back to the king and Queen. “I’ll be back someday. When you least expect it. And I will bring the wrath of the churning pits of Charybdis with me.” The words almost seemed to echo around the valley from their intensity.

“Of course you will, kelp-cake. Try not to run into any Sirens out there.” Umina said with a roll of her eyes, not believing the obvious threat. Mira ignored the tears of heartbreak and betrayal as she swam towards the shore. And her new life.

For the next few years, Mira worked on a pirate ship, going to taverns with coworkers; learning how to play music on various instruments, her merfolk heritage allowing her to easily practice her bardic spells; and helping keep her shipmates safe from any lurking Sirens (unbeknownst to said crew). But even with this new life, she never forgot her old one. She continued to practice the life lessons her mother taught her, hiding her time, waiting for a chance to fulfill her promise, and free her home from the tyrannical rule.

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