Across The Waves (EJ x Ticci Toby Pirate/Siren AU)

Working Within The Trees

I was sitting on the bank of the water watching Jack working, he was collecting wood for something. I watched as he tossed the wood into a pile before he knelt beside it, and then he began messing with his bootlaces.

"W-What are y-you d-doing?" I asked.

"Starting a fire." He replied, "I can feel the sun going down, so it's going to get cold soon."

"F-Fire?" I asked.

"Never seen a fire before, huh?" He asked with a smile, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You are a siren, after all."

My tail began swishing in the water as he was pulling something off his bootstraps, and he began rubbing them together slightly.

"S-So... w-why a-are you s-so c-calm...?" I questioned.

"What do you mean?" He asked, "Are you asking why I'm so calm even though I'm marooned on a deserted island? Well, I've accepted my fate of dying out here, so I'm prepared mentally for everything."

"N-No, that w-wasn't w-what I w-was t-talking a-about." I said, "I m-meant, w-why a-are you s-so c-calm w-with me?"

"With you?" He looked toward me as he paused, "Why would I not be calm?"

"I'm a s-siren!" I replied, "I-Isn't that s-scary?!"

"I'm half demon." He said, "I hung around so many things that are otherworldly. Demons, ghosts, monsters, and the like. You're mild compared to what I'm used to hanging around."

"Oh." I said, "I j-just... th-thought..."

"Don't worry about it." He began rubbing the things together again, "I'm sure you're not used to hanging around sailors."

I saw something bright suddenly fly from the things in his hands, he seemed to notice immediately.

"There we go." He mumbled, "Come on..."

I saw a few more of those bright lights before there was something else bright on one of the pieces of bark, Jack got down more and began blowing on it as he moved it under the pile of sticks and logs, and then I saw this dancing light growing over the wood.

"There." He said, "That is fire."

I watched in amazement as Jack moved away from the fire, it was dazzling and beautiful. He sat near me and crossed his legs.

"So..." He started, "I've heard that sirens tend to drown sailors, is there a reason why for that?" He asked.

I was silent as I looked up at him more, he was still so calm.

"Um... they d-don't... u-usually d-drown..." I replied quietly, "They... j-just d-die... b-before then..."

"How?" He furrowed his brow, "Can you actually tell me or is it like a big secret or something?"

"Um... w-well..." I trailed off, "S-Sirens... d-don't r-really t-talk t-to l-land d-dwellers... s-so I d-don't kn-know..."

"Well, I'm probably going to die out here anyway, so it's not like I'd be able to share any of your secrets." He said, "Go ahead, quench my curiosity. Then I'll do my best to quench yours if you have any."

"Um..." I trailed off, "W-Well... s-sirens h-have t-to... e-eat h-human l-life t-to l-live..." I whispered.

"Huh." He huffed, "Sounds complicated."

I was even more confused now. Why is he so damn calm?!

"D-Do y-you... r-really n-not r-rememb-ber?" I asked quietly.

"Remember?" He asked, "Remember what?"

I got even more confused, I really managed to hypnotize him despite the fact that my voice was messed up?! How?! I was told I would never be able to hypnotize anyone because of my voice!

"Toby?" He asked, "Did you leave?"

"I d-don't u-understand..." I whispered.

"Understand what?" He asked.

"I... I h-hypnot-tized y-you..." I whispered, "H-How...?"

"I don't understand." He said, "Why do you mean, hypnotize me?"

"W-When s-sirens sing, th-they h-hypnot-tize s-sailors t-to eat th-them..." I whispered, "B-But y-you..."

He looked confused still, he turned to face me more, causing me to move into the water a bit more.

"I'm really not getting it." He said, "Can you explain what you're talking about? You're getting my head twisted around."

"I-I... I w-was s-singing, a-and y-you... s-showed up." I mumbled, "Th-Then... th-then I a-ate y-your l-life... and w-when w-we e-eat l-life... th-the s-sailors d-die... b-because w-we e-eat them... b-but y-you... d-didn't..."

He still looked confused, meaning I was too quiet for him to hear and my stutter was making me hard to understand.

"Wait, you were the one singing in the cave?" He asked.

I looked up at him in surprise, he really understood all that?!

"I don't know when I heard it, but a while ago I heard singing from somewhere so I followed it. Then I woke up in some water confused and tired, and I had no idea where I was." He explained, "That was you?"

"Y-Yes!" I replied, "I r-really h-hypnot-tized you?!"

"I guess so." He replied, "You haven't done that before, have you?"

"N-No!" I replied.

He smiled again.

"B-But w-why d-didn't you d-die?!" I asked, "H-Humans a-always d-die!"

"I'm half demon." He said, "I told you this earlier, remember? Or did I just think it?"

"Oh, u-um... you d-did." I said, "I j-just... d-don't kn-know what th-that m-means..."

"Oh." He said, "I'm not fully human, my father was something otherworldly and horrific." He looked a little confused, "How the hell would I describe Satan to someone who's never heard of him...?"

I was getting really confused.

"Basically, I'm the son of a powerful entity, and because of that, I don't have a normal human life." He explained, "And, seemingly much like you sirens, I need humans to survive."

"Y-You d-do?" I asked.

"Well, unlike you, who just eats their life force, I need their bodies." He said, "I eat human organs to survive."

My eyes widened at him, he actually eats humans?

"That's one of the reasons I was sure I was going to die out here, there aren't any humans for me to eat." He said, "But if I can actually feed you, go ahead and use me for whatever. I won't complain."

"Y-You're... o-okay with th-that...?" I asked.

"Don't hypnotize me this time, though." He said, "I'm curious about how it feels, ya know?"

I really didn't understand this guy.

"O-Okay..." I mumbled, "I... d-don't... n-need a-any r-right now..."

"That's fine." He said, "Just do whatever. I'll survive or die."

I was quiet as I was watching him.

"W-Were y-you left h-here b-by your c-crew?" I asked quietly.

"No, I fell overboard." He replied, "We hit a big storm out at sea, and I, like an idiot, wandered out on top deck to try and help my crew but ended up overboard."

"Oh." I said.

"I don't think my crew will be able to find me before I starve to death." I said, "So who knows? I'll just do what I can until I'm dead. Though I'll make sure you're in the sea before I die."

"Th-Thanks..." I said.