Somber Melody (ShinKiri x Baku)

[LovelyBones]

Shinso couldn't remember a time when his pod hadn't caught food for him while growing up, with how rare female sailors were, let alone gay males. Though, rarer still was the lone male siren-- a one in a million occurrence. Though, unlike creatures that suffered certain morphs that put a glaring beacon on them for all predators to see, he was just.... difficult to feed. If not for Shinso's stroke of luck, finding a nice island in his teen years that had a hidden, treacherous reef that tore ships asunder, he would have had to depend upon his sisters, mother and various other matronly relatives for food for the majority of his life. And while it would have been a comfortable life, letting the pod spoil the only male in their neck of the sea, the lion-betta didn't want to life like that.

After all, most sirens his age typically broke off to form new packs at some point if their birth pack was far too big, and aimed to find mates, or at least play with their food to reproduce later on. However, even in the matters of multiplying, he was rather limited, and potentially doomed to forever be alone. There was always a stigma on males of his kind being seen as genetic failures in one way or another, a fluke that was rumored to be infertile anyways. Shinso has long gave up on romance, as it took too much time and energy to court only to be rejected, and energy wasn't easy to come by unless he planned well in advance.

And so, he focused his efforts upon making a home for himself on his island, and once that was done, he began his plot for a steady stream of food, slipping onto the mainland, either spreading rumors of glorious riches, or attacking certain cargo ships whenever he heard wind of them coming to shore. Humans could be so cruel, though they alone weren't guiltless in that regard. It was sad, seeing non-humans selling each other as cargo for money they use for booze and materialistic things. Shinso never felt remorse as he ate them, too.

However, the latter method of food collection came with an unintentional side effect: refugees living alongside him on his island. Sure, there was plenty of room, and after smuggling proper livestock onto the island, it was habitable for most that came to join his Island of Misfits. Really, Shinso was comfortable living this way. They were left unbothered, Shinso was able to transport those that wanted to leave safely, and there was a cozy community with hardly a worry beyond what was brought by the elements.

Tonight was a night like most others-- mostly calm seas, semi-clouded skies with a sliver of a moon barely illuminating the canvas of the heavens, and a ship heading towards port, far away from his island. Now, the siren kept tabs on who came and went, noting builds, colors and flags flown, so he knew almost instantly this was a new ship, and from the angles and colors presented, was surely from far away. He had eaten earlier in the week, so he didn't need to sink this ship, however.... he was bored. And besides, it's fun to hear his playthings spread tales of a male siren in the waters, only to be mocked, told they don't exist. And so, silently, he approached the ship, before running dainty webbed hands along the hull, listening for how many crewmembers there may be. After some investigation, he guessed there were at least twelve souls on board. Confidently, he took in a long, silent breath, before his song filled the cool night air. A sweet, seductive yet haunting melody left his parted lips in a tongue only his kin knew-- a song meant to lure sailors to their watery doom. Now, typically, a siren's song only worked if the performer is what a victim desires-- females were easily fed by lusting male sailors and lonely sapphic female sailors, but Shinso would need to be able to attract a man who loves men, or a woman that loves men. The siren wasn't expecting anyone to come out for a swim, let alone investigate at this hour of night. At most, maybe one soul would be awake, manning the ship whilst the others were at rest.

He wasn't expecting to have an audience as the last note left his lips.

[CRYBABY]

Bakugou was a great captain. The best captain on the seven seas, if you asked his crew, for he was completely immune to the call of the sirens. This made it easy for him to navigate and patrol the ship late at night without a worry while the others slept. Tonight was no different, or so he thought.

Being the only child of the renowned pirate, Bakugou Mitsuki, he was naturally cocky—confident would be the word if his crew were to describe his boisterous behavior. Unfortunately, excessive cockiness is a breeding ground for mistake. Bakugou was awake basking in the moonlight while his crew slept soundly, as he normally did. Bakugou wasn’t a night owl by any means but he adopted these behaviors as a way to decompress from spending several days stuck at sea with a bunch of idiots as he would say. His ears were clear of the wax often used by pirates and sailors to avoid the call of the sirens—he was immune after all!—as he slowly steered the ship to port. They were making great time and would be there by morning.

