#the fear of brendan looking at my tumblr (he’s not on tumblr but I gave him a link to my blog when we first met so he could see some of my

[olivesjaw]

[whenthisstoryendsarchive]

Meta #6: Elizabeth’s Lifespan & Immortality

Now, there’s no doubt that the Hans Christian Andersen version of The Little Mermaid is one of the most popular versions of mermaid myth. The 1989 Disney version (an arguably its liveaction remake when it gets released), the 1975 Japanese anime directed by Tomoharu Katsumata and Tim Reid, and the 2018 indie film directed by Blake Harris all have some level of popularity, whatever criticism they may face. I’d say that this is because of our fascination with, and maybe even our desire to believe in, mermaids. 

Furthermore, they all stem- to some degree- from this Danish fairy tale. 

Though, there are some notable differences between the book and each version. But, since Elizabeth is from the 2018 version, clearly we’ll focus on that one. 

In Andersen’s tale, the little mermaid’s grandmother tells her that mermaids can live for up to 300 years. While speaking to her grandmother, the little mermaid also says that they can’t die, and asks if humans are the same way. This does give a ballpark to how long the species may live. 

But, as a way to differentiate, Andersen’s little mermaid does not have a soul. Elizabeth does. Additionally, in Andersen’s tale, when merfolk die, they become sea foam on the waves.

Since Elizabeth has a soul, it is likely that in her universe, merfolk do have an afterlife that they can go to when they die. Their bodies may still become foam, or they may be buried in the sea bed, or sink to the bottom of the sea to become food for other creatures much like whales and dolphins do. I have yet to settle for sure on this topic, and may do a headcanon or meta on this once I decide. Though, I do have a tidbit from a skeleton worldbuilding document I did:

What do funeral rites consist of? How do they differ between the major groups of races or species?

Much like weddings, they are presided over by temple elders and priests, and the gods of death and the afterlife. However, as the king of Tír na nÓg, Manannán mac Lir plays a particularly important role. The gods of death will lead the funeral and dispose of the body, but Manannán mac Lir is given the rights to the deceased’s soul and he works with the death Gods to determine where to send the soul. And like weddings, other culture’s gods may be brought in if desired.

But since Elizabeth is a Ben-Varrey, her kingdom is in the British Isles, and she is a descendant of Lir and Manannán mac Lir, I’d like to think that her soul would go to Tír na nÓg, the Celtic pantheon’s afterlife, to be with her grandfather when she does finally die. 

And, since I headcanon that she was captured by Locke in 1830, and freed by Cam and Elle in 1930, that would mean that she has lived a third of her life already. But this is only if we go by Andersen, and by my thought that she was Locke’s captive for at least 100 years. 

I do not feel that merfolk in general are entirely immortal. They can die, as Locke’s threats, Elizabeth’s death and revival, and tumblr user checanty, show. But her grandfather Manannán is a god and immortal, and it is safe to assume that Elizabeth’s father Brendan, as his son, is as well. But, Elizabeth’s mother was not royal, though I feel that she is the one who is descended from Poseidon somehow. Therefore, Elizabeth and her sisters are roughly about half to maybe 3/4 divine/immortal. Therefore, their lifespans will be even longer than a normal mermaid.

In an ask about mermaid, checanty points out that there are dangers faced by merfolk. These being mainly fishing, poaching, pollution, predators, and so on. They also mention that merfolk have a “low reproduction rate, with only one child being born at a time”, and thusly, they have long lifespans to ensure the survival of the species. Checanty speculates that they may be immortal or live forever, but probably average a lifespan of centuries.

This is backed up by the blog called Myths and Legends in their post called  A Mermaid and a Magic Comb. They also state that mermaids “live for a very long time”.

While it may very well be likely that regular merfolk/commoner/peasant merfolk, may only live for a few centuries, I do believe that because Elizabeth is a direct descendant of Celtic and Greek sea gods, she and her family- and potentially her children- would have a much longer lifespan than a few centuries. And even if she had a child with a mortal man, this would still apply. Though, obviously, to a significantly lesser degree than if she’d had a child with a merman. 

