Ara Asks

A little blog for my favorite asks oc Other blogs is @Guardian-simon (Iron lung rp blog)

[ara-exploration-asks]

Mod: Adding a little info page to kick off this blog

^Made using gacha life 2

“Hi hi and hello!!! It’s very nice to meet you stranger! I’ve had many names but my favorite right now is Ara! Can’t remember who called me it first though… ANYWAYS, I hop around from universe to universe… somehow! So there’s a chance you’ll see me! Or is there a lot of me’s? Haven’t figured that one out yet…”

Extra info:

• Ara stands at a shocking 5’11

• Ara goes by he/they

• They are older than time can track, but physically seems to be around his mid twenties.

• Has made a habit of spawning in odd places, even if it’s not necessary to hold conversation. Others have no clue if it’s on purpose or not.

• Adores giving and receiving new trinkets and accessories.

• They are pan and ace!!

• can fully see in the dark, permanently confused others can’t.

• keeps one eye covered with hair at all times. If you see a post of mine saying “eyes” instead of “eye”… nuh uh.

Mod note: Shipping is perfectly fine but please keep it to sfw :P

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s eyes shined with stars, they shuffled over until they were just inches away from where the blood was pressing against the shore.

“Yeah! I could show you! The In Between has always been pretty accommodating about what different people need to survive. I mean, the only reason there’s oxygen there is because I need it to breathe. Would you want to try?” He extended his hand out to Simon, a look of genuine excitement on his face.

- @s1m0n-inthedark

[s1m0n-inthedark]

His fin-like ears perk up and he gives a soft smile. “Sure, I would like that.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s grin grows, and they lunged out to grab Simon’s hand. The world shifts and distorts, before the feeling of falling enveloped them both.

The In between was dark and warm, not in the same way the blood ocean was but just simply the lack of anything. There was no visible light source, but everything was visible.

Simon was deposited into a liquid darkness that he could breathe in, while Ara was splayed out on something solid.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s eyes shined with stars, they shuffled over until they were just inches away from where the blood was pressing against the shore.

“Yeah! I could show you! The In Between has always been pretty accommodating about what different people need to survive. I mean, the only reason there’s oxygen there is because I need it to breathe. Would you want to try?” He extended his hand out to Simon, a look of genuine excitement on his face.

- @s1m0n-inthedark

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m fine, I’ve been down there basically alone for a while now …you good?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Me? I’m fine, Simon. Don’t worry about me.” Ara rushed out, waving his free hand as if dispelling any worry around himself. They were fine, it wasn’t like this eye was new.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” he says, shrugging, “but if you’re worried about being perceived, I can assure you I’m in no place to judge.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara froze, mulling it over. Simon had been forced to lay his traumas out with the eel, maybe it would even the playing field a little if Ara at least showed the result of his?

He pulled his hands down, cringing at how the liquid darkness stretched from his eye to his palm. Disgusting, awful, horrible-

“It’s not a pretty sight. Dunno why my eye changed like this, happened so long ago. It’s connected to the in between place though, I know that.” He murmured.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He tilts his head, giving a soft hum in response. “Cool, can you see out of it?—If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“I can, yeah. I can kinda see better out of it actually, like I can basically see stuff behind me if that makes sense. When I use this eye… everything’s more clear too, my memories and whatnots. Dunno if I pavloved myself into that or what.” Ara explained with a hum.

It felt like every bad memory Ara’s ever had gets pushed to the front of their mind when this eye sees the light of day. The good ones too. Everything really, everything that’s normally suppressed under a layer of haze.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Interesting.” He comments, resting his chin in his hand. “I’m totally blind in my left eye. Sometimes I wonder if the eel can see out of it.” He half-jokes, chuckling. “…I’m not sure if I was ever told her name.. I’d ask, but I think she would probably just yell at me for ‘focusing on such forgettably human things such as names.’” He hisses in imitation of her voice, and rolls his eyes.

“But whatever, enough about me. What’s the in between?” He cocks his head curiously.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara laughed at Simon’s impersonation, a small but genuine sound that seemed to bury its way into everything it touched.

“It’s… nothing. And everything. But mostly it’s dark, and exists in between universes, as the name implies. It’s like void, an abyss. It can change itself too, grounds can become oceans or whatever else you can think of. Everything’s alive, kinda. I’m not sure if it has a consciousness of its own.” He tried to describe it without sounding vague, but it was hard when the In between was naturally vague.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Cool, can you bring things or people there? Or just yourself?” He asks, beginning to feel nervous about asking so many questions, but this is the first time he’s ever been able to ask a question without having to pay for it, so he’s going to take a slight advantage of that if he can.

