Sea Hearts

by Comfort_moth

Chapter 1: Preparations

He sighs, carrying a box of supplies off to Sadie. He wasn't sure when the boat became 'Lady Sadie,' nor just 'Sadie,' but she was a good boat, and their boat. But that didn't make preparing her for long, lengthy, and loathed trip to Iron Ice any happier. Epic knew so more then anyone, other then their captain. He placed the box on the deck.

    "Wassup Doc!" Said a shitty 90s voice.

 

"Nothin' Cabin boy," was the immediate response followed by a snicker. Fresh scoffed, lowering his shades, "You were supposed ta say da sky, old man!" And that was the youngest of the crew.

      

"Even sir buzzkill got it ta'day, dawg!"

 

"Am I not a part of the cool squad today bruh?"

 

"Nah broskie, you'll have ta' take that up to the captain!"

 

"Will do, bruh. Hey, can you pack up these rations and water? I gotta get more boxes, twirly hat."

 

Fresh chuckled, lifting up the box with ease due to his absurd height. "'O course, doc."

 

Before the large skeleton letf, he whispered, "check on pops, he's been in his cabin all day, it's putting me off."

 

Epic sighed, "yeah, I've noticed, I'll check him after I get this last box on board."

 

--------------------------------------

 

Color hummed, taking a deep breath and rubbing the red coral piece that hung on some braided yarn. It had been a long day, and the days will only get longer on the trip to Iron Ice. He squeezed his rusty compass, the weak metal holding up as if time hasn't taken its toll on its resistance. He wouldn't get a new one, only cleanings on the glass when it got bad enough. 

 

Five days. It would take five days, to get to the place all sea carried dreaded, Iron Ice. It was cold, expensive, and was a pain to actually get too, hidden well within the snow and ice and behind monster-made glaciers.

 

Unfortunately, it was the only place to get some strong ship repair kits, sell meats for a good chunk of money, and told to be the only place one could find find the infamous, mythical, and elusive sirens.

 

Siren skin is said to be tough, ageless, and insulated, perfect for the harsh cold up north.  

Teeth are said to be long, sharp, and naturally rough, good for catching and keeping a fish from escaping from hungry jaws.

Eyes so pretty, they're more valuable then the shiniest diamond or the purest pearl.

Bones stronger than many armor types.

Fins good for flippers.

Scales for courting, you get the point.

 

Color couldn't help but be disgusted and disappointed that such a unique monster and mage type be seen as nothing but a resource for violence or sport.

 

The sun was nearly setting. Time to get back to Lady Sadie--

"Color!"

 

Delta noogied the compass bound skeleton.

 

"C'mon, you're late for dinner, it's your favorite, clams and we got fresh furit for once too!"

 

Clams were always good, and it was nice to have fresh fruit.

 

--------------------------------------

 

Epic hummed, pushing a small cart with two plates of food, two glasses of water, and a small bottle of rum. The purple clad skeleton knocked on door furthest down the hall twice, then once, then thrice.

 

"Come in."

A muffled and tired voice called.

 

He opened the door.

 

--------------------------------------

 

Cross watched as Epic came in, setting Miss Sadie down along with a toothpick and straw cleaner.

 

"Hey dude..."

 

Epic closed the door behind him, "hey bruh. Under the weather?" He placed the carts contents on the deskn seating in the chair placed across from where the captain sat.  

 

"Maybe."

 

Cross sips his water, "I don't want to go back. I've changed. Right..?"

 

He groaned, " Yeah you have, a lot, and for the better, no one in their right mind could doubt that bruh."

 

"Are you sure..? What if I just, suddenly pick greed over you all, and--!" "BRUH. You have a son, a boat you love, maybe to a concerning degree, and a crew with the people you hold close. You wouldn't leave, I know that more then you do."

 

Cross clutches the desk, deepening the dents already there.

 

"...I know... I'm just scared. Scared, like I always am."

