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writers-potion · 15 days

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The Pirate's Glossary

Ahoy - an interjection used to hail a ship or a person, or to attract attention.

Arr! - an exclamation

Avast! - a command meaning stop or desist

Aye (or ay) - yes; an affirmation

Becalmed - the state of a sailing vessel which cannot move due to a lack of wind

Belay - (1) to secure or make dast by winding on a cleat or pin (2) to stop, most often used as a command

Bilged on her anchor - a ship holed or pierced by its own anchor

Bilmey! - an exclamation of surprise, short for "God blind me!"

Blow the man down - to kill someone

Boom about - when a ship turns in the wind the boom can swing violently enough to injure or kill a person on board. "Boom about" may be shouted to warn others the boom is about to move.

Bring a spring upon her cable - to come around in a different direction, oftentimes as a surprise maneuver.

Careen - to take a ship into shallower waters or out of the water altogether and remove barnacles and pests such as mollusks, shells and plant growth from the bottom.

Chase - a ship being pursued, or the act of pursuing a ship.

Code of conduct - a set of rules which govern pirates behavior on a vessel.

Come about - to bring the ship full way around in the wind. Used in general while sailing into the wind, but also used to indicate a swing back into the enemy in combat.

Crack Jenny's teacup - to spend the night in a house of ill repute.

Crimp - to procure (sailors or soldiers) by trickery or coercion, or one who crimps.

Dance the Hempen jig - to hang

Davy Jones' locker - a fictional place at the bottom of the ocean. In short, a term meaning death.

Dead men tell no tales - standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.

Deadlights - (1) strong shutters or plates fastened over a ship's porthole or cabin window in stormy weather. (2) Thick windows set in a ship's side or deck. (3) eyes.

Fire in the hole - a warning issued before a cannon is fired.

Furl - to roll up and secure, especially a ship’s sail.

Give no quarter - the refusal to spare lives of an opponent. Pirates raise a red flag to threaten no quarter will be given.

Handsomely - quickly or carefully; in a shipshape style.

Haul wind - to direct a ship into the wind.

Heave down - to turn a vessel on its side for cleaning.

Heave - an interjection meaning to come to a halt.

Ho - used to express surprise or joy, to attract attention to something sighted, or to urge onward.

Letter of marque - a document given to a sailor (privateer) giving him amnesty from piracy laws as long as the ships plunders are of an enemy nation.

List - to lean to one side

Long clothes - a style of clothing best suited to land. A pirate, or any sailor, doesn't have the luxury of wearing anything loose that might get in the way while climbing up riggings.

Marooned - to be stranded, particularly on a desert isle.

Me - My

No prey, no pay - a common pirate law meaning a crew received no wages, but rather shared whatever loot was taken.

Overhaul - (1) to slacken a line (2) to gain upon in a chase; to overtake

Parely - a conference or discussion between opposing sides during a dispute, especially when attempting a truce, originating from the French, "parler," meaning "to speak." The term was used in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" as part of Pirate law.

Piracy - robbery committed at sea.

Quarter - derived from the idea of "shelter", quarter is given when mercy is offered by pirates. Quarter is often the prize given to an honorable loser in a pirate fight.

Reef sails - to shorten the sails by partially tying them up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.

Run a shot across the bow - a command to fire a warning shot.

Sail ho! - an exclamation meaning another ship is in view. The sail, of course, is the first part of a ship visible over the horizon.

Scupper that! - an expression of anger or derision meaning "Throw that overboard!"

Sea legs - The ability to adjust one's balance to the motion of a ship, especially in rough seas. After walking on a ship for long periods of time, sailors became accustomed to the rocking of the ship in the water. Early in a voyage a sailor was said to be lacking his "sea legs" when the ship motion was still foreign to him. After a cruise, a sailor would often have trouble regaining his "land legs" and would swagger on land.

Shiver me timbers! - An expression of surprise or strong emotion. In stormy weather and rough seas, the support timbers of a ship would "shiver" which might startle the crew. The phrase may have been less common during the Golden Age of Piracy than it had become later in fictional works.

Show a leg! - A phrase used to wake up a sleeping pirate.

Sink me! - An expression of surprise. Many pirate exclamations used exaggerated imagery to highten a point. Ye might say the sailors were punchy or a bit melodramatic after a lengthy stay at sea.

Smartly - quickly

Take a caulk - To take a nap. On the deck of a ship, between planks, was a thick caulk of black tar and rope to keep water from between decks. This term came about either because sailors who slept on deck ended up with black lines across their backs or simply because sailors laying down on deck were as horizontal as the caulk of the deck itself.

To go on account - A pleasant term used by pirates to describe the act of turning pirate. The basic idea was that a pirate was more "free lance" and thus was, more or less, going into business for himself.

Warp - To move (a vessel) by hauling on a line that is fastened to or around a piling, anchor, or pier.

Weigh anchor - To haul the anchor up; more generally, to leave port.

Ye - you

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

Reference:

https://www.pirateglossary.com/

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some-pers0n · 4 months

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Memoir of an Albatross

Chapter 1 - The Legacy of a Monster

[1] [2]

(Art by Loquatic)

Chapter Description: Turtle and the Jade Winglet have decided to spend a night at the long forgotten Island Palace. Turtle is petrified. This is where Albatross, the mass murdering animus, had killed dozens. But, late into the night, he spots something strange.

The Island Palace was quite possibly the last place Turtle wanted to visit. Why would he? It remains as a scar on Pyrrhia, a reminder of the dangerous potential of animus magic. A stain on the Sea Kingdom's history of what happens when animus magic goes unchecked.

Albatross was not a dragon Fathom wanted to be. A mad dragon. A terrifying murderer. An animus who could not control his own magic. Simply thinking about him made his stomach churn. Knowing that it was a possibility he could end up like Albatross horrified him. He would be better than that monster.

So, hearing that the Jade Winglet wanted to spend a night at the Island Palace was definitely something he was not interested in doing.

Unfortunately, Qibli and Kinkajou were firm in their decision to do just that.

"Oh come on," Qibli said, "it's only one night!"

"We shouldn't...be here," Turtle mumbled. "Isn't this disrespectful? I mean, we are just going to run around in a place where so...so many dragons lost their lives."

"And? It's not like they're alive to see it. They've been dead for a long, long, LONG time," Kinkajou called out. "Who cares? It's going to be fun! Trust us."

"It's supposed to be scary anyway. It's Faust's Hallow. Wouldn't it be a little fun to spend it at some creepy old palace? We rarely get together nowadays, and besides, didn't Queen Coral give us permission for this? Turtle, this is our one chance!"

Turtle reluctantly looked at her, sighing. "If you say so..."

He was never fond of Faust's Hallow. It was a biannual "celebration" of one of the forgotten brother of Imperial, Oracle, and Perception. As the NightWing legend goes, while the other dragons ascended into the night sky to become the moons, Faust remained. He was tied to the world with his earthly connections. Thus, becoming the first-ever spirit. It was the basis for SandWing spirituality, so to say that Qibli was interested in it was most definitely an understatement.

Turtle on the other talon? Well, all he could think about was death and horror. His older brothers took joy in dressing up as ghosts and scaring the living daylights out of the younger ones. Not to also mention the constant imagery of skeletons and mourning, with Coral always having a memorial for her lost daughters.

Then, of course, Albatross himself. The reason they were coming here. A legend was that Albatross's spirit had never passed on. That his soul remained at the Island Palace, restless and still just as mad as the day he died. There had been stories of overly curious and confident dragonets running home after an encounter with Albatross at the Island Palace. But, those were just silly rumours. Little myths. That's what it is, certainly.

Albatross wasn't there. How could he be? Well, the story of Faust was based on him wandering the continent for eternity. Perhaps, maybe- no. It's a made-up story. Turtle wasn't going to fall for some sort of story his brothers would tell to scare him. He already had enough sleepless nights, filled with anxiety and worry over the concept of Albatross still being around.

He's not. He's dead. This was just going to be a nice, if a bit restless, night out in the ruins of the abandoned Island Palace. He will not be scared.

