#benjamina gagarina

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olympe shifted back into a merman to save her from drowning

(is she still alive???? he can’t tell!! 😨)

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shrinking is more fun with a friend

He LOVES being human-sized. The hugs are the best part of being this size

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What's the difference between bird Olympe and mer Olympe? Is this part of his shapeshifting? Are these different aus? Is he the same character either way, or is his personality/backstory a little different depending?

Oh great question!! They’re different AUs. In both, Olympe is half human and half eldritch monster.

Birdie boy AU - Olympe, raised human (a weird little girl with fleshy wings), becomes something beyond human.

Mermaid AU - Olympe, raised a mermaid, learns how to be a man.

Birdie boy AU is set in 2020s California, and Mermaid AU is set in 1870s off the coast of France. They’re definitely different in their arcs and lore; as a mermaid, Olympe sheds his powerful visage to become something delicate and ephemeral - a mere mortal man! Having only kept the company of his hundred odd mermaid sisters (and a couple octopuses), he’s a stranger in a strange land amongst humans. But he’s so happy to be on land! He feels more understood by humans, and he will undergo incredibly painful metamorphosis to get there. Between learning the language and the culture, how to walk and use his tongue to speak, every day is a new uphill battle of new rattling experiences.

As a bird man, he’s a human, but also a freak. His arc in this form is radical self-acceptance. He can’t hide who and what he is without breaking his wings, and at some point, he decides he’s done breaking his wings.

There are similarities- they’re both joyous dorks who embrace the euphoria of change. They are both highly adaptable, with a keen sense of self-image and self-worth. They are similar but different flavors of trans- to an extent they represent my own transness, in a fictional way that’s somehow more true than any nonfictional account I could give of my lived experience. He’s outgoing, bold, mad creative. Also a big big flirt (pun intended). They’re both full of love. They’re both full of light. And they’re both dumb as hell.

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I love one(1) sassy giant merman and his crossdressing sailor friend who’s addicted to speed

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Olympe learns that his best human friend, Ben, is a crossdressing woman

Olympe is bisexual and has found himself in love with Benjamina twice over, in Girl Mode (“Mina,” the aerialist) and Boy Mode (“Ben,” ship’s rigger). He finds her utterly enchanting.

Being an androgynous merman (he isn’t even necessarily “male,” people just tell him he is), Olympe doesn’t really understand gender or sex differences or why they matter so much- he just knows they matter to humans. And that there are taboos and social rules involved. 🥲

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tending to a hand injury using her binding fabric

shamelessly inspired by a post by @so-very-small

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Ben shares her astronomy studies with Olympe 🔭🌌

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olympe has a lovely singing voice (he’s shy about it)

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They’re both overworked, overextended….but overjoyed to see each other !!!! 😤🥺😭

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Since he is a size shifter,

Olympe’s necklace is a a lariat when he’s a small human, but a choker when he’s a giant mermaid:

It’s a cute little choker necklace made up of seashells, pearls, starfish and found objects!

@smolcomfycat he tends to keep it tucked away in his shirt. But because the seashells rattle around in there, you can hear him coming (it’s like quiet musical jingling as they jostle around!) it’s a piece of his past identity as a mermaid that he carries around with him.

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Only you know my true nature, mermaid.

(So there’s a period of time where the only person who knows she cross dresses is this giant mermaid, who found out while trying to save her life. She is cool with him knowing. It’s a relief, in a way, to share the truth with someone, anyone, even if it’s a monster of the deep.)

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hand holding ✨ by the sea 🌊🐠

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Whether he’s a merman or a human, he’s playing a cello the wrong way (he sings love songs)

Olympe has a lovely singing voice. It’s definitely different pitches at different sizes, but in my mind it’s not unlike the difference in sound when transitioning female to male and going on testosterone. Lyrics from “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel

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Whether giant or human, Olympe finds himself looking ✨up✨ at Mina a lot

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Olympe loves both Ben and Mina ❤️

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can olympe crawl around on land while in merman form?

He totally can, it’s just exhausting!!

Pictured: (1) Olympe uses his hands to walk along the kelp forest floor (Octopuses do this!) and glide along effortlessly.

(2) Olympe trudges along the cliff side, fighting for his life as Ben walks alongside him.

If he burns enough calories on land he’ll straight up shrink into a human - he can’t crawl around on land for very long before transforming!