With the blood of Lir, Manannán, and Poseidon flowing in her veins, it is entirely possible that under the right circumstances, Elizabeth may live for thousands of years. 

She has likely witnessed deaths before she left the sea, so she knows that they do happen to her kind. But, I don’t see her ever really being afraid of death, per se. Because she knows that she’ll be with her grandfather. And she knows that Manannán will keep her safe. 

I also think the fear that she showed when Locke told her his plan was more fear of how she would die, fear for her friends, and how much stronger he’d be with her powers. She didn’t want to die, of course, but she wasn’t afraid to face it if it meant protecting Cam, Elle, Thora, & Ulysses. But she wanted it to be on better terms and circumstances than it seemed to be. She was afraid of Locke killing Elle, Cam, Thora, and Ulysses because they helped her, and she didn’t want to be the cause of more suffering. 

But the death she did face, from not getting to the sea quick enough and from the use of the last bit of strength her soul had, she accepted and would have been fine with had it been permanent. This was because Locke was gone, and he could not hurt her friends. 

Given all this, I strongly feel that while Elizabeth had seen death, knew that she’d die and go to Tír na nÓg, she never really thought about it. Because, of course, she was a child. Remember, Elizabeth was 15 when Locke tricked her. Kids at that age are in that stage where they feel invincible just because they’re young and have the world before them. It can even be argued that this endures into the 20s in some people. So it’s not that far-fetched that she’d think it.

She wasn’t afraid to die, and she never really gave much consideration to the fact that she would die someday. Nor did she fully understand that her family too would die eventually. 

Had she lost a member of her family, I’m certain that her thoughts would be different. But because she has an even more extended life than a regular mermaid, she thought her “immortality” and “youth” were a gift. Or, more precisely, she took it for granted, because she didn’t know suffering, pain, or what eternity could mean.

Clearly, this all changed when she was tricked by Locke. She feared deaths more than she had before. But again, not really for herself, since she was sure she’d be reunited with her grandfather and finally be safe. Also because she was convinced that Locke needed her and could not physically hurt her. Drain her powers, yes. Steal them, yes. But she had no idea that he planned to kill her or that he even could so long as she didn’t try to escape without her soul. 

But she feared him hurting others because of her; especially after he killed the boy she was convinced was the one who would set her free- Matthew. 

And more than that, she feared eternity being trapped in his clutches. She feared an immortality full of suffering. An immortality of pain and weakness. She finally understood- with Locke- what forever meant. At that time, she wished she had only a few centuries to live, because then it would be over sooner. All the more so once her century with him passed.

Elizabeth was completely changed by her time with Locke, and even after she goes back to the sea, that change remains. She lost her innocence and grew wiser. She grew up in captivity; truly grew up. And she learned not to disregard the good times, and that they’d not last forever. She was no longer the naive child Locke had fooled, she was a smarter and more mature woman. She still valued her long life, and looked forward the things she might see or do, but she now understood that nothing was certain.

Sources:

https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/wait-mermaids-live-how-long/

 https://checanty.tumblr.com/post/153856190996/how-long-do-mermaids-live-do-they-fight-mermaid

 http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/origins532-a-mermaid-and-a-magic-comb.html

[flameontheotherside]

Erik's Regret

Between '07 and '10 my life was turbulent. Multiple breakups with pieces of shit. I attracted fucked up dudes and I had this idea that they needed love too so I thought by loving them I'm also helping myself because I was fucked up too. Many long-distance because I felt it was "safer". I didn't have to be available 24/7, there was more freedom, I was never one to be affectionate, and it was just overall easier....WRONG!

Most meaningful relationships to me were just 2.

Brendan was from California and had a slew of mental health issues. We bonded from the issues we both had. They were different but how we felt was the same. I would stay up late just to talk. Most of the time it was me listening to him and consoling him. We would end up crying together when we shared our war stories and feelings. I didn't feel so alone and it was hard being with him the most because I really saw a future with him but he was kind of avoidant. When things were good I wouldn't see him online and I couldn't call him because his parents would take away his cell and it was just a mess. Also, he had a female fanbase on DeviantArt so when it was public, I had a few hate mails from random chicks who threatened to kill themselves if I didn't stop talking to him. It put a strain. We were friends on and off and we stopped talking in '12. Since then it was just a few emails. Until he basically told me to go fuck myself out of nowhere last year. It still hurts because I still love him and worry about him. My biggest fear since '12 is he kills himself and I was never able to help him but I guess he's okay without me. That really hurts.

