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lomlhwa · 9 months

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the silent sea (p.sh)

pairing: siren!seonghwa x marine biologist!reader

preview: strange things have started happening around your boat. you've been out at sea alone for a few weeks, studying whales. but recently, things on your boat have started disappearing and animals have started dying. you can't shake the feeling that you're being watched by someone. or something.

tags/warnings: fem reader, monster cock seonghwa, scales everywhere (i mean everywhere), biting (he has sharp teeth and they do pierce your skin), belly bulge kink, degrading, sadomasochism, he eats a chunk of your leg (it's not fatal), unprotected penetration (wrap it before you tap it), creampie, impregnation

trigger warnings: blood, cannibalism(?), a whole lot of dead animals, it's pretty much not consented cause um siren song

wc: 2.1k

song recs for this fic: bye bye bye by wei, tank by nmixx

a/n: when i posted my yeosang siren fic forever ago, someone asked for a less violent version with seonghwa. so here it is. still slightly violent but you don't die this time <3 (please note that i made up some things about sirens to make the story better. there's a lot of variation in the story of sirens so please don't take my word for anything.)

you wake up to the waves crashing on the side of your boat just as you had for the past two weeks. when you got your marine biology degree, you didn’t realize how lonely you’d get at sea. you go to grab your binoculars and look out into the open sea, only to find that they’re missing. you search for a few minutes before deciding to just use your backup pair.

you hold the binoculars to your eyes and peer out into the never ending water. you see a few fish and the large shadow of one of the whales you’ve been following. it’s a beautiful female blue whale. tracking her size and interactions with other blue whales has been your task for the past few weeks.

you walk to the other side of the boat to see if you can spot your male blue whale. when you look through your binoculars, you see something floating in the water. you squint, trying to make out what it is. you’re horrified to find that the water around it is red and it’s clearly a dead animal.

you put on your full diving suit and get into the water, worried about what had happened. you tether yourself to your boat before swimming over. you come to find that it’s a dolphin. you roll it over to find strange bite marks. they’re much too small to fit any of its natural predators. the bites look more like the bite size of a human. you run your finger over one of them, finding that a couple of the teeth sink deeper than others, indicating sharper and longer teeth.

you leave the dolphin where it is, knowing that there’s other wildlife that will use it for nutrition. you climb back into your boat and detach from the rope you’d used to not float too far. you grab your journal to note down your findings.

the rest of your day is pretty typical. you spot your male blue whale later on in the day, monitoring his interactions with your female. nothing else seemed out of place but the incident with the dolphin never left your mind. what had killed it?

the next morning, you wake up, prepared for more research. when you walk to the side of the boat, you scream. 4 more dolphins have been killed overnight. the closest one smacks against your boat with every crash of waves. you use the net from your boat to catch it and bring it on board so you can examine it.

you find that this dolphin has the same bite marks as the one from yesterday. you assume the other 3 are in the same condition. horrified, you try to figure out what could be doing this. it can’t be a shark, their bites are much bigger than this one. it can’t be any of the fish because their bites are too small.

bewildered, you put the dead dolphin back in the water, leaving it for food as you had done with the previous one. you look out into the vast waters, wishing you could spot something else out of the ordinary that might explain all of this.

while you’re standing on the right side of the boat, you get a sudden chill that feels like you have eyes on you. you feel like you’re being watched with malintent. you turn around abruptly, only to find that there’s nothing there. you walk over to that side and lean over to see if there’s something hiding. nothing. unnerved, you go to note down the sudden death of these dolphins.

tonight, you decide not to sleep. you need to find out what is causing these animal deaths. what sort of monster is killing full grown adult dolphins with a bite so small? you keep a small flashlight on you and wander around the open space of your boat. you keep the light off so you don’t scare whatever is lurking in the sea. you’ll only turn it on if you hear something.

for a few dark hours, you hear nothing but the usual sounds of the ocean. crashing waves, whale songs and the wind. but then, you hear the flap of what sounds like a fin. you think for a moment that it might just be a fish, but the contact it makes with the water sounds too big to be a fish but too small to be a whale.

you rush to click on your flashlight and manage to catch a glimpse of an unusual tail-looking fin. it’s bright orange and highly bioluminescent. it doesn’t look like it belongs to any of the known animals of this ecosystem; at least not to the ones you know of. it appears a couple more times before disappearing. you can see it glowing under the water for a few meters before disappearing into the night completely.

the next morning, you hope and pray that no more animals have died since you went to bed. you stayed up as late as you could but you did need to sleep. unfortunately, your worst nightmare has appeared. one of your whales is dead. one of your huge blue whales has fallen victim to this unknown creature. this feels like it’s getting revenge on you for spotting it.

you scream and collapse to the floor, staring at your whale floating on the surface of the water. the water surrounding it is dark red. you can see that he’s missing chunks of blubber from his back and sides. “leave my animals alone!” you yell out into the vast sea, wishing that whatever was doing this would hear you.

you feel that same feeling of being watched again. the thing is listening to you. you can just feel it. “stop killing the animals, they never did anything to you! if you want my attention, just show yourself!” you yell again.

you hear the water splash before hearing and feeling something crash onto the floor of the boat. fear shoots up your spine, every part of you urging you not to turn around. are you really about to face the thing that’s been tormenting you and the ocean? yeah, you are.

you turn around and you’re faced with a beautiful man standing across the deck from you. his arms are crossed and his dark eyes pierce yours. you know that he was the one causing the feeling of being watched but there’s no way he could kill a whale. matter of fact, there’s no way he could be all the way out here without a ship.

“you’re really fucking annoying. all that screaming these past couple mornings has been piercing my ear drums,” he finally speaks. he tilts his head and smacks the side of it, forcing water out of his ears.

“are you what’s been eating the dolphins? and my whale?” you ask, getting up off the ground. you gesture to your very dead whale behind you. the man nods, shrugging. “i’m not really a fan of the taste of whale but i knew it would set you off, so i killed it,” he picks at his teeth as if he has food stuck in there. “your scream made it worth it.”

“what kind of sadistic fuck are you?” you stare at him, completely horrified at what he just said to you. he laughs at you. finding joy in your displeasure. “what, sea creatures can’t have a little fun anymore?” he walks closer to you, waving his hands in the air as if he’s offended.

“you don’t look like a sea creature,” you make a confused face at him. he doesn’t have gills or fins or anything that would really scream ‘sea creature.’ he rolls his eyes, rolling up his sleeves. he reveals bright orange scales that go all the way up his arms. they seem to match the color of the strange tail you saw last night. he grins with terrifyingly sharp teething, seemingly sensing that you’re putting the pieces together.

“what… what are you?” you say, subconsciously taking a step back to go back to a safer distance. “well, let’s list my features and see if you can figure it out with that stupid brain of yours,” he bares his teeth at you. “scales, mermaid-like tail and sharp teeth. take a guess little miss marine biologist.”

that’s impossible. what he’s describing is fictional. merely folklore. “siren,” you mutter, your voice barely above a whisper. he clasps his hands together in excitement. “ding ding ding! look at your feeble brain go,” his smile has sinister undertones and a new rush of fear surges through you.

“now, i’m here for one thing and one thing only,” he plops down onto the ground, crossing his legs. “see, sirens can only reproduce with a human, not other sirens. and you, being out here all alone, are the perfect candidate,” your face contorts into minor disgust. “no,” you retort.

“i think you’re misunderstanding. i’m not asking,” he says before he shakes his head at you. he opens his mouth and a beautiful song fills your ears. it is haunting and echo-y in your head. you feel yourself being drawn to him instantly. you’re unable to move at your own free will.

your legs carry you to him on their own accord. despite his mouth closing, the song continues to possess you. you halt in front of him, your body completely limp. you’re only being held up by the powers of his siren song.

he removes your clothes with an inhuman ferocity. your body is laid down on the ground, completely stripped. he hovers above you having removed his own clothes as well. you come to find that the orange scales cover his whole body. you strain your eyes to look further down his body and find your eyes meeting what was hiding under his pants. it’s basically the size of your forearm. you can already tell it’s gonna hurt.

he spreads your legs and gets between them, lining his length up with your hole. you want to fight and close your legs, but you’re completely immobilized. he shoves his whole member into you at full force. it hurts so much you see stars. the stretch is enough to make tears sting your eyes.

“shhh, good whores can take cock with no warm up,” he caresses your face with a gentleness you had yet to see from him. “you’re gonna be my good cum dump and do what i make you.” he lets you adjust for a few moments before pulling all the way out and slamming back in. screams beg to leave your throat but you’re unable to release them.

he pounds into you with animalistic speed. his only focus is on breeding you. that’s the only reason he’s been tormenting you. he’s using your body for continuing his own bloodline.

out of nowhere he pulls out of you, his high clearly creeping up on him. something in his demeanor changes as he leans down to one of your legs. without warning, he bites a chunk out of your thigh, chewing and swallowing it in front of you.

“need more stamina to fill you up like the good whore you are,” he says as he wipes your blood off his lips. he shoves back into you before leaning down and digging his teeth into your shoulder. he doesn’t rip any skin off but he leaves a few deep bites.

his hips stutter and his sharp nails dig into your hips. he pumps you full of his seed. it’s so much that it streams out of you as he continues to thrust into you. “gotta make sure you’re gonna get pregnant. otherwise i’ll have to follow you home for more than claiming my child,” he whispers in your ear.

he pulls out of you, cum spilling out from inside you and pooling under you. he puts his clothes back on and sighs, staring at you. “your pregnancy will be fast with a siren baby. maybe, 3 weeks? don’t go back to shore until after you give birth or i’ll gut you like i gutted that whale.” with that, he jumps back into the sea.

you lay there in shock of what just happened. you finally regain control of your limbs and you stand up. you grab tissues to clean yourself up. you put your clothes back on and sit on your bed, wondering how the hell you just lived through that.

before you know it, 3 weeks has passed and you give birth to a beautiful baby boy. he takes after his father with his orange scales. as promised, the siren returns to claim the child. “perfect,” he says, taking the child from you and heading for the water.

“wait!” you yell. he turns around, looking at you puzzled. “what’s your name? that’s the least you could tell me after i just had your kid.” he smiles at you and jumps into the water. you rush to the side of the boat and he pokes his head above the water.

“seonghwa.”

#lomlhwa #ateez #atz #seonghwa #park seonghwa #ateez smut #atz smut #seonghwa smut #park seonghwa smut

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remderance · 1 year

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so...few days ago I've created a hermitcraft mermaid au. and here ya go, some of my thoughts about it and also my drawings.

first of all, cub, grian, zedaph, tango, joehills, xisuma and impulse are humans, when scar, doc, pearl, skizz, cleo are mermaids(I didn't think of other hermits yet)

here's also a bit of lore happening, so let's talk little bit about every hermit.

•xisuma

- he is an owner of this whole circus oceanarium and ocean research center.

- he is a strange guy, once he even stole a bone from rendog to chew on! but nonetheless, he is a hard working man and he does all the managing work better than anyone else possibly could

•scar

- cub and grian were the first to find alive mermaid, which happened to be scar. scar, as the most kind and innocent soul, of course, most of the time spent saving sea creatures from fishing nets, plastic junk and etc, though got a lot of injuries himself. he had been in an accident just before he was caught, so he didn't have a chance to escape due to movement issues, because his tail and fins were badly injured

- scar is an orca! but he won't eat you, don't worry. he might try, though

- most of the time there is only one scientist watching him, and it is cub. even though at first cub was too serious about his job, depicting scar more like an object other than a living creature with thoughts and feelings, it was gone in a little while when two of them had a chance to actually know each other more. you could say, scar softened cub's heart

- he is a silly boy, trying to escape his aquarium probably every day at first, thinking of place as a prison. none of his attempts were successful, to be honest, but he never stopped trying

- also, once he even got in a physical fight with grian, being mad that he was in the team who catched him. who won? for some reason it was grian, who is smaller twice in size and not so good underwater

- grian got in trouble many times because of his experiments and especially testing human food on scar. once he had serious food poisoning because of it, and cub never let grian be alone near scar's aquarium again

- scar once asked for human meat and got a "cubfan live reaction". canniballism is pretty common between mermaids, so he was expecting the same from humans

•doc

- doc is a giant moray eel.

- you could say he is the most intelligent and smart fish you've seen! not just by mermaid standards, but by human too. before the oceanarium he was living in an old warship, where he found a room with books that were not touched by water. that's where from he knows chemistry, physics, engineering and other, that's also where he learned english better, as he is originally from german waters(scientists where really impressed that mermaid could have an accent).

- but this ship happened to be in a military zone, where people one time were testing a bomb and underwater explosion happened. doc nearly made it out alive, though got almost incompatible with life injuries. he couldn't be healed by wrapping wounds with seaweed, so he decided to go to humans to the research center by himself, making a deal: he agreed to be studied for science purposes but got a proper treatment for his injuries in return.

- by that point, he was second one to be "caught"

- he is really smart and he will not be missing an opportunity to squeeze out everything from people working there. he got the best aquarium with the best accessories, rocks, corals and filters. it took almost over a year to figure all of this out and a lot of pressure on workers, but doc is not feeling guilty

- he really likes to eat tomatoes

- he also really likes to get out of his tank and go on an adventure to other mermaids. scar is living nearest to him, so you could often see these two hang out

- he created the word "scitties" and scar likes to use it (especially in situations when he is suggested to wear clothes. he says his scitties are too precious to hide them)

- after some time doc became the first mermaid scientist. his high intelligence just couldn't be ignored

- doc helped to create prosthetic fins and tail for scar

- eventually there was created a special gadget just for doc, so he could easily speak with other scientists even being under the water

- scientist connected to him is grian. they are in good terms and grian totally acknowledges his cleverness. gridoc nation rise up

•ren

- oh sweet, sweet rendog! you just couldn't guess what he is. he is... a dog, simple as that. but a smart one!

- although, he doesn't like meat. he is a vegetarian dog!

- his duty mostly is to deliver food to mermaids. he doesn't like to deliver food to scar as it's mostly chocolate chip cookies and lots of raw meat, and he totally adores to visit doc because of his love for tomatoes

- doc likes to escape, and ren likes doc, so he always goes after him with a mop in his teeth to hide water paddles he is creating

- ren is well-trained and all of the staff knows him, so he has access to almost every room in both oceanarium and research center

- he likes to sleep near doc's aquarium. sometimes doc goes out of water at night, waits for his hand to dry and gently pets him

- oh. and ren also has a very specific addiction. this little fur boy always steals people's sunglasses. why does he do that? why does a dog even need sunglasses? nobody knows. but that is such a common thing, that nobody even cares anymore. yep, there's a dog running around in sunglasses, what is wrong with that?

•here's the fun part. beloved zits!!!

- impulse is the only one true ocean scientist in their group

- zedaph lived most of his life on a farm and knows pretty much everything about farm animals. he is a crazy zoologist and has basically zero idea how to deal with fish

"that's a weird looking chicken", - he says, looking at any mermaid

- tango is an engineer and a drummer in his own band. he slays and also he has a lot of tattoos

- although tango's band isn't zit band, they were playing together in college! they all had their rock phase, zedaph even has scars from piercings made in that time

- the star of our show... skizzleman!! skizz for short, he is a manta ray, and he is going mental. he screams, he bites, he fights, he likes to bother others and especially impulse

- skizz made impulse fall in his tank for countless amount of times

- skizz and impulse often fight, verbally and physically, but also for some reason their bond is very strong. they like each other, just in a different way, but their way to this was very hard

- and yep, he is the reason why all of the zit are here. he's just too strong and uncontrollable for one human to handle, so impulse had to get his friends

- skizz is very clumsy and can't exist out of water due to being a manta ray, so trying to escape he makes just one step and then is found right outside the aquarium angry and waiting for someone to come and put him back

•pearl and gem

- pearl is a blue-ringed octopus!

- she spent a lot of time near the shore at the port and most of the time was listening to people, trying to guess meaning of unknown words and adoring strange human stories. it happened in australia, that is the place where she got an accent. it is an exceptional case too, but unlike doc, this accent is not natural, but a learned one

- pearl's only and favourite piece of clothing is a hoodie with oceanarium logo

- as a natural enemy, doc fears to go near pearl. when he is asking her if she's safe, she never gets him a clear answer

- gem is doing mermaid shows! yes, she is not a real one, she just has her costume and adorable coral horns

- oceanarium got gem a tank to exercise and to rehearse her shows. it appeared that pearl was basically living alongside. they liked each other at first sight, but for months weren't able to communicate well, it was only through body language

- pearl sees gem as a goddess for her elegant, exquisite and beautiful movements. no real mermaid moves like that, so that's just something so exotic and unreal in pearl's eyes, it makes her stare without blinking every time

- once impulse was in charge of caring for pearl and he saw what happened between two. he got a permission for gem to visit pearl's aquarium, and that was the first time they got to really know each other. it was the happiest day!!!

- gem is the only one who can calm down skizz and make him feel fear. nobody understands how, but sometimes impulse asks her when skizz is getting unbearable

- impulse, gem and pearl are often seen hanging out together. they created a trio called "soup group". the name was created because of pearl's unexplainable love for soups of any kind

• cleo and joe

- cleo is a sea snake

- she has fish hooks and spear parts in her on places where in canon she usually would get stitches

- she is basically a nature miracle, because she is a zombie, literally dead creature, but for some reason she keeps on going

- half of her organs are not working properly or are not working at all

- because of doc and cleo scientists guess that mermaids are far stronger and tougher than people, as they tend tο survive even in the most dangerous and unreal situations

- also doc and cleo are extremely big

- not to mention these two are really fond of each other. their tanks are located far away, but doc sometimes gets to cleo and they have the best time in the whole world

- joe is an ocean geek who once won an excursion behind the scenes of oceanarium and research center. that's where he met cleo, and for some reason she caught his eye

- he was very persistent and got a permission to sometimes meet cleo under supervision. it was said, that it is good for experience in interspecies communication, so scientists didn't mind

- though, he didn't do anything inappropriate. he was basically just finding a friend in a strange zombie mermaid! he showed her his favourite shows, comic books, was teaching cleo how to read, they were drawing and scrapbooking with her. just a couple of ocean besties!

- although joe cooks and brings mostly exotic or strange foods, cleo likes it a lot

- cleo likes to scare people and mermaids, but when she tried to scare joe she saw only pure excitement in his eyes

•honorable mention, mumbo, who is a plumber and engineer. everyone keeps calling him mario. he even got a big m on his head!

also: it is canon that all of the mermaids are kind of buffed

#hermitcraft #hermitcraft mermaid au #cubfan #gtwscar #grian #docm77 #rendog #zombie cleo #joe hills #tango #zedaph #impulse #skizzleman #xisuma #geminitay #pearlscentmoon #mumbo jumbo #my art ꮚꆤꈊꆤꮚ

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c0ld0utside · 3 months

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Hi! I wanted to request a script with a mermaid reader. Something like a cub that doesn't look like the others, maybe sharp teeth, maybe something else, whatever you want. + a fisherman who accidentally caught them. You don't have to write this if you don't like the concept!

No, no you're onto something! This request is PERFECT AUGH-Fisherman Dad...is something I didn’t know I needed.

Here’s your fun fact for the day: Piranhas can bark.

Criticism is welcome!

Warnings (Let me know if I missed any): Reader/MC gets hit, Blood, Reader/MC gets gagged, Reader’s/MC’s hands get bound, Reader is put in a box

Growing up in his small port town, Cannon heard stories of sea monsters and their relatives. Mermaids, Sirens, Leviathans, Serpents, Krakens…the list goes on. Now that he’s an adult, however, he knows those were just stories parents told their kids to warn and teach them. Don’t go to the beach at night, don’t swim too far out, swim with a group, wear lifejackets.

If those beasts really do exist, he wonders how they handle storms as shitty as this one. Lightning and thunder clashed overhead and the rain poured down in tubs. The waves were large and rough, going way farther than they normally did at high tide. Ah well. Cannon’s just glad his boss is sane enough to not make him and his coworkers work in that mess.

Feeling like an old man despite being in his mid-thirties, Cannon stood up, popped his back, and headed off to bed. Hopefully, the conditions will be better by tomorrow. He doesn’t want to go to work on a rainy day.

…

…It’s raining. It’s not as bad as yesterday, but it’s raining. At least that means the catches will be good today.

Speaking of good catches, Cannon isn’t sure if he’s hallucinating. He didn’t bring someone with him since he wasn’t going too far out, so he had no one to ask. Normally, when a fisherman pulled up their nets, they got fish. Or none at all.

“Easy, easy…it’s alright,” Cannon says, mostly to himself. This is fine. Totally normal. Maybe this is a crazy dream and he’s going to wake up late. Cannon moves away to grab a knife and crouches back down next to the wet gremlin. “Not gonna hurt you,” He whispers, hooking the blade under the rope where it’s pressing into the fish kid’s neck.

