Chapter 35: Whale watching

Two months had passed since Billie started training the Outsider, and he was improving rather well, in her opinion. It certainly helped that he was nimble, and he had a dancer's skill with footwork. He still needed to work on his knife wielding; the deity had a tendency to stab where there was bone, or use the knife as a way to pry the arm away while he went to bite the throat or face. Thankfully he only used his teeth when she drilled him with dummies.

Billie had seen little of the Outsider in the wake of the Áneukhrmato. He was usually with Emily or out doing who knows what. Though last week she read quite the news story of his blobfish going on a rampage in the Draper's Ward, where the paper declared he had banished "yet another beast". Corvo found her wheezing with laugher after reading that story.

In any case, he appeared in her office without any ceremony and practically demanded to be trained at that very moment. So here they were, below decks on the Dreadful Wale, the Outsider beating the ever-loving piss out of a sawdust dummy. Billie earlier watched him almost mechanically work through the non-lethal technique she taught him, cutting forearm, triceps, then inner thigh. His face was placid, but some thought must have come into his head, because he stopped practicing technique and moved to trying the all the lethal attacks he had learned. Billie had to admit he was doing well, until he dropped the knife and began using his fingers, fists and teeth on the goddamn dummy, his face contorted in feral hate.

"That's enough Outsider," she commanded. He stopped, and all the aggression just drained out of him. He turned to face Billie where she stood, leaning against the metal walls of the ship.

"Not bad, but you need to be able to keep you composure throughout a fight," she lectured. "Your opponents will be able to take advantage of your lack of composure, and once that is exploited it is far more difficult to win in a fight."

The Outsider nodded dully, his black eyes fastened on the floor. There was a brittleness and fragility around him that she had not seen since he found her picking up his terrible love poems.

"Alright, something is eating at you so take a seat and talk," she grabbed a chair and practically threw it at him, taking a seat atop an empty table. "What's wrong?"

He caught the chair and sat down, one hand fiddling with the rings on the other. As far as Billie knew, he never took them off.

"Emily is pregnant."

Billie felt her jaw drop. "What!? Well, congratulations?"

She would have been more certain in offering her congratulations if the Outsider did not start shaking his head almost fitfully. "No Billie, she does not know yet."

"Wait, then how do you-?" she let her question trail off as he took a shaky breath.

"The Áneukhrmato exclusively hunts and consumes pregnant women," he replied, barely looking up from his hands. "For a while I thought it was just mythological exaggeration, but when I started looking into reports of the creature on Morley and Serkonos, I found that at least three women had been hunted, and all three of them were pregnant. Not to mention she has had nausea for some time, and has shirked things like fish and spiced vegetables."

Billie leaned back, covering her mouth in shock at the news about the beast. It took a moment to find her voice again.

"Alright, I can imagine that it is rather awkward to know that your lover is pregnant while she is unaware, and I can guess that you do not want to be the one to tell her that," The Outsider nodded in agreement, looking somewhat sick at the thought. "Other than Emily not being aware, what is the problem?"

A silence stretched out between them as he fiddled with his rings, the moon-pale patterns on his palms bending with the muscles. Finally, he spoke in a hesitant stutter.

"I… I am not… someone anyone would choose… to have children with."

Billie nodded slowly, taking it in before dropping some truth. "You know as well as I do that you have women all over the world who would want your babies."

He flinched at that, and only looked unhappier. "Billie, I am not parental material."

"Says who?" she retorted. "Look, only one person's opinion about your parenting potential matters, and that is Emily's. She is the one having your child, and if she thinks you are up to snuff then fuck the rest."

She saw the Outsider nod his head, and take another shaky breath. Finally he looked up at here, black eyes glassy.

"What if I am the only one who wants it?" The question came out as a strained whisper.

Ah, this was the real problem. Billie stayed on her perch as he took another shaky breath, and a couple tears fell down his face. As he quickly wiped them away, she replied softly and kindly.

"Neither of us knows what Emily's opinion on this matter is. I doubt either of you have even broached discussing having a family, after all it has not been long since you both got together. That conversation should happen soon, and you need to make how you feel clear. But just know you cannot change her mind, whatever her opinion is. If it makes you feel any better, I think she would be open to having your child."

He simply nodded at that. The deity looked so despondent that Billie was beginning to feel blue too.

"I don't know how to start that conversation," he whispered. "The only thing I can think of is showing her my whales and saying 'I want something like this'." He laughed a bleak laugh.

"Well, why not?" Billie said, a twinge of hope in her voice. "The Dreadful Wale needs some exercise, and Corvo has been meaning to spar against you. Let's take Emily whale watching!"

