Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Taking note of the shells on the beach, Bone began idly opening them or slurping out the little critters inside. His claws made quick work of the bivalves, and it was easy to just mindlessly eat. Better than being alone with his thoughts.

Bone was only eating now so his caretaker wouldn’t force it on him later, so he’d have a full belly to show him when he returned to the nest. It was embarrassing for him that he had a caretaker at all, but Bone had been so close to dying of self induced starvation that it was necessary. Without the annoyance of Celeste’s constant reminders to eat and groom and everything else, Bone wouldn’t bother. What was the point without his twin?

Rubbing the scar down his chest and belly, Bone whimpered. Forcibly separated by humans, his conjoined twin hadn’t survived the procedure. He even wondered if the humans had wanted it that way, so they’d have a body to study. He hadn’t even gotten to see his twin’s corpse, just woke up alone in the ‘recovery tank’ and had to overhear it from the humans above.

He was so lost in his grief in the moment, he didn’t notice until it was too late when someone SCREAMED, in his mouth. He’d already swallowed, and shivered, “H-huh? What?”

Feeling over his tummy anxiously, he waited until he felt the much more lively movement of whoever it was and listened hard.

“Get me out of here!”

“I can’t…” he said concerned. Oh he was in deep trouble if Celeste or any of the others found out he’d zoned out again and eaten a person. It was bad enough when he zoned out and ate rocks. Wait. “I-I’ll just send down your shell. Get in, and that should protect you, right? I eat rocks so I know they can’t get mushy.”

Putting the (honestly very pretty) shell in his mouth, Bone gulped it down and shivered. He didn’t like the solid feeling in his throat, but at least now he wasn’t going to be punished for accidentally killing someone (again).

Bone winced as his stomach gurgled unhappily at the large, solid intrusion, but he felt the lively movement stop and groaned softly. He’d at least be able to keep his meal and maybe not get caught having eaten someone by accident if he just went home now. “I’m going home. I’ll bring you back later when the rest of the stuff in there is gone.”

They didn’t answer and he didn’t feel them move, so he assumed they were curled up in their shell and not bothering with him. Bone went back and Celeste praised him for finding food on his own this time. It made him uncomfortable, but at least he’d done something the others approved of. It was…maybe a little better than being left alone. He definitely preferred living with the group than when he’d first been released and been unable to move, laying in his old home he’d shared with his twin.

Curling on the sponge bed, Bone went to sleep for a while, but woke up when his stomach cramped around the shell inside, sitting alone now after the hours of sleep. “Mngh…you alive, tiny thing?”

He hacked and coughed until the shell came back up, groaning a bit before tapping on it. The little mer inside the shell popped a smaller shell bit off the entry and glared at him. She was at least as pretty as her shell was. Hermit crab, probably.

“Didn’t mean to eat you, wasn’t paying attention, so don’t get mad.” Bone pouted a bit, curling the shell in his hands a little closer to his chest, “my caretaker will probably follow me for ages if he finds out so…please do not tell him. It is bad enough he forces me to live instead of joining my brother.”

Her eyes widened, then lost a bit of the anger and she finally spoke, “Okay, so I’m less annoyed now, but…you should know there’s a lot of junk in your belly. Like….a lot. Not just my shell, there’s stuff stuck in the walls.”

Bone blinked a bit, then shrugged, “Not surprised. Tried a lot of things the first few moments I was actually able to move after. Also tend to just eat shit because…shark.”

“That would explain it.” They look at each other for a minute, then she asks, “So…would you like me to get that stuff out? For you? Your belly’s not able to get through my shell, and if I work fast, I could probably clean you up in about…three days? If I go down with every meal?”

“What do you get out of it, tiny crab?” he huffs, laying the shell on his stomach and crossing his arms, pouting, “Nobody does stuff for free. Even caretaker watches me just because he’s a lonely old weirdo.”

Holding up her hands and giving an exhausted sigh, she admits, “I was hoping to exchange keeping your insides clean for a safer house, dude. You aren’t the only one who’s managed to swallow me, and you won’t be the last unless I can find a safe place to chill out.”

Considering the offer for a while, Bone felt his stomach growl as it was empty now, and sighed, “Fine. Caretaker would want that, and I can just tell him you’re my new friend. He’ll be so excited, stupid soft idiot.”

“Works for me, I’ll do whatever you want if I can just…live without being terrified of being eaten for keeps.”

That made him tilt his head, but Bone never was good at thinking much beyond the next hour. So, he picked her shell up and brought her with him, “Going to eat food now. You can meet stupid Celeste and talk to him while we eat, then we’ll go back to my room and you can get started.”

“Nice plan, bud.”

“I’m Bones,” he said, deciding his new friend should probably know his name.

“Call me Seren,” she hums and grins, “I like your name. Sounds tough and skeletons are cool.”

“Thank…you?” Bones wasn’t used to people liking his name. Or him. But that was fine.

Chapter Text

The waves on the surface were churning, and Ford was waiting. It was like this every time, and he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t enjoy it. The humans on the shore were usually dumb, especially during the summer, and this was the first storm of the season. Someone would be out on their boat, and he’d have to save them. Or not, depends on how he was feeling.

He spotted it pretty fast since his night vision was good, the shadow of the sinking boat. It was easy to zoom over to it, to gather the supplies he wanted for his work. But…the human on it. They were so young, clearly not an adult or even close to it, and there was no other scent in the water besides his own. They probably got dragged out on a rip tide while their parents were ashore. Fine. He’d save this one. As much as he hated it, Ford had a very soft heart when it came to children in danger.

Quick as he could, he surfaced with the child and gulped down a lot of air, then dove with the kid’s head in his mouth. The poor thing couldn’t be more than seven years old, and he was worried since they hadn’t moved or cried since he found them. But their pulse was going, and he figured they just fainted since he could feel them breathing now that they were in his mouth in the air. So he very carefully swallowed them, being easy with his teeth, tail propelling them toward shore as fast as he could go.

He could salvage the wreck at he leisure, the child needed to be brought back as soon as possible.

-

Jake woke up in the dark. It was warm and soft, but he could hear a heart and feel the dampness around him.

“D-did I die?” he murmured, scared, and was surprised when he heard a gruff, male voice drone at him.

“Almost, but no. Your boat sank, I saved you. I’m just waiting till the storm is over to take you to shore. There’s too many waves to safely drop you at the beach. I’m even in a cave breathing air right now for your sake.”

“h-huh?” Jake didn’t know why he’d have to breathe air specifically for him. Didn’t everybody breathe air? “But that’s normal?”

“Oh. You don’t realize where you are.” It was a statement, not a question, but a loud gurgle nearby told Jake something.

“Did…are you a monster? Did you eat me?” That was rude, if so, Jake thought. He hadn’t done anything to this person!

“Yes, I swallowed you, but no, I’m not a monster. What’s your name, kid?”

The whatever it was that ate him pressed in on his shoulder and he answered, “I’m Jake. Who’re you?”

“My family calls me Ford. Even if that’s just my middle name. I’m a mer, Jake, and you would have drowned if I hadn’t been waiting for somebody to be stupid and wreck their ship.”

“Oh. Yeah, that’s what I thought would happen,” Jake had been afraid, yeah, but it wasn’t a surprise. He was just glad Ford was there. “So you ate me instead of me drowning?”

“Right,” a little laugh shook Jake a bit and made Jake giggle, “You’re a weird kid, but I’m glad you aren’t wailing or something. Anyway, so like I said, I have to breathe air so you’ll get fresh stuff in there while I wait for the storm to die down. You’re not in my actual stomach, more like a storage pouch for kids, though…” Jake felt Ford poke at him, “usually mer kids and not lost and shipwrecked human ones.”

Jake liked Ford. He was sarcastic and the way he talked sounded bored. Jake had been so bored when his parents left him on the boat for tipping over the sprinkles box at the ice cream shop in the last town. His aunt was supposed to watch him, but she went off to flirt with the guys at the marina. And then the boat drifted away before Jake even knew it.

Ford snuggled into the walls as he got more comfortable, “So your kids go in here?”

“I don’t have kids. I don’t even have a partner.”

“Oh. I guess I’m special then.”

Ford snorted and asked in amusement, “Why’s that, Jake?”

“Well, if you don’t have kids, and this spot’s supposed to be for them, nobody else has been here, right? So I’m the first, which means I’m special.”

There was a pause, then Ford sighed and the wall squeezed in a bit, “Yeah, Jake. I guess you’re right.”

He liked it when Ford sounded happy. Jake decided he’d tell his parents he wanted to come here every year after this one so they could see Ford. But with out Aunt Kelly.

Reassured he was safe, and tired from the ordeal, Jake closed his eyes, “I’m gonna take another nap, Ford. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“You’re welcome, Jake. Get some rest.”

Ford sounded soft right now, even if his heartbeat was normal. Jake figured that meant he liked him. Good. Jake liked Ford, too. He’d make a really great dad later, probably, when he had his own kids. Jake hoped he could meet them.

Chapter Text

Horizon had never been cut out for the pirate’s life, and after he’d jumped ship and managed to escape his crazy brother, he’d been doing better.

Yes, he was stuck as a tavern keeper in a very pirate-y port but it was a steady job, with room and board, and he got to buy his things and enjoy life. At least most of the time.

Like today, he was out on a little dinghy with his new tenant, a soft spoken moon type bot with silly jokes and a very sharp mind. Honestly, Horizon wished this Ganymede guy was his brother instead of…well, best not to think about him. A-and Mede used to be a pirate, too! His former crew marooned him and he only got rescued recently.

The two of them were chatting, about their old lives, favorite ports they’d been to, silly carefree things, when a voice screamed nearby, “H-help!”

Looking toward the voice, they saw a mer caught in a net, laying on a nearby rock outcropping. They looked dried out and tired, eyes glazed, and Mede didn’t even hesitate to row their boat toward the rocks. Horizon took the bucket they were going to use to hold their fish in and began chugging it quickly, knowing what had to be done. This mer was too damaged to just put in the water. One of the bots would have to hold them inside until they could get to shore and treat their wounds, and putting them in seawater would keep them from being more hurt and let them at least be able to be comfortable.

Mede and Horizon gingerly pull the mer on board, and start to snip away at the netting. The poor thing was cut up in several places by the tightness of the net, and they groaned in relief when Rise filled the bucket and poured it over them. Yes, they were on a boat, but this mer had been beached for too long and a life is more important than wet shoes.

Once the netting was removed, and Mede was gathering it, Horizon cooed softly, “Alright, friend. I’m going to put you into my holding pouch. I’m not organic, so I can’t hurt you that way. Just close your eyes, please.”

Too tired and in pain to care, the mer nodded and went nearly limp. Rise was as careful as he could be, Mede helping him lift their tail, as he threaded their head into his mouth and began to swallow them. It was a bizarre thing, since Rise had hardly ever used this feature unless he was very hungry. But his body knew how to accept theirs into the soft embrace inside, and Rise focused on keeping a steady rhythm to make this as easy on his injured passenger as possible.

Watching, fascinated, Mede said quietly as the last of the mer’s tail vanished into Horizon’s mouth, “That was…honestly crazy to watch, Rise. I’ve never been able to handle anything bigger than a chunk of soup, easy gag reflex.”

“mngh, my brother would force feed me if I got too depressed to eat,” Horizon wiped his mouth, “I have no gag reflex anymore, and even if I did, I’d have turned it off for the emergency.”

“Ah, true. I keep forgetting that we can do that after being around humans so much,” Mede began to row them back toward the shore, watching with a soft smile as Rise got another bucket of seawater and drank it, slowly, to keep his guest more cozy.

It felt so strange to have his stomach full like this, the mer’s body curled into a rough circle and the water he’d drank for them sloshing around. Horizon hiccuped and groaned softly, the flexible mesh of his belly stretched and rounded out, making him instinctively rub at it to try and ease the tightness.

Shore came into view, and Mede asked warmly, “Why don’t I go with you back to the tavern? We can keep them in a wash tub while we treat their wounds, and I’ll take them for the night, if you want? Since you reminded me I can turn the reflex off?”

“Thank you, Mede,” Rise mumbled and nodded, smiling at him, “Mngh, just be careful since you’ve done this less than me. I don’t want to lose my best friend so fast.”

“Horizon…” Mede smiled and quickly hopped onto the dock as they pulled up, tying the boat to a pylon and steadying the craft while helping him out. “You aren’t losing me, I swear. I won’t leave you, and I know you won’t leave me.”

Rise’s heart throbbed almost painfully as he heard the sincerity, the soft warmth and support, in Mede’s words as well as his gentle grip on his hand before letting go. The two went back to the tavern as carefully as they could, ready to care for the mer and to solidify a friendship that was going to last.

Chapter Text

You’d been tumbling for an hour, knocked from your ship’s hull by a stray meteor, and now you were being circled by…well, star creatures. They were shaped like mermaids, but glowed like they were lit from inside, eyes with white starbursts in the center and black everywhere else. One had a long flowing appendage on its head, sparkling and flowing like the milky way itself and ending in a red light, its face grey as your shuttle on one side and dark blue on the other, his body matching and tail entirely blue with yellow spots, but arms starting grey and fading to black clawed fingers.

The other was yellow and cream, red stripes going down its tail, a fan of spines surrounding its face like the rays of a simple sun drawing. Both smiled at you, showing sharp teeth, but the warm colored one gently curled around you and nuzzled, stopping your tumbling and leaving you upright as far as you could tell. You were in space, there was no real ‘up’ anymore.

Blue tail tilted their head at you, then put his hand on your helmet, closing his eyes.

“Ah, there you are.”

Hearing the voice startled you, being so raspy and sibilant, but the blue one smiled wider. “We are well versed in telepathy, human. You would call me Moon, and he is Sun. We are travelers, much like you. We will take you back to your vessel if you will let us journey with you. It has been too long since we had more than each other to speak to.”

Sun pressed his head into the back of your helmet and you heard an energetic voice join Moon’s, “And we’ll keep you safe as can be, we promise! It’s been centuries of travel and we’ve only had one or two companions, just for a leg of the journey. We’re tired of being alone, little light, so we will go where you go. We can follow your trail back to your ship, just relax. Moon will put you inside so you won’t lose your air. Just a taste of it and we can make it for you~”

That confused you, but it was better than dying. So, you agree hesitantly, “I’d prefer not being a drifting corpse forever, so…yes.”

You could FEEL the sadness and shocked horror as the two sparkling space beings reeled back, and Moon nodded quickly before opening his mouth and pushing you inside, suit and all. Ah, so this is what Sun meant by “inside” and making the air you need. Trying to calm down, you force your muscles to relax, which, now that you know you’re going to be safe and not suffocate, is a lot easier to do than it would have been before.

Moon’s throat was strong, but it didn’t crush you, just shunted you forward quickly, his gulping making it go even faster. Soon, you were pushed through a dark blue ring and could see the inside of his stomach. It was just as spangled as his tail, glowing white and yellow dots embedded in the walls, letting you see slightly as you tumbled fully in.

“now, darling,” Moon’s voice hissed softly in your mind, “take that helmet off and hold your breath for about the count of fifteen. The space will be full of the same composition as your suit was full of by then. And don’t worry about the pressure, I took that information along with your language.”

It was scary, but you had no choice but to trust him. Either you’d die instantly of depressurization, or you’d live. Instant death was a better fate than slowly suffocating, so you clicked the release for your helmet after a soft plea to the divine to take care of you.

Fifteen was a long count when you were worried for your life, but you had successfully removed your helmet. Ten, and you distracted yourself by rubbing the smooth fleshy walls. Five, you could feel your heartbeat in your ears.

You let your breath out and breathe, only to find it was the freshest breath you’d had in hours. Sun and Moon had been very correct that they could manufacture the correct breathing mix for you from just the sample out of your helmet.
“Now, take off that silly suit,” Moon sounded very amused, “and get comfortable. Sleep, if you can. Sun and I will find your ship, and you can tell us how to get in.”

