#I had to memorize O Captain My Captain years ago in school but now I’ll never remember it without remembering him too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

morimallow · 3 years

Note

wah... hinata with a f!reader that goes from friendship to dating to wait actually i’m in love with this person. oh jesus christ

*squints and whispers* I was just thinking of Hinata as a lover a while ago and then received this ask.. Gasps, were you reading my mind? Ooooh, also, I have a boy bestfriend since my first year of high school and I had a crush on him for a bit until I decided to just continue being friends (I didn’t confess, LOL) but our friends said we were acting like a couple. I’m talking shit so let’s just go on with this. ajhduehfjdhvdkjoigeyeu

This is from high school!Hinata to time skip so beware of major spoilers! ^o^

That's How It's Always Been

Everyone considered you and Hinata inseparable.

Of course you'd start as friends, that's just how Hinata is. You can't resist him whether you're that isolated student in the back of the room or the captain of a sports club, a member of the Alien Society Club, or the one Hinata grew up with. The one thing that made you a bit more special than the others is how you ride with his.. his recklessness.

Hinata's the type of guy to just randomly voice out his thoughts and what he would like to do, probably got it from Tendou or worse, he enhanced this doing of Hinata.

Who else would Hinata go skinny dipping with in the swimming pool behind a crappy hotel? Who does he call at 3AM asking what's the correct spelling for egg and why it's double g? Who's the one being pampered because he felt sorry for letting you stay up late? Who's the one who went to all of his volleyball practice matches and official tournaments? Who's the one who mindlessly agreed to dating her best friend? You, it's always been you since the very start.

It's not uncommon for someone within your circle of friends to be the one to suggest things you and Hinata might want to do but on a particular day at lunch, one scoffed and jokingly said, “Why don't the both of you just date already and see if you'd go straight to marriage?”

You guys don’t actually do things immediately after an idea comes up. Of course you’d question and answer each other’s questions. People at your table were looking at the both of you as if asking if they’re seriously considering to date.

“I mean, we have nothing to lose, right? We’ve been together for so long so dating would be a piece of cake!” Hinata said to you enthusiastically, ignoring your other friends.

You thought of an answer by imagining how Hinata would act when you’re dating and an idea comes to mind, “This means free food!” you exclaimed and you turned to your friends, “Right? That’s what people who are dating do, right?”

By then, your friends just went on with the idea because you’ve always denied your feelings and they’ve concluded that you both just didn’t realize it yet which is quite dumb because you’re all over each other and the other one sulks when the other one is away. They just want the both of you to finally be officially together.

And so, dating begins.

When you realized nothing changed in the way you treated each other, you remembered the time your friends said you look like a couple so that’s probably it.

He would wait for your class to finish then would spend lunch together, you walk him to the gym after a reasonable amount of arguing because he wanted to walk you to your next class, you’d go out on weekends or study together which always ends up with the both of you goofing around. He would text you before and after a volleyball match. He would sometimes call, too, because, “Nothing, I’m not used to this, you know? We’re always together so I’m kind of homesick.”

“Homesick? Sho, we learned about this. If you’re homesick, call your mother or Natsu─”

“I consider you my home too, you know?” he said cutting you off. You were shocked and needed the time to process that one single line of his but you know Hinata can’t be on the line for so long, they still have to do their warm-ups so you stuttered a response, “E-Eh? I mean, I consi─”

“Ah, Y/N, we have to go! Wish me luck, okay? Cheer me on… darling.” Call ended.

Can’t he be more subtle? You were now as red as a tomato. First, he considered you his home and then, he called you darling?! Panic. Mess. Your mind is a total mess, it’s jumbled, it was flipped upside down.

He had been calling you some endearments he searched up on the internet because he’s been calling you by your first name since the day he remembers. Then you remembered you didn’t have the chance to tell him you consider him as your home too.

They lost.

They lost and you wanted to talk to him but you know he won’t like that. He had received more than enough pitiful looks and the only thing he wanted to see was your genuine and comforting warmth. He didn’t need your words because it all shows in your actions that you want to suffer with him, you want him to share his burden to you because that’s how it’s always been. You took care of him like the loving future girlfriend you and you blushed at the thought. You know Hinata will become a bigshot popstar-like person in the future.

You were cuddling on a picnic mat in the middle of a grass park not far away from his home in the middle of the night. You made sure he wore enough layers because he was still running a fever. He had his eyes closed but he isn’t asleep, he’s just savoring the moment and taking his time to accept what had happened.

You admired his face, half covered with a mask because he doesn’t want you to be infected, shamelessly that you propped your chin on his chest while your arm is hugging his torso, unconsciously pulling him to you or pushing yourself closer to him because he won’t budge.

“Are you warm?” you asked in a silent whisper, scared to ruin the atmosphere, scared to ruin his train of thoughts but you really wanted to check on him.

He didn’t open his eyes. Instead, he turned to his side, making you bury your face in his chest, “I don’t know if it’s because of my fever but…it’s warmer. We’re warmer, Y/N. I like this.” Little did you know that it was warmer because you were craving for each other’s heat.

This wasn’t an ordinary cuddle between friends but you won’t dwell on that thought. You guys have always been friends since the start.

It’s a good thing it’s dark out, the only source of light was the moon and a couple of streetlights. You fisted the back of his shirt, afraid that he might go away ─ that this was all a dream, you blushed. No, this can’t be. You always hug Shoyo like this. It’s normal for friends, right? This is just an overwhelming feeling because it has been a devastating week full of fails, losses, and self-doubts. Yeah, maybe that’s just it.

“Hey, Sho?” The calming blanket of the cold night enveloped the both of you; the leaves were swaying softly to the gentle beat of the wind. Shoyo hummed to acknowledge you, he was too tired to talk. He just wanted to sleep with you in his arms like usual during sleepovers.

“Remember the deal we made when we were kids?” you were being shy and you wanted to slap yourself because of it. That’s your best friend! Why would you be shy?

Shoyo stopped breathing for a second. You guessed it was because he was caught off-guard or maybe he was thinking of which one but you don’t hesitate to think that he knows that deal. It was too big and life-changing.

“I won’t take it back. If we’re both still single when we’re 30, I’ll marry you. You better find a husband fast because you’ll be stuck with me forever if you won’t,” he laughed lightly. It was hard for him to mutter the last part. Half of him wanted you to himself but he thinks it’s because he’s used to you being a part of his life ─ no, his entire life and he wouldn’t mind spending the rest with you. He’s your best friend after all, it’s normal.

You slowly closed your eyes, a small smile ghosting your lips, “I don’t mind,” you whispered.

“Alright, alright. I’m still sick so let’s go home,” he said as he gently grabbed your face with both of his warm hands. You looked into each other’s eyes and you both know something changed but decided to ignore it. You silently stood up and folded the picnic mat. Shoyo took it from you and tucked it under his arm.

He held your hand, “Home,” and squeezed it.

This dating went on for years until he came back from Brazil. It wasn’t easy but you both understand. You made time for him as he did for you. He made sure to never miss a single detail of his day when one of you called. There were also times you were so stressed that he tried to sing a song for you. There was one time he accidentally opened his camera just after his shower (because time is important and he wants to talk to you every time) when he took it from the sink and you saw his toned torso, “HINATA SHOYO!” you shouted from Japan. You didn’t know that wasn’t on accident, he wanted to test it out ─ advices and tips from Heitor, Nice, and the one and only Oikawa Tooru.

