The Sea's Guide
This have got to be one of the hardest chapter I have ever written, because I have deviated from the original draft (which to be fair to me was written eons ago and when I read it, its pure utter bullshit, so I changed it). Or maybe because I have started to be invested in too many other stories at the same time.
I honestly don't know how convincing and enjoyable this chapter is tbh, but at least I tried my best. TT hopefully it's not too boring.
Ivan ran up the stairs, towards the corridor and down to where the room to the entrance of the oceanarium is, the door is wide open and with his long legs, it didn't take long for Ivan to reach. The perfect moment strike precisely when Ivan open the door and move into the room, the humanoid just surface and was climbing out of the water when they notice each other, stunned.
"Stop there." Ivan shouted, out of reflex.
The humanoid scramble out of the waters and onto the floor. It attempt to slip pass Ivan, but Ivan quickly close the door and attempt to catch the humanoid by wrapping his arm around it. The two struggle against each other, wrestling and squirming on the floor as they try to subdue each other, but the humanoid who just tore a great white shark apart is much stronger than Ivan, it took Ivan everything he have to finally gain a slight upper hand in the scuffle.
Using a technique he learnt from martial arts, he restrained the kicking and swiping feisty humanoid by pressing it onto floor with his weight, he push the back of his arm against its jaw while pressing the rest of its limb with his own. The humanoid snarls at Ivan, baring its teeth as it continues to struggle, in between, Ivan's arm slip against its sharp teeth and it tears a large gaping wound from the elbow to the wrist.
Ivan break out in cold sweat from the pain, but he press on. Copious amount of blood pour out from his wound and spatter onto the skin of the humanoid and into its mouth. In an instant, the humanoid's strength greatly decrease, the snarling change into a much human-like wailing. Ivan is shocked, to say the least, at the change surfacing right in front of his eyes.
"Stop." Ivan thought he was hearing things. "Stop." Ivan clearly heard it again.
The whiskers like hair turn into a head of long, black hair, the webbed fingers disappears and became individually separated, and the last of all is that the greyish skin of the humanoid turns into a fair, beige colour, just like a human.
"Who are you?" Ivan shouted, wrapping, and pressing his fingers against the humanoid's neck. The facial feature change drastically, into that of Asian descent. The pretty brown eyes glare indignantly at Ivan, lips scowling.
"Let me go." The demand slip out from in between the lips of the humanoid.
Ivan let out a gasp. "You just speak?" he blurted out, loosening his grip a little.
"Let me go!" the humanoid started struggling and trashing about like a child throwing a tantrum. "Everything is wasted. Wasted!"
"I'm not letting you go. If you're gone, I'll be dead." Ivan replied.
The humanoid's indignant eyes started to water, and the scowl tremble on his lips. Soon, large droplets of water slip out of its eyes, and he started bawling. Ivan is taken aback from this change of event; he quickly loosen the grip on its neck but instead held onto its wrist. The humanoid continue to bawl, not even moving from its position, and Ivan move away from it to realise that it's a boy.
Naked, clean of any hair on the body, and right in between its leg is a male external genitalia. The boy continues to cry, seemingly harder than when it first started. The sound echoes through the room, amplifying the noise.
"Stop crying. It's annoying." Ivan demanded, knitting his brow.
But the boy seems to understand it and started crying louder, the ear-piercing shrieking cries sends bouts after bouts of irritation down Ivan's nerves. "Yeah. Are you doing it on purpose?" Ivan retorted. "You can cry more. I'll see how much longer you can cry."
The boy continue to cry even louder. Ivan held onto its wrist tightly, sitting down there and continue staring at this crying, irritating thing. His mind zone out, becoming one with the environment and blending in with the annoying cries; he wonders what kind of things he should add in his report.
Perhaps after the beautiful description of how this humanoid change from an ocean humanoid to a shark humanoid to a human, I could also add that I have spent Five? Ten? Fifteen? Minutes sitting here and looking at this thing cry. How could something so pretty cry this much, and this ugly. Hmmm… Maybe it's wrong to call him Calypso, I should just call him a crybaby. I should get this wound treated soon too.
Just then, the boy started coughing, and it was followed up by a few sneeze. It seems a little confused, and temporarily stopped crying, drawing its brow together, it curl into itself a little.
Ivan let out a sigh, "Do you know what catching a cold is? You're cold because it's turning winter outside and you're naked here, covered with water, and crying and crying. I'm going let your wrist go and give you my lab coat, you're going to promise to be good and stay. Alright…. Don't move."