Corvo had rarely seen Emily so excited. There was certainly much joy to take in having an afternoon off; perhaps what she was looking forward to was visiting the Dreadful Wale, or maybe her excitement lay in the opportunity to spar the Outsider. Or maybe his love of whales had rubbed off on her and she was eager to see those giant creatures. Whatever it was, she had been looking forward to it since the Outsider proposed it two days ago.

He heard her hum when she sat to take petitions, her good mood infectious. Said mood was soured when she left for lunch only to be informed that she had to meet with Minister Cassidy right then and there. They were stuck in the room basically planning for the welcoming masquerade for the King and Queen of Morley for the next three hours. Thankfully food was provided.

"Praise be that is over!" Emily cried when they finally got out. "We are finally free."

Corvo hummed noncommittally, his hands folded behind his back. He was certainly ready to spar.

They headed to Billie's office, Emily practically skipping there as he followed behind. Corvo felt his age for a moment as an image of young, carefree Emily filled his head. Ai, where had the years gone?

He was welcomed back into reality by Emily throwing open the door to the office with great enthusiasm. The Outsider was the only one inside, balancing on one hand atop the desk, staring off into space. His gaze immediately shifted to Emily and a wide smile bloomed on his face.

Corvo wondered if he was ever so obvious in his regard for Jessamine. He gave his head a small shake, and took a warm coat off a peg.

"Finally finished with deciding how napkins should be folded?" he teased. Emily laughed and gave him a kiss.

"Next time you will share in the torture with me," she threatened cheerfully.

Corvo folded his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. "Where is Lurk?"

"She wanted to make sure the Dreadful Wale was 'ship shape' as some would say," the Outsider finally stopped his balancing act and got to his feet. "And since you two are here, I can take you to her."

"Excellent!" Emily was bouncing on the balls of her feet, having donned her warm coat. "Let's go then!"

Corvo saw the void lick the Outsider's frame, then the world began to dissolve. The space they moved in was not the Void, not quite. He could feel a painful, blistering heat for about a second, and then the world reformed. Gulls cawed and the sea swayed the ship, he nearly stumbled as the deck rocked beneath his feet. Emily steadied herself on the Outsider, who hovered just above the wood, unaffected by the sea. He was also now dressed in a long dark coat, stained with whale oil and lined with short fur. Corvo looked around, they were already far enough out that the shore was far off into the distance.

"I assume Lurk is currently piloting the ship?" he said, looking up to the wheelhouse.

"That she is," the Outsider replied, reaching into the pockets of his coat, pulling out bundle of herbs and a hagfish skull. "I have promised her to try and smooth the seas a bit, so I must get to the prow."

Emily let go of him, steady on her feet. The wind was thankfully not so chilling; the cold was not so pervasive that it could not be chased away by a good spar. Emily caught his eye, clearly sharing his thought. With a smirk she got into fighting stance and sprung back a pace.

"Come Corvo, let's see if your sea legs have arrived yet," she taunted. He grinned back.

"They certainly will come to put you in your place!"

It felt good to fight in the open air, to dart around on the empty deck, and for each of them to use their gifts against each other. It was freeing to just spar without an audience watching from the gardens, or hidden in the crammed basement. Emily finally got the drop on him, and Corvo found his face introduced to the rough wood.

"I yield!" he assented. With a large smile, Emily picked him up. The Outsider was politely watching them, a mildly amused look on his face.

"Was this round to decide who would be the lucky person to face me next?" he said, his arms crossed.

Emily laughed. "Unfortunately for me, Corvo has called dibs on you first."

"Do not fret, you will certainly have me later," he replied, his voice lilting with the innuendo. Corvo rolled his eyes. Emily stifled a giggle and took a seat on the deck by the starboard.

"Try not to break each other!" she warned, eyes dancing with amusement.

"I promise," the Outsider uttered at the same time as him. Corvo was suddenly cautious, remembering the bloody cargo hold of the boat in Lady Boyle's wall. Did the Outsider know how to pull his punches?

It was only on instinct and training from decades of fighting that he dodged the Outsider's first move, an open palm strike aimed at his shoulder. Corvo immediately moved to retaliate, successfully grabbing his opponent's left arm and forcing it behind his back. Instead of making the usual pained noise, the Outsider twisted his body to the left with surprising speed, taking Corvo with him. As he flew to the side, the Outsider pushed the two down to the ground, his arm still pinned behind his back. Corvo landed on his left shoulder, and he felt hot breath against his exposed throat.

"And this is where I would tear out their esophagus," the Outsider said coolly, his body contorted in ways Corvo did not think possible. "Of course, if I had a knife I could also slash up the thighs. It would not take too long to bleed out from that."

Emily applauded from the sidelines. "I should have mentioned this, but he is very flexible Corvo!"

The Outsider dissolved out of his grip, and then reformed, his hand outstretched as he stood over him. Corvo took it and the Outsider pulled him up.

