RYSLIG IC INBOX

[sharpiewielder]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CROSS. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.09.124.66 *** CROSS has joined 018.09.124.66 <CROSS>howdy howdy howdy <CROSS>ya boi is afk atm but ill be sure to hit you up when i get this!

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<merlinofcourse>

[youjustgot]

So...um, have you noticed anything odd going on in Bavan lately?

More than usual, anyway.

< cross >

[sharpiewielder]

More than usual?

You mean *other* than the mushroom apocalypse?

<merlinofcourse>

[youjustgot]

Get this, now it's a tree apocalypse.

...Or I at least think it's a tree apocalypse. I'm not entirely sure, it's why I'm asking. It could just be the whole nymph thing making me extra sensitive to the appearance of trees, but the ones in the city are striking me as a bit more...aggressive than usual?

Well, no, I take that back, I've definitely met more aggressive trees than this, BUT AS FAR AS THE TREES HERE GO.............look, you get my point.

Recently, some time after her conversations with Trish and Merlin

[missleadingquestions]

[The thing about being in a completely different world is that the rules are always different than your own. The thing about that world being Ryslig is that the rules keep changing influenced by the melting pot of worlds that fall in to be a part of it.

Maya hadn't realized how much she wasn't aware of those rules changing until recently, and.... after seeing Trish allege that she wasn't trying to be mean, well, Maya can't help but worry about the similarities between their... situations.

Is being a monster... making her meaner?

Luckily, she's got someone nearby to bother hwo she can always count on to listen.

While they're home, Maya slinks her way into Hanna's room and bellyflops onto his bed next to him.]

Ha-nnaaaaaaaaa.

[She hums into the pillow, something between a whine and a sigh.]

Hi.

[sharpiewielder]

[He's nose deep in a book on Horsebonology Equine Biology when she waltzes in, so much so that he doesn't even initially notice her entrance. She may notice that he looks a touch... troubled by whatever he's looking at.]

--!!! [A yelp escapes him when she flops onto the bed, the impact getting him airborne for approximately half a second. He scrambles to sit back up, crossing his legs and grasping the book against his chest as he settles back onto this plane of existence.]

O-oh, hey Maya!

[He laughs, shaking off those kelpie nerves. He's fine, totally not startled. Nope. Great. Plus, he can focus on how she appears to be in some kind of minor distress herself!]

...You good?

[youjustgot]

[It's been awhile since the three of them had their fun, and honestly Merlin nearly forgot he almost DIED from embarrassment since he sort of chilled out once things actually started going. It's not until a couple days later, while Merlin writes away in his room, that it hits him.

That's right!

Hanna knows something about him. Something unsavory, definitely not anything good. The way he pointed him all accusatory-like, his mocking words, that sinister smile, the memories punch him in the gut and he nearly falls out of his chair.

"I was wondering why I'd never heard of a "Prince Merlin" in Snow White's story!"

Maya said she didn't recall any names for the dwarfs, but now he worries she might've been stupid about it. What is in this story? ...What isn't in this story? He has to know and he needs to set the record straight, even if it...........humiliates him. He does NOT need his Ryslig bestie thinking he's merely posing as a prince!!

So, uh, hopefully Hanna isn't reading any bone books again, because Merlin will come barging through his door much like Maya did. ...Same time, too, actually. Huh, weird.]

Hey! Guess who just remembered that you and I need to have a very serious talk.

[About fairy tales, the most serious subject of all.]

That's right. It's me.

[sharpiewielder]

[Hanna on the other hand, has completely forgotten that little fiasco almost in its entirety, and only somewhat on purpose. He does stand by the idea that not all stories are the same as the realities they come from! Besides, whatever Merlin wants to tell him about, surely he will. Which is why for the past few days, he hasn't even tossed a knowing glance Merlin or teased him about being tiny in the slightest. It's almost like it never happened!

What he does remember is that he was going to put a little more effort into not snooping on others conversations, which is why he's got his headphones on when the nymph bursts into the room. In most other cases, his sudden appearance would have sent the kelpie through the roof, but he appears to be very focused on his task. He's got a few dissected shirts and blouses spread out on his bed and looks to be frankensteining those pieces together by hand. An upbeat disco jam can barely be heard coming out of those headphones, but it's mostly being masked by his instrument imitations. Which...probably sound odd without the accompaniment of the music itself.

Sorry, Merlin. Your demands have unfortunately fallen on preoccupied ears.]

