"As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped down to the sand. What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy"
George Mackay Brown - 'Pictures in the Cave'
Notes about the Selkie: Okay, I'm typing this waaay after I've finished this fic (meaning I did my research after I finished my work). The following info are taken from the web site orkneyjar.The term Selkie is simply the Orcadian dialect for "seal." The selkie folk came to be regarded as gentle shape shifters with the ability to transform from seals into beautiful, lithe humans, of which males are more common. When the selkies assume human form they cast off their sealskins. Within these magical skins lay the power to return to seal form, and therefore the sea. Just as the time at which a selkie could assume human form was debated, the mythological origin of Orkney's Selkie Folk was no clearer.When these ancient tales were committed to paper during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, some of the old folk claimed that the Selkie Folk were, like fairies, fallen angels condemned to become seals until the Biblical Day of Judgement. Others insisted that the Selkie Folk were once human beings who, for some grave misdemeanour, were doomed to assume the form of a seal and live out the rest of their days in the sea.The third possibility discussed by Orcadian storytellers of yesteryear was that the Selkie Folk were actually the souls of those who had drowned. One night each year these lost souls were permitted to leave the sea and return to their original human form. The male members among the selkie folk were renowned for their many encounters with human females - married and unmarried. A selkie man in human form was a handsome creature with almost magical seductive powers over mortal women. These selkie men had no qualms in casting off their sealskins, stashing them carefully, before heading inland to seek illicit intercourse with an 'unsatisfied woman'. But obviously, our Ran has a different taste in partners.
"When angels fell, some fell on the land, some on the sea.
The former are the faeries and the latter were often said to be the seals."
-Anonymous Orcadian
(Err, for the people who are looking for my reactions/ replies to their reviews, um, sorry once again for the confusion if I post them on the Chapter you reviewed; most writers would reply to their reviewers at the next chapter, and since I plan on finishing this in 4 chappies, err… that. Just… read on.)
(Peeks out from proverbial "pile" of fics) Is this site fixed yet?
Oh.
Here goes!
The Selkie
(A Fanfiction loosely based on the book "The Selkie Girl")
By Ninetails
Am I real?
Do the words I speak before you
Make you feel
That the love I have for you
Will see no ending?
Well, if you look into my eyes then you should know
That there is nothing here to doubt, nothing to fear
And you can lay your questions down
'Cause if you'll hold me
We can fade into the night and you'll know
Chapter 1: Am I Real?
Youji always told me that there's far more happenings around the world than mere human intellect could fathom. Oftentimes he would lecture me about this when I had done something particularly clumsy. Oftentimes I would lose the slack hold I have on my control and unleash all my fury on my smug brother (1).
I never meant to be clumsy. Really. It's just that sometimes my body does what my mind doesn't command it to do. That, or the silly things (chairs, boxes, people) decide to get in my way.
Such was the case one late afternoon as I fetched my brother, who was engaged in his favorite pastime; fishing(2). He was situated in one of his favorite fishing spots, a low limestone cliff overlooking a miniature coral reef quite far from the shore we normally stroll around in. Somehow, his fishing line decided to get tangled in my hair, of all places, after I had tripped on the bucket of worms he had behind him.
He helped untangle the troublesome line as he nattered on about the abject clumsiness of little brothers. Before the considerate gesture though, he almost spewed his lungs out from his hearty guffaws.
Sometimes, I just feel like I'd heartily wring his slim, pale neck.
My brother and I are the only family we have left. My father died while out at sea, a treacherous storm robbing us of his beloved life. A few years after, our "mother", overcome with grief, followed his (I can feel your confusion… just wait for the explanation, ehehe…) beloved husband, leaving me in the care of my older brother.
We made a living hunting in the woods near our cottage, selling meat and fur to the villagers a ways farther from the forest we live in. We didn't follow in the footsteps of our father, a fisherman, since it was what our "mother" wished for in his last minutes of life.
Both of us were actually orphans adopted by the couple we now recognize as the parents who loved and raised us. My father's name was Bradley(3). He was, as the village women often said, a truly handsome man. He was a stern figure, although his whole demeanor would soften whenever he was with his children… or his lover.
