It is actually terrifying how I can sit down to write a "unique" scene, open Tumblr, and see three other people posting about the exact same trope in the last hour
Who is coordinating this? Is there a schedule? Mom said it was my turn with the brain cell
The way Shane reaches for Ilya with that adorable, high-pitched voice, completely zonked on pain meds?? I will be replaying this forever.
He just wants to hold Ilya’s hand.
Please. End me now.
And the heart rate monitor — I’m losing my mind.
110 bpm → 105 bpm → 97 bpm
Dropping, the longer Ilya talks to him and holds his hand. The amount of detail they put into these scenes is actually insane.
Tell me that’s not love. I dare you.
The soft touches. That cheek caress.
Ilya is so gentle with him - that’s his precious boy, and he LOVES him. Of course, he touches the freckles. We know that’s his weakness.
AND THEN - because this show hates my peace... when Ilya gets ready to leave, Shane’s heart rate is 81.
81. Ilya’s jersey number.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Do I care? Absolutely not.
I am a sucker for emotions revealed through hospital monitors, and this show KNOWS it.
hey, so, would you mind if i asked you to say everything you've ever thought about me, and explain why you thought that? then maybe we could like hold hands or something... no pressure, though! haha...
Size Difference x Touch him and die x Metamorphosis x It's only us (siblings and romantic)
Featuring artwork by @maxspite through whole story
A witch once told me, when I was very little, that I was born in the Violet Cove, and I would swallow me as well. My sister dragged me right out of her tent, scolding me for wandering off like that in such a crowded place. But it was too late. I had heard my fate, and I was young enough to latch onto it and believe it. Even now that I have grown.
Back then I thought it was something magical, but now as I harvest my millionth violet star, I now realize the bog witch meant I would live and die in this place. Working and harvesting, living in the same old cabin my grandfather died in, my mother died in. On and on and on and on it goes!
I tossed a handful of the stars into the basket and stood up from the edge, taking my feet out of the water. “Sure.”
Tara’s dark eyes gave me the once-over. “Where were you just now?”
My eyes were back out along the swamp, watching fireflies glow over the lily pads and weave through the low-hanging branches. “Here,” I sighed heavily. “Always here.” I picked up my haul of violet stars, bringing them over to the cart.
“Sure you are,” she scoffed in a teasing tone. “I think this batch will give us just enough so we can begin processing these beauties.” She smiled into my nearly full basket.
For generations, our family has harvested the Violet Stars that gave the cove its name. From the small, somewhat fuzzy berries, we made inks and dyes which, when done just right, will shine like stars. But recently, people have been coming and harvesting the berries to make their own, and thus, our family business was struggling.
“I thought I was cooking tonight.” I joined her on the seat, watching her take the reins of our mule.
“I’m in a good mood today. I don’t mind cooking.” She snapped the reins, and the mule began trotting forward.
How she can be in a good mood, I don’t know. We’re having to set traps around the cabin to catch food, and half of what we catch we have to set free because either it’s an inedible species, is too young, or is valuable to the swamp. So then that leaves us with greens and, as of late, violet stars as our only food source. My piss was coming out purple!
Tara gave me a smile. “Cheer up! We’ve finally gotten a great haul, and we’ll make our money back tenfold with this one. I promise. We’ll be seeing golden days yet.”
I returned her smile, though unsure. “Yeah. I know.” I braced myself back up in the seat and sighed. “It’s just been so long. And with no help-”
“I know,” Tara murmured. “It’s been rough just the two of us. But we’ve made it this far, and we’ll continue to make it. We learned that, and we know the swamp will protect us.”
Once home, we unloaded the violet stars into the shed and put the mule away. Tara was gazing around the property, seeming to see something she wasn’t telling me.
“Luca, can you go check the traps?” She sounded distracted.
“Sure.” I came up behind her, trying to follow her gaze. Her brow furrowed as she focused on something in the dirt. “Is something wrong?”
She let out a long, exasperated sigh. “It’s probably nothing. Probably critters or something wandering around the house. Just thought I saw boot prints over here.” Tara had an air of unease about her. Of course she did. Thieves had been an issue for years, but now with the popularity of the violet stars, things around here were…bleak.
“Could be mine,” I offered to set her at ease.
Tara laughed. “Yeah! Probably is. Just with this new haul, I’m mighty protective.” She returned to unlock the front door. “I’ll get the stove ready.”
“I’ll be quick with it.” I walked around the back of the house, heading towards the river that ran alongside our backyard. Over the years, the riverbed rocks had become stained purple from the processing of the violet stars, and the earth had a faint shimmer to it.
I went further down the river to some of the bigger traps, hoping we would catch something that was big enough for a meal for once. I was picturing something grilling and sizzling on the stove as I walked around the massive trees. It took a moment to get out of my hungry thoughts to realize something wasn’t right.
The traps we tossed upon the shore shattered and broke. There was a part of the net that was ripped on shore with something still attached. Hesitantly, I went and started pulling on the net, wondering where it came from. Whatever was inside was heavy! It took all my strength to pull it. Then, I saw it. A long, winding tail. It twitched, showing the dark scales shift from black to blue.
