Breath of Life [Part 3]
Apr. 7th, 2021 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
esp_dragonv2Fandom: 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: 2,532
Total word count: 6,066
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein glanced around, seeing endless blue on almost every side, the port a line on the horizon. Even with his strength it had taken longer than expected.
He pulled the oars onto the boat and listened to the waves lapping at the side. Well. He was here. As close as he could figure where he had been when he'd been saved anyway. There was nothing to mark where the ship had sank, not like there would be on land. There was no churned earth to say something had happened here. There wasn't any debris floating in the area, and if there was, that would say just how far away from the original site he was.
He couldn't swim to check underwater either. Though even if he could, he wouldn't see the ningyo until it was almost upon him.
This was one of his more impulsive ideas, he had to admit, but it was a good experience to discover what exactly he would need the next time he did this.
"Is there anyone there?" Frankenstein said to the air, peering at the sea. It was doubtful, but he didn't know how the ningyo perceived the world. Maybe their hearing was better, or his voice could travel through the waves. "Can you hear me?"
Only the waves answered him, gull calls in the distance.
Frankenstein huffed, narrowing his eyes. He had some time left - he could afford to wait. He wasn't going to be deterred when he had only just arrived.
*
Frankenstein's throat was a little hoarse after all the speaking he'd done, but when he almost tipped out of the boat, he stopped, looking around.
The waves were rockier now, which was why he had almost fallen into the sea. They were darker too because... He looked up.
The sun had hidden behind dark clouds while he had concentrated on the sea, and how long had it been since he'd started? Not that long, surely?
Except, how often had he had that exact thought after he had delved into a new experiment, hours passing without his notice?
Too many times.
Dammit. The sky was almost completely covered, only patches letting thin beams of sunlight through.
How far had he been buffeted away from the port while his attention had been elsewhere? It seemed smaller than the last time Frankenstein and... This may have been a mistake.
He should be able to row back before the weather got worse. He eyed the dark clouds that were sweeping closer and got the oars out.
*
Frankenstein held onto the side of the boat, unable to keep the same grip on his stomach as the boat tumbled under him. He could deal with the motion of the waves, but in such a small boat it was more obvious. And it looked as if the waves were just getting stronger, pulling him further away from the port. Even with his strength, he couldn't make much headway when a new wave erased what progress he'd made.
Damn, damn, damn his insistence and curiosity! And he had nothing to show for it as the waves and wind grew, rainfall starting. As the seconds passed, the rain grew heavier, turning into a downpour.
Frankenstein set his jaw, gripping the oars again. He wasn't in the sea yet, and he would do his best to stay out of it.
*
Frankenstein swore as lightning cracked overhead. He could barely see through the downpour, the wind taking his hat early on. It wouldn't have mattered anyway - with how much he was being tossed around, he was drenched from all sides. The hat wouldn't have done much to protect him. He'd brought the oars back in before he lost them to waves in case he was able to use them again later.
He was better off than his last trip to sea, because he could still breathe, but with how his stomach dropped every time he crested a new wave, it didn't seem like he would stay out of the sea for very long.
The roll of thunder that followed a second almost deafened Frankenstein, the sound reverberating within his chest. If he was in the eye of the storm, then it should pass by-
Frankenstein hissed as the boat dropped enough he hovered, slamming back onto slick wood soon after. The boat hadn't landed straight and Frankenstein scrambled hold onto anything secure as it tipped to the side.
He froze, seeing another wave heading straight for him. He took in a deep breath and for all his strength, the wave tore him free of the boat and he was tumbling into the cold sea.
It wasn't as much of a shock hitting the water this time. He was already partially frozen from the rain and the waves, his muscles stiff from the cold. He hadn't fallen as deep either, so he could see the waves above him.
The current tossed him around as he tried to swim upwards. It wasn't dragging him down, but it wasn't letting him go up either.
Dammit. If he somehow got out this, he was going to learn how to swim. No matter how much he kicked his legs and flailed his arms, he didn't seem to get any closer to the surface.
