deercountry | Few Regrets (Open)

Entry tags:

Few Regrets (Open)

Who: Reaper (

no_reload) & Open
What: Post-death recovery & November catch-all
When: Month of November
Where: In & Around Disaster House

Content Warnings: Will add as they come up.

I. Squid Games

The remains of his body had fully inked and become crystallized. Then the smoke filled crystals cracked, shattered and broke apart to reveal a palm-sized squid that shook off bits of crystal and remaining ink. The black bloody ink did begin to resorb into the squid which seemed momentarily disoriented.

Then it lifted four tentacles and gave a soft hissing squeak to whomever happened to be close by. Another squeak and wiggling tentacles that clearly meant to be indication for picking up.

While he couldn’t communicate with words, Reaper was small enough and determined enough to be close to anyone. He would attempt to cling to feet or legs, and sometimes that meant the risk of getting under foot.

At other times, he would somehow clamber onto raised parts of furniture whether it was a table leg, couch arm or even a shoe and lift two tentacles to the air and wait for someone to pass by before trying to attach himself for a free ride to leg or hand.

II. Bedrest

Since leaving the squid state, Reaper had had a hell of a time adjusting back to his body. He had mostly confined himself to his bedroom, a place he hardly used as anything other than storage previously. Now he was there most of the time, sequestered to the bed as he didn’t have the available energy yet to perform his usual household activities.

After all, breathing was a laboured effort; that’s probably what was supposed to happen when one’s lungs had been vaporized. He could be found in his bedroom, sitting up to make breathing easier and clad in black track pants and a oversized black hoodie where the hood was constantly pulled up over his head, obscuring his bare and scarred face with shadow. The white of his goatee was the most obvious aspect of him to be seen.

"…death has always provided a reset, but you haven’t invested time to knowing how blood effects your abilities either. That was stupid of you…"

Reaper grunted softly as if replying to the scolding and exasperated Irish female voice that happened to be coming from a small laptop-sized device next to him on his bed. His bare hand with its blackened dead looking fingers reached out and patted the device as if he were trying to pat the Irish voice on the shoulder.

"I have this pain again." His voice was strained, nearly breathless.

"Expected. You died, Reyes. You will cope as you did before," the voice said with a touch of exasperation.

"Analysis on point, as always," he remarked with a soft nearly whimsical sigh that turned to a wheeze.

The voice was quiet, a reminder that the person behind it wasn’t actually here in Trench. That old friend had returned to their world and had never returned. He turned the medical device off with press of a button and leaned his head back against the headboard, shifting his weight as if unable to find a comfortable spot to sit in.

Then his chin tipped his head down again. "I know you’re out there."

III. Slow and Steady

Thankfully, the month so far had seemed calm and with little to no effects. He was slow to move around the house, less willing to take up some of his normal activities. He technically was the only adult in the house and that came with certain responsibilities he hadn’t been able to get back into. For one, he tired far too easily, like he was far older than he actually was. Or maybe this was how those of the SEP went out… tired, alone and shuffling around.

He spent much of his time in the house, but sometimes he wanted a chance of scenery. He was ease his way out of the house and seat himself on the ground or on a step. If he was having a particularly good day, he could get himself up to one of the edges of roof and seat himself there, legs dangling.

As soon as he went outside, his Omen, Wraith, would immediately appear. The black peacock would make a show of preening and walking around, shuffling long detailed tail feathers and issuing a low mournful swan song that was not normal for peacocks. Always, the Omen would be on high alert, never staying particularly close to him but clearly on guard to anyone who might know what to look for.

"Careful, his bite is as pathetic as his bark," he rumbled softly to anyone that might stop by to have a look or even appear from the house.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Satisfied that yes, Reaper did in fact want to go swimming, Luca headed toward the door.]

Come on, then.

[As if Reaper was going to do anything else while Luca carried him. Fortunately, while the beach was far away, the nearest lamp friend was not, and Luca had put his own by the beach for easy access. It's not long before Luca goes outside and, reaching the nearest lamp, brings them both to the beach. Then, because Luca doesn't even bother changing to swim, he just races down to the water, bright green scales racing up his legs once he reaches it.]

