Rolling his eyes at the splashing but not without a touch of a twitch at the corners of his mouth, Grey merely nods before he dives. Quick and efficient, going deep.
For a human, Aidan has to admit his brother's a good fisher. His father had thought as much, when teaching Grey how to hold his breath longer, making sure there were always enough towels and dry clothes kept in the fishing boat so that on finishing up, the older boy wouldn't freeze on the way back to shore.
There's a twinge of sadness at the now bittersweet memories and Aidan shakes them from his head before diving after his brother.
Grey doesn't swim like a sailor. He moves with the water like he was taught by his adoptive father. It's a smooth, effortless kind of swimming, straining little and letting the current and movement take him where he wants to go. A few bubbles escape from his nose every now and then as he dives. But it's a sparing kind of exercise, he usually has quite a bit still left in his lungs when he surfaces.
They're deep down where it's almost pitch black. He pauses to wait, to see shapes in the water and then points to Aidan the fish when he spots them. He takes his time, making sure he has the angle right and when he shoots out his harpoon, he doesn't stay to look if he hit something, but already turns towards the surface and lets the weapon and the fish trail after him on the piece of rope that's been tied to his wrist. His lungs are burning but that's what happens, every time.
The selkie takes longer to return to the surface, but then he can hold his breath longer. It's harder to hit multiple fish, especially after the first is struck, due to the dying fish wriggling and making it harder for the harpoon to retain a straight course. Still, he manages to get two and shoots for the surface, swiping the hair back from his face as he emerges.
Grey has already yanked up his catch and unhooked the first fish, dropped it onto the bottom of the boat and waits for Aidan with his arm on the side of the boat. One of these will feed one person for a day. They still have quite a bit to catch.
"Good catch," he says when he sees the two on Aidan's harpoon. There's a bit of seaweed on Aidan's beard that Grey reaches over to yank out. "A few more?"
Aidan twitches a bit when the plantlife is taken from his beard but doesn't protest it - he's used to Grey and their mother constantly picking random things from his hair on returning from a swim. Selkies aren't the best at remembering these things, after all.
Grey is neat by personality. He doesn't like things being messy and dirty at all. To him grooming Aidan is an automation, something learned from childhood and it has stayed. Making sure the younger man is always neat and clean as well. He was in charge of taking care of his little brother a lot, washing his hands and helping him to get dressed up.
"True, we could do that, there seems be quite a bit to catch today," he flashes one of his quicksilver smiles at his brother. These are the moments he honestly enjoys the most, quiet work, doing something worthwhile, not hurting anyone.
"I'm ready when you are," Aidan shrugs, returning that smile with his own which lingers a bit longer than any of his brother's do. The fish are methodically removed from his harpoon, and then Aidan's diving back into the depths again.
They go back and forth for while then, getting the fish they need. There's not a whole lot of talking involved with that, they don't need to. When it seems the fish have moved, they lift the anchor and move the boat.
By lunch time they have several barrels of fish on the bottom of the ship.
Grey lifts himself onto the edge of the boat and lets gravity do the rest. He doesn't dress up yet, but stretches back against the opposing edge of the boat while Aidan helps himself into the boat, letting the sun dry him first.
"If we can fish like this tomorrow too, we should have food for a long while." It's great. They don't have to stop for a harbour if they don't want to. It's always good to have that option.
Grey sighs and nods. Sure, Aidan is right. They still need some fresh water and fruit. But one out of three is good.
"And patches for the sails if not a whole new sail for the front mast," he murmurs. They need to find harbour before setting out to the next part of their trip.
"Kai can take care of shopping, though," he always does. Grey is thankful for it.
"At least be nice enough to carry it for him," Aidan suggests, hiding his smile as he ducks to get the oars. "And if you glower at the shopkeepers from behind him, I'd wager you will save quite a bit of coin in the process."
"Maybe," Grey says with a small sigh. He doesn't like shopping. Doing it with Kai is extra annoying because the asshole insists upon haggling with each and every seller. Grey knows that'll save them some coin but it still makes him so impatient.
"When you have your skin back, it's going to be you who hobbles after him through the market, every time, at least for a year."
It's a serious question that demands a properly thought out response, rather than something just thrown out at random, so Aidan doesn't answer immediately. Instead he loops his damp hair into a knot at the back of his head, looking out to the sea in silence.
"... I don't think the pirate life suits us very well," he answers at last, voice soft. "You're not a natural-born killer, Grey. Sailor, yes, and fisherman for sure, but not a pirate."
