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Fantasy 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙣. - [1𝙭1]

i hate this man.
sybil.
Although Sybil was more than happy to slip away back to the warm comfort of thick duvets and plush pillows, it seemed like Knox had other plans for the duo that evening. When both of his hands clamped down on her shoulders, Sybil nearly jumped out of her skin. Her head whipped back to send a sharp glare at him, though it did nothing to deter the saccharine smile overtaking his lips.

“...i'll teach you some tricks to defend yourself."

Of course. Sybil was currently experiencing the second worst headache of her life, and this idiot wanted her to go fight with him. A low groan left her lips, and she moved to shrug his hands off her shoulders lest her mind begin to wander again. Although, it didn’t stop Knox from giving her a light squeeze that made her stomach do a slight flip. A shudder immediately ran down her spine at the realization, and it took everything in her to not turn and slam her head into the desk. Though it would certainly be a more entertaining use of her time, given just what Knox had planned.

As they left the meeting room and Sybil was once again greeted with the sun in the sky, she debated turning on her heels and jumping right off the edge of the ship. Her eyes nearly squinted shut against the harsh rays, one hand reaching over to feebly cover her eyes. Still dressed in the outfit from last night, it was starting to resemble an outfit Sybil would dress herself in rather than the careful eye of Leena. Although she had been mostly silent since his announcement of their intended training, it was primarily from the headache that had made itself present once more. Though it came in ebbs and flows, the bright sun and enthusiastic nature of the Captain made the throbbing against her skull unable to be ignored. Perhaps if she simply proved to Knox in a timely fashion that this sort of thing was unnecessary for her, he’d let her crawl back into bed with little to no protest.

Admittedly not listening to a word Knox said, Sybil only tuned in at the very end of his instructions. “...here, try grabbing my wrist like you're about to pull me away."

She could do that.

Reaching out without much thought to it, Sybil latched onto Knox’s wrist. However, the realization of her situation was quick when Knox reached over to clamp his hand around hers and twist it back, a noise of surprise sounding from Sybil as she was pushed down onto her knees in an instant. Although he was quick to scoop her right back up to her feet, the look of surprise on Sybil’s tired face was a new one. Of course she had never worked with…legs before, but this was something else. If Knox had so easily pushed her to the ground just then, why did he ever entertain her in the first place? That was the sort of power she was used to using to get her way, and yet…He didn’t.

“I hope you know that I think you’re an asshole,” she grumbled out as she brushed herself off, though it only made her conscious of her wrinkled and untucked outfit. Was she always this much of a mess? Still, she didn’t have much time to think about her own messy appearance before Knox had slipped behind her and locked his bicep around her torso. Her cheeks immediately pinched themselves with a slight pink hue, though her brain was immediately screeching at her own body. What the fuck was wrong with her right now? Perhaps the alcohol was still in her system, and this was just a reaction to that…

She was supposed to be paying attention to whatever he was babbling about, so she could go back to sleep. Yet for some reason, whenever he pressed on her stomach with his hand, her entire mind went blank in an instant. He was muttering something about choking and positions in her ear, but she didn’t register any of the words leaving his lips. Why exactly was he moving her hands to his thighs?

Before the question could even fully form in her head, Knox was falling backwards with a light grunt. Sybil was sent stumbling after him, a squawk of surprise sounding again as she nearly took an elbow to his chest in an attempt to catch herself. Though she managed to avoid knocking the wind out of the Captain, she did brace herself against his chest to avoid smacking their foreheads together. Her braid had entirely come loose at this point, a few of the locks threatening to tickle against Knox’s face as she leaned over him. The sun had hit the back of her head at this point, nearly setting the auburn hue ablaze upon her head.

“Why don't you give it a try?”

Swallowing thickly as Sybil stared down at him, there were a few seconds of silence as she attempted to connect any wires in her brain to do something. Perhaps she should slam her hand down against his stomach and wind him to escape back to the room? Or poke him in the eyes? Anything to avoid this situation now.

There was something wrong with her.

“...Fine, I suppose,” she finally coughed out, her voice still rough from the lack of water in her system. Though she thankfully opted to not punch Knox in any capacity, she did use his frame to push herself back onto her feet without offering a helping hand. Once he had made his way back onto his feet, Sybil shifted side to side and cracked her neck a bit. If she did this, then they’d hopefully be done. The bed had never seemed appealing than right now.

When Knox moved to grab her once more, Sybil immediately dropped her center of gravity to begin the steps he had instructed her only a moment ago. Admittedly, however, a bit of instincts overcame Sybil as she began to move through the actual technique. Without much thought, her teeth sank in the forearm of Knox as she dropped down, her fingers still moving to grab behind his knees and force him down to the deck. Her teeth ran along his skin as she did, instantly welting up a few bright beads of blood from his arm. A smear was streaked across her lips, visible once she tossed her head back to stare at Knox. There was an odd look in her eyes as she stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. As if it was taking every fiber of her being to not lick his own blood off her mouth.

“There,” she said, her tone a bit breathless. “Can I go now?”

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
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she should sleep soon...
knox.
“i hope you know that i think you’re an asshole.”


sybil's disgruntled grievances rolled right off knox's shoulders as a pleased smile overtook his cautious expression, glad to see that she was willing to learn from him even if it was just for her own survival's sake. he could certainly make do with that much cooperation, especially if she proved to show some promise in this field.

that being said, nothing could have prepared him for the tactic she would turn to mid-maneuver— though in all honesty, he truly should have known better. at the same moment that sybil leaned down to throw him off balance, her teeth dug into the flesh of his forearm and dragged along the vein, several dots of blood gushing forth as he flipped onto his back and blinked up at her in surprise. he didn't quite process what had actually just occurred until he felt a warm trickle of liquid trailing down his hand, eyes landing on the newfound wound.

“there. can i go now?”


once the dots connected in his lagging brain, all the captain could think to do was let out the loud, chortling laughter bubbling up in his chest, his head falling back against the wooden planks in acceptance of his bloody defeat. a few of the crew members that had paused to observe the situation joined in soon after, giggling amongst themselves at the tiny little lady who'd just sunk her fangs into their tireless leader and subverted everyone's expectations in an instant.

"yes,"
he managed through strained breaths and a dazed smile, finally sitting up after a short while to tear off his expensive sleeve and wrap the onyx fabric around the bite mark,
"yes, you can. you've made your point clear. good job— go get some rest."





between daily sparring sessions for its cautious inhabitants and material preparations for the incoming mission's various task forces, the few remaining days passed in the blink of an eye as the indira's schedule rapidly became more rigid than ever, everyone busy with one thing or another while the coastline began to draw near. with just one last night of sleep standing in the way of the fated culmination of their efforts, the captain ordered everyone to cease their worrisome fiddling and get some much-needed rest before their hectic schedule officially commences while he wrapped up some loose ends.

as such, it wasn't until nearly midnight that a weary knox quietly slipped back inside his quarters to find the usual tenant lounging within, draped across his duvet like it was hers to begin with. luckily for her, however, he hardly had the energy to even glance her way much less tousle for ownership of the mattress, instead heading straight for his desk to plop down in his cushioned armchair and finish penning emergency orders for each unit should they not hear from him within the allotted timeframes they'd discussed during their strategy meetings.

unable to focus with his companion's eyes blatantly boring into him the entire time, he eventually gave up on adding whatever unnecessary details he'd belatedly decided to tack on at the end of each report and placed down his fountain pen in favor of a small, ornamental box from within his desk drawer. sliding his chair back, he stood from the workspace and turned to slip out of his daytime clothes and into his nightwear comprising of an unbuttoned cardigan and silk trousers, no longer caring at this point whether he had an audience or not before returning to the bed with the box in hand.

"you shouldn't have stayed up,"
he remarked softly, a yawn interrupting his words as he slipped beneath the covers beside her and placed the box in sybil's lap,
"but since you did, i'll just give this to you now. we didn't have time to do any real weapons training, but these should be straightforward enough in a pinch— take a look."


inside the casing was a matching set of three ornate, hand-forged steel hairpins of varying lengths, each with a unique twisting pattern and intimidatingly pointed tips that would make for a gnarly gash should they connect with an opponent's skin with any amount of force.

"i know your teeth are your preferred weapon of choice, but you can't rely on being close range enough for that all the time,"
he began explaining, lounging back against the pillows to let sybil peruse them on her own,
"and if you aren't quick enough, they'll be dragging you off by your curls in an instant. these are meant for holding back your hair, but i figured you'd find more use out of them if they a little sharper than normal... wanna try them out?"

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
 
sometimes i think he wants me to kill him.
sybil.
Although Sybil had managed to slip away that evening to nurse her hangover, Knox wasn’t the type to give up so easily on doing what he wanted. Of course, she wasn’t either, but that thought offered her no comfort every single time he slammed her down onto the deck after she failed a technique. Though she shouldn’t have been surprised at this point, given just how Knox behaved at every other single point in their time together. He was certainly a determined individual, and seemingly very worried for her well-being on this upcoming task.

Truth be told, Sybil should have also been worried. When Sybil was a siren, she had never bothered to learn about those humans deemed notorious; She was far more worried about her next trophy and how to secure it. In all truth, Knox’s crew was the only band of humans to gain any form of notoriety under the sea for their constant spearing of her sisters. Eikka had never crossed her mind before that night with Natasha, and now it was the only thing she could hear whispered among the crew.

Her physical weakness had been a sore point for the last few days especially, no matter how often Knox forced her back onto her feet. If she had even just a fraction of her original strength, this entire ‘mission’ would be nothing more than a pitstop on their path. Now, it was a do or die scenario. Either they get the necklace from Eikka and escape alive, or Sybil would be back under the waves far sooner than she imagined.

Of course, escaping Eikka simply meant growing closer to facing her mother again. And…The other part of her deal.

As Sybil pondered her situation and growing amount of bruises on her back, she hardly noticed Knox slipping into the room as she lounged about the bed. She had finally opted to accept a pink slip from Leena, a piece of cargo that she swore up and down no one would miss. Not that she cared all that much about someone missing their nightgown; Why give it to pirates if you wanted it transported?

Kicking her feet behind her head as she ran her fingers along the ornate decoration she had swiped from Knox’s desk. It was the only thing she could entertain herself with on the ship, given that all the books that lined his room were written in a language she was completely inept in. Knox’s attempts to teach her the written language had been put on pause in lieu of preparations, to both her own annoyance and relief. She saw the pitiful glances the crew gave her whenever Knox took the parchment from her hands to read outloud, but the agony of trying to even properly grip the pens drove her insane and close to tears everytime.

How disgraceful.

Although Knox said nothing as he slipped into his familiar desk position, Sybil opted to keep her gaze trained on him. It was more entertaining than the wooden dragon she had, but it seemed that Knox didn’t appreciate her eyes trained on him after a few minutes. As he pulled out the ornate box to rest on his desk, her gaze immediately flickered to the new item in an attempt to figure out what it could be. She nearly missed Knox disrobing to nothing but trousers and an unbuttoned top. Though she couldn’t pinpoint where the scars were on his chest from this distance, it didn’t stop her gaze from lingering just a bit too long on his now shirtless appearance.