Without warning the sweetest sound he’s ever heard tickled his ear drums and all of his movements suddenly stopped. ‘What is that entrancing melody?’ he thought as he unconsciously made his way to the edge of the main deck, he peered overboard unable to see what or who was creating such a melody. His heart clenched, an uncontrollable urge to reach the source washed over him and he acted in a way that was unlike the pirate captain… he jumped.

Landing with a hard splash he began to swim to the surface.

[LovelyBones]

Now, Shinso wasn't expecting company in the water tonight, let alone so quickly at that. He had ducked into the water when he heard footsteps on the deck, only to see a pretty form join him in the water. Pale skin, blonde hair-- a pretty young man, surely, but if he knew his garb well, this was the ship's captain. And, with that ship silently sailing off, faster than the human would be able to surface and try to catch up, the siren felt a great deal of guilt. Especially if he was right to assume that the captain was the only one awake.

With a bubble of frustration, he swam to the human carefully, approaching from behind, only to bring the other to the surface quickly. Humans couldn't handle the cold waters easily-- that's how many lose air so quickly, drown before they reach the surface, even without a siren's meddling. The human will be cold, more than likely startled-- he'll have to sing more to keep the other calm, bring him to safety. This is what he gets for being bed-- a long, tedious night of dealing with his own mischief inconveniencing him. If he's lucky, he can sing the human to sleep, find a spare row boat and send the human to shore. Though, he was worried, knowing while his community would leave the human be, there were other sea creatures that would adore a free meal.

Breaking the surface, he sang as he made sure the human was breathing, then began the long swim back to his cove-home. On the surface, it looked dark, ominous, but once further inside where it was safe, barred from the outside world, it was well-furnished. Nice chairs with a table, a fine bed dressed with pilfered bedding and lavish pelts, and a few instruments set aside for when he wished to make less enchanting melodies for his companions. For now, though, it will be a place of rest to the human, Shinso would make sure of that. Of course, he lulled the human to sleep, knowing damn well that humans can be.... violent, when feeling threatened. After all-- a siren had dragged the captain into a secluded spot, who wouldn't assume the worst? Once he was certain the human was deeply asleep, he removed any and all possible weapons before hiding them away. Next, came building a fire to warm and dry the human, which wasn't too difficult after years of practice.

Once the human was dressed in dry clothes, and bundled safely upon a guest cot, Shinso finally allowed himself to rest with a sigh. "I never thought the day would come.... of course it's when I'm bored. Ah, well.... I guess this will be exciting."

[CRYBABY]

Katsuki had an unusual dream that night. He was swimming in the ocean that was surprisingly warm given the typical temperature of the water in this part of the seas, he knew he was accompanied by a boy because the sweet, entrancing song must be coming from someone. In the dream Katsuki tried looking for the boy, but the waters clouded his vision, he wasn’t meant to see under water after all, when suddenly he felt hands on him. His heart fluttered and he knew: My Angel. He turned to embrace the boy, who was but a figure, and engaged in underwater choreography to match the melody. They danced for what seemed like hours, not a single word spoke, but they didn’t need to, no, the melody and the way their bodies fit perfectly together said enough. When Katsuki was exhausted, too tired to continue, they stopped and he fell asleep in the arms of his beloved.

A small smile could be seen on the lips of the sleeping blonde, accompanied by a faint blush, as his dream slowly came to an end and he began to stir awake. It wasn’t unlike the pirate captain to dream but to have one like this? The sweetest dream whose contents surrounded an unknown heartthrob that had Bakugou fucking Katsuki acting in such a way? Never. That’s not to say that the blonde didn’t wake up… happy. Hesitant to admit it, so he never will, Bakugou hadn’t allowed someone—especially someone he didn’t even know—to have such an effect on his body in a very long time. The pirate captain was many things but trusting was not one of them.

His ruby eyes opened lazily while his arms attempted the usual dramatic morning stretch when he realized something was off. He could hear the gentle sounds of the ocean and accompanying wildlife but… he didn’t feel the soft sway of the boat… nor was he staring at the low, wooden ceiling of his cabin….he ripped the blankets used to bundle him off throwing them to the side as he jumped to his feet. He immediately reached for the pistols he kept on his belt to find that they were both gone. His hand dropped immediately to his boot where he always kept a dagger to realize he wasn’t even wearing his clothes but rather the garb that belonged to another. Anger and fear rose in his stomach, his firey eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the environment. It was wonderfully decorated but he could not appreciate the cove and its beauty in his current rage. He began searching for his weapons, for his clothes, for his HAT sporadically, throwing things about the open space. Making an exceptional amount of noise but he wasn’t afraid of attracting attention, of course not, because Infamous Pirate Captain Bakugou Katsuki was a God at hand-to-hand combat.

