[2259] Birthday Bash

Violet:

I stick close to Ethan afraid of the dark spooky place we we're venturing in.  But if it will help Maud and Gideon... 

Ethan says he's from the colonies!

"Do you know Wulf Brewsky?" I try to say papa's name right but I dont think that was it.

"Papa! I got dumped away from him.. by his..papa...."

I lower my gaze sadly and just listen. All these knew sights were overwhelming.

Ethan was trying to get them to answer what blood they wanted to use.

It was nice I mean maybe Gideon wants to be a siren and not a Oct...whatever...

I feel a little bad though. They can all talk to the little mermaid and I still cant.

Maud blues bubbles obliviously and Giden just shrieks.

"It..would be fair I guess... if they are treated the same?" I nod unsure.

Ethan:

Wulf Brewsky? Could that be a clone of Wulf? But why take a different last name?... Hmm. Though there was already two Wulfs... Maybe a clone could have been made a son of another elite family? Or a family named their kid after the Duke? Who knows. All those elites have similar odd names and names seem pretty important to them and all. Or maybe its just a coincidence.

I wince and straighten back at the shriek. Imagine that as a siren. Yesh.

"Um.. Yeah.. We should probably take both to Fritz though.. Just in case..."

Imagine if one was allergic to fish.

I look back to her.

"That's... really awful about you and your papa... Terrible... I'm sorry... I don't know him." I glance back to the other kids.

Were they all sent away then?.. Is that why there parents weren't with them waiting for the blindness treatment to finish? Maybe they don't have any? They were all humans after all. Though Violet was more than that, which... makes sense why a purist family forced her away. Poor girl.

I look back to Vi.

"Are you... with your mother at least?"

I wince thinking maybe I shouldn't have asked incase the humans did something horrible to her and I'm making her relive thought memories... But... That could just be worse case scenario right?...

Violet:

I look disappointed when Ethan didn't know Papa. 

Maybe ..one day..

*tries to be brave and not tear up*

"N..no she..died." I reply about mama. 

"Papa's Papa...took her...fur.." My blueish purple eyes go WIDE at the memory of the skinning. "As punishment." I sniffle thinking about being put in a bag and taken to be thrown over the London Bridge but the nice lady didnt do that. She instead dropped me off on another planet with other blind folk. It wasn't nice being alone but at least.. the servant lady tried. 

"Bu..ut Miss Lizzie takes care of me...or well..she used too.."

I wonder what happened to her and the school. All those 'charitable' donations from boss man (Klaus) and Echo's daddy (Jo) didnt mean SQAT! 

Now I tear up for real into a little cry 

*Maud and Gididen go quiet and try to mimic it ... it sounds awful 

Ethan:

Skinned... Her mother skinned... I shiver as a cold chill shivers up my shoulders and sadness hits me in the feels at the poor girl's story. Humans were scary, horrible creatures.

Then they all start crying. Oh, how awful! Were all their parents murdered??

No words would ever be enough.

I look around at a loss, with my human hands full. Until I put down the blood samples. I then kneel down on the floor and brought all three of them into a hug even though their noises were hurting my ears. That pain could be nowhere imaginable to the pain they must be feeling.

My mind was drawing up blanks for this situation so I just followed my instincts and rocked side to side, hugging them.

I instinctually sniff and lightly blow on each of the children's foreheads in a horse gesture of inspecting them and affection.

As I do so I start to feel the briefest glint of instinctual fury of fighting that shimmers and glows in my hard gaze at the wall past the children. The desire the rip apart and rage at whoever hurt these younglings so.

But there was no monster to fight. Not here anyway, I think to myself. Gazing distantly ahead.

But there was at least one back in the colonies... Somewhere... And my Octoen mind wheeled with thoughts of all the myriad of ways the monsters called humans can die. Surely this Papa's papa could easily be offed while camouflaged and made it look like an accident and Violet can be reunited with her Papa...

I did not know this man, nor did I know where I would even start to look for him. But I felt righteous conviction. Yes... Surely, it could be done...

But what if it was a royal... An actual clone of Wulf... Would they not just remake him? The unfortunate logical thought nagged at me, talking me down from my dark thoughts. Such a shame if that turned out to be the case.

....

