#i threw that in the ocean and the whale ated them up

[oddlyunadventurous]

Every Month BLÅVINGAD Has Something New In Its Mouth

February, 2024: Twenty-two Duracell AA batteries

[frozen-fountain]

A week ago I participated in a one-word prompt challenge on Reddit, and was tasked with writing a 1K based around the word "carve". The idea I eventually hit on ran away with me a bit, hence not having time to polish it up before the deadline. Therefore, what follows is an almost unedited first draft; there'll be a readable version up on AO3 in time, but for now, I'm posting this to say I've done it and I guess in case anyone wants to offer me pointers (though I recommend you hold out for the good one).

Content warning: deaths, including children.

Zuela turned the fish back and forth between her fingers, alone on the top floor of a house shaped like the shells that littered the southern seas. “Why were they built like this when the city is so far from the sea?”

“Because,” and her mother had reached forward with a warm smile, stroking her hair back from her forehead, “it reminds us all the world is one body. The same seas that are home to shells like this brought us to the shores here – it's only colder.”

Zuela nodded. “When we go back to Medahl, can we built something there that reminds us of the north?”

Her mother had paled then, looking almost like the snow as the smile dropped. But she nodded firmly as she rose to her feet. “What a wonderful idea. Why don't you have a think about what that could be?”

“Where are you going?”

“Out.” She crossed the room and slipped her heavy wool coat over her shoulders, bending to lace her big boots. Her stomach growled as she moved. “You see? I'm hungry, too. Why don't I find us some more of the nuts you liked from the bushes by the city gates?”

“But...” Zuela chewed at her lip, worried the loose thread in the pocket of her coat, but the yawning chasm of her belly had other ideas. “I thought you said we weren't allowed to go outside?”

Her mother threw her a wink with her hand on the door. “I'll be but a moment, my sea-and-sky. No-one needs to know besides the two of us.”

Time lost itself in the northern capital. In Medahl, where winter was summer was winter, the spaces between the wooden houses bustled with people picking fruit and singing songs on lyre and lute. Among the white trees that seemed to glow with the strength of the planet, there was space in abundance, and the lightest footfall on rush mats echoes among them. Too quiet, even though more whispering than any other year – five she could remember, they'd made the journey – had taken place since the solstice. And her mother had been gone long enough for the sky to darken and the temperature to fall, for the snow to resume as the wind came wailing down from the icy heights of the mountains. But if I tell, she'll be in trouble.

“But why can't we head south again?” she'd asked as her mother whittled the fish – a clownfish, bright bursting orange striped with white, swimming through the southern oceans in clans like theirs. They swam around feet that strayed into warm water, while their teacher waited on the shore with new towels and much to be learned. They lived down there in symbiosis – sim-bee-oh-sis – with the colourful fronds of anemones that clung to the rocks. The fish ate the creatures too small for the eye to see that whittled away at the anemone, while the anemone made a fortress for them, safe from sharks and turtles and seabirds most of all, descending from the skies and invading the waters to snatch the little fish from their homes.

“And the anemone eats the fish's shit!” one of the older boys yelled.

Zuela had plunged her hand into the seaform and splashed with all her might in his direction, cackling as she went. “And it's in the water! Now it's on you, too!”

Zuela turned the fish over in her hand again, clasped it tighter in her palm. This one had no anemone to shelter among yet, though mother had promised to carve one next.

She'd stopped the flickering of her knife as the question fell. After a quiet moment, she said, “soon, my sweet.” No more.

“But we always go south with the whales! After the solstice!”

“Yes, well,” and the hand holding the knife slipped, cutting a little red slit into the steadying thumb, “we have to wait a while longer this year, that's all.”

“But what about the snow? And you still haven't told me why some of the clans couldn't make it!”

Mother had said nothing after that. Only pursed her lips as she picked up the pace of her carving, winnowing little fins from the dark wood in her hands. The sky had opened and more and more snow must have piled up closer to the entrance – had it stopped her from getting back in? Was she lost out on the tundra, where one horizon looked much like another and many a Cetra had breathed their last lost in the white? Where the ice wind froze the flesh from their bodies, leaving nothing to nourish the planet by the time the spring thaw came around?

Zuela swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped her feet into her boots. Leather and whalebone and patterned with the weave of her clan, they left a little too much room around the toes. “You'll grow into them by the time we head back to the south,” her mother had promised, ruffling her hair, “or at least by the time of the next solstice.”

She rose to her feet, and paused. Placing the fish in her pocket, she pulled again at the loose thread, more and more of it unravelling in her hand. The coat was thick wool, woven like her boots in the pattern of the tribe passed down from a time beyond reckoning – an imprint of everyone who had ever walked her same paths, wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm. Twining threads ran up and down the sleeves, crossing over across the torso – red and blue, woven together, the way blood came to and left the heart. Hers was skittering under the wool, the door and the forest beyond it dark and beyond the strength of her eyes. But as her stomach growled again she gripped the fish, and took one step and another towards the exit.

All was wrapped in silence as Zuela stepped outside the house and into the woods, teeming as they did with a strange crystalline note on the air, contrasting with the furtive scurrying of creatures unseen, as if they ran away. Maybe the next solstice would bring more life with it. In previous years, when she was barely tall enough to sit at the long feasting table, all the clans from all corners of the world had converged for one week to mark another lap around the planet for the sun, and give thanks for the planet's bounty. It was a time to remember the dead they laid to rest in green pastures and dense forests, so they may nurture the planet in turn, and to drink and celebrate the life that yet remained.

None of that had come with them from warmer climes that year. The elders sat with faces of grey stone and merely waved hands at the questions from her and the other children, who seemed the only ones to notice something was wrong.

“- do not know how long it must last us,” said the echo of a whisper from close by – the house opposite, crowned with tendrils. Zuela trotted over to find Dalan with his hands on his hips, staring daggers into Torain as he flapped an empty sackcloth in the air. “This, already, gone!”

“Hello,” she said quietly.

They both turned to her with a snap of their heads, Dalan whipping the sack behind his back as if to hide it. “Hello, little one. What are you doing out so late?”

She bit back the truth and plastered on a sickly smile instead. “How about a midnight snack?”

An uneasy chuckle followed, and it made her blood turn cold. Torain only shook his head, leaning back against the wall as if laden with something heavy. “Go and ask your mother, child. There's no reason for you to be out at night.”

Zuela turned on her heel, hiding her reddening face behind a sleeve. Stomping her way across the frosty ground, she made for the gates – exactly where they told her not to go. What did they know? Not much, evidently, if they couldn't answer the simplest of questions about where the food went and what was making everyone so quiet and why they couldn't go south like every other year.

She followed the path as it wound around the perimeter, past more houses in the cluster of shells and the coral-like colourful growths that sprung from the ground close by them. There had never been time to learn their names – solstice merriment came first in other years, and then the silence of unanswered questions. Even the wind didn't sing in the trees there. They only rang with a continuous, hollow tune, as if unable to moved by anything from the outside world.

Voices echoed up ahead, from the end of the straight path to the sleeping forest and the snow beyond. She crept her way along and hid behind a rock, the little fish clutched in her palm as she tugged at the loose stitch again. “The cold will see to it,” said one voice, a man, straining as if with the effort of lifting something heavy. “You should know. Is it not your clan that preserves the meat here in the deep ice?”

“As though now were the time to be self-righteous about what we eat,” said his companion, her voice sharper and quieter, as if afraid to be heard. “It isn't meat.”

“There's nothing cold can't kill off.”

“And once we believed the same of fire, of the deep water, of burial under the earth -”

“And it would not be the first problem that took a few attempts to -”

“Everything! This... It defies everything we ever believed we knew! And how many solutions, useless answers from a world that made sense, are we going to go through while the food dwindles into nothing and the blizzard freezes us out?”

A lower voice snorted with laughter at her words. “Have a better idea?”

Zuela huddled in her coat as a chill from the outside blew in and pressed the fish into her pocket for safekeeping, her fingers never letting it loose. The path around her, half indoors and half outdoors with the cover of the trees, had grown darker as the walked. The way home was obscured as night and cold fell heavy on the city, and mother was still not back yet. “You and your sense of adventure,” she used to say, putting on a harried tone even as she smiled and combed the tangles from Zuela's hair. “You'll find your death one day, straying so far from the settlement.”

She shivered and leaned forward to listen closer, grinding gravel below the tread of her boots. “I know it must be hard for both of you,” the first man said, “with Ovele not here, and what happened on the way -”

“It wasn't her!” cried the woman, gasping in the aftermath at the echo her voice made. “It wasn't Ovele!”

Zuela shuddered and pulled at the thread – harder. She pulled, and pulled, and the string came away in her hand – then more, more, until it spooled into entrails on the ground around her and a hole gaped in the pocket. Tears welled as she brushed it from her hands, flung it away, crouched away from the pile on the floor.

The first man spoke again. “This is far from the first hurdle the Cetra have had to find a way to overcome. You will see. This is but another pestilent strain the planet will provide us with a way to combat.”

“But what if it doesn't?” The woman spoke with a wobble to her voice, dangerously close to crying. “There are worlds beyond this world, as well we know after the rock fell from the sky. What if this thing that took Ovele and Pedriar and the Korcha clan came with it? When, in any other horror, has the planet refused to speak to us?”

“We just need time -”

“There is none! But there is -”

“We burned our dead!”

It was the third of them who spoke. Who screamed, his voice rising higher than the shrill of the wind as the words burst in the air like drops of boiling oil.

“We burned our dead!” he wailed again. “And now the planet has forsaken us!”

A rock rattled loose beneath Zuela's pounding feet, rolling away behind her. She was already rounding the bend back to the inner sanctum of the city, her hands on the fish as she ran with a watery veil cast across her eyes. We burned our dead. Her nose streamed as she pelted along the rocky path, eyes streaming and obscuring the way. To be in the presence of such a one, to invite him into this most sacred of places – it was no wonder the planet screamed at her as she ran, the soft ringing of the trees rising to the pitch of a poorly-tuned string as she hurtled past the lake. Their faces, so still and serence as they were lowered into the ground to nourish the planet that provided for them, screamed anew as the flame licked at their flesh and turned it to char. Blackening hands curling in agony reached for her, a wordless begging for the pain to stop, for the planet to take them instead, for the cycle to remain -

Zuela came to a stop at the start of the staircase winding downwards, panting as she clung to its banister. The water altar stood below her, where those who perished on the journey north – one or two, always – were laid to rest. The screaming stopped as she leaned in closer. The planet was still again, breathing as it should. She'd done right by coming that way.

She placed one foot and then another on the step, and again, lower and lower until even the wind was beyond hearing. No-one else had seemed to notice, or made the journey after the returning ceremony. Why not? It was peaceful, and beautiful in its own hollow, still way. Not so much as a ripple creased the surface of the lake, stretching to the perimeter with nary a -

A darkened figure stood in its centre, not moving.

Zuela froze mid-step so as not to make a sound. But as her heart slowed and the figure showed no sign of wishing her gone, she continued, eyes squinting in the watery light for a glimpse of the shadow-cloaked face. This person was tall enough, wiry enough, and – yes! Her wool coat, woven with the same pattern as Zuela's own.

“There you are!”

No movement from the lake. She took the steps two at a time, in case she hadn't heard. “Mother! I've been looking for you!” Breathless again as she stood on the shore and waited by the edge, Zuela laughed and waved. “What kind of berries have you found in there?”

Her mother raised her head at last, slow and jerking, as if unused to the motion. No other part of her moved, and in the glow of the creatures that swam below the water, her eyes seemed aglow with the sickly green of mako and starlight.

Zuela frowned. “Mother?”

It was her. The coat was the same, the swirls of red and blue, fire and water, both bloods that met in the heart. And yet it could not have been her. Mother never saw her without smiling. Mother was never cold, the way this figure seemed to radiate. This mother would never take her in her arms and wipe away her tears, and tell her they could leave the very next day, to be away from abominations who deprived the planet of their dead.

“Mother?” She clasped the fish tighter in her hands – shaking, again, how silly of her. “Come on, mother, let's go home. It's about to get dark, and cold, and...”

A change came over her stone-still face, then – a terrible yawn of the mouth as she screamed. “Run!”

Her mother flapped her arms as if casting a net, or shooing a seabird in through the window – and fell still. She stood there waist-deep in the water, half-bent, her limbs twisting like the fronds of anemones mid-motion as the water lapsed back into flatness.

Zuela whimpered, shaking as she stood. “Mother?”

A toothy smile spread across one half of the figure's face. “Come here.”

She put one foot into the water, then another. There was nowhere else to go. The cold crept up to her shins, her waist, her collar – and the little fish slipped from her hand and fell to the bottom of the lake.

[shushiyuii]

Atlantic Runaways (Part 3)

Lol we got part 3, which is mainly just a lot of fluff and plot developement uwu

Warnings: Mentions of smoking, vore, trauma? Swearing.

Words: 1.8K+

He rolled in bed as his alarm went off, the familiar tune of the able sisters calling him into awakening. Much to his displeasure. How dare this alarm tell him to get up when wait- shit! He had a job!

He came to his thoughts as he shot out of bed, checking his phone to see that the alarm was late. “SHIT!”. But then stopped for a minute, he remembered it was a Saturday. Why would his alarm be going off on his day off?

Then he realised he was going too late for his meeting with Tubbo.

He grabbed his hoodie, rushed downstairs and ran across the street to the nearby park that he and Tubbo would meet up in.

As he ran his best friend came into view, with an unamused face of course. “Tubbo! My man!”. He managed to get out as he came to a halt, panting his lungs out. “About time, you dickhead!”.

“Sorry! Sorry! A lot of things happened yesterday…”. It came out almost abrupt but confusing as the reality of yesterday’s events were finally hitting him. No wonder he overslept, he was exhausted.

“You okay Toms?”. He snapped out of his mind and looked to Tubbo, “Fine! How about we grab some coffee from the café?”, “Sure, but I’m not grabbing coffee. I’m getting hot chocolate!”.

…

“Tubbo, it’s the middle of fucking summer…”, “THAT WILL NOT STOP ME FROM CONSUMING AND ENJOYING MY CHOCOLATEY BEVERAGE!”.

The two made their way to the café in the middle of the park, it was quite a famous public area so many people frequented the place. They took their orders, the hot chocolate and coffee with a side of biscuits. Because Tommy didn’t have breakfast.

The two just sat on their phones for a moment, the atmosphere of awkwardness raising, it was apparent to Tubbo that something was off about Tommy, he was normally more hyperactive, talkative, and well, energetic. Something was clearly on his mind, and he didn’t want to talk.

But Tubbo was determined to get answers. The drinks soon arrived and Tubbo put away his phone, sipping at his hot chocolate. Ignoring the boiling temperature in favour of looking dramatic. He looked at Tommy with narrowed eyes, but his attention was focused on his phone.

“So…”. Tubbo spoke up, Tommy’s attention went from his phone to Tubbo. “What’s up?”, Tommy asked while furrowing an eyebrow, Tubbo was acting differently.

“What’s going on? You’re acting differently.”. Tubbo usual tone is gone, replaced with a serious one. Oh god, it was a serious one. Did he do something? Was he suspicious? He didn’t really want to tell Tubbo what had happened.

“Uhh, nothing?”. Tubbo slammed his fist on the table. “Okay! Okay! Maybe almost got murdered yesterday at work?...”. Tubbo always held a level of intimidation so Tommy couldn’t help and spit it out, much to his displeasure.

“What?”, Tubbo spoke quietly, not wanting to get more attention from the customers that were already staring at them.  “Okay, let’s finish this outside.”.

The two then quickly ate their biscuits and finished their drinks, Tommy grabbing a can of Coca Cola on the way out. The two then made their way to their usual bench, secluded from the rest of the park.

“So, what do you mean you almost got killed?!”, Tubbo asked the moment they sat down. Tommy almost choked on his cola. “Right uhm…”. He tried to find a way to put it.

“Basically, you know that trainer guy who was really sketchy?”, “Yeah…”. “Basically, he threw me into the water with a dangerous Mer? Well, not really dangerous now... But-“. Tubbo slapped a hand over Tommy’s mouth and pinched his own nose and sighed. “Slowly.”.

Tommy in turned sighed when his mouth was released, he was going to have to go into more detail. “Trainer guy I was working under was treating Wilbur like shit, course me and Wilbur weren’t on the best of terms but that isn’t a right to treat a creature like us like total shit! So, I stood up for em’ “.

He continued, “In turn, he got mad and pushed me into the water. As you know I’m not the brightest out there and I didn’t manage to suck in any air. So, I was drowning…”. “That’s how you almost died?...”.

Tommy looked down and nodded, his arms hugging himself. Tubbo comforted him with a hug, rubbing his back as Tommy leaned into the touch. “Mhm…”. He mumbled. The two stayed there for a moment, in comforting silence.

“How did you get out?” he asked once Tommy had calmed down. “I- Wilbur saved me. I don’t know why but he did, he fucking ate me while doing it too!”, “What?!”.

“Turns out some Mers have what’s called a brooding pouch, a place where they store young. Wilbur put me there for a while”. “Wait- Brooding pouch?! He ate you but didn’t eat you?”. Tubbo said in confusion to which made Tommy laugh.

“Yeah, turns out he can speak too! So, now I can actually talk to the bitch! And now we’re friends, I guess? Well, that and he actually comforted me after what happened, so after all that I walked home at whatever time it was and fell asleep.”.

Tubbo went straight into protective mode, hugging Tommy with a lot of strength, “I’m glad you’re alive! But Wilbur, you think you guys are friends?”. “I guess so, he seemed rather friendlier than usual”.

“Whatever it is, be careful. He could still be dangerous!”, “I will don’t worry! I just, I feel bad for Wilbur. I’m gonna try and do whatever I can to help… Wait- how come you’re okay with all this?”.

“Because I know you Toms, and I know I won’t be able to stop you even if I tried so you have my support, okay? If you need a hand lemme know”.

The two did their usual antics after that, playing around and such like they have since childhood and after all that he went to bed.

…

The next day went by quickly as he was mainly playing games and stuff. He tried to think of plans, something of what he could do to help Wilbur.

…

He woke up with a lot of energy that morning, he had plans and he knew that work is going to be absolute chaos.

The moment he arrived at work that day there was a sort of rush of anxiety and excitement, he was excited to see Wilbur again but also scared of the fact of how Wilbur would react.

He walked past the halls and into Wilbur’s containment. There stood the trainer, sitting on a stand, smoking his darn cigarette.  

He heard the door open and looked over to see Tommy. His eyes widened in shock, coughing as he clumsily inhaled his cigarette. “Y-you’re!”. “Yeah, I’m alive. Shut it”.

The man opened his mouth and stood up, approaching Tommy menacingly. Tommy’s confidence faded as he brought up his arms to shield himself from the man. But the man didn’t even stand a chance as water splashed around the two.

And there was Wilbur, barring his sharp teeth, his eyes dilated as he saw the man staring down at his trainer. The trainer immediately backed off when he saw the Mer, running away cowardly out of the room. Leaving him and Wilbur alone.

Tommy looked nervously to Wilbur whose harsh expression turned softer as he looked down at Tommy, he leaned down to Tommy’s height. “You, okay?”. “Yeah, fine. Thanks Wil.”.

Wilbur smiled as he brought out his hand, offering it to Tommy to which he looked down at it in confusion, to which Wilbur responded by just picking him up completely. “Glad to see you’re okay, I’ve been worried”. He nuzzled Tommy.

“Oi, stop it bitch!”. It made Wilbur laugh. “Why are you so cuddly?!”, “You should know this, it’s common knowledge for mers”. Tommy took a minute to understand what he meant then the realisation hit him.

“Right, you bitches get attached to things easily”. And in response, Wilbur brought a claw to gently rub Tommy’s hair. “Right there, gremlin boy!”. “I am no gremlin!”.

The two then settled down with Wilbur swimming around in his small pool, which honestly made Tommy cringe with how small it was. “You hungry?”, he yelled out as he pulled out a heavy bucket towards the pool, it was filled to the brim with fish.

Wilbur popped his head out of the water, “Always hungry, honestly”. He swam towards the end of the pool where Tommy was, “Right”. He brought the bucket to Wilbur, to which Wilbur opened his mouth wide.

Tommy could make out the many sharp fangs, he could easily be swallowed whole. It freaked him out, he shrieked and stepped back. Wilbur closed his mouth and tilted his head in confusion at Tommy’s sudden yells. “What’s wrong?”.

“N-nothing, just you kinda scared me for a second “, “Oh! Sorry! Just thought you’d feed me like that”. “O-oh…”. Tommy then took a breath and came back close to Wilbur, Wilbur picked up on what Wilbur was doing and opened his mouth back up.

He then threw the bucket of fish into Wilbur’s mouth, who immediately swallowed the fish. Although not normally a part of a whale mer’s diet, it was the only thing that he could really give Wilbur to eat out here.

Wilbur then went back to swimming whilst Tommy laid his feet in the water and surprisingly, Wilbur didn’t mind it.

“So. Uhm- you okay Wil?”, “Just fine, Tommy” he answered as he swam. Fortunately, Mers could hear just as well from above the water, even if they were underwater. So, the conversation would be rather normal.

“How are you feeling after that day?”, “Fine, I talked to a friend about it. Got it off my mind and shit.”, “You told somebody about me?”, his tone changed. Tommy looked to Wilbur, “Y-yeah, I hope that’s okay!”, “Are they trustworthy?”, “Yeah!”, “Okay.”.

There was another moment of silence until Tommy spoke up, “Wilbur, don’t you hate being here?”. “Yes, I do, I absolutely despise it here. I hated it the moment I got here”, “Do you wanna go back to the ocean?”.

…

“Yes I do, but that isn’t possible.”.

“What if it is though?”.

“Tommy, you’d have to be a maniac in order to pull off an operation on your own”.

“Well I am a maniac, I’ll do it!”.

“Toms-“.

“Let’s run away Wilbur!”.

…

 “Tommy!” Wilbur pinched his nose and sighed, “I get it, you wanna help and I’m all up for it. But it’s dangerous. I don’t want you getting hurt”.