"The pin you did with my arm is rather neat, could you teach me that?" he asked curiously.

Somewhat surprised, Corvo nodded.

It delighted Emily to see Corvo bonding a bit with the Outsider, even if it was through fighting. It was fun to see such fights, watching the Outsider dart around and display his flexibility, and Corvo plot around his unconventional moves. One fight ended up with Corvo claiming victory as he sat on the Outsider's back, out of biting and kicking range. Emily could not contain her amusement at that sight. Billie came down from the wheelhouse at the same time and walked right over to her.

"What is going on?"

Emily got up and stretched, giving a nod to Billie. "Corvo is sparring with the Outsider. So far this has been the best way to get him to surrender."

Billie actually looked surprised. "That's the one that worked best?"

"Well, what worked with you?" asked Corvo, raising an eyebrow. The Outsider, clearly done with tolerating being sat on, dissolved and reformed, standing a few feet away from Billie, who eyed him.

"We actually haven't sparred, I only teach the techniques and see if he is performing them correctly."

"Well would you like to try?" offered Emily. It would be interesting to see what the former assassin could do against the Outsider.

"Perhaps later," Billie demurred with a small smile. "The reason I have come down is that I have spotted some spouts about a mile from here, and I would prefer if your whales don't attempt to capsize my ship."

The Outsider's eyes widened. "Oh no."

He immediately tore off his long coat and ran towards the edge of the boat, cursing in his language as he shed his shoes, his jacket, and his shirt before leaping over the side of the boat. Concerned, Emily rushed over to where he last stood and looked over the side. There was a ring of white foam, and telltale ripples across the surface of the sea. Billie and Corvo joined her at the railing, looking down into the water as well.

"Did he just jump into the winter sea?" asked Corvo with quiet bemusement.

"Yes, but what for?" Billie replied, sounding somewhat cross.

Moments later Emily could see the water bulge, then the surface break into a brilliant spray as a whale surfaced by ship, the Outsider perched on its brow. He was petting the beast, his pale skin gleaming in the bright afternoon sunlight. She relaxed, seeing him well. The Outsider finally looked up, a look of pure delight on his face.

"I am sorry about Alkippe!" he yelled up. "She's simply a little protective at the moment."

"Protective of what?" Emily could not resist asking.

He flicked his arm as if tossing something up and a bonecharm appeared before her. Emily plucked it out of the air; as soon as she touched it she felt enveloped in a cloud of warmth.

"Come down here and you will see!" the Outsider replied cheekily.

Emily smirked down at him as she securely attached the bonecharm to the lining of her jacket, and shed her now too-warm outer coat. Opting to keep the rest of her clothes on, she reached down and pulled herself to land beside the Outsider on Alkippe the whale. The creature snorted, coating Emily with spray.

"Come!" the Outsider gestured with head towards the glimmering water. "I will properly introduce you."

He jumped into the water, and after taking a deep breath Emily followed. The water was clear and sunlight streamed down. She nearly lost her breath seeing how the patterns on the Outsider's skin glowed an eerie purple blue, muted in the bright light. He stopped his dive down and looked up, holding out a hand to her. She swam to him and took it, floating beside him. Before her, a big brown eye peered back at her.

Alkippe, this is Emily; Emily, this is Alkippe. His voice, clear as a bell, echoed slightly in her head.

Emily, uncertain with how to properly greet a whale, decided on a modified curtsy.

"It is an honor to meet you," she tried to project in her thoughts.

The sea vibrated as Alkippe groaned, her dark eye still fixed on Emily. Emily suppressed the urge to hide behind the Outsider, worried as to what such a noise could mean. The Outsider squeezed her hand reassuringly and pulled her against him.

She likes you. The thought was sweetly whispered. Come to the surface, we will meet Idyia there.

Emily nodded in agreement. Such a move was well timed, she was beginning to run low on air. She let go of the Outsider's hand and swam up to the surface, eager for air and curious as to who this "Idyia" was. When she surfaced, Corvo immediately called down to her.

"Emily!" he was leaning over the railing, looking rather worried. "Are you alright? Are you cold?"

"I am fine!" she yelled back, giving her father thumbs up. "I have a bonecharm that keeps me warm."

"Stay safe!" Billie added. "Whales are rather fickle creatures!"

Emily could hear the Outsider snort beside her. "There is nothing fickle about a whale," he grumbled, looking out into the sea behind her. She turned around to follow his gaze, and in that moment saw a little whale shoot out of the water, fins jutting out, and flop onto its back. The Outsider laughed as they were sprayed by the water.

"That is Idyia, Alkippe's calf!" he said as the baby swam beneath them, pushing its forehead against their feet.

"Ah, that explains why she charged the ship," Emily replied with realization. "What is Idyia doing?"

"Swim to where the boat is, I'll show you," his voice was brimming with excitement. Emily raised an eyebrow, but followed his instructions.

