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Jack Dawsia’s eyes abruptly awoke from his hammock to the sound of muffled glass shattering. He jolted up, being skittish by nature, and his eyes began frantically searching the all encompassing darkness for the source of the commotion. His pupils narrowed in on the dimly lit door down the wooden hall.. He heard shouts.. his shipmates, he realized.. in the Captain’s quarters?
In truth, he knew better than to join ship. It was sketchy from the start, beginning at the hefty promised payment for such a rouge trip to begin with. The goal, if there even was one, had been to sail out to a remote island in the hopes of finding precious stones and other minerals rumored to be waiting. With such a huge potential profit on the line, the rumor was enough for Cap to believe, even if he heard it through his most competitive enemy, The Royal Fortune. The man over doubled his crew and even loaned out a larger ship for this expedition, and clearly his delusions were coming back to bite him.
It’s been around two months on board HMS Prince, and despite warnings from the chef on rations depleting, the search for this elusive island prevailed as top priority to the Captain. Whether it was out of pure determination or sheer desperation, there was no way he was going to budge, leading to this revolt Jack found himself in the middle of.
He rubbed his eyes as the yelling grew louder. A few other shipmates resting in hammocks around Jack also got up to join the commotion, leading the door to be opened and the scene to be fully revealed. He gasped sharply when he sees his captain, the six foot two heavy set man who he has been serving for the past year, being held between a wall and a blade of a scimitar.
“We’ve had it! Either we kill you or you’ll kill us all!”
“Slice him up and we’ll get some real sustenance for a while!”
The crew cheered. Jack’s heart seized with fear. Are they seriously thinking this!? Are these people about to kill his captain, the man who has housed, taught, and fed him for the entirety that he’s known him? He knew the old man was loosing it.. but this? This was too much. Maybe the civil discussions were one-sided, but this didn’t cause the need to kill him, right? So what if Jack’s ribs were showing, they could still turn back! He rose to his feet, suddenly compelled to run down the hall and put a stop to this madness.
“W-wait! What’re you guys doing!? Stop!”
Jack began, a rough desperation tinging his voice. The crowd’s heads all turned to look at him. His captain looked down at the blade, unable to look at Jack. His shipmates began to laugh. One in particular, a tall, slim man with a hint of brown stubble through the obvious sweat on his face was the first to speak.
“Seriously, shrimp?! What, are you sad that your Daddy won’t be around to starve you anymore? That with him gone, our ship will be able to actually go home to our mates and families after wasting away for two months circling the same stretch of empty blue and piles of rocks and sand?!”
Another group of laughs from the entire crew. Jack didn’t know what hurt more; Calling his Captain a dad or assuming he had family and friends to go home to. These people were all he had, and clearly he wasn’t very valued. Though not many people found an eighteen year old boy of his likeness very useful, anyway. He couldn’t even lift a half full barrel. He looked at his Captain’s face desperately, but the gaze only matched for a second. Guilt? Humiliation?
Suddenly, the scimitar drops. His Captain shoved the man away, attempting to fight back. Jack’s eyes widened in the tiniest bit of hope, his mind subconsciously coming to conclusions.
This’ll get settled. He’ll figure this out.. we can just turn back, regardless of the money.
Jack even took a half-step back, his hammock reeling him back in, until everyone suddenly jumps into action again. Jack was grabbed by the tunic and shoved out of the way, and the entire crew was blocking his view and-
BANG!
“Captain-!”
The ear shattering gunshot was followed by silence. Then a single cheer.. followed by the victorious cries from the entire crew. His view cleared. His knees began to shake, as if they already knew what just became of the man he called Captain, the closest caring figure he’s had in years. The blood soaking into the wooden floor between the legs of the crowd was just an extra hint.
As if it was all he knew to do, Jack ran off towards his hammock. He immediately grabbed all his things, which wasn’t much. His sketchbook, pencils, a battle-torn wallet, pocket knife, and a precious mini glass token of a deer he’d been gifted by a jeweler.
“Hey! Jack! What are you doing?!” A more civil crew mate shouts, but Jack was busy panicking. They killed his captain. Would they kill him next? Jack was sure.
Blinded by tears and disbelief, Jack’s footsteps were heard thudding up to the main deck. After fumbling with the door, he ran directly out to one of the lifeboats. Three or four shipmates followed, attempting to prevent him.
“Kid, stop! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
“That’s suicide! Get out of that boat right now, Boy!”