Sun’s voice cooed, softer than Moon’s, which you attributed to his not touching you currently, “You’re safe with us, little light. Always.”

Out of your bulky suit, cradled in the warm softness of Moon’s inner walls, you feel the muscles slowly massaging you and the fear of your previous hours gets to you. Your body gives out, and you fall asleep almost instantly from the adrenaline drop.

Chapter Text

Your town had been a fishing village for as long as anybody could remember, and as far back as any records showed as well. Everything the residents required came from the sea. Food was pulled from the waters in nets, warmth came from the driftwood and shipments of firewood, and the money to pay for anything else was easily made selling the fish, shells, and crustaceans that were dredged up every day.

But every year, the festival came and you all paid tribute to the Kraken, protector of your town and destroyer of the invaders. Long ago, the kraken had sank and eaten an invading army, and from then on it was venerated.

It hadn’t exactly been in living memory, but the tradition was fun and you enjoyed the festival music and food, and the kites. Flying kites with many long tails like the tendrils of the deity, eating dishes made from the land only to save the sea for their protector, slaughtering a sheep specifically for the kraken and then sinking it to the sea floor by the legs… okay maybe not that part. The mutton stew that the Jergans family made was good, though. And the nice fresh bread and pastries.

Midwinter, when everyone was scraping by on what could be had, dreaming of the summer festival fondly to keep spirits up, you were startled awake by a roar, and the sound of screaming and fire.

Getting up, getting your shoes and coat on as fast as you could, you run out into the cold and find the village in chaos as fires spread and a massive sea serpent, black as the night itself, writhing in the waters as it thrashes its body and breaks everything it can along the shore.

You rush to join the water brigade with your own bucket and water pump, but the water makes your hands numb and you quickly become useless, having to go back to your home to grab your gloves. The village can’t afford to lose the hands of its only doctor.

Dressing warmly as you can, knowing you’ll be out all night tending to wounded and possibly dying people, you brace yourself as you exit your home again, and the screams cry out again as a figure rises from the water, just as tall as the serpent rises, but humanoid, a long appendage fluttering off his head and coming to a tip crowned with a golden light. The male, for the deep rasping voice could belong to no woman you could imagine, spoke as he approached the now stilled serpent, “You have violated my territory and my people. You bring this fate upon yourself.”

That voice came from the depths, and as a ring of tentacles rises from the water, the people cheer and begin to work harder to keep the fires under control and stop the spread. The kraken himself has appeared, and he begins to fight viciously with the serpent, drawing it deeper into the waters and away from the docks.

While the fight goes on, your village works as quickly as possible, clearing the survivors and digging for the injured in the rubble left behind as fast and safely as they can. Then, once everyone is accounted for, you have them carry the hurt to the town meeting hall, where everyone remains save for a few who stand outside and watch the battle.

Soon enough, you’re watching out the window as you’re soaking off the dried soot and debris on someone, as the kraken takes the serpent in both hands and shoves it head first into his maw, sharp teeth glittering in the moonlight as he bites, the swallows, over and over and over again until his chest is red with blood and the last of the wicked creature’s tail is vanishing down his throat.

The rest of the village cheered, and soon the kraken himself was lying, tired but victorious, on the shoreline. You stayed to tend to the wounded, which were blessedly few, but the rest besides a few women with their children, went down to reverently speak with their guardian deity. His voice carried on the wind, soft despite its size, “Oh, my dear humans…it warms my heart to finally be able to repay your centuries of dedication. The beast will not bother you again, I’ve made sure of that. But I ask to rest with you for a bit, as it was a harsh battle and I require some time to heal.”

No one would object, and you were glad you’d have a chance to meet him yourself after your work was done.

-

He tried, he really did, but no matter how much he rested, no matter how carefully he moved, Kacey couldn’t leave the bay, or even get far from the shore without intense nausea and pain. The little humans who lived in his village were concerned, and their doctor treated his bites from the serpent easily, but he didn’t feel well at all.

The doctor was kind, having ensured their patients were all seen to before coming to offer their gratitude to him. He didn’t need their gratitude, just their happiness, but he appreciated their soft touch and steady care as they started to clean and bandage the bites and cuts from his battle.

Kacey told them his name after the first day, unable to stand the grandiose titles any longer. It made the little doctor laugh, how simple his name was, but they made him feel welcome and safe despite his pain, so their laughter was soothing.

After a while, when he was sure the serpent’s body had fully broken down, Kacey realized he was still feeling heavy and sluggish. There had to be something inside him, there was no explanation he could think of otherwise.

“Little healer,” he whispered as quietly as he possibly could, their eyes on him before he even finished the first word, “I am about to put a protection on you, should you agree to my plan.”

Impossibly small fingers curled around one of his,fingertips, and he hummed at the comfort, “I believe some sort of parasite has found itself within me. I need someone to remove them, if they exist, and you are the only healer of any sort for leagues. I cannot escape to the sea to find my sons for help, and the other humans do not have the knowledge required. I wish to put a spell of protection over you, so you may breathe and walk unharmed on your mission. Please…”

-

You couldn’t parse what he was asking for a moment, but then you come back to the present. “O-oh, of course. Yes, you’re large enough that would be the most efficient method.”

His grateful smile, soft curls of his lips and half lidded, slightly teary eyes, made your heart skip a beat. Kacey’s massive fingertip slid down from the top of your head down the back of your legs, and you felt as well as saw golden magic seeping into you.

“There, small one.” He murmurs, very gentle as he shuffles you toward his mouth. “The shielding will keep you safe. And even if it wore off, I am even now flooding myself with the energy to protect you. Hurry…I do not know what is wrong, but I grow weaker by the day.”

Heart stinging at the idea of this polite, soft spoken, caring giant being in such trouble, you climb willingly into his mouth, and are swallowed without much ado.

His flesh was black inside, but spotted with weakly glowing spots of white. You slip down his throat like a slide, smoothly with the rippling walls hardly needing to touch your body. Hitting the bottom, you were squeezed through a ring and slid down a short curve. A small light fluttered into your hands as you stood up in the large space, and lit your way in the dimness. The bones of the serpent were obvious, but as you walked around them, you spotted something that made you turn white. They looked like leeches, but red instead of black, mouths latched into the flesh of the walls and drinking deep of Kacey’s blood.

“Hey!” You used a broken rib bone as a projectile and tossed it at the nearest leech. It hit it in the back, which made it drop off with a screech and turn toward you. More of the things detached from the walls, but something in the shadows jumped on them as they came. It was…well, instead of the cat sized leeches, it was a pair of humanoid creatures, with long wriggling tails that sported deep red stars patterned onto lighter red skin.

They easily killed and ate the leeches, then looked at you.

“Other, they’re able to speak.”

“Yes, they are,” the one with a smoother voice agreed, slipping forward in the damp, “What are you that you can speak as we do? We’ve been alone here for so long, and only ever understood each other and Father.”

“Father?” you asked, “Who’s your father?”

“We are inside him,” said the growling voice, gesturing around and glaring at you like you were an idiot, “We were born in here, live here. Now these annoying pests keep stealing Father’s blood. We are the only ones allowed to drink of it. They’re greedy little wriggly things!”

Blinking, you wish you could ask Kacey what to do, but you aren’t sure you can right now. Instead you shake your head, “Your father asked me to come in here to get rid of the pests.”

“Oh?” They both spoke at the same time, looked at each other, then grinned with their bloodstained teeth, sharp as a shark. No, wait. You realize more what their teeth look like. The curving yellow spikes, though not in the typical circle, are the teeth of a lamprey. Now you know what they are. Lamprey mers, most likely parasites themselves, but they consider their host their father. You have no idea what happened to their actual parent, but these two are strong and fully grown, so they’ve adapted to life here very well.

“You are the one he was begging just now.” The smoother brother chuckled, “Father has talked to himself so much about you. We’re willing to help if you help us rid Father of these thieves.”

“yes yes, rip and tear the stupid slippery things!” said the other, drool leaking from his mouth in pink foam.

“Okay, um…do you two have names or…?”

“Father once spoke of something called a Bloodmoon,” you notice that the smoother voice tends to speak more clearly and in full sentences, also being quicker to react to you. “We liked that word since Father speaks about Suns and Moons and such as family. We are Bloodmoon.”

“Two is one, one is two, Bloodmoon for both, yes,” the other singsonged happily, swaying his head back and forth.

“Okay, um, thank you for your help then, Bloodmoon. Can you search out any more that might be hiding in this chamber before we move on?”

They didn’t answer, just shot off across the slick ground, letting you hear more screeches and squishes as the two lampreys devoured the intrusive blood suckers. They came back, both their more humanoid stomachs looking a little rounded, but the hunger in their eyes had not dimmed. The light you hand flashed pink, then zoomed off, hovering in front of an opening in the wall.

“Father’s magic wants to go deeper,” The rough one laughed happily and wriggled over, easily plunging through.

The other brother narrowed his eyes and smiled, reminding you of a pleased cat, “You can tell us when we’re done and heal Father, yes? If so, we will enjoy showing you our home.”

He pushed you through the opening, and followed after you, leaving you both in a long winding tunnel that was filled with soft textured walls that waved like windblown wheat. Or they would, if the whole area wasn’t dotted with the horrible leeches. The twins went insane, attacking and slashing at the creatures, popping the full ones and ripping the others in half. You had to cover your eyes and wait for the mad laughter and growls to settle down into wet slurping and gulps.

Both Bloodmoons were watching you, eating the remains of their kills and tilting their heads.

The rougher, less refined one asked, “Father likes you, but you hide like a weakling. You’re no warrior. How did he expect help from the likes of you?”

“I’m a doctor. I heal for a living, and if this had been a sickness rather than these…awful parasites, I’d have been able to treat it with medicine and make your father better over a week.” Looking at the pale cast to the flesh around you, your heart throbs again, “This much anemia will take a lot of iron rich foods and time to fully recover from.”

“What’s anemia?” he seemed confused and both looked worried.

“it’s what happens when you’re low on blood. Your father is tired, weakened, and sick from how much blood these things have stolen from him. I’d say they probably came from inside the serpent if you two have lived here all your lives and never seen them before.”

“Father…is going to be okay, right?” the smoother voiced one asked carefully, both clinging to each other. “We killed our mother because our egg was too big with both of us in it. We only know from finding her bones. Father has been our world…”

“I’m not going to lie, boys, he’s very weak right now and losing more blood might do permanent damage.” You saw them flinch, and you add, “You two can help him by bringing him food, if you want to fix this. He needs the nutrients, and there’s nothing left from the serpent. His whole system is very empty and pale…”

“Other, we must leave,” said the rough one, sounding panicked, “Father cannot feed us or we lose our home, we shall feed him instead, have to!” He tugged on his twin’s arm, red eyes wild, “We must go forward and kill all the squishy pests, and then help Father!”

“You are right, other,” replied the twin, looking up at you, “the orb will tell us when the nasty things are gone, yes?”

“I think so,” you let the orb float and it flashes, leading the three of you down the tunnel and to another exit flap. This surprisingly lead to another even larger stomach chamber, more bones from the serpent laying about and more leeches.

You realized this was going to be a long journey, but hopefully the twins would help you.

-

Kacey could feel it as the drain on his body slowly ebbed, even as something squirmed deeper and deeper into his guts. It was…odd, knowing his little human could never make that much commotion on their own. Still, he had to be patient. Whatever was going on, it was working.

His stomachs were gurgling, empty, but the living legend was too tired and too careful about jostling his passenger to even imagine moving. So there he lay, on the beach and drifting in and out of sleep, until he woke up and…

“oh?” the little doctor was in front of him. How…oh…Kacey blushed deeply and hid his face in the sand until he realized there was more than just them. “I suppose this is what was making me sick?”

“No, Father!” said the red mer on the right, seeming distraught in his gravelly voice, “we killed the nasty thick worms that were feeding on you.”

“The Bloodmoon twins have helped me eradicate the leeches that probably lived in the sea serpent. These two have been living in your guts their whole lives.” The little doctor smiles happily, and Kacey nods, amazed.

“Bloodmoon? Is that the name you’ve chosen for yourselves, my sons? How do you wish others to tell you apart?” Kacey felt his heart swelling with parental love as he realized these were essentially children he’d carried himself.

The twins beamed and the other one, his voice smoother and more in the register of Kacey’s own, “We don’t know, but we like red. Our world is red, our selves are red, our food is red.”

“Crimson,” he pulled the smooth voiced one close to look him over, “and Scarlet,” his tendril nudges the grittier twin to lay beside his brother, “my dedicated boys. Already grown, but newborn, still, to me.”

Snickers echoed around the beach as the twins basked in their father’s praise and affection for the first time, and his friend sighed and went to lay in the surf. Kacey would have the boys wash off, too, in a bit….when he got over the joy of finding out he had two sons who had saved his life without ever knowing them face to face.

-

It was adorable watching Kacey curl around into the water and wash his twins like they were tiny babies (though to him they certainly were tiny, even if leaning up on their hands made them as tall as you). The twins were confused about why they needed it, not liking the cold seawater after living their life in the warmth of their father’s body.

You hurried out of the cold winter water once you were sure any filth or sticky residue from your excursion inside your friend’s body had gone, not having to move far before a tentacle brought you close to him to warm.

“I have you to thank, my dear,” Kacey sighed happily as the twins were both sheltering in the curve of his neck, hissing at the cold water. “for my life and my sons.”

Before you could explain, he shushed you, “I’m aware I did not father them traditionally, but they have grown fed by my blood and body. I doubt they could be more mine even if I had courted their mother rather than being her unknowing shelter and tomb. They told me the tale while you were cleansing yourself.”

The back of one claw slipped down your cheek tenderly, “I will be a much more active presence in this village, and my other sons will be brought to meet their brothers. And the brilliant person who managed to care for a village and its guardian to the furthest reaches of their abilities.”

You can’t view Kacey as the legend he is anymore. He’s both more and less, more dear, more close, more tied to your heart, but less intimidating, less fearsome, and less unreachably noble. He was your friend Kacey, your crush Kacey, and the gentle dad down by the beach.

Chapter Text

Drifting. That’s all Pen could tell was going on. He was drifting and everything ached horribly. What had happened? He had been talking to his friend and…something bad.

Opening his eyes, he saw that the water was full of bits of…something. Some kind of flesh. But he couldn’t see any kind of anima- oh. That was an orca, that he was sitting between the halves of. His father was nearby, having obviously munched on the other attackers.

“D-dad?” Pen mumbled, drifting upward in the water and letting the blood slough off.

“My son,” the rumbling, soft voice of his father was soothing as he extended a hand to draw Pen close, “It is good that you have come back to yourself. Your rampage was legendary to say the least.” He looked over his son, making sure every black and gold scale was in place on his body.

“I don’t remember any of it,” He said as he laid his upper body in the palm of his father’s hand, flat on his back.

“Well, the orca hunting pack approached you while you were having an outing, with your cleaner friend, I believe. I don’t know all of the events, but I arrived as you tore apart that one over there and took care of the few who still wished to fight.” long black and grey fingertips gently stroked over his stomach, and pen finally realized that he was uncomfortably full, “It seems to me you swallowed your friend up to keep them safe from air breathing menaces.”

Putting his hand to his belly, Pen winced a bit as the mer inside wriggled, “o-oh geeze, mngh, I don’t even remember that much. I just remember talking and something bad happening, but not what. Guess my instincts took over.”

Kacey, his father, chuckled softly as his eldest son carefully spit up his friend, “It is good to see you caring so deeply for someone that you would put your body and life between them and harm. A proud day to be your father, most assuredly.”

Pen ‘s friend looked dazed, and he was gently flushing away some lingering mucus on their skin, “Stars, I’m so sorry. That was pure instinct, but are you okay? I didn’t bite you, did I?”