[LovelyBones]

Shinso had hoped to get more rest than he had, but alas, thos human was a terrible guest. Of course he would be-- but, you know, most folks in his situation at least tried to call out for whoever brought them there, fearful. But no, Shinso just had to attract the one human that was fiery and loud and utterly destructive. With a tired groan, he pulled himself off his watery spare bed made of seaweed and sponge, hidden behind a rock in the cave, and in moments, bore land-legs, which he used to walk into the space the blonde had decided to upturn.

"If you're looking for your things, good luck, so I would appreciate it if you stopped making a mess of my home. And if you refuse to calm down, I will make you calm down." His voice rumbled like a low, sleepy purr as he leaned on the rock he had been behind, naked as the day he was born. While he hated using his abilities to manipulate others like this, did he really have a choice? He'd have to clean all of this up, after all, regardless of what he had to do. "I'm not a fool to let you keep your weapons, after all. Besides, those pistols were waterlogged. Last I checked, they'd be useless unless you cleaned and dried them, then properly reloaded them."

The siren was a good head taller than Katsuki at the very least, and though his skin was fair, he bore a few scars, some from being cut, stabbed, and along his right hip were the tell tale criss-crosses of netting he had gotten caught in years ago. But, beyond the scars, there was one noticeable detail he seemed to lack: a sex organ between his nicely shaped legs. "If you sit down and relax, I'll get you some food and send you back to your damn ship so I can clean the mess you made."

[CRYBABY]

Bakugou continued to feverishly ransack the cove, littering the floor with his hosts belongings. Where is it!? He grit his teeth, annoyed that he couldn’t quite remember how he had gotten here. All he could recall aside from being on the main deck was that dream. The recollection of that lovely fever dream had the pirate captain at a brief pause. A tch and a scowl before he continued only to be interrupted once more by a low, rough voice.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to!?” He growled. He turned around on his heels almost immediately, a bit surprised but nothing he couldn’t handle, he took an offensive stance, his palms sparking. The Captain’s usual response to any situation was aggressive, abrasive, annoyed or a combination of the three; a defense mechanism he adopted after being raised by his wonderful mother, he would say dripping in sarcasm, but you didn’t get to the number one spot by being nice.

As the man before him continued to talk Katsuki barely listened, his face became visibly softer. His eyebrows no longer furrowed, his pouty lips no longer scowling, even his hand lost the spark. This was the boy from his dream, the one who sang him the most beautiful song, the one he danced beneath the stars with, he just knew it. He was tall and slender, that’s not to say he wasn’t strong though as it was apparent with those thighs the man was a swimmer. His body was scarred from what Katsuki could see but not an overwhelming amount and besides it’s not as if the pirate captain himself wasn’t riddled with scars. Katsuki felt his heart flutter as he continued to observe the other… up until his brain caught up to his eyes and… this man was completely nude. Katsuki reeled back a bit, the realization that this man had undressed him to adorn him in dry clothes not quite registering, and his eyes glued immediately to the mans pelvis.

‘WHAT THE FUCK??’ Was the first thought that came to his mind as his brain tried to register the completely smoothe pelvic region of the siren, his brain went a mile a minute with questions and theories, in any other scenario he would be kicking himself for acting like shitty Deku but… ‘Where’s his dick?’ ‘He’s a siren, I know that, he’s a male.. I think, I mean looking at him he resembles a male but… WHERE’S HIS FUCKING DICK’ … His eyes squint a little as if he were straining his vision… ‘There’s not even a fucking slit… how am I going to?…’ The Pirate Captain lost in his inner monologue slowly relaxed into a neutral stance.

[LovelyBones]

"I'm talking to the first sorry man that apparently finds other men appealing I've ever met. You realize how hard it is for a siren like me to get food this way?" He sighed tiredly, scratching the back of his head. "And the irony is, I was just bored. I wasn't expecting you to take a dive for me." He admitted, before crossing his arms over his toned chest. He noted the angry popping in the other's hands, how sweet they smelled.... it wasn't often that he saw a human with such an ability. Magic in humans was rare, but far more common than his own existence. Really Shinso couldn't deny that the human was attractive, even in his rage.... wild blonde hair, burning ruby eyes, and handsome face.

