Mer!Jack is actually so scary to think about sometimes because he has such a long serpentine tail that's reminiscent of a sea monster (even though he's based off a leafy sea dragon) and the concept of seeing that shit right under the surface of the water from a small wooden boat is so horrifying
At least it is until he pops up on the opposite side of your boat with his big goofy smile and you realize bro isn't a threat and just wants to know if you have any spare fish he could gift his girlfriend (bro is bad at catching fish)
Brock stood in front of the tank, mesmerized by the way the luminous dots along the fins of the creatures tail seemed to pulse. He stared up at the mouth full of sharp pointed teeth, the way the creature seemed to get angrier (If that was even possible. It was pretty damn irritated when Brock had strolled up the first time), and had the niggling suspicion that he was about to make an absolutely terrible, decision that was most likely going to result in someone getting hurt. Mostly himself.
Most sailors will tell you that to see or hear the song of a siren while at sea is a sure omen of doom. That the songs lured otherwise sane men down into watery graves, under their spell. Other times, it wasn’t merely a few unlucky men pulled to their deaths; it was the whole ship. Dragged down by storms conjured by the same creatures.
Jack was careful to stay well out of sight as above him the sea churned and rolled. To be seen now while lightning flashed and illuminated the foamy green water above him would mean danger. Danger that he might be crushed by the roll of the ship...or speared by the angry, fearful humans above it. Assuming he was the cause.
Some would have said--if he had any sense--that he would have swum away, and let well enough alone. Let the sea decide the fate of these men. But Jack couldn’t leave it alone...
He’d been following the vessel for days, ever since it appeared in his territory. It was a massive galleon, and he knew the type to be heavy with treasure. The merman was a bit of a magpie; attracted to the gold and treasures found within the ship. And even more than that...the human’s themselves. Pirates in particular. These appeared the like; they wore no uniforms, nor seemed to fly any particular colors.
At night, Sparrow would surface, staying close as he dared at watching the nightly activities; hearing their music and songs and chatter. He craved to bring one down into the waves with him, to see what they tasted like. His kind hungered to mate with humans...mostly the female of the species, who would seduce and lure them into sea, have their way with them...then often kill them. Luckily for the men aboard the ship, Jack was not the kind that could devour them. The male of his species was rare, and had no need to snare humans. His desires were purely self indulgent, and far less malicious.
There was one dark haired male in particular who had caught his fancy. Sparrow particularly liked to watch him, especially when he came near the rails or was up among the rigging. A handsome creature indeed. Sparrow had taken a shine to him, and felt the hunger of his curiosity grow the longer he followed the ship. He wanted to be seen by the man...though doing so was risky indeed. He had tired to offer glimpses of himself here and there...testing the reaction. He had planned to show himself fully that very night.. until the storm had come.
Now the merman watched in muted fear as the ship above him was battered by the sea, being thrown mercilessly against the rocky expanses that cut along the straight where it sailed. There was a horrifying crunch as the rocks cut the hull, splinters of wood plummeting towards the merman and making him swim away hurriedly for safety.
Bodies began to fall in the water then, men sinking and then swimming back to the surface. Most anyway...Jack saw a few simply sink, trails of dark blood billowing up after them.
All his instincts told him to swim away and hide, that if the ship sank he’d be in danger of being crushed in this shallow pass, surrounded by too much rock. He nearly did...
Until a familiar figure hit the water, struggling to swim.
Sparrow’s eyes widened at the realization that it was the dark haired man that had so captured his fancy. Immediately leaving his temporary shelter among the reef, he darted like a shot towards the drowning man, catching him around the middle and surging towards the surface with him.
“Dont’ struggle! Swim if you can!” he instructed, trying to keep the man afloat, though the sailor’s strength seemed to be failing, growing heavier in his grasp. “I’ve got you!”
He had no idea if the man saw him, or knew what he was. But right now he was all that was standing between the sailor and a watery grave. Jack tucked him close and made for the nearest bit of shore. There was a cave near by they could shelter if they could just reach it in time.
