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brightdrawings · 3 years

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Krakens are Hard to Hear Underwater

This is my follow up for my previous entry for @stanuary after seeing a comment on my 3D work by @eregyrn-falls so i hope you guys enjoy it, because I enjoyed writing this. A big thank you to @bluestuffeh for beta reading this for me!

(also on ao3!)

The ocean was quiet, the water was placid. The waves hardly rocked a small row boat that sat alone in the middle of the clear water. It’s bright white paint job made it stand out easily amongst the bright blue of the water around it. It oars stood in their holders, untouched for multiple hours. A fishing rod lay in the boat, it’s hook still in the water, the red and white bobber riding the gentle waves as they came and went. A pair of tan fishing hats, with names lovingly stitched into them lay unworn in the boat.

Had it not been for the hats, anyone passing by would assume that the boat had been abandoned or was lost. However, the truth, as it often is, was much stranger than fiction. No matter how obvious that fiction ended up being.

Several thousand feet below the calm surface, an epic battle was taking place between two old men and a rather vicious kraken. It had many long dark and thick tentacles that swung through the water with little difficulty. It had eyes the size of wrecking balls, its mantle was as tall as an aerial tower; and the beak that lay between its many highway-length tentacles was the size of the very rowboat that floated so far above it.

Comparatively, the old men that were desperately fighting against it were no larger than the typical human. Perhaps a little rounder in some areas than most. However, in their current situations, Stanley and Stanford Pines felt like ants that had wandered into a pesticide enthusiast’s picnic.

The pair of old men wore underwater breathing masks, as they had somehow found the normally rare occurrence of sea monster attacks to be surprisingly common. However this statistic might have been influenced by Stanford’s life long desire to head towards any sea creature, monster or otherwise, that made a blip on his anomaly radar.

If Stanley had the breath, he would currently be threatening to smack some sense into his twin. Unfortunately, he was currently holding on for dear life to one of the savage beast’s tentacles as it waved around angrily, trying to squish him as though he were the world’s smuggest fly. Seeing that the tentacle was headed towards some jagged rocks, Stanley released his hold, letting the tentacle launch him several feet in the water.

Stanley quickly swam towards his brother, who had taken refuge in a nearby cave. He was busy fiddling away with a pistol. The many brightly coloured discs and parts to the weapon made Stanley think his twin had finally lost his marbles and was playing with a children’s toy. There were a couple of sparks as Stanford pulled at multiple wires and to Stanley’s surprise soldered some control panels together. Despite traveling together on the seas for multiple years, Stanley was still finding many different tricks that Stanford had picked up from his travels in the multiverse.

The ground, or rather the cave around them, began to rumble as many tentacles began to slam against the rock face. Despite the limited visibility provided by an underwater cave, Stanley was able to spot multiple cracks appearing on the ceiling above them. He grabbed his brother and kicked off against the ground. Stanford wriggled against his hold, but Stanley tightened his grasp, swimming his way out of the cave just as the roof began to collapse. Seeing how close to being crushed he was, Stanford stopped fighting his brother’s hold and helped him swim the pair of them to relative safety.

Stanford worked quickly, poking multiple parts of his pistol with the soldering iron. Sending small sparks in the water. Stanley tried his best to weave through the tentacles as he dragged Stanford to safety. He silently prayed that the monster would not notice him swimming out of the cave. A tentacle slammed behind him, narrowly missing Stanford. Another slammed right in front of Stanley, trapping the pair in place. “If you have a gizmo to save us now would be the time!” Stanley said. Unfortunately, due to his mask his twin could not hear him.

With a finishing jab Stanford cocked his space gun and pointed it at the rock wall beside them and pulled the trigger. Instantly the pair were rocketed away from the wall and out of the creature’s clutches. Just in time as the cave seemed to completely collapse from the wrath of the monster’s tentacles. Stanley felt his clothes pulling back from their weight as he was rocketed forward. Soon they were in the open sea and safe from the creature, for now.

Looking down Stanley could see that his brother had propelled them a good hundred or so feet above the creature. Stanley finally released his grasp on his twin, who wore a smug grin. Stanley rolled his eyes as Stanford threw him the pistol. He raised his eyebrow, looking between the pistol and his brother.

