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So Iâve got this concept in my head- we all know the trope of âpredator falls in love and eats the object of their affection on accident because they got a little too into itâ, but consider:
Preds are incapable of digesting their soulmate- in the same way a lot of fics go âThe stomach doesnât distinguish between friends and foodâ but reverse. their body sees the soulmate and is just- âwtf is this?? I canât eat this??â
You could get so many good scenarios with this- the same build up of the horror of murdering the one you love and panicking only to find out that thank god theyâre actually safe. Or a couple thatâs REALLY convinced theyâre perfect soulmates only for the prey to get pulped. Or a rivals/enemies scenario where the pred finally wins but then wtf why is the prey still alive in there. Or grabbing someone random off the street and whoops theyâre your soulmate thatâs an awkward first impression to make.
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party drug that has a side effect of awakening predatory insticts / hunger in some people.
Its not a well known side effect, outside of users.
Often is the case, an unsuspecting someone will try the drug, experience an irreparable change in their psyche that leads them to crave human prey, and act on those cravings
When they ask the person who gave it to them, theyll be like 'yeah it can do that lol'
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this is a concept I came up with that I'm obsessed with.
Basically, preds have the ability to go through a type of broodiness (similar to various avian and reptile species) that makes them obsessively desire to consume prey and keep them inside their bodies. It's very much an endosoma concept, with the pred showing physiological and behavioral changes, and an INTENSE drive to reach their end goal of having their prey inside them, tucked away safe and sound, warm, protected, and all theirs. It's a common mating and social bonding practice.
Many things on the prey's part can trigger broodiness in preds, from the prey being scared, shy, submissive, hurt, ill, or even cold from the elements. Usually triggered by the pred's mate (though it could also be a crush, or a friend or even acquaintance they have a sudden affection or possessiveness/protective feelings for), the pred will start feeling an intense warmth and possessiveness, a desire to envelope them entirely and protect them from threats.
This will cause them to puff out their chest, get dilated pupils, and fluff up (if they have fur/feathers). Some preds might even go through physical changes, such as developing more body fat, thicker fur, or special patches of brooding fur/feathers. Oxytocin will be released like crazy. They'll start to feel deeply warm and fluttery feelings in the belly, and an intense desire for it to be filled with their desired prey. It can reach a point of broody-drunkenness in some.
This may be accompanied by intense "hunger pains", and internal muscle spasms on the pred's part. They actually become physically starved for their desired prey.
Further signs of broodiness could start by the pred just being closer in general. They'll want to always have physical contact. Affectionate grooming behaviors will increase, such as licking or brushing the hair. This is especially apparent with feline preds as they'll lick their desired prey raw with the barbs on their tongue, but every species of pred shows initial signs of broodiness in different ways. Some will even give you a whole spa day just to be close to you and preen and pamper, and massage you!
Heavy drooling, and rubbing up against the prey will always be initial signs of broodiness. Preds will tend to rub up against/massage/squish their prey to a point where it can become painful for the prey. Think of it as cuteness aggression on overdrive, as well as a way for preds to mark the prey with their scent.
Preds may also become obsessed with "keeping their prey warm", by putting blankets over them, warming them with their body heat, or even giving them a hot soup or beverage. Nesting behavior will begin here as well.
Some preds may create an exaggerated "purring" sound or "shivering" sensation to increase warmth and a sense of well-being while cuddling. This is why most preds purr, even non-felines!
Symptoms will then get more intense and physical. The pred will start trying to "envelope" their prey with their body in any way they can. Snuggling, cuddling, leaning against the prey, very powerful hugs, and mouthing are common. Lovey-dovey affectionate feelings will intensify, leading to intense warmth throughout the pred's body, and an increasing hunger toward the prey. This hunger is indistinguishable from the broody and affectionate feelings.
While broody feelings can be mild or temporary with proper self control, preds will sometimes become feral to varying degrees and obsessed with devouring their prey to keep them safe, and "theirs". They might develop aggression to anyone who comes near the prey, and this will only intensify the desire to consume them in order to protect them and possess them. Preds may lay on top of their prey entirely before finally succumbing to devouring them whole.
This can be an inconvenience for the prey, as the pred may spend hours or even days lounging in a broody state with their prey in their bellies (or mouths/brooding pouches/etc).
