#kelp garden

[annasinthewalls]

Take me home

[benthicsbelow]

Day 178.

Matheson Bay. The Gullies.

I snuck out for an afternoon dive in between work today. It was the last sunny day before the rain arrives tomorrow and the visibility had cleared up. Some days it’s harder to convince myself to put in the effort to ‘wetsuit up’ so I can spend longer in the water, but it continues to surprise me how good I feel when I’m out there and how much there is to see.

I wasn’t 100% ready to come in, but without my dive watch (which needs a new battery) I played it safe and luckily got home just in time for my next session and without chilling down too much.

PS, I think the octopus in this picture is asleep. This is the first photo I took, and after that it opened it’s eyes (back to the familiar white stripes) and started moving it’s rocks around. What a cutie.

[chaodads]

[wolken-himmel]

In which Floyd's transformation potion wears off, causing him to be stuck in his eel-merman form in a large tank.

Now (Y/n) has to entertain him.

Request by anon.

You had always admired the Mostro Lounge's interior design. Large tanks that lined the walls, some that connected to the vast ocean outside the building and allowed little fish and other creatures to pass through. You used to spend a lot of time watching all these adorable and innocent creatures swim past the glass facade. But now, all of them had been chased away by a vicious predator.

Floyd.

You exhaled and watched as he terrorised the last remaining guppies until they fled the tank. The large eel-merman was left alone in the tank, now bored out of his mind. There were no more little fish to torment. So he turned to you, who stood outside the tank and watched him swim around. He flashed his teeth at you, you poor little fish.

"Shrimpy!" he cried out once his head penetrated the surface of the tank. His arms were resting on the upper edge of the tank, the water from his skin dripping to the ground. He shot you a sly smile. "Come a little closer. I don't bite."

You wrapped your arms around yourself, making sure your blazer was still dry. Despite his pressing gaze, you didn't move a centimetre. "I don't wanna get wet. You splashed Azul when he gave you your lunch earlier."

Floyd let out a groan at your reply. "Shrimpy, don't be such a guppy!"

His words caused you to quirk an eyebrow. "I'm not a guppy. I have good reasons not to trust you," you said, a tad bit of playfulness lingering in your voice. You chortled softly, knowing better than to come closer to him.

"What?! I'm as innocent as those little spikeballs from the Heartslabyul garden, the ones you like to cuddle! I deserve appreciation too, don't I?" the merman whined, as if your words had offended him. He pulled his arms away from the ledge of the tank and sank to the bottom of the tank, so he could face you properly. His long tail curled around the floor as he glared at you, the glass wall being the only thing separating you two.

You shrugged softly. "Who says you won't pull me into that tank if I get closer."

"I would never. I swear on Jade."

His words drew loud laughter from your lips. You almost doubled over from how intense the wheezes were that shook your body. "You'd swear on your own brother?" you asked and held your stomach in pain. As your laughter faded out into chuckles, you gazed around the empty Mostro Lounge. "I hope he didn't hear that..."

Floyd chuckled along, but his laughter quickly turned into grumbles of annoyance again. "Come on, Shrimpy. I'm bored!" he complained again and swam circles in his tank. It was large enough to allow for vast movement, but it was empty of any entertainment. "I wanna walk again, poke your side and annoy you."

You chuckled and crossed your arms. "Yeah, you're a real menace. Maybe it's good you're stuck in that tank for a few hours," you teased him. Unable to help yourself, you stuck your tongue out at him.

Floyd clutched his chest dramatically and sank to the bottom of the tank, where he remained motionlessly. "Shrimpy, you're so mean to me..."

Laughter spilled from your lips, and you couldn't help but tap your finger nail against the glass wall. "Stop it, Floyd. You're so dramatic."

"You're breaking my heart..." the eel-merman whined before regaining life again. At the speed of light, he shot up from the ground of the tank and zoomed off into a dark corner.

You brought your face closer to the glass, your eyes scanning the vast tank. The back was littered with large stones and tall kelp plants. Even though his tail was long, he somehow managed to easily hide amongst the flora of the tank. A worried feeling made itself apparent in your stomach. "Floyd? Where are you? Come out again," you yelled out nervously.

Did your playful banter go too far? Did you actually manage to insult him.

Your head began to spin with thoughts of how hurt he must feel. Feeling awful, you desperately searched for any sign of life from him. But your eyes never managed to see past the plants and rocks in the tank. He was nowhere to be found.

With each passing minute of your fruitless search, guilt and dread weighed down your conscience. You began to feel bad about what you had said to him. Any attempt of calling out to him was met with awful silence. With Floyd gone, the empty Mostro Lounge became eerie and lifeless.

Your guilt got the better of you, and you climbed up the ladder that led to the upper ledge of the tank. Your eyes scanned the crystal clear water, but even from up there, you couldn't manage to find him amongst the kelp. With your hands tightly gripping onto the ledge, you leaned over the tank.

