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As Blackbeard stepped out of the captain’s quarters to intercept the mutiny currently in progress on his ship, a pair of tired, brown eyes followed him from above. Jack Sparrow, the one behind this mess, stiffened before turning to face the captain of The Queen Anne’s Revenge, stepping back and holding his hands up in an attempt to placate the irate man. Still tied to the mast, the captive stared down at the main deck swarming with people despite the late hour. No one had thought to release them in the midst of their fight to gain control of the ship, even after freeing the man who had been tied up right next to them, and frankly, it pissed them off. The crew getting caught mid-mutiny only filled them with a deep sense of satisfaction. Not that they liked Blackbeard by any means—they just didn’t like being left behind. It was the principle of the matter.
As they continued to watch the commotion below, the captain moved to rest his hand on the hilt of his sword, the blade still sheathed on his hip. Rope carefully unwound itself from the masts and poles and piles on the main deck before darting out and coiling around the people on board. Shouts filled the air as members of the crew began to be strung up, people being hung by their waists, legs, or under their armpits—some even being hung upside down. Men tried to jump off the side of the ship or go below the deck, but were quickly caught and made to join their mates while they waited for their judgment. Jack, one of the few people left unrestrained, started rattling off absurd excuses as the aged captain traced his gaze over the men. The rest of the crew seemed terrified, and rightfully so. Blackbeard had no qualms about getting rid of unruly members of his crew if they so much as twitched a finger without his say-so or torturing them if he still needed their labor. That was one thing they’d been spared due to being tied up on the mast.
They’d still rather be free, though—preferably left in the open ocean.
As Jack continued to speak his usual nonsense, Philip, the catholic man who had shared the mast with them the past several days, joined him in trying to calm Blackbeard’s foul mood. Back and forth they went, the man desperate to talk the captain out of what was sure to end in bloodshed, until they were cut off with a raised hand. Blackbeard looked around at those present and asked a single question.
“Which of you unfortunate souls stood watch?”
The young man responsible soon found himself in a small, rickety longboat with only a single pair of oars. After he was lowered into the inky waters, the captain called out and told him to paddle. His daughter, Angelica, protested—very loudly, in fact—but was merely told that this was the law. His word was law. And when Philip approached the bow, pleading with Blackbeard to reconsider, he was told much the same. Turning to the man clutching a small, worn bible to his chest, the captain waved a hand loosely in the air.
“Why don’t you pray that he be…delivered from evil?”
The young man was surprisingly brave. Despite his shaking frame, he picked up the oars and swiftly rowed himself out of the path of the ship. It was quite impressive, but no one was foolish enough to believe he had gotten away.
They watched from the mast, glaring down at Blackbeard and the rest of the crew. All of them had agreed to take part in the mutiny, but allowed one person to be their scapegoat when it failed. And it wasn’t even the person who incited the incident in the first place. The rag tied around their mouth silenced the angry mutterings that would’ve spilled past their lips as they watched the scene unfold. Rage began to swell in their chest as they watched the jerky motions of the longboat. Blood rushed in their ears as their hands clenched into fists, the rope around their wrists irritating their skin as it moved. The rocking of the ship, the sound of waves crashing against the wood, and the smell of salt on the wind flooded their senses. As the sea breeze ruffled the few loose strands free from their locs, they looked at the young man rowing for his life and called out to the sea. They commanded that he be saved.
Unsheathing his sword, Blackbeard held it up and realigned the ship so that the little boat was directly in front of the figurehead. Everything was still for a moment.
The sword came down, and a breath of fire was released, painting the purple waters orange and yellow. Both oars slipped from the man’s hands as he held up his arms to shield his face from the scorching heat, and from the bow, Philip yelled, begging for leniency to no avail. Everyone stared in abject horror as the flames surrounded the longboat. For several seconds, the fire burned. But when it died down, confused muttering sprang up around the deck.
The boat hadn’t been damaged at all, and the young man was still alive, staring at his hands in obvious disbelief.
