ocean child

It is a curious situation, that the sea, from which life first arose, should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself. - Rachel Carson

[metamxrphxsis]

Closed Starter for Theo 

It had been a while since Ben had gone into the water, but he missed it. He chose to head down to the water late at night, not wanting to risk anyone seeing him. Even if people knew, he’d rather they not gawk and stare. 

After stripping out of his clothes Ben waded out into the water, as the transformation began his back arched as he grit his teeth together and cried out in pain before diving beneath the water to complete the transformation.  As his tail formed he swam in circles in the shallows for a moment to gather his bearings before surfacing to admire the way the ocean looked at night. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“Then… I stay.” She nodded, decisively, kissing the top of Ben’s head once he sat down, grabbing her own plate as well, sitting opposite him in silence. “Is better than marshmallow chicken.” She decided, eventually.

.

“Maybe you should make me the marshmallow chicken sometime. I’m kinda curious now.” He laughed, “I’m sure that was a really good night.” He murmured softly as he looked up at her. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“I know. It is pain, but I know.” Ryn nodded. As much as she wasn’t a human, it felt strange to be hurt by things like this - by being face to face with a man who didn’t remember the vows he exchanged with her. She switched the food off once it was cooked, dishing it onto the plate for them both. “I can give you space? If that makes things easier for you?”

.

“No, I don’t want space. Space I think is the last thing I need. I was alone for too long, I don’t want to be alone again.” He admitted, shifting closer to grab a plate. “This looks great, Ryn.” He murmured as he pulled it towards him.

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“I know. Is not your fault.” She frowned, looking at him sadly. She knew she truly couldn’t blame him. He didn’t ask for this. None of them had. All they’d wanted was for Ben to be safe. To be home with his family.

“I know. But Ben loves Maddie. And Ben loves Hope. But… Ben doesn’t love Ryn. And it makes it hard. I do not want to tell you , I want you to remember because it matters.”

.

“We’re gonna figure it out, Ryn. We’re going to find where we stand, I.. I know that you want me to love you now, but I don’t...I don’t know if I can, I want to remember what we used to be first.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

She shook her head at his words. She tried to keep her thoughts inside, knowing that sometimes humans kept things from those they loved to avoid hurting them. But hearing his words, she had to disagree.

“I have lost you. Since that day.” She said, looking down, then taking a step back. “You did not come back to me. Ryn is not your love. Not like you are mine.”

.

Ben wasn’t sure why the words struck him so deep, causing his heart to clench in his chest as he stared at her. “Ryn...I don’t.. I’m sorry, I’m trying to remember. It’s coming to me in bits and pieces, but none of it still makes any sense. But I’m trying and I’m.. I’m still here.”  Taking a step forward he grabbed her hand in his, “I’m right here.. I’m still the Ben you love, I’m still...I’m still him. It’s just taking me a bit longer to find myself. But I promise, I’ll find him again, I’ll be him again. Whatever it takes.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

A part of Ryn thought they should stay. That the town was in danger, and they should see how they could help out. But the roar of the werewolf had led to so many of the creatures fleeing, that she figured they had things under control.

Her heart swelled a little as he reassured her that he had her, and she nodded, finally agreeing with his plan. She didn’t want Hope coming back right now, but they could be with her. If the attacks got back to the tribe, she wanted them to know that she was safe.

“Just for tonight. We return in the morning to try and help.” She nodded, taking his hand and heading towards the water.

.

“We return in the morning.” He agreed, guiding her towards the water. Wading out into the ocean he dove beneath the waves. As the change began he writhed beneath the water, stripping his clothes off as his tail grew. 

Once his transformation was complete he looked towards the surface looking for Ryn. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

Ryn bit her lip, shrugging. “We looked. We tried. But we couldn’t find you. Maddie needed me home too, she missed her father. She lost him.” She explained. A part of her hoping he’d just stumble into this town just like Ben had, so that she could call Maddie and have her come running. She nodded, her heart warming at how he loved Hope. “Don’t do it all again. We cannot lose you. She cannot lose you.” She added quickly, correcting herself. 

.

“I’m glad you were there for Hope and Maddie, I’m glad you all had each other.” He murmured, he still didn’t remember everything. He knows he remembers Maddie, certain things about her. Her smile, her eyes. 

“You won’t lose me, I won’t be going anywhere.” He said softly. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

“I don’t know. After they said you were dead… We didn’t see them. Then we came here. It was too hard.” Ryn wondered if they blamed her, but she never wanted to ask. She nodded as she listened to him talk about other tribes, sighing. “I am sorry my tribe didn’t find you. That you were gone for so long.”

.

“Oh...that’s understandable.” He admitted, looking down. At the apology he shook his head, “That wasn’t your fault, you said there was a battle. You guys had your own issues to deal with, I’m sure. Ryn, I wanted to do that, I wanted to save Hope. If that meant dying, being stranded? I’d do it all over again. I would do anything for her.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

Ryn panted as she leant up against the wall of one of the ruined amusements, panting. There was blood on her clothes, but she hadn’t been bitten or attacked by any - more was there’s from when she lashed out. She’d stationed herself at the tunnel of love, able to wade slightly in the water and shift, being more effective at picking off attackers. When she finally left the water, she’d grabbed at whatever clothes she could find, pulling the on.