I dropped the net, stepping back in fear until I tripped over a trap. I fell on my backside hard, howling in pain.
“You,” a deep, rumbling voice echoed through the trees. “You there, man-thing.” The tail whipped back underwater, and the water went unnaturally still, as if the river stopped flowing.
I froze stiff from fear. The pain in my tailbone didn’t exist. What was in that net? Was this what the witch had told me about?
“Did you set this trap?” Glowing lights appeared under the water, radiant blue, unlike anything I had seen before. “Man-thing-” it sang in a taunting tone. The blue eyes came to the surface. “Come to me, man-thing.”
I crawled on all fours to the edge of the river. My body moved willingly, even if my mind was confused and hazy.
The net, which was wrapped around it, hindered the creature from rising further from the water. “Free me, man-thing, and I will consider forgiving you.”
“I didn’t set the net,” I answered. “We only set the traps.”
The creature sighed. “I know you didn’t.” It slithered up onto the shore beside me, arms bent back in the net, contorted on the dark moss. I took out my knife, stained with the juice of a million violet stars. I began cutting the creature free, slowly realizing its body was not of this world. His long, dark tail spilled into the water with no end in sight. The torso was human, but covered in shining scales, with fins along the arms and back, and hands webbed with spongy pads covering the elongated palm.
The eyes. My goddess, the eyes. Large, deep things that went on forever like a mirror facing itself. Dark, and yet beaming with radiant blue light. Stripes colored his flat face, and they faded back into long, flowing fins. The gills under his jaw flared out, turning powdery blue at the ends.
“I see.” He tilted my head this way and that. “Yes. I know you.” His voice came out as a sensual purr. His hand pressed into my throat ever so slightly, his slender fingers kneaded until they reached my jaw, and he seemed to study the bone.
A shiver coursed through my body. Not completely out of fear, although it was there. It was a different sort of feeling, one that I found enjoyable. The creature’s hand tightened around my throat more, making me gasp. My cock was throbbing rock hard within an instant.
The creature smirked, long, inky tongue darting out along its jowls. “I owe you a favor, man-thing.” He pulled me in closer, lapping his tongue along my jaw and into my ear. I shivered more, letting out a choked moan.
His other hand pressed against my groin, feeling my cock. This caused his grin to grow, revealing how his mouth opened all the way to his neck. His tongue traced along my mouth, which I opened. His kiss was cold, even as his tongue slithered down my throat. I moaned again, eyes rolling back in ecstasy.
He rubbed his palm into me, kneading my cock through my trousers. Then, he pulled my trousers down around my knees, and tentacles from his waist wrapped around me, holding me against him while searching along my skin. I choked on his tongue, grasping hard against his chest. His eyes flooded my vision, purer blue than the sky. My mind was already spinning with ecstasy. My core was pulsing, throbbing through my whole body. There was nothing on Earth like this.
I tasted the river, the salt of the earth. The low moans that came from the creature rattled my mind further. Low growls rumbled through my skin, pouring into my veins until all I could do was tremble in response to his deep noises.
I came and came, spilling against him. I writhed in pleasure all the while he grinned, chuckling as his tongue slipped away, lapping at his chips before disappearing back behind sharp teeth.
“That’s good, man-thing.” He set me back down on the bank. “I like you.” He looked at his palm, dripping with my seed. He lapped his palm and fingers clean with that long, black tongue.
Never, ever, had my body reacted like that to anyone. I was still pulsing, and yet I ached for him more. Pushing my hair back from my sweaty brow, all I could do was gaze at his beautiful, strange face. “Who are you?”
“Akurra.” His name sent bolts through my body, jolting me awake like a thunderstorm. He grinned at my recognition. “And yours, man-thing?”
There were stars in my eyes, and I’m pretty sure there was drool dripping from my lip. I was searching for the answer to give him. I almost forgot myself. “Luca.” I finally breathed.
Akurra touched my cheek again. “Come to me again, Luca,” he whispered. “Your reward for saving me has only just begun.” He vanished into the river, and it flowed again, rippling and bubbling.
Still in shock, I knelt there, cock out, seed dripping from the tip. A trap flew up onto the shore, filled almost to bursting with giant red craw. Akurra’s hand rose to the surface and waved before disappearing again.
“By the goddess.” I was gulping down air. Laying back on the mossy bank, placing my forearm over my eyes. I had to laugh. “Whoa!” I closed my eyes until my breath returned to normal.
“Luca!” Tara’s voice carried through the swamp. “Luca? Where are you?”
“Oh, shit!” I gathered myself, pulling up my trousers. “Coming!” I picked up the trap filled with red craw and raced back towards the house.
Tara was standing outside the house, wringing her hands. Her worried expression turned to an angry pout once she saw me. “What took you so long?”
“Sorry, I uhm-” What was I to say? Should I confess what I saw? What I did. No. Not all of what I did, I might die of embarrassment telling my sister I had the best orgasm of my life.
“You’re flushed.” Tara put her hand on my cheek and then smoothed it up to my forehead. “You’re warm too.”
