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Fantasy 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣. - [1𝙭1]

she's a little delusional, but it's charming!
knox.
“i did not take you as one to partake in wars. you seem far more suited for a cushioned lifestyle upon the throne while beautiful women feed you grapes.”


a dry chuckle left knox's lips in lieu of a proper response to her unforgiving assessment, one that he'd grown plenty accustomed to throughout his years as a royal envoy as first prince. it was one of the several reasons he operated under an alias, keeping his true identity under wraps in hopes of avoiding such preconceived judgments towards his character that may get in the way of his daily toils.

as he led sybil through the cramped halls of the lower decks towards her lodging for the night, however, he raised an eyebrow at her distraught comment and forced back the amused laugh that threatened to escape. though rafael had come by earlier to adorn the floor with plenty of spare bedding, several thick quilts, and basic necessities such as water and a station to relieve herself, the cellar certainly failed to match up to the captain's quarters in both splendor and comfort.

knox fixed sybil a pointed stare as he turned to face her fully, mildly apologetic smile contrasting the lack of concern in his hazy eyes.
"hm..."
he pretended to ponder, brow furrowing in faux-thought.
"it's a little cold, sure, but there's endless rum at your disposal and no stinky men snoring in your ear— quite a cut above the standard for most attempted murderers, i'd say, no?"


he set down the chains connected to her shackles and leaned against the doorframe nonchalantly, his broad frame taking up nearly the entire space as he let her explore her makeshift motel room. he definitely needed to move those restraints back to her wrists by the looks of her chafing ankles, but he could wait until she came to terms with her predicament and stopped staring at him with such unbridled loathing.

for it seemed that sybil did not bother with hiding her disdain towards him or his amenities in the slightest. hm. cute. she'd learn soon enough just how far that sort of attitude would get her aboard the indira.

"were you perhaps hoping to leech off my body heat after falling for my irresistable charms?"
knox jested sarcastically, crossing his arms as he threw her own words back in her face as he continued.
"flattering, truly, but 'we are not a team' — i'm afraid you'll have to settle for layering up tonight."



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he's asking to get himself decked in the jaw at this point.
sybil.
Dragging her tongue over her teeth slowly, Sybil could almost taste the metallic twinge that was building up in her mouth. Perhaps she had bit the inside of her cheek at some point in an attempt to hold herself back from diving onto Knox to once again scratch and bite at him. Or perhaps there was just bile in her throat, building up due to the excessive amount of chowder she had previously consumed.

Still, staring at Knox in pure disbelief, Sybil refused to say anything. Her jaw worked slowly and methodically, as if she was debating each deliberate step to disembowel him at this very moment. Instead of saying anything, she instead slowly turned her gaze to survey the dingy room. A few soft pieces of fabric had been left for her, but they were nothing compared to the plushness of the bed she had felt earlier before. There was also a bucket left next to a small glass of water, and she shuddered at the implications of it.

He really was treating her like an animal.

"It's a little cold, sure, but there's endless rum at your disposal and no stinky men snoring in your ear— quite a cut above the standard for most attempted murderers, I'd say, no?"

“You do not know if I was trying to actually kill you,” she retorted, her tongue pressing against the roof of her mouth to produce a slight hiss at the end of her words. “I might have just wanted to seriously maim you, which I feel is hardly a crime given the circumstances,” she added on, a grimace overtaking her expression when she took in the smug look dancing across his features. If she wasn’t so weak currently, she’d stomp over and punch the smile right off his lips.

Instead, she was forced to simply stare at him as he leaned against the doorframe, engulfing it so there was no possible way for her to slip past him. She didn’t understand how human women dealt with this sort of thing. Men being this tall, and annoying.

"Were you perhaps hoping to leech off my body heat after falling for my irresistible charms?"

The moment he said that, a look of disgust crossed over Sybil’s features. Although she had grown to quite enjoy the warmth provided by the clothing she now donned, she’d rather impale herself on his blade than ever get that close to him. Close enough that his body would be wrapped around hers -

Sybil visibly gagged, and raised a hand up to her mouth to prevent anything else from happening.

“Your brain is rotted with seawater if you think any woman would want to lay next to you. Much less…touch you,” she said in a harsh tone, still unable to wipe the look of pure abhorrence on her visage. It had caught her off guard enough that she barely reacted when he moved to unchain her ankles, only for the chains to once again land on her wrists. A loud groan followed, though the bandages were at least preventing her skin from rubbing raw again.

“I should wrap this chain around your neck and see how you feel to be paraded around like an animal,” she growled out to him as he readjusted her bindings, the chains sliding against the floor as she tested their weight again. Despite being unable to slip them off, the shackles were just a bit too big for her smaller wrists.

Upon noticing that, Sybil cocked her head a bit to the side. A small smile graced her lips for just a second, before she wiped it away to glare at Knox once more.

“How much longer are you going to bother me with your presence? You have mocked me enough tonight, and the pounding in my head is truly getting unbearable with your incessant yapping about your charming nature and disgusting fantasies.”

It seems that despite her protests just moments ago, Sybil was attempting to kick Knox out.
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no rats or roaches— seems she'll be fine.
knox.
knox failed to hold back the grin that threatened to overtake his expression at the sheer disgust painting sybil's affronted cheeks, hoping she was distracted enough by his rough hands adjusting her chains to notice the unbridled amusement. as a prince who'd dealt with all sorts of slander throughout his upbringing from people several times his age, her venomous insults would continue to land on blissfully deaf ears. what accusations about himself could she possibly hurl his way that he hadn't already heard thrice before?

“I should wrap this chain around your neck and see how you feel to be paraded around like an animal.”


"that you should,"
he murmured in mindless agreement as he gave the cellar one final examination before he retired for the night. sybil continued to blather on in the near distance, some self-important drivel more akin to thesaurus word soup than anything of real subtance worth paying attention to, and he hummed in passive agreement with the conclusion of his analysis.

with nothing left to take care of regarding their newly acquired volatile passenger, the captain could finally at long last return to his chambers for some much-needed rest.

"right, i'll be off then,"
knox bade his farewell through a barely-suppressed yawn, giving sybil one last evaluatory once-over before moving past her towards the door. while his heart ached for her predicament on nearly all fronts, his sympathy could only extend so far past its limits.
"if you need anything, just shout. i'm sure someone will be up soon enough to hear you."


with that unencouraging final word of advice, he blew out the lantern illuminating the dingy space and shut the heavy door with a firm, resounding click.


coded by reveriee.
 
he looks peaceful.
sybil.
Although Sybil had believed that attempting to hide her own glee at the restraints being moved back to her wrists would be a difficult task in the moment, she found herself easily able to replace her features with disgust at Knox’s own expression. A grin was slipping over his features, revealing an obnoxious dimple that only overtook one cheek. It would be all too simple to slap him right across that pristine cheek, but it would be a fruitless effort. She had already concocted a plan for the evening, and he was none the wiser. She’d just have to put up with his smugness for a bit longer.

Watching him with a careful gaze as he surveyed the pathetic setup he left out for her, Sybil was highly tempted to cross her arms and start tapping her foot away. Though she only had legs for a few hours, something was already compelling her to tap away to indicate her annoyance at Knox.

Finally, however, he bid his adieu from her presence. Sybil could only roll her eyes at him as he blew out the lantern that barely illuminated the room, leaving her in mostly darkness. The door clicked shut a moment later, but the secondary click of a lock didn’t follow.

Idiot.

Letting out a slow puff of air, Sybil immediately dropped to sit on the mass of quilts and blankets left for her. The chains rattled as she moved, but she intended to silence them very soon. If he had decided to leave her restraints on her ankles, she’d simply be stuck in this room tonight fuming. Instead, he had opted to go for the sympathetic route to rotate her bindings once again to prevent more chafing. It was his small but unrelenting acts of kindness to her that would get him killed in the end.

Hopefully very soon, actually.

Grabbing one of the chains between her feet, Sybil allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room for a few minutes as she sat in silence. The sound of the sloshing sea still remained, but it had mostly mellowed out into a static in the back of her mind. If she focused too hard on the call of the ocean, there’s no telling how she'd react.

As her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, Sybil was vaguely aware of the pain she was about to cause herself. In her true form, this pain would be a blissful sting to her cold existence. But as a human…Glancing to the side to notice the pillow left behind, Sybil quickly stuffed it between her teeth.

A moment later, and a pop sounded as her wrist dislocated. A muffled scream of pain followed as she threw her head back, immediately letting go of the chain with her feet to rapidly pound them into the quilts. Tears immediately welled in the corner of her eyes, and she was certain her teeth would have shattered from impact if she didn’t continue to bite down on the pillow.

But her task wasn’t for naught. Despite the burning pain that followed just about anything touching her wrist, Sybil slowly slipped out her dislocated wrist on the restraint. It fell to the floor in a mostly soundless thump, leaving her other wrist still contained. She had accounted for this, however. Using her foot once again, she slowly peeled away the bandaging that Knox had generously layered onto her wrist, and that had been soaked up larger with the chowder she scarfed down before. After a few seconds of tugging, the grossly bandages fell next to her discarded restraint. Her second hand came free a moment later without a painful pop, and was quickly used to nurse her injured one against her chest.

She’d figure out how to fix that later. For now, she had plans.

Quickly hurrying to her feet, Sybil wasted no time slipping from the cellar room across the eerily silent ship. Although Knox had stopped her at the kitchen earlier, she was able to retrace her steps across the wooden floorboards all the way back to a familiar door.

Knox’s quarters.

The door creaked open softly, a gentle click following seconds after as Sybil slipped in. She could already see his sleeping figure on the bed, sprawled out like he had not a single care in the world. Her feet made no sound as she inched across the plush carpeting, each step taking her closer and closer till the Captain till she was silently looming above him. Of course he didn't lock his door on his own ship.

He had ditched his shirt, and even in the dim lighting of the room, she could still see the scar she had left on his chest. Each small crescent mark that had matched her talons perfectly only a few hours ago. Slowly letting go of her dislocated wrist. Sybil leaned forward slowly to rest a knee against the edge of the bed. Her arm reached forward, and her hand pressed against the scar on his chest.

She was met with the low thump of his heart beneath his warm skin, and she swallowed thickly.

It would all be over now if she grabbed his dagger. Ripped his heart out. The moment his heart touched the sea, she’d have her tail again. She’d have her song again, her power again.

But she’d still be under the rule of her mother. Still stuck under her regime with no real way to oust her.

Sybil curled her nails slightly against Knox’s chest and continued to stare, lost deep in thought for the moment.
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what the fuck???
knox.
"you... you bastard! you lied to me... to all of us! we treated you like family! how could you do this to us?!"


"evonne, please, if you just listen, i can expl—"


"no, you listen!"
evonne's commanding tone did little to mask the betrayal in her quivering voice, white knuckles periodically un-clenching their grip on his royal-crested dagger like it burned to the touch yet she dared not let go. silence overtook the nighttime air as she gazed holes through him down the dock, the gentle waves that lapped against the side of his dinghy fading into forgotten white noise with every word that tumbled from her lips.

