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a-crimson-dawn · 11 months ago

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Pirates of the Carte Seas - Chapter 4 | Drownings & Deceptions

There is a crowd gathered, nobility, dressed in silks and cottons, navy-men with their fancy uniforms. Somehow, it makes her throat feel tighter. She doesn't care to be here. It isn't as though she is nervous, simply uncomfortable. Frustrated even.

She tries to feign interest as her father takes the sword and its gold-covered scabbard from the presentation case held by one of the navy men - Luftar, was it? He stands as stoically and emotionlessly as ever. Of course, this is a serious occasion, but that doesn't necessitate it being so lifeless, does it? As Governor Vermillion slips the sword back into its scabbard - a needlessly ornamental thing, really, for something that was only meant to kill - her gaze can't help but falter, slipping back down to the fan she'd taken for the occasion.

Fire lilies printed on fine, lacy fabric. Her mother's favourite. She had figured it might make this nonsense easier to stand through.

As her father reaches the sword out, vertically, in front of Augustus, she finds that it didn't actually help. Try as she might, she couldn't think back to anything that man had done that would make him more deserving of this promotion than any one of the other men.

They don't share this observation of course. Smugly, her distant relative grabs the scabbard above her father's hand, which the elder lord promptly releases. She has the distinct, uncomfortable impression of him staring at her expectantly. Augustus pulls the sword out, with a clumsy flourish and snaps the blade towards his face, very nearly cutting himself, she is sure. Honestly, it was more surprising that he hadn't cut himself yet. Her father steps forward - face unreadable (she wonders if he's about as keen about the promotion as she is, realising the stupid politics of the Kiras being as powerful as they are - he probably doesn't have much of a choice - and tries not to visibly frown. Tries.) - pinning a medal onto the Kira heir's jacket, before reversing, perhaps a little too quickly.

Augustus nods, turns and - looking like the cat that got the cream - nods over to his fellow officers. Their expressions are neutral. Some perhaps supportive, most likely frustrated and jealous. 'At least they had some semblance of a chance...' she couldn't help but think to herself bitterly. Kira then nods to the gathered noble audience - merchants, dignitaries - and with another spin, he puts the sword back into its scabbard.

A loud - socially obligated - applause resounds through Fort Lumiere. Reluctantly, she claps along. Congratulations could be heard from the other navy men - perhaps attempts to get into a new top dogs good graces -, hand shakes. Augustus seems almost repulsed by any physical contact, as if he's touching something slimy, every time he shakes someone's hand, or has his shoulder patted. He doesn't even appear to try and hide, but then... there is really no need. Nevertheless, he holds himself tall, enjoying having the attention and praise, however fake it may be.

She feels nauseous.

The sun beating down on them doesn't normally bother her - she'd always been a creature of warmth -, but today it feels particularly hot, and despite the corset feeling loose, it feels as though she's suffocating. Augustus looking back to her every now and again doesn't exactly help.

Food poisoning? She'd barely had time for food. Maybe it was hunger? An illness?

Nevertheless, she tried to remain as composed as possible.

If at least she could distract herself, somehow -

She fans herself some more, perhaps it's the still air. She'd kill for a breeze.

"Lady Mereoleona!" a shrill voice exclaims. Augustus appears before her, and, looking down, she notices that his hand is extended towards her. He looks sweaty, perhaps because of the sun, or nerves. In fairness, she's not in the best state herself, but it only makes her recoil further into herself on the inside. Nevertheless, she takes it, the other hand still fanning herself, this time, more rapidly. It doesn't help any. She finds herself being taken away from the party - honestly, that is probably for the best - towards the parapet. The awkward silence isn't one Mereoleona cares to break.

"You look stunning, Mereoleona," he blurts out. Considering she was in layers of fancy material, she'd better. "Hadn't thought you had this side to you..."

What side...? Irritation bubbled up inside her.

Augustus cleared his throat, looking all the more nervous. Had she showed her annoyance in some way? Something stabbed at her stomach. She feels dizzy. Perhaps she ought to-

"Looking at you now, I am surprised a fine woman like yourself is yet to be married." If he'd assumed that this would improve her mood in some way, then he'd assumed wrong. "And now that I have achieved my career goals through this promotion, I have come to realise there is one more goal left to achieve. Marriage. To a fine woman..."

If he'd said anything else, the words slowly faded into silence, as she wobbled a little, finding herself growing weak, her surroundings fading from view. "I need to sit down..." she mumbled, leaning back against the wall, and then shakily propping herself up onto it, wanting as much space as she could get from him. The last thing she cared about is marriage right now. A bucket would be more useful. God, she felt like vomiting-

"I understand an impressive offer as this must be a lot to take in-"

She sways -

- loses balance -

- it feels like her stomach is floating in nothingness -

- darkness -

- she's falling.

Fuck. This was not how she'd wanted to go.

"Mereoleona!" her father's voice calls out to her, and then she feels something cold against her skin. Fluid. Powerful. The usually calm seas seem to have grown wild.

