#at least a nibble by a curious fish

[lapis-lazuliie]

so i'll most likely just make a tumble post or some kind of article about this ( maybe?? ), but if i talked about the LGBT rep in the lads' works, like....a proper elaborate deep dive essay type thing, would you guys....enjoy that? engage in it, i mean

[sweetfire01]

Honora Patrem tuum [pt.4]

Ta-da, surprise

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"Can you say my name? Sii-mee." "Aah…hee" No, they weren't the right sounds. You tried again, moving your tongue better. You knew what you had to do, it was frustrating that your mouth wasn't cooperating. But better than not talking at all. "Mmh…meeeh…mmh…ah." "Too hard, right? Try Daddy. Daa…dee" “Gaah…aaa…ghee.” The angel laughed, finishing taping your diaper on the waist. "It's Daa…" "A-aah..Gah…gaa…." "…dee." "Aee…ghe-ee…"

Oh, how adorable you were, trying to talk and call him! Simeon leaned towards your tummy, kissing your exposed skin playfully. "Daddy's little lamb is so cute, it makes you want to eat them. Yum!" You trilled with happiness, squirming on the changing table and kicking your legs as he nibbled you. "Ga-ga!" From this position you managed to grab a lock of his hair but, instead of rising up, he pressed his face even more and blew a raspberry at you. The ticklish sensation made you laugh so hard that you let him go, waving your hands as you giggled. Once you had calmed down, the angel finished buttoning your onesie and then rested his chin on your now covered ribs. He was looking into your eyes with a smile, and a look so loving that it made you feeling butterflies in the stomach . "You're Daddy's whole world, you know that right, little lamb?" You smiled back at him, babbling behind your thumb.

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You were going to the park. You loved this time of the day, even if you would never admit it openly. Well, actually there was no need to admit it, Simmy saw your eyes light up every time he told you that you were going out for a walk. It was absolutely humiliating to be in the pram, but it was comfortable. When he laid you down on it, you immediately snuggled into the soft mat. You couldn't turn around, sure, the band held you in place on your back, but it felt good. And you even managed to enjoy the ride, looking at the landscape of the Celestial Realm with curious eyes, as long as the other angels kept their dammit hands off you. But you quickly discovered that it was enough to fuss a little, grabbing hands towards Simmy and, once in his arms, hide your face against his neck. You couldn't stop the comments about how precious and shy you were, but at least no pinches on your cheeks or tickles under your chin. Every now and then you received strokes on the back, which were acceptable. The important thing was not to meet Michael again. Once you arrived, you were taken down from the pram and placed gently on the ground. You started crawling around as usual, exploring. Every day you went to a different area, today you were near a small pond. You approached it, looking at the water, so crystal clear that you could count the pebbles on the bottom. You were a bit disappointed that there weren't any fish. And those pebbles were all shades of white and grey. You expected something more colourful. Honestly, it was a little boring. “What is it, my lamby?” Your angel knelt behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist. "Don't you want to play? Does it scare you?" He took one of your hands, slowly dipping it into the water. It was… it was… "Gam!" Simeon laughed. "Yes baby, the water is warm!" - how he managed to understand what you meant was a mystery. You dipped your other hand too. It felt so good, it made you want to take a bath.

As if reading your mind, Simmy kissed your head and asked, "What do you say, do we want to get these little feet wet too?" You looked at him in surprise before nodding vigorously, making him chuckle again. "Okay, come here then." He sat down in a more comfortable position on the ground and settled you better in his lap. He took off your socks and barely managed to roll your pants up above your knees as you started squirming excitedly. Your feet were bare, so they had to soak in the water now! There was no time for other frivolous things like a sock. "Easy, easy, baby, almost done. That's it." He let go of your legs and held you by the waist again as you squealed. You happily kicked your legs in the pond, even trying to stretch them out to catch a pebble with your toes. It was shallower than you had thought. Simeon rummaged through the diaper bag he always carried with him, taking something out and handing it to you. "Look here who wants to play in the water with you."

It was a little blue whale shaped toy that you absolutely loved playing with during bath time. You immersed it as he had taught you and when you took it out, you squeeze it, releasing a jet of water from its head. Like a real whale! Of course, you correct yourself, you didn't like the toy itself, only the way you could use to wet the angel. Now that was fun! You dipped it in the pond, moving it back and forth, because it's a whale and whales swim, they don't stay still. Then they come back up and let the water out! You continued like this two, three, five more times, maybe? It might have been even more, but that didn't matter now. Rather… what would happen if the whale went to the bottom? You held it up, looking at it for a moment. You dropped it, expecting to see it head towards the pebbles. Instead, it simply remained still, floating on the surface of the water.

That's right, you remembered, bath toys float. You were ashamed of your stupidity. Since when were you becoming… like this? Something wasn't good. “Hey, what made my little lamby so upset?” Simmy's sweet voice brought you back to reality. "Doesn't the whale swim anymore?" His hand wrapped around your smaller one, helping you hold onto the toy. “Here comes the whale down…” You both submerged it. "…and now go back up." He helped you get it out. "Then you know what it does? It spits out the water!". He gently squeezed your hand and whale, letting the jet out. Yes, you had seen it hundreds of times before. But it was always fun. You giggled. You continued to play with him, in your Daddy's lap as he helped you move the toy, your attention completely absorbed. At one point you felt his hand rub your hair, a little too hard. You complained, shaking your head and squirming a bit. He didn't know that- "Oh, don't they like when I do that?" You snapped your head up. That wasn't your angel's voice. That was Michael's. The only one you didn't want to see anymore.

You squealed, snuggling into Simmy's chest. You were still embarrassed from the last time he witnessed your diaper change. You knew you couldn't avoid him forever, but at least let a little more time pass before you meet again, dammit! "Ahah, they prefer more when you stroke the hair like this." You felt another hand, this one more familiar and right in a certain way, gently runs through your locks and massage your scalp. Just the way you liked it. You curled up a little more. “…you used the angelic ability, didn’t you?” "Hmm, I don't understand what you mean." Simmy's tone didn't really seem… sincere. You looked at him out of the corner of your eye, suddenly interested in the exchange. Angelic ability? "They are too calm, you are putting their minds at ease." Michael's wasn't an accusation, just a simple statement. “Only at the beginning. Then they all settled down on their own.” He must have noticed you looking at him, because he looked down at you. He nuzzled your nose with his, murmuring “I simply have the most perfect little lamb in the three realm, isn't it right, baby?" You hummed in agreement. If he said so, it was right.

"Well, then you'll have to explain to me how you did it." Michael crouched down towards him and lowered his voice. "I spoke to our Father. He accepted forgiveness." Arms tightened around your waist as the angel unconsciously pulled you closer. “R-really?” What? What is happening? "Yes. And this means that…" the eyes of the strongest fell on you, meeting your gaze for a moment before you hid your face "...we have to do it tonight." "B-but…" "Simeon. We cannot delay. And if anything were to happen while he is here, you- no, we could lose them both." Simmy let out a sigh before giving you a sad smil. That was all it took, along with Michael's serious tone, to scare you. You were involved in something but you didn't know in what. You started whining. "Hush, hush, it's alright." The hand stroked up and down your back, calming you a bit. You suddenly felt tired, barely realizing there was even a second hand, a touch so light on your head it was almost imperceptible. "Come to the Palace after dinner. I'll take care of it." And with that, Michael stood up. "I'm going now. Don't worry, everything will be fine." He ruffled his brother's hair before walking away, leaving the park. Meanwhile, you were already dozing with your head on Daddy's shoulder, one leg still in the water and the other halfway on his lap.

A good place to stay and nap.

Everything will be alright...

"And then he said to me for the angelic ability, uh?"

[theamazingdigitalraceway]

ELLOOoOOO!

Coming in cause I got very curious about asking this, what if everyone had a pet companion? What would they assist on? 🩷

CAINE: yellow Indian ringneck parrot (BananaPhone) He's even more of a companion than Bubble. At least he's down to party and doesn't sass Caine anywhere near as much. Caine can yap about whatever and Banana chills with a treat.

POMNI: golden retriever (Cade) He keeps Pomni calm. Best therapy dog in the digital world. He also distracts her with play.

RAGATHA: blue and purple beta fish (Button) The little fish knows all her secrets. She doesn't go to anyone with her problems, so she talks to her fish. Button swimming around without a care in the world is relaxing.

JAX: ferret (@#$&head) This feral noodle rat is the biggest pain in his ass, but he wouldn't trade the stinky living slinky for anything. The ferret is just as much of a troublemaker as Jax.

GANGLE: white cat (Hana) The most chill cat. Little ball of fluff that loves to cuddle in Gangle's lap and purr contently. But ONLY Gangle. She runs from everyone else, including Zooble.

ZOOBLE: pancake tortoise (Pancake) He eats. He sleeps. He gets shell scrubs. Zooble is envious of this simple existence. She wishes her head could be empty sometimes.

KINGER: All of the insects in his collection. They used to be Queenie's. He promised to take care of them and grow the collection like she did. He collects insects from almost every track.

GUMMIGOO: gummy snake (Tucker) The only thing he brought with him when he was taken from the Candy Canyon track was his pet gummy snake. He's blue and green. He doesn't do much, but Gummigoo's reminder of where he came from. (In a good way)

LOO: white mouse (Sprinkle) She found this little creature wandering the garage and nibbling at her shoe. The little thing was just hungry. She fed him straight from the dining table and the mouse stuck around. It rides around on her shoulder. They like to feel tall.

SETH: tortoise shell cat (Eve) He came across this cat on a track he was stalking to go after Kinger. She kept rubbing against his boot and wouldn't leave him alone. He put her on the front of his motorcycle and raced against Kinger with the cat clinging for dear life. He thought that would be enough to scare her away, but she didn't leave. He respects her gumption, and stole her away to the in-between.

ABEL: giant African snail (AJ) He had one of these in his real life. The only pet he could ever make time for. It's hypnotic to watch AJ eat his little bits of food, the way he consumes by overwhelming and taking small bites.

[ofdragonsdeep]

21: Shade

A place sheltered from the sun.

Ar'telan seeks a place away from the Light to think on the future

Not for the first time, Ar'telan was alone with his thoughts.

It was difficult to find space for that in Slitherbough. Out of necessity, most likely - anyone off on their own was easier prey for the Sin Eaters, and given the losses they had suffered recently, it was no suprise they had tightened things up. Ar'telan was not particularly at risk from the Sin Eaters, at least not in the numbers he'd seen so far, and so he had taken himself out of the village and into the wood.

Geographically, Rak'tika seemed equivalent to Gridania, but the forests could not be more different. The huge, soaring trees felt far more homey than Gridania ever had to him, those that grew around aetherically-charged stones giving him a moment of hope that something akin to his people's sacred trees could be found on the First. They had been meaningless, though. And the First's equivalent of Meracydia had long since been lost to the Flood of Light.

So far, people had dodged the question. Very few still living remembered anything of the time before the Flood, and those that did had not been well-travelled. It was gone, a void of cultural memory that would never be reclaimed, bleached white by the all-consuming Light.

He looked down at his hands, wondering if he might see the light beneath his skin.

Nobody had said anything. Nobody ever said anything. But Y'shtola had looked at him and seen a monster, and no amount of dancing around the subject could hide that from him.

His feet took him through the forest, past the living trees and haunted pots and bloodthirsty flytraps, towards the lake. At one point, it had been sacred to the empire that ruled the lands in days past. Now, it was a submerged bog choked with plantlife and belligerent fish. The latter, to Ar'telan, felt preferable.

He dove down into the water, taking a moment for his eyes to adjust to the murk, and swam between the roots of the gigantic tree in the lake's centre. He pressed his hands against the bark, just in case, but the tree didn't answer, just like he'd expected.

He could see ruins in the distance, buildings that had once stood tall above the water. Ronkan, he supposed. Just like their empire, its works had toppled to time eventually, and he had no desire to explore them. He let himself sink down to the mud, a few curious fish swimming up to him and nibbling at his hair, and considered things.

The Exarch's plan had been simple, on paper. Find someone with protection from the Light and a soul dense enough to handle it, and have them slay the Lightwardens. Impossible on the First, their souls being thinner than those from the Source, and so he had looked across the Rift to solve the problem. And what better to protect against the Light than the Blessing it gave?

Ar'telan was not stupid. The first Lightwarden hadn't hurt, but it had felt wrong. A chilling, stilling aether, creeping across his soul and settling in the cracks when it could not overwhelm. It had not gone anywhere, it was still there, inside him. And the second, horrible though it had been to fight someone so close to lucid and so very insane, had made the burden feel heavy. No change, of course. No change.

But there were three more.

He had set his teeth against the cold when Titania had died, and let it seep in. When whatever misbegotten wraith heralded the Light here fell, he would do the same thing again. But it would start to hurt, soon enough, like frostbite setting in to unprotected fingers. Three more. The odds were not favourable.

He wondered if it felt the same for everyone else. If the numbing cold was what had robbed Halric of his emotion. If the freezing stillness had sparkled Tesleen's thrashing and moaning at Holminster Switch, still enough of her left to protest, but not to persist. If Titania, after they had stood victorious for Il Mheg, had felt the cold set in, and had but a few moments left to realise what it meant.

He knew what it felt like to die. He had died in the fires of Lahabrea's ambition, and it had hurt so much his senses had stopped registering the signals. He had died to the Echo, again and again, in so many ways, but they were always violent. Always quick. The Echo could not save you from something long and drawn-out. Not his, at least.

He looked down at his hands again. They were the same as ever.

He was lucky, in a way. There would be a point, and he would know the point, he thought, where the next drop would be one too many. He would know how many Lightwardens were left, and he would have the power to make a decision.

One life for one world, Ardbert had said, almost a year hence. Stood across from him on the field of battle, desperate for something, anything, to save his world. One hero. What worth was one hero against an entire people?

He wrapped his fingers into a fist.

He did not particularly want to die. He had seen some horrible things, and lived through events that would haunt him until the day he did pass into the aetherial sea, but he did not want to. There were people who would miss him, people who would hurt the same way he had hurt when he had watched his friends die. And he would leave a heavy mantle for whoever came after. Someone else, still hopeful, still untouched by the fire that licked at the heels of everyone the star called hero.

One life for one world.

He had access to something that nobody else did. He could feel the tug of the Rift in the back of his head, that void between worlds he had swum through to reach the First. If push came to shove, he could cast himself into it without much difficulty. It would take the Light that threatened and neutralise it, and if it tore him apart, it would hurt no-one else.

He did not want to die.

But he was faced with a choice. This Lightwarden would not be over-taxing, most likely. The next would either hurt, or it would settle into that absence that somehow scared him more. If he was lucky, it would be stable, though likely uncomfortable. And if the last one overwhelmed him…

One life for one world.

It felt decidedly strange, to be sat at the bottom of a lake considering his own demise. There had been points in his life where he would not have minded dying. Points in his life where he had kept living only because it was the path of least resistance. He would not have hesitated to leap into the Rift back then, charging blindly forward, doing his duty. But he wasn't that man any more, and all of his friends knew it.

And not one of them had mentioned it.

He couldn't talk to them about it, of course. It ached to think about, to carry that burden to what might be a lonely grave, to have made that choice and to hold onto it in silence. But if they knew, they'd talk him out of it, or they'd try to. They'd offer solutions that wouldn't work, because if there had been a chance of it, the Exarch would have turned to that, rather than pull someone between worlds to save them.

There would be things he had to do. Arrangements to make, if he were afforded a moment. Letters to write, since he could not speak of it now. All kinds of-

His linkpearl chimed, tinny in the water surrounding him, and he shook his head and raised one finger to his ear.

"Ar'telan? It's Y'shtola. They've sighted Eulmorrans."

He made a single noise of confirmation, tapping twice on the linkpearl so she knew he'd heard. He could have teleported back to Slitherbough, but it would do no good to arrive in the town square covered in chickweed and dirty water. Carefully, aware for the possibility that the soldiers might be patrolling the lake, he swam to the surface, and pulled himself onto land.

Ruminating could wait. For how dour the future seemed, there was yet strength in his arms, and it would do him no good not to use them.