"i gave you everything, and all you gave me were lies! shameful enough, being of salonian blood, but you are their prince— cosplaying our poverty for one season, you will go back to your glorious kingdom and fame and honor while our bloody corpses line the streets upon which you celebrate!"


desperation coated knox's tongue like a viscous wax, the words catching in his throat as his heart raced a mile a minute. it was his last night undercover in ascynian territory, the night he'd meant to quietly slip out of their lives without a trace, but the daughter of his business partner— his first friend— discovering the truth at the last moment was a possibility his young mind had never once stopped to consider.
"i swear, i did not wish to deceive you or your family, eve. my aspirations do not align with my father's, nor do my si—"


"i do not believe you."
her blunt declaration slammed into him like a wayward carriage, the finality of her words catching his breath in their grasp and twisting it, choking it painfully as she slowly lifted the dagger and pointed it towards her own chest.
"nor will i grant you the honor of seizing another enemy life, prince cecil. from the bottom of my heart, may your journey be plagued with the misery your crown has brought onto our world, now and forever."


"no, stop, eve!"

a strained gasp escaped knox's lips as he awoke in a panic, his fingers curled in a vice grip around something shaped like a human wrist as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. another nightmare— he nearly breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar darkness of his chambers.

as soon as his brain caught up to the present moment, however, his instincts kicked in without missing another beat. the captain tightened his grasp on the person hovering before him and yanked them down harshly, flipping them over to pin their wrists against the mattress underneath his broad frame.

in this new position, however, knox's eyes widened as the traces of dawn illuminated the intruder's face to reveal none other than their stowaway princess sybil, who had somehow left her restraints behind to fondle his chest in the early hours of the morning.

"what the hell are you doing?"
he questioned, tone frantic and brow furrowing in suspicion as his eyes flicked over her body in an attempt to assess her current state of affairs. she hadn't come wielding a weapon, nor did she hold the predatory look of an assassin in her irises, so what could she possibly want from him that required her to infiltrate his chambers in the dead of night?

his gaze froze once it reached her thin wrists, one of which had darkened to a horrendous shade of violet around the joint as it rested at an awkward angle. nightmare fully pushed from the forefront of his mind by this point, his pupils dilated further at the harrowing discovery, and he quickly loosened the pressure he was applying on that hand with his body weight so as not to cause her any more pain.
"what happened?! did someone do this to you?!"

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coded by reveriee.
 
he looks peaceful.
sybil.
As Sybil stared down at Knox, conflicted in her own actions, she felt a momentary uptick in his heartbeat. Instead of the low steady beat she had grown used to in the minutes standing next to him, it began to beat faster and faster. The muscles on his jaw ticked a bit, and she could vaguely see his features shifting a bit.

He was apparently having a bad dream.

Before she could retract her hand to fully contemplate the advantages to killing him here and now, a gasp sounded from Knox and his hand came up to grip hers. She let out a small gasp of her own, quickly attempting to yank herself away from him. However, his grip was unwavering, and she was reminded once again of her human fragility. It didn’t matter how strong she was a siren; Knox had the clear advantage here. Even waking from a nightmare, he was still stronger than her.

Screwing her face into a displeased expression, Sybil nearly parted her lips to demand he release. Instead, a squeak of surprise sounded as she was suddenly flipped onto the mattress of the bed. Before she could even process what had happened, a flash of white hot pain shot from her wrist as Knox bore down on it with his full weight. A cry of pain instantly escaped from her lips, tears uncontrollably welling in her eyes. It burned so much more, so much hotter. Guttural whimpers followed her cry, as she squirmed and wiggled in an attempt to free her wrist from his grip.

Though Knox demanded to know just what the hell she was doing, she couldn’t find her voice to answer. As she could do was gurgle in pain and buckle under him, hoping that he would lighten up just a bit. The pain was searing and unrelenting, and she felt like she was about to barf straight in his face from it. Perhaps he would finally let go if she did just that.

Thankfully, it didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for Knox to notice just how terrible her wrist looked. His grip instantly loosened, and she let out a stuttering gasp of relief. The pain was there still, but it wasn’t as vibrant now. It was already settling into a dull and pounding ache; Something she could handle far better.

"What happened?! Did someone do this to you?!"

A sputtering cough sounded from Sybil as she swallowed her own spit, vaguely aware of the bile taste that had formed. Knox was still pinning her other wrist down, and was sitting on top of her. If he hadn’t pinned her leg so well, she’d be slamming it upward and between his knees to get him off. Alas, she was stuck staring up at him with tears in her eyes, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the pathetic display away.

Her voice was low and rough when she spoke, and she had to pause momentarily to truly find her voice. “N-No one. I did it to myself. I told you that I no longer wished to be chained up like an animal,” she said, turning her head a bit to the side. She hated just how intently he was staring down at her from this position. They were both breathing somewhat heavy, though the type of hot and bothered Sybil was currently feeling was far more painful than enjoyable.

“You were having a nightmare. I did not think that a Prince would have such worrying dreams,” she said with a cough, shifting in an attempt to wiggle out from under him. It was no use, but perhaps it was best left as an indication for Knox to get off.

Instead of killing him, all she had managed to accomplish tonight was a quick fondle to his chest. Wonderful.
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not this shit again
knox.
the news that she hadn't been harmed by anyone amongst his crew elicited a sigh of relief, but it did nothing to ease the tension in knox's bones. what level of desperation must one reach to go so far as dislocating an entire joint to escape? she had been in no imminent danger if her words were to be trusted, so what could have driven her to this point? questions and suspicions circled his skull at a mile a minute as he attempted to piece together their current situation.

"i did not think that a prince would have such worrying dreams."


as sybil continued to make strained conversation through the tears welling up in her eyes, most likely to distract him from thinking too deeply about her actions leading up to this point, the captain sat up so as not to crowd her space any longer and moved farther away. she clearly wasn't in any state to pick a fight, so holding her down any longer would most likely just make her injuries worse.

"and why wouldn't a prince have worrying dreams?"
knox muttered, voice low and rough as he rubbed his temples to hold off the migraine knocking at his door upon being awoken after a measly few minutes of sleep. how could such a vivid nightmare take place within such a short time frame? surely some higher deity was punishing him for his past sins.
"what exactly did you assume my responsibilities entailed? relaxing all day, drinking all night, maybe shanking a siren or two for giggles?"
he scoffed under his breath, letting his head drop into his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"i wish that were the case, but sadly, your information on modern royalty may be a bit outdated."


what was he meant to do now that sybil had thrown a wrench into his plans once more? evidently, simple restraints wouldn't work on the hellbent woman, but knox wasn't too keen on tying her up like butchered meat either. she did seem rather at home in between the silk sheets of his own bed, he noted belatedly... wait, was this her true goal behind trespassing into the captain's quarters?

knox sighed as he retrieved the first aid kit and turned back to face sybil, steeling himself for what was bound to be another irritating interaction with the difficult passenger.
"give me your wrist,"
he ordered quietly, hand outstretched as he shot her a pointed look in anticipation of the resistence he knew was coming.
"it won't hurt so bad once i pop it back into place."

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coded by reveriee.
 
ow.
sybil.
In a rare moment of silence, Sybil was left to stare up at Knox as he peered down at her in return. Strands of his dark hair had come loose from his already messy hairstyle, framing the Captain’s face in an annoyingly perfected way. The sight alone almost made her roll her eyes. Even if he dressed up in his filthy garbs and strutted around peacocking to his crew, he was still a prince. Her teary eyes darted down to his chest once more, if only to gaze upon the mark she left one more time. The tattoos that swirled around his skin mattered not to her; It was only her own marking that caught her attention. It was hidden and discrete among the patchwork of his body, but so easy for her to pick out.

When he finally moved to sit off of her, Sybil was able to quickly move her uninjured hand to furiously swipe away the hot tears that were threatening to spill out from the corner of her eyes. She hated the stinging sensation that was building under her eyelids as she attempted to hold back more tears. The pain was still there, sharp and throbbing. How humans managed to deal with such injuries was astounding. Letting out a weak cough of pain, Sybil simply let her head fall back into the soft pillow of his bed.

This was far better than the dingy shit he had set up for her.

Hearing Knox finally speak in a low and rough tone, Sybil rotated herself a bit on the bed to stare at him. Her wrist was laying delicately against the sheets, the soft fabric the only respite she’d get at the moment. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than Knox’s rough hands nearly sending her catatonic at the slightest touch. As her gaze adjusted to Knox in the dark, she could see him rubbing at his own temples. His short monologue about princely activities didn’t fall on deaf ears, but Sybil didn’t much care to entertain the thought of Knox actually doing work. All the princes she had met and killed were the same; Boisterous men who believed themselves to be untouchable, even as they hurled themselves overboard into her arms.

“I just assumed you shanked sirens to satisfy your hero complex. Doing it for shits and giggles makes more sense, though,” she mused back to him, tucking her uninjured arm under her head. Knox was clearly exhausted, but the thought of keeping the poor Prince awake even longer excited Sybil. She was hardly tired herself at the moment, and she wouldn’t mind making Knox feel as miserable as she did.

As Knox stood up from the bed and the mattress relented a bit, Sybil moved to roll onto her back. Some of the buttons on her loaned shirt had come undone at this point, and she wasn’t bothering to place them back. If anything, she wanted to leap out his clothing the moment she could. All the fabrics smelled like him. It had a strong scent, but she couldn’t place it. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled in her life before. She didn’t dislike the scent itself, but the thought of smelling like Knox nearly sent her flying out of her own skin.

When Knox returned with the first aid kit, Sybil just let out a small groan. Despite only seeing it once before, it was the only item of familiarity between the two at this point. Although she didn’t move for a few moments, there was soon a grunt of effort as she slowly hauled herself up to a sitting position. Her uninjured hand had clawed forward to grip his thigh as an anchor point, her nails nearly digging into his skin as she got herself situated into an acceptable position.

For once, however, she didn’t protest his request. Her dislocated wrist was delicately presented to him, though she was intently staring him down. Perhaps so she could brace when he finally did make contact, or so she could make sure he wasn’t about to dislocate it more. A hiss of pain sounded when she did rest her wrist against his palm, a loud sucking noise heard in an attempt to not cry out.

For a few seconds, Sybil said nothing to Knox. Her gaze remained locked on him, her lips pressed into a thin line to avoid making a frown. Yet she still managed to find her voice, still low and rough from the pain.

