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esp_dragonv2) wrote2021-03-31 10:07 pm
esp_dragonv2) wrote2021-03-31 10:07 pm
Breath of Life [Part 2]
Fandom: Noblesse
Summary: Frankenstein almost drowned. He didn't, something in the sea saving him, and he's going to find out just what it was.
Notes: Mermaid AU
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 1,963
Total word count: 3,534
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein wandered around the port, the sun warm at his back. He'd slept far longer than he thought he would, and from Ateryi's smile, she had expected such a reaction.
He had slept, but even glancing through the books gave him a headache. So a walk it was.
His muscles had mostly recovered, not as achy compared to when he'd first woken up on the beach.
Frankenstein headed for the dock, seeing sailors clustered around their boats.
"If it isn't the lucky doctor!" one of them hollered from a group of five, waving to gain his attention.
How did they know he was a doctor? As far as Frankenstein was aware, he hadn't treated any of them before. No matter, it was a perfect conversation starter.
"I was rather lucky, yes," he said, walking up to them. "But I'm not sure that's all it was."
"Yeah?" The sailors exchanged glances, but from their grins, they were expecting a story. Well, he could oblige them.
"When I was drowning, something pulled me up to the surface, made sure I could breathe," Frankenstein said, watching for any signs of recognition. "As far as I could tell, it wasn't human." Being sailors, the chance of them also encountering what he had was far higher than those who stayed on land. Maybe they would know what he'd seen.
"Did you see what it looked like?" the sailor who first called out to him said, the others crowding around him.
"Almost human," Frankenstein said. "But...different. Bigger eyes, no nose, whiskers?" In the warm light of day, it felt almost silly to be describing it, but Frankenstein wanted to check his pocket, where he kept the lock of hair. It had definitely happened - now he just had to find out which part was real.
"Did you see its legs?" one of them asked.
"Its...legs?" Frankenstein repeated, trying to think if he'd ever seen them. "No, I didn't, but..."
A hush had settled over the group, each person listening intently.
"It wasn't a human leg," he concluded. "It was one smooth muscle, wider than our own, that ended abruptly."
He watched as the sailors nodded, murmuring between themselves. They knew what it was.
"Sounds like you met a ningyo!"
"Yeah!"
"A what?" Frankenstein hadn't heard that name before.
"A human fish! Top half is human-" The sailor gestured to his torso, then swept his hand down. "-bottom half is a fish."
It...hadn't felt like scales, but the bottom could have been a tail. And the way the...ningyo had moved while swimming... Frankenstein had seen dolphins jumping in the waves of ships along his travels. That could have been how it moved.
"It's a bad omen-" one sailor started, older than the rest, long blond hair pulled back into a braid, before he was jabbed in the ribs by the one next to him.
"Are you joking? Don't believe that myth, it's a good omen!"
Hm. Frankenstein had seen what believe in myths could lead people to do. "What does seeing a ningyo mean?" From doing nothing while seeing all the signs of oncoming disaster, believing their believed creature would protect them, while in other cases, murdering their own to appease something they thought they'd seen in the distance. Belief could drive so many different behaviours.
"Some people think seeing a ningyo will bring about a storm and misfortune to anyone who sees them," one of the sailors said.
"And what happened when he met the ningyo?" the older sailor said, gesturing out towards the sea. "The ship sank! Everyone else is dead! How is that not misfortune?"
Frankenstein listened as they bickered. It hadn't been because of the ningyo his ship had been attacked, and he'd only seen it after he'd been flung overboard.
"Then the next time you see one, grab a slab of flesh, and then it'll be a good omen." The sailor yelped when the older sailor cuffed him around the back of the head.
"How so...?" Frankenstein said, as the younger sailor rubbed where he'd been hit.
"Eating ningyo flesh is said to make you immortal," another sailor said, eyes shining.
Ah. "But I take it no-one has ever succeeded in capturing a ningyo before?" Or else the port would have been known for its immortal sailors - and more should have made it back from the ship. It was as they said: only a myth with no basis.
"Of course not! They're tricky beasts."
Which meant they had no proof. "I see. Thank you for your input." They had given him information that he could think over now, and he had a direction to pursue.
*
Combing through the various bookshops in the port had taken a few days, but Frankenstein had been able to find a few that described the mythical creature. And since Ateryi had finally allowed him to work again, he had the coin to buy them.
The information was not much more than he'd already been told, though he did have a few second hand accounts of meeting a ningyo. The descriptions of them varied, none of them similar aside from the fact they had a human torso and a 'fish' tail. Scales, skin, some bright colours, others a dull grey.
The last had grabbed Frankenstein's attention in particular. Just like his ningyo.
...Hah. 'His' ningyo?