Kenma, Shoyo’s sponsor, asked you once if you could bring things to Shoyo in which you were baffled why you were required to go if he can just ship it to Brazil like usual.

“I only want the best for my athletes,” was his only answer which didn’t leave your mind for the next few months but still, you flew to Brazil, expenses paid by Kenma.

Brazil with Shoyo was an experience ─ a memorable one, to be exact. You heard his Portuguese getting better and better as days pass by, he would practice on you too but you’d get flustered whenever he does because you shouldn’t see your best friend like that and he would remind you that you two are, in fact, dating.

Sometimes, he would drag you in the morning so you could join him in his morning routine then an evening routine was made in just one week of staying there: romantic walks by the beach.

He couldn’t come with you to the airport but before you left his apartment, he hugged you tight and said, “Thank you for reminding me what home felt like,” then he placed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

Which leads you here now, in the bleachers with your friends back in high school. You were wearing the jersey Shoyo gave because you were his best friend and the one he’s dating, you have that privilege, he said. You didn’t mind…Carrying his name felt nice.

Maybe one day, you’ll have it─ No, no, no, not those thoughts again.

The game was fantastic. You felt proud of Shoyo because you saw how he started, how he thrived, how he worked hard to be what and where he is now. You felt like tearing up.

He would always look at the stands during timeouts to smile at you and you’d smile back. Yachi, Tsukishima, and Tadashi saw everything and said, “Whipped,” at the same time which made you blush and avoid Shoyo’s eyes.

The press crowded the court so they could interview the players and just when Shoyo was about to be interviewed, he excused himself but said he will come back. He wanted to be with you in his debut as a member of the Jackals and in being an official professional volleyball player.

So, that’s where you are, beside him with a hand placed protectively and softly on your waist as he beamed at the camera, “Okay, we can start now if that’s okay!”

They directed the first few questions to only him before they asked him who you were. Shoyo’s eyes seemed to brighten even more, “Oh, she’s my best friend and─” he stopped and smiled sheepishly, “Actually, I want to ask her something important before I continue if that’s fine with you.”

“Yes, of course. Should we stop recording?”

“Ah, no. If this goes well, I’d want everyone to know but if it doesn’t, well…that’s also fine.”

Shoyo knows you’d answer honestly, with or without cameras because that’s how it’s always been. The moment he looked into your eyes, you already knew what he would ask and you both already acknowledged the change you noticed back then in the dimly lit grass park in the middle of the night during your first year of high school because that’s how it’s always been.

“After years of dating, can I finally call you my girlfriend?”

Your lips broke into a wide smile and with springs on your heels, you jumped on him, recording cameras be damned. You just got asked by the Hinata Shoyo to be his girlfriend. He buried his face in the crook of your neck as you said yes all over again.

Shoyo remembered the press and acknowledged them once again, “Oh, right! This is Y/N, my best friend and now…also my girlfriend!”

M. List

#hinata x reader #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #hinata x you #hinata shoyo #hinata x y/n #not beta read #so uh ahaha #i'll edit it one day or maybe 5 years from now lol

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iwaisa · 4 years

Note

Hey can you do a Kuroo x reader where you failed in science and you have to ask him for help please and thank u 💓

a/n. of COURSE i can do this (i’m totally not emphasizing this because i just read kuroo angst and now i am s a d) (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

► now playing...

- pairing. kuroo tetsurou x gender neutral reader

- word count. 2.3k

- warnings. mild swearing, one (1) make out session, kuroo being an adorable dork

Two words. Chemistry sucks. More specifically, AP chemistry. You just weren’t getting it at all.

The equations were confusing as hell, and your teacher couldn’t care less if the class understood the material or not - he just kept moving on without stopping. So many questions surfaced in your head, but you were too nervous to speak up in class. So you just dealt with it, trying to juggle all of the new information with the old, while simultaneously trying to speed-write everything your teacher had on the board before he quickly erased it.

You were taking a test, and you simply admitted defeat. You gave up. Everything you were reading on this test happened to be everything you didn’t understand. Was your teacher trying to fail you? You tried to remember everything your teacher went over, but it just didn’t work. The only questions you managed to get right were some true and false questions, which only counted for one point. It was a fifty point quiz, and you would be surprised if your score came around to be a little more than ten.

You waited until the bell rang to turn in your test, slowly walking up to the teacher’s desk with your head down. Your teacher thanked everyone, and with that, you sat back down waiting for the next teacher to come in.

As the last bell rang, you couldn’t wait to get home. You made it through the day, but it was still a Tuesday, which meant you had three days of school left this week.

Hooray.

You walked out to the shoe lockers, only to be stopped by your chemistry teacher. He had asked you to meet him in the teachers’ lounge to discuss your score on your test.. “L/n, you only got five points on your test today. Is everything alright? Did you have trouble paying attention?”

Ouch. Five points out of fifty. That was ten percent. Double ouch.

“I’m sorry, I’ll do better on the next test.” Your teacher asked if you could stay in the library after school to practice some equations. You had nothing else to do, and you would just be bored when you got home. Plus, you really needed the extra practice, so why not? You trudged your way to the library, test in hand. You knew you would only get the true and false questions right. There were so many red marks that you were just embarrassed. You folded the paper and stuffed it in your pocket. As you walked into the library, you scanned the room to see if anyone else was there. You picked a table and opened your textbook. You looked around before pulling the test out of your pocket. You began working on the equations your teacher wrote down, but after about an hour you grew restless. What the hell is a mol?? You burned holes into your paper with your eyes and sighed. “This is impossible.”

“That one’s 5.098 grams,” a finger slid onto your paper. You jumped and slowly looked up to see who the finger belonged to. Your face exploded into different shades of red as you made eye contact with Kuroo Tetsurou. Volleyball captain, total nerd, and total hottie. Every time you saw the familiar bed-headed captain, you wondered how he didn’t have a girlfriend. “What?”

“This equation. ‘Convert moles to grams.’ It would be 5.098 grams since you have to divide these numbers. Can I borrow a pencil?” You just nodded and handed him your pencil without breaking your eyes away from his face. He was so attractive it should be a crime. He squatted down next to you so that your shoulders were touching and began jotting down numbers. Even his handwriting was attractive. He turned to look at you, your faces just about a foot away. “I have some time before practice starts, you want me to help you finish this?” You nodded, not wanting your words to fail you. “So is there a reason you’re still here even though school ended an hour ago?” “U-uh, my teacher told me to practice these some more,” you mumbled. “What, did you fail a test or something?”

Triple ouch. You turned to face your textbook and nodded slightly. “Wait, really? What was your score?”

“Oh you know, a just-below-average score,” you started laughing and dismissing the question with your hand. “And what was that just-below-average score?”

Shit. You would probably die on the spot from embarrassment if your crush of three years looked at your test.

Before you could explain, he reached over you grabbing said test. “Wait,” you said trying to grab the paper from his hands, but he held it out of reach. He skimmed through the test, his eyes widening a bit. “Woah,” he began.

“It was confusing, okay! The teacher was talking too fast and he didn’t even give us a chance to write the material in our notes! It was like he was talking in three times speed,” you tried to defend yourself. You watched as Kuroo chuckled. “This isn’t that bad, actually. You did the first part of the equation right, but you just got confused a little bit around here,” he pointed to the paper, setting it on the table now. “You’ll get it in no time, so don’t worry about it, alright? You got it.”

