scaled

Scaled on legs

[offtowonderlnd]

jennifer lawrence photographed by chris kaufman

[bythehook]

"That's not going to happen," he told her, an ache in his chest at her earnest fear. He couldn't be sure of everything, but he'd do all in his power to remove that worry and to destroy that which brought such feeling to her. There was a slight, uneasy shift from the crew; all seemed to be waiting for orders, as well as trying not to appear as though they'd been straining to hear her words. James longed to pull her into an embrace, but her reaction to his touch and the eyes of his men on him, he gave a small nod. "No one removes that net," he called over her head, and turned, summoning his calm resolve that encouraged his crew. "Bind the beast through the netting and throw him in the brig," he stated coolly. "And make a direct course to land; we'll bury him deep in the forest." He angled his head, looking down at the merrow beast. Its icy stare flinched ever so slightly, but defiantly did not buckle at his words.

[mermaidqueenie]

Queenie looked away and wiped her tears though they kept falling, crossed her arms over her chest defensively and nodded at his orders to the men. It wasn’t a bad idea, but getting to the forest? That would be difficult. No doubt the merrow would fight to get free when they got to the docks and the second it was in water they were all dead. She hoped the vile creature felt as weak as she did out of water in her mermaid form. As James moved she caught another glance at it, it’s evil eyes still on them. With one arm still folded, her other hand rested over her mouth, visibly trembling. She wanted to believe James was right and she would be safe but she couldn’t, her heart wouldn’t let her. “No one should keep its trinkets,” she warned, “If anyone was found with them they’d be killed on the spot.” Queenie sniffled and wiped her wet cheek again as she glanced one more time over the edge of the ship. Still nothing. She looked around, at the merrow whose eyes seemed to follow her and at the men who seemed curious and wary of her. "I need to..." Queenie mumbled, glazed over and lost looking as she wandered away.

[bythehook]

A tendril of ice slithered down Hook's spine at the naming of the creature. Merrow. Hadn't Smee spun tales of those evil aquatic beasts; years ago, decades back, breathing life into a darkened pub booth with old Irish lore. They'd never seen one, never encountered the dark beings from the deep, but the name struck a chord just the same. Still, the look on Queenie's face far outweighed his own inner panic, and he forced his face to soften, hand reaching to her shoulder. "You're not going to die," he said, voice lowered. "We'll put him in the brig until we can figure out what to do with him." He added, wanting to calm that terror in her eyes. "Smee might have...some idea of what to do with him."

[mermaidqueenie]

Queenie flinched at the touch and shook her head slightly. "It has to die! You have to kill it but you can't dump the body cause then they'll know and they'll hunt us down, but it can't be let go because it's seen me now and if it ever saw me in the water they would kill me and everyone around me. It might already know! Oh god, what if it's seen me before in the water? Or maybe it can just sense it on me." Tears streamed down her cheeks and the words came so fast they ran together almost as one, before she paused, hands coming to her cheeks as despair set in. "What if I can never go in the water again?"

[bythehook]

The crew shifted on their feet, waiting for orders, and James couldn't very well appear to be in control of the situation by asking Queenie in front of everyone what they should do about it, nor could they keep her origins unquestioned. "Hold, gentlemen," he commanded them, and a couple of them stood a little straighter in attention. Hook turned his back to them, blocking Queenie from the beast's line of sight and tried to make eye contact with her. "What is this thing?"

[mermaidqueenie]

Queenie kept pacing, only stopping when suddenly James was in front of her. She looked up at him, eyes wide and panic stricken and gave a small shake of her head. "They're going to kill us all." She whispered, her breath suddenly coming in fast and sharp as her vision blurred through the tears in her eyes. Queenie put a hand over her mouth as she tried and failed to keep her composure. "It's- it's," She stammered, "They're called merrows." She managed, swallowing hard as her fingers trailed round to rub her temple nervously. "They're unpredictable and merciless killers, they hunt down anything that offends them the slightest bit and slaughter them." Her gaze went distant and she sounded defeated as she murmured "They're going to kill me too."

