Oct 1, 2025
I got bored and tried to draw post-fight Randal.
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I got bored and tried to draw post-fight Randal.
I never got the chance to share this here, but I've been working on a fic!
It's incredibly dark, and features orca-merms Connor and Nines who are sent to live under the care of Hank after mauling their keeper in captivity.
But Hank refuses to see they are not as 'misunderstood' as he'd like to think.
AKA- Connor and Nines are cold blooded predators, but Hank refuses to see it.
Read it >HERE<
Please mind the tags! This is not a nice fic!
Aw man, all of those Bagley and Obermann AU ideas sound super interesting! Part of me wants to be like “yes please tell me more about A L L of them”—but I’m especially a sucker for merms. Would you be willing to share more about how those two meet in the orca AU? :0c
hehehe thank you! and of course! i really love this au—but then again i love them all, haha.
for their first meeting, bagley’s spotted a beached whale wrapped in fishing lines and rope on this little rocky strip of beach. a storm is coming in and both his radio is broken and his phone dead, but he’s put all this aside to try to help this whale before the storm hits. there’s no time to get back up—he has to act now to do what he can. it’s a lone humpback calf, so he starts cutting through the lines when a spout breaks the surface—announcing the arrival of a mother whale—and the guardian she brought with her.
obermann rises from the water in all her terrifying glory—at least a hundred and fifty feet long with a towering dorsal fin and sleek black and white tail. speechless, bagley freezes at the sight of her, dropping his knife. they lock eyes and bagley, who had been staring in amazement, is filled with terror as a clawed hand reaches—but it’s not for him.
she shushes the whale calf, so big he nearly fits into a single hand as she gently lowers him into the water. but she seems far more concerned with the whale than bagley, so he swallows his fear and grabs his knife again, wading into the water to help cut away the lines. his fear is replaced with adrenaline—the need to save this calf overwhelming, heart pounding in his ears as thunder rumbles. he can feel those dark eyes briefly drift to his back as obermann keeps the calf calm, using the occasional finger to pull the rope for him to cut. she begins to make a high pitched, vibrational sound he’d recognize anywhere—she’s communicating with the calf, through whale song. head spinning with questions, this incredible realization makes bagley cut the rope even faster.
once the calf is free and reunited with his mother, bagley breaks out into a wide grin—until obermann turns her full attention to him. immediately the swell of victory dissolves into terror and dread. he stumbles back into waist deep water, straining to look up at her. motionless, she regards him with an indecipherable stare—not particularly cold or warm, but as a being of strange, incredible power taking in this curious creature—evaluating his face, his motive—his very soul, even.
finally, obermann seems to come to a conclusion, eyes settling on gratefulness. she regards him with a look of genuine, almost child-like curiosity, and then she speaks: it’s a low, odd sound, requiring a few tries to formulate anything that sounds like english, addressing him in a thick accent unlike any he has ever heard:
“thank you.”
For future Orca!AU story.
Every-so-often I wake up in a cold sweat---remembering I must finish my orca story. I will! I will.
I'm this close to actually breaking down over this. It just won't upload. Thank god it's over though.
Chapter 7: The Cool
Randal swam about, his new injuries still stinging and bleeding. He was completely heartbroken and afraid to swim out where Dante might see him. Most of Dante was still fuming, but a new feeling had come into play. He was regretful, confused. He couldn’t take his mind off of Randal, a part of him wishing desperately he hadn’t reacted the way he did. He wished he could turn and look at his newly injured fin, upset at the pain it was causing him. He knew it was no longer in one piece.Dante, despite himself, was determined to find and apologise to Randal, and swam furiously for him. He clicked his name and looked around, catching a lost sea lion for him as a gift. When he spotted familiar cuts, nicks and a black-and-white tail between some large rocks, he approached slowly and gently, making noise to alert Randal of his presence. He could see Randal starting to scramble at the sound of his voice.
“Randal…”
“What?! You finally here to kill me? You hate me, don’t you…?”
It’s obvious Randal had been sobbing. Dante looked shamefully to the sea floor, he really didn’t want to hurt Randal, but it was clear he had things to work through. He put the sea lion down on a rock, unable to look Randal in the eye.
