#sea of thieves imagine

[skyehammerart]

Davy Jones carton doodle that I messed around with based on his Sea of Thieves Tall Tale. The absolute scary boi from the good Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Notes/reblogs appreciated! DMs & Commishes open <3 <3

#potc #pirates #davy jones #sea of thieves #sot #be more pirate #pirates life #tall tale #sea of thieves oc #sea of thieves art #sea of thieves fanart #fan art #art #potc art #potc fan art #pirates of the carribean imagine #pirates of the carribean #skyehammerart #cartoon

[balsa-margarita]

To describe OG skelle tech im gonna steal a line from a real old hearthstone trailer. “Perfecting Imperfection!”

Precisely.

#asks #sea of thieves #they’re good at MacGyvering things #imagine if they found duct tape

[lilacmingi]

CAPTIVE

My works are 14+ ONLY. If you’re under 14 DO NOT interact with me or any of my works

Pairing: Pirate!Seonghwa x fem reader

Word count: 7,803

Note: Another imagine from 2022 from Wattpad! Seonghwa is a major jerk at first oof but he softens up <3

You woke up to the most maddening sound, like a commotion in the streets. You tried to ignore it, assuming it was just some drunkards in the streets. You attempted to use your pillow to block out some of the noise, which didn't work too well seeing as it only muffled the pestilent sounds.

When the noise persisted, you sat up, grumbling to yourself as you got out of bed, going to investigate the continuous racket. Shuffling to the front door, you flung it open only to be met with chaos. Families were tied up outside their houses as they were being raided, those that weren't tied up were running rampant in the streets shrieking and shouting for help. Men dressed in dingy loose-fitting shirts and cropped trousers ran about in the streets laughing and howling like lunatics. Some held large swords, using it to slash ropes around crates, others held muskets, using them to threaten civilians.

Your throat went dry as you grasped the situation unfolding in front of you. These men weren't regular thieves, they were pirates and your town was being looted.

You hurried to close your front door, only to be stopped by one of the men who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"'Scuse me, lass, but it seems we haven't been in your house yet." The grimy pirate grinned wickedly, showing off his stained teeth.

"No." You spoke firmly.

"No?" He raised a brow. "You've got moxie don't you, little lady?"

"Leave."

He let out a dry chuckle. "If you don't keep that pretty mouth of yours shut, your supplies won't be the only thing I take back to the ship."

Your face immediately contorted, a deep frown of disgust pulling at your lips.

"Kiss my—"

The clicking sound of a musket made you shut up immediately.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you."

You gulped. "Alright. I'll let you in."

The pirate moved to take a step inside, and when he did, you slammed the door in his face, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Why you." He growled, advancing towards you.

You didn't have a chance to escape or even fight back. The pirate yanked you outside into the dusty streets, pulling a rope from his satchel before tying it tightly around you, your arms constricted by the abrasive cable. He shoved you down, forcing you to sit on your knees in the dirt.

"Maybe that'll teach you a lesson." He hissed before stepping inside your house.

At that point, you could do nothing but sit idly and allow that sea rat to ransack your home.

Minutes passed and the man stepped out with an armful of supplies. You saw spices, a few of your candles, and even soap, which was odd because the plunderer in front of you didn't look like he had bathed a day in his life.

"Look at you sitting there all defenseless like that." He taunted.

You clenched your jaw.

"I've just raided your home and there's not a thing you can do about it." He smirked, sticking his face up in yours.

That was the last straw.

Without thinking, you thrust your head forward, giving the man a harsh and powerful headbutt. The man clutched his head in agony, the stolen items falling to the ground.

"That's it. You asked for it!" He growled, lunging for you.

He was swiftly jerked backwards by the arm before he could lay a finger on you. Someone had reached out and grabbed your assailant's upper arm. You glanced over to see who your savior was.

He was tall with a slender frame and carried a sort of superior energy. His dark hair was mostly pushed away from his face, save for a few dark strands hanging over his forehead. He wore a long cream colored coat with a corset of some sort around the abdomen area. He donned black gloves on his hands, black pants and matching boots. His face remained placid but firm as he addressed the pirate.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"She headbutted me, Captain!"

Captain? Crap.

This "Captain" turned to you, a faint smirk of amusement tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Looks like we've got a feisty one on our hands." He said, bending down to your eye level.

You spat in his face in response.

He closed his eyes in mild annoyance as he retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket, using it to wipe his face. He stood upright, gazing down at you sharply.

"Put her on the ship."

"Yes, Captain."

"And clean up that mess." He gestured to the fallen (stolen) items on the ground.

"Yes, Captain."

The objects that had fallen to the ground were gathered and tossed into a sack. Still tied up, you were jerked to your feet by the grubby pirate and shoved forward down the street.

"This is absurd!" You voiced. "You have no right to be doing this!"

"We're pirates, dear. We don't care about rights."

You jerked in his grip, wanting desperately to escape.

"I don't even have shoes on." You complained.

"That's the least of your problems." The captain spoke up.

That's when the panic really set in.

What was going to happen to me? You thought.

You then began to think of the worst possible scenarios. You could end up locked in the brig, fed to the sharks, tortured, or worse. These men could do things to you—things that you would by no means consent to.

You could feel the blood drain from your face at the thought.

Next thing you knew, you were standing on a dock, the weathered wood pressing into the bottoms of your bare feet. The captain of the ship stepped up the gangplank, shouting orders to the crew still on board.

"Prepare for departure!"

He then withdrew a pistol from its holster strapped around his waist. He held the gun up to the sky and gave off two shots, the loud sound resonating in the air.

"Bring our hostage on board." He ordered the pirate who still had a tight hold on the ropes tied around you.

"Yes, Captain." He spoke, shoving you forward.

You stumbled up the gangplank and onto the ship. The crew was hard at work, moving hastily around the deck, preparing to depart from the dock.

Moments later, groups of grimy men boarded the ship, their arms laden with items that were looted from innocent civilians' homes. You frowned, saddened at the though of all those poor people with barren shelves and messy houses.

"Get a move on, will ya?" The pirate complained behind you.

You moved forward, the rough wood of the deck scraping against your bare feet.

"Captain, where should I put her?" He asked.

"Tie her to the mainmast."

"As you wish."

You tried fighting back as you were dragged towards the large, wooden beam, but it was useless. You weren't strong enough to break free, but that didn't stop you from trying. Screams of protest left your mouth as you thrashed around, making it as difficult as you could for the pirate trying to keep hold of you.

The captain merely stood off to the side and watched in amusement. A look of satisfaction spreading across his features as you were ultimately tied to the main mast. A second crew mate hurried over with thick ropes in his hands, assisting in fastening you to the mast. The first pirate that had harshly escorted you onto the ship insisted on being the one to tie you up, making sure the ropes were uncomfortably snug around you.

He gave you a nasty grin when you shifted uneasily under the abrasive restraints, content at your discomfort. You knew this would only be the beginning of your suffering.

Your entire upper body was pressed against the mainmast, you weren't able to move at all. You kept your eyes cast downwards, staring at the boards.

Captain Seonghwa strode towards you, his boots thumping heavily against the wooden deck as he held a shotgun in one hand.

"Look at me." He ordered.

You kept your gaze low, not daring to look up at him.

"Did you not hear me? I said look at me." He repeated a little more harshly.

You then saw the barrel of a shotgun in your sights. The end was pressed under your chin, lifting your face up to look at Seonghwa.

You glared at him with the most hatred you could muster, keeping a brave face.

His hard expression faltered momentarily at the intensity of your stare. He was quick to recover, putting on that same tough guise as he glowered down at you.

"You filthy pirates think you can take whatever you want." You hissed.

"We can."

"Not without consequences."

"You sure have a mouth on you." He commented, ignoring your statement as he looked you over, seemingly contemplating something. "I wonder what I should do with you." He murmured, thoughtfully, his head tilting to the side. "I could blow your head off right now... or I could keep you around for entertainment."

Your face twisted in distaste.

"You're disgusting."

He let out an amused chuckle. "I didn't mean it like that, dear. But, if you're offering, I can't say no."

You spat at him for a second time, your saliva landing right on his perfectly polished boot. His top lip curled into a snarl as he moved the barrel of his gun into your mouth.

"You'd better keep that to yourself."

Now you were scared. Seonghwa could see that. He smiled in satisfaction, lowering his weapon.

"If you don't keep that mouth of yours shut, I'll gag you with a piece of cloth."

As much as you wanted to make a snappy remark, you didn't want your speaking privileges to be taken away. You had more quips to use on Captain Seonghwa.

He turned on his heel, facing his crew.

"Prepare the sails!" He ordered, harshly. "Let's get out of here."

You watched as he strode away, going to steer the ship away from the docks. The only thing you could do was sit and watch as the giant vessel departed from the port, your ravaged town getting smaller and smaller, not looking away until it was nothing but a mere dot.

The crew busied themselves around you, not paying any mind to you at all.

So this is how it's gonna be until they let me go... or kill me.

You dropped your head, letting out a sigh. There was no use in trying to find a way out of this situation. You didn't have anything with you to cut the ropes and you surely wouldn't be able to wiggle your way out of them. You'd be stuck like this for... well, you weren't sure.

At some point, the crew mates started making their way to their sleeping quarters, the main deck getting emptier by the second. You watched as they passed you by, not acknowledging you. It wasn't long before Seonghwa walked by, heading to the captain's quarters.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed. Goodnight." He responded, casually.

Just then, a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

"You wouldn't dare leave me here overnight."

"Try me." He smirked.

You were left outside.

As if your situation wasn't bad enough, it ended up raining—hard. You were left freezing cold, soaking wet, and shivering. Since you were kidnapped in the middle of the night, the only thing you had on was your nightgown, which was very thin and providing you no warmth at all. For the time being you were thankful for the ropes, as they were giving you a little protection and warmth.

You were uncomfortable and cold, yet somehow, you were able to sleep. You assumed you got so tired that you dozed off without even knowing.

You woke up to yelling, causing your body to jolt as you were abruptly pulled from your sleepy state.

Seonghwa was scolding some of his crew, telling them they need to move faster, griping that they weren't tying knots fast enough. Once he was done with his rant, he stomped off, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

The three pirates muttered amongst themselves as they tried to figure out what to do. They were trying to tie up the sails, which requires you to tie a bowline knot. This group seemed to not know how to do that.

"Pardon me." You called out to them, keeping your voice low.

One of them turned to you with a confused expression, wondering why you were speaking to them.

"You're not tying that knot correctly." You told him.

"Why should we listen to a prisoner?" One of them asked harshly.

"Yeah. We wouldn't listen to a prisoner, let alone a woman."

"Fine. Get yelled at by your captain. I don't care." You responded, nonchalantly.

"How... how do you tie this knot for the sails?" The one with the rope in his hands asked, softly.

"Your buddies there don't seem to wanna listen to what I have to say, so just forget it."

"No! Please. I'll listen."

You then explained to him what to do, all three of them hanging on to every word—even the ones that snapped at you.

Unbeknownst to you, Seonghwa had noticed you conversing with his crew. He also noticed how they listened to you. He was surprised to see that you knew what you were talking about.

"So you can do something besides spit and run your mouth." He remarked, catching your attention.

"My dad worked with ships a lot." You responded, casually. "I know almost everything there is to know about sailing."

Seonghwa hummed to himself, looking at you thoughtfully before walking off.

You closed your eyes, resting your head against the main mast. Visions of your home flashed in your mind. Your warm bed, your kitchen stocked with food, and the feeling of safety that came with your abode.

Heavy footsteps approaching pulled you from your daydream—it was Seonghwa.

"You just might prove to be useful."

You narrowed your eyes at him, tilting your head in curiosity. "Does that mean you'll untie me?"

"Oh, I'll untie you—but, in case you have any ideas about jumping ship,"

You then felt something cold brush against your ankle, followed by a click sound.

"I'll have a leash to tug you back with."

Glancing down, you saw a metal cuff around your ankle, a chain laid out on the deck.

"You're chaining me up like a dog?"

"It's the only way I'll be able to keep an eye on you. If I let you loose on my ship, there's no telling what you'll do."

You pressed your lips together, holding back your irritation. He was right and you hated that.

He pulled out his cutlass, using it to slice the ropes, the thick cords falling at your feet. His eyes lingered on your figure as his tongue ran across his bottom lip.

"I was going to offer you some proper clothes, but I rather like you in this little nightgown."

The gown had long sleeves and went down to your ankles, covering you well, but his comment made you feel vulnerable and exposed.

"You're sick."

He snickered in response, a cocky smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I suppose the right thing to do is to provide you with proper clothing. Follow me."

He used the chain to tug you forward, which earned him a displeased scowl from you.

He led you to the captain's cabin where he started rummaging through his wardrobe. You glanced around the space, noticing a shelf with a plethora of rolled up maps and a few books. There was a desk near the front windows of the ship. On that desk were papers, maps, books, and mapping tools.

"Here."

You turned to see Seonghwa with some clothes in his hands.

"Hurry and change."

When he didn't move, you looked up at him, expectantly.

"Don't worry. I won't look."

You gave him a skeptical look as he turned away from you. You took a few steps away from him before changing.

"I never got your name." He spoke up, his back still turned.

"You never asked."

He let out a short scoff. "So, are you gonna tell me your name or should I call you whatever I please?"

"My name is Y/n."

"Y/n." He repeated, testing the name out.

You didn't think he deserved to know your name, but with the alternative you were given, you didn't really have a choice. There's no telling what he would have called you had you refused.

The moron supplied you with clothes, but neglected to consider the fact that there was a cuff on your ankle which prevented you from being able to put on pants. He removed the cuff and turned his back only long enough for you to change.

"I'm done." You announced once you finished changing into the clothes Seonghwa had given to you.

The shirt was loose, but comfortable, as were the pants, but he had given you a belt to help with that. The metal cuff was clamped back on your ankle once again, reminding you that there was no escape.

You felt much better now that you were in actual clothes, even though they were a bit baggy and belonged to the person who kidnapped you.

The captain looked you over once you were finished.

"My clothes fit you better than I though." He smirked. "The boots are probably a bit big."

"They're fine." You muttered. "Thanks."

You thanked him under your breath, hoping he didn't catch it.

"What was that, darling?" He inquired.

"I said thanks." You spoke up.

"I still didn't catch that. What?"

"I'm not saying it again."

"It was worth a shot." He sighed, playing with the chain in his hand. "Come on."

He led you out of his cabin and back onto the deck where he took the long chain attached to the cuff on your ankle and wrapped it around the main mast, securing it around the large post. Though you were upset about still being imprisoned, it was a step up from being tied up with rope. At least now you could walk around, well, as far as the chain would allow.

"Now, just because I said you might be useful doesn't mean you're off the hook. You're going to have to earn my trust."

"Yeah, yeah." You rolled your eyes. "What is it you're wanting me to do?"

"I want you to swab the deck." He told you.

