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cryptidinspace · 1 year ago

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Dangerous Waters, Ch 4

No vore in this chapter, sorry, just discussions of it ;-;

“Welcome, students, to Oceans United’s opening ceremony…year one.” The old merman on stage gave the restless crowd a lazy grin. He didn’t seem especially touched by his own school’s first year in business. Presumably, he was the guy in charge…he had a sash with “Principal” written on it.

In the midst of the crowd, Sol gazed blankly into the ceiling. He was only halfway listening, and halfway mapping out the room in his head. Sea monsters had been seated in the back, mermaids on the right, and sirens on the left. On one side, a young siren with a strange hairdo picked at her nails. On his other, that worried teacher from their journey here was rubbing his eyes. Sol idly tried to recall his name, and gave up after a few seconds.

None of this mattered, really. The reasoning behind the school’s creation, the confusing governments acts behind it all, the probably-false sob stories. Sol was only there for vengeance. If he could just send a spear through the culprit's heart…

In truth, there was almost no chance of them being here. But such thoughts had been buried at the very start of this venture.

“-Enclosed in your welcome package, you’ll find our class schedule, as well as our rules of conduct-” That old fart was still talking. Out of sheer boredom, Sol opened the booklet. He had no intention to actually attend his classes, or sleep in the dorm rooms. The subjects looked pretty basic anyway…this place was certainly not meant to foster academic excellence.

On the other side of the auditorium, Irridessed scowled at her booklet, brow twisted in confusion. Her heart was slowly sinking…this was not what she thought it was. Her parents had said it was a top institution, with a program that would help her climb government rankings. Why didn’t I look at it myself?! What kind of joke is this…. It was just the basic “core” classes, with a handful of clubs. This was lower quality than her middle school.

She turned to Lacey, shooting the merperson a furious look, and gestured at the booklet. Lacey shrugged helplessly, looking lost. “Lace, what did your mom say this school was for, again?”

“Uh…” Lacey squinted, trying to recall the exact reason. Their mom wanted them to meet a nice boy at uni, and they had gone because they wanted to be with Irridesse. “....l-liberal arts?”

Iridesse seemed to believe that, surprisingly. “There’s nothing on here. Everyone just has the same five classes, plus a bunch of random clubs. And they’re student lead.” She looked up sharply at the sudden sound of half-hearted clapping. Was it over already? That was it? Even if her main goal was to terrorize sea monsters, academic failure was not to be tolerated.

Lacey tapped her shoulder, looking worried. “Iridesse? Are you coming?”

The girl blinked, before sighing. “Sorry, what’re we doing..?”

“He said to go meet our counselors. They’re like, to help with Mer-related stuff, I think? I think we all just share one…”

Yet another sign of mediocrity. They couldn’t even hire multiple merperson counselors. Her parents had always encouraged her to excel in schooling, even when her “grandiose delusions” spiraled out of control. They wouldn’t knowingly send her to a place like this.

A few minutes later, the two of them were riding the currents through the dark waters, toward yet another stone building. “So.” Iridesse broke the silence, her voice no-nonsense as usual. “The sea monsters. I’m rooming with one, as it turns out. She called herself Magna, and-” Her face wrinkled in disgust, and Lacey shot her a sudden look of alarm.

How do I even describe it? “She put me in her mouth.” Bluntly. “And then spit me out again.” Her earlier feelings of shame came flooding back, and she glared into the ground. Water rushed around them, filling the silence, while lantern fish bumbled by. “She…said it was a greeting. Maybe among sea monsters, those freaks, but obviously not me…obviously…”

Lacey stared in shock, feeling petrified all over again. Their mind rushed back to Carcharious, and the sheer terror they felt just being near him. They couldn’t imagine what they would have felt if that giant had stuck them in his mouth…the thought was enough to make them feel queasy. Forcing themself to meet Iridesse’s eyes, their brows drew together tightly. “That's terrible…” Their voice was still shaky, and they swallowed hard. “Hey, do you think maybe this was a bad idea?”

