Warnings: Blood, gore(?), violence, cannibalism
Key: Regular text is for the present, bold is for journal entries/writing, italics is for flashbacks
(Pls reblog and leave a comment ❤)
Lamentations Pt 1
Silas did not start writing immediately. It was only when he was finally given the opportunity to be completely alone that he summoned the pen and paper he planned to pour his life experiences into.
Seated at the desk in his study, he cocked his head to the side and pressed the tip of his pen against the thick waterproof parchment and gnawed at his lip. He felt... unsure. This was... new. An alien experience.
XX/XX/XX
My name is Silas Clearcove.
No. No, that wasn't right. A line went through the sentence.
Hey, I'm Silas. I'm a butcher.
Sea Witch no, that sounded like he was setting up a social media profile. Another line.
I was born in the Abyss, below the Coral Sea.
That didn't work either. This was his life story, and he couldn't think of anything better to start with? ...Well it wasn't like he was writing a book, was he? This was for him, not anyone else.
The Abyss itself has no name. If it did, it is now long forgotten. It is ancient. Far far older than the Coral Sea itself. Some say it was once a powerful nation that boasted magical prowess rivalling that of Briar Valley, though the history around it is too murky to confirm the truth.
Nowadays, the abyss is viewed as the slums of the Coral Sea. The unwanted blemish you desperately want to hide. An endless pit of black promising your end if you just swim down.
I digress. My family resided within the abyss for generations, deemed undesirable and driven out of the Coral Sea, forced into isolation.
It was far from a stable living. Money was difficult to scrape up, and it was far from safe down there, where the desperate and depraved resided. Nonetheless, they survived. And when I was born into one of the worst famines we had ever faced, I had to survive as well.
My memory of those times is blurry and muddled. There are some things that stick to me, clear as day, but they are few and far between.
As far as I recall, much of my childhood was spent watching my family fight for scraps and clash with other mers almost constantly, snatching money from Coral Sea residents and hunting on grounds that most certainly did not belong to them.
There was no time for peace or rest, as ambushes from others looking for fresh dinner were not uncommon. The little caves or holes we squeezed ourselves into were often attacked and raided, and we had to move to find somewhere else to live.
I could never do much but simply observe. I was too small, too frail, too... malnourished.
Silas trembled and pressed himself into a corner, watching the blurry shape of his mother try to coax him into getting up.
He didn't want to. It hurt. He hurt. Inside. Stabbing burning pain raged in the very pit of his stomach and he curled up righter, shaking. He could feel his ribs pressing against his arms. Feel his skin stretched taught over them.
Living in such an environment, I had enough near death experiences by the age of eight to rival that of a soldier in battle, though the only battle I was fighting was that of life.
Too many times had I nearly been eaten. Too many times had I felt teeth sink into my skin and claws rip at my flesh, saw my blood leak into the water.
It was because of this, my malnutrition and various other problems my magic manifested late. We weren't even sure it was possible for me to have it, as the only member of my family who had it was my grandfather.
My magic lay dormant for many years. Hidden. Unnoticeable. I dare say, inconceivable.
Until it made it itself known in a rather violent manner.
Silas felt lightheaded. He could feel his consciousness slipping away, black bordering on the edges of his vision.
His gills flared and fluttered as he thrashed and clawed wildly, bubbles flying from his mouth as he gasped uselessly.
The large frilled shark mer that had him in its grasp did not budge. Horrific teeth far worse than his own clenched tightly around his midriff. It wasn't fatal, not yet. Only his skin was pierced to keep him in place, but blood still flowed into the water in whisps of wine red.
He was too slow. He couldn't get away. His claws, tiny and useless, did nothing. He was so much smaller, so much more skeletal in comparison to the hulking frill shark that clearly suffered no shortage or prey.
'I'm going to die.' Said a little voice in Silas' head. A voice no nine year old should ever hear. 'I'm going to die here. Unless I-'
Silas thrust his hand toward at the snarling maw of the frill shark and a burst of dark purple light forced it release its hold with an ear-splitting cry.
It reared back and covered its face, wailing in pain as near black blood began filtering into the water. The cries and wails, gurgled and wrong, were so horrific Silas felt an icy dread run down his spine.
He watched it swim off, still screaming and crying and leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The sound echoed through the open waters, filling the empty space with the sound of pain far more excruciating than he could ever comprehend.
Silently, he turned to gaze to his trembling hand. Purple magic fizzed around his fingertips.
I still remember what happened when it pulled its hands away in order to swim for cover.
It looked right at me, blood leaking from almost empty eye sockets, mixing with the fluid pouring from its missing lower jaw.
