#Shamelessly inserting my SI everywhere right now for comfort and peace.

[phvntom-limbs]

Celestial Dip - Chapter I

Diabeth (Dio / Self-Insert) ✧ 1.9k ✧ SFW

Syn: A Siren must turn to a pirate captain for help when she gets wounded and washes up on a shore.

✧ Read on AO3

Dark waves lapped the rocks and the moon hung high in the sky. It was almost summer, and the night was cool and short as Elizabeth perched on the edge of a small stone island and gazed up at specks of cosmic glitter. The tips of her fan-like tail dipped into the water and danced with the movement. This night was perfect and welcoming. No man or beast would fear the vast blue for now. She could feel it in the waves, in the dark of the dimly moonlit night there were visitors, many of them, in a huge hulking vessel splitting seafoam and waves. A ship. Perhaps navy or pirates. Elizabeth often preferred the former, as their blood didn’t offend her palate as much as an oft-drunken corsair. As the ship breached the horizon she exhaled pitifully. She wouldn’t be so lucky tonight, it seems. 

Pushing forward in the distance was a beautiful wooden vessel, flag flying high and proud with bright lanterns placed around the ship in a flaming game of connect-the-dots. It was an undeniably gorgeous sight. Probably stolen, no doubt. Even from this distance she could tell that they were either lucky pirates, or among the richest of them. Perhaps they would be the nicest pirate feast she’d ever encountered. She thanked the gods above she didn’t need to share.

Elizabeth dipped below the waves for a second to soak her drying skin before returning to her spot on the rocks. She watched the boat creep closer and closer before summoning the eerie lament in the back of her throat. It filled the night air with ease and creatures below the waterline sank deeper beneath the waters surface as it disturbed the once peaceful waves. Come to me, across the sweet blue, come.

From the slowly closing distance, she could see a few figures on the ship lean over the edge and search the dark water for the source of music. Her canines poked her bottom lip as she smiled. Poor fools. Sometimes they dove in from such a distance to reach her, sometimes they sailed closer. These men, despite their searching, seemed to choose the latter with a hurried change of course that had their captain burst onto the deck and begin yelling confused reprimands at his crew. 

She broke her singing with a musical laugh as a couple of his men hit the waves despite his berating. The blond gripped the side of his ship and looked over the water, his cognac glare meeting her shimmering gaze before she pulled the men closer and ran the tip of her tongue along a fang. Her nails pricked their skin through their shirts and she dragged them below the surface before the captain could finish ordering her capture. She slipped out of his grasp, just like that, drowning two of his men and laughing in his face. 

Under the waves, far below the glistening surface, Elizabeth inspected the now breathless men. Their clothes were higher quality - on par with some of the sailors she’d captured in the past - and one of them wore fine jewellery, most of which wasn’t scuffed or marred. She’d been right. They must be among some of the richest pirates she’d ever encountered. A wider smile grew on her face - they didn’t smell like alcohol. Tonight’s feast would be delightful.

Dipping down further, she plunged her teeth into the neck of one of the poor men and blood burst into her mouth, dyeing the water around her a morbid pink. Her prediction was right; no alcohol. Just metallic sweetness coating her tongue. She hummed against the punctured flesh with unbridled joy.

Once she had finished, she held his body out and began carefully removing the jewellery from his arms and ears and slipping them on herself. They floated gently in the water and glistened where the moonlight could reach and she smiled proudly. This was only one of the men after all. She glanced at her second catch of the night before tossing her previous victim away like an old toy, leaving him for the calm waters.

Turning her attention to the second man, she grabbed his arm and pulled his throat to her mouth, plunging her teeth in once more. Her eyes fluttered shut, she could savour this feast longer, her heart thudding viciously in her chest with all her excitement. This was divine. Her nails pierced his neck and arm as she held him in place, devouring all she could. When Elizabeth finally pulled her head back from his flesh she almost felt lightheaded, head swirling with joy. This was addictive. She knew she could live without it but the chase reaped such delightful rewards, she couldn’t deny herself such bliss. Leaning over, she flashed her teeth again only for them to suddenly clamp themselves together. Pain bloomed in her abdomen and her eyes snapped downwards as bright red danced in the water around her. Clasping a hand to the wound, she hurriedly looked for the cause before her gaze fell on a blade rising to the surface of the water and then to the man’s waist. His dagger had come free of its scabbard and sliced her when she went for seconds.  Furious, she pushed his body away from her and plunged the blade into his chest with a frustrated yell. 

She was still bleeding and her hand was doing nothing - she needed to get home or somewhere. If she got to land she could pass herself off as a human victim and get help that way, she knew there were beaches close by, she’d explored these waters over and over. Turning in the water, throat tight and head spinning, she pushed forwards through the blue until her arms ached, ignoring the needle-prick pains spreading across her gut. 

