Chapter Text
Neuvillette sat perched on his rock, his tail gently slapping the hard stone. He stared out at the sea, the sun's warm rays making him sleepy. He sat on this rock in the middle of his ocean his entire life, waiting for unsuspecting sailors and ships. He entertained himself by staring at the lapping of the waves and flight of the birds above, making small ripples in the water’s surface.
Neuvillette sat on his rock, brushing his pure white hair with a crab claw as he noticed something in the distance. A sailor was frantically paddling into the distance, his arms flailing madly in the water as he clung to a chunk of wood.
Neuvillette smirked at this man, opening his mouth as an ethereal note escaped his lips.
The sailor turned to the song, his eyes brightly shining as he hectically swam towards Neuvillette.
Neuvillette continued his song, motioning his fingers in a “come here” style, egging the sailor to swim closer and closer, to exert more energy as he approached.
The man reached the base of the rock. His blonde hair was flat on his head because of the water, and his green eyes shone in the light. As he grabbed the rock, he slipped, sinking under the waves.
Neuvillette followed, not wanting to lose his prey. He dove after the man, continuing to sing that beautiful song.
The sunlight fractured under the waves, creating shimmering patterns on Neuvillette’s scales.
He looked around the water, finding the sailor slowly sinking. He dove after the sailor, singing the song and reaching out to him.
Something slimy grabbed his wrist. Neuvillette gasped glancing at his hand. Wrapped around his arm was a long and slimy tentacle. Before he could react, a second tentacle grabbed his other wrist, and a third gripped his tail, stretching him into a T-pose.
Neuvillette struggled against the tentacles, trying to sing his way out of his situation.
“Aww, is the performer’s show interrupted?” A voice asked.
The sailor floated to Neuvillette, except he was different. Shimmering blue-green scales covered half his face and arms, and below his waist were eight grey tentacles, two wrapped around Neuvillette’s wrists.
“What are you doing to me?” Neuvillette shouted, venom lacing his words as he struggled against the man’s grip. “You’re my prey!”
“Please be quiet,” the man grinned, a fourth tentacle wrapped around Neuvillette’s neck, squeezing. “I hate it when my prey argues,” he said.
Neuvillette gasped, his struggling lessening and vision blurring as his captor’s grip tightened around his body. His heart pounded in his chest and his ears rang as he gasped for air, falling in and out of consciousness.
“Let me… go,” he sputtered, his vision turning black as sounds faded around him.
“Good night, siren,” the monster said, grinning with razor-sharp teeth as Neuvillette fell limp.
. . . . .
“Hey? Hey? Siren, are you okay?”
Neuvillette woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. Groggily, he opened his eyes and glanced around. He was inside a black cave with jagged walls. Glowing algae covered the roof, and vines draped on the entrance. He glanced into the cave, noticing two giant oysters with closed mouths, presumably beds. Around the corner was a stone slab with various bowls and sharp utensils.
Neuvillette glanced at his hands, tied with vines, then looked to his side, seeing a man looking over him. The man had a concerned look on his face, a face that was also partially covered in scales, except this time grey-blue. His eyes were a muted blue, short black hair waving in the water. Scars covered his arms, cheeks and under his eyes.
Neuvillette screamed, swimming away and backing against the wall. “Go away at once!” He cried, swatting at his captor with his tail.
“Woah, woah, take it easy,” the man said, his tentacles waving around his waist as he held up his arms. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Why are my hands tied?” Neuvillette asked, holding his hands up. “Who are you?”
“The answer to your first question: That dude you grappled with tied them up. He was going to drag you to a place where he would eat you like a clam, but luckily, I managed to save you. I’m Wriothesley, a Cecaelia.”
“Cecaelia…” Neuvillette repeated, his tongue getting familiar with the word. “I’m sorry, but I don’t recognise what you are.”
“I’m a mermaid but with an octopus bottom,” Wriothesley said. “And you’re extremely well-spoken for a sex singer, I have to say.”
Neuvillette huffed. “Such a perverted notion. Sirens do not sing about sex only.”
“Well, what do you sing about?”
Neuvillette stayed silent, still untrusting of this man.