They shook their head, then hugged him and shook, “Pen…”

His heart ached, and when he put his arms around them, he saw the bite on their tail, deep and still bleeding, but far too big to have come from his own mouth. That was what had set him off, seeing the orca bite his friend. Pen usually used magic, but the fear and panic of that sort of thing had set off his temper and…

Well, they were safe. He used his own magic, wrapping his tail around theirs to cover the bite wound in healing energy. “I’m so sorry I didn’t notice the hunting pack earlier. You got hurt and I probably scared you stiff just swallowing you out of nowhere.”

“no,” they whimpered, holding him tight and hiding their face in his shoulder, “the bite hurt too much for me to be scared of you. I couldn’t move from the pain and then I was curled up away from everything. My brain kind of switched off and I just cried.”

“Can’t blame you for that, but you’re healed and safe now,” unwrapping their tails, Pen saw that only a few faint four pointed white scars marked where each tooth had gone into them, but the damage was gone. He fussed over them for a moment or two more, then sighed, “But you should stay with me for a bit. You shouldn’t be alone after something like that.”

“Mmhm,” they looked up at him, eyes puffy from crying, and he gave them a soft smile before pulling them with him toward his dad. Gigantic as he was, his father could get them home much faster than either of them could swim right now.

Chapter Text

Moondrop reached up and pulled you into the water slowly, cradling you to his chest. He hated to see his little human upset, you knew, but tonight was a bad night. Sleep had evaded you, and your mind raced with thoughts of every embarrassing action you’d ever done, every regret and loss replaying, anything your mind could conjure to torment you.

“Dear little warm thing,” Moon’s rasp wraps around you like a soft blanket, one finger brushing your cheek, “Why does the sea leak from your eyes?”

“Memories, fears, a bad case of anxiety…so many reasons, Moon,” you rest on his shoulder and let him hold you limply.

“Ah,” he purrs a bit, a sneaky smile creeping up on you, “then I know where you need to be.”

Giggles spilled out as he licked your cheek tenderly, bunting his forehead against yours. He was right, though. Any night you had nightmares or your anxiety flared like this, it had always helped to let Moon hold you, either in his arms, or as he was implying now, in his belly.

He hums happily as you kiss his cheek, then murmurs, “So, I have your permission then?”

“Yes, Moon,” you relax as he adjusts his hold to get you in a better position, “I need to sleep, and I never sleep better than when I’m with you.”

His lure glows brightly under the water, going with the soft glow of his blush, but he grins like the shark he is and opens his jaws wide to fit your head in, cushioning his teeth with his tongue as he does. With how much he’s drooling at the idea of taking you inside, and from your flavor as you touch his tongue, it’s not very long before you’re slick enough for him to start swallowing in big, greedy gulps.

Your mind couldn’t spiral as the sounds of his body at work surrounded you. His heart thumping, the soft gurgle of his lower guts as you entered his stomach proper, the swishing of his tail keeping him on the surface as he swallowed the last of your body, all layered together to a soothing white noise that blanked your mind along with the cozy temperatures and soft grip of his muscles.

Moon licked his teeth when he got you down, letting himself sink back into the depths to enjoy his time. A sigh went through him as he cycled more water through his gills, rubbing at your back through his skin, “You’re always just the perfect fit, sweetfish, and delicious, too.” His body felt pleasantly weighed down, tail lazily fanning the water as he rested on the bottom. “All of you is precious to me, so don’t fret any more. Sleep close to my heart, as it should be.”

It was more than enough for you to smile and curl up, hearing those soft words of love from your Moondrop. You’d long found out that sleeping with the fishes was far more your speed, and even with as tense as you had been, you fell asleep quickly and easily surrounded by Moon.

-

Moon waited for his darling human to be fully asleep before moving off into the deep. His body already was more than used to going about his business with this much inside, and he had to talk to Sun about this. His first partner knew everything about his human, and Moon figured it was high time he brought them home with him.

Sun greeted him enthusiastically, his soft glow lighting their nest well, “Moony! Did you catch something good?”

“No,” Moon swam up and kissed him. “My poor landbound sweetie couldn’t sleep again.”

“oh, that’s awful.” Sun frowned, hugging Moon before rubbing his tummy in sympathy with its occupant, “Is there anything I can do for them? I’ve been so eager to meet them, but if they feel bad, I don’t want to push.”
“I thought they’d enjoy knowing they were doubly taken care of when they wake in the morning,” Moon purred, arm still around Sun’s waist. I know you’re going to sleep soon, so why don’t we snuggle with them in the middle until then?”

“Perfect,” Sun giggled, pulling Moon with him to the bed of sponges and softly woven seaweed. The lovers laid down together, tails winding together as their foreheads touched and Sun’s soft rays fluttered around in the current. The touch of sun’s hand on Moon’s full stomach was delicate and gentle, adoring his partner and happily tending to the (hopefully) new friend inside.

“They remind me of you when we first met, Sunny,” came the soft admission from Moon, his red eyes slightly sad as he puts his hand over Sun’s, “sad, worried about everything…it hurts to see that on the faces of both the people I love.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Sun purred, “I’m sorry to hear that. But if it’s anything like what I went through, then your love will help by leagues, if only in knowing they have someone who cares. Do they have anyone on land?”

“Only a handful, if that,” Moon’s voice was quiet, as if not wanting to wake the sleeping human inside him, “They take medication on nights like this, but…they ran out.”

Whimpering softly, Sun cuddled up to Moon. He knew how hard those sort of feelings and experiences were, and wanted to help. It was warming Moon’s heart and he gave Sun a kiss, “You’ll help them, I know. Just rest, sunshine.”

Sun nodded, letting himself relax. He just hoped the little human would feel better in the morning.

Chapter Text

That’s all you could see when you opened your eyes. Flashes of blue, pink, white, and red. Scales shimmering in the watery light from above.

Wait. WATER.

You feel the panic shoot through your chest, but you can’t get up, body too sore and tired. You had fallen off the cruise ship and didn’t know anything after that.

A soft voice murmurs, “They’re awake but aren’t moving. Are they hurt?”

“I think so, at least they’re sore, anyway,” answers another, and you have to wonder how you’re hearing anything. Why are you feeling pain if you drowned? Did you end up in hell? Some kind of bizarre isekai?

Finally looking around as best you can while you’re too sore to move anything more, you make sense of the flashes of scales. Two mers, one pink and red, the other blue and white, slowly circling you as they discuss what’s happening.

“Poor dear. They’re lucky we were following the ship to catch the fish that it attracts,” the pink one says, voice soft, probably more in a tenor range, the soft appendage that trailed behind his head ending in a glowing pink ball. He had a darker mark on his face that looked like a crescent moon, and when you looked over at the other mer, he had it too, but his was white while the inside of the crescent was blue.

“They’re at least conscious enough to follow our conversation,” the white one says, the baby blue accents on him just as soft as the pink was on the other mer, “Well, human, you don’t have to worry about anything right now. I’m Avior, and this is my twin brother, Pinkie. We gave you the kiss of breath, so you’re safe from drowning, but you’re still clearly injured from your fall.”

“I’ll take you in,” the newly introduced Pinkie chirped, gently lifting you from where you were laying (on a rock? The seabed?) as he spoke, “and we’ll take you to our friend Chill. He’s a healer.”

Avior’s face appeared by his brother’s shoulder, “The process will look like you’re being eaten. You aren’t. We have internal pouches to hold our young, and it’s stretchy enough to hold someone like you easily.” He smiled, and you watched the triangular structures around his face flutter. “We’ll take very good care of you, I swear on my honor as a postman.”

Mermaids have mail, apparently. That’s something you can appreciate learning, even as Pinkie opens his mouth and puts you in feet first, your sore body aching as he did so, but loving the warmth of it. His mouth was soft, and you had to wonder what you tasted like. Still, you did sort of panic even though you’d been told what was going on. For all you knew, they were lying. Then again, if they’d just wanted to eat you, they could have easily done that while you were unconscious and they wouldn’t have bothered to let you be able to breathe (somehow?) so it was just anxiety talking.

Pinkie’s eyes looked at you curiously as he steadily swallowed more and more of you. No malice you could see, just interest and a bit of happiness. He was very careful with you, too, trying his best not to aggravate your body more than he had to, supporting your neck and back.

Avior swam around in small but slow circles, letting you see that he had the filmy rainbow fin-wings of a flying fish. “Once you’re all tucked away, we’ll get going, but feel free to ask questions. Pinkie will still be able to hear you.” His smile was closed lipped, but soft, and you appreciated his reassurance. Knowing you could be heard was a relief, and you relaxed more as you felt your feet enter a bigger chamber, but your exposed skin didn’t burn.

Your world went dark, and you sank into the cushiony flesh of Pinkie’s mouth and throat easily. Once you finally hit bottom, you realize there are soft pink spots glowing in the walls, and your fingers began to idly trace the ones you could reach without making your arms hurt. Around you, Pinkie purred and said with a sigh, “That feels very nice, human, thank you. We’ll get you better in no time. Just relax, maybe sleep? That helps healing, so that’s probably a good idea.”

His hands press in on the walls, and you lean into the pressure, the muscles of the walls combining with it to make a deep massage that eased your aches and made your whole body relax. Honestly, you couldn’t keep your eyes open, and the last conscious thought you had before your eyes closed again was that you wish you’d gotten pouched by a mer years ago.

Chapter Text

you’d been surviving inside the ship for days after the crash.

On the one hand, yay, you have a whole cruise ship to yourself. On the other, you got left behind because your asshole ex-fiance just wanted your money. That you don’t actually have. He just thinks you do because you own your house and have nice furniture. Which was all inherited.

So here you are, sitting in the lower decks where the water has entered and eating your lunch of peanut butter and crackers. With slightly more than room temperature water since it’s so freaking hot.

When you see the glow in the water, you think you’re imagining it due to isolation, but when you take deep breaths to calm yourself, you look up and not only is it still there, it’s very obviously eyes. Big glowing yellow eyes.

“Oh geeze!” you scramble away from the water, clutching your food because like heck you’re feeding some creature with either yourself OR your hard scavenged food. The eyes come closer and a yellow head peeks over the surface, those eyes now white orbs in a lemon yellow face with a burned scar on the left side, making a dark crescent shape as it spots you and rises up more as it pushes up from the hole in the floor.

It trills softly, floppy yellow protrusions hanging limply around its head, making it use one enormous hand that had far too many joints to be comfy with you to push one out of its face. Its mouth has fangs like a deep sea nightmare, which it very well could be, and you notice it followed your movements with its head. When you didn’t make noise or get up from where you’d scooted away, it decided it should also lay down, spreading out its gangling arms to slowly, watching your reaction more than where its hand was, reach toward you.

When you scoot away again, it whines and pulls its hand back, cooing and trilling again before once more reaching out.

“What the heck do you want? I’m not going to let you just touch me when you could be hunting me, bro,” You say it for yourself mostly, not expecting him to stop and then tilt his head, pulling his hand back and looking at it.
He then chirped, needle-filled mouth turning into a frown as he let his head flop over, whimpering and whining and worrying his hands together.

It understood you, and you’d started calling it a ‘he’. Well…he did know what you were saying so… “Are you a boy” you held out your right hand, “or a girl,” you held out the left one.

Getting a point to your right hand, you smiled, “Boy. Okay, so were you hunting me?”

He shook his head so hard the triangles flopped around and smacked into his face and the back of his head.

“No? Just curious?” That got a nod, and the smile came back. He was the definition of ugly cute when he smiled. “Well, I’m a human. But since you know English, you probably already knew that.” Another nod.

He reached out again, and this time you sighed and didn’t move, just finishing your food. His thumb rubbed your head very carefully, fingertips tracing the curve of your back, those white eyes that had no pupils squinting a little as he chirped and trilled.

After a while of this, and you finishing your meal, you looked up at him, “I’m going to call you Sunny, because you’re yellow and those dangly things look like sun rays.”

Tilting his head from side to side, the thing cooed and nudged you, writing in the mud on the floor with a finger, “Summer”

“Oh?! Your name is Summer?”

He smiled brightly and nodded, then wrote elsewhere, “Shadow,” and pointed down into the water. Looking where he pointed, you saw tiny red lights deeper down, realizing this was another creature like Summer.

“o-oh!” the fact there was more than one of them here makes you a bit shaky.

Summer scooted you closer, and despite your nerves you let him. His nudges his mostly flat face against you and makes a deep groan even as he smiles. It’s like a whale noise, so you suppose it’s a good thing.

What you don’t expect is the splash and Summer turning to hiss at whatever just sprayed you with seawater, before you’re shoved into a dark, yellow, squishy cave and a loud gulp pushes you forward and down. You realize far too late that you’d just been swallowed, about when you legs get licked as you go past his tongue.

Struggling was impossible with how tight his throat was, so you just wriggle frantically until you’re dumped into a small, kneading pouch. Then you make a fuss.

-

Summer whimpered and pawed at his belly as he chittered and hissed at his mate, angry at his impatience as he’d been trying to coax the cute little warm thing. He wanted friends, dang it, and now they were scared and fighting him inside. While he could easily understand human speech, he can’t replicate it, and thus can’t figure out how to reassure his unwilling passenger they’re safe.

Shadow blinked, his red eyes and long sparkling lure on his head guttering out in shame. He’d just been curious why his sweetie was taking so long, but hadn’t realized there was a friend up here. They’d thought the big human carrier was empty and were going to move in. He supposed they still could move in, but now he had to help figure out how to calm his mate’s new friend. That was easy enough, Shadow had some minor hypnotic powers with his voice, so he gurgled and cooed a soft tune, hugging Summer around the middle and rubbing his face over his tummy. He loved doing this even if Summer DIDN’T have a friend in there, enjoying the affection both given and received.

Even if he was still mad, Summer calmed down as he heard Shadow singing, even if the hypnotic part wasn’t directed at him. Shadow loved him, and hadn’t meant to scare the human, so…okay, Summer would forgive him. Still…he crooned and purred softly nudging at the human as their fighting stopped. They were shaking and crying, he could feel the sobs, so Summer quickly crawled up onto the floor and opened up one of the doors. The room was damp, sure, but it was dark, quiet, and the big square in the middle was soft, so Summer quickly spit up the human on it.

They flinched and trembled as they landed, looking up at him in terror, and Shadow blinked in from the door.

“Wh-what? Why’d you do that?!”

Summer turned and frowned at Shadow, who slunk forward. He knew he was in trouble, and gurgled softly in his throat as he put his head on the bed, eyes still very dim while he tried to apologize.

“This…he scared you?” the human looks at Summer, who nods quickly. “And is this Shadow?” More nodding. His human was so smart, putting things together very fast. They were pouty at Shadow, too, but then sighed and laid on the soft square. “good grief. Okay…thank you for protecting me, I guess.”

The fact they weren’t angry made Summer almost go limp with relief, so he just flopped his head onto the bed, too, purring deeply. Shadow trilled a bit, nudging the human’s foot, and they nudged him back.

“Just don’t do that without warning unless it’s an emergency. Either of you. That usually means we’re gonna die for humans.”

Oh. That made both of them upset and they crooned sadly. Neither wanted the little soft thing to be scared or upset. They’d let the poor dear rest, and they quietly discussed, in their own way, how best to take care of the cute human.

Chapter Text

Tangled in the net, Hunter snarled and bit, but it did no good. He had to get back, Hydra was alone and his brother wasn’t a fighter of any kind.

His struggles drew the attention of someone, who was walking around the shore nearby. Growling at them, he wanted them to stay back, but the human was clearly shocked to see him and began to frantically search their pockets. He snarled when they brought out a knife, which made them flinch, but they said something in their language as they took a piece of the net near them and cut it with the weapon.

It was tense, but Hunter realized, as the human knelt by the edge of the net and didn’t move, that they intended to cut him free. Going limp, he glared at them, but did a curt nod. That got the land creature to move and start using their knife to snap the net connections. The progress was slow, but the human kept babbling and Hunter found himself following the tone of their voice more than their indecipherable words. They sounded apologetic, nervous almost, and then would get frustrated at the net and angrily ball up any little piece they cut loose before stuffing it into the duffel bag hanging off their shoulder.