Shifting from the position on her stomach to sitting upright as Knox walked over and slipped into the bed, Sybil opted to say nothing and let him speak instead. The ornate box was dropped into her lap, and she resisted immediately ripping it open to let him finish speaking. (Truly, a moment of growth from the siren.)

“I rather not have you wake me up every single time you come in here late,” she remarked when he commented on her awake nature, her fingers deftly unclasping the box to flip the lid open. Her head tilted to the side, and she blew a stray curl away from her eyes to examine the three hairpins that were presented to her. A buzz began to form behind her eyes and overtake her entire mind.

Sharp. Sharp enough to kill a man if she hit his throat just right. Sharp enough to gouge someone’s eye out.

Knox’s next few sentences were lost on Sybil as she plucked a hairpin from the plush cushion they rested upon, holding it up in front of her eyes to examine the new weapon. It wasn’t as good as her claws, but it was a weapon. She could kill with this, given the right circumstances. Was this a sign of trust? Idiocy? Confidence in her own ability to not get killed immediately in a fight?

“...wanna try them out?”

Without even thinking, Sybil launched forward with an unprecedented speed. It was like a viper striking at their prey, her weight knocking Knox backwards against the headboard as her body moved on its own. The hairpin was immediately positioned against his neck, the point tip just barely sinking into his jugular. Her pupils were constricted as she peered up at him, her knee digging into the space next to his hip as her free hand rested against his chest. She didn’t say anything, only twisting the hairpin a bit back and forth against his skin.

She was so close. She could end it right now, and go home. She could forget about overthrowing her mother with the Second Eye, and she could instead grovel for her forgiveness and offer Knox’s heart as a reward. She could smell the sea. It was all so close to her.

And yet…The thought of returning beneath the waves only brought back memories of lashings and broken bones from her mother. Cracked ribs and flayed skin when she dissatisfied her for whatever reason. Groveling for her forgiveness would only hurt her more in the end.

A sigh sounded from Sybil as she pulled the hairpin away from Knox’s neck, sitting backwards and hanging her head a bit. Unfortunately, sitting backwards also meant practically sitting in Knox’s lap. However, it appeared that her mind wasn’t exactly focused on such thoughts at the moment.
  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
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oh! nice...
knox.
knox didn't have time to process the implications brought on by the spark of familiarity that lit up sybil's focused pupils before her body launched itself in his direction, slamming him against the headboard with the sharp point of the hair pin pressed precariously against the largest artery in his neck. every one of his instincts urged him to turn the tables on her right away, to overpower her through sheer strength and flip her over into a defensive position, but he knew better; this was an important moment for her, the culmination of all the rigorous training he'd forced her to endure for the last few days paying off at long last.

as she lingered over him with the weapon twisting back and forth against his neck, knox cocked his head to the side ever-so-slightly with a knowing smile and unblinking gaze, gauging the litany of conflicted emotions crossing her strained expression with a deep curiosity. that tiny movement proved to be just enough force to break skin, however, his amused smirk only solidifying further as a small, warm dot of crimson trickled down his neck to settle on the groove of his collarbone. despite the ever-present danger brought on by her touch was sure to spell disaster for him down the line, there was a deep-rooted primality between the mid-sparring bite marks and his present predicament that tickled knox's fancy in a way he'd never experienced before as he faced her head-on, though he did not dare to verbalize such inexplicable sentiments out loud for both of their sakes.

only once sybil sighed and backed off a little did he release the bated breath he'd been holding, shoulders relaxing as he grimaced at the feeling of a bruise forming atop his vertebrae from hitting the headboard sort of hard earlier. she remained in his lap after pulling back, however, a strange look in her crystalline eyes that evaded his understanding as she pondered something unknown to him, no doubt.

"i take that to mean you like them,"
he commented softly, still watching her in case she spontaneously decided to go in for round two without warning.
"that's a relief. i can show you how to tie your hair with them in the morning— sleep is more important right now."


after lightly dabbing the blood off of his neck and the tip of the pin with the handkerchief on his side table, knox settled back under the covers and motioned for sybil to put the case away and join him, leaving plenty of room for her to tuck herself against his side however she pleased. though it had initially taken some serious adjusting to get used to her clinginess during the nighttime, he'd since grown accustomed to the familiar warmth of her lithe fingers gripping his bicep or curling around his waist in her sleep.

'how quickly man adjusts to circumstances that previously felt impossible to him— what a notion...'

"by the way, that slip looks nice on you,"
he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as he weaved his fingers together behind his head. the compliment came plenty belated in the flurry of action just then, but a soft, pink hue quickly colored the tips of his ears once he finally took notice of it.
"pink suits you well..."

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
 
i can't believe i miss wearing clothes.
sybil.
As Sybil held the hairpin against Knox’s throat, she couldn’t help but take notice of the ever-knowing smile that pulled up at the corner of his lips. That stupid, stupid smile. Although she had opted to not murder him right then and there, the smile he insisted on proudly displaying every single time she did something nearly pushed her in the opposite direction. Though the moment had passed, the glare Sybil shot towards Knox as she climbed off and away from him was indicative of her current feelings on the matter. Perhaps she was still holding all their training sessions against him.

Moving to tuck the case away closer to her side of the bed, Sybil only let out a huff of annoyance and flopped down rather dramatically on the bed. It wasn’t exactly the ideal situation; sharing this space with Knox. Although she often woke up in the morning with the Captain already up and gone, she couldn’t help but be wary of her own overnight habits. Surely she wasn’t engaging in anything idiotic in her own sleep? There was no way to truly tell, but Knox would have certainly gloated about it by now if that was the case. She didn’t want a repeat of her drunken escapades anytime soon, and especially not with him. This was simply a temporary solution until she convinced Knox to sleep on the floor.

"By the way, that slip looks nice on you.”

Stiffening a bit upon hearing the compliment, Sybil said nothing in response. She had been moving to tuck the blanket up to her chin, and she paused only for a second before finishing the action. Was he purposefully trying to get under her skin? Now? The night before this oh-so-important mission? Everytime she thought she was beginning to understand humans, Knox would throw a curveball at her and send her mind reeling once more. Although she refused to turn around and notice the pink hue tickling the tip of his ears, Sybil’s own were noticeably bright red before she yanked the blanket up and over her head for the night. It seemed the compliment was heard, at least.

---

When Sybil finally awoke in the morning, no sunlight slipped into the room. Instead, a gray overcast had taken over the landscape around them, with the faint bump of an island visible in the distance. It seemed that even the air here was tainted by Eikka’s presence. No wonder sirens stayed clear of the waters. If it was any indication of how their evening was to unfold, Sybil wasn’t exactly keen on the upcoming hours.

Still, she forced herself to slip out of the warm blankets to prepare herself for the day. Knox was already gone once more, likely to secure one final meeting with his crew before they prepped themselves for docking. Leena had advised Sybil to seek her out early to get ready, a task that would certainly test Sybil’s patience once more. She had almost forgotten about the role she had agreed to play for their little meeting; Knox’s whore, as so gently suggested by Raf. Although Leena had assured Sybil she’d be the prettiest ‘whore’ on this side of the sea, it brought little to no joy to her. Still, she had a job to do. They needed that necklace, no matter what.

----

Although Sybil hadn’t planned to seek out Leena as early as suggested, it seemed Leena had predicted her decision. Hours before their mission, the young siren was quickly found out and dragged off to a washroom for her inevitable transformation. Though the outfit didn’t seem all too bad standing next to Leena in the warmth of a steamed bath, this was far different territory.

As Sybil stood next to Knox, she could barely resist ripping her hands away from where they wrapped around his bicep to hold herself in a bid for warmth. The fur coat that adorned Knox’s shoulders was hardly any help to her, and only served as a bit of irritation every time the fibers brushed against her cheek. Leena had brushed through Sybil’s hair with an perfumed almond oil, leaving it slick and pinned back with the gifted weapons from Knox. She had also opted to adorn her face with smears of pigment, though the most noticeable was the color of her lips. The hue of the pigment had been such a dark red on her pale skin, it nearly looked black in the cold night. Still, flashes of light illuminated the cherry-hue whenever they slipped by. They also illuminated the obvious frown plastered across her face, though it was primarily in reaction to the cold that was nipping at every bit of her exposed body.

“I-I really hope he has a fire going,” Sybil muttered to Knox, barely tightening her grip on his arm as she opted to peer forward rather than at him.
  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
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hm, just about what i pictured...
knox.
by the time the hour of their mission had finally arrived and the crew had finished oiling all the moving parts in their grand machine, knox hardly resembled the carefree, princely captain they'd all come to recognize over the years. dressed head to toe in the gaudiest garments leena could piece together, thankfully concealed for the most part by an obnoxious black fur coat, he cringed at his own reflection in the storefront windows as they strolled along the docks of arlind, awaiting the ferry that had been arranged for them by one of eikka's warehouse managers.

“i-i really hope he has a fire going,”
sybil groaned, her grip on his arm tightening due to the frigid seaside breeze, and he could only offer her a tight smile in return, appreciation of her flattering, intricate disguise greatly overshadowed by imminent concern for her physical health.

"don't worry,"
he muttered,
"i doubt people like him are keen on operating in discomfort."


luckily, the miniscule ferry didn't take too long to arrive, comprised of just a single ferryman and his rickety boat swaying amidst the tides. he didn't utter a word to the pair, only scanning over their appearances before nodding once and gesturing for them to join him aboard the ship. knox gingerly climbed inside first, forcing the smug smile he donned like a mask to remain in place once he stabilized himself and reached back for sybil's hand so she could join him.

the journey lasted no more than half an hour, given that their destination was visible with the naked eye even back when they'd first docked at a port further out from arlind's busiest areas to avoid prying eyes that might recognize them later on. the ferryman remained eerily silent right up until the end, tossing back swig after swig of rye whiskey before clearing his throat to grunt out further instructions upon reaching shore.

"wait by those torches,"
he ordered, jerking his chin towards the distinct, lit-up entrance to a fenced-in region of the island blocked from view by the towering trees surrounding it.
"your agent will guide you from there."


and thus did they find themselves strolling anxiously through the streets leading to eikka's treasure trove, just one sour interaction away with their similarly stony-faced agent from fighting for their lives to vacate the island and praying that hans had their escape route locked down and ready to go.

"you must be mr. carver,"
drawled a deep voice that greeted them once they'd reached the gates to a suspiciously dark warehouse, not a single candle illuminating the premises despite being heavily guarded by several armed men. knox instantly recognized the man as their person of interest, eikka ahti himself, based on the signature chain around his neck and ever-present dagger hanging from his fingers. the storybook he'd studied had vaguely described such a figure as trademarks of the brutal killer in question, and it didn't take more than a glance to connect the dots and complete the picture.
"i heard you want to see my collection to purchase a certain tool, as well as a gift for your... companion. you've traveled a long way for this sale, and we're honored to have you, of course— come inside."


a few of his men snickered at the sarcastic welcome spat out by their aloof leader, but knox paid them no mind as he gave sybil a small nod and followed eikka into the warehouse, which was surprisingly well-lit beyond the black-out curtains that obscured their contents from view from the outside. rows upon rows of unique artifacts and shimmering jewels adorned each of the shelves, each more exotic than the other, and he had to remind himself that he had a mission that took much higher priority than examining the potential historical origins of each piece.