“I…of course I don’t hate you. I’m so sorry…I just…I guess I wasn't ready to hear it and…I guess I just freaked out.” When he got no response, he just sighed, swimming to the surface. When he came back down, he saw Randal had started on the sea lion carcass, looking up at Dante. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if he should. Dante looked on, with that same patient look he had before, but this time, he couldn’t help but rake his eyes over the damage he had done to Randal. He felt horribly guilty for some painful-looking scars over Randal’s left eye and eyepatch, rendering him unable to see, at least not well, out of it.Dante also saw the subtle way Randal winced when he moved, his fins now entirely scuffed and nicked.
“I…Listen, I’ll be right back…” Dante swam away fast, heading straight for the surface, He, like Randal, took in large gulps of air, trying desperately to calm down. Randal watched, a little bit of him feeling vindicated for making Dante guilty. He couldn’t hold back a small grin, watching the other orca panic. When Dante looked over the surface of the water, he saw a small group of humans. All with coats of varying colours, some with binoculars, others with clipboards. They seemed excited to see him. That’s weird…thought Dante. How could they be so happy? Don’t they recognise his horrible mood? To them, he must have been performing. He dipped with a splash back into the water. Randal swam up to him, catching Dante off guard.
“Dante?”
“...yeah…”
“Are you…alright?” The question caught Dante far off guard. The dolphin he attacked, the one he scarred so badly…was worried about him? Dante??“I…yeah…I guess so…”Randal gave him a look. One that said “I do not believe you.”
Dante then looks at Randal, breaking down in front of him.
“God, Randal, I’m so so sorry…” Dante wanted nothing more than to have Randal forgive him, and give him a chance at a second go. Randal floated there, dumbfounded. This idea of Dante that he had built up in his head: tough, dangerous, angry and with a hair-pin trigger, was breaking down right in front of him. He doesn’t know what to do as his once best friend breaks down crying, but he gets an idea. Randal gets under Dante, rubbing against him. Dante stops his tears out of shock, and stares down at Randal. Randal begins to swim upward, lifting Dante towards the surface. Dante took a breath of air, wondering what this meant. Randal then surfaced with him, bumping him slightly. Dante was flustered, to say the least. He looked quite guilty, leaning slightly away from Randal. He couldn’t believe how friendly he was. He felt undeserving, and most of all, confused. They came back down, and Dante couldnt’t keep quiet any longer.“What’s up with you, Randal? Why are you acting like this? I thought you’d…hate me.”
Randal blew some air, mulling over Dante’s words. Part of him was indeed resentful, but he had seen the first side of Dante, the one that was a friendly, loving, and easygoing animal. The one who always stood for Randal, rather than against him. He knew that thinking this way would probably get him into major trouble, but this time, he supposed he just might risk it.“Well. I…I suppose some of me hates you, yes, mostly for making me blind in one eye.”Dante lowers his head.“But…I want to see you change. I want you to get better. And I guess I’m willing to stick with you to watch. But I’m still frightened of you…”Dante nodded solemnly. He had never felt so torn. He wanted Randal to just give up on him. He needed a place to wallow, he supposed. But yet, he just wanted to squeeze Randal until he was nothing, a violent show of affection for the new attempt he was given. But, he just couldn’t let go of the nagging question…why? Randal looked anxiously around. He knew exactly why, but remembered what happened last time. Nevertheless, he swallowed, preparing to confess for a second time.
“Because…because I…I love you, Dante.”
Randal cowered, expecting another attack. When it didn’t come, Randal opened his eyes. He expected to see a furious, disgusted orca in front of him. Instead, Dante looked on with a melancholy unmatched. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He looked like he wanted to cry.
"You…you really meant it, huh?"
“Of course.”
I'm fucking trying to upload my seventh chapter here but the internet is being dumb on purpose.
Okay, Okay, I'm eager. I'm gonna post my orca story, Killer, here too. I think it only fair. And it'll nag at my brain if I don't...haha. everything will be below the cut. It'll be rather long of course. If I remember, as I write new chapters and upload them to AO3, I will simultaneously update this post.
Chapter 1: First Strokes
The two young orcas had been travelling mostly in silence, barely saying any words at first, with only the occasional click or whistle between them to signal their sights on a seal or two.
