#interactions: ocean

[blackcatxmagic]

Closed starter: Astrid ( @hexstrom ) Location: Lilla Bakstugan

It was almost Christmas, and Ocean felt like he had everything he needed as far as gifts went. Finding the perfect gift for his family wasn't always easy, especially now that Ocean realized how bad he was at choosing them, so for almost the entire year, he'd been thinking about it. He'd been taking notes about things his family had mentioned, jotting down ideas, shopping various stores when he could, and now with just days to go, he felt like he'd gotten them things they'd like. Maybe they wouldn't love them, but Ocean would just be happy if they liked them. He just wished he were better at choosing things for them. It shouldn't be this hard - he had known them all his entire life, so it should have come more naturally to him. When it came to friends like Corey and Aris and Evangeline, Ocean had a harder time since he hadn't been planning this the entire year; he'd only met Corey and Aris since coming to Cardinal Hill, and he hadn't seen Evangeline in years. But he'd managed to find them something too.

Still, in addition to gifts, Ocean wanted to buy them all some sort of treat. While he'd initially planned on going to Just Like Heaven, he decided instead to try the new bakery in town, which he'd been wanting to check out anyway. Walking into the bakery, Ocean immediately smiled; he loved the smell of baked goods, especially at this time of year. It just felt cozy to be among various treats like this while it snowed softly outside and the sound of Christmas music and bells could be heard wherever you went. Walking to the display case, Ocean looked at the various options, and immediately he felt overwhelmed. This had been a spur of the moment decision, so he hadn't been planning this for the past year. What if he chose the wrong things? What if his family and friends hated what he picked out? Looking at the woman behind the counter, Ocean said, "Excuse me, can you help me? I'm trying to find some nice treats for some people for the holidays."

[shandzii]

assorted ocean idiots doodles in the middle of the rot asdfghjk

[blackcatxmagic]

Despite being so happy to see Evangeline, Ocean felt self-conscious now. He wished that he hadn't talked about the way he felt being non-magical in his family, and he blushed, apologizing, "I'm sorry to be so whiny. I know, I've got a family who loves me, and that should be enough. And it is, you know? But..." Ocean didn't quite know how to articulate what he felt, not without sounding like he was being a baby, which he'd already done enough of. You were right, he thought. It was only a matter of time before you started overanalyzing everything. That was the kinder of the voices in his head, though it wasn't always nice to him, especially these days. And then the cruel voice inside him hissed, She sees you now. She knows you're nothing but a huge loser. Ocean wished they'd gotten a little longer before he'd started showing that side of himself to his old friend. Sure, Evangeline was saying such nice things to him, and they made him smile, but Ocean thought his friend was likely only saying them to be nice. So he just shrugged and said, "Thanks," offering Evangeline a soft smile.

Wanting to push past this moment, Ocean said, "Do you want to do something? We can hang out and catch up? Unless you have better things to do." Of course she does, both voices inside him said. And then one of them whispered, Anything is better than spending time with you. And Ocean wasn't sure which voice that was, an occurrence that was becoming more and more common; those voices were starting to sound so alike.

Evangeline was growing more and more excited as Ocean spoke of who was with him in Cardinal Hill; who knew this town was so full of absolute treasures? She supposed the answer to that question might have been her father, but even while she didn't doubt that he saw a gem in the small town, she would have bet anything that he wasn't aware of Ocean's presence in the town, which was Evangeline's favourite thing about Cardinal Hill at the moment. "This is the most exciting day - the best that I've had in quite some time!" She giggled with happiness. "I can't wait to see her, too."

She listened to him speak of being a human in a family full of witches; it was more common than one might have thought, for only one member of a family to stand out in such a way, but even so, it so often made Evangeline's heart ache. She'd never be able to understand what it felt like for Ocean, but so desperately wanted to at the very least be a shoulder to lean on when he was made to deal with any hardships that came from it. "I'm so sorry that it makes you feel that way, Ocean." Evangeline could understand feeling other, as Ocean had described, but for very different reasons. "I still value you very much in the community, although, I also value you for exactly who you are, and separately from magic, too." It felt as though there were no right words to say, which was extremely disheartening, considering how badly Evangeline wanted to tell Ocean that he was so very loved. "He'll definitely want to catch up with you, even outside of his work, I can guarantee it."