"the whor— darling on your arm will certainly find something to her tastes here, i'm sure,"
eikka continued with a scoff as he plopped down into a cushioned armchair to light up his cigar.
"but do take your time, mr. carver. there is no rush, after all."


"certainly,"
knox echoed, brow furrowing for a split second before settling back into the lax smirk he'd practiced specifically for this role.
"go on, rosalie— let me know if anything catches your eye."

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
 
. . .
K&S.
As the two approached the rickety boat that was intended as their mode of transportation, Sybil could barely make out the ferryman in the dark. Though her arms had been snaked around Knox’s bicep for the entirety of their journey so far, she was well-aware the true act was only just beginning for them. Their main objective was to trick Eikka into thinking of Knox as nothing more than a sleaze and Sybil as a whore, but there were eyes and ears everywhere on the frigid outpost. If either of them slipped up at any point, there was no telling what Eikka might do to them.

So without a word of protest, Sybil let Knox take her hand and guide her down into the rocking boat. A giggle slipped from her lips, and she made a point to position herself directly on his knee. One arm snaked up under and behind his fur coat to keep a grip on the back of his shoulder, while the other ideally traced the exposed skin of his chest. Admittedly, the warmth radiating off the Captain made the situation a bit more bearable, but it was still humiliating all the less. She was acting as a plaything for him; Nothing more than a woman stuck under the thumb of a far more powerful man. And admittedly, that act stuck a bit close to home for Sybil. While other sirens would coo and caw for men to jump into their arms, Sybil had never been one for a blissful death. Her song was saccharine and cloying on the ears, but she always ripped it away the moment her chosen Prince dove into her realm. She had wanted to see them struggle. See life slowly leave their eyes. Watch the final gasp of bubbles leave their lips as their heads angled backwards.

She wanted to witness the moment they realized who she was. Realize the moment their own hubris was their downfall, and that she would always win.

But now…She had no song. She had no real power here. Though Knox, try as he might, to make her feel like she had some form of autonomy, he had no real grasp on what she had lost. What she still had to lose in the end.

As much as she wished to remain lost in her own thoughts to dissociate from her current situation, she couldn’t help but take notice of Knox’s hand as it roamed over her hip, swirling bits of fabric through his digits. Occasionally, she felt the rough brush of his skin against her own, though she kept her face tucked away and hidden to avoid meeting his gaze. It was all an act, but by Calypso…Sometimes he was too good at it. It reminded her of when they first met, and how much she wanted to sock him in the jaw.

At least she was in the arms of Knox, and not Eikka. Things could be worse, she supposed…




When the two finally disembarked at their destination, Sybil was mindful to not say a single word to the ferryman, lest her own voice betray her this early. She wasn’t the bit fearful of their predicament, though she imagined most women would find this sort of activity rather terrifying.

So instead of rolling her eyes, she instead opted to continue clinging to Knox with a frightened gaze plastered upon her features. The doe-eyed look a bit pathetic on her, truly. Perhaps to an outsider, it would be plausible, but she knew Raf would be smacking the table with laughter at how stupid she looked if he caught a glimpse of her. Every now and again she’d shoot her gaze up to peer at Knox, to try and see if he had any reservations about what they were about to attempt.

If he did, however, it didn’t show on his features. A lazy and confident smile was plastered across his face, his characteristic singular dimple making an appearance. Although, she noted that the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. She had seen when the Captain was truly happy, and this was not one of those occasions.

When they finally reached their warehouse destination, Sybil squinted her gaze and let out a squeak of surprise when Eikka spoke to them. Her arms tightened around Knox’s bicep, and it took every fiber of her being to not bite through her own tongue at the act. Maybe she shouldn’t have been too quick to agree to Raf’s idea…

Still, the small nod that Knox slipped her wasn’t lost on the siren. Her tongue darted out to quickly run over the dark red rouge that painted her lips, and she simply returned the nod, though with a bit more hesitance to maintain appearances.

Stepping inside alongside the Captain, Sybil could only squint as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light pouring out from the building. When the shimmer finally died down, she prevented her own jaw from working itself slack at the sight. Hundreds upon hundreds of stolen artifacts lined the walls, each as unique as the next.

And they were meant to find a singular key that might not even be shaped like a key.

Before she could ponder their predicament any longer, Knox’s deep voice brought her back to reality. Rosalie, he called her. A stupid name, but one he insisted upon as she had ‘thought of nothing better, and was clearly just arguing with him simply to argue.’ (Which had been true, but it didn’t make her any more satisfied with the choice.)

It didn’t matter much now, however. She had an act to play. Letting out an airy giggle that carried around the warehouse, Sybil moved to slink off Knox’s arm. Each movement was deliberate and slow, her body in full view of Eikka as she hummed a soft melody to herself. Both were to look for the key; Although Sybil was the only one able to identify it, an extra pair of eyes certainly wouldn’t hurt her. She also needed to make sure Eikka kept his eyes on her instead of Knox. Walking on the tip of her toes as she moved silently through the rows, she let the gaudy outfit ride up a bit here and there. Her eyes roamed over the artifacts in quick succession, but she was painfully aware of the predatory gaze Eikka had locked onto her the moment she had brushed past him. Glancing over her shoulder through heavy lashes, Sybil gave the thief a look that could only suggest one thing to him. A grin spread across his lips, a puff of smoke leaving soon after.

Although the glance was brief, her eyes darted for just a moment to the secondary chain around his neck. It was far more delicate, with a chain so light and airy it was nearly blue in hue. It didn’t match a single piece of attire worn by Eikka, and was tucked into the collar of his shirt to hide the prize at the end.

It was the same metal found in Glaesia and Glaesia alone.

He was wearing the key.




Following Sybil’s gaze which had zeroed in on Eikka’s accessories, Knox caught sight of the unique chain that caught the light differently from the other dazzling pieces adorning his neck, no doubt a material she recognized based on her serious expression. ‘Well, shit.’ If he was putting two and two together correctly, then this meant their plan to snatch the key unnoticed just became infinitely more difficult if not impossible short of just stabbing the man when he wasn’t looking.

With a deep, stabilizing breath, the pimp-disguised-captain plastered on a hundred-watt smile and spun around on his heel to take a cursory stroll through the aisles, feigning interest in a few objects here and there that seemed to exude luxury based on appearances alone. He certainly did not want to seem like he had an eye for true treasures if his interest in the key was too come off as innocuous as possible, thus he only picked up and admired the most obnoxious jewels and weapons he could find, a stupidly awed look gracing his features every time much akin to a toddler in his favorite toy shop.

After a few minutes of silent browsing save for an off-handed comment or question here and there, Knox returned to wear Eikka stood with a few eclectic objects in tow, mostly to keep suspicions low as he took his time in pretending to finally take notice of the accessories on Eikka’s neck.

"Done already? Come, now, no need to be stingy,"
Eikka crooned, sarcasm dripping from his lips as plucked a vial full of crimson liquid off of the counter behind him and waved it around in the air tauntingly.
"Authentic siren's blood, harvested fresh from the source— someone like you could find some worthwhile use for that, no?"


“Well, just these should do nicely,”
Knox drawled, performatively fishing around in his pocket for some gold coins to pay for his purchase.
“But I have to ask— I’m sure you can tell I have a certain fondness for things that shine, and that chain you’re wearing is practically glowing with blue undertones. Is it for sale, by any chance?”


A long moment of silence passed where the eerie, knowing smile remained steadfast on Eikka’s chapped lips, and Knox innately understood that their time was up before another word could even be uttered.

"Like hell it is."


Just as Eikka drew his intimidating blade to lunge at the captain, he responded in turn, brandishing a slick shortsword hidden deep within the seams of his jacket just fast enough to clash against his weapon with a resounding clang! as the other men jumped into action. There was no time to think once the action began; suddenly, Knox was surrounded by three men aiming their weapons at his neck, three experienced fighters he’d have to cut down in order to reach Sybil. Could he incapacitate them without killing them outright? Surely that would be faster for everyone than making sure none of them could retreat in time for medical help before making his way to his companion’s side…

One by one, Eikka’s men faced a foe much more skilled than themselves and faced defeat on their knees, groaning in pain on the floor while they bled from non-lethal spots on their legs, shoulders, and ribs.
“Stop him!”
one of them shouted, gurgled and strained, as he flailed outwards to try and latch onto Knox’s ankle, but he merely kicked the back of the man’s skull to knock him out, silencing any further attempts to hinder his progress as he finally arrived closer to Sybil’s position.

Each fallen soldier was soon replaced by another, however, as the tide of Eikka’s small army began to pour in one after another to overwhelm the captain. Though he managed to hold his own just fine, anxiety raced in his bloodstream at the idea of Sybil getting caught in the crossfire while under his protection. Though he was confident in his abilities to defeat any type of gangster on his own, he’d practically forced her into this mission when she hadn’t even been feeling well, and now her life was in danger because of his reckless decision-making.

“Don’t turn your back to them!”
Knox hissed through parried blows, aiming the directions over his shoulder at Sybil. She wielded an incredibly crafty sort of strength, one that bore the potential of triumph in its own right, and now was the time for such an asset to finally be channeled against a real enemy.
“Use both hands! Remember what you learned!”





The moment steel clanged against steel, Sybil knew their time was up, and that things were about to get very dangerous for the next few perilous minutes. Immediately, her body rolled to the side to dodge the sudden grasping hands of Eikka’s nearest thug. Although she couldn’t react with the same speed as her original form, she was still fast. Fast enough to not get caught like an idiot instantly.

Across the room, Knox was already spinning and slashing away at numerous henchmen. Of course they had to use multiple men to attack Knox; They were cowards who were well-aware the highly-trained Prince would decimate them in seconds. Even now, they were nothing against him. Their only advantage was their numbers, and Sybil was well-aware that they were several minutes away from Knox’s crew arriving as backup.

Still, Knox was making his way towards her, rather than Eikka, who was slowly prowling through his men as he shifted further and further away from Knox. The stupid Captain was still concerned over her safety, despite the very real fact that their mission would be for nothing if they didn’t secure that necklace.

Letting out a low hiss at the man still attempting to grab her, Sybil’s movements blended into each other. Without hesitation, her fingers plucked one of the large needles from her hair to spin and stab directly into the shoulder of the man attacking her. She was aiming a bit more for the throat, but her human body couldn’t keep up with her ideals. Still, it hit the mark. The man let out a howl of pain and stumbled backwards, leaving Sybil to back away slowly and shout back at Knox.

“Worry about yourself, idiot!”


With that, Sybil darted off. Although men swung at her in an attempt to pull her back, she was too lithe with far too little fabric to grab onto. As she swerved around the corner of a table filled with countless and heavy metals, her target became increasingly clear.

Eikka was still stalking the edges of the fight, his back to her as he hungrily eyed Knox. He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike him when he was overwhelmed, the nasty coward. Wouldn’t even face the Captain at his prime.

Without much thought, Sybil curled her fingers around the closet metal object on the table. Which so happened to be a very ornate pot with several large crystals encrusting it. Absolutely useless for cooking, but perfect for bragging. The moment she had a good grip on the item, she took off once more, swinging it upwards with momentum as she did.

Crack!