What Cannon has in his net is half a fish and half a kid. A fish kid. A fish kid that looks like a mess, and who is currently hissing at him like a rabid possum and snapping at the wet ropes. Snapping. Like a piranha. Are they a piranha? He can see the pearly, pointy whites from where he’s standing, holding the rope down so the net stays in the air. The creature continues to thrash and hiss and bite.

He lowers the net and moves it onto the deck, careful to avoid the rabid little monster that is going insane. Cannon can’t blame them. If he was a little fish kid caught in a net while bruised up he’d be freaking out too.

The brat twists their head and bites down. Letting out a startled yelp, Cannon uses his other hand to smack them and pulls away. Yikes…it’s ugly and the blood is streaming down his hand, making a mess. “I just said I wasn’t gonna hurt you, bonehead,” He grunts, using his good hand to hold their head down while he cuts them free.

He’s caught off guard again when they push themself out of the net and start scrambling over to the edge of the ship. The kid’s tail flops around and drags as they try to get away. It hurts- Cannon can tell from the way the thing whimpers and hisses.

“Ah, ah, ah,” He tuts, grabbing some of the rope and walking over to the small fry. Small fry? He’s not thinking straight. Are there major arteries in hands? Maybe he’s losing too much blood from the bite.

Grabbing onto their tail firmly with his good hand, Cannon tries to gently pull them back. ‘Small Fry’ has different ideas, because they start screeching and barking like a madman. Their mouth snaps at open air over and over as they flail around. “Hey- hey, shhh, shhh…” He tries to soothe, but it doesn’t work.

Cannon was really hoping he wouldn’t have to do this. He doesn’t like what he’s about to do, but he has to. He shoves some of the rope into the kid’s mouth and wraps it around their head. He doesn’t make it too tight- they’re hurting enough as is. Before the kid can rake their claws- they have claws- down his arms, he grabs their hands and ties them together.

“Sorry, Small Fry, you’re not making this easy.”

He gets muffled snarling and barks in return.

“Can you breathe, little buddy? Can you understand me? …No? Alright, that’s…fine.” Cannon murmurs, looking down at their tail. Oh yeah. They weren’t going to be able to swim with that. Their fin is torn and there’s an ugly cut running up the tail. Not to mention those bruises from earlier.

“I can’t let you go just yet, Small Fry. You’re a mess, see?” Cannon says, pointing to their tail. Their gaze follows his and their glare hardens. “Don’t give me that. I’ll patch you up, alright? Now be nice.”

With that, Cannon grabs an empty tub and dips it into the water before pulling it out and securing it onto the deck. He then walks back over to the little monster, scoops them up, and carefully lowers them inside.

He is so glad it’s still early. Barely anyone will be on the streets. He’s also glad it’s cloudy- had it been sunny people would have seen the silhouette of a small mermaid in a closed fish container as he drives back home in his truck.

He’ll figure this out later. Right now it’s finally settling in that he just accidentally caught a mer…maid? Merchild? Yeah. A merchild. He caught a merchild and he’s taking them home. A merchild that bit him. The bandage work on his hand is messy. He'll change it when he gets home.

And half of him doesn’t want to let them go. They’re so…reckless. It’s no wonder they got so banged up. Wait- no, maybe it was the storm. Still, they need help and they don’t understand. They don’t get to not want help. They’re getting it because he said so and he doesn’t know how mer society works, but he cares.

Feel like making a part two for this as well.

You’re looking fine today! Take your vitamins!

#yandere #platonic #platonic yandere #yandere platonic #yandere dad #yandad #Mermaid reader #dad yandere #yandere imagine

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obsessive-valentine · 6 months

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Yandere!Fisherman x Selkie!Reader (PT.1)

Part 2

We’ve all heard the tragic tales of naive selkie women having their coats stolen to be lured into marriages by men who desire their otherworldly beauty. What about a young fisherman who grows to love a selkie, but despite his obsession with the woman, he resfuses to steal her coat and bind her to him despite his initial instinct to do so, he chooses the slow game. The game that won’t end up with his dear selkie shedding tears because of him but rather willingly by his side and properly loved.

Despite the stories his grandfather told him about humanoid sea creatures, and how much he swears he saw them with his own very eye, Theodore could never believe such tales.

“How dangerously beautiful those creatures are. You ought to see one if you keep up in this business, but listen close Teddy you respect those beings like they are the divine ones themselves.” Theo listened close while watching his grandfather reel in a fish, he leaned back his chair pulling against the creature till it was ripped from the water thrashing its tail in a final attempt to swim home. He took a breath while unhooking the fish to continue his story. “Never have I heard of a fabled creature that approaches so openly but peaceful. You know..” he stops for a moment sticking out his tongue as his large fingers fumble to put a lure on the hook “Krakens, sirens, he’ll even mermaids are said to be vicious but whatever those were...” he shook his head at a loss of words be continuing to tell the tale of the day him and his crew saw the supposed creatures.

Theo stoped listening at ‘Krakens’ focusing back on the fishing line in front of him. Such absurd stories like krakens and mermaids broke his interest, like a slap across the face with the harsh that it’s all nonsense just like the fables before and after this supposed sighting. He wasn’t going to live on the illusion that a beautiful woman would appear at his boats edge and curiously pick and prod at his boat out of curiosity. Those fables were just excuses for shipwrecks or sailors seeing a rather pretty manatee through heavy sleep covered eyes... right?

...

Theo rubbed his eyes again, maybe for a dozenth time, before scooting a bit further forward on his seat getting a better look at the water. Yup that’s definitely still a seal he confirmed to himself. He almost sworn himself sleep deprived when he first noticed a seals head ever so slightly peaking from the water, its head bobbing with the waves as it watched him throw nets and lines from his boat. He shook his head, some people probably got it to friendly by feeding it, now the poor bastard seems to be relying on him to catch it food. At least that’s what Theo tried to tell himself as the seal followed him to the docks and watched him tie the boat up as the sunset.

Theodore gave one last glance at the seal, it’s eyes sent shivers down his spine as it watched him closely still as he walked away from the water. “I’m just tired and that seal just very hungry, nothing more” he reasoned with himself once more as he reached his car, although he didn’t know what he was insinuating. Did he really think for a moment that seal was anything more than a hungry creature? Why was he so unnerved? He tried to not give it another thought.

...

He had forgot about the odd seal in the morning and tiredly but calmly walked up to his boat holding a bucket of gear and a fishing rod over his shoulder, until he wasn’t so calm and his heart dropped as he glanced to the boat in the distance. Anger began to bubble up in his stomach at the sight of a person resting in his boat. Theo’s boots became heavy against the wooden dock as he stormed closer to the boat. But then the person looked at him and he stopped realising that wet hair framed her and she seemed to be... naked? She lay with her stomach on the bench and her chin resting in her crossed arms her back was bare, so was her legs, and her b-. Theo realised what he was looking at and sharply pulled his eyes away for a moment to collect himself. But when he looked back the sunbathing woman was gone.

He rushed to his boat dumbfounded, and then once again shock stricken when laying eyes apon a wet patch on the very beach. It was in the shape of the woman that began to dry up from the woods absorbency. He watched it turn from a full body silhouette to faint imprints of her elbows, stray wet hair ends, boobs, thighs and feet to nothing. Theo could have sat there the whole day wondering what it could be that he just witnessed, but after a few minutes of trying a failing to reason with logic, he left the dock for open waters.

He kept glancing at the spot where she lay just hours ago, hardly any fishing was actually done. That darn seal showed up again and pulled his attention from the bench and to the water; where it should have been this whole time, it being his job and all. “Selkies?” He whispered to himself like it was a god forsaken word. He was shocked he wasn’t even trying to come up with excuses like all those times his grandpa told him similar stories. No he believed it, something came over him but he’s convinced this creature staring into his soul is a selkie.

He fumbled pulling the bucket closer before reaching into it , grabbing a random fish without ever taking his eyes of those humanoid eyes bobbing in the water his shaking hand offered out the fish. It disappeared under the dark water and reappeared closer to the boat seemingly interested in the offer, Theo stumbled over his feet and down onto his knees to lean over the boat and meet it half way. His arm now uncomfortably stretched in front of him. A small smile pulled at his lips when the seal took the fish gently from his hand, his brows unfurrowed and raised with curiosity, his hands now shook with wonder.

Then the seal disappeared and failed to reappear for almost half and hour, Theo sat looking at the water chewing his nails as his hope began to fade and reality set in. Hair? He squinted at the water he could have sworn that was just a lock of hair floating to the surface and promptly being pulled back under, he didn’t have to think about it for long before a head peaks out from the water or rather her eyes and above followed by a trail of long hair sitting on top the soft waves.

Theo almost had a heart attack, his eyes became the size of dinner plates and heart failed to beat for a moment. He was looking at a selkie, there’s no other explanation, and a enchanting one that had him leaning dangerously over the boat. “Hello beautiful” his usually gruff voice softened afraid to scare those hypnotising eyes back underwater.

Please send any ideas or asks for this storyline or other possible soft or dark yandere stories you’d like to see!

#yandere #yandere oc #yandere fisherman #selkie #x reader

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yadchi-i-guess · 5 months

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Tangled in Kelp

By Yadchi (hey that's me)

Mermaid AU by @leefl00f (Come get your food :3)

So basically Nori gets herself stuck in a kelp forest and Uzi, Doll and Khan have to free her using a method that has worked time and time again.

Word count: 2188

It was a bright, simple day in the ocean. Save for an occasional school of fish, it was idyllic paradise. Not one disturbance of water to be felt. The perfect, peaceful place to let one's mind wander.

Until the calm before the storm was no more.

The storm disrupting the tranquil silence of the sea was a pod of four orca-like drones. Uzi, the smallest of the group, was chasing her cousin Doll. It was a half-playfight, half-race with each other, only mildly controlled by Khan.

"Girls, play nice," he reminded them for the millionth time. As long as he said this every couple minutes, no one would get hurt.

"Imma get you!" Uzi yelled, propelling herself forward with great speed and colliding with Doll.

"[Ack-! Take this then!]" Doll retorted, slapping Uzi with her tail and breaking free. She dove down to avoid getting tackled again, only to nearly crash into the fourth member of the pod.

"Thinking about taking me on, eh?" Nori teased with a grimace. Doll yelped, and not wanting to be wrecked by an orca drone much larger than her, retreated to Uzi's side.

"Nori, don't be like that," Khan scolded with a light laugh. "You'll scare them. You know how they already are with humans."

"Bite me!" Nori shot back. "I'll be as much of a gremlin to them as I want!" Khan replied with a kiss, which made Uzi and Doll hold back giggles at his antics.

Nori gave a small "hmph" and kept her gaze down. She stared at the dark ocean floor, occasionally staring at something shiny or a flurry of movement; however, it wasn't until she noticed the entire floor seemed to be moving that she stopped mid-swim.

"Nori?" Khan asked, following his wife's gaze but unable to see what her attention had come to.

"The... seabed... something's off about it," Nori commented. "Er... you guys keep swimming. I'll catch up with you.

"Looking at his daughter and niece, both of whom shrugged, Khan gestured for both of them to follow him. Nori may have been a bit kooky for seemingly absurd reasons, but it came with being adventurous. He bid her a temporary goodbye and swam off, leaving Nori to investigate what piqued her curiosity.

The now lone orca drone dove down, the glints of light coming into focus better. There were dozens of them, all moving on the ground. Still puzzled, Nori held out a finger to touch one of the shiny objects. It snapped back by grabbing her hand with a pincher.

"Ouch!" She yelped, shaking the thing off her hand. It fell back on the ocean floor to rejoin its comrades. A herd of crabs! And they were in such a large, condensed group that their glimmering shells feigned the appearance of a moving ocean floor.

That was what intrigued Nori the most. She had never seen such a big herd of crabs together. And where were they going? It wasn't migration season... and there wasn't the faintest scent of food anywhere.

On the other hand, crab meals usually don't consist of oil or metal, she thought. Forgetting entirely about wanting to keep this brief, Nori followed the scuttling crabs. For such a close-knitted group that was practically walking on top of each other, not one stumbled. Not even when their travel was interrupted by a massive kelp forest. Unfortunately for the mermaid drone trailing them, she didn't notice it either until a stray piece smacked her in the face.

"Oh crud..." Nori muttered, feeling her heart stop as she looked up.

She'd gotten tangled in kelp before, and it was never a pleasant experience, especially getting out of it. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then slowed to a near stop. Careful not to make sudden, abrupt movements with her tail, she slithered through the maze of kelp, feeling it threaten to wrap around her like fishing nets.

After several tense minutes, she saw light. A lot of it. The edge of the kelp forest! She was almost there. She just had to make it a little farther... she flicked her tail harder to push herself forward...

Then something tugged on her tail and wouldn't let go. She swerved around to see if it was a crab.

It was kelp, tangled and knotted around her tail.

Cursing under her breath for getting excited too quickly, Nori curled closer to her tail to free it from the kelp. But her hand couldn't quite reach the kelp. Her now panicky movements and desperate struggling caused her hand to get tangled too.

"Oh no... no no no, get off me!" Nori yelled at the kelp, but she would have had better luck getting cement to listen to her. She reached over to her arm, only to realize both her arms were indisposed by the restraints of the kelp. The once ubiquitous silence of the ocean strayed further into non-existence as Nori let out a scream for help.

---------------

"Race you to that rock!" Uzi challenged as she gave herself a head start.

["Hey! You're cheating!"] Doll yelled back. ["But I'll beat you anyway."]

"In your dreams!" Uzi teased. She rose higher in the water and dove down like a pelican, slowing down just before she crashed into the rock. For a moment, she thought she won, only to be poked on the head by Khan.

"I win, little torpedo!" Khan declared happily.

"HEY!" Uzi retorted. "I didn't say you were playing!"

"Ah, come on," Khan said teasingly. "Can't you let your sweet old man play for once? I get bored, too, ya know."

"Bite me!" Uzi snapped. "Doll, you're on my side!"

But Doll was no longer interested in the debacle of the game. She looked off in the distance, searching for even a glimpse of the missing member of the pod.

["Shouldn't Nori be back by now...?"] She asked.

"Huh..." Khan replied. "Yeah. Usually she isn't gone this long. Unless..."

He trailed off, lost in a sea of his own thoughts. Doll and Uzi looked at each other, unable to make heads or tails of what he was thinking. Suddenly, there was a faint scream that spooked the three of them out of their stupor.

"D-did you hear that?" Uzi asked, startled.

["Sounded like someone saying 'help'..."] Doll replied.

No further words were needed for the orca drones to realize Nori might be in trouble. They all sped off, retracing their path to where they separated from her. The yells became gradually louder, but it wasn't until the trio swam close to a kelp forest that they finally saw her. She was face up, floating on the edge of the kelp forest.

"Oh, thank robo-god!" Nori said, her voice hoarse from calling for help. "Was beginning to think you guys couldn't hear me!"

"Mom!" Uzi said happily. "We thought you were in trouble!"

"Well... I kinda am." She admitted, pulling her tail and arms up for the others to see. "The thing I saw was a big herd of crabs, you see. And they went into this kelp forest, and I uh... yeah."

Khan laughed as his wife trailed off, "You never fail to get yourself in weird trouble Nori. Now you know how we gotta free you."

"How, dad?" Uzi asked, confused at the grin spreading across her father's face. Doll tilted her head in equal puzzlement. Khan turned to his girls for a moment.

"Well, my little purple torpedo," Khan explained in a hushed voice that Nori could still hear. "Your mom used to get stuck in kelp all the time when we went on dates. And there was always one way - and one way only - to get her untangled."

To demonstrate, he reached under Uzi's chin and wiggled his fingers, eliciting a giggle."Hehehey!" Uzi snapped, suddenly realizing what Khan meant. "Hey..."

She swam over to Nori, humming thoughtfully about where to strike first as the trapped orca drone whimpered with nervous anticipation.

["Careful not to get yourself caught in the kelp Uzi,"] Doll warned.

"Bite me!" Uzi snapped.

"U-uzi, c'mon..." Nori pleaded. "You don't have to do this... I-I can free myself!"

"Too bad, you can bite me too," Uzi smirked. She dove down quickly and scribbled her fingers on her mom's sides.

"Uz-ihihihihi!" Nori exclaimed. "Plehehehease! Heheheheheeahaa!" She started wriggling around to get away from her daughter, but with little success.

Uzi replied with a snarky "too bad!" and looked very pleased with herself. A thought in the back of her head considered this an act of revenge for when her mom would flip her on her back and wreck her silly. Well, now SHE was the one who couldn't move... a healthy taste of her own medicine.

Uzi gestured for her cousin to come close and join in. Doll approached Nori apprehensively but was soon grinning mischievously. Instead of pulling Uzi away like she normally would've done, she dug her fingers into Nori's neck and wiggled them around.

"Ahhaahahha Dohohoholll!" Nori squealed. "Stahahahp! Heheheheheeahaa! Cuhuhut it ohohout!" She jerked her tail and oblivious to the fact that it was starting to free itself from the kelp.

"Hey! It's working!" Khan pointed out as he watched his girls turn Nori into a total mess of laughter. Uzi noticed the kelp on her mom's wrists was still holding her arms out quite a bit, and this gave the little orca drone an idea. She took one of her hands off her mom's side and instead positioned it under her arm and began scribbling again.

"Nohohohohoho!" Nori screeched loudly, pinning her arm to her side as best she could. "Ihihihi sahahahahaid to stAHAHAAHP! Hahahhaahaaha!"

"We still gotta free you, mom!" Uzi replied playfully. "It's working, but you're still stuck!" Indeed, it was working. The kelp on Nori's wrists had loosened to the point where Khan easily slipped it off.

"Alright, alright, girls, that's enough," Khan lied. "Give her a chance to breathe... no wonder you wear her out so easily."

"Aw, Daaaaad!" Uzi whined.

["Her tail isn't free, Uncle Doorman,"] Doll pointed out.

"N-no need..." Nori wheezed. "I can do it myself... I could've untangled my arms by myself too, for that matter..."

She then carefully reached over to her tail to get the kelp off, but Khan grabbed both of her arms just before she could touch it.

"I'm aware..." Khan said, smirking as he turned to the girls. "You two don't know her death spot... her absolute most sensitive tickle spot. Hold her arms for me."

Uzi and Doll did as they were told, pulling Nori's arms away from her tail. Khan positioned himself just above his wife. If gravity was prevalent here, he would've been laying on top of her.

"Khan... d-don't do it," Nori stammered nervously, her anticipation mounting.

"You know what happens here, honey," Khan replied calmly while Uzi and Doll giggled.

Nori did everything in her power at the moment to get as far away from her husband as she could, but to little avail. He grabbed her around the waist, eliciting a small yelp. Giving Nori no time to brace herself, he planted a raspberry on her belly.

"aaaaAAHHAHAHAA KHAHAHAHAN!" Nori shrieked, squirming wildly. "AHAHAHAHAAHAA! STAHAHAHAHAHAHP! IHIHIHIH HAAHAHATE IT WHEHEHEN YOHOHOHOU DO THIHIHIHIS!"

"Really?" Khan asked, pulling his head up to regain his breath and tease Nori. "I always thought you liked me doing that. And frankly, I still do."

"Well... sorry to burst your bubble," Nori began. "But I dohohoHOHOHOHNT! HEHEHEHAAHAHAHAHAH! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Khan simply ended her argument with another raspberry. Her tail flapped helplessly, but roughly enough to get the remaining kelp off.

"Hey! Look!" Uzi piped up. "She's free!"

["In what sense?"] Doll deadpanned, pointing at Khan still holding Nori hostage as he blew continuous raspberries on her belly.

"DEHEHEHEAR ROBO-GOHOHOD!" Nori howled, completely forgetting the lack of kelp on her tail. "STAHAHAHAHAHP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! NOHOHO MOHOHOHORE!"

Khan got the message and let up, allowing Nori to squirm away with her remaining strength and finally be out of range of the kelp forest. She let herself float limply in the water for a few moments as the others rejoined her.

"That was fun!" Uzi declared, and Doll nodded in agreement. "I didn't know you could blow raspberries like that, Dad!"

"Well, your mom's kinda scared of kelp forests nowadays," Khan chuckled. "Mostly because of me doing that. And don't 'hmph' at me, honey. I know you enjoy being tickled."

"Bite me!" Nori snapped, crossing her arms. "But... thanks for getting me outta there..."

"No problem," Khan replied. "Now c'mon, let's go find something to do." However, he didn't get very far before something grabbed him by the end of his tail. It wasn't kelp.

"Oh, you think I'm gonna let you get away that easily, huh?" Nori sneered, pulling her husband closer and inching a hand closer to his neck. "I think some revenge is in order. And not just for you."

She turned to Uzi and Doll, both of whom looked at each other nervously.

