Work Text:
Murky waters surround the mad, and the mad lads drown under the bottom of the sea, swimmingly.
A new name for the endless list, a new name at the bottom of the bounty.
The beach is filled with muck, and they say the water is polluted, after all, monsters lurk above the waves. One step, the waters open, two steps, the sand carved its shape, three steps, are footprints in the sand. Pyke opened up a scroll, the paper that was empty soon glowed in a blue hue and prints started to appear, showing calligraphy with big strong strokes and inky mess.
“[name], oh what sin did you do to deserve this?” Pyke closed his scrolls and went towards the city.
Burning factories polluted the air, black unnatural mist covered the streets in its dwelling. Pyke fit in closely within the contaminated city, the impurity of the land disgusts him. Rum n Gun, Pyke stepped into the bar, the collision of the double doors caught the eyes of mercenaries, drunkards, and unknown potentials. The bar went silent as it watched his every move, every step, perhaps he did want to be known, but then again, why would he hide anyway? He sat on the bar, eyes still observing him from every angle, perhaps it’s his lousy outfit? The stench and musk that is strongly advent? Or perhaps it’s the strands of their hair standing up as his presence was known to the bar, almost as if visions of themselves are drowning from within, and they couldn’t speak nor see from the bottom of the sea.
“[Name]” Pyke said stoic, a deep gurgling voice as if he was in water that somehow lurks above land.
“Wow, now you’re going after a kid eh? Pretty low even for you, bounty hunter.” The bartender states, unfazed unlike the other patrons in the bar, cleaning his glass as he doesn’t bat an eye.
“My bounty never discriminates.” His voice gurgled once more.
“19-year-old, male, he lives in the aboveground. Dark blue hair and eyes, almost like the waters near the beach, along with the gloom of course. Ya couldn’t miss him with his cheery and cheeky ‘tude.” The bar keeper raises an eyebrow with a glare. Pyke then dropped two gold coins at the counter and left.
Pyke had always hated the above ground, the sun shines there the brightest, and it reflects on its people with their white gowns and silver metallic guards, compare it to the underground and they will assume it was the junkyard. Pyke had most of his targets there though, mostly politicians who cower behind their desks. It’s always the politicians. Always.
Pyke shielded his eyes from the radiant atrocity called the sun. Warmth was rare in the bottom of the sea, it should be cold, blind, and overall, overwhelming. Stealing a hooded coat from an unattended stranger, Pyke once more blended in immediately amongst the crowds. But children here are laughing, in Pyke’s eyes, they were drowning.
“Ngh…” Pyke held his head as he groaned, stopping by an alleyways and removing his hood to breath. Whenever he goes above land, his body needs to adjust, but not permanently, his brain sometimes processes the moments as a drowning moment, eventually, voices will sound like people talking underwater, drowning… they all drown to him, eventually-
“Oh, sorry!” Pyke loses his balance but gradually holds himself up, annoyed by the interruption, he glares upon the person to see the same dark waters on the beach hair and eyes. His target. Oh and his smile, would be a shame if his harpoon were to accidentally pierce through. But he ran away.
“Damn it!” Pyke immediately followed the man, swiftly traversing through barricades as if it’s nothing, but Pyke was better, despite not knowing the terrain that much, only a second and a prey is what he needs.
Transferring from one alleyway to another, followed by a circular flight of stairs, Pyke had his bloodlust on the chase, despite his harpoon getting prepped and ready, but the man is quick to make turns and corners and jumping. Almost as If like-
“You bastard!” Pyke turns to another corner of the circular tower, striding smoothly along the smooth walls and carved stones stairs. The man he was chasing was no amateur either, using shortcuts and twists and turns on his body almost like an athlete.
The light grew brighter and brighter as they hurled up to the top. Grabbing his harpoon and readying the propeller, the voices below the stairs grew closer.
“Bring his assailant with him!” The band of silver guards marched. Pyke cursed under his breath as he peeks behind.
Finally, at the top of the tower, Pyke was greeted by the warmth of the sunlight dawn, its orange hue almost strongest and most condensing, the clouds were strongly evident, like an orange flavoured cotton candy, along with the blue that almost resembled the first sea that he strides on, making him remember his first crew, his first captain, and his first ship.
