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bussyyeukie · 22 days ago

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Call of the Ocean

(poly!141x siren!reader)

part one. part two.

You were cold. Colder than you’d ever been before. It was weird, you didn’t get this cold. It felt like your eyelids were glued shut, the uncomfortable mess of your hair sticking to your skin, to your face. The side of your head hurts, your stomach hurts. Your tail hurts. God did your fucking tail hurt. Taking a shaky breath in, you peeled your eyes open. The light burning them. It was bright, too bright for your eyes.

“What…” your voice rasped as you spoke, groaning as you looked around. You were in shallow water.

Events flashed in your mind, the events of that morning. Was it that morning? How long had you been asleep, how far had you floated out? Where had the sea taken you? Where had it washed you up?

Shallow water was dangerous, especially when you were wounded. You glanced down at your tail. The wound was not bleeding anymore, but it didn’t look good. It had barely scabbed over. The blood around your scales causing a shadowed effect under them. What looked like burns had left lines along your tail, probably from the rope.

“Oh,” you pressed a hand to your face, pushing your hair your of your face, “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

Your sides and back ached. Glad you were at least in water. You had gotten away. A little worse for wear, but alive.

You were concerned about your sisters. A larger ship was waiting, hunters were in your waters. You laid back into the sand. There were no rocks, no shells, no creature scurrying about. Just you, the white sand, the bright sun, and the clear water.

You let your eyes fall shut, a heavy rest weighing down on you just wanting to sleep.

The water tasted different here. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but it didn’t taste like the sea you had made your home.

Opening your eyes again, you nearly had a heart attack, a ship's dark hull forming a shadow over you. You flinched up, wincing at your aching body and burning in your tail. Nothing to hide you. No choppy waters, dark shadows, kelp beds.

You flicked your tail, gritting your teeth at the full body burn it seemed to bring on, rising slowly to the ship, positioning yourself under it. Hidden in the shadow of the hull.

A lingering sense of dread bubbled in your stomach. This close to a ship again, it felt like your wounds flared up at the thought.

Your hand raised, pressing lightly to the hull of the ship, following along with the steady pace it made forward. As much as you didn’t like the idea, it was the best option. If you darted out from under it you could be spotted, and if you were spotted you would die. Too injured to out swim them, or fight back if challenged.

You hooked your hand into a small hole in the hull, which seemed to be sloppily plugged up from the inside. Letting your body be dragged along with the ship, your eyes regaining the heavy weight to them now that the shock of the ship had left you.

“Don’t fall asleep…” you muttered, rubbing your eyes with the free hand, “Don’t….”

But you couldn’t help the way your eyes fell, lashes fluttering shut as your tail flicked lazily behind you. Head lolling forward as the sweet feeling of sleep sank over you yet again.

The sound of a town was unfamiliar to you. The loudness of male voices and, animals? You'd heard tales of certain creatures on land, but the cries of these were vastly unfamiliar to you.

Your hand ached, and you opened your eyes. The water was different, murkier, it tasted bad. Like mud and something spicy.

It was not the clean water of the sea you grew up in. Or even the clear blue of the water you were just in.

You looked around, fear freezing your heart as you saw the amount of ships creaking in the water. The ropes and anchors littering the water. Large posts of wood stuck into the murky ground.

You almost felt like your lungs were burning with the state of the water, rage building at the treatment of your waters.

Looking to your hand, still wedged in the ship, you pressed against the hull to pull it free, stinging as your pearly skin ripped, dark blood blooming in the water around you.

Frowning as you clenched and unclenched your fist, a cut on the meat of your thumb throbbing as it oozed blood into the water.

Sighing, you looked around more. There was a dock about ten feet out, it was shaded underneath, it looked to be sunny out. Bright under the water.

The loud footsteps on the dock seemed to rattle the wood, booming voices traveling through the muddied water. It scared you. So many humans.

So many dangerous humans.

Shame filled you. How could you let this happen to you? How could get so out-manned and so overpowered by snotty pirates?

You pulled yourself to the surface, face a few inches from breaching it, hands pressed against the hull of the ship, trying to see out of the waters.