My body released its tension, when my eyes dipped back to the present and the children. Focusing on the concrete and the real. Grounding and calming myself. What was right in front of me mattered more than figment thoughts of justice that may never come.

They needed help. They needed someone to care for them.

That someone could be me.

The back of my mind buzzed with thoughts of my family, of how they'd react, how alien the children looked now. Surely we'd have to stay here and away from the humans and such and how would that life look like? Would I be dumbed out and orphaned by my parents too or dragged away and scolded? Or perhaps just left with disappointment in their gaze.

Most of those thoughts, outside where and how to live, didn't matter as I looked at these poor upset little squid children.

I felt my mindset. Oh yes, there would be difficulties and consequences surely which could come later or not at all. But one can not live life with what-ifs and be stuck in indecision. That isn't truly living. Sometimes one must simply go. Be. And this is one of those times where this felt right, no matter how wrong it could and likely would go.

Two Zioyuki tentacles slithered out from under the edge of my shirt and jacket and also hugged the three.

"I'm sorry... All of you."

I rub circles on their back.

"I'll do my best to try to help and take care of you."

Crystal:

Meanwhile, I go to the supply lockers and put on a camera harness.

Who knows what history we'll be making or witnessing? This was true, though it was also an excuse to not just sit around doing nothing or... The dreaded questions that might come my way if Des or Ettie or anyone asks where I'd been.

I feel uncomfortable at the thought.

I trace a finger over the edge of the familiar equipment as I face it for a moment, then take the small weight off the hook.

I hook myself into the straps and peer down at it, shifting slightly feeling the all-encompassing hug of the harness looped around my limbs, and cringe as the sensation triggers thoughts that rise to the surface of being in Ceth's restraints.

I shut my eyes and turn my head away tensing and jerk away from him and the terrible memories.

Violet:

I sniffle, touched by Ethan's gestures. Even the hug from the tentacles wasn't as creepy as I acspected.

I pat them back in the hug. The squids stopped making that sound..now that I'm calm.

"T..hanks.."

I choke out. Embarrassed now.   

"Y..your really ...nice.."

I reply knowing not everyone would have stuck around this far.

The noises Maud and Giden made were ALWFUL.

Hopefully they have better singing voices as sirens...

Ethan:

I didn't think she needed to thank me. They haven't been helped yet. Hopefully, my idea doesn't just make them worse. Also, it was my question that made her remember something so horrible. But I don't want to say that and bring that up again.

Gives a small smile at her. It was a kind compliment when she was feeling so much.

I slip back in my tentacles and rise.

"Well thank you also... You're also nice." I attempt to respond back.

I consider asking if she was feeling well enough to return to Fritz, but again what if that brings the bad memories back? I look back to the blood awkwardly, grimacing slightly, and go retrieve them.

I make up my mind and look back at her with a smile. "Now, lets help your friends."

Fritz:

I look over wondering where Crystal went off too. I hope shes ok..

Maybe another mission so soon from coming back wasnt the best idea. There was something like being trapped in the blue light dome though. It wasnt the same here. 

I hear steps and a obnoxous voice of the blonde girl with purple stripes. Ethan must have found what he was looking for, she was looking ..chipper.


*Violet trying to be STRONG after moment of weakness*

(Violet): "We got it! Now help my friends oh and make them equal too!" She demands and looks back at Ethan in case he wants to add something.

I try not to focus on the..tentacles.. 

Oh boy...

*Maud stares hungrily with big black eyes while Gideon feels everything in the room with his tentacles in an almost annoying manner.* 

(Teagan): "Will the monsters be strong enough and large enough to fight Vestal when your finished!?"

Ethan:

Violet is looking at me. I look ahead overthinking the possible social implications of that as I turn my attention to Fritz to hand him the blood.

"...Yes, also Violet got the treatment too.... That turned the others..." I inform, figuring he should probably be made aware of that. Maybe another road to a cure in case the aquatic species attempt fails or maybe her turn is delayed. Hmm... Maybe I should have mentioned that earlier now that I think about it....

I turn my gaze to Gideon in thought, watching him feel the room.

Before I could try to think of how and what to say beyond what I prompted I get distracted by the soldier.

"Do you mean the kids?"

I glare at the soldier and take a couple of steps towards him and cross my arms.

