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astaroth1357 · 3 years

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Demigod MC Series: Poseidon

Fishy fishy fishy… I honestly could write 100 more things for Poseidon MC and Levi. I just love the dynamic between an insecure, otaku shut-in and a chill California surfer dead set on becoming his friend.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon

For anyone unaware, Poseidon is also the god of horses. I know it's a weird combo, but I didn't write the mythos.

Lucifer

…..

They came out of the portal….

On a horse….

They brought the mortal down to the Devildom…

On a goddamn horse….

There's a demigod on a live horse brandishing a weapon and doing laps around the Student Council Room…

Congratulations, he already wants to pull his hair out!!

Honestly, it would have been preferable to pluck them out of the sea. At least then they'd just need a towel! What the hell were they going to do with an entire horse!?

And his nightmare didn't stop there. Poseidon is a notoriously mercurial god, prone to bouts of anger and spitefulness for reasons far less grievous than kidnapping his children…

Their apology was swift and (seemingly) effective, though the tide waters around the Devildom did rise by several feet for some time…

As for the MC… uh… Well, they're an energetic one to say the least…

Lucifer hasn't met a more active individual since Mammon. They horseback ride, swim, surf, skateboard, and probably do ten other things - the point is, they Hardly. Keep. Still!

They're also annoyingly easygoing… He can't count the number of times they've told him to, "Just chill out," or, "Hang loose…" What does that even mean??

Between having to order a stable made for their horse and just trying to keep up with them, Lucifer already thinks this mortal has caused him more trouble than they're worth… At least they keep Mammon busy...

Mammon

Upon first meeting them atop their horse, Sunset, his first thought was of course:

"I wonder if I sell that...?"

After that, they nearly fed him to sharks for trying to take their beloved steed on same night. Safe to say, he never touched a hair on its head again…

These two had a rocky start, but their relationship mended fairly quickly. As it turns out, the MC is literally one of those "go with the flow" types. You can say it was water under the bridge soon enough.

Mammon actually thinks the MC is a hell of a lot of fun, even if they're super laid-back. Most of the time, they won’t take his drive for money (or fear of his bills) all that seriously and tell him that he’s worrying too much, but they’ll still lend a hand if its on their way.

He finds their ability to control water pretty cool as well. Levi has it to some extent, but the MC can make a whole-ass whirlpool or use water like a whip!

He once begged them to call up some rare fish for him to sell, but they got all pseudo-philosophical on him about how “trading life for material wealth” is “not cool, dude...”

He also made the mistake of challenging them to a splash fight only once…. They managed to drench the whole family with a single wave….

The only thing that bothers him is their weird insistence on being Levi's "Best Buddy…" Why would someone like them even bother with a shut in??

Is it the water? … Probably water. Levi, that lucky bastard…

Leviathan

Thinks they're a big normie, no scratch that, a HUGE normie! The biggest normie he's ever met!! They skateboard and horseback ride for Devil's sake!!

...But they’re also, undoubtedly, the best friend he could've ever asked for.

To be fair to Levi, their friendship was sort of forced upon him. The MC took one look at him, his aquatic-themed room, and his pet goldfish then declared their new friendship status at that moment.

Unfortunately for him, though, they're energetic, extroverted, and generally have little understanding of personal space… aka, an introvert's worst nightmare…

The next month could accurately be described as the MC doing everything in their power to make their stubborn "senpai" like them.

They would drag him out to the aquarium, beach, or pool; they befriended Henry so he could put in a good word for them; and they'd even bring him little gifts or trinkets they'd find on the ocean floor. Pretty shells and stuff like a cat bringing its master a dead mouse.

After he finally began to accept them as a persistent fixture in his life, he introduced them to gaming and anime and started accepting them little by little...

By the end of their stay, these two were practically inseparable. Not just because they like spending time together, but because they figured out they could have a telepathic link due to Levi being part sea serpent.

No matter how far they are, they can always have a chat! (That no one else can hear so people think they’re just crazy...)

Satan

Satan honestly isn't the MC's biggest fan, he generally finds them too loud and gregarious for his liking. But their horse…?

He never really thought that he'd be a horse man... Yet it didn’t really take long for Satan to adore Sunset, their beautiful golden-maned mare. Apparently she's not their only horse, but by far their favorite traveling companion.

Sunset is a wonderful horse - brave, strong, and well-trained. It only took a few weeks before he was regularly sneaking out to the stables to brush her fur or feed her apples...

After the MC taught him how to ride, that was it. All other forms of transportation were inferior to him now.

Satan would ride Sunset everywhere and he looked damn good doing it! It takes all that fairytale Prince Charming thing he has going on and puts it through the roof.

It's a good thing too, because when I say everywhere, I do mean everywhere. Lucifer had to put seals on the House doors to keep Satan from riding Sunset through the hallways...

Of course, he’ll always let the MC have Sunset back when they need her!... with a little complaining but nothing terrible.

The MC doesn't mind much because Sunset likes him and they know he takes good care of her, but the rest of the House is slightly unnerved at how quickly he went horse crazy… What if they brought a giant crab instead?? No one wants to deal with crab-Satan...

Asmodeus

Their body is just scrumptious. Oh, how he could look at their swimsuit-clad figure all day!! 😩

Between the swimming and the fighting, their form is toned to all hell and he can't get enough of it! Yes baby, yes!! Take those clothes off again!!! He'll help~! 😘

When he's not staring at them “totally respectfully,” then he's inviting them out to pool parties or begging them to take him riding...

There are parts of horseback riding he doesn’t like, the smell and the jostling specifically, but there is a kind of… romance to it, no?

He loves having the chance to snuggle up to the MC as they trot around the Devildom! It's so romantic, like they’re his knight in shining armor! (Or his demigod in a damp swimsuit, either works. 😏)

His Devilgram is just full of selfies of him and MC riding on the back of Sunset or sitting by the edge of the pool or them in the middle of a swim meet…

Yeah his Devilgram is now a one part him and one part MC-Appreciation account.

After the pact he'll eventually cool down some and stop staring at them like a sex-object, but even then he'll be at every swim meet. Don't you worry~

Beelzebub

He actually really likes them! It's great to finally have another athlete in the House. 😊

The MC joined the RAD swim team just as soon the coach was able to convince Diavolo that having the child of a water god wasn't completely cheating...

Since swim and fangol practice ends at about the same time, they walk home together a lot and complain about... sports things... (Forgive me, I don’t know sports. Uhm... Rival teams? Coaches? That one drill everyone hates? Stuff like that.)

Beel also can surf, skate, and snowboard so the two have a healthy competition going. They're about on equal footing so they tie often (except in surfing but Beel doesn't think that should count cause they’re probably cheating).

The only thing that he has to watch out for is Sunset… As in, he has to watch himself around Sunset because he absolutely could eat her on accident…

Look, he doesn't want to and he doesn't even like horse meat that much, but even he has to admit there are times he gets hungry enough to consider it…

Of course, he knows that if he ever did Satan would rip him limb from limb then the MC would drown the rest so he really, really tries to control himself… but still… She’s a very healthy horse...

At least he didn’t try to sell her like Mammon. The MC hung him over a shark tank for that stunt… He’d feel bad, but Mammon kind of had it coming.

Belphegor

The first time they met, the MC smelled like beach water and called him "dude-bro…" He didn't like his prospects.

For a while, he genuinely thought that they had a lump of sand where their brain was. They were just too chill!! Here he was saying that he's being held captive and they were like, "Well that sucks, man… I'll help ya, but I've got practice tomorrow. You can wait, right?"

It's not like he expected them to jump on top of it, but some urgency would have been nice…

When they eventually got around to helping him, he was actually looking forward to choking the life out of them for the extra wait. Unfortunately, they apparently had a horse…

Yeah, Belphie found out just a bit too late that the MC could summon their steed to them whenever they wanted and ended up with Sunset's hooves firmly bucking into his back for his trouble…

What followed was Belphegor running circles around the attic from the weapon-totting MC riding their terrifying murder horse until Lucifer finally intervened....

Thank the gods he wasn’t near any water….

As it would turn out later, as long as he's not being held captive in an attic Belphie kind of vibes with their laid-backness… They say they approach life "one wave at a time" or something.

He could care less about what that actually means, but what it translates to is "Stop stressing out and just keep chill" which he's all about.

Everybody should just chill out!... dude…. Nah, he'll let them stick to the “dude”-thing, it feels weird...

#obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me headcanons #obey me demigods

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istumpysk · 2 years

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Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ASOS: Davos I (Chapter 5)

Dying would be easier, he knew. All he had to do was crawl inside his cave and let the ship pass by, and death would find him. For days now the fever had been burning through him, turning his bowels to brown water and making him shiver in his restless sleep. Each morning found him weaker. It will not be much longer, he had taken to telling himself.

If the fever did not kill him, thirst surely would. He had no fresh water here, but for the occasional rainfall that pooled in hollows on the rock.

Sunset found her squatting in the grass, groaning. Every stool was looser than the one before, and smelled fouler. By the time the moon came up she was shitting brown water. The more she drank, the more she shat, but the more she shat, the thirstier she grew, and her thirst sent her crawling to the stream to suck up more water. When she closed her eyes at last, Dany did not know whether she would be strong enough to open them again. - Daenerys X, ADWD

Davos survives this whole ordeal, and becomes more emboldened, and devoted to his gods. I think I know what that means for Daenerys.

+.+.+

Thirst; hunger; exposure. They were his companions, with him every hour of every day, and in time he had come to think of them as his friends. Soon enough, one or the other of his friends would take pity on him and free him from this endless misery.

When first he came to Dragonstone, the army of stone grotesques had made him uneasy, but as the years passed he had grown used to them. Now he thought of them as old friends. - Prologue, ACOK

+.+.+

Davos had always been a sailor; he was meant to die at sea. The gods beneath the waters have been waiting for me, he told himself. It's past time I went to them.

This could be true.

+.+.+

He knew where his rock lay, more or less; it was one of a series of sea monts that rose from the floor of Blackwater Bay. The tallest of them jutted a hundred feet above the tide, and a dozen lesser monts stood thirty to sixty feet high. Sailors called them spears of the merling king, and knew that for every one that broke the surface, a dozen lurked treacherously just below it.

The Merling King gets a lot of mentions in this series and the side books. I've never really looked into it. Does it mean anything?

+.+.+

Why should I live? he thought as tears blurred his vision. Gods be good, why? My sons are dead, Dale and Allard, Maric and Matthos, perhaps Devan as well. How can a father outlive so many strong young sons? How would I go on? I am a hollow shell, the crab's died, there's nothing left inside. Don't they know that?

A question I ask myself after every one of your chapters.

+.+.+

They had sailed up the Blackwater Rush flying the fiery heart of the Lord of Light. Davos and Black Betha had been in the second line of battle, between Dale's Wraith and Allard on Lady Marya.

...

Wait.

A ship named Lady Marya? Lady mARYA?

PffftbwahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

@shieldofrohan and I once joked that at the end of the series Davos and Arya would sail away together, missing half their hands, being each other's surrogate father and daughter, and now I'm legitimately considering this possibility.

+.+.+

His chest was growing tighter by the instant. He clawed at the water, kicking, pushing himself, turning, his lungs screaming for air, kicking, kicking, lost now in the river murk, kicking, kicking, kicking until he could kick no longer. When he opened his mouth to scream, the water came rushing in, tasting of salt, and Davos Seaworth knew that he was drowning.

The next he knew the sun was up, and he lay upon a stony strand beneath a spire of naked stone, with the empty bay all around and a broken mast, a burned sail, and a swollen corpse beside him.

He could have come back as Patchface or Aeron Greyjoy, and he chose the deeply religious one.

At least Patchface spoils the story.

+.+.+

The Father protects his children, the septons taught, but Davos had led his boys into the fire.

Get it, he could mean the battle or R'hllor.

+.+.+

His hand reached for his throat, fumbling for the small leather pouch he always wore about his neck. Inside he kept the bones of the four fingers his king had shortened for him, on the day he made Davos a knight. My luck. His shortened fingers patted at his chest, groping, finding nothing. The pouch was gone, and the fingerbones with them. Stannis could never understand why he'd kept the bones. "To remind me of my king's justice," he whispered through cracked lips. But now they were gone. The fire took my luck as well as my sons.

There's no chance Melisandre has his fingers, but I always found this odd:

"The bones help," said Melisandre. "The bones remember. The strongest glamors are built of such things. A dead man's boots, a hank of hair, a bag of fingerbones. With whispered words and prayer, a man's shadow can be drawn forth from such and draped about another like a cloak. The wearer's essence does not change, only his seeming." - Melisandre, ADWD

What's that about? You have 2 books to figure it out.

+.+.+

And then some vast beast had let out a roar, and green flames were all around them: wildfire, pyromancer's piss, the jade demon.

The sight of it seemed to stop his heart for a moment, and he could still remember the sound of it, the crackle of flames, the hiss of steam, the shrieks of dying men, and the beat of that terrible heat against his face as the current swept him down toward hell.

In his dreams the river was still aflame and demons danced upon the waters with fiery whips in their hands, while men blackened and burned beneath the lash.

More fun with language!

+.+.+

"Mother, have mercy," Davos prayed. "Save me, gentle Mother, save us all. My luck is gone, and my sons." He was weeping freely now, salt tears streaming down his cheeks. "The fire took it all . . . the fire . . ."

Perhaps it was only wind blowing against the rock, or the sound of the sea on the shore, but for an instant Davos Seaworth heard her answer. "You called the fire," she whispered, her voice as faint as the sound of waves in a seashell, sad and soft. "You burned us . . . burned us . . . burrrrned usssssss."

"It was her!" Davos cried. "Mother, don't forsake us. It was her who burned you, the red woman, Melisandre, her!"

+.+.+

"It was her work," Davos said again, more weakly. Her work, and yours, onion knight. You rowed her into Storm's End in the black of night, so she might loose her shadow child. You are not guiltless, no. You rode beneath her banner and flew it from your mast. You watched the Seven burn at Dragonstone, and did nothing. She gave the Father's justice to the fire, and the Mother's mercy, and the wisdom of the Crone. Smith and Stranger, Maid and Warrior, she burnt them all to the glory of her cruel god, and you stood and held your tongue. Even when she killed old Maester Cressen, even then, you did nothing.

There you go.

+.+.+

Twice his maimed fingers slipped on the damp stone and he almost fell, but somehow he managed to cling to his perch. If he fell he was dead, and he had to live. For a little while more, at least. There was something he had to do.

Killing someone is not a good reason to live.

Try saving children instead.

+.+.+

"You," the fifth man called out when they were only a few feet from his island, "you up on the rock. Who are you?"

A smuggler who rose above himself, thought Davos, a fool who loved his king too much, and forgot his gods.

[...]

The galley might be Joffrey's, he realized suddenly. If he spoke the wrong name now, she would abandon him to his fate. But no, her hull was striped. She was Lysene, she was Salladhor Saan's. The Mother sent her here, the Mother in her mercy. She had a task for him. Stannis lives, he knew then. I have a king still. And sons, I have other sons, and a wife loyal and loving. How could he have forgotten? The Mother was merciful indeed.

How the fuck are you going to thank the Mother for saving you, then go right back to washing Stannis's balls in your mouth?

Also, I am gobsmacked that Stannis came before the sons and wife.

+.+.+

"Stannis," he shouted back at the Lyseni. "Gods be good, I serve King Stannis."

"Aye," said the man in the boat, "and so do we."

Okay, I figured it out.

Davos is Azor Ahai. Born again amidst the salty sea and smoky Blackwater Bay.

Melisandre is Nissa Nissa.

Please like and subscribe to my channel, and don't forget to press the bell icon to get notifications.

Final thoughts:

Somehow I forgot Davos has some leftover sons. Did you know one of them is named Stannis?...

It's okay to make fun of Davos.

-> return to menu <-

#operation stumpy re-read #asos #davos i

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padfootagain · 3 years

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The Ocean

Here we go with a new request for my 5k event! Anon asked for a drabble for Caspian with the prompts :

2. "Don't worry, it's just a scratch… OUCH!"

26. "I'm the luckiest though. I have you."

This is a lot of fluff, just cute fluff… I hope you like it :)

Pairing : Caspian x reader

Word Count : 1898

Caspian's love for the sea was not a secret. You were aware of the nickname given to the king. The Seafarer. And that name made by the men under his command, and since adopted by all in the Kingdom, took roots in a true trait of his character. The ocean was just as much his lover as you were, in a way, to the point where you sometimes were a little jealous of the oceanic waves. He sometimes stood on the edge of a cliff, staring at the horizon where two hues of blue met and mingled, without moving a muscle for hours on end. You could read it in his expression every time he was on a boat, by the way his features lit up and his eyes glimmered while the wind batted his hair against his cheeks that he was home. That he was where he belonged, more so than on any throne, more so than in any divine hall of stone, more so even than riding with you through the forests of Narnia as leaves cracked and shivered under your horses' hooves. No, the place that felt like home to him was the ocean.

You couldn't fight his love for the moody waters, and couldn't temper his passion for the salty waves. You had given up on this attempt a long time ago, before you and Caspian even got married. It made him happy, after all. And even if the sea was a treacherous companion, there was little you could do against such a passionate love.

Caspian was well aware of your worry every time he left for the sea, but he always promised he would come back to you, and in his mind there was no doubt that he would. He had never broken a promise made to you - or anyone else, for that matter – and he intended on keeping his word once more.

He hoped that one day you would look at the sea with a friendly eye instead of one of rivalry, but it was difficult for you to share his excitement for the deep waters. It was difficult for you to see anything else in the waves than a force trying to take your husband away.

But you loved him too much, and whenever he was home, you walked down the length of the beach of white sand that ran along the cliffs of Cair Paravel. In the distance, the harbour protected the boats during the low tide, and the purple and golden sails of the Dawn Treader glimmered under the bright sunlight. You remained at a fair distance from the busy port though, seeking with your husband some private time to share, filled with tenderness and breathy giggles, with shy touches of fingertips and stolen glances. You had been married for several years, and yet, you still felt giddy whenever he was around, and his heart still skipped a beat whenever he laid eyes on you. You knew that you were lucky, both of you were well aware that this kind of love was rare, even more so for people of power like the two of you. There must have been someone looking after both of you with magical powers in their hands to guide the two of you on the same path. Caspian always said that Aslan himself must have made sure you found each other, and you had to agree.

You were walking down the beach over the edge of the water, your ankles kissed with the salty water slowly crawling up the sand, the tide rising once more to claim back what was its own kingdom, untamed and wild. Caspian was carrying your shoes and his, his other hand tenderly holding yours. It was warm on this summer afternoon, and Caspian had left his coat in Cair Paravel, choosing to leave for a walk with only a white shirt with large sleeves puffing around his muscles and letting the fabric open upon the upper part of his chest. The medallion you had offered him as a protective token the first time he went off to sea after your marriage was still hanging around his neck, the golden circle moving across his chest with each step he took. His long dark hair was messed with the wind, the light getting caught in his long eyelashes and the beard covering his cheeks. His eyes, so dark, showed a little bit of brown under the bright sunlight instead of their inky usual shade. He looked soft, domestic, so different from the kingly demeanour he had to wear in the castle. Instead, he was just your husband, and you couldn't refrain an enamoured smile to grace your lips at the sight.

The bottom of your dress was drenched with salty water and clung to your calves, but you didn't care. Caspian's brown trousers were wet too, patches of darker shades of fabric marking where the waves had climbed up his legs. You knew several dignitaries who would have been shocked by the King and Queen of Narnia behaving so mundanely, but none of you minded, as you simply enjoyed each other's company. When the two of you were alone, it was so easy to just be yourselves.

You reached a patch of golden rocks emerging from the water where seagulls rested after their long flights. Thanks to the low tide, the beach reached the rocks carved into sharp shapes by thousands of years being beaten by the waves. Caspian's eyes lit up at the sight.

"Would you mind a bit of adventure, my love?" he asked, a mischievous smile brightening his handsome features.

"What do you have in mind?" you asked back, yours eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Follow me."

You could have tried to fight back and pull him back towards you instead of following him as he hurried towards the rocks, but there was no need to delay the obvious. You would end up yielding anyway.

You let him guide you to the rocks, and you climbed on top, Caspian helping you up and giggling every time he had to catch you as you lost your balance. You spent some time staring at the seaweeds that covered the rock, and the tiny pools carved in that hid tiny crabs that ran away when you came too close. You looked for seashells on the edge of the water, and laughed as Caspian came too close to the edge and was drenched by a particularly strong wave, his shirt now clinging to his body, the fabric turning from white to see-through. His hair dried quickly under the warm sun though, tangling in the wind.