“It’ll be fine Wilbur! Come on! Don’t you wanna get out of here?!”. Wilbur looked to Tommy who had determined eyes, he couldn’t help it, he found them adorable. He sighed again, “Finee, but we’re going to be really careful about this okay?”.

Tommy smiled and stood up, reached out for Wilbur, Wilbur happily hugged him back with his hand. It made Tommy laugh, which brought a smile to Tommy’s face.

“We’ll run away!”.

[celsidebottom]

Maybe ‘i won’t leave you behind.’ with Azu and literally any team member? (I relistened to Rome recently and I'm very caught up in my Azu guilt emotions)

Prompt from this post

I think about how guilty Azu feels and I cry

Imagine this is set somewhere in Shoin’s base and there was an extra trap he created

Warnings for claustrophobia, cave-ins, Rome spoilers, referenced major character death

The ceiling groaned again, and Azu shuddered.

“It’s alright,” Hamid said reassuringly, reaching up to gently squeeze her hand.  Normally, she would have taken his hand in her own and held on tight, but she had her fist around her axe and would not relinquish that grip, not while they were still in the belly of this beast.

“Is it alright?” She asked and glanced up at the ceiling. “We’re on the bottom of the ocean. We’ve already nearly been drowned once. I can’t-”

“It’s going to be okay,” he insisted, but it did little to assuage Azu’s worry.

The group entered a stone passage, carved out of the ocean floor, and continued on.  Azu ignored the distant echo of dripping water, tried to push aside the fear that one drip could turn into a torrent that washed them all away and buried them beneath the seas.

“What was that?”  Azu stopped in place as the whole cave shook.

“Probably a kra-” Zolf started to answer, then noticed Hamid shaking his head, and changed course for Azu’s wellbeing.  “Probably just a small rock falling.  Weird, big echo and all that.”  He looked to Cel for them to double down on the reassurance and insist that it was in fact not a kraken killing another gigantic whale, but they never got the chance.

Stone collapsed in an instant.  No water flowed in, but the rock fell with no further warning and threatened to create a tomb around them.  A door was visible at the far end of the wide corridor, and the whole group sprinted toward it.

But Hamid tripped.

“Just go!”  He screamed as Azu turned back.

“I won’t leave you behind,” she cried as she knelt down beside him and picked him up just before a boulder crashed down where his head had been a moment before.

Azu raced after Zolf and Cel, cradling Hamid in her arms, and the four of them threw themselves through the doorway and into a structurally sound room that showed no sign of the cave-in next door.

The speakers ticked on and Shoin began to speak.  Cel translated, saying something about how the intruders avoided another trap, well done, but they wouldn’t get much farther in his diabolical labyrinth of doom!

Azu heard the words, but barely registered them as she still held onto Hamid.

“Thank you,” he said now that they were safe from the immediate catastrophe.  “Azu, what’s wrong?”

Tears poured down her cheeks and she squeezed Hamid tight, tighter than she probably should have given her strength and his stature, but she couldn’t keep it in any longer.

“I won’t leave you behind,” she repeated through the tears.  “And I won’t let go.  I’m not going to lose anyone else.  I can’t.  Especially not you, not now.”

Hamid extracted his arms from Azu’s grip so that he could wrap them around her shoulders and hug her back.  There was nothing he could say; the guilt that ate at him over the loss of Sasha and Grizzop was nothing compared to that which consumed Azu, yet she still stood tall and continued to fight when it would have been so easy to give up.

“You won’t,” Hamid whispered.  “You won’t lose me.  I’m here with you, Azu, and we’ll get through this together.”

“You almost got crushed! What if you had…”

“But I didn’t. Because of you.”

She paused.  “Sasha and Grizzop are gone because of me, though, too.”

“No, they’re not.  It’s not your fault, Azu, it’s nobody’s fault. And besides, they’re not gone, not really.  They’re still here.  They’re always with us.”

Azu let out a loud sob, then squeezed Hamid tight again.  He was so small, so fragile, compared to her armored form, and she would do anything to protect him.

Zolf coughed quietly in the distance, and Hamid took the hint.  “We should probably keep going,” he suggested as Azu’s tears began to die down. “But, Azu, thank you.  We’re going to get through this together, you and me, yeah?”

Finally, Azu set him down, then wiped her face.  “You’re right.  Sorry for crying all over you.”

He shrugged and laughed. Then, he reached up for Azu’s hand, and she took it.  They turned back to Zolf and Cel, and the group continued through Shoin’s traps and schemes.  Azu and Hamid held hands as much as they could.  And this time, Azu swore she would never, ever let go.

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 4.5

Title: We’ll be home for Christmas

Day Four – Five Billionaires and No Wives – Part 5 Prologue | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5

Author: Gumnut

29 Apr - 11 May 2020

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: The boys can’t fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.

Word count: 4259

Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Artist!Virgil, Minor various ships, mostly background. A little angst in this one.

Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos I started this fic before we saw it.

Author’s note: For @scattergraph​​​. This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic :D

I’ve been staring at this too long and it is late. I hope I don’t regret posting this. Especially as Alan misbehaved and threw an unplanned scene at me.

Many thanks to @i-am-chidorixblossom​ @scribbles97​​​ and @onereyofstarlight​​​ for reading through various bits, fielding my many wibblies, and for all their wonderful support.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

He didn’t sleep long.

Virgil was woken so they could drag him onto A Little Lightning. Scott marshalled him out of his wet clothes, into a shower and quietly redressed his healing incisions. Lunch was demanded and a sandwich shoved into his hand. Coffee was denied him and orange juice substituted.

He found himself dozing at the table.

Mel and Sam were invited for lunch aboard the boat. Gordon was busy being host, but never quite seemed to be very far from Virgil.

Sam mentioned the whales several times, but Gordon shut him down and at no point did he have a chance to corner Virgil.

Virgil felt sorry for the cetacean biologist. He must remember to talk to him at a later time. Once he had finished processing today himself.

The whole experience was otherworldly. He didn’t quite know how to express it. It was as if the music had shape and form, his mind’s eye producing a kaleidoscope of imagery sculpted by sound.

And it meant something.

He knew it meant something, but he couldn’t decipher most of it. Bits were missing, the shapes fragmented, but he did feel the emotion that travelled with it. Multidimensional, the song communicated in a way he wasn’t capable of fully comprehending.

“Virgil, you should go to bed.”

Scott again.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“C’mon.” A hand landed gently on his shoulder.

“Mmm...” Musical shapes danced in his mind and he realised there was colour. Greens, violets and yellows. Patches torn from an unseen spectrum. It was frustrating to not be able to pull it all into focus and understanding.

“Virgil?”

It would be interesting to try and paint. Yes, maybe that would be a way to understand it better. He visualised forming those shapes with pencil and brush. Three dimensions...no four. They shifted according to time.

Hell. So confusing.

But he could try.

“Virgil? You with me?”

Huh? He blinked and looked up at concerned blue eyes.

A sigh. “Just thinking.”

“I can see that. You need rest.”

He did, yes, but he also needed to think, to doodle, to work it all out. He caught Scott’s eyes. “Sit with me?”

A blink. “Of course.”

There followed farewells, Virgil pre-occupied throughout. At some point Mel kissed him on the cheek, but he barely registered it. Sam said something but was interrupted by Gordon. Virgil felt completely spaced and somewhere at the back of his thoughts he was embarrassed at his lack of response and manners.

Scott didn’t leave his side.

Gordon made excuses and apologies.

John was speaking to Eos...which meant their guests must have left. Man, he was out of it. Brain overload.

Alan had concerned blue eyes so much like their eldest brother.

The yacht’s engine starting up scared the living shit out of him. It shattered his mindscape with aural static, those careful shapes disintegrating.

“Hey, hey, Virgil. It’s okay.” Scott had his hand on his arm again.

Virgil’s heart was thudding in his chest. A blink. A calming breath. A moment. He forced calm. “I’m good.”

He was, really. He just had a lot to think about.

“You sure you don’t want to sleep?”

“I’m sure.” But there was something he did want to do. “Come up front with me?”

Scott frowned at him.

“I just want to feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair.” And get as far away from the engine as possible.

“Sure.” A pause. “But you’re sitting down.”

“Sure.” Virgil pushed himself to his feet.

They found a niche on the bow, enough to sit comfortably with some back support. They could see Gordon frowning at them from the cockpit.

Virgil caught the thought and had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Apparently, he was as much a flyboy as his big brother.

The boat was moving at a reasonable speed, Gordon, no doubt, wanting to get home fast due to the day’s events. That and now they were behind schedule and had quite a long, final stretch to make it before sunset.

Raoul was little more than a smudge on the horizon already. Virgil stared at it a moment before turning and facing the wide ocean ahead of them that ultimately would contain their island. Wind streamed through his hair.

“It will be good to be home.”

Scott didn’t hesitate. “Definitely.”

Virgil snorted. “Missing your ‘bird?”

“Missing land.”

“You spent last night on land.”

“Not the right land.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow at that. “You seemed quite happy with at least one of the inhabitants.”

That prompted a smile on his big brother’s face. “Fishing for details?”

“Some. Not too much.”

Scott turned to him and shrugged. “It was fun. Mel is an interesting woman.”

Half a smile. “I’ll give her that much.” A curious eyebrow. “See it going any further?”

Scott’s expression was thoughtful. “Maybe.”

“Invite her over for Christmas.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Why not?”

“Late notice.”

“You have a Thunderbird.”

That thoughtfulness increased and a slight smile curved his brother’s lips.

“Invite Sam and Liam while you’re at it. We owe them cake. Alan ate theirs.” And Virgil owed Sam an explanation.

That frown returned. “You sure?”

“Sure. The more the merrier.” A snort. “Hell, have them over for a few days. It will give Melissa the chance to check out our ecosystem, she’ll be ecstatic.” A pause and then quietly. “It will give me a chance to speak to Sam about...” A fractured image came to mind and he realised it meant whale. An indrawn breath. Oh god. One concept. He understood something. He could not reproduce it. It wasn’t just sound. It was something else. A combination of visual and auditory. How? His throat froze up. Hell.

“Virgil?”

“I...” The concept tantalised him. His fingers itched for his pencils, his paints and his piano all at once. How?

How?

He swallowed and realised his heart rate was up again. “I...need my tablet...and stylus.”

Scott stared at him a moment before standing up and making his way aft.

It was a sign of how preoccupied Virgil was that his tablet appeared almost immediately in his hands.

He didn’t hesitate. His fingers pulled up his drawing app, his stylus connected with the surface and lines appeared.

Lines. Curves.

Shapes.

Interwoven.

No.

Not right.

The stylus squeaked across the screen.

More lines. More shapes.

The screen became black with them, so he added colour. It splashed and bled across the lines.

“Virgil.”

It still wasn’t right.

Frustration stirred and he groaned at the image.

A blink.

Sound.

He scratched more lines, but the moment of inspiration faded.

He couldn’t do it.

“Virgil.”

It wasn’t a single dimension. It was many. Visual, sound and...and...

Emotion.

How?

It all came back to that question.

He let the tablet and stylus drop, clenching his eyes shut and rubbing his face with his hands.

How the hell could he communicate emotion?

-o-o-o-

John squirrelled himself away. Eos had contacted him to give her report, but there was something in her tone that told him not to take it on an open line.

So, he waited until Gordon got the boat moving and Scott had corralled Virgil before retreating to his cabin for some privacy.

“Did you receive a clear enough signal?”

“Affirmative, John. The upgrade to Virgil’s comms worked perfectly. I am confident I received the full spectrum of the whale’s emissions.”

“Any conclusions?”

“Tentative. And at least an explanation why Virgil is so relaxed in their presence.”

John frowned. “Show me.” The tablet in his hand, the same waterproof device he had clung to as they were tossed from the boat, lit up and a hologram hung above it.

It was a series of graphs mapping sound waves, several equations scrolled down one side. The frown on John’s face deepened. That was some seriously complex math. “Talk to me, Eos.”

“Multiple carrier waves interact synergistically to create other waves which also carry data. This is truly a multidimensional sound.” The waves on several of the graphs split up to show their originating structures.

“Can you decipher a language?”

“Not a simple language, no. Initial assessment leads me to believe this is at least partially a graphical language. The mathematics reveal vector information is part of the transmission.”

John’s eyes widened. “Any interpretation?”

The graphs disappeared to reveal fragmented moving lines and clouded shape. “These images are calculated using a section of song the mother whale was singing to Virgil.”

“Can you see a pattern?”

“Not presently, however, I am still analysing. One aspect to be considered is this...”

A second grouping of graphics appeared beside the main display. This was smaller and lacked colour, the lines far more fragmented and the whole composition was fogged with what appeared to be static. “What?”

“That is Virgil’s vocalisation while he was in contact with the whale, if it is run through the same mathematical algorithm.” The two graphics were suddenly overlaid together. Virgil’s section fit like a piece of a puzzle into the larger composition, as if it was an unfinished section awaiting colour.

“How? Why is Virgil picking this up, but the rest of us are not?”

The graphs returned along with one new one. “I retrieved Virgil’s EEG readings from his last head injury.” Lines lit up in red on several of the graphs. “Several of the carrier waves create a binaural beat. The result is that at least part of the whale’s communication is nestled in frequencies that resonate with human brainwave activity. Virgil’s, in particular, appear to align well. I hypothesise that this facilitates his receptivity.”

John stared at the lines denoting Virgil’s delta wave production. A flick of his fingers and the graph overlaid that section of the whale’s vocal output. Delta waves were well known for their calming effect and their influence on sleep. It would definitely explain his brother’s thrall and lethargy during each encounter.

The red lines glared at him.

An exhaled breath. “So, no chance of a translation?”

“Not any time soon. The transmission is extremely complex and I have yet to reveal all of the carrier signals, much less decipher the entire data stream.”

Eos fell silent a moment and John stared at the graphs, watching them move in rhythm with each other. “Why hasn’t this been discovered before?”

“Recording equipment. Of the recordings I have examined, only three have managed to record enough detail to even hint at the complexity. Today’s samples are of the highest resolution ever taken. Further clarity would be achieved with multiple recordings.”

Which meant more encounters. The sight of Virgil singing on the whale was eerie and unsettling. He may have held back Scott from going to Virgil’s assistance, but the truth was he had to hold himself back just as much.

“Is it causing Virgil any harm?”

Eos didn’t answer immediately and it gave John the chance to ramp up his concern just a notch.

“I cannot locate any medical effects beyond a tendency towards inducing sleep due to some of the frequencies involved. I would recommend further monitoring, however.”

“I agree.” An indrawn breath. “Thank you, Eos.” He blinked and realised exactly what his daughter had just done. His eyes widened just a little. “Continue analysis. This is an important scientific discovery and you have done some excellent work.”

“Really?” Her voice was ever so hopeful, ever so young.

“Of course. I’m looking forward to working on this with you.” There was definitely work to be done and soon.

“Thank you, John.”

“No, Eos, thank you.”

Her giggle bounced across comms. Sometimes so old, yet always ever so young. Her youth was always surprising as was her need for guidance. “Could you please send me Virgil’s vitals, both during the encounter and now?”

“Yes, John.” More numbers appeared above his tablet. Fortunately, they were all healthy numbers, though Virgil’s heart rate was up somewhat. A flick of his fingers and Scott’s vitals appeared beside Virgil’s. Both brothers’ heart rates echoed each other.

John would have felt like he was spying on his family, but he did it so often for reassurance on Five that it now barely registered. Another flick of his fingers and he directed Five to focus on A Little Lightning. He found his eldest brothers on the bow of the yacht. Virgil appeared to be drawing on his tablet.

“He is well, John. I can see no after effects from his encounter.”

John wondered if he could coerce his brother into an EEG exam when they made it home. Roping Scott in would probably manage it, but the stress on both of them would be considerable and he hesitated to aggravate either of them.

Perhaps further down the track, or if Virgil gave him any reason for concern.

God, he hoped not.

A sigh. He had probably jinxed himself last night acknowledging the vacation they were on. Since he woke up to Virgil’s snoring early that morning, things had changed. Sure, surfing with Gordon had been fun, but seeing Scott stressing over Virgil on the beach and the events that followed right up until they returned to A Little Lightning had been anything but relaxing.

One of Virgil’s piano sonatas started playing over his tablet ever so softly.

Despite himself, he smiled. “I’m fine, Eos.”

“You’re worrying again. This is not good for your hair production.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Several sources state that stress can disable the pigment production in human hair follicles, resulting in white, often termed ‘grey’, hairs. I believe this is a negatively viewed characteristic and I have noted that your elder brothers have encountered this issue already. It causes distress, therefore it should be prevented.”

Another blink. “Both of my older brothers have dark hair. Grey becomes very apparent in contrast.”

“It will turn your hair pink.”

“What?” This conversation was ridiculous. “It is a natural ageing process. There is very little that can be done about it.” A breath. “I’m not vain, Eos.”

She didn’t answer immediately. “But your brothers are?”

“My brothers are my brothers, Eos.”

“Well, that makes little sense.”

“Just accept them as they are.”

“Is it possible to accept them any other way?”

“No, not really.”

“Then that statement is redundant.”

“Eos.”

“Yes?”

Frivolous distraction, Eos-style. She had become quite adept at it. Moving his thoughts off worrying topics. A sigh. “Thank you, Eos.”

She didn’t answer immediately, but then...

“Did you know Virgil dyes his hair?”

-o-o-o-

Scott watched his brother draw somewhat manically on his tablet. The resultant art was far from what the artist usually produced. This was all sharp lines and angles followed by random blob shapes. At first it was all in pencil, but then Virgil started adding colours. There was no pattern, it was all haphazard and, worse, it appeared to be aggravating him.

“Virgil.”

His brother groaned in frustration, his eyebrows creasing his face in half and swallowing the scar on his forehead.

“Virgil.”

But he suddenly stopped, realisation on his face morphing into disappointment and more frustration.

The tablet and stylus slipped from Virgil’s hands and Scott was hard pressed to catch them.

But he did.

Virgil’s eyes were scrunched shut and he rubbed his face with his hands.

Scott glanced at the mess on the tablet and shoved it to one side, turning to his brother. “Virgil, talk to me.”

“I can’t.” It was small and hoarse.

“Can’t what?”

“Can’t...express, explain...trying to understand...it’s a mess...”

Okay, this was well outside his realm, but he knew Virgil. He slipped off his seat and knelt in front him. Gently he pulled those hands away from his brother’s face to reveal worried brown eyes. “Stop. Take a breath.”

Virgil stared at him a moment before the soft command was obeyed and he drew in air. Those eyes closed briefly and his brother’s shoulders dropped. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.”

“I ruined it again. I’ve stressed you out.”

“This time, I don’t think you had much say in it. Mamma Whale was very determined to say hello.” A small smile. “I think you have a music fan.”

Virgil snorted softly and Scott knew he’d broken through even if just a little. “She definitely wanted to talk. I just wish I knew what she wanted to say.”

“You picked up something, though, didn’t you?”

A quiet sigh. “She was happy and surprised.” Virgil looked up and stared out into the ocean, but Scott could tell he wasn’t seeing the waves.

He wondered what he was thinking.

“How could you tell?”

The frown returned. “I don’t know.” A pause caught in thought. “The sound makes me feel? The sound is...everything.”

Virgil stopped speaking, lost again to whatever was in his head.

Scott swallowed and tried a different tactic. “I think you made a mistake.”

Brown eyes snapped to him immediately. “What?”

“You should have asked Mel out. Lost opportunity, bro.”

Virgil stared at him. “What?”

“She had the hots for you, Virg, and you ignored her.”

“Last time Raoul erupted? She tried to climb me like a tree. Kay had to drag her out of the cockpit.”

It was Scott’s turn to stare. “Really?”

“She was very exuberant in her thanks.”

Scott smiled. “She knows what she likes.” And yes, admittedly, she was very good at climbing, after all Scott was taller. His smile widened.

Virgil’s stare intensified until plain, straight human communication got the message across and his brother groaned. “God, Scott, TMI.”

Total innocence. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to. The image is radiating off your skin.”

Scott sniggered.

Distraction achieved.

“Well, I did say you lost an opportunity.”

“That’s fine, Jungle Jim, she’s all yours.”

Scott shrugged. He could always hope. She certainly knew how to press all his buttons. “Still think we should have her over for Christmas?”

“Yeah, Gordon will love it.”

“What about you?”

“I need to speak to Sam.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Okay.” A breath. “Just take it easy.”

His brother nodded and returned to staring out at the ocean. “It will be good to get home.”

Scott stood up slowly and sat back down beside his brother. “Yeah, it will.”

So good.

-o-o-o-

“Are we there yet?” Alan’s voice was particularly whiny, no doubt, specifically designed to irritate.

Gordon turned away from the helm to look at him. “Do you see an island in front of us?”

Alan shoved his hands in his pockets. “Nope.”

“There’s your answer.”

It had been quiet on the bridge for the last few hours. Gordon was grateful for the time to think. A Little Lightning cut through the water ever so smoothly. It was satisfying to see the swell pass by knowing that they were one wave closer to home.

Gordon loved being out on the ocean. It was his native element. But at the moment he longed for the safety of Tracy Island. That last encounter with the whales had its own sense of wonder, but until he understood exactly what the effect was on his older brother, he wasn’t entirely comfortable.

It was weird and unnerving.

And it worried him.

“They been out there long?” Alan was staring at the two men sitting on the bow of the boat.

“Yeah, couple of hours at least.”

“Do you think Virgil is okay?”

No. “Yeah, he’ll be fine.”

Alan eyed him. “I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t need protecting. Since when have you become one of them?” He pointed at his eldest brothers.

Gordon sighed. “I’m not. It’s just...I don’t know, okay? It was weird and amazing and I need to talk to him and he was spaced out and his singing was...”

“Weird?”

“Yeah.”

There was silence for a moment, but Gordon knew it wouldn’t be long.

Sure enough.

“Do you think Virg can talk to whales?”

“I don’t know, Alan.” It was said on one long exhale.

“He communicated something, didn’t he?”

“I don’t know, okay?” And that was the problem. There was so much they didn’t know. Gordon was itching to get into the in-depth literature, to find out more and fill the gaps in his knowledge so he could help his brother. He would be speaking to Sam as soon as possible, but for the moment, the priority was getting Virgil home.

