#i'll sail this lonely ship away into the horizon

[qnchrpoint]

Sharing this wonderful commission by the equally wonderful @artdicoi to motivate me to work on my ridiculous, spawned from a shitpost, Nehemia/Kaltain post-war AU fic

Shhhh... Once I write it you will love it. I promise. I mean, I hope...

[the-darkdragonfly]

You have so many lovely sounding WIPs, it's difficult to pick just one!

But I'll take some more Wreck please. 💕 Or Dark Hook. Or Into The Ocean.

... Okay I have failed at picking just one lol Your choice of 3.

Since I have a deep DEEP love for all things SilverHook, I will give you both of those (also - I just answered Kayla's ask re: DarkHook, so freebie!)

The Wreck of our Hearts (Part Two) - A SilverHook / Deckhand Tale

They had played together, in the cabin of the Jolly, celebrating the return of a home he'd had traded for her.

He had sat on top of her, hand nimble as he wound the length of sail rope around her wrists, explaining yet again, how it was she could undo them. She giggled and twisted and didn’t try to get away as he murmured instructions for her freedom into her skin, brain foggy through the lust filled haze of the cabin.

They had been playing for most of the afternoon, familiarizing themselves intimately with each part of his ship- this is the forecastle hold, darling, hold on tightly, there's a good girl.

She couldn’t and he didn’t and he undid her in other ways.

They stayed late at the docks that first night, Killian scouring the decks and airing the sail cloths while she washed every once of the Captain’s quarters to remove the pungent scent of Blackbeard from the space. He had found her in the galley, stashing snacks he would roll eyes at her for eating in the cupboards he wouldn’t look- hiding stowaways, are we, Swan?- pinning her against the counter, the kettle boiling on the stove as he nipped and sucked against the map of her skin. A map he had memorized, and yet knew he could never study enough.

They had finally made tea, from a canister she had scribbled illegibly on hours before, stuffing coffee and tea and hot chocolate and marshmallows for Henry until the ship felt like a home.

“Let’s see if you can get yourself out of this one then, love,” he smirked as he secured her again, the dinner from Granny’s lay hot and ready, not unlike herself, at the table of his quarters. He’d stood then, shrugging on the robe she had bought him- so you don’t scare the neighbours in the morning- after he had answered her teasing query of what pirates slept in, stretching before settling into the chair facing her.

“Don’t you dare,” she groaned, fingers searching against the twists of rope for the loose end which would free her immediately.

“You seemed to require a bit more… incentive,” he smirked as his hook opened the container of her onion rings, “perhaps this,” he plucked one from the white Styrofoam and held it up so she could glare at him again, “will do the trick.”

“Ugh, bloody pirate,” Emma groused, naked and flushed, tongue poking out the side of her mouth in concentration, “you don’t even like them!”

He had eaten three more before she’d managed to find the right end, scrambling off the bed gracelessly and throwing herself at him, growling- you’re in for it now, pirate- as he laughed and caught her. He had fed her then, between mouthfuls of rum straight from the bottle, as she sat curled on his lap.

Read Part One here

* * *

Into the Ocean - A SilverHook Tale

His lungs burned.

The weight of the hastily wrapped satchel pulled against the reach of his good arm, dragging him down moment by stifling moment.

The sea was closing in on him, sunlight all but snuffed out as the sliver of waning moon rose above him.

They had come for him at nightfall, when the sun had crested against the horizon, meeting the water in a blaze of. The sound of feet on the hatch, the anger which stirred in the air had roused him. He had just enough time to conceal coins and small tokens, among them his brother’s ring and the hairpins- all he had left of her- into the deep pockets of his great coat. The satchel had been next, salted meat and two apples, the last of his stash, crammed into the faded leather bag. The latch had given way and with the raucous roar of the pack above his head ringing across the ship, Killian had had time to sling the satchel across his back to be hidden under his coat; his hook glinting in the dark as they poured down the ladder like ants.

Red Sky at Night...

Killian gritted his teeth, the blow from the butt of the dagger smarting his ribs as he hauled himself against the pull of the tide, a parting gift from the madness which had descended upon his crew. The island was still in front of him, looming out of the water like a large creature from the depths.

Bloody cowards, he thought furiously as his feet kicked angrily, beating out a ferocious rhythm through the swell of the sea. He had felt suddenly so very small, insignificant and alone- aye aye, Captain- they had snarled in his face, whipped into a frenzy by a lone man, a snake of a human. Outnumbered and most certainly outmaneuvered, he had no recourse but to survive, again, and commit to memory the burning faces of the crew who were no longer his.

They had hauled him onto the deck, hands rough as he fought them, the darkness swallowing everything but the deck around them. He believed he was certain to be killed then, as a swift kick caught him off guard and caused him to stumble, hitting the deck of his beloved ship, knees likely bruised from the impact.

He hadn’t turned to watch her leave, the snap of the familiar sails lost among the swelling depth of the waves as he started towards shore. There had been no time for sentiment, no room for indulgent pity.

Not then.

There would be time for all of that on shore.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that my darling!!

WIP GAME!!!!! Send me an ask, I'll give you a WIP!!

[muses-archive]

the whim of today's wind #6

Much as Kazuha would love to always wander around Liyue and sharing pleasantries with Xiao, he’s embarked on a voyage with the Crux Fleet. Call it earning his keep, besides having a certain ulterior motive in mind. There's no need for them to brave any treacherous channels anymore with Inazuma finally opening up, though it will still be slow for supplies and such to return to normal. 

All he’s glad for now is that no one else needs to go through the same journey as he did, as so many others have, in hopes of breaking free. 

