TNTduo one shots + art

(AU)(A)Ship In A Bottle

Tw: Mention of thunderstorms, drowning, lightning, the ocean, boats, etc
Stay safe y'all, and enjoy the chapter >:)

(Also keep in mind I don't know a lot about large boats, so sorry if I get anything wrong =v=")

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Wilbur took a deep breath of the cool, humid air. He adjusted his circle wire glasses and brushed water aimlessly from his white poet shirt. He moved carefully throughout his ship, taking care not to slip on the moist wooden planks below his feet. It was difficult, the violent rocking of his ship in the heavy storm throwing Wilbur off slightly. But he managed, miraculously, grabbing a rope and pulling violently on it to get the sail up. It was dangerous, having her sail open during a storm, but he'd decided it was best in hopes of getting out of this thing faster.

He'd already lost enough of his crew just trying to wait the harsh winds and pounding rain out, and the thunderstorm showed no signs of dying down anytime soon. Wilbur had to shout orders to his crew over the booming thunder, almost relieved that no lightning had struck his ship yet. He ran to the section of his ship that held the wheel to steer her, grabbing it and turning sharply. They'd already sailed as far as they could north. Same with south. And east. None seemed to get them out of this torment. So, this time, Wilbur tried west.

Salt stung in his eyes and wind tossed his hair in all directions, but Wilbur kept going. For his crew. For his ship. For the far away destination they were sure to reach eventually. More thunder rang out like gunshots in Wilbur's ears, making him all the more tense. The sky was murky and dark, lit up by the frequent flashes of lightning. The sun hadn't peeked its radiant glow out from behind those furious clouds in who knows how long, and all Wilbur wanted at this point was even a peek of light.

And that peek of light came.

There was a tumbling sensation followed by a loud crack, and Wilbur thought for a heart wrenching moment that his ship, his beautiful vessel, had tipped bottom up and the mast had cracked. He closed his eyes and waited, prepared for water to fill his lungs.

That sensation never came. Wilbur opened his eyes, sighing with heavy relief. His ship was intact. He glanced to the skies, fear and overwhelming shock draining his face of color. Up in the sky, lightning had frozen in time. At least, that's what it seemed. A large crack had formed in the clouds, a soft yellow light filtering through. Wilbur could see glimpses of something beyond the crack, but his dark-adjusted eyes couldn't look at it for too long. He turned his attention away from the split in the clouds, ordering his crew to continue onwards. His heart sank when he saw the terrified and devastated faces staring back at him, unmovingly. It was clear that a number of the crew had fallen off the ship. Wilbur sighed softly, his gaze becoming solemn and kind as he stared at the remaining men, women, and other beings. There were so few left.

"Return to your quarters. Take time to grieve. I'll get us out of here." He ordered, everyone quickly scrambling to get off the deck and away from the pouring rain. Wilbur watched them for a few moments before gazing sternly to the waters, continuing the rough voyage onwards. He set his ship on what he hoped was the right course before walking to the sail, making sure everything was still firmly in place even without the crew constantly managing it. He spotted a loose rope near the edge of the ship, walking over and picking it up. He tied it where it was meant to go, having just finished when there was another tumbling sensation. Wilbur was thrown off the ship, watching the clouds break and fall down to the sea around his vessel. He felt like one of those strange falling clouds, catching a glimpse of the light beyond the rainy fury. There was definitely something behind there, but he couldn't look at it long enough to know what it was.

Wilbur was plunged into the icy depths off the side of the ship, the cold immediately seeping into his bones and keeping him from swimming. A few bubbles floated up to the surface, and Wilbur's lungs ached for air as water filled them instead. He sunk further and further down, out of hope and time to even attempt at swimming back up. He sank even more, his vision going blurry and then slowly black....

Until he felt a tugging sensation. He was pulled up and out of the water. He assumed he was back up on his ship, but when he opened his eyes he automatically knew.....

Wilbur wasn't on the ship anymore. And yet he wasn't in the water, either. He coughed, looking around with confusion and fear. Where was he...?

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Oop anyways uhh let's see when I find the motivation to do part 2
Thanks for reading byeee