Most Poor Matters Point to Rich Ends

Marcus Fremont, 33, Naval Officer (Closed RP for Wicked's Rest)

[thenavysealkie]

I'm pleased to inform everyone the lighthouse tour is open for business! You can catch me at Hanging Rock lighthouse from 8a-2p. Do be mindful about staying on the path I marked when coming and going from the lighthouse though! There have been some...incidents reported in the sands further out.

[portraitofadisaster]

LOCATION: The Pines TIMING: Current PARTIES: Elias & Marcus (@thenavysealkie) SUMMARY: Elias is obsessed with researching the strange and unknown, and drags Marcus along on a hike for an aniukha Warnings: None!

“Oh my God, it’s Bunnicula in the flesh!”

To say that Elias was becoming obsessed with learning all he could was a massive understatement. He had printed headlines from Wicked’s Rest whether it be a copy from the library or printed out online, he had it all out on his coffee table and dining table. It was even spilling onto the kitchen island, leaving no room for him to prepare food. He had completely engulfed himself in a determination to understand the supernatural for what they were. He didn’t want to harm them. No, far from it. He wanted to know what they were, to understand it from the inside out truly. It had become all-encompassing, and Elias couldn’t stop. 

In the middle of looking at new headlines that had come out from the local paper, Elias barely registered the knock at the door. He’d heard it, but he was almost done reading. It was a headline about a pack of wild rabbits that someone swore sucked their blood as if they were a bunch of bunniculas. Elias shuddered, remembering the book from grade school. It had terrified him to the point of having a massive fear of rabbits. Of course, he was made fun of for it, but it had improved in recent months. There were worse things to be afraid of than rabbits, like these blood-sucking ones, for instance. 

He heard the door unlock and open and whirled around from his laptop to come face to face with Marcus, who had let himself in after being ignored after knocking. Twice. “Oh,” Elias spoke, realizing that it had been days since he’d last spoken to Marcus. “Hi.” His voice was guilty, realizing that he had been neglecting his relationship to research into supernatural leads. “I… meant to text you, I just got… into stuff.” He looked around at all the papers, there were no clean surfaces that didn’t have newspaper headlines. “Sorry?” 

__

It had been literal days since Marcus and Elias last spoke together, and it wasn’t from lack of effort on Marcus’s part. For a little while Marcus would at least get a “read” notification, which still stung a little, but was now only being left on delivered. He knew Elias was still going through a lot, but this was a serious backslide in behavior, and he began to worry something genuinely terrible might have happened to him. 

He was grateful Elias trusted him with a key to his apartment, as he was now trudging up the stairs intent on doing a wellness check. “Elias, if you’re alive in there, I swear I’m gonna kill you” Marcus said under his breath as he approached the door. He knocked once, then twice. Silence was all he got in response. Fuck. He knew Elias was a private person who liked his space. He didn’t want to have to use his key, but this certainly constituted an emergency. 

After unlocking the door, Marcus stepped into a dimly lit apartment building with papers and news clippings scattered everywhere. Any table space seemed wholly unusable. Somehow, it was worse than anything Marcus had been preparing for. Elias was physically okay, probably, but his change in decor was starting to give off serial killer vibes, and not the hot kind. 

Finally, he saw Elias, who turned around to offer a weak greeting to him. “Into stuff?” Marcus responded. “You tied an anchor to your feet and dove headfirst into the deep end. What is all this?” “Mysterious animal” attacks, reports of people forgetting their own names, stories of the dead walking amongst the living, and enough Irish folklore to entertain every pub in Dublin for years to come were strewn haphazardly across the entire building. 

“How about some fresh air? Sunlight? Human interaction? C’mon, we gotta get you out of this apartment.” 

__

Elias frowned, realizing how crazed he appeared to anyone who didn’t know what he was doing, who didn’t know the truth behind the madness. “No, they’re separated into patterns!” He explained, walking over to the coffee table. “Vampire attacks,” he explained, reading out headlines. “Woman left with two holes on her neck after walking into Nightfall Grove at night.” He walked over to the dining table. “People who have lost their names. Fae.” He quickly skittered to the kitchen island. “Sightings of animals that shouldn’t be. All the beasts that exist around here aren’t just a normal species.” He held up the article about the aniukhas, a name he didn’t yet know. “Bloodsucking creatures that look like rabbits.” He shuddered again, thinking of Bunnicula. 

“I don’t need sunlight, Marcus! I need answers!” His tone was desperate and pleading, throwing the article back down. “If I want to keep myself safe, I need to know. I want to understand. And the only way to do that is to gather evidence.” Elias walked over to Marcus and took his hands, eyes pleading. “Please, I need to do this.” Elias whipped around and grabbed the article outlining the Bunniculas, holding it out. “Let’s go on a hike. See if we can find them!” Elias was practically begging, folding the article up and putting it into his pocket. “Please, I need to do this. It’s… it’s the only thing that could keep me alive.” 

If Marcus was trying to get him to calm down, he wasn’t listening. Instead, he was throwing on his hiking boots and grabbing his newly purchased camera. “Come on, let’s go!” Elias was already halfway out the door, turning to see that Marcus wasn’t following him yet. “We can… talk about it after, just please follow me with this.” He clasped his hands together as he walked back over to Marcus, taking his hands again. 

__

Marcus tried to understand Elias’s path of reasoning, but could only stay silent as he listened to him ramble about vampire rabbits, of all things. “Elias, you’re trying to speedrun an encyclopedia’s worth of information in a few days. I know you’re scared but…” But what? Did he tell him the truth? That no matter how hard he worked to protect himself and learn every danger that could be lurking around the corner that there was no way to guarantee anybody’s safety? Was that really what he needed to hear right now? “But sometimes you need to give your brain a rest. Otherwise, nothing’s going to stick, ya know?” 

“You want to stay safe from the dangerous vampire rabbits…so you want to go hunting for them?” He understood wanting to study them, but they weren’t animals behind a glass or in a cage, they were wild and were very capable of attacking them if given the chance. Still, Elias needed some sort of comfort, and maybe this could provide that for him. “Alright fine, why not? You seem like you want to go with or without me, so I might as well tag along for some protection. 

“Where exactly are we hiking? Is there a particular spot this attack reports are coming from?” Marcus asked, hoping that they’d at least be headed somewhere familiar.

Elias nodded his head with a bright grin that reached his eyes, more than he’d been capable of in some time. Whether or not it was healthy for the level of obsession Elias had reached or not, it made him happy to find something that excited him again. Sure, maybe he needed to dial it back several notches, but he was getting somewhere. “Yes!” He exclaimed before tugging on Marcus’s hand and dragging him out the door, only barely remembering to stop and lock his door before continuing down the hall to the stairs and his car. 

The drive was silent as they listened to the radio, Elias tapping his finger on the steering wheel. “It’s out near the pines,” Elias explained as they neared the location. “A hiking trail.” He added, that before turning into a preserve parking lot, there were only two other cars in the lot. “Come on!” Elias practically jumped out of the car with excitement, grabbing his camera and heading toward the trailhead. 

Elias bounced excitedly as he pulled out the article, wishing that he had someone like Maggie to draw them. An idea popped into his head after that. What if he got pictures of these creatures, and asked Maggie to draw them in her style? They could collaborate on a Wicked’s Rest encyclopedia of beasts! Elias looked to make sure Marcus was following, then started down the hiking path. “It was somewhere near the middle of the trail,” Elias further explained as they walked along, taking care to look around the bottom of trees and brush. “Keep your eyes out.” 

__

Marcus had a bad feeling in his gut. He and Elias could handle a vampire rabbit if it really came down to it, but there was no guarantee that was all they’d find during their hunt. Nature had a habit of being entirely unpredictable, and wouldn’t just hand deliver exactly what they needed when they needed it. 

Still, seeing Elias being excited about something instead of wallowing around as a shell of a person made Marcus overwhelmingly happy, and he certainly didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize this development. At least he had something to be passionate about now, dangerous though it may be. 

