Summary: Ais told you he'd always be there if you needed him.
No use of y/n, gender neutral, trigger warning of violence but nothing too extreme imo. Probably a misuse of how the Seaspring works with Ais and the hivemind.
Authors note: uh I'm not a writer, just usually a enjoyer of fanfic but I had this idea in my head like a little brain worm and I had to get it out. Reblogs, likes, and comments are appreciated because I need validation :').
Your POV
Ais had once told you 'If you ever need me just shout. I mean it, I'll come find you wherever you are.'
At the time you had just laughed it off, rolled your eyes and told him you'd be sure to remember that for future reference, or something equally as dismissive. It wasn't until you found yourself in a dark alleyway with some guy twice your size, who apparently didn't appreciate your 'shitty attitude' as much as Ais that you even thought about the conversation. Furthermore, it wasn't until you had been thrown on the ground, and your left knee curb stomped that you thought to test it out.
"Ais!" You screamed as pain radiates up your body in sharp waves, "Ais I need your help!" Your voice escapes in a hoarse scream as you fight the urge to throw up from the feeling.
The asshole had the audacity to laugh at your desperate cries and gave you another kick to the ribs knocking the air out of your lungs. You saw stars as you fell to the side, your body trying desperately to find air that wasn't there.
Ais' POV
He had eyes everywhere thanks to the Seaspring, it connected him to everyone who had ever drank from it in a sort of hivemind. Something most wouldn't know was that there was near constant input from everyone else who drank from the Seaspring too, sights, sounds, smells, it was always there, a constant live feed. For the most part Ais had learned how to tune it out, making it background noise in his head so he wouldn't go insane. But something caught his attention, a familiar voice yelling out his name. It caused it him to stop immediately and focus in on the sound, identifying where it had come from.
A woman had heard the cry and from her eyes Ais could see his familiar companion laying on the ground crying in pain. He watched through her eyes as they yelled his name again and begged for his help, the woman watching turned and ran. Rage boiled up inside him alongside fear, he watched as she ran until he saw enough to know where they were. Without a second thought he severed the connection and took off.
Your POV
You were going to die, you were sure of it. At least one of your ribs had to be broken based off how hard it was to breathe and pain was burning through you, making it feel like your nerves were on fire. It was hard to tell where you weren't injured, a warm trickle of blood working its way past your lips. The man responsible for this situation sneered down at you, letting out a low chuckle.
"Still think your friend is coming to help you?" He asks, his voice thick with disdain and unbridled arrogance.
"Fuck you," you sneer back not willing to give him the satisfaction of breaking you.
"You little-" he didn't get to finish the sentence as one moment he was above you, the next there was just the dark sky.
Well...that's unexpected... you think to yourself. Maybe this was your body shutting down? Trying to protect you by imagining the night sky as you die instead of your would be killer. But that can't be right, everything still hurts and you're pretty sure death doesn't look like...wait Ais?
There's suddenly a new face above yours, this one is the familiar face of your favorite demon.
"Ais?" You croak your eyes widening with disbelief, he came. He actually came.
He scoops you up gingerly into his big arms, a cry escaping past your lips as a wave of pain so intense it causes black spots to swim in your vision before it slowly subsides.
"I'm so sorry," Ais says softly, "I should've been here sooner, I came as fast as I could. We're going to get you to Kuras and he'll have you good as new, Sparrow." He promises his voice soft as he gently maneuvers your body so your left knee is supported but not straining on his arm.
As he walks so carefully it's almost like he's floating, you can't help but bury your head into his chest, the familiar scent of smoke and blood oddly comforting.
"How?" It's all you can manage to ask as the adrenaline slowly loosens its grip on you like your body realizes you're now safe.
"You called," is his only response, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he looks down at you with a mixture of concern and helplessness.
Each blink feels longer than the last, at first you're staring at the swirling ink on Ais' chest, next time your eyes open you're in front of the clinic, the third Kuras is looking down at you with a reassuring expression. The next time you open your eyes you're in the Seaspring, still tucked against Ais' chest as he whispers reassuring words into your hair, eyes drifting shut once more as you fall asleep.
It's 2015. The world is loud, the lights are too bright, and everything feels like too much. Except for Dan and Phil's flat. She doesn't talk about Isabella, and she definitely doesn't talk about the way Amber left. But now, she's got a room of her own, two soft hearted internet nerds who call themselves her guardians, and a school theatre production she's trying not to panic about.