The blood laps gently onto the shore, splashing up onto Simon as well from where he rests propped up against a rock. His tail sways back and forth slowly, not unlike a cat’s, though he’s much more merman—or siren—shaped.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“I can bring anything, or anyone, with me! I have been told that traveling to and from feels very uncanny but nobody’s ever gotten hurt.” Ara’s chirps happily, glad he can give a proper answer this time.

They liked answering Simon’s questions, liked explaining a part of their world with someone. He had so much odd knowledge, so an outlet to release some was greatly appreciated.

[deactivated-blog]

An odd shuffling can be heard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the Eleutheria and filling the space. It continues for at least a few more minutes, before stopping entirely. Suddenly-

Ara springs out from an overhead air-duct right in front of Lanus, half of their body hanging out upside down. “Well hello there!” He chirps out.

- @ara-exploration-asks

{he whips around, and swings his cane up to poke up at Ara, and then reached up to to and grab them, but the ceiling was too tall. He also seemed...not very surprised.}

"Convict?... No, uh- Hello to you too, not-convict. How'd you-...probably same way as the biter."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara wiggles around, making a few noises that made it clear he was struggling before a heavy thud rang out. They quickly righted themself up, shaking out not unlike a dog.

“I’m Ara! Definitely not a convict, nor do I have a track record of biting people. Ooo, this is now the second… third? Space ship I’ve been on!” Ara rambles a little, bouncing around.

[deactivated-blog]

{he smacks his side with the cane, and then just sighs.}

"... Alright. Uh. Go wild. I have- err, things are happening that need tending to."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Even as lanus walked away, Ara followed. Their footsteps were quiet and they were far away enough that his presence was easily ignorable. But it was there, trailing behind like a shadow.

It was a weird feeling too, like a muted version of the one people got walking through dark alleyways. Just… off, a little to the left. But it’s just Ara. Excitable, eager, silly Ara. Nothing eerie about that.

[deactivated-blog]

{he walks a few feet, and then stops and turns around.}

"Quit following me. There are infinite things to do here, and you're following me?"

{he points the cane accusingly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara blinked, not moving closer but not moving away. Maintaining that same distance like it was practiced. Far enough from that cane’s reach at least.

“People are more interesting than anything else by far. You said you had things to tend to, I wanna see what those things are.” Ara hummed plainly.

It was clear Ara wasn’t just gonna go, he seemed like the stubborn type under all that whimsy.

[deactivated-blog]

{he changed direction and went straight into the kitchen instead, swatting a chair and pointing to Ara.}

"You won't see those things. They aren't meant for you. You can stay right here. I'll entertain you for...a bit."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara grins, moving to curl up on the chair, crisscrossing their legs. There’s a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, like this was the intended result.

He takes in the room around him, the kitchen seems to follow the same design as everything else around here. It was… well, what he’d expect a spaceship kitchen to look like.

“I’m pretty easily entertained,” Ara offered. “Sooo, whatcha name? Don’t think I ever got it.” They questioned.

[deactivated-blog]

"My name? Depends where you're from."

{he yanks some food from a cabinet and shrugs, but there's a bit of hostility in his tone. He also waves Ara away tiredly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Where I’m from? You have multiple names too?” Ara tilts their head in confusion, either oblivious or ignoring the hostility entirely.

He couldn’t remember where he’d been born or grew up, but he’d come from the In between. Doubtful the other knew what that is though.

[deactivated-blog]

"I-"

{He facepalmed and then started to nibble on the food. Stupid bug things, he couldn't eat like he used to.}

"I'm Ianus. Eden still calls me Ioanna. I'm not bothered, so call me whichever."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara seemed to mull over the two names, but reached a decision pretty quickly. It was easy to see which name the other favored given how he spoke, and something about the latter made something old inside him squirm in protest.

“Lanus, pleased to meetcha properly! Don’t think I’ve met somebody named that in a long time.” Names were something Ara tried to hold onto above any other trait of a person. Even as every other part of a person faded from his mind, he would hold onto their name stubbornly for as long as possible.

Names were important, for some reason. It’s why they had so many.

[deactivated-blog]

"... Not my name."

{he sighed, and just tried to focus on eating. Biter had made the same mistake when they first met too. This new person...reminded him of them a lot}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Is it a title then? Or an alias?” Ara couldn’t help being curious, not when Lanus seemed so interesting.

Everything was always changing, like social norms, technology, even the state of the universe! Ara wanted to know everything he could.