[bythehook]

It had been a fairly quiet day until the crew had spotted a roiling bit of ocean on the starboard side of the ship. Wary at first, Hook had ordered his men to halt, but as the netting had entrapped a strange, blue creature, he knew it was no mermaid. They'd had a hell of a time hauling it onboard, and cheered raucously when they'd prevailed.

Decades in Neverland waters, and James was still discovering new and fascinating things. This beast had something of cephalopodish about it, but drawing closer it had a slight human form. The captain frowned down at it, turning his head to the side as the creature stilled, its only movement the wet rise and fall of his chest. He had half a mind to tell them to throw it back to whatever dark place it had dwelled, but something in its eye set him against it.

Whatever this beast was, he didn't fancy having it swimming about his ship, where his men often dove to wash or fish. He raised a hand, indicating to his crew, when Queenie's voice cut out before Cookson could touch the blue creature. It seemed to give a smile around that gaping maw.

"You know what this is?" He asked, hand still raised, to stay his men.

[mermaidqueenie]

The way that thing looked at her sent icy terror through her veins, her skin turning unusually pale. It’s horrible eyes looked all knowing, like it was in on a secret and Queenie wondered if it knew her secret? Did it know what she really was? Would it and its clan target her sisters as revenge for this affront? It wasn’t her fault but these creatures were cruel and unwavering in their brutality.

Queenie gripped the rail and looked over the edge, frantically checking for signs of more. Were they mounting an attack? Is that why this one was close enough to the ship to be caught? Whether it was because the sea was empty or because she was too panicked to take anything in, it looked clear enough.

James had asked her a question but she could hardly find the words and turned her back, hands rubbing her temples as she tried to stay calm. She paced a few steps before turning and giving James a wide-eyed nod. Her gaze returned to the creature and she could swear it was laughing at her, amused by the fear it instilled.

[mermaidqueenie]

Queenie stopped kneading the dough when Cookson told her it looked ready. She lifted her hands up and went to lick her fingers but Cookson quickly stopped her, hand on her wrist. “You don’t want to eat raw dough, it’s not good.” He warned her. “It’ll make you sick.”

“Oh,” Queenie said with slightly widened eyes and an understanding nod. “Funny how the fire makes it okay to eat.”

Cookson put the dough in a bowl and covered it with a cloth. “Heat changes a lot of things, like you wouldn’t want to eat raw chicken but the heat kills the germs in it.”

“Huh,” Queenie thought as she washed off her hands in the tub on the side. “I guess I don’t like unbearably hot water either.”

Cookson went on to tell her about how the dough would now double in size over the next hour or so, which seemed like a miracle to Queenie.

All of a sudden there was a ruckus outside, yelling, shots, cheers, a heavy thump on the deck and more cheers. Queenie had ducked into the pantry when the noise started, knowing whenever these sounds came it was safest to stay hidden. Often it was a shark or crocodile, but sometimes it was lost kids, and she didn’t want to be seen by them. She also didn’t want to see them getting hurt, even if she thought they were in the wrong.

When things quietened down the pair headed outside to see what had happened, her nerves were slightly on edge in anticipation. Her blood ran cold when she saw the blue body laying on the deck, frozen in place as she stared at it, large fins extending from it’s shoulders, long thin tail, tendrils hanging from around it’s jaw and it’s mouth hung open full of large, sharp teeth. Her chest tightened and Queenie placed her hand over it, struggling for breath.

She hadn’t been paying attention, but Cookson had gone forward to talk to the others, and reached down to take one of the decorated gauntlets around its wrist.

“Don’t touch that!” She snapped suddenly, the most aggressive she’d ever been towards any of these pirates.

[celebpicss]

Jennifer Lawrence

[mermaidqueenie]

bell-ofneverland​:

Tinkerbell sniffed at the warning, tilting her head at the mermaid. From what she’d seen in the past, merfolk didn’t suggest caution to humans, but perhaps she had been one of the ones working alongside the other Neverlanders. “Neither is land,” Tink replied, and then looked up to the trees. She lowered her head. And the skies are not for me anymore. “Are you going to drag me to my watery grave, Miss?” 