[He had traveled by lamps before, but he didn't make a habit of it. They were easy points to set up an ambush, and he was much too cautious to allow that to happen. He did wonder how it would be experienced as a squid and whether it would be different when he was with a bipedal body he had better control of.

No, he reasoned it felt similar. It was hard to tell what with squid having a less developed nervous system for processing things like transport across distances. He was clinging with all of his tentacles to Luca when the boy took off down the beach, flattening a bit to be more aerodynamic.

He squeaked when splatters of water land on him, a sensation of rightness coming over him. Squid were made for swimming, to being in the water. While he might not leap off and risk being lost at sea, he felt a well of anticipation for getting in that water. And Luca seemed just as excited, even if he wasn't yet aware of the rising green scales yet.]

[Luca continues running into the water, scales going up his body as he goes, until eventually he dives right in, completing the transformation. Then, he releases Reaper so he can swim around.]

Don't worry, it'll be easy for me to keep an eye on you like this.

[Considering Luca is far faster than any squid.]

[Water hit and washed over Reaper-squid, and there was definitely a sense of relief as he released the hold he had on Luca now that he was free to swim about. Tentacles streamed out behind him, and he used them to propel himself deeper into the water where the waves might not fling him to shore so easily.

His eyes and body lit up with bioluminence thanks to the Moon, but he came to a stop to hang suspended in the water when he came upon Luca who was... definitely not carrying the same appearance. He swam closer so he could attempt to attach himself to Luca's shoulder. That way he could reach out a tentacle to touch green scales.

Then he issued a squeak of inquiry. Human boy on land, fish boy in water?]

[Luca lets Reaper reach out to his scales, more than willing to let him attach without objection.]

I guess this is the first time you saw me in my natural form, huh? I wonder how much you'll remember when you turn back.

[Attach he did for the time being, not about to let the current drag him away right now. He definitely had no idea the kid that moved in was hiding this under that human looking skin. Fascinating!

He squeaked and used his tentacles to clamber up with the help of a current pull to latch onto the top of Lucas's head. Yes, he was staying there to catch a free ride. He wanted to remember this, even if his body was feeling... strange. Better enjoy this while it lasted, right?]

[Satisfied that Reaper was securely attached, Luca decides to give him a ride. He takes off through the water, dipping and spinning and diving low, taking sharp turns around reefs and rocks to give Reaper a chance to see everything down here, before shooting back up. Maybe he'll show Reaper the trick where he jumps out of the water.]

[He was a strong swimmer once upon a time, but he hadn't been practicing much. He tended to stay out of the water because of the limitations it had on his abilities, so this adventure into the water was a novelty.

He might experience a more homely sensation in the water as a squid, but he was still clinging to Luca like his very life depended on it. He experienced thrills at the smooth motions in the water, and that thrill was beginning to war with the sensation of a body no longer being quite so settled as a squid. Was he changing? Should he go to shore? No, he would stay.]

Oh! Let me show you the one thing I can do!

[And with that he shoots up, leaping out of the water far enough to turn human again before he dives right back down, returning to his sea monster form.]

How was that?

[This could either be a fun 'thing' or a not fun 'thing', and he could tell he was about to find out. They were gaining speed, and he was clinging with all of his tentacles as they rose rapidly through the water, and it did occur to him what was about too happen.

Out of the water, and he squeaked as loudly as a little squid could because the adrenaline was great even if he was thinking he'd lose his grip at any moment. It didn't happen, and he was still clinging to Luca as they entered the water.

Then he released his grip so he could swim around the body, twisting in the water even as his skin had began to lose its shininess and turned dark. It began to look like smoke was trapped inside of his squid skin and was swirling enough to make it clear it was trying to get out. He didn't notice aside from the strange sensation, but he was about to regain a human body.]

[He felt Reaper release, and Luca just watched to see what he was doing, when he realized.

