#itAotO

[the-blind-assassin-12]

hello, is In the Arms of the Ocean officially discontinued? I binge-read the first chapters and am officially hooked.

Hi anon!! Hope you’re having a good day!! Thanks for popping in!

I’m so GLAD that you read and enjoyed In the Arms of the Ocean!! That story is a fun one to write so I’m happy to hear that you like it.

To answer your question, No. Absolutely NONE of my stories have been discontinued. I have plans to finish every single one of them. I’ve just been very side-tracked with new projects (who is surprised?) but I fully intend on coming back to Caspian and his future Queen. Besides, I have a whole notebook full of backstory on Coralia and Sereia and Vash. Also, I 110% want to finish this story BECAUSE MERMAIDS! 🧜🏼‍♀️

I do apologize to anyone who may be looking for something I’m not working on currently. I hope you’re still interested when I do get back to the stories you’re looking for. Unfortunately I don’t have an answer as to when that might be, just that it’s still very much in my plans to finish everything that I’ve started to post on my Masterlist.

Thanks again for dropping by and for reading!

[ecchima]

A somewhat quick fanart (ok not really quick but don't tell my work schedule, it's a secret) for this lighthouse keeper Aziraphale and Sea Serpent Crowley fic!

Inspired by this awesome art

[tuba-chan]

In the Arms of the Ocean

Summary: Kotori learns the hard way that you should never take advice from Honoka. But, if it lands her the most gorgeous woman she's ever met, can it really be counted as "bad" advice?

Rating: T 

Word count: 10k+

Kotori sighed for the umpteenth time, her stare still concentrated on the motionless girl with blue hair. She and her best friend, Honoka, had come to visit the beach at the beginning of the summer to celebrate their graduation. While there, Kotori made a discovery that led her to come back to the beach every single day from that moment on: the lifeguard was super attractive. Granted, Kotori had not gotten closer than the foot of her post, but it was close enough to make out the girl's defined muscles.

"You know, Kotori-chan, you should just go up and talk to her." Honoka spoke up from her position on the sandy ground.

"I know, but it's not that simple! What am I supposed to say? 'Hi, I'm Kotori, I've been creepily watching you from afar for the past month; do you want to hang out some time?'"

"Well don't tell her all of that, you dummy. Just, I dunno, ask her what her favorite food is, her favorite color, stuff like that." A young couple ran past the two of them, laughing as they pushed each other into the water.

"Mnn, I must have it really bad if I'm imagining us like those two.." Watching the lovers splash and tackle each other into the waves gave Honoka an idea.

"Hey, Kotori-chan! How about you pretend-drown to get the lifeguard to notice you? Then, once you thank her for saving you, you offer to take her out to lunch in repayment! It's the perfect plan."

Kotori furrowed her brows, trying to make the correct decision. "But.. isn't it wrong to fake something like that? You know, 'the boy who cried wolf' and all that stuff."

"But Kotori-channn!" Honoka whined and pushed Kotori out towards the crashing waves. "It always works in the movies, so please just trust me!"

Kotori brought a hand to her chin, before nodding and smiling brightly. "Ok, I'll do it!" And so, Kotori took her first tentative steps out into the ocean. The water was surprisingly cold for such a hot day, but that didn't bother her one bit. She continued to proceed further and further, the murky water getting closer to her neck. She kept going on like this until she could barely see Honoka's figure on the beach. Vaguely, she could see the ginger-haired girl giving her a thumbs up.

Now that she was out as far as she thought was distant enough, she began to flail around and thrash her legs. "Oh nooo, I'm drowning, ahhh!" Kotori spoke in a very unconvincing voice, and of course, the young woman did not notice her at all.

She decided to kick it up a notch, raising the frequency and speed of her flails. "Helpppp! I can't swimmm!" Still nothing from the lifeguard, not even a glance. "Ueh, this is useless. I can't believe I listened to Hono-" Kotori had no time to finish her thought when a huge wave came crashing right over her, sweeping her along with it. Struggling to swim back to the surface, Kotori gasped for air whenever she could. "H-HELP, THE CURRENT'S GOT ME! HONOKA-CHAN!" She was swept under the waves once again as Honoka watched from her same spot.

"Wow, Kotori-chan's a really good actress!" It wasn't until Honoka watched for 2, then 3, then 5 minutes of Kotori staying under that she realized the girl probably wasn't faking it any more. "Oh no.. Kotori-chan hasn't come up in awhile... Oh no, what have I DONE?! HELP!" Honoka stood up, holding onto her bikini bottom as it tried to slip off. Sprinting almost as fast as the speed of light, she came to a panting stop in front of the lifeguard's stand.

"Hello? Can I help-"

"MY FRIEND IS DROWNING, YOU HAVE TO SAVE HER!" Honoka pointed frantically to the spot where Kotori had miraculously come back to the surface, fighting as hard as she could to breathe and not fall back under.

Amber eyes squinted to make out the figure, and once spying Kotori, jumped from her post straight to the ground. She surprisingly suffered no recoil from the fall, and dashed down the sand before immediately diving into the icy sea.

Meanwhile, Kotori could barely see her hands in front of her face. She could only hear the sound of the waves that tossed her, her every sense filled with nothing but the frigid liquid surrounding her entire body.

Finally succumbing to the crushing pressure on her lungs, she blacked out just as a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her.

"1, 2, 3!" A pause, and puffs of air were forced down her throat. She could very faintly make out the taste of salt and strawberries on her lips. "Wait, strawberries?" As Kotori came to, she was half-expecting to wake up in her soft bed back at home. But the grainy sand beneath her and the warm breeze against her skin said otherwise. Peeking through half-shut eyes, she certainly wasn't expecting the object of her desires to be hovering over her, rapidly pumping her hands against Kotori's own chest, and breathing into her mouth to get the oxygen flowing through her lungs again.

She would have fallen unconscious yet again had the girl not noticed that Kotori began gasping for air once more. "Thank god, I thought we lost you there for a bit." The girl wiped sweat off her brow, and stood tall before her.

Kotori fought the urge to faint as she gazed upon her chiseled abs, well-defined biceps, and thighs that looked powerful enough to crush steel. "Uhh.."

"Here," Kotori was handed a bottle of pure water, lukewarm from having been sitting in the bright rays of the sun. "You swallowed a lot of sea water out there, so you'll have to re-hydrate yourself."

"Ok.. U-um, could you please tell me your name so I can properly thank you?" Kotori had never stuttered this much in her entire life, but she'd also never expected to be talking to her crush like this.

Umi's lips curved upwards as she stretched an arm out to take Kotori's hand. "The name's Umi, Sonoda Umi."

Honoka snickered off to the side. "Pfft, a l-lifeguard at the ocean.. named U-Umi? Ahahaha, get it?! ..Guys?" She noticed that she was being ignored by the both of them, and opted to pout by herself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kotori. I just wish we could have met some other way, you know, without you having to stop me from drowning.. Sorry for causing trouble, I didn't know I had gone out so far."

Umi shook her head reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, it's my job to save people." Putting an arm around Kotori's waist, she helped her onto her feet. "Do you think you can walk on your own?"

Hearing a small "yes" mumbled from her, Umi decided that that was where her job was done. Turning around with a swish of her hips, she began to strut back to her post.

Kotori saw that her opportunity to get to know the girl better was fading very quickly. Honoka waved her arms around from behind her, "Go, go, goooo! What are you doing? Now's your chance!"

"W-wait!" Kotori mustered up the courage to call out to Umi, who turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there anything else you need?"

Kotori fiddled with the hem of her swimsuit. "Well.. as thanks for saving me, could I treat you to some lunch after your shift is over? Maybe we could learn some more about each other too."

Umi's face softened, and she pointed just past Kotori's head, toward a small beach shack nearby. "I have a friend that works over at that noodle stand. She can get us free ramen, if that sounds good to you."

Beaming, Kotori nodded vigorously. "That sounds amazing! So, see you after your shift?"

Umi hummed in approval, trotting back to finish out the rest of her work day. Once she was out of ear-shot, Honoka and Kotori squealed to each other in excitement. "You did it, Kotori-chan!"

"I did, I did! I got my date with Umi-chan! Oh my gosh, do you think we'll have more dates after this too?"

Honoka nodded furiously. "Obviously! That woman is a total keeper, but I wish she'd laugh at my dumb jokes like you do, hmph.."

Kotori giggled ecstatically, patting Honoka on the back. "Aw, Honoka-chan, you'll find someone who loves dumb jokes just as much as you do!"

Honoka fake sniffled, reaching up to wipe away a non-existent tear. "You really think so?"

Kotori's teeth shone brightly. "I know for certain." Both smiling as wide as they possibly could, they ran and played on the beach while they waited for the late afternoon to come.

It seemed like forever before the sun was finally halfway set. Signaling to Kotori, Umi sped down the ladder, skipping steps along the way.

Still feeling giddy, Kotori turned to Honoka, receiving a dopey grin of encouragement. Smoothing down her gray hair, she met Umi halfway. "So, are you ready for our afternoon lunch?" Nodding with heavy enthusiasm, Kotori linked arms with the tall girl, and waved back to the friend she'd be leaving behind. "I'll meet you back at my house!"

Honoka hummed, trying not to pity herself over the fact that she was single and going to be all alone for however long Kotori planned to stay out with her crush. In a depressed manner, she began the journey home, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the girl making her way to the life guard's station. "Woah, woah, WOAH, who is that?!" Luckily, Kotori and Umi were still within hearing distance.

Confused, Umi turned to see the short girl making her way to them. "Oh, her? That's my coworker."

"Is she aware that she's a goddess? Holy smokes, she's HOT!" Umi wasn't sure what to say in response, but Honoka couldn't care less. She was too busy having her jaw practically fall off when she saw those emerald eyes, that pale brown hair that framed her face perfectly, and those ridiculously toned legs that were to die for.

Honoka soon found herself in the same situation that Kotori was in. Putting her hand to her cheek in distress, she began to think over her options on how to attract this beautiful girl. "Wait, I've got it!"

"Huh, you've got what?" However, Honoka didn't hear Kotori's question, too focused on her "genius" idea. Stumbling over her feet along the way, she bellowed, "OCEAN GODS, WHISK ME AWAY INTO YOUR BRINEY DEPTHS!" before plunging into the green-blue tide.

"Honoka-chan, what are you doing?!" Kotori looked on in worry, as her friend re-surfaced with a loud gasp.

"UWAAAAH, IT'S S-SO COOOLD!" Honoka shivered and hugged herself as water flowed down her pale skin. Out of nowhere, a large wave slammed into her, pulling her bikini free.

When Umi realized what had happened, she turned completely red and covered her face with both hands to avoid seeing.

Kotori cupped her mouth so Honoka could hear her better. "HONOKA-CHAN, YOUR BATHING SUIT CAME OFF!"

To her horror, Honoka saw that her friend was right, and tried to cover up her chest and lower region simultaneously. "A-AAAAAHHHHH!" She collapsed into the rolling sea due to sheer embarrassment. Umi moved to rescue Honoka before it was too late, but was beat as her coworker from before rushed into the water.

"Right as soon as I get here, hmm?" She called back to her blue-haired partner as she darted past the two and toward where she saw the floating body.

"Yeah, already.. Sorry, Tsubasa."

Tsubasa waved her hand off to communicate that she didn't mind. Reaching underneath Honoka, she moved to pull her out of the water, but discovered that she'd accidentally grabbed her backside. "Woops, I see we've got a skinny dipper here."

The tips of Umi's ears joined the rest of her face in becoming bright red; her hands were still clamped firmly over her eyelids (you know, because closing those as tight as humanly possible wasn't enough). Kotori only sighed to herself. "I told Honoka-chan that her swimsuit was too loose for her to wear..."

Now that Tsubasa was back to them, she gestured to the ground with a brief nod. "Hey, could you lay out a towel so I can set your friend down?" Kotori bound across the short distance, and pulled a beach towel from her bag. Throwing it down, she backed up so that Tsubasa would have enough room to do her work. Umi had not moved an inch, for fear she'd accidentally see something.

After gently placing Honoka onto the towel and assessing that her heart was still beating, Tsubasa found Umi in that same position. Rolling her eyes, she mockingly said, "Umi, please, you're acting like you've never seen a pair of boobs in your entire life."

Umi gulped, peeking from between her thin fingers. She didn't see Honoka right away, but she did see some gross boys trying to look at Honoka. They were the ones who probably "hadn't seen a pair of boobs" in their entire life as Tsubasa had stated. Ripping her hands away from her face, she shot the most threatening glares at them that she could. It worked without a problem, thanks to how menacing she was when angry. One could swear that she had the ability to turn people into stone.

Now that there were no dumb prepubescent boys trying to sneak peeks, Tsubasa set to work on Honoka. Since she hadn't really stopped breathing, nor had her heart stopped working, Tsubasa said she just needed a little "wake up call".

"But how are you going to wake her up?" Kotori curiously questioned.

A small, mischievous smirk overtook Tsubasa's features. "Like this!" Bending down to the unconscious girl's level, she pressed her lips fully against Honoka's salt-water covered ones.

This time it was Kotori who covered Umi's eyes. The girl was so pure that Kotori assumed something like this would break her. "I better not introduce her to Nozomi and Eri.."

Tsubasa pulled away with a satisfied lick to her lips, and Honoka struggled to sit up and take in what was going on. "Unn, where am I?.." Noticing that she was still completely naked, she screeched, trying to retreat into the towel pressing against her back.

She stopped shrieking only when the girl in front of her covered her with a warm house robe. Confused blue eyes met with calm green. "I usually keep one of those around in case something like this happens. But, I do have to warn you, it's usually considered proper etiquette to not go swimming naked at the beach. Granted there are nude beaches, or you could swim naked in your own pool, but public beaches are a no-go."

Honoka hid her face behind her arms as she turned around with a long whimper. "Uehhh, this is what I get for borrowing Nozomi-chan's bathing suit! I-I wasn't swimming naked! I-"

"Relax," Tsubasa quietly giggled, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Honoka's now clothed shoulder. "I'm only teasing. It happens to the best of us, so don't worry about it. Now that that's behind us, what's your name?" Tsubasa couldn't help glancing up and down Honoka's perfectly-sculpted body, and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't taken pleasure in getting to see how she looked beneath her clothes. "Good lord, I'm the biggest, gayest creep there is."

"No, I'm pretty sure that title belongs to our friend Nozomi-chan." Tsubasa's eyes widened in terror when she realized she hadn't only thought that to herself. She thanked whatever gods were out there that Honoka did not seem fazed by the phrase she'd let slip out.

In the meantime, Honoka was just about to give out her name to Tsubasa when she found herself lost in the glimmering pools that were her eyes. If Tsubasa was the gay creep, then she was the gay idiot. "Ahhh... bahhhh..." She dumbly mumbled as drool trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Well nice to meet you, 'Ahhh bahhhh', I'm Kira Tsubasa. Just call me Tsubasa, I think after what's happened today, there's absolutely no reason for you to be formal with me."

Honoka still hadn't snapped out of her trance; the drool began to make its way down her collar bone from how much was spilling out. "Ahhhh..."

"Well this is such a pleasant conversation; why don't we continue it at a little dessert buffet I know? It serves the best cakes, and you look like somebody who enjoys sweet things." Still only receiving incoherent muttering and drooling, Tsubasa decided to count that as a successful "yes" to her proposal. "Alright then, I'll see you in 8 hours!" The dizzy girl barely registered the plump lips being planted against her cheek, but somehow noticed enough to start drooling more.

Watching the exchange in disbelief, Kotori covered her face with the palm of her hand at how much of a dork her friend was. Stepping away from her date, she lightly shoved Honoka a bit, which dragged her out of her previous trance. "Eh? What's going on?" She made a distressed face when she noticed that she was coated in her own sticky saliva.

"You silly dope, you just got a date with Tsubasa-san!"

Honoka tilted her head in confusion. "Tsubasa-san? Who is that?"

Kotori furrowed her brow as she brought a hand to her cheek. "Were you that far gone? She's the girl who saved you. You know, the girl who you totally have the hots for?"

Gears began working together in Honoka's brain as she hurriedly glanced between Kotori and the gorgeous girl who had taken Umi's spot on life guard duty. "W-wait, you mean.. I scored a date with HER?! Me? Honoka the stupid dork?! Date? WITH THAT HOT WOMAN?!" She couldn't contain her fumbling words, incredulously talking to herself.

"Yes, you got a date with her! But please remember that she has a name besides "that smoking hot lifeguard"." For what was likely the millionth time that day, Honoka squealed at the top of her lungs, standing up to hug Kotori in joy. Tsubasa curiously glanced at them with a small grin etched onto her face.

Umi awkwardly cleared her throat, and they were reminded that Kotori and she were supposed to head out to lunch. "Gah, I'm keeping you from your own date! Have fun, Kotori-chan!" Honoka gave a small thumbs up, before going over to watch Tsubasa do her job. In other words, she was going to stare at Tsubasa's muscles from her spot beneath the life guard station and drool all over herself again.

