#ew fic

The door behind Tom slid closed, as he walked through the hallway,

It was a docking day yesterday, which meant that they’d gotten restocks. Cool.

He’d snuck some more booze while Edds busy with important business, on his way to go smuggle it to his hideaway.

“Hey Tom!”

“Sup Matt.”

He’d sorted through boxes and boxes of his own face, pictures of himself Edd always had him pick his favorites to stay on ship every so often. He was reminiscing on the ones he couldn’t keep.

Tom kept walking past Matt.

“Have you met the new guy yet?”

Tom stopped walking past Matt.

“…what new guy.”

“The one Edds currently touring the ship with!”Matt had explained like it was the most natural thing in the world,

Tom was about to go hunt Edd down for an explanation. He wasn’t told about some.. new guy. Why wasn’t that at the start of last weeks meeting?

“…where’s Edd, Exactly?”

“Last time I talked to them, they were making their way to the engine room. Important question; do you think the purple striped shirt or the flowy seafoam coat is better?”

“They both look dumb.” Tom called out as he walked away. He only felt the smallest bit bad at the “awh” Matt let out.

The engine room was only a couple halls away, take a left and swipe his keycard a stupid amount of times,

“Damn thing work—“ tom hissed, swiping and swiping in vain,

Just as the engine room door slid open, Edd and Some Guy stood there, staring at him.

“Tom! We were just coming to find you.” Edd greeted, placing a hand on Toms shoulder, the other rested on Mystery Guys.

Tom scoffed, looking the man up and down. This guy has the worst cowlicks Toms since ever, if that’s not just how he chooses to style it.

He’s not sure which would be worse.

“Hello there,” the guy spoke, his accent standing out just enough to be noticeable. Something germanic, if he had to guess?

“Uh. Sup….. Edd. Can I talk to you?”

“In a minute! Tord, this is Tom! He’s our navigator.” A brisk nod from Tord, apparently.

Edd looked to Tom, “Tom, this is Tord, he’s an old’ buddy of mine, he’s gonna be the ships engineer.”

Okaaay. So. Tom did complain about how every time something broke on the ship, they either almost died, or they had to deal until they docked.

Neither was ideal.

He, however, didn’t think Edd would actually take that complaint seriously!

Never once has Edd taken any of his other (completely valid) complaints to heart and done something about it!

“Cool. Can we talk now?”

“If you need to talk so bad, why don’t you walk with us? I’m almost done showing Tord around.”

He cringed, trying not to look in Tord’s direction.

“Yeaahhhh. No. I don’t really wanna talk.. in front of.. hm.”

Tord huffed, glaring at Tom a little.

“In front of me? Is that what you mean?”

“Hm. Well.

Yeah pretty much.” Tom shrugged.

Edd frowned. “Don’t be rude, Tom. I told you last week I got us an engineer.”

Cut to Edd talking with a mouth full of fish shaped cereal (it was the only one Matt wanted), absolutely unintelligible. Tom stared at him, unimpressed.

“Yeaaahhhh. No you didn’t.”

“Yes I did. You just don’t listen.”

Tom breathed in, doesn’t listen—okay.

This Tord probably won’t last long. First time Edd tried hiring other people on board, it ended in them having to avoid a lawsuit.

Multiple times.

“Okay. Whatever. Just don’t touch my stuff.”

Edd gave him a thumbs up, with a happy grin. Tord shrugged, not bothering to glance at Tom as he walked behind the chatter box that’s Edd.

Tom didn’t see Tord for the rest of the day, even when dinner rolled around and the crew was meant to sit together and eat. It was tradition.

Only further proved to Tom that Tord wouldn’t last the week.

“So, if they have multiple jaws, it’s a moray?”

“Yup! Morays have multiple rows of teeth that extend from the back of their mouths to the front when they open their mouths!”

Edd nodded along to Matts random sea creatures fact of the day, despite the smallest look of distress on his face.

Edd isn’t fond of the more disturbing fish facts like Matt, and occasionally Tom, is.

Just as Matt begins on yet another ramble about Lobsters (he really loves his lobsters, jesus.), Tord comes shuffling into the room,

The doors slide silently open and shut behind him.

“Tord! I was wondering when you were gonna join us.”

“Yes, sorry. I was caught up in a check over all the ships mechanisms.” And you could see it too,

Tord was covered in black oil and soot, his hair a bit matted, as he wipes his face with a towel.

“I’m honestly shocked this old girl runs on oil fuels still. Older ship?”

“Yeah…. Passed down from Matts grandfathers, grandfathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, grandmothers grandmother.”

Matt nodded enthusiastically, still munching away at his plate.

