#“he stowed away on a ship”

[diaryofamadsunwukongfan]

You know what, Sun is inner city/the "bad" part of town kid coded and now that I said that I have words for the people that keep refusing to be normal about him.

[starcurtain]

Sometimes I think about the fact that we have absolutely no information on how long Aventurine actually spent in slavery.

He fled from the Avgin massacre as a young child, and we didn't see him again until he was a grown adult. I doubt he could have survived entirely on his own at that age and Sigonia's conditions seem too harsh for people to randomly adopt orphans, especially from a rival/outcast clan...

We do know that the master we see on screen was not his only master, because he was purchased from someone else, but we have no idea how many masters he had total before his final one, how many times he could have fled and been recaptured, how many times he was bought and sold...

We do know that Aventurine appears to have been kept on Sigonia or somewhere similarly tribal for those missing years, since his first request to the IPC is for Jade to take him to her "chief," but we don't even know how long Aventurine has been out of slavery. He doesn't look massively different in age from his "trial" with Jade to how he looks in-game now, and he did not rise through the IPC ranks over time like Topaz but won his role directly through his gamble with Jade and then later proving himself on Iymanika.

Basically, all this is leading to a big question: Is it possible that the Aventurine we know is only barely out of slavery? That there may be something like five years or fewer separating him from the wastelands of Sigonia? That he learned all these new behaviors, all this new information about how to operate as a free person in the universe, in what likely amounts to 2-3 years of Jade's guidance and his own hard work?

Man, what an incredible character. Really a standout among my very favorites.

[chrisrin]

GEMSTUCK DOODLES!

[weregonnabecoolbeans]

By the way I am on both sides at the end of CA: Civil War.

I can understand Tony in the moment losing his mind over the winter soldier having killed his parents.

But like, I also think it’s insane that he thought his “friendship” with Steve is even remotely close to the same level as his with Bucky.

And also Bucky was innocent so…

[ashmcgivern]

I am the keeper I am the secret I am the answer I am The End ~Dark Matter

Ikamo is terrorizing @mernolan 's crew by being SUS and they're super taking it well

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippet Monday: Jak and Daxter

Meddling Mar au: In Which Jak's younger self had no intention of staying in the past

The Rift Rider disappeared through the gate, and already Jak felt a sense of loss. There was, he decided, something darkly ironic about the kid turning out to be his own former self. It meant that he really was the only person who unconditionally cared about him. Kind of pathetic sounding when he thought about it that way.

"I should've warned him about Errol," Jak realized after a moment, heart twisting in his chest. "I didn't warn him about Errol!"

"Errol?" Keira looked confused.

"You couldn't, Jak," Samos said sternly. "If he knew and remembered the past, it would jeopardize the future. Everything must play out as fate has designed it."

Something cold wormed through Jak's gut as he turned slowly to face the sage. "You knew what was going to happen to me," he realized, "You were just okay with what they did? You couldn't even try to warn me?!"

Samos leaned on his staff and gave Jak a disapproving look. "I told you "be ready for whatever happens". It's not my fault you never listen to me!"

The dark eco was rising in him, depleted and exhausted though it was. Jak struggled to keep his voice level, and even so it came out as a low growl.

"You let me get into that craft knowing Errol was going to kidnap me off the street and experiment on me for two years. You sent that innocent little kid back in time knowing he's gonna suffer the same thing."

He drew away from his old mentor in disgust. "What makes you different from Kor?"

"Now that's going too far!" Samos gasped.

Behind him, Keira stood frozen. Numbly, she whispered, "Errol did that to you?"

Daxter grimaced. "You never noticed how that pea-brained peacock talked to Jak?"

"Precursors..." Keira dropped to crouch on the ground, holding her head in her hands. "Jak, I-"

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off suddenly by the glow of the Rift Gate intensifying. All at once, something shot out of the portal and over their heads, landing with a spectacular crash. They all whirled to find what appeared to be the Fisherman's boat from Sandover, with some extra bits welded on. It was all thoroughly smashed now, but Jak could have sworn he saw a Time Map affixed to the prow.

"Ah-ha, oof, that smarts!" a voice groaned from the wreckage.

Jak blinked. "Uncle Erasmus?!" He sputtered.

"Eh? Whozzat, who said that?" Parts clattered and a skinny arm appeared. "Pah! So much dust! I say, Mar m'lad, do you see my monocle down there?"

It was the Explorer! But what in the name of all the Precursors was he doing here?

Jak waded through the rubble and began tossing debris aside. His adoptive uncle's dusty face appeared only a moment later, looking older than he remembered.