"SCRAM!" Uzi shouted as she and Doll left Khan to be wrecked silly by his wife.

The end :]

Yay first tickle fic I've made. Kinda feels like a bootleg of leefl00f's tickle fics, but I'm happy with it. BTW go check out her fics they have plenty of tickle fluff (among other things)

#murder drones #murder drones au #murder drones tickles #murder drones uzi #murder drones nori #murder drones doll #murder drones khan #tickle content #sfw tickling community #sfw interaction only #tickle fic #sfw tk community

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hetalianskywalker · 2 days

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Day 9: A Heart Fish

Pairing: Mer Commander Cody x Reader, background Codywan

Summary: You end up going on a quest with a weird fish that’s actually something far more important.

Author’s note: There is a not so secret Codywan agenda. I’m not sorry. It’s implied you and Obi-wan are just friends while you both are in a relationship with Cody. But I mean… who knows what happens after the end of the fic.

Warnings: Some swearing. Obi-wan and Cody both being depressed after Order 66.

Word Count: 1748

Prompt: Something strange is caught in our net, a bulbous fluttering fish with no face. “Mermaid hearts live outside their bodies,” says the captain. “Bizarre to catch one this close to shore.”

Prompt 3033 by deepwaterwritingprompts.

Something strange is caught in your net, a bulbous fluttering fish with no face. “Mermaid hearts live outside their bodies,” says the captain. “Bizarre to catch one this close to shore.”

“Now you know that’s not true, cap.” You say with a roll of your eyes. However, the faceless fish still unnerves you; it is definitely magic of some kind. You get a bucket of sea water and set the strange fish inside. You watch as it slowly moves around in circles; actually half the crew is now doing the same thing as you.

“It is a mermaid heart.” Another sailor argues.

“Come on-”

“I’m serious. I’ve been to Mandalore a few times while working on a Merchant ship. Don’t ask what exactly happens, but I saw a Mer carrying a fish like that in a tank. And when I asked about it, all they would say is ‘it was part of him.’ What else could that mean?”

You stare down at the odd fish then back out at the watery horizon. If this really was a Mer heart, where the hell was the Mer it belongs to?

The hot sun blazes down on you and your new companion when you return to Mos Espa’s port. The Mer has still not come for it and it bothers you. You take your paycheck and begin to head home. The fish just continues to swim in circles around the bucket; sometimes it changes speed when you talk to it, but that’s about as close as you get to any kind of reaction to anything.

It continues on like this for a few weeks as you wait for the Mer to arrive at Mos Espa. You find yourself having full on conversations with the fish, who now stops at the side of the bucket to listen to you; you joke they’re a better listener than most people are.

An entire month goes by with still no one coming. You end up having to take your new pet with you on your next fishing job. This time the ship stops at Mos Eisley on the other side of the island to sell the fish before returning.

The moment you set foot on land the fish began to go crazy. It starts banging against the side of the bucket. You panic at first, but quickly realize it wants you to go in the direction it’s pointing; it relaxes and just points its non-existent face in that direction as you begin to follow.

“You can’t be serious?” You pause at the edge out the port city and look out into the barren desert. The fish begins banging again and so you whisper a prayer to any diety that might hear you before you turn around.

“I’m getting us an Eopie.” You grumble to your fishy companion. “One second.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I think I’m lost.”

“You would have to be to come all the way out here.” The hermit kindly offered you a moment of reprieve from the hot sun as your ride takes a break.

“Would you believe me if I said I was following a Mermaid heart?” He freezes before turning to critically analyze you. A chill goes up your spine even in the hot weather.

“Show me.” You stare at Ben a moment before heading over to your sattle and supplies. You had covered it up in a few thin blankets to help protect the water from evaporating. His blue eyes grow wide before tearing up; the fish is pointing directly at him.

“It’s you.” You gasp. “It was looking for you.” Ben gently sticks his hand in the water and the fish cuddles into him. The man presses his lips together tightly.

“He… He’s been looking for me.” He mutters to himself as he slowly moves his hand out of the water even though it seems he doesn’t want to. Ben then waves for you to follow him inside.

Over the next few days, you are told a long and fascinating story. A part of your mind is still reeling from the fact your talking to a real Jedi, the only beings able to use any kind of magic. Of course there were certain specialized spells that were almost always out of reach; myths of a Sea Alor being able to control every aspect of a hurricane or a powerful harpy calling the air out of a person's lungs were still whispered about from time to time. However the majority of Jedi prefer to use telekinetic and spatial magic while wielding their kyber swords.

There are parts of the story that he is leaving out like why he chose to hide here, but you leave them be. In short, Ben, or Obi-wan, had slowly fallen for his second in command during the war and the feeling had been mutual. At least, he had thought it was. Commander Cody had turned on him just like the entire Mer clone army had done to all the Jedi almost a year ago. Obi-wan had barely escaped and now lives here in hiding. However, the fact that Cody’s heart had sought him out complicated things.

“Mer heart fish, while defenseless and make any Mer easy to kill, are some of the most intense sources of raw sea magic. They can do things a normal Mer could not like…”

“Tracking you.” You finish softly. Obi-wan nods as he watches the fish swim in slow circles.

“We never had an official bond or made any kind of deal, but genuine bonds of any kind are sacred to the Mer. Loyalty and family mean everything. He was able to follow me just with that.” The Jedi fades off into silence as you both sit there. There is something more he wishes to say, but it takes him a moment to compose himself. There is a deep sadness in the air.

“Also, Mer heart fish can only be created under very specific circumstances. A heart can only leave a Mer’s body if an emotion is too powerful for them to bear. And this fish was made from sorrow, guilt, and loneliness.” So that was how he knew Cody meant him no harm. You look at the fish again as the Jedi runs a hand down his face.

“So what happens now?” Obi-wan turns to look out the window. The hot winds swirl around the deserted landscape.

“From what I can gather, it’s taken him so long to get here because he’s using a very convoluted route to keep the Empire off his trail. He’ll be here soon though.” You jolt in your chair and almost fall over. Obi-wan barely catches your arm before you hit the ground.

“Should I leave?” You ask nervously as he helps steady you. The Jedi’s eyes grow wide before he looks at you confused. “I mean… he’s been looking for you. Why should I be here? I’d only be intruding.”

“But that’s not…” The Mer heart begins banging on the bucket interrupting Obi-wan.

“See I told you Cody just wants to see you. I’m just happy I was able to get his heart where it needed to go.” He doesn’t stop you this time as you head out the door; you ignore the way the Mer heart continues to bang on the bucket.

Back in Mos Eisley, you prepare to head back to your home port. Even though Obi-wan’s home was toward the heart of the island, it was still faster to head back the way you came to get home; the island of Tatooine was quite large and the rough terrain and creatures just made the journey a bit too difficult alone.

“Why are you here?” You jump before you turn around to meet a hooded man. As you look at his face, you notice the scar that went around his left eye like in Obi-wan’s description and the exact facial features you had seen a million times on flyers.

“Cody?” You whisper tentatively. He nods as he moves a bit closer. He points to a nearby alley and you follow.

“Why aren’t you still with General Kenobi?” You half smile at hearing the use of his old military title. Something feels off about what had happened; Cody obviously loved Obi-wan so the betrayal made no sense.

“I… your heart went looking for him. Why would you want to meet me?” You half joke only to watch the man shift a little uncomfortably.

“I hear and feel what it does.” Cody admits quickly. It takes you a moment to process that and your face burns. Oh Maker.

“I’m so sorry. I��” He shakes his head.

“I want to get to know you. Please don’t go.” He holds out his hand and smiles you. “My heart is…” He stops, trying to find a different word to use. Cody lets out a sigh when he can’t.

“A bit captivated with you. I was seeking you out first for more than just getting my heart back.” Your mind goes completely blank. This whole situation is insane. However, the honesty and genuine admittance makes you want to combust. You’re flattered and embarrassed all at once.

He offers a hand to you. With how he keeps looking away from you, he’s just as uncomfortable as you are. Not knowing what to say, you just take his hand and allow him to lead you back toward the edge of the city. To your surprise, you see the Jedi with another eolpie waiting for you and Cody to share.

“You’re in love with Obi-wan.” You state softly and he nods with a slight blush. “Then why…?”

“Is sharing completely out of the question?” He asks seriously, but gently. “I would still like to get to know you after everything. Even if it was just as friends.”

You take the trip back to think about it, leaning against Cody’s back as you travel through the sand. You look over at Obi-wan and think about how he tried to stop you from leaving; he had been able to tell what Cody felt about you from the heart fish and didn’t have a problem with it. You look up at Cody’s face and bask in his handsome features and kind eyes.

“I think I can share.” The smile he gives you is warm and comforting even after everything he had been through. It is at that moment you know without a shadow of a doubt you are gonna fall head over heels.

#star wars #commander cody x reader #codywan #commander cody #mermay #the bad batch #the clones wars #mermaid au

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melon-cream-enmu · 5 months

Text

Chapter 1

Cw: Inosuke's tail is scarred from fishers nets and hooks, implied he's been injured fighting in the past. That's all. Female reader

Once again, thank you to @firelillys for their headcanons and @cornfleaykes for their art for giving me inspiration for this series!

It's not that he particularly liked the sea, it didn't really have anything for him. But he hated the courts, and the people of the kingdom grated his every nerve more and more these days. So 'escaping' upon his ship for hours on end was better than being in the palace.

Muzan closed his eyes and exhaled, the sun felt nice on his skin, warm in contrast to the cool salty air. He scoffs with a smile. He can admit that he enjoys this at least. He trails the sleek, stained wood of the rail he leans on as he looks out at the vast shimmering blue before him, the texture was once perfect, but is now slightly rough from wear. A pity, this ship wasn't cheap, yet another thing the courts had given him flak for, but at that time he hadn't cared. Truthfully, he doesn't care now either, he wanted a way to avoid them then, and it's granted him that whenever he wants it.

"Your highness," his lips pull down into a scowl, "the court is still awaiting your response. It would be best if you had an answer by the time we return home." This was ridiculous. He was no child, no prince, he was the king. What use did they have for a quuen that was so important that he must wed.

He sighs, lowering his head and running his hand through his hair, before turning and making his way to his quarters.

~~~

"(Y/n), are you sure we're allowed this far out?" You peek around a boulder before continuing on once you see the cost is clear. "Absolutely sure." Zenitsu squeaks as he hurries to catch up. "R-Really?" You nod without looking back at him. "I'm absolutely sure that I am NOT allowed out this far." He tugs on your tail, trying to make you stop, but all he gets is being dragged along. "(Y/n)! What if we get in trouble?! You're a princess, but I'm just some fish!" You scoff, kicking him off your tail and slowing to a halt finally.

"You are not just some fish, you're my friend. But you're also not a minnow anymore," his nose crickles when you poke it with your fingertip, "you can't be scared of every little thing, Zeni. Don't be a guppy." His cheeks puff as his face blossoms in pink. "I'm not scared! And I'm NOT a guppy!" Your lips purse as you nod along to his frantic rebuttal, your gaze shifting as you tune him out. As you do, you spot what you came looking for.

Human stuff.

The shipwreck you heard about. That Inosuke had told you about, while swearing he had no part in its sinking. You grab Zenitsu's wrist and pulled him down, interrupting his complaints. "(Y/n)! We shouldn't-" "Shhh! You don't know what might be down here!" That does the trick, as he covers his mouth with his free hand. You hold your bag tight as you pick up speed. It's a bit colder down here, and you'd bet if Zenitsu shivered any harder you'd hear his bones clacking.

The ship was smaller than others you've seen, and it looks newer. You already doubted whether Inosuke really had nothing to do with it's sinking, but now you're nearly convinced. Slowing down, you scan the area, and Zenitsu wraps his arms around your middle, head turning this way and that as he looks with wide eyes at the scene before you both. You approach the ship, peering in a porthole and, once you confirm nothing is inside, urge Zenitsu through it. He goes with a reluctant look, and you begin to look for abother way in, the porthole being too small for you.

"Over here!" Zenitsu whispers. You follow his voice to an open wall in the ship and swim inside. The walls are colorful, still vibrant, and ornate details curl about on fixtures and floorboards. With Zenitsu's help you pull and push at things, and lift and lower, collecting things here and there until something catches your eye.

A box. It's small, and soft to the touch, almost like the top of a jellyfish. You marvel at it, it's strange, and amazing! Zenitsu swims up beside you and stares at it too. "(Y/n), I think we've explored the whole thing..." You open your mouth to answer him when you hear a rush of water outside. He yelps and squeezes close to you.

"What was that!" A series of knocks interrupt you before you can calm him, and he cowers behind you. There's a deep rumble in the water around you and you reach behind you, placing your hand on Zenitsu's back. You may tease him, but he is younger, and has never left the kingdom besides when he's with you, so you are responsible for him. You keep your eyes ahead and stay on your guard. Having several brothers apart of the royal guard has taught you to stay vigilant. You swim back slowly, heading towards the entrance you swam in through. When you approach it you stop.

You feel a change in the water. Just the slightest movement, and kick your fin hard, turning yourself and Zenitsu, so that you face the opening. Just in time for a loud roar and a snap of teeth right before your face.

Your lips turn down and you glare. "Inosuke, that's not funny."

The merman before you cackles and falls to the sea floor beneath you, grey tail flailing as his cackles soon turn to howls of laughter. "No no, turn around, seriously!" You huff as you turn to look at Zenitsu, who's gone white in the face and looks like he might die of fright. You sigh and hold him as you sit in the sand, running your hand over his head. You slap the toughened skin of Inosuke's tail with yours.

"That was mean you know." The boys who's head lays in your lap seems to be calming down, moving off of your tail and sitting, looking at the ground. "Alright alright fine, I'm a big meanie shark!" It's not an apology, but Zenitsu and you know he means well. "Anyway, what did you find today princess?" You take off your bag, something Inosuke made for you a while ago, from fishing nets and something you're sure he pulled right off a humans back, 'those things they wear to keep from getting wet' he said. You dump it's contents and he rifles through, mumbling about thingamabobs and snarfblatts.

Inosuke knows so much because he's been captured by humans a lot, and has escaped humans a lot. Atop his head sits a pirate hat he stole along the way in his endeavors. His tail is scarred, and his fin has puncture marks from fish hooks, he even still has one, he claims its 'a trophy' of sorts.

"Oh this! I found it here, what is it?" You pick up your box and show it to him. Inosuke stares for a second before picking it up from your hand and...opening it, like a clam. "Oh these. They're for fighting." He plucks a circle of metal from inside the box. "You put it on your tail, above your fins, good for slappin, but this one's too small for any of us." He drops both the box and it's shiny contents and goes back to your bag.

You pick up your new treasure and gaze down at it. It's silver in color, with a bright blue stone that shines, even all the way down here. It really is small, it fits in the palm of your hand. You don't want to just leave it here, so you'll put it in your hiding spot and figure it out some other time.

Inosuke bites one of the munnies you found and mutters. "So, where's Gonpachiro?" Zenitsu pipes up from where he digs his fins in the sand. "Tanjiro is back at the palace, training." Something registers in your head, but you can't put your finger on it.

"Oh right, isn't there a ceremony today?" Inosuke remarks, half interested.

You groan loudly, and both boys look at you, startled.

"Oh gods the ceremony! Big brothers gonna kill me!" You scramble to gather your treasures and stuff them in your bag. You don't look to make sure the other two follow when you get up and swim off at a hurried pace.

~~~

"She's kinda cute isn't she?" Long nails caress the image of a girl tailed by two boys that fogs from a cauldron. "She's a no good, spoiled princess, who cares." A pebble flies in the direction of the haze, but a black tentacle swats it from the air. Another slaps the other hand away from the cauldron. Pale hands hesitate to reach for the image before them, but ultimately they pass through it, unfazed as it dissipates. The two eelmers lazing about turn and watch with a curious eye as the sea witch turns and retreats to his alcove in a blur of tentacles...

#cream slayer #toasted sugar cream #toasts this post due to the nature of the series as a whole #cream writes #cream fem

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ms-scarletwings · 5 months

Text

Every Dredge Aberration (2023), Part 5

Scouring Bass

Encyclopedia #103

Aberrant form of black sea bass

Description:

Shapes swirl inside bulging, clouded eyes. Blinded by the light of the surface, but perfectly suited to searching the depths.

Comment: That’s a pity. He won’t be needing them where he’s going.

How to catch: In similar fashion to arrow squid, the black bass are night feeders. Prowl the coastal waters of Gale Cliffs to find one of these on your hook or in your net.

Gelatinous Stonefish

Encyclopedia #104

Aberrant form of stonefish

Description:

Flesh and scales intent on shuffling away from a creature struggling to maintain its mortal form.

Comment: Oh dear, the poor thing was given the blobfish treatment, even though it’s merely a reef dweller. Quite a cruel twist of irony for something that is called stonefish.

How to catch: Haul or trawl by daylight. They live in shallow water by the cliffs.

Enthralled Stonefish

Encyclopedia #105

Aberrant form of stonefish

Description:

A hollowed husk, hosting a hostile dweller. The eyes inside begin their search for a safer vessel.

Comment: I hate this. I love this. A deliciously horrible implication. To think the fisherman actually allows these things into the cargo hold and can still sleep at night…

How to catch: ^^^

Decaying Blackmouth

Encyclopedia #106

Aberrant form of blackmouth salmon

Description:

A shimmering blackness permeates the flesh of this relentless fish. Muscles atrophied and decaying, but still it swims on.

Comment: I does me no pleasure to admit that this species was a particularly underwhelming discovery. Were this found in freshwater, literally nothing would even be amiss. More context.

How to catch: Can be netted, but is also fairly easy to find with a little prodding about the Gale coasts. Expect to find them during the day.

Sprouting Eel

Encyclopedia #107

Aberrant form of cougar eel

Description:

An eruption of crystalline growths burst from its skin. Sharp shapes clatter and resonate together.

Comment: Now this creature… this is a true beauty of the Deep. Likely suffering, anomalous, but beautiful. It is rightful that a good-sized individual will fetch a fine dollar on the market.

How to catch: Before atrophy, I found this one to be a little tricky to bag. A preference for the narrow cliff passageways and its nocturnal nature already makes the cougar eel a risky quarry to seek. Additionally, it cannot be caught with a trawl net. Keep an ear up around those rock walls, lest you be caught unawares by a much larger stone eel. Lingers in shallow water.

Withered Ray

Encyclopedia #108

Aberrant form of devil ray

Description:

Rotten webbing spans the wings of this large ray. Sinews stretch and snap as it thrashes in futility.

Comment: An utterly infernal sight that likely makes for a pungent aroma. To its last breath, it flutters for the wind and waters, like the flag of the ship that is lost to the maelstrom.

How to catch: Though having a slightly higher base value than the sprouting eel, surprisingly, this ray is worth less than the former proportional to how much inventory space it takes up. That coupled with the observation that it’s an oceanic fish, only seen at night, does not make fishing for manta rays a recommended side venture for the easily panicked. If you seek money at this stage in the story over completing the encyclopedia, you may be better to stick to wreckfish, sturgeons, or even the eels. An upgraded trawl net can handle them, but you will probably have access to bait before you do that.

#dredge game #dredge #grotesque fish #aberrant fish #fish horror

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multi-fan-dom-madness · 9 months

Text

Chapter 22: Naak (Second Chances - Hunter x reader)

Naak. n. peace

Chapter summary: You begin to adapt to life on Pabu.

Chapter warnings: fluffffffff with a sprinkle of angst (because I can't not); seriously this is mostly fluff

Word Count: 2,816

A/N: alright friendos, we're approaching the final arc here. I am going to be traveling next weekend, so Chapter 23 will be posted no later than Sept. 10, but hopefully before then to keep us on the regular posting schedule. I appreciate all of your patience and understanding

< Previous chapter | Next chapter >

Today marks the beginning of your second week on Pabu. Since that first night on the beach with Hunter, the pair of you have thrown yourselves into building a home here. During the day, Omega attends school, finally getting a chance to interact with children her own age. She spends most evenings with Lyana. Wrecker, Tech, Hunter, and you make yourselves useful in whatever way you can: cataloging artifacts in the Archium, constructing new buildings, hauling fishing nets, organizing supplies—any task that requires extra hands, you’re all there. You’re determined to earn your keep on this island. Everyone helps everyone here; none of you are quite used to it yet, but the more time you spend under the sweltering tropical sun, the more at ease you begin to feel.

So far, you’ve been sleeping in the Marauder and Redthorn until your new homes are completed. When they’re ready, you’ll have three thatch-roofed houses with individual bedrooms, communal living areas, kitchens, and rudimentary ’freshers. More of a home than you’ve ever had before.

Wiping the sweat from your brow, you groan softly as you straighten your back. Today’s task so far has been to move supply crates from Lower Pabu to Upper Pabu where they’ll be more secure. Shep had mentioned a few days back of the possibility of quakes and floods. By moving the supplies to the higher ground, behind the retaining wall, there will be less stress on the entire community in the event of a disaster.