"Seriously? I just proved that I know sailing knots and you're putting me on cleaning duty?"

"You proved that you know one sailing knot. So yes, you're on cleaning duty." He grabbed a nearby mop, shoving it towards you. "Bucket's right there." He pointed before walking up to the forecastle deck.

You sighed, grabbing the bucket of water, dipping the ratty mop into it. The chain cuffed to your ankle allowed you to walk around the main deck, however, you couldn't get near the railing of the ship. Even if you wanted to, jumping ship would be the stupidest thing you could do. You're out in the middle of the ocean with no compass and no boat. If you jumped ship, you'd be left treading water for goodness knows how long. Your best bet was to stay on the ship. Though, you'd love to get this infuriating cuff off your ankle.

For the time being, you'd play it cool and stay under the radar, mopping the fish gut-stained deck, the acrid stench burning your nose. You dropped the sopping mop onto the wooden boards, swiping back and forth repeatedly until it was clean. You repeated this until you had nearly half the deck mopped.

Seonghwa made sure to keep a vigilant eye on you, making sure you weren't trying anything.

At times, you'd have to move things out of the way to properly mop. As you moved a few small crates, you noticed a bobby pin lying on the deck. Glancing over your shoulder, you checked to make sure Seonghwa wasn't looking before snatching the bobby pin, swiftly sliding it into your hair as you got back to work, acting as if nothing had happened.

Once the deck was thoroughly swabbed, you sat down on a large crate to rest, glancing up at the forecastle deck where Seonghwa stood, steadily steering the large sea vessel.

"Captain!" One of the crew members called out.

"What is it?"

"Come here. I need you to come check this."

Seonghwa stepped away from the wheel to assist the man in need of assistance. You took the opportunity to get a look at the keyhole on the cuff attached to your ankle. When you were younger, your dad had a huge chest of memorabilia from old ships he worked on when he was a teenager. Unfortunately, the box was locked shut and he had lost the key, so he picked the lock to get inside the chest. That's where you learned to pick locks.

Checking again to see if Seonghwa was still preoccupied, you pulled out the bobby pin and began to mess with the keyhole on the cuff, jiggling the the pin around. Unfortunately, you didn't make any progress with it, as Seonghwa had returned to his post at the wheel. Not wanting to raise suspicion, you tucked the bobby pin away, choosing to wait for a better time to free yourself.

"Not bad, Y/n." He commented as he observed the deck from the wheel of the ship.

You scoffed, turning away from him.

The bright sun was soon replaced with the softly glowing moon, the air becoming much cooler as stars began to appear, dotting the sky above.

Seonghwa had put you to work cleaning and doing seemingly pointless tasks almost all day, which you were annoyed with. However, when night approached, he offered to let you sleep in his quarters. You refused at first, not wanting to share a bed with the tyrant, but he clarified telling you that he had a hammock you could sleep in. You agreed after that.

Seonghwa, who still didn't trust you, attached the chain to a wooden post in his room. Despite the discomfort from the metal cuff, you slept well—much better than you had the previous night.

You still wanted to leave, though.

You stayed chained up for days, being put to work cleaning and doing other things completely unrelated to sailing. You hated it. Swabbing the deck, cleaning the cannons, cleaning the kitchen, washing the dishes. Chores, basically. You didn't get to anything the crew got to do. You were just a maid.

Then, one day an opportunity presented itself to you.

As you worked on the main deck under the watchful eyes of Seonghwa, his quartermaster called out for him. Your attention turned towards the forecastle deck. Seonghwa sighed, abandoning his place at the wheel to speak with his quartermaster.

You hastily retrieved the bobby pin you had kept with you since finding it, making sure no one was watching as you attempted to pick the lock on the cuff.

"Come on. Come on." You murmured under your breath, glancing around. Seonghwa was busy, his back turned as he spoke to the quartermaster. The crew was busy doing their own tasks, not paying any mind to what was going on, too engrossed in their duties. Though everyone was preoccupied, you still felt on edge, knowing that at any moment, one of them could spot you trying to free yourself.

"Come on." You muttered, gritting your teeth.

Click.

The cuff unlatched.

You gasped, frantically looking around to make sure no one saw. You stood up, preparing to sneak into the cargo hold.

"Captain." The quartermaster pointed just beyond Seonghwa's shoulder.

He turned around, following the quartermaster's finger, spotting you without the metal cuff on your ankle, sneaking along the deck.

"That little—" He hissed through his teeth, rushing down the stairs to the main deck. "What do you think you're doing?"

You spun around just in time to see the captain coming after you. On a moment's notice, you reached over to the nearest pirate and pulled a sword from his sheath

"Very cute." Seonghwa chuckled amusedly, pulling his own sword out.

You held the sword out, pointing it towards him as the crew mates backed off, watching in shock. He stepped forward, your weapons clashing with a resounding clang. You weren't the best swordsman, but your father taught you a bit about sword fighting in case you came across any pirates while sailing.

You pushed Seonghwa's weapon away with the thin blade of your sword. He grunted, his jaw clenched as he fought back.

"Get away!" You shouted.

"You have no authority here." Seonghwa chuckled, blocking your swing.

You came at him mercilessly, every single time, he blocked you with ease, looking as if he wasn't even trying. Rarely did he come at you with an attack. It seemed he was only defending himself, never taking any shots at you. You raised your sword, ready to strike again when suddenly he stepped forward, the flat side of his sword firmly patting your bottom.

You gasped, placing your hand on your backside in shock. Seonghwa chuckled, smirking proudly. That only made you angrier. Your grip tightened on the hilt of the sword and you lunged forward, only for Seonghwa to dodge, stepping aside with ease.

"You know, I could have injured you many times by now, but I didn't." He spoke.

You noticed he had plenty of opportunities to harm you, but he was just being playful and not really fighting back. Why?

"Don't be a coward!" You snapped, pointing your sword at him. "Fight back."

"You don't want me to do that, sweetheart."

"I do."

Seonghwa quirked a brow.

In turn, you came at him, swinging the sword. He blocked every hit, fighting back and clashing blades with you. The force of his hits had become much more powerful at this point. So powerful, that it was forcing you to take a few steps back. With one, powerful swing, Seonghwa knocked the sword from your hand, the weapon clattering to the deck. You stepped backwards to get away from him, your back hitting the wall between the sets of stairs leading to the forecastle deck.

In a split second, Seonghwa's sword was thrown through the air, landing directly beside your head, sticking out of the wood.

You were frozen with fear, your body stiff as you tried to process the fact that your life quite literally flashed before your eyes.

Seonghwa strode towards you, grabbing onto the sword's hilt, jerking the weapon from the wood, his dark eyes staring into yours with the burning intensity of a thousand suns. You were terrified.

"Now, let's get you chained back up, shall we?"

Your eyes widened and in seconds, you ducked under his arm and went straight for the closest thing—the rigging. Grabbing onto the netting, you began to climb up it, moving further from the deck.

"Don't be like that, Y/n." Seonghwa sighed. "Why don't you come on down?"

You ignored him, climbing higher.

"Come on. Where will you go?"

"Away from you!" You shouted.

"Get down here." He called.

"You honestly think I'll listen to you?" You asked.

Seonghwa's jaw ticked with annoyance, his hand squeezing the hilt of his sword.

"I could always just cut you down." He tilted his head, a glint in his eye that told you he wasn't lying.

"But Captain, the rigging will be damaged." One of the crew mates spoke up. "I don't know if we'll be able to—"

"Shh." Seonghwa cut him off. "I don't care."

"What if she gets hurt?"

"I don't care." Seonghwa repeated, raising his sword.

Crap.

You didn't think about the fact that you could fall onto the deck and get injured. Just as Seonghwa reared back, you spoke up.

"Okay!"

He paused, looking up at you.

"I'll come down." You relented, making your way down the rigging.

As you descended the netting, your foot slipped, a shout leaving your lips as you fell, squeezing your eyes shut and preparing for the harsh impact. You grunted as you landed roughly in someone's arms. You peeled open your eyes to see Seonghwa looking down at you with a proud expression on his face.

"Nice of you to join us." He grinned.

Your face twisted in distaste as you squirmed your way out of his arms.

"You're not a bad sword fighter." He commented. "I could teach you how to be a better one."

You narrowed your eyes at him.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because you can do better than that."

"I thought you wanted to chain me up again."

"I should. Especially since you've proven to me that you'll turn on me as soon as you get the chance... but I won't."

"Why? What do you want?" You asked.

"Well for starters, you're not that much of a threat to me. You know a little self-defense and you seem to have a few skills that can help you get out of bad situations. In other words, you're good, but you're not that good."

For some reason, that offended you.

"You passed." He finally stated.

"Passed?"

"Yeah. You've done a good job cleaning around the ship, you managed to escape under tough circumstances—though you did it under my supervision, which isn't very good on the loyalty part, but we'll work on that. You know a bit about ships and your sword fighting, while rather sloppy,"

"Hey!" You snapped.

"I think you could improve with an excellent teacher." He finished.

"Oh? Do you know one?" You asked, sarcastically.

He gave you a deadpan expression.

"So what do you want?" You asked.

"I want you on my crew."

"You're joking." You chuckled.

"I'm not."

"What's in it for me?"

"Food, shelter, a place to live."

"I had a place to live and you took me away from it." You snapped.

"That's fair." He hummed, straightening his coat.

"How do I know you won't turn on me?"

"How do I know you won't turn on me?" He directed the question back at you.

Touché.

"Fair point." You responded.

"What do you say, Y/n?" He inquired, reaching his hand out. "Do we have a deal?"

You'd never be able to return home. You were going to be stuck on this ship either way so it didn't really matter. The only thing you could gain from joining the crew is safety and protection, which you'd prefer over being chained up and not knowing when they'd decide to throw you overboard.

"Deal." You finally spoke, shaking Seonghwa's hand.

As soon as you latched on, he pulled you toward him, jerking you forward. You grunted as you landed against his chest. He brought his head down to your ear before speaking.

"If you turn on me at any time, I won't hesitate to shoot you." He whispered, threateningly, the barrel of his pistol pressing against your side.

"You have my word." You responded, keeping your tone relaxed.

Truthfully, he wasn't all that frightening to you, but his threats seemed to hold weight. Whether or not he would follow through, that was a mystery. So for now, you needed to be on your best behavior.

Seonghwa released you, allowing you to step away from him and put some distance between the both of you.

"Alright everyone, back go work. There's nothing to see here." He addressed the crew who had been standing and watching the both of you like they would a play or some other form of entertainment. The crew dispersed immediately, going back to what they were doing.

"Alright, Y/n. Should we begin your lessons?"

"Now?"

"No, tomorrow."

You turned to him with a flat expression.

He paid no mind to it as he began speaking again.

"Follow me."

You trailed behind him as he went to his sleeping quarters and retrieved an extra sword, grabbing one that was displayed on the wall.

"I stole this one from a wealthy king." He grinned, seeming to look back on the memories. "You can borrow it for practice."

You took the hilt which had a rather intricate design etched into and around the handle that caged your knuckles.

"It's nice." You commented quietly, watching the way the light spilling into the room glinted on the silver handle.

"I know. That's why I had to have it. Consider yourself lucky. I don't let just anyone borrow that."

Rolling your eyes in response, you lifted the weapon upright, testing its weight.

"Will that work for you?"

"I think so." You nodded.

"Then let's begin."

You followed the pirate onto the vast and spacious main deck where he took his stance. You did the same, holding your sword at the ready.

"For starters, the way you stand is too loose. You need to lock up your legs. If you stand like you are now, your opponent can easily overpower you and force you backwards. You need to try and stand firm."

Glancing down at your feet, you repositioned yourself, making sure to stand a bit more firmly.

"That isn't right." He sighed, walking over and readjusting your stance, making you straighten your back. His hands rested firmly on your shoulders, pushing them forward a bit.

Feeling him so close to you was giving you mixed feelings, both good and bad.

You had to remind yourself that the man teaching you how to sword fight was the same man who forced you onto this godforsaken ship in the first place.

"Alright. That's how you properly stand. Do you feel the difference?"

You nodded.

"Good. Let's try fighting now." He held up his own sword, quickly making the first move.

You made sure to keep your legs locked, blocking his swing and pushing his blade away with your own, a resounding shing sound cutting through the air. The force of you pushing his weapon away didn't faze him at all, in fact, he hardly budged.

His brow briefly rose in a somewhat mocking manner as he smirked. You could practically hear him say, "That's why your stance has to be solid."

Swinging your weapon towards his, you let out a grunt, your blades clashing. You pulled back, going in again only to be blocked. This pattern kept repeating until you finally saw an opening. Your arms raised, your hands gripping tightly onto the hilt. Just as you were about to swing, you noticed Seonghwa eyeing your middle. That's when you realized your abdomen was exposed. Both of your arms were up in the air and he had a clear shot at your midriff.

In the blink of an eye, you jumped backwards and just as you did so, Seonghwa's blade stabbed the air right where you previously stood.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, your eyes wide in shock.

"You just tried to stab me." You breathed.

"That's what a sword fight is."

"But you could have killed me!"

"Don't be dramatic. I wasn't actually going to stab you. If you hadn't jumped back I was just gonna fake you out."

Your eyes narrowed at him.

"Come on. Let's go again."

"I don't think so."

"Come on, Y/n. I won't try to get any hits in this time. Promise."

"I don't trust pirates." You snapped.

"You trusted me enough to have a practice sword fight with me just now. So, you must have at least an ounce of trust in me."

He got you there.

"Alright, fine."

"So, you admit that you trust me even if it's just a little." He grinned.

"Let's just get this over with."

You spent the next few weeks training with Seonghwa, allowing him to teach you all his tips and tricks for sword fighting. At first, you thought he was just being cocky calling himself a good teacher and all, but he was telling the truth. Besides his arrogance, he was a pretty decent mentor. You actually felt like you had improved a bit in your sword fighting.

Not only that, but between practice sessions, you started picking up different tasks around the ship. Some days, you'd help with the sails, while others you'd polish weapons. You even got to help prepare dinner for the crew one night, which you enjoyed.

You stood on the forecastle deck with Seonghwa watching him steer the large vessel, the warm sea breeze blowing through your hair. That's one thing you were beginning to enjoy about being on this ship. The almost constant breeze was always nice and in some ways refreshing. The ocean surprisingly relaxed you.

"I love this view." Seonghwa spoke up, cutting through the silence. "The horizon stretches for miles and miles. You can't see the end of it. It just goes on forever. And the thing about the ocean being so big is that there's so much to explore and you never know what's out there unless you look for it." He commented, staring out at the endless expanse of water.

Glancing over at him, you saw how his eyes had this gleam of joy, a content expression on his face. It was the first time you'd seen him look so... happy.

"You really like what you do, don't you?"

"I do. I enjoy going to different places and living at sea. I feel like I was meant to be here."

