#I returned both the crab and the shell to the ocean where they belonged

[talkingperfectly-loud]

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but DONT take conch shells or large snail shells from the ocean!!!!! If you are snorkeling, wading, scuba diving, whatever, LEAVE THE SHELLS! You may think it’s empty. It’s most likely not.

One time I, a marine biologist, found a beautiful conch shell while snorkeling. I had 2 of my professors check that it was empty (2!!!) and guess what? I still woke up the next day to a dead, stinking hermit crab that had tried to claw its way out of my drawstring bag overnight. Hermit crabs are excellent hiders. This animal died needlessly, and what for?? A pretty shell to put on my shelf?

TLDR; DONT take “empty” conch shells from the ocean. They’re not empty.

[gumnut-logic]

His giggle was infectious.

His little brother leapt from rock to rock, darting to peer into every pool he encountered, several times exclaiming at his discoveries and nattering off some long Latin name that meant absolutely nothing to Virgil. How one mollusc differed from another was something for a biologist to decide, not an artist.

Of course, every now and again, a shell would be shoved in his face, and the colours would catch his eyes. Virgil would take the shell, listen to the babbling, and stare at the pinks and oranges, calculate what he could do with those colours and then surreptitiously slide the found object into his pocket.

His pocket was clinking as he walked over the rocks.

The crab that was shoved in his face was a whole different kettle of crustacean. “Hey, Gords, c’mon, I want to keep my nose attached to my face.”

“Virg, it’s only a common rock crab. And a little one at that.” The so called common bearer of claws waved them in anger at Virgil.

“Yeah, well, can you put it back where it belongs? It looks ticked off at your interruption of its day.”

His little brother crouched back down at the edge of a larger rock pool and returned the crab to its hidey-hole.

They were on holiday.

Well, technically on holiday. Dad was still working and had disappeared for the day, leaving Scott in charge. The terrible two had immediately taken advantage of that fact and proceeded to make everyone’s life hell.

Before his eighteen year old brother could blow a fuse, Virgil had intervened and offered to take ten year old Gordon down to the shore for some rock pooling. It was an activity Virgil could tolerate, even enjoy, and it separated the synergy of the two youngest.

The relief in Scott’s eyes had been worth it.

No doubt, either Scott or John would be having the pleasure of setting up Alan’s backyard rocket set at this very moment.

Hopefully Scott, otherwise John would be adapting the mechanics and the silly thing would actually reach orbit, never be seen again and the wailing from their youngest would last the rest of the weekend.

But shells, crabs and the occasional anemone was Virgil’s concern at the moment.

The coastline was some kind of limestone and consequently peppered with holes for the receding tide to leave trapped sea creatures behind.

A sudden yell of “Sand goby!” and Virgil was dragged over to see a tiny fish barely two inches long and the same colour as the sand it was sitting on staring up at the two of them.

“I saw them darting about, but this one is the first to stay still enough. Look at those eyes!”

Looked like a tiny lizard of the sea.

Gordon touched the surface of the water and the fish disappeared in a cloud of displaced sand.

“Look how fast they are!” A glance at his brother and he found him literally buzzing with excitement.

“When we get back to the house, you can look it up. Did you get a photo?”

Gordon grinned up at him, brandishing the camera in his hand. “Yep. Wait until I show, Scotty.”

Virgil snorted. Scott knew even less than Virgil about ocean fauna, but he would love to see Gordon so excited.

Scott was a sucker for happy brothers.

As Gordon scampered over to the next rock pool, Virgil had to admit he quite enjoyed seeing Gordon like this, too.

“Woah! Virg, come look at this!”

Rolling his eyes, Virgil straightened and followed obediently, stepping from outcrop to outcrop to crouch beside his almost vibrating brother.

Gordon was pointing at a rock.

“What am I looking at, Gordon. All I see is rock.”

“Watch this.” Gordon stuck a finger into the water and prodded the ‘rock’.

It lit up in bright blue rings.

Now, Virgil didn’t know much about sea life, but he did know about this particular life form.

He grabbed Gordon’s arm and Gordon himself and yanked him away from the rock pool. Unfortunately, that unbalanced the both of them and they promptly fell into the rock pool next door.

Considering what they had just encountered, Virgil was none too happy about this state of affairs and, spluttering, staggered to his feet, dragging his protesting little brother as far away from the offending puddle of water as he could.

“Virgil! What? Why? Lemme go!”

“Gordon, you know exactly what that is. Why the hell did you touch it?!”

“It won’t hurt me! And it is amazing. Lemme go! I’ve never seen one before and I want to look at it some more!”

“You are not going anywhere near it. In fact, we are getting off this beach right now!”

“Aww, Virg, c’mon! It won’t hurt us!”

“It’s a blue-ringed octopus Gordon! It bites you, you’re dead!”

“It’s not going to bite me!”

“It looked angry enough after you poked it. Why the hell did you poke it?”

“Uh, to see the rings? It’s amazing.”

“It’s a deadly octopus!”

“God, Virg, get over it. I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well, I know what I’m doing and I’m taking you back to the house where you can explain to Scott exactly what you were doing.”

“Aww, Virgil, please. I thought you were the cool one. The one who understood.”

Virgil blinked. “What?”

And his brother sagged before him. “I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?”

“How much fun this is.”

A frown and Virgil’s heart slowed a little. Gordon’s head had dropped and he was looking at the ground. “Gordon?”

“You, Virgil. All the others just talk about planes and space and flying. You’re the only one who listens to me when I talk about this stuff.”

His frown deepened and he reached out a hand and placed it on his little brother’s shoulder.

“I’m always the odd one out. Everyone else wants to go to the military museums, not the natural history museums. You always stand up for me and come with me. I know you don’t like it as much as I do, but you help.”

Okay, so his little brother knew how to get into his heart and twist it. Of course, this was Gordon and the little rat had his ways, but the honesty on his face was plain and it got inside Virgil’s softy sixteen year old heart.

Virgil sighed. “Okay, I get it. You have a point.” Though he had to admit, Virgil had dragged Scott through a number of art museums in the past. The boredom on his brother’s face had been epic, but Scott had done it for him.

A sigh. “I’ll make you a deal. No prodding deadly wildlife. You take note and step out of harm’s way. For both your health and mine.” And the rest of the family’s.

Russet brown eyes caught the sun and literally bloomed in excitement. His brother’s innate bouncing resumed. “Deal!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and let his brother go. Gordon didn’t give him a chance to change his mind and darted off towards the nearest rock pool.

He stood there and watched his little brother dart from pool to pool and after a moment, before he could get too far away, resumed his unhurried stroll down the beach with him.

He did understand his little brother and he appreciated his fascination with all things sea and he would help him reach those places that he loved.

Latin bounced down the beach towards him and Virgil grinned.

Ten minutes later. “Ooh, look, Virg, it is just like a miniature box jellyfish!” 

Wha-?

Virgil ran.

-o-o-o-

If you are interested in what Gordon found have a look here. And yes, I have encountered them and been stung by them. Rather unpleasant :D

[cupidcreates]

akdsfjkdksj I wasn’t expecting you to churn all this content out so quick (´∀｀)♡ omgosh you went above and beyond with the love language ask!! I love to see your interpretation of these characters so what do the cast consider the perfect date to be? low key vs high key? local vs out of town? -😌✨

Thank you! I’m glad you liked the love language post, sorry it took so long lol. As for their favorite dates I think I’ll do the same characters here:

Katsuki Bakugou

Rock Climbing/Hiking Dates

Canonically one of Katsuki’s favorite things to do is go rock climbing so he’d definitely want to bring a SO along every so often. If you’re an athletic person and enjoy being outdoors this will be a very fun date! If you’re not a very athletic person (as many of us aren’t) Katsuki will settle for just going for a short hike along a trail. Katsuki gets super talkative on hikes as well, as you’re walking he’ll just be talking about literally anything! From Hero work to his friends/family, to things that have been bothering him lately. Whatever is on his mind he’ll share with you while you’re both out, which is incredibly helpful as he doesn’t ever discuss his feelings at any other point in time. Plus it gives him a chance to show off how fit he is in front of you, which you both always consider a plus.

Izuku Midoriya

Movie Dates

A Classic, perhaps a little plain even, but Izuku absolutely loves to take you to the movies. He loves everything about the date, from discussing what you’re about to watch, to getting the snacks, to whispering in the back row (if you’re the type to get annoyed by talking during a movie he’ll keep this to a bare minimum). He loves being able to snuggle up next to you and hold your hand while discussing the finer points of the plot (If you’ll tolerate talking of course). Don’t think he’s being innocent here though, he definitely uses the darkness surrounding you as cover as he runs his hands up your thighs. Unbeknownst to most, Izuku is actually very much a horndog. He conceals it very well but he’s only barely capable of keeping his hands to himself when it comes to his SO. Any chance he gets to touch you he’ll take it, more than likely this is why his second favorite type of date is usually a stay-in date...

Shoto Todoroki

Dinner Dates

Another Classic, Shoto loves to treat his SO to expensive treats with his favorite being food-related dates at lavish restaurants. Not a week goes by that he doesn’t take you out on the town for the night at some place you’re sure you couldn’t even afford a glass of water at. It’s almost never the same place twice either, Shoto is actually a foodie and enjoys trying new types of cuisine whenever he can. He’s got a whole list of places he wants to take you, and if they require reservations he’s already got them locked down. If you love eating Shoto is your man, he’ll make sure you’re set with a wide variety of foods to choose from and always remembers any place you happen to be partial to.

Denki Kaminari

Amusement/Water Park Dates

Denki is a fun-loving guy through and through, he knows how to have a good time and wherever you happen to go he makes sure you do too. That being said, his absolute favorite place to take you is to an amusement or water park. It’s not often you two get to go, as you’re both very busy with your respective hero work most days, but when you do it’s a day-long affair. You’re there from the minute the park opens to the second it shuts down, riding as many rides as you can manage, eating greasy garbage food, and making sure to strike the dumbest poses for any rides that take pictures. You’ve got a whole scrapbook of these photos by now, their ridiculousness increasing with each new one added.

Eijirou Kirishima

Beach Dates

You wouldn’t expect Eijirou Kirishima to be a Thalassophile (Def. Person who loves the ocean) but he is. He adores being on the beach and it’s his preferred location for a date. You’ve spent many a sunny afternoon seaside with Eijirou, building sandcastles, chasing crabs, and just enjoying the ocean. One memorable afternoon you found yourselves right next to a sea turtles nest and you got to watch the babies pop out of the sand and scurry towards the ocean, assisted by Eijirou as he chased off the seagulls looking to make them a meal. Eijirou also enjoys surfing, and if you know how to do so he’ll get you matching boards so you can ride the waves together. If you’re not partial to surfing he’ll be sure to pull out all his tricks while you watch him, he’ll even let you onto his board with him so you two can just float together by the shore. Of course you two can’t go to the beach year round, but when you can you’re both sure to make the most of these sunny days, even if he does get an awful sunburn by the end of it. 

Hitoshi Shinsou

Gaming Dates

Hitoshi isn’t what one would call ‘social’ when given the choice between going out for a night and staying home he’ll almost always choose the latter. So it’s expected that his favorite type of date is one where you two can stay inside and enjoy each others company. You both work so hard as Heros, why not spend your days off relaxing with one another? He can spend hours alone with you, preferably kicking your ass at Mario Party or some other multiplayer game. He doesn’t need anything except you, his consoles, and a pile of your favorite snacks to have a good time. That being said, if you want him to go out for a date the best way to convince him is to take him to some kind of arcade, especially if it’s a VR arcade. He feels a kind of nostalgic joy for these places and won’t hesitate to return and feel like a kid again. Plus it’s always nice to repeatedly prove to you that yes he is the champion of Dance Dance Revolution and you will never usurp this title from him.

Tamaki Amajiki

Park/Picnic Dates

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, Tamaki loves spending time outdoors; surrounded by and in awe of nature and it’s complex inner workings. He enjoys just taking time to appreciate the world around him, so dates where you can both relax outside and enjoy each other’s company are his favorite kind. He has a specific hill at his favorite park he likes to take you, bringing a lunch of all your favorite foods he sets you both up under the biggest shade tree for an afternoon. You both lay back on your worn picnic blanket and just cloudgaze, talking for hours about anything and everything. Much like Bakugou, Tamaki gets very talkative on these dates, discussing his week with you and anything new he might have learned over the course of it. He’s so very endearing on these dates its easy to fall silent and just listen to him for hours.