“I know I am coarse like the salt of the sea. I know my actions do not make sense to you. But I do not wish to be tied up anymore like an animal. I want to remain unchained. No matter how idiotic it is for my own health, I will continue to dislocate and pop my own bones if you place another shackle around me. I will not be tied up anymore,” she said slowly, choosing each word with delicacy. It wasn’t exactly a threat, but it wasn’t a request either. She was simply stating her intentions. It was up to Knox now to decide how much he wished to deal with her antics.
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i guess it's fine if i keep watch...
knox.
as sybil gingerly placed her trust in his first-aid capabilities, knox blinked the sleep out of his eyes to light a candle and focus on gently turning the dislocated joint over in his palm to assess the damage. she didn't seem to flinch away in pain from applying pressure to specific spots, which indicated to him that it luckily wasn't fractured. 'thank the heavens for that.'

it was at times like these that the captain felt that his time on the battlefield could prove to be a blessing in disguise, a plethora of skills in his toolbelt that he wouldn't have had the chance to hone had he remained sheltered within the palace walls. whether such assets were truly worth the harrowing trauma born from that tumultuous period, however, remained yet to be seen.

knox lightly disinfected her wrist as a safety precaution before getting into position to pop the joint back into place, vaguely listening to sybil's pointed words as he steeled himself for the task ahead of him. perhaps it was due to the intimate position in which they'd found themselves this late at night, or maybe it was because she hadn't tried to swipe at him in at least a few hours, but he hated to admit that he understood and sympathized with her stance, no longer compelled to treat her as a hostile threat like he had up until then.

"i see,"
he murmured after a long moment of thought as his gaze flickered up to her piercing eyes before returning to her hand, red tinging his ears at the sight of his shirt buttons coming loose on her slender frame.
"this... will hurt, sorry— feel free to keep the blanket in your mouth so you don't bite your tongue."


knox gave sybil a few moments to brace herself before pressing down on her wrist at an angle, smoothly popping the joint back into place. he didn't let her pull her hand back just yet, however, as it still needed to be properly immobilized if she didn't wish to require surgery for it down the line. he chose to respond to her earlier words while dressing the bruised limb, grimacing at the tangible pain he knew the poor girl was experiencing with each touch.

"i cannot deny that i've been lacking thus far as a host,"
he began slowly, brow furrowed as he parsed his words carefully.
"as a prince, i must always assume the worst in people for the sake of my own survival, but the fact remains that you experienced a traumatic situation and woke up aboard a stranger's ship. you hardly knew any better, and i should have been more understanding of your circumstances. i... apologize, sincerely."


with the wound fully wrapped to keep sybil from bending her wrist, knox breathed a sigh of relief and released her from his grasp. she seemed to find comfort in his bed earlier, so he supposed he could let her sleep there for now while she recovered. according to the sunlight beginning to filter in through his windows, it was probably too late for him to go back to sleep before his duties came knocking, anyways.

"i won't put any more restraints on you, so rest here for now,"
the captain instructed at long last as he stood from the bed in favor of his desk chair,
"and try not to use that hand for anything if you want it to heal quickly. the idea may repulse you right now, but you'll find it in your best interests to trust me on this."

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a bit closer than i expected...
sybil.
Sybil wasn’t exactly scared of pain. She had experienced a plethora of painful things in her life, and up until recently, she mostly enjoyed those times. Yet there was something terrifying about placing her wrist gently into Knox’s hand. Only a few minutes ago the pain in her wrist had been a sharp and constant pinging against the back of her skull, but it had already faded into a low hum that reverberated around her body. Making contact once more with Knox’s rough hand came with the expectation that the searing pain would return once more, but the dull ache persisted.

Never in her life had Sybil felt a gentle touch in response to her injuries. It frightened her. How easily he could shift his demeanor, and how easily he was able to prevent more pain from shooting through her body. Her lips pressed together into a tight line as he examined her wrist once more, before he once again began to softly swab it clean. Although his touch brought little to no pain, the wait was excruciating. She much would have preferred if he had simply grabbed her wrist without a single word to pop it back into position.

When he finally spoke again, Sybil dragged her eyes away from his handiwork to make eye contact with him. Up until this moment, she hadn’t bothered to actually look at his eyes. They were a rich shade of mahogany, with flickers of hazel scattered through. It was a color never found beneath the waves, exclusive to humans. Admittedly, Sybil was intrigued by the shade. She had grown so used to the piercing cold gazes of her fellow sirens, that seeing the warmth that kindled in his eyes freaked her out just a little bit. Humans truly had a knack for looking unalarming.

The red that speckled the tips of his ears wasn’t lost on her either. She was well aware of how her shirt hung quite open at the moment, but was still a bit of a shock to see how Knox reacted to such a situation. He was sitting without a shirt of his own at the moment, yet he was embarrassed by the suggestion of her bare skin? Odd.

"this... will hurt, sorry— feel free to keep the blanket in your mouth so you don't bite your tongue."

Glancing down at the blankets that pooled around her, Sybil quickly decided not to do such a thing. Those blankets swaddled Knox each and every night, and she didn’t need any part of him inside her mouth. Instead, she just set her jaw square and reached down to grip her own thigh. She was done crying out in pain tonight.

When the snap occurred, a grunt sounded from Sybil followed by a loud slap as she hit her own thigh. Her head doubled forward, sending locks of auburn hair over her face as her breathing picked up. She stayed like that for a few moments as Knox gripped her wrist to brace it, letting the pain slowly wash over like the sea. Rising high, before lowering itself back down.

Thankfully, Knox began to speak as he wrapped her wrist once more. It was a welcome distraction for the moment, but his words left her admittedly confused. When she had decided to bluntly declare her intentions, she had expected some sort of argument in return. Instead she was receiving what appeared to be a sincere apology. Her head finally raised up as she hiccupped a bit, shaking the hair away from her forehead as sweat began to slightly bead against her skin. She let him finish speaking, primarily to catch her own breath so her voice didn’t falter when she finally spoke.

“Assuming the worst in people is how you survive. You just had the unfortunate luck of encountering a bitch like me,” she said, using her free hand to push her hair back and away from her face. Now that it was finally dry, she could feel the knots threatening to form at every junction. Perhaps she’d find a set of fish ribs to brush out her unruly locks.

“I do not need an apology for your actions,” she began again, taking her braced wrist back once he was finally done with it. She was sitting only a few inches away from him, illuminated by the dulling candlelight. “I would have done the exact same thing myself if I were in that position. Truthfully, you were a better man than I. Perhaps that does not speak too much, but do not apologize for doing what is right. It doesn't make me less pissy about it, but you are not responsible for my emotions,” she said, tilting her head a bit to the side and down to gaze up at Knox. There was a complicated look in her eyes, but it seems that she was done with her small monologue for the moment.

When Knox finally stood from the bed, Sybil instead opted to flop backwards. Despite the clotting smell of Knox at every angle, she couldn’t deny just how nice the bed felt. There was nothing like this under the sea for the sirens, and she often spent her nights sleeping on the shingles of the seafloor. Arching her back a bit as she wiggled herself deeper in the soft silks, a low hum of approval sounded from the woman. How could any human be so miserable when they got to lay in one of these every night?

Although Knox was advising her on how to preserve her wrist, the words were lost of deaf ears. Sybil had already pulled a blanket up to her chin, her face finally blissful as she immediately dozed off. Her body instantly curled in on itself, making her seem even smaller on the large frame. For now, it seems Sybil was finally at peace.
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this is fine. we're fine. thriving even!
knox.
despite the harsh rays of sunlight infiltrating his quarters before a wink of sleep could dare approach him, knox spent the morning hours catching up on work that had piled up over the last week while the crew prepared for the next stop on their journey. every now and then he glanced up to see sybil still out cold on his bed, a tinge of a smile gracing his lips as she dozed peacefully through the first half of the day. her features softened like melting water when she wasn't conscious, sharp lines mellowing out into gentle slopes and curves. he found that he quite preferred her this way, made for less surface wounds on his own body.

"almost done captain? they're almost out of—"


knox instantly shushed the first mate as he stuck his head through the door, whose eyes widened in realization upon noticing the woman nestled under his covers.
"let's talk outside,"
he mouthed, glancing at sybil again before gathering up his official documents and slipping out the door towards the kitchen to sit and converse over a meal.

a pause ensued before knox began,
"it's not what you think."


"is that so? i didn't say a thing,"
rafael countered quickly, hands up to demonstrate his innocence despite the shit-eating grin on his lips.

"you're still thinking it."


"thinking what?"


"fuck you."


the two men chatted casually over slices of seared toast and black tea, joking with one another in the way only long-time companions could. rafael had fought alongside him in the war on ascye, one of the essential soldiers the young prince attributed his survival to after the fighting ceased. it was their harmonious teamwork that spurred him to invite rafael to the crew as his right-hand man, an offer he took in a heartbeat in order to provide for his ailing mother.

"so..."
rafael began again once more, words slow and deliberate as he approached the topic yet again.
"i noticed you rescinded your orders to navigate to the nearest port... is she gonna stay? with us, i mean... have you decided to keep her here?"


knox sighed into his mug, the steam wafting against the skin of his cheeks threatening to lull him back to sleep if he lingered too long.
"i'm not sure, honestly. you saw what happened with that siren last night— she can read their language, raf. how can i possibly ignore that?"
another sigh escaped his tired lips as he gently swirled the tea in deep thought.
"but... i don't know if keeping her here is the right thing to do. she barely knows anything about how to coexist with other people. i... think she might have been abused as a kid, and we found her after she escaped... maybe."


rafael hummed in consideration of that hypothesis as he gathered up their used dishes to hand to the kitchen staff.
"that would explain why she attacked you right away, or why she only knows how to be an asshole."
he quickly glanced away at the pointed look knox shot in his direction.
"in that case, how about we head straight to the jiuy isles, and we can see how she adapts for the next few days on the way. if she proves to be more than we can handle, we'll make a detour to fort sasa. we were originally planning on handing her off there anyways, but this way we can keep our options open."


listening carefully to the tentative plan, the captain nodded along before a small smile blossomed on his lips.
"that's perfect, raf, let's fill leena in on this plan asap. gosh, wherever would i be without you?"


"dead, you bastard. or worse, back in crana."


a ripple of haughty laughter overtook the crewmates lingering around their vicinity at their shared disdain of the capital city of salona, a hotbed of stuffy nobles and their ever-simmering gossip. knox thanked the stars every day that he only needed to step foot there a few times a season at most, even less if he was lucky enough to journey far, far away for the entire calendar year.

once their meal concluded and rafael left to go reconvene with their navigations expert, knox returned to his chambers to wake up their guest, worried she might lash out at him if he didn't wake her for her meals.
sybil?"
he called through the door, knocking politely in case she was already up and about.
"are you awake? there's sandwiches and tea if you're hungry."

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five more hours, please.
sybil.
Sleep had never been so blissful for Sybil.

Though no concrete dreams came to Sybil this time, she could see faint shapes. Twisting colors and gentle lights that twirled across her vision and danced together. Any other time, Sybil would snarl and lash out to rid herself of such pathetic thoughts, but she had no resistance in her bones. Every part of her ached so…badly. Physically and emotionally. She needed a moment to just be nothing. To do nothing. To not exist, in the softness of Knox’s bed.

There was no way of telling how long she was stuck in this fugue state. Throughout her sleep, Sybil rarely moved. If she did, it was only to nestle the blanket closer to her nose or to curl deeper into herself. She was deaf to whatever was happening in the world around her. When Knox slipped out to speak with Raf, she barely shifted the sheets a bit further up her face and continued on sleeping.