“I am!” I blurted, holding out the trap filled with struggling red craw. “Had to fight something for this trap!”
Tara’s mouth flopped open and closed in awe. We had never seen so many giant red craw at once! People considered them a delicacy, one of the tastiest meals from the rivers, but catching them wasn’t easy.
“Luca! This is a treat!” The joy that shone in her eyes added to my contentment. I handed the basket over to her, and she danced with it. “This is like a miracle! What did you put in the traps?”
I couldn’t keep secrets from Tara. I never could. She was the only person in this world I could tell everything. “I saved Akurra!” I blurted it out a little too loudly, far too eager.
Tara stared at me, eyes wide, happiness over giant red craw gone. “What?” She almost laughed at me.
My mouth was going dry. “He was in a net! I mean, did you set a net?”
Tara went white, and her mouth opened slightly as she turned to me. “No.” Her eyes were darting back and forth, unsure of what she should focus on first. Net or Akurra? “So there was a net, and Akurra had gotten stuck in it?” She drawled.
”Of course not. They’re dangerous here.” Tara set the trap of craw down on the table. “What worries me more is that Akurra, of all things, got trapped in it. But you got him out?”
I fidgeted in my seat, stiffening my back as I tried not to appear so nervous. “Yes.”
Tara was still staring at me; not once had she blinked. “The king of the swamp? The unending river itself?” She set the trap down on the table. “THAT Akurra?”
I nodded.
She was flabbergasted, couldn’t blame her, so was I. “What…what did he do? What did he say?”
I swallowed, nodding again. “He said he would reward me.”
“Reward-” Tara sat herself down and took a few deep breaths. “You’re not pulling my leg, are you? Akurra? Of all things in this swamp? Akurra!”
“I can’t explain it, but I know that is the only thing he could be. It’s like knowing how to breathe or blink. It’s natural to know who he is.” I could still taste him in my mouth, earthy, dark, flowing.
“A reward from Akurra is mythic,” Tara breathed. “You know that, right?”
“I do.” I fidgeted in place. “Gramps used to tell us stories about Akurra. I know what’s going on.”
“What did he do?” Tara sounded breathless.
My face flushed in that instant, and I kept darting my eyes away from her. How do I explain what happened out there? I can’t exactly blurt out to my sister that Akurra gave me the greatest orgasm known to man.
“He kissed me.” It wasn’t exactly a fib, but I still felt nervous Tara would see through me. Like she always did.
Tara sighed, walking back over to the full trap. “A kiss, eh? I bet you enjoyed that.” She said with a laugh.
I giggled along nervously.
Tara picked a few strands of the ripped net from the side of the trap. “This still unnerves me. We’ve never used nets here. So who the hell was in our swamp?”
I shook my head. “That’s what I would like to know.”
Tara sighed heavily, opening the trap to toss craw into the stove pot. “We’ve been having so many issues with thieves lately. It makes me worried.” She looked back at me with a sort of glint in her eyes. “Guess it’s lucky you have Akurra on our side. Maybe he’ll look out for us now.”
I smiled back at her. “You act like I need him! I can take care of us. Mom and Grandpa taught me everything they taught you.”
Smirking back at me, Tara began working on making us a filling supper. “You know I trust you with my life, Luca. But we both know to trust me with the muscle and you with the words.”
I scoffed. “Don’t forget it! Because you’re going to have to rely on me if you ever want to get married.”
Tara scoffed right back at me. “Not all of us are lucky enough to stumble upon Akurra!”
The swift flush of my cheeks brought me right back to Akurra’s embrace, his tongue down my throat, his hands all over me. I drifted off for a moment, thinking about him. He was all I ever wanted; any other fleeting desire or lingering gaze upon men didn’t matter.
That evening, I woke with a horribly dry throat. I coughed and coughed, getting up out of bed and stumbling to the kitchen where I gulped from the water bucket. I stuck my head down inside it, unable to quench my thirst enough.
I sighed under the water, almost breathing it in.
I pulled my head out of the water at the very thought. Breathing? I touched my neck and found the strangest scratches. No, these were not scratches. I fetched the lamp from the table, shakily lighting it before heading to the bathroom.
In the mirror, I inspected myself. The so-called scratches looked faintly purple, like a bruise. But the small, fine slits lay parallel along my jaw on each side.
“What-” my breath caught in my chest. They looked like gills.
“Luca!” Tara shouted from the kitchen. “Breakfast!”
I thought as quickly as I could. “Just a moment!” I searched my room, digging through drawers until I found a scarf. I wrapped it around my neck, double-checking myself in the mirror before Tara saw me.
I went into the kitchen, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Because I focused on Tara too much, I almost fell off the seat when I sat at the table, sitting on the very corner of the chair.
“I found some eggs this morning, so I did a little-” She stopped when she turned from the stove. “Are you cold or something?” Tara motioned to the scarf around my neck.
I clutched at it, laughing a bit. “Just a little.”
Tara shrugged. “If you’re cold, then stay home. I can make it to town on my own.” She placed our plates on the table.
I pouted slightly. “You sure?”