"They're not monsters."

Crystal enters and peers over at Beo's visor curious.

Ethan:

There's a whole gang of them laughing and saying terrible things.

I glare, looking over taking in their armor and that sword.

Eyes the leader's own tentacle, and focuses on sensing out the blood vessels in the bladder. I clench my fists as I bend the wall to squeeze.

Meanwhile, Crystal wanders over and peers down at the kid Fritz was with and squints at the hair on Violet.

She leans down to sniff the girl. Then blinks pausing and lifts her own are and sniffs.

She turns to Fritz and sniffs his hair.

She turns back to Violet and sniffs her hair and takes a lick at her temple taking a moment to ponder the taste. Then gives Fritz a lick.

She stares at Violet.

(Crystal): "Congratulations Fritz... It's a girl." She stares for a moment longer then looks away suspiciously in thought. "But how?"

Fritz:

I stare completely bewildered. But it was hard to contest Crystal's nose tests.

Some..dark... stuff went down in London but..

She was so big too!?

"Time travel?" I spit out weakly, trying not to go to dark horrible fur breeding ideas that were more likely.

I want to ring that pompous prince's neck!

Speaking off I completely ignore Bash's cousin. I was getting well sick of royals..that's for sure. On all sides.

(Violet): "What...congratulations on what? Not being a squid?" She blinks at me and then at Crystal with a pout.

I forgot all about her little firends still bubbling over there.

"Uh..righ.t...uh.. can..you two... talk? While I work on...the..them...or.. do you need me?" I fumble over what to do and ask Crystal with deep worry on my face.

Was this too much for her?

Crystal:

".... Right.... Cause of the age..." I say slowly and nod.

And not just.... *Twitches* Rapidly created from human bio-tech.

I feel a chill crawl at my back.

Yeah no, I don't believe the time travel excuse at all. We all know it was that sick creep.

I look back towards them feeling unwell.

"I...."

I look at the kid.

Is the ship swaying?

I blink and look distant unable to answer the girl's question.

Fritz... Fritz was going to leave me.

My mind flashed to a worse-case scenario. My alone without him back with Ceth...

I blink and see I had turned back to Fritz and had apparently reached out and grabbed his elbow. It takes my brain a moment to catch up to even realize I had done that. That I was looking at 'my' hand holding onto him and not someone elses. I stare at my hand and hesitantly and very reluctantly let go.

I glance away. I needed to be strong for my mate. He was so worried... And now...

"We..." I look to the kid again and swallow.

Would... seeing her constantly just make me think of him. That he did this.

I feel another sickness in my stomach.

 I find myself scrutinizing everything that is this girl's appearance... But it was beyond looks of what is me and my genes and what is Fritz's. Normal family parent stuff I assume? No... I catch myself looking for Ceth's traits... Wondering if he's in there too.

I tear my eyes away and swallow trying to steel myself, but I just can't keep looking at her face.

I maneuver behind her and put my mouth on her neck. I can't actually pick her up like this so I hoist her up with my hands, while instinctively keeping my mouth on the back of her neck.

(("We will stay beside you and watch,")) I hesitate to say daddy, in case he does not wish it so. I wouldn't blame him. I don't...

I feel weak and need to sit down.

(("you work.")) I finish.

Then I think to Fritz and Fritz alone. (("Bonding before...")) I trail off.

We tell her?

This is... Difficult.

Horrible.

...

(("We see how this goes..."))

....

I guess I should say something to the kid now that I have my mouth on her.

To both. (("And yes... You are.... lucky... you aren't a squid..."))

My eyes flick back to Fritz meaningfully.

(("Must have been strong genes..."))

Strong anti-water creature genes... Perhaps the Trydein was strong in that at least... And burned it away.

Not that it helped in other ways...

The goddess and queen damn Ceth for tainting it.

Ethan:

I eye the soldiers briefly then turn back and return to the kids hoping they're distracted now by the mess of his own 'tentacle's' lack of control.

If they aren't well... Won't that be a fun creative challenge, I think to myself.

(Crystal): (("Yes. A Trydein thing... It works better in our other forms."))

I take a seat by the kids and put a hand on Maud's back trying to be supportive. I would hold a tentacle but they were her hair so that might seem.. weird...