After being caught spacing out too often on their return trip, Captain Beidou had extracted out of him the reason for his distraction. As expected, she had found his predicament extremely amusing, almost rocking the ship with her robust laughter. While she is a good secret keeper, she works him off his feet to give him no time to think. Despite that, the mind continues to buzz even as every muscle aches. Flopping on the deck, Kazuha can barely focus on the stars in the night sky above him. The waves quietly lap against the ship, the gentle sounds putting him not quite on the brink of sleep.

"Hey, lover boy!"

"Captain, please..." he groans.

He knows the grin on her face as she holds in her mirth. "Sorry, sorry. You know I will kill him for you if he breaks your heart, right?"

"Please don't."

"Your loss."

It seems inconceivable that Xiao would not have loved someone else before. He can't imagine such a lonely existence, keenly aware of his own mortality. His lifespan would hardly be a drop compared to the "deities" who roam this world.

"You know, my only true loves are this crew, this ship, and the ocean we sail," Beidou speaks up, as though musing to herself. "I only want to believe in and feel for things I can see and touch, and maybe come close to understanding one day. You're in uncharted waters, Kazuha, but know that you'll always find safe harbour with us."

"I didn't know you were a poet yourself, captain," he can't help quipping.

She nudges him gently with her foot. "Must be you rubbing off on me, lover boy. Get off the deck and get some sleep," she admonishes lightly. "In a few days, we'll be back in Liyue. I'll work you to the bone until then."

Reluctantly, he slinks off, managing to collapse into his hammock and sleeping without further incident. The wind does not turn for the worse in those next few days, not disrupting their schedule. Kazuha politely declines the crew's drinking party once they reach the shore, heart in his mouth, anxious about being on land again. The work is good as a distraction; the rope burning his fingers as he helps raise the sails, the briny sea air carrying the distant cries of the gulls when he squints at the horizon from the crow's nest. There's some scrambling as he gets hauled in to help organise the inventory they need to deliver, all the while the thoughts of a yaksha hovers on the edge of his consciousness.  

Beidou has to shove him off the ship to get him moving when they do dock, self-consciousness encapsulating his being. Once he does hit the ground though, he begins running, propelled by nothing but pure adrenaline. He scares the Milelith on duty as he dashes past, unhearing of their warnings. He keeps going, until he reaches the valleys. He's out of breath, yes, but he still needs to ask, because he did promise to.

"... can I... hug you?" he manages, trying to calm himself back down. 

He thinks he might not have been heard, because who knows where the adepti would be at any moment? Xiao does materialize, hesitating briefly before nodding. Kazuha tackles him to the ground, all the tension melting away as he begins giggling uncontrollably. 

It seems so long ago when Xiao's "presence" felt like razor sharp blades, judging if he was friend or foe. Of course, Kazuha can't shoulder all Xiao's burdens or claim to ease any of them, but this gentleness he can now enjoy is one he craves for, the reassurance that he'll be caught should he fall. He wishes he could do the same, with whatever time he's got.

For now, he's glad he can hide his face in the crook of Xiao's neck. He doesn't trust himself to keep a neutral expression.

"... my body hurts too much… I can't get up…" Kazuha admits in a small voice. Not the homecoming he wanted to his crush (?).

"Unbelievable…" 

"Uh, but, you could just drop me in the adeptal realm and get sleep and -" he starts babbling as he realizes Xiao's carrying him in his arms (!).

Any further attempts at protest is rendered moot, getting deposited in a bed at Wangshu Inn and receiving a lecture before having a serving of Bamboo Shoot Soup to himself. He at least managed to avoid getting fed by Xiao, it would have been too much.  Wangshu Inn probably has a tab for him now, if Kazuha is going to be a frequent guest via Xiao Express… he silently apologizes to Smiley Yanxiao, Verr Goldet and Huai'an. 

With that out of the way, he finds the item tucked away securely in his haori, the item weighing far more than you would expect on his heart.

"Give me your hand."

Xiao obliges, and he presses a small pouch into his palm. Enduring teasing from the Guuji was the price to pay, as casually he tried to pass this off. He'd chosen a plain green cloth, putting his effort into imbuing it with as much of his own hopes and wishes instead. 

"It's a protective charm, an omamori we call it," he rubs the back of his neck. "The maple leaves are really pretty this time of year so I got some and pressed them, with some sakura petals. They're these pink flowers, and we've got a lot that react to Electro. I, uh, hope my Vision's powers can help them not turn to dust so soon. And I got a shrine's blessings too!" No need to mention it's the grand shrine...

Kazuha would love to show Xiao the turn of the season, the gradual reddening of the trees, as the world is ablaze in one last burst of colour before the pure white winter. The yaksha would probably not want to leave Liyue for so long to go across the ocean, so he makes a mental note to borrow the Traveler's magical Kamera for his next trip to show the place he's still wondering about calling 'home'. Nonetheless, he can't deny his own yearning to be in two nations, for vastly different reasons. 

"You could put it around your neck, if you want. I hope it brings you comfort…?" he trails off. Xiao looks like he could ignite the pouch with how hard he's staring. "Uh, sorry if-"

"No, don't apologize," his face finally softens. "Thank you."

Seeing the pouch rest against Xiao's chest brings immeasurable relief, and is finally enough to make him collapse on the bed for some rest at last with an unceremonious thump. In his haze, he feels Xiao's hand running gently through his hair. Ah, he doesn't want to fall asleep yet, even though his entire being is barely holding on. Xiao will soon be gone again, another transient moment in their… what could he call this now? A strange, inter-generational friendship? Maybe. 

It would be nice if his feelings could be reciprocated. It just seems selfish that he doesn't have as much time as he'd like.

Before he can properly consider his idea of eternity, Kazuha at last drifts into unconsciousness, respite long awaited.