Your shoulders ache. But you relish in the soreness, knowing that it’s for a good cause, satisfied in the knowledge that you’ve done something for the betterment of more than just yourself. At the very least, the sea breeze rarely abates on the island; your sweat dries, the wind wicking away the excess warmth you’ve worked yourself into.

“That’s the last of it,” says Mako, one of Shep’s advisors. Like Shep, he’s a large man, imposing in his stature, but kind and patient to a fault. His eyes crinkle into smile lines. “Take the rest of the day. Tomorrow we’ll survey the wall for weaknesses.”

With a two-finger salute, you sigh in relief. Thankfully, you’re already in Upper Pabu; the ships aren’t too far of a walk from here. You need a shower, some shade, and water.

You’re beginning to recognize faces, smiling and waving at passersby as they lope down the winding streets past you. Their names blend together, but you know with time, you’ll learn them all, come to value them as dearly as you do your squad.

You catch a glimpse of a bright red bandana turning a corner up the road. Well, you think, maybe not as dearly, you think, gazing after Hunter. A smile dances over your lips, threatening to burst forth.

Ever since that first night on the beach, the two of you have been nearly inseparable. Only when you’re assigned separate tasks, like today, do you spend any significant amounts of time apart. At night, after dinner and once Omega is asleep, the pair of you slip away to explore another corner of the island. You’ve walked the entire shoreline perimeter under the light of the moon, discovered caves that delved into darkness within the island bedrock, and meandered through neighborhoods to chat with other residents.

Lengthening your stride, you ignore the burn in your calves as you scale the gently sloping street. Some of the landmarks are familiar and catch your attention. Two large, potted plants bookend a bench that overlooks the ocean, providing a wonderful sunset vista. As the street narrows into a mere footpath, the cobblestones transition into stepping stones, nestled within a bed of verdant grass with tiny white blooms. And there’s the cluster of palm trees you’d noted on your second day, where you’d love to hang up a hammock and snooze.

You realize with a pleasant jolt where you are.

Breaking into a jog, you round the corner and grin. Ahead, at the end of the path, the three new homes under construction for the squad sit with gleaming plaster and lattice-work verandas. Their front doors face a shared courtyard.

And standing in the center, his back to you, arms crossed and hip cocked, is Hunter.

His head turns as you approach, breathless. “Off early?”

“Would have been done sooner,” you say, catching your breath, “if Wrecker had been assigned to help instead of fish.”

“He likes to fish,” Hunter says with a chuckle. The sound lightens your heart.

You hum. “Do you like to build?”

“I like working with my hands,” he says.

He uncrosses his arms and holds his hands up, fingers splayed, as if to show them off. You can’t help but appreciate the corded muscle beneath his tanned skin, the lines of his skeleton tattoo rippling as he turns his hands over. Not for the first time, you’re selfishly grateful that Pabu boasts a tropical climate. Your armor and the boys’ blacks are too suffocating for long-term wear here.

Instead, the locals had been more than happy to pass along some of their older clothing. Well worn, and well loved, it all fits nonetheless. Hunter’s shirt sleeves end before his elbows today, and the collar dips in a small V.

Standing in front of him, you gently run your fingertips over the lines of his palms. His gray eyes flutter shut at the sensation, and you take a moment to gaze, unabashed. Being here, even for just a week, has been kind to him. His face still carries evidence of stress, but the furrow between his brow has been nearly nonexistent since you arrived, and his shoulders aren’t held quite so high, the tension in them drained.

“I was thinking,” you begin. When his eyes blink open, you trail off, distracted.

He squeezes your hands. “You were thinking?”

“Right.” You duck your head. “Maybe we could go exploring while it’s still light out. I want to check out those caves.”

The sun still has a few hours before it will begin its daily descent towards the western horizon. You chew the inside of your cheek while he ponders the suggestion. His eyes survey the three homes around you for a moment, before flicking back to yours with a nod.

“Lunch first,” he says. “Then exploring.”

“Yes, sarge,” you tease, bumping him with your shoulder as you lead the way back down the footpath. He chuckles. He snags your hand and twines your fingers together, warm skin against warm skin, and you sigh in contentment.

You wander back down through Lower Pabu. While there are no restaurants of the type you’re used to seeing, a few of the residents do run small stores: a bakery, two caf shops, an apothecary, a smithy. You hadn’t realized how hungry you actually are until Hunter mentioned food, but now, you let your nose lead you. The sweet scents of freshly baked bread and ripe fruit waft to you on the breeze, setting your mouth watering.

The bakery is run by a kindly older woman with flour-dusted features and sun-wrinkled skin. She smiles at you both as you hesitate on the doorstep of her small home. After a moment of wracking your brain, you recall her name.

Gesturing, she says, “Please, come in, come in. What can I do for you?”

“Hi, Gerta,” you say, inclining your head. Your gaze sweeps over the loaves of bread, platter of cookies, and jars of jam. Stomach rumbling, you resist the impulse to get one of everything. Instead, you point at the neat pyramid of sweet rolls and a jar of meiloorun jelly. “Can we get a few rolls and the jam? And some water, please.”

Gerta shuffles behind the counter and rolls out a cloth, onto which she lays the requested items. From below the counter, she retrieves a jug of water, the ceramic already sweating. Peering through wrinkled skin, she appraises Hunter. “Anything for you, dear?”

“A cookie,” he says. “How much?”

With a chuckle, Gerta shakes her head. “You’ll learn soon enough.”

“Oh, right.” Hunter rubs the back of his neck with his free hand, his other squeezing around yours. You squeeze back in a show of support. None of you have adjusted fully to the absence of credits here; exchanges are made on a barter system, gifts made in kind or services promised at a future date. Hunter continues, “What can I help with then?”

She points behind you. The upper support of the wooden door jamb sags, its original moorings having come loose, likely from the wood swelling in the humidity.

“Fix that for me,” Gerta says, smiling again, “and we’ll call it even. My strength just isn’t what it used to be, and my son hasn’t had the time to fix it.”

“Got a hammer?” Hunter asks.

She hefts one up from behind the counter. While Hunter busies himself with the repair, you lean against the counter. “Your son work a lot, Gerta?”

“Ah, my boy has always been a busy bee,” she says. “He’s gone and made himself useful to the island, working on the water wall and ensuring we all have enough supplies.”

You blink. “You mean Mako.”

“That’s him.” Gerta sighs as she folds up your food. “I am proud of him, you know. But Pabu has always been too small for him.”

Eyes trailing down Hunter’s lean form where he reaches up with the hammer, pounding the door jamb back into place, you can only hum in acknowledgement. Gerta doesn’t seem to mind. She gently pushes the neatly tied bundle across the counter to you, sliding the jug as well. A moment later, Hunter reappears at your elbow. He passes Gerta the hammer.

“Thank you, dearie,” she says, patting his face. You have to stifle a chuckle at the powdery white handprint left overtop of his tattoo. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise at her gesture. “See you ’round now.”

“Thanks, Gerta,” you say with a bow. Collecting your food, you nudge Hunter to follow. He murmurs a belated ‘thank you’ as he follows.

As soon as you’re out of her earshot, he shakes his head with a grimace. He wipes his face, only about half of the flour coming off. “Things are...so different here.”

Nodding, you sigh. “A good kind of different, but still different.”

You walk in relative silence the rest of the way to the beach, speaking only to greet folks as they call out to you. Hunter’s hand rests in the small of your back, a gentle but persistent presence. It occurs to you all over again how changed your relationship with Hunter is now. The transparency between you laid the foundation, sure, but between your run-ins with the Empire and the soft, lulling melody of Pabu’s beaches, you’ve begun building a life together. Before Iridonia, there were times where you couldn’t fathom what he was thinking, the feelings he hid behind the stoic mask he donned. Now, though, all you have to do is glance and you can tell where his mind is.

Like right now. His thoughts are elsewhere, despite the reassuring circles he rubs with his thumb on your back.

“Hunter?” you ask, quiet, as you step beyond the boundaries of Lower Pabu to the beach proper.

He blinks as if coming up for air. “The houses should be done by tomorrow.”

“W— Really?”

Nodding, he smiles down at you. “You can have the first pick of which one you want.”

“Wherever you are.” The words slip out before you can stop them, before you can even process what you’re insinuating.

Hunter’s hand slips from your back around your waist and tugs you against his side. He presses a chaste kiss to the side of your head. “I thought you might say that.”

Flushing with embarrassment and excitement, you shrug against him. “And are you okay with that?”

“I...” He sighs, gently guiding you down the beach towards the caves. “Omega’s not the only clone who didn’t have her own room. None of us did. I think I’d like to have my own room, at least for a little while, see what it’s like.”

Gentle smile curling over your lips, you nod. “I understand. I’m excited for you. For all of you.”

“Thank you, cyare,” he says, and the depth of emotions in his voice plucks at your heartstrings.

Within another few minutes, you reach the caves that you’d spotted just a few nights ago. Tall and jagged, the arching entranceways loom far overhead and plunge deep into the sand ahead of you. But to your rising dismay, they are shallow, barely worthy of being called caves. ‘Alcoves’ might be a more apt term. You halt in your tracks, grimacing at the rocky formations before you.

“These looked cooler at night,” you say flatly.

Hunter laughs, throwing his head back, his teeth bared in a wide smile. You can’t help but chuckle, gazing fondly at his open expression of mirth.

“Picnic?” he suggests.

You nod. “Picnic.”

The day isn’t a total loss, at least. You do lose track of time. On the beach, your heartbeat matches the pulse of the ocean, the salty air clinging to your skin as you lounge with Hunter, meal of rolls and jelly long since devoured. At some point, he shifts to lay his head in your lap, and your fingers instinctively bury into his curls, twirling silken strands idly as you bask in each other’s company.

Shivering in the cool night air, the sun having set about an hour ago, you turn your face up, tracing patterns between the stars that litter the sky. Somewhere out there is Coruscant, and Iridonia, and Ord Mantell, and thousands of other planets you’ve never seen and probably never will. You exhale a shaky breath. Suddenly you feel very, very small, an ant in a giant’s terrarium.

“Cyare?” Hunter says.

“I’m here,” you murmur. “Just...” You gesture helplessly up to the stars, words failing you.

“I know,” he says. “During the war... I mentioned to you the other night our success rate, yeah?”

You nod. “One hundred percent.”

“Failure was not in our vocabulary,” he says, voice soft, thoughtful. “The mere thought of failure was unthinkable. More than that. It was unknowable.”

Methodically stroking his hair, you keep your gaze on the heavens, eyes drinking in the light of billions of stars.

“You could only see the stars on Kamino every few months,” he continues. “When the storms stopped. I remember the first time I caught a glimpse of the galaxy that I’d be fighting for. I was young. A few months out of the growth tube, at most, but I already understood my place in the galaxy and what was expected of me. Of us.

“I remember feeling...tiny. Inconsequential. ‘How are we supposed to protect all of that,’ I remember thinking. I must have hidden in the barracks for hours afterwards.” He chuckles. “It was too much for my brain to comprehend at the time.”

“And what about now?” you ask, softly, no louder than the waves breaking just a few dozen feet away.

You feel him shrug. “I dunno. I— I’m proud of my service for the Republic, but I’ve also seen enough death and carnage to last any normal person three lifetimes.”

Understanding dawns on you like the sun: hot and uncomfortable and it makes you want to hide. “Without the war, you wouldn’t exist.”

“But should there have been a war in the first place?”

You lapse into silence once more. Piecing together what little you know, what little he’s confided in you this past week, your chest feels tight. Republic, Empire; Chancellor, Emperor: the entire galaxy just feeds the great machine of politics and power, and the clones, every single one of them, are the cogs that make the machine run.

“Do you think Echo is okay?” you murmur.

Hunter reaches up and, gently clasping your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilts your face down to meet his gaze. In the dark, his eyes are pinpricks of light. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“We should make sure he has a room,” you say, “in one of the houses. For when he comes back.”

“He will, cyare.” Hunter sits up and tugs you into his chest. You hug him tight; his hands tremble where they rest against your body. You’re not sure if his words mean that Echo will have a room, or if he’ll come back, or both, but they ease some of the existential dread welling in your heart. Kriff, no wonder Echo left. His brothers are out there, pawns in a game they had no say in joining. Your thoughts flit to Crosshair. Where is he right now? Has he tried to get out?

You and Hunter remain on the beach, locked in one another’s embrace, until the sun rises again.

Taglist: @the-hexfiles @fjordg @idoubleswearimawriter @skellymom @sinfulsalutations @523rdrebel @sunshinesdaydream @freesia-writes @moonlightwarriorqueen @wings-and-beskar @wolffegirlsunite @blueink-bluesoul @jedi-hawkins @thorsterstrudle @starrylothcat @deejadabbles @dystopicjumpsuit @littlemissmanga @starqueensthings @mandos-mind-trick @idontgetanysleep (if I missed you i'm sorry)

#hunter x reader #tbb hunter x reader #hunter x gn!reader #second chances #rhiwrites #the bad batch x reader #tbb x reader

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mighty-ant · 1 year

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La Mano Delicata, Part Two

Part One

ao3

Alberto’s father wears a thick, gold human ring on his thumb.

There’s a black stone inlaid on its surface, where a gold letter ‘M’ is engraved in sweeping, elegant, alien curves. It's out of place beneath the surface, among the seaweed and roughly hewn stone, a world that grows at the beckoning of nature. There’s nothing natural about the ring, or the other human artifacts his father leaves scattered in their cave, and for that reason they fascinate Alberto to no end.

Most of of what his father finds is already broken: metal spindles on strange dials that shriek when forced to turn, bottles and cups that are as clear as water or dark as the deepest depths, smooth and cool to the touch but with jagged edges that cut his fingers and palms if he’s not careful. There are smaller things, metal things, with shapes that curve and point, but their names are unknown to him because as his father likes to remind him, he isn’t Alberto’s teacher.

Their home is far from other sea folk, almost a two hour swim in any direction if he wants to see a familiar face. Alberto was young when they moved and his memories of before are vague, but he recalls the other kids that lived near him and how they played games in the coral fields. But the solitude is good too. Alberto knows he’s learning to become self-sufficient, like his father, and he wants to become like his father more than anything.

There’s an alcove in the wall of their home where his father leaves his favorite human trinkets. Small chains of gold and silver, plates pure white as dead coral but cool and utterly smooth to the touch. When his father returns from his long absences with treasures and (if Alberto’s lucky) a fresh catch in tow, he always drops his gold ring onto the smallest plate, one more intricate than the rest with unfamiliar landscapes and writhing vines painted in the most delicate blue.

The ring is there when Alberto returns from an afternoon hunt.

Other sea folk aren’t the only thing scarce out here—most days, it’s an effort to bring home dinner, swimming out to the reef to find the schools of fish and scuttling crabs that hide there. He learned their migrating habits the hard way after a two-hour journey greeted him with an empty expanse, the fish having moved overnight to the entirely opposite end of the reef. He was so hungry when he got home that he scraped the barnacles off the sides of the cave and gnawed on them, shell and all, chipping a few of his teeth in the process.

His father doesn’t tell him not to touch his favorite treasures, at least not in so many words. It’s understood that Alberto can play with the broken things he scatters around the cave, but the perfect, shiny, intact ones? Those are just for his father.

And yet, when Alberto arrives, clutching a rough woven net with three fish and an eel inside, he finds their home silent despite evidence of his father’s presence. He often talks aloud, more than he ever talks directly to Alberto, about how good the humans must have it, how he wished they took better care of their belongings. But it’s quiet now.

Alberto passes hesitantly through the opening to their home, scanning the corners and peeking into his and his father’s shared room. Again, he’s met with silence, and not even a glimpse of his father’s purple scales.

He’s stalling as he sets their dinner down on the table, fashioned out of the wooden hull of a sunken human ship. He traces the whorls and grooves of the aged wood, picking at the algae growing there, wondering at the human hands that must have crafted it. But Alberto is impatient to a fault and he gives into his curiosity within seconds, dashing over to his father’s alcove.

The ring is still there, still shining and still mysterious, and he picks it up carefully. It’s not that he’s worried about breaking it, exactly. He's learned that human things are made to last, even the broken ones. But he’s only ever looked at the ring from afar, and a small stupid part of him is certain that it’ll dissolve into seafoam if he exerts too much pressure.

The ring catches the light just so, sparkling like the spray of sunlight across the ocean surface, and Alberto finds himself entranced at once. Up close, the ring is not nearly as perfect as he imagined it to be. There are small scratches etched on its surface, pale white and numerous, and he couldn’t count them all if he tried.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Alberto almost drops the ring. He does drop it in fact, but he claps his hands together to catch it before it can fall more than a few centimeters. He looks up, cold dread sinking into his gut with the strength of a riptide.

His father stares back from the shadowed entrance. His eyes, the ones Alberto inherited, shine out of the dark and his lean, barracuda-thin body is still.

His head tilts to the side—he asked Alberto a question after all.

“Oh, uh, y-yes, sir. Sorry, I was just looking at it.”

He hums. “Didn’t realize you needed to grab something in order to look at it.” His father swims closer, holds out his hand. Alberto drops the ring into his palm at once.

“It’s-it’s cool, is all,” Alberto tries. “Human stuff. I can never find anything that isn’t already broken.”

His father slips the ring back onto his thumb, expression thoughtful. He curls his hand into a fist. “Hm. I haven't taken you to the surface yet, have I?”

He knows he hasn’t. Alberto has been told so many, many times never to follow his father under any circumstance, but he must’ve just been waiting until Alberto was ready . The weight of dread floats off of him like bubbles to the surface, bursting into shocked joy.

“N-no, sir! Not yet,” Alberto says, grinning.

His father smiles back. “Would you like to see it?”

Their vespa can’t move faster than a human can walk. What Alberto had mistaken for artistic license, Giulia informs him are large splotches of rust that deteriorate the metal and flake off under his hands like sharp-edged grains of sand that leave a tang of iron on his fingers. The handlebars are loose, the frame shakes and rattles under him and Luca worse than their homemade vespa did, and within five minutes the engine casing turns blisteringly hot to the touch.

It’s perfect .

But even Alberto is smart enough to realize that he and Luca won’t be going anywhere on this vespa, not further than Portorosso’s winding streets and certainly not around the world.

Luca and Giulia run upstairs to go look at a book of all things, leaving him with the setting sun and encroaching neighbors. But the prickling sea urchin of jealousy that’s clung to his ribcage for weeks barely twinges. Giulia isn’t trying to take Luca away from him, he knows that now. It doesn’t change the fact that Alberto is still going to lose him when this is all over, at least for a little while.

He should probably ask Giulia how long school lasts.

Parking the vespa by the Marcovaldos’ back door, Alberto takes a moment to just grip the handlebars extra tight, feeling the aged leather creak against his palm. This isn’t like one of his father’s forbidden treasures–the vespa is Alberto’s to do with as he chooses, and he chooses to return it. Alberto still doesn’t completely understand humans, but he does know that Luca will need soldi to board the train and Alberto doesn’t need a vespa if Luca isn’t here to ride it with him.

The Marcovaldos’ yard is bustling with neighbors and more food than he’s ever seen in one place. There’s pasta in all shapes, only some he recognizes from Giulia’s training regime for the eating competition he never got to win. Tables are brought over from nearby homes and they spill out onto the street in a delightfully chaotic train, each weighed down with bottles of wine, platters of cheese and olives marinated with pimientos, trays of focaccia and steaming chive garlic bread. Plates are filled and what little space remains is immediately filled with music, chatter, and gesticulating hands.

The storm that pelted Portorosso during the race has passed and brilliant golden sunlight breaks through the lingering clouds. Drizzle falls intermittently, glittering like coins, and Alberto’s tan skin bursts into patches of indigo scales wherever the raindrops land. But the fear of discovery, of fishermen and their harpoons, is gone, washed away by the trust in Giulia’s smile and the reassurance of her arm around his shoulders as they crossed the finish line. The fear was dashed by the brazen presence of Concetta and Pinuccia Aragosta, le Donne Gatto, once hiding in plain sight but hiding no longer.

The fear surged, brief but paralyzing, when they stood before Massimo, who loomed larger than the tallest wave of the most fearsome storm.

Every omission, the terrible truth of Alberto’s existence, was laid bare and he couldn’t look Massimo in the eye. He’d thought of all their fishing trips, the comforting sway of the boat and Massimo’s sure hand teaching him how to haul up the nets. The human’s expressions were often difficult to determine beneath the bushy brows and mustache, but Alberto had been so sure that those keen, hidden eyes had looked back at him with approval a few times, maybe even warmth.

He couldn’t bear to see them filled with hate.

When Massimo instead grabbed Alberto by the wrist and raised him over the crowd, declaring them the winners, he might as well have raised Alberto to the top of the world.

