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Ghost never liked humans. He’s had way too many bad experiences with them to even want to be near them. The one and only characteristic he likes about humans is that when they feel bad for him, they give him treats when he’s too lazy to catch a meal for him and Soap.
He would put on his best adorable puppy eyes, make an effort to not show his massive above average otter body, and whimper. Hook, line, and sinker, they will fall for it everytime. Bonus extra treats if he has Soap with him, his mate.
So you would guess that the pair would stay away from humans, but no.
Ever since Ghost has known Soap, the otter loved humans. Much more than the average otter. Ghost never knew why he liked them so much, until Soap told him a few months into knowing each other.
Soap had wandered into a place he wasn’t familiar with, and got his neck stuck in a plastic like necklace, that wouldn’t come off no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t mind it at first, finding it moderately stylish, until the plastic began to restrict his airways.
The skin around the plastic was red and raw, even blood started to appear from how hard he tried to get it off himself. But no matter how hard he tried, Soap couldn’t get it off. His skin around the ring of plastic, or the ring of fire Soap dubbed, for it felt like fire, looked like it was being put through the shredder.
He couldn’t eat or drink because of how tight the plastic was. His breathing steadily went from normal to gasping breaths, Soap could feel his body getting weaker. His normal weight turned to almost skin and bones, his fur matted up from being unable to clean himself.
Soap stayed away from other otters, not wanting to bother them by how he looked. His once stylish mohawk began to matt to his head, looking like a knotted mess. He couldn’t even fix it if he wanted to, being almost impossible to move since if he moved his arms it’ll make his breathing worse, but if he moved his head it’ll have the same effect, or make his wound chafe even more.
The otter began to smell a horrid, foul stench emitting from him. It didn’t take long for Soap to find what was causing the noisome smell attacking his senses, as it was his own neck. He desperately wanted to get fixed and be rid of this contraption.
Safe to say he was fucked if he didn’t get help.
Soap himself was wary of humans, who wouldn’t be? The way they tower over everything Soap knows, and he’s heard horror stories from other otters being taken away from their homes, never to be seen again.
But Soap knows he’s in a dire situation and needs help. Otherwise it’ll get worse for him till it’s irreversible.
So for the first time in days or weeks, Soap left his den, and sought aid from the humans. He didn’t even have to wander that far from his den, and he found them, as they were very hard not to miss. He slowly crawled out of the water, and started crawling to them. Soap didn’t know how to gather their attention, so the ever clever otter he was, just walked up to them and lightly scratched their leg, and cried softly, allowing his tears to slowly flow from his eyes and down his face.
The reaction was immediate from the woman, yelling for her partner in the distance.
“Kate! Phone the vet! There’s an otter here with plastic around its neck!” Her partner in question pulled out her phone and searched up the nearest vet that took in otters. The woman with long dark locs hesitated on picking up Soap.
She didn’t know if she could legally pick him up, or if he would attack her. She decided to keep her distance, but still stayed nearby in case he tried to leave. The stench coming from the otter also aided in her staying away, the poor thing had a yellow discharge slowly trickling down from its scruff.
The other woman (Kate?) came back running and yelled out, “They said they’re twenty minutes out!” Her gaze softened when she looked at the otter. The poor thing looked so skinny, struggling for breaths, blood and discharge caked around its neck. This was why she and Laura took side jobs cleaning up rivers and oceans, to keep sea life from this exact scenario. She stood next to her wife and waited for the vet to show up and take the otter off their hands.
“Poor thing. It must be in pain,” Laura muttered sadly. The disrespect people treat the ocean and sea life angers and pains her all at once.
“We did what we could, love. Now he has a chance to live longer, and better.” Kate wrapped her arm around her wife’s shoulder and pulled her into her side. Laura nuzzled her head into her wife, watching the otter intently to make sure it didn't move. Does that otter have a mohawk? The thought of hers faded away when they saw the vet arrive at the dock.
Later on, Soap would be taken into this random building that housed humans, and other animals he knew. The whole process was a blur to him, but he would be treated and officially free from the plastic necklace, and cleaned up as well. He even got his signature mohawk back! How they knew he even had a mohawk wasn’t his problem, but he loved having it back. He was then released into the water after being hospitalized, and swam straight back to his comfy den.
Since then, Soap has had a love for humans unlike no other. He would be forever grateful for those two humans that noticed him. After hearing a story like that, Ghost cuddled up with Soap for the rest of the day.
—//—
Even after going through something as traumatic as that, Soap still has found himself in trouble once more. This time the mated pair were just swimming around and looking for food, when Soap found a fish swimming up in a net. The smaller otter knew what a net was, but the fish looked so good, and the net appeared to have a wide opening, so even if he got stuck for a bit, he could swim right out. A rookie mistake to make.
