skzoologist - Tumblr blog

skzoologist · 17 days ago

Text

Thank you, Ash dear. I'm glad my writing is still liked after not having been used for so long. If inspiration strikes and I have the opportunity, I might write for this AU more. I can't promise to not break your heart again though, I'm sorry-

The deepsea beast

word count: ~3.3k

warnings: angst, hurt/comfort

summary: Looks don't matter when it comes to finding the people you can call your family.

a/n: I originally wanted to post something else, but I didn't finish it in time, sadly. Please take this as an apology, I hope you will still enjoy it. I've scheduled it for this day because, well, today is special in a way. Even if I don't think so. And the theme of the story fits this month as well :) Also if there are a lot of mistakes, my apologies, I didn't exactly have the time to read it back and find them.

Back to the masterlist

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!I don't condone anyone stealing my work and posting it anywhere without my permission, or feeding it to AI!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙

He’d never drawn attention to himself, much more preferring to stay in the shadows. They warped around him like tendrils, protective and nurturing. To anyone else, they would have seemed like a curse, but to him? They were his only companion on lonely nights and miserable afternoons where the pain got too much. Where his skin ached, new tissue pushing the old one out in a crimson battle. Where all he could taste was iron while his long nails dug into stone, unearthing whatever critters lived there.

He avoided other life for a reason, and yet, he wasn’t given the peace he’d oh so desperately sought after.

Somehow, they always found him. No matter where he hid—reefs, caves, the deepest depths of the sea he resided in. Nothing worked. Fish curiously swam around him, while starfish latched onto his trembling fingers as if in silent support. Sharks left him bits of their food, sharing without him ever asking for it.

He could have hunted himself, his body more than equipped for it, yet the life around him never cared. They gathered around his writhing and suffering form, these days of the year always difficult to push through. He’d wanted to give up countless times before, to just end this curse once and for all. To free his agony-ridden soul and perhaps be reborn as something else.

Something that wasn’t as unlucky as him in this life.

When the constant pain dulled into a low hum in the back of his mind, body renewed and strengthened, he left. Not because he wasn’t grateful for the help he’d gotten from the other creatures, no; he’d left them plenty of gifts behind, his old scales more than enough for his debt to be cleared. They were still strong and colourful, even after life had left them as their duty had been fulfilled. An item beloved by the sea itself, having given it its colours to mix with indigo in a swirl of beauty.

They held powers long after their separation from his body, adored by everything that moved and not.

His eyes watched as fish and the like swarmed to his pile of thank-you-gifts, sharks and sea bunnies existing in harmony for that brief period. It was the only part he enjoyed at this time of the year, in his affinity for life itself that he couldn’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard he tried. Yet, instead of pondering on it for longer, he continued to swim in the gentle embrace of the cold sea.

Deep purples and blues shifted into turquoise and light blue, the chill he’d grown so used to now replaced by familiar warmth. The tendrils he’d hidden in retreated, but not violently, never. They caressed his new scales in a silent goodbye, a mere temporary one, nothing more. He’d return eventually, just like he always had.

For now, he continued to swim until light broke through the surface in holy beams, a sight most wonderful to behold. He didn’t dare go too close to them, just like how the tiny seals and even tinier crabs avoided him for dear life. He understood them though, of course he did.

It was rare to witness something like him in this part of the waters they called their home.

Turquoise dimmed as the light had been covered, fresh air hitting his skin in a cruel kiss. His eyes squinted as the world turned blurry for a few seconds, nails gripping the stones for leverage.

He’d never liked breaching the surface, to feel the way his hair stuck to him the longer he stayed out, peeking from the water he resided in. There was a small opening within the dark rocks for him to peek through, gills comfortably in the warm liquid still. It was the perfect place for him to satiate his curiosity while remaining unseen, nobody disturbed like this.

He liked being here.