The sleep didn’t last very long, however. It seems her body had figured out that she didn’t need to keep on sleeping forever, despite the overwhelming urge to waste away in the plush pillows. Instead, she found herself roused by an obnoxious ray of sunlight that managed to shine right across her eyes. A loud groan of frustration sounded as she yanked the blanket over her head completely, satisfied with the solution until the door creaked open. Knox’s voice sounded soon after.

"Are you awake? There's sandwiches and tea if you're hungry."

Another groan sounded rather loudly as Sybil tossed the blanket off her head, her body aching as she slowly moved to sit up. The shirt Knox had lent her was on its last three buttons, the rest having popped open at some point. A loud yawn sounded, and Sybil weakly swiped at her eyes in an attempt to rub some of the sleep away. Knox was still positioned in the doorway, and she could barely make out his face due to the sunlight streaming in behind him.

“It is too bright. But I am indeed hungry,” she said, her voice gaining a bit of a sleepy rasp. Her feet swung over the edge of the bed, and she paused to crack her back before fully standing. No motion was made to fix her nearly open shirt, and she instead began to softly pad over to Knox.

When she finally reached the doorway, she glared up at Knox from under her mess of hair. The long locks were dangerously close to becoming matted, and it was clear she was frustrated by the state of it. However, she said nothing. To ask Knox for help again would be far too degrading for Sybil. She had already gone through so much already.

“My mouth tastes bad,” she commented to Knox when the two of them started to move again towards the kitchen, her feet threatening to drag with every step. Though the sun had brought a bit of warmth to the previously cold ship, Sybil couldn’t deny the allure of sinking right back into the warmth of his bed. Another yawn overtook her body, sending her stumbling slightly to the side before she caught herself.

Recovering silently, it took Sybil a moment to collect her thoughts before speaking once more.

“So what happens now? Do I go out and introduce myself to the rest of your crew members? I certainly do not mind being the center of attention, but something tells me they will not be happy about the news,” She mused to Knox as they finally arrived at the kitchen, greedily eyeing the plate of sandwiches. Although she didn’t throw herself into them this time, she also didn’t ask permission before snatching up one in each hand. Only a second later, and she had taken her first bite.

Her eyes shut against the flavor, and she chewed slowly for just a moment before tearing off another chunk. It seems humans had two good things at least.

Food, and beds.
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i'll need to get her some proper clothes...
knox.
panic arose in knox's chest as sybil wordlessly stalked right past him out the bedroom door, unbothered by her nudity in light of the grumbling noises coming from her stomach. in a rush to remedy the situation, he snatched one of his coats off the dresser and chased after her to drape it around her shoulders, effectively covering her from view save for her bare calves.

“my mouth tastes bad.”


"i'll show you how to fix that once you've eaten."


knox watched her eat between bites with an amused smile on his lips. she certainly seemed to learn from the last time they'd been here together, no longer diving right into the pot though certainly lacking any other sort of table manners. still, this alone was significant progress given that he hadn't instructed her otherwise yet, a testament to the innate intelligence lying dormant in her naive mind.

"so what happens now? do i go out and introduce myself to the rest of your crew members? i certainly do not mind being the center of attention, but something tells me they will not be happy about the news.”


he answered each of her questions patiently and in earnest, nursing his morning dark roast blissfully like an all-powerful panacea to his sleep-deprived aches and pains.
"i've already informed them that you'll be joining us for the time being, but... well, you're not entirely wrong. they're confused and suspicious of you, but personally?"
he stared at her for a moment longer, unreadable glint sparkling in his chestnut eyes.
"i think their opinion of you may change once they meet you properly. call it a hunch."


the captain took a long sip of his coffee and leaned back in his seat, stretching his strained back from when he'd drifted off to sleep in his office chair for a short while around dawn while waiting for the rest of the crew to arise for their morning duties. today, he certainly needed to make sure sybil had a suitable place to sleep fitting of her status, rather than the dingy cellar she'd staunchly rejected in the past. she certainly couldn't spend any more nights in his quarters lest any unsavory rumors arise, nor could he leave her in a cabin full of gruff older men, so what options did that leave him?

as these questions swirled around his brain at a mile a minute, knox scooped some sliced fruit onto sybil's neglected plate to balance the nutrition in her meal, grateful above all else that she didn't seem to have any problems with the chef's menu— though the indira belonged to a royal fleet, the majority of his crew came from humble backgrounds and would likely have found overly luxurious meals to be stuffy and uncomfortable.

"you don't need to worry about what they think, though,"
knox continued, tone nonchalant as he finished off his own sandwich in a few large bites.
"you are the guest of the captain. you may ask for whatever you may need from anyone aboard this ship. once you're done with your meal, i'll introduce you to leena, our navigations expert. she can help you bathe and find some clothes that might fit, at least until we're able to shop around at a bazaar for something your size."

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who would willingly drink that?!
sybil.
Sybil didn’t protest much when the coat was draped over her body as she padded to the kitchen with Knox. If he wasn’t careful, she’d soon start to expect this type of treatment from him.

---

Finishing at least one of her sandwiches as Knox answered her questions, Sybil chewed in silent contemplation for a minute. Her now free hand moved to rub at one her eyes in an attempt to will the sleep away, but it was a futile effort. Exhaustion was something completely new to the woman, and she was woefully unprepared to fight off the overwhelming urge to snuggle right back into bed.

Once she finished unceremoniously rubbing at her own face, she eyed Knox with slightly blurry vision. He was nursing a cup of a dark liquid, a pungent smell rolling off the steam as it tickled his chin. There was a bit of a glint in his eye as he spoke to her, as if he knew a naughty little secret he wasn’t willing to share just yet. Blinking slowly to adjust her vision once more, Sybil opted to just blow a lock of hair away from her face. How humans dealt with dry hair was beyond her.

After Knox took a delightfully long sip of his drink, curiosity got the best of the former siren. Placing her other sandwich down on her plate, Sybil wiggled a bit in her seat, like a cat about to pounce. No words were spoken as she suddenly leaned forward on her stool to grab the cup straight from his hand. Her fingers were cold as they brushed against his own, but they easily swiped the drink away, like she had done such a task a hundred times before. He had been nonchalantly placing more food on her plate, but she was far more interested in the dark elixir he was treating like his lifeline.

Quickly bringing it up to her face, she inhaled the scent of the drink deeply. A cough immediately threatened to overtake her body, but she resisted the urge to peer down at the tar-black liquid. An eyebrow raised, and she shot a glance up to Knox to gauge his reaction. Part of her didn’t really want to try whatever the hell this was, now that it was sitting right under her nose. The other part of her, however, simply wanted to push Knox’s buttons and take his things. At the very least she needed to commit to the bit.

With that thought in mind, and no words still spoken, Sybil raised the coffee to her lips and took a hearty swing of the mixture.

Immediately, her face turned a bit red and she slammed the cup back down onto the table. A pained expression overtook her features as she forcefully swallowed the coffee, before coughing violently and smacking the table in an attempt to relieve herself of the displeasure. One hand dragged down her face as she groaned, before rotating in her stool to glare at both Knox and the drink.

“That was disgusting. I cannot believe you would willingly put that in your mouth,” she hissed out, before snatching up a slice of apple to gnaw on. Her expression immediately mellowed out, and the vitriol she displayed for the coffee only seconds ago was replaced with a soft appreciation for the sweet fruit.

After chewing on her meal for a few more seconds, she swallowed thickly and thumped her elbows onto the table to prop her chin up. Her hair was an absolute mess, but it wasn’t exactly unsalvageable. It simply required a steady hand, and someone willing to brave Sybil for more than ten minutes at a time.

“I was just in the ocean last night, why do I need to bathe? I do not wish to get back into the freezing water at this very moment,” she protested, unaware of what exactly was to come. Leena certainly had her work cut out for her when it came to dealing with Sybil. Another huff of air sounded from her as she blew more hair back, before she tilted her head a bit to the side.

“Do you not like how your clothes fit my body? Funny, I was starting to believe it was quite the opposite with the blush that tinged your skin whenever I am around,” she commented, a bit of a wicked glint in her eyes. Although his coat was currently covering her body, it was becoming increasingly clear that Sybil would rid herself of the warmth it provided just to tease him.
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oh no... she's hot...
k + s.
knox blinked once, twice in shock when sybil snatched his precious coffee from his grasp, bewildered expression on his sharp features before rapidly dissolving into warm, glimmering amusement as he threw his head back in a bout of pleased laughter.

"that was disgusting. i cannot believe you would willingly put that in your mouth."


once the humor subsided, he gently retrieved the mug to inspect it for any fractures from where she'd slammed it against the wooden table, seemingly not hard enough to damage it to his much-belated relief as he wiped the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. while he'd expected as much and thus hadn't offered her any in the first place for this exact reason, her visceral disgust towards the beverage confirmed to him that not only was this somehow her first time encountering coffee, but also that this initially brutish woman could make some incredibly cute expressions when caught off guard.

"not a fan?"
he bit back another bout of laughter at her displeased glare and took another swig himself as he lazily watched her nibble on an apple slice, obsidian eyes locked onto her plump lips for a long moment before flicking back up to her irises.
"it's called 'coffee'— because it contains caffeine, a compound which restores one's energy, many people drink it to stay awake and focused while working... but truthfully, i find it vile as well. it took several years to grow accustomed to the bitterness, and even now i consider it more of a medicine rather than a beverage."


with sybil finishing her meal this time without a hitch, knox breathed a soft sigh of relief, sour mood from their early morning encounter nowhere to be found as he listened to her half-hearted complaints with the kind of enduring patience only a person who continuously chose to see the best in humanity could muster on command. when she pivoted to tease his bashful reactions, however, rosy hues tinted his ears once more.

“do you not like how your clothes fit my body? funny, i was starting to believe it was quite the opposite with the blush that tinged your skin whenever i am around."


sybil was quite obviously baiting him, trying to get a rise out of her cautious, mild-mannered companion for what one could only assume was her own sadistic entertainment. perhaps this was her way of feeling some semblance of control in the midst of her impossible situation, a tiny inkling of power within her womanhood to lord over the arrogant captain who treated her like a blubbering child. of course, he could not fault her— had he been in her weathered shoes, he dared not imagine what sort of rash, impulsive decisions he'd have unleashed upon his saviors while wallowing in the trenches of his own panicked frustration.

"i fear those clothes suit you better than their owner,"
knox answered playfully, gaze sliding downwards for a contemplative moment before returning to lock onto her mischievous stare. as he continued speaking, he reached across the table to retrieve a small, white shaker and poured a small amount of its contents onto her plate for sybil to examine while he gently gathered a lock of her auburn hair between two of his fingers... for assessment purposes, of course.

