Due to the new character information that was released after the start of the fanfic, it's now even more AU than it already was. Anyone reading this for the first time now, know that at the time, it wasn't official whether Old was the twins' father or not, so that was why I only made him a foster parent. And I had guessed Sal to be the younger twin before he was revealed to be older. I'm still kind of attached to my younger Sal interpretation.
It felt like this chapter was really short until it was all edited…I swear. And the ending feels a little rushed…but there was nothing more I really felt like trying to fit in here. Agh, it took way too long for me to write this, and there's no excuse really, except for my anxiety problems.
Lobco might be kind of OOC, but really, I like giving her a bit more confidence…because I love her…and I just had to include her. She's one of my favorite characters, actually. Probably my favorite female.
Again, thank you to everyone who reads! Feel free to follow me at azucrim-blog on tumblr for more sometimes story-related shenanigans. Love you!
(-)
Chapter 3
How…? What…? Why…? Everything felt different, everything seemed wrong. This wasn't what was supposed to happen—this wasn't possible. This wasn't something he'd ever considered for a second.
My body... It's…weird… I don't like it. I don't like…knowing this. I wish I didn't know. But…not knowing the truth…would probably be even worse. I just…don't know now.
Sal had thought of all sorts of mortifying possibilities…that he had some sort of leg cancer or skin cancer…that he would need to have his legs completely amputated. But as he understood it, this thing was in his brain. Cutting off his legs or his tail would have absolutely no effect. It would keep invading his system regardless.
Fear and uncertainty gripped his chest, a queasy unsettledness sloshed through his stomach. Very gingerly, he reached up…and touched at his head, as if checking to make sure it hadn't morphed and bulged out.
He remembered when they'd told him…Samekichi and Wadanohara together. His complete disbelief. This was…some kind of dream—a hallucination, a prank, something. But no. There was no such reprieve. Wadanohara's deathly serious face told him as much.
Sal's reaction had been just as anticipated. "I want it out!" he'd cried. "I want it gone! Can't he just…take it out of me?!" But Samekichi had had to explain, as gently as possible, that it would be extremely dangerous and incredibly risky. His immediate response was that he didn't care…but it hadn't really sunken in yet. Having his entire personality erased… In a way, that was even worse than death. To just…cease to exist, in mind and spirit… The more he thought about it, the more frightening it seemed.
"And, and besides!" Wadanohara had told him. "My father says there's a good chance you'll just…grow new body parts, and once that's done, it'll all be over."
"Except that I'll be some weird mutated shark," he'd responded, to which she'd insistently declared that he'd always be their special white shark, and Samekichi had made a joke about finally being able to distinguish them from a distance.
Though he'd asked, and they obviously had no answer or any basic idea, Sal still wondered just why in the world he'd gotten something like this. Why was this happening to him and not Samekichi? If their DNA was so similar, why wasn't he going through this too? Did it have something to do with his apparent deformity at birth? He'd just been unlucky enough to get all the defective chromosomes, while Samekichi got off scot-free? It just wasn't fair…though who ever said life was supposed to be fair? At least Samekichi unquestionably accepted him and loved him as family…unlike their substitute of a father.
It felt weird and awful…Sal had slept almost the entire day. Apparently, he needed it, since he was frequently tired. And after only a few more hours awake, he felt sleepy and wiped out again. Wadanohara was optimistic and said that the more he slept, the more the mutant body parts would be able to grow, and they'd be that much closer to being fully formed. But he hated sleeping for this long. It was like…he was missing life.
He was unconscious during another critical meeting that night, and Samekichi visited him a bit later to fill him in. Sal's eyelids kept drooping, and he had to keep himself from dozing off during his brother's explanations, even though he was actually intensely interested. The gist of it was that the Princesses weren't disappointed in them for abandoning the mission, thank the Sea God. Apparently, Lord Meikai had told them all about what had happened, and they'd sent over a letter. They wanted him to study this magic parasite to see if it had any relation to the strange goings-on in the western waters.
But I had this problem starting…even before we left for the mission. The immediate thought never left Sal's lips, because his eyelids were sliding fuzzy black curtains over his world…but he felt certain they'd soon figure it out. It was just…him. His own body rebelling against him.
The second day, he at least stayed up for longer. Though he assured Wadanohara that he wasn't tired and he wasn't forcing himself to stay awake, he was…just a little. Seven hours of daytime felt more reasonable to him.
He even had a chance for a little enjoyment when Memoca and Dolphi came up and laid a card game out on the bedroom table…and he pushed himself out of bed to join them. Wadanohara popped into the game towards the end, though by that point, she had no idea what was going on. It was pretty…comfortable…and they all laughed and goofed around like always. Though Sal noted that Memoca restrained herself at some points, when at other times, she might have wing-whacked him or otherwise physically displayed her annoyance with something he'd just done. It was a little sad to realize, but…he was going to have to get used to the others treating him more…delicately.
Naturally, since at least the mermaid doctor knew about it, word started to get around that Sal was very ill. It wasn't long before he started receiving get-well cards in the mail. There was one decorated with shells from Irena, a soothing-looking one from Aom, a silly, light-hearted one from Miyura and Seguro, and a really sweet one from Doloz and Cherryblod that almost made him cry.
To Samekichi's annoyance, a grouping of town mermaids even gathered to come visit. Sal had somehow managed to gather quite a few female fans in town. They just swooned over his suave and gentlemanly act, and it made Samekichi gag…which Sal loved.
The mermaid girls bustled about his bed, fretting over him and loading him with flowery seaweed bouquets, heart cards, and even watery balloons. He stayed firmly in bed, hiding his legs from view, and making off that he really was bedridden.
"Don't worry, girls," he reassured them, with a wink. "With all your support, I'm sure to get better in no time at all!" And that sent them into fits of giggles and titters, while Samekichi made retching noises from the corner. Little did he know, he had quite a fan following in town himself…though he certainly wouldn't tolerate them as well as Sal did.
Once the group of mermaids finally filed out the front door, Memoca came paddling up the stairs, waggling her eyebrows at the gift-laden Sal. "Well, would you look at the ladies' shark."
"Oh, shut up." Sal tried to push some of the bouquets off him and flushed slightly. He was honestly a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected to get this much attention. "C'mon, don't just stand there—help me get rid of this stuff."
Cackling, Memoca finally helped scoop up some of the gifts as Sal gathered them together. She came back and bopped him in the face with a balloon. "You're such an idiot."
And he laughed, genuinely, for the first time that day.
A bit later, after a nap, Sal decided to get himself out of bed and walk around a little. He couldn't stay in bed all day. His legs kind of hurt after a few steps, but he pushed through the pain, determined not to be bedridden in reality the whole time. Joining the other familiars downstairs, he hung around with them for a while…talking and laughing with Samekichi and Wadanohara…dropping in on Memoca and Dolphi's arts and crafts playtime. He even managed to stay up for dinner, though he was starting to feel listless and feeble at that point.
When he checked himself in the bathroom, it was clear why his legs were hurting so much. His pants were especially tight around the affected thigh area…and when he carefully peeled them off, he couldn't help groaning out a little "eww".
The lumps had grown, all right…they weren't lumps now as much as small flaps of hanging, excess skin. He carefully cupped his hand around one…but it hurt when he tried to lift it or form it back into a lump, so he just let it flop there. It was just so hard to believe… But…if these really were new body parts forming, no wonder they hurt so much. Brand new nerves and muscles must be growing and cementing on the inside there.
Sickness swirling through his stomach at the sight, Sal gently pulled his pants back on so he wouldn't have to look at them any longer. If he could only just…pretend they weren't there. If he could focus on something else, forget about their existence, and pretend he just had a cold…it was a little easier to tolerate.
A few minutes later, a soft knock thumped against the front door, and thankfully, Sal had already tucked himself into bed again. Samekichi grumbled, believing that it was another round of gaggling mermaids straying in to have a look at the sickly object of their fantastical desires. But when Wadanohara peeked out the porthole window, her face lit up, and he drifted up behind her, assured that this particular visitor was at least someone she approved of.
Memoca flapped up, following him, with Dolphi straggling after…though Fukami didn't leave his seat on the couch, a book clutched between his loose sleeves, as usual.