As he got more free, and the human got a red metal box out of their bag to rub something slightly sticky into the cuts the ropes had made, Hunter realized he hadn’t found any food for him and Hydra. His stomach growled, and the human made sad sounds, but what surprised him most was them looking into the tide pools and using their knife to open up a mussel they found there, handing it to him with a big smile.

Not one to turn down a free snack that he’d seen them hunt with his own eyes, he slurped up mollusk and sighed happily. Now at least he’d be able to get something after all this was over. But the problem came with how he’d thank this human for their rescue and gift for him. All the treasure he knew about was Hydra’s not his, and he couldn’t even understand a word they said so they surely wouldn’t understand him trying to thank them or give instructions.

There was one option, but he was reluctant to do that. The Kiss of Life, an ancient magic between humans and mers that would grant the human the ability to breathe underwater and both speak and understand mer, was something he’d never done and didn’t plan on doing but…he didn’t think he had an option. It was the only gift he could give at this point in return for both a meal and his life.

So he waited. Bit by bit the net was pulled away from him fully, and Hunter was freed, but he sat still until the human got closer to his face. Then, pouncing on them, he pulled them into the kiss, waiting until he could feel the difference in the way they breathed before letting go.

“What the heck was that about!?” they yelped as they fell back, blushing and panting. “I save your life and you just smooch me like that? Huh? Is this a culture thing?”

“Sort of?” Hunter shrugged, and they startled, “Kiss of Life, means you can understand me and I can understand you. Also, you can breathe underwater now so…you’re welcome and thank you for saving my life.”

“I…oh…” the human seemed to have the wind taken out of their sails and sat there for a while, then looked up at him, “So how did you end up here? And what’s your name?”

Snickering, Hunter crawled over to them and lay on his front, tail waving a bit, “My name is Hunter, and that’s what I was doing. Hunting. Now.” He plucks various fish away from the netting, them having suffocated in the air. Wrapping them up in a cloth he had wrapped around his waist (thank stars or he’d have rope marks there, too), Hunter grinned, “Now, I’m going to pouch you and take you to meet my brother. He’ll have something a bit more useful to your average human for you, and he won’t be angry that I didn’t let him thank you in person for saving me.”

“Pouch? Huh?” well, they might not get it now, but he was about to show them.

“Come here, friend,” he gestured, and they crawled over, not moving when he grabbed their shoulders, “Now try to stay relaxed and this will be quick. I’ll let you out when we’re near the den.”

“Wh-hmph!”

Hunter loved surprising people like this. It was hilarious, and he could feel them tense, then relax slowly, then tense again when he swallowed. It wasn’t like he was going to put them in his ACTUAL stomach, but they didn’t know that and that made this even funnier. At least other mers already knew what was happening when he did this.

There wasn’t much to them, just enough to fully fill his pouch with warm weight and make him purr loudly, but he talked through the instinctive happiness response, “M-make yourself at home. I swim pretty ffffast. Mn, you tasted good and you fit just right in there. Ha…don’t worry, you’re safe.”

After that, he pulled himself into the water proper and swam away, the bundle of fish on his hip swaying in the current as he held his rounded pouch with both hands. The human was quiet for a long while, but then said, “So…mers can just eat people safely?”

“Well…we can swallow people safely, yes, but you aren’t exactly in my stomach. You’re in the area where it is, yes, but not the actual spot. You’re in the part where we hold our babies and smaller relatives for long trips for safety.”

“Ooooh,” they sounded utterly amazed, and their hands on the inside of his pouch started rubbing and massaging in a way that ramped up his purr so bad he couldn’t talk. “that’s so cool! I didn’t know any of that before. I’m so glad I took a walk today!”

Hunter giggled from how enthusiastic they were now that they knew they weren’t in danger, and listened to them babble about other species that also carried young this way or similar. They must know a lot about animals if they had this much information. Hydra was going to love them.

Chapter Text

There were just too many kids for him to wrangle on his own while stuck in the pool.

Jean tried, very diligently, to get them to sleep, but they wouldn’t stay on their mats and kept coming back into the pool.

Well. If they wanted to be in the water, he had an idea on how to get them to sleep anyway. But he had to get Cetus. He sent a ping through their private channel to his tankmate, and the sunny aquamatronic popped up, making the kids cheer. They thought the party was still going, that they’d worn Jean down enough he wouldn’t make them do the ‘sleeping’ part of the sleepover.

How very wrong they were.

“Starlings,” Cetus cooed, gathering the kids. “We’re going to play a game. Marco Polo!”

Many cheers went up, and all the kids spread out into the pool. Jean grinned, his sharp teeth showing, “Now, you all count to ten, and then try to find us. It’s all of you against just us two, so you’re definitely going to win. We’ll just see how fast.”

“First one to find us gets free tokens for the arcade,” Cetus added happily.

All eyes were covered, all the little voices softly counting as Jean and Cetus both went under the surface.

One, two *splash* three, four *bloop* five six *splish* seven eight *glp* nine, ten!

When the first call of “Marco” rang out, only three little voices called, but Jean and Cetus called back “polo!” quite quickly and on opposite sides of the pool.

The kids giggled, not realizing anything as they kept their eyes closed and the call and response went on. But…it was soon just two voices searching…and then just one. Jessica, on hearing only her own voice when she called out, got startled and opened her eyes.

Jean and Cetus were both floating nearby, their ‘pause pouches’ (soft, stretchy spaces in their belly areas to hold kids if they got overwhelmed or scared) very full and squirming a bit. On seeing this, Jessica laughed and pointed, “You two cheated!”

“Mmmn,” Cetus smiled at her and shrugged, making his mischievous smile more exaggerated and squinting his eyes, “We never said what the rules for us were, sunsparkle~”

“And you opened your eyes,” Jean added as he pulled her close and cuddled one of his favorite kids warmly, “Still, wasn’t it a good way to get everyone to hold still and go to sleep?”

“Yeaaaaaah,” she sighed, actually very sleepy herself and just happy Jean was holding her. “I don’t wanna go in, though. Just wanna cuddle and sleep.”

“That’s perfectly fine, honey,” Cetus chirped, and the two of them gingerly swam back to the beach and curled close to the little one as she pulled her mat over to sleep close to them.

Snuggling between the two aquamatronics, Jessica sighed happily and laid down, warm and happy and safe. “Night night, Jean. Night night, Cetus. Love you.”

There were a few muffled “goodnight” sounds from the other kids, and the mermaid style machines both cooed, “We love you, too. Goodnight.”

Everyone finally settled, the sleepover at the aquarium was officially a success.

Chapter Text

Bracing yourself, you sink down in your sea moth, knowing what will happen.

No matter how many times you entered the dark crevice, you were always confronted by the terrifying visages of strange abyssal beings. Two of them, one with no eyes and one with ONLY eyes visible in its face.

So now, every time you needed the materials you could only get from the deepest areas, one or the other would always be lurking behind you when you turned around. But survival meant you had to mine the ore nodes, meaning you were now floating near the nodes and exiting to smack them with your pick.

The first time you turn to move back to your seamoth, they’re already there. Both of them. The one with huge white eyes in its pitch black face stares at you while the other’s mouth opens in a sinister grin, white teeth appearing beneath its blank black sockets. The waving filmy fins around the face with the eyes are also glowing, a white halo in the dark. You freeze for a long moment, darting your gaze between them, but nobody moves. Then…the eyeless one lifts his hands (a human-like one with long fingers tipped with claws) and very slowly pressed the soft tip to your chest.

“Hello, star piece,” came a soft, hissing voice, like silk slipping over cotton. “My brother and I are glad you came back this time. Call me Void.”

Void. Well, it was an adequate name for this massive leviathan like mer creature. You carefully wrap your arm around Void’s finger, and his smile softens. He can surely feel your heart fluttering since his finger is right over it.

“You are afraid, and that is normal, but we will not hurt you. You are covered in star stuff. You came from above. We only wish to bask in your presence, of the tiny sky messenger.”

The long flowing appendage on Void’s head drifted closer, a little light on the end letting you see that the other mer actually had a face to go with his eyes, it was simply pitch black. His mouth opened and showed you the soft red glow inside, Void’s voice in your mind echoing, “Messier wants to spend a bit more time with you. He is not as adept at communication as I am and needs more contact.”

Messier? You know that name, it’s…something to do with a black hole, you think. And that’s what he looks like. The black of his face is surrounded by glowing white, the event horizon shining even as those big glowing eyes squint happily as you tentatively put your hand on his tongue. Mostly, you get a feeling of happiness, soft and reserved but very present. Void makes a soft rumbling noise, taking his finger away from your chest and using it to push you against his brother’s tongue.

“We have waited for a light like yours for too much time. Rest with him, and let him show you his feelings.”

Void’s last impression to you was a bubbly amusement and affection like you’d feel toward a particularly sweet waitress who always remembers your order. After his finger retreated, Messier drew you into his mouth and shut it, the sharp teeth caging you but not touching at all before you were pressed into the roof carefully.

“oh, little star stuff, your presence was foretold, but you taste like freedom. You were the one who released the cure, yes? The sickness has left the oceans, we feel healthy again. Void needs to taste you next, but for now, darling healer, let us bond.” Messier sounded so excited, his voice cooing to you and pushing a feeling of elation through your veins.

However, he swallowed and you found yourself slipping downward far too quickly to stop yourself, and you screamed.

“oh no no,” worry laced the words in your mind, “just for snuggling, too big to do it with my arms. Won’t hurt the star, no.” There was a bit of strain in his tone, as if he had never thought you might be afraid of being swallowed, but Messier couldn’t exactly do anything as you were dropped into his stomach.

The chamber was tight, even if that still made it quite roomy to you. Messier was stressed, the muscles twitching and trying to curl in as close as possible. There was a pulsing glow from a few spots in the walls, your body adjusting to the pressure as he fretfully swirls his words into your mind, “I’m so used to being the powerful one, but…you are so much smaller than us, and so very precious. Please don’t worry. You are safe with us, always.”

The walls squeezed at you as you rested in a fold, warm and delightful as opposed to the chill of the depths outside. Kneading at you, it made everything seem less sinister, and you could relax. That seemed to do the trick, and a rumble went through the wall as it started to soften as well.

“You have been so good to our sea, little star bit,” Messier's murmur was full of warmth and hesitant happiness, “and we can only do so little to thank you. But we can hold you like this, safe and warm, and talk with you. We can only offer our thanks and our love, but we hope that’s gift enough. We’d send you back to your home if we could, but we would feel your absence like a whirlpool in our souls. Our light from the distance….stay?”

The heartbeat around you was fast, the earnest emotion in the words clear, and you snuggle into the slick wall. Words don’t really fit what you feel, that you’re more willing to stay now that you know he and his brother are safe for you, that you’re sick of the corporate idiocy that rules life back home, that this planet is beautiful and serene and you don’t want to let the greedy overlords get to it…so instead of speaking, you try to push those feelings forward, and you hear the rumble again.

You realize it’s Messier trilling softly, his physical voice so deep you only barely hear it, and you smile. They were terrifying to behold, but these were gentle giants.

Chapter Text

You couldn’t believe what you were seeing.

On the end of your uncle’s fishing line, with a hook made to hold heavy fish like marlins, was a starving mer, sobbing at the pain

He was gorgeous, dark red and black and flashes of yellow and orange around him with the blue of the fluttering ruffles by his waist and wrist, jellyfish like in his lower body, but clearly terrified.

“no no, *cough* let me go. N-need food, yes, not this!” he whimpered and tugged at the line coming out of his mouth, only to hiss and flop, lying on the deck as he was right now.

“Uncle Jack, we have to get the hook out!” you kneel next to the mer, wary of his teeth and claws but unable to stop yourself from trying to comfort him.”

“I would, if he had gills like a normal fish, but he don’t!” Uncle Jack scratched his head, “Best I can do is cut the line, but that hook’s done gone down into his belly at this point. Never thought a mer’d be desperate enough to take a line like that. Geeze…”

Disbelief was in your expression, eyes wide and brows knit in worry, but the mer’s hand was now wrapped around your arm, letting you move him into your lap to hold his head, the bright triangular fins around his face like the rays of the sun. His eyes were dripping syrupy tears, and your heart was hurting badly at his fearful look.

The line was cut, vanishing down the mer’s throat due to the natural muscle movements, and he gingerly swallowed, “I-It hurts less but…not good, no no, not good at all. The burn in my tummy is bad bad sign, yes.”

“Is there anything we can do?” You look at your uncle, but he just shrugs, and the mer whimpers.

“C-could let you down, yes, but…hurts hurts so much, don’t want to stretch myself. Been so so long since I had a full belly, yes. Fish gone, brothers hunting far away, alone alone for months…” his voice was small, uncertain, like a child trying to explain something terrifying.

“Hey, easy,” you pet his rays and he leans into the touch, tendrils around his lower body fluttering softly while the tiered center of him flared and relaxed in a soothing rhythm. “Maybe I can just reach it? I’ll wear gloves. What’s your name, hon?”

His big yellow eyes looked up at you and he said softly, “Prominence. Be careful careful, friend. I do not want you to hurt like I hurt right now, no.”

Nodding, you get up, grabbing some very thick gloves and putting them on before laying down next to Prominence and saying quietly, “Just open your mouth and try to relax, Prom. I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

Sticking your arms into his mouth, Prominence swallowed reflexively around your hands, letting you push down further, but the position is off. “Can you maybe turn over and lean up on your arms?”

He did, the sensation of his throat turning around your gloved hands bizarre, and you could much more easily lean into his body. Big as he was, you were leaned until your body was fully extended, but didn’t reach his stomach, hands still surrounded by his undulating throat muscles. “o-okay, I think you might need to push me in a little deeper. I haven’t gotten into your stomach yet.”

Prominence swallowed, harder this time, and you went in up to your waist, his sharp teeth resting just above your hips. That was the push you needed, hands pushing past the sphincter into his belly and able to feel around the area. Your fingertips barely brushed the edge of the hook and Prominence jolted with a whine, his hands flying to hold your legs as that had let you slip further into him.
“I’m gonna need some pliers to clip the hooks off!” you yell, feeling one of the hands on your calves leave and then return after some gulping around you. A hard object slides down against your torso, and your hands catch the pliers as your head bumps against the entry to his stomach. You can hear the organ under you shifting and gurgling sourly, and the sticky feeling of blood on your gloves, but you can’t actually see what you’re doing and realize you’re going to have to go all in.

“Prominence?” you call and get a hum, “Let go. I can’t see and I need to so you don’t get hurt further.”

The hands on your legs released, and a deep gulp followed. You fell into his stomach and quickly turned around, getting your phone out of your pocket and shaking it to make the flashlight turn on. Shining it around, you see the blood and the source, the huge hook dug into the soft flesh. Taking the line and the top of the hook into your hands, you use the pliers to snip off the many barbs of the hook, and collect the little metal stickers in the palm of your hand before very gently pulling the body of the hook out of his stomach wall. There was a wound, but it didn’t go through the whole wall of his belly, thank stars. The hook had just been shoved into the soft inner flesh instead of the more elastic leathery outer covering of the organ.

A sigh of relief came from Prominence, and he cooed, “Kind friend, feels so much better better now. You did a good job, yes. So good to me, good good new friend.”

Your uncle’s voice is too muffled for you to hear, and Prom’s stomach twitches inward, holding you tight as you put your phone away, “They are safe, though, yes! Too injured to use my first stomach right now, yes yes, have to let it heal now. Top tummy is safe safe for guests, can be turned off, won’t hurt friend who saved me, no no!”

Whining and movement, your uncle clearly not believing him, makes you start to rub the walls gently, avoiding the puncture. “Hey, it’s okay! It’s okay, I’m fine!”

A lot of moving, and then a splash tells you Prom threw himself off the boat instead of letting you out. “Won’t do it! Would hurt more, no no, keeping friend close til the pain stops, yes. Stop being rude to me, yes yes.”

