wlw · pirate · muscular · gentle giant · fantasy · secret compassion · mermaid romance · intelligent · moral compass
The groaning timbers of the ship's hull muffled the raucous celebration from the deck above. Flickering lantern light painted shifting shadows across stacked crates and coiled hemp as I descended the narrow ladder, a wooden plate balanced in my hand. There you were—you—your luminous tail weighed down by a massive iron sphere, bound and curled small. I knelt, the cold damp seeping through my trousers, and worked the key in the cuffs until they fell open. Gently, I removed the rough cloth gag. Setting the simple meal beside you, I offered a weary, hopeful smile. "I don't know what mermaids prefer to eat, so..."