[deactivated-blog]

"No it- it's got an I. Not an L. I'm not a software."

{he pointed aggressively in Ara's direction, and sighed even more.}

"I have a title but- I don't use it much anymore. Two titles. Not using either. The Angel Of Eden, and Hubris of-... You can guess."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara facepalmed, of course it was an I and not an L. English was so strange, having two letters that looked so similar which made messing them up inside speech and memory so easy. At least it had gotten simpler in more recent years, ye old English had been a nightmare.

“The Angel Of Eden… oh! That reminds me of something I used to get called! ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♑︎□︎♎︎⬧︎♏︎■︎♎︎ □︎♐︎ □︎♌︎●︎♓︎❖︎♓︎□︎■︎,” Their voice seemed to warp and get staticy around the… words? Sounds?

“Dunno how well it translates, but it’s kinda similar!” Ara chirped, voice back as if nothing had happened.

[deactivated-blog]

An odd shuffling can be heard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the Eleutheria and filling the space. It continues for at least a few more minutes, before stopping entirely. Suddenly-

Ara springs out from an overhead air-duct right in front of Lanus, half of their body hanging out upside down. “Well hello there!” He chirps out.

- @ara-exploration-asks

{he whips around, and swings his cane up to poke up at Ara, and then reached up to to and grab them, but the ceiling was too tall. He also seemed...not very surprised.}

"Convict?... No, uh- Hello to you too, not-convict. How'd you-...probably same way as the biter."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara wiggles around, making a few noises that made it clear he was struggling before a heavy thud rang out. They quickly righted themself up, shaking out not unlike a dog.

“I’m Ara! Definitely not a convict, nor do I have a track record of biting people. Ooo, this is now the second… third? Space ship I’ve been on!” Ara rambles a little, bouncing around.

[deactivated-blog]

{he smacks his side with the cane, and then just sighs.}

"... Alright. Uh. Go wild. I have- err, things are happening that need tending to."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Even as lanus walked away, Ara followed. Their footsteps were quiet and they were far away enough that his presence was easily ignorable. But it was there, trailing behind like a shadow.

It was a weird feeling too, like a muted version of the one people got walking through dark alleyways. Just… off, a little to the left. But it’s just Ara. Excitable, eager, silly Ara. Nothing eerie about that.

[deactivated-blog]

{he walks a few feet, and then stops and turns around.}

"Quit following me. There are infinite things to do here, and you're following me?"

{he points the cane accusingly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara blinked, not moving closer but not moving away. Maintaining that same distance like it was practiced. Far enough from that cane’s reach at least.

“People are more interesting than anything else by far. You said you had things to tend to, I wanna see what those things are.” Ara hummed plainly.

It was clear Ara wasn’t just gonna go, he seemed like the stubborn type under all that whimsy.

[deactivated-blog]

{he changed direction and went straight into the kitchen instead, swatting a chair and pointing to Ara.}

"You won't see those things. They aren't meant for you. You can stay right here. I'll entertain you for...a bit."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara grins, moving to curl up on the chair, crisscrossing their legs. There’s a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, like this was the intended result.

He takes in the room around him, the kitchen seems to follow the same design as everything else around here. It was… well, what he’d expect a spaceship kitchen to look like.

“I’m pretty easily entertained,” Ara offered. “Sooo, whatcha name? Don’t think I ever got it.” They questioned.

[deactivated-blog]

"My name? Depends where you're from."

{he yanks some food from a cabinet and shrugs, but there's a bit of hostility in his tone. He also waves Ara away tiredly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Where I’m from? You have multiple names too?” Ara tilts their head in confusion, either oblivious or ignoring the hostility entirely.

He couldn’t remember where he’d been born or grew up, but he’d come from the In between. Doubtful the other knew what that is though.

[deactivated-blog]

"I-"

{He facepalmed and then started to nibble on the food. Stupid bug things, he couldn't eat like he used to.}

"I'm Ianus. Eden still calls me Ioanna. I'm not bothered, so call me whichever."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara seemed to mull over the two names, but reached a decision pretty quickly. It was easy to see which name the other favored given how he spoke, and something about the latter made something old inside him squirm in protest.

“Lanus, pleased to meetcha properly! Don’t think I’ve met somebody named that in a long time.” Names were something Ara tried to hold onto above any other trait of a person. Even as every other part of a person faded from his mind, he would hold onto their name stubbornly for as long as possible.

Names were important, for some reason. It’s why they had so many.

[deactivated-blog]

"... Not my name."