“Some vacation.” It was said with a pout.

Gordon sighed and shoved on the autopilot before turning to his younger brother. “Alan, out with it.”

“What?”

“What’s bugging you.”

“I thought that was obvious. Virgil going zombie and singing to a whale is enough, don’t you think? As if appendicitis wasn’t dramatic already.”

Gordon stared at Alan. “He is going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that. You just said so!”

“He sang to a whale, Alan. They are one of the gentlest creatures on the planet. If he was going to choose a weird conversation partner, he chose well.”

“But you don’t know what it did to him!”

“It didn’t do anything to him.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Alan-“

“Don’t lie to me!” The words shot across the bridge and slapped Gordon in the face.

Voice calm and quiet and not a little hurt. “I have never lied to you, Alan.”

Blue fire glared at him. “You haven’t? Not even to protect the littlest one? Scared I might burst into tears.”

Gordon stared at his little brother. “What is it?”

“Have you?!”

“No! I’ve always told you the truth. You know that!” He let out an aggravated breath. “What is wrong, Allie?”

“What do you think? First you, then Virgil, and now this!”

“What?!” Him? Virgil? Oh...shit. “Virgil is okay. Hell, I’m okay. Allie, we are all fine.”

“That’s what he keeps saying!” Alan shoved a finger in Virgil’s direction. “He’s always fine, even when he’s not. You’re all the same. Big tough guys, nothing is ever wrong. You could be bleeding to death and you’d ‘be fine’. What is wrong with admitting you’re hurt? What is so wrong with being hurt that you have to hide it?”

Gordon opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“Well, you know what? I’m scared and I’m sick of hiding it. Virgil nearly fell out of the damned sky with his infected appendix. It could have killed him. And now he’s scaring everyone with this whale thing.” A harshly indrawn breath. “Don’t tell me Scott’s not worried. I’m not stupid.”

Two steps and Gordon was in front of his brother, his hands landing on shoulders that were just that touch higher than his own and tighter strung than Virgil’s piano. “Allie, he’s going to be okay.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it is true.”

Something unintelligible and Alan was wrapped around him like a limpet. Gordon held his little brother. It was unusual and alarming. Alan usually went to Scott for comfort. Gordon was for pranks and cohorting. “It’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to be worried. You can cry if you need to.”

“I’m not going to cry!” Alan pulled away and glared up at Gordon.

“What?”

“Now you think I’m the baby that needs to bawl on your shoulder?”

“What?!” The hell was going on? Some conscious part of his brain was aware of the yacht’s engine, the high speed they were travelling and the fact autopilot on water was vastly different from the sky and he really should be paying attention. But Alan needed...something. “Allie, you’ve lost me. What do you want?!”

“I want Virgil to be okay. I want you to be okay.”

“We are okay!”

“Then stop scaring me!”

“I didn’t scare you!”

“You....you terrified me, Gordon. You terrified all of us.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Still hurt.”

“Aww, Allie...” What could he do?

“And now, here you are ‘okay’, and it could happen again, and...” A shaky swallow. “I’m scared, okay? You’re fine. Virgil’s fine. But you’re not, and...I’m not okay...okay?”

This time it was Gordon wrapping his arms around his not so little brother. “I’m sorry, Allie.”

Muffled into Gordon’s shoulder. “Not your fault.”

“No.” But he should have realised it was still messing with his little brother. Alan was the least experienced of them all. Gordon had seen things, done things, things that hopefully Alan would never have to experience. Quietly. “I think Virgil is a little freaked out. I don’t think he understands what happened much more than we do. But we are going to find out. I’m going to speak to Sam. We’re going to do some research and we will find out why the song affected Virgil the way it did. But he is okay, Alan. Tracy’s honour. A little shaken up. A little worried. But he is okay. We’ll work through this like we always do.”

His brother’s arms tightened around him just that little bit more, but Alan didn’t say anything.

A rustle of fabric and Gordon looked up to see John standing in the doorway staring at them with a hint of worry in his eyes.

“John?”

Alan startled and pulled away immediately. Turquoise followed his every move.

A slow blink and John stepped onto the bridge. “Eos is deciphering the song. We have a good idea as to why Virgil reacted the way he did.” It was said calmly and factually for such a great discovery.

“You do?” Alan found his voice first.

Those eyes latched onto Gordon’s. “We do.”

The helm beeped.

A blink and Gordon was back at the wheel, scanning their position. A mass of volcanic rock and tropical reef appeared on navigational sensors.

A familiar chunk of rock and reef.

Tracy Island.

Home.

-o-o-o-

End Day Four, Part Five.

[captainchocolatesstuff]

Swimming with the Sandbar Shark

Merfolk! Eijiro Kirishima x Reader

As a child, you were told many stories about the people who lived within the sea. “They traded their legs for a tail of a fish!”, one of the older fishermen would say, telling stories of other fishermen meeting these alluring beings. Some said they lured away people to kill them, and occasionally there were times when they said the opposite, saying that they saved people from shipwrecks. When you were still a child you used to believe in them, you lived with your parents on the beach where you were able to exhaust your energy as your parents watched, and sometimes, occasionally join in on your games. You all lived so happily.

They were called overseas for their job one day, you could remember saying good night to them as they set off, leaving you in your grandparents’ care. The next day you heard your grandma crying as your grandpa hugged her with glossy eyes, you didn’t know what was going on until you saw the TV that was on the news channel, there was a sunken ship that had several survivors, and there were images being shown of the ones last lost their lives. Your parents were among them.

 In a fit of denial, you stormed your way to the beach and called for your parents, even going as far as to plead and beg to the merfolk to bring back your parents. Nothing ever happened, and you were left crying at the beach until your grandparents came for you, they could only hug you as you cried for your parents.

Now as a young woman you never let yourself believe in old fairy tales, and you moved on with your life by helping your grandpa with his aquarium, you enjoyed helping out in whatever way you can, the place was also a rehabilitation center for any aquatic life that needed to recover. Still, while you were happy with your life now you couldn’t help but wonder what your life would’ve been like if your parents were still around.

Right now though, you laughed as you threw fish at a sea lion that you knew too well, “Terry you already ate buddy, let Bandit and Mellow eat!”, you playfully scold as Terry snatched another fish from his fellow sea lions. You shook your head as you grabbed another bucket full of fish and tried to have Bandit and Mellow.

“Hey (Y/n)!”, your co-worker called you, looking back you saw Sierra, a nice woman in her thirties who taught you how to handle any of the rowdier animals. 

“Oh, Sierra! Hi! Did you need something?”, you ask.

“I am fine but your grandpa is calling you, he said it was for something really important, don’t worry I’ll handle our water puppies”, she winks as she takes the bucket from you.

You could only laugh, “Alright, I’ll head out, oh just a FYI; Terry has been eating most of the fishes again”, you inform as you jog to the door.

“Really? Oooh, Terry~ are you being greedy again?”, she begins to scold the sea lion, you could only laugh as you made your way to your grandpa’s office. 

Once there you opened the door only to see the room empty, “Grandpa? Hello~”, you call him only to see the sticky note on his desk. Picking it up you read;

“(Y/n), I want you to meet me in building 1-A, you’ll never believe what I’ve discovered”. You furrowed your brows, your grandpa always told you about surprises in person, but if he left a note then it must’ve been really important.

So with a sigh, you went to the building he wanted you to be in, and once there you saw him waiting by the door, “Hey grandpa-”

“(Y/n)! You’re here, that is good, I am sorry to be so pushy but I need you to get inside, quickly now”, he cut you off, leaving you flabbergasted. Now you knew something was up, for your grandpa to cut you off the way he did it was something very important, so you quickly went inside the building and looked around, inside was a large tank that was enough to fit in ten whales and several sharks, it even had a stairway that leads to the opening of the tank.

“So, what is it, grandpa? Must be important…”, you trail off as you face your grandpa as he secured the door before looking at you.

“(Y/n) I know you’re a young lady now and are still planning things for your future, but I need you to stay calm and well, try to understand that what you’re going to see is 100% real”, he explains cryptically.

“Uhh~ grandpa are you okay? Do you need me to call grandma or something”, you ask in worry, he only sighed as a tired smile crossed his lips.

“Turn around dear, you’ll see what I mean”, he says, and you do exactly that only for your jaw to drop at what you saw.

There were a few merfolk on the other side of the glass, one of them caught your attention the most though as you locked eyes, his hair was somehow spiked up in the water and was red in color, a small scar just above his right eyebrow, his tail was red and from what you could tell from it, it resembled that of a Sandbar Shark. He seemed to be observing you just as you observed him, curiosity and awe written clearly on his face, what nearly surprised you the most was when he gave you a smile, his teeth were sharp like a shark’s.

Other merfolk were there too, one had ash blonde hair and his tail looked like a lionfish. There was another blonde but he had a black lightning streak and his tail definitely resembles one of a tiger stingray. The last male with them had black hair, his tail was one of a black and white snapper. And finally, there was a girl there too, she was pink all over but her eyes certainly caught you off guard, she clearly was a Pascalus Anthias.

To say you were shocked was a severe understatement, you looked back at your grandfather as you gestured towards them with a shaky hand, “Th-they- um- Mer-… They’re real?”, your voice sounded small as you glanced back at them.

Your grandpa gave you a soft smile as he placed a hand on your shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze, “They are real, a family friend found twelve of them, two girls, two grown men, and the rest are boys, though from what I observed the younger ones seem to be around your age (Y/n)”, he explained.

You suddenly felt lightheaded at the information, still trying to process the situation as you looked at the mers before you, “Hey now take it easy, deep breaths (Y/n)”, you hear your grandpa say as he holds your back. You didn’t notice that you were tipping back until his hand pressed between your shoulder blades. 

“A-ah, right- um”, you steady yourself as you spot one of the older merfolk that your grandpa mentioned, he had shoulder-length black hair, a stubble, and a scar just beneath his right eye, the lower portion of his body was that of a moray eel. He seemed to be informing his… pod? School? Guppies? Well, whatever they were to him, he was talking to them before you looked at you and your grandpa, he gave a curt nod to your grandpa, who tipped his head in return, before looking at you. He rose a brow at your still gobsmacked expression, you didn’t know what to do other than give him and the younger mers a weak wave, he looked amused as the young mers returned your gesture eagerly (except for the lionfish mer, he was glaring daggers at you).

He then made a “follow me” motion, leading the young ones away as your eyes followed them, but the sandbar shark stayed behind for a moment as he looked at you, he then gave you a toothy grin as he waved at you and you returned the gesture until you saw his head perk up as if he was being called. He gave you one last smile before he swam off.

‘I wonder what that was about?’, you think as your grandpa let out a hearty chuckle. Looking at him you ask, “You said that a family friend found them, what exactly happened that landed them here?”, you ask.

“Well…”, your grandfather sighed, “you already know Samuel, one of the fishermen we know that practically guards our beach, veteran, and ex-veterinarian? Yeah, he was coming back to shore after patrolling the waters and found a poaching ship, the crew also happened to have the merfolk onboard, he was able to steal the ship poachers had but several of the merfolk were injured”, he explained.

“So he brought them to me, of course since this building was the one closest to the ocean I thought it would be a nice idea to let them stay here until their injured were up and ready to leave back into their home, I was also able to get their names through the older mers, course, they were skittish at first but everything went smoothly as soon as I told them they were at a rehabilitation aquarium”, he smiles down at you.

“No wonder grandma told me you’d be staying here last night, I was worried that something was wrong with the animals”, you give a soft pout as your grandpa leads you up the stairs to the second platform that looks over the tank. 

Looking down at the huge tank from the platform you took notice of the large rocks and sea flora that was there, but recalling the mers’ appearances you noted the few bandages that you overlooked in your state of shock when you first saw them.

“(Y/n), we’re going to have to keep this a big secret you know that right?”, your grandpa looked over you, a soft look on his face.

“I know, so are you going to be looking after them?”, you asked.

“As much as I would like to, I am going to have to leave that you (Y/n)”, he reveals.

“Oh ok- wait what?”, you snap your head towards him with a flabbergasted look. 

He only chuckled, “Well I am always going to be busy with the things that go on in the aquarium, you are the only grandchild that is often here, I could ask Samuel but the man is too busy patrolling our waters”, he explained. 

“M-me? Are you sure?”, you ask as you point at yourself, your grandpa gave a hearty laugh as he patted your head.

“I have no doubt that you would do a great job, besides I’m sure that the older Mers wouldn’t mind helping ya”, he says before his phone rings, “heh, duty calls (Y/n) I’ll come cheek on you once I’m done with the papers”, he waves before walking back downstairs and exiting the building.

You stared at the direction your grandpa left before you heard a sudden splash making you whip your head around to see the shandbar shark mer again, he rested both his elbows on the edge of the platform as he waved at you, “Hiya! I’m Eijiro Kirishima! You must be Mr. (L/n) granddaughter!”, he chirps.

You blink at him before giving him a shy smile, “I am, my name is (Y/n)”, you introduce.

When he flashed you that friendly smile, and when you returned the gesture, you both felt a spark between you in that moment not knowing that it would sprout into something more. 

~~~

You laughed when you heard Katsuki cursing after a beach ball was thrown at his face. Denki, Mina, Eijiro, and Hanta were up against Izuku, Tenya, Ochaco, and Shoto in a game of water polo, Shinso and Katsuki sat out while the adults of the group swam bay and watched. 

Mr. Aizawa -you called him by his surname out of respect- let you brush his hair as Mr. Yagi laid back on the wall of the tank, elbows resting on the edge of the platform.

“What the hell Deku!”, Katsuki roars.

“Ah! Sorry Kacchan!”, Izuku frantically apologizes until he squeaked when Katsuki went diving after him, Izuku dashed off making Mr. Aizawa sigh.

“Yagi”, he grunts, “it’s your turn to deal with them”

“A-ah, right-”, Mr. Yagi chuckles half-heartedly before going after them.

You humed as you stroked your fingers through Aizawa’s hair, deciding to give him a low bun with two loose braids holding the rest of his hair back, “Hey! (Y/n)!”, you hear Eijiro call out to you.

When you finished styling Aizawa’s hair you perked up, “Oh, hey Eijiro, what’s up?”, you ask, hardly noticing the older mer slipping away with a huff.

“I was wondering if you could bring something to eat, like the kind of stuff you humans eat, since well tomorrow is our last day and…”, he trailed, a light pink hue tinting his cheeks as he looked up at you, “I wanna know how they taste, y’know something with meat preferably, ah- you know what, never mind-”, Eijiro began rambling as you laughed.

“Kiri it’s okay, I’ll bring you something okay, you guys told me about your mer things, it’s about time I share something of ours”, you smile at him.

“In that case can I have what you humans call ‘hamburgers’!”, Denki pipped in with a cheer.

“Kaminari~!”, Eijiro lightly scolds until he saw you pull out a notepad and pen.

You scribbled some of the listed things as some of the mers soon gathered around you, smiling at them you chip, “Anything else you guys wish to order.

“I’m up for some of that fruit stuff!”

“Mochi sounds nice!”

“Can you add Natto!”

“Cold soba”

“AH~ Then, maybe that ‘beef stew’ would be interesting to try”

You kept smiling as you wrote down their “orders” while Eijiro stared at you for a while longer, he let a smile form on his lips as he stared at you for a while longer. When it was time to go home the mers went down to their water caves to rest up for tomorrow, Eijiro took this chance to reach out to you as you packed your stuff, “(Y/n)!”, he calls.

You turn around and walk to the edge of the platform before kneeling down, “Hey Eiji, I thought you’d be with the others by now”, you absently point out, he only chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.

“Well, I was but I just wanted to spend a little more of my time with you before we leave this place”, he softly says.

“Yeah, I hear that Mr. Yagi is healed up nicely, Sero and Uraraka too if I recall, are you excited to go back home soon”, you ask, smiling despite the weird pull in your chest.

“Yeah! Yeah, I am… but I’m gonna miss this place too, you and Mr. (L/n) were a big help to us, and we had a lot of fun here… is it selfish of me to want to stay a little longer?”, he suddenly asks.

You blinked before giving Eijiro a reassuring smile, “No, I don’t think it is Kiri, you see many people grow attached to things, whether it be a person or place, it just means that you made good memories from the place that brought you joy, as for being selfish, well… someone once said that it is okay to be a little selfish sometimes”, you explain to him.

Eijiro suddenly intertwined his fingers with yours making you stare at him with mild confusion, he looks up at you with a toothy grin, “Thanks for being our friend (Y/n)”.

You smile back at him, “And thank you for being mine”

~~~

Just as you promised you brought all of the things the mers wanted to try, and they all made so many sounds as they ate, from chirps to hums as you enjoyed your meal alongside Eijiro who was eating bacon after finishing his chicken, beef, and pork meals.

“Wow, I didn’t know that you humans did this with your meals, I can taste so many flavors yet it makes a pretty neat combination!”, Eijiro chips as you laughed.

“Well, it is the most preferable way we eat our food, we don’t entirely eat our food raw, but I know some cuisines that are raw”, you explain.

“Really? What raw foods do your can eat?” he asked

“I know sushi is one, steak as well depending on how you order it…”, you trail off as you listed several more meals while Eijiro listened, a smile on his face as he finished his meal. 

And soon enough, you found yourself running your fingers through his hair when he rested his head on your lap, passing the time by talking. Both of you were so distracted by each other you didn’t notice other mers swimming around, but a specific pair of mers watched as you and Eijiro seemingly clung to one another knowing today was the last day, Mina let out a weak smile as she spoke to Katsuki.

“It’s kind of sad don’t you think, they don’t even notice how deeply they care for one another”, she pouts.

Katsuki scoffed as he glared at his shark friend, “Hair-for-brains better hurry up with his choice then, the idiot is likely to lose something if he keeps dancing around the obvious problem he’s having”, his eye twitched when he saw Eijiro’s gills fluttered, “he better do it quick, tch! This shit is annoying!”.

Mina laughed as Katsuki dove into the water and disappeared before looking back at her friend, knowing that some of what Katsuki said was true.

As the time came closer for the mers to go back home, you felt your chest ache as you rode in the truck, looking out the window you saw the beach draw near. A shiver shook your spine when your grandpa rolled down the window, talking to your grandmother on the phone while you were left to your thoughts, you felt sad and admittedly you already figured out the reason as to why. Your thoughts trailed to Eijiro eventually, thinking about all the things you would miss about him once he left, you scolded yourself for your selfish thoughts because you knew he had a home to go back to.

Once at a secluded area at the beach you helped your grandfather assist the mers in reaching the shores, and once they were in they all happily swam in the area as you and your grandfather walked to the end of the pier while the mers swam under and around it. Your grandfather laughed as you sat down letting your bare feet touch the waters as you smiled weakly.

“Ya hoo~! Home sweet home!”, Deki cheered.

“I wonder how mom is handling this”, you hear Izuku say as they all swim before you.

Aizawa and Yagi looked back at you and your grandfather, “We thank you for helping us recover Mr. (L/n), young (Y/n), you have been a great help to us”, Yagi smiles.

“It was no problem at all, just make sure to stay safe yes?”, your grandfather laughed, as did the rest of the others, you managed a weak giggle.

“Come on, it time we go”, Aizawa sighed before giving a final wave of his hand, soon the rest of the pod pack followed, also saying their goodbyes.

“Bye! Thank you for caring for us!”

“Yeah! You guys are awesome!”

“Take care!!”

You and your grandfather waved back as they all dove in the water until Eijiro was the last one left, he looked back at you with a smile that almost looked forced but when you waved to him with your own smile, he waved back before diving into the water.

You finally felt your tears fall when he left.

“(Y/n)? What’s wrong?”, you hear your grandpa softly ask, looking up at him with mild surprise you were about to ask what he meant until he reached down and whiled a tear from your eye, “You’re crying”.

Eijiro felt his shoulders slump with weight, occasionally looking back at the pier where he left you, his brows furrowed when he felt more weight on his body. He stopped swimming abruptly when he felt a hard fist slam itself atop his head, making him yelp.

“OW!”

“You really are dense aren’t you hair- for- brains”, Katsuki growled.

“Wha-?! Bakugo!? The hell man-”, Eijiro winced as he rubbed his head tenderly, before being cut off by the explosive lionfish.

“Go back to the land dweller already, you obviously like her more than a friend, but apparently your hair muddled brain couldn’t understand that”, Katsuki huffed as Eijiro stared at him in awe before giving him a toothy grin.

“Thanks, Bakubro, you’re the manliest man ever!”, Eijiro gave Katsuki a tight hug before swimming off before Katsuki could do anything.

Katsuki was frozen before cursing up a storm, “Get back here hair-for-brains! I’m gonna kill you!”

“Awe~ you really do care Bakugo~”, Mina teased as Katsuki roared while Aizawa went to check on them to see what was going on.

“(Y/n), you can tell me when you’re ready okay?”, your grandpa gently squeezes your shoulder as you sniff and wipe your tears.

“I- I’m gonna miss Eiji-ro grandpa”, you whimper as you look down at the water.

Your grandpa smiled at you kindly before he lightly ruffled your hair, “Ah~ I see now, your heart is troubled isn’t it (Y/n)? Hm, the love of youth”, he softly chuckled, as you looked up at him.

“H-how?”

“(Y/n), I’m an old fellow, and I know that you love the shark boy dearly, your only showing your pain because you didn’t say anything to him, a common mistake for the young that falls in love”, he says with closed eyes, helping you stand he smiled at you. “You were afraid of telling him because you didn’t want to be selfish, you didn’t want to take him away from his home, but (Y/n), have you ever thought that he could feel that same way you do?”, he asked kindly as he wiped away your stray tears, you stared at him for a bit before frowning.

“But, it wouldn’t work, even if I tried to be with him”, you say.

“Love and life has its obstacles and miracles, anything could happen when you’re willing enough to try”, he smiled before giving you a hug, one you eagerly returned with a smile of your own.

“Now let’s go home, I heard your grandma made a nice meal back home”, he laughed as you grinned and walked with him.