“You ever see those pictures of bigfoot? The super grainy ones taken from 10 miles away? I’m hoping we can get better pictures of these rabbits than those pictures.” Marcus knew Elias liked Bigfoot, and was hoping to use that to encourage him to take high-quality pictures even when he inevitably gets spooked.  “Who knows? Maybe we can even get famous off of them. Of course…there’ll always be those people explaining why they’re fake in some way or another.” 

They walked along to the part of the trail Elias said they should be at. Marcus stopped and listened carefully for any signs of movement along the path. His eyes scanned the brushline as he tried to pick out anything out of the ordinary. 

__

Turning the camera around in his hands as Marcus talked about making money off of photos, Elias was quick to shake his head. “I don’t want to make them public. I… don’t think a lot of people would be able to deal with it like I couldn’t once.” He explained, frowning. “But I think that if I could put together some sort of catalog or something, then when something happened, we could reference it with what we knew.” Elias looked toward Marcus, shrugging his shoulders. “But making money off of it and freaking people out? I don’t think that’s the solution.” 

There had been enough people who had tried to tell Elias that it was too dangerous to know the truth, but Elias thought that it was the exact opposite. For him, at least. That didn’t mean the same for others. “So for now, we keep whatever we find to ourselves, alright?” Elias nodded his head once he felt satisfied that Marcus was on the same page, then kept walking. 

“I’m sorry for ignoring your texts, I just get… so engrossed in things once I get started,” Elias explained, continuing to fiddle with the camera that he had in his hands. “I don’t mean to do it, and you were right to check on me. I got a bit… carried away.” His voice trailed off, realizing that it was far worse than simply getting carried away, it was an all-out obsession. “I love that you’re too stubborn to give up on me, but I still feel guilty.” 

Elias walked slowly in line with Marcus, taking a leisurely pace instead of searching incessantly for the creatures like he desperately wanted to. “I’ll do better. I’ll get better at answering my phone. I’ll turn the ringer on and everything.” He put a hand up as if he were swearing an oath.

__

Marcus simply shrugged his shoulders at Elias’s comment. “Truth’s already out there. Pictures or no pictures, people are going to have to make a choice to believe their own eyes or explain everything away ‘rationally’”. He was convinced there were many people who he could shift in front of and they still would think it was all some elaborate act. Some people were beyond convincing, and Marcus figured that was to his benefit and the benefit of other supernaturals around him. “But yeah! A little Wicked’s Rest bestiary sounds like exactly the kind of thing this town needs! Can’t know what to look out for if you don’t know it exists.” 

Marcus was down on his hands and knees looking for any signs of bloodthirsty bunnies. Admittedly, this was probably a stupid idea as he was putting his neck perfectly at fang level for them. He quickly realized this mistake and stood back up again as he heard Elias’s apology. “I don’t ask for much. Just an ‘I’m still alive’ text every day isn’t going to hurt you. But apology accepted. I can understand getting so engrossed in something like this, you’ve sort of had your whole worldview turned upside down recently. 

Just then, Marcus picked up on a slight rustling sound from the grass. It was faint, but he heard it, from the direction of a tall tree. He put up a finger to Elias, indicating for him to be quiet before he quickly peered in the direction of the tree to try and spot any hint of what they were looking for. Initially, there was nothing. But then, suddenly, the rustling started again, much faster than the last. And it was moving straight for both of them.

Thinking about the term bestiary, Elias decided to file that idea away for later. He did like the idea of calling it an encyclopedia better, but Marcus may be onto something there. Before he could continue the conversation, Marcus was holding up a finger for Elias to stay quiet. Elias readied the camera and searched the ground, snapping photos when something lept from the brush and attached itself onto Marcus’s face. “Oh god!” Elias cried, snapping photos before dropping the camera and rushing to help Marcus. 

As soon as Elias was able to yank the thing off of Marcus’s face, he took a look at the creature, eyes wide. “Oh my God, it’s Bunnicula in the flesh!” Elias exclaimed, throwing the creature to the ground in a hurry, horrified. Elias felt his legs begin to shake as his heart started racing, the fear that it really was a vampire rabbit who was there to drain him of his blood and kill him and Marcus. He really should have thought this through better. He knew this was what he was looking for, but now? Now he was in the thick of it and he didn’t know how to get out of it. 

Elias quickly scrambled to pick up his camera and took more photos of the creature, one of them was of it leaping straight for the lens, which Elias would later look at as a masterpiece. But for now, it was terrifying. For now, Elias needed to get Marcus and get out of there. Elias smacked Bunnicula out of the way and leaned down to grab Marcus’s hand and drag him along. “Come on, there’s bound to be more, let’s get out of here before that happens!” He told Marcus. “I got the photos, we’re golden!”

__

Marcus was in a daze as he felt the fangs finally release from his face. It was a very brief attack, but not one he was expecting. How was he supposed to know such a tiny little rabbit could be so strong? He heard Elias’s voice telling him they needed to go, and it took his brain a few moments to process what was actually happening. Finally, however, he was able to bring himself back up to his feet with Elias’s help and brush himself off quickly before booking it the hell out of dodge. 

They ran and ran until it finally seemed as if they were in the clear. They surely must have broken some sort of running record in the process with how fast they sprinted out of there. Catching their breaths quickly, the pair kept moving until finally returning to the car. 

“Well…I have to say I’m not a fan of the up close and personal method of getting pictures. But I will admit that the quality is great! There’s really no refuting that sort of thing. And people will have a great idea of what to look out for if they’re ever in the woods.” Would it really help people when the little bloodsuckers like to keep themselves hidden? Not really, but if it made Elias feel more comfortable and safe, Marcus was willing to roll with it. 

“I do have one request. If we go hunting for anything bigger, let’s protect ourselves a little better, yeah? I don’t exactly want to become anything’s dinner if I can help it.” 

__

As soon as they were back in the safety of Elias’s car, Elias took deep breaths to catch his breath, eagerly looking through his camera to find the photos he had taken. He’d done it, he’d gotten it on camera. Elias let out a laugh, astonished that he’d been able to capture it so well. He showed Marcus and grinned widely. Finally, Elias had a purpose again. He was going to do this, whether people told him to or not. And Marcus? He was along for the ride. He wasn’t stopping him, only telling him to be better at defense before going after more dangerous things.  Elias’s excitable grin melted into one of love and appreciation, then leaned over the console to press a kiss to Marcus’s cheek. “Thank you.” Was all he said before turning on the car and heading back to the apartment. He had a long way to go, but this was a good first step in getting somewhere. And wherever that was, Elias didn’t quite know yet, but he was eager to find out.

[pollen-warden-deactivated202507]

Summer is going to be there soon and so will be our first honey harvest of the year.

This is bad, this is the woooooooooooorst. As usual we're happy to do reservations and we'll be resuming our Saturday morning farm sale soon. ViShAl KuMaR iS aN iDiOt We still have a few pots of our autumn batch and more.

terrible.

[thenavysealkie]

I didn't know we had a bee farm in town! That's fantastic. I wouldn't mind some honey, especially fresh!

I do have to ask...these are normal bees, right? They're not odd in any way?

[saithebatguy]

Does anyone have a printer I could use? 

My friend has been banned from letting me use his work printer. Apparently it’s a “misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

I can bring my own paper and pay for the ink.

[thenavysealkie]

If you can pay for the paper and ink, why not get a printer of your own? I feel like the ink costs almost as much as the printer itself these days and they always give you cartridges with the printer when you buy it.

[profoundlydaphne]

Does anyone know what the "Wormy" is? And can you teach me?

[thenavysealkie]

The "Wormy"? When I was younger we had the Dougie, maybe it's like that? But...wormier? I stopped trying to keep up with trends like that a while ago. I prefer to be old in peace.

[thenavysealkie]

One Foggy Night || Felix and Marcus

Parties: @thenavysealkie & @recoveringdreamer

Location: The Beach/ Lighthouse

Timing: Early April

Triggers: Parental Death (Mention)

Summary: Felix tries to seek refuge from the fog in the lighthouse.

