Attoye-Week Snippets (Part 1)
So, I decided that since I’m participating in Attoye-Week, I’d drop a snippet of the first chapter of each entry I intend on dropping for each theme as I work on them. Hopefully it’ll either get you motivated to participate or interact with the peeps who make something for this Attoye-centered creation event.
For whatever reason, Day 6: Fairytale had my brain ready to type out every thing. So, this is the first snippet you’ll get outta me. The final draft will definitely have more added to it, so keep an eye out for when Day 6 comes around for @attoye-week!
Siren Tears and Fairy Wings (Fairytale AU)
Torrential rain dropped from the heavens as a group of men chased after a flickering ball of light.
They ran through the dark forest filled with a few bioluminescent plants and fungi that glowed eerie shades of pink, violet, and teal as they pursued their target.
“FAIRY! FAIRY!”
“Where is it?!?”
“It’s just up ahead! Go! Go! Go!”
The men spilled into a small clearing and began to search around, hitting bushes with sticks and prodding leaves with blades.
“Damn it, Cap’n! We lost em’. I just saw the lil sprite dive intah one of these bushes!” One man grunted. “It’s so hard tah see in this storm!”
“Keep looking!”
The man nodded as he tried to blink away the rain and continued his search.
“Come out lil fairy!” Another crew mate sang softly as he abused a few bushes with a slew of violent swings. “We haven’t got all night!”
Another man moved closer to the captain as the rain poured down harder, making it nearly impossible to see beyond the forest line that circled them.
Just like the others, his white-puffed-sleeve shirt was soaked to the point that it clung to his skin, while his dark brown pants whispered threats of chafing his thighs with every step he made.
“Captain Namor, it’s getting harder to see and we’re not familiar with the terrain or wildlife of this island. If we don’t stop, someone may get hurt-”
The older pirate glanced back at his quartermaster. “Do you know how much money we’ll get with that fairy, Attuma?”
“Lots.” He bit the inside of his cheek at his captain’s incredulous look.
“Not just lots, Attuma. Enough to stop going out to sea! Enough for us to all settle down and live comfortably with our friends and families until our souls depart.” He narrowed his eyes as his eyelashes became curved ledges to raindrops. “Two fairy wings are worth so much. Too much for me to be pouting over someone slipping and busting their ass in the rain or getting nibbled on by a feral critter.” He held up two fingers and wiggled them. “Do you know why?”
“Because they can extend one’s life.”
“Because they can extend one’s life.” He nodded with a grin before tapping his two fingers against the taller man’s chest with each word. “We just need one little fairy and we’re back on the ship and on our way home.”
“I understand, but this weather could cost us a few men.”
“They all want this fairy just as badly as I do. We’ve already injured the little bug, so it’s an easy job.”
“Right, but-“
“-If you want to minimize casualties, I suggest you help us look, so we aren’t out here much longer.”
Attuma’s lips parted slightly before he nodded apprehensively. “Aye, aye captain.”
With a curt nod, Namor walked away leaving the soaked man in a corner of the woods as shouts of possibly spotting a fairy stirred the others up on the other side of the clearing.
This was all futile.
It was only a matter of time before someone got injured and he was forced to patch them up.
Namor was a great captain, but his dreams and ambitions made him reckless and uncaring of the sacrifices it took to achieve them.
Always reminding everyone about how their voyages and discoveries benefited the greater good.
Never caring about the sacrifices, it took to benefit the greater good.
He loosened the collar of his shirt around his neck before he began to look around for any signs of the fairy.
“OI! I THINK I FOUND IT! THIS WAY! THIS WAY!”
Shouts rivaled the thunder as the men rushed onward, leaving Attuma behind as he quietly searched the clearing.
Part of him wanted to call out to them to slow down, but it would only go in one ear and out the other.
There was no point in chasing after them and trying to convince them to give up either.
For now, he could only make sure he was safe and well enough to help in the event of an emergency.
From where he currently stood, he could find his way back to the ship without any issues.
Those idiots would probably get lost and need him to come find them or lead the way back to the ship.
It was only a matter of time.
He shook his head at the thought before examining a small patch of mushrooms beneath a bush that had been smacked and rattled by one of his crew mates.
He carefully lowered his head to find a pair of shaking legs by the base of one of the mushrooms and sighed softly.
He turned around to make sure he was alone before reaching out to carefully scoop up the hidden fairy.
“LET ME GO!” The fairy screamed before tossing a handful of mushroom spores at his face.
“Hey- shhhhhh.” He hushed her frantically before falling into a fit of coughs. “What is that?” He frowned as the rain slowly cleared his senses.
“Something that should have killed you, but surprisingly didn’t.” She scowled as she tried to free herself from his grip.
“Hey. I’m trying to help. My name is-”
“I DON’T CARE WHO YOU ARE! LET ME GO!”
“Shhh!”
“NO!”
“Will you be quiet before you summon my shipmates?” He hissed. “I’m trying to help.”
She let out a scream of frustration after slamming her tiny fists into his hands until she was temporarily burned out, her fairy magic dimming until she was lightless as she panted.
“Hey, will you just calm down and listen to me?”
“Calm down?! Calm down in the hands of a fairy hunter?!” She squirmed in his hold and tried her best to claw at his wet hands with her tiny fingers as the rain poured down on them.
