⋆ ⋆ counterparts ➢ posting allowed

[abeille]

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[abeille]

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➢ ➢xthe american dream; it was all he'd grown up hearing about, if the sheep could have spoken,
even they would have spun tales of a budding country with the opportunity to begin again. but
he didn't need a new start. he cherished his woolly companions and the gentle roaring of the
seaside. he'd seen things in ireland, things people only spread rumors of, things which could not
be confirmed or denied by those who braved the sea and lived to tell the tale of their journeys.
the sea was shrouded in mystery it had chosen to share with colin, and yet his family still tore
him away from his counterpart. they had plans for new york, plans that didn't include colin's
affair with the ocean and her enigmas.

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hello. so this is my first legitimate story on here. i've been working really hard on it for about
a year now and i'm really excited to begin fixing it up more as well as editing parts while i share
with you guys. so much research went into this damn story. oh my gosh. anyway, comments
and criticism are encouraged. thank you for sticking around. c:

[abeille]

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⋆. main characters .⋆xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋆. other characters .⋆
colin fionnbharr/finbar (m) 21 yrsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxdeclan fionnbharr (m) 24 yrs
marius keszewsky (m) 19 yrsxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxeileen fionnbharr (f) 16 yrs
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxciara mccarthy-fionnbharr (f) 44 yrs
⋆. secondary characters .⋆xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxowen fionnbharr (m) 48 yrs
breda fionnbharr (f) 21 yrsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxevaline martin-fionnbharr (f) 24 yrs
mackenzie braddock (m) 22 yrs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxmalwina nowak-keszewsky (f) 33 yrs
lydia corwin (f) 20 yrsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxdominik o’brien (m) 44 yrs
jimmie hale (m) 22 yrs

[abeille]

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➢ ➢xthis will eventually be counterpart's index. chill with me for now while we await the
first part's construction.

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prologuex|x chapter onex|x postx|x postx|x postx|x postx|x etc.

[abeille]

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➢ ➢xso, uh, here's that stamp. take it if you want C:xx

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[url=http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=2697165#p86535945][img]http://i.imgur.com/8G7KuIK.gif[/img][/url]

[abeille]

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spring of 1866, southern ireland

