The Sea's Guide
Disclaimer: Fanfic dot net is kinda strict with the nasties, I am honestly not sure if the scenes I have added here can pass through the meter here. So I am kinda testing my luck here by keeping the scenes, but if not, I will delete the scenes and you can go read them on ao3 I guess.
This story have now mostly deviate from the original draft, but I guess the ending would still somewhat be the same. Might have to bump this even further if I really want to go all out in the next chapter.
Anyway, I shall not spend too much time blabbering, but I still want to thank whoever is reading this 3! Thank you for reading, and even more so to those who gave a review. I hope you enjoy this chapter~
还有不懂那位用华语在评论区留言的朋友还读不读，因为你喜欢所以为了你把这篇从我脑里挤了出来！
Ivan open his eyes and blink. The room is blinding bright for his fresh unadjusted eyes. There's something missing, his first thought. The splashing of water that came from the bathroom jerked his head over. That fish. Ivan remembered.
Ivan quickly get out of the bed and rush to the bathroom. The lights inside are not open, Wang Yao's head turn to Ivan, and they both stared at each other for a few seconds. The creatures hair remains blacker than ever against the white bathtub and wall tiles, the slightly translucent skin that shows the pinkish underneath, faint jellied-like webs visible in between his fingers that is clutching on the ledge of the bathtub. "Oh…" Ivan mumble to himself, " I thought everything yesterday was just a dream."
"What are you doing?" Ivan asked, walking in. The increasing view into the bathtub plant an increasing fear into his heart, he saw a blackish rectangular object submerged inside the half-filled water. "What… " Ivan blurted out, he hastily snatch the phone and shake water out of the phone. "Why is it in here?"
Wang Yao look at the object angrily, then turning to Ivan, he pointed at the phone and started mimicking the sound of the phone's alarm. Ivan turned to him, letting out a bigger sigh. "Gosh. What am I supposed to do with you?"
His face must have revealed something because the angry expression on Yao's face gradually loosen. Wang Yao glance to the phone, his eyes darted around a little, then he reach out and took the phone. Giving it a shake too, more water dripped out from the holes, but the surface remain black. He open his mouth and aim for his arms.
Ivan immediately cover Yao's mouth with his hands. "No! You can't just make it work by putting your.. blood or whatever thing that's inside yourself. It's a phone, not flesh and blood." He sighed. "It's fine. I don't blame you. The alarm is noisy. Are you hungry?"
Wang Yao stare at him.
"Food." Ivan explain again, motioning his hands to his mouth. "Do you want food?"
Yao nodded.
"Okay." Ivan replied, patting his head. "I'm going to wash up and I'll get some food for you. And me." But before Ivan's hands have a chance to leave Yao's head, he grabbed hold into Ivan's hands and press down on his head again. Wang Yao gave that same soulful begging eyes to Ivan, who was amused by this fish's actions.
"You like it when I touch your head?" Ivan asked, smiling. Then gently stroke Yao's hair, his hands slowly move down to his cheeks, where Ivan brush his thumb against his face. "Okay, enough. You be good and stay here. I'll bring us food after I wash up." Ivan tried to lift his hands away, but it was grabbed hold onto it again by Yao.
"I'll be back." Ivan reassured again. "I'll." He pointed to him. "Get food." He pointed to the door, then pointed to his mouth. "And I'll be back." Ivan signal a walking motion with his two fingers walking from the door to where he is. "I promise." He pat both of his hands on Yao's shoulders. The word 'promise' seems to take a certain effect, Yao's head tilted so slightly as he stare back quietly at Ivan.
"Okay. Stay here and play with the waters." Ivan let out, he quickly wash up in the basin and put on his clothes before leaving the room. Wang Yao is alone, suddenly the waters in the tub doesn't seem that much interesting anymore.
Ivan increase the temperature a little before heading out of the room, it's a cold day again, today. His phone is busted so the only way to get proper food for Wang Yao would be to get out of Tower E and go back to Tower D to get into contact with the I.T. personnel. He walked all the way to the first floor before he spotted the cleaning crews for Tower E.
"Hey." He called out to one of them. "Is it possible to borrow your phone for a second." Is what he wanted to ask, but he recalled that his own phone is registered to the facility's directory and that's why it can go through to the I.T. department directly.
