limwen

[limwen]

Ways to support Ukraine 🇺🇦

More than 500,000 people have already left Ukraine due to the invasion by the Russian Federation. The European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management estimates that roughly 18 million Ukrainians will be affected by the conflict in humanitarian terms, with 7 million internally displaced and 4 million seeking refuge elsewhere. To help those still in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian refugees, we’ve compiled this list of resources.

HelpUkraineWin.org has a collection of vetted and trusted resources, charities, and organizations to help Ukraine.

Some additional ways to donate:

Vostok SOS provides immediate evacuation support.

Malteser International provides essentials for Ukrainian refugees.

Ukraine Crisis Media Center provides fundraising links and a list of tips for sharing information.

Misinformation spreads fast on social media. It is more important than ever to share accurate, verifiable news and information. Here are some resources to learn how to identify misinformation:

This link from the nonprofit WITNESS shares tips for identifying authentic video sources (available in English, Spanish, Ukranian, Russian, and Arabic).

These visual verification tips, also from WITNESS, provide information on verifying images and videos (available in English and Spanish).

This interview with NPR contains tips for identifying fake TikToks.

[limwen]

26 february 2022

Drive, 2011

[limwen]

Merman x female human (Chapter 5)

Here’s chapter 5!

As always, if you could leave a heart or even a comment, it would mean a lot! And reblog if you’ve liked it ^^

Link to other chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Enjoy!

 ~~~

 When Alice finally returned home, it was already past midnight. Only once she had parked the car and turned off the engine, she remembered the promise she had made the merman. She groaned to herself while turning off the engine and stepping out of the car. She cautiously looked toward the lake, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She slowly made her way toward the edge of the lake, careful not to make any loud sound. She turned on the lamp near the river to see better. She was now intently looking into the water when, all of a sudden, a harsh splash hit her, scaring her out of her wits.

"Hey!" Alice turned abruptly catching the merman laughing his head off. "You scared me! Seriously?! I was so sorry I didn't keep my promise, and you act like this?" She asked, her breath still ragged from fright, as a smile slowly made its way on her face betraying her words. As his laugh subsided his expression turned sad and Alice felt her heart clench.

"I waited for you... I thought you wouldn't return..."

"I... I'm so sorry... I was so caught up in my work I lost track of time and forgot my promise..." Alice seriously didn't know how to apologize to him and was desperately searching the right words in her head when she heard him giggling to himself. Looking up she saw he was hiding his mouth behind his hands.

"I can't believe it! Are you ever serious?" She asked huffing out in relief.

"I don't like being serious... Anyway, can I ask what you were doing? Just work? It's very late..."

"You're right. I actually spent the evening with my friend trying to come up with a plan to stop Hutton's project. I think we might actually make it!" She ended smiling proudly.

"Seriously?" His eyes lit up and Alice could sense the hope in him.

"Yes!" She sat onto the rocks cross-legged and started explaining him their plan. He listened carefully not missing any words, leaning on the rocks, his head propped up on one elbow. While she was talking, she felt a little intimidated by his stare which never left her. Yet she appreciated the attention he was giving her.

"You don't know how grateful I am. And I'm not only talking for me but for my kind also". He said after she had finished. His stance turned serious and he bowed his head to her.

"You-you don't have to thank me at all! We still are not even sure if it will work out... But I know we will work hard in order to make it happen. I think... I think this time there's just too much to lose, and I want to fight to win this time".

"And I appreciate it. Also, I know I am not really able to do anything from here... If there's anything I can do to help I want you to tell me. Sincerely, Alice, thank you". A shiver made its way down her spine and she tried to think of anything to change argument.

"Don't worry, if anything comes up I'll tell you... Still, I haven't decided what name to call you. If you'd like, we could choose it together". She ended with a small smile of hope.

"Obviously! As long as it's cool!" And just like that his serious attitude was lost, giving way to his more playful side.

Alice took her phone out of her pocket and turned it on, starting to search for some lists of names. Meanwhile he hoisted himself up until he was sitting right next to her, their shoulders touching. Alice was for a second distracted by his presence, so close, so tall next to her, she felt dwarfed. Her heart started beating faster once she felt his tail gently touching her knee. She looked at his tail, slightly illuminated by the lamp, and noticing how the light contoured his muscles she quickly reprimanded herself, returning her gaze to the phone in her hands.

They went through some lists until Alice exclaimed: "Kai! What do you think? It's cool, isn't it?" She thought it fit him perfectly, a simple yet elegant name. He tried to pronounce it a few times, listening to its sound, until he said: "I think it's perfect!" And he smiled gently turning towards her. She then noticed how close his face was (he was probably doing that on purpose, she thought) and quickly cleared her throat, standing up on her feet: "Well, then I... I think it's late, I guess I'll go to sleep for now".

She started turning on her heels, when she glanced behind her once again, seeing him still smiling at her: "Will I see you again... tomorrow?" She asked timidly.

"Already missing me, sweetheart?" His smile turning into a teasing one.

"Oh come on!" She said laughing and running into her home, only catching his words: "You'll find me here".

She closed the door behind her and heaved a sigh of relief. That last endearment had her stomach doing somersaults. She took a few breaths to calm down and went to sleep.

[limwen]

Merman x female human (Chapter 4)

Here’s chapter 4!

As always, if you’d like, leave a heart and even a comment. It would mean a lot! Also, reblog if you’ve liked it ^^

Link to other chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 5

Enjoy!