Our "mother", whom I'm still not quite used to calling him, was a man named Schuldich. He had verdant green eyes and long, fiery red hair that I enjoyed braiding and playing with. His relationship with my father was quite a shock to the conservative people of the village. But since my fathers were good men, and they never caused anyone any trouble. They were, for the most part, tolerated.
I can't remember my real parents since we were orphaned at a very young age. We were found cast out on a boat, our measly baby and toddler (I was still a baby and Youji was around 3) possessions the only belongings we had. Our father often swore that the spirits of the ocean were the ones that guided us to them, for which he was ever grateful for(4).
My brother is a treat for the village lasses. He has shoulder-length brownish-blonde(5) hair, and what the girls consider passionate emerald eyes. I was quite drab compared to him, with brown hair and brown eyes(6). The difference in our appearance never bothered me though, since I am quite uneasy with the attention the girls keep lavishing on him… and me.
The sea is in our blood, and we are always inexplicably drawn to its magnificent depths. I love to discover secret coves created by the land slightly surrounding the sea, spending what leisure time I have daydreaming in secret little nooks by the lullaby of the waves. Youji too sometimes loves the solitude offered by the sea. I would often discover him on a low rise; fishing rod in hand and straw hat shielding his slumbering face from the sun's rays.
Don't get me wrong, I loved hunting; the thrill of the chase, the joy of victory, seeing pride at the work of my hands. But the sea is my life. I loved to swim too, unlike my brother, who often sits in the shade, shielding what body parts he can to escape from the sun. That is why he manages to still be somewhat fair in complexion, unlike me(7).
We were totally unalike in personality. I am somewhat of a shy type. My brother, however, is an outgoing, popular lad. He has a way with words, complimented by his dulcet voice, as I've often heard the village people describe his drawl. What I say is often rambling and trivial. He basks in the adoration the village lasses (and lads,surprisingly) shower at him. I still try to break free of my annoying habit of blushing when they… converge.
No matter the differences though, I admire and love my brother; he is the only companion I have now. Even if we argue and jostle at each other most of the time, it is but a token of brotherly affection for both of us. True, our "fondness" may sometimes be punctuated by light scuffles, but then, we would always end it with a loving smile or an apologetic grin.
The sea was a mystery for all of us. Rumors of mermaids and fish bigger than a tree always were in the mouths of the village women, often brought to them by the fishermen who delivered their fish. My brother and I believed in the mysticism of the sea. But it was hard to avoid the thought that these fishermen were deluded by the solitude and vastness of the time they stay at sea.
My father, like most fishermen, was a superstitious man. Oftentimes, late at night, after he'd finished doing necessary fisherman tasks, he would sit me on his knee, Youji at his feet, and spin such wondrous tales of mystical sea creatures and the hapless humans who foolishly fall for their tricks.
At such times, our "mother", often the skeptic, would laugh his lilting laugh and gather my brother and I into his warm arms and usher us to go off to bed, giving our father a scolding glare before kissing his cheek in affection.
The little boy in me wanted to believe in such creatures, magical beings that are a cross between human and sea beast, beautiful and terrifying beings whose only purpose is to wreak havoc on the unwary man. I do so want to believe, but reason often asserts itself in my mind.
Little did I know that I would eat these thoughts in the near future, If I didn't choke on them first.
The moon was full that night, casting weary fishermen the much-needed light to trawl for various fish and shrimp (8). My brother and I were celebrating the 10th anniversary of our father's death.
We were sitting at a partially covered part of the beach, hands clasped, drawing comfort from the small contact. The white clouds, illuminated by the moon, skidded over the sky, sometimes swathing the brightness of the moon, casting eerie, surreal shadows onto the sleeping earth.
Ten years, we've missed the warm presence of the man who raised us. Years since we heard his deep, dulcet voice, or felt the touch of his rough hands as he ruffled our hair when he left the house to cast his nets. The smile that often allayed our fears and drew childish laughter from our young throats. The twinkle in his brown eyes as he gazed at our mother (9). I suppressed a sigh.
As the moon revealed herself once again, I saw the deep anguish in my brother's stunning green eyes. I felt tears blurring my vision, drawing him closer to me and snuggling my head in the crook of his neck. I feel him putting his arms around me, his warmth and love aiding in somewhat allaying my sadness.