Tord just nodded, wiping his hands “clean”, and taking a seat at the rounded benched table.

Tom held back a scoff, and went back to zoning out of Edd and Matts conversation.

…he’s a little concerned about exactly what Tord did to the ship, to be covered in that much mess.

But Tord seemed completely indifferent about the ordeal, picking at the chipping table paint.

“No, sharks have cartilaginous skeletons,” Matt began, shaking his head at Edd disapprovingly.

“Meaning they have soft bones, like our ears and nose, though as they eat their bones strength over.. time…..” Matt trailed off, staring at Tord as both spoke in unison.

Tord glanced up from his spot. “What?”

“….you knew that?”

“It’s… common knowledge if you took any time to research it.”

Edd grinned as Matt gaped a bit. Matts eyes shone just the littlest bit.

“You’re interested in marine biology?”

Tord fully sat up, nodding hesitantly. Like this would somehow be a trap. “…..I mean I studied it for a year or two, in my free time.”

“TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW.” Matt exclaimed, leaning all the way over the table to get in Tord’s face, who jumped back enough he’d’ve fallen if not for the safety of the bench.

“..uh. Okay.”

Tom sighed quietly, he’d’ve thought Matt would get upset there’s someone else on the ship who knows just as much dorky stuff as he does, but lo and behold.

Matts ecstatic.

Shocking.(heh.)

A few days had passed, Tord had barely been seen by any of them, and when he was, it was because he’d needed a part or tool he didn’t have and couldn’t find,

Or he’d worn himself thin and inhaled a snack. And then disappeared again for the next 3-4 days.

But.. subtlety. Things on the ship started to change. Not socially, but actual physical things.

“Tom.” Edd called out from the captains seat.

“What?” He stared at the navigation station, blinking his boredom away.

“I don’t understand.” What? Tom looked over to Edd, leaning his swivel chair ever so slightly back.

The captains panel, which was once a organized, minimalized, only somewhat complex system of buttons,

Was now a wall of new, shiny buttons that probably did more on this ship than Tom ever would.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Tom glanced at Edd, and then the panel.

“It’s not the damn sea gremlins again, is it?”

“I told you Tom, those weren’t real! None of us saw them but you!”

“Then how in the world did your controls get like that? It’s not like anyone else on.. board.. could do…. That……” Toms words ended slowly,

As Tom and Edd both came to the same conclusion. Tord.

“Ugh. I’d told Tord to ask me before he started rebuilding the ship!”

“Is he gonna rebuild the entire damn thing while we’re under water?” Tom glared, god he hoped not.

Dealing with incompetent idiots who die on day 2 of this job is a lot more preferable than dealing with an idiot rebuilding the entire sub and drowning them all doing it.

“…..probably. If I don’t talk him out of it.”

Tom sighed, still glaring at Edd.

“This is your fault. You hired the damn idiot.”

“Tord’s a capable person! He needed a job and we needed an engineer!”

“Still your fault when we all drown.” Tom muttered.

Edd rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just help me find Tord and talk to him.”

Tom mocked Edd under his breath, but obliged anyway.

Maybe Tord’ll get fired from this. Tom’s not a fan of this quiet, creepy dude coming on board and replacing the ship piece by piece.

The quarters, the library, the medical bay, the moonpool.

He hadn’t checked the engine room yet. Why hadn’t he checked there in the first place?

Opening the doors successfully this time, Tom stepped into the room. The dark room, with no lights on.

Expect for one, a blowtorch fire, being used on a panel in the wall. Tord sitting front of it with his stupid goggles over his eyes.

Hadn’t even noticed Tom come in.

He had tools and parts all sprawled out around him in a fae circle of mechanical parts.

Tom felt he should say something, but stayed quiet, a little curious. Tord set the torch down, still working through the wiring beside the panel he just welded.

Tom watched in horror as the supposedly capable engineer in front of him ripped a wire apart with his bare teeth, and began doing similarly before using wire tape to form different wiring.

Who. In their right mind. Uses their teeth. On electrical wiring?

“What in the newborn bird on a bay was that.”

Tord paused, turning back. Pulling up his goggles he had the audacity to look confused at what Tom said.

Like he was the one using his teeth on the electrical work.

“What?”

“Did you just use your teeth to rip the wires apart?”

Tord glanced back at his work, his face making some expression Tom couldn’t quite figure out.

“What of it? What did you just say?”

“None of your business. Why have you been ripping the ship to shreds?”

Tord scoffed, grabbing a pair of pliers, turning back to the paneling.

“None of your business. I’ve not been ripping her to shreds. I’m upgrading her.”

Tom gaped a bit.

