#sirenstuck

Dave walked with Karkat’s mother as she searched for her second missing child within a year. He had a feeling he knew what happened, but he couldn’t just abandon the anguished woman and her eldest daughter. He limped along behind the two as they called for Karkat repeatedly. Porrim slowed to walk beside him, whispering, “Where did he say he was going when he left the house?”

Dave shrugged, face impassive as he responded, “He told me he was going out. Said he’d be back soon. That’s it.”

“Damn,” Porrim sighed quietly before speaking up and addressing her mother, “Mom, do you know where that Gamzee kid lives? Or a way to contact him? They hang out all the time, right? Maybe he knows where Karkat is?”

Rosa glanced back at the two of them, eyes teary as she responded, “I don’t know… Gamzee’s always come to our house… If we, at least, had Karkat’s phone, we could try calling him, but I don’t have either the phone or the number… We’ll just have to keep looking.”

Dave shoved his hands in the pockets of his borrowed jeans uncomfortably. It didn’t feel right being around the people who had to deal with the aftermath of an abduction. Sure, Rose did it before with Kanaya. He’s done it when he’s had to hunt many times before, and he didn’t think anything of it. It was different. He didn’t have to be here to witness it, but now he was. He was here to watch them scramble around desperately to find a person that wasn’t going to return. Later, just like Kanaya before, Karkat’s death had been ruled a drowning with possible foul play. The police interrogated any and all possible suspects, including Dave himself, but there weren’t any strong leads that could pin anybody.

Rosa finally broke down at the station, wailing and with tears running down her face. She clutched the tattered shirt that had been found to her chest. The mother was hardly able to stand even with Porrim’s help. The siren took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he watched them go, trying to rid himself of the feeling of guilt clawing at his gut. Had this been how other families reacted to their loved ones going missing? Because of him and his pod? What if it had happened to him? It seemed similar to when he lost Jade. Despite trying not to think too much about it, the questions continued to fill his mind. He was allowed to leave not too long after Rosa and Porrim had left. Dave headed immediately to the beach, so he could strip and head home. He paused at seeing Porrim sitting on the dock with her head in her hands. Biting his lip, he mentally debated on whether or not to approach her.

-----

Karkat felt the bright red scales that had begun lining his legs in various patches, “Is this good enough?”

The golden eyed siren glanced over and snorted out a laugh, “No. Does that look like a tail, buoy?”

“No,” the hybrid let out an aggravated sigh. However, both of them looked up when Feferi entered the cave. He squinted at her before asking, “Who’s this?”

“My sibling. Feferi, Karkat. Karkat, Feferi. Bluh bluh bluh. Who cares? What do ya want?” Meenah crossed her arms with a frown.

“I’d like to offer you a porpoisal,” Feferi smiled brightly.

“A...proposal? I’m listening,” Meenah’s face fins twitched.

“I would reely rather if we talked alone…”

“Too bad. I have to watch him. It’s not like he’s going to be able to blab to anymoby if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I don’t want to take any chances. What if Gamzee comes by?”

“This fish will eat him. Apparently, they have some kind of beef with each other or whatever.”

Karkat rolled his eyes, “I’m right here, you know.”

They quieted and studied each other for a moment before Meenah blew a couple of bubbles and agreed to talk with her outside of the cave. Karkat watched them disappear before searching around for an alternate exit. If he could get out, he could find Gamzee, punch that asshole in the face, and get that bumbling idiot to take him back home and out of this crazy mess. He felt across the rough, rocky walls quickly, hoping to find a way out before the two sirens returned.

Karkat’s been trying to form a tail for what felt like hours, and he’s aggravated. Meenah watched in amusement, knowing it may be possible that he can’t have one. Finally, the hybrid huffed and turned her, “I’m taking a break.”

“Suit yourshellf,” her grin grew wider, her shark-like teeth revealing themselves.

“If I asked you...about things, would you… Would you tell me the truth?” Karkat asked with slight hesitation.

Meenah shrugged, “Shore. Not like I have anyfin to tide.”

“Tide?”

She frowned, “Hide.”

“Oh…” he took a deep breath, disliking the moment of discomfort that the salt running down his throat created, “Gamzee brought me here, right?”

“No shit.”

Karkat rolled his eyes before continuing, “Why am I with you, then?”

“That bouy gave you to our pod leader, and our pod leader gave you to me.”

“Your leader trusts you that much?”

“Whale, yeah. I am her replacement if she ever krills over,” Meenah smirked.

“You’re related?”

“Yep,” she blew a small bubble and popped it.

“Do you… Do you know why she wants me here?” he asked after a moment of quietly thinking this new information over.

“She wants our pod to be the biggest. If we have the biggest pod, no one will mess with us. Maybe, they’ll even do whatever we say,” she grinned, “It’s nothing personal. You should just swim with the flow.”

Karkat shook his head slightly with a scowl, “Fuck no.”