Oh...is Reaper turning back? Right here? Luca looks to the shore. It doesn't seem too far away, but is that far away for a human? How well can Reaper swim? Luca honestly doesn't know. He watches in concerned fascination as Reaper turns back. He managed to get Manabu to shore when they first arrived, he figures he'll manage if Reaper can't swim.]

[He wasn't in control of the change at all, didn't even understand yet what was causing it. He was used to being stuck as a smoke monster for a week in Deerington, so this was already a unique experience.

His squid form seemed to dissolve into black ink through the water, tendrils of the black curling out before suddenly pulling back in and compressing until Reaper formed a human body again. His skin was deadly pale and covered head-to-toe in old scars, most of which were burn scars but plenty of old laceration and bullet scars as well. His hair was pure white and to mid-back.

He seemed to shake himself off in the water before turning about to seek the direction of the surface. He did know how to swim thankfully, and he pulled himself to the surface to take a big breath. He felt weak and it was difficult to draw full breath. He'd probably need a tow to shore.]

[Wow...Luca had never seen Reaper's face before. This is definitely a first.]

I never knew you had a human face before.

[He supposes it's the first time for both of them seeing the other's real face. Then, noticing that Reaper seems to be having trouble, Luca swims closer in case he needs to grab on.]

Oh, do you need help getting to land?

[Under normal circumstances, Reaper definitely would have tried to appear with a mask to hide his appearance. As it was, he had to deal with being naked and exposed, which was the least of his worries right now.

How stupid would it be to come back to life only to die again by drowning due to a lack of lung capacity? Very, very stupid.

He managed to tread water as he peered towards the shore. It wasn't a massive distance, but he did find himself skeptical that he would actively be able to travel the entire distance.]

My face isn't usually something I show off...

[He looked at Luca, and he expected that this scaled form wasn't who the kid showed to everyone either.]

I might need a tow, if you're up for it.

Yeah...I guess I'm the same way, kind of.

[Considering he didn't typically go around showing off that he was a sea monster to humans. As for a tow...]

Of course!

[Luca offers a hand so Reaper can grab on.]

I didn't even think of you turning back when I brought you out here. I'd hate for you to drown just because I brought you too far out.

[Sure, there's a lot to talk about with...everything, but Luca isn't going to think about that. Not right now. Reaper just turned back, and at the moment the priority was getting him back home so he could recover. Once that happened, they could talk about the thing he saw on the network.]

I don't think I've seen you looking like this...

[And he didn't consider that to be anything adverse either. Everyone should have their secrets, especially if it happened to be a secret identity. How exciting!

He grasped Luca's hand, tipping his head to keep it above water as he fought to keep from tiring already. Everything was disorienting and his sensory was screwed up as it was. Plus, he disliked greatly that he had difficulty breathing. That was new.]

I guess... it makes sense. We all were changed when coming to Trench in these waters. It won't be the first time I've drowned. It's very inconvenient.

[He appreciated the tow more than he would ever let on. His legs felt like lead after all, and how pathetic would it be to drown because he wasn't a squid anymore?]

You haven't. I'm always in human form around the house.

[Well, except in the bath, but that doesn't really count.]

The only reason Varian and Luz have seen my real form is they saw me after I changed back from a squid and before I actually left the water.

[A process that took a lot longer for him than other sleepers because...well, unlike other sleepers, he hadn't had any real urgency in leaving the water. Holding on tightly to Reaper, Luca powers forward with his tail while carefully keeping an eye on Reaper as he swims.]

Well, you're not going to drown now. I'm not going to let you. Especially not when you just recovered from your last death.

[And especially not when Luca's the one who brought him out to these deeper waters in the first place.]

Besides, you wouldn't be the first person I've towed back to the shore.

Ah, now I know... we all have our secrets that we keep...

[It was interesting that Luca had another layer to him. The kid had seemed pretty 'normal' aside from quirks that all kids had. Now many of those quirks made sense to him, though he expected there was plenty more than meets to eye here.

He concentrated on keeping his head above water, spitting out any that managed to get into his mouth, and, unfortunately for his ego, he had to let Luca do most of the work when it came to getting to shore.]