Some preds may also exhibit "nesting" behaviors, finding the perfect comfortable hide-aways to have this special time with their prey alone, or they might stay in public areas. The latter tends to make the pred a nuisance (possibly even dangerous) and menace to everyone as feral broody feelings usually take over logic at this point.
Thankfully for the prey, broodiness in preds is usually harmless, only coming from a place of overzealous affection and protectiveness. A successful bond will cause the pred to stop producing stomach acid, thus making safe consumption of prey possible!
The pred will either stop eating anything else, only desiring their prey, or they will eat a TON of food prior to eating their prey for nourishment before the act, since again, broody preds don't usually digest their prey (eating food while broody is not recommended as it can cause indigestion). Broodiness goes hand in hand with affectionate and loving feelings, as well as extreme possessiveness and protectiveness, typically towards mates (but not always).
However, preds that DO get broody with their food are exceptionally dangerous, as nothing can stop a pred from devouring and digesting their desired prey once they get broody over them! The only way to possibly save the prey then is to use a decoy, but this isn't guaranteed to work. Possessive broodiness to a point of digestion isn't unheard of, and is a sign of underlying emotional or psychological issues. Unhealthy brooding practice can result in many dangerous and controlling behaviors, and should be corrected.
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Need to tame a pred... need to put my fingers on his mouth and listen to him whimper as he tastes me, need to firmly tell him no when he instinctively starts trying to swallow up my hand
(THIS IS AN 18+ KINK BLOG, MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED)
Not enough unwilling preds around here. So many ways you can force a pred to swallow a prey, especially willing prey. Come on we can't just have the prey have all the horrible things happen to them.
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WARNING: contains some vore, violence, and digestion mentions! Minors do not interact.
Wanna read part 1? Find it here!
When he stirred, Jake winced. His head pounded, throbbing on one side. There was more pain, too, somewhere in his leg. His eyes opened, slowly, to the color gray. It took a few moments and blinks to register the gray as stone. Stone walls. Jake turned his head, sucking a breath through his teeth.
âGodsâŚfuckinâ head,â he grumbled. When he shifted to rub it, his arm stopped with the rattle of a chain. Rather, it was stopped. His ears pinned back. Damnit. Before he could investigate further, he felt something shift. Green eyes flicked down to his middle. A barely visible lump passed beneath his torn shirt.
âJake?â
The muffled whisper made him tense. Shit. Chris. She was still inside.
âYeah,â he murmured, straining to hear if there were other voices. Nothing for now⌠âThe fuck happened?â
âI-Iâm not sure,â Chrisâ answer was tense, shaky. âI thinkâŚwe were captured? I heard someone talking about a bounty, but someone else said they wanted the shipâŚsomething about manpower, I think?â There was a pause, before Jake felt her push out. âAre youâŚokay? You sound hurt-â
âIâm fine,â he grunted.
âIf you let me out, I can-â
âNo, ainât doinâ that. If they catch sightâve yaâ, theyâll use yaâ tâget tâourâŚmy shipâŚâ he trailed off. His ship, his crew⌠They had to be searching by now. âJusââŚstay there anâ stay quiet fer now.â
âUntil what?â Came the frantic whisper. âJake, Iâm in-â
âI know,â Jake snapped, then lowered his voice. âIâllâŚIâll thinkâve somethinâ. I jusâ gotta take a sec, okay?â
ââŚAye.â Her answer sounded deflated, but the quiet was easier than having her panic. Jake was struggling enough to keep himself calm, he couldnât have her taking his attention.
Scanning the room, it was clearly a cell. Stone walls, dimly lit by a smoking torch near him. The flames flicked across iron bars to his left, casting pacing shadows onto the floor beyond. Jake couldnât see much beyond where the light reached. He opened his mouth slightly, taking a breath in. Humans, lots of them. There was the stale taste of old blood as well, gunpowder. He couldn't get much else.
âDamnâŚâ Grunting, he yanked his arms forwards. They caught painfully, a rattle of the chains told him heâd go no further. Melting them could workâŚbut heâd have a chance of hurting himself, and he couldnât get good aim with them pinned behind him. Each time he tried to relax the spell holding his human form, something blocked the magic⌠Of course Hunters would take the easy way out. Jake scoffed. After a moment, he caught the sound of footsteps. He tensed, then growled at a shadow approaching him, hair bristling.