A scream of pain sounded a moment later, and Eikka stumbled forward as blood began to pool from the back of his head where Sybil had struck him with the pot. His sword clattered to the floor, but Sybil didn’t give him enough time to react before she let out a vile screech and lept on his back, her nails instantly digging into the front of his face. Her feet wrapped around his gut, with one attempting to kick him over and over again as she crawled furiously at his face from behind. Eikka continued to yowl out insults and slurred words, those his men made no move to slash at her in fear of striking him down too.

For a brief moment, she was pure salt again. Slashing and clawing and biting her way through a fight, a vicious warcry on her lips every single time he reached back to slam a fist into her. As Eikka stumbled backwards with her, it was quickly evident he was about to lose his balance. The two came crashing down, the wind nearly knocking from her lungs as Eikka scrambled forward screeching in pain. Blood was streaming down his face from various scratches, though the most noticeable wound came from one eye squeezed shut. It seems that Sybil had made her mark on him in some capacity.

Still, she didn’t have the necklace. Letting out another feral screech, Sybil launched herself forward at Eikka again. Though this time, he was far more prepared. He twisted his body to the side, slamming an elbow into the side of her skull. Lights instantly flashed around her eyes, but she couldn’t stop now. Her foot kicked out and nailed him in the gut, a groan sounding before he let out a low growl.

“You stupid, fucking BITCH!”
He snarled out, and in an instant Sybil felt his fingers curl around her throat and squeeze. Blood from him dripped down on her face, and Sybil swung her arms widely in an attempt to smack him off. It was pointless, however, given the sheer size of Eikka over Sybil, and her quickly fading energy as the air was pulled from her lungs.

Another shuddering gasp sounded as she stared at Eikka with a venomous gaze, her hands reaching upward and towards her own head as her fingers curled around her last chance. A low laugh began to slip from his lips as he tightened his grip, but it didn’t last long before a scream of pure agony ripped from his lips and he released his grip on Sybil.

Rolling away with a stuttering cough as she sucked in air, Sybil could barely look at Eikka as he gripped his face, his screams still sounding. Blood was rapidly pouring from his previously scratched eye, now featuring a newly stabbed hairpin in it. As Sybil finished hacking up her own lungs, her eyes darted down to her closed fist, the tiniest hint of a blue hue having slipped between her knuckles after she snatched the necklace off him when he pulled away from her. She had gotten it.

Where was Knox?




Across the way, the tighter range of motion offered by Knox’s shortsword meant that the captain had to exert himself in different ways than usual, relying less on strong, powerful slashes and more on dexterity to out-pace his burly opponents. One by one, he cut them each down to huddled heaps writhing on the floor in pain, not mortally wounded but certainly incapacitated for the foreseeable future.

How many had it been already? Twelve? Thirteen? He gave up on counting as he wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep, steadying breath, grimacing at the sight of another flank zeroing in on his location from the rear entrance of the warehouse. Damn, they seriously didn’t know when to quit..

A split-second glance over his shoulder revealed that Sybil had made her own significant progress on scaring the shit out of Eikka in the process of acquiring their real target, so he returned his focus to clearing the rest of their assailants as they rushed up to him fangs bared and swords unsheathed. Unlucky for them, they couldn’t have known how terribly they’d be outmatched against the formidable prince— the heirs to the Salonian crown were expected to weather far more taxing trials than this lackluster brawl, but Knox especially harbored an innate talent for weaving in martial arts techniques alongside and between whip-like slashes of his blade.

Eikka’s sudden pained screech elicited a jolt of surprise from the captain, but only once the last of the present horde hit the ground with a resounding thud was he able to make a break for where Sybil now sat crumpled atop the fabric of her dress, hacking up a lung after being choked mercilessly in the scuffle. Fiery rage coursed through Knox’s veins as he connected the dots of what had happened to her in his head— until his gaze drifted over to assess what Eikka’s condition looked like in comparison, that is.

Still, he crouched down and cupped Sybil’s face in his palm to scan her form in a quick once-over to make sure she hadn’t been seriously injured, never once neglecting his peripheral as his heightened senses worked overtime to pick up on any pairs of boots potentially approaching him from behind. His pupils dilated when he noticed the signature gleam of blue in her hand, however, a toothy smile breaking through the stern expression previously holding his features hostage.

“Good work,”
he breathed, praise genuine and effortless as he released his grip on the side of her face to ruffle her hair affectionately, palm landing on her shoulder in a stabilizing gesture.
“Scary girl.”





As Sybil continued to hack and cough her own lungs up like no air would ever enter her body again, she was well aware of the burning cold metal gripped away in her palms. The Glaesian steel was unlike any she had felt before…It wasn’t cold, it was freezing. As if it was made from ice itself, and if she unclenched her fist at any moment, it would be melted away and gone.

But she could feel the sharp edges digging into her skin, painfully reminding her that it was very real, and very much hers now. The key to the Second Eye was in her hands, and no one in this fucking building knew she was a siren.

There was no time to dwell on that thought, however. Thunderous footsteps were approaching her, and she immediately moved to bare her non-existent fangs before she realized it was Knox. Before she could even soften her expression to something less violent, Knox’s rough hand was cupping against her cheek and tilting her head a bit to give her a once-over. A groan immediately sounded as she rolled her eyes, though she didn’t move to push him away for once. Compared to Eikka choking her out just moments ago, the familiar and caring touch of Knox was…nice.

“Don’t-”
She said roughly, surprised at how gruff her own voice sounded as she stood up, a glare on her eyes once more when he ruffled her hair. Another series of coughs sounded, and she leaned a bit on his side to support her own weight. In the distance, she could hear the screams and shouts of his crew arriving. Although Knox didn’t leave any dead bodies in his wake, she wouldn’t be surprised if his crew did otherwise.

“Don’t look so happy,”
she grumbled out, slowly raising her hand up to her face to slowly peel her fingers back. In her palm, sat the key to the highest point in the world. It was a tiny thing, simplistic in nature. A singular, rough-cut crystal that was paler than anything she had ever seen in her life. And she had seen herself quite a bit recently. Her fingers trailed through the chain so she could hold it up and above her face, seeing if any light would catch through the unearthly object.

Yet as her gaze focused on the crystal, something behind it began to stir and move. A quick glint flashed, and it wasn’t from the key dangling right in front of her eyes. Without making so much of a single sound, Sybil suddenly checked Knox’s body to the side a singular second before a resounding bang sounded.

Immediately, a gurgle of pain sounded from the woman. There was a blinding hot flash of light across her eyes, but it was gone in the instant. Instead, a violent ringing began to sound in her ears. She couldn’t tell if it was from the gun Eikka had just fired into her side, or from the blood that was beginning to rapidly seep from her skin to coat her freckles.

Sybil’s free hand came up to grip at whatever was near her, curling around the fabric of Knox’s sleeve as her eyes widened. Already, her vision was starting to swim, and she couldn’t quite make out whatever expression was on Knox’s face. She couldn’t even tell if it was Knox.

So this is what it was like to get shot…It didn’t hurt all that much. It just felt like fading.




Time froze in an instant as the bewildered captain’s brain lagged behind reality, trying to piece together the sequence of events that had occurred within a blink of an eye. One moment he’d been cupping her face in his palm, the next she was bent over with a vice grip on his sleeve, blood pouring out of her waist.

Knox’s eyes widened into saucers at the sight of crimson droplets coating the folds of her luxurious dress, horror flooding his gaze as his body moved on its own to drop his sword and catch her weight in his embrace. She was so, so light, too light, yet somehow a million tons in her deadweight, nothing at all like the volatile spitfire he knew and expected anytime he usually dared to approach this close.

“No… no, no— fuck!”
he hissed, incredulous, brows pinching in distress for a moment before he could take a moment to re-center himself and construct a new game plan. Panicking would help no one right now, especially not Sybil who seemed to have already lost consciousness within his arms. Not bad— at least she wouldn’t have to witness this next part up close.

Eikka’s cackling laughter sounded from several feet away where he sat in his own pathetic, bloody mess, mangled skull looking fairly gnarly as it was but clearly not enough to silence the man for good, and whatever shred of decency that had prevented Knox from taking the lives of every man in that room snapped in two as he whipped around in an instant. Completely oblivious to his own people entering the room and stopping in their tracks once they saw the murderous intent written on their leader’s twisted expression, he stalked over to Eikka’s crumpled form, raised his boot above his hideous mug, and stomped down with his full weight, a satisfying crunch eliciting a spectrum of horrified winces and nauseated groans from his remaining captive audience.

Silence flooded the warehouse for a long moment as the fighting came to a standstill upon the unmistakable death of the notorious pirate lord. He hated it, truly, taking a life so brutally with his own hands, resorting to the kind of violence that he had sworn not to wield carelessly; right now, however, he was incapable of harboring such revulsion, vision zeroing back in on Sybil like a drawn magnet as he returned to her side without a word to the onlookers.

The cinched corset of her dress was too tight on all the wrong points, pushing blood out faster than it should, and he hardly hesitated at all before tearing it open with his trembling hands just wide enough to get a proper look at the wound and assuage the pressure. The wide span of his fur coat blocked Sybil’s bare skin from view, but Rafael took the cue to direct the backup crew in clearing out the remaining assailants and leave the two of them behind with the medics for privacy’s sake.

’Not lethal… thank the heavens...’ Knox released the tense breath he’d been holding once he realized that the bullet had luckily missed Sybil’s vital organs, lodging inside her muscle mass but not deep enough to be a serious problem down the line. It would certainly hurt like a motherfucker once she awoke from her slumber, but for now he could let his team handle the worst of it with full faith in their abilities. With that small reassurance, he nodded once to signal his team to come over and refocused his efforts on pocketing the artifact and slowing the bleeding, clutching Sybil’s limp body within his lap like she might dissolve entirely if he didn’t hold her together himself. He also took care to swipe the vial of siren's blood off Eikka's person— though it was unlikely to be the real thing, he certainly couldn't ignore such a valuable lead in facing off with the siren queen at this point.

Such consternation remained churning in Knox’s gut through the entire journey back onto the Indira, never once stepping away long enough to lose his line of sight over the next two nights lest she leave him as a final act of protest when he wasn’t paying attention. She certainly was the type to spite him in such a cruel way, but it was becoming exceedingly clear to the prince that he didn’t understand her quite as well as he thought he did now that the final remnants of adrenaline had begun to wear off and he could finally process her split second decision.

Why the hell had she taken that bullet for him?

No matter how many different ways he turned it over in his head, that shot should have struck him square in the back, should have taken his life as Eikka’s final act of vengeance in the face of his own end. Yet Sybil saw it, recognized the trajectory of its fate, and then made a choice that Knox simply couldn’t make sense of.

She resented his entire being— she’d made sure he was aware of that in no unclear terms right up until the last moment, without fail. How was he meant to interpret such uncharacteristic sacrifice, then? As he slouched beside her mattress clutching her frigid fingers between his dry palms, guilt-ridden and riddled with disbelief, Knox wondered whether the regret she’d feel in her first moments of consciousness would outweigh his own.

He’d been made into a fool from the moment he stepped foot on that blasted island, and Sybil was forced to pay the price.

“Please,”
he prayed under his breath, brow furrowed in desperation as he assuaged the dull throbbing in his forehead by pressing it against the cool sheets, the consequences of another sleepless night at sea finally catching up to him to lull him under the waves,
“please talk to me…”

  • fading...


coded by reveriee.
 