Frankenstein saw something pale in the corner of his eyes before it barrelled into him, grabbing him by the waist. He saw silver hair flowing behind him before they broke the surface and he was flying through the air.
He crashed onto the boat in a daze. Had he just-? What had-?
"Are you trying to die?" a voice roared at him and Frankenstein lunged towards the direction of the voice, almost tipping the boat over.
It had came from the sea, and it was the same ningyo as before, the cheek scar instantly recognisable. "It's you!"And the ningyo could talk! There had been no record of that that he'd found. That put them above just a mindless beast. Though he knew that already, or else the ningyo wouldn't have saved him, but language was-
"Yeah, I am," the ningyo yelled over the crash of the waves, somehow looking as if they weren't in the middle of a storm, not bobbing out of sight for too long. "But we can't talk here."
Disappointment crashed into Frankenstein, far stronger than the storm. "Why?" Had he wasted his time? No, he hadn't. He knew the ningyo existed now. He would have still liked to know more though.
The ningyo stared at him. As far as Frankenstein could tell. It was a little hard with how wide their eyes were. "'Cause of the storm," they shouted. "We can't hear each other!"
...Oh, right. Of course.
Frankenstein gripped the seat as his boat was tossed around the waves, stealing the ningyo away. He looked across at a solid slap, seeing a hand gripping the side of the boat. Five fingers that looked human, but they ended in long white claws.
"You can't get back, can ya?"
Frankenstein laughed at that. "If I could, do you think I would still be here?"
"Right." The hand disappeared from view.
He wanted to peer in that direction, trying to see where the ningyo had gone.
He sucked a breath instead when the boat lurched forward, moving as if it was being pushed.
He looked back, seeing what looked like a dolphin tail following the boat. They were pushing the boat?
Okay. Frankenstein held on grimly as they moved through the storm.
* * *
They didn't head to the port. Not that Frankenstein could see where they were going until they were almost upon it.
It was a cave, black rocks jutting out from the entrance. The opening was wide, so Frankenstein wasn't too worried about being dashed against them.
He still held on as they neared, his stomach dropping further as the waves carried them closer.
The boat turned as they neared, but with a shove, they entered the cave. It was more spacious than the outside hinted at, opening into a more open circular area. It was a relief to no longer be out in the rain, but now they were in an enclosed area with the waves still raging around them.
He winced as the bottom of the boat crashed against something, jolting him as the boat tipped sideways.
"Get out!"
Get out to wh-
The boat was beached on flat, black rocks that had been revealed as the the waves slid back.
Frankenstein scrambled out, limbs still stiff from gripping so tight for so long and the cold. He almost tripped as he got off, the boat sliding back as another wave tried to retrieve it.
He grabbed the front with a grunt, pulling the boat to safety. Relatively. If the water didn't get any higher.
It shouldn't. If the waves hadn't already reached this part at the height of the storm, then it shouldn't.
Frankenstein fell back with a groan, trying to get his breath back.
No. Couldn't do that. He started pulling at his clothes, trying to get them off with stiff, shivering hands. He couldn't keep his wet clothes on. Not now. The cold would kill him.
He heard a loud splash as he removed his top. He paused when his top had cleared his head and he could see the ningyo in full.
The ningyo had pulled themself onto land, revealing the extent of the differences between them. Their silver hair was past waist-length, spooling out on the rock around them. Their face wasn't the only place that was scarred - more scars criss-crossed their torso and arms. They looked like claw marks rather than bites.
Now that Frankenstein could see them properly without water constantly getting into his eyes, he could see the ningyo's front was white, while their back was a more mottled grey. A dagger was strapped to their left bicep.
Their top half was remarkably similar to a human - it was past the navel that the similarities ended. Their bottom half wasn't a fish's tail, but looked more like a dolphin's. It was a smooth transition, just like Frankenstein's torso to his legs.
He shook his head, turning his attention back to his sodden clothing. "You're really here," he said, removing his shoes.
