captainteague

[captainteague]

                                                   Yes,                              I would give up my life if I had to.                         But that doesn’t mean that I (w a n t) to.                                       && that doesn’t mean                                   that I won’t FIGHT to keep it

[captainteague]

HEADCANON. Teague is very awkward when it comes to physical affection. He’s not opposed to giving it…it’s just…not always the kind of physical contact people want. With kids, specifically Jack and Henry, he would often ruffle their hair when they were younger or sorta give them a very quick, strange-looking side hug (click here for a visual). In general, he’ll also give shoulder squeezes or pat you on the back in a way that if you’re not paying attention may knock you forward a little. There are a few exceptions to this (Maria being the best example) but overall he struggles with this love language even if it’s one of his preferred methods of receiving affection/love.

[captainteague]

       Okay so just to be clear, Teague wasn’t a good father. He’s had some not so shitty moments such as when he made Jack his protege and teaching him a trade. But that does not excuse the fact that Teague was verbally and emotionally abusive towards Jack frequently as well as having one known instance of severe physical abuse (beating a 9-year-old Jack). Teague was not a good father. The majority of Jack’s psychological problems can be traced back to Teague. Teague was not a good father. While there are many contributing factors from his own life (abusive upbringing, alcoholism, grief, ect) that led to his abusive behavior that does not excuse the fact that he made Jack feel worthless and alone. 

       Teague was not a good father. Just because he doesn’t seem to actively abuse Jack on-screen doesn’t diminish what Jack lived with for 13 years. Abusers aren’t abusive 100% of the time. In fact, if they were I suspect it would be a bit easier to deal with because at the very least you would know what to expect. But that isn’t the case. Instead, it comes in waves. Forcing you to center your life around their moods. The scene in At Worlds End between Jack and Teague has Jack being uncharacteristically cautious and reserved. Fear ≠ Respect. Jack is clearly afraid of his father. 

       Teague was not a good father. So please stop making excuses or diminishing what he did. It doesn’t matter that he was “raising Jack Sparrow, so it must’ve been tough” or that “he was just a distant parent because he didn’t know how to connect with Jack”. There’s always a reason behind abusive behavior but these do not excuse an abusers actions. 

P.S. JACK SPARROW WAS CANONICALLY A SUPER EASY, IF NOT A LITTLE (VERY) CURIOUS KID WHO WAS CONSTANTLY STRIVING TO PLEASE HIS FATHER.

All blogs can reblog this post

[captainteague]

 @thecodekeeper​ sent a (℧) for Henry to retell a Myth || Accepting!

        Henry thought himself a changed man. He had spent some time refusing to acknowledge it, hoping that if he did not look it in the eye, it would depart. That the shift would decide it had no hold of him after all, and he could go on with life as he always had, but if he was stubborn then then it was of a truly bullish constitution, outlasting even Henry’s resolve to be left alone. Seizing on it, in fact: this was a new truth of him. Sometimes he wished for very little more than to be left alone.

        Not left on his own (this was a shift, not a revision of truth) but merely given to a silent agreement where, though he was in the room and even listening, even offering the occasional fragment of thought, he was not directly addressed. Did not have to hold the whole of someone’s attention, or keep track of the entire conversation or goings-on. He wished to be there, and not to be ignored, and at once not saddled with the full weight of engagement. This meant a room full of strangers was too impersonal, as they would merely ignore him, and a room of his nearest loved ones would not understand the half-in, half-out he was looking for. They knew him to be all or nothing. Henry had, then, assumed himself out of luck (for maybe the first time in his life.) 

        And then he had recalled Teague. Who was, unquestionably, close. And yet, bizarrely, had maintained a certain distance all of Henry’s life. Like a carefully tended to box garden, the leaves all trimmed and the soil carefully tilled and then, more or less, left to grow. A man several steps away from the circle Henry was apt to throw himself into: too far to be held responsible for the catching, but near enough to dive after the boy and seize him by the scruff of the neck should the jumping prove to have been over a cliff.

        This was how Henry found himself in Teague’s company of late. It was a far more mellow affair than the days of his early youth and teens. He no longer appeared to beg for a peek at the codex and the bend of an ear, but, as said, to be left alone. To sit in a quiet that could easily be broken, but did not demand to be kept away. He could sit there, feet aloft on the edge of something, and listen to the muffled sounds of Shipwreck or the quiet undercurrent of the waves behind it all, stare at a candle flame or the smoke twisting away from it. He could think whatever he was thinking, interrupted only by quiet shuffling or rustle of page turning or the soft pluck-and-hum of that worn guitar that so often rested in the lap of the aged captain.

