I Can't Remember

**I Can't Remember**, alternatively **It's a Shame (That I Can't Remember)**, is a spin-off and continuation of The Little Mermaid 2 reboot, The Little Mermaid II: History Repeats.

Decades after the passing of his wife and daughter, the worsened relationship between octopans and merfolk endangers Orson's life, forcing him to leave the ocean and take on a human form.

Time causes him to forget the faces he's met in the past and inexplicable feelings emerge when he sees a girl who looks like the deceased Melody. He decides to reveal his true self to her, which puts their friendship to the test.

The story was conceived somewhere around the start of 2022, and artwork officially released at Deviantart on July 22.

## Story

> **CHAPTER 1: Introduction**When Melody physically surpasses Orson in age and enters her elderly years, he brings up his desire to die with her, but she begs him not to abandon their daughter as her only family. After her passing, he acts stoic for Oceana's sake, but uncertainty for the future grows as he witnesses his half-octopan daughter go down the same path.
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> With his mother and only other friend long gone, Orson expects to end up alone and reconsiders his wish for a premature departure.
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> During Oceana's last moments, he expresses his worry of forgetting their faces if he continues on living multiple lifetimes, especially if he's not granted access to the Atlantican palace and the visual memorabilia it holds of their royalty. Oceana doubts his memory is that feeble and tells him not to work himself up over it, either way.
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> She tries to console her young father by telling him not to throw everything away just because their bodies have run their course quicker, and it's fine to move on and "make another half-beast with some foreign dummy".
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> Orson discards her loose opinions, believing it to come from someone who knows they won't be alive to care, and yet, becomes stuck between honouring his perished family's wishes and ending the unconsolable grief he knows will one day become inexplicable to him.
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> The silence and purposelessness now filling his days cause Orson to suffer from spiralling emotions. Moments of listlessness bleed over to destructive rage, and contemplations of suicide are aplenty. Knowing that Melody and Oceana would want him to get over it is keeping him alive, though the motivation to create purpose for himself remains absent.
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***CHAPTER 2: More Than 3 Days of War**
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> Many years pass, and the relationship between octopans and merpeople have worsened to serious degrees. After the octopans made multiple attempts at taking over the Atlantican palace, merpeople expanded their weapons and force.
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> When they begin producing replicas of the late Triton's trident and a witch hunt is organized against white-haired octopans, the one-sidedness of the battle becomes clear. Merpeople adapt a brand of ruthlessness never seen before in the species, and with powerful magic on their side, the octopans are forced to admit they're in over their heads.
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> With human civilization modernizing and expanding their reach in ocean territory as well, octopans experience trouble retreating and building new homes, free from disturbance.
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> They visit Orson for help, who is one of their last remaining witches. He's surprised to see them at his door, considering he married a mermaid and remained neutral in a war he's expected not to be.
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> The visitors admit that he and his hybrid daughter -who have visited octopan establishments more than once- would've been killed on the spot if they had known sooner, but admit there's no point in hunting down traitors now that the war has been lost.
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> Orson asks what they came for, and they tell him they wish to retreat from the sea and find peace on land. He's asked if he knows transformation magic; and the familiarity of the request kindles his memories of Melody, lifting his spirits somewhat.
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> Though Orson doesn't care about playing the hero, the gust of dopamine-filled nostalgia after the many years of gloom has him take this chance to do something Melody would've supported.
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> He tells them to try, if they're fine being his guinea pigs and won't forget this favour he's done them. Desperation has them gladly accept any risk that comes with being exposed to an amateur witch.
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> Orson's long weeks of practise pay off, and every transformation looks more believable than the last. News spread fast and octopans show up in droves to have themselves get turned human and escape the hostile waters. Merpeople learn about it too and consider it an act of betrayal -proving they consciously left Orson be, thanks to his recorded marriage with princess Melody. Orson is warned about this by visiting clients.
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> He contemplates embracing his murder; knowing he'll never get that desired mental push to do it himself, and willing to accept his aid to the octopan race as proper closure to his life. Even so, the more octopans report to him, the greater his hesitation becomes.
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> When the royal army is practically at his doorstep, he's forced to admit it'd cause Melody pain if her family were to kill her husband, and hastily follows his last customers to the surface.
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> He emerges as an unsuspicious human man and adapts the name "Cadenus".
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> The beached humans assemble and unanimously grant Orson the position of octopan leader, which he does not entertain. He takes his leave, but is followed by his grateful stalkers to whatever town or city he chooses to make his home. One day, they reach the United States.
