Hearing Colour

Black sands stretched on for miles along the shore line and even further did the ocean stretch. Merrin was immediately fascinated by the first glimpses of the natural wonder. She’d only ever heard tales of the sea and even then it was hard to imagine what it might look like. Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she wondered how her children might have enjoyed discovering it with her.

Her first steps onto the beach, took her by surprise and she studied the way her paws sank into the dark granules. It felt different than a lakeside would and she realized she preferred the way this felt on her now scarred pads. Tentatively she approached the waves, watching the ebb and flow of the tide with awe. When she was close enough for the water to lap up and over her toes, she smiled and closed her eyes with a deep inhale. It’s truly peaceful here…

@Pan

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

THREAD TITLE MUSE

“D

on’t ye be drinkin’ that water now, miss,” Pan said as he trotted closer, a brief lope in his stride. “Ye can try it, if ye like, but I guarantee, ye won’t like it one bit.” He had been watching from afar for a few moments, and there was no doubt in his mind that the expression on this miss’s face was one of pure enchantment, a feeling that could only be conjured by the mystifying presence of the ocean.

It was usually brought about by a newcomer, someone who had never spied such a vast expanse of water before, the smell of briny air tingling her senses, the chill of the tides pulling over her paws. “Yer first time here witnessing the ocean, hm? She’s a wiley lass, this one, a poppet prone t’ temper tantrums and fits o’ fury. Best stay on her good side, though I don’t know if that’s even possible.” He had a pleasant, relaxed, neutral mien about him, letting the breeze pull through his mane.

@Merrin

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The hair on the back of her prickled as a guest voiced his arrival. She turned herself around rapidly, tail tucking slightly, as she pinpointed the source of the voice. After her last encounter with a male unrelated to the Zyphears, she’d grown wary of other brutes who came anywhere near her. When she got a good look at his face, her lilac orbs widened as they traced the scars strewn across his left eye and the side of his muzzle.

It took her a moment to register what he’d said, her entire focus on his frightening appearance and she stammered. “I…I…ehm…I didn’t plan to drink the sea water.” Merrin finally got out, her tone defensive as, thinking perhaps she had trespassed on this brute’s territory without realizing it. With a glance back at the incoming waves, she backpedaled a few paces to cut off her contact with the ocean.

He continued to speak and she remained quiet, keeping an eye on his every move. His dialect was strange and it took her longer to piece it together into words she understood, her eyes squinting slightly as though it might help her to hear him better. What he was saying wasn’t so crude as the words she’d received from Pythus and in fact, this man had offered her several bits of advice he deemed helpful for one unaccustomed to the sea.

She felt shame in herself that she had been so quick to judge the silvered male by what he looked like and shame in herself for allowing a single interaction to thrust her back into her anxious shell. With his pleasant demeanor noted, Merrin allowed her curiosity to take the reigns, making her slightly more vulnerable. It was the way he referred to the body of water that got her attention. Her gaze drifted from him back out to the vast seas, cutting her eyes warily at him if he made any sudden movements. “The ocean..is a female? How do you know?”

@Pan

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

P

an chuckled to himself, the sound rumbling in his grizzled chest. This woman had not fallen for his little prank, and he supposed it was for the best, for pranks were only fun when all parties laughed—and he doubted she would be chortling by the end of it. ”Shame, that. I was hopin' that me warnin' would make ye wants t' taste the water—go on 'n try it if ye’d like! Jus' a wee lick. It doesn’t taste like any water ye’ve ever had afore, 'n the unsuspectin' make the funniest faces, I daresay.”

He spied her posture, her overall reaction to his arrival, and he noted just had submissive she might be. Perhaps she had a poor reaction to strangers in the past to be so cautious. And that was fine! Pan was just here to enjoy the ocean. He thought they might share in a brief conversation before he went on his way; however, he had second thoughts upon seeing how reluctant she was…

Then, she voiced an inquiry, and his ears swiveled toward her. Why, he was happy to have a partner with whom to converse!