[omies-odd-writing-spot]

Lifeboat 03: To the Afternoon

[story on Ao3]

Getting a chance to just clean up was amazing. Lana felt much better, even if she had to retreat to the lifeboat while Sesa changed the water in the bigger of the two containers so the young woman could clean her clothes.

There was a bit of a pattern that was forming that Lana noticed as she sat in the improvised tub-pool thing again. The warm water was a comfortable difference to the cold salt water. Sesa was very focused for several hours at a time was what Lana noticed. Fishing actively as Lana kept herself busy. Every half an hour or so Sesa would seem like she remembered Lana and came to check in on her, ask a few questions while sitting on the bench before another pole would start to reel out as it hooked… whatever the things were.

It smelled like fresh cut cedar in the crate. The combination of the familiar earthy scent, being semi enclosed and just feeling far more steady on Sesa’s ship, then when in just the lifeboat on her own. It all helped to settle Lana’s stomach, and overall seasickness that she had been not only able to nibble on the offered food that morning but keep it down.

Lana looked up, reminded of the pictures inside of guitar or violin. Not just a box, as it was so big to her, and with two sun beams it oddly helped. The wood was not weathered and had a dark reddish tone to it. Each corner had support pillars like any crate Lana knew, with thick flat planks making up the walls and floor around her. Letting a bit more filtered light through the gaps.

She definitely did feel safer in this place than that glass water bottle. Lana was pretty sure it was a false sense of security, on some level, but her mind needed to rest from the fear and panic. Not just from Sesa fishing her and the lifeboat but the days of isolation while lost at sea. Lana pulled her legs up in the warm, clean water hugging them as there was only the faint smell of salt from the lifeboat and… the mystery boat.

Sighing, Lana got up and shook herself mostly dry. She was at least feeling clean now after a second bath in the sun warmed water. Her clothes looked about dry now, as they had been in the full sunbeam. A little damp for her leggings and shirt were okay being damp. Her only other set of clothes would be dry too.

Lana paused, hearing Sesa talking but realized it was at whatever she was catching. A bit more confident, Lana walked around the inside walls of the gigantic crate she was in. It was like walking around a massive house or medium-small store space. Just, mostly empty. 

At the second pass around, Lana paused beside the other boat. Looking at the colorful patterns painting on the outside. It was about the same size as her lifeboat, only having a true flat bottom and like it had been a big chunk of firewood cut, then carved down into. Three, not so little benches had been wedged inside, very stable it seemed. Lana paused, noticing something that had her climbing inside.

The young woman touched what looked like off white paper, but it felt waxy. Lana found it was like a long poster, but folded up. That wax feeling instead of plastic. She peeked between the folds, frowned at the writing she saw. It almost looked familiar, like seeing where letters were in the wrong place.

It had Lana curious enough to work the wax paper out from under the benches. There were muffled sounds from outside, Sesa firmly distracted by whatever she just hooked. There was an added slot inside the very bottom of this boat. Once finding how the ‘paper’ sat, it slid out relatively easily. Just awkward for size. It was like unfolding a tarp or sign.

Was it a letter?

Lana tilted her head and touched one of the letters. It was like staring at something when drunk or too tipsy, where you sort of recognize it but not. Like the letters were backwards and mixed up.

Lana folded the wax paper back up, not quite able to get it fully back so let it rest in the bottom of the boat. Lana climbed back out, admiring the swirls of colors on the hull, what looked like flowers half her size pressed against the paint, and everything coated with a clear coat of something.

Lana walked back to the massive pile of fabric around her lifeboat. The not so small dish there of the offered food. The ‘bubble cheese’ smelled and tasted like Swiss cheese of all things. It took a bit of work with the use of the knife Lana had, but the cheese was cut down to something far more manageable. Lana nibbled on some, then used a bit of the cheese to scoop the honey substance on a chunk of sourdough bread. It was an odd attempt at a sandwich but filling.

Sesa was coming back and sitting on the bench, the giant woman gasping a bit and giving a low groan as her shadow passed over the crate. Muttering something about getting older as Lana could just see through the few gaps of the planks. “Damned glowtails… that hurt.”

Lana blinked and pulled her legs up, suddenly glad she was in the box-crate if whatever hurt the giant was out there. 

“You doing okay in there Bitta?” Sesa asked, there was a pause before she corrected herself. “Lana, right, sorry.”

“I'm…okay…ish.” Lana said, looking up and finding Sesa was shifting to look inside through the open corner space. Thankfully not crowding close but just leaning forward to peer in at an angle without moving too much. Just castling a shadow that dimmed one of the main sunbeams.

“What's going to happen to me?” Lana asked softly.

Sesa must have better hearing then it seemed like, as she sighed. The giant lifted a hand, paused and then moved to rub it on her pants out of sight. She scratched at her head, Sesa's own hair was an interesting shade. More like oxidizing copper with green or blue tint to it. 

Not panicking, Lana could see some details much better. Like how Sesa likely had the equivalent of longer hair then Lana's, needing to pull it up and twisted into a simple bun. The copper tinted, work tan was a tattle of how she worked outside.

The golden eyes that look at Lana were eerie though. Like they faintly glowed. It was almost like being watched by a predator, though in this case one that was just curious herself then any aggression. Or hungry. 

Thankfully Sesa showed no signs of being hungry, considering the childhood stories of giants. At least not seeing Lana herself as a good source. Lana saw a few times through the gaps that Sesa ate the decapitated heads of the seamonsters the bigger women fished. 

Most of the head? 

Thinking about it, Sesa took the lower jaw, with more teeth, off the sea monsters and tossed them overboard before eating. 

“I've been trying to figure that out too.” Sesa spoke up after a long quiet, Lana looked up to see the giant staring into the middle space. “I… the stories I heard about Bitta, humans, fairies, whatever it is… nothing ever gave clear instructions.”

Sesa looked over again at Lana, thinking. She then looked at her own hands, “Gods, you're so small, even the village would be like a wild land to you. Some idiot might try to… to…”

“Kill me?”

“...if you're lucky.”

“Lovely.” Lana could not help the sarcasm, sitting back against the fabric. Scarf? It was mostly soft at least.

Sesa gave her own dry chuckle back. “Yeah… Well, you can come home with me. I don't have any pets inside, nothing bigger than you. A few flightless birdies in a set area. I like growing small plants and they showed up in the garden a few winters ago.”

“Then what?” Lana asked, resting into the softness. Fiddling with the knots, the scarf was likely very fine knitting or crochet to Sesa. Time and care were put into making it. 

“I'm not sure.” Sesa scratched at her neck, thinking. “Admittedly I don't like being around town. People are annoying and stupid most times. I could try and see if the old timers have any stories that would be useful.”

Lana thought about it, with no idea between them or seemed how she got… wherever ‘here’ was. Sesa seemed honest in her shock of Lana, to not know where she came from other than the lifeboat. “Can I trust you?”

Sesa shifted to peer inside the crate she put Lana. Frowning at first then her expression smoothed as if in understanding. “...I hope I could be trusted, you're a talking thing…thing…person? You're taking and aware, just… teeny. I guess some hermit-hunter like me doesn't seem that trustworthy. Not that I have much. Uhh, I don't know how to answer that, Lana. I like animals and plants more than people- but you likely will be nothing like the idiots in town. Being from a different place…”

Sesa gasped, paused, then facepalmed, leaning forward and partly out of sight from inside the crate.

Lana giggled now that the long ramble seemed over. Oddly that word vomit from the giant woman was more reassuring than any smooth words. She was side eyed as Sesa sat back up, but did not say anything more. Lana spoke up with her own sigh, “I like plants more than most people too. That's what I was studying, before…er. Shipwreck.”

Sesa smiled again, looking between her legs at the deck below. “Plants have less drama than people.”

“You would think but sometimes not, more so if something is like a princess fern or carrot seeds. Drama queens, the lot of them.”

The giant woman let out a bark of laughter. Loud enough that it startled Lana, but she could tell it was a genuine sound that blurted out. “Drama queen? HAH! That’s a good way to put it! I’ve never heard of that phrase! Drama queen, and kings. That fits a lot of idiots in town. I like most of the kids though, it's why I net out wish boats when I see them.”

“Wish boat… is that what that thing is?” Lana asked, pointing over at the colorful, flat bottom boat with her whole arm as she was looked at.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought your life raft was at first, then you made the squeaky sounds.” Sesa said, scratching at her scalp again, having an expression of someone making a note to get a shower herself.

“What are wishboats?” Lana asked, worried she might have messed something up by looking at the wax paper.

Sesa looked a bit awkward as she peered through the opening, smiling a bit, “It's… it’s supposed to be a little boat you, or kids, make for Bitta. Good luck fairies, what you are seen as. If a bitta likes it, the boat, you get some of that good luck and if you write a nice note to the bitta, sometimes you get a wish.” 

The giant snorted and looked up at the folded sail of her boat, “Some are telling kids nowadays to write what your wish is in the letter. But you’re not supposed to. A wish is for something needed and not wanted. That’s what happens according to the old stories.”

“What does that letter say?” Lana asked, curious despite herself.

“I read it earlier.” Sesa said, those golden eyes looking back in. “The kid was talking about their home. And hoping the bitta that found the wishboat liked it and could fish peacefully off it. ‘Get as much food as they want,’ and something about finding a rainbow. A good note…”

“You sound like you know the, ah, kiddo.” Lana thought about what was mentioned. The way food was mentioned had Lana's attention. 

“Know of them,” Sesa said, looking down again at her hand and taking a deeper breath. “I don't know the kids' names. It's a big sister and her little brother, their parents make fabric. The kids walk near my land, I found out they're the ones that leave me little mug-cup cakes sometimes.”

“You look like one of my friends that had an idea they aren't sure about.” Lana noted what she could from her angle. She was rewarded with a level look from golden eyes. 

Yet Sesa did not seem upset at all, huffing slightly in amusement. “I suppose. I’ll think about it before getting back to shore.”

“You said, you'll be back on shore when it's dark, or something?” Lana asked, only half remembering what was said a few hours before. 

“If I can fill all the other crates, we can go back early,” Sesa leaned forward, there was a loud dragging sound, then something like stabbing. The giant sat back up and held something up higher for Lana to see.

Headless, with what looked like thick fins and once forearms that had been there but were cut off. So the seamonster was more of a… fishy-eel being half prepped for dinner now instead of the likely former horrifying monster it once was. It was a blue-black color of hide with scattered, large purple shined scales that glittered. 

“These will keep well in my cold room, and right now I have enough to eat for the next week and a half. If I get some more that I fill things, or start fileting out here to last the month that would be better.” Sesa lowered the half dressed glowtail. She chuckled, “Could trade what I don't eat with the rock crab trappers if I do.”

“You have been eating the things raw?” Lana blinked, then another thought popped up, “How does that not make you sick?” 

“Well, it could make some people sick. If they're not used to eating raw.” Sesa considered the question and smiled at Lana, this time letting some of her sharp teeth to the side. “I might be a weird case for what's normal. Had to start eating the unpleasant parts of hunting raw when I was younger. At first it was….easier to eat that, save the fur and sell the rest. I'm just used to it.”

Lana watched as the giant woman lifted the sea monster again, it had to be as long as Sesa's arm. “Is that why you have that pretty metallic tone, highlight, to your skin?”

Sesa almost dropped the thing she had speared with the just as massive knife. Turning to look in the crate where Lana was sitting and could see the momentary flush before Sesa seemed lost in bafflement.

Lana flapped her hands a bit, flustered at herself for blurting that out, “I mean, well, that thingy…has metallic pigments in the scales and if you eat a lot…it shows up in you?” 

Sesa smiled at the cute display. Looking at the catch she picked off a larger scale, turning it back and forth. “I… don't know much about that stuff. Maybe? I've only been fishing actively this year for the last month. Abouts, my boat is just small enough that being in the winter storms is a bad idea.”

“Your boat is as big as shipping boats!” Lana paused and then added, “Or most harbors, thinking about it.”

Sesa smiled, an honest expression of amusement at the thought of a Bitta colony’s harbor able to fit in her boat. She finally looked in the crate closer, “You want the water exchanges again?”

“It's okay, I'm…just really tired now.” Lana admitted, sighing to herself. “It's weird feeling something stable under my feet.”

“You can sleep if you want.” Sesa chuckled looking around outside the crate. Before carefully reaching to change out the freshwater, leaving the scale inside on accident. “The birdies haven't shown up yet. So if you want to catch a nap while it's quiet, and I fish, you can Lana. If you've been stuck at sea alone that long, a good nap might help you.”

“You…won't be weird or grappy or something like that?” Lana could not help but asking warrily. Thinking how it was half an illusion of safety in the crate as Sesa could just reach in whenever she wanted to. The young woman watched the giant's face seem to soften a bit.

“I can close the lid if you want me to? It'll make a lot of noise if I open it.” Sesa could understand the want Lana had at a bit more security before sleeping. 

“I…would like that. Wait there's no like, giant spiders right?”

“Not on my boat,” Sesa shook her head as she turned to grasp the lid. Even with the bracing line overtop, she could shift the lid. Let it settle carefully instead of bang. “Or can get in, but if you speak up or yell, I can hear you.”

“Really?” Lana asked reflexively, taking in the now dimmer light. The brightness mostly kept out except for the small gaps in the walls.

Sesa chuckled from the outside, just slightly muffled. “Really. Take a nap while you can Lana. I'll be fishing.”

“Okay.” Lana said slowly, part of her not wanting to let her guard down. But with the feeling of being safe from the current scarier outside of her…crate. 

The body's desperate need of proper, healing, resting sleep won out over everything. Lana sank back into the semi folded giant scarf to rest. She would just doze, and… and….

Lana's body betrayed her, she was fast asleep curled partly in the knitted fabric. 

[snoffyy]

Chasm

There were creatures in the ocean. This, Yue had known all her life. Turtle seals, whale-walruses, koala otters… these were creatures everyone within the tribe was familiar with. Revered them, in a way. They gave her people food, warmth, clothing, tools. Every creature had purpose, and every purpose was thanked. Here, in the harsh, biting cold, their lives depended on it.

But there were other creatures. Stories of humans with fish tails. Translucent fins, scintillating scales, sleek, powerful muscles. They’d fascinated Yue when she was younger, and though there was enough evidence to prove these creatures were out there, most people went a lifetime without catching a glimpse of them.

Mermaids.

Every region of the world hosted them. Even in the bitter poles, they were there. Somewhere out there, at least.

Sometimes, Yue wondered if they led much more different lives than their land-dwelling counterparts.

Or, at least, Yue thought, as she clasped the betrothal necklace chained around her throat, if they led easier lives.

.

Ever since her engagement had been announced, Yue found herself wandering to the edge of the city to stare at the sunset, as if to count down the days of relative freedom she had left. It was peaceful outside of the towering walls, and the waters had always looked so pretty under the light of the setting sun.

“It’s my duty,” Yue said unconvincingly to the lapping waters. “I have to marry him. If I don’t, it will cause strife within the tribe. I have to. I must.”

The waters didn’t reply, of course.

“We can cooperate,” Yue continued. “My father wouldn’t have approved the betrothal if Hahn was unreasonable. I’m sure, at the very least, we can unite our interests in protecting the city.”

Below the waters, Yue thought she saw the shadowy mass of a seal animal flit briefly.

“The only reason my father would break the engagement is if Hahn did something truly terrible or if… I don’t know, he was accidentally killed during a hunt.”

A splash, and gentle ripples spread in a circular pattern. Yue smiled slightly. So she was correct; there had been an animal lurking within the waters.

“I shouldn’t say that,” Yue chided herself. “That’s horrible.”

.

Day after day, she returned to the waters, sometimes sitting in silence, sometimes talking about her day. More often than not, she’d unspool her thoughts about her impending marriage to Hahn. And without fail, the same animal she’d spotted that day would accompany her. She never managed to discern what animal it was, but she’d spy hints of it, from the dark mass travelling beneath the ice to the ripples and splashes it would make as if to agree with her words.

It was likely a large animal if the size of the splashes were any indication. She knew little else. Of its colouring, of its shape, of anything that could’ve given a hint as to what she was spilling her thoughts to.

One day, Yue had brought along a piece of raw meat, curious to see if it was a carnivorous animal. She’d tossed it into the water close to where she had seen the last indication of a splash before she returned home.