        …Former Captain? Current Keeper? Henry was often unsure how he ought to be thinking of Edward Teague other than with the awkward affection afforded him now, which itself was a blend of the blind adoration of Henry’s earliest youth and the scalding truths he’d since learned. Perhaps Teague was enough. No more or less than the man had earned —or maybe deserved.

        (Henry had asked Jack, once, a question roughly to the effect of if he loved his father. He was young then, and meant nothing by it. Merely he’d been trying to grasp at the thing he knew was different for him, somehow. Jack had become terse and strange and, eventually, led the point so far ‘round itself the question disintegrated like docking that had not been properly treated, scattered into so many sodden splinters and sunken shards of iron. Still, Henry had wagered then and still rather thought now that, well… If the docking fell apart while you were standing on it, Teague might scold you for standing on the damn thing at all, and criticize the sopping wet mess of you after the fact, but would have been the one who hauled you out of the water by the scruff. That was something.)

        “There was a time when the earth did not exist.” The guitar did not stop, and Teague did not turn, but Henry was not watching for him to. “Before the Olympian Gods, before even the time of time itself, being before the birth of the time-titan Kronos. All things lay in a great confused mess; the wind did not blow, for it was not made of air, and the sea had no waves, for it was not yet fluid, and the earth had no firm surface or fixation. Worst of all, nothing could be seen nor named nor described, because there was no light. …No light at all. There was only the dark and the night, and the divinities of these things.

        ‘These divinities, called Erebus and Nyx, saw a great deal of potential in all the madness. Pieces and strings that could be woven and built into something worth creating. They knew, too, they could not build such a thing alone, as only the dark and night with no other wonders. So they joined themselves and worked together to produce that which can surpass their singular natures- a child. They fashioned a great egg from the shapeless chaos of the cosmos. It took a nameless version of patience, for it took a time beyond time to construct, and it took all of Erebus and Nyx’s great concentration and creativity. It was a venture well worth it, though, for they knew that the being that emerged from what they made would have power of an unmatched magnitude, that their child would go on to shape the thing we call the world, putting the ground into a form, the ocean into waves, the wind into the sky to breathe. This child, when it stepped forth, shone with the light and the day, and all and more than the Night and the dark could have ever imagined. It was beyond what they could think, or even understand really. Beyond their realm, divine every way both grand and horrid. And the child was called Eros- divinity of love.” Now Henry turned, rolled his head to cast a half-smiled in Teague’s direction. “Love shaped the world.”

[captainteague]

@lighthouseborn​ asked -  👫

—

1.)     Their relationship is somewhere between grandson/grandfather and mentee/mentor. This came about naturally as Teague and Elizabeth work closely together. Teague took Elizabeth under his wing and it appears that Henry simply fell under this same umbrella. Since there weren’t many (read: any…including Teague) babysitters on Shipwreck Teague found himself agreeing to keep an eye on Henry while Elizabeth dashed off to do one thing or another. As Henry got older he began coming around without his mother. Teague rarely turned him away. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see Teague in his cabin, looking rather pained by Henry’s incessant questioning. Sometimes he’d snap at the young boy to stop pestering him, but he never made a move to make him leave. They spent so much time together that people began to assume Henry was Teague’s protégé. They weren’t wrong.

2.)     By the time Henry rolled around Teague had resigned himself to the fact that he’d likely die without an heir. His position, while powerful, isn’t desirable. Those who would desire such a position generally hold little intention of maintaining a pirate society. So he was resigned…until Henry. It wasn’t intentional. Henry’s constant chattering simply got to the point where Teague needed a reprieve, and it just so happened that the only time Henry was silent was when he was reading. So he allowed Henry to read the codex. Much to Teague’s surprise, Henry devoured it. Naturally, Henry’s questions started again, this time about the codex, pirate society, and their customs. It spiraled from there. Henry’s attachment to Shipwreck Cove and its inhabitants has only solidified Teague’s decision to offer Henry the position at some point. 

3.)     Teague gave Henry his first knife, taught him how to shoot his first gun, showed him how to tie his first knot, gave him his first sip of rum, and plenty of more firsts none of which were done at age-appropriate times.