The moon was so bright that night, almost rivaling the sun's light. She bathed the cove we were nestled in with her luminescence, her cold aura permeating the world. I shivered.
A few moments later there was a sort of hum in the air. I withdrew from the warm shelter of my brother's arms and cocked my head to the side, curious as to the source of the sound. Suddenly, on the rock that was in front of us at the farther part of the shallow waters, three glistening bodies flopped up from the waves.
Youji and I sat rooted to the spot, never had we seen such breathtaking animals. They were unlike any other sea creature I have ever seen. They seem to resemble almost human-sized seals, but somehow, so unlike them.
I gripped the muscled arm of Youji, feeling awed and terrified, unsure of what to do or how to react. These animals had the most beautiful pelts I'd ever seen. There were three of them. The one currently clambering onto the rock had a dark gray hue to its skin. The one still in the water had a golden brown sheen to its body. The one already on top of the said rock had a somewhat copper hue to its coat, and that animal was the one that drew my attention most, for some unexplainable reason (10).
We watched, horrified, as these… beings… changed.
They stood upright at the wide slab of rock, then they were surrounded by gray sea mist. The piercing sound of… wailing?... accompanied their transition from… seals?... to…
Amidst the concealing mist, what could be seen were the figure of the beasts seemingly melting into that of something vaguely, dare I say, human.
The music coalesced into a piercing crescendo as the mists eddied and swirled around the three. It completely vanished to reveal two men and a woman. Dark shapes dropped onto their feet, as did they.
I started, desiring, aching to help them, but my brother's restraining hand kept me from indeterminate danger.
As they seemed to gain their strength, the tallest of the three stood up once again as he surveyed the surroundings. Piercing violet eyes framed by a shocking hue of scarlet caused me to gasp at their intensity and beauty. I felt my brother's hand clamp swiftly to my mouth. The fae man was stunning.
Next to stand was the shorter boy, his bright blue eyes partially covered by his unruly blonde hair. It was my turn to clamp my hand, quite roughly, on my brother mouth as he uttered a gasp of his own. The sitting figure in the middle had long black hair and black eyes, clearly the female.
All three were wearing loincloths, much to my relief and Youji's apparent disappointment (11). As to how they acquired them, I have no idea. My eyes were still riveted to the beautiful being now carefully folding the bundles of… skin? pelt?... before storing it into a niche in the rock, nearer to us.
He was a breathtaking sight to behold. His lean, muscled chest was glistening from the spray of the sea. His surprisingly dry red hair was caressed by the sea breeze. I longed to run my fingers through those silken strands, caress the smooth alabaster skin, bask in the light of those beautiful, beautiful eyes.
After ascertaining that their surroundings were apparently safe, the girl started a soft, lilting tune, undulating out to the sea, expressing the supernatural nature of the ocean that was their home. Understanding came in that instant. For me, that is. My brother is infinitely more knowledgeable than I am; he must have understood the true nature of these beings much earlier than I had.
These beings were Selkies, sea spirits that blessed the ocean and extracted unwitting victims for their enjoyment.
They sat and crooned to the moon, to the sky, to their mother ocean (12). Their voices were unlike any I'd heard before, the unearthly timbres enough to bring unwitting sadness and joy. Joy for the sheer magnificence of the sound, and sadness at the possibility of never hearing it again.
I tried to focus on the song of the red-haired one. His voice was mellifluous, whatever that's supposed to mean. It must be something exquisite. I could feel my conscious thoughts slipping away, carried by that honey tone to oblivion.
Humans were created imperfect. Greedy, lustful, prone to the wiles of the flesh. Such is the nature of a human. The village wise man lectured on and on about the glory of the Creator and the innate sins of man (13). Seeing the lovely being singing on the rock, I felt the lowliest man to ever exist.
Youji stood up from his crouch, giving me a disoriented look. I understood his intention. After all, it mirrored my own.
We seemed detached from our bodies, conscious thought eluding us as we cautiously approach the rock. We were almost of one intent, my brother and I, selfish human emotions getting the better of rational thought.
