It was a hot, scorching summer's day, the bright nuclear ball off heat and light above beaming down with an unforgiving heat. Though this did not stop one family from making it out to the beach for a dip in the cool calming blue-green waves. The white sand stung underfoot and cries of whining ensued all the way to the water. The oldest of the family was named Signless Vantas, he looked down at his young sons with a sigh. He had high hopes of this being a fun endeavor, a nice and peaceful family outing. Yet now all he saw were there unpleased faces and Karkat, the younger of the two at the tender age of four, was about to tears.

The small boy was pale, just like his father, and had messy, wild black hair that he brushed out himself that day. His small left hand rubbed at his eyes as he walked, his other hand griping his older brother, Kankri tightly. His large grey and bright red eyes, the color matched both his brother and father's, looked up at his dad with a loud sniffle, almost to try and guilt trip his dad to head home. This broke Signless's heart a bit, but he shook his head and leaned down to pick up the crying child. Giving soft shooshing noises and bounced a bit, his free hand holding Kankri's.

Kankri, the oldest was much less fussy in the sense of crying, though he was very articulate and began to complain. Mainly of the stinging of his small feet. He was a good three years older than Karkat and was much taller than his younger brother, though his hair was more neatly brushed and he had a bit darker complexion because of his olive skinned mother. Yet she was now since dead of two years, sadly they were unable to catch her cardiac cancer quick enough to do anything about it. Though the boy's father did not like to dwell on the past.

Once the family made it to the edge of the water, their father backed away a good few feet and set the beach bag in the sand, opening it and grabbing out the floaties. He told Kankri to watch Karkat and set him down with his feet in the water and went to go blow up the floatation devices. As he left Karkat watched him and then looked up at his brother.

"Kanny, up" Karkat commanded and reached up his arms to his older brother. Though Kankri shook his head and grabbed his head. He led him a bit more into the water, knowing not to let him go in too deep.

"How about we just play here, you like the water Karkat" He said and splash karkat a bit to try to get him used to it, he knew this was his little brother's first time in the ocean. Karkat pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. He set down in the water, it came up almost to his neck when he sat, and turned his back to Kankri ignoring the splashing. Kankri sighed and set next to him, still trying to get him in a better mood.

As they set in the cool sea water, just relaxing Kankri spotted a tiny hermit crab. Curiously the seven year old reached for the tiny warmed toned shell and picked it up. He had never seen a real hermit crab before. The small legs tucked into the shell as it was lifted out of the water. As the small boy marveled at the crustacean Karkat turned around to see what he had.

"What's that?" Karkat asked as he watched the tiny thing's eyes pop under its shell. Kankri looked over at his brother and smiled, putting the crab in the palm of his hand and moved it closer to Karkat.

"It's a hermit crab Karkat." Kankri explained and the small creature peaked out more. The two brothers marveled at the tiny creature so intently, and with so much wonder. Though the curious seven year old couldn't help but try and touch its little legs. To this the crab was not a fan; its claws came out quickly. With one fail swoop it latched onto Kankri's finger. The boy screamed and Karkat jumped up to try and help him, Kankri shook his hand violently and the crab went flying off. The older boy's finger was now bleeding profusely and he was crying pretty badly.

"DADDY!" Kankri screamed and began to run back to shore. Karkat was fixing to chase after him when something caught his eye, it was the crab. He glared at it sharply and ran off after it.

"Get back here!" He yelled as he chased to small creature. He was not going to let this thing get away with harming his older brother. He ran far, turning as the crab turned and running as quick as he could. Until the water was too deep and he couldn't go any further. "and don't come back!" He sighed and turned to head back to his dad, until he noticed that he was alone. He had ran so far that he was now in a more deserted part of the beach. He looked around ore franticly and gulped.

"D-dad…. daddy! " he called out, looking around more. He started to struggle to try and get back to the shore. Hoping that he could see him if he was up there. Though he found that the water was pulling him back. He looked around more his heart racing; he was starting to get scared. "k-… kanny. I chased off the mean crab." He tried harder to get to shore, until he heard some type of roar behind him. His small body turned quickly and he looked up to see a rather large wave rush towards him.

