Slow Development

Walking past houses, following the road. I arrive near the coast, horizons across the sea. Blue foamy waves washed over the edges of the white sandy beach. A phare on the left, a house on the right, probably where the fisherman lives if there was one. I would want to be a fisherman. But real life and non-physical imagination isn't the same. Being a fisherman is risking hurting a fish and having to hold its scaly body while getting it ready to be prepared. And the smell... It's going to stink. Wait, not phare. I meant lighthouse.

Anyways! Where's that gosh darn bar? Is it... that place under that cliff...?

There was a cave at the bottom of that cliff at the edge of the beach. I approach the entrance and peeked inside. I was surprised to find a whole outdoor bar built inside it. It almost looked like the interior of a ship but the cave part of it was still prominent. With corals filling the place as decorations, it felt like I was under the sea. I guess it makes it look like sunken ship instead, huh? And maybe a wrecked one? I mean, this place is still beautiful. It's just that there's more underwater cave vibe more than ship vibe.

"Hey, there. You must be new here. It's nice to meet you. I'm Phonon. I work here as a performer. What's your name?" A very handsome man said right away after he had approached me. THAT WAS TOO FAST FOR MY SOCIALLY AWKWARD *SS TO REACT!

"Um, I, I'm Blob... Nice to meet you..." I said awkwardly.

"Blob?" He reacted.

Please, don't judge me.

"Well, you are the first Blob that I've ever met. Welcome the Siren's Corral."

"Thanks." I said. And thanks for not judging my name. "Is that why there are so many corals here?" I asked.

"Oh. Well, you aren't too far off." He chuckled lightly. "It's actually corral with two Rs which is an enclosure. But it is also a play on word with corals the marine animal."

"ANIMAL?!" I reacted to this new information. "Wait. So you have animals as decor?!"

"A sensitive soul, are you? Don't worry. These are all fake." He replied.

"Oh. Good. By the way, is this the bar on the coast that I have heard?" I asked Phonon.

"You are at the right place, my dear." He replied.

"Good. I came here to bring an order to the bar." I said.

"An order? Who is this from?" Phonon asked.

"Um... The inn in the village if there isn't more than one?" I said unsure.

"Ah. It must be from miss Miriam. Thank you for doing this trip for her. I'll bring the order to my coworkers right away. While you're here, why don't you grab a drink?"

"I don't have money on me." I said.

"Oh, don't worry. It's on the house. Take it as a welcome gift from me." He offered.

"That's really nice of you but I'd rather not. I don't drink alcohol." I said.

"Will non-alcoholic beverage do?" He asked as I see them juggling from task to task.

"Well, sure. But..." I don't really trust strangers. People said not to accept things from strangers. But then, this is kind of a different situations where it's not one suspicious stranger but workers at a professional-looking establishment. But I don't want to be rude either.

"Here you go." Phonon passed me the menu. "As for the order, the shipment will arrive to the inn tomorrow."

"T-thanks." I don't know if I can trust anyone here. Is it like a nice and way too generous community of a village or is anyone going to ever scam me? Like, make me have something, then tell me I have to pay for it, and make me stay to do forced labour? I hope not.

"So? Is there any drinks that interests you?" Phonon came back again asking. Talk about hospitality.

"Well, um... how about an orange mojito?" I responded awkwardly.

"It's okay. You don't have to feel so much pressure over this. You can take your time." Phonon said and took a sit next to me. "So, why are you here? Aside from bringing in that order. What brought you to this village?"

"Well. To be totally honest, I got lost. And someone brought me to this village because it was close by. The head chief then left me with the inn lady." I replied.

"Lost? You mean that you don't know where your home is?"

"I can't really remember anything. It's a bit of a blur."

"Really? That must be tough for you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask for help."

"Thanks."

"So, about the drink. You seem to have quite the hard time. I suppose you don't drink mocktails either." Phonon concluded.

"Yeah, naw. I prefer sticking to simple drinks that I recognize like juice." I replied.

"Then how about a nice mixed fruit juice?" Phonon suggested.

"That would be great."

"One fruit mingle for the lady and a margarita on the rocks for me. By the way, my gig is about to begin. Could you keep an eye on my drink for me?"

"Oh, sure."

"And one last thing."

"Yeah?"

"Enjoy~" Phonon said and went backstage.

After the bar man was done preparing our drinks, I thanked him and grabbed mine and Phonon's drink. As the show began, all noise drowned out as neither the wind or the waves could be heard. The silence suffocated the room, only leaving place for one thing. Phonon appeared on stage, with the spotlights flashing lights towards him. But his entire person wasn't where it was focused. The light illuminated parts of him but never the entirety of his body, as his shadow was the most visible. What we did not fail to see was his beautiful long hair in a light shade of pink that reminded me of seashells. And the fish tail that matched his colour palette. He was a merman. His voice echoes throughout the cave as the song could be heard clearly in every part of it. Without the need of music, the melody of his singing alone was enough to draw in everyone's attention.

