The Adventures of "Fish Guy" (Superhero fiction)

[Enforcer84]

"Slimy. And Gross."

[Hermit]

"Slimy. And Gross."

 

So hurtful.

 

Stay tuned as more hurtful things are said about Caleb's chosen super name... in an issue we could only call "Even a Fish Guy can Cry!" 

 

[Pattern Ghost]

Eel may not be the best aquatic nom de guerre, but it beats Flounder, or Tuna, or Barnacle.

[Doc Shadow]

.

[Doc Shadow]

. 

[Kaeto]

I'm working on an aquatic hero who uses the name 'Leviathan'.  Got the idea upon hearing this song:

 

[aylwin13]

Thanks for the compliments, and I'm glad you're enjoying the fleshing out moments. I'm trying to give glimpses (Some subtle, some not so much) into who they are, and what they value.

 

Having been diagnosed as a Romantic/Genre Fiend on the Allston chart, you're writing (here and elsewhere) tends to cover both of those areas quite well.

[Hermit]

Having been diagnosed as a Romantic/Genre Fiend on the Allston chart, you're writing (here and elsewhere) tends to cover both of those areas quite well.

 

Is it contagious!!!???

 

Darn it, I need to get that chart

[Hermit]

I'm working on an aquatic hero who uses the name 'Leviathan'.  Got the idea upon hearing this song:

 

 

Neat! I had not heard that one.

 

I actually asked two friends what they thought the theme songs of each member of the New Samaritans would be.

 

I think my favorite suggestion was "Three Times a Lady" by Lionel Richie for Lady Obsidian. It's classy and old school so fits.

[BoloOfEarth]

 

 

"Slimy," She said withdrawing, "and gross."

 

Like Valodorous.  (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

[Tjack]

While I thought that the Warrior Song was very cool, Caleb doesn't strike me as that militaristic.

Maybe something more like Aquarian...or would that be to close to Copyrighted Material?

[Hermit]

In which we learn where the Team has been "holding the Mayo"

 

"This will work?" I asked Doctor Salem as I stared at the pool.

 

"It's a simple translation spell, I won't be the target of it, and he is probably far more willing to talk to a fellow water breather he's dream shared with than some strange old surface woman, now hold still," She made four touches. One to each of my ears, then one on my lips, then up again  right to my forehead. It felt like she was playing tic-tac-Toe with my face.

I dived into the water to join Mayo. The swimming pool was now filled with salt water, if at a temperature a bit warmer than the section of the Pacific I'd been in. 

 

Mayo had a hell of a black eye from where Ariana had, if what I heard was right, decked him. I guess she got startled. How she knocked out a trained soldier with one punch was another little mystery about her I wanted to inquire into, but first things first. Mayo had possibly saved my life after resisting the pull of a spear he had been holding on for I don't know how long.

 

And as a reward, he'd gotten punched, and now imprisoned for questioning. The first I could understand was an accident, the second wasn't sitting well with me.  

 

"Can you understand me?" I asked him as I floated before him, "Are you okay?"

 

"Your mate is dangerous to startle," Mayo finally said, rubbing at his bruised eye, "And is not normal. I did nothing to harm her."

 

"I know," I said, "You're a good man," And despite only having met him in a dream, pardon me, sending, and briefly in the ocean where he was ready with others to kill me, I believed it. Mayo had dropped that spear and fought its influence. He had shown signs of being given little choice in who he fought for. Hell, if I remembered right, his family if not entire village was essentially held hostage.

 

"You are kind, Caleb but judge too quickly," He said, "Why have these surfacers not slain us? Do they plan to torture us? Are you well?"

 

I wondered how much surprise shown on my face as it occurred to me that Mayo still didn't quite grasp that I was a surfacer. I breathed water without aid, so he assumed I was from…whatever that other undersea kingdom was.

 

I could really use this to my advantage, I realized. Clearly, he trusted me, and he might open up to a fellow aquatic citizen faster than he would someone born of 'the enemy' his people were about to invade.

 

All I had to do was a little shuck and jive, gild the lily and he'd see me as a fellow prisoner here who was the one he could really trust with… battle plans, with mission goals, with everything.

 

I could not bring myself to even start.

 

"Mayo, I'm not from any undersea kingdom," I told him, "I can breathe water, and I have great power, but I'm was born on the land from surfacer parents. I'm one of them. I always have been. I only ended up sharing that Sending with all of you because of the fact I can breathe water and the spell snagged me by accident."