She nodded quickly, adjusting her boots. “Of course. I’d feel better having someone at home, anyway.” She took a bite of food and then smirked at me. “We need to hold the thieves at bay. Think you can do that?”
I scoffed at her. “As best I can.”
We enjoyed breakfast, but I kept checking my scarf in case. I wasn’t yet ready to reveal the changes I was going through. Tara eventually finished her meal, and I went with her out to the cart.
“I’ll be back this evening. If you get lonely, find Akurra,” she teased.
My face went bright red, and I tried to brush it off. “Just be safe.”
Tara left, heading to fetch the cart. I darted away, going back to the bathroom and taking off the scarf. The gills had grown overnight. The slight bruising now looked like the color of the violet stars, and there was a blue hue going around my throat.
Akurra was changing me. Was this going to be his gift? I was more hoping we could; I don’t know, be boyfriends? Was I being turned into a fish? No, not a fish. Akurra wasn’t a fish. Maybe some sort of amphibian? Last night I could breathe underwater. Maybe that was his plan all along, we would be together in every sense of the word. I could be in the river with him! But…that was scary too. I had Tara to think about.
As soon as I knew Tara was gone, I went outside. I went back to the same place I found Akurra yesterday. The water was flowing; birds were singing. It was as it always had been.
After undressing, I hung my clothes away from the water. I stepped in slowly. The water was ice-cold. I shivered, slowly inching in more and more. Then I plunged.
I saw under the water, following the gentle flow of the river. I was trying my hardest not to breathe, and then, I was. The water rippled along my gills like a cool breeze. I opened my eyes, and to my shock, I could see!
Something came up behind me, grabbing me around my waist and then wrapped around me in a corkscrew motion. Akurra grinned, eyes sparkling like a million stars.
I gasped, trying to speak. But even underwater, that was still impossible.
I was eager to continue from yesterday, but Akurra removed himself from me and took my hand. We swam together along the river, following the current. He led me deep, deep down into the swamp, towards corners I never would have dared venture alone. The thick trees soon blotted out the sun, and a glow came deep from within the heart of the swamp.
Akurra and I rose from the water, and he placed me on a large smooth stone that was naturally radiating heat from within.
“I’ve never been this far into the swamp,” I murmured, unsure of what else I could say.
“Only idiots and lost souls venture this far,” Akurra purred.
I swallowed. “Am I either one of those?”
“No.” Akurra’s palms pet up my bare legs. Ever so slowly, he spread them open upon the warm stone. “What you are, man-thing, is mine.”
I shuddered, losing my breath for a moment. “Is that why …why I’m changing?”
Akurra chuckled, taking hold of my cock in his hand. “If you are going to be mine, how else would I have you? I cannot take a man-thing into the waters. You would die, and then I would mourn.” His tongue lapped up the length of my cock, and I let out a rather pitiful moan of pleasure and excitement.
“You will change, and then you will join me in my river,” he growled in response. “You will become a king with me, a ruler of the swamp. All you desire will be yours.” His mouth sunk over me, taking my cock into his throat.
I reached out, smoothing my palm over the top of his head. “Oh…Akurra-” His lashes fluttered and my jaw went slack. “Yes! Oh, yes,” I breathed. “That’s amazing!”
A low rumble vibrated along my shaft, deep into my loins and through my brain. I arched my hips, sinking deeper into his throat.
Akurra gripped my ass, sinking his fingers into me. He lifted his head, smirking while his tongue lapped into the crevice of his mouth. “Is that what you want? To shed your man-thing skin and join me?”
I shouldn’t have been thinking about anything else except him, but Tara came into my mind. I couldn’t just leave her.
Akurra laid me down on the stone, slithering up onto me. The tentacles on his hips grasped at me, wrapping around my rear and legs. “Anything you desire, I will grant.” His thumb rested on my lips. “And when the time comes, you too will have my power.” I opened my mouth to allow his thumb to press against my tongue. He pressed against me, something cool and slick rubbed against my thigh.
With a gasp, I let him take me. A pinch, some pressure, and then I was his. Taken by the king of the swamp. I had become part of the unending river.
The smile on his face wavered ever so slightly in his pleasure. His endless eyes never closed; they stared into me, going forever and ever until time was meaningless. I lost myself in him, absorbed by what he gave me.
I was a shivering, shaking pile for him to use. I was greedy to be given all he had; it didn’t matter to me.
I wanted him.
I needed him.
The canopy of the trees hid the sun, so I did not know how long I had been his. All I knew was that I had never, ever, been so drunk on anything before.
“Why me?” I whispered to him as I cuddled against his chest.
He chuckled. “The stars decided.”
The genuine stars or the violet stars? It didn’t matter; I liked his answer regardless. I stayed with him there on that warm rock until my senses returned to me. I didn’t know how late it was, but I needed to return home before Tara realized I was missing.
“Akurra,” I whispered, giving him a gentle shake.
His head rose from under his arm, and he gazed at me, eyes dark for a moment before shining in the dark. “What is it?”
“I need to go home.”