They touched down on the beach around it. If Turtle remembered correctly, this was the Sunrise Beach. It was empty, completely devoid of any sort of life. The palace in front of them was crumbling and tattered. The lavish white walls were discoloured and washed out from weathering an impossible amount of storms. It was covered in moss and sea flora, with barnacles growing on the base of the palace. The light of the setting sun basked the palace in an ominous glow of oranges and purples.

A deep, horrible feeling persisted within Turtle. It made him aware of the light sensation in his claws. The tiny burning from within. Only a little ways away, tragedy had taken place. Two thousand years ago, Albatross, his great-grandfather, slaughtered twenty dragons. He carries the same power he does. Even right now, he could kill all of his friends. One stray thought and who knows what would happen.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Kinkajou bounced ahead. "We've got a whole palace to explore! I call looking on the upper floors with Moon!"

"Wh- me? Uh...okay then?" She stepped forward, following after her. "See you, I guess?" She waved to Qibli and Turtle before disappearing off into the courtyard.

"So, that just leaves me and you." Qibli rested his wing on Turtle, pulling him closer.

"Hurray..."

"Where you wanna go? If they're going up, let's check out the ground floor. Gardens. See some cool old statues that've been crumbling from age."

"What fun..."

Qibli frowned. "Hey, look. I know you're a bit freaked out. You didn't really want to come here. I'm sorry for dragging you along. But, I promise it'll be fun! There's nothing here to hurt any of us. Even if Albatross is still floating around somewhere, I'll be there protecting all of you." He raised his tail, showing off his obsidian-black barb.

Turtle awkwardly chuckled. "I don't think you can really stab a spirit."

"Are you saying I've never fought a spirit before?" the SandWing grinned confidently. "I'll have you know that, as Queen Thorn's personal guard and adoptive son, I had to fend off armies of spirits. Vengeful ghosts of dragons. Such is the way of being queen, I suppose. Anyways, I just need to fight them. Give them the ol' one-two. Beat 'em off with a stick." He swung his arm, mimicking hitting something.

He laughed, feeling his anxieties melt away. Qibli looked back at him, a soft, genuine smile on his face. "Feel a bit better?" He patted him on the back. "Right, let's go exploring."

The experience was dampened by Turtle's constant anxiety, but even then he couldn't doubt the majesty of the palace. Despite its decaying state, it was beautiful. Quiet, with only the sounds of waves crashing in the distance and the gentle trill of the breeze blowing through. Roaming the vast, empty halls was an experience to say the least.

It made him picture the nights that happened in this palace. Legends say that it was originally used for diplomats to rest, but also for parties and special occasions. Turtle, having the soul of a writer, felt his mind wander as he imagined the sorts of stories that would've spawned from such a place. The balls and weddings. The ceremonies and speeches.

...then, of course, there's the massacre, but Turtle would still rather not think about that.

After a long while of exploring through forgotten gardens, they reached the main gathering room. It was central to the rest of the palace, with several collapsed balconies around it. Dried-up ponds and steams littered the floor. In the middle of it all was a large, grand statue of a SeaWing. Despite the ruin around it all, the statue remained somewhat intact. Turtle could even make out the royal blue of which it used to be.

Off to the side was a large archway leading out onto the other beach. The setting sun was just about on the cusp of the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and yellows. The sapphire blue ocean pulled in and out rhythmically. It was as though it was the sea's own heartbeat.

"Woah..." he whispered, awestruck.

"Sure don't see places like this too often." Qibli walked ahead, eyes glazing over every detail.

"Hey!" a voice called from ahead. Turtle looked up, seeing Moon and Kinkajou on a balcony.

"What did you find?" Kinkajou asked.

"Not much. Bunch of gardens. Cool statues in them though," Qibli said. "How about you?"

"Bunch of old bedrooms," Moon replied. "Kinkajou thought she could find some treasure still. Checked all over. Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like it," Qibli said, "palace has been picked clean for centuries. Any chance for any sort of gems are probably all lost."

"Yeah..." Turtle quietly said. "Is anybody else feeling a little tired? Like they don't want to explore a big ruined palace that a bunch of dragons died in anymore and just sleep?"

The SandWing laughed. "I don't know about that."

"I'm feeling a little tired myself," said Moon. "It's been a long day of flying. I can probably lay down with Turtle if you don't mind."

"Oh come onnnn guys!" Kinkajou wined. "This is supposed to be a cool adventure for us! Sleep? Bleh! Gross! I want to stay up all night and look for all of these ghosts. It'll be fun!"

"I know, but...I just want to rest. Besides, this was all mostly for you two anyways." Moon opened her wings, flying down to the ground floor. "Sorry for being disappointingly boring..."

"No, no! It's all good." Qibli waved them off. "It's fine, really. Kinkajou and I can stay up and face those spirits ourselves. Buuutttt if you hear us screaming and calling out for help as we're being chased by a very scary old murderer dragon, you wouldn't mind helping us out, right?"

Moon and Turtle chuckled. "No, not at all." She turned her attention to Turtle. "I guess we can settle down here. I doubt we'll find a blanket of some kind."

"Ah, so we have to lie on the cold, hard floor."

"Yes, probably."

"Hey, if it'll make it up to you, I could try and find something. There's gotta be a stash of blankets that are still around," Qibli said, lifting himself into the air.

"Even after two thousand years?" Turtle asked.

"Worth a shot!" He shrugged, flying up to Kinkajou. "See ya around." He dipped his head before wandering back into the palace with the RainWing, leaving them both to themselves.

"Well, see you in the morning." Moon walked in a circle, patting the ground before lying down.

"Hey, quick question," Turtle said, "do you feel scared?"

Moon tapped her claws. "A little."

"You aren't just saying that to make me feel better, right?"

"Of course! It's just that, you know, being alone in a big palace. Makes me think about Darkstalker and that whole...thing." She sighed. "I know you're freaked out too."

"It's nothing, really. I'm just a little anxious over nothing. Spirits don't last forever, right? They move on. Pass onto some new stage of life we can't even comprehend. I doubt that he would still be here."

"He isn't, and, well, if he is, then we'll do everything to protect you."

Turtle glanced at his talons. There was a gentle tingling within them, a feeling he had only noticed when his magic was briefly taken away. "You shouldn't need to protect me."

"Hm?"

"I have magic, don't I? I should be able to protect myself. I should be the one protecting you in case something goes wrong."

"Nothing's going to happen though."

"I know, but, I still feel like I should be using it in case things happen. Stop being so scared of it. But..."

"But you don't want to end up like Albatross?" Moon asked.

He smacked his lips. "Yeah, pretty much."

She exhaled. "I'm sorry. But, it'll be a nice night, I'm sure. We can just sit and sleep if that makes you happy. The night will pass and we can listen to Kinkajou and Qibli and their adventures in the morning."

"That sounds nice." Turtle laid down next to her, yawning before resting his head against the marble floor. It'll be fine. He just has to sleep. When morning breaks, it'll all be over. When morning comes, Albatross will be gone.

He didn't know what time it was when he woke up. All he knew was that it was dark. Pitch black. Turtle blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the night around him.

He didn't wake up from some nightmare or anything. He didn't dream much these days. Instead, he felt a presence around him. A shift in the air. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was uncomfortable enough to drag him out of his sleep.

Around him were the rest of the group. Kinkajou and Moon were huddled together while Qibli held his wing over Turtle. Looks like the hunt for a ghost didn't turn out so well if they were all asleep here.

He wiggled out from under there, slowly rising to his feet. He looked around, trying to see if it was just his paranoid imagination or if there was really something amiss.

Then, off in the distance, he noticed something. A dim light. A faint glow out by the ocean up ahead.

Immediately, Turtle's stomach dropped. His mind instantly went to the worst thing possible. It was him. He was here and he was going to kill them all. Why would there be glowing right there if not for being the aura of some spirit?

No, no... It's fine. Deep breaths. It's all okay. It's probably a moonlight jellyfish. They glow in the dark. Maybe it washed up on the shore. He could help it out a little. If he did that, then maybe he'd realize there was nothing to be scared of. That there is no ghost. No dangerous, vengeful spirit of a long-dead murderer.

He steadied himself as he walked forward. He repeated to himself over and over that he's got nothing to worry about. It's all okay. He walked up to the edge of the archway, right before his talons would touch the sand.

It was a glowing dragon with a massive spear plunged right through its neck.