Mirio Togata

Crafting Dates

Mirio likes to have memorabilia from your dates, so you can expect a lot of dates to center around making things. More than just your average painting classes Mirio has also taken you to sculpting, woodworking, and glass blowing classes to name a few. At the end of your dates you both exchange what you’ve made and Mirio absolutely adores anything you craft, regardless of its quality in your eyes. He puts his heart and soul into making you something and more often than not it turns out spectacularly. Mirio wasn’t as good with the ceramics class, but you love the warped vase he made (even if it was technically supposed to be a cup at the start, we’ve all been there). Mirio’s kept everything you made him and even has a shelf in his house just dedicated to what you’ve made, it makes him so happy to come home after a hard day of work and see physical memories of his time with you.

Keigo Takami

Aquarium/Zoo Dates

Underneath Keigo’s charming and charismatically upbeat personality lies a bitter and broken man, drained by his role in Hero Society and left an empty shell of his former self. Underneath that personality lies a kid who never got to have a proper childhood and desperately wants to make up for it. He now uses his dates with you to do just that; not that you mind of course, dates with Keigo are always fun and lighthearted and you love to see him truly enjoy himself for once. Keigo’s favorite places to go are definitely large and intricately designed Zoos and Aquariums. He loves to look at the painstakingly accurate and detailed natural habitats, make fun of the stranger animal names you find, and learn new information about foreign bird species. Loves to mimic their calls too, much to the irritation of the birds and the zoo employees. He makes it a point to always get you a stuffed animal at the end of the date, ensuring that you now have a massive collection of them sitting all around your room. You’re always kept up to date on any Zoo or Aquarium events thanks to Keigo, as he has a calendar dedicated to all the unique events they have going on throughout the year.

Touya Todoroki

Crash Dates

Dabi is...well he’s unpredictable at the best of times and it’s very rare that you two have time for anything even resembling a date (being an S class villain does make it hard to exist normally in society and do normal couple things but it ees what it ees). However, when he can take you one a date --well the term “date” is generous here- it’s never a dull one. You’re not sure how he does it but when you go out you always manage to end up somewhere Dabi could never get into naturally. From sold-out concerts, to stand up shows, to parties at lavish houses belonging to people you’ve never even heard of let alone met before; dates with Dabi are always somewhere you two definitely shouldn’t be. One memorable morning he took you to a country club where you got to each fancy exclusive rich people food and play a horrible facsimile of golf before you were eventually found and chased out. It’s always fun to see how long you two can crash an even before being found out.

Tomura Shigaraki

Cemetery/Haunted Places Dates

Tomura Shigaraki is a man who enjoys his space from other people, in his opinion the only good person is a dead one (unless he’s talking about you, of course). So it’s not abnormal for your dates to be in a place far away from others. Again the term “date” is being very generous, more often than not he’ll approach you, tell you to follow him, and you’ll wind up in some abandoned building or graveyard. Normally this would be cause for concern, as this is exactly what happens in horror movies before someone gets killed, but Tomura has a soft spot for you so your safety is ensured. Tomura loves to see a place reclaimed by nature, vines growing over a run down house or worn out gravestones breaking apart into chunks of marble with barely legible words on them. He doesn’t talk much on your dates, but will often give you a random bit of insight about him; like on one date where you both walked alongside abandoned train tracks at dusk and he told you about the dog he had as a child. He seeks no pity from you, and these dates are not the conventionally romantic type, but you enjoy being able to be with Tomura in a way no one else ever has or ever will.

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

The Guardian’s Oath, Part One

This is the first thing I’ve written in the “spirit of the season”. I've always been a huge Halloween geek, probably because it falls close to my birthday, so when I was little, it kind of felt like all this fun stuff was somehow related to me. 

I usually avoid writing for characters who are already popular in wrestling fan fiction because I figure that there’s already so many good things to read and I don’t have anything particularly new to offer, but this idea couldn’t have worked with anyone other than Finn Balor. I’m not claiming that this is incredibly original either because it absolutely is not. Anyone who’s read any classic gothic stories will recognize that this comes close to outright plagiarism in bits. Nevertheless, I started writing it to see where it went and this is what happened. Well, it’s the first part of what happened. This is about half of what I have written thus far and there is more coming. 

The setting is 19th century Ireland, about which I know precious little, so please forgive me any egregious errors. 

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC 

Word count: 3,706

Content advisory: Nothing other than that it’s a slow burn so some people are going to find this section a little flat (more fiction than fan content here)

It was one of the first warm days of spring when I arrived at Wynn Cottage. I was practically trembling with nervousness, waiting to meet my new employer. Although the education I had received from the church was a good one, the offer of a position as governess for a priest in the hamlet of Bray came very quickly after I was ready to work. Indeed, the offer seemed to have come from nothing, from a chance meeting of a deacon at my church with a parishioner from Bray. I liked to think that it was fate, that the position had come to me at the exact moment I was ready because this was where God intended for me to be. While the arrangements for my transfer to Bray were conducted mostly by the two churches, I had been touched to receive a kind and welcoming letter from my new employer, Reverend Feargal Devitt. 

He explained in his letter that he was a widower and that because the tiny protestant population of the county was widespread, his work required him to spend a great deal of time travelling from village to village. He needed a governess who could care for and help to educate his two young children, a boy and a girl, one whose faith was in line with his own.

I alighted from the carriage and took my case with all my meagre belongings from the driver and stepped through the gate into my new life. 

As he had promised, Reverend Devitt was waiting for me with his children. There was a slightly older woman, clearly a servant of the house standing with them like an equal member of the family. They made a lovely picture, standing before their quaint cottage under the dappled sunlight that broke through the apple tree just next to it. 

"Miss Miles," he greeted me warmly, "welcome to Wynn. I hope your journey was easy."

"Quite easy, sir. It was my first time on a train, so it made for a rather nice adventure."

He beamed and placed his hands on his children's shoulders, gently pushing them a step towards me. "This is my son William and my daughter Sophia. Children, this is your new governess, Mis Miles."

The children were an odd pair. I knew that the boy was eight and the girl nine but they gave the impression of being quite a bit further removed in age. The boy figured his father with his large blue eyes. His sandy hair was lighter than the Reverend's but I could imagine it would darken to the point where their resemblance would be quite striking. He was a little small for his age, although his fresh complexion and proud stature showed all the signs of perfect health.

His sister, by contrast, was tall, almost to my shoulder, and dark. Her hair and eyes were the colour of coffee and her skin a warmer, like the shell of a walnut. As she tilted her heart-shaped face in my direction, I was struck by the keen intelligence in her eyes, mixed with a hint of apprehension. I could not fault her for that and I only hoped that I could win her over. 

"This is Kate, our cook. She's been with us since before the children were born. Any questions you have about the house or the town, she'll be able to answer."

The woman gave me a smile, her round, pink cheeks pressing her eyes nearly shut. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Susan, one of the girls from the village, comes by to help with the cleaning and upkeep and Mr. Jones is the gardener but they don't live with us. You'll meet them later."

It was only then that my eyes came to rest on Reverend Devitt and truly take in his appearance and I felt my breath catch in my throat as I did.

His eyes were bluer and clearer than any sky I had ever seen, the highlight of his handsome face with its squared jaw and neat beard, shaved in such a way that his full lips were still visible. He flashed me another smile and I felt my heart quicken in response. I had never met any man, or any person, who inspired such a reaction in me and, as rash an idea as it was, I believe that I fell in love with him at that moment. 

"Please," he said softly, "come in."

I picked up my case and Kate immediately moved to help me."

"Your rooms are in the garrett," he explained with a hint of embarrassment. "It's not too large and the ceiling is a little low but it's warm and dry and there is a window that gives a nice light. On clear days, you can even see the ocean."

"I am certain it's more than enough for me, sir. I expect I shall be spending most of the day with the children anyway. And I should very much like to see the ocean. I've only ever had it described to me."

The Reverend looked shocked. "You've never seen the ocean? At all?"

"Never in my life sir." I caught a look that passed between the children and looked down, ashamed. My situation had never permitted me to travel any distance from the inland village where I was born. It was not until I uttered those words, however, that I realized what an ignorant peasant I must seem as a result.

If Reverend Devitt saw the look on his children's faces, he gave no sign of it. He only gave me another of his thrilling smiles and said, "Well it's settled then. We shall go for a walk while Kate prepares dinner."

I felt my cheeks color at his words. This hospitality was far beyond anything I had dared hope for and I wondered if he would have been so congenial with anyone, or if it was possible that it was something he did just for me.

Kate and I carried my trunk to my rooms and while the light was strangely mournful in the late afternoon, the accommodations were better than I had been led to expect for a woman in my position. 

"You don't want to see the view?" Kate asked, noticing that I avoided looking towards the window. 

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," I answered shyly.

She gave me a smile that was every bit as warm, although not as beautiful, as her master's. 

"I hope it's not too forward for me to say, but I believe you'll fit in well here."

*

I was a little surprised that the shore was so close and so easily accessible. I had always imagined the coast to be a series of tagged cliffs towering above the wild water but here the land gently rolled down to meet the water, a soft stretch of sand the bridge between them. 

Reverend Devitt took my hand to help me down the last few steps to the beach and I had to turn my face away so that he could not see the effect it had on me. He kept my hand in his until he was sure my feet were steady on the unfamiliar surface.

The children walked ahead of us. William rushed off and started gathering stones and shells. 

"He collects them," the Reverend informed me. "For what purpose I'm not sure but he's done it for years." 

Sophia strolled on her own. She ventured closer to the water, which struck me as a very good thing to do. Many of the stories I'd heard of the ocean involved people being swept away into it. From time to time, her brother would call her over but each time she returned to the water's edge, as if it were only there that she was happy.

"I'm too indulgent with them," Reverend Devitt sighed, noticing how my eyes followed Sophia with concern. "I try to keep discipline but I find it hard. They lost their mother young and their father is off helping the lord's flock rather than his own."

"Well I hope I can set your mind at ease on that score, at least a little," I offered. 

He turned to face me, his smile a little softer and sadder. With the light behind him, it was like he had a golden halo. I had been delivered to the home of this angel of a man and once again, my heart rushed at the feeling I already had for him.

I was so much in his thrall that I was startled when both the children rushed up, to their father and to me.

"Look what I've found!" William cried excitedly. He extended his hand to reveal a live crab, its legs grasping at the air while the boy dangled it by his shell.

"It's a big one," Sophia added, a mischievous little grin spreading across her face.

"Put your hand out, Miss Miles," William goaded. "He can hold him. He won't hurt you."

"William, hush," his father tutted. "Don't ever speak to her like that again."

Both children had their gleaming eyes fixed on me, as if their father were no longer there, waiting to see what I did next.

I disliked the crab, finding it like an armored spider, and I shivered at the movement of its spindly legs, but something in me hated the idea that I might fail an early test from my charges, strange though it might be.

"No," I quavered, holding my palm out flat. "He can put it in my hand. I don't mind."

Not one of our group could have believed that I didn't mind. My hand shook almost violently as I offered it. Nevertheless, I nodded to William to proceed. I hated the sensation of the legs of my hand, too light for the size of the creature. And despite William's assurance, I felt certain that it would happily snap one of my fingers with its grotesque claws.

What should we do with it, Miss Miles?" William cajoled me. He and his sister leaned in closer, their eyes bearing in on me with even greater intensity.

"You take it back and put it back exactly where you found it," his father ordered without waiting for me to reply. "Now."

The two of them scampered off and I saw William toss the crab back, none too gently, into the rocks where he had found it. From there, they walked together, Sophia taking his hand in hers and pulling him close as they spoke to each other with animated expressions. I knew instinctively that they were discussing me.

"So what do you think of the ocean?" Reverend Devitt asked after a long pause.

"It's very beautiful."

I paused and took a deep breath, my nostrils filling with the briny scent. At that very moment, looking out on its endless expanse, I wasn't sure if I liked the sea or not. 

"I feel like it's all around me, even here on land. The smell and the sound and the mist in the air.."

He looked at me with a tenderness I had never known. "You get used to it," he promised.

We headed back to the house as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of flame and rose and indigo. He took my arm and rested his hand on my back as he helped be back up the path away from the beach and I felt the echoes of his touch as we took our dinner together, as I watched him read from the bible and a book of fables to his children, and even after I retired for the evening.

I had hoped that the air I'd taken in on our walk would make me fall asleep quickly but it was not to be. I felt I could not get comfortable, either hot or cold and the sounds of the house were different than I was used to. The thing that made me the most anxious, however, was that I could hear the waves rolling in the distance. It left me unsettled, as foolish as I knew that to be.

The Reverend stayed at home most of the next day before he headed out to visit the adherents of the faith where they needed him. I learned that he was normally gone from Monday afternoon until Saturday night and I had to hide my disappointment that I would see so very little of him. 

I reminded myself that I was a servant in his house and my role was to tend to and educate the children, not to pine after him. Although it was late for lessons by the time their father had gone, I did have both the children practice on the small piano in the drawing room before dinner. They did so without any resistance and paid respectful attention when I corrected their mistakes. 