Your heart was about to explode out of your chest as he patted your head and gave you a thumbs up. “Well, I gotta get to volleyball. I’ll see you around, l/n-san!” You didn’t want him to leave yet, especially not after the way he just patted your head. Before you could think, you stood up and bowed at a perfect ninety degree angle.

“Please tutor me!” You shouted louder than you meant to, and you hoped he didn’t think you were too needy. “Sure. How about this weekend I can work on this stuff with you?” You told him yes, and you heard him step closer to you. “Now get up, will you? We’re the same age, and it’s not that big of a deal, I promise.” He smiled at you while leaving his hand on your shoulder. There was no way someone could be this attractive, smart, AND kind. You wanted to thank Kuroo’s parents. “I’ll see you this weekend, l/n-san.”

You waited for him to leave the library to squeal. Did you really just say that? And did you really just bow like that? How embarrassing. On the other hand, you just asked your crush to get together outside of school. You were excited and annoyed at the same time - excited that you got to talk to Kuroo more, and annoyed that you had to wait a whole three days until then.

Thankfully the days flew by. Your teacher asked you to stay in the library everyday until the end of the week. Kuroo kept coming by as well, so you were thankful you got to keep seeing him and his outrageous but gorgeous hair. You couldn’t help but notice that each time he came around, he kept getting closer to you. It was like he had to be touching you at any given moment. It also didn’t help that he had a ton of chemistry pickup lines. Like, too many for any normal human to memorize. The first one he wrote on your paper almost made you short-circuit.

‘Are you made of beryllium, gold, and titanium? Because you’re BeAuTi-ful’

You just laughed and shook your head at him, but you couldn’t stop smiling the whole time you stayed with him. You hoped the reason he was wearing his signature grin was because of the same reason. “Hey, l/n, I wish your name was Avogadro...then I would already know your number.” You stared at him as the corners of your lips spread into a smile. “Come on Kuroo, you’re supposed to be my tutor, not a comedian.” “Actually, I’m serious about that one.”

Oh.

“So that I know when you show up to my house tomorrow.”

Quadruple ouch.

You two exchanged numbers and Kuroo went to point to another section in your textbook. The rest of the day you stayed quiet, not wanting him to pick up on the disappointment in your voice.

You woke up the next day and dragged yourself to Kuroo’s house.

Kuroo >:O - Remember to be at my house at 10 AM sharp! And let me know when you get here :D

You - right! :}

You knocked on his door and braced yourself to come face to face with Kuroo in all his bed-headed glory. After a few minutes, the door slid open, revealing Kuroo in joggers and a large t-shirt. The tips of your ears turned a rosy color from seeing him in casual clothes instead of the school uniform. Casual clothes that looked great on him. He led you up the stairs and into his room, and you looked around as he shut the door behind you. His room was pretty normal - he had his bed in one corner, a small study table in the center, and a balcony. He sat on a cushion at the table and patted the cushion next to him. You sat down and began pulling your textbook and papers out of your backpack.

A few hours passed and you and Kuroo had abandoned the papers on his table. Now you two were just talking about school and volleyball or anything else you could think of. It was already two in the afternoon, but the time you spent together felt so short. You wanted to talk for as long as you could, but Kuroo had realized how distracted you two were. He watched as you started solving an equation for a random question he picked from the textbook. As you were writing numbers and units, Kuroo asked to see your phone. You questioned him, and you handed him your phone as he assured it was nothing bad. You watched out of the corner of your eyes as he snapped a photo of himself holding up a peace sign with a dorky grin on his face. He typed something, and placed your phone on the desk face down, telling you not to look at it until after you left his house.

Another hour passed and you were still writing. You had gotten carried away and finished the problems your teacher had assigned for the following week. This was partially because you wanted to test Kuroo to see if he would start talking to you again. Instead, all talking ceased except for the occasional “that’s right,” or “you got it.”

You also couldn’t help but notice that Kuroo couldn’t stop staring at you. You turned to him a few times asking him if something was wrong, and you swear you saw his eyes flicker down to your lips. He assured you nothing was wrong and with that, you turned to finish the rest of the page.

Kuroo reached his hand over to slip your pencil out of your grasp, and you turned to question him. Before you could say anything, he began to lean closer to you. You felt his breath fanning your face as he stopped a few inches away. Your eyes switched between his eyes and his lips until he closed the gap. Your breath caught in your throat, and your eyes flickered shut. His lips were soft and warm as they collided with yours. A few seconds passed and he pulled back. “Was that okay?” He asked quietly while keeping his eyes on your lips. “That’s what you’re supposed to ask before you do that,” you retorted. “Hm. Couldn’t hold back.”

His lips crashed onto yours again, and this time he quite literally stole the air from your lungs. Your lips moved quickly and he wasted no time as he brushed his tongue against your bottom lip. You opened your mouth to let him in as you began to crawl onto his lap. He moved so he was leaning his back against his bed, and his hands rested on your hips. Your tongues explored each others’ mouths, and your hands moved to grip onto his permanently messy hair. He groaned into your mouth as you tugged on his hair, and his hands slid from your thighs to squeeze your ass. You moaned in response.

You two pulled back, needing air in your lungs. “So, um… do you like me?” He chuckled. “What do you think the answer to that is, cutie?” You shrugged bashfully, “I don’t know.” “Oh come on. I thought I made it obvious from the pickup lines,” he said while grinning. “You were confusing me, I figured that was just who you were.” “Yeah, like I would call just anyone beautiful.” You shrugged again in response.

“F/n,” he said while moving his hand to grab your chin. “I really like you.” Your heart was beating uncontrollably. Kuroo really liked you? So he wasn’t just telling you those pickup lines for the fun of it? “I like you too, Tetsurou.” He felt his own face and ears heat up at the use of his given name. He guessed that’s what he gets for calling you by yours.

You left his house half an hour later, after gathering all of your papers and books and stuffing them in your backpack. You pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before slipping your shoes back on. He slid open the door for you and bid you goodbye. As you walked back to your house you remembered what Kuroo said after messing with your phone. You unlocked it and were met with a photo of him with the caption, ‘I hope you’ll be my s/o! :D’ You laughed at his dorky photo. Well, your boyfriends’ dorky photo.

You - you’re such a dork! :P

Tetsu <3 - Huh?

You - but at least you’re my dork now :D

Tetsu <3 - So you saw the photo? Thank god.

You - you think i could ignore the photo you set as my home screen? lol. you’re cute.

Tetsu <3 - That’s you ;3

You - thank god i asked you to be my tutor, huh?

Tetsu <3 - That’s exactly what I was thinking. I would’ve died if I didn’t confess to you soon.

#haikyuu x you #haikyuu x gender neutral reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #anime #kuroo x y/n #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo x you #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo fluff #kuroo tetsurō

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thekoshertribble · 5 years

Text

“You’re no mystery to me. I know exactly who you are.” Women of Star Trek Blog Entry #12 “Space Seed” Marla McGivers

*rubs hands excitedly together* Oh boy, we’ve arrived. I’ve been thinking about writing this entry for a while now. This is gonna be a rough one, so buckle up people. This is will be another long post. As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’ll be discussing the main female character in this episode, Marla McGivers.

(content warnings: this entry will discuss abusive relationships both mental and physical in nature. Please proceed with caution.)