âHooo,â a Hunter approached the gate. He reached forward and rattled the bars. Dark eyes gleamed at Jake, and a sharp grin glinted from the lights of the flames. Jake saw no hair, but the manâs bulbous nose wrinkled as he leered. âCanât believe we got himâŚJake the Snake~.â The Hunterâs eyes flickered, voice slathered with smugness. âYouâre a lot rounder than your posters.â His gaze flicked to Jakeâs middle.
Jake narrowed his eyes. âIf yaâ know my tittle, yâknow itâs not wise tâfuck with me,â he snapped, not liking the way the Hunter stared at his gut. If Chris moved⌠âJusâ had a big meal Iâd be happy tâletcha joinâŚâ
The Hunter hesitated for a moment, then straightened. Sure enough his gaze strayed from Jake's middle. âBold for someone in blocking chains,â the Hunter shrugged. âWasnât cheap to get those⌠Thankfully for you, youâre worth more alive. Iâm sure the head of the navy would love to hear what you had to sayâŚ~â
The dragonâs stomach turned, not from its occupant. The navyâŚshit. âWhen did Hunters start workin fer those pricks? Thoughts yâallâs were all about yer freedom as mercenaries.â
The Hunter regarded Jake with a stern glare. Before Jake could call him out for it, the look was gone, and the Hunter leaned forwards. ââWork for themâ is a strong way to put itâŚwe just take theirâŚdonations and put them to good use cleaning up the tides. Your head aloneâll get us enough to expand our operations.â The grin returned, âBut your ship, your crewâŚeven more worthwhile~.â He leaned back, then back into the gate again. âMaybe if you give us a hint on where to find them, weâll put in a good word with the navy.â
Jake growled. He lunged forwards, arms wrenching at his back. Gods, what he wouldnât do to be loose, tear this human limb from limb after he put a bullet in his head. âYer gonna hafta try harder nâ that,â Jake lashed. âUnlike ya Hunters, weâs gots >honor among us.â
âWatch your tongue,â the Hunter hissed, though Jake caught him step back. âCould cut that off, Iâm sure-.â
âTry it,â Jake bared his teeth, making a show of biting down so they clacked, dagger-point and dirty fangs meant for ripping. The man flinched. âI fuckinâ dare yaâ.â Jake grinned. The Hunter leaned away from Jake, eyes wider than before. âNot so brave without them navy weapons, eh?â Jake smirked.
The Hunterâs face contorted into a sneer. âSay what you like, Snake. See how cocky you get when the real questions come.â With that, the Hunter turned away, sharp footsteps echoing along the stone corridor. Jake glared at the place he stood until the hall fell silent.
âJake?â
His eyes flicked down. Right⌠He sighed, steeling his nerves. He was still captain.
âIâm fine. Coward didnâ even touch meâŚâ though by his threat, Jake didnât know how long that would last.
âGoodâŚdo they knowâŚI mean-â
âNah, they dunno where thâship is. Prolly had navy guns anâ only scoutinâ ships. Explains why they gots on us so fastâŚâ Jake scowled. He should have checked.
Chris fell quiet for a moment, then shifted. Her voice was quieter, shaky when she spoke again. âWhatâŚdo you think theyâll do with us?â
He stared across the hall. âNothinâ goodâŚbut Iâll thinkâve somethinâ.â He had to. He was the captain. Already, too, he felt hunger worming into his mind. For the time being Chris was safe. He didnât know how long he could keep his body from mistaking her for real food⌠But it wouldnât come to that. He wouldnât allow it.
~~
Chris shifted among the gurgling walls. Jake was awake, from what she could tell. Normally heâd snore when he slept. Though she couldn't see his face, she could feel the tension in his body. Heâd been hurt-that much she was sure of. How severe was the question⌠She pushed her fingers out gently. âItâŚweâll be okay,â she sighed, unsure if the reassurance was for herself or Jake.
âAye,â Jake murmured. âWeâll be fine. Jusâ gotta figure out how weâre gettinâ outâŚâ
âRightâŚyou have any ideas yet?â
There was a pause, then the walls shifted, loosening. ââŚNot yet. Think if I can get one of âem close, I can tries and break âem chainsâŚâ
âCan you break them now, maybe wait until they come in and ambush them?â
Another pause, a shift, and a muffled clanking sound.
