Kaerio Barnesi-Nightwind [Lowtide High]

A Brewing Storm

The air was humid and the clouds above threatened The Isles with an oncoming storm. Pirates ran too and fro around Jewel's harbor- either taking care to make sure the ships are properly docked or preparing to leave port before the storm hit. Among the rushing pirates, was a teal Dragiren Artificer with an arm around her belly- calling out repeatedly in Aquan.

"Yaaarrrrooow?! Are you there, my love?" She stops at the edge of a dock, feeling a huge wave of nausea wash over her as suddenly as the storm blowing in. Damn morning sickness… She stumbles forward a bit, only to be met by a familiar embrace. She opens her eyes to see the ghostly pale face of the Merfolk pirate captain she's come to adore.

"I heard ye callin'… but what're ye doin' out here, Lipsy?" His rough voice is filled with worry as he looks his wife over, struggling to do so from his position and simultaneously keep her steady...

"Is somethin' wrong? Where are yer dads? Are ye okay? Is Kae-" She shakes her head, putting a hand on his scarred cheek to calm him. "Everything is fine… I just- I wanted to come see you off… Make sure you're safe and make you promise that you'll come back to me- no- us, in one piece. The usual."

Yarrow chuckles, gently pulling Calypso into the water with him, who giggles in response. "A course! What kind of man would I be to break a promise to my beloved? Not one I'd ever want to see." He kisses her and continues holding her as close as he can, cherishing the moment.

He would do anything for her, and soon, his son. This next mission had to go well, the plunder would be so good for his family. He had to make sure to get all he could for them… He just had to so they could be safe and comfortable.

Suddenly, two voices pick up over the rushing and frantic noises of the harbor.

"Calypso? It's not safe to be out now! Think about what the doctor said!"
"Yes! Please come back now, lass! We're worried!"

Yarrow looks at Calypso, a smile creeping onto his face as he chuckles again. "Yer really just going to worry yer dads like that, love?" Calypso rolls her eyes, scoffing. "They worry too much, really." Yarrow sets her back up on the dock and looks around, spotting a familiar blue Siren and gold Dragonborn rushing down the path towards them.

"She be 'ere, Nightwinds!" Calylea grabs her hands and looks over her worriedly, throwing out question after question about her wellbeing. Not even a moment after, Adrian is at his side doing the same.

Once the two relax, Calypso and her dads bid Yarrow farewell as his ship dips fully below the tumultuous tides.

Panic Formed Pact

As hours turned to days and days turned to weeks, Yarrow found himself on edge aboard his ship. He snapped at his crew, fumbled at the helm more than he would have liked, and even stayed up for days on end because of his nerves. He knew in his heart that Calypso was fine, but the combination of his worry as a soon-to-be father and the dread blowing in on the salty sea air made him swim anxiously around his quarters.

Something was off and he couldn't put a finger on it.

To distract himself, he began to flip through the lists he had made of items plundered from the deepest of shipwrecks. As he reached the page he wrote about this odd trident he found, his Sending Stone began to go off and he fumbled for it.

He looks at who was trying to contact him and he doesn't hesitate any longer to answer. "Cap'n Nightwind? What's goin' on, sir?"

"L-lad, this is no time for formalities! Now listen to me, and promise me that you won't panic! Understood?" Calylea sounds strained and shouting can be heard, but it seems that he is keeping his hand over the receiver to muffle it.

Yarrow can feel his mouth go dry as his mind begins to go haywire at the sudden demand from his father-in-law. "A-aye! I promise." However, what was said next caused him to freeze, wide-eyed and mouth agape like a fish out of water.

"Calypso went into labor this afternoon, Yarrow."

He knew that he promised to not panic, but it came over him like a tidal wave. "WHAT?! She be not due fer another month!! H-how?!"

"Listen to me, lad!"
"Is she ok?!"
"Yarrow!"
"Is Kae-"
"QUIET, LAD! Stop the blubbering and listen to me!"

There's a long moment of silence before Calylea speaks up again.

"I can't say this around Calypso, but," Despite Calylea's attempts to muffle the background noise, a wail and arguing can be heard. "Kaerio isn't doing well. They're trying all they can but.. he may not… make it."

After that, Everything became a blur as he dashed to the main deck and demanded that his crew hurry back to Jewel, that the mission was over, and that the plunder was second to his wife and son. In this panicked state, he ends up back below deck and holes up in his quarters once again, leaving his crew in a frenzy.

As he tries in vain to calm himself, he hears an echoing voice, not inside the room- but his head.