 

"It's fine... It's just for some G, fishing rods, and a few more kits incase something breaks down."

 

The captain smiles.

 

"Let's eat, and you can go back to cleaning mini Sadie."

 

"Miss Sadie, she's a young women making her life, dude."

Chapter 2: Who in the world are we seeing????

Fresh meat was the last thing that was packed, it was prepared, packaged, and thrown into a large ice filled freezer. Some types of tropical fish and a lot of pork, it would sell good where it couldn't be fished or farmed.  

 

He would sell good.

 

It was always good to have G on hand.

 

It looked out, leaning against the railing as it stroked the cool metal. Iron Ice was a place of trauma, the people as cold and baren as their environment. It was a wonder how someone as kind and emotional as Cross came from that place. Fresh knew he couldn't have always so kind, or merciful. 

It didn't matter, only that he was radical now.

 

Breakfast had already rolled pass and now it was simply making sure Lady Sadie was in good health, which was easy, especially when he was tasked with the deck.  

 

He was. Nervous.

 

No one had good memories in that place, even if the only memories were getting supplies.

 

Thum.

 

Footsteps, nearly silent by nature, and softened by padded boots. 

 

Three.

 

Thum.

 

Two.

 

Thum.

 

One.

 

Thum.

 

The monster gestured to the railing, already knowing who it was. 

 

"Dreading it too..?"

 

Cross.

 

"Who isn't pops?"

 

He leaned onto the railing with Fresh, sighing. A small pair of arms wrapped around the tall monster. "I'm sorry. Our usual spots aren't getting us enough, and Apple Eye is closing itself off for external goods for a mass funeral," the skeleton apologized.

 

"In and out, as quick as possible, I swear. There's only one person to visit, and he lives outside of the territory."

 

A visit? Why?

 

"Who we visiting, homeskillet?"

 

Cross smiled, a warm, mischievous smile. 

 

"You'll have someone new to annoy, if he doesn't do that first."

 

"Wha--"

 

Cross pushes himself off the railing.

 

"POPS!?"

 

The small skeleton scurries off, giggling.

 

Who the hoot are they visiting who isn't as bitter as frostbite?!

 

 

 

Peace and quiet wasn't something you would usually get on this ship, and he would take it--

 

"ONE EYE!"

That applies to Color too.

 

Welp, peace and quiet wasn't really his thing anyway, what was he on about?

Epic sat up from his chair.

 

"Something wron--" "WHO'S RAD UP IN ICE IRON."

 

Oh?

 

Oh.

 

"Redacted information."

 

Fresh grab hus shoulders, spine arched more then an cat he's seen. "Beat broskie, please! Who else from there is swaggers!"

 

His grin was downright devious. "I'm afraid I don't have anything on that topic other then..."

 

"TELL ME!"

 

"Well..."

 

Fresh sits as still as he possibly can.

 

"The FitnessGram PACER Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more diffi--"

 

 

"--THIS IS WHY YOU'RE NOT COOL ANYMORE DAWG."

 

"HAAAAAAA--!"

 

 

 

The water was gentle, wind a nice breeze in the warm air. The sun was high and the sky as clear as glass. Cross steered the ship, and Color made sure they went north. However, both were reluctant on actually going to the cold, icy tundra that was Iron Ice.  

 

"I'm already missing Troppor, and we haven't even left view of the island." Color's magic water turned from its regular orange to a regretful purple.

 

"We all are."  

 

...

 

"There's probably going to be a storm tonight," Color huffed, leaning against Cross's chair. "Anyways, we can stop by Snuffen and still get there on time."

 

"Why would we stop by Sunffen?" The captain tilted his skull, teeth frowned in confusion.

 

The compass lover grinned, "a gift maybe. I heard we were visiting someone."

 

Cross chuckled. "I shouldn't have told Fresh, but, yeah. That's a good idea, Snuffen is a big tourist place. Bound to be something nice there."

