Prosaic.

Promise.

Back on the boat again. Of course, after the group's little pit stop, it was inevitable that they would continue on their endless journey to the hills far ahead. They had no oars, so instead, the adults took turns piloting the boat from behind, pushing with their hands and kicking with their feet, acting as an extremely slow engine. They didn't do this the entire time; it burned a lot of energy, and they had very little food that had to be rationed between the entire group. But for a few minutes a few times during the day, they would push the boat, taking turns. The rest of the group would paddle with their hands lamely, but it did seem to help a small amount, if not with speed then with direction.

The amount of structures above the surface of the water began to steadily increase as the boat slowly trudged its way through the ocean's expanse. Soon, roofs above the surface stretched and began to turn into entire stories above the surface of the water.

Across the so-far relatively short journey, Felicity had begun to narrate her own story inside of her mind. Her silent words kept her company, kept her focused, and allowed her to reflect on herself. Zephyr had been right, of course; her personality was unrecognisable as to who she was before the floods began. It felt right to her now, though, to be dominant, to be loud, to be everything she was never allowed to be before. Felicity absolutely hated herself for this, but she was grateful for the floods despite all of the death and destruction. In such a situation, she had blossomed into a loud, proud, and capable person that she had never even thought possible before. She was, in such a situation, her best possible self, and sat on the gently rocking boat feeling something for herself that she had never experienced before:

Pride.

Her self-loathing was visible and very loud, but for the first time ever, she had a sense of dignity and independence to combat it. It was frustrating and confusing, yet beautiful at the same time. The boat very slowly wavered across the water, a few of them talking, others admiring the lower sea levels around them with a fascinated and thankful awe. The ocean was powerful, not a force to be reckoned with, and her calm and lesser presence as they travelled higher in altitude was not only fascinating, but a sacred blessing that they knew would not last for long. With the sky discreetly darkening and the air growing heavy with warm, spring humidity, it seemed only a matter of time before she scattered them to the winds and swallowed their equipment in an unruly temper-tantrum once again.

The one thing that the boat lacked, was, of course, privacy. Arguments were shared by the entire group, as was bathroom trips, naps, clothe-changing, bathing, and absolutely anything of the sorts. Considering the circumstances and the type of selective persons on the boat, however, nudity and rudeness seemed like the new social norm in a way, and nobody judged nor cared, with the exception of Tatiana, whom judged everyone for everything.

The sky darkened and darkened, deeply black clouds rolling in strong, warm winds overhead. The temperature dropped dramatically as the sky faded into nighttime, and long casted shadows grew and expanded over the expanse, the blue-grey water turning black in the darkness. No moon nor stars made an appearence, hidden away behind the heavy clouds and fog. None could see more than an inch in front of their own faces, and it scared them, so they huddled together in the boat with no intention of moving until light dawned on their faces and warmed their bones. A light drizzle began to fall, and thunder echoed, deep and rumbling, somewhere far in the distance. Although Felicity felt truly safest beside Huan's large, kind, and protective form, she enjoyed Zephyr's company and fond affection the most, and thus, she laid against Zephyr on the floorboards of the small tipping boat. He held her kindly and protectively, an arm wrapped around her as he slowly drifted in and out of sleep, awoken occasionally by the rocking of the waves beneath them. Felicity's eyes closed, but she couldn't bring herself to sleep. The darkness, the motion beneath and around them, the wind and the sprinkling rain; it was all too much for her at the moment. It wasn't peaceful enough for her mind to relax long enough to sleep. And, beside that, she had begun to have a terrible aching in her gut and head, and she wondered if her little underwater adventure had something to do with it. The water could be dangerous with her eyes open beneath it for so long; at the very least, the pressure of the water and the constant travelling could make her sick. Naturally, something like that would make anyone sick, and Felicity suddenly began to wonder if anyone else in the group was fairing poorly. A poor, weak diet left them all weaker and malnourished, and she considered the idea that they were all susceptible to scurvy if they did not find a better source of food soon. That, and weakened health meant weakened immune systems; even small ailments could kill them with no antibiotics or medicines to nurture and protect their bodies. Felicity's anxiety hardened as she thought about just how close the group was to death. Hell, one could say that they already were dead. And what would begin to happen as their starvation took a hold of them? One might suggest to eat the dog that Kiui so dearly loved. And then what? Would they begin to suggest eating one another?