Stanford tugged on his gloves, lighting up the six fingertips on them. He then punched the palm of his hand before pointing at his own eyes and then the creature. As the realization dawned upon Stanley, a wicked smile spread across his wrinkled cheeks. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he quickly equipped his left hand with his trusted knuckle dusters.

Nodding towards one another, the twins swam apart. Stanley used the pistol to propel himself through the water, weaving between the monster’s tentacles. Meanwhile Stanford stealthy swam towards the monster’s mantle, his gloves glowing with a faint cyan light. He watched his brother avoid the tentacles like a fly avoiding the hands of a family trying to enjoy their picnic. He could only imagine how happy his brother was to be in his element, being as annoying as possible.

The moment Stanford saw that Stanley was in a good position, he clasped both gloved hands into the beast’s mantle, shocking it’s soft body. Seeing how the tentacles had grown slack, Stanley took his chance and turned the pistol behind him and rocketed towards the Monster’s eye, his fist outstretched like the nose of the world’s smuggest rocket.

Stanley was inches from the monster’s giant yellow eye, he could feel the thrum of the pistol in his hand as he grew closer. ‘Any second now and you’ll be sorry you ever messed with the Pines’ he thought. But the eye did not grow any closer. It took a moment but Stanley felt something wrap tightly around his waist and drag him away. He blinked and beside him was his brother, also wrapped in a thick tentacle.

The creature let out a scream from its beak that shook the ground beneath it. Stanley could feel it’s cry in his bones. It pulled them towards its beak. Thinking back, he did not expect himself to meet his end in the beak of some oversized sea creature. But if he was going down he wasn’t going down without a fight.

He struggled against the tentacle that bound him. He could see his brother doing the same, struggling to release his hands to shock the beast once more. But it was all pointless as it tightened its grip on the twins. Closing his eyes Stanley braced for the worst.

“Bruno. Stop this at once!” Commanded a voice with a heavy spanish accent.

The twins, realizing that they were not in fact torn to pieces by a monster’s giant beak; opened their eyes and slowly turned towards the origin of the voice.

They were met with the sight of a young Merman. He looked no older than the 16 year old great niblings that were waiting for the old men to return home. He had long flowing hair that reached past his waist and flowed behind him like a dark brown cape. His tail shimmered a bright green like the emerald sea; and he wore a red shell on a string around his neck. A gold crown sat upon his head.

He swam down past the twins and looked the monster in the eye.

“El hecho de que estés molesto no te da derecho a lastimar a extraños. Eso es muy grosero de tu parte.” He said quickly. He shook his head in disappointment.

The merman pointed at Stanley and Stanford. “Suéltalos Bruno, ya has causado suficientes problemas.”

The monster gave a sad squeak.

“I will not repeat myself.” The merman crossed his arms.

The monster released the men and turned away, tucking its tentacles beneath itself. It looked like it was sulking.

The merman swam over to the two men. He reached for his necklace with one hand, and opened his other, pointing his palm at the twins. He muttered quietly before a pair of bubbles wrapped around Stanley and Stanford’s heads. Their breathing masks beeped, indicating the presence of oxygen gas. Gazing carefully at the merman, Stanford reached into his bubble and removed his mask. Breathing freely for the first time in multiple hours.

Stanley followed suit, enjoying the ability to breath without the uncomfortable mask covering his nose. He turned to face his savior with a suspicious eye.

“Greetings humans, my name is Mermando.” The merman gave a small bow. “The Prince of the merpeople.”

“Stan Pines.” Stanley said.

“Stanford Pines.” Stanford added.

“Pines? You would not be related to that angel who walks on land Mabel Pines would you?” Mermando asked, a spark of joy entering his eyes.

“Yes, she’s our niece.” Stanford nodded.

Mermando turned back to the monster and gave it a disappointed look. “To think my beloved Mabel’s family almost met such a terrible fate.” Mermando clasped his hands together. “Please, accept my most humble apologies.”

“No need for apologies” Stanford waved a hand.

“What exactly was that ‘terrible fate’.” Stan pointed his chin towards the monster that was still sulking.

“That is Bruno, he is the pet of my manatee princess bride. However he has a habit of escaping whenever he is bored. Which, unfortunately, due to our many duties as royalty is very often.” Mermando said, hanging his head.