Up on the mast, they let out a relieved sigh and slumped against the wooden pole, the ropes rubbing against their chest and arms. From their vantage point, they could see Blackbeard stare out at the small boat for a few moments before turning to look up at them. An ugly smile bloomed on his weathered face, teeth glinting in the lantern light, and they felt an involuntary shudder wrack through their body as they averted their gaze. This is exactly what they'd wanted to avoid, but there was no helping it. An innocent person was in danger.
The captain lifted his sword once more, and as he did, Philip shouted, advancing towards him, only to be held back by one of the zombified crew members. Scars crisscrossed all over these men’s faces and bodies, the raised tissue a reminder of the torture they were put through to make them more violent and obedient. These men only listened to Blackbeard, unable to think for themselves anymore.
Noticing the commotion had renewed in earnest, they tugged on their connection to the sea, demanding the young man’s safety once more. They could feel a headache forming at the repeated use of their abilities in quick succession, but ignored it. Saving that man was their top priority.
As Blackbeard prepared to slash his sword again, he briefly glanced up at them, watching. Waiting. The sword came down. Flames consumed the boat. But when the fire stuttered out and the blaze died down, the boat was unharmed, and the man uninjured. The captain turned to Philip.
“It seems your prayers have been answered. You should be thankful.”
Without another word, he crossed the deck and stepped back into the captain’s quarters, the door slamming shut behind him.
They didn't get let down from the mast until they made it into Whitecap Bay.
As they stood tied up and slumped against the mast, they were lulled into a half-sleep by the rocking of the boat, only to be awakened by Jack Sparrow and Angelica, who seemed to be discussing yet another betrayal. Figures.
One of the other crew members—a man with straggly blonde hair and an irritating voice—stood off to the side, playing a song on his guitar as the two of them talked. And then they started dancing. The sexual tension was obnoxious and only served to irritate them further, but it seemed no one cared what they thought. It didn't even seem like any of the three realized they were still up there.
Rude.
As Jack and Angelica finished their impromptu tango and ducked into the captain's quarters, they tried to make themself more comfortable, fidgeting to try and get even a bit of relief. The rope had long since started to chafe, and the linen gag was unpleasant to say the least. If they looked down, they knew they’d see brown skin rubbed raw where their wrists were tied. No amount of shifting and shuffling made any improvement, though. If only it would rain. The water would help.
A call came from the front of the ship, startling them out of their thoughts, and a feeling of uneasiness nestled deeper in their gut.
Blackbeard stepped out onto the deck, shouting out orders to the various members of the crew who scrambled up to the top deck, and the men were quick to respond after being spared torture and death for betraying their captain. After everyone started to get a move on, he turned and looked up at them, making a hand gesture above his sheathed sword. The rope that fastened them to the mast uncoiled, freeing them briefly before restraining them again and yanking them down until they hung in front of the captain. Their upper arms were still trapped at their sides with their wrists tied at the front, and their mouth was still gagged. The rapid movement aggravated their building headache, and they winced at the sharp pain that radiated from their temple. They glowered at the captain, but didn't attempt to move—they'd rather not risk gaining his ire.
Blackbeard smirked at them. “I have a job for you.”
He unceremoniously dropped them on the deck of the ship, their wrists finally freed from the ropes. They slowly clambered to their feet, ripping the cloth from their face as they did. Glaring at the man more fiercely, they flung the scrap of fabric to the floor and rubbed the red and purple flesh of their tender wrists. Undeterred, Blackbeard stalked closer to them, and they took an unsteady step back as they cradled their hands to their chest.
“You,” he started. “Are going to be mermaid bait tonight.”
Eyes widening, their heart started to race as the scowl they wore shifted into a look of alarm. They took another step back, and the captain matched it with a forward step.
“You know why I’m telling you this. I know you do.”
Their blood ran cold, and their breathing sped up as his words washed over them. Trembling, they started to shake their head.
“Wait, no. I can't—”
He cut them off. “You can, and you will.”