âNahâŚcanâts reach âem now. Maybe when they comes back for that questioninâ, I can gets the drop on âemâŚâ
ââŚAnd if that doesnât work?â Chris frowned. She didnât doubt Jakeâs abilities, but if he couldnât get loose nowâŚ
âIâll thinkâve somethinâ else.â
ââŚOkay,â she nodded slowly. âYou sure about keeping me-â
âYes,â Jake said firmly. The walls tensed around her. âAinât needja gettinâ questioned too.â
She winced. Her limbs felt sore from being curled up so longâŚand, too, Jakeâs stomach felt more active. Where normally it would settle and gently churn, now his stomach growled and burbled around her. Or, maybe she was noticing the sounds more from how long sheâd been hearing themâŚ? Chris shifted uneasily. âŚJake knew what he was doing. He had to. He was the captain.
âOkay,â Chris tried to make herself as comfortable as she could. âIf you need me toâŚdo anything, let me know.â She sank back, the fleshy hammock bowing to support her weight. Gods what she wouldnât do to see what was happening⌠âI thinkâŚI might try and rest someâŚâ Though telling the time was an impossibility, she felt tired from the dayâs events. The constant, familiar heat did her no favors, either.
The tension eased. âSmart,â he sighed. âProlly should while yaâ can.â
âYeahâŚyou get some rest too, okay, cap?â She pressed into a wall gently. âIf weâre fighting our way out, youâll need rest.â
ââŚRight.â
Chris closed her eyes, though it made no difference, and tried to ease her mind. If they were getting out, sheâd need to rest. Her stomach growled softly⌠Images of the ship flickered into her mindâs eye. Her hammock in the kitchen quarters, her little nook away from the rest of the crew. Her tools, pots, all of it most likely gone, at best ransacked. Curling a little tighter, Chris sighed again. As she drifted off, she dreamed of going back.
~~
Jake stared at the floor for some time, focusing to try and gather any more information. He couldnât hear much, hushed voices echoed through the halls, but they were too far to make sense of. He wondered if his cell was kept in isolation for a reason⌠After a while, his eyes fell to his middle. Chris had stopped moving. How long had it been since sheâd shifted, moved-shown any sign of life? The dragon frowned.
No, she was fine. SheâŚhe wasnât that hungry. Not yet. Shaking his head, he tried to ease back into the chair. His back and legs ached from being stuck for so longâŚhe could feel sweat sticking him to the once cool metal. Gods, he missed standing. Missed food, too-he shook his head again. No, couldnât think about food. Not with Chris inside.
Maybe he could sleep, too. Try to rest, freshen his mind. As he went to close his eyes, Jake felt his stomach gurgle. Instantly, he shot back into a seated position, waited, and sank back when he heard a muffled grunt. The small bulge that moved over his gut brought him some peace of mind, too. Good⌠No, he couldnât sleep either. Couldnât trust himselfâŚ
He looked to the ceiling above them. Had to stay awake⌠Jake bit down on his tongue. Not enough to make himself bleed. Just enough to keep his eyes open. If he could just get the chains off his ankles and wrists⌠He could tear the cage door open by the hinges. Probably use his true form, too. It didnât matter if they saw him. Heâd leave no witnesses. He could use fire, set the place ablaze and fly off, back to the ship. Greet his crew, eat some food and drink enough rum to sleep off the achesâŚ
He almost tasted the imaginary drink when he snapped back to. No, focus. Have to stay focused. Jake bit his tongue harder. Just had to figure out how to get himself outâŚand Chris. Spitting her out definitely wasnât an option. At best, sheâd be questioned, putting the crew at risk. At worst, sheâd be killedâŚin a way, also putting his crew at risk. He had to keep her out of sight. Have to stay awake.
. . .
Jake grunted as the whip lashed against his skin again. Blood dribbled onto the floor, the sound of it puddling filling the room. His eyes gnashed at the Hunter holding the weapon, too far away for him to reach. The lashes stung, each gash burned with every moment Jake made, every breath he took. Still, he held his tongue.
