Dragoncrest Cliffs agwe

as usual, lafayette was on the beach.

digging happily in the wet sand at the edge of the sea, he plucked yet another gleaming shell and moved to place it carefully in a pile he'd assembled nearby. one, two, three, four pretty things to observe! he grinned with pleasure and then cast his eye over the strand, looking for any tell-tale glint of treasure.

the surf crept inexorably closer, and he stood still, waiting for the seafoam to tickle his ankles—one of his favorite sensations in the world! and so it did, and he let loose a happy sigh.

and then the water reached his knees.

then his chest.

the sheer force of it knocked him over, and he might have righted himself were it not for the water closing over his head altogether. before he could react, lafayette was being carried backward upon the rogue wave, limbs flailing as he was cast into the open ocean, sapphique's beach submerged up to the base of the cliffs.

all he could manage was a high, reedy help! in the instants before he was swallowed up again, ruddy fur like driftwood against a relentless tide.

inspired by these terrifying sneaker waves

Without a second thought, Lucette plunged into the water after Lafayette. She was a small thing still, all bony limbs and needle teeth, but in this moment she considered none of that. It didn't matter.

Wherever he went, she followed.

The water was cold and unforgiving. It battered her thin limbs and tossed her off-course with clinical immediacy. Somewhere above the crashing sound of the waves, Lafayette's cry reached her. Her heart leapt painfully. Yet it spurred her on; Lucette found the strength to correct her course after a moment, lunging through the waves until her paws met a familiar soft form.

She reached for his scruff thoughtlessly, not yet considering that she would not have the strength to bring him to shore.

water poured into his nose and throat; there was no way he could stop it. he was fighting for his life against the waves, gasping and gulping for every breath of air he could—but less and less oxygen was available.

teeth on his scruff;

maman?—

but consciousness was fading fast, and his limp body was increasingly at the mercy of the sea. 

if his savior held on, they would be dragged down, too, and die along with him.

later, the fact that her twins had both been drawn to the sea would occur to mireille. for now, her stride carried her directly into the foam and out into the breakers without stopping.
having been close enough to hear lafayette's first cry, mireille had dashed in that direction just in time to see lucette diving into the waves first.
the water rushed overhead; she took a breath and snatched for whatever part of the twined twins she could grab first, limbs treading powerfully in the churning water.

Edit: SHADOW POSTED lemme edit lmfaooo
Sorry this is so short, had to get rid of half my post and I do not wanna rewrite it

Lucette would never let go.

She kicked and fought against the waves with everything she had, even as they dragged the twins further out to sea. If they died, they would die together — and for a time it truly seemed as if they might. Perhaps they should have.

But their mother appeared then, as if summoned. Lucette scarcely registered it. Her vision was turning fuzzy, tinged black at the edges; still she did not surrender her grip on Lafayette. Would not.

Not until they reached the safety of the shore.

being underwater was much like the womb—the same muffled sounds and cradling fluid as in utero. the panic slipped away as he did, giving way to the peaceful darkness.

the boy belongs to the sea.

he did not know lucette's foolish bravery, nor mireille's herculean efforts to save them both.

the boy belongs to the spirits.

the boy was a slack, sodden mass of flesh and bone as they reached the shore, seawater pooled in his lungs and belly. the barest slit of green shone past heavy eyelids.

brain waves & synapses flashed, sending lightning dancing in his dying dreams.

his heart still beat, though without intervention—it would fail, too.

it was no small wonder that mireille did not panic. towing the twins to shore was a feat in itself, and one that did not come without cost.
limbs shaking, jaw clenched with hard determination, mireille lay lucette and lafayette on the sand, nosing them apart. 
her son was not breathing, her daughter fading. she began to work on him first, trying to press the water from his lungs, breathing air into him, while her eyes kept constant watch to see that lucette still breathed.
mamans, guide them back.

But Lucette was lost; somewhere far away, dreaming some terrible, wonderful dream of a snake with a thousand faces. Some of them leered; some grinned; others frowned on her with gentle concern. She knew none of their names —

but somehow, she knew them.

Yet their familiarity all but passed her by. Even in dreams, she thought only of her twin; the other half of her soul. Among the faces she searched for Lafayette, even as they whispered their warnings and discouragement. You will not find him here. Go home, little flame. Run back to your mother.

Even in dreams, she bared her teeth and stood tall.

She would swallow each of them whole if she had to.