It was day when Elizabeth awoke, the smell of salt in her hair and the grit of sand pressed against her skin breaking through her drowsiness and nausea. Red stained the ground beneath her still, though it had begun to dry when the tide receded and she didn’t have the strength to push herself up. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the sun, blurriness swapped for clear shapes as she started to pick up familiar noises: idle chatter, seagulls, steps on wood. She’d washed up somewhere lively, at least, but nobody seemed to have even noticed her yet. 

Trembling, she tried to push herself along the sand, newfound legs numb and uncooperative. She cursed, tears welling in her eyes as she gripped fistfulls of sand. God she was naked, the light breeze and sand coating her skin finally registered and along with it came the awareness of her own nudity. She was exposed and fragile and starting to feel a flush rise to her cheeks. Hanging her weak head, she sunk into the sand again and closed her eyes, trying to gain some strength to push forward despite it all.

Then, she heard steps in the sand and the distinct jingle of metal against metal growing nearer and a muffled ‘I will join you in the tavern soon., don’t cause trouble’ breaking through her haze. She tilted her head, lidded eyes slowly focusing on the stranger before they flew open. Blondie. Fuck. 

The leather boots promptly stopped in front of her and their owner crouched in front of her, a smug grin on his face, “Fought back when the music stopped, hm?” he cooed, pulling her head back with a hand grasping her hair. 

Elizabeth scowled, smacking at his arm weakly, before her expression turned to a grimace, “If… If it’s any consolation, their knife did this to… to me,” she mumbled, removing his hand from her. 

His smile grew, somehow, “Oh?” he laughed, tilting his head after a moment, “At least you get to die somewhere pretty.”

A gasp rose in her throat and she grabbed his arm again, “Please, I’m… I’m sorry I took them but I-” her free hand gripped her abdomen again and she curled her legs up to her torso, the pain setting in as she finally fully awoke. 

“Don’t try to make me pity you, you killed my men.”

She pressed the ball of her hand to her eye and trembled, “I would ra- rather be in your debt if you helped me than die… die here like this, without dignity.”

The blond’s nose twitched in some essence of distaste and he stood, “Begging to a scoundrel isn’t helping your latter case.”

“Please,” she pleaded, raising her head, moving her hand to grip his trouser leg, which he hurriedly yanked away.

“God, get off me- fine, you’ll embarrass me too if you keep this up,” he snapped, shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders and all but dropping it on her, “Do not protest, I’m not carrying a naked, half-dead woman around.”

“Ah, but a clothed half-dead woman is… acceptable?”

“I am truly glad we’re on the same page,” he muttered quietly, scooping her over his shoulder with a deep sigh, “Your repayment better be worth it, woman.”

He adjusted his jacket over her before beginning to carry her onto the ship, expertly pulling himself aboard with his one free hand. 

The deck was empty, his crew likely decompressing in the tavern over steins and riveting conversation. Out of all the ships Elizabeth had had the misfortune of seeing, this was by far the cleanest - even with small puddles and bundles of rope strewn about. He didn’t give her much of an opportunity to take it in, though, carrying her into his quarters begrudgingly and all but dropping her on the bed.

She yelped, glaring up at him and wincing as she pulled his jacket around her again. It practically swallowed her whole, she realised. 

“If I'm going to be sitting in your bed, do I at least get your name? You’re not being much of a gentleman.”

“And you’re not being a lady,” he scoffed, opening a chest in one corner of the room and pulling some alcohol and fabric from within, “It’s Dio.”

“Dio…” she echoed, thinking deeply about it as he sat on the end of the bed and narrowed his eyes.

“This is the part where you tell me yours. Lay back,” he ordered.

Elizabeth blinked, cheeks burning as she slowly did as she was told, “Elizabeth,” she said sheepishly.

“I do not care that you’re naked, stop being so flustered, Elizabeth.”

She pressed her lips together and averted her gaze, jumping where she sat when the alcohol soaked into her wound and sent a sting through her body. Gritting her teeth she looked to the ceiling, eyes watering - in all her years hunting she’d never been hurt like this, never mind treated for it.

Dio shot her a look, brows knitting together, “Stop moving,” he snapped, holding a hand under her waist to help raise her hips as he wrapped gauze snugly around her. 

Once he was done, he returned the aid supplies to the chest and without sparing her a glance, declared he would be in the tavern with his crew before promptly exiting his quarters. She didn’t hear the lock click.

Had she doomed herself here, laying in the blond captain’s bed, bandaged and still disoriented? She slid down the bed and draped the jacket over her fully to act as bedsheets - she refused to get under his - and tried to let sleep take her peacefully this time.