"seawater contains this stuff— salt, you may have heard of it— which steals the moisture from your hair to make it dry and brittle. from the looks of it, you'll need a proper conditioning and a good detangling before we can work on styling yours."
his eyes narrowed as he continued to think out loud, voice simmering down to a mumble with every word.
"leena said those nourishing oils the ascynian shipwright gifted us worked wonders on her curls, so maybe she can use— ah, what convenient timing."


at that moment, a fresh-faced leena burst into the kitchen in search of the captain, eyes lighting up with bubbling fascination barely tempered by her wariness once they landed on the pair seated at the table. the navigations expert seemed none-too-surprised by her temporary role as sybil's personal hygienist, well-accustomed to fact that her life of a sailor demanded her to fill various unprecedented roles. this time, her responsibility of the day coincidentally lined up with the object of her curiosities, a mysterious woman who seemed to know too much about their tumultuous world, yet somehow too little at the same time.

"there you are, miss sybil!"
leena greeted enthusiastically as she raced over, nearly reaching out to offer a handshake before remembering the captain's stern warning not to touch her so recklessly.
"pleasure to meet you, miss! i go by leena. i take it this oaf hasn't told you anything yet, but the bath's already all fired up, so i'll explain on the way."
she began to move towards the exit once again before pausing to look back over her shoulder expectantly.
"well, come along, then— you'll feel miles better afterwards, just trust me!"


knox rolled his eyes at the unsolicited jab but didn’t bother to deny her claims, instead releasing the matted lock of sybil’s hair to rise from his seat and gather up their used dishes.
“go on,”
he urged, shooting her an encouraging smile despite the dark circles cemented under his weary eyes as he jerked his chin towards the door.
“i’ll be up top to introduce you to everyone once you’re done.”





For a split second, Sybil was unsure if she could trust her own eyes. It seems that in response to her attempt at controlling the conversation, Knox was purposefully playing into her own words. His eyes shifted lower on her body for just a few moments, but it was enough to catch Sybil off-guard. Her lip threatened to curl up into a snarl, but Knox was reacting far quicker than she could process.

A bit of salt was spilled out onto her plate, and her eyes darted down to the white grains. It was almost enough to distract her from Knox twisting a lock of her hair around his fingers.

Almost.

The moment Knox took a lock of her dry hair into his hand, Sybil went perfectly still. Her tongue immediately dried up in her mouth, and the only thing that moved were her eyes as she trained them on the Captain. If looks could kill, Knox would be on the floor with his heart ripped straight from his chest.

While Knox continued to babble on about the supposed brittleness of her hair, Sybil was practically seeing red. Without making a single noise, her hand slowly reached up and across the table to grab a discarded fork. While she wasn’t exactly sure of its purpose in the kitchen, she wasn’t an idiot. It was metal, and it had prongs like her mothers trident. It would certainly cause some damage if she managed to lodge it into any part of Knox. Her fingers slowly curled around the cool metal, her grip tightening in preparation for slamming the weapon into the Captain.

However, her threat of violence unfortunately never came. The moment she began to prepare herself, Leena burst through the kitchen doors. A noise of surprise sounded from Sybil as the fork was quickly abandoned, her head pivoting to stare at the woman now approaching her. A hiss of annoyance sounded at her own movement, as a reminding tug was felt on her scalp.

Knox was still holding a lock of her hair, like it was the most casual thing in the world. No one but her mother had ever touched her hair, least they wanted their own fins ripped off and fed to the sharks. A glare was shot in his direction as a warning, but it was of no use. All attention was focused on the bubbling Leena as she rapidly introduced herself, while also urging Sybil up and on her feet.

Although Sybil would never say it outloud, it was admittedly a bit nice to have at least one woman in her presence. Under the waves, she was constantly surrounded by her fellow sirens, even if they weren’t exactly the best of friends. The animalistic mermen were restricted to the deeper layers of the sea, and human men were only seen when it was time to hunt. Being around Knox so much for the last sixteen or so hours of her life was exhausting. She hated how much taller he was, and how broad his shoulders were. Everything about him was bigger, and coincidentally, more annoying.

As Leena motioned for Sybil to follow her out of the kitchen, a cautionary glance was sent towards Knox again. He had finally released her hair to focus on gathering up the plates left on the table, only giving her an encouraging smile to go on. Perhaps this activity was less of a choice than she had originally imagined.

Letting a low groan of annoyance at having to move once again, Sybil slipped off her seat to follow after the cheerful Leena. Why this woman was in such good spirits was beyond Sybil. What exactly was there to be happy about on this damn ship? Well, the bed in Knox’s room might actually be something…Did Leena ever sleep in Knox’s room?

Before the inappropriate question could leave Sybil’s lips, Leena threw open another door to reveal their destination. Instantly hit by the steam pouring out from the room, Sybil was unable to hide the gobsmacked expression that overtook her visage. Stepping in slowly behind Leena, there was no right place to look first. Sunlight was streaming into the room from the large window that overlooked the waves right outside, though the glass panes were currently fogging up once more as Leena moved to shut the door. Various bottles and herbs were strewn around the room, making a strong concoction of aromas to assault Sybil’s nose.

Standing there with Knox’s coat around her, Sybil was simply speechless. Leena, on the other hand, was seemingly unable to stop speaking.

“Oh good, good! The bath is still warm, just nice and right. I always get worried some knucklehead will open the door and let all the steam out. Come here, dear. We've got to strike while the iron is hot. Don’t forget to take off that oversized coat,”
Leena babbled out proudly, motioning Sybil over to the basin.

And for once in her life, Sybil listened.

Stepping forward slowly, Sybil moved to roll her shoulders and slip the large coat off and onto the floor. Certainly not the best place in the world for it, but that was hardly a concern for her. As she approached the warm water, a curious look overtook her features. She had never seen…hot water before. It had always been freezing and cold to the touch, and she had always preferred it that too.

Taking notice of the strange expression on Sybil’s face, Leena simply made a ‘tut’ noise and shook her head.
“Oh, you poor thing. Come on now, let’s get you out of that mess of an outfit. Honestly, Knox should be ashamed of himself. This top barely fits you!”
She exclaimed, moving to remove the top from Sybil without much resistance at all. The poor siren was too stunned by her environment to protest being stripped by anyone other than herself.

In a few seconds, Sybil was standing as she arrived. Butt naked. However, she was hardly cold this time. A bead of sweat was forming on her forehead, threatening to roll down her nose and drip into the warm water below her.

With a bit of silent encouragement from Leena, Sybil let out a low sigh of preparation before she slid one foot into the water. A gasp of surprise sounded, followed by a splash as she immediately dipped her entire body in the warmth of the tub. Leena let out her own gasp of shock as Sybil immediately ducked her head under the water, bubbles following as she blew out air from her nose.

Who the hell knew water could be so…nice?

Coming up for a gasp of air, Sybil blinked some droplets from her eyes as Leena sighed in relief. Thankfully, it seems the woman wasn’t interested in drowning herself just yet.

“Isn’t it nice?”
Leena cooed as she moved to sit behind Sybil in the basin, a vial of viscous liquid in one of her hands.
“You know, we don’t normally get such a warm bath here on the sea, but Knox wanted you to have a nice experience. It certainly helps me, with this mess on your head!”
She said with a slight laugh, before dumping a bucket of water over Sybil’s head to make sure it was thoroughly soaked. A gurgling sound came from Sybil in response, but it was shortly followed by a squawk of pain as Leena began to work the perfumed oil into Sybil’s knotted hair.

“I suggest you get comfortable darling. We’re going to be here a while…”
Leena offered with a grunt as she continued to suds up Sybil’s hair.

For the next hour or so, various shouts and squawks of pain would sound from the bathroom as Leena worked through the mess that was Sybil’s hair. Anyone walking past the room would hurry their gait a bit more, the sound of Sybil arguing with Leena vibrating throughout the hall. Thankfully, however, it seemed that Leena was more than capable of holding her own against the pained insults of Sybil as each knot was delicately worked through. By the end of the experience, Sybil had mellowed out into a comfortable silence as the oiled comb was slowly run through her untangled hair.

Her scalp hurt, but it was certainly worth the experience.

Leena quickly toweled off Sybil, leaving the woman to dress herself in one of her own outfits. Although her hair was still a bit damp by the time the two left the bathroom, it was already starting to fluff itself up into thick and heavy waves that tampered off right below her hips. It was assuredly still a hassle to manage, but better than where they started.

As the two women moved down the hall, Leena was excitedly chirping and calling for her Captain.
“Knox, dear! Come out! I ought to be paid extra for this masterpiece!”





While Leena took on the life-threatening task of wrangling Sybil into the bath, Knox preoccupied himself with the list of affairs he’d been putting off while trying not to rouse the woman sleeping in his bed, such as tidying up his quarters and beginning his daily exercise regimen. He didn’t make it that far through, however, before the navigation expert’s piercing voice sounded through the lower deck and startled him out of his focused headspace. Without bothering to complete the rest of the workout, he finished the set he was in the middle of at twice the speed and sauntered out into the hall, glancing around for any sight of the pair when his eyes landed on someone nearly unrecognizable from the previous day. What once was a tangled, knotted mess on her head had become luscious, cascading waves through Leena’s care, baggy oversized clothes replaced with a clean blouse and corset that accentuated her curves perfectly.

“Damn…”
Knox murmured under his breath before regaining his composure— surely, he could come up with something more refined than that brutish proclamation. He stepped closer and examined Sybil from head to foot with narrowed eyes, a low whistle escaping his lips as he broke out into a hundred-watt smile.
“You cleaned up nicely, huh? This look suits you quite well. Thanks for your help, Leena.”


The older woman puffed her chest with pride at the sincere acknowledgement of her efforts, a similar grin overtaking her expression as she ruffled his hair with affection and quipped over her shoulder on her way towards the stairs,
“What would you do without me, kid? Probably be dead, or worse—”


“Gods, you and Raf share one brain,”
Knox groaned, shaking off her hand as her fading laughter echoed down the hall and an embarrassed flush tinged his ears.
“No originality on this ship, for fuck’s sake… Anyways, are you ready to meet the crew, Sybil? they should all be up top right about now, unless you'd rather rest for a while first— i'm sure that experience was a tad exhausting, no?”

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why is he looking at me like that?
sybil.
When Knox rounded the corner of the ship after Leena’s shrill call for him, Sybil wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. She had declined to look in the mirror Leena offered in the bathroom, still unwilling to see just how she looked as a human. The freckles that dotted her arms and legs were enough to ward her off for the time being. She also wasn’t sure how much a simple bath could change, though she had come to appreciate the weight lifted off her shoulders. For the first time since being yanked aboard Knox’s abode, her hair felt as it did as a siren. It didn’t float around her head, but it was light and airy to the touch. She admittedly also felt…cleaner. She had never felt dirty in her life, but somehow plunging under the warm suds revitalized something in her. Her talons may be gone, but at least there wasn’t dirt and blood under her nails anymore.

Staring at Knox with an unreadable expression, Sybil didn’t say a word in response to his single utterance. The tiniest sheen of sweat was tickling his forehead, indicating to the woman that he still hadn’t bothered to rest. Perhaps he’d collapse and die from exhaustion, and she’d get his heart without lifting a single finger.

