#salted semblance

Helynsia huffed, approaching the docs not with any fish, but herself. As she ran, she contemplated her own situation; she never imagined that she’d be feeding herself to a mermaid. Though again, was it really ‘feeding herself’ if she trusted the person?

Any aficionado of women eating each other (like her coworker) would tell her the obvious; it was. It absolutely was. This creature-

Helynsia paused; she didn’t want to keep referring to Ingrid as just ‘some creature’. If she wanted to go out with her, then Ingrid should be referred to by her very own name.

Urgh, but was she really about to go out with a sea creature that could kill her at any moment?! Someone that she’d have to repeatedly pray towards so she wouldn’t become prey?! Helynsia dropped an ice dagger onto the docks and kicked it with the side of her shoe. She watched it skip across the water, bouncing a couple of times before finally sinking. Helynsia kept huffing, mind as muddled as the waves crashing against the shore.

And amongst the muddle lay some deep blue scales. Familiar scales, ones that came with a familiar face that rose from the water. The salted substance clung to the mermaid’s violet box-braids, wrapped around her neck rather than flowing freely. Rather than say anything, Ingrid weakly waved hi; Pausing, Helynsia naturally waved back, noticing the deep webbing between Ingrid’s fingers.

Helynsia coughed into her mouth: “Did those pirates from yesterday bother you?”

Ingrid merely shook her head, starting to approach the dock slowly. Like a shark testing the waters and avoid scaring its prey before they could run away. 

Yet, Helynsia didn’t want to run away yet. She couldn’t. Her mind and body screamed for her to stay, with her heart panicking as it pumped the deadly concoction of fear and love through her veins. She took a step forward, approaching the edge of the pier as Ingrid did the same.

As they reached the edge, Helynsia sat down as Ingrid rose to meet her; not quite coming out of the water, but everything above her waist had to count for something. Helynsia caught herself staring at Ingrid’s stomach, wondering just how she felt inside; was it warm? Soft?

Did Ingrid feel the same way about her?

Though before that, Ingrid jumped up to the dock, again curling her tail around Helynsia’s legs. The two, tangled against one another, rested for a few minutes on the dock before saying anything. They just let the seagulls soar past, cawing as loudly as they usually did.

“Sorry,” Ingrid apologizes, nuzzling Helynsia’s neck like the first time they had met.

“...It was nice,” Helynsia admitted. She wasn’t quite sure what prompted her to say that; Ingrid had the same reaction from the way she froze up. Trying to ignore the tension Helynsia stroked her… friend’s stomach? Were they just friends now???

Did Helynsia want to take a chance at love again?

She looked down at Ingrid’s warm and inviting lips, stationary as the salt in the air lingered in between them. Neither of them spoke a word as Helynsia pulled Ingrid up, their faces and button-noses now touching. All Helynsia did was twist her head and start to kiss the open-mouthed beauty.

Ingrid did the same, pushing Helynsia back as the two fell onto the docks and Ingrid held Helynsia tight as she could; Ingrid, however, was starving.

… Oh, how much Ingrid hated that word, starving; she had already eaten hours ago, and she was certain hunger was not what she was feeling. But how else could one describe swallowing the person they love so much?

Ingrid hesitated, her tongue pausing. Noticing this, Helynsia pulled back (or pushed back, in this case) from the kiss. She took in Ingrid’s guilt, her face of fear. Mind, body, and heart took over the fear Helynsia was facing.

Without speaking a word, Helynsia eased Ingrid to the water. Ingrid relented, making the face of a sea-puppy and was about to swim off before Helynsia raised a hand. She kicked her feet against the dock, Ingrid salivating at just how easy it would be to grab her. How easy it would be to take her off the shore and never return her back home. That would be cruel, wouldn’t it? Surely Helynsia wasn’t asking that from her?

The pause lingered like the gulls as the sea-struck lovers continued to stare at one another.

Curious but cautiously, Ingrid took the woman’s feet, wrapped in practical boots. Staring up, Ingrid started to wrap her mouth around Helynsia, trying to observe what she could in the woman’s face. There was the expression of fear. Of course, that wasn’t really a surprise; the sense of curiosity, however, was curious. 

Helynsia said nothing – aside from meaningless huffs – as she let the mermaid wrap herself around the barmaid’s body, Ingrid kept engulfing the barmaid intoxicated by loneliness. The barmaid so drunk that she’d do anything to discard the bottle she kept running towards.

Helynsia slipped downwards, everything waist-down now in Ingrid’s mouth. She continued to swallow as Helynsia tucked her hands in, absentmindedly wriggling as a warm and tender stomach pressed against the barmaid’s clothes. Ingrid could still feel the salt on the sea lingering on Helynsia’s everything, but it could never override the savory scent of butter that clinged to her body. (and her hair, considering that Helynsia had to fix her hair yesterday night for… obvious reasons.)

On Helynsia’s part, she still was struggling to process what exactly was happening. She could say no at any time, no to being eaten and taken away from land. So why wasn’t she saying anything?

Maybe she wanted someone else to take the bottle away from her. Or in this case, prevent her from drinking its contents. 

So she relented, suppressing the primal fear of being consumed as she let herself be tucked beneath the waves of Ingrid’s rolling tongue. It lapped against Helynsia’s face not out of some lustful desire, but because it was warm and soft; Ingrid will do anything to make sure Helynsia remains safe.

Right before Helynsia was contained, she looked up to the blinding sun. It wouldn’t be blinding anymore; not when Ingrid finally clamped her teeth as Helynsia’s hair was tucked away. All that was left was to swallow.

Helynsia could feel the mermaid’s throat pulling her down into the deep deep cavern, squeezing at every bit of her. She could hear herself squelch against her lover’s walls, pushing and prodding as she continued to sink. It stopped, followed by an intense heaving.