"Floyd... I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said," you murmured softly. "Please come out again. I'm worried about you..."

You're met with silence again. He still seemed too hurt to reply you. Or that's what you thought at least. With all the feelings of guilt that plagued you, you didn't notice the threatening shadow that approached you from below. Your torse continued to lean over the ledge, desperately trying to find your friend in the tank.

That was until a webbed hand shot out from the water and grabbed your arm. A scream escaped your lips as you were pulled into the tank with ease. Your body toppled over the ledge and plunged into the water. Strong limbs and an even stronger tail constricted most of your panicked movement.

Your clothes felt heavy and your eyes burnt as you were finally able to open them. You came face to face with a mischievously grinning Floyd. He held you tightly, but making sure your head remained above the water. An unsettling giggle escaped his lips. "I never was mad at you. I just needed you to feel guilty and come closer to the tank so I could pull you in."

You glared at him, but your anger was only half-hearted. "You sly eel..."

Your struggling is met with carefree laughter from his side. "That's what we're known as. Smart, sly and slippery!" he exclaimed smugly and swam around the tank with you. A bright smile was plastered onto his face, akin to that of a child that had just received a present.

"I should have known this was just another one of your ploys," you murmured in dismay.

Floyd pressed you against him until you could only wheeze out your complaints. "You're like a rubber duck! So easily squeezable and cute," he cooed playfully.

"Hey, let me go!" you cried out with red cheeks.

His laughter turned louder, until it filled the entirety of the Mostro Lounge. "Sorry, no can do, Shrimpy. You're my little rubber ducky until I get my transformation potion."

"Azul! Hurry up with the potion!" you yelled out at the top of your lungs.

Before you could say more, Floyd pulled you underwater to shut you up. After a few seconds of having his fun, he pulled you up again. A giggle escaped his lips at your disoriented state. He merely soothed your strangled whines by pulling you closer, his arms circling around your waist.

An eerie smile decorated his face as he patted your head. "Oh, he can take his time. I don't mind...."

[green-rush-nutrients]

Our Seaweed Extract has begun to touch down! We still have our $9.99 pre-sale on our website available for Canadian customers but only for a few more days! Can’t wait to run this same promo in the U.S in a few weeks. Thank you to our friend @cuttinggrows for the pic! #green #rush #nutrients #kelp #benefit #seaweed #extract #summer #outdoor #garden #backyard #sunlight https://www.instagram.com/p/Cee2A7psHdQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[pumpkincurryelote]

More Separatist Adjacent Ideas:

Fix-It circle in which a group of women converge on one woman's household problems once a week. Leaky sink? Roof needs refinishing? Corners caulked? Slab poured? Toilet installed? Commit together on solving every issue you'd typically rely on a man or contractor for (within reason). This should build confidence and independence from men.

Crop circle in which each woman grows one crop at her house using whatever unconventional method she must and at least three varieties of said crop and also utilize companion planting. This includes small livestock. Meet once a week to discuss findings/observations. Everyone composts. Everyone pitches in for organic fertilizers (liquid kelp, fish emulsion, etc.)

Use what you produce for Nighttime Garden Parties, in which this private group of women partakes of their harvest visibly and at night. The goal is to change the character of the Night, which has been stolen from us by men. I'm talking Get Dressed Up Use Real Dishes Sit at a Table get out the Patio Lights. Choose a different location every time, or rotate locations. Perhaps choose locations that might otherwise be viewed as ugly/abandoned. This IS dangerous, more so depending on where exactly you live. Don't be foolish, but don't be a coward either.

[spookyfluffy]

q!Jaiden referring to Bobby Fields as perfect over and over again, insisting that "It's not sad here" and creating it as a place where she gets to relive that same happy day with her son and Roier. "They're good memories, the only memories."

Fiercely insistent making it align with her delusion: Only three chairs are allowed, everything is made from the trees in the fields, the treehouse is the same wood as Bobby's treehouse, no kelp decorations. "We can live that day every day! It doesn't have to go away!"

Slowly healing and finding her place with the rest of the islanders. Allowing others to see her home. Creating a garden for Cucurucho, being comfortable enough to allow his safe space to coexist with hers.

q!Jaiden's healing displayed by her being able to look at Cucurucho in the eye and saying "Do you really want perfection? Sometimes things can just stay good. You don't want to chase perfection, you'll ruin what you have."

q!Jaiden realising that living in the past only allows you to miss out on the present.

Only to be brought back to the Federation to reclaim her past once more.

[dissonantharmony]

@ceretweek day 3: connect/companion

(yes i know ceret week ended in july. yes im still posting this 5 months late anyway)

how could i not do heartduo my beloved this year...eret and tommy have a great dynamic in the few times they've properly interacted, and their similar experiences with dream make them perfect for talks about the Horrors together <3

this comic also comes as a fic!! you can read the fic version under the cut :D

“He knew how to make you feel all… small, ‘n shit.”

