♫ water music ♫

Makeup Mondays:

“Full of Stars.” Dark Beauty Magazine, Feb.2013.

Photographer: Larissa Lognay

Model: Maia Donnelly

It was impossible for Roderich as well to wrap his own mind around just what was bothering Franziska. In some ways, he could understand her frustration, or at least empathize. He too hadn’t entirely been as cold hearted towards landfolk as he usually would be, and it confused him. But Franziska seemed to almost care about this particular person, and that, he could not yet understand. As sirens, they weren’t supposed to befriend landfolk. It just was impossible. And yet…

A worried frown upon his face, he hesitated slightly. “…I don’t wish to intrude on your personal life, but perhaps it’d be best if you… took a break from interacting with landfolk. Just for a time, until you can sort out your thoughts.” She hadn’t told him she knew any landfolk, but their conversation had been enough for him to assume.

Her head was reeling with a million thoughts on what could possibly be happening to her, so Franziska wasn’t entirely listening as he spoke. However, when Roderich said she needed to take a break, her eyes shot up to meet his. “What?” Her scowl returned. “I need to do what?” Her hands flew up in aggravation, and she seemed to stop herself from saying something rather foul. 

“That’s an absurd statement. No, not because I want to spend more time talking to those pathetic things on the hunk of rock floating in the water, but because you had the nerve to suggest that I do!” Franziska paused, grumbling something under her breath, before continuing in a lower tone. Through a sigh, she said,

random sentences for any / multiple scenario(s). change around as you see fit.

“ who do you think you are? “

“ wait , did you just say you love me? “

“ please just … leave me alone. “

“ i’m so happy! “

“ is this a gift for me? “

“ hey! i’ve got something for you! wait right here! “

“ i love you. “

“ shut up! shut the fuck up! “

“ who told you that?! i didn’t say that! “

“ w — what? “

“ … i’m sorry. “

“ what? ME have a crush on YOU? whaaaaaat?! haha! what? pfft … shut up! “

“ bitch , guess what? “

“ oh my god … “

“ fuck you to fucking hell! “

“ man … go to hell. “

“ what did you just send me? “

“ what did you just say? “

“ they’re totally checking you out right now. “

“ jealous?! i’m not jealous! “

“ are you jealous? “

“ wow … you’re hot when you’re angry. “

“ wow … your smile is breathtaking. “

“ you’re so stupid. “

“ okay! that’s it! put your dukes up! “

“ you don’t want me. “

“ question , you’re not dating anyone , are you? “

“ let me take you out on a date. “

“ i swear to god i’m going to scream at the top of my lungs. “

“ no! don’t tickle me! “

“ i’m not good for you , trust me. “

“ no offense but i’m out of your league. “

“ so , how does it feel to know me? a blessing , isn’t it? “

“ … why does this card say ‘ happy 3rd birthday ‘? “

“ so what will it be tonight? “

“ please , let me listen to celine dion in the dark in peace. “

“ i don’t love you. “

“ you don’t love me. “

“ … is there something you want? “

“ you know , you’re really cute. “

“ god , just let me fucking love you , you idiot! “

“ shh … don’t cry. “

“ i just feel like everything is falling apart. “

“ DON’T YOU DARE! DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE! “

“ hello darkness my old friend … “

Another period of quiet passed, this one much longer than before. Her gaze had drifted downwards, and she found herself staring towards the sand. Franziska didn’t hear him say it, but yet… she knew. It make her stomach tie in a knot, and for a split second, her face too was contorted with an expression of grief. 

Finally, she spoke- Her words low and monotonous. “Alright.” A sigh. “I do not need further details.” Eyes seemed to dim a bit as she continued, her stare staying rooted to the ground. Franziska couldn’t place why she responded the way she did. Especially around Roderich. They were close- They were friends. Such emotion only surfaced when she… Hm. “I’m sorry.”

Even after Franziska apologized for her outburst, Roderich was silent a moment longer, before sighing softly, a slight frown still upon his face. 

“It’s… It’s fine,” he responded, a mild grumble in his voice. “I apologize for my stubbornness.” Her reaction still confused him, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to question her on it. They were close, yet somehow it still seemed a breach of privacy.

Ivan’s personal grotto had been his sanctuary for as long as he could remember. 

Growing up in a fairly small pod, he’d never really had any privacy. When he was young, the adults of the pod were always hovering around him, as if they were scared he could shatter if left alone for too long. When he grew older, his three siblings were born, forever clinging to his side. Whenever he could, he’d slip away into the ocean alone to his grotto and spend hours in peaceful solitude. As time went on, he’d gather the various things he’d find across the seabed, hoarding them in neat piles.

He didn’t return as often anymore, his new house offered him a separate bedroom from his siblings and granted him the privacy that he’d coveted in the past. But today was different - he’d left behind the toys of his childhood in that grotto and he was determined to bring them back. However, he was wholly unprepared to find someone else inside of his private sanctuary.