Karkat screamed and the four year old began to thrash and try to rip his way through the water. Though as the wave rose up it pulled Karkat into it as it doubled over to collapse over Karkat's head. The force of the water made him topple head over heel, unprepared. Water rushed his lungs and into his eyes, causing him to panic more and flail his small arms. Once his head was above water and he took his first breath since going under, it burned and set fire down his throat and in his lungs.

He began to cough and wheeze, small tears running down the toddlers face. He began to whimper out. "d-dad! k-kanny! Help! Dad!" Though he didn't have long until he could hear more water building up. Though this time there was a much faster noise rushing through the water, and the first thing the four year old thought was; shark. Flailing his tiny arms once more he tried to get away, his eyes looking over his shoulder as he still screamed and begged for help.

The splashing and ripple under the water began to close up on him quickly, all that could be seen from the surface was a large black mass and strange red and blue dots and lines all over the shadow. There were now large tears running down his small chubby face, he looked at the water and then the creature, scared to hell. Though four sharp … prongs peeked out of the water, then black hair and a pair of bright bicolored red and blue eyes. It's skin was smooth and soft looking, though Karkat had no clue what to think.

Yet before he could do anything to try and escape, the creature reared up. It's whole upper body grey and smooth. Though it looked so human despite the discoloration, its large webbed hand came up to him. He tried to get away quickly screaming more, though it didn't help any, because he was picked up and out of the water by this large creature, cradling the child. The child struggled to try and get free, scared and looking up at the creature's annoyed face. It had two pairs of sharp fangs and glowing bright eyes.

"L-let go! Dad! Help!" He yelled and kicked at him more though it didn't do anything. Then the creature began to swim more in the water.

"th-hhhh" He said softly to the frightened Karkat in a lispy tone, the small four year old could feel his heart beat against his rib cage. "I'm not going to hurt you little one. I am th-aving you from drowning." At this Karkat stopped moving, his red puffy face and bright candy red eyes looking up at him, moving more into his chest.

"I-I want my daddy" He whined, he was scared and as a child needed some form of familiarity. The creature looked down at him and his eel body move quickly through the water, bright candy red and bright blue strips and spots that shown through the water easily. The creature thought and swam through the rocks closer to the crowded area of the beach, so that he was hidden from unwanted eyes.

"What doe-th your father look like?" he asked and looked at him more, eyeing all of the humans splashing about and playing. The only reason he was even helping this human was because it was just a child and he felt pity for him. It reminded the creature too much of his own son Sollux, he even looked about the same age. The boy looked up at him and then hugged him a bit around his neck so that he was sitting better in his arms, looking over his own shoulder at the people. Remembering what his dad told him to do if he got lost.

"my dad has the same eyes as me!" He said and pointed to his eyes, knowing that he was supposed to tell whoever was helping him that. The creature nodded, studding the boy's eyes, he had to admit they were strange for any human to possess. Karkat eyed him a bit and then asked " what your name" he was still not the best at speaking. He was also taught to thank whoever was helping him.

"Pth-iioniic-th Captor" He said and looked at the child, holding him close and carefully he had no clue how fragile humans were. Though he would admit it was a cute fleshy child, though he is a strange pale pinkish almost white color. Karkat looked up at him, or more over, at his horns. He moved his small stubby hand up and rubbed one of his large four horns, he gave small coos and giggles of happiness as he did so.

"Thank psiion- piics- psii!" Karkat stumbled over his name a bit more and then finally came to the conclusion to just call him "psii". His tiny hands still rubbing over his horns as if they were the most mesmerizing thing ever, Psiioniics on the other hand was confused on how easily trusting and happy this child could be. If he was of his species he would be biting and clawing, trying to do whatever he could to get away.

"Be careful, don't th-tab yourth-elf with thoth-e" he warned, but allowed the child to continue his elated curiosity. He set back behind a few more rocks, ducking his body down behind them, but he kept sight with the shore. There he saw a tall frantic man, he was holding another child hand, and the child was about in tears and looked distressed. They were running up to other humans in a frantic borough of questions, the father gestured to his offspring a great deal when speaking. "Child, is that him?"

Karkat looked up at him a bit more and then back at the person he had pointed out. His face lit up in the most elated expression that looked so relived and happy that it would break the heart of any parent. Though to Psiioniic's dismay the boy called out to him. "Dad! Kanny!"