As we drew closer to the mystical beings, we saw to our relief, their eyes closed as they concentrated on the spell of their song. We couldn't look at each other's eyes, my brother and I. Shame stronger than I have ever felt before coursed through my veins, soaking into every pore of my being at the deed we were about to do.
The moon was thankfully hidden by the blessed clouds, the world plunging into darkness. We took advantage of the momentary obscurity to do what we must.
Using all the skills we had as woodsmen, we stealthily crept to the secret niche they kept their pelts in, each of us taking one. As suddenly as it disappeared, the moon's radiance once again bathed the world with its silvery light. As we withdrew, the beings' song abruptly ceased as their eyes sprang open to the sight of two wretched humans stealing their skin. The black-haired lady uttered an inhuman shriek as she quickly dove into the recess in the rock. She retrieved her pelt, donning it to transform into the seal-being, and dove swiftly into the water, silver-gray body flashing in the waves.
The other two stood transfixed, spying their pelts in the hands of two men.
The redhead gave me a deadly glare after noticing the thing I was holding to my chest, and to my belated surprise, I found that the pelt I so desperately clutched was the copper one; that of the redhead who so captivated me. To escape from that disconcerting glower, I swept my eyes to my brother, who was staring intently at the other boy, a pained look in his eyes that nearly brought tears to my own.
The blonde-haired boy was giving my brother a heart-breaking soulful look, as if the deed we had done was the worst of what anyone, or anything, could do to these magical men.
Which wasn't far from the awful truth.
But it was too late now. We were enchanted beyond hope. The two had no other choice but to succumb to our wiles and wishes until we give them back their pelts.
Once in the hands of another, the Selkies may not be able to retrieve their pelts until it is given to them, or not in the possession of another being but themselves.
They were ours.
I looked back at the man I would, hopefully, be sharing my life with. His purple gaze swept contemptuously over me, sensuous mouth drawing into a near sneer as I persisted in staring adoringly at him.
I was lost. Lost in the deep amethysts that were his eyes. I could feel my soul drowning in the abyss that was his emotions. My heart was aching for the love I now acknowledge to feel for him, and for the mind-numbing fury clearly shown in the eyes I would gladly drown in.
Love at first sight (14)?
I think not.
The world could die
And everything may lie
Still you shan't cry
'Cause time may pass
But longer than it'll last
I'll be by your side
TBC
11/22/04, around 9:15 p.m.
Author's Notes:
1. Okay. Why are they brothers, you ask. I dunno. Ask me when I'm sane. (nn)
2. Just go with me on this one, okay? Ehehehehe…
3. Err… I just got off the phone with Elana-chan. We discussed this ficcie and she implored me to write, aside from the YoujiXomi she requested, crawfordXschuldich (I hope I'm spelling his name right…). Geez, had to make last-minute revisions. Darn people, err, person. Hmph. Sorry for the confusion, minna!
4. Okees, enough Schwarz! Geez, it's a wonder I couldn't make them more OOC than I could ever accomplish, but there it is, a crappy paragraph or ten of crappiness. Geez.
5. I like Youji as a blonde, so there! Some fics portray him as a brunette. Gomen but I haven't read the manga yet so…
6. Well… I really like the blue-eyed Ken, but I like brown eyes too. After tossing a coin, brown eyes it is! Whee for mature problem solving!
7. Anyone notice that I'm just rambling here? Okees, that explains the skin color.
8. I do not know the first thing about fishing. Waaah! Gomen!
9. Eek! GOMEN! I ain't familiar with Brad and Schu! Waaah! Gomen!
10. Nyahahahaha! (Oi, I'm really starting to sound like Sakuragi! Whee!) Any more blatant hints and the truth will poke your eyes…!
11. Nyahaha! Loincloths! At the original story, they were naked. I'm a wholesome girl, and I plan to make this PG-13, so sorry folks, no naked Ran and Omi. I leave it to your imaginations.
12. Ran, singing. (swoon) I like their song Sweet Nothing (is that right!) and Beautiful Alone. In fact, I've told all my friends that Beautiful Alone is to be my funeral song! Wahahahahaha!