"Yes? Can I help you?" one of the cleaning crew asked.
"No, it's okay now. Thank you." Ivan replied politely.
"Sure."
Ivan stood there for a moment. He have no car. Even though all the towers in the facility are connected and walkable, it's still going to be a long and tiresome walk. And Wang Yao…. He let out an internal groan but started making his way over to Tower D by following the signage.
He finally managed to reach the I.T department, Ivan knock on the open glass door that was held inwards, scanning the lit room filled with office cubicles for any signs of life. "Anybody from the I.T. in today?"
"Oh, me!" a voice called out, and rolling out on a chair from one of the cubicle is a slightly plump man with specs. "You are?"
"Ivan Braginsky."
"Oh! What brings you here?" the man asked, enthusiastically.
"My phone is busted. I'm here to get a new phone and to submit a request for food to be delivered to Tower E where I am working at right now. Uh… Yeah. That's about it." Ivan explains.
"All requests needs to be submitted on the facility's XYZ system, for approval and all. For food requests on special project, please remember to select the proper code. In your case, there should be an account code for Project Deep Blue, so remember to choose the right project. I have some people complaining to me that their request did not go through, but how can it get through if you have chosen the wrong code, nobody is going remind you out of kindness that you have selected the wrong thing. So yes, it's important to choose the right! things. That goes for the right team as well, but I am not sure if Hansley's team is still in the system, if you can't find it you can add N/A instead and add on in the text box that you're from Hansley's team, if that doesn't work you can call the I.T's hotline. For the phone request, the same thing goes, you need-"
"No, how am I supposed submit a request when I have no phone, and why I allowed access yesterday?" Ivan cut off, an irk scratching in his heart from this nagging I.T. personnel.
"You can use your computer, duh and yesterday? What do you mean?" The man asked in surprise. "Oh, you mean the Mariana 2-1 room right? That was because for your case, it was already requested and approved prior to the start of this project, tha-"
"Okay fine. Is there any way you can expedite it; I need food and a phone and food for the… things I am looking after right now. It's very important."
Just then another person pass by Ivan and goes into the room.
"Charles!" the man half-shouted happily.
"What?' Charles replied, his voice monotonous.
"This guy here is asking for a company phone and food requests."
It's not obvious but Charles let out a slightly louder breath upon hearing what the man said. "Fine, fuck off."
The man happily stood up and, giving a pat on Charles' shoulder, he closed his laptop, swoop out his bag from the drawer and walk out of the room. "Seeya guys."
Ivan turn back to Charles sitting on the chair of another cubicle and open up the computer. "What just happen?" he asked.
"Shift change. That's what happen." Charles replied, spitting out his words slowly. "You… want… a company phone?"
"Yeah."
"Take a seat."
Ivan took a seat. Charles continued his typing on the computer, it was a little while before he stood up and disappear into the door at the back of the room, then after some time, he came out with a box. Opening up the box, he took out the new phone and started configuring it.
"I.. I thought that I need to make a request first." Ivan wanted to stop himself from asking it but… it's biting him to know.
"Would you rather?" Charles asked, looking over at him with wearisome eyes.
"Of course not."
"But after this you have to remember to submit the request. It's our KPI."
"Sure."
It feels almost like an eternity waiting for Charles to set the phone up, and Ivan began to worry a little about leaving Wang Yao back in the room, maybe he should have brought him along. "Is it possible to hasten it up?" Ivan said.
"No."
"Why?"
"Look. A company phone is not just 'oh another phone sponsored by the company, let's just use it and lose it whenever we want because it's free.' I have to detached and deactivate your other phone before I can set up this phone, and your old phone was attached to a Tower E's project. It's confidential stuff. Do you know how troublesome it is? I can't just-"
"Okay." Ivan cut off. "I get it."
"Right." Charles let out, getting back to his computer.
It took a long time till the phone is finally set up. Charles took out a paper from the drawer and asked Ivan to sign it to indicate that he have taken it. "Okay this is done. Erm.. For your food request. Your project is a tower E's project so, priority is given. Just use the XYZ app in your phone to request for it, it will be immediate."
"Thank you."
Not wanting to waste any more time, Ivan used his phone to submit his food and other request while making his way back hastily. The report can wait for a while more but….