 

Honestly, I almost expected Mayo to faint judging by the look of shock on his face. If I had been surprised by his mistake, he was absolutely gob smacked by my revelation.

 

"By Poseidon's barnacled ass! Tell me you are jesting! Tell me I have not thrown away everything for an abomination!" He was aghast, "For a land devil come real!"

 

I would be hurt by that if I wasn't still processing the curse, " Poseidon's barnacled ass?" I repeated.

 

"Do you worship Poseidon? " He inquired pausing.

 

"No," I admitted.

 

"Then what do you care if I'm a bit profane?" Mayo grunted, "I'm already damned just for helping you."

 

"Because the Eldest said so?" I inquired, maybe a bit disdainfully, "He doesn't seem like a very nice sea god."

 

"He's not, and no, not by him. By every measure, Atlantean, Lemurian, Thonian, Mu  and Lyonese, even the Yongwangguki gods all warn against interacting with surfacers, and almost all of them have legends of abominations, people of the land who can enter the sea as easily as we do, but are not of it. Some even speak of those who will spread unholy words and corrupt generations with their lies. And I am now imprisoned by you?"

 

"It can't be that bad," I said.

 

"In legend, one of your kind is called 'the Great Defiler' and 'Greatest of Land Devils' …. 'The False Prince'…"

 

"Lot of titles," I said.

 

But he just kept going, "the 'Devourer of Morality', the 'Beast From Above' , 'Destroyer of Serenity' and 'The Living Taint'." 

 

I sighed, "Let's keep that Taint talk away from the guys, please. I have a hard-enough time with the Fish Guy jokes," I asked without thinking how little that probably mattered to him.  Then I went on, "I am just a guy. I have a gift, and I'm very blessed, but I am not here to lead your people astray or defile your women or anything like that. I'm just trying to stop this Eldest from enslaving your various kingdoms so they rise against the surface. Now  please, tell me what's going on."

 

"And if I refuse?" He crossed his arms.

 

"If you refuse," My eyes narrowed for a moment, "Then I will personally….thank you for saving my life, possibly several times. Ask what we can do to help you get back to your village or wherever you need to go, and then possibly give you a nice meal before you go which I was going to ask you about anyway. Then, even if I have to carry you back to the ocean in my own arms, I will make it happen."

 

Whatever he was expecting that wasn't' it, Mayo's large black eyes seemed to get even larger, then finally he said, "You are terrible at this."

 

"Terrible at what?" I said, hands out the universal sign of I don't get it.

 

"Prison interrogation," He snorted, "You are supposed to offer the kindnesses a bit and at a time, with greater kindnesses offered for compliance. You should asking me for battle tactics, strategies, key locations, who are my officers in command. What do I know about our military capacity and resources. You should have the goad as well as the meal being offered, preferably by one uglier than you who enjoys frightening people while you pretend to hold him back."

 

"goa..oh, stick and carrot… and good cop bad cop," I said realizing what he meant, "No, I didn't come in prepared for that."

 

"You are primitives," Mayo shook his head, "savages who barely understand the first thing about how to prioritize. Your people, your lands are in danger and you value me over all that?"

 

"Well, I am a heretic," I rolled my eyes, "Would like me to get a translation spell cast on one of the others and have them slap you around a little while I looked sympathetic?"

 

"At least it would bespeak of some degree of professionalism," Mayo said with a shake of his head, "And at the same time show you were not stuck in the grotto while blind to the ocean. You are a soldier of your people, you must think of them first, before yourself, and certainly before me."

 

"One wrong to an innocent individual in the name of the greater good soon leads to every individual fearing they'll be next and that kills the good for everyone, and I'm not a soldier but even our soldiers have a code of honor that they aren't going….." I raised my hands, "Mayo? Are you serious!"

 

"I…" he sighed, "I don't know. I was not lying when I said anyone in my kingdom, and the other undersea kingdoms would see you as a devil. And I'm not lying when I say your people are very much in danger. And…. If you threatened me, maybe I could tell others I had to tell, but you treat me kindly and now I…"

 

"You've been robbed of the excuse of duress to ease your conscience?" My head was still spinning a bit from all the ethical gymnastics going on here.

 

"Mayo," I finally said, "I want your people be free from the Eldest too, remember? What does your faith in other gods and your gut tell you about that?"

 

Mayo closed his eyes, and assumed a position while floating under water not unlike sitting Indian style for a moment. I waited as patiently as I could.

