Edit: This started out as sharing an idea for a potential Legacy, but this thread has become a place where I keep my rotational stories together. The challenge I created will be a significant part of ...
I had to share this song with the update. I always have a good time with my main mermen.
https://youtu.be/ArfNrvCTOlI
Learning to Shapeshift for Guppies
After his date, Dylan took the twins to the shore of Mua Pel'Am. It was time that they learned to shapeshift. No matter how much they might want to, no mermaid or merman could stay in their human form forever. And sometimes, with a lack of focus, merfolk could find themselves turning back into their natural form. If they found themselves on land without legs, that wouldn't end well if they couldn't control their shapeshifting.
Wade: "What color do you think our tails will be?"
After Dylan dove into the surf and transformed with ease, the merboys decided to give it a try. As Barnaby entered deeper water. He felt himself fall into the water as his legs were replaced with a shimmering blue tail. He was completely underwater, but he found that he could still breathe with ease.
Barnaby muttered: "Incredible! And it feels... so natural."
Baranby was surprised to find that the sudden fall into the water and the appearance of a tail didn't scare or surprise him. It felt so... right.
Dylan: "The sea gives us our greatest strength. As both mermen and water elementals, our power is unlimited in the water. We can change the weather on a whim, weave spells with our siren lullabies, and call ocean threats to defend ourselves. But, one power should only be used if you are in the most dire of danger, and that's the Siren's Call."
Wade: "What does the Siren's Call do?"
Dylan: "There's no distance to great for the Siren's Call to reach the ears of the listener. It will draw them into the sea, and when they get close enough, you will be able to drain their very life force to satisfy all your needs. Humans can drown and Vampires can be weakened. It will give you the strength to fight back and even flee if you need to. But, it is an act of evil to satisfy your needs at the cost of others. Only use the Siren's Call when your situation is most dire."
Dylan: "But there's something you should know about the Siren's Call. It has no effect on other merfolk. As mermen, you are immune to it. You are both sapphire princes, and there isn't a mermaid or merman in Sulani that wishes you harm. The merfolk you should be wary of are the Darkfins."
Barnaby: "Who are the Darkfins?"
Dylan reflected on his own encounter with one. "They are a family of mermaids and mermen that have given in to their own inner darkness. Your grandmother, Arihi and Mother of the Elementals, used her power to banish them after they attacked your grandfather. Their greatest crime was taking the lives of the seven Kings and Queens that ruled over Sulani."
Wade: "How was taking the lives of Kings and Queens their greatest crime?"
Dylan turned to Wade. "Merfolk, our people, don't use royal titles the same way humans do. By taking the lives of the Seven Kings and Queens, they left Mua Pel'Am and the worlds vulenerable to destruction and ruin. It took many decades to heal Mua Pel'Am to what you see. The Royal Merfolk are Guardians that protect. It is the resposnibility we are born into."
Some time passed after the twins' first swim. Dylan taught them their responsibilities and how to protect the fragile ecosystem of Mua Pel'Am. Even though they weren't ready to take up the mantle of conversationists, they could still help keep Mua Pel'Am thriving. Barnaby and Wade continued to practice the art of Shapeshifting, but Wade struggled more than his brother. Dylan continued to offer his support. Despite their bloodline awakening and their successful transformation into pure blood mermen, they seemed under the influence of something dark. Wade seemed to be the most affected.
Barnaby came to his father one night. He felt undescribable grief and sorrow.
Dylan: "Is everything okay?"
Barnaby: "I feel like... something is squeezing my heart, and I feel so choked up. I don't know where this feeling is coming from."
Dylan feared that the remnants of Sarah's curse was passed on to his sons. Barnaby described the Melacholy of a Night's Requiem.
After talking to his dad, he took his advice and went for a jog to clear his mind. He had a feeling there was something his dad wasn't telling him. There had to be a reason why he spent his childhood in the World of Newcrest.
There was a small Lagoon in Mua Pel'Am that Wade often retreated to when he wanted to get away from his family. But, it was obvious that something was very wrong with Wade. Even though Dylan was getting sick himself, he couldn't stop worrying about his son. Dylan could feel it... something was going to happen in Henford-on-Bagley. The sickness Dylan felt was one of the burdens of being the Spirit of the Sea and having a conenction to all the Worlds' Waters.
Wade swam away from his father and changed into his human disguise. Something seemed to make him want to stop being a merman, stop being a prince, and stop being a water elemental. He relaxed on a recliner near the water. He still felt a strong conenction to being a merman.
While the two feeling tore him in apart inside, he accidentally changed back into his merform. While his legs turned into a tail, he was still wearing his shirt. His skirt would survive the transformation, but he would need new shoes.
Wade felt embarrased that he lost control of his form. He quickly shapeshifted back. His brother gave him a new pair of shoes. It helped to keep a spare. Most merfolk didn't wear shoes because it would be expensive to replace them. The twins started to realize why their father and uncle dressed the way they did. While their tranformation would destroy most human clothes from the waist down, anything they wore from the waiste up would remain. If they were in the water, the human clothing would no doubt hinder their ability to swim. Consequently, it became more natural to dress the way they would in their merform, the form they always returned to one way or another.