Still. It was comforting to know others similar to the one he had seen had been noted elsewhere.
Now, were ningyo good omens, bad omens, or just something that existed differently from humans...? That, he would need to find out.
*
Frankenstein had taken to going for a walk during his lunch, to make the most use of the sunshine, the long hours sometimes meaning he wouldn't see sunlight at all if he didn't.
Said sunlight caught his eye as something sparkled to his left. Not unlike how he'd first met the ningyo and... Yes, the ningyo really was preoccupying his thoughts more and more, as he tried to make sure his memory of its features didn't slip through his fingers.
He went over to see what it was and hm. Ningyo were an omen, were they?
He'd been drawn to a jewellers, and a locket hanging in the window seemed to be the culprit of shining light into his eyes. Exactly what he had been needing.
Well. Humans were good at pattern recognition, and he had been needing one, so he was on the lookout. It didn't particularly mean the ningyo had been the cause for it. None of the accounts had mentioned the ningyo had any particular power over the sun, more focused on the sea.
And he was still staring at the locket. Right. Frankenstein went into the shop.
*
Frankenstein sat down at his desk with a sigh, opening his hand to reveal the locket. He could have placed the lock then and there, but... He hadn't wanted anyone to see it, and he wanted to make sure he placed the lock perfectly, so that he wouldn't lose or damage any of the hair.
The locket itself was rather simple, with waves engraved on the front. It was fitting.
He tied a string around the lock of hair to make sure it wouldn't unravel, and placed it behind the glass, securing it in place.
Frankenstein studied it for a second, seeing how the hair shimmered in the sunlight, before he snapped the locket closed as he heard someone moving outside, slipping the locket around his neck.
Time to get back to work.
*
Frankenstein found himself by the docks again a couple days later, staring out at the sea.
He caught the eye of the older sailor he'd spoken to before, and he walked over.
"Seen more of your ningyo?" the sailor asked, smiling, through there was a wariness in his eyes.
"No... But I was wondering if I may be able to rent a boat from someone."
The smile disappeared. "Are you sure?"
Frankenstein sighed, his gaze drawn towards the sea again, the wind carrying the calls of the gulls towards him. "The only way I can be sure of what I saw is by going to check, no?" And maybe once he had confirmed one way or another, the ningyo would stop plaguing his thoughts. He knew something existed out in the sea that had saved him, but it still remained whether it was a mythical creature or not.
"And this is something you're willing to die for?"
"I..." To have been so close to death already, and then potentially expose himself to it again? "I don't believe the ningyo is a bad omen." That, he truly believed.
The sailor's eyes drifted up towards the clouds that hovered over the sea. "Fine, but I wasn't talking about that. There's a storm coming. It's not safe to sail right now."
Frankenstein studied the same clouds. They were light and wispy as far as he could tell. "I won't be going out that far." It wouldn't take him too long, if it was still within seeing distance of the port.
What kind of doctor would he be if he found out the existence of a new being and then didn't try his best to find out more? He wouldn't stop thinking about the ningyo until he was satisfied with answers.
The sailor was shaking his head. "I can't convince you, huh?"
At that, Frankenstein chuckled. "If I backed down at the hint of a challenge, I wouldn't be here." It was the drive to find the truth of the world that had taken him so high, even if it had caused him to stand out. Even then, that hadn't mattered. Discovering new things was what mattered to him, and there was something new right in front of him. He wouldn't let it get away so easily.
The sailor sighed. "I'm sure there's some here who would gladly rent a boat to you even in this weather when they find out why you want it."
"Thank you." Frankenstein held out his hand. "I never did introduce myself properly." Though the sailor might already know it. "Frankenstein."
The sailor raised an eyebrow, before clasping his wrist and shook it once. "Panska. I hope you'll live long enough to call me that again."
"Then the next time I see you, I'll make sure to call out to you," Frankenstein said, searching for those who were standing next to boats as he walked off.
*
Frankenstein had been able to rent a boat and while the fishers were eager to see his coin, they hadn't been as willing to come with him. No matter. The less people the better, and Frankenstein rowed out to the open sea, wide brimmed hat perched on his head. He had heard bets being made as he left, on how far he would get before he tired himself out and turned back around.
Most of them didn't think he would even leave the port.
Hah. It was good the rumours of how he had experimented on himself hadn't reached here yet. He had began looking into ways he could breathe underwater or hold his breath for longer alongside his research of the ningyo though it hadn't yielded anything yet.
The sun had been hot overhead but the further Frankenstein got from the port, the more the wind picked up, the waves growing choppy.
Frankenstein gripped the side of the boat, waiting to see if the wind would die down, trying to control his stomach. He certainly felt the waves less on larger ships, or he was more engrossed with his notes as they travelled.
