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DizzyAlyx β Gone and Forgotten
#mermaid #oc #urchin #goneandforgotten #chainedurchin #comic #merman
Published: 2017-06-11 15:00:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 5626; Favourites: 313; Downloads: 1
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You can read the comic here: tapas.io/series/Gone-and-Forgoβ¦Related content
Comments: 108
It looks like he's in a rough situation.Β
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A very rough one indeed
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Dear DizzyAlyx
As a devoted fan and theorist, I recently decided to figure out how old Rurek would've been by the time the shackle started to tighten around his wrist.Β
According to his Toyhou.se profile ; his current age is 22 and according to the comic he's been chained for 14 years. That means that he was approx. 8 years old when he was first imprisoned. You said in a earlier comment that the shackle had fit him when he was first chained, but became tighter as his body grew.
I researched the average circumference of an 8 year old's wrist and here's what I found. I found various websites that have bracelet size charts that tell you the approx, average circumference of the wrist. As you can probably see from the various sites listed in "Sources" below, measurement and sizes can vary. But here approx average wrist sizes:Β Β
Ages 5-8: 6 inches (15.24 cm)Β
Ages 9-13: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) - 7 inches (17.8 cm)
Teen: 7 inches (17.8 cm) - 7.5 inches (19 cm)
Average Adult (Male): 7.5 inches (19 cm) - 9.5 inches (24.1 cm).Β
THERE ARE TONS OF X-FACTORS THAT CAN THROW THESE NUMBERS OFFΒ
One of them can be body fat, sex, people with larger frame and body height tend to have larger wrist. Now these charts apply to humans so I've also considered that they may not apply to your merpeople especially if their rate of growth and ageing is different than that of a humans.Β
But for the sake of this calculation I'm going to be operating on the assumption that Rurek's Wrist Circumference was 6 inches (15.24 cm) when he was imprisoned and his body growth closely followed the chart.Β
Now just because his wrist size was 6 inch (15.24 cm) doesn't mean that the shackle was that size. You said the shackle "FIT" him as a child, but one bracelet size website has NOT ONE BUT THREE DEFINITIONS OF "FIT".
There's "SNUG FIT", "COMFORT FIT", and "LOOSE FIT". Because I don't know which one the shackle was I'm going to calculate all three.
"SNUG FIT":
For a Snug Fit you add 1/4 - 1/2 of an inch (0.63-1.8cm) to the wrist's size. Meaning that if the shackle was a Snug Fit on Rurek's wrist it was approx 6 1/4 - 6 1/2 inches (15.9 cm - 16.5 cm) in size.
If we compare this size to the age size chart above. I would put Rurek's age at approx 10 - 11 years of age by the time his wrist size reached the limit of the shackle.
"COMFORT FIT":
For a Comfort fit you add 3/4 of an inch - 1 inch (1.9 cm - 2.5 cm) to the wrist's size. This means that if the shackle was a Comfort Fit it was approx 6 3/4 - 7 inches (17.1 cm - 17.8 cm) in size.Β
Again comparing to the age size chart. I would put Rurek's age at approx 12 - 13 years of age by the time his wrist size reached the limit of the shackle.
"LOOSE FIT":
Despite its name, a Loose Fit would've still been tight enough to remain stuck on his wrist. For a Loose Fit you add 1 1/4 inches to the wrist size. Meaning that if the shackle was a Loose Fit it was approx 7 1/4 inches (18.4 cm) in size.
I would put Rurek's approx age at late teens - early adult hood by the time his wrist grew to the shackles limits.
I consider the Loose Fit to be the least likely of the 3 because with that Fit there's a strong chance that his wrist stopped growing before the shackle became too tight.Β
Therefore I would put Rurek's age between 10 and 13 years old by the time he noticed that the shackle was starting to get tight.
Β
Sources:
www.thejewelryvine.com/braceleβ¦
www.diamondkids.co.uk/size-guiβ¦
www.blingjewelry.com/bracelet-β¦
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Out of these three I'd say probably a comfort fit works best. It is canon that being stuck in it altered the growth and development of his hand, but this wouldn't have been apparent right away, and was probably okay size-wise for a few years.