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> As human territory and tools keep developing, though, other mythological sea creatures begin to feel the pressure. Not wanting to be discovered, merpeople agree to use their tridents to turn everyone either human or fish, including themselves. The age of the mythological comes to an end and merpeople join the disguised octopans on land.
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***CHAPTER 3: More Than 3 Days a Human**
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> Orson gets to experience the rise of metal, hard rock, and similar music genres he's long been a fan and performer of. He's finally found something to share with like-minded people and starts a rock band.
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> With octopans still shadowing him, his fellow performers are perceivably/assumed to be his kind, and a new one is recruited every few months, since their selfish nature and urge to bicker makes it hard to stay a unity. Their most common intention of joining is to get involved with their revered leader and enjoy the fame of being a performer, which Orson tolerates for the sake of his hobby and profession.
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> With his surroundings consisting out of fans and opportunistic colleagues, Orson can't call anyone his friend. He avoids bonding with the general human population, as even in the body of a human his slow ageing process remained and many precautions need to be made in order to keep the world clueless about his true self. His ID is constantly altered by employed octopans in government organizations, and whenever his fame grows too big, he disappears until his name has entered irrelevance.
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> Orson advises his followers also not to engage with whoever they assume is human, though these instructions pose no challenge for the octopans, who already feel no attraction to the human form, even after having had one for many years. They mostly stay within their own community and use subtle mannerisms and conversation subjects to pick out outsiders.
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> Yet, Orson ignores his own advise when he sees a young woman at one of his concerts, pushing herself through the audience to get in his view. Despite the many years that passed and her thick make-up and matching fashion style, the details of her face awaken a sense of familiarity. He nearly ruins his performance and makes eye contact with her often. The surprising amount of recognition he gives the fan visibly flusters her.
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> He tries to collect his thoughts during break time, but makes no further progress than the conclusion he wants to see her up close.
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> In order to mingle with the crowd without getting jumped, he wears a pink hoodie, and it works, go figure. He finds her at the bar, and as an attempt to get on friendly, casual terms with her, asks the barman to bring her hot chocolate. The girl is confused by the offer, since it's not alcohol, and looks around with a somewhat insulted expression. Her eyes then meet Orson's, suddenly standing next to her.
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> He carefully starts off like any artist would; and asks her if she's enjoying herself. Her words are nonsensical stutters, but he ignores the embarrassing display and replies like she's actually said something.
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> Though her crush on him is unsubtle and she enjoys the attention, Orson can also see there're moments of hesitation at keeping the conversation going. The randomness of his visit makes her worry he sees her as a groupie and has shallow intentions, and eventually, Orson concludes this needs more time.
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> Before taking his leave, he thanks her for coming and remarks to hope and see her again.
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> As he's never before had to put effort into befriending or courting someone, Orson suspects to have given off creepy vibes and chased her away, yet at his next concert, spots the same firey red high ponytail trying to squeeze itself to the front of the stage.
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> Orson repeats his last tactic and buys her hot chocolate during break. This time he asks for her name, which she reveals to be "Destiny". Orson doesn't know what makes him cringe harder, her name or her appearance, but keeps all rude opinions to himself for as long he's unsure what makes him drive him to her in the first place.
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> He tries to start a conversation again, but when she exudes the same uncertainty and mistrust as last time, says his goodbye.
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***CHAPTER 4: More Than 3 Days With Destiny**
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> Destiny is, despite everything, interested in repeating their meetings. She attends every music performance, where she battles the crowd to get in Orson's sight. This becomes her sign that she wishes to speak to him, while Orson assures her he'll show by having chocolate milk delivered.
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> Keeping an appropriate distance helps Destiny become more comfortable around him, and she drops the fangirl act, allowing for their conversations to gain more substance. Though Orson never explained what made him want to talk to her in the first place, his uncharacteristically pink hoodie convinced her he likes her "cool" fashion style and wants to connect with someone who also appreciates painfully bright colours. After a few days of unwanted fashion tips, Orson decides to break her heart and says to dislike the look. If said at any earlier point in time, it would've ended in tears.
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> While he keeps many things to himself and doesn't act less reserved in her presence, their interactions come with mutual understanding, like they've know each other for years. His feelings for her puzzle him, as her personality alone should annoy and disgust him, yet his incurable loneliness is soothed just by hearing her voice. Her face helps him recall memories of a similar woman who was once part of his life.