“Well. Whatever you’re doing, Edds pissed about it.”

“Oh. Oh no. What will I do. Edds pissed about it. I’m so sad. I’m in such agony. I’ll repent right away.”

If he could roll his eyes, he would. Crossing his arms, Tom watched Tord replace things in the wall.

“He wants to talk to you.”

“Then tell him to come talk to me himself, massager boy.”

Tom scowled. Why was this guy being so unnecessarily uncompromising?

Tom hadn’t done anything to him.

Making his way over to where Tord’s working, he stood just beside the wall panel Tord had open.

“I’m not a messenger boy. Is that really your best insult?”

Tord scoffed quietly, not bothering to look up at Tom. “You’re acting like one, Meldingsgutt.”

Tom paused, before ignoring him. “If you keep up like this, how long until we’re sinking cuz you tried to upgrade the outside of the ship while we’re in it?”

Tord finally paused, looking up at Tom from his criss cross on the floor. “You think I’m stupid enough to upgrade the ships outer shit inside it?”

“Yup.” Tom leaned on the wall.

Tord poked Toms side with a small tazer. “OW?!”

“What—why the fuck do you even have that?” Tom scowled, clutching where Tord tazed him.

He grinned, sharp canines, like the Cheshire cat, holding the weapon in question up.

“For resetting certain parts without having to turn off the entire system.”

Tom didn’t really debate his options, he’s a fairly impulsive person, so tackling Tord to take the tazer from him was the only logical choice.

“Oh mother—“ Tord hissed, his foot making contact with Toms stomach, as Tom bashed his head to the ground.

The pair rolled, until Tom forcibly yanked the tazer from Tord, pulling with a bit too much force.

Sending the tazer flying right into the engines.

“Oh stoned storks on stilts.”

“Shit.”

Tord looked at Tom with a baffled expression.

Tom did not acknowledge him.

“That’s.. fine. Probably. Right?” Tom whispered, leaning over to Tord.

“…no. No it’s not. Why would it be fine?”

Tom huffed, ignoring him.

Tord moves swiftly, pushing Tom to the side—as alarms(which were not something previously installed on the ship) blared from the ceiling.

“You installed alarms?!”

“WHY WOULDN’T I??? WOULD YOU RATHER SOMETHING BREAK AND NOT KNOW?!”

Tom couldn’t, but almost tried, to argue with that. Annoyingly.

Though the headache inducing alarms definitely had him debating trying regardless.

Tord’d grabbed a tool box, trying to rush over to the engine, when the ship began to tilt forwards.

The two started to slide into the wall, Tom hitting into some crates, as Tord grabbed onto a support beam.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?!”

“The engine went out! What do you think happens when we don’t have a functioning engine?!”

“….okay. Fair.”

With a huff, Tord pulled himself up, using the support beam as a seat. Edd and Matt were shouting in some other parts of the ship.

Tom cringes.

Tord sorts through the tools he does have, ducktape, a shit ton of screwdrivers, a couple hammers, some screws.

“I’m gonna need you to get my tools and toss them to me when I say!” Tord ordered.

Tom wanted to argue for the principle of Tords Not His Boss, but.. he also wanted to not go hurdling into the ocean bottom soon rather than later.

He ducked and rolled into the wall, hitting it harder than his body would’ve preferred, but ah well. He located the somewhat scattered tools, looking to Tord for instructions.

Tord’d jumped from the beam to the engine, tool kit gripped in his teeth, as he clung to the engines bars. He stared at the engine, uncertain the best way to fix this.

“I need you to get Edd to anchor somewhere!”

“SERIOUSLY?!”

“Very seriously!“

Tom groaned, throwing the tools in an empty crate, and kicking it to Tord, who grabbed it swiftly.

He then spent far too long climbing Crates and then jumping between things, until he finally found grip on the doorframe, and punching the open button.

He then very hesitantly, rushed along the wall, towards the front of the ship. It didn’t take long once he started sliding.

Edd and Matt were currently holding onto their own respective supports when Tom came in,

“Edd, we need to anchor down!”

“I KNOW. I CAN’T FIND WHICH BUTTON DOES THAT NOW.”

Tom’s gonna strangle Tord.

“PICK ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ANCHOR??” Matt shouted, and Edd frowned, scowling at him.

“TORD DIDN’T LABEL THEM LIKE THAT.”

Tom cuts in, “they have labels?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

…

“It’s probably the one that has anchor under it.”

Edd presses the one that had the word anchor under it.

After a moment, they felt the ship halt, sending them all forwards again, grabbing onto other supports.

The anchor had found foundation on some rocks, hopefully stable enough to keep them afloat until they can get the engine back up.