{he sighed, and just tried to focus on eating. Biter had made the same mistake when they first met too. This new person...reminded him of them a lot}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Is it a title then? Or an alias?” Ara couldn’t help being curious, not when Lanus seemed so interesting.

Everything was always changing, like social norms, technology, even the state of the universe! Ara wanted to know everything he could.

[deactivated-blog]

An odd shuffling can be heard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the Eleutheria and filling the space. It continues for at least a few more minutes, before stopping entirely. Suddenly-

Ara springs out from an overhead air-duct right in front of Lanus, half of their body hanging out upside down. “Well hello there!” He chirps out.

- @ara-exploration-asks

{he whips around, and swings his cane up to poke up at Ara, and then reached up to to and grab them, but the ceiling was too tall. He also seemed...not very surprised.}

"Convict?... No, uh- Hello to you too, not-convict. How'd you-...probably same way as the biter."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara wiggles around, making a few noises that made it clear he was struggling before a heavy thud rang out. They quickly righted themself up, shaking out not unlike a dog.

“I’m Ara! Definitely not a convict, nor do I have a track record of biting people. Ooo, this is now the second… third? Space ship I’ve been on!” Ara rambles a little, bouncing around.

[deactivated-blog]

{he smacks his side with the cane, and then just sighs.}

"... Alright. Uh. Go wild. I have- err, things are happening that need tending to."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Even as lanus walked away, Ara followed. Their footsteps were quiet and they were far away enough that his presence was easily ignorable. But it was there, trailing behind like a shadow.

It was a weird feeling too, like a muted version of the one people got walking through dark alleyways. Just… off, a little to the left. But it’s just Ara. Excitable, eager, silly Ara. Nothing eerie about that.

[deactivated-blog]

{he walks a few feet, and then stops and turns around.}

"Quit following me. There are infinite things to do here, and you're following me?"

{he points the cane accusingly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara blinked, not moving closer but not moving away. Maintaining that same distance like it was practiced. Far enough from that cane’s reach at least.

“People are more interesting than anything else by far. You said you had things to tend to, I wanna see what those things are.” Ara hummed plainly.

It was clear Ara wasn’t just gonna go, he seemed like the stubborn type under all that whimsy.

[deactivated-blog]

{he changed direction and went straight into the kitchen instead, swatting a chair and pointing to Ara.}

"You won't see those things. They aren't meant for you. You can stay right here. I'll entertain you for...a bit."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara grins, moving to curl up on the chair, crisscrossing their legs. There’s a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, like this was the intended result.

He takes in the room around him, the kitchen seems to follow the same design as everything else around here. It was… well, what he’d expect a spaceship kitchen to look like.

“I’m pretty easily entertained,” Ara offered. “Sooo, whatcha name? Don’t think I ever got it.” They questioned.

[deactivated-blog]

"My name? Depends where you're from."

{he yanks some food from a cabinet and shrugs, but there's a bit of hostility in his tone. He also waves Ara away tiredly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Where I’m from? You have multiple names too?” Ara tilts their head in confusion, either oblivious or ignoring the hostility entirely.

He couldn’t remember where he’d been born or grew up, but he’d come from the In between. Doubtful the other knew what that is though.

[deactivated-blog]

"I-"

{He facepalmed and then started to nibble on the food. Stupid bug things, he couldn't eat like he used to.}

"I'm Ianus. Eden still calls me Ioanna. I'm not bothered, so call me whichever."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara seemed to mull over the two names, but reached a decision pretty quickly. It was easy to see which name the other favored given how he spoke, and something about the latter made something old inside him squirm in protest.

“Lanus, pleased to meetcha properly! Don’t think I’ve met somebody named that in a long time.” Names were something Ara tried to hold onto above any other trait of a person. Even as every other part of a person faded from his mind, he would hold onto their name stubbornly for as long as possible.

Names were important, for some reason. It’s why they had so many.

[deactivated-blog]

An odd shuffling can be heard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the Eleutheria and filling the space. It continues for at least a few more minutes, before stopping entirely. Suddenly-

Ara springs out from an overhead air-duct right in front of Lanus, half of their body hanging out upside down. “Well hello there!” He chirps out.

- @ara-exploration-asks

{he whips around, and swings his cane up to poke up at Ara, and then reached up to to and grab them, but the ceiling was too tall. He also seemed...not very surprised.}

"Convict?... No, uh- Hello to you too, not-convict. How'd you-...probably same way as the biter."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara wiggles around, making a few noises that made it clear he was struggling before a heavy thud rang out. They quickly righted themself up, shaking out not unlike a dog.