---

Meanwhile, at the navy dock, two young sailors are on sentry duty, their hair - one dark haired, the other fair haired - unruly and their uniform crumpled. They have an immature aura about them that betrays part of the reason why they hadn't been invited to the ceremony. They stick to the shade, none too keen to sacrifice their pale skins in the sun. Especially not with the dark haired one's forehead scar. Yet, as a stranger saunters up to them, their job obliges them to step outside the comfort zone and be alert.

"This dock's off limits to civilians!" the taller, dark haired one exclaims.

"My bad," Captain Yami Sukehiro responds nonchalantly, even bored.

Festive sounds of instruments being played by the band at Fort Lumiere reach their ears. Yami smirks ever so slightly, as he shields his eyes from the sun and looks up towards the source of the sound. The elder sentry seems to tense up, perhaps unsettled by his carelessness.

"A party at the fort, huh? Guessin' you two weren't invited?"

The ravenette narrows his eyes at the pirate. "Someone has to make sure this dock remains off limits to civilians," he insisted.

"Must be some important boat," Yami lazily gestures his hand towards the ship on his right.

"Ship," the fair haired one corrected, and the captain notices he hasn't stopped grinning since he'd first sighted him. Well, if that wasn't creepy as fuck.

"Ship," Yami was more amused than anything. This would be easier than he'd thought.

"Captain Kira made it his flagship. He's going to use to hunt down every last pirate in the Carte Seas," the ravanette said with pride not his own. Big ambitions this Kira guy had. More powerful men had tried though. It would be amusing to watch the navy bastard fail... from a ship to call his own, preferably.

"Commodore," the blonde corrected his colleague.

"Commodore Kira, right," the ravanette huffed.

"A fine goal," Yami nods, disingenuous, "but I'm thinking a ship like that one," he gestures towards "Integrity" standing proudly beside it, "makes this one a bit... unnecessary?"

"Well, yeah, but for all the power Integrity has, it's got nothing on Faith when it comes to speed," the ravanette insisted.

Yami hums, entertained by their stubbornness. They have chosen the wrong profession in his opinion. They might've fared better as part of his crew with all that bull-headedness. "That so, huh? Well, I've heard of one; supposed to be fast. Uncatchable even. The Black Bull."

The blond rolls his eyes at the name and laughs. "Hah, there's no way a real ship can match Faith."

"The Black Bull is a real ship," his entertainment falters, turning into annoyance. Was this one dumb or just stupid or something?

"No it isn't!"

"Yeah it is. I've seen it!" the ravanette exclaimed, surprising Yami, who raised a brow.

"Seriously, Magna?" The blond turned to his colleague.

"Yeah."

"You've seen the Black Bull?" the blond seemed almost intrigued. Excited even. He had every reason to be.

"Yeah!"

"No, you haven't!" In fairness, "Magna" didn't seem to be giving any additional details, so there was plenty reason to think he was lying. Chances were he was making it up to look cooler, or something.

"Yeah, I have, Luck!"

With a mixture of impatience, scepticism, and still that creepy ass smile (albeit more terse), the blond clarified: "so... you've seen a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so dark that hell itself spat him back out?"

"No..."

"No."

"But, I've seen a ship with black sails," Magna insisted.

"Yeah? No ship that's not crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails and so there's no way it could be any other ship than the Black Bull?" That's what you're telling me, Magna?" Luck challenged.

"... No."

"So, like I said, there's not real ship- hey-!"

Meanwhile, Yami couldn't help but think about all the celebratory sake he would be having for a ship so easily stolen, as he inspected the wheel of Faith, standing on its pristine deck. Oh, yeah, this was definitely much nicer than the Stubborn Bull, he decided.

"You!" the blond exclaimed, which Yami responded to with a mocking raising of his eyebrows, as if shocked to be caught. Leaping into action, the shorter sentry rushed towards the gangplank, followed by an equally determined Magna. "Unless you plan on fighting me, you better get down from there - you're not supposed to board Faith without permission!"

Yami spreads out his hand in faux apology. "Sorry 'bout that. I just... couldn't help myself with such an impressive... boat -" he could see Magna's eye twitch -" ship."

Apparently they didn't see so dumb to immediately fall for it.

"What's your name?" Magna asked.

"Smith."

"Well, what are you doing in Port Raquey, Mr Smith?" Luck's smile twitched, and he seemed ready to pull out his sword. Blood thirsty little shrimp. Well, he could respect that, if nothing else.

"And no lies!" Magna added.

It was fast becoming apparent those two had likely never met a pirate.

"None? Alright then," Yami huffed. "Guess the gig's up. You got me. I plan on commandeering one of these ships, pick up a crew on Diamond Island, and then do some honest pirating," his eyes lit up a little, noticing the disbelief and doubt in the eyes of the two sentries.

Magna continued to glare. "I said no lies."

"... I'm pretty sure he's telling the truth, actually," Luck remarked.

"He's not telling the truth."