This tiny cave was his sanctuary, his safe haven that allowed him to do his favourite hobby. Nobody noticed him from the beach, not a single human even glancing at his direction, although they wouldn’t have seen him anyway. Only the top of his head peeked through, if that at all, big eyes blinking in wonder as they watched the scale-free creatures run around on the coarse sand in glee. They squealed sometimes when splashed with the blue of his home, shivering despite its overly warm nature. No gills could be seen on their necks, smiles full of dull teeth unable to cut through meat.

They fascinated him, who was oh so similar yet terribly different.

Day turned into night as he remained there, having only left to hunt once. Not a single bone had been left behind from the fish, having made sure to honour its death by using every single part of its body. They sat in his stomach now, the organ pleased for the day, letting him continue with his fascination.

Nobody was at the surface now, and it remained that way for a long time. Only when he was about to leave did that change, a small group emerging from the distance. He’d seen them a few times before, faces familiar and voices even more so despite their muffled and echoey nature.

They sounded free, full of life and joy; a stark contrast to his own.

What was not familiar to him though, was the moment they all started walking towards his hiding place. It was obvious in the sharp change of direction, feet confident in the soft sand wet from the sea. His gills stuttered as so did his lungs, hands pushing him back into the water in sheer panic. Only the sharp sound of water hitting rock echoed in the small cave as he let himself sink deep in the water, deep enough to not be seen from above.

Blurry figures peered into the dark depths where he hid, still as a rotting corpse forgotten on the seabed. Even the fins on his arms and ears refused to move, no matter how they trembled in pure fear and adrenaline. They coursed through his veins, heartbeat so loud it was all he could hear, nothing else. Not the soft vibrations of the water from above, and not the waves that crashed above his head.

A bright light appeared and almost shined on him before it was gone just as quick, the figures moving fast and fighting amongst themselves, but he couldn’t be sure. He was glad enough that he hadn’t been found, a breath of relief escaping him in silence.

Then, then the figures left. They moved out of his sight slowly, apparently having searched for long enough. He waited even after they’d disappeared before moving again, slow and quiet, like the deepsea beast he was.

When he breached the water once more, barely peeking out, his heart jumped out of his chest. Because there one of the humans was, watching him with a smile that only widened the more he remained still. Big eyes turned wider, consuming his face in their shock. He couldn’t move as his muscles had locked into place, breath still in his lungs like it had frozen there.

Maybe it had, in the cold, biting air of the surface.

“I knew it, I was right.” – the human muttered before plopping down, scooting ever so closer.

His deadly nails scraped against the stones beneath the water, but the distance was enough between them for him to not bolt. Not yet. He was still frozen with fear, something the human had noticed as well.

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re not here to hurt you. Okay, I know it’s hard to believe in your shoes, or, err, well, fins, but I promise. It’s just me here. I won’t get any closer, okay?”

He didn’t move, only his fins twitched as he let the male’s soothingly deep voice seep in. It shocked him at first, gaze sweeping over the human before him just to make sure his senses didn’t deceive him. That voice was alluring enough to have belonged to his kind, enchanting and all the more deadly.

But no, he saw no scales, no tail, no fins. Only dulled teeth and covered skin.

Then, the moment was broken as someone shouted –perhaps the human’s name–, making him flinch and disappear. He watched the male, Felix, disappear after a soft curse left his lips. It was a hesitant action, weight shifted from one leg to another before another shout rippled the waters he hid in, causing the boy to leave.

For the next few nights, he hadn’t gone back. Not even while the light was there, warming the waters until he felt uncomfortable in his own skin. He remained in the familiar, cold depths he’s spent his entire life in, along with the dark tendrils that never seemed to leave him alone. He found solace in their presence, in the way they curled and twitched only to entertain him. His scales dimmed whenever he was covered in them, letting him remain hidden from life itself whenever he wanted to; even if it only lasted for a little bit.

Days passed and turned into weeks, his mind curious about that boy and the others he could always be seen with. His gaze often wandered to the far surface, thoughts circling back to that cave and that soothing voice. To the way he was looked at—gentle, curious but careful.