He chased you around with seaweeds in his hands, trying to put them on your head, and you laughed so hard you could barely breathe.

It was a perfect afternoon, really, and for a moment, you weren't so angry and jealous of the sea. Caspian had a gift to make you forget about everything else in the world but your love for him. Until your husband, in a clumsy step, slipped onto some seaweed and fell head first across the rock.

You heard him letting out a loud grunt as he hit the ground, and you hurried back to him, crossing the few steps that separated the two of you, all traces of laughter now gone from your features.

"Darling! Are you okay?" you asked with worry oozing from your every words.

"Yes," he nodded, sitting up. "I'm fine, just…"

You kneeled by his side, noticing that he was holding his forehead.

"Let me see," you ordered, and Caspian didn't even think about arguing.

As you pulled his fingers away, a gush of blood ran down the side of his face. But you quickly saw that it was nothing serious. You cut a piece of your dress to press the fabric against his forehead, but Caspian rolled his eyes, trying to wipe the blood away with the back of his hand.

"Don't worry, it's just a scratch… OUCH!" he jumped as you forcefully pressed the clothe against his cut.

"Don't start arguing with me. You hit your head pretty hard."

"It is really nothing to worry about, my darling. Just a little cut. I have seen much worse."

"Don't remind me!" you scolded him.

He rolled his eyes with a cheeky smile.

"You are adorable when you get worried about me. I like it."

"If you want me to take care of you, dearest, I would advise you to watch your words!"

"It is nothing, love."

"We should go back to the castle, clean your cut properly," you ignored him.

"Not yet," he complained. "We still haven't seen the sunset!"

"Caspian, you're hurt…"

But he took your wrist in his hand, pulling your hand away from his forehead, before guiding it to his lips to drop a tender kiss to your pulse on the inside of your wrist. His wound had stopped bleeding already, and now that you could properly see the damage, you had to admit it was nothing serious, a little scratch that would be gone in a week or so.

"I am fine. It's nothing. Let's stay a little longer, please," he asked with begging eyes you knew you would be unable to refuse anything to. "You promised we would watch the sunset together tonight. So, let's stay. Please, stay."

He pulled you closer and closer until he could kiss your lips, making you forget everything about the world around you, goosebumps running up your arms and making your knees shake under you.

"Please, stay," he asked one more time, knowing he had won already, knowing that after such a kiss, he would have broken your will for anything else but your desire to stay in his arms like this.

You heaved a sigh, resting your forehead in the crook of his neck and running your fingers through his messy hair.

"You're lucky you have good arguments in your favour," you yielded, making both of you laugh.

He hummed in agreement, tightening his hold on you and pressing you to his chest as you sat down and got comfortable in his arms.

"I am the luckiest though. I have you," he added, looking down at you before dropping a chaste kiss into your hair, making you smile and close your eyes, relishing in his wooded scent and the steady beating of his heart under your palm.

Caspian's eyes moved back to the sea, resting once more onto the untameable waves, and the infinite possibilities that laid over the horizon. Lands to discover, and monsters hidden, and so many people waiting on the other side. So many mysteries to uncover.

Caspian was well aware people sometimes called him Seafarer. Sometimes, his own men claimed that the ocean was his true home, that he belonged there, on the sea. That instead of a castle, he belonged on a boat. Caspian never paid too much attention to these words, and he never bothered correcting all those that thought the sea was his real and true love, the place he felt truly himself, that the ocean was his home.

Because he knew where his home was. He held it in his arms now.

You were his home. And no matter where the sea would try to take him, he would always come back to you in the end.

#caspian #caspian x reader #king caspian #king caspian x reader #caspian x you #caspian x y/n #caspian fanfic #caspian fanfiction #caspian imagine #narnia #narnia fanfiction #narnia imagine #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #imagine

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selinakidreams · 3 years

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pairing: merman! dabi x gn reader

warnings: nameless character deaths, a singular mention of nausea + throwing up, unfortunately a lot of blood mentions, near death experiences, SHARK! THERES A SHARK IN THE WATER ! (I SWEAR this is supposed to be pretty but the warnings make it seem otherwise) slight soulmate au?, dabi had a SINGULAR moment of softness.

a/n: guys I don’t even know what this is and it’s unedited,, but welcome to my contribution to mermay ! I had two scenes plain as day STUCK in my head and I just needed to get them out,,, honestly this was just supposed to be a short lil thing but I’m invested,, so here this is

ps, though this may not be edited... I would like to thank all my monster fucking moots who helped me to piece together the perfect mer version of dabi— I love you guys so so so much.

looking out into the darkness of the night, unable to locate the horizon from your position at the edge of the ship- you lift your gaze to the sky with a small sigh.

an unimaginable amount of stars litter the atmosphere, the clear view above could never be tiresome.

the city was no place for you; too crowded, full of men who were trying to court you for your fathers money and your beauty, not enough adventure. the ocean offered a type of freedom land could never- granted, the ship wasn’t much different from the bustling towns in the sense that all the soldiers would eye you like you’re a slab of meat.

the only difference given at sea is that you’re able to put those undesirable fuckers in their place. given your ranking, your power obsessed father wasn’t completely useless.

escaping to the empty deck had been your big feat today; everyone below was gulping down wine by the barrel when you managed to slip out. it was much colder out here, the chill of the salty wind was refreshing, sobering you up quite a bit- but still mentally fuzzy enough to tempt yourself into discarding edict and loosening up your tighter garments.

your drunken attention span shifted from fiddling with your bow in the back to the inky deep water...

what was that?

ripples were quietly dancing on the surface, the warm light reflections coming from the ship’s sconces moved along with them.

it had been really fast, so fast that you were almost left to wonder if you had actually imagined the most vibrant blue eyes you had ever seen... bobbing in the ocean.

two days. it had been two days since you had first “spotted” them and absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. the sailors still went about uglily gawking at you, your captain of a father was still behind the wheel, barking orders at everyone, while you went about your business. Sighing, the image of the eyes still fresh in your mind, you prepared to be lowered into the shallower sea.

upon hearing that there was a small island not too far from your current coordinates, you commanded a stop be made, needing to take some time away from the close knit quarters you constantly share with those horrific pigs. thankfully, no arguments surfaced and you headed straight for the dinghy. it had been surprisingly easy.

the trip wasn’t too long; you patiently waited for the tip of the boat to breach the soft sand, excited for what awaited you. it was such a lovely sunny day, big puffy white clouds dotted the expansive blue sky while the palm trees at the base of the beach greeted you with a steady sway.

once your boots sunk into the wet sand, you turned to the two other men who had escorted you and informed them that you were not to be followed- but to wait right there- which in retrospect, was not a good idea. that was too much trust and responsibility that was placed in their incapable hands.

you wasted no time trudging through the lush greenery to get to the other side of the island, wanting to be as far away from the crew members as possible.

it couldn’t have taken you more than two hours for you to reach an elaborate array of tide pools sporadically placed on a flat uneven rocky surface, some being lapped over by waves while others sat calmly- living in their own little world.

you had to look in each and every one of them.

wide eyes and mouth open, looking at all the lives in the crystal clear pools was an absolute marvel. some only held a few small sea anemones of different colors while others not only held the soft flowery plant but also housed fighting crabs of all sizes, large chunky starfish, and even a fish or two!

you took careful steps towards the end of the rocks, towards the ones where the waves were constantly restocking the pools with new life, your heart flipping in your chest at the colors of the crashing waves.

peering down into one of the deeper ones, you found it hard to take your sights away from the glistening sun streaks that cut through the water; a small gateway to the open ocean was at the bottom of this pool. it’s like you were hypnotized. making yourself comfortable, you laid yourself down next to the glistening water and began to break the calm surface with your finger tips, eyes trained on the tiny ripples.

“they left you, you know.”

you felt so at ease with the sound of the waves crashing around you, you almost didn’t hear it. it wasn’t until the nagging feeling that you weren’t alone hugged you in all the wrong places, that you looked up... only to be met with nothing.

scrunching your brow, the tranquility you were feeling before suddenly slipping through your fingers. you sat up, but not before you held a lingering glance at the glowing water once more. that’s an image that will stay in your mind; you almost wish you had your sketch book.

your mind went blank when you saw something block the light as it swam by... something big. the next few minutes happened in a blur. after scrambling up to get away from the pool, a huge body washed up on a nearby rock plateau and by no means was it graceful. your heart dropped to your stomach as you watched the lifeless body get smacked with harsh waves.

he was wearing your ship’s uniform, now drenched in blood.

nothing came up when you fell on your knees and lurched over, your eyes squeezing shut- the gruesome image of the crew member engrained in your mind.

“they got what they deserved.”

this time when you whipped your head up to follow the velvet voice, you fell into an almost trance. those breathtaking turquoise eyes you had seen a few days ago were now staring right at you, not too far away.

you couldn’t help the gasp that you inhaled as you fell back. looking at him in his entirety- you must have been hallucinating. growing up hearing the tales of deep sea monsters and nasty magical land creatures could never have prepared you for what laid in front of you.

it was such a drastic change; going from looking at something so appalling to something so... flawless... it was indescribable.

on display, your eyes followed the curled figure- wet white hair flopped against a pale forehead, the tips of his pointed finned-ears peaking out from the wet hair. there were deep dark purple markings starting underneath his eyes, slightly mimicking bags that then restarted at the bottom half of his face- all the way down his neck, ending at just the top of his chest. the markings then continued down his arms, right up to his knuckles contrasting the pale thin slightly webbed fingers that merged to sharp claws, gleaming in the sun. his toned chest eased into a pearly type of color around his hips before submerging into a black ragged tail- but it did the strangest thing. when the sun reflected off of it, a blue so royal- that you’ve only seen it on the most expensive of garments- came to life. the dorsal fin looked just as rugged as the tail did, but his odyssey fluke was splayed out so beautifully, you didn’t give it a second thought.

it wasn’t until you took a second glance that you noticed there was a red tint to his claws that you put into context what was said earlier.

“did you- di- you killed that man?”

his voice came out as smooth as silk, “I did.”

how could you be so dense? this was a creature that came from the sea- a ruthless underwater world. he was a predator. but wait-

“you can speak- you s-said.. did you kill them for me? are you going to-?”

“I killed those men because of all humans, the ones who betray others for their own greed serve no purpose.”

he didn’t tell you more than necessary in his opinion, but he was smart enough and old enough to know that you’re still going to ask more.

it seemed you were sitting on quite the pile of questions but he wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence. it was clear that you were mulling over what should be said first.

“was it you I saw at sea the other night?”

out of all the things you could ask, that was the only thing your mind had on repeat- the only thought present.

“and if it was?”

after receiving two similar vague reactions, something in you was screaming for something to happen. the interaction seemed to be going nowhere and here you were, in front of a creature that you’ve heard so much about but never actually met- a drastic change in interaction was calling, and who were you to ignore it?

in hindsight, it was a terrible idea.

one minute you were on land, next you were shedding your heavy, restrictive clothing- the mer watching with a slight smirk and a heavy gaze- then seconds later, were in the violent push and pull of the ocean. luckily you were far enough to be out of the rocky reach, but the current was too strong. you were being swayed back and forth with too much force.

if it had been your first time in the ocean, you would have been a goner- you would have washed right into the sharp jagged edges; a terribly painful way to go. but thankfully, flowing with the ocean had been your specialty since you were young. incredibly masculine and dirty, but you simply couldn’t stay away. the watery depths have lured you in and there was no escaping the spell it had casted on you all those years ago.

maybe that’s why you dove in. or maybe you wanted to see what the mer would do. whatever the case, there you were in the lull of the tide and running out of air. breaching the surface was your main goal, urging your arms and legs to snap out of the shock of the cold water.

eyes on the bubbles traveling upwards, you finally get your arms to push through the current almost missing the dark shadow swimming closer and closer to you, getting larger and larger.

a quick sideways glance in the clear water showed something large with many many rows of teeth out on display, heading toward you and gaining momentum.

a shark.

a... shark.

of all the ways you possibly thought you could go... this was not one of them. it’s almost ironic- the one way you thought you wouldn’t go would end up getting you.

breaking the surface, you gulp your last breath of air- painfully waiting for the horrifying moment when powerful jaws clamp around your body... but it never came. all you felt was a strong current zip past your feet, slightly pulling you along with it.

you’re heart was pounding; adrenaline coursing through your veins, breathing choppy as you whip your head in every which way to see what was going on in the water beneath you. then you saw it.

blood.

just then, the gory image of the crewmate’s body flashed into your mind. there had been another sailor... the mermaid didn’t pull up two bodies- he wasn’t the only predator in the water.

before you could evaluate further, you were pulled by the ankle under the water and into a place where the blood hadn’t seeped yet.

not enough air was sucked in before you submerged, so you frantically searched for ways you could reach the surface again- not even thinking about the now-absent steady grip that dragged you under.

then you felt it. pointed claws lightly tracing up your sides before his handsome face was leveled with yours. if seeing him on land wasn’t good enough, seeing him in his element was nearly heart stopping.

but your lungs were going to collapse before your heart could-

or so you thought.

he flattened his palm around your waist, cupping it gently before he inched his face toward yours, lips slightly ghosting yours, as if asking for permission.

with his toned body pressed against yours, it was hard to think straight, but the most prominent siren going off in your mind was the fact that you were loosing oxygen, and quickly. you found yourself panicking in his grip. was this really the time?

his lips were on yours in less than a second, your struggling becoming more and more apparent- but it was when he got your mouth to open that you realized what he was doing.

A mermaid’s kiss gives you the eternal breath; the ability to breathe under water.

pulling away, he watched as your eyes went wide, the small smirk you’d seen before had appeared once more.

the sensation was otherworldly; though there was a heavy pressure in your chest as the water was filtering in and out of your system, you were breathing underwater.

slowed down by the new density, you lifted your head to look up at the mer- no doubt the most excited and bewildered expression on your face, just to realize the size difference. he was huge- how had you not noticed this on land?

the more human half of his body had to be around the six foot range, his muscular tail roughly adding another ten. the massive figure floating around you was... beautiful.

he had the softest gaze when looking down at you, it nearly shocked you more that the new incredible ability had. he didn’t seem like the type to be full of expressions; it was such a warm and familiar look, something that you hadn’t seen in a long time- and one you typically didn’t see on a stranger’s face, much less a merman you had only just met.

opening your mouth to say something-if you could, that is- his expression changed in a blink, fear now contorted his features.

everything was so fast with him; his arm wrapped around your waist in mere seconds before speedily guiding you through a passage of underwater tunnels that lead to somewhere you assumed to be in the middle of the island- a lush green grotto.

once you resurfaced, you inhaled a breath you didn’t realize you needed; the new air burned your lungs- you almost didn’t want to breathe.

“just keep breathing. it will get easier over time.”

he almost sounded... bored? a complete one 180 to what you had just witnessed in the water.

the mer guided you up to the pool’s edge, lifting you with ease until you sat with only your legs dangling in the water.

outwardly, it stayed quiet for a while. there wasn’t much noise around besides the occasional bird call and the delicate sound of waded water.

your breathing had slightly evened out but you weren’t too confident in your voice, so keeping your mouth shut seemed like the best option.

what now?

tag list: @zhongh-li

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detectivesplotslies · 3 years

Text

Seaside Souls and Sandy Soles

Description: On a hot and bright day, Shuichi goes out to the beach on his own, possibly and ill-advised decision, and meets Kaito who brings him along. Word Count: 4258 Read on AO3 here

Chapter 1: Low Tide and High Spirits

The sun was bright and sweltering out that day. Shuichi almost wished he'd waited until later to head to the beach. Walking out from the rockier parts, he winced as his feet touched the hot rocks. Stepping around the tidepools, eyeing them as he went, his eyes took on a curious glint. It was a bit sad seeing everything in these little stranded puddles as they were, but he told himself that when the tide came back in they could rejoin the ocean if they wanted. Some wouldn't want to, he could tell the hardier crabs and barnacles had settled in for the long haul. Guess some of you like it up here.

He settled under a shale outcropping, out of the frying beams, adjusting his swim trunks so sitting was easier. They kept riding up, he needed to find himself a new pair. Then again he didn't come out to the beach that often, so maybe it wasn't worth it to. Glancing side long, the boy watched the actual beach a ways away, where people were running about and shouting. There were voices, music, and the smell of food. It was all really overwhelming. Maybe he should have stayed home. He heaved a sigh and turned his eyes back to the nearest tidepool, distracting himself some from the nervousness as he spotted a blue seastar. It was so bright up near the sun.

Shuichi sat up in a crouch to lean and look a bit better. It was slowly moving about, still very much alive in its isolation. His hands rested on his knees as he rocked on the spot, gaze moving to a crab that scuttled out of the pool and back towards the surf. Looks like he was done with the heat too. Maybe he should get up and join him, a swim would be nice, and he'd hung out long en-

Shuichi heard something scrabble along the shale above him and spun in panic, staring up at another teen climbing the rocks in flip-flops. His eyes widened. He had no grip, what if he fell?!

"Hey! Be caref-"

The taller boy on the rocks startled, whipping around as he heard the voice below him and losing his grip. Without thinking, Shuichi hopped up and ran his way. His intention to catch the guy, he realized, was very flawed with how much bigger he was and how little time he had to get in position. It was more of a collision, slowing them both as they both bounced off each other and landed on their backsides with groans. Shuichi rubbed at his elbow where it grazed the rocks before looking back up at the poorly equipped climber.

"Man, you scared me, I didn't see you down there!" he said, a bit of exasperation despite the smile as he looked up to look over, brushing himself off. Aside from his flip-flops, he was in board shorts, and what he had assumed on first glance to be a hat was apparently a very pointy purple hair style, and a pointed goatee to match. How did it stand up like that?? The guy stood, and reached up to check the hair spikes as well before stepping over to hold out a hand to Shuichi. "But I guess I gotta thank ya' for softening that tumble?"

"Uh, I... sorry I.." Shuichi stared at the hand and then back up at the man above him.

"...You need a hand getting up?" The other boy asked, frowning a moment, "I didn't land on your head did I? Ah man..."

"Oh. OH! No you didn't uh... thank you," Shuichi said hurriedly, reaching awkwardly to take the hand, using it to pull himself shakily to his feet with a wobble. That was stupid, of course that was what the hand was for.

"No prob, you're sure though? I've got some ice back in the cooler," he said, pointing his thumb back over his shoulder towards the beach. "I'm Kaito by the way."

"Really, I'm fine, I landed on my arm not my head," Shuichi said with a quick nod, then a glance towards the crowded beach, expression becoming anxious, then glanced back at the introduction. "Oh. I'm Shuichi."

Kaito, who still had his hand, shook it vigorously, almost knocking him right back down. "Well Shuichi, nice to meet you. Why you hidin’ out all the way over here? It's dangerous with all the rocks!" He grinned big, as if this was a perfectly fair question for someone you just met.

"...But you're over here too," Shuichi pointed out with a raised brow, freeing his hand as the shaking stopped. Kaito had a strong grip. He didn't like that he mentioned hiding, it wasn't like he was going to go to the beach the way everyone else had. He had to get ready first. "All I was doing was watching the tide pools, you were the one on the rocks."

"Well it's not dangerous for me, I'm a pro at rock climbing!" Kaito laughed, letting the accusation splash off him like water. He shook his head. "I go out adventuring alone all the time." He looked over Shuichi for a moment, as if assessing him. "You ever do any climbing?"

"Um, no I haven't," Shuichi admitted. But it didn't take going climbing to know that those weren't proper footwear for it. Should he mention it? Maybe they were a type of sandal he didn't recognize? "But you still fell."

"Of course, every good climber does that now and then, no helping it," Kaito said, a touch defensively. He reached around to rub the back of his neck and looked back over towards the beach. "Y'know, I don't think I've seen you around here before. You on vacation?"

Shuichi blinked. "No. Uh, wait, yes." Smooth. "I'm on a trip for a class uh, learning about the area." He glanced down, rubbing his arm some. Close enough. It wasn't like he should be talking to someone anyways, that was more dangerous than some crumbling rocks. He should just stay by himself, watch from afar, then head right home. Then there'd be no trouble. He had his warnings after all, if he-

"Oh yeah?! That's great I can show you around, unless you got a teacher to catch up with? My Gramps lives out here, so I'm around to help him out right now!"

