A Tale of Skeptical Sailors and Mischievous Mermaids

Character Bios and Life After Leaving Their Past Selves Behind

Thomas- After fighting tirelessly in the Napoleonic Wars, Jefferson came home to a house in chaos. Without their father, his sons had grown unruly and his wife was at her wit's end. Even with Thomas home, Martha had become too far gone and succumbed to hysteria and consumption. While on her deathbed, his wife made him promise to never remarry and he reluctantly agreed. Still a relatively young man at only 35, he wondered how he would go the rest of his life without a partner by his side. His sons were sent to boarding school when he received his next commission and his two daughters were sent to live with his sister up north. He never forgave himself for being on the other side of the world when his youngest daughter caught yellow fever. He should have been by her side, holding her tiny hand, but he was thousands of miles away clueless that his child lay dying somewhere in the wilds of Otterburn.

It was different when he was commanding a ship and its crew. He never second-guessed himself and was unfailingly sure of his directives. He projected nothing but confidence and authority and accepted nothing less than complete respect and obedience. Even if it felt a little like he was only pretending to be a strict officer. But he didn't have to pretend to be anything anymore. He didn't need to project the image of the perfect commander or father or husband. Free of the shackles of propriety and public shame, he and Laurens could indulge in the feelings they could only hint at before. The first evening, as they watched their three-decker disappear into the sunset along with their former lives, they quickly swam for a private spot. The pair was almost moved to tears by the sheer relief of it all, the shedding of artifice and pretense. Crashing together in a moment that had been only been hoped for for years; now manifesting itself in this completely preposterous scenario. They would pull away to look in the other's eyes, needing to assure themselves this was real, and smile at the other, surprised and overjoyed they had been granted this gift.

John- Laurens was torn like he had been in his previous life but not between who he was and who he was expected to be; it was instead a glorious predicament. He loved going down deep into water, to the dark portions of the sea that humans could never reach. He swam fast and enthusiastically, eager to see his new environment. He preferred to go alone so he could admire and explore at his own pace, but something tugged at him. His body longed to be close to Thomas. His lover was adapting slower, more casually than he was, spending more time at the surface. Thomas said he enjoyed the warm sun on his face but John thought that the cool water against his cheek and the endless discoveries underwater were vastly more satisfying.

Andre- He didn't hate his time in the navy as much as some of the others. He had always expected to live a life in service to his queen, like his father and grandfather before him. But he would never say that he enjoyed it. It was a duty, like the numerous others that were thrust upon him. Marry well, produce sons, invest wisely, spend thriftly. Objectives that were perfectly fine, but he enjoyed pursuits that were less strategic and regimented. Military life always left him cold. He much more preferred music, theatre and art, something he shared eagerly with Laurens as they would gather rocks and coral and whatever else made for good drawing. Paper now a thing relegated to their past, they found inks and reeds to convey pictures on cave walls and small shells that they would give to those they held in high regard.

Andre's new life as a creature of the sea also provided him ample opportunity to indulge in his other favorite pastime- women. The fact that his new brethren didn't really understand monogamy was perfectly fine with him. He could spend his time with whoever and however many fellow naiads he wanted. He wasn't all that concerned with the family he had left behind. His wife was a suitable match but there had never been much passion between them. The marriage was more about joining two powerful political families than a grand love affair. In fact, his death might be a good thing for her; it would certainly reward his wife handsomely. His sons would do well for themselves, their grandfather had been a major in the American Revolution and again in the wars with France.

Benjamin- Benjamin Tallmadge had been in the Navy almost as long as he could remember. His parents had bought him a commission and he served as a cadet from the time he was 13. He spent most of his life on board a ship and while his father had insisted it was the best way to try to groom some of young Benjamin's "odd behaviours" out of him, his mother wasn't convinced being alone for months at a time with only male companions was the best idea. It didn't matter, of course. Navy or no, Tallmadge cared not for the fairer sex and threw himself into his duties as an officer in Her Majesty's Royal Navy in order to prove his worth. His dedication also provided a good cover for never getting married and Benjamin would always just shake his head and claim to be wedded to the sea when asked. This usually provided a good laugh and folks would drop the subject. He barely even admitted to himself why he had become a confirmed bachelor. He tried to not even think on it overly much, if he was found out it would mean not only the loss of his career but a long stint in a workhouse or asylum that would most likely result in his death. No. Better to just deny. There were plenty of other things to enjoy.

There had been one night, after hours of celebratory drinking that Brewster had followed him into the officers' quarters. He laid on Benjamin's bed, calling it "softer than wench's breast" and promptly fell asleep. Tallmadge had laid next to him, afraid to touch but gazed at Caleb as he slept, lips slightly parted and snoring softly. The closeness and vulnerability were exhilarating. Ben made a show of waking up on the floor the next morning, hoping no one would be the wiser.

When Lafayette swam up to him in the grotto, no shame, no guilt, no hesitation, and kissed him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, something inside of Tallmadge was set free. There was no one to judge him, Thomas surely didn't seem to care, and the merman didn't even pause. It was as if kissing him was as inevitable as breathing.

When the ship had left and Tallmadge bid farewell to all his previous expectations, it was like the weight of an entire cannon was lifted from his back. Not only was he eager to show Laf his affection but the siren seemed equally interested in expressing his desire to him. The whole thing was intoxicating. He was truly himself, his whole self, and he was loved and free to love back and he could barely believe it. For the first few months Benjamin and Lafayette were inseparable. The mermaid didn't really know why this former human was so fixated on just him, but he didn't mind. The sea nymphs didn't see the point of limiting your attraction to one gender, let alone one person, but Ben just seemed so happy with Laf by his side that it made Laf happy as well. As Tallmadge grew more comfortable in his new role as a naiad, he also grew bolder in his personal relationships. With the encouragement of Lafayette, he explored trysts with other mermen. Free to experiment and happy to finally be released from the burdens of English society, he couldn't recall a time he had ever felt more content and at peace. Laf always held a special place in his heart, though. Like the childhood house one grew up in, Lafayette was where he felt most at home; the safest spot was always in Laf's arms.

Decades passed and eventually Benjamin recalled very little of his life as a human, he could barely imagine a time without fins and gills. If it wasn't for the fact that his hands never grew the webbing of his fellow sea creatures that had been born in the ocean, he might have forgotten he was ever a land dweller at all.