#seashells. mermaids. purple water. beach. ocean. pearls.. yes

[happyheidi]

[legendofzeldaalinktothepast]

Opalescent Tides - Chapter 2

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Amethyst woke to the sound of running water. Much like the night before, she was disoriented and vaguely frightened, but her body didn't ache the way it previously had -- if anything, it felt replenished, albeit somewhat dizzy. Slowly opening her eyes, she shielded her face from the artificial light source on the ceiling and pulled herself upright. 

She shifted around on the surface beneath her. She was sitting in a large, porcelain tub full of warm water. The bottom of the tub was lined with a sandy, shell-shaped pattern, and bars of soap and rubber ducks lined the shelves around her. Amethyst turned her gaze downward, holding on hope that the events of the previous night had merely been a dream -- but her shimmering fin was still there. 

Slouching down in the water, Amethyst looked around the room; the walls were lined with seashells, picture frames bearing photos and paintings of the beach, and tacky wooden knick knacks of anchors and fish. A quick glimpse out the window assured her that it was still nighttime, so she hadn't been lying here for too long...

"Brr?"

Amethyst flinched away from the source of the sound, meeting the golden eyes of a massive orange cat. It gazed at Amethyst with wide black pupils, and its bushy tail lashed back and forth. "Geez, you scared the hell outta me..." Amethyst mumbled, cautiously extending a hand and petting it on the head. The cat nipped Amethyst on the thumb, making her yelp and jerk her hand away. "Hey! Little asshole..." she grumbled.

As if on cue, the door creaked open and the cat immediately retreated. A tall, heavyset woman peered into the room, her expression slightly concerned. "Ah, hello there!" she greeted, cautiously stepping in and closing the door behind herself. Her hair was bright pink and curly, and was tied up into a messy bun on top of her head; she wore a silky white tank top that was slightly too short for her torso -- possibly to show off the glistening pink piercing she had on her navel -- and a pair of denim shorts that reached her knees. When Amethyst heard the click of the door locking, however, she froze up.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asked. She approached the bathtub and turned one of the knobs, turning off the faucet.

'That’s a loaded question...' Amethyst thought. How could she even begin to answer that?

"Ah... Do you speak English?" the woman asked after an uncomfortable pause. "I know a little bit of French, and my husband is Italian -- "

"No, no, it's fine. I speak English." Amethyst waved a hand, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm just... really out of it right now. I guess I'm fine?"

"Fine is better than bad!" the woman said. She approached the bathtub, the fluffy cat following close behind. It rubbed its head against her calves, its eyes not leaving Amethyst for whatever reason; the fur on its back began to stand up, and it made a slight rumbling noise in its throat. "So... my name is Rose. What is yours?" Rose reached down to stroke the cat's ears, probably in an attempt to soothe him.

"Amethyst." she said, inching towards the other end of the bathtub as the cat stared her down. "So, uh, this is probably a really dumb question... But how'd I get here? My brain's really foggy, can't remember shit..."

"Well..." Rose sat down on the sink, crossing her legs as the cat leapt onto her lap. "That's a good question. My dear friend Pearl found you floating in my swimming pool, and well... I had a feeling chlorinated water probably wasn't ideal for any sort of marine life, so we brought you in here." She ran her fingers along the cat's back, and it began to relax a bit.

"Oh... geez, that must've been awkward." Amethyst blushed, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "Thanks for helping me. I swear, I'm just as confused as you are. Normally I have legs, but uh..." She trailed off. How could one even begin to explain whatever the fuck had happened earlier?

"Don't worry about it." Rose reassured, a calm smile on her face. While Amethyst's brain was a total fog, she knew that any normal human would be freaking the fuck out at fact that a mermaid almost died in her pool... So why was this woman so calm about everything? "Is there anything I can do for you?" Rose continued, snapping Amethyst out of her spiraling thoughts.

"Eh... not sure. Guess I just... need a minute to process whatever the hell is happening right now." Amethyst said, slouching down in the water until it reached her chin. "Or an hour. Maybe a few days."

Rose chuckled. "Understandable. Well, I'll be in the living room. Give me a holler if you need anything." She slid down from the sink and made her way over to the door, gesturing for the cat to follow. "Come on, buddy. Let's give our guest some privacy, alright?" The cat responded with a softer, more pleasant sounding rumble in its throat, and followed Rose out into the hallway.

Once she was alone again, Amethyst slouched down all the way into the water until she was completely submerged. 

* 

Her hands trembling, Pearl locked the door behind herself. "Goodness gracious. I must be going insane..." she mumbled to nobody in particular.

"Is someone chasing you?" Garnet teased, causing Pearl to jump.

"What? No!" Pearl said, setting her keys down on the coffee table. "Just... Paranoid. You know how jumpy I get at night, and with all the old antiques we sell, the shop's probably haunted..."

Garnet huffed with amusement, reaching for the remote and turning down the volume on the T.V. "That's true." she said with an amused grin. "Did you enjoy your swim?"

For a moment, Pearl had nearly forgotten she'd even gone for a swim... 'Should I tell Garnet what happened?' she thought, wringing her hands as she made her way over to the couch and seated herself beside Garnet. "Ah, well..."

"Something's bothering you..." Garnet said, her voice a bit softer, now.

"If I told you what it was... You'd think I was joking." Pearl sighed, leaning back against the couch.

"I doubt that. But the way you're acting is rather concerning..." Garnet said, cupping Pearl's cheek. "Are you sure you weren't being followed? Perhaps I shouldn't have joked about that..."