Soap swam up right in the net, and successfully trapped the fish he was achingly hungry for. He didn’t need Ghost to help him out with the fish, he could do it all by himself!
The small otter was getting ready to strike, he was gearing up his adrenaline, right when he darted towards the fish–
It escaped.
Not only did it escape, but Soap bonked his head on the wooden post that was holding the net, and caught himself engulfed with the mesh netting. Soap stays still for just a moment. He needed to calculate his movements, if he moves wrong he could become more stuck. The otter was debating whether or not he should call out for Ghost, or try to get out by himself, when he sees the familiar huge onyx colored otter swimming toward him.
“Now how did you manage that, Johnny?” Ghost snickered. His mate always got himself in these types of situations. It was amusing how often he did. He once got himself stuck in a pile of huge rocks while looking for a huge fish. It’s a wonder where Soap would be if Ghost wasn’t there to help him.
“Haud yer wheesht!” His blush burned like a bright red ruby lost in the ocean. Or that’s how Ghost imagined it, his heart caved in itself when he saw the once in a lifetime feature of his mate.
“Stay still. I have’ta get this off.” Ghost then proceeded to pry off the net, but it wasn’t budging. The more the otter tried to detach the netting, the more it sank deeper into Soap’s skin.
“Shite!” He could feel the web of fabric pierce his skin from how tight it was wrapped around him. It felt like sharp pricks of floating plastic.“Simon it hurts– ye have to stop,” Soap lightly begged his mate. Ghost instantly let go of the net, as if it burned him, Ghost hates the thought of hurting his mate. Memories of Soap telling him the story where he was stuck in plastic flashed in his mind. He didn’t want this to become that.
Ghost stayed quiet, and weighed out his options. No matter what he came up with, he couldn’t get Soap out. There was no sharp rock laying around the dock they were at, and certainly not a knife he could find. He could try to find one in a boat if he was fast enough, but didn’t want to risk humans seeing him. Soap looked at him with knowing eyes, he knew what the onyx otter needs to do, but he won’t like it.
Once Ghost caught sight of his knowing stare, he started to grumble. He knew what that look meant, and didn’t like it. It was almost always bad if Ghost were to listen to those eyes.
“Johnny. No.” Ghost firmly said. There was no way in hell he was doing what Soap was thinking.
“Simon ye have to. I don’t see anything else working,” Soap gave him his best pout. Ghost always had trouble denying it.
Ghost turned his head away for a minute to resist the pout.
“I’m not going to the humans!” Ghost cried out. He never liked humans. Even after hearing about those humans who saved his mate, he still couldn’t make himself like them. With his own traumatic experiences with them, he just can’t.
“Simon, please. I wouldn’t ask you of this if I knew there was another way.” Ghost stayed silent at the admission. He could feel himself slowly accept the reality. He would do anything for his mate.
“I know you don’t like it, but it’s our best shot.” Soap winced slightly when he tried to reach for Ghost, but the net tightened more around him more.
Ghost put a paw to where Soap’s was on the net, and slowly nodded. Acceptance floating around his eyes.
“Okay…okay I’ll do it for you, love.” Ghost gathered up all his courage to leave his mate, and find the humans. Even though it filled him with terror and abhorrence.
Finding humans was harder than he thought it was. Soap said he found them instantly whenever he needed help. As he climbed onto the dock where Soap was currently stuck in between two connecting ones, there were boats of all sizes surrounding them, clouding the view of possible humans.
His heart was loud inside of his ears, he doesn’t like this one bit, but he has to do something. He calms himself down moderately, and continues with his task. He needed to hurry and find someone immediately.
Ghost heard some muffled conversations from far away, and it felt like he hit the jackpot. For Soap, at least. Ghost couldn’t be more terrified. This goes against every part of his existence.
The otter began to listen intently, trying his best to locate the human. Could be more than one, if the continuous replies indicated that. Ghost knew more English than Soap, mostly from being stuck in a clear box and having children poke at you all day, or from him stealing fish from fishermen, he could tell there were only two people.
He continued to crawl and get closer to them, listening to make sure they don’t pose any threat. He’s on edge, needing to make sure they aren’t bad people who could make this worse.
“…I don’t think… like it Gaz,” The man with a beard huffed and started pacing back and forth.
“…Price…work out.” The second man who replied kept his eyes on the other one. Huh. Those eyes looked the same when he looked at Soap. Something is going on with them, Ghost doesn’t think they’re the best option.
Ghost was only a couple feet away from them and continued to investigate. Only for a couple more minutes, then he should move on. He can’t continue wasting time when it’s of the essence.
“You think going to America to fish will make more money than here?” Price glared at partner. He always had these crazy ideas.
“Yes I do! It’ll also give us time away from here. I know you need a break, Price.” The man Ghost assumed was Gaz grasped the other’s hand in earnest.