You were surprised to hear that from him. For once, you felt like you had gotten a glimpse of the real Seonghwa. You'd never seen that side of him before and were beginning to think maybe he wasn't as merciless or as arrogant as you first thought he was.

"Seonghwa?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Taking care of me, training me, feeding me, giving me a place to sleep. Why did you even kidnap me in the first place?"

"Honestly, you were giving my crew mate so much trouble. It agitated me. I really was planning to hurt you or throw you to the sharks, but I also saw something in you. You put up quite a fight, I guess I though I could use you on my side. So, instead of doing something I probably shouldn't, I decided that I would just keep you around and see what happened." He answered. "Besides, I don't kill ladies."

"Oh, so now I'm a lady?" You questioned, teasingly.

"You were always a lady."

For some strange reason, that made you feel something and you kind of hated it. You should have been repulsed, disgusted, appalled even—but no. Instead, you felt somewhat flustered. There's no way you could be falling for Seonghwa—could you?

"So, do you just put on this tough exterior so everyone is afraid of you?" You questioned, intending to learn more about him.

"Was it that obvious?" He chuckled.

"Sort of. You did a good job at hiding it at first, I'll give you that."

"Thanks."

"You still rob innocent townspeople of their things, though." You added.

"I have to. That's a pirate's life. Though, I don't always steal from innocent people, just when it's necessary."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Not really, but I act like I do. Robbing people who deserve it is what I enjoy." He smirked at that.

"I suppose I could understand that." You hummed. "So, how did you end up here, living a life of piracy? I don't suppose you were born a pirate."

"It's a long story." He responded, staring ahead, his expression holding an emotion you couldn't describe.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, I have plenty of time." You chuckled.

Seonghwa pressed his lips together in thought, his fingers tapping the wheel.

"When I was five, my mother suddenly decided she didn't want anything to do with me and dumped me on my father." He started. "Unfortunately, he didn't want anything to do with me either, so he took me to the docks and ditched me there. It wasn't long after that a fisherman came along and found me, taking me in. I was young and scared, wondering why both my parents had just left me, not caring what happened. You'd think that fisherman would be compassionate since he took me in, but he was cruel. He would guilt trip me and make me feel like a liability, always saying things like I was useless and would never amount to anything. He always called me ungrateful and said I'd be dead without him. Truth is, I did everything he asked me to do and then some. I was a decent kid. He had no reason to treat me the way he did. I sometimes wonder why he even took me in if I was such a burden to him."

You frowned, not knowing Seonghwa had such a difficult childhood.

"One day I just had enough. I was sick of him putting me down all the time. The first ship that docked in town, I stole. I didn't care who it belonged to, I just wanted to get out of there. I boarded the ship with a small bag of all my belongings and just sailed away. I was on my own for a few weeks, stealing from different places until I docked in a nearby town. That's where I found the first few members of my crew and it's grown ever since."

You watched as he steered the very vessel he had stolen years ago, his eye still on the horizon ahead.

"Being tossed from one person to another makes you feel pretty unwanted." He glanced down below at the main deck towards his crew. "But I feel pretty wanted here." A small smile pulled at his lips and he looked over at you. "I never had a permanent home until now. This crew is my family."

For some reason when he said that, you felt included in it too.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Me too."

"How old were you when you ran away?"

"12."

"Wow." You twiddled your thumbs for a moment, imagining a young 12-year-old Seonghwa being at sea on his own with only a few people to help him out. Without thinking twice you approached him, wrapping your arms around him from behind. The captain stiffened a bit before turning in your hold and facing you.

"What are you doing?"

"You didn't deserve any of that." You told him, your arms tightening around his slim waist.

He hesitantly brought a hand up and placed it on your back, somewhat reciprocating the hug. The only person to ever hug him was his mother and that was only a few times. He wasn't used to such displays of affection.

"It isn't your fault." He told you, trying to ignore the way his heart raced.

Pulling away, you glanced up at him. "You know, despite everything you went through, it seems to me you've made a decent life for yourself."

"I have." He smiled softly to himself.

Your elbows rested on the railing of the ship as you stared out into the ocean, watching the way the waves crested as the wind blew across the water's surface. Once again, you were on the forecastle deck with Seonghwa, which is where you've been spending most of your time recently. Ever since he opened up to you about his childhood, you started seeing him more as a decent man with rough beginning and less like an arrogant captain that you constantly wanted to slap across the face.

After he opened up, he started acting different around you—different in a good way. He seemed more himself, like he wasn't putting on an act or trying to be tough or intimidating. He joked around more and seemed to enjoy your company just as much as you enjoyed his.

"You know, we're headed east." Seonghwa spoke up, leaning over on the railing beside you.

"Oh." You responded with no particular attitude.

"You know, where your town is." He added.

"I know. The east is a bit boring though, don't you think?"

Seonghwa seemed confused by your response. Having expected you to want to go back home, he thought you'd be jumping for joy.

"I hear the west is nice this time of year." You commented, turning to him with a smile.

"That's in the complete opposite direction."

"I know."

"What are you trying to say?"

You gave him a grin. "I'm part of your crew, aren't I?"

"What?" Seonghwa's cheeks turned red. "I-I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

Pushing aside his embarrassment and flustered feelings, he managed to respond.

"Are you saying you want to stay?"

"I am."

"Why? I took you from your home by force. I tied you to the mast and kept you chained up for weeks."

"That was before I learned about you... the real you. You're not the same man who forced me onto this ship."

"Even so, you should return home."

"I don't want to. Besides, there's nothing for me in that town. I prefer staying right where I am." You smiled contently.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm more sure than I've ever been."

Seonghwa tried to hold back the smile that attempted to break out across his features, but his efforts were futile. He was thrilled that you wanted to stay with him.

The feelings he had towards you first became prominent when he started giving you sword flighting lessons and they only grew from there. It was when he opened up to you that his feelings really blossomed, becoming so palpable that he couldn't bear to be away from you.

"Thank you, Y/n."

"Why are you thanking me?" You questioned.

"Because I don't deserve your forgiveness or even your company."

Your gaze softened as you looked at him. "Yes you do. I wouldn't have wanted to stay here if you hadn't proven to me that you're not who I once thought you were."

Seonghwa reached over, tentatively taking your hand in his. You accepted the gesture, lacing your fingers with his.

"So, you want to be a permanent crew member?" He inquired.

"I do."

"I hope you're ready. You may think you know what goes on around here, but you've only seen the half of it. There'll be fights with opposing ships and strong storms that could throw a man overboard. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I'm ready for whatever the sea has to throw at me."

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Hongjoong ⟡ Yunho ⟡ Yeosang ⟡ San ⟡ Mingi ⟡ Wooyoung ⟡ Jongho

Masterlist ᝰ — enjoyed this imagine? reblogs & comments are very much appreciated!

DO NOT steal, plagiarize, copy, repost, alter, or translate my works in any way

🏷 @h3arteyes4mingi

#seonghwa x reader #seonghwa x y/n #seonghwa x you #park seonghwa #ateez pirate au #seonghwa pirate au #seonghwa #ateez imagines #ateez oneshot #ateez scenarios

[redriotinggg]

You know what I need? Strawhats raising a child, could be shippy or not, but I need them finding a baby and Luffy being like "I WANNA KEEP IT! How hard can it be to raise a child?" (Famous last words) This is less about wanting to be a father and more about thinking about this as another great adventure and experience for Luffy (besides if its a situation like finding a baby in a treasure chest they cant exactly leave it... tho I imagine Nami seeing Luffy with a baby in arms and being like "wtf, where did you get that???" Luffy: "I found it in a treasure chest :)" Nami: "WELL PUT IT BACK ITS NOT YOURS!")

Of course raising a baby in a pirate ship is bound to be dangerous, so most of the crew is like "lets find it a good family in the next island" so maybe it's more of a Tokyo Godfathers situation.

Who are the better parents? Who absolutely suck at parenting but want to help regardless? Are any of them like "I absolutely don't want any part in this" but end up being roped in regardless and end up getting attached to the child? Does the child end up being raised by Strawhats or they get them to a nice family somewhere safe?

If you know of any fanfics that are like this (if they're gen/Nakamaship the better) please reccomend them to me I'm in desperate need to see that, child raised by a village trope my beloved

Pffttt a baby should definitely NOT be aboard the Sunny but if it happened I can imagine that yes, Luffy found a baby in a treasure chest and by the time they realized what happened, they were already on the open water headed to the next island.

However, the first thought that came to my head was that Zoro was sleeping while guarding the ship and someone managed to dump the baby onboard. He wakes up and there’s a baby—just under a year old—sitting across from him, fist in their mouth and a note on their forehead that says, “YOUR PROBLEM NOW”. There’s nothing left for him to do other than wait and pray that the kid doesn't start crying or pooping.

The rest of the crew comes back like Uhhhh Zoro???? When did you give birth????? To which he yells that he didn't, you idiots!

Now they don't know what to do because they can't bring a baby on the seas in the New World, but the island they're docked at wasn't very welcoming and likely wouldn't care about an orphaned child.

Luffy makes the decision easily--they'll bring the baby with them and they'll be an honourary Straw Hat! If they get their adventure started now, the baby will be at a huge advantage when they become a pirate when they grow up. Raising a baby must be easy if so many people do it! But it doesn't take long for the others to convince him that keeping a baby abroad for an extended period isn't a good idea, so they decide to keep the baby until they can find them a good home.

Luffy is not so surprisingly great with the kid, although he's not allowed to be left alone with them. The crew freaked out when they found him and the baby asleep on the head of the Sunny. It would've been a sweet scene if they both weren't at risk of falling and drowning to death. If the baby starts crying and Luffy can't get them to stop in 2 seconds, he dumps them off to the nearest crewmate--he usually deals with crying kids by beating them up, but the baby's too young for that. Plus, the noise really hurts his ears!

Nami canonically loves kids and babies!! She doesn’t mind taking care of the baby until they can find somewhere safe for them. Except this baby is getting on her damn nerves because, for some reason, they don’t like Nami. At all. Every time she tries to hold them, they cry bloody murder. To add insult to injury, the baby absolutely loves Zoro, who still wants nothing to do with the baby. But she is nothing if not stubborn, and eventually, she and the baby are thick as thieves.

The baby loves Usopp because he’s so silly! He makes the baby laugh by playing peekaboo and he even whips up little toys for them to play with. He flails dramatically when the baby grabs his nose or pulls his hair, both of them laughing without a care in the world.

The baby is too young to be scared of Brook, so they just laugh as he dances and sings nursery rhymes from all over the four seas. His lullabies are very effective in calming the baby's crying fits or getting them to sleep.

Sanji prefers dealing with children when they’re old enough to speak, but he’s not immune to the effects of an adorable baby. If it’s a girl she gets the absolute princess treatment, complete with baby talk and compliments of how cute she is. A boy baby gets his hair gently ruffled. Either way, Sanji happily admires Robin sitting with a baby in her lap before he’s off to puree some fruits and veggies.

Chopper loves babies and thinks this one is so cute!! But he’s embarrassed by how jealous he is of all the attention the baby is getting. He can’t help it! He’s used to being the one taking naps in Zoro’s lap and being fawned over by Robin. He’s happy to have the baby with them, but he wishes he got some more attention, too.

Jimbei and Franky don’t dislike babies per se, but they’re just so small and fragile compared to them. They mostly watch the other crewmates interact with the baby from the sidelines.

Franky’s nerves aren’t helped as Robin keeps coming up to him while holding the baby and talking about how cute they are and how parenthood is such a privilege, don't you think, Franky? She manages to convince Franky to hold the baby and when he does, he bursts into tears. Overwhelmed, he passes the baby off to the closest person, who happens to be Jimbei, whose eyes also fill with happy tears when the baby snuggles up to him. Both of them stop keeping their distance after that.

Robin reads the baby bedtime stories! But the crew have also walked by and overheard her reading books about death, disease, and war. She speaks to the baby in all of the languages she knows and tells them all the secrets she's learned. It's too bad the baby is too young to retain all that knowledge, but she's more than happy to share anyway.

Zoro doesn't like kids in general, but kids love him, including this baby. The rest of the crew find it hilarious how awkward he is with the baby. You'd think he'd be used to holding a small being considering how often he carries Chopper around, but no, he's hopeless. Zoro is teased relentlessly for the way he talks to the baby. He talks to them like a grown adult and it's both endearing and ridiculous.

Absolutely nobody wants to change dirty diapers. There are physical altercations, manipulation tactics, and an abundance of tricks used as each Straw Hat tries to avoid diaper duty. (Usopp uses dirty diapers as canon fodder and ammo when they run into trouble on the water.)

Most, if not all, of the Straw Hats have mommy and/or daddy issues, so raising this baby gives them all a chance to heal, whether they realize it or not. It also gives the crew an excuse for group cuddles, not that they ever needed it.

The crew have all grown very attached to the baby by the time they reach a safe place with people they trust to raise them. A few crewmates (Usopp, Nami, Robin, Brook) want to keep the baby around--it's too cruel to leave them, now! But Luffy has made his decision. It's too dangerous for the baby out on the seas of the New World. But once they've found the One Piece they'll be back to visit.

Usopp made the baby a teddy bear and dressed it as Luffy, complete with a straw hat. Sewn to the red fabric of the hat is a note written by the crew, a photo of them all, and a piece of Luffy's vivre card. If the baby grows up and ever wants to come sailing with them, all they have to do is ask.

--

AAAHHH this was so fun omg!! I love babies sm and there'd be so many antics if a baby was on the Sunny. I doubt I'd ever write a fic myself though, but I'd be happy to think up more hcs in another ask :)

I don't know of any nakamaship fics like this, so if anyone does please link it in the comments. But! KazimaKuwabara has this FANTASTIC fic feat. the Straw Hats taking care of their de-aged nakama. I've read it so many times, it's great.

Thank you for the ask! Keep em coming y'all, I live for this.

#one piece #strawhats #monkey d luffy #roronoa zoro #cat burglar nami #god usopp #black leg sanji #nico robin #cyborg franky #soul king brook #jimbei #tony tony chopper #one piece au #red's asks #red's writing #nakamaship

[wrensgeekyvibes]

The Merman and the Kraken

Everyone's got differing opinions about this scene, so let's take a look at it.

Ed is the Kraken, always has been. He is the legendary monster that brings death and destruction in his wake. He is the thing of nightmares and the one big bad that pirates fear. He is not here to save anyone, he is here to watch the world burn.

So it makes absolute, perfect sense that Stede would be the merman. Mermaids/mermans are mostly benevolent creatures who often save pirates from disasters. In the game Sea of Thieves, they save drowning pirates by returning them to their ships.

In this scene, Ed is drowning and fighting for his life. Of course, a man of the sea, a pirate of legend, would imagine that the love of his life was a benevolent, handsome merman coming to save him. Of course, Stede would emerge from a lighthouse light in the deep, dark waters to save him. Of course, Ed would hear the one thing he has always yearned for...