After we had taken dinner, I was about to send them to bed when I was startled by the sound of something creaking and banging loudly from outside. My nerves were already on edge as a storm and blown in as darkness fell, the coastal wind being much wilder than I was used to, so I gave a startled cry at the sound.

Kate rushed in and her face softened upon seeing me standing, hand on my chest, my gray eyes wide with fright.

"I'm sorry, miss, it's just the back gate's come loose again. The Lock's needed replacing for a while now but Mr. Jones keeps forgetting to do it."

"We'll get it," Sophia cried, grabbing her brother's hand and rushing past the two of us. 

By the time I'd recovered my wits, I heard the back door close. I don't know what I thought might befall the children but I tore after them, practically falling on the wet grass as I rushed to the gate. 

Sophia stared at me as if I were a crazy woman and William laughed a little.

"What on Earth are you doing?" I panted. "You mustn't run off like that, especially after dark."

I wiped away the rain that slashed at my cheek and motioned for both of them to get inside. There was a wooded area behind the gate and with the wind up and the leaves blowing, I felt myself unnerved by the shifting shadows within.

"Don't be silly," Sophia reassured me with excessive sweetness. "It's just the gate in our own yard. Besides, you don't know the trick to it. If you don't know the trick, it'll just blow open again."

"And then you'll have to wake us to do it for you," William chimed in.

Each of them took one of my hands and steered me back towards the house, as if they were the adults and I the child. It wasn't until we were back inside and I had sent them to get ready for bed that it occurred to me that I should have asked them to show me the trick.

I went upstairs with the Bible in hand to read to the children on my own for the first time. I had thought of a passage or two that I believed would be instructive at their age but I still felt nervous. 

It was a great relief when they sat in their beds, poised and quiet, listening attentively. 

"Do you have any questions?" I queried, closing the book on my lap. 

They exchanged a  glance and Sophia spoke for both of them.

"No ma'am."

"I know your father read you stories from another book. Would you like me to do that?"

"We've heard all those stories before," Sophia sighed. 

"When Kate or Susan put us to bed, they tell us fairy stories," William added excitedly. 

"Oh, is there a book of those you'd like me to read from? I don't mind."

"Oh they don't read," Sophia laughed. "They just tell us the stories they know."

"They tell us about the creatures here."

I bit my lip. "I'm afraid I don't know any fairy stories from this area."

"What monsters are there where you come from?" William asked a little too sharply.

"Well I'm not going to tell you stories about monsters when you're going to bed or you won't sleep."

Sophia laughed as if I'd said something foolish. "Oh we're not afraid."

"Do you have Bog Maeve where you come from?" William pressed, his excitement only growing. "She's the old lady who lives under the bogs and pulls travelers under."

I felt like I had somehow lost control of the conversation and yet I found myself wanting to impress the children, hoping to overcome the impression left by my cowardice in the face of the storm. 

"I believe we have stories of something like that, but the name is different."

"What about ghosts? We have the White Man. He walks around the edge of the graveyard and leans against the church wall, crying for his wife."

"You mustn't carry on like that, William," I chided. 

"Tell us about a spirit from where you grew up."

"Well there are woods all around, so we mostly have stories about wood elves and sprites that inhabit the trees. But those are just folk tales." I gave a proud little smile to show them I was unaffected by such things.

"You mean woods like the ones behind the back gate here?" Sophia asked coyly. William giggled.

"I suppose they're a little like them." I felt increasingly desperate, like I was being drawn into some sort of trap. 

"Do you have Finn Bálor where you come from?" William asked.

"I don't think so. Or at least I don't know that name. What is he supposed to do?"

The two of them exchanged a quick look and began reciting in unison:

Finn Bálor comes in the dark of night

With his seal black skin and his eyes of white

He comes for the children and takes their breath 

Or spirits them off to certain death;

But even worse for the maiden fair

Who he drags away to his watery lair

And though her screams are still heard through the wind and rain

His maiden will never be seen again.

Sophia furrowed her brow. "They wouldn't have Bálor where she comes from."

"Why not?" William responded, as if he were reciting the script to a play.

"It says Bálor's lair is watery. So he must live near the ocean."

William made a soft noise as if he was disappointed.

"That really isn't a story for good Christian children," I stammered, a little shocked at the ugliness of their rhyme.

"Everyone around here knows that story," Sophia answered. 

"Well, I think it's time to stop the stories for tonight and for you to get some sleep."

"Just a little longer," William pleaded.

We won't sleep for the storm," Sophia cooed.

I didn't want to think I'll of a child but I felt like she was mocking me over my own nervousness about the storm.

"You don't have to tell us any more stories like that," she continued. "You could just tell us about yourself."

A little hesitantly, I settled back in my seat. "Very well. What would you like to know?" 

"How did you end up working as a governess?" Sophia prompted.

"This is actually my first position. I had just finished my education through the church in Killfoyle and they found this post for me."

"Why did your parents not do that?" William asks, his eyes so innocent I could scarcely believe this was the same boy who had recited that ghastly rhyme just minutes before.

I lowered my head, wondering how much of my story I should tell. "My parents have been dead for some time."

Sophia slid to the end of her bed and rested her hand on mine. "You poor thing."

The maturity in her voice was a little unnerving, but I nonetheless gave her a little smile before motioning for her to lie back down.

"How did they die?"

"William!" His sister snapped. "Don't you ask such things!"

"But I was lucky and my church took me in and saw that I was educated. They made sure I had prospects for a good life."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" the girl asked gently.

"No." I paused, feeling uncomfortably like I was lying. "I had a younger brother but he died when he was small."

"Did he die with your parents?"

"William stop it right now!" Sophia's dark eyes were furious. "I'm sorry," she said to me, composing herself, "he's a baby and he doesn't know any better."

"I'm not a baby!"

"You hush this instant! You're upsetting her! How do you expect her to like us if you act like that?"

"Oh but of course I like you!" I insisted. "You're lovely children. He's just speaking rashly because he's tired."

Sophia's expression was skeptical. "He had no business speaking to you that way."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry. But now I really think you must sleep."

I stood up, wondering if I should give them a kiss but deciding against it.

"Miss Miles?" Sophia said primly. 

"Yes?"

"I hope that you will be much happier now that you're here."

"Thank you, Sophia. That's very kind of you to say."

I knew that the children hadn’t meant to hurt me, but my heart felt heavy as I retired to my room for the night. Thinking of my family was always harrowing for me. It reminded me how narrowly I had escaped a miserable fate. Although my heart soared being here, living under the roof of such a beautiful man and his precocious children, I knew there would always be a part of me that lived in fear that everything good could be taken away from me as it had been before. 

I spent another fitful night, unable to clear my head enough to sleep, my mind a turmoil of memories and uneasy thoughts of the sinister Balor and the chilling rhyme the children had shared, set to the sound of the crashing waves in the distance.

[the-writing-dump-bin]

Whirlpool (pt3)

Hello! Here is part 3, I left it a little short because what I have to write next, I would get carried away and it would have been too long. This chapter is SFW but I am warning now, part 4 will be N*SF*W. Thanks for reading! (Chapter inspired by the song Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood)

"Welcome, Professor Kujo. My name is Aaron, I am excited to work with you." The blonde haired man greeted. "This is Jessica and Ethan, they are my student assistants."

The two students looked to be about the same age as you and Jotaro.

Jotaro shook Aaron's hand and introduced you. "This is Y/N. She's my assistant." You blushed and gave a small wave. "Hello."

Aaron smiled and greeted you as well. "Right this way, we'll get started." He took you on a small tour of the marine department and showed you where you all would be working the next two weeks.

The place was massive. Tanks and pools with ocean creatures surrounded you; you had to be careful not to fall in.

Aaron stopped at one of the tanks which housed a large sea turtle. "We found this guy with plastic wrapped around his neck on the beach a few months ago. We saved him and brought him here for rehabilitation. We plan on releasing him back into the ocean before you two leave."

Your heart ached for the turtle, but you were relieved it was going to be okay and live its long life. "We really need to find a way to clean the ocean." You muttered to yourself, thinking no one heard you.

Jotaro heard you.

Ridding the entire ocean of waste was an almost impossible task. He felt a warmth in his chest when he saw your genuine concern for the mammal.

---

One week came and went. You were having a lot of fun and learning quite a bit with the hands on work. This was definitely helping with your interest in working with animals.

Jotaro was extremely helpful. He showed you the different types of coral and how to even identify the genders of fish; which you still had a hard time doing. He was patient with you when it came to things you didn't understand.

Walking into the room, Aaron announced that today you all were heading to the beach. "We're going to study the creatures in the tide pools just off of the main beaches, away from the general public. Its also where we'll release Terrence next week before you two leave." He gave you a smile.

You had gotten really close with the turtle and worked with it almost every day, giving him the name 'Terrence'.

No clouds could be seen in the sky; a beautiful, clear day. Perfect for outdoor work.

With nothing covering the sun, the heat was immense. Good thing you had your bathing suit.

You pulled your shirt over your head and disguarded your pants, revealing the purchase you made. The suit you bought covered your chest, almost like a sports bra. The bottom half was cut like boy shorts. It wasn't anything to flaunt, you bought it to do work, not attract attention. Which seemed to be a lost cause with the other female assistant, Jessica. She was barely wearing anything in just her skimpy bikini.

The last few days, she had basically been hanging off of Jotaro; flirting whenever she had the chance.

Why would you care? He's a grown man, he could do want he wanted. But every time you seen her touch him, you felt a tinge of jealousy. And now here she was, showing damn near all her skin on the beach.

"A little under dressed for work, wouldn't you say?" Your tone came out a little snappy.

Jessica pulled her hair into a ponytail. "I dont know how they do it where you're from, but here it's acceptable." Her gaze drifted to the large man, posing as she tied her hair up.

You rolled your eyes and walked to one of the tide pools you came to observe.

Jotaro took one pool a few yards away from yours, examining a starfish he found. Or at least that's what he wanted everyone to think.

Really, his eyes were on you. The way you were looking in that black swimsuit made his heart race. He watched you pick up a seashell and look it over; your eyes so intent.

"Jotaro!" Jessica's sing-song voice chimed. "I'm finished on my pool, would it be okay if we shared this one?"

Jotaro never even looked at her. "I dont care." What he did notice, was a small crab scurrying across the sand towards you.

You were still examining your shell, unaware of the aggravated crustation.

Jotaro jumped up and rushed to your side as fast as he could, but he was too late.

"Owwww!" You shrieked. Jumping up, you noticed the crab, still pinched onto your bottom. "Get off, you son of a bitch!"

"Hold still."

You stopped flailing when Jotaro came up to you. He knelt down and pried tye crabs pinchers off your rear.

It felt like your heart had stopped when you felt your boss's fingers touch you on such a personal area, but you were thankful for his help. "Th-Thank you."

"You sat on its home." Jotaro informed, pointing to a patch of sand that was built up. "Are you okay?"

You nodded, unable to say anything.

A few hours passed and Aaron called it a day; sending everyone home early.

Jessica bounced up to Jotaro and asked if he wanted to join her for dinner, in which he declined with a hard 'no' and you and him went back to the hotel.

Jotaro walked you to your door. "Are you okay? That crab had a good grip on you."

Subconsciously, you rubbed where it had pinched you. "Still a little sore, but I'm fine, thanks."

"Would you like to get dinner?"

You blinked, taken with his question. When he rejected Jessica's offer, you figured he wasn't hungry. But back when it was just you and him, he was the one to offer dinner.

He asked you almost every night actually, if you wanted to eat with him. There were a couple times when you wanted to stay in, so he went by himself.

When you had taken too long to answer, Jotaro took it as you didn't want to and started towards his room.

"Wait! We...we can go eat."

---

"This seems bitter sweet." Ethan, the other student assistant said.

Carefully, you all transported the large tank the turtle was in to the beach; today he would be going back home.

"He improved so much. He belongs back in the wild." Aaron parked the truck and him and Jotaro carried the tank towards the water.

Setting it down, Jotaro shoved his arms in the water and picked him up. You were sad, but also happy the turtle recovered and was going back where he belonged. "Goodbye, Terrence." You gave him a small peck on his head.

Jotaro smiled at your kindness for the animal. He was impressed with your work the last two weeks and was proud of the dedication you shown. When your eyes met his, he nodded and made his way to the water.

Aaron stood between his students, each arm wrapped around their shoulders and watched Terrence make his way home.

You stood next to your boss, a tear falling down your cheek.

Jotaro's thumb wiped it away. "He'll be fine, thanks to you."

A chuckle escaped from your mouth. "Thanks to all of us, Jotaro. I merely just helped."

The sun almost touched the water; night taking the place of day.

"Professor Kujo, Y/N, thank you for your help. The work you two did was outstanding; you guys make a great team."