In the end, his determination broke and he swam back to that cave, no matter how his instincts screamed at him to not stray from his home.

The cold air kissed his skin, water dripping from long locks while the cave greeted him. Ripples danced on its inner surface, the stars and the Moon shining on everything inside without exception. They helped the water dance in its entire beauty, captivating him long enough to not hear his company.

His gaze was broken from blinding blues and whites, body freezing and ready to bolt once he saw them.

“Oh shit, he’s back.” – one of them whispered, causing him to move.

A whisper-shout stopped him, begging him to not leave so soon, and something inside him answered. He wasn’t sure why he’d stayed, why he swam back to the surface just enough to peek through once more.

But he did, and he could see the relief on the human’s face.

After that, their meeting had become a ritual of sorts.

Day after day he kept going back, peeking up at the tiny humans who piled into the small cave. Their laughter and stories echoed off the walls, yet strange enough, not their questions. He could sense their curiosity, it was obvious in the way one of them glanced at him or the way they smiled, but never once did they give voice to it.

Not once.

They let him exist in the water, content to just sit in the cave and tell him about their lives, always including him with their body language. He didn’t feel left out, and he didn’t feel as if he was the object of a dissection he’d heard horror stories about as a small child. They remained respectful, to the point he chose to finally speak one day.

It started with him raising his head out of the water, enough for his chin to dip into the surface whenever the waves lapped at his still body. He could see the surprise it had caused, but he pushed himself, wanting to give back what he’d been given.

“What’s it like, to walk in the sand?”

His voice had remained small and deep, almost meek, in a sense. He was careful not to put force into his words, the goal to chat, not to enchant.

Shocked faces watched him before one of them finally spoke, stumbling over his words like a human child on the beach for the first time. He let it happen, utterly amused, the twitch of his ears the only thing betraying his emotion.

“W-well, uhm, it’s like—” – Changbin spoke, turning to Hyunjin with an exasperated expression – “Help me out here, you’re the poet of all of us!”

It devolved into an argument after that, each one trying to explain it in the best way before pointing fingers and dragging the other down. He watched them the whole time, the way Chan tried to separate Seungmin from Jeongin, and the way Minho had laid back to watch everyone roughhouse with each other. Felix had been pulled to the side along with Jisung, the two placated by the older’s glare while everyone else went at each other’s throats.

Instead, the young ones looked at him then, all smiles and brimming excitement.

“Your voice is so pretty, almost like Lixie’s.” “Yah, I thought I’d faint when hearing it.”

He sunk into the water at that, just enough for his eyes to remain seen, fins twitching with how flustered he got.

“Cute.” – commented Minho, and he disappeared under the water for a second then.

Laughter greeted him when he emerged once more, strong nails scraping against stone as he kept himself afloat. Felix scooted closer then, but this time, he didn’t back down. Soft skin cradled his own, muted blues and grays clashing with nudes and pinks. His hand was lifted, and he remained still, not wanting to hurt the boy.

“Woah, your hand is huge! I barely reach your knuckles with the tips of my fingers. Although, now that I’m this close, you’re just huge in general.” – Felix said, and he didn’t recoil because he couldn’t sense any malice in the younger’s voice.

No, only sheer awe and wonder, drawing Jisung and Minho’s attention back to them. The others were still blaming each other in the background, and it didn’t seem like they were going to finish it anytime soon.

“That doesn’t mean shit, Lixie, your hands are small.” “Oi!”

Another palm was laid against his own now, not much bigger, if at all. The ends of his lips twitched at the horror on Jisung’s face, causing Minho to take over and reach the same conclusion.

“Are you a damn giant, huh? What are you hiding under that water, hm? Let me see.” – demanded Minho, causing his eyes to widen and his earfins to shift.

Before he could have moved the male had disappeared, droplets hitting his face in return. He froze completely even after Minho had resurfaced, an impressed whistle leaving the male’s lips.

It drew all the attention in the cave, echoing off its walls.