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> Eventually, Orson suggests more casual settings to meet up in, to which Destiny agrees. The two unlikely friends go to parks, theaters, restaurants, and malls, all places Orson cares nothing about, but partakes in just to experience her smile.
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> His band members complain he's always bailing on practise and argue Destiny's definitely human, as if he didn't know. As to quiet their meddling, he states to have never needed practise and lies she might very well be an octopan. They're convinced she's not, to which Orson says they can't know, since they've never interacted with her.
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> They offer to do so, but he sees no reason for his self-appointed lackeys to pry in his relationships.
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> At their next show, they jump Destiny to ask a handful of seemingly random questions before Orson can find and break them up. Her answers are multi-interpretable, like her claim to have eaten shark before, be good at swimming, but the ocean making her feel unsafe. Considering the reason octopans left the sea, it's relatable, but it's hard to ignore her bright clothing and social behaviour, which is not normal for their kind.
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> They share their opinions with Orson, who still doesn't care for it, yet the inconclusiveness of their interrogation sticks in the back of his mind. He entertains the possibility she could be one of them, even while knowing these thoughts are fed by his desire to have a durable partner.
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> At the same time, memories of Orson's past return every time he engages with her, and after many weeks, he understands how eerily similar she is to Melody. Whenever the octopan theory feels forced, he wonders if Destiny is her reincarnation, in need of memory stimulation herself.
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> He grows impatient and desperate to take their relationship to the next stage, but realizes he's told her little to nothing about himself and the one thing that could boost her memory, his true body, is hidden behind a stranger's face.
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> He chooses to risk it all and invites her over to his dressing room, hoping to silence his foolish expectations, and discover whether she's a fellow octopan or Melody reborn.
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> He starts off by telling her he doesn't want to keep secrets, and without much preparation, explains to be a creature of the sea. It's not taken seriously, officially crossing off the octopan theory. Orson goes on to warn her for what he's about to do, but it does not alarm her in the slightest.
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> A large, tentacled man then rips out of the human shell that was once Cadenus like it's cloth. The sight is disturbing and surreal. Destiny screeches in terror, her eyes widened like she's witnessing a murder.
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> She doesn't stick around to let him speak and instantly sprints out of the room. Orson's heart becomes concrete.
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***CHAPTER 5: More Than 3 Days of Uncertainty**
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> Orson is struggling to recast the transformation spell after breaking it for Destiny. His skill level and the fact it's been many years since he used magic doesn't make it possible to do this in a timely manner. He can't perform with the band and leaves them clueless on what happened by calling in sick until his human form has been reinstated.
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> 2 months later, he's back on stage, and surprised to see Destiny attending his shows still. Nevertheless, she does not approach and refuses to meet in private. Because of this, he wonders if she's doubting the validity of what she saw that day. He tries reaching out to her like normal, but she flees from the hot chocolates he sends her way.
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> Not knowing how to force contact without repeating last time, he hopes it'll run its course, and stops buying drinks for her to ignore.
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> One day, she catches him off-guard with a visit to his dressing room. She greets him, but can't look him in the eyes. Not knowing what to say after purposely ignoring him for so many days, she gets to the point and carefully brings up her "hallucination" of having seen him transform into a beast. She jokes if he spiked her drink that day, but Orson sees no value in gaslighting her and confirms he is the beast. Destiny looks disappointed by his honesty, but at the same time, still seems unsure. She states not to understand what she witnessed, but to value their relationship too much to let it to end like this.
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> Her nervousness is making it hard to carry on the discussion and Orson wants to cut it short by promising not to show himself again, which also rubs her the wrong way. Because he's admitted not to like her appearance, without his love getting affected by it, Destiny wants to copy the sentiment and confront the monster. With little else to lose, Orson agrees to the request.
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> Since it takes long to transform back into a human, she's instructed to look at the dresser's mirror this time. Destiny jumps when she sees Orson's reflection has changed. She gawks at his unconcealed image, standing behind her like a possessed shadow.
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> After some time, she tries to lighten up the mood and comments on his new haircut. Orson clarifies to have shaved and cut his hair to make him less intimidating, in case they were to repeat this. She smirks in response, making him believe he may approach, but the smallest movements make her flinch like an abused dog.