13. Non sequitur, people. Non sequitur. (-")
14. Sorry for the confusion. When he was asking this, it pertains to Ran's feelings. We all know that Kenken's already fallen for the redhead so…
Okees, the plot seems familiar, ne? Yeah, you'd probably say, "AYASHI NO CERES, girl!" and I would just nod sagely, quite aware of the blatant differences. Well, actually, the plot is basically the same. Man spies a mystical being, desired her for his wife, steal a magical thing from her, succeed in making her his wife, have kids, then kids reveal the hiding place of said magical thing, and she flees back to wherever she came from. Whee. Such a happy story. Um, so The Selkie Girl ain't that different from the story of the Tenyo (um, is that right!). Now, why put Ran and Ken into the trouble of needlessly fitting themselves into every nuance of this story? Because I'm crazy! NyAHAHA! Hey, it could work! If not, feel free to flame me. I mean it too. (nn)
I read The Selkie Girl when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade. Somehow, that story stayed with me, much as the book Tatsinda (refer to my GW fic, Duo) did. What's up with me and books I've read in elementary! Geez, it's like I'm relapsing into 2nd childhood already! Creepy thought.
The characters of Weiss aren't mine. (INJUSTICE ala Wufei) The song 214 (yes, people, that's the title of the song) of Rivermaya (yeah, again, I have a sort of fixation for that band. Refer to my other Weiss fic Everything I Wanted) ain't mine. Word of warning. I won't be able to update for a while. My class schedule is far from pretty and I go home pretty late. Plus schoolwork is piling up (cringe) and we're nearly to the part where we need to memorize the complicated names of the muscles of the body so… GOMEN NASAI, MINNA! (TT)
Replies to Reviews:
Myzories CompaneyWAIII! My beloved beta! Thanks SO much, girl! Mwah! Have you eaten the fruitcake yet? (snicker)
black kitten Err, if you may notice, I've put this in the summary: rXk. Now do you know who's uke? (insert smiley here) Thanks for being my first reviewer!
mangababyErr, I've read the book I've based this fic on when I was in the 4th grade, I think. The book IS a fairy tale so you might say that this fic is a fairy tale/ AU/ fantasy ficcie. And as for the love at first sight thing, it IS obvious that our kawaii brunette was instantly smitten by the Selkie's good looks. But, as for the Selkie… well, just think of it this way, what would you feel about the man that stole your skin (that sounded wrong…) AND your freedom? In any case, I'm thinking of making this an angst fic so… Thanks for reviewing! (mwah!)
RyuichiFreakOoooooOooooohhh! LOVE your name! Ehehehe…. RYUICHI-SAMA IS SO GORGEOUS! NYAHAHAHA! (cousin bonks her head with a pillow… a hard one…) Err, thanks for the review!
westkitsune(sigh…) I SO know! Ran is totally beautiful! Especially in Gluhen (in my humble opinion of course… mmmmmm…. long braid…. drool ) Yeah, Ken does own him now, huh? Ehehe… as for updating soon, well, I did this fic one rainy night when I had three major exams to study for (namely anatomy and physiology, sociology and anthropology, and my native language) and I typed this for like two hours and ideas were just popping out. So yeah. I wish to be in that state of mind again. Next chappie would feature the brothers and the Selkies trying to live with each other. Nyah. So I'm just rambling here, ne? thanks! (huggles)
koneko bombayWAAAH! THANKS SO MUCH FOR POINTING THOSE TYPOS OUT! I AM SO EMBARASSED! I WAS TOO EXCITED TO POST THIS FICCIE THAT I DIDN'T REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO EDIT THE MISTAKES! ARIGATOOOOOU! Err… flash cards? Um, I don't really use them, or outlines, or notes and stuff. I just think of a plot, sit down in front of the pc, and type my (measly) brains out. And I really don't like editing my work 'coz I'm lazy and I fail to see most of my errors (thus the complete waste of editing it in the first place). Guess I need a beta reader (which I fortunately have now). Oh well. Oi, thanks for reviewing!
Mischa KitsuneHi there! Err… Still SO sorry bout that non sequitur. I felt that I had to insert some sort of moral shit… err, I mean moral dissertation to show how wicked the two "brothers" are for kidnapping the Selkies. Nya, thanks SO much for reviewing! (BIG smile)
See ya'll in the next chappie! Which may come next year, or the year after that, or the year after that…