 ~~~

That night Alice was not able to sleep until very late: her thoughts were filled of blue eyes, green fins and mystical creatures. She also didn't know how to refer to him. She would have to ask him how he would like to be called. She was also very worried that he had run away for good and didn't intend staying there anymore. The next morning, she woke up very groggy, and with her usual cup of milk and coffee in hand went outside, hoping to see the merman again. She didn't even know what she would say to him, if he actually showed up, but she knew she was attracted to him and, as shy as she usually was, this time she felt confident enough to at least talk to him again. While gently blowing on her cup and sipping the hot drink, she saw a shadow in the depth of the lake swimming towards her. He resurfaced just in front of her and smiled. "It was a phone yesterday, right?" "Yes, it was my phone ringing". "Obviously..." he now looked annoyed at himself. A slight blush was forming on his cheeks as he sheepishly ran a hand on the back of his neck. Alice tried to contain her giggles, hiding her face behind the mug: "So you know what a phone is?" "The old man explained it to me, but he rarely used one". As the giggles subsided, Alice mustered up the courage to ask him about his name: "Listen, is there... is there a name I can call you? Something I can pronounce?" "Whatever you want". "How did that old man call you?" "He called me boy... please anything but that..." He looked a little affronted at that. Smiling, Alice started to think about a name but didn't come up with anything satisfying. "I'll have to think about it, if it's okay". "I never had a human name, so choose an interesting one. Something you humans would find cool". He ended with a bright smile sending Alice's way a wink. Alice really didn't know if he knew what he was doing, or if flirting was just his second nature. Probably the second. She tried not to entertain the thought that he might be flirty because he actually liked her the way she was starting to like him. Sighing, she was about to get up, when he rushed forward grabbing the arm with which she was holding the mug, effectively stopping her. "What?" "What is this you're drinking?" "Coffee and milk... you want to try it?" "It smells good... can I?" "Here". She handed him the mug, looking as he first looked at the drawings printed on the mug and then, holding it carefully, started to sip from it. His concentrated expression slowly turned into one of surprise: "It tastes so good!" Seeing his happiness in discovering this new drink Alice said: "You can finish it, if you want". "Thank you so much!" Alice realized then how the merman often seemed to behave like an overgrown child: every emotion he had was on display for her to read. Alice thought that this might have been the reason she felt attracted to him, regardless of his good looks: he was so easy to understand that, despite the short time she had known him for, she felt like she could trust him. She was convinced that him being a merman was not the only difference he had with a normal man: while she felt that it was very difficult to find a trustworthy man, with this merman she perceived a certain honesty and she couldn't help but to feel drawn towards it. "Listen... I now need to go to work..." said Alice. "Don't you work from home?" He said stopping to drink for a moment. Alice thought she saw a glint of sadness in his eyes. "Usually yes, but today I have a meeting with my colleagues and I have to go to the village". "Ok..." "You can leave the mug on the rocks when you're finished". "How long will you be away?" It felt like he was purposefully trying to make the conversation a little longer: "I'll be back by six, this evening". "This evening there is a full moon... You know its reflection in the lake is beautiful... I thought maybe... we could watch it together". Alice was very taken aback by his proposal and his shyness... "I'd like it very much..." Alice caught herself using a very soft voice and, before he could see her blush one again, she stood and after a very rushed goodbye, sprinted back into her house, too embarrassed to even look back. If she had, she would have seen the surprised look on his face being replaced by a warm smile. Alice readied herself to get to work. She then got into her car, not before having glimpsed toward the lake, where there was no trace of the merman, except for the mug. ~ After her meeting, she went to greet one of her colleagues and certainly the best (maybe