xxxxxx xxxxxxthe sky was, all at once, every appalling shade of grey it should never be and the air tasted drunk with electricity. the scenery, as dreary as it seemed, was the same type of gloomy, ugly constant which coincided with the typical rain heavy days they always seemed to have in southern ireland. colin fionnbharr was used to it; even if he abhorred having to corral the sheep back towards the barn all by himself in the fast approaching rain. he'd never once wished for a change of scenery because the rocky cliffs and rolling hills that littered the seaside were his home. he wouldn't change that for anything in the world.
xxxxxxwith the help of his family's border collie, colin began the slow paced journey from the grazing grounds on the west side of his family's property, towards the barn which had been built of sturdy wood and bricks towards the property center beside the fionnbharr family farm house. thankfully this was only a short movement of the livestock, in another month or two, colin would be forced to travel with his father and older brother, declan, to their family's summer pastures on higher ground where they could leave the sheep unattended for the majority of their time there. now though, they were kept close to home and so he need not worry over such insignificant matters. all colin was in charge of, was moving the sheep from the west to the north. which was so simple even his toddler sister could have done it.
xxxxxxa steady pace developed among the sheep meant colin was able to better ignore the beginnings of fat rain which shed from the sky littering his clothing with tiny damp spots. the closer he grew towards the barn, the more the wind picked up; short, high paced gusts assaulted the fourteen year old child's senses with the harsh aroma of sea brine and pregnant storms. colin knew he'd never find it in him to wish for anything more. above him, the clouds had grown darker, more sinister and heavy in appearance. then suddenly, with no precursor, the sky lit white in an instant with fizzling electricity, brilliant and horrifying all the same and soon after followed by rough, deafening claps of rolling thunder. the boy watched frozen as that single bolt of lightening pierced through the still atmosphere, slowing time. one by one, but all at once, his sheep panicked and his dog gained distance reaching a jaw length from the fleeing ankles, causing utter chaos among the herd. "agro! get out, stand!" he commanded, instantly halting his dog. the sheep though, didn't stop, alarming colin who had orders to arrive home with every member of their small herd present. there were twelve rams, nine ewes, and four lambs for colin to keep track of. too many to count as they scrambled before him, bundles of white clambering over rock and shoving past one another in a hurry to escape the wrath of the sky. "oi, agro what a mess. walk on! fetch!" he ordered, sending the working class canine off to round up any loose ties.
xxxxxxsearching his surroundings colin noticed, straggling farther off from the rest of the sheep agro had been sent to gather, was one of the younger lambs. colin watched as the animal continued off in the wrong direction, fiddling with the hat on his head. he was reluctant to follow the babe into the thickening treeline it had crossed because it would surely separate hims from the group, but he knew what it would mean to return home down a sheep. so, with a sigh, he followed off into the direction the dim creature had taken. "don't get into trouble dog, i'll be back in a jiffy."
xxxxxxas he strayed from the designated trail, the dirt surrounding the path began to lessen, opening up to more lush grass and underbrush. he knew what lay ahead of him. a small river which cut across the fionnbharr property eventually opening into the ocean. the body of water was rarely approached. he'd been told legends by his grandparents, passed down in other tongues from their grandparents, about a powerful but merciless spirit which dwelled along the river bank there. it was no joke or force to be reckoned. colin knew that; he'd heard all the stories as a younger child, when he'd been fascinated in sordid tales and mysterious legends. but, now? now he had a lamb to fetch, one he couldn't arrive home without, or risk marring his family name over his poor handle on the livestock he'd grown up learning to care for.
xxxxxxwith a short burst of speed and a focused mind, he could see the river bed only feet before him, hear the bleating of the pathetic creature he'd followed after, but what really caught the boy's attention was something remarkable. beside the water's edge stood the most elegant stallion he'd ever seen, and colin fionnbharr's family owned their own stables with their own precious clydesdales and connemara ponies. this horse though, was exceptionally mesmerizing. its coat was a brilliant, lustrous ebony which matched the long locks that fell from its mane. the beast appeared ageless, with thick corded muscle and strong built legs which would be perfect for riding. colin couldn't believe this horse had wandered onto their property, and he was certain it was lost because his family owned no such wonder. thunder rumbled overhead and the rain fell harder towards the earth colliding with hushed splashes as colin stepped forward towards the beast, stray lamb forgotten as though it hadn't existed at all. his limbs grew heavy and he felt compelled to reach out grasping for the apparition before him. his movements became mechanical until he reached the shoreline where his open palm met with the junction of the stallion's neck and shoulder. its skin was silky, wet, but most importantly void of life beneath his warm hand. there was no reassuring rush of blood being pumped through its veins, no warmth, no pulse; only the cold and frightful texture of wet seaweed. it wasn't until the horse turned to face him, that colin realized something was terribly off. its eyes were lifeless, beady little black orbs which lay in the depths of sunken eye sockets. yet, somehow it still drew breath to it's lungs, colin noticed as the stallion released tendrils of ugly grey breath from his nostrils.
xxxxxxfrightened, he tried to pry his hand away from the creature, but there was no movement, his arm didn't budge. he was stuck to a horse on the west side of his property with no one to call for help. with more enthusiasm than his first attempt, colin yanked harder, rearing his other hand back to smack at the four legged monster, but his brilliance backfired as his other hand laid attached to the beast's coat as well. colin squawked in outrage, desperately pulling against his captor, "release me you foul varmint!" he cried with increased struggle, "i said let go!"
xxxxxxcolin had already determined his fate though. he knew the legends. he was smart enough to realize, too late to be of any help, what it was he had stumbled upon. kelpies were unrelenting. he'd never been told the tale of a child escaping it's ensnarement by one of the water's devils. he was going to drown in the river he'd had been explicitly advised to distance himself from. panic set in as the kelpie began its descent into the river, pulling colin along with it unwillingly. his already soaked shoes hit the river and water breached their soles chilling colin's spine. a broken sob tore through his throat and escaped into the rain the same way the rest of his words had. there was no way out, but his attempts never wavered, even as his breathing grew labored and his heart beat became an unsteady, erratic pulse which silenced the world when the sound of his own flowing blood became the only thing left for colin to listen to. his arms were also growing tired, but colin refused to be beaten by a beast with out at least putting forth a decent fight.
xxxxxxhe kicked and struggled upon his waist crossing the threshold of the water, using as much force as he could muster to upset the creature he was bound to. the liquid surface was an upheaval of movement disrupted by the combined efforts of the water beast, child, and howling rain. his struggles grew pathetic once his chest was submerged, the cool liquid dancing around his neck. his movements became limited and weak with only his legs able to keep his head above the surface and his lungs still breathing. this was it. this was how the fionnbharr's youngest son died.
xxxxxxlower half of his face enveloped in water, colin closed his eyes allowing the cool rush to cover him completely. he tried not to think too hard of the sheep and the dog he'd left behind along the trails to his home. he tried to ignore the painful, but fleeting memories of the last conversation he'd held with his mother that morning; a petty argument over a mere comment his mother had made regarding the possibility of moving to america. now he regret it all as his lungs still heaved, searching for oxygen that wasn't there. it took a while for the feeling to cease burning, but once it did, the sensation of floating before death was the most calm colin had ever experienced. his ears were no longer drowning in his pulse but instead the roaring of the river's current, nature's own blood flow. he barely acknowledge the way his arms drifted to his sides, released from the kelpie's back as he gave in, letting the world fade in slow ringlets to white.