“How did this even happen?!” Edd called to Tom,

“It broke my mirror,” Matt pouted. They ignored him.

“Uh. You see….. I should go see if Tord needs any help.”

Tom pretended like he couldn’t see the squint Edd gave him. Tom also did not make a move to actually go help Tord.

As far as he’s concerned, he can fix it, since he wants to remake the ship so bad. Also he’s partially to blame for launching the tazer in the engine in the first place. So.

Meh.

“I can’t believe we’re gonna have to.. hang here until Tord fixes this.”

Tom and Matt groaned at the pun. Edd grinned.

Eventually, Tord came sliding into the room, catching himself on the captains chair.

“Tord! Is it fixed?”

“You got it.”

He grabbed onto the steering, and without warning, began tilting the ship back into the correct direction.

Edd, Tom, and Matt all went flying.

Tord grinned just a little.

He feigned innocence when Edd came stomping over, glaring.

“Well. That’s fixed. I should be taking my leave.”

Tord began walking away.

“Hold on.” Edd huffed. Tord stopped in place, glancing back at him.

“Uh..”

“You’ve done enough upgrades for the day, don’t you think?” There was no room for arguing, in Edds tone.

Tord groaned, but found a seat somewhere in the room. Pouting, if you will.

Tom and Matt stumbled back into the main dock.

Matt rushed to his mirror once he saw it, broken and shattered on the ground. A violin played melancholic music as he cried over it,

“You were so young…”

Tom huffed, ignoring that for now.

He glanced to Tord. He has to admit that, while Tord was definitely partially to blame, he also lent a heavy hand in fixing it. That deserves some thanks.

Not too much, but some.

He took a seat beside him, casually. Taking a swig of his flask, he turned to Tord.

“Uh. Thanks. For fixing the engine.”

Tord looked genuinely surprised when Tom said that. So.

“Even if half of it was your fault.”

He scoffed, the surprise turned sour.

“Oh come on. You were the one who started it.”

“You tazed me, man.”

“And if you didn’t get so pissy about it, that wouldn’t’ve happened.”

Apparently, Tord wasn’t as half good as he’d maybe thought for a second there.

Edd and Matt glanced at each other.

"A howl of laughter could be heard coming from the very back of the crowd, it was one of Tord's annoying friends that followed him around every where, probably patryk. It broke through the stunned silence and began a chain reaction of giggles among the crowd, all directed at the boy covered head to toe in pigs blood standing on the stage.

Jon stood there horrified, clenching his eyes tightly, he could feel the wet warmness of it and smell the metallic stink of it as it dripped down his nose. It was too cruel, this could not be real. It was too evil even for jon's class mates, who had already proved themselves to he evil as could be through their years of torment. This was just too hard to imagine, Jon froze there, hoping that if he could just keep his eyes shut he could pretend none of this was happening, but that became harder and harder the more his classmates began to laugh, forcing Jon to finally open his eyes and face the reality right in front of him.

His bloody hands trembled in shock, tears began to form in Jon's eyes as he started to hyper ventilate. His eyes darted back and forth between his body and the laughing students, no matter where he looked there was nothing but humiliation.

The only voice that wasn't laughing or gasping in horror was Matt's, who had taken to the stage to yell in Jon's defense.

He had only taken Jon to the prom for Edd's sake, since he had been so upset about the "bathroom incident" he thought asking his friend to do him a solid and take Jon to prom would help relieve his guilt a little and give Jon some much needed happiness. It wasn't easy to convince him, but Edd wore Matt down till he accepted, and despite being forced to come, Matt had to admit he was actually having a fun time, and even felt a little sorry for Jon that it wasn't a "real date". After spending all evening with Jon he couldn't just stand by and let everyone laugh at him, he had to jump on stage and usher him away, he even took his suit jacket off to cover him up. Just when he opened his mouth to speak some words of encouragment though, a metal bucket from the rafters fell down and hit him straight on the head. Matt jerked to the ground, sprawling himself out on the stage and closing his eyes. Jon gasped and bent down to check his head but the crowd continued to laugh, unaware that just moments from now Matt would he dead from the blunt force trauma.

One of the many snickering voices stopped though, and muttered a soft "Matt?". Jon looked around for the mysterious voice before finally looking up at the rafters and seeing two hooded figuires in red and blue scamper away off of one of the platforms above. Of course it was Tord and Tom, who else would it be?

Jon covered his face in frustration, determined to not let his classmates see his tears. He jumped off the stage and began to run through the crowd.