"But he could be," the blonds hand grabbed the handle of his sword.

"No way - if he were a pirate, he'd never tell us he was a pirate." Well, that was how it normally went, but...

"... Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth if he told you," Yami interjected.

Magna and Luck look among themselves, considering his words. All true, of course... he didn't bother wasting energy where it didn't need wasting. And, besides, watching them figure it out was free entertainment. Almost better than Diamond Island's finest booze and women.

A loud exclamation interrupts -

Fort Raquey.

Yami whips around, pushing past Magna to see the commotion.

A splash breaks the commotion at the port as everyone's attention is now on the sea. Someone had fallen in - woman, probably a fancy one, right off a cliff. If that wasn't going to kill her, chances were the waters might do. The men at the port, and those at the fort both seem panicked, fumbling. She'd narrowly missed a sharp rock, but with the restless waves, she might not be long from hitting one, losing consciousness (if she hasn't already) and drowning in the waters. Of course, that would work just fine for him, but -

---

"The rocks, sir - she's lucky to have missed them!" a voice exclaimed from the Fort, and Governor Vermillion pushed past him, ready to jump for his daughter, only to get pulled back by the lieutenant. He pries his arm off, not about to waste any time, as he runs down, skipping steps and tries to get to port as fast as possible.

---

- Yami turns to the sentries. "You're not gonna save her?"

"I can't swim," Magna confesses.

Yami rolls his eyes. "Sailors."

He can tell help is far off, and the sentries are useless. He doesn't fancy helping some posh, rich lass. However, the image of one such high born lass crosses his mind, and he - with much annoyance - realises that he can't quite let her drown. "Fine." Pissed off, he hands his gun from his sword belt to Magna, and then the belt to Luck. "Don't lose these unless you fancy losing your heads," he growled threateningly, which seemed to do the trick (at least with Magna), and then dives into the water.

He'd swam in worse conditions.

Soon enough, he's gotten to where the lady had sunk, having frustratingly enough already lost consciousness. He doesn't pay enough attention to note the medallion around her neck, which had now slipped from under her bodice, glittering under the water refracted sun.

#black clover #mereoleona vermillion #yami sukehiro #magna swing #luck voltia #augustus kira #pirates of the caribbean #disney event #i also just realised I mixed up the names in earlier chapters :(

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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Ideas for Combination Magickodahs

So, I was considering some ideas of combination magic, in part because it's a pity some of these combinations will likely never see the light of Black Clover's pages or the Black Clover Mobile game, or even the anime. To be honest, they aren't that well thought-out, but, eh. You can still use 'em if you want.

Trap Magic x Mist Magic -- Trapper's Confusion

A thick mist spreads across an area, underwhich are concealed traps which can't be sensed because their mana signature is concealed by the mist magic. Furthermore, illusions of Nebra and Zora clones pop up randomly to distract the opposition. Works better on strangers.

World Tree Magic x Fire Magic -- Inferno ex Elysium / Forest Phoenix

(Specifically for William and Mereoleona)

A giant form of a floral phoenix initially creates an animated barrier between the allies and the opposition. From the back of the phoenix, plantlife starts sprouting an a soothing aura spreads, healing/regenerating the allies. But then the front catches on fire, the giant bird claps its wings in the face of the opposition, and spreads fire on the oppositions half of the battlefield, causing burn damage, creating immense heat on one half of the battlefield and overall creating an inhospitable environment that acts to drain the opposition of mana. The bird may then attack for as long as it is boosted by both users magic -- which may require extra prep-time.

Light Magic x Sealing Magic - Light Purgatory / Sealed Sanctuary

One is a form of restraining magic which can restrain multiple enemies in an area of brilliant, blinding light where they may even die if trapped too long. The other is a protective, barrier spell which also doubles as a healing spell.

Mirror Magic x Transformation Magic - Mirror Metamorphosis

A combination of Gauche's and Grey's magic, which gives each user a mirror. Whatever reflection they see in it is the form they can take -- it can also function as a means of creating clones of someone you have seen but isn't present in the battlefield, but Grey/Gauche needs to have seen them before.

Mirror Magic x Mist Magic - Hall of Mirrors

Creates a confusing mase of mirrors which seeks to disorient the opposition through presenting illusions of mages that look like they are standing there as the mirror aspect of it can't really be seen -- it can also create physical duplicates/clones of the allies.

Mercury Magic x Dream Magic - Toxic Dreamscape

Basically, it traps the opposition into a sort of nightmare scape that is the result fo combining mercury magic and dream magic. It can disorient, de-buff, restrain and even kill the opposition, especially the longer they last there. Also, you have a greater chance of being poisoned by breathing in mercury gas which is in the surrounding air. But allies are provided with gas masks.

Water Spirit Magic x Song Magic - (1) Oceans Lullaby, (2) Twin Sirens

(1) Creates a song/water barrier with healing properties spreading through the inside of the barrier. Radius depends on how much mana is available among other factors.