“Al-Alberto!”

A pair of unfamiliar voices call him, almost identical in their stutter like they’re unsure of his name. Alberto startles ungracefully, nearly knocking over their vespa. He’s quick to catch it, not willing to risk any additional dents or scratches that could put his refund at risk.

It gives the owners of the voices enough time to crowd in close to him, smiles too wide and webbed hands fluttering.

Alberto smiles uncertainly, reluctantly letting go of the vespa. “Uh, hi, Signore e Signora Paguro.”

After so many months on the surface, it’s almost strange to see the faces of other sea folk. He’s not exactly accustomed to humans, but he expects to see them up here, where the air is light and the sun is blazing. And anyway, for a long time his father was the only sea folk he spoke to, when he was still around.

While Alberto might’ve seen Luca’s parents at the finish line, they hadn’t exactly met. They were too busy clamoring over Luca, hugging their runaway son, stroking and kissing his cheeks. They’d missed him, both of them had , and obviously came to the surface looking for him despite Alberto’s blind insistence to the contrary. He hopes Luca knows how lucky he is to have that.

Staring at them now, face to face, it’s funny how Alberto can recognize Luca’s features in both of theirs. Or the other way around, he guesses. Luca takes more after his mother in looks, though the green tint to his scales is definitely his dad’s.

Alberto knows he looks identical to his own father, down to the seaweed green of their eyes and the yellow tint of their sclera. When he was very, very small, so young it feels like a dream, his father used to call him ‘Mini-Me.’

“Alberto,” Signora Paguro repeats effusively, like she’s eager to say it again now that she knows she got his name right the first time. “You’re Luca’s friend! The Alberto.”

He rubs the back of his neck, his usual veneer of cool skittering out of his reach. “Uh, yeah? That’s me.”

“Luca’s told us so much about you,” Signora Paguro starts to say, before reluctantly amending. “Well, no, that’s not true. We don’t know anything about you.”

“We knew you existed!” Signore Paguro offers helpfully.

Signora Paguro takes Alberto’s hands in her own, her teal scales matching well with the purple of his. Not like the humans’ strange, fleshy shades of brown and pink. These are sea folk like him. He should probably feel reassured by their similarities. Instead, he feels only panic, ratcheting up his spine with every word out of Signora Paguro’s mouth.

“Alberto what?” she asks, her expression open and gentle, though her tone is insistent. “Who are your people? Your parents must be worried sick if you’ve been out here for as long as Luca has!”

“I, um,” Alberto replies intelligently.

What can he say? That there’s no one? He’s not like Luca with a mom and dad and a grandmother. He can’t even imagine a home with so many people in it. All his life, it was just him and his father, and he got sick of Alberto before long.

For a few weeks, he thought it could be him and Luca. Now, it’s just him. Again.

He tries to answer without lying. “You’re not gonna…find anyone. My dad and I…we lived pretty far away. Like, really far away. Farther than you’ve ever been, probably.”

Signora Paguro’s smile falls. “Oh, no, sweetheart. Can we help you find him?”

Alberto almost laughs in her face. As if he hasn’t tried. As if he hadn’t spent the first three of the last thirteen months swimming further than he’s ever swam, up and down the coast, out into open ocean where the depths were endless and black beneath his feet, until his limbs ached and his eyes burned and his stomach ate itself.

At the start, Alberto asked the sea folk he encountered in the rare villages by the shore. Have you seen someone who looks like me? But grown-up? He’d gone cave to cave, home to home, like a stupid kid who’s lost his goatfish. After all, what kind of idioti loses a whole parent?

He’d watched their faces turn from confusion to pity too many times and he felt pathetic, abandoned all over again. His father had left him to flounder and humiliate himself in his loneliness.

Signora Paguro is still waiting for an answer, so Alberto chokes down the sea urchins lodged in his throat. He doesn’t want to lie.

Massimo calls him from the back of the pescheria before he can open his mouth and conjure more half-truths for Luca’s mother.

“Alberto,” he says, and nothing else. But Alberto has spent weeks bustling about a fishing boat with this human, and he recognizes the intent behind this particular summoning: Alberto, I need your help with something.

Desperate for escape, Alberto starts backing away before even making his excuses. “Sorry, signora, I’ll be right back. Or, uh, Luca will be right back. I just gotta, y’know. Massimo’s calling me.”

Signora Paguro watches him go with a bewildered expression. “O-okay, honey.”

Alberto flees to Massimo’s shadow, away from the bustle of too many bodies and too loud voices. Bulwarked by his solid silence, Alberto’s finally able to breathe after shedding what feels like the entire weight of the midnight zone from his shoulders.

“Yeah?” He hops from foot to foot. In the shade of the awning and out of the drizzle, Alberto can feel his scales start to dry and the tingle of phantom tail behind him.

Massimo is still looking over his head at Signora Paguro, who’s pushing Signore Paguro toward a pair of empty seats. Nonna Paguro is already sitting down, chatting with one of le Donne Gatto. Under the gentle rain, they’re a rainbow of scales and tails.

The reminder that their secret’s out is jarring. Even though Massimo abandoned his harpoon at their feet, raising them up as the winners of the race, part of Alberto is still waiting for the other shell to drop. For Massimo to change his mind, see him for the monster that he is and throw him out onto the street. Or worse, that he won’t care about the sea monster part and just doesn’t like Alberto .

When Massimo tilts his head toward him, his mustache ticks up in a smile.

“Time for dinner, ragazzo.”

Beneath the awning of the pescheria, slightly tucked away from the hubbub of the party, there’s a table set with places for four. Plates of trenette al pesto lie steaming, waiting for them, just as they did on his and Luca’s first night in Portorosso. The familiar sight pulls something up from Alberto’s belly, spreading bubbly and warm through his body like sips of wine. He doesn’t know what to do with the feeling other than to smile about it, his grin big and ridiculous.

“Great, cuz I’m starving,” he announces, rather than give voice to the sensation of overwhelm. He bounds over to claim his usual chair, at least when they’re having dinner upstairs. Massimo takes a moment to join him, guiding the Paguros to their nice little cloth-covered table like a good host.

Alberto grabs his forchetta, but knows better than to start eating right away. The table manners of surface folk were at the top of Guilia’s lesson plan, whether she knew it or not, and Alberto had been her reluctant student. He doesn’t care much about offending strangers but, against his better judgment, he wants Massimo’s approval and he figured early on that he wasn’t gonna get that if he was slurping up his meals like a half-starved seal.

Besides, winning Massimo’s approval is nothing like trying to earn his father’s.

Alberto’s dad liked to talk. Not to Alberto, but at him. Barbed observations about Alberto’s skills, or lack thereof. How lazy and stupid he was. They hadn’t lived in a colony since Alberto was seven and it’s been so long since then that he’s forgotten most of the elders’ lessons on maths and letters. And no matter how hard he tried, his father would rather mock than instruct, so he was left to practice alone until he got too frustrated with himself and gave up.

After all, when Alberto’s father was his age, he was never dumb enough to wander into blue shark feeding grounds while searching for dinner. Alberto’s father was never so weak at his age. His father was a better swimmer, hunter, forager, you name it. Nothing Alberto did was ever good enough.

By contrast, Massimo almost doesn’t talk enough . He chooses his words judiciously, like a nonna scrutinizing fruit at market day, and opts for none of them more often than not. But his silence isn’t a warning sign like Alberto’s father’s, the stillness of the sea before a storm. He’s simply a man of few words, a foreign concept to Alberto’s mind, having only known big words that mask small, cruel actions.

I haven't taken you to the surface yet, have I?

And yeah, sometimes the silence unnerves him out of learned instinct, has him second-guessing if Massimo even wants him around, but Alberto’s never been afraid of him. Even at the start, facing down the biggest human he’d ever seen, mustache impressive as a walrus’s and single arm thick enough to put a tiger shark in a chokehold, Alberto was in awe of Massimo. All of his talk about hunting sea monsters had been…concerning, but in an abstract way. It was tough to reconcile the mountain of a man who happily made them pane, burro e marmellata in the mornings while singing along to the radio with the lethal pescatore with sailfish-quick reflexes and a harpoon always within easy reach, the sort of dangerous land monster they’d been warned against all their lives.

It gave Alberto and Luca that much more incentive to keep their secret.

But Massimo himself is kind and gruff, while humans like Ercole singled them out again and again with words and fists. It didn’t even occur to Alberto to be afraid of Massimo until he stood before the monster hunter in the rain, scaled and sharp-toothed, every inch the monster Massimo claimed to hate. Even then, it wasn’t even the threat of the harpoon in Massimo’s hand that frightened him. His father had batted him around enough times to teach him to expect violence from those bigger than him. No, it was the thought of the approving light in Massimo’s eyes dying, the suggestion of a smile turning hateful.

Rejection. That’s what Alberto was afraid of.

Only it never came.

Now he can’t help but wonder, as he watches Massimo shoo Machiavelli off his chair, what happens next? Once he sends Luca out into the wide world that’s out there waiting for him, what’s left for Alberto once he’s all alone again?

Massimo remains standing over his own place setting, not taking a seat yet. He looks across at Albero and raises a single, inquisitive brow.

“Giulia e Luca?” he asks.

Alberto rolls his eyes without any of the vitriol he might’ve felt a few days ago. Well, maybe just a little. They are keeping him from dinner, after all. “Upstairs. With a book. ”

Massimo turns toward the stairs leading up to the second landing, their home above the pescheria. “Giulietta,” he calls, at the same volume as his usual speaking voice. “È ora di cena.”

The window to Giulia’s room bursts open and she sticks her head out. “Two minutes, Papà!”

“It will get cold,” he chides but doesn’t argue. There’s a lightness to him that Alberto hadn’t noticed until this moment, a looseness in the breadth of his shoulders, a slight curve to his mouth that the mustache can’t completely disguise. He nods at Alberto, and the small smile becomes more pronounced. “Mah, we know better than to let good pasta go to waste, don’t we? Mangiare!”

He doesn’t need to tell Alberto twice.

After his overnight sulk in the tower and terror-turned-elation of the race, he’s so hungry he could eat a sea cow. The last few weeks of regular meals have made him soft, he’s just now realizing. Time was, he could go a couple days on scavenged shellfish alone; he’d learned the hard way not to grab and eat the random vegetation that grows on the surface. But the pasta was filling, the pesto rich, and man had he missed Massimo’s cooking. And it had only been two days! That didn’t bode well for his plans going forward but. Oh well.

He blinks back to focus when Massimo raps on the table with two knuckles, right by his water glass. “Eh, slow down, ragazzo. Dinner isn’t jumping overboard, either.” He speaks in a cajoling tone not that different to the one he uses with Giulia.

Alberto swallows his current mouthful and fights embarrassment when he looks at the dent he’s already made in his plate. Massimo’s eaten maybe half of what he has from his own dinner. “S-sorry. Just a…little hungry I guess.”

Massimo jerks his chin at Alberto’s plate. “Don’t apologize for being a growing boy. You need to eat. But I don’t want you making yourself sick.”

Alberto starts eating again, but at a normal pace this time, not like he’s being timed by an impatient Giulia. “Thanks,” he mumbles, not really sure what he’s thanking him for. Not treating him any differently than before? For caring?

When he glances back up, Massimo isn’t eating. He’s watching Alberto instead, his smile replaced by a frown. “When did you last eat, Alberto?”

“Uh…” he almost wipes his mouth on the back of his hand but catches himself just in time and grabs the cloth napkin beside his plate. Alberto kind of wishes he could hide behind it. “Not that long ago,” he hedges. He thinks it was the sandwiches Massimo made for lunch the day he ran away.

He casts about for a distraction. It’s almost like it’s been a point of pride for Massimo to feed him and Luca delicious new surface foods, so hearing that Alberto sat alone in his cold, dark tower for the last two nights feeling sorry for himself, too pathetic to think of eating anything, probably wouldn’t go over well.

“The race!” he blurts. “Y’know, all that-that running and almost dying really tired me out. It’s been a while since humans tried to harpoon me, y’know? I’m a little out of practice.”

Massimo chokes on his wine, making Alberto jump. His expression is stricken when he lowers the glass.

If Alberto was hoping to get Massimo’s attention off him, he’d failed miserably.

“I’m fine, though, obviously,” he tries to excuse at the same time Massimo says, “I am sorry.”

Alberto’s mouth hangs open, ready to keep rambling, but no sound comes out. Does he have water stuck in his ears? Because he could’ve sworn he heard Massimo say–

“I am sorry, Alberto.”

There! He said it again.

“Huh?” he manages.

Massimo’s heavy brows furrow in consternation, and his hand on the tablecloth clenches into a fist. Dinner sits between them, growing cold just like Massimo warned.

“You did not deserve to be hunted or attacked, now or ever. We were wrong, and I apologize for the part I played in harming you.”

He glances down at Alberto’s left arm, and his fist tightens until Alberto can count each bleached knuckle. For the first time since Alberto has known him, he looks at a loss for words, not just silent. He looks…afraid. But what the heck could Massimo be afraid of?

“That scar on your arm. You said it was…land monsters who gave it to you.”

Alberto follows Massimo’s line of sight, momentarily confused. He’d almost forgotten about his souvenir from the surface; the old scar is pale in his human form, a faint white line against his tan skin. It hadn’t bled too bad when he got it, and it wasn’t deep enough to even leave a cool scar.

“Yeah?”

Across from him, Massimo inhales deeply. His fist trembles faintly in a way Alberto has never seen it do before, even while winching up a fishing net heaving with fresh catch. “I have gone on many hunts,” Massimo intones gravely. “And struck at what I believed to be monstri marini many times. Did I…? Was that…my doing?”

It takes Alberto way too long to put two and two together. Some genius he is; it’s a good thing Luca’s the one going to school. When things do click, he gasps so loud that he makes Massimo jump this time, and he might’ve laughed if only Massimo didn’t look so gutted.

“What? No! No, this wasn’t you. It was-it was night, but the boat was different from yours.” Night or no, he would’ve recognized Massimo’s silhouette too. He’s still the biggest human Alberto’s ever seen.

Massimo looks him in the eye. “You are sure?”

Does he suspect Alberto’s lying to spare his feelings? It’s weird to think that Massimo might feel bad about maybe hurting him in the past, but nice to know he cares. At least a little. And giving it some thought, yeah, Alberto probably would lie, if only to spare Massimo needless guilt.

“I’m sure.” Completely the truth this time. Nice.

Massimo stares him down for another couple seconds, probably just to make double sure. After a few weeks on the boat together, Alberto’s gotten better at withstanding that stare, even with its raised eyebrow. At least when he’s in the right.

Massimo leans back, the pinched look to his face smoothing out. “It will not happen again.”

Alberto blinks, caught off guard by the end of the staredown. “Huh?”

He nods at Alberto’s arm. “You and your people will be safe on our shores. Not everyone will be kind, but they will all think twice before trying to harm you.”

Alberto’s father used to talk a big game. Called himself an explorer when all he did was pick up humans’ lost junk, a better fisherman (but only when Alberto lost track of the spawning grounds or the fish were few), and always threatened to steal one of the human’s boats and raid one of their villages.

But Massimo speaks so little that when he does talk, Alberto believes it. He isn’t a pathetic loner like Alberto’s father; everyone in town knows and respects him. At the end of the race, he got rid of the fishermen (and their harpoons) crowding around him and Luca with a glance . He invited all of them, le Donne Gatto included, to his house for a party, to show all of Portorosso that he’s on their side.

Alberto grins, and pretends there aren’t tears in his eyes. It’ll be nice, he thinks, to still be able to visit even when Luca’s away at school with Giulia. “Thanks, Signore Marcovaldo.”

Massimo ducks his head, tapping on the table between them again.

“Eat,” he grunts, artfully twirling a forkful of pasta single handedly. “Your food will get cold.”

Alberto laughs under his breath and applies himself to his dinner without needing to be told twice.

As he eats, he looks out over half the neighborhood that’s gathered in the yard. Most everyone’s still eating and chatting, but someone brought out a record player and there’s a little circle of kids dancing. Quite a few people catch his eye, smile and wave and call out greetings, and Alberto waves back hesitantly. Even the Paguros wave from the nice little table Massimo set up for them in the rain, movements awkward in a way Alberto recognizes in himself and Luca, sea folk uncertain if they’re doing a good job copying the humans’ mannerisms.

Even if they don’t agree with Alberto’s plan, he knows things will be okay between them and Luca now. They came all the way to the surface to find him. Alberto’s father brought him to the surface to leave him behind. He may not know what makes a good parent, but he knows what a bad one looks like, and the Paguros are far from that. They might even be good enough to let Luca go.

There’s a clatter from upstairs–Luca and Giulia are finally coming down for dinner. And Alberto’s running out of time to work out the details of his plan.

“But, but, hey!” he stammers ungracefully. “Random thought. The, uh, the prize money. The soldi. That we used on the vespa. Hypothetically, could I get it back and use it instead for, I dunno, a train ticket?”

Oh man it sounds so stupid coming out of his mouth. Is that how “soldi” works? Can it be returned? Anxiety latches onto his brain like an ocean parasite as one of Massimo’s brows ticks up incrementally. He peers down at Alberto from beneath it.

“Hypothetically,” Massimo rumbles, “that would depend on where the train is going. Like Rome. Or Genova, for example.”

Alberto freezes, staring hard at his water glass as Massimo reaches over to brush Machiavelli off Giulia’s chair. The cat just jumps onto Massimo’s shoulder, which he doesn’t seem to mind.

“If the shopkeep gives you a full refund–and knowing Mattia, he would–you will have just enough for one ticket to Genova. But only one.”

Massimo sounds a little sad at the end, but it’s just what Alberto needed to hear. The specifics of the humans’ barter system continues to elude him but he’ll figure it out in the end. Maybe Giulia will help him out.

Speaking of which: she and Luca come stampeding down the stairs like a horde of elephant seals, yelling about who got to the table first (Massimo keeps everyone’s plates from getting thrown to the floor in the chaos).

He doesn’t even have time to start feeling left out before Luca looks at him, grinning and breathless, and Alberto’s heart skips a beat. Santa ricotta. He’s gonna miss him. His first friend.

“I think Luca won,” Alberto chimes in, and tries not to laugh when Giulia squawks in outrage.

Like gravity, Alberto’s plans usually lead to a quick, painful fall.

Following his father up to the surface and getting himself stranded is one such example.

Eating some weird surface plant that had him dry heaving all day and through the night is another.

Wanting to ride a vespa around the world almost got him harpooned a couple times. Plus, it turns out vespas need to eat something called benzina to turn on and move. And (according to know-it-all Giulia) the world is way too big to travel by vespa, much less Italy.

But this plan, Get Luca a Train Ticket So He Can Go to School and Make Something of Himself, has gone off without a hitch.

Step 1: Corner the Paguros at le Donne Gatto’s house where they’re staying until Giulia (and Luca) leave for school in two days. Apparently the old couple are Nonna Paguro’s poker buddies? Who would’ve thought.

Massimo goes with him. Apparently his “hypothetical” questioning wasn’t as subtle as he’d hoped. But Massimo sits back with his lap covered in cats and shares a bottle of wine with le Donne Gatto and only speaks up when the Paguros have a practical question, like where Luca will live if he goes to school in Genova, which yeah, Alberto hadn’t thought about that. Whoops.

“I have already spoken to Giulia’s mother,” Massimo says, which is news to him.

Besides, Alberto has a different job.

It takes the better part of an hour to explain to them how smart Luca is, how much he wants this, needs this, deserves this. Alberto’s spent too long putting Luca down, and now this is his chance to pay him back for all of it.

And somehow, in the end, it works. He convinces them. Signora Paguro hugs him, which is weird, with tears in her eyes. “You’re a good friend, Alberto,” she tells him. “I’m-I’m glad Luca met you.”

And Alberto doesn’t know what to say to that (cause he’s not, not really. Luca’s the good one; he’s the screwup), so he laughs and salutes super awkwardly before practically diving out the door.

Step 2: Return the vespa in exchange for soldi to buy a train ticket.

After leaving the cozy home of le Donne Gatto, he goes straight to the vespa shop. Alone this time. But it’s night time, and the shop is dark, so Alberto camps out on a nearby set of steps until morning, the vespa propped against the side of the building. He can’t risk going back to Massimo’s and having Luca find out about his plan. And the more he sees Luca, the harder it will be to say goodbye.

In another rare stroke of luck, it isn’t that cold out on the steps and he’s able to sleep in fits and starts until the sun rises. Then he’s up and pounding on the door until the half-awake shop owner unlocks it and lets him in, already rambling about how he needs to return this vespa for money, signore, please and thank you.

“Ah, si.” The old man covers a yawn with his hand. “Massimo warned me you were coming. Let’s see now—si, leave that rusty thing outside. Come, come, I have your refund here.”