Pearl's heart ached with guilt -- with the way she'd been acting, of course Garnet would assume the worst! "Oh, oh heavens no! I promise, nothing like that happened. I had a safe walk home, I promise." she said, turning to face Garnet and gripping her hands. "I swear. What happened tonight was more in the... supernatural realm, I suppose?"

Garnet let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. Ghosts are a little less frightening than a stalker." she said. "You know I'm not a skeptic, right? I've had my own share of supernatural experiences."

"That's true, that's true..." Pearl smiled a little. "I... I'll tell you. But if you don't believe me... Can you promise not to make fun of me?"

"Promise." Garnet said, wrapping a pinkie around Pearl's.

"Thank you..." Pearl drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Okay, so… How do I even say this? Uh, you know those silly little stories tourists are always asking about? About the evil sirens that roam the beaches at night, and alien sightings, and..." She trailed off.

"Pearl...?"

’Just get to the point!’ "There was a mermaid in Rose's pool." Pearl finally blurted out. "I swear on everything in this apartment, Garnet, it was a mermaid! She had long, purple hair, and a sparkly fin, and webbed fingers and claws! And you can ask Rose in the morning if you don't believe me. Oh, please don't think I'm crazy--!"

"Alright, shhh..." Garnet hushed her, cupping a hand over her mouth. "I believe you. Just chill."

"Are you sure? You don't have to say that just because you feel bad for me, I know it's -- "

"I know it's crazy, but I still believe you." Garnet said, though the expression on her face seemed... uncertain. Pearl's heart sank down in her chest. "I promise, it's okay. Look, first thing in the morning we'll go over to Rose's house. The mermaid is still there, right?"

"Yes, I think so." Pearl said. "She's keeping her in the bathtub... She seemed to be in poor condition, but Rose seemed confident she would be okay..."

Garnet smiled. “Then you don’t need to worry." she said. "Just breathe. You're so shaken by this, Pearl..." She grabbed Pearl by the hands and helped her to her feet. "You should head off to bed. We'll think about this whole situation in the morning; but for now, just... focus on calming down, thinking of the positives. The store is closed tomorrow, so there's no work... You can relax."

"That's true..." Pearl said, crossing her arms. "It's going to be okay. A-all of this is for me to worry about tomorrow, not tonight."

Garnet nodded. "Exactly."

Pearl took another deep breath, giving Garnet a gentle hug. "Thank you for listening… Even when I’m acting like a lunatic.”

"You aren’t.” Garnet reassured.

Pearl exhaled. "Alright... Thank you, then.”

“You already said that.” Garnet teased, ruffling Pearl’s hair and giving her a nudge towards her bedroom. “Now get some rest, okay?”

Pearl blushed as she made her way into her room. “Okay, okay. Good night… See you in the morning.”

“Good night.” 

* 

Sunlight shone in through the bathroom window; unlike the harsh rays that'd waken her the day before, these were warm and pleasant. Rubbing her eyes, Amethyst sat herself upright and glanced around the room... still in the ocean themed bathroom, as she'd expected... But part of her had hoped she'd wake up to something that made more sense, or that everything that had happened had been a dream... Sighing, stood upright and stretched her sore body.

'Wait.'

She glanced down at her own two legs. No mermaid tail. She looked at her hands, and saw that her fingers were no longer webbed, her nails no longer pointed and hooked. Not a single scale in sight, just skin and lots of dark hair.

As she looked up, Amethyst noticed a pair of clothing folded up on the floor; a white tank top, a long brown skirt, and some frilly underwear. They looked slightly too big to fit her properly, but the way they were laid out made her feel as if she were intended to put them on... So after a few moments of hesitation, she dried herself off with a fluffy towel and hesitantly slipped the clothes on.

'Maybe it was a dream, after all...' Amethyst thought, looking herself over in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess, standing up in a million different directions, so she put some water from the bathtub on her hands and smoothed it out until it looked semi-decent. 'Alright... Now to see what the fuck's going on.'

She tugged the bathroom door to open it, only to remember it was locked, and twisted the little knob until she heard a click, stepping out into the hallway.

"Good morning!" a voice called; Amethyst tensed at first, only feeling slightly relieved upon seeing the pink haired woman from the night before. "Are you feeling any better?"

Amethyst wasn't sure how to respond; sure, she was feeling a little better, but... Should she be scared of this woman? "I'm... I'm okay, I guess."

"Would you like to join me for some breakfast?" Rose asked, gesturing for Amethyst to follow her. "It'll just be us, if that's okay with you. Greg and Steven are out doing grocery shopping... Normally I go with them, but I thought I'd stay behind just so you wouldn't wake up to an empty house."

Geez, that was a lot of information at once. "Uh... I guess I could go for some breakfast." she said, though she couldn't help fearing this would be some sort of trap... Yet her growling stomach urged her to take the risk, so she followed Rose.

"It's nothing too special, though; the boys are out shopping, after all, so our choices are limited..." Rose rambled on as she shuffled through the kitchen cabinets. "Would you like some cereal? We might have some poptarts left as well..."

Anxiety tensed in Amethyst's stomach as she struggled to remember what either of those things were. "Either's fine!" she said, hoping neither of them were gross.

