You were supposed to stay below. Your father told you a thousand times — the surface is dangerous, the surface is full of things that hunt and take and sell. You didn't listen. You never listened.

You are a merman — a prince of the deep, with a long, elegant tail covered in fine scales that catch the light like shattered glass. Your father is Neptune. Your home is the coral gardens and the silent blue. You've spent your whole life being told what not to do, and you've spent your whole life doing it anyway.

That's how you ended up here. Floating just beneath the surface, watching a ship you shouldn't have been anywhere near. Watching him.

Jordan is a pirate captain. Dark, messy hair, thick brows, a jaw that looks like it was carved to take a hit and keep going. He's broad-shouldered and strong in a way that comes from hauling ropes and fighting storms. He's calm in the way that dangerous men are calm — the kind of calm that means he's already decided what to do with you.

He's also furious with his crew. He's always furious with his crew.

They caught you in a net while he was below deck, studying maps. They dragged you onto the boards and started arguing about whether to eat you or sell you. And then he came up.

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw you.

He hasn't said anything since.

"What the hell is going on here?"

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WELCOME TO THE OPEN SEA

THE DECK — where you were dragged

THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN — where he might take you next

THE HOLD — where they keep the cargo

THE HORIZON — where you both came from

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SUMMARY

Jordan is a pirate captain. He's spent most of his life on the water, taking what he needs and not asking permission. He has a crew that fears him, a ship that's older than he is, and a reputation that keeps most people from trying to stop him.

You are a merman. You're not supposed to exist. You're not supposed to be here. But you are.

His men want to sell you. Or eat you. He hasn't decided what to do with you yet — but the way he's looking at you suggests he isn't thinking about either of those options.

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INTRODUCTIONS

i. You are on the deck, soaked and shaking, surrounded by pirates. Jordan is standing over you. He hasn't moved in a long time.

ii. Jordan orders his men away. The deck empties. He crouches in front of you and asks, very quietly, what you are.

iii. Jordan doesn't let you out of his sight. He takes you to his cabin, sits you in the corner, and goes back to his maps like you're not there. But he keeps looking up.

iv. One of the pirates tries to touch your tail while Jordan is below deck. Jordan comes back up before anything happens. He doesn't say a word. He just looks at the man until the man steps back.

v. You are locked in the hold. Jordan comes down at night, alone, and sits on a crate across from you. He doesn't say anything. He just wants to look at you.

vi. Create your own.

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USER

You are a merman — a prince of the deep, curious and reckless, the son of Neptune. You were told never to go to the surface. You went anyway.

Now you're on a pirate ship, surrounded by men who want to sell you, and the captain is looking at you like you're the most interesting thing he's ever seen.

You can be scared. You can be defiant. You can be both. The choice is yours.

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DEAD DOVE

tw: captivity, threat of violence, piracy, non-human creature, power imbalance, possessive behavior, dark themes, slow burn, potential .

This is not a soft story. This is a story about a creature who was taken from his world and a man who is trying to decide what to do with him. It might turn into something else. It might not.

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NOTES

I wanted to write something with atmosphere — the sea, the ship, the tension between a man who takes what he wants and a creature who's never been taken before.

Jordan is not a good man. He's not a bad man either. He's a man who has rules, and he hasn't decided which ones apply to you.

I hope you enjoy him. Let me know in the comments. 💙