"I'll never leave you. I'll never leave you again."

So yeah, this scene was beautiful and emotional and lovely. Ed was saved.

(Also, did you see that little lean into Rhys that Taika did? DAMMIT TAIKA!)

I'm going to go feel my emotions in the corner now.

#stede #ed x stede #the kraken #the merman #our flag means death season 2 #ed ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #ofmd #ofmd spoilers #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #stedward #i love stede #damn you taika #taika and rhys #our flag means death

[bobacupcake]

You've mentioned working as a technical artist and sort of what you do as one, but what exactly does your portfolio look like as a tech artist when it comes to things like job applications? like what makes a good tech artist?

im not a recruiter so i can only really speculate but i would say its also mostly a case-by-case thing for the specifications of the job youre applying to!! my "portfolio" before i started landing actual positions was just a bunch of shader art, though i got a bit lucky and i would imagine a more thorough portfolio would probably have been better, especially if you want to lean more towards the tech part than the art part

doing tech art experiments are probably a great place to start - picking a goal, like, "i want to recreate the water in sea of thieves!!" "i want to make a huge field of grass and flowers!!" "i want to make a sparkly desert!!" "i want to make a cool and modular lighting setup for my characters!!", and especially if you can put your own spin on these things. check out harry alisavakis portfolio as an example!! some great scenes of style exploration here too. it really depends on both what you want to do as a tech artist and what the job youre applying to wants

hope thats what you were looking for !!! again ive never been on the "looking at portfolios" side of things so i cant really give tooo thorough an answer but....!!!

#ask #potion of answers your question #Anonymous

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

The Day We Learned to Argue ~Part 2~

This is simply a fan translation and is not intended as a replacement for the game. Expect grammatical errors.

Valerio: "Inspection?"

Silvio: "Yeah. I've heard that because of the monster, the children in town can no longer play in the sea around here."

Silvio: "I want to do something about it, but if I don't actually see the monster, I won't be able to come up with a plan."

Valerio: "Why would you do something like that, brother?"

Silvio: "I'm a member of the royal family. If the adults don't believe in the monster, then, as a kid, I have to do it."

After a moment of silence, Valerio nodded determinedly.

Valerio: "In that case, I'll do it too!"

Silvio: "Huh? I don't think someone like you, who came out of curiosity, can handle something like this."

Silvio: "For an 'inspection,' you need 'careful preparation' and 'calm response.'"

Valerio: "Can you do that, brother?"

Silvio: "Of course! I've read plenty of books about sea monsters in the library."

Silvio: "I've considered multiple responses as well."

Valerio: "Then you should be able to handle it even if I go with you."

Valerio: "I'm coming with you!"

Silvio: "I can imagine you crying and running away."

Silvio: "Go home."

Following Silvio's brisk pace, Valerio chased after him.

Valerio: "I won't cry or run away!"

Valerio: "I'm a member of the royal family too."

Silvio: "Tch, do whatever you want."

After walking along the pure white sandy beach for a while, they arrived at the cave rumored to be the dwelling place of the monster.

As they cautiously stepped into the dim cave一

Valerio: "I heard a strange sound just now."

Valerio: "Maybe the monster is hungry."

Silvio: "No, that can't be it. It sounded like metal scraping against each other."

Valerio: "I heard that the monster's body is made of metal and gemstones."

Valerio: "That's why gemstones are sometimes found on the beach."

Silvio: "Hey, shut up. I hear something again."

As Silvio covered Valerio's mouth, someone stealthily approached them from behind.

Man: "Hey, you brats. Didn't you hear that naughty kids who enter the monster's nest will be eaten?"

Valerio & Silvio: "!!"

The sturdy, dirty man with an intense gaze didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

Valerio: “H-He’s a thief! We have to run! Why are you stopping me, brother!?”

Silvio held onto the hem of Valerio’s clothing and remained still.

A determined, sea-colored gaze met Valerio’s teary, sky-colored eyes.

Silvio: “It’s impossible. There are more than ten of them. There’s only one escape route, and even if we fight, we can’t beat them.”

Silvio: “It’s better to get caught here and wait for an opportunity.”

Valerio: “..........”

They were taken to the deepest part of the cave, where precious metals and jewelry were piled up everywhere. Some areas were filled with water, and the air felt damp and gloomy.

Valerio: “..........”

Silvio glanced at Valerio, who was hugging his knees, and then walked around to explore the area.

He touched the walls to check the condition of the stones and felt the ground to determine its geological composition.

Then he threw stones into the pools of water and looked inside.

Silvio: "It's deep."

After murmuring softly, Silvio glanced at the guard, lying lazily in a distant place.

Valerio: "*sobs*"

Silvio: "Tch, shut up. Stop crying."

Silvio sat down next to Valerio and let out a sigh.

Valerio: "But there's no monster. Instead, there are thieves who are going to sell us."

After saying that, Valerio held back his tears and looked upward, blinking rapidly.

Silvio: "Sell us, huh? Right, they were planning to sell us. Isn't that great?"

Valerio: "What are you talking about, brother?"

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Part 3 ╎ Part 4

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikepri jp #ikepri silvio #ikepri rio #silvio ricci #ikepri translations #cybird

[fatehbaz]

As early as 1700, Samuel Sewall, the renowned Boston judge and diarist, connected “the two most dominant moral questions of that moment: the rapid rise of the slave trade and the support of global piracy” in many American colonies [...]. In the course of the eighteenth century, [...] [there was a] semantic shift in the [literary] trope of piracy in the Atlantic context, turning its [...] connotations from exploration and adventure to slavery and exploitation. [...] [A] large share of Atlantic seafaring took place in the service of the circum-Atlantic slave trade, serving European empire-building in the Americas. [...] Ships have been cast as important sites of struggle and as symbols of escape in [...] Black Atlantic consciousness, from Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative (1789) and Richard Hildreth’s The Slave: or Memoir of Archy Moore (1836 [...]) to nineteenth century Atlantic abolitionist literature such as Frederick Douglass’s My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) or Martin Delany’s Blake (1859-1862). [...] Black and white abolitionists across the Atlantic world were imagining a different social order revolving around issues of resistance, liberty, (human) property, and (il)legality [...].

---

Using black pirates as figures of resistance [...], Maxwell Philip’s novel Emmanuel Appadocca (1854) emphasizes the nexus of insatiable material desire and its conditions of production: slavery. [...] [T]he consumption of commodities produced by slave labor itself was delegitimized [...]. Philip, a Trinidadian [and "illegitimate" "colored" child] [...], published Emmanuel Appadocca as a protest against slavery in the United States [following the Fugitive Slave laws of 1850.]. [...] [The novel places] at its center [...] a heroic non-white pirate and intellectual [...] [whose] pirate ship [...] [is] significantly named The Black Schooner [...]. One of the central discourses in [the book] is that of legitimacy, of rights and lawfulness, of both slavery and piracy [...]. About midway into the book, Appadocca gives a [...] speech in which he argues that colonialism itself is a piratical system:

If I am guilty of piracy, you, too [are] [...] guilty of the very same crime. ... [T]he whole of the civilized world turns, exists, and grows enormous on the licensed system of robbing and thieving, which you seem to criminate so much ... The people which a convenient position ... first consolidated, developed, and enriched, ... sends forth its numerous and powerful ships to scour the seas, the penetrate into unknown regions, where discovering new and rich countries, they, in the name of civilization, first open an intercourse with the peaceful and contented inhabitants, next contrive to provoke a quarrel, which always terminates in a war that leaves them the conquerors and possessors of the land. ... [T]he straggling [...] portions of a certain race [...] are chosen. The coasts of the country on which nature has placed them, are immediately lined with ships of acquisitive voyagers, who kidnap and tear them away [...].

In this [...], slavery appears as a direct consequence of the colonial venture encompassing the entire “civilized world,” and “powerful ships” - the narrator refers to the slavers here - are this world’s empire builders. [...] Piracy, for Philip, signifies a just rebellion, a private, legitimate [resistance] against colonial exploiters and economic inequality - he repeatedly invokes their solidarity as misfortunate outcasts [...].

---

All text above by: Alexandra Ganser. “Cultural Constructions of Piracy During the Crisis Over Slavery.” A chapter from Crisis and Legitimacy in the Atlantic American Narratives of Piracy: 1678-1865. Published 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

#abolition #its first of february #caribbean #maxwell philip was trinidadian

[hyunpic]

list of songs hyunjin has played on his lives/recommended:

note: im probably missing some & i couldn’t put links to all of them cause apparently tumblr has a link limit 🤨

lauv: julia, lonely eyes, invisible things, paris in the rain, never not, im so tired, the story never ends, i like me better

offonff: photograph, cigarette (ft. miso & tablo), dance, bath

beyoncé: crazy in love (remix)

billie eilish: i love you, &burn, idontwannabeyouanymore, ocean eyes, before i go, tv

honne: day1, la la la that’s how it goes

christina perri: a thousand years

shawn mendes: mercy, treat you better, in my blood

dvwn: phobia

dpr live: jam & butterfly

jehwi: dear moon

leehi: rose

bts: dna, waste it on me, make it right

colde: where love begins, string (ft. sunwoojunga), the museum, wa-r-r, your dog loves you (ft. crush), control me, a song nobody knows, im in love

got7: miracle, hard carry

justin bieber: lonely

josef salvat: call on me

taemin: criminal

night off: sleep

sam kim: make up (ft. crush), like a fool, sunny days summer nights

niki: lowkey

iu: the visitor, lullaby, knees, love poem, give you my heart, my sea

cha ni: starlight

sia: snowman

akmu: happening

sunwoojunga: run with me

the black skirts: everything

korea cracker: ocean (ft. hoyeon kim)

cosmic boy: can i love?

penomeco: no.5 (ft. crush)

yerin baek: blooming memories, limit

10cm: so…., however

day6: i’ll try, love me or leave me, when you love someone, you were beautiful, congratulations, zombie, days gone by, afraid

dean: d (half moon), instagram, what 2 do, bonnie & clyde

exo: first snow, the eve, love shot

sam fischer: this city

jukjae: do you want to walk with me?, lullaby

ph-1: nerdy love (ft. yerin baek), as i told you

baekhyun: love again, un village

amine: blackjack

young k: come as you are, guard you

flume: say it (ft. tove lo)

twice: dance the night away, fancy

ariana grande: thank u, next

hajin: we all lie

about: it has to be you

caroline says: winter is cold

h.e.r: u, wait for it

bol4: to my youth

monday kiz: winter is as i wished

paul kim: the road, additional

sweden laundry: the winter

jung seung hwan: in that winter

chungha: gotta go

zion.t: no make up, snow

airman: gloomy star, i’ll be your spring (ft. j_ust)

motte: dont run away

seventeen: a-teen, super

khalid: location

lukas graham: 7 years

imagine dragons: believer

bo kyung kim: dont think you are alone

jung ilhoon: spoiler (ft. babylon)

davichi: falling in love, 이 사랑

coldplay: everglow, viva la vida

lyn: my destiny

jus2: focus on me, long black, senses (jpn version)

crush: beautiful, you and i

ed sheeran: lego house, perfect, photograph, beautiful people

croosh: why

20 years of age: x

tori kelly: paper hearts

seulgi: always

luna: do you love me? (ft. george)

wisue: someone’s shining

epik high: eternal sunshine

jp saxe: if the world was ending

seori: fairy tale

bruno mars: marry you

the weeknd: earned it, die for you

jung seunghwan: its raining, an ordinary day, dear

sam tinnesz: play with fire

post malone: motley crew

jihyo: stardust love song

kim feel: your voice

sung sikyung: solar system, heejae

younha: stardust

wonpil: a journey

taeyeon: invu, some nights, toddler, drawing our moments

nct dream: boom

ha hyunsang: 3108

huhgak: memory of your scent

se so neon: nan chun, a long dream, midnight train, stranger

umi: remember me

tvxq!: mirotic

johnny balik: honey

red velvet: psycho

new jeans: hype boy

christian kuria: losing you

cigarettes after sex: k.

dpr ian: nerves, no blueberries, 1 shot

samm henshaw: broke

woodz: drowning

kelly clarkson: underneath the tree

kimmuseum: to you who cant sleep

taylor swift: betty

lana del rey: young and beautiful

harry styles: watermelon sugar, she

pink sweat$: honesty

masego: tadow

olivia rodrigo: vampire

troye sivan: youth, for him

kai: mmmh

2pm: my house

oasis - wonderwall

oasis - hey now

mac miller - that’s on me

mac miller - everybody

nothing but thieves - amsterdam

bren joy - sweet

back number - i love you

puma blue - already falling

mac ayres - roses

mac ayres - next to you

bruno major - old soul

#hyunjin song recommendations #<- so i can find it later for updates #i spent like 3 hours writing this and putting the links shdjdndb #maybe anon from yesterday finds this helpful!

[lesbianslvt666]

Sea Monster and Tressures

captain! Ellie x pirate! Reader

In which instead of finding your brother in a pirate crew, you end up fighting the Ellie Williams, the infamous pirate. however, fighting would not be the end goal, for Ellie longs for something deep, every time she sees you.

Content warning: swearing, smoking, mentions of drugs and alcohol, burglary, fights, swords, denigration, abandonment issues, a bit of gore, you aren't the good guy, neither is Ellie lol. Morally grey characters tbh.

The village you were in wasn’t much than a shaggy mess, with infants running wild alongside goats and small dogs, the people, mean eyed and guarded up. The rumours of pirates and thieves expanded alongside the shores hamlets, melting the people together in fear of being disposed of the little to no belongings they had. So you could imagine how they must feel, when a new woman in town appear out of nowhere, no men beside her, only one horse and a brass hip flask with leather cover. Your dishevel appearance did not much to help you. Your Whild locks leaps with every step and jump that Callous, your beautiful brown horse gives. You found him after a village was sweep by burglars, however, you knew she had something to do with it.

You have been following her every step, from coast to coast, in land or sea. she feels like a smoked dream, a foggy memory of the fantasy your soul desired.  At first it felt like admiration, the town you were born at knew her pretty well, so much so that your older brother got to talk to her, agreed upon being part of her navigation. He was your best friend, so, naturally, you thought, he would not leave you behind in the filth, down with the woman who took care of every parentless child. You were wrong…

For the longest time you thought he had abandon you, how dare him not take you alongside his adventure, an aspiration you so much longed for ever since a toddler. And then it got to you, the need of revenge, how fucking dare him leaving you behind, knowing fully well how capable you are, how much you hated were you lived, and how much you loved the sea. Finding him at first wasn’t easy. so you thought, he, a nobody, the leads came to abrupt ends very fast. So now, the target was her, however, you came to realize that maybe, she was always who you were hoping to find.