That makes you laugh, and you can feel yourself being pressed against from outside. “Won’t let you get hurt, friend. No no, going to keep you safe. Might be dark inside, yes, but warm and cozy cozy, soft and nice, yes yes. Let you out when the ouch stops. Promise.”

“Okay,” you keep rubbing the walls, and Prominence coos and trills softly, “I can breathe fine, so I’m trusting your word. Just keep in sight of the boat even if Uncle Jack is being protective.”

“Yes yes, will keep your uncle in sight but not touch.” Prominence hums softly and sighs in content, “Maybe friend will help me find food, too, later? Lots lots of food, so hungry…feels good to be full, even if it is of friend, yes.”

The soft growls from below you told you he was right, his whole body empty besides the weight of you. Poor guy. You’re definitely buying him some fresh fish from the market when you get home.

Chapter Text

So many fluttering fins surrounded you, but you couldn’t make sense of them all. Orange, red, yellow, blue, purple, green, you couldn’t parse where one ended and another began.

Or you couldn’t until black clouded your vision, a massive hand wrapping around you even as flowing obsidian cut off all other colors. “My dears, they are not a threat. Calm yourselves.”

The rasping, slow, deep voice was gentle and when the black fins finally dropped, you could see what had been a flurry of color had become several large mers now looking at you either nervously or menacingly.

A soft brown and orange mer was holding a lighter orange and brown in his arms, the smaller one staring at you curiously and with a big smile. A cream and yellow one was floating near the sea floor, guarding a cave, while a soft blue and grey one was looping around the scene.

There were more, like the blue and red and red-on-red ones that looked like they wanted to devour you violently, but the voice of the person who held you drew your attention before you could process most of them, “Little human, please, explain how you made your way to our little cove, if you don’t mind? We have lived here in peace for many years and your presence is worrisome.”

Since he was behind you, you twisted in his grip and looked up, dark red eyes meeting yours in curiosity. Opening the radio in your mask, you answer, “I was parked in the reef nearby, just diving for fun and…I saw an opening under the water. There was light, so I followed it into this place.”

“How did they see the hole? You said you and Sun had magicked it closed to humans,” the dark blue and silver one asked, his eyes also red but in black sclera instead of pure color, and a long, blue, yellow-spotted appendage floating upward from the back of his head, the end a glowing yellow light.

The cream and yellow one piped up, “KC was telling the truth, Moon. We did, but the kind of magic we used only keeps out those with evil intentions. Destruction, extortion, kidnapping, all that. So whatever they wanted to do, they aren’t meaning us harm.”

“He is correct,” the one holding you says, looking at Moon, “Only the pure of intent and heart may enter here if they do not share our blood or our acceptance. This human has no wish to harm us, and even if they did after arriving, they would not be able to leave. It is a two way spell. No one may go in if they intend to harm us, and no one may leave if they intend to betray our trust.”

“Pretty clever,” one of the others says, dark orange and dark red-brown, “So, what do we do with them now that they’re here?”

“We want to eat them!” crows the red-on-red one, and the blue, red, and white one nods eagerly.

“Yes yes, feast on their flesh and bone!”

“Bloodmoon,” the tone is stern, and the one holding you, which you guess is KC, seems to be in charge here, “My sons, we do not treat an innocent this way.”

Turning back to you, KC apologizes, “The twins are rather feral in their ways, and while they think with their stomachs mostly, they won’t harm you if I do not allow it. This is my family, and I am Kill Code, though you may call me KC. I am the eldest here, and the rest are my siblings or children. Or their children, in the case of Jack and Dazzle.”

“Granpa~” says the smaller orange and brown who smiled at you. The one holding him sighs.
“Yeah, this is Jack, and I’m Solar. Welcome to the cove, I guess. We’re not exactly used to human visitors, but with all the other stuff going on, sorry for the rude welcome. That was just to try and confuse any predators or hunters so they couldn’t separate us out.”

“I’m Lunar!” the smallest one, the soft blue and grey one, “Kinda surprised anybody over the age to twelve could get in here if it was a pure of heart kinda spell. Heck, even most kids wouldn’t get through.”

The group introduced themselves and you relaxed in KC’s hand. But the twins were talking, and as soon as KC lets you go, one of them lunges forward, the red-on-red, and engulfs your upper body in his mouth as he zooms off. His throat is as red as blood, with tiny cherry-colored lights glowing inside. He swallows while he flees, and you hear KC’S voice angry for the first time, “SCARLET!”

One last gulp seals you inside fully, letting you fall down into the pit of his stomach as he whines, “We wanted it, father! Wanted to taste the purity, wanted to feel what it feels like!”

Murmuring from outside, and the other twin’s voice piping up, “Other won’t hurt them, we decided that.” You could only hear him because he seemed to be right up against Scarlet (?), head pressed into the wall next to you. “We’ll switch in a while, then give them back. Why are you all so mad at us wanting to know what this thing you value so much tastes like? Greedy!”

Scarlet (?) purrs, and you feel the vibrations through the kneading muscle around you, and he coos, “Tastes soft, feels good and warm inside. Going to like having a treat that fills so nicely while being so tasty~”

Apparently they had no intention of killing you at the moment, so you try to calm yourself. KC sounds mad still, but it’s more a scolding than the roar that initially sounded.

Chapter Text

Diving for the rig was always dangerous. You remember all the accidents you’d read about on other rigs. Horrifying to say the least. But it was the most money you’d ever seen in your life just to do this work, and you got to dive for a living.

But you’d never imagined this when you’d started going down into the depths. A deep sea mer, his mouth full of sharp teeth, eyes purple and glowing, appears out of the dark and sits next to you as you cautiously work on inspecting the bolts and welds on this pylon of the rig.

“Hello,” he speaks, his voice rasping and a bit quiet. A long, flowing lure drapes over his shoulder, the end glowing purple like his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure this pylon is secure so the rig up there won’t fall,” you answer softly, introducing yourself before asking, “Who are you?”

“My name is Vortex,” he curled his long, eel like tail around you and the pylon, “I’ve been watching all of you little humans come down here, flash your lights.” It takes you a minute to realize he’s talking about the welders. “I just wanted to see-”

BOOM

Your whole body shook as you heard the explosion, creaking metal suddenly being heard coming closer. Vortex doesn’t hesitate, grabbing you in his mouth with one big gulp and swallowing you down while escaping as far as he could. The crash is felt even as you’re lying disoriented and confused inside Vortex’s belly, the world trembling.

“What…happened?” you ask, confused and pressing outward, not even realizing you’d been eaten alive.

“Heavy thing fell,” Vortex hisses as he looks back the way you came, but keeps going, slowly moving upward, a meter or two at a time, “We have to get away or the black water will kill us.”

“Oil…it’s called oil to us,” you say as his voice curls around you and a soft burble from the rest of his systems clues you in. “Did…did you eat me?”

“Sort of,” he snickers, giving a pat to his stomach, “You won’t get hurt, but had to keep you close while I go up. Slow, takes a long time, so you’d probably drown if I didn’t make air for you after a while.”

“You…can do that?” it’s an amazing thing if possible, and you can feel the water in the chamber around you slowly decreasing and being replaced by some kind of gas even if it’s not air.

“helps us teach our babies how to breathe on the surface without going there,” he explained, continuing the agonizingly slow ascent from this depth to the top, “when your little device gives out, you can breathe without it.” Vortex normally wouldn’t care about a random human, but you weren’t random. You were the one who was quiet, didn’t flash the painful lights or make heat. He’d watched you, moving through the water like you belonged in it. You were special and he had only approached today to try and get to know you.

“Vortex…thank you. I…” the realization that the others who’d been diving with you probably didn’t get out hit you, and you began to cry. “I’d be dead. My coworkers are dead. I…thank you.”

He slowed further, squeezing his arms around you softly, the gulper eel mer feeling his heart ache as you sobbed, “I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m glad I could save you, at least. We’ll get you to the surface and back to your family. Just try to relax and let your feelings out. I know firsthand that letting them fester doesn’t help.”

The soft darkness of his stomach cradled you as you grieved, the warmth of his body shielding you from the cold and the low murmur of his comforting words soothing the pain, if only by a bit.

Chapter Text

You were hiding in a cave, your tail curled up against you as you whimpered. A large wolf eel mer was chasing you, and since you were so much smaller, you stayed in this tiny crevice.

“Well well well,” cooed the eel, his head flowing like a lion’s mane jellyfish behind starfish looking rays off his head, no mouth you could see behind the mask he wore, letting his large eyes lock onto you in your hiding place. “You’re clever, I’ll give you that. I can’t reach in there, but I can be patient. Your scent’s so delicious, I bet other smaller predators will come by and feed me. How long can you wait, I wonder?”

Shaking, you stay put, and he watches you for a moment before speaking again about an hour later, “Hm. You’re a lot more stubborn than I thought. What’s your name, little morsel?”

When you answer, he grins, showing his big sharp teeth and that what you thought was a mask was actually his face, “They call me Wolf, not just because of my tail, but because I hunt alone and viciously. And I’m clever, so….I can wait for you.”

He sinks out of view, but you know he’s there, so you try to sleep. If you sleep, you won’t know how long it’s been and will take up the hours it will probably take for the predatory mer to lose interest. Forcing your body to relax, you drop off into a light doze.

When you wake up again, it’s dark outside your hiding place, but you slip closer to the entrance. Loud snoring sounded, and you realized Wolf was right outside. It could be real snoring, but you didn’t trust it, so you grabbed a piece of rock and tossed it outside.

“Oh, you are very careful with yourself, aren’t you, morsel?” his voice was just as lilting as before, his eye peering in at you again, “I do like that about you. You take your life seriously, and you’re thinking instead of just panicking.”

Looking out at him, you curl in on yourself, “Why are you still here? Surely there’s easier meals…?”

His chuckle made your blood cold, “I’ve eaten no less than three other fish waiting for you. I’m not waiting for a meal now, little morsel. I’m waiting for a plaything.” There was a sick kind of affection in his tone, and you felt your gorge rise as you realized you could have been killed by those other three things while you slept if he wasn’t still there. So while you weren’t going to just submit to his whims, you were grateful he’d been so attentive.

So the dance continued, you’d sleep in your hole after fretting for a while, only to wake up and test if you were alone. You never were.

“two more, treatling,” he’d said on the second waking. “If you keep this up, I might not even have room for you.”

“Rough night, dear?” he chuckled when you’d slept through the night and awoken in the dim dawn, “Ten hungry mouths ended up in mine while you were out.” A sigh of satisfaction came as he licked his teeth in full view of you, “Maybe I’ll keep you around as more than a toy then. You make a very charming lure for bigger prey.”

The idea of being his bait was only slightly less terrifying than being his food, but you knew you were running out of time. You were hungry, bored, and running on fumes from waking up and going to sleep scared for however many hours. Either Wolf was a very lazy hunter or a very patient one.

When the growling of your empty stomach finally was able to be heard, Wolf sighed, “That’s the game over then. Come on, out you get, little morsel. It’s no fun if the other player is starving.”

Shocked, you watch him easily fit a finger into your cave and scoop you out. He’d been PLAYING YOU the whole time and could have eaten you at his leisure. Your heart dropped, shaking as he pulled you close, caged in his hands, “Heh…look at you. You’re quite pretty on top of smelling delectable. The others in my pod are going to be so jealous of my cute little plaything. Now, I’m going to pouch you and you can take any little bits that fell in there. I know your kind are shrimpers, so don’t act like you don’t enjoy meat.”

No argument could be made since he then instantly popped you into his mouth and gulped hard, barely giving you a moment to realize what was happening before your whole body was sinking into the soft flesh of his throat and downward. Pouch you, he’d said. And he wanted to show you off, clearly, and if he was truly hungry he would have eaten you when you slept or any time he felt like it. But instead, you were pushed into a little pouch that had small chunks of meat in it, which you shamelessly ate. It didn’t matter what it had come from, and you weren’t going to ask, because you were starving.

Wolf, meanwhile, preened his mane a bit before gliding back toward more familiar territory, pouch and belly both nicely full. He’d tell Charon all about his fun game of chase when he got back, but then he’d be napping with his warm little pet safely tucked inside him. There was just nothing better than falling asleep holding something so precious so close.

Chapter Text

Charon had long accepted that he was blind now, learning to navigate by the sound of prey being close, the feeling of their fins disturbing the water around him. Sight was so very overrated when you were so deep in the water, where light was made only by other beings.

Still, he seems to have managed to ascend out of his element, as he had lunged for a prey and wound up with something in his mouth with hands. Curious, he did not bite down further, just feeling their body with his tongue and fingers, purring a bit at the warmth of them and the softness. Legs…not like a crab, but rather similar to his own idea of what they’d feel like should they be based on arms instead. No fins that were bony or fleshy, body covered in a strange substance that tasted chemical, fur…he’d only felt fur when he was young and had lived in a little reef. A moose had been attacked by an orca and the fluffy remains were interesting.

This was a land creature, then, one shaped like a mer. A human. It had been ages since he’d ever even heard of them, but he remembered. Gently, apologetically, he opened his teeth just enough to remove them from their skin and lapped at the pinprick sized wounds. Charon had no animosity toward them, unlike the one who’d taken his sight and left him damaged to the brink of death. No, they were silly things, and so so helpless in the water.

Gulping them down carefully, he slipped the artificial fins off their feet and held them in his hand, waiting for his throat to be clear before he spoke.

“I had no idea you were a human, dear. Ssssuch a funny surprise you are. Muuuuch more than I was expecting today.” His free hand stroked his belly tenderly, easing down to the sands beneath to rest. “Charon is my naaaame, land treat, and I won’t hurt you. So you can stooooop fighting.”

They stilled, and he chuckled, more a rasp and gurgle than a laugh, “I must be a friiiiightful thing to you. Blind and scarred, looking dead. Mosssstly dead, yes. But not all the way yet. Got a bit lost, floooooated up here without realizing.”

“Oh. So you live in the deep, then? You do look more suited to that,” they murmured, and he sighed happily as their body lost tension.

“Exactly. Clever littlllllle thing. So pardon my instinct on biting firrrrrrst, and please let me enjoy your warmth for a little while.”

They began to rub back, and Charon almost went limp from how nice it felt. Kindness wasn’t a virtue in the depths, but he remembered its sweetness fondly. The human was being so gentle on his stomach, just smoothing their hand over the walls, curious fingers tracing the folds of muscle.

Even if he was content with his warm passenger, Charon kept his guard up to the outside world. He wanted very badly to just relax and enjoy himself, but painful experience had taught him not to when he couldn’t see if something was going to sneak up on him.

“When exactly are you going to let me out, though?” they asked after a bit, and he giggled.

“You can come ouuuuut when it’s necessary. You need air, yes? So whennnnnn your air is running out.” he was going to enjoy this for as long as possible, of course, but he was not going to deprive them of their life.

Chapter Text

Their voices were just too beautiful. Never in your life had you heard anyone match your idea of a perfect voice so closely, and now there were two of them.

Henna brown and soft red, flowing green bits clinging to their bodies, the two mers were singing as you swam toward them. Their deep cooing voices promised everything you’d ever wanted in exactly the way that made you believe them.

Their iridescent red eyes blink slowly, clawed hands bringing you in as their vine like tails wrap around your body. The one holding your left arm murmurs in a soft, smooth, deep voice, “Little human, so trusting and soft. My heartwood, don’t they smell so nice?”

“Yes, sweetgrass,” says the other, holding your right wrist with one hand while the other is on your left hip, his voice growling and low, “look at you, not even the stink of blood on you. So pure and innocent, can we maybe keep them?”

“We can share, match of mine,” the first hummed, “I’ll take them first, then give them to you?”

“Beautiful, Caspar, let us do,” the second’s giggle was love-struck, and you felt the same.

Suddenly, your world went dark, your head covered in something warm and damp and smelling of…of blood. It was only when the first wet swallow squished you down that you realized what had happened to you.

The two mers were Sirens, and you’d just been eaten.