That is captivating. Thinking about it, I also need a job to earn money of my own. Honestly, if it was a simple task gig, I would have preferred that without anything complicated. But that wouldn't earn much, would it? And the only gigs that I would have been able to manage would be what? Trash picking? That is if I can differentiate human trash and nature debris. I guess it would also depend on how my employer wants it to be done. But ya know. I just overthink things a lot and want to do it absolutely right.

After the show had ended, the curtains closed. Phonon then returned from backstage back with his two legs.

"So, did you enjoy my singing?" Phonon asked.

"It was beautiful." I said.

"I'm glad you liked it." He replied.

"But, I gotta ask out of curiosity. Was that a costume or something?" I asked.

"You're talking about the tail, aren't you? No, it isn't a costume. It's part of me." He answered.

"Ah. So, you're a merman. Wait, is it common here to have merfolks?" I asked.

"Not really. We tend to not reveal our identity to just any humans." He said.

"Ah. THEN WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME?! Aside from the fact that I asked." I said.

"I'm a good judge of people and I know that you can be trusted." Phonon grabs his drink as he takes a sip.

"But what if I got mind controlled by some sort of monster who wants to bring harm to merfolks or something like that?" I asked hypothetically.

"That would be such a far fetched process. Besides, we're not entirely helpless." He said.

"Right. Hey, is this why this bar's called the Siren's Corral? Like, you're like the siren that captivates the people and keeps them here? Although, siren's are normally bird-people, right?"

"That's correct, my dear. You could say that this bar was a stage made for me. And you are correct about siren's being mostly the avians of the sea. They usually lure sailors to danger with their singing. We merfolks aren't completely safe, though. Some of us may bestow good fortune while others may cause misfortune as well."

"I am guessing that you are a mostly good one?"

"That's an unique way of phrasing but yes."

"Well, so far you're the first creature I've met." I said letting out a sigh. "I mean, person that is different...magic? Oh wait, how many people can use magic here?"

"I see that you aren't very familiar with... many things."

"I'm uncultured." I said briefly.

"But that's okay. You did say you couldn't remember how you got here. Perhaps your homeland is just a tad bit different. Not everyone learn the same thing, after all.

There are other breeds like the merfolks and the sirens that are either humanoids or just as intelligent. Our morality varies just as much as the humans' does. Although there are many of them throughout the world, not all of us reveal our existence to each other. Mostly to keep our peace and quiet. Most who do are in for the trades and social life. I, for one, is quite a sociable merman. I love to meet new folks even though I ended up setting down in this village."

"Well, you can always take some time off to travel, right?" I asked.

"I suppose that is an option. But I never thought about the actual planning since the bar is doing so well. It isn't plenty but a number of folks often come to hear me sing and have small discussions with me."

"Just don't forget to take breaks. However you spend your time and your life is up to you. In some way, you can meet people here. Just fewer depending on how many tourists or travellers it gets."

"Well, this village doesn't exactly yearn for popularity. And I won't get to see other places if I stayed here all I my life. Maybe I should consider having my days off soon."

"Can you tell me more about the magic? Does everyone has it or only those who does does?"

"I would say anyone could use magic. It really depends on how powerful the magic contained within their body is. Most everyone can sense magic at best, as they have the magic as strong as a flickering candle. But that flame can be fueled with a specific diet, some exercising, and most importantly with some practice. With a stronger fire, you will be able to actually use it. Though, it would be much safer to educate yourself first so that you may grasp it easier without causing any damage.

Of course, there are people who can use magic since birth. But it's mostly 1 in 10 people for most species that weren't born to master it already." He explained.

"But that mean I can use magic too, right?" I ask with my hopes getting up.

"I don't see why not." He smiled at my reaction.

"I don't know, imagine exceptions like an illness or condition, or maybe a whole different species that cannot use magic at all." I explained my thoughts which keep me down to earth.

"Even if your body can't create magic of its own, there are magical items that will allow you to use theirs." He explains.

"Oh! And where do their magic come from?" I asked curiously. As well as to know if it is rechargeable. If it needs a fuel, it's either gonna take my money or time of day and effort to do so. Not to mention, what if the type of fuel it uses is not life form friendly? Not like we don't already eat animals and use their produce for a lot of things. Animal is one thing, but I also feel bad for use things like paper and they're made of trees. WE EAT VEGGIES! Too far? Too far.

"Magic can be found almost anywhere. Plants, magical beasts, and minerals. Plants are the common way to charge those items. While there are many magical beast throughout the land, the lesser beasts aren't exactly abundant in magic. The greater magical beasts are harder to find and more dangerous. But I don't believe you would support in the endangerment of living creatures. And for the minerals, although they aren't renewable, they have much greater magic and can regenerate on their own over time. Magical items that work on those are much more expensive, though."

"Guess I'll have to stick to plants."

Hm... Now that I think about it, if anyone can use magic, I can't monetize that. Unless it's like an anyone can do but not everyone situation? Most human is capable of strengthening but not everyone does it. Not to mention that not everyone wants to do manual labour.