"Poptarts it is, then, because that's what I'm having." Rose said, popping two rectangle-shaped pastries into the toaster. "Ah, blueberry is Steven's favorite flavor. Hopefully they remember to buy more while they're out, because these are the last two!" She chuckled, and for a reason Amethyst couldn't quite parse... It filled her with a sense of frustration. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she sat down at the table.

"I really just want something to make sense." Amethyst croaked out, cupping her hands over her face. "I don't know what any of this is. Why are you so calm? Why don't you give a shit that some drunk girl passed out in your pool last night? What am I even doing here? And how do I know you're not going to hurt me or..." she trailed off as her voice cracked.

Rose's expression softened. "Ah... I'm sorry, Amethyst. I just wanted to help you feel comfortable... I wish there was some way I could prove I'm not going to hurt you... But that's the last thing I'd ever want to do." She seated herself in the chair beside Amethyst, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. You're allowed to be confused... Because this truly is a strange situation." Rose tugged a paper towel off of the nearby roll and handed it over to Amethyst. The latter looked at it for a moment, confused as to what she was supposed to do with this... So she used it to dab away some of the snot running from her nose, hoping that was the right thing.

"I suppose... Supernatural things aren't uncommon in this town." Rose continued, tapping her fingers on the marble tabletop. "There's a reason it draws so many tourists, and it's not just the beautiful view of the ocean, or the amusement park..." She wrung her hands anxiously. "Mermaid sightings aren't uncommon. And a lot of tourists come here to see them, and often... Don't have the best intentions." She turned her gaze towards Amethyst, expression softening. "So... I'm not at all frightened or confused by finding a mermaid in my pool. You weren't drunk, you really did turn into a mermaid last night. Transforming probably did a number on your body, and I'm sure the chlorine in the pool didn't help much, either."

Pop. Amethyst nearly leapt out of her skin as the poptarts jumped up in the toaster. Rose chuckled softly, rising to her feet and grabbing two plastic plates from the cabinet. "Perhaps I should just get to the point." she continued, making her way back over to the kitchen table and setting the plates down. Then, she reached for a picture hanging on the fridge and placed it down beside Amethyst's plate.

Amethyst picked up the photo and examined it; it was a picture of Rose, with a beautiful pink mermaid tail. She was sitting on a couch beside a chubby, bearded man with long hair and an acoustic guitar in his lap. In the white space beneath the photo, the numbers "7/15/87" were written in blue ink.

"This is from when I was pregnant with Steven." Rose said, smiling fondly at the picture. "And that handsome man right there is Greg." She rested her chin in her hands. "I fell in love with him back when I still had my fin... I wanted to live on land to be with him, and in doing that, I had to forget everything I knew about being a mermaid... Thankfully, Greg helped me regain my memories... At least the ones I wanted to hold onto." She took a bite of her poptart, tilting her head as she gazed at Amethyst.

"Then, I lived as a shifter for two years. Only turned into a mermaid when there was a full moon." she continued. "But once I gave birth to Steven, I stopped shifting... Only when he grew a mermaid tail did I realize I'd passed that ability down to him."

"Ah... Damn." Amethyst began, poking at the poptart with her finger. Still too hot. "So... for whatever reason, I chose to have this happen to me. I used to be a fulltime mermaid, but at some point I was like, 'fuck it, I wanna be human'. And the price I paid for that was forgetting everything. And unless I get pregnant and pass it on to some other poor fuck, I'm gonna have to deal with turning into a mermaid again whenever there's a full moon."

Rose nodded. "That's what happened to me... So we can only assume it'll be the same for you."

Amethyst broke off a corner of her poptart and stuck it in her mouth. It was… oddly sweet, and very artificial. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it. “Damn… I can’t believe I’d wish for this. Life must’ve really sucked in the ocean, huh?”

Rose chuckled. “If only I could remember what it was like. But the fact that I was willing to sacrifice it all for him…” She gazed lovingly at the man in the photo. “Well, he’s the entire universe to me. After my memory was wiped, I immediately fell in love with him again. He didn’t even have to try. So perhaps that doesn’t say much.”

Amethyst smiled slightly. "Aw... that's cute. You guys seem like such a happy bunch. Who knows, maybe I... fell in love with someone too. If that's the case, they better show up soon."

Rose chuckled. "That could be the case. But keep an open mind. I'm sure there's plenty of reasons why someone would give up their mermaid life; not everyone's a sappy romantic like me." she began. "And, you know... Regardless of why you left the sea, what matters now is that you're free to do whatever you please. I'm not sure what your plan is from here..."

"You know just as much as I do." Amethyst shrugged.

Rose nodded. "I suppose that's true. I don't want to pressure you either way, but... If you ever are in need of a place to lay your head, you are always welcome in our house. You can stay here as long as you need to, alright?"

Amethyst tensed; on one hand, that made things a lot easier on her... But on the other hand, it was all so sudden. And she'd feel so guilty living in their space and not being able to contribute anything in return... And on yet another hand (geez, she had a lot of hands), she didn't really have much of a choice. So in a way, she felt a childish, irrational hint of frustration towards Rose... Even if none of this was her fault, and she was only trying to be nice.

"I guess I need a bit to think about it." Amethyst shrugged. "But uh, thank you for offering. Seriously, you don't have to do all this for me... Not your fault I wound up in your pool."

"Perhaps not, but it's very fortunate. And I don't mind at all, really." Rose's expression darkened. "Because if it had been anyone else... You might not have had any say in the matter."

Amethyst shuddered; no need for elaboration there. She felt nauseous at the mere thought of what could've happened if she'd ended up in anyone else's hands. So she turned her gaze downward, taking another bite of her now-cold poptart. 