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> While she's very much caught up in her own emotions, Orson's facial expression doesn't evade her, and a mixture of fear and guilt takes over. She attempts to play it casual again, but he says all of this not to matter, as he's not planning on discarding his disguise, only having shed it out of trust for her. Destiny says that's a good reason to be polite, if any.
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> He's tired of seeing her force herself, though, and his reflection reverts back. She insists not to give up on getting to know the real him and exits the room when his driver arrives to pick him up. Her moderate smile is the only thing that felt genuine during the interaction and makes Orson optimistic he's not lost yet.
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> After this event, their old life resumes like nothing happened. He suspects she's still under the illusion she made it up, but one day, finds Destiny acting restless again. Before the day ends and they part ways, she expresses wanting to visit his house and spend time with his octopan self.
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> She awaits his response, her eyes big and full of suspense, until given another confirmation there's indeed a beast inside of him and she wasn't drugged.
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> Though Orson doubts she'll be able to keep calm while stuck in a location she can't easily escape, he understands her desire of wanting to accept him and doesn't know how to decline, so doesn't.
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***CHAPTER 6: More Than 3 Minutes With the Beast**
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> On the agreed day, they drive to Orson's house, appearing to be a relatively small cottage next to a gushing river, surrounded by sun-blocking trees. Destiny is surprised it's not a mansion, to which he replies to value his privacy and prefer small spaces.
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> Inside, she gets to the point and tells him to ditch the facade; his human form. He asks if she's ready for it this time, but knowing she won't be happy either way, begins shedding the disguise.
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> Orson emerges from Cadenus, black tentacles spreading all across the small, dim-lit living room. It's a horror movie scene, but Destiny makes like a statue and bites her lip.
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> Much like last time, any sudden movement causes her to flinch. She can't get her eyes off the long legs slithering across the floor, like she's worried they will rise up and choke her if she breaks her gaze. It's hard for Orson to get her attention, so he decides to let her collect her thoughts in front of the TV, while he makes the necessary start to his new transformation potion in his bedroom. Surprisingly, Destiny doesn't stay put and is quick to follow after him.
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> She peeks at him from behind the door, and he gives her his best, reassuring smile, which he's not known to be good at. Destiny's head shoots back.
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> Though his friendly faces need work, he is the master of gloom, and a regretful Destiny slowly enters to start a conversation about the stalled out ingredients on his desk. She learns what it's for, though the large tongue-like item confuses her the most. Orson admits it might not be necessary, but doesn't know what replacement to settle with for what's originally one of his mother's formulas. This spawns the question if there are more creatures like him out there, which he confirms to be so.
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> The reveal that there're many fake humans roaming the planet worries Destiny, so he assures his kind is not out for trouble and simply wanted to escape a losing war. She asks if other supernatural things exist, and Orson mentions the merfolk that persecuted them, but is not familiar with land-based beings like "pixies" and "gnomes".
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> Destiny's response makes it clear she wasn't asking out of pleasant curiosity, and is not excited to learn that the many fairy tale creatures people have written about may very well exist. She expressed a particular fear for demons, like vampires, but Orson recalls the many books and movies that romanticize the species. She explains that the point of a vampire is to appear charming to lure in prey, and humans love the idea of being special enough to earn a powerful demon's protection, something she deems implausible.
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> She then gives the fanged man -hard at work on his "beauty potion"- a long stare. The question if he's a "water vampire" is a first for him and he denies the presumption. His admission to having a long life span and being a carnivore doesn't help, but she lets the subject slide.
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> It's hard to concentrate whilst talking, thus Orson decides to enchant the contract first. As he's writing, he notices his guest is again staring down his lower body. She notices him looking as well, so says they remind her of crawling creatures, implying she's vermi- and ophidiophobic.
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> Even so, Orson sees that her expression isn't that subtle either whilst checking out his torso and face -less delicate than that of the heartthrob, Cadenus. He turns to her and offers to have his driver take her home, but almost as expected, she refuses.
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> Like she has something to prove, she walks to the back of the room and sits on the floor, his thick tentacles politely moving out of the way for her feet to land. He allows her to poke and eventually grab one of the limbs, whereafter he feels her ever so carefully mess around with the suction cups. The silence in the room is deafening.
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> The tentacle slowly holds her hand and rubs it reassuringly, which doesn't calm her nerves, but does invite her to surround herself with the nightmarish limbs some more. She takes a deep breath and drags another tentacle her way, to sit on like a bench, her body palpably shivering. Orson forms a back rest for her and caresses her whenever the moment allows for it. She says nothing and does nothing.
