brucewhite - Tumblr blog

[brucewhite]

Bruce understood that— really, he wished he could tell Luca just how deeply he understood that. How dangerous scared people could be. But it was more than that, too. There did seem to be people in the world who liked being feared. But Bruce had never been one of them. He hated that feeling, that people were afraid of him because of who he was.

"Yes, I feel the same. About myself, I mean," Bruce clarified. Hopefully that was enough to get the point across without telling Luca the truth about his magic. "Thanks for trusting me, Luca. If you ever need to talk about anything, you know, my door is always open."

When he said that, he tried to channel Herc a little bit, who was so easy to talk to and whom Bruce imagined had these kinds of conversations with his employees all the time.

@lucathedreamer

The Flood (Through Me) | Bruca

[brucewhite]

Bruce's pace slowed as they walked, putting more distance between the two of them and the rest of the group. It was a heavy topic just to jump right into, especially since they were both feeling the same post-football-match joy.

"So- I wanted to say, thanks for all that advice about work. I think it actually worked really well. We had a good conversation," Bruce said. "I just... there's something else. And I really trust your judgment, mate, I- well, I suppose I should just say it."

He looked at Herc uncertainly. "Your family, do you ever miss them? I mean, of course you miss them, but do you ever get this awful feeling..." That you'll never see them again. No, he probably didn't. "Homesickness, I mean."

@kouros-herc

So Far Away | Herce

[brucewhite]

It may not have been very exciting, but it still made Bruce's heart race, watching Holley scan over his notes. She knew all about his history, of course. Many of the agents did. So most of this was not new information. But something about having those details written down on the page in front of her still set him on edge.

"Thank you," he said. Yes, Cass's cafe would be a nice break to bring him back into the present if he got too caught up in the past.

He couldn't help feeling just a bit curious about Holley's research. What she was looking at. He knew that the researchers had been arrested for their treatment of him, but he knew nothing else about the lab or what had become of it. Bruce had never really wanted to go looking. But that might be the key to finding out more about the project, and then, as a result, his pod's whereabouts.

"I'm okay for now," he added. "Er, have you found anything so far?"

@miss-holleyshiftwell @agentgrumpy-gils

Into the Deep | Brilley

[brucewhite]

All through the game, it nagged at Bruce, his conversation with Gil. Nothing was promised. But the more Bruce thought about the possibility of being able to see his pod again, the stronger he felt in his conviction that he wanted to.

But that also meant leaving people behind here. He'd meant what he had said to Gil. He had a good life here, and he would be perfectly happy to stay. So it was just a matter of deciding: where did he feel he belonged? Where would he be happiest? Was his current sense of contentment and security worth the lingering homesickness?

There were only a few people he could really talk to about this. Others who knew he was a merman. So after the game, once they'd shook hands with the other side and gone over strategy in the post-game huddle, Bruce caught up with Herc.

"Hey, Herc, mate," he said. "Can I talk to you about something?"

@kouros-herc

So Far Away | Herce

[brucewhite]

Bruce shook his head grimly at the question about keys. That was an unfortunate problem of buying secondhand; sometimes such things simply disappeared. He wished he could always give people full, complete, undamaged items and the accessories that came with them, but he couldn't. Still, Bruce believed there were other reasons to buy secondhand.

"We're not entirely sure, but it was causing the drawers to multiply. There are drawers inside of some of the drawers— even some that seem to go on forever! Obviously, this is a feature in some ways, there's lots of storage, but it can make it difficult to find things you've misplaced. And when the drawers are full of other drawers, it can make them difficult to use," Bruce explained. "But we managed to reverse it before it entirely took over! So the desk should still be perfectly functional. But I understand if it's not quite what you're looking for, we do have some other options."

@perry-flynn

Expanding The Operation | Perry & Bruce

[brucewhite]

Bruce wrote it out carefully, in shaky handwriting, everything he remembered. It was just at the changing of the seasons, he remembered. He had just begun swimming with a mermaid with brilliant bright eyes and a silky tail. The first child was born a week prior. They were headed for the shallow waters.

He wrote out every distinguishing feature of the researchers he could remember; that one had thinning white hair and one wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. Their accents were American. Bruce thought he remembered them talking about a contact at a university in California, though that was back when his English was less reliable, and it may have been Colorado or Caledonia or Connecticut. Each detail felt a little bit like pulling a piece of glass out of his skin: painful to remove, but a relief when it was done.