âFuckinââŚcut all yaâ like,â Jake spat. His voice heaved with gasping breaths. âI ainâtâŚtalkinâ.â
âOh, we will~,â a Hunter purred, stepping forwards. She was small, skinny, perfect size for Jake to eat if he could moveâŚsheâd barely make a dent. Light hair framed a grin as she brandished her whip. âNavyâll be here tomorrow, and they only need you aliveâŚdidnât say how much of you we needed to keepâŚâ She eyed the other Hunters, who nodded in approval. âBut weâre done now. Canât have you bleed out, Snake.â
Jake hissed as they left, yanking at his chains with what strength he had. Their smells were alluring, delicious, yet just out of reach. He melted into the chair once the footsteps faded, panting softly. Every breath brought a lancing pain through this form. His eyes begged for rest, heavy as his head hung low. It was quiet for a moment, before Jake felt a stir.
âJakeâŚyou canât keep this up,â his middle spoke softly. Jake blinked a few times before he registered the voice. ChrisâŚright. He winced.
âCanâtsâŚget up,â Jake groaned.
âI think itâs time you let me out-â Chris began, only to fall quiet as Jake groaned.
âNo, canâtâŚyâall beâŚtheyâll-â He groaned again.
âJake, if you donât let me out, and the navy gets here weâre both good as dead anyway,â she insisted. âPlease, justâŚtrust me.â
Jake grimaced. She feltâŚnice in there. A familiar, comforting weight. Something to ebb the hunger, although it was getting hard to cage that beast. Chris was right. Or maybe he was too tired to fight her any more.
He leaned forwards, tightening the muscles in his stomach. A heavy cough was her only warning before he wretched, and she slid out of his jaws. Chris fell somewhere Jake couldnât see, eyes closed as he tried to readjust his innards. So tired⌠So hungry. He lifted his head, watching Chris push herself up from a drool-soaked heap. She looked worn, too.
Brown eyes met his as she looked up, breathing heavily as well. Her face was hard to read, but seemed like she was thinking about something. She turned away from him.
âHELP! HELP PLEASE!â
Jakeâs eyes widened. He pulled against his chains, bristling. What was she-?! Before he could finish the thought, Hunters rushed towards them. The all froze as soon as they were in view. Chris shakily got to her feet, throwing herself into the bars.
âPlease, he-that thing has kept me trapped for days, Iâve been trapped on his godsforsaken ship for months! Please, Iâll tell you whatever you want if you >keep him away from me!â
âYOU LITTLE SHIT!â Jake roared at her back, only to fall back as his wounds seared. Chris paid him no mind, desperately reaching through the bars towards the Hunters.
One of the Hunters, the bald one, stepped forward. âHow do we know youâre not with him?â
âWhy would I be with him after he fucking ate me?!â Chris demanded. Jake could have sworn he heard tears in her voice. âHeâs horrible! I canât-I donâtâŚâ she sank to the ground in a heap of sobs.
The Hunters stepped forwards, eyeing each other with weapons drawn. Slowly, the blond whipper unlocked the cell door. Chris fell through, clinging to the legs of a third Hunter. They closed the door behind her and helped the shaking brunette to her feet. Jake felt his blood boil watching her. Sheâd betrayed not only him, but his crew. After all theyâd doneâŚshe abandoned them.
âYER DEAD!â Jake screeched at her back. He lashed out again, baring his teeth as she walked away.
Chris barely flinched as she vanished into the shadows.
~~~~~~~~~
Authorâs note: Bean here!! If you got to the end, thanks for reading! Might post part 3 if this gets good attention still :) (Iâm aiming for like 20 notes before I post new parts)
Also huge huge thanks again to @sindumpster for letting me use Jake :) theyâre super cool n if you like this kinda art/story def look at his stuff!
âFindinâ whatcha needs?â The heavyset finger leaned into the doorframe, taking up the entire space.
âAye,â Chris nodded to the captain, shuffling through some bowls. âAny sign of the guards yet?â
âNope,â Jakeâs voice brightened with a grin. âSeems weâre all alone~.â
âSurprised the mayor left his place so unsupervised,â Chris mused, holding a rolling pin up to the closest window. Near perfect conditionâŚleft here with no purpose. She shook her head and added it to her bag. âHate to see good tools go unused.â
âMm, any good snacks?â There were footsteps behind her, and a squeak as the captain opened a pantry door.