He scoffed, pushing himself up. “Your home should be here. But I understand.” He took me back into the river, swimming until we reached the place we first met. Once again, he handed me a trap full of food, and with a kiss he silently left. I found my clothes where I left them, dressed quickly and found my pants fit strangely.
I raced back home, finding Tara was just putting the cart and the mule away. I came up along the walkway to greet her, waving.
“Glad you’re back!”
“Yeah,” she huffed. “Me too!” She looked disgruntled, flushed around the cheeks, her eyes a little red.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, barely looking at me. “Nothing.” She wiped her nose with her sleeve and walked ahead of me. “I’d rather hear about your day.”
“Well,” I murmured. “I was with Akurra.”
She bristled a bit. “Really?” As she opened the door, she turned to look at me, and her brow pinched. She grabbed my face, turning my head this way and that.
“Tara?” I said with squished cheeks.
She scoffed. “Did he hit you?”
“No!” I exclaimed. “No! We, um…we did nice things!”
She continued to furrow her brow. “You’re like…turning purple.” Her hands smoothed down my cheeks, along my hairline. “Are these scales?”
I yanked away from her, heading to the washroom where I could look in the mirror. I didn’t see them right at first, which made Tara’s sharp eye even more spectacular. Hidden in my hairline were these purple and brown scales, growing towards my cheekbone and around my new gills.
“What sort of nice things are causing my brother to turn into a fish?” Tara huffed, her hands on her hips.
“I’m not turning into a fish!” I snapped.
I saw tears well up in her eyes again, and she raced away from me.
“Tara!” I chased after her to her room. “Tara, something is wrong!”
She slammed her door in my face, and I heard a deep sob from within.
“Hey!” I banged on her door. “Answer me I-” My fist went through her door. There was a moment of stillness, like when the glow of the river stopped. I pulled my fist back through the thick wood, seeing Tara’s shocked face inside.
“Luca?” her voice warbled. “It’s unlocked.”
I opened the door, stepping over the debris from my punch.
Hear tear-filled eyes stared at me in disbelief. I saw a fear ripple through her gaze that she tried to hide. “What was that?”
I shook my head, silent, grasping my hands together. “I don’t…I uhm-”
“It’s Akurra, isn’t it?” She wiped the tears away from her eyes. “Is this his doing?”
I nodded.
She sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “This is the last thing I needed, Luca.” She hiccuped.
“What? Tara, what’s going on?” I knelt down before her, taking hold of her hand. “What happened in town?”
“I learned in town today that taxes are going up,” she whimpered. “If you live within the limits of town, it’s not that much. But the further out you live-” She whimpered.
A chill gripped my heart.
“Luca, what do we do?” Tara cried, wrapping her arms around me. I held her tight, burying my face in her shoulder.
There had to be something Akurra could do to help us. Stop the thieves so we could have enough to sell? Find us pearls in the river? I don’t know!
Tara had been going into town more regularly, selling raw violet stars in order to start off our savings. Everything helped, and we needed everything. While she was gone, I worked sorting what violet stars we had, picking out ones she could sell the next day, maybe even digging into our storage to find reserved jams, preserves, and even some of grandpa’s supposed violet star wine. Anything we could sell.
I was sitting on the bank one day, washing and scrubbing some of Mom’s knitted projects made with violet star dye to make them look new and wearable, also to sell.
“Luca! Buddy!”
I looked up from my scrubbing stone, quickly pulling my scarf up around my neck to hide my growing gills. “Mason?”
Mason was the mayor’s son, and someone I went to school with. Someone I had once harbored potent feelings for. He came skipping across the way, bigger and more built than I remembered.
“What are you doing out here?” I grumbled.
“Not excited to see an old friend?” He laughed. “I was just getting out of town. No one is thrilled with my family right now.”
“The taxes,” I replied and continued scrubbing the sweater. “Yeah. If Tara caught you around here, I think she would have a few choice words for you.”
“I saw her heading into town. The only reason I felt safe coming here.” He laughed. “Dad thinks it’ll be good to help the town grow.” He sat down on the bank beside me, taking off his boots to dip into the water. “But people like you,” he scoffed. “I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
His hand was close to me, as if he wanted to reach out and put it on my arm. I could still remember how those big, burly hands touched me before. In secret, he would kiss me, fuck me. He was my first love, my first heartbreak.
“You okay?” Mason brushed back my scarf a bit. “You’re bruised!”
Thank goodness the shade of the trees made my scales look like bruises, or else who knows what he’d say. I inched away and laughed. “Yeah, Tara and I were working during that last storm a few days ago, and I got rocked!”
Mason’s eyes worked their way down me. “You’re not suited for this kind of life, Luca. Why do you stay here? Tara I get, but you?”
I looked over at him, feeling like he was trying to get at something.
“It is beautiful out here, though. I could understand staying for that.” He murmured, eyes cast out over the swamp. “I’ve always wanted to live here.”
Missed the boat on that one, I thought to myself. “Well, I’m sure you’ve got the money for it.”
Mason laughed, turning his smile and sharp blue eyes to me. “One day, maybe.” He reached out to me, touching my cheek. “Seeing you reminds me of the old days.”