He hoped it would feel the same when he sat down with Holley and Gil to do more research together, too. Like a relief.

"This is the best I could do," Bruce said apologetically, offering the neatly-lettered pages, five in total, to Holley when he arrived at Gil's place and saw her there. "Thanks for helping with this."

@agentgrumpy-gils @miss-holleyshiftwell

Into the Deep | Brilley

[brucewhite]

Bruce chuckled. "I really don't think you're in any danger of that, unless the next town-wide spell involves the spirit of David Beckham possessing me," he joked. Yes, he knew all about the superstar footballer now, since he'd recently watched Bend it Like Beckham.

It was true, though, that Bruce was no standout on the team. He usually played goalkeeper, which meant he had the occasional heroic save, but most of the time, the defensive line did well enough that he didn't have to worry about much.

"Let's go, I could really use the chance to stretch my legs," he added, standing up and offering Herc a hand. "Maybe you're right, though, no need to tell Aquata and Angel about this." Especially considering he didn't think he was Aquata's favorite person lately anyway.

@kouros-herc

Sunshine On The Water | Herce

[brucewhite]

Gil was right. He had made a good life for himself here. And the fact that he was thinking about leaving didn't contradict that— if anything, maybe it was because of that. When you were just trying to survive each day, get to the end of it without losing control, you didn't have as much time to consider the possibility of anything else.

But now that Bruce didn't feel that way anymore, now that his life was steady and quiet and comfortable, he could think about what he really wanted from this life that, by some miracle, still belonged to him. He wanted safety and security and community, yes, and all of those things he could find in Swynlake...

There were other things, though, that he couldn't have here. Salt water and the thrill of a successful hunt and the same faces he'd known since childhood. The more time that went by, the more Bruce ached for them.

It wouldn't be easy. But he had to try.

"Okay," Bruce said. "I'll think about it, and I can write it down for you so that you can reference it. I might need a few days. But I will try."

@agentgrumpy-gils

Big Blue World | Bril

[brucewhite]

This whole conversation was starting to bother Bruce. Maybe it was because he was keenly aware that he was a different kind of merperson from the rest of the group, the kind that certainly would not make a good first impression (and even still, some in the group might lose trust in him if they knew).

Mainly, though, he just didn't like the way the group was being divided. They were supposed to unite, stand together against the hunters and other nefarious land people who could hurt them. They weren't supposed to fight with each other.

"What is the middle ground? Why would one of us ever turn against the group?" Bruce argued. "The enemy isn't each other, it's what's out there!" He pointed at the window, out toward the street. "That's what harmed Gabriella. Mundus. Not merpeople."

Aquata sighed. Dramatic much, Bruce?

"Bruce, all we're saying is that we talk about some personal shit here," Aquata sighed. "So maybe let's make sure someone gets a read on them first..."

"What? What would be enough for someone to pass your background check, how long would they have to wait? Because in the meantime, they might think they don't belong here, and then they might not trust us, and that creates a new problem!"

@madellaine @alana-the-brilliant @agentgrumpy-gils @a-merman-not-a-guppy

Chums | The Mercrew

[brucewhite]

Bruce nodded. So they weren't exactly the same. Luca's magic wasn't a secret, while Bruce's still was. But they shared something important, something that a lot of people shared. They'd come to Swynlake because it was supposed to be a safe place for Magicks.

That wasn't necessarily always the case. Bruce knew that all too well, from what had happened to Gabriella, from the fact that Herc had to keep his magic secret, from all the people Bruce knew who had been harmed by anti-Magick sentiment. And Luca clearly knew that from their own experiences. But when people came looking for Gabriella, Luca could put up a sign that said no cameras in the store, and when classmates came to gawk at Luca, Bruce could tell the other clerk to go organize the back room.

In other words, they had each other. And maybe Swynlake wasn't a Magick-friendly town on accident, or by some divine decree. Maybe part of it was about the people who lived there and took care of each other every day.

"Well, I'll be aware of that for the future," Bruce promised. "I'm sorry it happened that way. I hate that feeling too, the feeling that people are looking at me."

@lucathedreamer

The Flood (Through Me) | Bruca

[brucewhite]

"You're right," Bruce agreed, popping another piece of sushi in his mouth and admiring the sun and the water and the warmth on his skin.