(2) Utilising Undine, and ultimate magic, it allows both Noelle and Kahono to tranform provided they both have sufficient mana. Kahono's side of the spell gives the transformation de-buff/incapacitate abilities (through allowing both users to "sing" people either to sleep/insanity/etc) and offensive powers come from Noelle's side of the spell. On the other hand, if one of the transformation fails, the other does too.

Antimagic x Fire Magic - Antifire/Inflammable Hellscape

Turns out inflammable just means it catches fire easily. So yeah, it's very firey, and prevents the establishment of the opposition's magical spells through being overpowering both in terms of anti magic and firemagic.

Plant Magic / Steel Magic - Steel Garden

Mimosa and Klaus' magic combined to create a garden of steel flowers which defend and heal the allies, while showing their steel thorns to the enemy. The steel flowers can also spread and become a menace by hijacking the enemies spells through their steel seeds which then blossom into flowers and control the spell to Mimosa & Klaus' liking instead.

Fire Magic x Snow Magic - (1) Volatile Weather (2) Cosy Winter Wonderland

(1) Creates extreme and fluctuating weather events that require the opposition to use mana for mana skins thus draining them of their mana. It can also inflict burn/freeze damage on the enemy - might even set them on fire/cause frostbite. The allies are protected by a combination of fire and snow mana skin that works in tandem with the changing climate.

(2) Creates a beautiful but lethal winter wonderland using Fragil's side of the spell which can incapacitate or weaken the enemy, and allows for heated defensive armour (with lions on it) from Fuego's side of the spell to be used for the allies.

Lightning x Scissor Magic - Scissor Blitz

Scissors made of lightning come blitzing down on the opposition, attacking them from various sides. It's a fast and therefore hard to dodge attack. (Also Helene Barbary has scissor magic. Pity she isn't a magic knight. Maybe with some training her magic could be pretty overpowered, considering what Jack's magic could do.)

Paint Magic x Food Magic - Divine Desserts

Through food art, fields of icing and seas of sticky toffee, and cream incapacitate or slow down the enemy, while being a source of mana regeneration and a certain degree of immortality for the allies (allies might report feeling more youthful/rejuvenated, too). This can also allow for the spell to potentially be endless, unless Charmy is taken out.

Paint Magic x Cotton Magic - (1) Sheep Gods / (2) Painting Sheep

(1) Creates Gods shaped like sheep which pummel the enemy using a mixture of paint and cotton magic.

(2) Charmy's cotton sheep function as sort of assistant painters who borrow from Rill's specific attribute in order to be able to use the spells he can use. Depending on how much of Rill's mana they have soaked up in their wool - which can be seen by how paint covered their wool is - they can continue casting Rill's spells even after Rill's lost the ability to, and can since there's more of them, it means they can attack from more sides. They may further be boosted by good magic.

#black clover #ideas #black clover headcanons #william vangeance #mereoleona vermillion #dorothy unsworth #nozel silva #noelle silva #kahono #rill boismortier #charmy pappitson #fragil tormenta #mimosa vermillion #klaus lunettes #leopold vermillion #patri #secre swallowtail #nebra silva #zora ideale

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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Happy Birthday, William!

The other colour on the dress is supposed to be red. But it doesn't look red, because my phone camera is dumb. The little circular things attached to the bows are supposed to be sleighbells and they're supposed to be in gold. >:{

Also, Happy Birthday to Patri too, but I'm not going through this again, so...

Also, Happy Festiver / Merry Christmas!

#black clover #william vangeance #fanart

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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As he leaned his head against her chest, eyes closed, ears taking in the "doki doki" of his lover's heart, William decided that heaven was not a place. Heaven was a person by the name of Mereoleona Vermillion.

#black clover #william vangeance #mereoleona vermillion #merilliam #william x mereoleona #mereoleona x william #just a random post #fluff #romance

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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Pirates of the Carte Seas Chp 3 - Captain Yami Sukehiro

Little ways from the harbour, a warning hangs in the form of four skeletons - the remnants of the navy's efforts to clean out the place from people of the criminal sort. In tattered clothing, they hung from gallows, off the headland looking over the Carte seas, one corpse clutching a wooden sign on which is printed "Pirates be warned" in black paint.

It is not that the newest visitor does not see this warning, nor that he ignores it.

The brawn-for-brains, of rugged looks, simply doesn't - can't - give a shit.

As the sails of his truly magnificent sea vessel pass by, he looks on, unfazed, headed landward, in spite of his rather obviously damning looks. At most, he salutes them, before chucking the cigarette he'd been smoking into the sea. Leaping from the rigging…

… he finds himself hopping onto to the wooden tiller, parting ways with his sinking fishing boat that had the great misfortune of leaking. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, and cared even less than he had about those skeleton men. Best not to cling to things – including the "Stubborn Bull", that went near completely under just a few moments as he stepped ashore.