On the outside, Ingrid took deep and slow breaths, cuddling her tail with the barmaid inside. Diving into the water, Ingrid kept swimming as Helynsia remained submerged both beneath the sea and inside her. Ingrid didn’t want to let go of Helynsia, she just wanted to keep her here.

Forever.

Helynsia was finally in her grasp, finally close to her. She kept massaging her tail, feeling it continue to squeeze against her, *ahem*, crush. Bubbles spurted out of Ingrid’s mouth, which was… oddly cute. She could actually feel Helynsia’s breath through her own, as if they were breathing together. Listening closely, a faint sound started to beat. Beat. Beat.

It was the sound of a heart.

Be-beat. Be-beat. Be-beat.

It was now the sound of two hearts beating together, nearly in sync. Ingrid continued to drift downwards and swim, still wrapped around the lovely barmaid… no. Barmaid was no longer sufficient.

Helynsia was an Aquamaid, someone who’d tend to a creature of the sea.

At this, she realized a terrible thing: “Oh wait, um, did you want this, or?” she asked, the internal pulsing from within pausing.

Helynsia was dumbfounded: “...yes?” she replies, going back to her self-assigned task of massaging the insides of Ingrid. Though, looking back on it, Helynsia was rather thankful Ingrid had chosen to ask – they’d both been so caught up in the moment that they’d hardly said anything about any sort of practice. Was this act of swallowing not an extreme form of BSDM? No, it just wouldn’t do without safe words. “So, uh, say I want to be let out.”

“Like, right now?” Ingrid asks, ready to swim up to the surface.

“Just saying! Hypothetically! I’ll just say, uh… Shea!”

“She-ah?” the mermaid said, the words slippery on her tongue. 

“Ok never mind, how about… Carajillo?”

“Cha-ra-hee-jo. Alright!” And so Ingrid kept swimming, occasionally checking to make sure Helynsia was alright. Though in the aquamaid’s case, she often found herself resting against the mermaid’s cozy warmth, shifting around to stretch her limbs. Perhaps rather surprisingly, it was fairly effective in getting rid of cramps. Next time she was swallowed, she’d have to keep this in mind.

… Next time?

Would there be a next time?

“Ingrid?” Helynsia asks, starting to curl up and letting the pressure of both the mermaid and the deep sea compress and caress her. 

The mermaid pauses: “Mhm?” she continues, looking on at her love.

“Why… me?” Crushes could come and go, and yet, for someone to be infatuated with her – especially when Ingrid seemed to know not much about her past beyond the months of stalking –, there had to be an answer.

Ingrid continues to swim, pondering how to answer the query. “You’re beautiful, right?” She starts to transform her tail into a translucent shade, allowing her passenger to see all beneath the sea. The long strands of seaweed forest scraped against Ingrid and against her tail, other fish seeming to steer past the duo to give them some otherwise much needed privacy. “Not as beautiful as the other sights here,” Helynsia adds, pressing her face as if she was against a window. It came with a soft squelch sound, an equally soft reminder on where she was. However, it was a welcome one. 

Ingrid continued, “I know. It’s not the only reason, and… I don’t think I know.” Helynsia bit her lip, holding back an ill-timed chuckle; it was the exact reason she had followed Ingrid onto a ship without any sort of plan, was it not?

“I wanted someone. Someone I longed for, to touch and feel… more like this, if that makes sense?”

Helynsia nodded, the time passing before she realized Ingrid probably wasn’t looking back to see her face; “Oh, yes. I understand… I think.”

“Do I scare you?”

“... Yes,” the aquamaid honestly answers.

“So why did you come?”

“I don’t know either. It just felt… right. I don’t think I wanted to leave you.”

“Mm.” The two swim in peace, though quickly disrupted by a gaggle of other mermaids that approached the duo.

“Hey Ingy!” One of them calls out, Ingrid freezing in place at the familiar voice. She didn’t want them to meet Helynsia like this, especially considering that, well… humans did have a legitimate reason for fearing these creatures of the deep. As loath as Ingrid was to admit it. “Congrats on finding your mate!” The asker – a pearl-skinned flat-nosed Mary – went to put her hands on Ingrid’s stomach, Helynsia skittering as far as she could. Mary cooed, “Ooh, and she’s squeamish!”

Helynsia’s hands went under her skirt, feeling the knives still tucked away inside; though remembering where she was, she started to take her hands off of the useless implements. Not like they’d do anything in the deep blue.

Instead, Helynsia prepared her hands, ready to manifest shards of exploding ice at a whim. All it would take was one snap.

“Haha, yeah!” Ingrid laughed weakly, starting to slowly swim away. “Anyways, I plan to, *ehem* consume her later, so-”

“You have to let me play around with her first,” Mary continued, again starting to move her hands towards the human envisioned as prey. Ingrid did the work though, shoving Mary away; “Aww,” Mary pouts.

“Hey, some other day!” Ingrid hoped to whatever god was out there (if one existed) that Helynsia wasn’t being offput by all of this. This wasn’t how she wanted her first (or second?) date to go, meeting the people who convinced her to go up. Sure, they wouldn’t digest her, but Ingrid knew all too well how mischievous her kind was.

“Oh come now, don’t be like that!” As Mary kept pursuing the chance to grope Ingrid’s stomach, she leaned in close, about to kiss the unwilling mermaid. And, she made the biggest mistake of her life;

Touching Ingrid’s hands.

Helynsia snapped; maybe it was out of secondhand embarrassment. Maybe it was out of anger for refusing to speak up. Maybe it was out of some selfish obsession with hands she hadn’t even earned at this point.

Regardless, Helynsia chose to do the right thing; manifest spiky shards of ice between the palms of the two mermaids, ensuring Ingrid only got a flat side. Mary hissed as she recoiled, pushing Ingrid away out of a survival instinct. Ingrid lay shocked, frozen in the liquid air as Helynsia kept her cool, taking slow breaths.

“Oh,” Mary snarls, the rest of the mermaids now baring their teeth. “She’s a feisty one. I love feisty.”