Last edited:
everything hurts.
sybil.
The last thing Sybil recalled seeing before her vision faded away was the panicked expression on Knox’s features, the fear that overtook the normally collected Captain. She didn’t remember her body hitting the floor, only the sensation of falling. Falling through nothing and everything at the same time. There was no one around her, and nothing for her fingers to grasp as the world turned around her. She wasn’t sure how long she fell for; Hours felt like seconds, and minutes felt like forever.

Yet it wasn’t forever. All at once, the world closed around her with a splash as water rushed up and around her. It enveloped her like a hug, tugging her downwards below the surface slowly as bubbles slipped away from her lips. For a moment, she thought she could spot a figure just above the waterline, staring down at her. But a second later, and they were gone, and Sybil was once again sinking downwards.

This wasn’t the ocean of her home; She knew that much. The water was too warm, too inviting. It was too bright and colorful, and yet barren of anyone or anything. As she continued to sink lower and lower through the whispering lull of the sea, an urge to kick gently called out to. The sensation of two legs was already absent, replaced with the powerful tail she had lived with her entire life once more. As she began to push through the waves, a tugging on her hand drew her eyes downward for a second. She was holding nothing, yet the tugging continued. It was barely noticeable, and Sybil continued to push and swim through the waves. Her hair flowed around her, free from whatever had been holding it back before. What had been holding her back before? There was no one here to tell her what to do and who to be, and yet…

As soon as the thought flitted through her mind, it swam away in an instant. There was nothing to ponder here; All she needed to do was keep swimming forward. In the distance, she could vaguely make out a collection of coral. Vast and colorful, it spread back and onward for what seemed like forever. It seemed like the place she was supposed to be, since everything else was so empty here.

Yet every single pump of her tail brought the tugging sensation back on her hand. It grew more noticeable the closer she swam to the coral, until it began to yank her arm backwards with a gasp. Bubbles flitted from her mouth, and suddenly the water was pouring in. A choking gasp sounded as she reached up to claw at her own throat with her one free hand, the other still tugging her backwards and away from the corals. As she desperately kicked her tail in an attempt to take some control back over the situation, she found the powerful tool gone. Her legs were back, flailing and kicking with no real direction. Darkness began to seep over her vision once more as the water fully seeped into her, the last few bubbles of air sneaking past her lips. Her hand was being tugged upward once more, and she could barely make out the surface of the water as she rapidly approached it.

The silhouette from before was back, though this time it didn’t just hover over the water and stare down at her. A hand plunged into the suddenly icy water and gripped her own, a familiar set of tattoos dancing over Sybil’s vision before she faded away once more.

--

When Sybil awoke on the Indira, she immediately wished she hadn’t. The only indication of her consciousness came from a slight inhale, her eyes remaining shut as the pain of the bullet wound washed over her body. When Eikka had shot her originally, it had been a white hot flash of pain that immediately faded into an odd throb. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, however, every inhale sent a new wave of sharp and stabbing pain throughout her body. A dull ache was pounding in her back as it begged her to sit up or roll over, but it didn’t trump how fucking bad her side felt.

The other sensation she was aware of was the fact something was holding her hand. Not something, someone. Slowly, her fingers began to curl around Knox’s own fist to indicate to him she wasn’t dead just yet. A slow and drawn out breath of air sounded, and her eyes peeled open.

She was staring at the ceiling, of course, though she was able to shift her gaze a bit to look out the porthole window above her. The moon was high in the sky, leading to some light to pour in. How fast had they been able to get back onto the boat if it was still nighttime? She could have sworn the moon was lower in the sky when they entered the warehouse.

Turning her eyes away from the window, she found herself staring at Knox. He had changed into a different outfit, though she was still stuck wearing the same ugly piece from Eikka's; Although, it was far more destroyed than when she had originally put it on. Knox's cheek was pressed against the mattress she was positioned on, his face rather close to her own. A healthy scruff was starting to overtake his features, a sight that made her let out a weak chortle that immediately resulted in her cringing in pain.

Worst of all, he was holding her hand like she was already gone and dead. But…she didn’t exactly move to make him let go. Instead, she simply curled her fingers tighter around his own.

“You look terrible.”
  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
[/border[/b[/borde[
 
oh, thank god...
knox.
buried in the shallow throes of fitful rest, knox's brow furrowed at the sensation of fingers curling against his own, eyes belatedly fluttering open at her weak chortle to face the single lit lantern that dimly illuminated his quarters on the ledge behind his occupied beside. had he finally begun hallucinating her consciousness responding to his pleas now that he'd spent the last few days devoid of her scathing commentary and nighttime clinginess?

"you look terrible."


at the sound of a hoarse voice, however, his head shot up from where it lay slouched on the mattress to catch a glimpse of sybil's pinched, freshly roused expression. pain was clearly etched into every one of her features, no doubt feeling the aching after effects of her bullet wound, but of course she still found the energy to muster up an unsolicited quip as her first order of business. just classic.

"oh,"
he gasped, a short, breathy laugh escaping his lips as he ran his free hand through his tousled hair,
"yeah, i probably do— not that you're looking too hot yourself."


despite his gentle retort, knox's anxious gaze flittered over every inch of sybil's face as though trying to piece together a monochromatic puzzle. a million questions that he wanted to ask her pushed to the forefront of his mind, but before that he needed to make sure that nothing else was seriously wrong, that they hadn't missed anything while carefully treating her injuries over the past few days. the bullet had missed all vital organs against all odds, lodging rather shallowly in her side and healing as planned so far.

just as knox parted his lips to express as much to update their patient on her progress, however, sybil suddenly shifted with the apparent intention of sitting up far too quickly for her still-mending wound to handle.

"don't—"
he jolted forward to shove her shoulders back down against the mattress, eyes wide and panicked as he hovered over her a few moments longer for good measure in case she tried again.
"don't move, for fuck's sake. it had finally stopped bleeding..."


once he was positive she wouldn't take off when he wasn't looking, he settled back down onto the edge of the mattress and rubbed his palms over his face, a belated attempt to rub the dark circles from his exhausted eyes. more than trying to explain the doctor's diagnosis to her first, he had better begin with everything she missed after she fainted back at the hideout.

"eikka's dead— all of his men that stayed inside the warehouse, too,"
he began, reaching out to check on her wound and letting out a soft tsk at the dark red stain that had begun to taint its bandages.
"i left them alone after i secured the artifact and got you to safety, but the whole place went up in flames right after we set sail. i guess getting rid of whatever shit they had to hide was more important than saving their own people. we're on our way to salona now."

  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
 
everything [still] hurts.
sybil.
The moment Sybil’s own gruff voice left her lips, Knox’s head shot up like he had been shot. Her tongue ran across her lips, taking in the rough skin that had formed over - As the thought of time passed over her mind, her eyes darted away from Knox to look outside once again. It was still dark out, but the moon was so high in the sky. Far too high…

Looking back over at Knox, she immediately moved to roll her eyes at the worry that etched his tired features. It wasn’t the pity she had grown accustomed to catching now and again, however. It was a concern she had only seen reserved for his crewmates so far; People he actually cared about. Knitting her brows together a bit, Sybil opted to ignore his roaming gaze and instead focus on looking down at his hand still clasped over her own. Without saying a word, she twisted their conjoined appendages to stare at the tattoos that snaked over his forearm before vanishing under his blouse. It was the same set of tattoos adorning the hand in her dream; The one that had pulled her up when she had been drowning.

Before she let herself ruminate on that thought, a huff of air sounded and Sybil moved to sit up. How often was her own brain going to force her to dream about the Captain in front of her? Besides, she needed to get out of this stupid -

A gasp sounded as Knox released her hand to firmly plant both of his against her shoulders, instantly pushing back down against the plush blankets. Although Knox had been stronger than her before in this form, this was something else. The moment he pushed, her body collapsed backwards. As if the effort of sitting up alone was enough to send her spiraling back into her evidently long sleep.

"Don't move, for fuck's sake. It had finally stopped bleeding..."

As Knox hissed out his annoyed request, Sybil could only stare back up at him with wide eyes. He really did look like shit, even if his level of looking shit was still rather princely. A healthy layer of scruff had overtaken his jawline and threatened to creep onto his cheeks, something she had never seen Knox allow in their time together. He was normally so put together, even while playing pirate on the sea.

Sybil didn’t say anything, and instead meekly raised her hands in a vague shrug to indicate she wouldn’t be getting back up. Another wave of pain was already starting to radiate from her wound, coming out in steady pulses that made her grit her teeth a bit. Knox moved to sit down next to her once again, his eyes roaming over to the bandage on her side that was starting to bloom with red again. Another reason for him to fuss over her, apparently…Though at this point, she admittedly wouldn’t mind. Even as a siren, she had avoided the flashes of light and bullets that soared into the water when the men opted to fight back. Sirens weren’t exactly bulletproof; one well-aimed shot might have turned her into seafoam in an instant. She had simply been faster than the bullets.

Even now, she could have avoided the shot. It hadn’t been intended for her. She had shoved Knox out of the way, and taken the bullet for him.

“Eikka’s dead.”

Before Sybil could linger on the implications of her own actions, her eyes shot back over to Knox as he scrubbed his hands over his tired face. Eikka hadn’t survived their interaction; Nor most of his men, it appeared. When he mentioned obtaining the artifact, a relieved sigh left her lips. She had been looking at it the moment Eikka pulled his gun, but she couldn’t remember what happened after that. The last thing she had seen was…Knox. Staring down at her in fear at what might happen to her. And now here he was again, fussing over her bandages as the blood began to taint the cream hue.

“We’re on our way to Salona now.”

“What?” Sybil blurted out before coughing, tilting her head to the side in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain. Why were they going to Salona of all places? It was the opposite direction of where they needed to land in Glaesia. Of where the Second Eye was.

Her ticket back to becoming a siren once more.

Once her coughing subsided, Sybil winced and delicately raised a hand to her own side as she tried to soothe the aching pain. “Why are we going to your Kingdom?” She said, turning her steely gaze back onto Knox. “We have the key. If we head to Glaesia, it’s only a few days travel until we reach land from Arlind. Salona could set us back weeks,” she hissed out, unable to hide the plea that wove into her words. She didn’t know if she had even a week left in her time as a human, much less weeks. Any moment, her mother could appear and determine she was taking too long. Too long to kill Knox and dive back into the sea with his heart in tow.

As she stared at Knox, her eyes began to trace the stubble over his jaw once more. He never had this much in the morning when he awoke. A few hours wasn’t enough to send him spiraling like this.

Looking around bewildered, Sybil attempted to sit up once more while her voice had a twinge of a frantic tone that she desperately tried to hide. “How…How long have I been asleep, Knox? How long?”
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she'll understand later...
knox.
“why are we going to your kingdom? we have the key. if we head to glaesia, it’s only a few days travel until we reach land from arlind. salona could set us back weeks.”


the captain swiftly swatted sybil's hand away from her bandages lest she irritate the wound any further, instead peeling back the gauze himself to tidy up the bloodied area instead of waking up the medic several hours before the light of dawn could peek over the horizon and rouse them naturally. her suggestion for their next course of action elicited a sharp scoff, however, incredulity lighting up his weary eyes.