Instantly the aquatic creature hid himself behind the rocks, but Karkat had another idea. He wriggled his way free and went over one of the rocks to wave, his arm flailing from side to side wildly, a wide happy smile on his face. Though Psiioniics did the first thing that came to mind, he grabbed the child and jerked him down as quick as he could, one hand over his mouth the other holding him close.

"Wait a minute! I don't want him to th-ee me" He hissed and glared at the small child and Karkat only looked up in confusion. Though the act of being snatched off the rock did not go unnoticed to the oldest Vantas, he instantly started over. Though he was not in the mood for a negotiation, he was pissed, who dared to have the audacity to lay a finger on his son. The eel creature wrapped himself up much like coiled snake behind the rocks and held Karkat with him. He looked for a place to put Karkat safely; the water was too deep for him and the rocks too slick.

He heard splashing coming closer, until they were suddenly at the rock, fuck this child's dad must be an Olympic swimmer or something. Psiioniics looked up once the splashing stopped, yet the first think he saw were a sharp a rage filled bright red gaze. He still had his webbed claws over the tiny human's mouth and his other arm trapping him there. This did not look like the best of scenes. His fangs bared back at the other's glare and sparks shot from his eyes to show that he was no push over.

Karkat started to wiggle and finally pulled his hand off of his face and took a deep breath, looking up at his dad happily. "Dad! I'm sorry I was chasing a crab an-" He was cut off quickly by a stern and angry voice. One of which he didn't expect from his cool and calm dad.

"Let go of my son" He said his words in a normal volume, but the tone was strong and rage filled. The command didn't seemed staggered or strained, he was not one bit scared of the other's appearance. The eel creature looked down at Karkat's eyes and then back at the man before him, yet they were the same, but he did not take the time to save Karkat to just let him go off with some random human.

"Do you know where I found you're th-on? In the middle of the ocean being pulled out to th-ea" Psii said right back, pissed that this human was commanding him what to do and that he just left this small child alone. Karkat looked up at the two adults and started to wriggle out of Psiioniic's grip.

"Psii!" he whined and wriggled more. The eel creature looked down at the child and moved his tail more in front of him; the light's catching the child's eye instantly , he started to play with the small pieces of bio illuminated fin and flesh. The man moved over the rock diving them and into the small pool in-between rocks.

"I know that, I have been looking for him for the past hour and a half, and if you think I am going to allow to fucking sit here and continued to keep me from my child you have another thing coming." Signless crossed his arms over his chest, though the look in his eyes made it seem like he was fixing to rip Psiioniics in two. The eel creature looked up at him and then set up as tall as he could. His hands grabbing Karkat quickly, looking at him as he picked him up. The small boy smiled at him and then looked back at his father and reached out for him.

"Fine, but next time he might not be so lucky as to get saved. He would have gotten eaten if it was anyone else." He said and swam up to the other, rearing out of the ocean enough to tower over him. "understand?" he didn't know why he was trying to ensure this human child's safety, but he was. The human glared and nodded, grabbing Karkat quickly and holding him as close as he could to his chest.

"I get it wise ass, but thank you for saving him regardless." He said in a bit calmer and respectful tone. Though as Sollux turned to slither away, Karkat pushed himself away from his dad, and "swam", it was more of a flail of arms and feet through the water towards Psii and hugged his tail tightly.

"Thank you Psii!" He said happily and smiled at him, squeezing his tail. The creature raised a brow and red and blue sparks shot from his eyes. Lifting the boy up and off his tail and allowing him to be suspended in the air. He chuckled a bit to himself and floated him over to his dad.

"No problem kid and sir" He looked at Signless more. "cute kid." He nodded and readied himself to go under the water, until he was called out.

"Wait! What's your name?" Signless asked as he cradled Karkat, happy to have his son back in his arms.

"Psiioniics Captor, and you are?" He asked with a small brow raise.

"Signless Vantas,"

"Well Mr. Vantas I will see you around, and don't worry too much about getting eaten. That normally only happens at night" He dipped under the water and was gone. Though Signless had a feeling that that was not the last time they would meet.