Atlanta shook her head, as if too physically trying to shake free the stress and thoughts racing around in there. But all it seemed to do was make her hair flick annoying in her face.
"All the more reason we should have looked after you better! And looked out for you more. They tied you up so tight you've- you've got-!" Atlanta took a breath.
Then another; before asking more calmly then she really felt. "But the rest are, you mean? Caused by …"
Atlanta didn't want to say his name again. But now they'd come so far, she had to know what titian had done. Who else would cause this? No one else's name ever caused such a bad reaction from Marina, not as far as Atlanta had seen. She didn't need to say his name even.
Again, Marina stilled, frozen up knowing exactly who Atlanta meant.
"the rest of these?" Atlanta said, gesturing to the stripes going around Marina's wrist. Marina pulled her sleeves back down, covering them back up, rubbing her hands along the material as if to rub away the marks underneath while Atlanta continued,
"all of them? And that one I saw on your foot? Did he do this to you?"
Marina nodded; her big sad eyes all shiny and her face glum. But then… Marina shook her head.
"yes. No. Both." she tapped and signed again. And with a sigh added, "as well."
And then "I don't know the sign." With her cards.
Marina then flipped through the dictionary till she found the word quite early in the b section.
"backward. " Atlanta read. "...what do you mean? "
Marina tapped the dictionary again then frowned as well mirroring her friend. She pointed to the word above and then 'backward' again.
"back?" Atlanta repeated, trying to read at what Marina pointed to. "no, I'm still lost. Sorry but what are you getting at, Marina? Back...when you were there? Or have I got something backwards, as in wrong?"
Marina scoffed, threw one hand up in frustration. And made her never mind shunt with the other. A wrong word perhaps? No, Marina tapped 'backward' again, covering it. Well half of it. A quarter. Then finally when Atlanta still didn't get it Marina gave up; and shifted in her seat so she was facing away from Atlanta.
Atlanta sat there confused. For a moment she thought Marina had had enough and was rather rudely trying to give her a physical cold shoulder. But then Marina twisted back around to get Atlanta's attention with a one-handed clap. Then carefully gathered up her dulled green hair and swept it over to her other side, tapping her own skin the action had exposed. Atlanta frowned.
"what am I looking at-? Ah. Backward. You meant backward. Back." she realized aloud and felt a bit of an idiot.
If she was thinking the same Marina gratuitously didn't say so. She looked back over her shoulder to nod softly. She must have decided she'd be better at showing Atlanta rather than telling.
"your back. Does that mean- oh no. Does that mean there's another mark? That there's a scar there too. Is that it?" Atlanta asked; heart sinking further still and hoping for another no.
But Marina nodded once more. And again, tapped the skin there. Atlanta followed her fingers this time and- there. Now Atlanta knew where to look, it seemed blindly obvious. A mark, a start of a scar was visible when Marina gently pressed the skin above it. Fine and faint as gossamer or as a hair, barely visible even as it caught the light.
"oh honey..."
If she had noticed it previously it had passed for a scratch. Albeit a very odd one? Atlanta traced it both with eyes and a not quite touch. (again, she reached out but wasn't quite able to bring her fingertips close enough to do so.)
From one side of the back of Marina's neck across to her other shoulder a fine line swept before it looped back on itself and down under her dress.
Atlanta could have kicked herself. How had she not realized sooner?! Or seen it before? Marina often had her hair swept over one shoulder. And had had her hair up several times away from her neck, in different styles or even with flowers for meeting Johnny Swoonra. Heck, when they'd invited the French Jacques Jordon to dinner, Atlanta herself had even pinned it for Marina! Mind Marina had never drawn attention to her back before like this; on purpose. Maybe she had seen it before but now she only saw it only because looking out for it? All her dresses came up to the back of her neck, covering it partly. And Atlanta would never have noticed anything amiss if Marina hadn't opened up to her.