Shuichi looked back up to see Kaito absolutely beaming at him. He was stunned silent a moment at the sheer excitement in the other's voice. He wants to show me around? Well that would be nice, but I can't. "W-well no, I don't have a teacher with me-"

"ALRIGHT! Then let's go!" Kaito said, interrupting as he took him by the hand once more and started leading him back towards the beach. "Careful where you step, there's some sea urchins around. Can't believe you're walking around here without any shoes! You leave yours with your towel? I'd offer you mine, but I think they'd be too big, don't wanna trip either." He chuckled as he towed him along, eyes ahead again. "So you know this beach used to be a landing spot for pirates, right? I bet your class didn't tell you that! It's because only the locals know, some are even descended from the ones that came ashore to hide their treasures. But the mightiest of them all was the Golden Mariner!"

"I uh- W-Wait- Pirates?" Shuichi stammered as he was pulled along, nerves building.

"Yeah! They sailed out here for like two centuries before they lost the seas to the military! But, like I was saying, the Golden Mariner made it all the way around the world, twice! He got treasures in India, Madagascar, Mongolia, Tahiti, all over!" He proclaimed, glancing back at his captured audience.

"Those are some far places from here..." Thinking back to the atlas he liked to review, Shuichi's brows came together. Isn't Mongolia landlocked? Maybe I'm remembering wrong.

"They are! But the Golden Mariner picked this very beach for his final stop!" Kaito announced, pumping his fist in the air as they crossed out of the rocky terrain and into the sandy banks of the beach proper. Somehow the sand was even hotter, and Shuichi winced. The taller boy tilted his head at the reaction, and started leading them towards the wetter sand automatically. "There was said to be a great treasure here to claim, since so many pirates stopped here before, right? But disaster struck when he pulled into the inlet, a storm rocked his ship against the shallows! His hull cracked and the water poured into his treasure hold. It sank right out here, all of the treasure with it, just out there! The lighthouse was out, an unlucky day for the great sea legend." His tone turned solemn to the end.

"Nothing sank here," Shuichi replied, before realizing he should not know that. "I mean uh, it's pretty shallow, wouldn't you be able to see it?" He let out a sigh of relief as they stepped into a wave rolling up onto the shore, the burning in his heels extinguished.

"Well of course you can't see it, that was over a hundred years ago now! It's like, worn down and stuff," Kaito scoffed, stepping further into the water, his flimsy footwear squelching in the wet as he used them for another ill suited purpose. "But the treasure is still out there and, you know, one day? One day I'm gonna go find it!"

Shuichi turned to look out at the waves, sparkling in the sun. Did he really think he was going to go out there and find something? Surely the local divers would have already if it was there, they were out there often enough with tourists. There were only a few places they didn't search on those trips, and they weren't the sort that would have worldly treasures or sunken pirate ships. "Why do you want to find it?"

"Why?! Because it's pirates’ treasure, of course! Do you know what that means? Fame and fortune!" Kaito said, looking back at his new companion incredulously. "Anyone would want that!"

Then why are you shouting about it in such a crowded place? Shuichi glanced around. It seemed like the kids running about in the water didn't seem interested beyond glancing their way, and the adults didn't even look. He became acutely aware though that this stranger had brought him right into the crowd. His grip tightened on his hand automatically, his steps slowing as the water was rushed gently against his ankles, and his gaze pointed down to see it. The bubbles and sand, the flecks of bright reflecting sun.

Suddenly there was slack from the leading pull, and the hand he was holding swung at his side. "What, not big on the fame thing? Hey that's alright, if today's the day and you help me find it I can take all the credit. You don't gotta worry about that," came Kaito's voice alongside him. "But man, I don't think I know anyone who wouldn't want to find some secrets out in the ocean."

The innocuous comment sent a chill down Shuichi's spine, and he could feel the intent gaze on him waiting for a reply. He forced a nod. "Y-yeah I suppose there's a lot to discover. I think some things are hidden f-for a reason. Um, what if the treasure's uh, cursed?"

"Hold on, who said anything about a curse?!" Kaito said back, full of force again, letting go of the hand he was holding to put both out in front of him. "The Golden Mariner was not cursed, I would know! Curses aren't real anyways! You can't let something like that keep you from searching out the treasure! You gotta rely on facts, not some ghost story!" He shook his head empathically.

"R-right, I guess you would know, with your family living out here," Shuichi said, rubbing at his arm nervously as his hand came free. There went his anchor in this place. He glanced around again, the amount of movement around him putting him on edge. Maybe he should go deeper into the water. That would calm him down, be further from the sounds. "Um, thanks for telling me about the treasure though my... uh teacher really never did mention it," he said as he stepped past the boy who was warding off the non-existent curses with his hands and waded further into the waves.

"Exactly, I know my stuff! There's no curses here, so you can rest assured you're safe from that stuff here! That's Kaito Momota's word!" He said, smiling again with a nod, before blinking as the other boy stepped away. "Going for a swim?"

"Oh uh, yeah. It's really hot out and I... well I thought it'd help," Shuichi said, glancing back over his shoulder before walking further, carefully skirting around some children with a large inflatable ball with many colours.

"Well wait up, I'll join you then! You know, I had the record at my middle school for most laps in 10 minutes!" Kaito announced, reaching to peel the long-suffering wet flip-flops from his feet, putting them both in his hand, then yanking his board shorts down to reveal swimming trunks underneath with a sparkly purple sheen. He balled up the shorts with the dripping sandals and chucked it like a projectile up the beach, landing somewhere with a thump in the sand. He raced in after, catching up to him no problem. "So, do you swim a lot? You gotta be mindful of the current!"

Shuichi watched the rush over, stepping back a little as he arrived with the splash, already to his waist in the water. He nodded, "I swim a lot, yeah. I live by the water too." He paused, and added, "I will be careful though." It was a little rich hearing him say that after his lack of caution earlier. There were still too many people at this shallow distance from the shore. He continued onwards, chest breaking the waves as they rolled past.

"Oh yeah? You ever join your school's swim team? You should, it's a ton of fun! Though I had to quit to make time for other stuff after a while," Kaito continued on happily, hands along the surface as he made his way deeper, staying alongside easily with his longer strides. He glanced back at the beach a moment before he said, "Hey, did you have any friends in your class with you on this trip of yours?"

"Ah, never been on the swim team..." Shuichi replied slowly, trying to think. Why is there a team just for swimming? The next question though had the gears turning faster. "Well... no, uh, my class is here of course for... the trip, yeah, but um, no friends in it. That's why they're not here." That makes sense, right? He worried a moment.

"I see. Well that kind of sucks. What's the point of going on a school trip if you can't goof off with friends?" Kaito said sympathetic to the plight. "Well don't worry about it, you're with me today, so you don't have to worry about being alone!" He reached over to pat Shuichi on the shoulder.

"Ah, that's very kind of you, Kaito," Shuichi said after a brief recovery from the unexpected jostle, opting to push forward into the water and submerge all the way to his neck. He wasn't sure why he'd attracted the treasure hunter's interest really, but it was nice to have some company. He didn't stick out quite so much walking around with someone else, and the conversation was a nice one, if dubious in factual truth. He eased into the cool water without a shiver, treading gently as he turned around and started to swim backwards to look back at the other, still barely to his chest in the water. The turn was rewarded with a bright smile, which Shuichi mirrored.

Then a big splash as Kaito dove under right next to him.

Shuichi blinked, looking around for him under the water, golden eyes darting about catching the movement. They followed him right up as he surfaced on his other side, gasping for air and then grinning. Shuichi opened his mouth to speak but stared instead. His spiky hair was a haphazard mess. Kaito's smile quirked some. "What did I get some salt water in your mouth? Don't swallow that stuff! Not good for you."

"N-no, uh, your hair..." Shuichi sort of pointed helplessly where he floated. It looked like some of the spikes were still trying to stand, but the others had collapsed like fallen trees. Was it supposed to do that? He wasn't even sure how it stayed like that in the first place!

"My- Oh! Oh shoot, forgot about that. Wasn't planning on swimming today," Kaito laughed, reaching up to crunch a hand through the wet chunks of hair, making even more of it fall. It looked like something he was used to doing, bending the spikes that remained one by one, before dunking his head again and smoothed it out, and surfaced. "That better?" It looked much longer now, floating about his shoulders and his bangs sticking somewhat to his face.

Shuichi couldn't help but snicker at it. "You look completely different."

"What? No I don't! Look!" Kaito said, diving under again, and this time pulling Shuichi too, to his surprise. He blinked and looked over at Kaito under the water, and sure enough, submerged like that his purple hair did stand up like it was spiked, though a little looser, drifting with the waves. Shuichi opened his mouth to laugh, bubbles coming up, before they both breached the surface again. Kaito grinned big as his hair flattened back to his head. "See! Exact same, I just had to put it into Ocean Mode!"

"Alright, you have a point," Shuichi said, covering his mouth as he tried to stop the giggles. That was really silly. His attempt wasn't all that successful, little bouts of laughter bubbling up still. Kaito's smile grew at that, and the smaller boy wiped his own bangs, now wet and everywhere, out of his eyes. "I only know how to do that trick in Ocean Mode."

"Well it takes a lot longer to go back on land, but I can show you sometime," the treasure hunter boasted, as if getting his hair like that was some sort of appealing state. Though Shuichi had to admit it was a fun look on the other boy, he just couldn't picture himself in it. "So were we gonna swim, or did I do this for nothing?" He held out a strand of hair all the way up for effect, sort of like the flyaway on Shuichi's own crown.

"Yeah, let's go," Shuichi said, before turning and diving under, weaving away from the people still able to stand at this depth. It wasn't as easy to swim like this, but it was still second nature to him, gliding through the water, powerful kicks. He could feel his worry for all the eyes around him drift off of him like the sea foam. He went further still, the sands below them starting to spot with sea life and weeds, the carefully kept sandbar only tended to the point where people waded. Eventually he didn't see anyone up ahead, and spun in place in the water, looking back. He saw distantly under the blur of the salt water the legs of those floating on rafts and toys further away, and only Kaito approaching him, using his arms and his legs to propel him faster.

When he finally arrived, he stopped, hair drifting in around him like a mane before he pointed upwards towards the surface and swam up. Shuichi raised a brow and followed, hearing Kaito take a deep breath as he did, and followed suit, hair plastered in his face.

"Dude you're so fast! You really should try out for your swim team! Though it looked like freestyle, what's your favourite stroke??" Kaito said excitedly, treading water as he bobbed a bit. Out here the waves lifted them both up and were further apart, but nothing huge or stormy rolling in.

"Oh uh, I don't really know any um, strokes... I learned to swim by myself," Shuichi said awkwardly, effortlessly keeping himself afloat. Was that really too fast? Maybe I should slow down. "I guess I probably can't join a team like that," he concluded with a little shrug, his shoulders popping out of the water a moment.

"Hey! That's quitter talk! You just can't yet! Lucky for you, I know all of them! Why don’t I show you some while we're out here? Then we can race! You might even have a chance with that speed, though my record's pretty good," Kaito said, quickly shooting down the dismissal of joining the swim team. "Alright, you look like you're kind of doing a dolphin kick, so why don't you try butterfly? You just gotta move your arms like this!" And with that the purple haired boy threw both arms forward and took off speedily, windmilling them in arcs in the water. Shuichi blinked and watched. Was that comfortable? It did seem pretty fast though.

Kaito circled back and explained the motion again, waving his hands around and talking about the timing, then showing the kick to go with it up close. That part seemed much more intuitive. With some encouragement, Shuichi tried it out, not as fast as before, but managed to pull it off, if only forgetting to come up for air every other rotation. Next up was breaststroke, the kick was a little bit of trouble, then the crawls. He liked backstroke the most by the end, just staring up at the sky while Kaito called out to correct his form. It was nice, floating out there away from the mass of people and just swimming. Though that wasn't what he came out here for...

"Damn, I don't think we're gonna have time to race today, Shuichi, Grams is waving me down to eat," Kaito said abruptly, and Shuichi blinked, looking up from his spot floating. He squinted back at the surface to the vague shapes and colours of people. How could he even tell one from the others at this distance? Still, it was probably for the best that they didn't race. "D'you want to join us?"

"Oh uh, thank you but I have to uh... meet back with my class. I should go back soon," Shuichi said hurriedly, a little faster than his previous stumbles. He gave an apologetic smile. "Thanks for teaching me how to swim properly."

"Hey there's no ‘proper’ here, I just taught you more stuff! Always good to know more!" he insisted. His expression became a frown briefly before a slight smile returned bright like the rising sun. "Oh, alright. Well, you coming out here again tomorrow?"

Shuichi hadn't planned to. Really, he only went to the beach once every month or two, and this was during the busy season. Then again, he was usually just by himself, so there was usually no reason to repeat the visit. "I might, I'll have to see if I have a chance between school things."

"Right on! I'll see you tomorrow then!" Kaito said with a big grin, as though he'd said he'd be there for sure. "Want to race back to shore?"

"Oh, sure," Shuichi said, returning the smile, floating where he was in the water. He could do that much at least. "When do yo-"

"Okay GO!" Kaito shouted, taking off in a speeding front crawl, leaving a wake of ripples as his arms worked through the water. It took Shuichi a moment to process before he went to follow, matching the stroke, though slower than he could. It wasn't that he didn't want to race, it's that he didn't want to risk running into anyone. He weaved his way through the wading zone as they approached the beach, carefully giving space to the playing kids. He was just getting to where he needed to stand lest his arms hit the sand when Kaito raced up the beach and jumped waving his hands in victory. Seeing that Shuichi slowed and walked up the rest of the way.

He was about to approach, when an elderly woman in a sunhat walked up to him and handed him a towel, and they started talking. Shuichi hesitated, and stayed back some, unsure. He started the other way on the beach looking over his shoulder once to see Kaito looking back at him. When he met his eyes, the energetic guy waved enthusiastically. Shuichi smiled and waved back, then went back up the beach, dripping water and making his way around the umbrellas and towels.

He took a leisurely route, and was eventually back over near the rocks, glancing back, but it looked like Kaito and his Grams were already heading out to have their meal. He wondered briefly if those shorts and flip-flops were where he tossed them still. Well, he could see tomorrow.

Shuichi supposed he could come back tomorrow, it wasn't like anything prevented him from it. He passed the tidepools and when he was finally out of sight of the beach he ducked down and slid through a crevice between the rocks. Out of the sun he sighed, and went to don his coat and dive down into the grotto.

#saimota #shuichi saihara #kaito momota #ndrv3 #fic #my writing #my content #beach #selkie #fluff #au #saihara shuichi #momota kaito #danganronpa v3

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strangerays · 3 years

Text

Nothing in Particular Update #3

About seven months and I finished the first draft at 93k!

I always imagined how it would feel to finish a first draft (I’ve been writing novels “seriously” since about 2017) and now that I’ve finally done it, I can say it’s a better feeling than I imagined! Telling my friends and family (and even my doctor, who was really quite excited about it) was an amazing amazing thing. I’m generally pretty nervous to tell people about my work, but I had a really positive reaction. Honestly all of it has me on a creative high (not sure I’m coming down from that any time soon lol).

I’m going back for my last year of school in two days, which means I’m not going to have as much time as I did to write all summer. This is okay, because I’m actually going to take an entire month off of writing! I’m really burnt out - don’t want to start editing a story that’s so near to me if I don’t feel ready. I’ll talk more about editing when the time comes!

In a lot of ways, I found that my life mimicked my art. I think for a lot of people, it tends to be the other way around, but this story did a lot to heal me.

Going to hop right into excerpts now! I’m not going to explain much this far into the story because I would like to try to publish this story (FAR in the future) so I apologize for that! Also, I stopped naming most of the chapters until I go back and edit because there are just SO MANY and I didn’t have the time to stop and think of cool names. Anyways... enjoy!!

(Here is the link to the original masterpost!)

text: Rays of gold curled to the ground, primordial and shy as the fire reeds on the cusps of shallow pool around the bay outside of Mothouse combed them to fine sparkles. I remembered the way Lonan kneeled on the edges of this pool. He never dove in – just blinked slowly as he watched crabs and minnows chase each other in a swirl of sand. I could not resist the water. I’d made it a part of me. My hair was longer then; down to my elbows, fading from dark red to orange and white, soaked always. Lonan let me borrow his shirts when I forgot to bring my own. They hung from my waist, too big for me, and I was warm even as the breeze rocked us inside.

text: The sky was never blue in Point Blink. At least, I couldn’t remember the last time the clouds hadn’t given way to a dark gray mist. Jude was here. I was out of place. I was floating – watching slender, underfed pines wave in the breeze behind houses on the water before they disappeared underneath furls of cloud. Bursts of warm light shone in windows on the bay, like hungry eyes watching for a storm. A group of kids our age chaffed on a rocky expanse, their heads popping over pockets of darkness when they laughed. Froths of cloud stretched across the sky, moving the ground with it. Long stretches of trees and islands far on the other side of our small pocket of ocean looked more like large freight ships. Lights glittered and beamed on the roads and highways that belonged to the city. Pink was starting to show over the horizon. Lonan was on the other side. Somewhere.

text:

Jude sucked her lips in and flopped onto her stomach so she could see the blue below her feet. Her dark curls draped over her ears and hid her nose.

“I can’t see the bottom of the ocean.” She cupped her fingers with the other hand. “See where the water fades to white and back again? The endless tide. Why do people say the ocean is blue?”

I leaned forward. She was right. Blue ocean climbed up the side of the cliffs and turned the rocks a dark gray; ate the erosion as if from a plate. I’d never had the ocean explained to me that way before.

“I think I like it that way,” I said.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was at the bottom of Point Blink.

text:

She smiled weakly. “It’s okay. This is just guesswork. Patchwork.”

I wanted to apologize again, but I had a strong guess that it might make her annoyed with me. “It’s kind of like… I’m just waiting for the next bad thing to happen.”

She wrinkled her nose and eyebrows, scrunched up her little face. “That’s dumb.”

“I think it’s a smart way to live.” Sometimes it felt like worry was the only thing that kept me alive. It wasn’t dumb at all.

“You’re going to be fine though. We’re going to be fine. If something bad happens, we’ll deal with it. Don’t let it eat you.”

There was wisdom in what this seventeen-year-old girl on my bed had offered me. I caught it like a gold coin. Before I could reply with anything, she launched into another question. I didn’t want to think much about change anyways.

text:

“Oh. Wow. That’s like, next year.” I sort of laughed.

“A year can be a long time,” Lonan said with a wince. “What do you think?”

I sighed through my nose and leaned back with him. The sun was going down. Sometimes, my life felt less like a golden hourglass and more like a stopwatch with a broken face.

“For once, I think I agree with your mom.”

Lonan just stared at me, with something like awe.

“I think you should do what you want,” I said.

“Ray,” Lonan started.

“No,” I interrupted him. “It’s not about me. She’s stopped you from doing anything and everything you’ve wanted to for the last four years, so when you go to college, you’ve got to separate yourself from this place.” I pointed to him. “You’re allowed to do this.”

text:

Maybe I was just being strange. Lonan was my best friend. It didn’t help that there was a little bit of him in everything – the tide pools, the echo of shells, my broken camera.

Soon, we stood in the center of the field. A breeze whispered through the cattails, fanning against our knees. Ellis loped behind me as I stepped in and out of tire tracks under the cloudless sun. She wasn’t much different than Jude. Her footsteps crunched excitedly behind mine, excited at the prospect of an unprecedented adventure. I’d missed those.

Lonan said he didn’t like to walk in fields because the wind tricked him into thinking that someone was behind him. Every brisk of his heel was a trick of the mind. Sometimes I felt the same way, like I might be haunted.

text:

The ageless water begged me closer, frizzed my hair and swathed my arms in a sweet, familiar scent. I remembered galloping down to the shore with a childhood friend in one May. Soft piano accompanied croaky lyrics from someone’s radio when we fell chest-first into the water. Static erupted in my head. There had been nothing new for me in Point Blink for so long that I’d forgotten what it was like to float. Grass turned into pebbles, and I heard Ellis’ footsteps soften to the beat of the sand. Our eyes crumbled the shells that walled the long expanse of dark sand where waves rolled in. We leaned over like two swans, crunching shells beneath our feet, displaying shells to one another, naming the ones we recognized, and when I looked out at the horizon, I saw blue.

Red plastic cups, cigarettes, and even some broken glass stuck out through the sand as we made our way further down the shoreline, as if someone had thrown a party. My brow furrowed. Maybe this part of the beach wasn’t so abandoned after all.

Between the spit of the waves and dry sand lay some sort of book. Sand trickled out of the pages and onto my shoes when I swept it out of line of an oncoming wave. Ellis was beside me in moments. Shells tolled under her shoes.

