✹ SALTSKIN — A WIP INTRO.
pov — third person limited
major themes — life & death | love & fear | humanity | sacrifice | obsession | devotion | duty
Things weren’t always this bleak. It’s what they tell themselves, huddled over lamplight and pressed against each other. It wasn’t always this bad, right? Right? The sea (if it could even be called that) didn’t rise up to meet ships. It didn’t gobble down cities. It didn’t thrum with malice and something far too alive to be just briny waves.
It wasn’t always like this, right?
For Pitchpullers like Alys, it doesn’t matter. She makes her living venturing into the darkest part of the waves and gathering the chunks of saltstone that blossom there. It’s dangerous work, certainly, but what isn’t dangerous about the caverns in which she lives? What doesn’t involve risk? Bad things happen on the Pitch. Everyone knows that. But to say the waves come alive…
She doesn’t believe it until it happens to her. Stranded, she’s forced to accept whatever help comes — and that help comes with a price. Indebted to a woman who’s name she doesn’t even know, Alys must now do the impossible. Go to the surface, where only the maddest of Pullers venture, and bring back a vial of bottled sunlight. Only then will the waves recede. Only then will people stop dying.
It’s dangerous work. She hates that only makes her want it more.
alys — the weary captain. circumstance led her to the pitch, but it was her choice to fall in. she wishes she could regret it.
valencia — the broken heir. they had all they needed and still managed to stumble. it haunts them to this day.
quickpenny — the clever gunner. there’s little she loves more than the smell of gunpowder and brine. there’s little she hates more than blood.
nastja — the sourtounged engineer. the pitch is scary, but she’s scarier. at least… she hopes she is.
blue — the gentle doctor. sweetness is her shield and kindness is her sword. on the pitch, it’s as good as any weapon.
petra — the silent navigator. she picks out the false constellations in the caverns above. she does what she can to keep her past a secret. it’s enough.
lmk if you’d like to be added to the taglist!
turnnoffyourmind
ellievsbear
snowghoul
blakekathryn
gracieabrams
amandla
dailybridgerton
andulkaphoto