"there's absolutely no way— this'll sting, sorry,"
he interjected before disinfecting the bullet hole with alcohol not even a second later,
"—that you'll heal enough within a few days to backpack across a snowy tundra infested with all sorts of creatures, not in this condition. you'll be a liability, and i can guarantee that will feel far worse than the agony of waiting just a little bit longer until you're back in top form."


dressing the wound again didn't take too much effort, thankfully, and knox carefully bandaged it and readjusted the torn bits of her dress to cover it back up before indulging her follow-up question with a quirked eyebrow and intrigued stare. it was her first time getting shot— all things considered, he hadn't expected her to be so... calm about the situation.

“how… how long have I been asleep, knox? how long?”


"it's been two days,"
he answered faithfully, reaching over to grab a glass of cold water from his side table and pass it to his patient.
"doc says you probably passed out from shock, and your body took the opportunity to catch up on all the sleep you missed while training. doesn't hurt to get a proper check-up, though— i already sent word to a professional i know in vimara who knows how to handle cases like this with discretion. we'll dock there first since it's not too distant from glaesia and do our best to make sure that the old heads in crana don't hear word of my return. that'll be a whole separate headache to deal with."


with sybil finally up to speed on the situation's broader details, knox fell silent for a long moment as he pondered how to pose the question he'd been mulling over all this while. would she find him overly self-important for thinking of such things, considering such possibilities? perhaps even she did not hold the answers to his encroaching curiosities...

'well, fuck it.'

"why did you take that bullet for me?"
he asked without any sort of warm-up, warm irises brimming with some untold emotion, guilt and skepticism and gratitude swirling together into murky whirlpools.
"you could have died. why risk that sort of danger..."


...for my sake? the unspoken addendum hovered before his lips, unable to take proper form before he gulped them back down in case he somehow came off contentious. somewhere along the way, his palms had returned to gripping sybil's between them like she might slip away under the tide if he didn't tether her in place, and they subtly tightened the longer he ruminated on all the different outcomes this turn of events could have taken had that shot landed even just half an inch to the left and struck a vital organ.
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he would never forgive me if he knew.
sybil.
When Knox moved to undress her wounds, Sybil couldn’t help but drag her eye down to previously unscarred skin. She had finally become used to seeing her human body; The lack of scales had originally been horrifying, but the soft and subtle skin had slowly grown on her. It was still nothing like the rough and firm skin of Knox’s body, but perhaps she was on the same path as him now. As Knox quickly moved to unwrap the wound, she barely winced at the sight of her own flesh. Surface wounds never bothered her in the past, but there was something so…raw, about this wound. So real.

As Knox began to speak to her, she barely had time to register his warning before lightning pain flashed across her features and a scream of pain sounded. Although she had been able to hold back any cries before, the sudden burn of alcohol against the fresh wound was too much for even Sybil. Tears instantly welled in her eyes, and she slammed a fist into the mattress to avoid sending it across Knox’s scruffy jaw.

However, the pain was subsiding as quick as it had started. Throwing her head back against the pillow, Sybil could only swallow back an array of insults as Knox finished rewrapping the wound and clipping the bandages snuggly against her skin. Still, the momentary flash of pain wasn’t enough to distract Sybil from the look that had overtaken Knox’s features. Although he had yet to propose the question to her, she knew exactly what he was itching to ask her. She had seen it etch over his features the moment the bullet struck her skin.

Why had she done that for him?

A brief glance at Knox all but confirmed her suspicions. She couldn’t take the look in his eyes, and instead focused her gaze back out the porthole above her. The ship had been surprisingly gentle thus far, and not a single cloud slipped across the sky as they steadily cut through the waves. The question had finally slipped from his lips, though she barely registered the words being said. Why had she done it? His death could have been her ticket out of this life, thrust so suddenly upon her. She could return beneath the waves, and feel the power course through her rigid veins once more. She could forget any of this ever happened, and returned to living under her mothers rule.

But as she felt Knox’s hands slowly encapsulate her own once more, his rough thumbs running over the cold skin, she winced at the thought of diving beneath the waves. Every part of her being ached to be whole again; To be a siren again. The ocean was like a constant call to her, its own siren song whispering in her ears constantly. But the man she was supposed to kill, who she was supposed to hate, had become her anchor to the human world.

And she hated it. She hated him. She hated him, and his stupid face. His stupid need to care. His stupid insistence on protecting her, and treating her…right. She hated that she had become used to the shape of his body next to her own, and how she perked up a bit when he strutted into a room. Hated that even now, she didn’t pull her hand away from his own.

Those words weren’t able to leave her lips, however. Her gaze barely flickered over to his own, before she dropped it down to stare at her own wound. Her voice was still sore, but a certain softness had slipped in. It was the only indication of how she felt, given her refusal to look him in the eye.

“They would miss a Prince and a Captain much more than a woman you fished up from the sea. Eikka wanted you dead, and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of killing you,” she said, swallowing thickly as she looked down at his hands overlapping her own. It was barely the truth, and it was obvious. Whatever she wanted to say, it wasn’t slipping past her lips.

She couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d hate her. He’d hate her and what she has done, and then he’d kill her for being a siren. For being the siren that has tried to kill him before, and likely killed people he knew. He couldn’t know. Not now.

Instead of lingering on the thought anymore, she proposed a soft question as she returned her gaze over to the window. “Can you help me undress from this awful outfit and bathe? I rather not imagine how I smell, being unconscious for two days and whatnot.”
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i'm not looking. no one's looking.
knox.
“they would miss a prince and a captain much more than a woman you fished up from the sea. eikka wanted you dead, and i didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of killing you.”


'that's not why.' the captain understood in an instant that sybil was piecing together her bluff as she spoke, the gears in her head turning in real time as she tried to sound convincing through her nonsense. why would someone like her care about people she'd never once met— or even perceived, really— and his importance to them? his crew was one matter, surely, but they understood the line of business they were in and the risks that came along with it; the people who viewed him as a prince, however, would only mourn his role as the sole son of the king, not his actual identity as an individual.

her second point was certainly more convincing, knox had to admit. she was a spiteful woman as it was, and after tousling with the bastard hands-on, he couldn't blame her for wanting to rob him of every opportunity for gratification that she possibly could. but even that was hardly enough to risk life and limb over, especially when she seemed so urgent to complete their mission as soon as possible just a few moments ago.

nothing about it made any sense, but he couldn't press it further, not when she was looking around his quarters like she'd rather swallow salt water than continue this conversation. if she was being reluctant with the truth because she hadn't yet found the answer for herself, then he certainly wouldn't be able to coax it out of her by pressuring her in the throes of injury.

“can you help me undress from this awful outfit and bathe? i rather not imagine how i smell, being unconscious for two days and whatnot.”


knox stared at her for a moment longer, trying to piece together something, anything else to try and decipher the puzzling woman before him, but ultimately sighed softly and nodded in acquiescence with a gentle squeeze of her bony hand clenched between his palms.
"alright,"
he agreed quietly, mustering an accommodating smile despite his haggard state,
"come on."


after leaving to partially fill the bath with some warm water, the captain tried his absolute hardest to take the process of transporting sybil to the bathroom as slowly and carefully as possible, carrying her in his arms to avoid jostling her wound any further during their short trip to his private bath, but it wasn't easy given the cramped quarters of the ship's underbelly, his face contorting every time her discomfort made itself known on her expression as though he somehow felt her pain as well just by witnessing it.

within not too long, however, knox placed sybil on the edge of the tub, a quiet murmur of
"pardon me"
from where he stood behind her the only warning he gave before unzipping her tattered dress and slowly peeling it off of her irritated skin. he tried not to stare too much, averting his gaze whenever he felt was necessary out of respect for her newfound vulnerability, but it occasionally strayed back to the slope of her neck leading to her shoulder, her thin frame seeming more tiny than ever in this moment as he gathered her into his arms again to lower her into the tub filled with just enough water to come up to her heels so as not to contaminate her newly reopened wound and spread her blood throughout the bath.

"is it warm enough?"
knox asked gingerly as he began lathering up a plush sponge with his own scented soap to begin scrubbing sybil's skin, the tips of his ears bright red as he looked anywhere but at her exposed body.
"you have to tell me if anything gets too painful to bear— i won't know otherwise."


with that, he launched into sybil's bath routine, carefully attending to every part of her skin as diligently as he could without staring too hard at what he was doing, trust in his own handiwork carrying his motions while he lightly massaged her sore muscles as he went. her shoulders and back received the most attention, the tight knots there undeniably pronounced as he worked them beneath his fingers to the best of his ability, the soapy bathwater making it easier for his palms to glide over the smooth planes of her skin despite the callouses coating his own.
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his hands feel nice at least..
sybil.
Sybil couldn’t stomach looking Knox in the eyes at the moment, to see the expression that so painfully indicated he didn’t believe her. They both knew the words leaving her lips were total bullshit, but he didn’t press her any further. Part of her secretly wished he did. That he forced the words past her lips, and made her admit the truth of everything she had done.

That she had not only deceived him, but the entire crew. That she had planned to kill him from the start to earn her tail and song back, and that she had already attempted to kill him before in this life.

That she hated her old life. Hated how not a single being under the sea loved her, and that she was truly alone and feared by all except her mother. That the first person to ever truly show her kindness was him, and he didn’t even know what she was capable of, or how badly she truly was. How terrible, awful, horrible -

But he didn’t force her. Didn’t say a word in protest, only opting to gently squeeze her hand in his own and nod along to her topic-changing request. Her eyes trailed his figure as he vanished from view, the sound of running water soon filling the space between them. She didn’t protest when his arms slipped under and around her, a grimace only overtaking her expression at the unavoidable pain the movement brought. Admittedly, she had falsely assumed that a bullet wound wouldn’t be much to heal from; Who knew humans healed so slowly? It wasn’t like she bothered to ever interact with one for more than a few minutes at a time, and those interactions solely resulted in the death of said human.

Thankfully, the journey to the bathroom wasn’t long. Once Knox set her down on the edge of the tub, her fingers curled around the lip of the furniture to prevent herself from slipping. However, it admittedly felt like a fruitless effort. There was no strength left in her body, and nothing would stop her from falling if she did truly slip. She couldn’t linger much on the thought of that, however, as soon Knox was returning his hands against her body. This time, it was to slip off the tattered and bloodied dress she had been occupying for the last few days. A sigh and shiver escaped her lips at the same time at the sudden cool air against her bare skin, the feeling admittedly welcomed. The dress has grown stiff against her skin, with parts torn away to presumably treat her wound.

Sybil didn’t look at Knox when he wrapped his arms back around her to lower her into the tub, only raising up a hand to grip the edge once more as a steadying anchor. Another sigh left her lips, her head tilting to the side in an attempt to rest it against her own shoulder. The moment the conversation had shifted away from her recovery, exhaustion had hit Sybil. Once again, Knox was right in his declaration.

Would it kill him to be wrong once in a while?

As Sybil pouted to herself over the matter, she became acutely aware of Knox’s hands roaming over her back. Although she would have taken advantage of such an opportunity in the past to fluster and disarm Knox, she could barely raise her head up now to look at him. So instead, she began to half-heartedly untangle her own hair with one hand, the other still gripping onto the side of the tub.