-

The struggling started and Dorian giggled, “Oh oh, look at them, my sugar, they even struggle cutely. Must feel good, even before they’re in your belly.”

Caspar groaned happily, gulping the human down steadily until his mouth was clear again, “mn, sweet one, they fill me perfectly.” He was panting a bit, but grinning almost drunkenly. “Feel, feel! Their panic gives them such strong kicks and wriggles.”

Dorian eagerly snuggled up to his partner, rubbing over his stomach as the human they’d lured fought from the inside. “Mmn, and don’t they make you so adorable, my own. One day, our star will give us his children, and we’ll both be so sweet and round like this. Mmngh~”

It was cute the way his beloved flapped his hands in excitement, Caspar thought, unable to contain his joy at the idea. “In due time, Dorian, dear. Our Zenith is busy, so we shall play with this human until then.”

They stayed that way, the leafy sea sirens curled around each other, snuggling as their new plaything fought themselves tired. But a promise was a promise, and Caspar pulled Dorian close, “Ready for your turn with them, sweetest?”

“Yes please,” Dorian cooed, and they began to kiss.

-

Just as you were catching your breath, you began to be squeezed up the throat again. What? Were you being let out? The sirens had said they’d share you, so you supposed it had to happen eventually. Still…you were squeezed and squeezed up but…you never left the warm darkness. In fact, you just went a little forward only to go down again and…

Oh stars, you felt the swallow around your shoulders again and realized what had happened. You were just traded from one to the other, and they had to be kissing to have it be so seamless. You were being toyed around with by siren lovers and were now being swallowed down by the second one.

It made you shriek with frustration and embarrassment, part of you incredibly flustered by being essentially a third wheel to such an intimate feeling activity, and the rest of you confused and frightened because you had no idea how long they intended to keep you alive for.

-

The sirens broke their kiss as Dorian gave the final swallow to seal the human inside him, and the two of them were flushed pink in the cheeks. Floating on their backs, they curled into each other again and Caspar praised his mate.

“Did so good taking them like that, dearest,” his face nuzzled into Dorian’s neck, purring softly, “does it feel good for you, too? Having them wriggle and plead inside?”

“Mmhm,” Dorian couldn’t answer, too overwhelmed with affection and the wonderful sensation of being full of warm active prey. He held Caspar close, loving how his forever rubbed at his belly so tenderly.

“Did you taste it, sweetness?” Caspar cooed to him, heart thrumming with love, “they tasted female. Do you think making a gift of them would please our star?”

“Maybe?” Dorian hadn’t thought of that. His other half was right, perhaps that would be the gift that would convince their partner to finally have babies. Both of them were anxious to provide children for their delightful sun, but he was always so distracted.

The two whispered to each other, planning and plotting, and made the decision that it was a good idea to gift their catch to their love.

You would just have to sit there and listen to their giggling and excited dreams, wondering what the heck you’d gotten into.

Chapter Text

You were sitting on the sand, curled up and staring.

“Oh, come on, please?” said the yellow and red mer in the water. He was small, with fluttering fins around his neck and waist a deep red along with a decorative pair long fins that looked like coat tails. He had rays, little protruding tendrils out of his head, and a soft face and body, looking extremely ‘cuddly’ in lack of a better word, despite his sharp teeth being easily seen.

“I…I’d rather have Frost’s opinion on it,” you had to at least ask because you very much were not wanting to give in to Nova’s request. You’d been trapped on this island for days, and it was only thanks to Nova and Frost that you’d survive. The two shared the same body, apparently since they could remember, but were very distinct in every respect. Nova was silly and a bit fussy about you, having instructed you on how to make a shelter and keep warm in the nights and cool in the days, how to purify water to drink, all sorts of lessons that had let you be somewhat comfortable.

Frost, though, was quiet, preferring to watch, but he’d hunt fish for you to eat, and keep you calm at night. He’d even attacked a wild pig that had tried to break your shelter two nights ago. Right now, Nova was begging you to let them ‘pouch’ you and take you somewhere safer since they’d found an inhabited island with phone service, but their body belonged to both of them, and Frost had to have a say before you’d agree.

Sighing, Nova nodded, closing his white eyes and asking for Frost. Their body changed drastically, colors shifting from yellows to blues and rays lengthening and curling together into a cap like structure. The eyes open to reveal red pupils on black, and Frost says in his soft rasp, “I’m okay, dewdrop. Want you safe and healthy, so let us bring you to other people. We’ll be gentle….for you, at least.”

Even if you were nervous about this, you nodded and came down to the water, close enough Frost could pull you into an embrace, which he did. “That’s right, you’re perfectly safe with us. Nova adores you, and I do, too. So polite and sweet to us both, even with how scared you are.”

He cuddled you for a moment or two, but then snickered, “Time to tuck you in, friend. Try to sleep, if you can. It’ll take a few hours to get there.”

You didn’t have time to answer, since their mouth opened wide to fit your head and shoulders inside, their strong arms easily adjusting you to make it easier as Frost swallowed slowly, trying to keep you steady and secure without touching their pointy teeth. You’d seen them demonstrate this ability earlier, letting you see Nova swallow a live fish and feel it wiggling inside them, only to spit it out after an hour of chatting to show it had no damage and was still very lively.

“See?” Nova had giggled, “It’s all cozy and safe in our pouch, we swear it! No harm comes to our good little friend, no sir-ee, and you can travel in style!”

It was kind of cute how the two doted on you, and it made you think they must have been isolated before you came. Not unhappy, no, Nova was glad to have Frost and the feeling was mutual, satisfied with each other. But…after a while, even the happiest of duos can need some variety and stimulation. You have a distinct feeling you’ve bonded to them so quickly because of your own desperation and their longing for some company.

Even now, Frost’s support of you legs and body was firm but careful, only letting you go when he felt your back being supported by the bottom of his pouch. A few stronger swallows left you fully curled and sealed in, letting him sigh warmly. “oh, dewdrop, you tasted so nice. Thank you for trusting us to take you back. Nova’s a little shy to say it but I don’t mind being forward. You’ve made us feel wonderful these past few days and we’d be very pleased if you let us watch over you from now on. Just in the water, as always, but still…?”

Rubbing curiously at the wall of his pouch, feeling the firm but squishy muscle around you, “I’d like that. You two saved my life so I want to keep in touch.”

His eerie giggle was familiar by now, and the little squeeze of his body around you felt like a hug, “Then we will. I’ll let Nova back out, but remember to rest. He won’t mind.”

It surprised you when the walls around you began to be speckled with bright yellow dots that glowed in the dark, and Nova’s voice trilled around you, “Frost is so right, sweetie! I know you’ve been so so STRESSED from being stranded, so rest up and we’ll take you to town, and after you’re recovered a bit we’ll play together some more.”

this time the squeeze you felt came from outside, and you think Nova must have been hugging himself. They were a bit strange, a bit unsettling to look at, but Nova and Frost were very sweet to you and seemed eager to make friends. So, you relaxed in the cozy dimness inside their pouch, warm and safe, as Nova softly babbled either to you, himself, or Frost, about all the fun games he was hoping to play with you once you felt better and weren’t in danger.

The discussion only lasted until you slept, though, and Nova slowed his words to a stop. Rubbing one hand over your sleeping shape inside him, he asked, “Are you ready to be close to humans again, Frost?”

“I am,” his counterpart replied in their mind, snickering, “you keep your eyes peeled for any nasty rulebreakers, and we’ll keep our new friend safe. I don’t think any of them will taste half as good as our dewdrop does, though.”

“Oh no no no, they won’t,” Nova agreed, a darkness behind his tender expression as he focused on your soft sleeping breaths, “but food doesn’t have to taste good and bad people are only good for that. So we’ll keep our friend as a treat and be able to clean up a bit.”

Both of them liked that idea, and made their way back toward the small island town they’d found for the sake of their precious new friend.

Chapter Text

your suit was the only reason you weren’t dead.

As the ship crashed, you’d put on your pressure suit and curled into a ball, not understanding what happened. It was a repeat of an old disaster, from what you’d seen as you explored the wreckage of your sub. Some sort of defensive measure had exploded, and sent you and your crewmates to the depths.

Now here you were, sitting by the hole in your ship, no way to surface safely and shaking as you realized that your suit’s battery would run out eventually, leaving you to be crushed by the pressure.

The abyssal snow fell slowly around you, and you watched some deep critters that skittered around in your automatic light. It wasn’t possible to turn it off, not at this depth, and you were glad. At least you weren’t blind as well as doomed.

Out of the dark, you noticed something moving, something huge…but it wasn’t anything you’d ever personally seen before. Long spindly appendages appeared first, finally resolving in your mind into hands as the arms that held them drifted closer, equally as tight and gangly. Then the head came into view, huge red orbs that glowed faintly below a long black lure fin tipped with a similar red glow. It was a mer, who seemed to be an example of deep sea gigantism, and he blinked at you while grinning, showing teeth like an angler even if his tail was the long flowy body of a blanket squid.

“Hi,” you say quietly, letting your voice broadcast out of your suit. “Are you coming to scavenge?”

He nodded, speaking in a raspy, soft male voice, “Yes. For my children. But you are alive.”

“The only one, and not for long.”

That made him frown, and those long fingers curled around you as he scooped you up like a child, “That won’t do. You have done nothing wrong.”

“I can’t help it,” you sniffle a bit, and his eye glow dims as he pulls you to his chest. He’s warm. “When the suit batteries go out, I’ll be crushed by the pressure. I might die of lack of oxygen before that…I’m scared.”

His chest was vibrating, and you curled into the purr as you started to cry. The huge mer was petting you, shushing you tenderly as a father would, and you sort of relax. You’re still scared out of your mind, but you’re being held and fussed over exactly how you’d like to be so it’s hard to stay actively panicking.

“My name is Kacey,” he tells you once you’re calm again, and he’s taking you away from the ship, “I have a way for you to survive, but I must tell you it is a permanent change. I can do many things with my magic, and I can change you into one of us…but you would be that way for the rest of your life. It is a fundamental altering of your nature, and I will not do it without your permission. If you would rather perish in your body as you know it than live a life in the unknown, I will not blame you.”

The idea you could live, even if it would be as a mer, was more than you could have asked for. You didn’t have a lot of ties on land, most of your friends having died in the crash and your family having been abusive, so…there was nothing you could think of that you’d gain by dying in the depths as a human rather than letting him change you.

“Kacey, please, please help me. I-I don’t want to die.”

“Then you shall not,” he crooned, still swimming away from your ship and toward some unknown destination. “I will put the spell on you, but it will take a while to fully activate. I must hold you inside me until that point, to keep you soaked in the magic.” He looked at you, entirely serious, “It will be uncomfortable, warm one, and you might not look the same once it is finished. I wish to prepare you for that, and I will help you learn your new body once it is done.”

“I-I understand, thank you, thank you for saving me,” you whimper, and his expression melts into soft compassion.

“Alright then, let us begin.” His hold on you shifts, and he stills, one hand on your head and the other wrapped around your waist. Words spill from his mouth, but you’ve never heard a language like them, and something cold begins to seep up from your toes to your fingers, reminding you of a CT scan you had once with dye…but in reverse.

When he finishes speaking, the cold is pressing out of your veins, you can feel it pushing down and out around your body, and you can feel how uncomfortable being in the pants part of your suit is. You know your legs are going to disappear, and as sad as you are to lose them, you know living is worth the sacrifice.

“you may exit your suit now, little one,” Kacey’s deep voice states, “you are already part of the sea, and won’t need it any longer.” His claws demonstrate, easily yanking your glove off and exposing your hand to the depths. It did not hurt, and it did not kill you. You remove the bulky gear as the chill continues to expand, and the stretch in your muscles and bones begins to ache.

Kacey smiles at you as you look up at him, and he gestures for you to come closer to his face. Your swimming feels strange, like you can’t quite figure out how to do it, but you make it up. “Go into my mouth, little one, and I will hold you while you change. I’m taking you back to my nest, and my sons will help you while I gather food from elsewhere. I won’t make you see your comrades being devoured.”

“Thank you,” your voice sounds strange in the water, which you only now realize you’re breathing, and Kacey nods. His mouth opens like a cavern, and you flit inside nervously. You’d be more afraid if you couldn’t already feel the magic inside you, and he wouldn’t waste power like this just to trick someone into being a meal, you’re sure.

His tongue gently shifts you around for a moment after his mouth closes, touch curious and soft. It makes you giggle a bit, and his purr rumbles through you. Then you’re pushed back, still as carefully as he can, and downward. His throat is warm, the rhythmic ripples of his muscles pulling you forward, doing their work with barely any further swallowing from Kacey. That’s what you appreciate most right now as the magical force inside you continues to freeze and stretch, how warm he feels.

-

Kacey starts moving again, faster now. He needs to get his newest charge home, as they’ll need to rest. They may not be a child, but they were going to be helpless like one for quite a while until they could readjust to their new form. He could feel them in his stomach, curling and twitching as bone and muscle grew and rearranged, or perhaps atrophied completely. He wasn’t sure what sort of mer they’d become, after all, and could be turning into some sort of jellyfish for all he knew. But no matter what they were, it would be drastic.

It hurt his heart that such a fate had been forced on them, that their survival had predicated on giving up their entire world to join the sea, but he would care for them as his own if they allowed it. They were going to be something special either way, this jewel of the land that now was joining his family, even if it was temporary. They’d probably want to explore and travel, find their own mate perhaps…he wasn’t sure, but he’d support them anyway.

-

Penumbra was shocked when he saw his father returning so quickly, but reading his body language and the worried expression on his face, as well as the way he cradled his tummy so gently, clued his eldest in, “did you have to rescue someone?”

“Yes, son. A human had survived the wreck of their ship, and could not survive the pressure long. They are changing even now.”

Kacey seemed upset, and Pen asked gently, “Dad, are you okay?”

“Honestly no, my child,” Kacey settled into a spot in the den and curled his long arms around himself tightly. “They sleep now, but…I know their mind will not remain at peace once they’ve had time to come to terms with things. They will mourn, for themselves and their fellows, and it sits ill with me that they must suffer that simply to survive.”

Nodding, Pen curled up close to his father and gave a soft suggestion, “If they do need help, I don’t mind sharing my thoughts. My situation was a lot different, true, but…I know about mourning a life you thought you’d have.”

“I know, and I apologize for that,” Kacey gave his eldest a small nuzzle, getting an amused snort in response, “I think that would be wonderful. Make sure the twins understand that we have a guest for the foreseeable future. I’m going to rest while they do.”

“Alright, Dad.” Reluctantly, the gold and black mer fluttered back further into the nest to tell his younger brothers the news. Hopefully, everything would work out for all involved.

Chapter Text

Sun loved the surface. It had the sky, it had birds and flowers and colors that seemed so bright under the light of his namesake. It had stars at night and the big bright moon, reminding him of his brother.

Mostly, though, it had you.

The pretty little human who came out to his cove to swim and nap on the shore and pick up shells. Who spent every afternoon during the warmer months doing something relaxing and peaceful along the sand that he’d used as his boarder with the land for years. You were…well, he almost melted internally every time he saw you. He’s heard your voice echoing around the walls over the little cove, singing happily to yourself as you danced, or belting something out as your voice cracked with tears.

Sun knew you had no idea what that sort of thing meant to him and his people, but it still made him weak in the fins anyway. You always stopped when he came around, and he’d long introduced himself so you wouldn’t be scared when you saw him. It was hard keeping his feelings to himself, but he didn’t want to push and he knew it would be a lot to take in if he told you. Plus! Being your friend was amazing! He’d be very happy to just remain that way, too.

But he wanted to hear your voice, and so some days he hid behind rocks and just enjoyed it. You felt what you sang, that much was clear, and your emotional honestly was part of what Sun was falling for every day. He realized that was hypocritical of him, but he never said he was perfect.

Today, he wanted to share something with you that was normally reserved for couples but…he thought you might enjoy it. It was getting a little chillier out, and you’d be coming less soon, so it was now or never. He was going to ask you to court today, by showing you his nest and letting you ride in his pouch to and from.