"I can save him, you know."

Yarrow's head jerks up and he looks around wildly, eyes darting side to side as his heart skips a beat. He opens his mouth to threaten the intruder, but can only manage to stammer out pathetic mumbles as he scrambles around for his cutlass.

"Look, you seem like you'd be a great partner, so maybe we can help each other out."

Yarrow attempts to steady himself, looking around the room for the source of the voice. Upon his lack of response, the voice sounds again in his head and he feels a pull towards a trident among the pile of precious treasures he had accumulated on this venture. Yarrow squints and grabs the trident, watching as it swirls almost like water in his hands. It's mesmerizing, much like the open seas he's called home.

"Come on, Captain, what do you say? I save your son, and you do the same thing you always do- but with me at your side instead of that meager cutlass. Imagine it! The glory, the riches-"

Yarrow shakes himself out of his trance and he glares down at the trident in his hands. He had never been the type to touch magic- being much more of a fan of brute force- but even he knew that brute force alone wouldn't save his son.

"An' that be all ye want to save ‘im? Glory an' riches?"
"That is what I said, is it not?"

Yarrow takes a deep breath in, closing his eyes for just a moment- letting the offer sink in like a stone cast into the sea. After a long moment of dreadful silence, he opens his eyes and looks down at the trident.

"Then I'll do it."

Friends Near and Far

Calypso paces around the ship's lower deck, thoughts ablaze as she thinks about a plan of action. He had to go to school again, he had to try and make some new friends. Time and time again, he would purposefully get into trouble so he wouldn't have to go to school- and she couldn't stand it. She knew they didn't want to be back on the mainland after they fell out of contact with their 2 closest friends, but she was at her wit's end. She stands in front of the paint and poster-covered door to her son's quarters.

"C'mon, Kae! We'll be there soon and you need to be ready."

Calypso calls, knocking on his door. She knew it was going to be difficult to coax him out- but she had to do it for his sake.

"Kaerio, open this door or I'm coming in whether you like it or not!"

She knocks again only to receive dead silence. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before entering. As frustrated as she was, she knew it wouldn't do any good to raise her voice anymore. She puts her hand on the doorknob, twists, and pushes the door open. The room before her looked like a hurricane had been through it- but only a little one- called Kaerio Barnesi-Nightwind. Among the piles of trashed items and knickknacks, lies a small seafoam-colored merfolk, curled around a plush anglerfish.

'Shit.'

Calypso lets out a defeated sigh, stepping inside and shutting the door as gently as she can. She quietly shuffles over and sits down next to him, being careful not to touch him. She knew they'd be upset, but she didn't realize it had reached this point.

"Hey… if you're overstimulated you could have messaged me, you know that, right?"

Kaerio slaps their tail fin against the floor one time, gripping the anglerfish tighter and letting out a shaky breath. Calypso frowns and looks around the trashed room. There's paint, broken toys, and ruined books just… everywhere.

"Did you do this because of school?"
Slap, slap.
"The Mainland?"
Slap.
"I'm sorry, Kae. I know you don't like the mainland, but I promise it will be okay. I've already got it situated so that you can call and talk to me or your father whenever you feel overwhelmed during classes."
Slap, slap.
"No, what?"
"...Go.."
"Kae… you can't not go, it's important for your future..!"
Slap, Slap.
"I can help you pack..!"

Kaerio slaps his tail fin against the floor multiple times, whimpering incoherently in protest. Calypso puts her head in her hands- groaning in defeat- when she suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder. As she turns, she feels a wave of relief wash over her when she sees Yarrow, who just appeared out of thin air. She goes to speak but he brings a finger to his lips, summoning Wavepiercer and nodding towards Kaerio with a mischievous smile.

"Now, me troublesome lil trilobite,"

Yarrow starts, watching his son freeze up as he picks him by the cape with Wavepiercer. He carefully brings him closer, trying to look him in the eyes as he continues.

"I thought ye an' me 'ad a deal, hm? What 'appened to that there deal?"

He asks softly, grabbing Kaerio off the prongs of the trident and holding him close. They stay there quietly for a few moments, waiting for Kaerio to answer on their own terms.

"...Scared…"
"So are we, lad..."

Kaerio looks up with wide eyes, surprised at his dad's reply. He was scared?! But he's a fearsome pirate! What was he scared of?!

"We be afraid ye'll never branch out an' find yer own crew. Friends come an' go, lad, but ye 'ave to keep sailing, don't ye? At that there school, I be willin' to bet ye'll find a proper crew!"
"B...Bet what?"