David was more of a physical handicap *sigh* and he was from.....Texas. 😑 We met online while I was still in high-school. Of course at the time I had no idea he was just using me (like John) for the fact I was this gullible geeky high-school girl who watched anime and read comic books. 🙄 I just never fucking learn. Of course not. I'm just asking for trouble. So this asshole had me fooled and got me good. At least he had the decency to apologize for what he did. He visited me right before 12th grade and stopped returning my calls shortly after. No one had the decency (Not even my mother!) to tell me... Ummm, somethin' ain't right here. I find out new years eve at a party via AIM on a friend's computer he said he just got married and adopted a kid.... 😭 For some reason I remained "friends" with him and even to this day occasionally chat. He also plays World Of Warcraft so I've done a few raids/dungeons. He's really let himself go these days. 😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Erik says we would have met if he hadn't killed himself.

I like to think if we did, just like in our previous lives, he would be like everyone else. I can see him being avoidant kind of like Brendan. Yeah something like that. He would be freaked out by someone like me who is accepting and shit 🙄. Then kind of poof on me. I just have that effect on people. If only I can poof on myself. 🙋‍♀️By bitch, see you next fall... Something like that. That's what helps me sleep at night.

Avoided the whole topic because I hate getting emotional and I hate crying. Nothing is worse. Feeling volnerable. I don't really get my feeling hurt but when I do it's 99.9 WTFM (percent) of the time because of a douchebag. Bullying is at tough one because it depends on a lot. Guys who bully me hurt a lot more than a female. Well let's face it females hate each other so... I assume most of the time the bitch is either on the rag, broke a nail or some guy finally wised up and dumped thier raggety ass (like me, welcome to the club). I had gone through it so much that since high school I don't cry or feel too butt hurt. I just have a smart comeback or roll my eyes. 😂 👌🏼 I developed a smart ass atitude since then that even gets me in trouble with "superiors". A manager harassed me (micromanagement and he was trying to show off how much a douche he is) one day and I told him off. Said something like he needed to back the off me and his little tactic wasn't working. I was sent home for sticking up for myself. Which was a blessing because the swat team came through to shutdown the company and everyone was "interviewed." long story....

Then confronting the turbulence in my life surrounding his death.

That's the worst part. I found a bunch of videos I posted on my first YouTube account. They were hard to watch. Especially the two about my wanting to die. In one of them I described how to "effectively" kill yourself and one dude said I should put a bullet in my head. That was awesome. Then the other I was kind of crying over a guy who messed with me (David and John) and he hurt my feelings by spreading rumors. I actually don't remember what exactly happened. If it was one or two people harassing me, I can deal with it, but it was so bad I had nowhere to go. School and the mall where absolute hell. For what? Over a little misunderstanding. Not getting emotional wasn't going to happen. That whole incident was the worst. Bad breakups, my mom having cancer and bullying happened all at once. I was falling apart. Since then nothings hit me as hard. If I could live through that, pretty everything else is 🍬 candy. What doesnt kill you make you stronger. Very true. 😒 Meh...

Yes I was (at times still am) pissed the fuck off that he killed himself. I had this goal since I was 11...well actually I was 7 but I needed to find "him" and was very specific in knowing he had a lot of issues like me. It wasn't the usual 💞😍💞. oh I'm looking for my soulmate bullshit. It was that I knew he wasn't local although a few times thought so I guess hoping I was wrong. Majority of the time I knew I had to start looking online. I was 11 when I was allowed to use the internet. Intuition was working fulltime or trying to. My psychic abilities were there and it was scary to know what was going to happen. If only I knew about this. Well I kinda did.

That Alanis Morrisette song Ironic has a new meaning.

.... And I hate it. 😑 In fall '09 I moved out of Josh's apartment. We broke up and my best friend drove 4 hours both ways to get me home. I knew it was "over". Shortly after settling back in, Erik found me bawling over this Game Over feeling. I asked a psychic about the outcome of our relationship and he said something like, sorry for your loss. I was like, ummm... Okay?