"Who? Who? What?" The man squinted at Jak for a moment, then let out a jovial laugh. "Bless my soul! Jak! You made it after all!"

Erasmus the Explorer hauled himself up to slap Jak heartily on the back. "Poor form, y'know, leaving your poor old uncle without a word like that -- and not telling me about the tyke, wot! Look at you, lad! Barely grown at all in five years? What sort of rubbish have you been eating?!

"What the...five- five years?" Jak stammered, "It's only been two!"

Erasmus jumped like he'd been electrocuted. "Sink me!" He exclaimed, "Elocution? Verbosity? Sink me, things have changed!"

The older man turned to call towards the rattling still coming from the wrecked boat. "See here, you young rip? Keep practicing and you'll get to it eventually like your brother, eh?"

His what.

Out from under what used to be a bench seat popped a head of tousled green curls. Before Jak had time to properly feel relief, a scrawny child no older than eight or nine hauled himself from the wood and metal, brushing off his arms in annoyance.

"Yeah yeah, Uncle E. Or maybe you keep up practicing and you'll learn to say more than "I want food", huh?" The child signed quickly and fluidly, but with more than a little sass in his gestures.

"What the-?!" Daxter tightened his grip on Jak’s shoulder to keep from falling off. "Jak! It's- It's-!"

"It's the Kid!" Jak whispered.

His younger self looked up upon hearing Daxter's voice. An instant of confusion crossed his face, followed by recognition. Then his eyes narrowed.

In an instant, he'd shot across the space between them to land a vicious kick to Jak’s shin. Jak yelped and grabbed the boy's arm.

"What was that for?!"

"That's for sending me away with Grandpa Green!" The little boy retorted before winding up for another kick. "You're the worst brother ever!"

"Hey!" Offended on Jak’s behalf, Daxter leaped down to land on the boy’s head. "Show some respect, Junior! We busted our tails to find somewhere without any Krimzon Guards or metalheads!"

"Metalheads?" Erasmus interrupted, "Oh! Those creatures that have been trying to eat Sandover? Hm. The name's a bit on the nose, isn't it?"

Keira blanched. "What do you mean "trying to eat Sandover?!"

Samos hurried forward. "That's impossible! The metalheads didn't enter Sandover until the day we left!"

The younger version of Jak eyed Samos suspiciously. "Yeah, and you dropped us off the same day, genius."

Samos blinked and turned to Jak. "What did he say?" he demanded.

"Uh..." Jak stared down at the boy. "Did you set the Time Map coordinates to the last used jump, or the one before that?"

The green sage paled. "Did that shrub pick the wrong coordinates?" he gasped, "That puts everything in danger! The past- the future!"

Daxter groaned. "Oh don't tell me we gotta do more time travel to fix this! If I gotta defeat the Acherons again, so help me-!"

The smaller Jak -- the one the Explorer had called "Mar" -- pried Daxter off his head and set him down gently.

"Those dark sages? Uncle E told me how you guys beat them up to free the Lurkers."

The Explorer surveyed the cavern around them as the Rift Gate shut down and collapsed. He leaned on his walking stick and nodded several times in satisfaction.

"Never been to this place," he mused, more to himself than to the others. "At last! Places in the world I haven't been!"

Erasmus hobbled over to Jak and squeezed his arm affectionately. "Awfully glad I found you, young chap! Look after that rascally brother of yours, eh? I'm off on a new expedition!"

"Wait-! You can't-!"

Erasmus wasn't listening. Whistling cheerfully, he dug around the shattered boat and came up with a wicked looking harpoon. He settled it on his shoulder and all but sashayed into the tunnels.

"He's gonna get himself killed!" Daxter squawked, "There's still metalheads in there!"

Little Jak -- Mar? -- scoffed. "He's okay. I told Uncle E and the Warrior how you used to kill those. If you harpoon the gem from a distance, they can't get to you."

Well. Jak supposed that was fair enough. If Uncle Erasmus really had been watching over his younger self for five years, he would've had to have learned how to defend them from metalheads.

Samos began to pace, on the verge of panic. "This isn't what was supposed to happen," he mumbled, "He isn't supposed to- and he knows his name-!"

He turned sharply. "Jak, bring the boy, quickly! We must consult with Onin!"

Jak and Daxter exchanged meaningful looks. "Why? You can't throw him back in again, it's too late for that."

"Time will be thrown out of order! The timeline will fracture!" Samos tugged at his ears in distress. "Jak, you must trust me!"