The current came to an end, and another set of doors opened. A simple meeting room, where twenty-or-so other Mers were already gathered. Just like the two of them, the others all looked shaken. One was openly crying in the corner, whispering something to herself.

They’re all so weak. Iridesse’s fins twitched, and her hands tightened. I can’t show fear. Breaking away from Lacey, she darted up to the counselor's desk. A middle aged woman, with bright red hair, and emerald-green scales. Her makeup was flawless, and her gaze piercing. Unlike the younger Mers, she seemed calm, with an oddly upbeat smile.

“Welcome, welcome, go ahead and grab some name tags!” She shoved pens and tags into their hands. “We’re all going to talk over some Mer-specific stuff, okay?”

Her own name tag read “Coral Dulcette.” Such a prim name, for such an apparently prim woman. Iridesse didn’t know what to make of her, mustering a polite smile before backing off.

Lacey hovered just behind, anxiously picking at something. “Can we talk about-”

They were cut off by the lights dimming. Coral swam up to the front, where a projection flickered to life on the stone wall. A collage of images, including a food chain illustration, an image of two differently-sized beings shaking hands, internal anatomy of a shark, and more. The woman grabbed a polished wooden pointer, and gently tapped the projection. “Alright, students. I’m Miss Coral Dulcette, but please, just call me Coral. I’m your counselor, and I’ll be guiding you through this new and thrilling experience. Specifically, as a Mermaid.” Her happy expression seemed to dim as she switched to the next slide; A cartoonish illustration of aquatic food chains, with a fish, shark, and plankton. “Let’s start with the elephant in the room.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In another, somewhat smaller room, siren students watched a similar projection. That same anxious teacher from before stood at the front; maybe Sol would finally learn his name.

“Good evening, students. Now I’m sure you all are very tired, its been an exciting day for everyone.” There was a murmur of agreement. “We just need to get through this one presentation first-” His voice cracked, and his face flushed slightly. Sol, at the back of the group, sighed quietly. This stuttering moron didn’t look the least bit like a leader. Thankfully, Sol didn’t intend to ever speak with him again.

“My name is Hermit Quin, Professor Quin is fine. I’ll be helping ya’ll with anything siren-related. First up, the school does *not* want you using hypnosis.” Several complaintive groans sounded, and Hermit gave them sympathetic looks. “I know, I know…” He tapped the wall, where an illustration of a siren lay sprawled on a rock. The classic “siren song” pose. Sol’s own song was rarely used…he didn’t have time to bother with hunting sailors.

“You;ll have time on the weekends, if you want to leave campus on sing on the surface. But while you’re here, the school discourages speaking about hunting or hypnosis with Mermaids.”

At this, Sol leaned forward slightly. The others seemed uncomfortable as well, looking at each other uneasily. “Hey, hang on, Hermit?” He glanced over at the girl who spoke, a short siren with unusually bright scales Her eyes were such an odd shape and color, hard to describe.

The disgruntled teacher hesitated, before nodding to her. “Miss…De’Lune?”

“The whole point of this is to understand each other better, right? Isn’t this counterproductive? Shouldn’t they know more about us?” Sol slowly turned to look at her, arching one eyebrow. Interesting…she was outspoken. De’Lune…

The poor teacher clutched his pointer, eyes widening. “Well, uh, integration is difficult, right?”

De’Lune stared back at him. “Is it?”

“Uh, well, yes,,,” Hermit looked away, still bashfully gripping the pointer. “We need to be courteous to Mermaids, and not disturb them with unpleasant siren business-”

“We aren’t unpleasant!” Someone else protested. “This is so dumb”

Sol watched in silence, interested in spite of himself. Mermaids weren’t something he thought about often. They were common prey for Sea Monsters, but as far as he could tell, they didn’t have any way to fight back. They were known mostly for being pretty and liking humans. Were they afraid of sirens too? He’d heard rumors of sirens eating them, but he couldn’t imagine it being true.