His weight slipped beneath his talons and he fell forward. He tried to quickly turn around and fly, but, clumsy as he was, he tumbled and was now barreling towards it. He rolled along the sand like the most terrified armadillo to walk this continent before finally stopping. He froze completely. Paralyzed. His heart pounded against his chest as he tried to comprehend what to do.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting for an attack that never came, he sheepishly looked up.

Gazing back at him were two eyes, darker than the night around them. Their scales were a sickening pale grey. The most eye-catching thing of all was the silver spear that was lodged in his throat. Its hilt was stinking out one end, with the blade poking out the other. Faded stains of blood were dotted around his body, the most being around where the spear had hit him. Outlining the body was a gentle blue light that flicked like a lit candle.

The two stayed like that, staring. Turtle did not dare to blink, fearing that one small movement would instantly set him off. This was him. This was Albatross.

"Fathom?" the spirit asked. His voice was calm, if rather confused and surprised. "No, you can't be him. Fathom must have died ages ago. You're someone new. Someone in his likeness."

"...please don't kill me..." Turtle squeaked. He wanted to say something with more meaning. Cast a spell or anything. Yet, he was trapped in his fear. He couldn't think.

Albatross's expression dimmed. "Right. You must be terrified of me. I was so distracted by you looking like my grandson that I forgot about that horrible, horrible night. That night which made me what I am now." He tapped the spear. "Though, I do think you're the one to last the longest when seeing me. Most run. Maybe they'll throw something at me or try attacking me. Never works. Can't exactly kill a ghost, now can you?" He quietly laughed.

Turtle tried speaking again, but all that came out were mere whimpers.

"Goodness, you're petrified of me. I mean, anybody would. I haven't left the palace since the day I died, but I know enough to understand. I've been there when visitors come around. They steal the things out of my own house, cursing me and what I've done. It's upsetting to know what I am remembered as, but I don't blame you for being scared. I don't blame anybody. I should be condemned for what happened."

He finally shut his mouth. The more Turtle looked at Albatross, slowly, the less fearful he was. Granted, he was still very much horrified, but there was an air to the way the spirit spoke that resonated with him. That he was being genuine.

This wasn't what he expected. He pictured Albatross, the mad animus, as a being of chaos that the world has never seen. Some dark, twisted dragon who could barely control himself. He was imagining him to be vicious, bloodthirsty, and wanting nothing more than to kill.

Instead, he seemed mournful. He spoke warmly. There was reason and understanding in his body language. Even if it was idiotic, Turtle let his guard down somewhat.

"How...what..." he stammered.

"How am I here? I couldn't tell you myself. I've never read that much on spirituality and ghosts. But, I'm the only one left here. The rest have all gone away. Yet, I remain. I'm bound to this palace. I can't leave. If there was a way, I would've found it years ago. Then maybe I wouldn't be here, scaring you."

"You sound...sad," Turtle blurted out.

Albatross snorted. "Pff, do I really? I didn't know I sounded so melancholic. I haven't had anybody to talk to in ages. You're good company. Thank you for listening to an old sea dragon ramble, even if you're still scared. I know it's not much to you, but I promise I mean no harm. I've never meant harm. Ever. It's just..." He glanced away, breaking eye contact. "I was emotional. I had no excuse. I let my own instincts and desires take over my own better wishes. Despite doing everything right and trying my hardest to avoid it, it still happened."

He looked back at Turtle. "I'm sorry for what I've done for our tribe. You can run away now. I'll just be happy I had somebody to talk to, even if it was a one-way conversation." He smiled a crinkly, awkward smile.

Turtle stared. Then, he made what should've been the stupidest decision of his life:

He stood up but did not flee. He sat there. "My name is Turtle," he said quietly.

"Turtle?" he echoed. "You aren't flying away screaming?"

"Not unless you give me a reason to, I guess?"

"Isn't looking at a dragon who's killed dozens of dragons in one night enough of a reason?"

"It...should be, but I'm not that scared of you. You seem too sad to hurt me."

"Hurt you? I'd never do that! My magic is limited. I can't do much besides lift some rocks and play around with the water." He waved his talons. Behind him, a small amount of water rose into the air, shaping and twisting into the shape of a bird. A seagull.

"Even if I could do more, I wouldn't dare to hurt another soul. I've already done enough damage," he continued.

"You confused me for Fathom earlier. Your grandson, right?"

"Yes, Fathom." Albatross's eyes narrowed. "You have the wing patterns. You're royalty as well?"

He nodded. "...and I am also an animus."

He barked a laugh. "Really? I've never believed in reincarnation, but you're the spitting image of Fathom if I've ever seen it."

Turtle shuffled his talons. "Thanks. I got that once before."

"Hm? By who?"

"A big evil NightWing who wanted to kill the entire IceWing tribe. He was friends with Fathom as well. How did I meet him if he was alive two thousand years ago? It's a long story."

"Don't we all have long stories to tell." Albatross turned his back to Turtle, staring back at the ocean. "If you don't mind, may you sit next to me? I enjoy watching the sea."

Turtle hesitated, but he followed. He joined the spirit.

It was a tranquil night. A clear sky, the moons beaming down in their full glory. The cool salty breeze brushed against Turtle. Strangely enough, he felt at peace. He never would've thought in a million years he'd say that when right beside him is the ghost of Albatross, but what can you do?

"I'm sorry if this is selfish," Albatross began, "but do you have the time to listen to an old dragon's story?"

"Huh?"

"You seem like a wonderful dragon, Turtle. You're far too sweet than what I deserve. I apologize if it's a bit much, considering how I am still a murderer in your eyes, but could you listen to me tell my story?"

"Your story?"

"My life. Nobody ever heard about it. They only see me as a monster. I am, but I can't help but want something else. I want to tell at least one dragon about it. Set it all straight. Pour my heart out if only to get everything that's been festering inside me out into the world."

"That'd be alright. I like stories."

"It's not a very happy story. There's a lot of tragedy. Too much, now that I think about it. I'm sorry."

"No no! It's alright. I do want to hear it. What life was like for you," he said.

Albatross cracked another smile. "Thank you..." He sounded as though he was fighting back tears.

He waved his talons, the water rising once more. "I suppose I should start it when it all went wrong." The water slowly began to shift into the form of a dragon. "The day when I discovered my magic."

#Anyways I'm probably gonna post the second chapter tomorrow :)#See ya then #Hope you all enjoy this little prologue of sorts #wof #wings of fire #albatross wof #turtle wof #wings of fire fanfic #wof fanfic #sp-writing

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sadhours · 26 days

Note

Billy and Steve kinda drunk at Tina’s stupid party, decide to smoke a j together and end up jerking each other off because you know, they’re not gay and anything more would just be too gay 😉

I really fucking love these two, thank you for this request.

cw: 18+ minors dni, smut, they uh jerk each other off, it’s not gay I swear, drug and alcohol use

💟💟💟💟💟

“She said I’m bullshit,” Steve mumbles, “That we’re bullshit.”

Why the fuck he’s saying this to the new guy who stalked up to him with his chest puffed as their first interaction, he isn’t sure. But it’s been a few hours since Nancy basically broke up with him and left with Byers. And Steve was just gonna go home. He hadn’t drank before then, planned on staying relatively sober for the night but that went out the window when he passed a bottle of vodka on his way out. Drank about half of it before he stumbled downstairs in the basement and found who other than Billy Hargrove, Hawkins new Keg King as the fucks he used to call his friends gloated about seconds after Hargrove took the record out from under Steve.

Hargrove was by himself. Sat on the couch Tina’s mother decided was out of fashion and retired to the finished basement. Looks like it’s mostly meant for storage. Loads of boxes. Steve was coming down here to be alone. Get a second to breathe. Asked Billy what the hell he was down here for and turns out, for the same thing. Then he held up a rather fat joint and asked King Steve to join him.

Half a joint and the rest of the vodka bottle later, Steve’s venting to the new King Asshole.

“Girls’ are bullshit,” Billy says with a strained voice, holding the skunky weed smoke in his lungs. Exhales. Looks cool and it annoys Steve, cause he used to care about looking cool and he wishes that didn’t change. At least he didn’t hurt inside this much then. Billy passes the joint back, “They’re only good for one thing and honestly, they ain’t that fucking super at that either.”