"Yep. We can hear each other a bit better here than out in the storm, heh," the ningyo said, watching him struggle with his clothing. "What're you doin'?"
"I can't-" His trousers were almost glued to his skin and he wriggled, trying to coax them off. "My clothes will keep me cold and if I stay too cold for too long, I could die." And he'd rather not do that so soon after meeting the ningyo again.
"Yer cold?"
He peeled his trousers off and threw them to the side with a wet slap. "I'm surprised I can move this well." He had been colder before, but he hadn't also been wet. There was very little chance he could make a fire like this. If he could even find anything to burn in here (and a cursory glance revealed nothing among the large rocks except sand), everything was now too wet to catch alight.
He looked over at a slap and saw the ningyo coming closer. They were bracing their hands against the rock, then using their tail to propel themself forward.
It only took a few of such steps before they were next to him, studying him.
Frankenstein resisted the urge to reach out and touch them. He knew they were there. He was sure of it. He didn't need to-
"I can help keep ya warm?"
"I-" Hm. Seemed the cold was making his thoughts sluggish. "By doing what?"
They spread an arm out. "Hug?"
Body warmth was the best way to transfer heat if fire wasn't available. He nodded, wriggling out of his underwear. "All right." Now was not the time to feel self-conscious - this was his life on the line.
He lay down and turned so his back was-
He was lifted up and settled on the ningyo's stomach. "Ack!" The ningyo had leaned up against the wall so they weren't completely flat.
"Yer not gonna stay warm if you lie on the cold rocks, are ya?" They wrapped their arms around Frankenstein's shoulders.
...No, he wasn't. "Thank you."
He was quiet for a few seconds, hearing and feeling the ningyo breathing underneath him, the storm still raging outside as water crashed against the walls.
He and the ningyo were almost the same length - only their tail seemed add a little more and...
Yes, logically, it made the most sense to strip down to save his life. He would do it again if he needed to.
He still wasn't used to doing that in front of other people. Having so much skin to skin contact with another, let alone in a state of undress.
The ningyo didn't seem to mind, and why would they, when they didn't wear clothes?
They were warm though, that was for sure, and if he didn't regain his regular temperature that way, then certainly the embarrassment that was heating him from crown to toes would do it in no time.
"So what're you doing going out into a storm by yourself?" they asked. "Didn't look like you were fishin'."
How long had they been watching him for? And how hadn't he noticed? "To meet you."
He felt them still. "Eh?"
"To meet you," Frankenstein repeated. "You saved my life and I wanted to make sure I hadn't imagined you." And in doing so, had made them save his life again...
"Heh, yer a very interestin' human."
"And you're an interesting ningyo." It had to be rare that one was willing to interact with humans, with reports about them so few. "Thank you. For saving my life."
They shrugged, their tail tip curling slightly. "I wasn't gonna leave ya to drown."
"And I owe you my life because of it." Though he wasn't sure what he could do to repay such an act. "I'm Frankenstein."
They didn't say anything for a few seconds. Had he said something wrong? Was he not supposed to offer his name, or ask theirs?
"Muzaka."
"Muzaka," Frankenstein repeated, committing it to memory.
"So," Muzaka said, "what's this world like?"
This wo-? Right. Frankenstein glanced at the clawed hands holding him, the tail underneath him. Muzaka wouldn't be able to walk around and explore like this. Not without drawing attention.
He found himself smiling faintly. Muzaka was as curious as he was. "Much drier than yours."
Muzaka laughed, so strongly it shook Frankenstein - Muzaka's hold on him made sure he didn't slip off. "I figured as much, heh."
"Do you have towns?" Frankenstein asked. What did they look like? What were the buildings made of?
"Some of us like living in groups."
Frankenstein turned that answer over in his head, looking at what was unsaid. "But not you?"
"Heh. I prefer being a little more solitary, yeah."
How interesting.
Muzaka shifted a little under him. "A couple questions each?"
