[OOC] Underwater Adventure

[Ayesha]

Name: Mayumi Tanaka

Age: 17 (Almost 18)

Ethnicity: Half Japanese/Half American (Raised by American mother who knew nothing about Japanese culture)

Race: Human



Bio: She is one of those kids who doesn’t listen to her elders when they say don’t go in the water or the sea creatures will get you. She thinks that people are wrong and the life living in the waters are wonderful, misunderstood beings. She goes to the waters edge almost everyday hoping to get a glimpse of something magical. What she does not expect is to actually meet a mermaid face to face. Does she learn that they really are misunderstood creatures or are they as bad as humans are made to believe?

[carsgovroom]

t a i l
Mara
18
Mermaid
Family consists of: Ronan, her father and soon to be leader of their pod; Kali, her mother; Aron and Zale, her older brothers; Calder, her grandfather and currently leader of their pod; Lea, her grandmother; Bradan, her great-grandfather.
Growing up under the sea, Mara had always heard tales of the vicious humans that lived on dry land. They trapped merfolk, killed them or put them on display, and her mother swore to her that her own great grandmother had become entangled in one of the human's nets and had never been seen again. This was why her great grandfather had dedicated their pod to protecting their kind from the humans in anyway possible. Even though the stories of humans and their savagery had always frightened her as a child, Mara could not help the curiosity about the surface world that began to fill her as she grew older. Under the water it was always dark and cold, but on the surface there was sunlight and warmth. And the humans she saw at a distance, though intimidating, started seeming mysterious to her. More colorful and lively. She's secretly gone up to the surface to bask in the sun for years, and recently started venturing towards the shore, cautiously edging a little bit closer each time. But she'd never dare approach a human. Not on purpose, at least.

[Ayesha]

Really good. I love the picture you used. She's really pretty. I'll try to get something up in the IC as soon as I can. ;) Or you are more than welcome to start if you want.

[carsgovroom]

Thanks~ I left it open so that lots of mermaids/men could be/ are dangerous to humans, including members of her family/pod, but she isn't. This could leave the door open for future conflicts with her family.

I was actually wondering if you had any thoughts about mermaid abilities? I don't want to make her super powerful, but I was thinking she could be able to breath underwater, swim very fast when she needs to, see and hear clearly under water, be able to descend into depths that humans can't, cold blooded so hot or cold water doesn't bother her, an affinity with sea animals, just basic mermaid abilities. I had a thought that the kiss of a merperson could allow a human to survive underwater for a period of time, but it's just an idea at this point.

[Ayesha]

That all sounds reasonable.

You haven't happened to see "H20: Just Add Water?"

It's an Australian TV show about three human girls who get turned into mermaids. Whenever they get touched by water, they turn into one. (Still trying to figure out how they managed with sudden rain downpours or drinking water lol ) Anyways, they each found out they had some sort of elemental power. One could control water, one could freeze things, and one could heat up things. If you wanted, you could have some mermaids (not all of them) have a little elemental power, but nothing "all powerful" like they could take over the world with it LOL

The kiss thing works, but how about making it a little more deep than that? A merperson kiss binds them with whoever they kiss? I read a book where it did that and in this book merpeople were also able to take on human legs and live among humans if needed. (If you want it could be something merpeople used to be able to do, but have thought to lose that ability long ago, or else they just forgot how to do it, because they stopped doing it for some reason or another)

With merpeople it can really go anywhere haha There are so many different takes on the legend.

[carsgovroom]

I have seen that show! I was considering some hydokinetic ability...I was going to have it so that there were merpeople more powerful than others, especially the leader/royalty figures, and since her family are the leaders of their pod I guess it would make sense for her to have some elemental power. But I'll probably have her older siblings be more powerful. But not super powerful ha or else they would have destroyed the human race by now.

I like the idea of the kiss binding them, too, we should definitely use that. It would be interesting if she didn't know about the binding effect the kiss would have on them, just about the surviving underwater part. And I have done mermaid rps where the mermaid was able to gain legs on land. I'd be down for having that. It could have been a forgotten ability due to them wanting to isolate themselves from humans. I was thinking of having Mara wanting to run away from an arranged marriage a little further into the rp, so the legs thing could help give her a place to escape to. Also her having legs on land doesn't make her quite so limited to the water. I like it. ;)

I also thought that merpeople could live longer than humans. Not immortality but once they reach a certain age their aging slows. But I can toss that idea.