Often, when Felix left the Grit Pit, it was late. Some days, the sun was already beginning to rise and others, it was still a few hours off. Tonight was the former. Felix was already on edge, the last fight of the night having been a relatively rough go. Walking home through Worm Row seemed like a bad idea, given the… everything going on in town lately. Between the rise in cult activity and the sinkholes that couldn’t seem to give the neighborhood a break, Felix figured they were better off taking a much longer route back to their apartment.

So, they decided to head back along the beach. There was still ‘activity’ along the coastline, but at least they could see farther ahead and have more of a warning of it here. It was thanks to this ‘early warning system,’ so to speak, that Felix spotted the fog rolling in long before it got close. There was a feeling of quiet dread in their stomach. Their mother always told them to avoid fog, though Felix had never quite understood why. Still, the warning had stuck with them. But with the fog coming at him from three directions and the ocean sitting in the third, there were only so many places the balam could run. 

Desperately, they glanced around for an escape, a sense of relief flooding through them at the sign of a lighthouse silhouetted not far from them. They ran towards it quickly, knocking on the door. “Um, hello? Is anyone in there? I — I could use a place to hang out for a minute!”

—

Sunrise was usually around the time Marcus would be ending his watch. That is, if there wasn’t a massive wall of fog rolling in. Now, he didn’t know when it’d be safe to leave the lighthouse. While he was sure the lights would still work perfectly fine, he didn’t want to risk any wrecks. He knew thick fogs such as these could make the waters borderline innavigable. Marcus walked to his little cubby and brewed himself another pot of coffee; he didn’t know how much longer he’d be there working after all.

Just as he savored his first sip, he heard a knocking at the lighthouse door. It wasn’t often that he had a visitor, however, they sounded frantic. He quickly walked down the steps to the lower level, coffee mug still in tow, and opened the door to find a stranger standing there. He seemed safe enough at first glance, so Marcus decided to let him in for now. 

“Can barely see your hand in front of your face out there. I hope it passes soon. You okay?” They certainly appeared scared, but he didn’t know if this was due to being disoriented in the fog or if they had encountered something in the fog. “You’re a little far off the beaten path, it’s a good thing you found your way here.”

 Relief washed over them when the lighthouse keeper let them in, and Felix all but jumped across the threshold and into the safety of the lighthouse. It was impossible to know if the fog was normal fog or the more sinister kind their mother had warned them about for most of their childhood, but Felix had no intention of finding out the hard way. It was definitely better to be safe than sorry, especially in a town like Wicked’s Rest. 

“Right, yeah,” Felix agreed with a nervous laugh, unsure what to say or do now that they were safe in the lighthouse. “I, um, I’m okay. Just, you know, the fog rolled in really fast, it kind of, uh, caught me off guard. I was taking a shortcut home, you know, because of the sink holes. I thought, hey, this way will be safer! But then there’s the fog, and it’s just…” They waved a hand, a little flustered with the stress of it all. “I’m glad I found you here. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d gotten caught in it.”

—

Whoever this person was, they certainly seemed sufficiently freaked out. Marcus followed behind them as they rushed inside the lighthouse, hoping to calm their fears somewhat. 

“Yeah, man, sink holes and now a thick fog. I’ll be honest, I don’t want to go walking around in this mess either. Think I might crash here for the night, you never know what might be waiting in there. This town can throw all types of bullshit at you,” Marcus walked further into the lighthouse, beckoning the stranger to follow him. “I’m Marcus, by the way. I actually tend to the lighthouse here. Do maintenance, scout the shoreline for emergencies, that sort of thing.” 

Then he thought more about what they had said. They were on their way home, but the sun had just begun to rise. 

“You must have been out pretty late if you’re just coming home now. Wild night out? Let me tell you, dealing with fog after a night of partying probably makes it all ten times more terrifying. No wonder you were in such a hurry to get in here.”

The lighthouse keeper followed them further into the lighthouse, and there was some relief in that. Until they heard his footsteps behind them, Felix hadn’t thought to worry that their clear anxiety might drive the man out into the fog to investigate, but they were glad it wouldn’t be the case tonight. They weren’t sure they’d know what to do if he did.

“That’s probably a good idea. You crashing here, I mean. It’s — People get crazy with stuff like this, right?” It wasn’t why Felix was so anxious, wasn’t why his eyes kept darting uncertainly to the door, but it wasn’t untrue, either. Humans sometimes used events like this one as an excuse to get… rowdy. Their father had ranted and raved about it often, usually over the corpse of some such human. 

Following behind the lighthouse keeper, Felix let themself glance around the interior of the lighthouse. They’d never been in a lighthouse before. It was neat, they thought; not quite what they’d imagined it would be. “I’m Felix. I bet it’s a cool job. Do you like it?” Something ached in their chest at the question. It was a simple thing, the idea of someone having a job they enjoyed. Felix yearned for it.

They swallowed as, inevitably, Marcus’s question had them thinking more about their own work. “Um, no, nothing like that. I just got off work. I don’t usually end up staying so late, but, you know. It happens sometimes. Right? So I was just ready to get home and get some sleep. But… I think I’ll wait out the fog. I could get lost otherwise.” That’s what their mother always used to say, at least.

—

“Sometimes” Marcus began, “but really, people will take any old excuse to act a little wild. A little fog seems like the perfect excuse, I’d imagine.” It was true, the people of Wicked’s Rest really seemed to love some good old fashioned mass hysteria. After all, why else would they choose to live there in the first place? Always some sort of cataclysmic event or another going on. 

Marcus watched as the new arrival looked around the lighthouse with curiosity. People often only saw lighthouses from the outside without ever venturing to the interior, so it was common even for locals to have never been inside one before. He didn’t think anything inside was particularly interesting, but he was more than happy to give a tour if he could. “It’s an okay job, definitely rewarding. But it’s hard work. I have to constantly be observant, hoping to prevent tragedy rather than just detecting it. But whenever I pull someone out of the water or send a signal for a wreck that ends up saving lives, it all becomes worth it, you know?” Marcus then turned to Felix and looked him up and down. 

“What kind of work do you do? Obviously something with a graveyard shift. Healthcare? Security?” He didn’t really have a good read on Felix yet, he could be working in either one of those  fields and it’d be perfectly believable. 

Marcus then walked over to his desk and pulled a pack of playing cards from the drawer. “Either way, you’re more than welcome to stay here! Maybe we can pass the time with some card games?”

—

“That’s true, too.” If nothing else, Felix had learned that there were people out there — human and supernatural alike — who were only ever a feeble excuse away from doing something terrible. It was a line of thinking they disliked, one they tried pretty hard to shy away from, but it was an undeniable kind of thing. People did bad things, sometimes. So much of Felix’s life had proven that to them, even if they tried to pretend otherwise. 

But people did good things sometimes, too. Like letting a stranger into their lighthouse on a foggy night, and not questioning why they were so jumpy. The lighthouse keeper seemed like a good man, too. As he described the work he did, Felix couldn’t help but feel an added sense of safety in spite of their anxiety surrounding the fog outside the building. “Do you have to do that a lot? Um, pull people out of the water and stuff? It sounds… really stressful. But definitely rewarding.” How nice must it be to have a job where you saved people instead of hurting them? Felix yearned for something like that, for an opportunity to do good instead of bad. 

The question, inevitable as it was, dampened the balam’s mood a little. Their shoulders hunched, their muscles tightened, their heart beat a little faster. They didn’t like talking about what they did because they didn’t like what they did. Not to mention the fact that their contract tended to prevent them from offering up any real details to begin with. “I, um… I work at a gym.” It was the most common lie they told, something close enough to the truth that it was easy to pass off but not so close that they felt bad saying it. 

They smiled as the lighthouse keeper promised they could stay, nodding as he pulled out a deck of cards. “Uh, yeah! Sure, that sounds fun. I don’t know a lot of card games, though. I know Go Fish! Um, but if that’s boring, I can learn another. I’ve got, you know, Google.” They held up their phone, wriggling it in the air as if to demonstrate the point.

