Chapter Text
“Blimey, ain’t no sharks gonna sneak up on us, Elise. Take a breath, we would be seeing it from a mile away, aight?” A loud voice spoke up, startling everyone who was in a few feet radius. The captain didn’t talk much when he was up at the wheel, but when he did, he was usually barking orders or yelling at someone for doing their jobs wrong, which was surprisingly often for such a ‘professional crew.’ Elise, the Captain’s wife, shot him a glare as she crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner. Everyone on board was well aware the lass hated being there, that she found the water foul smelling and the ship to be a disgusting thing, but they never did question why she’d come along every now and then.
“You bloody dog, ain’t no need to yell it about! You know I ain’t all afraid of the shark, I jus’ don’t wanna be getting’ drenched.” She muttered in return, obviously annoyed at her husbands actions, but she didn’t wait for a response as she turned on her heels and made her way down the stairs to the main deck, nearly bumping into the first mate.
“Aye.” He greeted with a smile, receiving a rather forced smile from the other before she pushed passed and headed for the cabins. He turned to watch her go before glancing back at the captain with a raised eyebrow, noticing his grin. The lady didn’t like many people—Actually, that was a lie, she downright hated the crew, only playing nice to keep her husband in good spirits, but it was evident to everyone she was not friendly towards them. They took it like a game, who could drive her to yell at someone first.
The first mate trotted up the steps and leaned against the railing, glancing over at his captain, “What’d you manage to do this time?” He asked, humouring present in each syllable.
“Embarrassed her. Apparently, she didn’t want everyone knowin’ she was afraid of sharks.” A snicker escaped the man, which made Bill smile, turning to look back over at the water ahead. Moments passed before the lad finally straightened up, stretching his back and arms. Sleeping on the floor did terrible things to his back, but he wasn’t one to complain. Just being on the ship was a dream, and he’d put up with every terrible part of it with a smile.
He’d started out when he was just eight years old, when his father had finally agreed to let him onboard. He quickly picked up a job scrubbing the decks, and he worked hard at it, desperate to show his worth, until one day it was realized, mere days after the demise of his father. To this day, he’d feel an ache in his chest, but he knew that by being on the ship, that he was close to his father, even still. There this was what that man wanted for him. Slowly, achingly slow, he worked his way up to first mate, thirteen years going by in nearly a blink of his eye. The sea made his feel like he was at home, like he was needed.
“Another ten till we dock, need me to fetch anything?” He asked, arms crossing over his chest. The energy of the crew was flooding the surface, all excited to be getting home and seeing their loved ones. Bill didn’t have anyone else, but he didn’t really mind. His father was close, his mother had run off, and his younger brother had died in a fire shortly after his birth.
“Billy boy, why don’t you got fetch the Elise and tell her we’re docking shortly? ‘m sure the boys already got everything prepped.” He nodded at the orders before making his way back down the steps and towards the Captain’s cabin. He was stopped several times by drunk shipmates, who patted him on the back and explained their excitement for returning home. Bill stood by and nodded, laughing along, before he finally made it to his destination, giving the cabin door a few knocks. Nothing.
“Elise, we’ve almost arrived.” Bill called through the door, earning a small sound from the other side. He pushed the door and popped his head in, gaze falling immediately on the woman who was seated on the edge of the bed, face in her hands.
Had she really been that embarrassed? He stepped in completely, making himself known by pressing his feet harder into the ground with each step, “Sharks are a pretty rational fea-“
“Shut it, pissbucket, that ain’t why I’m crying.” Her voice made him jump, but he didn’t make any other movements. She was looking up at him, eyes puffy and red, sniffling, “You could hardly imagine what I’m going through, now why don’t you collect your things and scurry off? Sure you’ve got a famil—Oh, wait, you don’t.” She stood as she finished, making her way for the door, grabbing the small bag she had put together
He was frozen there, looking on in shock. What had he ever honestly done to her to earn that? He felt like he’d just been slapped. He turned as the door slammed shut, still dumbfounded, but he shrugged it off with a sigh and headed towards the door as well.