“All of that was playing?” Stanley asked in disbelief. “He kidnapped us from our boat and almost crushed us!”

“Yes, my bride’s family have been known to partake in rough play.” Memrando said.

“Well, since all of that’s out of the way, can we get back to the surface? I was trying to catch some dinner before Mr. Tall, ugly and grabby dragged us down.” Stanley pointed his thumb at Bruno, who sulked more at each word.

“Stanley, wait, I want to find out more about-” Stanford was interrupted by Mermando taking a firm hold of each twin’s wrists, before swimming towards the ocean surface.

There was a sense of urgency in his tail’s fast movements. The dark ocean water around them slowly began to lighten as the trio neared the higher areas of the sea where the sun’s light could reach. The light grew lighter still, however visibility was not the only lightness forming around them, as the water pressure around them began to lessen, the bubbles on Stanley and Stanford’s heads began to expand. As the bottom of their boat grew into view, both bubbles burst, leaving both twins vulnerable to the cold water as it rushed into the empty space that once protected their heads.

Luckily, before they could drown, Mermando breached the water’s surface, jumping over the boat. He released the older men, letting them fall into the boat. He landed not far, and quickly swam over, fear washing over his face as he stared at the unmoving bodies of Stanley and Stanford. His frown of fear quickly turned into a sigh of relief when both men started to cough up the water that had gone up their noses when their bubble helmets burst.

“Thank Goodness, you are not harmed.” Mermando said.

“That's a matter of perspective.” Stanford said upside down. He had been unlucky enough to fall on his head.

“Speak for yourself,” Stanley said. He stood up and knocked out some water from his ear. “Gonna be hearing bubbles for a month.”

“I’ll make sure that Bruno is properly disciplined for his misbehavior,” Mermando promised.

“Since we have you here, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about Bruno?” Stanford said, withdrawing a notebook from his coat-pocket.

“Unfortunately, I am urgently needed back home. I cannot talk about Bruno.” Memrnado said.

“May I ask one question then? Why did he attack our little rowboat?” Stanford asked.

“Oh! That is simple. It looks like one of the toy boats he plays with.”

“Oh.” Stanford took note.

Bubbles erupted from the water next to Mermando. Both twins jumped back, rocking their boat in the process.

Memrando ducked his head under the water. Stanley and Stanford could faintly hear him yell “Silencio Bruno!”

Mermando resurfaced and hung his head. “It is sad that I must part with you two so soon, however, now that I know of you, it shall be easier to send letters to my dearest Mabel. Farewell.”

The pair watched as Mermando waved them goodbye before delving into the depths of the ocean. There was a beat as both twins enjoyed the cool air, the calm of the waves felt refreshing after the exhilaration of what they both just endured. It was several minutes before Stanley noticed the sun starting its slow descent over the horizon that he began to swear like the sailor he was.

“What’s the matter?” Stanford asked. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Look around Sixer, do you notice something missing?” Stanley waved his arms.

“There’s nothing around but open oc…ean.” Stanford said slowly. “We’re lost.”

“That stupid Bruno pulled us away from our ship! Now who knows how long we’ve got to row to get back.” Stanley stamped his foot.

“Not to worry. I put a tracking device into the ship for such an occasion.” Stanford fiddled with his watch.

“And how did this dingy keep up with us anyway?” Stanley asked.

“I input a small motor that would have it follow us if we left the boat for any reason. That way it would always be nearby in case of an emergency.” Stanford said. His chest puffing out with pride about his invention.

“Right, so how far are we?”

Stanford’s watch beeped. “5 miles.”

“Ugh, the least that prince could do was give us a ride.”

“Come on,” Stanford reached for an oar. “We have a long row ahead of us.”

“If we ever see that prince or Bruno I’m giving them a piece of my mind.” Stanley said. “I'll turn that oversized squid into calamari.”

Stanford hummed. “If we get back quickly, we might be able to sail to shore and find ourselves a seafood place.”

“After today we deserve it.” Stanley groaned, reaching for the other oar.

#gravity falls #stanford pines #stanley pines #Mermando #grunkle stan #grunkle ford #stan pines #stanuary #Fic #gravity falls fanfiction #Ford Pines #Encanto references #Luca refernce #My writing

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