𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨 || ʲ. ʰᵒˡˡᵃⁿᵈ

_twelve_

          Maybe you should've ignored your friends longer.
         
          You sat on a stool eternally just stuck nodding as both Fen and Maria chatted up a storm, the purpose being to catch you up but ending up sort of ghosting you altogether. Their little argument from yesterday was practically nonexistent now that you had finally decided to show yourself, trying your best to keep up with the conversation while wanting to leave it as well. You loved them, you really did, it just sort of felt like you weren't maybe too ready for this.
         
          "And oh my gosh girl you will never believe this but we found a big ass rat chewing through some of the spare sails!" Fen enthusiastically proclaims, somehow being able to move her arm around now despite it being less than two weeks since her injury. Honestly you wondered if Edward even knew what she was doing with the damn arm. Was that why he put her in a cast? To make sure the idiot doesn't break it more than she probably would've had he not? Hairline fractures don't usually need a cast, so this was probably a safety precaution on the account that it was for Fen, right?
         
          . . .
         
          You were thinking too much about this.
         
          "Entire ship went on a gods-damned hunt!" Maria somehow found it in her to laugh, grabbing a pillow to hug while you could only stare as they ruin your already messy bed. Yes, they did in fact infiltrate your room, using your bed while you sat on a stool uncomfortably. Friendship, you love to love it huh?
         
          "Sarah basically all but gutted the poor thing when she found it, it was wild."
         
          "I literally asked for everything but details." You humored, a roll of her eyes as she grins widely. "Cruickshank if we had to see it in real life, you can handle a bit of a description."
         
          There was a knock on the door that stops conversation from going any further, the three of you once again going silent as if to trick whoever was there into thinking nobody was inside. Solidarity in thinking for you three, but also the fact that this wasn't the first time you did it made it all the more funnier for you.
         
          "I heard you three already, Y/N, and Fen needs a check up with doc. Can I come in?"
         
          Fen was the first to break with an obnoxious snort, glaring at her before breaking into a laugh of your own. "Nobody's in here, sorry!"
         
          "Well if nobody's inside I'm sure the owner wouldn't mind me entering." You opened the door halfway through what he was saying, voice no longer muffled before he grins widely. He looked like he'd been doing repairs again, panting just the slightest bit and face slightly tinted red from exertion. You tried ignoring the way you could see almost the entirety of his tattoo with the way his sleeves were rolled so far up, mirroring his expression as you leaned on the doorway. "She said she minds it very much, even if she was here."
         
          There was no response but you saw the way the corners of his lips twitched and threatened to get bigger, heat rushing to your face as you tried your best to keep eye contact without making it obvious that you were getting flustered.
         
          . . .
         
          . . .
         
          . . .
         
          "Ten silvers say they fuck."
         
          "Make it twenty."
         
          Reality crashed down and in a minute you were screeching for them to shut up, an obnoxious laugh from all parties except for yourself as you glared at the two women. Maria was breaking her neck throwing it backwards in amusement while Fen was mocking you with kissy faces like an actual child, finding enough strength to pull the both of them off your bed and slowly pushing them out. "What?! Come on we're all big girls here, you can tell us!"
         
          "Literally shut up Fen or you'll be needing a cast for your other arm!!" Your threat was useless as they drowned you out with even more obnoxious laughter, pushing them past Jacob and shoving them in the vaguest direction of where the clinic was. Even as they agreed to go it never stopped their hollering and teasing, making mocking and exaggerated noises of what you assumed was either kisses or moans. It was weird how they were doing it so shamelessly in the wide open where the rest of the ship can still hear them.
         
          . . .
         
          "This is a familiar sight." Jacob whistles as he turns his attention to you, snapping yourself out of that embarrassed distraction with an awkward grin. "Tell me about it. So? Any reason why you're visiting me?"
         
