You may regret this @phoenixcatch7 lol, what if I start spamming you /j
Less cryptid Batman in this particular WIP since it's semi-outsider pov lol (one of two outside person not unnerved by them lol)
🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇👻🪆🦇
Clark knew Batman wasn’t human, even before that disaster of a mission where he had let it slip to the others.
He’d known for a long time, from one of their early meetups, when Batman had first referred to him as Clark Kent instead of Kal-El, and he had panicked. He hadn’t ever lied to his teammates when he said that the cloak prevented him from seeing his body, but his ears still worked.
He’d tried to listen to a heartbeat, to see if his at the time temporary ally was lying when he stated he wasn’t going to tell anyone and… Nothing. There was no heartbeat, no breathing, nothing even remotely human, and if he didn’t know any better, nothing even remotely alive about the silence.
He couldn’t help but to pay attention more, to seek out the strange almost silence-feeling that accompanied the Gotham vigilante each time he felt it. It was… almost comforting, like the swaying of branches and the rustling of cloth over stone. Familiar, compared to the hustle and bustle surrounding him in the city.
The first thing he had noticed, physically that is, was Batman’s ears. Previously he’d thought the man unemotional, what with the rough voice, expressionless white eyes, cloak-covered body and the gas mask covering a good chunk of his face.
Yet the longer he watched, even idly, the more he noticed that while the man’s face or body didn’t show much, his ears did.
While Batman could stay silent and still for hours, the long ears twitched and swiveled, catching on the hood that he’d always wear around them. They’d pin back sometimes, a near silent sound he couldn’t quite place accompanying the movement, while other times they’d twist a near full three-sixty, as though searching for whatever sound it had caught.
Sometimes, when he’d startled the other vigilante, there’d be rattling noise, like wood and metal clacking together before it was cut off. It was a strange sound, one he’d not heard anywhere else, except with his… friend.
Were they friends? He’d like to think so.
The next time he was reminded that his friend wasn’t human was when he saw him get injured. It hadn’t been a bad injury, even if the Gothamite’s head had hit the wall with a very loud cracking noise, but he’d still smelled what he’d eventually come to recognize as blood. There was an almost pickle-like scent to it though that wasn’t quite it either.
Honestly the closest he could think of describing it was some sort of formaldehyde. And once he focused, he could pick out other things beneath it. Maybe not flesh and blood in the traditional sense, but still.
There was always that scent of cloth and wood, but he could smell the black liquid, paint, a metallic thing underneath like iron and steel. No heartbeat, no breath, but life all the same. It was honestly beautiful in a way, like a part of the city the other vigilante called home had come to life.
And it wasn’t like Batman minded whenever his own human mask slipped. Clark may have been raised by his Ma and Pa, whom he loved, but it didn’t make his body any more human in nature. There were just some things that he couldn’t change, and it took effort to move like one all day as a civilian when his body wasn’t designed to do so.
So he stayed quiet for the most part when their group of three grew, and people started to speculate. He diverted the conversations whenever it turned to him, lightly admonishing over the various rumors.
It didn’t matter if Batman wasn’t human, he was still his friend, their ally and teammate. Was he curious? Oh of course, he’d gone into journalism for a reason after all, but it was still his friend. If he wanted to tell, he’d tell, and Clark wouldn’t break his trust.
93 notes
·
View notes
When Thena heard in the news about the 4th fisherman drowning out at the sea she fears that it will happen to Gil too. So she decides to do some swimming lessons for Gil to make him stronger and more secure in the water. She doesn’t tell him why all of a sudden she wants to spend time with him in the water, Only later Gil learns her true intentions.
For the mermaid one!
Gil hit the surface, taking in a deep gasp of air.
"Hm," Thena pursed her lips, swimming closer to him in a second, "that was only a minute."
"Only," he huffed and puffed.
They had been practising getting him to hold his breath for longer, gradually. Thena had been positively horrified to learn that most humans could only hold their breath for about a minute before their lungs demanded oxygen. So horrified that she had insisted he strengthen his lungs, as well as plenty of other swimming skills.
So, every night after work, they would spend a little time in the water together before he had a shower and started their dinner.
"Yes, 'only'," she huffed right back at him, circling him with ease thanks to her tail cutting through the water. "Gil, your average has only increased by ten seconds. You are a fisherman!"
"Yeah," he panted faintly, swiping water and his weighed down hair out of his eyes. "And I do my fishing up on the boat, believe it or not."
She gave him a very unimpressed look. "I met you because you fell overboard."
She had a point. Gil avoided her eyes, kicking his feet and swishing his hands to keep himself afloat. "Angelfish, I appreciate the training and all. But it's been a hell of a day, I really-"
"But-!" she started and bit into her lip with her fangs. He raised a brow, waiting for her argument. She sighed, though, swirling her tail to keep herself stationary. "Perhaps you're right."
