Herman and Salmacis

Herman Prodytus and Salmacis

Bio:

Herman Prodytus and Salmacis are two VanHelseus Society members that are rather unique. They are a human male and a water nymph that have been fused together into one body. They were originally two separate beings but got fused to with one another. According to them, they got this way when the two of them got into Salmacis' sacred spring at the same time. Apparently, the spring had some sort of magical properties that allowed them to be fused. This is something that they both agree upon and state as an explanation of their rather embarrassing predicament. How exactly the two of them got into the spring in the first place though however differs between the two of them.

According to Herman, he first entered the spring to take a bath. Seeing no one around, he saw nothing wrong with the act. Having spent some time in the water, he decided to take a nap in some of the more shallower parts of the spring. However before he could fully enjoy his rest, he was interrupted by Salmacis who popped out of nowhere, and that's when the the so called "fusion" happened. Salmacis on the other hand states otherwise. According to her, she was already in the spring cleansing herself beforehand. When she heard what could have been a nasty satyr, she swam into the deeper parts of the spring to avoid unwanted company. After awhile, she decided that it was safe to come out. However before she could resurface, some idiot suddenly jumped into the spring. That idiot was Herman and him colliding with Salmacis underwater was when the "fusion" happened.

Regardless of whose story is the true one, the two of them both agree that their current predicament definitely had something to do with the spring. Apart from that though, the two of them also agree that they both can't stand each other. Other than the extreme violation of close space, they both feel they can't live their lives fully being stuck to one another. For example, if Herman wants to explore some frozen cavern, he can't since his watery counterpart would freeze instantly and thus, he would be forced to carry around a hunk of ice not to mention risk a higher chance of hypothermia. For another example on the other hand, if Salmacis wants to play with the fishes, she can't since her air breathing counterpart would drown and thus, she would be forced to save him which is extremely annoying especially since Herman "doesn't know how the fuck to swim" other than wading like a kid when in the shallows. Such situations, along with the various polar differences between the two of them, have forced both Herman and Salmacis to look for a way to separate each other.

Their search for a solution to their problem eventually brought them to the employment of the VanHelseus Society. Though they aren't exactly motivated by what the organization stands for, they hope that by staying around long enough they could eventually find a cure. Despite Herman and Salmacis being motivated by their own selfish vendetta, the rest of the organization though however feel that they could count on the two of them. In any case, the two of them at least provide some humor. For all of their stated differences that drive each other bonkers, the rest of the organization feels they actually have some things in common. Some proof of this is whenever Herman spots a cute girl that isn't Salmacis. He would display some rather lewd expressions that would naturally make Salmacis scoff at him and say that she is better than him. Her ranting however would abruptly end when a cute guy that isn't Herman suddenly pops up and she would hypocritically display the same lewd expressions as Herman had done beforehand. Such situations have happened several times as well as in reverse order.

The way Herman and Salmacis function as a fused being is rather unique. It's kinda like jello or an amoeba to an extent. Each can somewhat morph their original respective body parts from "out" of their shared body to a certain degree. However in order for some parts to properly appear, parts belonging to their counterpart apparently need to be "sucked in". So for instance, if Herman wants to look normal without looking like part woman, he simply forces down Salmacis' body parts down into their body either semi-automatically or forcefully with his own hands. This doesn't necessarily include Salmacis' head since it seems both of them are capable of appearing at the same time but considering the heads on this shared body, well... As such there have been various power struggles over who gets to be "in control" to say. Herman and Salmacis could theoretically both appear fully at the same time, as in two heads, fours arms, and four feet. However, that would kinda require both them to not only cooperate with each other but also cooperating in a situation that's probably more embarrassing especially since such a form has more than just heads and limbs out at the same time.

Other than their arguments with one another, Herman and Salmacis' fused body is above all a constant source of embarrassment and squick for them. The squick factor though is more expressed by others than them. It's especially high for those who are allowed to exam their body fully, which is why they wear the clothes they wear constantly. However, exactly why is their body the way it is. They both agree that it was the spring that did it but they don't exactly know how it did it. Was it magic or something else, they don't really know. Some VanHelseus scientists, as well others, believe it might partially be attributed to Salmacis' natural water nymph attributes but there isn't exactly conclusive evidence. In any case, both Herman and Salmacis search for a cure while employed in the VanHelseus Society if not for their own separate selfish desires, at least to regain their lost decency.

Notes:

*Based on the myth of Hermaphroditus [link]
*I actually completed this pic a long time ago but had mixed feelings. Also real life stuff happened I guess.
*I guess a song that could complement these two would probably be "If I didn't have you" from Quest for Camelot. I know the song is about a two-headed dragon but hey at least the plight is similar I guess.