However, he noticed soon enough how the other began to stare at him in awe.... Then deep confusion, and he knew without following the other's gaze why the human was so befuddled. "Hey, my eyes are up here." He snapped his fingers near his face at eye-level, brow quirked. "Never seen a naked siren before? Let alone a mermaid or merman?" He asked then, already tired of the ridiculousness. "Before you ask, I do have sex organs, and they're just tucked away for safety. You wouldn't believe how many poor saps had something bite their junk off, or an octopus thinking shooting a tentacle our way would be a good idea." He rolled his eyes, recalling a story his sister told him in the past. "So I actually have them, so stop staring down there like I'm defective." He was annoyed, honestly, but could he be blamed?

"Now that that's handled, what do you want to eat? Fish? Chicken? Beef? Deer? Rabbit? You name it, i probably have it. I even have fruit and vegetables, too." He calmly walked towards a deeper part of his cave-home, where he kept his kitchen-like space. There were fresh and preserved foods of all sorts, and for a seemingly basic space, it also felt homey. "And before you ask, no, you arent getting g your weapons back until I know you aren't going to stab me when I least expect it." He warned, plucking a mango for himself to snack on.

[CRYBABY]

“Ehh?” The captain must have something in his ears because he for sure knew the siren wasn’t talking about HIM. A sorry man? Bakugou Katsuki was not a sorry man. He growled at the siren’s comments about his sexuality….usually conversations such as these didn’t go well; a man with a preference for men wasn’t common amongst those who travel the seas. “What do you mean you were bored?! You dragged me out here because you were bored!?” Katsuki was screaming, furious! He was immune to the sirens call! How did he end up here? Male sirens were so rare he thought they were a myth.

Bakugou quickly shot his gaze up to the siren’s eyes as he had been called out for looking. He blushed, partially embarrassed and partially aroused—though he would never admit the latter. He had indeed never seen a naked siren before, and well, he wasn’t complaining. “I wasn’t going to ask! I rightfully don’t care about your… whatever the fuck you have. I never thought you were defective…. you caught me off guard is all, humans don’t normally walk around nude.” He crossed his arms over his chest—it was a security thing for him ever since he was young, sort of like hugging himself—as his thoughts wandered to ‘I wonder what it looks like.’

Bakugou followed the siren to the kitchen space but kept his distance. “I don’t want to eat, I want you to take me back.” He watched as the siren began to snack on a mango. It looked really good, it was rare they got to eat fresh fruits while voyaging the seas unless they made a stop or two on their way. But Bakugou never stopped unless it was necessary. “Tch. If I wanted to kill you I’d just blow your face off.” He sparked his palm subtly in display. “I just want my hat, and my clothes. What am I even wearing?” He looked down to examine his current garb.

[LovelyBones]

The siren sighed with exhaustion, before pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, while the other rested on his hip. "As I said, homosexual men at sea are hard to come by, all I was aiming for was to stir up some more rumors, since your ship was far too close to my Osland of Misfits." He explained, seemingly unbothered by the human's threat display and overhyped rage. "You're lucky I'm not hungry, otherwise I would have eaten you. Just.... be quiet, before I change my mind about helping you back to your ship, or port, whichever is easiest." He groaned, soon running a hand through his wild violet hair.

Damn, despite Shinso's annoyance, seeing the other blush was nice.... There was a wandering thought of seeing just how flustered he could make the human, watch his knees grow weak with want, but he shook those images away. Now is not the time. "Huh.... You're a first to not think that, honestly, of your word is true. Even some land-dwellers of the magical-bodied variety think I'm broken in some way. A Succubus was lamentful and mourned the loss of what's simply hidden." The irritation came back into his voice, before, again, he shook his head. "Male sirens have a hard enough time as is, I dont want to be seen as infertile over stupid misconceptions. Besides, I don't need guppies to babysit-- I have enough idiots as is." He sighed, recalling a doppelganger he continuously has to put in line.

