Brewing Storm
Marinette returned home slowly. Her gown dragged against the water, making her sluggish. She didn't feel sluggish, though. With ever pulse of her heart she felt tiny jolts of electricity travel along her body and through her core, filling her with energy and power never before experienced.
She broke the merfolk's first and most sacred law. She was not only seen by a human, but she talked with him, too.
How could she not? He saved her from that net. He made sure no one else saw her. She nearly, accidentally pulled him into the ocean with her. 'Thank you's and apologies were in order.
It had almost nothing to do with the fact that he had the handsomest face she'd ever seen and the kindest voice she'd ever heard.
Tikki was going to flip out when she told her.
It was past midnight when Marinette made it back to the atoll. True to her word, Tikki was waiting for her.
"Marinette! What are you wearing?" Tikki asked, horrified. The gown's red skirt drifted around her, bobbing in the currents like a jelly fish.
"It's a ballgown!" Marinette explained giddily, "Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" She pushed the silk down and tried to twirl. The gown didn't flare out, but twisted around Marinette's fin. She knocked her head against the reef trying to free herself from the dress.
"Marinette, you need to take that off right now. You're not going to be able to explain this away if someone sees you." Tikki helped Marinette right the skirt, "No one's going to believe someone threw that into the ocean."
"But she did throw it overboard!" Marinette said. "Well, almost. I had to climb up the ship to unhook it…"
Tikki let go of the dress. "You did what?"
"No one saw me! Well, not until…"
"You were seen?" Tikki clawed at her own face. "Marinette, that's not good. It's actually bad! It's really, really bad."
"It's alright, Tikki, he won't tell anyone. You see, I talked to him and…"
"You talked with a human?!"
Someone was going to hear!
"Shh!" Marinette brought a finger to her lips. "I'll tell you everything."
And she did. She told her about Chloe and the golden netting on her ship. She explained about the dress and how dark it was, and how she knew she wouldn't be seen. Marinette told Tikki about the handsome human Prince Adrien with eyes greener than the sea, and how he saved her from her own clumsiness and made a promise to never tell anyone else about seeing her.
Tikki was not convinced.
"You've gone too far this time," she said. "Grandpa was exiled all the way across the ocean for speaking with a human. Even after traveling all this way, he's not allowed inside the bay."
"And that isn't okay," Marinette said with righteous indignation. "The punishment for just talking with a human is outrageous. Adrien isn't a bad person and I did nothing wrong. I don't know the entirety of your Grandpa's situation… but I know you love him he has to be a good person. He never should have been exiled from the Silk Sea in the first place."
Tikki didn't immediately disagree with her, which Marinette decided was as good as endorsement. The law was dumb, Marinette saw that now. Adrien had every opportunity to call the guards on her or worse, but he didn't. Why should she have to hide from him when he wanted to see her again? She wanted to see him, too.
"You should meet him," Tikki said.
"Meet who?" Marinette had lost track of the conversation.
"My Grandpa," Tikki replied. "He regrets speaking to the human. Maybe he can talk you out of ruining your life."
"You speak with him? I thought you weren't allowed to contact him as long as you lived in the bay." That was the rule, wasn't it? A community wasn't supposed to accept the banished member of another merfolk community. Tikki's grandfather had to live his days outside the bay, completely cut off from other merfolk, even his own family.
"I don't want to hear about the sanctity of merfolk laws from you, Marinette." Tikki pouted.
"Fair enough." Marinette chuckled, intrigued by this secret rebellious side Tikki concealed from her.
"He doesn't live far away. It won't even take a full day to swim there and back," Tikki said.
"Won't the sharkers wonder where we're going?" The edge of the bay was patrolled by the physically strongest of their community. They were the first line of defense against anything from the open ocean that would prey on merfolk.
"They've never bothered me. We're citizens. Allowed to come and go as we please. So, will you come?" Tikki asked.
"Yes," Marinette said. The idea of meeting someone else who used to talk to humans was exciting. "At dawn?"
"I'll come get you at your parents' place," Tikki said and swam away.
Her parents' place? It made sense as a meeting spot. They lived close to the bay's edge. It had been a week or two since Marinette last dropped by.
Conversations with her parents could make Marinette uncomfortable.