“Hey, sunshine!” he swam up to you and got that smile that made his belly feel strange in a good way. “Can we…maybe talk about something? I’ve got something to say, th-that’s good! Not bad! And I just…” He fidgeted before looking up at you. “Is that okay?”

“Of course, Sun, go ahead,” you told him and he smiled shyly at you. Stars, you just always made him feel so warm and welcome.

“Well, we’ve been friends for a couple years now and…w-well, I’m really really happy with that. But um…have you ever maybe…considered dating me? I…I don’t mind if you don’t feel that way, but I do and I want to tell you so you can make a decision. I’m fine just staying friends, though, if that’s what you want.” He was still wringing his hands, but looking at you was too scary right now.

“You…feel that way? Really?” the uptick in your tone made his head snap up, and he could see the big smile on your face, the way your eyes were shining, and it made his heart jump into his throat for a moment. “I-I’d love to, Sun! Yes!”

He couldn’t help it, too much energy, he zipped into the deeper water and flipped and spun in circles and generally stimmed his whole body until he could speak properly again. You just giggled, blushing and eager just like he’d dreamed you’d be. When he came back, he was breathless, but mostly just from the racing of his heart.

“Okay! I-I’m so happy you agreed, so, I’d like to show you my nest. I’d have to pouch you to get there, but it’s something that is pretty important for people like me? If that’s okay?” He was anxious, it just was how he was, but you never got upset at his sentences sounding like questions more often than statements. Yet another reason he adored you.

“Pouching is when you swallow somebody, right?” you asked, looking a little confused, “I just want to be sure I understand what’s happening.”

“Right! It’s a good way to transport land friends, and it’s um…it’s kind of important in courting?” he pulls on his fingers a bit, shy, “I-if you pouch your mate, it’s usually to protect them or make sure they’re close enough to look after if they’re sick. O-or even just to cuddle really close. You can do that for your family, too, but…but it’s different when it’s your partner, y’know? K-kind of intimate since they’re literally inside you and they’re right there where they could hurt you if they wanted…but they don’t…” His rays are fluttering up a storm, but Sun’s just looking at your face and it’s so cute. You’re blushing and looking at him with those eyes, and your soft little human hands are on his cheeks…stars it’s so easy to love you.

“You’re so romantic, Sun,” you murmur to him, and he nearly faints when you actually lean in and give him a kiss on the mouth. But it’s over far too fast for his liking, “Now, you get me tucked away and we’ll see your nest.”

As much as he wanted to keep kissing, showing you his nest was more important, so Sun reluctantly agreed, “Okayyyyy, but we get more kisses after, right?”

That got you laughing, and he smiled. He wanted to hear that sound every day.

You came into the water, and he positioned you so it’d be easy to get you down safely. Head first, to make sure your shoulders wouldn’t get strained or stuck, your arms tucked in front of you to make those shoulders as compact as possible…yeah, that was right. When he was pleased with your pose, Sun opened his mouth and fit it over your head.

Flavor wasn’t something he really payed attention to, having had to learn to block it out from how intense and unpleasant a lot of it was for him, but you…you were worth paying attention to. Everything about you was delicious, sweet and tangy, with new aspects standing out as he worked your body down with strong, rhythmic gulps. Sun could hardly contain himself, his tail splashing excitedly as he enjoyed every inch until you were gone.

-

You didn’t exactly know what to do now that you were slightly curled up inside Sun. His heart was beating above you, the walls around you were kneading at you slightly, everything was warm and soft.

Sun seemed happy, though, if the pressure of his arms around you and his body squeezing in was anything to go by. That and the happy squirming he was doing. Not knowing what else to do, once he was seemingly on his way, you began to knead and rub at the walls, running your fingers into the little folds and dips of the organ around you. The texture was very strange, smooth but fleshy and squishy, alternating between firm and lax as the muscle flexed, but always warm and always slightly sticky with mucus.

Even with the sticky part, you didn’t mind. One dip in the ocean and that’d all be gone, so you tried to relax as you heard Sun start to babble in his joy.

“Oh, sweetie, this is so so so wonderful. You tasted so nice and feel just perfect sitting in there, and whatever you’re doing is really feeling amazing. I just knew you’d be the best partner, and I hope you really really like my nest.”

His words spilled out for a while, and you listened happily. Sun only talked so much when his emotions were high, and to hear it be from happiness for once was great.

Chapter Text

pulled out of the sea, you struggled and screamed but the humans paid no mind. They eyed you in various ways, your mind too panicked to tell emotions apart at the moment, and you were dropped on the deck with little ceremony. The netting around you was pulled away, and you curled in on yourself as tight as possible, all the horror stories you’d heard of humans running through your mind.

“And what is it you all have found so interesting, hm?” the dark voice makes you peer out of your curled state, convinced it’s the devil himself. But no. He’s a tall thing, a fan of triangles around his head in orange like a sunset, and his face orange and black, divided down the middle. He was dressed in a deep red shirt that was open around the chest, golden rings glittering on his ‘rays’ and matching his golden eyes on black sclera.

“huh…a mer, in our nets?” he used a large curved sword to usher the others away, squatting and smirking at you, showing sharp white teeth, “Oh, you’re definitely a tasty little thing. Well, welcome to the Revenge. My name is Vega and this is my crew.”

Looking around, the humans seem to be the minority, and the rest of the crew are creatures like Vega. Two tone faces and bodies, some with the rays and some wearing long hats, even a few ladies with soft fluffy hair. But Vega, in his tight black pants and brown boots, had an air of superiority and clearly had reign over the ship.

Vega picked you up by the shoulder, snickering softly, “Don’t fret. You’ve already got a place here.” He pressed you close in a weird embrace, but then you heard it right against your ear. A loud gurgling sounded and you began to thrash as you realized the implication. His grip was too strong, and he held you there, listening to his stomach growl and shift, “Don’t fight it, fishy. You can’t get away and I have no trouble just holding you until you dry out. Do you want that, hm? To feel your scales crack and bleed from the lack of water?”

The humans around began to back away slowly, clearly frightened by their leader’s actions, and none of the other strange beings came near. You whimpered and he hummed when you fell still.

“That’s better. Now, you’re going to go into your new place, and I’m going to enjoy it in my quarters. We’ll get you some sort of tank later, but until then, you get to stay with me….or maybe Altair, if he’ll take you.”

That confused you, but you had no time to voice this as Vega shoved your head into his toothy maw. Primal fear coursed through you, but all you could do was cry about it. Your arms were pinned, your tail already feeling stiff and dry, and his clawed hands gripped you hard while his razor teeth surrounded you.

He lapped at your skin, making you shiver and goosebumps erupt across your scalp and arms. It was so strange, to feel that warm, slick tongue against your neck when you wanted nothing more than to get away. But instead, a deep gulp squished you down into his throat, and another, and another as you were swallowed.

-

Rigel came up to his lord as the last of the mer was vanishing into his mouth, “Your grace, we’ll come into port in around a week’s time. Are you certain you wish to hold them the entire journey? You need to sustain yourself.” He always fretted over his master’s health and safety.

“Ease yourself, Rigel,” Vega pet the scarred sun’s rays and stifled a bit of air that was forced up as the mer struggled inside him. “I’ll give you and the others turns when I want to eat. This is just for fun until they settle down. Just another jewel in my collection, just like you.”

The servant’s damaged rays twitched happily at the inadvertent praise from his master, but he agreed, “Alright, my lord. I’ll continue on then.”

“See that you do,” Vega huffed, one hand now supporting his belly as it writhed visibly, making the few humans of his crew squirm. The pirate king grinned at them, “And you lot, fish for more. This is just an appetizer and you don’t want to be the main course, do you?”

That got the men scrambling, and Vega chuckled. He loved the power he held, and he was very much going to exercise it as he saw fit. Right now, though, he headed to his quarters to lounge as his unwilling guest continued to fight his innards.

Chapter Text

Torch was curious. The carnival had gotten a new exhibit and he was looking it over now.

There were several tanks and they were full of tiny mermaids. There were false castles and large clams and colorful corals but…these were all the things a normal fish tank would have. The little people in the water looked listless and miserable, some even laying along the bottom and not even bothering to move.

What to do, though? Torch had long hidden himself away from the carnival owners, only going with them hidden among the props for the dark ride for the sake of travel. But…maybe he could fix this?

Skittering away, he went to the one human he trusted, the one who kept him running and had never betrayed him.

-

Torch returned with his pumpkin grin glowing bright. He was now ready, and quickly ducked into the aquarium show tent. Lowering using his sky hook and a rope he kept on him, he opened the top of one of the tanks like he’d seen the humans do, and lowered his mouth into the tank. Opening it, he filled his new internal storage pouch halfway and stopped. Now he had the water, he had to get the mers. Using a little net he’d swiped from the storage, he scooped up mers and murmured, voicebox broken and static filled, “rescue. Safe. Relax.”

Then, he overturned the net into his mouth and swallowed. They were slick and slid down his intake pipe easily, splashing audibly and making him giggle. Fish taste, that was acceptable to him, having only recently gotten the ability to taste anything, and a strange shivery feeling like his wires were crinkling. Torch just kept going, swallowing the small fish folk and then scooping more with the net. It wasn’t easy, they were scared, so even though it hurt to use his voice, he cooed and reassured the whole time, “Safe. Moving you. Better house. Not bad.”

So it was at least two hours for him to slowly, very carefully, empty the tanks of mers. His new stomach pouch was so full, sloshing with the water and heavy with the mers inside, making Torch have to use both hands to steady it as he left the tent and went to the parking lot. His human friend was waiting, and they let him lay down in the back of their van while they drove him to a place that rescued small mers. It was a ways out from the carnival, and Torch spent the entire ride whispering to and rubbing at his many small passengers. Their movement was very pleasant, and he wanted them to know he appreciated their patience and trust to let him move them.

He was idle long enough to enter sleep mode, and when the ride was over, his human opened the van door to see him in the fetal position, arms wrapped around his rounded tummy and motors gently purring.

Chapter Text

Having so much to do, Sun was going on all cylinders, flitting from each station to the next to get everything cleaned up from a long day of play. This was his element, and he had no idea what Moon was doing but didn’t much care either. He was having fun.

But eventually, he had to find his brother after everything was clean, and only did so when he went up to their ‘greenroom’ (glorified storage room that it was) and looked into the secret tube to the more private area where they charged. Moon’s lanky body was reclined in their nest, one hand draped over his belly area, which, confusingly enough, was rounded out slightly.

“Moon? Did you eat something?” Sun asked, curious as he sat near the arcade cabinet in their small room.

“mmn…” Moon nodded and moved his hand, arching his body forward to offer Sun to feel, “small thing. Warm. found it in the bathroom.”

That made Sun a little worried, and he put his hand on Moon’s stomach. The stretchy mesh there was being pushed out by something moving inside and fighting pretty hard. “M-moon, WHAT kind of small warm thing?”

“Person? I think…” Moon murmured, sounding sleepy. He usually got sleepy if he filled up his stomach pouch, so this was nothing new.

Confused, Sun kept idly rubbing his brother’s stomach, trying to puzzle out what was inside until he huffed, “Send me the footage, I want to know.”

“mmnkay,” Moon’s eyes briefly flashed brighter red, then faded again as he closed them.

Sun watched the footage and…well, that WAS a small mer person, about the size of a plushie like they sold in the gift shop. While Sun had no idea how this person even existed, he did see the way Moon attempted to comfort them before he gulped them down. So that was better than Moon’s usual behavior toward unexpected guests. “Did they taste good?”

“yesssss,” Moon hums happily, flexing his clawed fingers as he snuggled into the unsold pillows from the gift shop that made up their nest, “feel good, too. Give them to you when I go out for patrol…”

“That’s a good idea,” Sun chuckled softly, feeling the little movements stopping. They must have gotten tired. “Then I can talk to our new friend and see where they came from. I’ve never heard of a person so small before.”

There wasn’t an answer, as Moon had fallen into recharge already, and Sun giggled. His brother was rather silly, but he was just glad he had him around.

Chapter Text

The lake near your home was by far the biggest in your state, but it never really hit you until this moment. Because you were staring at a freshwater mer.

You’d heard of them, sure, but they tended to be migratory and stuck to the waters that were either deep enough or wide enough to conceal them from human gazes. Now, here you were, looking at this soft blue and silver face with a long blue lure on his head.

“Hello?” you finally find yourself saying, sitting in the shallows as he slowly moves closer.

“Hi…” he responds, and confirms your thoughts that he’s male, “I’d like to ask a favor.”

“What’s that?” you’re surprised, but you don’t mind helping out as long as he’s asking nicely.

“I have,” he winces, “a-a problem that I can’t reach. My name’s Halo. Um…there’s…I can’t explain it but it’s…it hurts.”

The pain on his face is clear, so you wade out to him and take his hand, “Okay, show me where.”

Quickly, he puts your hand to his stomach and you can feel…something inside. It’s far too solid for it to be his organs, and is in a place no bones should be.

“I-I can’t remove it myself,” he pants softly, eyes tired, “H-help?”

Thinking for a moment, you ask him, gently, “Would me going in help at all?”

Halo whimpers and nods, and you steel yourself. This is going to be awkward at best, but he’s definitely desperate and you aren’t going to leave him that way. With a deep breath, you put your hands in his mouth and he starts to swallow you whole.

It takes a while, especially since he has to stop now and again to let himself deal with the pain. You try to be patient, even when you’re halfway down his throat and he has to stop again, but it’s hard. Tight walls squeeze your body, making small progress even when Halo isn’t actively swallowing, and the warmth makes you sleepy, which is irritating since you’re trying to do something.

Once your head and hands are in his stomach, you feel around and find what you’re looking for. It’s a rock of some kind, and as you touch it the surface glows with green markings. “Did you eat a rock?” you ask.

Halo seems to choke, “N-no! What do you mean a rock?!”

“There’s a rock in here that has marks on it that glow green.”

Quiet reigns for a second, and then Halo sobs, “He won’t leave me alone. I just want to be able to relax and he can’t even let me do that.”

“Who? Who’s bothering you, Halo? Did they force you to eat this thing?” you’re worried now, and begin to rub gently at the walls of his stomach to comfort him.

“I-It’s a grudge stone. When…when a spirit is angry, it grows. I must have eaten it with a fish or something but it wouldn’t be growing if it wasn’t made for me. My brother’s ghost….we were twins but he was killed because our pod couldn’t feed two newborns…he blames me for living.” The tone of his voice was tired and broken, even as he gave a pat to the side of you.

Your heart froze for a second on hearing that, but you picked up the stone and curled your body around it, “And you’re sure it’s him?”

“Y-yeah…he’s been haunting me my whole life. Giving me nightmares, scaring off food with his aura, whispering mean things in the quiet…Flash hates me. The few times I’ve seen him, he’s always glaring at me no matter how many appeasements I try to offer.” Even as you listened to him, you FELT the stone get heavier. It was as big as your head, but oddly shaped, so it was no surprise he hadn’t been able to cough it out on his own.

“Okay, well, I’ll push it ahead of me and you try to cough it up. You don’t deserve this.” You pull the stone up as the muscles around you tense and press in.

Halo hacks and coughs, and slowly, due to you being able to guide it and press more, the stone goes back up, until something twitches inside and suddenly you’re violently expelled back into the water of the lake.

The poor mer is dry heaving now and gasping for breath, but the stone is out, and you see it grow visibly. That makes you furious and you scream, “Hey! Your brother didn’t make the choice! Your pod is the target you need, not him. He was literally an infant, you misguided wraith. It’s not his fault! Leave him alone or I’ll exorcise you myself!”

The stone stops glowing, but you can feel it now, the angry energy around you and Halo. But you’re too mad to freak out and just bundle Halo close to you as he shivers from the aftershocks. You decided you won’t take a ghost’s BS today or any day.