Ivan Braginsky burst in the room with his laptop from the research lab, half expected that Wang Yao would still be in the bathtub, and even though another half already expected that he would be gone, his heart still sank to the bottom of his stomach at the empty bathtub. "Yao? Wang Yao? Stop hiding." He shouted, looking under the bed, the cupboard, and all possible hiding space in the room.
"Where are you my little Calypso." He muttered under his breath. There, he notice dried water stains on the floor that leads out of the door, which he immediately followed. It became obvious to Ivan where the trail is leading him to, and Ivan found himself back to the entrance of the oceanarium.
A thought flash past his mind. It's dangerous but the temptation is alluring, Ivan went over to the cupboard holding the wetsuit and oxygen tanks. Without a moment's more hesitation, he prepared himself for the dive. Biting down the mouthpiece, he sat on the ledge with his back facing the water, giving himself a breath, then two, through the mouth, he lie backwards. As soon as his back hit the water, he felt himself being sucked into the water, sinking with the help of the weights around his waist into the slow moving world.
The bright blue in the oceanarium is a fake reflection of the real ocean, but the vastness and depth is still haunting. Ivan moved his legs; the flipper provided a great boost to his movement. Air bubbles occasionally covered his view as he turn his head all around searching for that humanoid. The remains of the sharks is still hovering in a distance. Sudden water current rushes pass his side, Ivan turn to that side and find nothing. His heart skip a beat, even though they have gotten along well for past 24 hours, Ivan still know absolutely nothing about these sea creatures. Are they aggressive? It usually takes a long time for animals to trust you, and even then their behavior are always unpredictable.
He felt another water current sloshing pass his other side with force, and he turn around to find nothing. Then he felt his face was touched from the behind, and he turn back as fast as he could to find nothing, again. He turn back around and paused.
That fish is playing, Ivan thought.
From a distance away, a ray of light refract unnaturally. Ivan stare hard at it, trying to figure it out and gradually a human figure started becoming visible, until Ivan can clearly see him again. Wang Yao's human features are gone, the two abyss they called eyes are looking back at him. In the waters, the thin strands of hair like whiskers floated gently around him, swaying with each of his movements. Ivan look at him with his heart in his throat, mesmerized. The soft rays of lights refracting off the outline of Yao, giving him an otherworldly glow and taking Ivan's breath away.
Wang Yao swims in closer, his movements in the water are graceful, unlike the clumsiness of human arms and legs on the surface. As he moves in closer, the bubbles coming out of Ivan's mouthpiece became lesser and lesser. Until the moment where his face is right in front of Ivan did an unusually large amount of bubbles fluttered out. It startled Wang Yao and he reached out to pull the mouthpiece out of Ivan's mouth. The long chain of bubbles erupted out from the mouthpiece.
Ivan have almost forgotten to breath as Yao edge in closer, he was caught off guard when Yao decided to pull the mouthpiece out that the breath in his lungs slipped out in shock. He desperately reach out for the mouthpiece, but Yao tighten his fingers and crushed it.
Eyes wide in horror, Ivan pinch his nose and firm his lips to begin his ascent. It did not take a few flap of his flippers before he was held down by Yao, he tried to shrug the humanoid off, but it only made Yao clutch on more tightly on his shoulder. Ivan struggle against him, pinching his nose tighter. Wang Yao wrap his thighs around Ivan's waist and pull apart the fingers on his face. The last bit of air that Ivan was saving to tide him on the ascent was push out by the loud movement when he opened his mouth in desperation, every single fiber of his being is screaming that he is drowning, and his own survival instincts blare red alerts into his head of the hazardous situation he is in, Ivan kick and flail his arms and legs around violently to move away.
He could see Yao's face right in front of him, he can't tell his expression. The salty water seeping into the mask burns his eyes, that too was immediately tore out by Yao. Waters gushes onto his face and he could only close his eyes shut. His lips are pried open, soft, slimy friction press against it, he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of water, he tried to pull apart, but Yao held onto the back of his head and press in closer, Ivan could feel blobs of gelatinous bits, big and small, sliding down his throat. Wang Yao's tongue slithered, flickering, and brushing Ivan's lips, tongue, and the walls of his mouth. The forceful intrusion and desperation forces Ivan to suck in a breath in the water, the water rushes into his throat through the nose and mouth, filling in every single cranny down to the lungs with its salty, thick coldness. It fills his lungs and soothe the burn in the organ from the lack of air. A strange sensation, Ivan breath out that water and breath in a second one.