Queenie smiled with a huff of a laugh, nodding in agreement. “True.” Despite the amount of time she’d spent on land increasing, she was still nervous of the unknown dangers it held. “I won’t, but I wouldn’t put it past my sisters. They’re not always kind.” They had their favourites but still decisions were made on a whim. The mermaids were none too happy about having to work alongside humans, she suspected some bodies would be found washed up on the shores to prove they hadn’t gone soft and were still forces to be reckoned with. 

[mermaidqueenie]

bell-ofneverland​:

When Tink had been small, everything had seemed louder, brighter, more noticeable, and while being big had dulled a lot of her senses, she did note the almost imperceptible change in the lapping of the waves. She jerked her head up in time to see the face of a beautiful mermaid backing away. It was strange how after Helena had altered her, that she could feel both sad and happy at the same time. “Don’t go,” she called out, reaching a hand out to the woman. 

Queenie paused when she was noticed, checking the girl for potential danger before deciding whether or not to do as she said. There was something familiar about her, but Queenie couldn’t put her finger on it. She didn’t feel dangerous, so Queenie stayed where she was, though didn’t approach any closer just yet. Didn’t the girl know how dangerous it could be to hold a hand out to a mermaid? She must have been new here. “Okay.” She agreed. “You should be careful, it can be dangerous around here. The seas are not safe.” 

[bell-ofneverland]

hearts only heal after breaking || open

Tinkerbell sat perched on a rock beside the ocean, knees drawn up to her chest, chin resting upon them while she watched the waves crashing against the sand. Freedom had been jarring for the fairy, as had life ever since the witch had peeled her wings from her back like a bullying child might do to a butterfly. She stretched her back a bit, wincing in pain, and settled back into her arched position, sniffling against her skin. Peter had once looked at her as though she were the rarest, most beautiful thing in the world; when he saw her again, his eyes were vacant, as though he’d never seen her before. She knew him; she knew he didn’t want to accept that she had been changed. But she’d hoped he would be kind to her. His apathy towards her was worse than being forgotten. He’d offered her a home among the Lost Boys, but there was no big embrace, no emotional greeting. She tucked her feet under her skirts, turned her head to rest her cheek on her knees, and closed her eyes.

[mermaidqueenie]

Queenie felt the need for the water on her skin, the tickling roll of bubbles against her scalp as they tried to float to the surface. Everything that had happened of late had been overwhelming and difficult to process, especially the thought of James having a child with the witch. She understood why he’d done it, but it still left a twisted feeling in her stomach when she thought of it. Queen still wasn’t sure she had the right to feel that way over him. Splashing through to the surface she realised how close she’d come to the beach. Figuring she’d come out of the water, she swam closer to the point her hands could rest on the sand as she floated. She paused when she noticed there was a girl sitting on a rock. Queen couldn’t transform in front of her and started to push herself back, figuring she’d go further down where she could do as she pleased, unwatched. 

[pelinore]

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

James closed his eyes, breathing slowing as he traced circles along her arm. He didn’t remember falling asleep, only the soft breath of Queenie against him that soothed him like a lullaby. By the time he did stir awake, the sunlight had gone, and the pale reflection of the moon could be seen on the distant waters. 

Queenie had dozed with James but she wasn’t sure for how long. He needed the sleep more than she did, even though it felt like she had been sleepless for his entire absence. She only left for a moment, just to grab a drink and a book to read besides him. The soft sound of his breathing relaxed her more than putting on her favourite of his records. When he woke, she closed the book and reached for his hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing the back of his hand. “How are you feeling?” 

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

“Oh Queenie, I couldn’t actually ask you to do that,” James said, grinning down at her, appreciating her willingness to help and how quickly she’d jumped to help. “I’m just,” he shook his head once, looking across the room, eyes scanning the bookcase. “I’m tired,” he finished quietly, closing his eyes. Part of him wanted to give up; give into the end as Helena had planned it. A bigger part of him couldn’t allow her to just destroy so many lives, so many innocent people as well as those who had built a home on these shores. Maybe I’ve lived too long.