A team? You blushed. "Thank you, Aaron. This was a great trip and I learned a lot."

Aaron smiled, looking back at Ethan, who was returning from the truck with a bundle of logs. "I know your flight back home is tomorrow, but I hope you two would join us in a celebratory bon fire?"

You and Jotaro looked at each other, almost waiting to see who's answer would come first. It was Jotaro who spoke.

"That sounds fun. We'll stay for a few hours."

Jessica looked ecstatic that Jotaro was going to join them, having complained all day that he was leaving the next day.

---

Aaron and Ethan had provided beers and coolers for the event.

After a few drinks, everyone started to get a little loose and talk about their interests and some life stories.

You were having a great time, but you couldn't stop eyeing at how Jessica was putting herself out there next to your crush. Jotaro's face was nuetral, as always, but didn't move away from her.

You wish you didn't feel this way.

Getting up, you excused yourself and walked to the shoreline and out of sight behind large rocks. Stopping, you stared out at the water, the moon shining off of it.

You were in complete silence for fifteen minutes before you heard a familiar deep voice.

"What are you doing?"

You didn't want to tell him why you left, so you to just said "I just went for a walk."

He stopped at your side, looking out with you. "You did amazing on this trip. I'm really glad you came."

You smiled, bashfully shifting the sand with your bare foot. "I'm glad I did too. It was a great learning experience. Oh, that reminds me. You kept all the receipts from the places we ate at, right? Mr. Westin wants them for records on the corporate card use."

Jotaro inhaled sharply. He did keep the receipts, but they weren't from the corporate card. He hadn't used it the entire trip. Only using his own when the two of you went to dinner or when you guys went shopping. "Y-Yeah. Ive got them."

A chilly breeze from the ocean hit you and you shivered. You would have been better prepared for the night if you've known you'd be staying past sundown. Your shorts and cropped sweater wasn't keeping you warm.

Jotaro noticed your shiver. He gently grabbed your wrists, turning you to face him and pulled you closer, wrapping you in his jacket.

It felt like time stood still. Like the air was taken from your lungs. You could feel how hard his torso was, he smelt incredible. Wait, what was happening? "Sir?"

Both of you felt like your heads were in the clouds but feet planted to the ground. Your heart pounded so hard, you were sure Jotaro could feel it. Deep in the dark part of your mind, you wanted this mountain of a man, but always brushed it aside, knowing it was wrong to be in a relationship with your boss. But with him making the first move, you seen that it looked like he was having the same feelings.

Your hand rose slowly, tracing his neck. He did the same to you, except his other hand hooked a finger in the waistband of your shorts.

Goosebumps raised on your skin when his left hand rested on your waist.

You tried to catch your breath. Those beautiful eyes staring at you in new light.

It looked like Jotaro was coming closer to your face; gaze focused on your lips.

Finally, you came back to your senses. This was the work of the alcohol. It had to be. You didn't know what to do or how to feel, so you stepped back a little. Jotaro did the same.

"I, um... Maybe... Maybe we should just call it a night..." You couldn't look at him, feeling a little embarrassed.

Jotaro couldn't find words, he was feeling the same as you; his face turning a little red. He nodded with agreement.

The two of you returned to the others and said your goodbyes, thanking them for their generosity and help the last two weeks. Jotaro called a cab and him and you went back to the hotel.

[anarchyfucks]

I want us to take a trip to the coast, as we leave the car you instantly can hear the waves crashing below and the wind blows different. It's got a smell of the beach on it, and while it's not warm out, the breeze is still refreshing. I take a steep path down a few steps, and you carefully tread behind me, dust, sand and rocks skittering and loosening as you make your way down, and I gently take your hand helping you down an awfully steep ledge.

We both kick our flip flops off, feeling the rocks underneath our feet, smoothed by hundreds of years battered by the ocean, losing shape but gaining shine. It's not a nice day at the beach, that's a term belonging to other places in the world. It's always chilly and cloudy at the coasts here, but just being in your company warms my heart. We walk along the waters edge on the wet, dense sand, listening to the sea birds and I watch your feet and step in your exact footprints as we go, feeling the sand mold and wander from it's normal shape.

I listen to you tell stories, new ones and old ones as if I've never heard them before, ear to ear smiling like a man in love as we climb the smooth rocks up to a section of tide pools. We both regret not bringing our shoes as the algae is slippery and the little barnacles and other stoney creatures aren't pleasant underfoot. We lounge next to a decent sized tide pool and watch a tiny crab eat away at tiny particles, his whole life contained in as much water as we bathe in.

In another one I find fish, which you assure me are fine to be there but I worry about them safely getting back to the ocean. We find a sand dollar smaller than you could fathom, and a palm sized shell with spikes to ward off predators. I joke that it probably didn't work as the shells empty, and seeing you laugh makes up for stepping on barnacles the whole way back.

We slowly comb the beach returning to our shoes, talking about the waves and our dreams, where we should go for lunch and what we would name an emu should we ever own one. We find some agates and an exquisite piece of jasper, even if it is really small, the way you light up when you find it, and listening to you tell me about how jaspers formed and how it differs from similarly colored rocks underfoot on the way back, perfect.

Re-shoed and the steep path carefully climbed, all shells intact we stand over the coast, feeling the breeze. The horsetails crunch underfoot and sand snuck in between your toes, we lean on eachother and take in the sight of the flat, never ending ocean and all of it's beauty. Who would have thought blue could be so complex?

[blufics]

Title: The Pelican Also Thinks It Was Eren’s Fault

Characters: Eren, Mikasa, Armin

Syn: A trip to the beach holds plenty of opportunities for things to fuck up. (Modern AU)

“Armin?”

“Yeah?”

Eren squinted against the brightness above him.

“You ever think about how pelicans have, like, jaw sacks?”

Armin turned to his best friend, looking only somewhat horrified.

“No. I don’t.”

“How about you, Miks?”

She didn’t even bother to open her eyes. “I definitely don’t.”

“Well….do you think they could eat a person?”

Armin returned his distressed gaze to Eren once more.

“No??” he responded.

“Then why is that one watching us like that?” Eren contested, pointing off to their left. Sure enough, perched on the pier was an unusually interested pelican, jaw-sack wobbling at the ready.

“It’s probably hoping we don’t steal its catch.”

“I’m thinking we’re its catch.”

“Being friends with you is so stressful,” Mikasa sighed.

“And when I save us all from the goddamn top predator of the ocean, you’ll be sorry you said it.”

“‘Kay,” exhaled his friends in unison. Nevertheless, Eren, brave and steadfast, did not relinquish his vigilance over the threat.

When sunbathing became boring, Armin and Eren went combing for shells, the former spewing fact after fact about the creature each abandoned shell may have belonged to, as well as the ones that were, in fact, current residents. Eventually, Mikasa caught up with them- mainly concerned that, with all the prodding he was doing, Eren was going to end up on the wrong side of some poor critter’s temper.

The tide came forward, lapping at their ankles. Their fellow beach-goers drifted away, one by one, until they had the shore all to themselves. Eren, in a lull of conversation, stole a glance at Mikasa, who returned his gaze suspiciously. Then, with a grin, he shoved his body into hers, shouting, “Beach tag!” before darting towards the pier.

Mikasa rose from the sand, dusted herself off, and shot off after him at a speed that could cut bullets. Beneath his growing sunburn, goosebumps rose on Armin’s arms.

He watched as she all but drop-kicked the now-screaming Eren, sending them both tumbling into the sand.

“Beach tag!” she declared, running back towards Armin. Breathless, yet still relentless as ever, Eren got to his feet and chased after her.

They danced in circles around their best friend, Mikasa teasing, Eren trying to outsmart her, outrun her, out anything her- and failing. Finally, to Armin’s relief, she led him to the water, where they stomped awkwardly as it rose to their ankles, and then their thighs. Eventually, once it had reached their stomachs, Mikasa submerged herself and began to swim away- at a speed that, naturally, would make a torpedo jealous.

Eren, never one to give up, swam after her. Armin simply watched, in utter awe of how one human being could move so quickly, and how the other could deny such obvious defeat for so long.

He then dropped his eyes down to his sand-caked toes, where little creatures sat in their homes, musing over the fact that, where Mikasa had the athletic ability of an Olympian and Eren had the persistence of a door-to-door salesman, his only real skill was knowing the proper name for each kind of shell they’d all come across. Remarkable, granted, but not very handy, and therefore not very impressive, he supposed.

Something slammed into him, and he swore he flew for a moment before landing in the wet sand, a beach crab scuttling back into its hole as his face landed before it.

“Beach tag!” called Eren and Mikasa in unison, giggling. Their laughter died, however, when Armin didn’t get up.

Eren bent over him, concerned. “Armin? You okay?”

“I need a moment,” Armin murmured, still in shock from the sudden impact.

“We don’t have a moment,” Eren objected. He grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to his feet. “Daylight’s burning, and we’ve got to make the most of our day. Let’s see how deep we can go into the water.”

“Eren-” Armin stammered as he was pulled towards the water. “You know I can’t swim.”

“You’ll be fine,” he assured him. “Just hold onto me when dog paddling doesn’t work anymore, okay?”

With the kind of trust that can only exist between people like them, Armin relented.

“Okay.”

Playing in the ocean could be fun, Armin realized. Not because fighting the frivolous physics of water was any fun in and of itself, but because clinging to Eren as he jumped wave after wave was, unexpectedly, quite the rush.

“That one was easy!” he exclaimed, laughing. They’d hardly hopped before the wave had passed.

“I think the ocean’s scared,” Eren agreed.

“Poseidon quivers before us!” Armin shouted.

Eren, in turn, yelled, “Fuck off!”- assumedly to Poseidon himself.

They soon found that the ocean wasn’t too fond of obscenities.

“That’s…..a big one,” Armin warned, pointing to the oncoming wave.

“We can take it,” Eren assured him. “Just hold your breath, just in case.”

“Alright.” He tightened his grip on his back. Eren tensed, gathering a breath, trying to time it with the wave’s arrival.

“On the count of three, Ar. One….two…...th- OH SHI-”

The wave slammed into them with the force of a giant. Armin instantly lost his grip on Eren, and he began to flail in panic, trying to discern up from down so he could at least get his head above water.

Eren, who’d managed to get a gasp of air between the current’s constant shoves, forced himself upward in a lull of waves, spotted his best friend, and made a beeline toward him, submerging himself once more.

Armin watched with stinging eyes as a figure took hold of him and hauled him upward. They broke the surface, gasping, and Eren struggled to sling Armin’s arm across his shoulders.

The two had just managed to stabilize themselves when they heard low roaring.

Armin looked to his right and nearly froze.

Eren looked to his left and began to drone nervously.

“......hhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeyyyy, Armin?”

“Yes?”

“We’re…..really far from shore.”

“That’s the least of our worries.”

Oh, no.

“.....how big is it.”

“It’s already scaring me, and we’ve at least got a half-minute before it gets to us.”

“Can….can lifeguards see us out this far?”

The boys met eyes.

“MIKASA!!!” they screeched. “MIKASAAAAAAAA!!!”

Amidst their screams, a shadow fell over them. Armin turned back and squeaked, fingers digging into Eren’s shoulder.

Eren only managed to get out a quick, “IMFUCKINGSORRYPOSEIDON-” Before they were thrown underwater once more.

As Armin struggled to move in the direction he supposed to be upwards, he passively wondered if this is how he would go out. In the goddamn ocean,  in the 21st century, likely not a mile from the shore. What an unbelievably stupid death.

He was all but ready to start demanding a better reincarnation when someone grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up.

It was none other than the goddess herself, Mikasa Ackerman.

“Are you alright?” she asked him, draping his arm over her shoulders.

Struggling to do anything but breathe, Armin simply nodded.

“Good,” she sighed. “Because, once we get to shore, I’m kicking your ass.”

“What...about…”

“Eren is getting back to land on a boogie board. Alone.”

“Mikasa….it’s dang-”

Mid-sentence, Armin realized how calm the water had actually become. Flabbergasted, he turned back to Mikasa, who had already begun to head to shore. 

Even Poseidon feared the Ackermans, he guessed.

A few minutes after they’d managed to reach land, Eren washed up at the water’s edge, heaving breaths as sand soaked his cheeks.

Having already regained her composure, Mikasa shot a searing glance at him from above her sunglasses.

“Enjoy your trip?”

“I hate the ocean,” Eren croaked. He pointed an accusing finger at her. “And you are the cruelest being known to mankind. I can hardly fucking move my legs.”

“But did you die?”

Reasonably, that shut him up. Mikasa relaxed into her chair, adjusting her sunglasses.

“We leave in fifteen minutes, by the way.”

Eren and Armin shared a glance. “Good,” they chorused.