They didn’t even know his name, why should he listen to them? Murderers. Against their own, all because they couldn’t handle a few missing calories for a bit.. he must escape.
There was no choice. He jumped into the life boat, dumping his belongings on the floor, then grabbing his pocketknife. He stretched his arms up to slash his knife at the forward rope that held the upper section up.
“JACK, STOP!” The chef shouted as he and a few others ran up the steps with alarm. But the plan was already in motion. Before the boat could swing down diagonally, Jack sliced the other rope, causing the boat to plummet into the watery depths below.
——————————————————————
He woke up uncomfortably in the floor of the lifeboat, feeling a heavy grogginess and dryness in his tongue.
The boat had been drifting for quite sometime, bobbing gently throughout open ocean.
Oh right.. last night.
With a little groan, Jack slowly lifted himself to a sitting position. His muscles hurt with every movement. The impact of the body hitting the water must’ve knocked him out.
He scanned the supplies he left himself with. The lifeboat itself was already devoid of rations. Well, except for a stale mushy apple and a few cracker crumbs. There was no water, but there was thankfully primitive supplies to filter out salt water; probably because of it being a government loaned ship. Jack sighed gently, remembering the extent of which the night before had played out.
Scanning the overcast horizon, he realized there was no HMS Prince. There was… nothing. Nothing except waves, clouds, and sky. The wind rustled his dusty blond hair as he looked on. It was probably going to storm in the next few days, and he’s already pretty much doomed himself by doing this.
Sinking to the side of the wooden lifeboat hull, he cries himself to sleep. There wasn’t much else to do in the moment.
Jack swayed in and out of consciousness all day. He ate the mushy apple and cracker crumbs. He pondered.. about his life.. his captain.. about everything else he needed to worry about. By night, he was staring down blankly into the waves. This continued till dawn, where he couldn’t sleep despite the heavy exhaustion and headache that plagued him.
…
He heard a sudden splash behind him. Not the typical white noise of waves hitting the side of the boat. That was different. Bigger. He turned, gulping nervously as he tried to view all sides of the water surrounding him in the dim dawn light. Great, now there were sharks and monsters out for him.
This time he saw it for real. The dawn light showed just enough for a moment’s glimpse. Another swish of the water being displaced. The boat rocking slightly.
That was a fin. A massive, pointed fin.
…
Jack’s heart leapt to his throat nervously. Helplessly, he remained centered in the middle of the boat. His throat was parched and his head was still throbbing, but these things weren’t a priority in the moment..
What even pointed fins like that?! Fish like that certainly weren’t that big. And sharks didn’t have points… Jeez, why did I do this? Why am I out here?
That’s when the water stirs for a final time, and she reveals herself.
The lifeboat leaned heavily to one side. She lifted her arms to cross over the top curiously. It was..
A girl? A..
“Agh-!”
Jack scrambled to the edge of the other side of the boat.
She’s twice the size of me! Are those fins on her ears?!
She rested her head on her arms, staring. She seemed to be a girl around his age. Height and build wise? Waay bigger. Her soaked blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Fins on her ears. She eyed the terrified boy with light curiosity.
Jack stared back at the creature, his eyes widening as the realization sank in that this couldn’t actually be happening. His brain fought with the reality of the moment, the adrenaline in his body going wild. He could see that she wasn’t… human.. but he didn’t move. The part of his brain that was still trying to piece together what the hell was happening was too loud for him to try fleeing. She was a mermaid. Man-eating creatures of legend. His mouth opened, throat dry and raspy, tinged with a sense of impending danger.
“You’re-“
…
“You’re a-“
The words died in his throat. He was still trying to convince himself that this was a dream. Or maybe he was already dead and he ended up in one of the many afterlifes. But no, this was too real to not be real. She tilted her head, as if sizing him up. Her neck held a pearl and shell necklace, tied with something that looked like coconut string.
“You’re a human.” She noted through a low, melodic voice. Jack could see now in the faint light that she had fangs. Pointed white teeth.
He could only nod in response, his voice still refusing to work. His brain was too busy trying to process that mermaids were real and he was sitting in a small lifeboat in the middle of the ocean having a conversation with one. His stomach twisted as the realization hit him how out of his element and alone he was, the reality of his situation settling in. He'd been through a lot, but this was by far one of the craziest.
“Tiny…” she whispered, as if to herself.