He smiled. "Yes, that sounds fair." That way, they could learn more about each other.
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: 2,532
Total word count: 6,066
Status: Work in progress
Frankenstein glanced around, seeing endless blue on almost every side, the port a line on the horizon. Even with his strength it had taken longer than expected.
He pulled the oars onto the boat and listened to the waves lapping at the side. Well. He was here. As close as he could figure where he had been when he'd been saved anyway. There was nothing to mark where the ship had sank, not like there would be on land. There was no churned earth to say something had happened here. There wasn't any debris floating in the area, and if there was, that would say just how far away from the original site he was.
He couldn't swim to check underwater either. Though even if he could, he wouldn't see the ningyo until it was almost upon him.
This was one of his more impulsive ideas, he had to admit, but it was a good experience to discover what exactly he would need the next time he did this.
"Is there anyone there?" Frankenstein said to the air, peering at the sea. It was doubtful, but he didn't know how the ningyo perceived the world. Maybe their hearing was better, or his voice could travel through the waves. "Can you hear me?"
Only the waves answered him, gull calls in the distance.
Frankenstein huffed, narrowing his eyes. He had some time left - he could afford to wait. He wasn't going to be deterred when he had only just arrived.
Frankenstein's throat was a little hoarse after all the speaking he'd done, but when he almost tipped out of the boat, he stopped, looking around.
The waves were rockier now, which was why he had almost fallen into the sea. They were darker too because... He looked up.
The sun had hidden behind dark clouds while he had concentrated on the sea, and how long had it been since he'd started? Not that long, surely?
Except, how often had he had that exact thought after he had delved into a new experiment, hours passing without his notice?
Too many times.
Dammit. The sky was almost completely covered, only patches letting thin beams of sunlight through.
How far had he been buffeted away from the port while his attention had been elsewhere? It seemed smaller than the last time Frankenstein and... This may have been a mistake.
He should be able to row back before the weather got worse. He eyed the dark clouds that were sweeping closer and got the oars out.
Frankenstein held onto the side of the boat, unable to keep the same grip on his stomach as the boat tumbled under him. He could deal with the motion of the waves, but in such a small boat it was more obvious. And it looked as if the waves were just getting stronger, pulling him further away from the port. Even with his strength, he couldn't make much headway when a new wave erased what progress he'd made.
Damn, damn, damn his insistence and curiosity! And he had nothing to show for it as the waves and wind grew, rainfall starting. As the seconds passed, the rain grew heavier, turning into a downpour.
Frankenstein set his jaw, gripping the oars again. He wasn't in the sea yet, and he would do his best to stay out of it.
Frankenstein swore as lightning cracked overhead. He could barely see through the downpour, the wind taking his hat early on. It wouldn't have mattered anyway - with how much he was being tossed around, he was drenched from all sides. The hat wouldn't have done much to protect him. He'd brought the oars back in before he lost them to waves in case he was able to use them again later.
He was better off than his last trip to sea, because he could still breathe, but with how his stomach dropped every time he crested a new wave, it didn't seem like he would stay out of the sea for very long.
The roll of thunder that followed a second almost deafened Frankenstein, the sound reverberating within his chest. If he was in the eye of the storm, then it should pass by-
Frankenstein hissed as the boat dropped enough he hovered, slamming back onto slick wood soon after. The boat hadn't landed straight and Frankenstein scrambled hold onto anything secure as it tipped to the side.
He froze, seeing another wave heading straight for him. He took in a deep breath and for all his strength, the wave tore him free of the boat and he was tumbling into the cold sea.
It wasn't as much of a shock hitting the water this time. He was already partially frozen from the rain and the waves, his muscles stiff from the cold. He hadn't fallen as deep either, so he could see the waves above him.
The current tossed him around as he tried to swim upwards. It wasn't dragging him down, but it wasn't letting him go up either.
Dammit. If he somehow got out this, he was going to learn how to swim. No matter how much he kicked his legs and flailed his arms, he didn't seem to get any closer to the surface.