Port Raquey welcomes him with less fanfare than he'd hoped, but at least, with some luck, he'd be able to slip past the towering ships of the navy - the large form of "Integrity" catching his eye briefly -, fixing his focus onto his next vessel. Sure, the large dreadnought is a powerful ship, fit for a large crew, but with the man's somewhat less… numerous… team, he found it more tempting to "borrow" the smaller armed vessel that floated near Fort Kira and went by the name of "Faith".

He walks past the harbourmaster - who glances at his small sunken boat with confusion, before regarding the visitor cautiously. "This man is either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid," the greying harbour master remarks to himself, in what he thinks is too quiet a voice to overhear. Clearly, he doesn't fancy the idea of pissing the visitor off.

And in fairness, neither does the visitor.

"Tch. You'd be surprised at how often those two traits coincide," the visitor takes subtle glee in watching the man flinch when he is heard, before the harbour master gets to tying the ship down.

The visitor goes off ahead - or plans to, anyway - fixing up his sword-belt, attached to which is a sheathed katana, a compass, a pistol and a small powder horn. Instead, the harbourmaster seems to pluck up the confidence to step before him.

"It's a shilling for the dock space, and I'll be needing your name," the older man remarks, tapping at his ledger.

"How about three shillings – and you forget the name?" three shillings are tossed at the ledger, which the man looks down on with apparent eagerness, giving the visitor a welcoming smile now, as he steps aside.

"Welcome to Port Raquey, Mr Smith."

For three shillings - not his own, either - the visitor figured, the welcome was warm enough… and Captain Yami Sukehiro could do with the boring alias for now.

#disneycindy #disney event #black clover #yami sukehiro #pirates of the caribbean

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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Pirates of the Carte Seas - Chapter 2 | Hearts

Mereoleona wasted little time following after her father, anticipation making it difficult to stay put. Sure, it could just be Augustus, however…

She runs off, leaving the poor maid calling after her meekly, forgetting that her hair was still a red mess atop her head. Mereoleona, of course, couldn't care less, as she fast-walked through the hallway, dress dragging a little behind her. She passed by pictures hanging off the wall - paintings of happier times; her mother embracing her brothers and her, eyes warm and smiling; the two eldest siblings in their toddler years, both in matching red dress (it was more practical in those days), her auntie and governess, Acier (back then, both women were alive and full of energy).

Below, she could hear her calling a name that made her heart flutter, just a little bit.

"Ah, Mr. Vengeance. It is good to see you again!" her father greeted and she found herself glancing over the curving bannister, down below where a young man stood in the foyer.

Unsurprisingly, he was nervous, glancing around, seeming uncertain what to do with himself. In his hands he held an elongated presentation case - she perks up, wondering if what was in there would be staying with them. (She had a fondness for fighting of any kind, and there was unmistakably a sword in there.)

William himself had grown quite a bit since she'd first met him. His face, though scarred, is - at least to her - a handsome sight, and she hasn't the slightest as to why he constantly seemed to wish to hide himself from view. His hair is still the soft white of his younger days, if maybe a touch longer, and though he's dressed rather roughly, his face stained with a few lines of a darker colour, he's still a sight for sore eyes.

"Good day, sir," the young man nods over to her father, smiling in a friendly greeting, holding out the case.

Her father walks over to the case, opening it, to reveal what is indeed a gorgeous-looking dress sword. A fine craft, sharp and elegant looking and she suspects - though he doesn't say it - produced by him. She doubted the man he works for has even a fraction of the care and ambition.

Governor Vermillion takes the sword out with reverence.

"The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle," Will explains, gesturing to the different parts of the sword with his hands. It's tempting to grin at his eagerness. He rarely gets this excitable about anything, which makes it all the more obvious that this is his work. "If I may-"

The Governor nods.

The younger man takes the sword, balancing it on one finger. "Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade…"

"Impressive, impressive," her father remarks, looking to the sword and then to William, whose face has ever so slightly brightened with the praise. "Commodore Augustus will be pleased, I'm sure." Mereoleona scowls internally at this, not keen on having to see such a nice blade being given to someone so ill-fit for it. "Do pass my compliments onto your master."

She tenses, wondering if her father is truly this oblivious, or if he is secretly just that cruel.

William's face falls. Perhaps out of spite he flips the sword with ease and grabs the hilt, returning it into the case for a little show. "I shall," he bows, "a craftsman is always pleased to hear his work is appreciated –"

It is then that they locked gazes, blue meeting purple, and she can tell he's surprised - whether by her presence or get up or both. She can't help but grin.

"Mereoleona, you look stunning," her father said what she couldn't help but wish William had, as she rushed down the staircase, half-tempted to tackle Will and half wanting to know what he thought of this.

"Will, it is good to see you!" she exclaimed, her hand unconsciously reaching to the medallion, reminded of it by him. "I dreamt about you last night!"

She is sure she sees a faint hint of red on William's cheeks. "Truly?"

"Mereoleona-" her father tries cutting her off, but with their meetings getting so scarce as of recent, she is not having it.

"About the day we met – do you remember?"

The younger man nodded, "how could I ever forget it, Miss Vermillion?"