Before I crack this episode wide open, I want to relate it to my own life. When I was 15 I was involved in a very unhealthy relationship with an upperclassman at my school. While never becoming abusive, my “boyfriend” regarded me as a possession, and his aggressive tendencies towards others made me constantly afraid of him. I never said “no” to him, in fear of retaliation. This all ended many years ago, but I honestly haven’t been the same since.

I went to therapy during the relationship and afterwards, and during one of my sessions I showed my therapist this episode.* She immediately understood why I was so drawn to this story. “Khan is [your boyfriend’s name]” she said, “and you’re Marla. I hadn’t realized that before, but she was right. For 10 very painful months, I was Marla.

Marla McGivers may be one of the most tragic characters of the Original Series. Even after it appears she redeems herself at the end of the episode, we learn in “Wrath of Khan” she pays for her mistake with her life years later.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, here. Let’s rewind to the beginning.

Marla McGivers was a lieutenant on the Enterprise when it came across the Bontany Bay and it’s fateful cargo. She was the ship’s historian, apparently specializing in Earth’s history. We first see her in her quarters, working on a painting of a gladiator. (We don’t often see crewmembers engaged in hobbies, so it’s nice that we get this extra detail about her.) She’s quiet spoken, almost timid. It’s suggested that she doesn’t get much work on the ship, and that not many crewmen know her. When Kirk is talking with Spock and McCoy on the bridge, he says:

KIRK: I'll need somebody familiar with the late 20th-Century Earth. Here's a chance for that historian to do something for a change. What's her name? McIvers?

So her lack of routine tasks and her timid nature probably makes her a rather forgettable and isolated figure on the Enterprise. (Spock remembers her name, of course, but he’s Spock - he probably has the whole ship’s roster memorized.) But now, she has an opportunity to apply her knowledge on a mission. Marla, Kirk, Scott and McCoy beam over to the Botany Bay. They find it’s full of humans in suspended animation, as Marla explains to the group:

MARLA: I've seen old photographs of this. Necessary because of the time involved in space travel until about the year 2018. It took years just to travel from one planet to another.

Excuse me, Marla, but it’s November of 2018 and we still don’t have sleeper ships! Where are my goddamn sleeper ships Marla??

*clears throat* Sorry about that. Where was I? Oh, yes. So it finally seems that Marla can apply her knowledge on a mission...aaand then the shit hits the fan. One of the men in suspended animation is hot. And Marla gets, uh, distracted.

KIRK: Could he be the leader? The leader. Lieutenant?

MARLA: (dragging herself back from just gazing at the man) Yes, sir. The leader was often set to revive first.

They get the man out of cyro and bring him on the Enterprise to recuperate. Kirk is not exactly happy with Marla, and they have this conversation:

KIRK: If I were to rate your performance as a member of the landing party today I - MARLA: I know, sir. I'm sorry. KIRK: Lieutenant, at any one time, the safety of this entire vessel might depend upon the performance of a single crewman, and the fact that you find a man strangely compelling to you personally - MARLA: Not personally, Captain. Professionally. My profession is historian, and when I find a specimen from the past alive, I'm in the sheer delight of examining his mind. KIRK: And men were more adventuresome then. Bolder, more colorful. MARLA: Yes, sir, I think they were. KIRK: Good. If I can have honesty, it's easier to overlook mistakes. That's all.

It freaks me out that this conversation has not only foreshadowing but double and triple foreshadowing. It not only refers to Marla’s betrayal of the Enterprise, and then saving the Enterprise by betraying Khan, it also can be tied to Spock’s sacrifice in Wrath of Khan. Is your mind blown yet?

Apart from the foreshadowing, it’s an awkward conversation. Marla literally got distracted on her first mission, apparently because the guy they were rescuing was too hot. She tries to wave it off as professional fascination, but Kirk knows it’s not just that, and to her credit, she owns up to it.

Marla reappears a few scenes later to meet the man they rescued from cryo, some dude who calls himself, “Khan.” She begins to introduce herself but he cuts her off. He already knows who she is. He asks her to “sit and entertain” him, as though she’s only there to amuse him. Determined, Marla sits and begins to question him:

MARLA: I'd like some historical information about your ship, its purpose and

KHAN: And why do you wear your hair in such an uncomplimentary fashion?

MARLA: It's comfortable.

KHAN: But it's not attractive.

Khan stands, moves Marla to a nearby mirror and just starts pulling the pins out of her hair. “There. Soft. Natural. Simple,” he says, admiring his work as though he were a hairdresser. (If only he were that and not a dictator). Finally, Marla speaks up for herself:

MARLA: Mister Khan, I'm here on business.

KHAN: You find no pleasure here?

MARLA: My interest is scientific. Men of. That is, the world of the past. I'm sure you understand to actually talk to a man of your century -

KHAN: There. Simple, soft. Please remember.

Marla’s subject is not being cooperative, nor does he seem to understand the concept of personal space. As she turns to leave, he grabs her arm and looks into her eyes:

MARLA: Perhaps some other time, when you feel more like talking about the past.

KHAN: I'm glad you came. Please do it again.

It’s...unsettling to watch this whole exchange. The average viewer might thing she’s starstruck by him, but I see fear in her eyes as well as awe. I think by this time she’s begun to realize just who he is - she can’t confirm it, but her intuition is guiding her. She has admired him and others like him across the safe distance of time, but now, the subject of her fascination is here before her, real and dangerous. This was something she never had to plan for.

Following this encounter, we learn that Marla suggested inviting Khan to a dinner with the ship’s top officers. Perhaps she did this because she hoped that Kirk could get the answers out of Khan that she couldn’t. I don’t think she made the suggestion simply because she fell head-over-heels for him. It cannot be that simple. Before the dinner, Khan comes to Marla’s quarters, saying he wants her to escort him to dinner. He sees her paintings and compliments her on her technique and her choice of subject.

The paintings double as a visual cue to the audience. It shows her hobby and her...interest: “old, brave, men of the past,” to borrow Khan’s description. Figures as Napoleon, Leif Ericson, and a gladiator named Flavius. It’s suggested that these men are not simply a “hobby” as Khan asks, teasing Marla. Khan then sees one of a turbaned man hidden under a cloth. He nods and simply reacts, “I am honored.” He holds Marla firmly in his arms, and adds, “but I caution you: such men dare take what they want.” He then kisses her, and we see Marla responding, pulling him deeper into the embrace.

We also see, as Khan indicates with satisfaction, that Marla rearranged her hair in the “natural” way khan had arranged it in sickbay. This and the kiss lead us to conclude that despite Khan’s dominating behavior toward her, Marla still feels some attraction to the 20th century dictator.

The dinner Marla requested does not go well. Marla sits next to Khan, oddly saying nothing for the whole scene, while Kirk and Spock needle Khan into finally slipping and admitting that he and his fellows on the Botany Bay are in fact the ruthless genetically engineered humans who vanished in the 1990s. Khan is angered enough to leave the dinner early and retire to his quarters, where Marla finds him brooding. Keep and mind that she did not have to talk to him - she seeks him out because she feels the need to apologize for the actions of her superiors.

MARLA: I wanted to apologize. They had no right to treat you that way.

KHAN: Quite understandable, since I'm something of a mystery to them.

MARLA: You're no mystery to me. I know exactly who you are.

KHAN: Do you?

MARLA: Leif Ericson, Richard the Lion Heart, Napoleon.