Kotori returned the gesture in kind, turning back to Umi. "Sorry I took so long, how about we go get those noodles now?"

Umi grinned as she placed an arm around Kotori's shoulder. "No need to worry, so let's go before they get crowded!”

"Mmmm, nya, this is the tastiest bowl of ramen I've ever had." An orange-haired girl was in her own version of heaven as she sipped the flavorful juices and slurped the juicy noodles of an udon bowl that was intended for her to serve. Nonetheless, temptation had gotten the better of her, which brought her to eat the fragrant dish.

"RIN!" Maki stormed behind Rin, surprising her out of the blue.

"UWAH, M-MAKI-CHAN, HI!" Trying to hide the bowl behind her back, Rin stretched to lean against one of the kitchen walls. "What brings you here, nya?"

Maki narrowed her eyes to slits, moving to try to look at what Rin was hiding, even though she already knew what it was. "You're eating the customers' orders again, aren't you?"

Rin gasped in an attempt to look shocked. "Don't accuse Rin of such things, nya!" She pointed at the red-head with her right hand, which was unfortunately the hand holding the half-eaten food.

Maki yanked the bowl from the hyper-active girl before she could even protest. "Rin, you can't keep eating the noodles meant for customers!" Placing the still warm meal off to the side, Maki sighed and shook her head.

"When YOU own your own ramen business, you can run it however you want. This is mine, and I will run it how I want to, nya!"

Maki gritted her teeth and groaned. "You don't even own it yet, it's your mom's! And if you keep this up, you're going to ruin the business so that there WON'T be a ramen shop for you to run!"

This time, Rin was the one glaring. "HOW DARE YOU SAY I'M RUINING OUR BUSINESS-NYA! MAKI-CHAN I- Wait, what are you doing-nya?"

Maki was currently scribbling on a small, palm-sized note-pad. "I'm docking your pay to cover the noodles you've eaten."

"NYAAA?! THAT'S NOT-"

Maki ignored all of Rin's screams and shouts of protest. "I calculated the total, your next... 20 paychecks will need to have 15% taken out of them in order to cover everything you've eaten so far."

Rin gaped as she looked down at the small print. "No way! There is no way that is correct, nya!"

Maki glanced across her addition. "Oh, sorry, you're right." Rin sighed in relief, wiping the sweat caused by all that stress from her forehead. "I forgot to count in the udon you just ate, make that the next 21."

"Uehhh?! You're being too unfair-nya!"

They kept arguing like this, unbeknownst to them, the whole shop could hear what was going on behind the kitchen doors. Thankfully, "the whole shop" only consisted of Kotori and Umi, who had just walked in. They awkwardly took their seats at the large marble counter. "Um.. does this sort of thing always happen?" Kotori curiously glanced over to the area where all the cooking took place.

Umi exhaled a large amount of air. "Unfortunately, it does happen quite a bit. Rin, you've got some customers here!" Umi hollered to catch the young girl's attention.

Stumbling out of the small, closed off section, Rin happily greeted the two with a smile. "Welcome to Hoshizora Noodles-nyaaa! Umi-chan, I see you brought a new friend, who is she?"

"Minami Kotori, what's your name?" Kotori stuck out her right hand for a firm hand-shake.

"Hoshizora Rin-nya! Umi-chan hasn't brought over a friend in awhile, what can Rin get you?" In a flash, she pulled out the small pad that had previously been used for Maki's calculations.

Speaking of Maki, the violet-eyed girl furiously stormed out into the dining area. "Rin, I wasn't done in there! I swear, I'm going to rip you into- ..why did you not tell me we have people here?" Maki blushed a pale pink color as she faced away from the newly discovered girls.

"You think it's ok to charge out at me like that when there aren't customers-nya?! But anyway, it's just Umi-chan and her friend."

Maki scanned Kotori for a moment, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Well, I'm Nishikino Maki. This is my stupid noodle-loving friend, Rin."

"Heyyy, that's not a very nice way to refer to me, nya!" Kotori quietly peered behind them at the colorful menu-board, ignoring them as they began to argue again.

"You guys, you're embarrassing me in front of Kotori!" Umi, now frustrated, gestured at the silent girl next to her.

"If she wants to hang out here, she has to get used to this-nya."

Maki groaned, marching her way back to get Kotori and Umi some drinks. "I could have been HOME today watching stupid comedies all night long, but instead, I'm stuck here with a NOODLE-BRAIN!"

"Rin is not a noodle-brain nya! Maki-chan is just a tsundere who wanted to stay home and snuggle with Nico-chan nya!"

"Th-that is not why I wanted to stay home!"

"Then why are you blushing, nya?" Rin smirked in victory as Maki continued her way to the soft drink machine they kept in the back. "Drinks and everything are on me-nya, so don't worry! Maki-chan should be getting you guys a couple ice teas. But oh, did Kotori-chan maybe want something different? I know Umi-chan always wants an ice tea, but this is your first time here-nya."

Kotori shook her head with a grin. "Ice tea is just fine. But about before, did I hear you say 'Nico?'"

"Mm, I did. Why, do you know Nico-chan nya?"

Umi and Rin both looked to Kotori in curiosity. "Well, not personally, but I heard my friend Nozomi-chan mention her name before. She was going to introduce us."

"Oh, ohhh! You know Nozomi-chan nya! You wouldn't by chance know Eri-chan too?" Rin leaned against the corner of the counter while Maki came back with two identical ice teas. A small paper umbrella sat to the side of the drink, while a lemon slice clung to the glass rim.

"It's almost impossible to see one of them without the other, so yes I do know her too."

"You guys are talking about Nozomi and Eri?" Maki set the cold, tall glasses in front of the two girls and took her place next to Rin. Kotori uttered a "thank you" as Umi nodded in silent confirmation.

"It's such a small world nya, Kotori-chan knows them! By the way, how did Kotori-chan and Umi-chan meet?" Rin tilted her head to the side. "You guys haven't explained yet."

"Oh, right. Well, I was just working my normal shift when Kotori's friend ran up to me to tell me that she was drowning-"

"KOTORI-CHAN DROWNED NYA?!" Rin screeched in shocked concern. The 3 girls next to her grimaced as her piercing voice reached their ears.

"Rin, don't interrupt Umi while she's telling the story!" Maki whacked Rin across her cheek, causing her to cry out in pain.

"..Yes, Kotori did drown, and so I had to save her. After she came to, she wanted to go out for lunch, and now here we are."

"D'awww, Umi-chan's a hero nya! Kotori-chan is swooning I'll bet!" Rin danced around happily while Kotori and Umi both blushed at the notion. Truth be told, Kotori was still swooning indeed. But what did Umi think of her?

Little did she know, Umi's head was full of nothing but thoughts of how cute the girl she'd rescued was. However, she was unsure of how to romantically approach Kotori. Wouldn't that be taking advantage of her? "She would feel forced to go out with me because of my saving her.. I simply can't ask her."

"Hello, I'm here to pick up my order of udon?" A brunette boy who looked about 17 years old strolled in as he pushed the long hair out of his face.

Maki glared at Rin, who nervously began sweating and stammering. "W-well nya, your order sort of had some.. "complications" nya. Do you mind waiting a-a bit while I make another one nya? I'll discount it for the inconvenience."

Once it was confirmed that there was no problem with that, Rin gulped as she returned to the kitchen. Much to her dismay, Maki followed close behind to make sure that another incident would not occur.

"WOAH, you were right about this place!" Honoka shoveled bites of rich cake into her mouth as she spoke to Tsubasa, bits of chewed up pieces falling out now and then. The two were now on their own date like they'd planned.

"I'm glad you agree. But, Honoka-san, tell me some stuff about you." Tsubasa lovingly gazed at Honoka, despite the girl's poor table-manners.

"Mmph?" Honoka swallowed before continuing. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just anything you think I should know about you. We could start off with the basics, like your favorite color and food. In return, I'll tell you some stuff about me; does that sound like a deal?"

Honoka enthusiastically nodded, and for the first time that night, set down her fork. "Ok, firstly, my favorite color is orange."

Tsubasa nodded to let her know she could keep going. "Alright, umm... Oh! My favorite food of all time is bread; I just can't get enough of it!"

"Interesting," Tsubasa giggled at Honoka's sudden passion for bread. "I figured you'd be more of a cake girl with everything that you've eaten so far."

Honoka blushed and realized what she meant by "with everything that you've eaten so far". On Tsubasa's side, there were 2 finished plates, and 1 plate in the progress of being nibbled on. While on Honoka's side, there were 7 finished plates, and 2 that she was working on eating at the same time. "Yeah, I tend to... eat quite a bit. I hope that's not a turn off for you or something."

Tsubasa laughed once again, putting her hand on Honoka's shoulder to comfort her. "Not at all, I love to cook, so naturally I'd love somebody who'll eat all of what I make."

Honoka sighed in relief before she continued to chow down on a rather chocolate-covered piece of sponge-cake. "Ermf, sah whas youw favowite food?" Honoka spoke through her next bite.

Tsubasa tapped her chin in deep thought. "Hmm, that's a tough one.. I suppose I have too many to narrow it down to just one."

Honoka licked a piece of stray icing off her lips. "Ohh, a fellow food lover?"

"You bet; I consider myself a professional food lover." Honoka and Tsubasa laughed in unison, and then fell into a peaceful silence. "Wow, this Tsubasa girl and I have a ton in common! I hope things keep going well like this!"

Back at "Hoshizora Noodles", Umi and Kotori were getting along just as well as the girls at the cake buffet. It turned out that while the two were opposite in regards to some tastes, they shared the same values and had many common interests.

"Oh, you know archery?" Kotori leaned forward on her elbows as she watched Umi with interest.

"Yeah, I've taken it since I was younger. I rarely miss the center." Umi bragged, earning a small giggle from the girl beside her. She was going to mention more about her kendo and archery lessons, but she became puzzled by a nearby sniffling noise.

Unknown to her, it was only Rin eavesdropping on them. She'd spontaneously burst into tears. "U-uguuu, Maki-channn! Umi-chan is growing up so fast-nya! B-by the end of the night, she won't be our little girl an-anymore uhuuu!" She struggled to wipe the fast-flowing tears away with a kitten-embroidered handkerchief.

"Would you quit being a baby already? Umi wasn't a little girl anyway, let alone yours. Now get back to work!" Maki chopped Rin over the head with her arm.

"Owww! There aren't even any customers-nya! Which is a surprise, usually the place is packed right now-nya." Rin scratched her head. "OH OHHH! MAKI-CHAN, IT MUST BE FATE MAKING UMI-CHAN AND KOTORI-CHAN HAVE A NICE DATE AND GET TOGETHER-NYAAA!" Rin began excitedly pulling at Maki's apron and slapping her arm, but was abruptly put to a halt when Maki hit her harder this time.

"Did you hear that?" Kotori sat up straight and cocked her head to the side.

Umi looked around in confusion. "Hmm? I didn't hear anything."

"Maybe it was just my imagination.. Anyway, Umi-chan, tell me more about kendo practice!"

Umi blushed and brought a palm up to her neck. "But all I've done is go on and on about myself.. You should tell me some of what you do; I'm very curious to see your skills."

"Mnn, I guess I will. So, I design and create clothes most of the time." Kotori paused to take a small sip of her now considerably warmer ice tea.

"Really? I tried to sew once, but it didn't turn out all that well. What kind of clothes do you make?"

"Well, it depends really. I mostly try to make um, cute dresses I guess? That's a lame description, I know, but it's the best I can do."

"Hmm, well alright then. You should show me these "cute dresses" sometime. Perhaps model them for me?" Umi winked in the hopes that this was how flirting was supposed to work.

Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working as Kotori turned bright pink at her offer. "N-no, I don't think I'd look that good in them. Maybe you should model them for me! I've been dying to find a model for all of them, and you'd be perfect!"

Umi shook her head with a heavy blush. "No, I really don't look good in a dress.." They kept on like this, blushing and laughing while Kotori tried to convince her to try on her dresses for her. Finally, Kotori calmed down, wiping away the tears her laughter had caused.

"I still think you'd look good in one of my dresses." Kotori and Umi leaned closer together so they could hear each other better, and before Umi could retort, she became distracted by someone whispering in her direction.

That someone being none other than a meddling Rin. "Kiss her-nyaaa! Kissss!" The cat-like girl was yanked back by a strong arm (no doubt belonging to a pissed off Maki, who was certainly going to teach her a lesson about this later). Umi narrowed her eyes at Rin, and abruptly stood up.

"Um, Kotori, do you mind if I be right back for a moment?" Umi shot a glare in the direction of Rin and Maki, but remained gentle when she looked back to Kotori.

"Go ahead, I'll wait here." Kotori nodded with a smile, and so Umi speedily made her way into the cooking area.

"What are you guys doing?!" Umi spoke in hushed, but hurried whispers.

"Hey, don't blame me. Rin's doing everything I keep telling her not to do!"

"But it's in the name of young love, Maki-chan! Have a heart-nya!" Rin poked Maki in the center of her chest, a fatal mistake. Fortunately, Umi saved her from the beating of a lifetime.

"Look, whatever your schemes are, stop them! I'm not trying to woo Kotori or anything,"

"Ohoooo, I never said anything about wooing her-nya!" Rin snickered and skipped around. "All the more reason to help you out with this; you'll have a girlfriend in no time-nya!"

"I don't want Kotori to be my girlfriend!" Umi all but shouted at Rin. If the 3 had been listening, they would have heard the quiet sigh of Kotori as she sulked her way back to her chair. Eavesdropping wasn't exactly her style, but she had been curious of what was so important that Umi had to rush her attention to it. Now she wished she hadn't.

If she'd stayed a bit longer, however, she would have heard Umi continue in a softer voice. "..Ok, maybe I do." Rin was going to shout in victory, until Maki clamped her hand tightly over her mouth. "But I'm no good at this romance stuff! And- Rin, no, do not get any ideas. I don't want any help with this, ok?" Umi made Rin promise not to interfere with them any longer.

But that was a promise that Rin was willing to break.

So Umi made her way back to Kotori, slightly less embarrassed than before. "Sorry about that."

Kotori faked a smile, trying to make sure that Umi wouldn't see that she was upset. "That's ok; I don't mind."

Umi could still sense something was wrong when she saw that Kotori's smile didn't touch her eyes like the many other times. "Is something bothering you?" She reached out to wrap her arm around Kotori's shoulder, but the girl slid a bit to the left to avoid being embraced.

"No, I'm fine. But um, where were we?"

Umi frowned and retracted her arm to her side. "I believe we were talking about your dress designs?" Umi paid full attention to every word Kotori said, but scolded herself in her brain. "Stupid, I knew she wasn't interested in me like that. Now I've probably gone and made things awkward."

"Hey, you guys need to leave!"

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow when suddenly she and Honoka were confronted by a few employees and their manager. "Pardon me? I do believe we've allotted for the full package, which means we still have another half hour to spend here."

The manager rubbed at his sleep-ridden eyes, clearly annoyed. "I'm aware of that, but your friend here is eating me out of business!" He dramatically gestured to Honoka, who by now had eaten almost every cake they had to offer.

"Ueh? Ish this nawt all yew can eat?" Honoka frowned, and continued to munch on the cakes despite the blood vessels popping in the men in front of her's heads.

"'All you can eat' does not mean eat 26 entire cakes!" One employee pulled the cake away from Honoka, and dashed away before she could place her fork back into it.

"My cakeee!" Honoka whined and waited for Tsubasa to do something.

"I don't understand, 'all you can eat' means to eat all that you can possibly eat. If 26 cakes is how much she can eat, is she not following the rules?"

"GET OUT OF MY STORE!" Tsubasa and Honoka (who was much more sluggish from all the food she was digesting) were promptly chased out by a muscled man wearing a pink apron. "AND STAY OUT!"

"Man, I think I got you banned from that place... I'm sorry." Tsubasa couldn't bring herself to be mad when she turned to see Honoka looking like an injured puppy.

"Don't worry about it, I can always find us a new cake buffet. One that will gladly cater to your 26 cake needs!" Tsubasa chuckled and interlaced her fingers with Honoka's, so she could guide her down the road.

"Oh my God, I'm holding Tsubasa's hand.. Oh my God; oh my God! I think my heart might explode."

"Although, I must say, Honoka-san," Honoka tumbled straight from her thoughts and tilted her head out of curiosity. "When it comes to eating a lot, you sure take the cake." Honoka stopped walking and refused to budge. Tsubasa noticed when suddenly she was jerked to a halt, since her hand was still in the grasp of Honoka. "Honoka-san?"

"That's probably the lamest joke I've ever heard."

Tsubasa smirked in Honoka's direction. "Too lame? I'll admit, it's not my best-"

Honoka cut her off with a prompt kiss on the lips. "I think I'm in love with you."

Rin held her cellphone close to her ear, ignoring all of Maki's protests. "Rin, she said not to interfere!"

"You wouldn't understand, Maki-chan, we have to get Kotori-chan and Umi-chan together-nya. Clearly my attempts alone aren't working, so we need to bring in the big guns-nya." The person on the other end of the line suddenly picked up. "Hello?"