Ivan's thrashing limbs stopped, it's slightly more laborious than breathing in air, but breathing feels normal again. He could still feel Wang Yao's mouth on his own, sharp teeth lightly brushing, nibbling, sucking on his lips and tongue. Tentatively, he open his eyes a little, letting the saltwater seep into his eyes, but it no longer burns. Then opening his eyes fully, he found that his eyes can see through the waters in perfect sight, with no irritations.
This is….. Ivan thought with wonder.
Ivan cup his hands on Yao's head and pull him slightly apart, looking at him. Wang Yao have regain his human features a little, though his eyes are still fully black, it's obvious to Ivan that he is giving him that same annoyingly enthusiastic and cheeky grin.
The man could only return that grin with a genuine smile at this ridiculous situation. He can breath and see in the waters, the hands on Yao's head slip pass and Ivan held the humanoid's head against his chest, squeezing him. Wang Yao closes his arms around Ivan's chest too, rubbing his face against Ivan.
Then, Ivan caught one of Yao's hands as it tried to touch between his legs again.
"Stop it." Ivan mouthed.
Yao look up at him with an indignant look, then continued to cling onto him again. Ivan lean back into the waters, so that Yao is on top of him, lying on his body. It's a soothing feeling, a big contrast to the near-death experience that he felt earlier, and it's almost surreal to have a creature of the sea on himself as they are both cradled by the vast waters.
All things come to an end, good or bad, Ivan started his ascension from the oceanarium when his hunger pangs became unbearable. Upon breaking out of the water and taking the first breath of air, Ivan began to feel sharp painful spasm in his lungs. He fell to his knees the moment he climb out of the ledge, the short shallow air he take in felt like breathing in glasses. His eyes fill with tears as he spew out mixture of water and saliva out on the floor, the spasm squeeze his organs even more tightly, the excruciating pain forces a series of projectile as more water was expel out from his lungs.
The last few moments ended with violent coughing as breathing air no longer becomes painful. Ivan stare at the floor contemplating his life for a little, turning to his side, he found Yao squatting and observing him.
"This is not very nice." Ivan said out loud, to Yao.
Standing up, Yao follow suite. Ivan walk to the changing room, and Yao followed too. "No. Stay outside, I'm going to change." Wang Yao grab onto his hands, eyes looking at him. "What do you want?" Ivan asked.
"You can't talk?" Ivan asked again, looking at him.
Then Wang Yao bit down onto Ivan's partly exposed arms, the bite drew copious amount of blood and drew a loud yelp on Ivan's end. "What is wrong with you!" Ivan yell, pushing his palm onto Yao's forehead to pry his mouth apart. "Stop it! Ouch, it hurts!" Ivan continued, when it hurts even more trying pry the humanoid away.
"I want to follow you!" Yao said, the surrounding of his mouth smeared with blood.
"No. Just stay here. I'm just changing." Ivan replied.
"I want to follow you!" Yao insisted, throwing a tantrum.
"Ah. Fine, fine. Do whatever you want." Ivan let out and went into the changing room, Wang Yao squeeze into the cubicle with him, just standing and watching as Ivan change out of his wet suit and gears to take a quick bath. He even rinse the fish with the water to wash the salt out of him.
"Oh yeah.." Ivan suddenly said when he is done changing back into his own clothing. He turn around to realise that Yao is naked. He is in still mostly in his humanoid form though. Ivan stare at him, touching his chin, thinking. "Ah.." Ivan said, making his way to the room where the towels are held, he pulled one out and soaked it in water before draping it over Yao.
"There." Ivan muttered, feeling quite proud of himself for this almost ingenious idea. Wang Yao held both of his arms out, wanting a hug.
"No. You're wet with that towel on. I'll clean you up when we are back in the room. I'm famished."
"Famished?" Yao repeated.
"It means I am hungry that I could eat you up." Ivan laughed.
"You want to eat me?"
"No.. Ah.." Ivan wanted to retort but he shook his head and grab Yao's wrist instead. "You won't understand. Let's go." But Wang Yao stood and held his arms up again.
Ivan relented, a little reluctantly as always, but nevertheless relented.