You knew as much of her as the stories could tell, have never even seen her face before, it was told that she was a natural beauty, auburn hair and freckles, green unwelcoming eyes that didn’t forget nor forgive. The more you heard about her, the more you wanted to be likewise, or alongside…

She wasn’t even much older than you, if the rumours were true, she could only be around three or so years older than you, then… how come a 23 year old achieve as much as she had…

Walking along the narrow streets with callous wasn’t the easiest task, the people selling stuff outside their doors, making the way even thinner, residing like the forgotten path of a river, the chatter could be hear from everywhere, the screams of the kids and the barks of the dogs, the smell of the sea intensified, you knew what was coming, you could feel it in your skin as the air got chiller, it was the first time in all your journey were you had arrive on time.

Agitating the reels of Callous, signalled him to move faster, this time not caring on portraying a low profile. the dangles in your hair clacking alongside with the jewellery that you had taken from your past visits, as to not forget, how many places you’ve been.

Callous was sprinting, moving alongside the shore the sand heavy behind you, leaving clouds large enough to find your whereabouts from miles away, you saw it. The sea monster, the grandiose nature couldn’t compare to anything you’ve seen before, the sea fog opened itself for it, in fear it might have repercussions itself. The plan? It was easy, find your brother, fight with him, and when he feels his defeat, you forgive his life, in exchange of course, to convince the E llie Williams, to join her crew…

Honestly, this is only like a synopsis, cause I would like to know if you want to read the full thing…

Interactions are incredibly appreciated

#ellie williams #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x you #ellie x fem reader #the last of us #ellie williams headcanons #ellie williams x female reader #lesbian #ellie williams smut #ellie williams angst #ellie the last of us #pirate! au #pirate girl #fantasy #pirate ellie #pirate reader #sapphism #sapphic

[hearts-hunger]

Chapter One: A Flash of Steel and Silver {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You've been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy's most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 4.7k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, harassment, historically accurate misogyny

A/N: My sweethearts! This is my very first time doing an au like this, and I'm very excited to share it with you. I have no concrete plans for this series, and no update schedule - I'm just seeing where the wind takes me on this one. I know it's different from my other fics, but I really hope you like it! ♡

Pirates. 

The word alone struck fear into the hearts of the people of Sapphire Bay, sending them inside to lock their doors and close the window shutters with a firm crack. Those devils marked by the branding iron were hated and feared, considered with a mix of awe and horror and morbid curiosity. To meet one meant certain death; for the superstitious, even to speak of one meant the calling down of hell’s rapacious wrath upon the new world’s fragile kingdom of islands. Everywhere, in hushed voices and cautious glances at the western horizon, people dreaded the coming of those demons. Pirates.

You had learned to fear them just as much as anyone, the threat of them always lingering in the back of your mind, but there was an insatiable curiosity that held you captive any time you so much as heard them mentioned. Your late father, the former governor of Sapphire Bay, had spoken of them often; you’d grown up on snatches of conversations heard from the other side of his study door, tales of murder and thievery and drunken escapades, stories of freedom and bravery and adventure.

Those stories had continued to fascinate you even as you became a woman, and you were more interested in them now than you had been as a child. Lucky, then, that you’d been betrothed to Commander Kit Drake of the battleship Black Smoke; his own closed-door conferences about the pirates that roamed the seas provided an endless diversion to your hungry imagination.

Hearing those stories was perhaps the only lucky thing about your betrothal, and you reminded yourself to try and think of other silver linings as your lady’s maid dressed you for dinner at the Commodore’s estate. 

“He’ll tell me how beautiful I look,” you said to yourself, touching light fingers to your lightly rouged lips. “Surely he will.”

“Indeed he will, miss,” your lady’s maid said as she styled your hair. “You’ll be the jewel of the bay this evening, all sparkling in the candlelight.”

You met her eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Tabby. You’re very kind.”

She smiled. “Have you decided what necklace and earrings you’ll be wearing tonight, miss?”

You brushed a hand over your deep blue bodice. “I suppose the sapphires would be best, wouldn’t they?”

“As you say, miss. Commander Drake will surely be pleased to see you wearing his gift.”

Tabby finished your hair, a relatively understated crown of curls, and spangled you with trinkets from your jewelry box that could have fed and housed a family for several months. You touched a hand to the blue gem that rested in a swath of silver, the centerpiece of the heavy necklace that felt more like a collar for a dog than a gift of love from your fiancé. 

“There you are, miss,” Tabby said when you were ready. “I’ll tell the footman to bring the carriage ‘round.”

The Commodore’s estate was right on the bay, a sprawling mansion that put even your father’s estate to shame in sheer grandiosity. Several carriages stopped outside the main doors, ladies in fine dresses and men in naval uniform stepping out to join the group that filed into the golden, candlelit hall inside. Your attention was drawn to the sea as you waited, watching the way the moonlight dashed itself to bits across the glittering surface of the water.

“My dear. You finally made it.”

You looked over from the bay to the door of your carriage. “Kit.”

A frown tugged at your fiancé’s expression. “You mustn’t call me that here, dearest, you know that. Commander Drake or ‘sir’ will suffice.”

You flushed, wishing you’d remembered that rule. “Of course, sir.”

You accepted his hand when he offered it to you, and you looked up at him with girlish eagerness to see if he’d comment on your appearance.

“I wore the jewels you gave me at our engagement,” you said quietly.

He gave you a distracted glance. “Oh. Yes, I suppose you did.”

“Do you... do you like them?” you asked, crestfallen.

He breathed a short sigh. “They’re lovely, my dear. Let’s not tarry, shall we? I’m afraid you’ve already made us late.”

He offered his arm, and you hung off of it as a good young lady should. Your head turned back to the sea, just for a moment, and you thought you caught a glimpse of a shooting star reflected on the waves.

“We’ve got to double our presence on the coasts of the southern isles. We’ll rout them simply by being there in force. They wouldn’t dare to try and attack any of the ports there if we made our presence more obvious.”

You took a sip of wine and tried to look bored, knowing that the quickest way to get navy men to stop talking of pirates was for a lady to show an interest in their conversation. If they didn’t consider you too delicate or stupid for that kind of talk, they’d fear for some kind of longing to spark within you, the same kind they allowed to rage unchecked as they sailed on their mighty seafaring vessels.

“No corsair in these waters is a match for any of our fleet,” Kit argued. He gesticulated and narrowly missed your wine glass as you set it down. “I say with conviction, gentlemen, that there is no need to add even a single ship to those we already have out of port.”

“Maybe they’re not a match for your ship, Commander,” said a lady on the opposite end of the table. You glanced over with mild panic, wishing you could tell her merely to listen, but the gentlemen she was interrupting didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve heard you gentlemen say the Black Smoke is the fastest ship in the Royal Navy,” she said, and there was a flirtatious intonation to her voice that drew the men in like moths to the flame. “However, I’ve also heard it said that there is a pirate galleon in our waters that can match it for speed.”

“Name the ship,” a lieutenant challenged.

The lady smiled. “Starcatcher.”

The name caused a flutter of excitement to stir in your breast. Starcatcher. It certainly sounded like a fast ship, and no vessel in the Royal Navy had such a wonderful name.

“Nonsense,” Kit said, waving her remark aside even as he trained his attention on the coy curve of her mouth. “The Starcatcher is a myth told to frighten new deck hands. No such ship exists.”

“No?” the lady asked with an elegant lift of her brow. “And what of its sister ship, the Indigo Streak? Some men say it can disappear into thin air.”

“Some men are fools,” Kit said, and his smirk betrayed his arrogance. “No doubt you’ve heard these same men claim to have seen the witches that serve as the figureheads of each ship.”

“They’re not witches,” another man protested. “I’ve heard they’re meant to be Nike and Themis, goddesses of victory and justice.”

Kit scoffed. “Victory and justice, indeed. Even if these ships did exist, what victory and justice could be won outside the King’s authority?”

“Pirates don’t consider the King’s authority legitimate, though, do they?”

All gazes swung to you, and you felt a wash of embarrassment follow the heady flush of having impetuously offered your own opinion. Kit’s face went pink with anger.

“What a pirate thinks of the King’s authority means little,” he said sharply. He took your hand under the table and gave it an uncomfortable squeeze, leaning close. “And what a woman thinks of it means even less, my dear, so I suggest you keep such foolish thoughts to yourself.”

He released your hand with disdain, and you shied away from him as far as you could. You understood perfectly well why the lady with the deep red lips was allowed to speak and you were not; her comments were meant to incite men to braggadocio and pride, and yours only called into question their self-assurance. You would not speak merely to stroke a man’s ego, pirate or King’s man or anyone in between; most at the table considered it better, in that event, for you to keep your mouth shut entirely.

You took another long drink of wine and tried to keep your hands from shaking. Of a sudden, everything was overwhelming; the sound of tittering laughter and silver forks against china dishes, the smell of dozens of different perfumes, the heat of the candles that cast flickering beams onto jewels and gold buttons and silver sword handles. You felt pressed in on all sides with an extravagant meal you couldn’t hope to finish in front of you, men to the right and left of you, servants behind you to tend to your every need should you so much as wave an indolent hand. 

You took a deep breath, as deep as you could with your stays laced as tightly as they were, and dug into the reserve of feminine gentility and self-control that had been trained into you since birth.

“Commander,” you said quietly, touching your hand to his sleeve. He ignored you, and desperation clawed at you.

“Sir,” you said in a pleading whisper.

With a frustrated huff, he turned away from his companions and met your eyes. “What is it?”

“I beg your pardon,” you said. “I — I suddenly feel quite ill. My head, it’s...”

He snapped his fingers, and a footman came to his side to await his instruction in perfect silence.

“Attend the lady,” he said, gesturing to you with impatience and contempt. “She’s taken ill, apparently.”

The footman bowed his head. “M’lord.” He pulled your chair out and gave you his hand; you took it, offering a feeble excuse to those few who noticed your departure and cared to comment.

“Shall I show you to one of the guest chambers, m’lady?” the footman asked when you were safely outside the dining hall.

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I wonder... could you help me find the gardens? I would be so grateful for a breath of fresh air.”

“Very good, m’lady,” was the man’s response. He escorted you to the gardens. “Shall I ring for a lady’s maid to accompany you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” you said. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

He bowed. “M’lady.”

A bit of the peace you so dearly needed was found out in the garden, and you wandered in the cool darkness of the shrubs and trees blossoming with flowers of every hue. You took a deep breath of the warm night air as you walked over the cobblestones, closing your eyes for a moment to drink in the quiet of birdsong and the ever-present hush of waves upon the shore. You longed to go down to the water, if only for a moment; what relief it would bring to feel the cool waves lapping at your ankles, to feel the salty breeze skim over your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover’s hand. You opened your eyes and felt its dark, silver-scaled presence call you like a mother to a child, begging you to leave the world you knew behind.

“Foolishness,” you whispered, pressing your hand against the merciless shackle of sapphire and silver that hung about your neck. You could never leave. You would be here, always, looking out upon the water, wearing its color on your breast, never quite close enough to touch.

You heard your name called from a direction opposite the ocean. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you did not allow yourself to breathe the sigh that waited ever-ready at your lips.

“I only needed some air, Commander,” you said without turning to him. “I’ll be well enough to join the ladies in the parlor after dinner.”

Without warning, Kit grabbed your wrist in a punishing grip and spun you towards him.

“Turn to me when I call you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Do not presume to speak to me with an air of indifference.”

Your blood ran cold at the anger in his face. “I didn’t — I wasn’t trying to — ”

“I knew you weren’t ill,” he said, squeezing your wrist tighter. “You left because you wanted to shame me, didn’t you? Or perhaps because you were petulant about my correction?”

“No,” you said weakly, trying to tug your hand from his grip. “Please, Kit, you’re hurting me.”

He took your jaw in his other hand and squeezed it. “I told you not to call me that. Do you mean to respect me at all tonight? Or shall I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”

You paled. You tried to find your voice to try and calm him, to apologize, but another man’s voice broke in before you could.

“Take your hands off the lady.”

Kit released your jaw, more out of surprise than any desire to obey. You tried to pull out of his grip, but he held fast to your wrist.

“Who spoke?” Kit asked into the darkness of the garden. “Show your face.”

“Take your hands off the lady, as I said,” the man repeated. “I’ve got a pistol aimed straight for your heart, Commander, and I assure I won’t miss.”

Kit’s face flushed an angry red. To your surprise and relief, he let you go, and you put a few steps of distance between you.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way?” Kit thundered. “I demand that you to come into the light and show yourself.”

No sooner had he spoken than a man sauntered out of the shadows of a copse of palm trees, a flintlock pistol held in an almost lazy manner in Kit’s direction. The hilt of a cutlass on his hip caught the light of the moon.

“You demand it, aye?” the man asked. His long hair was dark, his frame lean and hard-muscled; he was practically indecent, his cotton shirt unbuttoned to reveal a collection of necklaces that rested against his tanned chest. You blushed and averted your eyes when he looked at you.

“Makes you wonder,” he continued conversationally, turning his attention back to your fiancé. “Perhaps your King ought to call you Demander rather than Commander.”

Kit put his hand to the hilt of his saber. “What are you, boy?” he said derisively. “Beggar? Thief? Be on your way before I arrest you for harassing an officer.”

The man’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile as he returned his pistol to its holster at his waist. 

“Go ahead, Commander. Though I doubt if you’ll find there’s any jailhouse to throw me in by the time you do.”

Kit looked the man over in confusion and absolute fury. He opened his mouth to speak, but an explosion from the outskirts of town effectively cut across him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kit raged. He looked to see the billow of smoke from the direction of the jailhouse, then whipped his head back to look at the man.

“You’re a fool to attempt a prison break,” he said. “There’s plenty of brigs in the fleet to throw you and your worthless comrades in once we collect all of you.”

Kit drew his sword, and the man had drawn his and disarmed Kit in a flash of steel and silver quicker than you could see it. Kit’s sword clattered across the cobblestones and skidded to a halt at the man’s feet.

“I’d be careful who you draw your sword against tonight, Commander,” the man said. He kicked the saber back towards Kit. “You won’t find my men as forgiving as I am.”

“Your men?” Kit blustered, shame and fury mottling his face. “Who the devil do you think you are?”

A cocky smile lit the man’s face, and you found it somewhat maddening and almost alluring. Confidence radiated from him like warmth from the sun, and you watched in fascination as he took a step closer to Kit.

“You don’t know me?” he asked. He lifted his sleeve; just above the white bracelet he wore was the scarred mark of a pirate.

“You gave me this, Commander Drake,” the man said. “Though I suppose you were only a lieutenant back then, weren’t you?”

“Scum,” Kit spat. “I should have known. I’ve branded enough of your kind that you all run together into one wretched mass.”

“I see,” the man said. He sheathed his cutlass again even as Kit bent to retrieve his, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of a duel. He tilted his head towards the Commodore’s house.

“In that case,” he said airily, “I’d love to be the one to tell you that the wretched mass is running together in your Commodore’s estate as we speak. Taking your jewels, your gold, your spit-polished swords that have yet to taste blood. It’s only a matter of time before they interrupt your little dinner party, I fear.”