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> Before night falls, he offers to call his driver again, but she insists on staying for dinner. He orders take-out and Destiny bears witness to his changed dinner table etiquette; where he basically swallows his bucket-sized kebab whole. She cautiously asks about his diet and if he can have non-meats, like the ones in her container, but Orson replies he can't digest greens and gets no nutrition from bread.
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> After some basic trivia is shared, like the huge food quantities octopans need and how the human form reduces it, she brings forth the bold question if he's ever eaten a mermaid or a human. Orson wonders if she'd even believe his answer, but says to have never heard an octopan entertain the thought.
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> Destiny looks at her leftovers and hands him the meat. He smirks hunger won't make him turn on her, but she smirks back it's good to be sure and "important to take care of your water vampire". If he orders her ice cream, she says to gladly give it up.
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> After dinner, they agree to watch a movie together, still, Destiny's eyes keep shifting down to the floor, watching the ends of his tentacles jerk and squirm every few seconds. Orson feels dehydrated, but doesn't want to retreat to the garden now that Destiny has somewhat warmed up to him.
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> When the night is at its darkest, he gets up and informs her to summon her ride home, but she desires to stay.
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***CHAPTER 7: More Than a 3 Day Stay**
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> Destiny is given Orson's bed after the announcement he's transforming into a dried Chinese snack and has to spend the night in the river outside.
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> The next morning, she wakes up with her mind reset. The desk has been cleared out and she's forever in denial, making last night seem like a fever dream. When she recognizes some of the items in the room and confirms it's Cadenus' house, she becomes petrified with shock, believing they shared a bed.
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> She inspects the other rooms, finding them empty, until she reaches the garden and witnesses a monster she's seen way too often emerge from the river. Destiny faints like a damsel in distress.
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> Inside and back to her senses, she contemplates sleeping over until Orson has finished his potion, but he warns that might take at least a month. She considers that an ideal amount of time to get used to the fact he exists.
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> The following days are filled with fun highs and concerning lows, but in the end, Destiny remains true to her word and faces her fears by sticking around. Since Orson is in every way like the Cadenus she's always known, her focus is eventually turned away from his animalistic features.
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> Her perceptible acceptance of him boosts Orson's confidence, and he wants to break down the artificial wall of platonic love he's always kept between them.
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> As a last test of trust, he asks her to join him outside in the river. Destiny looks down at the tentacle soup and jokes if the plan is to drown her and bury her corpse "with the others". He replies that to be a mermaid thing and pulls her in. She yelps not to be wearing a swimsuit, but there's literally no one around to care.
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> His last remark steers the conversation to merpeople, whom she hadn't asked anything about since the first time they were mentioned. He shares a few statements, but doesn't want to say much more, since they're the enemies of his kind.
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> Questions are then asked about the war that forced them out of the sea, until the two are close enough for an embrace, bleeding over to a kiss, the intensity growing the longer it goes on.
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> But in his passion, Orson utters Melody's name, someone Destiny has never been acquainted with. She detaches herself from his face, both looking shocked by the slip-up. Believing he has his mind set on a woman he's been with during their time of separation, she exits the water and runs off. Orson's calling is not answered to.
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> He lets her retreat inside his bedroom, whereafter sniffling's heard behind the door. He knocks and it turns quiet.
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> He slowly explains himself, revealing to have married a human many years ago who looked like her, but there's still no response. Orson knocks again, and upon opening the door, sees Destiny has fled through the window.
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***CHAPTER 8: More Than 3 half-centuries ago**
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> Destiny moves with haste through the forest area to find the main road, her eyes watering over the assumed betrayal. It's a long walk, but her heightened emotions give her no perception of time.
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> When she finds the road, she looks around for a car to catch a ride from, but there's no traffic and has to keep on going by foot.
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> Suddenly, loud footsteps are heard. She looks back and sees a giant man heading for her in frightening speed, making her fight-or-flight instincts go wild. After realizing it's a more recognizable humanification of Orson, her feelings of hurt return and she continues running away from him.
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> Orson grabs her, but she pulls away, not wanting to be touched. She sobs to be disgusted by him.
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> He tries to repeat the same things he's said to the empty room, but Destiny is not convinced he suddenly mistook her for an old flame he never mistook her as before. He explains his wife was forgotten by him for a long time, only making things more confusing. Destiny wants to take off again, but Orson gets on a knee and asks her to give him the benefit of the doubt.