Needless to say, she was very careful about keeping her sanctuary hidden... Not that she knew of anyone nearby who could possibly find it. At least, she thought that was the case. Returning to her grotto one night, Franziska was greeted by a visitor. Now, she wasn’t always against visitors, but this was certainly not where she wanted to find one. In her hands was an ornately carved mortar and pestle- Not that she had even the slightest clue what those were. Upon spotting the strange man in the cave, Franziska immediately growled a harsh, “What do you think you are doing?”, gesturing at him ‘menacingly’ with the pestle. Their words overlapped, and they seemed to catch each other’s eyes at the same moment in time- A strange occurrence that caught her off guard. Just a little.

They were similar enough that Fran had grown used to his tactics when it came to things like this. Of course, she was (often) the same way- But that wasn’t the issue here. Franziska was much more worried about Maddie to think about the inevitable ridicule she’d be receiving for befriending a land dweller. 

She was very quickly growing impatient with how he dodged her questioning. “Roderich, enough of this.” Her tone shifted to a sort of growl, and with a groan, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just tell me what happened with the girl you met. How she knows me is of no importance, but what you did is.” 

For the first time in a while, Franziska felt a familiar anger rise up in her- One that she had been suppressing a lot recently. 

“And do not even think of bringing up anything about me slipping in my resolve. That’s a path you certainly don’t want to go down right now.” The volume of her voice had escalated as she spoke, though unintentionally so. There was a moment of quiet, and she let out a long exhale, bringing her hand down to her side again. She caught herself. 

“Just tell me what happened.”

It wasn’t often that Franziska got angry with him. Though they were both sirens and more likely to be cross at something or other, they hadn’t argued often. Roderich had forgotten just how startling it could be when she was angered. Usually, if someone became angry with him, he would get angry right back at them, but with Franziska, he floated back a bit in the water, averting his gaze and grumbling to himself.

“You are slipping…” was his almost inaudible murmur before he continued.

What was with this anxiety Franziska was displaying? Brow furrowing, he looked at her with a suspicious glance. Certainly Franziska, the one who often teased him for letting landfolk get away, wouldn’t have befriended one herself?

“Now, it almost sounds like you might think I wouldn’t have disposed of a trespasser,” he huffed, then paused, letting out a sigh. “You say that, but this one specifically knew you by name. Perhaps she meant another siren named Franziska who looks similar to me and lives near Orvunos, but I highly doubt such a coincidence could occur.”

He folded his arms near his chest, tapping one finger against the other arm. “It’s true we don’t speak as often as we could, so how am I to know if you haven’t slipped in your resolve some?” Even as he made accusations, they were mostly to try to preemptively reflect any that could be made at his expense. Better to put the fire on Franziska before she could realize he’d let another landfolk get away.

They were similar enough that Fran had grown used to his tactics when it came to things like this. Of course, she was (often) the same way- But that wasn’t the issue here. Franziska was much more worried about Maddie to think about the inevitable ridicule she’d be receiving for befriending a land dweller. 

She was very quickly growing impatient with how he dodged her questioning. “Roderich, enough of this.” Her tone shifted to a sort of growl, and with a groan, she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just tell me what happened with the girl you met. How she knows me is of no importance, but what you did is.” 

For the first time in a while, Franziska felt a familiar anger rise up in her- One that she had been suppressing a lot recently. 

“And do not even think of bringing up anything about me slipping in my resolve. That’s a path you certainly don’t want to go down right now.” The volume of her voice had escalated as she spoke, though unintentionally so. There was a moment of quiet, and she let out a long exhale, bringing her hand down to her side again. She caught herself. 

“…You can’t honestly expect me to believe any of that,” he responded bluntly, face pinched into a slight frown. “Who would you have been talking to in the first place? Certainly not me, last we spoke we were in your cave. No landfolk should have overheard us. And it certainly does matter, because she’s no–”

He cut himself off. He couldn’t exactly admit that he hadn’t, in the end, killed the trespasser. Not only had he let the trespasser live, but she’d landed a blow on him in underwater combat and rendered him unconscious with seemingly little effort, regardless of how hard he’d struggled. With a nervous look of his own, he averted his own gaze. 

Franziska’s eyes widened, now glued to Roderich. “She’s what?” Oh dear. “Did you k...” She let out a very not-so-graceful ahem to conceal the tremor in her voice. “Did you kill this one? I would assume so, especially if she was trespassing.” Her gaze faltered, and now shifted to inspect her jagged nails. “I’m not worrying about anything, I just...” She trailed off for a moment. “We don’t talk much, Roderich- I’m simply interested in what you have been up to recently. I don’t have the luxury of encountering land dwellers stupid enough to cross me.”