Money in hand, Alberto makes his way to the train station to buy Luca’s ticket. Giulia helpfully wrote down the number of the train she’ll be taking and the time it leaves.

A113 Genova via Portorosso at 2 p.m.

Step 3: Spend one last great day with Luca.

He’s under no illusions. Once Luca goes to school, with all its people and telescopes and books, he’ll forget all about Alberto. But that’s fine. He’s used to it. Maybe he’ll see Luca next summer, when he and Giulia come down to visit their family.

In the meantime, he’ll cherish the golden memories of building their ramshackle vespa together, the glitter of seaspray on his face as they ducked and rolled with the waves, their first taste of gelato.

Today, they ride bikes through puddles and play pallone in the square, and when it rains they laugh when they change into their true forms instead of running for cover. Giulia slaps her hands over their eyes when they start another staring contest with the sun and even that’s okay. Alberto wants her to promise to take care of Luca, but he has a feeling she already will. She’s a better friend than him that way.

All the while, Luca’s train ticket burns a hole in his pocket.

Step 4: Figure out what he’s going to do for the rest of his life.

That last one is, admittedly, turning out to be a little bit trickier.

He can go back to the island and keep doing what he did before he met Luca. Survive, look for cool treasure, scare hapless sea folk with his deep sea diver suit. Only now he can apparently pop into Portorosso whenever he feels like. It’s better than what he had going on before. A thousand times better.

So why is Alberto frozen on the shore, unable to move any deeper?

The night was black as squid ink when he made his way down to the beach– the beach, the little spit of sand thick with boulders where he revealed his true face to Giulia to prove Luca wrong, where he was singled out, where he was betrayed. Not that he’s applying any sort of special significance to this place. That would just be…sad.

This beach happens to be where he left from last time. Nice and out of the way, with a quick, deep dropoff, perfect for a quick getaway.

Not that Alberto’s gone anywhere yet.

The horizon line is paling with the faint blue light of predawn. And he still hasn’t swam back to the island.

Eventually, though, he does get tired of standing.

Sitting in the surf, the tide lapping at him every ten seconds, his entire lower half becomes blue and scaly. His tail curls comfortingly around his waist, a secret sort of hug he rarely allows for himself, especially with him being human almost 24/7 these days.

He can sorta see the outline of the island in the distance, mocking him with its nearness.

“Leaving again without saying goodbye?”

Holy–!

Alberto whirls around so fast he falls sideways into the surf. Water splashes on his face, revealing a riot of scales, and his instincts scream at him to hide before his brain catches up with him.

Massimo watches, silent and shadowed, with a softly glowing golden lantern held aloft in his hand.

Alberto quickly affects a casual pose, propping his chin up on a fist. The tide keeps breaking over him, and he knows his fingers must be webbed now, pupils sharp and inhuman, curly brown hair exchanged for purple frill. He pretends not to notice. “H-hey! How…uh, how long have you been standing there? And who said anything about leaving?”

He hasn’t seen Massimo since breakfast, when he slunk in through the front door after returning from the train station. Giulia and Luca were already up and eating Massimo pinned Alberto with one of those inscrutable looks of his and pushed a plate of biscuits and a tazzina di espresso in his direction.

Massimo plants himself on a nearby boulder, setting the lantern down beside him out of reach of the sea spray. Clearly, he’s not planning on leaving anytime soon. Great.

“I was downstairs mending the nets when I saw you leave. It is not safe to be out alone this late.”

Nerves jangling, Alberto resists the urge to roll his eyes. “What, afraid I’ll drown? Not to brag, but I think I’m a better swimmer than anyone in town.”

Massimo raises one of his eyebrows but even that silent warning isn’t enough to get Alberto to back down. He feels…jittery, exposed, like there’s a big spotlight on him even though it’s probably too dark for Massimo to even see him well without his lantern.

He doesn’t understand why Massimo is still here .

“Alberto, what’s wrong?” he asks, so softly Alberto can barely hear him over the crash and pull of the waves.

And that’s just…what do the humans call it? The last straw?

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong!” Alberto struggles, splashing to his feet. His tail lashes against the water and his eyes must be glowing, reflecting the lamplight, like a monster . “Why would you think something’s wrong? Cause I’m helping my best friend leave forever?”

Massimo frowns. “He won’t be gone forever, anymore than my Giulia will be. They will have vacations from school, summer, and you can travel to Genova to visit—”

He’s never raised his voice to Massimo before, or any adult, really. Definitely not to his father. But Massimo keeps being all calm and reasonable, as if Alberto hasn’t been lying to him, as if Alberto isn’t the monster the parents of Portorosso warn their children about at night. As if Alberto isn’t painfully, irrevocably alone.

“How!” he demands. “I don’t have help, not like Luca or Giulia. It's just me. It’s just been me for…”

Massimo keeps being calm. Keeps being reasonable. He asked about Alberto’s father, a week and a dozen fishing trips ago; Alberto had sort of lied then.

“For how long, Alberto?” he asks now.

383 days. Until he stopped keeping track.

“A…a while.”

Not a total lie.

An understatement? Definitely.

“Where were you living, all that time?” Massimo sounds determined, but also like he’s a little afraid to know the answer.

Alberto wonders how long he’s been holding back all these questions. Massimo’s not exactly a chatty guy, after all. But Alberto sat at his table, ate his food, and slept in the treehouse he built for his daughter. At this point, he probably owes him some honesty.

“Over there.” He points at his island, still a hazy shape against the lightening sky.

Massimo doesn’t gape, but it’s a near thing. He stands up, boots crunching on the sand, and his eyebrows go really high up on his face. “Isola del Mare? But after the war, it was rumored to be…haunted.”

Alberto shrugs a little sheepishly. “So maybe I messed with some of the boats that came by. I didn’t want anyone discovering my hideout!”

He didn’t set out to scare the humans at first; he was just trying to steal food. But he learned how superstitious they could be and he couldn’t not take advantage, especially when they had so many shiny and new and unbroken things.

But Massimo just smiles at his admission. “Clever. So what is your plan now, ragazzo?”

Alberto blinks. “Whadaya mean?”

Plan: Get Luca a Train Ticket So He Can Go to School and Make Something of Himself is basically finito. He left Luca’s train ticket with Giulia, who’d taken it grudgingly. She thinks he should say goodbye to Luca in person.

Massimo steps forward slowly, like Alberto’s a goatfish he doesn’t want to spook. He kneels and takes Alberto’s shoulder, his palm broad and callused but gentle in spite of it. “Luca and Giulia are leaving for Genova tomorrow. The Paguros will return home. What would you like to do?”

“What can I do?”

He’s never had a choice before. Or at least, he’s never had anyone tell him he does. Anxiety crawls under Alberto’s skin like a hundred tiny ants. He wants to shrug off Massimo’s hand but at the same time he wants to clutch his wrist, half afraid that he’ll fall apart and dissolve into sea foam if Massimo lets him go.

Massimo clears his throat once, squeezes Alberto’s shoulder.

“You could stay. Here. With me. I wasn’t joking when I said I’ll be needing help with the pescheria.”

Alberto’s certain he has water in his ears again. There’s no way Massimo just said—

“Stay?” he repeats shakily, not daring to answer one way or the other, as if Massimo will rip the kind words away and laugh in his face for hoping. But Massimo isn’t his father. He says Alberto’s strong. Massimo asks questions because he wants to know more about him, not because he wants to trap him in a lie. He followed Alberto to the beach when he could’ve just looked the other way.

“But I’m…” He looks down at himself, still purple, scales shining dimly in the gray dawn. There’s no way Massimo can look past what he is. Can he?

“You are Alberto,” Massimo says, firmly as stone. Water is wet, the moon isn’t a fish, you are Alberto. “That is all that matters.”

Massimo’s hand has been on his shoulder this whole time. His blue and purple scaley shoulder.

“Okay.” Alberto grins, and if his face had started to dry then his stubborn tears are ruining it by cutting twin blue trails down his cheeks.

Massimo ducks his head a little, meets Alberto’s tear stained eyes. “Okay?” he repeats. A question this time.

Alberto laughs, scrubbing away the tears. “Okay. I’m gonna be the best employee you’ve ever had.”

That makes Massimo chuckle too, which maybe shouldn’t be much of an achievement, but it is to him. Even if Massimo’s only his boss, he’s still nothing like his father.

“Well then, we had better return home. My best employee will need rest if he wants to continue being the best.”

Home. That sounds…too good to be true, to be honest.

Massimo shakes him a little with the hand still on his shoulder before standing back up. Alberto moves first, grabbing the lantern to lead them back to the pescheria. Even with the change, his eyesight is still better than any human’s, and it’ll be darker the further they get from the beach. Besides, there’s no harm in living up to his self-appointed title as best employee as soon as possible.

On their walk back, they’re allowed glimpses of Portorosso waking up around them.

The air is still cool, a chill lingering from the past days of rain that the sun isn’t strong enough to burn away yet. The gentle strains of piano drift down from an open second story window. Fruit vendors load their carts with crates lowered from heaving truck beds. An old man sipping coffee on his balcony waves to Massimo, who returns the gesture. Padre Eugenio is opening the huge wooden doors of the church, while il maggiore makes the first of her rounds through the plaza.

These sights and sounds are becoming familiar to Alberto, more than his father’s quiet cave in the middle of an empty seabed. More than the island, with its lone building of crumbling stone and only the waves and the calls of seabirds for company. But soon he’ll only have Massimo to share these bustling mornings with.

Alberto stops in the courtyard. Above them, he can hear Giulia and Luca laughing, the clatter of plates. They’re probably waiting to surprise them with breakfast.

If he had swam back to the island, would Luca have come looking for him before he left? He did once before, so maybe…yes?

Yes.

He feels Massimo’s eyes on him. It wrenches the truth out of Alberto once more, choking and sharp, like he’s swallowed sea urchins. “I’m gonna miss him. Like, really gonna miss him.”

Massimo sighs heavily, a great gust of wind against a broad sail. His father never would’ve let Alberto see his eyes get shiny with tears, or hear his voice tremble. He would’ve called it weakness. In Massimo, it looks like strength.

“Of course you will. We always miss the people we love. I love and will miss my Giulietta. You love and will miss your Luca.”

He peers up at Massimo. “And that’s…okay?

With a hand on his shoulder, Massimo guides him to the stairs. And breakfast. And home.

“It is love, Alberto. And love is always okay.”

#ant writes #is there still a luca fandom?#are am i hearing crickets?#massimo marcovaldo #alberto scorfano #but really #alberto marcovaldo #post movie #luca #my interpretation of alberto's garbage father #found family

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muppenthings · 2 years

Text

(Start) (Previously) (Next)

After further reassuring Coral, the two return to the reef to continue with their daily chores. For Merry it was weaving nets.

The day passes uneventfully, with Merry completing their quota and still having some free time.

After a good night's rest, Merry heads out early to gather the offering to Tide.

As they exit the reef, they notice a fairly sized group of mers entering. It looks like the neighbouring community mers and... was that a few Open ocean mers too? While their visits aren't common, Merry doesn't think much of it; their community have good relationships with all of their neighbours. Their visit was likely for trading; the others can take care of them. Merry continues with their task at hand.

In hindsight, they should've stayed.

Following day, Merry is yet again hauling a full harvest bag to the kelp beds where Tide is waiting for them. He's draped over the slope, belly down and head cushioned on his crossed arms, eyes closed.

They chirp out a greeting to get his attention, his eyes slowly opens and he gives them a toothy grin along with a lazy wave. As they get closer they notice a large human-made net pinned under his torso.

"What's the net for?" they ask as he takes the bag from them, eager to get his hands on the snack.

"To catch little mers of course," he grins while turning his focus on the bag. After some silence, he glances at Merry who's staring back at him bug-eyed.

"That was... a joke. I use it for fishing. But it tore this morning and I gotta get a new one."

Merry chuckles awkwardly; of course he wouldn't do that.

"Ooh I got it. But you're not going to leave it drifting in the sea right?"

"Of course not, I'm not a human." Tide rolls his eyes. "I'm gonna trade it for another net at their docks."

Not that the humans had a say in the "trade" anyways. Merry rubs their chin in thought while Tide digs into the food.

"I might be able to fix it, let me see," Merry motions to the net. Tide puts the half-full bag down with a slight pout, not all too happy about having his meal interrupted.

Taking the net out from underneath him, he holds the torn area up for Merry. They swim up to it; it's a fairly large tear but they have materials back home to repair it. They figure it's a better solution than to have Tide steal another net.

"I think I can make it as good as new! If you'd like?"

Tide hums while tucking the net underneath himself, picking up the bag again.

"Do what you want, but I won't trade that favour for my snack," he shrugs before he pours the rest into his mouth.

He's really adamant about those snacks huh.

Merry smiles, "I wouldn't dream of trying to bereft you from your sacred snack. Can you manage without the net for a while?"

Tide blinks, "Of course. I can hunt without it."

"Great! Bring it here next meeting and I'll fix it then!" Merry beams.

They couldn't bring such a large human-made net to their home since it would raise questions. And it would be difficult for them to drag both the net and a full harvest bag.

"Don't think you're big enough to order me around, small fry," Tide grins as he pokes their side playfully, making Merry whistle like a baby seagull.

They continue talking for a while after, with Merry attempting to dodge a prodding finger every now and then. Tide apparently found their reaction amusing.

#Muppen draws #oc Merry #oc Tide #Mmmm so many different mers #guess which are the Open ocean ones ;p #And they do swim around with weapons so nothing alarming about that xD #eating #tw food

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writer652 · 2 months

Text

Dagon.

Authors Note: I wasn't gonna start posting this until I finished one of my many ongoing fics, but… The release of "Luca" in theatres last week, and the upcoming release of "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire" were such a good opportunity to let it pass, so enjoy!

Also, I wanna thank @ironychan for allowing me to use their Oc's and set this on the same timeline as some of her fics, like:

"Three Little Monsters"

"Famiglia"

"A Little Human" which in itself is a combination of the previous two.

Things to take into account: Giulia and Massimo are sea monsters thanks to a genie, Ercole becomes one thanks to a spell, Ciccio has a sea monster girlfriend, and Alberto has an extended family in Napoli.

Chapter 1: Tragic Being.

"Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy." —Ishir⁠ō Honda.

It was late at night when old Tommaso and his son-in-law, Giacomo, were out at sea fishing; ever since Alberto had come to live with Massimo, his business was better than ever; having a sea monster as a partner increased the catching.

So, the men wanted to take advantage of the night when the Marcovaldo duo was asleep to increase their trawling.

As they arrived at the spot, Tomasso put out their new record player while Giacomo prepared for fishing.

"We should have our eyes open for sea monsters," Giacomo said as he picked the float to put the net through the winch.

Tommaso stopped before placing the needle on the disc and looked at him before the two burst into laughter; ever since that summer just two years ago, sea monsters have become so usual in Portorrosso that it was weird to think the town once hated them, even if this had raised tensions with the nearest town, San Guisseppe, people there were still not sure how to feel about their aquatic neighbors.

Even Luca, Alberto, and Giulia were still afraid of going back after the little incident where they were exposed as sea monsters in front of everybody, and then the town pretty much hunted them. Even with the reassurance of Signor Giglioli, the old man who helped them when nobody else did, they doubted of ever coming back.

But even so, Portorroso had become a safe space where connivance was possible, and mostly everyone was happy about this; those who had refused to accept sea monsters at first were warming up to them, and if the number one hater of sea monsters himself, Ercole Visconti, became one that time, anything was possible.

"All do," Tommaso added after laughing, "Massimo told me Alberto and Giulia like to sleep over at Luca's house; we should be careful in case they're swimming around here."

Giacomo nodded as he began pulling the net inside the boat; it wasn't that big of a catch, but they would return empty-handed.

"Do you remember that night? When we accidentally caught him on the net?"

His father-in-law nodded.

"How he shooked the boat! I was afraid he was gonna sink us!" Giacomo continued.

"Oh yeah! He's a strong boy for his age, no doubt."

"And the way he jumped! He completely passed over us!" At the time, he had been scared to death of him, but now he admitted Alberto had been pretty cool that time.

"I'm just glad he's a good boy, all do; we should still keep him out of our boat, especially at night."

This made the two laugh, as it was a common gag after Alberto accidentally burned Massimo's boat that one time.

"He still beats us at fishing do," admitted Tomaso at seeing the few fishes they caught.

Giacomo denied it with the head.

"Maybe we need to look for a better spot," he said as he prepared to start the engine.

The waves began to shiver, violently rocking the boat to the sides; both men screamed as they grabbed the ship to not fall; water entered the deck, and many objects fell to the ground; Tomaso's finger pushed the needle, and the record began to play:

On the farm, every Friday

On the farm, it's rabbit pie day.

But that wasn't the weirdest thing; the waters began to shine in a strange neon green light illuminating the vessel; Giacomo looked over the border and peaked at the light; his eyes opened wide: it was coming from the sea, but what in God's name was that?!

Another tremor stronger than the last one, made the two fall to the floor as they screamed in terror.

So, every Friday that ever comes along,

I get up early and sing this little song

The tremble stopped, and nothing else was heard except for the rapid breathing of both.

"What was that?!" Asked Tommaso; despite his old age, he immediately stood up and stopped the player; the song wasn't helping the moment.

"I don't know!" Giacomo replied, standing up and pointing a finger at the sea, "But the waters... they were shining!"

Tomasso looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I swear, look..." but the bright was gone; there was nothing more than regular waters, a little shaky from the sea trembling.

Giacomo looked at him again.

"I swear; I..."

Tomaso just raised a hand.

"Let's... get out of here! Whatever it was, it's over, we should better check Viola is safe."

Giacomo nodded; that seemed the perfect plan; maybe the light was just in his head.

Tommaso picked up the stuff that had fallen while Giacomo prepared to start the engine, but in that, he saw ahead; there was an enormous rock a few meters apart from Isola del Mare.

The man squinted one eye; he had fished around that area for years and had never seen that rock; it was curved towards the front, spike-like scutes; it looked like a reversed shark fin.

He walked to the front for a better look; the rock was also huge, at less than 10 meters tall.

How was that possible? Where the hell had it come from?

Tomaso finished putting a tool over a box; he looked up and noticed his companion looking ahead instead of starting the motor.

"Giacomo!" He scolded him but saw no reaction from his son-in-law, so he looked ahead; his entire body froze.

"That... was not there before," he declared.

Giacomo could only nod.

They kept still, looking at that strange gravel that came out of nowhere; could it be related to the seaquake?

The rock swam ahead.

The two screamed and backed down; Giacomo stumbled on a screwdriver and fell while Tomaso grabbed onto the cabin.

The rock swam until it reached the island, and in their way, Tomaso noticed that it wasn't just one rock; behind it, there was another, and several more ran in a straight line, with smaller ones at the bottom.

"Dorsal fins," he thought, "but that would mean..."

At reaching the island, the creature began to rise; it looked like a lizard, but it stood on two legs and possessed a seemingly vestigial toe on the back of the foot and three dinosaur-like toes.

In fact, it looked like a T-Rex, but its scaly arms were long and muscular, with four fingers and sharp claws; it also had fins on its arms, and they were sharp-edged like knives.

The mouth was big and long, almost like the one of a crocodile, with two keen canines sticking out of the jaws. It also had fins on top of the head with two white horns.

Its eyes were green.

The creature was purple, but some of the scales on the arms were deep sea blue.

And it's size... 25 feet (7.6) tall at best.

Tomaso's eyes opened as wide as they could; never in his life had he seen such a creature; it was almost unbelievable to see a being of that dimension, and it looked scary as hell.

Giacomo was picking himself up when he noticed the monster while Tomaso backed up with a hand on his chest. Giacomo saw the state of his father-in-law and quickly held him from the back, afraid he was collapsing.

"What is that?" Was all the old mand could say, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Giacomo couldn't respond, as his eyes were on the demon. Even now that he was used to sea monsters, nothing compared to that thing! It was on another level!

The beast walked out of the water, closed its eyes, and trembled to the sides, shaking its head; it almost looked confused. His big legs were enough for it to reach the tower in seconds. The structure was small in his comparison. The monster leaned both hands on the tower, and the building collapsed under his weight.

The creature screamed in surprise as it fell along the construction and landed on the remains.

The two screamed again; that thing crushed the tower as if it were made of cards!

The fins of the ears moved to the sea, and the creature raised its head and looked at the water; its eyes opened wide as he noticed the boat.

"BRRANNK!" The monster roared and stood up, beginning to run to the sea.

Both men screamed, and Giacomo had to let go of his elder to run down the deck to start the engine; that thing was coming from them! They have to get out of there!

Tomaso didn´t fall to the ground but instead went inside the cabin to ride out of there; on his way, he pushed the box where the gramophone was resting, and the needle came down as the song began to play again:

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer's gun

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run

"GIACOMO! START THE ENGINE!"