"Why, hello! It's so nice of you to come by!" Wadanohara opened the door wide, letting the two figures drift over the threshold. Round dollops of red… Very familiar splotches of red.
"Wadanoharaaaaa! Helloooo! It's so nice to see you!"
"Ah…hello. I heard that…Sal was really sick, so…I thought I'd make a visit over here. He, um…he just sort of tagged along."
"Give us a greeting kissssss!"
"N-N-No, no! Don't impose yourself on her like that!"
Lobco and Tarako…a really odd pair, but a mostly welcome one nonetheless. The nervous lobster girl was pulling the small, round flapjack octopus back, preventing him from reaching Wadanohara with his squeezing, stretched sucker.
Wadanohara just laughed a little, though Samekichi clasped a hand around her shoulder, defensively. He was ready to pound that stupid little octo-kid into the wall if he so much as brushed his mouth against her. Well, they'd ended up in a room together—a little fighting was going to be inevitable.
"Tarako, Lobco!" Wadanohara cheerily called. "Welcome! That's very thoughtful. We missed you the other day, Lobco, when we came by to deliver flowers."
"Yes, I know." Lobco clutched her hands above her black skirt, her bright red curls bouncing lightly when she bowed her head. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there. The flowers were wonderful."
"It's no problem."
Tarako finally broke out of her grasp and floated up towards Samekichi, to his annoyance. Unfortunately, the young octopus loved tormenting him even more than Sal did, and even more relentlessly… "And how are you today, Samsamkichi?"
"I'd be fine if someone could only get my name right."
"Awwwww, don't be that way, Tsundekichiiii…"
"Don't call me that!"
"So, um…" Lobco tried to ignore their antics, reaching into a pocket on her jacket and pulling out a small chiffon pouch tied with a light blue bow, holding it out for Wadanohara to see. "I made a little bit of candy for him… Oh! Unless he's not able to eat any of it. Ah, I'm sorry!"
"Oh, don't worry!" Wadanohara took the pouch from her, offering a reassuring smile. "If he doesn't feel well enough to eat them, we'll just hold onto them for when he's better!"
"Or I'll eat them for him." Memoca poked her head around her shoulder, grinning widely. "You know, to save him from the temptation."
"Memoca, at least give him a chance." Wadanohara turned…and completely ignored her gray shark familiar, who was now struggling to pull Tarako's suction tentacles from his neck. "Really, that's so, so sweet of you. You should stay a little while—we haven't seen you lately, and there's so much to catch up on!"
"Mmmmfff!" Tarako had managed to squish the side of his bulbous head against Samekichi's mouth, his own tube-mouth pulsating insistently.
Fukami and Dolphi also said their subdued greetings to the lobster girl, and Wadanohara began to lead her to the staircase, naturally assuming her role as leader. "Just let me check if he's still awake, and then we can go up to see him."
"Should be," Memoca added. "He just went up there a few minutes ago."
"Unless he fell asleep right away." Fukami nodded to himself.
"Um…has he got some kind of sleeping disease?" Lobco shifted to ask the familiars while Wadanohara slipped upstairs. "Dad didn't really say what kind of sickness he had…"
"Hrrragh!" Samekichi finally succeeded in ripping Tarako from his neck, flinging him halfway across the room. Apparently, he felt permitted to use violence now that Wadanohara wasn't in the room.
"We don't really know." Fukami crossed his long sleeves, dodging the question. "But it certainly requires a lot of rest. It's probably a strain of influenza."
"Oh. That's too bad."
"Samechicken, why you be so cruuuuel?"
"Because you're just…! Ahhhhgh, I shouldn't even dignify that with an answer."
Lobco's eyebrows pinched upwards—a typical expression for her, but the firmness in her stance belied her inner determination. "Tarako…I let you come along, but please…don't cause a scene. We really shouldn't disturb Sal, he's very ill."
The small, young octopus pushed himself over towards her, bobbing complacently near her shoulder. "Oh. Are we going to see Mr. Shawl now?"
"Possibly," Lobco looked him firmly in the eyes, trying to keep him calm and make him behave. "So we have to try to be quiet, okay?"
Samekichi rolled his eyes, though he tried to calm himself down as well. Tarako was just a stupid kid, but he always got on his nerves like no one else…and it was a little embarrassing how much he overreacted sometimes. "Damn octopus can't even get my brother's name right when it's only one syllable," he muttered under his breath.
Fortunately, a light tapping announced Wadanohara's return, and she smiled when she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Okay, guys, we're all set. He's a little groggy, but he's still up, if you want to come."
"Yes! We want to see Sails!" Tarako shouted and immediately pulsed ahead, but Lobco reached out with lightning reflexes and pinched one stubby tentacle. "O-Ow!"
"Not unless you're quiet, then…then no." It came out a little awkwardly…Lobco wasn't used to being so assertive…but it looked like she was really taking charge to keep Tarako under control. Maybe she felt personally guilty for bringing him here.
"Alllllright." The young flapjack looked a little downcast, but he complied, and Lobco dragged him with her up the stairs.
Samekichi started, as if to automatically follow them, but he paused, apparently thinking better of it. Glancing back, Wadanohara noticed Memoca hopping towards him just before she ascended...at least they would keep him occupied, probably teasing him about his spat with Tarako.
"Here they are!" She gently announced, gesturing for the two visitors to step forward. "They wanted to come up and see you for a little while, Sal."
"Huh? Oh…Lobco and Tarako! Hello!"
Sal had stolen an extra pillow from Samekichi's bed—he knew he wouldn't mind—and used it to prop himself up against the headboard. He'd been trying to read, but the words had started giving him a vicious headache…he'd just stashed the volume away again when Wadanohara had initially come up to see how he was doing. Even now, the inside of his head was lightly throbbing…but at least he could endure it with a smile.
"Sal!" The two red-colored creatures came closer, Wadanohara hovering behind, and Sal awkwardly fiddled with his hands over his stomach. It was a little embarrassing…getting all these sickbed visits, especially when he wasn't really sick. But at least it proved one thing—a lot of people really did care about him. And that almost made it worthwhile. Almost.
"M-Mr. Saaaaaal…" Tarako floated down, almost resting on his knee. A perfectly-formed teardrop squeezed out of his dot-eye. "Are you okaaaaay? You look really, really pale…"
"Er…I'm always pale." Sal managed a weak chuckle. "It would be a problem if I wasn't pale."
With an exaggerated sniffle, Tarako pushed himself up against Sal's chest, nuzzling him a little, and he gave a nervous, puzzled smile.
"Aheh…hey, it's perfectly okay. I'm going to get better again for sure. It might take a little while, but I definitely will, alright?"
"Tarako really hopes so." The octopus wiped his tear on the covers and lifted his head-body. "How about an Octokiss of Healing?"
"N-No!" Desperately, Lobco snatched him from the bed, tucking him under her arm like a basketball, even though he squirmed a little.
"W-Waaugh! No! Why?!"
"It's for your own good," she began, firmly clamping her arm down on him to prevent him from escaping. "Don't you know? If you kissed him, you would catch his disease."
"Ah…augh!" Tarako's eyes bulged wide.
"That's right!" Wadanohara was pretty impressed at her lobster friend's ability to properly defuse the situation. Maybe her time with Chlomaki really was helping her out. It was definitely reassuring to know, and she'd have to talk to her about it later.
"Oh, hey, Sal…" Suddenly remembering, she held out the neat little candy pouch, transferring it into his cupped hands. "Lobco made a little gift for you."
"B-But you don't have to eat it right now or anything!" Lobco hastily added. "It was just a thought, really."
"Okay…" Delicately, Sal pried it open, with curious eyes. A small pile of little yellow star-shaped candies rested on a piece of padding in the middle. He gave a little smile and shook one out into his palm. "Thank you very much. I'll just taste one to see what it's like, but they certainly look good."
His smile widened a bit further when he popped it into his mouth. It had a smooth, mellowed lemon flavor that was…just kind of soothing and homely. Perfectly appropriate for someone like Lobco to have made. "Hmm," he spoke again, once it had dissolved enough. "They're wonderful. Thank you."