Blackbeard looked off to the side, staring at the bay waters. It was the middle of the night, and the only light sources were the torches and lanterns around the ship and the tiny sliver of moon hanging in the sky. He subtly shifted his sword, and they found themself bound again. The captain slowly strode over to the side of the boat, dragging them along with him. As he looked out in the distance, he held their body over the choppy waves.
“You can either be bait now, or you can be bait later. Take your pick.”
His eyes were full of fake sympathy as he looked at them, head tilted. They began to shift and wiggle in the ropes holding them, but when their binds started to loosen and threatened to drop them into the sea, they quickly stopped, slumping over. They glared at the waters below them but nodded.
“Later,” they said. “I’ll be your bait later.”
He dumped their body onto the deck once more.
“Good choice.”
Blackbeard walked closer to them and crouched down to pat them on the head. They had to bite their lip to repress the full-body shudder that threatened to flow through them. They couldn't stand it when people touched them—especially if it was him. After a second, he gripped their locs and pulled their head up to face his. Bright brown eyes met old, milky blue, and his braided bread scratched against their face. They grimaced at the pain that shot through their scalp and tried to turn their head away to no avail.
“I picked you up because I knew you could be useful. Make sure to be very useful tonight, Asa. Your life depends on it.”
“So, what’s the plan here, exactly?” Jack asked after the fire in the lighthouse was set ablaze.
Blackbeard looked at him with a raised brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Jack began. “I’d initially assumed that those men over there would be the bait for tonight.”
He pointed down at a longboat sitting in the bay. A small group of men sat inside it, a zombified crew member guarding them to make sure they didn’t attempt to escape. It was hard to see them, though, since the beam of the lighthouse wasn't directly centered on them.
Jack danced a bit to the left as he motioned to the other boat. “But the light is on that boat, you see.”
Asa sat alone in another longboat a short distance away. Their oars had been taken after they'd rowed into the bay, an extra precaution since they had no guard in their boat. Everyone aboard the ship had seen them paraded into the rickety thing, adorned in clothing one wouldn't expect them to be allowed to wear, considering they were little more than a prisoner. Some stared with faces full of pity, others leered suggestively, but most couldn’t even look at them. All of those reactions irked them, and Blackbeard had to pull them back by their collar to stop them from lashing out at a couple of his men.
Originally, they had been dressed like the rest of the crew, wearing an old, worn shirt covered in stains and a tattered pair of pants, but now they sat dressed in fresh clothing. A well kept wine-red shirt—open at the chest to expose jewelry draped around their neck—and new, unblemished pants. Asa was also barefoot, their boots taken from them when they were given the new clothes. Another thing to dissuade an escape attempt. And though it was impossible to see from his vantage point, Jack knew they had also been washed of all the grime they’d collected from standing on the mast for the past couple of weeks.
It was like they were a prized pig sitting prettily on stage, ready to be bought and butchered.
“Well, those men are still bait. Can't have too much after all.” Blackbeard leans forward to look out from the archway, spying down at the lone figure in the other boat. “But that one is extra enticing for mermaids, you see.”
“Extra enticing how?” Angelica asked, peering down to see where her father was watching.
Jack pointed at her, nodding along. “What she said. Enticing how, exactly?”
“Oh, you’ll find out,” he smirked, as singing began to sound from the two boats. “Just watch.”
Asa sat in the gently rocking boat, staring up at the small bit of moon visible in the night sky. There were no clouds at all, and stars could be seen dotting the inky black expanse. If not for what they knew was about to happen, they might have enjoyed being out there. Despite being freed from the mast and allowed in the water like they’d wanted, it didn't feel as good as they had hoped. They were set to be bait after all.
They rubbed at the exposed part of their chest, gritting their teeth when their fingers brushed against the pearls and gems around their throat. They wanted to yank them off, but knew it wouldn't do much good, if any. While satisfying, it would only serve to antagonize Blackbeard, and if they made it out of this situation, being put back on his ship was almost guaranteed. And on the off chance they managed to escape, having something to sell off would only help them.
