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The open seas were a second home to you, your boat cutting through the water easily. You didn't have much of a crew, but those you had were loyal to you. The crew directed you with things they saw, and you in return directed them where to sail.
In the distance, you could hear the faint melodies of a song. Perhaps an island with a particularly boisterous bard. The crew turned right for it, trying to seek out its location. If there was a bard there, it would be land, and you and your crew would have the chance to gather your goods and sell and barter for new ones. However, looking through your spyglass, you noticed that the way your ship was headed was rather foggy and difficult to see. The crew barged onwards, and you decided not to say anything just yet.
Once the fog separated, the voice became louder. It was a beautiful, bouncing, lilting melody, discordant hums and sighs, 'ahh's and 'ooh's, each note gorgeous and strung together.
It was a siren. Siren's pulls never had bothered you. You grew an immunity to them because of being on the ships with your father when you were young. However, your crew wasn't immune and was heading right for the craggy rocks of the siren's shipwrecks.
"Turn the ship around!" you yell.
"Why, captain? We're heading to land!"
"You'e going to kill us! Turn the damn boat around!"
A few of the men snapped from the stupor and turned the ship around, pushing the others to do the same rather than struggle the wrong direction. For now, the crisis had been averted. You watched the mist with your spyglass, and heard a splash. As the ship floated off towards another island, you could see the figure of the siren in the sea, wild hair and tanned skin, frowning that his plan had been averted.
You smiled to yourself. It felt kind of good to spite him.
~*~*~
After setting sail from the island's port, it was nightfall. You instructed your crew to press on to the next island, since they had gotten sleep. You had not because you were busy bartering and organizing paths and trades. You also instructed them to not change course, no matter what the circumstance. Then, turning in to your captain's quarters, you decided to rest for the night.
You were sleeping soundly for a few hours, until you were awoken by the sounds of your crew yelling to change course. You were about to stomp right up there to your second in command and yell at him, when you heard the discordant melodies of that damned siren again. Redirecting the ship on the right course, you frowned in the direction of the hazy mist and more of those craggy rocks. Why wouldn't this damned siren leave you and your crew alone?
~*~*~
You had a few more run-ins with the siren, each time avoiding his songs because of your immunity to it. You could tell the siren was growing restless with his plans being foiled every time. But now he was just getting crafty. Sirens had the capability of becoming a human for a brief period, and the unrelenting siren tried several times to lure you and your crew.
A man with long, straight brown hair walked towards you. He had a pale streak ran through his hair, and his brown eyes were kind. He had a pointed nose, a wiry thin beard, and a smile that was not overstaying in its welcome. On his arm was a woman, who had hair split evenly, black and blonde, and dark burgundy lips. Makeup was uncommon in this time, so she must have been of higher class.
That was where the plan fell through. The man moved towards you and your crew at the next port, with this woman with him. He smiles that short-lived smile, "Hello, miss. You wouldn't happen to be able to spare a few shillings for my friend here, could you? She has been struggling to pay her dues for awhile now, and could use the help."
You frowned at him, "If she's so poor, she could stand to use her dues on something other than the rarities such as cosmetics." Then, you sigh, "You should learn a better disguise if you are trying to garner money from me."
The man frowns, the woman looking sad, and then the two turned and left. Once they had turned the corner, it was almost as if they had vanished. Splashes were heard moments after, with rapid and curt speech in a language you did not understand.
It had been the siren.
~*~*~
At the next port, another man approached you. He wore dark colored breeches and had a well-trimmed beard. His green eyes were kind, understanding. They seemed to understand you before you really needed to be understood, almost in an entirely too forward way. His hair was cropped in a style unusual for the time. It was clear his hairstyle was indicative of his work as a sailor.
He moved towards you, smiling with that too-forward smile, "Excuse me? Are you the captain of the Lisse?"
You nod slowly. What did he want?
"I'm interested in joining your crew, if that's alright?"
You frown, "I have no means of identification for you. I don't even know who you are."
He frowns back.
"I only admit the best men and closest friends into my crew. I expect that you are some amazing sailor, because I do not count you as a friend."
The man sighs, "Why do you have such cruel ways?"
"I am only trying to keep myself successful as a pirate and a person."
The man turns on his heel, "Thank you for your consideration," and leaves. He turns around the corner, once again vanishing as the other man had at the last port. A splash, some swears.