The image was... haunting. Forever burned into my psyche. Even nowadays I still get flashes of that gruesome scene.
It was quite a shock to my family when I returned home with magic flowing freely through my veins that day. It was wild and difficult to control, bursting out of me in a vicious flash whenever my emotions became too intense.
My grandfather, however, was delighted. He was happy to have someone to pass his knowledge on to, someone around to learn the old spells collecting dust in his own mind
I learned many things from him. Wise and skilled at his age, he taught me spells that ranged from simple and efficient to powerful to horrific. He taught me just what sigils to draw, what words to chant, what images to imagine.
I learned the very essence of the deepest depths of the ocean, the coiling lurking darkness that resides within. It is old, and it is powerful.
If it weren't for those spells, both the mundane and the twisted, I doubt I would be alive today.
Magic was not the only thing my grandfather taught me. He, alongside my grandpapa, enlightened me to the art of the hunt. A silent, elegant dance that tested your wits and your skill. In doing so, I learned how to stalk, how to fight, how to prepare fresh meat and so much more.
I love them dearly and I miss them every day. They made me what I am today, and for that I am eternally grateful. If you were to ask me who my parents were, their image would be the first thing to come to mind.
There-
The sudden sound of knocking on his door made Silas pause and take a moment to look at what he had written. There was far more than he ever intended, in fact he expected to only get a few paragraphs in.
He couldn't deny that, although his heart was beating like an aggravated drum in his chest from the memories, he felt... lighter. Better.
Sighing, Silas put his pen down and carefully put the large piece of parchment under a stack of balancing sheets.
"Coming, coming!" He called, deep voice reverberating off the coral walls of his study.
He would continue tomorrow.
......................................
Guide: Previous Next
A/N: And into the nitty gritty we go! I hope you guys enjoyed the Papa Clearcove tidbits, there's even more to come
Tagging: @distant-velleity @krenenbaker @theleechyskrunkly @kitwasnothere @cynthinesia @elysia-nsimp @officialdaydreamer00 @whspermy-name @jaylleoo14
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Summary: A fic starring Silas, Finn's dad, in which he transcribes his life experiences because otherwise he'll probably just overblot.(this is a lore dump disguised as a story and an attempt at a new writing style tbh)
Warnings: I don't know how therapy works don't take this as an accurate depiction
Key: Regular text is for the present, italics is for flashbacks, bold is for journal entries
(Pls reblog and leave a comment ❤)
Lamentations Pt 0 (Prologue)
"Silas, if I may, have you ever told anyone about your experiences?"
The simple question was suspended in silence for a long moment. It was heavy and looming. Threatening
Silas Clearcove studied the calm face of his therapist for a long time. Trying to detect some sign of a joke or trick. There was none.
"No."
His response was short and sharp. Not entirely unfriendly, not exactly a warning either.
Dr Koi tapped their pen against their lips and straightened their glasses.
"Have you written it down, then? Drawn it? Told it to a seashell? I hear the young ones like doing that these days."
"No," Silas repeated, voice wavering. "No ear nor page nor... seashell apart from your own has been privy to my life. Life happens and I continue on. I try not to dwell."
Dr Koi peered at him with a pair of piercing bright green eyes. Intense. Glaring.
"Silas, it's not healthy to keep everything inside. You may consciously not think of it, but it will rot inside your subconscious and eat away at you until there's nothing left."
They gave him a soft, gentle smile. "As always, you're not obligated to do it, but I would like you to start writing down some of your experiences. It doesn't have to be anything major, just how your day went or something that annoyed you. Even if it isn't negative, it's good to write out your feelings."
Silas didn't answer at first. He continued to stare, amethyst eyes shining with something unrecognizable. His tail, dark purple in hue, coiled underneath him and bunched up tight defensively.
"May I... write about... what I've told you?" He asked, his deep voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.
"Of course you can." Dr Koi said sweetly. "If it brings you too much stress to write down, don't force yourself, okay?"
Silas' long purple hair twisted in the water as he nodded and his clawed hand came up to paw at his thick beard.
"I'll... give it a shot. Thank you, doctor."
......................................
Guide: Next
A/N: This was a very short introductory, but I hope it was alright nonetheless. I really struggled with the opening. This is originally meant to be one fic so sorry if chapter endings seem... odd.
Tagging: @krenenbaker @distant-velleity @cynthinesia @theleechyskrunkly @kitwasnothere @officialdaydreamer00 @elysia-nsimp @twisted-wonderland-but-gayer @whspermy-name @jaylleoo14 @cyanide-latte @boopshoops @casp1an-sea
@am0nline
@ramshacklerumble
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