Having become mostly independent recently, they met from opposite groups, and, for reasons unknown to either of them, decided to stick together.
At some point, Dante had come up for more air, prompting Randal to stop rather than keep going. When Dante got back down, he pondered this. Randal initially rolled his eyes whenever Dante faltered behind or distracted from hunting, so why did he wait?
“I thought you'd keep going”, uttered Dante, trying to look nonchalant and keeping his gaze forward.
“I considered it, but you swim fast. And…and I've grown to tolerate your company.”
This caught Dante off guard. What Randal meant by that was lost on him.
“You tolerate me? Really? I thought you hated my guts.” Dante whistled back. He came off more sarcastic than intended, but he was genuinely surprised. He always noted Randal to be the most crass and aggressive orca of almost any pod. He never slowed down unless intimidated by another. And even then…
Dante couldn't help but stare at him for this act of near-tenderness. He found it perplexing, wondering if something had happened to Randal when he wasn't looking. Randal, of course, noticed the uncomfortable staring, getting fed up almost instantly.
“What???” Randal barked.
“Oh, God, I'm sorry…”
“What's your problem? You never been shown kindness before?”
“Wha- of course I have! I'm just not expecting it from you!”
Randal huffs. He looks away awkwardly and speeds up.
“Well don't get used to it…”
Dante rolls his eyes, catching up to Randal. The two don't speak for a while, out of things to say.
Chapter 2: Jay and Silent Bob
Up ahead, they spot a seal and sea lion on an ice cap, the sea lion seeming to bark and talk incessantly. Randal sighs, already exasperated.
“Oh, I hate sea lions…that's why I eat them.”
Dante gave Randal a look. One that said, “what's your problem?”
Back up on the surface, the sea lion spoke endlessly to his taciturn friend, never seeming to run out of words to say. He spoke so much, he didn't notice the nicked fin circling them in the water.
The seal did notice, however, bouncing further towards the centre of the ice cap they stood on. The sea lion stayed where he was, only stopping his ranting when Randal spyhopped to stare him down.
“Yo, the hell are you starin at?!” The sea lion squawked, not seeming to realise the danger he was currently in. It took him his friend gesturing wildly, and nipping at his flippers to get him to move.
“Alright, alright! You old tubby bitch, I'm moving! But I could totally take on an orca if I wanted.”
The seal sighed, patting a flipper against his stomach. He couldn't take his boisterous and unusual companion sometimes.
Just then, Dante spyhopped, hoping that he wouldn't see any carnage. When he didn't, he sighed in relief, rejoining Randal under the water.
“You're not really gonna try to kill them, are you? We just ate!”
“I don't see why that matters, they're just so obnoxious. Particularly that dumb sea lion.”
Dante swam around for a second, pondering Randal's words in the chilly waters. He cared not for Randal's reasoning, or, to him, lack thereof. He wanted to keep travelling. But to try and prove a point, he spyhopped once more, attempting to speak to the pair.
“So…have you two been seen with each other often?”
The seal grinned, nodding. The sea lion spoke as usual.
“Oh yeah, we've been with each other since we were pups. He's my ride-or-die, I think.”
The seal rolled his eyes, but looked fondly upon the sea lion.
“So…what's you guys’ names? If you don't mind my asking…”
The sea lion perked up a bit, his ears flapping some.
“I'm Jay, and that's my hetero life-mate, Silent Bob. I'm sure you can guess why he's called that.”
The orca looked on with understanding, blinking.
“Well, he is rather untalkative…”
Below the surface, Randal swam around impatiently, eventually playing with air bubbles he blew. When Dante finally came back down, he silently looked him over, and decided it was time to swim on again. Randal followed closely, hoping it wouldn't show that he was quietly admiring Dante's form.
Chapter 3: New Feelings
The orcas continued on their way, but Randal seemed awfully clumsy and uncharacteristically uncoordinated. Dante laughed, but couldn’t help feeling just a little concerned as Randal nearly ran into yet another fish.
“Are you…okay…?” Questioned Dante from behind his flipper. He looked on with mild worry, shaking his head as Randal seemed to dip and rise wildly.
“Yeah, yeah…I’m fine.”
*Dear god, I’m embarrassing myself like nobody’s business…* Thought the orca, looking away from Dante. He sighed in utter humiliation and rose to the surface to take another breath. Dante watched him from below, floating patiently.