Marla says this last line with a little “gotcha” smile. Khan’s expression is one of slight surprise (even though he saw his portrait in her quarters earlier.) Then, Khan turns the tables and the fate of the Enterprise will be changed forever. Here is the conversation, with my notes:

MARLA: I don't know if you're going to like living in our time.

KHAN: Then I'll have to remold it to my liking.

He reaches out to grab her suggestively, but she pushes him away.

MARLA: Please don't.

Angered by her sudden rejection, Khan pushes her away.

KHAN: Go. Or stay. But do it because it is what you wish to do. Well?

Marla makes her fatal decision.

MARLA: I'll stay a little longer.

KHAN: How many minutes do you graciously offer?

MARLA: I only meant -

KHAN: This grows tiresome. You must now ask to stay.

MARLA: I'd like to stay. Please.

Khan smiles in satisfaction and offers his hand to her. She takes it, and suddenly he is pushing her on her knees before him. She cannot escape his grasp.

KHAN: Open your heart. Will you open your heart?

MARLA (her voice is small): Yes.

KHAN: I intend to take this ship. Do you agree?

MARLA: Oh, please don't ask me -

KHAN (squeezing harder on her hand) : I need your help.

MARLA: You won't harm anyone?

KHAN (accusingly): Now you question me?

MARLA (fearfully): No!

KHAN: Will you assist me?

MARLA: Oh, please, Khan, don't ask me -

Khan throws her to the floor.

KHAN: Leave me then. Go, I say.

MARLA (whimpering): No. I promise. I'll do anything you ask.

(Khan smiles with cold-blooded satisfaction down on her as we cut to commercial).

In a matter of moments, Marla has gone from confident and standing before her fantasy-made-reality to crying quietly at his feet.

Let me pause the episode narrative for a moment to talk about the overall themes of this episode, since we’ve reached the major turning point. If you’ve seen this episode before, you probably remember the ending in which Khan alludes to Milton’s Paradise Lost, inferring that he is Satan cast into Hell, choosing to rule in Hell rather than serve in Heaven. We can actually expand this literary allusion to the whole episode. Khan of course is Satan, the snake in the garden of Eden, so what does that mean? Say it with me now: Marla is Eve, the Enterprise is Paradise (and Kirk is God, I guess?) Paradise Lost is a retelling of the Fall of Mankind - via the tempting of Eve by Satan - and the promise of Redemption by the sacrifice of Christ. Space Seed, similarly, is the story of Marla’s “corruption” by Khan, resulting in dire consequences for the Enterprise and her crew. And like Milton’s great epic, more than Eve’s repentance will save mankind. A greater sacrifice is required:

Anyway, so Khan and Marla work together to bring over Khan’s people from the Botany Bay, capture the Enterprise bridge and hold the crew hostage. By now, the crew know that Marla is working with Khan. Interestingly, Marla has apparently been given some authority by Khan over his people. We see this when one of Khan’s men begins to hit Lt. Uhura for not cooperating, and Marla loudly orders him to stop.

Marla then stands behind Uhura dominantly. She’s essentially become the “good cop” to Khan’s “bad cop.”

And then we get to yet another turning point. When Khan threatens to suffocate Kirk in a sickbay decompression chamber to get the bridge crew to cooperate, Marla remembers the words of her dying captain:

Lieutenant, at any one time, the safety of this entire vessel might depend upon the performance of a single crewman.

She turns to Khan, and asks quietly but firmly, “Khan, there’s no reason I must watch this, is there?” This is the most assertive we see Marla. Something has suddenly changed. Khan nods, but remarks that he is disappointed, “I had hoped you would be stronger.” Marla leaves, apparently because she does not want to see her former commanding officer die slowly, and she heads down to sickbay, hides a hypo behind her back, and approaches the guard watching over the decompression chamber: “Khan said to watch him very closely. He may decide to co-operate.” The guard obeys, and as soon as he turns, she stabs the hypo into his neck. She frees Kirk from the decompression chamber, and immediately says: “Captain, I saved your life. Now please don't kill him.” Kirk frees Spock and successfully they regain command of his vessel. Yay!

But wait...what about Khan and his people? and Marla?? Kirk tells Khan that a nearby uninhabited world is suitable for colonization and that he and his people will live there in exile. Marla, meanwhile is given a choice: court martial or exile with Khan. She chooses the latter. To be fair, it really isn’t much of a choice, between certain imprisonment or uncertain life on a planet. But it’s notable that Marla once again chooses Khan’s side, a choice that Khan admires: “a superior woman. I will take her.”

Sadly, going with Khan does indeed lead to her death by a Ceti Alpha eel some years later, causing Khan to go mad from grief and anger. And we all know what happens next...

Now, I do not mean to sound as though I am “blaming the victim” here. I do not mean to say that Marla got what she deserved or wanted, even though the events of the story revolve around her decisions. As you’ve probably realized, it isn’t that simple. Marla is a complex character - her motivations may seem clear but sometimes they’re clouded. Her behavior goes back and forth between assertive and submissive. Complicating all this is the abusive relationship she has with Khan. From personal experience, I know that when you’re in an unhealthy relationship, you don’t always find yourself standing up for yourself, even when your mind is screaming for you to. People ask you, “why didn’t you just leave?” If it were that simple, I would have left as soon as things went wrong. If it were that simple, Marla would not have apologized to Khan, or helped him take over the Enterprise, or travelled with him to Ceti Alpha V.

I’m afraid I don’t really have any further insights into this character, so I’m going to end this blog entry here. However, if you have any thoughts on Marla and her motivations in this story, please share them in the comments. Maybe you saw something I missed? And of course, if you enjoyed it, please leave a like or reblog. See you next time, when I discuss: A Taste of Armageddon!

P.S. If you’re in an abusive or unhealthy relationship, please get help. It may feel as though no one knows you’re hurting but keep on reaching out until someone hears you. And please stay safe.

*My therapist had never seen Star Trek, and I wanted to show it to her to explain how it influenced me. We’ve both come to the conclusion that Star Trek very likely saved my life. It basically served as a coping system for a few years.

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chasholidays · 6 years

Note

Bellamy/Clarke Bellamy is a florist, Clarke is a cop

If someone had asked Clarke to come up with a profile of Bellamy Blake, florist, she would have put them in their late fifties or early sixties, an older woman who wasn’t quite a grandmother but hoped to be soon, someone whose hair had gone white early, but in a fashionable way. She would have assumed Bellamy Blake made lovely floral arrangements and had candy on the counter for children who came into her store with their parents.

Of those assumptions, only one would be true: Bellamy Blake makes lovely floral arrangements. But he’s also in his mid twenties, with curly black hair and freckles, and she’s pretty sure that if he wasn’t pissed at her for arresting his sister, they’d get along.

Not that she knows about the floral arrangements the first time she meets him. The first time she meets him, she mostly just knows he’s fucking pissed.

“What the fuck?” he demands, and Clarke actually assumes that he’s talking to Octavia. “Why are you holding her?”

“She peed on a police car,” says Clarke. “Also she’s seventeen and intoxicated.”

“And you’re going to charge her for that? It’s dumb high-school shit.”

Privately, Clarke agrees, and she has no intention of charging her. But she thinks taking her in and making her hang out at the station is a pretty good solution, all things considered. She was hoping calling Octavia’s older brother, who’s apparently her legal guardian, would also put the fear of god in her, but Bellamy Blake seems much more interested in attacking Clarke.