I wanted to pull away, but his hand was so warm.
“Back in my dad’s office?” His voice became a purr. “Under his desk?” he chuckled. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot, especially since Dad has me working there more often.”
I found a chance to pull away. “He always wanted you to follow in his footsteps.”
His nose curled in offense, and he gazed back out into the swamp. “I don’t think he realizes he raised an idiot.”
I stood up and went to hang the sweater to dry. “I wouldn’t say that. You’re not stupid, just controlled by a different head. Ow!” He wrenched his foot out of the water and looked through the ripples.
He threw his head back with a loud laugh. “Yeah, that’s true.” He grabbed his crotch. “Making laws based on who sucks it best!” He chortled. “Fuck ow!” he yanked his foot from the water again.
I rolled my eyes behind the veil of the sweater.
“Been hearing about your thief issue.” Mason also stood and began drying his feet off to put his boots back on. “If you ever need anything, you just let me know.”
“Thanks, but we can handle ourselves.” I forced a chipper tone.
“Rough out here. You should move into town. I’d be happy to hire you on. I’ve been needing an assistant.” Mason came up behind me to whisper in my ear. “And, uh, let’s just say, my wife does nothing for me like you used to do, Luca.”
I turned around, giving him a glare. “Yeah, well, you chose her, didn’t you?”
Mason’s smile was sad, but he turned into a massive grin and laughed. “Think about my offer, Luca! You’ll get a lot more out of it than from trying to palm off family relics.” He waved to me, going back down the path he had appeared on.
I scoffed, trying to shake off the icky feeling he gave me.
Water burbled and sloshed. “Want me to eat him?”
Akurra jutted out his tongue. “Was just about to bite off his toe.” He moved between my legs, plucking the ties of my pants. “I could tell he was bothering you.” His eyes narrowed. “And yet, you like him. Your heart was pounding. Blood rushing.” He lifted my hips and pulled off my pants.
I bit my lip, eyeing my cock as it sprang out. “It was a long time ago. I don’t know why I still think anything of him.” I reached to stroke myself.
Akurra slapped my hand away. “Old lover?” His fingers curled around my shaft.
My face was growing red. “Kind of.” I was throbbing in Akurra’s palm. He squeezed gently and then bent his neck down. His mouth opened, taking my length in one gulp.
I threw my neck back, moaning. “Akurra!” I ripped the scarf off my neck.
He moved his head up and down in my lap, growing as he took my cock deeper into his throat.
I grasped the back of his head with one hand, bracing myself with the other. “That’s…that’s fantastic-but…” My eyes rolled back; he was too good.
His tongue encircled me, squeezing my shaft while his mouth surrounded me. His throat pulsed with each sound he made, and I would not last much longer.
“Yes…like that.” I panted. “Akurra, you’re the best!” My breath was hitching with each passing second. I was growing lightheaded, delirious. My hips arched a bit, and Akurra took me deeper.
When I came, no drop spilled. Akurra drank all of me and sucked until none remained. I was shaking, warm all over.
“Your past doesn’t matter. All that matters now is what we will make.” He touched my cheek, his palm cool against my roiling hot skin. “And I plan to make you forget everyone before me.”
“Easy,” I chuckled, meeting his kiss. “I already have.”
Akurra had a purr in his voice then. “Good. I’ll take care of you always, man-thing. You will see after you fully transform.” He held my face between his palms. “Already so beautiful, but soon you will be glorious.”
I couldn’t wait. I wanted to complete his gift then and there. But I thought about Tara. “What about my sister?” I asked. “I don’t want to leave her all alone.”
Akurra knelt to kiss me again. “Don’t worry. I think of everything.”
A few days went by. I kept visiting Akurra while I did chores, and Tara went to town to sell what she could. I noticed one day, as I moved about, an itch came to my bottom. One that, no matter how hard I scratched it, never went away. My pants kept riding up strangely as well. Eventually, I heard Tara returning and putting the mule back into the stable.
“Smells good!” Tara announced as she came inside. “Did your new boyfriend give us something AAAAAHHH!” Her scream almost made me cut myself. I turned around to see what was wrong.
“Was it a snake again?” I gasped.
Her glare was ferocious. “Take me to Akurra.”
“What?” I jumped.
“I just need a few words with him.” There was a strange sadness on her face; tears began forming in her eyes.
“I will not leave you! I promise!” I gasped quickly. “Tara, I swear! I’ll stay in this swamp forever! Akurra promised!”
Tara cupped her hand over her mouth and let out a laugh. “Give me a second, Luca. This is…I half believed it was a joke but…” She moved towards the table like she was going to sit down.
I rushed to her side, tugging my pants back up over my butt. “It’s okay, really. I think this will solve a lot of our problems!” I tried to sound excited, but it was hard seeing that look on her face.
“I was fine with our problems!” She snapped at me. “I had you; that was all I gave a shit about! Everything I did here I was doing to make sure you were safe and happy.”
“I am!” I stomped my foot down hard. “You’re my best friend, so of course I was happy. But I want to take care of you now!”
She breathed in, trying to take in some calm. “So you’re going to turn into a fish?”
