Siren Reader - Blog Posts

Roving Blade

Pirate Captain!Jake X Siren!Reader

Warnings: Slight violence, minor swearing, the usual piratey nonsense, minor sexual implications, will add more tags for future chapters

CHAPTER 2

These pirates were a lot nicer than the ones you had seen and heard of before, you had to admit. They made a large tank for you, big enough for you to fully stretch out in, and made sure to keep you well fed once they realized you could eat meat and fish. Jake kept you in his cabin, away from the prying eyes of any he didn’t trust with the knowledge of your existence.

You still would rather NOT be on this ship at all, but it could’ve been worse, you supposed.

Captain Kiszka, or Jake, as you soon heard him be called, was fascinated with you, even more so than the rest of the crew. He’d spend hours trying to communicate with you, despite the warnings from (who you assumed were) his brothers. Especially the one who shared his face; he seemed especially wary of you.

You weren’t intentionally dangerous, to your defense. It’s just in your nature to go after pirates and sailors, with them being common on the seas and usually causing a ruckus. Again, though, this one was… different. He was still dangerous and proud, as all pirates seemed to be, but he held a certain curiosity and eagerness to learn about the world, not conquer it.

Today was the same as usual, with Jake feeding you and taking notes in his journal about your habits. You’ve grown used to this, having given up on trying to understand his human writing. You may somewhat understand their spoken language, but that didn’t extend to writing.

“Can you eat things other than meat and fish?” Jake asked, tossing another fish into your tank for you to eat. You opened your mouth to show him your teeth, shaking your head. Your teeth were razor sharp, stained pink from years of eating things full of blood and meat. Jake observed your gesture, scribbling furiously in his journal. You had once tried to eat the kelp at the sea floor, curious about it. All it did was make you sick and offer no nutrients to you, so you’ve not tried it again.

“Interesting…” He muttered, tucking the journal away to look at your appearance again. This is also something he does a lot. He’ll simply stare, as if trying to engrave every detail of you into his mind. Part of you was annoyed that he wouldn’t let you go, and that he seemed so obsessed, but the other part of you was glad he seemingly had no interest in selling or killing you.

You finished off the fish, tossing the bones to the bottom of your tank and laid back on the sand that covered the cold glass at the bottom of it. Your tail shimmered in the sunlight that came in from the small porthole windows in Jake’s cabin. He stared at your scales as you eventually drifted off into a short nap.

——

Jake had been doing research any chance he got. Sometimes that meant asking the old sailors and other pirates he was friendly with about the tales of merfolk and sirens, other times it meant stealing books from homes and libraries in port towns. One thing that continually showed up was that the scales of a mermaid held magic in it that protected its holder from harm.

In some old stories, it mentioned lovestruck mermaids offering them to sailors they fancied, other times it told of sailors stealing them from the mermaids and wearing them as a trophy. He considered himself better than a common thief, but knew that there’d be no way he’d get a scale willingly from the one he captured and imprisoned.

When talking about the much more aggressive version of mermaids, aka Sirens, there wasn’t much in the way of positives about them. They were said to be bloodthirsty tricksters, using their voice to lure sailors to jump ship into their waters, where they stood no chance against the razor sharp teeth and quick reflexes of the creature. Some say sirens are the spirits of women thrown overboard, causing them to be vengeful to any sailor man they see. Others claim they’re like animals, seeking out their preferred prey, humans.

He thought back to the night he first heard it sing, remembering how close he was to doing just that. Did this creature simply want to eat him? Did it only see him as food, or a threat that needed to be taken out? Jake shook his head. It didn’t matter; it’s not like it could attack him now, being stuck aboard his ship in a tank. He eyed the scales again before turning away and heading out to the deck of the ship.

He couldn’t think about that now, he had a ship to run and a crew to manage.

——

You couldn’t figure out what this pirate wanted with you. A trophy? Research? It’s been three months, and he’s not done anything like selling you or try to even harm you. Neither did the few others he let come in to feed you or talk to him as you watched. He’s stopped scribbling in that journal so much, you noticed. Maybe it was full? Or maybe he couldn’t learn anything else about you?

So then why did he keep you around?

——

The seas were rough one morning as they sailed from the shores out to the wider parts of the sea. They kept watch, knowing these parts held far more enemies for them; other pirates, the navy, large whales and squid, and who knows what else. If Merfolk were real, who knows what else was real?