“Come with me!” a voice appeared behind him, in a fast paced action, the blue haired person pushed Pyke off the tower and locked his hands in front of his shoulder before deploying a wind glider. The winds moved along both of their favour when the blue haired person dived off too, leaving only but a gust of trace behind the silver guards that is evidently cursing behind them.
“Haha!” The glider laughed, looking at the great orange in front of them.
“Sky weaver, bring. Me. Down.” Pyke voiced, his breathing was laced with malice and uncertainty, even his new tone surprised him a little, maybe it’s the lack of water? The lack of ground for his feet to toil? Or maybe it’s the exhilarating and light feeling his legs finally felt after treading the lands, and lurking the deep waters for so long.
“Shush! Stop struggling, or we’ll both fall from this great height.” The stranger wiggles a bit after Pyke’s sudden struggle, who then calms down a little bit after seeing the great height below them, and the great height they are in.
“I’m burning.” Pyke said, catching the man’s attention who raised a brow in question.
“What does it feel like to have wings? At least, temporarily.” The blue haired ask.
“Swimmingly, without the water restricting my movement, without it entering my mouth with force. Swimmingly, without having to navigate through the dark water’s musk.” Pyke said, looking at the bright orange in front of him. They both stayed like that for a while, until they glided to another tower but structured smaller than from where they jumped. The silence was present, after all, the bounty hunter loosened his grip to his harpoon without realizing.
“Sky weaver, your death is near, if not now, then close. Take that as a treat for the ‘flight’ experience.” Pyke breathed underneath his mask.
“What will you do with this information? Or rather, what will you do?” he added.
“Then I know that I killed myself. No one is my enemy but me.” The blue haired responded. His response was nothing of what Pyke had ever heard, making him raise his interest and his brow, was his bounty given the privilege to be killed earlier? For pity? Or for his sin of killing himself?
“Time is wasting, [name]. Use it wisely, otherwise… there will be no otherwise left.” Pyke jumped off the high building, [name’s] eyes suddenly widened as he looked below where the man had jumped off too, only to see nothing of his presence.
The night crawled, and so did the mad returned to his asylum, to lurk back in the darkness and the chaining sea he came from. Maybe tomorrow, he will try again, after all, his boss doesn’t serve for gold.
*The night passed*
“Sky weaver.” Pyke was behind [name] causing him to clumsily fall to the wet stones beneath him.
“Ah… uh… stranger from yesterday? What gives!?” [name] raised both of his hands flailing.
“Fly me again, like yesterday. I want to see that orange ball again, and its unwelcoming orange blanket.” Pyke said sternly, looking at [name] for a response. “Pyke, in case you don’t know.” [name] tilted his head with a curve on his lips.
“Of course.”
[Name] found both of themselves standing at the gate of a tall bell tower once more, passing by sneakily. But with Pyke, everything was stealth. [name] was fascinated by the way he gets pulled into intimate spaces to hide from the silver guards, when he catches him from behind when he clumsily falls down the circular stairs, and the way Pyke eagerly looks at the bell tower’s top periodically and down at [name] consecutively. Until, they finally reached the top, kissed by the sun’s golden hour, its heat wrapping Pyke’s cold and shivered body once more, him having goosebumps every time this unfamiliar sky orange mass had enveloped him. As [name] watched him, seemingly finding the similarity of a moth and his strange friend, or maybe soon to be Icarus who will fly too close to the sun, but right now he is a stranger from the dark finally basking in the innocent orange light.
“I want to steal that orange mass, put it in my pocket, and bring it to the sea.” Pyke recited, eyes still glued to the sun with his breath heaving, penetrating his mask which betrays his usual silent breathing.
“Oh how envious am I to not have that thing in my bounty.” He added. [Name] sits on the ledge of the bell tower, basking under the same sun he was so attracted to. Eyeing him curiously, [name] noticed his unusual skin, his boney fashion, his ragged and messy sketches of scars, and his ocean eyes, reflecting the sun… his ocean eyes.
“Your eyes reflect the ocean, Pyke.” [name] blurted out, still staring, gaining the bounty hunter’s attention along with one brow raised.
“I’m not what God intended, sky weaver.” He huffed.