"I'M TRYING! I'M TRYING!"

The monster entered the water and submerged, but its horns and dorsal fins were still visible and were heading straight to them. It was frightening how much it resembled a shark.

The engine finally started.

"LET'S GO!"

Tomaso only nodded as he turned the rudder; the boat moved to the front, but it quickly spun before heading to Portorosso; unfortunately, the fins were getting closer.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun

He'll get by without his rabbit pie

So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

The monster was fast, as it was quickly catching up with them.

"FASTER!" Screamed Giacomo, looking behind his back.

"I CAN'T!" Cried Tomaso, they were going at full speed.

The creature raised its head, peeking out of the water; it looked directly at them and opened its mouth, then closed it.

"IT WANTS TO EAT US!" Tomaso yelled, "IT WANTS TO EAT US!"

The creature continually opened and closed its mouth, trying to bite the boat, and it was closing on them; it would be over them in no time.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Bang, bang, bang, bang goes the farmer's gun

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run, run

A few inches were the distance apart; Giacomo looked desperately in every direction for something to defend themselves. The monster was getting closer, and the man could notice the jaws of that nightmare: sharp and long shark like teeth were waiting for them. Without a second thought, Giacomo began to throw every box, tool, and rope he could find; everything hit the monster in the nose, but nothing happened; the creature moved forward as nothing.

Defeated, Giacomo backed to the cabin; they were gonna die.

But Tomaso had his eyes up front; he could see the beach, they were almost home. Maybe with the help of the entire town, they could defeat that demon.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Don't give the farmer his fun, fun, fun

He'll get by without his rabbit pie

So run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

The boat finally reached the port, and both men got out as fast as they could and ran up the stairs to the plaza . On their way, they hit the gramophone, and it fell, making the song stuck:

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run

Behind them, they could hear that creature move through the water.

Once they reached the place, they noticed that many of the townsfolk had gathered there; many were in their pajamas with lanterns in hand, looking confused and scared. One of them was Viola herself; when she saw her father and husband, she sighed in relief but quickly passed when she saw their faces.

"Dad? Giacomo? What's going on? There was an earthquake, and then we heard something; it was almost as..."

But she couldn't finish as Giacomo grabbed her by the arms.

"WE NEED TO RUN!" He yelled.

She looked at him as if he was crazy, but another shake was felt.

CRASH!

The song stopped; many screams of terror were heard as everybody shook to the sides.

"What's going on?!" Someone else screamed.

"It is an earthquake?!" Another yelled.

"Alberto! Giulia! Luca! Has someone seen them?!"

Chaos began to take control of everybody, as no one knew what was happening. No one except for Tomaso, who looked at the beach.

"There!" He screamed as he pointed towards the sea.

Everybody looked in that direction, where the monster had already arrived; all the lights were put on, and the creature roared, causing a burst of screams.

Many couldn't hold themselves and fell, while others grabbed their children and began to run uphill; the creature looked down at them and shrieked again, then stopped and looked at its throat, taking boat hands to it. He shouted again and again, almost looking desperate. But no one noticed this as many fled the scene or were looking for weapons.

The creature roared one more time before setting foot on the plaza , opening a big hole in the ground; the earth shook, the windows of buildings broke, and many of those escaping plummeted.

"HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US!"

"RUN! IT'S COMING THIS WAY!"

"IT'S ALIVE IT'S HUGE!"

The monster looked in all directions until it turned around, and the tail hit the shops Trattoria Da Marina, the Bar Giotto, and several other buildings, reducing them to pieces.

Part of the rubble flew in all directions, impacting the ground like missiles; some folks had to dodge the ruins to not be crushed.

The creature opened his eyes, and he was surprised at what it had done. He grabbed the rubbish and threw it into the sea before looking over its shoulders; the Pescheria was behind it.

The monster smiled and began walking to the fish shop.

...

Massimo didn't know what was happening. That day had begun like any other; Luca and Giulia were back in town, and even Helena had come to visit for the summer. His nephew and daughter made the deliveries and helped at the Pescheria. Then Luca came to visit; when night fell, Alberto and Giulia asked him to spend the night at Luca's house.

They agreed as it had happened a thousand times; they knew it was safe, and there was no reason to think otherwise.

But then, everything changed.

A few hours later, he was in the kitchen going on his finances when his wife told him she was heading to bed.

"You sure you don't wanna come?" Helena asked.

"I'll be there in a minute," Massimo responded without looking at her.

Helena rolled her eyes but smiled, the same old Massimo. She wished him good night when the earthquake started.

Everything in the house moved up and down, the lights flickered, and the coins Massimo had over the table fell. Helena had to hold on to the wall to avoid falling.

Massimo looked at her, but she just nodded; there was no reason to panic they just had to wait until it had passed.

The shaking ended, and they exchanged glances before running to hug each other.

"Let's not put our guard down," Massimo said once they departed, "there could still be an aftershock."

Helena nodded as they both exited the Pescheria. Out in the plaza, many were gathered looking in all directions with lights in their hands. There didn't seem to be any damage, and no one seemed injured, fortunately, it had only been the scare.

Pietrina, the young lady who used to mind the shop on weekdays, noticed the Marcovaldos and smiled, then walked to them.

"Signor and Signora Marcovaldo! Thank God you're safe!"

"Thank you, Pietrina, we're glad you're also safe. What about your parents?"

"They are all fine as well, thank you for asking," she then looked to both sides, "what was that?"

"An earthquake, but that's weird, it has never trembled here before."

Pietrina opened her mouth to speak but then shouted when that has heard.

BRRANNK!

Everyone fell silent; they had never heard anything like that. It made Helena so scared that she backed down and held Massimo´s hand.

"What was that noise?"

"It sounded like an animal."

Helena looked at Massimo, but he denied it; he had lived all his life at sea, and in all those years, he had never heard anything like that; plus, the magnitude a beast needed to have to make a sound like that was massive, and animals of that size didn't inhabit those waters.

SMASH!

Something else broke, it sounded like bricks coming down. People screamed once again, the sound didn't come from town, so it would probably be coming from Isola del Mare.

This made Massimo raise both eyebrows as he looked at Pietrina.

"Find your parents, stick together in case we need to evacuate."

The teenager nodded as she ran to find them, whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Massimo then looked at Helena.

"Go find shelter."

"What about you?"

"I need to find the kids and make sure they're safe."

Helena squeezed his hand harder.

"I'm coming with you!" She said, determined.

But he shook his head.

"The last we knew is they were at Luca's house, if they are underwater you can't come."

Helena was about to argue but shut up, he was right about that, she bit her lip before looking at him in the eyes.

"Please, be careful."

Massimo nodded, he was about to head to the beach as Helena asked if someone had seen the kids when that thing appeared.

Everybody was familiar with sea monsters by now; heck, Massimo had become one himself, and Ciccio and Ercole had experienced what it felt like to be one.

But nothing could have prepared anyone for what they saw.

This was a monster, not in the same sense they used it to refer to Luca and the other of his kind. No. This thing was a monster.

Its size and appearance were frightening, something that could only come out of the worst of nightmares.

Even with all his bravery and strength, Massimo couldn't do much but stare at the demon. Until he felt the hand of his wife over his shoulder. Massimo looked at Helena, who had both eyes on that thing and was pale. That made him wake up; he needed to react and put his wife to safety before looking for the kids.

Then, he will try to defend the town from that monster and make sure Alberto, Giulia and Luca were safe.

He took Helena by one arm and began to pull her uphill, as the creature was advancing more into town.

The creature's steps made the earth shake again, but they managed to hold on to their feet.

"Massimo!" Helena tried to complain as they climbed through a corridor, the same one where Luca and Alberto tried to escape Ercole.

"Run to the higher ground! I'll be right behind you!" He ordered.

"But..."

CRASH!

Some buildings collapsed at the tail's hit, and the rubbish was coming over them. Massimo opened his eyes and pushed himself and Helena to the ground, at the same time debris fell behind them, raising smoke. Helena screamed while Massimo peeked back at the Plaza; the monster was advancing towards the Pescheria.

Massimo raised both eyebrows.

"Not our house," he thought before letting go of Helena.

"Run! As far as you can!" He screamed as he ran back to the main street.

Helena was about to protest, but then she heard more crying; she saw the other side of the street and noticed a small girl in tears hiding behind a barrel.

"Mommy! MOMMY!"

Helena bit her lip; she reminded her of Giulia when she was little. She looked one more time in the direction Massimo had gone.

He was a grown-up, and the best man she had ever met, so she decided to trust him. If someone could take on that monster, it was him, so she stood up and ran to that girl to take her in her arms.

"Don't be scared! We'll be alright! We'll be alright!" said as she caressed the little girl's back.

"SIGNORA MARCOVALDO!" Someone screamed.

Helena looked up and noticed Pietrina, covered in dust but with no injuries.

"This way! Come on!" She pointed up front.

Helena nodded as she began to climb again.

...

As Massimo entered the plaza, he looked at the monster; it was standing in front of the Pescheria; it roared as it peaked with its head at the building.

Massimo made a fist.

He couldn't get inside the house for his harpoon with that monster watching over.

"Massimo!" Someone yelled.

The fisherman looked to his right side and noticed Giacomo running in his direction, harpoon in hand.

He smiled; even if many had decided to get rid of their harpoons ever since sea monsters became welcomed into town, there were still those who kept them, Massimo being one of them.

Just because sea monsters were friendly, that didn't mean all the creatures from the sea were, and they needed something to defend themselves. Even Daniela had agreed to this, and Massimo had gifted a harpoon, which came in handy when a squid attacked the community one time.

And now, they had to do the same.

Giacomo threw the weapon at him and Massimo caught it in the air; he smiled, and behind Giacomo many more men and women were coming with harpoons and nets.

"Go for the legs!" Massimo ordered, "We'll make him fall and then go for it's neck!" Cutting an animal's throat was the quickest way to bleed it out.

Everybody nodded as they ran to the monster.

The creature seemed disappointed at not finding anything at the Pescheria, but the footsteps and screams made it look in their direction. Massimo could swear the creature landed eyes on him and...

Smiled.

As if it was happy to see him.

This made him stop to have a better look at it; the monster roared again as it turned its colossal body to face him, but then noticed the other presents with weapons in their hands.

The smile melted, and the monster shook its head, trying to comprehend what was happening.

Massimo couldn't decide what to do. Should he wait? Could this monster be... a different kind of sea monster?

But how could it be so big? And where the hell had it come from?

Many things ran through his head, and Massimo couldn't decide how to proceed, but then, Signor Ferrando threw his harpoon.

The weapon went in a straight line until it hit the creature's leg, and it broke: the tip of the spear bent, pointing to the sky, and fell to the ground.

This made all stop and look at the harpoon, which was now useless; with eyes and mouths wide open, they all stared at the weapon and then looked at the monster.

The creature was also looking at the spear; it seemed he also didn't know how strong he was. Massimo could just stare at that. What was this thing?

Giacomo screamed and threw his harpoon at the creature; it hit the monster in the stomach, but the result was the same, the harpoon broke and fell as a worthless item.

This made the creature curious; it leaned on both hands to lower his head and see the harpoon.

"He's curious," Massimo thought; this made him realize that this wasn't a mindless beast. Whatever it was, it had some sense of comprehension of the situation. The monster raised his eyes and looked at Massimo; once again, it smiled and roared.

Massimo couldn't know what to do. Was this thing trying to communicate with him? But why? How? What in God's name was happening?

But before Massimo could do anything, Signora Bruzzone stabbed the creature's eye with a harpoon; she somehow managed to sneak to the monster's side to hurt it. This had an effect as the weapon pierced the pupil and sank until the optic nerve.

The monster howled in pain as it stood up and put both hands to its eye.

Massimo wide opened his eyes and dropped his harpoon; he wanted to say 'wait' to the others but didn't know why. Why did he have the urge to defend this beast that had come to destroy the town?

The people began to shout in victory as they finally managed to hurt it, but then Massimo noticed something, being injured the creature was moving desperately to every side; it threw a blow into the air that ended up hitting the Pescheria and the neighboring building, destroying the second floors of both, making the humans yell in terror.

"NO!" Massimo screamed.

As the others started to back away; starting to regret hurting it.

The monster roared before rushing forward.

"DODGE!" Yelled Massimo before throwing himself to the ground, many more ran to the other side of the street, where the bar had once stood.

Unfortunately, Signora Bruzzone was very close to the monster when it started to run; the impact of his paw caused a wave that sent her flying, the woman screamed until she fell over the rubble.

"SIGNORA BRUZZONE!" Yelled Ferrando, he ran to help her, but in its desperate run, he got in the monster's way, the man could only open his eyes when the demon's enormous paw crushed him. Massimo opened his in terror when he saw the scene. When the beast raised his feet, Massimo noticed traces of organs and blood smeared on it.

The monster hit the main building, where registrations for the Portorosso Cup took place, the monster crashed head first, then lifted it up before taking a large part of the building with it.

More debris fell, raising a cloud of smoke that only increased when the construction collapsed, all the presents covered themselves to prevent it from getting into their eyes.

After that... everything went silent.

Massimo stayed on the ground for a few moments, not knowing what else to do, he was dirty from head to toe, there was nothing around him but dust and debris, and some pieces of concrete had become embedded in his arm.

Slowly, he got up, looking around to see if there were any other survivors, but he could not see because of the smoke that surrounded him. It wasn't until a shadowy figure appeared in front that he stood up.

The figure advanced until he was out of the mist, and Massimo saw it was Giacomo, just as dirty as him, and with a pale death expression.

He looked at Massimo and opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. The fisherman just nodded.

"Let's find the others."

Giacomo only nodded.

BRRANNK!

This put the two on alert, they turned to the side where the building had collapsed, the creature's enormous face came out of the fog above them, and they stared at it in terror.

Out of the mist, more and more people came, all with eyes on the creature, they backed away until they reached Massimo and Tomaso, forming a straight line.

The monster still had the harpoon in its eye; he took a claw to it and then pulled the spear off.

Everyone made faces of disgust at seeing such horror, the creature dropped the harpoon to the ground, still wailing as it did so, and then... the injured eye regenerated itself.

Massimo couldn't believe what he saw, the only damage they caused him had disappeared, and he now had an eye just like the previous one.

The others lost hope when they saw this, as they fell to their knees and just stared at the imposing being that was now in front of them.

The creature opened and closed the regenerated eye, and then smiled, apparently, it worked like the previous one, after that, it looked at the ground and... seemed to get sad.

He looked around at the destruction he had caused and then fixed his eyes on the villagers lying at his feet. They were wounded, while Signora Bruzzone lay in rubble howling in pain, and Signor Ferrando had been reduced to a mush of blood and organs.

The monster roared and then looked at its throat, it roared again in desperation. It closed its eyes and fists, gritted its teeth, and lowered its head. When it opened its eyes, the monster inspected its body, but nothing had changed.

It roared again and looked behind him; the tail was still there.

The beast looked down once more, and Massimo could swear he laid eyes on him. The monster did not see him with hatred or fury but rather with pity and pain. What was happening? The monster let out a small scream, but apparently, it wasn't what it wanted, as it closed its eyes and began to move forward.

Everyone shouted as they moved out of the way of the creature, who did not stop until it reached the water; it submerged, leaving the dorsal fins out, until they disappeared into the sea.

#luca 2021 #pixar luca #alberto scorfano #luca paguro #giulia marcovaldo #luca movie #fanfiction #kaijuberto #kaiju au #kaiju

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sharkfinx · 10 months

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Childhood Memories.

Far from the mainland of Kirigakure, deeper in the mist where the rays of sun would only reach in the hottest of the summer days. Wood platforms stand floating in the sea as the waves are peaceful at that part of the country. Some houses are connected by bridges, others seem to only lead to nothing at the first glance. Not all Hoshigakis liked to be dry all the time, some structures stood deeply at the sea’s bottom.

Bubbles emerge at the corner of one of those platforms as one boy jumps from the water. Holding a red crab over his head and with quick steps enter one of those houses.

"Mamaaa Mamaaa! Can I eat this??" The little boy exclaims to a taller figure, already nibbling on one of the crustacean’s legs. His mother stands almost two and half meters tall, their head resembles more a shark than the rest of their body. Their hands are busy sharpening a dagger in a grindstone in the middle of the kitchen.

"Oh dear, you'll ruin your appetite…. you better give it to me, nee." Her voice differs from her appearance, it’s a soft and monotone tone. She takes the little animals from the kid's hands and daggle it over her big jaw full of teeth. “Not fair! Not fair! Mama maaama!” The tiny boy can’t do anything besides try to reach it with his tiny hands. As the crab was falling inside their mouth, a spear came flying and hits it. Crashing the little one over the bamboo’s wall. Another figure, smaller and more human..if it wasn't one single gill under each one of her cheeks and the blue grayish skin. She shakes her head negatively toward the two. At their back there’s a giant piece of squid that is wrapped with a net. It’s already sliced up as if it was torn apart with precision.

“Eeehh? You’re taking the prey from your own kid? I’ll pull all of your teeth out.” The woman enters the kitchen soaked in water, twisting their long blue hair over the floor. It doesn’t seem to matter as the wood didn’t seem to absorb it. That house is adapted for that type of living. She tosses her caught at the other’s muzzle. “--- Again?” The giant answered with a scared voice, rummaging through kitchen’s silverware. A large ceramic board is placed in the sink, as it starts to prepare the dinner. “—don’t be so dramatic, my love. You act as if they wouldn’t grow back… besides you forgot to bring the kelp I asked twice that week. It’s your own fault.” She gives light taps over her wife’s shoulder before placing a hand over her own mouth that had the same sharp teeth. “Kekeekekeek ~”

“No no.. you have to be more elegant, Kii-chan.” The smaller woman has a bamboo sword in her hands, circling the kid that stands still, balancing rice bags over their head and shoulders. At the slight movement, the mother gently taps her sword at his ankle, fixing his posture. “Mizukages can’t have rude soldiers by their side. We’re Hoshigakis—We are their blade, their hand, their strength…. Outside the battlefield we must be pristine, educated and — “What happens if I’m not?” The boy interrupts her, with a mockery grin. “I’ll bite your head off and have another son. Kekekeke~” She smacks the top of his head with the bamboo sword, rolling her eyes. “Ouchy! Moooommmm! You’re always saying that…” He feels his feet sinking for a second—immediately controlling his chakra to stay over the water. “Kii-chan, focus. Go on, again.” “I’m Hoshigaki Kisame, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He places a hand over his chest, bowing elegantly… it’s all perfect until a bag of rice falls from his shoulders. Silence. The little boy shrugs with a guilty smile but his mom doesn’t forgive. He runs but she’s faster and as soon after catching him, affectionally nimble on the boy’s head as he laughs wholeheartedly.

The taller Hoshigaki and her kid are wearing matching aprons, the kitchen is big enough to fit them. Completely adapted with all tools that were handcrafted for her big claw hands. While the mom gouges the fishes from a basket, the little boy, standing over a chair, helps her by cutting vegetables. “ — I was from the fifth squad of soldiers while your mom was from the first division. She didn’t really want to retire, neee.” She talks in a dreamy manner, holding one of the fishes to her cheek. “Who would? Standing side by side by the third. She was so fierce, so strong… What an honor. Be their blade and listen directly to his orders? fighting non stop, the bloody org—” Kisame is unsure if his mom’s passion is directed to the Mizukage or to her wife. Maybe both? But his ears perked when she suddenly stopped. “Bloody what?” His ears work too good for his own good. “ Nothing, nee.” Her face is dark blue. She gets one of the fishes that wasn’t cut and slices their head off. Turning it upside down on a cup as she waits for the blood to pour. Pushing to the boy that quickly forgets his question and starts drinking as if was a juice. “Then then?” “Well… We were training as usual. The first division is responsible for training the rest of the soldiers… and then It was my turn. I knew I wasn’t going to win, nee ! but I tried my best. In the end, I had one broken arm and one rib. My dorsal fin was bleeding out because she almost tore it off. Then she grabbed my face and said; What a pathetic girl you are, Kekekeke. ~” The fish on her claws is smashed to bits as she fangirls in a completely passionate voice. “Took me 5 years to be able to defeat her so we could marry. So many broken bones.. Would do it all over again! nee nee ~” “But pathetic is ...! That’s an insult! That's rude! nee?” Kisame watches his mom pathetically hides her embarrassed face. “You won’t understand! You’re still a little pup, dear. Now enough talking! Finish cutting those before we both get our eyes pulled off, nee.” She cleans off the bits of fish with water from the sink as they both return doing their chores.

It's graduation day. The friendships that were made in the past years were sliced off at every dance of sword that crashes at each other. Bodies cover the floor; Kids, young adults and others. All of the silenced voices had only one goal: to be a shinobi. Their only bad luck is to have a Hoshigaki at their class.