"you have to tell me if anything gets too painful to bear— i won't know otherwise."

“It’s fine,” she mustered out, a tired sigh leaving her lips followed by a wincing cringe. Was every single movement going forward destined to bring her pain? It was such a persistent and unrelenting sort of pain, too. One that was determined to remind her of her humanity. On the other hand, she could feel Knox’s hand working against the knots in her back and shoulders she wasn’t even aware she had.

A low groan of acceptance sounded as Sybil sunk a bit further down into the tub, followed by a hiss of pain at her own movements. Her hand slipped away from the edge of the tub, satisfied that she could at least position herself to not drown at this point. Her legs barely inched forward in the tub, unable to fully stretch out in her condition.

“In Salona…” She began, though her voice quickly trailed off as she attempted to untangle a rather large knot in her hair. “Who will be in Salona, when we arrive?” She finally settled on, unsure how to further engage the conversation. She had never stepped foot in Knox’s kingdom, much less directly into the royal courts of humanity. Seeing Knox actually play Prince was a tempting prospect, but it came with the territory of actually having to deal with other royals.
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curiosity is a wonderful thing!
knox.
“in salona… who will be in salona, when we arrive?”


thankful for a distraction from the sinful view before him, knox pondered the question with a contemplative hum, only partly preoccupied with rinsing the soapy suds from sybil's body as he mulled over the best way to explain his homeland's complex peerage system to someone who knew next to nothing about such societal constructs.

"aside from the royal family— his highness king germaine, my older sister amelia, and a few others,"
he began slowly, brow furrowing lightly before smoothing out again moments later,
"there are a few different political factions: alfredson, hart, guinevere, nadine, jameson, and frederick— the six most prominent noble families, all of whom comprise the king's council. none of them hold the title of 'wealthiest,' though; that would be terrence... my mother's family."
a fond smile graced his lips upon mention of his favorite relatives.
"they're the only commoner house to have a seat on the council thanks to their oil mining operations and general sway with the public."


though he was well aware that sybil more than likely had stopped paying attention a while ago, knox didn't see the harm in lightly familiarizing her with these names while he had the chance, even if they all went in one ear and out the other the very next moment. she'd have to know them all in due time, anyways, so being introduced to them now rather than all at once would probably help her psyche to recall them more easily down the line.

"on the council, there's also a prick named leon, or 'the prophet' as he likes to call himself, who leads the zihetist temple."
the captain's expression darkened considerably at the mention of the temple, his gaze clouding over as he began to delicately massage a dollop of shampoo into sybil's scalp.
"the temple spearheads a lot of different fringe projects. some of them have been really beneficial to a lot of people, but they're also the biggest lobbyists for the king's colonial streak... including the war against the sirens."


a heavy silence overtook him for a long moment before he continued, a barrage of memories from his younger years resurfacing all at once as he recalled returning home from the war with ascye only to be deployed again a mere few months later, his sentence for relinquishing his crown title and forcing his sister's right to the throne to be acknowledged.

"it was a whole political clown show back then, around when they first began pushing for an increase in the naval budget. they're the reason we're out here under a pseudonym— so his highness doesn't have to send his actual troops out to get slaughtered at sea."


knox scoffed as he recollected the incredulous look contorting amelia's face when their father had initially ordered him to hunt down the queen of the sirens, a gargantuan task that even the most skilled of their knights would've likely found little success in, much less a bookworm prince. leon had smirked like a ravenous hyena over the king's shoulder, no doubt the catalyst for such an absurd assignment, and no one at the time had dared to contest him due to his close bond with the his highness.

"as for the rest of salona's people... where do i even start?"
the pinched expression on the captain's features mellowed out as he switched topics to the faction of society he'd spent more of his youth with, hardworking commoners from all walks of life who understood the value in the everyday.
"the merchant's alliance, the knights, the academy, the mercenary guild, immigrants from burke and ascye, 'swarm'— i fear you'll start pruning if i go into detail about each one of them right now. salona's a massive country, after all."


satisfied with his work, he finished off her bath by dousing her hair few times in succession to rinse out the foamy shampoo, finally ready to be tended to now that it wasn't crusted in place from several days of sickly inattention. before that, however, he took time to double check the precarious bandages on her side, purposefully averting his eyes from her exposed frontal but failing to avoid a few peripheral glances in the process as the tips of his ears remained a bright, rosy shade of scarlet.

he couldn't help it, truly— even while actively threatening his safety at times, sybil was one of the most strikingly breathtaking women he'd ever laid eyes upon. he'd have to be blind to think otherwise.

"phew, still intact,"
he breathed in relief, grateful that she hadn't moved too much throughout the entire process and risked dousing her tender wound in the bath water, and held out both of his hands to help her climb out of the tub at last.
"feeling any better? you certainly look alive again, at the very least."

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even now, this body is still pathetic.
sybil.
Although Sybil had been vaguely aware of the cultural differences of royalty when it came to sirens and humans, she wasn’t quite prepared for how many people Knox would prattle off in such a short timespan. Not to mention how easily he did so, too. Each name rolled off his tongue with ease, as if he had practiced this exact moment in the mirror time and time before. Sybil barely took notice of the shampoo being lathered in her hair, the motion a bit more gentle than Leena had been.

"the temple spearheads a lot of different fringe projects. some of them have been really beneficial to a lot of people, but they're also the biggest lobbyists for the king's colonial streak... including the war against the sirens."

For the moment, Sybil was grateful Knox wasn’t looking at her directly, and was instead focused on unwinding the knots from her scalp. The expression on her face soured, her eyes zoning in on an interesting set of bubbles as they popped and slid across the surface of the water she sat in.

To the humans of the higher courts, the war against her entire species was simply a fringe project. A side hustle to keep individuals busy while those truly with power sat back and continued to pull the strings.

Yet for sirens…It was everything. It was their entire life. To seek revenge against humans for slaughtering their Goddess, and for every action henceforth. For their sheer audacity to sail in their seas, and to gaze upon them with disgust and horror. She had been groomed her entire life to be a weapon against humans, humans she’d never even meet if she was still sinking beneath the waves and calling out to sailors with a hypnotic melody.

This was all also information that her mother would kill to have. To analyze each and every individual who dared to think of themselves as powerful compared to her; To find their exact weakness to make them suffer when she took their breath away. There were no negotiations to be had with the current Queen of Sirens. There was only one way to end the war in her eyes.

And whatever she deemed fit…That’s how the sirens acted. There was no choice. It was either to kill, or be killed. A kind siren is a dead siren.

Or, if you were Sybil, a siren turned into a human, currently naked in front of the man she had originally intended to kill and steal the heart from. Though she wouldn’t exactly describe anything she had done so far as…kind. That word didn’t apply to her. Even if she secretly longed for it, somewhere deep inside.

Before Sybil could sink further into her own thoughts, a splash of water over head yanked her away with a gasp. The sound was immediately cut off as more water splashed over her head, and she shot a pointed glare over to Knox as water dripped off her lashes and across her cheeks. However, he was a bit more preoccupied with examining her bandages, though the blush that reddened his ears wasn’t lost on the siren as she reached up one hand to wipe away some of the droplets. Any other situation, and she’d relentlessly tease the Captain for the involuntary action. Perhaps even probe a bit deeper on why he blushed at her figure.

But Sybil had been shot just a few days ago, and quite frankly felt up to nothing but resting in a plush bed once again. Dropping her gaze down to his hands as he extended them out, she slowly brought her own out of the water to rest against his palms. Though the skin on her palms had roughed up a little bit over her course on the ship, they were still so unnaturally soft. So unlike anything in the human world, yet made to perfectly replicate it.

As her fingers slowly curled around his own in an attempt to stabilize herself, a quiet but audible sound of effort slipped from her lips, a bit pathetic to hear. For a brief moment, she managed to slip her legs under her figure before they gave out, her body crumbling and slipping back down into the quickly cooling water.

A red hue of embarrassment slipped over her cheeks, her head ducking forward in an attempt to hide her flustered visage. She couldn’t lift herself up. Whatever strength she had felt when she awoke had clearly been a farce; There wasn’t a shred left in her tired bones now, and the deceptive warmth of the tub had done well to finish off her body’s last line of resistance.

“I…I can’t stand,” she admitted, keeping her face tilted downwards to avoid whatever pitiful expression would overtake Knox’s face once he heard such news. She didn’t want to hear the inevitable pity in his voice when he spoke, but no words ever came from Knox. Instead, his hands slipped away from her own for only a moment, before she felt a towel draped around her figure. Silently, she wrapped herself in the soft material before Knox’s arms gently wrapped around her once more to lift her up from the tub.

Keeping her face turned away from Knox in fear of revealing the blush that still lingered on her pale skin, a faint sigh of relief sounded once he rested her down against the bed. Instinctively, she clutched the towel tighter around her naked frame, a shiver moving down her spine rather rapidly.

“I..I’m a bit cold,” she added, a chatter threatening to overtake her lips as she finally met his gaze again. At least she was communicating with him.
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no need to overthink it.
knox.
sybil's quiet comment while she tugged the ends of the towel to burrow into its warmth simultaneously tugged at knox's unsuspecting heart strings, and the beet-red man forcibly resisted the urge to wrap her in a million more to instead swallow the growing lump in his throat and rifle through his wardrobe in search of one of his smaller robes for ease of accessing her bandages if needed.

once he found a fluffy, emerald-hued one that he'd recently outgrown, he wasted no time in draping it around sybil's shoulders and tying it in the front, collecting the towel in his arms to let her adjust the garment to a comfortable position. the pads of his fingers brushed along her the ridges of collarbones as he worked, the soft, translucent skin there so delicate to the touch he feared it may bruise if he applied more than a feather-light pressure.

"still cold?"
knox asked as he sat beside her and began drying her hair in small chunks, the dark, auburn locks slowly brightening in shade as he carefully handled each bundle of curls between the folds of the towel to keep them from tangling again.
"go ahead and get in bed— i'll be right back with a few more blankets, just in case..."


the captain finished airing out most of the moisture from sybil's hair and watched her slide beneath the covers with a fond, satisfied smile, heeding his instructions without complaint for once as she sought out the warmth of his bed. just as he began to move away in pursuit of said blankets, however, a pair of hands snaked out to clasp onto his larger ones, tugging him back onto the mattress and into the space beside her without making any sort of eye contact.

caught off guard, knox froze at the silent plea conveyed through her icy fingers woven with his, his stare burning holes into the back of her head where she now lay with her back to him. their joint hands rested along her waist, no mistake about what she wanted from him but mustering up not a word to speak it aloud, and he belatedly wondered if he had somehow been callous in his treatment of her thus far. the poor woman had just been dragged through hell and high water after being thrust into a new life with a horde of strangers, only to be struck by a bullet during her first real mission on land. as the captain of this crew, he'd offered plenty of food and water as well as a roof over her head, but had he neglected emotional support when she needed it most, separated from her family and unable to confide in anyone?

with his heart twisting uncomfortably in his chest, knox let go of the tense breath he'd been holding and nestled in beside sybil, opting to turn off his overactive brain and simply do as she asked instead of worrying about the logistics or implications for once. when had she ever lowered her guard enough to ask for something like this, vulnerable and exposed but inviting him within her walls nonetheless instead of shutting him out like a restricted fortress? he reached over to flick off the lamp on his bedside before obliging her request, letting the moonlight shining through the window illuminate the slopes and planes of her neckline as he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her frail body back against his broad chest, careful not to irritate her bandages as his warmth enveloped her like a safe cocoon.

