Backwater Nexus. Harbor. Finding Home

[dens_extra_pups]

Legacy: *clinging to the side of the big ship, trying to stay awake after eating so many barnacles that she's in danger of a protein coma*

Kit Fisto: *pops his head out of the water and looks at the small lady who lives in the shed behind his house* Legacy? Are you alright?

Legacy: *sleepily* So many barnacles...

Kit Fisto: *ducks his head and looks at the ship below the waterline, then comes back out of the water* Just how many did you eat?

Legacy: *sleepy blinking as she tries to think* ... A lot.

Kit Fisto: *shakes his head* Remember when I said you could rent a house with the money from your abalones?

Legacy: *small, sleepy nod*

Kit Fisto: Well, there's a guy over on the dock who wants to talk to you about that.

Legacy: *sleepy confusion* 'Bout the William D. Porter? *likes having the ship around, because of all the barnacles*

Kit Fisto: *pauses and looks up* Is that this boat's name? Where'd it even come from?

Legacy: *nods and points to where the ship's name is painted on it in neat, even block lettering* It just appeared suddenly, 'n drifted over here.

Kit Fisto: *grin falters slightly* Another piece of forgotten junk. *looks down then at a stirring in the water*

Waterbaby: *pops her head out of the water and frowns at him. You was supposed to bring the girl to not-Dad!*

Legacy: *sleepily* Least it came here, where there's a place for it... *starting to sag into the water a little more, eyelids drooping heavily*

Kit Fisto: *slips an arm around her waist, then gently pulls her away from the ship* *to the baby* We're coming.

Waterbaby: *frowny pout to the lady with the poofy hair*

Legacy: *sleepy confusion* Huh?

Kit Fisto: We're going to the dock. There's a man on the dock who wants to talk to you about a house.

Legacy: ...Oh.

Kit Fisto: *swims her over to the dock and calls to the guy there* She's got the money, but not here. Can she bring it to you after she sleeps?

Knockout: *frowns slightly from where he's hunkered down to talk* Is she alright?

Legacy: *half-asleep* Barnacles. Lots of barnacles.

Knockout: *slowly* Is that anything like the effect of three huge tiger sharks on a water dragon?

Legacy: *so much sleepy confusion* Huh?

Knockout: Yes, I can see that it is. *soft snort* Go ahead and move her in. I'll let Denver know.

Waterbaby: *pops her head out of the water, munching contentedly*

Knockout: Ack! What have you got in your mouth? *grabs baby out of the water and tries to stick a finger in her mouth*

Waterbaby: *teeth clenched as she flails*

Legacy: ... *small frown* 'S prolly a barnacle from the William D. Porter. They're good.

Knockout: Denver will have my plating if I don't get... OUCH!

Kit Fisto: *snorts and swims Legacy over to where a little house like a flying saucer is bobbing in the water near the murlock house*

Legacy: *sleepy enough that she absently snuggles Kit Fisto as she's brought to the house*

Kit Fisto: *moves her away from him slightly, his grin again faltering slightly* I'll bring your Shark picture and your jewelry over.

Legacy: *soft, absent sound*

Kit Fisto: *gently lifts her up onto the deck of the house, and then sinks down to go get her things*

Legacy: *little cough to get the last of the water out of her respiratory system as it begins to shift from mostly gill-breathing to strictly lung-breathing. And then a stretch as she swaps her tail for legs* *going to sleep for several hours now*


other side of the Backwater, several minutes later


Knockout: *grumbling as soon as he's PINpointed onto the deck*

Waterbaby: *MASSIVE scowlypout as she hangs under his arm*

Knockout: *sighs and turns the poutmonster loose, then looks around for Denver*

Denver: *coming to see whether Knockout and Waterbaby found a tenant for the UFO house*

Waterbaby: *crawls toward not-Mama, her pretty little outfit sparkling with her movements*

Knockout: *perks and strides over, offering a hug* The tenant will pay the first rent after she wakes up.

Denver: *had crouched to offer to pick Waterbaby up, will rise to accept the offered hug* Wakes up? 'S she alrahght?