…
“You do not look too good..” she stated, then casually started hauling herself up into the boat. The wood groaned and tilted towards her as she pulled herself in. This prompted Jack to move, grabbing his pocket knife on instinct.
“Wait-!”
Jack’s eyes widened as she flopped a massive tail over the side. Under the dawn light, it was visibly navy.. with a pattern of stripes and dots like those of a whale shark. She had fins down her sides, and pointed fraying edges on the caudal.
She laid down like she owned the boat. In fact, it barely held her weight. Her tail didn’t fit; was actually hanging over the side. Jack cowered on the very edge of the bow, ready to ditch his only shelter at a moment’s notice, nearly falling off in his haste. He was completely positive she was going to kill him. That’s what mermaids did… they lure and find unsuspecting young men to devour whole. And the boat wouldn’t capsize under her weight, right? What was that about him not looking good? As in.. probably not very tasty compared to her standards.
“Careful..” Jack muttered, watching her center her weight. Why wasn’t she attacking? Now that she was closer, he could see her more clearly, the details of her human features. Her teeth, obviously. Her unearthly smooth skin. The finned ears poking from her hair, lightly blue at the tips. He shivered as the cold wind picked up. He sighed.
“Look, I get if you wanna kill me… but could you please just make it quick?” Jack said defeatedly. He was a mess… tired, depressed, hungry, thirsty. But he was only met with a confused head tilt.
“…Kill you? Why?” She said simply.
“Isn’t… isn’t that why you’re here? To eat me?” He winced out.
“…No.”
Sounds really trustworthy. Jack only slouched weakly against the side of the hull, relaxing back down into the boat while remaining mindful of her presence.
“Then why are you here…” He mumbled out, watching her with half-lidded eyes, the novelty already over. She blinked, like she didn’t really have an answer. She licked her lips idly and scooted in to get more comfortable.
She doesn’t tell him that she’s just never eaten a human before, and she was curious on what made them so special. She knew that you shouldn’t befriend your prey. Yet she was too interested in him, so she figured there was no harm in learning about this specimen while he was helpless. Maybe he’ll say something to make her realize her kind was right? That the humans were a species of tasty morsels to be consumed? Eh. She’s not even hungry right now. Maybe he’ll talk more to her. She rarely found others to talk to that didn’t swim away from her right away in terror.
“You’re alone. Humans are never alone. Wanted to investigate before something happened.” She says, then attempts a faint, light smile.
It didn’t assure Jack. It was a weird answer, but he was too spent to care. He sat there, hugging his knees to his chest. There was nothing to do but sit here, hoping that he wasn't going to be this mermaid's dinner.
“Before something happens?”
“The rest of my kind devours you. They like little guys like you. I didn’t want them to get to you.” She says, as if trying to be sincere.
Jack's eyes widen in horror at the notion of the rest of the mermaid's pod finding him. But they soon narrow suspiciously at the girl's statement. She's a mermaid. The most alluring, beautiful, powerful predator of the sea. And she's claiming she's not the dangerous one here? He's not that gullible.
“Why should I believe you? How do I know you won't eat me?” He thought of saying: Why are you just chilling here on my boat like it’s yours?
“I already told you! I don't want to eat you. Every other mer goes like…” She dramatically reached out for him and raised the pitch or her voice.
“Mmh! With me, sailor! You'll live forever with me~!" With a light laugh, she attempts to get a reaction out of him. It seems she doesn’t get the chance to talk to others much, so her social skills are a bit rough.
Jack stares at her with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. She has humor? He's so tired. He's never wanted a full night's sleep more in his life than he does right now. He can't figure out if the mermaid is genuinely being nice to him, or just toying with him before the inevitable end. It takes a moment for him to realize that, either way, there isn't much he can do about it. So, he sighs. He puts the pocketknife down, the metal shell clinking into the wood. She only glances at it briefly.
“Fine... what's your name?”
“Name?” She says, frowning after not making him laugh, seeing how tired he is after what he's endured. It clicked in Jack’s head that her vocabulary must be very outdated from zero human interaction.
“Y’know.. like.. you. What do I call you, mermaid.” Jack glanced at her fully, then back to her face. He was still trying not to break down in his fear and just give up.
…
“V.”
“What's yours?”
Hmm.. that’s an interesting name. Made sense, I guess.