From atop the pier, the same pelican from hours before took notice. Eren, who swore he could hear it laughing at them, flipped it the proverbial bird.

“Nothing like a good meal after a near-death experience.”

“Oh, please,” Mikasa scoffed. “You two would’ve been perfectly fine.”

“I don’t know, Mikasa.” Armin swallowed his bite, covering his mouth with one hand as he spoke. “If you hadn’t gotten to us in time, there’s no telling how long we might’ve lasted.”

“Speaking of which, Eren?”

“What?”

She pointed at him. “You’re paying. For all of us.”

His shoulders slumped. “Oh, come on!” he complained. “I already had to boogie board myself back to shore, after almost drowning! I mean- Armin was there, too!”

“And who dragged him there?” Armin mused.

“Hey,” Eren argued, “you never said no.”

“Unenthusiastic consent is not consent, Eren.”

“He’s right,” Mikasa agreed. “This was your fault. You’re paying meals and gas money the rest of the way home.”

“Fine,” Eren conceded. “Under one condition.”

“What.”

“My mom never hears about this.”

Mikasa squinted. “We’ll see,” she said, sipping her tea.

AN: My very first Fix for Fix!! @the-eren-plush-blog , thank you so much for the ko-fis!! I hope this was what you had in mind. <333

[leio13]

I was Tagged!!! Thrice!!! (Holy Cow...)

I’m back with 33 more questions to answer! I was gonna make a joke last time about it being the ultimate get-to-know-me post, but I guess not. Good thing I held off on that joke, huh.

1. Post the rules

2. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger

3. Write 11 questions of your own

4. And tag 11 people

First, I was tagged by the lovely @missmizpah! Thanks, Emily!

1. Opinion on nuts?

Nuts are alright. Honey nut roasted peanuts though are more than alright. They are some good stuff.

2. Favorite book genre?

Hmm... I don’t really have a favorite genre. I’m really picky about books and a lot of other things honestly but my pickiness applies to all genres. I just like books with complex characters really.

3. Worst injury/illness?

I don’t actually get seriously injured that often; however, there was this one time I dropped my metal water bottle on my thumb. It hurt like hell and there was some blood under the nail. No big deal, right? That’s what I thought too. And I don’t really remember the transition that well, but in a few days, the area under my thumb nail was a navy blue and swelling out under the nail. a lot. It was probably one of the grossest things I’ve seen. good thing my mom took before and after pictures before they drained it. Don’t worry though. I won’t be posting those here.

4. What attracts you to someone platonically?

Er... kindness, loyalty, respect, AKA the really cliche stuff, and uh, chivalry, I guess. Treat me like a princess (for some reason) and you’re halfway there!

5. What was the last dream you had?

I had an interesting dream about Ouma from NDRv3. I went to his house which was more of a shack since his single parent family was super poor. His dad said that Ouma was actually a good boy (I have doubts). Ouma owned a crap ton of rainbow shark plushies (he really liked sharks apparently), and some bad dudes who were pissed at Ouma chased us back to the school (which was apparently a safe place that we wanted to be at). I skipped some details, but that was basically it. Also, keep in mind that I’ve only seen up to the death of chapter 2 (haven’t even started the investigation yet), so I kind of just made these details up in my dream and don’t spoil me. Orz.

6. Are you someone who eats cough drops like candy?

I haven’t had cough drops since I was in eighth grade and thought was I was having an asthma attack and my inhaler wasn’t working. In hindsight, it was a panic attack, but I recall the cough drop working a bit strangely enough. Anyway, I don’t really eat cough drops, no.

7. Native language?

English.

8. What size shoes do you wear?

Size 8 apparently. I think some of my shoes are a 7 1/2 though.

9. What is your current hair length?

Around my shoulders.

10. One habit you’re sure is specific to you?

I don’t know if I have any habits that are specific to me. um... I don’t really like the part of the utensil which you stick in your mouth touching anything besides me, my plate, or a napkin, so I tend to hold utensils in my mouth (knives excluded, duh because they don’t go in your mouth). It’s kind of a habit now, I guess. Does that count?

11. How far would you swim out into the ocean?

Negative feet. I’m not going in the ocean. There are things in there that I want nothing to do with such as seaweed, angry crabs that I could accidentally step on, sharp rocks or shells, sharks, jellyfish, etc.

Next, @excitable-nugget‘s questions! Thanks a bunch, Gnugs!

1. If you could have one sense enhanced, what would it be?

Definitely not taste. Tastes are wonderful (or some of them at least), but I’m already picky as it is, so I don’t really want more tastes to discriminate against. Touch probably wouldn’t be such a good idea either since I get startled easily and tongue (one picky dude, I tell you) is actually pretty sensitive to food textures too. Smell wouldn’t be bad except sometimes when I’m sick, everything smells like vomit, so I don’t really want to risk that being enhanced. Overall, I’m gonna go with sight (yes, I did skip hearing. I didn’t have much to say about it). Better vision in the dark could be pretty lit. Might also help ease some of my night paranoia. 2. Can you link your hands behind your back with one over the shoulder and one under? (like this)

One way. I can do it with my right hand reaching over. Kind of freaked me out though. I wasn’t ready for my hands to meet like that even if it was the goal. 3. Favourite colour to wear, or your favourite colour in general?

Favorite color to wear? Black. I just own a lot of black. Favorite color in general? Orange. 4. What was your internet pseudonym when you were 12-14?

It was Leio13. I’ve been Leio13 for as long as I’ve been on the internet. 5. What’s your favourite meat-based dish? If you don’t eat meat, what’s your favourite dish in general?

My favorite meat dish is steak. It’s just sooooo good. 6. Would you rather be known as wise or strong?

Probably wise. I used to think I was super smart as a kid, but now I feel pretty average and/or stupid/incompetent, so it would be nice for that feeling to come back. 7. What’s your favourite physical feature about yourself?

Probably my hair even if it knots excessively when no one wants it to. 8. Would you rather explore the ocean depths or space?

The ocean is such a vibrant, beautiful place! I love underwater images and would love to see it in person, but it would have to be in a submarine or something because I’m not going out there with only a wet suit protecting my flesh. 9. What’s your favourite snack food?

This is hard... I eat so many snacks. Hmm... I’m feeling ritz bitz. 10. If you could make one thing from fiction (e.g. a character, a place, a food, a machine) real, what would it be?

I don’t really have any deep answers here, but I think Odasaku (as he is in Bungou Stray Dogs) and his orphans being real would be really sweet. They’d be such a cute family. #familygoals 11. Is Australia real or just a conspiracy?

Australia? don’t know her.

Finally, I was tagged by the wonderful @chom-raaa! Thanks, Chomra!

1. Heroes gone bad or villains becoming good?

How could I choose???? They’re both so fantastic!! Wonderful character development opportunities abound with both!! ...that being said, while I appreciate the psychology of both of them, I tend to side with the good guys, so if all you wonderful villains could join the side I support, I guess that would be better.

2. Did you ever get in trouble in school? When was the last time and what was it about?

er... I don’t think so. No wait. One time, we were playing a game in class but my friend and I got out, so we were chatting on the sidelines even though we were supposed to be paying attention to those still playing (this was an ice breaker game). Anyway, the teacher said something about being quiet, and my dense self took it as “you can continue talking but quietly,” so I did. The teacher had to yell again for it to click with me. This was in like 5th grade, but I’m still disappointed in that me. I wasn’t that dense normally in fifth grade.

3. Hot drinks or cold drinks?

cold drinks. 

4. Any siblings? Older/younger? Would you have it any other way?

I’ve got two amazing siblings, both older than me! I don’t really think I would want it any other way. I’m content with what I have now.

5. You most prized possession?

My technology and anime merch maybe? 

6. What’s a fandom trope that makes you uncomfortable?

hoo boy. Where to begin??? I hate slave AUs (can’t really understand why you would like them). As you probably already know, I dislike smut, so the appeal of A/B/O universes is beyond me entirely. er... sexualizing characters? calling out the soukoku fandom: Chuuya always seems to be the more sexy one who other dudes and Dazai are always eyeing and lusting after. Like, can we appreciate the guy for more than his looks and impeccable fashion taste?? uh... also, Fyodor being depicted as some dude who is dead set on destroying soukoku (usually by the means of torturing Chuuya in some way to hurt Dazai which by the way is just... no.). I’m pretty sure Fyodor has better things to do??? Like kill all ability users?? Er, sorry. Not sure if you wanted specific fandom tropes or not, but uh, yeah.

7. What do find attractive in a fictional character?

BLAZERS!!

If you meant personality wise, I like passionate, kind characters, and also the mysterious, probably misunderstood type.

8. If could bring a character back to life but sacrifice another character in return (major-ish characters for those fandoms with a big cast), who would you choose?

Bringing back Odasaku, sending Fyodor to hell where he belongs. Of course, I wouldn’t actually because as much as I cry over the events of the dark era, I know that these things needed to happen for Dazai to end up where he is currently.

You know what? Better idea: still bringing back Odasaku but killing Lovecraft. The dude should’ve died after Chuuya destroyed him. I’m still bitter about his survival even if his parting scene was hilarious.

9. Long fics or short fics? In terms of both reading and writing?

I’m typically hesitant to read long fics because I have difficulty keeping up or finishing things. I bet there are a plethora of interesting long fics out there that I haven’t clicked on because I fear my motivation might die before I finish them. Likewise, it takes me centuries to write long fics, but I do really admire the art! Creating a complex story that spans over chapters is an epic feat that should not be underestimated. That being said, I do love short fics too! Short fics that still fill me with intense emotions are an equally epic thing. Like, how do you get so many feels in so little words???

10. Are you content with who you are?

haha nah. There are a lot of things about me that I wish were better. For one, i wish my motivation actually existed. I’m so unmotivated to do anything, even the littlest of things. Even things that I know would be fun. I just can’t convince myself to do them... Orz. Er... There are more things, but I don’t want to make this super sad. You came here for memes, not angst! Maybe not, but anyway...

11. What is holding you back from getting what you want?

I don’t know what this thing I want is referring to, but I’d bet 5000 imaginary monies that its my motivation or anxiety that’s interfering. 

Thanks for the wonderful questions, y’all! <3

Now, it’s my turn!

er... actually, I’m not feeling any creative question vibes, so if I tag you, please refer to the questions of the last time did this meme (psst! over here!). Without further ado, I’m tagging @haruki-00, @dusttodawnn, @melrw22, @bandaged-chessmaster, @ai-san-arts, @4nimenut, @96percentdone, @monokumamastermind, @sadtiredbaby, @wymoup-nox, and @yesterdayohhowimissit! As usual, only do it if you want, and do it if you want but you weren’t tagged.

[lululeighsworld]

A Smashing Good Time

Nothing beats a day at the beach! As the warm weather arrives after the war, Corrin and company take a day trip to one of Hoshido’s beaches, with Gunter and Yukimura joining in on the fun as well. How will these two spend their vacation day, and will they be able to survive the heat? Set in an AU where Gunter is rescued by Corrin and decided to join him in fighting for Hoshido.

For @ferarepair-week2k17! The prompts for Day 6 are water/sand/shell and I think I managed to include all three in some shape or form. More notes to follow and enjoy!

On AO3

The coarse sand that gets between one’s toes, almost too hot to the touch from absorbing the rays of the bright sun above. The relaxing sound of the ocean as waves rolled against the shore, bringing with them small amounts of rocks and seashells. The loud cheers of people as they ran down to the water, setting down their belongings along the way before they dipped their toes in. The beach, at least, this beach, was everything Gunter had expected and more.

Since the end of the war and the ceremony for Ryoma to become the new king, things had been relatively quiet in the old soldier’s life. Rather than wasting away in the room he had been given, he often accompanied Yukimura and whatever his duties involved for the day. The pair had become quite close since their first meeting during the war, and it was now rare to find the two separated, many joking that they were now attached at the hip. Although they never announced their relationship publically, as both felt there was no real reason for it, a few had picked up on their bond, including Lord Corrin. He was the reason why they were at the beach today, insisting that everybody deserved a nice break from the duties at the castle to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Ryoma had agreed to the plan after some persuasion, inviting anyone who was interested in joining them for a day of fun. Gunter was relieved that Yukimura didn’t turn down the idea, as he was unsure if the mechanist even enjoyed the sand and the salty sea air. Luckily he seemed quite excited for the small vacation, and after waiting a week for the perfect weather, they were off to the beach, joined by Corrin and his siblings as well as many of their retainers.

“You know in all my years, I think this is maybe the third time I’ve visited a beach? Then again, most Nohrian beaches are much rockier than this.” Gunter chuckled, laying a blanket down onto the sand so that they could both take a seat. They had chosen a spot not too far away from the rest of the group, shade provided by a tall palm tree. The beaches of Hoshido were much more pleasant and people friendly than what Gunter had experienced in Nohr. The sandy beaches and clear blue water gave off the vibe that they really were on vacation, even if it was only for a day.