 

Finally, he answered, "I need to help my people become free from one evil god, and worry about the cost to myself later. I did not ask to be a soldier, a warrior, but I am one…and I should give myself up for them to help them, even if it costs me my place in that society. Innocents come first…Always."

 

"Always," I said, and offered a hand.

 

He reached out and clasped not my hand, but further up at my wrist, "Let me tell you what little I know."

[DasBroot]

I have to say this makes me want to blow the dust off superhero PI detective story based in New Orleans I've been kicking around for years - and I haven't taken a serious stab at fan fic writing for well over a decade. 

 

It too has a fish guy of sorts, funnily enough but... well...

 

 

I froze.  Standing the middle of the warehouse stood a nightmare of teeth and muscle in a three piece suit.

 

Seven feet tall and three feet wide Lucas C Leucas was more shark than man.  His suit was expertly tailored to accommodate the nearly two foot long fins on each of his forearms and the signature dorsal fin rising from his hunched back. A powerful tail swished back and forth as if he were still in the water and his head - partially embedded in his upper chest and level with his massive shoulders - was dominated by a gaping maw that looked to have more teeth than a fishing lodge had shingles. Even from this distance his eyes were a dull, flat black - devoid of any shred of humanity.

 

 

Eel he ain't.

 

(and Hermit I ain't.  Just wanted to post a little excerpt of something that he inspired me to turn from a bullet point from years ago to part of a scene - so to Hermit a big   )

[BoloOfEarth]

So it looks like the Sammies get an Atlantean after all.  

 

Caleb seems like a cross between Aquaman (powers) and Captain America (personality).  Not terribly surprising, considering his creator. 

[Tom]

I have to say this makes me want to blow the dust off superhero PI detective story based in New Orleans I've been kicking around for years - and I haven't taken a serious stab at fan fic writing for well over a decade. 

 

It too has a fish guy of sorts, funnily enough but... well...

 

 

 

Eel he ain't.

 

(and Hermit I ain't.  Just wanted to post a little excerpt of something that he inspired me to turn from a bullet point from years ago to part of a scene - so to Hermit a big   )

 

I've been blaming Hermit for (helping to) goad me into writing and thinking in gaming terms again, too. 

[Hermit]

While I thought that the Warrior Song was very cool, Caleb doesn't strike me as that militaristic.

Maybe something more like Aquarian...or would that be to close to Copyrighted Material?

Oh, while i like the song I figured Kaeto was talking about that theme for Leviathan.

 

 

I have to say this makes me want to blow the dust off superhero PI detective story based in New Orleans I've been kicking around for years - and I haven't taken a serious stab at fan fic writing for well over a decade. 

 

It too has a fish guy of sorts, funnily enough but... well...

 

 

 

Eel he ain't.

 

(and Hermit I ain't.  Just wanted to post a little excerpt of something that he inspired me to turn from a bullet point from years ago to part of a scene - so to Hermit a big   )

Hey, if my scribblings remind folks of good times in their games, I call that high praise.

 

So it looks like the Sammies get an Atlantean after all.  

 

Caleb seems like a cross between Aquaman (powers) and Captain America (personality).  Not terribly surprising, considering his creator. 

 

 how do you know Mayo isn't Lemurian or Lyonese?

(I actually still havent' decided)

 

And thanks acutally, I agree with the late Great Dwayne McDuffie who once said that he prefered to write superheroes that were better people than he was. That was, in his mind, kind of the point of heroes.

 

And Caleb is a far better man that I am, chiefly because he doesn't just glub the blub, he swims the swim. I don't have the courage of my convictions like he does.

 

So maybe I'm writing him in part to have someone to look up to.

I've been blaming Hermit for (helping to) goad me into writing and thinking in gaming terms again, too. 

 

Not feeling guilty

[Hermit]

In which Caleb meets Ariana again, and gets a lesson in the price of  insisting on a romantic interest with braincells

 

Mayo told me everything he knew, which he claimed wasn't much, but I felt like I could easily have spent a year getting into the details of. I'm sure we talked for at least two hours straight before I remembered the poor guy might be starving by then. After some hem hawing about trying to find a delicate way to ask if he liked food cooked or he only ate raw sushi, it turned out his people did indeed prefer it cooked.