4.)     Much like Jack, he finds Henry to be too kind and trusting. Willing to put his faith in others where Teague would never. He is slightly more forgiving of this than he was with Jack. Perhaps he has mellowed in his old age, or maybe he’s realized that Henry, like Jack, has his own way of doing things. It’s doubtful even Teague knows the answer. 

5.)      When Henry was younger and Teague was in one of his better moods he’d regal Henry with stories of his youth. Often when this happened it would be in connection to some trinket or furnishing that Teague kept as a trophy. Now that Henry is older and more experienced he gets to regal Teague about his own adventures. Everything comes full circle. 

[captainteague]

“The rogue beside Jack raised his musket, taking a bead on the Keeper of the Code. With a choked cry of protest and a savage swing of his cutlass, Jack knocked the barrel of the musket aside. The shot went wide.”

—

The Price of Freedom by Anne C. Crispin. (via thecodekeeper)

#i’d like to take this moment to remind EVERYONE that Jack saved Teague’s life. #because even after all the verbal lashing and being told he would never amount to anything #knowing that even if he saved Teague’s life there would be little to any change in their relationship #Jack couldn’t let Teague get shot

(via trickstercaptain)

[captainteague]

“One day you’ll be alone and regret not being there. You’ll regret the birthdays and holidays missed. You’ll regret not watching him grow up and being in his life. You’ll regret everything. And by then it’ll be too late…”

— Unknown [x] (via thecodekeeper)

[captainteague]

Describe Teague’s nightstand, knick-knacks and framed photos?

His nightstand is…bland. It’s your typical, simple wooden nightstand. There’s a lamp on top of it which he uses more often than the overhead lights. There’s a digital alarm clock a little bit in front of the lamp. The nightstand has a double drawer. Inside the first, you’ll find a loaded pistol, reading glasses, car keys, and a flask. The bottom drawer is far more interesting.

He has a small tin box inside. It’s really minimalist and is honestly something you’d expect a teenager to keep their weed in…which…may be what its original purpose was. Now it’s used to store mementos.

The sorts of mementos you may see are:

- His first guitar pick. It was made into a necklace at some point. However both the necklace and guitar pick have seen better days. He hasn’t worn either in decades.

- A delicate golden chain with a sparrow pendant. His first Christmas gift to Maria. The rest of her stuff is either long gone or boxed away. This was the only thing Teague chose to keep close.

- A handful of polaroids. Family photos, mostly of his brothers although Teague does appear in a few. Unlike the family albums, these look far more natural. Everyone is relaxed. Teague can even be caught smiling in one.

- A card which reads ‘Happy Father’s Day - You’re Fin-tastic’. The first and only father’s day card Jack ever made him, tucked safely away. He didn’t know what to do when he originally received it- throwing it away didn’t seem right but he didn’t think to display it either. Unbeknownst to even Maria, it was stored in his memento’s box.

[captainteague]

56 If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

Funnily enough, I just ran across a quote that sums up Teague's thoughts on fear, "fear turns into despair, despair to panic, and then panic to utter submission…" 

Teague doesn’t really run to others for comfort. What’s the point? It’s not as if the thing you fear is going to be gone once you are done cowering from it- to Teague seeking comfort from someone is akin to weakness or cowardice. That’s why when given the choice to fight, flight, or flee you can bet the house that Teague’s response will be to punch whatever it is in the face. To him, if something is worth fearing then it’s probably dangerous, and if something is a danger to your (or your loved ones) then the best course of action is to kill it before it kills you.  

This sort of reaction is born from the fact that Teague’s biggest fear is to be made vulnerable or powerless. Obviously, the best way to not be made to feel this way is to deal with threats head (or fist) on.

There is an exception to this. See, the situations I’m referring to are all external. When it comes to being emotionally vulnerable it’s a whole different ball game. Teague would rather fight a pack of wolves than deal with uncomfortable emotions. If something out of his control pops up (losing a loved one being the best example I can think of) Teague’s go-to move is retreating into himself, this usually involves heavy drinking as well. 

There are a handful of people he’s more comfortable being with when he’s feeling vulnerable, such as his brother, Jonathan, but even with those individuals, he’s very bad at expressing how he feels/what he needs. 

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS // @drdumaurier // accepting

[captainteague]

jack and the cache are to be moved aboard to a secret caravan, to a ship waiting somewhere off the southern coast. if we can intercept that caravan, we can secure both the money to start our war and the partner to help us fight it.