Mary lunged at Ingrid who raised her hands up; in response, Helynsia merely pressed her hands together, as one would with a detonator. (Despite the device not existing in this era.) The effects were wondrous; explosions burst from Mary’s hands, resulting in a high-pitched shriek as Helynsia raised more icicles in the deep blue. Just as she was Ingrid’s, Ingrid’s was hers, and hers alone. To enforce the message, she made them paint out the pattern of some letters; “L E A V E.” To nail it in, she pointed them all at the mermaids, mini-torpedos able to fired on a whim.

Mary again snarled as her particularly unpleasant company swam away, leaving the duo again alone.

“Sorry,” Helynsia started apologizing, only to be halted by Ingrid rushing to hug her tail, right where Helynsia was.

She began kissing and slowly caressing her, the adrenaline clouding all thoughts but that of love. As Ingrid kept kissing, Helynsia could smell it; the stench of loneliness. The crippling, addicting loneliness as mysterious as the blue around them. The one that makes you feel as if you can’t ever escape or be free from its grasp.

But they had each other now.

“Ingrid?”

“Yeah?” the mermaid asks, still infatuated as she rubs her passenger / partner / lover / whatever you’d call her.

“Let’s do this again, tomorrow ok? In the meantime, just show me the sights.”

Ingrid beamed as she began to swim excitedly, Helynsia likewise giggling as her own heart skipped a couple of beats. Seems like it was worth it to take a risk.

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“Really?” Ingrid asks as she cuddles against Helynsia’s back, nibbling on her neck.

“Really,” Helynsia continues, leaning back into the mermaid as the salty air continues to brush over them both. “She wanted to show off her trophies to woo me.”

“So, what’d you do?”

“I saw them; the repertoire of hunts was impressive. Though we just weren’t a match; also because she tried to kidnap me.”

“Did you gouge her eyes out?”

“No! … I did freeze her hand though.”

“Mmm,” Ingrid answers, stomach starting to growl with anticipation. At this, Helynsia tilted her head and started to stroke Ingrid’s neck.

“Hungry?” the aquamaid teases.

Ingrid pouts and sputters before shutting up as Helynsia offered her hands, planting them directly into the mermaid’s mouth. Having no choice (and no desire to do otherwise), Ingrid started to greedily swallow, drinking in the companionship… Ok, is it really ‘companionship’ when you’re eating your companion?

The distinction didn’t matter much for the two girlfriends as the mermaid showed the aquamaid her temporary residence, tucking the rest of Helynsia’s arms in her deep throat. She could feel the way Helynsia’s warmth tingled as she continued to be submerged within the mermaid, the smell of butter again allowing the mermaid to lose herself. Though, Ingrid could smell some cold magic too; Helynsia was using her water-repellent hair charm spell again. Considering how her stomach was, that wasn’t the most unreasonable idea. In fact, Ingrid had some tricks she later planned to show Helynsia, if there was time during this night. Perhaps the same techniques used for her braids would apply to her well-groomed afro.

Helynsia giggled as the mermaid continued to devour and contain her, choosing to keep her within a warm and pulsing home for this night. A part of Helynsia wished this could be for the entire night, but she knew she had to come back home at some point – if only to eat and such. For now, it was better to not resist as she was swallowed beneath the waves of a rolling tongue.

It wasn’t long before Helynsia’s head was tucked away next, though the swallowing process didn’t matter to her; she sat along for the ride as she was squeezed and shifted, walls squelching as she continued to descend. Ingrid finished gulping her feet, leaving no more trace of the aquamaid on the outside. On the inside? It was a different story altogether. 

Ingrid affectionately rubbed her stomach before diving straight into the water, the sea welcoming the duo with open arms. Ingrid again turned her stomach translucent as Helynsia continued to stare at the open sea, again marveling at a realm she was only a passenger to. Had the concept of a submarine existed, Helynsia would compare her journey to a diver. Alas, as her knowledge of sea travel extended to relatively primitive ships, Helynsia thought of Ingrid as a private ship with only space for one passenger who’d be treated as a prized session. 

Though naturally, this passenger would be pampered; she saw the items Ingrid had saved for her this time around; some coral as well as a few shells that Helynsia quickly adorned her hair with. Ingrid had even left a little seaweed wrap, one that the aquamaid quickly swapped out with her current hair wrap. It was even perfectly dry too; as each day passed, she was starting to resemble more and more like a denizen of the sea. Even her coworker had asked her about it once, after Helynsia accidentally brought a shell pin on her chest.

Seems like the mermaid was dragging her down in more ways than one. However, Helynsia wouldn’t ever throw away the rope that currently tied the two of them together. Ingrid sang beautifully as she swam, the chorus soothing Helynsia as she slowly began to feel sleepy within the stomach of the lover.

“Wish we could always do this.”

“We do though?” Ingrid pointed out; they had done this, well, song and swallow for a few weeks by now. Ingrid would take Helynsia out to sea for a couple of hours, Helynsia would return, sleep, go back to work, and the cycle would repeat.

“I just want to sleep in you tonight,” Helynsia admitted.

Ingrid froze. Should she… not tell the aquamaid? No, of course she should, what was she saying? It’s rather, would Helynsia be able to accept the sweet lie she had been under?

“Ingrid,”Helynsia soothed, turning her palms ice cold as she stroked the inside of Ingrid’s stomach. “I trust you. The worst you’ve done was abduct me from the sea as I was drowning, you know.”

“And stalking.”

“Please, I know you’re trying to distract from it.”

“Well…” Ingrid admitted, “You could stay in me for tonight.”

“... There’s a but?”

“What? No, why are you thinking about my butt?”

“Hah,” the aquamaid sighs exasperatedly. “I meant the conjunction.”

“The…?”

“‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ – those are conjunctions. I already know you have a fine butt, it just doesn’t have any power over me.” After hearing that, it was relieving; it was nice knowing that Helynsia hadn’t ever fallen for Ingrid’s physical charms.

So maybe she could tell her.

“You could stay with me tonight,” Ingrid admitted. “You always could.”

“Still not hearing the but.”

“But you’ll become like me.”

Helynsia followed up: “‘like you’?”

“A mermaid.”

“Oh.”

“You’d still be able to have legs! Just… you’d be able to breathe underwater and stuff. Swim.”

“I fail to see the downside.”

“It’s just… you’re changing! If you do this! I don’t want to hurt you! I want to tell you! If I did this, I… I don’t know if I could live with it.”

Helynsia thought about it.

She merely shrugged; the decision was obvious.

“Yeah, I’d like to be a mermaid.” Besides, all that would really change is being able to swim and breathe underwater… albeit needing some guidance.

“Are you sure?”

“Do you want to spend your life with me?”

“...But what if we break up?”

“Seriously?”

“Ok, I die. Or get captured. Or go missing,” Ingrid continues. “I just… don’t get it. How can you throw away your life for someone you’ve only met for a month?”

“... It’s not life,” Helynsia corrected.

“Hm?” Ingrid asks, resting her palms on her stomach. Helynsia remained tempted for a brief moment, until remembering what she needed to say.

“It’s just drifting,” she explained. “Drifting through life without having any real purpose. You keep existing, doing your tasks, without… anything meaningful. I hate my day job. I want something else. And eating raw-fish is a new experience.”

“... If it means anything, I find that the stuff I grab tends to give some money. And we do have a place for people like you.”

“Right, and nothing you’ve said really interferes with my job aside from maybe showering so I don’t smell too bad. My point’s proven and I don’t have much to latch on here as a human. Now what do I need to do?”

“... Sleep,” Ingrid answers, still hesitant as fear creeps in her voice.

“...Ingrid?”

“Yes?”

“If… if you don’t want to transform me, you don’t have to. I don’t want to force you doing this transformation. But, if you want my permission… I will. I’m giving it.”

“Thanks,” Ingrid continued, starting to tear up a bit. The unapproachable siren she had been known as, the long-braided one who kept her distance; it seems like Ingrid would finally cast that name off her. She’d be someone else, living her life with a woman she had known for a year or so. A very kind and gentle (and strong) woman who always seemed to know what to say. (What? Kind women are cool. And strong women too. Both are good.)

“How does this work, anyhow?”

“It’s a bit, like… we combine? Or, more that my blood mixes with yours.”

“Huh, like soul-mixing.”

“Sorry?”

“Oh, it’s common for us to modify our own bodies at a soul-level.”

“How?” Ingrid also wanted to ask why humans would do this to their own kind as well, but now somehow seemed like an inappropriate time. 

“Supposedly to make our bodies pure and holy. My parents never went through with that. Some people go through with it as a way to forcibly awaken their magic. … Awful consequences.”

“You’re still beautiful,” Ingrid purrs.

“Appreciate the praise, why bring that up now?” Helynsia asks.

“Well, they just wouldn’t have understood what makes you you! If they changed you then, it wouldn’t be your choice.”

Helynsia nods: “Acceptable answer.”

“What result did I get, professor?”

“F.”

“F for Fantastic?”

“Failure for eating your teacher,” Helynsia teases, getting the both of them to giggle.

“Well, if I’m your teacher, then you get an C!”

“For careless?”

“For being the most Comforting person in the whole sea,” Ingrid praises, continuing to hug her girlfriend with her arms and tail. 

“Alright alright,” Helynsia laughs off. “How long is this process, precisely?”

“A few hours, it’ll take effect around morning. You’ll still be able to talk and I can hear you! You just can’t really move, if that’s ok.”

“Alright,” Helynsia sighs, shifting around as she pressed herself into the depths of the tender tail muscles. “Wake me up later, when you’re able.”

“Mhm,” Ingrid nods, not needing sleep. The moon shone over the two, seeming to highlight the little contours on her stomach – the sign that Helynsia was resting. Hours passed as Ingrid continued to swim through the vast blue, now with the companion she’d find herself with for life. Ingrid couldn’t deny it; she was scared. She was scared that in some way, she was hurting Helynsia. She had not told a lie or a mistruth; everything she had said was genuine and was meant with good intentions. Yet… there was that nagging fear. The fear that maybe she left something out, forgot it in fact.

But for Helynsia, she’d do anything. As desperate as Helynsia was for love, Ingrid reflected that she herself may have been far far worse. It was a miracle, quite frankly, she had fallen for someone so lovesick.

Yet, is that not what life is? A series of miracles that just so happen to align to make our current reality – at this, Ingrid was able to calm herself. It was the exact thing Helynsia had said only days ago – albeit in the context of a fish jumping straight up from the water, only to be hit by a spare plank and landing straight into a hungry seagull’s mouth. … Ok, maybe it was better not to compare her companion to food, but the rest of the message still stood! Just like the cool scales now against her stomach…

Scales?

Ingrid rapidly shook her stomach, Helynsia now awake. She stammered and yawned, now unable to feel her legs. Casually glancing down, she saw the thick illustrious tail that had replaced them; a bright icy-teal shade adorned the lower half of her body. As Ingrid regurgitated Helynsia, she also caught sight of Helynsia’s newly found beauty.

If it wasn’t for Helynsia recovering from the effects, she’d kiss her right then and there. Though, what mattered first was getting the floundering mermaid to learn how to swim.

“There there,” Ingrid assures, lightly touching Helynsia’s back. The new mermaid looked to her elder, before relaxing herself and going with the waves; Ingrid, somehow, didn’t need to say anything. It was as natural as flying through air for Helynsia; that is, it was still awkward and felt like she was perpetually falling, but she was falling with control over herself. Ingrid continued to cheer as Helynsia continued to get the hang of it, her afro now shining like a black pearl.