I swallowed and fidgeted with my hands. “I think I’m more amphibious, actually.”
Throwing her head back, Tara ran her fingers through her thick hair and paced in a circle around the table. “Grandpa filled your head with too many fairy tales!”
I rolled my eyes. “It isn’t a fairytale if it’s real! Look at me” I turned back and forth, back and forth. I slapped my ass. “Obviously this is real!”
Rage coursed through her veins, and she pushed the chair away. “I need to have a word with him!” She stormed back towards the door.
“Tara! Hold on!” I chased after her.
“I’m going to find this Akurra! And he better be ready to talk to me!” Tara slammed the door as she left.
“Tara! Wait a second!” I struggled with the sticky latch. “You’re not supposed to slam the door!” She did it for that reason. I kept fussing with it. I could never get it opened, but somehow, after a moment, I could force down the handle.
“Tara! Hold on!” I ran outside trying to find her. It was dark out, yet I could see clear as day.“ Tara, come on! I’ll introduce you two, just don’t be mad right now! I rounded the corner of the house, and someone struck me upside the head. I hit the ground with a rather hard thud, and some moss got into my mouth.
“Luca!” Tara screamed before someone muffled her mouth.
“Don’t worry about that one,” a gruff voice scoffed. “He can’t do shit.”
My vision was blurry, with bright white dots. I saw someone holding Tara, while another was searching her pockets. Another figure was at the shed, trying to bash the lock. But the guy who hit me, the one standing over me, even through the pain I knew who it was.
“Mah-mason?”
His sharp blue eyes cut down at me. “Stay down,” he snarled.
Tara screamed again as the guy holding her was getting rougher. “Pretty for a swamp bitch! Let’s take her home with us.”
“Shut the fuck up, Perry,” a woman’s voice boomed. “We’re here for stars, keep it in your pants.” The woman again tried bashing the lock. “Did you find the key or not?”
“Hank’s in the house looking.” Mason replied. “And Perry, you don’t want any of her.” He knelt down, putting his hand on the back of my neck. He picked me up, glaring into my face. “Tell me where the key is and we’ll leave.”
The key was on a hook behind the kitchen wardrobe. But I would never tell them. I lashed out, grabbing hold of Mason’s arm.
“What the-” Mason’s voice sounded frightened. “Your hand! What is that?”
Webbed hands, purple and brown scales. Even in this light, I’m sure he could see that. I grabbed hold of his wrist tighter, but with his other hand he threw a punch into my jaw.
“Stay down if you know what’s good for you!” Mason snapped.
“No!” I snarled. “You…you were casing us out, weren’t you?” I began trying to pick myself up. “You want this property…the taxes…” I panted. I was so angry I could barely see, barely breathe. He could kick me and beat me and I wouldn’t feel a thing from how my blood was boiling.
“You had a chance to get out,” Mason growled at me.
I stood up, wiping dirt and grass from my face. I first saw the look in Tara’s eyes, then I saw the man holding her. He stepped back, eyes wide, but arms still firmly around Tara.
“What the fuck?” He shouted.
“Luca-” Mason was staring at me, trying not to show any emotion. “You look different, buddy.” He forced a chuckle.
I lunged at him, baring my teeth before sinking them into his neck. Mason screamed, beating his fists against me. My teeth sank in far too easily, I thought. The rush of blood was too much. I released him as she screamed, letting Tara break his jaw with her bare fists. I licked my lips, finding the edge of my teeth were…sharp?
Perry tossed Tara onto the ground as he rushed forward to help. But I turned on him, biting down on his arm. Tara tackled Mason at the knees, bringing him down into the mud. Once he was down, she was throwing punch after punch.
”Let go of me!” Perry screamed, trying to yank his arm away.
I bore my teeth deeper into his arm. His blood rushed into my mouth, metallic, bright. I shook my head, tossing him into the river. “Get out of here,” I snarled. “Or I’ll really rip you to shreds.”
“Luca! The house!” Tara screamed, still keeping Mason pinned.
In the doorway I saw a man tearing through our mother’s chest of drawers, having smashed a few of the doors to get inside. He turned and instantly fear came over him. What he saw I didn’t know, but I lunged once again, pouncing on him and knocking him into the wall. I hit his head against the wall, the floor, bashing it down until he went still. Never in my life had I been able to take anyone in a fight. Tara was always my guardian angel. But now, adrenaline rushed through my veins. I had never felt so powerful!
A woman screamed at the scene; it was Mason’s wife. I chased after her, and she ran, getting caught in the washroom where I tackled her to the ground. She beat me with the keyring, hitting my eye, which made my anger boil over. I screamed in her face and was aware it wasn’t a human sound.
“Let me go! Let me go!” She cried out, panicked. Her eyes were overflowing with fear, almost crying. “I don’t wanna do this! I’m sorry! Don’t hurt me! Mason! It was Mason!”
I took the keys from her. “What does he want here?” I growled at her.
“The property!” she scream-cried. “He wanted it! His dad-” She got to a point where her words didn’t sound like anything. Occasionally I could make out an ‘I don’t want to die’, but it was all blubbering and screaming.