It didn't make Atlanta feel better though…
Marina moved, breaking Atlanta's train of self-scolding and berating thoughts. The mergirl reached over her shoulder again and undid a hidden catch then another at the shoulder seam. They didn't go straight down in the center like most dresses- most terrainian dresses- did, with zippers and such. Easier to dress herself, Atlanta supposed as Marina undid another on the other side and pulled the back of her dress away. She was not undoing it all the way but just enough to shift the layers of fabric out and away off at one shoulder. Just enough for Atlanta to see over the hemline. She then looked back up at her friend, and away.
Atlanta shuffled closer. And risked another glance to double check Marina was as comfortable as she could be. Then peeked very cautiously underneath.
For a horrible moment Atlanta thought there was going to be lash marking; that Marina had been whipped-!
On one hand it was not. Which was a positive. On the other hand, it was definitely a mark. Another scar. Or collection of scars. But it was almost pretty compared to the others. Still horrid. But not as clinical.
Atlanta followed the fine mark as it then turned again to beat a strange tattoo down her friend's sculpted back. Though this scar was delicate at first, where she'd pulled her dress away, about an inch below the hemline would usually rest the thin ribbon sharply changed. Marina's scar became wider at the shoulder blade, turning back the other way again, the skin turning shiny and stretched. There were other marks too now, made up of dots and flicks. As it continued it became wilder and more frayed, splitting off. The scar whipped back and forth angry, wider zig-zagging and forking off like strange roots or branches spreading along Marina's skin; still framed by more fecks of dots and dashes, like starbursts or fireworks.
Looking at it, it was like Marina had been branded with a mix of lace and lightning.
Atlanta followed them still, as far down Marina's back as she could. The tiny little bolts started thinning back out and the main body of the scratch like scar twisting at an angle just below her other shoulder blade. It dipped again, weaving Marina's spine and disappearing to the darkness of the dress.
"Oh. Gosh." Atlanta whispered, sitting back unable to think what else to say.
Marina nodded, agreeing. Taking controlled measured breaths, Marina adjusted herself pulling her dress back up.
"Here, let me." Atalanta mumbled helping with the other side. Marina stilled but allowed it. Atlanta held her shoulders a moment and let go unsure what to do. Marina sat gripping clasp tight. Then Marina spoke again, her fingers quick but timid.
"that one." she started turning back to face Atlanta. She then made a sign that Atlanta wasn't sure was. Atlanta wasn't even sure if it was actual American sign language even, maybe it was more a mime. Or a Pacifica word. Something wriggly. And electric. Eel or jellyfish perhaps? Marina didn't realize Atlanta didn't know that one and continued, pointing to her back. Then wrote out;
PET. PATROLS. MISTIMED IT BUT I XES (she crossed that out.)
EXCAT (she crossed that out too.)
EGSCAP
Another spelling error and Marina gave up. She crossed that out and flicked through her box of cards for one word.
"Escaped." she said, then picked up the pen again tried:
"DIDN'T WORK. IT GOT ME. SHOCK SLEEP. WAS TOOK ME BACK TO CITY. PRISONER AGAIN."
Marina even drew a sad little face, two little dots and a downturned mouth. Even as she kept her real expression stoic.
"It looks like it hurt pretty bad?" Atlanta offered, gently resting a hand back on Marina's shoulder. Marina made a face shrugging it off.
The idea of it causing pain that is, not Atlanta's hand. Marina even placed her hand over Atlanta's briefly, before speaking again.
"yes. Hurt." she agreed, then gestured to the rest.
"but only at time. But only once. Not like others-."
Atlanta held her breath as Marina tensed mid action eyes wide. As if remembering them all at once. Then shook her head.
" but I am fine now." Marina insisted. Atlanta frowned at that but didn't interrupt.
"healed now. Fine sometimes even. Sometimes. Not hurt? Sometimes I feel strong. Like laughing. Scars. That's all making hurt could do. You're right. Not unclean…"
"And the other times, I am unclean?"