Jack looks at her for a moment, contemplating whether or not to give out his real name. But there really wasn't any harm in giving her a name. She could kill him at any time. The thought nearly caused him to shiver again.
“Jack. My name's Jack.” It resulted in a content rumble from V.
“What were you doing on a ship out here?”
She struggled with her words, as if trying to develop another sentence.
“Or.. what was it out for?”
Jack’s sketchbook and other supplies were in her side of the boat. She notices the book, gently picking it up and paging through it with her massive, surprisingly gentle hands. It's got some very pretty illustrations of ships and people inside.
Jack sees that she's looking at the sketchbook and his stomach drops. He feels very exposed. No one had looked that sketchbook before, he usually kept it to himself. He shifts awkwardly, embarrassed for some reason. He also found no need to lie about the situation surrounding his ship.
“Hey- I mean- they... we.. uh. I was a deckhand. We were looking for an island.. then..” His gaze lowers, hoping she wouldn't continue her line of questioning.
“Most Islands around here are home to monsters. You are.. lucky.. that you did not find one.” She closes his book, resting it gently under the stern shelf seat where the rest of his things were.
…
“Beautiful work.”
Jack only responds with an “Mmh.” Monsters on islands. He didn’t even want to inquire about what kind of monsters she was talking about. Of course, he didn't think he would be sitting in the middle of the sea talking to a mermaid. But there were a lot of things he hadn't expected.
For some reason, he was becoming increasingly more at ease with her. It should be the opposite.. he should be terrified.. but.. he was getting sleepy again. There wasn’t much else to do but dwell on his helplessness. His eyes were heavy again, the adrenaline starting to wear off and he felt his head drooping once more.
“Tired? Rest.” Her low, gentle voice said.
Jack rubs his eyes, the sleep deprivation taking over. A few hours of sleep might make it easier for his brain to understand whatever was going on later. And she did seem more... docile than he had expected. His thoughts couldn't form a resistance anymore.
“Don’t hurt me while I sleep...”
Jack was already finding a position to lie down in, curling himself up to lean against the side of the boat. V watched with an expression that was a close equivalent of a watchful friend. It seems he was interesting to her indeed, and she favored him more as a pal than a snack. It didn’t take long for Jack to pass out.
…
After Jack had long fallen asleep, V went out for a few hours, mainly guarding the boat by circling underwater and foraging. Throughout the night, she hauled herself back up into the boat effectively enough to not wake him, but just keep watch. Her tail was composed of denticles rather than fish scales, making her more resistant to drying up when out of the water. Shark skin. It usually was only useful for sunbathing on rocks, but here she was now, keeping a human boy safe in a habitat far from his home.
She pitied him. For whatever reason that led him to be out here so alone. Humans were fragile.. his survival was up to her now, and she understood that. What she didn’t get was why morsels like him were so delectable to others. He’s been nothing but harmless! The knife he had was only because he was scared. Surely there was no need to devour him. She eventually found herself dozing off beside him, leaning her chin on his head, protecting him for reasons she didn’t quite understand.
——
He let out a soft sigh as he leans against her, his body becoming fully relaxed and he sinks against her. V thought it was good; He doesn’t look as stressed or terrified like this. She figured this would calm him. It was similar to how she observed sharks piling together. Despite her being a massive predator.. from the size of her whale shark half to her appetite as a mer, she still felt no predatory instincts to hurt or consume him in any way. Except that he smelled good. Other ocean mers and creatures of the night did indeed visit, yet V’s presence caused for a large berth around the two. It’s strange, seeing a predator of their kind that close to a human. Yet they don’t dare try to take him from her. A force to be reckoned with, not worth it for a tiny human snack.
…
It was a chilly morning. Yet Jack wasn’t shivering. He was currently curled up against V’s side, his face buried into her neck. It was strange that his mind could feel safe in the presence of a mermaid. One who could tear him apart with those sharp teeth of hers. But she was oddly warm..
Eventually, however, he starts to mumble a little as he comes closer to waking. He keeps his eyes closed, trying to hold on to his sleep as he slowly shifts his body, trying to stretch.
“Whoa. Biiigg stretch.”
Jack freezes as he hears her and his eyes jolt open. It took a moment for his brain to reboot, both from waking up somewhere unfamiliar as well as being hit by the memories of what happened. His eyes go wider when he sees where he’s currently laying… tucked up, right against V’s side. She smiles enthusiastically down at him, showing off those flashy white fangs.
