chummer | Application { LifeAftr }

Player Information
Name: Pudding
Age: Yes!
Contact:

puddingandpie, Discord ( Pudding #5286 )
Current characters: N/A

Character Information
Name: Finley
Appearance: His PB is Darren Criss, but! He has some key defining not-human features despite the magic that makes him look humanoid. They are:

Large, jagged teeth for a big 'ol toothy grin.

Webbed hands and feet

Sleek fins that jut out at his elbows

Gills on his neck

Age: 17
Canon Point: Immediately. after coming to land with Bayani for the first time.
Canon History: The earth is approximately seventy-one percent water. In this reality, the creatures that reside within its depths are the ones who rule the world. Land is seen as an accessory to the machinations of the sea. Humans are few and far-between instead of thriving; it is the oceans that are the central hub of life and advancing technology. Instead of advancing up to the heavens, life plunged down into the depths and took off. Below the water’s surface there live a myriad of fantastical creatures.

Firstly, there are the presiding deities of the seas. Susanoo rules of the Sea of Japan and part of the Pacific Ocean. Poseidon and Neptune (twin brothers, in this mythos) handle the rest. They are the godly Triad of all known waters and all aquatic beings ultimately answer to them. While they remain largely unattached to the minor going ons of most beings, they have been known throughout history to intervene when necessary. Like when Susanoo had to kill Orochi because the eight-headed dragon was out of control or Poseidon sinking Atlantis to teach landers a lesson in what would happen should they defy the gods’ wills.

The next strongest force beneath the deities are the Shark-Men - or Shark-People, some refer to them - who rule the seas in kingdoms. They are worshipped and revered by some landers, while others fear and condemn their existence. The latter humans usually end up as prey should they be foolhardy enough to try and cross the sharks. Thankfully, there hasn’t been an all out war for centuries. The sharks like to think the humans learned their lesson the last time. For the most part, the Shark-Men live in large underwater cities. Several gams co-exist within each city and are in a hierarchal system. The monarchy is at the top, then comes the extended relatives of the high-class, the average middle-class, and the runts are the lower-class.

The next main species to roam the waters are the Merpeople. Mermen and Mermaids, in contrast to the Shark-People, have no governing structure. They live instead in nomadic communities made up of mostly merchants and crafters. They travel the sea and trade their jewelry and other handmade accessories with the sharks in exchange for necessities like food and shelter. Also, y’know, the sharks don’t eat them. The sharks think that’s a pretty sweet deal and so far the Merpeople haven’t seen any reason to complain with the set-up they having going on.

Last, but certainly not least, are the spooky sea creatures with magical powers. That’s right, the Sea Witches. They live on the outskirts of the Shark-People’s kingdoms; they are the dredges of underwater society and reside in the darkest depths. They give the other denizens of the seas potions, spells, and so on. Of course, there is a price! There’s always a price. It can be literal (fins, teeth) or metaphorical (memories). Failure to make payment is met with the creature who made the contract being killed and their essence being harvested. As well as any materials that can be gathered from their corpse. Shark fins are quite potent ingredients in a lot spells, don’t you know…

While there are other miscellaneous beings that reside in the ocean, these are the most prominent species. They all co-exist - more or less - and work together to keep the currents flowing as smoothly as possible.

Character History: Finley was born cousin to the crown prince of his gam in the Celebes Sea near the Philippines. There are small islands there where the Shark-Men are revered by the humans - referred to by Finley and others as ‘landers’ - and given tribute. In exchange, the sharks protect the waters and ensure that harmony is maintained between land and sea in that area. It has been this way for as long as the shore has been kissed by the water’s waves and hopefully will remain that way for the future to come.

While only technically a royal, Finley has always reaped all the benefits of it from a young age. He was given everything his heart could ever desire. And then some. And then… maybe too much because he turned into a bit of a spoiled rotten prat. Still, he quickly learned he was handsome and how to be charming enough to get away with just about anything. If not, he always had his cousin or other royal connections to bail him out, sweep it under the rug, so on and so forth. So Finley has skated by almost all his life living it up as lavishly as possible without any real consequences.