"Nozomi-chan-nya, you've gotta come to the ramen shop quick! It's a romance emergency-nya!"

"Say no more, I'm on my way." Before Maki could shout to stop her, Nozomi's phone clicked off. "Rin, I'm telling you this is a bad idea! You should really just leave those two alone!"

"But if I had left you and Nico-chan alone, you two would probably still be dropping hints and going nowhere-nya!"

Maki grabbed Rin by the collar of her shirt. "THAT WAS YOU WHO TRIPPED ME?! A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SAW MY PANTIES; I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Rin was once more saved from demise when Nozomi barged in through the back door.

"Sorry I took so long; where is the romance emergency?" Nozomi asked in as serious a tone as she could muster.

"Wait a minute, how did you get here in seconds?" Maki asked, bewildered at the woman's speed.

"Spiritual power, now show me what I've got to work with." Rin led Nozomi over to the door where they both peeked out to Kotori and Umi.

"Umi-chan wants to date Kotori-chan, and Kotori-chan definitely likes Umi-chan back, but they're both being dummies about it-nya."

Nozomi nodded, and kept her serious act up. "Ah, a classic case. I know exactly what to do, just follow my lead, ok?" Rin saluted Nozomi and assumed her station behind the pots used for boiling noodles.

"You guys are so stupid! When Umi finds out and kills you both, I'm going to laugh at your funerals." Maki walked away so that she wouldn't be swept up in the duo's nonsense.

"Maki-chan doesn't believe in love-nya.."

"Oh yes she does, Rin-chan. She's just too embarrassed to admit it."

"Well.. If you say so, nya."

"Anyway, here's what we're going to do." Nozomi leaned over to whisper her plan to Rin, and once receiving a murmur of approval from the small girl, made her way over to her two friends.

"Nozomi-chan, what are you doing here?" Kotori asked in happy surprise. Umi smiled in greeting as well.

"Hello, Nozomi."

"Heya guys, I was just stopping by to visit Rin-chan. Kotori-chan, I see you've met Umi-chan." Nozomi sat next to Kotori and made herself comfortable.

"Yep, she's really sweet!" "And gorgeous..." Kotori thought to herself.

"Well, I'll bet there are a bunch of things that Umi-chan didn't tell you about herself."

"Ohh? Like what?" Umi caught on to what Nozomi was doing and frantically signaled for her to stop.

"Like did you know that Umi-chan once gave a puppy CPR and saved its life?"

Kotori gasped and turned to Umi. "Wow, Umi-chan, you're such a sweetheart!"

"No, I did not give a puppy CPR. I once stopped a dog from getting too far into the water, but that was it."

"That still makes you a hero!" Kotori swooned, but still cursed the fact that Umi supposedly was not looking for a relationship with her.

"And," Nozomi kept going, her smirk ever growing in size. "Umi has a full on 10-pack, she's that ripped."

"Nozomi, that is just ridiculous! Nobody has a 10-pack! I have a very modest 6-pack, which is normal."

"Which I have seen, and it is very nice." Umi blushed, as Kotori gained the upper hand in this conversation.

"Maybe you've seen it, but has Umi let you feel it?" Umi moved to stop Nozomi, but wasn't fast enough. The spiritual girl took Kotori's hand and placed it onto Umi's abs.

Kotori and Umi both almost died on the spot. Umi from the sheer embarrassment of it all, and Kotori from the smooth muscles pressed up against her finger-tips.

"Nozomi, this is ENOUGH!" Umi squeaked out with as much might as she could muster; a vein began to throb in her temple.

Nozomi was smart enough to know that this look meant if she didn't stop, she and everything within a 10 kilometer-radius was going to be annihilated. "Fine, fine, I suppose you've gone through enough." Nozomi let go of Kotori's hand, said girl pulling her fingers away from Umi's stomach.

The excitement died down a bit, but shot back up as soon as Rin burst into the room. "UMI-CHAN ONCE KNOCKED OUT 3 BEARS AT THE SAME TIME AND DIDN'T EVEN GET A SCRATCH-NYA!"

"THAT'S IT; YOU TWO ARE COMING WITH ME!" Umi shot up and dragged Nozomi and Rin away by their hair, Kotori left to sit and ponder everything that just happened to her.

Umi slammed the kitchen door shut, so whatever they said would be muffled. Nozomi pouted while she lightly smoothed out one of her twin-tails, and Rin sniffled as she massaged her own scalp. "I demand an explanation right now!"

Maki mouthed from across the room, "I told you so."

"Rin-chan told me you and Kotori-chan were having a romance-emergency. She was definitely right, the sexual tension between you two is stronger than mine and Ericchi's. Ok, maybe not that strong-"

"Shut up! There is no romance-emergency, there is no romance to begin with! Kotori doesn't even want to be with me, so stop trying to force something to happen!" Umi stomped back out, and sighed as she took her seat back.

"This is much harder than I thought.. Rin-chan, I need you to help me come up with a backup plan. Maki-chan, take notes."

Maki shook her head and walked out the door that Nozomi entered through. "I'm sick of all this; I'm going home."

Nozomi and Rin boo'd to show their disapproval, but Maki couldn't care less. "Maki-chan's lame-nya."

"Oh well, she's just going to miss out on all the fun stuff. Now Rin-chan, do you guys have spaghetti noodles here?"

"Yeah, they're in that cupboard over there-nya."

"Perfect, I hope you're thinking what I'm thinking." Nozomi waggled her eyebrows and tapped her fingers together.

"We're going to throw spaghetti at them until they confess to each other-nya?"

"No, but I admire your spunk. You know that old scene where the guy and the girl accidentally eat the same noodle and kiss, right? We're going to get that to happen with Kotori-chan and Umi-chan."

"Oh, ohhh! I'll start cooking-nya!" Rin got out the quickest-cooking noodles they had, and brought out a pot of leftover sauce from earlier that day. "I should be done in about 5 minutes-nya!"

"Plan B is officially in action!" The 5 minutes zipped by in what seemed more like 5 seconds. The tomato-sauce was now warmed up, and the noodles boiled to a perfect texture. "Now serve them that spaghetti, but make it seem like there was only one plate, so they have to share it."

"Gotcha, nya!" Rin hurriedly put a pile of semi-wet spaghetti onto a large plate, and drizzled some steaming sauce over it until the dish was thoroughly coated. She then proudly presented it to the potential couple with a small flourish in her motions.

"Um, Rin, we ate just a bit ago.." Umi grabbed a fork in spite of her words.

"That doesn't mean you can't have more; eat to your heart's content-nya!" Rin bowed and skipped back into the kitchen to watch the results of their plan alongside Nozomi. "Do you think it will work-nya?"

"It was me who helped you get Maki-chan and Nico-chan together, no?"

"Hmm.. Good point-nya!" Eagerly, they watched Kotori and Umi take tentative bites of the meal together. They waited for the inevitable event where the two would share a noodle and meet up in the middle for a kiss.

And they waited some more. And some more.. And some more, until eventually the plate was nearly finished. Rin began to panic. "Nozomi-chan, it's not working-nya!"

Nozomi bit her thumb in nervousness. "Are you sure those noodles were long enough?"

Rin smacked herself when she realized what she'd done wrong. "Crap! Those were pot-sized noodles-nya, so of course they won't be long enough for them to share one!"

Nozomi tried to think of a new plan, but her thought-process was interrupted when two new guests entered the shack.

"Kotori-chan! Umi-san!" Honoka ran up to give her friend a hug. "Glad you guys are still here! Tsubasa-san and I just finished our date."

Kotori gratefully returned the hug, and opted not to point out the red lipstick stains all over Honoka's face (that "mysteriously" were the exact same shade as the lipstick Tsubasa was wearing). "Honoka-chan, how'd it go?"

Tsubasa sat down next to Umi, and the two pairs broke off into their own conversations.

"I'm telling you, Kotori-chan, she's the one! She likes to cook, she's really fun to be with, and she tells jokes that are as lame as mine!"

Honoka's giddiness quickly spread to Kotori. "I'm glad you had such a fun time! I've been having fun with Umi-chan too, but.."

Honoka caught on to the shift in mood, and lowered her voice in concern."But?"

Meanwhile, Tsubasa and Umi were talking about Umi's inability to ask out Kotori. "I don't get you. You really want to date her, so what's stopping you?"

Umi shrugged and stared off into space. "I'm not picking up any signs from her. I think she just wants to be friends. Aside from that, isn't it wrong of me to try to ask her out after I save her?"

"Umi, please," Tsubasa rolled her eyes. "I rescued Honoka, who was buck-naked if you remember, and look at us. Stop being so selfless, and do something for yourself for once!" That perked Umi up the slightest bit.

In the kitchen, Nozomi and Rin were sobbing about how none of their plans worked. "Nozomi-chan, is it time t-to give up-nya?" Rin sneezed into the handkerchief from before.

"Yep, I think it's time we throw in the towel, Rin-chan." Just as they were off to cry by themselves in a corner, the drama meter kicked back up to full-gauge.

Honoka jolted out of her seat, a determined and angry look on her face. She picked up the ice tea that was mostly water by now, and stomped her way over to Umi.

Confused, Umi looked up at Honoka. "Is there a problem?" This set Honoka over the edge, and she then threw the glass of tea all over the lifeguard.

Kotori and Tsubasa gaped; Nozomi's and Rin's eyes widened at the new development, and Umi only sat there as the sugary beverage soaked into her hair and clothes. "HOW DARE YOU!" Honoka shouted directly at her. "KOTORI-CHAN IS WORTHY OF WAY BETTER GIRLS THAN YOU; I'LL BET SHE COULD FIND A GIRL WITH BETTER LOOKS, AND A MUCH BETTER PERSONALITY!"

All of Honoka's words jabbed into Umi's heart. "I know all of that; where is this coming from?!"

Nozomi rushed to make some popcorn; Rin promised to tell her any juicy details that happened while she did so.

"Don't ask dumb questions like that! How could you say that you don't want Kotori-chan as your girlfriend? There are tons of people dying to be in your situation!"

"Wait, where did you hear that?" Umi frowned as she shifted her gaze to Kotori.

"I um, overheard you talking to Rin-chan and Maki-chan.." Kotori stared at the floor to avoid eye-contact. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to eavesdrop.."

This time, it was Tsubasa's turn to punish Umi. She placed a clean smack across the back of her head. "Umi, you're an idiot! You probably didn't "pick up any vibes" because of that!"

Umi glared at her co-worker, but shook it off so she could get things straight with Kotori. "I'm sorry I said that, but I honestly didn't mean it.. I really like you, Kotori."

While Umi paused, Nozomi returned to Rin with a bowl of fresh popcorn. Rin filled in as many details as she could through all the popcorn she began shoving into her mouth.

"Does that mean you do want to be my girlfriend?" Kotori hopefully beamed.

"I do." Both of them turned so they could wrap each other in a hug; Honoka and Tsubasa began cheering, and Nozomi and Rin high-fived each other despite having nothing to do with any of it.

"Kiss her-nyaaaa!" Rin now openly shouted rather than whispering. "Kiss her! Kiss her!" Soon Nozomi, Tsubasa, and Honoka joined in on her chant. Much to the small crowd's pleasure, Kotori and Umi finally shared a gentle kiss. This one was much more enjoyable than the "kiss" they'd shared while Kotori was knocked out. When the clapping began, Umi pulled away with a scarlet blush, but Kotori wasn't going to let her get away that easily.

"It's a happy ending-nya! I just wish Maki-chan was here to see it, hmph.." Rin pouted to Nozomi, who was looking past the new couple.

"Well, Rin-chan, looks like you may get your wish." Maki looked from Kotori and Umi, to Nozomi and Rin, to Tsubasa and Honoka (who began their own kissing session after Kotori's and Umi's came to an end).

"Did I walk in on some kind of make-out orgy? I just wanted to get my house-keys for Christ's sake."

"Aww, Maki-chan, don't be a grump-nya! Look at the new couples! Besides, it can't be a group make-out session when Eri-chan's not here for Nozomi-chan nya."

"What about me?" Maki gawked in disbelief when Eri seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Oh nothing, Ericchi. Rin-chan and I have just been doing some 'assisting' with Kotori-chan and Umi-chan, hehe."

Eri looked confused, but shrugged it off before taking her spot next to Nozomi. "Goodness, almost everyone we know is here! And- wait, Honoka is with Tsubasa? Since when do they even know each other?! Come to think of it, Kotori and Umi didn't know each other before either.." Eri tried to wrap her head around just what on Earth was going on, Nozomi patting her back to help.

Maki's own head began to hurt from all the separate conversations going on. "Who else is going to show up, Nico-chan?!"

"Geez, Maki-chan, no need to shout my name.." Maki whirled around in time to see her short girlfriend walking through the door with Rin's girlfriend, Hanayo.

"Yeah, don't you do enough of that in bed?" Nozomi teased from the other side of the room. A blushing Nico started to yell at the purple-haired woman, while the much quieter girl walked over to Rin.

"Oooh, Kayo-chin, when did you get here-nya?" Before they could get caught up, 9 people turned when a loud thud was heard. "Uwahhh, Maki-chan fainted-nya!"

"Oh dear, time to get to work again." Tsubasa stood up from her seat, and hustled over to Maki. "Shoot, looks like she'll need CPR." She leaned over to begin, but Nico pulled Maki away from her at lightning speed.

"I think I can take it from here, there's nothing Nico-nii can't do!" A jealous Nico huffed as she protectively stood by Maki.

"Really, you know CPR?" Eri doubtingly called from across the room.

"Well, sure! I've done it plenty of times.." Nico nervously began to pump Maki's chest and blow air past her parted lips, but everyone could tell that she had no idea what she was doing.

"Nico, please just let Tsubasa take care of it." Umi placed her head in her palms and sighed. Nico shamefully backed off with another huff of air, and let Tsubasa administer "proper" CPR.

"This has been a really fun," Kotori paused to take a peek at Tsubasa trying to wake Maki up. "...And eventful evening, but I should really be getting home. You too, Honoka-chan." She regretfully looked to her new girlfriend and her best friend.

"Aw man, you're right... But I wanna stay with Tsubasa-sannnn!" Honoka pouted and threw her arms around Kotori, begging to stay.

"I know, but your parents will kill you if you stay out for any longer. And my mom is going to kill me if I don't get going, so.." Umi nodded in understanding, hopping up from her stool.

"May I at least take you home?" She slowly took Kotori's hand, and gave a gentle smile that nearly swept Kotori off her feet all over again.

"S-sure.. I don't think there are any buses that run this late though. Are you ok with a 30 minute walk?" Umi nodded, and Honoka was off to the side squealing.

"Oooooh, you have such a gentlemanly girlfriend, Kotori-chan!"

"Um, I saved you earlier today, and just helped Maki start breathing again. Am I not a gentleman?" Tsubasa teasingly called from her spot on the ground next to a now conscious (and irritable) Maki.

"Nonono, of course you're a gentleman too!" Honoka assured repeatedly, causing Tsubasa to laugh and tease her further.

"Anyway," Umi began to lead the two girls out of the place, waving back to the rest.

"Bye bye!" The other couples plus Tsubasa waved back at them; Nozomi winked playfully at the trio, and Rin aggressively jumped up and down as she waved with both hands.

"So, where do you live?" Kotori pointed out the way, and now having an idea of where to go, Umi linked their arms together to continue their walk. Honoka trailed not too far behind; she wanted to allow the pair to have at least a sliver of privacy.

"Umi-chan, we'll go out again soon, right? Hopefully without a bunch of misunderstandings next time." Umi happily assured Kotori that they would go on a second date, this satisfying her greatly.

"Wait.." During all the talk of second dates, Honoka realized something important. "I FORGOT TO GET TSUBASA-SAN'S NUMBER, AHHHHH! HOW AM I GONNA TALK TO HER?!"

"You know you can just come back to the beach, right?" Umi advised Honoka.

"Oh... right!" Honoka smiled widely and walked with a skip in her step.

"Is she always like this?.." Umi carefully whispered to Kotori, who giggled and nodded in response. "Pretty much, yes. But her heart's in the right place."

The small group carried on in near-silence, the only sound being Honoka's quiet humming. It was soon that they found themselves in front of Kotori's house, much to Kotori and Umi's dismay. "Aw, I guess this is my stop.." Kotori pouted, jutting out her lower lip. "Please stop by my house some time, alright, Umi-chan?" Kotori lightly kissed Umi on the cheek, and the lifeguard blushed heavily while stuttering out a reply.

"Y-yeah, a-and you be sure to come by the beach.." Umi abashedly scratched the back of her neck, but managed to return a small wave when Kotori reached her door. Once the girl disappeared inside, it was just Umi and Honoka left.

"So uh, are you going back to the ramen shack then?" Honoka absentmindedly kicked at a stray pebble as she spoke.

"Most likely, yes. Are you walking back to your house?"