★xxxxxx★xxxxxx★


xxxxxxhis breathing was labored as he opened his oversensitive eyes. in an instant with his consciousness regained, water was forcibly expelled from his lungs in any way his body would allow it. the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared, though the afternoon sky had been converted to one of night with brilliant pearls of light lining the dark expanse above him. his limbs were unbearably sore so he didn't bother trying to stand, but the flat surface of the riverbed was discomforting so he allowed himself the pain of resting against his elbows. nothing about him had changed, he was still perfectly human and fragile, but there was no doubt in his mind that he had just died. people weren't supposed to just come back from the dead as though nothing had happened.
xxxxxxin silent disbelief, colin almost missed the sudden sluggish movement that danced through his vision from the corner of his eye. craning his neck to get a better look, all he found was a seal. small, and not uncommon to the region he lived in, though something was different. "what are ya' looking at. scram." colin croaked abusing his sore throat, but even to him the words sounded foreign and meaningless on his tongue. "well? go on. you're a seal. haven't you seen kelpie victims before?" he snarked grumpily, his voice not as emotionless as before. he let his body fall back against the dirt bank, turning away from the ignorant creature.
"no. never one resembling you."
xxxxxxstartled, colin whirled around to face the seal again, straining his back only to find it gone, replaced by a human boy, maybe two years younger than colin himself, who had short dark brown hair plastered to his forehead and very pale skin with only a beautiful seal skin to preserve his modesty. "nope. no way. you are not real. you're a bedtime story grandparents tell to keep kids from getting into mischief. therefore, you cannot be real. i guess i really must have died. oi." he lamented, eyes glued to the boy, no selkie, before him, with unrivaled fascination.
"those who have died do not speak." the seal-boy said in earnest.
"well then, please explain this to me, you git." he shouted unnecessarily, doing more harm to himself than his company.
"i am no git. my mother calls me seamahkawhowenya in the song of our people. i am a child of the seals, but that is not the slightest bit similar to this 'git' you speak of." the selkie did his name justice no land dweller ever could, trilling the syllables of his name in discorded harmony. was this guy serious? colin thought with a sigh, flopping down dramatically with his back turned to the younger child beside him.
"anyone can be a git. you git." colin chattered, "and that name won't cut it here.i couldn't pronounced that even if i wanted to."
"that is certainly alright. my mother says that in this cumbersome form, i should ask to be refereed to as marius." colin took this new information with less care than the seal-boy's previous statement. he spoke in long choppy words, and colin had no time for this small, silly conversation. he had just died, he had sheep to tend to and a family to return to, "there ya' go. that's a fine name. pronounceable too. so, mind telling me why i'm not sleeping with the fish?"
"actually, that's rather impossible, fish do not━" marius was unable to finish his sentence because colin was quick to cut him off, "please. just stop. what i meant was, why aren't i dead?"
the other boy blinked back at colin in confusion, as though he was wholly puzzled with everything he'd just asked, "you had not died yet. i removed your quiet body from the river and pushed out the water you'd tried to eat after the scary sea devil went away." the way marius spoke almost had colin convinced he should be ashamed for not automatically assuming that those were the exact events that had occurred.
"ah. well i suppose i should thank you, so. thanks." colin said pensively, groaning the slightest as he gathered his strength and pushed himself to his feet. it took a little longer than he would have liked to gain his balance, but he managed it. confident he would be steady on his feet, colin turned toward the forest he'd come from earlier, when the sky had still been dripping with rain and covered in clouds.
"wait! where are you leaving to?" colin turned back to look at the questioning boy, his eyebrows pinched in minor frustration at maruius' curiosity. "home." colin stated simply.
"oh. well, will you return to this river any time in the future? i do not have many companions." the selkie stuttered, as though asking colin whether he'd rather sit through his awful chatter or coral sheep was an infringement of sorts. of course colin would prefer the company of his livestock and agro, but he wouldn't say that. not now when the younger boy looked as though the loss of conversation with someone who wasn't even fond of him, would be his demise. "sure. i guess i could make time to come back." the resulting smile he received was enough to make his chest ache in a way he'd never felt before. unsure of the feeling, he brushed it off swiftly as a side-affect of his encounter with the kelpie earlier.
"you won't regret that, i assure you!" marius wriggled cheerful, tugging the animal skin tighter around his waist and over the tiny biceps of his arms, "oh! i did not catch your name irish man."
colin could do nothing to fight the small grin from capturing his face at the other's antics, "colin fionnbharr. pleasure to meet you."
"the pleasure was all mine." the seal child replied, fully enclosing himself in the skin he'd only had partially draped across his human form previously. colin watched in rapt fascination as marius' shape reformed, bones collapsing and limbs turning inward to contort into a smaller, more water dynamic mammal. the seal marius was grey with speckled markings and a brilliant black nose. he was still covered in baby fat that made his movements on land clumsy and entertaining to watch. once the seal had vanished into the river, colin hurriedly returned to his journey home. it was late, and travelling at night wasn't always safe, but there was no way colin could possibly manage two near death experiences in one day. so he trekked on, unafraid of the clear dark skies and shadowed woods. at peace once more, though this time there was no forceful current to hold him down, only the vast star colored galaxy above him.