That's... quite the determination. I believe you, though if I did die again, it wouldn't matter much.

[And thankfully the shore was getting closer and closer. He occasionally dropped his legs to see if he could touch the sandy bottom. Not yet, not yet and then suddenly his toes brushed the sand and he felt a sense of relief. No drowning today. Except for that whole 'difficulty standing when not in water' bit he hadn't discovered just yet.]

It does matter if you die again. Even if you come back, you have to go through all this stuff and being a squid and dying probably doesn't feel too nice, either, and everyone in our house is supposed to look out for each other and that includes you.

[Sure, he has questions and concerns about the stuff Lance said, but that's for later. Right now, he has to make sure Reaper's okay so he can answer questions, and for now what he does know for sure is this is the guy who cooks for them every day and keeps guard outside the house. He doesn't deserve to have to drown again.]

It's no worse than being alive sometimes, but your sentiment is appreciated, chico.

[Reaper just appreciated the tow even when he could touch toe-touch. The waves were more of a push as well, off-setting his balance and making it difficult to keep his footing up to a certain point. Even then, he stumbled and rocked as he tried to pull himself out of the water.

He ended up half-walking, half-crawling out to the shore and then seating himself, breathing hard.]

Do you have a favourite food, hmm?

"Well..." He thinks about that. He's had a lot of human foods he's liked (and he'll stick to human dishes so Reaper knows what he's even talking about), but there's one he really enjoyed when he first came to the surface. He doesn't know if Reaper knows how to make it, but he might as well mention it. "I really like trenette al pesto. Or anything with a lot of salt, really."

Or sugar, he really likes sweets, too, but he doesn't want to start listing too many things.

"Ah, Italian, hmm?" He didn't have a recipe off the top of his head for something like that, but he knew he had eaten it before. "And when you say salt, are you talking brining or actual salt crusted meals?" He thought about it, dredging up some of the old recipes that he knew. He didn't make it known that he would take requests for meals, but he did keep the meal preferences in mind when choosing the meals that he prepared.

"Do you care for desserts?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, that's probably not too surprising."

Since Luca's...well, from the Ligurean Sea. He hasn't actually realized yet that the magic of this place has been translating everything he says and everything everyone else is saying to him. Since his native language is a particular sea monster dialect of Italian, he's just been assuming everyone's been speaking to him in Italian this entire time.

"I guess brining? I'm guessing that's what it's called when the salt's throughout the food instead of just on top? Growing up, all my food was technically soaked in saltwater, since...you know..."

He lived underwater, after all.

"Yeah! I never even tasted sweet until I came out of the water, but I've had a lot of sweets since, and they're really good!"

So far, he hadn't been told where Luca was from exactly, though he was of the opinion he was within his rights to ask. It was jut that asking questions usually meant showing enough interest to become attached, and he had enough of that these days. Still, the kid was a little unprepared minnow in the shit sea of blood-magic life.

"I take it that you're Italian then. I'm Latino-American," he said simply, since that was or should be common knowledge about himself. It's why he could speak to Luz in Spanish without any trouble. Of course, because of the dialect translators of this place, he had to choose his native tongue on purpose.

"Yeah, since you're a little merman," he agreed. Brining made sense. "I suppose I'll research a recipe for some Italian food then."

Oh Luca you sweet summer child... this was only encouraging him to make sweets. Maybe it was better than murder, but that was cutting it close.

"Well, maybe more will appear for you to try in future."

"I am, yeah."

Well, technically he's from off the coast of Italy, but he figures Reaper has already gathered that so there's not much need to clarify. He still experienced Italian food before any other human food, so that's what he's most familiar with (aside from raw fish wrapped in seaweed).

"Really? Thanks!"

He always enjoys Reaper's cooking no matter what he makes, so he knows it will be good. It just makes it even more special that he's going to be making something specifically because Luca likes it.

Then, when he mentions more sweets appearing, Luca lets out a happy little sound.

"Great! I can't wait!"

Few Regrets (Open)

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