When light finally shone down on them from the lighthouse, they raised an arm to shield their face from the harsh rays. Their stomach churned, and they turned their back to the spotlight, their hands reaching down to clench around the raised wooden planks. Noise started to sound from the boat next to them, and Asa looked over to see the zombified man holding a gun in the men's faces. The enforcer looked at them, then shifted his gaze over to Asa.
“Sing.”
The group of men all stared at each other for a moment, muttering among themselves. Asa remained quiet, not willing to be the one to start them off. It was the man who'd been playing that obnoxious music earlier that spoke up.
“What?”
“They like to hear singing,” the enforcer said.
Nervously looking at the pistol, the man slowly began to recite a sea shanty, stuttering over his words at first, but quickly finding his footing as he continued. The song flowing from his lips didn’t sound particularly grand, but it was reminiscent of drunken singing at a tavern. In another scenario, it might've been fun to listen to.
“Louder,” he said, gun still held in his hand.
The singing man jerked, sharply increasing his volume at the command. As the gun was cocked again, he motioned to the others around him, pleading with them to join in. One by one, the men in the boat began to sing the sea shanty, their voices combining into a loud musical number. They sounded terrified.
With all of them singing, the enforcer turned to look at Asa once again. He stared at them and cocked the gun. Out of excuses, they cleared their throat and began to sing along with the men.
My heart is pierced by Cupid,
I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing can console me,
But my jolly sailor bold.
Their voice sounded strangely enchanting, something most wouldn't expect by looking at them. Like others who spent most of their time roaming the seas, they had picked up a certain type of roughness to them. Being tied up for days and weeks on end did nothing to help that, either. Dark circles found themselves permanently under their eyes, making them look perpetually tired, and they were almost too thin due to the general lack of food and care Blackbeard gave them. It looked like a small gust of wind might knock them over.
But after the dirt had been washed away and their clothes changed, Asa looked really pretty. Smooth, brown skin and mostly white teeth, none of them missing. Their hands barely had any calluses, and their fingernails were clean and intact. They almost religiously took care of their hair, so even after a couple of weeks of being unable to do so, their locs still looked nice. Asa received many looks when they were initially brought back on deck because of that.
The men in the other boat looked over at them, stunned for a moment, but hearing the quiet click of the gun brought them out of their trance soon enough.
It was over an hour later that something finally changed. The group of men had long since gotten tired of singing, their voices scratchy and low, but they didn't stop. Asa had slowly lowered their own voice over time, desperately hoping that somehow, the mermaids wouldn't appear.
Philip, half asleep, jerked up from his place on another man’s shoulder, noticing strange movement in the water. The other men were quickly brought out of their daze, and each leaned over the side of the longboat to get a glimpse of what he saw.
Asa stopped singing entirely then, spying the mermaid who surfaced behind the group and leaned up against the side of their boat. Taking a moment to look around, they noticed several dark shapes circling their own boat under the water. Their heart stuttered for a moment, and they chewed their chapped lips, biting off the dead skin. All of them were sitting ducks for the mermaids right now, and it felt like they were the only one aware.
Refusing to look in the water again, Asa watched the other boat. If they were lucky, they’d get a chance to steal their oars back and get away when things inevitably went wrong.
Commotion picked up across from them. They noticed one of the men speaking to the mermaid, leaning down towards the water despite protests from the other men around him. After shouting at them to leave him be, he stared at her with a dopey smile on his face as he whispered sweet nothings under his breath. Slowly, but surely, the mermaid drew the man closer and closer. The enforcer watched on.
She began to serenade the man, crooning the same song they'd all been singing not long ago, luring him further over the edge. Her voice was otherworldly. Unlike their own charming melody, her song was clearly meant to bewitch men. There was magic in her words.
