[ Eric was a goddamn saint in comparison. ]

I don't disagree. Would it not be better for him to learn of what his misdeeds caused? To say that his poor companion saved him from drowning, and then sacrificed nearly everything to be with him--only for him to reject her at the last moment, condemning her to death. Even then, she still loved him and wished for his happiness. Would that not be the best lesson for him, to have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life? Atonement is always a choice, and the mermaid princess was not completely damned.

[ERIC WAS CUTE AND HE ALSO HAD A DOG

also he drove a ship into a giant sea witch, that checks off at least some criteria for "keeper" material]

That sounds like the more reasonable path to take. Although.....granted, I don't know how I would have reacted if it was me, without the buffer of the story being fiction.

Well, I think you can relax on that front. It's not like I have a time limit.

[ nor did she promise jag her undying love, but you know ]

[he manages something like a smile]

I suppose not.

Now, then. All that's left to do is wait.

[ or should she sing an opera while she still has her vocal chords ]

[Akasha Sucks, in E Minor]

Would you like to do something to pass the time?

Such as?

[suddenly wishing he had brought a pack of cards]

There's always the usual guessing game, I suppose. We each think of an object and try to figure out what it is.