[Ayesha]

The aging thing seems like it might be true for merpeople. But how about true heartbreak can kill them, like they turn into bubbles or something. (That's how the original Little Mermaid ended, she turned into bubbles!) But also maybe some merpeople can choose the age they want to stop aging. Like merpeople who desire the rank of elder has to look the part! Think Ariel's dad, how he obviously had some age on him.

So they age slowly, but can still die sooner than their time if something happens to them (heartbreak, illness, murdering fiend lol )

But maybe the aging thing also will affect a human if they are bonded to one?

Also I like her gaining her feet again, because it does open the RP for a lot more.

((I really liked the H20 show. They came out with a sequel that I haven't seen yet. Hope it is good, but the cast is all different. ))

[carsgovroom]

Yeah, I like all of your ideas. True heartbreak killing them sounds like a great twist, and I like using the bubbles/sea foam thing from the original Little Mermaid. Her great-grandmother was taken by humans, and her great grandfather could have been close to death from heartbreak, but maybe his anger and bitterness about the humans saved him. Meaning in order to save themselves from their broken hearts they have become, well, heartless.

And yeah, them picking what age they want to stop is good, so leaders can still look strong and dignified and experienced and everything. Then after many, many years of this constant age the aging starts again.

And yeah they wouldn't be invulnerable to death, just a little more resilient. They can still be killed, but if they take care of them selves they can live for well over a hundred years.

And I like the idea that the slowed aging affects a bonded human. Maybe merpeople mate for life or something? So human's aging will also slow, and maybe they become more resilient to illness and disease or something? Quicker healing in water (which could also be another mermaid ability that protects them from predators drawn by blood)?

I agree about the feet and legs thing. Let's do it.

[Ayesha]

Yep! Looks like we are on the same page about everything.

Did you want to start or I can (But it won't be for a while. I've got chores, dinner and the like that I need to do, and I also have some RPs that are due a reply before I go messing with new rps. *Bad me*)

[carsgovroom]

I don't mind waiting, but if I think of a good place to start Mara off at I could begin. Trying to think of a reason she'd be closer to shore than she normally would dare. maybe got caught in a current during high tide and is now a bit stranded due to low tide?

[Ayesha]

What if she got caught in a fishing net and washed up on shore in Mayumi's secret spot? A spot that Mayumi found when she was just a child. It's basically isolated from the rest of the beach and you have to climb over a lot of sharp rocks to get to it.

So I have in mind that Mayumi lives in a small fishing town, that has a really nice beach all around the land. I'm thinking maybe they even live on an island and have to use a ferry to go to the mainland and such.

[carsgovroom]

A small fishing town on an island would be ideal. Hard to keep secrets in, lots of superstitions, lots of boats and nets. And probably people would notice if a new girl showed up when Mara gets her legs.

The fishing net idea is good, and I like the isolation. She could have been freeing a dolphin or something and got tangled up instead. Perhaps there was a storm overnight which pulled the net free and washed it, and Mara, ashore?

[Ayesha]

Yeah that is all good. Works for me!

I'm off to dinner now. I'll try and post when I'm finished with everything, or you can if you want to. ;)

[carsgovroom]

I can probably post something soonish. Within the house Once I get something to eat (it's only lunch time here). But before I leave to go grocery shopping. I have a good, general plan for a post so it shouldn't be too much trouble. ;)

[carsgovroom]

So I went a little all out, which I sometimes tend to do with intro posts, but ta daaaaaa. Hope you like it.

[Ayesha]

I do like it! And I tried to go all out, too.

My normal posts are shorter, mind. I like to vary the size of posts, but I believe in quality over quantity. Still hope for a good 3+ decent paragraphs for most of my role plays. Some partners might go under, so than I go under. It's a nasty cycle. lol

[carsgovroom]

I try to match what I receive, but my intro posts are always substantially longer than my average posts. I'm aiming for at least 3 good sized, detailed paragraphs for my average post. Quality is what's definitely key ;)

[Ayesha]

Yeah same here about intros.

Sorry if my posts don't always "match" yours because I am role playing after a couple or more years of a break. I'm really rusty.

[carsgovroom]

You're fine. I've recently come back from a role playing break myself, so I get trying to get back to the swing of things.

[Ayesha]

Thanks!

Well I got married in 2011 and since then my desire to write got pushed to the side a little. I'm still happily married, but the "honeymoon" phase has passed, so we both do more of our own thing now, you know? Before, we would do everything together, 24/7. lol