[captainteague]

TATTOO BREAKDOWN: CANON

1.) A pig on his left foot and a rooster on his right: These were his first tattoos. He received them a week before he left on his first voyage as Bartholomew’s cabin boy. He was nine at the time. Due to his young age, they are very small and aren’t shaded. Traditionally having such tattoos was meant to prevent drowning. 

2.) A rope around his right wrist: Teague received this tattoo when he was around fifteen and dated his transition from cabin boy to ABS. It can also be interpreted as a symbol for the term “hold fast” which was meant to help a sailor keep a good hold on rigging. 

3.)  A small sea turtle tattooed on the web of his right hand (between the thumb and index finger): Teague received this tattoo after he was promoted to the position of boatswain around the age of twenty-three. 

Traditionally boatswains received an anchor tattoo but I personally could not resist giving Teague a sea turtle tattoo so y’all are just going to have to deal with it

4.) A compass rose on the right side of his chest: This tattoo traditionally symbolized always being able to find your way home. However, Teague’s is designed to look much more like a compass. While it may simply be the design of the tattoo it can also be interpreted as him having no true home beyond the sea. He received this tattoo when he was twenty-five. 

5.) A swallow holding an anchor surrounded by three nautical stars on the inside of his left forearm: This tattoo remains the most emotionally significant. It’s the only tattoo that Teague has updated over time. He received the nautical stars sometime in his late twenties. The swallow was added sometime after Maria’s death. Swallows were often used to represent returning home. If a sailor were to die at sea the swallow would guide his soul “home”. The tattoo can be interpreted as Teague seeing Maria as his anchor and wishing to return to her once he dies.

[captainteague]

“cain instinct” this “cain instinct” that. what about the reuben instinct where you hate your youngest sibling's guts but will still go out of your way to minimize the harm that comes to them. what about the judah instinct where you instinctively ask to be punished in place of your youngest sibling. what about the jacob instinct where your sibling is very hungry so u pettily make them promise you unreasonable things so that you'll give them food. what about the miriam instinct where you secretly watch over your baby sibling to make sure no harm comes to them.

[captainteague]

7 & 21 for the character flaws

meme // accepting // @verumlibertas

---

When have they totally failed to think of another person’s needs?

If I wanted to be snarky about this I could say that Teague regularly fails to consider the needs of others. But that’s not entirely true. If anything, he’s spent most of his life taking the needs of others into consideration. As a brother, captain, and leader he considers it a part of the job description. 

I think where Teague really falls off is that he often disregards what others consider their needs. In other words, Teague will all too often do what he considers best for others rather than consulting them first. Honestly, thinking on it now, he’s piss poor at considering individual needs or desires. His mentality is very much ‘what’s the best way forward for the majority’. 

He never intentionally puts himself before family and friends but it definitely happens more than it should. Teague struggles to focus on individual relationships with others and how his actions may affect said relationships. The best example I can think of is when he sent Jack to live with “grandmama” for a year or when he quit his short-lived time as a privateer without consulting Maria. 

What’s the stupidest mistake they ever made?

Teague is generally very meticulous in his work as captain. However, he wasn’t always this way. As a young man, Teague was far more impulsive. While nothing specific comes to mind, I imagine he made a series of mistakes as any young captain would. But it soon occurred to him that when you make stupid mistakes as captain good men die. 

Unfortunately, he lacked the same revelation in his personal life. 

Teague has made one large, broad mistake for most of his life. His inability to communicate, especially with loved ones. I consider this to be the ultimate “stupid mistake” because it has caused an enormous amount of damage to many of in closest relationships. Even with Maria, who is arguably the Teague-whisperer, she was often left to assume certain things because he’s seemingly incapable of verbalizing feelings. This same issue has also caused major riffs with Jack who, at least at a young’un, clearly wanted a relationship with his dad but felt incapable of establishing that due to how intimidating he was. 

And I think therein lies the issue. Teague assumes that his actions will speak for him. Except he’s also gruff, impulsive, and more than occasionally violent. His actions send mixed messages. 

In closing, Teague’s stupid mistake is going out of his way to protect those around him but never actually explaining his domineering behaviour. He’d probably have more luck just saying “I love you” but that’s not in his nature, alas. 

[captainteague]

[captainteague]

“If you grew up in a house where you weren’t loved, you didn’t know there was an alternative.”

— The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides (via shatteringrevelations)

[captainteague]

[captainteague]