Marcus thought for a moment about Felix’s question. He definitely did have to pull a lot of people out of the ocean, far more than he cared to. “It’s pretty often, yeah. You wouldn’t believe how many people here seem to have no sense of self preservation. Although there are also plenty of folks who get into accidents that can’t really be avoided.” It was rewarding work, definitely. Even saving one life would make the hours of patrol worth it. “If I get to people in time, it can be very rewarding. Problem is, I catch a lot of people after it’s already too late…” It was a hard reality of what he set out to do. He couldn’t save everyone, so relishing the small victories instead of being caught up on everything he failed to do was important to stop himself from going insane. “But hey…worst comes to worst I can bring them back in for a proper burial. Nobody wants their remains to be lost at sea.” 

“Oh, a gym? That’s pretty cool! I get my cardio in well enough and keep in decent shape without one, but maybe joining one wouldn’t hurt either. Which one do you work at? Maybe you can hook me up with a friends and family discount?” It was worth a shot, even though he barely really knew them. 

“If cards aren’t your thing, I can give you a little tour instead? Up to you. There’s not a whole lot up here but the room with the beacon in it is pretty cool,” Marcus said, trying to be accommodating and not make Felix feel awkward in any way. “Sorry, it’s not the biggest or most interesting place in the world. But it’s cozy enough”.

The thing was, Felix would very much believe just how much people in this town got into trouble. They’d seen it firsthand, more than once. Felix had been tricked into signing up with the Grit Pit, but most of the other fighters there hadn’t. They might not have known how binding the contract was, but most people who fought in the Pit walked in knowing what kind of violence they were signing up for all the same. Self-preservation, in this town, was a hard thing to come by. It made sense that the lighthouse keeper would see a lot of that absence. “I’m sorry,” they said quietly as Marcus admitted that he didn’t always get to people in time. “I know that — I mean, it must be really hard. But it’s good, you know, that you get them back to their families. That’s important. It’s — It helps, to know what happened to them.” The hours after their mother’s death in which they had no idea where she was or what had happened were the longest of Felix’s life. Even now, the unanswered questions surrounding her demise were a ghost that didn’t disappear when they shifted their eyes back to human. If what Marcus did helped alleviate that for someone, even a little, then it was good.

Felix shifted their weight uncomfortably, looking down at their feet. “It’s not really that kind of gym,” they replied. “And it’s — I mean, you wouldn’t want to join it. It’s shit. There are way better gyms in Wicked’s Rest, you know? I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.” Certainly not someone like Marcus, who seemed kind. 

A tour of the lighthouse did sound fun, though, and Felix looked up again at the offer. “That’s — That would actually be really cool, yeah. Um, only if you don’t mind. I wouldn’t want to put you out any more than I already have. I’m just grateful you let me inside, you know?”

—

Marcus swallowed hard, agreeing with Felix but ruminating in the implication of their words. Did William’s family even hear what happened to him? Did they still believe the Navy’s official story of what happened?  Did Marcus deprive them of closure by leaving his body there? “It does. It doesn’t offer much solace in the moment, but it saves a great deal of grief in the long run.”

Marcus eyes Felix a bit skeptically. What gym could be so bad that someone who works there would feel that strongly about it? Perhaps it was one of those overpriced dumps that never have open machines and always reek of BO. “Ah, say no more.” Marcus began, nodding understandingly. “I’ve been in a couple bad gyms in my time. Must be hell working at a place like that. I can only imagine it can wear on you after a while.”

He was glad to see Felix seemed more interested in the tour. He liked sharing what he spent so much of his time doing, even if there wasn’t much to it. Smiling, Marcus gestures toward the large metal spiral staircase that lead to the Lightroom. The pair walked up the steps until the reached where the beacon was housed. Marcus allowed a moment or two for them both to take it all in before saying “Breathtaking view up here, isn’t it? Plus this way we’ll be able to see when the fog starts clearing up!”

—

“The not knowing can really mess people up,” Felix added in quiet agreement. They’d only had a few hours of not knowing what had happened to their mother and, while the truth of the matter had been harsh and painful, they’d prefer it to a whole life of that not knowing. It had been a suffocating thing, an unimaginable one. If Marcus and his lighthouse duties saved even one family from a lifetime of that, wasn’t it all worth it? Wasn’t it something to be immeasurably proud of? 

Thankfully, Marcus didn’t seem interested in asking any more questions about the Grit Pit. Felix wouldn’t have been able to answer most of them, anyway, would have remained bound by their contract in a way that could have probably come off as rude. And then what would happen? What if Marcus had taken offense, asked them to leave? They were glad to avoid it, their smile turning grateful. “It’s not a great place to work,” they replied. “But I’m kind of stuck there. Um, you know. The economy.” Right. Because that made sense.

It was easy enough to follow Marcus up the staircase. It was a little exciting, actually. Felix felt like a kid on a field trip, but without the soggy bagged lunch or sweaty bus ride. They marveled at the view, nodding their head. “This is really cool,” they said earnestly. “Do you come up here a lot? I think I’d be up here all the time, if I worked here. I like heights. You know? I think they’re fun.”

—

“Don’t I know it” Marcus replied, “I used to serve. I feel like everyone’s family was in this state of limbo, not knowing how their loved ones were doing or if they were even still alive.” Even his folks worried a lot, even though they knew he’d be safe even if the ship sank. 

Marcus nodded, knowing what Felix meant about the economy. Most of his funding came from his parents back home, who were very well off, but he knew several people in town who’d felt the pinch of rising costs recently. He had just been to the grocery store the other day and saw a bag of Doritos being sold for $6. Not the party or even the family size. A regular sized bag. Groceries were expensive. Living was expensive. It was no wonder poor Felix had to work at some shitty gym. “Hey man, we gotta do what we gotta do to get by, right? I’m sure you’ll find a better place soon. Maybe a nicer gym? Now that you have some experience?” 

Marcus was very pleased to see that Felix seemed to be enjoying the view. Some people had a fear of heights as well as a fear of the ocean. That made for a bad combination when showing them this kind of view. “It’s not the type of view you really get anywhere else. Well…except at the other lighthouses I guess. You should be up here during a storm, now that’s really cool.” He thought of the lightning streaking across the uninterrupted black sky as the waves crash high against the rocks. “I mostly use it for scouting though. There’s not much I don’t see up here, you know?” 

“Oh. I imagine that would have been… really difficult.” Felix didn’t have much experience with the military, in all honesty. They knew what they’d seen in recruitment ads, but even movies on the subject had never been of much interest to them. Surprising no one who knew them, Felix didn’t have the stomach for war, even the fictionalized version. 

To their relief, Marcus made no attempt to poke any holes in their flimsy excuse, didn’t try to pry. People who did were usually well-meaning — it wasn’t particularly rare for someone to ask Felix if they were okay with enough concern to make them want to cry — but it wasn’t something Felix liked talking about. Even the parts they could talk about weren’t particularly enjoyable subjects. Marcus seemed nice, and Felix offered him a small smile. “Yeah,” they said, wishing it was true. “Maybe.” 

The idea of the view during a storm did sound cool. Felix remembered going to the beach with their sister before their mother died, looking out into the ocean to watch lightning at a distance. It had always made them feel so small, but not in a bad way. There had been something almost comforting about it instead. “It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you could get used to,” they said, still staring out at the water. “It’s — I mean, it’s beautiful. And yeah, you can definitely see a lot. I bet nothing gets by you up here.” For a moment, they were tempted to try to shift their eyes just enough to access the jaguar’s enhanced sight, to see what it might look like from his point of view. But it felt a little too risky in the presence of a stranger, so Felix stuck to looking through their own eyes instead. It was still beautiful.

—

“I’ll be honest” Marcus responded to Felix’s statement about not getting used to the view “you never see the same thing twice. We had lighthouses where I grew up, on the West coast. But there’s something about the view here that’s just…different in a way. Maybe it’s the New England charm, maybe it’s because of how magical the town itself is.” It really was a view unlike any other. 

“Nothing gets by me as long as I’m looking in the right place. Unfortunately, the ocean is massive and my eyes are only so big. It’s sort of luck of the draw if I catch something in time, to be honest.” Thankfully, Marcus had very good intuition. He attributed it to his latent animal instincts, and as a result he was usually able to catch things right when he needed to. 