Knockout: *smirk* Under the influence of too many barnacles.

Denver: ... *raised brow* Barnacles?

Knockout: Something she got off that ship that's there now, I guess. *frowning at the massive scowl that Waterbaby just gave him*

Waterbaby: *hugs not-Mama and SCOWLS at not-Dad*

Denver: ...Huh. Wh't ship? *curious and thinking about doing some more exploring today*

Knockout: *looks at Waterbaby as though she could remind him* What did that giant hairball say? Oh right. The William D. Porter.

Waterbaby: *ASL* [Took my nom.]

Denver: Nevah 'eard 'f 't. *to Waterbaby* Took y'ur nom?

Knockout: *winces* She had a barnacle in her mouth. I got it away before she chewed it up.

Denver: ... *raised brow*

Waterbaby: *grumpy sound* [Lady eat noms.]

Denver: Th' ladeh who's gonna be rentin' th' othah 'ouse?

Waterbaby: *nod nod* [Lotsa nom.]

Knockout: You don't know if they're safe for you.

Waterbaby: *scowl!*

Denver: Th' ladeh w's eatin' barnacles? *surprised by this*

Waterbaby: [Ears saw her say so.] *assertive nod*

Denver: Huh. *and now she's curious about how barnacles taste* *will offer Waterbaby to Knockout* Ah'm gonna go take a look 't th't ship.

Knockout: *confused frown as he takes the baby* Why?

Denver: Ah wanna see 'f th're's moah stuff 'round 't th't'd be good t' eat.

gruff voice: How about something bigger to eat?

Knockout: *could rival certain Jazzes with his eek ballet*

Waterbaby: *laughing at him now*

Denver: *startles and looks to the voice*

Charlie: *frowns at her* You told MacKenzie he could go to *beep*. Does that go for everyone else from your old reality?

Knockout: *startled* Everyone else is dead.

Charlie: Nope.

Denver: *quietly* Ah w's mad 't Beau 'cause 'e w's trah'n' t' keep me 'n Knockout 'paht...

Charlie: *impassive face as he points to Waterbaby* If she suddenly decides to live with a former criminal and terrorist sixteen times her age, are you going to let her go?

Denver: ... *darnit. Logical argument*

Charlie: *glances at Knockout* Did you tell her you've been visiting him?

Knockout: *guilty shifty face*

Denver: *frowwwwns at Knockout*

Knockout: *shame-faced* I didn't want you to worry.

Denver: *considering her words carefully for a moment* Y'u c'ld'a at least tol' me y'u were visitin'.

Knockout: *looks down* I thought you'd yell at me.

Waterbaby: *frowns and hugs him. No sad, not-Dad*

Denver: *SO much frown as she thinks*

Charlie: *impassively* He's been spelling Ratchet so the old bot can get some time away from taking care of MacKenzie.

Denver: *blink blink* Takin' care'a Beau?

Knockout: *nods and looks at her worriedly* He's so sick that he can't lift his head.

Denver: *worried frowwwwwn* Wh't's wrong wit' 'im? *pause* 'N does Dal know?

Knockout: Dallas knows. I've had so much bug and grits that I'm afraid of turning the same colour as my idiot brother.

Denver: ... Bug?

Knockout: Those things that are 25 cents a pound at the wholesale market.

Denver: Oh! Shrimp.

Knockout: Yes. Those things.

Waterbaby: *nods her head and pats her tummy*

Denver: *small nod and a considering expression* Ah bet th'y's all kahnda sick'a shrimp 'n grits...

Knockout: *quizzical look*

Waterbaby: [I can eat it?]

Denver: Mabeh we sh'ld bring 'em stuff fr'm th' 'Dog. *to Waterbaby* Le's wait 'n see.

Charlie: If you're interested in a job, you can have all the meat you want.

Denver: ... Wh't sort'a meat?

Charlie: *hand up, and a hologram shows a huge ship in a wild and tossing sea being grappled by massive tentacles as creatures like some kind of huge porpoise give it battle*

Denver: *intrigued expression and a bit of glow coming to her eyes*

Charlie: The Finnies can't afford to lose too many members, and their children are inside the city along with the humans.