____
They were docked; officially as of five minutes ago, but Bill mad no move to get off the boat, simply sitting beside the ledge of the boat, feet kicked up onto the wooden barrier, watching as his friends met with their families. He smiled and waved, but it faded quickly when he felt the hand of his captain on his shoulder, “You know, Boy. You’re possibly the best worker on this tired ole’ shit of ours.”
“Well, dad would kick my arse if I weren’t.” A laugh pressed passed his lips, and he went back to people watching, curiously eyeing Elise who’d just stepped off the boat. He could feel the captain watching her, the grip on his shoulder tightening ever so slightly. What ever was wrong with the woman, he couldn’t tell.
“She was crying.”
“What for? Sharks getting’ to her?” The captain let out a laugh, but Bill simply smiled, indulging him.
“Maybe it’d be best if you went and talked to her? She seemed… off.” He kicked his feet off the ledge and stood from his chair, “In the mean time, I think I’m going to get catch me some rest. Not too much I’ve got to do until Sunday.” Bill explained, earning a smile from the other, as well as a nod.
“Sleep well then, you wee Buccaneer.”
____
The sand was rough against her back, but the warmth it offered her made her relax almost immediately on contact. The sun was shining down, and even though she’d decided to stay above water for the rest of the day, to just watch the ship that’d docked, her tail still rested comfortable underneath the water. She’d found this spot a few weeks back. A good sized patch of sand, trees and grass guarding it around it to protect her from the unwanted stare of strangers, but still giving her the ability to watch. It was honestly the most amazing thing she’d come across as of late, which would be on for some, but the siren found pleasure in the little things where she could.
She splashed around lazily as she watched the men get off the boat, loading around heavy bags and boxes. The girl tilted her head curiously, not bothering to supress her laugh as one tripped over his own foot and landed on his face, dropping everything.
The day rode on, but she still she remained with a curious eye, noticing the particularly lonely pirate, who was still on the boat. Usually they didn’t return for a few days, but he didn’t look like he was getting off anytime soon. Confusing, but she didn’t mind to keep her eye on him—Well, until a large amount of water got splashed up in her face.
She sputtered as she dried her eyes to get a good look at whatever had done that, before quickly realizing it was only her brother, the flash of blue glimmer catching her eye below the surface. Without hesitation, she dived forward and started on her way after him, not holding back until she finally reached him. Tightly, she locked her arms around his form and spun until she was forced to let go as she got dizzy, slipping back away from him, “You little candiru!” She huffed, but her humour was still easily known.
“You’ve been up there all day, it’s time to eat.” Dipper replied in a casual tone, grinning ear-to-ear, “What do you find so interesting about being up there, anyway?”
Mabel gave a shrug, swimming on the spot, “They’re just… interesting, is all. I thought you of all people would understand that, Mister face-stuck-in-rock-encryptions!” Giggles and glee, she scooted back as he frowned, obviously annoyed with her response, “Oh, calm it, dip, I’m only joking. I just like their legs. I’ve always wanted to dance.”
“You’ve told me. Actually, you never stop telling me!” He cracked a grin before swimming back slightly, doing a small spin before heading off, his sister chasing after him until they were parallel.
“What do you think it’s like to have legs? Does it feel funny? I know you’ve done some reading on humans, tell me!” She was beaming, curiosity shining through as they sped along through the blue, shoving and pulling at each other in a gleeful way until she final got an answer out of him.
“Okay, okay. It honestly doesn’t look too good; I think we got lucky with having tails! Apparently, they stub their toes a lot.”
“Toes?” She crinkled up her nose as they came to a stop.
He leaned back until he was in a laying position, curling his tail upper wards and pointing to the very tip, “Toes, the little things on the ends!” He straightened up, although made no attempt to start heading back.
