The masked Mer. (Touch draft) (Patreon)

A long line of mer gathered outside of what would otherwise be an ordinary hallway. Pink crystals lit up the dark, casting a faint purple glow on all of the walls leading up to what Thalia assumed to be the entrance of a ‘den’. Shells and shiny pebbles were strung together to form a curtain, giving the den a semblance of privacy. Granny also used to have a curtain like that hanging in the door to her backyard, except the beads from that one were plastic and this one looked hand made.

The mer in line shot her and Midas, mostly her, some dirty looks as they passed by.
‘Where exactly are we?’ She whispered with a hushed voice.
Midas grinned as he shoved aside the curtain and beckoned her inside.
‘My brother's den, he’s particularly crafty and will have just the thing for your little predicament. Oh, please act normal and don’t ask about the face…’

‘Midas!!’ A deep sounding voice growled from behind a rack, the first constructed piece of furniture she’d seen down in the city. Thalia barely had time to take in the space, filled with gems, minerals, corals, sinnue, twine, reeds and much much more, all organized in little alcoves and shelves, or stacked on top of eachother piling the walls, before another guy-mer swam out of a secondary space carrying a whole bunch of decorated planks and slabs.
‘You caused all this! They’ve been gathering outside since dawn. I can’t get rid of them.’ The new mer pointed an accusing finger towards the golden boy, who was busy feigning interest in a beaded necklace hanging by the entrance.
‘I thought you’d like the attention.’ Midas chuffed. ‘Your trinkets are never this much in demand, brother. You should thank me.’

‘I like my privacy. They are absolutely vicious! Begging for my masks? As if I'd ever part with those? Those are my prized possessions. It’s a mockery. Send them away! Now!’ The mer then turned to Thalia, as if he only just noticed her. His gaze softened instantly and showed a hint of embarrassment. ‘Ah! You brought a visitor? Uhm. Hello.’
He gave Thalia a short and awkward wave of the hand, staring intently in her direction like she was the most curious thing he’d ever seen, like a zoologist would stare at a mix between a chimp and a crocodile. The intensity of his gaze instantly made her feel very uncomfortable, but it wasn’t just that. No, the man’s entire presence exuded a feeling of wrongness. Thalia couldn’t quite determine why though. Appearancewise, the new mer looked quite a lot like Midas. They had a similar build and markings, but whereas Midas was speckled in lucious gold, this mer had a black tail and markings next to deep greens and blues. Its fins were mostly see-through, with a pearlescent shine when they caught the light. What more, and perhaps most prominent of all, was a brown colored piece of canvas, detailed with red and white beading that strangely reminded her of berries, hanging from the right side of his face like a bag, covering his eye and cheek completely. It kinda made him look like a pirate, a flashy haute couture one. Altogether, not an ugly specimen, but the features were just a little sunken in, his scales not as vibrant as they should be. This made him appear just a little off, sickly.

And what Midas said. Don’t ask about the face. It made her imagination run wild with theories of what might be underneath the extravagant adornment.

It seemed like he made use of their little staring contest as well. But where Thalia merely focussed on assessing him, his eyes darted back and forth between her and Midas as if trying to figure the most interesting of puzzles.

‘Your the human!’ He suddenly barked triumphantly. Before Thalia could respond, the mer darted towards the backroom and started shoveling through what sounded like a mountain of stuff. Midas came floating to her side, his hands folded behind his back with the biggest grin plastered on his face.
‘That went well. He doesn’t usually tolerate people he doesn’t know in his den.’
‘Why are we here, Midas?’ Thalia muttered, cringing at the sound of more unknown ‘stuff’ shifting and clattering against each other.
‘Meet Charon, my younger brother. Second oldest in the set.’ He helpfully added before she even had time to ask. ‘He,— makes things.’ Was all he could muster before Charon reappeared, his face now adorned with a different covering. This one, constructed from pieces of bone to resemble a skull, and clearly sculpted to fit his face better, hugging his cheek like a glove. It looked less like a ‘bag’, as the previous one did and more like a ‘mask’. A little eery, but stylish and perhaps even ‘cool’, phantom of the opera style.
‘Excuse me, the other one… wasn’t ready yet.’ Charon smiled apologetically.
‘He’s also pretty vain, in case you needed to know.’ Midas couldn’t resist to add.
‘I wear these not out of vanity, but necessity, brother. It is you who struts around like he’s Leviathan's gift to merkind.’ Oh, she liked this one already. ‘So tell me, what brings your brilliance to my humble abode today? And with such interesting company as well.’ Charon reached for Thalia’s hand, placing a polite peck on the back of it. Instant heat rose to her cheeks. Oh, these two are brothers alright.