*Warning for mention of blood (fake blood and fake knife!!) this takes place on Halloween haha*

text:

Jude held the container in her palm, kneeled down so we were shoulder to shoulder. Her eyes fixed on the knife in my neck, mine on her hands, then her focused expression. Her fingers tipped my chin up, cold on my skin. I tried not to move. Suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about Dad, or Raven, or Lonan. I only let Jude in – this girl who had come out of nowhere and wrecked me, saved me. And she didn’t know any of that. I didn’t owe anything to her, but I needed her. She kept us afloat when I couldn’t even keep myself above water. Her fingers painted blood over the center of my throat, our breath quiet on each other’s cheeks. She held my shoulder as she set back.

“Absolutely feral,” she said.

text:

“Point Blink is all I have. It’s where I am, what I am.” My throat was tight. “It’s all I’ve known. I am happy with my life. And I’m sorry, but I’m not willing to throw all of that away so we can dig up answers. I want to stay.”

Jude sat there for a moment. I think Florian and Ellis had turned to look at us, because when we went silent, I could no longer heat their hushed whispers, only the sound of water as it rose and rose and rose. I wondered if it would rain.

Jude sat up on her hands, then her knees, then she stood over me.

“Is that what you honestly believe?”

Tears bubbled in her eyes. Blood streaked down her cheeks. I’d been so focused on not crying, I had missed when she started to.

“Point Blink is just the same as anywhere,” she said. The words sat somewhere above her inside her chest, weak and frail, as though they’d been realized a long time ago.

I’d stared into her eyes until they disappeared. She grabbed onto a branch above her and quietly swung herself around a corner. Her footsteps echoed until they dissolved into waves and birds and frogs and left me in the dark.

#10

*Warning for strong language!*

text:

“Why didn’t you tell me how you’d been feeling?” he asked after a few moments of silence. It was beginning to stretch uncomfortably.

“I know I don’t deserve to know,” he added, “but you’ve always put me first.”

I picked at the wood that peeled from the fence.

“I just want you to be okay,” Lonan croaked. “Please tell me what to do.”

Even when we were together, we still worried about each other. It wasn’t always that way. Maybe that was my fault. I didn’t want to think about it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I mumbled into the crisp, red air. “To be fair, I didn’t know it like I know now for a long time. I think sometimes I got the same way as a kid. Now I have a name for it, and I still don’t know if it feels right.” I sighed. “I guess… I guess I just thought that was how things were supposed to be. I thought I was only the humming low and the high.”

“Of course that’s not how you’re fucking supposed to be.”

I coughed on a laugh, wiped away a new set of tears. On the rare occasion that Lonan did swear, he sounded much like he was doing it for the first time.

I hadn’t fully realized what I’d said before Lonan’s hand was around my arm. He pulled me close to his chest. I felt smaller than him; warm and safe. I exhaled and sunk into him, didn’t allow anything else in. I’d almost forgotten what that felt like.

“You’re funny and smart and better than a lot of people.”

And... that wraps up all of my excerpts for the time being! I really enjoyed writing the last four chapters of this book. Of course they aren’t perfect. A lot of the book needs improvement. There are entire characters who are flat and plot lines I just forgot about! Come October, I plan to get back into my edits/rewrite the story.

Really quick before I finish writing this:

I just wanted to thank everyone who read about my story and showed genuine interest in the characters. Had I not received all of this love from people in real life and online, I might never have finished this draft at all. When I started this story, my mental health was really quite bad. (I’m doing a whole lot better these days!!) I guess you could say the idea started as more of a journal entry. All of these characters are like little parts of me coming together to help the main character, and I think there’s something really special about that.

Thank you so much! Good luck on all your creative endeavors! It pays off in the end, I promise :)

tag list (ask to be +/-); @wannabeauthorzofija @a-completely-normal-writer @baguettethebooklover @corkytheguar @writeherewaiting @cryptid-s-wips @kingsinking @author-a-holmes

#my little note at the end says it all haha #thank you so so much for reading!#I still can't believe I finished this book on five hours of sleep

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eregyrn-falls-art · 3 years

Photo

Yesterday (Sat. 4/10) was quite warm up here, and so to take advantage of it, a friend and I went to Duxbury Beach. (I had gone there once in Jan. 2019, pics here, and wanted to go back in nicer weather. Side note: well, my sense of the passage of time is completely shot; put on the spot, I would have said that was LAST January, not 2 Januarys ago!)

Anyway, my idea was to get there in late afternoon, both on the theory that everyone else who’d gotten out to enjoy the nice day would have gotten tired of the beach by then and headed home; and, because actually that late afternoon sunset-ish time is my favorite time on the beach, as I've remarked before. (And as you can see from the pics, yeah, it was pretty empty. Though I don’t know how crowded it might have been earlier.) It turned out that this was a really great decision, because, unplanned, we hit it just before the peak of low tide, which is always the best beach-walking.

In fact, Duxbury beach has a *tremendous* intertidal zone, so super wide and flat! So you’d just get these lovely slow lazy ripples of waves washing across it, and some pools and things. Lovely to wade through. (Yes the water was very cold. I could walk in it for a while but i had to get out before my toes got numb. My feet and lower legs would be all red.) In my youth on the Jersey shore, low tide was similarly a magical time, but we never got nearly as wide a low-tide beach as that. (Top middle 3 pics; at right, a look back south at sunset, showing how ROCKY the beach was. I don’t know why that is; storms? It’s very New England. There was some nice sand above and below that wide rocky zone, but with surprise rocks underneath.)

At very top: Gurnet Light, at the very southern tip of this 7.5 mile spit of sand. People do not live along the barrier island portion, but at this southern end there is an actual island, with quite a lot of houses on it, plus this lighthouse. We drove near it (but any closer and it’s private roads) to see it more up close.

3rd row center: FUCKIN’ WIMDY. To either side and below: pretty light patterns through the shallow water, and wonderfully sculpted sand (the low angle of the sun also helped make all of that very dramatic; the pic right above the crab shell might be my favorite of this outing). Below: sunlight through crab shell. And, sunset over the bay.

I had never seen anything quite like the drainage tracks on this beach. At first I thought it was patterns created by the (many) rocks, but closer inspection reveals that the start of the various drainages was above many of the rocks. This was all above where the water was washing up, by that point, too. (Though not long before, water was certainly washing up there; but as the tide went out, it was no longer hitting this area.) We realized it was just that the sand was still that super-saturated that the water within it was spontaneously draining away and creating these patterns.

The other really fun thing was getting to see piping plovers. These are tiny seabirds, listed as threatened, that MA has been helping with breeding by cordoning off their nesting areas (they kind of just nest right out there on the sand). It’s right at the start of nesting season right now; a guy on duty said they have 11 nesting pairs there already. We were surprised by how casual they were about us. We were just walking along, and they’d oven let us get within about 10 feet before moving away.

^ multi-use. Plover tracks.

So, a wonderful day. I got to walk on the beach, get my toes in the sand and my feet in the water. I hope if we go back more in summer proper, it will still not be TOO crowded.

#my photos #duxbury beach #ocean #beach #crabs #piping plovers #lighthouses #long post

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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

Note

idk if i missed the boat on monster march but mer + indruck + nsfw? maybe something like that scene in from the depths where duck is rubbing off on indrid's tail but... not interrupted by abominations? with treasured human pet talk?

Nope, the boat is not missed. I’m pretty much taking these until the last few days of the month. Here you go!

There are rough days. There are bad days. There are terrible days.

And then there’s whatever kind of godforsaken day Duck is having.

It started with Winnie coughing up a hairball right on his pillow. Then he was out of coffee, trudged to the store to get some only to discover he left his wallet at home. Saying “fuck it” and spending the rest of his day at the beach seemed the best call when it came to turning things around.

Turns out his ex thought the same thing, and what started as an attempt to be pleasant while crossing paths ended with some thoroughly unkind comments about Ducks suitability as a partner, including his temperament, laugh, and appearance.

His first spot for decompressing in the sun was overrun by seagulls, the second by a group playing New Wave hits at full volume, and on and on until late afternoon, where he trekked up the boardwalk to discover the Wolf Eel Bar and Grill was out of french onion soup. He went for a conciliatory sandwich at Amnesty Lodge instead. Barclay, saint that he is, gave him a two-scoop cone on the house when he went to pay the check. Duck retreated to the most secluded seaside spot he knows, the one where if anything happens to him, no one will see it, to enjoy his rocky road in peace.

Then the cone toppled, the half eaten top scoop falling into the water and the bottom one hitting the rock.

This is why Duck is now on his back, on the tidepool dotted rock, muffling a frustrated scream in his palms. A tap on the shoulder interrupts him.

“Don’t be sad. Look” two tan hands hold the now-gritty ice cream out to him, “I could not save the one in the water, but this one is only a little sandy. “

“Uhhh” Duck blinks at the merman bobbing in the waves, “no that;s, uh, that’s fine. Don’t feel like gettin sand in my mouth.”

The mer glances at his hands, back up at Duck, “May I eat it?”

“Knock yourself out.” He decides not to linger on whether this counts as feeding the wildlife. The merman is mid-bite before he even finishes his sentence.

As the creature of the deep happily stuffs his face, Duck wonders why he chose this of all moments to talk to him. The merman first appeared a month ago, observing Duck while he was doing tide checks. A day later, he swam parallel to the shore as the ranger went for an evening walk. After that, Duck saw him whenever he was near the ocean.

Duck prefers a life without too much weird, and thus ignores the strange and unusual unless it whacks him upside the head. Even then, he tries to shake it off and go about his day. So when the mer hauled himself onto the rock closest to the patch of beach Duck was reading and snoozing upon, the human gave him a cursory nod and went back to his novel. He only glanced up once, to see the merman sketching on a pad of paper; the mechanics of this happening in or near the water intrigued him, but not enough to make him talk to a fucking mermaid.

“Mmmmm” the merman licks his fingers, “I like the little white bits in it best.”

“The marshmallows?”

“Yes! That’s the word.” He paddles his hands in the water to clean them, “you have very good taste in iced cream.”

“Uh, thanks.” Duck scrubs his face, not wanting to leave his oasis of solitude but not sure what’s going on here, “is there somethin I can do for you?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. You are clearly having a bad day, and I wanted to improve it.”

“Man you don’t know the half of it; shoulda seen what happened when I wasn’t near the water.”

“I did. Oh, oh dear, that sounded creepy. I’m a seer and enchanter by trade, which means I can see timelines as they unfold. And, ah, I kept an eye on your futures today in the hope they would improve. Especially after that conversation between you and your former partner. I did not like how they spoke to you.”

“Not like I was a model of dignity and calm.” Duck scratches the back of his neck.

“True. Nevertheless, were you my human, I would say far kinder things.”

Duck lays back down with a snort; he appreciates the sympathy, but today it feels like the universe has made it clear how little kindness he deserves.

“It is the truth. I would tell you that you are patient and kind. That your laugh reminds me of the shorebirds when they are joyful. That I have seen sunken ships laden with jewels and pearls larger than my eyes, yet when I hear the word ‘treasure’ I think of your face.”

The human rolls slowly onto his side, facing the waves. Rock digs into his shoulder as he studies the merman. He’s staying close, but seems to be waiting for permission to be in Duck’s space.

“Why are you sayin all this?”

“Because it is true, and I like you.”

“You barely know me. Hell, I don’t even know your-”

“-Name. Ah, apologies, I am always a bit ahead. I’m working on not interrupting as much. And my name is Indrid.” The mer rests his arms on the rock, sets his chin on the back of his hand, “You are right, we do not know much about each other. I do not know where you grew up, but I know you take great pride in showing groups of small humans the tide pools and teaching them about the sea. I do not know what you like to read, but I know that I can sit near you and draw without you fleeing in fear or trying to take a photo of me.”

Duck reaches out, presses silver hair behind Indrid’s ear, the lilting voice seeping under his skin, suggesting that maybe he’s not as terrible as he thinks. Like maybe something better is waiting for him “now you gotta tell me somethin’ about you.”

Indrid purrs, rubbing his cheek into Duck’s hand, “I used to live in Atlantis, but I took on a role that let me travel and see more of the world, both my own and that of humans. I settled here recently because the nearby mers are not territorial and the fishing is good.”

Rock catches his clothes as he scoots the last inches to the edge of the stone, “How come your drawings don’t get ruined by the water?”

“Enchantments. Though I did get Dani’s human to bring me waterproof paints.” He mirrors Duck’s arm, reaching out to play with the humans’ hair, his tail keeping him easily afloat in the water.

The ranger closes his eyes to focus on the cool fingers stroking his forehead, “you really wanna spend your evenin’ playin’ twenty questions with me?”

“Yes and no. I came to see what would make you happy. If talking with me is the answer, that is what we can do.”

Duck groans at the reminder of why he’s hiding among the hermit crabs, “Gotta be honest, not sure what’d cheer me up. Everything I tried today backfired.”

“Let me try something.” Indrid’s face goes worryingly blank, then he grins, “I foresee an option that might help, though you will think it self-serving. I have a vision of you joining me for a swim.”

“Water’s a little chilly for that.”

Indrid zig-zags his finger through the waves, “Try it now.”

It’s like sticking his hand into a warm bath, “that ain't gonna mess with the fish is it?”

“Not at all. The spell only applies to you.” Indrid swims backwards as Duck strips down to his trunks, “here, there’s a sandbar where you can stand as long as you need.”

“Plannin on keepin me in the water awhile?” Duck teases, paddling over to join him.

“If you will let me.” The mer circles him, and for the first time Duck notices the gold-red fan-shaped fin on his lower back, “I have many other things to tell you. For instance, if you look at that kelp raft, you will see otters in the next twenty seconds.

Four well-camouflaged bodies surface to their left. As they splash about, Duck remembers the time he mistook one for a piece of driftwood in the dim light of morning, tells Indrid the story as the otters play.

Something smooth and strong brushes his leg. Indrid is floating close enough that his tail keeps bumping Duck as they talk.

“Hey, uh, could I, uh, could I look take a look at, uh, um-”

There must be timelines where he asks, because Indrid turns onto his back and adjusts so the last third of his tail waves in front of Ducks’ torso. The mixture of yellow-green and burnt burnt umber reminds him of an Undulated Moray, though the tail ends in a V instead of a point. Stroking one side leads to a splash and a sigh as Indrid twitches in the water. Duck continues the motion, the skin like that of a ray, and relaxes more with each pass. It’s soothing him and, judging by the tension leaving the muscles under his hands, Indrid as well. In fact, the merman is now so limp, his head is under the water and looks to have been for some time.

“Fuck” Duck lets go, moves to fish him out only for Indrid to contort and swim so they’re chest to chest.

“Oh right, gills.”

“Indeed. That was lovely. May I, ah, examine you as well.” There’s a purr in his voice. Duck nods, and the mer slips beneath the surface. His fingers trace along Ducks legs, then drag up the back of his thighs, pressing more firmly when they reach his ass. Duck barks a laugh, so the Indrid does it again before gliding his hands up to his shoulders.

“Mmm, all of this feels as supple and strong as I hoped. Such a sturdy treasure I’ve found.”

“Jesus.” Duck gasps as Indrid nuzzles the base of his neck.

“A perfect treasure, sitting on the shore with no one to look after him.”

“Indrid.” His dick twitches in his trunks as the mer curves around to meet his eyes.

“Yes?”

“Will you keep talkin like that?”

Indrid loops his arms around Duck’s neck, “So polite. Perhaps I shall take my treasure back with me, keep you as I would a spoiled pet. Caress this wonderful body, see the most handsome face above or beneath the water whenever my heart desires.”

“Nnngh.” Duck whimpers, wrapping his arms around Indrids waist and hiding his blush in the crook of his neck, “M’not worth that kinda talk.”

“On the contrary, you are worth more than all the wealth of Atlantis, my treasure.”

Duck makes weak sounds of protest, the cruel words of the morning and his own mind drowned by Indid’s whispers. The merman is smiling at him in a way no one ever does; like he’s seeing Duck with all his flaws, fears, and hopes laid bare and wants to keep looking instead of turning away.

“You deserve so much more than this day gave you. Will you let me offer something better?”

Duck nods, raises his head, “c-can I kiss you first?”

Indrid dips his head down. His saltwater kisses wash away the miserable day, replace it with curious lips mapping his own. A low, soft hum emanates from Indrid as cool scales stroke his legs. The tail starts low, petting his calves, but as the kiss intensifies it drags up to his thighs, flicking and teasing his crotch.

“Fuck.” He’s groaning, bucking his hips in search of more as the mer smiles, indulgent and wicked. The next tailstroke is drawn-out, undulating across his folds and rubbing his dick.

“Does that feel good, pet?” Indrid pecks his cheek.

“Don’t those visions show you the answer?” He tries for casual, even cocky, and it comes out as a gasp instead as the tail grinds side to side.

“Yes, but answers can change. I want to do as you wish, treasured one, not as my foresight tells me.”

“It feels so fuckin good, sugarAHfuck, ahnnnyeah, hell yeah.” He squirms as the tail thrusts, the tip bumping his ass when Indrid angles it for a better pressure. Then the mer stops.

“Remove these, sweet one.” He snaps his waistband, “I want to feel my perfect human slick and warm against me.”

Duck braces on a nearby rock to pull the trunks off, having only time to set them out of tide range before the mer slithers around him once more. The alien texture of the scales sets him moaning, his hips pumping erratically in hopes it might envelope his cock entirely. All he manages is a rhythm that brings him out of sync with Indrid. Panic circles his stomach at the possibility that this will be yet another part of the day that goes haywire.

“You needn’t work so hard, my treasure.” Indrid coos, “plant your feet on the ground. I will take care of the rest.”

The ranger does as he’s told, Indrid wriggling so Duck is straddling him a few inches from the start of his tail. Satisfied with their positions, the mer cups his ass with an appreciative “ooh,” then uses it to force Duck up and down the colorful ripples of his tail.

“Fuck, fuck, that’s so much better darlin, thank you, fuck, keep doin’ that and your human will do whatever the fuck you want ‘im to.”

“I want him to enjoy himself.” Indrid kisses each of Ducks arms when they drape over his shoulders.

“Mission fuckin accomplishedfuck, god I wanna feel you on every fuckin inch of me, wanna kiss this fuckin stunnin face of yours until the sun comes back up, wanna--uh, Indrid, what the fuck is that?” A slit is opening in the upper part of his tail and something of considerable size is emerging from it.

Indrid smirks, “Do you think you’re the only one getting off on this, pet?”

“Oh holy fuck” Duck goggles at the “was not expectin’ there to be two.” He slides a hand between their bodies, runs his thumb from the head of one cock down to the base where it joins the second one in the world's most obscene “V.” Indrid trills, thrashes his tail when Duck treats the other side the same way.

“ThaAAAaat’s wonderful but, but you needn’t do it on my account. I c-can attend to it once you are satisfied.”

Duck circles one shaft with his hand, gives it a firm, determined stroke, “Sugar, I won’t be satisfied until you’re as fucked out as I am.”

“Oh” the mer looks surprised, “in, in most futures you were too perplexed by them to want such a thing, goodNESSgracious oh, oh Duck, that’s exquisite.” He fucks the human up and down his tail in earnest, “I should have known it would be, you’re so talented my pet, so thoughtful AHgods below and above the next time I am going to spread you on the nearest patch of sand and take you in whichever way you choose, make my perfect pet go mad with pleasure.”

“Dunno, might make you use that sweet-talkin mouth on my dick instead of lettin you fuck me.”

“You say that as if it is a bad thing and not a delicious outcomeoohhh” the mer rolls his hips in time with Duck’s, “that’s it sweet one, right at the base between them yes, yesyesyes” cum spurts into the darkening water. Duck releases his hold, only to be dragged back and forth so roughly he grabs Indrid’s hips for dear life.

“Fuck, right there sugar, lemme rub off on you like that, yeah, fuck, fuckme that’s so fucking good ohfuck, Indrid, ‘Drid!” He cums, heat shooting through him so intensely it’s amazing the water doesn’t boil. He clings to Indrid like an anemone to rock, pressing breathless kisses into his neck.

When he looks up, his hiding spot is coming closer, Indrid swimming them there with ease. The merman retrieves his swim trunks from where they were cast away, presents them to him with a flourish. Duck laughs, pulling them on before pulling a towel from his little reusable bag.

“Don’t know about you, but I feel a hell of a lot better.” Duck lays down on the fabric, rock beneath it still warm from the sun.

“I was alright to begin with, but I take your point. That was wonderful. And I am glad I could make you feel better.”

There it is again, that smile that makes Duck feel more seen than he has in months.

