☔ Raeda Oneshots 🌟

Unencumbered (Raeda Week Day 6)

"Hey, Eda?"

"What's up, Rainey?"

The two stopped for a moment as Raine reached down to pick up a large scallop shell from the sand, "Have you ever heard of whale falls?" They asked her, delicately setting the shell in their bag.

"Hmm," she thought for a moment, "I don't think so, why?" Raine slipped their hand into hers and she squeezed it gently.

"No reason in particular," they responded, "I watched a human documentary on them the other day; it was incredibly fascinating." They reached down to grab a horseshoe crab tail that Eda gestured to, pouring out the sand from the hollow and adding it to the bag.

Eda chuckled, prying the heavy bag from their hands, "I'll take that, you work on finding more cool shit," Raine grinned and kissed her cheek, jogging ahead a few steps to scrutinize, what looked like, a particularly large univalve.

"So, what is a whale fall?" She asked, catching up to them as they rinsed off the shell in the surf.

"You know how, when a whale dies, they fill up with gas and then explode?"

Eda nodded, "Sort of like when a trash slug washes up, right?"

Raine hummed in confirmation, "Yes! Except that a whale fall only happens if the whale explodes and sinks while it's still in open water," They picked up a piece of sand dollar, only to throw it back a moment later, "If the carcass falls 3,300 feet or more into the sea, it is considered a whale fall."

Eda opened the shell bag as they dumped in a few pieces with particularly vibrant nacre, "That's pretty cool, Rainestorm."

They beamed, "I know, right? But that's not even the best part." They added, stepping around a beached jellyfish.

"The animals that live on the ocean floor, where the whale rests, rarely ever get such a meal at their disposal. But when they do, they can form an entire ecosystem from the carcass alone. The biosphere can last for hundreds of years, some species even live strictly on whale carcasses." Raine explained, "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" They added, turning to her with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"Whoa," Eda said, "Just like the Boiling Isles!" She exclaimed.

Raine nodded, "Exactly! Isn't that interesting?" They questioned.

Eda laughed, ruffling their hair, "You're such a nerd, Raine," she kissed them briskly, "I love it."

Raine echoed her giggles, "You're just as nerdy as me! Your interests just have more to do with slot machine statistics." They took her hand once more, guiding both of them to sit on the sand, "I love your nerdiness, too."

Eda didn't reply, only pulling them closer to her as the couple watched the sun dip below the offing.

See https://archiveofourown.org/works/46681582 for notes on this story...