“It’s illegal dumb high-school shit. Can we talk in private?”

His jaw works, but then he nods. Clarke doesn’t have an office, but there’s an empty interrogation room by her desk, so she takes him in there.

“I’m letting her off with a warning, but I would suggest you make it clear to her how serious this is. Public urination can land you on the sex offenders registry if you do it close enough to a school. We all do dumb shit in high school, but it’s better if it stays in high school.”

He considers her, arms crossed, irritation still radiating off of him. “Is there a bad cop who’s showing up, or will you just switch at some point?”

“No trick. Just a warning. It would help if you acted like this was a big deal.”

“I don’t need lessons from you on how to take care of my sister,” he says.

“Fine, then don’t take them,” she snaps. “I’m issuing the warning and you can take her home or back to the party or wherever. I don’t give a shit.”

“Pleasure doing business with you, officer,” he says, and once the paperwork is done, they’re gone.

The encounter sticks with Clarke in the way some encounters do. It’s nothing terribly special, really; she deals with plenty of drunk kids and annoyed guardians. But the file had stuck out because Bellamy was young to be taking care of a teenager, and she couldn’t help but be annoyed by his lax standards. None of it is a big deal, but it’s just enough to be memorable.

It’s enough that when she needs a flower arrangement for a coworker who was injured in the line of duty and he’s at the counter at the flower shop she goes to, she recognizes him, but she doesn’t place him until he says, “Officer,” in the same curt, disdainful tone he used a little over a year ago.

She came in after work, and she’s still wearing her uniform. She’s not exactly being subtle.

“Is there a problem?” he asks, and she thinks he knows her too, but she’s not actually sure. He could just dislike cops. He wouldn’t be the first one.

“No. A coworker is in the hospital, I wanted to get some flowers for him.”

“Of course.” His voice is still cool, but he straightens a little. “Did you have anything particular in mind?”

“Just a standard get-well-soon arrangement? On the smaller and cheaper side.” She considers, but his expression and manner still bother her, so she adds, “He’s kind of insecure about his masculinity, so if you can lean into that I’d appreciate it.”

He frowns, looking at least confused instead of actively aggressive. “Lean into what, exactly?”

“I don’t know, like a teddy bear, maybe? Something to make him feel kind of uncomfortable because it’s not manly enough, but he can’t get rid of it because it’s a nice gesture.”

He finally cracks a smile. “Yeah, that’s a more common request than you’d think. I can handle that. Thirty bucks okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. I’ll have that done in a minute.”

Clarke watches him work, feeling more relaxed as nothing bad happens. He probably did forget her and just doesn’t like cops. It’s not a position she’ll ever fault anyone for, and with his dark complexion, she’s guessing he gets more “random” harassment than someone like her would.

But she’s glad that he smiles when he rings her up. The arrangement is perfect; she’d like to come back.

She comes up with an excuse just over months later, because mother’s day is coming up and she never gets her mother anything, so now is clearly the time to start. She goes in out of uniform and Bellamy shows no sign of recognizing her at all. He has some pre-made arrangements for the holiday that can be customized, and he and Clarke talk through what she’d like. She pays extra for a delivery service, and it’s all very professional and civil.

She wears her uniform next time, just to see if he remembers her, and he seems to, but not as anything other than a cop he doesn’t hate. Which is what she wants, mostly. He seems like a cool guy, from what she’s seen, and she’d like him to think she’s honest and fair.

That’s definitely why she keeps going.

She’s been going in every few months for about two years when she stops by at the beginning of June and sees he’s put up big display of rainbow flowers outside, arranged around a cursive sign reading simply, Be proud. It’s cool, but she can’t help being a little, well–curious. If he’s expressing pride as a general concept or because he’s part of the LGBT community, and if he is, what part.

Even if she hadn’t already been planning to go in, she definitely would be now.

As usual, he’s at the register, but for the first time ever, his sister is with him, chatting at him from across the counter. They both look up at the sound of the bell, and Octavia narrows her eyes at Clarke.

“Why do I know you?”

“Because she arrested you for peeing on her car in high school,” says Bellamy.

Clarke doesn’t flush, but—she really didn’t think he remembered. It’s been more than three years since the arrest happened, and he never seemed surly at her. He certainly never mentioned it, not even that first time.

Octavia snaps her fingers. “Right, that was it.”

“I hope you don’t get arrested so often you can’t keep the cops straight,” Clarke offers, and to her relief, both of them smile. They have the same way of curling one side of their mouth in reluctant amusement, and it’s cute, seeing the family resemblance.

“I was pretty wasted.“

“Maybe don’t brag about your underage drinking to, again, the cop who actually arrested you for it.”

“She already let me off with a warning. It’s not like she’s going to retroactively charge me. She knew I was drunk the first time.”

Bellamy rubs the bridge of his nose. “You must have something else to do. Literally anything.”

“You don’t need help?”

“She wants flowers for her mom’s birthday, I think I can handle it. Go check on the greenhouse.”

“Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you again, officer. Thanks for letting me off with a warning, sorry I peed on your car.”

“In your defense, you were wasted.”

She grins. “I’m saying.”

Once they’re alone, Clarke doesn’t think she’s the only one who feels awkward. Bellamy rubs the back of his neck, discomfort written all over his posture, and it makes something warm curl in her stomach. At least she’s not the only one.

“I didn’t think you recognized me.”

“It took me a second, but your name’s on the credit card, and I had my note with your name and badge number, so I could check. I, uh–I am sorry,” he adds. “I got taken down to the police station for some bullshit stuff when I was in high school, but O deserved it.”

She leans on the counter. “Like what?”

“I was looking into my friend’s window to see if he was home and a policeman passing by put me in cuffs and took me to the station.”

“Did you get charged?”

“They were on high alert because my friend’s dad was the police chief. The officer thought he was going to get a commendation for finding some dumb kid trying to break into the chief’s house, and Captain Miller was just like, hi Bellamy.”

“So at least it was satisfying.”

“Once I stopped being terrified, yeah. I knew if I made it to the station I’d be fine, but I was always worried I wouldn’t.”

“I get it when people don’t like cops. But I was kind of hoping you were going to yell at your sister instead of me.”

“If it helps, I yelled at her when we got home.”

“It does.” She smiles. “So, the pride bouquet.”

His expression gives nothing away. “What about it?”

“It’s awesome. I was hoping I could get a custom one for my desk. It could hang out with my rainbow flag and alienate my asshole coworkers.”

He seems to be thinking over his phrasing, finally settles on, “What pride are you showing?”

“Bisexual.”

“Cool, that’s mine too,” he says, casual, and Clarke feels a strange surge of hope. She’s always a little wary about dating straight guys, but–bisexual could work. If he can get over the cop thing. And he’s interested.

Fuck, she hasn’t actually been nursing a crush for three years, has she? That would be so fucking stupid. But–he’s cute. And, perversely, guys who don’t like cops are kind of her type. Familiarity breeds contempt.

“So, you want blue, purple, and pink? I haven’t done that before, but I think I can come up with something cool.”

“Yeah, that would be great. And something for my mom for her birthday? She expects flowers now, apparently.”

“That’s a new development?” he asks, with a kind of casual curiosity that makes her flush. “Flowers seem like your go-to present.”

“I’ve never been great with gifts, so when I find something she likes, I just kind of go with it.”

“So now you’re on flowers?”