Steve’s inclined to agree, mostly out of hurt. Maybe shit would’ve been easier for him if he did to Nancy what he’s done to all the other girls he’s been with. Unfortunately, he liked her.

“She wasn’t,” he huffs, “I mean— Nancy’s great.”

Billy snorts, leans back and wraps an arm around Steve’s shoulders. He smells like some musky cologne, beer and cigarettes. But Steve kind of likes looking at him and he’s not sure why.

“Bitch dumped you,” Billy whispers, leaning close to Steve like this is some big secret, “You’re allowed to be mad at her. Granted, I don’t know what the fuck you did but King Steve, you’re a senior in high school. Bitches come and go.”

Steve huffs again and sits back, ‘cause he can’t argue without explaining a whole bunch of weird, confusing shit he doesn’t even completely understand himself to a complete stranger. He rubs his palms against his eyes, wants them to stop stinging. Billy’s being nice now but again, he’s a stranger. And if Tommy’s clinging to him like a stubborn barnacle, he’s probably not all that kind. There was something in his eyes when he stared Steve down earlier that was scary. Because Steve didn’t understand it. If he wanted to kick Steve’s ass, he could’ve but he didn’t. Just stared at him like he wanted something out Steve but Steve still can’t figure out what.

“Sorry— I shouldn’t be whining about this shit to you,” Steve laughs, awkwardly, “I don’t even know you.”

“But I know you,” Billy replies with a smirk.

“Y-you do?” Steve looks back to Billy with hesitation, perhaps even a little fearful.

Billy nods slowly, lips pursed with the joint hanging from them. Plucks the paper from his lips and passes it back to Steve as he says, “You’re all these boring fucks care about. King Steve is the only thing they can talk about. Barely been here but I know all about you.”

Steve likes this fact but he also feels guilty that he likes that, because he isn’t supposed to care about the whole popularity thing anymore. He even blushes hearing it, shakes his head and takes the joint. Takes a small pull and passes it back because he’s already too stoned and school’s gonna be hell tomorrow.

“Yikes,” he says and Billy laughs, cruel and deep in his belly and it makes Steve feel uneasy. But he likes sitting on this couch down here, hidden behind stacks of boxes. Labeled things like XMAS DECORATIONS and TINA’S SUMMER CLOTHES.

“They like you still,” Billy whispers, smoothes his fingers down the back of Steve’s neck. Gives him chills but he doesn’t move.

“Wanna forget about her?” Billy asks then, “Just for right now?”

“Yes,” Steve chokes out in spite of how his brain’s firing off about how this is weird and he should be getting home. But mom and dad are out of town again. And he does wanna forget about Nancy. Wants to get this hurt out of his chest.

Billy’s hand drops to Steve’s lap, he pulls another drag from the joint and exhales the smoke in Steve’s face. His hands barely moving but Steve can feel it. And maybe it’s the smoke making his head feel all fuzzy and his body feel all warm. His dick’s getting hard. Because Billy Hargrove is feeling him up over his Levi’s.

His palm pushes a little harder on Steve’s crotch, his eyes look straight ahead as he finishes off the joint. Pinches the cherry between his fingers before he tosses it to the floor. Steve watches it and then looks straight ahead like Billy does. Next, Billy grabs Steve’s wrist and pulls his hand to Billy’s tight jeans. Drops it in his lap. And Steve’s filled with a curiosity he’s never felt before. He starts rubbing Billy’s crotch. He kind of wants to look at Billy’s face but he’s scared to. Keeps his eyes trained on a rolled up rug in the corner of the room.

The pressure of Billy’s palm on his cock feels nice. It’s easy to focus on it. Weed’s always made Steve a little frisky. Everything just feels hotter. Kissing feels better, eating pussy is funner and it makes his cock like, a million times more sensitive. So he’s fully torqued in his jeans. Feels like Billy is too. Which weirdly enough, turns Steve on even more and his hips kind of roll up into Billy’s touch. And it has to be the weed that makes Steve whine. He’s trying to ignore that it’s Billy’s hand on him but he can’t, really. Gives himself a moment to glance down at his hand on Billy’s lap and finds that Billy has some pretty seriously defined abs. And it’s real weird that he likes them. Definitely the weed.

Soon enough, Billy’s unbuttoning Steve’s jeans and Steve moves to help get them down his thighs, along with his underwear. His cock pops out, bounces and hangs. Billy’s also pulling his pants and underwear down and then he’s spitting on his hand and wrapping his fingers around Steve’s cock.

Steve whimpers from the wet touch, eyes rolling back in his head as his hips stutter up. Billy’s voice is quiet and strained when he asks, “Thinking about her?”

“No,” Steve confesses, looks down at where Billy’s languidly stroking him and it’s odd seeing another man’s hand wrapped around his cock. Not odd enough to stop this, though. He returns the favor, spits a glob of saliva into his palm and smears it over Billy’s thick cock. Squeezes at the base, curls his hand on the upstroke. Billy lets out a sweet, breathy noise that Steve likes a lot. Different than a girls’ moan but just as pretty, he thinks.

Steve gasps when Billy squeezes his cock a little tighter and speeds up his strokes. Quick and firm. Steve mirrors it with his own hand on Billy. Steve stares down at his own crotch, Billy does the same. The pair of ‘em gasping and moaning softly. Steve comes first, a mess on his thighs and Billy’s fist. And the blonde strokes him through it. Steve’s whimpering and it’s pretty damn pathetic the way his hips cant up in the air. Billy’s following suit soon after, jerking his hips up as he fucks Steve’s fist.

The boys sit back, hands loose around softening dicks as they pant. Steve looks down at the mess in his lap, not sure how to clean it. He glances around the room but there’s not much in here. Just the couch and boxes. So Steve leans forward, shucks off his blazer and uses that to soak up the cooling cum on his thighs and hand. Hands to Billy before pulling up his briefs and pants. And this whole interaction has sobered him up. The realization that he and the new guy have just jerked each other off in Tina’s fucking basement hits him hard and Steve needs to leave. So he does. Without a word to the guy.

Worst part, at basketball practice the next day. Both of them wildly hungover. Billy crowds behind Steve and says, “Harrington, right? Heard you used to run this school, that true?” like he didn’t just jerk him off the night before.

#billy x steve #harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #Billy Hargrove x steve Harrington #Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove #harringrove smut #request

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ashensgrotto · 9 months

Text

A Merfolk's Melody (Part 4)

Characters: Yan!Floyd x Reader, Yan!Jade x Reader, Yan!Azul x Reader

Word Count: 13.5 k

Intro Floyd Leech Jade Leech Azul Ashengrotto (You Are Here) Epilogue

Synopsis: The sea always calls to those who feel lost and alone, wanting to fill the empty part of their soul until they are loved and full… and as such, it’s only fair that the strange creatures that live beneath its depths would want the same as well…

Author’s Note: Another 4-part fanfiction courtesy of @merakiui ‘s headcanon of the reader being stuck in a room/wall (I’m sorry, but I just enjoy your headcanons and they always give me these ideas) -> https://www.tumblr.com/merakiui/722393818829373440/in-addition-to-being-stuck-in-a-locked-room?source=share & https://www.tumblr.com/merakiui/722677892623056896/about-the-stuck-in-a-wall-trope-in-the-oceani?source=share

Here’s how it’s going to work: each character is going to get their own part following the intro. It is going to focus on the Octrio again (bc it’s my current liking, sorry guys). If you want to read a certain character’s part, feel free to jump around and select the one you’re most interested in.

Again, as stated before, this is a work of fiction; I disagree with any and all behaviors that are represented in this story.

****

Memories of childhood that often replay in one’s mind had pros and cons; the pros being that of a fond memory, a happy memory filled with joy, wonder, and excitement… the cons being that of a horrible memory, a dark memory filled with anger, hate, and disgust.

One of these memories was often one from when you were approximately six or seven; you had been at the tide pools on the far side of the beaches and away from the cabin by the sea. Your friends had left for the day, promising to come and play with you tomorrow morning - allowing yourself a bit of breathing space as you watched the little creatures that lived in the tide pools. Small crabs scuttled from one small pool to the other while starfish rested along with the barnacles and sea urchins against the multicolored stones and shells that lined within the pools. You would reach out and stroke the creatures - mainly out of curiosity, but also because you didn’t want them to think you were going to hurt them.