* 

Long after the sun had come up, Pearl stirred herself awake; rarely was she the type to sleep in, especially past noon, but her dozing throughout the night had been unbearably sporadic. In the short bouts of sleep she did manage to obtain, her dreams were filled with anxiety, stressful work situations, and the occasional mermaid...

Though every muscle in her scrawny body protested, Pearl hauled herself out of bed. She slipped into some weather appropriate clothing -- high waisted shorts and a breezy white button up that she tucked in-- and made her way out into the hallway. She immediately met eyes with a slightly eager Garnet.

"Good morning." she greeted with a wave of her hand. "Afternoon, more like. Were you able to sleep alright?"

"Not quite." Pearl shrugged. "But it's fine. I'm up now."

"Ah, that's a shame." Garnet's expression softened. "So, ah... While you were sleeping... I did a little bit of reading." Garnet continued, making her way towards the living room.

"Did you read up on heat-induced hallucinations?" Pearl chuckled.

Garnet smiled softly, but shook her head. "I had considered that, but no. Just on some of the old siren sightings you mentioned last night..." She gestured to a pile of newspapers sitting on her desk. "And do not get the wrong idea. I believed you the moment you told me, though it might not have seemed that way..."

Pearl shook her head. "You know I won't be offended if you don't believe me, right?"

"I know that. But... I've seen you lie before. You're terrible at it." Garnet continued, placing a hand on Pearl's shoulder.

Pearl crossed her arms, feeling a mixture of relief and shame bubbling up in her chest. "Hah, I guess so…”

"So... you told me that she's still at Rose's house? Garnet said, tilting her head with curiosity.

Pearl nodded. "Y-yes, as far as I know... Rose said she'd be taking care of her, at least, but I'm not sure what that would even entail... She seemed pretty confident about it, though."

Garnet smiled. "Alright... Would you like to head over?"

Pearl blushed. "Oh, um -- yes! Let me just, uh. Get ready."

Without another word, she hurried off to the bathroom to brush her teeth and put on her shiniest lipgloss.

[im-anonymoose]

Day 1: Ring

He stared blankly down at the water. Churning, bubbling, foaming water. It crashed against the rocks, flinging salt spray in his face. His eyes stung, but from the ocean or tears, he couldn’t say. Wind snapped around his hair and filled his ears with white noise. Gray clouds mirrored his gray mood.

He remembered this cliff. This beautiful, horrid, dreamlike, wretched cliff. Scraggly rock that once had delicate flowers bloom now was a breeding ground for thorny weeds. His feet were protesting his lack of shoes, but he didn’t mind the bite. Thornes dug into the tender arches of his feet. The pain was almost enough to make him forget.

~ ~ ~

He didn’t quite know how old he was. Possibly fifteen? It didn’t matter, not really. What mattered was his idiocy, his mistake. His near death. His mother always said to be careful when playing on the rocks. They were especially slippery after storms. Lucky for him, it was only a light drizzle.

Whether it was courage or stupidity - the two can go hand in hand, after all - he ran to the sandy beach, his mother’s warnings lost further down the hill he went. He hopped along the rocks, laughing gleefully as the tide roared over his feet. His shorts were soaked by the time he made it to the little cavern in the cliffside. 

It wasn’t much of a cave than a glorified indent in the rock. It was enough for him and his five closest friends to sit comfortably inside during a particular giggle-filled night from swiped alcohol. The night ended quickly after they played a rather dislocated game of spin the bottle, ending with all of them piled on each other, the crash of the ocean lulling them to sleep.

The boy laughed at the memory, picking up the bottle that stood as a trophy of what they believed was a daring exploit. Along with it were seashells collected from the beach, parts of crabs caught in the rocks, and his prized possession: an intact horseshoe crab shell. They were neatly laid out on a natural shelf, high enough so the ocean would never steal them back.

Other knick-knacks were saved in a sand bucket in the corner. Most of it was all flotsam from the beach: shards of broken glass, shark’s teeth, feathers, rubber ducks, half of a flip phone, and a barnacle-encrusted engagement ring. 

Curious as the phone was, the ring was most interesting. It was intricately made, silver vines winding around the ring. In place of a diamond was a black pearl. Alege made its home in the nooks and crannies of the design and the pearl was scratched. Despite the rough journey, it must have taken, it was still as beautiful as ever. Though a wonderful find, he didn’t quite know what to do with it, which is how it ended up in a bucket full of odds and ends.

This evening, he held the ring to the ocean. There was something wistful about it, something lonely, yet familiar. Often he would have the urge to throw himself into the sea as it whispered to him from his window. This ring, washed up by a fitful wave and placed by his toes by chance, felt like a promise of sorts. When he would lie in bed, thoughts wandering and loud, the noise of waves would drown them out. When he would feel lonely, gulls would perch on his window sill, bringing seaweed and seashells. When he was angry and distraught, the ocean would caress his ankles, almost beckoning him into the dark, lukewarm expanse. 

He felt married to the oceans and her wild moods. A raw energy engulfing him when near, covering him in a lover’s embrace. He would float on her wake and sometimes, if very lucky, would feel a hand grasp at his. The boy was smitten with her untamed beauty and his small cavern was the perfect place to meet with her. 