Asa could see more and more mermaids circling the two longboats, their eyes continuously flickering between the other boat and the water. Taking a deep breath, they reached out to connect themself to the sea, just as they had done earlier. Pain flared behind their eyes, and they had to bite the inside of their cheek to stop from screaming out. There was too much information for them to take in at once, especially as weak as they were. It didn’t help that this was the third time they'd used the little magic they had within a few hours.
The connection was cut after a few seconds. Those few seconds were enough for everything to go sideways.
A scream sounded across from them, and the man who had been itching to kiss a mermaid flinched back into the bodies of his fellow crewmates. All at once, the mermaids that had been watching from the sidelines and leaning onto the boat attacked. The oldest man among them hit one of the women with an oar, pushing her back into the water. Another man was yanked from the boat and dragged into the water, never to be seen again. The remaining men did their best to fend off the mermaids, kicking them back and slicing them with their swords as their boat was torn apart.
The mermaids that had been circling Asa’s boat had come up to lean against the sides as well, though none of the women attacked them. Shivers raced down their spine as the mermaids gave them hungry looks. It wasn't the same kind of hunger they had for the men fighting not too far from her. These looks were different, though no less primal.
Asa settled themself in the center of the boat, trying to make themself as small as possible. Unfortunately, they were still within easy reach of most of the mermaids, and the women took full advantage of that fact. One of them brushed her hand down their side, and they jumped to the other end of the boat, their hand coming to rest where her fingers had been. It felt like a spark of lightning had traveled across their skin despite the layer of clothing, and the contact left them reeling. Another took that opening to get closer and trace a finger down their exposed chest, drawing a startled yelp from their lips. All around them, the women giggled.
“Your power called out to us, you know,” one mermaid said.
Another woman leaned into the boat, pinching red fabric between her fingers. “And you’ve dressed yourself so prettily for us, too.”
“Will you sing for us again?” one asked.
More hands reached into the boat, brushing, caressing, and pinching at them, coaxing out more noises that the mermaids hungrily devoured. No matter where they tried to move, more hands always found them—continuing to touch them and tease them. Their breathing got progressively shakier, and their heart started beating out of their chest, the rhythm like a drum at the crescendo of a song. Asa sat hunched over with their arms wrapped around their torso in a pitiful attempt to steady themself. Breathy gasps left their lips, but they couldn’t get out any words. Wandering fingers found one of their nipples and ghosted over their shirt, pulling a hastily muffled moan from the back of their throat. Curling into a ball in an attempt to keep away from their eager hands, Asa couldn't see the smirks that grew on their faces.
A mermaid pulled herself further into the boat, running a hand over an exposed bit of skin on their torso where their shirt had ridden up, and Asa shoved themself away from her, right into the hands of the other women propped up over the side. Hands grabbed at them, holding them tight so they could no longer play cat and mouse. The mermaids were tired of waiting.
Held to the side of the boat, the petting restarted in earnest, the women getting bolder now that Asa couldn’t escape as easily. Hands found themselves under their shirt, nails just barely grazing across skin. An adventurous hand grabbed their chest, squeezing a nipple between their fingers. A strangled gasp left their lips.
“Ahh—”
Giggles broke out around them as another hand found their other nipple. Their chest was gently fondled and squeezed, drawing out little sounds that Asa did their best to suppress. Moans, hitches in their breathing—it was all fuel for the continued attack. Their lips were bitten red by this point, and their eyes were heavily lidded and unfocused. It was really hard for them to concentrate. Everything felt fuzzy and far away. Except the hands. The hands were too close. Too real. The only thing they could think about was keeping themself quiet.
“Oh, won’t you sing for us again?” One whispered in their ear. The warm air against their ear sent a shudder down their spine, and they closed their eyes.
Another pair of lips found their other ear and blew against it. Teeth met flesh, gently biting down, and a moan sounded in the back of their throat. A warm tongue licked the shell of their ear.
“W-wait a second—” they gasped.
None of them slowed in the slightest. Soon, more lips pressed against their skin, sucking at supple flesh, kissing them, licking them. The sensations were all too much. A warm tongue swiped against their neck, and they couldn’t help but tremble.
