Hetalia One-Shots

DenNor : Creature of the Abyss

⚠️ mild gore (decapitated fish)⚠️

The glacial winds galloping along the waves of the North Sea pierced through anything in their way, sparing no one from the frigid gnashes of their blades. Their stabbing zeal sunk into the skin of sailors like icy fangs. They howled in their hunt as a declaration that the sky was their territory and the sea was their plaything. Indeed, as the winds whirled at the surface of the waters, waves willingly rose and fell at their beck and call. The sea was alive with the singing of the sky.

Subjected to such divine instances of strength and cohesion was a young Danish fisherman who never tired of witnessing the song and dance performed out on the North Sea. He was bundled up in many wool layers and a flashy red raincoat, rosy cheeks matching the color of his attire. His juvenile blue eyes rivaled with the swirling hues of the sea as his messy blond hair defied the sun in its brilliance. He was alone on the deck of his modest fishing boat but that did nothing to deter the warmth and gleam of his ever-present smile.

The sun had barely risen as Mathias had set out to sea for some solitary fishing. As soon as he was far into the open waters, he cast his fishing net into the water, letting the currents bring the catch to him. To pass the time while he waited for the net to fill, he slumped on an overturned bucket at the back of his boat with his own fishing rod in hand, luring the prey the recreational way.

He waited.

He stared at the hazy horizon with hundreds of inconsequential thoughts bobbing to the surface of his mind. They kept him company as the silence over the icy sea surrounded him for hours.

And he waited some more.

Then it was time to haul the net onto the deck and box up the first catch of the day.

Mathias secured his fishing pole against the metal railing of his boat, fastening it with hooks and ropes. He went over to the cranes on the center of the platform to reel in the net by pressing a button. The boat swayed as the opposite forces pulled against each other. Soon enough, the net was raised above the water, pouring saltwater in torrents into the waves below. Mathias then had to manually lug the squirming net over the deck before setting it down and opening it. This demanded a lot of effort due to the size and weight of the net, especially as it soaked in forceful currents with hundreds of sea creatures tangled in its threads, but Mathias was very skilled at what he did and his body was built to perform spectacularly at the job.

As soon as the net was on the deck, the air wafted with the strong scent of fish and salt. Most people would not stomach the aggressive odor settling in the fishing boat, Mathias however believed it smelled like the sea, and he truly loved everything about the sea, down to the pungent smell of its creatures.

The fish were sorted into containers or thrown back to the sea. Before long, the deck was devoid of flopping fishes with only algae remaining tangled in the net. Mathias hauled the net back into the water. He unhooked a mop from the side of the shelter and got to cleaning. With a few quick sweeps, the water and grime was pushed off the boat and into the sea.

Once all that was done, Mathias returned to his bucket and fishing pole.

And waited again.

Waited until the sun was hovering right over his head.

Then finally it was time for lunch.

He trudged his oversized rubber boots along the deck to the standing shelter. In an old metal container just like in the movies was his sandwich and soup thermos. Mathias picked up the whole box and a small radio then made his way back to the stern to sit on his little bucket. Setting the radio on a crate, he switched the channels until clear voices could be heard among the scratches and clipped sounds. Once the air around him filled with the falsetto voice of a woman, Mathias opened his metal box to enjoy his meal.