Marinette took off her gown and stored it away where the currents couldn't drag it off. She slipped back into her trusty mainsail dress, and tried to fit in a nap before morning came.
-o-o-o-
Tom and Sabine lived in a cozy cave at the bottom of the sea. Many merfolk didn't have any one place to call their own, opting instead to sleep and eat wherever they like. The Lunimar Bay Community was safe and well off enough where such a lifestyle was acceptable. Marinette's parents preferred privacy though, a trait they passed on to their daughter.
Marinette half hoped they wouldn't be home. Her father prepared fish meat for the Deep Sea Market and her mother gathered resources and seaweed from the kelp forest to the east. Both of their roles took them out of the cave.
Marinette poked her head in. Her dad was in the mouth of the cave, carving a piece of pink fish flesh with the blade of a mussel shell. He grinned when he saw her.
"Hey there, stranger. Sabine, come look who it is!"
Marinette's mom swam out from deeper in the cave.
"Hi Dad. Hi Mom." Marinette gave each of them a hug.
"It's been a while. What have you been up to?" her dad asked.
"You know, tinkering…"
"Tell us about it."
"I don't want to bore you." Marinette wasn't sure if they were truly interested in what she did. Her parents were kind, which made it hard to figure out what they actually approved of.
"You're so isolated out there, dear. Are you still seeing your friends from time to time?" her mom asked.
Marinette explained how she made plans with Tikki.
"So you're going out. That's great. Where did you say you were headed?" her dad asked.
"Out of the bay, just a little bit." Marinette dodged.
Her mother's mouth pursed, but her dad nodded, placing his mussel shell into a natural cubby of the cave. "Ooh, exciting."
"Be careful out there, Marinette. It can be dangerous," her mom warned, petting the top of Marinette's head.
"I'm always careful," she said. Everyone was so sure she was going to get herself into trouble.
Thinking back to last night, maybe they were right to be worried…
"Say, after you're back from your trip, maybe you could join me in the kelp forest and help out," her mom suggested.
Marinette flinched. She'd been to the kelp forests with her mom before. The merpeople her mom worked with were nice, but they didn't share any common interests with Marinette. There was a particularly embarrassing incident a few years ago where she unintentionally impaled one of her mom's friends with a fishhook she found along the ocean floor.
"Oh, Mom, I don't know," Marinette said through her wince.
"You could forage! You love finding things," her mom insisted.
Marinette was uncomfortable.
"I don't think she's a kelp forester, Sabine." Her dad rested an arm across her shoulder. "Marinette, your Mom and I are just a little worried that you haven't found your niche in the community."
"I know," Marinette sighed.
"We're not trying to suggest what you're doing now is wrong or that you have to stop. Hobbies are great to have!"
"But it's hard for a mermaid to live all by herself, almost impossible," said her mom, "and I can't imagine you're happy out there on that reef by yourself all the time."
Was Marinette unhappy? She was ecstatic last night, meeting the human prince. Thinking about being stuck under the waters of the bay, upholding laws she disagreed with made her glum. Maybe her parents had a point.
"That thing you do with that reclaimed human cloth is a pretty neat trick." Her father motioned between Marinette's dress and to the sea grasses wrapped around his arms. "We got eel weed here in the bay, so it doesn't count for much, but maybe it would be helpful in another community!"
"You… want me to move away?"
"No! No, no, no." Her dad frantically waved his hands. "That's not what I mean. I'm saying that even though it's hard to contribute here in the bay, the oceans a big place! Another community might really appreciate your work. You could help out doing something you love," he explained.
"We just want you to be happy, Marinette, that's all," her mom added.
"We love you."
Her parents were so thoughtful and lovely. They deserved better than a clumsy weirdo like her. Was a change of scenery all she needed? No matter where she went, the law against interacting with humans was universal. But maybe, if she visited another community, she could carve out a place for herself sewing. It wasn't a bad idea.
Marinette enveloped her parents in a hug, "Thanks. I love you guys, too. I'll think about it."
Tikki arrived a few minutes later. She exchanged greetings with Marinette's parents and then they swam off to the open ocean.
-o-o-o-
Adrien spent the morning gazing out at the sea from his room. All his thoughts were of Ladybug and mermaids. At times he wondered if he'd dreamt up the encounter, but his torn neck stock was proof it wasn't a dream. Chloe's earring, too.