“Don’t suppose you’d be up for makin me feel better tomorrow too? Not that I hope it’s as shitty as today, more that I get the sense seein’ you will make me feel better even if I already feel pretty damn good.”

Indrid raises up enough to kiss Duck once, tenderly, on the lips, “I would like nothing better, my treasure.”

#indruck #indrid cold/duck newton #mermaid au #monster march

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wide-eyedscottishlass · 3 years

Text

Scarlett and the Professor

moodboard by @strangelock221b

[continued from]

Following her watery lesson in the bathtub—in which her insatiable lover had proven his endurance matched perfectly with his dedication to their mutual pleasure—the rest of the afternoon passed in a haze of quiet happiness for Scarlett. Once dried and dressed, he had headed back to his study to grade the last of his papers, having instructed her to get herself dressed and promising he would come back to collect her in no longer than twenty minutes. “I think a tour of the manse is in order once I return,” he’d promised, pressing a few lighthearted kisses to the back of her neck as she stood before the bathroom mirror, towel-clad and about to brush out her hair. “And then perhaps we’ll take a little drive to see what other adventures we can get up to.”

And as good as his word, Hennessy had squired her about his home both inside and out, quietly delighting Scarlett with his apparent need to maintain at least some small physical contact with her most of the time. Splaying one hand on the small of her back or draping an arm across her shoulders, and even stealing occasional kisses from her when she least expected it. How heavenly it felt to know by these simple gestures how thoroughly he now considered her to be his own! His surprisingly tender affections proved distracting enough that if asked, Scarlett would not have been rightly able to answer questions about the layout of his home.

Beneath a cloudless, cerulean sky, they strolled through the wild-grown garden that bordered the pool and jacuzzi behind Hennessy’s house. A riot of indigenous plants and flowers grew thick around them; despite her several months on the island, they still struck Scarlett as breathtakingly exotic. Bougainville and anthurium flourished unchecked, along with several species of lily, banana flowers, and hibiscus; the vibrant reds and pinks, golds and oranges, vied for dominance amidst the deep green of the leaves and vines, with splashes of light and dark blues throughout. The center of the garden held an old, marble bench beside a small ornamental pool filled with lotus blossoms. Beyond this private little piece of Eden lay a wide, grassy slope that ended at a hedgerow which ran the length of the property. But for all its tranquil charm, it was clear from his commentary that Hennessy preferred the shingle of white sand beach which she had viewed from his balcony. Scarlett hoped that in time he’d take her there as well.

“Feeling peckish yet?” They were sitting beneath the umbrella of a wrought iron table on the patio near the pool. “I’m famished…how about we grab a bite to eat?”

“I’d like that,” she agreed, game for whatever he had in mind. Hennessy held out his hand to her as she stood up and whisked her along with him to his garage. He continued to play the gentleman, seating her in his sleek, midnight blue convertible and advising her well. “Buckle up, little lamb—I’m feeling the need for speed,” he grinned, slamming shut her door and then taking his place behind the wheel.

Scarlett was shocked to discover that despite being a man who held nearly absolute and steadfast control over every aspect of his life (that she’d observed thus far, anyway), Hennessy drove like a maniac. Though he must’ve known well the curves and dips and swells of the two-lane road from his home and beyond, he took them with an incautious speed and virtual abandon that were quite harrowing. She did her best to keep her eyes set on the road in front of them, making involuntary sounds of distress at his most egregious transgressions, and feeling him sneak peeks her way while chortling at her obvious distress. “Almost there, m’dear,” he laughed as the tires squealed through yet another reckless curve and played havoc with her loose, fishtail braid—so that once they’d reached the little roadside, seafood shack that was their destination, Scarlett had to loose it from it’s binding and run her shaky hands through her hair to set it right.

Once her nerves and stomach had settled, she discovered she was hungry enough to put that harrowing experience behind her–for the time being–and indulge in the bounty which Hennessy has ordered for them, and then laid out on one of the weathered picnic tables behind the small, brightly shingled building. “The best and freshest catches on the island,” he bragged, “Prepared with all the culinary magic only a native chef could provide!” Scarlett found greater pleasure than she might ever have imagined in watching him indulge his ravenous appetite. They feasted upon cornmeal battered shrimp, a crab and curry stew, conch fritters served with a spicy brown rice, pickled mackerel in a thick coconut milk sauce beside fried plantains. At Hennessy’s insistence, she even tried the Bake and Shark with Citrus Chutney, surprising herself that she actually enjoyed it. He was larger than life in everything he did, and she felt a swell of simple affection for him fill her heart, and unabashed gratitude that she was along for this glorious, albeit unpredictable, ride with him.

Afterwards, he surprised her yet again, offering to drive to her flat so she could grab a bathing suit and another change of clothes—indicating that he expected her to stay with him a second night. Even another nerve-wracking drive back to his estate couldn’t dampen her joy at that.

____________________________________________________

The sun glinted off the ripples and waves lapping at the warm, white sand of Hennessy’s beach as he spread out a thick blanket for them to recline upon. Curious gulls flew low, checking for food scraps that so often accompanied the presence of humans in their domain. Scarlett stood where the water just kissed her toes, breathing deep the salty tang of the Atlantic, a scent that often awoke a quiet longing in her heart for home---though she wouldn’t dream of being anywhere in the world right now but at her lover’s side.

A sudden updraft swept through her hair, and the squawks of protest from the sea gulls caught in the rising air current drew her attention away from the ocean and back behind her. Hennessy had one arm crooked and was drawing swirls in the air, that same determined focus on his face as when he’d worked that mysterious water magic as she bathed. He’s clearing the birds away, was her immediate thought; he’s literally stirring the air to send them away! How in hell is this possible? Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet didn’t feel as solid as it should.

He flashed her his ever-charming sideways smile, and held out his free arm to her and he lowered the other and the ‘breeze’ died away. “Come sit with me, Scarlett.” Hennessy’s tone of command was undeniable, and her knees went weak with her need to obey. She took his proffered hand and then settled onto the blanket, not allowing the certainty that she wasn’t the first woman to share it with him here, to dull the pleasant anticipation that he would inevitably be taking here soon in whatever way pleased him best.

Hennessy made their small talk easy for a time, skirting the edges of the questions which he had to know were weighing on her mind, while drawing from her the details of what he certainly must think of as her quaint, little life. He lay on his side, propped up on one elbow while Scarlett sat cross-legged and continued to watch the waves lap at the warm sand. As relaxed as she was feeling, she could also feel him watching her as though everything she told him was of great interest---and as if he was in no rush to pursue his pleasure just yet.

The blazing orange disk of the sun had sunk lower on the horizon by the time that conversation lapsed, and he finally saw fit to broach the topic that remained foremost in her thoughts. “You’re quite a patient woman, Scarlett. Especially for one so green.” The husk of his voice was as soothing as the rhythm of the waves, and drew her eyes his way. “I’m impressed. You’ve held your tongue all these hours about something I know you must be bursting to ask about.”

Scarlett shrugged and gave a wee smile. “My Mam always taught me that patience was a virtue—but before he lit out into the wider world to make his fortune, my Da taught me a simpler wisdom…”

“Which was?”

“That I should take a lesson from the Sea, whose patience endures forever. And who always gets want she wants, in the end.”

“Hmmm…wise man, your Da,” Hennessy reflected, “Though he’d have done better by you not to father you in absentia.”

“I suppose so,” she sighed, resolving to keep that quiet pain from tainting this precious time with her teacher, “Though it’s all water under the bridge now, isn’t it?”

He smiled at her winningly, “You have an apt way of looking at things, m’dear.” He took to his feet as he told her, “And your patience has earned you the answer to the mystery of the afternoon.” Hennessy held out his hand to help her rise up, guided her forward to stand with her toes tucked just beneath the edge of the water again, and then stood behind her, “But first a little demonstration more.”

The sun had dipped almost completely beneath the waves; the air was warm and soft, rife with the night’s possibilities. Scarlet felt, as much as heard, Hennessy draw a deep breath, and in moments saw the seafoam suddenly part around her feet, wetting the sand in a widening circle that left her skin untouched. The circle soon grew to encompass them both, closing behind him.

Scarlett licked her lips, barely able to speak. “It’s real…it really happened. Part of me kept insisting that I dreamed the whole thing, but…but it’s real…”

Hennessy stepped into her and spoke against he ear, making her shiver with his truth, “Very, very real, my sweet. As real as the Sun at it’s zenith. As real as the pull of the Moon upon the tides.”

Though her mouth had gone dry, Scarlett remained undaunted in her need for the full truth. She turned to face him, clear-eyed and ready for whatever he might reveal. “Then how, my jo…tell me how it’s even possible. Please.”

“Oh my dear,” he tutted, “My sweet, innocent girl. Hennessy’s eyes gleamed softly in the dying light. “There is so very much you have left to learn.”

(to be continued)

tagging: @strangelock221b @ravencatart @doctor-stephenstrange @splunge4me2art @ben-locked @ben-c-group-therapy @letterstosherlock @humanbornarchangel @aeterna-auroral-avenger @frowerssx-world @tsukuyomi011 @emilyinnj4real @losille2000 @macgyvershe (as I have a hunch this is just up your alley!)

#my writing #Scarlett and the Professor #romance #magic #Scarlett Campbell.#OFC #OMC #not my OMC and used with permission #Scarlett's Professor #Professor Hennessy #Hennessy

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brideofcthulhu10 · 4 years

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Could you write about a girl getting harrassed by max or surfer nazis for a weeks by then and the boys taking notice help her out of a possible dangerous or taboo situation and let her join their lil coven? I know you could write something really awesome!

I goofed and forgot this was an answer to an ask haha! Okay so I'm gonna give fair warning, this is gonna get a bit graphic. I mean you wanted a traumatic taboo, and, well, wish granted!

Initiation's Over, Time to Join the Club

Poly!Lost Boys × Fem! S/O

+18 CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Themes, Sexual Assault, Potential Triggers, Violence, Gore, Offensive Language! READER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

It had only been a few days since you tried to break free of the Santa Carla gang known as the Surf Nazis. Doing so proved far more difficult than you could have imagined. You couldn’t even be on the boardwalk anymore. They were everywhere, as soon as you were spotted former friends would crowd around you. They weren’t stupid enough to do anything physical, but they’d harass you to the point of running back home. There was one reason that you kept coming back.

The boys.

You started talking to them earlier this summer. Purely by accident. You had gone on your own to get a quick food run at the Kung Pao Lotus, and somehow got your order mixed up with the smallest of the group, Marko. You managed to catch him as he was leaving the restaurant and somehow that was all you needed. They took to you so quickly. Polyamory was such a foreign concept, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. But as your feelings developed over these past few months, you found yourself falling victim to each of their charms. There was just something so other worldly about the bikers. It was an unspoken mystery that only drew you in further. WHenever they had to leave for the night you’d ask them if you could join, but they all seemed particularly against the suggestion. There was always an air of discomfort, like they had something they didn’t want you to see. Regardless, Marko, Dwayne, Paul and David had swept you off your feet into the dark Santa Carla nightlife, and soon you found yourself making the choice between them, or your old gang.

But when you tried to back out of their so called “rivals”- honestly only the SN’s thought of themselves that way, things got nasty. A few of them started showing up around your neighborhood. You could see them in busted down trucks or rumbling motorcycles just strolling through your neighborhood. Your mom’s car was trashed, absolutely covered in spray paint, your garage was vandalized, trash bins were dumped out all over your yard- you were starting to get scared.

Even still you avoided bringing up the subject to the boys. You didn’t need them worrying about something like this. After all, you were a big kid, you could handle yourself. Whenever your ex-friends walked by on the boardwalk David would raise his brow when you ducked behind them, quickly covered by an excuse.

“Sorry I thought I saw a quarter on the ground,” you’d throw out, nervously standing up.

Even Paul was beginning to notice your uneasiness whenever Surf Nazi’s circled your path.

“Listen, kitten,” Paul assured, sitting on the steps beside you while you picked at your cotton candy. “If those assholes are giving you shit.. We can protect you, babes. You just say the word and I’ll rip their heads off.”

“Me too babes,” Marko would chime in, wrapping an arm over your shoulder. “All it takes is one word.”

The suggestion of mass slaughter just didn’t sit well with you and you shook your head. “No, guys don’t worry it’s just a bunch of petty pranks. They haven’t done anything that bad. I promise.”

You were so certain that in a few days they’d grow bored. After all, it had been a week and a half by now! Things couldn’t escalate more than they already were. While they weren’t your friends anymore, they still wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, right?

It was a late August afternoon, maybe an hour before sunset. Today was a record breaking heat wave, the hottest it had been today was almost one hundred and eleven degrees. It was your mom’s idea to send you to the beach instead of sulking at the house. Truthfully you were a little glad you did.

The ocean was just beautiful, cradling the slowly setting sun leaving streaks of pink and blue stained with the slowly encroaching touch of night. Stars speckled the darkest corners. Pulling out your polaroid you couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures for Marko. He loved it whenever you brought him any day time photos. They never came out before sunset, you just assumed maybe they were busy elsewhere until late afternoon. If you tried to invite them out during the day they’d each give you a disappointed response.

“Shhiiiiit, kitten,” Paul would sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I mean, we would if we could,” Marko would try to assured you, holding your hands in his. Dwayne would nod along.

“Daytime just isn’t our time.”

David would tilt your chin up with a calm smile. Somehow you just knew whatever it was, he’d tell you when you were ready. “I’m sure you understand, doll. I hope you aren’t too disappointed?”

“Oh! N-No, of course not. It’s just a trip to the museum, I doubt you guys would like it anyway.”

Oh well… Instead of fretting, you tried to savor your peaceful moments,

This week had already been such a pain. It was a welcome change to just walk through the rolling shores, wading past clumps of bubbly sea foam. Closer to the caves you could spot surfacing tide pools where little sand crabs shuffled just beneath the surface. Greenish anemones shuddered at your tender touch and would retreat within themselves. If you were lucky you spotted a few whole mussel shells! You kept an old bag slung over your shoulder with a towel and a change of clothes, planning to change out of your (print/color) bikini and wrap skirt once the sun had fully gone down. Maybe then you could meet up with the boys for another night out. As you began to approach the rocky coast lines skirted across the abandoned hotel you could hear muffled snickers just barely audible above the ocean’s song.

At first you assumed them to just be maybe a group of tourists, probably drunk off their butts. When you tried to continue walking towards the hotel they grew closer. Footsteps kicked up into a pursuit. When they turned over the outstretched caves you easily recognized the greased up surfers sporting frosted tips, skunk striped hair and shredded up clothing. They continued to chase after you until you had managed to duck into a cave off the edge, but even still they followed. Now you were cornered.

“This isn’t funny anymore, Ricky,” you hissed, trying to cover yourself with your arms. “Look I left alright! I don’t wanna be a part of whatever it is you guys have going on!”

“What, can’t old friends just say hi?” You could see he brought Tank and Munk with him, both sporting grins that you knew meant nothing good. Every time they took a step forward that made you take two more back.

“Yeah right,” Munk tried to agree, shrugging. “Aren’t we friends anymore, Y/N?”

“Don’t you wanna play? We came all this way so we could hang out.” Tank circled next to Ricky. Your heart raced so loud it made your ears hurt. They were cornering you! With rapid head movements you tried to find any alternate pathway that could get you out, but all of them were too high up! Any access to the further cave systems had been smashed to pieces! Your best bet was trying to wedge yourself between the three thugs.

You had to wait. Holding out just until that golden opportunity revealed itself to you. Just as Tank moved slightly further than Munk you found a thin opening. With everything you had, you bottled forward trying to push past. Success!

Two steps in and you felt yourself torn back by your hair. The sharp sting caused you to shriek, grasping at the base of your scalp in an attempt to provide yourself any semblance of relief. Day light was grown thin. At this point you did everything to fight out of their grasp. Kick, thrash, punch! At one point you swear you caught a good chunk of Ricky’s skin under your nails. He hissed, throwing you against the drenched cave walls. The cold, damp sand beneath your feet felt solid while you tried to pry yourself up. Not this time. Munk pinned you by your arms, snickering at your terror.

“No! Stop it! Get away from me,” You cried, tyring to kick at Ricky. His fingers quickly tore your skirt off, looking down at the wet bikini still clinging to your body.

“Nooo, stop it, get away,” he mocked in a shrill tone. He forced your face up to look at him, his thumb and pointer finger squeezing your chin tightly. “You fuckin’ asked for this, walkin’ around like miss high and mighty!”

“She's just too good for the Surf Nazi’s now, eh Ricky?” Tank chuckled at the suggestion, arms crossed.

“Nah, I don’t think she’s good enough for us, that’s why little miss Y/N left,” Munk added, licking your cheek. The wet appendage dragged across your jawline to your cheek. It was enough to raise the bile in your stomach as you wrenched your face away.

“Well,” Ricky added, just as the sun went down sapping up any lingering light and leaving you in utter darkness. Your sobs echoed in the cave. There was nothing in the darkness, a pair of calloused hands grasping at your legs. When you tried to kick a swift sting crashed into your mouth. The blunt force made your ears ring, a bitter copper taste staining your mouth. Worst of all, you could feel unwelcome fingers prodding at the flesh kept beneath your bikini bottoms. “I bet you she’s good enough for one thing, don’t you think, Y/N? What’s say we give that cute little pussy of yours some play time, hm?”

There was sheer and utter panic. You continued to scream until your throat was shredded. The uncontrollable urge to vomit tempted your stomach when he tried to tease you from over the fabric. You must’ve wiggled out of someone’s grasp because you managed to lift your leg into the air sending a solid kick his way. “You fuck bitch! I’m gonna- wha-? Ahhh! What the fu- AHHHHHHH!”

There was a massive gust of air just past you that swept across. Ricky’s blood curdling screams dissolved into a hideous cacophony of squelching splatters. Munk still had a grasp on your arms, rapidly trying to search for his accomplice. “Ricky? Ricky man, what the fuck happened?! Tank where is he?”

Again another burst of air, but this time an echoing cackle followed. Low, rumbling. It delighted in their panic, or rather, he did. Whatever hidden male lurked in the shadows made quick work of another. Tank’s screams echoed through the cave. Again more sickly sounds of torn flesh followed by an eerie silence. “Tank? Tank answer me, man! What the fuck is this, what's going on?!”

Your own eyes began adjusting to the darkness. You could see a form walking your way, another higher pitched snicker eager to drag you into the same jaws of presumably horrid fates that had taken Ricky and Tank. You tightly shut your eyes, anticipating your inevitable demise.

There was no such occurrence. Finally your arms were released by Munk and his terror swept through the caves. You clung tightly to yourself in the darkness, trembling at the enclosing footsteps you could hear just over his screams.

“Looks like we made it just in time, kitten,” a voice asked clearly. You froze in place. It couldn’t be.

You still couldn’t make out much, but that heavy scent of aftershave coupled by an ancient musk, like the aged pages of a beloved book told you all you needed to know. Tears stung your eyes. It was almost impossible to breathe through it, blubbering into the arms of a familiar comfort that were already spread to grasp you.

“David! Oh god, David,” You sobbed, crashing into his torso trying to muddle the sickening stench Ricky had left on you.

“Shhh, it’s alright now,” he softly coaxed, the soothing sensation of him petting your hair putting you at ease. “It’s all over.”

You could hear the other boys approaching you, even still you couldn’t see them.

“I told you we’d protect you, kitty-cat,” a laid back tone assured you, placing a hidden hand on your shoulder. Paul.

“I think it’s becoming too dangerous for you out here.” The firm, tender voice of Dwayne spoke up. The sand beneath your body sunk to accommodate his weight. His calloused fingers brushed away loose hair you didn’t even realize was in your face. Another hopped down from… above?

But.. there were no overhead platforms, just cave ceilings caked in stalactites. What had even happened? The jingles of jewelry over leather were followed by a tender face laying atop your shoulder nestled in the crook of your neck. Curls tickled your cheek, Marko’s lips sending chills over your flesh as he spoke beside your ear.

“If you want, Y/N, you could be with us all the time. If you were one of us, we’d never let things like this happen to you.”

One… One of them?

“What-,” you tried to ask, still tightly held in David’s arms. You tried to look up, but there was only a thick blackness barely outlined by an ever darker form. “One of- of you? What… are you guys?”

Now you knew why that rolling chuckle earlier sounded so familiar. David’s chest rumbled against you as he couldn’t help but laugh. You could feel the worn leather of his gloves caress your face. His hand traced your features and cradled them tenderly in his palm.

“Would you like to find out?”