Whispers of the water would echo in his cave. They spoke in a language unknown to him, yet touching his very soul. If he closed his eyes and sat rather still, he would hear her hidden song, melodious and smooth. It would grow closer and closer until he swore he could feel her inhale and exhale, but when he opened his eyes, it ended. 

It drove him mad, this unseeable voice. So, whenever he could break away, whenever he could hide in his cavern, he would. And that was where this evening found him. A storm brewing in the distance, the wind whistling as it sped up. Waves crashed, threatening to spill over into his cave. He stepped back, hopeful that the spell would pass.

It didn’t.

One particularly violent wave crashed over him, the tide rushing back. It had plucked the ring out of his fingers and ran with it. He shouted, but his voice was lost in the wind. He flung himself on the ground and tried to grasp at the ring before it was lost in the depths, but another wave crashed over him, yanking him into the angry sea. 

He had never felt more terrified than having the oppressive weight of gallons of water push on his body and force itself into his nose and mouth. He screamed, bubbles adding to the foam topping the waves. Salt burned his eyes as he thrashed uselessly, looking for where the sky went. He was losing oxygen, his mind becoming fuzzy and distant. This was it. He was going to die, taken by the one he loves.

The sea sang her song for him one last time, unburdened by the volatile and thick water. 

His body was pulled against the wake through no will of his own. The winds batted at his head and he registered the air, sucking in a breath of life. Still disoriented from being thrown by the waves, some unseen force hooked under his arms and pulled him to shore. Water glided around him, soothing the burn in his chest, his heart.

When his body reached the sandy bank, he grasped at it, crawling up the beach. He shook with adrenaline and wind chill, coughing and gasping while the sound of water still rushed through his ears.

“Are you quite alright?”

He whipped around, staring at the source of the smooth, gentle voice. It belonged to a girl who was floating in the water. Her eyes were a shocking purple and her hair was crystal blue like a calm pond. She had freckles along her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

“I’m… fine. What are you doing in the water? Come on, my mom can probably make some hot chocolate and-”

“I’m afraid I cannot leave.”

The boy stared at her, quizzically. “What?”

“I… cannot leave.” She said, looking down sadly. Behind her, a figure breached the water and rose over her head. A fishtail. A huge fishtail, sea green and shimmering in the pale moonlight. 

“Oh my god. You’re a… you’re…” The boy trailed off, taken by this girl.

“A mermaid.” She answered, “I’ve seen you. With your human friends. In that cave over there.” She pointed to the now water soaked cavern. The mermaid smiled wistfully, “You would always get so excited about such silly things. When I gave you that rubber duck… oh, how you laughed! It was unlike anything I had heard before!”

“Wait, that was you?” The boy said.

“Oh… yes. Is that bad?” She sank into the water, her eyes perturbed. 

“No! Of course not! I was just… surprised. I’ve never seen a real-life mermaid before. You… you’re beautiful.” He said, eyes wide and sparkling.

“Oh. Thank you. That is very kind.” 

The boy nodded, staring out on the horizon. The storm was beginning to clear as quickly as it had struck. The ocean’s waves settled slightly, still rocking the young mermaid nestled on the brink of the shore.

“Excuse me, friend, but could you tell me tales of the sea?” He asked, wistful at his new companion. 

The mermaid’s eyes lit up and the boy swore she could light the darkest trenches. She began to speak in a manner that sounded like song. He was entranced by the lilt in her voice and the rhythm of her words. 

She regaled a tale of the mighty Poseidon and all that he reigns. How every fish, from the tiniest minnow to the most monstrous whale would bend to his command. How the merfolk would sing to him and please him with dolphin shows. She told how she was the daughter of the daughter of the daughter of the great architect of Atlantis and all of it’s stunning, hidden beauty. She boasted lightly of how her own father’s father’s father handcrafted Poseidon’s throne himself with only the finest clay and marble. 

The boy listened and listened until a shill call of his name beckoned him. 

“My mother! I’ve been out so late. I must go.”

The mermaid laid her hand on his, eyes wide with a question unsaid. 

“I will be back tomorrow, in the cavern. If you would meet me?”

She smiled warmly as she turned his hand and pressed into his palm. She pulled away, revealing the ring he had lost to the waves. 

“As sure as the tide rolls, dear friend.” 

The boy kept true to his promise, returning to the cavern every night. And every night, his aquatic companion told more stories, each more fantastical than the last. She told of shipwrecks and pirates, hippocampus and nereids, the great Kraken that had sunk at entire barge with a slash of its tentacle. She told soft stories of caverns filled with luminescent crystals, undocumented coves with new creatures, the sunrise, and fall over sparkling waves. The boy’s dream to devote himself to the ocean was swayed each time he saw the young mermaid. His fidelity came to hold fast to her heart. 

As years grew, the young people grew with them. Mere stories turned to the mermaid taking the boy on sporadic journeys through the sea. In the water, she was wild and free, fluid as the expanse around her. She used charms allowing him to breathe under the wake with her for a short time. One spell wore off too quick and she resuscitated him on the beach, keeping their mouths together long after he had gotten enough oxygen.

They were smitten, yet always forced away. The man’s mother urged him to go into town and find a job. When he told the mermaid of the news, she cried out. 

“But then I will never see you! You will leave and I will have an empty cavern! It will fill with the ghost of your laughter and surely fill me with dread. I will have to leave this beach and never return.”

“No, no. I promise I will always return. I promise to you.”

“How? How may I be sure of this?”

