saltwater stains

melita

and she recklessly plays with matches

Okay, okay, okay, they weren’t dead. And while they kicked and flailed and swam for their lives, eventually the Basin became a shadow within the background, and they could slow. It was a good thing they didn’t need to catch their breaths, but Melita wouldn’t be able to calm her racing heart for a few moments, drifting and releasing Flora’s hand when she figured they were safe.

Miming a quick dash across her forehead, as if removing a sheen of sweat that would surely be there otherwise, her eyes flickered over to where the earth unfurled further. Well, the sea, really – in multitudes of an underwater forest and plethora of color; beautiful and unique.

And a network of tunnels nearby, ending any segments of mystery about how the Mer had traversed towards and through Rae’s Fingers.

flora

It's just good exercise, right? Even demigoddesses and queens gotta get their steps in.

Nodding in emphatic agreement, Flora placed her hand over her heart to simulate with her fingers how hard it was pumping, before grinning shakily. Rolling her eyes and wondering what else could possibly go wrong, Flora kicked off toward a grove of what looked like golden ferns but was probably something much more exotic.

See, this was nice. No void shit, no sharks.

Not necessarily wanting to test their luck, though the queen was happy to take in the scenery as they want, she did have her sights set on the caves that would inevitably lead up into the fingers.

The rumors are terrible and cruel
But honey, most of them are true

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

melita

and she recklessly plays with matches

Usually it took a little longer for lessons to be learned, at least in Mel’s case, but several near death experiences lately (and one real one) meant she had a lot of work to be done and a bit more judgement glimpsing over her mind. Well, for now.

It was nice here, or alluringly so; much like the Greatwood had been really pretty pre-void times but still an occasional death trap. But Melita took her time, gliding over portions of bright crimson coral or some that looked like a brain (how?), and was probably larger than hers.

But those caves lingered ahead too, and Melita was torn between innate curiosity and lingering within this threshold. So she pointed towards them, followed by a shrug, to see if Flora preferred meandering here, or wandering there.

flora

Considering how best to answer, Flora chewed at the inside of her lip for a moment before seeming to come to it. Pointing at the caves with a nod, she then tried to indicate slow by making her fingers walk through the water at a glacial pace, before tilting her head to the side. She did want to leave, you know, just in case something hellish did come out of nowhere, but equally she didn't want to just blitz through the reef. Sort of like being in an interesting museum but really having to pee.

Swimming forward, Flora spooked a small school of fish from where they'd all been hovering around a giant underwater flower (at least it looked like one). Banding together, they seemed to try and impersonate a shark, or at least the mouth of one, in an attempt to deter her from coming any closer. Intimidated she was not, but the Doubletake was able to understand their meaning well enough such that she gave them a wide berth as she swam on.

The rumors are terrible and cruel
But honey, most of them are true

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

melita

and she recklessly plays with matches

The Honeybee rarely did anything slow, or by halves, so the indication left her with a pout. But maybe she could explore and see beyond the inherent impulsiveness, and so she unfurled a long sigh that went nowhere, and proceeded to investigate.

While there weren’t any sharks drifting nearby (from what she could see), there were certainly plenty of fish. Some reminded her of butterflies, which then reminded her of her sister, and so she did slow, gazing upon the yellow and black banded creatures, before gazing wistfully at some marked in turquoise hues.

Striving not to appear incredibly nostalgic for things she could never have again, the Honeybee sauntered forward, arms propelling in languid drifts, watching Flora from the corner of her eyes, and the caves ahead.

flora

Not able to read the melancholy on the Honeybee's face but for the shimmer of blue-green between them and the fiery whisps of her hair, from Flora's point of view it seemed as though her friend was having a great time. As was she, though admittedly now that she wasn't trying to corral a coral (heh) or swim from a shark, her thoughts had turned slightly sullen and introspective.

Wait..

Hey Mel, I can see your whole butt, she thought hard at the other girl, narrowing her eyes in an effort to see any sort of flinch of recognition from the Honeybee. Maybe the entirety of Jack's crew could read minds. It would make sense why they were such a tightknight group, right?

It would certainly make more sense to think that was the reason behind Jack just up and buying Melita her own ship than to imagine he would have missed her if she'd gone to King's End.

The rumors are terrible and cruel
But honey, most of them are true

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

melita

and she recklessly plays with matches

Unfortunately, or…on the other hand, maybe it was a good thing, Melita lacked the ability to read minds. Sometimes she had an uncanny approach to predictions, but she’d base that solely on the chaotic semblances of her actions, and certainly not anything stemming through her brain. Hey, perhaps she could ask Ludo (ahahaha, could anyone imagine…)

Still, mildly pensive and not aware of the teasing going on, she merely lifted her head as Flora began moving again. Melita did the same, though this time she chose to orchestrate movements in somersaults and swift turns along the sea, showing off for no other reason save for the notions that she could.

And inching ever so closer to the caves, of course.

flora

Well, either Mel was very good at masking her reactions (possible), or she didn't have telepathy (also possible). Congratulations Flora, you learned nothing. Ahh well, probably for the best; ignorance was bliss and if Flora could go back to a time before she knew about Jack's abilities, she'd be there in a heartbeat.

Smirking as she watched the Honeybee complete dizzying acrobatics, Flora similarly took advantage of their weightless environment by effortlessly leaping several feet with her arms over her head like the most talented ballerina that you ever did see.

Waving a hand to get Melita's attention, Flora rubbed at her stomach before pantomiming biting into something large held between her hands. Waggling her brows, she gestured for the Honeybee to follow.

The caves weren't that difficult to navigate, apparently the mer who used the tunnels didn't rely on secretive smuggler code, but actually signposted things very well such that in almost no time the pair were able to pull the crystals from their necks and have a good laugh about the fuckery they'd encountered as well as planning on where to go to eat.

~FIN <3

The rumors are terrible and cruel
But honey, most of them are true

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!