It only lasted for a few minutes and Frankenstein started rowing again.
Summary: Frankenstein almost drowned. He didn't, something in the sea saving him, and he's going to find out just what it was.
Notes: Mermaid AU
Rating: G
Genre: General
Word count: 1,963
Total word count: 3,534
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein wandered around the port, the sun warm at his back. He'd slept far longer than he thought he would, and from Ateryi's smile, she had expected such a reaction.
He had slept, but even glancing through the books gave him a headache. So a walk it was.
His muscles had mostly recovered, not as achy compared to when he'd first woken up on the beach.
Frankenstein headed for the dock, seeing sailors clustered around their boats.
"If it isn't the lucky doctor!" one of them hollered from a group of five, waving to gain his attention.
How did they know he was a doctor? As far as Frankenstein was aware, he hadn't treated any of them before. No matter, it was a perfect conversation starter.
"I was rather lucky, yes," he said, walking up to them. "But I'm not sure that's all it was."
"Yeah?" The sailors exchanged glances, but from their grins, they were expecting a story. Well, he could oblige them.
"When I was drowning, something pulled me up to the surface, made sure I could breathe," Frankenstein said, watching for any signs of recognition. "As far as I could tell, it wasn't human." Being sailors, the chance of them also encountering what he had was far higher than those who stayed on land. Maybe they would know what he'd seen.
"Did you see what it looked like?" the sailor who first called out to him said, the others crowding around him.
"Almost human," Frankenstein said. "But...different. Bigger eyes, no nose, whiskers?" In the warm light of day, it felt almost silly to be describing it, but Frankenstein wanted to check his pocket, where he kept the lock of hair. It had definitely happened - now he just had to find out which part was real.
"Did you see its legs?" one of them asked.
"Its...legs?" Frankenstein repeated, trying to think if he'd ever seen them. "No, I didn't, but..."
A hush had settled over the group, each person listening intently.
"It wasn't a human leg," he concluded. "It was one smooth muscle, wider than our own, that ended abruptly."
He watched as the sailors nodded, murmuring between themselves. They knew what it was.
"Sounds like you met a ningyo!"
"Yeah!"
"A what?" Frankenstein hadn't heard that name before.
"A human fish! Top half is human-" The sailor gestured to his torso, then swept his hand down. "-bottom half is a fish."
It...hadn't felt like scales, but the bottom could have been a tail. And the way the...ningyo had moved while swimming... Frankenstein had seen dolphins jumping in the waves of ships along his travels. That could have been how it moved.
"It's a bad omen-" one sailor started, older than the rest, long blond hair pulled back into a braid, before he was jabbed in the ribs by the one next to him.
"Are you joking? Don't believe that myth, it's a good omen!"
Hm. Frankenstein had seen what believe in myths could lead people to do. "What does seeing a ningyo mean?" From doing nothing while seeing all the signs of oncoming disaster, believing their believed creature would protect them, while in other cases, murdering their own to appease something they thought they'd seen in the distance. Belief could drive so many different behaviours.
"Some people think seeing a ningyo will bring about a storm and misfortune to anyone who sees them," one of the sailors said.
"And what happened when he met the ningyo?" the older sailor said, gesturing out towards the sea. "The ship sank! Everyone else is dead! How is that not misfortune?"
Frankenstein listened as they bickered. It hadn't been because of the ningyo his ship had been attacked, and he'd only seen it after he'd been flung overboard.
"Then the next time you see one, grab a slab of flesh, and then it'll be a good omen." The sailor yelped when the older sailor cuffed him around the back of the head.
"How so...?" Frankenstein said, as the younger sailor rubbed where he'd been hit.
"Eating ningyo flesh is said to make you immortal," another sailor said, eyes shining.
Ah. "But I take it no-one has ever succeeded in capturing a ningyo before?" Or else the port would have been known for its immortal sailors - and more should have made it back from the ship. It was as they said: only a myth with no basis.
"Of course not! They're tricky beasts."
Which meant they had no proof. "I see. Thank you for your input." They had given him information that he could think over now, and he had a direction to pursue.
Combing through the various bookshops in the port had taken a few days, but Frankenstein had been able to find a few that described the mythical creature. And since Ateryi had finally allowed him to work again, he had the coin to buy them.
The information was not much more than he'd already been told, though he did have a few second hand accounts of meeting a ningyo. The descriptions of them varied, none of them similar aside from the fact they had a human torso and a 'fish' tail. Scales, skin, some bright colours, others a dull grey.
The last had grabbed Frankenstein's attention in particular. Just like his ningyo.
...Hah. 'His' ningyo?
Still. It was comforting to know others similar to the one he had seen had been noted elsewhere.