Smacking your forehead against the wood as you couldn't see anything, just bare glimpses of figures above water. Looking down you sighed, pushing hair out of your face, gliding away from the hull.

You moved as fast as you could, grasping onto the thick pole that held up the bridge, the shadows of man slinking through the cracks in it. Your eyes wide as you looked up at them. You could almost see them, the pants, the boot, the glistening metal at their hips.

Eyes falling down, you sank against the pole.

“What am I going to do?” the question seemed to spook you, “What do I do…?”

Glimpsing movement out of the corner of your eye, you froze up, snapping your head to the side. Spotting a crate jerk in the water, it looked full of something. A sweet smell drifting through the murky water as it found its way to you. Before it tumbled down, and around the side of a rock.

Glancing up at the dock, the shadows had gone, it wasn't silent, but there was no movement overhead.

Looking back to the crate, you sank down, almost to the floor of the ocean, about ten feet off, far enough down that you wouldn't be spotted, snaking your way over to the crate. Curving the rock, which dipped into a cove of sorts.

It looked like some of what fishermen would use, only smaller. To catch crabs, lobster, crawling creatures that didn't know better.

The thought of food made your stomach cramp on itself.

Swallowing, you shot a hand out and grabbed the crate, peeking in, your eyes widening as you spotted the three lobsters inside of it.

Blue, brown and plump.

You trilled at the back of your throat, ripping a hole in the crate, you shot a hand in and your nails grew sharp as you grasped at one of them.

The shell cracked and your mouth watered.

Ripping it to your mouth as you pulled the shell from it, sharp teeth biting into it with such vigor that you got shards of the shell. Not that you cared, the inside of your mouth was tough, and your teeth were strong. The sweet meat almost brought a tear to your eye.

Shoving handfuls of it into your mouth as you chewed and crunched.

So wrapped up you didn't notice the crate jerking, pulling up. You glanced at it moving, and in fear of losing your meal you grabbed at it, reaching in for another lobster. Only stopping it slightly before it jerked up.

Swimming up with it to fully reach your hand in, not paying attention to how close the surface was getting. On that note, you weren’t entirely sure how those traps worked, so to your knowledge it just moved like that.

Only when the surface was bright, and you heard a sharp gasp muffled through the water, and you saw the rocks slide and trickle into the water did you look up. Your pupils turning to slits as you barred your teeth at the sudden (rippled) image of a man standing above you. Your hair, a mess floating around your head, almost creating a silhouette of your face as your skin shone opal under the water.

“Holy…”

The man reached for something, but you didn’t have time to see it.

Dashing off to your side, heart pounding, in all honesty, your tail had gone numb, just a lingering soreness throbbing throughout it. Not noticing as it smacked against the steadily narrowing rock canal you were caging yourself in. Only really noticing when you couldn’t move. In about a foot of water, and the end of your tail pinched on the rock. Stinging when you would pull.

“No, no no,” you looked behind you, twisting, and sitting up so your top half out of the water, the air chilling your chin as your hair stuck to your shoulders, and neck and breasts. Not that you cared, modesty was different with sirens, or mermaids, a lot looser than humans. Drenched in fabrics and leathers, “please, please…”

You shot your head up, spotting the man approaching, your vision almost blurry with panic.

Your heart had never in its life beat so fast, so erratic.

Pulling, yanking at your tail, only seeming to lodge itself further into the crevice you’d smacking it into. Resorting to smacking the rock with the butt of your palms, fear surging as the sound of footsteps approached.

“Haud on!” a male voice echoed through the silence, killing the sound of the waves, “Please, wait!”

As he got closer, you gave up on trying to run, and opted for hide. Which was hard to do, so you just curled into yourself the best you could in the water, completely submerged.

As he got closer, the man slowed down his run, panting, a wide eyed look on his face, and a stupid hair-cut. Cropped to the skull on the sides and a stripe of messed up hair down the middle.

You pinched your brows together, chest rising and falling fast with your breathing.

“Fuckin’ yaldy,” a grin tugging at the corners of his lips, running a hand over his forehead and hair. Kneeling down onto a knee. Resulting in you flinching violently, and trying to snap your tail out. Wincing as it pinched between the rocks.

