Who knows the water?
With hair of waving seaweed green
Eyes of too-deep blue?
Who holds her when she falls too far?
And guards her when she cries,
And hugs her when she drops from love
In teardrops falling from the sky?
I am Valtameri, child of the sea.
I know the water, beyond all other's care for her
I paint her hair like seaweed on the ocean floor
Color in those eyes of hers, those eyes of soul-deep blue
I hold her as she tumbles down in waterfalls, ever-moved.
I keep her safe still when she weeps
And hug her in her heartbreak,
I catch her falling, drop by drop,
Clouds to puddles on the ground.
Personality: Overall, Valtameri is a very neutral personality in a lot of ways. For all that he is definitely male, he acts completely gender-neutral most of the time. He is neither particularly hot-headed nor impossible to to get a reaction from. Valtameri is very observation-oriented, often preferring to watch other people do things than do them himself. Part of this would be some of his past experiences interacting with other species, or trying to. This had left him at one remove from life, as he has often felt, as if he cannot really participate in life since he knows better than most how it works. Valtameri carries with him a sense of morals slightly different from the norm and an overhanging feeling of grief which often perturbs others somewhat. Many other people consider Valtameri a bit arrogant, or cold, though in reality he is less cold than he is afraid to hurt and be hurt in return.
Likes: Company, the sea, silence, leisure time.
Dislikes: Loud or sudden noises, small spaces, fire, hospitals.
Strengths: Swimming, agility, the skills of standing still and being quiet, going unnoticed, observation skills.
Weaknesses:Severe claustraphobia, distance from everything, a limp in his back left leg, minor agoraphobia (fear of people).
Values: An equal playing field for everyone
Death comes when it's time to die
Loud, obvious emotions become nothing much more than a tool
Survival above honor, but loyalty over all
Go out with a bang
Companion: A small, pale squid named
Blue. Blue is not actually blue, but rather a ghostly pale color. When Valtameri is underwater or near the water, Blue swims alongside him. When Valtameri is on land, Blue can often be seen clutching him just behind the shoulders in order to remain with Valtameri.
About Blue:
Likes: Bubbles, Valtameri, black, quiet, the sky, wind, night time
Dislikes: Hot days, fluff, sudden noises or sudden movements, cats
How did Valtameri meet Blue, anyway? Well, let me tell you a story.Boom! Thunder shook the ground, a scarce moment after the lightning, white as the moon and glowing brighter. Valtameri jumped, blotching the tiny forget-me-not he had been working on. He growled under his breath. Stupid weather. He turned back to the flower.
"Valtameri?!" he heard his friend yell. Hah. Friend. Right. She'd just be yammering at him that he forgot the sky or something. Again. "Valtameri! You can't spend all day on those little flowers! Who's going to notice? What people will notice is that the sea's colors are fading for no apparent reason. Really." Valtameri rolled his eyes.
"I haven't had a big enough stretch of time yet to do the sea! It's too big to do in short little sittings, I have to do it all at once or the water moves and I have no way of knowing what parts I still need to get! Jeez!" he snapped back.
"Well, just hurry up then. Please. I want to spend time with you! I never spend so much time on work. Heck, most of us hardly even pay attention to coloring stuff, we just do it!"
"You try being all blue sometime, then!" he exclaimed. "Practically everything is blue! The sky, the sea, the lakes, the streams, the rain- do you know how hard it is to make sure all the rain is the right color before it hits the ground? I mean, even the clouds are blue sometimes, and don't get me started on all the fish and birds and flowers! Can't you just let me focus a bit?"
"Well, sorry!" she flounced away again. Valtameri sighed. He really should get around to seeing the sea sometime. He was getting pretty lonely and nobody seemed to understand that what he wanted and needed wasn't someone talking at him all the time. He wanted someone who could just be
quiet for a bit. Quiet but present. And yet just about everyone seemed to have long ago decided that what Valtameri needed was a bunch of loud, rambunctious friends to take him places and make him do stuff. Valtameri watched the last bit of color seep into the flower in just the right place. Fine. Fine. He could do it. He'd just... oh... go to the seaside, I suppose. That's where people were supposed to go to relax, right? The seaside? Yeah. And he could bring Tirrel. She said she wanted to spend some time with him. Sure. Valtameri stared blankly at the sky for a moment before growling at the patch that was suddenly going an even brighter blue than the rest.
"Tirrel?" he asked, walking over to stand beside his friend.
"What!?" she snapped. Tirrel turned to glare at him. Valtameri winced at her tone.
"Sorry. I just... I'm tired, is all." he took a deep breath. "Do you want to go to the beach with me? Like a vacation?" She hesitated, still angry from their earlier exchange.
"I- I'm not sure. I suppose... Would you take the time we spend at the beach to not be such a perfectionist, not be so precise about having to make sure everything around you is colored just the right amount? Please"
Valtameri gazed out into the distance for a moment before answering. "I'll try."
They had spent three days on the shore already, staring off into the sunset. Valtameri had enjoyed it at first, but now he was getting a bit... bored. He hated to admit, even to himself, but that's what it was. But how could he explain it to Tirrel? She certainly wouldn't like to hear it. And Valtameri knew he valued her opinion and she was just about his only close friend, even though she had about two dozen close friends. Or at least, friends that considered themselves close friends. But what was he supposed to do? He had spent three days at the seashore already, doing nothing but lounge around and try to play with Tirrel in the water. The water, which was more green at the moment than blue, which really bugged him. And he couldn't fix it because when ever he started to focus on making sure the ocean was colored right Tirrel dragged him away and admonished him for trying to work. Work. It wasn't really work, so much as responsibility. Who else could color the sky? Who else would pay any kind of attention to the little flowers? He loved the beauty of the work, and Tirrel didn't understand, and no-one else was willing to pay any kind of attention to him at all unless Valtameri suddenly became a chatterbox. He scowled at the falling sun.
"I wish I were normal. I wish there were something to distract me out here. I need something to do." he said, only later realizing that he had said it out loud.
And the water answered.
:You want to be normal?: it murmured as it lapped at Valtameri's feet. He jumped.
Why do you wish to be like all the rest of your kind, bored, petty, shallow. I am not shallow. I am deep, as deep as the earth can go. But I am bored. You wish to be distracted? Something will provide. And if you are petty or shallow, you will know it, and be happy.: Valtameri's head jerked up as he scanned the horizon, searching. Something will provide. Well that was ominous.
"Love?" Tirrel padded up beside him quietly. "Valta? You look unhappy." Valtameri shook his head, trying to hide his gloom.
"It's okay, Tir. I'm fine. I just thought I heard something."
"Besides the water?"
"Besides the water. Tir, I'm fine. Just be careful." Tirrel gave him a surprised look.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be fine. Not doing anything I haven't been doing the past three days. What's the matter?"
Valtameri winced away from her touch. He was scared, and angry at himself. Something would provide. That phrase made his spine grow cold. What was that- that whatever it was- planning?
"Nothing! Everything's fine! Really! I'm just nervous. I think." Valtameri sighed in disgust. "Here I am, jumping at shadows. Ignore me. Just be careful. Ignore me." Tirrel blinked.
"You know if I'm ignoring you, you're saying I shouldn't be careful." she answered gently. "Come on. Tell me what's wrong. Please. You're unhappy and that's making me unhappy. What's the matter?" Valtameri looked away guiltily.
"I don't want to tell you. It doesn't matter." Tirrel gave him a long look.
"Alright. If you're sure."
"I am." Tirrel left in silence, leaving Valta staring out at the sea. After a moment he shook his head and got up to follow his friend."
W.I.P.
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