The suggestion raised your flesh, chills tricking down the base of your spine as if you were frozen in the grasp of a predator. The darkness, the way they avoided sunlight! The way… the way they came to your rescue. When you needed them most.

“Y-...,” you halted your answer. This time you really pondered it all. But even still there was a certainty to your thoughts. Your body and soul knew what they wanted. All it took was one little word.

“Yes”

Now you could see him. Well, not all of him. Just a pair of bright, luminescent white eyes wrapped in hellish spirals of red. Then there was another set. And another. Four sets of eyes all ready for you. A sharp pain surged through your neck, but you didn’t dare scream. For each set of eyes there was a following sting. Neck, shoulder, wrist, arm… and then you saw them all perfectly within the dark. The unyielding pain had brought a perfect clarity, and an unexpected stillness within your ribs. You couldn’t help but giggle, wiping away the puddles of blood smeared across David’s face. His grin spread wide, fangs still dripping with freshly drawn rubies that had stained your body red. Now it was your turn to grin, a fresh pair of fangs bared for your new dearest mates to admire in this dank, dark cave.

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hardforbenhardy · 4 years

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This one comes from personal experience. Anyway... Reader is at the beach in a bikini and Ben (stranger) makes a comment about how ugly a birthmark on her upper leg- lower bum cheek area is and she gets really upset. A few year later they meet up, start a relationship and in the middle of some smutty stuff he realises that she's the one he was rude to. lots of fluff at the end? Hope that's okay? xx

beach body ready | benxreader

I’m sorry if this isn’t quite what you expected, but I tried to do it as much justice as I could! Especially since it’s personal experience - I personally can’t see Ben doing something like this so I tried to find an even field where it is like Ben as much as possible but still sticking to your experience. Hope you enjoy!

summary: you were always pretty confident in your body, until a rude remark about a birthmark set you in the tracks of insecurity. years later, you come to find you never let that go, and find it difficult to face

warnings: insecurities, rude remarks about birthmark, swearing, light smut

word count: 4.9k

requested by @queenlover05 - i hope you love it! (sorry if the ending is a little shit, i wasn’t sure what to write towards the end)

You grew up right by the ocean, waking to the sound of the waves on the sands. You swam of course, and to you swimming meant briny waves colliding with your faces, not the chlorinated pools that were further into the town. Even in the summertime, there were days you didn’t want to swim or catch crabs; you’d take your fingers and draw a hopscotch grid in the sand. Pebbles were always easy to find. You and your friends could spend hours there, hopping from one foot to two, spinning and making your way back to the start. You can still recall the softness of the sand, your feet erasing the numbers and the lines as you went. Some days you’d even play long enough for the tide to claim our game. Then you would slink home under the setting sun, only to repeat the fun the next day.

So, returning there in your early adulthood was like a dream come true. After moving to the city to study at university, you never really got the chance to visit the place you called home as much as you’d have hoped to. You had almost forgotten the way the hot sand slid between your toes, or the way the cool breeze drifting through your locks, and the taste of the saliferous water on your taste buds. Almost.

*****

“Over hewre, YN!” your little sister shouted, jumping up and down in an outburst of pure elation. You laughed loudly, picking up the light beach ball from the ground and throwing as well as you could. After a few times of throwing the ball to each other, you began failing miserably when the wind caught it in its breeze, causing it to fly off to the side.

“This isn’t going to work, Liv! It’s too windy!” you shouted back, both giggling at the sight of the ball floating away in the ocean. The 5 year old was quick to chase after it, throwing herself into the cold water and doggy-paddling to keep up with it. You ran in after her, not only to make sure she was safe, but mostly because it looked even more fun than being on the land at that point. The sudden chill of the ocean made you squeal, Olivia laughing in response.

“It’s not even cowd, YN! Come on, I want to swim!”

“I just got in Liv!” you exclaimed, racing to catch up with the small girl who was now so deep she couldn’t touch the ocean floor with her feet. She definitely took after you and you tendency to take risks; one of your favourite things to do was just float in the ocean and let if drift you where it wanted, it made you feel free. A good 20 minutes later of splashing around in the water and getting your hair positively soaked, you started to feel yourself get hungry. “How about we go grab some ice cream and sit on the towels for a bit, huh?”

Of course, Olivia bolted back onto the sand, grabbing her towel to wrap around her stomach and waiting incredibly impatiently for you to follow suit. As you emerged from the water, your bikini bottom pulled up a little higher than usual, but you left you it be not thinking much of it. Thankfully the ice cream van was not far from where you had settled with your things, so you were okay with leaving your stuff alone for a few minutes. With her small body hoisted on your right hip, you turned to her; “Okay Liv what do you want?”

“Stwawbewwy ice cweam! With chocowate sauce! And a chocowate fwake!” she cheered, pointing at all the different parts of her creation that she could see in the van. The man behind the window chuckled lightly, following her hand to grab each piece, and quickly whipped up the concoction for the small girl. “Thank woo!”

“Is that all?”

“Oh, erm, yes that’s it thank you” you grinned, before looking over at your sister to see remnants of the melting ice cream all around her cheeks and chin, as if she’d shoved her face straight into it. You chuckled loudly, seeing her shoot you a guilty, toothy grin in response. “Actually, could we get a few napkins as well if that’s okay.”

After paying for the ice cream and resulting napkins, you headed back to sit down for a while; you had forgotten quite how exhausting the beach could be. IN the direction of your towels, you noticed a man standing beside them, bending over to pick up something. In the split second he stood back up, you took in the sight. The boy was probably the most attractive man you had ever seen; he had the most gorgeous emerald eyes with the smallest flecks of gold in them that made them gleam naturally in the summer sunlight. And you couldn’t deny how built he was either. An incredibly built six pack, with an arousing v-line which disappeared into the red swimming trucks he was wearing, and his thighs; God his thighs. Your favourite part of him, however, was his soaked, golden locks; you couldn’t deny, you were a sucker for hair.

“S-sorry, can I help you?” you stuttered out, trying not to choke on your words at the blonde in front of you. He hadn’t noticed you at first, but you saw his eyes quickly rake up and down your body before answering.

“Sorry, my nephew threw this and it landed on your towels. I didn’t mean to bother you” he excused, stumbling over his own words from nerves. You weren’t expecting the deepness, with just a hint of sultry, in his British voice; it sent butterflies straight to your tummy. You saw his hands holding a frisbee, and immediately understood.

“Oh, it-it’s fine. I’m YN” you grinned, holding your hand out to shake his. He took the offer, taking your hand into his, and you couldn’t help but notice how rough and calloused they were. God. “Ben, are you from around here or-”

You were quite sure he could feel your hand lightly shaking from nervousness, but that was the least of your problems at that point, especially considering Liv was now nowhere to be seen. Your head shot around the beach, catching the small girls body heading towards the sea, ice cream in one and piles of sand in the other. “I-I’m sorry, just- Liv, get back here! Not in the sea while your eating your ice cream remember, we sit on the towels while we eat. Otherwise, the ocean might steal it and we don’t want that do-”

“Have you always had that?” Ben’s voice chuckled from behind you, making you shoot around confused.

“Huh, sorry? Had what?”

“That thing… on your leg?” he answered, pointing to your upper leg-lower bum cheek area. You knew exactly what he was referring to; you had a birthmark in that exact area. It wasn’t common that people would ask about it, but when they did, they were polite and respectful about it. Which was why it threw you off a little that Ben had found it funny.

“Oh, erm, yeah. It’s a birthmark, why?” you said with puzzlement, not quite expecting what he was to say next.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just, it’s not exactly the prettiest sight.”

“Erm, excuse me?” you scoffed out, furrowing your brows in disbelief. Was this random man really making a comment about this? You were usually able to brush off the bad comments about it, people had said before how it was different to any birthmark they’d seen before or that maybe you should have it checked by a doctor, but that was always in private and you could explain the situation. At this point, Ben was just being downright rude and it was embarrassing

“Well, I thought you were pretty hot until I saw that. Don’t get me wrong, I know you can’t help it but like it’s pretty unattractive” you were left stunned at the remark. Never had you expected words like that to come out of a mouth of someone who seemed to be such a gentleman. You now understand the meaning of don’t judge a book by its cover to a t.

“Erm, sorry could you leave? I don’t care for your opinions” you retaliated, a grimace showing on your face. You could see some slight hesitation and guilt on his face, as if he hadn’t meant to upset, but you considered him stupid if he thought saying such things wouldn’t render you at least somewhat angry. He backed off, raising his arms in the air as if to sarcastically say ‘sorry’ before jogging to meet his nephew on the other side of a big umbrella. You quickly went back to your spot, plonking down on the towel and huffing in defeat. Your mind couldn’t help but glaze over his words - ‘unattractive’, ‘not the prettiest sight’. You tried so desperately to hold back the tears that had began brimming in the corners of your eyes, but there came a point where you weren’t able to stop one from rolling down. Your little sister popped up from beside you, noticing how downcast you were, pouting out her bottom lip in over exaggeration.

“It’s okay YN. Why are you wad?” she reassured you, jumping down on your stomach and wrapping her arms around your shoulders to give you biggest hug you thought possible, yet you couldn’t help but laugh at the fact she still had ice cream smeared all around her mouth. You chuckled lightly, planting a big kiss on her cheek and wiping the tear from your cheek.

“I’m not Liv, don’t worry. It’s just, people say mean words sometimes, words about things people can’t change, or things people may be insecure about. And it can hurt their feelings” you explained, sitting her on your knee and sniffling back anymore tears about to drop.

“If it makes you feewl better, I think you’re biwthmark is vewy pwetty” she smiled, reaching her hand round to rub the mark and give you another quick hug, as you mouthed ‘thank you’. She jumped up off your lap, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the see; “Let’s go swimming again!”

You spent another hour or two in the ocean with the little girl, but you couldn’t help your eyes drifting over to the blonde man every few minutes. You couldn’t let what he said go, and yet he looked like nothing had even happened when 30 minutes after the incident he caught your eyes and threw over a friendly smile. You tried to send one back, probably failing miserably.

“I thought you were pretty hot until I saw that“

** 3 years later **

You had been practically craving a coffee the whole morning, your lack of energy due to your work piling up had been swallowing you whole and you needed something to keep you awake. It was only the fresh afternoon, but you were sure you would drift back into sleep if you didn’t find a source of caffeine from somewhere, so you popped round to the local coffee shop.

“One large latte macchiato please, thank you” you asked the cashier, tapping your card before taking a seat at a small table just across from the counter. Scrolling through your Instagram feed, you saw a familiar face pop up a few times on an account you were even aware you followed; Ben Hardy? You clicked on his page to investigate further, when you realised exactly where you knew the guy from. It was the same guy who you had met at the beach a few years ago, the same guy who had insulted your birthmark. You were over his comment by now, it didn’t really affect you anymore but it had admittedly sent you into a bit of a frenzy for a few months after it. You didn’t wear shorts, or you wouldn’t wear a bikini to the beach, you refused to have sex with any guys. It weirded you out a little though to find him on your feed, was he famous? Posts of friends, photo shoots, a few familiar actors… press junkies. Premieres. Movie sets? He was an actor.

Ben Hardy was an actor

He seemed like he was doing pretty well for himself, and you noticed he was staring in a new movie alongside some of your favourite actors. You popped him a follow, liking a few of his recent pictures, and almost instantly you got a DM and follow. Off him.

Ben Hardy

hey, this is YN right? from the beach like 3 years ago?

You panicked, surprised that he even remembered you or the incident, but then again you remember him. What’s the difference? What shocked you even more was that he was being so friendly; did he not remember what he had said to you?

You

heyyy ben, yeah it is! surprised you remembered me, especially after what happened haha

Trying to play it cool was not something you were very good at; when you were nervous, you were nervous. Friendly may not have been your approach to the man 3 years ago, but you couldn’t deny seeing him again kick-started that small crush you had felt on the stranger. Maybe what he said, he hadn’t meant.

Ben Hardy

what happened? i literally don’t remember anything except you!

in a good way i swear - god, that sounded bad. im sorry - i remember thinking you were pretty good looking!

Ironic. So he didn't remember. And he seemed like he was taking a relatively amiable approach to getting to know you; maybe it could be a fresh start. If he didn’t remember what had happened, he most likely didn’t remember what had caused it. Maybe he had changed. Hopefully he had changed.

You

oh it was nothing! can barely remember it either! but thank you - can’t say you weren’t either haha

so did you message for a reason or…

Ben Hardy

not really, just thought i’d check in on you considering we didn’t get to speak much when we met. i’m actually back in your town next week, would you maybe want to meet up? grab a coffee and have a chat?

This threw you off. You really, really wanted to. But you knew it probably wasn’t a good idea; I mean you had only met him once, and that one time, he insulted you. Not a good first impression, but you couldn’t help the urge to say yes. And your fingers were typing it out before you could even stop them;

You

yeah that sounds great!

i know the perfect place - in fact i’m sat there right now! they have the best homemade pretzels, they’re to die for!

Ben Hardy

i’ll take your word for it! heres my number - *blah blah* - text me with a good time and place?

Shit. He had just given you his number. Was this a date? Or just two people who had met before simply meeting again. Or what if you got there and it was all an elaborate prank set up by him and his friends to embarrass you in front of everyone. Either way, you had committed to it, and backing out now would make you seem like a pussy. And maybe it wouldn’t go sooo bad. You hoped.

You

can’t wait!

*****

“Babe, I’m back!” you heard his voice shouting through from the front door. Sat on the couch, you were reading a book you had recently taken out from the local library when you heard the commotion of his bags being dropped on the floor. Your head shot around, a grin plastered across your face at the sound of his husky voice. You watched as his blonde hair bobbed into the room, walking towards you and placing a peck to your forehead.

“Missed you” you muttered, leaning your head back further so the second kiss landed on your lips instead. Placing your book down on the side table, you turned to where he had just sat down next to you and cuddled into his side, his warmth sending shivers down your spines.

You almost considered bunking off on the date you planned with Ben, your nerves and insecurities getting the better of you as it got closer to the day you planned. Even texting him a time and place was hard enough for you, but you saw it as a challenge for yourself; you didn’t want to let one small incident ruin your chances with him. So you did text him a time and place. 12, early rise cafe? And you did go on the date. And you did hit it off with him; he was nothing like you remembered. Constantly complimenting you, how gorgeous you looked and how intelligent you were. A kind soul, he described you as at one point. After that, you continued to keep in touch, even when he was away filming he would be sure to put aside at least one hour every night to call you and you would just talk about your day. You caught feelings fast, and what he had said to you years before was long forgotten.

You had now been officially together for 3 months, and you were the happiest you had ever been; he loved you, and you loved him. He reminded you of it every day, with both words and actions - kisses, hugs, occasional squeezes of the bum, saying ‘I love you’, you even caught at him staring at you from time to time while you worked. He felt like the luckiest man on earth. Almost, there was just one thing he wanted to do so badly with you that you were yet to agree to; he wanted to make love to you, show you just how much he truly does love you but physically. And you wanted it too, just the sight of the blonde himself was enough to turn you on, but there was one thing holding you back. You thought maybe you’d let his words go, but he hadn’t seen you naked since that time on the beach, and you couldn’t help but fear the idea of him bringing it up again. What if he left you? What if he thought you were ugly and decided he didn’t want sex? What if he just laughed? What if-

“YN, babe, are you listening?” he cleared his throat, his eyes looking down at you worryingly. You didn’t even realise he had been speaking, too caught up in your own thoughts of doing it (or not) with Ben. He seemed very stressed as he came in, and it was still showing now, so you felt very guilty. “I was saying how Joe mentioned we should all head round to his some time this week for dinner, like a quadruple date or something. I’m down if you are but don’t feel forced, I know you haven’t known them for very long”

“O-oh, yeah that sounds good” you murmured, trying to sound enthusiastic about the suggestion but failing; Ben knew you and his friends didn’t get along very well because they were all actors and knew each other’s, whereas you were just a girl from a small town who had never met any of them. It’s not that you didn’t like them, it’s just that you preferred to keep to yourself and all they would do is ask you questions.

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic”

“I-I want to Ben, I just get very nervous around new people. I promise, I’ll try and make it, but don’t let me hold you back from going” you smiled, watching his face light up at the fact you’d step out of your comfort zone. For him. He kissed you straight on the lips, hand shooting to caress the side of your face lightly and placing the other one on your thigh. You tensed a little at the feeling but grew comfortable to it soon after, it felt nice. And it gradually felt nicer and nicer as he moved further up you thigh to meet the buttons of your jeans. Until he began unbuttoning them. And every thought and insecurity you had encountered before came flooding back; he’s going to see your birthmark, and he’s going to remember exactly what he said at the beach, and he’s going to realise he was right, and he’s going to dump you.

Of course, he noticed the way you froze in your spot, taking a deep breath in. He pulled back immediately, hand still on your thigh but much less tight now, in a more comforting way. “Are you okay? I-I’m sorry, I got caught in the moment, I-”

“It’s fine, Ben. I just- I don’t think we should” you muttered, refusing to make eye contact with the blonde as you twiddled your fingers out of nerves. He could tell something was wrong, he had never seen you so removed and insecure before. But you had been together for 3 months, and he thought it was a good time to start getting intimate; not that he wouldn’t respect your decision, he was just getting a little impatient with being with you and not being able to help the raging boner in his pants nearly every time he saw you.

“Why not?” he questioned, not in a accusatory way but a curious one. He was beginning to get a little insecure himself; did you not want to have sex with him because you didn’t find him attractive? Or because you didn’t think he’d be any good? He couldn’t hear the apprehensive thoughts in your head, but you were struggling to put them to words. He didn’t need to hear them, for when you started tearing up a little before him, he knew something was definitely wrong; “Hey, hey, what’s wrong? You can talk to me about anything”

“I know I can Ben, just not this”

“YN, if whatever is going on in your head is hurting you, we talk about it; I don’t care if you think it’ll be embarrassing, or make me sad or angry. We talk about your problems because that’s what I’m here for”

“It’s… I, erm, I don’t want you to see me naked” you practically the lasts word, so quietly that you weren’t even sure he had heard them at first. But he had, because his eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn’t even considered the fact he hadn’t seen you in underwear before because you had seen him in just his boxers so many times that he just found it normal. “I don’t want you to leave me”

“I- YN, why would I leave you? I love you, every single part of you. Naked or not. Please, you need to explain what is going on in your head so I can help you” he encouraging, smoothing his hand up and down your thigh in a calming manner. You wanted to tell him, explain what was going on in your brain so he could help, but you didn’t want to; your insecurities got the best of you. Everything had been going so well in your relationship, and you didn’t want something like this to ruin everything you had worked so hard for. You didn’t want one measly birthmark to ruin everything. You loved him, and you wanted to make sure he loved you. After you had stayed silent for a minute or two, Ben was beginning to grow impatient; “YN, please you need to talk to me. I don’t understand how you could feel so insecure over your body when-”

“Because of you!” you cut in, almost screaming the words if your voice hadn’t been so weak. Ben stared at you incredulously, his brain trying to understand what he might say or have said to put you in such a state; he thought you were absolutely perfect, and he told you that nearly every day. Because you are perfect. “Because of what you said at the beach 3 years ago.”

“I-uh, I don’t…”

“You seriously don’t remember?” you scoffed, thinking he must be joking at this point because it was the first time you two had met; he must’ve remembered some of the conversation. You stood in front of him, deciding that it was now or never to show him; you deserved someone better than him if he repeated what he said 3 years ago. Pulling your pants down just enough to reveal the top of your leg, letting Ben finally see the reason you were so reluctant to get naked in front of him. You watched as his mouth open in confusion, and then realisation. “You called it ‘pretty unattractive’ and said how you thought I was hot before you saw it. It hurt Ben, a lot. Having a complete stranger point out and make fun of something that you can’t change. I put it aside at the beginning of our relationship because I really liked you and I hoped you changed; but I can’t help but be scared that you’ll still leave me. That’s why I didn’t want to get intimate yet, I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no, I’m sorry” Ben mumbled, unable to comprehend a lot of what you had just said. He remembered what he had said, but he never realised how badly you took the words; he didn’t even consider the possibility of hurting you by saying it. He was an ignorant 20-something-year-old who only thought about sex and partying, and so he thought he was just ‘bantering’ as he would’ve called it back then. Watching the way it affected your feelings broke his heart; he had never meant to hurt you, and he never would want hurt you intentionally. “I-I never even considered how that may have made you feel. I don’t even remember much about that day; I can’t excuse what I said at all. I was probably trying to cover up my own insecurities or the fact that I thought you were really attractive. I can’t say sorry enough, but I really am and I want you to know that I think you are the most beautiful person on this planet. And I’m sorry that I made you feel any less than that, and if you decide you don’t want to love me anymore, I understand-”

“Ben.” you interrupted, seeing that he was also now on the brink of tears. He thought you wouldn’t love him. He thought you wouldn’t love him. Not the other way round like you had assumed this situation would go. You let out a small sigh of relief before walking to Ben, who was now sat hunched with his head in his hands. You threw your legs over his to straddle his lap, a common cuddling position for the two of you (one of your personal favourites, but Ben would always get afraid you’d be able to feel his semi every time) “I will always love you, I’m certain of it. I wouldn’t have let myself fall for you if I wasn’t willing to forgive you. I was scared that you wouldn’t love me, that you’d remember how disgusting I am and you’d leave. Trust me, I think this is the most sexually frustrated I’ve ever been, you are too fucking hot to spend all this time around and not get turned on.” you chuckled lowly, Ben joining in before shooting you a smirk and small wink; classic Ben humour. “I just… I let my insecurities get the best of me and that was my fault. I guess I only took it to heart because it was coming from you, usually I can brush those comments off.”