“Then get the fuck out of my house,” I snarled at her. I let her go, turning to get back outside, finding Tara dragging herself up from the ground.
“Tara!” I raced towards her.
Mason lunged from behind the door. He struck me in the face and knocked me off balance. His boot stomped down on my chest.
“You think you can take this place away from us?” I snarled at him, pushing him back, raising up. “You do not know what I’ve become!”
“A monster,” Mason stomped down on me again and I lost my breath. Choking, clawing at his leg, heard Tara scream. It distracted me enough that Mason got the upper-hand. I watched from the ground as the woman hit Tara with a shovel, and a scream left my throat as if to pierce the air.
Another scream cut through the air like a serrated blade, and the world went still. The river stopped flowing, and everyone turned to acknowledge it.
Something blasting out of the river struck and blew the woman back, dragging her into the waters.
Mason’s wife screamed in coherently again.
“What the fuck is that?” Mason snarled.
Akurra’s tail rose from the water, striking him and knocking him down into the water and then dragging him under. I heard more screams behind me, but all I could see was Tara lying there before the shed.
I raced to her, picking her up off the ground and swiping away the blood on her forehead. “Tara! Tara! Please wake up!” I cried. Her head lolled limp in my arms. I shook her, trying to stir her. “Tara-” my voice squeezed painfully from my throat.
I couldn’t breathe. If anything happened to her, I don’t know what I would do. I’ve never known a day without Tara. After dad left, after grandpa died, after mom…the thought of losing her too made tears well up in my eyes. I sobbed, shaking from fear and desperation.
“Tara, please,” I whispered pathetically.
“Give her here.” I looked up as Akurra’s eyes glowed above me. Akurra’s mouth had blood on it as he hovered over us. He breathed in, eyes focusing upon Tara. His head tilted as he studied her, hand coming down to touch the blood on her brow.
I was crying too hard to say anything to him.
He sighed, reaching down and taking Tara into his arms. Cradling her in his arms, he smoothed back her hair from her face. He sniffed her forehead, eyes closed, and then he let out a long breath. He took her to the river, setting her limp body in the water.
“Wait-” I tried to get past him, but he held me back. I watched helplessly as her body sank into the water.
“I know what I am doing, Luca,” Akurra said with a cool tone. “Your sister will return.” He sank into the water beside her, taking a chunk of the earth from the riverbed and pressing it to her forehead.
I started crying, unable to stop. What point would it be in being with Akurra, in shifting into a king, if I could not have my sister with me?
Akurra laid her on the shore before me, the purple clay of the riverbed still packed to her forehead. “I’ve done what I can. Take her home, then come back to me in the morning.”
I sniffled, looking down at my sister. I picked her up in my arms and then looked back into Akurra’s eyes.
His arm reached out of the water and brushed away my tears. “I made a promise, my love.” He crawled towards me, kissing the top of my head.
I kissed his palm and nodded in silence. I would trust him, but my heart was still breaking.
I had never held my sister like this before. I was never strong enough; Tara was always the strong one.
“Take her inside,” Akurra whispered. “She will wake in the morning, I promise.”
Sniffling, I nodded. I took Tara to her bedroom and got her undressed and wrapped in her robe before tucking her into bed. They ransacked and destroyed the house. But that didn’t matter. Until I knew Tara was okay, nothing else mattered.
I lay down beside her, holding her hand in hopes she would wake. I fell asleep there, dreaming of the river and swimming alongside Akurra, delivering Tara massive baskets of violet stars.
A scream woke me from my sleep. I sat up like a shot and ran to the bathroom, where Tara was standing before the mirror. My eyes filled with tears in an instant.
“Tara! You’re okay!” I rushed to her, grabbing her and spinning her around.
Once I took a moment, I saw what made her scream. Her once dark brown eyes were now the exact color of the violet stars. They held the same mirrored reflection and starriness that Akurra’s eyes did. Not only that, her hair hung in lustrous curls that shimmered like fresh juice from the violet stars.
“What happened to me?” Tara gasped. “I remember feeling so cold and…and seeping out of my body-” She touched her face, tugging down her lips to see her gums were purple, tongue black, teeth sharper.
“Akurra saved you.” I took her hand. “Come on!” I led her to the river, where Akurra was waiting. He smiled with excitement, taking me into a tight embrace and then also taking Tara into his other arm.
I soon took to the river to stay with Akurra. Though I was never too far from Tara. The riverbed had treasures I would take to her, helping her to rebuild the family home and bring her wealth none of our family ever knew in life. I didn’t need them; my life now was the river, which was Akurra.
“You grow more and more beautiful by the day.” Akurra purred to me on the warm rock. I lay back in his arms, wrapped up comfortably in his tail.
“You think so?”
Akurra kissed the top of my head, gently caressing my cheek. “I could not have asked for a better king to swim beside me. Your beauty will outshine even me as you grow.”
I opened my eyes, gazing into his. “Impossible, my love.”
He kissed me, his tongue gently tickling my lip before moving to my cheek, then my neck. I moaned softly in response, shivering at his affection.
