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JAWS

The whites of your eyes burn
From across the room.

I'm not here to be the savior you long for
Only the one you don't,

Are you watching me with the eyes of a predator?

Show me those pretty white jaws

Show me where the delicate stops

Show me what you've lost
Show me what wounds you've got

show me, love,

Show me those pretty white jaws~

-

Inir Alak, A city deep beneath the waves, sequestered from the touch of Those Above, The Aquatic people celebrate a day of Freedom beneath the Waves.

"Angstrom!" The torrent of flowing waters pushed the delicate Jellyfish, sending it tumbling in circles, a dark-eyed glare shot at the unexpected Manservant.

"S-Sorry, I didn't realize you were still collecting those~ Having difficulty?" The Manta ray - Nobel, chuckled.

"I would be having less if a certain someone had announced themselves prior to arrival." The Prince motioned towards the poor tumbling jelly, using his hand to right the poor thing.

"Good thing they don't have brains to spin- heh" Nobel hid his hands behind his back, shrunken in the shadow of the Prince, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Your brother wished to let me know your Sister has returned from Her excursion, they're requesting your assistance with survivors your Sister found." The Manservant gave a thumbs up, watching eagerly as Angstrom's head did a double take in the direction of the Manta, bluegills twitching with surprise.

"Survivors, like those Above?" Angstrom drew up his spear, a sapphire harpoon, waving away the small collection of jellyfish he had attempted to capture, spinning up the currents as Nobel soon found himself swept into as well.

"Hey! Sire we still need those for the ceremony!" The pale green manta scoffed, rolling into the current the Prince had created with his powerful tail, legs, and arms waving about gracefully as he crossed great distance in the vast expansive waves.

"We can collect more later, better yet, I think I'll have the one that chased my share away collect them," Angstrom winked, spinning himself off, Nobel giving yet another yelp as he was flung along with the Prince - One thing was to be said about swimming with royalty, they really knew how to get places fast.

-

"The Palace never looked so bright~" Nobel hummed, hugging a slate of rock to his chest, its edges worn smooth from the waves of the ocean current, lazily drifting along the Prince's after stream,

Inir Alak was lit up by the glow of a great many jellyfish and phytoplankton alike, giant queen jelly and lanterns of rosy glow hung around the palace, and droves and droves of Inirian swam about, hurrying here and there, gathering bounties of food and decoration to spread about the palace.

Nobel was Angstrom's Recorder, a Manservant assigned by the Mother to accompany the Prince and make a record of his princely duties (and chores), so in Angstrom's case, a nanny.

"Oh that's right - You never saw it last Decade, I'd feel sorry for you if it wasn't boring," Angstrom commented, not finding the celebration particularly interesting himself.
"How disrespectful! The Trials are not to be belittled, even by a Prince!" Nobel humphed, briefly losing hold of his tablet as Angstrom came to a halt, spinning in a circle to scramble to grab his tablet before it fell.

"You're awfully energetic today. Are you sure you don't want to save some of this rebellious energy for the Trials?" Nobel rolled his eyes, though seemingly, The Prince was already gone, heading towards a trail of Inirian lights, an alcove shining in multiple colors of reflected light.

-

"Emryss!" Angstrom rushed to greet his sister, standing on the stone platform with his own two webbed feet - spotting his bluefin sibling along the way, transporting the pink fleshy bodies of Those Above.

"Good Timing, we'll need your help, The Nurse Sharks did their best to draw out the water from their lungs, they're going to need the shallows to heal." Emryss, ever the vigilant one, blessed by the Mother with a rather powerful knack for Tidal Magic, a practice only known to the Healers of their people.
Angstrom nodded, heading towards the pod of survivors, their bodies torn and scratched with large gashes, wounds no creature in the sea could make.

"They seem to have fallen quite a ways, a metal whale of theirs fell into the sea, it sunk to the depths too quick to grab everyone, but those who fell in after... well." Emryss shook her head, grabbing a hold of the beaded rope tied around those Above, swimming them to a circular room adorned in coral and embedded with glowing stones, those Above needed heat to survive down here.

"Their limbs are broken, how far did they fall?" Angstrom wondered aloud, grabbing hold of one of the other rows of fleshy beings, their bodies coated in a sort of cocoon of air, floating through the water.
Angstrom entered the Shallows, an air-locked wing of their Palace, its atmosphere closely represented the surface Those Above originate from.

Emryss simply shook her head, "Ask our Dear brother, Ambrose, If he's so smart he can calculate it out" Emryss replied, snippy it seemed.
"I see he's rubbed your fins the wrong way today, he's quite good at that isn't he?" Angstrom smirked faintly, placing the One from Above upright in a small carved alcove, a seal of warmth outlining the shape of the air cocoon as they were set into place.

"Focus, follow as I do- One perk of being your sister is I'm inextricably better than both of you in general, but I mean, the Tidal Magic is also a nice touch." Emryss would taunt, holding a finger out before the pods of air - swiping a sigil into the space between the two pods, placing healing magic over them.