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And assuming that the shackle was as the maximum comfort fit of 7 inches (17.8 cm) his wrist size would've reached that limit by his early teens.Β
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Thanks, I hope this was also helpful to you.
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he looks like a little kid in this picture.Β did they seriously imprison a child for something he didnt choose to be born with!?? that's so cruel!!!!
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He is indeed a child in this picture
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can i go slappity slap some fishstick brained merfolk for doing that to him?Β
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Dunno, havent got that far in the comic yet :^)
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Dear DizzyAlyxΒ
I just had a thought, why hasn't Urchin or any other merperson considered breaking off the poisonous spines on his Dorsal and Pectoral Fins and filing them down to stumps so that Urchin won't accidentally prick anyone?
Is it because breaking off the spines would endanger his life by excessive bleeding? Or will the spines just grow back like nails or hair?Β
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Excessive bleeding, probably
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That would be bad if Urchin accidentally broke one of them on a rock or something.
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and very painful I would imagine!
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Yikes,Β Β
So basically if one of his spines does break then he is dead.
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Aww... ;w; Why must other merfolk be so cruel!? Poor baby! I wish I could huggle and release you!
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Ahahah well sadly hes not very nice
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I wanna hug him! I don't care if he's poisonous, I just want to give a hug. Poor baby.Β Β
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It would more likely than not kill youΒ
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OK, I've gotta ask: How poisonous is Urchin, how does his poison work, and what does it take to get poisoned?Β
I researched the Lion fish and Stone fish, which are poisonous fish in real life and found that they have barbs on their fins that act as hypodermic needles that inject the poison when they prick or stab. I noticed that Urchin also has barbs; is it something like that? Or does Urchin poison with the smallest touch?
If it's the latter then how did the merpeople imprison him? Did they wear protective clothing and gloves? Or did they somehow trick Urchin into going to the place where they ambushed him and chained him?
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He's pretty similar to lion fish and stone fish in terms of the poison. You'd be able to touch him for a while but it might make your skin a little irritant if you hold on for a long time.
The barbs on his back are the main source, someone who was pricked by them could die from the poison they inject. The same goes if he bit you. Generally you just don't wan't anything of his getting into your bloodstream
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Thank you
But that still doesn't answer my last question. The one about the merpeople wearing some form of protection. Are you going to answer it in the comic?Β
If that's the case then I understand and can wait.Β
Looking forward to a new page tomorrow if there is one.
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I kind of did; they don't need to. Touching him alone isn't very dangerous and will give you irritated skin at most
There should be a page tomorrow! I'm working on it
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So you did, sorry for the pestering. Thank you again
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This sounds weird but I get what you want to say. XD
By the way: I'm still working on my merm OC, which will be named Dariya. She's also poisonous just like urchin. Her appearance and colouring will be inspired by a mandarinfish, a beautiful but deadly fish. :3
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Thanks. :3
Dariya: *hugs Urchin* Don't you cry.
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I've just gotta quickly ask. How long is the chain and what is he chained to? A rock? An anchor?Β
And how come the chain and shackle haven't rusted after being underwater for all those years?
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You know, nobody has ever thought to ask that! It's something I've put great consideration into. Why is he "stuck" there? What could be keeping him confined to an underground cave? What is holding him there, and managed to do so for more than ten years? Surely he'd have explored the option that the other end of the chain could offer a way out.
I needed to think of something that would explain how a simple chain has managed to ruin his life. Making him unable to escape it. The thing I thought of is actually pretty interesting to my mer-world:
My options are I either go with something that he'd be unable to move, maybe something like an ancient shipwreck or something similar the he physically would not be able to force, though that does give me the problem of; in ten years, would you really not be able to detach a chain from something? No matter what it is, surely ten years would be long enough to do it.