“I’m Ara! Definitely not a convict, nor do I have a track record of biting people. Ooo, this is now the second… third? Space ship I’ve been on!” Ara rambles a little, bouncing around.

[deactivated-blog]

{he smacks his side with the cane, and then just sighs.}

"... Alright. Uh. Go wild. I have- err, things are happening that need tending to."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Even as lanus walked away, Ara followed. Their footsteps were quiet and they were far away enough that his presence was easily ignorable. But it was there, trailing behind like a shadow.

It was a weird feeling too, like a muted version of the one people got walking through dark alleyways. Just… off, a little to the left. But it’s just Ara. Excitable, eager, silly Ara. Nothing eerie about that.

[deactivated-blog]

{he walks a few feet, and then stops and turns around.}

"Quit following me. There are infinite things to do here, and you're following me?"

{he points the cane accusingly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara blinked, not moving closer but not moving away. Maintaining that same distance like it was practiced. Far enough from that cane’s reach at least.

“People are more interesting than anything else by far. You said you had things to tend to, I wanna see what those things are.” Ara hummed plainly.

It was clear Ara wasn’t just gonna go, he seemed like the stubborn type under all that whimsy.

[deactivated-blog]

{he changed direction and went straight into the kitchen instead, swatting a chair and pointing to Ara.}

"You won't see those things. They aren't meant for you. You can stay right here. I'll entertain you for...a bit."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara grins, moving to curl up on the chair, crisscrossing their legs. There’s a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, like this was the intended result.

He takes in the room around him, the kitchen seems to follow the same design as everything else around here. It was… well, what he’d expect a spaceship kitchen to look like.

“I’m pretty easily entertained,” Ara offered. “Sooo, whatcha name? Don’t think I ever got it.” They questioned.

[deactivated-blog]

"My name? Depends where you're from."

{he yanks some food from a cabinet and shrugs, but there's a bit of hostility in his tone. He also waves Ara away tiredly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Where I’m from? You have multiple names too?” Ara tilts their head in confusion, either oblivious or ignoring the hostility entirely.

He couldn’t remember where he’d been born or grew up, but he’d come from the In between. Doubtful the other knew what that is though.

[deactivated-blog]

An odd shuffling can be heard, the sound bouncing off the walls of the Eleutheria and filling the space. It continues for at least a few more minutes, before stopping entirely. Suddenly-

Ara springs out from an overhead air-duct right in front of Lanus, half of their body hanging out upside down. “Well hello there!” He chirps out.

- @ara-exploration-asks

{he whips around, and swings his cane up to poke up at Ara, and then reached up to to and grab them, but the ceiling was too tall. He also seemed...not very surprised.}

"Convict?... No, uh- Hello to you too, not-convict. How'd you-...probably same way as the biter."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara wiggles around, making a few noises that made it clear he was struggling before a heavy thud rang out. They quickly righted themself up, shaking out not unlike a dog.

“I’m Ara! Definitely not a convict, nor do I have a track record of biting people. Ooo, this is now the second… third? Space ship I’ve been on!” Ara rambles a little, bouncing around.

[deactivated-blog]

{he smacks his side with the cane, and then just sighs.}

"... Alright. Uh. Go wild. I have- err, things are happening that need tending to."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Even as lanus walked away, Ara followed. Their footsteps were quiet and they were far away enough that his presence was easily ignorable. But it was there, trailing behind like a shadow.

It was a weird feeling too, like a muted version of the one people got walking through dark alleyways. Just… off, a little to the left. But it’s just Ara. Excitable, eager, silly Ara. Nothing eerie about that.

[deactivated-blog]

{he walks a few feet, and then stops and turns around.}

"Quit following me. There are infinite things to do here, and you're following me?"

{he points the cane accusingly.}

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara blinked, not moving closer but not moving away. Maintaining that same distance like it was practiced. Far enough from that cane’s reach at least.

“People are more interesting than anything else by far. You said you had things to tend to, I wanna see what those things are.” Ara hummed plainly.

It was clear Ara wasn’t just gonna go, he seemed like the stubborn type under all that whimsy.

[deactivated-blog]

{he changed direction and went straight into the kitchen instead, swatting a chair and pointing to Ara.}

"You won't see those things. They aren't meant for you. You can stay right here. I'll entertain you for...a bit."

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara grins, moving to curl up on the chair, crisscrossing their legs. There’s a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes, like this was the intended result.

He takes in the room around him, the kitchen seems to follow the same design as everything else around here. It was… well, what he’d expect a spaceship kitchen to look like.