"You're not." Atlanta muttered.
Marina disagreed again.
"Am. or. Feels like am. Sometimes angry. But. Not always. Not good. And t-"
"t. I."
"and he."
"king. He."
Marina seemed to be stuck in a loop.
"and t."
" and he" Marina signed, then sighed, her breath catching.
"titian?" Atlanta asked. Marina flinched but gave a nod, eyes focused somewhere far off but intense.
"hey. It's alright." Atlanta soothed rubbing her shoulder. Marina nodded, looking to her and came back to herself a little. They hadn't assigned a sign for Titian as such bar the sign for king - (only Marina used ever or called him king oddly. Mind Marina called his vehicles 'terror fish' not mechanical)- and spelling out his name. Marina's hands always still shook as she slowly signed it though the letters, as she tried to now.
"Wait a moment. here? I know who you mean but would this help?" Atlanta said, having an idea and writing out Titian on a new page, "tap that. Then you don't have to make yourself say his name at least? Let's not make this harder for you."
Marina blinked. And nodded relieved, Then tried again.
"king, (tap) titian." She said, still shaking so hard her frills shook. " did. Did. He. No. not. Me."
" Never mind. he." Marina tried again, collecting herself. Trying too. "I. Me…"
Marina paused, frowning and flexing her fingers.
"I'm listening, Marina. You're okay." Atlanta said, her free hand covering Marina's. Marina nodded again, harder, squeezing back hard before speaking.
"He didn't win." Marina said, changing her angle or approach. "we did. We escaped. Stingray!"
"No, he didn't win. You did. You Troy and Phones, you always do. He's hurt you? But he didn't win. He won't." Atlanta agreed, reminding her. Marina nodded determinedly.
"Titian," she said tapping the paper, then "did not do. Did not do this. "
"…What?!"
Atlanta was surprised to say the least. Who else could have caused Marina such pain, inflicted such harm on her?
"Oh no."
Whoever it was clearly had Marina terrified. She paused again and took a deep breath. And another. Then hugged herself and doubled over. Atlanta sharply shifted in her seat to sit closer to Marina. She moved her hand over and gently placed hand on the mergirl's other shoulder, putting one arm around her and pulling the mergirl into a half hug.
"You're okay." Atlanta said again, trying to be reassuring. "You take your time. Or stop if you need to? I'd understand."
Marina had squeezed her eyes shut and Atlanta worried she was going to be sick.
"Do you need a break maybe?" she asked. Marina nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest. Atlanta held her a few moments, a bit stuck on what to do, as Marina drew slow hard breathes. Perhaps she should offer to make Marina some tea, (seaweed or course). Or fetch her some water. Or a bowl-!
Marina suddenly unfurled herself, sitting up. She then, with no prompting, hitched up her skirt and rolled up the leggings showing off the shackle mark. It was just as horrid as it was the first time Atlanta had seen it.
But Marina wasn't done; and continued pulling on her clothes, revealing not just the ankle Atlanta had seen, But the other too. and revealing the scar on that one too. a matching one. a set. Atlanta had thought perhaps that had been the case. Shackles come in pairs after all. But again, took no victory in being proved right.
Marina, poor Marina uncurled properly, feet back on the floor and sat there; feet out, flippers toes pointed in. she was gripping the couch Staring at the marks then looking away again, like she had her arms.
"Sometimes not hurt. He. He didn't win. He-" she said, Fighting back tears.
"You're okay. You're alright Marina." Atlanta repeated.
"Titan." Marina said, tapping the paper. "Titan did not do." she repeated. "not him."
"Then who, honey? Who did this?" Atlanta asked, that fury for her friend biting the back of her throat again. "Marina, who hurt you?"
"… they did." Marina said. Then turned to Atlanta, her teeth bared and made her fingers making a crown of five spines.
They did. Meaning Aquaphibians.