Jak stiffened. He took a step back, placing himself between the sage and his time twin.

"I did," he said quietly.

No more blind trust. Whatever was going on here, Jak would figure it out without meddling seers and sages. He'd already gone through hell for them once. He wasn't about to let it happen twice.

"Dax, Kid, let's go."

He had no idea what he was doing, what they would do next. But it had to be better than staying in the ruined nest with someone who had for all intents and purposes betrayed him. He would untangle it all later, when they were somewhere safe.

They had time. The worst was over now, right?

[bravingthewaves]

Does anyone want to hear about the One Piece fanfic I started in 2015 but will probably never finish?

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

thank you @cursed-byesexual for giving me the idea of making the 118 pirates in my kinda-doesnt-exist-but-im-thinking-about-it fantasy au.

But now i'm trying to figure out what little pirate nickname Bobby would have, as captain.

[the--highlanders]

I would just like to thank james drummond for dying so conveniently he solves so many problems <3

[bergamotmandarin]

[nerdpoe]

Danny's found a way to dodge GIW trackers, as well as his parents. Their equipment hunts ghosts, ghosts run on emotion; so as long as he keeps his under a tight lid and doesn't feel anything ever, they won't be able to track him.

It works!

He's able to run from them, and goes as far as New Jersey. The plan was to stow away on a ship, and go to literally any country that wasn't America. He goes to Gotham, which hosts the one harbor he knows where no one will ask any questions.

But because of how weird he acted (completely emotionless during a Joker attack), he was fingered by police immediately.

He's handed over to CPP. CPP doesn't know what to do with a teen literally so traumatized that they don't show any emotion at all, ever. He keeps just...walking out of his placements. Just leaves without a sound.

Luckily, he's always caught, due to those placement houses having quiet alarms and him refusing to run.

They call the one foster parent they know who does.

Bruce Wayne takes in the strange, nameless kid who refuses to talk.

On paper, they gave him the filler name of 'John Doe', for lack of anything better to do.

Bruce does everything he can to make the newest arrival feel at home. Damian, for as territorial as he is, actually breaks out of his shell sooner than expected just to try to get the new kid to speak. To emote. To do something. Duke tries the open approach, then tries the 'no one will ever know, everyone thinks I'm an innocent goody-two-shoes' approach. Nada.

Tim even tries to trick him into talking, but nothing works.

Enter Dick; Dick heard about Bruce's new ward, about the situation, and decided to see if he could get the kid to open up.

Danny though. Danny's in trouble.

The Wayne Manor is weirdly secure, and he can't just walk away like he did his other placements. He can't use ghost powers or the GIW and his parents will immediately know where he is.

He really, really wants to take Bruce up on his offer and just spend the day relaxing. Respond to Damian's attempts to provoke him. Overshare about space facts with Tim.

But most of all, he really, desperately wants to get in a Pun Competition with Dick. He wants to laugh at Dick's jokes, and learn coolass gymnastic tricks!

But he can't!

If he relaxes with Bruce, he'll be content, which is an emotion. If he argues with Damian, he'll get annoyed, which is an emotion. If he sneaks out with Duke and breaks the rules, he'll get happy, which, again, emotion. If he overshares with Tim, he'll get excited, which is, yet again, an emotion!

The worst sin of all, he can't even show proper appreciation of the food the Butler keeps making him!

And now there's even more people coming over!

There's a quiet girl who keeps reading his body language and trying to get him to dance ballet, a blonde girl who keeps trying to kidnap him to take him to BatBurger, a guy with a stripe of white who wants to take him to a shooting range, and it just...he really, really wants to!

He wants to do all these cool things with them!

But he fucking can't!

[normaltothemax]

"What are you doing here?"

"I got bored." He definitely shouldn't be there. It's certainly not the place for a six-year-old. But bored and curious are never a good combination when it comes to Lucy. Without Arthur by his side to be his voice of reason, there's nothing stopping him from getting into a boatload of trouble.

@fasciinating (x)

[giantkillerjack]

My graphic novel is just

Big scary stoic warrior rescues some guy from a crimelord

Warrior soon finds out that this apparently average craftsman is, in fact, the craziest motherfucker he has ever met in his life.

