sonderling || mystery incorporated

019 THE SIREN'S SONG

"I figured I should, uh, let you know that I'm not... mad anymore? I mean- I wasn't mad at first, I don't think, but I just needed time to mull everything over and figure out what else to say." Lydia spoke, once again sitting in the familiar motorhome Glory and Angel owned. It was a familiar scenario, Glory sitting across from her, "I guess I kinda get it, it seems like a lot happened back then... so I get why you didn't tell me- any of us." She mumbled, picking at her nails as she spoke.

Glory lightly tapped the table, and Lydia looked up from her hands to make eye contact with her, "I understand, and I'm still sorry I couldn't tell you or your friends." Lydia nodded as she signed, "I do genuinely plan to explain more of my history, but I can't right now." That made her frown.

"Like, you can't because you don't have it thought out? Or because someone's stopping you." She asked, Glory making a 'so-so' gesture which she took to mean both, eyes widening, "Oh. Does- does Angel know?"

As Glory went to sign an answer, biting at her lip in thought, Lydia's phone suddenly rung. "Sorry, hold on." She mumbled, picking up her phone and answering, "Heya, Velm." "Lydia! I just got a lead on a new mystery, there's a haunted oil platform-" "Sorry, Velma, I can't help right now. In the middle of something important." "Okay, but-" Lydia winced a bit as she hung up on her friend.

"Is Velma okay?" Glory signed worriedly, Lydia shrugging, "Something about a haunted oil platform, but it's fine." "You should go help her! We can continue this conversation later." Glory nodded, standing up and gently pushing Lydia out of the motorhome, closing the door once she was outside.

"Okay... I don't... even know where she's going- and I don't have a boat on me..." Lydia frowned, assuming Glory needed to start figuring out how to tell the others about her history, "I guess I'll... go find Shaggy and Scooby." She sighed, only pausing briefly at realizing Glory had gotten out of answering her question on if Angel knew her history.

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For once, Lydia sat in the front seat of the Mystery Machine, between Fred and Daphne in Velma's usual spot. Velma had been explaining what she had discovered, "A haunted oil platform, a missing sardine boat, fish freaks? That's really scary!" Daphne gasped, turning to look back at Velma who nodded.

"Tell me about it!" Scooby agreed, "Yeah, like, if I wore boots, I'd be shaking in 'em!" Shaggy laughed. "You think the fish people are from Atlantis or something?" Lydia lightly joked, smiling.

"Mr. E's usually the only one we get tips from. This could be some kind of trap... You have no idea who the tipster is, Velma?" Fred asked worriedly, Velma glancing away and out the back window, "Uh... no, none. Hopefully, Skipper Shelton can clue us in on all that other stuff." She mumbled.

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It was sundown by the time they reached the beach, sitting at the one table by the Calm Cabin with Skipper standing nearby, "A missin' sardine boat, eh? Well, the only one that fishes these waters is run by me brother, Skipper Shelton."

"There are two Skipper Sheltons?" Fred asked, clearly amazed. Lydia wanted to point out there are two Fred Jones. "Besides meself, there are five Skipper Sheltons. All siblings of mine." The man nodded, starting to count off his siblings on his hand, "A sardiner, a shrimper, a manta-rayer, a kelper, and a sea-dragoner." Then he chuckled, "But we don't talk about him," He looked down at Scooby with a smile, "Right, wolfie?"

Scooby laughed, nodding a bit before looking at the gang worriedly, "I have no idea what he's talking about..." He mumbled. "As far as haunted oil platforms and fish freaks go, ha, that's a bunch of crazy sea tales."