“I’m really sorry, YN, I don’t know how I could make it up to you, I’m so sorry-”

“Ben, you seriously need to stop apologising” you giggled, cupping the soft skin of his cheek and stroking your thumb gently. He went to say it again, catching himself out and looking almost ashamed about it. “You said you wanted to make it up to me?”

“I-I would do anything YN, I love you.” he stuttered, almost surprised you were giving him a second chance as he looked up at you with his baby doll eyes.

“I can think of one way you could, erm, make it up to me?” you muttered, beginning to become embarrassed with what you were saying. He seemed eager though, nodding his head urgently to urge you to say what was on your mind; “show me how much you love me?”

“I-erm, how? You want gifts? Hugs?” he rushed, but you just giggled at his obliviousness to what you were suggesting.

“No, Ben. I want you to make love to me” you whispered, wrapping your arms around his neck before planting your lips firmly onto his in a moment of passion. He immediately returned the gesture, feeling relief you weren’t nearly as angry at him as he thought you’d be.

“Now, that I can do” he mumbled against your lips, raising to his feet and hoisting your body so he could carry you upstairs.

He vowed the love you forever, and always prove it in every way he could, including making love to you. And he did just that.

#ben hardy #ben hardy x reader #ben #hardy #ben x reader #ben hardy fluff #borhap #borhap cast #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy x you #ben hardy x y/n #ben hardy x female reader #requested #borhap fluff #bohemian rhapsody

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lifeaftermeteor · 4 years

Text

Private Island [location redacted] Fiji, South Pacific 17 August 211

BANG!

Relena jumped out of her skin, half-asleep. “Rise and shine!” Hilde cried as she burst into the room through the now-open door and jumped on the bed.

Relena groaned and collapsed back against her pillows. She dared to glance at the bedside clock and groaned again. “It’s three in the morning. What the hell…?”

“We’ve got places to go,” Sally answered as she came into view, Noin poking her head around the door jamb behind her.

“Where—?”

“It’s a surprise!” Hilde said. Sliding off the bed, she unceremoniously shucked the comforter off. “Come on! Up! Dressed! Let’s go!”

With great reluctance, Relena dragged herself out of bed and stumbled bleary-eyed into the attached bathroom to find a set of hiking clothes already set out and waiting. Dread slowly wrapped itself around her brain. A hike. Before dawn. Relena took a steadying breath and changed, muttering half-hearted curses to herself.

When she emerged she found her de facto entourage in the kitchen. Sally, Hilde, and Noin hovered over what looked like a map while her mother and Une stood nearby, filling water bottles at the sink and checking headlamps. “We’re really going out this early?” Relena asked, stunned.

“Only way to catch the sunrise,” Mareen told her.

“Are you coming with us?”

Her mother scoffed. “Oh no. I’m heading back to bed. But you need to catch the sunrise. Now off you go!”

*****

Whispers and stifled laughter alerted Wufei to the impending onslaught. His skin itched as he allowed his assailants to draw in close, tiptoeing towards his bed. He kept his eyes shut, until he sensed a body hovering just over his head before giving himself away with a dangerous growl. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

Laughter met his warning and he opened his eyes to find Quatre standing over him, air horn at the ready. Wufei’s eyes went wide even as Quatre tipped his head back and laughed, withdrawing several paces.

“Ah damn, he’s awake already!” Duo hissed, standing toward the foot of the bed next to Trowa.

“Can I still hit him with the horn?” Quatre asked.

“You may absolutely not,” Wufei answered, sitting up in bed and pushing his back up against the headboard, almost defensively. Quatre just laughed harder. It was then that he registered Heero hovering by the door. “Yuy, you encouraged this?” he asked, offended.

“From a safe distance away yes,” Heero admitted.

“From outside of the kill zone,” Trowa amended.

“So he thinks,” Wufei answered, glaring at his once-roommate and turning his attention back to Quatre who had started sneaking in closer again. “Don’t.” Quatre wilted, giggling.

“Come on,” Duo said, clapping his hands before him. “Up and at ‘em. We’ve got a lot to do today and a very strict schedule to do it in, lest we run you two lovebirds into each other. Let’s get a move on!”

*****

The sun swept in over the horizon in bands of red and gold, burning away the violet twilight as the ocean shimmered beneath. A stunning sight from the highest point of their bit of land in the Pacific.

They had spent the better part of the morning trekking through the pre-dawn forest, the hiking trail lit only by their headlamps. Still half-asleep, Relena had trudged up the side of the peak in the middle of their single-file line and had spent much of the walk wishing to go back to her warm bed.

But when they had reached the peak and the overlook worn flat with time, Relena breathed deep and sighed even deeper. “Alright,” Relena admitted as the sun rose before them, “this was worth it.”

“So worth it,” Hilde agreed.

The crew set down their packs to simply watch the dawn in silence for a time, captivated. Once there was enough ambient light to see without the headlamps, however, Une unfolded a blanket and Noin opened her pack to withdraw the makings of breakfast. Fruit and pastries and a thermos of coffee made the rounds among them while they laughed easily and stifled yawns.

“This is fun,” Relena said, her eyes on the sky as it gave way to hints of the blue to come.

“That’s the idea,” Noin said.

Relena could hear the smile in her voice and it made her grin.

*****

Wufei’s morning had been spent weaving through the trees in parallel to the beach before turning up a path that led further inland as the early morning sky climbed higher in the sky. He and his group navigated the slick trail until it opened out onto a clearing before a waterfall and a pool that glistened as the sun crested the tree canopy. It was something out of a storybook, though Wufei would never say as much and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from giving himself away.

They had wasted no time removing their packs and clothes, dropping them unceremoniously at the edge of the water before jumping in for a swim. Before long they were goading one another to climb the waterfall. Barton was the first and all but volunteered—repeatedly—for the honor, but others soon followed, including Wufei himself after a time.

Refreshed and relaxed, they eventually returned to the shoreline and dried off, unpacking their supplies. They made short work of their breakfasts, tossing playful barbs between each other as they ate. It had been a pleasant start to the day, and certainly not anything Wufei had expected when they left the plantation and its bungalows behind.

Which made him suspicious. “I’m fairly convinced this is all a trick and the worst is yet to come,” Wufei said, eying Duo.

“Ah, come on. Would I do that?”

The four other men agreed unanimously: “Yes.” The response only made Duo laugh.

“You do have a bit of a sadistic streak,” Quatre added.

Duo smirked. “Speaking of…” He pulled a piece of paper he’d sealed in plastic and checked the watch he had stashed in an outer pocket of his bag. His grin turned devilish. “This would be a great time to send a message to the fiancee.”

Beside him, Heero groaned.

*****

“Incoming,” Sally declared with a wide grin.

Relena looked down the line of her compatriots as they carefully made their way deeper into the forest from the rockier peaks. Up ahead she could see flashes of color between the heavy green leaves and someone darted up the trail toward them. As the runner closed in and rounded a corner, they found themselves face-to-face with none other than Heero Yuy. The man huffed as he reached them, cheeks red and skin glistening from the exertion.

“Your boyfriends an asshole,” Une declared to him.

“A sadistic asshole,” Noin added, sounding at least somewhat apologetic.

“We were just discussing that, yes,” Heero told them between gasps. He swallowed and took a deep breath, slowly exhaling it through pursed lips as he walked to Relena’s side. When he spoke again, he seemed to have recovered. “Message for you.”

He passed her a glass bottle with a cork stopper. Inside were what looked like several sheets of loose leaf paper curled tightly around themselves and bound with a red ribbon. A pen rattled beside them. Incredulous and endeared, Relena took the bottle and looked up at Heero, “Really?”

Heero huffed a laugh. “Yes, really.” He stepped back and withdrew a water bottle from his pack and took several large gulps.

Relena meanwhile uncorked the bottle and shook out both the paper and the pen, untying the ribbon to see what her fiance had seen fit to send her.

---

Rumor says your morning started much earlier than mine. I hope you’re enjoying yourself. Try to send Heero back in one piece.

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

---

Relena felt her cheeks warm and laughed softly, running her thumbs over the paper in her hands. How domestic and sweet, she thought. She bit her lip and considered her reply. And then—“Hilde, drop your bag. I need to borrow your back so that my handwriting is at least somewhat legible.” The request garnered some amused laughter from her cohort. Heero only secured his water bottle once more and started to stretch.

---

I can assure you Heero arrived in one piece, but I take no responsibility for the state of his return.

The group woke me at 3AM to go on a hike. I don’t plan on doing that again. The waking up before dawn piece, I mean. The hike we should do again together, once they’ve all gone.

I don’t know where you are or where we’re going next, but if the start of the day is any indication I think I’ll sleep well tonight.

Maybe that’s part of their plan...

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

Satisfied, Relena twisted the pen shut and recurled the pages, binding them once in their red ribbon before dropping both items into the bottle. She tapped the cork into place and passed the bottle to Heero.

He took it with a nod and turned to walk back down the hill from which he’d come. “You know where you’re going?” Noin asked as he passed. Heero gave her a half-hearted salute before breaking out into a steady run, his feet pounding the soft earth beneath him. And then he was gone, lost to the forest.

*****

Wufei and the rest of his escorts burst out of the cover of the forest canopy and into the midday sun on the beach. Far away from the plantation, they meandered along the beach. Low tide had left rocky outcroppings exposed and crabs scuttled across swaths of sand.

Eventually, they reached one such outcropping that was larger than the rest and tucked up against a cliff face. Only when they reached it did Wufei realize they were staring at the mouth of a natural grotto, exposed only due to their good timing. Safely tucked away from the blistering heat, but close enough to the waterline that the shallow cave smelled like sea salt...but not oppressively so. It smelled ancient and alive. Rich.

As the rest of the group stepped inside, chatting excitedly about the lucky find, Wufei cast his eyes to Duo. He found him watching him closely, as if waiting for a reaction. Wufei smiled; Duo winked. And then they both stepped inside the grotto.

They spent their lunch tucked away in the cave, trading food and stories and making friends with the small sea creatures that had joined them in the cave. From the mouth of the cave they watched the waves, so far away but near enough to spot the gulls and—Wufei suspected—a few dolphins.

As the sun dipped toward the west and the tide started to creep back up the beach in lazy waves, they ducked out of the grotto and headed down the beach once more. But as they walked, they spied a lone figure running in their direction. “Looks like Wufei has mail,” Quatre observed.

The group met Sally en route, to her apparent relief. “Oh good, you’re still here!” Sally sighed, her cheeks puffing with her hard exhale. “I was afraid I’d miss you.” She slowed to a walk and passed the glass bottle to Wufei. “Message delivery.”

Wufei plucked it from her fingers and opened the bottle as the others gathered together off to the side so as not to intrude. He flipped through the pages to find Relena’s new note.

---

I’m told I’m allowed to tell you that the waterfall was beautiful, which means you’ve already been here! Who was the first to jump from the top? I have to assume it was Trowa. Hilde was our first but you would be proud: I was our second!

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

---

Wufei chuckled. “She went off the waterfall?” he asked.

Sally smiled. “Seconds after Hilde. Seconds. She was right at her heels.”

It was hardly a surprise, Wufei knew. Relena was as fearless or as crazy as the rest of them. Perhaps she was both: crazy and fearless. She was marrying him, after all. That gave him something to work with.

Twisting the pen between his fingers he asked Sally, “Do you mind.” She nodded—clearly this was not the first time she’d served as a writing desk—and flattened her shoulders as he pressed the paper down and started to write.

---

Nicely done on the waterfall. It took more…“cajoling” they’d call it to get me to do the same. Not sure where we’re off to next.

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

PS: I could have deployed some horrible play on ‘taking the plunge’ or a ‘leap of faith,’ but I shall refrain.

*****

After all the trekking through the dense tropical foliage all day, Relena was happy to see the beach and its white sand. She threw her arms to the side and closed her eyes, content to let the cool sea breeze hit her cheeks and flow through her hair. It had been a wonderful day. And ending it here, out in the open with the waves crashing and the sand sun-warmed beneath them was perfect. Just what she needed.

“We’ve still got some sunlight left,” Noin informed the group, checking her watch. “If anyone cares for a swim, recommend we do so now before sunset.”

Relena never stripped so fast. Laughter chased her to the water, the others not far behind her as the group of them jumped into the crystal clear surf.

Before too long however, Hilde pointed back to the beach. “You’ve got mail, Relena!”

Relena groaned and would have been happy to make Heero wait if it didn’t mean taking him away from his own bit of fun. “He has the worst timing,” she muttered, silently cursing her fiance.

“I think that depends on what he wrote.”

She begrudgingly had to give them that. It did depend. And every message in a bottle that Relena had gotten throughout the day had made her heart lighter, her smiles brighter. With a final dramatic sigh, she drudged out of the surf and back up the beach to greet Heero at their piles of clothes.

“Sorry,” he said, as she took the bottle from his hand.

Relena gave him a dry laugh and shook her head. “It’s fine. How are your legs holding up.”

“Fine.”

“Don’t tell Duo that.”

Heero considered this and paled. “It...it may be too late for that.”

Relena laughed as she uncorked the bottle. “Best of luck to you then.” Sliding out the sheets of notes, she unspooled them all and read the latest.

---

Do you remember Iceland, and all the walking we did? I think I’m having flashbacks. My feet hurt so much. I would kill Duo if we didn’t need him tomorrow.

More importantly, I think I want to go back to Iceland. Or go elsewhere really. I haven’t seen enough of the world, and I definitely haven’t seen it with you. Come with me?

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

---

Relena bit her lip and felt her cheeks burn. “Good one?” Heero asked her, and when she looked up, she caught the knowing smile that graced his lips. He turned then, offering his back without being asked.

Recovering, she laughed. “Clearly a common request?”

“Today at least.”

Relena pressed the paper flat against his shoulders and wrote her reply.

---

I do remember Iceland. And yes, I want to go back.I want to go everywhere with you. I can’t wait.

Miss you. Love you. Excited for tomorrow.

PS: Don’t kill Duo. He’s the only legally certified minister on the island.

*****

Wufei read the note in the middle of the trail and smiled to himself. Duo had been granted a stay of execution thanks to his fiancee and ESUN law, and he’d never know. He gnawed on his lip for a moment thinking of a reply.

---

I think we’re ending the day on the summit, judging by the steady incline. I can only assume you spent your sunrise up there. I hope you had a wonderful day.

Missed seeing you.

Missed talking to you.

Missed hearing you laugh.

I love you. Excited for tomorrow.

---

He slipped the paper and pen back into the bottle and handed it to Heero. “Off you go.”

Heero took the bottle but seemed numb and tragically disappointed. “But I just got here.”

Wufei clenched his teeth to keep from laughing. “Are you seriously going to whine about it? The sooner you leave, the sooner you get back.”

Their runner turned to Duo—clearly hoping for a reprieve—but Duo only returned a dark smile. “Off you go.”

Heero glared at him. “You might be sleeping on the couch tonight,” he threatened while Quatre and Trowa snickered off on the sidelines.

Duo made a dramatic show of his acceptance of this blow to their relationship status with a sigh and a shrug. “I’m willing to take one for the team.”

Realizing he had already lost, Heero hung his head and turned to head back down the trail towards the beach.

“Bye Heero,” Quatre said as the man passed. They didn’t hear Heero’s exact reply, but all four of them were confident it wouldn’t have been appropriate for polite company.

*****

Wine imbibed and dinner demolished, Relena and her half of the wedding party were delightfully buzzed as the light faded around them on the beach as laughter flowed freely between them. Relena tucked herself into Noin’s side, surrounded by what she imagined a sister’s love felt like. It made her heart warm and she closed her eyes for a moment to focus on the sound of the ocean, Noin’s heartbeat against her cheek, and the voices that danced around her.

But then there was a tap at her shoulder and the group around her erupted into surprised elation. “Heero!”

“Heero what are you doing here?”

“They sent you out again?”

“Want some wine?”

Relena turned to indeed find Heero jogging their way, glass bottle in hand. Pulling away from Noin’s embrace, she dusted off her hands and stood to meet Heero in the sand. “They’re making you work for it,” she said.

“You could say that,” he sighed, passing her the bottle.

Relena considered him. “You’re going to help me get the final word, Heero. Come Hell or high water,” she said, determined, and uncorked the bottle.

*****

“Hey you made it!” Duo said, causing the rest of them to turn back.

They found Heero making his way up the last couple meters of rock to the summit to join them. On trembling legs, he crossed the remaining distance to Wufei and handed off his precious cargo. “That is the last one,” Heero said, promptly sitting down and undoing the laces on his shoes. “I’m making an executive decision. You can suffer through until tomorrow.” He then collapsed backward with a tremendous sigh, spread-eagle, to the rest of their great amusement.

While the others laughed, Duo walked over and tapped his beau’s hip with his toe. “And you were so worried about missing out on training for that marathon you want to do…” Heero only groaned in reply.

Stifling his laughter, Wufei opened the bottle and slid out their notes that had accumulated over the course of the day and rifled through to Relena’s final word of the evening.

---

The wine my cohort brought out to the beach is having its intended effect I think.

I missed you today. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe there’s something to that...

I love you.

Good night. Sweet dreams. Till tomorrow.

---

Tomorrow. It really was tomorrow. Wufei pressed his lips into a thin line to keep them from trembling, suddenly overcome with emotion. They were getting married. Tomorrow.

As he curled the pages up and slid them back into the bottle, he became aware of the pregnant silence around him. Looking up, he found himself the center of his friends’ undivided attention. “Yes?”

To his horror, they all responded in unison, “Aw…” Even Yuy, who still lay prone in the middle of the summit.

“Oh please,” Wufei said but then sniffed, which didn’t help his cause. The others only chuckled and approached from the sidelines.

They shepherded him towards the edge, high over the tree canopy below and the group of them sat down together to watch the sun set. Together. The thought reverberated through Wufei and nearly made him shudder with its force. As the sun dipped further below the horizon, and the sky lit up in reds and violets, he chanced furtive glances at the men around him. Again that word: together. Wufei smiled and let his eyes drift to the sunset. “Thank you for being here,” he murmured. “For all of this.” Nothing more needed to be said.

#gundam wing #snippet saturday #wufei chang #relena darlian #wufei x relena #relena x wufei

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fallenfurther · 4 years

Text

Explorer

A little young Gordon fic for @gumnut-logic sensory sunday challenge. I got the idea for this little bit of fluff (with a little whump at the end) and decided to try get it down in one night. Hopefully I’ve got most the errors out. This is based on things me and m friends found on the Devonshire coast last year.

******

The barnacled rock was rough against his feet, but it didn't bother Gordon. With his bucket full of water, he carefully clambered over the rocks, looking for a good pool. A holiday in England, visiting the seaside holiday home of a family friend, had become quite the adventure for the five-year old. The water was cold, even with the sun shining down it seemed to freeze his body. The sun was warm on his skin and it was cooler than the summers he was used to. His brothers complained but Gordon saw the opportunity. A new country meant a new beach. The different temperature meant new and different sea life to find! The beach may be sandy, but it was enclosed by dark ragged rock which he just knew would contain rock pools. Last night Gordon had gone into the library to pester John and had found a set of old coastal handbooks in the shelves. The one on rock pools was now sticking out his back pocket, ready to be opened. His fingers slipped into the crevice of the craggy rock and he pulled himself up. As he clambered over the top, before him was his prize.