[blackcatxmagic]

Closed starter for Corey ( @innocentcurse ) Location: The Moonlit Drive-In

Ocean had never been to a drive-in movie, so when he had learned that Cardinal Hill had one, he of course had to check it out. His first impulse had been to ask Forest or Matteo or Aris, but then he had another idea. Ever since their encounter at the grocery store, Ocean had been thinking about Corey. They just had so much in common, and Ocean saw things in the man that made him feel protective in a way that surprised him. He hated the thought that Corey was so hard on himself, that he was so self-critical, though Ocean knew full well that he himself was like that too. Maybe that was part of why Ocean wanted to help Corey see all the good things he had to offer. He was handsome and kind and funny and talented, so many amazing qualities, and the fact that Corey had such trouble seeing that, well...Ocean wished he could find whoever had distorted Corey's view of himself and shattered his self-esteem. And the more Ocean thought about Corey, the more determined he became to do everything he could to make him happy. That's what friends did for each other, right? Were they friends now? Their bond had been so immediate that it had surprised Ocean, so yeah, they were definitely friends.

So instead of asking Forest, Matteo, or Aris to go to the drive-in, he had decided to ask Corey. This was something fun they could do together, and truthfully it was a good way to dip his toes in to social interaction with someone new. During the movie, there wouldn't be much need to talk, and it would help Ocean to relax. He remembered when he didn't used to be so socially awkward, but that felt so long ago; that felt like a different person now. Corey had agreed, and the ride over had been smoother than Ocean had expected, full of smiles and easy conversation. Yes, they were friends, and Ocean was sure of that now - and happy too.

There was just one problem: Ocean had chosen the wrong movie. Child's Play 2 had just come out, and Ocean had suggested it, thinking it fit the season. Sure, Halloween was over, but things still felt spooky in Cardinal Hill. Without knowing what kind of movies Corey liked, Ocean had chosen this because he thought it would make him look cool to like horror movies, an impulse he knew better than to indulge after the fiasco with the haunted house with Aris. But Ocean apparently hadn't learned his lesson. He had wondered how scary a movie about a doll could actually be, having never seen the original. But, well...Ocean had underestimated the fright factor.

Sitting in the car next to Corey, Ocean sank down in his seat, resisting the urge to cover his eyes; he refused to look like a wimp in front of his friend. But then a particularly gruesome kill scene involving a yard stick happened, and Ocean finally had to look away. "Sorry," Ocean apologized to Corey, hands over his eyes. "I didn't know what I was getting us into with this movie."

[snowfadings]

🌊 quick sea/ocean/aquarium themed moodboard ^-^ i will start posting my summer moodboards soon!! in the meantime pls check out my summertime activity poll if u havent already <3 it helps me see which moodboards i should make first !!

[sharkycare]

🌊🐠bathtime, little guppy!🐠🌊

bathtime moodboard made by mr. malakai himself !!

[blackcatxmagic]

Ocean didn't know why he was still wasting this woman's time. She clearly had more important things to do than talk to Ocean, and now he was just wasting her time. Plus...her comment about the puddle-soaked cookie kind of hurt, even if it was accurate. Most people, while likely thinking the same thing, didn't actually voice that sort of thought out loud, instead trying to make Ocean feel better. In some ways that was even worse because Ocean could never believe them, but he found that this hurt too. It wasn't the woman's fault though - Ocean had led her to make that remark, and besides, it was true. "I don't know why I do it," Ocean answered quietly. Really he didn't know how to not be that way, not anymore.

"Thanks for the advice on the crystals," Ocean told the other, grabbing the black tourmaline. "I'm going to get some. Hopefully it'll help." It couldn't hurt at the very least.

The witch gave a small nod, her gaze scanning over the crystals as she idly thought about the fact her life had truly messed up to be so stuck in such a moment. Candela truly needed more dark witches to talk to, simply to see if she was actually losing her mind or if she was simply paranoid about it. The witch hummed at the others words "I think it's all subjective, we all think and feel things for our own reasons and that's not always meant to be understood, it's same when they follow through one actions..." she stated simply. "Then if you're aware, why do you continue?" she said bluntly with a light shrug. "Perhaps, you're more of a puddle soaked cookie then?" she offered.

[little-pup-pip]

hi there! i love your work, you have such an eye for color!! i was wondering, could you do a "sick by the seaside" board? sort of like the hospital in 'the wind rises', just cozy old-fashioned care. big blankets, bay windows, warm veggie soup, all those vibes!! thank you kindly 🌊🐚🥣🛌🐚🌊

Here you go!!

[silvieesbubbles]

I wanna play mermaids an be the pretties fishie princess ever !!