Lucette did not stir.

in, out - in, out -

mireille's ministrations bore fruit, for the boy eventually seized and coughed, sending vomit-tinged water splashing across the sand. his chest heaved as he expelled the poison from his lungs, throat hoarse from the salt and eyes streaming with the effort.

he found his mother's gaze and mouthed, maman, but no sound emerged. peace had given way to fear.

and a shadow materialized over her left shoulder.

a dark figure, deep-set facial features. cloaked in kelp, water sluicing through pelt and plant. . .

ou se mwen, ti gason, it said to lafayette, mouth parted in an impossibly-wide grin.

lafayette's eyes rolled back as the boy fainted again, falling into a deep and uneasy slumber.

last from me

one shuddering breath was all mireille allowed herself as lafayette returned to their living shores. he breathed in senselessness, but he breathed.
she bent over lucette now, peering into the closed eyes, listening for water in the lungs, bringing breath if there was none; for @Val and @Chacal she called, and the others; come now, come and help.
let them live. please.

Out of sight, and out of earshot from formerly happy giggles, Suzu fiddled with the creaky bones of a new catch net, made only of sticks she could carry on her own and thus much less resilient in the push and drag of the heavy waves. She wished Swordfish had come back/ perhaps looking for her, or at least for answers- she could in the very least put him to work. 

The first distress call caused her to pause, and abandon her project. She sensed urgency but failed to summon the speed to arrive before Mireille broke through the surface, two of her children in tow. When she caught sight of them, the sodden cinnamon mother had pulled them to the shore, where they lay lifeless and limp. 

Had it even been a year since she’d pulled children from the ocean before? How cruel and unforgiving it was, to demand Mireille suffer such torment again! Suzu was breathless by the time she reached her aunt’s side, but not nearly as breathless as Lucette. Lafayette drew breath, but in a heavy slumber it seemed. 

”What can I do,” She stated. Now that there were two of them, Mireille might have a chance to tend to one while Suzu attended the other.

He should be back by now. I don'tknow what all is needed or if he is needed.

Etienne heard the cry and raced towards it. He had only been back for a few days before he raced.

Wut can I do? not realizing his words were an echo of his sisters.

He nosed at the twins his heart hammering in his chest. Lunette was who he attended to first if Mireille would allow him too. His auntie was fierce when she was anxious.

skipping w permission! lucette is out till further notice!

"take lucette. make sure she stays breathin'," mireille murmured swiftly to suzu, relieved to have both her niece and nephew arrive so quickly in assistance. "we are going to take dem bot' to de roja den to recover," she added, glancing to etienne as well. "dey cannot be left alone for de nex' t'ree days, at least."
"etienne, listen." she had him hear the rasp in lafayette's throat and chest. "if dat sound worsens, i need to know. now, you run ahead. suzu an' i will bring dem, please."

When Etienne arrived, she felt a small weight lift- knowing that her brother also had first aid knowledge. She was glad for his return as well, though it was a pity that what should have been another joyful reunion was overshadowed by something so tragic. 

She moved in closer to Lucette, and tilted her head down so she might feel the barest brush of breath against her cheek if there was one. With the ocean breeze…She couldn’t be entirely sure if the child breathed, or if the ocean had stolen her breath and now masqueraded with it. 

Mireille seemed to act more convinced that both children lived- and that they would, with careful supervision. She moved her cheek closer, and thought she felt a puff of warmth, dewy, against her cheek. 

”Heyyyy, sweet t’ing, you be alright,” She murmured softly to the girl whose stillness caused Suzu to tremble. ”We be takin’ you somewhere warm an’ cozy, you be aright,” She said, and prepared alongside Mireille to carry the girl up to the roja den.

Etienne wanted to help, but it was made clear he was not needed for this right here. And perhaps his auntie hadn't meant to nor his sister. But he felt a small think in his soul that he didn't belong, his medical knowledge wasn't trusted for this.

But this was not about him. So he swallowed hard amd nodded. And swiftly tirned to strong bsck to the roja den. Already ticking off what he wouldneed to do. First thing was to make a comfortable place for the babies that was warm and dry.

He'd grapple with his unbelonging later when the tide lifted and they could see the sun.

last for me here! will tag u all in a new one <3

mireille moved quietly and with a confidence she certainly did not feel. suzu murmured over lucette; etienne sped away.
she gingerly lifted her limp son and took a few steps before she looked back to her niece and daughter.
it would be a silent, somber quartet who etienne received beside the den, sent away only because mireille could not fathom her own departure in this moment, or anything else.

he came too late.

val rushed to mireille’s side first and saw the unthinkable — a sodden, limp form that caused his heart to knife.

a strangled gasp tore from his lips. neither children were well, and evidence of drowning stained their coats. he followed etienne and suzu back to the roja den; eyes dark with concern as he waited to do whatever was within his power to save the souls of sapphique’s children.