“(Y/N)!!!”, you hear your name being called. Looking back at the ocean you saw Eijiro rapidly swimming towards you, pushing passed his usual speed as he continued to shout, “I’m sorry! I should’ve told you, how much I really cared for you!”, he shouts, panting as he dove underwater from crashing waves as he continued to yell.

“You’re more than a podmate! More than a friend!”, he grunts as he comes closer, voice louder than the waves that collided, “(Y/n)! I LOVE YOU, AS A PEARLMATE!”

Your eyes widened at his declaration, you looked back at your grandfather, who smiled in turn as he took your shoes from you, “Go to him (Y/n)”, he says, your heart leapt as you smiled with tears blurring your vision.

You ran down the pier, yelling to the shrak mer, “EIJIROOO!”.

His head perked up, a large grin spread on his face as he called back to you, “(Y/N)!!”.

Jumping into the water you swam to him and gasped when your head emerged from the water, and once you two met in the middle, your laughter mixed and overlapped the other as you clung to one another. Leaning your heads together you gazed into each other’s eyes.

“I love you Eijiro”

“I love you too, (Y/n), my lovely pearlmate”, he sighed.

You both stayed in the water for a while, and you enjoyed the moment as you swam with the sandbar shark.

[nessiesspeakeasy]

The Merman and the Pirate

Torgue lifted the creature up in his arms, holding him tightly. “We’re going to get ye all patched up, then take ye home!”

“Let me go!” The merman demanded loudly. “You can’t do this to me!”

“AH! HAHAHAHA! SO YE CAN SPEAK HUMAN TONGUE!” Torgue grinned wide. “PERFECT!”

The merman wiggled and tried to break free. “UNHAND ME AT ONCE! I WILL NOT BE MANHANDLED ONCE MORE!”

Torgue laughed again. “GOOD! YE’VE STILL GOT FIGHT LEFT IN YE! That will help ye heal!”

“I can heal on my own!” He tried to free his arms, but Torgue held him too tightly.

Torgue has just finished destroying a whaling ship, when his crew inform him of a wounded merman imprisoned on the wretched ship.

Written for HyperionHugo's birthday! Based off of this post I made that @hyperionhugo drew this picture of!

You can read this on AO3!!!

The breeze in the ocean was none like any other and Torgue could never get enough of it. He loved how it blew threw his hair as he stood on the bowsprit, breathing in the new day’s air. He knew today would be the day, he could feel it in his bones. They would catch up to those whalers and they would destroy them. They had lost them in a fog, but Torgue hadn’t gotten as famous as he was without knowing how to track a ship.

By mid day, the whole crew could see their target. Torgue ordered for everyone to get ready. They were to leave no one alive. The whaling ship tried to fire at them, tried to fend them off, but Torgue’s ship had advanced without hesitation, boarding them and destroying every last one of them.

He shot his harpoon that rested on his arm at the captain, spearing him in the heart. It was a weapon he’d made with a poetic justice. He stood at the helm while he received reports. There were only two casualties from their side. Each was a heavy loss and they carried the men back to the ship to prepare for a proper burial.

“Also,” his second in command said. “We… We’ve found something- someone, ye gotta see. He won’t let any of us close to ‘im.”

Brows quirked, Torgue followed them down to the prison cells. In one, through the open door was a man, curled in the back, eyes wide and angry. He held a knife and slashed wildly at them. As Torgue stepped closer, he could see the long, bloody tail that was the bottom half of the man.

“A MERMAN!” He removed his jacket, leaving him topless and handed it to one of his men. “QUICK! SOAK THIS WITH OCEAN WATER AND BRING IT BACK AS FAST AS YE CAN RUN! AND EVERYONE ELSE CAN LEAVE! WE DON’T NEED HIM MORE SCARED THAN HE ALREADY IS!”

The creature was parched, his color pale and sickly. Not to mention how hurt and malnourished he was. He looked fairly strong, but Torgue could see he would not survive in the water without his wounds treated. When his jacket came back, soaked and dripping with water, Torgue slowly went into the prison cell. He crouched low, showing off the jacket and reaching out to hand it to him.

The merman only jabbed at him with the knife. Torgue tossed the jacket on his tail and waited. The merman stilled, staring at the jacket as though it might attack him.

Quickly, while distracted, Torgue snatched the knife from the creature and tossed it out of the prison cell. “THERE, NOW I CAN REALLY HELP YE!” He grinned wide and advanced on the merman. There was a struggled, but Torgue was healthy and strong. He managed to get the jacket around the creature’s torso, effectively pinning him in it while letting the water soak into his skin. Torgue lifted the creature up in his arms, holding him tightly. “We’re going to get ye all patched up, then take ye home!”

“Let me go!” The merman demanded loudly. “You can’t do this to me!”

“AH! HAHAHAHA! SO YE CAN SPEAK HUMAN TONGUE!” Torgue grinned wide. “PERFECT!”

The merman wiggled and tried to break free. “UNHAND ME AT ONCE! I WILL NOT BE MANHANDLED ONCE MORE!”

Torgue laughed again. “GOOD! YE’VE STILL GOT FIGHT LEFT IN YE! That will help ye heal!”

“I can heal on my own!” He tried to free his arms, but Torgue held him too tightly.

“I know for a FACT merpeople cannot! BUT I LOVE THE SPIRIT YE’VE GOT!” Torgue carried him expertly up the stairs and across the planks to his ship no matter how much he struggled. He ordered a bath to be made from salt water. Torgue took the merman into his quarters where a basin was being filled.

The creature still continued to wiggle in his arms, almost getting loose once. He grinned, proud that he’d gotten that far and tried further. Torgue was glad for it, he’d seen many a merperson die from lack of will. He set the merman in the water, getting splashed as he slapped his tail down furiously.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to help ye with yer wounds. My name is CAPTAIN TORGUE!” And he posed for the merman. “I AM A FRIEND TO ALL WATER DWELLING CREATURES! YE ARE SAFE ON THIS SHIP!” He bowed and left.

Hugo sat in the water, furious and terrified. He was furious that he’d been caught in the first place and now he was at the mercy of this human. He was hurt, he knew that, and knew that it would need proper care and time, but he wanted to be done with land-walkers. He could find a quiet uninhabited island and care for it himself there.

He touched the spot on his tail where the horrible captain had stabbed him with a harpoon to the deck of the ship to bask in his prize. It still gushed blood. He was starving and until now, he’d been dying of dehydration.

He’d heard about this captain, though. The new one. Torgue. All the whales adored him, singing songs about him in tribute to his kindness to them. Every merperson knew of the legend. They would consider it an honor to meet him. The songs never mentioned how incredibly large the man was, though.

It mattered not to Hugo, who just wanted free. He tried to lift himself out of the tub, but his arms shook and he fell back in, splashing water everywhere. He swore. He was strong and could fight a shark, but he couldn’t even get out of this confined space.

He huffed and stared out the windows Torgue had placed him by. At least he was in water now. He rested his head on the edge of the large basin. And at least the captain was easy on the eyes. He let the water seep into him for the moment, allowing himself this small second of weakness to drink up the water and rest.

When the captain returned, he had his arms full of bandages and cleaning supplies. “AH!” he smiled wide. “YE ARE ALREADY LOOKING MUCH BETTER!”

He watched Torgue, skeptically, as he set everything down and pulled up a seat next to the basin. He grabbed Hugo’s hand and rubbed it in his, inspecting it. Hugo tried to pull away, but the captain held firm.

“AYE! NOT SO PALE ANYMORE!” He laughed heartily. “THAT’S GOOD!”

Hugo pulled his hand away and this time Torgue let him. “I’ve heard about your booming voice,” he said turning his glare to the window, his voice lowering. “None of the songs do it justice.”

“SONGS?” Torgue asked, eyes wide. “Who’s singing songs about me?”

“Everyone, whales were the first,” he side-eyed Torgue. “Then, it spread throughout the ocean.”

“Well, son of Poseidon! What are they about?” He picked up a smaller stool. “Here, ye need to sit on this so I can bandage ye up.”

Hugo looked at it, his chest filling with anger and a wounded pride. “No.” There was no strength in him.

“OH RIGHT!” Torgue stood. “I’ll help ye!”

Before Hugo could say anything, Torgue’s large, muscular arm wrapped around his torso and pulled him up, bare chest pressing against him as Torgue slid the stool under Hugo and set him on it.

“There! It’s not ideal right now, since ye are still dehydrated, but we gotta patch ye up!” He grabbed Hugo’s tail and lifted it out of the basin and set it on the edge. The large gash was plain as day. “I should have killed him more slowly!” Torgue growled. He threw a towel into the tub, swirled it around and then set it on Hugo’s torso. “There! To keep ye wet!” It helped a great deal, though Hugo refused to admit it. Torgue looked over the hole in his tail, shaking his head. “This is going to take months to heal.”

Hugo glared out the window, hiding every wince caused by ointment and bandages. His whole tail needed to stay out of the water, which only made Hugo even more glum. He ignored Torgue when he brought freshly caught fish for him to eat, or when he checked the bandages and redressed them. He was starving though, and ate all that Torgue offered.

And yet, the captain kept talking to him, like nothing was wrong. Like Hugo was normal and not ignoring him. It was strange. All he’d ever had from humans were gasps and wonderment, or poachers, never an actual conversation.

“We’re heading back to where ye pointed on the map, but I’m afraid we’re going to be waylaid!” Torgue said one evening, a month later. Hugo had found himself slowly warming up to Torgue, cautiously joining him in conversations. The captain wanted to hear everything Hugo told him, another strange first for him, above or below the water. It had had the effect of softening Hugo up quite a bit to the man. “We’ve found one of the most prominent whaling ships and we’ve never had such an advantage as we do now. WE’RE TAKING IT!”

Hugo frowned, his heart suddenly pounding. “But what if they beat you?”

At that, the captain laughed heartily. “I’VE NEVER BEEN BEAT AND I NEVER WILL! NOT WHEN MY JOB STILL AIN’T DONE!” He smiled wide. “DON’T YE WORRY ONE BIT! THIS SHIP CAN HANDLE A LOT!” He winked and left the cabin.

It was in the middle of the night when Hugo heard the men getting ready. He looked out the window and saw the shadow of the other ship out in the distance. Torgue had walked him through what would be happening, but the tightness in Hugo’s chest still hadn’t lifted. What if they lost? He was here, open for the taking and he did not want to be captured again. That would mean the captain had been slain and that thought had his knuckles white, clutching the side of the tub.

He watched the ships row quietly, saw the men board and then the light of gunfire flashed several times. He had no idea who was shooting. His stomach twisted in knots as he watched helplessly. It was long and silent on the ship, his heart pounding every moment, even more so when he caught ships making their way back. Hugo, in a heap of panic, looked around him for something to defend himself with. The only thing in his reach was a steak knife, which he grabbed and waited, straining his ears.

“VICTORY!” He heard Torgue call. “TAKE US CLOSE AND OPEN FIRE! NO WHALING SHIP SURVIVES!”

A large grin spread over Hugo’s face. The captain was alive. Hugo was safe and the captain was alive. He tossed the knife to the ground and waited for the loud, large man to burst in. When he didn’t right away, Hugo frowned. Surly he hadn’t been forgotten? Was the captain drinking and celebrating with the men? Was he just to stay tucked away here without any news?

His tail flicked, annoyed. He winced at the rippling pain and flicked his tail again, his arms crossed. Glaring out the window, time passed. The ship caught fire and sank to the bottom of the ocean. And still, he was alone. It was quiet in the room, the darkness shrouding him, the unknown sinking further and further into his gut. He spent large amounts of time alone, but the captain usually spent his breaks in here, offsetting the silence.

When finally, the door opened, Hugo turned to glare at the captain, only for his eyes to widen. Torgue was helped into the room by his two closest ranking officers. One lit a candle and helped the captain into his bed.

He smiled at Hugo. “Sorry it took so long for me-” Torgue winced, his breath catching. “Got a little knicked…”

“A little? Captain, ye were stabbed. Yer lucky it didn’t hit anything major.”

“I’VE HAD WORSE! THE POINT IS THEY’RE ALL DEAD!” The captain coughed as he was sat down on his bed.

“Enough, get some rest.” His second in command turned to Hugo. “Make sure he stays in bed. He’s the worst patient.”

Hugo nodded, his eyes stuck on the captain. He’d been hurt protecting whales. The moment they were alone, Torgue left his bed, wincing horribly. He went to his desk next to Hugo, and looked at the map. He marked off where the ship was, scratching the name of it.

The merman glared at him. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I’m fine!”

“You’re hurt!”

“I’ve had worse!”

“That doesn’t mean you can just ignore this one!” Hugo snapped, his voice rising. He didn’t know why he was getting so upset, or why he was panicking, but he couldn’t stop himself. “If you ignore this, you could make it worse and is that really how you want to die? By infection because you were too stubborn to take some time off!?”

Torgue blinked. Hugo could see the bandage wrapped around his torso, and the blood stain. “Okay,” Torgue said quietly. He set the pen down and went back to his bed, where he stripped of his clothes and climbed in. He stared up at the ceiling. “I get extremely restless, ye know?”

“That makes two of us!” Hugo snapped.

The captain laughed. “All right! All right! Ye’ve got a point! If ye can sit in that tub patiently trusting me, I can rest for a few days.”

“Good!” He glared at the human, furious with how reckless he was.

Torgue eyed him for a long moment and then smiled and blew the candle out.

The days with Torgue were surprisingly very enjoyable. They talked about stories, adventures, and wild things they’d seen. Hugo puffed his chest out, loving how Torgue hung on his every word about anything under the sea.

“And what about Atlantis, hmm?” Torgue asked, having scooted Hugo’s basin closer so they could converse more plainly.

Hugo grinned mischievously. “Ah, the place every human is curious about.” He looked at his nails. “I s’pose I could   give  you  an answer, since you did save my life and all.”

Torgue’s eyes were large. “Damn straight!”

A thought crossed Hugo’s mind. “Or, I could wait until you’re better.” He grinned.

The captain glared. “TIS BLACKMAIL!”

Hugo shrugged. “You’ve been so good already, this will ensure that you stay  that way.”

Crossing his arms as he sat in bed, Togrue grumbled. “Don’t need no enticing if ye are here!”

Those words froze Hugo, and he stared, cheeks heating under his growing beard. He fumbled his words, which only caused more attention from the captain. Hugo could feel his eyes assessing and understanding what was happening and it killed him.

The captain smirked. “AH! I SEE! YE’VE GOT A CRUSH ON THIS OLD CAPTAIN, HAVE YE?”

Eyes wide, Hugo was mortified. The only thing he could think to do was scoop up some salt water and splash it at him. It only made things worse since Torgue bellowed gleefully.

“WELL! IT HAS BEEN A WHILE, BUT I’M STILL SPRY AND I DO HAVE ALL THIS PENT UP ENERGY!”

“STOP!” Hugo burst, unable to handle it. “Stop! I- it’s…” he sighed and looked out the window.

“Aww! I didn’t mean to embarrass ye! There’s never any need to be embarrassed when ye are attracted to someone! I’ve been attracted to ye for weeks and I’m not ashamed! Ye are handsome as all hell and ye are worried about my health!” He smirked at Hugo, his broad, bare chest puffing out dramatically. “BESIDES, EVERYONE I SAVE ALWAYS FALLS FOR ME, THEY JUST CAN’T HELP IT.”

Hugo found himself laughing despite himself and splashed the man again.

It did present a problem, however, with Torgue being there day in and day out, Hugo did not get any alone time. It had been easy to rub one off while Torgue manned the ship throughout the month that they’d traveled together. Now though, with Torgue confined to the same room and now the tub a foot away, it was impossible for Hugo to quell any urges.

It was the middle of the night and Hugo could not sleep. He could feel the tightness of his sheath and any movement rubbed against his dicks. He huffed silently, glaring out the window and then at his tail. At least he was healing very nicely, faster than any human. He took a rag and patted salt water over it, carefully and slowly making his way up to his torso.

He glanced sideways at the sleeping captain. Maybe if he was quiet enough…

Rubbing the soaked cloth over his sheath, he hissed quietly, his head falling back. His heart pounded at the horror of Torgue finding him out, and it only made him that much more sensitive. His eyes fell onto the captain, the covers kicked from his body, the moon shining on all the worked muscle. He bit his lip, unable to help inching his fingers to his slit where it leaked.

Through the darkness, he saw Torgue’s eyes blink open. Hugo froze. Torgue grinned. “If ye need release, ye just need to say so.” The captain sat up. “Would ye like privacy or company?”

Hugo’s eyes were wide. He could not believe how fast he’d been caught, and not only that, but Torgue was offering to give him company.  He swallowed and looked at his tail. “I… can’t do much until my tail’s healed.”

“We both be imaginative,” the captain shrugged. “If ye want me to join ye, of course.”

Hugo could only nod. He was prickling with arousal and there had been many times he’d thought of the captain during an urge. He could not let this opportunity pass.

Nodding, the captain moved from the bed and knelt next to the tub. He reached his hand over to where Hugo’s had been. His fingers expertly slid into Hugo’s sheath, finding each tip of his cocks. He rubbed them, fingers immediately slick.

Hugo hissed, hands gripping the sides of the basin. “Have… Have you done this before?”

The captain smirked. “Just ye relax and let ol’ Torgue make ye feel better!” He coaxed the cocks out, his large hands easily wrapping around both at once. Hugo let out a guttural moan, his head falling back. His tail twitched as Torgue stroked him. The pleasure rippled through him, his quivering body sloshling water.

Suddenly, he felt the captain press his lips to him. Hugo melted, moaning into that kiss and clinging to the man’s neck tightly, kissing him urgently. He huffed, arching into Torgue’s hand.

“There ye go,” Torgue cooed. He kissed over Hugo’s neck and over his hairy chest. When he kissed Hugo again, his lips were salty and Hugo licked them, loving the taste. When Torgue moved back down, Hugo’s eyes widened and he gasped, watching the captain’s mouth suck both cocks in. His head bobbed, hair falling in the water.

The feel of the captain’s mouth pressing his cocks together overloaded Hugo and he came before he knew it, grasping at the man as the only signal he could. Torgue pressed a hard kiss to his lips as he stroked him to orgasm. He breathed against Torgue, his body prickling with the man’s touch.

“That was damn good!” Hugo huffed.

Torgue kissed him. “I’m glad.”

The next day it was as though Hugo woke from a dream. He was rested, and more satisfied than ever. He could still feel Torgue’s lips on his and it made him grin proudly. He glanced at the large man, sprawled over his bed, fast asleep where he could see the brash erection of the captain.

The merman’s eyes widened, an idea forming in his mind. He checked his tail. It was almost healed enough, and he now had his strength back. He pushed himself up as quietly as he could from the water. The sound did stir the captain, and his tired eyes peered at Hugo.

“What are ye doing?” he asked, voice thick from sleep.

“I was going to repay the favor…”

“T’was no favor,” Torgue grunted.

Hugo frowned, confused, still propping himself up in the basin. “I don’t understand.”

“I did it because I wanted ye. Do ye want me?”

He nodded. He had wanted the captain for a while now. “I do.”

A proud, wide grin shone at Hugo and the captain nodded. “Aye! Then come here!” In one movement, Torgue pulled Hugo from the tub to lay next to him and kiss him. “There! That’s a proper good morning!”

It caught Hugo by surprise, how gentle and warm the captain was. He held him close, hands smoothing over his skin and lulling him. He smiled and kissed him. “You were great last night.”

“Glad ye think so!”

Hugo’s hand wandered over the captain’s body, down, under the covers to his cock, still stiff from the morning. He tail lay next to Torgue’s legs, soaking the bed. The captain hummed happily at the touch.

“Don’t you think your men will be suspicious?” Hugo asked playfully.

“OF COURSE NOT! THEY’LL KNOW PLAIN AS DAY! THEY WILL NOT MIND!”

Torgue was warm in his hand, and his cock was solid where Hugo’s were soft and pliable. He scooted down to it, smirking as he took it in his mouth.

“Oh, that is good!” Torgue cooed. “Mmm, a little gentler, please, yes, ye be more than perfect!”

Hugo’s chest swelled with pride at Torgue’s words. His long tongue wrapped around the cock, its salt a new taste, but one he loved. He suckled slowly, savoring the taste and the moment. Torgue reached for him, taking his hand and holding it, his thumb smoothing over the skin. Hugo’s mind snapped to it, to such tenderness during something so intimate.

“Ye are so precious to me, Hugo.” The words sank into him like a ship in the ocean. He felt the soft touch of the captain through his body, churning inside him. “Ye mean more to me than any treasure to a pirate. Every ship I attack, I think of ye trapped and hurt and I want them all to burn.” He tugged Hugo up, pulling him into a hard kiss. It impressed upon Hugo how emotional the confession was, and how hard it must have been for Torgue to say.

Cheeks a furious red, Hugo did not know what to say. He had never been spoken to like that before. Torgue kissed his hand, eyes deep in thought. Hugo watched, transfixed. “I…”

“I just thought ye deserved to know my true feelings. Ye do not in anyway need to feel the same! Ye just deserved the truth!”

Hugo nodded and kissed Torgue slowly. He could not speak with the lump caught in his throat, but he could kiss and he could wiggle back down to place his mouth on the captain’s cock until he came beautifully. Hugo lapped it up, not wasting any drop, ignoring the knowing smirk from Torgue.

It was another few weeks before Hugo’s tail was healed enough. Torgue’s injury had long since gotten better, leaving Hugo with time alone to think. To think about what he would do once he was free. About where he would go. About leaving Torgue. His chest tightened at the thought of leaving the captain and he swore as he sat in the tub, staring out the windows. He already knew the answer and knew what he wanted, but he wasn’t sure how to say it.

The cabin door opened as the sun began to sink low. Hugo smiled when Torgue’s large arms wrapped around him, lips sizzling his skin moments later. “I brought dinner.”

Hugo leaned his head back to kiss him. “I’m glad you’re here. I have a surprise for you. Help me stand.”

Torgue took Hugo’s hands and hoisted him up. Hugo wobbled, but concentrated. Slowly, they watched as his scales began to fade, replaced with skin and hair. He smiled wide and looked for Torgue’s reaction.

“WHAT IN THE SEVEN SEAS!?”