After dinner Adrien pulled Chloe aside and returned the sapphire trinket to her. She was ecstatic. She didn't ask how he found it.
Later, he went to the library and looked up information about lighthouse beacons. He learned about the special oil they used for the lamps and the parabolic reflectors and lenses that made all the light focus into a single point and… well, it wasn't like he would get the chance to tell Ladybug about it anyway.
Adrien's breakfast sat on his desk. He hadn't touched it. Plagg, on the other hand, who was supposed to be tidying up, helped himself to the choicest bits.
Adrien wished he could talk with someone about Ladybug. Mermaids were real! And they were prettier and braver than any song about them. It hurt to know that she never intended to speak with him again. If only he could sail, maybe then he would at least catch sight of her.
The world seemed large and wondrous to him now. If mermaids were real, who knew what else was out there?
Adrien scanned the gray waters of Lunimar for a splash of red and black.
Instead, a ship of conservative size caught his eye. A brigantine. Her sails were full with wind and the flag attached to her foremast flapped with the royal colors of Edoire.
"Plagg, come look at this."
Plagg looked up, cheeks round with a mouthful of cheese omelette.
"What ship is that?" Adrien asked, pointing out the brigantine.
Plagg squinted as he chewed thoughtfully on Adrien's breakfast.
"I think it's the Liberty," he said after swallowing. "She's back a day ahead of schedule."
-o-o-o-
The Merchant Harbor was the largest and busiest of Port Lunimar's docks. It was the heart of trade in the city, laying adjacent to Edoire's largest open air market. Chloe said she'd be scouring the market today, but as far as Adrien knew she hadn't woken yet, though the clock inched closer to noon.
Adrien's coach rolled up right next to his father's, who apparently caught sight of the Liberty long before Adrien had. Plagg hopped off the coach to open the door for him.
Some days, the harbor reeked of rotting fish that didn't sell, but not today. A chilly breeze came off the ocean and the air was briny, but fresh.
A forest of masts and riggings filled the skyline. Across the way, Adrien could see the whites of waves crashing into the manmade breakwater, but could not hear their roar over the din of the busy harbor. People bustled across the maze of wooden walkways branching out over calm water.
As crowded as it was, it wasn't difficult to spot his father's entourage. A platoon of armed guards in Edoirean black, purple, and silver encircled his father near an empty plot of the dock. Nathalie lurked in his shadow.
Adrien went past the blockade, no fuss.
"Is it the Liberty, Father?" he asked.
His father's mouth was a grim line, "It seems it is. I wonder how many ports she missed to make it back to the bay this early."
Was he angry? There was a hurricane on her heels.
"If it was to escape the storm…" Adrien began.
"Then the Captain valued her own life over those of the ports she was meant be giving aid to," his father finished uncharitably.
Low melodic chanting sounded as the Liberty grew closer. A louder deeper voice called out a line to the chant and the crew answered back.
"Oh, it'd be alright if we make it back to port"
"Oh, we'd be alright if we make it back to port"
The song grew in volume as the brigantine pushed past the breakwater and into harbor.
"Yes, we'd be alright if we make it back to port"
"And we'll all hang on behind"
The Liberty's main and foresail were hauled up further with every call back. The shanty sounded in the air.
"And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll, the old, chariot along,
We'll roll the old chariot along,
And we'll all hang on behind"
The typical noise of the harbor died away. The unearthly echo of the sailor's chantey overpowered everything else.
"Well, a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm"
"Oh a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm"
"Oh a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm"
"And we'll all hang on behind"
The Liberty, sails up, drifted gently into mooring.
"And we'll roll the old, chariot along"
"We'll roll the old chariot along"
A short, sturdily built woman in a tricornered hat didn't wait for the accommodation ladder to be raised. She grabbed a rope dangling from the top of the main mast, took a running jump, and swung to the dock below.
"We'll roll the old chariot along"
"And we'll all hang on behind"
She landed in front of Gabriel. Captain Hardrock took off her hat and gave a lavish bow to her king and liege.
"And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll, the old, chariot along"
"Captain," Adrien's father greeted her. Captain Hardrock shushed him. The song wasn't done yet.
"Yes, we'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind!"
Half-hearted claps erupted from the ship with the conclusion of the song. A tall, thin man who stood out above the crew dipped his head. The chant caller.
