#hahah i have fish sleuths brain rot :)

[naffeclipse]

More about Mer!SJ time! >:D

Aaahh, I simply cannot stop thinking about what comes after the final confrontation!

Like so many things! The image of Eclipse suddenly realizing what he's done, hearing and seeing his own trident going into Sun, his brother looking down at the weapon and slowly looking up at him in pain, hurt, incredulous of what Eclipse just did.

How where Eclipse usually relishes in the smell of blood in the water, right now it means to him what it means to most people. Death, anguish, grief, fear.

The brief but no doubt intense argument of wanting to reach out to Sun but being furiously stopped by the vigilante and his other brother who might be directing at him the worst look he has ever given him, before they have to accept that there is no time to argue if they want Sun to make it.

The feeling of dejavu at the urgency of hurrying towards the surface as it's the only hope of saving a member of his family. Seeing Sun slowly fading away right in his grasp as they go.

The conflicting feelings of seeing many mer people, no doubt a lot who have been helped by his brothers, rush to the help of a twilight mer, and it's a slight relieve because Sun might make it, but also indignation because why did they not help her too? How dare they all suddenly act the good guys when it was much too late for those who needed it before?

And then the wait.

He must be known around the reef. Moon hides his resemblance for a reason. So it's not only dealing with the wariness around him which would be delightful some other time, but now there's too many eyes on him at the worst moment. When he's unsure and afraid his brother will die. He's too exposed and among those he loathes here in the light.

Then there's knowing the wrong move will get him kicked out and unable to know the fate of his brother, the vigilante pointing a trident at him at all times. There's Moon's scathing looks, full of accusation and distrust. One of his brothers who begged him to just leave the life he kept choosing and come with them, now seemingly looking at him like there's nothing he wants more than for Eclipse to go back and stay in the darkness like he's always done.

Maybe at one point when Sun has passed the worst of it, Eclipse finds a moment to slip in unnoticed, to check in on Sun while no one is in the room. And he has to see him, covered in every measure they had to stop the blood, breathing weak, like his chest is barely able to expand enough, like inhaling the clean water he needs to keep going is currently the hardest task for him.

And maybe he reaches for him. But Sun, in his semi conscious state both from the blood loss and the medicine he was given, minutely flinches back. Because the last time he saw his older brother with his hand extended towards him, what followed was sharp awful pain.

And there might be a twinge of indignation in Eclipse at first. Because this is him. How could Sun ever be afraid of him. Afraid that he would hurt- And then remember that he did. He did.

Words from long ago, and an instruction to protect his brothers echo in his mind as he looks at Sun fighting for his very life.

Emotions he hasn't experienced or that he thought himself above of for years and years now flood him.

I do have to wonder how even approaching after that would work. You said Sun still wants Eclipse in his life and it's what might be keeping the vigilante from trying to figure out a way to spear Eclipse into a wall and give him a last diminute chance to fix the mess he made. But there's also Moon who refuses to have him close. I'm veeeery interested in what might make Moon accept any attempts from him! Because hurting the vigilante in his pursue of them was already a betrayal knowing how much Sun and Moon cared for them. This? This was crossing a line both brothers were at least somewhat certain would never be crossed.

AHHH CHAOTIK I AM EATING UP EVERY WORD OF THIS IT'S SO GOOOOOOOD!!!

It's really hard to imagine it going well after such a devasting blow, but, Eclipse made his bed, he's gonna lie in it now.

Once the sand settles and Sun is tucked safely back into their coral reef home, on heavy medicines, and no longer in danger of bleeding out, that's when Moon lets Eclipse have it.

The vigilante keeps watch from the passageway between where Sun rests and where the fight unfolds. Moon wants Eclipse gone. Eclipse refuses to leave until he knows Sun is going to be okay. Moon attacks Eclipse.

It's freezing waters as the two brothers duke it out. Moon is completely undone by this—Eclipse is their big brother. He was their protector. He cared for them and raised them when their parents were gone. It is absolutely unfathomable that Eclipse could do this to Sun.

Eclipse lets Moon get it all out, taking his blows and wearing him down until they're both exhausted and the chamber is a wreck. The vigilante simply stays on guard, trident in hand, ready to finish Eclipse like they so desperately want to—they just need a reason, a better excuse to give Sun when he asks for Eclipse.

Moon punches Eclipse and his hand catches on his venomous spines framing his face, several breaking off as they puncture Moon's flesh. In a knee-jerk reaction, Eclipse rips off the nautical shell on Moon's head where it's thrown and shattered against the wall. The vigilante reacts badly, but they're quickly told that Eclipse's venom won't hurt Moon because they're blood-related. Which is great news among the recent damage done.

The water temperature drops below freezing, and Moon and Eclipse look at each other, floating in the wreckage of what's supposed to be their family.

That's when the vigilante persuades Moon to go and stay with Sun. He better not have been woken up by their battle. Eclipse glares as Moon disappears, and the vigilante prods Eclipse towards a lightless chamber in the coral reef home. Eclipse goes. The vigilante studies his broken quills while they explain something. They make it clear that if Sun wasn't so concerned about Eclipse, even after he skewed him, they would have killed him. They still will if Eclipse doesn't stop and doesn't control himself. They won't watch him hurt his brothers anymore, in any way. The vigilante is done with Eclipse.

Eclipse says that Sun and Moon have their mother's eyes. The vigilante doesn't know what prompted that. Eclipse says he can't leave until Sun is recovered. He has to survive.

The vigilante asks how Eclipse how could do it. How could he react so terribly and hurt his brother?

Eclipse asks in a soft voice how the vigilante could have killed a mer-child, his golden gaze burning through the sunlight zone mer.

That ends their conversation in a snap of tailfins as the vigilante abruptly leaves Eclipse in the dark chamber and returns to Sun's side. They tend to Moon's bleeding knuckles and whisper about finding him another nautical shell. They carefully watch Sun's chest rise and fall with weak breaths of water and pray that no more red wisps leak into the chamber from his many bandages.

#hahah i have fish sleuths brain rot :) #chaotik i'm biting your ask so hard right now ahhh!!! #it's everything! #sorry i kind of just continued where you left off but ahhhh yeah #eclipse is gonna squirm and accept his consequences and deal with his brothers' anger and angst #he's gonna repent with blood and suffering #sleuth jesters mermay style #pearl eye #chaotikanvas