[victoriawaterfield]

since martha was on myspace do you think any of the dw characters were on tumblr

0 notes

time-lord-victorious

dni list:

jack harkness

ex-time agents

torchwood workers

fixed points in time

209 notes

face-of-boe

i could fix him

#don't listen to ANYTHING my team or martha says. #he wants me sooo bad

45 notes

victorian-orphan

why can't we all just be happy :( & have a nice time at the beach :(

#vaguepost #PLEASE... i don't Want to deal with the weed #i want to have a nice time with my friends #victoria.txt

4 notes

impossible-girl

hey !!! me and me are gonna be in the Area (Earth) for a bit before we head to gallifrey if anyone wants to meet up before the Raven gets me lol !!!!

#lowkey kinda nervous #but hey! #i have a tardis for a bit now #me is ashildr btw ! she changed names

12 notes

fairytale-pond

los campesinos! was so real when they said that it won't get any better but that doesn't mean it's gonna get any worse. aughhh

#raggedy man save me. raggedy man. ra — #who said that #**** from school is driving me bonkers #gonna drop out if this keeps up #<- that's a joke rory #amy's troubles

67 notes

hyperpop-2000s

wow these robots that tried to kill us are so me coded.

#stowing away in the weird bowl cut mans ship... #wish me luck! #did you guys catch the new edition of the karkus this week btw... #zoe.txt

98 notes

space-pilot

if this little trojan girl doesn't stop referring to us as gods and insisting she's dead i'm gonna cry in front of her until she stops

#same thing if this old man doesn't stop INSULTING me for being tired #this is hell. i HATE it here. getting out as soon as possible. #hi-fi save me

13 notes

UNIT-tumblr

if i had a nickel for everytime torchwood got stuck in their base i'd have an absolutely insane amount of nickels. everyone point and laugh.

#official UNIT news

1000 notes

[starqueensthings]

We need to talk about Echo (and by talk I mean screm). S3 E13 + 14 Spoilers!

FRIENDS, I'M GOING TO EXPLODE. I need to talk about Echo for a minute. We need to talk about Echo for a minute,  because he has spent the last two episodes in the absolute thralls of complete and total danger, and I personally don't feel like there's been enough of a celebratory uproar for me to be satisfied with the level of appreciation and love that man deserves. (Remember when Hunter ran face first into a colossal exhaust pipe and we all collectively lost our minds because it was so impressive and so sexy? Remember when Tech drove a speeder really fast through a tunnel and we all fainted? I'M A TECH GIRLY. IT WAS ME! I FAINTED!!) but, Y'ALL, Echo deserves that right now!! And for all eternity!!! Because he is wholly submurged in the harrowing potential of torture and execution, and he didn't even bat an eye to put himself there. My awe of him is all-consuming, so please forgive me if this rant reads as nothing but incoherent screaming. 

Echo haters (first of all, we can't be friends....) come on this journey with me! Let's back pedal to the beginning of the last episode (13). He stole an imperial shuttle. Let me repeat, he stole an imperial shuttle. And not just an attack shuttle. Not just a lil one-pilot transport. Bro somehow stole a Rho-class medical transport, which is very large, obscenely conspicuous, and very easily tracked. And, to use his own words, it was "the best he could do on short notice." The man stole a shuttle on short notice. ON SHORT NOTICE? HELLO, HOW DID HE DO THAT. WHY AIN'T WE LOSING OUR COOL ABOUT IT. 

Next stop on this I-love-Echo journey through my mind: not only did he provide his brothers transportation in the complete void of their own (RIP havoc bb), but he also came equipped with intel and clearance codes, and, as Rampart stated, those things change DAILY. Echo somehow procured top secret imperial clearance codes, and a fkn SHIP, within hours of the Batch requesting his help. Not to mention, the ship had yet to be reported missing (which means it was only-freshly commandeered), and the clearance codes worked. Of course they did. Echo never fails. Never doubt Echo. "Echo's on it."  

Choochoo, next stop! Once they arrived on that station orbiting Coruscant, and made their way to the control room (lookin sexy as heck in his armour-au-noir), he broke imperial encryption, hacked into the Imperial database, almost instantly found them the location of a ship departing for the prison that holds their daughter Tantiss, AND THEN DIDN'T EVEN HESITATE TO CLIMB ABOARD AND STOW AWAY.  

He didn't even remotely have a plan, or have time to make a plan. He didn't know who or what else would be on board that mysterious vessel. He didn't know where it was going other than the name of the fkn mountain (which has proven to be nothing but unhelpful thus far). He just ARC-troopered his way through that crowded hangar, dodging aggressive astromech's and inconsiderate loader droids, shirking from the perspective eyes of highly trained commandos, and snuck his way onto a heavily guarded, extremely unknown science vessel. Then, of course, he wasted no time, hacking into the ships control system (may I gently remind- there were at least three pilots and an officer prepping the ship for jump and closely watching all aspects of its controls), disabling the proximity sensors without being detected, and then seamlessly covered the troopers absence by pretending to be him (which we all know is what should have happened on Serenno but... hindsight is 20/20.)  