The man glanced down, noticing your tail caught.

“Oh, shite, uh,” he looked to you, then to your tail, “I-I can help ya’, but, you’d have ta’ let me touch ya’, ok?”

You gulped, raising yourself slightly, pushing your head out of the water till it just lapped at your collar bone, arms tucked into your chest. A wide, frightened look on your face. Hair slick,stuck to your forehead and jaw.

Looking to your tail, then quickly back to the man, who licked his lips slightly, his brows pinched together. A look of, concern, on his face. It was strange to you. But being stuck wouldn’t do you any good. The man looked over your tail, and your abdomen, frowning.

“What,” he muttered, looking up at your face, leaning in a bit closer, and in turn you pressed your back farther against the rock, “Wha’ happened to ya’?”

You kept your mouth shut.

The man sat, waiting for an answer.

You refused to blink, not wanting to take your eyes off him for one second. He was bigger than you, and you were hurt in an unknown, dangerous area. He could be tricking you. He could be…if he was tricking you, why would he help you first? He easily could’ve snatched you up by now.

“...Man.”

Your voice fell from your throat, spilling out your mouth. It felt like it was dripping into the water around you.

The man clenched his jaw, rubbing his palms on his knees, squeezing them.

“I’ll free yer tail,” he said, looking back at your face. It felt strange how intense his blue eyes were, how easily he stared into yours despite the inhuman expression you were dawning, “if you let me help ya’.”

Everything in you told you no, say No.

But, you didn’t have a choice. You were trapped. Hurt. Didn’t know where you were.

You nodded, voice quiet, “Ok.”

He moved forward, carefully eyeing you, then stepped a foot into the water, going about to his knee. His pants tucked into his boots, which were now drinking up the water that was darkening the fabric.

The gun on his hip startled you, causing you to flinch back into the rock again, a few other items clinking along with it. He rolled his shirt sleeves up, looking back at you.

The size of him standing over you made your stomach turn, it was horrifying.

He leaned down, “A’ight then, stay still, I don’t wanna hurt ya’.”

He glanced back at you again, then situated himself, grabbing onto the rock, he tugged, barely getting it to move. He grumbled. Trying it again, placing a firm hand on your tail, causing you to shriek and squirm.

“Ach, sorry bonnie, sorry,” he looked back at you after quickly pulling his hand away, “I have’ta touch ya’ at least a wee bit…”

Your breath was shaky, and you nearly whined when you tried to move your tail, “O-Ok, fine.”

He looked back to his work, and gripped the rock at a different angle, pulling, you gasped when you felt the pressure lift off of you.

“Yes!” you pushed yourself up onto your hands, “Yes, keep doing that!”

He nodded and pulled harder, the rock crunching till it finally broke apart, the man stumbling back slightly and you quickly whipping your tail around and darting off out of the canal. Able to swim freer in the open water. The man shouting behind you.

“Goddamn,” he tossed the hunk of rock clasped in his hand to the side. The relief you felt had you smiling, floating up to the surface of the water, and peeking your head out, seeing the man perk up, “Hey!”

You sank down a bit at the raise in voice.

He stumbled forward, climbing over rock, wetting his pants and the front of his shirt.

“Wait!”

You looked at him in silence, his eyes wide as he looked at you, almost desperate it seemed.

“Please…” he took a step forward, almost falling into the water, not that he seemed to really care about getting wet, “I need yer help, my crew, we can help ya’, clean ya’ up, keep ya’ safe till you get home. But please, I need ya’ ta’ help me…”

The way his voice strained, and the way his eyes held a type of pleading you’d only seen in drowning men. It swayed you. Not like you had anywhere to go, and protection was something you needed at the moment.

Thinking for a second, and finally blowing a huff of air through your nose, which bubbled the water under it, you answered, “Fine. But you have to swear, that no harm will come to me by your crew.”

The strange man grinned, cheeks rosy and eyes lighting up, “Yes! Yes, I promise ya’ lass, nothin’ but pure brilliance!”

He jumped his way back to the steady shore, you staying put in the water, you couldn’t make yourself move. The man looked back, hands on his hips.

