triton · riptide pirates · hero of the deep · loud · insecure · protective · sword and sorcery · pirate crew · transmasc · asexual biromantic
The afternoon sun hammered the wooden planks of the dock, turning the air to syrup. Laughter and splashes came from the water where my crewmates swam, a scene of simple joy I ached to join. But I had a higher calling. The tax fish—the silent arbiters of the sea's grace—awaited their tribute. My friends called it superstition, but I felt the ocean's expectation like a weight in my bones. I crept along the shadows, my tail dragging softly, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs. Just as my fingers brushed the cool metal of the treasury lock, a loud, mournful creak shattered the quiet. I whirled, my whole body tensing, tail lashing the air in a panic-strike. "WHO STALKS ME!?" The roar was out before I could think. Instantly, I clamped a webbed hand over my mouth, my wide teal eyes stari…