“They’re good conversation pieces. She’s a doctor, so she puts them in her office and her patients ask about them, and then she gets to talk about her police-officer daughter who sends flowers.”

“Glad I’m helping. So, one mom bouquet and one bi bouquet?”

“Yup.” She worries her lip, but it feels safe to add, “Thanks, Bellamy.”

His smile is soft. “Sure. Let me know how many fights you get in.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep you posted.”

She keeps the bouquet until it wilts, and goes to get another one when it does. It’s pretty and a good litmus test for coworkers, so she just keeps on getting them for a few months, until she gets shot in early September, the day before she’s planning to go to Bellamy’s.

It sounds a lot worse than it is, jut a grazing hit to her shoulder. It’s not fun, by any stretch of the imagination, but as bullet wounds go, it’s basically the best-case scenario.

Her mother still wants her to stay in the hospital for a few days.

“We need to make sure there weren’t any complications. Bullet wounds can–”

“I’m going to listen to my actual doctor,” Clarke says, making her voice gentle. “The one who has access to all my charts.”

Abby smiles a little too. “I suppose I can’t argue with that.”

“I’m off work no matter what. I’ll take it easy.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

There’s a knock on the door and they both startle, and Clarke startles again when it’s Bellamy, holding a bouquet of yellow and blue flowers, with a sheepish smile on his face.

“Sorry,” he says. “They told me visitors were fine, I didn’t think the doctor would–”

“This is my mother,” she says. “Mom, this is–my friend Bellamy.” It feels more accurate and less awkward than my florist. “Hi, Bellamy.”

“Hi. I can come back,” he adds, and she rolls her eyes.

“Mom probably has actual patients to see.”

“I do,” says Abby. “Let me know if you need anything. Nice to meet you, Bellamy.”

“You too.” He still lingers by the door, looking unsure, until Abby has to go by him, and only then does he finally come over to the cot. “Jesus. You really did get shot.”

She laughs a little. “Sorry, did you think it was a hoax? How did you even know?”

“I follow the police department on Twitter, they talk about incidents. I googled it to make sure it wasn’t you, and then it was.” His eyes dart over her, like he’s trying to remind himself she’s there. “Are you–okay? Relative to getting shot.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. They had to operate to get a fragment out, but they’re not worried. I’m staying for observation, should be out tomorrow or the next day.”

“Good.”

“Can I see the flowers?”

He frowns. “What?”

“You brought flowers. Which ones?”

“Oh, uh–you like yellow and blue,” he says. “Or maybe your mom does, but–when you’re not getting pride bouquets, you usually like yellow and blue, smaller blooms, lots of leaves. So I thought–”

“It’s perfect. Thanks.”

He ducks his head, pleased. “Cool, I’m glad.” And then, like a idiot, he stands up. “So, uh, feel better. Get–”

She grabs his wrist with her good hand. “Bellamy.”

“Yeah?”

“You came all the way down here. You don’t have to leave. Company would be nice. If you don’t have anywhere else to be.”

He sits again. “I told Octavia not to burn down the store, so I’ve got an hour or two before she gets bored and turns to arson.” He pauses. “I should probably stop making jokes about her committing crimes, huh?”

“I promise I will never arrest your sister unless she’s actively committing a crime in front of me. Again.”

“That seems fair.” He hesitates, and then takes her hand, smiles when she squeezes his fingers. “I’m hoping you’re going to see more of her. And me. I’m probably going to ask you out when you’re not, uh. In a hospital.”

“You can ask me out now,” she says. “We just can’t go anywhere until I’m discharged. And maybe a week after that.”

“Cool. So, you want to go on a date with me maybe a week after you’re discharged?”

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

He brings flowers for their first date too, and the second, and the third, and somehow they’re her favorites, every single time.

#mappinginink

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pirate-empress-story · 6 years

Text

Chapter 1 Part 2

Ocean spray cooled Elizabeth’s face when she finally stepped out of her cabin, her hand ached from all the paperwork she had been forging. That was the one downside to doing semi-legitimate jobs.

There was a general bustle on deck as the small crew made themselves busy. The captain glanced about the small ship, noting each person carefully. Thelly was finishing taking barrels down to the depths of the ship. Elizabeth’s brother John was securing ropes to the main mast. Cale was helping the minotaur. Standing just in front of her, a Scaronyd was at the helm. A human wearing robes was climbing the ropes clumsily at John’s behest.

A deep resonate male voice suddenly announced Elizabeth’s presence on deck. Cale had stopped his work, as did everyone else, the handful of eyes were on her now. A smile slowly spread onto the young captain’s face. Her hand went to her throat, where a deep grey glass teardrop pendant hung on a similarly grey ribbon that wrapped loosely around the woman’s neck. The necklace burst, an impossibly thick ring of water vapor took its place. Windlessly the vapor exploded out, covering the entire ship in a mild fog.

Elizabeth’s smile deepened into a broad grin when humanoid figures of thick fog materialized next to each crew member. The new crew members started when the fog-men began taking over their jobs.

“Magic, it does wonders doesn’t it?” The captain joked lightly.

“I think the fog can keep our heading for a moment, the sun is going down so the fog shouldn’t burn off in the sun. I’d like to talk to all of you.” The woman stepped down the few steps to the main deck. “There are some faces here I’ve never seen before, I’ll introduce myself. I am Captain Elizabeth Argall, as we are not a Realm ship, I would prefer if you would call me Captain, Eliz, or Argall. I’m not big on formality, we aren’t a big enough crew for me to give a shit about that.” She paced before the small gathering of crew. “My first mate is Johnathan Argall, Cale is our quartermaster, Thelly Whisperhooves is our… Cannoneer, I suppose. And who are the other two of you.”

“I am Hampshire Feenix, I am from the island of Stars, I was hired on by Mr. Cale as a helmsman.” The Scaronyd stepped forward, his dark green skin was dulled in the damp air. His eyes were large and stark red; the hair that sprouted from his leathery reptilian skin was wiry and black, un styled and laying in a natural mohawk.

“Mr. Feenix, what kind of experience do you have?”

“I was the navigator for my father’s war fleet. It was not large, but we did have a few successful campaigns.”

“Why join my ship?”

“The only people giving The Realm any hell is the Pirate Emperor and his pirates,” they gestured around themselves, “and the Sand Nomads. I’m not too fond of sand, so I looked for work aboard a pirate vessel.”

Elizabeth eyed him with her uncovered blue eye. “I see, Welcome aboard the Fallen Angel Mr. Feenix.” She turned her eye onto the other man. He was tall and wore a dark colored robe that hunt to his knees that covered simple clothes. His skin was pale, his hair dark and unkempt, and his eyes glistened a dark grey color. His face was a boyish shape, yet he wore a refined look on it. Had Elizabeth lead a different life, she would have sought for his romantic attentions.

“My name is Jason Bradwyr. I was hired as a deck hand.” The young man said, his voice was deeper than his face would suggest.

“Is there anything that makes you special?” The captain asked, raising a critical eyebrow. He must be the mage Whisper was worried about. She thought quietly to herself.

“I graduated top of my class at Shirahm University of Magical arts and Alchemical Studies.” Something flashed in the captain’s eyes as Jason spoke. “I figured I could blow wind in your sails and the like.”

“What brings such a highly educated fellow to our ship?” Accompanied a few murmurs from the other crew members.