"you did good back there,"
knox commented quietly once they were settled at last, his gruff tone cutting through the midnight serenity as his thumb traced idle circles along her abdomen.
"really good— i still can't believe you maimed the bastard's eyes... remind me not to mess with you."


a low chuckle reverberated against their shared pillow before he grew serious once more.
"i've seen you working hard to stand on your own over these past few weeks... it's made think a lot about my own complacency, and how i've been passing the time ever since i was tossed out on this mission that seemed beyond hopeless—"
he paused for a moment, endearment tangible in his voice—
"until you showed up. it can't have been easy, learning to live with a bunch of brutes like us, but you did it anyways, and i can't thank you enough for turning morale around like you did. thank you for staying with us, sybil..."


knox's voice lowered to just above a whisper as he continued, pressing in closer as he brushed a small, appreciative kiss to the back of sybil's head.
"and for saving my life. i swear i'll make it up to you in any way i can."

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too far gone.
sybil.
As Sybil shivered away under the watchful eye of Knox, she wasn’t exactly sure what to make of her situation. Not specifically the situation of Knox delicately wrapping a robe around her naked frame while his fingers just barely danced against her collarbone; If she thought about that anymore, she’d likely combust on the spot.

No, the situation that Sybil was acutely aware of was how little she wanted to pull away from Knox. How she leaned into his touch, and nearly sighed in relief when he tucked the robe closed around her body. How she felt not a smidge of malice in her body towards him, and instead seemingly craved his attention. His presence. His hands, back on her body, as an ever-present reminder of him.

Those were not the thoughts of a siren. Those weren’t the thoughts of Sybil, or at least she had always believed so. She had believed herself to be a cold hearted-killer, who was unworthy and undesiring of any sort of love. Love was what humans craved and needed. They couldn’t survive without it, and she’d be damned if she ever needed what a human did.

Yet…Here she was. Staring at Knox under half-lidded eyes, with her lips barely parted as she continued to lightly shiver. He had moved to retrieve another plush towel from the bathroom, his fingers soon deftly squeezing any remaining liquid from her hair on the bed. Her tongue ran along the grooves of her own teeth as she sat and stewed in her own thoughts, unwilling to break the silence between them. At least she wouldn’t have to listen to her own voice quiver.

Once Knox had finished squeezing out the excessive droplets from her hair, his lips shifted and moved to convey something to Sybil. However, her attention had long since wandered. She only snapped her eyes back to him at the last moment as he turned away from her. Was he planning to leave?

Without thinking any of her actions through, Sybil moved forward as quickly as she could with her current injuries. In seconds, her fingers had wrapped around Knox’s own, and she was too far gone to regret her actions immediately. Averting her gaze in fear of her eyes betraying herself, Sybil silently tugged Knox back towards the bed. Admittedly, she expected him to pull away. To firmly remind her of her place, and just how different the two of them were. That whatever this was, was a bad idea.

But he didn’t.

Instead, Sybil could hear the tense breath he had been holding in moments before his arms slowly wrapped around her from behind. He was mindful of her wound, for which she was silently grateful for. Yet it didn’t stop him from seemingly familiarizing himself with what felt like every part of her body. His thumb brazenly found a bit of exposed skin between the plush linings of the robe, and it immediately began to trace lazy and idle circles against her. Her breath came in stuttering waves, but she couldn’t exactly pinpoint the cause of it. Either the bullet wound that had scrapped through her, or the overwhelming presence of Knox all around her. Never in her life had she been held like this, and it was short circuiting every wire she had, even if she had asked for it herself. As his thumb continued to roam her skin, her mind couldn’t help but wander. His hand continuing the lazy exploration of her body, slowly slipping lower and lower -

When Knox’s voice invertebrates through her ear finally, the blush that had been gradually slipping away from her cheeks returned in full hue. Just what the hell had she been -

Refusing to acknowledge her own issues at the moment, Sybil instead opted to listen to Knox’s low tone as he gently spoke his praise to her, the sincerity in his voice clear. He was thanking her. Thanking her for joining his crew, and staying with them. He was thanking Sybil, the human. Not Sybil, the Princes’ Bane. Not the siren who had nearly killed him once before, and up until very recently, had been planning to finish the job. Before she could even fully process what that meant to her, something far more devastating occurred.

His lips brushed against the back of her head, a soft whisper of gratitude for her saving his life. For pushing him out of the way of a bullet, and letting it pierce her own skin. She bled for him. She had bled for him, and still expected things to remain the way they were? For her to remain the way she had been before?

Squeezing her eyes shut in the darkness of the room, Sybil didn’t say anything to Knox. Even if she wanted to turn around to confess every single crime she had committed against him, she wasn’t sure she even had the capability to do so. The tiredness in her bones was deep, and her voice had long since vanished for the evening.

So instead, she silently buried herself deeper against Knox. Her legs brushed against his own, threatening to tangle with him if he dared to move an inch closer to her. It was so wrong how right her body melded against his own, but she couldn’t deny it. They fit together perfectly. Her hips wiggled just a bit to ensure she was truly locked against him, before the softest of whispers left her lips. It was barely audible, and perhaps not even truly spoken in the quiet lull of the room.

“Thank you..”
  • outfit


coded by reveriee.
[/border[/b[/borde[
 
it's only downhill from here...
knox.
the soft
“thank you"
whispered like an afterthought from sybil's lips did not escape knox's perception, a quiet acknowledgment of his honesty that seemed to carry more weight compared to her typical responses than he'd thought it would. perhaps he hadn't been too off the mark in his earlier analysis of her mental fatigue, a bit of genuine praise going a long way to ease her anxieties— or perhaps she was simply too tired to engage with him in earnest, bringing the conversation to a close with as few words as possible.

either way, knox was effectively cut off right as he fixed his tongue to reply by the subtle shifting of her hips against his own, settling in further within his embrace as she positioned herself to be flush against him. a furious blush coated his cheeks, and he immediately thanked the powers above that she was faced away from him in this moment. the captain was a tactful man, never one to let his instincts get the best of him, but sybil always found new ways to test the limits of his composure whether she was aware of them or not.

instead of whatever meaningless chatter he'd had on his mind, knox simply cleared his throat and laid his hand flat against her abdomen, already resigned to getting little to no sleep in this newfound predicament.

"good night, sybil."
and that it was, all things considered— to him, at least.




the next week passed by in a flurry as the indira rapidly approached the daunting coastline of salona and the crew entered a state of hyperactive productivity hardly recognizable from their previous lax demeanors and absent sobriety. they all knew well that their lives of freedom and adventure could only exist beyond the empire's borders, and as such, there was far too much evidence of unbridled joy and whimsy to sweep under the rugs before admiral hart clicked his tongue at their lack of professionalism and barred them from ever venturing out without supervision again.

through the chaos of their preparations, however, knox had found himself in quite the unexpected pickle. after he had awoken that fateful night with sybil still happily cocooned in his arms, clinging to him like she always did but aware of it this time, not much conversation had taken place regarding... well, anything, really. where they stood with each other, what their futures looked like, whether this was their new normal— sybil had answered that last question herself when she'd gazed at him expectantly the next night, brows pinching with suspicion when he didn't immediately move to spoon her once again and only relaxing when he did.

despite the lack of clarity, she hadn't left his side much at all since then, far more comfortable with following him around like an electrifying shadow as he zipped back and forth across the decks to check the maintenance of various equipment that hadn't been used in months but whose upkeep would be sternly appraised upon arrival. knox couldn't focus entirely in one way or the other, as a result: just when he thought he could indulge in some private time, operations came grinding to a halt and demanded his attention; once those blips had been attended to, however, sybil's wandering hands traced along the lines of his tattoos and fried his circuit all over again, sending him reeling back into her orbit just when he'd managed to escape.

it had to be intentional, knox thought belatedly to himself, all these deliberate touches and satisfied smirks every time she successfully snatched his attention— but the why of it all continued to elude him, her motivations for staying close to him remaining a mystery.

love— the idea had crossed his mind, of course, just as much as it would have for any healthy young adult in his position. but could this really be that rumored thing, given that sybil had yet to meet many other eligible bachelors in her era of newfound freedom? maybe it was infatuation; she was simply attached to the idea of her savior and confused by their bond, and would subsequently fall head over heels for a suave, dependable knight the moment they touched down in his beautiful, diverse homeland.

when the time to do exactly that arrived, however, everyone dressed in their cleanest attire and lined up to greet the admiral as the indira's anchor sunk to the rocky terrain below the pier, knox couldn't tear himself away from sybil's side for even a second, hovering around her like a force field should any lecherous recruit among the navy corps' ranks dare to cast her a wayward glance. not many people knew of their unplanned arrival in vimara, and he planned to keep it that way as long as he could lest the crown summon him back in the blink of an eye.

"captain piermont,"
admiral jonas hart greeted with a firm salute as his booted feet came to a halt before the prince. though his demeanor remained gruff and stoic, kindness and curiosity alike twinkled in his steel-blue irises, gaze flickering between him and sybil beside him before continuing.
"i see that the tides brought you back to us in one piece and then some. i didn't expect you to return with a beautiful companion in tow— now i understand your request for topmost secrecy."


"my sincerest apologies for dropping in unexpected, sir,"
knox saluted in return like it was muscle memory, subconsciously reaching for sybil's hand in the process as though she might be snatched away at any second if he didn't keep her tethered to him at all times.
"we encountered some mishaps that left a few of my people injured, including my valued consultant here. she is extremely vital to our mission, so i deemed it best to receive treatment from a licensed physician before continuing onwards."


admiral hart hummed in understanding of knox's reasoning, his appraising gaze returning to sybil for a long moment before breaking out into a pleased smile.
"well, you made the right call! no one knows you've returned except for the few faces you see here in front of you, and they know better than to run their mouths. headmaster jameson did ask me to notify him whenever you arrived... and so did that weasely cretin oslo dartmouth. any idea what that could be about?"


upon registering knox's quizzical expression, however, the admiral brushed the question aside and gestured for the duo to follow him.
"never mind that— i'm sure your dear consultant has more important things to attend to than chatting away with this old man. there's a carriage waiting for you down that alley to the left."
[ he paused again, staring knox down one last time with something akin to fondness in his eyes before he clapped his shoulder.
"welcome home, kid. crana hasn't been the same without you."


endearment bloomed in knox's tight chest at the familiar language, easing the tension built up there as he gave sybil's hand a squeeze.
"thank you, sir. i'll make sure to reach out whenever i can."


with that, he tugged sybil along in the direction that the admiral had indicated, careful not to move too quickly lest he irritate sybil's still-tender wounds. they had begun to heal little by little, but certainly not as quickly as they would under proper supervision of a physician, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief once she was seated inside the carriage at the prospect of finally handing her off to someone who actually knew what the hell they were doing.

"bloody long day already,"
he sighed with a long exhale, leaning his head down onto sybil's beside him while his eyes fluttered shut, worry still evident in his tone as his fingers remained wrapped around hers.
"how's your side feeling? any new pain?"

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coded by reveriee.
 
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