Wang Yao hid his face between Ivan's neck, and he held on tightly. Ivan could feel him playing with his hair as Yao's fingers brush pass his scalp.
As they are nearing their room, Ivan spotted the baskets lying outside their door and make a small run over it. "Food!" Ivan blurted out happily. He took the baskets and went into the room, placing Yao onto the chair, he lift the lid of all the basket until he find the one with food.
"Yes!" Ivan muttered, picking out a piece of salmon sashimi and putting it into his mouth, his first meal of the day. Then picking out another piece, he put them near Yao's mouth. Wang Yao look up at him in bewilderment. "Do you eat this?" he asked, pushing the raw fish on Yao's lip.
"No?" Ivan mumble.
Wang Yao open his mouth and wrap it awkwardly around the piece of fish and also partially onto Ivan's fingers. After the fish is eaten by Yao, Ivan look at his saliva clad fingers in slight annoyance, then back at Yao. Turning his attention back to the basket, there's more: There's a fresh sandwich with good cheese in it, a bowl of rice pilaf and a bowl of soup. In another basket are fresh clothes, and then another is whole raw fishes.
Ivan pulled another chair and sat in front of Yao. "Not sure if you like this but here we go, fishes that are native to the waters you are caught in." Ivan open the lid of the basket with the whole raw fishes and place them onto Yao's laps. Taking another basket filled with his own human food on his lap, he started eating the sandwich and rice. "Doesn't taste that good, but I guess it will do." Ivan commented, chewing the rice in his mouth.
"Why are not eating?" Ivan asked Yao. "Or do you want the salmon?"
Yao pointed at Ivan's bowl of rice.
Ivan lift the bowl. "This?"
Yao nodded.
Skepticism surface on his face, Ivan look at the rice and back at Yao. "Will it die from eating this?" Ivan wondered out loud.
"I want it!" Yao whined, opening his mouth.
"No." Ivan replied after a few moment of hesitation. "I don't know if you will die from eating human food."
"I won't! I eat before. That." Yao answered, pointing at the rice.
"Are you sure?" Ivan slowly passing the bowl of rice and the spoon to him.
But Yao open his mouth again, not taking over the bowl nor the spoon.
"Are you serious." Ivan muttered, pulling the bowl and the spoon back, scooping the rice and putting it into Yao's mouth. Wang Yao chew and swallowed, making a face while doing so.
Ivan laughed. "See. You don't like it. Eat your fish."
The two managed to finished their meal without much issue and Ivan placed the trash and empty bones in the basket outside their door. Finally he open up the special, blue box that he is saving till the last and inside is a bag of human blood.
"Now this would make the interview easier." Ivan said, eyes glittering at the bag of blood. "Do you want to stay in the bathtub, or do you want to stay on the bed?"
"Bed!" Yao shouted excitedly.
"Okay. Then I guess interview first." Ivan muttered, grabbing a cup, and pouring the blood into it. "Drink it." He said, passing the cup over to Yao.
The change from the partial humanoid to a human is still amazing to Ivan, the flowy soot black hair looks too real to even imagine that just a few seconds earlier, its just fine, almost transparent whiskers like stuff on his head. Wang Yao give the empty cup back to Ivan; his mouth are stained with the blood.
"Look at you." Ivan smile, pulling out a wet tissue to wipe the surroundings of Yao's mouth. He took off the wet towel, dried him and put a shirt on him before announcing: "We are finally ready."
He opens his laptop and begins asking Wang Yao questions.
"Do you know where you are born in?" Ivan started.
"The waters." Yao replied innocently.
"Do you know where else can I find people like you in the waters?"
Wang Yao shook his head. "It's a very long time since I have seen people like me. I don't know where they are."
"What about that other people with you, that died? Is it somebody related to you?"
"No.. I don't know him, but he wants me to be his babies mother. He is ugly, I don't like him. He chased me inside the water for a very long time, and I have to keep swimming away. Until we get caught by humans."
"Mother?" Ivan asked, bewildered. "So you can have babies?"
"Yes!"
Ivan touch his chin, seemingly thinking. "So you're a female…"
"No!"
"No?" Ivan repeated, looking at him.
"I am male, and I am female." Yao merely said.
"What do you mean?" Ivan blurted out. "Male and female? How did you know?"