"Ah…" The flustered, joyful expression on Lobco's face masked the outburst of happiness that was surely welling within her. "Th-thank you! I mean, you're welcome! I'm so, so glad you like them!"
"Make some for Tarako too next time!" The little octopus swiveled around to look at her, insistently.
"Eheh…" Though she didn't reply, the slight twitch at her mouth clearly said "Uh, no."
And so, they chatted for a little while longer, mostly about cooking and the other town residents, before Wadanohara noticed Sal fighting to stay awake, and announced that they should leave, so he could get some rest…despite his numerous feeble protests.
It had been really good for him, though… Though they didn't interact all that often, Lobco and Sal were distant friends, and he honestly liked being around her. And Tarako liked Sal a lot more than Samekichi…probably because he'd sometimes join him in tormenting him. In fact, some of Tarako's parting words were "get better soon, so we can bother Tunakichi!" But by that point, Sal was practically asleep already.
Lobco stayed just a bit longer to talk with Wadanohara, though Tarako left immediately…he was probably tired himself. The two friends recounted their respective travels recently, with the familiars joining in here and there, asking questions and supplying details. By the time the lobster girl left, Dolphi had already gone up to bed, and even Samekichi was getting ready to join her and Sal.
Everything seemed…just a little bit better…their dim situation just a little bit brighter. And all it took was a friendly visit from people they cared for. It wasn't much, but just that brief encounter had somehow dispersed a sliver of the tension in the air…enough for everyone to breathe easily and forget all about their worries and questions.
If only…if only it could stay that way.
(-)
"Aaaaaugh! A-Aaugh! Nnn…!"
Samekichi's eyes snapped open in the dark. Immediately, his mind whirred to life out of the haze of sleep, and he could feel his heart thump inside his chest and against his mattress. It was a learned response…he was sensitive to this sound, he could pick it out amidst a whirlwind of noise—it would wake him out of the deepest reverie, even when no one else might have heard it. His brother's scream of pain.
It fell silent after that first outburst, but fabric rolled and shuffled and shifted continually, his bed softly creaking underneath his body, which was undoubtedly tossing and curling and squeezing.
"Sal!" An instant later, Samekichi threw off his own covers, hauling his body out of bed and hissing his name. "Sal, tell me what's going on." Somehow, it hadn't woken anyone else, even Fukami, who was in the bed on the other side.
"Mmn…" Sal mumbled a little, and Samekichi noticed the lump of his body move a little under his covers. Just barely, he caught a soft gasping sigh. At least he didn't seem to be in pain anymore, but… He just knew he'd held it in…stuffed his cries back down his own throat, just so he wouldn't interrupt anyone's sleep.
"Sal." Insistently, Samekichi placed himself at the edge of his brother's bed, and he shifted slightly. He wasn't going to tolerate any of this bullshit…hiding things and being ashamed. He was going to yank it out of him no matter what. He needed to know…more than anything, he needed to know, so that he could help him. And he hoped those feelings were communicated in the firmness of his voice…that there was no way he was getting out of this.
"U-Uh…" Sal shuddered, and finally peeled away the top of his blanket, peeking his head out. His paleness seemed to catch what little light remained in the room and reflect its glow. His eyes shifted up and focused on Samekichi's face…so he knew he must see him, even in this darkness. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry…"
"Just shut the hell up and tell me—what happened?"
"Um…" He looked away. Curse his damn embarrassment. This was probably going to hurt him more than anything else.
Samekichi fixed him with a hard, knowing glare, and he sighed in compliance.
"My legs were hurting," Sal softly spoke, almost a whisper. "So I, uh…I took my pants off. It feels better like that. I guess they're…too big now. That it was…too tight or something. But…what am I supposed to do now? I can't stay this way. I don't want to be in bed all day tomorrow just because…of this."
"Let me see them."
Sal shivered and hastily glanced over to make doubly sure no one else was awake before he lifted the covers. Samekichi snatched a small, round glow lantern from the nearest table and tapped it on. He saw Sal visibly cringe in the soft blue light, probably paranoid that it would wake Fukami or something.
Returning to his side, Samekichi placed the lantern on the floor next to the bed and wordlessly began examining Sal's right leg. A brownish fabric was balled up near the foot of the bed—his ill-fitting pants, presumably. But most of all…those things…
Samekichi tried not to let the disgust show on his face, but he couldn't help scowling a little. They'd grown, of course. They were a little longer…and when he gingerly touched the right one, it seemed stiffer at the base…harder, not as squishy and skin-like. They really were…body parts. New, permanent body parts. The longer ends were still limp sacks of flesh, so it had probably been the pressure on the newly-formed hard muscle tissue that had caused him so much pain.
Sal clenched his eyes shut. "They're pretty gross, I know."
Gross wasn't even part of the equation. He was going to do whatever he had to do to keep him healthy, and this was something he needed to do…something that only he could do.
"Hmm." Samekichi pulled away again and cracked a secretive smile. "I think I've got an idea. Hold on."
"Huh…?"
He couldn't help chuckling in his head as he slipped back onto his feet and soundlessly moved to a small desk in the corner. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find exactly what he needed in the fading reflection of the distant glow lamp. One large pair of scissors.
A pair of widened blue eyes stared up at his hand when he returned to the bedside. "Uh…what are you going to…?"
"Start putting your pants back on." Samekichi softly knelt down close again. "But just one leg. Just the right for now."
Sal gave a little shiver, but carefully began to shuffle the rumpled material upwards, sliding one leg into it. It took a bit of shifting and wincing when it got close to the pouring excess skin…and at that point, Samekichi stopped him, freezing his hand in place with a light tap.
Silently, he plied at the fabric a little, measuring things out… Meanwhile, Sal watched his every move, illuminated upwards by the faint bluish light. Once he'd estimated the right place, Samekichi pinched up a little of the material…and carefully cut a slice into it, widening it to the appropriate length. There was a slit in the side of Sal's pants leg now.
"Now you can bring it up all the way."
It was awkward and a little bit painful, from the expression on Sal's face, but he managed to slide his leg all the way in.
"Alright, now…" A little worried about hurting him, Samekichi clenched his teeth, gently pressing his fingers to the slit…and reached them inside. Sal twitched a little, but thankfully, showed no other sign of pain.
At last, Samekichi's fingers gripped around the mass of fleshy growth at his thigh. Gently, he nudged and pushed it through the slit…until it poked straight through, comfortably.
"Ah…heh." Sal broke into a little smile, though his upper cheeks still seemed a little pink.
"It that good?" Samekichi asked…though it was wonderfully clear how relieved it made him.
"Y-Yes, yes! That's a good idea." Eagerly, Sal flipped himself over. "Let's do the other side."
And so with a bit more awkward shuffling and maneuvering, Samekichi cut a second slice for the other leg, and Sal was finally able to pull his pants back on comfortably. "Ahhh, gosh. Thank you so much, Samekichi. That was…kinda embarrassing."
"Well, it needed to be done." Samekichi stashed the scissors away again and snatched up the glow lantern when he returned. "Better we got this done now than to have you wake up tomorrow morning like that. Especially if I wasn't around for some reason. You would've been unable to wear pants all day."
"Yeah." Sal slightly stretched his legs under the covers, getting used to the fit of his modified pants and how they moved. "Though…if you were gone all day, I might have eventually gotten desperate and asked to borrow one of Wadanohara's skirts."
"And that's a horror no one should be forced to witness, so we've averted a major crisis tonight."
Sal scowled, though it could just barely be seen. "If I didn't have to keep quiet right now…"
Samekichi flashed him a sharp-toothed grin, before turning away, back into bed at last. He extinguished the light and pressed himself back onto his pillow. Usually, he was never the one to initiate the teasing, but…right now, he just wanted to act like…normal. He wished he could banter with Sal like he always did. He needed to…just to feel like everything was truly okay.
"Wait, hugs!" Sal's voice raised, almost above the soft, hushed tone they'd been using. Though he didn't turn to look, Samekichi could just picture him stretching arms out towards him, lightheartedly.
"No. Go back to sleep now."
"But hugs!"