Josh gave me a fake 🌸 flower that was squishy and if you squeeze it, it lit-up. It sat on my windowsill. It flew across to the door and it freaked me out. Like, okay my house is finally haunted and I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and keep crying. I just knew it was over. I didn't want to have serious relationships after that and I didn't for a few years. I put everything aside to "look" for Erik. I passed up opportunities to travel the world and study music. That's what I really wanted to do. I just took whatever local college that accepted me just to please my mom. My heart was never in it because well I'm not working in hospitality and hardly did. My heart had always been set on Erik. Only I didn't know it at the time.

The most chilling thing about the whole thing is that feeling I had in '09 that it was over.

I just threw in the towel. Like what now? 21 years wasted. Then because of my depression over the worst break up at the time I threw away more time to play the field, drinking and abusing drugs; partying for 5 years and here I am now. Hating the fact that I kind of wasted my life. Having accomplished nothing of what I wanted to do. 🙄 Don't tell me some cheesy shit about how it's never too late and age is nothing but a number garbage. Uhhhh yeah... It's too late for me 😑. I don't have the luxury at my age to do what I should have done 12 or so years ago.

I won't make this longer than it needs to be. This is what makes this whole experience hurtful. It's not that I get retarded emails sent to me. 😕 The most agonizing and painful thing is he threw his life away and if it's true that we would have met if he waited well... You get the idea. Yet at the same time, say if he committed suicide while we are "together" I'm pretty fucking sure I'd be a permanent psych hospital resident or have killed myself too. If he died of natural causes or accident, I'd still be a mess but not as much. So how you look at it, outcome isn't so great. Even now. I rather talk to the living.

😘 💞 💕 ❤️ Good morning and good luck!

I forgot... I'm still intuitive and a medium. No matter how he died if we were ever together, I'm 99.9 WTFM (percent) certain I'd be dead either mentally or physically in some shape or form. 🤷🏼‍♀️

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧Don’t forget to take a look at Erik’s blog ran by his amazing mom Dr Elisa Medhus. Lots of stuff about his afterlife and shit. channelingerik.com.

Submit a Twin Flame reading for free at TwinFlameMedium.Com and I provide detailed and lengthy readings starting at $5 per question at Store.TwinFlameMedium.Com

(◕‿◕)♡ Social: Twitter Tumblr Instagram  YouTube

[ixhor]

All of them

all the ones not on this list are already answered!!!