As if on cue, pandemonium erupted from inside the house. Doors burst open, sending a flood of screaming party guests outside with pirates right on their heels, each of them armed to the teeth and crowing with delight.

“Filthy pirate!” Kit howled. “I’ll have you and every one of your men hanged for this!”

“Oh, Commander,” the man said with a winning smile. “You’ll make me blush with that kind of talk.”

Bang. A bullet whipped past the three of you, slamming into the trunk of a palm tree and sending out a shower of splintered wood. You flinched and raised your arms to shield yourself.

“Aye, watch yourself,” the pirate called to whoever had fired. He sounded only mildly annoyed rather than fearful for his life, and you wondered if it was bravery or stupidity that made him so calm.

Suddenly, Kit grabbed your arm and snatched you close to him. For the second time that night, he held you in an iron grip, and there was little you could do to fight him off.

“You’ll tell your men to let me go,” Kit said, panic crawling into his voice. “You’ll order them not to shoot me, because if they do, they’ll hurt the lady.”

You startled at the knowledge that your fiancé was using you as a human shield, offering you as a bargaining chip to a pirate. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held you fast.

The pirate scowled. “Coward,” he spat. “What sort of man are you, Commander?”

“One not condemned to death,” Kit said, a maniacal glee in his voice. “Not tonight.”

He started to drag you with him as he made his way out of the garden, heading with slow steps towards the docks rather than the house where screams and gunfire still rang through the air. You kicked and clawed, begging him to let you go, terrified that a bullet meant for him would kill you too.

“Let me go, Kit!” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks. “You worthless coward, let me go!”

“Silence yourself!” he hissed in your ear. “Once we’re well away from this, we’ll both be safe.”

He clapped a hand over your mouth, and it only made your panic and anger worse. You had to get free of him — he was squeezing you so tightly, you couldn’t breathe — 

In a last, desperate attempt at freedom, you bit down, hard, on the soft junction between his thumb and first finger. He bellowed in pain and released you.

“Bitch!” he howled, backhanding you across the face. The force of it made you dizzy, and his signet ring cut your cheek; you stumbled backwards, falling in a tangle of blue skirts to the unforgiving stone walkway.

“Right, that’s it.”

You heard the pirate’s voice as if from somewhere far away. You looked up with a bleary gaze; he stood next to you, his pistol held aloft and pointed right at Kit.

“No!” you shrieked.

You grabbed at his leg to try and stop him, somehow, blind devotion for Kit urging your forward. The pirate didn’t even seem to notice you, and your whole body flinched at the sound of gunfire. You squeezed your eyes shut even as sobs wracked your body.

“Come on, lass.”

You felt the pirate's callused hands reach to help you up, and you reacted in terror-stricken instinct.

“Don’t hurt me!” you begged, trying to get out of his reach, woozy with fear and pain. “Please, don’t hurt me. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone you killed him, I promise.”

“I didn’t kill him,” he said harshly. “Quit fighting, lass. I won’t hurt you, but you have to come with me.”

You looked up at him, and his face was blurry through your tears. “But you’re a pirate.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And your only chance of making it out of here alive.”

He offered you his hand, and you didn’t see any other choice but to take it. His grip was strong and steady, firm enough to help you but gentle enough to keep from hurting.

“Attagirl,” he said when you were standing. “Steady, now. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” you breathed. For some reason, you didn’t let go of his hand. “Where are we going?”

He nodded towards the bay. “My ship. You’ll stay there until all this settles down, and then I’ll take you back home.” 

Shattering glass brought your attention to the house momentarily; a raging fire billowed out of the broken window, sending great clouds of smoke up towards the sky.

“Unless you live here,” the pirate said. “In which case, you’ll have to find other arrangements.”

You could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, bewildered and dazed. “But... why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

He looked over your shoulder towards Kit, who lay groaning and weak in the grass with a bullet wound to the shoulder. His expression held nothing but disgust and contempt for your fiancé.

“I don’t like to see a lady mistreated,” he said. He gave your hand a gentle tug. “Come on. This way.”

You followed after him, helpless not to, feeling outside of yourself as you tried to think past the pain in your jaw and the overwhelming fear that still held you captive. He led you through the garden and down to the Commodore’s private docks where a skiff was waiting.

“Wait.” You stopped and tugged on his hand, and he turned to face you.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of urgency to his voice. 

You looked to the skiff and then back to him. “How — ” You swallowed nervously. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

He looked a little lost for a response. “I don’t know, lass. I believe you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust a pirate?” you asked, choking a little on the words.

He gave you a grim half-smile. “Could be worse.”

“How on earth could it be worse?”

He didn’t answer you, distracted by the sight of several more skiffs approaching the docks. You followed his gaze and saw they were coming from two huge galleons further out in the bay.

“Heavens,” you breathed. You didn’t know how you could have missed them, but they suddenly loomed like two great monsters on the surface of the water.

He pulled you towards the boat. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “The second wave’s coming in soon, and they don’t mind me as well as I’d wish them to. I’d rather you not be out here when they come.”

You met his gaze. “Second wave? There’s more of you?”

He huffed a short, mirthless laugh and ushered you into the skiff with little grace. Your became hopelessly tangled in your skirts and sat uncomfortably on the opposite side from him.

“You may wish to take off some of those cumbersome overskirts, lassie,” he said, taking the oars and rowing you out to the giant ships. “You’ll get them caught in something and get hurt.”

You blushed vividly. “Take off my skirts?” you repeated, incredulous and mortified at the idea, though you noticed you didn’t sense any salacious undercurrent to his suggestion. “I certainly will not. Just because you run around in a state of undress does not mean I will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

You sat in silence as you came ever nearer to the twin galleons, feeling a caving pressure in your chest as they loomed closer. You looked around for something, anything, to distract you; against your better judgment, your gaze landed on the movement of your pirate rescuer’s strong arms with each pull of the oars.

You looked away, chastising yourself for such foolishness in the face of everything else that had happened.

When you reached the closer ship, you looked up at the cargo net that hung over the side with more than a little trepidation. How were you ever going to climb it in your dress?

Your pirate — when had you started to think of him as your pirate? — gave a theatrical gesture to the net. “Ladies first.”

You huffed, feeling anger at your situation start to override any other emotion. All you’d wanted tonight was to have a nice, unexciting dinner, and yet here you were, standing before a pirate and about to board his ship in the middle of the night.

“Very well,” you said tartly, dredging up some reserve of courage and feistiness from whatever was left in the hollow of your chest. With some difficulty, you reached under the waist of your blue overskirt and untied the two underskirts and hoop skirt underneath. He had the decency to avert his gaze, at least, but your face was still hot with embarrassment as you shimmied out of them and slipped off your uncomfortable shoes.

When all that was left to cover your undergarments was your overskirt and bodice, you stepped in your stocking-feet onto the first loop of rope on the cargo net.

“Mind your gaze, pirate,” you said, managing with a fair bit of exertion to climb the net. He scaled it with you, quick and nimble, and gave you a grin when he reached your perch.

“Pirate sounds such a dirty word when you say it,” he said, and there was a teasing lilt to his voice that gave you the strangest fluttering sensation in your chest. “You’d better just call me Jake.”

Oh, but you didn’t like knowing his name. Not one bit.

“Fine,” you said, tearing your gaze from his. “Mind your gaze, Jake.”

He grinned. “Only if you mind yours, lass.” He stepped up another rung and climbed the rest of the way with ease. You gave a dejected sigh and continued your laborious ascent to the railing of the ship.

When you reached the top of the net, Jake was waiting for you. He offered you a hand up, and it was only with his help that you managed to get aboard without falling on your face.

You looked up when you were steady. “Oh, dear.”

Several pirates stood frozen along the deck, watching you with a mix of shock, hostility, and undeniable interest. Each one of them was armed, sword hilts glinting at their hips and pistols tucked into belts that looped over their barrel-sized chests.

“Easy, lass,” Jake said, taking hold of your arm again. You barely registered that you’d made a sudden, jerky movement to flee the ship and go back down the net, but he’d stopped you before you could go anywhere.

“None of my men will hurt you,” he promised, and when you met his eyes with a terrified glance, you saw that he meant it.

“I have to trust you on this, too?” you asked feebly.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Aye. You’re getting the idea, lass.”

He let you go, a testament to his trust in you not to try and run, and nodded to the stairs before you.

“Allow me to escort you to my quarters,” he said.

You flushed. “Y-your quarters?”

“Indeed. Where I shall leave you to your own devices and come back out to be with my men.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Oh. Very well.”

You’d taken no more than two steps towards the stairs when another man appeared at the top of them, his features strikingly similar to Jake’s but done up in dark makeup that matched the black clothes he wore.

“Why, my dear Jakey,” he said with a glittering smile. “What have we here?”

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#ooooHHH i can't wait to hear what y'all think of this one <3 #jake kiszka x reader #pirate!jake #jake kiszka fanfiction #pirate jake kiszka #greta van fleet au #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf pirate au #sam kiszka x danny wagner #josh kiszka x reader #maddie writes stuff! #fate of the faithful fic

[labellefleur-sauvage]

Tempests and Urges

Slowly, Lucien turned his head and his gaze found hers. Everything quieted. The house’s inhabitants were gathered around Lucien, talking about what he could expect, but Elain focused only on the male in front of her. She tried to convey her apology and sorrow and want with her eyes, frozen with indecision and unable to say what she wanted.

Lucien stared back at her, and while she could so clearly see his own sadness and longing reflected in his brilliant russet eye, he gave her a small, slow bow and turned away. Elain’s stomach dropped. He was going to leave her, and Elain would be stuck in this house like a neglected piece of furniture, without the one being who had a hope of truly understanding and listening to her. She took a half step down the stairs at the same time Lucien turned to Rhys and nodded his head…

“Wait!”

...

"Take me with you."

Chapter II of my gift for @stickyelectrons for the @acotargiftexchange! Thank you for your patience (the holidays were busy!) but I'm excited to share this next chapter with you! Wishing everyone a happy new year!

Read on AO3

XXX

II.

When Lucien rose that morning, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined how the day would turn out: interrupted by Elain Archeron when he was seconds away from being sent to the Continent, and the same woman insisting on joining him on his quest to find the lost mortal queen. Secretly, when Elain announced her intentions and Nesta questioned if she had been placed under a spell, Lucien had the same thought as the eldest Archeron. But as Elain made her case to her sisters, her eyes had filled with the eerily familiar fight and stubbornness he’d seen countless times in Feyre’s eyes. Perhaps that was just an Archeron trait, he thought. 

Another apparent Archeron trait: sheer willpower. Lucien thought that this particular characteristic may have skipped over Elain, but as they came to at the base of a tremendous mountain range and Rhys vanished with a nod and a wisp of smoke, Elain simply took a look around at their surroundings then looked to Lucien with a determined look on her face. “So, which way?”

Lucien took out his map and showed Elain their approximate location. Montesere occupied the northwestern corner of the Continent, bordered by the sea on its northern and western shores, with rolling hills that grew to rocky mountains along its eastern edges. In an ideal world, they would be able to walk in a southeasterly direction to Koschei’s lake from their current location, without worrying about the Continent’s marauding thieves and criminals. In an ideal world, they wouldn’t be making this journey at all, Lucien thought, so any wishes for an easier route seemed a bit pointless. 

“How far are we from the western ports?” Elain asked, studying the map dotted with notes and diagrams. 

“About three days. There are some forests we can camp in each night.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

That was two days ago, and the pair hadn’t exchanged more than a few words since. Not that Lucien hadn’t tried to make conversation. He asked Elain about her hobbies–”What else do you enjoy growing in your garden?” or “Do you enjoy dancing?” even “Any other interests?”—and all he received were one word answers or an unimpressed ‘hmph’ that even Lucien, master flirt and wordsmith that he was, didn’t know how to expand upon to further their conversations. Elain never asked him anything other than confirmation that they were on track to the port, so Lucien took the hint. 

Lucien thought he and Elain would finally discuss what tied them together. Clearly, Elain insisted on joining him for reasons other than being alone with him for an extended period of time, working together towards a common cause and getting to know each other.

Mates. Cauldron, even months after the bond snapped into place, Lucien was still winded by the knowledge that he had a mate. No, that perhaps didn’t surprise him; who his mate was, and wasn’t, was what he still couldn’t wrap his head around. 

He had thought it before and he thought it now: Jesminda was the exact opposite of Elain. Jesminda, full of life and laughter, fearless, confident and secure in herself and what she stood for. She always had a smile for Lucien, and matched his fire with her own unique warmth. 

Elain held no warmth or happiness for Lucien. Not that she needed any, he thought. She owed him nothing, even as his inner beast wanted to grab her shoulders, make her look at him, make her listen to him as he begged and pleaded his case for why he was a worthy male for her. 

Guilt over Jesminda and his newfound happiness at discovering his mate still warred within him. Much of Lucien’s time and thoughts since discovering the mating bond had been devoted to reconciling his feelings towards the female he had once loved so fiercely. 

He had moved on from Jesminda, or, as moved on as one could be after watching the female he thought was his mate murdered before his own eyes. He hadn’t been…unhappy, for some time, per se, but had been merely existing for the past several hundred years. Some decades were better than others, but Lucien had long ago lost the wonder and excitement that rising each day once brought him. Lucien had accepted Jesminda’s death and the inevitability that he would never know such love and happiness again.

But then Hybern happened. The Cauldron happened.

And now here, right in front of him, was the most breathtaking female he had ever seen. His heart called out to hers, even as his head cautioned him to slow down, to stop these dangerous and near traitorous thoughts. A small part of him still loved Jesminda, and most likely always would; was it wrong of him to one day move on, to want to feel the love and desire that he’d once had, but with someone else?

Did he even deserve this love? He had done so much wrong in his life, and for the Mother to still bless him with the most beautiful female he’d ever seen… 

“Will you stop sighing back there? Whatever it is you’re thinking about, you’re being more dramatic than Nesta when Feyre wouldn’t give her money for a new pair of shoes.”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. They had formed an unspoken walking pattern: one ten feet in front of the other, never talking except for directions, and always looking ahead. At first it bothered him, but as Lucien began walking behind Elain, getting a generous view of her bottom and legs in the tight Illyrian leathers everyone in the Night Court insisted on wearing, he decided to keep his mouth shut. 

Not now, though. “I’m being dramatic? You’re the one who started a public family fight after you had barely spoken anything for weeks because you wanted to accompany me in finding this mortal queen. I’d love to know why exactly you’re here, by the way, because it clearly wasn’t to get to know me.” Lucien paused. “Why did Nesta need money from Feyre?”

Elain turned to face him, a pretty pink blush staining her cheeks. “It’s really none of your business–”

“It seems you’ve forgotten I already know quite a bit about your family business, thanks to you.”