So... SO.... now we're at Episode 14. Here we at fkn terrified station because HULLO ECHO IS ALONE ON A SCIENCE DIVISION TRANSPORT; we have literally seen them carry around Zilo beasts in that shit. What the heck else could be on there that they don't know about? Literally anything. Because THEY KNEW NOTHING before attaching themselves to it. Echo knew NOTHING before sneaking onto that thing and creepin' around. Thank heck he didnt come across a fkn fresh wave of slither vines ok?  

NEXT, Echo shoots (not stuns- lol) a sassy fkn droid (they had it coming, not sorry), then another trooper. AND THEN discovered his only option for departing the ship once it enters atmosphere is going completely undercover, because (in true "we improvise everything" CF99 fashion that gives me heart burn just thinking about it), they had zero fkn plan to get off the ship. I will repeat: completely undercover. On Tantiss. COMPLETELY UNDERCOVER ON TANTISS. NO COMMS, NO BACK UP, NO RECON, NO PLAN, BARELY ANY GEAR, and I would just like to stress... no neuro brace. He left his neurobrace on that ship. Left it. LEFT IT AND TOOK A HAND INSTEAD. PLEASE FKN SEDATE ME.  

We can't leave this station yet... This I-love-Echo train needs to linger at this point for a sec because I think it's lost on some people how wild this is. Echo without his neurobrace is huge. It's a bigger deal than Echo without his armour. Armour is, in the grand scheme of things, inconsequential (one can find more- see Howzer). Echo's neurobrace is not armour, it's a computer and it's so so so crucial to how his mind processes information and events. Don't forget, the Technounion HIJACKED HIS BRAIN. They took every memory from him and manipulated it for their gain. Pruned it, tweaked it, blanched it, poached it, turned it into scrambled eggs, and then fkn ate it up and used it to defeat their enemies (Echo's family- I'm sobbing). They implanted him with an unfathomable amount of information; they changed the way the neurons in his brain fire in relation to stimuli. That neurobrace is so so critical for him. Now, we know he can operate well enough without it, we saw it in the last episode of the TBB arc in season 7 of Clone Wars, but... please.... to what extent? We don't know what an extended time without that neurobrace looks like for him... especially when all other aspects compliing his surroundings foreign, unknown, and dangerous, and that scares me.

AND NOW HE'S ABOUT TO RUN AMOK IN TANTISS with Emerie who, (I'm sorry) is wishy-washy as heck (who are you loyal to!!!!! What is your history!!! Are you trustworthy and what are you looking to gain!!!), trying to adopt a collection of Jedi children whove spent maker-knows how long playing space tetris, WHILST ALSO ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE AND ESCAPE WITH HIS BROTHERS UNDER THE EYE OF THE GALAXY'S SECOND MOST DANGEROUS MAN. 

So yes, short of d-d-d-di... can't say it... short of THE WORST CASE, Echo has made the ultimate sacrifice to save not only Omega who is literally the only person we've seen able to make him truly laugh, but all the clone brothers that he's been desperately trying to locate and rescue. His bravery and determination are literally unrivalled, and he did it while feasting on nothing but humble pie because that man wouldn't know arrogance if it danced naked under his perfect nose.  

Okay so welcome, we've finally pulled into I-Love-Echo station. Before departing the ride, please stand and do a hip hip hurray for the miracle that is Echo, including but not limited to, everything he's done, is doing, and is willing to do for other people. 

[bucketsofmonsters]

Deep Water - Part 1

cw: the ocean, talk of being drowned, water inhalation, more tags to be added as the story continues

merman x fem reader

Word count: 3k

read on ao3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

You peeked out a small porthole, a rarity on this kind of ship. You couldn’t decide if you were grateful for it or not as your stomach churned looking out at choppy waters. 

You’d never been particularly comfortable with the ocean. It wasn’t that you disliked it, far from it. You just had a healthy fear of it. 

Right now, it felt like anyone who didn’t was a fool. 

As you looked down at swirling black water, swearing you saw something snake around just far enough under the surface that you couldn’t make it out, that fear felt very reasonable. 

It wasn’t only fear that consumed you when you looked out at that churning water. There was awe in there too, as you looked at the seemingly infinite abyss below you. 