What a surprise it was to see the meat sitting on the ice the next day, completely untouched. As soon as she peered over the edge of the ice, a large splash caught her right in the face, the sound of a tail slapping against the water the only confirmation that it was the creature clearly miffed by her offering.

Raw seaweed? Tossed back.

Seal blubber? A tentative nibble taken out of a corner before it was left on the ice as well.

Finally, she brought a bowl of soup, setting it next to the water’s edge as if in offering.

The next day, an empty bowl greeted her.

It was amusing, in a way. Though Yue had to wonder what sort of high-intelligence animal had been keeping her company.

“What are you?” she finally asked after a week of leaving plated meals. “Who are you?”

A splash, and in the sunset, Yue stared, wide-eyed, as a long tail arched out of the ocean, water sluicing off glimmering crimson scales. It was nothing she had ever seen before. An indescribable beauty, almost otherworldly…

And then it was gone, slipping back into the water silently.

“Mermaid…” she breathed.

.

It was her secret, and it was supposed to remain her secret. Though the mermaid never fully revealed themselves, they seemed to be more comfortable with showing off their tail, lazily flicking it above the waves every so often or even giving her a glimpse as they dove into the depths.

Sometimes, if she was very lucky, she’d even see a flash of pale skin.

But she should’ve known that Hahn would grow curious. He’d been curious for a while, asking – no, demanding – to know where she ran off to at the end of every day.

She just hadn’t anticipated that he’d follow her.

“So this is what you’ve been doing every day?”

Yue paled, turning around to see Hahn pinning her with a fathomless stare.

“You’re giving our food to some animal?” Hahn scoffed. Then he seemed to remember himself, and a sickly-sweet smile spread across his face. “Sorry. I just meant, Yue, surely if you wanted to feed the animals, it’d be better to give them scraps instead?”

“They… have different tastes,” Yue managed.

“They’re just animals,” Hahn sighed. “They’ll be happy with bones. Besides, all animals are good for is for food and clothing. You know this, Yue.”

“They’re not…” Yue bit her lip. “Never mind.”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Yue reluctantly turned to head back with her fiancé, though not without gently setting the bowl of stew on the ice.

.

A week before the wedding, Hahn followed her out onto the ice again, this time with a spear.

“What are you doing with that?” Yue asked warily, hesitant to peer over the edge as she usually would.

Hahn smirked, flicking his hair out of his face. “Hunting. The wedding is in a week, and I’m supposed to provide the centrepiece of the banquet.”

“Right,” Yue said guardedly. “What are you planning on hunting?”

Her heart sank when Hahn approached the edge of the ice, the gleaming edge of the spear made sharper yet under the rays of the setting sun.

“I came out the other day at noon,” Hahn grinned. “And I saw something move underwater. It must’ve been your little friend. Red scales, too. There isn’t anything here that has red scales. Something that exotic would make our wedding the wedding of the century.”

“You can’t!” Yue protested. “That’s not a simple-minded animal, it’s… it’s…”

“It’s what, Yue?” Hahn asked, scanning the waters. “Come on, you can’t possibly think it’s a pet.”

“No,” Yue grabbed his arm, “but trust me when I say you can’t. Please, don’t do this. There are other animals that you can hunt, just not this one.”

Hahn’s eyes hardened. “Let go, Yue. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I knew I should’ve brought this up with your father. Do you even know what animal it is?”

“It’s not an animal,” Yue admitted. “Hahn, you can’t kill them.”

“Them?” Hahn echoed.

He was to be her husband, wasn’t he? It made sense to trust him, to divulge her secrets. How else was a relationship supposed to work? But reluctance stayed her hand, and she found herself at a loss for words.

“You can’t,” she repeated weakly.

And then, a trill.

Melodic, deep, crooning. Yue had heard many a song in her life. The greatest musicians in the Northern Water Tribe had sung at grand celebrations, fantastic orators reciting poems and stories of old. And yet none of them could compare to what she was hearing.

Hahn, on the other hand, was completely entranced. Enthralled in a way that was unnatural. Certainly not in the way he dropped his spear, stumbling closer to the edge, his eyes fixated on something in the water.

“Hahn,” Yue tugged at his arm, trying to shake off the reverie. “Hahn, get away from the water.”

“No,” Hahn murmured. “No. Let me go. I… I need to go to… I need to…”

Something, someone, crested out of the ocean. A head of brown hair, amber eyes, a proud nose. A man.

A man? Human?

No. A smattering of red scales crawled up the man’s neck, as crimson as the tail Yue had seen over the past few weeks.

Mermaid?

The man opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth.

And then he sang.

Hahn tore himself out of Yue’s grip, diving into the water in a mad scramble. She shouted in alarm, reaching out for him, but her hand missed him by miles, and with a resounding splash, Hahn started desperately swimming towards the man.

And the man… the merman, dove towards Hahn, still trilling that haunting melody. It happened faster than Yue could comprehend. One moment Hahn was bobbing in the water, and the next, he was gone, dragged into the depths, not even a spread of blood in the water to indicate he was ever there.

Neither Hahn nor the merman resurfaced again.

.

She blamed it on a piranha shark.

Her father accepted the explanation after one look at her tear-streaked face. The rest of the tribe too believed her story after Hahn’s corpse was fished out of the ocean the next day, several bites taken out of him, piranha shark teeth embedded into the open wounds.

Too ambitious, she heard the warriors sigh as they dressed his body. He shouldn’t have tried to hunt a piranha shark. Land animals would have been easier. At least he’d have more of a chance on the tundra.

Two weeks later, Yue returned to the ice edge.

She hadn’t even needed to wait a minute before the man appeared before her, resting his arms on the ice. Amber eyes peered at her curiously, surprisingly warm for someone who clearly had no qualms drowning a person.

“Why did you do it?” Yue asked.

The merman lifted a brow in amusement. “He wanted to kill me.”

His voice was deep. It had no underlying musical quality to it, unlike that night. But Yue still remained wary, making sure she was more than an arm’s length away from the water.

“I was going to stop him.”

The merman hummed, tail flicking behind him. His fins were broad, powerful, sending a strong ripple with such a lackadaisical action. “Hmm. I’m sure.”

“I didn’t know mermen could be so violent,” Yue admitted.

At that, he perked up, grinning as if she had unwittingly told a joke that only he understood.

“Merman,” he repeated, chuckling. “How quaint.”

Then he trilled once more, and the same thrall from that night overtook her. But before she could attempt to shake it off, he vanished into the waters, leaving her alone once more.

She had an epiphany, then. The trills, the singing, the drowning…

She paled. How could she forget? Mermaids dominated the fantastical tales she adored, but there were other creatures out there. Other creatures that did not possess nearly the same innocent reputation mermaids did.

No, not merman, indeed.

Siren.

[dragonofthestone]

Dietary Needs:

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

lab!life Tim would def be lactose intolerant,

There might be some types of animal milk he can handle better then others (like sheep or goat) but even that's only in very small amounts.

Now when used in baking or cooking he can manage it alright an usually doesn't react strongly.

Meats: Frankly not to picky and could probably even get away with eating slightly rotting meat (not the best idea but if in a dire situation he's a lot less likely to get sick from it then the average person)

Has a strong preference to Seafood/ mostly fish, light easy to eat and uh bones aren't much an issues for him.

Beef is just eh honestly probably least favourite.

Can technically stomach and eat small amounts of fruit- will nibble on berries- and veg (has definitely snacked on grass) too if need be but he's very much more of a carnivore.

That said once free of the lab confines much like any curious animal (or a child I guess) he can and will put anything in his mouth at least once just to see how it tastes.

[philosophicalparadox]

Same energy as “you can do pretty much anything anywhere if you’re wearing a neon vest, clipboard and hard hat” though my personal experience has been more to the tune of:

wear a neon green vest, have a waterproof clipboard, and a laminating machine to create a sign post that says “FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE” and attaching it to a tiny homemade crab/prawn/baitfish trap that got tossed out into the bay.

Now to be fair it WAS in fact for research, my own, because I was infinitely curious about what lived in the water, and wanted to see the critters. So I wasn’t poaching, and I wasn’t taking anything home, I just wanted to see the critters and do some mild observation 🤷‍♀️ I let them go afterwards.

And let me tell you I was NERVOUS because this was California and they take illegal trapping of crabs and sea life very seriously, so I was half expecting some game warden to see my sign and just haul it up at the very least because it wasn’t authorized scientific collection.

But nope. Nobody bothered it or me, and I got to get pictures of some cool fish and tiny little grass shrimps. Also finally caught the bitey fuckers that are sand fleas, amphipods that have forever nibbled my toes when walking through wet sand and have always driven me nuts for it. But they move so fast on land you can’t see them hardly. So it was satisfying to finally see one up close.

On the flip side though I learned that there are in fact brackish species of stonefish that live in Humboldt bay, and that they are no less venomous than their Australian cousins. Which thoroughly scared me out of wading into that water without thick shoes on let me tell you 👀 nobody wants to step on a “rock” full of pain juice.

I am a glorified office administrator who understands server hardware why am I the only person in this company who gets what social engineering is?

[whitepolaris]

Aquatic Anamolies

The Tragedy of Tommy Turtle

In times of war, mistakes are sometimes made. Individuals, especially outsiders, can be misidentified. Inevitably, innocents can be killed. Alas, it's a sad truth that such a fate befell one large and luckless leatherback turtle during World War II.

Tommy Turtle, as he was named postmortem, was a prodigious specimen: more than six feet long, three feet wide, and weighing about one hundred pounds. He was more than likely lost as he swam through the Columbia River one late summer day in 1942. Leatherbacks, the only sea turtles lacking a shell, are concentrated mostly in the Atlantic Ocean off of Florida and equatorial America. They exist in the Pacific Ocean in lesser numbers, but usually nowhere near the western United States. A stranger in a strange land, Tommy was confused by a boatload of fishermen, who mistook him for a small Japanese submarine as he swam just below the surface.

The patriotic fishermen, intent on defending the Northwest from Emperor's Hirohito's navy, grabbed their guns and opened fire on unfortunate Tommy. Realizing their error as blood gushed from his dark ridged back, they did the only thing they could: hoisted him aboard, took him into port, and cut him into turtle steaks.

A newsletter from the Tongue Point Naval Air Station in Astoria aptly concluded: "This is the unromantic end of Tommy Turtle, whose first visit to the Pacific Northwest ended so disastrously for him."

Of Pacu and Piranha

The pacu is a South American freshwater fish, a herbivore cousin to the piranha. The two look similar-flat and oval-shaped, with prominent teeth-although pacu are considerably larger (they can grow up to about a yard long). Pacu teeth are not pointed, like those of piranha, but they can be just as sharp; they can break open seeds and nuts that fall into the water and chew hard vegetation. When confronted with an unfamiliar, potentially edible morsel, pacu harbor no aversion to an experimental nibble. In other words, while they're not as dangerous as piranha, they nay still bite flesh, should they be curious as to whether it suits their diet.

Given the pacu's South American origins, it's surprising and a bit alarming that at least two have been caught in Oregon waters.

In September 1998, Greg Asplund reeled one in while pond fishing at Jackson County's Expo Park. He'd noticed it in the pond beforehand and thought it to be a bass or a crappie. But there was something-if you'll pardon the pun-fishy about the way it chased smaller fish. It seemed overly aggressive.

Upon closer inspection after catch it. Asplund was sure he'd caught a piranha. It was only after taking it to the Oregon State Police, who then turned it over to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, that this piscine puzzler was properly pegged as a pacu.

A similar catch was made by fourteen-year-old Nicole Wells in August 2004 at Round Lake in Camas. She was taken aback by the mean-looking teeth on a foot-long fish she caught. Her mother strongly suspected it was a piranha, but a manager at a tropical fish store later identified it as a pacu.

In August 2003, another young fisherman, Jason McGinnis, caught a piranha in Milwaukee's Johnson Creek. He got the scar to prove it, as the pacu's carnivorous cousin bit him on the finger while he was removing the hook. Nevertheless, the fourteen-year-old kept the fish, hoping to sell it.

It isn't hard to figure out how these out-of-towners got into Oregon's waters. Both pacu and piranha are readily available in some pet shops. When their owners get bored with them, or pacu grow too big to keep in a fish tank, they're sometimes dumped into the wild. Cold water in the fall and winter will eventually kill either fish. In warm summer water, however, they'll gladly try out the local cuisine!

[boundless-curiosity]

Braum has been added to the Muse List!

Braum is a Primary muse!

Braum sat by the half-frozen river, watching as the fish swam out to the warmer ocean. Perhaps he should cast a net, catch some fish and start a flame. He wasn’t hungry just yet but he should get a meal in him before the night fell! Quite hard to heed a call of need when his belly growled at him like an starved beast.

Little by little, he untangled the net- an inconvenience, but there was a sort of soothing pattern about untangling it, watching it become more and more free until it was finally worthy to be used. His hands were not very steady, and did not have great finesse, but that was why he would employ help! The Poros, greatly curious of what he was doing, did their best to tug apart the knots his large fingers could not breach with their little little hooves.

Once it was done, he found a large enough stone to keep hold of the net and cast it, throwing it to the river- only over a portion of it. While he indeed was a very big eater, he knew better than to let his eyes be bigger than his stomach. Five fish the size of both his fists together was enough to stop his belly’s growl, seven to not feel peckish within half a day, and nine to be completely full. Eleven to be filled all the way past two dusks and a dawn.

Already he could see he was getting more fish than he needed, so he reeled it back in, the Poros doing their best to bite onto the rope and pull it- “Thank you, my fuzzy friends!” He said, though they needn’t help, it warmed his heart. He could cut up pieces of the extra fish for them to nibble on! After all, Poros needed food too! Hm. Or at least enjoyed it. Even if fish was not their go-to, they deserved some good food for helping him!

As he got the net back onto the water, he stared down at the heap of flopping fish. Some of the smallest ones he threw back without a second thought- they were so little! Not worth eating. They still had their whole lives ahead of them!

The larger, older ones, though were much more ideal. More meat, more fat, and many only had months, weeks, or days... sometimes even hours left. They lived good lives. Braum would make sure their end was quick as soon as he picked which ones to eat.

There was more than what he needed- plus what the Poros could eat. He mulled over what to do for a few moments, before-

Help!

Braum perked up and grabbed his shield, leaving the fish behind, “I will be back my friends!” He shouted back at the Poros, who were stunned at what only he could seemingly hear.

As he ran closer and closer, he could hear it too- the cracking of ice! He saw on a frozen lake, what seemed to be a frost troll scrambling at the edge of the water, hands unable to gain purchase on the ice, pulled down by the icy water to drown-

“My friend, grab my hand!” He cried, rushing over, staying low so the ice would not crack beneath him- he would not drown, but he could not save them if he too sunk like a rock!

The troll grabbed his arm and began clawing at him- it hurt, but they were afraid! The cold must hurt, too! Too cold even for them!

He pulled them back, tugging and pulling back onto thicker ice until they finally could flop on the ground, spewing up water from their lungs, getting fat gulps of air between water they spat back up.

Soothingly, he pat their back.

“You’ll be okay, my friend.” He reassured, “Just breathe.”

Ah, but the poor troll- how she shivered! Braum hummed for a moment, “My friend, would you come with me? I caught some fish earlier- I could start a fire. You can get warm and get a full belly before heading back home.”

The Troll coughed, and he couldn’t tell if she was nodding- But he decided to bring her. Just to a warm spot to warm her bones, and if she did not wish to eat, he would not force her... perhaps she is just too tired.

Hauling her over one shoulder, and his shield with the other arm, he walked all the way back to where the poros lie waiting, chittering in confusion,

“Don’t worry,” Braum said, “She is a friend. Just a little tired,” He said, helping her sit as she nodded her head limply...

Ah... The Poros even helped gather twigs! They were so lovely.

With a flint and steel he kept safe in his pack just in case of this scenario, he sparked up the flame, blowing on the embers until they crackled, and finally a fire began, and began hungrily eating at the twigs!

Just how he wanted to eat the fish, now that he thought about it, preparing to heat them up. 

After a long while it was roaring and he finally got the fish hot and cooked, and offered the first to the troll, who looked at him suspiciously,

“You... saved me,” She said, confused. Braum smiled,

“You needed help- I have a pretty good ear for hearing people who need me!” He said with a grin, “You should eat. You nearly died, and need your strength to recover.”