Bruce knew he was lucky. He really did have a wonderful life here on land, people who cared about him and fresh fish all around and, most of all, the understanding that he was safe. Or if he did encounter danger, he had people looking out for him.

He took a sip of his kombucha. "What do you say we kick the football around once we finish this food? I've got to stay sharp, Gaston's expecting big things from this next match!"

@kouros-herc

Sunshine On The Water | Herce

[brucewhite]

yeah man we can tell

[brucewhite]

Bruce frowned. He understood why Gil would suggest that. And, in some ways, it was an appealing offer. A large part of the reason Bruce felt drawn to going back to the ocean had to do with the freedom to be himself, not to have to hide a part of himself from the rest of the world.

But it was about more than that. It was about being reunited with his family, too—letting them know that he was alive, and he was okay, and even if he'd been through a terrible ordeal, he had come out on the other side of it. It was about being home, which Bruce now understood was more than just a place, it was a people, and a feeling.

Bruce had that feeling in Swynlake. He'd built a really good life for himself here. And he was sure he could do it again with a new pod, but the idea was daunting. And it was hard enough to come to terms with the idea of saying goodbye to all these people in Swynlake. Being able to look forward to seeing his family would help, but the idea of an entirely unfamiliar pod...

"I- I don't know, to be honest," Bruce said. "It's complicated for me, I suppose. It's only partially about the idea of going back to the ocean. I just miss my family, mostly. And I think I'd be happy in a new pod, but... I don't know if I want to start all over again. Not when I have so many people here in Swynlake."

@agentgrumpy-gils

Big Blue World | Bril

[brucewhite]

Bruce cringed when Perry nudged the desk, as though Perry had knocked into him. After working here for years, sometimes it did feel like the items were alive in a way, with their unique histories.

But he knew not everybody felt that way. As long as Perry didn't damage the furniture, Bruce wouldn't say anything.

"Yes, I'd say it's pretty sturdy. But if you're looking for something heavier, that will be more likely to stay in place, we've got options..." Bruce motioned for Perry to follow him over to another option in the corner.

This desk was massive, with shelves and compartments practically spilling out of it. It would certainly be a two-man job to move... or perhaps more.

"This one used to be cursed, but it's not anymore! So there's no need to worry about that. But I will warn you, it's got a few too many drawers than it really should..."

@perry-flynn

Expanding The Operation | Perry & Bruce

[brucewhite]

Bruce was pretty sure Herc was biased here. He'd always thought so highly of Bruce, even when Bruce had hurt him, like in the lake that day. Even when Bruce had let him down, like in the pool with the otters. But their relationship was never about those things. He'd shown Bruce time and time again that he would stand by him even in his darkest moments.

So maybe it was okay that Herc was biased. It was kind of nice, actually, to have someone on his side like this.

"Thanks, Herc," Bruce said, smiling back at his friend. "That means a lot. I guess I'll see how it goes, and I'll let you know. I hope I didn't bring the mood down too much. It's still a beautiful day."

@kouros-herc

Sunshine On The Water | Herce

[brucewhite]

"Only if she has time," Bruce said quickly. "I know it might turn out to be a bit of an undertaking."

It was strange to think that the agents had other things on their plates, missions that Bruce didn't even know about. That there were probably others like him in Swynlake who had been rescued from terrible circumstances only to seek refuge here. Maybe even people Bruce already knew. So he didn't want his little whims to hamper those efforts.

But it wasn't really a whim, and Bruce knew that deep down. He'd been thinking about it for a long time.

"But no, I wouldn't mind at all. I trust Holley," Bruce added. It was true. Maybe she wasn't the first person Bruce went to with his merperson problems, but she'd done a lot for him.

@agentgrumpy-gils

Big Blue World | Bril

[brucewhite]

It meant a lot to Bruce, too. He didn't tell people those things lightly. so he appreciated that Luca understood the gravity of the conversation.

But even if it was risky to tell them, even if it was something Bruce didn't like talking about, it felt important. He still didn't really understand what Luca's magic was (were they a Gifted? Some kind of weather sorcerer, like Pepa Madrigal?) but the fact that they seemed a little afraid of it told Bruce everything he needed to know.

"Thank you for keeping it secret," Bruce said. "It's not something I tell people lightly. But I thought it might be helpful to know, you're not the only one here who has dealt with that. Far from it, really. It's the reason a lot of people come to this town."

@lucathedreamer

The Flood (Through Me) | Bruca