But not enough awe that you wouldn’t keep yourself as far away from it as you could. 

But that was the problem. Fate had thrusted you right into deep waters and you’d had no choice in the matter. 

So there you were, stowed away on a transport ship, tucked amongst boxes of spices and herbs and expensive teas that you’d never get to try. 

At least your hidden little corner smelled good, some of the herbal scents escaping their carefully packed boxes. 

You sat back down behind them, trying to put the thought of the turbulent waters under a few thin layers of wood out of your mind as the waves rocked you back and forth at a sickening pace, never quite stabilizing enough to be able to fall into a rhythm, refusing to be tuned out or ignored. 

You pulled your shawl tighter around you, though it was no use. The chill of the ship had long since set itself into your bones. 

You closed your eyes and tried to tell if it was raining or if it was just the darkness of the night blanketing the ocean. The sounds of the waves roared above anything else. You decided it wasn’t, more for your own peace of mind than anything. You didn’t need water coming at you from any more directions.

As you sat, curled up on the floor trying to focus on anything other than the deafening crashing of the waves, a new sound caught your attention. The door creaked open and as footsteps approached you, you held your breath. 

They’d caught you on an exhale and sooner than you would’ve liked, you had to sneak a tiny breath of air. Nothing noticeable, surely. Not through the sounds of crashing water. 

And then the ship slammed to the side, a massive wave sending the ground tilting under your feet.

The boxes slid as the ship wretched and you went with them, slamming into the opposite wall of the ship.  

The sailor cursed as he pushed his way out from behind the boxes that had slid right into him. You scrambled to push yourself away, to obscure yourself in any way possible. You didn’t have time to stand but maybe you could hide yourself just far enough away in the dark that he wouldn’t see you. 

You weren’t fast enough. 

His hand snaked out to grab your leg, ending your desperate scramble to get away before it had even really begun. 

“No wonder we got stuck in this god-awful storm, found our bad luck charm right here.”

You kicked at him, trying to struggle, to get away, to run. But where was there to go? They knew you were here now, it was over. You were at their mercy. 

The pleading started as soon as it sunk in, desperate promises that you wouldn’t cause any trouble, that it was only a day until they docked, you could stay out of their way, they wouldn’t even notice you. 

Rain poured down on your face as you were dragged above deck. 

Part of you was aware of the talk that began to arise as the others caught sight of you. You couldn’t focus on anything other than getting away, trying with everything you had to run. 

Despite that, you were pulled closer and closer to the edge of the ship. The rain got saltier and through the dark and endless storm, you realized you were at the edge of the ship, briny water splashing over the sides and hitting you in the face. 

You doubled your attempts of escape as you looked down on the dark waters, not sure where you would go if you escaped but certain that anything was better than being pulled closer and closer to the inky waters. 

“This is your own fault,” one of them yelled over the storm, directed at you this time.

“Please,” you called out, “Please let me stay. I’ll do anything.”

It was an ill-advised promise, especially to make to a ship full of sailors, but you could not be thrown overboard. You’d even prefer one of them ending you here and now, with your feet still standing on the wood of the deck.

Anything but being thrown off, your lungs filling with the churning, black water below you. 

“You should have thought of that before you stowed away,” the man to your left said, with what sounded almost like a chuckle. You hoped you’d imagined it amongst the rest of the endless noise. 

It was hard to know exactly what was happening. The waves were roaring and you could hardly see or hear anything. 

One second your feet were thrashing, fighting to land a blow on any of the men near you, and the next you were underwater. If you thought gathering your bearings was hard on the ship, it was impossible down here. It must be nearby but you had no idea where the ship could be. You fought to stay afloat despite knowing exactly how this would end. There was nothing else to it now. You’d landed in your cold, wet grave. The waves forced you under again and again and no matter how you tried to time your breaths, you couldn’t escape the burn of the saltwater sneaking into your lungs. 

Just as you’d breached the surface again, attempting to cough up some water before heaving in another deadly breath, something yanked at your foot and you were pulled under the waves once more. Your scream was drowned out by the ocean, eyes fighting to open despite the sting of the seawater. 

As you opened your eyes, you realized it was calmer under the water. You were no longer trying to fight the wishes of the waves to pull you down and the ocean rewarded you with a moment of clarity. 

The rockiest part was near the surface, where the rain still beat down on the water. You were being pulled further and further away, so far down that the last rays of sun from behind the clouds could barely reach. 

You’d expected to see a shark or some other ocean creature as you’d felt that tug on your leg. Instead, you found a face staring back at yours. He looked curious, taking you in as you stared dumbfounded back at him. 