only) friend she had in that town. "Janet! How are you?" They exchanged a hug. "I'm fine! Same old boring secretary work but at least I get to live in the village... not like some hermit we both know..." she said with a teasing glint. "Hey! You know how beautiful my house is! No need to live surrounded by people when I have that perfect paradise just around the corner!" Alice said. "Well yes it's beautiful, I’ll give you that. But I always wonder how will you ever be able to meet THE one when you spend all your time alone... Seriously you should try to come over here more often. Also, I know other people around here, you know? You could make yourself more friends if you would just let me be your guide!" Janet started counting on her fingers: "We could go to parties, we could go shopping, we could..." "Stop it right there! I get it... It's just that..." "I know, it's not your cup of tea". "Yes..." "Well anyway, what do you want to ask me?" Alice looked at her friend in puzzlement. "How did you know I was going to ask you something?!" Janet laughed and said: "If you had more friends you would understand how I did it!" "Ok, I get it. Well, I actually would really like to stop that John Hutton's project..." Janet started to look worried "... but I know that alone I don't have nor the courage nor the possibility nor the right ideas to be able to make it... so I thought I would..." "Ask me because I'm the only person you know..." ended Janet for her. "I know I'm asking a lot, but it would mean a lot for me and particularly I know it would mean a lot for many other people. I thought maybe we could create a petition to sign for everyone who doesn't want the project to go on... What do you think?" "I know many people here and I've heard enough gossip to know that most people here would agree with you. The problem is that Hutton is corrupting people with money... Many people are blinded by his offer". "I thought about this... One of his men actually asked me to sign a permission form and, after I declined, he also suggested that they would pay me to silence me up... I think that people here are not really able to understand how much power their decisions can have when all are working together. I'm not an expert, but I made some research and the two main problems such a power plant could cause would be most damaging in a valley like ours: I'm talking about possible flooding and environmental pollution. If they haven't paid those people yet, and only made suggestions, we could still convince everyone to join our cause, what do you say? Can we at least try?" Janet looked very concentrated: "... I think I might have a better solution..." with a smirk Janet explained her plan: "I know a friend of mine, Ace, received the same proposal they made you because he also lives near a stream... He is the owner of a shop, which is near his house, and knows most people there. If we could use him to convince the people there to join our plan, it would make everything easier. You see, making people sign a petition might certainly have some degree of success but if a lot of money is involved, we might just not make it out of sheer willpower..." Alice was now listening very attentively to Janet's words: "We will set a trap to our dear John Hutton..." Alice interrupted her friend's evil laugh: "A trap?" "Yes! You see, when Hutton's men will target their next victims, asking them to sign and suggesting to pay them if they don't cooperate... well, we will have already talked to those people through my friend Ace. We will have already asked them to refuse just for them to make their illegal suggestion of corruption and..." "Why would they do that purposefully?" "Just let me finish! We will have them record their whole dialogue! In this way we will have proof that what they’re doing is wrong and they won't be able to continue their project!" "This might actually be the best idea you've ever had!" "Yes I know... Wait, what do you mean!?" Janet exclaimed outraged but Alice was already looking ecstatic at the prospect of stopping Hutton. "Janet you're a genius!" "I know! Now, I'll contact Ace right away and in less than a week I think we might have our results! Now, I don't think a petition is a bad idea either... We could try to write a draft together this evening. I know you rarely leave home so I want to make the most out of you while you’re here." Janet didn't even let Alice retort before she dragged her out of her office and into a bar. They dined there and then spent the evening finishing a draft.