‘This is Thalia,’ Midas smoothly gestured in her direction. ‘-and I have come to request a boon on her behalf.’
‘A boon? What kind of boon?’ Charon tried sounding aloof, but Thalia immediately spotted the glint of interest in his eye.
‘We need you to make her something-,’

A quick flick of the tail later, and Charon was now practically pressed up against Midas. ‘You never bring any of your conquests over, but you want jewelry for this one?’ Charon turned her way in a manner so slow that it had to be for dramatic effect, and with the expression of an amused cat.
‘I’m not a—,’
‘She’s not my—,’
Both Midas and Thalia started objecting in unison, both quieting to let the other finish and causing an awkward and unbearable silence to fill the room instead.

‘Riiiight…’ Charon quizzically folded his hands together, lifting them in front of his lips and letting out some bubbles. ‘What is it you need from me then?’ He muttered, now looking only at Thalia.
‘Clothes!’ She yelped instantly. With every passing moment she became more aware of Midas hovering to her side, as heat radiated from him and tickled the back of her arms. ‘Something to cover myself with.’ She clarified as soon as she saw the question mark in Charon's visible eye.
He let his gaze wander up and down her body, only making the urge to cover herself that much harder to resist.

‘I do not see any blemishes? Is everything alright? Are you hurt?’ The concern in his voice was heartwarming, but Thalia couldn’t bring herself to answer such an innocent question. She couldn’t explain it yet again, it was too embarrassing.
‘It’s a human thing.’ Midas cut in sounding all but bored, but saving her from sinking deeper into her own shame. Thalia could feel her nerves pop like a bubble.
‘Yes! A human thing!’ She nodded enthusiastically as if that explained everything. ‘I need something to cover my chest. Oh, and pelvis!’
Charon fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he was seemingly thinking over what she said. After a moment, he slowly nodded, his eye meeting hers.
‘I see, you poor thing.’ Without making a fuss or asking for further details like Midas had, Charon turned around and started scanning his mountain of stuff. Stuff Thalia now realized served as a stockpile for his own creations.
‘You know, our people don’t usually cover up, so this will only draw their attention more.’ He mumbled while rummaging through the hoard of stuff. ‘I’m just saying, this will only make you stand out more.’
‘I already told her that.’ Midas grumped.
‘I realize—,’ Thalia nodded. ‘But I ask this for the sake of my comfort, not theirs. They can stare all they want once I’m covered up.’
Charon turned around, one corner of his mouth upturned into a smirk. ‘That I can respect.’ Clutched in between his claws were two rolls of fabric. A lavender colored roll of a light flowy fabric, and a slightly heavier one in a muddy beige. How he got his hands on such actual fabric while at the bottom of the ocean was a mystery to her, but she was so grateful to see them she could almost cry.

He quickly swam a loop around her, raising her arms to the side, leaving her very exposed. Fighting the urge to crumple up into a ball, she stayed put as he carefully avoided touching her fins while taking her measurements using the length of his hand. Expecting a mermaid to own a measuring tape might have been a bit much, all she had to do now was grin and bear it. Luckily the man worked swiftly and carefully. Thalia stiffened as she spotted Midas, floating to the side, staring at her with a pensive scowl. Even though he was the one who brought her here, he still wasn’t entirely happy with the idea.
‘It’s my body. I decide what to do with it.’ She whispered as soon as Charon backed off. Midas merely shrugged.
‘Whatever makes you happy.’

Charon worked fast, but as an hour or two passed, and with a smidge of berating by Midas, most of the mer waiting outside had thrown in the towel and gone home. Curious as to why they had gathered in the first place, she’d asked Charon about it, who growled something unintelligible in return. Something about a ‘stupid celebration’ and ‘Midas’ idea’. Turning towards the latter, golden boy smiled cooly.
‘I’m having a party, but it’s a special kind. Everyone needs to hide their face if they want to attend.’ He grinned like the idea was the best thing since sliced bread. ‘Adds to the mystique.’ Looking up from Charon’s deft hands as he stitched, Thalia’s eyes went wide.
‘You’re organizing a masked ball?’
The fact that she’d heard of the concept before somewhat deflated Midas, but he still grinned a self satisfied smile.
‘It’s been all he could talk about ever since Scylla came back from her trip and suggested it.’ Charon purred. ‘And now they all want me to make them masks for tonight. Like I don’t have better things to do.’
‘Things like making a poor girl some clothes?’ Thalia giggled as she leaned over his shoulder and watched him make an elegant little frill at what she assumed to be some kind of skirt. A detail that was completely unnecessary, but showed a craftsmanship and an amount of care she hadn’t expected from someone who was making clothes for the very first time.
‘For example.’ Charon smiled. ‘In case you have,’t noticed, i’m known as the ‘masked mer’ around these parts.’
‘Oh please, you don’t have a nickname as cool as ‘the masked mer’ Midas chittered. ‘The hermit mer’ maybe. Or ‘the creepy mer’, depending on who you ask.’
If Midas taunt bothered Charon, it didn’t show, but Thalia felt somewhat sorry for him nonetheless.