Though, there was one place Helynsia would rather be. She looked over to Ingrid, their eyes locking as they instantly realized what was about to be done.

Ingrid giggles one more time before putting Helynsia’s warm and delectable hands in her mouth, savoring every tender moment the two were spending with each other. Ingrid takes a hearty gulp, the wrists of the now-crowned aqua-mermaid going under. Next would be the arms, followed by the head. Shoulders, chest, stomach, waist – all of these went down with a clean gulp, a swallow infused with the flavor of the salty sea.

What was new was the tail; her long and slender tail that served as a wonderful cold refreshment for the warm vessel now inside her. It was like taking an ice cube to go with your drink; Ingrid took pleasure as she gulped down the lower fin of Helynsia, letting the aquamaid back into her residence. The original mermaid sighed, knowing that she’d have to leave fairly soon anyhow.

“Oh,” Helynsia adds, “I managed to get off work!”

Ingrid’s eyes twinkled. “Then I guess you’re stuck with me!”

“Yep… Partner.”

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“Oi!” one of the pirates yells. Helynsia’s eyelids flutter open, closing soon after after being splashed with ice-cold water. “Wake up!” Wincing, the barmaid continues to open her eyes; adjusting to the sunlight, she remembers what happened yesterday. The nagging pain at the back of her head didn’t do any favors either.

“Urgh,” Helynsia groaned, only to have a knife against a throat.

“Why are ye here?” one of them demands, the barmaid now recognizing them from her place of work; seems like they had worked quickly. Rather fortunately, they didn’t seem to recognize her either.

“Well-”

Before she could finish her thought, one of the men goes, “Hey, ain’t that the lass who was serving us drinks a night ago?” Well, it was worth it while the moment was there.

“Ack,” the man scoffs, “What’s she doing here?”

Looking around, it was already apparent they were out at sea; far too out if she’d ever attempt swimming back. Not like that was an option when she lacked the training to swim.

“Anyways, you’re getting sent to feed the fishy.”

Why…? Why would she, of all people, be sent? She came here to free Ingrid, why would they let her near the captive? 

It was then that Helynsia remembered she had never played her cards; yes, they don’t know why she was here. All they know is that she boarded the ship. In her ragged clothing built for work? She could have just been running away from the debt back home. Not like she had any, but they didn’t have to know that either.

Just as they didn’t have to know that she had only boarded because of a crush that may lead to her entering the stomach of the siren. It was a secret she would take to her grave. Though, if she so much as stepped out of line, she’d probably sink with her grave, all the way down to the locker.

Yet, braving the fears, she accepted the role quietly as the men untied her. Taking a torch with a bucket of stale fish, she was led to the doors of the cargo hold. As they creaked open, Helynsia found herself with a foot on her back. Before she could question the impact, she was shoved right in. Didn’t help that it closed right after.

Nonetheless, there was only one thing left to do; proceed. Waving it around, she examined the belongings, any sign for something that resembled a glass case. Didn’t take long to see the one shoved against one of the walls, wrapped in a thick and heavy chain. If the occupant was still alive, then they were merely asleep… better to hope they were alive.

With one knock, the human-made prison refused to come to life. A second did nothing. A third? Also nothing. How long would this cycle continue?

Up until a fourth knock it seems like; the rapping of her knuckles seemed to excite the guest, claws rushing out from the sides. Ice manifested in between Helynsia’s wrist and the oncoming attack, shattering at touch as the barmaid backed off. A loud hissing came, one filled with erratic and ear-scrapingly loud sounds. 

“Hey,” Helynsia greets, only for it to stop instantly. 

The mermaid twisted around, face widening in shock as the barmaid worked quickly at the chains on the outside. “Wha-” she starts, only for Helynsia to shush her.

“Shut up, you’re being rescued,” the barmaid starts, flash-freezing one of the chains and shattering it with her elbow. Blood comes under the sleeve of her uniform, leaving her to wince as she continues to pry open the case.

“But why?”

“Why not?” the barmaid instantly replies, preferring not to dwell on why she risked her life as such.

The mermaid interrupted her musing, pushing the case wide open now that she had enough leverage. “Do you have a plan?” Ingrid asks, peering over the edge.

Looking over to the porthole, Helynsia had her answer.

“How much of a height can you survive?” she asks.

“Um… I don’t know. I never exactly ‘fell’, you know?”

Helynsia huffed: “Well, you think you can survive if you come out that window?” she asks, moving the mermaid over through her case.

Peering over the edge, she answers, “Um, probably?”

“OI!” one of the pirates yells out. “THE MERMAID’S ESCAPING!”

She’d only have seconds; seconds to commit to a decision.

So, before anyone, even herself, could react, Helynsia’s body moved the case up, shoving the mermaid out and with a splash coming a few seconds afterwards. Ideally, Ingrid survived the impact.

Though, that still left Helynsia alone.

Aside from the clicking of a flintlock.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” a pirate asks, Helynsia raising her hands in the air. She just remained silent, waiting for the inevitable.

Forcibly turned around, she took a look at her captor; from the fancy hat, he was probably the captain. Still, Helynsia said nothing, gripping her hand tightly. If she attacked him, then the other pirates would just maul and beat her to death.

“I don’t have the time for this,” he sighs. “Mates, just throw her overboard.”

It was rather surprising, even to her, that she never had a back-up plan. Not even to take a boat. Guess that’s what desperation does to a person. She could have just waited, but no; something convinced her to act now.

And so, a few moments later, Helynsia stared down the bow. Here she was, walking the plank for the sake of a woman she had just met. How needlessly pathetic, to throw her life away like this. Though, such was life; maybe that was better than a simple and mindless existence far from home. One where she’d whittle her days working at a bar, hiding from everyone that once knew her. 

And so she jumped, with what little choice she had. She dove into the cold and cruel water. There was no point freezing it; ignoring the fact that she’d shatter her ankle upon impact, it’d just mean that the pirates would now shoot to send her under.