[blackcatxmagic]

Closed starter: Sunshine ( @pandemoniumfm ) Location: Sunshine's house

Ocean knew this was a long time coming. While Sunshine had lived in Cardinal Hill long before he had, he hadn't really seen much of her in the months he'd lived here. Whereas it was easy to be around Forest, whom Ocean considered his best friend now too, it had always been harder to be around his oldest sister since everything that had happened with his ex. It was the same with his parents and many of the older members of the commune who had watched out for Ocean his entire life. While he didn't want anyone to see how broken he was, it was even more difficult with those people, and given that Sunshine sometimes felt like a third parent, it was so hard for Ocean to let her see what a mess he was. He hated the idea of Sunshine seeing how weak he had become - had always been really - how pathetic, how he had become such a waste of space. The last thing Ocean wanted was to disappoint Sunshine even though that's what he was: a disappointment.

But Ocean couldn't put it off anymore, and besides, it wasn't fair to his sister. Sunshine had done nothing to deserve Ocean's treatment of her, and he hated himself for being so thoughtless. That's what you are though, that inner voice hissed. You always hurt people. They'd be better off without you. These intrusive thoughts were always so hard to shake, but Ocean tried desperately to do so as he stood on Sunshine's front porch. He wanted to a clear head, hoping he could fake it and pretend like everything was okay, like he wasn't stuck in the labyrinth of what Aaron had done to him. Finally he rang the doorbell, waiting for his sister to answer, and when she did, Ocean smiled softly and said, "Hi Sunny."

[blackcatxmagic]

Ocean almost apologized at that. He felt guilty, thinking that he had made Dolores feel badly by talking about how much he'd been loved. "I know it's not really a bad thing," he told her. "I know that. I just wish that when the bad things eventually came that I hadn't been so underprepared." Was that even making sense? Ocean had no idea what he was saying anymore, and he decided that maybe it was better to just stop trying; otherwise he might just dig his hole even deeper. And Dolores had a very practical way of looking at the situation, that that didn't make much of a different for Ocean because he wasn't really looking at things - especially himself - objectively. "I guess that's true," he agreed. "No one is the same. But..." He trailed off, unsure of how to explain it. Finally he said, "I guess I just realized most other people have more to offer the world than I do." It had been a humbly realization, one that had ruined him.

It seemed like Dolores was just saying yes to be nice, and Ocean didn't want her to feel obligated. Shaking his head, he replied, "No, really, it's okay. I'm sure you've got things to do with that bread, so I'll let you go." He paused, wringing his hands slightly, feeling awkward (but that was the norm for him). And then Ocean added, "It was nice talking to you, Dolores. I'm glad I got you to try sourdough."

.

Dolores looked down. She wasn't sure if she ever had an idealized view of herself, not even an idea of what her ideal self would be. "... I wish that people loved me so much," she muttered under her breath. Just look at Ocean –he had her admitting things she didn't even like admitting to herself, all while standing in the corner of a bakery. What would the side effect of 'unearned confidence' even be? Maybe other people may think he was annoying, but so what? Confident people didn't care.

"Nobody is like everyone else," Dolores said, less quietly. "Even people who want to conform have something that makes them anomalies. It isn't good or bad. It's just what it is." She had always believed in that, especially considering what she knew about how people were willing to conform faster than one could think possible. People were desperate to fit in. It never changed who they really were.

"Ah... I don't think..." She had plenty enough with her bread. "I'm good." It took Dolores a moment to realize it was more for his benefit than her own. Most likely, if she said no, he would end up apologizing again. "But... I mean, if you'd like, I'll accept it."

[jayden-0kayden]

looks at you two ( @bigidiotenergytm & @messymoonmad )

You both know what THEY did.

[sharkycare]

🌊🐠 gentle reminder little one! 🌊🐠

like the ocean waves follow their rhythm, your routine helps keep you feeling happy and fresh! 🌊💙

🪥 brush your teeth so your smile shines as bright as the sea foam 🚿 wash up like a little mermaid splashing in the tide 🩵 slip into cozy pajamas, like a soft seashell wrapping you up safe 💧 drink some water, just like the ocean hugs the shore—stay hydrated, little guppy!