”Ah, a good question, poppet! The tradition dates back t’ the ole days where sailors ‘n fishermen might go out durin’ a storm. They prayed t’ the goddess that they might return safely ‘n soundly, hopin’ fer her guidance ‘n protection. Eventually, the goddess’s gender became one wit’ that o’ the sea.” He sighed a peaceful sigh—the ocean wind picked up, and he enjoyed the feeling of it rustling through his fur.

”O’ course, ‘tis only fer some crew. Others may find the presence o’ women t’ be a curse. That’s why they tell ye t’ ne’er step foot in the water wit’ strange scallywags...” The last part was a tease, and to ensure this newcomer understood, he added: ”But don’t worry--they be jus’ myths. Thar ain’t any truth t’ ‘em, ‘n if any ruffian tries t’ treat ye otherwise, jus’ tell ‘em ye know ole Pan Salvatore. That’ll keep ‘em at bay, while I come along ‘n knock some sense into ‘em.” He winked at her with his good eye.

@Merrin

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Merrin blinked at him, her eyes shifting between the man and the ocean awkwardly as he went on about drinking the water. She wasn’t keen on partaking in anything that a stranger insisted she try. She cleared her throat, giving him a few shakes of the head. “I’m not particularly parched at the moment…thank you…” She declined politely, even though the thought of giving the sea water a taste did still. linger curiously in the back of her mind.

The odd sounding male seemed delighted to hear her question and he launched himself into somewhat of a history lesson in order to give her a proper answer. Merrin visibly relaxed, noting the passion in his storytelling, lavender orbs rounded with interest as he went on about a sea goddess. She did wrinkle her nose with the women being seen by some as a curse bit, but he followed that comment up with one far more surprising.

They hadn’t been in each other’s presence for five minutes and he was already claiming he’d resort to violence on her behalf. “O-oh! Erm, I appreciate the, uh, sentiment…Pan, was it?” She paused to ensure she’d heard his name correctly before continuing. “I am training to be a knight, you see.” Merrin straightened her posture and held her head up, standing taller than she once was. “Therefore, I do not need a savior..for I have no intention of remaining the damsel.”

@Pan

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

“A

h, well, if ye get the inklin’ t’ try a taste, I’m sure ye’d be quite surprised,” Pan said, well-naturedly. He remembered many a time he had encouraged those new to the sea to take a huge swig, insisting that it was the nectar of the gods, the sweetest water to the tongue. And, of course, he would holler and laugh at their reactions as they wretched upon the contents of their mouths.

She stated his name, and he gave her a proud nod. “Pan Salvatore, at yer service,” he said, with a polite dip of his head—he could play the role of the gentlemen, he supposed, even with a badly scarred face and white eye. “An’ what might yer name be, poppet?”

It was an interesting juxtaposition, having a mother who had been abused and tormented by men in her life. Pan saw it all, and he insisted that all women he met on his journeys be treated with kindness. “Ah, a knight! Noble of ye. Good on ye t’ be yer own savior. ‘Tis wise for women t’ learn t’ defend themselves. Thar be lot o’ crooks out thar, so be on the watch fer ‘em. Don’t be afeared t’ bare yer teeth the moment ye’re made uncomfortable—tell ‘em to back the hell off or ye’d give ‘em hell.”

In that moment, the wind rustled through Pan’s fur again, and he breathed in the briny ocean scent, eyes closing for a moment to let the subject change. “Do ye feel that? ‘Tis a caress of the sea, a greetin’ t’ ye.”

@Merrin

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Pan Salvatore. He’d repeated his name and she internalized it as best she could. “I’ll try to remember it.” Mimicking the dip of the head, she returned the kindness of the introduction. “Merrin Etherea is my name, good sir.” The way she addressed him was exactly how she’d decided to perceive his character. The brute might’ve appeared to be rough around the edges, but thus far, he’d proven himself as good as they come.

Her tail erupted into a series of swishes, overjoyed with the praise the seafarer showered her with. If it was possible to hold her head any higher then she certainly did. Pan went on to give her advice on how to handle these so-called crooks and her expression grew serious as she soaked it in. She’d have to try adding unique flavoring of his words into her own vocabulary to give a warning like that, but she was willing to try it.