"How many times must I ask you to call me Mereoleona, Will," she insists, watching him smile sheepishly, turning even redder and she couldn't but find it endearing.

"At least once more, Miss Vermillion, as always." Damn propriety.

"But you will spar me later, won't you?" It wasn't like William to deny her requests, he hadn't done since they were little, and he was the one who taught her the basics on her urging. Back then she'd been bored out of her mind and curious to see the boy having decent skill with a sword. With reluctant permission from her father - who was currently looking at her with mild exasperation at her forwardness -, she'd trained alongside him.

"Ah, I am certain you've better partners to spar with - you have surpassed me…"

His excuses stung. Had she misread something?

"Well, said, Mr Vangeance. Now there's a boy who understands propriety," her father said, pointedly. "Now, we must get going," he adds as he takes the display case, and steps towards the door, opening it for her.

Frustrated with her father, and reluctant to part, she nevertheless looks to William, wondering if he felt the way she did when he saw her. "Good day, Mr Vangeance," she says, straightening her posture and fixing her skirts, before turning away from him and walking out the door, followed by her father.

She doesn't see his longing gaze, only hearing him say, "good day," which leaves her chest a littly achy.

Outside a gold embellished carriage awaits, comfortable and pulled along by stunning white horses, well-bred and raised. She knows William would have loved to pet them - he'd always been an animal lover in secret (he was a lot of things in secret), but he restrains himself, being that it'd be improper for someone of his standing to be anywhere near the carriage without Governor Vermillion requesting it himself.

For her part, she only gives them a glance - non-humans and humans alike had always been wary of her -, before accepting the carriage driver's assistance.

Settling in the carriage, she sees the door close, and looks out the window, at William's soulful expression. Does it hurt him to be so formal the way it hurts her? Or is it out of politeness and obligation that he responds to her at all.

She turns away, letting the carriage drive off, not hearing the young man whisper to himself "Mereoleona" as he follows the cab a little ways.

"Daughter, I hope you demonstrate a bit more decorum in front of Commodore Augustus," she could hear her father chastise her, and feel his glower on her. She doesn't pay much attention though, instead thinking back to one of her fencing sessions as the older man keeps on talking. "After all, it is only through his efforts that Port Raquey has become at all civilized."

#disneycindy #disney event #black clover #william vangeance #mereoleona vermillion #augustus kira clover #cross-posted on ff . net #fuck my mistakes

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

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Pirates of the Carte Seas - Chapter 1 | A Decade Later

Mereoleona's eyes snap open, her breathing shallow, her chest tight. It has been a decade and the nightmares have continued - that ominous feeling haunting her every other night as she closed her eyes.

From the corner of her eye, she can see a silhouette and leaps from her bed, this time ready to fight. But the looming shadow turns out to be a trick of her restless mind and so she settles down, reaching out for the oil lamp beside her bed. Lighting it up, she carries it over and sat it atop one of the dressers.

Pulling out the top drawer, her hand digs into the drawer, pushing out the false bottom - a precaution against a nosey servant, father, or worse still, Augustus -, and exposes a golden medallion, its skull grinning up at her.

Not so easily intimidated, she's free to move this time, sliding the false bottom atop the real one.

It is the knocking at the door that startles her, if only because she knows she's sneaking behind people's backs - not something she does with anything else in her life -, and that there could be dire consequences - a short stop and a sudden drop - perhaps, if she were found to be harbouring and protecting a pirate.

She knocks over her chair as she spooks, and it falls with a faint thud. Ignoring it, she is quick to first close the drawer, then raise the chair once more.

"Mereoleona, is everything alright?" her father exclaims from behind the door. "Are you decent?"

"Yes," she responds, putting on the medallion, hiding it beneath her dressing gown, moments before her father enters alongside a maid.

In his hands is a box that draws in the eyes.

The maid - Grey - is quick to open the curtains, and sunlight floods the room. Clear blue skies hang over Port Raque, and the faint call of sea birds, the chittering of land birds, can be heard through the glass. Mereoleona's grimace at the blinding sunlight turns into a briefly softer expression, something almost akin to a sentimental smile, before it turns neutral again.

The window reveals that beneath and beyond the expansive building she lives in stands a large stone wall lined with canons - a precaution against attackers, a reminder that she, that they are safe. Safe, she sighs to herself, and bored.

And beyond that, the natural harbour lies, a slightly sheltered area, with a stunning view out towards the ocean.

"Still abed, at this hour?" Governor Vermillion comments, seeming almost amused. "Pity to waste away such a good day inside, no?"

He was in a surprisingly good mood, all things considered. In fairness, that was a good thing.

'No point hanging onto ghosts.'

"I have a gift for you," he breaks her out of her thoughts, extending the box to her as he opens it. It reveals a dress - of expensive material, rich with regal colours. She can't help but admire it for a moment, before stepping back, a little confused and maybe a tad bit suspicious.

"May I ask of the occasion?" A dress like that surely couldn't be worn lightly, she decides, pulling the dress out to feel its soft fabric.