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> She looks at her first love and wants to believe she carries the face of the most important person in his life, long passed, yet can't shake the fear there's a real chance he planned on moving on because of her inconsiderate treatment of him. She tries swallowing her tears, and says he's free to spend time with whoever he wants, since they were never official, but Orson doesn't want her monologue to go down this road and stops her. He tells her there hasn't been anyone else for multiple half-centuries.
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> She raises her head to take in his expression, then recalls the many before it; all faces she's never seen Cadenus pull in real life or any TV recording prior to getting introduced to one another. She thinks back to the randomness of their first interaction and how he's never explained why he wanted to be friends with someone so different from himself.
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> After having attended multiple of his shows and not witness him speak to any girl, or most people at all, she begins to feel convinced there's more to the story than what she made up in her head.
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> Orson subtly pulls her towards him, until she's back in his arms. He pets her head and back, gradually calming her down. Her arms return the favour and wrap themselves around his abdomen. She mutters not to be a great person to have as a girlfriend, to which he responds most of it is to blame on his failure to properly share info with her. The rest her taste of fashion.
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***CHAPTER 9: More Than 3 Generations**
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> Destiny wants Orson to stay true to himself as much as possible and requests he keeps his current human form. Since all merpeople from the past have long perished, there's no worry of being recognized and punished for the aid he provided octopans.
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> Not wanting to steal the popular Cadenus' spot in the eyes of his fans, Orson distances himself from his band and starts anew, reporting "Cadenus" to have gone into early retirement.
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> He and Destiny soon marry, and the genetic incompatibility between humans and octopans is slightly circumvented thanks to his human form, resulting into 3 children over the span of 20 years. The boys have no octopanic oddities in their behaviour or appearance, and fit in nicely with their surroundings. Seeing them enjoy life, find love, and start a family of their own gives Orson a feeling of peace he could never experience with his first child.
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> But as Destiny too is growing older, reaching the point their offspring will notice their father isn't, Orson brings up a few ideas on how to deal with the issue. Though painful to their sons, he suggests matters like faking abandonment or death, making Destiny cackle. She prefers a solution that'll ensure he won't end up alone again and wants him to show himself to the children. Orson finds it a dangerous move in a time period where cameras are everywhere and humanity has grown less convinced of the existence of otherworldly creatures. She argues he's been doing fine in this age of recording devices so far, and if their children are anything like their parents, his secret will be safe.
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> After some hesitance, he agrees to inform them. Destiny grins they can always claim it was a practical joke in case they freak out.
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> The reveal is not instantly accepted, but the boys don't tell anyone what they witnessed and come around. It becomes a family secret that's shared with every new generation, and though it requires plenty of effort where Orson, or a still oblivious family member, has to visit each other and get exposed to his hidden form, it pays off and he's no longer alone.
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> Nevertheless, time deteriorates all and his happiness is relatively short-lived.
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> Destiny's solution doesn't cure his craving to see the face of Melody and his children, and after 400 years, the emotional connection he used to share with his family is no more. An unintended power dynamic has been set because of the fact he's an ancient, spell-casting sea beast, and his human descendants can't relate to him. Nervous, unsolicited grovelling becomes a common greeting.
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> Orson doesn't know how to distance himself or reconnect with his many great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren. Their shared blood, though water at this point, is somewhat considered a prideworthy secret by his distant relatives; and he's invited to parties and celebrations as if he's a good luck charm.
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> With no one who has genuine love for him, but still wanted around, he feels stuck, and the feeling of listlessness again takes hold of him.
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> One seemingly random day, he's asked to meet a family halfway for a body reveal at another relative's house. As this concerns a girl who's no longer a small child, many family members show up as support, in case she doesn't take it well.
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> Orson arrives and sits himself down in a large chair, clearly meant for him. The people in the room either avoid eye-contact or cater to him with a rehearsed smile, as if he's royalty in their midst. He barely speaks to anyone and is visibly waiting for the night to end.
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> The family in question then arrives after their long flight, and a distant, cheerful voice fills up the silent room.
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> A father with his daughter show up, and when her face turns to the distractingly large Orson, he sees *her*.
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## The "hupans" explained