The Troll took the fish hesitantly and began eating it- bones and all. Odd, Braum thought, but nothing more as he got his own and peeled back the scales to get at the meat- still steaming!

“Where is your home?” Braum asked, “It must’ve been quite a task, for you to be sent out here, and to be alone no less.” He mused as he took a large bite of fish- a little hot, but it was good.

“I was outcast,” The Troll said, “I did not agree with my people. I do not have a home now.” She said between bites of fat fish, and Braum hummed thoughtfully as he chewed through his own.

He swallowed, and then let out a bellowing cheer, “Oh! I have a great idea!” Braum declared, as he shuffled though his pack.

With a small emblem, a bell that rang clear attached to the bottom, he set it right into the palm of the Troll’s hand. She raised a brow at him, and he just smiled,

“All of us are brothers and sister in the Freljord,” He said, “Go straight East of here. When you see the humans, hold the emblem high and ring the bell. They will realize you are a friend,” He explained, “Tell them the Friendly Ram sent you, and they will see you as a sister.”

“You can’t be serious,” The troll spat, “They will kill me instantly.”

“The Avarosan are like myself,” He explained, “We want our family safe. And even if you hate us, even if we must fight as enemies, perhaps one day we will stand side by side as family. Even if you have hurt us before, we are willing to give you a chance to grow, should your heart be true.”

The troll looked off to the side, as Braum smiled, patting her shoulder.

“Just mull it over, my friend. If you don’t care for it, and wish to stand orphaned, please just do one favor for Braum.” The Troll looked him in the eye, “When the time comes, pay the kindness forward. Even if you are an orphan now, just once, please treat another as you would a brother or sister. Just once, for Braum.”

“... I will, Braum.”

“Thank you. Now... Do you want to pet the Poros? They are usually spooked by trolls, but they seem to like you!”

[risingsol]

"Meooow! Mroooow!" A curious black cat with blue eyes saunters over to Aether, nuzzling his leg and purring like crazy. Give her pets and fish! (This is Toshka, Childe's/narvvhal's cat!)

Who wasn't at least a little weak to the cute meows from an adorable little kitty? Certainly not Aether, that much was for sure! It was often said that there was a healing factor that a cat's purr and a cat's presence had - and such a fact would be confirmed today again! Carefully reaching out at first, little scritches to the underside of her chin would be given as the traveler slowly bent his knees to settle himself in a squat next to the curious cat. At the same time, he was pretty sure he was trapping himself in this position for at least a decent chunk of the next hour - such was the rule of cats, things went at the rate that they decided it would go at and this one was clearly after pats.

Those clear blue eyes reminded him of a certain element and such reminded him a bit of the sea... maybe the cat would like something to nibble on too? Some of these fish he had been planning on just trading for some new bait anyway, this was a much better use for them anyway! Sadly, he did have to free up a hand to reach into his pack to reach for some fish... but the louder purring that ensued after he took out some smaller ones to feed her was worth it in the end.

"Wonder who's cat this is... I'll check for a collar when they're done." Maybe the blue eyes were a bigger clue than he thought they would be.

@narvvhal

[kettouryuujin]

Nobility AU - Iscan

[Credit for much of this is due to @jade-nargacuga, who kindly let me take text from Chapter 3 of her Pokérus: Ghosts fic and use it here - it was just too good to NOT use. The text has been edited to fit better with my own writing style, as well as the revised plot. There will be a ::: before and after the borrowed text.]

[Credit to @monsoon-of-art for the Pokérus AU]

——

Warden and Noble dove deep into the sea, Lord Basculegion leading while his keeper cleaved to the fish’s dorsal fin.

Currently, Iscan was just happy to be alive. One moment, he felt slits opening on his neck. The next, it was growing harder and harder to breathe. Thank Sinnoh, Noble Basculegion had stepped in, pulling him into the water to let him breathe once more. Clearly, the Lord knew what was happening, so Iscan saw no reason not to follow. Even as it grew harder to see the deeper they went.

:::

Soft beams of moonlight seemed to barely illuminate the ocean floor ahead of them. Besides the shimmering surface up above, he guessed that there wasn’t much for light to reflect off of down here. Still, as his Lord swam on, he could just make out the faint outline of a circular ridge, almost unnatural compared to the surroundings. The Basculegion slowed as they reached it, which Iscan took as a sign to let go. So he did, falling to the bottom and feeling the strange surface with his hands.

Carved stone? Iscan asked himself, feeling the grooves and dents that were the telltale signs of human stonework. Why would human-carved stone be down here? As he wracked his mind for answers, the changing Warden recalled something the elders had told him about when he first became a Warden. ‘I-is this… The Sunken Arena?’

That...made far too much sense, frankly. ‘Why did Lord Basculegion bring me here?’ Iscan thought, turning to his Lord. The great fish was swimming slow circles around him, eyes glued to the light shimmering off the surface, as if waiting for something. After a few silent moments, Iscan was about to risk speaking again when his Lord stopped, seeming to draw in a breath before letting out a loud rumbling cry. The sound stunned Iscan, ringing in his ears but also somehow echoing into his very soul, as it seemed to travel impossibly far out into the empty waters.

Silence reigned for some time before he slowly became aware of an echoing call. The return cry was barely audible over the sound of the water in his ears at first, but it grew and grew into a cacophony slowly rising on the waves. It was like a haunting melody being sung out by thousands of voices, all with the same strange quality as his Lord’s cry. He looked around frantically for the source, but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

And then he saw them. Thousands of small ghostly lights, growing brighter and surrounding them in all directions. Recognizing their ghostly origin, Iscan swam nervously closer towards his Lord, seeking his protection. Soon, the lights would be upon them and they’d have nowhere else to run!

Iscan squeezed his eyes shut just as the ghosts were finally upon them, feeling the water rush and swirl around the living duo while the sound became almost deafening. His Lord gave another low rumble and the noise died down some, but he could still hear plenty of chatter from the strange ghosts. When he heard a couple of curious chitters near his ears and felt a few of the things begin to bump into his hands, the Warden nearly had a heart attack. 

“DRNODNMRLL!!” Iscan screamed out as he jerked back, eyes opening in terror. He was fully expecting to see savage ghosts trying to nibble at his flesh, but no. It was just a couple of Basculin fry, looking at him curiously before swimming in joyful little circles around him and each other. At least, they looked like Basculin fry. Their scales were translucent and white, though. He watched them in wonder before he recognized one of them, spinning about haphazardly with a small and misshapen fin.

He knew that fry. It had been one of Lord Basculegion's offspring from several seasons ago! He had tried so hard to give the little fish extra attention before they were ready to leave the nursery, but unfortunately it wasn’t a strong enough swimmer to get away in time when a stray Quilfish managed to find the small school. He blamed himself for not being close enough to save it, but deep down he knew that its chances of survival were limited.

The little fry swam upwards and greeted his father with a little twirl, but the Lord’s eyes were focused on Iscan, a bemused expression on his fishy face. Iscan looked away, embarrassed, quickly wiping at his eye only to realize how silly it was to do so since there was no way to tell that he was crying underwater. His Lord let out a low chuckle before another call, low and echoing, rang out across the sea. Lord Basculegion’s attention was drawn back to the open sea, a look of apprehension coming over his features.

The call rang out again, and slowly the school of ghostly Basculin began to part, leaving a gap in the water in the direction his Lord was facing. There in the distance, a soft golden light was making its way steadily towards them, growing larger by the second. Iscan watched in awe as a female Basculegion came into view, growing larger and larger still until he realized with a start that she was larger even than his Lord! So large in fact that Iscan couldn’t help but shy away as she reached them, circling him and his lord with curiosity.

Her gaze lingered on Iscan, no doubt noticing his strange features and wondering what a human was doing in such a place, able to breath so easily. She then looked to his Lord, rumbling something to him as she looked around curiously at the surrounding Basculin, as if trying to find a specific one.

A rumble from his Lord caused her to stop in her tracks, and then she turned to fix Iscan sharply in her gaze once more, rumbling something he didn’t understand. Her golden glow seemed to intensify, and something about it demanded a level of reverence from him that he had only felt for his Lord. She had an aura about her, the same unspeakable power as his Lord, but much, much stronger and more pronounced. Even Lord Basculegion seemed to be nervous around her, speaking to her in the same hushed tones that other wild Pokémon used when addressing him. Iscan’s mind was reeling, when a sudden, awful realization hit him.

This was the Lady of the Waves. Not just any Lady of the Waves, THE Lady of the Waves. Who else could she be? Iscan began panicking slightly while The Lady continued to practically glare at him. As she continued to speak with his Lord, the Warden came to another realization: Given the tales he heard about the Sunken Arena beneath his feet, and the appearance of Her Holiness, this could only mean that he had been dragged into the middle of a very sacred ceremony. One that no Warden of a Lord or Lady Basculegion had been witness to for countless generations.

The Rite of the Waves: The passing of the mantle of Lord or Lady of the Waves down to the next generation.

And Iscan hadn’t even thought to bring his Lord’s heir! How could he be so stupid!

Iscan suddenly felt very hot under The Lady’s gaze. He tried to speak once again -only getting out a gargled mess- and motioned with his hands towards the shore before attempting to swim away. His Lord reacted in surprise, stopping mid sentence in whatever he was saying to quickly swim over and nudge him back frantically. Whatever it was, his Lord didn’t want him to leave. The Lady gave an irritated rumble but his Lord swam between them, body low and looking up to her as he seemed to be pleading with his ancestor.

Iscan was shocked into silence. He had never seen his Lord behave in such a way! Could it be that his Lord was asking for Lady Basculegion’s aid to cure his ailment? Whatever his Lord was saying now had the full attention of The Lady, and while she seemed annoyed at first, her expression slowly turned to shock, then worry, and finally a resigned nod. She turned her head away from the two, rumbling something low that seemed to break his Lord’s heart as he pleaded something after. She was quiet for a long moment before fixing Iscan in her mournful gaze.

She mumbled something which caused his Lord to perk up hopefully, but another quick word had him go silent once again. After a moment, he bowed his head and rumbled out what seemed to be a resigned thanks.

The Lady of the Waves let out another echoing cry that caused the gathered Basculin to stir again, frozen as they were while their Nobles argued. Lord Basculegion swam back over to Iscan once more, pushing him from behind until he was happy with his Warden’s position. Once he was in place, both Lords swam out to the outer ring of Basculin that had begun swimming in a circle around him. Looking down, the Warden noticed he was in the center of the arena… exactly where the Lord’s successor would be during the Rite.

‘Wait.’

‘This wasn’t supposed to be happening.’

‘What is my Lord DOING?’

‘T-the Rite isn’t meant for a human!’

Yet despite all his pleas, a school of spectral Basculin were headed right towards him, the tiny fry with a small fin leading the charge.

Iscan threw his arms up, bracing himself for the impact. But instead of ramming him, the Basculin swam through him. Into him. Each spirit being absorbed into his body, his mind, his soul.

And he could feel them. Each and every one, flowing into a rush of many minds, hundreds of fleeting thoughts, memories, emotions, hopes, and dreams. Each and every one distinct from the other - why, Iscan could swear he felt each one’s life flash through his mind in an instant!

It was overwhelming. He felt like he would lose himself in a sea of selves. But just as he was about to be washed away, Sinnoh took mercy as the souls shifted inside of him. As each flash of a life came to an end, he felt the spirit mold and change, syncing up with his own thoughts. Each individual mind began to change and fortify his own, slowly giving him the strength to withstand the mental onslaught as more and more souls poured into him. Their minds were becoming one, returning to him a sense of self while at the same time adding so much more. It was as if he were growing larger, both spiritually and physically. It was indescribable, other than simply... wondrous.

As he marveled at the strange, magnificent sensation that was filling his whole being, Iscan managed to catch a glimpse of The Lady of the Waves tailing behind the last of the massive school. But as the last of the Basculin entered his body, she disappeared from sight, moving behind him. Before the grown Warden could gather himself enough to turn around and look for her, the Lady’s massive golden head burst out of his chest as she swam through him.

Iscan could barely process the sight of the massive golden ghost passing right through him before he was overwhelmed by her memories, thoughts and feelings. Images flashed through his mind: 

A man with blazing red and orange hair smiled at her as he shared his food with her; 

The sky breaking as a giant crack opened above the sacred mountain at the heart of the land; 

The spirits of her schoolmates lending her their strength as she struggled to swim up a cascading waterfall in a desperate attempt to reach her friend who was fighting against impossible odds; 

The blessed bolt from almighty Sinnoh himself that enhanced her further and gave her her golden glow; 

Hovering beside her friend and their other companions as they faced off against the Deity, who glowed white and gold and took a form that Iscan had never seen before; 

The Celestica people building her arena off in the shallows that would soon be consumed beneath the waves; 

Her dear friends departing into their final rest one by one; 

The daughter she was the most proud of taking her place upon the Arena as she prepared to give the entirety of her very being to the young fry; 

Sinnoh, granting her the gift to an eternal spirit body as her old one was absorbed by her daughter; 

And finally, her life after her final death, giving both her strength and her memories to bless each new Lord and Lady as her line continued on.

All of those memories flashed by in an instant, but to Iscan it might as well have been over a thousand years, each one playing out as if he was the Lady herself. However, the last few memories practically burne themselves into Iscan’s mind, echoing the old tales he was told about The Rite of the Waves. While it seemed that The Lady of the Waves was immune due to the blessings of Almighty Sinnoh (did it really look like that?), it confirmed the belief that the current Lord or Lady gave their very life to strengthen and pass on the blessing of Sinnoh to their heir.

The mere thought caused Iscan to shiver with dread, a weight heavier than any Lord or Lady hanging from his soul.

‘D-does my Lord mean to…’

‘Does Lord Basculegion really intend to give his life?’

‘To ME...?’

Iscan could barely bring himself to look up and face his Lord. Lord Basculegion was looking down sullenly, The Lady of the Waves at his side, rumbling something only his Lord could hear as she looked Iscan in the eyes. She knew he finally understood the gravity of the situation. With a final comforting nudge to the Lord’s flanks, she swam off, her golden glow fading softly into the darkness of the sea.

Iscan and Lord Basculegion were left alone in the sea. New smoky, bluish-white tendrils of ghostly energy wafted off Iscan as the current washed over them. There was silence.

Then his Lord began to swim towards him.

Iscan let out a bubbly “NUWGH!” as he frantically tried to backpedal away from his Lord, using all his might. Lord Basculegion paused for a moment, a look of confusion and hurt running across his features, but then he set his jaw and continued his advance.

“Nawr, nurro, NROWWWLLLLLLLL!” Iscan screamed, turning and trying to paddle away. It was to no avail. His progress was slow, his legs felt like dead weight, and he seemed to have started to grow a fish tail cloaked in a ghostly aura that did nothing to power him along. Whatever the Rite did, it seemed to have only sped up his transformation, and this was the worst time for that. For he knew that if his Lord touched him, he would die.

He would not be responsible for Lord Basculegion’s death.

Please please PLEASE stay away from me! He silently pleaded, flailing until he hit the seafloor and began using his arms to crawl away as quickly as he could.

A light nudge against his shoulder sent the Warden into hysterics, jolting like he had been zapped and causing him to redouble his efforts to get away, his thrashing kicking up a layer of sediment. A pleading rumble from his Lord was followed by another nudge, firmer and more insistent, but this only caused Iscan to turn belly and flail wildly at the larger fish, pushing and swatting and trying his best to keep him away. As a few of the wild blows struck true, Lord Basculegion let out a low roar and pushed himself into Iscan’s chest, essentially pinning the Warden to the ground. Iscan flailed for a few minutes more before his efforts slowed and he began to curl into a shuddering mess.

Please don’t die. Don’t die… don’t die… Iscan chanted like a mantra in his head, eyes squeezed shut. He was going to absorb his Lord and there was nothing he could do about it!

:::

The Noble pushed in, sinking into his Warden. Iscan cried out, feeling his form bulk and shift and warp as the Basculegion pushed into him, a thousand more minds and souls joining onto the “Warden’s” own. He didn’t want this he didn’t want this he didn’t want this - 

*pop* The pressure on mind, body and soul vanished, a small flow crossing one side as the Basculegion opened his eyes.