Gordon lent in close to the rock as he edged over to an outcrop that would make a good seat. He had to use both hands and his bucket splashed against his arm leaving a red mark where it banged against his skin. He settled himself on the rock and gave his arm a quick check. It didn't hurt when he poked the mark, so he turned his attention to the still pool of water. Gordon wasn't known for being patient or sitting still, but Dad had shown him how moving scared the creatures. It was hard, especially as his bottom slowly became numb against the rock, but Gordon sat and observed. His eyes scouting the water for any movement. Suddenly, movement near some seaweed caught his eye. Small fish darted across the pool and a smile crossed Gordon’s face. His hand reached for the book as he took in as much detail as he could about the little fish before they disappeared. Small, some shiny scales along their sides. He flipped through the small book to the chapter on fish. Gordon had picked it for the pictures, and he flicked through, scrutinising each picture until he came to the one of a fish with blue-green scales dotted in a line along its side. Gordon still wasn’t great at reading, but he knew it was what he had just seen. Slipping the pen from his front pocket he put a tick next to the name.

Placing the book and pen on the side, Gordon reached down and waved his hand through the seaweed. The bright green seaweed floated in the cool water and felt like hair in his hand. The little fish darted out from their hiding place. Gordon started chasing them about tying to catch one, but they were just too quick. He wouldn’t be able to show one of those to his brothers. All the splashing had rocked the seaweed exposing a small orangey starfish. Gordon dried his hands on his shorts and grabbed his book, matched the picture, and ticked it. He would have put it in his bucket, but it was too small. He’d need a bigger one to impress his brothers. He quickly flipped to the seaweed section and ticked off the two types in the pool. A quick flick through and he found the page with the barnacles on it and the one with the limpets on. These were scattered all over the rocks and thus boring.

Having exhausted that pool, Gordon slipped the book and pen back into his pocket and climbed deeper into the rocks. There were loads of small pools, which held the odd bit of seaweed and nothing else. After climbing another jagged rock Gordon paused to look at his hands. His palms were sore and some of the skin had been roughened up by the barnacles. Gordon turned towards the way he had come. He could barely see over the rocks and he certainly couldn’t see the beach, but the idea of turning back without something cool made Gordon continue. He clambered over another rock, only to see a red bodges in a nearby pool. He headed straight to the pool and he crouched over it, getting a good look at the anemones. He’d seen them at the aquarium, and they had looked so squishy. Gordon reached in and stuck his finger into the extended red tentacles. The tentacles retracted but they had felt sticky to the touch. He did the same to the other one in the pool, chuckling slightly as it retreated. He ticked them off before heading toward the rocks closer to the sea. There were more red anemones as he got closer, however just as he was about to start climbing, he noticed a big dark red bulb just above the water. Moving closer, he noted the small yellow spots coating it. He reached out and poked it. It was slimy but soft, and very squishy. He rubbed his finger on it a bit more before stepping back and locating it in his book. The name he ticked contained the word ‘strawberry’. He was going to have to get someone to read the description to him later. Gordon continued to explore the rocks. He found a small crab, some more of the spotty anemones, some of them open with their tentacles flailing. Gordon was climbing over yet another rock, where there was a larger rock pool on the other side. What caught his eye was the bright green tentacles with purple tips in the water directly below. It looked like an alien. There was a thin ledge just above the pool, which Gordon tried to reach with his foot.

“Gordon Cooper Tracy!”

Startled by the sound, Gordon turned to see his mother standing on a rock with her hands on her hips. At the same time, Gordon’s foot slipped, and he fell towards the pool. His foot and leg brushed against the tentacles while his other knee scraped against the rough barnacles.

“Gordon!”

His mother’s voice had lost its stern tone and was now full of concern. Gordon managed to hang on with one hand and pulled his leg out of the water. He got his foot on the ledge, the rock digging into the damp sole. But the feeling was nothing compared to pain that was radiating from where the alien tentacles had touched his skin. Tears were already forming in his eyes. The first one slid down his face and plopped into the water below. A firm hand on his arm made him look up into his mother’s brown eyes. She pulled him up and into her arms and he let the tears fall, burying his face into the soft fabric of her top.

“Shush. It’s okay Gordon.”

His mother rocked him slightly before carefully making her way back over the rocks. Gordon didn’t stop crying. Both his legs hurt. Soon they were back on the sand and his mother was placing him onto the blanket.

“Jeff, get the first aid kit. Gordon’s scraped his leg.”

Gordon couldn’t stop the tears as the soft antiseptic wipe stung his knee as him mother cleaned the wound. Between blinks he could see where the barnacles had broken his skin. He sobbed as band aids were placed over the bleeding areas. Once done, his mother took his other leg and turned it. There was a red rash that started just under his knee and finished at his foot. It really hurt. Gordon sniffed, trying to hold back the tears as his brothers gathered around him.

“How did you get this, Gordon?” His mother asked.

“The…the alien tentacles.”

His mother looked a confused and turned towards his dad, who just shrugged. It was John who stepped forward and grabbed the book from Gordon’s pocket and started thumbing through the pages. He stopped on one before turning it to Gordon.

“Is this what stung you?”

On the page was a picture of pale green tentacles with light purple tips. Gordon nodded, and John turned book back to himself and read it aloud.

“Snakelock Anemone, Anemonia viridis, found on the south and western shores of Britain. They have distinctive bright green tentacles with purple tips and fluoresce under UV light. The Snakelock tentacles sting leaving a painful and sometimes itchy rash that can last up to one month, so be careful not to touch them.”

John passed the book to their mother, who checked it over. His Dad sighed.

“This Gordon is why you don’t run off. Not only could you have been washed away if you had fallen in, you could have become trapped by the tide and the coast guard would have need to be called to come rescue you. You knew you shouldn’t have gone rock pooling alone, yet you did anyway. Let this be a lesson to you, son.”

Gordon nodded, though he could hear the worry in his father’s stern words. He had known he was going to get told off for running off. He had just hoped to have come back with something cool. His mother moved and scooped him up, as his brothers and father went back to their game of catch. His mother removed the pen that had been digging into him and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. She held open the book at the page of the snakelock and ticked it off for him.

“How about we see what else you found, hey?”

Her head was rested on his, a comforting pressure that helped Gordon fight the tears. His mother thumbed through the book, reading to him all the names and information about the things he’d found. She helped him pronounce the Latin names, and all this distracted him from the tingling pain in his leg. It turned out he’d found a lot of things, including beadlet anemones, Actinia equina, strawberry anemones, Actinia fragracea, and the little fish were 2-Spot Goby, Gobiusculus flavescens. Gordon still wished he’d found a big crab, but that could wait until another day when his legs didn’t hurt anymore.

#thunderbirds are go #sensorysunday #sensorysunday2020 #Gordon Tracy #Lucille Tracy #touch #explore #fluff #a little hurt #seaside #beach #rock pooling

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imaginepirates · 4 years

Text

Leaving

For @paljonkaikenlaista, who wanted a Lizzie x reader where the reader is bad at talking about/expressing their feelings. I felt like we all needed a little post AWE Lizzie and calm environments in trying times, so enjoy!

@emdrabbles @tesserphantom @viper-official

~3100 words

~~~~~~~

The air smelt of salt. Waves lapped at the shore, creating a soothing sound. You walked barefoot over the sand, picking up shells as you went. You’d put them back in the house to decorate the windowsills and counters. You lived in a little house next to the ocean, long, waving grasses being the only things that separated you from the beach. It was a peaceful place to live, away from the hustle and bustle of large amounts of people. The only other person in the vicinity was Elizabeth, and she lived alone.

She lived in a house much like yours, with white walls and trim painted seafoam green. The previous owner had been an elderly fisherman, and, wanting to spend his last months with family, he moved to the city. He’d left his boat behind, and you saw Elizabeth take it out sometimes. She never returned with fish, but you didn’t think that was the point of her exploits.

You often helped her with things like baking and caring for her garden, which she loved dearly, though you didn’t think she’d ever worked with plants before. She was a fun woman, and she was always up to something new. The two of you would sit and talk over tea and whatever one of you had made to eat. She avoided most personal questions, like where she’d moved from, but you didn’t mind too much. She was nice, and her life was her business, so you didn’t mind her keeping it that way.

You walked back up to your house. Elizabeth was outside, as she was most days, and she waved to you. She sat in a chair on her front porch. Embroidering, you guessed.

“I have a lemon bread in the oven!” She called. “I can’t eat it all myself.”

“I’ll be right over,” you told her. In truth, you enjoyed her company. The fisherman had kept to himself for the most part, and it was nice to have a companion after so many months in solitude.

You washed your feet in the bath, scraping the sand from under your toenails. Slipping on some shoes, you went back out. Her door was open, and you slipped in. The smell of lemon permeated the air. Elizabeth had a weak spot for sweets, and she was constantly baking them.

“I see you took a walk this morning,” she said. She brought out two plates, setting a piece of bread on each. “Tea?”

“Yes, please.” She handed you the plates, and you put them on the table. “It’s nice outside. The air is fresher in the mornings. What were you embroidering?”

“Birds.” She set the tea on the table, then disappeared into the next room. She came back with her embroidery hoop, white fabric hanging taught inside it. The bird in question was small, and only half finished, but you could tell by the round brown body and small beak that it was it a sparrow.

“I didn’t know you liked birds.”

“I have a certain fondness for sparrows.”

The way she said it made it seem like there was a hidden meaning, but you didn’t press.

“You said the day was nice. Would you fancy a ride in the fishing boat?” She asked. She hadn’t invited you to go with her before, and you accepted. “It’ll be lovely. I find turtles sometimes.”

The aqua waters surrounding the island you lived on were full of marine life. Turtles, dolphins, and whales lived nearby, not to mention a thousand different species of fish. Tide pools on the rocks housed fish the size of a fingernail, and hermit crabs crawled across the beaches.

A small dock led out to the fishing boat. It had a single mast and tattered sail, and its light blue paint flaked off in places. Though old, it was sturdy. Elsewise, the fisherman wouldn’t have used it every day. Elizabeth expertly unfurled the sail, untied the ship from the dock, and pushed off. Ropes lay on the deck, and she deftly avoided them as she waltzed up to the helm.

The wind ruffled your hair, and you watched the waves dance beneath you as you sailed. The boat was slow, but the water was no less beautiful for it. It was clear enough that you could see beneath the surface. Schools of colorful fish darted in and out of your vision. It had been a long time since you’d last been on a boat, and you found yourself enjoying the ride.

Again, you stared up at Elizabeth. Her golden hair hung loosely over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Freckles dotted her face. Her hands were steady, resting on the ship’s wheel, steering with confidence. You wondered where she learned to man a ship. The ease with which she managed sails and lines told you she wasn’t new to it.

“Can you fish?” You asked.

“No. I never learned. Can you?”

“No.” A woman who can sail but who can’t fish. There weren’t many of those.

You speculated about her sometimes. She’d moved out to the coast, a lovely young lady with so much life in her. She seemed to like your company, and you sometimes found her starting letters that she never finished or sent out. Bright, and exuberant, and full of energy, she didn’t belong alone on the seashore. You could only think that some scandal or horrible event had put her with you. But she didn’t seem sad, just wistful, sometimes. You often caught her staring out to sea. What did the ocean hold for her, that she was always chasing it?

There was little to talk about. You almost always knew what the other was up to, and neither of you could plan to do anything exciting, seeings as you were the only two people living in your area. There was a little town that you stopped in to buy food, but there was nothing to do there, either. For the moment, you just enjoyed her company.

In fact, you enjoyed her company in general. You hadn’t had another person your age around you for a long time. Elizabeth was the energy you needed, the companion you hadn’t known in too long.

That wasn’t all. She was beautiful; her hair constantly caught the light when it filtered through the window, her smile brightened every room, her laugh was a new form of music, and the map of freckles across her body begged to be traced. Your fingers itched to memorize them. Her body was a landscape of valleys and ridges, her eyes two deep pools of molten amber. You loved her. You had for days, for weeks, but you could never say when it started. Maybe it was the first time you had tea, or the first time you worked in the garden with her, or when you first saw her. But somewhere along the way, you’d fallen for her.

You sailed back to shore, the afternoon light slowly fading into evening. The horizon blushed pink, a soft orange light quickly following it.

“Join me for dinner?” Elizabeth asked. “I know you’ll like it. I’ve been meaning to ask you over for ages. We haven’t had a dinner together yet, and I thought it might be a nice change from tea. Not that tea isn’t nice. I just know you better now, is all.”

“It sounds lovely. I’ll bring something over from the garden.” Your garden was home to all sorts of trees and bushes that produced fruit. Mangos, guava, and papaya all grew around.

You walked to her house only after a bath and a change of clothes. Despite living in such a secluded place, you still had the habit of maintaining the customs of proper society. At the door to her house, you noticed a slip of paper tucked close to the door. Curiously, you pulled it out, finding that it was an envelope. One side had a single name, ‘Jack’. The other had a drawing of a sparrow.

Your chest tightened. ‘I have a certain fondness for sparrows.’ That was what she meant. There’s a man. You could physically feel the disappointment coursing through your body. She hadn’t told you- but why would she? It was none of your business. There’s always a man.

You stepped inside, feeling like something was caught in your throat. The letter you left outside, deciding to tell her after the night was over. Surely she’d be thinking about it all night if you gave it to her now.

Your appetite gone, you made your way to the small dining room. Delicious smells wafted around the room, but they only made your stomach turn. Elizabeth, though, was smiling as always, and you did your best to be happy, for her sake.

The food was, in fact, delicious. You made conversation over the dishes, talking about your next projects. Yours was to build another gardening plot where you hoped to plant vegetables for cooking. Hers was to paint rocks as decoration. She felt her home was bereft of art, and that the white walls made for too little color variance.

“I want to make them bright, but I don’t have any bright paint. Do you think there would be any in town?” She asked, her fork halfway to her mouth.

“It’s worth a check,” you said. You weren’t thinking much of anything, if truth be told.

The subject abruptly changed. “How long have you lived here?”

You were surprised by the question. Even though the question was a perfectly normal one, Elizabeth rarely asked about your personal life, nor you about hers. “Years,” you answered.

Elizabeth sighed. “Is there anything you would leave for?”

That was a strange question. “Maybe. I don’t know what it would be, but maybe.”

She sighed again, blowing an errant hair out of her face. “It’s lovely here, and I enjoy living next to you, but is it bad of me to want to leave?”

The air left your lungs. It felt like a blow to the chest, even though it was only a few words. A few breaths of air. “Is there somewhere you’d rather be?”

“Yes? Not permanently, no, but I long to be elsewhere sometimes. Do you ever wish that you could relive certain moments, certain feelings? I want to recreate those things for myself, the things that made me happy and alive, but I can’t do that here. I want to be able to come and go as I see fit, to find adventure out in the world and then come back home.” She sighed again, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m enchanted with living here, but I’m enchanted with other things, too.”

“What things?” You knew you shouldn’t ask, that you should be content with her explanation, but you wanted to know more about her, about what she wanted and craved. You needed to know what she desired, and if it could ever be you.

“I want adventure. I want… well, there are a great many things I want, but I want my life to go back to the way it was before.”

“Will you leave, then?”

“With the right prompting, yes. I just have to wait until it happens.”

You left the dinner feeling more confused and hopeless than you had when you’d come in, wishing that Elizabeth would just tell you about herself instead of hinting at things that you couldn’t grasp.

As you stepped outside, you remembered the letter. You picked it up, turning it over in your hands, and called to Elizabeth to show it to her. She walked to the front door, and her eyes immediately glued themselves to the letter. She gasped, plucking it out of your hands and staring at the picture of the sparrow.

“I found it out here just now. It must’ve been left during dinner,” you lied. It took all of your strength not to wilt at the look of excitement in your eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, disappearing back inside.

The door in front of you closed quickly, and you were left alone in the darkness. You trudged home, sank into bed, and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. How were you supposed to tell Elizabeth that you wanted her to stay, that her leaving would devastate you? How could you convey how sad you’d be without her? Even if someone else took her place in that house, you would only ever think of it as hers, and you’d be alone again, no matter how many people lived next door.

You couldn’t. You couldn’t tell her all the negative emotions bottled up inside. Even if you tried, the words would get stuck in your throat, and you wouldn’t be able to get all your emotions out. She would never know, and you would live with that forever.

She won’t even know that I love her. It hurt to think it, but you were bad at expressing your feelings, and you knew they would continue to go unsaid. You could drown in your feelings without anyone ever knowing. It frustrated you to no end, but even when you tried, your words never matched your emotions. Elizabeth would leave, never knowing what she meant to you.

The worst was her reason. To go back to how life was before. The letter was from a man. There was only one explanation, and it destroyed you to think of it. Of course she had a lover before; she was walking brilliance, a sun trapped inside a human being.

When you finally fell asleep, it was to the lull of the waves. At least asleep you could hide from your sorrow. Once you woke, you’d be plunged back into the bitter reality, but nothing could touch you in sleep.

The sun crept through the window timidly, its rays barely visible through a cloud of morning mist. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes, preparing for the day. You kept your mind busy by thinking of the things you needed to do. You needed to spread dirt for the vegetable garden. For that, you would need to dig a pile of dirt from somewhere nearby. For that, you would need a shovel. You kept going with this line of reasoning, thinking of where the shovel was, and that you’d probably want gloves. Then you set off, repeating everything to yourself, tucking everything else to the back of your mind.

The tactic shattered the moment you saw Elizabeth on her front porch, completing her embroidery. The same bird that was on the envelope sat on her lap, made from a thousand tiny stitches. She waved, beckoning you over. Even though you felt like it might break you, you went to her.

Just inside the door of her house were bags, bags which you assumed to be full of clothes and necessities. “Are you leaving, then?” You asked. There was something in your mouth, you were certain of it, sitting there and making your mouth almost too dry to talk.

“Yes. The letter was from an old friend. It looks like I’ll be able to relive some of those times after all.”

The happiness on her face hurt you all the more. The reality set in. She really was leaving, leaving you behind. It wasn’t fair of you to think that way; she had no reason not to leave. If it was what made her happy, she had every right to do it. You just wished you were part of her happiness.

“I won’t be leaving forever. I’ll come back and paint my rocks at some point.” She smiled as she spoke, sending a fresh jolt of pain through you. How long would it be before you saw that smile again? “When will you be back?”

“I don’t know. But when I do, you’ll be the first person to know.”

You smiled sadly at the joke. “Why come back if you want to leave so much? Why not just go where you want to?”

“I have so much here. A home, a garden, a fishing boat, a peaceful place to live, a….” She trailed off there, leaving you to wonder what she might have said. “I like it here. I just need something different sometimes, is all.”

“I wish you would stay,” you whispered.

“If it’s company you need, I can find someone to live here for a while, if you like.”

“No, I….” You stared at her hopelessly. What were you supposed to say?

Understanding seemed to flash through her eyes. “I’ll meet you inside for tea in a little while. How does that sound?”

“Nice, thank you.”

You returned home, shuffling about purposelessly. You went to your bedroom, alternating between sitting on the bed and pacing around the room. She still wanted to talk to you, but what would you say? You’d probably scared her, even just with your hint of love. You couldn’t properly communicate how you felt.

At some point, you knocked a book off a shelf. You stared at its cover blankly before registering the name. The Modern Pyrate. Symbols were dotted across the front, and you found yourself staring down at a little sparrow etched into the leather. Of course!

You walked back to Elizabeth’s house with a little more hope in your chest. She sat in the kitchen, worriedly working at a piece of lemon bread, tearing it apart with a fork. She perked up when you walked in, talking right away.

“I don’t want you to think that I want to leave you. You’re one of the best things about this place. I adore you.” Her words came out all in a rush.

You smiled softly. “I understand. You just wanted to find the adventure you used to have. I don’t know how I didn’t realize it before- you’re a pirate. Or you were, and you want to be again.” Elizabeth looked stunned, but you went on. “I’ll still be here when you come back.”

“Thank you. For understanding. I was afraid I gave you the wrong impression.”

“You said you wanted your life to go back to how it was before. I was afraid you didn’t have room for anything new.”

“Of course I do. I just wanted to be a pirate again. I wanted to have that same adventure in my life. But you’re an adventure, too, and I want to explore every bit of you, if you’ll let me.”

Stunned, you stood still as she rose from her seat and stepped towards you. You were so close, your noses were almost touching. Slowly, she cupped your cheek with a hand, planting a soft kiss on your lips.

“No matter how many times I leave,” she assured you, “I’ll come back.”

#potc #pirates of the caribbean #pirates #pirate #elizabeth swann #elizabeth #elizabeth x reader #request #requests #drabble #drabbles #writing #x reader

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