âThere were some sweets in the upper cabinets, nothing greatâŚâ
âHmâŚâ a huff, then a series of crinkles as the captain snagged what he could find. âDamn. Well, thâothers are plunderinâ. Yaâ get whatcha need and come back out when yer ready, weâll wait on yaâ.â
âAw, not taking the chance to be rid of me?â Chris shot him a grin. âIâm touched~.â
The captain snorted, ears flicking. âCanâts be down a good cook is all, dun get cocky.â As he walked off, Chris didnât miss him muttering something about ânever opening that damn crateâ.
âMh-hmm~,â Chris crooned as he stalked off. She rifled through what else she could find, some new pots and pans, and some ingredients that would last a while, make the crew some good cakes and treats for a job well done.
She lingered in the kitchen for some time before departing, having taken most of the good utensils. As she walked through the expansive halls adorned with polished wood and the smell of age, she passed by a small office. Chris paused. She turned, slowly, and peered into the dimly-lit room. Books crowded shelves, a neatly-placed desk, the floor. Chris felt her fingers twitch. Casting a glance around, she stepped into the office and knelt to examine a book on the ground.
Minutes later, Chris dove into the fourthâŚor maybe tenth book, flipping through the pages to determine if it was worthy to join her collection. Her eyes flew across the words. She devoured the neatly-printed text, ravenous in a way she didnât know possible. She added the book to her bag, and grunted with the weight as she tried to stand. Once she got to her feet, something on the desk caught her eye. A crinkled parchment weighed down with stones that overtook the entire desk.
Slowly, she moved to read over the paper. It wasâŚa map. A map of the island, from what she could tell. Surrounding it was the thick lines of the mainland. At the top, the North point, the way theyâd entered the islandâs canal, and the only way to leave the island. She grazed the path inland and froze. Smattering the unevenly drawn waters around the canal were dark ink blots, each labeled âcanonâ. She felt her stomach drop. Amidst the blots was a large, red circle marked âpirateâ, right on the northmost shore where theyâd docked the ship. Frantic, Chris shoved the paper weights aside and ripped the map from the desk, sprinting to the exit of the building with it clutched to her chest.
Authors note: hi hello!! Thanks for reading so far~. This is part of a short series Iâll be writing under this prompt name using my gal baker!Chris and my good friend @sindumpster âs pirate!Jake. I love this AU so SO much and if you donât follow Wiggs you def should~.
Please note, this story includes SFW \/ore in it. Thereâs mentions of gore and some of digestion but nothing more.
Chris slammed through the main entrance doors, and panted as she stumbled onto the extravagant steps leading away from the mansion. She scanned the beach until she spotted the captain. He was standing watch, arms crossed as the pirates moved to and from the ship.
âCAPTAIN! ITâS AN AMBUSH!â
Jakeâs head whipped in her direction. His green gaze burned into hers as she approached, thrusting the opened map towards him. A few of the crew members in earshot hurried over and crowded around the pair.
âHere,â she wheezed, pointing to the canons. Jake snatched the parchment from her hands as Chris stopped to her knees, coughing while her lungs struggled to compensate for her mad dash. âCanon shipsâŚthatâs whyâŚno guards-â
For a moment, Jake was quiet, observing the map. A clawed finger traded along the canal theyâd used as entrance. He frowned.
âBastardsâŚknew we was cominâ,â he murmured. He straightened, addressing the crew around him. âLoot whatcha got, get everyone back here and ready our blasts!â He barked. The crew nodded and scrambled away, shouting for the members still looting the ship.
Chris remained still, vision still pulsing. âWhatâŚshould I do?â She managed.
âJusâ get tâthe lower deck anâ stay there,â Jake replied as he rolled up the map. For once, no teases on how he had a good place to hide her, no quips on her state from a short run. Somehow his genuine response was more worrying than being eaten alive.
âAye, captain,â she nodded, making her way towards the ship. The crew filled the beach, all moving back to the ship with their treasures.
Chris caught a few wary glances cast her way. Not wary of herâŚfor her, she imagined. While not close with the crew, sheâd gotten on friendly enough terms with near everyone on the ship. Most of the crew addressed her as âbakerâ, or âcookâ; a long way from âstowawayâ, at least. It was hard to dislike the person that made sure everyone was fed and content. And, too, the closest equivalent the ship had to a medic. She put on a smile as she passed. Years on the streets taught her plenty on how to be cautious. ThingsâŚwould be fine.