Their body was hot, and their heart was beating so fast they almost thought it had stopped. They felt boneless. Suddenly, a wet hand reached out and turned their head to the side. Eyes fluttering open in surprise, they saw one of the mermaids lean forward. Salty lips met their chapped ones, and they melded together, her tongue swiping over the seam of their lips before pushing its way into their mouth. She gently swirled her tongue around theirs and then sucked, drawing another moan from them.
Tingling spread throughout their limbs, and Asa could feel their mind cloud over more. As she licked every inch of their mouth, she leaned backwards, pulling them over the edge of the boat. Asa’s eyes slowly drooped once again as they continued the kiss, and the woman’s arms came to rest around their neck. She leisurely pulled them towards her until finally they fell into the water.
The mermaid kissing them quickly pulled them down until the light from the lighthouse was little more than lantern light. Asa could do nothing but cling to her, mind foggy. The others quickly swarmed around them. No longer limited by the boat, the women quickly fell back into their earlier rhythm, this time more feverish. The hands were more insistent now, roughly pinching their nipples instead of the gentle squeezing they had done before. Nails flicked the nubs repeatedly and even traced around them in incessant circles. It was dizzying.
Their shirt was tossed to float in the bay, and Asa flinched, mind clearing up for a moment. A hand reached up to cover themself, but their arms were swiftly pinned to their sides. With nothing left to shield their chest, one mermaid slowly swam forward and bowed their head, looking up into their eyes. They stared down at her, heart stuttering. Asa tried to shy away from her, but the mermaids caged them in so they couldn’t move.
“P–please…”
Lips closed around their nipple, licking and sucking and biting. Unable to keep their voice inside anymore, a wanton moan slipped past their lips that was audible even underwater. They involuntarily stuck their chest out, back arching at the sensation. A hand cradled their cheek, and against Asa’s better judgment, they leaned into the touch.
“You have such a pretty voice,” she said. “Can we hear some more?”
All they could do was pant, yelping when teeth bit down on their ear again and then their neck. Despite the chill of the waters, Asa was burning hot. Another woman lifted their chin and pressed her lips to theirs as she floated over them. Hands were everywhere, and Asa’s mind was too overwhelmed to keep up. They all just kept licking and sucking and biting.
The woman kissing them pulled away, and Asa leaned up, trying to chase her lips. She smiled at them, pressing a finger to their still chapped lips to push them back. Their eyes flickered down to her hand and then traced her arm back to her face, blinking slowly. None of the others paused in their efforts even for a moment, so it was impossible for them to concentrate, thoughts slipping away from them like sand through their fingers. When their eyes met again, she slowly pressed a finger past their lips, pushing down on their tongue.
Asa looked up through half-lidded eyes to see a smirk stretching across her face. She retracted her finger until only the tip was left and then pushed two into their mouth. Her wrist twisted so that her fingers were angled towards the roof of their mouth, and she just barely grazed it with the pads of her fingers. Asa mewled, tilting their head to try and escape the intensity.
“Aw, you’re so good for me. For us,” she cooed, still caressing the roof of their mouth with her fingers.
The words made them feel lightheaded. A whimper sounded in the back of their throat that brought more giggles from the mermaids swarming them. One of the women behind Asa spoke into their ear.
“Oh, I think they liked that,” she said. She pressed her lips closer and whispered into Asa’s ear, voice husky. “Do you like it when we tell you how good you are?”
Asa whimpered again, this time louder. Her words affected them in a way they didn’t want to admit, though it was something they couldn’t hide. Each bit of praise lavished on them made their mind go blanker. It felt so nice.
“You’re doing so well, you know. So good for us.”
With a twist, her fingers rested heavily on Asa’s tongue. Their eyes met again, and she placed a kiss on the tip of their nose before pushing her index and middle fingers to the back of their throat and slowly starting to fuck their mouth. A buzzing started in their stomach, and it felt like lightning was flowing through them. Their whole body was twitching, and if they weren’t being held, their limbs would’ve flailed everywhere.