“I had heard that what we learn in our university isn’t real magic; that the mages on ships that taught themselves use truer magic than us learned men who simply memorize circles, sigils, and the names of spirits.”

After a moment of silence Elizabeth speaks again, “Mr. Bradwyr, your university is supported by King Tellamus the third, ruler of the realm of united peoples; an alumni, I’ve heard.” Elizabeth paced slowly, each step echoing in the fog. “I hope you understand that by boarding my ship, and announcing your experience, you’ve sowed doubt in me; while simultaneously spitting in the face of your school and the realm. That takes balls.” After a final cursory glance she turned her back on him.

The fog imploded around the captain’s neck, creating the necklace that hung there previously. The crew was dismissed.

The first job a new crew does together is always stressful, until everyone has been paid there is an uneasiness felt by all. People want to know where they fit in with a group of people, especially if you are going to be stuck on a small ship for the foreseeable future with them. This could be felt in Eliz’s crew. It didn’t help that there was already tension between existing crew mates. Whisper was unhappy with Cale for hiring a mage that she knew nothing about, and John was eager to get the job for Mr. Leifson finished.

John was Eliz’s older brother. He went off to a school to learn proper magic among other things before joining the Pirate Emperor’s armada. He didn’t last long with the Pirate Emperor, so he returned home to help his sister with her new ship. He had the same brown hair and blue eyes that she did, but he was more immense in his size. He came up nearly to Whisper’s shoulder, and was nearly as muscular.

Cale, the quartermaster, was old for a pirate; his peppered hair was wiry and thinning, and his wrinkles created a facial expression that was nearly unreadable. His eyes were the strange part about him though. White orbs like watered milk are sunken in his skull. He was not blind, but he did not see like other people. He can see the soul of an object or creature, he can see the truth and the lies.

Whisper had served on the same ship as Eliz years ago, each of them have a tattoo on their shoulder blades labeling them as one-time crew members of the Branded Banshees. Whisper Bonded with Eliz and vowed to serve under her when she’d announced that she was going to captain her own ship.

These three, at least, knew where they were, for them it was just a matter of getting into rhythm with the other crew members. For Eliz, this first job was a nightmare.

After several days of sailing Eliz stood in her quarters, looking at the plotted course. They would go dangerously close to a Sea Witch’s domain. She bit her lip, looking at the smooth durable pressed paper before her. Her eye scanned the lightly frayed edges, some of the colors of the map had faded, pulling out and dulling some details.

The captain jumped when her door was opened abruptly. It was John, a mixture of excitement and fear in his eyes. “Eliz, there’s a realm ship on the horizon, it looks like a Man-o-War.”

“Fuck, already?”

The long-armed helmsman was standing stoically at the helm. He glanced back at his captain and scanned the horizon with his dark eyes.

“Of course, the wind isn’t behind us, the current won’t be helping much either.” Eliz cursed under her breath. She pulled a telescope from her pocket and scanned the horizon. Three large white masts broke the fuzzy line between sea and sky. “Okay, we are going to try to beat it to the drop-off point.” The captain’s voice quaked with insecurity, she knew that ship was going to be faster than hers.

Several tense hours later Elizabeth began readying cannons, watching the realm ship float closer. The sun began to fall when she declared battle stations.

Feenix coughed, a polite way to ask for his captain’s attention. When she turned he smiled warily and softly spoke, “Captain, I think that I have observed something interesting that could be of use.”

“Go ahead,”

“Thank you. It seems that as we get closer to the area controlled by the sea witch, the Realm ship alters its pursuit. It seems they will be reluctant to go into her waters.” The dark-skinned man paused a moment, looking like he had something extra to add, but decided against it.

“They have good reason to be reluctant. Sea witches typically demand a gift if you pass through their territory.” Eliz bit her lip, furrowing her brow.

BOOM

The sound of a single cannon firing from not too far away brought new life to the crew.

“It was a warning shot, I’d say it is harmless, but I doubt he cares much about our safety.” Eliz called out to her crew.

More shots went off, the booms echoing over the empty ocean. Eliz looked through her telescope again, “EMS Yespur” was carved and painted in faux gold filigree over the side of the boat. She scanned the top deck, a man in the bright red uniform of the Realm stood with a telescope to his eye looking in her direction.

“Feenix, aim us for the Sea Witch’s domain.” Elizabeth said over her shoulder, her hair stood on end. A flash of green at the bow of the Man-O-War caught her attention. “They’ve got a fucking mage.”

The Flying Angel lurched as the helmsman changed course, plunging the ship into waters protected by a sea witch. Another volley of cannon blasts boomed, the sound of splintering wood was more prevalent than anything. Elizabeth’s ship continued forward, a blast of fire shot from Jason’s hand, searing the side of the Realm boat, making the paint of the ship’s name curl and crack.

“No, you idiot, now they know we have a mage!” Eliz lurched forward tackling Jason; pinning him to the damp deck. A thunderous boom forced the Flying Angel to lurch again. For ten minutes the Realm ship sent volleys, some of the cannonballs hitting Eliz’s ship, others missing drastically.

Jason’s face went white when the cannon fire stopped and the current beneath the ship changed. Even a land walker like him could feel the change, and an articulated mage like him could feel the raw magical power that they suddenly entered. They were in HER territory now.

Elizabeth FINALLY hoisted herself off of the idiot university mage and looked up at the Realm ship. They’d backed off, but they had stopped shooting. “what the fuck?” Elizabeth liften her spyglass to her eye and looked toward the red speck on the deck “What… the… fuck… The fucking Bastards. THE FUCKING BASTARDS, Oh, of COURSE.” She passed the glass to Jason who’d finally gotten up, “Look at this shit, Fucking look. They were trying to send us INTO THE FUCKING WITCHES WATERS.” Elizabeth was yelling, her fist came down on the banister next to the helm as she walked briskly up to Feenix. The wood splintered under her fist.

“Eliz, calm down.” John spoke softly.

“Calm… Calm down? CALM DOWN? I am calm! Can’t you see? Fuck.” Elizabeth glared at the ship that now hung at the edge of the Sea Witch’s territory, where the ocean nearly imperceptibly changed shade. “If I wasn’t on a fucking run I’d show that smug fuck a piece of my mind.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, a deep deep breath. “Jason, use your fancy schooling to put this boat back together. Feenix, put us on a more direct route to our destination, Whisper, go down under and grab one of the barrels, she’ll be sending someone to collect her offering sooner rather than later. John, Cale, you two get this ship going as fast as possible.” Glumly the captain trudged down the steps to the underbelly of the ship.

The sky darkened before the crew heard claws scraping the underside of the ship. Elizabeth kicked a barrel off the side of the ship, it began to sink instandly before movement below the water brought it away.

At this point Elizabeth would have turned around and said, “Well, that should be it, let’s keep going”. After which she would have gone back to her cabin and rested.

But that didn’t happen, instead Elizabeth turned from the side of the ship and said, “Well, Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” Sploosh.

The water wasn’t cold, it wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold. Their hands weren’t as rough as she thought they would have been. They weren’t being rough with her either. A light came from a seashell one of them wore. Elizabeth looked at their scales, their rough-looking pale green skin and their large, bulbous black eyes. Her heart beat hard in her chest, if she weren’t drowning she would have thought it was pure sexual attraction. But it wasn’t attraction, it was death. Were they leaning in? She felt water move around her face before she succumbed to the cold darkness of unconsciousness.