Hermit had his back against the wall now, fidgeting with a loose scale. “W-well, it’s just…the school…just, please don’t…”

Sol looked over at the clock, blocking out Hermit’s stammering once again. When is this going to be over?

—-----------------------------------------------------

“When do you think they’re gonna show up?” Rosia whispered to Carcharious, her face looking pained. “I can’t decide if I wanna go right to sleep, or try setting up a party. But I’m not gonna get to do either if our counselor doesn’t show up!” She hovered over his shoulder, spinning in lazy circles.

Their fellow sea monsters hung around awkwardly, waiting for someone to come in and order them around. Were the others all experiencing the same thing? What if they didn’t have a counselor?

At the front of the room, Spike was talking in hushed tones with a few others. Arms folded, he looked at the door. “I say if he doesn’t show up in the next five minutes, we just go back to the dorms.”

Everyone else murmured their agreements, and Rosia nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, thank god, I have so much to do!”

Carcharious kept silent, noting how everyone seemed to hang on his words. Sea monsters tended to live close to each other, preferring a sense of community. Was it hard-wired into their brains, to follow a leader? Were they hard-wired to hunt, too? He thought about that merperson he had met already, so tiny and scared of him. Lacey. I wouldn’t hurt them. I’m not going to.

The minutes ticked by. Rosia began swimming laps around his head, and he tracked her movements without thinking. “Do you really want to have a party already? We just got here.”

“What, do you not like parties? I think it’s a good way to build comradery, and whatnot. Since that’s the whole reason we’re here, maybe I’ll even get extra credit!”

“Ooh…” He suddenly felt a lot more open to the idea. “I didn’t think of it like that!”

“It’s been five minutes!” Spike suddenly announced, making Carcharious jump a little. “Let’s just leave. I bet there’s someone we can report the incident to.”

“He’s a smart guy.” Rosia commented, as everyone filtered out the door. “It’s good to have a guy like him.” Carcharious nodded in agreement, sneaking a glance back at his new classmate. Short blonde hair, spiny ridges down his back, and golden-brown scales. “So…I’m gonna round up some friends and start setting up for a party.” *So she had decided to throw a party after all.* “You can come too, if you want! Or just explore, or whatever.”

“Uh…Carcharious paused, gazing out into the dark ocean. Moonlight filtered down from far overhead, yet most of the school was lit only by soft lantern-light. He had to admit, he was curious. Especially when everyone else was occupied, it was the perfect time to explore. “I think I’ll look around, actually.” He gave Rosia a quick smile. “I’ll see you after.”

She nodded and darted away, leaving Carcharious alone among the towering stone buildings. Even to him, this place was huge. For a moment, he imagined what it must look like through the eyes of his Mer roommate…he couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

With a faint smile, he set off toward the main building.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“As we all know, Sea Monsters are known for eating Merpeople.”

Coral certainly got right to the point, Iridesse had to give her that. She felt the water ripple as Lacey shuddered silently beside her. What was it they were trying to say earlier…? She’d ask once this was over.

“Many of you may be rooming with Sea Monsters during your time here.” Iridesse spotted Atlantic, nodding fervently as she spoke. “Luckily for you, I’ve done extensive research on the relationship between Sea Monsters and Merpeople. Despite being largely a predatory relationship, there have been cases of cooperation between the species. Vegetarian Sea Monsters, merpeople living with them for protection, and much more! This school is looking to foster more relationships like that. However, there is no denying the risk it presents.”

She flipped to another slide, which showed the internal anatomy of a Sea Monster. “For your own protection, you should be informed about Sea Monsters. For instance, many have an instinctual ‘bite’ reflex. Anything swimming at high speed near their head may trigger hunting behaviors. So, stay away from the head region. Swim slowly and calmly, and remember to take deep breaths. In general, don’t get too physically close. Try to keep at a distance where both of you can see the other’s entire body.”