With her hands full... of holding Violet... Crystal shoves a tablet at me with a foot, along with a brief glance.

(Crystal): (("Take pictures."))

"... Okay?"

I look at the tablet confused and look for the camera function.

"Right... To show a before an after." I rationalize. Incase the changes turn out small and hard to tell?

(Crystal): (("Us."))

She glances pointedly at Violet from her position then looks to Fritz.

I don't... really understand why she's human scruff-mouthing poor Violet... But as long as Violet was okay with it.

Hmm.. Maybe they were adopting her?...

Either way maybe hand holding Maud's hair wouldn't actually be weird in comparison to... that...

Fritz:

I try to concentrate but a tablet light flash goes off and BOTH squid-people start vocalizing. I stab into one with a injection - all jumpy.

"Ah."

I bit my lip not admitting that was a enhancer not a suppresser.

I already failed Crystal too much.

I hold my ears and slowly back to to Crystal and the kid.

"Are you ok?"

They wot stop screaming and now the male was growing taller.

(Violet): "You said equal!"

She reminds me speaking loud to be heard.

I gulp and inject the female as well. 

...well Teagan is getting his krakens after all...

"Uh Ethan, this might be best.. for one of the instructors.. back home or... someone else..I shouldn't be messing around on a bumpy ship."

Leviathan:

I cringe at the sound, wincing at the pain in my ears. I put the tablet down to cover my ears.

My eyes widen as they get... bigger...

What did it do???

Did someone mistaken Inkling for Octoen???

I hear Fritz over it all.

....

He said that AFTER doing something. TWICE.

This was my fault... I shouldn't have taken them to a HUMAN after all.

Terrible... Exploitive humans...

Even when you ask them to make something less alien thinking of all species they'd want to do that.. failure!

Maybe I can find Blythe! I bet she'll know what to do!

They start looking... Kraken-y...

I look back to Fritz and drop a hand from covering an ear. I push myself up to stand and grab him by the front of his clothes to yank him towards me slightly.

Crystal stops mouth scruffing Violent to hiss.

"What do you mean!? Now you say that!? After this!!?? What is wrong with you!?" I yell over the screaming.

Crystal lets go of Violet to grab my arm and tries to yank me from Fritz seeing me as a human threat but I don't budge.

I let go of Fritz to shove her off.

She hisses and unleashes her claws and fangs and rolls herself up slightly, eyeing me, crouched low like a tiger then suddenly leaps to tackles me.

I fall back, hissing as her teeth bite into my neck.

My first instinct is to shove her off with blood bending, but I manage to suppress it. Everything may be happening suddenly, but my octoen multitasking thoughts, figure I don't need her tearing out my throat in the process.

However, she had her own ideas and I think what I wanted to prevent was her own first feline instinct, as began whipping her head about, shaking my head side to side and clawing my chest.

"Augh!" I grimace and push myself up to my elbows with her on top of me and slip out tentacles from my back, slipping them between us so close. I move it past her filling and shoot up and then around the back of her neck and try to go back under to try to wrap around her throat to choke her. Thinking that would be one way to force her to open her jaws.

It's difficult to get her through with all her head flailing and her head so close to my body but I manage to do it.

She stops clawing my chest to claw and tears at my tentacles and I scream and my tense my spine as pain shoots down my tentacles and through my back.

Ethan:

Crystal gasps choking. I feel a stab. "Ack!"

The ship jostles.

That's it!

I whip out my torn-up tentacle, unfurling it fast and arching up, tossing Crystal away like a frisbee.

She smacks against a nearby wall and tumble lands onto seats.

I turn and smack my wounded tentacles against Fritz hissing.

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! That HURT!

This isn't good! This isn't good!

My mind yells alarmed at me. My tentacles so wounded. The feline scent everywhere.

"AHHHHH!"

My yells join the squids and I start panic blood bending and out the blood from my wounds trying to get it away!

Get it out! Get it out! Get it out!

I sploosh the blood at Fritz' face trying to blind him for a chance to stop this and also just needing 'it' AWAY from me.

The turbulence kept Crystal at bay for a moment during that as she tried to steady herself and gasps for oxygen.

She looks to Violent, but then looks to Fritz get blood slinged on and makes her choice.