“It’s something we can do only every so often. I haven’t been able to do it until today because I wasn’t healed enough.” He stood now on two legs. They were scared and scabbed, but he was human enough now.

“FOR HOW LONG!?”

“Until sunrise.”

Laughing heartily, the captain wrapped Hugo in a hug and pulled him out of the tub. Hugo wobbled, needing to hold onto Torgue, which suited both men just fine. They shared an excited kiss before Torgue gave him some light clothes to put on.

They sat down at the table, both men smiling at each other as they ate. “Well, what would ye like to do now that ye can walk?”

“I’d like to go on deck. I’ve only been able to look out the windows.”

“Aye!”

Torgue helped Hugo walk out of the cabin, where he met everyone for the first time. They all nodded to him cheerfully as they worked. The sun was mid sunset now and Hugo went to the side, the wind blowing through his hair as Torgue kept him steady.

“MY FAVORITE PART,” Torgue said, leading him to the front of the ship. “IS HERE, WHERE THE WIND CAN REALLY SAIL INTO YER BONES.” He held Hugo firmly as he led him onto the bowsprit. Hugo gasped at the strength of the wind, falling against Torgue.

The captain laughed loudly, wrapping his arms around him. Hugo could see the vast ocean, the sun painting it orange and pink. He could feel the fresh salt water on his face, calling to him. He smiled. Yes, he would return to it, but he would be different.

The sun sank lower and Torgue took him back to the cabin, locking the door and pulling Hugo into a kiss. Hugo stripped himself of his clothes, feverishly kissing Torgue. The captain brought him to the bed and lay him down, stripping himself of clothes. He kissed Hugo all over. Hugo sighed happily, his two cocks growing thick with each warm kiss. Torgue’s hand played with them. “I just love yer body, this and as a merman! Yer perfect!”

“You’re better than anything I’ve ever known.” Hugo moaned, his head falling back. Torgue caught that exposed skin, kissing over his neck. Unable to resist any longer, Hugo kissed him, arms and legs wrapping around his large body. “I am yours, Torgue, forever.” He whispered this against his lips, heart beating wildly in anticipation.

The man smiled proudly. “I WILL HONOR THAT AND MAKE YE PROUD IF YE WILL HAVE ME AND LET ME!”

Hugo kissed him furiously. “As long as there’s an ocean!” It had been the answer he’d hoped for.

He felt Torgue’s cock pressing against him and he gladly opened his hole. He may look look human, but his anatomy was not and never would be. Torgue slid in, making Hugo hiss and preen as his length and mass filled him. Torgue held him close, hips rocking slowly. He kissed over Hugo, savoring every inch of skin he could kiss.

“I must be blessed by the gods!” Torgue said against Hugo, watching the merman writhe slowly under him. “Ye are strong and handsome and good! I am the luckiest man alive!”

Hugo’s heart swelled with each word. He could feel it light as air, as though rising to the surface of the water. He kissed Torgue, pouring all the love inside him into the captain, moans breaking each kiss. Their bodies pressed so tightly together, it was easy to give his heart away. It left his body, the glow around them warm and red. It slid into Torgue’s chest, resting on his right side, in the unoccupied spot under his ribs. They gasped at the same time, one relinquishing and the other receiving. Their bodies crashed together, exploding in ecstasy. Torgue gasped loudly, his face digging into Hugo’s chest, his own body sensitive and over stimulated. He bucked wildly into Hugo, rubbing the two cocks together, the friction wonderfully unbearable. He clasped onto Hugo, hands pulling him close and digging into his flesh as he came hard and without warning. Hugo’s body jerked, spasming, both cocks shooting an orgasm that rocked the merman just as hard.

They breathed heavily, Torgue collapsed on top of Hugo. Hugo ran his fingers through the captain’s hair, smiling up at the ceiling. He could feel his heart, beating away inside of Torgue, calmly and happily. He kissed Torgue’s head, feeling Torgue’s heart beating wildly.

“What!?” Torgue gasped, after a long silence.

“I gave myself to you,” Hugo said plainly. “You now hold my heart.”

The captain looked at Hugo, eyes wide and searching. He rested his ear against Hugo’s chest, listening for a heartbeat. When there was none, Torgue sat on his elbow, eyes wide, brows furrowed in confusion.

Hugo laughed softly and placed his hand over the right side of Torgue’s chest. “You hold my heart.”

Torgue’s huge hand pressed over Hugo’s to feel his chest. When he felt a heartbeat, his fingers wrapped around Hugo’s hand. “Yer heart… Is inside me?”

“Now you’re catching on,” Hugo chuckled. “I am yours forever.”

“Hugo… I don’t know what to say! THIS IS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING ANYONE HAS EVER ENTRUSTED ME WITH!” He kissed Hugo’s hand and then Hugo’s lips, hard and passionate. “I WILL NEVER LET YE DOWN!”

“I know.”

Torgue pulled Hugo into his arms as they lay on the bed. “So, what does this mean? Can ye feel it still?”

“Yes, and yours. I will always know where you are and if you ever need me.” Hugo let his hands wander over Torgue’s body, memorizing it. “We are forever linked, my heart beats for you and yours for mine. Where one fails, the other will continue. When you die, I will die.”

“Why would you bind yerself like that to me? Ye needn’t have proved yer love like that.”

Hugo rested his head on Torgue’s chest. “It was not to prove anything, but a tradition. It is how we mate for life. I will want no other and need no other.” He looked up at Torgue and for the first time, he felt unsure and it twisted his gut. “If… If you need release from another when I cannot be here, it is-”

“UNNECESSARY! I WILL NOT NEED ANYONE ELSE!” He kissed Hugo. “YE ARE ALL I NEED. NEVER THINK ON IT AGAIN. MY HEART, MY SOUL, MY BODY WILL ALWAYS BE YERS! I’D GIVE YE MY HEART LIKE YE DID IF I COULD!”

Hugo laughed, straddling the captain, kissing him proudly.

Hugo awoke in Torgue’s arms. The sunrise was just peaking over the ocean. Hugo smiled, the smell of Torgue and the feel of him all around. He would change back into a merman soon. He felt the ocean calling to him. It was time to go. He kissed Torgue softly, waking him.

“It’s time, my love.”

Nodding, Torgue pulled his trousers on and wrapped Hugo in a blanket before picking him up in his arms. Hugo held onto the captain’s neck, kissing his jaw and neck as they left the cabin. Hardly anyone was on deck and they politely ignore the two.

Torgue rested him on the railing, kissing him. Hugo held him close as his legs began to revert back to a tail and fin. Torgue ran his hand over the scales, his eyes marveling the deep black and gold.

“I will see you again, soon,” Hugo promised.

“I know!” the captain’s voice was thick as he spoke. “Ye still need to show me Atlantis.”

Hugo laughed, kissing him deeply once more. He then jumped from Torgue’s arms and off the ship. The water enveloped him, welcoming him home. It would be different now, his heart no longer belonged to the ocean, but to a human. He could feel Torgue, both hearts beating happy and very madly in love with Hugo.

And it always would.

[uhhailey]

Things I’ve Heard High Schoolers Say

I graduated!!! So have the list of things I’ve overheard at school!

~

- "I stopped using anal beads... (muffled conversation)"

- "Why would you even kill a prostitute in the first place?"

- One bro to his bro friend "dude stop sucking dicks"

- "What did we do in math?" "Smoke weed."

- "He doesn't eat paper anymore it doesn't taste good."

- "You look like a lesbian." "What does a lesbian look like?" "You."

- "You look like an old math teacher."

- "Have you ever sent noodles?"

- "Thanks mom."

- "Do you like tacos or hotdogs?"

- "Do you think i'd memorize it if I ate the paper?"

- "What's up my dick-sucking whore?" *sucking noise*

- "Forgive me heavenly father, for I have sinned." "Why?" "I wrote 1,555 words of smut last night." "Oh."

- "He eats his poop!"

- "Fidget and chill"

- "Oh I thought that was a duck but it was really a rock."

- "You can always shower but you can't shower when you're dead."

- "I thought it was a chicken but it was just a fire hydrant."

- "Don't touch me I don't want your diseases."

- "Is that arm dead? No it's alive."

- "Just want to make sure, tacos and burritos are already in Spanish right?"

- "People are like sandwiches." “Elaborate?” “No.”

- "All I drink is nuts."

- *in Snape's voice* "Comó te llamas, Potter?"

- "I don't trust anyone who kicks bread."

- "Remind me to kill myself in ten minutes."

- "Wait, are Italian people white?!" "Yes." "Oh."

- "Don't call me bro I'm not your brother."

- "I love the Nintendo Gods™"

- "You look so good - eat my ass"

- Listening to the "Be More Chill" soundtrack: "I hate country music"

- "You're gonna become a professional guitar? Let me know how that goes."

- "It looks like Saturday today!"

- "Hey there, malignant tumor."

- *the bell is ringing* “Is the bell ringing?”

- *gives a penny i found to my friend” “Thanks, now I can finally buy my yacht.”

- “You guys know how to make cake? I once boiled an egg and it exploded.”

- “What does the V stand for” “Vasectomy.”

- “The clitoris is not located on the leg.”

- “What’s up bro?” “Not my grades”

- “He has a butt. I ate the butt.”

- “I went to an ocean once.”

- “Can I borrow your eyes for a second?”

- “Mine hasn’t eaten a cat yet.”

- “I will slap you with a taco.”

- “It’s report card night today!” “Who is Japartard?”

- “So I was eating mini oreos in the bathtub...”

- “I finally figured out how to do that Poptropica mission thing.”

- “Do blind people use echolocation?”

- “THANOS DEMANDS YOUR FUCKING SILENCE!”

- “Thanos can suck my ass.”

- “King-Fucking-Julien making an appearance on Instagram! Ugh, daddy.”

- “In the Bee Movie, did the lady fall in love with the bee?” “Yeah, that’s the whole premise of the movie.”

- “What if there was an inverse sandwich? Like... the bread is on the inside and the ham is on the outside?”

- “Elon Musk is my dad.”

- “Is anyone Catholic in here?” “No I’m Chinese.”

- “There’s a baby over there!” (multiple gasps of excitement) “With the lady pushing the baby cart!”

- “Whale sharks are thicc.”

- “The luxurious key of B flat”

- “This is my son, Stove.”

- “My blueberry ran away.”

- “People in the LGBT community we’re generally associated with Communists.” “Well, guess I’m a Communist.”

- “Spoons are just bowls on sticks.” “Holy shit.”

- “Abe Lincoln or Babe Lincoln?”

- “Tomorrow is Meme Day so if you don’t dress up you’ll fail all your classes.”

- “If you made a documentary about dogs would you call it a dogumentary?”

- “I smell bullshit.” “I smell ass.”

- “How do you break an avocado??”

- “Look at this nice twig.” “That’s a nice-ass twig.”

- A magician pulled out 3 cups. My friend immediately said: “Shots!”

- “Never have I ever bullied someone.” “Does myself count?”

- “We were dissecting cats and the teacher literally started playing that ASPCA commercial.”

- *Puts a pillbug upright* “That’s my act of kindness for the day I’m done”

- “No shut up I’m not going vegan for you”

- “It’s gonna let all liquidy bro!”

- “Vegans say nuts have protein to make themselves feel good.”

- “Do you remember the vine where the guy throws the tater tot at the guy’s butthole?”

- “One of my tastebuds is falling off.”

- “My blood pressure could not be any higher.”

- “Who the fuck takes a bite out of an onion?”

- “Be a detective so you can win the detective competition.”

- “Why does this store sell so many weapons?” “These are Harry Potter wands.”

- “I dropped my wallet on the floor of the Disney store and it was covered in glitter when I picked it up.”

- “They’re in between middle-aged and old.”

- “You see the sign that says yeet? Yeah, right above that”

- “Danger! Danger! Nick Jonas!”

- *while driving* “This guy is so close to me right now and if I suddenly stop he’s going right up my butt and I don’t think we’ve reached that level of a relationship yet.”

- “Is Caillou asian?”

- “That bird is Jesus.”

- “I peed on his neck.”

- “Boba Fett is gay, there is canonical proof.”

- “Dua Loopa ‘round this dick”

- “Horses have the fattest quads”

- “What’s America’s penis?”

- “You should have a superpower where you can place trash cans wherever you want. You’d be called White Trash!!”

- “Jesus, that car just farted!!”

- “What’s the purpose of eyebrows?”

- “What are you good at?” “Breathing. Wait, just kidding, I have asthma”

- “I will strip for you”

- “Oh, so you’re from one of those square states, huh?”

- “This weather makes me want to kill myself” “All weather makes me want to kill myself”

- “Ants can’t get to the second floor! Ants don’t know how to use stairs!”

- “Yo bro you have ADHD?” “Yeah bro join the club” “Where can I sign up?” “It’s not an actual club dumbass.”

A bunch of 5th graders are outside the window:

- “[Teacher’s Name] you’ll scare them. Show them a math problem” “They look so happy and full of life. I wonder what that’s like.”

- “Do you follow wherever your dick goes?” “It’s not a compass!!!”

- “California is not furry central!!”

- “I’m afraid of those.” “Whisks?” “No, tongue rings.”

- “Hail is just mean snow.”

- “I think it’s Mardi Gras.” “I’ve never heard of that. Is it a white holiday?”

- “This school is on AIDS.” “I don’t think you can be on AIDS.”

- “Do they have any animals in Europe?”

- “Do any of you want to donate blood?” “I don’t want anybody to have my blood. I worked hard for it!”

- *angrily* “You’ve played patty cake every day for the last week for 20 minutes!!”

- “Big boobs aren’t the only thing that is good, all things are good.”

- “You got herps?”

- “I’m so done with high school.” “Why?” “Some guy right in front of me just threw up!!”

- “They’re taking my teeth!!!!”

- “Oh, it’s egg!”

- *guy opens a tampon* “It’s a popsicle!!!”

- “I’m so good at this game. No matter how hard I try I can never fai- oop never mind I failed.”

- “Okay so, Yee.”

- “I need to put a sticker on my camera for, like, hackers, but I’m lonely”

- *at a trampoline* “Wait omg!! I’m going to lay face down and you can jump so I can fly into the air!!!” “Yeah!!! That’ll be fun!!!” .. “shit my nose is bleeding”

- “I’m going to try to avoid contracting tapeworm in the Denny’s parking lot”

- “Does size matter in hand modeling?”

[ventriloquistrose]

Earth and space, Steven’s Universe. Chapter 1

"GUYS!" Steven shouted as he burst through the door. "Huh?!"

His whole house was invaded by small centipeedle-looking creatures, chewing on everything. The couch, the stairs, the microwave. Everything.

A purple whip wrapped itself around a centileedle.

The owner of the whip was a purple gem with long white-purple hair, about the size of himself.

"Yo, Steven!" She made a peace-sign with her fingers and then pulled the monster into poofing with her whip.

"Whoa! What's going on?!" Steven asked, excitedly.

"These... hngh! Centipeetles were all over the house when we got home." Pearl answered his question. "But don't worry, Steven. We'll make sure to remove them from your room." She then broke it's neck with her hands and it poofed.

Garnet crushed a centipeedle against the floor with her gauntlet.

Pearl spun around gracefully and poofed at least five with her spear.

And soon, there were no more left.

"Well, that was a-lot easier than I thought." Pearl sang proudly as her spear disappeared. She looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh no, we're out of scethual. Better prepare dinner." She walked over to the fridge and opened the door.

But to her surprise, a centipeedle was inside and chewed on the food inside.

"Gaah!" Pearl gasped, summoned her spear and poofed it.

"Aww man! It ate all the food!" Steven whined as he looked inside the fridge. Meanwhile, Pearl bubbled the gem and send it away.

"I guess we'll have to ask Greg." Pearl sighed. "Maybe has has something and we can eat together."

Steven immediately gasped. "Do you know what that means?!" He asked excitedly.

"Uh..." The gems looked at each-other.

"It's time for... together breakfast!" -------------

"Together breakfast!" Steven shouted. "Now called, together dinner."

It was night-time. The sun had started falling down the horizon of the beach.

The grill was hot-on, Greg being the master of the hot-dogs.

The rest sat on either blankets or sun-chairs.

Steven held a weird-looking cake in his hands. It looked to be made out of waffles, chocolate-sauce, popcorn and strawberries.

Yum.

"Steven, don't you think that dish is more for dessert?" Pearl asked as she poured soda into some mugs on the sand.

"It is for dessert!" Steven grinned and carefully put it down on a blanket.

"Don't let that out of sight, Steven. Or else it'll be get eaten by-."

"ME!" From out of nowhere, the blanket beneath the cake turned out to be Amethyst, shape-shifted.

She grinned from ear to ear as she shape-shifted back to normal, now holding the cake. "I'm HUNGRY!" She laughed.

"Nooooo!" Steven gasped and quickly took the cake back, keeping it away from Amethyst. "Amethyst! This is not for now!"

"Aww, come on man!" Amethyst pouted, crossing her arms.

"No!" Steven sternly demanded.

Later that night, Steven and Amethyst had fallen asleep on a blanket.

Garnet sat beside them, Greg sat on a chair and Pearl sat on her knees on a blanket.

The grill long ago burned out and it was dark outside. Everything was at peace.

When suddenly, there was a sound.

Pearl turned her head around.

A song. It sounded much like a whale's song, but lower and more... with a melody.

"Did you hear something?" Pearl asked as she looked back at the others.

"Hear what?" Amethyst asked nonchalantly as she loudly awoke.

"A song." Pearl answered, looking back towards the ocean. She then sighed. "I guess it was just my imagination."

"It's starting to get late." Garnet spoke as she looked back at them. "Let's get Steven to bed." She rest a gentle hand on the sleeping boy beside her.

"Yeah, I better head back to the van. See ya'll tomorrow." Greg stood up and waved them goodbye as he started walking to his van.

"Goodnight, Mr. Universe." Garnet said before she picked Steven up and carried him back to the house.

"Ugh... Pearl..." Amethyst whined from the ground. "Carry me..." She lifted her arms like a baby wanting to get picked up.

"Oh honestly..." Pearl sighed.

But she picked Amethyst up and threw her over her shoulder and started walking back to the house.

She opened the door but immediately stopped.

There it was again. That sound.

She turned her head.

But nothing was there.

She hummed in thought and walked inside the house, shutting the door behind her, leaving the waves of the ocean to rise and fall alone. --------------- The next day.

"PEARL! PEAAAARL!" Steven shouted.

He looked in the bathroom, he looked in the kitchen.

"Peearl!" He shouted as he had returned to the kitchen-area.

The temple-door opened and Amethyst stepped inside the room. "Yo, Steven. What's that yelling about?" She asked.

"I can't find Pearl anywhere." Steven whined as he looked beneath the couch and sat up on his knees. "I thought I'd show her this cool thing I found."

"Just enjoy it why it lasts." Amethyst shrugged, munching on a bag of chips. "Hey, man. It's cool. She probably just left off for some weird... sword convention or something." She shrugged.

"No, Pearl's really good at telling about something like that. And bragging." Steven shrugged as he went to look in one of the cabinets. "Hmm. Nope, no Pearl."

Amethyst watched him and frowned. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's not in the cabinets. Have you asked G?" Amethyst asked, throwing a hand-full of chips into her mouth.

"No. I haven't seen her today either." Steven said, looking thoughtful of the revelation. "Could they be on a mission?"

Amethyst just shrugged. She suddenly perked up, eyes light up.

"Hey, isn't that Gregory?" She asked.

What she was referring to was the man standing near the shore, visible through the window.

"Huh?"

They both walked out of the house and rushed over to the man standing by the shore.

"Dad!" Steven shouted and stopped beside him.

"Oh, hi Stu-Ball." Greg greeted him before looking skeptical towards the ground.

"What are you doing?" Steven asked.

Greg pointed towards the ground. Steven looked down.

"Foot prints?" He hummed.

He stepped closer and crouched down near them.

They were indeed footprints. Footprints from shoes, thin and long.

"Yeah, I saw them earlier when I was trying to get ideas for a song." Greg explained, refering to the guitar hanging on his back. "I figured it was best to go check so it wasn't a kid or something playing 'cool' near the water."

"These looks like Pearl's." Steven hummed and followed the direction of the footprints. Most of them were quite washed out by the waves, and they were headed into the-

"Could she just have walked into the ocean?" Steven asked, eyebrow raised. He turned towards Amethyst.

Amethyst just shrugged, but she looked as thoughtful as he did. "Not the first time it happens." She added.

"Huh?" Greg hummed in confusion.

When suddenly, there was a sound. A song.

With a soft gasp, they looked towards the ocean.

But it was nothing there.

"Dude! What the heck was that?!" Amethyst shrieked, gritting her teeth.

"That wasn't a whale's song." Steven thought loud and looked at the purple gem over his shoulder.

"Didn't Pearl say something about a song yesterday?" Amethyst asked. "I thought she was bragging of her humming." She shrugged.

"Hey, guys. What's going on here?" Greg asked worriedly.

"We can't find Pearl." Steven explained. "We think she has walked into the ocean. And we think she's looking for whatever made that sound."

"Or was taken by it." Amethyst teased in a spooky voice.

"Guys, I just came up with a song." Greg said from out of nowhere.

"Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but we gotta go down there." Amethyst said determined and started stepping into the water.

"Shouldn't we wait for Garnet?" Steven asked skeptically.

"Dude, when Garnet comes back, P could already be eaten by something!" Amethyst shouted.

Steven looked skeptical at first but soon found courage. He nodded. He turned towards his father. "You okay here alone, dad?" He asked.

"Sure thing!" Greg cheered, already sitting on the sand with a piece of paper and a pen in hand and his guitar in his lap. "I gotta write this down!" He started typing something down.

Steven smiled and Amethyst rolled her eyes. --------------- Some time later...

At the bottom of the ocean.

Steven walked inside his bubble, completely water-proof and walking functional.

"Pearl! Peaaarl!" He shouted.

Amethyst walked not far away, looking around. "Peeaaarl!" She shouted, bubbles pouring out of her mouth.

"It's really very beautiful down here." Steven said as he looked around. There was a tree in his path, and he walked around it. "I get why Pearl came down here."