“Well, I hope you’re able to take in all of which this beach has to offer.” Yukimura had made himself comfortable on the blanket and was looking out over the ocean, admiring its beauty from a safe distance. He didn’t completely trust the water, nor the wildlife that resided within it. The ocean was unpredictable and constantly changing, its currents capable of sweeping a person out to open waters before they had even realized it. While many of the young people enjoyed swimming and scuba diving, Yukimura much preferred to keep his feet on dry land. Despite this small fear however, he didn’t mind allowing the small waves to lap at his feet during walks along the beach’s edge.

“Don’t start daydreaming just yet. You’ll burn if you don’t put on sunscreen.” Gunter spoke and Yukimura was broken from his thoughts as a blue bottle was tossed towards him, barely having the time to dodge to the right as the bottle flew past his head.

“You could have simply passed it to me,” he said as he reached behind him and opened the cap of the bottle, pouring a generous amount of sunscreen into his palm. “The last thing I want today is an injury.”

“You’ll thank me later when you don’t have a sunburn.” Gunter smiled as he took a seat beside Yukimura.

After spending a few minutes rubbing the sunscreen onto his arms and legs, as he wore not one but two shirts that day, protecting his back from the harmful rays, he passed the bottle back to Gunter, who generously applied it to all the places he could manage on his own. They helped each other reach the more difficult places, Gunter placing a small amount on the back of Yukimura’s neck and Yukimura taking his time to make sure Gunter’s back was well covered.

They spent the beginning of the day relaxing in the shade, carrying on with one another as laughter and shouting could be heard all along the beach from the others who had also come along. Yukimura eventually convinced Gunter to build a sandcastle with him, though it was mostly the former who was sculpting and building as Gunter fetched buckets of the cold and wet sand. He also collected a few rocks and seashells to use as decorations, and as he combed the shore he found a small friend that he thought would put a smile on the other’s face.

“Yukimura, look what I found!” Gunter spoke excitedly as he placed a hand into the bucket he was carrying, pulling out a small sea creature living in a shell.

“Oh my, it looks like you’ve found a hermit crab! It seems like a rather big one too.” Yukimura smiled, halting construction on the sandcastle to observe the small sea critter.

“I think I’m going to name him ‘Barnacles’. What do you think?”

“So he’s yours now?”

“He can be ours. Consider him the first resident of our sandcastle.”

Yukimura just laughed, picking up his shovel again. “You’re hilarious. Now start fetching buckets again so I can make this into more than just a lump of sand.”

For the next little while they worked together to make the sandcastle look presentable, Gunter carefully placing the rocks and seashells in various places to add some colour to the structure. They even made a small moat for their friend, hoping he would at least hang out for a little while before returning to the ocean.

“Wow you guys! Your sandcastle looks amazing!” Both men turned their attention in the direction of Corrin’s voice, who was running towards them excitedly.

“Thank you, Lord Corrin. It’s quite an exquisite design, don’t you think?” Yukimura pushed his glasses back into place, looking rather proud of his work.

“I added the seashells and rocks,” Gunter spoke up, not wanting Yukimura to steal all the credit. Besides, he had carried all those buckets full of sand by himself, which he believed was worthy of at least a little recognition.

“If we were holding a sandcastle contest, I’m sure you two would win first prize!” Corrin smiled, happy to see that the pair were enjoying their day at the beach so far. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could I possibly borrow you for a second Yukimura? It’s about  that . A few people were hoping to start soon.”

“Of course. Will you excuse me for a moment, Gunter?” Yukimura stood up from where he had been sitting in the sand, dusting off his shorts. He nodded and after Yukimura gave him a small smile he left with Corrin, heading towards where the prince had left his stuff. Gunter preoccupied himself with placing a few more shells on the sandcastle’s towers, as well as shooing away a few curious seagulls who would do nothing but destroy the structure. Content with the finished product he went to go dip his hands in the water to rid them of sand, taking a moment once his hands were clean to look out over the vast ocean. It stretched all the way out to the horizon, a few islands scattered in the distance. Gunter wondered if they were inhabited, and if so, how long would it take by boat to reach them? He made a mental note to ask Yukimura about Hoshido’s islands later, interested in learning more about this country he still was not very familiar with.

“Come on Gunter! We’re going to start the game!” A shout came from across the beach, and as Gunter turned, broken away from his thoughts, he saw Corrin waving him over, Yukimura standing with him as well. A small group had started to form where they were standing, and out of curiosity, Gunter decided to check out what the excitement was all about.

“And what might that be now?”

“Just your traditional Hoshidan beach game: watermelon splitting!” Yukimura chimed in, holding the current object of interest. “Bet you never did anything like this in Nohr, huh?”

“Well I mean, watermelons are quite expensive, so I don’t imagine many have the extra money to just go out and buy one for fun.” Gunter chuckled, though his vision was plunged into darkness out of nowhere before he could ask any further questions. “Wh--”

“Since you’re new, you get to be the first one to give it a try!” Corrin cheered from behind him, tying a knot in whatever had been wrapped around his head to block his sight.

“I don’t even know the rules my lord.”

“No need to worry, they’re quite simple. Your main goal is to split the watermelon, except there are a few catches.” Yukimura said, smiling as Gunter looked more than a bit confused at what sort of game they were playing.

“Number one! You must be blindfolded! How many fingers am I holding up?” Corrin asked and Gunter could feel the other’s hand waving in front of his face, though he honestly couldn’t see a thing through the fabric.

“Uh… three?”

“Okay, he definitely can’t see.”

“Number two, you must be spun around three times to confuse your sense of direction.” Suddenly there was a pair of hands on his shoulders, urging him to spin around in a circle. Not once. Not twice. He was pretty sure it was four spins by the time he stopped moving, his head spinning slightly from the dizzying action.

“Congratulations, you’ve made me dizzy. Now wh--” Before Gunter could finish his sentence, he could feel a wooden stick being placed into his hands.  

“And number three, now your goal is to find the watermelon and split it using that stick.” Yukimura’s voice was no longer coming from directly behind him, meaning that during his spins he had either moved farther away, or that Yukimura had gone and moved himself to confuse him.

“This hardly seems fair at all.” Gunter placed one hand on the blindfold to try and remove it, but before he could do anything, another hand was on top of his, encouraging him to keep it on. “Come on Gunter, this will be fun! Besides, we can share the watermelon afterwards too.”

“But my lord Corrin…”

“Yukimura’s watching. You wanna show him how strong you are, right?” Gunter was blind as a bat, but he could tell the young lord was grinning from ear to ear. Taking hold of the wooden stick with an intense grip, Gunter began to take a few steps forward to get a feel for his surroundings. It was time to smash a watermelon.

It didn’t take long for Gunter to find the towel the watermelon had been placed upon, the small crowd of people cheering him on as they stood in a circle around him. Now that he had found the watermelon, the hardest task came next: hitting it with enough accuracy and force to split it. A few small hits wouldn’t do it either; if he was really going to show his strength, he would need to get this right the first time.

Gunter assumed the watermelon had been placed in the middle of the towel, though he could not be sure this either, deciding to take his chances and hoping his gut feeling was correct. He would need to take about one and a half steps forward to be at the perfect distance to strike. As he placed one foot in front of the other to have a balanced stance, he raised the stick,  praying , that when he swung downward it would be the perfect strike—

Thwack!!  With a loud crack the watermelon was split, a proud look on Gunter’s face as he realized the sound of success. He could hear the excitement coming from the crowd as he removed the blindfold, his heart beating just the tiniest bit faster when he noticed that Yukimura was cheering as well. He returned the blindfold and stick to Corrin, the watermelon he had smashed being taken away to cut properly and another replacing it.  As he joined Yukimura in the crowd he could hear Corrin picking the next target for the second round.

“How was that? Everyone seems to be quite excited.”

“It was most impressive indeed. Even experienced players don’t normally split it on the first try.”

“Did I look cool?” Gunter winked as he asked the question, and Yukimura just laughed.

“As cool as an old man can look splitting a watermelon.”

“Hey!” Gunter frowned playfully and Yukimura laughed again before taking his hand, causing Gunter’s heart to skip a small beat.  

“The watermelon slices should be ready soon. Let’s go get some while everyone is preoccupied here.” Gunter smiled and nodded in agreement, Yukimura guiding him through the crowd of people until they were free from the madness. The knight’s heart was still beating rather quickly from Yukimura’s forward gesture back in the crowd, and as they picked up a few slices of watermelon from Sakura, he could only think about how nice of a feeling it was to experience again.

After watching a few more rounds of watermelon smashing they returned to their quiet spot in the shade, amazed to see that their sandcastle was still standing. As the day continued, Gunter eventually convinced Yukimura to go on a walk with him along the shore, bringing up his question about the islands he had remembered from earlier. Together they walked hand in hand all the way down to the end of the beach and back, and by the time they returned the sun had begun its slow descent towards the horizon, painting the sky in beautiful colours of red, orange and yellow. As Gunter sat down, legs tired from the long walk, he noticed a large group gathering in the middle of the beach again, wondering what on earth they could be possibly up to now.

“There are more things to do at the beach than I realized,” he mused, and Yukimura looked over to him with a curious expression on his face.

“Did you not visit the beach when you were younger?”

“I believe once or twice. That was back more years ago than I want to think about though, if I’m being honest.” Yukimura nodded, about to add something about how the imagination of young adults probably contributes to the number of activities they can think of doing, however he noticed out of the corner of his eye that someone was headed in their direction.

“Yukimura! Gunter!” Corrin called out as he ran towards them, stopping for a moment to catch his breath before continuing. “A group of us are about to go exploring in the caves at the end of the beach before we have to head back to the castle. Would you look to join? Ryoma will be leading the way.”

Yukimura looked over to Gunter hesitantly, aware that he was still quite a bit tired from their previous walk. As interesting as exploring the caves sounded, the mechanist had some other ideas in mind that required less physical energy on both their parts.

“You all go have your fun. We’ll meet up with the group when it's time to leave for the evening.” Yukimura smiled and Corrin nodded, running off to join the others as they started their long walk to the caves located at the end of the beach.

“Did we really just turn down cave exploring?” Gunter laughed as he asked the question, Yukimura shaking his head as he sat down beside him once again.

“I figured the last thing you wanted was to fall on a slippery patch of rocks and injure yourself. Sitting here and having a nice drink as the sun sets seems much more enjoyable anyways.”

“Ah, so that was your plan all along?”

“Are you opposed?” Yukimura smiled, reaching into the bag they had brought along and pulling out a bottle of sake and two cups. “It’s a different kind from last time, so hopefully you find the taste a bit more enjoyable.”

Taking turns, they each poured the other some sake, and with a unified “cheers!” they drank. Gunter noted that the taste was a bit better than the kind he had tried before, although he wasn’t sure he could say he was a fan of the drink just yet.

They sat there for awhile together, leisurely taking sips of sake as the waves rolled against the sand, the tide slowly creeping up the beach as it came in for the night. Somewhere between looking out over the ocean and Gunter trying to guess the aroma of the sake their fingers became intertwined, Yukimura coming to rest his head on Gunter’s shoulder as he kept him guessing.

“You really are no good at this you know.” Yukimura chuckled, taking another drink as Gunter sighed in frustration.

“My apologies for not being a sake expert. The only alcohol I’m a fan of is beer. Though I will admit… this does taste better than before.”

“So you’ll keep drinking with me then?” Yukimura smiled, picking up the bottle and offering to refill the other’s cup. Gunter rolled his eyes and let him fill up his cup once more, wondering just how much of the sake was left. Yukimura had drunk nearly double of what Gunter had managed, and yet he still seemed unaffected, only a light blush dusting his cheeks. He watched from out of the corner of his eye, noticing that Yukimura had an intense gaze fixed open the ocean. By this time the sun had almost completely set, its rays peeking out just slightly from behind one of the small islands that dotted the horizon.

“Something caught your attention?” Gunter asked after finishing his drink, setting the cup to the side and squeezing Yukimura’s hand in his own.

“We should take a vacation. Just you and me. Now that the war is over, what else do we have left to do?”

Gunter chuckled and decided to humour his idea for the moment. “And where would you like to go?”

“Mm… maybe one of those islands? I hear they’re quite peaceful during this time of year.” Yukimura paused for a moment, offering his cup to Gunter so that he could have another drink. “Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Hmm… I suppose I’d like to visit the mountains where I lived for part of my life. In the spring the fields are in bloom with all different kinds of beautiful flowers. I think you’d rather like it.”

“... let’s go then.”

“Really? You’d agree that quickly?”