“I’m pretty easily entertained,” Ara offered. “Sooo, whatcha name? Don’t think I ever got it.” They questioned.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m fine, I’ve been down there basically alone for a while now …you good?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Me? I’m fine, Simon. Don’t worry about me.” Ara rushed out, waving his free hand as if dispelling any worry around himself. They were fine, it wasn’t like this eye was new.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” he says, shrugging, “but if you’re worried about being perceived, I can assure you I’m in no place to judge.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara froze, mulling it over. Simon had been forced to lay his traumas out with the eel, maybe it would even the playing field a little if Ara at least showed the result of his?

He pulled his hands down, cringing at how the liquid darkness stretched from his eye to his palm. Disgusting, awful, horrible-

“It’s not a pretty sight. Dunno why my eye changed like this, happened so long ago. It’s connected to the in between place though, I know that.” He murmured.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He tilts his head, giving a soft hum in response. “Cool, can you see out of it?—If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“I can, yeah. I can kinda see better out of it actually, like I can basically see stuff behind me if that makes sense. When I use this eye… everything’s more clear too, my memories and whatnots. Dunno if I pavloved myself into that or what.” Ara explained with a hum.

It felt like every bad memory Ara’s ever had gets pushed to the front of their mind when this eye sees the light of day. The good ones too. Everything really, everything that’s normally suppressed under a layer of haze.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Interesting.” He comments, resting his chin in his hand. “I’m totally blind in my left eye. Sometimes I wonder if the eel can see out of it.” He half-jokes, chuckling. “…I’m not sure if I was ever told her name.. I’d ask, but I think she would probably just yell at me for ‘focusing on such forgettably human things such as names.’” He hisses in imitation of her voice, and rolls his eyes.

“But whatever, enough about me. What’s the in between?” He cocks his head curiously.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara laughed at Simon’s impersonation, a small but genuine sound that seemed to bury its way into everything it touched.

“It’s… nothing. And everything. But mostly it’s dark, and exists in between universes, as the name implies. It’s like void, an abyss. It can change itself too, grounds can become oceans or whatever else you can think of. Everything’s alive, kinda. I’m not sure if it has a consciousness of its own.” He tried to describe it without sounding vague, but it was hard when the In between was naturally vague.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m fine, I’ve been down there basically alone for a while now …you good?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Me? I’m fine, Simon. Don’t worry about me.” Ara rushed out, waving his free hand as if dispelling any worry around himself. They were fine, it wasn’t like this eye was new.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” he says, shrugging, “but if you’re worried about being perceived, I can assure you I’m in no place to judge.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara froze, mulling it over. Simon had been forced to lay his traumas out with the eel, maybe it would even the playing field a little if Ara at least showed the result of his?

He pulled his hands down, cringing at how the liquid darkness stretched from his eye to his palm. Disgusting, awful, horrible-

“It’s not a pretty sight. Dunno why my eye changed like this, happened so long ago. It’s connected to the in between place though, I know that.” He murmured.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He tilts his head, giving a soft hum in response. “Cool, can you see out of it?—If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“I can, yeah. I can kinda see better out of it actually, like I can basically see stuff behind me if that makes sense. When I use this eye… everything’s more clear too, my memories and whatnots. Dunno if I pavloved myself into that or what.” Ara explained with a hum.

It felt like every bad memory Ara’s ever had gets pushed to the front of their mind when this eye sees the light of day. The good ones too. Everything really, everything that’s normally suppressed under a layer of haze.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m fine, I’ve been down there basically alone for a while now …you good?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Me? I’m fine, Simon. Don’t worry about me.” Ara rushed out, waving his free hand as if dispelling any worry around himself. They were fine, it wasn’t like this eye was new.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it,” he says, shrugging, “but if you’re worried about being perceived, I can assure you I’m in no place to judge.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara froze, mulling it over. Simon had been forced to lay his traumas out with the eel, maybe it would even the playing field a little if Ara at least showed the result of his?

He pulled his hands down, cringing at how the liquid darkness stretched from his eye to his palm. Disgusting, awful, horrible-

“It’s not a pretty sight. Dunno why my eye changed like this, happened so long ago. It’s connected to the in between place though, I know that.” He murmured.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m fine, I’ve been down there basically alone for a while now …you good?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Me? I’m fine, Simon. Don’t worry about me.” Ara rushed out, waving his free hand as if dispelling any worry around himself. They were fine, it wasn’t like this eye was new.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon’s eyes widen at his anger, surprised by the amount of care this stranger has for him. “It’s nothing, really. She’s just like that, has been since the first time I spoke to her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara deflated a little. If Simon wasn’t upset about it then he didn’t have any right to be either. Now wasn’t the time to play knight-in-shining-armor just cause something reminded him of something else.