Amethyst just shrugged.

They walked for a few moments

When suddenly they saw two familiar figures further ahead.

Steven squinted with his eyes. "Pearl!" He shouted.

Pearl almost jumped and turned around in surprise. "Steven!" She gasped. Well, tried to because all that escaped her mouth were bubbles.

Steven widened his arms and clapped his hands. His bubble stretched out and covered the duo and Amethyst, pulling them into his bubble.

"Amethyst! What is Steven doing here?!" Pearl blurted angrily.

"Good question. Why don't you ask yourself that?!" Amethyst shouted.

Pearl looked confused. "You want 'me' to ask 'me' what Steven's doing here? Why should I ask something to myself when that question was meant for someone else because I didn't know the answer in the first place?"

Amethyst was annoyed by the comment and was about to burst out yelling, when Garnet put a hand over her mouth, hushing her.

She put a finger on her lips and hushed them, and then waved them to come along.

Steven and Amethyst shared a glance, but they started walking.

They walked for at least five minutes, before they had come to an edge to their road.

Amethyst crossed her arms. "So... what are we supposed to see?" She asked bored.

Garnet hushed her again and suddenly tensed and looked up.

Something swam above them. Something big.

Everyone ducked by reflex, watching the creature swim above them.

It soon had passed them and they relaxed.

And as the creature swam out more to the open, they could see it more clearly.

It was almost as big as a whale. Her upper body had a regular gem's shape, but her head had a predator's face with a big jaw and big teeth. Her color was close to purple and she had long, green hair. She had four arms and a thick tail behind her which was a deep green.

"P, what the heck is that?" Amethyst whispered, taking a hold of Pearl's leg.

"We don't know." Pearl whispered. "I heard it yesterday and has been looking for it since this morning. Garnet soon predicted I'd be here and came to help me."

"We don't know what it wants." Garnet spoke in a hushed tone. "But what we do know is that we can't let a creature of that size be so near humans." She added. She slammed her fist into her palm. "We need to poof it and send it to the temple."

Steven could only watch in awe as the creature swam around. "I think it's really pretty." He said.

"Yeah, pretty freakin' dangerous." Amethyst said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, here's the plan." Garnet began, adjusting her visor. "We need to get it's attention. A creature of that size is too big for us to poof. We'll have to trick it to the mountain-wall. Once it's there, we'll push the rocks at it and crush it into poofing. Steven y-." When suddenly, the only thing escaping her mouth was bubbles.

That's when they noticed the bubble was gone.

And if the bubble was gone, that could only mean-

They turned around and saw Steven a few meters away, running towards the direction on the creature.

"Steven!" The gems groaned in annoyance, but only bubbles escaped their mouths.

Steven was running towards the creature.

"Whoa-whoaa!" He suddenly stopped abruptly. Because he was standing at the edge of a deep crater. It was deep, so deep it left eternal darkness for the eyes to see.

He sighed in relief and took a step back.

What he didn't know, was that his loud shout had attracted an un-invited guest.

Steven looked back out into the blue. But he frowned. "Huh? Where did it go?"

When suddenly, the bubble and his surroundings became suddenly so dark.

"Huh? Where did the light go?" He hummed. "Hey guys-."

He turned around.

And his heart got stuck in his throat.

Gaze black and blank, teeth bigger than him and sharper than knives, and a mouth bigger than his own house.

All belonging to the creature gazing down at him.

She was leaning against the ground behind him, her long, humongous tail laying flat against the ground and her green hair waving in the ocean.

"Steven!" Pearl tried to shout, but only bubbles escaped her mouth. "Steven! Don't make a sound!"

Garnet covered her mouth and stood before the two gems, covering them.

Of course, Steven didn't hear a sound.

He just stared in terror at the beast before him.

"Uh-uh... hi!" He stuttered. "How're you doing?" He squeaked.

The creature cocked her head to the side.

"You good? Out for a morning swim?" Steven tried to joke but was too scared to keep a straight face.

Because she couldn't say anything, Pearl gestured heavily of what on earth he was doing?!

But Garnet kept her back with one hand and hushed her.

The creature bend her head down and pushed the bubble slightly. It was not much, but it was enough for Steven to fall to his knees.

"Hey! Hey... it's okay! I'm a friend!" He tried to calm her down, lifting his hands up.

And it seemed to work. She moved back and looked at him.

Steven smiled. "There we go. Nice and easy." He swallowed nervously but still smiled. He raised up to his knees. "Hi! I'm Steven! I'm a Crystal gem!" He smiled with a wave. "We-we mean no harm. We just want to help you."

The creature started nudging it's nose against the bubble again, this time more in curiosity.

The gesture made the ball roll back a few inches.

"Hey! Hey! Easy!" Steven tried to calm it, looking over his shoulder to watch the crater behind him.

The creature calmed down.

He walked forward and rest his hand on the wall of his bubble.

"Hey! You're a cutie!" Steven laughed. "Are you lost?" He asked.

When suddenly, something loud disturbed the creature's peace.

It was a loud, but gentle song coming from afar.

The creature raised and turned it's head.

"Huh?" Steven turned his head as well.

As it turned out, it was a herd of whales passing by. There were at least twenty of them, all in different shapes and ages.

"Whoa. Whales..." Steven gasped in awe.

"Whoa..." Amethyst gasped as she and the gems saw the same thing.

"Those are whales. They have a special song. Like you!" He looked up at the creature, grinning. "It's their way of talking to each-other. And if one of them gets lost, it sings so the rest can go find him or her. And they look for him or her. They never want to leave anyone behind."

He looked at the whales and then back at the creature.

It just stared a the whales, never breaking sight. Watching them together.

But a last, she looked back at him again.

Steven slowly came to a realization. "You're lost too, aren't you?" Steven asked sadly.

The creature didn't respond, she just kept on staring at him with blank eyes.

"Are there more of you?" Steven asked her.

This time, the creature looked away, staring at the passing whales again.

Steven's smile went upside-down. "You're the only one of you, aren't you?"

The creature looked back at him again. But this time, she lowered her head so that her snout touched the surface of the bubble.

Though her face was unable to show emotions, Steven could tell she was showing tracks of sadness.

Steven looked at her sadly. "It's okay." He then smiled and rest a hand against her nose from within the bubble. "I'm the only one of me, too."

The whales started singing again and the creature looked up.

She opened her mouth slightly, and let out the tune of a song.

And what do you know, some of the whales stopped swimming and turned their attention towards her.

Steven shone up. "They understand you!" He smiled up at the creature above him. "And you understand them!"

The creature was still for a few moments, before she started to slowly swim towards the whales, carefully.

Once she was close enough, she opened her mouth and let out a beautiful song, similar to theirs.

And as a reply, a whale sang along.

And the gem, she replied back.

A whale swam above her and stroke it's back against her.

The gem let out another tune of song and swam ahead playfully.

And soon, the whole herd and the creature swam away into the distance until they were out of sight.

Steven watched with tears in his eyes.

Garnet stepped up behind him and rest a hand on the outside of his bubble. And soon, Pearl and Amethyst did the same.

Garnet looked at him as if saying, 'let's go home'.

Steven nodded and turned to walk away.

When suddenly-

The edge he was standing on was starting to loose it's structure, and it flaked into pieces until the solid ground was gone.

"Whoa! Whaaaaa!" Steven screamed as his bubble started falling, pulling down Steven with it.

"Steven!" The gems gasped through bubbles and rushed over to save him. But it was too late.

The bubble had already fallen and dragged Steven with it and all they could hear was Steven's screaming

"Steven! No!" Pearl screamed.

Amethyst quickly summoned two whips from out of her gem and gestured them for them to grab a hold of them.

Garnet and Pearl nodded. -----------

Meanwhile-

Steven was falling. Everything was dark and the falling never seemed to get to an end.

"Oh no! Oh no oh no! Oh no!" Steven was starting to hyperventilate in his bubble. "Bubble! Whatever you do, don't pop!" He begged the bubble.

He was falling pretty fast, like if you threw a rock in a puddle. A very big puddle.

When suddenly, he seemed to stop falling.

"Huh?" He went down to his knees and looked down through his bubble. "For an ocean it wasn't very deep." He muttered.

It was dark, but if he squinted he could tell he wasn't at the bottom of the ocean. But his bubble had gotten stuck between mountains which seemed to get more and more together the further down you got.

"Oh man. I'm stuck." He whined. He tried to jump so that he could help the bubble upwards. But it only seemed to make it slip further down.

He tried to everything he could manage.

But at last, he had given up and sighed. "Oh man... I guess this is it... I'm stuck. And if my bubble doesn't pop and make me drown I'll for sure starve." He sat down in his bubble and rest his chin against his knees. "No more gems. No more friends. No more dad. No more Connie. No more together-breakfast, or crying breakfast friends. No more Steven." He shut his eyes with a sad sigh. "I wonder what my mom would do." He pulled his shirt up and watched the pink gem at the center of his stomach

When suddenly, something seemed to rock the bubble.

"Huh?" He looked up.

As it turned out, it was Pearl and Garnet who had landed on the bubble. They both had one of Amethyst's whips tied around their waist.

"Guys!" Steven stood up and gasped.

They both looked down and went down to their knees and palms. "Steven!" They gasped through bubbles.

When suddenly-

Something dark was approaching them from afar above them.

Steven noticed. "Guys! Guys! Look out!" He pointed towards the dark shadow approaching them.

Pearl and Garnet turned their heads. But they had barely no time to react when a mouth filled with big teeth approached them.

"GUUUYS!" Steven screamed, took a deep breath, widened his arms and clapped his hands together, opening the bubble so that Garnet and Pearl could fall inside before it closed.

But it didn't take long before they were surrounded by darkness and teeth. --------

Meanwhile, back at the top of the crater, Amethyst stood holding two whips in each hand which reached down the deep.

She looked bored and frowned. "Was 'pull us up' one pull or two?" She though loud.

When suddenly something escaped from the crater in lightning speed.

It was the creature from before, holding Steven's bubble in her mouth and rose for the surface.

The whips from Garnet and Pearl still hung out of her mouth and before she knew it, Amethyst was pulled with her.

"One pull! I get it!" She shouted through bubbles. "Whoa mama!" --------

Meanwhile- back at the shore, Greg was still sitting on the sand with his guitar, writing down some lyrics.

When suddenly, something hurled out of the water.

"What on earth?!" Greg gasped and stood up.

The creature found herself up out of the water and flung the bubble out of the air.

When she dove back to the water she slammed the bubble with her tail and send it, and Amethyst flying towards the shore.

The gems screamed until they slammed against the sand, creating a small crater.

Greg immediately rushed over to them. "Are you guys okay?!" He gasped.

Steven's bubble disappeared and they all laid against the sand, all worn out.

Steven sat up, all dizzy. "Now I know how a volleyball feel." He whined.

Amethyst stood up, completely covered in sand as she had been dragged against the beach. And on top of that she was covered in sea-weed.

A song caught their attention.

They looked out to the ocean where they saw a huge tail out of the water before it disappeared in the water.

"Goodbye! Safe travels!" Steven shouted, waving his hand. "Take care." A tear ran down his cheek.

Pearl rest a hand of comfort against his shoulder.

At nighttime, Greg still sat out on the shore, guitar in hand.

Steven walked out next to him.

"Hey, Stu-ball!" Greg greeted him with a smile. "Wanna hear my new tune?"

"Sure." Steven sat down and looked at him.

"One, two, three, four." Greg started playing his guitar. And began singing.

"Loneliness comes and loneliness goes.

It's hard for even those who knows, I suppose

But it all is optional

It is true

Whether i's true or if it's fictional

It is only you

Who can choose to sing along

To the lonely Siren's song.

To the lonely Siren's song

To the lonely Siren's song."

He soon stopped playing and grimaced. "Yeah, it's still a working progress." He chuckled.

But Steven smiled. "I think it was great."

And they both watched the horizon together.

[silasrytved]

Whalebones

The waves licked the concrete wave breakers out in the cold water of the small harbor.

The dock was quite but not for at lack of people, all the crewmates were ready to board. The silence was du to the dangerous nature of working as a whaler. The foul smell of whale oil burning in the lanterns lighting up the dock, and the squeaking of rats in the provisions cart which we had to stuff in the ship. It was lousy pay for hard work, but for outcasts like us, it was a home…

As the others cramped together in the in the small crew cabin on the wavy and damp ship, i stood and watched the filthy smoke of the city fade off as we departed. It was cold and thunders could be heard in the distance, and it was snowing in a fast and chaotic way.

We were headed for warmer waters on the pacific ocean, with gibraltar on the horizon. We were hunting sperm whales to power the lamps back home. 

We were hunting the seas for food.

But it soon dawned, we were being hunted back.

The first morning out at open sea, i rose before the seagulls. It was quit and the sea had calmed from the day before, we had outsailed the snow and for the first time we felt warmth in months. The sun was shining and there were no land in sight. The heat creeped close to the water and the ship planks were warm. I laid down on them and felt warmth deep in my spine and bones.

We spend the days washing the deck and eating shitty food.

At day forty people were starting to look lean.

And at day forty one it all started....

It all started one morning when we were scrubbing the deck, and as a lightning from a clear sky the watch boy cried “Whale calf at south south west!”.

We all sprang like clockwork to see the mighty beast. The captain and two whalers took a sailing boat out to it. It looked like it had lost its mother.

The captain drew his lead spear and threw it at the beast. It was like time had stopped. It didn't fight or tried to swim away. The crew rejoiced as the mighty beast was laid long starside of the boat, tied with ropes. The whaling ship was large and made from sturdy oak planks and just a few metres longer than the whale now at her side. The chef and the cabin boys carved a hole in the whale and went inside to fill the barrels with whale oil from the guts. Then the innards, then the fat, and then the gooby meat. All parts of the whale was used and the bones were carved into spoons and knifes and forks. The oil was stored undership, for our return to the dock, the fat was used to light the fireplace and the meat was salted and stored for later consumption. The ship rejoiced as we ate that night, all together in the crew cabin with the captain holding a victory speech.

We ate the meat and drank the soup made on the bones and the salted innards until long unto the night. That night we all had a pitcher of scotch and a piece of pudding after the main meal. And all of the crew got the next day off.

But over the next few weeks things changed. We had plenty of meat for the next many months and if not meat, we had soup. And every week we would catch fish and dolphins to keep us fed. It would seem our luck never stopped, people felt good and being on this ship was no longer a bitter duty but a joy. It was like we were all under a spell…

On the sixtyseventh day we saw another whale and once again it didnt fight back.

After day seventy four we had filled our storage of whale oil, we were set to go home.

But it would would be a long way home...

That night the screams came. People waking up covered in sweat with horror in their eyes, all describing the same dream of crawling into a whale to get oil and then being grabbed. On day seventy eight we found the first crewmate dead. It was on the toilet overhanging the open sea. A slit throat and a bloody knife in his hands. Clearly self inflicted. On the inside of the door was written the words “turn back” in the crewmates own excrement with and exclamation mark in blood on the end. The captain called for a meeting between him, his firstmate, the ship vicar and the watch officer, to discuss an immediate return. That night, as the crew started eating there were mumbling. Mumbeling that this was the work of someone on board, praying to evil omens. The next few days were horrible. Two young boys were lynched and thrown overboard before the captain could step in. Three men killed for treason to the ship and one killed by the firstmate on that same evening for conspiring to lynch again. The crew and the young boys and the few slaves on board, were in a state of suspicion. No one trusted each other and people started to question each other a little too loud. Fights and cries of madness was commonplace enough. The captain, the firstmate, the vicar and about half the ship, had locked the bad apples in the whale oil storage. The next week they were all found, having drowned in the oil. The bad dreams started to get worse, more and more people started describing scenes of mutiny, killer whales, ghosts and death. Terror and madness had taken half the crew by day onehundred and twenty and only three fourths of the sailors that departed that day on the dock, was still alive. No one dared to go in the crewcabin because you could still hear the screams at night. Some of the sailors slept outside and in the hallway in front of the captains quarters. The first rat was spotted on deck and the food  in the captains storage ran out and an expedition to the crewcabin was set in motion. When the last of the crewboys entered the stench of death and filth rose out of the cabins. But there were no one, scribbles on the walls and corpses half eaten by the rats now numbering fifty to sixty. The chef laying dead on the main dinning tabble with a dagger in his heart, fashioned from bone whale as was the knife that killed the young man on the toilet.

It took four hours to carry the corpses to the deck, wrapping them in their hammocks and returning them to the sea.

The had by now went from lean to racks. The food was recovered, atleast all the food that hadnt been covered in death and filth.

The next days, the ship was quite and the rations small. We saw plenty of whales but we had not nearly enough man power to kill it, so we resorted to fishing and eating salted whale.

It was like the salted whale tasted like madness.

Then i had my nightmare.

It was quit and the sea had calmed.  The sun was shining and there were no land in sight. The heat creeped close to the water and the ship planks were warm. I laid down on them and felt warmth deep in my spine and bones. It all started one morning when we were It started with me scrubing the deck, and as a lightning from a clear sky the watch boy cried “Whale calf at south south west!”.

We all sprang like clockwork to see the mighty beast. The captain and two whalers took a sailing boat out to it. It looked like it had lost its mother.

The captain drew his lead spear and threw it at the beast. It was like time had stopped. It didnt fight or tried to swim away. The crew rejoiced as the mighty beast was laid long starside of the boat, tied with ropes.

When the others were well fed and in a merry drunk sleep, i heard it.

Like a cry of a dying person, i was laying in my hammock watching the oil lamp flickering and hearing the others snoore like thunder. I remember walking around to see if anyone was hurt. It wasnt from anyone in the cabin so i tried to sleep again.

I stepped with trembeling feet, over the cold wooden planks and up the little stairs to the deck. The door flung open and i went from thunderous snooring and squiking of rats to a complete and terrifying silence.

It was not wood but rock i steeped out to. The deck fragmented on islands pierced by sharp rocks, like the bottom of the sea had pierced the ship from the bottom up.

Floating islands and the smell of whale lanterns.

Whales swimming by in the air and fog rising like a serpent from the void beneath.

An infinite dark sky all around and an infinitly deep void below.

And in an instant i was on a solitude rock in the middle of a raging sea, waves as high as the clouds and foam and water hitting my face. I was safe and a path a razor sharp rocks were laid out for me. My feet were bleeding and every little jump to the next rock, stung like lightning. Around the corner of the waves overshadowing me, there stood a man.

Eyes as black as the grave and with a strange mark on his hand. He looked at me and said, “turn back! i am the outsider and i command you to turn back”. His face contorted into a grim monster like thing and then the waves crashed down upon my and pinned me on the sharp rock. When i woke up i felt like i had been stabbed in the spine, in the place where the dream rock had pierced my body.

I could not speak for the remainder of the evening and the captain saw with worry on me.

The day was now onehundred and thirty five and the crew had been reduced to the officers and the captain and me.

[travelswithnancyandshorty-blog]

Hawaii Xmas National Lampoon Vacation 1999

Xmas Hawaii National Lampoon Vacation 1999 posted May 1, 2018

Never fly at X-mas. Nancy and Shorty decided to take the four kids, Emily, Laura, Mick and Ed since Nancy received a large settlement from an almost deadly accident in 1997. So Shorty, Nancy, Mick and Ed flew out of Philadelphia and the girls were supposed to meet them in Hawaii. Trouble started in Philly when they cancelled their flight from Boston. Hours later they put them on a plane for the night but then that one landed in 2 hours at Denver for the night. They were trying to fly to San Francisco. Nancy called the ex-husband frantically and he was able to switch the girls flight to the next day.

By this point Nancy was more than stressed out from not smoking as they were sleeping on the floor of the airport. The boys started having asthma attacks so they were giving them breathing treatments. After they settled them down, Nancy said ‘I’m going outside to get a much needed smoke’. The problem was Nancy had to get a train out of the airport and when she came back she got lost but thankfully found them again.

Nancy begged a reservationist at 6AM to help her sick boys. The first thing she did was get them through LA instead of San Francisco. SF was a nightmare with hardly any runways in or out. So she was our angel and got them to Maui. Once Nancy settled down she told Shorty she was going to slip in the restaurant for a smoke. She walked in and lit up and a waitress came up to her and said ‘you have to buy something here to smoke your cigarette’. Nancy replied, ‘You really don’t want to be talking to me after the fooking night I had on your floor’ and walked out. They missed their whole first day in Hawaii.

They finally arrived in Maui and went to Adventure Rent a Jeep to pick up their Cherokee jeep but none was available that day. The loner jeep for the day was an old jeep with a huge whole in the floor and Shorty could hardly reach the peddles with an open roof. Shorty was laughing but once again Nancy was stressed out and couldn’t wait to get to their place. Their place was a nice condominium with a pool but had an un-swimmable rocky beach but it did have humped back whales flying in the ocean.

The first day with all the kids they went to the Ritz Carlton Beach where all the surfers were riding very high waves. Emily snuck into the Ritz and lounged on their nice lounges while the rest of them spread their blanket on the beach. The next thing you know, a lifeguard walks up to them and said not to let the kids swim because there was a giant rip tide coming. It wasn’t five minutes later when a huge wave came up on the beach and dragged them all in including their huge video camera. Laura was crying because she lost her lucky penny when their camera was destroyed.

The next day they thought they found a safer beach but when Mick climbed a tree some kid threw a firecracker and scared him. He fell out of the tree and skinned his face from forehead to nose to chin. We finally calmed him down by buying Space Jam movie which they watched over and over again. As they were watching the movie, all of us were taking turns in the bathroom but the second floor bathroom overflowed with a major clean up.

By this point, Nancy really needed a break from the crew. Emily volunteered to babysit and they went to Chez Paul which was very run down looking outside but what a great place inside. The walls were covered with famous movie stars who had dined there years ago and the food was delicious. Nancy got her usual crème brulee and Irish coffee and once again got happy but swore she would never bring kids to Hawaii again.

They finally found a nice safe beach which the pictures will show. They were all so happy playing in the sand and water. They loved this beach but when they came home they heard that a honeymoon couple was floating where they had just been snorkeling. A shark popped out of the water and ate the wife but not the husband. Unbelievable could have happened to their family. Our last night with the girls was New Year’s Eve which turned into a fiasco with the blasting firecrackers all night long with smoke everywhere. They called it the Frog and it was gross and way too loud. Another reason not to go at X-mas.