She didn’t want to think who the owners of the clothes had been, but clearly they weren’t wearing them now.

Hearing Ben’s voice she ran in the direction of it, stopping in front of him and letting him check her over.

“I am fine. Not my blood.” She explained, reaching up to touch his hands. She was just thankful they had sent Hope back. “You are okay?”

.

Not her blood, that was good. It was really good. “I’m okay, I had to fight one of those things. But I’ll be okay.” He said softly, looking around. “Lets get to the water, clean off. Go to Hope.” 

He didn’t want to be on land, he didn’t want to risk being near any of those things again any time soon. 

“It’ll be okay, I’ve got you.” He said as he pulled her closer. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“Yes, is true.” She nodded, glancing over at him. “Ben’s mother… she could breathe in the water. You know these things because it’s all in there still. Inside you.” She reached over to smooth a hand over his forehead before she looked down, focusing on the fish.

“Did they take care of you? The tribes you passed?” She asked, looking down again.

.

“My mother, is she okay now? Did she get better?” He asked, feeling invested in knowing this now. “Why was she hurt?” At Ryn’s question he furrowed his brow. “Some of them did, they gave me food, shelter. Other’s chased me away. I was too different, I didn’t look like them.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

Closed Starter for Ryn

After the chaos had died down Ben was desperately searching for Ryn, “Ryn!” He called out, it felt familiar, the name falling from his tongue in this manner, calling out for her unseen form. His heart pounded roughly against his ribcage as he thought about her, she’d been so close by he’d thought, he’d walked away for only a moment to purchase snacks for them. He’d wanted to do it on his own, hoping it would help jog his memory. But then the attacks had happened and he’d lost Ryn. 

“Ryn!” He called out again, looking around rapidly to see if he could see her.  Suddenly out of his peripheral he spotted her, turning he ran towards her. “Ryn, are you okay? I lost you when everything started..” He said as he reached out to touch her, pushing hair behind her ear so he could look at her face, cupping it desperately as he studied her closely. 

Her face was dirty, clothes torn and with blood smeared in certain places. “Are you hurt?” He asked gently.

[metamxrphxsis]

ofchiiaroscuro​:

-

The stories about Beacon Hills were quite popular among the UWA agents, Clary herself having learned quite a lot about the small California town since joining the ranks. It’s history was full of danger and tragedy, for both mundanes and Downworlders, the amount of carnage the town had seen through the years almost challenging high populated areas like Los Angeles and New York City. The nephilim understood why some of her colleagues felt apprehensive about being sent there, why others in the organization even declined joining the mission.

For Clary though, the small town was more than just it’s past. To her, Beacon Hills represented opportunities. For improvement, for unity, for a brighter future. Even if she was anxious, part of her was also excited, happy to be able to finally put all her new training and knowledge to good use.

However, the excitement was quickly soured when the team arrived in town, the commotion at the Valentine’s Day Carnival not the welcoming party Clary had been expecting. The team organized themselves fast, one of the warlocks realizing the front gates were reinforced with magical wards and staying behind to break them, the other four climbing the fence and throwing themselves right into the action.

While the other warlock and the werewolf worked on getting citizens through a portal into town, Clary and the team’s leader cleared out the area. As instructed, the nephilim only incapacitated the attackers, using her stele to increase the power of her strength and agility runes, giving herself more of an advantage against the crazed Downworlders. Spotting a man being attacked by a wendigo, Clary hurried to help him, for a moment uncertain if she’d be able to reach him in time. The man however was not as defenseless as Clary had first thought, the auburn haired woman watching as he managed to impel the wendigo with a metal pipe.

Brown eyes settled on the fallen supernatural, part of Clary feeling sorry for them. She needed to focus though, she knew that; there was no time to dwell on the dead, not while those alive needed to get out of there. “It’s alright,” she assured the blond, assuming his reaction was due to what he had just done. “You are okay. I can help you get to safety.” Clary offered him her hand. “Can you stand?”

.

Looking up Ben blinked a few times before he took her hand and stood, “I’m okay.. I can’t leave, I...I have to find Ryn, we were going to go on a ride but we were gonna have a snack first.. I have to find her.” He said as his eyes began scanning the crowd. “Can you help me find her?” He asked as he looked back at the woman who had approached him. 

There was still chaos all around them and he knew they wouldn’t be able to stay in one place for long. Turning back to the dead creature beside him he placed one foot on it’s stomach and gripped the metal pipe with both hands as he pulled it out.  “I won’t leave without finding Ryn, she’s my daughter’s mother. I won’t leave her here alone.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

Closed Starter for Clary

It had all happened so fast that Ben hadn’t had time to think about it all, one moment he’d been purchasing a carnival snack and the next the person beside him waiting in line was being attacked by some wild eyed fanged creature. His first instinct had been to flee, but turning back as he saw himself being pursued something in him switched gears.  Turning back around he grabbed a pipe and snapped it from its place against a wall, he swung just as the creature attacked, catching it in its jaw.  The action felt almost familiar, a sort of buzzing in his brain that told him he’d done this before. As the creature attacked again he swung, making contact with its hands and shoulder as it lifted its arms to protect itself as it pursued him.  Suddenly he was knocked to the ground, whatever this thing was grabbing at his makeshift weapon, gripping the pipe as it tried to get to him, using his own strength he knocked the creature away and scrambled to get his grounding, just as he turned he lifted the pipe as the creature lunged at him again, thrusting it into the damned things chest, forcing the pipe all the way through it’s back. 