Certainly would be the easiest route.

A frown tugged at her now smooth lips as he stepped forward to examine her closely. Leena also managed to convince Sybil to scrub the dead skin off her lips, a silently appreciated gesture. Humans had so much shit to worry about. Her eyes tracked Knox’s face as he peered her over, unable to identify the feeling that was brewing in her gut. He had scrutinized her before, and certainly with less on her, but this time felt different. His examination was unlike the gazes she received from other sirens, too. They often peered at her with fear and awe, shuddering at the sight of her crimson hair slipping through the waves. Knox, on the other hand, was unreadable to Sybil as he let out a low whistle and a shit-eating smile.

“You cleaned up nicely, huh? This look suits you quite well. Thanks for your help, Leena.”

Sybil said nothing at his statement, only narrowing her eyes a bit to watch the interaction between the two. Leena ruffled his hair with such a casualness, and Knox let her touch him. There was a warmth to their interactions that made Sybil frown a bit harder, though she managed to wipe the look off her face when Knox turned his attention back to her. The blush on his ears wasn’t lost to her, but this time, she wasn’t exactly sure what caused it.

“...are you ready to meet the crew, Sybil? They should all be up top right about now, unless you'd rather rest for a while first— I'm sure that experience was a tad exhausting, no?”

Sybil let a scoff out at his suggestion, crossing her arms tightly under her chest. Although she had struggled against Leena for the first fifteen minutes or so, the two women managed to work themselves into a somewhat relaxing routine. At least, relaxing to Sybil. Leena was perhaps a bit less keen on the insults she threw out whenever a snag was hit in her hair, but she certainly held her own ground against the ornery Sybil.

“I am perfectly capable of meeting the rest of your men. You are the one who looks like you need to rest,” she commented, moving to walk past him before pausing and turning back.

She had no idea where to actually go, and perhaps blindly wandering around the ship wasn’t the best. She’d never admit that, however, and an attempt to cover her mistake was quickly made with another insult.

“Truly, you do look exhausted. There is sweat on your forehead, and your ears are still bright red. Perhaps Leena should strip you down and shove you into a bath for an hour,” she mused, keeping her arms crossed as she jutted one hip out. It was the least casual of movements, but she needed him to properly lead her about, and she certainly wasn’t about to ask for any directions. One eyebrow cocked upward at him, and a bit of a smirk overtook her features. She was directly teasing him about a predicament she caused, given her complete takeover of his bed only a few hours ago. It didn’t need to be said that if Knox had attempted to crawl onto the plush mattress with her, someone would be walking out of there with a dick.
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her incensed expressions... how entertaining
knox.
though sybil remained as relentless as ever in her style of communication, knox was beginning to understand the logic behind hurling insult after insult at her benefactor without regard to consequences. perhaps this was the only way she knew to keep his attention, and in turn, the only way to exercise what little control she had in such a perilous situation. understandable, of course, but he still wished she'd learn to let her guard down around him in due time, if only a little; no matter how strong one's mental fortitude may be, constant dropping wears away stone without discrimination. she may risk burning herself out at this rate if she wasn't careful.

knox watched her posture around the deck for a few moments in contemplative silence, amusement glinting in his observant eyes as she attempted to rectify her aimless wandering by spinning the tide of their conversation back towards him.

“Truly, you do look exhausted. There is sweat on your forehead, and your ears are still bright red. Perhaps Leena should strip you down and shove you into a bath for an hour.”


an embarrassed flush tinged his cheeks at her suggestion, the mental image of leena wrangling him into a cold tub against his will sending a creeped-out shiver down his spine. the older woman treated him like a pesky cousin from the moment they'd met, her shorter, muscular build only accentuating the flames raging behind her ambitious irises. though he was convinced she'd make a horrible marriage partner between her fiery temper and contrarian attitude, he could not deny that she might have become a spectacular mother had she been blessed with fertility.

"oh? i didn't realize you were so invested in my hygiene."
knox plastered on a teasing, unyielding smile and set into motion once again to lead the way to the upper deck now that he had permission from sybil. he paused for a moment as he passed by her awkwardly posed form, however, using their close proximity to lean down and fire back in a quiet, yet smug tone,
"unfortunately, leena must be spent after working on you for so long, the poor thing. if it's that important to you, why don't you strip me down and scrub this sweat off? leena's a great teacher— you must've gotten the gist of it by now, no?"


knox didn't wait for a response from his companion before straightening his posture and continuing on towards the stairs, only stopping to grab a towel off of a nearby hook to wipe his sweat before gesturing for sybil to climb up first with a stifled chuckle. he hadn't forgotten their last experience with stairs, and while he hadn't witnessed her journey up from the cellar to verify her climbing progress, he had a hard time believing that unintentionally eating the floorboards aligned with sybil's ideal first impression on the crew.

the smug grin on his face morphed into a customer service smile in the blink of an eye, as though the cheeky remark had never dared to leave his lips in the first place, a mere figment of her imagination uttered into the shadows. sybil's futile attempts to appear tough in the face of confusion only further served to excite his interest rather than intimidate him— he'd survived far, far worse experiences during his time as prince than a few obscenity-devoid jabs hurled in his direction by a pretty woman, after all.

once they arrived at their destination under the harsh, summer sunlight, a hush fell over the crew going about their daily responsibilities and the buzzing energy around the ship came to a standstill, prompting knox to clear his throat before they could bore holes through sybil with their inquisitive stares.

"some of you have already met her in passing, but i'd like to introduce everyone to our new consultant, sybil. she is a guest who will be aiding me in my search for the queen-killing artifact, so it goes without saying that she is to be treated like one of our own while aboard the indira."
a mumble began to simmer among the crewmates, only to halt at once when knox continued without concern for their gossip.
"no rough-housing, hazing, or any violence of the sort will be tolerated—"
a pause, his gaze flickering towards sybil before returning to his people to add,
"unless she instigates it, of course. you will not be punished for self-defense in any case. anything you'd like to add, sybil?"


the captain's double-sided warning seemed to be enough assurance for the crew brimming with curiosity, the boundless questions written on their faces finally taking verbal form as they rushed forward at once like a mob of ravenous seagulls, all but crowding sybil's space in an attempt to be the first to introduce themselves to the beautiful, young woman joining their voyage. knox had half a mind to fend them off lest they tick her off with their overenthusiastic babbling, but if the repercussions of his daring actions towards her thus far were any indication, they'd learn their lesson without his meddling soon enough.
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there's too many people all at once -
sybil.
Although Sybil was momentarily satisfied with her jab when she saw the red color finally migrate to Knox’s cheeks rather than his ears, her mood was quickly soured by the teasing smile that tugged his lips upward. He was quick to react in any situation, she could give him that much. As he opted to lean in a bit closer to Sybil to whisper his next response, Sybil trained her bright blue eyes on him. A scowl overtook her visage at his suggestion, and she made quick to lean away from him as he continued to saunter on.

“If I were the one to strip you down, your head would be held under the water for far longer than I am sure you are comfortable with,” she snapped back, the words clearly heavy on her tongue. Whenever Sybil bothered to reply to Knox, it was clear the common tongue wasn’t common to her. She failed to use any contractions, though she didn’t seem to have any issues understanding when others use them. Sybil was well aware that humans often combined words together, but she could barely speak their language at the present moment without twisting her tongue into a knot. The last thing she needed was to be the woman who couldn’t read or speak their language.

Glaring at Knox as he moved towards the stairs, she didn’t fail to notice his stifled chuckle as he wiped away the small amount of sweat coating his brow. A huff of annoyance sounded from the woman, her face twisting into a look of shock when he motioned for her to go up the stairs first.

Of course. Because she nearly took herself out the last time she walked on these stupid things.

A sound only describable as a hiss sounded as Sybil stomped forward and past him, refusing to grab the railing as she began to take each step at a time. The only good thing about this situation was the fact that Knox was behind her. A quick glance back would reveal bright red cheeks radiating from Sybil, but the look was only for a moment before she continued to march upward. Asshole didn’t even trust her to walk by herself!

Once the two of them reached the top of the staircase to bask in the bright sunlight of the world above, Sybil remained silent and pointedly looked away from Knox until she could feel the color leave her cheeks. It wasn’t that he had embarrassed her…but perhaps the thought of her own ineptitude did. He didn’t even trust her to walk properly by herself, like she was a young child. She had killed so many of his kind before, and had his heart under her thumb once. When she was under the waves, she was unbreakable. Now she was some…fragile toy, ready to snap and bend at any little inconvenience. She hated it.

Unfortunately, Sybil didn’t have much time to contemplate her current pitiful existence. The crew that had previously been bustling around the top deck was now dead silent, and each and every one of them was gazing at her and her alone. Only the clearing of Knox’s throat was able to direct their attention away from her. Even Sybil herself turned her eyes upon Knox, if only for a few seconds.

Princes and their authority.

Upon Knox’s introduction to who Sybil was, the young woman didn’t change the somewhat blank expression that covered her features. A slight frown tugged ever so slightly at her plump lips, but it was the only indication of her emotional state at the moment. The frown, however, quirked upward just a bit at the mention of her instigating any violence aboard his ship. Her head cocked to the side by an inch as Knox wrapped up his little speech, ending it on a question to Sybil.

“Anything you’d like to add?”

Dragging her gaze across the men on the ship, Sybil just lightly shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes towards Knox. “If I instigate any violence, I will make sure to end it before it reaches your ears,” she added, puckering her lips for a moment before rolling her eyes back to the large crowd around her. Although that warning would suffice under the waves, the look of satisfaction on her face was instantly overtaken by shock as the crowd rushed forward, each loudly shouting their own question and introductions.

Instantly, Sybil let out a low sound close to a snarl once again, her body suddenly brushing up against Knox. One hand came up to grip his arm tightly, her eyes suddenly a bit wider as the men continued to shout and crowd around her. Never in her life had Sybil been surrounded by so many…people. There had always been one or two sirens lurking in her general vicinity, but they never dared to actually approach her without permission. Even her previous night with Knox had been bearable, given his inclination to give her space.

This, however, was far too much all at once. Her nails continued to dig into Knox’s arm, but she wasn’t even looking at him. Her eyes were wide open as she rapidly looked between men as they continued to blabber out questions, the only sound coming from the woman being momentary stutters that were cut off by another question.

It seems Sybil wasn’t very good at handling crowds.
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personal space is a nobleman's privilege...
knox.
“If I instigate any violence, I will make sure to end it before it reaches your ears."


sybil's curt response elicited a sharp scoff from the captain, who instantly cleared his throat to try and stifle his amused reaction to her unexpected warning. if her ability to whip up a retort in the hotseat without hesitation was any sort of indication, he could rest easy at night knowing she'd blend right in with the crew he considered even closer than family.

this evaluation jettisoned overboard at neck-breaking speed, however, when the barrage of gruff men carrying various heavy weaponry surged forward to interrogate their new coworker, leading sybil to immediately latch onto knox's arm to anchor herself in place amidst the tidal wave of greetings threatening to consume her. knox blinked several times in confusion before the blood pumping in his veins turned to ice, the extent of their situation dawning on him in near-paralyzing clarity.