 

"We're stopping by Snuffen?" Questioned a deep voice.  

 

"We are now," grinned Color, "also Delta, i hope you're thinking of getting your bodypillow-chan somethin--" "CROSS HAS ONE TOO!!"

 

The skeleton mentioned flushed, hiding himself in fluffy scarf that shouldn't be on him in weather like this.

 

"--And Epic has so many even the stars lost count!"

 

"That doesn't count, those are from animes they can both give me a ten thousand word essay on."

 

"That's exaggerating it--"

 

"AND I CAN'T?!"

 

"You're neurotypical."

 

"YOU ARE TOO!"

 

"Dyslexia."

 

Delta's mouth flopped open before closing.

"You're dyslexic?"

 

Color holds up his compass, which has small images instead of letters.

"My compass has pictures in it."

 

He chirped before cheerfully adding on, "the waffle is for west."

 

"Huh. That's neat!"

Delta chuckled.

 

"Did you seriously not know? I sware I made us have a meeting so we know about each other's disabilities and stuff, maybe I di..."

 

"You did Cross, Delta just didn't like me at the moment, and didn't listen."

 

"You're making me sound like a child!"

 

...

 

Despite it not being said, the words 'but you're the youngest' were the loudest in the room. Especially with Cross' and Color's grin.

 

With a swift middle finger and a mumbled 'fuck you' Delta stomped out the room.

 

...

 

"I'll go catch up to him, don't crash the ship." Color hummed before strolling out the cockpit. Cross rolled his eyelights.

 

 

 

Miss Sadie sat quietly on Cross' desk. Waiting. Watching. Wishing.

 

 

 

Delta sighed. He really did act like a child. The skeleton knew they were only joking around and that it was stupid to get so worked up about it, especially since it was only true in that context, but.

But he--

 

He couldn't help it, he felt like the odd one out, which considering the ship he was on, it was pretty fucking impossible to be such. Its not like being childish at times was something rare,no not in the slightest. It was a running joke about them being hypocrites about this towards each other, the one thing that wasn't misunderstood, and yet he was hurt by it. He's watched hus loved ones die and came back from it, and yet he couldn't take a joke.

 

The door cracked open.

 

"Delta?"

 

He didn't bother looking up. He knew Color's voice. "Are... are you okay?"

 

Color sat down on the bed next to him.

 

...

 

Silence.

 

"Delta."

 

The boatswain sighed. "It's nothing. Never bothered me before. Won't bother me now."

 

He could hear Color's frown. "Hey, none of that, if something hurts, it hurts, you said that. Cross has said it, so has Fresh and Epic," Color puffed. "It's nothing important, I'll get over it."  

 

"Delta."

 

He turned away, gripping his bed sheets. That wasn't enough to deter Color, nothing was in a sense. So Color kept prodding, like he always does. And when that eventually didn't work, the compass fucker would bring out literal arts n' crafts to get something out of him. It worked, stupidly well. For all of them.

 

Color wasn't quite at that last part yet.

 

 

"C'mon, if it's nothing, then tell me."

 

"No."

 

"Then we're making glitter stress balls as an offering for Fresh."

 

There he goes.

 

Glitter was cool.

 

 

"How's your stress ball?"

 

"Good."

Detal hummed.

 

Strange how easily you could cheer someone up with nano tape, glitter, and glue.

 

"Good. What upset you...?"

 

"Oh... Yeah, that."

 

The boatswain sighed.

 

"I... I was upset from earlier, and I guess that's what started the rabbit hole, okay."

 

Color nodded.

 

"Have any idea who we're visiting on the way to Iron Ice?"

 

"Nope, for once, Epic was able to shut up, which is odd, and should be illegal, do you know how unsettling that is!?"

Notes:

Blame Tater for this chapter taking to long/j
Pokétwo has ne in a [duck]ing choke hold.