31: Who was your last call/text message from?my friend brendan32: Are you mad at anyone?-this one fucking bitch 33: Have you ever kissed someone older than you?-yea it was my first kiss i was in sixth grade and she was in eighth grade lol34: How old will the last person you kissed be on his/her next birthday?-im not gonna say that cos she would be as old as me and im only a couple months older than her!!! keepin my age a secret, sorry boys35: How many more days until your birthday?-how many days till december36: Do you have any summer plans yet?-its only a month into school stop37: Do you have any good friends of the opposite sex?-ye!!38: Are you keeping anything from your best friend(s) now?-yea but its stuff ive never told anyone, not even bea39: Do you have a secret that you’ve never told anyone?-yea40: Have you ever regretted kissing someone?-no 41: Do you think age matters in relationships?-uhh if the relationship is between like a 15 y/o and a 20 y/o it matters, but if its like between a 20 y/o and a 21 y/o then it doesnt matter. all im saying is it matters if its legal or not because if its not then get the fuck out of that relationship???????42: Are you available?-not looking for another partner sorry boys43: How many people have you had real, strong feelings for since high school ended?-what44: If you had to get a piercing (not ears), what would you get?-probably a medusa piercing!!45: Do you believe exes can be friends?-sure i guess46: Do you regret anything?-lots of things47: Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?-fuck i left my gatorade in the freezer too long48: Did you ever lose a best friend?-yea49: Was your last kiss a mistake?-nah50: Why aren’t you pursuing the person you like?-because hes already my bf51: Has the last person you kissed ever seen you cry?-nope cos i dont cry in front of people52: Do you still talk with the person you LAST kissed?-nah53: What was the last thing you ate?-chicken nuggets 54: Did you get any compliments today?-my friend said “thanks for being so understanding” so does that count55: Where are you going on your next vacation?-im going on vacation???56: Do you own anything from other countries?-i have a necklace my aunt kay gave me and its from when she went to europe57: Are most of your friend guys or girls?-girls58: Where have you lived most of your life?-florida59: When was the last time you took a long drive?-like three months ago60: Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?-no61: Have you ever TPd someone’s house?-no62: Who do you text the most?-probably The Gay Squad™ aka this mlm chat im in 64: What’s preventing your current boyfriend/girlfriend from going back to their ex?-bc as far as i know their exes are asshats65: How many boyfriends/girlfriends did you have in 2011?-i did not66: Is the last person you kissed younger than you?-yea by like a couple months67: Do you curse around your parents?-NO GOD NO DO YOU THINK I WANT A FREE CARD TO GET MY ASS WHOOPED68: Are you happy with where you live?-no tbh,,my apartment is kinda small69: Picture of yourself?-check the cassius.pic tag70: Are you a monogamous person or do you believe in open-ended relationships?-im polyamorous 71: Have you ever been dumped?-no 72: What do you most like about making out?-the kissing part73: Have you ever casually made out with someone who you weren’t seriously involved with?-yuh74: When you kiss someone for the first time, is it usually you who initiates it or the other?-me75: What part of a person’s body do you find most attractive?-idk uhhh probably their thighs?? i like thighs76: Who was the last person you talked to last night before you went to bed?-i forgot77: Had sex with someone you knew less than an hour?-no78: Had sex with someone you didn’t know their name?-no79: What makes your heart flutter and brings a big cheesy smile to your face?-when people compliment me!!!80: Would you get involved with someone if they had a child already?-probably not?? they have responsibilities and an actual human to take care of81: Has someone who had a crush on you ever confessed to you?-yea82: Do you tell a lot of people when you have a crush?-no i only tell like my close group of friends83: Do you miss your last sweetie?-if you mean my last partner, then no84: Last time you slow danced with someone?-ive never slow danced before85: Have you ever ‘dated’ someone you’ve never met?-wym an online relationship?? then yea86: How can I win your heart?-if u go out of ur way to try and make me happy or you bring me coffee, my heart is unlocked87: What is your astrological sign?-sagittarius sun, libra moon88: What were you doing last night at 12 AM?-chillin….on tumblr…the usual89: Do you cook?-yeeeeeee90: Have you ever gotten back in touch with an old flame after a time of more than 3 months of no communication?-no why would i do that92: Do you prefer to date various people or do you pretty much fall into monogamous relationships quickly?-IM POLYAMOROUS GODDAMMIT93: What physical traits do you look for in a potential interest?-nice thighs or nice hair 94: Name four things that you wish you had!-money, a binder, some more crystals, some more jeans95: Are you a player?-no??96: Have you ever kissed 2 people in one day?-no97: Are you a tease?-idk you tell me98: Ever meet anyone you met on Tumblr?-uhh no not yet99: Have you ever been deeply in love with someone?-i currently am100: Anybody on Tumblr that you’d go on a date with?-we all know the obvious answer101: Hugs or Kisses?-kiss kiss kiss!!!!!102: Are you too shy to ask someone out?-sometimes but i do end up getting over that fear sometimes103: The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?-hair104: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you babe?-yea105: If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was in relationship, would you go for it?-hmmm106: Do you flirt a lot?-yea107: Your last kiss?-with my ex108: Have you kissed more than 5 people since the start of 2012?-no?? i dont kiss a lot of ppl109: Have you kissed anyone in the past month?-no which is why AYDEN NEEDS TO COME TO FLORIDA110: If you could kiss anyone who would it be?-AYDEN111: Do you know who you’ll kiss next?-probably evelyn if we hang out this weekend112: Does someone like you currently?-probably not113: Do you currently have feelings for anyone?-yea114: Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings?-serious relationships are cool115: Ever made out with just a friend?-yea116: Are you happier single or in a relationship?-i dont think ive ever been happier than now cos im in a relationship