“I’m trying to help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t help me, and I don’t need or want your help.” She glared up at him as rain slipped down her bald head. “You’re with those monsters.” She slapped his hand. “You are a monster.” She curled her hand into a fist before rapidly opening her hand, as if to shoo him off with a sharp flick of her fingers.
“So, what if I am? I want to leave. It is not safe here.” He frowned. “I don’t care if we capture a fairy or not.”
“LIAR!”
He huffed as he carefully lifted her and rose to his full height. “I don’t intend to argue with you all night in this awful weather. I need to get you somewhere safe and go find my shipmates before someone gets sick or injured.”
“You don’t have to get me anywhere. Just let me go!” She smacked at his fingers before landing a bite with her sharp teeth.
He let out a shout of pain and his hand opened. “Fuck-” His eyes widened as he watched the fairy drop to the ground with a wet thud, sparkling dimly as she sat in the mud and tried to flap her broken wings.
“Stupid human.” She spat as she stared up at him. “You were crushing my wings to worsen my injuries. You did that so I couldn’t get away, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t do it intentionally.” He frowned as he looked at his bleeding finger before taking note of the sparkling blood that coated his palm and fingers. “You’re bleeding.” He whispered as the rain slowly washed it from his warm tan skin.
“It’s your fault.” She scooted back a little as her body shivered in the cold rain. “All you humans ever do is take and destroy.” She narrowed her eyes. “You do not know how to coexist peacefully or let things be. You’re always trying to conquer things that are deemed weaker and murder what you do not understand.” She looked around the forest as an inkling of grief shined in her eyes. “You all will be the death of my home. A terrible illness.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
The pirate slowly crouched to look at her properly.
Her skin was a sparkling dark brown that was lined with dimly glowing white and black markings.
Upon further inspection, they were various symbols that he couldn’t comprehend but he knew they meant a great deal to her.
She wore a tattered red dress that sparkled with her blood and was damn near a permanent burgundy brown from all the mud and rain.
Her wings were transparent, but extremely iridescent, looking as if they were paper thin slivers of detailed glass.
Every twitch they made in the light the lightning provided as it danced across the stormy late afternoon sky revealed a bright rainbow.
He leaned in to inspect the damage that had been done to them, only freezing when his close proximity earned a nasty hiss and baring of sharp teeth. The sound and gesture explicitly promised to do more damage with her razor-sharp teeth if he touched her again.
“I won’t touch you again unless absolutely necessary.” He raised his hands in surrender. “Let’s just talk.”
“I do not want to talk. I want you to go away.”
He sighed. “Look, I’m sure every single human on the face of this planet has a flaw that will prove you right for hating us.” He stared at her solemnly. “I am sorry for hurting you and for assisting with hunting you down. A lot is depending on your wings right now.” He held her fiery gaze. “However, right now, I just want to get my men and my captain back to our ship without any casualties.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “They are like family to me. I don’t want anyone to suffer.” He pointed a finger at her. “But… if I could get you somewhere safe and sound, far away… I could tell them to give up on their pursuit because I know they’ll never find you.” His gaze softened like melting chocolate as he stared at her. “You’ll never see us again if I can get them back to our ship. I just need you to trust me.”
The fairy stared at the pirate long and hard before screams and shouts of panic filled the air in the distance as a loud beastly roar filled the air.
Attuma looked back with wide eyes before looking down at the fairy.
A wave of curiosity graced her features before shifting into a soft smile.
“W-What was that?” He whispered.
“All of you will be punished for coming here.” She looked up at him. “You will all die here.”
“And you’ll die too.”
“I’ll be just fine.” She scoffed. “I belong here. You do not.”
The screams grew louder as they drew near and Attuma reached down carefully. “I have to hide you.”
“No.”
“If my shipmates see you, they will kill you. You can’t escape in your condition.”
“I’ll just hide here.”
“This place is not safe.” He frowned as the shouts came closer to where they were.
“I am not afraid of death. The death of a fairy will curse a hundred men.” She spat.
He shook his head before carefully picking her up. “You can curse some other humans, but not my men.” He scolded her softly. “They have friends and families to return to.”
“Do not touch me!” She struggled to smack away his hand. “Put me down! All of you deserve to die! I’ll be fine-” she snarled before falling silent as he pressed a finger to her lips. His body grew tense as the trees rattled and the bushes began to shake.
He slowly backed himself into the forest before hiding amongst the bushes they had searched earlier, keeping his dark brown eyes locked in the clearing before them.
The fairy froze and looked out into the clearing with curious dark brown eyes.
A ferocious roar challenged the thundering sky as Attuma watched a large monster’s silhouette get highlighted by a strike of lightning.
A slew of bloodied and battered pirates came tumbling and stumbling out of the woods into the clearing, following their mighty captain in hopes of escaping the pursuing monster.
Attuma gently placed the fairy in his shirt. “Hold on.” He whispered before getting up to run parallel to the fleeing men.
A/N: Alrighty! I’ll drop the rest when Day 6 gets here. Check out @attoye-week for the deets on when that is and all the other info if you wish to participate.
I hope to see you then and stay tuned for other snippets! <3
p.s. And yes, I’m working on updating Storm and Exchange. I am slowly and steadily making my way back to the Attoye cookout.