“Toes.” The girl repeated, smiling, “They sound ridiculous! Toes.” Mabel had never encountered a human before, neither had her brother, but she didn’t do much research other than watching them from afar. She glanced down at the end of her tail, moving it about a moment before looking up at her brother, “You know, I’ve always wanted to s—“
“Don’t. Don’t even finish that thought, you’re not allowed to go talking to humans. They’re fine to watch from a distance, but Mabel, they will not hesitate to attack you.” Her warned, grabbing her wrist, “Seriously, promise me you will not go and mess around with humans.”
She’d been slightly shocked at his outburst, but she had been expecting it at the same time, “Wh-what? No, no, that’s not… what I was gonna say. I was going to say—had you let me finish—that I really wanted to see the rain from the shore.” He didn’t fall for it, but only shook his head, slowly beginning to smile again.
“You’re such a goof. Dinners waiting, you know!” He chirped, “C’mon.” He started back on his way, only to stop (yet again) a few feet away when he realized she wasn’t following, “You alright?”
She was staring at the ceiling of the water, eyeing the sky, “Yeah, I just… I’m not too hungry. I think I’m going to go and sit on the shore for a bit more.” Her eyes found him, smiling. He gave a look of disapproval, but it faded quickly.
“Don’t be more than an hour, yeah?”
____
“Billy, you gotta hold the rod like this or it’ll slip and fall into the water. Can’t catch no fish without it, aight?” The boy’s father explained as he shifted the wooden fishing rod a bit so it was tilted farther up rather than barely grazing the water, “Keep a good grip on it, or else the fish will steal it.”
The young boy gave a giggle, his blonde locks throwing about as he glanced up at his father with wide eyes, “Papa, the fish don’t need a fishing rod!”
A road of laughter escaped the man, which only made the boys smile grow, “Of course they don’t, m’ boy, but that wont be stoppin’ ‘m.”He explained, just as the rod began to bob, a sharp gasp escaping the boy. The boys father tightening his grip around his hands, which were secured around the rod, before he gave a sharp tug. Within moments, there it was, a salmon, resting on the dock beside them.
“Look at that, lad. You did it! Dinner for tonight, all thanks to you.” The young boy, by this point, was jumping up and down, examining his catch.
“I did it, pa! Look, look.” He stopped with a ‘thud!’ before he sat down on his knees, peering down at his catch with curiosity, “ ‘M sorry, lil guy. Thank you for helping us all stay healthy.” He whispered, beginning to feel sorry for the creature. It must be terrible to be lured out of your home and made into dinner .
“Come on, boy. Let’s go show your mum.” The old man leaned over and scooped up the fish, grabbing it by the hook, which was shoved roughly through its mouth, “She’ll be so proud of you.” With that, he was back to his good spirits, jumping up with a grin before running off towards the end of the dock.
His mum hadn’t been feeling too good lately, and he didn’t really understand why, but she’d be so happy to see that he’d finally caught a fish! She’d constantly tell him stories about fishing trips that pa had brought her on when they were younger, before he’d been born, “C’mon, come one!” He called before stopping to look back at the man, who was still standing on the dock, frozen in place.
“Papa?” He called out, taking a few steps towards the docks before everything went black.
“Papa!” Running, running, he couldn’t breath, “Papa!” The man had collapsed, blood soaking the white shirt. What had happened, “Papa!”
Finally he reached the man, his fingers grazing his shoulder gently, before he gave a hard shove, “Papa? Papa! Papa, wake up!” He was blinded by tears, the man not moving until he shoved him so hard he was on his back, the small arrow sticking right out of his chest. There was so much blood; it covered his clothes, his face, his hands. He knew right then and there, that he wasn’t going to be waking up. He’d seen this so many times, even for only being eight. His father was dead, and all he could do is scream.
That dream, that memory was so frequent that he didn’t even wake up crying anymore, only a sigh passing by his lips. He wished he could sleep, have good dreams, but they were so distant that he was hardly sure they existed. He loved this ship, he loved every second of being on it, but he knew that he wasn’t happy. Nothing about this was happiness, he felt like he was missing something. Answers, maybe? There was no one to give those.