"Yeah. One thing before you go, though." Umi curiously glanced at Honoka, wondering what the clumsy girl had to say. "If you ever hurt Kotori-chan, I am going to become your worst nightmare." Honoka tried to be as tough-looking as possible, but tripped over her own feet on her trek to Umi.

"I would never hurt her, ever!" Umi assured Honoka, and just to make sure she was clear, repeated herself several more times.

"Good, because if you mess with Kotori-chan, you mess with me!" Honoka began to make exaggerated sound-effects, and threw in a few air-kicks and punches for good measure.

"I wouldn't dream of it. But, Honoka, I have to get walking back now. See you and Kotori at the beach another time?"

"Yep, see you later Umi-cha-AAAHH!" Honoka tripped and sprawled on the ground while she made her way to her own house. "Ow..."

Umi winced, and after confirming that Honoka was indeed ok, ran her way back to the beach shack. Her head was full of thoughts of Kotori, and hoped that her new girlfriend would stop by again soon. With a blissful sigh, she re-opened the door to the small business, and found that Nozomi and Rin were the only ones left.

"Oh, Umi-chan, you're back nya! It sure took you a long time." Umi let out a small hum in response, taking a seat in front of the two girls.

"I'll bet she was just too busy getting to third base with Kotori-chan, hmm Umi-chan?" Nozomi smirked and propped her face against her hand.

Umi groaned, while Rin looked like she was in agreement with this idea. "Yeah, probably! Um, what is third base-nya?" Nozomi opened her mouth to speak, but Umi hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.

"Nozomi, no! Don't ruin Rin's innocence with that filth!" Nozomi struggled to talk past the wall of flesh in front of her, while Rin grew more and more confused. Umi then suddenly retracted her hand in disgust. "Why would you lick my hand?!"

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, y'know?" Umi spent the rest of the night "defending Rin's innocence" from the "evil" Nozomi.

[theternalstud]

If I don't get it done tonight, I promise to update In the Arms of the Ocean before the end of the week. I have a lot to do through monday and tuesday, but after that I should have plenty of free time.

Someone better hold me to this.

[jay-damon-blog]

In the Arms of the Ocean→ Jay and Eric

Jay's eyes were beginning to droop heavily as he sat by Matt's side, his hand clenching around Matt's fingers desperately, hoping at some point their would hold his back. It was getting late, he knew that, though he couldn't see a clock anywhere. It was dark, and the only light in the infirmary were from the light lanterns atop each patient's table, and the gracious light from the moon outside that splayed through the windows above each bed. Jay, unlike most other campers, had connections with the infirmary nurses -- mostly meaning he was willing to flirt with them to get his way in things and make friends -- and had been allowed to stay overnight to make sure when Matt awoke, he wouldn't be alone. He rested his head on Matt's abdomen, his hand still closed around his best friend's, and he closed his eyes, feeling Matt's chest rise and fall with each slow, almost shallow breath he took. Jay knew there was a chance that Matt wouldn't wake up, but even so, he shoved those thoughts away as he watched Matt's serene face make no movements, not even a slight flutter of his eyelids from his dreams. And he was worried, he was so desperately afraid for Matt, and for himself, but he had to be strong, sitting by his side, waiting for him to open his eyes and smile tiredly, looking at him like he was so glad to see a familiar face.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

in the arms of the ocean- one

A/N: It’s a perfect day for sailing aboard the Dawn Treader- another in a spectacularly long line of perfect days, in fact, which is good news because the reason for this particular voyage is of extreme importance. 

Word count: 4,929

Warnings: Caspian’s flawless hair 

Present Day

Caspian stood near the bow, hands flat against the carved wooden railing while the breeze skipped over the ocean. Clear skies and gently rolling waves were all his sharp eyes could see for leagues. It was another fine day for sailing; not a cloud in sight to cast a shadow nor a salty chill in the air to seep into the bones of the crew. We’ve been fortunate so far, he mused, hoping  that the same good fortune and fair weather they’d had up until now would last for the remainder of the journey. But even if the sea turned a cold, choppy gray, or the wind whipped water across the deck, it would be hard to dampen his spirits. Not where we’re going. Not when the reason is to... He smiled at the cerulean expanse before him as he heard the sound of boot soles against the boards behind him. What’s she up to now, I wonder? 

“Your majesty?” A frustrated huff and exasperated sigh from Drinian told him it was something good this time, and he fought the urge to chuckle as he turned to face his friend. 

“Yes, Captain?” He crossed his arms over his chest, lips pressed together and eyebrows raised. 

Drinian’s clear blue eyes flicked up towards the mast before coming back to level with Caspian’s. “It’s...well, she’s-“ Caspian felt himself grin around the sound of your name as he said it, the other man nodding. “I can’t get her to come down.” Again? “Again.”

Bringing his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun’s glare, Caspian followed the massive beam upwards. The rich purple sails were full and fat, the intricately embroidered golden lions seeming to dance with the breeze. His smirk grew wider and his eyes continued to climb higher until they fell upon your bare feet, dangling from between the rungs of the crow’s nest. Breaking out in a full grin, he dropped his hand back to his side and faced Drinian again. “She likes it up there,” he said. The other man only frowned sternly causing the King’s smile to falter slightly. “It is the best view.” 

“Aye, your majesty, that it is,” he agreed. “And the most dangerous.” 

Caspian knew that this was true. Of course there were railings to hold onto. There were even ropes that could be used to tie oneself to the mast in case a lookout was needed in stormy or windy conditions. But she doesn’t use them. He sighed, knowing that Drinian’s concern was coming from the right place, but also that you likely didn’t want to hear it. “I’ll talk to her.” He promised. Again. 

Drinian’s frown relaxed, the creases in his sun tanned forehead smoothing back out. “I only want her to be safe,” he said solemnly. I know you do. There were few in the Kingdom of Narnia that Caspian trusted as much as the man standing in front of him, and none that he trusted more when it came to your safety. “With all due respect, if she’s to be the Queen of Narnia,” She is. “She needs to be more careful.” 

Caspian agreed. Aside from serving his people as best as he could, there was nothing in all of Narnia - or anywhere else for that matter- that meant more to him than you, and despite the fact that your daring sense of adventure was one of the things that first drew him to you, he knew that Drinian had a point. Not that Kings and Queens can’t have grand adventures; his own experiences with the Kings and Queens of old proved that they could. But there was a right time to take such risks, and perhaps this voyage in particular, with such a celebratory and joyful purpose, wasn’t the right time. He sighed again, smile still lingering even though he could already hear your stubborn response. He clapped Drinian on the shoulder, thanking him for his diligence in regards to keeping you and that of all those aboard the Dawn Treader safe. 

The salty man had a soft spot for you and the happiness that you brought to his King, but he also had an authoritative reputation to uphold among the crew. Nodding at the conclusion of his discussion with Caspian, Drinian returned to his duties as captain, hurrying away towards where Takos and Timmin were about to start one of their famously physical debates regarding which of them were stronger. “Great blundering buffoons!” The exasperated captain muttered under his breath as he strode towards the hulking Minotaur brothers. 

Caspian shook his head and laughed to himself as he watched Drinian scold the creatures, both of them nearly double the man’s size in any direction. They mean well, and they’ve both proven themselves. They’re just... he looked back up, squinting at your tiny form against the bright blue sky and sighed again, a warmth spreading in his chest, spirited. Which seemed to be a prerequisite for gaining a spot in the Dawn Treader’s crew. Aside from the pair of brothers, two other sailors had joined the ranks of long time crewmen like Rhince and Rynelf; Grivez, a quiet but driven young Telmarine who looked up to Caspian and had worked hard to ensure his placement with the crew. He learned more quickly than any greenhorn Caspian had ever sailed with, catching his sea legs much more easily than the young King had on his first venture out at sea. With nimble fingers that made fast work of knots and rigging, and an eagerness to learn more everyday, Grivez was sure to become a permanent fixture. 

The other new member, Caspian realized as he made his way towards the mast, he hadn’t seen in quite some time. That’s not unusual for him. Not only was he the smallest crewman, but he was also the bravest and busiest, always scurrying off to complete daring and integral tasks. I’m sure he’ll turn up soon with much to report. Brushing his palms off on his trousers, Caspian readied himself to climb, reaching for a rung to hoist himself up with before finding a foothold. Heights didn’t bother him, and he was more than confident that he had the strength necessary to scale the central beam that held up the largest of the sails and the round platform of the crow’s nest. But he still climbed with caution, making it to the top rungs much more slowly than he knew you had reached the pinnacle of the grandest ship to grace the seas. Fearless. She’s fearless and confident and… He paused just a few feet from the opening in the bottom of the platform, where the ladder led up and into the basket from where your legs dangled freely. His lips widened, pushing his cheeks up into his eyes and rounding them with his smile as your voice hit his ear. Confident and competent and... 

“It really is incredible, isn’t it? The sea?” 

Caspian knew how much you loved the sea, how much of your heart he’d have to share with the waves and the wind and the open water. But he didn’t mind, because if he were to have it his way, he would spend more time at sea than sitting on his throne. Your love of the endless blue depths and your willingness to forgo the gowns and gilding of the palace for the boards and oars of the Dawn Treader only endeared you more to him. Who is she talking to though?He didn’t need to wonder for very long though, as a second voice joined yours.

 “It truly is, M’lady!” I should have known. The question of who you were chatting with had also answered the riddle of where the other new crew member had gone. “Incredible and full of potential for adventure!” Just like his uncle, that one. Caspian had always been very fond of Reepicheep, the noblest and bravest of mice and men, and though he tried to remind himself not to be sad, for his friend had chosen to journey past the edges of Narnia and on to Aslan’s country, he had missed his company and was all too happy when Reep’s nephew Cheepimeek had joined the crew. 

Caspian quietly climbed the last few rungs until he could peek up and over the ledge, still hidden below the base of the crow’s nest. Eyes and forehead above the boards, he broke into a grin as he caught sight of the two of you sitting casually with your backs turned to the mast.  Look at them. Though you and the brave little Mouse next to you had been engaged in conversation, neither of you had bothered to pull your awed gazes from the majestic view in favor of eye contact. Before meeting you, Reep had been the only soul that Caspian had known to enjoy the ocean and the freedoms and challenges it offered even more than he did. But in the last year, you and Meek had proven to be of the same ilk, unsurprisingly becoming fast friends. 

You laughed, the sound hitting Caspian’s ear and filling his chest with the warmth of the sun. “You’ve always got your sights set on your next grand adventure, don’t you Meek?” 

You were leaning forward with your legs hanging between the wooden rails, the tail of your blousy shirt untucked from the waistband of your deep purple trousers. A pair of abandoned boots lay slumped in a heap of soft leather behind you, Meek’s needle-thin sword propped up against the cuff of one of them. Your hair hung in a loose braid over your shoulder, and as the reflection of the sun’s light bounced off the water and back up at you, Caspian caught the tell-tale glint of the only piece of adornment he’d never seen you without; a small golden starfish hairpin with a trail of pearls dangling from it. It had been your mother’s, you’d told him once as he ran his fingertips over the smooth opalescent pearl drops. He’d seen you in stunning beaded and embroidered gowns cut from material woven with silver and gold. He’d danced with you as you dripped amethysts and rubies and sapphires, your hair arranged in intricate braids and twists and curls and your lips and cheeks rouged. But as beautiful as you looked when you dressed for courtly functions, seeing you like this, all windswept and wild, made his heart race a little faster, made him take his bottom lip between his teeth, made his fingers curl inwards against his palm. She doesn’t need any of that, this is who she is. 

Though he’d filled his mind with countless more memories and moments since then, Caspian’s memory hurtled back to the day that he met you, as it often did when he saw how at ease you were when you got to cast off the expectations you carried back at Cair Paravel. 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

1 Year Ago 

Though the storm that had caused them to harbor along the shoreline of a strange, unknown island had raged angrily all night long, Caspian’s eyes opened the next morning to bright yellow sunlight streaming in through the thick glass panes of his cabin windows. Sitting up, he realized that the violent tossing of the waves beneath the hull had ceased, slowing to a pleasant and gentle rocking. He raised a hand to comb his long hair back and out of his eyes, all of the soreness that battling the storm had brought him gone now after only a few hours of sleep. How is that..? Confused and half wondering if he weren’t still asleep and dreaming, Caspian swung his legs over the side of the bed and made his way over to the window. Opening it only revealed a rippling expanse of crystalline water and a sky so clear it was absurd to think that it had ever been marred by a single shadow, let alone the pewter toned and rain soaked clouds that blotted out the light. It was as though it were more likely that the storm had been a figment of his imagination than the island appearing out of the storm’s spray.

I’ve never seen the sky clear so quickly after a storm like that. Pushing the window open further, he stuck his head out, craning his neck up and down, side to side to examine as much of his new surroundings as possible. Then again, I’ve never seen a storm like that. From what he could see of the ship from his window, it looked as though aside from the shredded sails, that the Dawn Treader had fared much better than he’d feared. 

Dressing quickly in a fresh pair of light brown trousers and a loose-fitting maroon shirt under a leather vest, he fastened buckles and stuffed his stocking clad feet into a pair of tall boots. Sheathing his sword at his belt and pulling the top half of his hair back with a strip of black material, he left his cabin in search of Drinian and Rhince. We need to prepare a party to go ashore, look for supplies, mend the sails and… 

“Your Majesty.” 

He stopped short of walking smack into Rynelf, one of the longest tenured members of his crew, and with more experience with the wiles of the water in his little finger than most sailors had in their entire bodies. But he looks, Caspian regarded the deep furrows in the man’s brow and the uneasy way that his stony eyes darted from here to there. He looks nervous. Why? Pushing it from his mind and taking it upon himself to clear the man of his worry, Caspian nodded and greeted him by name. 

“Good morning, Rynelf.” 

“And to you, your majesty,” the man nodded back, dipping his head low enough that Caspian was left looking at the bald patch in the nest of peppery gray curls that sat atop it. 

Raising one eyebrow, Caspian placed a hand on Rynelf’s shoulder and he snapped his gaze back up to meet the King’s. “Are you alright?” He’d thought for certain that he had checked with every member of the crew after they’d dropped anchor, ensuring that no one had been injured too badly as ropes and rigging swung and the pitching of the waves had turned the level floorboards into treacherous terrain. Did I miss something? Was he hurt? His eyes raked over the older man before him in search of any obvious signs of injury, and while he found several gnarled scars on Rynelf’s forearms, hands and face, he saw no fresh wounds, no bruising or bleeding.

“Aye, I’m alright, your majesty,” he answered, “I’ve just... “ His eyes danced all around again, flitting from the deck to the hatch that lead to the sailor’s quarters and finally up at the ruined remnants of the Dawn Treader’s once proud sails. What is it? Caspian’s eyes narrowed as Rynelf decided how to continue. “Your majesty, forgive me but in all of my years on these seas I’ve never known a storm to have no eye, nor an island to shift into being from an empty plot of ocean.” Well, I haven’t either but- “I’ve an uneasy feeling is all, your majesty, and I’d be remiss if I hadn’t told you. I know you’re planning to go ashore.” Yes, I have to, we need- “Just take extra care, my King.” Once more his eyes circled their surroundings, as though searching for the invisible source of his unease and coming up short. “Things are changing with the winds and we are in an unfamiliar place.” 

It was strange to see the man so stricken with concern. He’d seen so much it was difficult to imagine something catching him off guard or causing him to outwardly display worry. Removing his hand from Rynelf’s shoulder, Caspian assured him that he would take caution as he went ashore. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to find Drinian and Rhince.” 

He took his leave of the old man in search of his captain and first mate, and within the hour a party of 6 crewmen were ready to lower the rowboats and accompany their King to the white sand of the mysterious island. Oars in hand, Caspian rowed along with his men, his eyes widening with every stroke that cut through the glimmering water. As they traveled closer to shore, the full beauty of the island became clear. Oh, it’s… But he didn’t have the word for what he was seeing; trees as tall as the lower spires of Cair Paravel’s massive citadel, with wide fronds in brilliant shades ranging from emerald to chartreuse, some of their branches adorned with flowers and fruits in colors Caspian wasn’t sure there were names for. Shells and smooth stones littered the coast, more washing up with every breaking wave, and they glinted in radiant jewel tones. Even the air seemed to taste sweeter, more like it did high in the mountains than it should down here, level with the salty sea. It’s beautiful. 

The silence of the men behind him as their oars slipped through the calm water told him that they were just as stunned by the island. He continued to scan the shore for any sign of civilization, but if the island was inhabited, the dense foliage was hiding it’s citizens well. At least from this side. The island didn’t appear to be very large, but the shape of it made it nearly impossible to see much at once, so there was no way of knowing if there was an entire port city built on another coast. Once they reached the shallow lip of the island, 7 pairs of boots splashed into the water, 7 pairs of hands gripping the sides of the rowboat to pull it up onto the sand, and 7 mouths were left gaping at the sight before them. 