As wonderful as it was - as adorable as it was - a shadow always surrounded it.

Five children - maybe two or three years older than you - would often come to the shoreline, not to play, but to torment the little creatures that lived in the tide pools - the same ones you often played at. They would laugh and tease you, calling you a bilge rat or a strumpet, sometimes throwing small pebbles at you or kicking sand into your eyes. Then, they would snatch the little crabs and starfish out of their pools, dangling the poor creatures around as they slowly dried out - other times flinging the defensive animals out into the open waters, teasing that they were feeding their ‘beloved shark’ that lived in the open waters. You would cry and beg for them to leave them alone - wishing harder and harder each day for them to leave you and the little creatures in the tide pools alone.

And as the memory fades into the background, you could’ve sworn you saw your tormentor’s faces shift from glee to fright in a matter of seconds… and tentacles black as ebony appeared in the corner of your vision.

The memory, regardless if it was real or an illusion conjured by a dream, often played in the background of your mind following your boyfriend’s betrayal - the unwanted trigger that made it replay over and over again like a bad film you had seen countless times; and it was because of that unwanted trigger that your body floated down into the waters of the sea, pulling you into a much larger version of your little tide pools.

Rocks and sand dusted the bottom of the crashing waves while large patches of seagrass waved at you with the tide, the water murky and hard to distinguish anything beyond the length of your arm. Sand and pebbles floated around you as each push from your legs forced the water to kick up more sand and pebbles along with the occasional crushed or abandoned seashell floating in the murky depths.

Opaleyes and Clingfish swam among the reeds and seagrasses, darting to and from as your shadow passed over them, while the heads of monkeyface eels peered out from between rocks that scattered here and there on the ocean floor. Crabs and shrimp of different colors and sizes scuttled to and from along those rocks, their eyes shifting about as if waiting and watching for something while the occasional little octopus floated from stone to stone - one coming up to latch to your hand as it's little suckers poked at your skin before swimming away. Starfish lounged on the rocks where barnacles grew and sea urchins rolled slowly across the sandy floors.

It was beautiful in its own way - calm and comforting.

However, there seemed to be a lingering fear that surrounded the area - a sense that something much more dangerous than any sea creature that lurked in the depths of the ocean was around. You would often look over your shoulder before ascending to the surface, intaking a big gulp of air before diving back downward - unknown to you that you were being followed and watched. Had you looked over your shoulder twice before each ascent, you may have seen several large appendages floating in the water as well as a set of sea blue eyes watching you from the tall seagrass beneath you - following close behind you and waiting to make their move.

As you took another plunge, you decided to use this time to look for a seashell as the ocean had lulled you to a state of calmness before returning to the surface - perhaps you could find a nice one to give to your coworker who had been so supportive of you during your time of need over the past month and a half. You drew close to the sea grass, your hands curling into the grass as your fingers traced the sand, searching for a seashell that would be a perfect gift.

You had often collected them as a child and given them to your friends - they were relatively easy to find, often washing up on the shore as many were remains from a seagull’s supper. Remains of clams, cowries, and scallops often were found and strung on string, creating bracelets that were sold in souvenir shops along with conch shells, lightning whelks, and shells of shark eyes. However, one the most prominent shells that you had harbored in your possession had been a nautilus shell - silver-white in color and was about the size of a half-dollar coin. They were rare to come by - especially on the shorelines where the Nautilidae, the creature who lived within these shells, were out in deeper waters; the shell had been a gift from one of your friends, saying that it was a good luck charm. You always kept the shell close, strung on a braided string that clung to your wrist and went everywhere you went - the shell a reminder that not everyone was as they seemed. However - the bracelet had disappeared many years ago before you left for college, a heavy tide snatching it from your wrist never to be seen again.

Perhaps you would find it again as you explored another part of the sea grass - searching for the perfect shell for your co worker. As you searched in another area, your legs kicked a little too close to the seagrass as a strand wrapped around your ankle.

You kicked your leg again to remove said strand but the strand held on tighter and… became thicker?

You looked toward your leg and saw an obscenely large tentacle wrapped around you and slowly traveling up your leg. It was pitch black in the murky depths with an underbelly lavender-gray in color - multiple suckers nearly the color of lilac kissed your skin, leaving pale red circular marks along your foot, ankle, and calf. You pulled at your leg, but another tentacle appeared, wrapping around your other leg as two more gripped at your waist. You jerked and struggled before a soft voice spoke.

"Stop fighting me, angelfish…"

Your head snapped up, feeling your lips part as your eyes met pale sea blues and horizontal pupils.

Before you, entangled within seagrass and seaweed, was an octomer.

Octomers were typically shy merfolk that preferred the shelter of large caves - or grottos - much like how their octopus counterparts were, hiding in the dark crevices as they watched and waited for prey to come by and avoiding interaction with other sea creatures. The reasoning behind this was rumors and speculation of them being casted out by the merfolk due to their heritage and greediness - possessive to the point of suffocation - and were believed to be vain about their appearances; many of them were rumored to host beautifully colored tentacles in oranges, blues, yellows, reds, and purples. Some were also in shades of pale grays and browns and often used camouflage to help blend into their surroundings. Legends of octomers were also rare and the only one you had been told about was one who granted wishes - living in the darkest part of the sea off the coast of your little oceanic village and would come to the shorelines to make deals on behalf of the sea itself.

As much as octomers were fascinating as they were an oddity and rarity in legends and among merfolk, they were also quite deadly. It was no secret that many octopi were poisonous - with enough venom to potentially kill a man within minutes if not treated like the blue-ringed octopi that lived in the tide pools and coral reefs. Legend stated that some octomers also hosted this venom - holding the venom in sacks that were hidden within their mouths instead of the beak that hid under their tentacles, though no one knew for sure. They may be solitary creatures, but that did not mean they would back down when placed with a problem before them as they were also intelligent beyond a doubt - having the existence of nine brains at their disposal.

And the one before you seemed to know exactly what it wanted.

The octomer before you was absolutely stunning - silvery skin with a kiss of pale lavender covered his facial features, chest and hands while his neck, sides, arms, and hips were painted black with little scales of deep dove gray littered the parts of his shoulders and tentacles. Eyes of pale sea blue glowed in the murky depths as silvery hair sparkled like starlight under the sun’s rays that cut through the shifting water. Strong cheekbones defined his face, a strong nose and thin jaw made him appear all-knowing; thin lips pressed together, a little black mole perched beneath - a little beauty mark that would be the envy of many. The gills on his sides fluttered in anticipation before his eyes flashed, brow furrowing as two more of his tentacles snapped upward - one wrapping around your waist and the other pressing over your eyes.

“Don’t look at me!” the octomer hissed, his voice softening, “Please… don’t look at me, angelfish… I can’t bare for you to see me like this…”

You were struggling against him now - unsure of what the octomer wanted from you and why he was now so entangled by you. Surely, you had never met before… right?

So, why did that nickname sound so familiar?

You felt the octomer shudder against you as you struggled, his grip tightening onto your form, “Angelfish… why do you keep fighting me? Did you… forget me?”

You wanted to say that you had no idea what he was talking about, nor did you know who he was - maybe he was confused and mistaken you for someone else. However, you really couldn’t at the risk of losing the air in your lungs that you were desperate to hang onto.

“You couldn’t have… you promised you wouldn’t!” The octomer was now becoming desperate - though you couldn’t see it, you were certain tears had started to form in his eyes as you felt his hands grip your arms, leaving bruises as his grip tightened, bringing you close to his face as he practically screamed, “You promised! You promised you would never leave me behind! And yet… you did.”

His voice became sour then, practically murmuring, “... I suppose I should do something about that, to keep you with me until your last breath…”

You felt something dig into your neck - something sharp and painful as bubbles broke passed your lips in a scream as a fire erupted under your skin - your body suddenly locking up and forcing you to remain still before something was pressed to your lips.

“Be a good friend and test this little concoction out for me,” you heard the octomer whisper against the shell of your ear, “This… will help with that problem of yours.”