Everyone looked so wonderful, the boys wore fantastic tuxedos with pretty little flowers on the lapels and the girls dressed in full on ball gowns with shiny stilleto's like they were princesses straight out of a story book, and then there was jon. Hystereically sobbing, covered in animal blood, and being viciously mocked. Some of the boys even started to chant "plug it up" which then eventually turned into almost everyone chanting it.

Jon hated them all, he hated them with a thousand times the vitriol that they hated him. through watery eyes he could see a blonde adult running towards him with opened arms, but Jon ignored him, he didn't need any fake sympathy. He needed to get out of there. Running through the crowd the students side stepped him like he had the plauge, "Good" jon thought "at least they aren't-" he fell on his face, tripping over some ones out stretched leg. He trembled and winced at the pain but just continued to crawl, half expecting some one to kick him while he was down.

Finally reaching outside, he collapsed on the ground, the warm wetness of the blood contrasting with the cold dry grass. Jon heaved, his face contorted into a pitiful expression. He raised his hands above his face and stared at his twitching bloody fingers.

"Stupid..." Jon mumbled to himself. He was right, how foolish he must of been to go to the dance, he should of known some one would of done something to ruin everything, and to think how perfect it all was until the bucket fell and splashed him.

He danced and nobody told him to stop embarrassing himself, he talked and no one told him to shut up, and he ate and not a single person even uttered the word "fat" or "chubby" around him. He felt accepted. He felt happy. It was a lie. Jon let out a whimper, thinking of how long he spent sewing this tuxedo only for it to get stained with blood, he'd have to throw it away when he got home. A week of work for absolutely nothing.

Jon still couldn't believe it, he had thought last week was the breaking point, after what had happened in the boys locker room he really thought anything else would just be small potatos in comparison. Jon was always known as that freaky religious kid, it was no secret that his father was such a zealot he thought everyone would go to hell except for him. It was was one of the many reasons they picked on jon, along with his low intelligence, childish nature, gullibility, and puniness, but they never imagined he would be so stupid enough to mistake a cut on his leg for menstruation.

When Jon first came out of the shower crying and screaming a bunch of non sense about eve and the original sin and the curse of blood like a mad man, the rest of the boys couldn't even believe it. He begged and screamed for help but all of them just gawked in awkward silence. Sure, jon was a total wuss but why was he so upset over a tiny cut on his thigh? It wasn't until Tord finally put the pieces together and enthusiastically shouted "oh my god, he thinks cis guys can get periods." that everyone finally understood.

With that revelation everyone began to laugh and crack jokes about jon being a woman now, or how he should get pregnant just to stop it, all of which only served to scare jon even more. It only got worse when Bing remembered his girlfriend had accidentally swapped her gym bag with his and she had left some of her "supplies" in the bag. Next thing jon knew he was crawling on the floor having a panic attack about hell while every guy in his class crowded around throwing feminine products at him while chanting for him to "plug it up!" over and over again.

It didn't matter that Jon seriously thought he was going to hell, it didn't matter that his father would most definetly hurt him later for this, it didn't matter that he fell to the floor and hit his head on the linoleum during the chaos. It was funny. Even Edd was laughing and throwing things like everyone else, only he had enough sense to try and apologize to Jon later and actually felt some remorse.

The nightmare only ended when their teacher finally stormed into the bathroom and told everyone to shut up and get the hell out. That was supposed to be as bad as it got, nothing could ever top the humiliation of that day, but Tord found a way. Jon stood up, fully prepared to walk home and start sobbing to his father about how right he was. That everyone at the dance laughed at him, bracing for inevitable beatings and insults he flung at Jon when he did things he didn't like. Jon just wanted to go home, but the thing was, he couldn't. There was something pulling him back towards the gym. A strange feeling, rising inside of him like lava in a volcano ready to burst. Years of torment had been leading to this, years of "i found out jon has a crush on laurel, let's tell everyone" and "Let's force Jon to eat something gross" and "Let's invite Jon to play hide and seek and then leave him there". It was time for action. It was time for change. It was time for him to use his power.

Jon had forgotten about the miracle, the strange force that had been following him ever since he was a kid, the thing that made objects throw themselves off the table whenever he got mad, or made the lights above him in the locker room go out when he was especially hysterical. The power. Jon cocked his head slightly to the side, his face turning from sadness to satisfaction. A light chuckle left his mouth, "Of course..." he muttered, approaching the school doors and envisioning it in flames.

Only three of you liked my post about out of context ew fic quotes so here’s ten for now and I may post some more later depending on how I feel but in the meantime have fun theorising about what’s going on

Hanahaki au

Tordmatt/mattord

@mushroomminded

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Chapter 6 of “That Would be Enough” is up!