Once they’d reached the soft, pale sand, Drinian started splitting the group off into pairs, assigning them different directions to search for food, fresh water, and any supplies that might prove useful in getting the ship back in sailing shape. Two men headed East, two men headed straight into the foliage, and Drinian, Caspian and a sailor named Ropen took the West side, following the curved shape of the island. They kept close to the shore but always kept an eye on the forest, but though Caspian knew that he should feel some apprehension about being in a strange place, every step he took only made him feel more safe and comforted. 

All at once, just as the island itself had appeared, the three men stopped walking as the mast beams of three ships in various states of construction and repair came into view, a small wooden house attached to a shipyard building just a few yards up the beach. There didn’t seem to be any other visible dwellings or businesses. Not quite a port city but… 

“What do you make of this, Your Majesty?” Drinian’s question came from over Caspian’s left shoulder, not concerned, just curious and cautious. 

Caspian brought a hand up behind his neck and squeezed, thinking. It seemed odd that this would be the only sign of civilization- if there were no other inhabitants, who did those ships belong to? “I think we should take a look.” He removed the hand from his neck and gestures towards the ships. “Even if the shipyard is abandoned, there may be things that we can use for our repairs.”

Drinian nodded, and the three of them made their way closer. When they reached the docks and the adjacent building, Ropen and Drinian each circled the structures from opposite sides. Caspian made his way out onto the dock between two large schooners, one hand on the hilt of his sword though it was completely out of habit- he felt less and less threatened with every step he took, the memory of the previous night’s storm seeming to fade the longer he stayed on the island. He admired the gorgeous carvings and impeccable craftsmanship in the fat bellies of the ships, and before he realized what he was doing, he was boarding the one closest to him, running his hand over the smooth railings as he made his way towards the bow. 

“Who may I ask are you, sir?” A female voice called from above, laced with just a hint of annoyance that mixed with amused curiosity. Despite the benign nature of the question, the sudden question startled him. Who said that? His hand closed around the grip of his sword as he crouched a few inches lower and searched for the source of the voice. As though in answer to his unasked question, the voice called again, this time tinted with laughter. “I’m up here.” Caspian straightened up and turned towards the central mast, eyes traveling up and up and up until he spotted your form waving down to him. “Interesting that you feel the need to protect yourself,” You smirked, one hand on your hip and the other reaching to grab onto the netting hanging from where you stood, and in one fell swoop, you swung yourself down with such speed and agility that Caspian worried he might have to catch you else you’d end up as a splattered mess on the ship’s pristine deck. But you landed gracefully just a few steps from him, your bare feet hitting the deck with catlike silence. No one on my crew can do that. I can’t do that, how did she... “When it’s my ship you’ve boarded without permission and not the other way around.” You raised one eyebrow, and it got lost in the unruly tendrils that bordered your forehead. “Now,” you smiled, but resumed your stance from above, one hand on your hip. “Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?”

“I’m…” Caspian looked over his shoulder to where Drinian and Ropen where jogging down the dock, a third man shuffling along after them. 

You clicked your tongue as you followed his line of sight. “Your men?” You asked. 

“Yes, I-” 

You sighed. “They’ve woken my father.” You turned back to Caspian, taking another step and looking at him fully for the first time. “And you’ve trespassed.” You crossed your arms, but Caspian thought he saw a softening in your eyes, and even though your questioning was somewhat prickly, he could tell that you were more curious than anything. Though you were dressed plainly in an old white shirt tucked hastily into well-fitting pants, he caught the bright glint of a gilded pin securing  your hair in a braid over one shoulder. “So tell me, who are you and why are you here?” 

The older man that followed Drinian and Ropen called out a name- your name- waving his arms. “Calm yourself, daughter,” he called, huffing from the short jog down to the docks. “Unless you mean to threaten our King?” 

Your mouth dropped open and a breath slipped out, and the shocked expression on your sure face, though it lasted only a split second, was one that Caspian was sure he’d remember for the rest of his days. 

.. ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..

Present Day 

Still standing on the ladder, everything below his nose still hidden from view, Caspian smiled recalling that look of shock on your face and how he hadn’t known it then but it had been the first of many looks that you’d give him that would etch themselves into his heart. 

Without taking your eyes from the ocean, you lowered your hand down so that Meek could climb into your palm to scurry up your arm, perching on your shoulder. “The world is too wide and wonderful, M’lady,” he answered, “to not want to see it all.”

“Well,” you sighed as Caspian finally pulled himself up through the floor of the crow’s nest. Throwing a glance over your shoulder, you saw him and smiled, then turned towards your shoulder to face your small friend. “I’m glad we’ll get to see it together, Cheepimeek the Bold.”

Pulling himself up through the opening at last, Caspian joined your conversation. “And I am glad that I’ll get to see it with both of you.” 

“Your majesty!” Cheepimeek ran down your arm and bent into a low bow. 

“Hello, Meek, I should have known I’d find you two together.” 

Cheepimeek blushed and fiddled with his tail, though Caspian could tell that he wasn’t embarrassed or frightened that he’d be in trouble. “Ah, yes, well, M’lady is excellent company.” She is. “And I do enjoy the view.” Caspian nodded with a smile. “But I’m certain that there’s work to be done elsewhere.” He scooped up his tiny rapier and sheathed it in the belt at his furry waist. “I take my leave, your majesty, M’lady.” With another bow, Cheepimeek scurried down the netting and out of sight leaving just the two of you and the vast expanse of ocean. 

You turned to greet him with your stunning smile, crooked and imperfect and all for him. “I wondered when you’d be joining us, my King.” 

A dizzy, warm feeling filled him every time you addressed him as your King. It was how most of his subjects addressed him, but there was a difference when it came from you. I am yours. “Oh?” He lifted one eyebrow questioningly as he came to sit beside you. 

You laughed, turning towards him and wrinkling your nose. “Mmhmm. I saw you speaking with Drinian.” Now it was his turn to laugh. “I know how he feels about my…” 

“Adventurous streak?” Caspian supplied with a smirk and you nodded. He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you closer, making sure not to be too bold in broad daylight. You sighed and laid your head against his shoulder, your soft hair tickling the skin above the opening in his shirt. “You would save me the lectures from Drinian if you’d considered listening to them once in a while.” He teased, pulling another small laugh from you. He inhaled deeply through his nose and turned to press a quick, light kiss to your temple, the modest display of affection stirring much less modest thoughts that were quickly quelled when he reminded himself of why he was up here. Suddenly the tone of his voice changed. “You know he’s only concerned for your safety.” 

You looked into his eyes and brought your fingers up to push a stubborn lock of your hair back behind the starfish pin. “I know, Caspian.” Unlike most, you had taken to calling him simply by his name much more naturally, and unlike anyone you made it sound like a song. “But there’s no reason to worry, you know that.” 

Close to you I’ll always be, to keep you safe upon the sea. 

They weren’t quite a memory, and they certainly were not a dream. They were words that had proven themselves to be true your entire life- you had always been safe no matter where you sailed, how high you climbed, or how harsh the storms became. Every ship that you’d ever woven a sail for had been gifted the same protection. You couldn’t explain it, and Caspian knew that some things in this world had no explanation. But he couldn’t bank on the ghost of a phrase, not when it came to the woman he loved, the woman that he planned to marry and have as his Queen. 

He spoke your name and swallowed. “I know.” He nodded and you rested your head back on his shoulder, the hand he had around your waist coming up to trace the pointed edges of the pin in your hair. “But you’re my Queen.” He felt you shiver next to him. Not yet, not technically but… But for all it mattered your heart had already been crowned as his. “And I can’t lose you. Narnia can’t lose you.” He pressed another swift kiss to your warm skin. “They don’t know it yet, but you’re going to be the best Queen our people have ever had. And that means that they need you to stay safe. I need you to stay safe.” 

You let out another sigh and gently wound your arm behind him, mirroring his hold on you. “Well,” you said, “if my King demands it.” 

Caspian smiled, knowing that you knew full and well that he’d never demand anything from you. “He does.” 

Before you could answer, there was a call from below that drew both of your attention. “Land ho!” Takos called triumphantly, followed closely by a second call from Timmin, not to be outdone by his brother. 

The stunning sight of lush greenery and bright flora in the shape of an island loomed on the horizon, and the excitement made your eyes widen, the conversation you’d just been having flying to the rear of your mind as you turned to him, giddy with happiness. “Land ho, Caspian.” You stood, reaching for his hand and pulling him to his feet with more strength than an outsider would think you were capable of. “Home.” 

He smiled and brushed his fingers over the curve of your cheek. “Home.” He nodded, your excitement contagious and chasing the conversation from his mind, too. “Should we go see if your father is in?” 

You bit your bottom lip and smiled around it, then bent down to scoop up your discarded boots, slinging them over your shoulder. “Come on, my King. Let’s go and tell him the good news.” 

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[the-blind-assassin-12]

in the arms of the ocean - masterlist

Summary: The Little Mermaid AU I’ve always wanted to write but that never made sense until now! You and Caspian are on a very important voyage to your homeland to deliver some very important news to your father. But storm clouds have been gathering, and the promise of safety on the sea that you grew up with might be in jeopardy- and so might be the promise of safety for all of Narnia. 

Intro Part One Part Two  Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven 

Lyrics What the Water Gave Me Never Let Me Go  Various Storms & Saints  Wish that You Were Here 

Art Untitled- Coralia Unitiled- Sereia 

[the-blind-assassin-12]

in the arms of the ocean- four

A/N: Oh hi there, don’t mind me just casually dropping off this new chapter at 1 am as if that were a normal thing to do... actually... it kind of fits for this one. you’ll see why. Anywho, this part is a little different. It only focuses on two time periods as opposed to the normal three, and we finally get to see Reader’s POV on some things!  

Word Count: 4,187

Warnings: death, trauma 

Present Day

NO! 

Your mind screamed the word as though it was the only one it held. Beneath the surface, the water was a brackish, murky brown, and the salinity stung your eyes as it churned around you. But you kept them wide open and trained on him, refusing to blink out of fear that if you did, you’d lose him to the frigid fathoms forever. He seemed just as reluctant to take his eyes off of you, just as afraid of what closing them might mean- that any second could be his last, or yours, and he wouldn’t waste that second blinking. 

No! No. I won’t let that happen. I have to get to him.   

The current was stronger than you’d ever felt, angry and deliberate as it tried to drag you further away from Caspian. You fought to free yourself from the pull, arms slicing and legs kicking as hard as you could. Ignoring the burn in your chest reminding you that it had almost been too long since your last breath, you thought only about reaching him before it was too late. Just as you swam close enough to see him clearly through the muck of the swirling sea though, your eyes widened even further as you watched thick, algae covered ropes snake up and around his wrists and ankles.  

Caspian, no! 

He thrashed against his bonds as they wound around his limbs, but the more he tried to shake them loose, the more tightly they twisted. You knew that you had to cut him free, and you knew that you had to do it quickly. Reaching down into your boot with your right  hand,  you pulled out a small knife, your left hand cutting through the water to find his. Fingers linking together, you squeezed his hand, and to your relief you saw some of the terror vanish from his eyes. Despite the way your chest was begging you for air, you let go some of your own fear and began sawing at the rope around his wrist  with your blade. You always kept it sharp, so it took only a few passes to sever the woven strands, and your heart thumped joyfully as his freed hand immediately found your face.

Caspian… It’ll be alright. I Just have to… 

You squeezed his hand once more and then tore it away, turning to his other arm. Repeating the same method you’d used before, you laced your fingers with his, and began to cut the tethers. But as soon as his second hand was free and he tried to reach out to touch you again, he was jerked backwards before he could make contact, the ropes you’d just cut wrapped back around his wrist as though they’d never been damaged at all. Surprise overtook him and he shouted out loud, and though you couldn’t make out the sound, you were certain that the stream of air bubbles rushing from his lips was the shout of your name. 

No. No, no, no! 

You knew that Caspian could hold his breath for longer than most men, but you also knew that he was dangerously close to his limit even before he called out to you. Frantically, you began working at the bonds around his ankles, hoping that you could somehow move more quickly than the enchanted ropes could knit themselves back together. But even as you moved from his right leg to his left, you could see the ropes slithering through the murky water like eels to encircle his ankle once more. 

Hopelessness began to take root in your heart, and it ached worse than your burning lungs as you realized you couldn’t save him; that he would die and that there was nothing you could do about it. You released the knife, useless to you now, and let it drop down to its new home on the ocean’s floor. The only thing left to do was to be near him, to hold him one last time so that he knew that he wasn’t alone, that he was loved. He continued to try to free himself, if only just to touch you, body writhing this way and that, but his movements became weaker and less determined with each passing second. As you wrapped him in your arms, you felt him slow, his breath choking it’s way out, until finally he was still and heavy. 

“NO!”

A despair that you had never experienced sliced at your soul as you felt the emptiness and the silence where his heartbeat should have knocked against yours, and you let out a cry that emptied your lungs of oxygen. The burning ceased as you involuntarily inhaled a breath of salt water, but instead of sputtering and drowning, you breathed freely, gulping and sobbing in grief. 

“Caspian,” you couldn’t understand why you were able to breathe and speak underwater, but it didn’t matter. He was gone, and all you had were the icy waves. “I’m sorry.” 

The ropes that were still wound around his limbs began to sink, pulling him down to the floor and out of your grasp, and as you watched him fade into the darkness, your gaze fell upon your own lower-half. Despite the gaping hole in your heart, your eyes widened in shock as they took in iridescent purple fins where your feet should be, delicately fanning out like lace in the current, your legs replaced by a tail covered in scales of the same striking shade. Before you could scream or cry or panic, a familiar voice filled your ear, the words you’d never forget echoing softly around you.

“Close to you I’ll always be to keep you safe upon the sea.” 

Mother? You absently touched the star-shaped pin in your hair as your tear-tired eyes strained, trying to cut through the dark water, searching for Sereia. But instead of the mother you hadn’t seen in twenty five years, you were met with a glowing green pair of eyes and the end of a sharp trident that the green-eyed being was thrusting in your face. 

“Choose.” It hissed, moving closer to you, close enough that you could make out its pallid, nearly translucent skin. “You must choose who will be saved.” Snarling, it rushed at you, the sharp points of the trident aimed at your eyes as you screamed…

A strong pair of hands gripped your biceps as another voice registered in your ear, this one closer, and concerned. “Shh, it’s alright. Breathe, you’re alright.” 

Caspian! Your eyes flew open and found his immediately, even in the dim light of the single lantern that lit his cabin. The Dawn Treader. We’re aboard...we’re docked at Isle Lorley and…He’s safe.  You blinked furiously, as though trying to confirm your surroundings. I was sleeping...dreaming. You looked over Caspian’s shoulder, eyes darting to the hammock hanging in the corner, blankets strewn on the floor and the colorful pillows overturned. You realized that he’d been asleep, too, and that he’d sprung awake, hurrying to get to you at the first sign of your distress. Breaths coming in gasps and pants, you tried to swallow the fear you’d felt while you slept. But he was… You shuddered, knowing that it was something that would stick with you for some time. 

He sighed your name as you returned your eyes to his, relieved that you were finally awake. “It was just a dream,” he told you, running his hands up and down your arms as you fell shaking into his chest. “You’re alright,” he murmured, lips burying in your hair to press a kiss to the crown of your head. You felt his warm breath on your scalp, heard his heart beating steadily in your ear, but still your eyes welled with tears to dampen the collar of his nightshirt. “You’re safe, I’m right here,” he whispered. “I’ll always be right here.”  

“No. It wasn’t me…” You whimpered the words between quiet sobs. “It was you, Caspian.” Muffled by material and watered down by tears, you knew that he couldn’t hear you clearly, but the words kept tumbling out. “It was you…”

“What did you..? I can’t…” He kissed your hair again and you felt a few strands get caught in his beard. “Can’t hear you, just…” One hand came up to cradle the back of your head as he held you. “Just breathe, please, it’s alright.” 

Your sharp breaths burned your throat, chest shuddering as you let the pain you felt in your dream pour out of you. You were vaguely aware of a rough knock on the cabin door followed by Drinian’s voice. “Your Majesty? Is everything..” 

Caspian’s lips were by your ear to drown out the rest of Drinian’s worried call. “I have to let him know we’re okay.” Of course.  He kissed the skin behind your earlobe as you nodded. “I’ll be right back,” he promised, dragging his knuckle under your eye to rid your cheek of a stray tear. 

You watched him cross his quarters in two long strides, pulling your knees to your chest and hugging your shins. If you hadn’t been so terrified, so convinced that you had just watched the man that you love die in your arms, you’d be embarrassed at the fact that your nightmare had caused you to scream so loudly that the Captain must have assumed you or the King were under attack. Nightmares were uncommon for you, though, and this one had been powerful. Your chest felt tight and sore as you tried to calm yourself, and you knew that you wouldn’t completely calm down until Caspian’s arms were around you again. He looked back over his shoulder at you as he spoke to Drinian, convincing the man that it had only been a dream and that the two of you were not in any danger. You heard Caspian’s closest friend sigh in relief, and soon enough the door was clicking closed and you felt the mattress dip as he came back to your side. 