Though he has enjoyed for the most part a very comfortable and carefree life, Finley still worked hard to achieve certain things. He was enlisted into the royal guard soon as he could hunt; it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the royal family. Even in this already prestigious position, there was something else he could obtain and he went for it. He trained and fought intensely to become his cousin’s hunting partner and protector. Usually, it is the younger sibling of the crown prince or princess to hold this title but as Bayani is an only child, Finley stepped up to take the spot as soon as he could. He beat out all the other contestants with ease and now sits by his cousin’s side.

Of all the people in his life, Bayani is arguably the most important. No one seems to matter to Finley the way that his cousin does. Whether this is because he genuinely cares (he does) or because losing his cousin would mean the loss of his status is unclear to outsiders looking in. To Finley, there is no question that he loves and respects the crown prince in just about every way possible. They are an odd pair, however, and other Shark-People comment on it quite frequently. While Finley is brash and brazen and bold, Bayani is reserved but also personable and pragmatic. It is a startling dichotomy whenever the two are together; yet, they seem to balance each other out in an interesting way. Bayani is the only person Finley can be seen calm and collected around. Vice versa, Finley is the only one that can fire Bayani up and get him excited. The prince only ever gets in trouble when his cousin is involved, which is something Finley wears almost like a badge of pride.

Despite how used to peace and stability Finley became, his training did prepare him for the worst. So when the worst happened - a neighboring shark kingdom in the Sulu Sea falling suddenly - he was ready. In order to ensure their own kingdom’s safety, a handful of the royal guard elite were sent to investigate. An entire kingdom falling without warning was unprecedented and they needed to see who had declared war upon the sea in this way. None of the gods answered their call, so it was up to them to figure out what in the deep blue was happening. What kind of idiot would wage war against the sharks? The Merpeople didn’t have the powers and the sea witches should hopefully know better. Hopefully.

The scouting mission went about as well as one would expect. That is, absolutely not at all. Before any of them knew what was happening, they were attacked. By what? Finley is still hard pressed to say. It was an oppressive inky black magic that seeped into and throughout the sea; it perforated their gills, poisoning them instantly. Without any way to fight back, they retreated as quickly as possible. Yet, Finley was still the only one to escape with his life. His memory is a little hazy but he remembers returning home just in time for his body to give out. Thankfully, with the help of his gam he was able to recover. Not without resting for three days though. While he slept, the magic that had killed the Sulu Sea kingdom and several from their gam began to expand. Whatever it was, was growing stronger. Whoever was responsible, they weren’t speaking up.

The Celebes Sea Kingdom was at a loss for what to do. Finley saw the way that it upset his cousin and, in a sick delirium, agreed to Bayani’s foolhardy idea that they go to the landers and see if they knew anything. Just because Bayani always go in trouble when Finley was around didn’t mean that he wasn’t responsible for starting the trouble in the first place. Once he was well enough, Finley set out in secret with Bayani to meet the local sea witch - Saralyn the Sea Serpant - and requested from her the ability to walk on land.

She agreed, with some caveats like they wouldn’t look completely human or lose their ability to function underwater, and naturally asked for a price. From Bayani, she demanded a place in his royal court to practice her magic without persecution. He agreed. The prince figured it would be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission where it came to his parent’s protests. A sea witch wasn’t a bad asset to have, even if she could… tarnish their prestige somewhat. Either way, he’d rather take a knock to their image than be dead so the deal was sealed. Finley was asked a price that he deemed far too steep: his memories, and ultimately his relationship, with Bayani. The witch could sense their something deliciously deeper than he was admitting to even himself but he refused. Instead, he agreed to the loss of his place in the royal family and his status because of it. No one would remember that he was the crown prince’s cousin, no one would know he was anything but an average middle-class shark. He would lose his status in order to save his people - to keep Bayani safe - and be a hero in his heart only. It sounded like absolute crap to him, but he struck the deal anyway.

Once both contracts were signed in blood, the boys set out for a whole new world unlike the one they’d always known. Hopefully, they would find the answers that they seek.

