me, imagining the Faerie Merryes ( tm ) absent - mindedly using their hair - vine - things to do mundane stuff like open doors : nice
me, imagining the Faerie Merryes ( tm ) weaponizing their hair - vine - things to grab, trap, or strangle people : NICE
me, imagining the Faerie Merryes ( tm ) gently curling their hair - vine - things around people they like to express affection : N I C E !
as applicable within heather’s casket creek apartments au & for all your other faerie merrye needs !
in the company of humans, the merrye sisters appear as beguilingly pretty young women with flowers twined throughout their long, vibrant curls. they seem to emanate a faint glow & a rich floral aroma at all times.
their true forms aren’t so AWFULLY different from their human glamours . . . aside from the luminous pale green skin, large black eyes, pin - sharp teeth, thorn - like claws, pointed ears, & chitinous wings, of course ! OH , and the fact that their ‘ HAIR ’ isn’t hair at all, but live masses of delicate, prehensile vines. virginia’s vines are dark as night with big red & pink flowers, and her wings are reminiscent of an atlas moth’s. elizabeth’s vines are pale as starlight with small blue & purple flowers, and her wings closely resembles a luna moth’s.
The hunter should never have strayed from the path.
Now, as he battles his way back, the same swamp that coaxed him so deep into its warm wilds has turned against him. The brush drags at him from every corner, and thorny boughs catch his clothes to tug him backwards with the gentle insistence of childrens’ hands. Hell, even the air smothers his forward momentum in its gelatinous set.
The overgrowth swallows him to the ankle, so its no surprise that he trips. He swears as he tumbles & falls flat on his back. For a dazed second, he sees nothing but a ceiling of green. That’s when he hears it -- right by his ear, the whispered sibilance of slithering against the carpet of moss & rotting leaves.
He jerks his head away from the sussuration, only to freeze when the long, undulating thing coils around his arm. Its fangs pierce his bicep, and the world narrows to that little locus of molten pain. The hunter has no choice but to look upon the snake that’s biting him, except ...
It’s not a snake.
The vine maintains the size of a slender wrist. It’s smooth & glossy, aside from the pale wisps of Spanish moss that fur its emerald - dark body. The thorns are miniature talons the color of burgundy wine, and two of them are buried halfway in his arm.
Now, the hunter can see what tripped him. Identical creepers are tangled around his ankles in a noose - like embrace that tightens as he tries to kick free. Then, impossibly, they slip further up his legs in lazy spirals.
“What the fuck,” he rasps, half - choked by the rich scent of animal musk & vegetable decay. “What the fuck, what thefuck, whatthefuck -- ” The question echoes in his mind, its meaning eroding with each repetition.
He grabs the knife from his belt, but no sooner has he started sawing at the nearest vine than his wrist is caught & flung back by another one Pinned completely, the hunter thrashes against his constricting bonds in frantic contortions.
The pressure increases, degree by unbearable degree, until he can feel his pulse slam through every millimeter of vein, until the nonstop crescendo-ing of pain blots out every other sense, until he fears his bones will splinter. The thorns slice through his clothes & split his skin, tearing raggedly through flesh & muscle as they’re dragged along.
At last, he’s forced to give up the struggles that multiply his agony. The vines stop their incessant crawl, anchoring themselves around his armpits & on either side of his groin. They glisten black with his blood. The hunter lies there, sweat-soaked & panting. The green ceiling trembles above him, as though tickled by a breeze.
There is no breeze.
The vines begin to pull. With cruel languidity, his limbs are stretched taut, and his sockets are locked in a battle they’ll never win. Laughter rings out from the trees, girlish & melodic. The hunter has never heard anything so sweet or so awful.
ABILITIES :
- flight, via their wings
- nature manipulation
- glamouring
- spellbinding song, previously used to lure wayward travelers deeper into the woods ; more recently used to dominate local open mic nights
- magic, mainly in the form of enchanting objects, people, places, food & drink, etc. with their intentions
WEAKNESSES :
- weakened & poisoned by iron
- easily distracted by shiny objects & tempting sweets
ABOUT :
in their glamours, the girls mingle with the human world. virginia works at a recreation center, teaching dance classes & offering guided hikes. elizabeth sells flowers, homemade food, & sundries out of farmers market booths & co - ops. together, they take small singing gigs at nearby venues. some of their songs are also available on youtube & bandcamp !
in heather’s ( @twins-parted ) Casket Creek Apartments AU, the girls share a lodging in a supernatural apartment complex run by those darling - dead trimble twins.