So how about somewhere where you wouldn't go. Not even if your freedom depended on it. To help explain, I introduce the "Belize Blue Hole". Briefly speaking it's an incredibly large, incredibly deep, underwater sink hole. When I first found out about its existence it offered a eerie answer to this question.
The chain I imagine is much longer than you'd think. However he doesn't actually have much of it in the cave with him, if he follows the end, he can trail it right to the point if goes over the edge of a giant, underwater chasm. A chasm so deep that it goes well beyond the point of absolute darkness. Keeping in mind he already lives at practically the bottom of the ocean, such a thing is going to be quite intimidating.
My next thought is why wouldn't he just take the plunge, if he was desperate enough? What if this chasm is where the dispose of the dead. Nobody will know what is at the bottom, or at least nobody has ever survived going down there to tell about it. Maybe stories of something being down there, but again, nobody really knows what it is.
So the kind of dark thing here is that it's partly due to his own cowardice. The thought of surviving against all odds and then possibly throwing it all away for nothing. His and fear unwillingness to risk it all eats at him every day. What solidified it was when I got this question: comments.deviantart.com/1/6583β¦ his greatest fear would be having to confront this. Having to go down into an ancient graveyard and risk his life for something that he might not even find: freedom.
As for the rusting, I'd go with a more simple answer. A specially-made chain, a specific less-rusting and/or protected metal, etc xD
Nice question :}
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I kinda get what your saying. So the end of chain is most likely attached to "something" we currently don't know what that is sunk in the Blue Hole. If no one really has been down there how did they attach the chain in that "mysterious something" in the first place. Did the merperson who ventured into the Blue Hole to attach the chain never came out? Or did they attach the chain to a heavy object that several strong merpeople threw into the hole and for one reason or another kept him from seeing what that object was? Maybe to prevent him from seeing if the chain was detachable.
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I've always naturally assumed that the chain wasn't something put there especially for him, it probably has a story of it's own and was conveniently perfect enough to be used to leave someone for dead, which was what the Urchin was.
Maybe one day we will know its mysteries
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Really!!! So the chain was there prior to the merpeople's decision to shackle him to it. Was the shackle just added/welded to the chain? Because you did imply in an earlier comment that the shackle was child sized. How convenient that the chain was made from a metal that could survive for years, possibly centuries underwater. Β
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It might even be something other than a shackle, something that it could be used for but not designed to be, since unless it was specifically designed, a standard shackle you'd assume would fit an adult, not a child. Something interesting to think about, though I haven't really thought that far ahead.
It would be interesting if he was pulled into something totally separate by that random chance
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If that's the case then how did they get his hand in it and made sure that it was "stuck"?
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Well to do that it only had to be something that fastens, right?
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Now I'm more confused than ever. So that chain and that "shackle" were always there, somehow mysteriously appearing out of nowhere years ago and appears to be going into the Blue Hole. When the merpeople chained him up they somehow were able to fasten him to the "shackle" that was designed for something else.
When you do get to the part of when he is chained for the first time PLEASE be sure to be very clear as to how they chained him. Thank you.
If the chain and "shackle" were there before he was bound to it I wonder what kind of reputation the chain had. What kind of tales were told about the prior to him being bound? What kind of tales were told about him after he was bound to it?Β
I myself tried to imagine what kind of thought would be going through the heads of young merchildren when they heard about the chain. And the name "THE BLACK CHAIN" popped into my head.Β
As for the Blue Hole itself were the chain goes into; I started to imagine merchildren, both teenagers and elementary school aged children playing games of who could swim as close to the Blue Hole or to the Urchin (after he was chained) as possible before becoming scared.Β
The poor Urchin (after being chained so close to a foreboding place) probably has nightmares of whatever "THING" that's living in the Blue Hole escapes and eats him for he is chained and can't go anywhere. Or maybe he would also have nightmares of the dead merpeople (whose bodies were thrown into the Hole after death) suddenly rising up as skeletons or zombies and pulling him down chain and all into the Hole where he'll endure a literal hellish existence for all of eternity.
the Urchin could've also have developed a reputation as being "THE ONE TRAPPED IN LIMBO" or "THE GUARD OF THE UNDERWORLD" or something like that.
