Viola had perhaps not thought it through. Feeding Eva had been the kind thing to do and cuddling with her had been as much for Eva’s sake as her own. She was not used to being alone and despite the life and size, this place was far scarier. Having the comfort of Eva close had let her relax.

Cuddling was not something that could be done with her kin, especially not in water. Blackfish could cuddle, when she had been young she and Mother had sometimes slept on rocks but that left them quite vulnerable. Sleeping with Eva however had stirred up feelings she hadn't been expecting.

When the artificial sun rose Eva was still clinging to her and sleeping peacefully. Viola’s arms and fins cradling her gently. The image of Eva turning red came to mind as she had last night. She found it very adorable the way Eva often did that. She had decided it wasn't camouflage, that much was quickly obvious, she was fairly certain it had to do with embarrassment but why that made Eva change colour she had no idea.

Humans were often confusing, they did all sorts of things that her kin didn't, let alone blackfish didn’t. Everything from oozing water from their eyes when sad to locking each other in the abyss of the depths. She was allowed to be bitter about being put here.

It had seemed nice at first and she found plenty to do but… it was still a cage, no matter how nice it was she was still trapped. Worse was that she might never leave. She needed Talbot to take her out of here the same way he had brought her here, she didn't dare venture into the abyss on her own. But what would happen when Talbot died? No one would know she was here, no one could even come to free her.

Worse what would happen when Eva died? She would be trapped here all alone. Eva had said fish would make her sick, in truth she had no idea how sensitive humans were to such things. She had given Eva soft flesh but if even consuming fish was bad for humans Viola had no idea how long Eva would live.

She looked down at Eva peacefully sleeping on her chest. She very much did not want Eva to die. Eva shifted, unwilling to be woken as Viola trailed her fingers down her back. Her skin was so different from Viola’s. Softer and fuzzier. Viola had hair on her head but humans were covered in the stuff. Their entire bodies were covered with thin barely visible hairs, though some much darker.

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She wanted to learn more about her human friend and wanted to explore her mind and body. The problem was understanding Eva was hard enough and she did not want to upset her. She lacked the words and much of the common ground that was so vital to social interaction.

It was not a lost cause, she had some memories from that ship so long ago but she had been young and most had been lost to time. Mother had remembered much more about her time on land but that had been too long ago to be useful. The world of humans was constantly changing, it did not have a place for blackfish. Talbot was only further proof.

Hunger was beginning to urge her to hunt but she did not want to disturb Eva. More worrisome was the fact food was finite, no one had come to deliver fish, at least not yet. While there was plenty of life here there was not the space of the open ocean. She would inevitably eat through the fish as she could not migrate to more plentiful regions. She could only hope like before someone would soon deliver more food, especially human food. She had not missed how much Eva had struggled to eat the fish she had brought and Viola wasn't sure how much simpler she could make feeding her.

Viola couldn't help but feel a little guilty that Eva had been dragged down here because of what Talbot wanted from her. Not that he even bothered to ask Viola and not that she could or would give him the gift he desired. If any human she had encountered was worthy of such things it was Eva though she was still hesitant about such things.

Eva had mentioned some of what had happened but Viola would need to get clarification. The thought that Mother had been mounted as a trophy made her heartache. She deserved the rest in the abyss, to return to the sea and all the small creatures that would make use of her. That was the natural cycle of things. Yet it was the opposite, she was in the land of the dead alive as ever and Mother dead in the clutches of humans.

She should have fought when she had the chance, maybe she could have killed Talbot before he killed her. Now it was too late for any of that. The abyss was said to be the land of the dead for a reason, her kin did not return when they ventured down as they often did at the end of their lives. If she ever managed to defy the abyss she would ensure Talbot paid. Not only for her sake but for Eva’s. She had time to spare, but Eva did not. Humans lived short and fragile lives. In a way it was a blessing but imprisoned down here it was not.

Eva had mentioned friends, a mother, and a future. Her life was so alien to Viola but it sounded lovely. She did not know what human lives usually entailed nowadays but Eva seemed happy. Down here and thanks to Talbot she was sad. Viola was happier here than before and she had grieved substantially. Now she would have to be strong for Eva because it was Eva’s turn to be sad and grieve what she had lost.

Her human friend had shown her kindness when no one else had. Viola would repay the favour. All they had down here was each other. Even if they never returned from the land of the dead, they had not ventured into the abyss alone.