Queenie pressed her lips together and shrugged at the no, wishing she could do more and wishing she didn’t feel so useless. She nodded, and when he closed his eyes she pressed a kiss on his shirt. Queen shifted, moving up his body, leaning over him. “Let’s not think about it.” She told him, kissing his shoulder, chin, his brow. “It’s just us, here, you and me.” Queenie murmured, tucking her head beside his, breathing warm on his neck and holding him close. 

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

“Maybe I should do some meditation before I talk to him,” he groaned, knowing that it would be just as difficult for him to pretend like Peter was his equal as it would for Peter to listen to Hook without blowing raspberries at him from between his legs. James dragged fingers down his face and breathed deep, trying to relax the muscles along his shoulders that had tensed the moment he’d come out from under Helena’s spell. If he could just completely relax; fall into a dreamless sleep or similar, he thought he might be able to manage a good plan. “Maybe he’d listen to you,” he chuckled, toying with the idea of not having to deal with the brat at all.

Queenie chuckled lightly, though it wasn’t a light topic. It was all she could do. All she had to offer were her previous conversations with the boy. “He might recognise me.” She joked, though if he wanted her to try she would. The full moon wasn’t too long ago, her legs could be explained away. An idea came to her though, but she wasn’t sure if it was a good one or if James would like it. “If he thinks anyone’s with you, he probably won’t listen. He doesn’t know I’m with you. If I was locked away and told him I’d overheard you talking about it...” 

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

Hook both did and didn’t want to talk about it all with Queenie. On one hand, she made things a little clearer when he talked them out with her, but on the other, he wanted to protect her from worrying about this. Deciding to go with his gut instinct to keep her from too many details, he shook his head. “I’ll explain it all when I have a working plan,” he sighed, feeling a slight regret for dodging her question. “This would be the first time my wordsmithing would get him to see reason, but one can hope.”

“Okay.” She sighed, that ominous feeling didn’t quite disapate, she knew something big was happening if he needed Peter for something. Queen lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him. “Just.. You can’t say it like an order. He’ll never respond well to it. He likes to feel like the smartest one in the room.” All those times where he’d come and tell stories to the mermaids replayed in her head, all those puffed chest moments and dismissive comments to anyone that questioned him in any way. 

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

Hook sighed as they settled back against the duvet, closing his eyes as his head hit the pillows. Her form beside his was as soft as a breath, and he felt a quiet he’d not experienced in a long time. “We need to work as a team on this. If I’m willing to put our past down for the time being, surely he will understand just how important it is,” he commented, raising the hand that wasn’t holding her against him to his eyes, pressing fingers into them, as if to rub away all that he’d seen. 

A small alarm bell went off in her head and she glanced upwards towards him. “On what?” She asked, still not quite sure what was going on. Queen didn’t want to pry, whatever happened had been stressful. Whatever was happening was stressful. She wanted to take it all away, to help in some way, but all she could do was hold him. Her fingers moved gently over his chest and she nuzzled against him, wishing it all away for him. “You’ll figure out how to make him see sense, you’re good with words.”

[mermaidqueenie]

bythehook​:

It seemed unfair, that someone as messed up as James Hook was afforded this immense comfort, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. All he knew was that this angel needn’t know what he’d given up to spare her and save his mind. The witch had irked him in more ways than one, but implying that Queenie was the one he couldn’t bear to lose, before he could even admit that to himself, was top tier. Helena had meddled with his mind, needled her way in to discover things about him that he hadn’t known himself. Despite accepting the fact that this might be something like love, he couldn’t bring himself to say it to her. Not yet. Not when everything was so fragile, so combustible. His hands pulled her close, one on her hip, the other hooked under her knee. “Can we,” he started, nuzzling at her neck a moment. “Can we just lay down?” James asked, looking up at her through exhausted eyes.

Queenie looked down at him and stroked her thumb over his temple, then leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Of course.” She untangled from him and shifted so they could lay flat, squishing pillows into a comformable position before settling against him. It was almost overwhelming to be in this position again. It had been so long apart and it felt like for the first time in months her body was truly relaxing, as if she was melting under his touch. She knew there was more to whatever had happened to him, things that would upset her later, but for now he was in her arms, and that blocked everything else out.