‘Well, I don’t think you’re creepy! I think you’re a hero, Charon! A lifesaver. And on top of that, everything is tailor made? Talk about service. You should be showered with praise and attention!’ Thalia bubbled.
‘Please, stop.’ Charon smiled sheepishly as he bit off the piece of sewing twine. From what little she’d learned about mer body language though, the way his ears perked up meant he was secretly enjoying the praise quite a bit.

‘Bringing you here was my idea, you know. Where is my adoration and praise? How about some love for Midas, huh?’ Midas raised an arm to scratch his neck with a boyish pout. In truth, Thalia really was grateful, but the devilish side of her was suddenly tempted to tease him a little and stay quiet.
‘Hold still.’ Charon swirled around her, a veil of purple chiffon floating behind. Thalia instinctively stiffened as he looped the cloth around her chest. It resembled something like a bra, but much more flowy and loose. Thalia would have liked something more solid, but at least it covered all the important parts. After fastening the top, he continued tying a second piece around her pelvis. This one was a bit more intricate, allowing for it to fasten around her lower back, without pinching her pectoral fin. The whole outfit could be described as ‘shipwreck chique’, which kinda made sense given the circumstances. When he found time, Thalia had no idea, but Charon had decorated the bodice with a variety of pink and lavender petals that were soft to the touch, but didn’t tear or crunch under her movements.
‘Aremo corals.’ Charon explained. I had them lying around to add to the mask I was working on, but I figured they would look even more exquisite on a piece worn by a female. An artist's pride sprinkled into his voice as Charon looked over his work. If only she had a mirror, but even without one, Thalia knew she’d probably never worn something this elegant before in her life.

‘All the frills are going to slow her down her swimming.’ Midas whined as he eyed Thalia’s new adornments.
‘I don’t care if you don’t like them, I absolutely love them! And it’s not like I was ever going to be the fastest swimmer anyway!’ Smoothing her hands over the bodice, down to the skirt, Thalia felt her more like herself again, more human, and she couldn’t help but be ecstatic about it.
‘I never said I didn’t like them…, I just think you were fine as is too.’

Thalia wanted to yell something along the lines of ‘perv’ just as an automatic response, but quickly realized that would be a mistake. For them, swimming around completely naked was the most normal thing in the world. Coming from him, could it be that ‘fine’ was meant to be a compliment? She scrunched her nose. She probably shouldn’t think too much of it.

A glitter of pink coral and crystal appeared in her peripheral vision. When she turned, it was Charon, holding out what looked to be an ornamental venetian mask, adorned with little crystals. A sad drenched plume dangling from the top. Her eyes went wide.
‘I found a box of em many years back. They’ve been quite the inspiration for my work, but I could never quite pull this one off. Perhaps you’d fare better at giving it a home?’
‘For me?’ Thalia couldn’t believe her eyes. This mask was made from actual porcelain and had retained its color, even after god knows how many years before Charon must have found it. ‘You’re just giving it to me?’

‘You’ll need one of you’re going to join us later.’ Midas sighed. ‘Just take it so we can leave. I have other matters to attend to before tonight, you know.’
Charon nodded, gently nudging the mask into her hands. ‘Take it, I have too many as is.’
It really was beautiful. ‘Well. Consider me in your debt, how can I ever repay you?’
‘Just toss some fabrics into the ocean when you manage to convince Charybdis to turn you back into a human. They’ll end up with me sooner or later.’ Charon blinked, it could have been a wink, but with only one visible eye, it was hard to say. Honestly, this merman warmed her heart.
‘It’s a promise.’

Turning to his brother, Charon's tone shifted, from gentle to stern.
‘I suppose you’ll want one as well? One that matches your scales?’
‘Oh, I’ve had mine ready ever since announcing the party, dear brother. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.’ Midas looped an arm around Thalia’s waist and started tugging her towards the exit of the den.
All thalia heard before being hauled outside was a suspicious ‘Hmmpf’ coming from Charon.
‘Hey?! Where's the fire? You’re being very rude, I didn’t even get to say goodbye!’ She muttered while trying to pry herself loose.
‘You’ll get to see him again tonight. Probably. Of course he’s invited, but I can’t promise he’ll actually show up though. Just trust me when I say, we need to go now before he starts counting his masks.’



(A braintwist I had while sunbathing. I just had to write it down. A couple of hours later and here we are. Still hard at work finishing up the ending to between, but I couldn't risk this idea slipping away.)