He jolts up, scrambling over awkwardly until he was sitting on the other side of the boat, looking anywhere but the mermaid who he had just spent the night sleeping, very vulnerably, next to. He was embarrassed. He couldn’t look at her right now. That was far more physical contact than he was used to. Why didn’t she kill him?
“Jeez, good morning to you, too..”
She stretched herself, raising her arms above her head and arching her huge tail, gills flaring contently. Her hair was rarely dry, revealing a blue tint underneath all that gold.
Jack wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, face clearly reddened. He looks over at her, but his eyes are quickly directed to another sight at the bottom of the boat. There were filled bottles, kelp, and a V-sized handful of shrimp and clams. Did she collect this last night.. for him?
“Mm, food time? Hmm.. be right back..” She gets up and flops into the water, tail disappearing into the depths. Jack paused, then hesitantly inched forward, picking up a shrimp as his stomach growled. He brought it to his face warily.
Suddenly she rises from the water with a few fish in her teeth. She hauls herself back in the lifeboat, fish now flopping out of her mouth and onto the deck. Presumably her breakfast. Jack lets out a little gasp in the process.
After settled, she digs in, devouring her catch in one gulp. Her tail sways idly over the side.
“You are.. quiet this morning.. Eat.”
He tries to watch the sway of her tail, rather than her sharp teeth. He can't help but smile a little at her words. "You're quiet this morning." He was quiet because he didn't know what to say. Did he thank her for staying with him? For saving him? For holding him?
All he does is a little nod and reach out for a bottle of water. He drinks it like he's been stranded in the desert for days. V watches curiously. Where she found it? Didn’t matter to him. He’d make more later.
He drinks the whole bottle of water and sighs, putting it aside before eyeing the leftover fish she caught. He finally picks one up, staring at it for a minute before using his knife to cut and clean, taking a bite of the flesh. It was raw and kinda slimy, exactly the opposite of what he was used to on the ship, but at this moment in time it was the best thing he'd ever tasted. He chews and swallows, his cheeks becoming slightly more flushed before he looks up at her.
She looked enthusiastically proud. He wolfs the fish down after a few more minutes, having finally calmed his starving stomach. He still couldn't look at her though. He just sits awkwardly, silently, the weight of the last day or two still setting in on his brain. So much has happened. He lets out a heavy sigh, his body slumping forward and he buries his face in his hands.
V crawls back over to his side, leaning against him a bit as silent, overbearing but nonetheless attempted support. The lifeboat creaked.
He doesn't look up, his face still hidden. He's processing the fact that his captain was dead and everyone else he knew was good as the same. And he was alive, only because of the mer that was currently sitting next to him. He doesn't say anything, but a sound escapes his throat, almost like a whimper. A stifled, suppressed whimper that he's trying desperately to hold back.
V frowns. “Jack? Was the fish not good?”
But of course, that one little comment breaks the dam. He can't hold it back. And suddenly he's crying. Full, body-racking sobs. His whole body trembles from the effort of trying to hold it back until he can't do it it anymore. He's crying in front of a mermaid. A pretty, dangerous mermaid. How pathetic he must look.
“I’m sorry, Jack..” V takes action, looping her massive arms around him and drawing him up to on her lap.. or the base of her tail. She hugs him, his back to her bare chest as she aims to replicate normal human comfort.
It's what his body had wanted last night. To bury himself into her arms. Not even conscious of what he was doing, he quickly turns and wraps his own arms around her neck, hugging her hard. The crying gets louder, and more strained. Tears run down his face as he presses his face to her chest, his body shaking like a leaf as he fully breaks into sobs. V simply holds him tighter, restricting his movements and laying a hand on his head.
He lets himself get held, lets himself be taken care of like a child. It felt almost relieving to give up control for a little bit, letting V hold him like that. He lets himself cry. Strangely enough, he felt semi-safe in her grasp.
——
They stay like that for a few hours, just resting. Jack’s sobs fizzled into quiet sniffles as he slowly comes back to his senses. He's suddenly aware that he's tucked into V's lap.. but he doesn't make a move to get away, his body still taking the comfort she was offering. She sighs gently, and he slowly raises his head to glance at the sky. Looking through V’s golden blonde hair, he noticed thickening clouds on the horizon. A storm was the last thing he needed right now.
V grabs his sketchbook and pencils, shoving them gently inside his inside tunic pocket. It seems she didn’t want them getting wet. Jack only held her tighter.