"Hupans" is the term for octopans turned human, though not used in the story.

Despite their human-like features, octopans qualify as beasts and don't possess human DNA. To turn one human takes a talented witch, like Ursula, whose formula Orson adopted.

While she managed to warp her actual body, hupans generally don't enjoy the security of a properly modified body because of the fact it's so biologically different; and their appearance can be best described as an over-glorified suit that alters whatever it can about the real person inside. No magic or assistance is needed to abort the transformation, just the octopan's will.

Orson's hupans came with flaws, and he could not erase their carnivorous needs, ability to breathe underwater, adjust their life span, or give them enough pores to allow them to sweat and cool down on a hot day. He did manage to compress the size of some of the larger octopans, the amount of food intake needed, and achieved an above neglectable percentage of reproductive compatibility with the human race, making it theoretically possible to conceive a child with this otherwise incompatible species.

When put under a scientific lens, hupans will appear fully human and not raise any suspicion.

## Characters

### Cadenus

"Cadenus" (*pronounced: "Cah-duh-nus"*) is the pseudonym Orson gave himself when he emerged on land. He's around 300 years old when he meets Destiny, with the appearance of someone in his 30s.

Before taking on a new identity, he was emotionally restricted and did the bare minimum to keep himself alive. Not unusual for octopans who establish a deep relationship with somebody, he couldn't handle the death of his family and their request to move on wasn't understood.

On land, his demeanour remained much the same, until the rise of loud music genres and he found himself a distraction.

As Cadenus, he's the singer and guitarist for the rock band, "Dømt" (*pronounced: "dumt"*; Danish for "doomed/convicted"), set up by him. The other members are assumed to be octopans as well, though the drummer is eventually replaced by a disguised merman, who is notably agreeable compared to the others, often fighting amongst themselves.

Because octopans have not evolved with memory storage capabilities that match their long life span, which is only best comparable to that of a regular human, Orson gradually forgot details of his past, with the most severe losses being what his family looked and sounded like. When he took on the form of a human, his brain seemingly wanted to correct itself for the many years he's been alive, causing huge chunks of his past to become lost almost instantly.

With no memorabilia or contacts to reminisce with about the past, the shared experiences faded, and eventually, the fact he had a family at all. Lingering loneliness and sorrow remained, for which Orson could not give a reason.