Chapter Text

You were stuck in the reef because the tide went out, so you sit in your little boat and read. Still, it wasn’t like you were in a hurry. You were on vacation.

Moon clearly hadn’t gotten the memo about it being ‘you time’ though, because he was already climbing over the edge of your boat and heading your way.

“I see you, Moon. Not today. I’m relaxing.”

He stops where he was and pouts, laying on his arms on the deck, “No fun.”

“I know, but I’m on vacation. Nobody’s supposed to be in charge of me but me today,” you explain while lounging under an umbrella.

The displeased merman growls a bit, but you just giggle and start to stroke his head lure softly, “That doesn’t mean I don’t love you, Moon. It just means I want to cuddle instead of wrestle.”

He perks up a bit, “Cuddle? I can do that.” Giggling a bit, he lays his body over yours, head on your stomach, and starts to purr.

Not having expected that reaction, you laugh a bit and gently smush his cheeks, “you are adorable. Silly.”

Moon’s whole body is limp, long tail trailing into the water, but purring up a storm as you pet and fuss over him. He seems content so long as you’re paying him attention. Well, until he opens his big red eyes and frowns, flicking his tail up onto the boat, too. Then you see a yellow head with floppy fins around its face and grin.

“Sunny, are you jealous?” you tease, and the yellow mer whines as he slips up on the other side of the boat. Moon snickers and Sun looks even more put out. “Moon just got here first. You can have a turn, too.”

“nooo,” Moon whines, wrapping his arms around your chair and refusing to move, “bit me. Naughty naughty…”

Sun stuck his tongue out, and that was it. Moon hissed and the two of them tumbled over the side to wrestle in the water. After a while, you got concerned as their splashing hadn’t stopped, and you looked over to see what they were doing.

Instead of seeing Sun and Moon, you were greeted by the twins, Scarlet and Crimson, and they were grinning up at you as Pen, their older brother, waved at you.

“They decided to break up the fight,” Pen gestured, and you noticed each of the twins has a big squirming stomach.

“Silly,” Scarlet giggles, “Not good twins, they fight.”

“We’re better,” Crimson nods, “We work together always.”

“They were fighting over who gets cuddle time with me,” you tell them, and the twins both look disgusted, but Pen perks up.

“Well, in that case,” Pen laughs darkly and quickly grabs you into the water, holding you close, “I guess I win~”

“Pen!” you struggle, but you know it’s no good. The dark orange and black mer is very strong and will probably hold you for quite a while.

The twins talk about cooties and how gross affection is, but you don’t mind them. They grew up isolated and have yet to get used to affection between others. You’re kind of glad the twins made Sun and Moon have a cool down period in their pouches, because as much as their squabbling over your attention was cute, you didn’t want them to hurt each other.

Chapter Text

Sunset blinked slowly as he lifted the limp human in his tentacle. He’d been raiding a nest of eels when he’d found them nearby, and they’d fainted in shock at seeing him. Or maybe they were upset that he’d eaten the subjects of their little observations, since they had one of those human devices for making pictures.

Well…he wanted to study them a bit more, so he’d keep them. Opening his mouth, he pushed them in as he swallowed, flexing his body in such a way that they would go to his storage instead of with the eels in his true stomach. He didn’t encounter humans much, and had never tasted them before, but it was a delicious flavor he made note of for the future.

Their warm, pliant body settled into his pouch, and for the first time in his active memory, Sunset was truly full. He never used his storage, always preferring to hunt daily for the thrill of it, or having a recent kill that would last him a while. He didn’t enjoy excess.

Even so, having a wriggling meal and a warm guest was having a very positive effect on his mood as he headed back toward his den. Sleep wasn’t something he could easily have, but this feeling was encouraging him to try again tonight. His muscles relaxed and the tension he always felt eased significantly.

He rolled the rock that kept unwanted visitors out across his door, and then settled into the soft sand and sea grass of his bed. This human had to have had the Kiss of Life since he found them without diving gear this deep. They didn’t even have those false fins on, just their very unsuited body in the water, so he was confident he didn’t have to worry about them drowning.

Eyes beginning to droop, he curled in on himself and let his mind focus on the sensations from inside. The soft breathing of the human, the pleasant movements of the eels in his stomach, the comforting warmth from both, all washing over him in waves. It was so nice to actually feel sleepy instead of just tired. He’d study the human eventually but for now…he was going to sleep.

Chapter Text

Lee was curious about his new friend. They were small, smaller than him anyway, and they were playing with a ball.

He’d swum up to them and now both were playing in the water, throwing the ball, chasing each other around, having a good time. Humans were on the shore, and his new friend was a human, but he hadn’t had a lot of encounters with them.

Having seen his brothers interacting with their human friends, Lee had an idea.

“Hey,” he smiled at the little human, who giggled and looked at him, “Can we play whale?”

“how d’you play that?” they asked him, looking excited with wide eyes.

“It’s when a mer like me puts a human in our tummy pouch and we see how long it takes for one of us to get tired.” Lee was looking forward to this. His brothers always said their human friends tasted good, and that they gave good tummy rubs.

His friend tilted their head and asked, “like Jonah? Am I gonna have to stay there for three days?”

Lee had no idea who Jonah was but he shook his head, “No, just until you wanna come out or I wanna eat something for food or whatever. It’s just a game, I’m not gonna kidnap you.”

“oh, okay,” they threw their ball closer to shore and swam over, “Just make sure the ball won’t go away.”

“okie dokie!” Lee giggled and pulled them into a hug first, “I’ll stop if you get scared, so just say so.”

“Yeah!”

Having the enthusiastic agreement, Lee opened his mouth and put his friend in. Their hands pressed and poked around, and they giggled, “You’ve got sparkles in your mouth.”

Lee wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was glad they weren’t scared as he swallowed and pulled them deeper. They gave a little squeal, continuing to laugh as they were pulled gulp by gulp into his body. It didn’t take long to swallow them completely, since they were smaller than him, but they were warm and filled up his tummy perfectly.

The happy mer floated on his back, rubbing at his friend as they wiggled and pushed and poked around. “That was fun and you tasted really good. Feel free to play around, if you want. I’ll let you out when you’re done.”

“Okay!” they called, a little louder than necessary but that was fine. They’d probably never been pouched before. Their hands were gentle, though, and Lee appreciated it since he thinks they’re probably a kid and kids tend to be rowdy.

Happy with the game as it was, Lee hummed and poked and pressed back at the little human. It was fun to play with someone new, and it was even more fun to know they were both having plenty of happy feelings together.

Chapter Text

You had no idea what was wrong with these people. You were a journalist, and you’d infiltrated a villain’s group of henchmen to try and expose the process that led ordinary people to serve the unhinged. Unfortunately, your cover had been blown when a story ran about an award you’d received in the past, listing your name and a picture of you on a list of past recipients.

So, as punishment, the villain, some sea obsessed mechanical nightmare, had just thrown you into the tank of a pair of conjoined twin mers who got rid of people for him.

-

Bloodmoon wanted to eat, but when they saw the human that had been thrown into their waters, they paused. This human had taken care of them since they’d arrived. Fresh meat daily, comments of how beautiful their colors were, helping to remove itchy patches from hard to reach places, all of that.

Stomach growling, as they hadn’t been fed since this human had been dragged off, they looked at each other.

“Other?” Scarlet asked, curious as they circled you while you sank, “What do we do?”

Crimson thought quickly and answered, “We swallow them whole and hold them. Stupid humans always think eating means death, so we just wait until we’re sent on a mission outside and cough them up there.”

“And food?” that was the main concern of the first twin, who had gotten them both in trouble before by eating inedible things when in a desperate state, as the scar on his belly proved.

“I’ll keep them in mine while you eat for us both,” Crimson answered, taking the human by the head in his jaws. He had to get them down before they drowned, since their upper stomachs were for storing live prey or children they could fill it with air.

Outside their tank, the henchmen cheered or vomited, their ‘master’ eagerly watching and commenting. Seems he was disappointed not to see them tear you to bits like the usually did with those unfortunate enough to enter their water.

“Stupid thing,” Scarlet growled softly as he helped guide your body so Crimson could swallow easier, “He thinks he owns us, thinks we’re brainless. No…we won’t hurt those who serve us well. Unlike him.”

Crimson hummed happily, their good human tasting lovely and clean, unlike the nasty other henchmen that tended to be thrown to them. He used his hands to follow their progress down his gullet and into his belly, making goosebumps go over his arms in delight. They were soft and warm, just big enough to be filling in the best way, curling up as if knowing exactly how to please them.

Scarlet happily rubbed over their human, cooing eagerly, “Little caretaker, did so good for us, now we can keep you. Other will hold you close, I will feed us, and we’ll return the favor.”

Purring, the twins surfaced for a moment to gulp down air for you, and heard the muttering discontent of their master. He liked a bloodbath, and their softer treatment of you wasn’t what he’d expected. The boys just grinned and went back to their den at the bottom of their tank, curling around and comforting you as you shook in Crimson’s stomach. They weren’t going to bite the hand that fed them so tenderly, and were very happy to be able to have you so close for so long.

Chapter Text

Never in your life did you imagine that you’d be sitting on your boat, watching a massive mer devour another one.

The orange and black shark that had been tailing you for an hour had been grabbed up and you were watching his tail disappear into the mouth of an even larger squid mer. It was almost ridiculous how enormous he was, lure fin dangling down to his waist, his palm as far across as you were tall, tentacles lazily curling as his loud gulps echoed off the nearby rocks.

When the last of your aggressor had vanished from sight, the victor turned his red eyes on you.

“human…”

The depth of his tone shook your chest, and the rasp of it made you shiver.

“Be not afraid, little thing. My son will not bother you further,” his fingers, gradient black into light grey, curled over the protrusion in his stomach. “He has much to learn about respecting others, and I will ensure he learns.”

“you..you ate your own kid?” you say, horrified to say the least.

“oh…no, I simply put him in my storage stomach. It’s…well, rather like how some fish keep their babies in their mouths, yes?” He blinked down at you, seeming confused and a little concerned. “I would never hurt my children, much less eat them alive.”

Nodding dumbly, you sat down on the deck as he sank into the water to just have his head even with your boat.

“My name is Kacey.” he hums as he watches you, “and my wayward child is called Twister. He is…a bit caught up in his more negative feelings and was probably just enjoying your unease at his presence.”

“O-oh…so he’s just a bully then.” you relax a little, and Kacey nods.

“Indeed. He has yet to learn the lesson his older and younger clutch mates have,” He shifts a bit, and you wonder what he’s doing. “Ah, he always puts up such a fuss when I have to correct him.” Then there’s a soft hiccup and you find yourself smiling and trying not to giggle too obviously.

“But what about you, little human?” Kacey blinks slowly at you, and gingerly prods you with one fingertip, “What errand has you on the water this fine day?”

“Magnet fishing,” you show Kacey your rod and the large flat disk magnet on the bottom. “I lower this down and pick up metal that’s on the bottom. Sometimes all I get is iron bits, but sometimes I get cans, silverware, all kinds of things.”

“Cleaning the sea is a noble endeavor,” the massive mer nods and you smile at him, “Some of my children have the unfortunate habit of eating whatever is in front of them if they are hungry, and I have had to help them remove more than one metallic object from their bellies in my years as a father.”

“Well, bring anything like that to me. I trade in what I can for money so it can be recycled, and I make the rest into art.”

Kacey’s smile was closed lipped, but genuine and soft, “I believe I shall do that. I will scratch a small symbol on the bottom of your boat so I can recognize you easier. I know your scent, though, so that is an extra precaution.”

He slid out of sight, and you heard the scraping noise. It didn’t last long, and Kacey resurfaced, “done. Now the rest of my family will know you are a friend, and will be able to come to you if they need help.”

“Sounds great,” you feel almost giddy with how happy you are to have made a friend in this huge creature. “You get Twister back home, and I’ll go about my fishing.”

“Good luck, friend, and I will see you another day,” Kacey nodded, then vanished again beneath the waves. You let down your line, and spent the next few hours processing everything that had happened in such a short amount of time.

Chapter Text

This mer was a problem child. Well, he was an adult, but still a pain.

Twister had been captured when he tried to attack a research sub and ending up injured. He hissed and swiped at any of the researchers or staff of the aquarium that was rehabilitating him, and viciously attacked any mer put in the tank with him. Sedation was the only way to make him go through the necessary treatments and examinations.

But you’d had enough. Mers were sapient, and while legal rights were not assigned to them, you wanted to treat Twister like a person instead of a mindless beast. So you sit on the catwalk above Twister’s tank and wait for him to come barreling up to snarl at you. He does, showing his teeth and trying to reach you, so you call out.

“Twister, if you really want to eat me, hear me out first.”

He paused, surprise easy to see on his suddenly blank expression and wide eyes. But he settled and looked at you with those white pinpricks in black that were his eyes.

“You have every right to be mad. We invaded your territory, kidnapped you, and do things without your permission,” you say quietly, watching as he nods with a growing smirk. “I am here to offer you a compromise. You can have me as collateral.”

“What does that word mean, human?” he spoke, the first words you’d heard from him, and you are happy to explain.

“It means that, in exchange for you cooperating with us trying to heal you, I will sit in your stomach. If at any time you are brought to true harm or disrespected, you can kill me.” You know it’s a gamble. You already had instructions with your coworkers on what to do. You were the head caretaker for the mers in the rehab center and they couldn’t do without you, so they’d be very careful.

Searching your face only gives him your resolve, and his smirk grows into a cackling laugh, “Oh, you are stupid, aren’t you? You realize I could just kill you anytime and they’d have no idea, right?”

“I’m wearing a tracking collar like you are,” you point to your neck, the black ring clear as you’re in a swimsuit. “if my vitals change for the worse, the others will be able to know and you lose your chance to have a say in your care and treatment.”

His glare was icy, but he considered the offer for a long moment. Then he sighed.

“Fine. You can be my bargaining chip. But don’t expect to be treated well when you’re in there. I don’t take care of food.” Twister sneers at you, “And that’s all you are to me.”

“Alright then.” You slip off the catwalk and splash into the water, being instantly grabbed.

“I have always wondered what you little nuisances taste like,” Twister grins and licks his lips, “You’re warm, at least. That’s a nice change. Hope you’re as good as dolphins are. Or orca pups…mn~”

You shiver a bit at his cold but hungry gaze, and close your eyes as he pushes you into his mouth. His tongue slides all over your upper body, getting appreciative hums as he tastes you. His mouth is warm after the water, and you try to relax as he finally swallows for the first time. The sound of it squishes into your ears, overwhelming other senses for a moment before you feel the texture change from his bumpy tongue to his smooth throat.

*Glulk* you shift down more and feel his teeth around your knees, sharp points barely pressing against your skin. You have goosebumps on your scalp and arms from the weird position and feeling of this whole situation.

*Glk* now you’re fully in his mouth, and the position is straining your knee joints a bit painfully.

*Gulp* and down you go, sliding and being pushed by the strong waves of his throat’s natural motion.

-

Sinking down to the bottom, Twister gave a pleased shudder as the human’s body squeezed into his stomach, warm and weighty. Lying back against a stone, he relaxed and gave a soft groan, working up a bubble of air that’d gone down with them.

“mmngh, you’re definitely making it hard for me not enjoy this arrangement,” the smug lilt to his words went with a satisfied gurgle from his belly. “If I’d have known humans would taste like that, I’d have been eating them exclusively. Thank you for enlightening me~”

“Don’t do that, please. After three confirmed deaths, our laws decree you’d be hunted down and killed,” the voice of the human was concerned, and he scoffed.

“Food doesn’t talk, so shut up,” pressing down on them with his hands, he felt them wriggling in discomfort and it felt amazing. He loved feeling his prey panicking in his guts, thrashing with their last desperate attempts to escape. This deal was going to be mostly in his favor. He could stay awake and learn the routes out of his enclosure area and whatever secrets that the humans were hiding, have this delicious treat stewing inside him during their torments, and at least be treated somewhat like he had half a brain. All in all, he’s coming out on top.