“V, I don’t want it to storm…”
The first time he’s said her name. She hums in acknowledgment. As much as she wanted to, changing the will of storms wasn’t in her power. She really didn’t want him getting soaked or cold.. even hurt in case this got too bad. The attachment has already been tied, even though she didn’t realize it.
There is zero shelter out here… and he needs to breathe air. Ugh..
They remained where they were as the waves grew and rain began. Jack tried to hide his head under the stern shelf of the boat, but it didn’t really save him. There wasn’t much for him to do but accept the situation. And maybe not get seasick, which definitely would have happened if Jack ate more than a tiny filet.
No matter how balanced and level they tried to make themselves, the lifeboat’s movements became increasingly sporadic under the grace of the waves. At one point, V rolled off, swimming beside the boat trying to keep it upright. At this point, the sky was becoming black, save for the occasional flash of lightning.
“Jack, this is.. impossible!“ V shouted, attempting to save the boat from listing to the side as she had to battle the waves herself. Normally during storms, she simply perused the deep depths without a problem.
It was bound to happen. At one point, a wave knocked the boat right out of her webbed hands, resulting in an immediate tilt that tossed Jack right out of the boat.
“Ah- Jack-!”
Jack lets out a little yell as the little lifeboat flips. Immediately the shock of the cold water knocks the air from his lungs and he inhales water. He flounders desperately, not sure where is up or down as water fills his senses.
V gets to him as soon as she could, looping her arms around his chest and swimming him up to the surface. She was now fighting waves to just keep his head above the water.
Jack comes up coughing and gasping, water coming out of his nose and mouth. It was an immediate rush of adrenaline as he desperately reaches out and grabs ahold of her, clinging on to her for dear life. He tries to say something but coughs up more seawater.
“Jack! There is got to be a better solution to this..!” She said, before her eyes widened, as if remembering something useful. That something being that she was a predator, developed to consume in cold blood.
“Do you trust me?!”
Does Jack trust this mermaid twice his size, whose kind was known for killing? Any other time he may have been wary, but he was desperate. He needed safety, and truth be told, he did trust V. She’s been nothing but nice to him, and she’s had more than enough opportunities to harm him if she so wanted. He coughs and nods.
Through the wake of the storm, V takes his small hands in her bigger webbed ones, maneuvering him in the circle of her arms that held him up. He was being oddly pliable. Maybe because he’s currently about to drown. She tilted her head, wondering how exactly to do this. It’s what mers are meant for, right? Shouldn’t be that hard. But she needed to hurry; keeping them both up was draining, and it wasn’t even helping him when you take into account how much Jack was sputtering.
She suddenly dives slightly, resulting in a panicked, watery whimper sound from Jack. Where was she going? He won’t be able to keep himself up if-
She grabs his legs from under the water, suddenly yanking them into jaws. This was for his safety, she told herself. That he would be let out later, when it was safe. Jack screams at the sensation, thrashing and pawing at the waves with all his might. Maybe she should have warned him. Eh, too late.
She was indeed meant for this. At the second of connection between his skin and her tongue, the predatory instincts ramp up into sudden overdrive. She doesn’t even have to think about it; his waist just fit perfectly between her teeth. Her pupils dilate in delight. His taste… Why does he taste so good?
Jack struggled fruitlessly as he was dragged completely under the surface. This is it, she finally caved. The queen of the deep had merely toyed with him before finding the perfect time to end him. He reached his arms out to try and shake her off, his legs completely immobilized in her throat, but she was just too big. Before he knew it, her jaws were around his torso, like squirming for his life had only aided her in ending it.
For some reason, he felt like he had to look at her. He turned his head, but she was too quick. She tucked his arms against himself. With another swallow, she gulps his chest, then shoulders. There really was no way out of this. With his fight draining with his breath, he watches from a view behind her teeth before his world turns to tight, constricting darkness.
In truth, there was a spark of V still left during that process. His panicked eyes and muffled yelling through the water conveyed all that they had to, and she quickly regained consciousness as she filtered water out of her stomach as she finished swallowing. With a final gulp, she feels the rest of him slide into her belly with an automatic satisfied rumble. For someone almost half her size, it was surprisingly easy to down him. And the addicting sweet taste only aided in that mission.