It...it was done. He couldn’t feel his arms that well anymore...much less his legs. Finishing the Rite must have finished his changes as well... physically and mentally. The new Noble Basculegion could feel the weight and power of thousands of souls worth of Basculin within him - not just 1000, but the Schools of each Lord and Lady that came before him. A pained grunt slipping from his fishy snout, Iscan rose off the sea floor with much reluctance. Oh, he wasn’t ready for this. And how would he explain it all to Palina? ...Could he even see Palina again?

“How...how am I still here?” Oh. There was a small Basculin over there, just floating, as if it never expected to be here. It was almost cute, how confused he was. But cuteness was something to worry over later. For now, he...

*sniff*

He had to do his job. No tears before the small one. Hold it in Iscan, hold it in.

“...are you alright, little one?”

“...I...suppose? I definitively was not expecting to still be independent, Lord Iscan...” Wait. How did this Basculin know his name? And why... hold on. That pop from earlier. It couldn’t be. Could it?

Hope dared to surge in the new Noble’s chest. “...B-Basculegion? Sir?” (He couldn’t he call the small one “Lord”, no matter how much he tried.)

The smaller fish looked up at the Lord of the Waves and sighed, shaking his head with a small grin. “...Ah, that might be why. You are happy that I survived, are you not?”

“W-was it that obvious?”

“All it took was one look at your face.” A surprisingly hearty laugh (given his much smaller body) came from the former Lord. “I suppose that was what happened... All prior Lords had been willing to accept their predecessor’s time had come to pass. You’re the first one to refuse their predecessor so vehemently!”

Why did that sound familiar? As if dredged from the ocean floor, memories sprung forth - each former Rite, played out in his mind as if he was there. Each time, he could recollect acceptance - willing, begrudging, or somewhere in-between. Nothing near the outright refusal he had shown. Refusal that, the large fish realized, kept their souls from being able to merge.

“...Despite your fear, you’ve always acted when someone’s life was on the line.” Palina. The Lord’s children (even those who didn’t make it). The smaller Basculin swam up, looking and sounding surprisingly wise despite his diminished frame. “I suppose I should have known you would have done the same for me as well.”

Iscan opened his mouth to retort with an “Of course!”, but he stopped himself. If it was just another Basculegion, and not his Lord...would he have done the same thing?

The engorged fish racked his mind for answers, his School providing input and ideas, but... he couldn’t think of a single situation where he wouldn’t have stepped in, human or not.

“...I admit. It is...strange, no longer having a School. I suppose Sinnoh let his child turn back time for me so the Rite could proceed apace despite your rejection...”

“Wait. The Almighty Sinnoh has a child?”

And with that, a whole new conversation began.

[tastesoftamriel]

I was asked about what dishes you should never offer to Daedric Princes by a follower who's probably a little too curious for their own good. Here's an interesting question I certainly have not thought of, because I generally try not to invoke the wrath of Daedric Princes! However, if you really want to potentially bring the punishment of Oblivion down upon yourself, please feel free to try the following...

Mehrunes Dagon

Instead of fiery destruction, I propose something...cute. A classic chilled custard tart topped with warm berry compote and some Hammerfell-style rose-and-vanilla pashmak is bound to melt hearts, just not in the way one of his Dremora would.

Peryite

I love making healthy foods just as much as indulgent dishes, and as the popular adage goes, an apple a day keeps Peryite away! A classic rucola and feta salad with a balsamic and Cyrodiilic olive oil can be made even better with an extra handful of spinach, a sprinkle of fresh pomegranate, halved walnuts, avocado and cucumber slices, and a few diced apple pieces! Simply delectable, and sure to keep scurvy and pestilence at bay.

Molag Bal

What should you not offer the Daedric Prince of domination and creator of vampires? Probably a soft, delicate vegetarian dish. A Breton vegetable quiche with an all-butter crust, goose eggs, sun-dried tomatoes, delicate baby spinach, fresh chanterelle mushrooms, squash, lots of garlic, and a spot of chevre. Mouth-wateringly good, this little beauty makes for an excellent meal at any time of day, and is bound to make Molag Bal sneer.

Namira

I'm going to be a little cheeky here and turn something gross and creepy into something delicious that even the fussiest nobles I've served love: garlic butter snails. Namira's followers are known to chow down on live, raw snails, shells and all, but I prefer mine with a garlicky gratin and a sprinkle of cave-aged West Weald parmesan. Oh, and don't forget to eat them with a fancy silver snail fork like a proper diva!

Boethiah

Plots? Destruction? Snakes? Not with this dish! What you see is what you get with a traditional Nord bread-and-butter pudding! It's a great way to use up your leftover bread scraps and stale butter, and is one of Tamriel's most satisfying desserts in my humble opinion. Served with hot custard and dried snowberries, this pudding is the perfect, least deceptive dish I can imagine.

Hircine

You were spot on with a salad, but let me raise the bar a little. Not just any salad will do, but you'll want all your ingredients to be gently cultivated by hand and farmed, as opposed to wild foraged. Iceberg lettuce and pink pear salad with some crumbled goat cheese and honey hits the spot, but how about topped with some marbled fatty beef? The historic Gweden Farm near Anvil has won countless awards for its pampered cows who are given a daily massage and the best fresh grass and Cyrodiilic grain. Domesticated, happy, and wonderful...unless you're a hunter, that is.

Hermaeus Mora

You'd have to be downright stupid to try a traditional Argonian worm bowl unless you're Saxhleel, and even then, most of them don't want to touch this nasty, wriggling dish. Fresh, live mealworms and kotu gava eggs are drowned in a fermented blood worm sauce, with shredded catapult cabbage and flame-grilled, toxic haj mota flesh. I once commented that it looked a little like Hermaeus Mora himself, before taking a tentative nibble and spending the rest of the day throwing up in the swamp. Please don't try this. It's the dumbest dish in Tamriel, and a pox on whichever Argonian invented it.

Sheogorath

No cheese or strawberry torte here! In fact, the least madness-inducing food I can think of is a nice, mild pistachio ice cream profiterole, dipped in sweet milk chocolate and topped with fresh nuts is the perfect Breton summer treat, yet far too boring for the Prince of Madness to bother with. Which leads us to...

Sanguine

I really dislike coming up with bland, mundane dishes for the occasional fussy eater I come across during my travels. Sanguine, Prince of hedonistic pleasures, probably lurks over my shoulder at the average feast I throw, so I admit I was a bit stumped here...until I remembered my Granny Matilda's chicken noodle soup. As basic as soups come, this simple broth is made by boiling leftover chicken carcasses for a night and a day, and served with plain egg noodles. The perfect food for when you're feeling under the weather, or have the palate of a small Nord child.

Malacath

Altmer cuisine seems like a good way to get Malacath really mad, because it's basically the antithesis of what he stands for. Delicate Quicksilver Lingwe cerviche with a yuzu drizzle and Crystal Hannia caviar, with a light avocado mousse flavoured with apple blossom? A sensory delight, and bound to make any Malacath-respecting Orc gag.

Jyggalag

Fried, hand-pulled buckwheat noodles with a spicy Pellitine-style curry sauce is a good way to make this Prince quite cross with you. Not only is it messy to eat, but your furniture will likely suffer bright orange and yellow stains from the turmeric and tomatoes, and your bowels will also be as tangled as the noodles after consuming a fiery Khajiiti curry.

Vaermina

So mundane and boring, you're definitely not bound to have any dreams or nightmares about a bowl of saltrice porridge with comberry preserves and scrib jerky. The staple food of the common Dunmer, it's tasty enough to eat on a daily basis, but hardly the stuff dreams are made of.

Mephala

This spidery Prince enjoys interfering with us mortals, so it's time to fight back with a dish that'll probably make most other Daedric Princes frown too. Imperial food is famous for its balanced flavours, textures, and fresh ingredients, and a Gold Coat seafood stew is a vibrant dish bursting with the best fresh fish, mussels, lobster, and crabmeat the region has to offer. Mild but but with a tangy punch from the sun-dried tomato based soup and a dash of crisp white wine, this is a dish that both young and old enjoy across Cyrodiil.

Meridia

Charred jerk wild boar stuffed with timber mammoth cheese and a delicious bloody jus-and-honey sauce is sure to make any Bosmer's mouth water! It's definitely dead, it's definitely cooked, and it's definitely bound to disappoint Meridia. Just a warning- try this for a laugh and you'll never be able to get rid of her beacon.

Azura

By Azura, please don't offer this to the Lady of Dawn and Dusk unless you want to irreparably have your race changed! Love and devotion is what this Prince craves, so why not damage yourself with a fiery Dunmeri Vvardenfell fondue, made from scuttle, crab meat, and extremely spicy fire petal blossoms? Enjoyed by the most pain-seeking of Dunmer, my version comes with fried hackle-lo leaf and saltrice-and-wickwheat bread for dipping. It'll have your guts in a twist for days, which is the price to pay for this deliciously hot "cheese" dish. Oh, and did I mention that it's best washed down with a nice cup of Vivec's Gingergreen Chai?

Nocturnal

There's absolutely nothing dark about a Redguard sun-jelly, made with fresh fruits from coastal Hammerfell. Coconut, palm fruit, watermelon, and bananas are the stars of the show in this dessert, set in a chilled agar jelly that keeps the heat at bay. The fanciest Redguards love mixing edible gold flakes into the jelly itself, giving it a delightful luster that is sure to put a smile on your face and chase the shadows away.

Clavicus Vile

You're not going to want to strike any bargain to give up a delicious baked chub loon gratin with echatere cheese, over hasselback potatoes and crispy radish chips. This Orcish delicacy is surprisingly so good it's even tickled the fancy of the fussiest eaters in Tamriel! The chub loon meat is juicy and melts in the mouth, and the echatere cheese melted into the cracks of a hasselback potato are wonderful with radish chips for dipping. Admit it, you're drooling aren't you?

[intheticklecloset]