She's weird. She knows that. She feels everything too much. She gets stuck in her own head, and sometimes she forgets how to be "normal." Maybe she's broken. Or maybe she's just never had the space to figure herself out.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
So sometimes I write ficlets during my lectures. I usually don’t post them, because they’re too short or too goofy or…something like that, but this one deserved to be posted.
Now excuse me while I go laugh over this mental image
I’m back! Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything, but the writing gears in my brain stalled for a while. But they’re working once more and I’m back with a brand new story inspired by my newfound love of sea shanties.
Note: the song mentioned in here is Haul Away by Nathan Evans.
Summary: Elide and Lorcan living life as part of the best pirate crew.
Warnings: None.
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The sea was unusually calm that night. Having spent as many years at sea as she had, Marion wasn’t used to such eerie stillness. She’d led her crew through more storms than she could remember, and found the motion of the waves soothing.
On nights when it was calm and the ship didn’t rock, sleep wasn’t easy to find. After tossing and turning for a few hours, her husband and first mate snoring away beside her, Marion had left the warmth of her bed and Cal’s arms for a walk around the deck in the chilly ocean air, deciding that was just what she needed.
Her crew always said that she had a bond with her ship, The Wyvern, and laying her hands on the mast while the night swirled around her had always brought her peace.
She’d made for the wheel, checking in with her helmsman and the course of her ship. Nox was a young man, not much older than her daughter, but he was a damn good crewman, and she trusted him implicitly to guide them all safely while they slept. But a good captain knew that no one job was beneath them, and Marion Lochan was a damn good captain.
“All good, Nox?” she greeted, trailing her fingers over the rail as she climbed the steps to reach the man.
“Yes, Captain.” He patted the wheel with a certain fondness every member of her crew possessed. “She’s a steady girl and we’ve got nothing but clear skies ahead.”
Nodding, she circled the rear mast, one hand braced on the wood as she moved. The faint sound of someone singing reached her ears, barely audible over the breeze that had kicked up, but it was lost as Nox spoke once more.
“Everything okay, Captain?” Keeping his face tilted toward the horizon, he turned to her in concern. “Worried about our last run-in with the Navy?”
Marion chuckled, the sound escaping her before she could stop it. “The Navy is the least of my concerns.”
Many would have found her statement egotistical and a harbinger of certain trouble, but Marion had a secret most other pirate captains didn’t share. Her closest friend and former crewmate was none other than Evalin Ashryver, the wife of Rhoe Galathynius, Admiral of the Terrasen Navy. Not to mention that Evalin’s daughter, Aelin, and nephew, Aedion, had both served briefly on the ship as well. The latter had become Captain in the Navy, serving under Rhoe and helping Marion and Cal continue their reign as pirate lords.
Descending the steps, she caught the tail-end of Nox’s smirk at her statement, and she shook her head in laughter once more. “Fair wind, Nox,” she said.
Reaching the main mast, she offered a wave up to Kaltain, her barrelman and the other person she trusted with the safe guidance of her ship through the night. The woman was a damn good lookout, and her affinity for climbing the ropes faster than anyone she’d ever seen only added to her value.
The woman waved back before offering a complicated set of hand signals in the direction of the wheel, and it was only moments before Marion heard Nox’s laughter rumbling behind her. The two of them had developed their own form of signs and signals so they could communicate without speaking.
Placing her hands on the solid bulk of the main maist, Marion breathed deeply, her eyes slipping closed and the smell of salt wrapping around her like a familiar embrace. The life of a pirate hadn’t always been easy, but she’d never wanted to trade it for anything else. She knew she’d miss nights at sea too much to ever give it up.
Marion wasn’t sure how long she stood there before she became aware of two things: the singing had become audible once more, and her husband had found her, if the arms wrapped around her waist were anything to go by.
“What brought you out of bed, husband?” she murmured, leaning against his chest without taking her hands off the mast.
Ghosting his lips over the very top of her forehead, Cal just sighed softly. “You know how hard I find it to sleep without you, Captain. I’ve been up since you left our bed, but I know how you cherish your time with your ship.”
“You,” she told him, finally turning in his embrace, “are a good first mate and an even better man.” Marion paused as the singing grew louder, finally allowing her to place the tune as Haul Away. “Who is that, I wonder?”
Her husband smiled down at her. “Just wait, you’re going to love it.” Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the bow. “Come with me.”
Walking slowly so as not to disturb the two people she could just make out sitting on the forecastle deck, Cal pulled her into the shadows at the bottom of the steps, motioning for her to keep quiet. Marion peered up onto the deck, smiling when she realized what exactly she was seeing.