The entire class had gone silent as she spoke. As if a sudden sense of despair had settled over them. It wasn’t until Iridesse heard a teacher talking about them like this, like she was prepping them for a natural disaster, that she felt a hint of that despair. Were they just lambs to the slaughter here?

A hand suddenly grabbed her arm, and she almost slapped it away on reflex. But it was Lacey..they were shaking, sending tremors through the water, eyes wide. She wasn’t one for physical comfort, but…Iridesse scooted closer silently, wrapping her arm around the other’s waist. We can handle this.

“Of course, none of your classmates want to eat you. But you can make it easier for everyone by being aware of biology and instinct. You may find that your own instincts tell you to run and hide, but you’ll need to set that aside as well. For change to be made, you must have courage!” She sounded like something out of a storybook, even as twenty terrified students stared back at her. “Alright, uh-next up, what happens if you do find yourself in a dangerous situation with a Sea Monster.”

Iridesse leaned forward slightly, listening intently. If Magna kept up this ridiculous behavior, it might just be important to know this. She didn’t hurt me, though. I was just a bit gooey. But she still could. “Now, all Sea Monster anatomy is different, due to their unique DNA makeup. Generally, however, most have a complex digestive system. Like us, most ingest food through the mouth. If you somehow find yourself in a Sea Monster’s mouth, the first thing you should do is find a secure spot. Placing yourself between the lower teeth and the inner lining of the cheek is your best bet-”

Without warning, Atlantic suddenly shot up from his seat, teary-eyed. He was trembling, clearly at the end of his rope. Coral’s eyebrows furrowed, as she slowly lowered her pointer. “Mr Mura, are you-”

“I can’t do this anymore!” He screeched, his tail nervously whipping up a storm of bubbles. “Just admit it, we’re all gonna get killed out here! I’m going home, this has to be a mistake, my parents wouldn’t send me here!” Before Coral could grab him, he fled out of the room.

Coral shook her head, sighing heavily. “Oh dear, uh…could someone please go fetch him?” The class remained silent, and she gestured at Iridesse. “Miss…Azraq. Could you please go find Mister Mura?”

This would have been useful information… Maybe she could bother Coral for more information later. Nodding reluctantly, she swam to the door. Lacey watched her go in silence, eyes wide. Their hands twitched, wishing she was still beside them. But of course, she was charging off again, without a fear. Fear. Iridesse never felt fear. From the moment they first met, as tiny children, she was so reckless and so determined. And for better or for worse, Lacey always fell in her shadow. And now, they couldn’t shake the terror that gripped her. I should follow her. I should…but I can’t.

—------------------------------------------------------

Carcharious found himself in a vast auditorium, a massive stone globe, hung with vibrant banners and soft lights. His hands ran over the smooth walls, claws grating softly. Was this space for performances of some kind? He tried to imagine a play with mermaids and sirens and sea monsters all involved, and snorted out loud. It would be a logistical nightmare.

He turned in a slow circle, wondering who built this place. To fit someone as big as him, plus all the other Sea Monsters, surely Sea Monsters had helped build it. But as far as he knew, this whole idea was set in motion by Mermaids.

I wonder what backstage looks like… He brushed aside the curtain with one hand, gazing into a rather small space behind. It was cast in shadow, but he could spot various unused props and stage lights sitting around. Still curious, he wriggled forward, getting his head and shoulders into the backstage area. Rummaging through the piles of props, he grabbed a couch. Just like Lacey and Rosia’s furniture, it looked like a doll’s. They’re basically the size of dolls to me…Is it scary? Well, it must be scary, but…is it just the history of Sea Monsters, or something more? Sighing faintly, he tossed the couch away, letting it sink slowly back to the ground.

He’d never seen merpeople or sirens before now. And he’d never really talked to Sea Monsters either, aside from his family. They lived in the vast pacific ocean, in a place so remote, that no humans or any other humanoid creature bothered to visit. But he’d read stories, and his curiosity only grew over the years. Now that he was here…he wished he could take it all back. He was too big, too unsightly, too…dangerous?