While I was distracted though so focused on making sure to get the DNA and contaminates off, she jumps onto my back making broken cat-fighting sounds between gasps for air. I feel her claws rake against my back!

"AAAHHH!"

I gasp in pain.

Fuck it.

I send out more tentacles from my back, though my alreaded shreaded clothes, slamming into her stomach to shove her off.

She's lucky I was trying to prevent more of her foul bloodshed. I could have easily tore through her stomach with my Ziroyuki hooked tentacle ends.
 
I turn and hold out a hand to her, holding her in the air with blood bending and levitating her next to Fritz.

I breathe heavily as I step forward towards them. Half my instincts scream they need to be put away and controlled. The other half wants their feline stench away from me as far as possible.

I stop and swallow.

With my other hand and my multitasking octoen brain I bend the blood she exposed with her claws off my back and splash it at her nose. Give her more of a hard time breathing so she has to focus on that.

"If I wanted to actually hurt you I could. Easily." I hiss in a stern glare at Crystal. Fritz was... Blinded. The glare is wasted on him.

"So stop it. Both of you. Got it?" I warn lowly.

And Fritz Deserved worse. So much worse. But I needed him alive. So he could tell Blythe whatever he did that made this situation worse. Maybe the threat at least is better than just physical pain.... Maybe...

Either way, I know I gave myself away. At least a little. But at this point did it even really matter? Fritz was a Kingdomer anyway.

I consider warning him away from anything in the future, but I don't think I need to. Actions speak louder than words. I also don't need to plant the idea in his head to do the reverse.

I set Crystal down, eyeing her carefully as I stop holding her. She starts licking at Fritz. Her eyes roaming between him, me, and  Violet.

The ship rocks again and I stumble and lean against a seat, shivering in pain.

Ugh.

I could really use stupid Lulu's stupid tears right now.

...

Not that she'd probably shed any for me with being commanded too... Probably laugh instead.

Sits on the edge of a seat, pointedly at an angle not pressing my back into it. And looking between them and the kids, as I lurch and rock with the ship turbulance.

I use my tentacles to help brace myself.

Desmond:

I had watched my sister, Fritz and the blue haired being fight. I kept to myself though. Crystal could fight her own battles.

I grimace at the display of blood in the eyes. Ugh... Has a brief tingle of goosebumps at the reminder of my own experience.

...At least it didn't end worse...

The blue-haired one lowers his head.

(Lev to Violet): (("It's okay. It's not your fault.")) They tell her, feeling its more there fault for letting a human try anything in the first place.

Ettie's voice captures my attention and I turn my head to gaze at her.

"Um..?"

My eyes slide back to the others, my first thought is draining them dead and trying to change them so the shadows can heal them, since shadow healing is how I heal now.

But I straighten and look back at Ettie and a flicker of thought comes to me.

The snow. No not snow... Ash...

I had barely the time to notice it then during the fight but... Something... Something in the back of my mind makes it familiar enough to know...

"I don't... Know how I did that." I admit warily.

It was just instinct, I guess.

"But I'll ...try." I add in uncertain with a nod, not wanting to let her down.

I push myself up off my chain and go stand ahead of the isles the others are.

The blue haired one must sense my approach and lifts his head up, opening his eyes to glare suspiciously at me incase I came to gloat or tease like the soldiers. His gaze and expression softens for a moment when I extend out my wings and then turns to mild curiosity mixed with slight skepticism.

Crystal's eyes slide to me as she licks Fritz's face clean with her tongue.

I close my eyes blocking out theirs and try to think back to the after moment. The fight with that creature and Ettie. I cover my ears trying to block out the sounds of other's breathing and Crystal's tongue. I just try to focus on the moment.

Ettie:

I bit my lip nervously wondering if I should have said anything for a moment it seemed he did not remember. I try not to shutter thinking about how bad he looked. No wonder he wouldn't remember. He was hurt bad?

((Y..you can do it D..es.)) I send to HIM properly with telepathy  not sending it elsewhere into the void like I usually do.  ((you're.. amazing.))

*Maud SHIERKS at him to leave Ethan alone. Gideon eyes him and goes back to trying to use his tentacles to hit the ceiling looking for a way out* 

The ship rocks a little every time he slaps.