[limwen]

Merman x female human (Chapter 3)

Here comes chapter 3! As always leave a heart if you like it and if you have time, leave a comment! Any positive and negative feedback is always welcome ^^

Link to other chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Enjoy!

~~~

The following days, Alice found herself immersed in her work, her only solace being the chirping of the birds and the red fruit scented tea she would prepare every once in a while to keep herself hydrated. She was unaware that a very unlikely creature, one completely different from the birds, the fishes or any other animal the forest gave home to, was quietly and curiously watching her form, leaning over the computer: this strange creature, who was not human yet shared with humans many characteristics, among which a greater intelligence, was actually wondering what that girl was doing all the time clicking and looking at a strange surface that seemed to change in appearance. Days passed by and Alice was growing frustrated with how John Hutton was actually starting to gain consensus among people in the village. She suspected it had to do with the way they had been so willing to pay for her own consensus only two weeks before. She started to think that something had to be done, but she hardly thought she would be capable of standing her ground alone. While mulling over these thoughts Alice found herself, once again, standing on the rocks surrounding the lake. She took off her shoes and sat onto a rock dipping her legs in the water. At first the freezing temperature made goosebumps appear on her skin, but she quickly adjusted to the temperature, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the summer sun. A few minutes passed by and again Alice heard the otherwise calm water near her slosh around. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the same pair of eyes that had haunted her dreams ever since she first saw them: this time, however, that same golden blue was staring back at her and didn't vanish the moment she blinked her eyes. This time, under the bright sunlight, Alice clearly saw they belonged to a person, a man, hiding behind some rocks. She could only see his eyes and his messy black hair: she noticed his hair was wet and some strands were falling down on his forehead... What the hell was that man doing?! Why was he swimming in her lake and hiding behind some rocks?! Alice suddenly snapped out of her trance and, not knowing what to do, after all he hardly seemed hostile, even though he seemed very strange, asked him: "Soo... What are you doing there?" At the sound of her voice his eye opened wide in fright and he ducked beneath the surface of the water trying not to make any sound. Alice found herself at a loss for what to do. So she stood on her feet gaining a clear view of the man hiding in the lake. She took a cautious step forward him and was about to say how it was useless hiding like that when she clearly had already seen him, when she was suddenly met with a vision that almost convinced her that she was actually dreaming. Before her very eyes, clumsily hiding in the lake, was a — how could she even say that word without doubting her own sanity — a... merman: instead of his legs, a beautiful tail was slowly swishing around in the water. Alice stopped dead in her track, her mouth hanging open as her eyes tried to take in what was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. What brought her out of her stupor was the... merman... starting to emerge from the water, leaning on the rocks to get a better view of her, and saying something. She blinked and slowly realized he had been talking to her. "I'm s-sorry... What did you say?" She asked, keeping her voice as low as possible, afraid this might be only a dream and any disturbance could make it end. "What's your name?" His accent was strange. Alice was, again, taken aback and answered still in shock: "Alice..." Some more time passed in silence, both staring at each other and neither knowing what to say. Until Alice thought that asking his name, before asking 'what' he was in the first place, might be nicer. "What's your name?" She asked trying to remember to breathe amidst her stupor. The merman made then a very strange sound which slightly reminded her of the clicking sounds dolphins make. Then he explained: "My name doesn't exist in human language". Alice was again at a loss for words. So she asked the only thing that she could think of: "Soo, you're not human?" Damn it, why do I always sound so stupid — she thought to herself lowering her gaze and blushing — it's obvious he's not human, stupid Alice. She looked up again at the sound of his laugh. His mouth was tilted in a slight smile and in his eyes she could see a glint of playfulness that put her on guard. "I'm a merman. This lake is my home". Alice knew then that that time, when she thought she had only dreamed it, it actually was him she had seen. "So it was you I saw, that time, a month ago". "Yes, it was me". "How do you know English?" "Before you came living here, an old man was living in the house. He helped me when I was little and inexperienced. I actually come from the lake above this one but when I was little, I got lost and found myself here. During that travel I had injured myself and the old man treated me". Alice listened to his story sometimes giving her thigh a little squeeze just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "What happened then? Were you able to go back?" "My parents came searching for me after some days and I was able to return. Yet I never really liked that lake because a village of men was near it and we had to hide constantly. The moment I reached adult age, I decided I'd be living here where the only person who could see me was not a threat". "... I'm sorry, I feel like I've intruded in your place and didn't even ask permission..." She replied lowering her gaze. Another laugh came from the merman before he answered: "You don't need my permission to live in the house, if I didn't like you, I would have moved to another place already. We merfolk are used to moving..." Here he made a slight pause, a shadow of sadness visible on his face, before he looked at Alice again with a bashful smile: "But thank you, for your concern. It seems this house can only be inhabited by nice humans". Alice felt a smile tug at her lips, relieved he didn't think of her as a threat. "Can I ask you... how exactly can you trust me so easily?" The playfulness returned full in the merman's eyes and with a smirk he answered Alice, making her turn bright red: "I don't think I would ever feel threatened by such a cute girl". Now Alice was positive she could explode. Wh-what did he mean with 'cute'? Oh my god, why was it so embarrassing!? The merman seemed to read her mind: "I happened to hear, those times you thought no one could hear, when you read out loud the novel you're translating. If I remember correctly, you were insulting the samurai's mentor because of his, as I recall you said..." Alice was slowly dissolving in a puddle of embarrassment turning impossibly red "... 