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xxxxxxdespite the lies colin spun, after his first encounter with the selkie boy, he returned to that river often. plucky, and determined to meet with his friend as often as possible despite the demon horse that haunted his dreams. colin continued to meet with his seal-boy for roughly four years. during the summers, the irish boy would have more time to spend beside the river while his family's sheep were kept tended to in their summer pastures. he'd bring marius food and small trinkets from the land, because despite his ability to be as human as colin was, the selkie preferred his seal skin, so land was not often concurred by the lad. some days, marius would return the favor, bringing his land dweller small pebbles and shells from the ocean floor. once he'd even brought back a crab, though they hardly spoke of it due to the unintentional injuries the crustacean had caused colin.
xxxxxxin the fall and winter, colin didn't have as much time to see the seal child because his duties lied in the lower pastures with the livestock, but it mattered not because the river froze over anyway and they had no means to communicate with thick ice between them. colin had considered bringing an ice saw and pick one day to attempt solving their problems during the frigid months, but his family would have surely noticed the missing equipment and colin had not shared the sea's secret with his family. not even his twin sister who was convinced he'd been sneaking off to fool around with a mysterious young lady. colin didn't have the heart to tell her he wasn't so sure he found women attractive. she would tell his father and that would only spiral out of control from there. some secrets were better kept than shared.
xxxxxxthen, colin's parent stole the whole world from beneath him when they informed their children they would be heading to new york city in the spring of 1870. at first, colin had spent nights praying to stars and hoping they'd meant they would be going by themselves. colin's older brother had turned twenty one that year, it was possibly they could have planned to leave colin and breda behind with him to resume command of their livestock while they made a new life for themselves in america with eileen. but colin was not so lucky.
xxxxxxthe fionnbharr family boarded a ship to new york in early march, leaving they're entire farm behind to declan's fiance's brother, gregory martin. colin never got to say good bye to marius; they left before the river had a chance to thaw. there was nothing in new york for colin but he was forced there anyway. the only thing, he'd grown to care more about than his sheep, belonged to the sea. colin couldn't change that. he couldn't change the ocean that would soon be between them. he couldn't argue the fate his parents had made for him. and he could do nothing other than hope marius would understand that colin had not left because of him, and that if he had been given the option, colin would have stayed behind for his seal skinned boy.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

... ohmygodohmygodohmygod
-huddles in corner with popcorn-
totally not stalking

AHHHHHHHHH
ok I'm not gonna double post so I'll just scream here
AHHHHHHHHH
this is great
and I am very excited
and I swear
as soon as there was a horse I was like NOOO KELPIE
and as soon as there was a seal I was like YAAAAY SELKIE
...
Irish mythology. It is great
... I have a friend I should tell about this
-runs off-

[casimir]

aaaaaAAAHHHHHHHHH
SCREAMING VIOLENTLY
oh my god civ i really love this
oh this is just
so fantastic
ohhh my goodness you
can never
quit this.
i won't let you.
ever.
ever ever ever ever.

[beadingbritt]

ALL the yes!
First of all, I'm loving the descriptors. Holy cow. I swear I almost smelled the air.

As cap can attest, I had the exact same reaction she did- ooooooohhhhh kelpie! (Next thought being "ah crud, kelpie, don't TOUCH it silly boy!)

So yeah, I'm just gonna camp out here for a while!

[abeille]

oh my gosh, thank you all seriously.
your screeching is greatly appreciated.
@capt, oh my gosh ikr?!?!
irish folklore is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
ever.
like in the history of forver.
@casi, thank you thank you thank you omg.
i'm so glad you like it.
so glad.
and no worries.
i did a lot of planning for this and like basic plot writing, so it's there,
i'm just making it actually sound nice as i go.
i'm so excited that you like it though. c:
@britt, ah thank you!!
i really really really love the smell of salt water.
don't know if you could tell.
but haha, yes irish folklore all the way!