If he hadn't been afraid of waking the others, Samekichi just knew Sal would be poking him and crazily grinning at him right now, insistently demanding hugs from him in an irritating tone.
"Hugs in the morning. Get some rest."
"But by that time, you're going to forget!"
"That's the whole idea. Now go to freakin' bed."
"Aaah, so cold..."
A tiny bubble of laughter danced in Samekichi's chest. This was honestly wonderful, and it made him feel so…good. He would never, ever admit it, and it was hard to even think about…but talking to Sal like that…he'd actually missed it. And the fact that it had returned helped everything seem…natural again. More comfortable.
Samekichi stuffed his face into his pillow…and the darkness hid his softer smile. It's okay... The comfort absorbed into him, unwinding his muscles…and before he even realized it, he'd drifted off to sleep once again.
(-)
In the morning, Sal insisted on coming down for breakfast. Samekichi directed a concerned look at him, but his steadfast, determined gaze brought him to a halt. He wasn't going to back down. He wasn't going to let a little thing like this disrupt his daily life…to bar him from enjoying the things he always did.
Truth be told, he felt a lot better now that the pressure was off his legs…he could temporarily forget about it, if he just looked away… It barely hurt. Once in a while, he felt little patches of warmth and crackling fuzz around those areas, but otherwise…it was almost normal.
At last, Samekichi relented, casting him a quick, reassuring smile, and led the way downstairs.
Sal couldn't help just…letting his unstated affection wrap around his heart. Though it was frustrating and discouraging sometimes…when his older brother had to help him or take care of him…when his mind told him he was being a bother, a nuisance, a burden… Sometimes it hurt a little…but sometimes it also felt wonderful. Knowing that he always had someone he could rely on, who was looking out for him… He was immensely grateful for Samekichi's help, and he hoped that someday he'd get to repay all of this.
Unfortunately, no matter how much courage he had…he couldn't stop everyone from staring when he stepped down the stairs and emerged from behind the darker shark. Dolphi's face took on a slight greenish tint. Wadanohara gazed, eyebrows furrowed worriedly. Memoca mouthed the word "eww"…and even Fukami shivered a little. Samekichi sighed as he made his way to the closest couch.
Despite their adverse expressions, Sal beamed at them like nothing was wrong. "Morning, everybody!"
"Are…you alright?" It was the first thing Wadanohara said. Not another greeting or a "good morning" response. Immediately, it was "are you okay".
Sal gave a hollow, forced laugh. "Oh, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt. It just looks a little gross, though, I know." Carefully, he moved to the back of the sofa, nervous about taking a seat near them and freaking them out. "It hurt a lot more last night, actually, before Samekichi made these…holes."
Wadanohara swiveled back to focus on him, her face still slightly concerned. "Well…I suppose it was bound to happen sometime. If those things are going to be…long…then you needed to adjust for them."
"Heh heh…" Sal laughed nervously.
Poor Dolphi was looking at him like he was some sort of ultimate demon shark, though at least Fukami and Memoca seemed to have moved on. The tall octopus boy strode over and recovered a breakfast plate for him, shoving the biscuit and two sausages towards his chest without a word.
"Er, thanks…" Awkwardly, Sal rested the plate on the back of Samekichi's head and picked up the biscuit.
"Just freaking sit down already!" he snapped, twitching a little with the urge to just shake his head and send his brother's breakfast flying.
"Ah, but…!" Sal grasped the plate, just in case. "I don't want to disturb anyone…"
"You heard 'im—frikkin sit," Memoca added, her voice muffled by a mouthful of muffin. She flapped one free wing at the empty cushion next to her. Apparently, she must not care anymore about being near his gross, floppy skin sacks.
"Oh…a-alright." Still a bit hesitant, Sal crept around the table and lowered himself down into the seat. Memoca took a curious glance down at his thigh, but just kept on chewing, regardless.
Even Wadanohara's eyes were drawn over towards it, probably taking this chance to get a closer look. It was the first time she'd actually seen these things now that they'd grown out of their swollen lump form "It's…some kind of…limbs or something?" she asked. Her wide, round eyes blinked at them with morbid fascination. "Or maybe fins? They don't seem to be shaped like fins, though."
"I have no idea…" Sal shook his head, breaking away from her searching gaze. "Can't we change the subject?"
"Nope," Memoca bluntly answered. She swallowed and suddenly reached over towards him. "I wanna see."
"D-Don't touch it!" Sal cried, pressing himself to the edge of the sofa, away from her.
"Why, does it hurt?"
"No, it's just…it's disgusting!"
A small pout edged onto Memoca's lips. "It's not that gross. Just a little gross."
"Yes it is!"
Fukami shook his head from across the table. "You're talking to the girl who picks up slugs with her bare wings, remember."
"Hey!" She squawked back. "It's not my fault some people are just scared of 'em for no reason."
"Though you certainly exploit that fear for all it's worth."
"…Darn straight."
It was unusual for Fukami to be so talkative…and Sal suspected that he was somehow doing it for him. Silently, he thanked the octopus and made a mental note to try to repay him at some point in the future as well.
At least Wadanohara didn't seem too terribly repulsed, which was what he had been afraid of. If his presence freaked her out, he'd just feel even worse about himself. She was just curious and speculative, insistently asking him questions and trying to figure it out…which he honestly appreciated, though he kind of wished she could just ignore it for now.
Eventually, Wadanohara took Dolphi and Memoca out for the day…they were going to spend some "girl time" practicing magic and training routines and probably shopping a little, since they hadn't actually done that in a while. The guys were left at home, with Fukami stuck awkwardly with the shark brothers, so it was a little…weird. Especially with Samekichi and Fukami's vague animosity.
Sal felt a little anxious, because if a fight did suddenly break out, he'd have to play the peacemaker and keep the two of them from mauling each other. Fortunately, Samekichi understood not wanting to put him in that position, and promptly avoided the lanky octopus boy as much as possible. He began a workout routine in the art room, while Fukami just curled his tentacles up on the couch with a book.
Following his lead, Sal brought one of his books down and tried to calmly read beside him…but it still wasn't working. Each sentence seemed to drive a small pin into his forehead, and after only one page, his entire head was gradually throbbing.
Why is this even happening? He wondered. Maybe it's because I'm too tired. I can't concentrate on any one thing for too long. That was probably exactly the case. Though he couldn't feel it at this moment, his body was still being rapidly drained of its energy, and it made sense that it would affect his vision and his focus.
With a frustrated grumble, he shoved himself off the couch, and Fukami briefly glanced over at him from underneath his bangs.
Sal stuffed the book back under his bed and stretched out over the covers again. I wish…I could go out swimming. The thought occurred to him while he lied there, staring up at the ceiling and watching the little waves of light flapping in the water. But…I'm probably not going to be able to do that for a long time yet. If at all.
His eyebrows pinched and he rolled onto his side, closing his eyes to block out the images. We have to tell the townsfolk someday. If not, I'll never be able to go outside. I can't keep hiding these things forever. Who knows how…big they're going to end up?
Gingerly, he felt down at one of the growths again, and it was probably just his imagination, but it felt a slight bit longer already. We're going to have to tell people. And…I might have to deal with everyone being afraid of me for a while. Hopefully, it will only be a while.
"Rrrrgh…" Sal couldn't deal with this anymore…the fear and uncertainty and dependence. By now, he didn't even feel like trying to find something else to do to pass the time.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes…and suddenly, everything plunged into safe, familiar blank nothingness again.
(-)
The next afternoon. It was time. The essential appointment they'd been waiting for.
Wadanohara almost wished it had been sooner… Honestly, she'd wanted to cart Sal off to the palace as soon as she'd seen the noodly extensions flopping out of his pants-slits. But she'd reminded herself that this appointment was only a day away, and had kept her anxiety to herself, instead opting to relax a little with Memoca and Dolphi. They'd gathered a cute little collection of seashells, and it had been enough to at least help her relax about the whole ordeal. The important thing was that Sal wasn't in pain. As long as it wasn't hurting him…it really didn't matter what he looked like.