“I killed a lot of monsters, and none of them live in the sea. People aren’t good above ground.” His eyes became distant in memory, blue ocean eyes battling against the orange reflection, he was winning.
“I am people. I am good. You are wrong.” [name] responded.
Then why are you on my bounty? Pyke mused to himself. Pyke observed his friend a little bit closer now, averting his attention from the sun to him. He noticed his tired eyes, the window of his soul wanting to close, his dark blue eyes which resembled the darkest ocean, his face which seemed peaceful, but was silently screaming, his body seemed unnatural.
“Why do you drown without the waters, sky weaver?” Pyke asked, noticing the flaws his friend has and the theory in wait for conclusion.
“What?” [name] responded, confused.
“Your soul is tired, why not let it rest?” [name’s] eyes widened, a sense of confusion and awe at the man’s observation. There, [name’s] mouth was left agape.
“Because I don’t know rest.” [name] responded melancholy. His eyes didn’t flinch nor shift. Pyke respected his honest answer, but he also knows there’s something more between the absence in his lack of response. “I don’t know if this feeling will last forever, but I am trying.” He added. Pyke acknowledged his answer even more, a tired soul is waiting a long wait in the list of Anubis’ guidance, this isn’t a sin.
“[name]… is an angel who just wants to go back to heaven.” Pyke thought,
Pyke and [name] then, once more, in appreciation and admiration of experiencing swimming without waters, but with what Pyke calls as waterless swimming, a drowned without water to drown him from, and a guide like an angler fish with no bait nor malice intent. Gliding… swimmingly.
*The next golden hour*
“Sky weaver!” Pyke said a lot more enthusiastically in his voice and a little skip between his steps, waving his one arm around stiffly, but trying.
“Pyke!” [name] reciprocated the enthusiasm but twice the better, a bright smile formed from his lips and a genuine shift in his water colour reflecting eyes, Pyke didn’t know, but he found his prey a little giddy. But nonetheless, he felt a little relieved of his sky weaving buddy.
“Let’s go.” Pyke and [name] wasted no time running up against the circular stairs. Pyke was already used to his friend’s clumsiness, using his harpoon string to whip and lasso his friend whenever he trips over the same smooth stone the bell tower has, catching him in his arms as he loses his balance. And [name] would look at his friend who eagerly still looks above the bell tower’s tippy top. And they did reach it once more.
Pyke’s eyes glimmered the reflection of the bright orange once more, calling it sun is way too weird for him, he only appreciates this time of day, when the sun had reached its most condescending and most burning form. Breathless, he was, not even his mask can betray the truth in his ocean eyes. The ocean eyes [name] are staring at.
“Thank you, sky weaver. Without our little accident, the mad would have forever stayed mad at the bottom of the sea.” Pyke shifted his eyes to [name], looking at him directly, ever so softly, so gently, almost whispering ‘thank you’, after all the eyes are the window of our soul, and right now, his eyes are more peaceful than a sunny day at the beach, watching the gentle waves come and go, push and pull, [name’s] heartstrings away.
“And I didn’t forget, my prey, healing looks good on you.” [name] heard, ah, how his heart twisted and his stomach dropped, the orange light showing [name] a new perspective of his friend. A genuine soul. And along his words were laced with sincerity, and each breath [name] took were shaky. All [name] could say is-
“It was enchanting to meet you, Pyke.” [name] tilted his head along with a reflected genuine goofy grin. Healing does look good on the both of them, doesn’t it, observers? Oh will the heavens bless two souls, one blessed with flight and one who swims. Will the ocean ever touch the sky?
The light settled down, signaling its moon to come and tuck everyone in the night in its windy lullaby and night light which becomes the stars. Pyke had bid his vows, knowing that tomorrow will be the same person, the same light, but the better the healing, oh how healing remains in his thoughts as he got sunk back in the dark ocean. Instead of looking straight and below, this time he watched the stars, learning that even in the murky waters of the ocean and Poseidon’s chaotic sea, there would be light that would appear.
“Healing…” Pyke muttered, air bubbles flowing above as he spoke.