          "What, I suddenly can't?" You rolled your eyes at the shit-eating look on his face as you turned for your bed, the blond following behind as he closes the door quietly with a click. You shrug, jumping onto your bed to face him cross-legged. "You can, you usually have a reason for most of these visits. What's wrong? Feel lonely drinking and decided that you missed me?"
         
          . . .
         
          "You want me to be honest?"
         
          It caught you off-guard when his face was a shade of light pink, avoiding your gaze with his smile now nervous. Now that got you nervous, awkwardly releasing a breath as you felt your own face heating.
         
          . . .
         
          "Well I don't see you with any alcohol, I'm gonna assume that you just miss me then?" You're quick to turn that embarrassment into something to tease him with to make sure he doesn't catch onto your own nervousness, watching in amusement as the color darkens on his cheeks and he continues to refuse meeting your gaze.
         
          . . .
         
          You laughed awkwardly again as you scratch your nape, seeing him glance at you before looking away just as quickly. He looked. . .sad almost, on top of just being bashful. It made your stomach turn, and you eventually found yourself sighing.
         
          "I. . .missed you too, if that's what you were uh, hoping to hear."
         
          . . .
         
          You watch his mouth crack a momentary smile. "It was."
         
          . . .
         
          . . .
         
          . . .
         
          "Anyways!" You cleared your throat as you tried your best to get past. . .whatever that was, fighting off the urge to slap the blush straight off your face as you flashed a toothy grin. "Any news you want me to catch up on? What did they mean about a rat?"
         
          He looked just a little bit glad that you had changed the subject, chuckling as he lifts a boot to rest on the little beams that connected the four legs of the stool he sat on, a hand lightly pushing by his knee. "Meant exactly what they said. Calypso found it digging through a box of rations when he was on duty with Morgana." Your face scrunches. "I thought it was chewing the sails?"
         
          "No, that was the other one."
         
          "The what?"
         
          "So yeah. Caught it, Sarah played exterminator and we dumped it into the water." He sort of ignores your question before he chuckles once again, apparently remembering something. It sort of answered your question. "Oh yeah, we found like two more. Snuck onto the ship from Three Bridges. Why'd you think repairs got so much more frequent?"
         
          "Gods!" He laughs at your exasperation as you leaned back, blinking in confusion at your blanket as though it'd help you process that better. It sort of did. "We just had rats in the ship running around while I stayed cooped up in here playing dead? You mean to tell me there could've been a chance for them to chew through my door and bite me in my gods-damned sleep?!"
         
          "Pretty much, yeah."
         
          "Why are you so calm about this?!" He laughed obnoxiously loud as you picked up a pillow and tossed it to him, once again instilling a sense of déjà vu when it hits his face before he could catch it. History just likes to repeat itself, doesn't it?
         
          "Because we've already got rid of them! Maybe you can take a page out of my book and you calm down!" His laughing never ceased even as you go to toss him another pillow. He was quicker this time, and managed to catch it before it could once again hit him in the face. You tried your best to keep the annoyed look on your face but his large grin slowly ebbed away at your resolve, a raise of his brow and you broke. You snickered, and immaturely raised your middle finger when he cheered in exaggeration. "Hah! That's another point for me, eh?"
         
          "Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Holland."
         
          You found that conversations with Jacob usually went on in a way that you lost track of time so easily—and track of whatever else is going on outside in the rest of the ship—for the first time in forever being able to see his face without having to imagine Calliope in his place every five seconds. You laughed and made jokes and for a moment you felt as though things had a chance of getting back to normal, being able to settle in your feelings for him that weren't platonic without having to feel guilty about it.
         
          . . .and you know what? That moment lasted a lot longer than you expected. For the duration of your entire conversation you haven't felt like shit once for having feelings for him! That's a new record for sure.
         