As soon as the liquid hit your tongue, you wanted to regurgitate - push it out and back into the bottle that was pressed into your mouth. Lips and fingers pressed against your neck, stroking and kissing as the unknown liquid eventually made its way down your throat, making you gasp as something rattled within your core. A sharp nose ran along your neck, skin suddenly thinning and lifting like fish gills as lips pressed against them - one on each side.

“Ah… how beautiful, angelfish,” the octomer whispered against your ear again as a shiver ran along your spine, “They turned out marvelously - just as I expected… perfect for my wonderful, sweet angelfish…”

You tried struggling against him again, but your body was still trapped by the bite and by his tentacles. You whimpered softly in fear as the octomer continued to kiss your neck, his teeth scraping the edges.

“Don’t be afraid, angelfish… you know I would never hurt you. The venom will wear off and you’ll be a free fish again - but I do intend to keep you close, after all…” you felt his breath tickle the hair on your nape as bubbles caressed your skin, “...I would never hurt the person who accepted my love at first, nor accepted my wedding gift…”

You felt something small and familiar wrap around your wrist - the familiar shape of the nautilus shell bracelet that had once been in your possession now returned to its rightful place on your wrist. A gasp sounded from you as lips pressed against yours before you felt the tickling sensation of seagrass surround you.

The octomer had pulled you close, his arms coming around to hold you close to him as his lips danced across your still eye-covered features, pulling you into the seagrass to keep you hidden from the rest of the aquatic life that existed around you. Tentacles trailed around you, moving and shifting as the little suckers that ranged from the size of small pebbles to large stones kissed your skin, marking you with bruises and as the octomer’s possession. Your body could not fight the venom that was still coursing through you, keeping you still as the mer worked you over, lips trailing from your face to your neck and to the top of you chest as hands and tentacles curled at the offensive clothing that kept the two of you separated.

He tore at the buttoned shirt you had slept in the night before, the fabric floating around you as the buttons sank to the bottom - his face burying itself in your chest and his hands trailed lower, pulling at the ties of your cotton shorts and ripping them apart as well in a desperate longing to have you bare beneath him. Bubbles containing sighs and gasps left your lips, but your new gills provided by the octomer breathed in for you, fluttering with excitement at each touch and kiss that was pressed against your skin.

There was no preparation as something long and thin slipped into your folds between your legs, nothing prepared you for the heaviness that curled into your belly as multiple suckers kissed your entrance - bringing your body to life and weeping for the creature that had overpowered you. The tentacle that was wrapped around your eyes slowly released you, curling behind you to cushion you against the sandy bottom and the octomer’s hands rested on either side of you - his tentacles pulling and prodding at you, kissing your skin as his eyes glowed brighter as he took in your contorted features with every gasp and cry as his hectocotylus made its home within your body. He pressed his forehead against yours, moaning softly against you as you met each of his thrusts with your hips, gasping aloud.

“Oh… angelfish… look at you,” he moaned softly, a tentacle slipping between you to curl and press against your stomach, making you gasp, “Look at you with my marks… ah ha - I’ll have to do this every day… keep you covered with my markings… signs that you have been taken by me, and no one else…”

You whimper in want, the fire raging in your body pushing you closer and closer.

The octomer leans forward, kissing your ear and nibbling on the lobe softly as he whispers, “You… you remember don’t you? Our little promise… our little secret… Tell me… say my name, angelfish. Tell me my name… the one you gave me… what color are my eyes, angelfish?”

The words echoed in your haze-filled mind.

What color are my eyes?

What color are my eyes…

What color…

“Azul…” you whimper as his tentacles curl within your body, forcing your hips to snap forward and arching your back against the sand - creating a little cloud of debris.

“Yes, (Y/n)...” Azul whispers, lips digging into your skin, “Yes… my angelfish…”

***

Azul watched as he held you close - keeping you embraced in his octopot as he guarded you from the dangers outside, his tentacles still tracing over your body that was now plush with his eggs. You had fainted during the last round and although he still had more to give you, frightening him for a moment but quickly realizing you needed rest before you could take any more. He would hold onto the remaining eggs until you awoke - then he would take you again until every last egg was safe within you. Once that was complete, he would take you back to his cave - keep you hidden within a special room until the time came for the eggs to hatch.

It was hard to believe he had found you again after so long - a nearly forgotten promise reminding him of how much you meant to him.

He remembered the little girl on the shoreline, crying out as a group of boys tormented the little creatures within the tidepools, begging for them to stop. At first, he - the little octo-twerp - did not understand why you were crying, why you were so adamant about protecting creatures that were weaker than you. As he continued to watch you from his hiding spot with each passing day - and how you played with the Leech twins of all people - Azul slowly realized that you were a part of the sea, someone that was born human but had merfolk qualities. He admired your strength and cried at your weakness, wanting nothing to go to you and comfort you - he knew you better than you knew yourself, after all. It took courage on his end, but he approached you - nervous about his appearance.

At first, you were startled by his approach - most anyone would have been.

But, then, you smiled and asked if he knew Jade and Floyd - and thus the friendship between the four of you began. You all would play near the water, letting the waves crash over you and revealing their true forms to your eyes only - laughing as they splashed you and pulled you into the sounding waves. You would lounge in content by the tidepools, watching the little creatures as they lurked under the water and continued their daily lives. It was years later that Azul presented you the nautilus shell bracelet that would be your promise to him for a life together - just the two of you.

Then, you disappeared.

Jade and Floyd, who now worked with Azul as his eyes and ears in their part of the waters, indicated that your family had moved closer to inland - there was no way for the tides to reach you, nor for you to reach them. Azul had slumped for years, continuing his research and deciding to try to formulate a potion that would allow him to seek you out.

However, that was cut off when his mating urges began. All he could do was swim to shallow warmer waters, his thoughts only of you as he writhed in want and pain, so desperate to feel you beneath him - to hold him and never let him go.

It was lucky that you had swam out to open waters and had alerted him of your presence, a welcoming sight for the octomer who thought he had lost his whole world six years ago.

His gaze flicked from the entrance of the octopot to your form resting in his arms and tentacles - bubbles appearing as you inhaled and exhaled against him. Azul smiled and nuzzled the crown of your head with his cheek, content to have you by his side again.

“Sweet angelfish… stay with me, my darling… stay and be mine…”

#twisted wonderland #azul ashengrotto #yandere azul ashengrotto #yandere azul x reader #yandere #twst azul #azul ashengrotto x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere x reader #twst n/sfw #n/sfw

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octorosi · 10 months

Text

*Kwazii, tweek, and paani sneaking back into the octopod at 2 am*

Kwazii: “The captain can NOT know we were on a joy ride-“

Tweek: “I can’t believe you guys made me come with-“

Paani:”That was all kwaziI”

*Barnacles holding a cup of tea, turning around in a spinny chair while turning on a lamp*

Barnacles: “So, wanna explain?”

Kwazii, under his breath: “Shiiiitttt-“

Barnacles: “language, and okay. I’ll just use my source, paani?”

Paani, sweating: “Uhhhh- y-yes captain-?”

Barnacles: “Where were you guys at 12 in the morning dear?”

Paani: “UHHHH-“

Tweek: “CMON PAANI!”

Barnacles: “Cmon, I won’t be mad!”

Paani: “We were on a joy ride😿”

Kwazii: “CMON MATEY!”

Tweek: “awh-“

Barnacles: “okay, so what your going to do now is, your going to wash up, get changed, and go to bed, we have a long day tomorrow, okay?

All 3: “Yes, captainnnnnn”

Barnacles: “Good! Now goodnight.”

All 3: “Good night captain- *walking away*”

Barnacles: “:3, *sips tea* aw- it went cold-“

#rosi’s random rambles #captain barnacles #kwazii #octonauts #tweek #paani

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lullabyes22-blog · 3 months

Text

Snippet - Deep End - Mal de Mer

On mind-tricks and mothers.

Mal de Mer on AO3

Snippet:

"You're shaking," Silco says. His left palm lifts to curve itself over her bare shoulder. The thumb strokes a soft circle into the skin. "Let's get you inside."

"Inside?"

"The villa's only a short distance from the pier. There are guards stationed to escort us."

Mel nods. She absorbs little—but the warmth of his hand, she understands. The guests, in her peripheral vision, have begun to stir to their senses. She can sense the confusion that permeates the airwaves. The same emotions that cling to her, miasmic.