As he looked further out into the distance, he could see a bit more light shining through the dense fog. 

“Looks like the fog might be letting up soon.” And not a moment too soon. He had been up all night, he was exhausted, and just wanted to head back home safely. He appreciated the company, visitors were somewhat rare, but he desperately needed some sleep at this point. “And here I thought we’d be stuck here forever. Good to know we’ll be able to head out soon without worrying about getting lost and ending up on the wrong side of town. I hear Worm Row can get a little dicey at times. Do you live far from here?”

There was something nice about the optimism of Marcus’s words, something that put the faintest smile on Felix’s face. The ability to look out at a view and find it breathtaking every time… Wasn’t that what everyone ought to strive for? Wasn’t that what it was all about? Felix wanted to be like that, in spite of everything. They wanted to think of this town as magical instead of terrifying. They really did.

“Yeah,” they agreed, looking out to the sea again. “There’s definitely too much space for any one person to cover. But… It matters that you catch things in time sometimes, even if it’s not all the time. You definitely make a huge difference in some people’s lives.” You couldn’t always save everyone, right? Saving someone mattered. It was all Felix really wanted, if they were being honest — to save someone instead of being a thing that hurt. 

There was some relief in the revelation that the fog would be gone soon, though Felix found a small amount of disappointment in knowing that it would end their ‘tour’ of the lighthouse and their conversation with Marcus, too. But Felix needed to get home, and Marcus probably did, too. They offered him a small smile, glancing down at the comment about Worm Row… where the Grit Pit was. Dicey didn’t begin to cover it. “Uh, yeah, I’m not far. How about you?”

—

“Yeah, that’s a good point” Marcus said, “Can’t win ‘em all, but helping some instead of all makes a world of difference.” It was easy for him to be hard on himself over what he couldn’t do, to the point where he never took the time to appreciate the things he was actually able to achieve. Just because he saw his watch as part of his duty didn’t mean he couldn’t take pride in his duty, right? 

Marcus caught the change in Felix’s demeanor when he mentioned Worm Row. Was that where he lived? Did he just insult this person’s home? Sometimes Marcus had a bad habit of opening his mouth before he thought properly, and he was hoping he hadn’t insult somebody who he had hoped would be a new friend. “I don’t live too far, I’m in Harborside actually so real close. Shouldn’t run into any trouble.” He rarely did, unless he made the journey from his home to the lighthouse in the middle of the night. Then he was opening himself up to all sorts of danger, which is why he typically waited until sunrise to head back out. 

“It was nice meeting you, Felix. Hopefully you can come around again some time. Not sure what we’d do, but I do like the company up here some times. And uh, if I ever try to find a gym membership, I’ll be sure to avoid yours. What did you say the name of it was?” He didn’t want to get roped into another overpriced shitty gym membership that took forever to cancel. 

“Definitely,” Felix agreed. It was important, they thought, to focus on the victories instead of the defeats. If you only ever focused on your losses, you’d lose yourself along with them, get so caught up in the bad that the good meant nothing at all. Felix didn’t want to live like that. They didn’t think anyone should.

There was some relief in hearing that Marcus wouldn’t have to venture too far from the lighthouse to make his way home. Even with the fog lifted, Felix knew that there were other dangers lurking in Wicked’s Rest. He didn’t want any of those dangers to find Marcus, didn’t want someone who spent all his time helping people ending up hurt because of the town’s oddities. “That’s good,” Felix offered with a small smile. “Um, I hope you make it home safe and everything. Even if it is a short walk.”

They felt a lot more secure than they had upon their arrival, some of the anxiety in their chest having died down as the fog moved out. They nodded at Marcus’s invitation. “Maybe next time, I’ll bring Uno cards or something,” they said, only half joking. “Thanks again for letting me in. Seriously, I don’t know… what I would have done.” Their smile faltered at the question, but… it would be good for Marcus to know what to avoid, wouldn’t it? “Uh, it’s called the Grit Pit. Just… Be sure to stay far away from it. Okay?”

—

“I should be alright”, Marcus replied back, knowing he had navigated his way through much worse in life. “But thank you for your concern. It’s hard to come by these days, oddly enough. I hope you make it back home okay too.” Felix seemed like a pretty decent person, he didn’t want them to end up getting hurt after taking enough care to hide out in the lighthouse for however long he needed. 

“Hope to see you come around again some time! And thanks…I’ll be sure to avoid it.” Hadn’t he heard of that before? The Grit Pit? There was talk of some sort of fight club for the town’s most dangerous cryptids to duke it out, all while others watch and put bets on the line. Felix certainly didn’t look out of shape, and could probably hold his own in a fight against an average person. But they certainly didn’t seem like a killing machine, so they must have been a bookie or bartender or something. 

“I love Uno! If you forget to bring yours, I’ll leave a pack here just in case.” He was hoping he found his way back under much better circumstances. “Take care, Felix. It was very nice meeting you”. He was glad he was able to share his lighthouse with someone else for a little while, even if the circumstances were a bit dire. With that, the pair headed off in different directions, Marcus headed back home for some much needed sleep.

[mayihaveyournameplease]

I'm blue to hear it, we could have been the sharpest couple in town. I never forgot, life got in the way. You know how it is. Working late at the BMV. Say, could I get your name? It's slipped my mind.

[thenavysealkie]

Oh sure, blame it on work. You don't remember your old pal Colby? I can't brie-lieve that.

[portraitofadisaster]

[pm] You did? That's [...] sweet. [...] I don't have much of an appetite. [...] But I should eat. [...] I mean, I'm not going to stop you. You have a spare key. I'm not moving.

I'm [...] thinking about getting a dog. How do you feel about dogs?

[thenavysealkie]

[pm] Well, eat what you can. It's better than nothing. I'll be gladly be your Doordash driver and hand it off to you. And I can even stick around...again, if you want.

[pm] A dog? I mean...if you're feeling up to it. Might do you some good, honestly. I love dogs! I can watch them whenever you need me to.

[portraitofadisaster]

[pm] Hey, you doing okay? Just checking in on you. I know things haven't been easy since Ireland. If you need anything, let me know, okay? I'm here for you.

[User stares at the message, user has been alone in the dark of their room for... how long had it been now? A week? Less? More? Time was an illusion. User reads the message and then goes back to lying in the dark of his room before forcing himself to message back]

[pm] If I'm not researching, I'm pretending the universe doesn't exist. [...] I don't even know what I need. I thought I could handle it, but now? Now I just feel [...] tired.

[thenavysealkie]

[pm] Maybe I could come over, if you could use a little company? I made jambalaya! Tried to, at least. I went easy on the spice this time. It's important to remember to eat when you get like this. That kind of stuff can slip away from you pretty easily.

[mayihaveyournameplease]

Cheesed to be back after this joke of a website locked me out of my account claiming it received multiple complaints about me and thought I was a bot.

[thenavysealkie]

Gouda to see you're still in town! I was starting to think you were avoiding me. Did you forget about our date? Too late now, havarti found someone else

[zombiebabysitter]

Today is a fantastic day, isn't it? I mean, the weather is finally great, right? The sun is fucking out? I mean there's a giant leg but like... that's fine, right? Just a big guy hanging out. And I've written a new song that's doing great. Fuck yeah, weekend.

[thenavysealkie]

Congrats, dude! Can't say I've ever listened to any of your stuff but at least you're getting some success!

As for the weather, you can never take a nice day in Maine for granted. Just like everything else in this town, it can change at the drop of a hat. So soak up the sun and enjoy the nice weather while it's here! I definitely plan to

[recoveringdreamer]

You shouldn't go there if there's shrimp! They can be really mean. I think they kidnapped my friend. We saw a shrimp show, and now she's not replying to my messages, and I know they're mad she melted their butter baton. Please stay away from the shrimp.

[thenavysealkie]

I hear you, I hear you. But listen. The shrimp are only mean if you don't know how to talk to them properly. Sometimes, you just have to know the right things to say to get in their good graces.

[asirenscream]

I hope he's okay, too! Though, I'm not sure... I'd like to think maybe the shrimp would be forgiving, but I'm pretty sure I'm on their list... whatever that means.