A sharp ringing filled his ears as a memory burned its way into focus, he remembered clearly being on an island, fighting someone back with a spear and finally thrusting it through their chest and out their back. 

Panting he pushed the body and pipe to the side, letting it hit the ground with a muted thud as he pressed hands against his eyes. The memory seared into his brain as it played over and over. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“No. I got better. Maddie gave me books.” She explained, smiling weakly. She wished she was here. Maddie could at least bring a smile to his face. A glimmer of memory to his eyes. She moved around the kitchen, grabbing herbs that looked like they’d go well with the food.

Her shoulders slumped a little as he said he didn’t recognise his mother, and she nodded. “She was hurt. Her legs didn’t work. But then we made her better with cells. But it started to change her. So Ben took cells to learn about them. Until Maddie got mad.” She explained, looking over at him. She moved over once the food was in the oven, taking his hands.

.

Hearing that his mothers legs didn’t work made him frown as he leaned in closer to her as she cooked, “Change her, like adaption? The cells were introduced to the body and it was forced to adapt.” He said softly before giving a gentle laugh. “I’m not entirely sure how I know what that is or how it works.” He admitted. “But I do.” 

[metamxrphxsis]

roseofroman​:

.

He considered explaining the book to him, but then Roman caught a wiff of the stranger’s scent and his attention snapped away. It smelled… familiar yet not. Roman couldn’t place where the smell tied between known and unknown. 

“Well, not everyone can be a prime academic.” Roman joked, sliding unasked into the seat opposite the man. “You smell weird. Why?”

Like a toddler begging for answers, Roman peered at the stranger with large brown eyes strangely younger than the century plus vampire he was.

.

At the question of why he smelled weird Ben wrinkled his nose as he furrowed his brow, he wasn’t expecting the question and certainly he didn’t think he smelled. 

“I don’t know, what are you smelling?” He asked softly, unsure. 

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

.

“No. You have to remember how to be human. So you eat like humans.” Ryn said firmly, turning on the stove to start cooking the fish, lowering her head as she did to focus on what she was doing. She tried to cook for Hope, wanting her to be able to live normally as a human, but since she was in the water, she was struggling to not slip into old habits.

She thought about him teaching her how to drive as she prepared the fish, trying to keep her emotions to herself. Every touch, every conversation, every kiss… they exchanged vows, and he remembered none of it. It was selfish, knowing she should care about all the other things he couldn’t remember. But she didn’t care.

“… The pictures. Of your family. Did they help?” She asked, having emailed Maddie to send some over.

.

“Okay, I’ll eat like a human.” He murmured softly as he walked over and saw her start to cook, “Is this gonna be like the marshmallow chicken?” He asked softly, it wasn’t a memory he remembered, but he liked hearing Ryn talk about it, she seemed very proud of that moment. He only wished he could remember it.

“I don’t know, I looked at...the one you said was my mom, you said I was pretty close to her. But I couldn’t feel anything familiar, I dunno. Maybe I’ll just never remember.” He mumbled sadly.

[metamxrphxsis]

rynxlove​:

Closed starter for @metamxrphxsis​​

Ryn hadn’t worked that day, spending it out in the ocean, checking in on Hope. She hated being away from her, but until things were calmer in Beacon Hills, she reasoned that she was safer in the water. Ryn herself knew she would be too, but she was tethered to the land right now.

Even if he didn’t understand why, she hoped he appreciated it.

She’d picked up some fish for dinner, and stepping into the kitchen, she saw Ben sitting there, and she looked away, awkward. 

“I brought dinner. You can cook, if you like.” She explained. If not, she’d just eat her’s raw. Busying herself in the kitchen, she glanced over. “Hope is good. She went hunting with the others after I left.” She didn’t know if he resented her for sending her away, but she had to do the best for her daughter.

.

Ben was staring at the wall from his place at the little island counter in the kitchen, it seemed familiar somehow, even though he knew he had never seen this particular counter before coming here to Beacon Hills, but it seemed familiar to something similar he had maybe seen before. 

Every now and again he can hear soft peals of laughter, the echo of some lost conversation stuck deep within his broken memories. 

He’s brought out of his reverie by the sound of Ryn’s voice, looking up he smiles gently at her, “Hi, I dunno if I should cook, I still don’t even know how to drive a car even though I know you’ve told me since I apparently taught you how to drive.” He laughed softly before looking down at the fish as she set it down. 

“I know it still must be weird, but I don’t mind eating it raw. It’s how I ate all my food in the ocean.” He admitted.