On one hand, part of her felt guilty for almost constantly thinking about Sal…but how could she not? Each time she locked eyes with Samekichi, she could just feel that he was thinking about him too. Their thoughts and sentiments were practically unified. Sal's mysterious condition was consuming their thoughts. That was probably why Samekichi had agreed to let Wadanohara leave with the girls—even if it meant he had to spend several hours with just his drowsy brother and Fukami. He'd wanted her to get away and release it from her thoughts for just a little while…it was disheartening that he couldn't do the same.
Nevertheless, the three of them were travelling to Sea God Palace for an evaluation today. Naturally, Wadanohara could have easily asked her father to come out to the house again, but surprisingly, Sal had insisted on going to the Palace himself. It seemed like he really was stir crazy and desperate to stretch his legs…this was the first time she'd ever seen him willing to go. And at the same time…she was betting he was just as anxious on the inside and eager to have these crazy things examined again.
Overnight, his long skin sacks had grown nearly another inch, just reaching his knees. Again, he insisted that it didn't hurt—it just looked grotesque. Wadanohara had to remind herself every now and then not to stare at them…it was kind of difficult, since they were stark white, just like the rest of his body, and they stood out against the dark palette of his clothing.
Before stepping out the door, Sal removed his jacket, and Samekichi helped wrap a long, dark blue cloak around him, to hide his legs. It was one of Lord Meikai's old capes, actually, and it was lucky that Wadanohara had it stored in one of her trunks upstairs.
With a small frown, Samekichi tied it tightly closed around his little brother's body. Sal lifted his tail, poking it out from behind and waving it a little, chuckling.
"Keep that down!" Samekichi advised him. "You're letting it up too much."
"I know, I know." Sal pouted at him. "I'm just having a bit of fun. Though I still think you should be wearing a cloak too, so it'll look less conspicuous."
"We don't have a second cloak." Samekichi crossed his arms and looked him up and down, appraising his own work. "And even if we did, I'm definitely not wearing one. I'd look like a freakin' phantasm or something."
"Hah…yeah. You'd look like the grim reaper. So it would suit you perfectly."
Samekichi proceeded to flick Sal on the nose, and he cried out, bopping him on the fin in return.
Wadanohara smiled to watch them acting like normal…and then she thought, perhaps, they were doing it for her sake. If they just acted like everything was completely natural…it would feel completely natural…and that was what they all needed most right now.
Dolphi gave Wadanohara a hug just before they left, murmuring "come back soon" into her dress, and affection danced around in her heart. Memoca waved, cracking jokes about Sal's cloak, to which he mostly joked back, and Fukami just fixed a steady, thoughtful gaze on them.
He'd been furtively glancing at Sal's extensions ever since they'd made their debut, and Wadanohara wondered if he might be trying to figure out what they were as well. They should get that answer today.
To her relief, they didn't run into many inquisitive fish on the way…though even when they did bump into a few, particularly at the palace gates, she could explain away Sal's appearance by telling them that he still had a fever and was feeling particularly cold. Fish tended to shuffle away in response, selfishly trying to protect themselves from the germs.
Lord Meikai was alert and eager to see them as soon as they stepped into his chambers. Tatsumiya rushed to their side as well, long white hair and red antennae flowing behind her…and a small bit of tension lifted from Wadanohara's shoulders. This…soothing aura…the comfort that could only come from her loved and trusted parents… It helped…it helped a lot, and it could make anything seem alright again.
Fortunately, Old was out patrolling the perimeter of the royal grounds, and Meikai had probably cleverly arranged it that way. Having his judgmental father hovering about during the examination was something Sal definitely did not need, and it was wise of him to account for that.
Lord Meikai quickly escorted them inside before Sheep or Pulmo or someone could come floating up, asking questions. Everyone murmured their pleasantries—which in Samekichi's case was a curt "hey"—and Sal unwrapped his cloak, awkwardly folding it over one arm and nervously shuffling in place.
"And Sal, dear, how are you feeling?" You had to hand it to Tatsumiya—she knew exactly what to say and how to handle the situation. She didn't even bat an eye at the sight of the excess skin.
"Um…" Sal's lips scrunched a little, chewing on the inside of his mouth. With his razor shark teeth, that could be potentially dangerous.
Softly, Wadanohara stepped closer and rested a hand over his cloak-draped arm. She hoped it was reassuring…she hoped it conveyed her thoughts—"the truth, Sal. Please. Tell them the truth".
"Well…it doesn't really hurt or anything…" He had to practically yank the words out of his mouth, but at least he was doing it. "But I'm really…ashamed. And a little tired. And…and a little afraid." His eyes shifted to the corners above his slightly reddened cheeks. Thank the God of the Sea that Old wasn't around…Sal definitely would have lied rather than admit that he was scared…such things were blatant weakness.
Tatsumiya gave him a warm, gentle smile. "That's perfectly natural. Anyone would be afraid, considering what you're going through. But if you're worried about the examination, it's okay."
"You won't even feel anything." Lord Meikai chuckled while he began setting cushions out on an emptied table. "I don't think you'll need to be asleep this time, but even so, you should barely notice…"
"What have you found out?" Samekichi demanded, straight to the point. "You have been researching it, right?" It was his way of saying "you better have made some sort of progress after all that time supposedly doing your little wizardly things", and Wadanohara lightly clenched her teeth. Sure, she agreed that he should know something more by now, but…any slight animosity towards her father set her on alert.
"Yes." Lord Meikai seemed unconcerned, spreading a sheet over the positioned pillows and gathering a bundle of parchment together. "It's been rather difficult to obtain the pertinent documents, to be honest. But we'll discuss my findings a bit later."
He turned and granted them a soft smile…though Wadanohara's formed a fist at her side. He was holding out now in order to make sure Sal didn't get even more nervous. She appreciated it, but at the same time, she was left to wonder if the news would really be so distressing. From the look on his darkened face, Samekichi was just as skeptical…but it worked on Sal, from his slightly more placated expression, and that was all that really mattered.
"First, let's get this examination over with." Lord Meikai came to Sal's side and extended his arms.
Complacently, he handed over the cloak and took a slow step towards the table. Lord Meikai placed a comforting hand between his shoulder blades…and Wadanohara saw him take in a visible, measured breath before finally making his way over.
Samekichi and Wadanohara seated themselves on cushions nearby, while Sal carefully lifted himself onto the prepared table, stretching out on his back and fighting back shivers of nerves.
Meikai granted him a quick, reassuring pat over the wrist. "Just close your eyes and relax. I'm going to apply a little bit of gel over your head to help channel the magic, and that's all you'll probably feel. Don't worry."
"Okay…" Sal forced his eyes closed, and Wadanohara watched her father softly rubbing an opaque liquid onto her familiar's forehead with two fingers. It was kind of…tender, and it made her think of how close they all were. Her familiars…they all felt like her family, just as much as her father.
Wadanohara had heard of how some witches treated their familiars like servants or treated them more like tools than like people. It was truly deplorable…she never would have been able to think of them that way. And…she suspected her father felt the same way. Right now, he thought of Sal as more than just his daughter's friend, his daughter's weapon…he was more like…his own nephew…and even more so, being the foster son of his own familiar.
Apparently, it was easier to perform the examination spell this time…maybe because he already knew what he was checking for. Lord Meikai focused half-lidded eyes and murmured in the twisting, rhythmic language of magic, and a thin veneer of iridescence coated his fingertips and wrapped down around Sal's head.
Wadanohara concentrated on the sounds, picking them apart and trying to "hear" the spell. She could speak the magic language, of course, but she had yet to fully master it, and the babble from her father right now was nearly incomprehensible to her. Yet, she tried to memorize some of it…after all, she'd be expected to perform on this level one day.
It lasted quite a while, Lord Meikai occasionally sliding his fingers over different parts of his head. Even so, Sal only twitched a few times during the entire process, which was a huge relief.
"Hahh." At last, Lord Meikai pulled away, his lighted irises dimming once the spell broke off. "Alright then…" He snatched up a facecloth and dabbed it over Sal's forehead, mopping up the goop. "We're all set, now, Sal—you can open your eyes."
"Uh…" Sal's wide blue eyes blinked back to life. "That…wasn't too bad."
"Told you." Lord Meikai flashed him an amused smile.