Tommy’s voice cuts through the quiet sounds of the garden. Puffy had apparently told him connecting with nature was good for him, and he’d barged into Eret’s castle practically demanding to use their garden for the “low, low price of this weed.” Eret holds it in their hands now, the texture of the kelp flat and smooth against their fingertips, all while wondering why on earth Tommy had chosen to drag them down with him as he sprawled out in the grass and started rambling about things they didn’t quite follow.

“Pardon?” she mumbles.

Tommy tosses her a side-eyed look. “You know. He’d…He’d always be happiest when you’re alone. Like he’s the only thing you’ve got, and you’ve gotta depend on him for shit. Like a—like a bug or somethin’.”

“Parasite,” Eret finds herself supplying.

“Yeah!” That look again. Like he knows something Eret’s not quite in on. Or maybe she is.

There’s a rustling on Tommy’s side, a gentle lull in the rambling, and Eret finds herself speaking to fill the silence.

“He always—He always wanted to be the most important thing in the world to you. Like you’d live or die without him. Everything you say is just his words, everything you do and every choice you make is just what he wants. Like—like to him you’re just a p—”

She cuts herself off, throat tight. The noise of Tommy turning to look at her reaches her ears.

“Prey?”

“Pet.” She doesn’t turn to meet his gaze. “Puppet, maybe.”

“Entertainment.”

Something strikes in Eret’s stomach, cold and heavy. “...Yeah.”

Silence falls over them once again.

“I think,” Tommy announces after a while, “he was only there to watch.”

“Sit there, look pretty,” Eret recites in reply.

“Jee-sus Christ…” Violent twisting sounds and a loud, drawn-out sigh. “What a fucking dickhead.”

Eret doesn’t reply. His hands toy with the kelp, twisting it into knots over and over with minutely-shaking hands.

“Stop thinking so damn loud.”

“Wh—Ow!” A force hits the side of Eret’s face, wide and coarse. He sits up in indignation to stare at Tommy, who threw…Oh. He threw a flower crown at him.

Dandelions. Eret has weeds in his garden, apparently.

“Put it on, bitch.”

Eret puts it on. It fits perfectly, better than the crown Dream gave him ever did. His gaze turns to Tommy and the dirt around him, torn up and littered with the roots of dandelions.

“Did you get all the roots?”

Tommy glances at the mess around him. “Maybe? They’re strong fuckers, though. They’ll bounce back. Better than ever.”

Eret meets his eyes, uncovered white staring into icy blue, and they think they get it. They offer a wry smile and start tugging up the dandelions on their own side, recalling Tommy’s lessons on making flower crowns from so, so long ago.

“Yeah. We will.”

[somnambulant-seraphim]

𓍊♡𓍊𓋼𓍊❀·₊˚⚘ Gladys Gator ⚘˚₊·❀𓍊𓋼𓍊♡𓍊

I've been interested in puppet-making in the past, but seeing as my sewing and crafting skills at the time where more simple, I decided to save that idea for later. But now, with my somewhat recent re-fascination with puppets, I'm glad to say that I finally made my first hand puppet! <:o)

This alligator is made of dark emerald green furry fabric and cardboard, partially sewn and partially hot glued. She has felt eyes and scales, a kelp green corduroy mouth, cardboard teeth and a black leather tongue.

I sewed her sweater out of a sage green weaved material (very carefully, as it frayed easily) and made her some necklaces with pretty green and black star, flower and pinwheel beads!

⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘ 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ⚘

She also goes by Gladdy or Glad. I like to think of her as a "grandma" type of character. She cares very much for her friends will gladly do her best to keep them happy, comfy and on the right track! Though she may seem like a stick in the mud sometimes, it's because she's always looking out for her friends and has your best interests at heart! <3

She especially enjoys quilting, cooking and tending to the aquatic plants and algae in her pond garden. She loves seeing all the tiny organisms that live in and around her pond, like fairy shrimp and aquatic insects :) ♡♡♡

[teejaystumbles]

Teejaystumbles’ Dreamling art and fic - ultimate masterpost

Fic

general tumblr writing tag (teejay writes)

AO3 (I’m not going to link to every fic I wrote, there are several, please check out this link to the archive)

Art

general tumblr art tag (teejaystumbles)

Pillowfort (for 18+/NSFW works so be aware before clicking!)

Patreon

deviantArt

My original webcomic Behind the Obsidian Mirror (BL, aztec setting, WIP) can be found in my deviantArt gallery and on my Patreon. I also made an extra tumblr but it’s not up to date.

specific posts for certain events or AUs:

Monsterfucktober Bingo 2023 masterpost (full card)

As the World falls down comic (Labyrinth dream AU) (WIP)

Illustration/Cover

pages 1-2

pages 3-5

pages 6-8

pages 9-11

coming soon

The Storms of Life (1889 canon divergence, complete)

kind of related to ch2 - apparition

ch2 - rescue

ch6 - nightmare 1 (cw blood, claws, injury)

ch6 - nightmare 2

ch8 - waiting in the garden

ch10 - kiss

extra - Hob (cw body horror)

Valentine’s Day - Hob in lingerie

Hob portrait

plant creature Dream + Hob

Flatter the Mountain Tops (dragon AU, complete)

ch1 - Hob+Dream as dragons

ch6 - dragon snuggling

ch7 -  partial transformation

ch9 -  a feather, a reminder…

other Endless dragon sketches

Hob mastering partial transformation

some Hob faces

dragon/human sex (sft version with link to nsft)

more dragon/human sex - Hob being irresponsible (comic)

Ollie/Hob sketches

Hob being lifted up by a dragon

loads of more wonderful art for my dragons can be found on @amielot’s tumblr!!

Fins & Fangs AU (vampire!Hob/nixie!Dream)

now with a fic!! Wash these sins on down the river for a life I didn't choose by @karalynlovescake

Story post

story sketches

nix Dream being carried doodle

three stages of monstrification/curse

vampire/nix making out (sft version with link to nsft)

glowing in the rain (angsty)

Hell or High Water (AU with skate merman Hob that tumblr helped create through a poll <3)

sketches 1

sketches 2 - daydreaming on a rock like a good mermaid

first eye contact

sketches 3

sketch with ruby 1

sketch with ruby 2

trying to save a “human”

sketch with ruby 3 - sexy Hob

Hob caught in a net sketch

underwater kisses sketch

Hob playing in kelp forest sketch

sketches 4

Hob pinup

chibi Hob with pet

some Hob faces

anatomy studies (sft version with link to nsft)

dive with me illustration

merman/human illustration (sft version with link to nsft)

Hob caught in a net illustration

Unsustainable (dark!Dream/Hob, Hannibal-inspired AU)

art and premise

drabble

more drabble/thoughts

Single AU/fic art posts

Knight Hob

Cobwebs - sad Hob + kiss

Dryad Dream (cw body horror)

A Hope in Hell

Hob in corset (1789)

There’s an Emerald in the sky (Daniel/Hob)

Spiritstalker (cw blood)

1489 AU - 1 + 2, extra

Jumper (2008) - 1 + 2

Beauty and the Beast (fairytale dream rescue AU)

Moulin Rouge AU

kidnapped Hob (blindfold)

The Hunted (assassin/vigilante AU)

Servant of the Bones AU

Orc Hob

Witch Hob 1 + 2 + 3 + cover art and fic!

Sleep Token song illustrations

Rain (Dreamling)

Apparition (Dreamling - for Storms of Life)

Aqua Regia (Morpheus)

The Offering (Dreamling)

Euclid (Hob - for There’s an Emerald in the Sky)

Take Me Back To Eden (Dreamling - for There’s an Emerald in the Sky)

Higher (Corinthian/Dream)

Aldritch Kemp fanart (Ferdie): sketch, art

Art for others/Masterpost part 2

(I had to cut in half because I reached the tumblr link limit)

[shoggothslime]

What kinds of merpeople the Termina Contestants would be

(already shared these thoughts on twitter, might as well share them here too)

Pav's a lionfish because they're invasive, they move their spines in a way that's similar to peacocking, and they have venomous stings.

Marcoh's a mantis shrimp because they punch the shit out of their prey. Simple answer.

Daan's a moon jellyfish because of Blank Soul, how they're the most common jellyfish for others to pluck out of the wild for a pet (but often kill them due to them needing specific tanks), and... moon and all... :3

He'd also be really cute as a jellyfish. I'm biased.

Abella's a giant pacific octopus because they're incredibly smart and strong. Also the red reminds me of her hair and it'd be fun to imagine her using all her octopus arms to tinker with stuff.

Olivia's a leafy seadragon because of how they blend themselves into the plant life they make their homes. Mermaid Olivia wouldn't be able to swim strongly but I like to think of her grabbing onto plants to help move herself around in kelp forests. :D

Levi's a spotted garden eel because they live in these little sand holes (trenches :3c) and are rather shy. They can however get used to certain presences such as people in aquariums. I recommend looking at the Sumida Aquarium story.

O'saa is a yellow boxfish because yes yes yellow mage, but these fish also can release deadly neurotoxins into the water which is basically hurting if you think about it.

Samarie is a gulper/pelican eel because I was obligated to make her a deep sea fish and it reminds me of Dysmorphia. Also she'd be a cute eel mermaid.

Tanaka is an oarfish due to them being known for being found dead or dying in shallower waters before earthquakes or tsunamis. Literally the opening kill as a fish. So sorry Tanaka lol.

August is an Orca because of their hunting tactics being so brutal and said hunting tactics being passed from parents to children in a pod, making different pods having different tactics and cultures. Like how Rag's influence can be seen in August.

Karin is an orange-lined triggerfish because of how territorial and aggressive they are despite their appearance. They often catch new salt water tank owners off guard by how willing they are to throw down.

Caligura is a goblin shark because it's a deep sea fish that feasts upon bottomfeeders. I also refused to let Caligura be a fish that even I could find cute. :3

Marina is a clownfish because the anemones are kind of like a warding sigil and she's a silly billy among the horrors at times. :3 They are also one of the tropical fish to be able to change from male to female. They are also my favorite childhood fish. Someone had to be one.

And finally, Henryk is a blue angel because despite how they look, they will poison the shit out of you and it will be painful and suck so much. Not worth touching.

[thehollowwriter]

The Official (Remastered) Bio of Finn Clearcove

Basic Info:

Class: Class C

Dorm: Octavinelle

Club: Gargoyle Research Club

Birthday: 20th November

Age: 17

Height: 146cm

Dominant hand: He's ambidextrous

Unique Magic: Mirror Image. He can copy the voice of anyone he directly touches and their physical form if he pushes hard enough. If he wants, he can limit it to certain characteristics. (E.g: voice or eye colour)

Preferences:

Favourite subject: Art

Hobby: Painting

Likes: Butterflies, reading, music, cooking, painting

Dislikes: Large crowds, loud people, showing his teeth, loud sounds, bright lights

Favourite food: Chocolate mousse, shrimp

Additional Info:

Homeland: The Coral Sea

Species: Cookie Cutter Shark Mer

Family: His father and later on Chrysos who belongs to @distant-velleity

Nickname: Blue Angel, courtesy of Floyd (thank you @azulashengrottospiano for the name!)

Relationships: Finn is polyamorous with the Octavinelle trio

Appearance:

Finn has long, fluffy forest green hair that has a curly seaweed/kelp like shape that goes to just past his is shoulders. It is often tied in a tight bun. His eyes are a bright amethyst and his teeth look like they came straight from the mouth of an angler fish, twisted and horrific.

Finn is very chubby and most people think "soft" and "squishy" while looking at him. Until the dread sets in, that is. He's quite pale as well but has recently started to tan a bit. He is very very small and most of his clothes have to be taken to be adjusted so they actually fit him.

In his true form, Finn's tail and face are forest green in colour, just as is the rest of him. The palms of his hands are seafoam green. His tail is like that of a cookie cutter shark's.

Finn's... fins are riddled with holes and tears. There is a large patch of scarring on his left shoulder and the middle of his tail. He has long black claws that are retractable and incredibly sharp.

Personality:

Finn is quiet and mostly keeps to himself, barely speaking to most people unless absolutely necessary, and is usually polite. He lives be the rule "don't bother me and I won't bother you". His "default" expression, if you will, is usually just a blank or serious face.

Finn is intelligent and quick-witted. He often weeds information out of people for Azul, taking the role of the "therapist bartender" except most people get an uncanny valley feeling if they look at him for too long. Despite his politeness something about him always feels wrong to others. They get this sense of dread that make them want to leave as soon as possible.

Finn is quite sadistic and has a deep love for the twisted and macabre. This is often reflected in his paintings, many of which are disturbing in nature. He is very happy to extend his sadistic ways to other students if he deems it necessary. Only if he deems it necessary. (What he deems as necessary can vary)

Finn is, most of the time, immensely confident in himself and who and what he is. He is quiet but he is not, by any means, shy or timid. He does have his insecurities though, mainly about his teeth since they're often viewed as ugly.

Some "Fun" Facts:

▪︎Finn is haunted by the ghosts of the siblings he devoured in the womb in true shark mer fashion, they aren't aggressive towards him but they are tethered to him and cause him nightmares and endless stress and fear (they are the cause of the sense of dread people get around Finn)

•Finn's voice is very soft and very nice to listen to. It's like a flowing river. He's difficult to hear at times.

▪︎Finn enjoys flying and is very good at it

▪︎His family comes from the deep of the midnight zone, so he is well versed in abyssal magic and the dangerous and powerful spells that come with it

•Finn likes to garden

Fic Masterlist

Art by @clovenoko

Art by @boopshoops

.....................................

A/N: Here's the boy! New and improved with an extra long personality section ooops

Tagging: @distant-velleity @krenenbaker @kitwasnothere @officialdaydreamer00 @jaylleoo14 @oya-oya-okay @cynthinesia @azulashengrottospiano @whspermy-name @minteasketches @the-banana-0verlord @adarkenedforest @whspermy-name @twisted-wonderland-but-gayer @ramshacklerumble @cyanide-latte @boopshoops @skrimpyskimpy @jovieinramshackle @quartztwst @amOnline

[chaodads]

[monstersandmaw]

Laces for a Lady - 18th century, poly, shifters x human romance - Chapter Four (sfw)

Disclaimer which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me. 

Well, thank you to the people who've shown enough interest not only to make my mood the best it's been in months, but who made chapter four happen tonight! As I said earlier, I can't keep this pace of posting up because it's currently only written to chapter 6, but if you keep reblogging with such sweet tags and comments, it might keep me writing like a little gremlin anyway! Who knows!?

Contents: fluff, friendship, some wistful and slightly angsty longing, Locryn and Edmund being adorably obvious, and Nel thinking about the coming harvest festival dance, to which all the locals are invited... Wordcount: 2825

I've been listening to this track on repeat while writing, if you want some appropriate ambience...

Part One (sfw), Part Two (sfw), Part Three (sfw)

For the following three days after leaving Locryn Trevethan’s cottage, Nel felt off-kilter and kept to Heath Top House, and every night, she dreamed of the sea.

She’d always been a vivid dreamer, but these were something else. Sometimes it was simply the rush and whisper of the tide on the sand, and the incoming gallop of endless white horses, but other times it was much more than that.

In the murky shadows beneath timeless kelp forests, something shifted, eel-like and strange. It coiled and twisted like a ribbon in the current, and she caught flashes and impressions of mottled green-brown skin, translucent fins, and a mouth full of teeth like needles, and a rolling, golden-green eye, and she surfaced from sleep gasping, with a name half remembered on her tongue.

She dreamed of Edmund Nancarrow too.

She dreamed of his pale, elegant hands and the way his smooth-shaven cheek had dimpled when he smiled up at her from Locryn’s bed. Strangely she dreamed of him wrapped in the silvery fur of that seal skin, lying on smooth sand, naked save for that pelt beneath him, looking up at her adoringly on the smooth sand of the cove while something shifted and circled in the water behind her with a covetous hunger.

As a scorching July drew to a close, the dreams faded and finally ceased, but while Nel was certainly grateful to get a full night’s sleep, she couldn’t help but miss that odd sense of connection they gave her; the feeling of belonging that she had never experienced before.

The days turned from searing to sultry, and the golden evenings stretched warm and luxurious as a cat by the hearth. Nel made a few visits into Polgarrack, but most of the time she either walked with Winnie around the gardens, or rode Blackthorn alone around the Penrose estates and read in the afternoons. Her days took on a gentle, lulling pattern that seemed to match the motion of the tide as much as the ticking of a clock.

Two weeks after the storm which had nearly claimed Edmund Nancarrow’s life, Winnie practically skipped into the library where Nel had been reading in the window seat for the past hour.

The sun cast long, languorous, red lines through the room and set the chandelier and the mirror on the wall sparkling. Winnie had shattered the still silence by exclaiming that the annual harvest festival dance was to be held in the great barn at Heath Top House on the first of August, and that all of the village was invited.

“I quite forgot to tell you about it, and I was reminded just this afternoon when I heard some of the farm hands talking about clearing the barn for the Lammas Dance. You’ll want a new dress, of course,” Winnie added matter-of-factly, as if she were simply stating that the sea was wet.

“What’s wrong with my dresses?” Nel asked with mock indigence, and Winnie cackled.

Nel’s chest lit up like the glowing sunset outside on hearing the elegant young lady laugh like that, and her blue eyes glittered with new life and vigour in a way they hadn’t when Nel had first arrived at the end of spring. Winnie had always been pretty, if pale and gaunt, but now in the glow of the rich summer light, she looked beautiful.

Her grief would always be there, hand in hand with her love for James, but Winnie had grown strong enough to bear her grief most days now, and to carry it about with her instead of letting it drag her down and swamp the joy from every moment of her life.

“Well, at least get some new trim for that light green one you haven’t worn yet,” Winnie said with one eyebrow raised.

So it was that Nel found herself being politely bullied into buying trim for the unworn dress late one afternoon. They took two horses from the stables instead of going in a carriage, and although Winnie wasn’t as good a rider as Nel after her summer of practice and her slightly wild childhood, they managed a sedate canter together along the clifftop path before slowing to a walk to descend into the cove where the buildings of Polgarrack nestled like so many barnacles on the rocky coastline.

They stabled Blackthorn and Rose at The Lantern, and walked arm in arm up the steep street away from the harbour and towards the aptly-named Clifftop Street. Ribbons and trim dangled all around them like flags at a May Day dance, and they spent longer than Nel expected in there, choosing trim for her dress.

Winnie laughed and let Nel hold up ribbons against her hair as if the two of them were frivolous children, not young ladies who should have behaved with a touch more decorum. Mrs. Gwinnel just watched them with a knowing smile on her lips from behind the counter though, and when she caught Nel’s eye, she inclined her head in a way that spoke of approval before she looked pointedly at Winnie, whose radiant happiness was obvious in such close quarters.

Something swelled in Nel’s ribcage at that simple gesture. She felt not only ‘seen’, but welcomed as one of their own. She had not been born in Polgarrack — not even in Cornwall — and while she’d hardly been treated rudely, folks other than Aggie had definitely been wary of someone who had travelled two hundred miles, alone, from where they were born, to live among strangers. Now though, they felt just a little less like strangers, and a little more like friends. Perhaps even cautiously like her people.

With their ribbons and trim purchased, they stepped outside again and walked together down the street to the harbour, discussing the Lammas Dance, and the corn dollies — or ‘Necks’ as Winnie called them according to local tradition — they would make to decorate the windowsills of the house. “I’m sure Aggie will show you how it’s done,” Winnie said as they came across the carter’s wife huffing up the hill.

“Show you how what’s done, m’lady?” she panted, putting one hand on her hip to catch her breath while the other was hefted a basket full of jars and pots.

“Show Nel here how to make a good Cornish Neck,” Winnie said, and Aggie’s eyes lit up. “I would offer but I’m sure mine would be terribly wonky.”

“Oh, of course!” Agatha beamed. “You just let me know when, and I’ll come over to Heath Top and give you a lesson. Both of you, if you wish it.”

They laughed and said they’d appreciate a visit whenever Aggie had the time, and the older woman flushed at the courtesy and nodded before excusing herself and labouring on up the hill.

“She’s kind,” Nel smiled after her.

“Most people here are,” Winnie said with a touch of wistfulness to her words. “They were very kind to me after James died. They loved him. He was a good employer to them at the mine. Not like the Cranmoore workings,” she added darkly, and then sighed and waved a hand to dismiss the matter. “But I don’t want to talk about that now. It’s such a beautiful evening.”

Nel knew that a lot of the workers who now laboured in Winnie’s — formerly James’ — mines had come from the Cranmoore works when conditions had grown especially dangerous, and the owners had done nothing to try to secure the tunnels. She reached for her friend’s elbow and gripped it gently. “They love you too, Winnie. You’re a fair employer and you look after them.”

She nodded, and they let the matter lie.

The iodine and salt tang of the harbour hit her nose above the soft wafting of Winnie’s perfume as the two of them rounded the corner, still linked arm in arm, and up ahead Nel spotted Edmund Nancarrow leaning against the low harbour wall, watching a small boat rowing in. He wore a soft smile on his pretty lips, and he looked simultaneously relaxed and excited. She was glad to see him looking hale again, given that the last time she’d seen him — outside of those strange dreams, of course — he had looked the next thing to crossing over.

Nel followed his gaze and, just where she’d half expected, she found the hulking figure of Locryn at the oars of the small skiff that ploughed through the glassy waters of the harbour. If her eyes lingered on the breadth of his shoulders and the curve of his biceps beneath the linen shirt he wore, she could hardly be blamed. She certainly wasn’t the only one. If Edmund was trying to be subtle about his infatuation, he wasn’t being successful at all. As if he felt her gaze on him though, Edmund twitched around a moment later and flushed when he discovered her watching him. He did muster a quick, shy smile for her though, and he knuckled his forehead politely.

Taking that as a sign that her presence was not entirely unwelcome, Nel slipped away from Winnie with a whispered, “Just a moment.”

Winnie arched an eyebrow but offered no comment beyond a very slight smile, and she carried on along the harbour road alone towards the sea wall that jutted out to protect the small port from the worst of the storms.

Edmund pushed himself off the wall, leaning on the cane in his left hand and carefully keeping his weight off his right leg. “Miss Bywater,” he said as she joined him.

“Mr. Nancarrow,” she smiled. “I’ve not seen you since the beach. I hope you’re well?”

“Yes, Miss Bywater,” he said, his warm eyes narrowing as he smiled. “And I must thank you again. I don’t remember very much about that day, but Lock — Locryn — told me what you did for me. I’m… I’m in your debt. I hope you’ll forgive me for not coming up to the house to thank you,” he added, looking chagrined. His pale cheeks flushed nearly scarlet, and he dropped his gaze to the cobblestones. “I wasn't sure it would be… uh… appropriate, if you follow…” And he cast half an eye towards Winnie, who was still strolling blithely along the gentle curve of the harbour in the sunshine some way away.

Where Nel’s hair was a little windswept and her riding habit somehow rumpled despite her best efforts, Winnie looked a vision in her foaming, sky blue dress with her bonnet affixed to her golden hair as if it had only just been placed there. Nel tried not to feel jealous of the woman’s delicate grace, but Edmund didn’t seem to have eyes for Winnie any more than he did for Nel. Of course, that was probably because he was only making polite conversation with Nel while waiting for Locryn to alight from his skiff and join him on the quayside.  

She shook her head to shake her thoughts into order. “I’m just glad you’re alright, and that Mr. Trevethan was nearby. I dread to think how I would have managed otherwise.”

“Indeed.” His eyes flickered down to the folded ribbon in her fingers but he didn’t say anything else.

“For the harvest festival,” she said, gesturing with it. “Winnie tells me I need to look presentable, though I can’t imagine who she’s trying to pair me off with.”

“Any man there would be lucky to dance with you, miss,” he said in his warm, slightly husky tenor, and his cheeks flushed again.

Nel gave a trill of laughter at that, and snorted indelicately, though not unkindly. “I think my chances of finding a man who thinks himself ‘lucky to dance with me’ are fast slipping away these days, but I appreciate your kindness all the same,” she said.

Edmund looked like he had been about to contradict her, but an earsplittingly shrill whistle from the water directly below them stole their attention and they turned to find Locryn tying up his skiff. “Give an old man a hand, would you?” he called to Edmund without looking up.

“You’re forty-two,” Edmund grinned without budging. “Hardly old. Get yourself out. You’d as soon pull me in as I’d pull you up.”

“If you ate more, you wouldn’t be so damned skinny,” Locryn grumbled, hauling himself up the metal ladder and onto the quayside to join them. Nel took a polite step or two back, but Locryn didn’t even seem to have noticed her standing there.

“You like me skinny,” Edmund muttered under his breath as Locryn joined him. Nel didn’t think that had been intended for her ears, and she felt her face heat this time.

“I like you however you are, selkie,” Locryn growled back under his breath, the sound just as heated and full of intent.

For a wild moment, Nel thought he was going to take Edmund’s face in his hands and kiss him where anyone could see, but he just stood there smouldering at him and looming over him until Edmund flushed and looked away.

Nel assumed that the unfamiliar word ‘selkie’ was some Cornish term of endearment and dismissed it, and it seemed all but confirmed when Edmund stiffened suddenly and glanced back at her with his dark eyes wide. Locryn’s tanned cheeks also turned a shade darker when he finally realised they were not alone, but he stared resolutely at her, as if daring her to make a comment.

She smiled to reassure them, hoping that she somehow managed to convey that whatever the nature of their relationship, it didn’t bother her, and that she wouldn’t speak of it. She inclined her head politely to Locryn, trying not to let that glaze of sadness fill her face again as she beheld two people so clearly in love with each other. Had Winnie and James been like that with each other too?

Yet again, Nel reminded herself that that chapter was fast closing to her now.

“Mr. Nancarrow, Mr. Trevethan,” she said and cursed the slight, choking tremble in her voice. “I wish you both the very best of afternoons.”

With what she thought was admirable amount of self-possession, she turned and walked along the quayside with the intention of joining Winnie where she had halted in the sunshine some way up the harbour road.

“We’ll see you at the harvest dance!” Edmund called suddenly after her, and she heard the soft sound of a jovial punch connecting some way behind her.

Glancing back, she saw that Locryn had playfully thumped Edmund in the chest, and the latter was rubbing his sternum comically while Locryn laughed loudly. The rich sound rolled up from his soft belly and he tipped his head back, looking truly delighted while Edmund flushed a very dark red and scowled petulantly at him. They caught her staring and she just offered a tiny smile. She could feel that it didn’t go all the way to her eyes, and she turned away as her vision blurred a little. It certainly had nothing to do with the salt-wind gusting in off the sea.

The memory of the two of them sat in her mind for the rest of the day, and even Winnie noted her quiet mood that night at dinner. “Did something happen in town?” she asked quietly as she set down her silver spoon after dessert.

Nel shook her head. “No.”

After a long pause, while Winnie’s father-in-law continued to bore his poor wife into a stupor at the other end of the table, Winnie reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. In a whisper, she asked, “Are you happy here, Nel?”

Nel found herself taken off-guard by the question, and by the worry in Winnie’s forget-me-not blue eyes. “Of course I am,” she replied. “How could I not be?”

Winnie shrugged one shoulder. “I’m older than you, though admittedly not by much. I’ve been married, and you never have. You never talk about engagements or young men or going to London or Bath. Have you truly given up? You know it’s not too late,” she went on in a rush when Nel half-opened her mouth to stop her. “We could go to Plymouth — they have dances and balls there all the time, especially with all the officers and the Navy. I’m conscious that…” she faltered and then swallowed a too-big sip of sweet dessert wine before continuing, “I’m conscious that you’re very isolated here, Nel.”

Nel shook her head and turned her hand over to squeeze Winnie’s fingers back. “I have everything I need, I promise you.”

Winnie nodded, but she didn’t look entirely convinced as she changed the subject. “Perhaps Aggie will come tomorrow and show us how to make Necks. I never did manage it when I was a girl…”

With talk of the upcoming Lammas Dance, Nel’s mind drifted, and she wondered if Edmund and Locryn really would be there after all.

__

Next chapter ->

Things spice up a bit (just a tad, this is a slow burn after all) next time, and we get a harvest festival dance where all bets are off...

Thank you for engaging with this story of mine. It's been in the works for a long time, and I'm only just now sharing it with you, and I'm so glad it's now.

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[seaoflove07]

Prompt 25: Sleeping Together

🔪 Azusa & Rose 🌹

• A commission artwork by @yuma-mukami-garden-god •

Diabolik OTP Challenge

by @yuriko-mukami

~ Sleeping With You ~

Is there anything more wonderful?

After we have floundered

through our separate pain

we come to this. I bind myself to you,
like otters wrapped in kelp, so the current
will not steal us as we sleep.

Through the night we turn together,
rocked in the shallow surf,
pebbles polished by the sea.

- Poem by Ellen Bass.