“Why wouldn’t I? We have lots of free time on our hands now. As long as you’re there, I’m sure we’d have lots of fun.” Yukimura squeezed Gunter’s hand tight, the latter swearing that his heart skipped another beat. He had lost count of how many times it had happened that day, but he supposed if it didn’t cause his heart to stop permanently there was no real need for worry. Silence fell between them again for a short moment, Yukimura offering Gunter another drink, which he agreed to, as long as the other promised that it could be his last. With his cup refilled he took to looking out over the ocean again, wondering which island would be the best for a visit.

“You know... it was kind of hot when you smashed that watermelon earlier…” The calmness was immediately shattered as Yukimura muttered those words under his breath, hoping the other hadn’t heard him, which was quite the opposite. Gunter choked on the sip of sake he had taken, coughing and sputtering as it burned down his throat.

“E-excuse me??”

“You didn’t hear me say a word.” A yes, the typical response Yukimura gave whenever he was in denial, despite being very drunk. Gunter knew his ears weren’t playing tricks on him, and the blush rising on the other’s cheeks was a dead giveaway. There was no way he was getting away with a compliment like that, and so Gunter reached forward with his free hand, placing a hand on Yukimura’s cheek to draw him close so he could give him a kiss. It was brief, but it was enough, and as Gunter pulled away with a grin on his face, he was glad to see that the other was now blushing bright red.  

“Thank you. Maybe I should start showing off my muscles more often?” Gunter laughed and Yukimura blushed deeper, looking in the other direction as his imagination ran wild. One day he would get him back from that remark, but for now Yukimura decided it was best to stay quiet before he said something else that was even more embarrassing.

“Did your nose get sunburnt? In fact, your cheeks look a little bit red too.” Gunter smirked, obviously referring to the present blush on Yukimura’s nose and cheeks that refused to go away no matter how hard he willed it.

“...Just sunburnt.” Yukimura mumbled, looking down at the ground and burying his toes in the sand.

“I’ll be sure to put some aloe on it when we get back then.” Gunter chuckled, wanting to reach out and place another kiss on Yukimura’s cheek. He held himself back though, not wanting to turn the other into a complete fumbling mess right before they joined the rest of the group to head back to the castle.

“We should probably start packing up?” Yukimura asked, changing the topic as he put the top back on the bottle which still had a bit of sake in it. “Come, walking will do good to clear our heads.” He stood up carefully and offered Gunter his hand, who groaned from his slight headache before accepting his assistance and standing up as well. Together they cleaned up the small area, packing up their belongings and making sure that nothing was left behind. Gunter had offered to carry the bag back as the alcohol Yukimura had consumed was slowly catching up with him, his steps slow and careful as they made their way back to the entrance of the beach. It seemed as though they had made good timing as people were slowly starting to gather there, and not too far away Gunter could see Corrin’s group returning from their adventure. The young prince waved to them, and as Gunter raised his arm in the air to wave back he didn’t notice the large dip in the sand he had stepped into, causing him to lose his footing and fall backwards towards the ground. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact of the coarse sand below him, however, he never hit the ground, only realizing upon opening his eyes that Yukimura had managed to catch him.

Despite the darkness of the night starting to settle in around them, Gunter could still make out Yukimura’s features perfectly, including the blush which he still wore on his cheeks. Gunter was positive he was blushing just as bad, before he realized that most likely everyone on the beach had just witnessed his fall. Regardless of the audience, Yukimura continued to hold him there, time seemingly frozen as they smiled at each other.

“Nice catch.”

“Am I a prince in shining armor now?”

“I’d say so. What would like for your prize?”

“How abo-- oof!!”

Yukimura had been paying so much attention to Gunter that he hadn’t realized he had lost his balance, sending both of them to the ground in a messy pile of limbs. Everything suddenly felt very sore, and Yukimura coughed, trying to expel all the sand that had gotten into his mouth. He could hear a groan from underneath him, and he was at least a little bit relieved to know that the fall hadn’t killed the old man.

“Could you please… Remove your elbow… From my ribcage… Yukimura…”

“O-oh! So sorry!” Yukimura scrambled to shift himself off Gunter, offering him a hand to sit up after the other had caught his breath.

“How did   not notice your elbow jabbing me in the ribca-- Yukimura, where are your glasses?”

“Oh no! Please don’t tell me…” After a few moments of looking around in the sand Gunter had spotted the glasses, the bridge broken clean in half, most likely from when they had fallen.

“Looks like I’ll be your guide all the way home.”

“This is not how I wanted this day to end at all.” Yukimura rubbed his temples, hoping that he had still had a spare pair of glasses tucked away in his desk.

Not before long Corrin and the others were running over towards them, having watched the whole scene and worried that someone may have gotten seriously hurt. Gunter reassured the group that they were both fine, with just a few sore bones to be had come morning and one broken pair of glasses. Soon they were both on their feet again and headed back towards the castle with the others, Yukimura clinging to Gunter’s arm for dear life as his world was blurry from both the alcohol and his lack of vision. Gunter held in his laughter until they returned, earning a few more jabs to the ribs once they were alone for the night. After drinking their fair share of water they settled in for the night, fingers intertwined just as they had been earlier, the castle having fallen quiet around them. Yukimura felt as though he could fall asleep as soon as he hit the pillow, however, he noticed that Gunter was still wide awake, staring up at the ceiling as though it would answer the question he clearly wore on his face.

“What’s wrong? You look puzzled.”

“You never got to say what you wanted for your prize earlier.”

“You’re still thinking about that?”

“Of course. You saved me from nearly breaking my back earlier.”

“...Promise me you’ll go on that vacation we were talking about then.” Yukimura let go of Gunter’s hand as he spoke, allowing him to move in closer so the other could easily wrap his arms around him.

