𝖧𝗂𝗋𝖺𝖾𝗍𝗁 | 𝖳𝖷𝖳

𝗑𝗂𝗂𝗂. 𝖡𝗅𝗎𝖾 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝖾𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗂𝖽

"Thank you! Oh, thank you everso!"

The mermaid weakly chirped as Soobin lifted her up to the ship's deck with the help of his gift. Taehyun immediately scooped the woman out of the waters and into his arms. The mermaid anxiously held onto him for dear life, quietly whimpering as Kai offered her a blanket in which he had found laying inside an old chest. Ria crossed her arms in wonder, watching as the blonde mage took the mermaid straight inside the captain's cabin. The rest of the group followed, except for Beomgyu.

The captain's cabin reeked coziness as the melting candles radiated warmth. Its yellow tinge filled the room, casually mixing with the smell of seasalt and brown paper. Maps of marked expeditions and paintings of luxurious artifacts decorated the wooden walls. An artificial skull greeted them wordlessly, its dark teeth and hollow eyesockets sending shivers down Soobin's spine. Taehyun laid the mermaid on the couch. The female belted a loud cry as her tail hit the leather. Kai rushed in to examine her injury. She was indeed caught in between a tight fishing net. Such material had dug through her scales and penetrated deep enough to keep her from moving.

"Shit," Ria lowly cussed. "That sucks."

"Rowdy pirates," the mermaid began. "They tried to capture me. They wanted me in their possession so I could sing for their fortune. I was lucky enough to escape but at what cost?"

"Your fucking tail."

The mermaid shot Ria a glare. "That's not very nice of you."

"Woah there," the girl frowned. "Relax."

"What's your name?" Taehyun inquired.

"Blue," the mermaid chimed. "My name is Blue. What about you, my dear savior?"

"I'm Taehyun and these are my friends," he smiled. "The tall one by the door is Soobin, the guy next to him is Yeonjun, and this one's Kai."

"And her?"

"Your worst fucking nightmare." Ria thought. "Deadass."

The mage chuckled. "That's Maria."

"I see," Blue eyed her from head to toe. "A mortal."

"I see," Ria pondered, copying her actions. "A talking fish."

"Well then," Kai prompted, patting the mermaid's tail. "You'll feel better in an hour or so."

"Thank you, kind one." Blue cooed, her fingers brushing past Taehyun's coat. "You all have good hearts. May the King of the Cassiope Sea bless your golden souls."

"Great," Yeonjun applauded before strutting out. "I'm hungry. Who's making dinner?"

"I just saw a basketful of vegetables downstairs." Soobin stated. "A box of fresh lobsters and a bag of scallops too."

"Lobsters? Scallops?" The mermaid whimpered. "You're not eating my friends, are you?"

"The fuck do you expect us to eat?" Ria muttered. "Seaweed?"

"Darling," Taehyun smoothly addressed. "Be sensitive. She's a mermaid. She's one with the sea creatures."

"You don't say."