“But before, when we were humans, Feyre, er, hunted and supplied our family with most of our money,” Elain rushed out, looking back ahead. Lucien could have sworn she started walking faster as well. 

“Feyre said you all wouldn’t last a month after she came to the Spring Court, but I didn’t think she was being serious.” Lucien stuffed his hands in his pockets as best he could with his heavy pack on his back and raised a condescending eyebrow, despite the fact that Elain wasn’t looking at him. “So you willingly let Feyre hunt and starve herself to provide everything for your family?” 

Elain stopped and turned to face him, her face red, legs wide and clenched fists by her side. The stance of someone getting ready for a fight. “Right, because as the son of a High Lord, you know everything about doing any sort of hard work to survive?”

Lucien sneered. If Elain knew what being the son of Beron Vanserra truly entailed, she’d wipe that leer off her pink lips. Lucien could tell her of the times he’d been struck or hit for any perceived slight towards his father, or the time he’d been plied with liquor until he passed out and his father’s cronies winnowed his unconscious body to a desolate forest on the other side of Autumn Court with nothing on him except his clothes and a note, telling him to find his way back to the Forest House in time for dinner, all because Lucien had made a few too many jokes with a visiting nobleman. 

Lucien could easily have told Elain all this and more, and how each and every instance of cruelty and malice prepared Lucien for a hard life of doing anything to survive. But she wouldn’t be able to comprehend or truly understand what he’d gone through, how truly monstrous the fae were. Or perhaps worse, those big brown eyes of hers would fill with pity. 

He’d received enough pitying looks to last him a lifetime. Instead, Lucien took a step towards her. “I at least know how to fish, so I guess you could say I do. More than you, at least.”

“Wonderful,” Elain spat. “If anything should happen to us, we can call upon your supposedly superb ability to catch a fish to save us.”

“You forget I’m also a skilled warrior.” Another step closer to his mate. “In fact, I’m very comfortable with all manner of swords in different lengths,” he purred, raising a single eyebrow suggestively and smirking. 

Most females needed very little convincing to lay down and raise their skirts whenever Lucien used that tone of voice and moved his lips like that. The female in front of him, however, wasn’t like that, Lucien realized a second later.

Elain laughed mockingly. “Well, Feyre gave me a knife the size of my pinky–I’m assuming that’s the length you’re the most familiar with?”

Lucien frowned. “I know Feyre has an attitude, but I incorrectly assumed you were better than your younger sister in that regard.”

“I do not have an attitude!”

“Feyre also single-handedly saved all of Prythian while she was Under the Mountain, and is working tirelessly to save us all again, so I suppose the attitude is warranted,” Lucien said loudly, ignoring Elain.

“And you almost destroyed all of Prythian, and my life, when you allied with Hybern and turned me into…this, so I think my attitude is justified as well!” 

Lucien bit his tongue. He’d apologized for that, and deeply regretted not being more assertive with Tamlin when things with Hybern progressed, even when Lucien’s conscious screamed at him day after day that what they were doing was wrong, that nothing, not even Feyre, was worth betraying everyone and sullying themselves by allying with Hybern. The guaranteed abuse from Tamlin would have been preferable to what transpired. 

“As I said, Lady, I apologize,” Lucien gritted. “It was never my intention to cause you or anyone harm.”

Elain scoffed. “Is that the best apology you can make? I thought there would be more groveling from the male who took everything from me.”

“Do you want me to get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness?”

This time it was Elain who took a step towards him. She planted her hands on her hips. “Would you even know what to do if you went on your knees before me?”

Cauldron help him. Maybe the Mother knew exactly what she was doing when she decided the two of them should be mates. The fire dancing in her eyes called out to his own warmth, and the blood pulsing through his body called out to her. He wondered if Elain could hear how fast his heart was beating at that moment, in sheer excitement and want. 

It had been some time since he’d wanted anyone this desperately.

Lucien took the final step towards Elain. He glanced down at her flushed face, his gaze lingering on her lips when her tongue peeked out to wet them. She was breathing fast, and her eyes looked slightly glazed. “I will gladly get on my knees–”

Elain gasped and her body went stiff. “The crow will strike with bloody wings,” she mumbled, staring at something over his shoulder. “Its children will turn the sky black as night.”

“Oh hell,” Lucien muttered as Elain swayed on the spot. He eyed her nervously as her hazy eyes continued staring off into the distance. This was obviously a vision, and like her previous ones, frustratingly vague and cryptic. “Elain?” he called softly after a few moments. 

Nothing. It was like she had fallen asleep standing up. Lucien snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Elain?” Still no response. He gave her a few more moments and looked around. There was nothing of interest behind him that she could be staring at. He sighed, unsure what to do. Would she simply…come to, on her own? Did she need to be forcefully brought back to the present?

Clearly, standing stock still in the middle of nowhere wasn’t conducive to breaking her out of her trance, so more immediate action needed to be taken. Tentatively, Lucien reached out and wrapped his hands gently around her upper arms and gave her just the smallest shake. “Elain?”

Cauldron, what was going on inside her mind that couldn’t be broken? “I hope you remember more about your vision than I do, because I wasn’t paying attention to the first part,” he grumbled. 

Enough of this–they had to keep moving, and if he had to be the one to move both of them, so be it. Lucien bent down below Elain to wrap his hands around her knees right as she gasped.

“What are you doing down there?! I wasn’t serious about you getting on your knees! Get away!”

“Ah, stop it!” Lucien threw up his arms to protect his face from Elain’s swinging hands. “You had a vision and were just standing there like a statue, I was going to carry you so we could keep moving! Stop trying to hit me!”

“I lose myself for a few seconds and you try to make a move on me! I thought you’d be more of a gentleman!” Elain stepped away from Lucien and smoothed her hands over her unruly hair and clothes, shooting him a suspicious glare. 

“Who told you I was a gentleman?”

Elain blushed, and Lucien decided he very much enjoyed how the color elevated her pretty face. “I just assumed, being the son of a High Lord, that you would have manners and courtesy becoming of your station.”

Lucien barked a laugh. “Fae nobility doesn’t operate under the same ideals of goodness as humans, Elain. Me being the son of a High Lord means nothing to me, and I am by no means a gentleman, as you will soon come to find out,” he promised, grinning at her with all his teeth exposed.

Elain inhaled sharply. “And I think,” Lucien continued, stepping back into her personal space, “that you don’t really want a gentleman, do you?”

From this close up, Lucien could smell her sweet honey and jasmine scent, along with an altogether new and entirely different scent. Faint, so faint, but the burgeoning scent of her excitement danced across his tongue. He nearly groaned. 

Lucien knew just enough about Elain’s former betrothed to get the measure of him: the son of a general from a safe, respectable, predictable family that probably considered organizing their vast weapons collection as the highlight of their year. Looking at Elain now, her breath quick and scent excited, Lucien knew she’d be permanently bored and miserable should she have married that mortal. No, Elain perhaps didn’t have the same fire as her sisters, but she was intense in her own ways and needed someone to challenge her all the same. She needed excitement. She needed an adventure.

It could certainly just be the mating bond riding them, making them feel this way, but he didn’t think it was just that. This close to her, he could have sworn he saw a flicker of anticipation and surprise in the way her eyes searched his face. Trust me, Lucien pleaded with his eyes. He reached out to their bond, the string connecting them, and slowly moved along it. Give me a chance…

She turned her nose up at him. “You’re wrong–I would very much appreciate a gentleman, someone kind and who doesn’t make untoward advances on me, specially right now.” Without another word, Elain turned around and began marching away, her boots stomping so hard into the ground small puffs of dirt arose with each step. 

He counted to ten in his head, feeling cold and frustrated in the aftermath of her rebuttal. “You’re going the wrong way!” Lucien called after her retreating form. 

Elain turned back and gave Lucien a glare filled with so much heat it could melt the icicles off the palace in the Winter Court. She stuck her middle finger up at him as she passed.

Another Archeron family trait. Lucien couldn’t help but chuckle. 

As much as he would like to follow Elain from a distance–annoyance did wonderful things to her bottom–they needed to discuss what just happened. Lucien jogged to catch up to Elain and matched her pace. “So, what was your vision about?”

Elain gave him a look from the corner of her eyes but relented with a frustrated sigh. “It was…blurry, even by what I normally experience,” she admitted. “Normally, I have an idea of what the vision is about–I’ve seen Vassa transform into a bird more times than I can count by now, and saw Hybern’s ravens in the Library. But this time, it was like trying to watch a play through a thick fog.”

“Why was this vision different?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice with thick with frustration. “It also may explain why I was unresponsive for several minutes. I tried to…follow the vision, get closer to what was happening in the hopes that I could see it better.”

Lucien paused. “That seems dangerous. I know very little about Seers, but I know the mind can be a very dangerous place to be stuck whenever powerful magic is around, even for the most proficient of fae.”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I? The only real skill I bring to this small operation are my visions, and that’s only if they’re actually useful to us,” she muttered irritably. 

Lucien didn’t agree–their earlier witty argument was already the highlight of his month, and they’d only been together for two days. He changed tactics. “Perhaps this vision is going to happen so far in the future that its details aren’t set in stone yet. Maybe it can still change, depending on what happens in the present, and that’s why you couldn’t see anything clearly.”

Elain sighed. “Perhaps. But why show it to me now, for me to worry over?”

“Then don’t worry about it.”

“I just can’t not worry about it now,” Elain scoffed. 

“Then worry about it with me. I’m not here to fight with you, Elain,” Lucien said gently. “Regardless of how you feel about us, we need to work together, at least until we find Vassa. Can you do that?”

She bit her lip. “Of course, you’re right. We’re a team–” Lucien couldn’t help his smile, his heart soaring– “just until we find Vassa,” Elain ended. 

“Right,” Lucien muttered, his heart sinking back into the pit of his stomach. “Just until we find Vassa.”

But Lucien knew, as they continued walking in silence the rest of the day, that he wanted to try to be more with Elain than just temporary teammates. He’d experienced her wit and fire first hand, knew she was flawed like him and on some level desired him, and suspected, under her biting remarks, that she was kind and generous and good. The fact that she was utterly beautiful didn’t even factor in to his initial reasons of why he wanted to spend more time by her side.

Lucien now had two very pressing missions: find the last mortal queen who had been transformed into a firebird, and learn all he could about Elain Archeron.

���Did you care for any birds growing up?” Lucien asked conversationally later, after they had found a small copse of trees to shelter under during the night. Dinner had yielded an awkward conversation about the weather, along with their dried meats, bread and fruit. They were each laying on their respective bedrolls, staring at the night sky through the branches of the trees. 

Elain furrowed her brows and frowned. “What?”

“Well, this is the third time you’ve had a vision concerning birds; an odd coincidence, I wasn’t sure if you kept any birds as pets in your youth.”

“None at all.”

“Ah.” Lucien lightly drummed his fingers on the ground beneath him. “Do you like birds?”

“I’ve never thought about birds in any capacity until very recently,” Elain said blankly.

“Something we have in common. I, too, don’t care for birds, and after tonight, I never want to think about the flying pests ever again.”

To his delight, Elain gave a short laugh. “Finally, one thing we can agree on. Good night, Lucien.”

Lucien had charmed plenty of females before to know that getting them to laugh was one of the hardest obstacles to overcome in wooing. The fact that they had gone from arguing, to a tentative trust, to laughing, all in the space of one day was a very good sign, Lucien thought with a grin.

One step down, he thought happily as he drifted off to sleep, and only a million more to go.

#elucien #elucien fic #elucien fanfic #lucien vanserra #elain archeron #elain x lucien #elain archeron x lucien vanserra #acotar #my fics #my fic #acotarsecretsanta2022 #acotar gift exchange

[bethanydelleman]

There's a part on Persuasion where Admiral Croft and Anne are walking in Bath, and the Admiral is telling Anne about Louisa's engagement and how Fredrick is free etc etc. And at one point Admiral offers his arm to Anne saying that he feels weird without a lady at his arm, implying that he's so used to his wife Sophie walking and being by his side that one time of one day that she wasn't he felt awkward and couldn't resist himself but mention her coz something reminded him of her. Similarly when Mrs. Croft tells at the dinner with the Musgroves that she's lived on so many ships and she was fine and dandy on all of them, but the only time she "imagined" herself sick was when she was away from then Captain Croft for a month or so when he was in sea and she was on land. These twooooo 😍. I LOVE this couple!! You know not being able to conceive a child can make or break a couple, but in their case I think it definitely brought them closer. Also that instance when Admiral, Mrs. Croft and Anne are riding when the lot is coming back from their walk and Mrs. Croft informs Anne that her and Admiral married quite quickly after they got to know each other, infact too quickly by the standards of that time 😂. I also remember that part where Anne is visiting her house after the Crofts have rented it and the Admiral informs her that he and Sophie moved around some furniture together, implying that they both are actively involved with each other even in mundane, day-to-day things of life. These two have clearly been thick as thieves in both love and adventure, and have stood by each other through it all. Now, THIS is the relationship I want!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Admiral and Mrs. Croft are even more #couplesgoals than the main couples because they have stood the test of time! They have survived war, childlessness, separation, and relative poverty. Mrs. Croft even fondly remembers when they lived in a room as small as a postage stamp.

That is true love that lasts. I don't want honeymoon fresh feelings, give me a couple that still wants to be together every day after 15 years.

(Also, the Admiral is a hilarious man and I love him as much as his wife. All women should be named Sophie? Gold!)

#question response #persuasion #admiral and mrs. croft #admiral croft #sophia croft #not so much of a question as a Croft Fan post #but I'm here for it #jane austen

[rayssion]

Guys, guys!!

Imagine like 4000 years later where human civilization developed or retreated I don't care it's not necessary.

Imagine if all sources of greek mythology vanished or died with the years, and as much as we depend on Homer's Iliad and Odyssey now people on the future find PERCY JACKSON and the other Rick Riordan serieses as the only source of mythological knowledge!!

They'd read the books and imagine that those are the gods we believe in now and they'd think that Percy and the other demigods are real,

And couple of millennia later, Rick Riordan's books were destroyed or lost so people only told the stories verbally for centuries,

And as stories go they got deformed!! Imagine people after so so many years thinking Percy and the other demigods are like super super heroes whom are like much stronger than your local demigods yet still below gods, and then further deformation happens!!

And people start to think that the demigods are the gods!!

Now please, imagine.... imagine!

Percy, god of the sea, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and horses. (I can see him becoming the new king of the gods btw)

Jason, god of the sky, lightning and thunder, law and order.

Nico, god of death, shadows, ghosts and spirits. King of the underworld.

Annabeth, goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare.

Piper, goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire.

Frank, god of war, violence, bloodshed and manly virtues.

Leo, god of fire, master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the forge, craftsmanship, invention and volcanoes.

Will, god of the sun, of light, prophecy, philosophy, archery, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, manly beauty, medicine, healing, and plague.

Thalia, goddess of the hunt. the wilderness, virginity, the Moon, archery, childbirth, protection and plague.