          "Actually, now that I think about it I feel like I should've told him about it." You scoffed incredulously as you go to hit him with your pillow repeatedly, his laugh only getting worse with each smack you landed on his bicep that he probably didn't even feel. "You feel?! Gods above Jacob don't you think the poor kid's been through enough already!" His laugh reaches a crescendo as he stumbles out of the stool, holding a different pillow as a sort of shield as you're forced to get out of bed to further chase him.
         
          "I already apologized! He's fine—Ow!—okay fine it was wrong of me! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Despite his so-called 'apologies' he never ceased laughing, playing a sort of cat-and-mouse chase in the small confines of your room. At one point you had almost hit your table, but you continued onward trying to hit him with your already beaten pillow. "Is he okay at least?!"
         
          "Yes! Yes he is, stop hitting me!" You yelp when he gets rid of the pillow he had been holding and grabs hold of yours right before you could strike him, your glare being met with an amused grin that only continued to grow by the second. You attempted to tug the pillow away but he doesn't budge, large hands effortlessly anchoring it out of your control. You scoff, before slipping past him, grabbing the pillow he dropped, and hitting him with that.
         
          "Oh come on!"
         
          "HAH!"
         
          Your victory and laughter is short-lived when there was a rumble from somewhere near outside, finding out too late when something large slammed on the side of the Inevitable and sent you practically flying with it. Jacob had himself sent backwards to your wall with a thud, having dropped the pillow as you yourself all but slammed straight into him.
         
          His cry of surprise and worry is ignored when you attempted to steady yourself—never mind having been doing so on his chest—some warnings and cries from outside enough to make you push yourself off him and for the window. The force of the slam was on your outermost wall, so it'd make sense for the beast to be there.
         
          And you were sort of right, swinging the circular window open and all but sticking your head out. Just beneath the murky waters was a large head swimming down, headed for larboard. You couldn't see much, but you made out just enough to see that it was infested with corals.
         
          Jacob was just recovering himself when you grabbed your gun—your original and rightful one, newly fixed—and got yourself ready the best you could, all but slamming your door open as you emerged onto the main deck.
         
          You're once again met with sweet, sweet sounds of a hunter ship in chaotic harmony, shouts and calls of warning and orders as you see Sarah once again leading most of the preparations. Crow seems to be working a bit more hands-on as of now, personally checking crates and handing weapons as he barked out booming orders. One of which was to fire at the thing as soon as it was out of the water.
         
          As sentiment that you questioned greatly.
         
          "Captain! Are we even sure that arrows can hurt this thing?" He looked surprised that he was even hearing your voice or seeing you join them, a large grin on his proud face as you have no time to brace yourself for one of his famous back slaps. "Y/N, my dear! Nice to see you join us!" He laughs, before shaking his head as he pries open a crate and slides it to a different hunter, who carried it off easily. He sighs, but his smile remains. "The thing's on the verge of dying! A barrage of arrows certainly won't do it any good, don't you think?"
         
          Huh, so you seemed to be right on it being injured.
         
          "Any orders, captain?" Jacob finally decided to join you as he catches up easily, already noting the newly secured bandages on his arms. He seemed to be wearing those more and more frequently now.
         
          "Aye! Keep hitting it until it drops dead!" The older man cackles as he excuses himself, leaving the two of you to ponder the extents of his cockiness. Was the monster that easy-looking? How and why was he so ecstatic and sure of killing it with not much effort?
         
          "I'm bored. Wanna see who gets to kill it first?" Jacob looked surprised—like father like son—that you addressed him then, shaking his head as he chuckles. "You really wanna make that bet, Y/N?"
         
          "I already did. Good luck, you need it!" You winked and grabbed your gun heading straight for the quarterdeck, a laugh from Jacob as he hollers some witty retort of his own. You weren't sure, you stopped paying attention through the hustle and bustle of the rest of the ship. Ship that, was currently already somehow slippery, finding yourself repeating history once more when you stumbled and slammed onto the railings of the stairs. You felt like your soul left your body leaving another bruise on the same spot the last one was on. So cute! So fun! You were sure that you looked like a banana again.
         