From the sidelines, Tatsumiya swept down, sleeves floating in her wake, and softly took hold of Sal's hand, helping him prop himself back up on the table.
"Well." Lord Meikai dusted his hands a little when he stepped away. "One thing is at least for certain—these extra limbs are a pair of tentacles."
Wadanohara has suspected as much, but it was nice to have it proven for certain. At least now she didn't have to worry about them suddenly growing hands or something.
"So…what?" Samekichi's brow was pinched inward, his scowl thoughtful. "Is he…turning into some sort of octopus hybrid? Why the hell would that happen?"
"Ahaha," Lord Meikai gave a short chuckle. "Oh, no, no. I said tentacles, but they seem to be much more like…large flagella. There aren't any suckers, after all, and I'm certain none will form. Though there's no reason flagella should be growing on a shark."
"Can't you just…amputate them or something?" Sal rubbed at his eyes a little, getting his bearings back. "If they really serve no purpose, and just get in the way…"
Lord Meikai shook his head, the rest of his body shuddering just slightly along with it. "No. I'm certain that, since they're not finished in their formation yet, if I attempted to remove them at this point, they would only regenerate. The parasitic force inside you has one current, major function, and that is the growth and maintenance of these limbs. Depending on how it operates, I may be able to remove them once they've completely grown in, but…then again, maybe not. My research thus far indicates that it's definitely not a good idea right now."
Sal hefted a sigh. Of course. It couldn't be solved so easily. Tatsumiya granted him a gentle smile and stroked down his shoulder in comfort. His head lowered, averting his eyes with embarrassment.
Tatsumiya had a tendency to treat Wadanohara's familiars as if they were her children too…and especially Sal, since she'd trained and mentored him personally. "Maybe it will help." She tried to be optimistic. "Maybe these flagella will help you move even faster. Or increase your durability."
The intense expression on Lord Meikai's face said "I really don't think so"…but Sal cracked a smile towards her, just as reassurance. "Heh, yeah. Maybe."
"But I still just…don't get it!" Samekichi rose from his seated position, thrusting fists by his sides. "Why?! Why would a parasite need him to develop tentacles?! What's the point of it?! I'd think it would…take over his body or something. But it's just…making tentacles?"
"I'm glad it's not taking over my whole body." Sal grasped himself by the elbows. "But…I still don't understand either."
"There may not be a specific aim." Lord Meikai paused for a steadying breath. "Its purpose may just be to change the body in some way... Unlike a simple biological parasite, this magic parasite isn't necessarily trying to perpetuate itself. At least, that's what I've gleaned from the other cases of magical parasite infection that I've been studying." He pressed a hand to his chin in thought. "Though…I'm not sure I understand everything about them, and I shall continue to research them…"
Samekichi still seemed slightly irritated, but Wadanohara placed a calming hand on his arm. She was sure her father was doing the best he possibly could. He couldn't very well give them more information when the information simply didn't exist.
The last thing Lord Meikai did was measure out the floppy extensions and try estimating their time until completion, based upon their rate of current growth. "Hm. It's difficult to pinpoint, because the next step is the formation of brand-new nerves and muscle tissue, which could take a lot longer than the skin growth. But my best bet would be…another two weeks?" His measuring tape snapped back into his palm. "It's really going quite fast, all things considered. That's a good thing—it'll be over soon…but I bet it's really sapping away all your energy, isn't it?"
"Yyyyyeah, pretty much," Sal agreed. Finally, he pushed himself back onto his feet, though Tatsumiya held her arms out, fretting over his balance. "It's really frustrating, actually. You'd think it would be nice to sleep for sixteen hours a day, but really, it's not. It's just annoying."
"It should be over soon." At the very least, Lord Meikai looked assured when he said that.
Tatsumiya gave Sal a few pieces of advice and a bottle of eye-drops for when his eyes felt too dry and crusty from sleeping so long. They told them to contact the palace again if anything came up, and…that was that.
Samekichi still seemed a bit frustrated that they hadn't made a whole lot of progress, but Wadanohara knew better. She understood how intense and confusing magical research could be…and her practice research had only been on the apprentice level. She was sure Tatsumiya was helping as well…and probably Old, too, in his own unique way. If nothing else, Old probably handled Meikai's usual requests and duties while he was busy, giving him more time to focus on the case.
Tentacles… She would have to get used to the idea of her shark familiar with tentacles, though. That's not too bad.
The image of Sal skipping through the water in shark form faded into her memory…and she tried to picture a pair of tentacles flapping around his tail end after him. It's really not that bad. Once he's done, he'll just have tentacles. He'll be like…the halfway point between Samekichi and Fukami.
Wadanohara muffled a small giggle at that thought, and Samekichi raised an eyebrow at her.
Though…how are we ever going to explain this to…the rest of the town?
(-)
Another day of doing nothing…of trying to make something worthwhile out of nothing.
Sal lied out on the floor on his stomach, idly kicking his legs and tail. The others were downstairs, and he was supposed to be resting, but…he just couldn't rest any longer. Though his limbs were slightly heavy and fatigued, the back of his eyes burned, pain tunneling into his head, and he just couldn't sleep like this.
Two weeks, Lord Meikai had said. Just two more weeks of this madness. It better be over in two weeks. I don't think I could stand any longer. I don't think I can even stand another week.
Several days had passed since the examination, and Sal's tentacles had lengthened quite a bit already. They reached almost to his ankles when totally flat…and that was the most disturbing thing.
Sal had discovered that he could…move them. He hadn't realized how he'd done it the first time…but with a bit of practice, he somehow found the right muscles to clench…and it happened automatically. Sometimes, they moved a bit of their own accord, without him consciously directing their actions, like a bodily reaction…and that honestly terrified him. Did they have a mind of their own? Was it the parasite's mind? He definitely tried not to think about that.
Right now, the long, white noodles were kind of curling around off his thighs and floating in the water above his back. Their tips were rounded and pinkish, a clear indication that they weren't finished extending yet. Just how freakin' long were these things going to be?!
Sal sighed into the seawater, and extended one finger, producing a tiny shower of sparks. Concentrating for a moment, he gathered energy within him and pushed it down through his arms, forming a small blue ball of magic in his palms. Experimentally, he tossed it back and forth between his hands.
It had been quite a while since he'd actually done any magic…he was getting out of practice. The last couple of times all the familiars had gone out to practice their abilities, he'd naturally had to stay at home. Wadanohara had been too afraid that he'd expend too much of his energy and collapse, like he had that day on the boat….and also afraid someone might see him with his tentacles out.
That part was…actually annoying. He hated being treated like something they had to hide…but there was nothing that could be done about it right now. In his heart, he was afraid of being seen as well…of the fear the townspeople would direct at him—the glances of panicked fish eyes, like he was some sort of monster.
But I want to go out and swim…I want to practice my magic with everyone. I want to visit an island with Wadanohara again… But it just…arrrrgh!
The magic ball blinked out of existence in Sal's hands, and he felt a terrible, gripping frustration picking at his chest. Strangely enough, he felt his tentacles waving a little bit in irritation.
That was another thing—he could feel them now, too. The nerves inside must be close to fully formed…and it was scary to think of how fast these entirely new pieces of anatomy had just sprang up.
It's all because of…these stupid things! It's all their fault! If they'd just go away…! These disgusting, useless, mutated things…! Sal whipped around, seizing his right tentacle and squeezing into it. The pressure and pain of his own fingers digging into the new flesh shot up the appendage and into his brain. It would be amazing, if he wasn't so utterly disgusted with the whole thing.
"Stupid things!" His thoughts lowly poured out of his mouth, and desperate anger flared to life. He wanted them gone! Gone! Gone! Right now!
Sal flipped around and turned to the side, clamping his other hand around the second tentacle…and he yanked on both of them with all his might. Pain rippled through him…sharp pain sliced through his thighs…and he could feel the skin stretching out, tugging at the base. He doubted he could actually tear them out, and that wasn't his exact intention…he just needed to punish them somehow…to physically harm the things that were holding him back, even if it caused him pain. In fact, he wanted the pain…the heated pain surged through his body like a validation of his anger. All of his muscles clenched tightly…his eyes even began to water.