Do you think shrimp have it in their hearts to be forgiving and run the concept of capitalism in a respectable manner at the same time? Maybe a buy one get one 50% Tuesday each month would mean that people would be more receptive to the shrimpy change! [User googled most of this.]

I also just want to eat shrimp now after this... Why call it Mike's Prawn Shop if you won't offer at least a little a small selection of purchasable snackable shrimp? Though, they're probably against that now that I think about it.

[thenavysealkie]

On their list? Did you piss of the shrimp mafia or something?

I think that anyone can be an ethical entrepreneur, especially shrimp! I'm sure he'd be happy to get any sort of money, I don't think there's many other ways for a shrimp to get paid.

It'd kinda be like selling human bodies to eat, don't you think? Maybe you're on their list because you're an outspoken shrimp eater? Personally, I'll swear off shellfish forever if it means getting decent discounts and staying in the shrimp cult's good graces. Wasn't always a huge fan of eating it anyway.

[portraitofadisaster]

LOCATION: Marcus's house TIMING: Current PARTIES: Elias & Marcus (@thenavysealkie) SUMMARY: Elias is finally back in Wicked's Rest, and the first thing he does is go to Marcus. Elias was a runner. He knew how to avoid debris and certain death by fleeing the scene. But when it mattered to him most, he ran straight into danger, picking up the mantle of a soldier with no way to arm himself but with his convictions and raw determination. Elias was becoming a fighter.

It had been a very long, very painful flight home. For many reasons, really. For one, no one was really talking to one another. Two, Elias had been stabbed several times, and it turns out that it takes a lot out of a person. At least the plane had been nice, and no one questioned why the tall guy was so injured. Worked for him, he wasn’t sure how he was going to explain that one. It hurt to move his arm, it hurt to breathe. It hurt to walk. It hurt to do anything. Elias was just glad that somehow, he lived. Somehow, he was going home. He was going to see Marcus again.

When they landed, Elias was the first one off the plane, not wasting a beat to get out of there, away from the hell he’d been living for the past few weeks. He didn’t want to look at any of them, didn’t want to see their faces for a while. Nothing against them, he just wasn’t ready. He had a lot to process, and surrounding himself with constant reminders wasn’t going to help. So he left without even so much as glancing at Regan, who all of this was for in the first place. 

As soon as he was out of the airport, he got a ride to Marcus’s house, a vague hope in his hear that the man would be happy to see him, and not too pissed off to see the condition that he was in. He’d been patched up in Ireland, but he had his left arm completely bandaged, and his lower abdomen was completely wrapped up. He hadn’t told Marcus that it happened, and he’d been in hours of surgery. For the stabs to his abdomen. He’d never told Marcus. He felt horrible for that. 

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Marcus’s front door and rang the doorbell and waited. When the front door open, Elias couldn’t get himself to smile. Instead, he looked like a shell of himself, dark circles under his eyes and a faraway look, as if he were a million miles away. “Hey.” He spoke weakly, a sad smile on his face. “I lived?” His voice was scratchy and raw, as if it had been screamed away. It probably had been. “Barely.” He then whispered, that distant look in his eyes returning.

Marcus, for lack of a better term, was not doing well. He couldn’t help but feel something was watching him, stalking and plotting something at all times. It instilled a sense of paranoia he hadn’t felt since he was in the Persian Gulf. More distressing, however, was the fact that he hadn’t heard from Elias in over a week. Last he heard, he was set to be sacrificed to some banshees, and for all he knew they could be using his bones to…do whatever it is they do with bones. 

He stared at his phone screen, waiting for the message bubble to show up, waiting for any sign of life at all. He hadn’t heard from the others in the group either, and panic began to set in. It wasn’t like them to take prisoners for that long. Either they were released, or…

The sound of his doorbell echoed across the house, quickly grabbing his attention as he rushed to the front door, hoping for the best. And there he was. Elias Kahtri, looking like he just went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson armed with a chainsaw. “You look like hell. Get in here, please,” Marcus said, ushering Elias quickly to the couch. “What the hell did they do to you?” It was as if they broke him in ways beyond just physical. This was the same look several of his more seasoned comrades had worn on their faces. The person in front of him was a different man entirely. 

Marcus clenched a fist, enraged that somebody would hurt him in this way. Why Elias of all people? The man who did no harm to anyone, ever? Life simply wasn’t fair sometimes. Marcus thought of his own past sins and reasoned it should have been him instead. He could bear that weight, Elias looked broken down from it completely. But he was right, he was alive. That alone was cause for celebration. Healing would take time but at least they could celebrate that he could heal at all. 

“I’m really happy to see you back. You had no idea how worried I was about you. And when I never heard back… well, what’s important is that you’re safe in front of me right now.” 

Elias stared blankly as Marcus claimed that he looked like hell. He blinked, and he saw Ireland. He saw Cliodhna’s blade. He heard the screams from the banshees. He opened his eyes again before stepping inside, pressing his lips together in a thin line. He couldn’t get himself to look into Marcus’s eyes. If he looked into his eyes, then it was all over. He’d fall apart like a house of cards. So he kept his head down as Marcus guided him further into the house.

“They… her grandmother.” He spoke, eyes far away as he recalled the events. “She tried to teach Regan to not feel by using me as the tool. She… stabbed me over and over again.” He explained, hand instinctively flying to his bandaged arm. “Once in the shoulder, once in the arm, then a few times in the lower abdomen.” He blinked, realizing how detached from the situation he was emotionally. If he allowed himself to feel it, then he wouldn’t survive. He knew he couldn’t. 

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it back. I thought… that I wasn’t going to see you again.” He admitted, still unable to look up at Marcus. If he looked at Marcus, then everything was too real. “Part of me will always be there in Ireland.” He finally said, gaze fixed on his hands as he picked at his nails. “I should have died.” He finally said, the words cementing the reality for Elias as he looked up and met his partner’s eyes, that far away look in his gaze, as if he were stuck in a storm. “I… I should have died.” He repeated, emotion raw in his tone as he plopped himself onto the couch, head buried in his hands. 

_____

The more time Elias spent in front of him, the more apparent it seemed to Marcus that he was fundamentally changed. An empty husk where a bright and warm personality once resided. Elias couldn’t even look him in the eyes, instead just shambling around the house like a walking corpse. 

“As good natured as she may be…she got you hurt. Badly. Why would she let you go? Surely she had to know how her grandmother would be; the risks involved?And she still allowed you to put yourself in that position. You may have been ignorant to the true extent of the dangers this trip posed but she certainly wasn’t.” Marcus approached Elias and examined his wounds. The damage seemed superficial, for the most part. That must have been why they released him from whatever hospital they had him at. “Might have a couple cool scars…but shouldn’t be anything long lasting at least. That’s a big relief.”

Marcus watched as Elias finally allowed himself to break down in front of him. He sat down on the couch next to him and offered a comforting hand upon his shoulder. “But you didn’t die. You’re still here, back home. Back where you belong, where you’re relatively safe.” Safety in Wicked’s Rest wasn’t anything that could be guaranteed, but it was a better alternative than being actively pursued. “Maybe you should have died. Maybe you shouldn’t have. The point of the matter is you didn’t! You survived. Not everyone can say that.” For a brief moment, Marcus just sat and took in a moment of silence while letting Elias fully release his emotions as much as he could.

Shaking his head as Marcus tried to tear down Regan, Elias held out a hand to silence him. “I was the one who wanted to go after her. Me. Not her. She was furious when she saw that I was there. Furious.” He was quick to say, gaze hardened as it looked up to meet Marcus’s. “I chose to go out there and put myself in harm’s way with all those banshees.” Elias shuddered, remembering the harshness of Cliodhna’s expression, that severeness and pure hatred she felt for his humanness. “I knew what I was getting myself into going out there, and I won’t hear you slander her because of what I chose to do.” Before Ireland, Elias wouldn’t dare be so harsh with people. He’d be happy and shrug off the hard things. But now? It stuck. He wasn’t who he once was, no matter how hard he wanted to be. Maybe that was the trauma, maybe it was permanent. He wasn’t sure.