Oh, right, Jack needed air. She quickly began to filter the water into oxygen for him underwater through the help of low-level electrolysis in her gills, similar to electric eels. There was no shocking involved for her nor Jack, it was just a way to break the molecules for him so she didn’t have to rise to the surface constantly.
The surface.. Jack’s boat. Likely gone forever. But at least Jack was safe within her, right? His light squirming told her he was awake still. Jeez, he felt good in there. She dove down to deeper water, attempting to get out of the mercy of the waves into calmer water. She understood the demand for human snacks now. But Jack was more than a snack to her, even though she nearly turned her digestion on in the enjoyment of ingesting him.
Jack, meanwhile, was not enjoying this situation as much as V. He was terrified and disoriented, and couldn’t help but writhe within the clutches of her abdominal muscles and stomach lining despite knowing that there was no getting out of this. Though.. she didn’t use those sharp teeth. And, strangely enough, he realized his face wasn’t underwater anymore. It took a slightly strained gasp for him to realize that he had air. Maybe if he moved more, he could get enough space to talk.
“V-!.. Urg- …V!
The muffled voice reaches V’s ears. She experimentally looks down at herself, noting the slightly visible squirming in and below her ribcage. His elbow was poking an organ or something tender, so she gently uses her hand to force him into place.
“Jack? Are you okay?” Her voice sounds different, quieter in the water. Her true voice.
…
He could feel her all around him, squeezing him in the snug warm space as she spoke. Jack didn’t know whether to sigh in relief that she was worried about his safety or shout at her in betrayal. He chose a rough mixture of both.
“You- you ate me! I- I can literally feel your heartbeat!” He gritted through his panic.
“Jack, I must’ve, or you would have drowned! Please relax. I will let you out when it is safe for you.”
Jack tried to breath, his mind in a panic. He tried to process the fact that he was actually talking to her like this from inside her stomach. There's a beat of silence as he lets his brain process this. He couldn't do anything else anyway, all he could do was talk. He'd have to trust her.
“Like this is anything safer…” He mumbled.
“I assure you, you are safe. I have my digestion turned off.”
…
“…Huh? Like a switch..?”
“Hmm?”
“Never mind.” It wasn’t even surprising that her anatomy could prevent the release of digestive enzymes at will. To be honest, Jack found it to be intriguing. And, for once, he was already beginning to feel safe inside her, as strange as it sounds. He has always been fond of tight spaces, finding comfort in areas he knew held him only. And while V’s belly was tighter than a drunken shipmate’s hug, Jack secretly relished in the feeling. He began to get more comfortable, soaking in the warmth and softness her gut offered.
He remembered how fast she seemed to gobble him down, and the strange subtle feeling of her tongue gliding over his face before swallowing.
“V.”
“Yes?”
“Do I… taste good?”
V began to laugh, the ridiculousness of the situation catching up to the both of them.
“Agh- Not too tight!”
“Sorry, sorry.” She forces her muscles to relax after laughing.
“And sure, Jack. You taste splendid.” It wasn’t even a lie.
Her simple nonchalant answer catches him off guard, and suddenly he's laughing hysterically, the sound trapped in her stomach with him. It was a laugh born partially out of panic and partially out of coping with this strange, unbelievable situation. V only huffed lightly in her amusement, cracking a smile as his personality was finally showing through. Maybe she could find a nice little rock crevice to rest in tonight.
Jack is starting to chill now, the realization that he might be in here for a while sinking in. He suddenly lets out a laugh, as another thought occurs to him.
“You were totally just being nice and saving me so you could eat me later, weren't you?”
“Mmh. To be honest, I didn’t have the heart to eat you, so… I would rather have a tasty friend than a single meal.”
“I feel so used. I’ll never forgive you.” Jack mumbled, even though he was subconsciously nuzzling the side of his face against her insides. It caused V to chuckle again, wrapping her arms around her middle in an attempt to steady him.
“Cut it out. Stop laughing. No. Stop squeezing me.” He said gently, reluctantly basking in the squeezes.
“It was funny!” She grumbled lightly, twisting to inspect if a particular rock pile would suffice for her resting place.
“It’s not funny, you dork! It's weird. I'm literally in your stomach and you're giggling and rolling around like a little kid.”
V wasn’t doing it on purpose, but she supposed her movements could definitely jostle and rotate his equilibrium along with her. So, as one does, she begins to playfully swivel in circles underwater. Jack squeals like a girl, a noise that would probably embarrass him if it was anyone else who heard it.