Frankenstein saw something pale in the corner of his eyes before it barrelled into him, grabbing him by the waist. He saw silver hair flowing behind him before they broke the surface and he was flying through the air.
He crashed onto the boat in a daze. Had he just-? What had-?
"Are you trying to die?" a voice roared at him and Frankenstein lunged towards the direction of the voice, almost tipping the boat over.
It had came from the sea, and it was the same ningyo as before, the cheek scar instantly recognisable. "It's you!"And the ningyo could talk! There had been no record of that that he'd found. That put them above just a mindless beast. Though he knew that already, or else the ningyo wouldn't have saved him, but language was-
"Yeah, I am," the ningyo yelled over the crash of the waves, somehow looking as if they weren't in the middle of a storm, not bobbing out of sight for too long. "But we can't talk here."
Disappointment crashed into Frankenstein, far stronger than the storm. "Why?" Had he wasted his time? No, he hadn't. He knew the ningyo existed now. He would have still liked to know more though.
The ningyo stared at him. As far as Frankenstein could tell. It was a little hard with how wide their eyes were. "'Cause of the storm," they shouted. "We can't hear each other!"
...Oh, right. Of course.
Frankenstein gripped the seat as his boat was tossed around the waves, stealing the ningyo away. He looked across at a solid slap, seeing a hand gripping the side of the boat. Five fingers that looked human, but they ended in long white claws.
"You can't get back, can ya?"
Frankenstein laughed at that. "If I could, do you think I would still be here?"
"Right." The hand disappeared from view.
He wanted to peer in that direction, trying to see where the ningyo had gone.
He sucked a breath instead when the boat lurched forward, moving as if it was being pushed.
He looked back, seeing what looked like a dolphin tail following the boat. They were pushing the boat?
Okay. Frankenstein held on grimly as they moved through the storm.
They didn't head to the port. Not that Frankenstein could see where they were going until they were almost upon it.
It was a cave, black rocks jutting out from the entrance. The opening was wide, so Frankenstein wasn't too worried about being dashed against them.
He still held on as they neared, his stomach dropping further as the waves carried them closer.
The boat turned as they neared, but with a shove, they entered the cave. It was more spacious than the outside hinted at, opening into a more open circular area. It was a relief to no longer be out in the rain, but now they were in an enclosed area with the waves still raging around them.
He winced as the bottom of the boat crashed against something, jolting him as the boat tipped sideways.
"Get out!"
Get out to wh-
The boat was beached on flat, black rocks that had been revealed as the the waves slid back.
Frankenstein scrambled out, limbs still stiff from gripping so tight for so long and the cold. He almost tripped as he got off, the boat sliding back as another wave tried to retrieve it.
He grabbed the front with a grunt, pulling the boat to safety. Relatively. If the water didn't get any higher.
It shouldn't. If the waves hadn't already reached this part at the height of the storm, then it shouldn't.
Frankenstein fell back with a groan, trying to get his breath back.
No. Couldn't do that. He started pulling at his clothes, trying to get them off with stiff, shivering hands. He couldn't keep his wet clothes on. Not now. The cold would kill him.
He heard a loud splash as he removed his top. He paused when his top had cleared his head and he could see the ningyo in full.
The ningyo had pulled themself onto land, revealing the extent of the differences between them. Their silver hair was past waist-length, spooling out on the rock around them. Their face wasn't the only place that was scarred - more scars criss-crossed their torso and arms. They looked like claw marks rather than bites.
Now that Frankenstein could see them properly without water constantly getting into his eyes, he could see the ningyo's front was white, while their back was a more mottled grey. A dagger was strapped to their left bicep.
Their top half was remarkably similar to a human - it was past the navel that the similarities ended. Their bottom half wasn't a fish's tail, but looked more like a dolphin's. It was a smooth transition, just like Frankenstein's torso to his legs.
He shook his head, turning his attention back to his sodden clothing. "You're really here," he said, removing his shoes.