Little did the mermaid know, the man had taken to wearing the ring. First, on his finger, but the questions became too much to bear. His mother looked quizzically, and his friends laughed. He couldn’t part with it, however, so he sold his shells and crab parts and horseshoe crab shell to local merchants. With the newfound riches, he purchased a fine silver chain that looked like waves rolling in the sea. 

He lifted it out of his shirt, the chain reflecting in the waning sunlight. The mermaid floated in the tidepool, transfixed. He slid the ring off the chain and held her hand, oh so delicately. In one intimate motion, he slid it on her finger, resting the pearl on the vein leading right to her heart. She gazed at it, eyes brimming with tears.

“I will be back to see you. Only an hour.”

“Only an hour.” She whispered back.

The man gleefully ran to the cavern after little over an hour in town. The seafarer he had been conversing with had been stubborn but folded eventually. His love was waiting, swimming in anxious circles.

“You’re late!” She scolded, with little heat in her tone. It was a fond annoyance, for she saw that shining look in his eyes.

“A ship!” He sang with no preamble. “I will be working on a ship!”

The mermaid looked shocked, “You are leaving? To where? For how long? When will I see you again?”

“No, no! It is the perfect occupation. A captain was looking for a hardy, clever crew to travel to distant lands. He was in town for only a few days, but I caught him on the tail end of his stay at the inn. He says I would be perfect for the seas!”

“And how does this work for me? I can’t live on a ship!”

“You won’t have to! You can swim right along with us. We’ll find new, exciting lands and meet interesting people and never have to part. This is the way I can live with you; the open seas!”

He grasped her hand, lightly touching the ring on her finger. She finally understood. A ship was the perfect unity of land and sea dwellers. Her face adopted a fierceness the man adored so. It was the face when diving through a tiger shark den, or when wrestling an octopus for a valuable chest of treasure.

“Yes! I will go with you! We will own the seas and rule them. Together.”

His mother’s goodbye was misty-eyed and gentle for the both of them, but the young man was an adult and mounted his new home. The wood creaked gently under his boots and he took a deep breath, already getting a whiff of the adventure to come. He glanced at the water, seeing his love’s tail breach the water and wave, only to disappear under the hull. 

They set sail at noon, traveling far. The man was true to his word, as they did indeed see many wonderful sights. One trepidation filled night left them in a storm. The rain was heavy and the crew was lost in the fog. The captain shouted orders, trying in vain to leave the overcast. From the ghostly mist, a voice rang out. Smooth and melodious, it sparked a memory in the man. 

He yelled to his captain, “That voice! Follow that voice! To the port! The port!”

The captain nodded, slightly fearful but impressed in the man’s resolve.

“PORT!” He commanded, and the crew followed suit.

They continued to follow the voice until they were far from the storm. The crew stopped, enchanted by the voice that had saved their lives. The captain raised his eyebrows at the man, who simply gestured to a rock jutting from the water. There sat a beautiful maiden with a fishtail, shimmering in the golden glow of newly found sun. She waved to the man, blowing him a kiss, who caught it and waved back. She laughed gorgeously, diving into the water and bolting ahead. The crew followed with newfound vigor, gracious for this peculiar man and their courageous savior. 

Throughout their journey, the mermaid continued to help them. She knew her ways through jagged rocks and rushing tides. And when they weren’t in danger, she would describe the ocean floor and retell her stories. She fit seamlessly with the crew: strong, passionate, willful, and daring. They loved the mermaid dearly, but none loved her more than the man.

It became most apparent on that fateful day, wretched as it was.

The crew had been sailing soundly, singing sea shanties and examining the new map a local gave them from their last excursion when they saw it. Another ship, much bigger than theirs, the figurehead a terrible dragon. It moved steadily towards them until it’s captain was able to see theirs. 

“You travelers?” He asked gruffly, a disapproving eye squinting at them.

“Of the kind.” Replied their captain stiffly, “Just heading to another island.”

“Got loot?”

Their captain replied slowly, posture cautious, “I don’t believe that’s your business.”

“Well, I believe it is. Can’t leave our waters without forkin’ over the fee.”

“And what may that be? AS far as I can tell, the ocean is as free as the air we breathe. So, sir, if you don’t at all mind, we’ll be going.”

The other captain stared blankly, then roared to his crew, “SCAVENGE THEM!”

Immediately, their ship was overtaken. Pirates swung aboard, shivs and knives and sword in hand. The slashed and hacked, breaking the beautiful wood of the deck. They raided and pillaged as they pleased. All the while the man and his companions begged for them to stop. All seemed lost.

Until a huge wave crashed over the deck, soaking the pirates and knocking them down. There, on the wet deck, balancing on her tail, stood the fearsome mermaid. She helps aloft a long stick of coral with an urchin stuck to the end. Her eyes were as cold as the deepest abyss as she stared them down. The pirates stood in shock. Their captain screamed. They advanced.

She there was too many of them and there was little she could do on land. So she opened her mouth, took a breath and screeched so violently one the pirates' ears bled. They were only left incapacitated for a moment before they regained their senses and deftly caught her. She struggled as they tied her, fins and scales cutting anyone who got close.

“No! Please! You must stop! Anything!” The man cried, no longer able to contain his anguish. 

The evil captain smiled dangerously, “Anything?”

“Yes! Yes!”

“I want her. My, my, would her tail look so beautifully mounted on my wall. A reminder of the rarest creatures in the sea.”

“No, no, anything but that! I love her, don’t you understand? Surely there must be someone you love? Surely you must have a heart?”