“Healing looks good on him… maybe, I’m a healer.” Pyke said amused to himself. Light blue orbs suddenly formed in his bounty paper, quickly taking out the parchment, the ink disappearing, turning into blue little orbs then ascending into the sky. His name, [name’s] name, had been removed from the list. Pyke’s eyes widened as he wasted no time traversing from water to land-
“Faster! Faster!” he chanted as he swam. After battling against the calm cold ocean riptides, Pyke jumped out and landed on his feet ever so naturally. Wasting no time, he ran, opening the scroll where the ink is still fading.
“[Name], what have you done?” Pyke thought, frustrated and annoyed and slightly concerned. Sliding through the darkest streets no light can shine through him, it’s almost as if he’s swimming in dry land. The scroll grew brighter, using that as a compass to locate him. The blue hue only grows bright… but also disappears. The blue grew bright, but then, the ink disappeared from his bounty list.
“Shit, [name]!” Pyke groaned in frustration, his compass no longer viable and responsive, and he was so close, so… so…
“Pyke?” [name] coughed weakly, his back on the walls of a greasy dark alleyway filled with a nerving stench. Pyke quickly moves to his side.
“[Name]? What happened? What is- why aren’t you healing?” Pyke didn’t know how to ask questions, for so long that he let out blood on his prey, he didn’t know how to hold back blood. [Name]’s eyes never looked so cold, never looked so dark, like- like the ocean Pyke was in. Pyke never realized how quiet the street was, and it’s due to the blood covered stones that fashions over the town, the underground, was reeking with death.
“This fog- it’s a gas!” Pyke realized all of a sudden. [Name] coughed out blood, his eyes tearing and his breathing trembled. Pyke removed his mask and tied it around [name]’s face, but the red mask was only tainted with more red, only more fresh. Eventually, his eyes became more dilated, his sweet dark blue eyes which reminded me of a lullaby, the song of the sea, a tearful shame. [name]’s throat started to cough out more blood, and eventually, continuously taking over his entire breath. Holding his throat, he was scared, shaking. Pyke saw it all, before his enemies were scared before him, he was familiarized with what the fear of death was like, and this was the only death that he didn't want to give. Pyke held [name] close, the closest thing he knew of comfort, hushing in his drowning voice, the gurgle in his voice hoping to calm his friend down, holding him more tightly, wanting to reciprocate the warmth of the sun to him as he drowned a water he cannot swim, not even the bounty hunter can. His eyes were begging not to go, but Pyke was a hunter, how can he do anything?
[name]’s eyes were still slightly present, but his soul was talking, it’s as if he’s saying-
“I knew today would be my last, but that’s okay because… the ocean has never looked more beautiful. Is… this peace?”
The fog emitted a bright green glow before engulfing the town. Pyke still held his friend close. His body felt like the ocean, it's cold, it’s really cold.
“Sky weaver…?” Pyke muttered, he found his friend’s eyes similar to the ocean he resides in, the darkest trenches he lives in, cold, and silent. Pyke carried his body into the ocean with him, the footprints marking his steps, disappearing into the vast ocean, and that he continued to walk. Until he reached the dark trenches, he stared at the void.
…
“It’s almost like you’re looking at me… sky weaver.” Pyke stared at nothing. “Stop staring at me.” He felt guilt. Every time he goes back into the darkest part of the ocean, he sees his eyes in the dark nothing, the dark blue scared eyes he tried to comfort, now looking at him at every angle.
The bell rings and each step was a reminder of a presence. Pyke sat at his usual seat, this time, he didn’t demand the bar owner’s attention, which only made the bartender get his attention.
“Talk to me.” The bartender continues wiping his glass, before serving Pyke a pint of rum. Pyke remained silent for a while, his grip on his drink can almost cause it to collapse.
“The day of ruination, information.” Pyke responded, his demeanor changing into something more of a malice.
“Apparently, something about ruination had ceased the souls and caused a lot of deaths around, weirdly enough, it only occurred in the underground, and all guards were set above ground.” The owner shrugged. “Lost a lotta good customers that day, as well as some darling dears. Do you have one on your own? Or do you even believe in love, bounty hunter? If not, then it’s a shame.”
“I know love is real, because he existed, and he’s full of it.” Pyke downed his pit in one swoop and smashed the bottom of the glass on the counter before heading out, leaving only one gold coin. “I love my solitude, but I was meant to be a lover, I wouldn’t let this slide.” Pyke said as he looked back before leaving the bar.