As his sword goes back to the shelf, the last one standing is covered in so much blood that his blue skin can’t be seen. It’s the first time Kisame has the scent of human blood. The ecstasy that only a winner can feel. From the top of the stairs a man stands taller than others, his expression unchanging upon the carnage. He stands from his chair—walks by the long stairs that take up the center of the stage. His long dark hair adorned with pears, his face calmer than death itself. The elegance, his manners. As he walks, others bow in respect. Until they’re face to face. His mothers talked about this man but seeing him was another completely experience. As if an angel descends from the heavens to meet him. A power that he can’t comprehend looks down, silently. The 10 year old boy places a hand over his chest, looks down and finally takes a knee. “I’m Hoshigaki Kisame, it’s an honor to meet you. Mizukage sama.” Perfectly acted at every bit, when given the order he opens his eyes again and stands up. He watches those hands so affectionately place the Kirigakure’s bandana over his forehead. Eyes never blinking staring at the figure, their straight hair that falls over their shoulder so gracefully, their delicate eyelashes and compassion. “Honor your village and the ones before and after me. Congratulations. Hoshigaki Kisame.” The little boy’s heart burst. It’s instincts, an automatic imprint that happens to every single one of his kin. He’s not nervous, but there’s something in his chest that burns passionately and he finally understands his mothers’s feelings. A loyalty uncompressible to anyone other than Hoshigakis. “What a monstrous chakra he has.” The mizukage places a hand over the spiky blue hair of the graduate and gently pets. “He’s a single child after all. Kekekeke..”

Hoshigaki’s families rarely had a single child, the usual was six at the start as the number go down as they share that aspect with their animal counterpart. Three was the normal.. but one?

“I guess he didn’t even spare his own siblings, nee.” “A monster, indeed. The monster of our hidden mis---” Their conversation is interrupted by a loud, deep purring that comes from the kid. All eyes turn to Kisame as he is grinning, eyes closed and nuzzling the Mizukage’s hand with his head. His mothers shake their heads, tapping his own forehead. The mizukage almost form something that resembles the smallest of the grins. He doesn’t smile—since that died a long time ago when someone was taken from him.

The three of them are walking under the moonlight, Kisame is over the shoulders of one of his moms, staring without stop at his bandana. “Ooooo! Smells like him!” He lowers it down as both of his moms give a sniff. “ It does! Isn’t that incredible? neee. Kii-chan!” The one carrying Kisame smiles happily afterwards. “I’m soo jealous! I was graduated by the second’s… His scent wasn’t as good.” “Someday…I...—would be nice to work for the Mizukage sama, nee ~” The kid nuzzle his mom’s head, taking a big yawn. “Kekekeke ~ It was inevitable! It's our instincts. The Mizukage represents our village and its people, ….Our connection with them runs in our blood. Kii-chan. When we shared our first meal—and our ancestors launched themselves into the land and lost their skin. The first accepted us as their kids.... but the third accept us as we are. Bloodlust and all. It’s our sacred purpose. As they are the only ones that can handle our feral kind of love.”

He listens closely to his mother as her image mirrors under the sea at her feet. The bandana is tied back to their forehead and he promises to not forget what it represents.

#| drabble #// *taps on the mic* and then he goes and fucking forget it #// 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️🚶‍♂️#// I needed this for actually be an prior thing for another thing but i think would be fun to share #// shrugs accept his as an HC type of thingy #// i spend the evening googling timelines ok dont call me out #//but to be honest i don't remember shit from my 10 years old

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chaoticgeminate · 1 year

Text

The Saltwater Room (ii)

Summary: You’ve been a drifter across the sea for as long as you can remember, unwilling to stop and unwilling to settle, nervous to put down roots and trust others like you’d been taught growing up. Marcus grew up settled and happy, heartbreak led him to the sea and fate put him in your path.

Pairing: Marcus Pike x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit (Thar be smut ahead, it was supposed to just be a kiss 😅)

Notes and Warnings: AU based on the video game Raft, will feature some locations and themes of the game. This is NOT how you survive if you’re stranded at sea, please don’t use this as practical.

Series Masterlist | Year of Video Game AUs Masterlist

and you were looking so cold (4k)

Rain ripped you out of a pleasant sleep, the cool fresh water sorely needed, and you heard Marcus whoop happily as he hurried to get extra jugs to fill up. It had been nearly a month since he woke up and your first meeting and his bruises were finally gone, his eyes were bright and his smiles were so much wider, and with each day you found that he just oozed sincerity. He was more than capable at fishing and making ropes, at monitoring the water purifiers and the grills, and you were the one slowly transforming the little raft into something better.

Having someone around again felt good, even though you were torn between wanting him to stay and wanting to hide away.

With his help there were full half walls around the edges that would help prevent you both from going over in the event of a storm, the base foundation expanded significantly to give you both more room, and your palm frond tents and beds were upgraded to a hammock each and actual wooden walls. Finding the scrap to make the nails you’d needed had been a pain but the end result was worth it, you’d modeled it after a boat you’d seen in an old journal with a cabin area near the back center and the front angled in at a point. The sail now was at the center of the deck, for easy access, and it was a much better vessel as a whole.

But this rainfall tested, and proved, your ability to build because the indoor area wasn’t leaking one bit and you couldn’t be more proud of yourself in that moment. Marcus’ eyes danced as he watched the jugs of water slowly fill, extra plastic scraps turned into funnels and long flat trays were angled to get as much rain into them as possible as the two of you stood in the cool shade of the clouds and basked in mercy from the heat and burning sun. You couldn’t help but spin in an excited circle, throwing your head back and holding your mouth open without a care for what Marcus might have thought.

Both of you had plastic cups, which were sitting out gathering water too, and the rain kept falling and falling even as you both worked to use the waves to your advantage while the water was being stored. Your plastic hooks were thrown at wads of palm fronds and seaweed, at floating plants tangled in rope and fabric, at floating containers and even barrels or crates or excess supplies if you got lucky. Marcus had even fashioned a row of nets that were designed to catch anything you missed and went on the front of the raft. By twilight your water stores were filled, the two of you were far from dehydrated, and even your pineapple plants were doing so much better.

Marcus sat back against the door inside the cabin, the two of you significantly chilled with the rain and clouds lasting all afternoon, and when you shivered he opened his arms for you. While you were certainly still a little suspicious of him, since you’d only met him a month ago, you were willing to trust him and crawled over to cuddle into his side. His heart was beating fast against your ear as you leaned your head to rest slightly against his pectoral rather than his shoulder, his arm draped over you, and when you slid your leg to tangle with his you could hear the soft hitch of his breath.

But he didn’t make a move, his fingers tapped and traced random swirls against your chilled skin, he never once made you feel uncomfortable and when you tipped your head up to look at him Marcus was already looking at you. Your lips parted and you thought he was leaning in, you hoped he was, but instead he turned his face away even though you could see the hint of color on his cheeks in the dying light of the sunset and the torch he’d set up to bring some warmth to the small cabin.

Instead of pushing for it you pulled away, not wanting to overstep, and Marcus’ soft sound was almost disappointed. In you or himself you weren’t ever going to know, you had no intention to ask.

He stayed with you like that until the moon was out, it was still raining so neither of you were willing to leave the cabin and work through the night like usual, and finally you got up and meandered to your hammock. Marcus glanced at you and away when you grabbed the long scrap of fabric that served as your towel, deciding to dry off since you’d managed to very poorly tie together some fabric scraps into a passable night shirt, and while you wanted to be hurt that you weren’t his type -since he was making it obvious- you just couldn’t be given how much he was showing his respect for you by not being a creep.

Your wet clothes landed with a soft plop on the floor and you shivered as you wrapped your body in the large sheet-sized piece of fabric, letting the water on your skin transfer to the cloth, and Marcus had stripped down too while your back was turned. You watched him reach out from the folds of fabric to grab all of the wet clothes in a bundled grip, his eyes catching yours in the torchlight, and you flustered under the heat and want in those cocoa pools. But he looked away and you did the same, choosing to begin patting yourself down so that you could get dressed faster.

“Thanks for hanging those up.” The garments were draped over a wood support beam you had built into the cabin for cases just like this, after he’d rung them out into the plastic bucket meant for water that wasn’t drinkable. Marcus hummed softly and you couldn’t help but glance at him, the sheet was very heavily wrapped around his waist so his arms were free, and the muscles of his back flexed with each motion. You admired the softness in his physique, he wasn’t nearly as thin as he had been when you found him now that the two of you were able to catch plenty of fish and even had a planter box of potatoes, your combined diet was much more nutrient rich.

It was a good look for him, the softened edges and plush parts that only made him look sturdier, and you traced the broadness of his shoulders with your eyes before looking away when he went to turn around. This uneasy dance of not knowing what he wanted made you feel off balance, he pulled away but was showing signs that maybe he did want you?

“Marcus-“

His mouth silenced you, in the time you’d taken to finally just bring it up he’d crossed the cabin and pulled you into him, and even though most of you was very much enrobed in fabric you could feel the heat of him through the material as your hands pressed to his pectorals and your mouth parted for his. He breathed your name like a prayer against your open mouth, bare hands coming up to hold your cheeks like you were delicate, and you melted for him. The uncertainty didn’t matter as he kissed you, as his lips moved so gently against yours, as your tongues brushed and traced the shape of each other’s mouths; you didn’t care if you never breathed again now that you had him like this.

Marcus pulled away first and you chased his mouth, a soft whine escaping you, but he held you back with his hands to gently rub his nose against yours.

“I want you but I need you to know that I can’t just… be casual about this. You saved me life, you let me stay and… you’re incredible-“

“Stop talking.” Your voice soft but he reacted like you’d screamed, a silence lingering between you for only a split second, and you shrugged off the fabric covering you before grabbing the bundle of fabric at his waist and pulling him down to the floor with you. The last of the barriers between you was piled under his back as you straddled him, hands flat on the floor on either side of his head, his eyes blown wide as the torchlight and the sound of the rain created an intimate and cozy atmosphere.

“Don’t make me regret giving you my heart Marcus, or my trust.” You knew your tone was a bit on the sharp side but you’d been hurt before, you’d been betrayed before, and something about this man broke down your walls and made you want to trust him. You watched his eyes for any sign of doubt, any sign that you were wrong, but instead those dark pools softened and he reached up to hold your hips.

“Never, I’ll keep it safe.” He blinked slow, affection on his face as clear as the stars in the night sky, before he was rolling the pair of you and trapping you under him. With every kiss he pressed into your skin he made a promise; a promise to help you with anything you might need when he kissed each fingertip, a promise to be there when you needed him as he kissed the spot right behind your ear, a promise to help carry the weight of keeping both of you alive when he reached the curve of your breast, and a promise to be the one constant in your life as he kissed his way down your abdomen.

Each touch of his lips was torment, it was the kind of kiss that came with leaving a wet place or the imprint of his teeth, the kind that made your spine arch and sent chills through you. His thigh had wedged between yours, when he’d begun his delicious torment and one of his hands on your hip had encouraged you to grind against him, the friction and warmth of his skin started to feel cool as your body began to heat up, and your breathy call of his name brought his mouth to yours as he hiked your leg higher over his hip and rolled against you. The touch of his hard shaft against your folds made you keen, he swallowed the sound eagerly but didn’t angle himself to slide into you like you wanted, instead he teased you by just putting the right pressure against your clit and letting your wetness coat the underside of his cock.

“Please- Marcus stop teasing-“ You were cut off by the hand that was cupping the back of your head, since you were on the floor, angling you to tilt your jaw up so he could go after the spot on your neck that made your back arch higher. You tried to grab at his arms and waist, at his cute little butt, to get him where you wanted him but Marcus grunted and pulled back. You were about to protest, to apologize or beg, but he simply grabbed the back of your knees and lifted them onto his shoulders; reflexively you yelped but he groaned so loud over the sound at the sight of your pubic hair wet with slick.

“I’ll stop teasing, but we’re doing things my way.” He winked at you over your mound and the first touch of his tongue sent sharp pleasure down your spine, it had been so long that it felt like it was new all over again, and you fisted the fabric beneath you as he practically hugged your hips and thighs to keep you in place. The angle was a bit awkward, you were reclined slightly on the back of your shoulders, but none of that mattered as Marcus’ tongue slid through your silken folds eagerly.

“Fuck, Marcus higher-“ He hummed against you and his nose nudged gently where his tongue didn’t touch, it was enough to make your breathing erratic, because this wasn’t just getting you ready for him. He was tasting, feeling, and exploring you with his mouth.

“Gotta- need you to put a little more pressure-“ You were close already, eager for the sweet release he promised, and Marcus delivered without you needing to beg. He circled your clit with his tongue before carefully sucking the sensitive bundle, stars exploded behind your eyes, and you could hear him praising you just barely over the pounding of your heart. You reached for him and he lowered your legs gently, crawling up your body into your arms, and he put nearly all of his weight on you but you didn’t care. Hands tangling in his hair as you kissed him, and you didn’t care that the taste of you was on his tongue as he rocked his hips against yours.

“So good for me, so good to me, angel.” His praise against your lips made you loop your legs around him, eager and wanting and ready, and this time he didn’t make you wait. He was big, and it had been a while, so the stretch still burned but it was a damn good burn; the kind that made your moan throaty and deep and had you somewhere between pleasure and pain. He was panting against the side of your neck, hips rocking back slowly before pressing deeper, and you knew your grip was tight but the slow push of him had your body locked down.

“Oh-“ The inhale you attempted to take turned into a choked moan when Marcus bottomed out, bracing his knees on the pile of fabric even though his thighs were shaking, and you both just stayed there breathing for a moment as the heat between you spiked. Only when your grip on his hair loosened enough that he could pull his head away, only when you clenched around him trying to make him move, did Marcus surrender to it. The push and pull of his hips matched the ebb and flow of the tide, one of his hands moving from its place on the floor to grab your hip and angle you, and the other caught yours as you went to grab his bicep; fingers entwined as he held that hand onto the floor and pressed his forehead to yours.

The torch was burning out still, the light dim, and the rain was almost muted with the wet sounds of your bodies; in the low light you could still see the reverence, the affection, in his eyes. It would have scared you, it should have scared you, but that fragile little spark of hope in your chest burned bright. Hope that this time would be different, that this man would keep his word, and hope that he would stay. His eyes never left yours and you didn’t dare look away, lashes fluttering when he would roll his hips a certain way or if he would grind against you, but you never lost eye contact with him.

“Beautiful, perfect, incredible girl. Taking me so good, just like I knew you would.” His praise had you clenching around him, had you using your legs for leverage to press him as deep as you could and to roll your hips to meet his thrusts, and Marcus’ praise stuttered. He raised your hips and you keened when he hit somewhere in your body that sent the sharp pleasure from your core to your entire body, his name a sharp mewl, and your reaction spurred him on; hitting that place over and over until you were trembling and your walls clamped down on his cock as you came, four rapid thrusts had him pulling out of you and painting your abdomen and breasts with his spend.

You felt debauched in the best way, his nose brushing yours sweetly, and he used the fabric beneath you to wipe the tears from your eyes.

“That bad?” He was joking, you knew, but there was very real vulnerability behind it.

“No, that was incredible Marcus. I never knew it could be that good.” His lips lifted into a smile and he put most of his weight on you, uncaring about the mess now pressed between you, and his teeth nipped your ear gently as he nuzzled the side of your face. His beard was starting to grow out again but your razor was dulled, there was some spare scrap metal that you could probably sharpen into a new blade if you were patient enough though.

“You think I’m done with you?” His voice pitched low, deeper and bassier in a way that made your skin pebble with gooseflesh, and you let him roll you so that you were straddling him now. He was soft now but you didn’t mind learning what made him feel good, what would make him hard and wanting, what would make him leak precum and make a mess of himself. His sly look was so soft that you couldn’t the way you leaned down to kiss him and Marcus chuckled into it when your shaking thighs led to you losing your balance. But he didn’t tease you, not at all, he simply used those big hands of his to hold your hips and watch your hand drag a path through the cum now smeared across his own torso.

You licked your fingertips, just wanting a taste, and his soft groan caused you to bite your lower lip in a sly look knowing that you could have fun with this.

Waking up late afternoon was so normal that you could have mistaken it for any usual day, your thighs still burned a little and your body was pleasantly sore though and acted as a reminder and a pleasant one at that, but you and Marcus had wound up repositioning your hammocks so they were right beside each other and fell asleep holding hands. Even now he was still resting, the light of the sun shining through the minuscule gaps in the palm fronds that acted like blinds on the window frame of the cabin, and you slipped out of your resting place carefully to get started on the wash. Your clothes were still damp so you kept your night shirt on, you’d have to try and fashion some sort of sewing needle or maybe make something with more ties, but Marcus’ denim shorts were still very visibly wet. His cardigan wasn’t as bad though and you hummed before moving those outside into the sun, checking the horizon for signs of other sea drifters or even islands.

It was endless blue and debris, for as far as you could see, but that was perfectly fine. You began the chore of checking the collection nets, pulling whatever was in them up onto the deck to sort through, and when a pair of large hands cupped your bare ass under your shirt you couldn’t help but giggle. Turning to glance at Marcus, who was wearing one of the smaller sheets of spare fabric tied at his hip like a skirt, and you hummed before poking his nose as he leaned in to kiss you.

“We’re going to end up sun burnt, we need to find or make spare sets of clothes.” Your suggestion earned a quiet hum and you tapped your forehead to his, finally letting him have that kiss before you both set about getting things ready for night fall. You turned to look over the wall and froze, staring into the depths with awe, and you whispered your lover’s name; he walked over and looked down, his own body freezing as the massive whale drifted along with you. Whether it was coincidence or not you didn’t know, the large body emerging from the water just far enough away that it wouldn’t tip you over, and the tall stream of water shot out of its blow hole made you shriek in delight before it began to descend into the water again.

“That’s incredible, I’ve never seen one that close before.” Marcus’ voice was breathy with wonder and you nodded, that was a first for you too, and the pair of you couldn’t help but laugh knowing you’d definitely need another wash down after that. But you kind of felt like that was a good omen, a gentle giant just coasting along beside you for however long it had? That could only be a good sign, right? You weren’t superstitious, or at least you tried not to be, but sometimes you tried to give yourself something to believe in.

The afternoon bled into evening, the pair of you spent the day setting debris out to dry and asking things about one another.

Favorite color? Marcus’ was the blue of the clear sky.

Favorite fruit? Anything but bananas, you weren’t surprised to find out he had a bad experience with large tarantulas hiding in the bunches.

Hobbies? The fact that he painted was pretty clear, or at least could throw something together, but Marcus could also play spoons and for some reason that made you grin stupidly as he clacked the wooden utensils you’d carved in an upbeat melody.

All of your hobbies revolved around survival, whittling was used for making things like tools and utensils rather than little statues or figurines. Braiding fiber for rope instead of weaving cloth or making yarn of some kind, practical but not very fun. Marcus interrupted you telling him about managing to throw together a small radio receiver to cup your cheeks in his.

“Hey, you don’t have to sound ashamed of what you know, it’s incredible how skilled you are. I can help you find something fun if you promise to teach me some stuff too, okay? That way I can take some of the burden of handling things around here off your shoulders. We’re… we’re a team, right?” His eyes were soft and his expression was vulnerable, open, and you nodded as your lips pulled into a smile.

“Of course we’re a team, if you can put up with me being a bit of a stick in the mud-“

“I just want you to be you, okay? We’ll figure things out one day at a time.” He kissed you and promised that you were perfect the way you were, stick-in-the-mud and all, before helping you bend another piece of the scrap metal you’d collected to try and make a more permanent anchor than a rope and some rocks in a bucket.

“So why did you want to make a radio receiver? For music?” Marcus grunted as the thick metal piece barely moved, helping you hold it over the fire to try and soften the metal, and you used thick bundles of fabric to try and protect your skin from the potential heat distribution.

“To- to try and find other drifters. Big convoys are good trading partners, and there are trading posts on some of the island communities, wanted to see if I could get more refined materials other than just… scrap.” You were stuttering as the two of you managed to get a bit of a bend in the metal, barely but it was better than nothing, and his cheeks were flushed when you looked up at him. You tilted your head and glanced at the tent in his fabric wrap, brow lifting in mild amusement.

“Look, the fact that you pieced together a radio receiver with some half melted copper, scrap metal twisted into wires, and plastic is a huge turn on. You’re so damn capable, it drives me crazy.” You hadn’t ever met anyone who found it attractive that you could tinker and create and just manage your own out here, your eyes dropping to the project in your hands, and Marcus captured one of your hands to kiss your palm.

“I mean it, you’re incredible. How about we get the receiver working then, see about doing something with the excess material you’ve made and maybe replace some of our scrap?” You found yourself nodding and the two of you continued through the night working to make progress on a better anchor, with Marcus helping you heat and bend the metal scrap plates into hooks that were then bound together in your sturdiest knot work.

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