'oh, fuck— what the hell are they doing?! she definitely isn't ready for this many people at once!'

just how careless had he been thus far, throwing her to the sharks and assuming she'd make it out unscathed solely because she had a fiery disposition? knox's jaw tensed as he recollected in an instant the numerous mistakes he'd made already when it came to working with a victim of lifelong abuse. the list seemed neverending, growing lengthier by the minute the longer he kept her safeguarded aboard his ship.

though sybil's fingernails tore into knox's flesh with the pressure she was applying in the midst of her panic, the pain completely failed to register as he immediately jumped into action to extract her from the throng of sweaty bodies pulsing forth. he could neither afford to dilly-dally nor succumb to his insecurities when another person depended on him for help, and his temperamental companion was not the least bit different in that regard.

eyes narrowed and a jaw tense, knox rapidly tugged sybil behind him away from the crew's reaching fingers and prying eyes and unsheathed his sword within a split second, brandishing it horizontally in a protective stance rather than aiming it towards any one person in particular.

"are you lot dense, or is your memory just that fucking bad?!"
he hissed as a hush fell over the deck, shockingly silent for once in the face of their leader's wrath save for the lapping waves and creaking floorboards.

though he had been raised and educated by the best of the best as the empire's only prince, the captain's everyday style of often slipped into a crude imitation of his foul-mouthed crewmates' vernacular when emotions ran high and etiquette was no longer a concern. luckily, these men had long since grown accustomed to the sudden switches between his two sides, but he'd been the utmost careful to not let sybil see that version of him just yet lest he fumble whatever meager trust they had built up thus far.

"what's the point of debriefing you bastards if you don't plan on retaining any of the shit i tell you?"
knox scolded with furrowed brows and swiftly sheathed his sword now that the immediate threat had subsided, regret written on their sun-kissed faces as the first mate stifled a snort in disbelief.
"seeing a pretty lady after a month at sea turned all your chimp brains to lard, is that it? you've all got fucking lard brain? if you can't pull yourselves together and act like grown adults, you can kiss the next rum restock good-fucking-bye. now, everyone step back two meters and apologize, for fuck's sake."


the embarrassed crew dared not waste a single second in following their captain's orders, shoulders hunched and eyes shifting from side-to-side as guilt and shame clouded their expressions. a chorus of apologies sounded from the crowd soon after, followed by short, apologetic head bows as per salonian custom, and it was only once the tension dissipated just the slightest bit that knox released the anxious breath he'd been holding and turned to glance down at sybil, eyes brimming with concern and remorse.

"are you alright? i'm so sorry. you're not hurt, are you?"
he fretted, barely above a murmur as his gaze flickered over her body once more, this time checking for any abrasions on her pale skin or tears in her new outfit as a result of the previous debacle. now that the chaos had subsided, however, the warmth of her body pressed against his side and the sting of her fingernails lodged in his bicep were nearly impossible to ignore despite his best attempts.
"this was recklessness on my part, so please don't hold my men's enthusiasm against them. they really are just that excited to meet you. it's... been a while since another woman joined the crew."


knox glanced away from her piercing eyes for a brief moment, seemingly in pinched thought, before determinedly returning to meet her gaze once more.
"let's save introductions for later tonight. we still have plenty to discuss about our mission..."
in private, away from other people— he opted not to voice the quiet part out loud, expressive irises doing plenty of communicating on their own without needing to rustle the crew's feathers in the process.

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i'm perfectly fine, and nothing is wrong.
sybil.
It was pathetic, really, how quickly her huntress façade vanished when the men of the crew swelled forward to greet her. Suddenly she wasn’t Sybil, the princess of the sirens and the slayer of princes. She was Sybil, a human woman surrounded by men all far larger than she was, each equipped with a weapon that could easily slice through her heart. Her teeth were dull when she bared them at the men, and none of them paid any mind to her threats.

For once in her life, she feared something else besides her mother.

Knox, however, wasted not a single second. Faster than Sybil could react, he had shifted his large frame in front of her, temporarily acting as a wall between her and the crew. A moment later, and the sound of his blade being drawn instantly silencing the boisterous crew. Although she kept a firm grip on his arm, her eyes dared to dart to the weapon he now held in a defensive manner. Under the waves, she had held no fear for human weapons. They always clattered to the deck of the ships whenever she parted her lips, momentarily forgotten in lieu of her spell. Occasionally she would find the heartless body of a man at the bottom of the sea, his rapier still fastened soundly to his waist. They made interesting trophies, for those who cared about such matters.

But things were different now. The blade Knox held between the crew and them was very, very real, and very dangerous to her human body. She had no doubt in her mind that he was competent with such a weapon, given his royal status. No self-respecting crew would let their Captain be inept in combat, either. Although he pointed his blade at no single member, the silence that instantly overtook the ship led Sybil to hold her own breath.

He had made his authority over these men clear. He had also made it painfully clear to Sybil just how useless she was at the moment.

As Knox began to chastise his men with the proper mouth of a sailor, Sybil slowly exhaled in an attempt to recompose herself. Knox had become the center of attention whether the crew liked it or not, allowing Sybil to steady herself. She inhaled, and exhaled.

Inhaled, and exhaled.

Inhaled…exhaled.

The pounding in her ears began to slowly die down, though the heat that spread over her entire face was still hot and present. Although she had a steady grip on Knox’s arm with her left hand, she could feel her right shaking against her side. No matter how much she balled it up into a fist, or pinched the fabric of her shirt, the shaking persisted. Every swallow was thick and dry, and each breath rattled her ribs.

She had been scared. These men had scared her.

Squeezing her eyes shut as Knox barked out a threat of a rum-less month, all she could see were flashes of her mothers dark tentacles. Of the trident she wielded, and the wicked length of the claws that ran across the bone teeth of the weapon. How pathetic was she? That a group of rowdy men elicited the same level of fear as the ruler of the sirens.

She hated herself. She hated, hated, hated -

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry. You're not hurt, are you?"

Snapping her eyes open, Sybil darted her gaze up to Knox as he peered down at her. His blade had been sheathed, though she couldn’t remember when he put it away. His own dark eyes were wandering over her in a mechanical manner. She had seen him look at her that way once too many times already.

He was checking to see if she was hurt. Like a delicate flower that might wilt at the slightest brush of contention.

Screwing her lips into a frown, Sybil immediately let go of his arm. Her fingers ached from how harshly she held them in position, but it was nothing compared to the red welts that were beginning to bloom under his sleeve. She had finally managed to make him bleed again, and it wasn’t even intentional. Her eyes darted down to her own fingertips, each lightly dipped in red to match his wounds.

She inhaled, and exhaled.

Stepping around Knox without saying a word, Sybil squared her shoulders and set her jaw straight to stare at the men. Saying nothing for a moment, she simply raised her bloodied hand to the crowd, allowing a single drop of Knox’s blood to swell and run down the side of her finger. When she spoke, her voice was low, but not weak.

“Do not ever approach me like that again. I do not need a fancy weapon to defend myself, and you will soon find I am nothing like the women of your land. I am something better,” she said, each word dipped with venom. Although the hand she held up to the crew was steady, the one clenched behind her back was still shaking.

Thankfully, it was only visible to Knox.

Without saying another word, Sybil spun on the heel of her foot. She marched past Knox, her shoulders still straight as she walked directly towards his quarters.

It seems she had understood his intentions.
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thank god that's over. now...
knox.
knox watched on wordlessly while sybil found the pluck at long last to face the crew on her own two feet, clenched fist behind her back hardly going unnoticed by the observant captain despite her strong-willed proclamations.

"i am something better."


he found himself being drawn into this illusory promise just as deeply as the next man, the prospect of not yet having even scratched the surface of sybil's potential electrifying his nerve endings like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. yes, she was quite rough around the edges, but weren't they all in one way or another? what right did he have to trample on the haughty ambitions of a young woman finally tasting the addictive flavor of freedom at long last?

once sybil turned on her heel and strode past him back towards his quarters, he offered the gobsmacked crew a single, consolatory shrug before trailing after her, more than ready to move on to something more productive regarding the queen killing artifact now that she was being cooperative towards his efforts. he opted to follow her sans small talk as they approached his spacious bedroom, save for a word here and there to passing aides who quickly silenced themselves once they caught sight of the determined woman leading the charge ahead.

after pulling over another chair to make room for sybil at his workspace, knox unclasped the sword strap from his belt and leaned it against the side of his desk before plopping down into the cushioned desk chair, wincing as the sudden movement irritated the puncture wounds littered across his bicep— as if the bandages around his torso and hand weren't enough. he sighed softly to himself and let his eyes flutter shut only for a brief moment until he worked up the motivation to treat the injuries, setting into motion without a word of beratement for his frazzled companion. he understood full well that she hadn't meant to cause him any harm and thus saw no advantage to guilting an apology out of her. this outcome was merely the consequence of his own poor planning, nothing more.

"is your hand alright?"
he gingerly asked at long last, only tearing his gaze away from the task before him for a split second to lock onto sybil's restless figure. the captain made quick work of temporarily shedding his luxurious, ivory blouse, the crimson dots of blood marring its sleeves hardly enough to toss it out. Countless unpredictable, tumultuous years had passed since his cozy life as a prince in the royal palace— he had long since grown accustomed to sporting a little grime on his frock.
"there should be a fresh jug of water over there on my nightstand. feel free to pour yourself a glass if you'd like before we get started."

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who gave her a weapon?
sybil.
As Sybil made her way back towards Knox’s quarters, she never bothered to check if he was following. The thought of turning her head any way other than straight threatening to knock her off her feet, the black specks that danced across her vision a fair warning. Her mind could only focus on placing one foot in front of the other, each step sending a dizzying shock up her spine.

There was a ringing in her ears that seemed to grow louder and louder each step she took, but there was nothing that could be done at the moment, least she wanted to look even more pathetic. Truthfully, Sybil didn’t want to go talk with Knox. She didn’t want to square her shoulders and march on like everything was fine. She wanted to collapse into a ball on the floor and hug her pathetic legs against her chest, hoping that if she squeezes them tight enough, they’ll become a tail again. She wanted to slam her fists into the walls around her, and scream at the top of her lungs.

But she couldn’t. So she walked.

When she finally was able to push open the door to his room, the ringing in her ears vanished. Instead, she was finally able to hear the movement of Knox behind her. The sound of a chair being pulled across the floor, and a soft grunt of pain from the Captain. Keeping her back to him, she silently looked down at her bloodied fingers once again. While she certainly lacked her original strength, there were small chances of power contained within her still. Locked away behind a pathetic bout of panic, however.

Turning her hand over slowly and bringing it a bit closer to her face, she wasn’t exactly sure what to make of his blood at the moment. It was something she had previously craved. Something she had attacked a hideous mermaid over. Yet now that it was drying on her fingers, Sybil could only twist her lips into a frown. Why did she only get what she wanted when she was a damn mess?