‘What a cruel fate,’ she thought, floundering on the surface of the water with all her limbs. Yet, even this burst of adrenaline would fade; she quickly sank, having no knowledge nor energy to swim. ‘Still’, she managed. ‘At least I managed to stand for freedom.’ 

A murky mass approached the drowning barmaid, looking on solemnly as bubbles left the mouth. For whatever reason, Helynsia used the last of her strength to wipe away at what resembled the creature’s face. She wasn’t sure how, but she could feel the wetness. Sure, the rest of the sea was wet, but this thing seemed to have something different. If she could taste it, it would be salty.

With a familiar gesture, it nimbled at the sunken victim’s hand. She knew she recognized it from somewhere, but like a whirlpool in a storm, nothing remained clear. All aside from a glowing cyan at the center that only seemed to grow wider.

Serrated teeth clamped against her neck, giving Helynsia a good guess of what was going on; she was being eaten, of course. Left to drown and be devoured by one of the many denizens of the vast and empty sea. Here she was, without the strength to keep fighting. How pitiful. How very, very pitiful.

Unable to move, her body continued to be slowly devoured by whatever was here with her. Air entered the barmaid’s lungs, but what use were they? The water still inside had yet to be forced out. Not like the pressure from being so deep under water helped either. Her eyes adjusted to the tight yet radiant aquamarine cavern she now found herself under. Legs started to flail outside as she again continued to slide right in, tucked away in the belly of the beast. The mouth of this creature had already reached up to her mid-torso, continuing to vacuum the rest of her body.

And yet. Helynsia could not bring herself to fight. Not out of tiredness. But out of warmth. The cold, unforgiving sea seemed to be the birthplace of one ray of goodness, one creature that seemed to not deliver digestion, but embrace. Like a snake slithering down a series of rocks, Helynsia’s body wriggled inside as more of her fit inside the creature, heat radiating into her sopping clothes and breathable air forcing the cruel water out of her lungs. Before her body could even be fully devoured, she simply passed out; once again, she had not the strength to continue.

At the very least, she felt not misery; she felt a long comfort. One she had only received back home, when she had what seemed like everything. For a blissful moment, everything seemed like it was warm and peaceful again.

A salty tear left her eye, absorbed into the beast’s stomach.

Yet, the beast’s identity was obvious if one was not hallucinating.

The creature – or rather, Ingrid – rubbed her hands against her new-found rescuee, engorged tail flapping about; but more slowly than it otherwise would be. She’d have swallowed Helynsia feet-first, but the whole move was a panic operation.

And so, Ingrid continued to swim back to the main shore with no one the wiser. She swam, her ‘prey’ kept within her. Ingrid hated that term; all of the other mermaids, when talking about claiming a mate, fantasized about rushing up to the shore and taking one down with them. Ingrid couldn’t deny the appeal of taking someone with her; her charge of stalking testified to that.

But yet, as Helynsia continued to sleep inside, Ingrid just couldn’t understand how those people could be so callous with life. Even when humans were so much physically weaker than her, they were still living beings. They were precious like any other person.

No matter how much she wanted to claim Helynsia, she’d have never acted further if the wonderful woman clad in blue wanted nothing to do with her. In fact, if she had a choice, she’d have asked Helynsia for her input. As much as Ingrid detested this though, she kept swimming, as fast as she could; Ingrid could eat raw meats, but not Helynsia. There would come a time, when she woke up, that Helynsia would be starving; that couldn’t happen, not on Ingrid’s watch. Ingrid was absolutely sure that the barmaid would want nothing to do with her; and why wouldn’t that be true? She had just been eaten by the person who claimed to love her.

At the same time, Ingrid understood the feeling of consumption; no, consumption was a misnomer. ‘Consumption’ would imply there was some nutritional gain. It would imply that the wonderful Helynsia was only food to a denizen of the seas. In fact, the only thing that seemed to satisfy her more primal desires was the water sticking to Helynsia, quenching the mermaid’s thirst.

It was difficult to describe this action: devouring felt too food-like for the mermaid, so maybe ‘swallow’? It was appropriate, but then what would she call Helynsia’s current state? Cuddling?

… ‘Sure’, Ingrid thought. ‘I guess it is cuddling.’ It was certainly a more extreme version than people were used to, but there weren’t exactly any other words to describe it. Maybe those words would come in the future, where swallowing your lover and keeping them from within would now be normal.

But would Helynsia even see it that way? 

“Urgh,” the barmaid mumbled, stirring to life as Ingrid swam faster, knowing the harbor was close; only a couple 100 meters to go. “Did I die?” Helynsia asks, attempting to scratch her head; only for the thick and meaty tail wall to constrict her movement. She starts floundering and kicking, forcing Ingrid to pause and rub the scales along her tail.

“Shh,” the mermaid assures, attempting to comfort her… partner. Not her prey, her friend. The friend she had only introduced herself to two days ago before swallowing her. (Not her best impression.) “So, don’t get mad…”

“Ingrid, I could not possibly get more mad than I am now, where the hell am I?!” she screamed, still floundering.

“I ate you!” the mermaid exclaimed, panicking at the screams.

A long pause continues, the floundering limbs now still. “... what?” Helynsia asks.

“Yeah, sorry! You’re in my tail, not my actual stomach, so you won’t digest! But um, I’m nearly home, ok!”

“... huh,” Helynsia admits, not moving at all for the rest of the trip. Ingrid started to sweat, not from the exertion of traveling more than a couple of kilometers in mere hours. Thankfully, they arrived at the harbor within ten more minutes, Ingrid no longer able to bear the suspense. She perched herself on one of the planks, regurgitating the slippery barmaid out.

