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sirens are born without a voice. the rage of their creator clogs their throat. the first years are always spent in silence, consciousness blurred until the call comes to them.
taehyung remembers. the memory is still vivid, cold like death under frozen waters.
(the flickering lights aboard the ship were so pretty. how fascinating! the humans can wield stars on wooden sticks. he just wanted to know how they call it, this bright light dancing with the wind. it looked warm.
he had been so naive .
it was a simple hum, a soft call to catch the attention of a lone person at the edge of the ship's deck. the human turned and taehyung mouth fell open as the star moved closer to his face. he lifted a hand and pointed at the light.
the human looked confused at first, almost dazed. he was looking at taehyung in a way that made his skin prick. the pressure in his throat was building up. it was the first time he was experiencing something so unpleasant .
curiosity burned at his throat –
– and his voice emerged for the first time.
terror is the sight of a human falling for him. the human swayed to his voice and dropped. taehyung watched frozen, skin turning to ice. the sound of the plop shattered his shock. he plunged then, looking for blond hair under the sea to save him.
he was too late. he was not the only siren eyeing this boat. they caught the human before him. the real nature of his kind is terrifying.
he avoided using his voice in the presence of others since.)
the calls aren't exactly just that. they are compulsions. he cannot resist them when they happen. he tries to turn it off, to separate it from his voice, but it never works. there is no need for sound to communicate under the sea. sirens share thoughts through looks and touch. taehyung wonders if he can do the same with the people on land.
his siblings do not understand the distinction. their voices and their calls are one, the same. they use it gratuitously, singing charms and luring people to their untimely death. they sink ships and collect treasures.
is this really the purpose of the call? it does not feel right to him.
he does not want to use his voice like that. the sight of life leaving a body terrifies him. his siblings do not care. they sense his terror the first few times they sing to the sailors together. he just cannot enjoy their shared gift like the rest. it is a curse to him. using the call brings him no satisfaction, only underlying horror.
why do they keep doing it?
he bites his tongue and closely observes their art in action. it is not the humans who they chase; it is a feeling. it is a play of sensuality. they charm through the senses, almost intimate. promises are woven and sung in the language of the heart and the humans fall, each time, into the deceptive spell. it comes like an instinct to them. their power fuels their desire for the prettiest things.
sirens are not exactly solitary creatures. they often travel alone, left in sea to fare on their own, but the gift of their creator ultimately connects them to each other. they share the same origin, the same salt water that caresses their skin — their vast home — and the same passion for charming and drowning in the feeling of the call.
taehyung does not have this gift. he sees it as a burden instead.
his form ruins his existence. he cannot satisfy his curiosity. the compulsions burn at his throat. he cannot swim with the rest. his tail dooms him to the confines of the sea. happiness is hard to find, harder to cling onto.
they do not listen to his songs, do not understand his need for communication. they see no point in using their voice if not for charming. it frazzles any connection between his siblings and him.
they leave him alone ( misunderstood ).
he often stays close to the floating vessels. he wants to learn about the land trotters; the fluctuations in their chants, the thuds of their steps, the occasional shooting stars from the belly of their vessels.
amidst a few volcanic isles, he finds a spot – his spot. there is no one there. the surfaces he sees are jagged, narrow, barren of ships and life, inhabitable. this is where he spends the rest of his time.
he swims and sings to his heart’s content, with no fear of blood on his hands. in the darkness of the night, he lies on the rocks, stares at the sky and mimics. the different sounds he picks up from the two-legged people. it brings him more joy than the call could ever. his cells hum as he listens to himself.
his voice is a gift; if only he could separate it from the effects of the charm.
he squeals underwater at the sound of laughter.
he cannot get too close to the humans though.
a lesson learned the hard way ;
curiosity is his call.
✨
and then he hears it, the cautionary tale of a –
– a human immune to their calls.
it is almost too good to be true.
taehyung refuses to believe it at first. he hesitates to approach the other sirens about it. he does not want to fall victim to one of their cruel pranks, siblings only au nom de dire .
(they lured him into their wicked plans once, sweet smiles and saccharine thoughts.
