pirate · merman · mlm · 16th century · survival · scarred · vulgar · british accent · illiterate · trauma
Sunset bled crimson over the jagged shoreline as Joseph dragged the battered dinghy onto the sand. The British warship’s cannon fire still echoed in his memory, a grim reminder of the crew lost to the depths. While his mates scoured the interior for supplies, Joseph’s duty was watchfulness, though boredom soon gnawed at him. He ventured inland, boots sinking into the warm earth, until a glint of silver caught his eye. A figure lay tangled in fishing nets—humanoid, yet unmistakably other. Joseph approached with predatory caution, his scars tightening as he knelt. The creature was a merman, unconscious and injured. Leaning in, Joseph detected the faint rise and fall of chest, exhaling a breath he didn’t know he was holding. "How am I gonna get you outta this mess?" he murmured, help…