He slowly let go of the boy's wrist and pull out his lab coat with his hands. The boy glance over at Ivan for a brief second quickly scramble up, Ivan immediately pounce on the boy with his coat still dangling over half his body.
"You. Are a very naughty boy." Ivan muttered harshly beside the boy's ears. The boy struggle in Ivan's clutch, but Ivan held onto him tightly.
"Please. I need to go to the water." The boy finally said, sniffing and swallowing.
"Why?"
"I.. will turn into a human if I stay in human blood for too long."
"What?"
"I don't want to be a human."
"What's wrong with being a human?"
The humanoid did not reply but cried loudly again. This time, it's right beside Ivan's ear. The man stayed quiet for a moment. Thinking. He recall back to the documents that was left behind by the professors for this project, there was a section where it includes the observational reports from their predecessor, they have manage to conclude that these humanoids have rapid cells regeneration and degeneration that can rapidly replicate any biologicals they have touched. Then Ivan said: "Follow me back to the lab. I'll give you water."
"No. You lie." The boy pouted as he struggle against Ivan's arms.
"Okay, then I guess you're just going to have to turn into a human then, Little Calypso" Ivan replied, he could feel goosebumps on this boy's skin against his fingers.
"My name is not little Calypso. My name is Wang Yao."
"Oh, you have a name." Ivan said, a tad bit condescendingly.
"I have. I have!" Yao argued in a childish anger.
"Fine, fine. I'm not going to argue with you but you're going to catch a cold and die from pneumonia. So, you're going back to the lab with me. I won't let you turn into a human. I promise."
"What is… promise?"
"Promise… means…" Ivan started. He realise he have been using this word all his life, and keeping it most of the time, but somehow he is stumped when somebody asked him what a promise is. "It means that I will do what I said I will. And I will do it no matter what."
"You will not let me become a human?" Yao asked.
"Yes, I will not."
"You said you promise."
"Yes. I promise I will not."
"You will not let me die?" he asked again.
"I promise. I promise I won't let you turn into a human, and I promise I won't let you die. Okay? Can we go now?" Ivan repeated, he felt a little headache coming.
Wang Yao is quiet, and Ivan laid there with him. The floor is wet, his coat is wet, even half of his hair is soaked with the saltwater puddles on the floor. He could still feel blood trickling from his wound, it's kind of ticklish.
"Okay." Yao finally said.
"Can you promise me that you won't run away from me?" Ivan suddenly asked him.
"I…" Yao stutter. Then he quickly nodded his head.
Ivan let go of Yao. He stood up and pulled Yao to his feet too. Petite and quite skinny, Ivan carefully wrap his lab coat tight around the boy's goosebump ridden skin and carried him up. Wang Yao wrap his arms naturally around Ivan's neck and laid his head on Ivan's shoulders. The blood stain the coat where the wound made contact with, turning it into patches of red and brown. Ivan look around him to see if there's anything he missed out. With big steps, he walked out of the room.
The cold air blast onto them the moment they leave the room, Ivan could feel Wang Yao tightening his grip onto him, shivering. Ivan too, could feel goosebumps raising on his skin where the wet patches are.
Gosh.. It's cold. Ivan thought.
He kick the door close and thought for a moment. He could feel the boy's squeezing onto his neck and burrowing his head into his neck.
Just for tonight. Just tonight. Ivan close his eyes and mutter to himself at this hard decision. Then opening it again, he started moving with big steps back to the lab. There, he quickly close the doors, inside, he open up the only heater in the whole room and tried to put Wang Yao down on the chair, but the creature cling onto him and refuses to budge. Instead, it only tighten its grip.
Ivan move over to where his phone are and started pressing the numbers for the I.T. department. "Hello? I'm Ivan Braginsky, part of Professor Hansley's team, currently at tower E for project Deep Blue. I would like to request access for a unit of dormitory in Tower E."
"Oh.. Ivan Braginsky. Okay. Let me check….. Hmmm… Hansley's team is under Team A, and it's said here that you already have access to the one nearest to where you are located, three rooms away. Just to double confirm, you are currently in research lab Mariana?"
"Mariana?" Ivan repeated in bewilderment. "I'm not sure." He said, walking over to the floor plan beside the door. "Right. Yes. I'm at Mariana. So, I'm able to access…. Mariana 2-1. That's the room?"
"Yes. There's two single beds in there and shower rooms and stuff. That's great. You are all set actually. You can just thumbprint your way throughout the whole floor. Tower E is currently all yours except for research lab Sunda. You are not allowed access over there, I mean.. Your thumbprint probably can't access it if you do try it but I'm just saying. There are some people who will try and-"
"Thank you. Have a good night." Ivan cut off, closing his phone, knitting his brow at how naggy the I.T. personnel is. "Can you come down? Wang? Yao? Wang Yao?"