          The man behind the wheel currently was a ticked-off looking Mr. Crisp, giving it a strong spin to the left before hindering its movement with a sword he stabbed through the spaces in the wood. The ship leaned larboard and you heard a loud thud, rushing to the edge and looking down at the water. You see the edges of what looked to be faded orange scales peeking through just the slightest bit. Bubbles rose from where it no doubt roared in protest.
         
          "What do we know about it?" You hollered, the man himself answering with a click of his tongue. "Beaten up, miss Cruickshank. Though I'd still refrain from underestimating it." You fought off the click of your own tongue. Just the same damn answers from everybody, huh? "Thanks, but I meant more of the specifics. Do the scales look breakable? You think regular bullets are gonna cut it, orr?"
         
          You leaned down to a crate next to where he stood, grabbing the small canon-like weapon you had used on your previous sea beast encounter. The burly man only laughed at your question, a heavy pat on your back too similar to Crow's. "A beast's a beast, girl, they all die in the end anyway." You could feel your temper rising but he grinned. "But sure, it is. Couldn't see much from the distance but it looks hurt. I say aim for the stump."
         
          "Gee I—" Your sarcastic thoughts are cut off as you pause, brows furrowing as you turn to him. "Stump?"
         
          It seems that the universe had a knack at cutting you off because speak of the beast and it shall apparently appear, a large shadow looming over the ship from the five pm sun as it jumped out of the water with a splash.
         
          The first thing you noticed was the fact that it was in fact injured, and looked to be an easy kill just waiting to happen. The second thing you realized however, was the fact that the injuries were familiar.
         
          . . .too familiar.
         
          You watched in horror as a familiar orange body is out of the water, large and scaled but obviously scarred from scratches and stuck arrows. The head was leaning more to the left, a gaping mouth of razor sharp teeth and coral growing on what would've been its chin. Heavily covered and protected eyes make it look shadowed to the point where you barely saw it, but what struck you the most familiar was the two cut-off stumps of where horns should've been. . .and a familiar lance barely peeking out of one of its eyes.
         
          . . .
         
          Your sense of dread was further confirmed when your eyes traveled down and found out exactly why the head leaned more on one side—
         
          It was missing another.
         
          . . .
         
          This. . .this. . .
         
          "Y/N! You okay, lass?" You hadn't even noticed you had lost balance until hands gripped your shoulders and held you up, swallowing multiple growing lumps in your throat as unpleasant memories attack you with no signs of ever ceasing. The cauterized wound of where it should've had a second head was absolutely grotesque, piles upon piles of wart-like dried skin healing in a way that looked unnatural. It was disgusting seeing all the dried and dead coral that had grown on it like an invasive species, and it was even more gross when you swore you saw something move in it.
         
          This was the very same beast that you had lost your Calliope to, that missing head was what she had sacrificed herself for.
         
          . . .
         
          And it didn't even die.
         
          Your breathing was getting heavier now as the last moments you shared with the girl return to further haunt you, the abomination you saw in front of you being sort of the catalyst that you were sure was what would cause you to further lose your mind going forward. It. . .it didn't die. You lost somebody you had loved like no other in a sacrifice that was supposed to get rid of this thing, but it didn't even fucking die.
         
          "Calliope. . ." Crisp's face scrunches in confusion as you mumble the name, surprised when you slipped out of his grip and rush for. . .wherever!
         
          He cries out for you to be careful, but his warnings are for deaf ears when you simply ignore him and disappear.
         
          "Move!" Hunters jump away in fear and surprise when you screeched by them, pushing them aside and quickly making your way up the shrouds of the main mast. You've never climbed that damn thing any faster than you did at that very moment, running on nothing but a cacophony of mixed emotions all led by a drive of revenge. Anger, confusion, betrayal— they all mixed and mingled and muddled into a seething mess that made you lose sight of any form of clear judgement. But you know what? Who needs clear judgement when it comes to killing?