She shrugged nonchalantly, “Just saying. It’d be easier for you. You done with the questioning now?”

“No… I want to know...about… Vantas…” he turned more towards her to make eye contact.

Meenah raised a brow, “Vantas? Which one? Both were sirens. Though, one was technically your teɪroʊ.”

“Tay...what?” Karkat squinted.

“Your life giver.”

His eyes widened slightly before he lowered his gaze, “And your….leader killed them…”

“It’s what happens when you decide to ignore the leader’s set of rules. Though, it turns out you two are going to be useful after all, so my beɪmɪc should reely be thanking those lifeless bodies of theirs.”

Karkat lifted his head, “Two? You have the other one?”

“Yeah. Let me tell ya! He was a tough catch.Tougher than I thought he’d be anywave… I had to get back up and everyfin…” the fushia siren pouted.

“Is the other like… my….?”

“Sibling? Eh… Not directly or anything… He’s your life giver’s sibling’s offspring.”

“So... My cousin. Where’s he at…?”

Meenah gave him a toothy grin, “He’s with the Makaras. Get back to forming that tail, bouy.”

--------

Gamzee scowled at the half mer in his care. He was being driven mad by the sheer amount of words that ceaselessly spilled from the captive’s mouth. He took a deep breath before letting all of his anger loose in a long, animalistic growl that shook the rocky cavern they were in. Kankri paused until it ended before simply stating, “Rude.”

The young Makara immediately wrapped his hands around the other’s throat and squeezed, eyes glowing and teeth bared in fury. Kurloz swam in at that moment, a few large fish following him. He blinked before his eyes glowed as well, forcing Gamzee to let go of the hybrid before him. Kankri wheezed in water, attempting to lecture him about how best to manage anger and how tolerance leads to a happier life in between breaths. Kurloz shook his head before making his way over to the red half mer and pressing a kiss to his mouth. Kankri’s eyes widened comically before he shoved the older of the speckled finned Makaras away. Taking a deep breath, he went to get onto the other about forcing oneself on an unwilling person, or people, only to find his voice was gone. Gamzee snickered at the look of shock on his face before fist bumping his sibling, “Thanks, bro. I probably would’ve all up and killed a motherfucker today if he kept on with that noise…”

Kurloz simply smiled before taking one of the mind-controlled fish that were following him and ripping it’s head off, offering the rest of it to Gamzee. Kankri curled his lip in disgust when he was offered one next, shaking his head. The silent siren simply shrugged and took a bite out of it himself, causing the hybrid to turn away and gag quietly. The younger Makara laughed before continuing to eat his meal.

--------

“You’re glubbing mad! Talking treason!” Eridan gripped his head, eyes wide with horror.

“No! I’m talking glubbing reason! This can’t continue!” Feferi puffed her cheeks at him, her face fins fanning to frame her face, “She’s awful, and the only reason she’s still in charge is because everyone is scared of her!”

“And you think challenging her is going to help?! She’s going to tear you to shreds!”

Sollux watched on in boredom as they continued to bicker and shout. He didn’t think it was that good of an idea either, but he wasn’t going to shoot down Feferi’s idea entirely. What they needed was a solid plan or a sudden uprising. The sudden uprising didn’t seem very likely, so they would probably have to come up with a plan. Unless they could... cause an uprising.... Eridan was, of course, completely against everything to do with the situation. Sollux didn’t expect anything less of the idiot. He let out an audible, aggravated sigh as the beginnings of a headache creeped over his brain. He spoke up, “How about we quit with the yelling and put our heads together? We could formulate a plan that doesn’t require the risk of any of us dying."

Feferi frowned, “I’d end up having to fight her and Meenah at some point anywave."

Rolling his eyes, Sollux responded, “Not unless we get Meenah on our side. She could fight the leader for you. Despite her tendency to throw sharp objects at people, I don’t think your sibling would be that awful of a leader.”

Eridan scowled, “I have half a mind to go to the leader myself… Unlike you two, I’d rather not die any time soon.”

Sollux growled, “You do that, and I’ll make sure you won’t be around to get in our way.”

Feferi smacked them both over the head, “Quit it. Eridan, you’re not going to my life giver. I need you with me. Sollux, you’re not going to krill Eridan. He’s my best frond.”

Eridan’s glare fell at hearing her, “Yeah… Best friend… I’m… I need some time alone, I think. T-to calm down.”

Feferi nodded, “Okay… If you need me, you can come get me…”

Her fushia eyes followed his form as Eridan swam out of the large, coral covered cavern she had put together for herself. Sollux clicked his forked tongue, “He totally likes you.”

“What?” Feferi snapped her attention back to him, “No way! I’m shore he doesn’t. I mean…. Ew. We grew up together. He’s practically a sibling of mine.”

“Just because you see him that way doesn’t mean he does.”

Feferi rolled her eyes with a laugh and shoved his shoulder lightly, “Shut up. So, how are we going to get Meenah on our side?”