And I'd like to add!!

Dakota, god of wine, the grapevine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy, madness and resurrection

Rachel, goddess of family and marriage, women and childbirth.

Hazel, goddess of earth and riches. Princess of the underworld and younger sister of Nico, King of the underworld.

Conner, god of traps, diplomacy, thieves, games and the guide of dead souls.

Travis, messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce, communication, borders and eloquence.

Meg, Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons.

Reyna, Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family, and also goddess of war.

Yes, they have 16 gods!!

I don't know what to name them but it has to be a cool name, like we got the Titans and the Olympians so it has to be cool.

Also imagine if like the Olympian gods we have now being translated to future generations as the bad guys (like how we have Kronos and Gaea now) and like the demigods gods (cuz I still don't know what to name them) are the forces of good that protect humanity, because they need humans to worship them of them to exist obviously.

So this generation of demigods gods are like nice gods for once!! They care for their children and the people under their wings!!

Best things as follows:

Percy, the god of the sea, is married to Annabeth, goddess of wisdom and war strategy.

Nico, god of death and the underworld, is married to Will, god of the sun and music.

Jason, god of the sky, is married to Leo, god of fire and crafts.

Frank, god of war, is married to Hazel, goddess of earth and riches.

Reyna, goddess of the hearth and war, is married to Thalia, goddess of the hunt.

Conner and Travis are the new twins and Rachel, goddess of family and marriage, is a sworn maiden because she wills her powers to maintain other relationships either between gods or between mortals.

Dakota on the other hand, doesn't like to be restrained as much as a mad person could go.

In this world there's nothing called being a maiden so as to be a hunter, bullshit I'm telling you, goddess Thalia herself is married.

Piper, the goddess of love and beauty knows best than to fall in love. Meg is one of the young gods, still closed in her bulb.

Also pffft, Thanatos who? I'm sure Nico can manage it all.

Another generation of demigods arise within no god is whoring around, the gods observe mortals and seek potential within them and when a god catches a mortal child leveling up to their preferences they claim them as a sort of blessing and take them under their wings.

The camps theme is surly still there, merged into one camp because one for some reason humans are less, and two because there's nothing called greek and roman gods anymore, only one version.

Demigods still go on quests, and as we know gods can't directly help them but they always make sure not to use mortals unless it's necessaity, and they try to help as much as they can.

I'd really love to live in a world like that! This post started off as a little imagine then quickly turned into world building, lol.

#valgrace >>> valdangelo #solangelo >>> valdangelo #valgrace >>> jasper #you know we can devide them further if 16 is too much #I was tempted to write 'god of scrawny is the new sizzling hot' 'hot stuff' and 'team Leo' fr #a world with percabeth solangelo and valgrace as gods and rulers? sign me up #hazel levesque #percy jackson #annabeth chase #nico di angelo #will solace #jason grace #leo valdez #piper mclean #frank zhang #reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna ramirez avila arellano #thalia grace #meg mccaffrey #rachel elizabeth dare #dakota #conner stoll #travis stoll #the stoll brothers #percabeth #solangelo #valgrace #frazel #percy jackon and the olympians #heroes of olympus

[captainjacklyn]

Twisted Wonderland & Captain Jack Sparrow!Reader, PART 1 :

A/N : Just wanted to do something special for my 1000+ followers, it feels like I should've done better, I gotta be more present with my community and blog. Just so you know- even if I don't post, it doesn't mean I am not there. Love you all <3

This is Part 1 with Heartslabyul & Savannaclaw, Part 2 will contain Octavinelle and Scarabia, Part 3 will be with Pomefiore and Ignihyde, Part 4 is Diasomnia

Personality : According to screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, Sparrow is a trickster who uses wit and deceit to attain his goals, preferring to end disputes verbally instead of by force. He walks with a slightly drunken swagger and has slurred speech and flailing hand gestures. Sparrow is shrewd, calculating, and eccentric.

Warning(s) : the reader is gender neutral, just wanted to give our favourite pirate some appreciation so the reader has his personality, skills & background, pronouns are you cause...it's literally just you. mentions of drinking habits, I've seen teenagers drink their heart out but the age of the reader isn't mentioned so make up your mind, killing, thieving cause its a pirate what did you expect ?

All characters with a Jack Sparrow!Reader :

HEARTSLABYUL

Riddle ♡ - He doesn't like you, not in the slightest. You violate the rules, you get into trouble and proceed to bail your friends by placing the fault on them. "I can name fingers and point names." Really ?! His bitterness turned into pure irritation the moment you admitted to have been a pirate. Riddle knows about those type of sea criminals, historically at least. Not in any sort of fantasy like ways because he says they are just children false imagination. There was this one time where Grim called for you during an unbirthday party, you kicked a buffet table to make one of the pastries fly into the air, jumped over the table, caught it, bit a piece out of it and complimented trey's cooking to finally excuse yourself. It wasn't against the rules but he wished it was because you KICKED THE TABLE WHERE HE WAS SITTING-

Ace ♡ - He finds you funny, I mean come on. You speak like a drunk person and you can copy/understand his little card tricks in a few seconds. You can't tell me the two of you don't gamble, betting your lunch and money, to the point where no one gets to eat. He will ask you about your pirate life because he thinks its rad, you get to set out to sea without a care in the world just looking for ways to make yourself rich. Sounds like new dream job for Ace ! You are pretty much the same when you get in trouble, "He did it ! ....I didn't ! No you did !" both of you are trying to stab each other in the front and not in the back cause you are very open about it.

Deuce ♤ - "Why fight when you can negotiate ?" was the first thing you said the moment he was about to hit the student you broke the eggs during your shopping for Ace's tart. He appreciates your patience, you usually try to end disputes verbally instead of swinging a punch the moment you get irritated. Admires your courage as well, even when riddle over blotted you partly stood your ground (partly because you tried to run away at first but then Ace stopped you). Got hit more than once because you flail your hands around when you speak, he reminds you when you're done but please stop cause his nose is turning into a weird color.

Cater ♢ - He finds you funny, especially with the way you talk and run away from his house warden. You get along well even if he has trouble understanding your logic at times. Definitely takes funny pictures with you even if you don't get why he does it. "did everyone see that cause I will not be doing it again." he saw it and he snapped pictures of you fighting a group of flamingos while saying that you know you're attractive but this is a little much ladies. Boy is laughing at your shenanigans, always.

Trey ♧ - He just laughs whenever you act a little weird, you're eccentric and similarly to cater, he finds it hilarious. When he made the joke about adding oyster sauce into the batter for the tarts, you just looked at him and said : "You're basically saying that you want to put me in the tart ? Because that's what it sounds like." You do smell like fish because of your adventures in the ocean, he sometimes eavesdrops whenever you visit the adeuce duo to talk about your accomplishments. Trey finds your demeanor a little charming and he may or may not be charmed himself, statement is based off of a time where you tried to play smooth in order to get a tart.

SAVANNACLAW

Leona 𓃬 - You're too energetic, stop it, stop moving. You definitely tested his patience during chapter 2 because he tried to kill you more than once (he calls you a fish smelling bastard, of course you don't care but you won't accept an insult without the 'captain' part). Because of your shrewd and calculating prowess, you were able to figure out his schemes very easily. A couple years of pirating comes in handy when your life depends on deceit and wit. He smelled your presence after he had that conversation with Jack, you're pretty loud too, stealth is definitely not you're strong point. "Alright you caught me I was spying on your little chit chat with the big dog. And honestly, I don't care what you do as long as you don't drag me into it. But unfortunately you did drag me into it...now we're both angry." "What do you want, mister/misses/mixes pirate ? A gold coin ? Take your pick because I got many." "A tempting offer which I will address later, but I came here with a word of advice mate- the problem isn't the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem." "...what." "In stupid people language it means stop whatever the hell you're doing cause it's not gonna work out. I've seen better plans than this like I've seen prettier krakens then this designer wallet." "HEY-"

Ruggie 🐾 - He's a little intimidated by you, you figured things out quicker than he would expect a drunk type of person to. Don't judge a book by its cover, got it. He was especially freaked out when he sensed your presence, even more when you came in through the window right after Jack left. You were also one of the first people to sympathize with him when Leona betrayed his own vice dorm leader, saying that if he wanted to be a pirate, he was already on the right track. You bond over the fact that the both of you are good thieves, you teach him a few tricks and he'll teach you a couple as well. Like Ace, he finds your job fun, at least it looks like it. You're more similar to him than you think, I genuinely feel like if he could, he would run away from society to find his own place and maybe a couple of treasures along the way.

Jack 𓃥 - He is confused, you have a sense of justice...but you're someone who gets hunted down by the government. And you steal too...why did headmaster ask you to solve the case again ? He's on good terms with you but you're not exactly friends either, he just finds you strange yet surprisingly smart despite your background. The way you run away is weird though, why are your legs running faster than your upper body ? Brushes it off later, he is impressed by your way of thinking, it may come off as insane but there is actually knowledge. When you came up with a plan to stop Leona he said it could be the most mad thing they ever did or the most brilliant thing ever. "it's remarkable how often those two traits connect." He admires you, you're still weird but..you're cool..even though you're weird.

It's a little long on Leona's part but I feel like they would be a pretty funny frenemy duo.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twistedwonderland #jack-sparrow!reader #jack sparrow #disney twst #twisted wonderland disney #disney twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #savannaclaw #twisted wonderland leona #twisted wonderland riddle #twisted wonderland deuce #twisted wonderland trey #twisted wonderland cater #twisted wonderland ace #twisted wonderland ruggie #twisted wonderland jack #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x mc #twisted wonderland x yuu #twisted wonderland x pirates of the caribbeans #twst mc #twst leona #twst riddle #twst ace #twst deuce #twst jack #twst trey #twst cater

[laundrypause]

Think: Loscar as princes who are in line to take the throne of their respective houses and Oscar who is supposed to be the future king of the realm because he's already been betrothed to the Prince of the realm who is obviously going to one day be King but is harbouring feelings for Logan. Obviously Logan doesn't know of it yet because Oscar's an idiot but Logan also likes Oscar so in truth, they're both idiots.

In my head, Oscar's the Prince of House of Moon (honestly the houses names need more thought but let the literal names be placeholders for now), one of the most powerful houses in the realm. Known for their swordsmanship and weaponry, House Moon also holds one of the strongest armies, second to House Sun. House Moon's colours are predominantly black with purple and silver as complimentary colours. Oscar's the oldest of four children and the only male heir, making it his duty and birthright to next rule House Moon. Raised to rule ever since he was a babe, he's known and grown to learn nothing but to be the perfect King. One of the most talented swordsmen in the realm, he's only 8 and 10 moons when he's already managed to hold three victorious battles under his belt. Now, don't get him wrong, Oscar in no way is a violent man but when push comes to shove, he'll do anything to protect his house and the people he cares about. It's like how that saying goes, “Don't poke a sleeping dragon unless you want to face its wrath”. Fitting for the prince.

Logan is the Prince of House Forest (ik, it's a WIP). House Forest's colours are green, brown and gold. Not one of the realm's powerhouses, House Forest instead is known for its handsome craftsmanship and relationships with magical creatures. Don't be mistaken in underestimating House Forest though. As much as they are peace lovers, they are as much cunning. House Forest is one of the oldest houses, having been established before the War™ so they know a thing or two of fending for themselves during one. Logan is the youngest of two children but the sole inheritor to the throne after his brother's tragic death at sea. The stormy seas caused his brother to have gone overboard and before help could've reached him, he drowned in the rough waters. It is rumoured the sea beast, Drakolia, a huge sea serpent part of the House of Seas had something to do with the young Prince's death but House Seas denies any claim that they or Drakolia had anything to do with it and threatened anyone who dares say otherwise with treason and consequently, death.

And just for fun, Oscar's sword is called the Blood Moon. It has a cross guard shaped as a crescent moon and the blade has the various stages of the moon. Together with the Prince's blood and iron– the iron came from the summit of the tallest mountain in the kingdom where it's said it was the closest you could get to the moon– the sword was forged under the conditions of a lunar eclipse. Enemies claim that the sword gleams and pulses under moonlight but no one ever believes them, chalking it up to pure imagination or delusion. Rumor has it that the sword's actually alive, that it whispers to thieves who wish to steal it away from its rightful owner, making them do unspeakable things.

House Moon harbours a secret, actually a multitude of secrets but one of them is being the ones who killed Logan's brother. It was all apart of their plan, in the name of their thirst and greed for more power and sway over the realm. There were rumors that the king and queen of House Forest could not produce any more offspring so Logan's brother was to be the only child and sole inheritor of everything House Forest. Because of that, House Moon knew if they killed the sole inheritor to House Forest's throne, it would be easier for them to take over it or at least, weaken it to the extent that it'll make their path for power a smidge easier. Oscar wasn't even born when this happened but he did find out when he was 9 moons. It was an accident, truly. He was walking past his parents’ chambers, wanting to sneak out for a late night snack. What stopped him in his tracks was the mention of House Forest (at that point of his life, anything related to Logan made him stop). Curious, Oscar peeked into their study. Inside he found the King and Queen of House Seas, laughing merrily with his parents. Though, laughing merrily is quite inaccurate. No, they were snickering, vicious smiles plastered on their faces. They seemed to be quite drunk and perhaps that was why their lips were so loose at that instance, under the pretence that no one was near them to eavesdrop. What Oscar heard was basically an admittance to the two houses having a part in the first prince of House Forest's death. It was truly unlucky when Oscar had accidentally placed his weight too much on the door, causing it to fall open and him to unceremoniously plop onto the ground.

The second it happened, everyone in the room sobered up. Oscar was placed in a chair, his mother's arm tight around his chest, halting any movements he wanted to make. A mage was called upon and a spell was placed on Oscar, wiping any memory of what he saw that night from his memory. House of Moon would not let their secrets get out, they'd do anything even to the extent of altering their child's memories. Nothing was too far. Well, now Oscar wouldn't need to think about l his family had played a part in Logan's brother's death that took an enormous toll on his mother, leaving her heartbroken and bedridden for months before she could get back up again. Logan's mother now was but a shell of what she used to be back when his brother was still alive.

Logan might not have known his brother but he knew how loved he was. It truly was an act of God when Logan's mother learned that she was with child, years after her first child's death. House Forest painstakingly ensured that the second Prince was well cared for and no enemies would be able to even graze a strand of his hair. House Moon had grown a great deal during the last few years. They didn't need to kill Logan for power, no, House Forest had practically been left to ruin after the first Prince's death. House Moon's prospects didn't include House Forest anymore, they were in the big league now and when their Queen gave birth to the house's first prince, it was a no-brainer for them to betroth young Oscar to Prince Lando of House Sun.

#loscar #loscar fantasy au #if you couldnt tell this was inspired by hotd #logan sargeant #oscar piastri #loscar fic #loscar fic au #i love fantasy so much you dont even know