Definitely after midnight in the morning on Jul 3

[missleadingquestions]

[It's not unusual for Hanna to spend late nights awake, and so Maya doesn't feel bad slinking around to see if he's still up after she's finished arts and crafts with Merlin. So, like a weirdo, but a weirdo who respects space enough to make their presence known before barging in, Maya walks right up to his door, presses close to it, raps her fingers against it and calls in a sing-song tone—]

Haaannaaaaa~♪♫ Tell me I'm not waking you uuuup or something~♪♫

1/3

[sharpiewielder]

[The tapping does rouse him from one of his many horse naps, sitting up abruptly and calling-- well, croaking --out:]

Hello--oh, fuck--!!

[The book that had been draped over his face falls into his lap, startling him into spiking the whole thing to the ground. He can hear the melodic voice from the other side of the door, but his half-asleep brain is not processing the words right now, and this equine jumpiness surely isn't helping him pay much attention. He clears his throat and tosses his legs over the edge of the bed, wobbling over to the door to pull it open and make sure he wasn't just hearing things-- ]

C-coming! I'm coming, one sec.

2/3

[sharpiewielder]

Wh--

Whoa. Hey. H-haven't seen you like this in a minute.

[He forgot... how good she looked... as a demon...]

3/3

[sharpiewielder]

Is, uh. Is the Fog doin' something weird again or--

[Clearing his throat and so casually leaning against the doorjamb to look cool despite the tousled kelp and dark circles under his eyes. He's totally been awake this whole time yep.]

Or, uh. Is this look a... personal choice?

July 16 or 17 probably; Night; Nai'a Nights

[missleadingquestions]

[When the events aren't that bad, Maya's still got a job to do and a bar to run, and as she is every weekend, she's in attendance at the bar right now. In any case, she's gotten off pretty easy, she'd say; she's been both a pooka and a demon before, and she's fairly certain she can manage it much better than the poor folks who've ended up a bit more like a horrifying quilt. She can't help but feel a little bad for Phoenix, for instance, who certainly did not end up a part of the fluffy-butt brigade with herself, Hanna, and Merlin.

...Speaking of Hanna, it certainly is something that two people who live, work, and play together would both end up rabbits. She's noticed the way he stares at her like he's hypnotized, and as amusing as it is, Maya also can't deny she wants to pay attention to him, too. Hasn't she always realized that they get along so well, that it's so easy to talk to him? That they always seem to be on the same page? That he's comfortable in a way she misses so dearly since a certain someone else went away...?

While the thought might normally make her feel guilty, as a demon and a rabbit, Maya really can't find it in herself to feel too bad about wanting to sate her own desire for connection and attention. Especially not when someone she likes so much seems so... willing.

Even though they're both dutifully at work, Maya notices that once again, Hanna is... staring. Unnoticed by others in the hubbub, while Maya sits with her legs crossed on a barstool, bouncing her little rabbit foot— she can see Hanna a little ways away, looking at her.

It's cute. He's cute. What a dweeb. She bets she can get a rise out of him from here.

Trying to make sure she's got his attention, she winks and sticks her tongue out at him, giving a little wave.]

CW for rest of thread: shits gonna get nsfw--

[sharpiewielder]

[Honestly he thought she might not notice. Which is silly of him in hindsight, considering Maya is one of the more observant folks he's ever met-- so really he should have known better.

Since he's made this first mistake (the mistake of getting caught) he may as well just... Follow through.

He lifts two of his four fuzzy bunny-moth hands to wave back at her, one at on the top set and one on the bottom, but on opposite sides, then frowns when the mop hits the floor because he's let go of it to respond. Shit.

Is it the faerie brain or the bunny brain making him feel stupid today? And which one of them is responsible for this weird magnetism he seems to have towards her? Like, yeah, sure, he's always thought she was cute... But as a demon pooka, she makes his damn heart race so fast he's been afraid it was gonna pop since they left for work this morning.

It's gotta be the bunny shit. It has to be.]

Ha, whoops!

[Now he's gotta figure out how to pick the stupid thing up again. Y'know, he used to wish for an extra set of hands so he could get more done, but he never thought about how hard it would be to get used to them!]

After her conversation with Merlin

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya knows that all day, Hanna's been doing his best to get out of his centaur form— and that's the whole reason he hasn't been at work. What she's less sure of is whether he'll be anywhere near his laptop when Maya gets home, so she doesn't bother sending him a message or even going into the house after she gets back in the Aloha Oe.

Rather, she heads straight for the beach, where she assumes Hanna will be. The sand on the beach itself is still black with the fading night, but the sky has begun to tint with the color of the morning— a good thing, really, as they won't have to rely as much on each other's bio luminescence. Those freckles and spots on his body do at least help her identify him in the distance, and she calls out as she steps across the wet sand as not to frighten him;]

Hanna! Is that you over there?