The pirate captain’s face softened, memories flicking through his eyes. He looked on the verge of tears, eyes darting along the deck and the sea and the crew and - landed on the man. His face washed of the warmth as he grinned demonically.

“No.”

He stabbed her through the heart.

Two anguished cries of lovers shook the world to its core. The man felt nothing but the vibrations from her voice. The last thing he had heard from her - a scream of agony. He fell to the deck, knees hitting unrelenting wood. He felt nothing. He said nothing.

Something landed in front of him. It was a finger with a gorgeous ring on it.

He blacked out and all he saw was red.

And all he heard was another scream, guttural and gasping for breath.

~ ~ ~

He stood there silently. He knew his mother was watching him from the window, worried. He was going to tell her eventually. He knew she’d be overjoyed to throw a wedding. Instead, she had her son returning home vacant, vowing to never marry, never love. She held him as he cried, sobs wracking his weak form. 

The man held the ring to the sea, peering through it. The pearl eclipsed the sun. There were so many questions he needed to be answered, yet no answers would ever come. He stared at the sea, familiar and homely, yet now strange and foreign. With one last show of affection, he kissed the ring and cast it into the waves. 

Perhaps another young fool will happen upon it.

{Hiya! Moose here! This is my first short story to the public, so constructive critism is greatly appreciated. Or any criticism. Also, I’m using the template for Inktober, mostly just because I like the prompts better :3}

[peaches-of-1]

Inktober Day 13: Guarded Demon

Title: Soul of a Siren

< Day 12 | Inktber18 | Day 14 >

Jin x Hispanic!Reader

Summary: The boys have a photoshoot by the beach and are allowed to freeroam after they’re done. Jin enjoys some time by himself, but soon finds out he’s not alone after all.

The blonde man had gone for a walk early this morning and stopped at the sea. It was as if a voice had called him here. Looking around, he saw ocean blessed hair adorned with a crown of seashells and pearls. She was absolutely beautiful and magical, so much so that Jin had to wipe his eyes to make sure he was really seeing scales. Purple and green scales that made a fishtail where human legs would supposedly be.

“Come to me. Darling come to me. My love come to me. Come to me. Come to me.” She sang and stopped when she saw the human. “Hello there. Did you hear my song, little human?”

He nodded. “Hi?” Jin pointed to her tail. “Is that real?” She laughed, “Of course it’s real, silly. I’m a mermaid.”

“Don’t you have to hide it to humans or whatever? I thought--” “Human movies are based off false history. We can show ourselves to whoever we want. We get to be on land as long as we want if it’s under 24 hours or we die, though. That is unless we fall in love with a human and a human falls in love with us. It doesn’t have to be romantic love either.”

“Oh wow. I never knew that.”

She smiled, “They never do. You’re very handsome by the way.” Jin blushed, “Thank you. I know. My name is Jin by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” “Call me Gia. Do you have time to see my kingdom? I want to show Papa my new song mate.” Jin furrowed his brows, “Song mate?” “We’re connected musically. No one but my song mate can hear my song.” Her eyes reflected the falling moon. “Fate?” “Yes. Come with me.” She held out her hand. Without hesitation, she grabbed Jin’s hand and made him jump into the water with her. His first instinct said he was going to drown since it had all been so sudden and unexpected, but instead his eyes met hers. He was fine. He could breathe. “Don’t let go.” She said.

The two swam to the depths of the sea. After getting through a particularly seedy sand bar, they were there. It was a beautiful underwater kingdom. Everyone’s scales were shining and the greeted the princess with a lowering of their eyes and kind smile. Gia took Jin to a special room and there were bracelets hanging on a candelabra. They were made out of seashells and bound by brown kelp.

“Put this on. You’ll be able to breathe and understand our language.”

He put on the Bracelet of Breath and made a joke about the item, calling it a Breath-let and laughing to himself about it. The Princess Gia laughed too and then told him to follow her to meet her father. He had just finished handling some business with some local children and a couple whose business got attacked during a feeding frenzy. He didn’t seem in the best mood and so Jin suggested that they do it later. Gia wasn’t listening, so she tugged him along.

“Papi, I have good news! This is Jin, he’s my song mate! I found him!”

The king was a very fit man, his abs had abs, his pecs had pecs, and there was a scar on his neck and on his eye, and he was a very scary man. However, when he smiled, it seemed like none of that mattered. He welcomed Jin as graciously as possible.

“Oh, my darling child, I am so glad you were able to find your song mate before your vocal cords gave out.” He held her cheeks and then put a large arm over Jin’s shoulder. “You, my measly land fleshling, are someone my daughter has looked hard and long for. She sang every day for years trying to find you...just like her sister.”

A sadness came over him and Gia rolled her eyes but swam to comfort her father. He thanked her and composed himself, turning his attention back on Jin.

“Just where the fuck have you been?”

It was odd hearing such a rough man say rough words with such a blinding smile. Jin explained that he was a idol, so he didn’t have much time to go to Korean beaches because he was always so busy and in other countries while on tour.

He gave a hearty laugh, “Well, I am grateful you finally decided to show up! Give this man the best room! We’ll host a party for you tomorrow. You’ll find we don’t have many rooms here, only one that you’ll need to heed until further notice.”

“What’s that?” Jin asked.

The king’s face became very dark and grim. An ominous red light seemed to surround him as he got face to face with Jin, “Don’t you dare leave your damn room without a fucking escort.” He smiled and it was all cheery and bright again with his smile. “Ok? Good.”