Only when the Liberty settled, did Captain Hardrock properly greet the king. Sort of.
"Ahoy, Yer Majesty! The Liberty reports back from her assignment."
Adrien's eyes darted between the Captain of the Liberty and his father. Was this Sea Captain out of her mind?
"The storm didn't bother you?" King Gabriel asked coldly, jaw twitching.
"We beat her, though she nipped at our stern the whole way."
"How many ports of call did you miss?"
Captain Hardrock puffed her chest and wagged her finger at the king. "Yer Majesty doubts the speed of the Liberty! We made every port, we gave out all the aid, collected all the goods, dry and wet, beat the sky herself all the way to Lunimar! And I've the receipts to prove it." She folded her arms, legs akimbo.
He blinked. "All of them?" Adrien rarely saw his father stunned.
"Aye! And I've news of the country and the storm ye'll be wantin' to hear, I expect. But let me crew unload and stretch their legs. Without their hard work we'd still be in Catseye."
"Granted. What news do you have?"
"I can't speak fer the inland towns, but every port in Edoire is flourishing, Yer Majesty. They were grateful for the tarps and ropes and medical supplies. I suspect ye gave them more than they'll need."
"Is the hurricane not as terrible as we feared?"
"I'm afraid it is, Sire. But the way its going, Edoire's only going to catch it half as bad as the islands."
"It's heading straight for Katana?"
"It's already passed through, by now. I reckon it'll brush by Lunimar tonight and tomorrow, then cross over to the Silk Sea before dying in old Huangxa or Reynard."
Adrien's father drummed his fingers across his arm, the shadow of a relieved smile on his face. "This will make the trade deal with Katana next month very interesting," he said under his breath, or to Nathalie, Adrien couldn't tell sometimes. "Captain Hardrock, your work is exemplary."
"Yer makin' me blush, Majesty!" she crowed, hands on her hips.
"Your crew will receive double pay for services to the crown, and I offer you a boon to ask of me."
"A pleasant offer, yer majesty, but I've all I want," her tone grew whimsical. "The Liberty, my freedom, the open seas, the wind on my back, a loyal crew, and a song in my heart." Captain Hardrock was a lot.
Adrien's father, true to form, stayed on topic. "All the same, you've surpassed my expectations. You may get back to me later about what you want."
"Yer Majesty." Captain Hardrock tipped her hat.
Business over, Adrien's father returned to his carriage. The coachman yelped and the vehicle rolled away. Adrien did not follow him. He wanted to see Nino.
The Liberty's ragtag crew stumbled down the accommodation ladder one by one. Their clothes were dirty and every sailor bore heavy bags under their eyes. Captain Hardrock's well of enthusiasm was not contagious, apparently.
Eventually Nino staggered to the dock, barely suppressing a massive yawn. He was in one piece. Adrien strolled over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Welcome back. Congrats on the pay raise," Adrien said.
"Thanks," Nino replied with a lopsided grin. "Man, am I tired. I don't think I've had two full hours of uninterrupted sleep for past three days."
Adrien could only imagine the mad race to return to Lunimar before the storm hit, "That sounds rough."
"Think Alya will be mad if I don't see her until I wake up…" Nino yawned, "…a week from now?"
"You'd know better than I would."
Alya was Nino's girlfriend. She worked at the palace as a maid, but her and Adrien's paths only crossed whenever Nino was ashore. She was funny and opinionated, and didn't care about Adrien's title, which he appreciated.
"I'll stop by and say hi before I pass out," he jerked his head north. A mile or two north along the sandy beach, the humble Peasant's Harbor poked out of Lunimar's bank. The Peasant's Harbor was used by locals and their smaller water craft, such as personal fishing and sailboats. Alya's house stood right in front of the docks, on the shallow mesa above the beach. Adrien hadn't been there himself, but Nino talked about it a lot whenever he mentioned Alya. Which was all the time.
A splatter of rain hit Adrien's nose. Heavy drops fell from the sky, coating the dock.
"And here comes the storm," Nino groaned.
-o-o-o-
I'm all caught up now. New chapter every Monday, as long as school doesn't kick my butt. Thank you for reading!
Also just realized this site does not want to keep my line breaks. Gonna try to get that all sorted out now for future readers.