...would probably be using this time to do their schoolwork for college rather than pointlessly coding a post that simply serves as a start for a thread that will be used by one single person as a dumping ground for forum posts with reusable code, and a testing site for the unnecessary coding used in said posts, but I'm a neurodivergent procrastinator that uses RPing as an escape from my unassuming and depressing life and, therefore, not a normal person.

T H E S T O R Y
Merpeople are supposed to drown any humans that enter their territory in order to keep their existence a secret. Muse A is a merperson that has killed countless humans without remorse. But when Muse B, a human, is drowning in the ocean, there's something about them that causes Muse A to be moved to save them.

T H E P L A Y E R S
MoominLiv • gowia

T H E D E T A I L S
Romance • Fantasy • Drama • Historical

The year is 1873.
It is the golden age of science. Never before has man made so many discoveries in such a short time. Physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology... The study of the natural world is thriving, and the men and women who explore its depths are the great trailblazers of the time, lifting the veil of confusion and superstition from the eyes of the populace.
But along with these great illuminations come great shadows. The dark and seedy underbelly of science, a world of moral ambiguity and callous exploitation. Just as there are those who strive to improve the world through knowledge, there are those who strive to use knowledge for personal gain, either ignorant or indifferent to those whom they harm in their pursuits.

Below the crashing waves, in a world humans dare not touch, a civilization flourishes. Merfolk swim alongside great schools of fish, darting through kelp and gliding over beds of bright and vibrant coral. With the flick of a fin or a kick of a leg they fly through the water, spirits of the ocean that are freedom personified. Their world is one of color and life, untainted by the filthy, polluting hands of humans.
But for how long? What will happens when these two worlds inevitably collide? Like two stars orbiting each other, growing closer and closer, there are only two outcomes.
A larger, brighter star, or total destruction.

|| NAME ||

Adeline Clarke

|| AGE ||

24

|| GENDER ||

Cis female

|| SPECIES ||

Human

|| BIO ||

Born shortly after her father Edwin Clarke's fall from scientific grace, Adeline was raised by a man obsessed with his own redemption. Her mother, faced with the fact that her husband was no longer the man she married and that they had fallen into financial ruin do to his lack of employment, turned to opiates and "frivolous activities" for comfort and was largely out of the picture, leaving Adeline nearly solely under her father's care. Although she was female, Adeline was given an expansive education with extra attention to the natural sciences. A naturally intelligent and curious girl, she took well to these studies, excelling under her father's tutelage. She grew up listening to her father's fantastical tales of the merfolk and their evil ways, repetitions of the story of his ill-fated expediction that resulted in the death of so many of his colleagues, his plans and schemes to capture and study the "monsters", his promises that all their problems would be solved once he got his hands on one. She has witnessed his slow descent into a form of madness, his devotions and obsessions overtaking everything else in his life.
Obviously, having a father that is constantly immersed in questionable research and so obsessed with a species of humanoid sea creatures that he is seen as insane by almost everybody, as well as a mother who spends most of her time drinking or smoking in an attempt to dull the aching wound in her heart means that Adeline's life has been rather loveless and drab. Brought up solely to be the successor to her father's quest, she wasn't allowed to have a real childhood and has spent her entire life being belittled and judged for even the most minor of faults, often becoming the scapegoat for her father's anger and frustration.

|| PERSONALITY ||

• Asocial •
Although she does her very best to conform to societal norms and act like a "proper" lady, Adeline often has trouble fitting in. She is cynical and direct, always speaking her mind and sharing her opinions, something that many of the men around her don't take kindly to. She tends to be rather judgemental of others as she was taught from a young age by her father that they were "different" because of their intelligence and knowledge of what truly lay beneath the waves. She is slightly socially awkward and has trouble empathizing with others, as she was always studying during her childhood due to her father's influence.
The main exception to her lack of empathy is animals, as she has a very soft spot for the natural world and much prefers animals to humans. She has a tendency to pick up injured animals and nurse them back to health, much to her father's displeasure. She is especially fond of reptiles and amphibians and has a pet snake named Herbert.

• Realist •
Rather than a "glass-half-empty" or "glass-half-full" individual, Adeline is more of a "this glass has exactly twenty-two fluid ounces" type of person. She doesn't try to fool herself or others, meaning she can sometimes be a bit bleak. Seeing no benefit in lying, she often sats things that seem insulting to others but, to her, are simply a statement of fact. This means that she tends to unintentionally hurt people's feelings, something thing that can cause people to dislike her.

• (Usually) Collected •
Although typically rathr deadpan in both expression and mannerism, it is possible to coax out a different side of Adeline if one manages to mention the right topic. Talking about ichthyology or oceanography is a sure way to get her to drop her defenses and spark up and eager and enthusiastic conversation about science. She practically becomes a different person when she is allowed to talk about her interests, and she would excitedly talk about fish all night and day if one was kind enough to allow her to do so.