The Princess and several guards took Jin to his room on the third floor and made sure he had food to eat and a few backup bracelets in case anything were to happen. They didn’t want him dying on accident.

Alas, Jin couldn’t just follow the directions to stay in his room. And he didn’t really want anyone following him since he wanted to explore the castle with no intrusions. So he searched the walls for a secret exit because all castles had that, right? He found one under the coral rug and it was a set of stairs. A voice fit for heavy metal was down there, or maybe a rock ballad if they just calmed down a bit. Being Jin, he was a bit nervous but more curious to see where this path led. Going down the sandy staircase, he decided swimming down would be easier.

Was it that song bringing him here? Maybe, but he still swam. Everything had been going swimmingly, so he decided to take a chance. Once settling on the floor, Jin felt as though he needed to take a left instead of a right and two rights after that. This led him to a girl with freckles and a beautiful face in a eerie glow. He felt safe there, though. It wasn’t until then that he realized he had been so on edge. It was a new world to him after all, so he thought it was normal to feel such a way.

However, looking at this glow, this being that didn’t even seem to know he was there, Kim Seokjin felt protected. Her long dark hair floated in the atmosphere. There were two sleeping guards on either side of entrapment.

“Who are you?” The girl asked, not looking.

“Jin.” He continued to walk towards her and become part of the glow.

“No, stop!” She said right before he reached the cage she was trapped in.

Jin stopped. He could see that she had tan skin that flowed seamlessly into a glittering lavender tail.

She turned around and looked at him, “I’m (Y/N). You’re in danger. We both are, but I know how we can get out of here, song mate.”

He was confused, “I thought I was Gia’s song mate.”

“She uses that excuse all the time. Her voice can call any human she wants. You’re not safe here. Gia hasn’t told you the real reason why you’re down here. She wants you to marry her.”

“She what now? How do you know this?”

“She’s my older sister, and she tries to get cute guys to marry her by saying they are her song mate, that it’s fate. If they say no, she drowns them or locks them up. They die down here, Jin. I try to get them to come to me by using my Heart Song. That usually doesn’t work, so I just use the Come to Me song like Gia does. This is the first time my Heart Song has worked.”

He blinked, “So you’re actually my Song Mate?”

The trapped girl nodded.

The confused idol was now scared, “Ok, I believe you. I don’t wanna get married to anyone but you. I have a life that I quite enjoy on the surface that you’re obviously supposed to be a part of. How come you’re down here in the first place?”

(Y/N) sighed, “My magic is stronger than my sister’s since I’m a Siren and she’s not, so I’ve been locked up here to make sure I can’t do anything to stop her. I’m pretty sure she faked my death in order to get the throne.”

“She did, but Sirens are bad. They’re basically demons.”

She looked away, dark hair twisting and hovering around her head, “Only if their hearts get consumed by darkness.”

“Well, I can already tell you’re not like that. There’s too much light coming from you.“ Jin said, getting her to smile. “Alright, so how do we get you out? How do I stop her?”

“You have to sing. I know it’s dumb, but you have to sing that melody on the wall to help me get out of here. I can take it from there. Once they see I’m still alive, they’ll throw her in here instead and I can fix things.”

Jin scratched his head, “How come no one else has been able to free you?”

“They don’t have the range.” She pouted. “If you can’t do this, at least try to get out on your own.”

The talented idol chuckled and sang the high notes carved into the wall. As soon as he did, they disappeared and the cage went away. (Y/N) was free.

“Let’s get that bitchy fishy, huh?”

Jin laughed, “Nice.”

The two then entered the castle’s main room. They arrived during an argument between the King and Gia. She wanted the throne and was irate that she wasn’t getting it yet. He said that the search for (Y/N) wasn’t over yet, and so she wasn’t getting the crown until her sister’s death had been confirmed.

“You can call off the search, Papi. I never died.”

He started to cry, “(Y/N), is that you? My darling baby girl! Gia said you died!”

“Your daughter has been trapped in a cage that Gia put her in.” Jin stated and folded his arms. He then gave an unforgiving glare to the traitor.  “Also, I’m her Song Mate, not yours!”

“Is this true?”

The innocent Siren nodded, “It is. That puta in a puka necklace trapped me!”

Within seconds, Gia was thrown into the Trench and a celebration was held to welcome the rightful princess back to the people. Jin was having a great time, but he pulled his Song Mate to the side in the middle of it all.

“I have to go back to the surface. I’ll come back when I can so we can plan a wedding--”

She giggled, the pearls in her hair glistening in the light.

“What?”

(Y/N) held his hands, “A Song Mate is something that is so much more than a betrothed. Not everyone can find theirs, so even if I never see you again it’s enough to know that you’re mine and that we have an irreplaceable connection. Also, I thought Land Males hated getting married.”

“I’ve never felt so attached to someone in my life, (Y/N). If I don’t marry you, then I won’t marry anyone.”

“Then the next time you come to the ocean, we shall get wed. Until then, you have a life on land to get back to.”

It wasn’t long until Jin was flying to California for K-con. He had tried to go to the beach more often to see her again, but he never saw her. They were Song Mates, so they would find each other when the time was right. Still, he missed her so much. The day after the convention, the boys had 24 hours to do whatever they wanted. Most of them slept or played games. Jin got a slushie and went for a walk.

That’s when he heard it again. (Y/N). He ran to the closest ocean until she was right there waiting for him.