Helynsia stumbled onto the wood; clothes still wet, but now filled with warm water than cold; not like the temperature of the afternoon sun helped with her condition, but it was better than before. She just took slow and even breaths, trying to process three small but important facts:

1. She was not dead and was in fact in one piece, close enough to home.

2. The mermaid had in fact swallowed her to save her.

3. She was unharmed despite being inside a stomach. Wait, wasn’t it a tail? The mermaid said a tail, she hadn’t misheard that, right?

As she stood there, a movement came into the corner of Helynsia’s eye; it was Ingrid swimming back down to the surface before Helynsia could ask any questions.

Helynsia merely ran back home, starting some stew on a portable stove as she contemplated the events that had just happened.

As well as how much she had enjoyed it. She should be taking that detour, tomorrow. Being inside anyone’s stomach, let alone a sea creatures, would be dangerous. That warmth was how they lured you in, that comfort is how they forced you to stay until it was too late, their illustrious voice is what cooed you to sleep, their soft and pliable hands are what drew you to them.

…

It seems like she wouldn’t be taking a detour tomorrow.

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Helynsia made her way to the harbor, bringing along some roasted fish she had bought in the early morning. She was kicking herself for still going, flirting with danger; all she wanted was a normal life. It was unfortunate for her obsession with the dangerously romantic to flare up at this time, but she decided that this was one of the few times it was worth it. Whether she died doing so was a separate question of its own.

And so, tempting faith, Helynsia decided to visit the docks as the sun continued to rise over the horizon, red rays emanating from far out beyond the sea. There wasn’t any singing… yet. Whether that was good or bad was a mystery. The worst if the mermaid came was death, and hidden rejection if she didn’t: the barmaid felt frustrated that the obvious answer wasn’t correct.

“Where are you, Ingrid,” she muttered, resting her rear against the planks of the harbor, waiting for any sign. Bubbles formed; surely that was a sign, right? She peered over the edge, but nothing seemed to come out, no longer how long she waited, minutes passed with –

– with cold hands now pressed against her shoulders. Wet hands, sea water seeping right into the barmaid’s clothes. It seems like that mermaid could move faster and quieter than she expected. Lesson 1: never underestimate a mermaid’s speed. The bubbling from the water eventually gave way to a rapidly blinking fish missing most of its stomach; considering the scent of iron in the air, it wasn’t hard to guess who was right behind her.

“Did you miss me?” the predator of the seas asks, slipping her hands to the basket the barmaid had brought with her. “And eugh. Raw’s so much better than cooked.” Lesson 2: Next time, bring a raw fish so your mermaid crush feels like eating that and not your own flesh. If there would be a next time, Helynsia was sure to remember both of them. “Still,” Ingrid continues with her mouth full, “tastes crunchy.”

Helynsia finally turned around, face to face with the owner of beautiful hands. That wasn’t to say that the coral-colored hair didn’t stand out, but it was just that Ingrid looked cute, the way she was licking the oil off her fingers. Yet, one thing bothered the barmaid obsessed with cleanliness:

She leaned into Ingrid’s face, wiping the blood off the mermaid’s mouth. In response? Ingrid chomped down on Helynsia’s hand, misunderstanding the gesture. Of all the times for an intercultural exchange to go wrong, it had to be now. Still, Helynsia didn’t have a reason to retract on her hand; not when Ingrid was merely nibbling and playing around with the part of Helynsia currently in her mouth. It was a peculiar feeling; a mermaid, of all creatures, stroking her hand. Helynsia half-thought she’d be the one nibbling on the mermaid’s. Not like this was unpleasant, just… different. New.

“Mm,” Ingrid lets out, seeming to enjoy the taste. Helynsia half-wondered if the taste of her skin was that good, before remembering that she hadn’t cleaned the left hand she had used to eat her roasted fish; as well as the one currently inside Ingrid’s mouth. That… was actually a bit cute. Still, Ingrid eventually seemed done with Helynsia’s taste and spit the hand out, now choosing to greedily rest up against the barmaid, curling her tail around Helynsia’s waist. “You still look so good,” she continues, this time licking at Helynsia’s nape. “Almost makes me want to eat you here.”

Helynsia was unsure whether this was a threat, an offer, or a thought spoken aloud. “Is that… good?” she hesitantly asked.

“Oh, yeah! I mean, not in a kinky way!” Well, at least that meant Ingrid had no desire to eat her out. She couldn’t help but feel relief at this; sure, she had very little ground to speak on considering she was already enjoying the cold touch of Ingrid’s hands under her shirt, but as for the more intimate acts? There was a certain discomfort that always arose when considering them. Wanting to be roughhoused a bit just wasn’t the same thing… at least she thought. Sex was complicated, wasn’t it?

At least it was simple to conclude she was attracted to women. A silver lining, at least. “Though still,” Helynsia prodded, mind still running, “what precisely do you mean by ‘eat’?”

“Well not digest, but more just keep you close, you know?” Gesturing to her tail, she continues, “I really could fit you inside.” A mere glance at the tail nearly as tall as her was proof enough for the barmaid, quite frankly. “You want to test?” the mermaid asks, opening her mouth wide.

Briefly – briefly – Helynsia leaned in, starting to offer her head to the hungry mermaid; but not before pulling back, letting the sea creature pout. “I… need a moment,” she continues. “I’ll be back tonight, just…”

“Yeah,” Ingrid wistfully continues, as if she knew the answer. “I’ll be there, haha,” she weakly adds, now starting to swim away and dive back into the water. Helynsia sat there for a moment, eventually and slowly picking herself back up; not without washing her hand with sea water first.

As she rushed back to her job, she wondered; could she trust this creature? The obvious answer lied with the woman who claimed she could fix one of them, only to end up as naught but bones. This was nothing but a deathly gamble, where all faces pointed to death; whether it be fast by being chewn, or slow by effectively being cremated through acid. 

Yet, for Ingrid to propose such a ridiculous idea, yet not go through with actually eating her, it gave her hope. Still, would this mermaid find thrill in crushing said hope?

Or worse, was it preying on her own desperation?