As Randal came back down, he noticed that he just couldn’t stop staring at Dante. His sleek yet slightly chubby black form, his smooth and small white markings, his rounded and rather large pectoral fins, and most of all, his untouched dorsal fin, standing up tall. Randal had to admit that he was just a little jealous of Dante’s near (at least to Randal) perfect appearance, but more than that, he just wanted Dante to himself. He wanted to keep him close and nibble his tongue. He wanted to rub up against him and lick him. Randal became a bit dejected, getting lost in his own thoughts and fears of never having his friend. Dante had noticed this onset of melancholy, and swam against him.
“What’s up with you? You're sure you’re okay?”
Dante looked gently upon his friend, surprised by the seemingly random tenderness and out-of-character demeanour. Randal, however, couldn’t answer at first, unable to ignore the way the dim sunlight cast a little halo around the head of Dante.
“I…uhm…I, yeah, yeah. I’m all good…” Muttered Randal, unconvincingly.
Dante watched him swim ahead, quickly catching up to him after taking another breath through his blowhole.
Randal swam fast, purposely not making eye contact with Dante. His feelings were too new and too great. He didn’t know what to do with them…
Chapter 4: Oh No
As night fell, Dante decided he was feeling playful, when in the dimming light, he approached a female he seemed to know. Randal followed him silently, wondering who Dante was coming up to. The female was caught off guard at first by the sight of the strange males, but quickly came to recognise one of them.
“Dante? That you? Who's your friend?” She asked, swimming around him.
“Hey, Veronica. This is Randal."
Dante turned and gestured, and Randal tilted his head up as a greeting, not having much to say. Dante turned back to her.
"How are you?”
“Oh, just fine. Well, I’ve been a little distracted lately. My girlfriend’s been bringing me an awful lot of seals to eat. I appreciate the food but it’s as though she were trying to fatten me up. But for a resident, she’s been doing a great job.”
Just then, Dante paused his movement. A Resident? But Veronica is a Transient. Transients and Residents don’t interact, they're meant to be different.
“How the hell did you get in bed with a resident orca of all things??? I’d believe you screwed a shark before I’d believe that.”
Veronica sighs. She doesn’t seem to know either. She shakes her head, seemingly just as lost as Dante.
“Hell if I know. All I remember is that one day we met, didn’t instantly leave each other’s space, and next thing either of us knows, we swim side-by-side with each other and I call her my girlfriend now.”
Dante looked…perutrbed. How does that happen? He looked like he had a lot to say, but didn’t want to bother Veronica about it any further.
“So, since she brings you seals, do you…hunt fish?”
“Well…I mean I try to, but fish are impossible. They’re slippery and way too fast, not at all like a seal. I just don’t know how any orca sustains themselves on them!”
Dante chuckles. He could understand the plight. But he had become so engrossed in his conversation with Veronica that he hadn’t noticed that someone was missing. Randal had slipped away minutes earlier as they spoke, swimming somewhere he figured Dante couldn’t find him in the dark.
He figured that if Dante could become so easily distracted, he could too. He didn’t want to think of his friend in the ways he was, he was just some random orca that gave him company, right? So why did he want him so badly? He swam through the chilly waters, trying to cool himself off and calm down. He just couldn't, however, his mind stuck on Dante’s eyes and strange voice. Despite how whiny he could sound sometimes, Randal found it…endearing? Nooooo.
Chapter 5: Heating Up
Veronica, due to Dante’s usual obliviousness, was the first to realise Randal’s disappearance.
“Um , where's your friend?”
That simple question set off intense alarm bells in Dante’s brain. How could he be so unobservant?? He quickly says his goodbyes to Veronica, but she follows him out anyway.
“What are you doing??”
“I want to come with! I barely got to meet Randal!”
“Okay…”
The pair swim wildly, darting around and surfacing constantly, looking for Randal. Dante clicks and whistles Randal’s name, searching incessantly for him. When they don’t find him, they slow down, taking large breaths at the surface.
“Damnit! Well he can’t have just disappeared. He HAS to be here somewhere…”
Veronica clicked and whistled his name as well, but she got a response. Somehow, a response. Dante recognised it instantly as Randal’s voice.