"No," Grey agrees with him without even thinking about it. "I'm not."
He sits up, dropping his elbows onto his knees as he looks at Aidan.
"We could sail," he says curiously, looking at his brother and wondering what he's thinking. "Maybe trading. Or sell our protection to merchant ships. Or fish." The ship could be turned into a fishing ship even if it weren't meant for that.
Aidan finds himself quirking a quick smile at those suggestions, ducking his head and swiping back the few loose locks of hair from his face. "I could see those. It... would be nice to travel, and actually be able to go into town with you. See more of the world than just from the ports and shores."
Grey nods. That's what he wants too. Honestly, he'd be happy to send Aidan into the towns and ports with Kai to do their thing. Maybe Kai would have some ideas about what they could sell. He probably would have a lot of crazy ideas.
"Yeah, I'll leave that to you when we retrieve your skin."
"Yeah..." Aidan repeats, something a bit sad in his quick, wistful little smile as he shrugs.
He's never said as much to Grey, but Aidan's always been rather skeptical of ever getting his skin back. Even if they succeed in getting to the underworld, even if they get the identity of that mad mage... would they find him? Would he even still be alive? Would he still have the skin?
But he never voices these doubts out loud. Maybe voicing them would give them life, who knows.
For now, he pats the barrels of fish. "Right, time to get these below-deck."
Grey is not blind to his brother's doubts. But as long as neither of them voices those doubts, they don't have the right to exists as far as Grey is concerned. He doesn't see another option here, Aidan will get his skin back and that is it.
"Back to the circus," Grey agrees and starts to pull on his pants.
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perhapstomorrow2020-01-25 10:33 pm
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There's a twinge of sadness at the now bittersweet memories and Aidan shakes them from his head before diving after his brother.
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They're deep down where it's almost pitch black. He pauses to wait, to see shapes in the water and then points to Aidan the fish when he spots them. He takes his time, making sure he has the angle right and when he shoots out his harpoon, he doesn't stay to look if he hit something, but already turns towards the surface and lets the weapon and the fish trail after him on the piece of rope that's been tied to his wrist. His lungs are burning but that's what happens, every time.
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"Good catch," he says when he sees the two on Aidan's harpoon. There's a bit of seaweed on Aidan's beard that Grey reaches over to yank out. "A few more?"
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"Mm, should we get some to salt as well?"
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"True, we could do that, there seems be quite a bit to catch today," he flashes one of his quicksilver smiles at his brother. These are the moments he honestly enjoys the most, quiet work, doing something worthwhile, not hurting anyone.
"Let's go again?"
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By lunch time they have several barrels of fish on the bottom of the ship.
Grey lifts himself onto the edge of the boat and lets gravity do the rest. He doesn't dress up yet, but stretches back against the opposing edge of the boat while Aidan helps himself into the boat, letting the sun dry him first.
"If we can fish like this tomorrow too, we should have food for a long while." It's great. They don't have to stop for a harbour if they don't want to. It's always good to have that option.
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"We'll still need water... and fruit, if we can. I don't fancy having too many cases of scurvy breaking out."
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"And patches for the sails if not a whole new sail for the front mast," he murmurs. They need to find harbour before setting out to the next part of their trip.
"Kai can take care of shopping, though," he always does. Grey is thankful for it.
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"When you have your skin back, it's going to be you who hobbles after him through the market, every time, at least for a year."
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"Will we still be doing this, then? Or will we go home?"
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He looks at Aidan quietly for a moment and then asks: "What do you think?"
It's not a challenge but a genuine question.
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"... I don't think the pirate life suits us very well," he answers at last, voice soft. "You're not a natural-born killer, Grey. Sailor, yes, and fisherman for sure, but not a pirate."
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He sits up, dropping his elbows onto his knees as he looks at Aidan.
"We could sail," he says curiously, looking at his brother and wondering what he's thinking. "Maybe trading. Or sell our protection to merchant ships. Or fish." The ship could be turned into a fishing ship even if it weren't meant for that.
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"Yeah, I'll leave that to you when we retrieve your skin."
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He's never said as much to Grey, but Aidan's always been rather skeptical of ever getting his skin back. Even if they succeed in getting to the underworld, even if they get the identity of that mad mage... would they find him? Would he even still be alive? Would he still have the skin?
But he never voices these doubts out loud. Maybe voicing them would give them life, who knows.
For now, he pats the barrels of fish. "Right, time to get these below-deck."
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"Back to the circus," Grey agrees and starts to pull on his pants.