Elias let out a tired sigh, leaning back on the couch. “Nora lost someone over there. I couldn’t help but think that it should be me being the one who died instead of him.” Elias’s gaze went somewhere else, somewhere far away and unreachable. “She was supposed to not react every time I was stabbed, she was supposed to break. Instead, she fought back. She… killed her grandmother, she defied her fate.” Elias came back to the present again, looking over to Marcus. “And for banshees, that’s a big deal.”

Marcus reassured him that he was alive, and that it had to matter. But for some reason, it just didn’t. He had been ignoring his parents’ calls for over a week now. It wouldn’t be long before they sent out a search party to make sure he was alive. Funny that it was almost the case that he wasn’t. For once, Elias didn’t let tears fall. He just let his eyes stay closed as he swiped his hands over his face. “I feel numb.” He admitted, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared blankly forward. “Like… like Bilbo says in Fellowship. ‘Like butter being scraped over too much bread.’” He did feel that way. He never thought that he would be able to relate to Bilbo, of all characters.

“I’m just… I’m not the same person I was from before I left the states.” He admitted, finally allowing himself to properly look at Marcus, not just fleeting glances. He looked tired and worn out. Like he was spread too thin. “I’m not sure if that’s an entirely good thing.”

_____

There was something different in the way Elias cut Marcus and chimed in. He was asserting himself  in a way that Marcus hadn’t seen before. While he had always wished Elias would express himself more assertively, but this seemed like such a harsh change from how he usually was. This wasn’t him just firmly making himself heard, there was serious emotion behind his defense of Regan. 

“I-I’m sorry. I know she’s your friend. I guess i just feel I need to be mad at somebody and can’t really bring myself to be mad at you. I’m sure she had your best interests in mind, I’m sure she isn’t like the others. But that doesn’t erase what happened to you.” 

So the banshees weren’t simply toying with their food after all. They did actually kill some of the people over there. It wasn’t a banshee showing mercy, it was Elias getting lucky. No, persevering. 

“She…killed her grandma? That’s kinda badass actually. Not everybody could bring themselves to do that. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for her to make…she must care about you a lot.” He had, as usual, been quick to judgment and assumed the banshee to have ulterior motives for Elias. But if what he said was true, then she sacrificed a lot for him back there. 

Marcus could only watch as Elias started to break down further, but was pleased he wasn’t too far gone to make a Lord of the Rings reference. “Y’know, sometimes butter just needs a chance to sit and really work its way into the bread. When people do it, it’s called decompressing. You want through a metric fuck ton of trauma, I wouldn’t exactly expect you to process it all that fast. Someone killed for you, you almost died in some foreign land. It’s going to take time, but you’ll be the Elias Kahtri that left the states eventually. Maybe changed in some ways, for the better I hope, but still the same man.

Elias wasn’t the same. That much was obvious by the shock that emanated from Marcus as he tersely defended Regan. “I did this to myself.” He spoke, looking Marcus in the eyes, a certain amount of anger behind it, though where that anger was directed was solely at himself. “She failed as a banshee. That’s why I was continuously injured.” He explained, staring down at his hands as he relived what happened back in Ireland. “And I… I’m proud of her, despite everything. Despite the anguish she’s probably feeling.” 

He realized in that moment that he’d have to tell Regan this, but it was too soon. They hadn’t talked to each other the entire ride back to Dublin, the entire plane ride back to the States. He hadn’t talked to anyone, not really. Instead, he hurried off that plane. Perhaps that was the nail in the coffin for their friendship, but Elias didn’t want it to be. He just needed time. 

“She begged and cried for her not to hurt me. Called me her best friend.” Elias’s brows knit together at the memory, suddenly back in Ireland, back under that blade. “She’s my best friend, too.” He murmured, still staring down at his hands. He listened as Marcus spoke, trying to add onto the butter analogy. Despite the pain that coursed through his veins, both physical and mental, Elias cracked a wry smile. “I think it’s going to take a while to feel like I don’t have to hide in survival mode,” he admitted with a slow nod of his head, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

“I don’t know who I am anymore.” He admitted, looking over to Marcus. He felt nothing. He didn’t feel love for Marcus, didn’t feel fear for himself, he felt numb. “I don’t have that job, I quit before I left. But that was never who I was.” He shook his head, sinking deeper into the couch. “I need… time. To find who I am. Who I want to be.” He wrung his hands about as he continued to question himself and his place in the world. “I just don’t know how to do that, or if I’ll ever find who I am. I feel so lost.” He buried his face into his hands again, thoroughly lost at sea without a paddle to guide him. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Marcus listened carefully to what Elias had to say. If Regan was considered a failure, he figured that must have been a good thing for the living residents of Wicked’s Rest. Then he thought again. Did he not understand duty? Did he not understand familial pressure? The fear of being labeled a failure? The harsh truth was if Marcus were in Regan’s shoes about a year and a half ago, he would be helping that woman as she stabbed Elias. The idea of it nauseated him. “She did good,” he finally muttered out. “Not everyone can break from tradition and face family backlash like that. I really haven’t been giving her enough credit.” 

“It’s okay not to let your guard down, Elias.” He had dealt with the aftershocks of trauma and helping people navigate through it. The fear and danger never truly goes away. Life never fully returns to normal. The idea is more to accept the “new normal”, so to speak. He hoped Elias’s experience wouldn’t cause effects that were as long lasting as what some of his comrades had endured, but the danger and pain he went through seemed comparable at least. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to walk down any street without looking over my shoulder again if I were in your shoes. Honestly…I don’t know if I would have made it back here. I’ll come out and say it, you’re stronger than me. In terms of resolve that is.” 

Then came another, unfortunately common, effect of going through something like this. A sort of crisis of self as someone evaluates their life and future. “There’s no need for you to go back to that job. Listen, the whole ‘lighthouse thing’ is just kinda something I do to stay busy. I’m getting an assload of money from my folks back home. If you need to take some time off work to find yourself, and start doing what you really want to do, I’d be happy to have you here so you don’t have rent to worry about.” Marcus could relate, somewhat. As proud as he was of his accomplishments and as fond as he was of the memories he made and the friendships he forged, the Navy wasn’t where he ever belonged. It wasn’t until he forced himself to lose everything that he found his true path in life. Maybe that’s what Elias needed too? Some sort of rebirth? “Seriously, take as long as you need. You’ve more than earned the break.” 

He nodded once he felt that Marcus understood where Elias was coming from. Was he ready to talk to Regan about it? No. He needed time. He needed time from everything. But he knew he couldn’t avoid Marcus. Deep down, he wasn’t sure he wanted to either, but it was buried beneath the muck and grime of self hatred and shame. “I just need answers.” He decided, tapping his foot repeatedly. 

“If I know how these creatures work, I can better defend myself if one of them turns out to be dangerous.” He wanted to pace around, but knew if he tried he’d be in too much pain. Healing was going to be a hard journey he had to walk on his own. Healing from the experience and healing from the physical wounds. His mind shifted to Regan again, and the guilt bogged him down further. 

“Was there a before job before you joined the Navy?” Elias asked, suddenly curious to learn more about Marcus’s past. They’d spent a lot of time learning about each other, but there was always more to discover. “I like my apartment,” he decided with an awkward look in his eyes. “I don’t need help. I’ve got plenty of money, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be fine for a while. I just…” What did he need? What was the answer he needed? “I just need time to heal and find answers.” He frowned, staring down at his hands. 

“There are answers out there. And I can’t go around interviewing people hoping they’ll tell me their secrets. Maybe there’s books out there, I don’t know.” He ran his fingers through his hair, bewildered. “But I can’t keep running away. That solves nothing and gets me right back to where I started every time. So I’m not running. Not again. Even though I want to so badly.” He finally looked at Marcus again. “And I don’t know how that will look, but I’m glad I have you by my side.”

_____

Elias needed answers. Marcus could understand that. The idea of the supernatural being real was still a relatively new concept to him, so tossing in nearly losing his life to one of those supernatural creatures just added more confusion to an already very confusing and distressing situation to him. “I can tell you anything I know, you know that. But as for why some of these creatures do what they do… I can’t answer any of that. Some just thrive off of inflicting pain and suffering, it feels like.” 