"Unless you can throw explosions, you're harmless to me." Shinso spoke simply, as if it were truth before taking another bite. "For the traveling we'll have to do to take you back to your crew, you'll need energy. So, eating is necessary. If you don't recall, cold seawater will sap your strength, and I can only take you so far if I'm swimming you over. Especially if the twins are circling near the port for free chum." He took another bite, before glancing to his food stores. "As for the clothes you're wearing, they're mine-- the bottom layers I wear when I walk among pirates, traders and bar keeps. I make a nasty habit of starting rumors about my island so fools come looking for treasures unseen, only to destroy their ships on the hidden rocks leading up to the island. Your ship's lucky it wasn't passing any closer than it was. Otherwise, the man-eating folks of my Misfits would have eaten them all as a treat." He shrugged, before tossing the pit into a woven basket near a water tunnel. "We also like ambushing certain trade shoes-- those that carry sentient 'cargo' like livestock." His eyes glinted a moment with barely hidden resentment, before they closed softly. "So far, we've only lost five souls during those raids, though three were so ill, there was no hope for them, and two had been wounded in the panic by their captors." His eyes grew sad then, as he picked up a dragon fruit next, pensive. "Tell me.... What kind if captain are you?" He asked, training glowing violet eyes upon the blonde, silently demanding honesty, even at the threat of death at the siren's hands.

[CRYBABY]

“Do I bore you, Siren?” He growled, already irritated, being dragged to this cove and away from his crew, just for the siren to dismiss him so easily. A realization hit and calmed him down almost immediately. The captain was worried about his crew. Deku, the crybaby he appointed first mate, wasn’t incompetent by any means but he had a heroes heart which meant he would be out scouting the waters for Bakugou the minute he noticed the blonde missing. The ship was a bit close to the island last night, that is true and Deku was no idiot, he would retrace their steps and what if he tried to search the Island? What if he got too close and crashed the ship, or worse, was bombarded by these so called misfits? His crew was sturdy, strong, they hadn’t failed yet, but they always had their captain by their side…he shook his head to rid himself of the horrific images. “My crew. Ensure their safety, now. If they come looking for me and end up here, you nor any of these Misfits you mentioned are to touch them.” He did his best to sound threatening even though he was in no position to make demands.

‘Oh, you want to talk about a hard time? Try being a man born like me.’ He thought but found it wasn’t worth explaining to someone he would never see again after this unpleasant encounter. “Stop caring so much what other people think of you and your junk. If you don’t want guppies around anyway then why give a fuck?” He kept his arms crossed, this time adding a scowl to his face. He stopped caring what people thought of him long ago, or so he liked to tell himself. It was easier to pretend like he didn’t give a fuck or wasn’t interested in anyone than to continue getting his feelings hurt from rejection. Hey, Captain Bakugou fucking Katsuki didn’t have time for romance anyway. He laughed, surprisingly, “I have a bunch of idiots to watch over as well. Maybe we aren’t so different.”

“That sounds like a challenge.” A wide grin spread on his face, this guy was a riot thinking the blonde to be harmless, he was in for a surprise. “Cook whatever you want then, I’m not picky as long as it doesn’t suck, but.. I do want an orange.” Listening to the siren speak was very soothing, his voice even and lovely, Bakugou could’ve fallen asleep if he were in a different situation. He had to admit the siren was smart, crafty, and devious.. going around to spread rumors of your own island to trick sailors was genius, Katsuki would never fall for such a dirty trick, though. “Yeah, yeah. Well, your clothes are odd and I’d like my stuff back, so.” He really wouldn’t stop until he got his hat back. “Wait, did you say livestock cargo? I’ve heard of a group dabbling in that low life shit.” The captain grew a bit of respect for the siren at this admission; him and his Misfits sounded like a vigilante group of found family that upheld a code of honor… reminded Katsuki of his crew. They were pirates, sure, but Bakugou had a strict moral code that must be followed by all of his mates or else there were dire consequences. So far no one seemed to go against the abrasive blonde. “Eh? What kind of captain am I? Obviously the best. My crew consists of unwanted souls cast away, left to die. We find each other and I offer a way out, a better life lived with those who offer validation and respect. We take what we need from those who have too much and nothing more.” He taps his foot impatiently as if speaking on this subject made his skin crawl before continuing…”They are given the option to join and take an oath to uphold the Code. As long as you follow the code, you stay, if you break it you’ve lost my trust and must go. I won’t lay my head near those with little care for honor. Tch, even if the rest of the world is shit.” He took a defensive stance in front of the siren, ruby eyes glaring into violet. “Does that answer your stupid question?”