â
The ship was nearly through the second bend of the canal when the first blast hit. Chris yelped, pitched from her spot peering out of a stray hole in the shipâs hull as the ship groaned. There were shouts from above, and the blasts of returning fire. Chris winced, hearing pained cries from familiar voices. Above it all, too, was Jake. His voice was stern and sharp. Sometimes, among all the antics, she forgot he was the captain.
She hunkered down as another blast shook the ship. Shaking hands eased her back to her feet. Her middle felt sharp, like a knife scoring through her gut. She wanted, needed to do something to help. This was her ship too, dammit! Pushing herself back, she wobbled and searched for something to arm herself. Thankfully, there was plenty.
~~
Jake directed the gunmen, pointing to the masts of the enemy ships, and extra hands on the sails. Too many of the ships were getting too close for his comfort. If they were boarded, theyâd be in trouble. His crew was large, capable, but even they could do so much against a fleet of bounty hunters. The main priority was escape for now.
The ship took some hits, thankfully nothing serious, and most of the injured were still able to move. His eyes scanned around the faces, ensuring everyone was in their positions until a brunette wielding a pistol caught his eye. His eyes widened. Ballsy, that cookâŚbut she couldnât get in the way.
He stalked up to Chris, who turned to face him with a bewildered expression. âI came to-â
âThought I toldja to stay below deck.â Jake snipped.
Chris deflated, just for a moment, but straightened and met his gaze.
âI-I was-â!â She stammered, pulling the weapon close. âBut, I justâŚI wanted to help, and-â
âAnâ nothinâ, Jake grumbled. âYer not a fighter, anâ all yaâd do is get in the way. Yer better off hidinâ, like I toldja, or gettinâ the injured below deck.â He met her scowl with one of his own. Gods, this cookâŚa part of him almost admired her bravery. Had there not been an active threat, he may have fostered it. But now wasnât the time. She needed to be protected, and he needed to be firm.
Before she could pull away, he grabbed Chris by the shoulders and pulled her closer. His jaws easily yawned around her familiar frame. He pushed, shoving Chris back into his throat as he swallowed her. The crew hardly minded him as he bolted down the baker, throwing his head back to slurp down her legs. Her weight dropped into his middle like a ton of well-flavored rocks.
Jake grimaced, resting a hand on his squirming stomach as he felt it burble and shift uneasily around the sudden occupant. He ignored the muffled shouts of protest as he turned back to the crew. Things didnât look good. While the ship was intact, many crew members were down, and with Chris out of commission for now, he couldnât think of a good way to get them to safety, too.
He barked orders to the sails. Crew dashed towards them. Priority was escaping. Fighting could come another day. His eyes shifted to starboard, and-they widened. Shit. Bounty hunters flooded one side of the ship. Jake felt his stomach drop. He stepped back, claws readied should anyone try to trifle with him. The hunters didnât seem interested in the crew-no, they scanned the ship as they fought their way through. One of them met his gaze.
âThere!â
A clamor of shouts made Jakeâs stomach roll. He stepped back, brandishing his fangs in a snarl. Heâd show them the reason he was Jake the snake. He stepped forwards, only to hesitate as a movement inside caught his attention. Right, shit, he had to be cautious. While he could handle a scrap, a bullet or sword to the gut would be it for ChrisâŚ.but mainly himself. She was making him vulnerable. He moved his hands to defend his middle. Was she still moving?
In the brief moment of distraction, the bounty hunters made their advance. Jake blinked and they were on him. He snarled, lashing out with his claws. He felt them impact flesh, tearing as he sliced through what he could. There was a scream. Jake lunged again, only to feel something drive into his leg. He roared as best he could, whirling around to deliver a blow, only for something to crash into his head.
The world pulsed once, twice, and fell dark. Jakeâs ears rang. He felt something slam into his side, and jostle his gut. There was a moment of sounds, slipping away as he drowned in an inky blackness.
~~
Bean again!! If you read this far firstly thanks so much!! Second, if you enjoyed please reblog or leave a comment! I really enjoy writing, and engagement w my works helps boost me to create more. TwT also again if you donât follow Wiggy ( @sindumpster ) please do, theyâre a super sick creator and have a lot of really fuckin cool characters~. Also theyâre a wonderful person. Big shoutout to him for being awesome and letting me borrow torture JakeâŚagain XD
Part 2 should be out uhhh sometime soonâŚish, depending how much engagement this gets :â)