None of them, she thinks, were ready. Now, they've crossed the threshold to No Return.

"Are you able to stand?" Silco asks.

Mel nods again.

"Take my arm."

"I—I can walk on my own."

"Take it."

His tone brooks no argument. In a strange way, it's reassuring. The Crossing has altered everything. But not Silco. Wherever he goes, he remains the same.

The tide: immutable.

Taking a steadying breath, Mel straightens. The night wind whips at her hair, her dress. Her limbs seem to be made of gelatin; her mind a slurry of conflicting impulses.

But, also: exhilarated.

A strange subspecies of joy is spreading through her. Not the kind she experiences when her schemes are playing out to fine-tuned perfection. Something brighter, purer, undiluted.

A sense of homecoming.

As if reading her thoughts, Silco says, "A mild euphoria can follow the first Crossing. It will fade soon. Until then, I'd advise against letting the eyes wander."

"Why?"

"Hallucinations." He takes her elbow. "Best not to tempt fate."

"I—I see."

Mel wills the world back into focus. The guests, herded by the crew, have been ushered to the pier's end. Mel makes out the shape of a long rowboat, bobbing gently on the white-capped waves. The guests are being bundled into it. Blankets are distributed; thermoses of hot tea passed out.

Silco, his hand a loose latch on Mel's arm, leads her forward.

"Stay close," he cautions, "the boards are slippery."

Carefully, Mel wends her way along the pier. The path before her has a rippling quality: her balance is off. She focuses on mimicking Silco's sure-footed tread. Glimpsed from behind, she is struck by the slenderness of his silhouette. The spare cut of his torso; the tidy nip of his waist; the lithe swimmer's legs.

He's not a large man. And because he's not, he's always had to assert himself. To stay braced, every moment, against a world that will never be forgiving to those with less.

For the first time, Mel is hit by the full force of his fragility. How little of it he lets her see. How much of it she still doesn't know.

And how much, if she's honest, she longs to find out.

Then it happens.

A cry, loud and shrill, splits the night. Mel falters mid-step. In the frothing darkness of the waves, she catches a flash of dark flesh: a hand, clawing wildly up the pier's planks. Then a figure surges out in slithering increments. The moonlight, ghostly, traps itself in the bronzed contours of her musculature. Her eyes, a fiery gold, are locked on Mel. Her teeth, bared, are the color of old ivory.

Ambessa.

Her uniform is studded with pale encrustations of barnacles. The armor drips, water pattering across the floorboards. The wild gray corona of her hair is plastered to her skull. The rest of her: waterlogged as a sunken ship.

It's as if she's been dragged across the seven seas.

As if she's a revenant, risen from the dead.

At her throat, a necklace—the one belonging to the Ionian chieftain's daughter—jangles like a garland of bones. The dark glisten of blood limns the coral ornaments. Her features are streaked with it. Her expression: a naked rictus of bloodlust.

Half kraken, half killer.

"You," she spits.

Then she's lunging for Silco.

Mel acts on reflex. Her body shoves his aside. Cursing, Silco staggers off-kilter. His hand drops from Mel's arm. The moment it does, the planks skid from under her boots. Her thighs collide with the railing. Then she is toppling backward.

For a moment, she is weightless. Her body caught in zero gravity. Her mind, a free-floating mote.

Mel registers the details in a series of suspended snapshots: the moon, a hypnagogic smile, pinwheeling above; the stars, a thousand eyes, blinking in and out; Ambessa, a raging Fury, bearing down. Then gravity pulls. Mel's stomach plunges into her heels. Her arms fly outward. Her fingers claw empty air.

There is nothing to hold on to.

Only the Void's hungry inverse.

The Deep End.

Then, with a giddy quiver of gelatinous peristalsis, the moment erupts.

Mel, a shriek ripped from her lungs, drops.

The plunge is an instant; an eternity. The waves are a frenzied churn. The chill radiates, shockingly cold, and seizes her breath.

Mel has one final cogent thought: Silco.

Then, the water rises up, and swallows her whole.

#arcane #arcane league of legends #arcane silco #silco #forward but never forget/xoxo #forward (never forget)/xoxo #arcane mel #mel medarda #ambessa medarda #arcane ambessa #melco #silco x mel #mal de mer #snippet

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buggaboizz · 8 months

Note

Your captain barnacles looks like THEE friendliest fella ever, what a joy :)

Thank you! His personality and story is actually heavily inspired by my dad. I honestly think that's a bit funny because everyone wants him to be their dad, but I want him to be like my dad.

I'm glad you like him :D

#octonauts #captain barnacles #ask #if you have any question. just ask!#i love getting asks

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stillanobsession · 9 months

Text

Things I Never Noticed About the Haunted Carousel

That you can called the hotel operator right when you get to the hotel to see if it works lol

The number in the Captains Cove brochure is not callable

I just realized there could be jewels hidden in other parts of the park other than the carousel

You also cannot call the number on the wood receipt

Ingrid has a lot of trust in Nancy to do electrical engineering tasks

Still interesting how the game tries to convince you Joy is behind the rollercoaster accident due to a chewed pencil

The red hand from secret of the scarlet hand on the back of the door to the rollercoaster

Who spends 19 grand on a watch and in cash

This is the only game where you can see all the different awards you could be awarded at the end

How exactly did the letter get up in the rafters?

Yeah, you can’t get hired as a security guard if you have a record

I kind of wish we could have seen some of the rides Joy has advertised in her office, or just more of the park in general

Did Lance ever win the settlement?

Elliot made himself a really obvious suspect with all the carousel horse stuff in his office

Hannah totally falls apart when Nancy is not home

So who shut the door to the haunted house at the end?

Also how is Elliot not dead?!

I also always forget how incredibly simple this game is. I think it was the first one I ever got through without using a walkthrough on the first try. Also, Barnacle Blast is one of the worst puzzles in existence.

#her interactive #nancy drew games #nancy drew pc games #nancy drew #the haunted carousel #clue crew #cluecrewplaythru

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unclefredandjohnnierutter · 7 months

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#8: The Haunted Carousel

To be told a truth long since put away, bring me the silvery remains of a four-bit day.

A Nancy Drew inspired playlist // listen here 🎠

↓ tracklist and more below ↓

Featuring:

Do You Remember - St. Lucia

I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside - Gavioli Fairground Organ

Carousel - Siouxsie and the Banshees

Brass Ring - Tigers Jaw

Engineers - Gary Numan

Jewel Thief - The Kills

Artists Only - Talking Heads

Ice Cream Heart - Remember Sports

Deep Sea - Snail Mail

Barnacle Beat - The Growlers

Rollercoaster - Dear Nora

Mr. Zebra - Tori Amos

Smile, Smile, Smile - Wurlitzer 146 Carousel Organ

Memory Lane - Minnie Riperton

Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen

Genres include theme park rock, sad girl hour indie, some band organ tunes! and more

One of my first memories of nancy drew awareness was seeing the haunted carousel in a scholastic book order and then watching my sister play it so i think of it fondly, joy’s story is so sad but its all revealed v tastefully imo and its such a nice story at the core of the mystery and i <3 miles and his scary voice

#playlist #car #the haunted carousel #ccpt23 #cluecrewplaythru #still trying to catch up before the enddddd #but still unemployed so maybeee i can

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love-and-hisses · 11 months

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Starling has discovered the joys of climbing up the front of my shirt and hanging there like a barnacle, where she can be petted and kissed.

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some-pers0n · 5 months

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I'm in a bad writer's block right now, but! I'm trying to cook up something real soon. Here's the first little bit of a new fic of mine I've got in the works. Take four guesses as to what it's about. Winner gets to eat bricks.

Oh and also small Turtbli moment happens if you like Gay Dragons.

So, hearing that the Jade Winglet wanted to spend a night at the Island Palace was definitely something he was not interested in doing.

Unfortunately, Qibli and Kinkajou were firm in this decision.

"Oh come on," Qibli said, "it's only one night!"

"We shouldn't...be here." Turtle mumbled. "Isn't this disrespectful? I mean, we are just going to run around in a place where so...so many dragons lost their lives."

"And? It's not like they're alive to see it. They've been dead for a long, long, LONG time," Kinkajou called out. "Who cares? It's going to be fun! Trust us."