Jake was itching for something to happen, having gotten too settled down during the three months they stayed close to the shores. They had waited out some of the rougher months, but the seas still had their fair share of rough days. Today was no exception, rain pouring down and a heavy fog settling over the water. Sam was on lookout above, his eyes much better than anyone else’s.

“Captain! There’s a ship out on the starboard side, about 3 knots away I’d say. It’s flying a red flag, so I, uh, don’t think they’re friendly. Should we ready the canons and guns?” Sam shouted down to Jake, looking concerned. They had a formidable crew, but they still preferred not to fight other pirates if they had to.

Jake made a quick decision. “Ready the canons, raise the flag! If they attack, we attack ten-fold! Ready men?” His voice was loud and proud over the sound of the rain and waves, commanding his crew like he had for years.

Jake grinned as he unsheathed his sword and stood on deck, finally seeing the ship appear from the fog. It’s been too long since he’s had a good fight…

——

The sound of fighting soon appeared over the noise of the waves and weather, the booms of the canons and guns alongside the clang of swords and the shouts of both crews. You curled up at the bottom of your tank, frightened of what might happen if the other crew were to find you. You didn’t really care if the one you were on sank; you could get out of the tank rather easily and you’d be home free. But this crew had been nicer to you than most probably would be.

It felt like hours until you heard cheers of success, followed by boots approaching Jake’s cabin. You were sort of relieved it was actually Jake who walked through the door, drenched and spattered with blood, but looking victorious. He held a worn map within his grasp, grinning as he set it on his desk. He tore off his jacket, hanging it over the chair at the desk before stripping his other clothes.

You had to admit, he was handsome for a human. He was soft in some places, and muscled in others. One long scar stretched across his chest, from his shoulder to just below his ribs. You wish you could ask about it, curious of what battle that must have come from. He had a nice amount of body hair, without being too hairy like so many pirates and sailors were. You had seen him use something to trim up the hair on his face, so maybe he did the same for his body? Speaking of his body…

He was strong and sturdy, no doubt about that. But there was some softness to him too. His hips were rounder, along with his chest. Looking lower, his thighs were thick and powerful, and what hung between them seemed the same. You had seen him undress before, but usually in the dim candlelight at night, not midday.

Jake redressed, now wearing dry and (somewhat) cleaner clothes than before. Finally, he sat at his desk, opening the map. He seemed confused after a moment, looking at it from multiple angles. After but a few minutes, he stood and retrieved a book from across the room, setting it down on the desk and flipping through the pages. With each page, Jake looked more and more annoyed, as if he wasn’t finding what he wanted to.

You craned your neck, looking at the map from your tank, and were surprised to recognize the writing on the edge of it as one you could read. It seemed to be written in a language only spoken in Europe, one being forgotten with each day that passes. Despite the distance, you squinted and read the words before tapping on the glass of your tank. Jake whirled around, confused. You never try to communicate with him; it’s always the other way around.

“You… You want to tell me something?” He asks. You nod and gesture over to the map, his eyes following the movement. “The map?”

Slowly, he grabbed it off the desk, eager to be finally having a sort-of conversation with you. You tapped the glass again, asking him to hold it up. He did so, and you finally got a good look at the words. For the first time since you had enchanted him that night months ago, you breached the water of your tank and spoke to him.

“ ‘Near Santa Cruz, nestled amongst its fellow islands, lies a cavern that leads to a treasure beyond any that’s ever been found. Know that if you wish to find this treasure, you must be willing to take the risk of the curse that lies with it. No other has found this treasure and lived to tell of it besides I, Captain Christopher Turpin. May you be luckier than the others who followed my path.’ That’s what it says,” You say, looking over the edge of your tank into his eyes.

“Treasure? A cave out by Santa Cruz? This is all so much to take in… And you can speak my language? I, well, I had assumed you couldn’t since you hadn’t until now,” Jake paced back and forth, so many questions in his mind. “I’ve heard of Captain Turpin. They said he disappeared somewhere in South America with his fortune and retired years ago. If true, he should still be alive, and not too old to answer my questions…”

Jake suddenly pulled out his own map, charting out a course to South America. You tilted your head to the side, watching him curiously. Maybe if you work with this pirate, you could barter your freedom with him… It was worth a try.