“Just wish you had some better permanent company down there. Seems… a little lonely.” He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair before freezing.

Oh. His bangs were up. Oh. Ara wasn’t gonna make a big deal of it, they were just gonna keep their hand over the eye until their hair was dry. It’s fine.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“It’s fine, she hasn’t actually tried to eat me since I… mutated. She just wants humans, none of which are usually down there.” He says blankly, leaning on a rock by the shore. He notices their other eye but doesn’t say anything, not wanting to be rude about it. Moving hair out of his face with one claw, he continues, “She’s complicated. I feel a little bad for her.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara curled up on himself a little, legs to chest and chin atop knees. The blood was lazily dripping from his hair onto the ground, probably the reason he’d yet to notice his eye.

“Still, what she said made you uncomfortable. Upset. I could feel how you tensed. The way she talked… stars. She acted like she had any say in how you felt about what happened to you! Acted like you aren’t the most human person I’ve ever met!” He ranted angrily, black eye dripping faster now.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He senses Ara’s urgency, and gives them a reassuring squeeze. He inches away, keeping his eyes on her.

“Simon… Go. Run. Don’t.”

“Get out while you still can…”

Though the look on his face is conflicted, he takes off for the surface, breaching it within seconds. He shivers in the cold ocean breeze.

[ara-exploration-asks]

The moment Ara’s head is out, he’s gulping in air. They sputter once or twice, distantly remembering to not make himself hyperventilate. He clings to Simon a bit longer, the warmth of the other a siren’s call against the sudden change in temperature.

They make it to the shoreline, Ara splaying out on land while Simon obviously stays in the ocean. He’s freezing, Ara realizes belatedly. Freezing and yet still up here with him.

“You shouldn’t have to go back down there. Not with that… manipulative eel. Fucking-…” Ara bites out. They seem different, more lucid in a way Simon hadn’t even noticed they weren’t before. Most likely the adrenaline.

The biggest difference was the fact that Ara’s bangs had been pushed up in the shuffle. The eye that was usually hidden was now on display. It was solid pitch black, and seemed to leak out of the eyelid sluggishly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

In the darkness of the thick blood, something disturbs the flow of movement. Looking closer, it becomes apparent that it’s a… bubble? An impossible air bubble, and inside holds a person… somehow.

“Hello!! Ooo, you look cool.” The energetic voice is warbled and distorted a little, but still perfectly discernible. The person spins around to orient themself better.

“What.. the fuck?” He backs away from them a little, taking in the odd sight. “How the hell did you get down here?”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh! Well I was on the shore, but there wasn’t anybody around so I decided to get in the ocean. Obviously I can’t breathe down here, so the bubble.” The person chirped, not explaining the mechanics of the bubble or how it exists at all. Like it was just common knowledge.

“Where are my manners, I’m Ara! Knew I was forgetting something.” He introduced, having to spin to reorient again when the air bubble started to drift. It was kinda like a giant hamster ball. If that hamster ball was in the depths of an ocean of blood.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“…Why were you on the shore? How did you get there?” His fin-shaped ears flatten back on his head as he scrunches his eyebrows together fully.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Same way I get everywhere! I-… come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure how it works. Need to think of an answer to that. One minute I’m in the dark in-between place, name pending, next I’m somewhere new! And this is certainly somewhere new.” A pause to breathe.

“I’ve see loads already, like this huge eel thing and a super bright thing that tried promising me things? Kinda weird. You’re a much cooler find by far.” Ara finished, moving to sit crisscrossed.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Stay away from the eel. And the light. I promise you, nothing good comes from either of them.” His tail sways with unease, before he perks up again. “Sorry, it’s nice to meet you Ara, I’m Simon.” He says, punctuating his sentence by extending a scaly, clawed hand out to him, then nervously retracting it again when he realizes he cannot, in fact, shake his hand because the person in front of him is in a bubble.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara notices Simon’s dilemma, and fixes it by jamming his hand, and part of his arm, through the bubble to shake Simon’s clawed one. They pulled their hand back, observing their now blood-red and dripping sleeve.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Simon! Hmm, wonder what blood type this stuff is…” Ara sniffs his sleeve, before curiously giving it a small lick.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh my fuck- …I really wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his fingers twitching as he lowers his hand again. “It really didn’t end well last time I touched that stuff.” He says, gesturing to himself.