“Ma names Johnny by the wey, you can call me Soap,” he pulled a watch from his pocket and glanced at it, tisking, “Stay here, I’ll be back wit’ a ship, we’ll load yous’ up thare ok?”

You blinked at him, “Why would you tell me your name…?”

“Huh?” he looked confused, “Well, why not? I mean, we’re gonna be helpin’ each other out one wey or another so, might as well.”

Looking him up and down. He must've been stupid. But you nodded, “Ok. Just get the ship.”

The man–Johnny, nodded his head, and bounced off around the corner. You watched him unblinking the whole way, till he was out of sight, and you slowly glided over to the rocky area, resting yourself against it, worn and sore and tired. It must’ve been days that you were just floating. The food in your stomach set heavy as lead, but it wasn’t unwelcome.

Putting your head in your hands, you looked to the cut on your palm, then to your tail. Your beautiful tail, so disfigured and torn. It would heal, you knew that, but the spear wound was sure to leave a scar. You noticed the few scales missing No one else would have, but you did.

A few minutes passed, and the increasingly familiar sound of a ship creaking found its way into your ears. Your heart hadn’t slowed its beating since you woke up, ready to pop out of your chest. It made your breathing almost ragged as you watched a large ship round the rocks barrier.

The brief thought of, “This is a mistake,” itched at your head, pressing against the front of your skull.

But it was too late, you either died in this disgusting murky water, or you died on that ship.

Both options caused your stomach to twist up.

Fuck you wished you'd just passed the little boat and took a nap. You'd be on a rock, with your sisters, hands braiding hair and throats humming with enchanted song. Soft smiles and giggles floating in the air.

The creak of the ship and lapping of water drew you out of your daydream, slinking back into the water till only the top of your head was out. Eyes wide and jumping from one thing to the next.

The ship itself wasn't anything special, an old brown wooden one, creamy sails and lights graded into rope swooped over the sides. Masts high and pointed.

It stopped in the open water in front of the lagoon forced by the rock. The sails changed their shape. You didn't see any flags, nothing like some of the larger ships you'd seen with large swords and bones hoisted high into the air.

You heard movement on the ship, and spotted three men standing on deck, against the railing. Recognizing one of them as Johnny.

He waved wildly, grinning. The light basking them in golden hues. It almost made your eyes hurt.

“Bonnie!” he shouted, voice carrying over the still water easily.

“Come! Swim over! We’ll hoist you up when you get close!”

Never before had you felt anxiety this horrid, striking your body with fear, this was a trap. You knew it, your blood jelly in their veins.

This was a bad idea.

But your tail flicked, diving under and you made your way over slowly, till you reached the hull, still under the water, looking up you saw the blurry image of a head leaning over the railing.

Then looked behind him to say something, nothing you could hear clearly.

Then a rope splashed into the water.

Pinching your brows, you popped your head out of the water.

“Aye! There ya’ are!” the man grinned, “Tie that around her waist! We’ll hoist ya' up!”

Sighing you looked at the rope, then grabbed it gingerly, tying it the best you could around yourself, and gripping it tightly, looking up to the man.

“Don't drop me!”

The man laughed, beckoning someone behind him, your heart dropping as a behemoth of a man made himself shown. Face covered by cloth with a skull painted on it. Shoulders lumbering and blocking the sun under him.

“Dinnae worry about tha’, Simon wouldn't dream'a it!”

Your mouth curled, and you looked down to your tail again, floating in the water.

“I-I’m tied!” you shouted up at them. Clenching the rope tighter as the first tug jostled you.

Near panting as you were raised out of the water, rope digging into your skin, raising up from your waist to under your breasts and armpits. Hurting your shoulders. Hair slick on your skin, water dripping off of you.

You could hear the grunting above you. Your tail now fully out of the water. In all honesty you were surprised one man was able to do this, you were heavy. Your tail was thick and long and all muscle.

When your head reached the railing, Johnny was already there, leaning over the railing and wrapping his arms around your middle.

“Ach we gotcha bonnie dinnae fret,” his arms were solid around you, and you grabbed onto his shoulders, his skin prickling under your cold hands, “Lift her tail…”

The masked man assisted in grabbing your tail–gentler than you had imagined–and lifted in over the railing. Both men gently set you down on the deck. Which was warm and slick under you, heated by the overhead sun. Your muscles ached, breath heavy on your lips.

