Damion Vespa

• violence, gore, abuse
• unhealthy relationships (toxic kinds, abusive kinds, dysfunctional kinds, power gaps)
• cannibalism

• She has the power to grant water-breathing powers to other mortals. This was typically done via a kiss. (It doesn't matter where Damion kisses.)
  • If she isn't super close to someone who needs it, she just gives them a quick peck on the cheek and pushes them into the water.
  • She'd kick Alder into the ocean too. This is one of her excuses to kiss Alder.
  • Damion was granted this power by the goddess, along with other mermaids she works with.
• Her fish form takes an appearance of a shark, hence her mermaid form being more shark-inspired.
• "How would her mermaid family react to Alder???"
  • I fear they'd dislike Alder. Disapproval. Part of their disapproval is them initially interpretating their relationship as "Alder captured Damion and kidnapped her", before they went "oh so your lover?" "uhhhh not really but kinda yes but well" "..."
  • However, Damion insists on staying with Alder + keeping her around, despite her family's hesitance.
  • I imagine Damion would define themselves as lovers at some point... Making the relationship clearer to her family and to Alder.

• her current drives/ambitions in life are still pretty muddy right now. she just wants to get out of the stasis that comes with being an abyssal mermaid
• despite having a strong sense of wanderlust and curiosity about the world, she's quite a scaredy cat herself and often clings onto the person who can protect her (right now, alder takes on this role)
• she's often driven by her fear of being hurt and abandoned.
• for more info about her crying: How does this character cry? Featuring the Death Squad

An excuse for me to infodump about their dynamic, while scrolling through ship asks and picking whatever inspires me.

Who fell first? How do they feel about it?

Damion. She gets pretty frustrated (at herself and Alder) upon realizing the nature of her initial romantic crush on Alder. Think of it as something along the lines of "FUCKKK WHY HER WHY AM I LIKE THISSS".

Upon realizing her feelings, Damion does think about trying to hide it and thinks she's doing a good job.

However, Alder, who mostly registers relationships as transactional or infatuation (and doesn't really wrap her head around being genuinely wanted without her doing favors for them), is pretty aware of the crush! She takes it pretty lightly and brushes it off as mere infatuation. It's just something that happens when you're locked up with the only other person in the crew. Nothing more. She's only protecting her crewmate and she enjoys her in bed, that's it. She mostly recognizes her commitment + carnal desire, and isn't too in-tune with other aspects of her feelings.

^ This whole dismissal of Damion's genuine desire to stick around with her is why Damion is hesitant in rushing to confess. She thinks Alder hasn't been taking her seriously.

Do they know about each other's family?

Both left their family on their own, so they never get to see each other's families in person. However, they do talk about it from time to time—mostly as relating to each other's experiences with not-so-good households.

Alder doesn't know about Damion's whereabouts before she became an abyssal mermaid, but she's aware of the time she's with the abyssal mermaid. Meanwhile, Damion is mostly aware that Alder grew up in a temple and worked for them. She wasn't sure which temple Alder grew up in or know a lot about her former faith, only vague impressions of Alder's troubles and history.

How does she stick around with Alder's antics for so long?

...

Who proposes first? What would marriage mean in their relationship?

Damion brings up the idea of marriage first. Declares her intent to propose to Alder first. But Alder officially proposes first.

In Alder's culture, proposal means giving away a personal and dearly held possession to your betrothed. So Alder gave Damion the amulet she's had since she first became a sailor.

In abyssal mermaid's culture, "marriage" between a mermaid and a human is basically saving themselves to be wholly consumed by the other upon death, so the cannibalism becomes exclusive. There's an aspect of a vow to keep each other safe and protected until one of them falls.