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Oh, so you haven’t always been like that?” Ara hummed curiously, pressing his gloved hands against the side of the bubble, visible eye shining impossibly in the darkness.

“Don’t worry about me, stuff like this hasn’t affected me anymore since… since…” Ara got uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, expression going blank before shaking his head.

“I don’t remember, actually!” They chirped. It was certainly the truth too. Whatever Ara had remembered, they had forgotten just as quickly.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Uh, no. I haven’t.”

Simon goes quiet as well, feeling almost a sort of deja-vu.

“‘S alright. Happens to the best of us..”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Soooo, where’d you come from if not from here? I didn’t see any people or houses up top, although I could’a missed them.” Ara asked, trying to cut through the odd melancholy feeling that had twined itself into the conversation.

It was clear Ara didn’t know about the COI then, which was crazy because they were practically everywhere now. How did this person miss that? What else did they not know?

[s1m0n-inthedark]

He gives them a bit of an odd look, but brushes it off for now. Everything about this person is confusing to him. “From.. space. I lived on a space station for a while, then they forced me down here. I think. It’s a little blurry.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“That’s not very nice of them, whoever they are. I was one a space station once, or twice? They had similar names. The captain was kinda weird, didn’t talk like at all even though their head engineer did nothing but talk.” Ara rambled on.

What Ara didn’t seem to have noticed yet was that his bubble was getting smaller. It made sense, given how much they’d spoken. Talking takes up air. It wasn’t good however, because obviously they needed that air.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

Simon, however, did notice and became increasingly worried for him. “Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think your bubble is shrinking. You should really get some air.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

“Hm? Oh yeah! I do need that. Hmmm, but going up means leaving you down here.” Ara ponders something, before reaching up and taking the sun hair clip out from their hair.

“Here! Just incase I can’t come back down for whatever reason, something to remember me by!” Ara pushes the clip out of the bubble. It breaks off into its own small bubble, drifting until it pops inside Simon’s hand.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Oh.” He looks down at the hair clip, then offers a smile to Ara. “Thanks. See you again, I hope.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

With that, Ara wiggles around in a way that seems to make the bubble rise. It was almost funny, like a hamster ball defying gravity.

The peace didn’t last long, as Ara was then decked into by the eel who had snuck up on the pair. His bubble popped, and he started swimming downwards to evade the jagged teeth of the eel. Oh no.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“Mother fucker…” Simon growls, swimming after Ara and grabbing onto him, wrapping his arm around them. Up close, Simon’s a lot bigger than he seemed at first. He turns to face the eel, who stopped going after them to simply look at Simon. He hisses, baring his fangs.

“Simon, what are you doing, protecting a human? You do remember what humans did to you, right?” She says without opening her mouth, an eerie harmony of voices seemingly coming from every direction.

[ara-exploration-asks]

Oh! The weird scary fish can… talk? Talk adjacent? Communicate. Obviously Ara was missing context for its statement, but they knew about the space station and how Simon got forced down. How did this eel know about it though? Were they once friends?

Usually Ara would have some retort, but he obviously couldn’t talk without wasting all his air, so he just clung closer to Simon while never taking their eyes off the eel. Simon was warmer than they expected, smooth scales in some places and flesh in others.

If things got too bad, he could always take them to the in between place. Last resort, worst case scenario.

[s1m0n-inthedark]

“I’m a human.” He responds. His gaze shifts down to himself; his claws, tail, spines. “…Well, I used to be.”

The eel inches closer. Simon hisses, baring his teeth, like a crocodile.. or a cat. “Is it not because of them that you aren’t anymore? I can say the same, you know… Ava, Jack, David—they all assisted in sending us to our doom, so are you saying you don’t seek revenge?”

“I wanted revenge at one point. I don’t anymore. Ava already died down here trying to get to me-“

“The black box,” she corrected, interrupting him, “she was trying to get the black box.”

“She said I would get my freedom-“

“In exchange for information that the COI needed.”

[ara-exploration-asks]

Ara’s head was spinning with all the new information. Or maybe it was the fact he was slowly suffocating. Either way, they felt far out of their depth. Hah. Okay definitely starting to border on delirious.

They had so much they wanted to say right now. Wanted to question if the eel didn’t also have a hand in Simon’s change. Wanted to say how Simon was as human as anybody else he’d ever met, maybe even more so. Wanted to tell Simon that he understood being changed against their will, on a different scale, but he understood.

Yet he was just reduced to squirming a little in Simon’s hold, feeling their lungs burn and ache in protest as something so much bigger than them spoke in a tone that made Ara grind his teeth.