“Drinian is a good man.” Caspian moved to lean against the headboard, then reached for your waist to pull you into him. “He heard you and,” you circled your arms around him and he reciprocated the hold, pressing his lips to your temple. “He needed to make sure you were safe, that we were.” You nodded again, still unable to find words. Your breathing was still shaking your body, but it wasn’t as rapid and shallow. It was easier when you could feel him; strong and warm and real. “I told him it was just a dream.” 

Just a dream? It was by far the worst thing your subconscious had ever conjured, and you shuddered again as the icy remnants of the fear your mind had put you through raced down your spine. You had no idea where the nightmare had come from. The two of you had spent the day celebrating your engagement with your father, the revelry spilling out of the small house and onto the beach to include the entire crew of the Dawn Treader. Vash had shared his casks of berry wine, fueling the merriment as Grivez and Timmin fueled a large bonfire out of driftwood. Cheepimeek, who had had his fill of the deep purple drink, heartily spilling as much from his thimble as he swallowed, was regaling your father with the tale of his first voyage for the third time that evening. Takos had even joined Ropen in playing music, the Minotaur proving to be quite the virtuoso with a lyre despite his large hooves and somewhat oafish demeanor. You had danced with Caspian, your bare feet slipping through the sand as he twirled you under his arm, both of you laughing as you collided and collapsed. It was a perfect night...why did I… where did this come from? 

After a few more minutes had passed and you’d relaxed your body against his, Caspian’s calm but concerned voice was in your ear again. “Do you…” He adjusted his hold on you, moving his arm so that he could see your tear-streaked face. You peered up at him and he frowned, his brown eyes weighted with worry. “Can you tell me what happened? In your dream?” I can but… You closed your eyes for a beat as he continued. “You were screaming and I…” Your eyes opened in time to see his head shake. “Please, tell me what happened.” 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  .. 

One Year Ago 

“So,” Caspian glanced side-long at the three ships that were docked, their masts rising high above the cobalt waves, and then let his eyes wander to the other masts just slightly up the beach; the ones that he didn’t see when they first came ashore. “Are you going to tell me what happened there?” He gestured to the cracked posts and shattered pieces that lay scattered along the shoreline, some poking out of the sand at odd angles as the surf surged around them. “Were those all ship-”

“Shipwrecks,” you finished the word with a nod as you led him back out of the small house and towards the larger workshop. Your nonchalance was a shock to Caspian. She says that like they’re commonplace. “You were luckier than most, Caspian the Tenth. You only split one crossbeam, and all of the Dawn Treader’s masts are intact.” 

Despite the warm breeze, a chill trickled down his back. Luckier than most… we almost- he shook his head and looked away from the bones of those less fortunate vessels, and back at you as you continued. 

“Sure, you’ll need new sails, and we’re making some adjustments to the beams,” you ticked those things off on your fingers as you spoke. “But the shipbuilders who built your ship?” Your forehead creased and you looked straight into his eyes, a serious, almost melancholy tinge to yours that caught him off guard. “If they hadn’t done such good work… In a storm like that one, lives could have been lost.” 

I know. He winced, the faces of every crewman flashing through his mind before another realization dawned on him. If she’s seen multiple shipwrecks… Caspian counted the remains of at least six ships of varying sizes. Then she’s seen…  

��We save more than we don’t.” Your voice was quiet beneath the rush of the waves, but he heard you clearly and he snapped his attention back to you. She’s seen sailors die. “The men aboard the ships we-” you swallowed, eyes darting out to the ocean and then quickly back to his. “We try to save them all, but sometimes we...can’t.” You sighed and looked quietly out at the water. 

Caspian felt a weight drop into the bottom of his heart. He knew how it felt to carry what you spoke about, and he wished you didn’t have to. But he also knew that the odds were next to impossible that every soul would be saved in a bad wreck. And those were bad. Before he could think, he reached over and placed his hand on your arm just as you had done earlier. Oh. But he didn’t pull away, hoping that he was able to give you even a fraction of the comfort that you had provided him. You both looked down at where his long fingers curled around the back of your bicep, his thumb falling into the crook of your elbow. “You try to, though. And that’s what matters most.” He gave a small squeeze before letting his hand drop, and you watched it fall to his side before looking back up at him. You save so many lives, keep so many families whole. “You try to do as much good as possible.”

You smiled then, a warm surprise softening your eyes. “Thank you, Caspian.” You nodded. “We do try, very hard.” 

Suddenly, Caspian was overcome with curiosity and simply couldn’t keep from asking the question that had started burning in his brain the moment he met you. “I-” He paused, tongue slipping out to wet his lips as he tilted his head to the side. “I don’t... quite understand,” though tempted to look back out over the skeletal remains of the ships that had run ashore, he kept his eyes on you instead. “How have there been so many…” he shook his head, your name shaking loose with it. “What is this place?”

Your eyes narrowed and he watched a lump move in your throat as you swallowed again, and Caspian worried that he’d offended you with the way that his question came out.  I shouldn’t have asked like that, I just- But you didn’t let his worry hang in the air, your voice cutting off his thoughts. “Isle Loreley is…” chewing your bottom lip, you turned your face towards the cloudless sky. “Think of it as a safe harbor, one that could...appear, when a ship most needed one.” 

Magic. Caspian was no stranger to things that were not so easily explained. He’d met with wizards and magicians, seen curses and spells both cast and lifted. He’d sailed to the edge of sea, defeated witches and fought alongside Narnia’s kings and queens that had been sent from other realms. He knew of magic, and it never ceased to amaze him. So that’s why it isn’t on any map… that’s why she doesn’t acknowledge Narnia as her home or me as her King. “The island...what, moves?” 

You sighed with a shrug. “I know how it sounds and...I’ll admit that I can’t explain it all, but to put it simply? Yes.” 

To put it simply? “And...do so many ships really…” He trailed off, the answer obvious. 

“The sea is… it contains great power, Caspian.” You shook your head and the sunlight caught the pearls dangling from the starfish hairpin that held your hair back. “Isle Loreley represents some of the good, but not all of the ocean’s intent is pure. We…” You motioned for him to follow you, seemingly unwilling to stand in full view of the broken masts, as you continued on towards the workshop doors. “We do our best to try to balance the tide of...ill intent.” 

“You’re heroes.” He followed just a step behind you, as eager as you were to be clear of the sight. “You-” 

You turned then, and he nearly collided with you. Staggering back, he blinked in surprise, but you didn’t flinch. “Not heroes, Caspian. Just...doing our best.” Eyes flicking over his shoulder to the lapping of the surf, they returned to his face. “There are heroes in this world. Ones that make sacrifices so that others can be...can…” You sighed again. “There are heroes. We aren’t.” 

You are to us… Before his frown could cut too deeply into his face, you changed the subject, spinning back around in time to open the workshop’s large wooden door. “But we’re here to talk about sails, aren’t we?” 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..   

Present Day 

Caspian tried to keep the worry from his voice because more than anything, he wanted to offer you comfort. He’d never seen you so frightened. Reluctant to talk about certain things when first you met, sure. But since you’d made Cair Paravel your home and certainly since the two of you had started to become close shortly thereafter, he’d never known you to be afraid. I’ve never heard her scream like that. He stroked your hair, hand trailing down to your back and silently hoped he’d never have to again. Just as he wondered if you hadn’t heard what he’d asked, you started to answer.  

 “I couldn’t-“ another sharp inhale cut your words short. Beneath his palm, Caspian could feel your lungs fighting to find a natural rhythm. His frown deepened but his touch never faltered, and after a few more passes of his hand up and down your spine, you took a much more even breath and continued. “I couldn’t save you, Caspian. I-“ Your fingers curled more tightly, bunching up the fabric of his nightshirt, and he responded by tightening his hold on you as well. “There were ropes, winding around your arms and legs and,” you pulled away from his shoulder then, wiping at your eyes before training them on his. “And I tried to cut you free, but every time I cut through one, another would appear, even more tight, and,” you brought the hand that you’d just swept under your eyes with to his face, fingertips still damp with your tears. “And then you were dragged down, and I couldn’t...I just...I had to watch you d-” But you couldn’t finish the word, shaking your head and tucking yourself against his body again. 

He hadn’t stopped his soothing touch, even though he himself felt far from soothed. Burying his lips in your hair, Caspian pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. “Shh,” he hushed you, not sure of what else to say. “I’m right here. I’m alright, and you’re safe and no one is going to hurt us.” I won’t let it happen… He looked down at the way you were curled close to him, and though you looked small and fragile, he knew otherwise. You won’t let it happen either. 

“That wasn’t all,” he felt your breath against the skin at the opening of his collar as you spoke. “In my dream I... I heard my mother’s voice and I never…” You sat up then, turning to lean back against him. He immediately switched the position of his arm, wrapping it around your shoulder and coming around your front as you settled into his chest. “I never dream of her, Caspain. I never hear her. I… you know her words as well as I do now, but I never hear her…” 

His free hand ran up and down your arm and your side, the soothing touch and the low, flickering light and the gentle rock of the boat beneath you starting to finally lull you back away from your fear. He wanted to know more about your mother, but he never knew how to ask. She doesn’t know much about her either, he’d tell himself, not wanting to bring up the fact that she was taken from your life so long ago; that you’d spent most of your life without the woman. But she’s going to be my wife, my Queen, and I need...I want to know these things about her. “What do you-” he swallowed, fingers freezing midway up your arm before spreading out to cover your bicep with his palm. Squeezing gently he turned to press a soft kiss to your temple. “Will you tell me what you remember? About her?” 

You inhaled through your nose, your closed eyelids wrinkling as you clamped them more tightly shut before releasing the breath in a rush of air through your lips. I know. He winced, wishing he hadn’t had to ask, that somehow he could just know, without having to make you relive it. I know, you don’t want to talk about it but I- 

“I don’t remember much, Caspian, I was only three when she...when…” With a sigh, you leaned into him, your back pressed against his chest and your head resting on his shoulder. He hadn’t moved his lips from your hair, and he kissed you again, whispering your name and resuming the motion of his fingertips over your skin. “I…” You flipped the hand that was resting in your lap and Caspian filled it with his free one, knuckles sliding between yours. “Laughing. I remember laughing with her. All the time.” 

Though he still felt unsettled to know that your nightmare had been so realistic and frightening, the way that your voice changed when you spoke about the few happy memories you held onto with her made him smile. He slid down so that he could rest against the pillows, pulling you with him. You made to say something, likely questioning whether he was sure about falling asleep in the same bed, but he dragged the tip of his nose around to your cheek before kissing away the last of your tears. “Shh,” he said sleepily, still pulling you down to lay with him in the small bed. “I’m sure.” He kissed you again as you found your position, waiting until you were comfortable before speaking again. “What else do you remember?” 

Far outside the small windows of the cabin, leagues and fathoms away, the ocean churned. Cold currents clashed with warmer ones, icing them down and turning them tumultuous as storm clouds gathered above them. The night sky hid the way that the water changed from deep blue to harsh gray, and the rumble of thunder was so low and so far away from any pair of human ears that it might as well not have happened at all. But it did, and so did the flash of lightning that cracked right on it’s heels, illuminating the swirls of greenish tendrils stirring up the sea. 

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[the-blind-assassin-12]

in the arms of the ocean- two

A/N: Hi, hello, I am back from the land of no power or internet, and finally able to share the next part of this adventure! Some very fun exchanges, some very serious facts, and some small little hints all rolled up in this chapter! 

Word Count: 4,365

Warnings: death, loss, Caspian’s curiosity 

25 Years Ago

Two weeks. 

The sun had risen fourteen times, it’s golden light searing Vash’s blurry eyes as it spilled in each morning to illuminate the empty bed beside him. He let out a ragged sigh sliding his palm over the pillow where two weeks ago, Sereia’s dark hair would have been splayed out over the white sheets. Two weeks ago, he could have reached over, his fingers combing through and curling in the long strands before disentangling to brush over her smooth skin. Two weeks ago, he could have woken his wife with a kiss, felt her cheeks move beneath his lips as she smiled and tucked herself closer to his side. Vash pressed his palm deep into the pillow, trying desperately to soak up any of her remaining warmth. But when he pulled it away to rub at his eyes it was cold. 

She’s gone. 

The chill spread through his bloodstream, from his palm back to his heart and then out to every last capillary in his body. Each morning it was a few degrees colder and he wondered how long he could endure the slow freeze. He’d always thought that a broken heart would happen with precision; a devastating yet clean cut that he’d feel all at once like a snapped bone, something that he could immediately start to heal from, no matter how much agony the initial blow caused. He’d been foolish, he knew that now, because for years he’d allowed himself to believe that Sereia would never break his heart. Now he knew she’d been the only one who ever could.

He dragged his hand over his face, scrubbing it down over fourteen days worth of unkempt growth, trying to rid almost that many day’s worth of sleepless nights from his eyes. Worse than the number of sunrises that he’d counted since Sereia’s sacrifice had been the thirteen sunsets he’d seen without her. Climbing into their bed alone each night only scratched open whatever scabs that had managed to start closing up along the jagged edges of her absence. His days were full, between grieving his loss, keeping you fed and taken care of, and scouring the horizon for any glimmer of light on the crest of a wave that might give him hope that Sereia would return to him. To us. The confusion and sorrow in your wide eyes as he tucked you in each night without your mother grated against his heart in ways that tested his strength as a father. 

And it’s only been two weeks. Sereia… why did you have to… why did it have to be you? 

But he knew why, the selfish, prickly accusations giving way to painful understanding: it had to be Sereia, because she was the only one with enough love in her heart to protect not just her own family, but all of Narnia. He’d known it from the beginning, from the very first time he’d felt her hands on his skin. Clinging to a life that he was certain was about to end, sun poisoned, dehydrated and terrified that the creatures responsible for wrecking the ship he’d been on would return to finish him off, Vash had sobbed unevenly, pleading silently for an end to the fear and suffering. It wasn’t long before her fingertips found their way across his blistered forehead, tracing the curve of his brow and following it down the side of his face. The tenderness in that touch called him away from the icy depths of the ocean and back to the sunlight. 

“I won’t let you die.” 

Vash wasn’t sure if she’d spoken the words aloud or simply said them with that touch, but it didn’t matter. He had heard them all the same, and he believed them, and Sereia had proven them to be true. She hadn’t let him die, instead pulling him safely to shore.  His eyes had remained closed until he felt the sand beneath his battered body, and the only glimpse he’d gotten of her before she vanished back into the waves had stayed with him through the night, more vivid than a dream though he’d been asleep. She hadn't let him die. 

But that was different. She came back to me then. 

Now, each night was like dying. Now, the darkness of the ocean floor called to him and her voice wasn’t there to coax him back to the surface. Like the currents pulled further and further from shore with the changing moon, Vash felt himself grow colder and colder with each passing of the guard from day to night. If it weren’t for you, he would have been completely lost, and so in a way, she’d saved him once more. 

On the fourteenth night after he watched the woman whose own heart had been enough to keep his beating when he was on the verge of death sink beneath the waves and scatter with the foam, Vash sat in the cool sand and stared out towards the horizon. Starlight shimmered in swatches over the steely gray water as it rumbled and crashed, racing up the shore to lick at his toes. An easy summer breeze shook through the leaves of the tall trees behind him, freeing small blossoms that drifted down in clusters. It ruffled his hair, lifting the longer pieces and blowing them across his face. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, shocked that a thimble’s worth of tears could still squeeze their way out; that he hadn’t spent his life’s allotment in the last two weeks.

If she were here… 

The breath he’d taken came back out as a sob as he imagined Sereia’s fingertips pushing those errant strands back into place. She loved the roguish length of his hair but couldn’t stand it blocking her view of his eyes, especially in the seconds between deciding to kiss him and laying her lips to his. Vash opened his eyes, knowing he wouldn’t see her, wouldn’t feel her breath on his skin, wouldn’t hear her hum into his kiss. But what he did see drew his eyebrows tightly together, furrowing questioningly. 

Is that..? 

He rose slowly, footsteps splashing through the shallows and towards the small object bobbing helplessly on the restless waves. Salty water smacked against his calves as he waded out, eyes locked on his target. Vash felt his eyes grow wide as he looked through the green tinted glass and saw its contents- a piece of parchment, curled cylindrically to fit inside its receptacle. His heart pounded as he bent down to wrap his fingers around the bottle’s neck. 

Two weeks. He’d been fraying like salt soaked rope left out in the sun, trying to keep himself together until he had something to go on, some sign, some glint of hope or at least a message that gave him closure, anything that told him that her last selfless act hadn’t been for nothing, for two agonizing weeks. He straightened up and turned the bottle in his hands, feeling the weight of the thick parchment as it rattled against the glass walls. He made his way back up the shore where he’d been before he’d spotted the bottle, falling to his knees and then collapsing back into a seated position. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder at the small house connected to his workshop where you were sleeping soundly. Taking a deep breath, Vash returned his attention to the bottle and whatever answers it held for him. With shaking hands, he pulled the cork from the top and turned the contents out into his lap. 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  .. 