"Now you, draw as I did-" She gestured, waving her hand in the same fashion as she drew the sigil, only, Angstrom could only swallow his saliva nervously.
Emryss raised a brow, was her sibling seriously nervous about drawing a sigil?
"Strom- You don't need a whalebone to rely on, You're The Mother's Bloodline, It's still within you." Emryss would reason, sighing at his hesitance.

"Fine- I'll do it, just don't go showing off when you earn one tonight at the Trials or I'll hex you-" She'd swipe her hand over the One Above's pod of air, sealing them in place with the healing stasis.

"Sorry, I just- I don't want to use up whatever I've got in the tank before the Trials... You, really think I can win one?" Angstrom wondered, he didn't know his sister had so much faith in him.

"Seriously? I've seen you fight, Angs- If I were your challengers I'd be wary, of course, I'm not, and I can actually do magic." She'd sneer, jabbing her brother with an elbow.
"Of course, I think you can win one, I'll disown you if you don't-" She'd giggle, taking up Angstrom's spear to hand to him.

"You'd better remember your vows- The Sanctity of Life shall not be impeded by any under the Sea, next time I'm making You draw it, so you better have that Whalebone." She'd jab him with a finger to make him start moving along.

"Hey- Hey, easy! Okay, Okay, I get it-... I feel sad for them sometimes, How many years have we been recovering them?" Angstrom took a last look at the rows and rows of pods, Those Above floating weightlessly, asleep, were they even aware they were safe? or alive?

Emryss's eyes darted aside, looking away as though she didn't want to speak about it.
"Decades, but we'll keep recovering them as long as we need to, Sanctity of life, brother Dear, only Inirians have the blessing of The Mother to die in these waters." Emryss rolled her eyes, Those Above were protected, if they fell overboard their vessel and were found abandoned or left for death in Inirian territory, they were to be recovered and taken in just as so... Even such, none of them were to awaken until their wounds recovered.

"If we could just understand their bodies a bit better, perhaps our Tidal magic would heal them faster, but at this rate... Well, I'm simply glad they made it, their funny little limbs amuse me, but their pain does not- I wish to speak to Mother about studying them-" Emryss murmured, even Angstrom felt a pang of fear and guilt at the notion.
"Good luck with that- You're going to need my courage on top of yours in order to pull that one off... But that's why you're the one next in line for the Throne." Angstrom would chuckle, looking down at his sister, she had grown into a fair and responsible Inirian, and it surprised him constantly.

"Don't you wish we could all be together more, like before?" Angstrom wondered, taking this brief moment of meeting to converse with his sibling, normally they were all busy with their responsibilities that kept them apart.
"Like before we were old enough to have responsibilities?... As much as I think I'd like that, I don't think anything will change too much, especially after your Trials, when you complete them, you'll officially be Guardian of the Kingdom, or at least Will be when Mother deems it... Earn the right to earn the"

"Right to Earn Her Audience- Yes I know." Angstrom finished the saying, rolling his eyes, wrapping an arm around Emryss's shoulder to pull her in for a quick hug.
"I know you don't like hugs, but I missed you, please don't exile me when you're Queen." Angstrom would release her quickly, her stern face warned him of an approaching scolding.

"Fine- I suppose you can stay in the kingdom-" She'd sigh, returning the hug with a quick one of her own.
"I promise- Our people will know a different family when I'm in the Throne-" She'd whisper, withdrawing herself.

-

Upon that night, when the sea's were at their darkest, the waters began to still - The Seafaring people gathered.
A colosseum of coral and tidal Magic housed three challengers, and the Prince himself.

Drums pounded, shaking the waves around the hammer-headed players who beat upon them, announcing the arrival of the Queen.

Lowering to one knee, Angstrom bowed his head, Spear resting at his side, a long shadow covered the arena, a dome of air generated by a ring of cloaked mages, hands glowing with tidal light - a faint chant upon their lips.

The Queen descended upon her throne, present to watch the Trials proceed.
Her Manservant - Squid (Who was not a squid but an Orca) left her side, clearing his throat - his voice echoing across the conglomerate, vibrating through the waves by the glowing necklace around his throat.

"The Queen, Welcomes you all, Family and Sister Tribe alike, to a night of Trials, a Night of Remembrance..."

"Long Ago, Those Above entered our waters- Hunting the Great Mothers children, Whales were among the first of the Great Mother's creation, upon their death, the Mother Mourned, and her tears filled the sea-

In this mourning, The Mothers turned the wrath of the Seas against the One's Above, and Her Tears blessed the bones of the Whales, and the flesh from the Whales were also blessed, so the creatures of the sea that ate upon the flesh of the Whales, were granted The Mother's blessing, from this - all of us are here today." Squid quoted, a tale told to all, long ago their ancestors who ate of the flesh of fallen Whales became the tribes of the Sea current Day.

"So it is - I present to you your first Trial, I ask of you Warriors, Prince's of Sister tribes, and my Son before me, Prince of Inir - Bereft of Tidal Magic, Claim your Whalebones, and carve upon them the nature of your hearts, that you may serve your kingdoms well." Squid finished reading from the tablet he held, speaking for the Queen herself.