It wasn't of a material or length one would do chores in or spar in - if she could get away with such a thing today.

"Does there have to be a reason for a father to spoil his daughter a little?" he response evasively, with a question of his own. Despite this, she accepts the gift, disappearing behind a flame pattered screen, with Grey following her, holding the box. "Though I admit I did hope you would wear it to the ceremony today."

'And now he reveals his true intentions.'

She halts mid-dress. "Ceremony?"

"Well, yes. Augustus is getting promoted today, and he would likely wish for you to be there," he explains away. She is sure that she has heard this somewhere before and filed it under "marginally important, but personally, not really", and then proceeded to forget about said file's existence.

Nevertheless, she finishes pulling her slip over her and peaks from behind the screen. "Of course, of course." She can't quite hide the annoyance - she'd just been tricked into dressing pretty for someone's stuffy ceremony.

Specifically, Augustus Kira's stuffy ceremony.

A waste of a dress.

And for what, some man's unearned promotion? Almost certainly it would have come from a place of being connected to the right people. Last she checked, Augustus couldn't even hold a sword properly. Last she'd met Augustus, she managed to make him jump without even trying.

(In fairness, her making people jump out of their skin seemed a curiously common occurrence.)

Her father appears sheepish.

"Commodore Kira appears to have grown fond of you," he appears oddly tense about this, having harped on about the fact that she was twenty-six and could stand to get married soon. If he was trying to advertise a union with her distant relative, he wasn't doing a particularly good job of it; even by his usual standards.

She pulls her hair away, along with the medallion, careful to hide the skull symbol from her maid's eyes.

Still, it does its job, curling her lip downwards in distaste, even as the maid helps her put her corset on. "No tight-lacing, Grey," she says in a low voice, having enough bull-shit for the day to be more than happy to go without suffocating herself for a couple less inches at the waist.

The maid "eeped" and assured her there wouldn't be tight lacing, not that it spared her ability to breathe.

"How's it coming?"

'Oh, it was coming fine, until you told me my distant relative had a crush on me.'

"Difficult to say."

The maid laces up the corset, firmly enough for it to stay in one place, but not so firmly as to cut off circulation. She resigns herself to forcing her posture straight, reminded of the limited mobility at her torso. Well, if Augustus tried anything, she could still kick and punch.

"I'm told that dress is the very latest fashion in the Royal Capital."

"And I suppose marrying one's relative is too?" she mutters under her breath, too quiet for her father to hear. Grey stifles a giggle, much to her surprise. She was normally too shy to express much of anything.

The maid helps her into the dress, looking at her with awe as Mereoleona turns around in it, glad to note there was still room to move her legs and feet.

As she steps out from behind the screen, she notices the butler - Gauche (who seems to draw out a very shy "hi, Gauche!" from Grey) - appear in the doorway.

"A caller is here for you, Governor," he announces curtly.

Always a sullen one, but even his gaze seems to light up a little after Grey's greeting, however subtly.

#disneycindy #disney event #black clover #william vangeance #mereoleona vermillion #gauche adlai #grey #cross-posted on ff . net

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a-crimson-dawn · 1 year ago

Text

Pirates of the Carte Seas -

Prologue

One could barely see through the dense fog.

She has no doubt her distant cousin, Augustus - whose chest up until now has been puffed up like a peacock's, having been allowed to play captain temporarily while her father was off to deal with conflict below the deck - was even more frustrated than she was. Probably blaming the fog for all his "suffering" too.

And this is the man she is betrothed to.

About three years older with three times more of a temper problem.

She huffs, walking over to the side of the ship, leaning against the rail, as a memory brushes through her mind in the form of a song.

"Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me,

Yo ho, yo, ho, it's a pirate's life for me…"

Her mother sang the song to her and Fuegoleon when they were younger, and when their father wasn't around. It is a favourite of theirs – even if piracy in itself is illegal, and even though Fuegoleon is the last person she can picture as a pirate.

"Ack! Do you want to call those beasts upon us, Mereoleona?!" a familiar, indignant shriek comes from behind her.

She hadn't realised she's been singing along.

Turning to face the pompously dressed Augustus - a powdered wig and a navy hat completing the insufferable look - she can't help but grin. "You're not scared of a group of common criminals, are you?"

"This ISN'T funny!" he spits out. "And for it to be you, of all people… the Governor's daughter!"

And?

"I would have expected more from you."

Except, it is her. As a habit, no one expects much of her, except trouble.

After a short pause, pointedly ignoring August - it was very fun experiencing him steaming up in anger at the lack of attention towards him - she decides "I think meeting a pirate could be… interesting."

More exciting, she figures, than etiquette lessons, or the men's talk of "oh-so important" politics.

"Well, if I get any say, there won't be any pirates to meet! What such villainous scum deserves is a short stop and a sudden drop."