Before you had a chance to process what you were seeing, the man who’d just pulled you under the waves leaned forward and kissed you. It wasn’t a long kiss, ending before you even fully realized it began. 

He pulled away and your lungs began to burn, pleading for oxygen. You tried to swim up for air but he grabbed your arm and yanked you down again. Then you caught a glimpse of something below him, the limited light reflecting off of a shimmering tail.

You gasped in water, your lungs unable to hold out any longer. Instead of choking on the ocean water filling your chest, you felt like you were gasping in air. You knew it was water, the texture was different than the air was, but as you heaved in water, you discovered you could breathe. 

He was smirking at you, the smugness evident in his face. 

He let go of your arm, having proved his point and you stayed under, filling your lungs while glancing up at the rocky surface. 

Suddenly, you were being pulled along again, under the stormy water. You didn’t have the strength to fight him, letting him take you wherever he wanted. 

It wasn’t long before you were being pushed into shallow water. You could feel the sand barely a few feet under the water and eagerly moved towards dry land. 

You pulled yourself up onto the warm sand. The rain had disappeared entirely, the sun shining above you once more. You sucked in air, falling to your back as you basked in the warmth. Off in the distance, you could see the storm still swirling. You’d traveled much further than you’d thought. The feeling of the sun shining down on you was more than welcome and some wretched part of you hoped those sailors were still in that accursed storm. 

As soon as you got your first breath of oxygen, it was like your lungs remembered that water wasn't supposed to be inside of them. You started coughing up the salty water onto the shore, gasping like you’d been drowning the whole time and just hadn’t realized it yet. 

You saw your savior wince as you hacked up the seawater. “Sorry, didn’t know that would happen.”

You stared up at him incredulously as your breathing finally slowed. “Aren't sirens supposed to drown humans?”

His eyes narrowed at you above the water. “Aren’t humans supposed to be grateful when you save them?”

Fair enough. “Thank you. I don’t really understand why you saved me but thank you.”

You laid back on the sand, inevitably getting it in your hair but too exhausted to mind. The warmth was welcome after the freezing cold water. 

You took him in from your new vantage point, eyes darting instinctively to his tail. It was a pearlescent thing, the complex shimmering shifting above his white scales. Just above it was a set of gills that he kept below the water as he lay there, staring up at you on the shore. His face wasn’t unpleasant, something almost impish about it. A smattering of scales sat on his cheekbones right under eyes that were tinted orange. His hair was shaggy and pale, dragged down to his shoulders by the water that saturated it. 

“We do drown people sometimes,” he said quietly, like he was working it out for himself and you just happened to be overhearing it. “I was planning on going after your ship but it didn’t feel like a fair fight after they threw you off like that.” 

“Humans didn’t want me, sirens didn’t even want to drown me.” You couldn’t help but laugh.

“I can… I can drown you if you want?” he said, mouth barely above the water as he spoke. 

“Maybe some other time. Where even are we?” you asked, looking around at the small patch of sand. It was a relatively barren little island, a few rocky tidepools on the other side of it the most exciting thing present on the small stretch of land.

“Just a little island nearby. I figured you’d want to get some rest before I took you anywhere. Why’d they throw you overboard anyway?”

“I was a stowaway,” you explained. “I needed to get somewhere and didn’t have any other way to travel. They found me mid storm and women are bad luck so off I went.”

“I can take you there if you want. Where the ship was going, I mean. I know all their routes. I won’t even drown you.”

Who would have guessed that the sailors would try to drown you and then you’d have a siren promising to bring you ashore? It was like the world had turned upside down. 

“Thank you so much,” you said, hoping it could both convey your gratitude and keep him on your good side long enough to successfully get you to your destination.

“Also, we should wait until night, I’ll take you back then okay?” He sounded very insistent, despite you having no idea why. 

You were honestly worried you might freeze to death if you left at night. “How about in the morning?”

“Yeah, okay.”

He waited eagerly, watching the sun set. It was refreshing, being able to see it clearly after locking yourself below deck for so long. When it finally dipped below the horizon, he turned to you. “Watch this.” 

His tail flicked excitedly behind him, a light glow starting to reflect off of the scales on his bottom half. 

As he ran his hands quickly through the water, you were able to make it out better. The water lit up a light blue as he moved. 

You couldn’t help the smile that crossed your face, your eyes going wide with wonder. “Oh my god, that’s incredible.”

“Isn’t it? It’s why I like this island so much, it’s so strong here. It’s a bunch of tiny plants in the water that are glowing, I thought you’d like it.”