Price looked like he was contemplating the offer. It would be nice to get away from the UK and the stress of both their jobs. He would need to call in for some time off, but this’ll be good for them.
“If you think it would be good, then yes we can go.” Price grumbled. He didn’t like to be proven right, but he knew Gaz knew he would like it. He gave a small upturned smile.
“Thank fuck! I would’ve dragged your ass if you said no,” Gaz laughed while leaning into the older man and gave him a light peck on the lips. Price smiled, the smile Kyle loves.
Ghost decides this pair was good enough. They seemed friendly.
Ghost sucked in one big breath, stood on his hind legs and jumped to get their attention. The dock thudded underneath him as he did so, and he certainly gained their awareness. The shorter man mustered out a yelp and did a little jump, while the taller man with a beard stayed still and laughed.
“Price, why are you just laughing?!” Gaz put a hand to his heart and tried to calm himself down.
“I’m laughing because that’s an absolute big lad of an otter,” Gaz playfully punched Price in the arm.
Ghost huffed and made a face. He knew he was an above average size for an otter, according to Soap, but he will not take an insult from a human. He hissed and growled in an attempt to scare them, but he backed down. He must get help for Soap.
By the time the one with the beard, the one Ghost dubbed Price, and the easily frightened one called Gaz calmed down, they could sense that something wasn’t right. Why would an otter just be laying—standing on the dock for no reason? Unless they needed a break from swimming, but don’t they just float on their backs?
“Price I think something might be wrong.” Gaz said with urgency. He knows that they are not supposed to mess with the wildlife, but this might be the case where they have to.
Ghost could sense that the pair had realized that he needed help, and fast. In an instant, he thumped down his foot in consecutive thumps, so they for sure knew he needed aid. The man named Price nodded in the direction behind the otter, so it would know that they would follow.
Ghost caught the signal and immediately began to run back to where Soap is. He turned around to look back and see if the pair was following him, and luckily they were. The otter chirped in happiness that they would help his mate.
The otter kept turning his head every five seconds to make sure they were following, and sure enough they were. He had adrenaline pumping through his veins of happiness and anxiety. Soap will be saved soon.
Boats big and small were coming and going around their surroundings, they were paying no mind as they kept speed walking, compared to the otter running as fast as it could.
Gaz and Price slowed to a stop as they noticed the speed of the otter decrease over time, stopping between two connecting docks and a big wooden post with a net over it. Down in tub water below they could clearly see an average sized otter struggling to get out of the skin tight net.
“Poor fella. He looks miserable.” Gaz said with a frown. Some fishermen didn’t properly put the net away, and now the wildlife are suffering. Price sighed in a reply, patting down his pants to check if he had a pocket knife and luckily he did, as he carried one in case he needed it.
“Gaz hold some of the net so I can cut it properly,” Price asked Gaz with a gravelly tone. Gaz immediately grabbed the net in a hurry, he didn’t want the poor otter to be stuck for any longer.
As Gaz was holding the net up higher for Price to cut, he noticed the otter trapped in the net had a cute little mohawk. His heart melted at the sight, what could get cuter than this?
He turned over to look over at the other massive otter to see it doing little feet taps in joy.
“Aww Price he looks so happy that we’re helping him!” Gaz exclaimed happily. He loves otters now.
Price huffed, “I would too if someone saved my friend,” He let out a few more grunts, cutting the last parts of the netting to create an opening. He saw the smaller otter start to thrash around to escape, which didn’t really help him but nonetheless was cute.
“Just about done, and there it goes!” Price exclaimed when he cut the last of the opening and grabbed the net as Gaz let go, and saw the otter swim away.
They both turned around to see the bigger otter give them a long glance, chirped, then jumped right into the water.
“Looks like they’re heading home.” Gaz said, wrapping his hand around Price’s waist and watching the two otters reunite. Price laughed and replied, “We should add otter rescuers to our resumè now,” Gaz playfully hit Price on his shoulder while rolling his eyes.
Just as the couple were about to head back they heard two pairs of happy chirps coming from the water. It was a much smaller otter that had the same mohawk of the one stuck in the net, swimming towards them.
He chirped once and purred, and gave them a very pretty rock that shined in the light. Gaz ‘awed’ and gave a very happy “thank you!” to the otter, knowing how precious rocks were to them. Not very far was the massive otter, looming around and making sure the smaller one didn’t get in trouble.
“Soap, why did you give them your favorite rock? You loved that one,” Ghost asked confusedly. Soap smiled, and said “They saved me, Ghost. I’ll give them anything to show my appreciation.” Soap answered honestly.
Ghost stared at him with love in his eyes and said, “They did. I’m grateful for them too, but if you get stuck again I’ll tie you to our den.” Ghost answered with a serious face, but Soap knows it’s a lie.
Soap can never be tied to a place, but it might’ve just been proven.
As long as he has Ghost by his side, and humans every now and then, he’ll be free.