The wind picked up and Merrin too closed her eyes and leaned into the ocean breeze. Her ears perked at his question, “Do you feel that?” She nodded with a gentle “Mhm.” When Pan pointed out that this was a greeting the sea, her eyes fluttered open to gaze out towards the horizon as far as her vision would let her. “Hello to you too.” She murmured, smiling shyly to herself in hopes she was not heard.

After a moment of serenity with the goddess of the waves herself, she found her eyes wandering back to the scars that decorated one side of her newest acquaintance’s face. “Pan?” She called his name softly so as not to disrupt the enchantment between the man and sea. When she did have his attention, she nearly lost her nerve, but if she didn’t ask him now, she’d likely spend her days in speculation. “What…happened? To your eye, that is?”

@Pan

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

“W

ell, Miss Merrin, a pleasure t’ meet ye. Now, I dunno if I be a ‘good sir,’ but I always be happy t’ lend a fang or two if ye ever find yerself in trouble.” Pan never forgot a name—he remembered one’s facial features, the vibrancy of their eyes, the shape of their body and the texture of their fur. It was a method he learned in his thieving days. Recognizing patterns and behaviors was the crux of his work, after all.

He noted how the woman relaxed around him, tail wagging, and he exchanged a swish of his own, pleased that he could put her at ease. It was the gift of story and fellowship—there was nothing better than listening to the tales of another. Of course, that was assuming you could trust they were speaking the truth, and Pan rarely told lies to the women he met.

Pan watched from the side as Merrin seemed to enjoy the sea breeze as much as he did, savoring the touch the wind and salt sand. Perhaps she would one day return here to greet the ocean again.

Then, as he shifted, perhaps thinking it was time to be on his way—leaving her here to enjoy the scenery seemed a fitting exit—she spoke. “Aye, love?” he said, addressing her when she called him by name. “Me eye? This ole thing?” Pan chuckled, not at all bitter about the events of the past. They were behind him, after all, and there was no use in dwelling upon their sorrows.

“Let’s call it a lesson,” he said. “Ye just met our beauteous Lady Sea—enjoy her fer now. If we met again, ye hold me t’ it. I will tell ye about how I lost me sight in this here eye.” He did not plan on meeting Merrin again, not because he did not like her company, but because he did not think a pirate and thief would cross paths yet again with a knight in training. In some ways, he hoped he would never see her—that would mean she found a good life. “Godspeed, love, and good luck on yer trainin’.”

“Perhaps ye will catch me one day when I be up to no good.” And he left with a pleasant wag of his tail, trotting away with as much grace as an old man could muster.

[pan exits.]

@Merrin

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Merrin shifted a bit closer, preparing herself for some fantastical tale of pirates and thieves or perhaps he was a hero in this story and fought off a larger predator. Her love for stories and learning of other walks of life would forever enthrall her. Her eyebrows rose and curiosity danced in the lavender hues of her eyes as she waited in anticipation for the reveal of an extraordinary epic told by Mister Pan Salvatore.

“Let’s call it a lesson.”

He certainly reeled her in to cast her right back out to sea, even attempting to redirect her attention on the ocean that he endearingly referred to as a ‘Lady Sea’. Merrin glanced out at the waves and then back at Pan with a puzzled expression. “If? What do you mean if?” But, she could see it in his single golden coin of an eye. This man planned to never come across her again.

She pouted lightly, feeling tricked out of a tale of adventure that she was simply dying to hear, yet, she found she could not fault the man for withholding. After all, she too had history that was better left alone. Merrin finally relented and sighed with a nod, unable to hide the disappointment. “Very well, then…”

She betrayed a smile when he wished her luck and then Pan Salvatore was gone as quickly as he arrived and with almost a sing-song tone foreshadowing his own mischief. Merrin watched him leave until his jaunty form vanished out of sight. She turned back to the ocean, chuckling, “An interesting friend you have there, ‘Lady Sea’.”

A reply came in the form of a breeze moving through the flowing locks of her earthen coat. She spent a few more moments there, observing the way the sun enhanced its vibrancy. She smiled to herself as the color reminded her of Rafiel’s eyes. It must have been the ocean’s way of telling her that it was time to take her leave to find him again and she heeded the call, casting one last glance over her shoulder before leaving the shore behind.

[Exit Merrin]

@Pan

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions