#marine caverns

[colorsoutofearth]

Schools of Pacific creolefish (Cephalopholis colonus) and Panamic sergeant major (Abudefduf troschelii) swimming through sun beams inside an underwater cavern

Photo by Alex Mustard

[oldschoolfrp]

Scrags are aquatic trolls found in fresh or salt water, with shorter arms than their terrestrial cousins, scales, and protruding toothy lower jaws  (looks like a Jim Holloway, AD&D module S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth by Gary Gygax, TSR, 1982)

[madlovenovelist]

Book Review – ‘Abyss’ (#2 Cate Granger) by Greig Beck

The giant shark comes back from the grave to haunt Cate yet again… Genre: Horror, Thriller, Adventure No. of pages: 380 Cate Granger is chasing ghosts. The monster shark she once encountered was a remnant of the ancient world – one that had escaped an underwater lair previously sealed off for millions of years. At great cost, Cate and her allies had killed the beast. So, no more ghosts, no…

[dndsettingsinfo]

Sea Cavern [25×30] by Dungeon Mapster

[typhlonectes]

Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs

The ‘dermal denticles’ probably help protect the eyes of these gentle giants, scientists say

Whale sharks are known as gentle, bespeckled giants that swim in tropical seas and scoop up plankton with their cavernous mouths. According to new research, they also have a sharp eye—literally: their eyes are covered in tiny teeth. The “dermal denticles” are modified, tiny teeth that cover the whale shark’s eyeballs, according to marine biologists from Japan’s Okinawa Churashima Research Center, who published their discovery in PLOS One Tuesday...

[curlycarrion]

Night watch

Reader: fem reader in mind. Comparing to Nami and Robin and use of the words pretty and beautiful

Warnings: Talk of insecurity from the readers perspective. It's only for a small short portion and it's mild but if you feel that may make you uncomfortable please be warned

Context: Unable to sleep Sanji comes to visit you

Wc: 2.4k

A/n: Here's my second fic so far, I'm honestly enjoyin writin these. It's a little more self indulgent but sfw so I hope y'all don't mind ^x^ I hope y'all like it 💛 ( also happy Valentine's for those who celebrate it ) oh yeah also, I got the idea for this after spammin 'I carrion (Icarian)' by Hozier into my skull so do with that what you will

It was quiet. Unusually so.

The night high up above the ship while sat in the crow's nest usually was, being so far away from the snores of the sleeping crew will do that. But no, it was more silent than usual. The sea was in a rare state of calm for once. No frantic waves that crash against the wood of the ship and violently rock her inhabitants, no rumbles from winding and curling sea kings lingering from deep below the surface, no hint of marines or rival pirates on the horizon.

It was just calm. The moon shining down in glittering silver streaks on the waves that are gentle as they lap along the length of the Sunny, leaving you in near silence to sit alone with your thoughts. An opportunity to do what you liked without fear of teasing from the others no matter how lighthearted it was.

The silence was too deafening. Not even the guttural snores from some of the men sleeping next to him able to cut through the thick quiet. The cool night air reaching him even under the covers of the blanket draped over his frame. The silence thrumming in his inner ear only to be covered with his thoughts that won't seem to cease. First from what to cook in the morning, then to the unusually uncomfortable feeling of his shirt folding over itself beneath his back as it catches on the sheets, then to the familiar cold and dark surrounding him despite knowing that there's no reason to fear it. Not anymore, that's what he tells himself at least when he feels the fabric around him opposed to the memory of stone that drains the warmth from you.

Below deck things were in a similar state of calm, the soft rocking of the deck leading everyone to obtain a restful slumber. Similar to that of a crib or the curl of a parents arms around their child that breathes comfort into the bones of the crew.

All except for Sanji.

Deciding he'd had enough of staring into the void of the men's quarters he rises from his resting position to step outside and have a smoke. Hoping the familiar taste of nicotine on his tongue would calm him, even a little. If not then he'd just go ahead and get started on preparations for everyone's meal, if he's not going to be able to sleep he might as well make himself useful. Stepping out into the open air and lighting his cigarette as he takes in his surroundings. The night that should be comforting at the moment only making a strange sense of loneliness root into him before remembering you up above. Nigh watch. Some company might do him some good. Pleasant company at that. You never really seemed to turn him away and he's almost certain you won't now despite the late hour.

As he climbs his way up he slowly starts to hear the welcome sound of your voice. Already feeling his thoughts begin to quiet knowing that your presence is close by. Though there was something different to the sound this time around. It sounded sweeter, it was soft, there was a tune to it… you were singing. Something new and foreign to him but still leaving a warmth to settle in his skin and into the cavern of his chest. The sound of it was a little muffled due to the distance between the two of you but that was swiftly remedied by him hastening his climbing.

Soon enough he finds himself beneath the hatch of the crow's nest. His ears picking up every sound and syllable possible without opening the door. Unsure of if you would stop your singing if he did, which was the last thing he would want. If your singing voice was actually any good he would never be able to tell. Not due to being tone deaf, but because any sound of your voice being the equivalent of a choirs grace upon him. You could sound like a crow with a cold and he would still listen to every word from you like gospel. Each pitch of your voice like a balm to whatever wound plagued him mind, if even for a moment. He finds his feet moving before his mind can catch up, hands reaching up to open the hatch and climb inside. The need to see you overcoming his desire to listen.

Inside he sees you sat beside one of the large windows, blanket wrapped around your figure. More to provide comfort than to actually stave off any cold since the night was a pleasant temperature due to the climate you were currently sailing in. The note filled tones of your voice ceasing when the squeak of the hinge and floorboards meet your ears. Head whipping around to look at the tall man entering the space.

"Oh Sanji.. it's just you," letting the tension fall from your shoulders you speak once more " what're you doing up? Couldn't sleep?" Sanji lets a small string of smoke escape from his lips, the tendrils curling into the air and dissipating when he steps closer.

"Sleep is not coming easily to me tonight, no. I thought I would come to see how you were doing.. the night watch can be lonely with no one else awake." He answers as he brings himself to sit beside you. Quietly taking in the comfort you provide and giving you a smile.

"What I didn't expect when I stepped up though was to find a little songbird in the nest. Do you sing to yourself every time you hide yourself away up here mon chou?" He finds some satisfaction to see the slightly shy look to cross your face, watching you gather yourself after you had realized he heard you after all.

"Oh uh.. yeah, yeah I do most of the time." You answer softly as you avert your eyes away for a moment.

"It helps to pass the time." Sanji's expression warms at the admission. Imagining what the many melodies that cross your lips at night are as they float off into the air to be unheard by the rest of the crew. Knowing you would likely shoot down the notion of singing for him if he requested it he decided to ask a different question, not wanting to push his luck too much despite wanting to hear your voice not blocked by the wood of the hatch.

"And what were you singing if you don't mind me asking?"

"It.. it's a song based on Icarus." Sanji's eyebrows raise curiously at the answer, removing the cigarette from between his lips as he gives you his undivided attention. Not that he wasn't before but this had raised his interest in what you were singing.

"Icarus?" He parrots while looking to you. "The one who fell to the sea after his wings melted?"

"Mhm the same one." You hum in confirmation, hands fidgeting idly with the edge of my blanket and back leaning against the wooden wall behind it.

"Though.. the song takes a different turn than the actually story goes. It's kind of a love song, a more sad one… but a love song nonetheless. At least in my opinion." 'Ah, so that's why you had seemed more shy about admitting it' Sanji thinks to himself. He watches your expression while you talk and after you finish, taking it in along with the features of your face. It was something he doesn't think he could find himself growing tired of.

"Do you frequently sing yourself love songs?" He asks next, feeling it was the next natural course of conversation save for asking more about that song in particular.

"I.. I do, the more sad or quiet ones mostly." Curling your knees to your chest and bringing your heels to rest on the seat of the bench you continue.

"There's just… something nice about them, comforting in a way I suppose." Sanji lets the silence settle for a moment after you'd finished speaking. Mulling over your answer for a moment.

"Is it something you want?" He asks quietly, realizing the question might've sounded a little vague he narrows it down further.

"Love I mean, someone to share your life with after this is all over." The question seems to have struck a chord, watching your eyes as they turn away from him.

"It, i-it is. Though I know it's not something I will probably find." Sanji's eyes widen in surprise at the words leaving you. Not expecting them from you in the slightest.

"Why?" He asks quickly after you had spoken, your answer being something he couldn't quite believe. You are silent for a few moments, debating on whether or not to answer the question. The deafening quiet of the room returning to dig its way into their ears once more. Leading Sanji to believe that you weren't going to answer, though eventually you do peep one out.

"Well I'm not exactly the most um… desirable thing around. I'm not pretty like Nami and Robin, and I'm not smart or clever like them, I'm ugly and quiet and awkward and, and I'm just something someone would want-" Sanji quickly cuts you off from speaking. Not able to bare hearing you tear yourself down and speak such lies for another moment. The words leaving you making his heart stutter and sink, feeling the beating in his chest as he trains his eyes on you and snuffs his cigarette.

"No," he says firmly and with a sense of urgency "no, no you're perfect. You're everything I've ever dreamed of." He feels a stirring in his stomach. Hands reaching out to cup your cheeks and turn your attention to him, wanting to make sure his every word settled their way into your mind. Even if you didn't believe him, even if you thought he was lying, he wanted to make sure you knew what he felt when he looked at you. Feeling the warmth of your cheeks beneath his palms as his fingers curl past your jaw to brush beneath your ears.

"Every step you take whether it be to me or away leaves me breathless. Every breath and word from you is something that would make me crumble if I ever lost it." His thumbs gently smooth over the curve of your cheek, relishing in the feeling of your skin in his touch. The solitary of the night making him a little more bold in his words. Feeling like the calm and quiet is urging him to let out every thought and feeling he has ever had for you despite the fear of you not feeling the same. Not that he expected you to.

"Your eyes have the stars laying in them that I would pray to every night if it meant they would turn to gaze at me. Whether they're filled with the rage or exhaustion from a fight, the mirth from whatever you find funny at the time, or the sorrow of whatever you carry." He leans closer to you. His eyes beginning to reflect the dewy look that yours had taken.

"Every time I see you walk into a room it's like the world has become right and that the sun has finally turned to face me. I would gladly melt in the light of your sun and be your Icarus if I could even be near you for one lovely moment." His thumb softly moves to collect the tears beginning to slip down your cheeks, while he doesn't like the sight of your crying he takes it as a sign his words are sinking in.

"So please don't don't say you're undesirable or that you're unwanted. A world where that is true is one that doesn't exist, and it's a world where I'm not breathing." He takes in your face as he finally finishes speaking. The wide glassy eyes, the tremble in your lip, the burning of your cheeks seeping into his hands. It's something he'd burned into his memory. Finding you beautiful as your overcome with emotion. Eventually he goes to release you from his hands, not wanting to overstay his welcome with his touch no matter how much he craves to keep you to him. His thoughts telling him that you would never feel the same, something he is not a stranger to in the slightest. You'd never want someone like him.

At the feeling of his hands begin to lift you quickly stop him. Yours pressing on top of his on your cheeks as you sniffle and shake your head the best you can.

"Please don't go." The words are quiet and wobbly, whispered into the room as your hands press his into your skin more.

"You can't say that and then just leave. You can't just say that and not let me say that I love you too." His head snaps to you. His heart rapidly kicking up in response to the words. You liked him? You really did? It was almost inconceivable to him. The thought that you, the one who has seen him flounder around women, has seen him make a fool of himself, seen some of his worst moments.. that you had reciprocated, he couldn't believe it. But the way you were looking up at him. It was impossible to deny. He saw the way he looked at you reflected back at him. Something he had never noticed before when he was too focused on his work or your presence whenever you would grace him with it.

He quickly pulled you into his embrace. Arms wrapping around you tightly, almost feeling that it's not close enough. He finally had you in his arms. The scent of your conditioner and your skin filling his senses. Something he thought he would never be able to obtain. Leaning back just enough to where he can look into your eyes once more, noses almost brushing against one and other.

"Do you mean it? If you don't I don't think I will ever recover." He asks quietly, his breath mixing with yours as takes in everything of the moment.

"I do." He doesn't even give you time to say another word as he feels his heart skyrocket from elation. Crashing his lips to yours as he feels like he's overflowing with a joy and love, pouring his feelings into you and finding that the same is being returned. One hand cradling into your hair and the other meeting your back to pull you closer, arms wrapping around his neck to keep him in.

He had always expected his first kiss with you to be different. Gentle and soft after taking you to the most beautiful places he could find and proving himself to you, but this…

This was more perfect than anything he planned.

Finally finding the home of you within his grasp as you both sat high above the world.

[fanaticsnail]

WHATS UPP, so I read the dreaming of you oneshot thingy on your page (Koby, smoker AND HELMEPPO) so I was wondering if you would be able to make something more of helmeppo. I read your request page and I know you might not write it but i was just curious. I’m not picky at all but since it’s helmeppo i figured it could be something like enemies to lovers.. (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT IM FINE WITH ANYTHING!!) I’ve never requested anything on tumblr so sorry if I’m doing it wrong btw. I have a playlist if you’d like that for ideas 😼 (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0q63LD9Kt49EDxlOxCCQ7m?si=cWh4kWT-SR-x2evxlXn97Q&pi=u-vige6yADR-Oe) SORRY ITS A LONG LINK 😨

Hi there! I love how enthusiastic you are about Helmeppo. Not gonna lie, I definitely felt the need to write him a one-shot after that one. I love your playlist!

Bound to the Enemy

Masterlist Here

Word Count: 5,100+

Synopsis: Engaged in a heated battle between pirates and marines on neutral ground had the locals enact a punishment befitting the crime. Bound back to back with a marine, you come up with a plan to work together to break out of the trap and return to your crew.

Themes: Helmeppo x reader, enemies to lovers, mutual loathing, mutual pining, peril and dread, kissing, fluff, little bit of angst, bittersweet farewells.

Notes: Chef-Husband has been making me watch MacGyver. I apologise if this wasn't exactly what you were looking for, but I did have a lot of fun with it.

Tag List: @sordidmusings @nerium-lil @feral-artistry @since-im-already-here @writingmysanity @indydonuts @gingernut1314 @i-am-vita @carrotsunshine @mfreedomstuff @daydreamer-in-training

Slowly bobbing your head from side to side, you hummed a merry tune from your childhood to reverberate and ricochet within the damp cavern walls. Drops of water from the pointed stalactites dripped onto your head, drenching your already soaked clothes with further murkiness from the oceanic roof.

The ropes gripping your shoulders and wrists burned with a crude jolt from your companion behind you, causing you to yelp mid-word with your song. In light of his tugging, you simply laughed and sang louder. 

“The sails lay flat, the wind in her back; the ropes lay in a bind,” you yelled your tune, the echo of your voice calling back at you in a taunting mockery, “The women did wail, as the sailors set sail, leaving their seed behind-.”

“-Are you quite finished?!” His aggravated tone cut your voice off, tugging the ropes and prompting you to lull your head behind you on his shoulder. “It’s bad enough being bound to a damn pirate, let alone one that doesn’t shut up!” You laughed from your position, back to back and tied to the enemy while sitting atop a large rock and awaiting death. 

“Aww, pretty marine,” you coo at him behind you, nuzzling almost affectionately against his shoulder with a hint of teasing, “I thought my singing would bring such joy as we await our imminent doom.” He shrugged away from your head, prompting you to laugh harder as he burned you with the intensity of your ties. 

Both of your hands were bound to each other at the wrists, your companion wriggling and attempting to free himself the moment he awoke from behind you. Your crews arrived at this strange island at the same time, immediately engaging in a heated battle filled with bloodshed and chaos. The locals did not take kindly to the ruckus and immediately implored you to stick to their stance with neutrality. 

Both your crew and the marine crew surrendered and awaited adequate punishment for tainting the shore with battle and bloodshed. The punishment chosen for you was to select a member of each crew, bind them together in ropes, and place them in a cave mouth to await the tide to enter. If you managed to escape before the water choked you with its salty embrace, the marines and the pirates would be permitted to leave. If you drowned, both crews would live out the days on the island and serve the queen as her loyal slaves. 

Before your captain or the pink-haired marine captain could react and volunteer themselves, both you and the blondie stepped forward and gave yourselves up. Without further warning, both of you were injected with a local toxin to cause you to fall into a deep slumber, likely to make the journey more difficult to return to your crews. 

“These ropes are strong,” he growled, thrusting his chest forward and prompting you to arch your back up into him, “I can’t get the damn thing loose.” You simply offer him a condescending “Mm-hmm, that’s the point,” and let him keep moving your body around to wriggle free. 

“When you’re quite ready,” you offer him, wincing as he leaned forward, “I have a blade hidden in my back pocket. I can reach it, but I will need you to stop wriggling so I can get to it.” He huffed out an exasperated breath and you felt him shake his head in agitation. 

“And why are you telling me this now, pirate?” he growled at you, attempting to look at you over his shoulder to no avail, “You could’ve cut us out the whole time, and neglected to mention it?” You laughed, feeling his hands go limp to allow you to search through your pockets without a struggle. 

“You were too busy being a grumpy marine to use your mind,” you shrugged, feeling the handle of the blade with your fingertips, “Always underestimating your opponents and too hot headed to exercise your brain along with your other muscles.” You use your index and middle fingers to draw the blade closer to you, finally clutching it in your hands. 

The seaspray began to rise, the cave mouth starting to fill with the swell of water just as you readied the small knife to cut your bonds. 

“If I nick you with the blade,” you smirk, beginning to cut through the fibers, “I’m not sorry.” The man behind you began to growl at you, holding still and allowing you to work at the ropes with ease. The first few strands came loose, giving your wrists enough room to wriggle a little easier to get enough momentum to cut easier. 

“What’s your name, anyway, marine?” you asked him suddenly, feeling a little bolder and at ease now that your bonds were turning loose. He inhaled a soft breath, uttering quietly to you in response. 

“Helmeppo,” he confessed his name with a soft nod, “And you, pirate?” You giggle in response, uttering your name hastily before rolling his title over on your tongue to sample the flavor. 

“And who are you to your captain, Helmeppo?” you ask him, humming the same tune from earlier, a little quieter as you worked. He exhaled a laugh through his nose, “I am his first mate and swordsman. You?” 

“I am the navigator and blade thrower,” you nod along, the tune never ceasing as you feel one of your wrists finally come loose. You raise it to your side and give it a soft shake and breathe slowly while stretching the limb. 

Making quick work on the other side now that your wrist was free, you reach up and begin to saw at the bonds around your chest and shoulders, noticing the ties are a little more complex than you assumed they were initially. Cutting through the strands, you finally feel them come loose enough to wriggle free. 

“Well now,” you sighed in relief, beginning to stand on the large rock and look down to the icy depths of the sea, “Can you swim, first-mate? Not a devil-fruit user by any chance, are you?” You looked to the blonde man beside you as he shook his head.

“I’m not the best swimmer, unfortunately,” he confessed, looking down at the sea rising up the rock, “Not a user, though. I can stay afloat just fine.” You nod along, looking at the cave mouth and angling your chin to the side with narrow eyes. 

“That doesn’t look right to me,” you nod your forehead to the mouth of the cave, “The light is all wrong, and the swell in water is too rapid. I think it's a false entrance.” He looked to the mouth and nodded his head along. 

“You’re the navigator,” he nodded to you, testing your knowledge beneath his staring gaze, “I am electing to trust you with this. Where do you think we should start?” You hummed in thought, gazing up at the roof and narrowing your eyes at the sight of the luminescent lights surrounding the stalactites. 

“Not a swimmer, but are you a climber?” you asked him, reaching for his chin with your index finger and thumb before turning his attention to the ceiling, “We need to go up there.” He allowed you to move his face and look at the small opening in the roof wall. He sighed another huff of exasperated breath and shook his head.

“If I had my sword, it would be far easier to scale the walls,” he nodded, looking around the rock you were standing on. The surface was like an island in comparison to the other rocks surrounding the room, no way off the surface without swimming, and no way up without reaching the spherical sides to the rocky room. 

You hummed, tucking your blade back behind you and looked down into the water, noticing a faint light coming from the center beneath the rock. Widening your eyes, you stared more intentionally beneath the water, noticing the light began to travel towards you both. 

“Helmeppo?” you ask him with a small hint of panic, backing away from the water below, “I don’t think we’re alone in here.” You held onto his arm and dragged him to the center of the rock, looking up at the tiny hole in the roof before looking at your blonde, apprehensive companion. 

Darting his eyes down to the depths below, he noticed the same scaly visage beneath the surface, swirling in a circle around the rock you were marooned on. He darted his eyes back to you and drifted his eyes frantically around your features. 

“A sea beast?” He asked in a low tone, prompting you to nod in confirmation. He sucked in a hiss through his teeth and looked up to the small hole above you, “We’re going to need to find some type of raft to have us go through the water towards the walls, and pray the beast doesn’t consume us. Then climb to the top of the cave with nothing but our knuckles, aren’t we?”

You look up at the ceiling before looking at the fraying strands of rope you hacked at moments prior. Cursing under your breath, you dropped to your knees and began reweaving the strands that you cut with your dagger. 

“Fuck,” you bark at yourself, grimacing as you hastily rotate the strands and coil them back together. He looked down to your position and his eyes widened in horror as he realized what was occurring. Sniffing back your stupidity, the water continued racing in from the false cave mouth and elevating the water level higher. 

“Can you fix it before the water reaches us?” He looked to the ropes before looking towards the rapidly rising sea water. You growled, balling your hands into fists and continuing to coil the strands around each other.

“It’ll get done,” you assure him with a rumbly growl in your tone, “But it’s not going to be reinforced enough to hold both of our weight at once.” He cocked his head to the side, a perplexed expression drifting over his face. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, kneeling beside you and searching your face for hidden intentions. You huff out a shaky breath, gesturing to your back pocket and to the ends of the rope. 

“I’m going to attach the rope to the blade, throw it through the hole and wind against a stalactite,” you nod upwards, refusing to turn your eyes away from your busy hands. “Then we're going to climb through the hole and reach the surface,” you admit, finally looking up at him, “But we can’t both go at the same time. The rope is too frail and fragile.” 

His eyes widened, searching your eyes for dishonesty and ill intent. Upon finding none, he growled beneath his breath. 

“So, what then?” he huffed out, a small scoff underlying in his tone, “One of us climbs up and then the other begins the climb up after? Is that what you’re suggesting-.”

“-That’s precisely what I’m suggesting,” you cut him off with a soft snarl, “One of us will have to wait and trust the other from their position above.” You continued coiling and twisting the ropes, your hands shaking in a soft rage and lip quivering in reaction to the fear of what’s to come. 

After a soft moment of silence, you concluded your twisting and looked up at the blonde-haired marine beside you. 

“I have impeccable aim,” you reassure him, fastening the end to your blade after you retracted it from your rear pocket, “Hold the end of the rope and let me aim, please. In silence.” He nodded, eagerly taking your orders and you breathed through your concerns as the water rose over the soft edge. 

The fins of a large creature slowly flew above the surface, Helmeppo’s eyes widening as he witnessed the scaly spine of the Sea Beast below the surface. You refused to tear away your eyes from the target ahead, exhaling slowly as you aimed at the wall within the hole. 

In a swift thrust, you threw the blade within the air and the rope began to soar through the barely illuminated dome towards the stalactites. Embedding with a swift thud, the end of the rope was hanging limply within Helmeppo’s hands as he continued to search the water for the approaching beast circling below. 

Turning to him and noticing his look, you breathed out a melancholy breath of air. Hardening your resolve, you gently reached up and squeezed his shoulder to draw his attention back to you.

“Right then,” you nodded with a hasty sniff of steely determination, “Off you go. Quickly.” He turned to you, looking down in shock as you gestured for him to begin the climb. He began to speak, prompting you to shake your head and halt his thoughts. 

“Helmeppo,” you reassured him, squeezing him once more, “This is how it has to be. I am a pirate, a blade thrower and a navigator. You are the first-mate to a marine captain and a swordsman. I would not be able to help you with the rope once I got up there, if anything goes awry,” you confess, softly giving him a pat to spur him on, “You would likely not trust me to aid you anyway, and I feel like you would do the right thing if given the opportunity to do so.” 

His shock deepened, the rope feeling hot in his hands the longer he held it between his fingers. 

“Go, Helmeppo,” you tapped him once more to break him out of his frantically racing thoughts. He gave you a soft nod, gulping back his nerves and beginning a hasty climb up the ropes. He tested his weight, tugging firmly twice before throwing his entire weight into his ascension. 

You had no choice but to watch on as the rope began to bend under the strain of his weight. Looking to the water, the levels began gently rising in soft, taunting ripples as the tide began to come in. A call of your name from the blonde swordsman above the ropes redrew your attention to Helmeppo above you.

“Distract yourself,” he ordered you, straining as his arms and thighs curled around the hanging rope. “Sing your silly songs to me, talk to me about your crew, tell me anything you want.” He growled, gritting his teeth and tugging his body above the rope. You gulped back your fear and inhaled a deep lungful of air.

“I have only ever known a life of piracy,” you confessed, nodding your confirmation and solidifying your words, “Born and raised on the sea, reading the stars and charting my course.” 

Helmeppo grunted on the ropes, continuing his slow climb as the water rose around you. You continued thinking about the circumstances that brought you here to this moment. Smiling a soft smile, you look down at your toes and reminisce about your life. 

“I learned to read the stars from my mother,” you nod slowly, laughing a soft chuckle as you add, “I look like her, too. The crew says she and I are nothing alike, but I like to think we're similar. She was a noble.” You admit, looking back up to Helmeppo as he nearly reached the top. 

He huffs and pants, finally drawing his fingers up to the coarse wall and reaching for a sturdy rock to grip. Reflecting on your words, he thinks over your confessions with interest but remains too preoccupied in his task to ask you any questions. 

The water rises closer to your toes, two beady eyes glaring at you beneath the surface and waiting for the water to lap at your ankles before making its move. You pay the eyes no mind, looking up and reassuring Helmeppo as he attempts to grip the walls for a third time to no avail. 

“You're doing well,” you offer him with no malice or sarcasm in your tone, “Take your time, I'll be right here.” He scoffed out a soft laugh at your response, wedging the rope between his thighs and using your blade attached to the top to pull himself closer to the wall. 

The water caresses your toes with a soft propulsion, your heels not faring better as the water continues to rise to the peak of the small, rocky island within the damp dome. You scrunch your eyes shut, thinking about the outcome should you both fail this task. Both crews would perish on this island in servitude for the locals, your crews would mourn for you, and you would be good for the beast below the surface. 

“You can do this, Helmeppo,” you again reassure him, gulping back your shaking fear and propelling confidence in your tone. “You are a swordsman, a first-mate to your captain. You have worked hard to earn those titles, just like you're working hard now. You can do this.” 

Hearing your encouragement, his hands finally find purchase on the walls, anchoring himself against the hole in the surface and beginning his climb up. Just as he finally leans up, the dagger in the wall comes loose, the rope falling limp between his thighs and held up by his body alone. 

Your eyes widen, your shock and his igniting desperation in your pulse. He grunted through the adrenaline, groaning as he lifted himself above the hole and braced himself against the walls. The rope began to slip, his hands darting out and grasping it before it fell back down below. 

“I-I'm-...” He panted, attempting to catch his breath. Shutting his eyes and furrowing his brows, he inhaled deeply and focussed his breath, “...I'm going to have to pull you up.” His voice quivered, his lips shaking as he was overcome from momentary exhaustion at the swift climb. 

“We-...” You began, feeling your shoes begin to dampen with the rise in water lapping at your boot heels, “...We’ll wait until you're ready. Take your time.” Helmeppo looked down, noticing the sea beast had begun to circle around the slowly disappearing island and exhaled a shaky breath. 

Before he had joined the marines officially, he would've wanted nothing more than to leave you down there to drown. He would've cowered in his own fear and scampered up the hole without second thought.

But as he stared down at you, looking at the smile you had on your lips as you gazed up at him, the enemy, he was compelled to remember all he learnt from Bogard and Garp. He was a marine, a swordsman, and now the first-mate to his superior and best friend. He was no longer his father's son, a sniveling asshole with no marks on his resume to back up his superiority complex. 

He was Helmeppo: first mate to Captain Koby, and a superior sword fighter on a journey to becoming the best. 

Anchoring a few coils of rope around his waist, he gestures for you to do the same. You follow his directions, tying your hips together and wedging the strands between your legs as a makeshift harness. He extends his legs, parting his thighs and bending his knees to brace himself within the opening beneath the moonlight. Taking the rope in fistfuls, he begins to slowly draw hand after hand of rope and pool the hefty coils over his palm and elbow. 

“K-Keep talking to me,” he uttered, wincing as he felt the overexertion of his muscles burning under the weight. “Keep t-talking. Anchor your weight and tell me about yourself.” His breath hitched, his brows furrowing as he grit his teeth. 

You choose not to look down, opting only to grant him your smile as he lifts your body higher above the doom lurking below. 

“Before I left my home,” you laughed, bracing your arms against the ropes with your forearms, “I was meant to settle down and have an army of children,” you both chuckled at the notion, his hands crawling along the strands and coiling them up higher. 

“That something you want for yourself?” He winced through the strain of the ordeal, looking beneath you and noticing the rocky island was completely engulfed in water. The eyes continued to observe the two of you with interest, the creature lingering beneath the depths smiling its toothy grin.  

“Absolutely not,” you confess with a laugh, gripping the ropes further and clambering up alongside his cooking advances, “I only want the open sea, the wind in the sails, and the stars to point me to my next destination.” He snickered down, growling as his limbs began to burn. 

“T-Truly?” he responded with a taught snicker, “No desire to settle down and retire one day?” He continued tugging the rope and lifting you through the final threshold of the journey. 

“Not in my plan, no,” you retorted, finally lifting yourself between his thighs by grasping his hips and hoisting you with your arms extended. Anchoring your heels at the wall behind you, you had no choice but to fall into his chest upon ascension. 

His eyes never left your face, floating over your features and gazing up at you. Falling flat on his chest, you wriggled between his legs and drew yourself up through the partition in his thighs. You furrowed your brows as you found purchase on the wall beyond his shoulders, his eyes darting between yours and his lips parted and panting. 

“Sorry,” you muffled your apologies, leaning back and gazing into his eyes. Your breath hitched, looking over his features and finally taking a moment to breathe him in. He was handsome, one of the most handsome men you had seen in some time: almost pretty. 

His eyes focussed on your lips, momentarily forgetting the doom lingering below and taking you in for all that you were. You were beautiful, even for a pirate. 

“We-...” he began, offering his hand out to you and aiding you between his legs, “...we should begin the climb. Can't-...” his eyes darted down to your lips and lingered there a moment longer, “-We can't leave them waiting, and the water is rising.”

You looked at his face, smiling as you hastily pushed yourself up the walls and looked down at the marine first-mate beneath you. 

“Better hurry up then, blondie,” you sneered down at him before scampering throughout the walls and hovering up the small opening. He chuckled, taking a moment to catch his breath before following up the hole after you. 

The water rises further below you two, your anxieties both propelling you to use each other as anchor points to propel you further up the hole towards the surface. 

“Try to keep up, marine,” you teased him in soft snickers, his own laugh joining yours the longer you teased him. 

“Speak for yourself, pirate,” he responded in kind, his eyes staring at your body the further up the chasm you clambered. The water began to swell further beneath you, both of you praying in gratitude that you understood the false entry that drew in the tide. 

The starlight welcomed you into the night, you hoisted your torso up through the birthpoint and your eyes both met the cloudless sky above. As you exited the hole, you reached down and offered Helmeppo your arm to grip and raise through the tunnel mouth. 

With a soft smirk, he clasped his hand over your forearm and used your arm to draw himself up through the small opening. Before falling onto his back and panting, he assessed the surroundings and noticed there truly was no entry to the cave from below. You were right, and he was ever grateful you noticed the trap lingering below. 

Lying flat on your backs either side of the hole and catching your breath, you looked to the constellations and began searching through your mind for any direction towards your crewmates. 

While you were distracted by charting the stars, Helmeppo began untying the bonds circling his waist and carefully coiling the ropes for later purpose. He wound the fibers into a neat pile beside him, before crawling on his hands and knees towards you and beginning to draw his fingers against your flesh as you muttered stars to yourself. 

“The Marina Comet besides Genfry’s Belt,” you whispered, barely processing the fingers dancing over your skin and loosening the knots surrounding your pelvis. “Which means the anchor point for our vessel should be beside the Sialin Dip and Hogir Spear.” Your whispers earned you a chuckle from your blonde-haired companion as he loosened the knots of rope girdling your waist.

After uttering your final vantage point, you began to giggle. The laughter became almost overbearing as the adrenaline teetered off and lay in wake to the lethargy you were both experiencing.

The physical trial between the two of you amongst sea beasts, bondage, and trickery had each breath you took feeling like a gift to the senses. Upon loosening the final knot, Helmeppo flopped to the position beside you and chuckled into the stars. You joined him, your rambunctious laughter serenading him as you did a few hours prior with your shanties of old. 

“Any-... Any thoughts on where our crews are right now?” he offered with teetered laughter. You rolled onto your side and placed your hand on his chest and gave him a soft pat in response. 

“We have about a forty minute trek through the jungle before we reach the shore,” you giggled, leaning over him and gazing into his eyes, “And then it’ll be about an hour after that to make it to our ships.” You reached up, brushing his blonde hair from his face and gently caressing his cheek. 

His breath hitched as his eyes met with yours, wide and shocked to receive such affection from the enemy. Conflicting emotions swirled in his mind the moment his gray orbs met your half-lidded gaze. Before he could speak, you spoke for him in a soft endearing tone. 

“You know, you’re really quite pretty,” you speak as if your words contained a soft secret within. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed a dry mouthful of saliva and parted his quivering lips up to you. Giggling at his response, you go to draw yourself away from his embrace, only to have your wrist collected in his hand. 

As you knit your brows up in confusion, he immediately sat up and drew your body close to himself. His unoccupied hand cradled the back of your head in a firm grip and drew your lips up to collide with his in a soft kiss. A squeak fled your lips in shock as your eyes remained wide and staring into the furrowed brow of your enemy.

His golden hair stuck to his face in stringy, damp strands from the salty drips from the cavern roof. The stars illuminated his pale skin and allowed you to take a glimpse at the rosy blush rising against his cheeks. You finally hum into his lips, circling his waist with your unclasped wrist, and rising to sit in his lap on the grassy patch beside the hole leading down to your prior prison. 

You take his kiss as an expression of relief in reclaiming freedom, his joy at being alive and making it through the trial laid out below. Returning his kiss, you allow yourself to give in to your own relief in making it through the trial and rotate your chin to deepen the oscillation. His heart shot to this throat as he released your wrist to circle his arm around your shoulders and hold you close. 

Finally and firmly breaking you away from his lips, he gazed up at you with adoration and an unspoken fondness for you. His lips were bruised by the intensity of your kiss which prompted your hands to raise to his cheeks and run your thumb over his bottom lip. Smiling down at Helmeppo, you softly offer him a small tease in your tone.

“C’mon, pretty boy,” you narrow your eyes and scrunch up your nose with your smile, “Let’s go free our crews and get off this forsaken island.” He panted slowly caressing your hair and pressed his forehead against yours briefly. 

“You’re going to be the death of me, pirate,” he smiled in his tone, briefly closing his eyes. He broke away contact from your forehead and aided you to your feet. Returning your dagger to you, he hooked the coil of rope over his shoulder and let it lay circling his hip. 

“After all we’ve been through? I wouldn’t dream of it,” you smile in response, placing your dagger in your back pocket and readjusting your clothes, “But do try to keep up, lover. You may be strong, but I’m faster.” You began to set an easy and hasty pace trekking through the jungle towards the coastline where your crews were waiting for you.

Aiding each other through the uneven jungle floor, and sneaking in subtle touches and holds to brace each other in support, your affection for the marine swordsman only grew. His eyes only ever left your body and face to briefly glance ahead to brush away a wandering branch from blocking your path. His chivalry was a welcome change to the bruising affection you and your crew displayed to one another. 

His thoughts and emotions clouded his judgment, finally giving in to the emotion he was attempting to stifle. He was smitten with the enemy, and he knew you were likely to never see each other again after this adventure. Willing to take any touch you were permitting him to press you with, he committed the feel of your hands on his skin to memory. 

He was in love, and you were feeling much the same. You both laughed at the true tragedy of the rising emotions the moment your crews came into view with the local government. Without much thinking, you hastily press a soft kiss to his cheek before sprinting to your captain on the sandy shore without further words. 

Eyes shut and hands rose in front of him, he bid you a wordless farewell. Opening his eyes and watching your hair bounce behind you, he felt a piece of his heart leave him and join with your own. Sparing him a look over your shoulder, you shot him a soft wink and giggled in glee at witnessing his eyes still firmly fixed on your retreat. 

You were smitten with your marine swordsman, something that the crew would likely tease you about for the whole duration of your journey out to the sea. You looked to the marine ship, your hands splayed on the wooden rail as you met the gaze of Helmeppo aboard his vessel. Gifting him a soft wave and a broad grin, he returned the gesture with a bashful smile and eyes left wanting. 

Taking a mental note of the stars, you prayed that one day their soft illuminance would guide you two to meet again. 

[phoenixcatch7]

The Wayne doll house

Have some haunted doll au, since it's been bubbling away in my mind.

The bat cave is large and sprawling, many layers and tunnels and hollowed out cracks in the walls. It takes many years to fully reinforce to prevent stray kids from tripping into stagnant waters or fall down crags as he once did. The doll cave, as it becomes known, is in one of the deepest, darkest corners, one where the lights of the furnished caverns above don't reach.

It's one late night sitting at the computer when it suddenly occurs to Bruce that his first encounter with a doll was at the well entrance, many levels above.

There was nothing there when he went back.

-

The justice league stared at the subaru. The subaru, having no eyes, did not stare back.

The seven of them had just finished a very long, arduous mission, and narrowly escaped government censure after the base they'd been raiding had turned out to belong to some corrupt official. With the alert up, they couldn't escape through city airspace, or even in their hero suits.

So civilian it was.

Batman had hotwired some bloke's car while the rest of them ducked into alleys and shop bathrooms, but the problem remained. There was seven of them. And five seats.

"I can shift into something more suitable for being carried," suggested j'onn, "but I believe one of us might have to hide."

"Foot well?" Hal tried, and everyone looked around at the tall, bulky, broad heroes.

"Think they'd have to go in the boot," Barry finally said. Everyone immediately turned to him. "No."

Batman spoke up before the discussion could devolve.

"I think.... I would be best for that."

The team stared.

"Batsy?"

Having no lungs meant he could not drag in the tired sigh he wished, but whatever force allowed this body to talk was capable of approximating something suitably resigned.

"As I am, I am... incapable of fully passing as human. It would be best if I remained out of sight."

"So just? Go change? I swear we won't be weird about whoever you are under the mask. Even if you're like, bald."

"Thank you, Wally, but I'm afraid I'm being serious." Reaching for the mask in broad daylight was unpleasant, but the glue and wires held as he gave it a few thorough tugs. "It doesn't detach."

Everyone stared. Clark reached out as if he wanted to check, but withdrew.

"Do you even have a civilian identity??" Oliver eventually asked. "Because at this point I'm genuinely not sure."

Wayne Enterprises and Queen Industries had a meeting that same evening. "Hn."

"Can we go back to the 'incapable of passing as human' part?!"

"We can discuss it in the car," he snapped, stalking past Barry and popping the boot. "In case you haven't forgotten, we're on a time limit."

For once, that seemed to encourage them, and batman, with great dignity, folded his joints and cape into the small space, ignoring Hal's mutter of 'what kind of contortionist -' as he slammed the lid. With a little shuffling he managed to activate his comms.

"I will inform the watchtower of our delay."

"Batman, they're tapping all outgoing signals, you can't -"

"It won't trigger," he interrupted, before he twisted his consciousness and sent it spiralling across the country.

Bruce awoke with a groan, stretching his limbs and taking a moment to marinate in his annoyance before he reached for the comm and voice modulator on the beside table.

"Batman to watchtower, we've encountered delays. If the Texan state government calls we haven't entered the state in six weeks. Batman out."

-

"Alien?"

"No."

"Reanimated corpse?"

"No."

"Uh... Demon?"

"Hm. No."

"You're not just a meta human, are you?"

"No."

"Vampire?"

"No."

"Robot??"

"No."

"Batsy, please, someone's got to win the bet eventually. How do we even know you're not lying?!"

"You don't," Batman said, not looking up from his paperwork and Flash groaned, letting his sticky notes fall to the floor as he buried his head in his arms.

"One day," he bemoaned to the keyboard, "one day we'll figure it out."

"Until then please keep your eyes on the monitors."

Flash groaned again.

-

Robin ducked under superman's arm as he scuttled down the corridor, laden with the night's haul of snacks. The real problem wasn't getting them - stopping league members from raiding the kitchen would be extremely counterproductive - but keeping them until he could return home to his human body to eat them. Batman had started searching him each time they left and it was really cutting into his daily sugar intake. Unfair! Just because he didn't actually use energy to stay up my night to fight crime, it felt like he did!!

'Oh, you're broken, Robin, oh, don't go out until the glue has fully set, Robin' his arm was fine! It wasn't like there was much crime to be fought on the watchtower anyway! At least not physically.

So he was pretty pleased with himself until he went to set the snacks down and found that the tar like glue they used had soaked through the sleeve and gotten all over his chocolates.

With his other hand, he tried to pry them off, wincing as the wrappers tore and stuck. He tried to shake it, ignoring the way his elbow rattled in the joint.

"Come on, come on - aw, cheezits."

The arm fell off. Robin stared despondently at the limb, surrounded by torn wrappers and dripping black glue where it connected to the elbow. The sour stink of formaldehyde filled the air.

He was going to be in such trouble with Bruce.

The click of the door jerked his head up.

Flash stood in the doorway, wide eyed. Robin stared back.

Flash screamed.

Oh yeah @dehydratedmockingbird have a thing

[my-naughty-writings-and-musings]

You suggested some merformer based asks, so consider this: Merformer! Shockwave x reader? Maybe the reader is a marine biologist and isn't used to being studied, especially this... thoroughly?

As usual I went way overboard, and with a slightly different vibe than you might have intended so I hope you like this, anon!! I was imagining a TFP Shockwave but of course you're free to imagine him as you choose!

For those who don't know: if you like my writing style, you can always commission me, and please reblog to help spread my work! Thank you!

Note: Thalassicon is just my word for what merformers call themselves.

Holding on tightly to Shockwave, you reminded yourself that oxygen was limited as you sucked in each careful breath from your scuba tank, and that he'd promised you it was just a quick swim through these dark tunnels to reach his lair. You trusted him completely, but it was impossible to shake your instinctive anxiety as his massive frame pulled you through the underwater caverns without a trace of light. Time seemed to drag on until a light blue glow at the end of the path caught your eye through your goggles.

As the light grew brighter, the water around you became warmer as Shockwave had promised, and you clung less tightly to his back to raise your head for a better look, almost forgetting to breathe when he finally swam clear of the tunnel and entered a massive underwater cave.

Bioluminescent plant life gave the water a beautiful blue glow, their long, delicate tendrils swaying with the currents Shockwave left in his wake as he pumped his tail without urgency to swim forward. You barely remembered to hold onto his back as you tried in vain to mentally catalog the rich biodiversity before you, wondering if the mech had cultivated it all himself just to keep his home suitably lit. As you stared in open awe, a sudden gesture for you to let go caught you quite by surprise, and you blushed at having lost yourself to the beauty of it all. Releasing your hold on his back, you allowed the merformer to take control when he spun to face you, trusting him completely as he cupped your tiny body in one servo and pointed upwards. Overwhelmed by everything, you merely nodded and allowed him to take you to the rippling surface overhead.

The air above was thankfully far fresher than you could have anticipated so far beneath the ocean, and there was also no shortage of light to see by either, thanks to a similarly breathtaking species of bioluminescent plant casting its soft glow down from the high ceiling above.

"You can breathe freely. I installed air scrubbers to keep oxygen at an ideal level." Shockwave instructed, holding you at the surface so you didn't have to waste your energy treading water. Happily removing your mask, you took a deep breath and massaged the creases left on your face, savoring the feeling of unimpeded oxygen before you looked around for a better idea of your surroundings. The cave was absolutely massive, and had a number of adjoining caverns with varying levels of exposed stone atop which Shockwave stored his less water friendly technology and salvage. More than a few boat engines the size of automobiles were stacked about and waiting to have their parts repurposed, along with a number of shipping containers you doubted had been pulled from shipwrecks. All in all, his lair felt just as much like a pirate's treasure cove as it did a scientist's lab, and you loved it more than words could convey.

"I never thought you'd actually bring me here. Am I your first visitor?" you asked in awe, allowing him to pull you in as he floated on his back. Setting you down atop his ample chest, he ensured you were lying comfortably on your belly before he answered your question with a single word and a nod.

"Affirmative."

You smiled and looked up at the glowing vines swirling along the stalactites overhead, sighing softly at the beautiful scene and the warm water lapping at your wetsuit. Despite rarely understanding his technological feats thanks to your biology focused education, you were awed by everything he'd accomplished, and were beyond grateful to be given the privilege to behold his home. More than a few conversations had alluded to how his culture considered visiting one's home to be a great gesture of trust saved for only the closest of friends and lovers. Considering the hidden depths of your feelings for him, that thought carried far more weight in your head than you'd intended, so you quickly pushed it down as you always did such things. "Thank you for trusting me, Shockwave. I'm honored."

"You have proven yourself to be my ally." he affirmed, gently taking your hand between his thumb and foredigit. The touch made your heart flutter, especially as you met his single red optic and saw his helm accents twitch as they did when he was processing deeper than usual emotions. "I am not one for my people's superstitions, but I do believe in our custom of reciprocating gestures of trust. You gave me reason to trust you completely, and I wish to do the same." 

Straight away, your mind snapped back to the fateful day he spoke of, the terror and uncertainty still raw thanks to how little time had passed. It had been a blur; the ambush by government officials, the net that had unintentionally caught you with him, and his shock when you took the time to cut him loose after freeing yourself. Echoes of the shots that had so narrowly missed the both of you were still clear in your mind, and you could easily recall how he'd held you close to take the hits as he swam for your lives... In the moment freeing him had just been a matter of course, and looking back on it you couldn't imagine doing anything else. You needed him to know that, even if he still seemed to struggle believing it. "You don't have to reward me for what I did. It was the right thing to do, they were going to hurt you."

"Perhaps." he mused in deep thought, going quiet and averting his optic. You allowed him time to think, able to tell from his twitching antennae that he was running over something very challenging in his processor. Looking ready to drop the topic and move on for several defeated seconds, he suddenly steeled himself and met your gaze, holding your hand all the more tightly as he carefully enunciated every last word. "But you have done far more than earn my trust. I have found our time together... enriching.

Though he obviously didn't expect a reply, you were in no shape to give him one, the shock on your face giving him another moment of pause before he forged ahead. How like him, you'd have thought if your brain weren't frozen, to drop something like this so suddenly... Neither one of you excelled at handling your emotions.

"You are unlike any human I have ever met, observed, or would have theorized possible." he continued to confess, obviously struggling but feeling a deep need to get through this. Your heart flipped at his words, beating strongly enough you were halfway worried he'd be able to feel it through your wetsuit, though if he did he didn't let it stop him. The merformer looked to your tiny hand in his, sharp optic tracing all the details imperceptible to the human eye as he allowed himself a rare emotive sigh from his vents. "I have grown very close to you, even if our relationship started on purely academic terms."

"Shockwave..." was all you could say, your voice locked in your throat and your eyes damp with more than seawater. Perhaps in your most self indulgent dreams you'd have allowed yourself to fantasize about such a moment, but to have it happen in reality, which was hardly known for its kindness, you simply couldn't dare to believe you'd be so fortunate. Then again, hadn't your entire relationship been a kind of fantasy made reality? Bumping into this brilliant mech, earning his interest with your scientific endeavors, beginning a relationship of mutual academic benefit that had deepened into something more... You only wished you could find enough words to tell him you felt the same, and had for such a long time. Some of the other feelings he created within you could be discussed at a later date...

Before you could try to force out a reply, Shockwave shifted once again, his antennae twitching backwards and his gaze dropping more out of what you dared to call bashfulness than simple nerves. It seemed the merformer wasn't done surprising you with shared yearning

"For my people, bringing another to your home means more than displaying trust. It is also intended to express a certain amount of... desire." he explained in the most halting voice you'd ever heard from him, usual confidence nowhere to be found.

"O-oh?" you squeaked, hopeful the glow wasn't bright enough to betray the blush turning your entire face to fire. He couldn't possibly be speaking of the same kind of desire that had made you wonder what his servos would feel like on your bare skin, or the kind that had you theorizing what certain parts of his anatomy looked like and hoping to find out... Thankfully for your sake, he seemed even more overwhelmed by what he was trying to say, enough that he didn't even seem to notice your struggles.

"We... do not approach such matters like humans. When a Thalassicon wishes to have a relationship that is more... intimate, there is not a period of courting. That is not to say we do not engage in courtship, only that it is not a prerequisite for physical relations. Intimacy is more for... expressing a certain level of trust, as well as desire, and..." he drifted off, the uncertainty in his voice so thick it weighed down every last word. Slapping his face into the palm of his servo, he mumbled in total defeat, too overcome to continue. "This is very hard to articulate."

The last thing you wanted was for him to stop, especially when you could swear you understood what he was trying to say, and very much wanted the conversation to continue in the direction it seemed to be heading. Taking a firmer hold of his hand, you pulled it close to yourself and sat up quickly. Something primal within you gave you the capacity to speak. "Then... show me? Use your hands?"

"If I have your permission-" he began, holding his servos just shy of your wetsuit.

"My full consent, and ask questions if you need to." you explained as you stripped off your mask and oxygen tank in record time, fully motivated to get things moving. You dared to hope you really understood just what he was getting at, that he yearned for your relationship to be more physical, and that your own desire for the same was soon to be quenched. It was much harder to be bashful with such giddy excitement fluttering through your belly.

A surge of similar energy moved through his massive frame, and you felt all thirty or more feet of him become alive beneath you, making your position straddling his chest all the more exciting. Biting your lip to hold back an overwhelmed whimper, you welcomed both of his servos as they lifted from the water, taking a hold of each one and guiding them to your body until his digits settled on your hips. Straight away you felt how different the contact was from any time he'd touched you in the past, a realization that only intensified when he began to explore, sliding his servos over the tight fabric of your wetsuit with all the deliberation one would expect of a scientist. You sat up straighter to open more of your body to him, jaw going visibly slack as his thumbs massaged up your front and stopped just shy of your breasts.

Recalling that you also had a pair of hands that were very skilled at studying aquatic anatomy, you let out all of your pent up curiosity and arousal and began to explore his massive frame, tracing the seams on his chest and savoring the smoothness of his mesh. As his touches stirred something in you, so did yours in him, the hum of his spark intensifying beneath your very fingertips. You were flattered and awed by the mech's receptiveness to your obviously desired advances.

"May I see you as you are?" he asked suddenly, tapping a digit over the tiny zipper on your front. Thoroughly pleased by the bold request, you met his gaze to find far more of his usual confidence had returned, a change you hoped was here to stay. Your certainty that it would intensified when his other servo traced your curves and took their time savoring the softness of your organic body. "I wish to know you without obstacles."

"Here, let me..." you began helpfully, pulling down the zipper in a manner you hoped read as inviting. He'd made his fascination with human anatomy known only in passing, but as you unzipped your suit and revealed a thin sliver of skin beneath, his optic betrayed far more than just academic interest. Loving the attention, you tried to play it cool as you peeled the wet fabric off your shoulders, moving slowly thanks to how the swimsuit clung to you when it was soaked. You managed to free the upper half of your body without too much trouble, baring your breasts to the open air and earning a quiver of excitement from his frame before you decided help would make the remaining process much easier.

"If you could help me pull off- oh!"

To your continued surprise, he didn't hesitate to follow your instructions, peeling off your wetsuit in a series of precise movements and leaving you naked on his chassis as he tucked it away in a convenient subspace. 

Completely bare and wet, you looked to him in a brief moment of total vulnerability, fears of rejection rising up only to be quickly squashed down when his optic dilated and his voice rumbled more deeply than you'd ever heard it before. "Fascinating..."

Shockwave did just as you'd bid and began to explore, starting at your legs that had so often fascinated him as a being with a tail. Tracing the shape of your muscles and somehow finding every sensitive nerve along the way, he made a point to massage your thighs, encouraging you to spread them but not yet focusing between them. The mech was approaching your body as one would an exquisite meal, savoring every last bit and saving the very best parts for last. You were a bit too overwhelmed to be impatient when he made it to your ribs, circling his thumbs over the tender flesh on the sides before he dipped inwards to heft your breasts, making your breath hitch as he finally got to your erect nipples. Biting your lip was the only way to hold back a moan.

Beneath you, his frame grew heated, and you felt an almost crackling energy building in the mech as his arousal increased with your own. All the little feelings for him that you'd pushed down over the past few months were returning with interest, creating a fire between your legs that refused to be satisfied by simple touches and demanded attention. Granted your own boldness by your pent up needs, you took a hold of his wrists and pushed them downwards, sitting up to bring your pussy into view in the hope he might skip exploration and go straight for experimentation. A needy whine was your attempt at an invitation.

To your delight and near overwhelm, Shockwave growled at the sight, his desire letting you know the move was the right one even before he spoke with the same level of open, feral want. "How do you prefer to be stimulated?"

"Clit, circles, please." you begged, incapable of anything more eloquent. Thankfully he was quite the master of blunt communication, and seemed to find the invitation more than sufficiently invigorating from the desperation with which he slipped his servo between your legs. Supporting your weight entirely, he began to rub his way from the tender skin between your legs to the sopping lips of your entrance, where he found a wealth of lubrication to get started with. 

Your first moan echoed along the ceiling when his digits met your throbbing clit, the smooth mesh delighting you more than you could have ever imagined as he began to circle the erect bud as you'd requested. It occurred to you that you'd never once described such human anatomy to him, and even though you'd learned your species were shockingly similar in this regard you were confident the speed with which he'd found your sweet spot meant he'd been doing research. That thought alone had you moaning far more shamelessly, your hands holding on tightly to his servo as he adjusted you to press his thumb into your clit whilst his foredigit fingered your entrance to test its flexibility. Your eyes rolled back when you felt the heavenly stretch of him slipping inside.

"Need this. Need you." he said quickly, tail slapping the water as your open enjoyment egged him on. Dropping his spare servo to his waist, you had just enough scientific curiosity available to whip your head around in time to see his modesty plating retract, which allowed for an erection nearly as long as you were tall to swing forth with a splash. Beholding the full size and intensity of his arousal made your walls pulse around his digits, something that was not missed on the mech as he began to pump with a groan of pent up, frustrated arousal. You were hypnotized by the impressive purple length, watching in open mouthed desire as his digits moved up and down its streamlined ridges and simple rows of red biolights. 

"Shockwave..." you moaned again, grinding down into his palm as the water around you grew choppy from your shared exertions. Hearing his name had exactly the effect you wanted, his thrusting digit going deeper and curling up into your sweet spot as his thumb pressed firmer circles into your clit. The warmth of your arousal running down to pool in his palm made the scientist all the more eager, his tail churning the water as his other servo splashed into the waves with every pump of his erection. Though you wanted to watch him work, you found your eyes rolling back as a familiar coil began to build in your lower body, the promise of a long overdue release making it more or less impossible to care about anything beyond the ecstasy of the moment. 

"I'm so close!" you announced to encourage him, cries spilling out of you with every thrust of his wrist. Thighs quivered on either side of his palm as you practically bounced in his grasp, moving yourself to the rhythm of his masturbation and praying both of you could reach completion at around the same time. Judging by how his every sound was some animalistic growl or moan of want, you doubted it would be long, especially with his noises adding so much to your own enjoyment. There was something unspeakably flattering about having such a massive, beautiful, intelligent being moaning over what they were doing to you...

A sudden twist of his deeply buried digit and an increase in the pressure on your clit did you in without warning, making your entire body spasm in his grip as you came hard around him, throbbing walls sending waves of ecstasy through your very being. Stars swirled in the spinning lights overhead, forcing you to grab him for balance as you rode out the release you'd needed for weeks without relief.

Seeing you so overcome pushed Shockwave into his own explosive release, his spinal strut arching as he came in plentiful ropes of transfluid that gushed over himself and grazed your bare back. Moaning in euphoria, he somehow managed to keep you balanced and upright as his hips twitched into every throb, the remainder of the mess being washed away by the waves even before reality came hurtling back. You managed to catch a glance of his near theatrical release before your own orgasm faded into the afterglow, and by the time he did the same you were much closer to unconsciousness than you would have thought possible.

Collapsing in his grip, you very nearly fell off into the water before he released his spent spike to hold you up with both servos, chassis rising and falling as he ventilated hard to cool off. Naked and completely satisfied, you allowed the warm water to welcome you as you were laid flat on his chest, your own ribs expanding repeatedly for deep breaths of exertion. You weren't sure you'd ever been more spent in your life...

"I built a small station on the far side of my lair. There is a platform on which you can rest and dry off." Shockwave said suddenly, total exhaustion belying the monumental step forward the two of you had just taken. It didn't even really hit you when you nodded for him to proceed, your limp body staying just where he kept it on his chassis as he swam slowly in the direction indicated. Purring, you noted the lingering warmth of his release on your back with a bit of pride. Shockwave had needed this just as desperately as you had...

Laying on his chest as the two of you lazily floated towards your destination, you wondered what might come next in your relationship, but admittedly couldn't think of much of anything in depth with so little energy to spare. It was enough just to be happy with him, with how everything had turned out since the fateful day the two of you had met... Judging by how tenderly he cupped you to himself as he swam along, you dared to believe he felt the same way, and if he preferred to show such emotions the way you'd just experienced you were more than fine with it.

[bayoubashsims]

The Mariner Man's Amusement Park Historic Tunnels

The so-called historic tunnels had long existed when it was refurbished by Commodore Monk's naval military in 1727 as a prison for pirates, criminals, and people who told awful jokes. Few knew of its original purposes. Perhaps it was some sort of venue hall or something for the ancient people of the area? Maybe they loved group karaoke or something?

The corridors twist and turn, but it's actually pretty simple; the left area takes you to the historic site of Melcinea's statue, while the right area takes you to the prison cells. Fun!

The secret passaggeways will take you to the 'venue hall', complete with its own pool that goes straight into an underwater cavern passageway.

Gee, I hope nothing BIG and ELDRITCH like Thoggus, the Dark Emperor of the Seas, crawls out of the murky waters if you put the skulls of the Eight Reverends of the Deep around his statue and the town's dumbest virgin of any gender strapped to the scarily uncomfortable chair!

[whorety-k]

Ebony Coasts [Part 7] [Final]

Pairing: Merfolk!Corvus Corax x fem!Marine Conservationist!Reader (second person POV)

Song recommendation: The Night - Aurelio Voltaire “This just seems very strange to me / that her quiet lonely streets / Draped in all their mystery / could be so sweet and comforting / But the night / she calls me.”

Warnings: NSFW, Ocean mentions / potential thalassophobia, culture shock and misunderstanding between species, SMUT, I repeat NSFW CONTENT, utter fucking FILTH, author’s interpretation of merfolk anatomy, likely unrealistic anatomy, consent and communication are sexy, praising, temperature, scent kink, size kink, tummy bulge, breeding kink talk, disgustingly fluffy and sickeningly sweet

Word Count: 3.4k

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]

A phosphorescent haze clouds your vision and blurs the edges of each shape. Sounds muddle in your ears and everything became unclear around you, but you had been here before and you knew the way to go. Each step simultaneously feels like a light year and an inch as you make your way through the cavern, and it was difficult not to find yourself dizzy on the suffocating atmosphere. When had you become so out of breath?

You duck your head into the bedspace, eyes catching on the myriad of shining treasures lining the walls once again. Corvus sat alone in the center of his nest, teeth worrying into his lower lip. The ebony and ivory merman lie twitching on his side and covering his eyes with a slick forearm, huffing out little fluttery breaths. You couldn’t see so much as hear the wet slide as he rolled his hips and grunted with each thrust. 

Parched, you lick your lower lip and try to approach the squirming figure, feet heavy with each labored step. Each footfall makes no sound within the small space, swamped by the needy huffs and twists. You reach out to place a hand against Corvus’s wide back, surprised to find the surface hot to the touch. A massive arm rolls up to reveal pleading black eyes, consuming you whole as the pale mer reaches behind you and harshly drags you over. 

The hand at your back plasters you against his clammy skin, Corvus rolling onto his back to make it easier for him to hold you close. His lips move, but you’re unable to decipher any of what he’s saying as you move forward. He tugs you closer again, a bit more roughly than you’re used to. The action sets you off balance, pressing chest to chest with your mer and gripping on tightly to avoid slipping. Drunk on the aura of musk, you lean forward to kiss him, lips parted as he melts into you—

A final jolt through your body finds you waking with a start, panting against porcelain skin like you’ve just finished a marathon. You sit up with a groan. That dream again. You’ve been having them since the admission of Corvus having to share his ‘genetic material’ to craft his ‘sons’. He hasn’t done much more to explain that scenario, letting your brain run wild with the concept in all sorts of traitorous ways.

Your entire body feels hot in your lounge clothes and you grip your shirt collar to fan yourself out, blind to the hand on your shoulder until it shakes you once again. Bashfully, you look up.

Corvus is staring down at you with squinted eyes, scenting the air carefully. He moves a cold thumb to stroke your burning cheeks, speaking in a voice laced with concern, “Are you well, my pearl?”

Still winded, you nod your heavy head… only to notice the red streaks your nails have carved into the soft canvas of his chest. Oops. “Oh, shit! I’m so sorry!” you squeak, running a palm over the lines in an attempt to soothe them. 

Corvus places a calming hand over yours, stopping you. “That dream must have been intense for you to have attacked me so,” he banters, chuckling, “There is no need to fret. Your claws are far too dull to harm me.” You look into Corvus’s eyes with a guilty expression, and he tuts at you before bowing down to place a kiss at the crown of your head. “You are forgiven,” he says, and you smile. You feel Corvus readjust himself beneath you.

“Intense is a way to put it,” you reply, sweatpants rustling as you shift lower into his lap to lessen the strain of looking at one another. Corvus’s nostrils marginally flair at the movement, but he doesn’t comment on it. Instead, a cold hand finds your hip and keeps you from going any lower than the first line of scales over his tail. 

Corvus nods his head, “You had been tossing fitfully for a long while, but the clawing prompted me to wake you. I apologize for interrupting your slumber.” He takes one of your hands in his, rolling your fingers between his idly as if studying them. 

You make a claw-hand with the opposite and pantomime the motion of swiping at him. Playfully, you announce, “Maybe you should be more careful of having an apex predator in your bed.”

Corvus eyes you incredulously, blinking once. “Perhaps I should,” he rumbles. The bastard taps you with one of his own claws as he lets your fingers go, resting his hand on your thigh.

You scoot forward, accidentally placing your hands beside the mer’s cool gill covers as you frown up at him in challenge, but you’re almost sent tumbling when Corvus reflexively twitches upwards. He’s quick to catch you and apologize, but now it’s your turn to give him a skeptical look. “Can’t handle my ferocity?” you taunt.

Corvus’s cheeks tinge a dusty mauve and he averts his gaze, focusing on a rusted coin on the wall. “I argue it’s your intensity,” he admits, taking another heavy breath of air. 

You recline, intent on staring at him until he explains himself, but the action of sitting back causes your hands to brush against the soft fins at the front of his scaled hips. Swiftly, you place them to the side and bark out a, “Sorry!”

Corvus’s eyes blow wide, chest broad with a held breath as he forces himself to calm down. His mouth hangs open as he lets out a tense pant, easing back against the bed of furs with a thump. His head rolls back, and you hear a mutter of, “Throne, give me strength…” under his breath before clawed hands grasp your hips, holding you firmly in place.

Beneath your palms, the smooth expanse of scales distorts, noticeably tented under your fingers. Shifting causes Corvus to suck in another breath, snapping his head forward to stare at you.

Oh.

Oh. 

The mer holds strained eye contact with you as you both sit in silence, neither of you daring to move and break the tense moment. Your heartbeat thrums in your ears as the ever-watchful gaze of the mer pins you to the spot. Tentatively, you press a hand into the bulge, your careful caress rewarded with Corvus’s eyes rolling back into his head and a careful buck into the touch.

You try to press against him again, but Corvus uses the grip he has on your hips to slide your body lower, thrusting up against the apex of your thighs. A moan spills from your throat as you throw your head back from the rough contact, rocking your hips back to meet him. 

When you look forward again, Corvus is staring at you, expression hesitant. He rakes his eyes up and down your body, taking in the pretty curve of your back. Internally, the mer is at war with himself: torn between what he knows he wants and what he thinks is right. His mouth opens and closes as he attempts to find the words to say.

“This isn’t… wise. I don’t think—”

“Please.”

Corvus is caught off guard by need in your tone, eyes snapping up to meet yours again. His mouth closes in a grimace, eyebrows knitting together as he thinks. He teeters the line of reason and yearning, so afraid of hurting your fragile body, and so unable to handle the consequences if he does. What would he do if you were injured by his unnatural strength? He could not take you to an apothecary, nor could he get you to another human. He was useless outside of his designated purpose, and you had no business entertaining his biological responses.

“Corvus.” You say, reaching toward him.

He hadn’t even noticed his eyes drifting until you called out to him. Reluctant eyes find yours once more, and he sighs. He presses his face into your palm, squishing it between his hand and his cheek. Though still so full of want, his eyes regard you with a tender reverence that his dream counterpart could never get right.

You smile at him as he gazes at you.

“I want you,” you breathe.

The words cause Corvus’s shoulders to visibly relax, and he discards his former train of thought. Who is he to deny you this? You’ve been nothing short of caring, both in regards to him and to his sons. His little human that fought to protect his home, always brought him little treasures, and treated him so kindly despite what he is. He could have wed you the moment you sacrificed your sweet treat for Shrike despite having only just met him, only proving the radiance of your kind heart. 

For you, Corvus could do anything.

You let out a startled yelp as Corvus lifts you up, switching your positions with a graceful roll. He places you down onto the makeshift bed gently, taking advantage of the new position to place his large head between your thighs. 

The scent of you so close drives him wild, causing the mer to salivate at the intoxicating aroma of your arousal. He maintains eye contact as he drags his long tongue across the damp fabric of your sweats. The taste makes him whimper, and he can’t help but grind his hips into the furs. 

You gawk down at Corvus, rolling into the contact with a hot breath. “Do you want me to take those off—”

“Yes.”

Corvus sits upright, watching as you shuffle out of your sweats, dragging down your underwear with them. You kick off the fabric as it pools at your ankles and lay back, completely bared before him. The sight awaiting you has you salivating.

Dressed in a rosy flush, Corvus leans over you with hungry eyes, propped up on his hands. The fins at the front of his hips are parted, a purple-grey slit drooling desire as the head of his cock pushes its way out. His chest rises and falls with heavy pants. Your mer looks utterly ravenous.

You stare at his length as it emerges, swallowing the saliva pooling on your tongue. He’s huge, tapered from head to base not unlike a dolphin, and as if to prove the point, Corvus brings his hips to yours, resting himself over your abdomen. You’re almost surprised by the cool sensation, but not nearly as much as he is by the warmth.

“There’s no way I’m taking all of that without some really good stretching.”

Corvus seems to agree, nodding, but he doesn’t stop himself from rutting once between your folds before shifting back, eliciting a soft moan from you. He looks down at his clawed hands with a frown, lamenting the inability to do such a task himself. 

You give him a sympathetic look and make to reach between your legs. “It’s alright, I’ve done this plenty of times before—”

A lightbulb flickers behind Corvus’s eyes, and he pushes your hand aside. Instead, the pale mer leans you back against the furs once more, tilting your hips up and parting your thighs. You watch as he licks a stripe between your folds, flicking your bud with the tip. The pads of his thumbs have no trouble opening you up before he’s pressing the tip of his tongue into your tight little hole.

You keen out a noise of pleasure, unable to contain yourself as Corvus devours you like his final meal. He pulls away to plant kisses along the inside of your thighs before delving back in for more of your honey, chin glistening with a mixture of spit and arousal. The burning stretch of his tongue is delicious, drawing forth more pleads and cries. Corvus thoroughly explores your dripping cunt until you can feel that distinct coiling in your abdomen, heart hammering and breaths leaving you in ragged whines.

“So sweet, little gem,” he sighs, laving your nub and pressing a kiss to it, “So good.”

The tension in your body snaps as he dives back in, and you come hard on the giant’s tongue, heels digging into his shoulders and holding his head still. Corvus moans with you, helping you coast down from your high with a cool hand rubbing circles on the outside of your thigh. 

You shudder as Corvus withdraws his tongue and licks you clean, before doing the same to his sopping chin. You give him a hazy look as endorphins flood your body, moaning as you feel his cockhead tease against your entrance. “I wish it wouldn’t be so difficult to kiss you like this,” you murmur, and Corvus’s ear fins droop. 

“Alas, there is little we can do to remedy that,” he replies, sliding back and forth between your folds. You can’t tell which of you is wetter, but the easy glide is intoxicating and makes you feel all the more empty. “Do you feel ready?” Corvus asks with another drag along his shaft.

You nod your head, pulling your legs closer to your chest to make the impending stretch easier. “Please, I do not know how much longer I can— Oh!” He didn’t either.

The feeling of his cock breaching your cunt makes your head spin. It’s cold, but it feels divine. You swallow him greedily, breathing heavily as you adjust to the intrusion. Even with the combined slickness, the stretch burns. You throw your head back, eyes clenched shut as the mer works you open.

Corvus leans forward, bending at an awkward angle to get as close to you as he possibly can. “You’re doing so good, so warm,” he whispers, waiting for your body to acclimate. He kisses the crown of your head tenderly while stroking a parted thigh. When you think you can take it, Corvus presses in the final few inches until his hips are flush with yours, stretching you to the hilt.

You let out a deep breath before opening your eyes, staring into that comforting abyss you’ve come to love. He cups one of your cheeks and smiles down at you, curtains of black silken hair tickling your cheeks. Reaching down to feel the connection between you, you’re surprised to feel a prominent bulge in your lower abdomen. You lean up to look at it, and Corvus follows.

“You take me so well, my pearl,” he mutters, placing his hand over the mound and gazing longingly at the rounded flesh. His voice is heavy with thought, almost distant as he speaks, “You would be gorgeous, carrying my sons.” 

Corvus’s tone carries melancholy, and it aches you to have such a beautiful moment tainted by it. You place your hand over his to redirect his attention to you, clenching down around him. “Then fuck me like I could.”

Your words draw a snarl out of the giant, one of his hands clutching the bedding beside you before slowly withdrawing his hips, then slamming into you. The first thrust jolts you half a foot up the bed before Corvus’s hands find your hips, dragging you back to meet him as he fucks into you. His cock punches up into you in a way that has you blabbering utter nonsense. Your thighs are slick with your juices and his, a symphony of wet slaps as his hips repeatedly meet yours. 

Above you, Corvus’s head hangs as he moans praise. “Humans… are so hot. So tight,” he babbles, losing any semblance of higher thinking as he drunkenly plunges his cock back into your pussy with a gasp, “Such a good girl, taking all of me…”

Your walls flutter at the praise, and you drop your hold on your legs, letting them splay wide around Corvus’s waist. With a shout, your nails find the meat of his forearms, scratching the white flesh there and pulling a hiss from the giant as you clamp down around him. You’re grateful for this beach being protected and so far away from anybody, else you would be fearful to face another living soul later from the sounds you’ve been making.

Corvus slows, lost in the feeling of your cunt pulsing around his cock as you cum again, gently rocking his hips into you to help you ride out your pleasure. 

You pant and whimper beneath him, encouraging him to continue. “You haven’t cum yet,” you whine.

Corvus’s hips continue their unhurried roll, grinding against you once more before they still. He sits back to pull out, stating, “I do not need to. I am content with this.” 

You, however, are far from content with that. Even thoroughly fucked open and tired, thighs coated in a dusty purple liquid and your own cum, you have at least one more round in you, and you are not leaving here without a thorough examination of a new species. 

Your heels lock against the sides of his hips, only just able to hold him there. “I want you to finish.”

Corvus shakes his head, “I can finish another time—”

You’re having none of it. “Inside of me.”

He stares at you, and you stare back. The sudden feeling of being speared open once again sends a shock of heat up your spine, Corvus’s hips meeting yours in an instant. Instead of fucking into you with abandon, though, he savors the feeling of you around him. The languid pace allows you to watch each shudder of his pale skin, or admire how his eyelids flutter when he pushes all the way in. Gorgeous groans erupt from his chest when you clench down around him, causing the rhythmic bucks of his hips to stutter. Inky black eyes gaze down into yours as if you were the moon and the stars.

You reach out for him, palm open and patiently waiting. And, just as he had in your dream, he meets you halfway. 

But this Corvus is your Corvus. Gentle. Sweet. Caring. A far cry from the rough pulls and pushes your subconscious had imagined.

His pace begins to falter as he grasps your hand in his own, eyes rolling back. You snake a hand down to your clit to help finish yourself off, and the tremors of your walls tip Corvus over the edge. For a final time, your body trembles as you cum on Corvus’s cock. The moan Corvus emits is nothing short of sinful when he spills cold seed deep inside of your core, cock twitching with each spurt of semen. His hips continue to grind against you until the spasms stop, drawing back and pulling out. 

Corvus gently pushes your body to the side before dropping like an anchor onto the bed, panting like a dog. He tucks himself away, then rests his head on folded arms, hair completely disheveled. 

You turn to face him, wincing at the feeling of lukewarm cum dripping down your inner thighs. The air is moist and heavy with the smell of sex and salt. A little cleanup is going to be necessary— some of the furs underneath you are genuinely beyond saving— but, for now, it can wait. 

When your hand finds Corvus’s shoulder, he picks his head up to look over at you, face full of adoration and wearing a soft smile. “Are you satisfied?” he mumbles.

You nod your head, lifting yourself up to rest your chin on his bicep. Corvus lifts a knuckle to stroke your cheek, and you lean into the affectionate touch. A strong midnight tail curls around your smaller body, bringing you close enough for Corvus to turn and wrap his arms around. In a dance you’ve practiced what feels like a hundred times before, you tuck your head under his chin and close your eyes. 

“I love you,” you voice, placing a kiss to the top of a pectoral.

Corvus freezes around you, dumbfounded. His mind races with a million different reasons why you shouldn’t— but for once, he shuts it down. You love him, and nothing would stop the fact that you would do everything to prove it, just as he would. You offered the pearl, and you accepted the pearl. To Corvus, you are greater than any piece of treasure he could bring into his den, and that’s all he needs to know.

Instead of a voice of complaint, you’re suffocated half to death within the grasp of an ecstatic purring merman and he holds you tighter.

“I love you too, my pearl.”

Sticky, satisfied, and happy, the both of you drift off to sleep in the disaster of a bed of your own making.

--------------------------------

@bispecsual

Happy final day of Mermay everybody!! I hope this has been worth the long wait it took. I had a lot of fun with this mini-series and Iearned a lot as a writer.

Not as a person, though. I'm a freak for Big Men and I know that. You know that. We all are afflicted.

Thank you guys for sticking around!!

[bobnichollsart]

My 25 years of palaeoart chronology...

In 2007 I painted a mural on the ceiling of an exhibition room at Pools Cavern Visitor Centre, Derbyshire, UK. It was a Carboniferous scene, partly depicting life on land but mostly marine and freshwater species. It was fun but it demanded long hours and a few nights sleep in my car.

[madlovenovelist]

Book Review – ‘Fathomless’ (#1 Cate Granger) by Greig Beck

A chilling tale of massive prehistoric sharks – get ready for a scare! Genre: Horror, Thriller, Adventure No. of pages: 420 CARCHARODON MEGALODON The largest and most fearsome predator to have ever existed on our planet. Rumors of its existence in our modern oceans have persisted for centuries. Now, in a new adventure, the rumors explode into brutal and terrifying reality. BARANOF ISLAND,…

[kiwicopia]

🔞 MDNI | Kinktober: Double Penetration 🔞

🎃 Shark!Szayelaporro x Marine Biologist!Fem!Reader 🎃

TW: double penetration (vaginal), dubcon, creampie, rough sex (little pain), scratching, biting, licking, tiddy sucking, slight breeding kink, slight choking, blood, murder, some punishment, sex in the water, possessiveness, name calling (cock sleeve, whore), orgasm denial, belly bulge.

tags: @shes-so-insane @uzxotic

Five years as a marine biologist meant that you had seen quite a lot of interesting things. From the discovery of new flora and fauna to behavioral changes within various marine life, nothing really took you by surprise anymore. Or so you thought. There was the presence of something new in the area, an animal of sorts, yet no one knew what kind. Some folks claimed it to be a monster while others said it looked like the average shark. Either way, it intrigued both you and your team enough to try and find it for research. If only you knew better.

Finding the creature felt too easy—almost as if it was a trap—yet you thought nothing of it when swimming deeper into the underwater cave. Your partner trailed behind you, his waterproof flashlight shining along the inside of the cave walls. A few fish swam by, slowly, yet they quickly diverted off their initial course and swam in the opposite direction, as if to get away from something. The cave was too dark to see anything, despite having a light source, and so you never noticed the shadow that moved above you and your fellow researcher. 

There was a sudden whoosh as something swam past you, causing you to turn around as quickly as possible in the water. Your eyes widened when you didn’t see your partner behind you. Instead, his scuba mask was all that was there, slowly floating to the bottom of the cave floor. Your breathing quickened, draining a bit more oxygen from the tank as you panicked. The light from your flashlight followed the mask as it finally touched the cave floor, and your brows soon furrowed when small puffs of red got caught in the light. The color swirled around with the water, and you immediately knew it was blood. 

Another whoosh came from above you this time, and you quickly moved your flashlight upward, barely catching a glimpse of what looked like a tail—followed by the horrid sight of your partner’s severed arm. Blood wafted out as the appendage slowly sank to the bottom of the cave, and the sight was enough to make you swim back towards the entrance. Your breathing was frantic, taking in too much air from your tank as your legs kicked as fast as they could. You did everything you could to make it out of the cavern, only to feel a hand tightly grip your ankle before yanking you backward. The sudden action had you scream, which caused the mouthpiece to slip out from between your lips, and you desperately tried to grasp it—but to no avail. The last thing you saw before your vision darkened was pink hair—pink hair and a devilish smirk. 

You were no longer in the water when you came to. Instead, you laid on a makeshift bed that consisted of many different things—old blankets, tattered and soggy pillows, and human remains. A screech left your lips as your body jolted in fright, and you quickly moved away from the bed. Your eyes roved over the remains, taking note that they were both old and fresh—with the fresher one being that of your research partner. It was a disgusting sight to behold, and before you could even think about a plan to escape, you heard a sudden splash and small groan from your left. Coming out of the small pool was a man—no, a merman. Your brows furrowed as you stared at him, partially in fear while the other half of you was curious. 

Szayelaporro didn’t look like the mythical merfolk you read about in fairytale books. His body was slenderer, with salmon hair while the lower half of him resembled a shark—except his tail was an unusual pale pink. He looked incredibly bizarre, yet also interesting, but you were quick to ignore those thoughts when he caught you staring at him. The creature’s lips curled into a cocky grin, revealing pointed teeth in the process. “About time you woke up,” he said. Your eyes darted away from him before landing back on the bed, specifically the remains of your colleague. The shark took notice and chuckled. “Not much of a fighter, but he made a good snack.” 

Your chest tightened while your face scrunched up slightly in disgust at his comment. “Why?” You asked. The shark raised a brow, lips parted to speak until you beat him to it. “Why did you kill him?” 

“I was hungry,” he answered. The look on his face suggested that he believed his answer to be justifiable. He then scoffed at the forlorn expression on your face before rolling his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to eat you. Yet.” You swallowed the lump in your throat and looked away from him. Your gaze found itself on the water, and it didn’t take long for your brain to come up with a plan of escape. Whether it worked or not, well, you decided to take the chance, even if the odds were against you. The shark raised a brow at you, studying you for a moment before he tried to crawl towards you—and that’s when you struck him. 

He hissed when a skull smacked against his head, followed by a ravenous growl as he watched you dive into the water to escape. Your little surprise hit gave you a slight head start, but it was all futile in the end. Once the shark dove into the water after you, it was over. A rough hand jerked you back by your ankle before the other latched around your neck, and his body pressed against yours as he pinned you against one of the cavern walls. Despite the urge to drown you for attempting to escape, let alone throwing the skull at him, he kept your head above the water to let you breathe. 

“Little bitch,” he growled. Szayelaporro moved his face closer to you, the tip of his nose touching yours as he growled again. His amber eyes bore into yours with hatred, yet you noticed the way they relaxed, almost as if he had thought of something. His lips curled into a devilish smirk before letting the hand around your throat squeeze a little, which brought forth a small whimper from you. “I was going to kill you,” he said, “but I have a better idea.” 

The salmon-haired shark slid his free hand down your body, letting his claws scrape against your wetsuit before ripping it at your hips. The clothing that kept your body warm in the water was now gone, and the coldness that replaced it caused you to squirm in his grip. Your movements only made Szayelaporro squeeze your neck a little more to keep you still. Only when you did what he wanted did his hand tear at your wetsuit a little more, watching the material give way to your tits. With his hand still wrapped around your neck while the other gripped your hip, he dipped his head down and let his mouth latch onto a nipple. 

Your eyes closed as a soft moan slipped out, which only served to entice the creature. He let his tongue swirl around the bud, hardening it just enough for him to pull at it with his teeth. Another moan fell from your lips as you leaned your head back against the cave wall, and he groaned when your hands gripped his shoulders. Szayelaporro didn’t mind the way your nails dug into his skin, and it only made him tug your nipple a little more. The shark kept you distracted with that while the hand on your hip slipped a little lower before ripping off the remainder of your wetsuit. 

The sudden coldness against the heat of your cunt made you gasp, and your hold on him tightened. Your reactions let him know that he made the right choice in not killing you—at least not yet—and his mouth soon relented with your nipple. The shark then smirked before pressing his lower half against you even more, and the slow realization to what you felt as he slowly rubbed himself against you only excited him. “Is that—.” 

“Yes,” he answered, cutting you off. The man’s eyes lowered as he watched another question form on your face. “There’s two.” His whisper sent a shiver down your spine. “And you’re taking them both.” You didn’t have time to protest about what he said before he flipped you around and pressed himself up against you again, pinning your front to the cave wall. Szayelaporro was merciless with his actions as he positioned both cocks at your entrance before sheathing them inside your heat. There was no preparation at all, and the scream that ripped from your throat echoed in the cave, but he ignored it. 

His thrusts were relentless as he pounded into you, stretching your walls to the point that you thought he wanted to rip you apart. Perhaps that was his intention, but it wasn’t as though you could do anything about it. Your nails scraped against the rocky wall as the sounds of water splashing and him growling filled your ears, and the way his cocks hammered into you brought forth a few tears. The shark knew it was painful for you, yet he believed it was fitting. Not only did you try and escape, but you wounded him in the process, and he couldn’t let you get away with that. 

“I won’t kill you,” he grunted. His face pressed against your shoulder blade for a moment before he let his tongue lick a thick stripe up your neck. The roughness of his tongue gave you goosebumps, and you let out a breathy moan as your body shivered. “I’ll keep you here, with me—as my little cock sleeve.” His amber eyes lit up when your pussy clenched his dicks, and he chuckled. You were enjoying this now. “I’ll fill you up. Over and over, using you like a whore.” The shark groaned in pleasure when your cunt clenched him again. 

Oh, he was going to have fun with you. Szayelaporro wasn’t about to let you leave, not ever. You’d stay with him, and he’d use you every day, filling you up until you were swollen with his pups. The idea of such a thing excited him, and he continued bullying your tight hole while digging his claws into your hips. You whimpered at the painful sensation, but it was quickly overshadowed by the pleasure that overtook you. 

The way his cocks inched deeper and deeper, pushing up against your gummy walls as the tips repeatedly kissed your cervix was enough to make you come undone. Almost. The shark wouldn’t let you have the satisfaction of cumming. Not yet anyway. His hips continued slamming against your ass, stuttering slightly as he felt himself getting closer and closer. You felt it too—the way his cocks twitched every few seconds inside of you had you clawing the cavern wall. Your forehead leaned against the rocky surface as he plowed into you, faster and faster, his growls constant in your ear. 

It wasn’t until he slammed into you one last time that you moaned loudly, body trembling as his cocks filled your heat with his cum. It was hot and felt like too much, considering your stomach bulged slightly from the sheer amount he unloaded into you. Szayelaporro moved his face closer to your neck again before suddenly sinking his jaws into the flesh, causing you to scream in surprise. The bite wasn’t too painful, but it drew a bit of blood, which he quickly lapped up with his tongue. His actions didn’t make sense until your head was clear enough to think. He marked you, and you now belonged to him—forever. 

[bestiarium]

The Tangi [Scottish, Shetland folklore]

There are lots of folktales about supernatural horses that live underwater and entice people into mounting them. Once the victim does so, they find themselves unable to dismount and the horse takes its prey underwater to drown them. The most famous of these creatures are the Scottish Kelpie and the Welsh Ceffyl Dŵr, though there are lots of similar aquatic horse monsters from British, Germanic and Scandinavian folktales. They are related and come from the same root story.

In the Shetland Islands, however, there are two such creatures, and while they are undeniably similar, surprisingly they are said to be two distinct kinds of beings that exist in different habitats. The Njuggel (or ‘Shoopiltee’ in Northern Shetland, among other names) resides in lakes and other fresh bodies of water, whereas the Tangi (also Tangie) is a marine monster. Keep in mind however that this distinction is not set in stone (folklore is hardly an exact science, of course) and in some places the Njuggel and the Tangi are considered to be synonyms.

In the Orkney islands of northern Scotland, the Tangie would appear either as an old human covered in seaweed (true to its name, as the name ‘Tangie’ is likely derived from ‘tang’ which is a local term for seaweed) or as an aquatic horse. This Tangie would jump out at unwary travelers, and it took a particular liking to young women, kidnapping them from the banks of the Scottish lakes and dragging them into the depths to be devoured.

In places where the two are said to be separate monsters, the following distinction is usually made: a Njuggel appears as a white or grey horse with a wheel for a tail that drowns its victims in lakes. A Tangi, on the other hand, is black or dark grey and has no wheel. Tangis are shapeshifting creatures and sometimes appear as cows, other animals, or as humans. When taking the form of a human, a Tangi usually chooses to appear as a handsome young man and seeks out girls to seduce and have sex with. Sometimes they go the extra mile and abduct a girl to marry her. Being associated with the sea, they commonly haunt shores but these creatures make their homes in seaside caverns.

Like its cousin the Njuggel, a Tangi is engulfed in a blue flame when galloping at high speed. Sailors sometimes claimed to have seen one of these creatures as a distant blue flash that raced across the shore.

One old account of these creatures also claimed that they have wings and the uncanny ability to locate any object that fell or was thrown into the ocean, regardless of depth. These claims are not backed by any other sources. However, they do have an important trait that sets them apart from Kelpies, Njuggels, Nixen and the like.

Whereas most Kelpie-like monsters are said to make people mount them and then drown their victims, the Tangi does not need to be mounted. It can cast a spell on its victims by galloping in circles around them. When under the influence of the Tangi’s magic, the victim becomes hypnotized and immediately tries to drown themselves, usually by jumping off a cliff into the ocean. Those who survive find themselves in a dazed state which lasts for a few days at most.

They are not invincible however and share the same weaknesses as the Njuggels: they are afraid of fire, can be injured with iron and lose their power if you utter their name. For example, one story tells of a man who encountered a Tangi. The black horse started running in circles around him but he managed to stab it with an iron knife. The creature ran away and disappeared. 

Sources: Teit, J. A., 1918, Water-beings in Shetlandic Folk-Lore, as Remembered by Shetlanders in British Columbia, The Journal of American Folklore, 31(120), p.180-201. Lecouteux, C., 2016, Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic. Monaghan, P., 2004, The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore, Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology, 512 pp. Pérez-Lloréns et al., 2020, Seaweeds in mythology, folklore, poetry and life, Journal of Applied Phycology, 32, 3157-3182. (image source 1: orig03 on Deviantart. The image actually depicts a black Kelpie, but I figured it’s fine since the Tangi is related and similar) (image source 2: unknown, sorry)

[specialagentlokitty]

Master chief x reader - for you I’ll do anything

Every since you were a child joining the marines was all you had ever wanted, all you had ever thought about.

Just like your mom. Her dad. His father. His father’s mother.

Your family had been part of the marines for as long as you guys were able to go back through military history.

Your name was known throughout the entire military, from new members to high ranking officers, they all knew your last name.

You quickly rose through the ranks, and you loved every single moment off it, and your ability to combat made you an easy choice when it came to putting people to work with the Spartans.

You were used to working with them, and had grown used to their patterns, growing to accept them as friends even if they kept you at arms reach.

Standing with your hands clasped behind your back, you listened as the admiral talked.

“This is a simple in and out mission, do not make contact unless you have to.” She spoke.

You nodded your head.

“Yes ma’am.”

You walked over to the table in the middle of the room, pulling up a hologram, pointing to one of the paths as you looked to the silver team and their chief.

“We mapped this cave system a few weeks back, but we never found what the covenant were looking for. There’s a small group of them there now, we assume just as guards until their people can come and retrieve it.”

“How do you know where it is then?” Vannak asked.

You flicked through some files and pulled up a short video, playing it for them.

“I was able to place a tracker in one of them, and they’ve been taking the same path every single day.”

You pulled up the map again, highlighting the route that the covenant soldier always took.

“My best guess is that somewhere along where we’ll find what we’re looking for, most likely in this cavern here.”

“What do you need us for Marine?” John asked.

You turned your attention to him.

“I need you guys as a safety net essentially. I can get in and out by myself, there is a short window when they swap their shifts, if something goes wrong I’ll actually the alarm on my vest.”

“So we’re babysitters?” Riz huffed a little.

You knew she wasn’t mad at you, they just didn’t like having to escort people places, or do anything that wasn’t what they were usually trained for.

“If I can get this object, I can bring it back for Miranda to take a look at. We aren’t sure what it is, all we know is that we need to take it out of their hands.”

They nodded their heads.

“We need to leave in an hour, be ready at at the ship.”

You turned away from the group and back to the admiral.

“Are you sure this is worth it?” She asked.

“I’m not entirely sure if I’m honest ma’am, but I am sure whatever this is seems really important to them.”

She nodded her head.

“Bring it straight to me as soon as you get it.”l

“Yes ma’am.”

You left, going down to your office, you pulled your armour on, putting your helmet on and grabbed your gun.

People moved aside as you walked down the hallway, and you heard the heavy metal sounds of the Spartans all falling in line with you.

“Do we have any indication on what this object is?” John asked.

“My guess is I think it may be something they use to create their weapons. Years back a storm swept over the place, buried everything in water, which destroyed the ground’s integrity, and it collapsed. The cave used to be a valley.”

“So a few of their soldiers were in there and got caught, unable to get out, maybe they were carrying something?” Kai asked you.

“Covenant ships have been know to crash there for years, we’re not sure why. But every time one does they go and scrap the ship, whatever is on those ships they want back, I reckon that’s what this is. Maybe a black box of sorts.”

You walked over to the ship, waiting for them to go in first before you went to your own ship.

It was smaller, only enough room for two people and you got everything ready.

“Master Chief, are you patched in to my location?”

“Yes. Ready to follow.”

“Then let’s go.”

It was a long travel to get there, and you had to land a good distance away from them.

Making your way out of your ship, you walked over to the four.

“It’s a straight line from here to there, there’s some large rocks not far from here.”

“We can wait there.”

You nodded your head, leading them to the rocks and they all got in position while you looked at your watch.

It was old, passed down through generations of your family, and you crouched down, waiting for the right time.

“Marine?”

You glanced up at John as he crouched down next to you, taking his helmet off so the others weren’t able to hear what he was saying.

“Are you sure this is worth it?”

“We need to get our hands on whatever it is their after John..” you whispered back.

“If something goes wrong we’ll be too far away to help.”

You sighed.

“Then you get the object back to the admiral.”

“Leave you here?”

You looked up at him.

“They did with my father, it would make no difference if you left me. My father spent months trying to get this, his job is my job now, John please. He died trying to get this.”

John sighed, putting his helmet back on.

“Cortana, is there another place to hide closer to the cave?”

You didn’t hear a response, but John stood up, and you did the same thing.

“There’s a small ditch, just big enough for one of us to fit in. I will hide closer to the cave just in case.”

“Remember the mission, get the object and go.”

He gave a nod of his head, and you both made your way over.

You left him in the ditch, and carried on jogging, making your way towards the cave and you checked the time once more before ducking into the cave.

You didn’t have long at all, so you needed to be in and out.

“Take a right.”

You did as John instructed and came into the cavern, kneeling to the side as you looked around.

“It’s not big, I should be able to carry it out…”

“Bring it out, we’re on standby awaiting orders.”

You crept forward, and you noticed there was two things laying on the floor.

“Guys I’ve got two of these objects, I’m going to bring them both out.”

“Hurry, we’ve noticed movement nearby. Take the first left and run straight.”

“Thanks chief…”

Grabbing the two, you quietly crept back, taking another tunnel to leave while the covenant were coming in.

You knelt at the exit, looking to make sure the coast was clear.

“On my way, get ready.”

You broke out into a dead sprint, praying you wouldn’t get caught along the way, and you jumped down into the ridge, kneeling in front of John.

He knelt over you, using the green on his armour to hide you both.

“They’ve found out it’s missing, they’re sending a group this way, do not move.”

You nodded your head, listening as the alien jets flew overhead, and he placed a large hand on your back.

“Let’s go…” John muttered.

You both broke out into a run again, he was slightly ahead of you as you regrouped with the others.

“Let’s go, I’ll run a scan on these in my ship when we’re safe.”

They joined you, all four of you making your way back to the ships.

“You three go back, we’ll meet you there.” John said.

“Chief?” Riz asked.

“Go, we’ll be right behind. No doubt if they find out we have them they’ll come after us, so I’ll take a different flight path.”

They nodded, you followed John into your ship, securing the objects into two separate holding areas before sitting in the back.

“Let’s go!” You called.

You had to wait for John to clear the atmosphere before you could get up, but the moment he did you were up and inspecting the objects.

He glanced back at you before turning back to the front of the ship.

“Any idea what they are yet?” He asked.

“No, but they seem to react the closer they get to each other.”

“Good or bad?”

“No idea.”

Walking behind his chair, you grabbed your bag and pulled out your father’s notebook, tossing the bag back down so you could look through it.

Walking back to the table you leant over it, eyes scanning over the pages as you flicked through them.

You were looking to see if he had any indication on what these things were.

“Any sign of us being followed?” You asked.

“None yet, either is silver team.”

“Good.”

You turned around, looking at the scans you had taken, and you looked at your father’s notebook.

You turned back to the devices.

Setting your notebook, you grabbed the two objects, holding them apart as you walked to the emergency escape pod.

“We’ve got company!” John called.

“Hold them off!”

You set them carefully on the ground, and walked over, getting a look at where you guys were and you saw a familiar planet under you.

You had been there before, and it was as good of a place as any.

“John keep going until you get back to reach.”

“What?”

He turned to you in confusion.

You slowly backed away from him, giving him a small smile and a salute.

You pressed the button on your vest to open your com.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you all, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to be paired up with. I’m glad to know my father’ss work wasn’t in vein.”

You stepped into the pod, hearing John trying to get out of his chair but he kept getting stuck on everything.

“(Y/N)!” He snapped.

“They’re bombs, the moment they came into close proximity, AKA when I picked them up, they activated. They’re going to go, and the covenant are going to follow them.”

You could hear them all shouting your name, including the admiral back at reach.

“Catch you on the flip side I guess.”

You slammed your hand into the button just before John could reach you, and you took control of the escape pod.

If you could get it to the ground you could find a place to hide while the bombs went off.

Of course the moment they moved the aliens followed you instead, and you could still hear everybody calling out for you.

You tried to ignore it, getting closer and closer to the ground, alarms were sounding all around you, smoke bellowing up from blow the pod.

Turning around in your chair, you grabbed one of the bombs, opening the door to the escape pod and threw it, then threw the other one.

Closing the door again you rushed back towards your chair to try and gain control over it but you couldn’t.

Bringing your hand back up to your com and pressed it.

“Covenant fleet and the bombs have been disposed off, but I’m hit. I’m going down, I’m not sure where and I doubt I’ll make the crash. This is captain (Y/N) (L/N) signing off.”

The door to pod blew off, and you took your com out, not wanting to hear the voices shouting anymore.

The ground grew closer, and you pulled the handles up, bringing the pod up as it hit the sand and your chair was ripped out along with a whole bunch of other things.

Everything went black, and you weren’t sure for how long you were out for.

When you came too, you undid the straps from your chair, taking a deep breath.

Your body was in shock, you couldn’t feel much pain, but when you stood up your legs were weak and you saw blood coating your uniform.

You walked away from the ruin, getting as far away as you could before your knees gave in, you placed your hands on the ground coughing up some blood.

Pushing yourself up, you took your vest off, and your shirt, leaving you in your undershirt.

Taking a few shaky breaths, you placed a hand on your side, and slowly sat down, looking at the water as it softly rippled against the shore.

It was like all the movies you had seen, the photos of the peaceful beaches.

Sure, reach has some beautiful places, but you absolutely admired this view, and if it was the last thing you saw that was okay.

Taking a few breaths, you pushed yourself up, taking a few steps and you stumbled again, more blood falling from your side.

You slowly stood up again, but you couldn’t, so you stopped trying and just laid there, staring up at the sky.

Your blood stained the sand, and it was in your hair, all over your clothes.

You were sleeping between unconscious and conscious, unable to do anything else to keep yourself alive.

The pain was creeping up on you.

The ground seemed to vibrate, and you put it down to your body shutting down, but the large green suit above you told you otherwise.

You saw the numbers.

117.

“John…”

“(Y/N)!”

He crouched down, looking at your vital signs which were Reading critical.

“I’ve got you.”

He carefully picked you up, running you back to your ship, and he laid you down on the floor.

“(Y/N)?” He called.

“I.. I want.. to go in.. the water…”

John quickly put the ship into autopilot and he made his way back over to you, pulling his helmet off, setting it aside as he pressed one of your shirts to your side.

You always kept spare everything on this ship in case of emergencies.

“I need you to stay awake.”

Your eyes slowly met his.

“Can we.. can we go… in the water…?”

“We are going back to reach, they have a team of medics on standby.”

You took a shaky breath, and a few tears fell from your eyes.

“I don’t… want to.. die…”

“You’re not going to die, but you must stay away.”

You sniffled a little bit.

It was strange for John to see you in such a state, he had never seen you so scared, he had never seen you cry.

He’d seen you angry, he’d seen you happy, but it never crossed his mind that you could actually be scared of something.

“Just stay awake…” he whispered.

You coughed up more blood, and he looked at you with furrowed brows.

John slowly reached out, gently placing his forehead on your, just like you had done for him once when he was seriously injured.

“Stay awake…”

He had to leave you in order to land the ship, but the moment he landed it, he rushed back over to you, but you were immediately taken away from him.

Grabbing his helmet he rushed after you, but was forced into a debrief.

After he spent hours waiting for any news of you, but he kept getting taken away to do other things.

“(L/N) will be fine, but it will take some time for a full recovery.” A doctor said.

John nodded his head, standing up.

“What room?”

“Just down the hall to the left.”

John made his way in, and sat on the chair next to your bed.

Every day he often came to see you, needing to make sure that you were okay, even as a mission took him away for a month, he came back and straight to your room.

You were up, slowly walking up and down the lengths of your room.

“You’re okay.”

You turned to the door and smiled a little bit.

“As good as new, can go back duty in a couple of months.”

He nodded his head, and closed the door.

You sat down on your bed, and he stood there with his arms clasped in front of him.

“When will you be released?”

“In a few days, why?”

He didn’t explain, and a few days later he asked for you to meet him by the Spartan ship, not explaining why even as he took flight.

You recognised the flight path, even as you two landed.

You walked out on to the vast sand.

“John? Why did you bring me here?”

He walked over to you, he wasn’t wearing his suit, just normal gym clothes.

But he did have his weapons on board the ship.

“When you were injured you kept saying you wanted to go into the water.”

He gestured to the water.

“Now you can.”

You smiled at him, walking to the water, taking your shoes and socks off, rolling up your trouser legs and you walked into the cold water.

John walked over, doing the same thing as he stood next to you.

“I saw my dad.”

He furrowed his brows, looking at you.

“When I was dying, and I said I didn’t want to go.”

“You remember.”

You slowly nodded your head.

“I wasn’t saying I didn’t want to go to you. I was saying it to my dad, he wanted me to go with him, but I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to die.”

“Are you scared of dying?”

“Everybody is, but we all die eventually. But I guess I always thought I’d either die naturally or painlessly at least. I’d never been so close to death. But I was also scared you leaving you behind, you having to lose another person.”

John nodded his head.

You placed a hand on your side.

“I left my ship because even as a Spartan there was no way you’d survive that blast, and there was no point taking us both down.”

“You were protecting me?”

You turned to him, giving him a small smile.

“Of course I was John. Look, we’ve had this on and off thing for a while, but I wasn’t going to let you die because of a mission I insisted on. I would do it again if I had to.”

“But I don’t want you to die.” He said quietly.

“You know I’ll more than likely die before you right?”

John turned to look at you.

“Yes, but that still doesn’t change the fact I don’t want you to die.”

You laughed softly, reaching out to take his hand, placing your other hand on his chest and he stared down at you.

“I’m sorry…”

You closed your eyes, resting your forehead on his chest for a moment before pulling away to look at him.

“Thank you for bringing me back here…”

John brought a hand up, placing it on the side of your face, and he leant down, hesitantly kissing you and you moved your hand to the back of his head to kiss him back.

John pulled away first, and he just looked at you, his eyes boring into yours.

“Will you be okay?”

“Yeah John… I’ll be okay I promise…”

He nodded his head, and you moved to stand in front of him, your hand holding his to your side you had injured, back resting against him as you just looked at the water.

He wasn’t going to pretend he understood your fascination with it, because he didn’t, but you wanted to come here so that’s why he brought you here.

He was still learning about emotions, and what exactly was going on with you two, but he did feel lost when you were stuck in that room, he was so used to you by his side that when you weren’t there he didn’t know what to do with himself.

So, now he was here with you, he was going to memorise this moment because he realised how easily you could go and leave him behind and he wanted something to remember you by