“It’s a deal,” Gunter answered and placed a small kiss on Yukimura’s forehead, the latter sighing contently as he made himself comfortable in Gunter’s embrace. After a few more goodnight kisses they were both drifting off to sleep, cuddled close together despite the humid summer heat, dreams filled with the many adventures that they hopefully would be having soon, together.

~~~

So originally this started out as a small drabble based on the summer Twitter icons @icemountaincomix designed for us, and when I was informed about rarepair week I decided to expand on the story a bit!

As always I need to thank UntramenTaro and @thislittlekumquat for brainstorming this with me; it definitely wouldn’t have turned out as good without all of your ideas! Also UntramenTaro doodled a scene from this fic for today’s prompts, and you can check it out here on AO3 or on Tumblr!

If you’ve made it this far, thank you taking the time to read my work! I wish I had more ideas for the other prompts; hopefully next time around I’ll be able to participate a bit more!

[gumnut-logic]

His giggle was infectious.

His little brother leapt from rock to rock, darting to peer into every pool he encountered, several times exclaiming at his discoveries and nattering off some long Latin name that meant absolutely nothing to Virgil. How one mollusc differed from another was something for a biologist to decide, not an artist.

Of course, every now and again, a shell would be shoved in his face, and the colours would catch his eyes. Virgil would take the shell, listen to the babbling, and stare at the pinks and oranges, calculate what he could do with those colours and then surreptitiously slide the found object into his pocket.

His pocket was clinking as he walked over the rocks.

The crab that was shoved in his face was a whole different kettle of crustacean. “Hey, Gords, c’mon, I want to keep my nose attached to my face.”

“Virg, it’s only a common rock crab. And a little one at that.” The so called common bearer of claws waved them in anger at Virgil.

“Yeah, well, can you put it back where it belongs? It looks ticked off at your interruption of its day.”

His little brother crouched back down at the edge of a larger rock pool and returned the crab to its hidey-hole.

They were on holiday.

Well, technically on holiday. Dad was still working and had disappeared for the day, leaving Scott in charge. The terrible two had immediately taken advantage of that fact and proceeded to make everyone’s life hell.

Before his eighteen year old brother could blow a fuse, Virgil had intervened and offered to take ten year old Gordon down to the shore for some rock pooling. It was an activity Virgil could tolerate, even enjoy, and it separated the synergy of the two youngest.

The relief in Scott’s eyes had been worth it.

No doubt, either Scott or John would be having the pleasure of setting up Alan’s backyard rocket set at this very moment.

Hopefully Scott, otherwise John would be adapting the mechanics and the silly thing would actually reach orbit, never be seen again and the wailing from their youngest would last the rest of the weekend.

But shells, crabs and the occasional anemone was Virgil’s concern at the moment.

The coastline was some kind of limestone and consequently peppered with holes for the receding tide to leave trapped sea creatures behind.

A sudden yell of “Sand goby!” and Virgil was dragged over to see a tiny fish barely two inches long and the same colour as the sand it was sitting on staring up at the two of them.

“I saw them darting about, but this one is the first to stay still enough. Look at those eyes!”

Looked like a tiny lizard of the sea.

Gordon touched the surface of the water and the fish disappeared in a cloud of displaced sand.

“Look how fast they are!” A glance at his brother and he found him literally buzzing with excitement.

“When we get back to the house, you can look it up. Did you get a photo?”

Gordon grinned up at him, brandishing the camera in his hand. “Yep. Wait until I show, Scotty.”

Virgil snorted. Scott knew even less than Virgil about ocean fauna, but he would love to see Gordon so excited.

Scott was a sucker for happy brothers.

As Gordon scampered over to the next rock pool, Virgil had to admit he quite enjoyed seeing Gordon like this, too.

“Woah! Virg, come look at this!”

Rolling his eyes, Virgil straightened and followed obediently, stepping from outcrop to outcrop to crouch beside his almost vibrating brother.

Gordon was pointing at a rock.

“What am I looking at, Gordon. All I see is rock.”

“Watch this.” Gordon stuck a finger into the water and prodded the ‘rock’.

It lit up in bright blue rings.

Now, Virgil didn’t know much about sea life, but he did know about this particular life form.

He grabbed Gordon’s arm and Gordon himself and yanked him away from the rock pool. Unfortunately, that unbalanced the both of them and they promptly fell into the rock pool next door.

Considering what they had just encountered, Virgil was none too happy about this state of affairs and, spluttering, staggered to his feet, dragging his protesting little brother as far away from the offending puddle of water as he could.

“Virgil! What? Why? Lemme go!”

“Gordon, you know exactly what that is. Why the hell did you touch it?!”

“It won’t hurt me! And it is amazing. Lemme go! I’ve never seen one before and I want to look at it some more!”

“You are not going anywhere near it. In fact, we are getting off this beach right now!”

“Aww, Virg, c’mon! It won’t hurt us!”

“It’s a blue-ringed octopus Gordon! It bites you, you’re dead!”

“It’s not going to bite me!”

“It looked angry enough after you poked it. Why the hell did you poke it?”

“Uh, to see the rings? It’s amazing.”

“It’s a deadly octopus!”

“God, Virg, get over it. I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well, I know what I’m doing and I’m taking you back to the house where you can explain to Scott exactly what you were doing.”

“Aww, Virgil, please. I thought you were the cool one. The one who understood.”

Virgil blinked. “What?”

And his brother sagged before him. “I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?”

“How much fun this is.”

A frown and Virgil’s heart slowed a little. Gordon’s head had dropped and he was looking at the ground. “Gordon?”

“You, Virgil. All the others just talk about planes and space and flying. You’re the only one who listens to me when I talk about this stuff.”

His frown deepened and he reached out a hand and placed it on his little brother’s shoulder.

“I’m always the odd one out. Everyone else wants to go to the military museums, not the natural history museums. You always stand up for me and come with me. I know you don’t like it as much as I do, but you help.”

Okay, so his little brother knew how to get into his heart and twist it. Of course, this was Gordon and the little rat had his ways, but the honesty on his face was plain and it got inside Virgil’s softy sixteen year old heart.

Virgil sighed. “Okay, I get it. You have a point.” Though he had to admit, Virgil had dragged Scott through a number of art museums in the past. The boredom on his brother’s face had been epic, but Scott had done it for him.

A sigh. “I’ll make you a deal. No prodding deadly wildlife. You take note and step out of harm’s way. For both your health and mine.” And the rest of the family’s.

Russet brown eyes caught the sun and literally bloomed in excitement. His brother’s innate bouncing resumed. “Deal!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and let his brother go. Gordon didn’t give him a chance to change his mind and darted off towards the nearest rock pool.

He stood there and watched his little brother dart from pool to pool and after a moment, before he could get too far away, resumed his unhurried stroll down the beach with him.

He did understand his little brother and he appreciated his fascination with all things sea and he would help him reach those places that he loved.

Latin bounced down the beach towards him and Virgil grinned.

Ten minutes later. “Ooh, look, Virg, it is just like a miniature box jellyfish!”

Wha-?

Virgil ran.

-o-o-o-

[gumnut-logic]

His giggle was infectious.

His little brother leapt from rock to rock, darting to peer into every pool he encountered, several times exclaiming at his discoveries and nattering off some long Latin name that meant absolutely nothing to Virgil. How one mollusc differed from another was something for a biologist to decide, not an artist.

Of course, every now and again, a shell would be shoved in his face, and the colours would catch his eyes. Virgil would take the shell, listen to the babbling, and stare at the pinks and oranges, calculate what he could do with those colours and then surreptitiously slide the found object into his pocket.

His pocket was clinking as he walked over the rocks.

The crab that was shoved in his face was a whole different kettle of crustacean. “Hey, Gords, c’mon, I want to keep my nose attached to my face.”

“Virg, it’s only a common rock crab. And a little one at that.” The so called common bearer of claws waved them in anger at Virgil.

“Yeah, well, can you put it back where it belongs? It looks ticked off at your interruption of its day.”

His little brother crouched back down at the edge of a larger rock pool and returned the crab to its hidey-hole.

They were on holiday.

Well, technically on holiday. Dad was still working and had disappeared for the day, leaving Scott in charge. The terrible two had immediately taken advantage of that fact and proceeded to make everyone’s life hell.

Before his eighteen year old brother could blow a fuse, Virgil had intervened and offered to take ten year old Gordon down to the shore for some rock pooling. It was an activity Virgil could tolerate, even enjoy, and it separated the synergy of the two youngest.

The relief in Scott’s eyes had been worth it.

No doubt, either Scott or John would be having the pleasure of setting up Alan’s backyard rocket set at this very moment.

Hopefully Scott, otherwise John would be adapting the mechanics and the silly thing would actually reach orbit, never be seen again and the wailing from their youngest would last the rest of the weekend.

But shells, crabs and the occasional anemone was Virgil’s concern at the moment.

The coastline was some kind of limestone and consequently peppered with holes for the receding tide to leave trapped sea creatures behind.

A sudden yell of “Sand goby!” and Virgil was dragged over to see a tiny fish barely two inches long and the same colour as the sand it was sitting on staring up at the two of them.

“I saw them darting about, but this one is the first to stay still enough. Look at those eyes!”

Looked like a tiny lizard of the sea.

Gordon touched the surface of the water and the fish disappeared in a cloud of displaced sand.

“Look how fast they are!” A glance at his brother and he found him literally buzzing with excitement.

“When we get back to the house, you can look it up. Did you get a photo?”

Gordon grinned up at him, brandishing the camera in his hand. “Yep. Wait until I show, Scotty.”

Virgil snorted. Scott knew even less than Virgil about ocean fauna, but he would love to see Gordon so excited.

Scott was a sucker for happy brothers.

As Gordon scampered over to the next rock pool, Virgil had to admit he quite enjoyed seeing Gordon like this, too.

“Woah! Virg, come look at this!”

Rolling his eyes, Virgil straightened and followed obediently, stepping from outcrop to outcrop to crouch beside his almost vibrating brother.

Gordon was pointing at a rock.

“What am I looking at, Gordon. All I see is rock.”

“Watch this.” Gordon stuck a finger into the water and prodded the ‘rock’.

It lit up in bright blue rings.

Now, Virgil didn’t know much about sea life, but he did know about this particular life form.

He grabbed Gordon’s arm and Gordon himself and yanked him away from the rock pool. Unfortunately, that unbalanced the both of them and they promptly fell into the rock pool next door.

Considering what they had just encountered, Virgil was none too happy about this state of affairs and, spluttering, staggered to his feet, dragging his protesting little brother as far away from the offending puddle of water as he could.

“Virgil! What? Why? Lemme go!”

“Gordon, you know exactly what that is. Why the hell did you touch it?!”

“It won’t hurt me! And it is amazing. Lemme go! I’ve never seen one before and I want to look at it some more!”

“You are not going anywhere near it. In fact, we are getting off this beach right now!”

“Aww, Virg, c’mon! It won’t hurt us!”

“It’s a blue-ringed octopus Gordon! It bites you, you’re dead!”

“It’s not going to bite me!”

“It looked angry enough after you poked it. Why the hell did you poke it?”

“Uh, to see the rings? It’s amazing.”

“It’s a deadly octopus!”

“God, Virg, get over it. I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well, I know what I’m doing and I’m taking you back to the house where you can explain to Scott exactly what you were doing.”

“Aww, Virgil, please. I thought you were the cool one. The one who understood.”

Virgil blinked. “What?”

And his brother sagged before him. “I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?”

“How much fun this is.”

A frown and Virgil’s heart slowed a little. Gordon’s head had dropped and he was looking at the ground. “Gordon?”

“You, Virgil. All the others just talk about planes and space and flying. You’re the only one who listens to me when I talk about this stuff.”

His frown deepened and he reached out a hand and placed it on his little brother’s shoulder.

“I’m always the odd one out. Everyone else wants to go to the military museums, not the natural history museums. You always stand up for me and come with me. I know you don’t like it as much as I do, but you help.”

Okay, so his little brother knew how to get into his heart and twist it. Of course, this was Gordon and the little rat had his ways, but the honesty on his face was plain and it got inside Virgil’s softy sixteen year old heart.

Virgil sighed. “Okay, I get it. You have a point.” Though he had to admit, Virgil had dragged Scott through a number of art museums in the past. The boredom on his brother’s face had been epic, but Scott had done it for him.

A sigh. “I’ll make you a deal. No prodding deadly wildlife. You take note and step out of harm’s way. For both your health and mine.” And the rest of the family’s.

Russet brown eyes caught the sun and literally bloomed in excitement. His brother’s innate bouncing resumed. “Deal!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and let his brother go. Gordon didn’t give him a chance to change his mind and darted off towards the nearest rock pool.

He stood there and watched his little brother dart from pool to pool and after a moment, before he could get too far away, resumed his unhurried stroll down the beach with him.

He did understand his little brother and he appreciated his fascination with all things sea and he would help him reach those places that he loved.

Latin bounced down the beach towards him and Virgil grinned.

Ten minutes later. “Ooh, look, Virg, it is just like a miniature box jellyfish!”

Wha-?

Virgil ran.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

Jimbles, Bluebottles & Blue-ringed Octopuses :D

[gumnut-logic]

Rock Life

Written before work to cheer myself up after this morning’s fire news ::sigh:: Sparked from a comment by someone about Virg and Gordo stumbling about the island looking into rock pools. Instead I wrote Young!Tracys, something I rarely do.

Oh, and I know lots about the South Australian coast, so I’ve kinda based it off real life experience ::cackles::

I hope you enjoy it :D ::hugs::

-o-o-o-

His giggle was infectious.

His little brother leapt from rock to rock, darting to peer into every pool he encountered, several times exclaiming at his discoveries and nattering off some long Latin name that meant absolutely nothing to Virgil. How one mollusc differed from another was something for a biologist to decide, not an artist.

Of course, every now and again, a shell would be shoved in his face, and the colours would catch his eyes. Virgil would take the shell, listen to the babbling, and stare at the pinks and oranges, calculate what he could do with those colours and then surreptitiously slide the found object into his pocket.

His pocket was clinking as he walked over the rocks.

The crab that was shoved in his face was a whole different kettle of crustacean. “Hey, Gords, c’mon, I want to keep my nose attached to my face.”

“Virg, it’s only a common rock crab. And a little one at that.” The so called common bearer of claws waved them in anger at Virgil.

“Yeah, well, can you put it back where it belongs? It looks ticked off at your interruption of its day.”

His little brother crouched back down at the edge of a larger rock pool and returned the crab to its hidey hole.

They were on holiday.

Well, technically on holiday. Dad was still working and had disappeared for the day, leaving Scott in charge. The terrible two had immediately taken advantage of that fact and proceeded to make everyone’s life hell.

Before his eighteen year old brother could blow a fuse, Virgil had intervened and offered to take ten year old Gordon down to the shore for some rock pooling. It was an activity Virgil could tolerate, even enjoy, and it separated the synergy of the two youngest.

The relief in Scott’s eyes had been worth it.

No doubt, either Scott or John would be having the pleasure of setting up Alan’s backyard rocket set at this very moment.

Hopefully Scott, otherwise John would be adapting the mechanics and the silly thing would actually reach orbit, never be seen again and the wailing from their youngest would last the rest of the weekend.

But shells, crabs and the occasional anemone was Virgil’s concern at the moment.

The coastline was some kind of limestone and consequently peppered with holes for the receding tide to leave trapped sea creatures behind.

A sudden yell of “Sand Goby!” and Virgil was dragged over to see a tiny fish barely two inches long and the same colour as the sand it was sitting on staring up at the two of them.

“I saw them darting about, but this one is the first to stay still enough. Look at those eyes!”

Looked like a tiny lizard of the sea.

Gordon touched the surface of the water and the fish disappeared in a cloud of displaced sand.

“Look how fast they are!” A glance at his brother and he found him glowing with excitement, his expression literally buzzing with excitement.

“When we get back to the house, you can look it up. Did you get a photo?”

Gordon grinned up at him, brandishing the camera in his hand. “Yep. Wait until I show, Scotty.”

Virgil snorted. Scott knew even less than Virgil about ocean fauna, but he would love to see Gordon so excited.

Scott was a sucker for happy brothers.

As Gordon scampered over to the next rock pool, Virgil had to admit he quite enjoyed seeing Gordon like this, too.

“Woah! Virg, come look at this!”

Rolling his eyes, Virgil straightened and followed obediently, stepping from outcrop to outcrop to crouch beside his almost vibrating brother.

Gordon was pointing at a rock.

“What am I looking at, Gordon. All I see is rock.”

“Watch this.” Gordon stuck a finger into the water and prodded the ‘rock’.

It lit up in bright blue rings.

Now, Virgil didn’t know much about sealife, but he did know about this particular life form.

He grabbed Gordon’s arm and Gordon himself and yanked him away from the rock pool. Unfortunately, that unbalanced the both of them and they promptly fell into the rock pool next door.

Considering what they had just encountered, Virgil was none to happy about this state of affairs and, spluttering, staggered to his feet, dragging his protesting little brother as far away from the offending puddle of water as he could.

“Virgil! What? Why? Lemme go!”

“Gordon, you know exactly what that is. Why the hell did you touch it?!”

“It won’t hurt me! And it is amazing. Lemme go! I’ve never seen one before and I want to look at it some more!”

“You are not going anywhere near it. In fact, we are getting off this beach right now!”

“Aww, Virg, c’mon! It won’t hurt us!”

“It’s a blue-ringed octopus Gordon! It bites you, you’re dead!”

“It’s not going to bite me!”

“It looked angry enough after you poked it. Why the hell did you poke it?”

“Uh, to see the rings? It’s amazing.”

“It’s a deadly octopus!”

“God, Virg, get over it. I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well, I know what I’m doing and I’m taking you back to the house where you can explain to Scott exactly what you were doing.”

“Aww, Virgil, please. I thought you were the cool one. The one who understood.”

Virgil blinked. “What?”

And his brother sagged before him. “I thought you understood.”

“Understood what?”

“How much fun this is.”

A frown and Virgil’s heart slowed a little. Gordon’s head had dropped and he was looking at the ground. “Gordon?”

“You, Virgil. All the others just talk about planes and space and flying. You’re the only one who listens to me when I talk about this stuff.”

His frown deepened and he reached out a hand and placed it on his little brother’s shoulder.

“I’m always the odd one out. Everyone else wants to go to the military museums, not the natural history museums. You always stand up for me and come with me. I know you don’t like it as much as I do, but you help.”

Okay, so his little brother knew how to get into his heart and twist it. Of course, this was Gordon and the little rat had his ways, but the honesty on his face was plain and it got inside Virgil’s softy sixteen year old heart.

Virgil sighed. “Okay, I get it. You have a point.” Though he had to admit, Virgil had dragged Scott through a number of art museums in the past. The boredom on his brother’s face had been epic, but Scott had done it for him.

A sigh. “I’ll make you a deal. No prodding deadly wildlife. You take note and step out of harm’s way. For both your health and mine.” And the rest of the family’s.

Russet brown eyes caught the sun and literally bloomed in excitement. His brother’s innate bouncing resumed. “Deal!”

Virgil rolled his eyes and let his brother go. Gordon didn’t give him a chance to change his mind and darted off towards the nearest rock pool.

He stood there and watched his little brother dart from pool to pool and after a moment, before he could get too far away, resumed his unhurried stroll down the beach with him.

He did understand his little brother and he appreciated his fascination with all things sea and he would help him reach those places that he loved.

Latin bounced down the beach towards him and Virgil grinned.

Ten minutes later. “Ooh, look, Virg, it is just like a miniature box jellyfish!”

Wha-?

Virgil ran.

-o-o-o-

If you are interested in what Gordon found have a look here. And yes, I have encountered them and been stung by them. Rather unpleasant :D