'asinine' views about marriage, didn't you? Also, do I have to remind you that time, when you were trying to fix the windowsill but you ended up..." "Stop it, okay I get it! God, you don't need to remind me any of it. I get it, I'm clumsy! Now can we please talk about the fact that you were spying on me?" Alice tried to save her situation by reversing the roles but she wouldn't be able to do just so, if his smug smirk had anything to tell. "How can anyone refrain from such cute scenes?" Alice felt like she could facepalm at that moment. Great, she had just discovered a merman living in her lake and obviously he had to ruin everything by being such a tease. She actually started laughing, maybe because the situation was so unlikely and strange, maybe because she couldn't believe any of it, but she noticed the merman laughing with her.

After she calmed down he started speaking again: "Don't worry I didn't spy on you on purpose. I usually stay clear of this part of the lake. As much as we are different from you humans, we actually also have the concept of privacy. It happened only those two times that I mentioned before... And the actual reason today I decided to speak with you was because I also heard what you said to that man the other day". "You heard?" "Yes, I appreciate what you did. It was very brave. This why I thought I could trust you only now, even though you've been here for a long time, but we merfolks have to be extremely careful of humans". Sensing the sadness in him she said: "I can't even imagine what it's like... hiding away in one's own home because of the cold-heartedness of others. We humans certainly don't give nature the right amount of respect". "You clearly do". He interrupted her, smiling gently. She noticed his eyes closed when he smiled and had to remind herself to answer before losing herself in his beauty. "I don't know... I think I try my best..." Her eyes suddenly darted toward his tail. She stared at it, mesmerized by its sinuous movements through the water. Noticing her stare he said: "Come closer, I won't hurt you".

She stepped closer, finally sitting on the rocks near him. Meanwhile, he hoisted himself up onto the rocks (Alice was very distracted by his arm muscles bulging under his pale skin and another blush covered her cheeks) and seated himself so that his the ending part of his tail remained in the water but the rest of it was illuminated clearly by the sunlight. He then turned towards her and smiling at her waited patiently while she admired the colors of his tail. Alice didn't think words could describe it: being a translator, she thought she was experienced when it came to choosing the right words to describe just about anything... in this case she could only admire the colors dancing and reflecting under the sunlight and she tried to remember them as if she was a painter. The skin on his torso was very pale, but going down towards where the scales began, it started to take on a bluish tint. Then started the first scales: these were a light blue and reflected a darker blue whenever he moved, the same color the scales seemed to acquire lower in his tail. They turned darker and darker until they started reflecting a dark green light. The fin at the end of his tale was not covered in scales, it seemed to move like silk in the water and the greens and the blues mixed in it seamlessly. He also had other three fins, smaller but similar in texture to the other one, two at his sides and another on his backside, each starting just under where his skin gave way to the scales. Alice was currently staring at the fin on his left side, facing her, which laid delicately on the rocks. "You can touch it if you want, just be delicate". Transfixed, Alice slowly reached her right hand forward until she felt the texture of the fin under her fingertips. It was so soft… she didn't think it would be like that. It seemed to be kept somewhat fanned out by what seemed like a bone structure. This left fin held a more violet hue compared to the rest of the tail. She was so concentrated tracing her fingers slowly up and down the fin that, at first, she didn't notice the grin the merman was sporting watching her. Only when she looked up and saw his expression, she remembered how teasing the words he had just said sounded. That was the moment she thought he would be the death of her. Being 22 years old one would expect for Alice not to become a stuttering mess every time she talked to a man, but that's exactly how she was. Having never had brothers and having never experienced a relationship (and for that matter even a first kiss) in her entire life, the shy Alice found herself completely ignorant to the world of men and how to approach them. Yet, always the romantic type, she continued on in blissful ignorance with her life, hoping in her heart someone would just come and sweep her off feet. Certainly, her mind subconsciously already saw this man... well merman... as a potential 'knight in shining armor'... Alice would say a very-attractive-and-very-naked-without-his-armor 'knight in shining armor'. Anyway, not only she wasn't able in general to interact with male specimens, and this one was a very intense male specimen (not even a human specimen if we want to be precise), but her poor heart absolutely didn't know how to handle someone who seemed to be flirting with her. It was this thought that sobered up Alice, that bitterly realized that one reason for why she never even had a relationship in the first place was that she was not considered attractive and not even one man ever approached her. While her blush finally started disappearing she turned and this time, looking at him, noticed his shoulder long black hair, and noticed he had three earrings, small golden rings, on his left ear. "Do the earrings mean anything?" "Not really, many merfolks have earrings. We have a similar fashion in jewelry to the one you humans have. I think we were inspired by your art, even though many merfolk like to deny it". He concluded smiling. Suddenly the phone Alice kept on the table in front of the house rang. This scared the merman who readily jumped into the water and disappeared from sight. Alice hurried to answer the phone and even after the call ended the merman didn't resurface again for the rest of the day, leaving Alice wondering if she would ever see him again.

[limwen]

Merman x female human (Chapter 2)

As I promised, here’s the second chapter!

As always, remember to leave a heart or even a comment if you liked, it would make my day! ^^

Link to other chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