💊take any necessary medication to be as strong as a crab shell! 🌙 snuggle up and drift into dreams as calm as a quiet tide..

taking care of yourself is sooooo important. you deserve to feel fresh, clean, and so very loved! 💙

[chaziemcblack]

Perla knows what’s going on

[blackcatxmagic]

"Maybe for you," Ocean replied, smiling at Boris. "You're probably used to it by now." Admittedly Ocean didn't like what Boris was describing, but they weren't things that surprised him; he'd heard about what it was like living in an area with snow. He was still excited for it. "Maybe after this year, I won't like it so much, but at least I'll know. And it's kind of hard to get into the holiday spirit when you're sweating in your Christmas sweater."" Ocean told Boris. "But I do like having a change in seasons already. I hate that it's almost always so hot in Southern California."

Still worried that he'd overshared, Ocean felt a bit better upon hearing Boris's reply. And despite the fact that he didn't want to dwell on that feeling, he found himself talking about it still. "I wonder sometimes if some people don't really fit in anywhere," Ocean said, giving voice to a secret fear of his. "And if we don't belong anywhere now, will ever belong? Will we ever find out place? I think about that all the time, especially lately." He was bound and determined to make Cardinal Hill his home, and he didn't like the idea of leaving now that he was reconnecting with Forest and Sunshine. They could be his home. As Boris talked, Ocean listened to them describe what it was like here for them, and he gave them a sad little smile. So Boris could understand how Ocean felt. "That's how it was at the commune when I left," he replied. "It wasn't always like that, and I don't think it was anything they were doing there. It was me." He thought about how to phrase it before settling on, "It's like I was a piece of that puzzle, but then the puzzle changed, and I no longer fit." A second later though, Ocean realized that wasn't quite right. "That's not it," he went on. "The puzzle didn't change. I did. The piece is what's different, not the puzzle." Either way, he no longer fit, and he felt like Boris would understand. "It's hard feeling like you don't belong in the place where you grew up," Ocean said, giving Boris a reassuring little smile.

Ocean laughed with Boris as they talked about their friends. "Is it weird that I kind of want to watch it now?" he asked. "I want to see if it has the same effect on me as it did them." There was a lock on his bathroom door at home, or worst case, he'd take baths until he got over it if the movie freaked him out. And besides, it might not be so bad with a friend. At Boris's question, Ocean replied, "I'm actually free all day today. When do you get off work? I'm free tomorrow too." Really Ocean was free most of the time unless he was working.

.

"Meh, white Christmases are overrated," Boris said, still with a smile, scrunching their nose. Their family wasn't one to really celebrate Christmas anyways, at least not how the rest of Cardinal Hill did. "They're fun when you're a kid and school's out, but you got to make sure the heating works, that you have enough warm clothing, that you don't get sick..." They realized that they might just be ruining Ocean's excitement. "But it is a pretty sight, and playing around in the snow's really great, too. And, well, the whole town looks absolutely beautiful, of course, all decked out for the holidays."

Their smile slowly faded when Ocean made his comment about his stay at Cardinal Hill. "Oh... Jeez, I'm sorry. Feeling out of place is the worst. It's just..." Boris made a little gesture with their shoulders, between a shrug and a shiver. "You end up feeling so jealous of everyone else who seems so comfortable in their own skin. Right?" They scratched their cheek. Most probably it wasn't like that for Ocean, most likely thye were just talking about themselves, expecting everyone else to feel like they did. "It's okay, let it out. I don't mind," they said with a smile. "And, uh... Yeah, I've lived in Cardinal Hill my whole life. My parents, though, they're from out of town. And they tend to keep to themselves, so it's kind of, I'm a local, but barely, sometimes. I've been everywhere around here, I know every block, but I don't feel like I'm particularly tethered here, you know?"

They chuckled when Ocean mentioned his friend, though they were a little surprised to learn he grew up in a commune. "Same thing happened to a buddy of mine, when we were little. Poor kid could barely sleep. It's a real testament to how effective movies can be, even when they're that old." Well, Boris had been born less than a decade after it was released; so maybe it wasn't that old, really. And then their eyes shone, when they were offered to watch the movie along with him. "Yeah, sure! It's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember loving it. And watching movies with others is way more fun. When would you like to?"

'Things to leave behind'. Intriguing. Boris' overactive imagination already began conjuring images of smuggling, money laundering, drug trafficking, cults, all the scary stories told to small-town folks to keep them terrified and content with their lot. As dangerous as it all sounded to them, it only wanted them to leave Cardinal Hill even more. "It's nice to know you have people who got your back, especially when you're feeling lost," they thought out loud.

[little-pup-pip]

Hi!! Could I please have a stingray moodboard?! With lots of blues and oceany ocean themez? And no paci but little kid toys? And masc plz!! :3

Sure!!