How could you not? You’d never seen anything like it in your life, it almost looked like the water was alight with a blue flame. 

You could feel your siren’s eyes on you as you moved your hand back and forth in the water. 

“Are you less sad now?” he asked and your movement slowed at his question. 

“What?”

“You were upset, did I fix it?”

Was that what he was trying to do? “Why do you care?”

He shrugged. “Not often I get to talk to you guys, our encounters are usually less pleasant than this. We’re kind of similar, you know. Sailors don’t like me either.”

“Small world.”

Eventually, you abandoned the glowing water, as amazing as it was, in an attempt to rest. You knew you needed to get some sleep. You were exhausted but it was cold and you never fully dried off and you were absolutely miserable. You heard a shuffling in the sand and then a warm hand touched your side. You didn’t know how his body regulated his temperature so well in the cold water. His arms were open, a clear invitation to nestle into him

You hesitated and he spoke. “You seem like you could use the warmth.”

You moved towards him, head settling on his chest as his arms wrapped around you.

“I thought fish were cold-blooded,” you said as his arms rubbed up and down yours, immediately sending a wave of heat through you.

“I’m only half fish.”

“Is that how you can breathe out here?” you asked, looking at the trail he left in the sand as he dragged himself ashore.

He murmured in the affirmative, leaning back to make sure you could comfortably lie down against him. He was right, his body heat did help. There was also something comforting about leaning against him, his arms wrapped around you protectively. 

You drifted off faster than you would have thought possible while soaking wet and cuddled up with a fish man. 

When you woke up, you glanced at the boy next to you. He really did look silly on the land like this, flopped over on his side. As you took him in, you stared at his gills right over where you assumed his ribs would be. You knew what he had told you last night but he looked too peaceful and still. You quickly nudged him awake, wanting to make sure he was alright out of the water like this.

He rubbed his eyes, moving slightly in the sand in an attempt to get a good look at you. “What do you want?”

“Just wanted to make sure you were still breathing.”

“Mmhmm, still breathing, can I go back to sleep now?”

He tried to roll over, tail flopping helplessly behind him, and you nudged him again. “Don’t we need to leave?”

He squinted up at your face, which you knew was creased with worry, and his demeanor softened. “Yeah, let’s get you home.”

You didn’t bother to correct him about where you were going, instead helping him back into the water. He pulled you in after him, looking back at you as he did, clearly deep in thought.

“You know how I kissed you yesterday?” he finally asked. 

“To make me breathe underwater? Yeah, I do.”

“It would be much easier to transport you if you could breathe underwater again.”

It was the most roundabout way anyone had ever asked to kiss you before, that was for sure. 

He seemed nervous about it so instead of letting him dwell on it, you just kissed him. You hoped there were no other rules to the kiss you needed to follow but your siren didn’t seem to mind, instead leaning into it. It was kind of nice, being the one to surprise him this time. 

You knew the kiss didn’t have to be long, the one from the day before had barely lasted a moment, and yet you lingered. His hand hesitantly rose to cup your cheek, his touch featherlight. He wasn’t holding you there but his touch begged you to stay just a second longer. 

He looked almost frightened when you pulled away, eyes wide and hand still outstretched. 

“Will that work?” you asked.

He cleared his throat, still looking dazed. “Yeah, that should be fine. Come on.”

Even knowing that you’d be fine and you’d be able to breathe, it took forever to will yourself to inhale after he pulled you into the water, waiting until the last second before you passed out, when your body forced breathing on you. 

The journey felt much faster than it should have been. You couldn’t have been zooming through the water for more than an hour when you were being pulled to the surface once more, your feet extending to find rocks beneath you. 

You turned and your eyes met the shore, the dock looming above you. You guessed you’d probably beat the ship here. Who knows if they’d made it at all, maybe the storm had taken them out. Part of you hoped it had. 

He grinned up at you as you stood, still lying below you in the water. “This is your stop.”

You had no idea how to thank him. What did one even say to someone who had just saved your life? 

“Thank you,” you managed. “If you ever need anything…”

If he ever needed anything what? You couldn’t imagine he’d have a particularly easy time finding you. 

He seemed to understand your meaning anyway. “I’ll be sure to ask. And if you ever change your mind on the drowning thing, let me know.”

You couldn’t help but giggle. “Will do.”

You settled on the shore, the rocks shifting beneath you as you sat, and you watched your siren swim off, one last shimmer of pale scales flashing before he disappeared into the waves.