Yarrow grins looking at Calypso, and then back at Kaerio.

"Me trident."

Kaerio gasps, his mood shifting near instantaneously as he stares at the trident in his dad's other hand. In Yarrow’s head, he hears Wavepiercer shout at the same time as Kaerio, and he winces at the two.

"WHAT? WHY AM I BEING USED AS A BARGAINING CHIP?"
"FOR REAL?!?!"
"Aye, but only if ye promise to go."

Yarrow replies, setting Kaerio down on his bed and ignoring Wavepiercer’s question.

"I-I promise, dad!"
"Then let's get ready to go, lad."

Kaerio lies sprawled out on the couch as they scroll through videos to watch. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just going down his recommendations till something happens to catch his eye. However, as they settle in to watch a video about paint guns, their phone is taken out of their hands.

"C'mon, Kae! We need to finish up some papers for your school housing."

Kaerio whines and scrambles up to grab his phone from his mom, causing her to click her tongue.

"You can have it back once done, okay? It shouldn't take too long." She states as they continue to protest and grab at their phone.

"Mamaaaa-"

Calypso places a hand on the top of their head.

"We can also go get some candy afterrr~" She coos in a sing-songy voice, and Kaerio crosses his arms, pouting. "Well?~"

She continues, watching as her son's face scrunches up as he considers his options. "I want some rock candy then."

Calypso smiles and ruffles their hair, leading them over to the dining room table.

"Your dad should be calling soon to listen in while he's out."

Kaerio pouts once again and lays face down on his arms at the table. "I want him to come home already… Off doing cool things without me! Lame.."

Calypso frowns, setting the papers and a pen down on the table next to Kaerio and sitting down next to him. "Hey… He should be home sometime tonight, and I am sure he'll tell you all about what he did."

Kaerio pops up suddenly, slamming his hands on the table. "He better! It's against the law to not tell me!"

Calypso's eyes widen at his sudden outburst, but she quickly relaxes, giggling. "Right, Kaerio's "Living Men Tell All Tales" Law." She replies, nodding sagely, and Kaerio grins.

"Yeah! The one law dad's not allowed to break!!"

Before the two can say anything else, the sound of Wellerman fills the room as Calypso's phone rings. She answers it, quickly puts it on video, and sets it where Yarrow can see both her and Kaerio. The feed on Yarrow's end buffers as he grumbles in frustration before it suddenly clears up.

"Sorry fer callin' late, Lipsy! A lot be 'appenin' out 'ere!"

Kaerio snatches up the phone, holding it close to their face and turning so Calypso can't. "'Ay lad, give the phone aft to yer mom an' I'll tell me tale tonight because if I remember correctly ye 'ave 'ousin' forms to fill out."

Kaerio groans, laying limply in the chair as Calypso takes her phone back. "I don't even wanna goooo! I'm fine with homeschool."

Calypso grimaces, looking between her phone and her son. "You may be fine with it, but it won't hurt you to go. I want you to go make friends and see what the mainland is like, Kae."

Kaerio throws his hands up. "It's on the mainland?! Even worse!!"

Yarrow speaks up, his voice crackling over the phone's speaker. "Well yer mom already enrolled ye, Kae, so ye 'ave to go. Besides, 'aven't ye mentioned wantin' to 'ave yer own crew? Ye could find them at the school."

Calypso smiles as Yarrow chimes in, glad to have him present, even if not in person. "See? Is it not a good idea for that at the very least?"

Kaerio sits up with a sigh, leaning on his elbows. "Fiiiiiiiine, what's the stupid paper say?"

The three go through the suite paperwork and Kaerio absentmindedly agrees to everything. Once they reach the final section, Calypso reads out the questions.

"What are some traits you would enjoy in a suitemate?"

Kaerio thinks for a long moment, face scrunching up as he racks his brain for an answer. "Someone who would be down for a good fight, someone who likes music, and uhhmmm… someone who likes to chill and eat snacks!! Oooh also someone who appreciates…. uhh.. street art." He replies, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face at the thought of doing graffiti with friends.

"What are some traits that would bother you to a large degree in a suitemate?"

Kaerio rolls his eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "I like being loud so if anyone dislikes that they'll have to get over it. I also hate people who try to get into my room or space if they're not invited! Am I done now, mama? I wanna continue watching that paint gun video."

Calypso chuckles softly, handing him back his phone and watching as he leaves the room. "I hope his roommates like his antics." She murmurs, switching the phone off of video call and turning off the speaker.

"As do I, Lipsy."