“Can you be even better for me, little pearl? Can you suck my fingers while I fuck your mouth? Can you do that for me?”
Her voice washed over Asa, who shuddered intensely, moaning at the words. They were putty in her hands. Hesitantly, their tongue crept up to carefully lick at her fingers before starting to suck. The mermaid smiled at this, wiggling her fingers and letting them dance inside Asa’s mouth as their tongue rubbed against them.
She took her fingers back with a pop, the strings of saliva left behind dissolving into the bay waters. Asa whined and bit their lip to muffle it, embarrassed. They didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that it felt so good. It shouldn’t feel that good. The mermaid above them tsked, grabbing their face and pulling their lip from between their teeth.
“I thought we told you,” she chided. “We want to hear you. Don’t hide your voice from us.”
Asa’s voice was raspy as they stuttered. “B-but I–”
She leaned down to press her lips to theirs again, shushing them. Playful nips bit at their lips, drawing out more gasps. Hands slid down from their neck and down their chest and sides, nails scraping lightly against their skin. Asa jolted, crying out at the sensation, but her lips followed theirs, swallowing the noises they made. They could hear her sigh in satisfaction and feel her lips smile against theirs. Her tongue found the roof of their mouth and lazily traced over it, drawing more whines from them. Pulling away, she cupped their face in her hands. Despite the chill of the water, it felt like fire crawled up the sides of their face.
“Now, we’re going to keep touching you. Be good for us and don’t hide your pretty voice, okay.”
One of the mermaids behind them bit their neck and sucked at the spot, causing Asa to let out a long, drawn-out moan. Hums of pleasure came from behind them as she started lapping at the bite, flicking her tongue over the irritated skin. Their eyes slipped shut again.
More hands brushed across their torso, fingers raking across their flesh, leaving electricity in their wake. Their nipples were never left alone, constantly being flicked or rubbed, sometimes pinched. Asa twitched in the mermaids’ hands, wiggling to try and gain some reprieve from the stimulation, but they couldn’t. It was all-consuming, like a tropical storm at sea. Impossible to escape.
A couple of hands found their way to their hips and traced over the button holding up their pants before popping it. Asa’s eyes flew open.
“H-hold on—”
A finger pressed against their lips again. “Don’t worry, we won’t throw your pants away like we did your shirt.”
Hands traced around their hips and down towards their pelvis, dipping under their waistband. They jerked again, but more hands found their hips and held them steady. One hand slowly slid down further, and Asa wiggled more, doing their best to escape the wandering fingers. Another woman cupped their face in their hand and leaned down close, nuzzling their cheek.
“Be good, and stop moving so much, sweet one.”
Asa’s breath hitched, and their lips quivered, but they stopped moving around as they leaned into her touch. She pressed a soft kiss to their jaw.
“Thank you,” she breathed. “You’re so obedient for us, aren’t you?”
A finger found their clit, pressing lightly against it, and they were wide-eyed and seeing stars. Asa’s whole body trembled as lightning shot through them, their back arching away from the hands holding them. Incoherent nonsense spilled from their lips as their limbs convulsed, the powerful waves rippling through them.
The finger stayed pressed against them, not moving, as Asa rode out the shockwave from their orgasm. They slowly came down from their high, panting and twitching. Their whole body was electrified, and their head was full of cotton. All they could do was go limp, just floating in the mermaids’ arms.
None of the women had stopped caressing them, though, so when they finally started to come back into awareness, their touches almost felt painful against their overstimulated skin.
“Too—too m-much…”
Dazed, Asa could just barely hear the chuckles around them. Another mouth found theirs, easily pushing past their lips to massage their tongues together. Occasionally, their limbs would spasm, the undercurrent from their climax still flowing through them. She rolled their tongues together, coaxing theirs out of their mouth and gently sucking on it before diving back in for more. The obscene slurps made more heat to pool in their gut.