~~~

Alice was working in her patio, just outside her home, where she had set up a comfortable position with a table, a chair and a lamp, where she could get her work done. While typing away she heard the sound of a car approaching from the path that led to the village. She looked up and saw what looked to be a really fancy car driving up toward her house. A man dressed in a black suit wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car and approached Alice, who was looking more and more suspicious, not knowing what to expect.

"Good morning, I'm Malcolm Clayton. I work for John Hutton, you might have heard his name, I presume".

"I have. The news these days have talked a lot about his project".

"I'm actually here exactly to talk about that. As you may already know, he intends to build a hydroelectric power plant in this valley to exploit the resources of the abundant water streams of this area. I'm here to ask you to sign this permission form: this would allow us to change the stream courses in order for the power plant to be working at its best".

The man concluded, handing her rather abruptly a paper and a pen, and pointing to the paper said: "You can sign right here". He wasn't interested in the slightest to explain himself any further and was clearly rushing to get his form signed before any questions could be asked.

 However, Alice had a different idea in her mind: "Excuse me, but what would happen exactly to my lake? If you're asking me to sign it, it must mean that this lake and the streams connecting to it are going to be modified, aren't they? Maybe even drained, from what I understand".

The man inhaled, intending to respond but Alice continued unperturbed: "I know I'm not the first you've asked this. And I also know that in the case of this valley, a project like yours would cause severe flood risks for communities living downstream. This could lead to those communities no longer being able to live there and so many people would lose their homes. I'm not willing to have my lake drained and I'm not willing to help you in this project of yours". She said all in one breath, trying to convey her dissatisfaction.

"I'm sure you might want to reconsider what you're doing. We are willing to... - and here he paused, trying to get his point across - ... help those who help us in return. We wouldn't want to make anyone unhappy. In these last days we are actually reaching a deal with those communities you mentioned before. Believe me, none will suffer once the power plant is installed".

Alice caught the undertone of his proposal: they were willing to buy her compliance to the project. Yet she would never comply, knowing the risks of this operation.

After having thought about how to answer, while looking at the lake Alice said: "I do not intend to sign this form. This is an ancient valley and the communities living here have been able until now to coexist with its nature for many centuries. I must decline".

The man's eyes were covered by his sunglasses, but his pursed lips and tense jaw conveyed very clearly his displeasure with Alice's answer. "In that case, I take this form back. Miss... I suggest you change your mind".

A slight shiver ran down her spine, as she watched him step into the very expensive looking car, turn on the engine and drive away. She let out a breath once he was out of sight and tried to calm herself. She usually tried her hardest to stay out of any inconvenience, and certainly didn't like to come off as a rude person. Yet she absolutely loved the valley and its vibrant green nature. Alice had actually moved in the valley only a year before, but she had already fell in love with the serene sense of peace the forest and the lake inspired in her, helping her to cope with the hectic pace her work required. With these thoughts in her mind, Alice picked up her notebook, her computer and the dictionary and retired for the night, not noticing the pair of blue eyes that had followed the entire scene from afar, hidden behind some rocks.