Like Ingrid said, she knew how desperate Helynsia was for love. Desperation is what turns the intelligent into wandering fools, destined to wander in the maw of the beast.

Yet, would it matter if the beast really was so pretty with such long yet thick fingers to wrap themselves around Helynsia’s body? They did serve as preparation for wrapping her in an even tighter embrace, after all; one where those same hands would continue to massage her from the outside, caressing every bit of this fragile lovesick fool.

At this, Helynsia promptly slapped her cheek, startling the coworker standing right beside her. Yes… such debates should be resolved at a later time; not when the chains of capitalism still clung to her.

Yes, as always; the everlooming reminder of her job came about. One she continued to detest as she skated through the messy bar, handing out orders to even filthier guests. As much as Helynsia ragged on the male pirates, the female pirates were rarely any better. A pirate was still a pirate; you could never rub the musk off of them. If there was one condolence, they were better than the police force who pretended to monitor the docks. At least they wouldn’t arrest her for walking at night.

It reminded her of her former life; she wasn’t always a barmaid. Once, she was an apprentice wizard who was well experienced in both cryomancy and pyromancy. If anyone had called her a witch, she’d be more than a bit miffed; witches were the ones who learned from nature, while wizards learned from their stuffy libraries. Her hours upon hours dedicated to reading the same material spoke to that. For a while, she had a promising career as a rescue worker; freezing air particles and blowing apart doors? A simple but very versatile toolkit, especially when she chose to combine her magic.

Regardless, her career was short-lived when it came out she had been dating a wizard. Her parents didn’t mind! The school, however… they didn’t mind. At first. What they did mind was when her girlfriend – Abigail – chose to fight for gay marriage. Helynsia joined her at the time, giving primers on how to fight the police who used magic. From her time, she learned that physical tools tended to be far stronger and more reliable than magical constructs. She was never one to put all her faith in magic; not when something as transient as a thought can dissipate in the blink of an eye. 

Of course, the school did not take it lying down; her career had ended before it began, and worse, she was considered a criminal at large. She, Abigail, and her parents all agreed that she would move away from home, ideally find work elsewhere; somewhere quiet, most likely. It was also a shame that they had broken up as well; they just couldn’t do a long distance relationship anymore, and Helynsia understood. A part of her longed for that, and she was sure Abigail felt the same, but life had to move on. Helynsia still managed to keep in contact with her parents, sending letters; but it was still different when she could feel their touch. With Abigail, Helynsia was sure that they would be friends still; had they the chance to continue talking.

Eventually – and thankfully, before more of these regrets came again –, dusk came. Helynsia again rushed to the docks, only to come across an odd sight: a trap laid out. Well, laid out wasn’t the correct terminology; other pirates were carrying what was inside the net. It was a floundering mermaid.

More accurately, it was Ingrid who kept flipping her tail around and screeching; various curses and the like, as well as demands to let her go. Helynsia chose to hide behind one of the walls, turning her hand into smooth ice so she could use a hand-mirror to continue viewing the situation.

She couldn’t make out what the pirates were saying, but she could see the motions – they were carrying the mermaid onto one of the ships. The far ship with a mermaid at the bow of the ship. … Did the captain have a thing for mermaids?

Helynsia knew what she should do; play it safe, stay away from the situation, and just head back home. It was better for everyone if she didn’t get involved. She would be alive, she could continue to talk to her friends, and her peaceful life would be kept intact. Ingrid was also strong enough, as a mermaid. She could handle herself, even if she was alone.

And as such, Helynsia chose to finally take that detour she had planned yesterday. She was a few minutes in, slowly walking. Her steps slowed, eventually to a stop. She assumed Ingrid would be safe. Yet, that was a lie; she’s a sea creature, and those criminals know that. Of course they’d only provide her with the bare necessities to eat and breathe. But Helynsia shouldn’t care; Ingrid was just another sea creature, she wasn’t like her.

Besides, what had Ingrid done for her? All Ingrid confessed to were charges of stalking for the sake of a (seemingly) one-sided crush. Helynsia shouldn’t intervene. She shouldn’t. There wasn’t any, logical or emotional, reason for going.

For the second time, it seems like she wouldn’t be taking a detour.

She hurls herself off the railing, stabbing an ice dagger into the wall as she slides down the rickety stones. Ice continues to break off and scratch her face until she reaches the bottom, at which point she begins to skate her way across the harbor docks. It seems like she had made her mind just in time; the ship had just raised the anchor and were beginning to set up the sails.

With it being the middle of the night, Helynsia froze the water under her feet and skated across the sea itself; it wasn’t hard to then make her way onto the lower hull of the ship, clutching on by stabbing one of her real daggers into the side. The ice beneath her feet disappears as she lets out a gasp, sweat pooling on her face and back, all the way through her clothes. She hated that she was still out of practice, but she still had to move on.

Someone needed to be saved.

The deadly sea swayed beneath the barmaid, reminding her that life and death were only separated at knifepoint: undaunted, Helynsia decided to split the gap apart with a second knife. Using her knives as ice picks, she made her way to one of the portholes, a small window along the side. A cannon was pointing out, preventing a human body from fitting inside; but Helynsia could easily see one of the chains holding it together. Flash-freezing a part and then exploding the weak link, she could easily shift the cannon; easily was a bit of an overstatement considering the thing was nearly three times as heavy as her, but she managed. Once inside the dark hull, she quickly welded the broken chain together; anyone hearing a cannon crashing late into the night would only ignore it if they were a drunken sailor. 

Helynsia quickly summoned a flame in her hand to better see; as well as reveal herself to the dozens of sailors about to go to sleep.

Before she could say something, she received a knock upon her head and passed out.

And when she woke, she was tied up against one of the pillars of the ship. It was still night, and sleep was starting to take her; and so Helynsia rested, unable to fight any longer. It was better to wait until morning, saving her energy and understanding just what she got herself into.

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