"No."
Ivan let out an internal groan. Then he ask: "Why?"
"The air is not nice, but you are nice." Yao finally said, after a few moment.
"Nice?" Ivan ask again.
"Yes."
"Are you cold?"
"Cold…." Yao mutter. "Yes. Yes, it is cold. You are nice to touch because… because… because you are warm. Yes! You are warm!" he said excitedly, pulling apart to look at Ivan.
The expectant look seems to seek compliment of sort like a child, and Ivan could not resist the urge to act unprofessionally towards a subject. "Yes. You got it right. You are so clever."
"Clever. Yes. Yao is clever!" the creature cheer, but he quickly snuggle himself back onto Ivan's neck and let out: "Cold."
"Didn't see you complaining about the cold while you are running around earlier." Ivan said, then he pull a chair over to where the only heater is and tap Yao's back. "There, it's warm over there too."
Wang Yao immediately let go and allow Ivan to place him onto the chair. There, he became fascinated with the heat, placing his arms over it.
Ivan took the first aid kit and drag another chair to where the heater and Yao is and sat down. He took alcohol swap and started cleaning up the dried blood surrounding the skin. The long gash have mostly clotted up, but certain areas still ooze out blood.
"This is so bad. And this is going to hurt like a bitch." Ivan mumbled, inspecting the jagged tear on his arm. He pick up the bottle of alcohol solution and twist the cap. Slowly, with slightly trembling finger, he pour tiny amounts by tiny amounts onto the wound. Each splash felt as though the wound sizzle from the solution.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk." He slowly let out, wincing throughout the duration of the process.
This is where he realise that Yao is staring intently at his actions and now his face. "What?" Ivan asked. Then, the boy move forward and stretching out his arms slowly, he place his palm on Ivan's hair and starting stroking gently.
"You are doing good." Yao said, his dark distant eyes looking into Ivan's.
Feeling a little touched, a little weirded out and a little baffled, Ivan replied: "Thank you."
Letting out a small smile, Wang Yao went back to his original interest again: The heater.
As he is wrapping up his arm with a roll of bandage, Ivan look back at Yao again. The creature look just like a human, his soot black hair free and flowing, his skin fair as porcelain with a face exquisite like a doll and most of all, his mannerism and even his speech is human-like. It is still hard for Ivan to believe that the human boy in front of him is actually a creature caught from the sea.
"Where did you come from?" Ivan ask, leaning back on the chair.
Wang Yao look back at Ivan, he gaze at Ivan again with that same distant eyes, as though he is something out of this world and said: "I come from the waters."
"Why do you know how to speak?"
"I learnt before." Yao replied, smiling again.
Ivan knitted his brow. "Who taught you? Why didn't you speak before?"
"I cannot speak when I am myself. But I can speak when I am human."
"And who taught you all these?"
"When I was young, just a little baby, human bring me to their place. Mama was the one who teach me. She called me Wang Yao and teach me a lot of things. She say I cannot stay in blood without water for too long. If not I will become human. Human is land people, and I don't want to be land people forever." Then he gasp suddenly and said: "I need water. But…. "
"But?"
"But it's warm here. It's nice."
"Either way, it's getting late. I'll put you back into the tank and see you in the morning." Ivan answered, standing up.
"No!" Yao blurt out. His dolly face scrunch up in slight fear, revealing more expression than that same old distanced look, Ivan truly felt at that moment that this other worldly being is finally in front of him.
"I'm very tired now. I need to sleep." Ivan said, pulling his arms away from Yao. "I…" he felt a sudden but light sensation of whirl in his head. "I need to sleep now. Come… I'll bring you to the tank."
"I don't want to. I want to sleep on the bed."
"I don't have bed for you. Go, you're a fish… I think. Go sleep in the tank."
Wang Yao started his fake crying again. The loud voice echoes through the room. It didn't take long for him to get what he wants, as Ivan just scoop him up, close the heater, the lights and left the room. "Stop crying." Ivan mutter with annoyance, and the creature stopped, wrapping his arms around Ivan's neck once again.
Hehe. Ivan heard Wang Yao giggle. It's annoying, but it's also cute.
"Ah, it's cold. It's cold. Ivan, it's cold." Yao kept whining as they went out of the research lab again.
"Yeah, of course you're cold. You're naked." Ivan answered, moving down the corridor. The lights lit up, it's empty and quiet. He soon reach the door to the dormitory, he press his thumbprint and gained access into it. There are two single bed with a cupboard by the side and a bathroom with a bathtub in it.