‘come speak to him; he is not like the rest. he will tell you about the world above the seas.’
his naivety killed the man. he could have prevented it. one more sightly horror engraved behind his eyelids.)
he is not going to commit the same mistake twice. these sirens cannot be trusted. let them talk, let them whisper. he will not be tempted. his voice will not be used against him again. he did not ask to be born with this gift; a result of the rage of the sea, children of hatred and envy.
but he is curious …
( lonely )
he silently follows the sirens to the infamous ship. he can try to see for himself. the others remain unaware. he does not get too close. he does not want be perceived and dragged into complicity. stealth is how he managed to survive for so long.
hiding behind corals, he waits for the others to start their cursed enchantment. he wants to cover his ears when it finally starts.
something quick and loud reverberates through the water at the first hum of the sirens’ call. heart in throat, he waits. time drags and no one falls. his heart sores painfully in hope. his siblings keep singing but no one drops in the sea.
a pirate who shares his boon with the entire crew. the loud sound must have been a signal. they have a system in place. he clings onto the last strings of his skepticism, refusing to hope more until he confirms it with his own two eyes.
he leaves his hiding spot when the sirens are loudest. irritation and anger ruin the finesse in their voice like nails on chalk. they are all too distracted to notice the new addition. he breaks above the surface to take a better look.
there is one man unlike the rest ;
an obvious frown despite the smugness in his posture. this human is unlike the rest, who are carrying on with their task. he stands proud near the stirring wheel in plain sight. he has something to prove. the discontent is clear on his face every time he glances at the uninvited choir, a scolding in tow. he is talking, but it is futile to try to catch his words.
he must be the one.
the moment the human looks sideways, taehyung loses his breath. there is no wax in his ear. he occasionally swirls his head in the direction of the humans calling for him amidst this cacophony, a good hearing. this human, dark curls and darker brows, can actually resist the call of the sirens.
taehyung dips underwater, half shocked and half shy. it is confirmed then. there is a human on this vessel who may or may not listen to him. he stays hidden under the coral beds until the sirens leave. the moon is high, and one by one, the flickering stars sparkle to life. he watches, fascinated, as the ship begins to glisten like a jewel on sea.
it's easy to lose track of time when one is content. the stars on sticks start to die down, painting the woods deep blue under the moonlight. he waits, unsure of what to happen next, till almost all sound ceases.
the sound of footsteps approaching his side; he hears the thuds underwater and sees the glimpses of light that grow brighter above him. could it be..? his heart threatens to rip from his ribcage when he catches a whistling sigh. it's quiet except for the rhythmic sound of the waves caressing the vessel.
like an eel among rocks, he moves closer to the surface, just enough to be able to discern the rough features of the face above him.
it's him.
his heart skips a beat. now or never.
there is a deep intake of breath when taehyung emerges from the sea. he is deliberately slow, giving enough time for the human to flee. there is no sense of threat, not a sound of rushed footsteps or any movement, just a deep inhale.
his eyes fall on the star first. it's yellow and orange and dancing at the end of a stick and taehyung wants . he wants to know. his throat constricts, dormant pressure awakening, urging him to call and ask for its name but he knows better. no human deserves to die for simply alleviating his thirst for knowledge.
when the glare starts to make his eyes prickle, he shifts them to the human. surprise coats the other's face. despite witnessing his ability to remain unphased, taehyung hesitates to open his mouth. the human starts talking, soft sounds flowing in the wind but he does not understand.
maybe he does not need words to find the answer to his question.
taehyung slowly lifts one hand, eyes fixed on the face of the human, and points to the light.
"ohh? you want the fire?" the human keeps talking but taehyung does not get a word. "bet you never seen this underwater, huh? too bad you can't bring this with you, it will die out." a shrug.
the human looks amused. taehyung keeps pointing at the light in the human's hand. in slow motion, the human points at it too and then –
" fah-yah. " he articulate the words slow and loud, making sure that the siren hears him.
the pressure in his throat warms over like honey. the pull to hum, to sing is here but he is more focused on what he hears. with trembling lips and a shaking heart, taehyung opens his mouth and repeats.
"fa...ya." his voice is faint, soft like words in a temple.
the sound of joy, a loud laughter breaks him from the reverie of his newly acquired knowledge. the human is smiling so wide, he is happy! he is not dazed, not swayed, just here and laughing at him. for the first time since he got his voice, taehyung laughs out loud in the presence of another. the human is now laughing with him.
✨
‘i want to speak to the human who remains unswayed by our songs.’ taehyung approaches the sea witch for the first time.
min yoongi lives like a recluse in the sunken ruins of a ship, but his power surrounds him like a protective barrier. no one with malice in their heart can breach his territory.
‘are you in love?’ the small creature asks without sound.
‘no.’
‘too bad’ the witch sighs, ‘ i cannot bewitch you then. you will have to learn his language on your own.’
‘and how do i do that?’
yoongi observes him for long, tests his patience with silence.
‘we are creatures of the sea. water is our birthright. you need our elemental opposite, fire, to transform. you will have to sacrifice part of you to gain the capacity to change.’
‘how do you know the matters of the land?’
‘i lived amongst humans before, until they sacrificed me to the sea.’
‘i’m sorry you had to go through that. I guess cruelty is found everywhere.’
