vibrant

ten; torn canvas

"Remind me how you convinced Heyward to let us use this thing?" Ophelia wonders, her eyes set on Pope in the early morning light. Her sketchbook is in her lap, and she's drawing out a random bouquet of flowers because she's lacking inspiration. If John B had let her have coffee before he dragged her to the boat, maybe she'd be able to come up with something better.

"I didn't," Pope says, setting up the drone as they make it further out onto the water on Heyward's boat, "So, we're gonna keep quiet about it, alright?"

"Great," Ophelia chirps, "Stolen drone and a stolen boat."

"What about the word borrowing do you not understand?" John B asks, sarcasm lacing his tone. Ophelia just rolls her eyes at him, hopping off the ledge she's sitting on and heading into the bridge, sketchbook in hand.

"Jj," She says, getting the boy's attention as she perches herself in the seat near his, "John B is bothering me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Jj chuckles, "Don't worry, if we don't find this wreck I'll sort him out for you."

"What happens if we find it?"

"I'll still get him," Jj says, "It'll just have to wait until after I spend my hundred mil."

Ophelia smiles, about to open her sketchbook when John B calls out, "Alright, Jj! Pin it here!"

"Oh, excuse me, m'lady," Jj says, turning and shouting over his shoulder, "Roger that! X marks the spot!"

Ophelia sets her sketchbook on a ledge, rushing out to where Pope stands. She has one job, given to her by John B: Help Pope steer, and if something goes wrong, fix it.

John B picks up the drone, looking around at the group, "Alright ladies and gentlemen. To going full kook!"

Ophelia and Pope silently do the Pogue handshake as John B sets the ROV into the water. Looking up, Ophelia sends Kiara a bright smile, watching as the brunette girl starts to feed the tether into the water. Ophelia's eyes look over Pope's shoulder at the screen, seeing nothing but blue.

A few seconds pass and John B yells, "Alright Jj, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest!" Jj repeats the directions back to him.

"One hundred feet!" Kiara calls, indicating how much of the tether has gone into the water.

Ophelia eyes Pope, "We good?"

Instead of responding, Pope gasps loudly and Ophelia's heart starts to beat quickly as she searches the screen for a sign of something, only seeing a small squid and a couple of fish. John B flies over to the small computer, the word 'what' escaping his mouth frantically. Pope looks at him shyly, "It was nothing," He says, "Sorry, I thought-"

Jj calls over his shoulder, "Don't do that to me, man."

Pope rolls his shoulders, focusing back on the descent of the drone, "And to quote the hobbit, 'Down, down, to Goblin town. Down, down, you go my lad."

"You know, I never got to reading those books."

Pope glances over at Ophelia with wide eyes, "Really? I have the set, I can loan them to you if you want."

"That'd be cool, thanks Pope."

"Hey!" John B calls out, snapping his fingers, "Nerds, focus, please."

A few moments go by, and Ophelia hates to admit that she doesn't really do anything besides watch the screen of the ROV's controls. Kiara calls out, "Four hundred feet!" Thunder rumbles from above and Ophelia looks up, frowning at the sight of the darkening sky. She also feels the wind picking up, if her hair were down, she has no doubt that it would be whipping all over the place.