[limwen]

Merman x female human (Chapter 1)

Hi! ^^ This is actually my first fanfiction. So I’d love you very very much if you could give it a try. Also don’t forget to leave a heart if you liked it, and if you’d like, please leave a comment!

Link to other chapters: Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Without further ado, here’s the story ^^

~~~

Alice was typing away on her computer, as fast as she could. She knew she had to complete translating the chapter in two hours. She would then have to send it to her boss who would later revise it (and he will probably have a lot to say about it... certainly not positive things). You see, dear reader, Alice is our protagonist. She is what anyone would describe as a normal, maybe more naïve than what could be considered normal at her age, 22-year-old woman. Well, arguably she didn't like the term "girl"... yet she certainly had to grow up a lot more in self-confidence and wisdom to completely cease to be just a "girl" to become, instead, a woman. However we all know that being a "girl", or even a "child" at that, is absolutely not intrinsically a bad thing: on the contrary, childhood is the stage in a person's life when one is less connected and filtered by the adult logic and most connected to the instincts that form a human being. We could say that Alice could still claim to have a certain "juvenile" way of viewing life. This story will see her starting on a path of growth, yet maintaining her peculiar view of the world. ... Where was I... Ah yes... The deadline. Alice hates deadlines. However, she loves her work: she studied Japanese at university, and was now starting on her career as a translator. Being so young, she was overworked, and could only translate children fairy tales. At least up until now: she has now stepped a little higher, and the story she is working on is a young-adult novel. It's about a samurai and a peasant woman falling in love. The samurai is the son of a daimyo, a lord among the samurai. This love story seems destined to tragedy as, after the daimyo sudden death in battle, the son is forced to respect his family traditions: he has to take his father's place as daimyo and he has to marry another woman of samurai descent. This story will actually have a happy ending for the protagonists, who have to live through many dangers but will eventually "live happily ever after" as the saying goes. The same happy ending was, in Alice's opinion, unreachable to her, she thought while rushing through the last sentences. She felt she wasn't able to grasp the real meaning of the story and the nuances of each word when all she could do was trying to meet too strict deadlines and working under pressure. She simply didn't have the time to convey at her best the real emotion hidden in the story. She has yet again made it just in time. And is now enjoying her well-deserved evening of relax, by reading the novel by herself, without worrying to translate it, and was sitting by the lake near her house. I'll now try to describe to you the place where Alice lives. It's a nice little house, the outside is painted white, with some walls showing the raw color of the wood. It's situated in a forest and very conveniently faces a lake, a path of cobble stones leading to the small patio in front of the house. The reason Alice was able to buy it was because it was outside the village, and even though it only took nearly 15 minutes by car, many people wouldn't bother with being isolated there. Alice loved it exactly for this reason. She loved the idea of finally having a space all for herself. She could also enjoy the lush nature that surrounded her house. She found herself many times sitting on the rocks by the edge of the lake, with her feet in the water, just taking in the beauty of that place. Other times she would take off her shoes and walk with her feet along the streams that flowed in and out of the lake, exploring where they took her. What she loved most, though, was the peace and quiet she found when sitting by the lake in the evenings. During summer she would sometimes see some fireflies dancing in the dark, she could admire the moon and the starry sky, free from light pollution. She had even started referring to it as the “Moon Lake”. Most of all she was soothed by the sound of the water gently rushing beneath her. She thought the only word to describe all of this was “magic”. This was the reason that night she was relaxing by the lake: after the stress she had felt those last days, she needed something that could sooth away her worries. She was now reading a very emotional encounter between the two protagonists, when a sound distracted her. She had heard the water slosh around abruptly to her right: she looked up and was met with a pair of eyes staring back at her. Alice didn't even have the time to process what was happening before those eyes were already vanished. It all had happened so fast: she felt her heart beating erratically in fear and didn't dare move a muscle in the silence of the night. The only sound was the blood flowing in her ears. She sat completely still for a few minutes. When she finally gathered the courage to move, with goose bumps all over her skin, she sprinted back to her home, sometimes looking back, checking nothing was following her. After this event, another month passed in which she didn't see anything like those eyes again. Alice convinced herself she had imagined those eyes in the first place. Yet her romantic and adventure loving side didn't let her forget the color of those eyes: a piercing light blue with little specks of gold around the pupil. Alice would never forget that color, even if her always daydreaming mind had made it up.

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Let it Snow (2019)

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Transit (2018)

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It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)