A Land Of Sea

The Eye Of The Metaphorical Storm

There were 3 main people out of the pirates who hung around the merfolk, for various reasons.

Dream, of course, but he only came by to check on how things were going it seemed.

Then the man with a weirdly shaped mask, who's name he had learned was Sam, who made sure all the technical aspects of the ship were running smoothly. He usually only came down to check the water of the tanks, or to fix the random wooden stair that seemed to fall through every other day.

Lastly, a weird, tall man (who looked slightly younger than the others he'd seen), with both white and black hair. He had yet to find a name to put to his face, but he could now recognize his voice on the few times he listened in to conversations at the top of the stairs. This one came to bring them all food each day, so George saw him the most.

The food was weird. It was fish, he knew that, but there were no scales or bones, which he found odd. For younger mer, of course, mothers would pick out the bone because their stomachs weren't grown enough to be able to dissolve it, but by the time you were old enough to be scolded for wearing 'inappropriate skirts,' you were able to eat whole and raw fish.

George didn't mind much, the cut fish, but he almost missed the taste of scales. They had an odd sort of slimy texture, but in a new way when compared to something such as sea anemone, or eel. It was just..normal.

The man usually came around midday, and George had begun to get used to that routine. This time however, it was a familiar mask that came sauntering down, 4 large salmon on a platter. George noticed this, and the one thing that struck him was- they were whole.

Upon taking his meal, he drew up the courage to say something. "Th- thank you.."

Today his mask was just barely above his mouth, and George could see a smile peeking out on Dream's face.

"No problem."

After stopping by the other 3, he left, and George rested his arms on the edge of the tank as he ate, talking with Quackity.

"So..this is new. Has he ever done that before?" George inquired.

"Brought the full fish? Nah, I'm just as surprised as you man." He let out a weird giggle, signature only to him.

George smiled at that for some reason, deciding to take it. He could at least enjoy this, right?

-----

The next day was the day they lost Hannah.

No, no, they hadn't killed her or anything, but when the boat stopped for a bit George remembered waking up to an unfamiliar man in a funny looking uniform, unlike the pirates, some weird green paper in hand. He had come with Dream and another brunette (who's name was Sapnap, he now knew) supposedly for a trade of some sort. George had been exhausted, and it wasn't until waking up an hour later that he realized what exactly had gone on.

Quackity and Foolish filled him in, and the only words to come out of his mouth at the time were simply, "How could they?"

He sat in the tank, silent, for hours. The thoughts running through his head played on repeat, just wondering why, why, why they had taken her. Why that mask man had allowed the stranger to bring Hannah with him. Didn't she have a life too?

It was only that day George realized just how little control they had over this situation. Sure, they were kidnapped mer, left to the fate of these pirates, but only that day did it hit him that he could die here. That he could be sold like a slave, free for the expendable use of humans.

And he wondered why he had ever loved shoaling.

Then he wondered how a man who seemed so nice, so caring, who was the first to feed them their traditional food, could turn on them so quickly.

George was motionless, ignoring Quackity's attempts at conversation throughout the day, and it wasn't until the next he decided upon something.

No matter who held possession-as much as he hated the word-of him, they wouldn't control him.

And as much as he was beginning to like the presence of the man, he was going to make sure he made Dream's life a living hell.

-----

Word Count: 749
Date: 09/05/21

HDJAHDKSGJAGSJSTA Okay I know it's short, like super short, but hey, things are happening.

Also.. erm..g- guys.. we- this- JRGDJAGWH WE HIT 100 TOTAL VIEWS AND WE'RE NEARING 150, please ExPlAiN- even tho there's probably actually only like 5 consistent readers (Edit: hah, remember when we were at 150?)

Anyway :') thanks :') leave a vote if you like this motherflufflenuckling shit I call writing