Mereoleona doesn't quite understand what he means by that, but figures it couldn't be anything good. For the pirates, anyway. "A short-"

"Hanging," a deeper voice supplies. She looks to see that the tall red haired man she knows as her father has returned from his dealings. He looks sternly over to Augustus, and she can swear she's seeing the younger fellow flinch. "And it would be best if we changed the subject here…" he insists.

"But it's a fascinating subject!" she can't help admit. Dark, sure. More intriguing than learning about the dozen different types of fork.

Her father gives her a look that doesn't surprise her at all; a resigning look of acknowledgement, an "of course you'd think that" of someone who was well aware of the kind of disposition his eldest child has.

"Even so," she says, turning away to stare out at sea again. "It'd still be exciting…"

It is then that a silhouette forms in the water and her breath catches. As it floats closer towards them, she can make out a human figure; a boy, scarred, clothes tattered, floating up on the waters surface, far from any other notable vessel.

"Father! A boy- there's a-"

"Man overboard!"

"Boy overboard!"

"Fetch a hook; haul him out of there!" her father calls to nearby sailors who are quick to jump to their feet. The men grab a boat hook, pulling the boy up in passing, her father hauling the boy onto the deck.

Curiosity brings her up to the unconscious child - younger than her, with soft white hair, the upper half of his face badly scarred though the scar seems to have been an older one. It is unlikely he would've gotten it in the same event that pushed him overboard. There's something about him that looks fragile and haunted, but thankfully, he seems to be breathing, as her father notes.

Tatty clothes hide something gleaming, a metal that captures her attention alone.

"Where'd this brat come from?" Augustus seems irked, though his question is - almost - a fair one.

As if he'd summoned it with his words, a wreckage, a half sunk naval ship comes into view, exploded remnants drifting away from the main body. It certainly appears as though he might have been a young hand or the son of a Clover navy man, judging by the Clover emblem on the tattered flag that still remains attached - though barely - to the ship.

"Seems for all the armour, an explosion to the powdered magazine left the ship sinking - the boy might be from there," her father observes. "Perhaps we ought to check if there are any other survivors on board…"

Reluctantly, Augustus complied, shouting at the sailors - who don't appear too pleased to be ordered around by a pubescent brat - as they clear away the deck, pulling away the boy.

Her father, meanwhile, looks to the boy and then her. "Mereoleona, I want you to accompany the boy. He's in your charge now. You'll watch over him?" he asks, and despite speaking of a complete stranger, he appears concerned. More so than Augustus, at any rate, who seems as though the boy could've drowned and he wouldn't have been able to care less.

Mereoleona gives him a nod, ushering her father away, as she follows some of the sailors who place the boy just behind the wheel. She kneels by his side, as they leave, reaching out curiously to touch his hair. She can't really explain why, she just did it and doesn't exactly regret it either, finding it to be very soft. Nevertheless, the touch startles the boy. His eyes snap open - a soft purple-blue colour, the colour of blue-bells, lisianthus or lavender - and his hand reaches out before him, almost defensively.

She pulls away, amused by the reaction. Taking the hand, she locks eyes with him, noting the look of fear and sadness in his eyes.

"The name is Mereoleona Vermillion," she introduces herself. "What is yours?"

He blinks. "William…" he responds softly, appearing to relax a little, if hesitantly. "William Vangeance."

"Then I will watch over you, William," she assures him, and he seems to fade out of consciousness again.

As he shifts in his sleep - seeming uncomfortable (then again, perhaps he was having nightmares from the explosion) -, Mereoleona notes something around his neck. The gleaming metal reveals itself to be a golden medallion, that had been tucked beneath the shirt. One side is blank. She turns it around. The other… has a skull on it.

"You're a Pirate…" she figures, shocked, knowing this could only mean one thing.

Especially with Augustus around. She can hear shuffling of feet, the young man giving impatient orders, sounding more furious by the minute.

She grabs the medallion, hiding it within her coat, just as she hears footsteps approaching herself and Will.

"Has he spoken yet?" her father's voice makes her sigh inwardly in relief.

She nods. "His name is William Vangeance - but that is all I could get from him."

"Good," he praises, and with that he walks off to the ship's stern.

Finally exhaling aloud, she briefly takes the medallion out of her pocket, twirling it a little, almost mesmerised by its shine. Like a siren's call…

Then, from the corner of her eye, something floats by. A schooner, pushing silently through the fog, like a ghost. Her breath catches and body stills. It is tempting to come closer, it is tempting to run. She isn't the type to run from confrontations, but the Black Sails make the blood in her veins turn to ice, an ominous aura surrounding her.

Unable to call out, she makes out the skull and bones of the Jolly Roger even through the fog. Noticing the symbol and the one on the coin is almost identical, she snaps her eyes shut, wishing it away. She can do little here if she is found out.

If it is something of theirs…

She and Will would both be in danger.

#black clover #william vangeance #mereoleona vermillion #augustus kira clover #pirates of the caribbean #disneycindy #disney event #so i am a dumbass and only edited this stuff on ff ... and had to go back to edit this. -_-''#anyway it's being posted on ff . net too...

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