The girls had to fly out a day earlier then Shorty and Nancy. They took them back to the airport and then Shorty suggested to take the road to Hana where Jurassic Park was filmed. They had a wonderful lunch at Mama’s Fish House first but Nancy was seriously questioning a very high mountain ride for two boys with asthma. They only got a mile up the curvy road when their van broke down on the edge of cliff. Their cell phones wouldn’t connect. The Hispanic workers tried to help but they were lost in translation. Then finally a nice couple stopped and said they would call Adventure rent a jeep to send up a new one which arrived pretty quickly.

Shorty wanted to go higher on the mountain even though Nancy thought it was a bad idea and just wanted to go home and get drunk after this ordeal. Shorty talked Nancy into it but not even a half mile later, their younger son Ed, puked curdled milk all over the new van. What a nightmare that was washing him in the streams of the mountains and one thing Nancy can’t stand is smell of vomit because it makes her want to puke.

Nancy was so glad to go home the next day after having to clean the entire van that night. They checked into the airport and Shorty went over to buy seeds. The next thing you know Eddie tried to put his hand in the conveyor belt that was moving luggage. Nancy caught that little hand just in time and swore again never take kids to Hawaii because it is supposed to be a romantic vacation for two.

Above are pictures of the road to Hana where Nancy looks pissed off, and scrapbooks of their kids in Maui and their wonderful grandchildren. Someday Zoe and Mila will read these stories and see how cute and fun loving their mothers were in Hawaii.

Laura and Jordan had a new grandchild today safely in Milwaukee. Gwendolyn Marie Scherer was 6 pounds and 14 ounces. Nancy sure feels like a lucky Mom-Mom.

[rinnnyxr]

In 2020

-

I Am I am a university student. I am a cuddler. I am an okay dancer. I am a huge fan of lists. I am a morning person. I am a perfectionist. I am a republican. I am allergic to something deadly. I am an only child. I am catholic. I am content as of this moment. I am currently in my pajamas. I am currently pregnant.

I am currently single. I am embarrassed to be seen with my mother or father. I am currently suffering from a breaking heart. I am okay at styling other people’s hair. I am left-handed. I am married. I am obsessed with my Tumblr. I am online 24/7, even as an away message. I am procrastinating by filling out this list. I am resentful that I have to grow up. I am very shy around the opposite sex. I am, or was, pigeon-toed. I bite my nails. I can be paranoid at times. I carry a weapon with me everywhere I go. I collect picture frames. I currently have a crush on someone. I consider myself to be a ‘nerd’. I currently regret something that I have done/am doing. I curse frequently. I don’t hate anyone. I enjoy country music. I enjoy jazz music. I enjoy smoothies. I enjoy talking on the phone. I have a car. I have a mobile phone. I have a hard time paying attention at school. I have a hidden talent. I have a hobby. I have a lot to learn. I have a pet. I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal. I have a tendency to fall for the “wrong” guy. I have all my (real) grandparents, none of them have died. I have at least one brother and/or sister. I have avoided work to play with my Tumblr. I have been in a real relationship. I have been in a threesome. I have been rejected by someone. I have been the “psycho ex” in a past relationship. I have been to another country. I have been to an anime convention. I have been to Europe. I have been to Las Vegas. I have been told that I am very smart. I have been told that I have an unusual sense of humor. I have broken a bone. I have caller i.d. on my phone. I have changed a diaper. I have changed a lot over the past year. I have cheated on a significant other. I have counted down the days until the summer. I have dated a best friend’s ex. I have done something illegal. I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color. I have gone scuba diving/snorkeling. I have had major/minor surgery. I have had my hair cut within the last week. I have had sex with someone I was not in a relationship with. I have had the cops called on me. I have snogged someone I knew I shouldn’t. I have snogged someone of the same sex. I have made a move on a friend’s significant other in the past. I have mood swings. I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have passed out drunk at least once in the past 6 months. I have rejected someone before. I have seen the lord of the rings trilogy. I have seen the television show the o.c. I have swum in the ocean. I have tried a drug that is illegal. I have tried sushi. I have watched sex and the city. I have watched the television show SpongeBob SquarePants. I know how to shoot a gun. I like being the center of attention. I like eating ramen noodles. I like my handwriting. I like Shakespeare. I like the taste of blood. I like to cook. I like to sing. I like to vacuum. I love learning foreign languages. I love Michael Jackson. I love my friends. I love olives. I love rain. I love sleeping. I love to play computer games. I love to shop. I miss someone right now. I own 100 CDs or more. I own a home. I own and use a library card. I play a musical instrument. I practice a religion that is not considered mainstream. I read books for pleasure. I shave my legs. I sleep a lot during the day. I strongly dislike math. I think Britney Spears is pretty. I think long strings of Html code look cool. I think that pizza hut makes the best pizza. I think the world would be a better place if people just smiled more often. I was born in a country other than the USA. I watch more tv this year than last year. I watch soap operas on a regular basis. I wear contact lenses. I will try anything once. I work at a job that I enjoy. I would classify myself as ghetto. I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free. I like orange kool-aid. I can name all 7 of the dwarfs from ‘snow white and the seven dwarfs’. I like being at school. I always love wearing sweaters. I love water polo. I am currently wearing socks. I am being nostalgic right now. I hate summer. I am tired. I love to paint/draw/sketch/sculpt

i have…. been drunk. smoked pot. done ecstasy. done coke. done crack. done heroin. done opium. done pcp. done LSD. done ccc’s. done prescription narcotics for recreational purposes. huffed air-duster. been to a rave. been to a real party. kissed someone. ridden in a taxi. jumped a ramp with a bike. been dumped. been used. shoplifted. ran from the cops. been in a room of your school that you could get suspended for being in been fired. been kicked out of a movie theater. snuck into a movie. been in a fistfight. got hit by a car. fired a real gun. snuck out of your parent’s house. been arrested. gone in a mosh pit. stolen something from your school. celebrated new years in times square. gone on a blind date. lied to a friend. had a crush on a teacher. celebrated mardi-gras in New Orleans. been to Europe. skipped school. thrown up from drinking. played ‘clue’ had a sleepover party. gone ice skating. cheated on a bf/gf. been cheated on. had your tonsils out. been exposed to laughing gas. had a car. driven a car. totaled a car.

do you… feel loved. feel lonely. feel happy. hate yourself. have a dog. have your own room. sing along with your music. dance around the house in your underwear. listen to Hawaiian music. listen to underground hip hop. listen to rap. listen to classic rock. listen to new rock. listen to country. listen to reggae. listen to techno. listen to hardcore punk. listen to pop. listen to r&b. listen to jazz. listen to crooners. listen to bands that can’t be put into a category. have hobbies. skateboard. do aggressive inline. snowboard. ski. surf. skimboard. have more than 1 best friend. get good grades. play an instrument. have slippers wear boxers wear black eyeliner. like the color blue. like the color pink. like the color red like the color green like the color black like the color purple like neon colors like to read. like to write. have long hair. have short hair. have a laptop. have a pager.

are you… bored. happy. bilingual. Hawaiian. blonde a brunette a redhead a darkhead samoan. filipino. Korean. British. white. italian black. inuit mexican. Asian. a christian a muslim a jew a hindu a scientologist an atheist satanist short. tall just right realistic an emo kid sick mad lazy. talking to someone. iming someone. scared to die. buzzed high caffeinated sleepy. annoyed. hungry. thirsty. on the phone. in your room. drinking something. eating something. ticklish. listening to music a virgin.

-

How Girlie Are You?

My toenails are almost always painted. During the summer pretty much the only shoes I wear are flip flops or go barefoot. My favorite toy as a child were Barbies. My favorite color is pink or purple. I did gymnastics. I love skirts/skorts. Hollister is my favorite place to shop. Tight jeans are the only jeans I’ll wear. I love chocolate. TOTAL SO FAR: 4

I straighten my hair. I have at least 8 Facebook pictures. I usually go shopping once a week. I love to hang out with friends. I have a real diamond ring or diamond necklace. I’ve gone to a tanning salon. I’ve gone to the beach to tan - not to swim. I have at least 10 pairs of shoes. I watch(ed) either The OC, Laguna Beach OR Desperate Housewives. I change my profile weekly. I have worn a shower cap. TOTAL SO FAR: 7

I would NEVER step foot into Hot Topic. My cell phone might as well become a part of me. I wear mascara every day. I’ve been or am on a diet. Bathing suits are adorable. I don’t know the difference between a sheep and a goat. Big sunglasses are hot. I have gotten my nails done. I own over 10 purses. Music is one of my favorite channels. TOTAL SO FAR: 11

I like to talk about boys. I like to have other people do my hair. I like to give and receive hugs from all my friends. I hate bugs. Carnivals are so fun! Summer is THE best season. My swimsuit has 2 pieces. I’m waiting for my knight in shining armor. Musicians are hot. You write me a poem and tell me I’m beautiful and I’m all yours. TOTAL SO FAR: 16

I’m self-conscious. I cry often. My room smells like vanilla. My dishes get washed more than once a week. I don’t do sports. I hate to run. I squeal when I am surprised. I eat dried fruit as a snack. I love romance novels. Drew Barrymore is so cute. TOTAL SO FAR: 22

I dance a lot. I usually spend over an hour to get ready to leave my house. My hair is important. I love to get dressed up. Every part of my outfit needs to match. I talk on the phone at least once a day to my friends. I’d love to have a photoshoot of myself. The price of clothes hardly matters. I apply lipgloss 50 times a day. I wish I looked like a model. TOTAL SO FAR: 27

I wish I could meet Paris Hilton. R&B is the best music. I pop my collar. Guys with Mohawks are GROSS! Horses are beautiful. I never pay attention in school. Cats are adorable. TOTAL SO FAR: 29

I write my own music. I would love to visit Hawaii. Valentine’s Day is so cute! White is better than black. I wouldn’t be caught dead in all black. My closet is STOCK FULL of clothes. I hate the grunge look of a beard. I love to read magazines. TOTAL SO FAR: 31

I love to gossip. I love Celine Dion. My baths are 2 hours long. My wedding only needs a groom because it’s already planned. My friends and I are in a strict group. We mostly only hang out with each other. I like kids. Diet drinks are the best. I have been a vegetarian. I refuse to eat at McDonald’s. TOTAL SO FAR: 32

I check my Facebook every day. I have a lot of jewelry. Claire[s] has cheap jewelry. My screen name[s] have X’s in them. Either one of my MSN names has/had <3/♥’s in them. I would never want to be the opposite sex. I have more than 3 pillows on my bed. TOTAL: 34

Below 40 = Not girlie. Above 40 = Girlie. Above 55 = Paris Hilton.

[stuckonswan]

HII it my turn to be annoying!!! 6 9 11 17 22 24 28 35 41 50 57 71 74(suffer) 92

6.) What are you excited for?

IM GONNA GO SEE TIDE POOL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AND I AM SO GODDAMN EXCITED

9.) Is confidence cute?

Nah but you are (on the real confidence is cute as long as ya aren’t a piece about it)

11.) How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust?

One fucking rest in pieces. Like maybe two but thats being really generous.

17.) Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

You, moony and Oli tbh. Could and have talked about everything. Ya’ll are just so darn supportive I love you guys to death.

22.) Would you ever want to swim with sharks?

Okay so technically the ocean is one entity with sharks and I have swan in the ocean. Therefore I have swam with sharks. Other than the technicality I think I would be too scared to swim with anything other than a whale shark.

24.) What do you want right this second?

Linguica bread and some Pastel de Natas

28.) What was the last thing that made you laugh?

That most you reblogged about beating people up for Remus Lupin had me dying of laughter so imma say that. 

35.) Do you ever write in pencil anymore? 

Yes! I write in my lab textbook in pencil and then any character sheets I write in pencil because all that information is subject to change.

41.) When was the last time you ate a cupcake?

Tuesday! We threw like a little surprise thing for my friend at their job and I made these bomb looking cupcakes with blue and red frosting because I am extra 

50.) Ever used a bow and arrow?

Yes! It was cool but I would much rather have a sword and shield. Bows kinda scare me because of how easily they could hurt me. Like with a wrist guard it’s fine but naaaahhh. 

57.) Do you believe in ghosts?

Yep! Never seen one but I believe in them!

71.) Can you curl your tongue?

Yes in multiple ways too!

74.) What’s your favorite book? 

uggggghhhhhhhhhh probably Ready Player One but I also really enjoyed Fangirl and the 4th Harry Potter Book. If it was a book series I will forever favor Rick Riordan and his works 

92.)  Do you want to get married?

I do! I have always seen myself marrying someone and I love the idea of getting all nice and fancy with my friends and family. So, yeah. I would love a wedding. 

THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH DEAR I LOVE YOUUUU

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 1.2

Title: We’ll be home for Christmas

Day One – A Tale of a Fateful Trip – Part 2 Prologue | 1.1

Author: Gumnut

8 - 14 Dec 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: The boys can’t fly home for Christmas, so they have to find another way.

Word count: 2701

Spoilers & warnings: language and so, so much fluff. Science!Gordon. Minor various ships, mostly background.

Timeline: Christmas Season 3, I have also kinda ignored the main storyline of Season 3. The boys needed a break, so I gave them one. Post season 3B, before Season 3C cos we haven’t seen it yet.

Author’s note:  For @scattergraph This is my 2019 TAG Secret Santa fic and it is a big one ::headdesk:: I hope you enjoy it. I know I have thoroughly enjoyed researching a gorgeous corner of this planet.

Many thanks to @vegetacide and @scribbles97 for cheering me on and their wonderful support through this craziness. And to @onereyofstarlight for geeking out with me over the setting.

And as always, thank you all for creating such a fantastic fandom. Thundernerds rock! I hope you all have a wonderful festive season. Thank you all so much for everything.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

 The sunset that night was as good as any they had ever seen on Tracy Island. The ocean swell was minimal as predicted and Gordon threw out a sea anchor to hold them tight while they ate dinner. They could have kept going, but instead chose a moment of quiet and together.

The meal was a lazy affair out on the boat deck consisting of burgers assembled by John and Alan.

For a change the conversation was light. A voyage down memory lane, Dad, the saga of FAB2 and Parker’s, uh, misfortune with it, and an incident in WASP training that Alan literally had to drag out of Gordon with threats of revealing something worse that the three other brothers were still in the dark about.

The glare sent Alan’s way promised some serious dunking at some point. Alan’s grin in return clearly said it was worth it.

While they were sitting still, Gordon threw out a sensory buoy. Apparently, the aquanaut had gone all out and stocked the yacht with all his marine biology equipment. No doubt, Scott had been back and forth between Tracy Island with his brother at least once. It wasn’t often the scientist in Gordon got a chance to play in his environment.

Sure, Tracy Industries had made some major ecological investments in the area, including the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary which protected a whole swath of ocean between Tracy Island and New Zealand. Gordon had worked with his father early on in that project and advised that as much as possible should be protected. Their proximity to the island group and the purpose of International Rescue hadn’t always coincided and it was Gordon, young though he was, who made it work.

And besides, Tracy Island was outside New Zealand’s and their other nearby neighbour, Tonga’s control and their security system didn’t let anyone near them anyway.

But Gordon had always been conscious of the greater good beyond human matters and their family as a whole kept their Island as ecologically isolated as possible to protect its non-human inhabitants. If anything, it was proof that humans could exist within an established ecosystem and impact it minimally as long as due care was taken.

The sensor buoy he threw off the side of their boat sunk into the depths somewhat and sharpened their sensory net to activity underwater including sounds and movement. The holographic interface threw up a three-dimensional display of the water under and around the boat up to a kilometre across.

The aquanaut placed the projector in the middle of the table. “Would you look at that.”

Vigil stared at the somewhat blurry dots and shapes moving across the display. “What?”

Gordon rolled his eyes and, reaching into the hologram, zoomed in on one spot teeming with dots of movement. The middle of the table was suddenly full of a school of large fish.

Virgil shifted back and he wasn’t the only one.

“A little warning next time, bro.” Alan was frowning at Gordon.

“Eh.” And no, their aquanaut did not care, his eyes latched on the fish. “A school of tuna, southern bluefin, in fact. Good to see, though they are at the edge of their range.” He grabbed his tablet and, while four other brothers stared at him, he entered some data, his eyes dancing between the two displays.

Virgil couldn’t help but smile. Scott caught his eye and did the same. Virgil’s smile became a grin.

Gordon didn’t notice. His fingers darted into the hologram again and minimised the tuna only to bring up another school of fish on the other side of the display. More notes were made on the tablet.

The silence around the table was profound. Even John had a small smile on his face as he watched Gordon.

A dark shape moved amongst the fish. It was much larger and it wasn’t until it slid into the centre of the school that it became clear exactly what it was.

“Wow.” Alan voiced the awe for all of them. Well, except Gordon who was still staring at the fish.

Virgil resisted the urge to reach out and touch the hologram of the shark cruising through scattering fish. He wasn’t sure what type it was, but it was big.

A moment later Gordon realised they were all staring. A glance at the shark and he punched at his tablet. “Bonus! She’s tagged!” Another stab or two. “Hilda? Oh my god, it’s Hilda.”

Hilda?

“Who’s Hilda?” Virgil asked the question, but Gordon was absorbed in what he was doing.

“I did not expect to find her this far south.”

“You know this shark?” Alan’s voice was small.

“What? Oh, yeah, Hilda likes to feed in our lagoon.”

“What?” Scott’s deeper voice cut through the stunned silence. “That shark was in our lagoon?”

Gordon blinked up at him. “Well, yeah, how do you think I tagged her? Been following her movements for the last two years. She loves some of the smaller fish that feed in the coral reefs. She can’t quite fit into all of them, but she enjoys herself in any case. Caught herself a couple of seabirds from the colony on Mateo a few months back. It was awesome.” Not once did his eyes leave the display and the shark swimming across their dinner table.

“I am never going swimming again.” Alan’s voice was tiny.

Gordon finally looked up and his eyebrows shot up. “Hey, she’s cool. You lot aren’t tasty enough anyway.”

Scott sighed and dropped his head into his hand. “Why do I bother?”

Something flashed in the corner of the display and Gordon immediately minimised it back to a sea of floating dots. “Hey, we’ve got a big one coming into range. Oooh, no, two....yes!”

Virgil jumped as the display flickered and zoomed in again, this time bringing up another large shape. His fish brother was literally bouncing in his seat. “Ooooh, she’s a mama.” And there beside the humpback whale appeared a young calf.

Virgil stared.

“And they are talking. Listen to this.” Gordon grinned as he punched his tablet with an eager finger. Suddenly the room was full of grunting and clicking sounds and the occasional moan.

God.

Virgil reached behind him, fingers grabbing for the sketchbook he had thrown there earlier while still fighting with his pencil. Within moments both pad and pencil were in hand and he was drawing. Fast. The pencil scraping across the page. Curves, bumps waves of lines. On the table the two whales flew through the phantom water. On the paper, Virgil’s fingers lost themselves in the art. Graphite formed the whales’ flanks, the sharpness of the pencil lead compensated where the display could not provide clarity. But most of all he drew fast. He did not know how long they would be there, or how long he would have the privilege of seeing them.

He disappeared into the page, finding that zone he had been so seeking the last few days, and it wasn’t until the display flickered off and he found all four brothers staring at him that he snapped out of it.

A glance at Gordon. “They’ve left the area, bro. I held them in range as long as I could.” Brown eyes were apologetic.

Virgil blinked and looked down at what he had been drawing.

Two whales leapt off the page in front of him, silver and grey graphite shone, caught by the cartridge paper tooth. Tilted in pose, they were turned just slightly towards each other, so obviously parent and child, it touched his heart.

“That’s awesome, Virgil!” Alan was all jubilation and eagerness.

A glance at Scott and Virgil found something akin to pride in his eyes. John was smiling. Gordon stood up and walked behind Virgil, peering over his shoulder. “Can I have it? Or a print?”

“Uh...”

Gordon’s hand landed on his shoulder. You don’t have to answer now. Just know that that is a damn good drawing, bro, and I like it.”

Virgil grabbed his arm before he could move away. “How often do you see whales?”

A shrug. “It is late in the season, but we might see a few this time of year. The humpbacks migrate through here. I’ve certainly seen enough from home.”

“They come near Tracy Island?”

Gordon frowned at him. “I thought you were in touch with the world around you, Virg. All that artistic standing in the wind stuff. Of course, they do. I’m taking you whale watching as soon as possible. You don’t need to swim to see whales. God, guys, we live on an island in the middle of thousands of miles of ocean. Pay more attention. Yeesh.”

Okay, perhaps he had a point. Gordon had always loved the ocean and the worlds beneath it. Scott always loved the sky, John and Alan adored space. Virgil...was about how those worlds worked. Perhaps he needed to pay more attention to the ones underwater. “It appears I need to.”

Those familiar brown eyes blinked at him before a hand covered the one Virgil had on his arm. “Hey, I’ve got an idea.” He slipped free of his hold and grabbed his tablet again. “Just need to log into my home server...” The tablet took a royal stabbing with his finger. A moment and he set the device down on the table, poked it a couple more times until it projected up another underwater scene.

Five fully grown humpback whales and two calves frolicked in the holographic water. “There you go. Last year, not two hundred metres from our front door.”

Virgil just stared. His fingers itched to capture the scene. He hadn’t felt so inspired in months. “C-can you send me a copy?”

Gordon stared at him a moment, something in his eyes. “Sure. Tell you what. I’ll copy a bunch of these recordings onto the family server and you can do with them what you like.”

He couldn’t look away from the whales. “Thank you, Gordon.” He needed some colours. Phthalo blue. Payne’s grey. Phthalo turquoise. Cadmium yellow and possibly orange to up the contrast. White and maybe some Alizarin Crimson.

“Virgil, you okay?” Scott.

“Huh?” He shot a glance in his brother’s direction. Scott was frowning at him. “Uh, yeah. Did you bring any of my paints?”