"Well, have you tried using magic before?" He asked.

"Uh... No." I responded not giving too much details.

"The first step is to sense magic. Having a clearer vision of your magic may facilitate your control on it. Not everyone can master it on the very first try so take it easy." He explained.

"How am I supposed to know what magic feels like?" I asked doubting that I will get the assignment done.

"It's a feeling you cannot touch. An immense amount of energy can be felt by even the weakest bearer of magic. They usually associate it with fear. Healing magic usually come with a comforting feeling which makes them view it as a warmth. A lower amount of magic is hard to perceive for beginners so you'll try to sense my magic. Close your eyes and hold out your hand. Try to feel whatever is in my hand."

I closed my eyes and held my hand close to his. After a while of feeling, I didn't feel like I could sense anything. Am I not sensing anything? Or am I doing it wrong? Do I just not have magic at all?

"Anything?" He asked.

"I... don't think so..." I said. I was not hopeful since the beginning, anyway.

"It's okay. Not everyone succeed at first. Perhaps you just need more practice or more magic. Once you've noticed it, you'll be able to recognize it better."

I grabbed my drink and started drinking it.

"Honestly, I doubt I have any magic at all." I said.

"What's bothering you?"

"I'm just a little sad. I know that I am not special and I do prefer to be mundane. But sometime, I kind of want to be special too. Even just having a few skills. I want to be able to do something special that I can appreciate."

The only thing I think that I can do is writing. But I'm sure it's not even that good. Thinking about my own stories just makes me sad. Why is it so hard to do something I thought I was good at?

Come to think of it. I’m still not sure what kind of person I want my character to be. Usually, I get very little options that would let my character’s personality apparent when I played games.

I want to have my own character with my own persona and behaviour. One that I could build a story with. But when I try to write, I end up leaning back to the self-pity of having no self-worth. Is it really the realism that I like or is it self-pity itself? But if I am absorbed into making myself as worthless as I am in real life, how am I ever going to have a confident character that could thrive in various stories and adventures?

Maybe I should separate too. A pitiful worthless Blob for self-pitying kind of story. And a different kind of Blob for a different story. As well as different names too because Blob really doesn’t sound serious at all. -_-

Phonon put his hand on my head and pat me.

"It's tough, isn't it? Finding something that you can appreciate is not gonna be easy. Try again tomorrow. One of these days, you'll find something that'll make you happy."

Well. Never say never, I guess. Nothing's impossible.

"Hey, Jill. Can I get some marine fries?" Phonon ordered.

"Sure, thing." The bar man got a fresh batch from the kitchen and served him a basket.

"Marine fries?" I repeated in the form of a question.

"Yes, marine fries. They're like potato fries but made with a marine variation of it." Phonon explained.

I stare at the marine fries. You know what I am? A fries lover. I love fries. And almost any kind of potato dishes that I know.

Phonon chuckled a little. "Would you like to try some?"

"May I?" I asked.

"Of course."

I grabbed a marine fry and took a bite out of it without condiment. I'll use condiment when I've tasted its natural flavour first. And maybe when I'll have money, I'll buy fries of my own.

"So? How do you like it?"

"It's kinda salty and has a taste that reminds me of the sea. But it also tastes like potato and oil, so that's good. Very crispy. I prefer when they're a soft inside but it's still good." I said.

"You sure are very specific." He chuckled.

"I love fries."

"Is that so? Why don't you have more then? Have more juice with it as well." Phonon said as he ordered more.

"That's very kind of you but there is no need for that!" I struggled to say awkwardly.

"Please, don't be shy. I insist. I hope I am not asking for too much, but I would love to see a smile on your face."

My face went to an awkward expression of which half of my face is awkwardly smiling a little and the other half is just awkward. My eyes still frowning as always.

"Why? Does it make you happy to see others happy?" I asked.

"Yeah. But I understand if you prefer not to."

"Is it because of my frowny face?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's my resting face. I'm not against smiling but I just don't have a reason to smile at the moment."

"I understand."

The bar man got me another juice and another basket of fries.

"Please enjoy." Phonon said.

"Thanks." I said.

Should I find it creepy this dude want me to smile, or is it the start of a romance if there ever was one? ... Cringe. Anyways. Pretty sure most people prefer to see a smile on others rather than a frown like a grumpy cat unless it's a cat.

I wonder. Can I use magic even if I am not from this world? I mean, pretty sure earth doesn't have anywhere that can use magic. Magic isn't real after all. But if it's real here, I'd wanna test it. Think about the things you could do! Heal, move objects, teleport, grow plants! *gasp* Imagine I could make J**** real. Very unlikely there'd be a spell to make fictional character real. And even if there was one, the closest would be the creation of an artificial human. But I'm sure it wouldn't even be the actual person. The thought of reality saddens me. Well, I guess I could always start a romance in real life.

I look at Phonon.

...

No.

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Level -1

[||____] +10xp

Competences

Detection (Perception) :

[||____] +10