"Is your hand alright?

Knox’s soft question broke Sybil from her pity-party, her head swiveling to stare at the now shirtless Captain. Her eyes instantly began to roll, and she just let out a scoff as she quietly walked over to the second chair he had pulled up. Curiously, he had opted to remove his sword to rest against the table they sat at. Still without a sound, she reached over to snatch the weapon up and quickly unsheathe it with a less than satisfying noise. An annoyed look overtook her expression at the sheer weight of the sword, and she opted to simply rest of the open blade in her lap.

“I am not thirsty. And my hand is fine. You seem to be the one bleeding, if my eyes are correct,” she said, narrowing her gaze at his wounds just a bit. Her fingers were tapping against the cold steel of the blade, as if she was unsure what to do with the sword now that she had so recklessly grabbed it. At least she wasn’t pointing it at Knox.

Yet.

“I have heard many rumors about you, Captain. That you kill sirens without a hint of remorse, and that your swordsmanship is the best in the Kingdom,” she began, tilting her head to the side as she watched his movements. She clearly didn’t seem to mind that he was shirtless, but her attention was focused solely on his choices as he treated his arm. “For such fearsome rumors, I would expect you to bleed much less. The choices you make are…odd,” she said, her lips pursuing together. Perhaps ‘odd’ wasn’t the word she was looking for, but it was clear that Sybil still struggled with the common tongue. Her words were still sharp and blunt, unable to flow together like those around her.

“But we did not come here to discuss rumors about your achievements, which I could care less about. I suppose you want to finally discuss something important, like killing the Queen. Tell me what you know,” she said, slowly shifting her gaze away from his wound to make eye contact.
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finally, down to business...
knox.
"my reputation seems to have taken a turn for the gallant while I was out at sea,"
knox mused with a light chuckle, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips despite his observant watch of the sword laying precariously in sybil's lap. he knew full well that she wouldn't be able to land a single blow on anyone here considering her scrawny arms and inexperience with the blade, but with enough determination she may well injure herself in her efforts and ruin both of their evenings if she wasn't careful.

"i... did take pride in my swordsmanship at one point, but i certainly am not one to condone senseless killing if i can avoid it... that's why i refuse to—"
he cut himself off before he could finish that train of thought, jaw tensing for moment while he shook his head in exasperation and moved on, tone low, meticulous.
"if it weren't for the king's orders to expedite this damned mission, i'd have taken my time in finding some other way to extract information from the sirens— though they seem far too happy offing themselves before I even get the chance to try."


knox scoffed humorlessly at the doomed nature of the hopeless task thrust upon him by his vengeance-driven father, even now with sybil's enlightening intel at his fingertips. the prince knew without a shadow of doubt that this mission was nothing more than another way for that spiteful demon to punish him for relinquishing the title of crown heir to his sister after all the resources invested into him, meant to end in failure and lead him nowhere but to his own demise at best if he was fortunate enough to die a quick, painless death. 'as if sending me to war wasn't enough.' after all this time, he still couldn't help the vile tendrils of hatred that brewed in his gut like a parasite towards his so-called 'father,' who saw his son as nothing more than an overly-sensitive waste of potential.

killing without a hint of remorse? ha, it was quite the opposite— the looming mountain of guilt and regret over the growing bloodshed by his own hand cast a grave shadow over his heart that became the shackles enchaining him to his fate.

despite the swell of bitterness that coated his tongue like hot wax, he opted not to voice any of his woes aloud, focusing closely on pinning the last bandage in place. sybil had only just recently learned to communicate using her words instead of brute force, to subdue her habit of instantly switching to violence when overwhelmed— explaining the complexities behind the chillingly corrupt world of salona's royalty seemed far too gargantuan a task for this point in time.

instead, he finished dressing his wounds and slipped his cotton shirt back on over his head, wincing a little at the sight of the darkening bloodstains but ultimately shrugging it off as he met sybil's gaze at long last.
"before our last discussion, all we really had was the basics,"
he began as he retrieved a small, unlabeled journal bound by leather from one of the desk's drawers,
"that there exists a fearsome queen who all the sirens in the kingdom answer to, and that there is no way to kill her aside from one method— the second eye, as we now know."


knox placed the journal on the desk in front of sybil for her to peruse, a summation of notes he'd researched over the years on the siren race as well as the valuable intel he'd received from the only siren who'd dared to wag her tongue in the face of death.
"your turn,"
he prompted with a small nod as he leaned back in his chair once again, the urge to close his eyes and doze off weighing heavier on his eyelids by the second. perhaps he could afford to take a brief nap before dinner if they made enough progress today.
"understanding the siren language must bring plenty of unique insights into their society and customs— what all do you know about them?"

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so a prince can't even write?
sybil.
Despite her lack of understanding when it came to human culture, Sybil wasn’t a complete idiot. She could easily catch the tenseness in Knox’s jaw when he spoke of his seafaring mission, her head tilting to the side only an inch as an indication of her interest. Her fingers danced along the blade of the sword, her nails tapping against the cold steel. It was easy to see why humans loved to have these strapped to them at all times. Even though she wasn’t properly trained to wield the weapon, the weight of the steel against her thighs was an odd reassurance. It was useless against sirens, but another human could fall to it without much trouble.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Sybil moved to drag a singular finger down the blade as she spoke. “There is no point in trying to get information out of the sirens. Each and every one would throw themselves onto your blade before ever divulging their secrets to a human. While death at your hands is certainly embarrassing for them, it is a far kinder experience than returning below the waves to the Queen. A broken siren can heal again and again, only to be broken once more,” She said, her gaze focused on the reflective metal as she spoke. Although she still minced the words of the common tongue, her tone had taken up a dangerously soft infliction. She didn’t make eye contact with him, her eyes seemed unfocused as she watched her own finger trace the edge of his sword. "Even if a siren wanted to help you, the Queen would know. No siren is free from her gaze, and each word spoken is a calculated risk. Only her song is free from the Queen's ears," she hummed out, tapping her finger lightly against the steel again. The only reason she felt comfortable disclosing this much to Knox was the sheer fact that her mother couldn't hear her at the moment. She was no siren now.

A broken siren…Sybil had seen it far too many times. Had been the broken siren quite a few times for minor infractions against her mother. A sigh escaped her lips as she lifted her finger away from the cold steel, returning her sharp gaze to Knox as he finished slipping his shirt back on. For a man embarrassed by her lack of clothing, he certainly opted to remove his own top far too often. Fighting off a yawn, she watched him move to retrieve a leather-bound notebook from his mess of a desk.

Instead of flipping through it himself, however, the notebook was slid in front of her. Knox was still speaking, but she had stopped listening the moment the pages were opened up to her. Her eyes darted around the pages, but all she saw were scribbles. Scribbles with small spaces between them, but incomprehensible to her.

Her hand reached up to slowly push the journal back towards Knox, a frown tugging on her lips as she returned her eyes to his. “I know much about the culture of sirens, and their folklore. But I cannot read this. It is nothing but scribbles.” Leaning back in the chair, she crossed her arms defiantly and let out a loud huff of annoyance. She hadn’t exactly made the connection yet; It wasn’t that Knox couldn’t write words down. It was Sybil’s own inability to read any language that wasn’t her own native tongue.

She was illiterate.
  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
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stupid, daft, idiotic man...
knox.
knox listened earnestly as sybil spoke of the sirens' imposed restrictions, the fierce censorship they abided by as brutal and unforgiving as every other aspect of their mysterious culture. he had already surmised that hefty punishment could have been the reason he'd had such rotten luck in interrogating them thus far, but new insights into how their motivations became powerful enough to sacrifice one's life for were more than welcome if he was to eventually cross paths with their formidable leader.

'only her song is free from the Queen's ears.' those vague, cryptic words did not escape the captain's keen radar, a million more curiosities popping up in his brain at the prospect of some unnamed siren who'd become immune to the queen's intimidation tactics, but that train of thought instantly derailed upon hearing sybil's subsequent proclamation, cutting him off before he could ask any of those burning questions.

“I know much about the culture of sirens, and their folklore. But I cannot read this. It is nothing but scribbles.”


knox's mouth gaped slightly in shock before promptly snapping shut, his ears coloring rouge in shame for not having considered the possibility that sybil, the very girl who'd spent her entire life locked away on some old fart's ship without any solid comprehension of the working world, wouldn't be able to read or even recognize the common salonian script. it was such a glaring oversight on his part that he found himself rather flustered at the revelation that should have been obvious from the jump, even if she hadn't quite pieced together what it was that he had just placed before her just yet.

"ah, shit—"
he cursed under his breath, but quickly caught himself before he could confuse her any further with his utterances.
"i mean, of course it's nothing but scribbles to you. i shouldn't have assumed you could read our language just because you speak it so well... my complacency is to blame."


apology after useless apology. god, how embarrassing.

knox opened the journal and slid it back towards sybil for her viewing pleasure, this time slipping on his glasses and scooting his chair closer to hers so he could point out the different sketches littered across its note-filled pages as he spoke. his elegant handwriting had always been a source of pride to the young prince who grew up on books and quills before swords, but now the cursive lettering seemed like nothing more than a hindrance as the cascading pen marks melted together too fluidly to point out any key words for his companion to recognize. he'd have to teach her from scratch, letter by basic letter, not only for the sake of their research but also for her survival among human society now that she was free from the shackles that bound her— if she was willing to learn, that was.

"i've spent that last few months researching their attack patterns,"
he began tentatively, gaze flickering up towards sybil's to make sure she was paying attention before returning to the journal as he used a fountain pen to signal which part of the page referred to the topic at hand.
"initially, there wasn't much that i didn't know already from interacting with them myself, but i found something interesting when i began to look into past prominent clashes between sirens and the neighboring kingdoms."


the bookworm prince reached over to retrieve another tome from one of the desk drawers and determinedly flipped through its pages until he landed on a map of the regions surrounding their current location, placing it onto the desk alongside the journal so sybil could see as well.
"this here—"
he circled a chunk of the map with his pen—
"is scea mryai, a coastal town in the kingdom of vopreli that's suffered more casualties to the sirens than any other nation with a developed navy. the reason for such frequent upticks in violence around that area is a well-kept secret by the vopreli royals, and salona isn't exactly on great terms with that bunch, but your oh-so well-connected captain managed to get his hands on a contact that just might know some useful intel."


despite the light jest, he remained focused on the atlas as he drew another circle around a tiny spattering of islands not too far from their current location at sea, the indira's destination for the time being until they found another clue that could lead them closer to the second eye.
"that's who we're meeting in the jiuy isles, a once-occupied territory with fewer guards to block our entry or prying ears to rat us out."
knox's eyes glimmered with a hint of some secretive promise, almost mischievous in the way he tried to suppress the excited smile that tugged on the corners of his lips.
"there's also a local festival going on right now— might be the last chance we get to de-stress for a long while if this meeting proves fruitful."

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
 
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