Knockout: *wincing and flinching as he watches the battle*

Waterbaby: *watches for a moment, then squeals and points, rocking Knockout toward the images*

Denver: *looks to see what Waterbaby's pointing at*

Charlie: She wants the water. So are you in?

Denver: C'n we move th' 'ouse th're?

Charlie: *blinks* Maybe to one of the quieter areas, but not to the Belt.

Denver: Th' Belt?

Charlie: *image of a planet* This is the world that most of the humans from your old reality have been moved to. It's what's termed as a Super Earth world because of its size. Around the centre there's an abyss with deep water and inexhaustible fish stocks. Finny City traverses that belt.

Denver: *definitely looking interested now* Huh.

Charlie: The job's taking out that cephalopod.

Denver: *soft hum, and then she's nodding*

Charlie: What pay do you want besides half the carcass and moving the house?

Denver: *small frown as she think. She'd be happy with the meat and the place for the house, but she's also trying to think of what would be good for her family as well*

Charlie: I can take you to see Hattie sometime, too. *slight scowl* And there's someone else that wants to see you.

Waterbaby: *more squeal. Wants ocean!*

Knockout: Hush!

Denver: *soft hum* Th' meat 'n movin' th' 'ouse'll do f'r now. Le's git goin'.

Charlie: *nods and brings her away*


that night


murlocks: *hollering, laughing, and squealing as they use bigGaleas' hand for a diving board*

bigGaleas: *SO much click*

murlocks: *make waves that rock the little house*

MerLegacy: *sleepy sound, moves to sit up* Huh?

bundle: *clinks as she boots it softly with one foot*

MerLegacy: *puzzled blinking, will look to see what she booted*

bundle: *wrapped up in one of the curtains that Kit Fisto had given her so that people wouldn't be able to look into the shed she'd been staying in*

Legacy: *moves to carefully open the bundle, a bit of a grin coming to her face when she realizes it's all her honorable battle spoils, and her picture of Captain Shark. She'll look around and wonder how she got to the deck of the building she's in front of as well*

house: *bobs again as murlocks yell gleefully and splash*

Kit Fisto: *arms up on the side of the deck to check on Legacy again* Oh, you're finally awake.

MerLegacy: *slight start, looks to Kit Fisto* How long was I out?

Kit Fisto: It's midnight. You ate all those barnacles a little before noon. Oh, and Seaspray bought you this. *tosses a piece of black fabric up onto the deck*

MerLegacy: *blinks and moves to get to her feet, though she's a bit unsteady* What is it?

Kit Fisto: *shrug* Clothes.

MerLegacy: Huh. *will examine the garment and then slip it on before shucking her somewhat threadbare and ratty tunic*

garment: *shifts and moves, then separates and changes colour*

MerLegacy: *startled squeak*

garment: *is now a modest yellow polka dot bikini with a skirted bottom*

Kit Fisto: Now you can't moon anyone.

MerLegacy: *blink blink* Moon?

Kit Fisto: *sighs* Remember all those times people have covered their eyes when they swam behind you, or stood under you when you were up on the railing of the murlock house?

MerLegacy: *thinks and then nods* Yeah?

Kit Fisto: *nods too* You're supposed to wear something on your bottom, like that, when you have legs.

MerLegacy: Oh.

Kit Fisto: Anyway. This is the house you've rented. You need to put a hundred and fifty dollars into the mail for Denver and Knockout every month.

MerLegacy: In the Nexus Mail?

Kit Fisto: *nods again* Yes.

MerLegacy: *small nod* Okay.

Kit Fisto: *serious despite his grin* I told you you could have this house some day.

MerLegacy: *small grin* Yeah... You did. And I didn't believe you.

Kit Fisto: *hits her in the face with a small fresh fish, and then slips into the harbour and is gone*

MerLegacy: *awks and fumbles for the fish, then she's razzing the water and sitting down to eat* *after she's finished her meal she'll explore her new home and curl up on the amazing soft bed downstairs for the rest of the night*

((Written with random_xtras))