"It's supposed to be scary anyways. It's Faust's Hallow. Wouldn't it be a little fun to spend it at some creepy old palace? We rarely get together nowadays, and besides, didn't Queen Coral give us permission for this? Turtle, this is our one chance!"

Turtle reluctantly looked at her, sighing. "If you say so..."

Albatross wasn't there. How could he be? Well, the story of Faust was based on him wandering the continent for eternity. Perhaps, maybe- no. It's a made up story. Turtle wasn't going to fall for some sort of story his brothers would tell to scare him. He already had enough sleepless nights, filled with anxiety and worry over the concept of Albatross still being around.

He's not. He's dead. This was just going to be a nice, if a bit restless, night out in the ruins of the abandoned Island Palace. He will not be scared.

They touched down onto the beach around it. If Turtle remembered correctly, this was the Sunrise Beach. It was empty, completely devoid of any sort of life. The palace in front of them was crumbling and tattered. The lavish white walls were discoloured and washed out from weathering an impossible amount of storms. It was covered in moss and sea flora, with barnacles growing on the base of the palace. The light of the setting sun basked the palace in an ominous glow of oranges and purples.

A deep, horrible feeling persisted within Turtle. It made him aware of the light sensation in his claws. The tiny burning from within. Only a little ways away, tragedy had taken place. Two thousand years ago, Albatross, his own great-grandfather, slaughtered twenty dragons. He caries the same power he does. Even right now, he could kill all of his friends. One stray thought and who knows what would happen.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Kinkajou bounced ahead. "We've got a whole palace to explore! I call looking on the upper floors with Moon!"

"Wh- me? Uh...okay then?" She stepped forward, following after her. "See you, I guess?" She waved to Qibli and Turtle before disappearing off into the courtyard.

"So, that just leaves me and you." Qibli rested his wing on Turtle, pulling him closer.

"Hurray..."

"Where you wanna go? If they're going up, let's check out the ground floor. Gardens. See some cool old statues that've been crumbling from age."

"What fun..."

Turtle awkwardly chuckled. "I don't think you can really stab a spirit."

He laughed, feeling his anxieties melt away. Qibli looked back at him, a soft, genuine smile on his face. "Feel a bit better?" He patted him on the back. "Right, let's go exploring."

#SP-writing #wof #wof fanfic #turtle wof

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king-of-men · 17 days

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I gloat. The cheating health minister finally had to leave, after clinging to her position like a barnacle for literally months. The university committee she tried to hide behind came back with the verdict that 43% of her thesis was copied. Forty-three percent. I cannot fathom how she thought she might get away with that? I mean yeah, if it had been the like nine or ten passages that a journalist found that kicked off the scandal in the first place, I guess it's possible the university might have said "accidental, we'll let it pass" (unlikely given how strictly others have been treated; it would have been a very bad look for them to give a powerful politician a pass) or alternatively, maybe it might have blown over just from being dragged out for so long? The public's memory is short. Anyway I could see that being a hail-mary pass that someone could reasonably try for, if all the evidence had already been revealed. But... there was more. Lots and lots more, apparently. She had to have known? I guess she might just have been dishonestly hanging on for as long as possible because she knew her career wouldn't recover from this. Or with maximal charity, she wanted to complete this one project before she had to go, although I don't know what it might have been, there's been no announcements from the health ministry lately.

Anyway: I gloat, I dance on her political grave, I sniff enough schadenfreude to lift me into orbit, I absolutely wallow in the joy of watching the wheels of karma finally grinding the deserving into very fine dust.

#norwegian politics #schadenfreude #karma is a bitch #unseemly gloating on main #uncharitable

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twopoppies · 1 year

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Not to be a kill joy Gina but there's alot of things going round on tiktok about hendall happening again after she showed up at his concert what's ur opinion?

Isn’t Kendall dating someone? I’d be really surprised if they had him start dating someone again so soon. It would just be such a bad look. Anyway, other than the fact that Kendall is a bad person, and the Kardashians as a whole are gross, I’d rather Kendall than someone like Olivia. At least she has her own fame and isn’t going to attach herself to him like a barnacle. But really, that seems like TikTok freaking out over something they made up in their heads. A week ago they were convinced he was going to be dating Emily Ratajkowski.

#Hendall #stunts

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asexual-spongebob · 6 months

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The waves that lap the shore - Chapter two - The quest for mussels

(divider by cafekitsune)

Chapter notes

hi y’all warning that this is kinda short anyway y’all get some Kwazii content in this one. edit: I changed clams to mussels because I forgot that shellington liked clam sandwiches lmao.

Shellington opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep from them he wanted to find out more information about mermaids “hm… Kwazii probably knows… he usually knows a lot about that stuff” Shellington reasoned.

•••

Kwazii was playing a game of ping pong in the game pod with Codish and Barrot out of boredom, he was zoning out often. Shellington walked into the room, hoping that Kwazii had some answers.

“Hey Kwazii, do you know anything about mermaids?” Shellington asked “yeah I know a lot about those fish scaled beasties” Kwazii murmured “they lure sailors to their deaths by singing their sweet, sweet enchantment songs and drown them and feed them to monsters of the deep” Kwazii exaggerated making some paw movements to go along with it.

“Okay…” Shellington responded I don’t think Kwazii is really a reliable source of real information considering he often exaggerates things, damn it why did I ask them?! Shellington asked himself as he walked out, thanking Kwazii.

Shellington sat at his desk researching, he started to get hungry for raw mussels, even though he usually hated mussels and he usually ate things cooked, not raw.

Shellington walked out of his lab to go get some clams “hey Captain do you have mussels?” Shellington asked, Captain Barnacles stared at him, confused.

“But I thought you hated mussels?? I thought they were one of your unsafe foods?” Captain Barnacles muttered “not anymore!” Shellington proclaimed “well I don’t have any mussels..” Captain Barnacles frowned “it’s fine I’ll just go get some myself” Shellington replied.

Shellington made it to the launch bay, placing a towel near the edge.

Shellington looked around before diving into the tank in the launch bay, making sure no one was around, his tail apparently before his eyes.

Shellington swam out of the Octohatch and went on a hunt for clams “where are those mussels?” Shellington asked himself, after a while of searching he finally found some.

Shellington cracked them open with his teeth, slurping the fishy insides letting out a hum and licking his lips afterwards, it started to get dark .

“Jumping jellyfish! I need to get back!” Shellington exclaimed, soon disappearing into a trail of bubbles as he headed back to the Octopod.

The Octohatch opened as Shellington swam in thankfully no one was there, he preceded to dry off, his tail disappeared.

Shellington went to his lab, the vegimals had been waiting patiently for him, Codish and Tominnow ran up into his paws “I missed you guys” Shellington stated as he played with their leaves.

“Where did you go?” Tunip asked “just out for a swim” Shellington answered, Tunip just smiled and let out typical vegimal noises.

••••

Kwazii was going to go out for a joy ride in the gup-b, however he noticed something that caught his eye, a few scales “what are these doing here?” Kwazii wondered what or who did they belong to?

“I’ll bring these to Shellington later, he probably knows” Kwazii meowed as he put them in the pocket of his ripped up pants.

“Ahoy Shellington matey! I found these scales in the launch bay. Do you know what they are from?” Kwazii asked as he bursted into the room Shellington froze oh no… its onto me! what do I do?! Shellington began to panic.

“Are you okay matey?” Kwazii mrrped noticing Shellington’s unease “yeah and those are blue beta scales!” Shellington stammered “thanks!” Kwazii replied.

“What is wrong with him? why has he been acting so weird?!” Kwazii grumbled as he walked down the corridor, feeling confused and defeated.

Shellington began to panic, what if Kwazii found out?! what if anyone found out?! Shellington proceeded to collapse onto his bed and cry, “Shellington?” Peso murmured as he began to gently rub Shellington’s back “what’s wrong?” Peso added.

“Kwazii found my scales… I’m scared of them finding out… what if they tell everyone or something?” Shellington stuttered “I don’t think Kwazii would do that, even if he does find out he’d probably keep it a secret! he’s a pirate after all!” Peso assured.

“I guess you’re right..” Shellington breathed, feeling slightly at ease.

#octonauts au #octonauts #shellington #peso/shellington #peso x shellington #shellington x peso #the waves that lap the shore au

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