My Hero Academia Sentence Starters #81-90

A collection of the MHA sentence starters I’ve done, compiled for the sake of ease. These are all stand-alone stories.

~~~

81) Lee Kirishima, Ler Deku

“How can you hate something that makes you laugh so beautifully?” Deku asked, poking and prodding at the pudge below Kirishima’s belly button, along his waistline. “Squish! Squish! It’s so cute, and it makes you giggle like crazy!”

Kirishima’s neck and ears were as red as his hair. He squirmed on the ground beneath Deku’s pin, his arms trapped at his sides, unable to do anything but lay there and endure the tickly pokes and pinches the greenette gave his pudge. “Nohohohohoho,” he whined, turning his head to the side to try and hide his wide smile. “It’s nohohohohot cuhuhuhute…”

“It is cute!” Deku insisted, taking a tiny bit between his fingers and pinching gently, drawing a “yeep!” out of Kiri. “Squish! Squishy! Squishy-squishy! Tickly squishy squish!”

“Stohohohohohop it!” Kiri giggled, clenching his teeth against his own giggle fit. “Midoriya!”

“But it’s so cute! And look at that big smile! I love that it’s so tickly-ticklish that you just can’t stand it!” Deku beamed, continuing his playful torture. “Come on, Kirishima – you have to admit you love how much it tickles you. Squishy-squishy! Tickly-squishy!”

“Plehehehehehease!” Kiri squealed, unable to hold back his flood of helpless giggles any longer. “It tihihihihihickles so muhuhuhuch! Midoriyahahaha!”

“And?” Deku smirked, enjoying playing with his friend this way. “What else?”

“That’s ahahahahahall!”

“Liar~”

“Nonono please dohohon’t – don’t do thahahahahat!” Kirishima begged as Deku’s hands closed around his wrists, pinning him in place while he settled in for a new kind of tickle torture. “Nohohoho, plehehehease – PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, MIDORIYA!!”

Deku blew raspberry after raspberry along Kiri’s pudge, occasionally nibbling on it as well, keeping his friend in stitches and teasing between each round until the redhead finally gave in. “Tickly-squishy! Tickle, tickle, little squish~ Your pudge is so ticklish, it’s adorable~”

“STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! PLEHEHEHEASE!!” Kiri tossed his head back and laughed hysterically, completely defeated by the gentle, loving, ticklish treatment. “IT’S CUHUHUHUHUTE, OKAHAHAY?! IT’S CUTE JUST STAHAHAHAHAP IT!!”

Deku giggled, blowing one last raspberry before sitting up and patting Kiri’s tummy affectionately. “And don’t you forget it.”

*

82) Lee Deku, Ler Kaminari

“I’ve been meaning to try this again!” Kaminari laughed as he hugged Deku tight against him, pressing his fingers into his friend’s ribs and igniting his famous “tickle-shocks” to make him squeal and giggle uncontrollably.

“Stohohohohohop! Plehehehehehease, Kaminahahahari!” Deku shrieked with giggles, squirming desperately in the blonde’s hold, trying to push away but unable to do so. Kami could be really strong when he wanted to be, and right now Deku had a feeling he wasn’t going anywhere until his friend was good and satisfied with this spontaneous tickly attack. “Ehehehehehehehe! Kamiehehehehehehehe!”

Kami chuckled. “What’s the matter? At least I’m not tickling your hips…yet.”

“Nohohohohohoho! Plehehehease, don’t! Kami, plehehehehease!”

“I only threatened to, Midoriya,” Kami laughed, squeezing his sides and igniting his shocks there. He was surprised when Deku arched his back, a laugh being ripped from him before settling into another long string of giggles. “You act like it’ll really tickle or something~”

“It wihihihihihill! It will – plehehehehehehease, Kaminari!”

Kami began to slide one hand down to the aforementioned hot spot, grinning wickedly over Deku’s shoulder. “I’m just giving you a hug, Midoriya – why are you getting so worked up?”

“B-Behehehecause you’re tihihihihickling me!” Deku cried, squirming even harder now. He knew where Kami was going and the thought of his hips being subjected to the strong tickle-shocks made him weak in the knees already. “Plehehehehehehease, dohohohon’t!”

But Kami did, grabbing his hip, pressing his thumb into the hollow, and lighting up his tickle-shocks once more. He couldn’t help but laugh along with his friend when Deku tossed his head back and screamed with hysterical laughter, his struggling growing wild. It was all he could do to hang onto him with his free arm.

“Heh! Tickle, tickle, little Deku~”

“PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, STAHAHAHAHAHAP!! IT TIHIHIHIHIHICKLES!! IT TICKLES – GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Kaminari laughed, finally releasing him and ruffling his hair. “All right, I suppose that’s enough for one day.”

Deku clutched his stomach as he bent over with leftover giggles, gasping for breath, smiling so big as to blind the world with its brilliance. “T-Thank you…”

*

83) Switches Todoroki and Kirishima

“Nothing better to get your mind off of it than a good old-fashioned tickle fight!” Kirishima declared, tackling Todoroki to the couch and going straight for his thighs, which he knew was a hot spot.

“WHAHAHAHAHAT?!” Todoroki squealed, grabbing Kiri’s shoulders and pushing uselessly, head thrown back in surprised laughter. “HEHEHEHEHEHEY!! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

“Tickle fight!” Kiri replied with a laugh of his own, not straddling his friend on purpose so he had a chance to fight back. “Unless you want me to just tickle it out of your mind instead?”

“NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Todoroki plunged his fingers into Kiri’s ribs. “TAHAHAHAKE THIHIHIHIHIS!!”

Kiri screeched, instantly bringing his arms to his sides defensively, toppling onto Todoroki’s chest as he laughed and kicked. “NOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHERE, YOU MEHEHEANIE!!”

“Meanie?” Todoroki laughed. “What are we, five?” He managed to push Kiri onto the floor beside the couch, still standing but leaning over to get a good grip on his ribs and underarms. “You started it. Tickle, tickle!”

“GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” Kiri indulged himself for a few moments openly before desperately scrambling to grab onto any part of Todoroki that he could. Unfortunately for the half-and-half hero, that meant his ankle was the closest thing he could reach, and after using his hardening quirk to make himself immune to tickles, Kiri pulled on his leg to knock him off balance.

Todoroki yelped and stumbled to the ground, falling onto his back in the same moment that Kirishima ripped off his sock and started scribbling over his bare foot. “Ha! Who’s getting tickle-tickled now, Todoroki?”

“CRAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! NOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!” Todoroki collapsed weakly onto the floor, too overcome by the ticklish feeling to do much more than lay there and take it. “NOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!!”

“Not where? Not here?” Kiri scratched his finger up and down his arch, enjoying how his usually stoic friend completely exploded with laughter, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. “Ooh, your foot seems to be really ticklish! I wonder what would happen if I tickled the other one, too…?”

“NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO—!!”

*

84) Lees Deku and Bakugou, Ler All Might

“AIIEEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! ALL MIHIHIHIHIHIGHT!!” Deku screamed with laughter, desperately trying to dislodge his mentor’s firm grip on his hip.

Bakugou lay to his left, also roaring with laughter, legs kicking wildly. “STAHAHAHAHAHAP YOU IHIHIHIHIHIHIDIOT!!”

All Might knelt easily on one each of their legs, keeping them pinned in place while he tickled each of their worst spots. They’d been fighting all morning, and he’d had just about enough of it. “I’m not stopping until you two can get along.”

“I’M SOHOHOHOHOHOHORRY!!” Deku pleaded immediately.

Bakugou growled around his hysterics. “I’M NOHOHOHOHOHOHOT!! FRICKING STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP IT!!”

All Might considered for a moment, then said, “You both need to learn to work together. You, especially, young Bakugou. So when the two of you can break away from me by working together, I’ll let you go.”

“NO WAHAHAHAHAHAHAY!!” Bakugou yelled.

Deku squealed when All Might found the hollow that really got him hysterical, pounding his fist on the ground in submission. “KAHAHAHAHAHAHACCHAN, PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

“WHY AHAHAHAHARE YOU BEHEHEHEHEGGING ME?! I’M NOHOHOHOT TIHIHICKLING YOU!!”

“WE HAHAHAHAHAHAVE TO WORK TOGEHEHEHEHEHETHER!!”

“FORGEHEHEHEHEHET IT!!” Bakugou’s laughter suddenly went silent when both of his sweet spots were attacked at once, and Deku’s cackling died down to breathless giggles at the brief respite. All Might used both of his hands to focus on tickling the angry blonde into submission, which didn’t take long thanks to his ruthless plan of attack. “OKAYOKAYOKAY I’M SORRY TOO JUST STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP IT!! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

Deku weakly sat up and used One For All to jerk one of All Might’s arms off of Bakugou. “L-Leheheave him alone, he said he’s sorry…”

“Oh? Back for more, young Midoriya?”

“Nonono – GAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!” It was Deku’s turn to go berserk while Bakugou recovered. “PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, ALL MIHIHIHIGHT!! KACCHAHAHAHAN!!”

Bakugou groaned, igniting sparks in his palm. “S-Stop it – we both apologized, now let us go!”

“Not until you learn to work together.” All Might held firm, but decided to give them a chance by tickling both of their stomachs in tandem, which he knew were lesser spots on them both. “Fight me off as a team, and I’ll let you go.”

Deku and Bakugou learned a very important – albeit silly – lesson that day.

*

85) Lee Iida, Ler Todoroki

“It feheheels nice, okay?” Iida admitted through a couple of choked giggles, clenching his fists in his lap as Todoroki gently prodded into his side.

Todoroki stared at him in surprise. “It – it does? Really?”

“Yehehes.”

Hesitant but curious, Todoroki applied more pressure by adding more fingers than just his pointer to the mix, gently squeezing Iida’s side. The class rep squeaked and brought a knee up instinctively, but still didn’t move to fight him back at all. “I thought you didn’t really like being tickled. And I wasn’t even trying to tickle you just now.”

“I knohohohow.” Iida put a hand over his mouth to cover up his snickers and his blush at the same time.

Todoroki quirked a brow. “None of that. I’m the dorm’s resident tickle monster, you know. If I see you covering up I’ll just make it worse.”

Iida’s hand shot back down to his lap.

All Todoroki had tried to do was practice his anatomy homework by seeking out the vertebrae in Iida’s spine and each of his ribs. He’d intended to do it as lightly as possible so as not to cause his friend any discomfort, since he knew – or at least, thought he knew – that Iida hated being tickled. But now the class rep was giggling up a storm and not even fighting him back.

“I – I guehehehess even I neheheed a lahahahaugh once in a whihihihile…” Iida managed, turning his face away from Todoroki, arms shaking from the effort to hold still.

Todoroki smiled gently. “Well, you know I’m always happy to oblige. Just let me know when you really want me to stop, though, okay?”

“Okahahahay.”

Todoroki kept practicing and – by extension – kept tickling for another couple of minutes before Iida finally asked him to stop, having had enough for now. Neither of them said as much out loud, but they still agreed to keep this anatomy practice session between them for the time being.

*

86) Lee Todoroki, Lers Kirishima and Bakugou

“Relax, baby, just enjoy it~” Kiri purred into Todoroki’s ear, lazily scribbling his fingers over his boyfriend’s bare ribs.

On the other side of him, Bakugou chuckled. “Yeah. You love it, don’t you, icy-hot?”

Todoroki was absolutely melting under their double tickle treatment. He was lying between them on the bed, and they were each snuggled up to one side of him, leaning on his arms to pin them above his head as they scraped and scribbled and teased the skin of his bare torso. He whined through his giggles, blushing hard but loving the attention.

“Tickle, tickle, tickle~” Kiri teased, gradually beginning to circle his belly button. “Poor, ticklish little Shoto~”

“Can’t take a few light tickles, huh, baby?” Bakugou added, kissing the shell of his ear for extra tickly emphasis. “Poor thing~”

Todoroki couldn’t even speak at this point; he was far too flustered to do anything but lay there and giggle and squirm and enjoy every second of this impromptu, loving tickle torture.

Kiri dipped his finger into his navel at the same time that Bakugou sat up, gripping his arm to keep it above his head while tracing the outline of his underarm with a fingernail. Todoroki squealed and arched his back, pushing himself further into Kiri’s tickly embrace while trying to escape Bakugou’s. Both of his boyfriends were being completely ruthless tonight, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t absolutely love it.

“Plehehehehease,” he finally begged after several moments, after Bakugou finally began scribbling in his underarm with purpose. “No mohohohohohore…”

“You don’t really mean that, do you, Sho?” Kiri asked, kissing his cheek and raking his nails along his waistline in tandem. “You don’t want us to stop~”

“Nohohohohohoho…”

Bakugou shot Kiri a smirk, and both of them suddenly pulled a necktie out of their back pockets, beginning to bind Todoroki’s wrists to the headboard of the bed. Todoroki’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement.

“Good thing, babe,” the blonde said, finishing up his handiwork with a flourish. “Because we’re not even close to done with you yet.”

*

87) Lee Todoroki, Ler Momo

“You’re just so ticklish, I can’t stand it!” Momo grinned.

Todoroki clutched his shirt with one hand, giggling so hard he could barely speak. “You cahahahahan’t stahahahahand it?! H-How do you thihihihihihink I feel?!”

“I think you’re having fun with it,” she replied, gently trailing the paintbrush along the lines in his palm. “You haven’t tried to pull away once.”

“Gah!” Todoroki grabbed onto the nearest thing he could find – a throw pillow – and pulled it to him, hugging it tight against his chest. The soft bristles of the brush against his palm were driving him completely insane. How could one person have such ticklish hands?! “Y-You cohohohohohould stohohop anytime you wahahahahant to, you knohohohohow!”

“I know.” She began trailing the brush across the heel of his hand, over his wrist, gradually up his inner forearm. “But this is more fun, don’t you think?”

“Ehehehehehehehehe!” Todoroki couldn’t help the high-pitched, happy giggles pouring from his mouth at this point. He kicked his legs, doing everything in his power to stay still and take it. “Momohohohohoho!”

She giggled at his ticklish reactions, dragging the brush back down to his palm, then ditching it entirely and replacing it with her nails. This seemed to get an even stronger reaction, as he actually struggled against her for the first time, his giggles turning to laughter as she neared his elbow again.

“Plehehehehehease, stahahahahahap!” He begged. “It tihihihihihickles so bahahahahad! Momo!”

Momo beamed but stopped as requested, picking up the paintbrush to twirl it in her fingers with ease. “You’re cute, you know? You must really love it if you can stay still for so long.”

He blushed so hard his whole face matched his scar. “Shush.”

“What do you say we try your ears next? I bet they’re pretty ticklish, too~”

“F-Fine,” he stammered, lifting his gaze to meet hers with a confident – if a bit wobbly – smirk. “Bring it on.”

*

88) Lee Bakugou, Ler Kirishima

“I’m going to count down from one minute,” Kirishima said as he settled himself on his boyfriend’s hips, grinning. “And during that time I’m not going to let up on your sweet spot. Not one little bit.” He placed his hands on his upper ribs. “Ready?”

Bakugou’s eyes widened. In a blind panic, he stammered, “W-What – no! No, I’m not ready! Ei – NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!” He tossed his head back and screeched, clamping his arms to his sides, kicking his legs violently. None of it helped him; he was still just as stuck and just as ticklish. “FRICK, NOHOHOHOHOHOHO!! EIJIROU, PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!!”

Kirishima was beaming, counting slowly backwards from sixty. “Fifty-five…fifty-four…”

“COUNT FASTER YOU JEHEHEHEHEHEHEHERK!! KIRI I CAN’T – PLEASE STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

“Fifty-one…fiiiiifty…”

Bakugou screamed through his laughter, already feeling hoarse and on the verge of mirthful tears, and it hadn’t even been ten seconds yet.

Kirishima kept his word, curling his fingers into his boyfriend’s ultimate ticklish spot with relentless precision, never stopping or letting up once no matter how loud he shrieked or laughed or begged for mercy. By the time he got to thirty seconds poor Bakugou was red in the face, tears streaming down his cheeks as he laughed himself into a kind of ticklish stupor. He was too far gone to even protest at this point; all he could do was endure it.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! GOD, PLEHEHEHEASE – FRIHIHIHIHICK – AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Kirishima couldn’t help but giggle along with him, tickling just as hard and just as fast as he got down to the twenties, the tens, and finally the last five.

“Five,” he said, really going for it now.

Bakugou was screaming bloody murder at this point, his kicking weakened but just as frantic. “STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!!”

“Four…”

“PLEHEHEHEHEHEASE, EIJIROU!!”

“Three…two…”

Bakugou let out what sounded like a wail of distress when his boyfriend didn’t immediately say one – the final number that would end this ticklish torture. “ONE!! ONE, ONE, OHOHOHOHONE!! KIRISHIMAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

“One!” Kiri finally let up, removing his hands from Bakugou entirely, letting his poor boyfriend gasp for breath and shakily try to wipe the mirthful tears from his eyes, his face dark red. He chuckled. “Good job, baby~”

“Shut up…you f-fricking…s-sadist…” Bakugou tensed when Kiri grabbed his wrists, pinning them above his head. “N-No, wait! No more, please! Eiji—mmph!” He was cut off with a kiss that made his heart race in an entirely different way.

Kiri chuckled. “Maybe I am, but you didn’t say the safe word, now did you?”

*

89) Lee Todoroki, Ler Iida

“I…I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Todoroki hedged. He sat on the couch in the living room of the Class 1-A dorms, averting his eyes from his class rep as he spoke.

“Why? If you let them go untreated it’ll only take longer to heal,” Iida insisted gently. “Perhaps it’s a bit odd, but I’m very well-versed in massage therapy. I’m confident I can help you.”

Todoroki hesitated. After a long day of training, he’d complained that his feet were killing him, and Iida had offered to massage them to help him feel better. The peppermint-colored boy knew for a fact he wouldn’t be able to handle a massage of almost any kind. He was far too ticklish. But at the same time, he didn’t want to disappoint his friend. He was stuck.

“Fine,” he finally mumbled, cringing a little as he placed his feet in Iida’s waiting lap. “But…the socks stay on.”

“Of course.” Iida nodded, assuming Todoroki simply didn’t want his bare feet touched. He could understand that. He got to work pressing his thumbs into his arches, massaging small circles up and down the sole. He was so focused on his task it took him a moment to realize that rather than relaxing, his friend only seemed more tense. “Is something wrong?”

“C-Can’t…I d-don’t think I can…hrk!” Todoroki slapped a hand over his mouth to hide the growing smile threatening to give him away. He said his next words all in a rush. “I don’t think I can do this!”

“I’m not hurting you, am I?”

“N-No, it – aiieee!” Todoroki squealed, yanking his right foot away from Iida’s grip. The class rep had lightened his touch, thinking perhaps he was applying too much pressure, but the softer strokes only made his friend burst into giggles, finally revealing what exactly was bothering him about this whole situation.

“Ah, I see. You’re fairly ticklish, then?” Iida asked, unable to help but scribble his fingers over Todoroki’s other foot. He got his answer when said foot was also jerked out of his reach. He laughed. “You could have just said so, you know.”