“Oh, Veronica, you found him!” Dante swam fast, right into Veronica’s side. He was too relieved to express it any other way. Veronica got knocked off her course a bit, floating off. She quickly recuperated, though, swimming to the surface for more air. Dante, meanwhile, swam towards the sound, nearly hitting Randal due to the darkness.
“Randal! Where have you been?! Why’d you swim away?”
Randal just cowered a bit. How could he explain himself?
Dante saw his apprehension, becoming increasingly worried.
“Randal, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t…Don’t worry about it…” Randal swam up to the surface and sighed, feeling he’d probably never get what he wanted
Dante watched, coming up with him.
“I’d hate to push it, but you’re certain you don’t want to talk? I’ll always listen…”
Randal looked sceptical. In the year they had seen each other, Randal knew that Dante probably would freak out.
“Look, okay? I just don’t know that I should do. It’s not a good idea. I know what happens. You leave me, or worse…you kill me.”
Dante looked very disturbed. Kill him…?
“Kill you? Randal, you know I don’t have the heart…”
“Yeah right. Everyone thinks they don’t have the heart until they’re pushed.”
Dante looks pensive and dips back under the water. He meets back up with Veronica and sees her off, watching as Randal nervously splashed against the surface. He stared up at the black sky, noticing the stars for the first time. If only Dante would watch them with him…
Chapter 6: The Breakdown
The next day, Dante decided that Randal needed some space. He spoke briefly, then left. Randal was devastated and angry. He gnawed at the water. He terrorised the seals. He slammed his tail and rammed into boats. He was furious with himself. Just why couldn’t he speak!? Is he broken, is he dumb, is he just so lost???
Randal and Dante spend their day separated, processing last night. Eventually, Dante comes back, inquiring if Randal is ready to talk to him. Randal nods tentatively, swimming up to the other orca.
Randal looks away shyly. He blows some air out of his blowhole, forcing himself to look at Dante headon.
“Dante…”
Dante looks on patiently.
“...I love you.”
“What.”
“Yes, I've been quietly admiring you for the better part of the year we’ve known each other, and-”
Randal is interrupted by Dante ramming himself into Randal’s chest. Dante, evidently, did not take the news well. Dante gnashed his teeth on Randal’s fins, prompting Randal to yelp and slap Dante with his tail. Dante held Randal down, trying to suffocate him, and bit him. Randal, working his way out, delivered another tail blow, and gave a bloody bite to Dante’s dorsal fin, the one he had initially loved so much. Dante wailed, pulling off from Randal and biting at his torso and face. Dante rammed back into Randal, driving him deeper into the water. Randal’s fresh injuries stung and burned in the salty water, but he was determined not to let Dante know it. All he wanted to know was why Dante reacted this way. Somehow, he knew he was right, that Dante would kill, but having his fears confirmed this way hurt badly. As his brain began to suffocate, he used one last push to force his way from under Dante and swim frantically to the surface, taking in exceedingly large gulps of air. He saw a group of humans standing by the shore. They seemed excited to see him. Odd…he thought. He found a little reprieve in them, but knew he couldn’t stay on the surface forever. He went back under, swimming through now bloodstained waters. Dante looked scared and irate, attacking Randal again the instant he saw him, and biting his dorsal fin, putting a new and rather large nick in it. Randal swam in the opposite direction, going as fast as he could manage with badly bleeding wounds and an eye he could no longer see out of. Dante chased him, only giving up when he made it to territories he wasn’t familiar with. Dante spyhopped, taking in deep breaths and trying to calm himself. The usually frigid water was now warm with activity, and blood. When Randal felt he was safe, and after checking for any sign of the other orca, he wept. He found himself a broken orca, literally and physically. He determined that vulnerability was a bad route to go down, and that he was now squarely afraid of Dante.
Dante, meanwhile, remained pumped full of adrenaline and sudden disgust and anger, just looking for anything to replace Randal. When he spotted a lone seal, he immediately began the pursuit, dead silent. The seal felt his presence, attempting to speed up, but it was too little too late, and Dante brought it to the shore, where he nearly beached himself to catch it. He dragged the seal back into the sea, tearing it apart and making the waters run red. He ate the animal in a few bites, and seemed satisfied.