"Thena," he sighed, watching her swim slowly over to the ladder of the dock. "Angelfish, wait."
"No, I'm sorry I insisted on doing this every night," she offered him a contrite smile, "you must be exhausted."
"Hey, c'mere," he reached for her, keeping his other hand on the ladder to alleviate his own burden. "What's going on? I asked already what this was about but something's up."
Thena dodged his eyes, moving her tail, feeling the water bending around both her movements and Gil's. Humans really did have to work so, so hard to stay afloat. All that air in their lungs and it lasted less than a minute on average. And Gil's muscle was so dense, and those strong arms of his weren't actually doing the most work when he swam.
"Cuddlefish?" he tried to persuade her with sweet words again, leaning closer and kissing her cheek.
Thena sighed, leaning into the affection and bringing herself closer to him. Even in the water, although it made his skin feel damp, he was still so warm. "I was worried."
"Yeah, I'm getting that impression," he smiled again, running his hand over her hair, the water beading and running right off. "But I mean why, though?"
She sighed more harshly, flicking her tail fins more. "You saw the news."
Several deaths of fishermen had been reported on recently--enough that the local news had announced that it was unwise to be out in open water without proper training and equipment. They were even investigating exactly why the fishermen had all met their ends, and it seemed unfortunate but natural causes due to them tumbling overboard and simply being at the mercy of the sea.
"Even the strongest human is a guppy when you're out in those waves," she frowned, pressing her forehead to his chest. "The stormy season is upon us and if you fall in, or get tangled in a net again, and-"
"Hey, hey, it's okay," he cooed, kissing beside her ear and tucking her head against him. "Nothing like that is gonna happen, Angelfish."
She bit his shoulder gently (like tugging on an ear). "Net--overboard."
"Right," he remarked, and they both had to chuckle. He held her tighter though, "okay, you got me there. But you saved me."
"And what if I'm not there to save you next time?" she pulled her head up to frown at him. She pulled her hand from the water to touch his cheek, "what if I'm too late? What if you fall so deep that even if I do get you back to the surface, your lungs are already depleted?--or the pressure has crushed you beyond repair?"
"Thena," he said more firmly, even going so far as to silence her with his lips pressed to hers. "I promise I won't let that happen."
She glared at him, letting her fangs press into her lower lip. "You cannot promise that. You do not know what can happen out there!"
"Maybe."
She huffed; whose side was he on?!
"But I can promise that I'll be careful," he smiled, hoping to encourage her into doing the same. "I keep my tether tied if the weather is bad, I make sure I'm not standing on the nets anymore. And I have stuff on the boat to help too, y'know."
She tilted her head at him, hoping to convey how unconvinced she was.
"I know you're worried about me," he sighed, pulling her hand from his cheek to he could kiss her palm. "But humans are tougher than you think. And hey, my girlfriend is a mermaid--I have more experience in the water than even the average fisherman, now."
Thena rolled her eyes; merely knowing her did not make him a better swimmer. Although she had to admit, Gil's form was better than some of the other fishing boat idiots in the area. She pouted, "swimming is not a talent that can be passed on through mating."
Gil just laughed before leaning in to kiss her again. "Maybe we'll just have to keep trying, hm?"
She attempted to remain cross with him, but it really wasn't working at all. He was far too charming for a human. She leaned in to kiss him as well, her tail taking on a mind of its own to push her closer to him so she could wrap her arms around his neck.
"And hey, we can keep swimming like this," he shrugged, running his fingers up and down her back where skin met scales. "You like it, right?--having your tail on, just swimming around for fun?"
She did enjoy it. It felt nice to have her tail on in its natural state, and swimming with Gil made her feel...closer to him, in a way. She felt more connected over the gap between human and mer.
Gil kissed her again, still holding onto the ladder. "How about this--you let me start dinner for us. And tonight, when the moon is out, we can swim a little again before bed."
Thena brightened visibly, her tail practically wagging. Two of her favourite things were promised: swimming with Gil, and sleeping with Gil. What a hopeless thing she was.
"Okay, come on," he smiled, beginning the trip up the ladder. Once he was up he did shiver some.
Thena followed him up quickly, always happy when her feet could navigate the ladder easily (one of the hardest actions she'd had to learn with her legs on). "Come on, let's get inside."
Gil pulled his towel around his shoulders, although he pulled her into him with it, both of them walking slowly and awkwardly cocooned together within the fluffy cloak. "So, what do you want for dinner?"
"Hm," Thena mused, happy to shuffle along at a cucumber's pace if it meant being tucked into Gil's side. "That rice porridge you made was tasty."
"Oh yeah?" he brightened. He liked that recipe, and although it had been a remedy for her feeling unwell at the time, she had come to like it too. "Okay, I'll add some extra seafood."
Thena eyed him, "and sardines?"
He bent his head down, kissing her forehead, "anything you want, Angelfish."
11 notes
·
View notes