Barnaby: "Don't be embarassed. It's not like there's a guide book for this stuff."
Wade: "It's not just that. You've picked up on the shapeshifting and have so much more control. I can't control my form to save my life."
Barnaby: "Just keep practicing, and I'll keep an extra pair of shoes just in case."
Wade: "Maybe I should go without the shoes until I have a little more control."
As day turned to night, the full moon rose in the sky. Wade felt a sudden increase in the feeling that tore him up inside. Something felt very wrong, but he didn't want to go to his parents or uncle.
Wade remembered some things his dad told him. He came from a family of elementals, and there was one family member that he wanted to talk to. His aunt and the Spirit of Mua Pel'Am's Volcano. He was certain that the Spirit of the very thing that connected all Elementals could help him.
Wade: "I love being a merman. It's amazing and incredible. To have a tail that's so powerful in the water... it's an undescribable feeling."
Ember listened to every word and then offered Wade a solution.
Ember: "This potion will help you keep whatever form you want when you drink it. Just be careful. The effect lasts for one day. If you enter the water, you won't be able to take your human form until the potion wears off. If you can stay out of the water for one day, you'll lose your tail and become human. I would think..."
Wade: "I don't want to think about it. Maybe becoming human wouldn't be so bad. At least I won't randomly have fins."
Wade grabbed the elixir and drank it. As the liquid flowed over his throat, he felt his voice change and the thing that made him feel so wrong faded. For a moment, he thought he was going to become human until... He felt something else. He felt an irresistable pull to the sea. What Ember didn't tell the merboy was that the Full Moon added an extra effect to the potion. It removed any curse that afflicted the individual that drank it.
The next day, Dylan woke up early and noticed that one of his sons weren't around.
"Barnaby have you seen your brother?"
Barnaby gave Sora a warning glance. Their cousin had only just been born, and he was taking to being a merman instinctively. In fact, it was a surprise to Barnaby. Sora was born a merman, ready to live in the sea. Maybe that was normal for all merfolk. But, both him and Wade were different, they weren't born ready for life as mermen.
Barnaby: "I think he went for a swim in the sea. He woke up early."
Dylan: "I see."
Both Barnaby and Dylan thought Wade's absence was a little strange.
Wade: "Okay... I'll come clean. You know how mom was human until recently."
Barnaby: "Yes. It's strange that we grew up human. You missed Sora being born. Can you believe our cousin is already swimming around like it's nothing?"
Wade was caught by surprise by the news, but he changed the topic back to his situation.
Wade: "Well, I contacted my aunt, and she gave me this potion... Well, I slorta took the potion from her before she could explain everything."
Wade: "You don't understand. I felt so wrong, and I took the potion to become human. But, and I don't remember much, but..."
Barnaby: "What?! Why?!"
Wade: "I felt a strong pull away from the sea, like I didn't want to live as a merman. I didn't want to live in a world of magic. Then, after drinking the potion and feeling like I was going to become human, I found myself drawn back to the sea. I don't want to be human anymore."
Barnaby: "Maybe I can sing a spell that can change this."
Wade: "It's worth a try."
Branaby learned from his father early in the week that an Inspiring Berceuse could grant a mermaid or merman the power to shapeshift by inspiring change in them. It was worth a try.
Baranby: "We have a bit of Dilema. Wade can't leave the water."
Lir: "Maybe you should talk to your father and Uncle, probably Zeph. I mean no disrespect to your father, but Zeph is a little better at solving problems."
Lir recalled his encounter with a Darkfin. "I ran into trouble once. My dads got overprotective after they helped me out of a tough situation. I remember getting so angry at them. I didn't understand why they did what they did. But, now, I know they just wanted me to be safe and happy."
Getting Dylan involved almost resulted in killing both Dylan and Wade. They started telling each other jokes after splashing each other, and Dylan, being a great story teller and able to tell a crowd pleasing joke, made Wade Hysterical multiple times... If merfolk couldn't sleep in the water, I'd have a couple fish go belly up.
One thing that is very important know about Dylan, he has a lot of ways to change the emotions of sims. You can make a sim feel anything with him around. Just give him a painting easle, instrument, dj booth, or just have him tell an epic story or sing a Siren's Lullaby. Dylan is master at emotion manipualtion, but he's too nice. I'm not surprised he made his son so playful.
It was also Summerfest, Winterfest in the Summer. I have so many sims risk death by laughter during a holiday that involves Father Winter...
Dylan thought outloud for a moment. "I guess no harm was really done. You must've been under a curse, probably passed on by your mother. It's my fault for not telling you everything, and I think I know what Ember was trying to do. We're good, and I think we all learned something from this.
Dylan: "I fogive you, but please don't do this again."