“Alright, guess it’s my fault,” Wriothesley swam into the other room with the bowl. “I never got your name.”
”I’m Neuvillette,” he muttered.
“That’s a pretty name,” Wriothesley said, drifting closer with a bowl full of oysters and a sharp crab claw. “Hold still.”
Neuvillette glared at the claw, then at Wriothesley. “Isn’t that a comb?”
“Claws also work for great hair-cutters,” Wriothesley lightly pressed on the claw, snapping it shut twice.
Neuvillette inched away from the claw. “Get that away from me.”
“They’re for your bonds. Please?”
Neuvillette glanced at his vines. He sighed, holding his hands out and looking away. “Do it quickly.”
Neuvillette heard a tiny click as something firm pressed into his hands. He opened his eyes to see the vines floating in the water and a bowl of oysters in his hands.
“I don’t know a siren’s diet that well,” Wriothesley admitted. “But please, eat up. They’re fresh, grabbed from the nearby reefs myself.”
Neuvillette tapped an oyster on the cave’s wall, popping it open as he slowly took a bite of the food inside. He had never eaten an oyster before, and his eyes glowed as he took the first bite. He grabbed another from the bowl and cracked it on the wall, scarfing down the insides.
“Woah, take it easy,” Wriothesley said as Neuvillette devoured the oysters. “Slow down, you might get a chomper.”
Neuvillette yelped in pain as an oyster clamped onto his lips. He waved his arms, flapping his tail in shock as he yelled obscenities through his teeth.
Wriothesley laughed, swatting one of his tentacles. “I tried to warn you. Here. Just take it easy,” Wriothesley grabbed the oyster and tugged at it.
Neuvillette screamed in pain as Wriothesley pulled the oyster off his lips. He panted, rubbing his upper lip.
“Th-thank you,” Neuvillette said through deep breaths. “I didn’t know the oyster would grab my philtrum. But did you have to pull at it with such strength and force?”
“Yeah,” Wriothesley said. “It’s the only way to get them off effectively. Usually, I hit the oysters with one of these bad boys,” He waved three of his eight tentacles. “So they don’t get snappy. It confuses them. I imagine they’re spinning in their shells like, ‘Oh? What happened? Why does the water smell like lead?’” Wriothesley floated around the cave in a confused manner, twisting all around.
Neuvillette chuckled. “I don’t think oysters, or other shellfish, can spin with the fluidity you have in such a confined space.”
“It’s only a thought,” Wriothesley said, levelling with Neuvillette’s head. “That other cecaelia dragged you quite far from your original rock. The guy looked extremely tired from lugging you around when I found you. You’ll have to stay with me.”
Neuvillette glanced at Wriothesley, his tentacles and the cave. In his first encounter with a cecaelia, he nearly became dinner. Sure, Wriothesley was nice. He gave him delicious oysters and freed him, but what if it was a ploy? To fatten him up so Wriothesley could have the last meal.
Neuvillette stared nervously at Wriothesley. “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable staying in the same space as you.”
Wriothesley was silent for a few minutes. “Alright. There’s a city a good length away from here. You can go there for a place to stay. Follow the coral reefs until you see a canyon. Then turn left and swim.”
Neuvillette nodded. “Thank you, sir Wriothesley.”
“Please, call me Wrio.”
Neuvillette nodded, turning to swim out of the cave.
“Wait.” Wriothesley swam in front of Neuvillette. “I need you to promise me something.”
“What is it?” Neuvillette asked.
“I want you to come visit me every five days. I’m usually alone and don’t have a lot of people to talk to. Not a lot of people come by and the marine life isn’t very good at conversation,” Wriothesley chuckled at his own joke. “But you’re great company. I can show you where the best oyster patches are in the reefs, and we can visit the canyon together.”
Neuvillette hesitated. He didn’t fully trust Wriothesley and wanted to get to the city quickly. But Wriothesley was waiting for an answer, his brows furrowed together as his eyes stared patiently at Neuvilette.
“I’ll… I’ll think about it,” Neuvillette said, swimming around Wriothesley. “Goodbye, Wriothesley.”
“Bye, Neuvillette,” Wriothesley swam to the entrance of his cave, waving as Neuvillette swam away.