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I don't have many plans for the chain in this comic. It's a story for possibly another time that could be foreshadowed by this, try not to overthink it, ahah. xD I don't see the specifics being something necessary to the story at all
With the rest though, you pretty much hit the nail right on the head. The Urchin has since become known as somewhat of a fairy tale, I've even never publicly announced his name, even though he has one. His whole story revolves around being left to die and forgotten by everyone who once knew him, and he became a nameless something that has debated existence. No doubt children and teenagers do indeed do that!
I really like the idea of him being considered a sort of mythical being trapped between life and death, or "guard" as you put it, the fact that he is literally tied into the chasm could also tie their tales together, I really do like that idea a lot. I could quite easily add that into the story! :0
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I'm glad that I was able to provide a little inspiration. Because you said earlier that the "Blue Hole" he's chained to is a dumping ground for the bodies of the "departed" merfolk I figured that logically he would be considered a guard of the entrance to the Land of the Dead, kind of like Cerberus.
Do you think that the merpeople toss ALL their dead into the Blue Hole regardless of whether they were good or bad, rich or poor? Or do you think that the rich are buried in a beautiful and special underwater cemetery with marked graves and mausoleums, while the poor and the criminals that have been given the death penalty or who fail to repent for their sins are thrown into the Blue Hole after death?
Do U like my suggestions?
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Having one place to send the dead I think is a much easier way of doing things, regardless of who they are. It's a sure way of making sure they aren't found by humans for one. I think depending on who it is, they would have a different "send off" which could be almost like our equivalent of a funeral. Being said goodbye to and dropped down by friends and loved ones as opposed to being carelessly tossed in if you were a criminal of some sort. Stuff like that
I'm personally not a fan of incorporating human culture and society into a mer one. I don't like the idea of them having houses, towns, shops, furniture, and other things like that. Having no contact with humans, they wouldn't have evolved those things in the same way. An actual cemetery and graves is a very human thing, you certainly wouldn't see other species doing that.
And I wouldn't say this place IS the blue hole, I just gave that as an example xD I imagine this place to be a large ravine or crack in the very bottom of the ocean where no light reaches, and nothing to ever enter has come back out. Its likely many miles long, so the different types of people would not have to lie together at the bottom.. if there even is a bottom :}
You have given me some very good ideas, though. Talking to you helps me flesh out the ideas in my head ^^
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I've thought of a new name that the Urchin can be known by to the merpeople. How about "THE ONE WHO LIVES ON THE BRINK" this would certainly apply BOTH a LITERAL and MYTHOLOGICAL/FIGURATIVE viewpoint. He lives on the edge or BRINK of an unknown abyss and he's seen a merman trapped in limbo state between life and death, always living on the BRINK OF DEATH.Β
However I must warn you that this name is not original. While I was researching various sea monster myths for another Deviant I came across an evil sea monster from Finnish Paganism known as "Iku-Turso" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iku-Turs⦠and one of its names orepithets is "The One Who Lives on the Brink".
What do U think?
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I think that might be an interesting one to hint. While it's a little long for a name, a title or legend might be more appropriate. I'm honestly quite impressed with all the work and interest you're putting into him, ahah.
Sometimes it's more fun to be metaphorical with that kind of thing, it makes people feel smart and rewards them when they go that little extra mile to look into something. Straight up telling people things like this isn't as impactful.
Reading through this page is actually quite interesting, one thing to note about the Urchin is he's actually a mutant. No other merperson has poison in their body, yet he does. A very potent one at that. You probably noticed he is the only person that has black sclerae and purple colouring inside his mouth. These are the visual manifestations of that poison. It's the main reason he's down there in the first place. It's not much of a stretch to draw lines between him and a "god of death"
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Thank you for replying so soon and thank you for taking my ideas into consideration and thank you for helping me understand your character.
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