Present Day

Unlike when they came upon an unknown island or new port and had to drop anchor offshore, The Dawn Treader’s crew busied themselves with pulling the massive ship up to the docks that extended out into the sea from your father’s shipyard. Once the call of ‘land ho’ had come bellowing from the deck in a chorus of Takos’ and Timmin’s deep voices, Caspian had accompanied you down the mast’s ladder. Though you were the very definition of sure-footed and could likely even beat Cheepimeek in a race down the rigging, he insisted on always descending before you so that he would be able to catch you in the extremely unlikely event that you should fall. He peered up at you, noting how you had to intentionally slow yourself down so as not to overtake him, and smirked to himself. More likely that I’d slip and she’d be the one doing the saving. 

You tilted your head to look down at him between your arms, your braid flopping over one shoulder and your excitement filling your eyes until it spilled over into your smile. It had been four months since your father had visited Cair Paravel, and Caspian knew how much you’d missed the man. But it had been a whole year since you’d been back to the island that you’d called home your entire life, and he knew that you were looking forward to exploring your favorite places hidden among the lush vegetation just as much as you were to wrapping your arms around your father’s neck. 

He reached the deck, boots hitting the boards one at a time before he extended his arms to help you down as well. It was less of a necessity and more of an excuse to innocently slide his palms over your hips as you turned to brace yourself by placing your hands on his shoulders. Even through the layer of cloth that separated his skin from yours, he felt your warmth and it spread like wildfire through his bloodstream. Your thumbs and fingertips bit into his muscle as you squeezed him where you held him, your teeth biting into your bottom lip as his own fingers curled into your curves. Caspian inhaled through his nose and gave a small tug, pulling you just close enough to press his forehead to yours. His smile widened and yours mirrored it, your hands traveling from his shoulders briefly into his hair to pull a quiet groan from his throat. 

Soon. He swallowed, letting his fingers linger over your belt as he slowly dropped his hands from your body. We’ll be married soon and I can… Just the thought of being able to publicly take your hand or brush a quick kiss to your cheek, place his palm on the small of your back or hold you as close as he wanted while sweeping you across the ballroom was enough to fill him with dizzy pride and adoration. Soon she’ll be my wife. My Queen. 

Your thoughts seemed to be similar, seeking out as much innocent contact as you could whenever you could. It was much easier to do at sea, and though neither of you ever let things go too far, you both took every opportunity you could find to be close, to touch. Turning your face just enough to slide the side of your nose along his, he felt your sigh against his lips as they twitched upwards. Hands falling from his hair, you slid them down his arms until your fingers caught on his wrists. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face, Caspian.” You tightened your grip before swiping your thumbs over his rapidly increasing pulse. With a squint of your eyes, you hummed a laugh and wrinkled your nose. “When he hears that the King of Narnia wants to marry his salt soaked, stubborn, sea-swept daughter.” 

Caspian recalled the stunned look on Vash’s face as he jogged out onto the docks behind Drinian and Ropen, and the frantic waving of his arms as he called out your name. “He’ll probably be just as shocked to hear that she’s said yes.” You laughed, the sound contagious and causing him to join you. 

All around, the ship’s deck bustled with crewmen preparing to drop anchor, tie off and lower the sails. Shouts of “heave!” were answered by grunts as Takos and Grivez pulled thick ropes. Cheepimeek had taken his place hear the helm, tiny paws wrapped firmly around the carved scrollwork near the base of the great wheel as Drinian and Rynelf carefully turned the ship to port. Timmin and Ropen manned the system of rigging that controlled the Dawn Treader’s enormous sails. Overhead, the stunning golden lions that you had woven into the regal purple fabric seemed to bow as they slowly collapsed. Small, choppy waves crashed against the strong hull as it made the turn and cut through the clear water, and with a quickness unrivaled by any other ship or any other crew in Narnia, the vessel was docked and it was finally time to disembark. 

As the men readied the gangway, Caspian watched your eyes fill with more and more excitement. In the year you’d spent away from your island, he knew that you’d grown to love the halls and grounds of Cair Paravel and it’s seemingly unending opportunities to explore. But he also knew that no place in creation would replace your true home; the cerulean water licking at fine white sand, the shells and stones that washed up along the shoreline, the massive trees that hid secret caves and small streams. His gaze travelled over towards the workshop where your father toiled away at carving, cutting and planing wood into usable boards for shipbuilding, and where you used to work alongside him weaving nets and sails. The little house you’d grown up in filled Caspian’s heart, and he imagined a young version of his future Queen arranging the conch shells that served as a flower bed around the orchids and lilies beneath the house’s windows. He smiled to himself as you moved closer to the gangway, itching to forego it altogether and leap into the water to run up the beach. I wouldn’t blame her. Despite only having spent two weeks on the island the year before, Caspian couldn’t help his own eagerness to return. Cair Paravel has become a home to her, and this place one to me. You loved your home so fully that it was impossible to think that that  love wouldn’t transfer into Caspian’s heart as well. 

The front door of the small house opened wide, and Vash stepped out onto the sand, beaming and waving. “Father!” You bounced on your toes in your excitement, and without another word of warning, you jumped down from where you stood next to Caspian, landing on the gangway the very second that Takos and Timmin had set it in place. 

Caspian hid a chuckle behind his hand at the gasps and shocked faces of the crewmen, and only counted to two and a half before he felt Drinian’s eyes on him, his exasperation at your tendency to quite literally fling yourself into action written all over his face. The king only shrugged with a sheepish grin as he made his way towards the stairs, opting for Drinian’s preferred method of moving from upper to lower decks, but before he did he caught his captain shaking his head with a smile. You know, don’t you Lord Drinian? Caspian’s eyes followed your long strides as your legs turned over to carry you up the docks. You’ll never tame her, no one will. He stepped onto the gangway and made to disembark, but something darted through his legs and past his ankles, making him halt his motion. What was-

“Pardons, your majesty!” Cheepimeek turned and swept into a bow without stopping, his excited little legs carrying him towards where you were throwing your arms around your father’s neck. “I must accompany M’Lady for her safety, and she is very quick!” 

She is. Caspian laughed again as the Mouse sprinted over the dock and jumped onto the sand. He knew Meek had sworn his sword to your protection and that the brave adventurer took that oath as seriously as one could take anything. But he also knew that part of Meek’s eagerness was due to the fact that he’d heard your stories of the island’s wonder and beauty, and he was vibrating tail to whisker with impatience to begin exploring. “Carry on, Meek.” He nodded as Cheepimeek stumbled into another bow and scampered the rest of the way. 

By the time Caspian reached you, Cheepimeek was perched on your shoulder, one paw wrapped around Vash’s finger as he shook the man’s hand and introduced himself. “A pleasure to meet you, Sir Cheepimeek.” 

You bit back a grin and cast your eyes sidelong to lock with Caspian’s as Meek’s furry cheeks flushed and he retracted his paw to scratch at his head. “Oh,” he gave a shy laugh. “I am but a Mouse, my Lord, no need for titles here.” 

Vash bent down to meet Meek’s eyes. “And I am but a shipbuilder, yet still a King stands before me.” Vash flicked his eyes up to Caspian’s as he took his place next to you, before returning his attention to his new acquaintance. “Titles are arbitrary on this island, brave Mouse, and if what my daughter’s letters have told me about you are any indication of your character,” Vash smiled from beneath his wiry beard and mustache as Meek’s eyes doubled in size, “Then you are likely ten times the knight that some have been, title or no.”

That’s absolutely true. While some at court would find Vash’s cavalier attitude towards titles and nobility off putting and others treasonous, Caspian enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and sensible attitude towards life and people that he took. Vash was the type of man to judge a king by what was beneath his crown, and not how many jewels adorned it. I wish more thought like he does. But Caspian knew that you and Vash were special cases regarding your worldview, because technically, your island wasn’t in Narnia. After returning to Cair Paravel the previous year, Caspian had poured over every map he could get his hands on, from the first scribbled imaginings of the shape of the world to the most recent and accurate charts of the known lands. 

Your island was missing from all of them.

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

1 Year Ago 

Caspian’s glance flicked from the man hurrying up the docks after Drinian and Ropen, to you, standing with one hand still perched on your hip. Your lips were slightly parted in surprise, but most of the shock had drained from your sharp eyes almost as quickly as it was put there. It was replaced with a look of curiosity, your head tilting to one side as you blinked at him. Your father had just called out to let you know that you were speaking to the King of Narnia, and you were regarding Caspian as though you were half unsure that either kings or a kingdom called Narnia existed. That’s… no one’s ever been skeptical. He slowly released the loose grip he had on the hilt of his sword, shifting his weight back to an upright position and straightening his spine. Usually they just bow. His lips twitched upwards, amused by how much this interaction differed from any other he’d had whether it be at port, at sea or while tediously sitting on the throne. 

“Is that right, sir?” You moved your hand from your hip to cross your arms over your chest, adjusting your stance to stick one hip out. “Are you a King?” One eyebrow hiked high, you smirked somewhat mischievously. 

Caspian cleared his throat as the three men finally crossed the gangway and boarded the schooner. “I am.” 

“Not just a King, miss.” Drinian corrected you, sternly but respectfully, cognizant of the fact that they were technically intruding upon your property, but also unwilling to allow anyone to talk down to Caspian. “You are standing in the presence of King Caspian the Tenth,” Caspian’s eyes moved from the three men back to you. “The Navigator,” Drinian continued as Ropen cleared his throat uncomfortably in response to the tight lipped grin on your lips. “Lord of Cair Paravel, Emperor of the Lone Islands, and Narnia’s true King.” It is a lot, isn’t it? He let out a small breath, nodding to his men and looking back at you.

“King Caspian the Tenth.” You stated the shortest and most direct of his titles with a discerning narrowing of your eyes. Caspian nodded. That’s, yes, that’s me. It felt refreshing to only be addressed with a fraction of his lofty moniker. He watched you turn to face your father, the muscular if just a few biscuits too hefty man nodding and tossing a shrug towards Caspian. Hmm? Your voice snapped his attention back. “You’re the Seafaring King?” That’s the one she- But one glance up and down the docks at the other two ships flanking the one he was standing on told him that it was the only title that mattered to you. “You built The Dawn Treader?” 

The tone in your voice had shifted from curious though unimpressed to curious and newly interested. So she does know who I am. “I did,” he answered enthusiastically, knowing nothing about you other than that he was fairly certain you enjoyed being at sea as much as he did. “I built my ship to-“ 

You took a step closer, dropping your arms and letting a wide smile break out on your face. “To travel to the Lone Islands and rescue the Seven Lost Lords!” 

He cocked an eyebrow. “So you know of my ship and my crew, but not of my Kingdom?” Not of the kingdom we are standing in right now? 

Again your eyes darted over to consult with your father’s, Caspian, Drinian and Ropen closely watching the silent exchange. The man nodded and you took a deep breath through your nose before swallowing. Turning back to answer the question, Caspian thought he saw a trepidatious look flash across your face. Is she nervous? About what? 

“I know only what I’ve been told by the other sailors who have…” you chewed your bottom lip, choosing your words carefully. “Visited our island.” Our island? “But I’ve never been to Narnia myself.” 

Before Caspian or his men could react to what you’d just said, your father stepped forward, coming between Drinian and Ropen to address Caspian directly. 

“Welcome to Isle Lorley, King Caspian the Tenth.” The man stuck his hand out for Caspian to grasp. Isle Lorley? I’ve never… “My name is Vash, you’ve met my daughter.” He nodded in your direction then set his kind eyes back on the King. “You and your men have had an arduous journey.” It wasn’t a question, Caspian noted. “Why don’t you come inside, and we can discuss the repairs that your ship needs.” 

I didn’t mention any repairs, how does he-

But Vash had already turned to start back towards the house he’d come running from, Drinian and Ropen sharing a look with their King before following the man. What is this place? 

“I’ve never woven sails for a King before.” Now that it was just the two of you again, the playful, nearly teasing tone was back in your voice. Caspian snapped his head around to see your tilted head and crooked smile, your braid dangling over your shoulder in a rope. “Does his majesty have any special requests?” 

“How did you know that our sails have torn?” His question was curious and not at all accusatory. “I haven’t said anything about-“

“The storm,” you said quietly, one hand going up to touch the shiny golden hair pin that you wore. “A storm like that one…” you trailed off, your eyes clouding with storms of their own. Caspian was just about to test out your name, when you shook your head and smiled. “I’ve heard that you Narnians like lions. What do you think, Seafarer? Would a pair of golden lions suit King Caspian the Tenth?” 

..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

Present Day 

Once he’d finished introducing himself to Cheepimeek, and the Mouse had scurried back to the ship to assist the crew, Vash resumed his full height and clapped Caspian jovially on the shoulder. “Welcome back, your highness.” He grinned, the action undoing years of concentrated furrows from focusing on his work. “It is good to see you again.” 

Caspian smiled as you stepped closer to his side, and returned Vash’s greeting. “It’s a pleasure, sir, thank you for having me.” As both men dropped their hands from each other’s arms, your hand closed around Caspian’s, your bare forearm brushing the skin beneath his rolled cuffs. He couldn’t help himself from turning slightly to look over at you, the warmth and ease that always surrounded Isle Lorley only multiplying in his chest at the curving of your cheeks. 

Vash cleared his throat. “And under much better circumstances than last time you visited, it would appear.” He raised his eyebrows good naturedly, then laughed and turned toward the house. With a wave, he called over his shoulder. “Come inside, your highness. It seems we have much to discuss.” 

Caspian’s eyes widened and his mouth ran dry, but you only let him suffer for a second, giving his hand a squeeze. “He already knows how I feel about you, Caspian.” Leaning in, you kissed his arm through his sleeve, and the soft touch of your lips through the fine fabric was enough to relax him once more. “And he knows how much you care about me, and-” 

“How much I love you, you mean.” He tugged you closer by your still entwined hands, and you let out a surprised breath. More than the sea, more than the stars. 

You tucked your bottom lip between your teeth, color rushing to your cheeks like waves over the shore. “Yes, King Caspian the Tenth, how much you love me.”  

Before he could respond, Vash called out again, waving his arm from the doorstep. Caspian looked towards the house, the row of tinted green glass bottles in the window catching his eye and reminding him of the magic of Isle Lorley. 

“Everything is going to be alright, My King,” you assured him, laying another kiss to his bicep. “Now, let’s go tell him what I’m certain he’s already hoping for.”

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As always, thank you for reading! Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the tags. 

@something-tofightfor @its-my-little-dumpster-fire @malionnes @suchatinyinfinity @gollyderek @pheedraws @russobill @thesumofmychoices @beautifuldesastre @fific7 @dearmarii @tartiflvtte @ificouldhelpyouforget @vetseras @manymanyenvelopes 

[the-blind-assassin-12]

in the arms of the ocean - intro

A/N: Ha...hahaha...hi. So um... I had not planned for this to be the next thing that I posted. I have a few lingering requests from my last event (3 more to be exact, one each for Billy, Benjamin and Logan) and I have created so many loose ends in all my many train wrecks, but here I go again with another...I don’t make the rules, I just play the game. Anyway! I have been wanting to write something *like* this for quite some time now, and though I never saw myself writing for Caspian (because it terrifies me more than Billy for some reason) here we are all the same. Don’t want to give anything away so gonna go ahead ad zip it here and now. I hope you enjoy!

Warning: death

Word Count: 3,276

25 years ago...

“Sereia!” 

She fought back a sob as she pushed on, wading out into the shallows. Her long dark hair swirled around her as the wind whipped through it, heavy raindrops pelting her cheeks to mix with the salt of her tears and the spray of the sea. Each step she took cut into her heart, slicing like daggers the further she got from him. From them. 

“Sereia, no! No!”

It was impossible to hear anything over the thrashing of the waves and the collisions of clouds overhead, but his voice reached her ear, broken by despair but clear as a bell. Vash. Her chest went hollow, his ache scraping at what was left of her heart after ripping herself from his kiss and from you, her daughter. She wanted to turn back, to see him one more time, let her eyes drink in the sight of the only man- the only being- to ever give her so much love that she had no choice but to sacrifice everything to protect it. But looking back would shatter her resolve to pieces, would send her running back into his arms, would make it impossible for her not to scoop you up and hold you tight and breathe in the sweet scent of your hair as she kissed it. Looking back would send you all to your death. Looking back would mean that Narnia would never be safe again. It’s the only way, Vash. Please understand.    

“Come back! You don’t have to do this! Please, please! Don’t do this! ” 

A small cry accompanied his pleas this time, and she froze, knees nearly buckling as the cold water bit into her skin through the skirt of her dress. Your name flashed through her mind then and she squeezed her eyes tightly against the burning at their corners. No, I have to… A barrage of memories swarmed Sereia’s mind as just a few meters away from where the sandy sea floor dropped off to the fathoms below, a whirlpool began to open. She felt the rushing of the surf as it flew out again, pulled back over her ankles and calves and out to the deepening funnel. Holding you for the first time, Vash’s arms around her as he kissed their daughter and his cheeks glowed with pride. Your first toddling steps aboard one of the many ships that passed in and out of her and Vash’s care, sure and more sturdy than most children double your age on dry land could manage. Your squeals of laughter as your pudgy little hand wrapped around her fingers and the two of you splashed through the foamy tide pools near your home. So much joy, so much love. Unsticking her feet from the soft, sucking sand, she carried on, her steps slicing deeper now. 