"Hahhh!" Finally, Sal couldn't keep up the force of his grip any longer, and his fingers went slack. The tentacles flopped limply back at his sides. With any luck, he'd just permanently damaged the newborn nerves and they'd never be able to move again. But…somehow, he doubted that too. They'd probably just regenerate, like Lord Meikai had said they would if he'd attempted to cut them off. They'd probably eat up even more of his energy repairing themselves, and he'd probably hindered himself more than anything else…setting himself back a day or so in the growth cycle. But as terrible as it was, it was relieving to take his frustrations out on something…and at the root of the problem, even if it didn't do him any good.
Chest heaving, Sal flexed his fingers, which felt stiff from squeezing so hard. Ugh… Now…everything hurts.
Carefully, he sat up and twisted himself around to get a better look at whatever minimal damage he may have caused. The tentacles appeared slightly pinkish around where he'd been pulling…possibly bruising, if they even could bruise. Sal felt his own breath panting out of his lungs as he felt down the length, scanning over the surface…his eyes trailed down, examining for any other type of damage he might have to deal with later…and that's when he noticed it.
Just a tiny shift to the side…and horror plunged into him. Horror like he'd never before experienced.
No. No. No, no. No….
He'd been dealing with this pretty well, all things considered. He'd started getting over the fear of something strange and uncontrollable happening to his body. It had finally started feeling settled, though incredibly frustrating. But…not anymore.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't… I can't do this. I can't… Pure, unsettled fear raced through Sal's veins, and he barely contained a cry. Not…more!
On either side of his tail, in the precise equidistant locations, a few inches below the base…were a pair of red, bulging growths.
Once he could move again, he scrambled backwards, his base limbs shivering, and yanked himself up, painfully aware of his own tail and the paralyzed tentacles slapping the floor. He was supposed to be resting…he didn't want to bother them…but this… This was just too much. If he didn't…he was going to scream.
With more adrenaline than he'd realized he had in him, Sal flew to the staircase, clattering and thumping down the steps, and rushing into the open parlor. A single pant puffed out of him before the small figure of Wadanohara popped out from behind the sofa, followed right after by Samekichi, then Memoca, then Fukami and Dolphi. Everyone was startled to see him run so quickly…and especially when he'd supposedly been sleeping.
"S-Sal!" Wadanohara was the first to cry out to him, scrambling closer, though the others followed, forming a little grouping in front of him. "What happened? Are you okay?!" A silly question, but now wasn't the time.
A slight pang of disappointment plucked Sal's heart to hear her worried tone, but it couldn't be helped… He was…just too terrified. He succinctly coughed to catch his breath, and gently lifted his tail. "I just… I saw…these."
He had to turn slightly to show them, but he immediately knew when they'd seen. Wadanohara's mouth dropped open a little. Samekichi's forehead knitted. Fukami went a shade paler.
"I… Uh… Is that…?" Clearly, Wadanohara was stunned and couldn't find the words. Just like him, she'd never expected this to happen. She'd been certain it would be just one set of tentacles. That's what her father had said. That's what everyone had believed. Not any more.
"But…is it really what we think it is?" Memoca tried to deny it, though her expression was just as incredulous. "Maybe…it's just pimples or something."
"No." Samekichi solemnly refuted her. "This is exactly how it looked before. I would remember. How it was when it was just starting."
A shudder of resignation waved through Sal's heart. It was really, truly there. And hearing him speak that affirmation out loud made it official. Another set of tentacles. Fear and anxiety overcame him, and he turned away a bit, still clutching his own tail closely. The fin on the end flapped uncomfortably.
"But why?! Why would this happen?! Why would I need more than two?! Is this what the parasite does?! Just…grows tentacles on me?! I-It's just going to continue, til they cover my whole freakin' body! I'm going to t-turn into some horrible tentacle monster!"
Fukami levelled glaring eyes at him.
"Uh, n-not like—I didn't mean that! I mean…I'm a shark! I shouldn't have tentacles!"
"Can you really be sure of that?" Memoca arched an eyebrow. "I mean—you eat vegetables. What the heck kind of shark does that?"
"Uh…"
Before another word slipped out, Samekichi stepped over to his brother's side. She was just ignorant. Memoca had no way of knowing how deeply such statements distressed him, especially since Samekichi joked about it himself. He was the only one allowed to joke around about it.
"That has nothing to do with it. And it's really just due to the disjoint between our animal and human bodies. As humans, all of us are omnivorous. I just…can't get used to it, though."
Wadanohara firmly shook her head, braids whipping back and forth. "Whatever's going on, it's not natural. We thought it would be over once those first two tentacles had formed, but… I…I'm writing to my father right now. He needs to know about this immediately."
She disappeared into the craft room to retrieve some paper, and the others moved a bit closer to the shivering Sal with curiosity. Gently, Samekichi felt around the uplifted tail, examining the new spots. His focus shifted to the limp thigh-tentacles in the process. "And…what's wrong with the first ones anyway?"
"I, uh…I pulled on them a little too hard." Sal was embarrassed to admit it, but he had to let them know. He especially couldn't lie to his brother because he knew he'd see right through him.
Yet a piece of him burned with shame and frustration…he could just feel the concern in their eyes. Sometimes it was nice to know they were looking out for him, but right now, he hated himself for it. He despised their worry for him.
"Hey, you shouldn't do that. I dunno if you were testing them out or something, but you could really hurt yourself…"
"Don't you think I know that?!" Sal yanked his tail away…and slammed it straight into the floor. The tail fin smacked painfully against the cold stone. "I don't care what happens to these ugly things! I just want them gone. I want…them gone…"
Angry tears threatened the edges of his eyes…and he was even more ashamed that he could feel them at all. This….shouldn't be a problem. This should have never been a problem in the first place.
"Dude, it's not that ugly, chill out." Memoca was just trying to help, but Sal just wasn't in the mood to hear it right now.
Samekichi's muscles tensed under his heavy jacket. He could probably sense it too…Sal was getting in one of those moods…one of those rare moods when he was just too aggravated to listen to anybody. The best thing to do was probably wait until it passed and just offer him physical closeness. Reasoning with him now was fruitless.
Still, his eyes wandered over to the half-crushed tentacles in thought. In the process, his gaze happened to meet with Fukami's glare, and he could almost read the octopus's thoughts—"this is going to be a problem for him, isn't it?" It sure was.
Dolphi glanced over with curiosity. Samekichi wondered if the tentacles made her more frightened or less frightened. They were a little creepy, sure, but…they made him look less like a shark.
A moment later, Wadanohara whisked back into the room and straight out the door, calling for a mail fish.
Sal despised this atmosphere of emergency, especially when centered on him. A hard, solid, sharp presence filled up his mind, stabbing at the corners of his skull. "I just…why can't I go outside anymore?! I want to get out of here! I can't stand this!"
Samekichi stood steadfast beside him, a silent pillar of support. An immovable brick wall.
The urge to rush at him pulsed through Sal's system, but he caught that thought and quelled it in time. That wouldn't help anything. Samekichi was only trying to help—there was nothing he could do. And Sal felt ashamed all over again that he'd even briefly considered hurting his brother for no reason.
"Wadanohara will return with the great wizard's reply as soon as possible," Fukami reasoned. "Once she does, we may have to take you to the palace again for an examination. He'll know what to do."
But Sal didn't want to go to the palace—all he wanted to do was just swim away. Swim and swim forever. But there was no other option.
All they could do was just wait and try to figure this out. Wait and try to deal with the problem to the best of their abilities. Together.
(-)
Fwp…fwpp…bloop… flppp.
Sal was forcing himself to get used to this. Honestly, he'd love to just forget all about it and act like they weren't there at all…carry on with life and pretend they didn't exist. But they did…and he was coming to terms with the reality that he couldn't just make them disappear.
Tonight, he was joining the girls for game night in the art room…and subtly flexing his tentacles, getting used to their movements and the sensation of them whipping through the water.
A few days had passed since that fateful discovery…the time when Lord Meikai had initially estimated they might finish forming. They hadn't finished forming. But then again, he hadn't anticipated the second set. At least, following a quick home examination, he'd told them that the parasite was slightly fainter…and it was absolutely certain that the tail growths were the last.