[sharpiewielder]

[The past few days have been rough, but he'd take adjusting to centaur body over coping with super strong emotions any day. Of course, he only has the pooka moodiness to blame for his cagey behavior since their talk and absolutely nothing else. It's super chill! They're chill, he's chill, it's all chill, baby. Totally fine!

He's so fine that he actually seems like normal Hanna again, flashing her a bright smile as he waves from the little camp he's set up on the beach for night. The fire is burning out as the sun considers rising over the horizon, and she's caught him just as he's begun to pack up to head back in.]

The one and only~!

After fuckin with Aunamee

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya's been pretty content to sit in front of the little kitchen table with her laptop out, harassing a poor innocent newbie on the network. She's noticed, however, that someone else has been slowly becoming more and more discontent, judging by the number of times she's heard the pacing of red hooves around the house.

So after she's had her fill of making the local un-life miserable, Maya finds her way down the halls to meet Hanna in his pacing, bamfing in front of him to stop him suddenly.]

What's wrong, Hanna? You seem restless.

[sharpiewielder]

[Of course the bamfing does startle the absolute fuck out of him, but at least it just makes him flinch and freeze in place (while his heart falls out of his ass) instead of sending him into a panic.

Hanging his head, the kelpie extends an arm out to the wall to steady himself, his other hand gripping his shirt right over his heart.]

Jesus Back-flipping Christ, babe please-- [Wheeze.] You gotta stop doing that.

8/19

[toaflame]

hanna.
i aint gonna be comin to work for a while
if you dont see me dont freak out im still alive
just

[...]

i got hurt, but ill live

[sharpiewielder]

whoa dude what happened???

you need anything? i can bring you munchies or somethin.


[Must be a pretty big ouchie if he's not showing his face...]

AU Maya, like the 19th or 20th ish

[missleadingquestions]

[It is probably exceptionally weird for Maya to be just kind of standing outside of Hanna's room, but she is very, very deep in thought.

On the one hand, this is just Some Boy to her. A boy who's really funny and knows the kind of jokes she wants to say before she even thinks them, let alone keeps-herself-from-saying them, and also he says he's her boyfriend. Even though he's the boyfriend of a different version of her, she's still the same person, right?

So that must mean he's her boyfriend, and well, when she was with Dandy, she never had to knock on his door. She just waltzed right in! And he definitely loved it, and it never worked out poorly. But she doesn't know Hanna as well, even if he is a really hot merman who's apparently hers. So like, barging into his room would be weird, right? And it's technically not his room, it's the other Hanna's... but like, they're the same, so it's still his.

So Maya just kind of keeps staring intensely at Hanna's door for a while, eyes locked on the handle as she contemplates... does she knock? Does she barge in? And on top of that, is she gonna have to slide the door open with her foot, with all these notebooks in her arms?

...She is there for... quite a while. Sure would be something if Hanna was going to open his door... or if he wasn't there at all.]

[sharpiewielder]

[It really would be something, huh, if he came down the hall and just saw her... standing there in front of his closed door. Or, well, the door of the Hanna who actually lives here, because his door would be downstairs if he was back home. That's just... not the case here, and he hasn't quite adjusted to heading up instead of down.

Initially, he'd headed up to rummage through this guy's closet before going to the shower, but it looks like Maya's already beat him there. What is she doing, though? Why's she just... hanging out? Is she waiting on him?]


Heya, sugarfoot! Whatcha got there? [Beaming that big ol Hanna Grin down the hall as he saunters her way.]

<merlinofcourse>

[youjustgot]

Why haven't you asked Maya to marry you yet?

< cross > 1/2

[sharpiewielder]

[Please hold, Hanna's soul has left his body.]

< cross > 2/2

[sharpiewielder]

What happened to "Hi"? "Hello"? "How are you"???

February 14th, evening

[missleadingquestions]

[Out past the waves on the coast Merain sits on, there are a few little coves that can be reached by foot when the tide is low and by paddle boat when it's high. With the new moon having passed, well, the tide is high and the waters are still probably a bit too chilly for Hanna, so Maya has brought him here by boat.]

If you hop off from here, you can step over these rocks here and you won't have to swim in!

[She motions, gesturing from the water toward the strip of beach that's revealed further into the cove. It's just a little one, not even a mile long, but from where the boat is docked, Hanna can undoubtedly see that there is something set up a little ways in, lit up by flickering paper lanterns in yellow and red.]

Hurry up! I wanna show you!