It seemed what he and the little whale needed was clearance, as just as soon they were given enough space, Idyia leapt out of the water, pushing the Outsider up with her. As for her lover, he took advantage of the boost to do a rather lovely backflip and land on Idyia's nose. Delighted, Emily clapped.

"Bravo! You and Idyia make quite the duo!" she cheered, much to the Outsider's clear joy. Idyia sank down under the water and, now submerged, he swam over to her.

"She's the most acrobatic one of the pod, though that might be what would kill her earliest if she was not under my protection," he explained somewhat breathlessly. "Come, let me introduce you to the others!"

"Others?" Emily could not help the question.

"Why yes it is a pod of whales," the Outsider looked at her somewhat curiously. "They are rarer now, but that is usually how whales raise their calves."

"Did you free a bunch of mother whales?" she asked, amused. Looking out towards the horizon she could count six more spouts, the rest of the pod. His black eyes followed hers and a soft expression took over his face.

"Only Dámalis had a calf when she was captured, the poor thing was half dead from starvation when I found it. Amόra and Alkippe were simply pregnant at the time. The other two are Dústhlastos and Ainόdruptos, the former a juvenile male and the latter an old female."

"Did the calf survive?" Emily asked in a hushed voice. How many calves died because their mothers were carted off to be drained of their oil and gutted?

"Aye, Limṓdēs lived, praise be!" The Outsider looked delighted that she had asked. "He is afraid of ships so we would have to swim out to meet him." A sudden hesitancy took over his face. "Would you like to do that?"

She smiled at him. "I am still in the water aren't I?"

A relieved smile appeared, erasing the anxious uncertainty that used to be there. "Come, follow me then."

Emily followed him as he dove into the blue water, swimming around Alkippe and energetic Idyia. Ahead of them was a heavily scarred whale missing most of its teeth (Ainódruptos, the Outsider whispered into her mind), another chasing a school of fish far below them (Dústhlastos, he murmured again). Just beyond were two calves and their mothers. Emily kept close to the Outsider, who came to a halt a distance ahead of the quartet. One of the calves peeled away and swam straight for the Outsider. With a grin on his face, he more or less leapt over the big baby, who shot past them, bubbles flowing around it.

"That is Bḕsalon, Amóra's calf. He thinks it is a great game to try to ram things, which is good practice for when he grows up." He lifted his arm and pointed at a rather slender whale that was placidly floating nearby. "That is Amóra. The one with spots all over like a dairy cow is Dámalis, and Limṓdēs is right by her side."

Running out of air they rose to the surface. As Emily took a welcome breath the Outsider regarded her expectantly.

"They are a lovely bunch, I never realized whales were so playful or the mothering type," she said. Even though it was true Emily felt somewhat awkward, like she had not said enough. But what else could she say about whales? It was not like they could hold a conversation with her.

Much to her relief he seemed to be satisfied with that answer. "You picked up on the things I like the most about whales, alongside the songs they sing when they are alone. Amóra, Dámalis, and Alkippe are going to stay together until their calves are fully grown, and then the pod will separate until they fall pregnant again. Then they will find each other, and with any luck die to old age and not the whaler's harpoon."

"With any luck? Do they not bare your mark?" she teased.

"That they do," he replied somewhat sheepishly. "But there is only so much I can teach them, Idyia and Bḕsalon already have taken a shine to humans, the curious little things they are."

"You speak of them like they are your children," Emily continued with the teasing tone. The Outsider flushed red, and his face went somewhat serious.

"I suppose I do," he murmured, averting his eyes to look down into the water. "While I would rather have a child of my own, I am happy to try to guide them and keep them safe."

He admitted his desire like it was something shameful. No, that was not quite right. He seemed to be rather afraid of what her reaction was going to be, with his eyes adverted and body turned away from her. Emily reached out and took his hand as she thought, giving it a squeeze to try and convey her affection as she remained silent.

Children were not something she really ever thought about, even though having at least one was required of any Empress. Sooner or later one of her councilors would begin to nag about it; before the coup her minister of Gristol would go on long speeches about the "joys of motherhood" intertwined with "duty to the empire" and the occasional disgusted look at Wyman. Poor capable Martha, six feet under after spitting in Delilah's face. She would probably approve of the Outsider a lot more, especially after knowing about his willingness to have children.

"Will you introduce them to the whales?" she said quietly, leaning her head on his.

"Of course," he replied with great certainty. "Once they are old enough to swim, however old that is."

Emily hummed, charmed by his answer and the image of a child meeting a whale. Perhaps one day she would have a child, perhaps she will never have a child. But if she was to have one, she would want it to be the Outsider's. Emily nearly laughed at how odd the thought was. Who would guess that the god of the Void would make good parenting material?