That too had been a trick of the siren.
~*~*~
The third port was a breath of fresh air. A beautiful port in a city in New Holland, a beautiful ocean-side town with coves, reefs, and ocean life. The people there were kind and understanding, albeit weathered to the ocean's salty spray.
A third man approached you again, and you were growing weary of these men trying to garner your attention. He had hair that flopped over his forehead, shaggy and unkempt. Sandy-brown and similar to the hues of the seaside city surrounding him. He had blue eyes, piercing and deep, still bringing together that oceanic palette. His accent was heavy, but he smiled nonetheless, his smile a bit devious and curious, "Ma'am, I couldn't help but notice that you're looking a bit down."
"...What?" you asked, genuinely confused.
"Could I tell you a joke? Lighten your mood?"
The man seemed nice, so you humored him. "Fine."
"A man was speaking to his doctor, asking, 'Do you believe raw oysters are healthy?'
His doctor replied, 'I've never heard one of them complaining of being ill.'"
The smile on his face was a poor indication that you were to laugh.
However, you just frowned. "Don't waste my time."
The man turns, sighing, and leaves. Turning a corner, he vanishes, again. A splash, some angry sighs.
The third trick of the siren.
~*~*~
At the last port of your series of ports before you were planning the long haul back home, you settled down into a small restaurant, sipping some wine and contemplating your best route home. A man sits across from you, and you had had about enough of men approaching you at ports. You looked up, and melted into brown eyes. Gentle and sincere. His hair was a wild mess, nose wide and angled, but nice, cheekbones popping out and stubble dancing down his jaw and cheeks.
His smile is large, dopey, and sweet. "Hello, is it alright if I sit here?"
You nod.
He smiles still, drinking a bit of his drink before offering his hand, "Daniel."
"(y/n)," you say with a shake of his hand.
You two talk for a long time and you really like him. He's a nice guy. "Can I show you something?" he asks you. You felt like you could trust him, even despite the untrustworthy men you had known. He leads you out of the restaurant to a dark forest. There is a clearing with a pool of water that leads out to the sea. You look at him curiously, but he has stripped down to just his breeches. Hopping into the water, he encourages you to join him. You strip to your underclothes, and join him. He smiles at you still, "Could I tell you a secret?"
You nod, "Okay."
His smile never fades, "I'm the siren that you've been eluding for oh-so-long."
You frown. "I don't believe you."
The man opens his mouth and sings. It's that same, beautiful melody. It does not work its spell on you, but it is proof enough that he is telling the truth.
"Why are you targeting me?"
"Because I like you."
"What?"
"I like you. I want you to be one of us."
"Why?"
"You've got potential. You're cute, you're smart, you know the seas better than any captain I've seen, and I really like you, (y/n)."
You sighed. "I can't. My ship needs me."
Daniel points out to the glimpse of the ocean you can see between the trees, "Is that not your ship sailing away without you?"
Anger rises up within you. You want to enact revenge on your crew, the people you thought you could trust, for abandoning you. It was time for them to be lured by a different siren's song.
"Okay. I'll do it."
Daniel smiles at you, still that smile with those kind eyes, and he takes your hand, pulling you deep to the bottom of the pool. At the base was a rock with some algae. He tears it from the rock, and hands it to you, miming eating. You furrow your brows but he shakes his hands, pleading you to do it, to trust him. You eat the algae, disliking the slimy texture as it creeps down your esophagus.
Searing pain erupts on your neck, your body changing. Right in front of your eyes, Daniel shifts forms, his human legs now a beautiful scaled blue mermaid tail, flecks of scales patching on his torso and skin, his ears pointed upwards. But that smile, reassuring and kind, was still there. You were so glad. He holds your hands gently under the ocean, and you were scared you were going to drown. He seemed to sense this and pulled one of your hands to touch his neck. Gills. He had gills. Then he moved your hand to touch your neck. Gills had grown in there too.
You looked down. Your human feet were gone, human clothes shed in a pile on the pool's floor, replaced with a green tail. Bits of the scales trailed up your torso, your ears also pointed as his had been. You were a siren. You heard Daniel's voice in the ocean, even when his lips were not moving.
We can go to the craggy rocks on the route that they're going to. They'll hear our songs, come right for us, and sink.
You smile deviously, and take his hand.
Let's go.