Now, were ningyo good omens, bad omens, or just something that existed differently from humans...? That, he would need to find out.
Frankenstein had taken to going for a walk during his lunch, to make the most use of the sunshine, the long hours sometimes meaning he wouldn't see sunlight at all if he didn't.
Said sunlight caught his eye as something sparkled to his left. Not unlike how he'd first met the ningyo and... Yes, the ningyo really was preoccupying his thoughts more and more, as he tried to make sure his memory of its features didn't slip through his fingers.
He went over to see what it was and hm. Ningyo were an omen, were they?
He'd been drawn to a jewellers, and a locket hanging in the window seemed to be the culprit of shining light into his eyes. Exactly what he had been needing.
Well. Humans were good at pattern recognition, and he had been needing one, so he was on the lookout. It didn't particularly mean the ningyo had been the cause for it. None of the accounts had mentioned the ningyo had any particular power over the sun, more focused on the sea.
And he was still staring at the locket. Right. Frankenstein went into the shop.
Frankenstein sat down at his desk with a sigh, opening his hand to reveal the locket. He could have placed the lock then and there, but... He hadn't wanted anyone to see it, and he wanted to make sure he placed the lock perfectly, so that he wouldn't lose or damage any of the hair.
The locket itself was rather simple, with waves engraved on the front. It was fitting.
He tied a string around the lock of hair to make sure it wouldn't unravel, and placed it behind the glass, securing it in place.
Frankenstein studied it for a second, seeing how the hair shimmered in the sunlight, before he snapped the locket closed as he heard someone moving outside, slipping the locket around his neck.
Time to get back to work.
Frankenstein found himself by the docks again a couple days later, staring out at the sea.
He caught the eye of the older sailor he'd spoken to before, and he walked over.
"Seen more of your ningyo?" the sailor asked, smiling, through there was a wariness in his eyes.
"No... But I was wondering if I may be able to rent a boat from someone."
The smile disappeared. "Are you sure?"
Frankenstein sighed, his gaze drawn towards the sea again, the wind carrying the calls of the gulls towards him. "The only way I can be sure of what I saw is by going to check, no?" And maybe once he had confirmed one way or another, the ningyo would stop plaguing his thoughts. He knew something existed out in the sea that had saved him, but it still remained whether it was a mythical creature or not.
"And this is something you're willing to die for?"
"I..." To have been so close to death already, and then potentially expose himself to it again? "I don't believe the ningyo is a bad omen." That, he truly believed.
The sailor's eyes drifted up towards the clouds that hovered over the sea. "Fine, but I wasn't talking about that. There's a storm coming. It's not safe to sail right now."
Frankenstein studied the same clouds. They were light and wispy as far as he could tell. "I won't be going out that far." It wouldn't take him too long, if it was still within seeing distance of the port.
What kind of doctor would he be if he found out the existence of a new being and then didn't try his best to find out more? He wouldn't stop thinking about the ningyo until he was satisfied with answers.
The sailor was shaking his head. "I can't convince you, huh?"
At that, Frankenstein chuckled. "If I backed down at the hint of a challenge, I wouldn't be here." It was the drive to find the truth of the world that had taken him so high, even if it had caused him to stand out. Even then, that hadn't mattered. Discovering new things was what mattered to him, and there was something new right in front of him. He wouldn't let it get away so easily.
The sailor sighed. "I'm sure there's some here who would gladly rent a boat to you even in this weather when they find out why you want it."
"Thank you." Frankenstein held out his hand. "I never did introduce myself properly." Though the sailor might already know it. "Frankenstein."
The sailor raised an eyebrow, before clasping his wrist and shook it once. "Panska. I hope you'll live long enough to call me that again."
"Then the next time I see you, I'll make sure to call out to you," Frankenstein said, searching for those who were standing next to boats as he walked off.
Frankenstein had been able to rent a boat and while the fishers were eager to see his coin, they hadn't been as willing to come with him. No matter. The less people the better, and Frankenstein rowed out to the open sea, wide brimmed hat perched on his head. He had heard bets being made as he left, on how far he would get before he tired himself out and turned back around.
Most of them didn't think he would even leave the port.
Hah. It was good the rumours of how he had experimented on himself hadn't reached here yet. He had began looking into ways he could breathe underwater or hold his breath for longer alongside his research of the ningyo though it hadn't yielded anything yet.
The sun had been hot overhead but the further Frankenstein got from the port, the more the wind picked up, the waves growing choppy.
Frankenstein gripped the side of the boat, waiting to see if the wind would die down, trying to control his stomach. He certainly felt the waves less on larger ships, or he was more engrossed with his notes as they travelled.
It only lasted for a few minutes and Frankenstein started rowing again.