As much as you tried to stay upright, you ended up laying on your side, arms slumped in front of you and hair fanned around your head.

“Wha’ she fuckin’ dead?” a deep voice broke the silence, causing a snort from Johnny.

“Nah, poor wee thangs all beat up, look at ‘er,” he tisked and you heard the thumping of his boots along the wood. Your eyes creaked open and followed them as they stopped by your head. Body shivering and you pushed yourself up, brows pinched and gulping, throat dry.

“Get those away from me,” you snapped. Looking down at his boots, then back up to his eyes.

“So she speaks,” you looked over, and saw the large, masked man leaning against the railing. Arms crossed over his chest. Looking him up and down, noting how covered he was, even in the heat of the sun, knives littered his body. Filling your already empty feeling stomach with unease.

“We can get ya’ water,” Johnny was now crouched down, level with you, “Dinnae ken if ya’ need’a be submerged ta’ live.”

You pressed your lips together, “I, I’ll be fine…”

“Good,” with a grunt and a heavy clomp of his boots, the masked man pushed himself off the railing, “Then you’ll be easy ta’ keep.”

You noticed his boots were much thicker than the other mans–than Johnnys.

“Ach,” Johnny chuckled, “Dinnae mind the brute, he means well, his name’s–”

“Don’t.”

The sharp tone shut the brunette up quickly, almost like he was willing the words out of existence. Goosebumps rose on your arms and you swear if you had hackles they’d be risen.

“Do not tell ‘er my name,” he sneered, looking at you then to the male kneeling, who threw his hands up in the air and snorted.

“Christ fine,” he looked back to you, “He’s a grumpy bastard, dinnae worry yer wee head.”

“I’m assumin’ you already tol’ the siren yer name?” the brute asked, stopping at a flight of descending stairs.

“Course, s’only polite,” Johnny said, winking at you.

“Bloody dumb fuck,” the masked man muttered, shaking his head, “Get ‘er to a cell, I’m tellin’ the cap’n she’s ‘ere…and that yo ‘aven’t been seein’ things just yet.”

With one last sharp look to you over his shoulder, he grumbled as he descended the stairs.

Leaving you alone on the warm deck with Johnny. Who was grinning wide. Your arms shook as they held up your weight, freezing and damp, hair plastered to your shoulders and neck, curling up to your jaw, and waving down your back. Skin shining in the sun, and your eyes taken on a near cloudy look to them–like breaking whitewash. Sunken and hollowed into your face. Brows forever pinched in worry and your tail thumped with your heart beat.

Johnny smiled softly, “Lemme ‘elp ya’ up lass, get ya’ to a bed and clean up. Poor things shiverin’ worse than a wet dog.”

He stood, walking around you and scooping you up, a mix between a croak and a rattle rolling in the back of your throat as you grabbed tightly to the collar of his shirt. His strong arms wrapped around your back, fingers conscious of your chest, and one arm wrapped around the crook of your tail, which still managed to drag on the ground behind the both of you.

Your eyes narrowing and head falling to his chest in defeat as you saw how lifeless your scales looked. Dull, not reflective or enchanting as days previous. It pained you. They were your peoples pride, besides your voices they were the most defining part of your character, of your species. The patterns on your tail muddied in your eyes as you stared at it.

“Quite long ain’t it?”

There was a moment of silence, before you frowned, “What?”

“Yer tail?”

“Oh, yes it is long,” you glanced up at him, the stubble on his jaw scratching your nose before you scrunched it and pulled your head away, “It’s not as long as some…”

Johnny laughed, rumbling in his chest, “Christ! Can’t imagine swingin’ that thang around all the time! Must be pretty strong to swing that the way ya do.”

“Yes.”

Your head fell back against his chest as he walked into a hallway, significantly darker, and you think it was descending, you also think you’d gone down stairs at some point. Not quite remembering. The hall was cold, with lanterns snuffed out on the walls. Cell doors facing you. He stepped besides the second one down (out of four) and booted it open with a kick. The door opening slowly as it creaked and groaned, screaming at him for opening it.

