#interactions: ocean

[blackcatxmagic]

At Aris's question, Ocean immediately blushed scarlet, a little embarrassed, but it didn't seem like Aris minded the comment. So Ocean smiled again, nodding and saying, "Yeah...it, uh...it's thick, and it looks soft." What was he even saying right now? You should have just nodded and moved on, he thought, angry with himself, but he just looked into Aris's eyes, as if those would ground him. And it actually worked. But then he was blushing again moments later when he touched Aris's wrist. The reflex still caught him off-guard, and when he pulled his hand away, it was like Ocean could feel his fingers tingling, as if there had been a charge of electricity. Maybe there had been. But Aris blushed in return, and while he didn't know why that was, somehow that helped Ocean relax a little bit. "Snakes can be scary, so it's okay," he said, smiling at Aris. "I don't think we'll be dealing with them a lot on the ranch." Somehow Ocean thought that Aris wasn't telling him the full story, but he thougth that everyone was entitled to their secrets, Aris included.

"Plus what?" Ocean asked, but then the conversation shifted when Aris remarked about Ocean's compliment. This time his cheeks were only slightly tinged crimson, and he smiled again, something he was doing so much with Aris. "Um...yes, I do," he replied, voice quiet. That slight blush turned into ignited though at Aris's own compliment, Ocean's smile growing and his heart pounding. He's just being nice, he thought, looking down at the ground and kicking at the dirt. "I'm not very cute, but thank you for saying so," he said, looking back up at Aris. The man putting his arm around his shoulders was another surprise, and for just a split second, Ocean stiffened. But it was just a reflex, and then Aris's uncanny ability to calm him kicked in, and Ocean relaxed into the other man, leaning against him slightly. This was...nice, very nice. "You smell good," Ocean said, unaware that Aris was thinking about his own scent. "And you feel very...solid," he added, and immediately Ocean regretted it. Could he ever not ruin a moment? That's your best skill, he thought, feeling frustrated with himself, but he focused on Aris yet again to push those thoughts away.

While Ocean still wasn't convinced that Aris was here to stay, he decided he would just enjoy the man's presence while he could. They walked together, Ocean tentatively putting his arm around Aris's waist in return, still leaning against him. We'll see about that, he thought, but Ocean decided not to say it out loud. Instead he focused on the talk of dogs. Truthfully Ocean liked cats more, but he very much liked dogs too. "He sounds really cute," Ocean told Aris. "I don't mind him coming with us." It was still amazing to Ocean that they were actually going to go camping together. "Do you have a tent?" Ocean asked. He knew that Aris was a camper, but if he was new in town, he might not have been able to bring it with him.

Laughing at Aris's remark, Ocean asked as they walked, "So...are you saying you'll protect me?" It came out slightly flirty, which Ocean hadn't totally intended, but he kind of liked it. What had gotten into him. As they moved through the woods together, Ocean asked, "Did you drive here? I...didn't. I actually never learned, so I just walked." Hopefully Aris wouldn't mind driving them both.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  Aris raised an eyebrow at the compliment but smiled. "Nice hair, huh?" This was the first time in a while that he'd bothered to try something new with his hair. I guess I'm gonna have to keep doing this, huh. "Yeah, you're right. Hell, there's always the possibility that if she heard my name, she'd say the same thing."

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  When Ocean grabbed his wrist, Aris stopped in his tracks. Not because he didn’t like it, but because it was so unexpected. He looked down at where Ocean’s fingers had been, then back up at his face, watching as he flustered and apologized.  “Don’t be sorry.” This time, it was his turn to blush, and he felt very embarrassed. “I saw a snake. I’m gonna need to work on that before starting at the ranch.” He laughed, hoping Ocean wouldn’t see through his bullshit. Aris was so used to being the protector, of being someone who always kept tabs on everyone else, that having someone else notice something so small made his heart skip a beat. 

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  “I like animals, and I like hard work. Plus…” he paused but found himself unable to finish his sentence. Instead, he latched onto something easier - Ocean’s compliment. “You think I’m sweet, huh?" His smile turned sharp, teasing, but his eyes held something softer beneath the playfulness. "Damn, do you know how cute you are?” Before Ocean could protest, Aris threw his arm over his shoulder, pulling him in just slightly, enough to test the waters. Ocean was warm, and his scent was something fresh and earthy, like he’d spent hours outside before meeting him.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  “By the way, I don’t say shit I don’t mean.” The more Ocean seemed convinced that Aris would leave, the more he wanted to prove him wrong. “No, I don’t have a cat. I got a dog. Hopefully that’s not a dealbreaker. His name is Baxter, he’s two, a dachshund, and my primary camping buddy, so you’ll be seeing a lot of him soon.”

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎  “Eh, don’t be worried. I don’t get scared that easily, so you’ll be safe with me.” He shot Ocean a grin before leaning in slightly, his voice dropping just a notch. “It’s just a movie - not a snake.” And with that, he laughed, nudging Ocean lightly as they walked.

[blackcatxmagic]

Closed starter: Jesse ( @angstfactory ) Location: Prescott Ranch

When he'd gotten the job at The Green Thumb Nursery, Ocean actually thought it might be a decent fit. He'd sold things before, goods from the commune and his own art at the markets, and people on the commune did a lot of farming. But something Ocean hadn't accounted for was the fact that he had very little experience with the day to day part of actually growing things. He'd been on the artsier side of commune life, working on his pottery and other works, and when he did get involved in the farming part of commune life, his role had been mostly about tending to the animals. That was something Ocean had always loved, especially when his mind got so busy, when he began to hate himself more and more. The animals didn't judge him, didn't look at him and see a total mess of a person. No, they just seemed to relax around him, as though they could sense he was a kind soul, and being around them had provided Ocean with so much comfort. It wasn't until he'd left the commune that Ocean had realized just how much he missed that.

So when Ocean saw an add in the paper for help wanted at Prescott Ranch, he immediately reached out, ignoring the voice that said he'd be terrible at it. For once, Ocean knew this voice was wrong, a wholly new experience for him; usually he listened to the voices in his head without question. But they were wrong in this instance, so Ocean blocked them out, and now here he was at the ranch a couple of days later. He'd ridden his bike here, and Ocean leaned it against a fence before walking up to the front door of the house, knocking slightly. He'd called to say he was coming, but Ocean wished this Jesse person he'd talked to had been out here because what if he wasn't in the house? What if he was in the barn? What if he was waiting for Ocean and would think he was late if Ocean spent too much time waiting for someone to answer the door of the house? You wouldn't be you if you didn't find something to spiral about, Ocean thought, his inner voice bitter and frustrated with him.

[shandzii]

assorted ocean idiots doodles in the middle of the rot asdfghjk

[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."

[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."

[spongeboystims]

꩜ ) Ocean Themed Agere Stimboard .ᐟ

sources: 1 ; 2 ; 3 | 4 ; 5 ; 6 | 7 ; 8 ; 9

[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!!

[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."

[silvieesbubbles]

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

[jayden-0kayden]

looks at you two ( @bigidiotenergytm & @messymoonmad )

You both know what THEY did.

[chaziemcblack]

Perla knows what’s going on

[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! 💙

[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."