Lorcan, one of her gunners - not that her style of piracy had much use for heavy artillery - and her newly appointed quartermaster, was seated against the railing. Resting between his legs with their fingers intertwined was none other than Elide, Marion and Cal’s daughter. The two of them had been together in secret for several months, only a select few people on the ship - Marion, Cal, Nox, and Kaltain - having been made aware out of a desire for privacy in the early stages of their relationship.
The dark-haired man was singing softly in her ear, the sound only carrying because of the breeze, and Marion felt her heart swell at the obvious love she could see growing between the two of them.
Wrapping her fingers around her husband’s wrist, she pulled Cal back toward their quarters. “Let’s leave them be, my love,” she murmured, catching the smile on his face. He’d told her once that he couldn’t picture anyone better suited for their daughter, and she wholeheartedly agreed.
As they slipped through the door and down the stairs to their room, Lorcan’s voice swirled around them before being carried off to sea on the breeze.
Happy Holidays yet again!! I’m your host Alyssa coming up with the third fic of the day oh yea!! Anyway, I wrote this for one of my favorite sapphic couples @nobellrenaissance and @honey-harper-official + one of my other amazing friends @lavenderbloo! Ily all sm!!
Word Count: 729
Pairing: Nodrian (Nova Artino x Adrian Everhart)
At first it had been denial. Adrian Everhart had not died. Her sweet, strong, caring boyfriend was not dead, and it wasn’t her fault. Truly, it hadn’t been her fault, but she would always blame herself. Nova had done so much wrong in her lifetime, and he had been the only one to see the good in her. Now, no one would see the good in her. Never again. She would always be known as Nova Artino, Ace Anarchy’s niece.
Next there was just pure despair. Adrian was gone, and there was nothing she could do. It had been hard for her to even function and do normal things like brush her teeth or get dressed. She just wanted to stay in bed, listen to sad music and do nothing with her life.
It was hard to look at Hugh and Simon. It was even hard to look at Max. What was she supposed to say? Hey! I’m sorry your son died and I feel responsible for it! There was no way. All she wanted was for Adrian to come back. Part of her thought that if she did, all her problems would kind of just disappear. But there was so such luck. He truly was gone and he wasn’t coming back.
One particular morning, it hurt more than usual. There were unread texts on her phone and she didn’t intend to read them. She was still in her clothes from yesterday, and she didn’t intend to change them.
“Adrian,” She sighed, almost wondering what was wrong with herself. She had never been like this before. She had never felt the pure despair she was feeling now, and even living with the Anarchists she had never felt this depressed. And Adrian Everhart was the only one who could help. “Listen, I kind of feel like I failed you. And if you were here, you’d tell me I didn’t fail you, and that everything’s alright. But the problem is that you aren’t here, and that’s why I’m not being told I’m alright.”
“This is probably really dumb and I know that you aren’t here or with me and if you are with someone it’s probably Max because you know why?” Her tone started to get aggressive and tears dripped down her face. It wasn’t the first time she had cried recently. “Because you were so compassionate and kind towards him. And now, he can be with people without a glass wall and full-body protection suits. I only wish you could be here to see him.”
In her crazed state, she had stood up. Slowly, she sat down, burying her face in her hands. She wanted to stay there forever.
Unable to speak more, she let the music do its job. Since the battle, she had been letting it take her away. It reassured her in ways words never could, and held her the same way he had. Without music, she would be nothing. Simply nothing. Her soul would have already caved, and though she was alive, she would have been a ghost.
A few songs in, she was awakened with a new memory. The song was an instrumental, slow, soft and beautiful. It was so similar to the song that had played at the Gala, which seemed to have been years ago. Still, she remembered it like it was yesterday.
They had both been young, dumb and new to love. She had been awkward on the dance floor, and so had he. But there had been a connection there stronger than what she had felt with Narcissa. And she knew now, that it had been love. She had been purely in love with Adrian Everhart, as he had been with her.
Trying to stand, she whipped the tears from her cheeks and dried her eyes. Slowly, she tried dancing around the dimly-lit room. At first it seemed awkward, she was just dancing by herself, to a song that made her feel lost in time. But by the end of the song, she was not dancing by herself. Adrian was there with her, just as he had been before.
Slowly, the music ended. She didn’t feel perfect. A dance could never heal all she had been through. But she felt better and that helped. And as her lips formed a smile, she swore she could feel Adrian smiling back at her.