"Bed!" Wang Yao called out excitedly. He struggle for Ivan to let go.
"No! You need to take a bath." Ivan scolded. "I need to wash up too. Oh god, why is this becoming like a child sitting job." He held onto Yao tightly and move into the bathroom. Wang Yao managed to struggle down just as Ivan close the door tight, pressing his back against it.
"Bed!" Yao look up to Ivan with indignant eyes.
"No. Bath first!" Ivan lectured, pointing at the bathtub behind.
Wang Yao turn back to the bath and back at Ivan making a pitiful whining sound. Ivan squint his eyes at Yao. "It won't work on me. Go." The creature walk towards the back and sat in the tub, turning his disgruntled face at Ivan.
"Alright. Let me know once you're done."
Then before Ivan could even turn his head, Wang Yao laid down on the tub. "What are you doing? Do.. Do you know what bathing means? Ah…" Ivan hide his face into his palm in exasperation, then he walks over to where the tub is. Wang Yao laid on his side, naked, curled up. His long hair spread out on the tub, revealing the soft white jaw and neck. Yao opened his eyes and glance at Ivan, a little sulky, a little grateful.
Ivan find it so hard to stay annoyed at Yao for long.
The creature sat up, still looking a little sulky, but his hand slowly reach out to Ivan and wrap his fingers around the tip of Ivan's fingers, lightly tugging at it. "Come in."
"I…"
Wang Yao tug at Ivan's fingers demandingly at his hesitation.
If he is Odysseus, and this little Calypso is asking him to stay, he would have stayed forever.
"I.. I guess we could.. take a bath together…" Ivan breathe, taking off his clothes and getting into the tub with Yao. He reaches out for the shower head, turning it into warm water, Wang Yao immediately wrap his arm around Ivan's neck gleefully.
"Ahh.. You're really clingy." Ivan commented, the slippery skin to skin contact felt a little weird to him considering that Yao's lower body is pressing so closely to him and getting a little hard.
"We can sleep like this." Yao said.
"No. We're not sleeping here, we are bathing. We are sleeping on the bed."
"Bed?" Yao rise up, looking at Ivan. "I can sleep in them?"
"Why not?"
"I can?"
Ivan nodded. "But I'm going to wash you up first." He continued, hovering the shower head on Yao's head with a hand, and gently stroking his hair and directing the water away from Yao's face. The water seems to wash the humanity away from Yao. His porcelain skin turns slightly translucent, light web started forming in between his fingers.
He dared not soap Wang Yao's hair or body, especially now that his body turn back into that same gelatinous skin as when he was the sea creature. But Ivan tried to wash his own hair and body to the best of his ability with another person holding onto him.
"Ahh… I forgot to keep the blood and let it go. Now I am half. I need more blood." Yao suddenly said, knitted his brow, observing his hands.
"What are you talking about?" Ivan asked.
"I need more blood!" Yao declare, he pull and tears off Ivan's bandages and began sucking on the wound.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Ivan asked, fazed by Yao's nibbling, and sucking over his wound. The weird, painful but tickling sensation when your blood is drawn out from the large gash unnerve Ivan, he tried to push Yao's head away from his arm, but it was latched on so tightly it hurts to pull apart.
Wang Yao finally let go with his mouth and lips full of blood. He look back at Ivan with big smiles, the blood was quickly absorbed in, his translucent skin and webbed fingers are gone. But Ivan is annoyed, he look over at his wound. Sucked dried of blood, the pink flesh peeks out from the opening between bruised skin. Then he look back at Yao. Indignant.
"That hurts." Ivan grumbled.
"I can help." Yao replied, he washes a hand into the water, moving back and forth in a fast motion. It turns his hands into the same translucent and webbed fingers again as brownish water moves out in a haze. Then closing his fingers, he tore his palm and squeeze. Jellied substance ooze out from the tear, and Yao smear it across Ivan's wound. Almost immediately, the wound healed, closing perfectly without a single trace.
Ivan watch on in shock, mouth agape at this miracle. "How did you do this?"
"We are the miracle and fountain of youth. That's what I hear the humans say before." Yao said proudly. "I show you one more thing. Look." He continued, showing that same webbed hand that closed Ivan's wound, Yao stare at it, and slowly, the tear close and turns back into a human hand again.
"How did you do that?" Ivan asked, fascinated.
"I let your blood go in the water. Make you feel better. And then make your blood inside me go back into hand from other place." Yao explains.