He listened to Elias, trying to cut in with any helpful information he could gather. Anything that may help to put him more at ease. “Iron”, he cut in bluntly. “Iron hurts them really bad, if you want one of them to leave you alone, I recommend a blade made of iron. I’d also recommend iron jewelry that can be used in a pinch, like rings, but I don’t want you to accidentally hurt your friend,” Marcus said, referring to Regan. 

“Before the Navy?” Marcus parroted Elias’s question. “Not really, no. I was pretty much groomed for it since I was a kid.” It had been his path from such a young age he never even had the time to question whether it was really what he wanted. For Marcus, it wasn’t a choice he had to make. It was the path he had always been destined for. And one couldn’t fight their destiny, now could they? “After I graduated high school, it was off to the U.S Naval Academy. My dad and grandpa had some pretty good connections to get me in. From there, I was essentially promised to rise through the ranks fairly quickly. And I did!”, he finished, trying to sound as proud as he once was of the accomplishment, but knowing he didn’t come off sounding very convincing. 

“I’m glad to hear you’ll be okay, financially. Just remember, my door’s always open! Just in case you need it, you know?” He tried not to sound disappointed. After all, they hadn’t even been together that long. They still hadn’t even fully defined the relationship, and yet he was hoping Elias would want to move in. It was likely for the best, that quill thing would be way more than a handful for him to deal with. 

“There’s books, but I’m not so sure where you’d find them. Can’t exactly walk into Barnes and Noble and ask for a book on cryptids. I mean, you could, but you’d probably get one of those illustrated books they sell at middle school book fairs, which are chock full of misinformation. In order to find accurate information, you’d need to find some sort of connection. I wish I had one, but I’ve never really had the need to do research. Got everything I know from the School of Hard Knocks,” Marcus said, knocking the side of his head with his knuckles. Getting accurate information for Elias to digest would be a bit of an undertaking. But if he was going to find any books on the various creatures of the world, Wicked’s Rest would probably be the best place to start looking. 

“I’ll be by your side through it all. Whatever comes our way, we can always tackle it together.” 

____

Together was a big word for Elias, especially in that moment where everything felt out of reach and impossible. Together implied a partnership, and Elias had always been fiercely independent and happy on his own. But now? He wasn’t quite sure what happiness was. All he knew was a primal need for survival, to defy the odds laid out in front of him. It was hard to shake that independence he’d had for so long. To break that mold and allow himself even the thought of leaning on someone for support. He didn’t have to do it alone, Marcus wanted to help him. But Elias wasn’t sure if he was ready to do that. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to lean on someone else for support. He had spent a lifetime suffering in silence. He was used to it. But this, was it too much to bear alone? Was Elias strong enough to shoulder the burden alone?

In his mind, he felt that scared little boy that had long been silenced reach a hand out, desperate for human contact, for love. That little boy had been crushed under the weight of reality. In a world where Elias was designed to run, He was now fighting himself to stay rooted in place. He wanted to run, to flee this town, to start somewhere else, but he had people here. He had a home here. For once, he felt like he had people he could lean on, people he could shoulder that burden with. He thought of Wynne, of Regan, of Nora. They’d all been through their own version of hell in Ireland. Elias couldn’t run from them. He looked at Marcus, sweet and devoted Marcus who only wanted what was best for him. No, he wouldn’t run. For once, he would fight. For once, he would anchor himself into the earth and put down roots. Come what may, he wasn’t going to ruin this for himself, not again. He opened his mouth to speak, but words didn’t come. The events of Saol Eile still fresh in his mind, they haunted him and they silenced him. So instead, he took hold of Marcus’s hand, fighting the discomfort he felt to lean on someone else. While he went back to the moment that Cliodhna held the knife against his neck and began to slice, he squeezed his eyes shut, grounding himself in this moment with Marcus’s hand in his own.

He was safe. He had survived. And there was so much he had to do. For one, he needed to arm himself against those who he couldn’t defend himself with traditional means. Iron for fae, that’s all he knew. Fae was all he knew how to defend himself against, and that terrified him. He needed to arm himself through the only way he knew how; knowledge. 

His mind flitted to Regan, was she with Jade? Was she alright? Well, physically anyway. He already knew the answer to mentally was a resounding no. None of them were alright, everyone who’d been present in Saol Eile. They were all fighting new demons, and they came in different shapes. Elias’s demons were the unknown that he couldn’t protect himself from, the need to run but the willpower to stay in place. 

Marcus was a soldier. He’d been groomed for it, he had been designed to fit the mold and play the part. He knew how to fight when things got hard. He was armed with certain knowledge. He wasn’t human, he was a selkie. Elias was a runner. He knew how to avoid debris and certain death by fleeing the scene. But when it mattered to him most, he ran straight into danger, picking up the mantle of a soldier with no way to arm himself but with his convictions and raw determination. Elias was becoming a fighter. 

“Together.” Elias finally said, looking at Marcus with a new look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. It was strength. It was conviction. It was a determination to change the way his life had been structured and fight for his own tomorrow because now he knew how fleeting life was, how quickly his human life could be snuffed out at the whim of another. “Before, I would have run from it.” He spoke, deciding raw honesty was key in this situation. “But I’m done running.” He decided aloud, cementing the feelings into words. “I want this. I want us. I want everything I’ve built here. I don’t know what our future looks like, but for once, I’m okay with that. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.” He nodded his head, solidifying his conviction. “I meant it when I told you I loved you. I’ve never… felt that for another person before.” He admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve never been good at relationships. But for you, I want to try to be.” He spoke, words dripping with determination.  “I move at a slow pace with these things, so you’ve got to go slow with me. I need my own space, and I need the freedom to do things and move on my own. But I want you in my life. I want you by my side and want to lean on you when things get hard and share the wins together. I’m done running. Wicked’s Rest is my home.” He blinked, realizing how true the words were. Wicked’s Rest was his home, and he would fight to keep his place in it. He was finally home after years of searching for it. He was home.

[thenavysealkie]

Very sad to hear the news about Pawn Shop Mike. While we may have had our differences, I hope he's safe and sound, wherever he is.

Anyway, does anyone think the shrimp will be a little more reasonable with their prices? Surely shellfish have a loose concept of money at best

[zofiawithaz]

Has anyone thought to look for the giant body that goes with this giant disembodied leg?

[thenavysealkie]

You ever play Yu-gi-oh? My theory is it's like Exodia. You have to assemble all the pieces separately and then it forms together into a super strong monster. Let's...not have that happen.

[portraitofadisaster]

[pm] So you'd go against what I want? You'd actively defy someone damned to die? Good to know, really good to know. [User is letting himself get angry when he's supposed to be saying his goodbyes. User takes a deep breath.] I'll try. For you, I'll try. But these people, they're crafty and strong and deadly and I don't know how to survive. I'm just me. Just a human. If I were more powerful like them, then maybe I'd stand a chance. If I were anything other than [...] me.

Yeah, they're banshees. Regan's trying to fit in around here and we all fucked it up by showing up and ruining it for her. I'm a man in a banshee settlement. I'm [...] okay with dying. If it's up to fate, or whatever.

I'm sorry i don't have the nerve to say this in person, and I don't know if I'll ever get to tell you in person, so here it goes.

I've always been scared. Running away when things get hard has always been kind of my thing. But you... I don't want to run away from you. I want to run to you. I love you. And I'm sorry that I might not get to say that in person. I'm sorry.

[thenavysealkie]

[pm] Fine...for you, I'll let it be. But I think it's fucked up they can kidnap and execute people with no consequences. First step to surviving this is not to show weakness. Even if it seems like you're at death's door, never break your resolve. Don't give them the satisfaction.

[pm] I... [User stares at the screen, not expecting this sort of confession from Elias of all people.]

[pm] I love you too. It seems so fast but I need you to know that I do love you. A real and genuine love that I don't think I've ever felt before. Think of me as you're recovering from this. And remember, give those bastards nothing, no matter what. Hoping to hear from you again soon...