“Damn, didn’t think you were this big. You’re like, as big as two of that ferret stacked on top of each other, if not taller.”

Hyunjin shouted at Minho at that, offended, although that soon changed as the weight of those words sank in. Horror sat onto the male’s face, and he flinched back, causing Hyunjin to look apologetic immediately.

“Nono, it’s, uh, it’s okay! I just–, I didn’t expect it, okay? You’re so quiet and gentle, so it just caught me off-guard. Well, caught us off-guard.” – came an awkward laughter, followed by agreements from everyone else.

Chan then went to help Minho out of the water from beside him, but only before hitting the younger over the head. His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, watching the oldest scold Minho for being stupid and scaring him.

It… warmed his heart, in an inexplicable way he would never make sense of.

Time passed as he warmed up to them, weeks turning into months as seasons changed. Winter was on the doorstep, something that demanded his body to change and become tougher, more resilient. He’d never understood why he had to go through it all when no other sea creature was tortured by the change of time itself, but he’d forgotten about it.

In his joy of belonging at last, of having a place to enjoy visiting even though no dark tendrils reached there, he’d lost track of time.

It hit him at the dead of night, when laughter was shared within that small cave. Dull aches blossomed on his tail, scales shining in a warning glint, as if reminding him that he had to leave.

Now.

The small smile dissolved from his lips, fins deflating while his lungs felt tight. Such a small change hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others, Chan the first to notice and gently demand silence in the tiny space they shared. His adam’s apple bobbed as he fought to keep breathing, finding the concerned and worried stares on him too much, too prying.

Too attentive.

Without saying a single word, a single apology, he ducked and left. He’d return in a week or so, when he was sure the pain would fully leave from his marrow itself. It was already risky enough that he’d been this close, survival instincts awfully quiet despite how he knew he should have felt the urge to lure them away.

To eat before becoming paralysed from pain, his curse renewing his scales while dark tendrils tried to hide him away.

Wild eyes searched the dark depths for a place to hide in, the task hard with his size. Most suitable places were already occupied, only tightening his chest further until he nearly suffocated in his own home. It was as if he’d been thrown into land, gills only taking in surface air for his lungs; something too strong, too different in components for him to break down and survive on.

After what felt like eternity, he found a small nook just enough for him to squeeze into. He had to completely fold in on himself, chest barely able to rise in the position. Not like it could have been able to.

Not when the scent of blood was carried away by the currents, undesired by anything other than humans and his own kind. Nothing was brave enough to hunt them, and especially not him; protected by the sea itself, loved by its residents.

New tissue formed and pushed out the old one, the process slow and maddening. He felt every little shift on his tail, every little scale that fell off, only to be replaced by something thicker and tougher. Teeth ground together until they nearly broke, mouth opening only to bite onto his own arm. Iron bloomed on his tongue, rich and tainted, not stopping once.

He didn’t allow it to.

He laid there, paralysed and hidden away, until the sound of something approaching hit his ringing ears. The vibrations were strong and precise, headed straight for him, causing his heart to almost stop. It thumped in its bone-made cage instead, writhing inside like a cornered animal, and he let it.

Those wild eyes watched from the shadows as a blurry figure swam to him, familiar in shape yet much smaller. A gentle voice, much more similar, spoke and he found himself wondering what was real and what wasn’t. He had never hallucinated from the pain before, but perhaps he’d gone mad at last, and yet…

Careful hands touched sensitive scales, plucking the ones ready to depart and soothing the newly formed ones. The iron never left his tongue, but it grew mellower in taste, teeth barely sunk into fresh wounds. One pair of hands soon turned into eight, all real and impossible to ignore. They never got rough with their administrations, always soothing one of his senses.

And as fingers weaved into his long hair, a harmonious, soft humming apparent around him, he finally let go of his arm. Eyes closed and tears gone, he let go, knowing he was safe here.

Safe with the people he could call his own.

#charming feedback #my beloveds #my guardian wolf #my star

37 notes · View notes

skzoologist · 29 days ago