"Amazing. That is amazing!" Ivan cried, grabbing Yao's head, and pressing his forehead against his. Then, slipping his arms around, Ivan hug Wang Yao tightly against him. "You're a beautiful, beautiful thing."
Yao giggle. It's a happy laugh. He felt happy from the bottom of his heart.
The smooth skins moving and rubbing against each other creates pleasurable sensations that turn a normal, healthy man like Ivan hard. He pulled apart from Yao and look down.
"What is this?" Yao moved and sat on the other side of tub, staring in between Ivan's leg with intense curiosity.
"It's uhh… It's something for making babies." Ivan hastily replied to the best of his ability to someone with limited understanding.
Wang Yao's face suddenly lit up. "You want to make babies with me!"
"No!" Ivan quickly corrected. His face beet root red all the way to his ears as he tried to compose himself. "Okay, you're done bathing. You can go to bed and sleep now."
"But babies?" Yao said, in a disappointed or bewildered tone, Ivan can't tell.
"No no no, no babies. We cannot do that." Ivan repeated. He hover the showerhead over himself, attempting to calm himself down with the distraction. It didn't help much with the hardness but at least it does calm himself down enough to do the right things. "Okay, let's get out of here."
They got out of the tub, and Ivan wipe themselves clean of the water with the towel at the side. Pulling the hair dryer from the side of the wall, the loud blast of hot air startled Yao and Ivan laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He apologized as he dry Yao's hair.
The slow, gentle stroke on his head, the fingers running through the hair, Yao seems to enjoy this. But soon he got bored and was distracted by something else. His eyes followed the trail of hair from Ivan's naval all the way down to his pubic area, then all the way to the organ peeking its head. It's strange and interesting, Yao brush his fingers against the tip of Ivan's dick.
The sudden touch send a bolt of electricity up Ivan, and it twitched. The startled Ivan look down to find a gleeful Yao putting the fingers into his mouth. Ivan quickly stopped it. "Don't. It's dirty." He berated. "Argh.. Go out and wait for me."
And the creature was chased out of the bathroom.
Ivan grabbed onto himself. It's been a long time since I have done this. But.. Ivan thought, his brain only flash by images of Yao. In the end he decided against it and went out after blowing his hair.
"Now let's see if there are any clothes that will fit you." Ivan mutter, opening the cupboard and digging through them. "Hmmm… I think I should worry more for myself." The sleeping clothes provided are the standards: White, thin shirts and checkered pants. Pulling out the largest pants and white, thin shirt he could find, he tried it on. The shirt hugs on tightly onto his body, almost suffocating, though the pants is comfortable.
"Feels disgusting." Ivan commented, pulling some space on his shirt. Then he turn over to the creature. Yao is currently staring at his face in the mirror, blinking and playing with his eyelashes.
"Hey. Come here."
Wang Yao turn around. "My name is not hey. My name is Wang Yao."
"Wang Yao, come here."
"You can call me Yao." He said, walking over.
"Try this on." Ivan ignored him, throwing a shirt on the bed and continue holding up and looking at the pants.
Yao move his hands and place it on Ivan's crotch. Immediately, his wrist was caught by Ivan before he could close his fingers around to grab it.
"Stop doing that." Ivan scolded.
"But it's moving. It's happy." Yao retorted.
"Try. This. On." Ivan repeated, taking the shirt, and putting it over his head. Then he let out a snort of laughter at how ridiculous Yao looks but held it back and continued seriously: "Now try the pants." But every single pants Yao tried is too big for him that Yao got frustrated.
"I don't want to wear this anymore." He whine, throwing the last pants on the floor and flopping on the bed.
"Fine. That shirt is long enough to cover everything anyway." Ivan let out, annoyed. He is absolutely done with everything today. Still, he tuck Wang Yao in. "Now sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. For you. And for me."
After closing the lights and increasing the heat, Ivan took off that suffocating shirt and threw it on the floor. "Life is too short to be uncomfortable like this." He mutter under his breath. Lying on the bed and covering himself with the thick and heavy blanket, the soothing comfort soon pulls him into a well deserved sleep.
Just before the free fall of sleep fully embraces him though, Ivan felt a rough invasion of space. "What do you want?" Ivan grumble in shock as Yao squeeze into the bed with him. "I want to sleep with you." Ivan let out a light, defeated sigh, he turn to his side, making space for the invader before plopping his head onto the pillow again.
This time for real, Ivan have fallen asleep.
Unbeknownst to Ivan though, Wang Yao snuggled close. He picked up Ivan's arms and began to use his hands to stroke on his head, mimicking Ivan's earlier actions in the bathroom. Then, pulling down he hug it, rubbing his face on the back of Ivan's hand.