 

They used underwater vents of heat, volcanic fissures, and the like. They still enjoyed and ate raw fish now and then, but cooked was always better he thought. Of course, it seemed his father gave lectures on how they used to swim for tens of miles to find a decent heating location when he was a lad… against the current, both ways. Not like spoiled youngsters in the seas today.

I began to suspect generational rivalry was universal, or at least global.

 

So, we had a meal underwater. It was, unusual for me. The closest I had ever come to having an underwater meal was having surface food in a waterproof bag which I popped up to devour. Granola bars mostly, so the cooked Sushi under water was strange, and frankly messy. Imagine Chinese food that levitates? 

 

It was a laugh riot for Mayo.

 

While the information was invaluable, some of it did not make sense to me. It turned out that there were less than four million underwater people, as an estimate, throughout the world. Now he couldn't be sure on that. The Kingdoms often masked their numbers to each other, and some still rebelled against the Eldest.

 

"Mayo, you do know we have billions of surfacers right? The US Military alone , that's this one country you've come into the land of… has almost one and a half million active duty personal…."

 

"You should not be revealing your numbers to me, Caleb, it is sloppy and…" He paused, "billions of people?"

 

"Yup," I said.

 

"I…. did not know this." He confessed.

 

"So how, with not even all your people involved in this, are you guys expected to win?" I inquired.

 

"I do not know that either," He considered.

 

It was on that conundrum that I decided to end the conversation, share what I learned (Though I'm sure Mabel at least had recorded everything we'd said in that funky language) and maybe get a few clues from the more experienced heroes. 

Apparently when Mayo and I had taken our own lunch break, the other others had done the same, so I began to head towards the food court to find them.

 

Ariana found me first.

 

She was dressed in blue jeans that fit her well, sandals, and a blouse that exposed her shoulders nicely.  The expression on her face was a blend of curious, concerned and gentle humor. I liked the combination.

 

Those dark chocolate eyes of hers could swallow a guy. I wonder how aware she was of that? 

 

"Hi," I said first and found myself leaning against the wall and forgetting to move on past.

 

"Hey," Ariana brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, fetchingly. Okay, that was on purpose! At least, I think it was, "You okay, Caleb?"

 

"Thanks to Doctor Salem, I'm fine," I said noting she was using my name even though she'd gotten it by overhearing it no doubt, then again I had used it with Mayo and I didn't even want to kiss him so that was fair, Also, I was currently sans mask so that was probably her respecting the base polices as well, "And you?"

 

'Yeah, I was never any danger," She admitted, "I am embarrassed that I punched out Mayo. I didn't know he was rescuing you. I mean, he came out of the ocean with those the needle teeth bared and you in his arms like he was going to eat you and… I may have jumped to conclusions." Her blush was adorable.

 

"Yeah, he says you hit like a bottle nose dolphin at full charge," I informed her, "Not bad for a vertically petite person."

 

My echoing her earlier comment did not ease her blush, "I'll apologize to him sometime."

 

If she wasn't going to just talk about it, I would, "He'll appreciate that, but what I want to know is how does someone like you take out a trained warrior in one punch, oh, and my personal favorite… WALK ON WATER?" I gave a 'what gives?' gesture with my hands.

 

"I have powers," She admitted.

 

"I was coming around to realizing that," I smiled, "What kind of powers?"

 

"Density shifting," Ariana explained in a rush, with the kind of enthusiasm one has when they have a neat trick all their own. Which in this case I guess she did, "Uncle Tino's molecules can go hyper... my molecules are different.  I can become solid as stone, or light enough to walk on water. But in the superhero world, stone breaks, and walking on water while neat…." 

 

"And disturbing to those of us of church going persuasion," I reminded, though to be fair, I hadn't been to a service in over two months.

 

"Ahem," She raised a brow, "Catholic Girl here," Then a low mutter, "Okay, frequent lapses… where was I?"

"Walking on water, while neat," I repeated.

 

"Yeah, not exactly flight. So, I can get strong and tough, but not strong and tough enough to hang with your average super villain. And I can get around, but hardly up, up, and zoom," Ariana admits, "I'm a Partial."

 

I'd heard about Partials, and jokes about dentures aside, they're kind of the almost-rans of the superhero set. There was a time when a pair of wings was a superpower enough to let you fight Nazis. 

 

Not that you really need a super power to want to fight Nazis. Nazis have very punch-able demeanors. 

 

Nowadays, unless that proverbial winged guy had some major tech to balance it out or was a black belt in like four different martial arts, he would probably have to sit the fights with villains out or they'd snuff him fast.