"Mama was the one who told me."
"Who.. is this mama?"
"Mama's name is Han Yuan Jun…." Yao replied. Then out of the blue he muttered: "I don't like to be human." Tears started forming around his eyes, and he started sniffling. "It doesn't feel nice here." he continued, placing his palm on his chest.
"Don't cry." Ivan gently stroke on his head. "What happened?"
"Mama tell me to leave. She promised." Wang Yao's face scrunch into a genuine sadness, and tears trailed down his cheeks.
"Don't cry." Ivan cooed, wiping the tears from his face. "It's okay, I am here. The bed, do you want to go to the bed?"
Yao immediately stop crying and nodded earnestly.
"Okay, let's go. We can continue over there." Ivan egged, urging him to lie on the bed while Ivan took his laptop and went on another. "I'll search for your mama for you. So don't worry."
"Mama is dead. She brings me to the ocean and ask me to leave, but she got a lot of blood coming out of her. She tells me not to let bad humans catch me, because they want to kill me. Ivan… Will you die? Will you leave me like Mama did?" Yao asked, looking over at Ivan.
"No." Ivan answered, distracted with his laptop. "I mean I won't die, at least. But.. you need to go back to the ocean one day, we are going to leave each other one day."
After typing in the details, Ivan asked again: "When your babies are born, are they born like eggs or are they like .. live babies?" When he got no answer, he turn to the other bed. Wang Yao is hiding under the blanket with his back facing Ivan.
"Yao?"
Ivan put down his laptop and went over to the other bed. "You're angry?"
"No."
"Then?"
"It feels weird here." Yao mumble, palm over his chest again. "I don't want to be human."
"I won't leave you." Ivan said quietly, stroking the back of Yao's head.
"Ivan."
"Hm?"
"Ivan." Yao said again, turning around facing him. His eyes slightly red and swollen from the crying. "It feels nice here when I am with you, mama say it means that I am happy. I am happy to be with you Ivan." He moved over and wrap his arms around Ivan's neck.
"Ah…" Ivan let out, startled by this confession, and strangely honoured by it. With a hand on the back of his head and another on his waist, Ivan laid down on the bed, looking at the ceiling, and giving reassuring pat on the Yao's back
Wang Yao pulled Ivan's hands away from his waist and directing it to underneath him.
"What are you doing?" Ivan asked, still mostly distracted by his own thoughts of the report.
"You wanted to know why I am a male and a female." He whispers, sliding Ivan's fingers slightly further down, between the male organ and the lower orifice, with his own finger, he press against Ivan's fingers down. A slit opens and envelope the fingers, Yao guided Ivan's wrist to pushes it in further.
Ivan's eyes widened; a small gasp slip out of his mouth.
Moving his waist down to envelope the fingers entirely, Yao pull up and down again on Ivan's fingers. His breath a little hastier, whining out tiny moans as his hips moves a little faster. He rubs his frontal genitalia against Ivan as his eyes greedily take in the sight of Ivan's face.
It's not all that awkward on Ivan's part when large amount of gooey, clear liquid pour out of the slit and covering Ivan's hands and fingers, they are already past that when Ivan allowed Yao to masturbate with his fingers. It's more like now there's not only gooey liquid on his fingers, but also gooey liquid spill out from his male genitalia and also that Yao have decided to fall asleep on him while his fingers is still inside him.
Ivan slowly pulls his fingers out, looking at it, there's a hint of reddish brown amidst the clear liquid. It would be nice if I could run all these under the microscope now, Ivan thought. Gently, he moves Yao and tuck him in the bed with excruciatingly slow movement to avoid waking him up.
He put his fingers close to his nose to smell the semi-dried liquid, it doesn't smell anything like how a human semen would smell like, in fact it just smells like the salty ocean.
I guess I could use this time when he is sleeping to finish up yesterday and today's report for the team. Ivan thought to himself. This is such an amazing experience, indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity. I get to be with this beautiful creature and observe hands on and up close. Professor Hansley would be absolutely thrilled with all details.
Excitedly, Ivan washed up and prepared a report updating the details of the experience, including his observation, information that Wang Yao told him and such. It took a long time to fully organize it, but when he is finally done, he look over to the sleeping figure on the bed, there's still so much more things to learn about his little Calypso.