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 Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 8:56 am
"Okay, but, regardless, it has in fact saved you a bunch of times. And not killed you. Like, Ron was scared of spiders, but all those spiders still saved him. I think. It's been a while since I read Harry Potter. So like, sure, you should keep a healthy respect for it, but I think you're looking at it wrong."
Malkam spat in his mask, and got the mouthpiece ready.
"You ready?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 9:24 am
"Harry Potter." Lawrence said a little incredulously. "For the record we would never be relatable to a Weasely. We are essentially the Malfoys but competent."
Except it was a little difficult to feel competent when you were looking at a long, terrifying swim.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:01 am
Malkam could not believe that one, Lawrence had read Harry Potter,
and two, that he had strong feelings about which characters he identified with.
"Okay. I'm taking that as a yes. I'm going in, just think about, I don't know. Whatever you consider nice. Like, um, home. Or something."
Then he hopped in.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:24 am
Lawrence immediately held onto Malkam with significant force, surprisingly wiry and strong thanks to Butch.
He did not think of home.
Instead all he could think of was the pressing and imminent threat of death presented by the ocean. He buried his face against Malkam and tried to focus on his movements, his swimming.
It took every ounce of self control he had not to summon Butch.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:27 am
Malkam sank, making a HURK sound at the sudden death grip, but he had no way to convey that Lawrence should hold a little less tightly and that he wasn't going to let go of him or trying to shove him off, so instead of prying at Lawrence's hands he just squeezed one of his legs real hard a couple of times and hoped he got the message.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:34 am
Lawrence didn't realise quite how much force he was putting behind holding on to Malkam and only when the other man somewhat frantically tried to tell him that there was a problem did he realise what he was potentially referring to. He was in a wild panic but he managed to ground himself just enough to loosen his hold.
It took trust to do it, terrified beyond words that he'd get dislodged somehow and be left on his own in that dark terrifying blackness, but he did his best.
He just wanted more than anything to be back on dry land.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 12:53 pm
With Lawrence relaxed, Malkam was able to likewise relax, and start portaging Lawrence slowly to the surface.
The journey up honestly wasn't too different from the journey down. Both felt like they lasted forever, the surface not even visible this deep. There was the ever-present light pull of the current, and particles that floated in and out of the flashlight beam. It was like night. There was some comfort to any trace of rock,
or sand, but the long stretch of seemingly endless, open water in all directions felt...unguarded.
The temperature of the water picked up as the light did, until the brilliant blue of the surface water became clearer, and when they finally broke the surface it felt like they'd been hugging for hours.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:02 pm
Lawrence couldn't stand the ocean. It was all he could think over and over and over, thinking relentlessly that it was too long, that they'd been going far far too long and that maybe the oxygen wouldn't last, that maybe they'd never make it back again. It was a helpless terrified feeling or at least a potent restlessness. He wouldn't deem it an emotion really, more a frantic trapped animal scrabbling for freedom.
He tried to think of anything else, but it was almost impossible, every glimpse of a dark shadow in the water, any hint of motion or something he couldn't recognise and he felt himself panic all the more.
When they hit the surface, he could have cried with relief. They weren't quite at shore yet but he broke away and swam with surprising speed towards the beach. Light had never been so good, earth had never been so good. He just wanted to put as much between the ocean and him as possible.
As soon as he was out he removed the oxygen tank and flippers and letting his fight or flight instincts get a very literal hold on him, tried to fly off in the shape of an owl.
An owl which was very wet and managed a few flaps before it fell right back into the shallow water and started screeching like it was dying.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:11 pm
Malkam followed at a slower pace, tired from the long trip up AND back. When he finally reached the sand, he lay in the surf for a while before there was an unholy screeching sound, and rolling over, pushed off his flippers with his heels so he could go save-
"Tweetheart," he said with a scowl. "You got to do that now?" He fished the flailing, clawing owl out of the saltwater, where owls definitely shouldn't be and didn't belong. "If you'd just change back, you could have sat up."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:24 pm
The owl flapped frantically a few more times, caught up in a panicked frenzy before calming down again. He wasn't going to be able to fly away, he'd need to just deal with things.
He shifted back, falling back out of Malkam's hands and into the water where this time he was big enough to just sit miserably. "Sorry." he said. "Instinct. Sometimes it seems easier now to simply fly. Doesn't work so well when wet."
He picked himself up, glad to have sand under his feet as he made his way out to sit on the beach still physically shivering, not from cold but from sheer adrenaline. He hadn't done any of the work but he felt like he'd just swam a hundred leagues. He let himself flop back onto the sand, staring at the sky while the world stopped feeling like it was moving and his heart stopped hammering a hundred miles in his chest.
"I am never doing anything like that ever again. Thank you."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:11 pm
"Going underwater, or running off somewhere dangerous without telling anybody?" Malkam asked.
He raised his eyes at the thank you, offering back, "and you're welcome."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:48 pm
"Underwater mainly. And I did tell people! I left a note. I didn't think I'd be down there so long." He really wanted a shower and a shave and felt awful on multiple levels.
"I hope I never need to deal with the ocean as directly as that ever again."
He got up and set about removing the wetsuit, still looking good underneath it - at least in attire - thanks to the scarf.
"Lets go home." he said. "Once I'm tidied up I can make us all dinner."
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 6:06 pm
"Don't do stuff that could get you killed without actually checking in with somebody," Malkam said. "Not just leaving a note. Like, hey, I may already be dead!"
He stooped to gather up his equipment.
"Good," he said, "Rodney's food is weird."
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