Personality: Even though he is only royalty by proxy, one wouldn't know it from the way he acts like he owns the oceans. The world’s waters have essentially always been his playground. He's ridden on his cousin's coattails for as long as he can remember and had everything he ever wanted handed to him on a silver platter. As a result, he's the epitome of privilege and thinks most people - and other myths - are beneath him. He acts haughty and superior even when he has absolutely no right to be. Being royalty and an apex predator both are a deadly combination when it comes to his sky high pride. ‘Humble’ just isn’t a word in his personal lexicon.

Loud, brash, and obnoxious are some of the best ways to describe Finley. You'll hear him coming from a mile away and he wants you to. He's the center of attention everywhere he goes if he can help it; his good looks almost make up for his arrogance. Almost. Either way, he's never been shy about charming his way to what - or who - he wants if other usual methods don't work. What's worse is it usually does the trick. Sixty percent of the time, it works all of the time.

And if all else fails, he has his temper to fall back on. Sharks are known for their aggressive tendencies and Finley is no exception. Though this manifests in some peculiar ways (sexually, for example), it is generally reserved as a defensive failsafe. When his back is pushed against the wall, it is easier to lash out than show any modicum of vulnerability. He will go down gnashing his teeth and spitting curses before he admits to being scared or anything close to it.

Don’t even get me started on his aversion to feelings of attachment and how terrible he is with those either. For the most part, Finley doesn’t do ‘friendships.’ Or any kind of serious relationship, truthfully. There are people in his life that he tolerates more than others. He might be a smidgen less awful and seem to care just a hint if he hurts their feelings, but beyond that doesn’t treat them much differently than any other person.

Yet, despite how terrible he can still seem on the surface, when you’ve made an ally in Finley be prepared to have an ally for life. He is steadfastly loyal and will defend what he has claimed as ‘his’ to the death if necessary. Of course, reaching this point takes quite a bit of time and effort. He doesn’t have a sweet center underneath that sour shell but it’s… not as bitter, at least. If nothing else, he will start to be noticeably less of a jerk than he could be to people he’s fond of. Subtle gestures will be made to show his respect and affection, but if you call him out on it he’ll be the first to say how that’s complete bologna.

Due to a general lack of consequences and people tending to turn the other cheek when it comes to the royal family, Finley has been enabled into being a generally awful brat. He has little to no filter when it comes to just about anything. He will say what he wants, when he wants, to who he wants. If they’re offended, he doesn’t care. He’s never needed to. He will trod all over sensibilities without even blinking and burn bridges left and right in reckless abandon. Though without the comfortable cushion of his cousin or family to bail him out should he need help, he might end up being to the one burned by his behavior before long.

For all his bravado, it can be said that Finley does have the bite to back up his bark. He's one of the strongest sharks in his school. In fact, he is his prince cousin's hunting partner and protector. Of course, this strength and status also only adds to his already over inflated ego so there’s that as well. He is an apex predator and knows it; he will challenge just about anyone for this reason and because he simply believes he can. He isn’t wrong, at least when it comes to the water. No one has won against Finley for years now in combat. So while he is still new to walking among, he isn’t about to back down just because of his wobbly land legs and difficult breathing. Of course not. That’d be stupid.

Basically, Finley is a spoiled rotten brat who got the world when he didn’t do anything to deserve it. While most would argue he needs to be knocked down a few pegs and humbled a little, he definitely doesn’t make it easy to with his sky-high confidence and boisterous nature. Despite how offensive and downright mean he can seem, there is just a hint of good within him that can be seen shining through the murky surface of his personality. Good luck getting him to show it to you though.

Abilities:

Overbite. If he clamps down on you with his teeth, it's going to hurt a metric fuckton. And he's going to take a chunk out of your skin, mostly likely.

Bloodsense + Bloodlust. He has a nose for blood and he's attracted to it. If there's too much, his instincts will kick in and he'll want to eat whatever is bleeding.

Swimming. He wouldn't be much of a Shark-Man if he couldn't swim. He's fast and deadly in the water, but not so much on land.

Thick skin. Females have tougher skin than he does, but his is still more difficult to break than most.

Sample

Thread Sample: I apologize for inflicting this horrible excuse of a sea creature on all of you.