“I think you can give us one more. Can’t you do that for us, my little pearl?”
Asa whimpered again, pulling away from the mermaid kissing them. Panting, they looked down at the mermaid with a hand on their clit. Their tongue swiped across their lips as they watched the motionless hand. They knew all too well that it wouldn't stay that way.
“It's t-too much—”
The finger flicked up, cutting Asa off. A moan reverberated in the back of their throat, and they curled forward. She rubbed their clit back and forth slowly, enjoying the whines she drew from them as their limbs began to shake again. They clamped their legs together, trying to stop her hand, but she just pressed against it more firmly, making them gasp.
“You're doing so well, you know. Can you come for us one more time?” She asked, her fingers speeding up.
They whimpered, trying to speak. “I—I…”
“Come on, I know you can. Be good for me. Be good for me and come.”
And then, their world exploded.
Asa sat on the beach and stared moodily at the water, shivering in their sopping wet clothes as the waves crashed against the shore. After Jack blew up the lighthouse, the mermaids that had been hellbent on drawing every bit of sexual pleasure from their body had decided to cut their losses and call it there. A couple of kisses and invitations to visit them were their only parting gifts. Asa floated for a while, brain muddled, unable to even process the fact that they were free.
When they finally started to come out of their stupor, a net encircled them and pulled them from the water before carrying them across the rocky beach. Dumped onto the ground, Asa stared blearily at Blackbeard, who scowled at them before cursing at the men standing around them. Blinking slowly, they carefully sat up and examined the wreckage.
The old dock was torn to bits, the rotten wood drifting in the bay with the remains of the longboats. Torn nets were strewn across the sand, and blood was spattered everywhere. The crew had been halved in this excursion, and Asa didn’t see a single mermaid for all the trouble. Not that Blackbeard deserved to succeed.
Another group of men ran over with a net, chanting that they’d caught a one, only to drop it and reveal the same scraggly-haired man that had almost been eaten at the start of the whole mess. The captain’s mood soured further, and he stalked off to survey the area himself. Jack and Angelica followed close behind.
“So, I have to ask,” Jack started. “What was the deal with the lad being ‘extra enticing’ to mermaids? I don’t see a single mermaid around right now.”
Blackbeard glowered at him before continuing his investigation. “If you must know, Asa is a sea spirit trapped in human form—apparently broke the rules to save a human.”
“What?!” Angelica asked, staring at her father incredulously.
“Ahh, I’ve dealt with that once before, though she was much scarier and way more intimidating,” Jack said. “And there were way more crabs. Though that still doesn’t explain the mermaid bit.”
Angelica stared in silent disbelief as her father continued to speak. “Mermaids are drawn to sea deities since they can get boons if they please them. What more enticing bait is there?”
“Well—” Jack said.
An enforcer cut him off. “We’ve caught one, Captain.”
The scarred man pointed off to the side where Philip stood, a bloody sword in his hand. A woman lay at his feet, her glistening tail flailing around as blood leaked from a gash in her fin.
“Get her,” Blackbeard muttered.
It didn’t take long for a net to be thrown over the mermaid, startling her and Philip as they started to drag her away. Hissing and clawing at the ropes, the woman struggled against her bonds as the man continued to stare down at her, shame plastered across his face.
“Well done, Catholic. Seems you were useful after all.”
From the beach, Asa watched as she was hauled away, still thrashing. It seemed Blackbeard had stolen another person from the sea. Unfortunately, they weren’t quite so willing to stick their neck out for someone again so soon. Turning away, they stared at the shadowy waters. The sand was coarse beneath their feet, small rocks pressing into their soles, and the water was calm. Despite all the death in the past half hour, it looked peaceful.
Knowing what might await them in the bay had made their next choice incredibly easy. Asa took one step. They took another. Then they were running into the water. Diving under the waves, they swam as far from the surface as they could. If they ever saw Blackbeard again, it’d be too soon.