*

90) Lee Deku, Ler Kaminari

“Izuku, stohohohop,” Kaminari whined, hugging his boyfriend close even as the greenette kissed and nuzzled his neck, tickling him.

“Don’t wanna.” Deku smirked into yet another kiss.

“Ugh, fine, I’ll make you stop,” Kami shot back, chuckling as he rolled over, quickly switching their positions so he was on top. Before Deku could fight back, he plunged his fingers into his ribs. “Tickle, tickle, little Deku~”

“Aiehehehehehehehe! Kamiehehehehehe!” Deku squealed, his face lighting up in a huge smile as giggles poured out of him. He squirmed but didn’t entirely try to get away; both of them knew he rather enjoyed being tickled, especially gently like this. “Ehehehehehehehe!”

Kaminari chuckled, leaning down to do exactly what Deku had been doing to him moments before. He nuzzled and kissed along his neck, making his boyfriend shriek and kick his legs. His neck and ears were far more sensitive than Kami’s were.

“Denki, plehehehehehehease!” Deku begged, but it was obvious he was having a ton of fun. “Not my neheheheheheheck!”

“Aww, is someone a little ticklish here?” Kami teased, switching from kissing to nibbling. Deku spasmed beneath him, but the blonde merely let his body weight pin his poor, giggly boyfriend to the mattress as he continued his ticklish treatment. “Seems like you are~ Poor, sensitive little Izuku~”

“Stohohohohop teheheheheasing me!”

“Never.”

“Ehehehehehe! Dehehehenki – WAIT NO NOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!!” Suddenly a loud screech ripped from Deku’s throat and he started thrashing in earnest. Kaminari had snuck one hand down to pinch at his hip, making him really laugh. “DENKI, NOHOHOHOHOHO!!”

“Denki, yes~” Kaminari teased into his ear, kissing and squeezing in tandem, making his boyfriend go crazy with hysterical giggles and laughter. “I’ve got you right where I want you now, baby.”

[plainbrunettelbl]

ABO (A) Half Shark Kirishima Eijiro x (O) Reader Forever Love

Word count: 4921

Warnings: None. 

Title: ABO (A) Half Shark Kirishima Eijiro x (O) Reader Forever Love

Summary: You go to the beach and meet a strange shark tooth Alpha. 

(Gif not mine) 

🦈-Summer was here and you were ready to enjoy the sun. 

🦈-You wasted no time packing a beach bag and driving to see the gritty sand and blue water. You wore a pair of sunglasses, you were glad you did since the sun was high in the sky and it wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon. 

🦈-You all but leaped out of your car and dashed across the sand. You adored summer and missed the feeling of sand under your feet. Before you could get fully sucked in by the sparkling waves you made sure to put on a thick layer of sunscreen. 

🦈-You didn’t want to mess with skin cancer. 

🦈-Once you were all lathered up you set your beach towel down and sat on it until the sunscreen had soaked in a bit. As soon as your phone beeped telling you it was time you were running into the blue water. 

🦈-The cool water was a shock to your body but you embraced it the feeling.

🦈-You were heating up a bit sitting on the beach so it was really refreshing having the cool water lapping against your skin. You should have brought a tube but you were in a hurry to get to the beach so you left it for another time. 

🦈-You pushed all your thoughts away and simply floated. 

🦈-It was twenty minutes later that you opened your eyes. You paused as you looked around and saw that you were farther from the shore than you thought. You weren't the greatest swimmer around so you started to panic a bit but your focus on the distance between you and the shore was pushed aside when something brushed against your foot. 

🦈-You looked down and gasped. A grey fin and shark teeth greeted you. You swiftly kicked at the figure and tried to swim away. You didn’t get very far before a red-headed man sputtered up in front of you. You paused your escape and gaped at him. 

🦈-“Why did you kick me?” He whined, rubbing the top of his head. 

🦈-“Why did you touch my feet?” You argued, if you weren’t using your arms to keep you upright you would have thrown them in air. 

🦈-“I was interested in your second hands.” He frowned, pushing his crimson hair out of his eyes. 

🦈-You spotted silver skin scattered around his tan hand. It almost reminded you of scales. If that didn’t alert you to the fact that he wasn’t human his gills did. Three neatly lined gills fluttered on his neck. The sight was intriguing. 

🦈-“My second hands? You mean my feet?” You asked, still gliding your arms around to keep you upright now that you weren’t floating on your back. 

🦈-“The second hands you have keeping you afloat. I have a tail and you have second hands.” He pointed out, lifting his tail higher to the surface to show you.  

🦈-His tail reminded you of a shark, grey on the sides but white in the middle. If his sharp teeth were any indicator you would say he was some type of shark male hybrid. If he were to turn around you would probably see a shark fin on his back. 

🦈-“Are you gonna eat me?” You almost slapped your self at the stupid question that escaped your mouth. 

🦈-“What?! Why would I eat you? I don’t eat humans.” He huffed, obviously offended you thought he would eat you. 

🦈-Not only have you met a half-human hybrid but you managed to kick him in the face and offend him in all of but five minutes. You wouldn’t be surprised if he decided he did want to eat you. 

🦈-“Then what do you eat?” You asked, tilting your head at him. 

🦈-He drew his head back, surprised that you asked him such a question. Weren’t humans supposed to be scared of someone like him? This is the most human contact he has gotten in decades. His Alpha was oddly quiet in your presence. 

🦈-Was he observing the strange human too? Nevertheless, this human wasn’t afraid of him, he found that admirable of her. He didn’t have many friends. His best friend was a tan puffer fish that was annoyed at him half the time. 

🦈-“Fish, like any other shark.” He said, grinning at the thought of feasting on the scaly creature, his razor-sharp teeth making an appearance again. 

🦈-“Oh.” You replied, your brain trying to catch up with everything. 

🦈-“What do you eat?” He asked, curious about what humans consume. He sometimes saw humans licking a cream-like treat or eating something round and long on a stick. He was interested in what this little human ate. 

🦈-“Ummm… food? Red meat? Vegetables?” You said, not sure what he wanted to hear. 

🦈-“Is red meat good? Better than fish?” He asked, excited by this new information. 

🦈-“I can get you some if you want. I know they sell kabobs on the pier.” You thought, remembering people walk by you with some in their hands while you waited for your sunscreen to soak in. 

🦈-“You would bring me some!” His eyes sparkled, excited at the thought of trying something other than fish. 

🦈-“I mean yeah, I could.” You answered, trying not to blush over his excited face. This male shark hybrid was a handsome one. It was the least you could do, you did kick him in the face and offend the poor guy. 

🦈-“Wait, but then you would have to leave. How do I know if you are coming back?” He narrowed his eyes, not eager for this sweet-smelling human to leave yet. His Alpha pushed forward and nearly growled at the thought. 

🦈-In truth, the poor male was attention-starved. He was a pretty intimidating guy, all the sea life tended to stay away from him. Now that he had someone’s attention he didn’t want them to go away. He didn’t have to dwell much on the thought of you leaving before a soft sound invaded his ears. 

🦈-It was a gentle ring that made his whole body warm. You were giggling at his brooding face. 

🦈-“Of course I am coming back. Now that I know you aren’t gonna eat me I can pester you with all sorts of questions.” You smiled, thinking of all the tales he would have about the deep blue sea. 

🦈-This would be an interesting friendship… or more. 

***

🦈-Your friendship has bloomed over the last two weeks. It was tradition to come down to the beach whenever you could and buy him a kabob before making your way down to the pier. The main pier was busy and bustling with people but the small one meant for the local fishermen was still pretty vacant and empty. 

🦈-You tried to stay in the water the first week but it just wasn’t practical. You had to wash and dry your swimsuit so many times it was tearing at the seams. Floating on a tube was better but it still had its drawbacks. 

🦈-Your fingers and toes would winkle like raisins. 

🦈-Eijiro was fascinated by your feet and wouldn’t stop trying to touch and nibble on them. You had noticed pretty quickly that although he wasn’t interested in eating you he had some sort of fascination with softly nibbling on you. 

🦈-When you asked him about it he said it was a shark thing. He has grown up with his parents doing it so he thought it was normal to do so to his new human friend. 

🦈-You had just sat down at the pier and dipped your feet into the cold water, not even a second later a sharp pair of teeth were nibbling on your toes. You let out an airy giggle, already used to his odd behavior.

🦈-“Save the chewing for your kabob, Eijiro.” You teased, lifting your toes out of the water and leaned down to show the steaming kabob to him. 

🦈-He was quick to burst out of the water and snatch it up with his sharp teeth. He reminded you of a human version of jaws when he did that. 

🦈-“Thank you, Y/N. You know you don’t have to keep buying me meat all the time.” He said while nearly chomping on the wooden stick. 

🦈-“I don’t mind. If I didn’t spend it on you I would spend it on something else. Like this bracelet. I saw it while walking down the pier to get your kabob. It caught my eye and I instantly purchased it.  It’s too big for me but I like the color.” You hummed, showing him the threaded black and red bracelet on your wrist. 

🦈-In the time it took you to respond he had already finished his kabob, he made sure to put the stick on the pier. You would take it later and throw it away properly. 

🦈-“Oh, that’s a nice bracelet.” He commented, not taking his eyes off it. 

🦈-He peered at it with an awed look in his eyes. Completely unrelated he lifted his hand to mess with his hair, showcasing his empty wrist. Silently hoping you would spot it and say something. 

🦈-“Oh! Would you like it? I don’t think I can wear it without worrying it would slide off. You have a bigger wrist than me so it should fit you better.” You offered, taking off the red bracelet and dangling it on your finger above him. 

🦈-You never saw him move that fast before. The bracelet was already snatched out of your hand and on his wrist in the blink of an eye. You were right, it fit more snug on his tanned wrist than yours. 

🦈-“Make sure not to lose it. I bet it is a whole other story losing something in the sea rather than on land.” You thought, swishing your legs in the water. 

🦈-“I won’t take it off.” He nearly growled, something primal lurked in his eyes.  

🦈-Your Omega was nearly purring at the look. You merely nodded and shifted your eyes to the blue sky. You noticed there were a lot more clouds in the sky than normal, you hoped it didn’t rain. 

🦈-“What happens when it rains? Do you go back to your cave and wait it out like a regular human?” You questioned, looking down into his ruby eyes. 

🦈-“Sometimes I stock up on fish when it is just a small shower. If it starts lightning and thundering I usually chill in my den until it passes. You don’t want to be out in the open when lightning strikes down.” He commented, holding back a wince. 

🦈-“Huh. I hadn’t thought about that.” You said, kicking your feet out and splashing his face with water. 

🦈-He retaliated by catching on of your feet and playfully chewing on it. His teeth were tickling you, you reach down and grab a handful of his red hair. You tried to yank him off but he wouldn’t budge. He was a stubborn shark when it came to his prey. 

🦈-Not that you were prey to him. He just considered you to be his. Especially after your little gift to him. To give shark-kind a gift it meant you had started the courting process. The next time he saw you he would give you one back, to solidify your courtship. 

🦈-“Quit it Eijiro! You’re tickling me.” You laughed, leaning down even further, your face inches from his. 

🦈-Once he felt your soft breath on his face he let go and tilted his head up at you. Now it was your turn to fell his breath on your face. The closeness was enough to make your Omega swoon. You felt your mind was playing tricks on you when you heard a gentle purr coming from him. 

🦈-It was like you were in a trance, your eyes caught his lips and it was all you could focus on. You slowly felt yourself leaning even further down to him. He was leaning forward as well. His breath coming out in big pants. 

🦈-His tail was swishing rapidly in the water. Almost like a puppies tail would when they get excited. 

🦈-“You trying to drown yourself, girl!” An older man’s voice called out from the distance. 

🦈-You quickly put both of your feet on Eijiro’s shoulders and pushed him down. You would have been worried if he was human but since he was half-shark you knew he would be safe. Safer than someone finding out his kind existed. 

🦈-Sure there were shifters on land but people held major prejudice against them. You could only imagine the type of hysteria if humans found out they were surrounded by shifters on land and in the water. 

🦈-Maybe it was because you knew a few shifters and that was why you didn’t freak out when you first discovered him. 

🦈-“I thought I saw a crab!” You yelled, turning to look over your shoulder. 

🦈-An old man with a long fishing pole made his way down the pier. He wore a yellow raincoat with boots to match. He was the definition of fisherman. 

🦈-“Well, that’s good to hear. I hope to catch a lot of them tonight. Supposed to start raining soon.” He drawled, tipping his yellow hat up at the sky. 

🦈-While he was talking you still felt the warmth of Eijiro’s shoulders on your feet. You tapped him on both shoulders, silently telling him to swim away. His response was to slide a hand up your ankle. He wasn’t leaving until you were. 

🦈-“Oh. I better get going then. I wouldn’t want to get caught in the rain.” You said, leaning one hand down to clasp his hand and squeeze it before pulling your feet out of the water and slipping back on your flip flops. 

🦈-You made sure to grab his kabob stick before leaving. You shot him one last look. He was still submerged under the water. His face reminded you of a wounded puppy. You were leaving so soon. Your Omega was whining at the ordeal but there wasn’t much you could do. 

🦈-You didn’t bring your swimsuit so you couldn’t swim with him. Plus the rain wouldn’t have helped matters either. He would have to go back to his cave anyways. 

🦈-“See you later, little crab.” You softly said, giving him a half-smile.

🦈-You turned around and began walking back to your car. You couldn’t believe you were about to kiss him! Your heart was pounding in your chest. He was your friend, not your boyfriend!

🦈-You had to get your emotions under control. You both were from two separate lands, it would never work. You pushed down your sadness and kept walking down the pier, leaving a sad shark behind. 

***

🦈-“Hey, Y/n, do you have the paperwork I told you have done ready?” One of your Alpha coworkers asked, peering over at you in your small cubical. 

🦈-“Yeah, I just finished typing it up.” You replied, leaning over your desk to get the file. 

🦈-Your scent must have wafted her way. 

🦈-“Are you seeing anyone? Your scent smells different. Kinda reminds me of the ocean.” She prodded, eager to hear some gossip.  

🦈-You instantly flushed, your little trips to the beach must be affecting your scent. It was usually a soft peppermint smell. Now it was intertwined with a hint of saltwater. 

🦈-“N-no, I’m not seeing anyone. I think it is just because I am spending so much time at the beach lately.” You answered, handing her the file over your cubical wall. 

🦈-“Oh, well you should go on a few courting dates. Nothing better than summer love.” She grinned, thinking of all the Omega’s she could court this summer. 

🦈-“I’ll let you know if I do.” You said, looking back over at your computer screen. 

🦈-Should you start looking for a potential Alpha? You had no reason not to look for one. At that moment a certain shark-toothed male popped up into your head. 

🦈-No! He was off-limits. You should focus on Alphas you could actual court. 

🦈-It was decided, you would start looking for a potential mate. 

***

🦈-“So, have you eaten here before?” You asked, looking up from your plate of spaghetti, you speared a big meatball and brought it to your mouth. 

🦈-You had met him on a dating app. You didn’t know that he was vegetarian until he was ordering at the start of the date. You had placed your order before him so it was a tiny bit embarrassing eating meat in front of him. 

🦈-“Yes. They have a really good vegetarian selection here.” He said, looking down at his meatless meal. 

🦈-You had to admit that this Alpha was very attractive. He had had shoulder-length brown hair, glowing golden eyes, and a strong jawline. He would have made your Omega melt if it wasn’t for someone else. 

🦈-During the meal you found yourself comparing this Alpha to the sliver skinned one that seemed to take up your thoughts. 

🦈-Your Omega couldn’t help but nick-pick at him. 

🦈-He didn’t love meat like a certain someone, his teeth are dull, and he doesn’t have spiky crimson hair. He was nothing like her Alpha. Yes, her Alpha. She had started calling him that after your last encounter. You tried to correct her but she wasn’t having it. 

🦈-You tried to listen to the Alpha sitting across from you but your heart wasn’t into it. Your heart seemed to feel heavy lately, it might have had something to do with your absence from the beach. You hadn’t been back to the pier for a whole week. 

🦈-Your heart was telling you it was time to reunite with the muscled male. You finally submitted to those thoughts. You would go to see him tomorrow. 

🦈-That had your Omega purring and bouncing around. She was finally gonna see her Alpha!

***

🦈-Your Omega was jumping around excitingly as soon as you pulled into the beach parking area. She was gonna see her Alpha! You had an image of her rolling around on her back happily. You, on the other hand, were a bit nervous stepping out of the car. 

🦈-You knew going to the pier wasn’t an option. 

🦈-Your Omega had cut off that train of thought as soon as it appeared and wouldn’t even let you consider it. She wanted you in the water and as close to her Alpha as you could get. You knew this absence was hard on her so you didn’t argue.

🦈-Since your other bathing suit was beyond repair you went out and bought a new one. 

🦈-A solid red one. It was a tiny bit more revealing than your other one but once you saw it you knew it was the one. Your Omega chirped in agreement, stating that it matched Eijiro’s eyes. You felt pretty confident in it. 

🦈-You had paired it with a white cover-up. You grabbed your beach bag and made your way down to the sand. The instant your feet touched the sand you felt a pair of eyes on you. You knew whose eyes they were. 

🦈-You knew if you looked out into the water you would catch a glimpse of him but you stopped yourself. You knew if you saw his red hair peeking through the waves you would skip putting on sunscreen and dive into the water. 

🦈-You didn’t need to deal with a sunburn along with your confusing feelings. 

🦈-So you lathered up and waited, much to your Omega’s disappointment. You made sure to put on a lot because you knew as soon as you stepped into the ocean Eijiro wasn’t gonna let you out of his grasp for one second. 

🦈-From the intensity of his gaze, you were half thinking he was gonna drag you under and take you to his cave. 

🦈-Once your sunscreen was dry you finally headed towards the water. The water was cold as usual but it wasn’t the reason why your skin was covered in goosebumps. Your heart was pounding each step. Once the water went up to your waist you started swimming further from the shoreline. 

🦈-You were barely halfway to where you usually meet up when you felt his touch on your ankle. Just by the grip alone, you knew he was just as touched starved as you. This week without him made you miss his gentle caresses on your legs and the oddly comforting way he nibbled on you. 

🦈-Once you swam far enough for the shore he yanked you down. Your eyes stung at the saltwater but that didn’t stop you from looking at him underwater. His smile was big and wide, his razor-sharp teeth on full display. 

