❝ a mermaid belongs to the sea. she cannot stay on land without the guarantee of her death. ❞
❝ yes, but her heart belongs here. ❞
↳ gandalf the grey to queen marella
╔═══ -ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎˊ- ═══╗
she belonged...
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VERA IS FINDING IT HARDER TO hide her secrets than she initially prophesied.
A few more days have passed since she has returned, and the first few were spent as normal and ordinary as they could be; she would greet her friends with bright smiles and carefree eyes, and conversed with them regularly about the most random things. She would often accompany her family in the different tasks they have throughout the day, seeing as she had nothing else to do anyway. Vera had been reunited with Aragorn, Grimmund, and Èomer soon after she returned to Edoras, and they had reacted rather predictably. The brunette had done a wonderful job in concealing the problems in her mind and keeping her secrets hidden as she is more conscious of her actions, as if every little thing she does could blow a fuse and everything would be revealed. It had terrified her at the beginning, but after a few days of mediocre routines, she let it slip.
That would be a great mistake.
On the third day of her appearance, which is the same day that Vera had discussed certain skills and strategic plans with King Thèoden to protect his country's borders, Vera had been with Merry and Hope — she seemed to be spending the majortity of her days with the blonde elleth and her brother, but she wasn't that surprised or affronted by it — and the brunette had accidentally let something slip past her carefully guarded façade. The secret she harbors from everyone else has taken its toll on Vera, no matter how cautiously she protected it, and people are starting to notice. When Merry mentions the slight differences in her appearance jokingly, and Vera had reacted negatively towards it, Hope had been suspicious. Thankfully, the mermaid had accomplished to rise up with an excuse, but that was the start of her eventual unraveling.
Ever since then, things have changed.
Vera has abandoned her previous forms of coping with the situation and adapting, and completely indulged in the methods of ignoring her friends and family. She didn't want to but the matters in her mind seemed to become worse than it was before. Corin is now openly skeptical of her, and Vera could feel herself beginning to crack little by little. Hope and her merman guard spent an unusual amount of time with one another, and it didn't help that Vera would often see Trewyn would them, too. She didn't want her family members getting involved; it is already so hard retaining things from Corin and Hope themselves. So, the mermaid embarks on the task of completely avoiding any kinds of confrontation, and her luck has been immeasurable in aiding her in that task.
Furthermore, Vera is admittedly...deteriorating.
Her physical appearance and well-being seems to be rolling downward, and Vera has a slight distinction that it has to do with the pressures of her secrets and the suffocating air of Edoras, as if there is a darkness threatening to come out and attack them at any moment. Everyone is on edge, and Aragorn spends most of his days waiting for the bonfires ever since Gandalf and Pippin left. The tensions are high — almost too high — and it is like the slightest movements can cause an absolute catastrophe. This has caused almost everyone to be overly cautious, and angry lashing outs are more common than not. Yes, Edoras has changed in ways that Vera could not comprehend. The only time the mermaid can find a release is with Legolas or by the docks...or even out in the open. It is strange but Vera has always liked the trees.