“What are you doing, stop! You’re gonna make me throw up!”
“Throw up?” She mumbled inquisitively, unfamiliar with many terms and words Jack says. And why does he merge them all?
“You know. Like-“ Jack lets out a loud, fake gagging sound.
“Mm, so dramatic.. nothing even inside you for you to throw up..”
“You swallowed me. I have a right to be dramatic. You’re the one rolling around…” He grumbled, although he was obviously more amused and relaxed now.
…
“I can’t believe this is what my life has come to. Stuck inside a mermaid who had to swallow me whole to keep me alive.”
“You are kind of.. cute in there.”
He sputters in surprise at her words. He can feel his face heat slightly in the darkness.
“What? Shut up, idiot. You're the one who swallowed me in the first place.”
“You are the idiot. Stuck with legs… lungs…” She replies with no malice.
“I don't see how I'm the idiot when you're the one swallowing men whole! …You know, some girls would just buy me a drink first before they decide they want me in their guts.”
That one results in an annoyed squeeze. The increased pressure causes him to make a strangled noise at the unexpected sensation, before he quickly tries to catch his breath.
“Okay, okay! You don't like me comparing you to normal girls... or.. anything like that.” He wheezes out.
“Human girls… Pssh.” She sighs and he rolled his eyes as much as he can in the darkness.
“Okay, you're not normal. You're a mermaid. But you still could have just bought me a drink and asked nicely if you wanted me inside your belly, you know.”
“The bottles were not enough? It sounds like you are wishing I would have sooner. But you thought I was going to kill you. I bet human girls look down upon you daily...” She says jokingly, fitting herself between a rock crevice and getting comfy in the sand. A few tiny sharks pile over and beside her.
“That was water- ugh.. what’s that even supposed to mean? Human girls are shorter than me. I’ll have you know I’m a perfectly normal sized man.” His voice is full of indignity, clearly trying to defend his pride as he attempts to get more comfy within her. He was 5’7”.
“Wait, human girls are shorter!? Jeez…” He lets out an offended gasp.
“Of course they are! You’re just.. a very tall, large gal.. it’s not even fair. Human girls worry about being cute!”
“Are you saying that because I’m part whale shark I’m not cute?!” She began to growl. At this point, it was a competition to see who would laugh first. Jack failed.
“You’re much more than cute. You’re also scary.” He snickers, feeling safer than ever. He never thought a creature like her would be so fun to talk to.
“…Huh.”
“What? Are you just realizing how terrified you are?” She watched his faint form under her muscles down to the slight, constant sway of her tail. He was in there, all snug and warm inside her stomach and she was just completely calm about it. He could sense her watching.
“Yeah, see? You are very intimidating.”
“Sorry.” She pokes him through herself.
He squealed and laughed at the sensation, causing her to only poke him more.
“No, don’t poke me, don’t poke me! You aren’t sorry! Haha! I thought you mermaids were the nice, sweet type!” He says, obviously lying.
“Oooh, is this better?” V begins to stroke her own stomach, petting him through the muscle. Her rubbing was unexpected, but he didn't mind it.
“There we go, good mermaid. That's it, that's-“ He stopped mid sentence, realizing how submissive he sounded and how embarrassing that was. He mumbled again, face reddened.
“Please stop patting me like I’m a puppy.” V only laughs at his cover-up. He’s really calmed down.. perhaps the boy was finally getting tired?
“Puppy? A pup? Like a baby mer-”
“Uh, forget it…”
——
Truth be told, Jack had been fighting off his drowsiness since he first was forced inside her. It was just so tight and relaxing, it was making him sleepy.. but he prevailed to talk to her.
“It’s so comfy and soft in here…”
“Go to sleep then, Jack. You know I will keep us safe.” She mumbled lazily with another light abdominal squeeze.
He was going to reply with something smart, but he was just too tired and cozy at this point. He hummed for a moment, but slowly drifted off to sleep.
V did configure a plan. She recognized these waters; an island wasn’t too far of a swim. It would be dangerous, yes, but she could let him out there, and they could build from there. Jack was her first and only friend now, and she was willing to stay with him until they could think of something better.
Now, however, it was time for her to rest too. She flared her gills one more time, trusting them to breathe for them both while they slept. After flicking her fins and making herself comfy, she closes her eyes with a content hum. The storm will pass by morning hopefully, and she was sure to keep her precious cargo safe until then.