Me? Dangerous? It sounded like such a joke.

Are the rest of them dangerous? Spike, and Rosia…they both seemed friendly, and kind. But he had no idea why they were here. Perhaps…were the others right to be scared of them? But I’m not like that!

He flinched as something moved deeper in the backstage wing. It was pitch black, but he breathed in, and the scent of a merperson flowed over his tongue. Shit, i need to leave-* He braced his hands against the wooden floors, and began to push himself backwards out of the stage…only to halt as his hips were lodged in the stage’s entrance. You’ve got to be kidding me.

“Who's there?!” Charcarious froze as a young man’s voice rang out from the shadows. Fear, rich and oddly sweet, filled the water. How do I…why do I know that smell so well? Why’s it smell…good? Oh, gross- His lip curled, and he looked away. Of all the messed up things, he was not going to salivate over some poor man’s terror. There was a grunt, and a chair tumbled through the air, before lightly hitting Charcharious in the nose.He swatted it away, looking around nervously. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His voice was a low rumble, attempting to sound comforting. “I-I mean, I’m not going to hurt you.” His tail trashed, trying in vain to get him unstuck from this cramped stage. “My tail’s stuck…”

There was a long moment of silence, in which Carcharious could only hear the frantic pounding of a miniature heart. Finally, someone crept out of the dark, edging closer. The light was still awfully dim, but he could see flowing blonde hair, and a tail that was blue like sapphires. He blinked slowly, momentarily entranced by the color, before a sharp voice drew his eyes upward.

“W-what the the hell are you looking at, Sea Monster?!” The man’s voice was tremulous, and he was literally clutching his pearls. Two delicate strands, draped around his shoulders. Layered over a see-through shirt,..it was genuine jellyfish-leather, from the look of it. His amber eyes were wide, betraying his bold words…as well as the prop swords clutched in his shaking hands.

“Please…don’t hit me with that. Um, I’m sorry…” He averted his gaze, before giving himself another slight shove. The stage creaked around his waist, and he winced. If possible, he didn’t want to break the entire theater on day one. “Uh…” This was exactly why he wanted to leave. All his goals for understanding…but he couldn’t stand the fear in their eyes when they looked at him. But you literally can’t leave right now. So… “Um. What’s your name?” He offered a wobbly smile at the merman, who just backed away.

And yet…his makeshift weapon lowered slightly. The fear in his face seemed to fade, if only the tiniest bit. “You’re only asking that to lure me in, or something. Because you can’t reach me from here, because your fat ass got stuck!”

“Hey! Don’t…that’s not even…” Every retort he could think of faltered on his lips, and he sighed. He definitely could reach the guy, he still had hands, which were now tucked awkwardly beneath his chest, as far away from the mer as they could get. “That’s kind of rude. I’m just making conversation.”

Another painful silence stretched between them, and the mer glanced over his shoulder. “The door’s stuck.” He mumbled. “I think something fell behind it, and I can’t get it open. So we’re both stuck.” Every word out of his mouth seemed to be said with great reluctance. “I’m Atlantic.” Carcharias let out a soft, relieved sigh. Even just having a name made this whole encounter less horrible. “I’m Carcharias.”

“Car…charias?” Atlantic arched one eyebrow folding his arms. “ Like…car-nivorous?” “Um, well, it’s the scientific name for sand sharks…” He paused for a moment, then frowned. He’d never actually thought about the meaning of his name. But his parents were like him, peace loving vegetarians, isolated in an empty ocean. It didn’t make any sense for them to name him after such a thing. “I guess so…but I’m actually a vegetarian.”

At this, Atlantic scoffed, and dramatically flung his blade to the ground. “Preposterous! Another lie. Our counselor told us all about your kind. Predatory instincts…biting reflexes…and you can’t survive without meat.” He hesitated, then sighed. “I didn’t hear all of it, though.”