He kicked his legs off the side of the bed as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but at this point, it didn’t matter. He had no duties until they were out on the sea again. Maybe he’d go and drink.
He made his way towards the main deck, glancing around at the emptiness. They’d been sailing for two months, and it felt weird, but at the same time it relaxed him. They were home, he was home, and yet, this place seemed so foreign, full of shadows and nightmares. Fathers dead, mothers gone, and Kal never even had a chance. His life was a pathetic waste, but at least he had the sea.
Finally, he got off the boat. Last time they’d been docked, he hadn’t even bothered. It was strange, but he knew this place. Walking forth, it wasn’t long for him to find rum and food, taking a seat on a ledge that looked over a beach and the water. It was a calm night, the ocean breeze biting him gently, the only sound was the water relentlessly hitting the sand below him. It brought back good memories, but they were plagued quickly.
Minutes turned into hours, and he realized that the moon would be headed off soon. Peace never lasted. He got off the ledge and started on a walk, headed down towards the beach area. The sand was cold, he could feel it through the worn down bottoms of his boots, but the feeling was interesting, different from the hard wood he was constantly standing around on.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the trees sway gently when the breeze passed, but he also saw something else, an animal? Something was standing there, tucked away behind a tree. His drunk arse grew curious and slowly made his way over there, tossing his empty bottle to the side as he continued fourth until he was at the grass. It was still there, back turned. A deer. If he’d brought his dagger along, they’d have dinner prepped for tomorrow, but luckily for the deer, everything he possessed was still on the boat.
His eyes closed briefly as another round of wind hit him in the face, but his eyes snapped open at the sound of splashing. He leaned against a tree and looked down at the water, noticing a woman rested on a small patch of sand. Was she hurt? She didn’t look it. He pushed off from the tree and headed slowly towards her, trying his best to keep his steps quiet, but that didn’t matter when he saw that she wasn’t… human.
A mermaid? Siren? His jaw dropped, she had a tail. He couldn’t move, completely stunned. In all his travels he’d never seen anything like this. He of course had heard stories, but they definitely didn’t compare to the real thing. He was moving again, making his way closer, but she caught on quickly. She turned at the sound, obviously picking up something even he hadn’t heard. Her eyes were glowing, slowly backing up into the water. He wanted to say something, but what? Did she even speak English? How could he tell her he meant no harm? She was completely submerged, just her eyes showing above the water, although he could still see her through the clear water. She was obviously just as interested in him as he was of her, “I mean you… no harm.” Slowly he moved his hands into a surrender position, completely dazed.
She was still moving away, but still she remained below water, until finally she showed her entire face and shoulders. Her hair was long and brown, reaching below the water, eyes of jade. There was seaweed and other various things caught up in her hair, but she didn’t seem to mind, her entire attention set upon him, “Pirate.” Her voice was like liquid gold, something that shocked him.
“I… yes, I’m a pirate.” He confirmed with a small nod of his head, looking her over. What was he supposed to do? He was so dumbfounded, completely oblivious as to how to deal with this, “Siren?”
She nodded, but didn’t bother to speak up again, drifting farther into the water. Was she leaving? Part of him hoped not, but part of him did. They were staring at each other for long moments, both breathing hard, both afraid. Finally, she spoke, “Morning is near. I must go.” With that, she turned and dove.
The last thing he caught sight of was her tail, loud and pink in what little light there was. She was breathtaking, truly the most magnificent creature he’d ever sat eyes on before. He fell back slightly until he seated on the beach, staring off at the rising sun. A siren.
____
She’d never swam so fast as she rushed away from the shore, headed home. Dipper would kill her surely, but then again, he didn’t have to know, but THEN AGAIN, she was a terrible liar. He’d see it from miles away. But, a human. She’d met a human. She squealed in delight, brushing her hand through her hair. Her brother would kill her, but her curiosity had been filled. For the moment, at least. A real, live human, with legs! A human.