Scott looked at John and his younger brother answered. “Your travel kit is in your cabin.”

“Great! Thank you.” He grinned at John and stood up...slowly as his body reminded him he wasn’t running at one hundred percent. A step and he hugged a stunned Gordon. “Thank you, Gordon. Thank you.”

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

Virgil stepped back and grinned at him. Gordon was staring at him as if he’d lost a marble or two. His expression only made Virgil laugh. A pat on his arm and Virgil grabbed his sketchbook and with another grin headed off towards his cabin.

He had it. All he needed was his tablet and a network connection and he had stock to paint to his heart’s content.

“Don’t you stay up painting all night!” It was Scott, yelling the length of the boat, but it only made Virgil’s grin wider.

-o-o-o-

Shit. The idiot was likely to exhaust himself at his easel. He would have to make sure he checked on him later, make sure he was sitting, not standing. Wouldn’t help for his brother to exacerbate his injury just because he zombified when painting.

John was staring at him.

“What?”

A soft smile. “Nothing.”

Scott eyed him, but John was his usual calm self, refusing to reveal any hint to his thoughts.

Lips thinning, he shot his brother a glare, which was ignored, and turned back to Gordon...only to find the table now covered in what appeared to be densely packed sardines of some kind.

Okay, he’d had enough of fish. He pushed himself to his feet. Gordon didn’t notice.

Scott had been hoping to sit down with Virgil and just have a little one on one bro time, but he had to admit that seeing it all come together for his arty brother like that had been pretty amazing and there was no way he was going to deny him the moment.

He would likely emerge from his room sometime tomorrow with a new masterpiece in his hands that Scott would, as usual, be totally stunned and blindsided as to how he managed it. Hell, that whale took all of fifteen minutes and it literally leapt off the page.

Stepping back from the table, he brushed a hand across John’s shoulders as he passed behind him and slipped inside. There was a bar in the corner of the lounge. He grabbed the whisky he had bought that morning and poured himself just a smidgen. He didn’t want to get drunk. He just wanted something to line his mouth, give him the taste.

Tumbler in hand he made his way through the main cabin and up onto the bow where they had stood for a good part of the voyage earlier in the day.

The sun was only a memory of the far side of the horizon, the sky darkening quickly and the ocean that gently rocked the boat, and no doubt Virgil’s easel, was becoming blacker than the sky above it.

The moon hadn’t risen yet, but the stars were breaking through the remnant light, and combined with the faint breeze, night was setting in.

Scott let a breath out.

In its own way it was beautiful. He wasn’t one for waxing poetic, but the sky was his home. He breathed it in with every breath and out here away from the lights of life, he could almost hear it.

“Makes you think, doesn’t it?”

Despite himself, he jumped.

“Woah, big bro, just come up to share a drink with you. Spock and McCoy killed all the rear lights so they can stare at their distant balls of gas and talk the hard sciences.” His brother rolled his eyes. “They’ve obviously never attempted to collect samples from a hydrothermal vent several kilometres down. ‘Hard’ would be the least of the terms used.”

His brother’s verbal diarrhoea came to a sudden halt and Scott took the moment to let his shoulders drop.

“You okay?” Gordon looked up at him and Scott realised he had a tumbler in his hand similar to the one in his own.

A half smile. “I’m good.” And he returned to looking out at the black hole of an ocean. “Thank you for coming up with this idea.” He rolled his shoulders just a little and took another sip of his drink. “I think we all need it.”

“Not a problem.” Gordon moved up to stand beside him and sipped his own whisky. “Not often I get a chance to get out here for a good stretch of time. I’m enjoying myself.”

“I noticed.” He twisted his lips. “Hilda?”

Gordon grinned. “My senior year French teacher. The woman was all bite and no bark.”

Scott frowned. “Miss Schwank? I thought you liked her?” One handed air quotes. “‘I’d like to go all Jacques Cousteau on her.’ I think I actually have that in writing somewhere.”

Another grin. “I did. She was gorgeous. Blonde with all the right measurements and a tongue that could do all the right things, no matter the language.” The smile vanished and he looked down at the tumbler in his hand. “She was one of the Lost in the 2060 Tsunami Disaster. Found her name on the nets.” The stars lit his brother’s eyes as they looked up at him. “On her honeymoon, apparently.”

Scott swallowed. He remembered the vivacious woman, all sharp words and determination. “Sorry to hear that.”

Gordon sighed. “So, now we have a great white shark with the same attitude. Just as beautiful, just as determined, just as likely to bite my head off if I go anywhere near her.” The grin was back. Another sip and his brother’s expression was all fondness.

A smile crept onto Scott’s face. He reached up and dropped his hand on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed gently. Another taste of whisky and he turned back to stare into the darkness.

-o-o-o-

End Day One

Day Two, Part One

[tristinleighhh]

✨☀️ my heart & soul are so full.

This was truly the best experience of my life. Envision is something else. I danced and sweat out every negative energy that I had stored away before I came here. I feel like a new person..

🌊 I loved the whole vibe of the Uvita area. Everyone was so nice. I've missed the salty air in my hair and on my lips. Being surrounded by the jungle and the ocean is a euphoric feeling. 🐟 I ate a lot of good fish outside the festival and I am definitely missing it. I loved the fresh fruits and coconuts everywhere 🥥🌴🍍🍌🍓

🏕️ our air b&b was just a couple minutes away from the festival and our host Jose was the nicest human ever. He was constantly making sure everything was perfect for us and coming back to get sleep in the ac was prime. I'm very glad we did that. Cabinas yuriel 💛💚❤️☁️

🐳 we went on a whale watching tour and we're blessed to see a male and a mama and her baby playing around! Humpback whales are my flavorite animal and I haven't seen them since I was in Hawaii so it was an epic treat.

🌄Then Dan and I watched our last Costa Rican sunset for the trip and took a nice stroll home. On the way we saw a sloth in the tree, a crazy poisonous snake and a gnarly looking centipede. 🐍🌙

I have fallen in love with envision and everything it stands for and for the beautiful country of Costa Rica. I will be back there's no doubt about that. I want to explore everything. Thankful for this trip and all the lessons learned and friends I met along the way. Until next time 🥥✨ Pura Vida ✨🥥

✨ Top Envision Moments & Music ✨

🔥 the sunset and fire spinners on the beach with the drum circle. I had hoped to spin some fire down there but I'll be a little more prepared next time.. you walk up the path onto the beach and you are met with various vendors with cool bones and jewelery, cheap beer and food as you emerge into a sea of people on the sand. The sky was on fire and the vibes were hiiiigh. The drum circle was tribal and euphoric. Looking around me being surrounded by jungle and ocean and beautiful people was straight bliss.

•

🍄 seeing Paul staments talk about mushrooms. I only caught one but it was so cool to hear him share his stories and experiences with us.

•

🍽️💦the dishcoteque

The waste at this festival was pretty much non existent. It always makes me sad how people can leave a place so destroyed and covered in trash. I had to pick up no trash from the ground and all the volunteers who were picking up trash barely had anything in their buckets. When you got food at any vendor here you received an actual dish, bowl, silverware or cup. When you were done you'd bring it to the "dishcoteque" and recieve a voucher for your next one. No plastic at all barely any paper products besides some paper straws .. the bathrooms also did not have toilet paper in them.. you had to get it from the outside and bring it with you so they were not overflowing with paper and and overuse of products.

•

✨🎨✨ the art & the stages

There was so much phenomenal art. I was blown away by the murals everywhere and the art gallery was bursting with talent and creative energy.

The bars and booths were all made from the materials surrounding them. Everything was made from the earth. The Sol stage was surrounded by a beautiful design with a big screen in the back that had really awesome visuals on it

The lapa stage was filled with house n deep techno vibes all day and night. It felt like something out of an epic movie in there with all the mist and the lights. The entrance to the beach was right there too. It was a great place to go to just dance and chill out.  And finally... The Luna stage. W o w. The most incredible stage I've EVER seen in my life and I've seen quite a few cool stage setups. It was a huge tower of Earth and wood and vines and beauty. There was a portal where people danced behind. The lighting was a1 from the lasers to the mapping on the funktions. It was truly other worldly there.  I will be riding the high of that stage for a long time. There was water refill stations in all the right spots which made staying hydrated in the jungle heat so easy.

•

🌮🍓🍦🥑🥙 the food

It's usually hard for me to eat at festivals lately because I don't eat meat anymore. Chicken fingers was always a go to for me but I've sadly become very picky. Everyone was pretty accommodating to my needs ( I wish I thought about asking for no cilantro before the last day 😞 I hate that shit )and everything was so nourishing and healthy. I have not been eating well lately and I feel so nice and full after all the smoothies and juicy goodness I ingested over the weekend.

•

🕷️ the huge tarantula like spider that happened to wander through the crowd of people dancing with the bass vibrating the floor and onto our blanket. It was SO BIG how did you even make it through the crowd?! Stealthy dude. That was wild.

•

☕🍵The tea party!

I went to the bathroom and I came across a tiny but huge tea party. Everyone had tea cups along a very small rectangle table/stool and they were singing jungle tea time jungle tea time and cheersing to life it was so cute

•

🎭🤸‍♀️🔥💃 the performers...

Wow. I haven't seen performances like that ever. Every collective blew my mind they all had a vibe of their own and absolutely slayed it on stage. Serious inspiration

•

🎶🔊 the music

Every set was so good. Nothing was like oh that was cool .. everything i was was so we'll put together and everyone definitely out out jungle vibes.

•

I'll just put this first in case you don't want to read all the way cause this was my flavorite part 💓

👽 Tipper 👽

This was my 30th show.. in the jungle...and the Luna stage couldn't have been any better. He played so many fat unreleased tracks and vips I have never heard before. Serious deep jungle vibes. I can honestly say that was my flave set I've seen by him so far. There were no visuals but I was so okay with that. the lights were so on point and the performers were so freaking good and well paired with what he was putting out. I am sooooo freaking thankful for that experience and to have had it with all my tipper family. This community has Brought me all over the country and now out of the US. I am constantly overstimulated and it's just getting more intense as I get older so traveling can be difficult for me. The high energy if the airport is a lot for me. Music festivals are even a lot for me but I eventually get comfortable..I just love the epic moments of euphoria through music and these experiences that I'll push myself through the rest of it. The way tippers music makes me feel is so worth trooping through a sea of energies to get to that moment. It's truly beautiful for me and I know others feel the same. Blessed to be alive for the making of tipper music

•

Thursday

✨ the first real full set of music we saw was jpod.. someone ive never listened to and I'm so glad I know about him now. It was so fun I found all my friends and it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

✨Naughty princess was someone I didn't know as well and she threwwwww down a dirty heavy dubstep set. It was proper as fuck and she looked like a boss in the dj booth.

✨Honerable mention to Govinda and an-ten-ae

✨🔮Clozees first set on Friday night was so surreal. Seeing her live is a true experience. It got so heavy and blissful it was by far my flavorite set I've seen from her. She's so humble and cute and beyond excited to be doing this for us. When she plays she emmits such a powerful feminine vibe. The high that gave me was super intense.

✨ Honerable mention to

Stylust beats with the filthy dubstep set

Nico luminous

And attya to close was super smooth

•

Saturday

✨ The funk hunters played two sets. The but their Saturday night set on the Luna stage was so fire. They're so fun and energetic

✨ Random rab was so beautiful. Probably the most beautiful performance I've seen by him yet. His voice is absolutely amazing.

✨LAZY SYRUP ORCHESTRA...... If you don't know them please go listen to their sets on SoundCloud. The sun had risen and the people were vibin.. 6am set - ???? It was so freaking good ahhhh words can't even decribes

They're all so talented I want to return to that moment forever.

Going to the beach and jumping in the ocean after that was so freaking cooooooool.

✨Honerable mention to symbolico for throwing down two dope sets & moontricks on the Sol stage

•

Sunday

✨ Drrtywulvs ... Wowza. That was so fun and uplifting.. all the booty shaking..I love his music and all the noises. It always makes my body move in the weirdest of ways.

✨SUPERTASK..he's one of my flavorite artists ever and he threw downnnnnnnnn such a dope set in the jungle.

✨ SOOHAN was everything I wanted. His music makes me dance in all the best ways

✨🌄 Clozees played a sunrise set @ 545 and it was beautiful. She was very downtempo and played a lot of slower vibe songs.. it was perfect and blissful.

✨ and finally emancipator. They are forever one of my flavorites. They played at 7 am and closed out the Luna stage with the most magical morning vibes. I feel like they played a lot of new music and it was a perfect way to bring down the high energy from the night

✨Honerable mention to dirtwire on the Sol stage who pulled me out of my funk bc of the rain I love their music so much and Seeing them live is a huge treat.

If you've made it this far thanks for reading! Envision is my new flavorite place and I am already counting down the days until I can go back. ✨🥥

[theoddcatlady]

Lost at Sea

9/17

Lucy, you’re gonna be so mad when we’re back, but maybe knowing I’m keeping this daily just for you will make it all better.

Alex was right, I’m actually a natural sailor. Luke’s already ate shit on the deck twice, his face is all banged up because he doesn’t have his sea legs. Better than poor Jake already though. He’s been barfing below deck this whole time. Fucking gross.

But oh man, once the heat dies down at home, we’ll be back, and we’re gonna be so rich. It’ll all be worth it babe. All worth it.

9/18

Same old shit today. Mostly planning on how to spend the money. It’s gonna be sick. I think I wanna buy a house with you. I can’t get you off my mind. Alex is being an ass and telling me that you’re just another girl, but I know you’re more than that. Any girl I hook up with after you will probably be after me for the money, but I know you love me for me. And now I’ll be able to take care of us.

I really like the ocean though, maybe we can get a boat! I’ve been out here for almost a week and I still love it! The air smells nice, I can dive in and swim whenever the fuck I want, and we’ve brought enough supplies to last us months. I would stay out here the rest of my life.

Except I don’t have you. That’d be the one thing I’d change.

9/19

Jake’s still puking. Alex’s worried he’s gonna get dehydrated. But he’s looking a little better today. And Luke’s finally stopped falling over every ten minutes. Still a damn klutz, always will be, but he’s cool. He’s starting to like it out here too.

I’m making a seagull my pet. I just throw this one dude with a funny black mark on his wing my crusts and he’s chill. I had to kick him once or twice when he tried to steal my meal but he’s learning. I’m naming him Pat.

9/20

You will not believe this, babe. I saw a whale!

I was out early this morning checking on everything and deciding if we should try fishing again when I saw its tail flip out of the water. I started screaming so loud everyone thought I’d seen the damn Kraken or something. By the time they got up there though it was gone. I’m so mad that I don’t have my cellphone, Alex made us trash them all.

This thing’s tail fin had to be the same size as my boat. Alex’s told me I’m exaggerating and there ain’t a whale that size but I’m serious! You’d believe me. I hope I can spot some dolphins for you, tell you about it. I know how much you love dolphins.

9/21

Ugh, now I’m seasick.

It’s probably just food poisoning, we’re all agreeing Luke’s not allowed to cook anymore. I’ll be ship cook again once I stop blowing chunks into the wastebasket. Alex’s kept on the radio with a buddy of his. I know you’re probably super confused right now and hurt about what happened, but I promise, it’s not what you think. It must’ve happened after we got out of there. We’re not killers, babe. I promise.

9/22

Nightmares AND sea sickness. Fucking fantastic.

Staying below deck today. Alex’s starting to get a big head. He’s always had one, but it’s only worse cuz he’s the only one out here with sailing experience, so we kinda have to take his word on everything. You know how he is.

Jake’s taken over cooking duties. I can only eat small portions but he’s pretty good. Not as good as me though. I’ll be making pancakes for you when I’m back, with strawberry sauce. Your favorite.

9/23

Hah! Jake saw the whale too!

I stumbled on deck when I heard him start hollering, and I saw its back for just a second before he dived. I’m gonna be smug for the whole day.

Jake’s really spooked though. Keeps saying it’s ‘too big’ for a whale.

A whale. Whales are fucking big. That’s their thing. God he’s an idiot.

Sky’s super dark already and it’s only five. I hope it’s not gonna storm.

9/27

It stormed four whole damn days. I’ve had no time to hit up my journal, I’m glad we’re still alive. I thought the boat was gonna capsize. We stayed afloat though. No one got hurt, well, not too badly. Luke knocked out a tooth during some part of it. He looks super miserable.

It’s all good now though. Really gray out. Really gloomy. I think I saw a dolphin, but I couldn’t be sure. I’m getting real tired of eating canned shit though. It’ll be worth it though. All worth it.

9/28

Shit fuck. Holy shit fuck.

I’m so glad you’re not here babe. You’d be so upset. I saw half of a dolphin. Several, actually. That was all that was left.

I smelled something like pennies or rust and I looked overboard to see it floating up. At first I thought it was a dolphin coming to say hello. But when it surfaced, I screamed and threw up. It must’ve met a shark or something. Its upper half was scratched up and its bottom was just. Gone. There was no tail.

And then a lot more bobbed up. Fins, heads, all bloody and torn up. I sobbed like a bitch, Lucy. Those poor dolphins. Alex told me to man up but I just couldn’t deal. I’m not like him.

RIP Dolphins. There was at least six. I’d pour one out for you, but I can’t waste beer without Luke bitching at me. I think he’s drank more beer than water at this point.

9/29

Woke up last night to Jake screaming again. He saw the whale again. But this time he’s swearing up and down it’s not a damn whale. He was just going up to take a leak when he saw its shape below the boat. Apparently it’s long and has trailing fins. He’s scared shitless. Almost stole the lifeboat to start paddling home and to turn himself in.

Alex punched him so hard that I think he went crosseyed for a bit. I mean, I can’t blame him. If Jake turns himself in we’re all fucked. The cops will come for us and we’ll all get thrown in jail for something that Alex did.

Still probably shouldn’t have hit Jake so hard though. Like. Damn. That had to hurt.

9/30

I miss you so much Lucy. I thought I heard you singing when I was trying to get to sleep. It was so nice to hear it. Then I woke up and realized I was imagining things. God, I’d almost take prison if that means I could at least have you visit me sometimes.

But I gotta wait it out. When I get back with my cut of the cash, and the jewels, and the gold, you’ll never have to work at that stupid diner ever again. We’ll be able to raise our baby with nothing to worry about.

I found the pregnancy test. That’s why I agreed to help Alex in the first place. I might give you this journal and hide in the other room. It’ll be worth it. I can’t wait to be a daddy to a mini Lucy or a mini Blake. Maybe we won’t take them sailing for a few years though.

Maybe. Even if the weather’s still shit.

10/1

The radio’s broken. Someone took a hammer or something to it. It’s smashed to pieces.

Alex was screaming, I was screaming, we ALL were screaming. Then Alex turned his rage on Jake, asking if this was his idea of a joke. Jake’s swearing it wasn’t him. Luke is too. Sure as hell know it wasn’t me. But that’s it.

We gotta head back. We need that damn radio. It’ll take maybe another week, as long as we don’t get lost. I’m praying we don’t get lost.

10/2

Again with the singing in my dreams. I’m really homesick.

Alex’s not sleeping. I think he’s worried about making it back. But we know we’re on the right course. We gotta be. We just gotta be.

Jake’s been kicked to the deck, he’s no longer allowed below since the radio was broken. Alex is sure it was him. I brought Jake up his shit when he tried to point fingers at Alex, but I know it couldn’t have been him. He’s the one always manning the damn thing.

10/3

That isn’t a whale. It isn’t a whale. I don’t know what the fuck it is. But it’s not a whale.

We all saw it this time. Jake’s miserable after sleeping above deck, I don’t think he slept at all. Eating lunch, tastes like garbage. I hate it. We all hate it. I want something with flavor, if I brought it up Luke would bitch at me though.

Then its head surfaced.

I heard the water and I looked to see its smooth head breach the surface. It’s smooth, like a dolphin, but green, dark green. Its three pairs of eyes looked at me, right at me. They’re bright yellow. I couldn’t move. If it wanted to eat me at that moment, I’d be lunch.

Then it went below the water and disappeared.

After it really hit us what we saw, we panicked.

Luke pissed himself, I could see the stain on his shorts. Jake began to babble nonsense and Alex bolted to the wheel. We were tearing out of there so fast I don’t think any Satan water snake could keep up.

Jake’s still sleeping on the deck. Alex refuses to let him down. I keep telling him that we gotta let him up, god knows if we’ll see that damn THING again, but he won’t. Luke’s being a fucking pussy and siding with Alex. I’d sleep up there with Jake… but I guess I’m a bit of a pussy myself.

10/4

Jake’s gone.

We didn’t hear anything. The lifeboat’s gone. So are a lot of the supplies. Luke’s rationing out everything to stretch it out longer, but we’re mostly worried about water. That’s what’s gonna be a bitch to make last.

I’m so pissed. I’m fucking scared. Alex is super quiet. Luke’s jumpy as hell. I’m just. I want to see your face again Lucy. More than anything.

10/5

We killed the Ortega couple.

I thought we were just gonna scare them a bit. That’s why the guns, and the hammers, that’s why. When Alex broke Mr. Ortega’s hand, I told him to knock it off and get the shit downstairs.

When Jake and I were down at the truck with the final load Luke and Alex shot them. So many times. I lost count of how many gunshots I heard by the time I got upstairs. Mr. Ortega’s head was fucking paste. Poor Mrs. Ortega was still alive somehow, that old bitch. I know we didn’t like them, they hated us, the poor kids, we made the neighborhood look bad. But god. I didn’t want to kill them.

The look in her eyes was desperate. Scared. Maybe of death, maybe of the pain, but she was scared. So fucking scared.

I think this is how she felt, how I feel right now.

The singing isn’t in my head. It’s in the water.

Luke’s gone up there, just to get a look he said. He’s not coming back. I think I caught a glimpse out the window, of something with hands pressing against the glass. Hands with claws two inches long.

10/10

Alex killed himself. He took the sharp edge of one of the can lids and slit his throat before jumping overboard.

I’m the only one left. But I’m not alone.

The serpent’s circling around the ship. It’s still staring at me. It’s not going to break the boat. It doesn’t have to. It knows what I’m going to do.

Forgive me, Lucy. Forgive me.