Another rush pulled more icy water out into the threatening maelstrom and Sereia was hit again, this time with images of the things that would never come to pass if she faltered now. You as a tall, lanky young girl, climbing the rigging of a ship to join Vash in the crow’s nest, his wide smile softer on your face than his. Love, perhaps, your fingers twined with another pair as your eyes radiated the happiness you felt. A whole lifetime of memories and triumphs, growth and adventure that you’d never get to have if she turned back now. So much out there for her still, for both of them.

“Sereia, you can’t do this...please...please don’t leave me like this…” 

Something in Vash’s voice was changing, the fight draining out of him as realization set in despite his continued begging. You know, Vash. You understand. You’ve always been able to understand. Their love story had never been a simple one, and therefore it made sense that the end would be no different. You understand, you have to. From the moment that she first saw him, clinging to that board out in the middle of the ocean, skin burnt and breaths shallow, she knew it wouldn’t be an easy love. The will of water was one of the most powerful forces in existence. Yet it was not powerful enough to take him like it had taken the rest of his crew, their souls already joining the ranks of those claimed by the sea. And by the merfolk. Sereia knew that her people had the capacity for violence, for vicious acts against the sailors that dared to brave the Bight of Calormen on their way out to the Great Eastern Sea. Domination, that was what they wanted, to control the glimmering expanse of ocean. Sereia never could grasp the concept that Narnians or Telmarines or any other man or beast that she shared these lands with were nefarious or unworthy of safe passage across their domain. Most of them don’t bother with us at all, they’re afraid. And with good reason. 

She knew of the stories sailors told to greenhorns as warnings; tales of beautiful creatures, half human but with the glittering tail and fins of a fish, bottom half covered in radiant scales. The stories told of a song so sweet that men had no choice but to give in to the trancelike state that drew them away from the safety of their ships and into the dark, silent void, so deep and cold that not even moonlight could reach it. Sereia knew the stories the men told each other because she often swam close to their ships; close enough to see and hear but not to be seen or heard. She knew the stories they told, and she knew them to be true. She’d always felt a sadness in that, in knowing that the horrors that these men built superstitions and rituals to avoid were true and that they were carried out by her people. So the night that she first saw Vash, she made a choice not to be like them. She made the choice to be a protector instead of a combatant, an ally instead of an enemy. Sereia didn’t know it yet, in the moments when her fingers brushed the man’s damp hair out of his eyes, but she made the choice to love. 

There was only one other that she knew who felt like she did, her aunt Coralia, who the merfolk had banished to the farthest reaches of their kingdom and labeled a witch. Coralia, like a fair few other merpeople, had been gifted with magic, but unlike the others, she chose not to use her powers for destruction. In secret, she cast protective spells upon the currents as they passed by her hideaway, enchanting the waters in an attempt to do all she could to undo the violence of her people. Sereia had been forbidden from seeing her aunt- contacting an exiled merperson was seen as an act of treason, as was Coralia’s refusal to use her magic to help conquer the seas. But as Sereia grew older and became more and more conflicted about what was expected of her, she began to care less and less about excommunication, and on the night that she pulled Vash safely to shore, she swam straight for Coralia’s dwelling without stopping and without even the idea of looking back. 

She had thought she would have to beg Coralia to grant her wish, and had spent the entire journey working on her argument, strengthening her reasoning for wanting to leave this world behind and join the world above. But Coralia had surprised her, welcoming her with open arms and a compassionate heart. She agreed to grant Sereia the gift of humanity, because she could see that her niece could never truly find happiness if she were forced to forsake her kind heart and give in to the cruel tendencies of the cold blooded creatures that lived only to see the demise of those that were different than they were.

 “Sweet child,” her honeyed voice filled Sereia with an unfamiliar warmth, her soft hands falling delicately on the younger mermaid’s bare shoulders. “You have love and compassion in your heart and peace in your spirit.” She shook her head slowly, her piercing green eyes never leaving her niece’s face. “I’ve been waiting for this day to come since you were small.” She tucked Sereia’s rippling hair behind her ear, and despite the free flowing water around them, the long silken strands stayed put at Coralia’s enchanted touch. “You don’t belong in this world, my darling girl. You never have.” Reaching up to her own crown of delicately arranged locks held in place by strings of iridescent pearls and bits of net pinned between golden starfish, and pulled a pin loose, bringing it down in front of Sereia’s wide eyes. “You were destined for far greater things, Sereia. Far greater things than you’d ever be allowed down here. You’re brave, child, and strong. You would not be here if those things weren’t true.” 

Tilting forward, she pressed her lips to Sereia’s cheek. “It will not always be easy, I’m afraid. Becoming one of them means more than dancing and merriment.” Her eyes grew sad then, her lips turning down. “It means bearing the burden of their emotions, the weight of their pain. And child, I wish I could protect you from that pain, but even my magic would be useless there.” Smoothing back the hair on the other side of Sereia’s face, she arranged her features into a warm smile once more, though it lasted less than a second before dipping down. “You will know heartache and tears and loneliness, and those things can tear some people apart. Knowing all of this, is it still your wish to join them?” 

Sereia’s heart raced and her fingers tingled with the memory of Vash’s hair and skin beneath them, the feel of the sand as she dragged him ashore, the rush she felt in saving the man that otherwise would have fallen victim to the violence of the sea. It wasn’t love then, not yet, but Sereia had known that she had crossed Vash’s path for a reason as surely as she knew that she couldn’t go back to life as she knew it. She could stay here with Coralia, doing what she could to keep safe the sailors that traveled above. But she’d never have anything more than that. She’d never see Vash again, she’d never dance, never know what it was to leave prints in the sand. “Yes,” her voice was small but certain. “Yes, that is my wish.” 

Coralia smiled then, her eyes flickering with hope and happiness. “Then let it be.” Delicately gathering Sereia’s hair between her fingers, Coralia took the golden star pin that she’d pulled from her own hair, and secured it away from her eyes. “The spell will allow you to swim to shore,” she explained. “But once the water becomes shallow enough,” she looked down at Sereia’s shimmering silver scales and lacy tail fin and nodded, eyes narrowed, not having to tell her what would happen next. “It will hurt, at first,” she warned. “But the pain will be fleeting. By the time you reach the sand,” she nodded again, this time with more vigor. “The pain will be replaced with joy, and though the spell will have worn off,” She brought her fingertips up to brush at the points of the hair pin. “The magic will stay with you, Sereia. Use it for good. Use it bravely.” She squeezed Sereia’s shoulders. “Use it to protect the ones you love.” 

If ever there were a time to use Coralia’s magic, hot tears ran down her wet cheeks as she reached the edges of the swirling funnel, forked spears of lightning striking all around, the sky and water both the same steely gray. Rising from the funnel, a great serpent reared it’s hideous head, an insidious glow in it’s many eyes and thick, sticky venom dripping from it’s fangs. As it surfaced, so did a dozen or so merfolk, tridents in hand and geared for battle. It’s now…  Raising her trembling hands towards the beast, she finally allowed herself one last backwards glance at the man and child she had been seemingly created to shield with her love. You understand, Vash, don’t you? “I love you,” she spoke so softly that they wouldn’t have heard her even if she were sitting on the porch steps at home, holding them close. “Both of you.” 

Before she ventured out into the roiling sea, she’d explained to her husband, as quickly as she could through trembling lips and burning tears, that the time had come for her to do all she could to save not only him and their child- you- but all of Narnia. 

“They won’t stop, Vash.” She’d told him between desperate kisses all over his face. “They’ll never stop, their numbers are too great, and now they’ve joined with her.” She saw the truth break her husband’s heart. He knew. He’d seen it. The merfolk had grown restless in their quest for dominance. Wrecking the occasional ship and pillaging the treasures on board no longer satisfied them. But to get more power they needed to make a powerful alliance. “Jadis, Vash.” She couldn’t stop saying his name, letting him hear it, running her tongue over it just a few more times.

 Sereia shook her head, tears blurring her vision, and when she blinked them open again she looked down at you. You were so small, clutching onto your father’s shirt, your eyes the size of sand dollars and filled with uncertainty and fear. Dropping her lips to your forehead, she repeated the same frantic kisses she’d given him over your cheeks and eyelids and hair. When she’d covered every inch of your little face, she looked back up at her husband and finally understood what Coralia had meant about heartache. “She’ll destroy this world, Vash. She’ll leave nothing for our girl...she’ll leave nothing for anyone.” You know it. She knew he did. Even as he begged and pleaded for her to turn back, he knew she wouldn’t. She took his hand in hers and placed it over her heart, and as soon as his palm made contact he released a sob that told her he’d accepted it- all of it. “You have given me so much more than I ever thought I could have, Vash. You will always have my love.” 

The storm was growing in intensity, the waves pitching and crashing. I don’t have much time. Reaching up, Sereia plucked the old but still shining pin from her hair, and scooped your fine strands between her fingers. “You,” she took your face between her palms and wiped your confused tears away. “You, sweet girl, you are my love. And I will always, always keep you safe.” 

That’s when she’d torn herself away, knowing that the longer she stayed the harder it would be to leave them. In that same impossibly soft whisper, Sereia sent one last blessing to her daughter. “Close to you I’ll always be, to keep you safe upon the sea.”  

She waited one more beat, gave herself one last glance at her family, and closed her eyes. I want them to be the last thing I see, not...not some beast. Them. Turning back towards the towering monster, eyes still clamped shut with the imagine of you and Vash imprinted behind them, she released all the power that she had, all the light that would have lasted her so many more years, all at once, defeating the serpent and banishing the merfolk, a protective barrier forming to push them and their monsters and even the evil witch herself far from the shore. As the last of her power drained, Sereia rejoined the sea, dissolving into the foam as the ocean calmed and the skies cleared. 

I will always keep you safe.   

.. ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  

 1 Year ago

The air was full of crashing, cacophonous peels of thunder rolling so quickly after the other that they were impossible to discern from the smashing of the sea. Lighting rode right on it’s back to rip the sky open with sharp, white forked flashes. Caspian gripped the helm with both hands, adding to the strength of the several crewmen already fighting the waves, muscles straining like never before to turn the great wooden wheel even the slightest degree. Salty water splashed over the deck in furious, frothy waves making the boards slick and perilous, but he planted his boots firmly where he stood, weight down through the soles of his feet as he pulled and heaved, desperately trying to negate the torn sail. 

“We won’t make it much longer, Your Majesty,” Drinian’s already gruff voice was reduced to a grunt as he too threw all of his weight behind the helm. There were no signs of fear or panic in the man’s words, only facts. Facts that Caspian knew well enough to be true.

 He glanced up at the rigging, what was left of the sails hanging in limp tatters and flapping in the harsh wind. We won’t. We need to get to shore. He nodded, eyebrows pinched together in determination. 

At first they had thought that they could push through the storm, sail hard and fast through the eye of it and out the other side. But there didn’t seem to be another side. They’d been battling the storm for hours without any indication that it would be letting up soon. Pushing through was no longer an option. Caspian closed his eyes and silently hoped that Aslan would send him a sign, an answer, some way to lead his men to safety, some way to keep Narnia’s King from ending up at the bottom of the sea. When he opened them again, he had to blink to be sure that what he was seeing was not an illusion. Is that?

“There!” He thrust one arm out ahead of him, his drenched sleeve hanging heavily from it. Drinian’s sharp blue eyes followed the line of the young King’s arm and widened when they fell upon the landform that had gone unnoticed until now. Or had it not been there until now? Just because he was King didn’t mean that Caspian was foolish enough to believe that he knew all of Narnia’s secrets. But regardless of how the island came into their line of sight, or why, it was their only option for safety. 

“Aye!” Drinian agreed with a nod of his head before shouting orders to the crew without a second’s hesitation. 

It was difficult to steer the massive ship with hardly anything left of the sails, but miraculously they did, throwing the anchor as soon as they were clear of the outcropping of rocks along the shoals. The storm continued to churn, angry waves tossing the Dawn Treader from crest to crest and rain lashing at the windows and portholes. But once everything was tied off and secured, Caspian had made sure that every last member of his crew had taken shelter, remaining on deck until only he and Drinian were left. More tired than he ever remembered being, and given his first real dose of fright- however fleeting it had been- in a long time, Caspian stripped off his soaked clothes and changed into something warm and dry, and collapsed into his mattress. 

We have to mend that sail tomorrow… first thing… need to find a sailmaker and… 

But the half thought slipped away as he slipped into a quick and heavy sleep, certain that they’d find all  that they needed once they were able to go ashore. 

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please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the tags! I know some of you troopers have told me you’ re down for all the rides in the park, but I didn’t want to assume otherwise!

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@something-tofightfor​ @its-my-little-dumpster-fire​ @malionnes​ @suchatinyinfinity​ @gollyderek​ @pheedraws​ @russobill​ @thesumofmychoices​ @beautifuldesastre​

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Aquarius and Libra 🤗

Hey lovely!! Thank you for asking these!

aquarius: what is the most unique thing about your current wip?

Um...ISY has a visually impaired reader character, which is something that I try extremely hard to address properly. ItAotO has mermaids, which is something I have been itching to do for decades, CD has phantoms. Spooky.

Do these things count as being unique?

libra: how do you balance writing and life? do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of writing you have to do?

LOL I DONT. I DONT BALANCE ANYTHING WITH ANYTHING EXCEPT PLATES ON MY ARMS- I’M GREAT AT CARRYING LOTS OF PLATES AND CUPS AT ONCE.

I truly just write when and where I can. Sometimes it’s a whole scene sometimes it’s feverishly scribbled notes and word clouds. Once I woke up at like 3am to write a song for a character. Like, there is no balance.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

alright buckle up...

@something-tofightfor and @suchatinyinfinity shared their list of WIPs and in an attempt to keep myself motivated, I’m going to go ahead and post my embarrassingly long list of things that I am currently working on: 

Logan Core Drive: 1.05 and Clean- Complete (these two will wrap up the first section of that story. 1.05 is about half-way done, and Complete is about a third of the way done. Looking forward to closing this difficult chapter in that story.)  SYiNY: Part Four, which I need to finish and post AT LEAST this part before Thanksgiving... because I’m also working on a Thanksgiving piece for this pair.  Nice and Spice(d): One of the Title Game results, this one is also tied to the SYiNY story line and I am planning to have it ready to post in mid- December. 

Billy I See You: From Here-2 and ISY 11. I get weird about this story after I post each new chapter of this story and I need to get over it and just write it already. Billy and Ike deserve it.  **A NEW THING** that I shouldn’t be writing at all just yet but am about 5k words in and can’t seem to steer myself away from... (would anyone care if I started posting a new Billy thing before I finished ISY? because...) I’m not going to post this until it’s done, so it might be a while but then again if I keep up this pace of ignoring my responsibilities to my other projects, it might not. 

Ryan Passing Through: Part 6 - Ryan gets a little peppery in this one and no it’s still not a smut.  **A NEW THING** that isn’t technically a new thing it’s still the same Ryan from PT but it’s not technically necessary but it’s likely happening anyway. Purely self-indulgent.   

Benjamin TGTBT: Part 5. I think this one is probably only about 3 or 4 more parts but don’t worry because there’s... Not If It’s You: A Follow Up to TGTBT and that’s all I can say about that.  The Jilted Tourist: One of the Title Game results, it’s a three part mini-series that takes place almost two years before TGTBT Benj meets reader. So yeah, he’s still married to Julia. ugh. 

Caspian ItAotO: part 5. I am not looking forward to this one. Not even a little bit.  The Last Dream: One of the Title Game results. Stand alone (i think?). Looking like its going to be a three part mini series for this one, too. 

John LFtM&D: Part 2 & 3 - these need to be written simultaneously. you’ll see. if i ever post them. I lost John’s voice you guys, I need to rewatch Easy Virtue. 

I think that’s everything that I am actively working on at the moment. that’s more than enough, right? (don’t answer that) anywho- despite this incredibly long list of half finished over-ambitious WIPs, if you have any questions or requests or things you’d like me to write about, you can always send them my way! it might take me a year and a day to write them, but then again... it might not. 

SO! if anyone else wants to share their wip files, go on ahead and tag me so we can commiserate!  

[the-blind-assassin-12]

10.

#10 I’m most impatient to hear reader reactions to…

The things that I am most nervous about. And Ryan.

Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to read/hear reactions to any and all things that I write. But when its something that is new for me or something that I’m nervous about (even if I’m completely happy with it) because its different territory or an unpopular take on something. 

Things that make me nervous:  Core Drive Caspian in general (but specifically TLD and the number of OCs in ItAotO)  John in general Billy in general

And honestly I just love writing Ryan so much and usually feel the most comfortable when I am writing him, so I like to hear what people think about my take on that marvelous man.