• Guarded •
Due to her unfortunate upbringing and all of its questionable aspects, Adeline tends to put a wall between herself and others and has difficulty trusting people. Part of it is that she fears rejection, but it is most the subconscious sense of inadequacy that has been ingrained into her that causes her to isolate herself. She also tends to hide her emotions, as she was taught from a very young age that they are "unnecessary" and that she would only be ignored if she were to show them externally.

• Dedicated •
When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and Adeline believes that wholeheartedly. She isn't one to throw in the towel, often stubbornly persevering in the face of opposition. When she starts a task, she always intends on finishing it, no matter how difficult it may be. However, as beneficial as this trait is, it can also present itself in a form of inflexibility, as Adeline has difficulty conceding or backing down, even in situations where it would be the best course of action. When Adeline meets another stubborn individual, sparks tend to fly.

w e r e w o l f

/ˈwerˌwo͝olf/

(noun) a person transformed into a wolf or capable of assuming a wolf's form

T H E S T O R Y
Muse A saves a wolf out of the goodness of their heart but, little do they know, the animal is far more than it seems. Muse B, a werewolf who was saved by Muse A while in their wolf form, decides that Muse A shall be their spouse and comes to claim their beloved.

T H E P L A Y E R S
MoominLiv • Nemaisare

T H E D E T A I L S
Romance • Fantasy • Drama • Action

T H E C H A R A C T E R S
Casey MacArthur • Townie • Wannabe Artist

Mathis Reed • Forest Dweller • Local Werewolf

Hugh Reed • Forest Dweller • Mathis's Uncle

Darnell Evans • Townie • Sherrif

L O C A T I O N S
Greengrove • Small Town

Brigham Forest • Forest

Wendigo Peak • Mountain

MacArthur's Grand Emporium • Antique Shop

Casey MacArthur


25


Cis female


Human


Just your average small town dreamer, Casey’s life hasn’t ever been very remarkable. Not much happens in Greengrove, save for the occasional wild animal that comes a bit too close to town for comfort. Casey grew up with her mother and father as an only child. Her parents ran an antiques shop downtown, the same one her family had run for three generations, and much of her free time during her childhood was spent helping in the shop and learning the ins and outs of the business for the inevitable day she would inherit the shop.
Moving items, assessing value, creating price tags, handing out flyers… None of it was very interesting to her, but she did it without question, not wanting to disappoint her parents. The only part about the antique shop that she liked was the various paintings they sold. Casey loved the way artists were able to capture a moment in time, to preserve a feeling of their own and share it through paints or pencils, to influence people’s emotions without a single word. She began to pursue art, drawing and painting everything she saw in the hopes of gaining that seemingly magical ability that artists had to create something from nothing. She dreamed of one day being able to call herself an artist and share her art with the world.
Unfortunately, although she went to school to study art and art history, Casey never got further than that. Her father passed away due to cancer, her mother having died while she was in college, and Casey was left with the posthumous expectation that she would continue the family business. Nowadays, she lives alone in a small house she inherited from her parents on the edge of town and mans the shop five days a week, although she spends much of her spare time painting and hiking through the woods.


|| Gentle ||
Even from a young age, Casey was softhearted. She would go around picking worms off the sidewalk after the rain or using her own money to buy birdseed to fill the bird feeders in the public park. She doesn’t go out of her way to display kindness, as she would rather stay mostly unnoticed, tending to do things like bring cupcakes for everyone on finals day but simply leaving them in the classroom with a note and not saying who it was from.

|| Submissive ||
Casey is the sort of person who will agree with people simply to keep them happy. Just like how she put away her dreams of being an artist to run the antique shop in order not to upset her parents, Casey will often put her own wants and needs on hold to please others. This means people tend to use her for their own means, often treating her as a stepping stone for their own endeavors.

|| Anxious ||
While she might not spend all her time worrying about the sky falling down on her, Casey is still a bit of an anxious mess. It’s the sort of anxiety that is more like an undercurrent than anything distinct, almost solely presenting itself in her fidgeting and flighty nature, as well as a vague jumpiness. She can typically operate just fine and mostly comes off as “normal”, but oftentimes when she isn’t doing anything in particular or is simply thinking she will subconsciously pull at her hair or shift in place.

|| Liar ||
Although this trait is often seen as malicious, Casey isn’t a liar due to ill will. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. She constantly lies to save people’s feelings and keep others happy, a tendency which can cause her quite a bit of trouble. Her desperate desire to be completely normal and conform to the world’s standards also means she lies in order to cover up everyday mistakes. Unfortunately, these white lies tend to create a snowball effect, piling up into a mountain of unintentional deceit that comes back to bite her in the ass.

|| Nature Enthusiast ||
An avid hiker and birder, Casey loves spending time in the forest. One of her favorite pastimes is exploring the woods in search of things to draw or paint. Sometimes she will spend hours in the woods, doing nothing but sitting and listening to the living world around her. She has a nice garden at home that she is very proud of, and she has been known to do things like help baby birds back into their nests.