 

Some Partials made big bucks in movies or TV shows, parleying their limited powers into opportunity for fame. Others do well enough in fields like message delivery, body guarding, or construction. Being as strong as five men goes great with a job in construction, for example, even if you're not bullet proof. If I could only breath water, I'd be considered an oddity, not a super. 

It was like Valentino had said. Ariana was so close to being able to be a superhero she could taste it.

 

I wondered if that was part of her attraction to me? I…

 

"So," Ariana said after a moment, "This pause is getting long, and awkward," She added with a bit of a nervous look.

 

"Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there," It was my turn to blush, "I tend to over think and get wrapped up in my own thoughts."

 

"Yeah?" She grinned, "Are they trapped in puffy little clouds or hang over your head or in narrative bars? I'm betting clouds for you. You seem sort of retro."

 

I broke out in laughter.

 

She dimpled adorably, then took my arm, "Okay, good. I got you to laugh. Now what was that concerned look you had? Because if it was pity, I'm good. I may not be where I want to be, but I'm still one in a million when it comes to gifts and I won't whine about not getting more. And I'm still a help around here now and then. Heck, I've even helped folks after an Earthquake once, though I had to be careful."

 

"You did?" I said impressed and finding I liked her having possession of one of my limbs.

 

"Sure, I can't go through solid objects, but I can walk on delicate materials without breaking them when I'm ultra light, and if I found in my search someone in need of help, and had a safe place to do it, I could go dense and strong and help like a one woman squad at digging them out. I give what I can, you know?"

 

"So you don't want to be a superhero?"

 

"Caleb, are you crazy?" She looked at me incredulously, "I? I would look fantastic in a costume. Of course I would love to be one. I like helping, and I envy how clear cut it seems to you guys." 

 

"With a cleavage window?" I hinted. Okay, probably shallow, but the idea of a long talk about how it was rarely as clear cut as even we liked seemed a bit heavy now.

 

"You wish," She smirked.

 

"High boots…" I added.

 

"You're demented," She grinned.

 

"Opera gloves?" I made an exaggerated pleading sound.

 

"You're supposed to save the disturbing turn-ons until our third date, genius," She sniffed loftily but was not offended, "Opera gloves? Really?"

 

"Whoops," I said walking with her now, "Hey," I paused forcing us both to slow down and then I smiled at her.

 

"What?" She said curiously.

 

"So, you're planning to give me at least three dates," I pointed out smugly, "Are you?"

 

Rather than answer me on that, Ariana started our walk up again, "How do you feel about midriffs?" 

 

"Oh, I think they can be fantastic and you would totally rock th…" I realized what she was doing, "Hey, you're avoiding the question by distracting me with the sexy."

 

Her blush was back, "So what if I am?"

 

"Fine," I said, "What do you think about Fishnets?" I countered.

 

"I think you'd look a bit weird in them," She said, "But it would it would fit your theme."

 

I groaned. There are definite disadvantages to being attracted to women who can out quip you.

[Iuz the Evil]

Nice. So is she so competent he gets no points as a DNPC?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

"Slimy. And Gross."

 

[Doc Shadow]

.

[Hermit]

Got a new name for Caleb, how about simply Aquatic or maybe The Aquatic. It's not slimy and gross, or silly. And people <cough> pinprick <cough> can still call him Fish Guy to needle him a bit. In a good natured way of course.

 

Ironically

 

Aquatic has been used

 

By me.

 

For a Half Atlantean character I played in a game run by Tom

 

So I ruled that one out from the start for reasons of not going over the same ground

[Lawnmower Boy]

Got a new name for Caleb, how about simply Aquatic or maybe The Aquatic. It's not slimy and gross, or silly. And people <cough> pinprick <cough> can still call him Fish Guy to needle him a bit. In a good natured way of course.

 

Stop trying to give "Fish Guy" a new name. "Fish Guy" is what he chose in the first place, and "Fish Guy" is what he's stuck with.

 

Did I hear someone say something about "Eel?" Nope, no, didn't. Or, anyway, can't hear it over my ignoring power.

[Tom]

Ariana and Meghan could have such an interesting conversation...

[Kaeto]

If they think Eel is slimy and gross they ought to be glad he didn't choose Hagfish.

 

I think Ariana could hold her own in a quip war with Spiderman.

[BoloOfEarth]

Uncle Tina?  (giggle)  Bet Pinprick would get some mileage out of that one.