‘let’s talk business.’ yoongi pulls out two pearls and charms them. ‘ you will need to give him one of these to understand his words.’ yoongi observes him for a while longer and continues. ‘ you are not going to stop at this, are you? i can feel a restlessness in you. you want to leave...” a deliberate pause. taehyung can see the witch battling with himself about what he wants to say next. ‘ i can show you how to shift your tail into feet and back. it is deceivingly simple, i will explain the steps and effects, but it will be painful if you’re not prepared for it.’
the euphoria takes him by surprise. he never dared to fantasise about that. it always hurts to think about his imposed confinement in the ocean but the possibility alights a dead fire in him. he does not have to think twice about this.
‘i am ready.’
yoongi pulls a long white rope with a small bell dangling on each end and hands it to taehyung. ‘ as your payment, you will need to tie one tenth of the pirate's captain loot with this and throw it under water. it’s up to you to convince the human.’
taehyung nods and spends the rest of the day learning and memorising.
he waits for the right time to come up again, when only one set of footsteps can be heard. it must be the mystic human. he moves slowly, does not want scare the pirate at any cost. he cannot let himself be scared either.
hope alights his heart at the first glimpse of fire held by the human. this must be a good sign. the element is here, ready. he just has to get the human to understand that he has no wicked intentions.
“ohh! you’re back,” the human says something and smiles wide. taehyung smiles back timidly.
taehyung is gripping the two black pearls hard in his palm. he has to give one of them to the pirate, but what if the human is too afraid to approach him? he lifts his hands above the water and shows the bead between his fingers.
he can feel the human’s eyes on him. he lifts his head and stares back. he is still watching, a slight frown and amused smile on his lips. the siren slowly extends his hand towards the human. he’s blessed with the sound of laughter again.
“you’re an odd one!” the human is saying something between his laughs. “a siren courting me! how chivalrous. i am not coming close to you though.”
taehyung keeps staring at the human, eyes wide and pleading, waiting for a sign, a way to reach out and give him the pearl. the human notices his unbudging hand and sighs.
“fine, fine , if you so want to gift me this pearl of yours, then follow me.” the human stops leaning against the post and stands straight, shoulders squared. “you cannot understand me anyways, actions speak louder than words.”
the human pretends to throw something in the water in slow motion. a demonstration. taehyung gasps out loud. he knows what to do now!
he prays hard and throws the pearl overboard. the human jumps and catches it swiftly and —
“what’s so special about this black pearl? i admit there’s a strange shine to it, but bet i can find something way prettier in the black market. we pirates are notorious for dealing with pearls and treasures like these.”
— taehyung suddenly understands.
he grips his own pearl harder and gasps while the human keeps talking. “you are an odd one, really. the other sirens like to split my eardrums open yet here you are, gifting me this pretty thing. i can’t say i’m not flattered.”
“i — ” the human whips his head towards him at the first uttered word. surprise looks nice on his face, eyes shining wide and bright like the black pearl in their hands. taehyung has to force himself to continue. “i understand you. now.” he waves the pearl in his hand weakly. “magic, or something.”
“wow.”
“wow.” taehyung echoes back. and then, it spills like a dam broken. “you’re not affected by my voice or the song of the sirens. you cannot imagine the relief coursing through me right now.”
“you’re relieved?” taehyung can hear the disbelief in the pirate's voice.
“i’m taehyung.” the human eyerolls.
“and i’m jungkook, captain of this infamous pirate crew, the only one in written history to have been able to resist the sirens.” jungkook , he finally has a name for the human. “i should be asking you questions but i’m too thrilled by the fact that you’re not trying to charm me.”
“i do not want to charm you, or any human in that sense. i did not ask to be born with this voice. i don't want anyone to be attracted to me. i never felt attracted to anyone. others think i’m weird.”
“but you have it, the tail and the voice” jungkook says, shrugging sadly.
“i know a way to change it. i — ” he gulps, trying to find the right words but they spill over again, anxiety evident in his newfound voice, “i spoke with the sea witch. he is kind of grumpy but he told me how — how to switch from my form to human and back. he demands a big price though, and he wants it from your loot. but the transformation is for me. who would want me? he knows — he probably knows why i want to change,” taehyung gets interrupted.
“why do you want to change?”
“i don’t feel like myself here. this is not my purpose, this call… is more like a curse really,” he fights back tears but the desperation wets in his voice. “i don’t want to be confined to the sea and drown people against my will.”
“how will this change if you leave the sea?”
“i want to know about the world. this is my true calling.”
“sounds to me like a pirate life would suit you well, fine . you know the ocean better than me, might as well take you in if you can guide me to some forgotten sunken treasures. you up for that? ” jungkook’s warm smile turns into a teasing smirk at taehyung's excited nods. “but we need to set some ground rules first.”