“Well, not me. I’m fine, clearly. Wait, you guys have a counselor?” He leaned closer, and Atlantic bristled, darting backwards. “Keep your distance. And yeah, didn’t you hear that old fart a couple hours ago? He said we all had to see our counselors. Except ours is clearly insane.” Carcharias tilted his head, listening intently. “She told us, practically in the same breath, that Sea Monsters could eat us without even meaning to, and that we can be friends with them. I don’t devour my friends! I don’t make friends with people that could swallow me whole whenever they feel a bit peckish!” His tail trashed, and his face grew red. A new scent wafted from him, something savory. Damn my nose…

“I mean…I wouldn’t eat you..” Carcharias mumbled, looking at the ground once more.

“Oh, but you would. Miss Dulcette said you couldn’t even help it.” Atlantic sank downward, his tail coiling on the dusty floors. “If you touch them, swim too close to their head, move around too much, turn your back…basically do *anything,* they can’t help but snap you up.” He chuckled dryly. “I’m fucking irresistable.”

“Well, she’s wrong.” Carcharias grumbled, shaking his head. “I don’t know about the others. But I have more self control than that…and I’m not tempted to eat you anyway.” He smells good, but… “I would never.”

“You…look honest.” Atlantic murmured after a moment. “You don’t want to eat me. For now.” His anger turned to sadness, and that scent faded away. Oddly enough, nothing seemed to come from him now. “Which…I guess…I can appreciate.” Carcharias smiled suddenly, and Atlantic shot him a glare. “Stop that.”

Charcharious looked away, still smiling. This was quite an unexpected development. Despite everything…he had actually made a friend out of a merperson. Or, if not quite a friend, something a little bit positive, at the very least. Maybe…maybe I could stay.

“Hey…” Atlantic glanced down at his arms, as if suddenly noticing that the sea monster’s hands were completely free. “Have your hands been there the whole time?”

“Mmmhm.” Charcharious chuckled. “But I didn’t want to alarm you.”

Atlantic scowled and folded his arms, but apparently didn’t have any more complaints at the ready. “Okay..well, I’ve got an idea. To get both of us out of here.” He turned and pointed at a massive door in the back, mostly hidden by spare curtains. “There’s stuff blocking it, but you can probably push it open.” He backed away, with a hint of nervousness still present in his face.

He’s trusting me not to hurt him. Charcharious swallowed nervously, before nodding. He dragged himself forward, scales and shark-like fins scraping along the ceiling. He could feel Atlantic’s eyes on him, and his face reddened. What could he be thinking? Clawed hands reached out, pressing into the door in front of him. With ease, like toppling a tower of blocks, the doors swung open. Stale water billowed into the room, making him cough a little. “Well. I guess your behemoth size is good for something.” Atlantic grumbled, although Carcharias could swear he saw a smile on the man’s face.

With a final grunt of effort, the Sea Monster heaved himself forward, jetting through the open doors. Water rushed around him, stirring up bubbles. Atlantic darted out just beneath him, almost brushing his rust-red fins. Carcharias looked down at him in surprise. The two were finally out…into a massive classroom. Atlantic had gotten so close, apparently in too much of a hurry to notice. The mermaid sighed loudly, swimming up further, and stretching his fins. Carcharias found he couldn’t move, frozen in place, looming over his new friend. “U-um, Atlantic-” “Wait. Do you smell that?” Atlantic sniffed loudly, folding his arms. “And…is it just me or is the water kind of murky in…in here…” He slowly looked up, eyes stretching wide at the sight of Carcharias’s face inches away from his own tiny body. “What’re you-?!”

But before Carcharias could hear him finish, before he could back away with a thousand apologies, the world started to dim unnaturally. He squinted as everything became a blur, and Atlantic’s voice became distorted beyond recognition. He was tired…so tired…his body felt so heavy, and he was suddenly too tired to even speak. “Wha…”

And the world went black.

#vore fic #vore oc #dangerous waters

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