Though he's drawn to Melody's lookalike, Destiny, he dislikes almost everything about her. Her appearance bothers him, even though it's nothing out of the ordinary for girls from that time period, but her identical personality to his late wife is what makes him tolerate it all.

As his relationship with her grows and his memories return, moments of desperate denial make him entertain nonsense. On some days, he wonders if she's the literal reincarnation of his wife, on others, that she could be a submissive octopan with whom he can enjoy a full life with.

There was hesitation to become romantic with her, as he didn't want to relive his short marriage with Melody, yet frustration and the desire to have her pushed him to risk it all and show off his true body. She didn't take it well and the incident made Orson realize that Melody's careless obliviousness was an underappreciated blessing. Seeing Destiny repulsed by the sight of him made him loathe himself and ever more willing to leave his octopan side behind. After she came around and had scolded herself for her response, he agreed to wear a less deceptive human disguise and continues through life looking more like his old self.

As an octopan, Orson has not visibly aged since History Repeats, but stopped cutting his hair after Oceana's passing, nor had the motivation to shave. After the first time he showed himself to Destiny, he figured his unkempt appearance didn't help and tidied himself up.

Orson looks entirely different as a human, unlike the first attempt he made when visiting Melody on land, though there are small features inspired by his octopan self. As Cadenus, he has messy black hair, blue eyes, plenty of beauty marks on his body, is shorter, has a lighter build, and a more delicately shaped face in general, though there's still an air of intimidation. The one trait entirely identical to his true self are his eyebrows.

As stated in the story, Orson was the last octopan to be turned human, with plenty of prior practise. He looks the "most successful" out of everyone, while most other octopans look like a colour palette-swapped version of themselves.

### Destiny

Destiny is a Melody lookalike and Orson's love interest. She is in her 20s.

She attends Dømt's performances often and was initially drawn in by its name, since her parents are from Denmark. She's bilingual, but other than that, not that involved with the country.

Early in her relationship with Orson, she worried she was a disposable groupie to him, but her awestruck fangirl act disappeared and they became close friends, even though he remained somewhat hesitant to become romantic with her.

She's much like Melody, with some differences being the fact she enjoys Orson's music and has an extremely low tolerance for "monsters". While Melody was oblivious and never questioned Orson's appearance and hostile behaviour upon their first meeting, Destiny responded to his real self with fear and distrust.

Though she's already turned off by animals one could call dangerous or off-putting, she also guessed her response to stem from surprise over the fact fairy tales creatures and the supernatural are real. She's told Orson that the concept of vampires, let alone the possibility they could exist, stress her out.

She's drawn to conventionally handsome, delicate men and small, cutesy creatures, making Orson fit the mould of everything she doesn't like. Still, she was determined to acquaint herself with his intimidating posture and face, as he showed her the same courtesy. Eventually, she concluded that Orson is just a different side of the coin that is Cadenus.

Destiny wears excessive make-up; consisting out of deep-red lipstick, pink eyeshadow, and dark-purple fake lashes and nail polish. She has bright, red-dyed hair, usually worn in a high ponytail or knot, tweaked eyebrows, and a preference for neon-bright clothing.

After learning more about Orson's preference concerning girls -or rather, how he preferred to see her- she decided to give the natural look a try, though with hesitance.

While she feels embarrassed and naked without the application of a cosmetic product, she tells herself "her rebellious teenage days are long over, anyway" and her new style grows on her, if only because Orson appears enamoured by it.

## Trivia

* Seether's "Same Damn Life" inspired the title and overall choice to create the story.
* The name "Cadenus" has the same origin as "Vanessa"; the name Ursula chose when she turned herself human.
* Orson chose to send Destiny hot chocolate because of Melody's preference to sweet foods, though it was an unconscious decision;
	+ She initially wasn't charmed and considered it a "toddler's drink", making her believe he saw her as a child.
* After having witnessed Orson make food, where he refused to use certain tools and laid down suspicious lines of salt as a way of measurement for bread dough, Destiny suggested the possibility he's a flawed witch because he can't cook;
	+ Orson never cooked prior to taking on a human form and engaging with Destiny.