Inside the dome of air was a platform, a large disk of solid coral - inside that, three chains dangled from an orb of flowing water, the shapes inside were hard to distinguish.

"Before you lay Three Tributes, Claim these Tributes as prize, Three of you may claim them, and one must become the Hunter - without a Tribute, you may not pass this Trial." Squid announced,

The Contestants rose to their heels, ready for the start.

As the dome of air began to collapse around them, each Prince was ready to lay claim to their Tribute, Angstrom eagerly locked his vision onto the three chains floating in the water, eyes searching for what the tributes were...

The dome began to close in around them, smaller and smaller, until it collapsed, the three princes now free to swim among the water.

Angstrom's eyes widened, three figures floated weightlessly in the water, hair floating around their faces, their webless limbs still and unmoving - Those Above, his eyes scanned over every detail, males and females of their species, lifeless - or so it seemed.

"Whalebone~" He gritted his sharp teeth, around their neck hung whittled fragments of whale bones.
Angstrom wasted no time, taking up his spear, spinning it before him to propel himself forward, he lunged, just as others did.

Fin fought against fin, muscled arm struck rubbery skin, kicking at each other, he set his eyes on one of the Tributes, launching himself with open arms, dropping his spear, he curled his tail up to catch it, striking the chain with the head of the spear as he collided with the Tribute, grasping onto the body securely, treating it as fragile within his grasp.

Angstrom had cleared considerable distance from the center of the Arena, lingering around a pillar of stone provided as cover, his eyes glanced over the Tribute he held in his arm, a small bubble of tidal magic over their nose and mouth, the whalebone around their neck glowing faintly.

Angstrom did not enjoy the fact that Those Above were being treated as tokens in their little game, they were delicate, fragile, and not of this place, eyes still ever closed and asleep.
"I'm sorry-..." Angstrom murmured, reaching for the whale bone, The soft features of their face, hair floating around them so still and calm, He found Those above to be somewhat elegant like this.

Distracted, the Prince felt a sting of pain as water rushed past, a blur of fin and claw, the fourth contestant - He had not secured the whalebone fast enough!

Separated from his Tribute, he watched as blue blood seeped from his fingers, murking the water before him as he swam over to grab hold of the Tribute again, a shark-toothed grin circling around him.

"Careful! You could have harmed The Tribute!" Angstrom bared his teeth back, the Prince may have been from a Sister Tribe, He must have been trying to get under Angstroms skin, anger him.

"Oh?!" The dark brown skin of the shark lunged once more, striking Angstrom away from the Tribute in his arms, Thge string of the whalebone necklace severed, and both Tribute and Whalebone drifted.

Angstrom lunged for the Prince, grabbing hold of his tail, with his strength he spun in a half circle, flinging him off balance and sending him across the arena of water.
"No!" Angstrom watched the bubble of tidal magic pop - air escaping the Tribute's mouth and nose, body writing in pain as water was breathed in.

The Arena fell silent, Angstrom lunged through the water, grasping the Tribute just before they drifted to the floor of the Arena, grabbing the whale bone as he descended.
"No, No-" He knelt with his hands up, what could he do? They were drowning down here.

"Nobel!" Angstrom pleaded, spotting the pale grey manservant from outside the arena, watching as he rushed past the security to meet Angstrom at his side.

"What do i do?" Angstrom held the Tribute carefully, Whalebone in his grasp...
"I- My lord, I don't know..." Nobel shook his head, pity and worry on his features...

Angstrom felt a fleeting thought pass through his mind, looking up to Nobel as it seemed the thought had reached his mind as well.

"You'd give your only Whalebone to save them?" Nobel whispered, The Elders would not enjoy it at all.

Nobel held a hand over the Tribute's mouth, he didn't have any Tidal magic of his own to use...
"Do it-"

Angstrom held the Whalebone over the tribute's neck, clutching it firmly in his hand.
"Let them Live - please... Let them Breathe." Angstrom painted the whalebone with the etchings of his own heart, his desire, a wish.

Tidal magic began to glow between the webbed fingers of the prince, brighter and brighter, the whalebone's light grew into a bright aura, bathing the one from Above in it's light.

Water exhumed from lungs - Y/N's eyes would open once again, gasping for air under an ocean of pressure, Strange faces met your eyes, like y/n awoke upon an alien planet, human's merged with sea creatures, or so it seemed, blurry and hazy they gazed upon y/n, a voice resonating inside your mind...

Let them Live

Let them Breathe~

(Looking for engaged writing partners that can write multiple paragraphs by the least, Y/C can be from any era of time (modern or past) and any gender, this story is open to males or female characters and is intended to be a romance with a fair amount of politics and conflict following the events of the Trials, Y/C is a Human, known to the Inirian's as "Those Above", Y/C was recovered and placed into a stasis for a very long (or short) amount of time, awakening from Tidal magic granting Y/c the ability to live and breathe under the waters as the Inirian do, if you want Y/C to convert into an Inirian or stay as a human is up to you! we can discuss anything and everything in dms!)