Naturally, Samekichi had been extremely upset about it, but hadn't said anything, for Wadanohara's sake.
Sal echoed one certain piece of advice over and over in his mind to constantly remind himself…it was something he always had to be aware of… "It reacts to your fear." That was what Lord Meikai had told him, specifically, looking him straight in the eyes. "It seems to react more strongly when you're under emotionally duress. If you remain calm, it shouldn't cause you any more pain."
Such things were a lot easier to say than to practice…but Sal was trying his best to settle his nerves and keep himself occupied and distracted, so he wouldn't worry about them. It…seemed to be working thus far. He definitely felt better lately. Less tired and listless…a bit more like his old self. Wadanohara was especially glad. Though…he still couldn't go outside, and that was softly killing him.
By now, the tail tentacles had begun their growth cycle… almost five inches of floppy flesh pouring out of those spots, morphing into moveable limbs. Meanwhile, the main set of tentacles were so long, the ends were always floating upwards so they wouldn't drag on the floor. Fortunately, it just happened automatically, so it wasn't as if he had to manually hold them up.
But right now, the most worrying things were the huge, round, bulbous ends, almost like fleshy balloons. Sal suspected they were preparing to finish and cut themselves off…hopefully, a lot of this excess skin would fall away. Hopefully.
"Hey! Hey, Sal!" Memoca waved in his direction from the opposite end of the table, her wide yellow eyes excited and playful. "See if you can pick up your piece with your thingies!"
"Aha…" Sal nervously chuckled. She must have noticed him practicing…hey, at least she thought it was cool and interesting. And although he preferred it when people didn't call attention to his "thingies", he was learning to accept it and not let it get to him.
"Memoca, don't tease him like that." Wadanohara was quick to leap to his defense, embarrassingly enough, but he motioned towards her.
"It's alright. That's actually…a good idea. Let me see if I can."
Dolphi gripped the edge of the table on her side and watched with large, observing void-eyes as Sal bent closer over the table and pressed his tongue against his teeth in concentration.
Carefully, he tensed and manipulated his new muscles, bringing his right tentacle slowly down over the table. The three girls watched in fascination. This…really was a good test, and though he'd never say so, Sal was actually kind of grateful to Memoca for suggesting it. He hadn't had much practice with this sort of fine motor operation.
It took a bit of delicate maneuvering, but he slowly twined the tentacle around the small starfish game piece. The fat bulb at the end was kind of unwieldy, but it still fit, and gently, he used the appendage to slide the starfish forward four spaces.
"Awesome!" Memoca cheered, and Sal chuckled again as it flexed back to his side. "Dude, I bet you could cook even better now that you have extra limbs like Fukami."
"Eheheh, we'll have to see."
Wadanohara beamed behind her hand of playing cards. She was probably proud of their positive and supportive spirit.
If…I'm going to be stuck with these things for the rest of my life, I had better learn to use them…to accept them and acknowledge them, as much as I don't want to.
Even Dolphi grew less concerned with them the longer she was exposed to Sal like this. At first, the little dolphin had been keeping suspicious eyes trained on him…but as the night wore on, she slipped into familial comfort, and didn't even flinch when he tried taking a card out of her hand with his left tentacle. It was almost…a bit enjoyable.
Wadanohara let out a bubbling giggle when Sal flapped his tail and his extremities in contentment…and that filled him with joy more than anything else. Making her smile, making her laugh, brightening her day…it was what he lived for. And…he was infinitely grateful that he still could, even the way he was now.
Dolphi ended up creaming everybody, as usual. It was almost scary how good she was at board games. Sal came in second, and Memoca jokingly accused him of cheating, especially since she'd lost by a landslide. The two younger girls set about cleaning up (and making even more of a mess), while Wadanohara walked Sal out to the parlor.
"Aah, tonight was so fun." She stretched a bit and turned a smile to him. "I know you don't tire out as quickly anymore, but you should still get some rest soon, Sal. We have an exam trip in a few days."
"I know, I know…" Sal groaned, but smiled in return. Being alone with Wadanohara just had that effect on him, though she seemed pretty oblivious to it. The inside of his chest was softly fizzling "But the same could be said for you, you know. You need to get plenty of sleep, too."
"Yeah, I suppose so." Wadanohara gave a short laugh. "I've got a lot of growing to do."
Growing… She'd meant her height, of course, but Sal couldn't help thinking of his own "growing". It was…kind of amazing that it had happened so quickly, and he was suddenly quite thankful for that.
"Good night…"
"Ah…!" A quiet gasp escaped from Sal when Wadanohara slid her arms around his chest, pulling him into a hug. It really wasn't that unusual for her to hug him—she hugged all of her familiars on occasion—but he was just surprised that she still would…like this. If…she really didn't mind…
"Good night to you too, Wadanohara." Very gingerly, Sal folded his tentacles around over her slight little shoulders, cradling her in his own sort of hug. With one free hand, he slightly stroked the top of her head, and she gave a little hum-chuckle in response. "Get to bed soon."
"I will, don't worry."
They separated and waved to each other as Sal climbed the stairs. Truthfully, he was pretty sleepy, probably from a fair bit of activity today. And he tried to carry that joy with him in his heart. Sadly…it couldn't last much longer.
Almost as soon as he stepped up onto the second floor, a headache started pounding behind his eyes…the same kind he usually got whenever he tried to focus. God…maybe I really am exhausted, but I just don't feel it. These sorts of headaches had been occurring a tad more frequently lately, and he worried he would have to complain about it soon if they didn't let up.
"Rrrrh…" Sal massaged his forehead as he made his way to the wall of beds…and somebody else took notice.
"Hey, you alright?" Samekichi had been doing cool-down stretches on the cleared-away floor, and naturally, he gravitated towards Sal as soon as he saw him.
"I'm fine," he brushed him off. "Just need to lie down now."
"I know you get really bored sometimes, but don't exert yourself too much, okay?"
"I know! God, Samekichi!" The pressure filling his head was making him more irritable, and he recognized it. Normally, he would never snap at his brother like this…although he was truly annoyed with his overprotectiveness. "I can take care of myself, you know."
"Eh, sorry." Samekichi's mouth slanted downward and he fiddled with his fluffy collar. "Just…checking up. It looked like you had a headache."
"I do, and it's getting even worse talking to you. Just piss off."
"Mmn?"
Very few people could decipher when Samekichi was truly confused and hurt…and Sal was one of those elite few. The subtle tug at the corners of his eyebrows, the deepening of his eyes, the light pressing of his lips… Sal knew that face. And though his pounding head drowned out most of his senses, a wave of guilt washed through him.
Suddenly, everything was worse. His vision pulsed. Red splotches began to bloom and form a film over the room. He had to force the words out.
"I…I'm just really, really tired or something. I'm sorry—just leave me for now."
"Okay…" Samekichi didn't sound very convinced. And…he didn't look very well either.
Something…was wrong about him. Sal manually blinked, trying to clear his tired, fading eyes. Samekichi looked weird…but it was probably just his foggy vision playing tricks on him. There was no reason his eye sockets should be seeping red and white liquids like that….
Are…you alright?
"Have a good sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
"Yeah."
Well, he seemed thoroughly unconcerned with it, so it must not be a big deal…
Sal stepped over into bed on slightly jittering legs. He could even feel his thigh-tentacles shivering. Bed…oh, God, bed…
Sinking into the mattress was comforting relief. Almost instantly, the pain let up, and he had only a moment to reflect on Wadanohara's smiling face and the pained visage of his big brother before sliding into blackness.
No one noticed, since they were veiled by the blanket. No one noticed, because they had all gone to sleep by then. But in the midst of the night, undetected by even the body they were attached to…the long white tentacles began to bubble and stretch on each bud-like end.
They pulsated from the inside…like some living thing was tearing at the skin and trying to get out. A few more pulses here and there…and finally, the very first one emerged.
Stretching out just a little more, the bud unfolded and split down the middle…flexing open in a little claw-mouth. It yawned and stretched up on its tentacle, revealing its red inner cavity.
And it embraced its new existence on its wonderful host.