"Yep. We can hear each other a bit better here than out in the storm, heh," the ningyo said, watching him struggle with his clothing. "What're you doin'?"
"I can't-" His trousers were almost glued to his skin and he wriggled, trying to coax them off. "My clothes will keep me cold and if I stay too cold for too long, I could die." And he'd rather not do that so soon after meeting the ningyo again.
"Yer cold?"
He peeled his trousers off and threw them to the side with a wet slap. "I'm surprised I can move this well." He had been colder before, but he hadn't also been wet. There was very little chance he could make a fire like this. If he could even find anything to burn in here (and a cursory glance revealed nothing among the large rocks except sand), everything was now too wet to catch alight.
He looked over at a slap and saw the ningyo coming closer. They were bracing their hands against the rock, then using their tail to propel themself forward.
It only took a few of such steps before they were next to him, studying him.
Frankenstein resisted the urge to reach out and touch them. He knew they were there. He was sure of it. He didn't need to-
"I can help keep ya warm?"
"I-" Hm. Seemed the cold was making his thoughts sluggish. "By doing what?"
They spread an arm out. "Hug?"
Body warmth was the best way to transfer heat if fire wasn't available. He nodded, wriggling out of his underwear. "All right." Now was not the time to feel self-conscious - this was his life on the line.
He lay down and turned so his back was-
He was lifted up and settled on the ningyo's stomach. "Ack!" The ningyo had leaned up against the wall so they weren't completely flat.
"Yer not gonna stay warm if you lie on the cold rocks, are ya?" They wrapped their arms around Frankenstein's shoulders.
...No, he wasn't. "Thank you."
He was quiet for a few seconds, hearing and feeling the ningyo breathing underneath him, the storm still raging outside as water crashed against the walls.
He and the ningyo were almost the same length - only their tail seemed add a little more and...
Yes, logically, it made the most sense to strip down to save his life. He would do it again if he needed to.
He still wasn't used to doing that in front of other people. Having so much skin to skin contact with another, let alone in a state of undress.
The ningyo didn't seem to mind, and why would they, when they didn't wear clothes?
They were warm though, that was for sure, and if he didn't regain his regular temperature that way, then certainly the embarrassment that was heating him from crown to toes would do it in no time.
"So what're you doing going out into a storm by yourself?" they asked. "Didn't look like you were fishin'."
How long had they been watching him for? And how hadn't he noticed? "To meet you."
He felt them still. "Eh?"
"To meet you," Frankenstein repeated. "You saved my life and I wanted to make sure I hadn't imagined you." And in doing so, had made them save his life again...
"Heh, yer a very interestin' human."
"And you're an interesting ningyo." It had to be rare that one was willing to interact with humans, with reports about them so few. "Thank you. For saving my life."
They shrugged, their tail tip curling slightly. "I wasn't gonna leave ya to drown."
"And I owe you my life because of it." Though he wasn't sure what he could do to repay such an act. "I'm Frankenstein."
They didn't say anything for a few seconds. Had he said something wrong? Was he not supposed to offer his name, or ask theirs?
"Muzaka."
"Muzaka," Frankenstein repeated, committing it to memory.
"So," Muzaka said, "what's this world like?"
This wo-? Right. Frankenstein glanced at the clawed hands holding him, the tail underneath him. Muzaka wouldn't be able to walk around and explore like this. Not without drawing attention.
He found himself smiling faintly. Muzaka was as curious as he was. "Much drier than yours."
Muzaka laughed, so strongly it shook Frankenstein - Muzaka's hold on him made sure he didn't slip off. "I figured as much, heh."
"Do you have towns?" Frankenstein asked. What did they look like? What were the buildings made of?
"Some of us like living in groups."
Frankenstein turned that answer over in his head, looking at what was unsaid. "But not you?"
"Heh. I prefer being a little more solitary, yeah."
How interesting.
Muzaka shifted a little under him. "A couple questions each?"
He smiled. "Yes, that sounds fair." That way, they could learn more about each other.