🦈-He didn’t waste a second pulling you into his arms. The cold water was long forgotten when you were tucked safely in his warm embrace. If you weren’t already holding your breath it would have been taken away. 

🦈-He couldn’t hear your Omega’s purring but he felt the vibrations coming from your chest. 

🦈-He instantly let out his own warm purr. He was so happy you finally showed up! He was worried you had somehow forgotten about him. That maybe you didn’t enjoy his company as much as he enjoyed yours. 

🦈-He swore he wouldn’t even care if you never brought him another piece of red meat again. As long as he had you in his arms he was satisfied. He didn’t hold himself back from nibbling on your neck a little now that he had you wrapped up in his grasp. His Alpha telling him that this was the spot he planned to mark when he bonded to you. 

🦈-He tapped his shoulder, signaling that you needed air, with reluctance he led you to the surface. 

🦈-He wanted to be underwater with you forever. Everything faded away when you were under the blue currents together. 

🦈-You broke the surface with a tiny gasp. 

🦈-“I’m so happy you’re back! I missed you.” He breathed, still not believing you were here in his arms and not somewhere on land where he couldn’t see or hold you. 

🦈-“I’m sorry. Things came up.” You said, not quite meeting his eyes. You didn’t want to see the sadness lurking in his ruby orbs. 

🦈-“That’s fine. I am just glad you are back.” He said, acting like he wasn’t desperately searching for you the entire week.

🦈-“You know I will always come back for my little crab.” You joked, hoping to lift the mood a bit. 

🦈-He laughed, playfully pushing you away. You laughed along with him, the heaviness in your chest from the past week finally lifting. 

🦈-“I’ll show you a crab!” He chuckled, making his hands into claws and pinching you. 

🦈-You giggled, trying to pinch him back. Something caught his eye, his gaze was focused in the direction of the shore. You turned to look and saw a blond surfer dude riding a wave. His hair looked a little familiar so you said so. 

🦈-“Huh, his hair reminds me of the Alpha I went on a courting date with. His hair was brown though.” You hummed, looking at the guy fall off his board. 

🦈-“Courting date? You went on a courting date?” His voice dropped a few octaves, his eyes turning hard. 

🦈-“Yeah? Is there a problem?” You asked, your eyebrow lifting. 

🦈-“A problem! Yes! We are courting Y/N!” He exclaimed, pulling his arm out of the water and pointing at the bracelet you gave him.

🦈-You tilted your head, confused. Did he think it was a courting gift? He couldn’t have. For it to be a courting gift it would need to be made by you. You were sure you told him you bought it from a shop on the pier. 

🦈-“I didn’t make it. It isn’t a courting gift, Eijiro.” As much as it hurt your heart to say it, it was true. 

🦈-“Yes, it is! If you give me a gift it means you want to court me. I accepted it so we are courting. I even have a gift for you.” He said, lifting up his other gift. A pearl bracelet sat on his wrist. It was obviously made for you since it looked way too small for his thick wrist. 

🦈-He slid it off and put it on you. The white pearls glistened under the sunlight. 

🦈-You looked at it in awe, the bracelet was beautifully made. The warm mood was broken when someone called out to you from behind. 

🦈-“You okay out there?” A voice yelled. 

🦈-You turned to see the surfer you both were talking about holding onto his board and look at you. He was about 20 feet from you so he couldn’t see your little red friend. That didn’t mean you didn’t shove the poor boy underwater.

🦈-Eijiro didn’t mind, he was just enjoying the feel of your hands on his shoulders.

🦈-You looked around and supposed you were a bit too far from shore.

🦈-“I’m fine! I’m a great swimmer.” You yelled back, smiling at the nicely tanned boy. 

🦈-While your swimming did improve a little after you started hanging out with the shark boy you still weren’t expert level. You only felt safe so far out in the deep because you had Eijiro by your side. You knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to you. 

🦈-The surfer gave you a nod and smile before turning his attention back on the upcoming waves. 

🦈-It was apparent Eijiro didn’t like that your attention was off him. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you down under the water with him. Before you could blink the saltwater out of your eyes his lips were on yours. 

🦈-In an instant, all of your worries and fears washed away. You sank into the kiss with a delighted purr. You brought your hands up and weaved them through his hair. Your legs wrapped around his waist. You tried not to smile as you felt him slightly nibble on your lip. 

🦈-The only thought running through your mind was that you knew Eijiro wouldn’t be your summer love, he would be your forever love. 

Bonus: 

🦈-You sat on your pier and waited for your Alpha to come back. That’s right, your pier. After you bonded with Eijiro you both found out he would be able to shift between human and half-shark. With his new second hands, he was free to join you on land. 

🦈-The first thing he did was rent a boat and became a fisherman. The boat was just a cover while he shifted into his half-shark form and rounded up fish to sell. It wasn’t long before he was bringing in some money and together you both purchased a beach house with its own pier. 

🦈-Right now you sat on the pier with a huge metal pot by your side. Usually, you would eagerly hold it in your lap but your baby bump wouldn’t let you. 

🦈-Not too long after you moved into the house the both of you found out you were carrying a pup. Eijiro’s nearly passed out in happiness that day.   

🦈-The one thing about this pup was that it loved seafood. Now Eijirio was a fan of red meat but his pup couldn’t get enough of the sea. Poor Eijiro was devastated when your pup wouldn’t let him cook red meat in the house anymore since it made you want to throw up at the smell. 

🦈-Still, he happily gave it up for the time being, anything to make sure you and the pup were both comfortable. 

🦈-Tonight was seafood boil, that was where the big pot came in handy. Your lovely Alpha was out hunting the savorly little things. Your mouth was already watering at the thought of them. Like he heard your thoughts, Eijiro popped out of the water proudly holding up a big net filled with your latest craving. 

🦈-You could have sworn your eyes were sparkling. 

🦈- “I caught a lot just in case you are still craving them tomorrow.” He happily stated, pulling himself up on the pier. His tail was gone in seconds and in their place were his strong calves. Once he was situated on the deck he put his net into the pot sitting by your side. 

🦈-“Thank you, Alpha! I am so excited!” You beamed, looking down at the pot. 

🦈-It seems your pup was excited as well, they were dancing up a storm. You lovingly rubbed your stomach before standing up and reaching for the pot. Eijiro was quick to brush your hands away and picked up the pot. 

🦈-He wasn’t about to let his Omega carry ten pounds of shrimp while pregnant with his pup. His Alpha nearly growled at the thought. He might have been a little overprotective of you now that you were with pup. 

🦈-The sun was dipping in the sky, everything was orange and blue. You leaned against your Alpha’s side as you walked back to your home. You couldn’t have been any happier. 

🦈-“I love you, my shark boi.” You said, nuzzling into his side. 

🦈-“I love you too, Omega.” He grinned, leaning down to place a kiss on your head. 

This was my first time writing a sort of shark/merman AU. Please tell me what you think of it! I might write more for it when summer hits. 

That being said, please wash your hands and stay safe guys! 

Please reblog and leave a note. Both really help motivate me to write more. 

[solinarimoon]

Little Sea - Part II

AN: This is Part II for my contribution to @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie 500 followers challenge.  Part I here. Congratulations once again on such a great milestone, Ana!  Enjoy the conclusion of my reimagining of The Little Mermaid. More notes at the end of the story.

Warnings: Fluffy fluff, a bit more angst, hurt/comfort, non-canon or rather not exploring certain aspects of canon

My Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part II

When Alba woke the following morning, she was alone in the small hut.  The door stood open and she could see a grey morning rising.

Slowly and carefully, she stood and walked outside only to be met with confusion.  

The man, Sihtric’s hut was nestled amidst looming pines and a small clearing that overlooked the water.  It was not too far from her own small hut on the beach below.  

Alba wondered how she had not seen this man or passed by his home before.  She had become quite familiar with the surrounding areas near her beach in the year she had been ashore.

The quick snap of a branch followed by footsteps startled her out of her thoughts.

Sihtric walked around the corner of the house carrying a bundle of firewood.  He paused when he noticed Alba standing in the center of his clearing.

Noticing her confused expression, he cleared his throat as he continued his walk to place the pile of wood next to his door.

“We’re on the other side of the cliffs,” he offered.  “You are familiar the side leading up from the beach.  But I am on the other side.  If you stand here,” he had walked to the edge of the clearing across from his house, “you can see down to your home and know where we are.”

He gestured through a break in the trees down along the beach.  When Alba came to his side to look where he indicated, she could indeed see her own little home sitting so far off, between the rocks and crags along the sandy shore.

Still confused, Alba turned to look at him.  She pointed to herself and then down to her home.  Not getting her questions across, she squinted her eyes and huffed.

Then she pointed to Sihtric, then to her own eyes and quickly down towards the beach.

Realization dawned on Sihtric’s face and he shook his head sheepishly.

“No, no, I don’t watch you.  Not really.”  Alba starred so he continued, “It is a nice view from here.  And it would be impossible to not notice you on the beach.”

Not knowing what else to do, Alba gave him a small smile before turning back to face the beach.  She could still faintly hear the crash of the waves and see where the storm clouds from last night were still drifting slowly away offshore.  She stayed standing there most of the morning, just watching as the tide rose along the beach.

Eventually, Sihtric came to stand beside her once more offering her a plate with some bread and cheese.

“I am sorry you lost him.”

Sihtric’s voice was quiet, with a deep reverberating hum.  Alba allowed her head to drop and she turned walking over to sit down on a fallen log near the door to the hut.  She nibbled lightly on the food, lost in thought over these new circumstances.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the weeks that followed, Alba grew to trust the quiet, brooding man.  She found her feet bringing her up the ridge and to his clearing often.  And days when she did not come to him, he found his way to her.  The pair grew quite comfortable with one another, fishing together, taking long walks, watching storms roll in along the beach. They would visit the market together as well when the need would arise.

And it surprised Alba to realize the deep affection she developed for the young man.  He was quiet and calm.  The silence that passed often for long periods of time was comfortable, never forced.  And she could catch him staring at her often when he thought she would not be looking.  

One evening, while sitting on the log outside Sihtric’s hut, it struck Alba.  She knew that she should be nearing the time when she would be forced to return to the sea.  Her year was sure to be almost up.  But the most peculiar thing was not that she had lost track of the time, but that the pull to the ocean had dulled so much that she had been able to forget.

Sihtric, sitting next to her while sharpening a knife on a stone paused when he heard her sharp intake of breath.

“What is wrong?” he questioned putting down the knife.

Alba had turned to him and she searched his eyes frantically as she took his face between her hands.

He placed one of his hands atop hers, searching her face just as closely.

Slowly, Alba shifted herself closer to his side, bringing her face only inches apart from his.  She felt him still, waiting for her to choose.  To choose to lean forward.  To choose the next move.  To choose him.  Alba’s heart beat thundered in her ears like the ferocious crash of the ocean.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her lips brush softly against his.  Slowly she pressed further, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Sihtric’s hands slide around, encircling her waist and pulling her flush against him.  And the crash of the ocean in her ears slowed to gentle lapping of waves against the sand. 

Alba pulled her lips from his with a smile to stare into his eyes as she felt the words rise on her throat.

“I’ve found you,” she whispered, her voice lofting on the wind.

“You’re voice? I… why…” Sihtric stared in confusion at Alba but could not keep the smile that formed on his lips.

“It’s…” Alba stood up, taking Sihtric’s hands in hers as she stared down at him, “it’s a long story and one I don’t know if you’ll believe.”

Sihtric stood now, gently bringing his hands, still entwined with Alba’s to rest behind her back.  Their faces were mere inches apart once more.  He looked at her, taking in all of her features, his eyes glistening and bright.

“I have loved you since I first saw you watching the ocean from your beach.  I will listen to whatever you wish to tell me,” he whispered before placing another gentle kiss on her lips, only to pull back one moment later with a grin, “but I would settle for you telling me your name first.”

Alba laughed and kissed him back before she answered, “Alba.  My name is Alba.”

The pair spent the rest of the evening wrapped in each other’s embrace while Alba recounted her last year to him.  She held nothing back, telling him the entire truth of her existence and of her love for Hvitserk.  

Alba had always been the most curious of her sisters about the human world.  So it didn’t surprise her or her sisters when she spied a young viking from the prow of his ship.  He had looked so forlorn, so conflicted.  Alba had spied him while he thought no one was watching, when people are their most true selves.  And she had been smitten completely, racing along unseen beside his ship as it made it’s way home to Kattegat.

The enchantment was a complicated one.  It required sacrifice and commitment of the most serious type.  Alba’s sisters helped her to enact the magic involved.  Forsaking her own voice, Alba would be able to walk among humans for one year.  If she found true love in that year and that love was returned, she could remain human.  But if she did not find love, then she would be pulled back to her life in the sea.

“When you found me on the cliffs during the storm,” Alba whispered, “I had lost all my hope.”  She was lying between Sihtric’s legs, her chin resting on her hands that were folded across his abdomen. “Ivar had sent Hvitserk away to his death and I had to live with the knowledge that he had never loved me. I was ready to return to the sea, but I was not ready to live a long and lonely life feeling that loss. I wanted to go home  And I wanted to find an end to my heartache.”

Alba paused, bringing a hand up to trace lazy circles along his abdomen.  Sihtric ran his fingers gently through her long, blond hair, waiting patiently while she gathered her thoughts.  Her breathing became stuttered and she quickly wiped a tear away from her cheek before continuing, “And Thora.  After Ivar had her killed, I felt so responsible.  I doubt there is anything I could have done, but he loved her and she was killed because of it.  I know now, now that I know you, Sihtric,” she turned her eyes, brimming with tears to meet his, “I know that it was not love I had for Hvitserk.  At least not true love or anything that would last.  But I still mourn for him and for sweet Thora, who did have his love. And neither deserved their fates.”

Sihtric’s hand moved to wipe away her tears.

“It is good to mourn, Alba,” he said her name like it was honey on his tongue, “it is ok that you loved him and cared for her.  Most people deserve to be remembered by someone after they’re gone.  And being remembered for love is the most beautiful reason I can think of.”

The pair laid in comfortable silence for a while, before Sihtric cleared his throat, “you haven’t said yet.”

“Said what?”  Alba peered at him questioningly.

“What brought your voice back to you?”  Sihtric’s voice held a smile, as if he knew the unspoken answer.

Alba grinned up at him, “I thought that was obvious.  I have found love and that love is returned.  A part of my heart will always belong to the sea, but I no longer will yearn to return.  I am home now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alba sat on the beach as the sun climbed higher in the sky.  She watched as Sihtric cast the fishing net out over the waters.  The rising sun casting glittering rays off the droplets that splashed as the net hit the water.  

She did not turn when soft footsteps approached from behind her.  She did not turn to meet his eye when he took a seat beside her, his knees drawn up and his hands clasped.

“I knew I would find you on the beach again, once I returned.”  Alba thought his voice sounded different somehow.  More somber.  Pained.

“It is where you have always found me, Hvitserk” she replied, finally turning to greet him with a small smile.

Hvitserk stared back at her in shock, a grin slowly forming on his lips.  “You found your voice, little Skór,” he rasped, incredulously. 

Alba turned her attention back towards the water, smiling.  “I did.  And my name is,” she turned back to meet his gaze once more, “Alba.”

“Alba,” he rolled the word around on his tongue.  “It is a good name,” he chuckled. But still Alba heard the pain behind his laugh.  She wanted to tell him she was happy he was alive and well.  She wanted to say she knew about the attacks on Kattegat and about his joining sides with his brother’s against Ivar.  But those words died on her lips. 

Instead, she reached out a hand to squeeze his arm, “I am sorry about Thora.  I wish I could have done,” but Hvitserk broke off her words, raising a hand and shaking his head.

“There is nothing you could have done that would not have placed yourself into the same fate as Thora,” he turned to meet her eye, “but thank you, all the same.”

After a few minutes of sitting quietly, watching the waves roll in and listening to the splash of Sihtric’s net, Alba spoke again.

“I am also sorry about that night.  The night you left.  I should not have placed that burden on you. Knowing your love belonged to her. It was unfair of me.”

“You do not have anything to apologize for, little Sjór.  But,” Hvitserk paused, glancing between Sihtric’s activities and Alba’s eyes watching him, “I sense now that something has changed.  Tell me. Now that you have a voice to do so,” he added with another chuckle.

Alba tore her eyes away from Sihtric, who had turned to watch her and Hvitserk on the beach.

“I fell in love,” she said simply, smiling back at Sihtric before turning to meet Hvitserk’s gaze. “I loved you, Hvitserk, thought that I was in love with you.  If nothing more than with the idea of you. But, it was not the same,” she turned back to stare at Sihtric wistfully before she continued.  “My heart was made for Sihtric.  And when my heart found him, I found my voice also.”

She turned back to see Hvitserk watching her, waiting for her to continue, sensing there was more.  “And it was you and the Gods who brought me to him.  It was fate that brought me to you.  Even if it was not my fate to be yours.  Or for you to be mine.  So you have my gratitude, Hvitserk Ragnarson. And my friendship.”

Hvitserk nodded his head low, smirking before replying, “And I am glad to have it, Alba from the Sea.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN:  I grew up loving The Little Mermaid, but sitting down to write for it, I wanted to make it more about finding the right one instead of finding the first one.  So still something fated, but less about first appearances.  I hope I was able to keep both Sihtric and Hvitserk in character.  And I hope you all enjoyed this little story. 

Tagging my usuals. Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from my tag list.

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