“Nicest one, hope ya’ understand lass,” he looked to you, pleadingly almost, “Safety for all of us, you can lock yer-self in if you feel the need, and we can lock you in if ya’ try ta’ eat us!”

He ended with a smile.

The thought of flesh made your throat clench and mouth water.

It sounded good. His thick bicep, plump and sweaty next to your head. His thick, firm pec under your cheek…but you could control yourself. Eating a crew member would do you no good. Not yet anyway. Licking your teeth under your lips you looked up at him as well.

“Thank you.”

“No sweat! Got the nicest bed, right there, and I'll bring down more blankets and pillows, really get ya’ comfy,” he set you down on the bed. Which was low to the ground, and groaned under your weight, tail curled on it, dripping off the side. The thin blanket was scratchy and thin.

You didn’t really ever sleep with any of this, but some of your people had scavenged them to make other items. You were unsure what a pillow was though.

Johnny placed his hands on his hips, proud of himself, clothes still soaked.

“Make yer-self at home!” He spread his arms to the small cell. A bucket in the corner, and a small circular window-like hole in the hull side of the cell, occasional salt water spraying in, in a light mist, “I could move ya’ down two if ya’ like, that cells shittier, but it’s nearly flooded with water.”

You shook your head, “No.”

He nodded, cheeks pink with embarrassment. You continued to stare at him. In silence.

“Thank you…” the thanks was short and quiet, but it rang like honey in Johnny’s ears.

“Of course bonnie! We’ll get’cha right in no time!”

You nodded, looking out the flat white object at the top of the bed, pushing at it softly.

“Oh, that’s a pillow,” Johnny walked over, grabbing it and smacking it, ‘fluffing it’ he called it, “I’ll bring more, these aren’t the best on the ship honestly.”

Did he forget you were both in a cell?

“It’s ok,” you said, watching as he set it down in its original place, “I won’t use it I don’t think.”

Johnny shrugged, “Well, never ‘urts to have options, plus it gets cold down ‘ere at night, can’t have our siren freezing to death!”

You nodded, freezing to death did not sound ideal. You weren’t a cold water siren with more thermally equipped skin and padding, though you wished at the moment, your body continuously shaking.

Johnny sprang into action again, “I got’cha bonnie, must be cold.”

He wrapped the blanket around you, and you stayed sitting up, he wrapped it gingerly around your shoulders, tucking it under your tail in places.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Huh?” the question seemed to shock him, his eyes wide as he straightened up, “Doin’ wha’?”

“Being…nice,” you frowned, “I could kill you.”

Johnny laughed, patting your shoulder, “No’ like tha’ you ain’t lass! You’re beat to shit!”

With a purse of your lips, you felt your eyes droop, muscles still tense and shaking.

“When does it stop?”

“What stop?”

“The shaking?”

“Oh, well when you’re warm,” Johnny said, sitting at the end of your bed, by your tail, which you pulled further to yourself.

“When is that?”

“When you’re warm?” Johnny chuckled again, rubbing the back of his head, “I’ll bring you more blankets, get ya’ good in no time. Got some thick ones.”

He stood up and walked to the door, pausing as his hand lingered on it, glancing back to you subtly, then continuing to close the door. Pausing again when he was outside the cell.

“Behave yer-self now, i’ll be back in a moment got it?”

You nodded, The darkness shadowing you further, eyes bright and teeth looking almost glowing if you flashed them. Hunched in the dark on a bed.

The sound of his footsteps echoing down the hall came as a relief, letting out a rattly breath as you relaxed your body. SLumping down into a curled position on your side. Hugging the blanket closer. It was scratchy, thin, and smelled of smoke and old boots. But it was better than nothing. Your eyes fixed on a small puddle on the floor, a steady drip, drip, drip plinking onto the floor into the puddle. Maybe one day it would drown this ship, but thankfully you won’t be around to see that day. As you thought of drowning sailors and wrecked ships, your head grew heavy, and your eyelids closed before you even knew it.

Breaths shallow and slow as you fell into the bed, sinking through the old wood of the ship's hull, and cradled back into the beautiful sea.

(word count: 5092)

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